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We collected data through three focus groups conducted with Wabanaki citizens (members of the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Maliseet, and Micmac Nations) residing in Maine, USA, and the Canadian Maritime region. These sessions used a collective storytelling and discussion approach consistent with Wabanaki cultural practices to explore environmental knowledge, information on environmental change, and its impact on traditional lifeways (TLW) over time. Wild foods such as fiddleheads (Matteucia strutiopteris (L.) Tod.), berries such as blackberries (Rubus allegheniensis & R. Canadensis) and strawberries (Fragaria x ananasa), deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman), fish, and seafood provide not only physical nourishment, but also cultural connections through storytelling, harvesting, processing, and sharing of resources. It is this strong and multifaceted dependence on natural resources and systems that makes Wabanaki citizens particularly “vulnerable” to climate change, but also potentially resilient because of stories and other cultural traditions that help process and understand environmental change. We suggest storytelling continues to remain relevant as a way to connect the generations and for continued adaptation to ecosystem change and sustaining traditions.

How and why friends respond to control intimate partner violence has seldom been studied in survey data, in cross-cultural comparisons, or outside the United States. Moreover, the study of such responses has been siloed in two different research streams. The concept of bystander intervention has been mainly studied in psychology, whereas informal social control has been used in sociology. We use comparative data from two East Asian cultures (China and South Korea) to hypothesize and test for relationships among totalitarian-style partner control, Confucian gender role norms, secrecy regarding intimate partner violence (IPV), and two types of bystander intervention. The data consist of random probability samples of married/partnered women from Beijing (n = 301) and Seoul (n = 459). Multilevel models with the combined data indicate that protective intervention is negatively associated with Confucian gender role norms. Punitive intervention is associated with IPV secrecy and totalitarian-style partner control. There were important differences between Beijing and Seoul. Although not significant in the combined Seoul and Beijing data, totalitarian-style partner control and neighborhood informal social control were associated with more protective intervention in the Beijing model, but not in the Seoul model. Totalitarian-style partner control and IPV secrecy were associated with punitive intervention in Seoul, but not in Beijing. Interestingly, punitive intervention was positively associated with neighborhood socioeconomic status. Lower social cohesion in Beijing may explain differences in perceived bystander intervention between the two cities. Interventions for IPV must be thoroughly grounded in a deep understanding of sociocultural factors influencing bystander intervention.

Evidence that informal social control by neighbors is negatively associated with child maltreatment is increasing, but extant studies are almost entirely cross-sectional and observational. We developed an experimental protocol for this vignette study to assess the effect of perceived informal social control on self-estimated probability of physical child abuse. Probability proportional to size cluster sampling of neighborhoods was used to obtain an experimental sample of 100 fathers from Seoul and 102 parents from Novosibirsk. In the experimental protocol, participants were told that the informal social control of child maltreatment scale was the most important scale, and that they had hence been given an example of the form “filled out by a neighbor.” Participants were randomly assigned to high or low social control by neighbors, provided the questionnaire, and were debriefed afterwards. Random effects regression models found a significant interaction between the treatment and perpetrator status in Seoul. Informal social control appears to have the desired deterrent effect on those who have perpetrated abuse. However, consistent with forensic research on those who are incorrectly accused of crime, results for non-perpetrators did not conform to this pattern.

United States forestland is an important ecosystem type, land cover, land use, and economic resource that is facing several drivers of change including climatic. Because of its significance, forestland was identified through the National Climate Assessment (NCA) as a key sector and system of concern to be included in a system of climate indicators as part of a sustained assessment effort. Here, we describe 11 informative core indicators of forests and climate change impacts with metrics available or nearly available for use in the NCA efforts. The recommended indicators are based on a comprehensive conceptual model which recognizes forests as a land use, an ecosystem, and an economic sector. The indicators cover major forest attributes such as extent, structural components such as biomass, functions such as growth and productivity, and ecosystem services such as biodiversity and outdoor recreation. Interactions between humans and forests are represented through indicators focused on the wildland-urban interface, cost to mitigate wildfire risk, and energy produced from forest-based biomass. Selected indicators also include drought and disturbance from both wildfires and biotic agents. The forest indicators presented are an initial set that will need further refinement in coordination with other NCA indicator teams. Our effort ideally will initiate the collection of critical measurements and observations and lead to additional research on forest-climate indicators.

