bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activity Feedback to the Mammalian Circadian Pacemaker: Influence on Observed Measures of Rhythm Period Length
Authors: Edgar Dale M. , Martin Connie E. , Dement William C.
Published: March 2007

In the mouse, activity is precisely timed by the circadian clock and is normally most intense in the early subjective night. Since vigorous activity (e.g., wheel running) is thought to induce phase shifts in rodents, the temporal placement of daily exercise/activity could be a determinant of observed circadian rhythm period. The relationship between spontaneous running-wheel activity and the circadian period of free-running rhythms was studied to assess this possibility. With ad libitum access to a running wheel, mice exhibited a free-running period (τ) of 23.43 ± 0.08 hr (mean ± SEM). When running wheels were locked, τ increased (23.88 ± 0.04 hr, p < 0.03), and restoration of ad libitum wheel running again produced a shorter period (τ = 23.56 ± 0.06 hr, p < 0.05). A survey of free- running activity patterns in a population of 100 mice revealed a significant correlation between the observed circadian period and the time of day in which spontaneous wheel running occurred ( r = 0.7314, p < 0.0001). Significantly shorter periods were observed when running was concentrated at the beginning of the subjective night (τ = 23.23 ± 0.04), and longer periods were observed if mice ran late in the subjective night (τ = 23.89 ± 0.04), F (1, 99) = 34.96, p < 0.0001. It was previously believed that the period of the circadian clock was primarily responsive to externally imposed tonic or phasic events. Systematic influences of spontaneous exercise on τ demonstrate that physiological and/or behavioral determinants of circadian timekeeping exist as well.
The Retinal Cells Generating the Circadian Small Spikes in the Bulla Optic Nerve
Authors: Geusz Michael E. , Block Gene D.
Published: March 2007

A circadian rhythm in the frequency of compound action potentials (CAPs) in the optic nerve of the mollusc Bulla gouldiana is believed to be generated by the basal retinal neurons (BRNs) of the eye. Along with the CAPs, which are about 100 μV in amplitude, there are 10- to 40-μV impulses from an undetermined cell type in records from the optic nerve. These impulses, called "small spikes," are generated spontaneously in darkness and show a circadian rhythm in frequency that is about 12 hr out of phase with the CAP rhythm.

To enable us to determine the origin of the small spikes, intracellular recordings were made from retinal cells while optic nerve activity was monitored. The cells were identified by their light responses and then injected with the fluorescent dye Lucifer Yellow CH or the tracer biocytin. It was found that the large photoreceptors of the distal retina generated graded depolarizations in response to light, and had axons in the optic nerve, but did not show impulses at the level of the photoreceptor layer. By contrast, the spiking retinal cells of the photoreceptor layer generated depolarizations and impulses in response to light. In addition, the spiking cells were found to be dye-coupled to a series of retinal cells approximately 7 μm in diameter, connected to a single axon in the optic nerve. Impulses from the spiking cells occurred spontaneously and corresponded with the small spikes in the optic nerve.

The BRNs appear to inhibit the retinal cells that generate the small spikes. Hyperpolarization of the BRNs, through constant-current injection, increased the number of small spikes in the optic nerve. Release from hyperpolarization led to a decrease in small spikes. This could explain how circadian changes in BRN membrane potential might modulate spontaneous firing of the spiking cells, resulting in the circadian rhythm in small-spike frequency.
Light Treatment for Sleep Disorders: Consensus Report
Authors: Dijk Derk-Jan , Boulos Ziad , Eastman Charmane I. , Lewy Alfred J. , Campbell Scott S. , Terman Michael
Published: March 2007

The rationale for the treatment of sleep disorders by scheduled exposure to bright light in seasonal affective disorder, jet lag, shift work, delayed sleep phase syndrome, and the elderly is, in part, based on a conceptual framework developed by nonclinical circadian rhythm researchers working with humans and other species. Some of the behavioral and physiological data that contributed to these concepts are reviewed, and some pitfalls related to their application to bright light treatment of sleep disorders are discussed. In humans and other mammals the daily light-dark (LD) cycle is a major synchronizer responsible for entrainment of circadian rhythms to the 24-h day, and phase response curves (PRCs) to light have been obtained. In humans, phase delays can be induced by light exposure scheduled before the minimum of the endogenous circadian rhythm of core body temperature (CBT), whereas phase advances are induced when light exposure is scheduled after the minimum of CBT. Since in healthy young subjects the minimum of CBT is located approximately 1 to 2 h before the habitual time of awakening, the most sensitive phase of the PRC to light coincides with sleep, and the timing of the monophasic sleep-wake cycle itself is a major determinant of light input to the pacemaker. The effects of light are mediated by the retinohypothalamic tract, and excitatory amino acids play a key role in the transduction of light information to the suprachiasmatic nuclei. LD cycles have direct "masking" effects on many variables, including sleep, which complicates the assessment of endogenous circadian phase and the interpretation of the effects of light treatment on sleep disorders. In some rodents motor activity has been shown to affect circadian phase, but in humans the evidence for such a feedback of activity on the pacemaker is still preliminary. The endogenous circadian pacemaker is a major determinant of sleep propensity and sleep structure; these, however, are also strongly influenced by the prior history of sleep and wakefulness. In healthy young subjects, light exposure schedules that do not curtail sleep but induce moderate shifts of endogenous circadian phase have been shown to influence the timing of sleep and wakefulness without markedly affecting sleep structure.
Light Treatment for Sleep Disorders: Consensus Report
Authors: Campbell Scott S. , Dijk Derk-Jan , Boulos Ziad , Eastman Charmane I. , Lewy Alfred J. , Terman Michael
Published: March 2007

