bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intelligibility of Excerpts from Fluent Speech: Effects of Rate of Utterance and Duration of Excerpt
Authors: Pickett J. M. , Pollack Irwin
Published: July 2017

The purpose was to study factors in the intelligibility of words removed from fluent speech. The talker recorded a short text at three rates of continuous utterance: very fast, normal, and very slow. Then samples representing one or more text words were removed by gating. The same text words were removed at each rate of utterance. The samples were presented to listeners in intelligibility tests. Four talkers were tested, each with a different text from which 24 to 28 samples were removed at each rate. Short samples were less intelligible than long samples. On the average, fast and slow samples were equal in intelligibility when equated in duration. This is interpreted to indicate a balanced trade-off between slow, precise articulation of a small amount of text and rapid, slurred articulation of a large amount of text in the same time interval. Slow utterance was slightly more intelligible in noise. Finally, the samples were vocoded and then reconstructed synthetically on both a stretched time base and the normal time base. The stretch-vocoded fast samples were slightly longer in duration than the normal-vocoded slow samples representing the same words. However, the stretch-vocoded samples were lower in intelligibility.
Some Observations on the Metatheory of Speech Perception
Authors: Macneilage Peter F.
Published: July 2017

Block diagrams accompanying four recent models of speech perception each had a different spatial orientation in portraying the relation between the external world and the idealized perceiver. These orientations were: (1) Fant's model; external world on the left, perceiver on the right: (2) Stevens and Halle's model, vice versa: (3) Morton and Broadbent's model; external world above, perceiver below: (4) Haskins Group's model: vice versa. The metatheoretical implications of these different spatial orientations were considered. This resulted in a classification of the models, respectively, as (1) empirical, (2) formal, (3) mechanical, (4) physiological. It was found that observations derived from the spatial orientation of the models were not, in themselves, sufficient as a general statement of the present status of speech perception theory, or metatheory.
Duration of French Vowels in Unemphatic Stress
Authors: Benguerel André-Pierre
Published: July 2017

An experiment was designed to study the duration of French vowels in unemphatic stress, under controlled conditions. It was found that the lengthening of the stressed vowel depends primarily on two factors: intonation and syllable structure. Lengthening is greater when intonation falls than when it rises and this difference is more marked for open syllables than for closed syllables. Even though unemphatic stress correlates best with vowel duration when the intonation falls, it is suggested that when intonation rises, unemphatic stress correlates best with rising fundamental frequency and to a certain extent with the presence of a pause, and with vowel duration.
Imitation and Comprehension of Language in Severe Subnormality
Authors: Berry Paul , Foxen Tom
Published: July 2017

The ability of severely retarded children (mean CA 172.6 months, s.d. 11.0; mean Vocabulary Age on the English Picture Vocabulary Test 65.8 months, s.d. 2.95) to both imitate and comprehend language (the latter in the picture-choice situation) was investigated. In addition latencies to response in a picture-choice comprehension situation were analysed. The independent linguistic variable for all tasks was syntactic complexity. The types of error and response latencies suggested that as syntactic complexity increased, both imitation and comprehension became more difficult for the subjects. The usefulness of imitation as a psycholinguistic assessment technique is discussed.
Ear Advantage for Speech in Groups of Right- and Left-Handed Subjects
Authors: Fry D.B.
Published: July 2017

In a continuation of previous experiments, choice reaction times were measured for a key-pressing response to natural utterances of the word pairs /splei-sprei/ and /leirei/. Stimuli were presented monaurally and data were obtained from 24 right-handed subjects and 8 left-handed subjects, each of whom responded to both word pairs and with each ear. A highly significant right ear advantage was shown by the right-handed subjects in processing /splei-sprei/, the difference in the mean reaction time being 27 msec. but the same group of individuals showed no ear advantage in processing /leirei/. The left-handed subjects gave no significant ear advantage in the case of either word pair.
Some Remarks on Recent Issues in Speech-Perception Research
Authors: Fujisaki Hiroya
Published: July 2017

This short report on speech perception is meant to supplement Michael Studdert-Kennedy's main report. Thus no attempt is made to give a comprehensive account of the state of the art in speech perception research, but discussions are given only on those topics that the author feels not to be sufficiently covered by the main report, or on which the author holds a different view.
The Roles of Expectation and Syntactic Knowledge in Second and Fourth Graders' Comprehension of Complex Sentences
Authors: Richgels Donald J.
Published: July 2017