Sexual violence against children is a high priority crime in most countries. Population surveys are critically important in attesting to the substantial rates and are a prerequisite for much needed global coordination to combat this physically and emotionally invasive form of assault. Special content in sexual violence, covering a broad range of sub-areas including child sexual abuse (CSA), is in a unique position to clarify the requisite common ground in conceptualization so as to achieve some consensus and common elements in definition. This article discusses three partial themes in the issue: (1) the impact of CSA for both sexes, (2) the impact of CSA for new populations and outcomes, and (3) victimization in broader context. I argue a fourth theme, construct fundamentalism, characterizes this issue and much of the research literature. I offer the concept of invasive exploitation as an example of what alternatives to construct fundamentalism might look like.

Indigenous peoples of Canada face an elevated risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to non-Indigenous Canadians. Few empirical studies have been conducted to understand this elevated risk, and none have examined child maltreatment (CM) as a predictor. This study used data on a nationally representative sample of 20,446 Canadians to examine CM and proximal risk factors for IPV against Indigenous and non-Indigenous respondents. Results showed that Indigenous respondents had greater risk of experiencing both CM and IPV. All three forms of CM (exposure to violence, direct physical and/or sexual abuse victimization, as well as both exposure and direct victimization) were associated with increased odds of IPV in adulthood. CM along with proximal risk factors accounted for Indigenous peoples’ elevated odds of IPV (AOR = 1.62; NS). These results were consistent with the theory that Indigenous peoples’ elevated risk of IPV is largely due to effects of historical trauma from past and continuing colonization. Reducing Indigenous peoples’ disproportionate risk of IPV requires efforts to reduce CM and its negative developmental effects among Indigenous peoples as well as resolving the manifestations of historical and contemporary trauma within Indigenous society.

The sperm membrane undergoes extensive surface remodeling as it matures in the epididymis. During this process, the sperm is encapsulated in an extensive glycocalyx layer, which provides the membrane with its characteristic negative electrostatic charge. In this study, we develop a method of microelectrophoresis and standardize the protocol to isolate sperm with high negative membrane charge. Under an electric field, the percentage of positively charged sperm (PCS), negatively charged sperm (NCS), and neutrally charged sperm was determined for each ejaculate prior to and following density gradient centrifugation (DGC), and evaluated for sperm DNA damage, and histone retention. Subsequently, PCS, NCS, and neutrally charged sperm were selected using an ICSI needle and directly analyzed for DNA damage. When raw semen was analyzed using microelectrophoresis, 94 % were NCS. In contrast, DGC completely or partially stripped the negative membrane charge from sperm resulting PCS and neutrally charged sperm, while the charged sperm populations are increased with an increase in electrophoretic current. Following DGC, high sperm DNA damage and abnormal histone retention were inversely correlated with percentage NCS and directly correlated with percentage PCS. NCS exhibited significantly lower DNA damage when compared with control (P

The purpose of this study is to examine the antecedents of dating violence. The paper hypothesizes that the relationship between family of origin violence and dating violence will be mediated by neutralizing beliefs. To test this hypothesis, a survey was conducted of 510 college students in Seoul and Kyung-gi provinces in South Korea. Partner violence and child abuse in the family of origin were associated with college students’ perpetration of dating violence. That relationship was mediated by neutralizing beliefs. The same results were found for both male and female students. Based on the findings, this study presents practical suggestions for intervening in dating violence.

Urban forests are multifunctional socio-ecological landscapes, yet some of their social benefits remain poorly understood. This paper draws on ethnographic evidence from Seattle, Washington to demonstrate that urban forests contain nontimber forest products that contribute a variety of wild foods, medicines, and materials for the wellbeing of urban residents. We show that gathering wild plants and fungi in urban forests is a persistent subsistence and livelihood practice that provides sociocultural and material benefits to city residents, and creates opportunities for connecting with nature and enhancing social ties. We suggest that an orientation toward human-nature interactions in cities that conceptualizes the gathering of forest products as a legitimate social benefit may support and expand urban forest justice. Urban forest justice recognizes the rights of local people to have control over their own culturally appropriate wild food and health systems, including access to natural resources and to the decision-making processes affecting them.

