The Sexual Self as a Function of Relationship Status in an Emerging Adult Sample.

A sample of emerging adult university students completed a survey with the goal of investigating components of "the sexual self" and how these constructs were influenced by romantic relationship status. Three general aspects of the sexual self were considered: sexual self-concept, comfort with sexuality, and past sexual behavior. Sexual self-concept was defined as composed of constructs such as sexual self-schema, self-efficacy, consciousness, optimism, problem self-blame, power/other control, and motivation to avoid risky sex.

Impact of Children's Presence on Police Responses to Domestic Violence Call Situations.

The link between children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment is well established; however, less is known about the impact children's presence may have on domestic violence disputes. This study investigated the role of children's presence in IPV police calls using data ( = 2709) from supplementary reports provided by an Ontario, Canada police force, one-third of which led to criminal charges ( = 909). When children were present: charges were less likely to be laid; the accused's emotional state was more likely to be rated by police as calm and the accused was less likely to be identified as using alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the call; and victim support interventions were more likely to be offered and accepted.

Survival and CT defined sarcopenia in patients with intestinal failure on home parenteral support.

Background & Aims: Sarcopenia occurs in patients with intestinal failure (IF) and has been associated with poorer survival in several chronic diseases. CT can measure sarcopenia through a L3 skeletal muscle index (LSMI). We aim to describe the prevalence of sarcopenia in a section of our IF population using LSMI, & evaluate the effect of home parenteral support (PS) on LSMI & survival.

Asking women survivors about thoughts or actions involving sex with children: an issue requiring therapist sensitivity.

This article reports findings from the qualitative phase of a mixed-methods study exploring whether current counseling practices with women survivors of child sexual abuse include inquiry about thoughts and behavior involving sex with children. Following an online survey of therapists across Canada, telephone interviews were conducted with a subgroup of 22 therapists. Two main themes emerged: (a) the dilemma for the therapist and (b) strategies to explore the issue.

Do therapists' beliefs about sexual offending affect counseling practices with women?

This study explored whether counseling practices with women survivors of child sexual abuse reflect the belief that women do not sexually abuse children. Canadian therapists (n = 164) who work with women survivors of child sexual abuse were surveyed about their beliefs about what constitutes child sexual abuse, who commits child sexual abuse, and their practices regarding inquiries about abusive behavior. A majority self-reported that they ask women and think it is important to ask but most believe that clients will not spontaneously self-disclose inappropriate sexual thoughts or behaviors.

Gendered egos: attitude functions and gender as predictors of homonegativity.

This study used a correlational design with a sample of university students to clarify the relationships between attitude functions and homonegativity with respect to gender. Classic work on attitude functions posits that attitudes serve psychological needs for the attitude holder. Herek (1986b) adapted this theory to explain attitudes toward homosexuality.

Impact of a homonegativity awareness workshop on attitudes toward homosexuality.

The current study evaluated the effects of a homonegativity awareness workshop on attitudes toward homosexuality and examined individual difference variables associated with attitude change. Participants included 71 female and 43 male students (approximate mean age = 23). Compared to a control group of introductory psychology students, participants were less homonegative and erotophobic (F(1, 359) = 62.

Estimate optimization parameters for incoherent backscatter heterodyne lidar including unknown return signal bandwidth.

The conditions for optimizing the precision of heterodyne atmospheric lidar measurements using extended (deep) targets are investigated. The minimum standard deviation of each unknown (return power, Doppler shift, and signal bandwidth) is approximately twice the optical limit at best and is only weakly dependent on knowledge of the other parameters at optimal power levels. Somewhat stronger signal power levels are needed for bandwidth estimation.

Heterodyne lidar returns in the turbulent atmosphere: performance evaluation of simulated systems.

Simulations of beam propagation in three-dimensional random media were used to study the effects of atmospheric refractive turbulence on coherent lidar performance. By use of the two-beam model, the lidar return is expressed in terms of the overlap integral of the transmitter and the virtual (backpropagated) local oscillator beams at the target, reducing the problem to one of computing irradiance along the two propagation paths. This approach provides the tools for analyzing laser radar with general refractive turbulence conditions, beam truncation at the antenna aperture, beam-angle misalignment, and arbitrary transmitter and receiver configurations.

Molecular backscatter heterodyne lidar: a computational evaluation.

