Impacts of the COVID-19 Response on the Domestic Violence Workforce

Many frontline and essential workers faced increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and even suicide ideation during the pandemic response. These and other factors led to burnout, shifts into non-patient or client-facing roles, or leaving an occupation altogether. Domestic violence advocates experienced increases in many types of stressors as they continued to provide essential services to victims and survivors during the pandemic. However, in most cases they did so without protections offered to essential workers, like priority access to personal protective equipment (PPE) or vaccines. Executive directors of U.S. State and Territorial Domestic Violence Coalitions were identified using the National Network to End Domestic Violence website and contacted via email to schedule key informant interviews. Interviews were conducted, recorded, and transcribed using Zoom. Themes were identified using both inductive and deductive coding. Twenty-five of 56 (45%) coalition executive directors completed an interview. Three main themes related to workforce were identified, including an accelerated rate of job turnover among both leadership and staff; a lack of essential worker status for domestic violence advocates; and unsustainable levels of stress, fear, and exhaustion. While familiar challenges drove these outcomes for this predominantly female, low-wage workforce, such as a lack of access to childcare, other factors, including the lack of access to PPE, training, and hazard pay for those working in person, highlighted inequities facing the domestic violence workforce. The factors identified as impacting the domestic violence workforce-turnover, low status, and high levels of stress, fear, and exhaustion-made the already challenging provision of advocacy and services more difficult. Domestic violence advocates are essential first responders and must be supported in ways that increase the resilience of empowerment-based services for victims and survivors.

Pathways to Resistance: Theorizing Trauma and Women's Use of Force in Intimate Relationships

Using a feminist pathways general strain perspective, we explore the victim-offender continuum for women who perpetrated intimate partner violence/abuse (IPV/A). We use data from 86 women court-mandated to "female offender" domestic violence treatment programs, located in an American East Coast state, who were surveyed about their adverse childhood experiences and mental health/well-being as adults. Findings from bivariate linear regressions indicate childhood trauma negatively affects adult mental health/well-being, exacerbated for Black Indigenous People of Color women, suggesting a victim rather than an offender categorization for women using force against their abusive partner. Results imply the need to consider women's traumatic histories and IPV/A victimization, given an incident-driven system that criminalizes victimization over the life course.

Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States by Domestic Violence Coalition Leaders

This U.S. study explores lessons learned about domestic violence service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic identified by state, territory, and tribal coalition leadership to advance preparedness and guide structural improvements for future disasters. Semi-structured interviews with 25 Coalition leaders identified public health control measures and victim-centered strategies used to mitigate the pandemic's impacts on services and advocacy. Three main themes emerged: workforce innovations, system empowerment, and the simultaneous pandemic of racial injustice. The COVID-19 pandemic inspired Coalitions to respond creatively and highlighted resources needed to support survivors and the domestic violence (DV) workforce going forward, including reassessing the current state of the DV movement.

Department of the Air Force Family Advocacy Program: Exploring the Impact of an Antiviolence Intervention Program for Women

This mixed-methods study explores the impact of the Vista curriculum, a trauma-informed antiviolence intervention program for women who have used force in their intimate relationships, delivered by the Department of the Air Force Family Advocacy Program clinicians. Questions sought to understand any changes in personal growth, self-awareness, beliefs, and relationship interaction skills for 62 cisgender women. Findings suggest that women gained personal growth, self-awareness, and increased relationship tools. Women identified the positive impact cofacilitator support and non-judgment had on them and their ability to heal from their experiences and increase their awareness of viable non-forceful alternatives. Policy and practice implications are discussed.

Characterizing the impacts of public health control measures on domestic violence services: qualitative interviews with domestic violence coalition leaders

BACKGROUND

Prior to the availability of pharmaceutical control measures, non-pharmaceutical control measures, including travel restrictions, physical distancing, isolation and quarantine, closure of schools and workplaces, and the use of personal protective equipment were the only tools available to public health authorities to control the spread of COVID-19. The implementation of these non-pharmaceutical control measures had unintended impacts on the ability of state and territorial domestic violence coalitions to provide services to victims.

METHODS

A semi-structured interview guide to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted service provision and advocacy generally, and how COVID-19 control measures specifically, created barriers to services and advocacy, was developed, pilot tested, and revised based on feedback. Interviews with state and territorial domestic violence coalition executive directors were conducted between November 2021 and March 2022. Transcripts were inductively and deductively coded using both hand-coding and qualitative software.

RESULTS

Forty-five percent (25 of 56) of state and territorial domestic violence coalition executive directors representing all 8 National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) regions were interviewed. Five themes related to the use of non-pharmaceutical pandemic control measures with impacts on the provision of services and advocacy were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of non-pharmaceutical control measures early in the COVID-19 pandemic had negative impacts on the health and safety of some vulnerable groups, including domestic violence victims. Organizations that provide services and advocacy to victims faced many unique challenges in carrying out their missions while adhering to required public health control measures. Policy and preparedness plan changes are needed to prevent unintended consequences of control measure implementation among vulnerable groups as well as to identify lessons learned that should be applied in future disasters and emergencies.

Online Guidance for Domestic Violence Survivors and Service Providers: A COVID-19 Content Analysis

To assess COVID-19 information and services available to domestic violence service providers, survivors, and racially and culturally specific communities in the U.S., a content analysis of 80 national and state/territorial coalition websites was performed in June 2020. COVID-19 information was available on 84% of websites. National organizations provided more information for survivors related to safety and mental health and for racially and culturally specific communities. State/territorial coalitions provided more information for providers on COVID-19 and general disaster preparedness. COVID-19 and social distancing measures implemented to control it diminished help-seeking in unique ways. Greater online access to information and resources may be needed to address changing needs of survivors during disasters and emergencies.