In addition to the well-established phase-shifting properties of timed exposure to bright light, some investigators have reported an acute alerting, or activating, effect of bright light exposure. To the extent that bright light interventions for sleep disturbance may cause subjective and/or central nervous system activation, such a property may adversely affect the efficacy of treatment. Data obtained from patient samples and from healthy subjects generally support the notion that exposure to bright light may be associated with enhanced subjective alertness, and there is limited evidence of objective changes (EEG, skin conductance levels) that are consistent with true physiological arousal. Such activation appears to be quite transient, and there is little evidence to suggest that bright light-induced activation interferes with subsequent sleep onset. Some depressed patients, however, have experienced insomnia and hypomanic activation following bright-light exposure.
Unexpected c-fos Gene Expression in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus of Mice Entrained to a Skeleton Photoperiod
Authors: Schwartz William J. , Peters Robin V. , Aronin Neil , Bennett Michele R.
Published: March 2007

Several authors have suggested that the transcriptional regulatory protein c-Fos might be part of the mechanism for photic entrainment of the circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) to environmental light:dark cycles. This hypothesis has been based on evidence gathered using single light pulses administered acutely to animals free-running in constant darkness. In order to begin to analyze SCN c-fos gene expression in animals during steady-state entrainment to photic cycles, we exposed male BALB/c mice to a skeleton photoperiod consisting of two 1-h light pulses separating a long (14 h) and a short (8 h) dark interval. The cycle was designed so that stable entrainment could be achieved in either one of two patterns (with rhythmic locomotor activity occurring during either the long or the short dark interval); SCN c- fos mRNA levels could then be measured during entrainment to light pulses at different phases of the circadian cycle, while controlling for the duration of preceding darkness. We found that c- fos was induced equally well by a light pulse that represented ZT 12 or ZT 3. The ZT 12 pulse functioned as an entraining pulse, because animals free-ran after it was removed from the lighting regimen, whereas removing the ZT 3 pulse caused little or no phase shift of activity onset. The data confirm that the expression of SCN c-Fos is not itself sufficient to reset rhythm phase, and they indicate that the role of this gene in the mechanism of photic entrainment is not yet fully understood.
Regulation of the Phase and Period of Circadian Rhythms Restored by Suprachiasmatic Transplants
Authors: Matsumoto Shin-ichiro , Basil Jennifer , Jetton Amy E. , Lehman Michael N. , Bittman Eric L.
Published: March 2007

The influence of exogenous signals on circadian rhythms restored by transplants of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus has received little study The authors tested the responsiveness of hamsters bearing SCN transplants to photic and pharmacological treatments. Light intensities as high as 6500 lux were insufficient to produce entrainment, although masking was observed frequently. Triazolam failed to produce statistically significant phase shifts when administered during the subjective day, but 2 animals bearing functional SCN grafts responded to this benzodiazapine during the subjective night. The authors next tested the hypothesis that the host can retain circadian aftereffects that influence the period of the circadian system reconstituted by the graft. Intact hamsters were entrained to light:dark cycles of short (23.25-h) and long (25-h) periods (T) for at least 3 months. Control hamsters released into constant darkness exhibited profound and long-lasting aftereffects of entrainment to T cycles. Hamsters that received SCN lesions after exposure to these T cycles and SCN grafts 3 weeks later exhibited marginal but statistically significant aftereffects that disappeared within 3 months. On subsequent transfer to constant light, τ lengthened by 0.25 ± .06 h in hamsters with intact SCN (p < .05). Animals bearing SCN grafts continued to free run in constant light but differed from intact animals in that circadian period did not lengthen. Functional SCN grafts contained vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), neurophysin (NP), and cholecystokinin (CCK) immunoreactive (ir) cells. Inputs of neuropeptide Y- and serotonin-ir fibers from the host brain to grafted SCN peptide cell clusters were variable. Limited observations using retrograde and anterograde tracers do not support the existence of extensive input to the graft. Retinal input overlapped only rarely with clusters of VIP-ir, CCK-ir, or NP-ir cells. The authors conclude
Temperature Circadian Rhythms during the Menstrual Cycle and Sleep Deprivation in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Normal Comparison Subjects
Authors: Parry Barbara L. , LeVeau Betina , Mostofi Nasim , Naham Heidi Cover , Loving Richard , Clopton Paul , Christian Gillin J.
Published: March 2007

