The Role of Rape-Supportive Attitudes,Alcohol, and Sexual Arousal in Sexual (Mis)Perception: An Experimental Study

While sexual misperception does not irrevocably lead to sexual aggression, it remains a significant risk factor. The present study investigated the effects of rape-supportive attitudes, alcohol, and sexual arousal on sexual perception. We used a 2 × 2 between-participants factorial design to randomly assign 135 men from the general population to a condition with or without alcohol (blood alcohol concentration target of .08%) and to a condition with or without sexual arousal. Participants were asked to listen to an audiotape depicting a sexual interaction between a man and woman and to indicate if and when they believed the woman was no longer interested in having sex. Results, obtained through survival analyses, indicate that the effects of rape-supportive attitudes on sexual misperception are moderated by alcohol consumption. Alcohol appears to be an important situational factor for activating men’s implicit theories. Our study sheds new light on the role of knowledge structures in sexual perception: It identifies when, as well as suggesting how, rape-supportive attitudes may disturb sexual perception and ultimately lead to sexual misperception.     

The role of psychological factors on teenagers who become parents out-of-wedlock

This paper presents the role of psychological factors in teenagers who become parents out of wedlock. It talks on the normative adolescent psychological development, emphasizing the developmental thrust towards separation, but juxtaposes the deviant psychological development of teenagers who are unable to gain control of their childbearing. The different experiences of female and male teenagers and the meaning of parenthood are cited. The pre-existing, intrinsic, psychological dynamics that predispose these vulnerable teenagers to early childbirth includes unmet early dependency needs; the desire to appear as adults, while simultaneously wanting to remain as children; denial of parenthood risk; and denial of the demands of babies. Furthermore, male teenagers perceive fatherhood as an attainment of some psychological sense of manhood. While for both males and females, the unconscious acceptance of dependency on the government to provide for the basic needs of their children and themselves can be a way of psychologically gratifying their own needs. The impact of early childhood experiences, role of parents as models, family experiences, social class, changing societal sexual mores, urban living, education and a sense of future are explicated. The influence of cognitive challenges and of specific psychiatric illness is also discussed. This study concludes that social policy integrate an understanding in the crafting of domestic policy on teenage parenthood.     

Interaction Patterns in Adolescent Romantic Relationships: A Typological Analysis

While several studies in adolescents have addressed issues related to romantic relationships and dating violence, there is a limited understanding of their interaction patterns. This study aims to document interactions in conflict situations by identifying profiles of adolescent romantic relationships. Qualitative analysis based on the dimensions of the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems was used to investigate the interaction task of 40 dyads. A typological analysis revealed four profiles: (1) rigid, (2) entangled, (3) hampered, and (4) balanced. Results highlight the diversity of romantic experiences and offer a better understanding of the intricacies of different interaction profiles. Dating violence prevention efforts and programs promoting harmonious and egalitarian romantic relationships could benefit from the insights of the identified profiles.     

Impact of soil compaction on soil biodiversity – does it matter in urban context?

Soil invertebrates are poorly studied in an urban context. Here we examine soil compaction in an urban environment, focusing on its persistence and its impact on biodiversity. This is achieved by studying a sensitive taxon, the collembolan (springtails). Soil core samples were taken in different location of a residential neighbourhood under construction, and collembolan species were extracted using a Berlese-Tullgren funnel. Soil compaction was determined by measuring bulk density. We documented soil compaction, ranging from 1 g/cm3 to 1.6 g/cm3. While collembolans are normally affected by compaction, such an effect was not observed in terms of species diversity, which remains relatively constant under all compaction levels. However, compaction was correlated with differences in the structure of collembolan communities. Indeed, we were able to discriminate different levels of compaction using collembolan community data alone. Moreover, this study confirms that compaction decreases with time. However, differences in species community structure can be observed one year after the end of the disturbance. Finally, we provide some insights into the reality of soil compaction in an urban environment, and highlight that the classical biodiversity indices may be insufficient for assessing the impact of an environmental disturbance, and that more detailed analyses at the community level may be very useful, or even indispensable.     

2004 Presidential campaign messages: A functional analysis of press releases from President Bush and Senator Kerry

This study content analyzed news releases from Bush and Kerry in the 2004 election. Challenger Kerry attacked more and acclaimed less than the incumbent, Bush. Defenses were relatively rare. Candidates focused most on policy than character or campaign-related topics. When addressing policy, they discussed past deeds (53.3%), future plans (16.9%), and general goals (29.8%). When discussing character, they addressed personal qualities (57%), ideals (27.1%), and leadership ability (15.9%). Results were compared with Bush's and Kerry's 2004 television spots, debates, and 2004 primary campaign news releases.     