Practical Indicators for Risk of Airborne Transmission in Shared Indoor Environments and Their Application to COVID-19 Outbreaks

Some infectious diseases, including COVID-19, can undergo airborne transmission. This may happen at close proximity, but as time indoors increases, infections can occur in shared room air despite distancing. We propose two indicators of infection risk for this situation, that is, relative risk parameter (H_r) and risk parameter (H). They combine the key factors that control airborne disease transmission indoors: virus-containing aerosol generation rate, breathing flow rate, masking and its quality, ventilation and aerosol-removal rates, number of occupants, and duration of exposure. COVID-19 outbreaks show a clear trend that is consistent with airborne infection and enable recommendations to minimize transmission risk. Transmission in typical prepandemic indoor spaces is highly sensitive to mitigation efforts. Previous outbreaks of measles, influenza, and tuberculosis were also assessed. Measles outbreaks occur at much lower risk parameter values than COVID-19, while tuberculosis outbreaks are observed at higher risk parameter values. Because both diseases are accepted as airborne, the fact that COVID-19 is less contagious than measles does not rule out airborne transmission. It is important that future outbreak reports include information on masking, ventilation and aerosol-removal rates, number of occupants, and duration of exposure, to investigate airborne transmission.

Practical Indicators for Risk of Airborne Transmission in Shared Indoor Environments and Their Application to COVID-19 Outbreaks

Some infectious diseases, including COVID-19, can undergo airborne transmission. This may happen at close proximity, but as time indoors increases, infections can occur in shared room air despite distancing. We propose two indicators of infection risk for this situation, that is, relative risk parameter (H_r) and risk parameter (H). They combine the key factors that control airborne disease transmission indoors: virus-containing aerosol generation rate, breathing flow rate, masking and its quality, ventilation and aerosol-removal rates, number of occupants, and duration of exposure. COVID-19 outbreaks show a clear trend that is consistent with airborne infection and enable recommendations to minimize transmission risk. Transmission in typical prepandemic indoor spaces is highly sensitive to mitigation efforts. Previous outbreaks of measles, influenza, and tuberculosis were also assessed. Measles outbreaks occur at much lower risk parameter values than COVID-19, while tuberculosis outbreaks are observed at higher risk parameter values. Because both diseases are accepted as airborne, the fact that COVID-19 is less contagious than measles does not rule out airborne transmission. It is important that future outbreak reports include information on masking, ventilation and aerosol-removal rates, number of occupants, and duration of exposure, to investigate airborne transmission.

"I Felt I Was Screaming Under the Water": Domestic Violence Victims' Experiences in Iran's Police Departments and Criminal Courts

This exploratory study, the first attempt at capturing the experiences of victims of DV with the criminal justice system in Iran, explores their plight in the absence of legislation that defines and criminalizes DV. Drawing on 15 in-depth interviews with Iranian women who turned to police departments and courts, we demonstrate the flaws inherent in Iran's judiciary and law enforcement organizations, suggesting they reinforce the integrity of the family as a patriarchal unit through readings of religious commands, stabilize the boundary between public and private, and dissuade women from claiming their rights. We provide suggestions for future research for reform, given the growing influence of feminist movements toward gender equality.

Are We Comparing Apples and Oranges? Exploring Trauma Experienced by Victims of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse and by Court-Involved Women Who Have Used Force in Relationships

Due to the enactment of mandatory and proarrest policies, there has been a sharp increase in the number of women arrested for use of force against an intimate partner. Many of these arrested women are also victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and experience high levels of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our study explores experiences of two groups: 80 women who self-refer into survivor groups or individual counseling sessions facilitated by a trained counselor and 86 court-involved women who have been arrested on an IPV/abuse (IPV/A)-related charge and (in lieu of more substantial punishment) participate in an intervention/treatment program. The current research asks, "What do trauma measures tell us about women who voluntarily seek IPV/A victim support groups and about women court-mandated to a treatment program?" Using measures of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), post-trauma distress, and danger assessments, we explore these two groups. Our findings demonstrate that within the three measures used, women who voluntarily sought victim counseling services had a higher mean compared with women arrested for use of force against an intimate partner. Yet, both groups are significantly different from the general population in terms of having experienced significant trauma. Both groups of women report significantly higher levels of ACEs, post-trauma distress, and danger assessments compared with the general population, indicating that women who experience IPV/A or women who use force in relationships may share more similarities than differences. In addition, we explore the ways in which different relationship characteristics and treatment trajectories might help explain the differences present between these two groups of women. We conclude with a discussion of policy and treatment implications.

Safeguarding Children's Well-Being: Voices From Abused Mothers Navigating Their Relationships and the Civil Courts

Battered mothers often go to great lengths to protect their children from abuse. Most of these efforts play out in private settings such as the home. After their relationships end, women's actions shift to the public sphere for judgment by the courts. Abusers' strategies utilize the courts as another tool with which to call into question and challenge their former partners' parenting. Images of "good mothers" who behave passively are favored by officials who often have incomplete understandings of the dynamics of intimate partner violence and abuse. Existing studies about justice-involved mothers insufficiently portray women's experiences managing both continued abuse from past partners as well as discriminating treatment by the courts. Semistructured interviews with 25 women in the United States who have terminated their abusive relationships reveal strategies of negotiation and resistance used to protect their children both during and after their relationships; the women also recount instances of paternalism and naïveté present in civil and criminal courts. While their male abusers seemed to receive leniency from court officials, despite, in some cases, violating judges' direct orders, the women's efforts were sometimes interpreted as recalcitrance and disobedience when they challenged unfair labels, visitation, and custody decisions. This qualitative study contextualizes women's efforts and actions taken to safeguard their children during and after their relationships to highlight women's experiences the courts overlook and misconstrue as well as what happens when women engage with the courts. Policy suggestions include ways to prevent the continued victimization of battered women by the courts, to challenge the pejorative assessment of mother's protective behaviors, and to illuminate court officials' malfeasance and toleration of fathers' tactics.