The application of heterodyne lidar to observe molecular scattering is considered. Despite the reduced Rayleigh cross section, infrared systems are predicted to require mean power levels comparable with those of current and proposed direct detection lidars that operate with the thermally broadened spectra in the visible or ultraviolet. Rayleigh-Brillouin scattering in the kinetic and hydrodynamic (collisional) regimes encountered in the infrared is of particular interest because the observed spectrum approaches a triplet of relatively narrow lines that are more suitable for wind, temperature, and pressure measurements.

Estimate optimization parameters for incoherent backscatter heterodyne lidar.

Heterodyne lidar estimates are a function of a number of experimental parameters, some of which can be adjusted or tuned to optimize statistical precision. Here we refer the precision to the theoretical limit for optical measurements of return power and Doppler shift and investigate the conditions for optimization using established theoretical expressions for the standard deviation of various estimates. Tuning is characterized by a degeneracy parameter (the photocount per fade).

Feedback from participants and leaders in an intervention program: the 1997-1998 opening doors process evaluation.

Parents, students, and program leaders involved in an in-school drug prevention program called Opening Doors were assessed for their perceptions of the efficacy of the program. In general, the feedback indicated a very high program satisfaction level from respondents with parents indicating the highest level satisfaction (92%). Areas for improvement ranged from: parent attendance, invitation process, increased support from schools, and increasing awareness of scheduling and time involvement by leaders and school administration based on program leader feedback as well as invitation process and program duration from the parents (e.

Autoimmune bullous diseases.

Patients with autoimmune bullous diseases are occasionally encountered in primary care practice, usually in middle-aged and older patients. The differential diagnosis includes nonimmune causes, such as contact dermatitis, infections and bullous reactions to drugs or insect bites. An autoimmune blistering disease may be distinguished by the age of the patient when the disease first appears, the morphology and distribution of the lesions and the presence or absence of mucosal lesions and scarring.

Detection techniques for validating Doppler estimates in heterodyne lidar.

We investigate the ability of detection techniques based on the likelihood ratio to discriminate between heterodyne lidar Doppler estimates at low signal levels using examples generated by simulation. The distinction between estimates that are regarded as acceptable and as spurious is based on the Cramer-Rao lower bound. The conditional false alarm probability, which ordinarily describes recording detection of a signal when none is present, is then found to be an approximate upper bound on the probability of selection of a spurious estimate.

State of dermatology training: the residents' perspective.

Changes in health care delivery necessitate modification in dermatology training. While the residents at The University of Alabama at Birmingham were planning their 1995-1996 curriculum, several questions regarding the most appropriate allocation of time and resources arose. Interest in other residency curricula prompted the development of a national survey of dermatology residents.

Comparative precision of distributed-backscatter Doppler lidars.

Simple formulas for the standard deviation that is available from Doppler velocity estimators through the use of direct-detection frequency discriminators for targets spread in range are derived and contrasted with the fundamental limits provided by the Cramer-Rao bounds for both direct-detection and heterodyne systems. The structures of these formulas is sufficiently similar to facilitate a meaningful comparison among the different systems and to provide a basis for the evaluation of experimental performance.

Understanding and promoting AIDS-preventive behavior: insights from the theory of reasoned action.

Psychological determinants of AIDS-preventive behaviors were examined from the perspective of the theory of reasoned action in prospective studies of gay men, heterosexual university students, and heterosexual high school students. Across samples, preventive behaviors, and prospective intervals of 1 and 2 months' duration. AIDS-preventive behaviors were predicted by behavioral intentions; behavioral intentions were a function of attitudes and norms; and attitudes and norms were a function of their theorized basic underpinnings.

Dermatologic disorders of the foot.

This article includes a description of common problems of greatest interest to nondermatologist physicians who treat the foot. These include plantar warts, corns and callouses, toenail problems, and some common skin disorders, such as tinea pedis, pitted keratolysis, hyperkeratosis and fissures, and contact dermatitis. Certain neoplasms, including squamous cell carcinoma, verrucous carcinoma, and melanoma also are discussed.

Hepatonecrosis resulting from parenteral gold therapy in pemphigus vulgaris.

A patient who had pemphigus vulgaris received therapy with gold thiomalate in addition to dexamethasone. Three weeks after the initiation of parenteral gold the patient developed acute hepatitis. Causes other than gold toxicity were ruled out, and the patient recovered completely after discontinuation of gold therapy.