Analysis of Regional Scale Risk of Whirling Disease in Populations of Colorado and Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Using a Bayesian Belief Network Model

Introduction and spread of the parasite Myxobolus cerebralis, the causative agent of whirling disease, has contributed to the collapse of wild trout populations throughout the intermountain west. Of concern is the risk the disease may have on conservation and recovery of native cutthroat trout. We employed a Bayesian belief network to assess probability of whirling disease in Colorado River and Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus and Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis, respectively) within their current ranges in the southwest United States. Available habitat (as defined by gradient and elevation) for intermediate oligochaete worm host, Tubifex tubifex, exerted the greatest influence on the likelihood of infection, yet prevalence of stream barriers also affected the risk outcome. Management areas that had the highest likelihood of infected Colorado River cutthroat trout were in the eastern portion of their range, although the probability of infection was highest for populations in the southern, San Juan subbasin. Rio Grande cutthroat trout had a relatively low likelihood of infection, with populations in the southernmost Pecos management area predicted to be at greatest risk. The Bayesian risk assessment model predicted the likelihood of whirling disease infection from its principal transmission vector, fish movement, and suggested that barriers may be effective in reducing risk of exposure to native trout populations. Data gaps, especially with regard to location of spawning, highlighted the importance in developing monitoring plans that support future risk assessments and adaptive management for subspecies of cutthroat trout.     

“Thank You for Including Us!” – Introducing a Community‐Based Collaborative Approach to Translating Clinic Materials

When working with clients in another language, having culturally relevant and properly translated clinic materials is vital to effective clinical practice. Not having them presents a barrier for bilingual therapists and their clients. This paper reviews common translation methods and introduces a multi‐level, community‐based approach for translating clinic materials for non‐English speaking clients. Informed by decolonizing practices, this five‐tier method includes members from the target community as cultural brokers to verify the accuracy and nuances of language for their cultural group, as well as a constant comparative method to ensure methodological rigor in the process of inclusion. We present community member's feedback and recommendations, as well as discuss advantages and challenges of using this collaborative culturally responsive translation method.     

Homeless Youths’ Interests in Social Action via Photovoice

Engaging homeless youth in services is challenging. Novel methods are needed to better retain and empower this population. Photovoice, an innovative form of community-based participatory research, facilitates participants’ use of photography to document their everyday lives and struggles, while advocating for social change. This study examines, among 22 homeless youth, whether and why youth would be interested in participating in Photovoice activities, the types of social issues youth would be motivated to explore, and homeless youths’ opinions about committing to a longer-term, group-oriented project. Photovoice may represent promise in engaging marginalized and difficult-to-retain populations.     

The impact of welfare reform on marriage and divorce

The goal of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act was to end needy parents' dependence on governmental benefits, in part by promoting marriage. The prereform welfare system was widely believed to discourage marriage because it provided benefits primarily to single mothers. However, welfare reform may have actually decreased the incentives to be married by giving women greater financial independence via the program's new emphasis on work. This article uses vital statistics data on marriages and divorces during 1989-2000 to examine the role of welfare reform (state waivers and implementation of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) and other state-level variables on flows into and out of marriage. The results indicate that welfare reform has led to fewer new divorces and fewer new marriages, although the latter result is sensitive to specification and the choice of data.     

A review of the challenges of achieving the goals in the African Plan of Action for people with disabilities in Nigeria

The Plan of Action (POA) document was produced at the Pan-African Conference on African Decade of Persons with Disabilities attended by representatives of all African countries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (4–7 February 2002). The POA is aimed at implementing priority activities to enhance the services provided to Africans with disabilities during the decade by formulating and implementing meaningful policies and programmes, creating national disability service coordination committees, supporting community-based service delivery, developing poverty alleviation programmes, enhancing preventive programmes, and promoting positive attitudes and awareness of the needs of people with disabilities. While the goals of the POA are noble, evidence raises concerns about the actions so far taken by the Nigerian Government to ensure the implementation of the programme for the benefit of citizens with disabilities. Obstacles to implementing the provisions of the POA document and the implications for strategies that could facilitate the achievement of the goals of the POA are discussed.     