Mediating Justice: Women's Perceptions of Fairness in the Civil Protection Order Process

Mediation use has grown rapidly in the past few decades as an efficacious method of civil dispute resolution. However, early research suggests that civil mediation may cause further harm to victims of intimate partner abuse because, based on the inherent power dynamics of abusive relationships, they are not able to effectively advocate on their own behalf. In addition, organizational efficiency concerns have led to the development of consent processes for civil protection orders (POs). However, research has yet to examine the extent to which victims of intimate partner violence who take part in these consent processes perceive the process and associated outcomes as fair. Using qualitative data (N = 19 interviews) collected from women who sought civil POs through Family Court in Delaware, this research finds that the consent process and women's interactions with mediators reproduce power inequalities that are inherent in cases of intimate partner abuse, which shape their perceptions of fairness in the PO process and outcomes. Victims being silenced and disempowered throughout the consent process results in cumulative effects-similar tactics used by batterers-which continue to leave victims vulnerable. In addition, the power asymmetry victims experience in abusive relationships is replicated by the legal institution and court structure in terms of not having access to attorneys, not receiving guidance and advocacy, and, at times, experiencing insensitive treatment. Thus, this study provides insight into the inequalities present within the PO consent process that can create further harm to victims.

Agency and Paternalism: Balancing Acts Between a Domestic Violence Survivors' Task Force and a State Coalition

This research explores the dissonance between feminist ideology and practice as it manifests in an activist group of intimate partner violence/aggression (IPV/A) survivors under a state coalition on domestic violence serving multiple stakeholders. A gendered organizations framework reveals the activist group resisting paternalism and colonization in their efforts to achieve their goals and maintain their identity. Two-and-a-half years of observational field work reveals a complex dynamic, simultaneously feminist and patriarchal, with the activist group experiencing growing pains and internal conflict, emotion regulation, as well as empowerment. We offer suggestions for further exploration of the ways survivor-activist groups and coalitions can pursue collaborative partnerships.

Protective factors against juvenile delinquency: Exploring gender with a nationally representative sample of youth

Youth's social bonds' with conventional social institutions (e.g., family and school) and parental management of youth's leisure time represent two dimensions of suppressants against juvenile delinquency. Using Multivariate regression, this paper assesses these two dimensions of factors simultaneously on youth's aggressive and non-aggressive delinquency, and examines if their effects are gender sensitive. Findings suggest that girls have significantly lower involvement in both aggressive and non-aggressive delinquency than boys. However, girls are disproportionately involved in non-aggressive delinquency. Parental monitoring protects boys and girls distinctively on aggressive delinquency; this factor has a more pronounced inhibitory effect on girls' aggressive behavior. This study elucidates that there is a gendered pattern in adolescent delinquency, and that gender moderates the effect of some protective factor.

Hate the Players, or the Game? The Role of Court Mediators and Hearing Officers in the Civil Protection Order Process

Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) are among the most common legal tools that victims of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPV/A) use to protect themselves. The current study adds to the CPO research by using quantitative data to look at how female survivors' experiences with court personnel (attorneys, mediators, and hearing officers) shape their satisfaction with the court process, and what types of individual and court-related factors are related to perceived fairness of court personnel. The current study uses in-depth quantitative data collected from women over the age of 18 who sought a CPO due to violence from a male current or former partner. The findings indicate that women's satisfaction with the court process is significantly impacted by the perceived fairness of court personnel. In turn, specific behaviors by court personnel predict women's ratings of fairness of those personnel. Additionally, women's socioeconomic status impacts how fair they perceive the hearing officers to be. Court personnel play an integral role in helping victims navigate the legal system in ways that could protect their safety and influence how they perceive the CPO system as it relates to the abuse they have experienced.

Reproductive Coercion and Perceptions of Future Violence

Reproductive coercion is an understudied form of intimate partner abuse related to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Prior research suggests that women accurately predict whether their abuser will continue the abuse. Thus, understanding factors related to these perceptions is necessary to enhance safety. Using a diverse sample of women in the United States seeking protection orders, the current study examines reproductive coercion as a predictor of women's perceptions of future violence. Findings suggest that psychological abuse and, to a lesser extent, reproductive coercion are related to whether women believe their abuser will continue their abuse. Implications for research and services are discussed.

Understanding and Addressing Women’s Use of Force in Intimate Relationships: A Retrospective

This article surveys an evolving understanding of women’s use of force in their intimate heterosexual relationships. It explores the common characteristics of women who use force and, using an intersectional lens, considers the experiences of women in marginalized communities. It also examines how the legal response to intimate partner violence has affected this population. In addition, the development of and best practices in community-based gender-responsive programming for women’s use of force in their intimate heterosexual relationships are overviewed. In conclusion, this work identifies challenges that still exist in effectively responding to women’s use of force.

Vascular aging and cardiac maladaptation in growth-restricted preterm infants

OBJECTIVE

To assess arterial morphology and mechanics in preterm infants with fetal growth restriction (FGR) compared with those appropriate for gestational age (AGA) in the early neonatal period.

STUDY DESIGN

This observational study involved 20 preterm FGR infants (28 to 32 weeks) of gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) <10th centile and 20 preterm AGA infants. Vascular ultrasound was performed to measure aortic properties.