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the circadian rhythm of core body temperature is altered in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) subjects compared to that in normal comparison (NC) subjects and that it is normalized in PMDD subjects after treatment with early night partial sleep deprivation (ESD) or late night partial sleep deprivation (LSD). A total of 23 subjects meeting DSM-IV criteria for PMDD and 18 NC subjects had 24-h core body temperature recordings taken during the following conditions: (1) baseline midfollicular (preovulatory) and (2) late luteal (postovulatory) menstrual cycle phases and after a randomized crossover trial in subsequent luteal phases of (3) ESD, in which subjects slept from 03:00 to 07:00 h, followed by (4) a night of recovery sleep (ESD-R: sleep 22:30 to 06:30 h), and (5) LSD, in which subjects slept from 21:00 to 01:00 h, also followed by (6) a night of recovery sleep (LSD-R: sleep 22:30 to 06:30 h). Temperature amplitudes were significantly decreased in the luteal phase compared to those in the follicular menstrual cycle phase and increased after nights of recovery sleep. Compared to the baseline late luteal phase, during LSD, temperature amplitude increased in PMDD subjects but decreased in NC subjects. During ESD, the temperature acrophase was delayed in PMDD subjects but was advanced in NC subjects; during LSD, the tempera ture acrophase was advanced in PMDD subjects but was delayed in NC subjects compared to the late luteal baseline. Nocturnal temperature and temperature maxima and mesors tended to be higher in PMDD subjects than in NC subjects; when not reduced during sleep deprivation interventions, these were not asso ciated with therapeutic effects. Alterations in both phase and amplitude of temperature circadian rhythms characterize PMDD subjects as contrasted with NC subjects in response to sleep deprivation. The changes in phase reflected more shifts in temperature acrophase in response to shifts in sleep in PMDD subjects. This realignment of the timing of sleep and temperature in addition to the enhancement of blunted amplitude rhythms during recovery nights of sleep may provide corrective mechanisms that contribute to the therapeutic effects of sleep deprivation.
Circadian Cycling of a PERIOD-β-galactosidase Fusion Protein in Drosophila: Evidence for Cyclical Degradation
Authors: Dembinska Marie E. , Stanewsky Ralf , Hall Jeffrey C. , Rosbash Michael
Published: March 2007

The authors analyzed circadian features of two period-lacZ (per-lacZ) fusion genes in transgenic strains of Drosophila. Both genes manifest circadian fluctuations of mRNA levels, but fluctuations of only the larger chimeric protein are apparent. Fusion protein cycling is indistinguishable from the behavior of wild-type per protein (PER), including apparent temporal regulation of phosphorylation state. Several arguments indicate that the difference in the two constructs is proper regulation at the level of protein turnover: the smaller protein has much higher levels; a β-galactosidase degradation product is visible in both strains but fails to manifest cycling, presumably due to a long half-life; and only the noncycling proteins accumulate as a function of adult age. The large cycling fusion protein also undergoes modest cycling in an arrhythmic per01 background. This is light dependent, resembles the regulation of the timeless protein (TIM) by light, and reflects a documented fusion protein-TIM interaction. The results are discussed with respect to the posttranscriptional regulation that is necessary for proper cycling of both PER and TIM as well as for clock function.
The Entrainment of Persistent Tidal Rhythmicity in a Filter-Feeding Bivalve Using Cycles of Food Availability
Authors: Williams Barbara G. , Pilditch Conrad A.
Published: March 2007

Austrovenus stutchburyi is an intertidal, burrowing, filter-feeding bivalve. It exhibits a strong, approximately tidal pattern in the time of gaping of its valves when in constant laboratory conditions. Individuals that have been held in laboratory conditions long enough to lose their overt gaping pattern will respond to pulses of algae made available at a tidal frequency by opening to coincide with the times when food is available and remaining closed at other times. The opening of the valves is not solely a response to the arrival of the food; usually, their opening anticipates the arrival of the regular food pulses. The tidal pattern seen during the pulsed food treatment will continue for two cycles when food is withheld, indicating the involvement of an internal timing mechanism that is responsive to pulses of food. The short persistence of the food-entrained rhythm in constant conditions suggests that the food-entrained oscillator is only a minor component of the timing system, and this conclusion is supported by the finding that for the first 4-5 days when freshly collected clams are held in the laboratory and supplied with food pulses around the times of expected high water, the "circa" period of their gaping rhythm is not adjusted to a strictly tidal one. The characteristics of the food-entrained oscillator are discussed in relation to existing knowledge of tidal oscillators and food-entrained circadian oscillators.
Linking Business Development and Community Development in Inner Cities
Authors: Bendick Marc , Egan Mary Lou
Published: March 2007

