Experiencing release: sex environments and escapism for HIV-positive men who have sex with men

There are nonsexual reasons that may motivate people to seek out sexual activity with others. Some men who have sex with men may seek out sex environments to engage in sexual behavior. Among the nonsexual reasons that exist for men who have sex with men is a desire to escape from distressing thoughts and feelings. The amplified sexuality and other unique characteristics of sex environments allow men to have more intense emotional experiences around sex. Using the cognitive escape model as a theoretical foundation, this analysis focuses on the emotional vulnerability that some of the men who visit these venues may be avoiding and how their experiences at these venues might act as releasing mechanisms to alleviate dissonant thoughts and feelings. Implications for public health services and future research are discussed.     

Design selection criteria for discrimination/estimation for nested models and a binomial response

The aim of an experiment is often to enable discrimination between competing forms for a response model. We investigate the selection of a continuous design for a non-sequential strategy when there are two competing generalized linear models for a binomial response, with a common link function and the linear predictor of one model nested within that of the other. A new criterion, _TE$T_E$-optimality, is defined, based on the difference in the deviances from the two models, and comparisons are made with T$T$-, _Ds$D_s$- and D$D$-optimality. Issues are raised through the study of two examples in which designs are assessed using simulation studies of the power to reject the null hypothesis of the smaller model being correct, when the data are generated from the larger model. Parameter estimation for discrimination designs is also discussed and a simple method is investigated of combining designs to form a hybrid design in order to achieve both model discrimination and estimation. This method has a computational advantage over the use of a compound criterion and the similar performance of the designs obtained from the two approaches is illustrated in an example.     

A Systematic Review of African-Centered Therapeutic Interventions with Black American Adults

Clinical Social Work Journal - While substantial theoretical literature and growing evidence support the benefits of employing African-centered approaches with Black youth, research examining the...     

Infants distinguish and represent pattern as an object feature from externally generated patterns superimposed on real, 3-dimensional objects' surfaces

As infants form object representations, the patterns viewed on objects' surfaces may be challenging to decipher because these patterns may be created from the surface reflectance of an object (an object property) or from an external source, such as a cast shadow. We tested 7 ½-month-old infants' use of cues that specify the source of patterns seen on the surfaces of real, 3-dimensional objects to individuate those objects. Results suggest that when forming object representations based on patterns, 7½-month-olds rely heavily on temporal and depth cues to distinguish patterns inherent to the object from other types of patterns.     

Urban‐Rural Mortality Differentials: An Unresolved Debate

Historians and demographers have long debated the existence, causes, and consequences of historical differences between urban and rural mortality levels. In Europe it has been usual to observe excess mortality in cities compared to the countryside, but in East Asia, by contrast, it has been found that urban areas had relatively favorable mortality environments. The debate continues because a number of pertinent questions remain to be resolved. For example, the way in which mortality is measured may influence the apparent extent of the differential, as may the way in which“urban” and“rural” are defined. Cultural factors need to be taken into account, including the practices of childrearing and the conventions surrounding baptism. Examples drawn from Japan, China, England, and France illustrate the issues involved in comparative analysis, while the urban‐rural mortality continuum is examined for nineteenth‐century England and Wales using log‐normal distributions.     

Are Naturalized Voters Driving the California Latino Electorate? Measuring the Effect of IRCA Citizens on Latino Voting*

Objectives. The 1990s witnessed the growth and maturation of the Latino electorate in California and many scholars have posited as to the reasons. One argument is that naturalizations by way of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) drove the increases in Latino participation. In this article we investigate the extent to which this is the case. Methods. Using unpublished INS data, we offer the first empirical test of the IRCA theory by examining Latino IRCA petitions by zipcode to determine whether or not IRCA legalizations and subsequent naturalizations were the force behind increased Latino turnout, and the overall growth of the Latino vote. We merge IRCA data with Registrar of Voter data to examine real growth in the Latino vote at the zipcode level from 1996–2000 in southern California. Results. Although Latino voting grew substantially, we find that IRCA naturalizations did not spur the increases in Latino voting in the 1990s as some have expected. Instead, demographic and mobilization variables explain why the Latino vote grew between 1996 and 2000. Conclusions. As Congress debates new proposals to “legalize” the millions of undocumented immigrants living and working in this country, many will inevitably ask what impact their citizenship will have on the electorate. This study sheds some light on the relationship between amnesty programs, citizenship, and voting among Latinos.     

Shake,Rattle, and … One or Two Objects? Young Infants' Use of Auditory Information to Individuate Objects

Most research on object individuation in infants has focused on the visual domain. Yet the problem of object individuation is not unique to the visual system, but shared by other sensory modalities. This research examined 4.5‐month‐old infants' capacity to use auditory information to individuate objects. Infants were presented with events in which they heard 2 distinct sounds, separated by a temporal gap, emanate from behind a wide screen; the screen was then lowered to reveal 1 or 2 objects. Longer looking to the 1‐ than 2‐object display was taken as evidence that the infants (a) interpreted the auditory event as involving 2 objects and (b) found the presence of only 1 object when the screen was lowered unexpected. The results indicated that the infants used sounds produced by rattles, but not sounds produced by an electronic keyboard, as the basis for object individuation (Experiments 1 and 2). Data collected with adult participants revealed that adults are also more sensitive to rattle sounds than electronic tones. A final experiment assessed conditions under which young infants attend to rattle sounds (Experiment 3). Collectively, the outcomes of these experiments suggest that infants and adults are more likely to use some sounds than others as the basis for individuating objects. We propose that these results reflect a processing bias to attend to sounds that reveal something about the physical properties of an object—sounds that are obviously linked to object structure—when determining object identity.     

In their Own Right: Translating the Policy of Carer Assessment into Practice

Successive legislation has underscored the importance of assessmentsthat are sensitive to the needs of carers and take into accounttheir ability and willingness to continue caring. This papersynthesizes qualitative and quantitative findings from a continuingprogramme of carer-related research that began in 1993 and hascontinued in parallel with legislative changes. It considersthe process and characteristics of carer assessment from theperspectives of carers for individuals with a range of healthand social care needs, and practitioners. This paper exploresthe assessment of carer need over time and highlights the considerableand enduring gap between policy and practice. It considers practitioners’reluctance to offer separate carer assessments, identifies confusionrelating to the interpretation of eligibility criteria and documentsthe limited contribution of health service staff. The need foran evidence-based framework for good practice, that distinguishesbetween carer needs, service provision and carer outcomes, ishighlighted. The paper concludes by identifying key changesthat are necessary to promote future good practice, such asstaff training and information strategies and the need for practitionersto engage with carers as partners in the care process.