RESULTS

GA and BW of FGR and AGA infants were 29.8±1.3 vs 30±0.9 weeks (P=0.78) and 923.4±168 vs 1403±237 g (P<0.001), respectively. At 10.5±1.3 (s.d.) days after birth, blood pressure (systolic 51±3 vs 46±4 mm Hg, P<0.001) and maximum aorta intima-media thickness (621±76 vs 479±54 μm; P<0.001) were significantly higher in FGR infants. Arterial wall stiffness and peripheral resistance were also increased in the FGR infants (2.36±0.24 vs 2.14±0.24, P=0.008 and 22.2±5 vs 13.7±2.3 mm Hg min ml^-1, P<0.001), respectively. Significant correlations between vascular mechanics and cardiac function were observed (resistance vs E/E', r=0.7 and Tei index, r=0.79).

CONCLUSION

Maladaptive arterial-ventricular coupling was noted. Early detection may aid in early therapeutic strategies such as afterload reduction.

High temporal variability in airborne bacterial diversity and abundance inside single-family residences

Our homes are microbial habitats, and although the amounts and types of bacteria in indoor air have been shown to vary substantially across residences, temporal variability within homes has rarely been characterized. Here, we sought to quantify the temporal variability in the amounts and types of airborne bacteria in homes, and what factors drive this variability. We collected filter samples of indoor and outdoor air in 15 homes over 1 year (approximately eight time points per home, two per season), and we used culture-independent DNA sequencing approaches to characterize bacterial community composition. Significant differences in indoor air community composition were observed both between homes and within each home over time. Indoor and outdoor air community compositions were not significantly correlated, suggesting that indoor and outdoor air communities are decoupled. Indoor air communities from the same home were often just as different at adjacent time points as they were across larger temporal distances, and temporal variation correlated with changes in environmental conditions, including temperature and relative humidity. Although all homes had highly variable indoor air communities, homes with the most temporally variable communities had more stable, lower average microbial loads than homes with less variable communities.

Microbial analyses of airborne dust collected from dormitory rooms predict the sex of occupants

We have long known that human occupants are a major source of microbes in the built environment, thus raising the question: How much can we learn about the occupants of a building by analyzing the microbial communities found in indoor air? We investigated bacterial and fungal diversity found in airborne dust collected onto heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) air filters and settling plates from 91 rooms within a university dormitory. The sex of the room occupants had the most significant effect on the bacterial communities, while the room occupants had no significant effect on fungal communities. By examining the abundances of bacterial genera, we could predict the sex of room occupants with 79% accuracy, a finding that demonstrates the potential forensic applications of studying indoor air microbiology. We also identified which bacterial taxa were indicators of female and male rooms, and found that those taxa often identified as members of the vaginal microbiome were more common in female-occupied rooms while taxa associated with human skin or the male urogenital microbiota were more common in male-occupied rooms.

Contribution of human-related sources to indoor volatile organic compounds in a university classroom

Although significant progress has been made in understanding the sources and chemistry of indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the past decades, much is unknown about the role of humans in indoor air chemistry. In the spring of 2014, we conducted continuous measurements of VOCs using a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) in a university classroom. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) of the measured VOCs revealed a 'human influence' component, which likely represented VOCs produced from human breath and ozonolysis of human skin lipids. The concentration of the human influence component increased with the number of occupants and decreased with ventilation rate in a similar way to CO₂ , with an average contribution of 40% to the measured daytime VOC concentration. In addition, the human skin lipid ozonolysis products were observed to correlate with CO₂ and anticorrelate with O₃ , suggesting that reactions on human surfaces may be important sources of indoor VOCs and sinks for indoor O₃ . Our study suggests that humans can substantially affect VOC composition and oxidative capacity in indoor environments.

Identification of SNPs located on BTA 6 and BTA 20 significantly associated with bovine respiratory disease in crossbred cattle

The objective of the present study was to evaluate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in two quantitative trait locus (QTL) regions (BTA 6 and BTA 20) that are associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD). A population of 323 crossbred steers sired by five purebred sire breeds during 2010-2013 (Angus, Braford, Braunvieh, Charolais, and Simmental) were evaluated for BRD susceptibility during the finishing process at a commercial feedlot. A total of 21 animals representing all sire breeds were affected with BRD at some time during the finishing process over the 4-year period. Although multiple sire breeds were evaluated in the present study, no sire breed effects were detected. A total of 82 SNPs were evaluated (58 on BTA 6 and 24 on BTA 20) in the present study for potential associations with BRD incidence. When evaluating the previously described QTL regions on BTA 6, three SNPs (rs42968895, rs42823614, and rs43448463) were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with BRD incidence. Another three SNPs (rs42477340, rs42512588, and rs42524468) were identified as significantly associated with BRD on the previously described BTA 6 QTL region. For both of these regions, animals inheriting different genotypes differed in BRD incidence during the finishing period. Although multiple SNPs were identified as being significantly associated with BRD incidence in the present study, these SNP associations should be validated in larger and more diverse populations.

Role of mechanical ventilation in the airborne transmission of infectious agents in buildings

Infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics such as those due to SARS, influenza, measles, tuberculosis, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus have raised concern about the airborne transmission of pathogens in indoor environments. Significant gaps in knowledge still exist regarding the role of mechanical ventilation in airborne pathogen transmission. This review, prepared by a multidisciplinary group of researchers, focuses on summarizing the strengths and limitations of epidemiologic studies that specifically addressed the association of at least one heating, ventilating and/or air-conditioning (HVAC) system-related parameter with airborne disease transmission in buildings. The purpose of this literature review was to assess the quality and quantity of available data and to identify research needs. This review suggests that there is a need for well-designed observational and intervention studies in buildings with better HVAC system characterization and measurements of both airborne exposures and disease outcomes. Studies should also be designed so that they may be used in future quantitative meta-analyses.

