College Counseling Centers as Internal Organizational Consultants to Universities.

Despite offering excellent promise to assist the institutions of higher education in which they are housed, college counseling center-based internal organizational consultation activities have received little attention in the literature. This article presents a historical overview of the topic, including related conceptual material from various authors. A proposed cube model is offered, and several case examples illustrate its use. Suggestions for achieving success via carefully planning campus consultation activities are given as are fruitful process and outcome evaluation strategies. The article ends with a call for counseling centers to more fully utilize organizational consultation as a significant component of their services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

试论高校图书馆在构建和谐校园文化中的地位和作用

高校图书馆是构建和谐校园文化的文献信息中心,是开展和谐校园文化活动的重要场所。文章阐述了高校图书馆在构建和谐校园文化中的地位和作用,旨在通过正确引导学生的阅读,充分发挥服务职能,开展丰富多彩的文化活动采促进和谐校园文化的建设。     

Mental mapping of a megastructure.

Studied the acquisition of spatial information about a large multifunctional complex building by obtaining distance estimations, confidence judgments, and imagery reports. Ss were undergraduates and prospective undergraduates of a university who varied in their experience with the campus. Fourth-year Ss, who had made intensive use of the campus for at least 28 mo, were the most experienced. First-year Ss, who had used the campus for 3–6 mo, had less experience. Other Ss were visiting the campus for the 1st time. At each level of experience, 6 males and 6 females were tested. Magnitude estimation functions for particular sets of distances were computed for each S using iteratively weighted least squares, yielding an exponent and weights for each distance. Improvement in performance on different measures with increasing experience was not uniform: Certain distances were increasingly in error. Data suggest that abstract schemata operate at all levels of exposure but that structural consistency increases. Directional asymmetries in distance judgments that accompanied shifts in imagery are evidence for qualitatively different encodings of the environment: abstract vs scenographic. It is argued that superior performance on the distance estimation task depends on the construction of a dynamic abstract representation or "working map." (French abstract) (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factorial invariance of a campus climate measure across race, gender, and student classification.

Invariance analyses using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to test a model of campus climate perceptions for its equivalence in a combined sample of 2,634 undergraduate and graduate university students across race, gender, and student status. Results suggested that a multidimensional model of campus climate comprised of psychological and behavioral climate dimensions appears to be supported for both undergraduate and graduate students across race/ethnicity and gender. Nonequivalence of factor loadings seen in all three invariance comparisons indicated that relationships between items and the underlying factors differed in magnitude on some climate dimensions between males and females, White and ethnic minority students, and graduate versus undergraduate students. Implications for future climate measurement and higher education policy and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Symptom characteristics of counseling center and mental health service clients.

Selected university students who requested either personal counseling at the counseling center (43 males and 101 females) or psychotherapy at the mental health service (40 males and 53 females) were administered the Symptom Distress Checklist-90. This is a self-report symptom rating scale intended to assess the degree of distress associated with presenting symptoms; scores are organized along 9 symptom dimensions and 3 global indices of pathology. There was no significant difference between users of the counseling center and users of the mental health service when compared on levels of distress associated with presenting symptoms. The implications of these findings for the organization of mental health service delivery programs on a university campus are discussed. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Style of adaptation to perceived aversive material control and internal scanning behavior.

Tested the proposal that comparability in life-styles exists between normal college males who have adopted closed and open styles of coping with aversive maternal control (i.e., perceived high control, low nurturance) and the life-styles of process and reactive schizophrenics. Breadth of internal scanning behavior, defined in terms of the availability of alternate word meanings, was studied with the expectation that closed-style males would be broader internal scanners in keeping with the adaptive-style model and with the limited evidence on process-reactive schizophrenics. 56 white male undergraduates completed the Parental Attitude Research Instrument, A. Heilbrun's parent-child interaction rating scales, A. Willner's unusual meanings vocabulary test, and the Stroop Color-Word Test. Closed-style males were superior to open-style males on a test of nondominant word namings and also provided more remote free word associations. No differences were found on a word-meaning test not requiring extended meanings. (24 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study of the reliability of the Canada Fitness Survey questionnaire

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study are to assess the reliability of the physical activity components of the Canada Fitness Survey (CFS) questionnaire (N = 64 males, N = 63 females) and the Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test (N = 44 males, N = 52 females) in a sample of subjects between 15 and 80 yr. RESULTS: The intraclass correlation (rI) for the fitness scores was 0.98. The activity variables showed low to moderate correlations (rI = 0.48-0.53). Correlations were higher for males (rI = 0.38-0.65) than females (rI = 0.28-0.60) for most of the activity variables reported. Males generally report leisure activity more reliably than nonleisure activity, whereas the opposite was true for females. Males reported strenuous activity with higher reliability (rI = 0.86) than females (rI = 0.31). There was considerable variation in the reliability of specific activities. Of the components of physical activity (time, intensity, duration) that comprise the energy expenditure (EE) variable, the least reliably reported is intensity for both males (rI = 0.43) and females (rI = 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: The CFS questionnaire is moderately reliable for most measures of physical activity. Estimates of reliability vary considerably among the various activities and components of these activities and between males and females.     