Second and fourth graders were tested, using a picture selection test, for comprehension of complex sentences. Pictures were withheld from subjects until after they showed that they understood the input sentence. Sentences were clefts and pseudoclefts with relative clauses minus markers and auxiliaries. Sentences were either passive or active and their noun-verb-noun relations were either according to children's expectations or contrary to expectations. Fourth graders performed significantly better than second graders; actives were significantly easier than passives; and sentences that were according to expectation (typicals) were significantly easier than sentences that were contrary to expectation (atypicals). There was no significant difference in performances on cleft and pseudocleft sentences. Comparisons were made that investigated the interplay of the two determinants of difficulty (sentence voice and typicalness of NVN relations). Typical passives were not significantly easier than atypical passives; nor were typical actives significantly easier than atypical actives. In addition, active atypicals were not significantly easier than passive atypicals; nor were active typicals significantly easier than passive typicals. However, one comparison of combinations of syntactic and expectancy related factors was significant: that which compared passive atypicals with active typicals. When both the syntactic and the expectancy-related determinants of difficulty are in phase, there is a significant difference in second and fourth graders' understanding of cleft and pseudocleft sentences with relative clauses minus markers and auxiliaries. It was concluded that the interplay of both syntactic and non-syntactic factors must be considered in any characterization of children's sentence comprehension ability.
Auditory and Visual Cueing of the [±Rounded] Feature Of Vowels
Authors: Lisker Leigh , Rossi Mario
Published: July 2017

That lipreading plays a role in phoneme recognition, even when the acoustic signal alone is phonologically unambiguous, has been concluded from experiments in the perception of discrepant combinations of acoustic and visual speech signals. Little is known about the effect of visual information on explicitly phonetic judgments, the kind of judgments made by trained observers that are the basis for describing the phonological pattern of a language. In this study some isolated vowels, most of them similar to vowels in standard French, were produced in ten random orders by an experienced phonetician. The acoustic signals and frontal views of the lower half of the speaker's face were recorded on video tape. By computer editing, audiovisual stimuli were prepared in which pairs of vowels supposed to differ primarily in rounding were variously combined. Twenty French-speaking speech researchers carried out three tasks: to decide on the rounding of each vowel by sound alone, by sight alone, and by sound when accompanied by matching or discrepant images of the talker. Their summed responses indicate that, despite the instruction to base decisions on the auditory signal, visual evidence of speech activity significantly “perturbed” subjects' rounding judgments. However, the lipreading effect varied greatly across both subjects and vowels. Most subjects judged most vowels strictly on the basis of the auditory information, while for others lipreading exerted paramount influence. Only a small minority responded so as to indicate any integration of discrepant rounding information registered by ear and eye.
A Computational Treatment of Stress in Greek Inflected Forms
Authors: Touratzidis Loudovikos , Ralli Angela
Published: July 2017

This paper deals with the treatment of stress in Greek inflectional morphology. First, a morphological processor is presented which is built on the basis of a linguistic analysis of Greek inflected forms. This is followed by a discussion of how stress applies to words and how stress shift phenomena are taken into account by the morphological processor. In Greek, word stress distribution is important because it represents a major difficulty in every attempt to create a morphological processor which can be used by speech recognition systems, machine readable dictionaries, and machine translation projects involving Greek as source or target language.
A Prosodic Analysis of Three Types of Wh-Phrases in Korean
Authors: Jun Sun-Ah , Oh Mira
Published: July 2017

Wh-phrases in Korean are ambiguous due to the lexical ambiguity of “wh” words: wh-pronouns as in a wh-question, or indefinite pronouns as in a yes/no-question. Furthermore, since a wh-word in Korean is in-situ (i.e. not moved to the front of a sentence as in English), wh-questions are not distinguished from echo questions in their surface forms. In this paper, we investigated prosodic characteristics disambiguating these three types of wh-phrases: 1) wh-question, 2) yes/no-question, and 3) incredulity question, a kind of echo question giving an incredulity meaning. Production and perception data were examined to discover what prosodic features are used to distinguish these three types of wh-phrases and which feature is more salient and reliable in perceiving such differences. The production results show that yes/no-questions and other types of questions are distinguished by different accentual phrasing, while incredulity and wh-questions are distinguished by different peak amplitudes, pitch ranges, and boundary tones. Interestingly, not all speakers used the same strategy to distinguish incredulity from wh-questions. The results of the perception test suggest that accentual phrasing is significantly related to the perception of three types while amplitude and boundary tones are significantly related to the perception of wh-and incredulity questions, respectively.
Using Technical Assistance to Strengthen Tobacco Control Capacity: Evaluation Findings from the Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium
Authors: Kegler Michelle Crozier , Redmon Pamela Buffington
Published: July 2017

Immediately following the Master Settlement Agreement of 1998 and the corresponding growth of new and existing tobacco control programs, it became clear that tobacco prevention and control organizations required technical assistance to help them carry out their missions. The Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium (TTAC) was established at the Rollins School of Public Health in 2001 to provide tailored technical assistance services to meet the needs of the expanded workforce and to build tobacco control capacity.