In Her Own Words: Women Describe Their Use of Force Resulting in Court-Ordered Intervention

Although researchers and practitioners have established that men and women use force in their intimate heterosexual relationships for very different reasons, there is a dearth of information regarding the events that surrounds women's arrests and subsequent court orders to anti-violence intervention programming. This information is fundamental to improving Criminal Legal System (CLS) and community-partner understanding of and response to intimate partner violence (IPV). The authors meet this need by analyzing 208 women's descriptions of their arrests and subsequent court order to intervention programs for using force. From these, the authors frame nine categorical descriptions of women's actions. The descriptions and categories highlight areas for CLS and community-partners' growing understanding of this complex issue.

One Size Fits All? A Gender-Neutral Approach to a Gender-Specific Problem: Contrasting Batterer Treatment Programs for Male and Female Offenders

As an unintended consequence of more strict arrest policies aimed at deterring domestic violence offenders, many battered women have been arrested and court mandated to a treatment program intended for male abusers. This practice raises numerous concerns regarding the impact on specific victims as well as the potential for undermining decades of work aimed at holding offenders accountable. It also offers researchers another lens through which treatment programs can be viewed. This research compares and contrasts two domestic violence intervention programs: one for male offenders and one for female offenders. Specifically, it attempts to answer, What are the challenges in applying a one-size-fits-all and gender-neutral approach to a problem that embodies gender-specific issues and power dynamics? Does treatment designed for battering men need to be altered when applied to women? And how does feminist philosophy as exemplified by the Duluth model translate into groups for men and women?

Unintended Side Effects of Pro-Arrest Policies and Their Race and Class Implications for Battered Women: A Cautionary Note

Increasingly, arrest appears to be the disposition of choice for combatting violence between intimate partners. However, the ramifications of such policies may differentially impact on female victims, particularly those battered women with fewer resources and alternatives who have traditionally placed a greater reliance on police intervention. The residual effects of pro-arrest policies may operate subtly, becoming indiscernible through quantitative analyses of follow-up data and emerging only when qualitative methodologies are employed in conjunction with quantitative methodologies. Although pro-arrest policies are one way to attack the problem of woman battering, the policies become problematic if they disproportionately affect women from minority and lower socio-economic groups, facilitating negative consequences, including possible reoccurrences of violence. This paper raises some of the pertinent issues involved when research fails to capture or address the potential implications of pro-arrest strategies once implemented, and suggests ways to explore the extent and ramifications of these effects.

Calling the Shots: How Family Courts Address the Firearms Ban in Protection Orders

Access to firearms increases the risk of a batterer killing his partner. Moreover, firearms may be more common in homes where intimate partner abuse has occurred. The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 banned possession of firearms by individuals subject to civil protection orders. Yet little research has focused on how this ban is communicated to survivors and batterers. Drawing on systematic observations of protection order hearings, the current study explores factors related to judicial discussion of the ban in court. Implications for improving protection orders and for increasing battered women’s safety are discussed.

Women's Use of Force

Following changes in law enforcement policies that encourage or mandate arrest of domestic violence offenders, a concomitant increase inwomen arrested and mandated to batterer treatment programs has resulted. Most research findings, however, suggest that heterosexual intimate violence is gendered, with abuse, power, and control wielded by men over their female partners, and that when women use violence, it is typically in selfdefense or for nonaggressive reasons. However, fewstudies have investigated the female batterer treatment programs and the context of thewomen's use of violence. Using qualitative data collected from observations of three female domestic violence offender programs, this article examines women's interpretations of their violent experiences. In addition, the findings raise policy-level questions about the appropriateness of such programs, weighing the costs and benefits of a criminal justice approach to women's use of force in intimate relationships.

The struggle to address woman battering in Slovakia: stories from service providers

Following the fall of communism, Slovakia found itself in a challenging position: to openly acknowledge the existence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its disproportionate effect on women and children without an infrastructure to address victim safety, and provide resources and legal help. With collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the government responded by developing shelters and introducing legislation that criminalized IPV and created social services for victims. To assess implementation efforts, we conducted in-depth interviews with governmental officials and NGO personnel who provide services for battered women. We focus on the operation and efficacy of shelters to discover what services are most needed for battered women, the criminal justice system's response to IPV, and what long-range goals will facilitate more permanent solutions to the social problem of violence against women in Slovakia.

The effect of suspended sediment on fertilization success in the urchin Evechinus chloroticus: analysis of experimental data using hierarchical Bayesian methods

Terrestrial sediments are a significant stressor on coastal ecosystems, with both suspended and deposited sediment having adverse effects on aquatic organisms. However, information on the effect of suspended sediments on fertilization success for urchin species is lacking. Using sediment levels similar to those encountered in situ, a controlled experiment was conducted to test whether suspended sediment affects fertilization success in the urchin Evechinus chloroticus. Analyses used generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and hierarchical Bayesian (HB) regression. Both approaches showed a significant decrease in fertilization success with increased suspended sediment levels. Uncertainties in estimates were narrower for HB models, suggesting that this approach has advantages over GLMMs for sparse data problems sometimes encountered in laboratory experiments. Given future global change scenarios, this work is important for predicting the effects of stressors such as sedimentation that may ultimately impact marine populations.

