The menstrual cycle and personal space

Sixty undergraduate women were individually tested for interpersonal distance preferences by either a male or female confederate who approached each subject from six different directions using a procedure reported by Kinzel (1970). Randomly, each participated during either the four days prior to menstrual flow (premenstrual), the four days beginning with the first day of flow (menstrual), or the four days midway between the onset of their last period and the estimated beginning of the next (midcycle). Unexpectedly, interpersonal distance preferences were greater for males than for female testers only during the midcycle phase. Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire scores were not reliably correlated with interpersonal distance preferences, nor were questionnaire items tapping extent of sexual experience, usage of birth-control pills, or concern about menstrual odor. Ratings of the attractiveness of the person doing the testing was inversely related to the preferred interpersonal distance with the exception of midcycle subjects. Both negative affect and sexual interest interpretations of the effects of menstrual cycle on personal space are discussed.Edgar C. O'Neal is professor of psychology at Tulane; he received his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Missouri at Columbia. Janet Schultz is a M.S.W. candidate at Tulane's Graduate School of Social Work; she received her B.A. with honors in psychology from Newcomb College of Tulane University. Terry E. Christenson is associate professor of psychology and biology at Tulane and received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. Address reprint requests to the first author, Department of Psychology, 2007 Percival Stern Hall, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118-5698.     

Comparing Varieties of Agency Theory in Economics, Political Science, and Sociology: An Illustration from State Policy Implementation

As rational choice theory has moved from economics into political science and sociology, it has been dramatically transformed. The intellectual diffusion of agency theory illustrates this process. Agency theory is a general model of social relations involving the delegation of authority, and generally resulting in problems of control, which has been applied to a broad range of substantive contexts. This paper analyzes applications of agency theory to state policy implementation in economics, political science, and sociology. After documenting variations in the theory across disciplinary contexts, the strengths and weaknesses of these different varieties of agency theory are assessed. Sociological versions of agency theory, incorporating both broader microfoundations and richer models of social structure, are in many respects the most promising. This type of agency theory illustrates the potential of an emerging sociological version of rational choice theory.     

Statistical methods to evaluate health effects associated with major sources of air pollution: a case-study of breathing patterns during exposure to concentrated Boston air particles

Summary.  We conduct a case-study evaluating the source-specific effects of particulate matter on respiratory function. Using a structural equation approach, we assess the effect of different receptor models on the estimated source-specific effects for univariate respiratory response. Furthermore, we extend the structural equation model by placing a factor analysis model on the response to represent the measured respiratory responses in terms of underlying respiratory patterns. We estimate the particulate matter source-specific effects on respiratory rate, accentuated normal breathing and airway irritation and find a strong increase in airway irritation that is associated with exposure to motor vehicle particulate matter.     

南非运输业巨头Transnet的变革

Transnet是南非的国有运输企业，主要负责经营铁路、公路、港口、管道四大领域，是非洲最大的物流运输集团。对于“能量”二字，Transnet的理解自然是相当深刻的。     

A Systems Approach to the Policy‐Level Risk Assessment of Exotic Animal Diseases: Network Model and Application to Classical Swine Fever

Exotic animal diseases (EADs) are characterized by their capacity to spread global distances, causing impacts on animal health and welfare with significant economic consequences. We offer a critique of current import risk analysis approaches employed in the EAD field, focusing on their capacity to assess complex systems at a policy level. To address the shortcomings identified, we propose a novel method providing a systematic analysis of the likelihood of a disease incursion, developed by reference to the multibarrier system employed for the United Kingdom. We apply the network model to a policy‐level risk assessment of classical swine fever (CSF), a notifiable animal disease caused by the CSF virus. In doing so, we document and discuss a sequence of analyses that describe system vulnerabilities and reveal the critical control points (CCPs) for intervention, reducing the likelihood of U.K. pig herds being exposed to the CSF virus.     

Perceptions of Gangs and Crews by Justice-Involved Youth and Implications for Best Practice Work

ABSTRACT

Gangs and crews are at center stage when discussing youth violence. According to client-centered best practices in the social service arena, distinguishing between gangs and crews is not important for developing a trusting relationship; yet these terms are a master status for those agencies aimed at enforcement and suppression. Social service providers must navigate these different landscapes, particularly in light of their increasing involvement in multistakeholder violence-reduction partnerships. However, the voices of youth themselves have been left out of the mix. Perceptions of youth identified as gang affiliated or at risk for gang membership are used to empirically investigate how these best practices tensions should be navigated by service providers. Semistructured interviews with 41 youth involved in an employment program show that crews are perceived as less violent and less dangerous than gangs, and youth actively resisted the gang label, even though there were no differences in criminal records between self-identified gang and crew members. Implications for the important role of service providers in providing client-centered services and bringing forward youth voices into collaborative partnerships are discussed, as are future research needs relating to linking youth voices to best practice work.     

Behavior problems in children raised by grandmothers: The role of caregiver distress, family resources, and the home environment

Over the past few decades there has been a dramatic increase in children being raised by grandparents due to a variety of factors including child maltreatment, parental abandonment, substance abuse, and incarceration. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent of behavior problems in children being raised by grandmothers and to determine factors in their current environment that are related to child behavior problems. The study draws on McCubbin's resiliency model of family stress, adjustment and adaptation.The sample comprised of 230 children ages 2 to 16 years who were being raised by grandmothers in parent-absent homes. The families were predominantly low income and African American. The grandmothers ranged in age from 37 to 80 years. Grandmothers responded to several self-report measures pertaining to child behavior problems, family resources, social support, and caregiver psychological distress. Trained research assistants completed a standardized observational measure of the home environment.Results indicated that 31.3% of child participants scored in the clinically elevated range for total behavior problems, with 21.3% and 32.6% scoring in the elevated range for internalizing and externalizing behaviors, respectively. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that of the variables examined, increased psychological distress in grandmothers was most predictive of child behavior problems, followed by less supportive home environments and fewer family resources.Results of the present study underscore the need for interventions that focus on reducing child behavior problems, as well as enhancing the parenting skills of grandmothers raising grandchildren. Findings also support the need for strategies to reduce stress in grandmother caregivers and to improve access to resources needed to provide supportive home environments for their grandchildren.