In inner-city neighborhoods, business development can promote community development by expanding employment, improving consumer services, creating markets, rehabilitating real estate, andfostering community leaders. Community development can create business opportunities in those neighborhoods by reducing firms' operating costs and expanding markets. When these linkages are selectively and creatively exploited, pairing business development and community development can achieve more than pursuing each independently. Examples from four U.S. cities-Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Pittsburgh-are used to relate the literature on inner-city business and community development to current development issues.
Landscape Ecology and Its Potential Application to Planning
Authors: Hersperger Anna M.
Published: March 2007

Landscape ecology is a relatively new science at the intersection of the social and biological sciences, based largely on theories from ecology and geography. Because of its emphasis on people and their environments, this emerging discipline has many possible planning applications. This review summarizes the characteristics and concepts of landscape ecology and the existing approaches of its application for planning. Even though the theories of landscape ecology and the concepts of landscape ecological planning are not yet well established, they show potential to change the traditional environmental planning approach toward a true synthesis of people and nature.
Rural Women and Isolation: Pathways to Reconnection
Authors: Geissinger Cynthia J. , Lazzari Marceline M. , Porter Melanie J. , Tungate Susan L.
Published: March 2007

Interviews with 21 women in a rural Colorado county yielded personal descriptions of isolation and the feelings and strategies that exist in response to isolating events and circumstances. Isolation emerged as three distinct categories of relational disconnection: from specific individuals; from nonspecific others, such as groups or the larger community; or as a combination of both. Factors affecting relational disconnection were choice, control, and duration. Women who had the support of significant others and those who connected with themselves through self-talk or the achievement of goals were often able to move beyond the isolating situation and successfully reconnect.
Group Work With Bedouin Widows of the Negev in a Medical Clinic
Authors: Al-Krenawi Alean
Published: March 2007

In Israel, Bedouin widows who have settled in villages often have few resources to sustain their well-being. The author, a Bedouin clinical social worker, set up a culturally sensitive widows'support group in a medical clinic to help these women deal with material and personal hardships. Through sharing, mutual support, and mutual helping, the women were empowered to deal with their grief, isolation, economic difficulties, problems with children, and negative societal attitudes.
Using the Moral Vision of African American Stories to Empower Low-Income African American Women
Authors: Leslie Annie Ruth
Published: March 2007

On the basis of in-depth interviews with 30 low-income African American mothers who told their children Brer Rabbit stories, this article discusses the moral values the women conveyed. During sto rytelling, the women distanced themselves from Christian views of the absolute evil of tricks to interpret Brer Rabbit's tricks as clever and protective of the small and defenseless. Intervention strategies are presented to suggest how social workers can use the women's moral vision to change negative valuations of African American morals and to empower low-income African American women clients.
Domestic Violence Gun Ban: An Analysis of Interest-Group Conflict
Authors: Morgan Suzanne , Nackerud Larry , Yegidis Bonnie
Published: March 2007

This article analyzes the conflict between two interest groups—advocates for battered women and advocates for law enforcement personnel— that has arisen over P.L. 104-208, which prohibits those who have been convicted of domestic violence from possessing and carrying guns. The article describes the evolution of responses to domestic violence, presents a brief history of the battered women's movement, and discusses the stances of the two interest groups in relation to public policy.
Implications of Personality Profiles for Batterer Treatment
Authors: WHITE ROBERT J. , GONDOLF EDWARD W.
Published: March 2007

Research on men who batter women has recently given a great deal of attention to personality types of batterers. Treatment recommendations for batterer types have relied primarily on aggregated statistical analyses of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI), but may be misleading because the MCMI is designed to be interpreted using individual profiles. The authors employed a profile analysis with MCMI-III results of 100 batterers randomly drawn from 840 men enrolled in four batterer programs. Case examples are used to illustrate the personality profiles and their treatment implications. The profile analysis suggests six major personality groupings that in part reflect previously established types. However, the majority of batterers exhibit narcissistic or avoidant traits that are well suited for the prevailing cognitive-behavioral group treatment approach. A smaller proportion of men evidence personality problems that may warrant adjunctive psychiatric services or individual psychotherapy. In sum, “one size” of treatment appears to fit most.
Severity of Violence Against Women by Intimate Partners and Associated Use of Alcohol and/or Illicit Drugs by the Perpetrator
Authors: WILLSON PAM , McFARLANE JUDITH , MALECHA ANN , WATSON KATHY , LEMMEY DOROTHY , SCHULTZ PAMELA , GIST JULIA , FREDLAND NINA
Published: March 2007