To understand whether and how TTAC's technical assistance enhanced capacity, TTAC conducted an evaluation of its services through semi-structured telephone interviews with the primary contacts and one to two additional informants for each of 48 technical assistance services provided over an 18-month period. The majority of respondents reported they had increased knowledge and skills in tobacco control, strengthened leadership skills, developed or strengthened partnerships with other tobacco control organizations, and changed the way they practice tobacco control following the assistance. More modest improvements were noted in the areas of increased organizational support and policy change at the local or state level.
The Meanings and Context of Smoking among Mexican University Students
Authors: Thrasher James F. , Bentley Margaret E.
Published: July 2017

Objectives.

We sought to describe the dominant social contexts and meanings of smoking among Mexican university students.

Methods.

Structured observations were made and individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 43 university students who were at five levels of involvement with smoking (i.e., never smoker; ex-smoker; experimenter; regular smoker; frequent smoker). Content analysis of interview transcripts was used to distill the primary settings and themes that students associated with smoking.

Results.

Outside their homes and away from the purview of their parents, the environments that students frequented were permissive of smoking, supporting their perceptions of smoking behavior, cigarettes, and the tobacco industry as normal and socially acceptable. Cigarette smoking was a highly social practice, with students practicing simultaneous smoking and cigarette sharing to underscore bonds with others. Moreover, the leisure times and places in which students smoked appeared to bolster their perceptions of cigarettes as offering them pleasurable relaxation and escape from boredom and conflictual social relations. All students believed that smoking was addictive and that second-hand smoke was dangerous to non-smokers. The short-term negative outcomes of smoking appeared more salient to students than either the longer-term health outcomes of smoking or the practices of the tobacco industry.

Conclusions.

The meanings and context of smoking were comparable to those found among youth in other parts of the world. Successful tobacco prevention messages and policies to prevent smoking in other youth populations may also succeed among Mexican youth.
Smokers' Beliefs and Attitudes about Purchasing Cigarettes on the Internet
Authors: Kim Annice E. , Ribisl Kurt M. , Delnevo Cristine D. , Hrywna Mary
Published: July 2017

Objectives.

Our objectives were to explore qualitatively how smokers find out about Internet cigarette sales and what factors motivate them to purchase cigarettes on-line, and to quantitatively describe the Internet cigarette purchasing behaviors and attitudes of Internet cigarette buyers.

Methods.

Qualitative in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with 21 adult smokers who had purchased or contemplated purchasing cigarettes on-line. Findings from the qualitative study were used to develop a survey module on Internet cigarette purchasing behavior that was administered to 187 New Jersey adult smokers.

Results.

Smokers who purchased cigarettes on-line were primarily motivated by lower prices, which occur because Internet vendors generally sell cigarettes without paying excise taxes for the destination state. Most Internet cigarette buyers first learned about on-line cigarette sales from interpersonal sources who had purchased on-line. New Jersey adult smokers who purchased cheaper cigarettes from the Internet and other lower-taxed sources significantly increased their consumption over time, compared to smokers who reported paying full-price at traditional bricks-and-mortar retail stores.

Conclusions.

Policies that have the effect of equalizing Internet cigarette prices with those at retail stores will likely deter smokers from purchasing cigarettes on-line. Internet cigarette vendors should be required to comply with the same provisions that apply to bricks-and-mortar retail vendors and charge appropriate state and local cigarette excise taxes. In the absence of such policies, the sales of cheaper, tax-free cigarettes on-line will undermine the public health benefit of raising cigarette prices.
Strengthening the Capacity of Local Health Agencies through Community-Based Assessment and Planning
Authors: Orians Carlyn , Rose Shyanika , Hubbard Brian , Sarisky John , Reason Letitia , Bernichon Tiffiny , Liebow Edward , Skarpness Bradley , Buchanan Sharunda
Published: July 2017

Objectives.

We evaluated the effectiveness of the Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health (PACE EH) in building competency in essential environmental health services and renewing efforts to engage the community in problem solving. Competency and community engagement have been identified by environmental health practitioners as important to meet new threats to public health.

Methods.

We conducted a national survey and 24 case studies of public health agencies. We invited 917 organizations to participate in the national survey because they had requested a copy of the protocol.

Results.

We received 656 total responses: 354 had not considered implementation, 302 had considered implementation, and 66 had implemented PACE EH. For the 24 case studies, we interviewed 206 individuals in communities implementing PACE EH. We found that PACE EH has had a positive effect on building community and professional networks, enhancing leadership, developing workforce competence, and expanding definitions of environmental health practice.

Conclusions.

With appropriate investments, PACE EH can be an effective tool to meet the environmental health challenges identified by local environmental health practitioners and state, tribal, and federal agencies.
Influenza Vaccination Rates of Children in Households with High-Risk Adults
Authors: Chi Ru-Chien , Reiber Gayle E. , Lipsky Benjamin A. , Boyko Edward J. , Neuzil Kathleen M.
Published: July 2017

Objectives.

Household contacts of people at high risk for influenza complications should receive yearly influenza vaccination to reduce potential viral transmission. We evaluated influenza vaccine coverage among children to determine whether or not living with a high-risk adult predicts the likelihood of being vaccinated.

