The Convergent Validity of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children for a Sample of Sexually Abused Outpatients

ABSTRACT

The convergent validity of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC) was examined with a sample of 172 sexually abused outpatient treatment-seeking children and their caregivers. The TSCYC evidenced good convergent validity with other parent ratings (e.g., the Child Behavior Checklist, Child Sexual Behavior Inventory, and the University of California at Los Angeles Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index [UCLA PTSD Index]). The convergent validity of the TSCYC and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children was weak, perhaps illustrating the lack of agreement often found between children and caregivers and illustrating the need for a multi-informant approach to screening and assessment of sexually abused children. The TSCYC seems to hold promise based on the emerging evidence for its convergent validity.     

A Pilot Investigation of Media Multitasking and Trauma Symptoms Among Adolescents

Effective prevention and intervention for trauma symptoms are still needed, particularly for adolescents, in whom high-risk behavior is common. This pilot study examines how media multitasking may be related to trauma symptoms in a sample of adolescent college students (N = 55). Results indicate that higher media multitasking is uniquely and independently associated with higher trauma symptoms. These results hold even after controlling for alcohol intoxication, which is commonly associated with trauma symptoms. Adolescents may be more forthcoming in revealing information about media multitasking than other behaviors commonly associated with trauma symptoms, such as alcohol and drug use. The present study provides the first evidence that media multitasking could be an additional tool for clinicians treating adolescents with trauma symptoms.     

DTREE,The Electronic DSM-111-R

A study showing that student internet behavior differed significantly for students with high scores on a test of depression is thought to be the first to consider the relationship between internet use and depression that focuses on patterns of online behavior rather than content. Study findings have the potential for use in the human services as a way to assess and/or promote mental health. Although the data were collected anonymously with Institutional Review Board approval and participants' informed consent, objections have been raised suggesting this type of data collection represents “Big Brother” or the monitoring of individuals' behavior without their awareness as portrayed in George Orwell's famous novel, 1984. The importance of this type of research in furthering our understanding of the impact of Internet use on human behavior is emphasized. Additionally, the role of the university is stressed as a location for conducting ethical research which disseminates findings via publication to inform and spur policymakers to develop appropriate guidelines to prevent misuse of new knowledge and technology.     

Elucidating transgender students’ experiences of microaggressions in social work programs: next steps for creating inclusive educational contexts

Social work education globally expresses an unwavering commitment to promoting social justice and the amelioration of oppression. Nevertheless, mounting research suggests that social work programs (SWPs) may inadvertently perpetuate microaggressions toward individuals who are transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC). This qualitative study elucidates experiences of TGNC social work students in North America. Grounded theory analysis revealed six key themes related to students’ experiences of microaggressions within their SWPs: (1) structural oppression, (2) cisgender bias, (3) faculty knowledge gaps, (4) visible discomfort, (5) pervasive nature of transphobia, and (6) social exclusion. Despite the existence of educational and professional policies aimed at fostering transgender inclusive social work education and practice, results from this study underscore the need to take a closer look at the ways in which knowledge gaps, implicit cisgender biases, and existing practices and policies within SWPs inadvertently privilege the experiences of cisgender students and marginalize TGNC students. Key findings from the current study can be used to inform the implementation of transgender affirmative changes, contributing to efforts to eradicate transphobic bias within SWPs.     

A Scenario‐Based Evaluation of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and the Hajj

Between April 2012 and June 2014, 820 laboratory‐confirmed cases of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) have been reported in the Arabian Peninsula, Europe, North Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. The observed epidemiology is different to SARS, which showed a classic epidemic curve and was over in eight months. The much longer persistence of MERS‐CoV in the population, with a lower reproductive number, some evidence of human‐to‐human transmission but an otherwise sporadic pattern, is difficult to explain. Using available epidemiological data, we implemented mathematical models to explore the transmission dynamics of MERS‐CoV in the context of mass gatherings such as the Hajj pilgrimage, and found a discrepancy between the observed and expected epidemiology. The fact that no epidemic occurred in returning Hajj pilgrims in either 2012 or 2013 contradicts the long persistence of the virus in human populations. The explanations for this discrepancy include an ongoing, repeated nonhuman/sporadic source, a large proportion of undetected or unreported human‐to‐human cases, or a combination of the two. Furthermore, MERS‐CoV is occurring in a region that is a major global transport hub and hosts significant mass gatherings, making it imperative to understand the source and means of the yet unexplained and puzzling ongoing persistence of the virus in the human population.     