One hundred eighty abused women presenting for protective orders or to file assault charges were interviewed. The Severity of Violence Against Women Scale measured threats of abuse and actual physical violence. A questionnaire measured stalking. Additionally, the women were asked if the perpetrator was drunk daily and/or used illicit drugs. Perpetrators were divided into four groups: no alcohol or drug use (33%); alcohol only (19%); drugs only (18%); and alcohol and drugs (30%). Using multivariate analysis and controlling for demographic variables, physical abuse was significantly (p = .005) higher for women with perpetrators who used drugs only (x = 60.4) compared with perpetrators who used alcohol only (x = 47.7). Stalking was significantly (p = .001) higher for perpetrators who used alcohol and drugs (x = 8.2) compared with perpetrators who did not use alcohol or drugs (x = 5.6). To enable abused women to promote their safety, an understanding of the association between substance use and specific types of intimate partner violence is required.
Attrition in a Community Treatment Program for Child Sexual Abusers
Authors: CRAISSATI JACKIE , BEECH ANTHONY
Published: March 2007

The current preoccupation is with risk prediction in sexual offenders and the associated emphasis on effective models of treatment. However, a few studies have identified noncompliance with treatment and attrition rates as playing an important role in later sexual recidivism. This study—the Challenge Project—reports on attrition rates in a community treatment project for child sexual abusers in Southeast London. The researchers have attempted to identify which variables can predict attendance at and completion of treatment. The findings for the first 78 men in treatment for at least 1 year are that variables associated with psychological difficulties and childhood trauma are consistently more important in predicting treatment completion than offense-related variables. The sexual recidivism rate for the community sample was so low after an average of 3 years at risk that it was not possible to examine its relationship with compliance in treatment.
Empathy in Sexually Offending and Nonoffending Adolescent Males
Authors: BURKE DAVID M.
Published: March 2007

Empathy development is believed to be an important element in adolescent sex offender treatment. Adolescence is a time of considerable self-absorption among adolescent boys. This study investigates levels of empathy among adolescent offenders in comparison with their nonoffending counterparts. Participants were 23 male sex offenders and 23 male nonoffenders between the ages of 13 and 18. Participants were administered Davis's Interpersonal Reactivity Index as a measure of empathy. The sex offender group scored significantly lower in empathy on the overall score. There was some variation on the individual subscales. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Emotional Responses to Filmed Violence and the Eye Blink Startle Response
Authors: KOUKOUNAS ERIC , McCABE MARITA P.
Published: March 2007

The study assessed gender differences in emotional responses to violent film. Both subjective emotional response and eye blink startle magnitude were assessed while 20 men and 20 women viewed a series of five violent film segments and five nature scenes. Participants exhibited higher levels of curiosity, anxiety, disgust, and anger, and lower levels of positive emotion and boredom in response to the violent film segments in comparison with the nature material. Startle response was magnified during the violent film segments, indicating an aversive response. Evidence that men and women responded to the violence differently was demonstrated by men' experiencing greater positive feelings, entertainment, and curiosity in relation to the violent film, whereas women reported more disgust, boredom, anger, and experienced greater startle in relation to the violent scenes portrayed in the film. Future directions for investigating filmed violence are outlined.
Violent Behaviors, Violent Victimization, and Doping Agents
Authors: PEDERSEN WILLY , WICHSTRØM LARS , BLEKESAUNE MORTEN
Published: March 2007

The authors investigated the association between doping agents (mostly anabolic-androgenic steroids) and involvement in violence and experience of violent victimization in Oslo, Norway. The sample consisted of 10,828 adolescents aged 14 to 17 years. Of the adolescents, 11.5% had been offered doping agents and 1.8% had used doping agents. When confounding variables were controlled for, there was an association between exposure to doping agents and own violence for both genders, but use of doping agents had no additional effect. The same pattern was found with regard to victimization. However, when only the most serious victimization episodes were considered, increased risk for users of doping among boys but not girls was found. Doping agents may serve as a marker of a violent subculture more than being a causal factor in the etiology of violence. However, use of doping agents may also result in a big appearance in male users, which may make them a target for youth violence.
Perpetrators, Victims, and Observers of Violence
Authors: McCOY H. VIRGINIA , MESSIAH SARAH E. , YU ZHINUAN
Published: March 2007

The purposes of this analysis were (a) to compare the prevalence of violence among a sample of chronic drug users (CDUs) and non-chronic drug users (NCDUs) in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and (b) to determine the level of risk of becoming a victim, perpetrator, or observer of violence if one uses drugs. In interviews, 1,479 CDUs and NCDUs provided information about their experiences with violence. CDUs were significantly more likely than NCDUs to have perpetrated all violent acts. However, CDUs were also significantly more likely than NCDUs to have been the victim or observer of violent acts as well. This finding should shift our views of CDUs to include the latter roles. Specific intervention strategies are recommended to facilitate violence reduction in this population.
Prevalence and Psychological Impact of Chinese Elder Abuse
Authors: YAN ELSIE , TANG CATHERINE SO-KUM
Published: March 2007