Neural processes involved in directing attention

Neural processes associated with two aspects of visual-spatial attention were investigated with event-related potential (ERPs): those that direct spatial attention to a given point in space and those that modulate the processing of sensory input after attention has been directed. The subjects were 6- to 9-year-old children (51 boys and 35 girls). An arrow cue directed attention from the central to peripheral visual field; targets were then flashed in the attended or ignored visual field 600 msec after the cue. The directing of attention to the left vs. right visual field was associated with hemispheric differences in slow potentials prior to the presentation of the targets. The earliest potential, which started about 200 msec after the cue and was negative over the hemisphere contralateral to the direction of attention, was greatest over the parietal area and appeared to reflect processes directing attention per se. The last potential, which peaked 60 msec after the target and was positive over the hemisphere contralateral to the direction of attention, was greatest over the occipital-parietal region. It appeared to reflect the modulation of cortical excitability in the regions receiving input from the relevant and irrelevant visual fields. The effects of spatial attention on P1, N1, and P3 ERP components following the targets replicated previous results. Boys appeared more aroused (as indicated by CNVs) and reflected faster and greater selective processing (as indicated by reaction time, and N1-P1 latency and amplitude) than girls.

Spinal cord hypothermia without systemic hypothermia

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Hypothermia has been shown to be beneficial in the setting of acute SCI. However, widespread use has been hindered by the need for systemic hypothermia as the vehicle for achieving spinal cord hypothermia. This study demonstrates that localized spinal cord hypothermia can be achieved via a percutaneous approach while maintaining systemic normothermia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Five Yucatan swine underwent catheterization of the subarachnoid space and infusion of room temperature, chilled, and iced PL solutions into the cervical spinal canal, with drainage from the lumbar canal. Thermocouples were placed within the spinal cord and in the subarachnoid space and recorded during infusions and recovery from hypothermia.

RESULTS

Results demonstrated that hypothermia as low as 16.8°C is feasible in the spinal cord with retention of systemic normothermia, with strong (r = 0.95) correlation between the spinal cord temperature and the CSF temperature. Degrees of cooling varied with flow rates and with infusate temperature.

CONCLUSIONS

While the data are preliminary in a small group of animals, the ability to rapidly create a wide range of controlled spinal cord hypothermia while preserving normal body temperature warrants wider exploration. The study also indicates that further investigation of the hypothesis that CSF temperature monitoring may be an acceptable surrogate for direct spinal cord temperature monitoring should be pursued.

Antioxidant therapies: a potential role in perinatal medicine

Pregnancies complicated by impaired placentation, acute severe reductions in oxygen supply to the fetus, or intrauterine infection are associated with oxidative stress to the mother and developing baby. Such oxidative stress is characterized as an upregulation in the production of oxidative or nitrative free radicals and a concomitant decrease in the availability of antioxidant species, thereby creating a state of fetoplacental oxidative imbalance. Recently, there has been a good deal of interest in the potential for the use of antioxidant therapies in the perinatal period to protect the fetus, particularly the developing brain, against oxidative stress in complications of pregnancy and birth. This review will examine why the immature brain is particularly susceptible to oxidative imbalance and will provide discussion on antioxidant treatments currently receiving attention in the adult and perinatal literature - allopurinol, melatonin, α-lipoic acid, and vitamins C and E. In addition, we aim to address the interaction between oxidative stress and the fetal inflammatory response, an interaction that may be vital when proposing antioxidant or other neuroprotective strategies.

“Paper Abuse”: When All Else Fails, Batterers Use Procedural Stalking

Using data from in-depth interviews with women who have exited violent relationships, attorneys, and practitioners/policy specialists, this research note explores the continuation of control as women encounter “paper abuse.” The barrage of men’s frivolous lawsuits, false reports of child abuse, and other system-related manipulations exerts power, forces contact, and financially burdens their ex-partners. Although these acts are not new, the significance of this continuing abuse has not been fully explored by researchers. Yet attorneys and practitioners recognize the need for better documentation to strengthen protections for women still forced to contend with their former batterers.

Supplementation of fibrin gels with sodium chloride enhances physical properties and ensuing osteogenic response

Modifying the relative concentrations of fibrinogen and thrombin can control the physical properties of fibrin gels, while the viability of associated cells has been linked to the gel's final network structure. It was hypothesized that increasing the gel ionic strength during fabrication through supplementation with sodium chloride (NaCl) would provide an improved approach for tailoring the physical properties of fibrin gels and maintaining the viability and osteogenic potential of entrapped cells. Fibrin gels were formed by mixing fibrinogen, thrombin and calcium chloride with varying masses of NaCl (0-4.40% w/v), and the osteogenic potential of entrapped human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) was examined over 14 days. Physical properties including gelation time, compressive modulus and fiber diameter were dependent upon NaCl content, with gels containing 2.60% NaCl possessing compressive moduli threefold higher than gels without NaCl. Alkaline phosphatase activity was highest for MSC entrapped in gels containing 2.15-2.60% NaCl after 14 days, and all gels exhibited increased calcium incorporation over the culture period. These data confirm that varying the salt concentration of the pre-gel solution can modulate the material properties of fibrin constructs without additional fibrinogen or thrombin, thereby offering a new approach for generating improved cell transplantation vehicles for use in bone tissue regeneration.

Carbon dioxide clathrate in the martian ice cap

Measurements of the dissociation pressure of carbon dioxide hydrate show that this hydrate (CO(2) . 6H(2)O) is stable relative to solid CO(2) and water ice at temperatures above about 121 degrees K. Since this hydrate forms from finely divided ice and gaseous CO(2) in several hours at 150 degrees K, it is likely to be present in the martian ice cap. The ice cap can consist of water ice, water ice + CO(2) hydrate, or CO(2) hydrate + solid CO(2), but not water ice + solid CO(2).