A review of statistical process control techniques for short run manufacturing systems

Because manufacturing lot sizes continue to shrink, statistical process control methods for short production runs are increasingly important. We review and comment on the assumptions, advantages and disadvantages of alternatives, Traditional methods well as more recent developments are described and contrasted.     

Contributors to a multivariate statistical process control chart signal

A significant practical disadvantage of multivariate statistical process control is that it is difficult to determine which of the monitored variables is responsible for the out-of-control signal. While there have been several proposed techniques and diagnostics, most of these have disadvantages. Rather than an ad hoc selection, we use three approaches to develop a diagnostic for a chi-square chart and generate the same statistic from each approach. Consequently, intuitive interpretations of the diagnostic are provided and previous proposals are simplified by a focus on a single metric.     

Hazard Characteristics and Patterns of Environmental Injustice: Household‐Level Determinants of Environmental Risk in Miami,Florida

Limited systematic comparative knowledge exists about patterns of environmental injustices in exposure to varied natural and technological hazards. To address this gap, we examine how hazard characteristics (i.e., punctuated event/suddenness of onset, frequency/magnitude, and divisibility) influence relationships between race/ethnicity, nativity, socioeconomic status (SES), older age, housing tenure, and residential hazard exposure. Sociodemographic data come from a random sample survey of 602 residents of the tricounty Miami Metropolitan Statistical Area (Florida). Hazard exposure was measured using spatial data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Air Toxics Assessment, and the Emergency Response Notification System. We specified generalized estimating equations (GEEs)—which account for sociospatial clustering—predicting 100‐year flood risk, acute chemical accidental releases, and chronic cancer risk from air toxics from all and on‐road mobile sources. We found that for punctuated, sudden onset events, some socially advantaged people were significantly at risk. Racial/ethnic minority variables were significant predictors of greater exposure to the three technological hazards, while higher SES was associated with 100‐year flood risk exposure. Black and foreign‐born Hispanic residents, and white and U.S.‐born Hispanic residents, shared nearly identical risk profiles. Results demonstrate the complexities found in human‐hazard associations and the roles of hazard characteristics in shaping disparate risk patterns.     

Attrition rate in infant fNIRS research: A meta-analysis

Understanding the trends and predictors of attrition rate, or the proportion of collected data that is excluded from the final analyses, is important for accurate research planning, assessing data integrity, and ensuring generalizability. In this pre-registered meta-analysis, we reviewed 182 publications in infant (0–24 months) functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) research published from 1998 to April 9, 2020, and investigated the trends and predictors of attrition. The average attrition rate was 34.23% among 272 experiments across all 182 publications. Among a subset of 136 experiments that reported the specific reasons for subject exclusion, 21.50% of the attrition was infant-driven, while 14.21% was signal-driven. Subject characteristics (e.g., age) and study design (e.g., fNIRS cap configuration, block/trial design, and stimulus type) predicted the total and subject-driven attrition rates, suggesting that modifying the recruitment pool or the study design can meaningfully reduce the attrition rate in infant fNIRS research. Based on the findings, we established guidelines for reporting the attrition rate for scientific transparency and made recommendations to minimize the attrition rates. This research can facilitate developmental cognitive neuroscientists in their quest toward increasingly rigorous and representative research.     

Contaminated consignment simulation to support risk-based inspection design

Invasive nonnative plant pests can cause extensive environmental and economic damage and are very difficult to eradicate once established. Phytosanitary inspections that aim to prevent biological invasions by limiting movement of nonnative plant pests across borders are a critical component of the biosecurity continuum. Inspections can also provide valuable information about when and where plant pests are crossing national boundaries. However, only a limited portion of the massive volume of goods imported daily can be inspected, necessitating a highly targeted, risk-based strategy. Furthermore, since inspections must prioritize detection and efficiency, their outcomes generally cannot be used to make inferences about risk for cargo pathways as a whole. Phytosanitary agencies need better tools for quantifying pests going undetected and designing risk-based inspection strategies appropriate for changing operational conditions. In this research, we present PoPS (Pest or Pathogen Spread) Border, an open-source consignment inspection simulator for measuring inspection outcomes under various cargo contamination scenarios to support recommendations for inspection protocols and estimate pest slippage rates. We used the tool to estimate contamination rates of historical interception data, quantify tradeoffs in effectiveness and workload for inspection strategies, and identify vulnerabilities in sampling protocols as changes in cargo configurations and contamination occur. These use cases demonstrate how this simulation approach permits testing inspection strategies and measuring quantities that would otherwise be impossible in a field-based setting. This work represents the first steps toward a decision support tool for creating dynamic inspection protocols that respond to changes in available resources, workload, and commerce trends.