Gender differences in the activities of aspirin-esterases in rat tissues

The activities of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)-esterases were measured in several tissues (liver, kidney, adrenal glands, brain and serum) from adult male and female Wistar rats. In males, both aspirin-esterase I (assayed at pH 5.5) and II (assayed at pH 7.4) activities were higher in liver homogenates when compared to females (aspirin-esterase I: males 48.9 +/- 4.8 (N = 8) and females 29.3 +/- 4.2 (N = 8) nmol of salicylic acid formed min-1 mg protein-1; aspirin-esterase II: males 41.4 +/- 4.1 (N = 8) and females 26.1 +/- 4.5 (N = 8) nmol of salicylic acid formed min-1 mg protein-1, P < 0.001). In serum, enzyme activity was higher in females than in males (aspirin-esterase I: males 0.85 +/- 0.06 (N = 6) and females 1.18 +/- 0.11 (N = 6) nmol of salicylic acid formed min-1 mg protein-1, aspirin-esterase II: males 1.03 +/- 0.13 (N = 6) and females 1.34 +/- 0.11 (N = 6) nmol of salicylic acid formed min-1 mg protein-1, P < 0.001). In the other tissues assayed, no statistically significant difference between males and females was found. There were no statistically significant differences when the enzymes were assayed in different phases of the estrous cycle in liver and serum. These results show that the differences in aspirin-esterase activity observed between males and females are not due to the estrous cycle. The gender difference obtained in our study may indicate an involvement of gonadal hormones in the control of the hydrolysis of aspirin. This possibility is currently under investigation.     

Analyzing campus climate studies: Seeking to define and understand.

The term campus climate has become commonplace within higher education. However, there is little consensus on how best to define and measure it. Our study is a qualitative content analysis of 118 campus climate studies. Guided by the conceptual understanding of campus climate put forth by Peterson and Spencer (1990), we explore the nature of campus climate research based upon studies found in a clearinghouse database of faculty campus climate studies. We found that those conducting studies are most often institutional employees. There was no standardization of design or instrumentation in these studies. Studies did not rely on a single definition of campus climate or on any set of best practices for assessing campus climate. Additionally, studies explored various aspects and constituents of the campus--both in and out of the classroom, and for the working environment for faculty and students and occasionally staff and administrators. Implications and specific recommendations for conducting campus climate research based upon extant literature and on findings from the study are included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Tissue and sex-dependent differences in CYP2A activities in hamsters

Three enzymatic activities of the CYP2A subfamily, coumarin 7-hydroxylase (COH), testosterone 15 alpha-hydroxylase (T15 alpha OH) and testosterone 7 alpha-hydroxylase (T7 alpha OH), were characterized in liver, kidney and lung microsomes from control, pyrazole (PYR), 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) and phenobarbital (PB) treated female and male Syrian golden hamsters. Sex-dependent changes in the enzymatic activities were found. Among control animals COH and T15 alpha OH activities were higher in males. T7 alpha OH activity was five times higher in female kidneys than in males. Inducers changed this metabolic profile. MC and PB were potent CYP2A inducers in extrahepatic tissues: significant increases were found in COH (5-fold) and T15 alpha OH (12-fold) activities in female MC lung microsomes and T7 alpha OH (7-fold) in MC male kidney microsomes. PB increased significantly activities of COH (5-fold), T15 alpha OH (3-fold) and T7 alpha OH (10-fold) in male kidney microsomes. All inducers significantly increased T7 alpha OH activity in male kidney microsomes but decreased hepatic T7 alpha OH activity in both sexes. PYR treatment decreased hepatic CYP2A activities. Anti-mouse CYP2A4/5 antibody inhibited COH activity by a variable extent depending on the tissue and pretreatment and recognised three 52-, 49-, 48-kDa bands in liver and two major bands in kidney (48 and 49 kDa) and lung (49 and 52 kDa) microsomes. COH and T15 alpha OH activities correlated well with 49 kDa protein (r = 0.95 and r = 0.99, respectively) in lung microsomes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Ischaemic stroke from cerebral embolism in cephalic fibromuscular dysplasia