Nonprotein amino acids from spark discharges and their comparison with the murchison meteorite amino acids

All the nonprotein amino acids found in the Murchison meteorite are products of the action of electric discharge on a mixture of methane, nitrogen, and water with traces of ammonia. These amino acids include alpha-amino-n-butyric acid, alpha-aminoisobutyric acid, norvaline, isovaline, pipecolic acid, beta-alanine, beta-amino-n-butyric acid, beta-aminoisobutyric acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid, sarcosine, N-ethylglycine, and N-methylalanine. In addition, norleucine, alloisoleucine, N-propylglycine, N-isopropylglycine, N-methyl-beta-alanine, N-ethyl-beta-alanine alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid, isoserine, alpha,gamma-diaminobutyric acid, and alpha-hydroxy-gamma-aminobutyric acid are produced by the electric discharge, but have not been found in the meteorite.

Review Essay: The Elephants in the Room: Ethnicity and Violence Against Women in Post-Communist Slovakia

This essay examines the complexities in understanding the issues related to intimate partner violence in Slovakia. It explores the cultural factors as well as the EU efforts that influence the quest to implement measures designed to document, eliminate, and prevent violence against women in pre- and post-Communist Slovakia. In addition, this article addresses the general toleration of domestic violence, particularly when it occurs within the Roma ethnic group, and the attitudes of government entities, public authorities, and nonprofit organizations in their reform efforts. This article concludes with some suggestions for future research and policy.

The Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) Study: Overview and Early Findings

Improved understanding of the sources of air pollution that are most harmful could aid in developing more effective measures for protecting human health. The Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) study was designed to identify the sources of ambient fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) that are most responsible for the adverse health effects of short-term exposure to PM (2.5). Daily 24-hour PM(2.5) sampling began in July 2002 at a residential monitoring site in Denver, Colorado, using both Teflon and quartz filter samplers. Sampling is planned to continue through 2008. Chemical speciation is being carried out for mass, inorganic ionic compounds (sulfate, nitrate and ammonium), and carbonaceous components, including elemental carbon, organic carbon, temperature-resolved organic carbon fractions and a large array of organic compounds. In addition, water soluble metals were measured daily for 12 months in 2003. A receptor-based source apportionment approach utilizing positive matrix factorization (PMF) will be used to identify PM (2.5) source contributions for each 24-hour period. Based on a preliminary assessment using synthetic data, the proposed source apportionment should be able to identify many important sources on a daily basis, including secondary ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate, diesel vehicle exhaust, road dust, wood combustion and vegetative debris. Meat cooking, gasoline vehicle exhaust and natural gas combustion were more challenging for PMF to accurately identify due to high detection limits for certain organic molecular marker compounds. Measurements of these compounds are being improved and supplemented with additional organic molecular marker compounds. The health study will investigate associations between daily source contributions and an array of health endpoints, including daily mortality and hospitalizations and measures of asthma control in asthmatic children. Findings from the DASH study, in addition to being of interest to policymakers, by identifying harmful PM(2.5) sources may provide insights into mechanisms of PM effect.

The danger of weight loss in the elderly

Aging is generally accompanied by weight loss made up of both fat mass and fat-free mass. As more people, including elderly, are overweight or obese, weight loss is recommended to improve health. Health risks are decreased in overweight children and adults by dieting and exercise, but the health benefits of weight loss in elderly, particularly by calorie restriction, are uncertain. Rapid unintentional weight loss in elderly is usually indicative of underlying disease and accelerates the muscle loss which normally occurs with aging. Intentional weight loss, even when excess fat mass is targeted also includes accelerated muscle loss which has been shown in older persons to correlate negatively with functional capacity for independent living. Sarcopenic obesity, the coexistence of diminished lean mass and increased fat mass, characterizes a population particularly at risk for functional impairment since both sarcopenia (relative deficiency of skeletal muscle mass and strength) and obesity have been shown to predict disability. However, indices of overweight and obesity such as body mass index (BMI) do not correlate as strongly with adverse health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease in elderly as compared to younger individuals. Further, weight loss and low BMI in older persons are associated with mortality in some studies. On the other hand, studies have shown improvement in risk factors after weight loss in overweight/obese elderly. The recent focus on pro-inflammatory factors related to adiposity suggest that fat loss could ameliorate some catabolic conditions of aging since some cytokines may directly impact muscle protein synthesis and breakdown. Simply decreasing weight may also ease mechanical burden on weak joints and muscle, thus improving mobility. However, until a strategy is proven whereby further loss of muscle mass can be prevented, weight loss by caloric restriction in individuals with sarcopenic obesity should likely be avoided.

Hippocampal activation in adults with mild cognitive impairment predicts subsequent cognitive decline

OBJECTIVE

To use functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate whether hippocampal activation during a memory task can predict cognitive decline in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

METHODS

25 older individuals with MCI performed a visual scene encoding task during fMRI scanning, and were followed clinically for at least 4 years after scanning. A hypothesis driven analysis of fMRI data was performed. First, fMRI data were analysed at the group level to identify the regions of the hippocampal formation that were engaged by this memory task. Parameter estimates of each subject's memory related hippocampal activation (% signal change) were extracted and were analysed with a linear regression model to determine whether hippocampal activation predicted the degree or rate of cognitive decline, as measured by change in Clinical Dementia Rating Sum-of-Boxes (CDR-SB).

RESULTS

Over 5.9 (1.2) years of follow-up after scanning, subjects varied widely in degree and rate of cognitive decline (change in CDR-SB ranged from 0 to 6, and the rate ranged from 0 to 1 CDR-SB unit/year). Greater hippocampal activation predicted greater degree and rate of subsequent cognitive decline (p<0.05). This finding was present even after controlling for baseline degree of impairment (CDR-SB), age, education and hippocampal volume, as well as gender and apolipoprotein E status. In addition, an exploratory whole brain analysis produced convergent results, demonstrating that the hippocampal formation was the only brain region where activation predicted cognitive decline.