This study examined the prevalence of elder abuse of Chinese in Hong Kong and also assessed its impact on their psychological functioning. A total of 355 (120 males, 235 females) elderly Chinese residing in Hong Kong responded to a questionnaire administered individually. Results indicated prevalence rates of 2% for physical abuse and 20.8% for verbal abuse. These rates were higher than those reported by a telephone survey of similar respondents. Rates did not differ significantly for men and women. Data from the General Health Questionnaire showed that abused elders, as compared with nonabused elders, scored significantly higher on overall psychological distress. Abused participants were also significantly more dependent on their caregivers than nonabused participants. This difference did not, however, predict the level of psychological distress after accounting for physical abuse and verbal abuse.
Mandated Reporter Satisfaction With Child Protection
Authors: COMPAAN CHERYL , DOUECK HOWARD J. , LEVINE MURRAY
Published: March 2007

Mandated reporters are an important part of the system established to identify vulnerable children and help troubled families. This study reports the findings from 472 completed and returned surveys mailed to agencies and individuals representing 12 categories of mandated reporters in a western New York county. The results indicated that although the respondents were generally satisfied with child protection, those respondents whose expectations had not been met were the least satisfied.
Violence in Known-Assailant Sexual Assaults
Authors: STERMAC LANA , MONT JANICE DU , DUNN SHEILA
Published: March 2007

This study examined characteristics of sexual assaults among a community-based sample of 1,162 women that were committed by unknown and known assailants. Assailant groups were examined on a continuum of familiarity that included strangers (30.6%), acquaintances known for less than 24 hours (13.9%), acquaintances known for more than 24 hours (40.2%), and current or previous husbands or boyfriends (15.3%). Client background, presentation information, and assault characteristics were examined through client self-report as well as clinician observation. The results of the study support the association of some assault characteristics and assailant-victim relationship status. In particular, variables related to coercion, violence, and physical trauma revealed that assaults by husbands or boyfriends were more violent and resulted in more physical trauma to victims than assaults by other known assailants. Overall, the results indicated that husband/boyfriend assaults were most similar to those committed by strangers.
A Retrospective Evaluation of the Regional Treatment Centre Sex Offender Treatment Program
Authors: QUINSEY VERNON L. , KHANNA ARUNIMA , MALCOLM P. BRUCE
Published: March 2007

Of 483 inmates who were referred to a sex offender treatment program and followed for an average of 44 months of opportunity to reoffend, 38% were arrested for new violent or sexual offenses. Treated offenders were most frequently rearrested for sex offenses. Inmates judged unsuitable for treatment were rearrested less frequently, particularly for sex offenses. Inmates judged to not require treatment and those who refused treatment also had fewer rearrests for sex offenses than did treated participants, although they had more rearrests for violent offenses. After statistically controlling for the static variables that predicted reoffending, the treatment program was associated with a higher rate of sexual rearrests but had no effect on the composite variable, violent or sexual rearrests. Among treated offenders, clinical assessment of treatment gains was not significantly associated with recidivism.
Emotional Commitment, Normative Acceptability, and Attributions for Abusive Partner Behaviors
Authors: MILLS ROBERT B. , MALLEY-MORRISON KATHLEEN
Published: March 2007

A model of how individuals in premarital relationships arrive at attributions for abusive partner behaviors was assessed. Evaluations of the abusiveness of partner behaviors and level of emotional commitment were of particular interest. Three categories of behaviors were examined: (a) physical abuse, (b) psychological abuse, and (c) sexual abuse. Participants were 103 young adults involved in premarital relationships who completed modified versions of Billingham's Emotional Commitment Scale and Shepard and Campbell's Abusive Behavior Inventory. A series of ANOVAs revealed that commitment level was a significant predictor of premarital attributions. Individuals categorizing themselves as highly committed blamed their partners significantly less for abusive partner behaviors than did individuals reporting moderate levels of commitment. Across all abuse types, females placed more blame on their partners for abusive partner behaviors than did males.
A Comparison of Four Batterer Intervention Systems
Authors: GONDOLF EDWARD W.
Published: March 2007

A comparative multisite evaluation was conducted in four geographically distributed cities to examine the relative effectiveness of different approaches. The intervention systems represented a range of court-referral procedures (pretrial or postconviction), program duration (3 months to 9 months), and additional services (occasional referral or in-house alcohol treatment). 210 men at each site were recruited and tested (background, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test). The batterers' partners were interviewed by phone every 3 months over a 15-month follow-up after intake, with a response rate of 77% overall. There was no significant difference in the reassault rate, portion of men making threats, and victim quality of life across the four sites. The longest, most comprehensive program did, however, have a significantly lower rate of severe reassault substantiated in a logistic regression controlling for background variables. The findings suggest that differing intervention systems that conform to fundamental standards can achieve similar outcomes.
Retaliation, Fear, or Rage
Authors: CRAIG KELLINA M.
Published: March 2007