This paper draws on Matza’s (1964/1990) theory of deviance to propose that the father’s current abuse of the child moderates the relationship between father’s patriarchal beliefs and current perpetration of husband violence in South Korea. Drawing on Matza’s concept of neutralizing beliefs, the paper argues that child abuse potentiates patriarchal beliefs, allowing husbands to extend rationalizations for child abuse to rationalizations for wife abuse, resulting in an interaction effect. The paper tests this hypothesized interaction effect using data from a nationally representative sample of 585 South Korean men. The paper then tests a competing alternative hypothesis that any type of violence (including violence outside the family) by the father acts as a moderator. Support is found for the child abuse as moderator hypothesis but not for the competing hypothesis.

Fraxinus nigra Marsh. is a small, relatively uncommon tree with large social significance. Known as black ash or brown ash, it rarely exceeds 18 meters (60 feet) in height or 30-50 centimeters (12-20 inches) in diameter. In the U.S. states where the species occurs, its percentage of forest composition ranges from 0.01% in Kentucky to 6.00% in Minnesota, with an average of 1.42% in the region as a whole (Miles 2009). Black ash basketmaking is nonetheless an important element of biocultural diversity in northeastern North America. It is central to the creation story of the Wabanaki peoples of Maine and black ash basketmaking has been an important cultural and economic activity of tribes throughout the region for hundreds of years. The species also has a history of use in Shaker and other European-derived craft traditions. Today, black ash basketry is a celebrated regional art manifested in both traditional and contemporary forms.

Using Local Ecological Knowledge to Assess Morel Decline in the U.S. Mid–Atlantic Region. Morels (Morchella spp.) are prized wild edible mushrooms. In the United States, morels are the focus of family traditions, local festivals, mycological society forays, and social media, as well as substantial commercial trade. A majority of the anglophone research on morels has been conducted in Europe and in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and Midwest. This literature provides insights into a diverse and plastic genus, but much of its biology and ecology remains a mystery. In 2004, we initiated a study of morel mushroom harvesting in the U.S. Mid–Atlantic region in response to concerns that morels might be in decline in the national parks in that area. This paper presents results from that research with an emphasis on morel hunters’ local ecological knowledge of morel types, phenology, habitat, vegetative associations, and responses to disturbance. We conclude that experienced morel harvesters possess local ecological knowledge that complements scientific knowledge and can increase our understanding of the complex and regionally variable ecology of Morchella and inform conservation efforts.

This paper examines two hypotheses about under-reporting in intimate partner violence data. The first hypothesis holds that significant amounts of under-reporting of intimate partner violence occur due to stigma. The second examines the empirical evidence behind Johnson’s (Journal of Marriage and the Family 57:238–294, 1995) contention that controversial findings of equal rates of intimate partner violence perpetration among men and women occur through a combination of heterogeneity in type of intimate partner violence and missing data. E.M. and Data Augmentation are used to correct for item non-response in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. Strong support is found for general under-reporting; weak support is found for greater under-reporting of male violence.

To date, there has been little progress towards identifying markers of normal male fertility. The need to supplement current subjective methods that rely on variable semen parameters to assess fertility status continues to be acknowledged. Several studies have shown that spermatozoal RNAs can describe characteristic failures of the spermatogenic pathway among infertile males. In spite of the inherent heterogeneity of semen that describe the "normal" fertile male, this holds the promise of developing markers that could help identify the ever elusive idiopathic infertile male. Through the analyses of the spermatozoal transcriptome from 24 donors of proven fertility, we identified a series of transcripts that were consistently present among all individuals. The heterogeneous nature of the samples, reflected by their semen parameters, was mirrored by the variability of the observed array signal. Nevertheless, clusters of invariable transcript pairs were identified. These were founded by a single central member that was linked in constant proportion even though the absolute level of each member of the transcript pair often varied among individuals. The presence of pairs of stable transcripts suggests that among the heterogeneity observed in the sperm transcriptome, a distinct set is strictly regulated.