Methods.

Using the 2006 National Health Interview Survey, we examined influenza vaccination rates among children (aged 1–17 years) who did and did not reside in a household with an adult at high risk for influenza-related complications.

Results.

Among 24,195 sampled families, there were 8,976 high-risk adults, 18.9% of whom reported living with a person 17 years of age of younger. Influenza vaccination rates by age group among children living with high-risk adults were 41.7% (1 year), 30.3% (2–4 years), and 20.0% (5–17 years). Unadjusted influenza vaccination rates were significantly higher for school-aged children who lived with a high-risk adult compared with those who did not (20.0% vs. 15.0%, p<0.001). Among children younger than 5 years of age, for whom vaccination was universally recommended at the time of the survey, the rates did not differ. After adjusting for the child's age, gender, race, insurance coverage, medical visits, and chronic conditions, children who lived with a high-risk adult were not statistically more likely than those who did not live with a high-risk adult to receive influenza vaccination (odds ratio = 1.16, 95% confidence interval 0.99, 1.36).

Conclusions.

Children had low rates of influenza vaccination, and those who lived with high-risk adults were not significantly more likely to be vaccinated. Clinicians caring for high-risk adults should remind eligible household contacts to receive influenza vaccine.
Condoms for Dual Protection: Patterns of Use with Highly Effective Contraceptive Methods
Authors: Pazol Karen , Kramer Michael R. , Hogue Carol J.
Published: July 2017

Objectives.

U.S. women experience high rates of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), yet they seldom combine condoms with highly effective contraceptives for optimal protection. Because oral contraceptives (OCs) have been the predominant form of highly effective contraception in the U.S., it is unknown whether condom use is similarly low with increasingly promoted user-independent methods.

Methods.

We used weighted data from the National Survey of Family Growth to assess condom use odds among women relying on OCs vs. user-independent methods (i.e., injectibles, intrauterine devices, and implants). We also estimated the expected reduction in unplanned pregnancies and abortions if half or all of the women currently using a single highly effective method also used condoms.

Results.

Across every demographic subgroup based on age, partner status, race/ethnicity, household income, and education, condom use prevalence was lower for women relying on user-independent methods vs. OCs. Multivariable models for adult women also revealed a significant reduction within most demographic subgroups in the odds of condom use among women relying on user-independent methods vs. OCs. Population estimates suggested that if half of all women using highly effective methods alone also used condoms, approximately 40% of unplanned pregnancies and abortions among these women could be prevented, for an annual reduction of 393,000 unplanned pregnancies and nearly 76,000 abortions. If all highly effective method users also used condoms, approximately 80% of unplanned pregnancies and abortions among these women could be prevented, for an annual reduction of 786,000 unplanned pregnancies and nearly 152,000 abortions.

Conclusions.

Adding condoms to other methods should be considered seriously as the first line of defense against unplanned pregnancy and STIs. This analysis can serve to target interventions where dual-method promotion is needed most.
The Association of Workplace Hazards and Smoking in a U.S. Multiethnic Working-Class Population
Authors: Okechukwu Cassandra A. , Krieger Nancy , Chen Jarvis , Sorensen Glorian , Li Yi , Barbeau Elizabeth M.
Published: July 2017

Objective.

We investigated the extent to which smoking status was associated with exposure to occupational (e.g., dust, chemicals, noise, and ergonomic strain) and social (e.g., abuse, sexual harassment, and racial discrimination) workplace hazards in a sample of U.S. multiethnic working-class adults.

Methods.

United for Health is a cross-sectional study designed to investigate the combined burden of occupational and social workplace hazards in relation to race/ethnicity, gender, and wage and to evaluate related health effects in a working-class population. Using validated measures, we collected data from 1,282 multiethnic working-class participants using audio computer-assisted interviews. We used multiple imputation methods to impute data for those missing data. Crude and adjusted logistic odds ratios (ORs) were modeled to estimate ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results.

The prevalence of smoking was highest among non-Hispanic white workers (38.3%) and lowest for foreign-born workers (13.1%). We found an association between racial discrimination and smoking (OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.01, 1.25). The relationship between smoking and sexual harassment, although not significant, was different for black women compared with men (OR=1.79, 95% CI 0.99, 3.22). We did not find any associations by workplace abuse or by any of the occupational hazards.

Conclusion.

These results indicate that racial discrimination might be related to smoking in working-class populations and should be considered in tobacco-control efforts that target this high-risk population.
Epidemiology of West Nile Virus in the Highly Epidemic State of North Dakota, 2002–2007
Authors: Borchardt Stephanie M. , Feist Michelle A. , Miller Tracy , Lo Tze Shien
Published: July 2017

Objectives.

West Nile virus (WNV) continues to cause seasonal epidemics of neuroinvasive disease and febrile illness, which have been most dramatic in the central plains states. We studied the epidemiology of WNV disease in North Dakota (ND), a highly epidemic state, six years following its first appearance in the state.