Effect of the Imagination Library on caregiver–child literacy interactions and school readiness: findings from two quasi-experimental propensity score studies

The paper reports findings of two quasi-experimental, propensity score matched (PSM) studies on the effects of Imagination Library (IL). IL is a community book-distribution program targeting improved caregiver–child literacy interactions, which are hypothesized to lead to increased school readiness – consisting of improved emergent literacy skills and social-emotional school readiness. In Study One, interviews were used to examine proximal increases in the quality of child–caregiver literacy interactions with 112 PSM families (IL?=?56; non-IL?=?56). Small effects were observed in Study One favoring IL families on reading interactions (d?=?.043). In Study Two, 378 PSM kindergarten students (IL?=?189; non-IL?=?189) were compared with regard to standardized tests of emergent literacy skills and social-emotional school readiness – distal outcomes of IL. No effects were observed in Study Two. Taken together, these two studies run counter to prior reports on the effects of IL and suggest that more must be done to improve emergent literacy and school readiness beyond simply providing free books.     

Naturalistic social cognition: Intersubjectivity in same-sex dyads

The research paradigm that Ickes and his colleagues (Ickes, Robertson, Tooke, & Teng, 1986; Ickes & Tooke, 1988) have developed for the study of naturalistic social cognition was used to explore the phenomenon ofintersubjectivity as it naturally occurs in the initial, unstructured interactions of same-sex (male-male and female-female) dyads. The results of two studies revealed evidence of greater similarity (i.e., convergence) in the thought-feeling content of the male dyad members than in that of the female dyad members on measures pertaining to the quality of their reported feelings. These findings were consistent with the assumption that, due to a normatively narrower range of affective involvement in the male-male dyads, the male dyad members were more likely than the female dyad members to monitor closely the emotional tone of their interaction. In direct support of this assumption, there was significantly less nonverbal involvement (i.e., gesturing, smiling, gazing, mutual gaze) in the male-male dyads in both studies, along with corresponding differences in the variability of these behaviors. In addition, the results of both studies revealed serendipitous evidence of greater similarity in the thought-feeling content of the female, than of the male, dyad members on measures pertaining to the degree of metaperspective taking and to thoughts and feelings about other people. The discussion emphasized the need for theorists and researchers in cognitive social psychology to address those genuinelysocial-cognitive (i.e., intersubjective) phenomena that have traditionally been ignored.The authors would like to express their appreciation to Kristine Arnold, Ray Bristow, Robin Klemick, Laurie Luce, Julie Williams, and Mari Wilson for their assistance in coding the data for the studies reported here.     

Self-regulation and the etiology of sexual deviance: evaluating causal theory

Recently introduced theories of sex offending, including the self-regulation model and the multimodal self-regulation theory, have implicated self-regulatory deficits as a key variable in the development of sexually inappropriate interests and behaviors. While dysregulation has been considered an important component of a variety of behavioral, emotional, and interpersonal disorders, sexual behaviors have rarely been conceptualized within this context. In this study, we have examined a number of variables linked to self-regulation and dysfunctional outcomes in a sample of 95 sex-offending men. Results of a path analysis demonstrated that self-regulatory deficits were significantly predictive of paraphilic and antisocial behaviors in this group. Implications for our understanding of the etiology of sexual deviance and future research in this area are discussed.     

Mejor Sola Que Mal Acompañada: Strengths and Challenges of Mexican-Origin Mothers Parenting Alone

Marriage is often viewed as central to family stability and health, and problem-saturated discourses about single parenting have failed to address the advantages of parenting alone. Heuristic methodology was used to examine the meanings and experiences of Latinas parenting alone. This study reflects the lived experiences of 20 Mexican-origin women who participated in a 1- to 2-hour, in-depth, semistructured interview. Data are presented by three exemplary portraits and five core consistencies embedded in a composite depiction. Overall, although parenting alone was challenging, it was considered beneficial and preferable, especially when the child's father's influence was problematic or detrimental to the family's well-being. Chicana feminism and an intersectionality lens is used to interpret findings. Implications for research and intervention are also discussed.