An experimental study was conducted in an effort to establish whether hate crimes produce greater harm than similarly egregious crimes. Hate crimes are considered to be worse primarily because they are believed to be more likely to provoke retaliatory crimes and inflict distinct emotional distress on victims and members of the victim's social group or category. In this study, analogous samples of African American and White males observed two videotaped assaults motivated by racial bias in one case, and by an ambiguous motive in the other. Reactions were obtained following observation and revealed that emotional responses and expressed desire for retaliation were associated with participants' race but did not differ for the two types of assault. The findings are discussed in terms of the utility of current hate crime legislation as well as the implications of the observed racial differences.
Issues, Incidence, and Treatment of Sexual Offenders in Germany
Authors: PFÄFFLIN FRIEDEMANN
Published: March 2007

This article will touch on the following topics: the law and law reforms, incidence of sexual offenses, national survey studies, treatment, and a recently started research project on psychotherapy process research at the Department of Psychotherapy at Ulm University.
Treatment Of Sexually Abusive Youth
Authors: RYAN GAIL
Published: March 2007

Treatment of sexually abusive youth was initially informed by what had been learned in the treatment of adults who sexually offend. However, over time, important differences in understanding the developmental progression and in treatment approaches have evolved, some of which may now be used to inform the work with adults as well.
Variables That Predict Verdicts in Domestic Violence Cases
Authors: CRAMER ELIZABETH P.
Published: March 2007

Literature on the prosecution of domestic violence cases tends to focus on prosecution strategies or policies, and prosecutorial discretion. There is a dearth of studies concerning factors that are associated with verdicts in domestic violence trials. This study of 140 domestic violence cases appearing before the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Chesterfield County, Virginia, examines the demographic and court process variables that are associated with particular verdicts in domestic violence offenses. A discriminant function analysis determined that five variables can predict verdicts: race of perpetrator, gender of perpetrator, relationship between victim and perpetrator, previous criminal history, and availability of Polaroid pictures of the crime for use as evidence. The typical guilty case was a White male, married to or living with the victim, with a previous criminal history, and whose case file included Polaroid pictures of the crime.
Police-Reporting Behavior and Victim-Police Interactions as Described by Women in a Domestic Violence Shelter
Authors: COULTER MARTHA L. , KUEHNLE KATHRYN , BYERS ROBERT , ALFONSO MOYA
Published: March 2007

Previous research has addressed the motivations of domestic violence victims to contact police and police responses to domestic violence calls. In a study of 498 women who entered a battered women's shelter, a questionnaire was used to elicit types of abuse they experienced, police contact, and police-victim interactions. Approximately 58% of victims called the police in response to physical, emotional, and other forms of domestic abuse; however, less than one fourth of the batterers were arrested. Batterers who physically abused their victims or used other forms of abuse such as sexual abuse or stalking were more frequently arrested compared to those batterers who used emotional abuse. The women arrested for domestic violence felt that they had acted in self-defense. These results suggest that the police response to domestic violence is variable and the majority of batterers, regardless of type of abuse, may not be receiving any legal or therapeutic intervention.
The Cancel and Regrant: A Roadmap for Addressing Underwater Options
Authors: Buyniski Ted , Harsen Brett
Published: March 2007

Underwater options are pervasive. One of the ways companies are dealing with the issues created by underwater options is by implementing a delayed regrant. A delayed regrant occurs when a company cancels outstanding options and then reissues them six months and one day after the cancel. This article provides a roadmap to follow once the decision has been made to create a cancel and regrant program. The article explores the four key elements of the delayed regrant strategy: identify players and roles, design and test program alternatives, gain management/board approval and communicate and execute.
New Trends in Health Care Cost Control
Authors: Smith Sean S.
Published: March 2007

The first decade of the new millennium will see a reshaping of the American health care delivery system and the corporate role within that system. The days are numbered for one-size-fits-all programs as companies realize that employee-driven health care is the way to cut costs. Double-digit premium hikes are unsustainable in good times, much less in weakened markets. It will take cooperation from all interested parties to form a more rational approach. Legal disputes will continue, and defined contribution programs will be tested. A move to any new model will demand adjustments. Regardless, the challenges of health care cannot be solved without active employer involvement because employers have the most to gain from a rational system—and the most to lose from the existing one. Employers need to promote and participate in dialogue that will reshape the way we think about health care.
FMLA:A Four-Letter Word for Employers?
Authors: Johnson M. Brenk
Published: March 2007

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed by Congress with the worthwhile goal of helping employees balance work and family commitments by providing up to 12 weeks of protected leave from work in any 12-month period for qualifying family and medical reasons. However, in the nine years since its passage, the act and, more specifically, the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) regulations governing the act, have become a morass of complicated definitions and technical requirements. As a result, many employers and human resources professionals find themselves unintentionally violating some portion of the FMLA, despite their best intentions. This article provides an overview of FMLA regulations and walks employers and human resources executives through two of the DOL’s recommended forms for responding to employee requests for leave. Practical suggestions to assist in successful implementation of the FMLA are also discussed.
Gathering Inormation For the New Age of Compensation
Authors: Mc Dermott Donald G.
Published: March 2007

Companies are using innovative methods to create closer ties between compensation and business needs. This requires compensation professionals to do more than simply slot jobs according to broadbased survey results. As top management seeks to make appropriate business-based compensation decisions, managers are demanding more (and more relevant) compensation information.

