Sociologist as Dean and Dean as Sociologist

This article highlights contrasts between the identity and values of sociology faculty members versus the identity and values of college administrators. Some of these contrasts include: questioning authority and speaking truth to power versus being in a position of authority and engaging in political compromise; taking a critical, reflective, and independent stance as a scholar versus a dean taking a stance of positive attitude and setting direction in the organization; and acting in an egalitarian and democratic fashion versus acting in a discriminating manner and making executive decisions. This article also explores the ways in which being a sociologist can inform a dean’s understanding of the structure and organizational life of the college and the group dynamics among faculty, students, administrators, and other constituents.     

HIV disclosure and subsequent sexual behaviors among men who have sex with men who meet online

To assess HIV disclosure discussions and related sexual behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) who meet sex partners online, 28 qualitative interviews with Seattle-area MSM were analyzed using grounded theory methods and themes and behavior patterns were identified. MSM found a greater ease in communicating and could prescreen partners through the Internet. However, no consistent relationship was found between HIV disclosure and subsequent behaviors: some were safer based on disclosure while perceived HIV status led others to risky behaviors. Interventions need to promote accurate disclosure while acknowledging its limitations and the need for men to self-protect.     

How a Navigation Channel Contributed to Most of the Flooding of New Orleans During Hurricane Katrina

Levee failures during Hurricane Katrina left 85% of New Orleans flooded, 1,500 dead, and about 400,000 homeless. Three separate investigations into the levee failures have been concluded, yet none of these studies conclusively determined why the St Bernard polder flooded so deeply, despite Team Louisiana’s conclusion regarding early failure of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) levees. Detailed wave and hydrodynamic modeling reported here reveals the cause of extensive breaching of the MRGO levees and how that created a very efficient conduit of surge water into the heart of the city.     

Methods for one-sided testing of the difference between proportions and sample size considerations related to non-inferiority clinical trials

Assessment of non-inferiority is often performed using a one-sided statistical test through an analogous one-sided confidence limit. When the focus of attention is the difference in success rates between test and active control proportions, the lower confidence limit is computed, and many methods exist in the literature to address this objective. This paper considers methods which have been shown to be popular in the literature and have surfaced in this research as having good performance with respect to controlling type I error at the specified level. Performance of these methods is assessed with respect to power and type I error through simulations. Sample size considerations are also included to aid in the planning stages of non-inferiority trials focusing on the difference in proportions. Results suggest that the appropriate method to use depends on the sample size allocation of subjects in the test and active control groups.