Methods.

We analyzed information from cases of WNV disease reported to the ND Department of Health during August 2002 through December 2007.

Results.

A total of 1,246 cases of WNV disease were reported in ND; 183 cases experienced neuroinvasive disease, including meningitis, encephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis. Risk factors associated with developing neuroinvasive disease rather than West Nile fever included older age, male gender, and residence in a rural area. Annual cumulative incidence of neuroinvasive disease in ND ranged from 0.3 per 100,000 population to 14.6 per 100,000 population.

Conclusions.

Annual cumulative incidence rates of West Nile neuroinvasive disease suggest that this region offers favorable conditions for its continued enzootic transmission, which highlights the need for improved targeted prevention measures, particularly for rural areas of the state.
Reducing HIV-Related Stigma: Lessons Learned from Horizons Research and Programs
Authors: Pulerwitz Julie , Michaelis Annie , Weiss Ellen , Brown Lisanne , Mahendra Vaishali
Published: July 2017

Since the early years of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, stigma has been understood to be a major barrier to successful HIV prevention, care, and treatment. This article highlights findings from more than 10 studies in Asia, Africa, and Latin America—conducted from 1997 through 2007 as part of the Horizons program—that have contributed to clarifying the relationship between stigma and HIV, determining how best to measure stigma among varied populations, and designing and evaluating the impact of stigma reduction-focused program strategies. Studies showed significant associations between HIV-related stigma and less use of voluntary counseling and testing, less willingness to disclose test results, and incorrect knowledge about transmission. Programmatic lessons learned included how to assist institutions with recognizing stigma, the importance of confronting both fears of contagion and negative social judgments, and how best to engage people living with HIV in programs. The portfolio of work reveals the potential and importance of directly addressing stigma reduction in HIV programs.
Trends in Oral Health by Poverty Status as Measured by Healthy People 2010 Objectives
Authors: Dye Bruce A. , Thornton-Evans Gina
Published: July 2017

Objective.

Poverty is a significant social determinant for oral health, yet Healthy People 2010 ( HP 2010) does not monitor changes in oral health status by poverty. We assessed recent trends for six HP 2010 oral health objectives by poverty status.

Methods.

We used data from the 1988–1994 and 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys to analyze trends for HP 2010 age-specific objectives relating to caries experience, untreated tooth decay, dental sealants, periodontal disease, tooth retention, and complete tooth loss by poverty status.

Results.

Dental caries significantly increased from 19% to 24% for children aged 2–4 years, but when stratified by poverty, caries only increased significantly for non-poor 2- to 4-year-old children (10% to 15%) (Objective 21–1a). The largest percentage point increase in dental caries was for non-poor boys (9% to 18%). The use of dental sealants continues to grow in the U.S. The largest percentage point increase in sealant use (Objective 21–8) between the two survey periods was for all poor children aged 8 years (3% to 21%). Among adults aged 35–44 years, periodontal disease significantly declined in the U.S. from 22% to 16% (Objective 21–5b) and more adults retained all of their natural teeth (30% to 38%) (Objective 21–3). However, the increase in tooth retention was significant only for non-poor adults, particularly non-poor men (34% to 48%).

Conclusions.

Overall, the oral health status of Americans as measured by HP 2010 objectives mostly showed improvement or remained unchanged between 1998–1994 and 1999–2004. However, some changes in oral health status for some traditionally low-risk groups, such as non-poor children, may be reversing improvements in oral health that have consistently been observed in previous decades. These results suggest that poverty status is an important factor for planning and monitoring future national oral health goals.
Exploring Geographic Variation in Lung Cancer Incidence in Kentucky Using a Spatial Scan Statistic: Elevated Risk in the Appalachian Coal-Mining Region
Authors: Christian W. Jay , Huang Bin , Rinehart John , Hopenhayn Claudia
Published: July 2017

Objectives.

We examined geographic patterns of lung cancer incidence in Kentucky. Recent research has suggested that the coal-mining industry contributes to lung cancer risk in Appalachia. We focused on the southeastern portion of the state, which has some of the highest lung cancer rates in the nation.

Methods.

We implemented a spatial scan statistic to identify areas with lung cancer incidence rates that were higher than expected, after adjusting for age, gender, and smoking. The Kentucky Cancer Registry supplied information on cases (1995–2007). The U.S. Census (2000) and several years of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (1996–2006) provided county-level population and smoking data. We compared the results with coal-mining data from the Mining Safety and Health Administration and public water utility data from the Kentucky Division of Water.

Results.

We identified three clusters of counties with higher-than-expected rates. Cluster 1 (relative risk [RR] = 1.21, p<0.01) included 12 counties in southeastern Kentucky. Cluster 2 (RR=1.17, p<0.01) included three nearby counties in the same region. Several of the 15 counties in Cluster 3 (RR=1.04, p=0.01) were part of the Louisville, Kentucky, or Cincinnati, Ohio, metropolitan areas. All of the counties in Clusters 1 and 2 produced significant amounts of coal.