There are no blanket answers to or surefire methods for gathering this information, says the author, but companies may learn from the two case studies he presents. The first explains how an insurance company's specialized business unit managed to find and gather specific information from nontraditional peers. The second explains how an information services company used new compensation tools designed to make this information gathering and analysis easier.
Communcating Benefits: A Double-Click Away
Authors: Kuzmits Frank E.
Published: March 2007

Development of intranet technology has become the most efficient way to manage the formidable task of benefits communication. Using the same technologies as the Internet, but restricting access to qualified users, the intranet-without any additional operating cost-can serve as an around-the-clock staff, seven days a week. Employees can log on at work or from any location and instantly access company information regarding medical and dental plans, 401(k) savings plans, family assistance programs, and wellness programs and can even revise benefit forms and update their records.

"By breaking down the organizational boundaries that often separate employee groups, the intranet allows the benefits staff and users to cut through red tape and communicate directly with one another," says the author. "The question of developing an intranet centers not on 'if' but on 'when'." And for most companies, he says, "the answer is now."
Going for the Gold
Authors: Ray Harry H. , "Rug" Altmansberger H. N.
Published: March 2007

Four years ago, following low customer service ratings from an independent national survey, the Network II Veterans Administration (VA) hospital group in upstate New York took the first step on a journey that would turn this flagging group of five hospitals into a flagship for the whole agency. "Innovation in government requires involvement, patience, and creativity," say the authors, "but federal agencies must proceed with caution." Unlike private sector organizations, employees of government agencies work within regulations and guidelines governing civil service, and these limitations must be considered when proposing any alternative rewards design plan. By thoughtfully addressing the challenges involved, here is how one public sector agency has been able to use alternative rewards with excellent results.
Public Opinion and Criminal Justice Policy Formulation
Authors: Johnson Bruce , Huff C. Ronald
Published: March 2007

This article examines the use of public opinion in the formulation of criminal justice policy by state government agencies. Although democratic political ideology suggests that government must be responsive to the people, the complexities of modern society make difficult the determination of how best to assess and utilize public opinion in the policy process. This article addresses that issue by examining the results of a study that generated four databases: (1) a national survey of 147 state government agencies; (2) a random sample of 805 citizens located in a large, representative state; (3) a survey of 31 interest groups; and (4) a survey of 133 state legislators. The study suggests that methods currently used to assess public opinion may be unreliable, while the public opinion poll, which offers significant advantages, is an underutilized tool in state criminal justice policymaking.
Perceptions of Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Choice in a Group of Low-income Mid-Missouri Women
Authors: Libbus M. Kay , Kolostov Linda S.
Published: March 2007

This cross-sectional descriptive study investigated attitudes regarding breastfeeding in 69 low-income women presenting for prenatal care at a teaching facility in a small midwest United States community. Women were interviewed for demographic data, reproductive history, and experience with infant feeding. The sample was predominantly white and rural. Almost half stated an intent to breastfeed. Breastfeeding by the maternal grandmother and endorsement by a male partner were associated positively with intent to breastfeed. Subjects were asked to estimate ease, convenience, and freedom associated with breastfeeding. Intenders viewed breastfeeding as significantly easier (p<.01), more convenient (p<.0001), and more conducive to freedom (p<.0001) than women who did not intend to breastfeed. Subjects also completed an investigatordesigned tool, the Breastfeeding Behavior Questionnaire. Results indicated relatively neutral attitudes regarding breastfeeding.
The Development of the Maternal Breastfeeding Evaluation Scale
Authors: Leff Ellen W. , Jefferis Sandra C. , Gagne Margaret P.
Published: March 2007

A Maternal Breastfeeding Evaluation Scale was developed from categories identified in qualitative research. Content validity was tested according to procedures described by Imle and Atwood' and Lynn.2 A sample of 442 women who had breastfed completed an instrument of 56 Likert-scale items. A retest questionnaire was completed by a subsample of 28 women.

Exploratory factor analysis resulted in three factors, accounting for 38.5 percent of the variance: Maternal Enjoyment/Role Attainment (29 percent), Infant Satisfaction/Growth (5 percent), and Lifestyle/Maternal Body Image (4 percent). A revised 30-item MBFES was developed using items loading strongly on these three factors. Cronbach's alphas for the revised scale and subscales were .93, .93, .88, and .80, respectively. Test-retest correlations (n=28) were .93, .93, .94, and .82, respectively (p<.001 for all).