CONCLUSIONS

In individuals with MCI, greater memory task related hippocampal activation is predictive of a greater degree and rate of cognitive decline subsequent to scanning. fMRI may provide a physiological imaging biomarker useful for identifying the subgroup of MCI individuals at highest risk of cognitive decline for potential inclusion in disease modifying clinical trials.

Prefrontal-hippocampal-fusiform activity during encoding predicts intraindividual differences in free recall ability: an event-related functional-anatomic MRI study

The ability to spontaneously recall recently learned information is a fundamental mnemonic activity of daily life, but has received little study using functional neuroimaging. We developed a functional MRI (fMRI) paradigm to study regional brain activity during encoding that predicts free recall. In this event-related fMRI study, ten lists of fourteen pictures of common objects were shown to healthy young individuals and regional brain activity during encoding was analyzed based on subsequent free recall performance. Free recall of items was predicted by activity during encoding in hippocampal, fusiform, and inferior prefrontal cortical regions. Within-subject variance in free recall performance for the ten lists was predicted by a linear combination of condition-specific inferior prefrontal, hippocampal, and fusiform activity. Recall performance was better for lists in which prefrontal activity was greater for all items of the list and hippocampal and fusiform activity were greater specifically for items that were recalled from the list. Thus, the activity of medial temporal, fusiform, and prefrontal brain regions during the learning of new information is important for the subsequent free recall of this information. These fronto-temporal brain regions act together as a large-scale memory-related network, the components of which make distinct yet interacting contributions during encoding that predict subsequent successful free recall performance.

Nek3 kinase regulates prolactin-mediated cytoskeletal reorganization and motility of breast cancer cells

Prolactin (PRL) stimulates the cytoskeletal re-organization and motility of breast cancer cells. During PRL receptor signaling, Vav2 becomes phosphorylated and activated, an event regulated by the serine/threonine kinase Nek3. Given the regulatory role of Vav2, the function of Nek3 in PRL-mediated motility and invasion was examined. Overexpression of Nek3 in Chinese hamster ovary transfectants potentiated cytoskeletal re-organization in response to PRL. In contrast, downregulation of Nek3 expression by small-interfering RNA (siRNA) attenuated PRL-mediated cytoskeletal reorganization, activation of GTPase Rac1, cell migration and invasion of T47D cells. In addition, PRL stimulation induced an interaction between Nek3 and paxillin and significantly increased paxillin serine phosphorylation, whereas Nek3 siRNA-transfected cells showed a marked reduction in paxillin phosphorylation. Analysis of breast tissue microarrays also demonstrated a significant up-regulation of Nek3 expression in malignant versus normal specimens. These data suggest that Nek3 contributes to PRL-mediated breast cancer motility through mechanisms involving Rac1 activation and paxillin phosphorylation.

Particle size distributions and concentrations of airborne endotoxin using novel collection methods in homes during the winter and summer seasons

A comparison study of novel collection methods for airborne bacteria and endotoxin was performed in an environmentally controlled chamber and in pilot-field studies. Airborne particulate matter was collected in swirling liquid impingers, air-monitoring filter cassettes, and with a micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) to evaluate aerodynamic particle size distributions. Environmentally controlled chamber studies showed that impingers and MOUDI recovered significantly more airborne bacteria than filter cassettes, whereas collection methods for airborne endotoxin were not significantly different. In addition, total airborne bacteria and endotoxin concentrations were measured indoors and outdoors at three homes in Boulder, CO during winter and summer seasons. Indoor concentrations collected with the three different samplers were significantly different for airborne endotoxin, but not for airborne bacteria. Total airborne bacteria indoors and outdoors significantly varied with seasons. Outdoor airborne endotoxin significantly varied with season; no seasonal variation was seen for indoor airborne endotoxin. Indoor and outdoor levels were not significantly different for both airborne bacteria and endotoxin. The largest proportion of endotoxin was associated with airborne particulate matter <1 microm.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

This study compared sampling methods for airborne endotoxin, a potent and nonspecific immune system stimulant which can induce negative health responses. The data from this study showed that swirling liquid impingers and the micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) recovered significantly more airborne endotoxin than the more widely adapted method of collecting airborne endotoxin on membrane filters, when collection methods were applied in realistic settings (homes). The MOUDI measured the particle size distribution of airborne endotoxin, which can be useful for determining endotoxin respiratory toxicity and its health effects.

Chronic fetal hypoxia increases activin A concentrations in the late-pregnant sheep

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether activin A concentrations are altered in chronic fetal hypoxemia and intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR).

DESIGN

In vivo animal experimental model.

SETTING

Department of Physiology, Monash University.

POPULATION

Chronically catherised fetal sheep in late pregnancy.

METHODS

Chronic fetal hypoxia and IUGR were experimentally induced by single umbilical artery ligation (SUAL) in catheterised fetal sheep. Maternal and fetal blood samples and amniotic fluid (AF) samples were collected during surgery and thereafter on alternate days, until the time of delivery for analyte measurement. Fetal blood gas parameters were measured daily.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Plasma and AF was used to analyse activin A, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and cortisol and fetal blood gas analysis was undertaken in whole blood.

RESULTS

SUAL produced asymmetric IUGR and non-acidaemic chronic fetal hypoxia and resulted in preterm labour (129 [3] days). AF activin A concentrations were 10-fold higher in the SUAL group than in controls whereas levels in the fetal and maternal circulations were similar between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

SUAL-induced IUGR and fetal hypoxaemia increases AF activin A. This may be an important adaptive or protective response to IUGR.