‘Tuyaw’, a Reminder of the Dead or Another Way to Talk about the Weather in the Age of the Super‐Typhoon

In the wake of mass calamity, one can discern emergent specters of collective memory, trauma, and mourning over human death as well as the destruction of human dwellings. In the Philippines, a former Spanish and U.S. colony, recent history is resplendent with all manner of cataclysms ‐ from natural disasters (earthquakes, typhoons) to mass destruction during war (Spanish‐American War and World War II). This essay is concerned with the ways in which dreams and the dead are not just after‐effects of events in linear‐time nor exclusively human affects. Drawing on scholars of experimental ethnography and postcolonial film theory converging on Gilles Deleuze's “time‐image”, dreams authored by the dead here are engaged as agentive fabulators on decay, destruction, and loss – first on the local level of experiencing disaster but further connecting that more broadly to loss of heritage sites and the possible future prospect of serial calamity augured by neoliberal development and climate change in the Pacific.     

Predictors of Sexual Minority Youth’s Reported Suicide Attempts and Mental Health

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth (LGBY) report higher rates of mental health concerns compared to heterosexual youth due to minority stressors. This study examined the interpersonal and intrapersonal variables that predict psychological distress and self-reported suicide attempts in a sample of 61 LGBY in the Mid-South, which is a highly overlooked regional area for LGBY research. Youth who lost friends when coming out were 29 times more likely to report suicide attempts, and those who experienced psychological maltreatment from caregivers were 9.5 times more likely to report a suicide attempt. Internalized heterosexism, feelings of guilt or shame, and psychological maltreatment from caregivers were significant predictors of depression and anxiety symptoms. This study highlights the importance of creating affirming spaces for LGBY, particularly in areas of the country that experience greater political oppression of sexual minorities, such as the Mid-South.     

The role of population size in the determination and prediction of population forecast errors: An evaluation using conifidence intervals for subcounty areas

Producers of population forecasts acknowledge the uncertainty inherent in trying to predict the future and should warn about the likely error of their forecasts. Confidence intervals represent one way of quantifying population forecast error. Most of the work in this area relates to national forecasts; although, confidence intervals have been developed for state and county forecasts. A few studies have examined subcounty forecast error, however, they only measured point estimates of error. This paper describes a technique for making subcounty population forecasts and for generating confidence intervals around their forecast error. It also develops statistical equations for calculating point estimates and confidence intervals for areas with different population sizes. A non-linear, inverse relationship between population size and forecast accuracy was found and we demonstrate the ability to accurately predict average forecast error and confidence intervals based on this relationship.     

Direct and indirect effects of human population density and land use on physical features and invertebrates of Iowa (U.S.A.) streams

To improve understanding of human impacts on headwater stream condition, we quantified relationships between human, terrestrial landscape, and stream system variables in 29 central Iowa watersheds. Across study watersheds, between 0 and 100 % of total land area was characterized as “urban” (developed and barren land), whereas cultivated land constituted between 0 and 71 % of watershed area. Several variables were measured for each stream and associated watershed. Strengths of correlative relationships were used to select variables for path analysis, which we used to gain insight into factors affecting stream condition by evaluating direct and indirect effects of human system variables, terrestrial landscape variables, and physical stream variables on stream invertebrates. Results indicated that in predominantly urban watersheds, contaminant inputs to streams (measured by streamwater conductivity) negatively affected invertebrates, including EPT taxa (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera), and streamwater contaminant concentrations increased with impervious surface and human population density in the watershed. In rural watersheds, high streamwater nitrogen concentrations associated with cultivated land were related to declines in invertebrate taxon richness. Independent of land use, invertebrate abundance and taxonomic diversity were positively related to coarse substrate abundance on the streambed. Additionally, stream flow (discharge) increased with watershed area, which in turn increased invertebrate taxonomic diversity. Apparently, mechanisms responsible for human impacts on stream condition in central Iowa depend on dominant land use in the watershed. Additionally, stream ecosystems with high quality benthic habitat, and those located in large watersheds with greater flow, appear to be more resilient to land use effects.     

Motherhood and Family Health Advocacy in Nutrition and Exercise: “Doing the Tradition”

Studies tend to subsume women’s routine family healthcare responsibilities under the larger heading of “household labor.” This study argues that, women’s—and particularly mothers’—family healthcare work in the area of diet and physical activity represents a distinctive area for critical family communication research with potentially serious psychological, emotional, and physical consequences for women and their families. Interviews (N = 30) with young adult-family member dyads supported this assertion. Interview data illustrated that mothers struggled to fulfill incongruous health goals for themselves and their family members, and did so at the expense of their familial relationships (particularly with children) and their own health. Moreover, dyadic data analysis highlighted how young adults ascertained and carried on the “tradition” of the established mother-as-healthcare-provider role. Implications for theory and future research directions conclude this study.     

From Alphabetized to Classified: Reorganizing a Large Periodicals Collection

The bound periodicals at Founders Memorial Library at Northern Illinois University have always been shelved by main entry. This arrangement, however, has confused patrons and has created problems with coordinating the records in the Cataloging and Acquisitions Departments. Staff in those two departments had long lobbied to shelve the bound periodicals by call numbers. In September 2008, library staff were granted permission to begin the process of rearranging them. Over the course of eight months, library staff labeled approximately 159,000 volumes of bound periodicals. This article describes how it was done with a digital camera and a Photobucket account (www.photobucket.com).     

Working beyond 65: predictors of late retirement for women and men MBAs

Comparisons of those who planned to continue working after the age of 65 with those who did not were made for 145 women and 414 men working in managerial fields. All received MBA degrees between the years of 1973 and 1982. About 20% definitely wanted to work after age 65. More positive views of work were predictive of wanting to continue working as was having nontraditional gender-role attitudes. Men who planned to continue working were particularly likely to have a spouse wanting to work past the age of 65. Several other factors appeared to operate differently for women and men.     

Hearing “That’s So Gay” and “No Homo” on Campus and Substance Use Among Sexual Minority College Students

ABSTRACT

Sexual orientation microaggressions are common on college campuses and can contribute to negative outcomes; yet little is known about their relationship with substance use outcomes. Among a convenience sample of cisgender sexual minority college students (n= 574; 57.0% female, 24.9% people of color, 50.7% gay/lesbian; 72.4% public school) from 37 states (67.8% Midwest), this analysis investigates the association between hearing “that’s so gay” and “no homo” on campus and hazardous alcohol use and the frequency of illicit drug use. Using multivariable regression analyses, the commonly heard phrases “that’s so gay” and “no homo” were each found to significantly increase the risk for hazardous drinking and the frequency of drug use among students. Efforts should be made to create more welcoming campus climates for sexual minority students by reducing the use of these microaggressions and, in the meantime, offering supports to mitigate their harmful effects.