Conclusion.

Environmental exposures related to the coal-mining industry could contribute to the high incidence of lung cancer in southeastern Kentucky. Lack of evidence for this effect in western Kentucky could be due to regional differences in mining practices and access to public water utilities. Future research should collect biological specimens and environmental samples to test for the presence of trace elements and other lung carcinogens.
Adverse Birth Outcomes among Nulliparous vs. Multiparous Women
Authors: Miranda Marie Lynn , Edwards Sharon E. , Myers Evan R.
Published: July 2017

Objectives.

Previous studies indicate that nulliparous women (i.e., women having no previous births) are at higher risk for adverse birth outcomes than multiparous women (i.e., women having had at least one previous birth). We examined whether part of the difference in adverse outcome rates is attributable to nulliparous women with poor pregnancy outcomes being less likely (through choice or fecundity differences) to have a subsequent live birth within the same time period as nulliparous women without adverse outcomes.

Methods.

Using deterministic matching, we linked nulliparous women from the North Carolina Detailed Birth Record to subsequent births. We employed statistical and simulation-based analyses to estimate first birth outcome rate differences between nulliparous women who did have a subsequent live birth vs. those who did not. Our Markov simulations focused on preterm birth (PTB).

Results.

Among nulliparous women who were not linked to a second birth, maternal age-adjusted rates of multiple adverse outcomes were all statistically higher compared with rates for linked women. These results also held in race/ethnicity-specific analyses. Simulations found that the relative risk of PTB associated with a history of PTB was underestimated if some women who would have been at risk for PTB did not experience a second birth.

Conclusions.

The observed differences in rates of adverse outcomes between nulliparous and multiparous women are partly attributable to higher-risk women not having a subsequent live birth, either by choice or due to fecundity differences.
Adverse Respiratory Symptoms and Environmental Exposures among Children and Adolescents following Hurricane Katrina
Authors: Rath Barbara , Young Elizabeth A. , Harris Amy , Perrin Keith , Bronfin Daniel R. , Ratard Raoult , VanDyke Russell , Goldshore Matthew , Magnus Manya
Published: July 2017

Objectives.

Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures and their respiratory effects. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, residents experienced multiple adverse environmental exposures. We characterized the association between upper respiratory symptoms (URS) and lower respiratory symptoms (LRS) and environmental exposures among children and adolescents affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Methods.

We conducted a cross-sectional study following the return of the population to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina (October 2005 and February 2006) among a convenience sample of children and adolescents attending New Orleans health facilities. We used uni-, bi-, and multivariable analyses to describe participants, exposures, and associations with URS/LRS.

Results.

Of 1,243 participants, 47% were Caucasian, 50% were male, and 72% were younger than 11 years of age. Multiple environmental exposures were identified during and after the storm and at current residences: roof/glass/storm damage (50%), outside mold (22%), dust (18%), and flood damage (15%). Self-reported URS and LRS (76% and 36%, respectively) were higher after the hurricane than before the hurricane (22% and 9%, respectively, p<0.0001). Roof/glass/storm damage at home was associated with URS (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15, 2.21) and LRS (AOR=1.35, 95% CI 1.01, 1.80), while mold growth at home was associated with LRS (AOR=1.47, 95% CI 1.02, 2.12).

Conclusions.

Children and adolescents affected by Hurricane Katrina experienced environmental exposures associated with increased prevalence of reported URS and LRS. Additional research is needed to investigate the long-term health impacts of Hurricane Katrina.
Collection of Social Determinant of Health Measures in U.S. National Surveillance Systems for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and TB
Authors: Beltran Victoria M. , Harrison Kathleen McDavid , Hall H. Irene , Dean Hazel D.
Published: July 2017

Challenges exist in the study of social determinants of health (SDH) because of limited comparability of population-based U.S. data on SDH. This limitation is due to differences in disparity or equity measurements, as well as general data quality and availability. We reviewed the current SDH variables collected for HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through its population-based surveillance systems and assessed specific system attributes. Results were used to provide recommendations for a core set of SDH variables to collect that are both feasible and useful. We also conducted an environmental literature scan to determine the status of knowledge of SDH as underlying causes of disease and to inform the recommended core set of SDH variables.
Creating and Using New Data Sources to Analyze the Relationship between Social Policy and Global Health: The Case of Maternal Leave
Authors: Heymann Jody , Raub Amy , Earle Alison
Published: July 2017

Objectives.

Operating at a societal level, public policy is often one of our best approaches to addressing social determinants of health (SDH). Yet, limited data availability has constrained past research on how national social policy choices affect health outcomes. We developed a new data infrastructure to illustrate how globally comparative data on labor policy might be used to examine the impact of social policy on health.

Methods.