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) of the internal carotid arteries and its relationship with focal cerebral ischaemia is unproven. This vasculopathy is often detected incidentally during a cerebral angiogram for non-ischaemic cerebral events. FMD affects the proximal one-third of the internal carotid artery in almost all cases and is bilateral in 60% to 85%, with middle-aged women affected in 85% of the cases. Ischaemic stroke has been postulated to result from severe stenosis or thrombotic occlusion at the FMD site. Cerebral embolism from FMD has rarely been reported. We report 3 young patients with acute ischaemic stroke who had FMD on cerebral angiography. They presented with a focal hemispheric stroke where the probable pathophysiology is embolism to the distal internal carotid artery from thrombus formed at the proximal FMD site. The patients were all males, with unilateral proximal internal carotid artery FMD lesions and occlusion of the internal carotid artery distally on the same side. All were extensively investigated and no other causes for stroke were found.     

Individual differences in reactions to noise: A longitudinal study in a college dormitory.

Investigated differences among individuals in their initial reactions to noise and in their ability to adapt to noise over a longer period of time. 155 college freshmen completed a self-report measure of noise sensitivity before they arrived on campus. Two subgroups were constructed from students whose noise-sensitivity scores fell within either the top or bottom 30% of this group. Each had nearly equal numbers of males and females. Self-reports of dormitory noise disturbance were obtained from the noise-sensitive and noise-insensitive groups (24 and 31 Ss respectively) early in the school year and again 7 mo later. As predicted, noise-sensitive students were much more bothered by dormitory noise. Noise-sensitive students became increasingly disturbed during the year; noise-insensitive students showed no change. Correlations of the noise-sensitivity scale with academic test data and personality inventories suggested that noise-sensitive students were lower in scholastic ability, felt less secure in social interactions, and had a greater desire for privacy than their less noise-sensitive peers. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of male social status on reproductive success and on behavior in mice (Mus musculus).

Differences in reproduction as well as in behavior in the presence of females were evaluated according to dominant and subordinate male rank in albino mice, in the temporary absence of each male's antagonist. Dominant males reproduced more successfully than subordinate males. Subordinate males were generally inactive, except for displacement activities, during the first 15 min they were exposed to female partners. These findings suggest that mechanisms other than male–male interference or mating order may be operating or influencing behavior and reproductive results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pax proteins and eye development

Male and female rats were used to investigate the effects of type of dietary carbohydrate (CHO), copper, and ethanol consumption on lung antioxidant enzyme activities and levels of phosphorylated compounds in whole blood. Copper-deficient female rats exhibited a greater degree of copper deficiency than males, as assessed by hepatic copper concentration and hepatic copper superoxide dismutase (CuSOD) activity. However, copper-deficient male rats fed fructose-containing diets exhibited greater growth retardation, anemia, and heart hypertrophy than females consuming the same diets and males fed starch. In addition, one of 10 copper-deficient male rats that ate a fructose-based diet and drank water and one of 10 copper-deficient male rats that ate a starch-based diet and drank ethanol died. Copper-deficient, starch-fed males exhibited the highest activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase as compared with fructose-fed rats. Ethanol consumption elevated the activities of GSH-Px and catalase. Copper-deficient female rats exhibited higher catalase but lower GSH-Px activities than males. It is suggested that in copper deficiency, the ability to increase antioxidant enzyme activities in rats consuming starch is greater than in rats consuming fructose. Rats fed starch are provided with a greater degree of protection against oxidative damage than rats fed fructose. In addition, polyphosphorylated compounds in blood were reduced in copper-deficient male rats that consumed fructose-based diets. This may impair supply of oxygen to tissues.     

