Investigating the mediational role of negative urgency in the anxiety sensitivity pathway to cannabis problems and dependence symptoms among postsecondary students

Objectives: Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is associated with cannabis use. People high in AS may use cannabis to cope with elevated anxiety. This association is consistently supported in the literature. However, we have much to learn about the mechanisms of the AS pathway to cannabis use. We aimed to examine negative urgency—the tendency to act impulsively when distressed—as a mediator of the association of AS with cannabis problems and cannabis dependence symptoms. We hypothesized that negative urgency would uniquely mediate the association of AS with cannabis outcomes after controlling for other facets of impulsivity. Participants and Methods: Postsecondary students (N = 91; Fall 2012) completed online self-reports. To participate, students needed to be ≥18 years old, enrolled in postsecondary studies, and needed to report current cannabis use. Results: Negative urgency uniquely mediated associations between AS and cannabis problems and dependence symptoms. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a mechanistic role of negative urgency in the AS pathway to cannabis misuse.     

Human land use as a driver of plant community composition in wetlands of the Chicago metropolitan region

Anthropogenic alteration of the landscape has facilitated plant community change and non-native species invasion in urban areas. We used species occurrence data from over 2000 wetlands within the Chicago metropolitan region to classify urban wetlands into community types and examined non-native species composition across community types. Non-native species were widespread across the region, occurring in over 99% of wetlands. On average, 35% of the plant species in individual wetlands were non-native. A single non-native species, Phalaris arundinacea, was present in 74% of wetlands. Six wetland community types were identified (wet meadows, marshes, forested wetlands, farmed wetlands/mudflats, roadside marshes, and an undetermined wetland type), with each having aggressively spreading non-natives amongst the most common plant species. We conducted canonical correspondence analysis to evaluate the contribution of surrounding land cover, roads, and location of wetlands to plant community composition in these wetlands, and found that similar changes to the landscape have resulted in similar combinations of native and non-native species. Differences in species composition reflected spatial gradients in land use from urban to rural areas across the region, as well as proximity to major roads. Anthropogenic drivers have resulted in profound and pervasive changes to wetland communities across the region, creating novel habitats and ultimately novel community types.     

Appropriating the city: space,theory, and bike messengers

Over the last 30 years, social theorists have increasingly emphasized the importance of space. However, in empirical research, the dialectical relationship between social interaction and the physical environment is still a largely neglected issue. Using the theory of structuration, I provide a concrete example of why and how space matters in the cultural analysis of an urban social world. I argue that bike messengers—individuals who deliver time-sensitive materials in downtown cores of major cities—cannot be understood outside an analysis of space. Specifically, I connect the cultural significance of messenger practices to the emplacement of those practices inside the urban environment.

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Experiences of Peer Evaluation of the Leicester Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Strategy

The Centre for Social Action was commissioned by the Leicester City Council to evaluate its Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Strategy. This was a multi‐stage project with a central element of consulting with young people. This article outlines the process that was followed in order to recruit, train and support young people through the process of being peer researchers. Issues covered include retention of interested young people, experiences of training peer evaluators and supporting them throughout the project. The added value of using peer evaluators will be discussed and recommendations given for those wanting to work with young people as researchers in future.     

Looking beyond HIV: eliciting individual and community needs of male internet escorts

In evaluating the needs of male sex workers (MSWs), past research and community-based outreach efforts have assumed they should receive counseling and be educated regarding drug abuse and HIV/STI prevention. These assumptions have been based upon studies that predominantly sampled heterosexually identified men who work on the street as 'hustlers.' The purpose of this study was to set aside previous assumptions, and elicit directly from MSWs their perceived needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 46 gay and bisexual male escorts who advertise on the Internet, an understudied group that is expected to differ greatly from street-based MSWs. The men identified several areas where attention should be directed beyond safer sex, such as business advice (e.g., taxes, income investment) and assistance with navigating legal issues. These findings have direct implications for community-based organizations, advocates for MSWs, and men in the commercial sex industry.     

In the Eye of the Beholder: A Comprehensive Analysis of Stimulus Type,Perceiver, and Target in Physical Attractiveness Perceptions

Journal of Nonverbal Behavior - Physical attractiveness plays a central role in psychosocial experiences. One of the top research priorities has been to identify factors affecting perceptions of...     

Pricing risk in prostitution: Evidence from online sex ads

Journal of Risk and Uncertainty - The movement of many human interactions to the internet has led to massive volumes of text that contain high-value information about individual choices pertaining...