We used multivariate ordinary least squares regression models to examine the relationship between the duration of paid maternal leave and neonatal, infant, and child mortality rates in 141 countries when controlling for overall resources available to meet basic needs measured by per capita gross domestic product, total and government health expenditures, female literacy, and basic health care and public health provision.

Results.

An increase of 10 full-time-equivalent weeks of paid maternal leave was associated with a 10% lower neonatal and infant mortality rate ( p≤0.001) and a 9% lower rate of mortality in children younger than 5 years of age ( p≤0.001). Paid maternal leave is associated with significantly lower neonatal, infant, and child mortality in non-Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and OECD countries.

Conclusions.

This preliminary study, using newly available worldwide policy data, demonstrates the potential strength of using globally comparative data to examine SDH. Further data development to make multilevel modeling of the impact of labor conditions possible and to broaden which social policies can be examined is a critical next step.
Protecting Adolescents' Right to Seek Treatment for Sexually Transmitted Diseases without Parental Consent: The Arizona Experience with Senate Bill 1309
Authors: Goodwin Kimberly D. , Taylor Melanie M. , Brown Erin C. Fuse , Winscott Michelle , Scanlon Megan , Hodge James G. , Mickey Tom , England Bob
Published: July 2017

In 2010, Senate Bill 1309 included language to repeal an existing Arizona law that enables minors younger than 18 years of age to seek diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) without parental consent. Numerous implications were identified that would have stemmed from parental consent provisions originally proffered in Senate Bill 1309. These implications included diminished access to essential health services among minors, exacerbated existing health disparities, increased health-care spending costs, and thwarted efforts to curb the spread of STDs. Lastly, minors would have been deprived of existing privacy protections concerning their STD-related medical information. This case study describes how collaborative advocacy efforts resulted in the successful amendment of Senate Bill 1309 to avert the negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes among adolescents stemming from the potential repeal of their existing legal right to seek STD treatment without parental consent.
A Tale of Two Gonorrhea Epidemics: Results from the STD Surveillance Network
Authors: Newman Lori Marie , Dowell Deborah , Bernstein Kyle , Donnelly Jennifer , Martins Summer , Stenger Mark , Stover Jeffrey , Weinstock Hillard
Published: July 2017

Objective.

An increasing proportion of gonorrhea in the United States is diagnosed in the private sector, posing a challenge to existing national surveillance systems. We described gonorrhea epidemiology outside sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic settings.

Methods.

Through the STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), health departments in the San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Minneapolis, and Richmond, Virginia, metropolitan areas interviewed systematic samples of men and women reported with gonorrhea by non-STD clinic providers from 2006 through 2008.

Results.

Of 2,138 interviews, 10.0% were from San Francisco, 26.4% were from Seattle, 25.2% were from Denver, 22.9% were from Minneapolis, and 15.5% were from Richmond. A total of 1,165 women were interviewed; 70.1% (815/1,163) were ≤24 years of age, 51.3% (598/1,165) were non-Hispanic black, and 19.0% (213/1,121) reported recent incarceration of self or sex partner. Among 610 men who have sex with only women, 50.9% were ≤24 years of age, 65.1% were non-Hispanic black, 14.1% reported incarceration of self or sex partner, and 16.7% reported anonymous sex. Among 363 men who have sex with men (MSM), 20.9% were ≤24 years of age, 61.6% were non-Hispanic white, 39.8% reported anonymous sex, 35.7% reported using the Internet to meet sex partners, and 12.1% reported methamphetamine use.

Conclusions.

These data identified two concurrent gonorrhea epidemics in minority populations: a young, black, heterosexual epidemic with frequently reported recent incarceration, and an older, mostly white MSM epidemic with more frequently reported anonymous sex, Internet use to meet sex partners, and methamphetamine use.
Infectious Disease Surveillance in the 21st Century: An Integrated Web-Based Surveillance and Case Management System
Authors: Troppy Scott , Haney Gillian , Cocoros Noelle , Cranston Kevin , DeMaria Alfred
Published: July 2017

The Massachusetts Virtual Epidemiologic Network (MAVEN) was deployed in 2006 by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Infectious Disease to serve as an integrated, Web-based disease surveillance and case management system. MAVEN replaced program-specific, siloed databases, which were inaccessible to local public health and unable to integrate electronic reporting. Disease events are automatically created without human intervention when a case or laboratory report is received and triaged in real time to state and local public health personnel. Events move through workflows for initial notification, case investigation, and case management. Initial development was completed within 12 months and recent state regulations mandate the use of MAVEN by all 351 jurisdictions. More than 300 local boards of health are using MAVEN, there are approximately one million events, and 70 laboratories report electronically. MAVEN has demonstrated responsiveness and flexibility to emerging diseases while also streamlining routine surveillance processes and improving timeliness of notifications and data completeness, although the long-term resource requirements are significant.
Blocking Probability Approximations and Revenue Optimization in Multirate Loss Networks
Authors: Ast László , Cinkler Tibor , Fodor Gábor , Rácz Sándor , Blaabjerg Søren
Published: July 2017