This representative national survey examined incidence of husband-to-wife violence in the past year, lifetime exposure to parental violence, and the relationships between victimization experiences of family violence and mental health among South Korean women (N = 1,079). The major findings were that incidence rate of husband-to-wife violence among Korean women was 29.5%, which was much higher than those of other nations, and that their experiences of physical violence by husbands in the last year and lifetime verbal abuse by parents had strong associations with the mental health of victims. The findings suggest that preventive intervention programs for male perpetrators as well as domestic violence victims with mental health problems and comprehensive interventions for Korean couples are urgently needed. In addition, parents should be educated about how to modify their children’s behavior without physical punishment or verbal abuse.

This paper investigates Black–Scholes call and put option thetas, and derives upper and lower bounds for thetas as a function of underlying asset value. It is well known that the maximum time premium of an option occurs when the underlying asset value equals the exercise price. However, we show that the maximum option theta does not occur at that point, but instead occurs when the asset value is somewhat above the exercise price. We also show that option theta is not monotonic in any of the parameters in the Black–Scholes option-pricing model, including time to maturity. We further explain why the implications of these findings are important for trading and hedging strategies that are affected by the decay in an option’s time premium.

A composite based on PET as a matrix and a thin layer of PANI produced by chemical polymerisation of aniline in the surface layer of the PET is investigated by means of four probe conductivity method, standard and conducting AFM, DRS and EPR techniques. Conducting AFM shows that PANI forms conducting clusters. Standard AFM topographical images prove that the undoped form of the composite has a flat surface, whereas the doped one exhibits mountainous features. DRS spectra revealed that the transition from the undoped form to the doped one is accompanied with an increase of the high frequency peak associated to conductivity of the clusters leading to the appearance of two low frequency relaxation processes connected with interfacial polarization phenomena. It is found that the relaxation behaviors of the composite doped by HClO4 and HCl acids are similar. The EPR spectra obtained in both doped and undoped forms of the composite are induced by two kinds of paramagnetic centres (PC). Irrespective to the dopant, anomalous thermal behaviors of the PC spin relaxation times and susceptibilities are evidenced above 180 K. These effects are connected with changes in the electronic transport properties.

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible correlation of low-dose heparin-induced decondensation of sperm chromatin with sperm concentration, motility, morphology, membrane hypoosmotic response, ejaculate volume, and the ability of sperm to penetrate zona-free hamster oocytes.

Background In vitro maturation of mammalian oocytes is an area of great interest due to its potential application in the treatment of infertility. The morphological and physiological changes that occur during oocyte development are poorly understood, and further studies are needed investigating the physiological changes associated with oocyte maturation. In this study we evaluated the membrane potential and the sodium/potassium permeability ratio of oocytes acutely isolated, and cumulus-oocyte complexes in metaphase II and preantral follicle stages. Results Intracellular electrical recordings revealed that cumulus-enclosed oocytes have a membrane potential significantly more negative at the preantral follicle stage than at metaphase II stage (-38.4 versus -19.7 mV, p < 0.0005). The membrane potential of the cumulus-free oocytes was not different between the preantral and metaphase II stages. The membrane potential of the cumulus cells forming preantral stage follicles was shown to be significantly different from that of the oocyte within the follicle (-28.6 versus -38.4 mV, p < 0.05). The sodium/potassium permeability measured in cumulus-enclosed oocytes at the preantral stage equaled a mean value of 0.33. The ratio was significantly lower when measured in oocytes denuded of cumulus cells or cumulus-enclosed metaphase II oocytes, 0.76, 0.79, 0.77 respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions These data show a change in the membrane potential and Na+/K+ permeability ratio during ooycte development from the preantral stage oocyte to the metaphase II stage. We have also demonstrated a change in the preantral oocyte membrane potential when surrounding cumulus cells are removed; either due to membrane changes or loss of cumulus cells.