Efficient Estimation of the Seemingly Unrelated Regression Cointegration Model and Testing for Purchasing Power Parity

This paper studies the efficient estimation of seemingly unrelated linear models with integrated regressors and stationary errors. We consider two cases. The first one has no common regressor among the equations. In this case, we show that by adding leads and lags of the first differences of the regressors and estimating this augmented dynamic regression model by generalized least squares using the long-run covariance matrix, we obtain an efficient estimator of the cointegrating vector that has a limiting mixed normal distribution. In the second case we consider, there is a common regressor to all equations, and we discuss efficient minimum distance estimation in this context. Simulation results suggests that our new estimator compares favorably with others already proposed in the literature. We apply these new estimators to the testing of the proportionality and symmetry conditions implied by purchasing power parity (PPP) among the G-7 countries. The tests based on the efficient estimates easily reject the joint hypotheses of proportionality and symmetry for all countries with either the United States or Germany as numeraire. Based on individual tests, our results suggest that Canada and Germany are the most likely countries for which the proportionality condition holds, and that Italy and Japan for the symmetry condition relative to the United States.     

Pharmacokinetic parameters estimation using adaptive Bayesian P-splines models

In preclinical and clinical experiments, pharmacokinetic (PK) studies are designed to analyse the evolution of drug concentration in plasma over time i.e. the PK profile. Some PK parameters are estimated in order to summarize the complete drug's kinetic profile: area under the curve (AUC), maximal concentration (C(max)), time at which the maximal concentration occurs (t(max)) and half-life time (t(1/2)).Several methods have been proposed to estimate these PK parameters. A first method relies on interpolating between observed concentrations. The interpolation method is often chosen linear. This method is simple and fast. Another method relies on compartmental modelling. In this case, nonlinear methods are used to estimate parameters of a chosen compartmental model. This method provides generally good results. However, if the data are sparse and noisy, two difficulties can arise with this method. The first one is related to the choice of the suitable compartmental model given the small number of data available in preclinical experiment for instance. Second, nonlinear methods can fail to converge. Much work has been done recently to circumvent these problems (J. Pharmacokinet. Pharmacodyn. 2007; 34:229-249, Stat. Comput., to appear, Biometrical J., to appear, ESAIM P&S 2004; 8:115-131).In this paper, we propose a Bayesian nonparametric model based on P-splines. This method provides good PK parameters estimation, whatever be the number of available observations and the level of noise in the data. Simulations show that the proposed method provides better PK parameters estimations than the interpolation method, both in terms of bias and precision. The Bayesian nonparametric method provides also better AUC and t(1/2) estimations than a correctly specified compartmental model, whereas this last method performs better in t(max) and C(max) estimations.We extend the basic model to a hierarchical one that treats the case where we have concentrations from different subjects. We are then able to get individual PK parameter estimations. Finally, with Bayesian methods, we can get easily some uncertainty measures by obtaining credibility sets for each PK parameter.     

Infant mortality and birth intervals

Summary In the course of a demographic inquiry which also offered medical advice to the respondent women, information was obtained on the reproductive life and child mortality of women in three regions of Upper Volta. Foetal mortality rates are inversely correlated with fertility rates, whereas the opposite holds true of the mortality of children aged up to four years. An explanation of this phenomenon is attempted, showing how large variations in mortality rates continue to exist in developing countries. The second section of the paper deals with spontaneous abortions which happen much more frequently than is believed in Black Africa and with the effect of pathological sterility on birth intervals. Account is taken of the taboo on sexual relations after children have been born, a taboo which continues to be kept in the region studied and which as an important effect on inter-birth intervals.     

Prostitution Stigma and Its Effect on the Working Conditions,Personal Lives,and Health of Sex Workers

Researchers have shown that stigma is a fundamental determinant of behavior, well-being, and health for many marginalized groups, but sex workers are notably absent from their analyses. This article aims to fill the empirical research gap on sex workers by reviewing the mounting evidence of stigmatization attached to sex workers’ occupation, often referred to as “prostitution” or “whore” stigma. We give special attention to its negative effect on the working conditions, personal lives, and health of sex workers. The article first draws attention to the problem of terminology related to the subject area and makes the case for consideration of prostitution stigmatization as a fundamental cause of social inequality. We then examined the sources of prostitution stigma at macro, meso, and micro levels. The third section focuses on tactics sex workers employ to manage, reframe, or resist occupational stigma. We conclude with a call for more comparative studies of stigma related to sex work to contribute to the general stigma literature, as well as social policy and law reform.