For the end-to-end (Originator-Destination pair) call blocking probability computation in multirate loss networks the so-called reduced load approximation under link independence assumption is often used, because it allows the derivation of analytical and numerical results. Its accuracy and extendibility to multirouting or multicasting networks (like me B-ISDN), however, is seldom studied. This paper attempts to generalize this assumption and to assess the usefulness of this generalization by comparing simulation and approximation results on link, route, and end-to-end blocking probability evaluation for these kinds of networks. The accuracy of the approximation is examined by a simulation tool called Flexible Simulation Platform for ATM Networks. An important application example of this generalized link-, route- and Originator-Destination pair blocking measure is the formulation of an optimization model for multirate loss networks, which optimizes carried traffic and network revenue.
Competitive Destination Analysis in Southeast Asia
Authors: Pearce Douglas G.
Published: July 2017

This article reports on competitive destination analysis, a means of systematically comparing diverse attributes of competing destinations within a planning context. The experience of the government of Sarawak, a state of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, is used to illustrate this analytical technique.
Unobtrusive Observational Measures as a Qualitative Extension of Visitor Surveys at Festivals and Events: Mass Observation Revisited
Authors: Seaton A. V.
Published: July 2017

This article explores methodological issues in monitoring one-time, short-run, festival performances and events with fast exit rates (e.g., concerts and theatrical performances). Through critical case analysis the article suggests the limitations of questionnaire surveys and the value of augmenting them with unobtrusive, direct observational measures derived from those first used in U.K. leisure/tourism research by Mass Observation in the 1930s and 1940s and since commended to, but rarely adopted by, tourism researchers.
A Defence of an ‘Immanentist’ Account of Social Form and Experience
Authors: Durrheim Kevin
Published: July 2017

In defence of South African discursive social psychology, this paper provides a brief account of social form and experience as immanent in discursive practices. Social order and social Institutions must be viewed as no more and no less than the sedimentation of coordinated human practices, and that any attempt to explain the ‘objectivity’ of the human made social world by recourse to biological or cultural essences is to entirely misunderstand its ontology. I argue that this immanentist perspective provides a more adequate account of the social psychology of social transformation, and steers clear of some potential political problems associated with cultural essentialism.
Gripping Stuff: A Response to Kevin Durrheim
Authors: Painter Desmond , Theron Wilhelmina H.
Published: July 2017

In this response to Kevin Durrheim we argue that he misrepresents some of our arguments by Implying that talk of pre-reflexive patterning of social form and experience and the role of the body in this suggests biological and cultural essentialism. He further overstates the consensus amongst discursive social psychologists and social constructionists on these matters, as we briefly show in relation to the problem of the body in social psychology.
Assessing Psychological Distress in Zulu-Speakers: Preliminary Findings from an Adaptation of the SCL-90-R
Authors: Shanahan S.F. , Anderson S.J. , Mkhize N.J.
Published: July 2017

The SCL-90-R, a 90-item multidimensional self-report symptom inventory, was translated into Zulu. A multistage translation procedure, involving back-translation, decentering, and the committee approach was employed. The translated instrument was pretested on a group of Zulu farm workers ( N = 12) and revisions made in order to improve its comprehensibility and acceptability to Zulu respondents. The concurrent validity of the Zulu SCL-90-R was investigated with samples of male psychiatric inpatients ( N = 23) and nonpatients ( N = 26). The Global Severity Index of the SCL-90-R demonstrated moderate diagnostic efficiency, with a sensitivity of .70 and a specificity of .77. These results suggest that the Zulu SCL-90-R may be a potentially useful psychometric instrument for the evaluation of psychological distress and screening for mental illness in Zulu-speakers.
The Prevalence and Patterns of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Victim-Perpetrator Relationship among a Sample of University Students
Authors: Madu S. N.
Published: July 2017

This is an investigation into the prevalence and patterns of child sexual abuse and victim-perpetrator relationship among a sample of university students. 722 undergraduate students of psychology at the University of the North, South Africa, filled in a retrospective self-rating questionnaire in a classroom setting. The questionnaire asked childhood sexual forms of abuse, victim-perpetrator relationships and self-rating of childhood. Result shows an overall (N=649) child sexual abuse prevalence rate of 25.6%; 21.7% for males (N=244), 23.7% for females (N=465). 18.2% were kissed sexually, 13.6% were touched sexually, 8.7% were victims of oral/anal/vaginal intercourse. Most of the perpetrators are people known to the victims. Many victims (83% of the male victims and 68.2% of the female victims) perceived themselves as not sexually abused during childhood; and most rated their childhood as either “average” (41.3% of the female victims and 48.9% of the male victims) or as “very happy” (41.3% of the female victims and 40.4% of the male victims). The author calls for more research, publicity, and campaigns against childhood sexual abuse in the Northern Province.