Freshwater and marine fish communities are described and compared for arctic, boreal and tropical latitudes. Details of habitat characteristics, species numbers, and diel and seasonal differences in distribution are given for each community type. The order of increasing richness of fish species in these environments is (1) arctic lakes, (2) arctic marine, (3) boreal lakes, (4) tropical lakes, (5) boreal marine and (6) tropical marine. The richness of numbers of species can be related to a series of factors, each of which may function at some threshold value. These factors include climatic perturbation, solar radiation, spatial heterogeneity, available nutrient supply, availability of cover, and geological time. Discontinuities in the availability of some factors can be partially compensated for by torpor or aestivation; this effectively removes the fish from the community for a period of time. Increased diversity may also be effected through the diurnal/nocturnal shift in activity in some fish communities. The development of an organic matrix, notably macrophyte beds or coral reefs, may contribute significantly to an increase in diversity within fish communities. This matrix operates by an increase in spatial heterogeneity and in biological interactions. The apparent lack of resilience of high diversity fish communities can be related to the characteristics of the underlying organic matrix. A change in the matrix will cause a change in the level of fish diversity that can be maintained in the system.

A recent (1979) expedition to the Chagos Archipelago resulted in the collection of about 40 new taxa of fishes. A new genus,Trimmatom, and two new species,T. nanus andT. offucius, are described here. The new genus is characterized by having all pelvic-fin rays simple (unbranched), a scaleless body, no head pores, a wide gill opening extending anteroventrally to below the eye, and hypurals 1 and 2 fused to the complex formed by the fusion of the ural centrum and hypurals 3 and 4.T. nanuss andT. offucius are differentiated on the basis of fin ray counts and colour pattern.T. nanus is the smallest vertebrate yet to be described. Mature females with ovaries full of eggs are 8–10 mm in standard length.

Synthetic data are used to examine how well axiomatic and numerical conjoint measurement methods, individually and comparatively, recover simple polynomial generators in three dimensions. The study illustrates extensions of numerical conjoint measurement (NCM) to identify and model distributive and dual-distributive, in addition to the usual additive, data structures. It was found that while minimum STRESS was the criterion of fit, another statistic, predictive capability, provided a better diagnosis of the known generating model. That NCM methods were able to better identify generating models conflicts with Krantz and Tversky's assertion that, in general, the direct axiom tests provide a more powerful diagnostic test between alternative composition rules than does evaluation of numerical correspondence. For all methods, dual-distributive models are most difficult to recover, while consistent with past studies, the additive model is the most robust of the fitted models.

Hyperventilation is a popular therapy for improving systemic oxygenation in infants with pulmonary hypertension. To determine the effects of hypocapnea on cerebral blood flow velocity and intracranial pressure, we studied 6 infants with severe pulmonary hypertension, GA 38-43 wks, during normocapnea and moderate and extreme hypocapnea. Arterial PCO2, (PaCO2) was altered by changing ventilator rate. Mean airway pressure and arterial PO2 were kept constant by changes in ventilator pressure and inspired oxygen concentration. We measured transfontanel intracranial pressure (ICP) and mean arterial blood pressure (BP). Cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) was assessed by Doppler technique. The maximum amplitudes of advancing flow velocity during systole and diastole were measured and the pulsatility index calculated. These findings suggest that extreme hyperventilation significantly reduces advancing cerebral blood flow velocity and may reduce total cerebral blood flow. Therefore, despite an improvement in systemic PO2, cerebral oxygenation may suffer.

To determine the fate of bacteria in human milk, we obtained serial cultures of gastric contents in 20 well preterm infants (BW:1200±91g, GA:29±1 wk, age:27±4 days, mean±SE). Eleven infants received fresh frozen maternal milk (FMM), 7 received donor milk (DM), and 2 received formula (F). Using sterile technique, samples were obtained via a gastric tube for colony count and identification before, and at 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 hrs after a feeding. pH was tested with Hydrion tape. Three of 11 FMM, 6 of 7 DM, and both F samples were sterile, the rest were contaminated with skin bacteria (1-290 × 103/ml). At time 0, 12 of 23 gastric samples were sterile, 4 grew skin bacteria, 7, pathogens, and 4, Candida. Bacterial growth was related to time and pH (Fig). No bacteria grew if pH was ≤3.5 but Candida growth was unaffected by pH. Our findings indicate that the ability to generate an acid pH is an important factor in the preterm infant's ability to suppress bacterial growth and that the debate about a “safe” bacterial count for raw human milk for the well preterm infant may indeed be academic.