The use of intermittent lighting in broiler raising. 2. Effects on the somatotrophic and thyroid axes and on plasma testosterone levels

Male and female broiler chicks were raised separately in nearly continuous lighting [23 h light (L):1 h dark (D), CL] and consumed feed ad libitum. At 7 d of age, the intermittent lighting schedule (1L:3D, IL) was imposed on half of the chicks, whereas the other chicks remained under CL. In addition to performance characteristics, several parameters of the somatotrophic and thyrotrophic axes were studied together with plasma concentrations of testosterone. Males had a higher growth rate than females regardless of the imposed lighting schedule and this pronounced growth difference is reflected by higher plasma concentrations of growth hormone (GH), and a better GH receptor occupancy. Differences in growth rate between sexes could not be attributed to differences in circulating 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3) levels or to hepatic deiodination activities. However, from 3 wk of age onwards, males had significantly higher plasma testosterone levels than females. Plasma GH and T3 levels decreased whereas plasma insulin-like growth factor-I and thyroxine levels increased with age in all experimental groups. The age-related decline in plasma GH levels were less pronounced for males than for females. No major changes in other hormonal parameters or deiodination activities could be observed as a result of imposing IL, except for the higher plasma GH levels of IL chickens, and for plasma testosterone concentrations in IL males at Day 41, which were twice the levels found in their CL counterparts. These results therefore suggest that the somatotrophic axis as well as circulating testosterone levels mediate the sex-related differences in growth rate and the compensatory growth as present in males.     

Androgen regulation of hypothalamic neurons containing gonadotropin-releasing hormone in a cichlid fish: integration with social cues

Reproduction in vertebrates is regulated by internal signals such as hormone levels and by external signals such as social interactions. In an African cichlid fish, Haplochromis burtoni, the effect of social interactions is evident in the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis of males. Territorial males, characterized by aggressive and reproductive activity, have significantly larger hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-containing neurons and larger testes than nonterritorial males. Furthermore, a switch in the social status of an adult male causes a corresponding change in GnRH neuron size and testis size. Here we show that the GnRH-containing neurons in the hypothalamus of adult territorial males are also influenced by gonadal hormones. Castration of territorial males caused GnRH neurons to increase in size. This neuronal hypertrophy in castrated animals was prevented either by testosterone (T) or 11-ketotestosterone (KT) treatment. Estradiol (E2) treatment did not reduce GnRH cell size in castrated animals. These results suggest that androgens reduce the size of GnRH cells through negative feedback. Since E2 had no effect, androgen influence on GnRH cell size appears to be independent of aromatization. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the setpoint for hypothalamic GnRH cell size is determined by social cues and that this setpoint is maintained by negative feedback from gonadal androgens.     

Overworked and underpaid: On the nature of gender differences in personal entitlement.

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that women's internal standards of fair pay for their work are lower than men's and examined possible causes of this difference. In Exp I, 36 male and 40 female undergraduates were asked to pay themselves in a private situation what they thought was fair pay for a fixed amount of work. Social comparison information was varied. As predicted, females paid themselves less money than males in the absence, but not the presence, of social comparison information. In Exp II, 40 males and 40 females were asked to do as much work as they thought was fair for a fixed, prepaid amount of money. Ss believed that their work was either monitored or unmonitored. Females worked significantly longer, did more work, and did more correct work than males in both public and private work settings. Females, but not males, worked longer when they believed their work was monitored than when they believed it was unmonitored. It is suggested that individuals tend to base their behavior on comparisons with same-sex reference groups in the absence of salient comparison others. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between levels of moral judgment maturity and locus of control.

Studies investigating the link between levels of moral reasoning and perceived locus of control have yielded inconclusive or inconsistent results. This literature is criticized for overlooking the polyfactorial nature of locus of control, the influence of sex as a moderator variable, and the use of relatively small and homogeneous samples. A factor analysis of Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale data scores from 145 male and 144 female university students yielded 1 common factor and 2 different factors across sex. When mean factor scores were compared within sex across 3 levels of moral judgment performance, the following trends emerged: Highest moral judgment capacity was related to internal control in the sociopolitical area for males and external control in this area for females. On the other hand, it was related to internal control globally for females and unrelated to internal control globally for males. A rationale and implications of these findings are presented. (French summary) (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Back pain and agricultural work among farmers: an analysis of the Colorado Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Survey

BACKGROUND: Back pain is the most prevalent occupational health problem experienced by much of the world's workforce. However, agricultural work-related back pain occurring among US farmers working on small operations or family farms is usually not included in surveillance. With data collected by Colorado Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Survey, this study reports characteristics of and risk factors for back pain among adult farmers living in eight Colorado counties. METHODS: A stratified probability sample of 500 farms was selected in proportion to the number of farms in study areas. During the 4-year period from 1993 through 1996, 458 farms were enrolled in the study and 759 farmers were interviewed using a questionnaire. Information on self-reported back pain and potential risk factors among 742 white farmers was evaluated and reported here. RESULTS: A total of 194 farmers (26.2%) reported to have had at least one episode of back pain lasting for 1 week or more. Males had a slightly higher prevalence of back pain than females (28.6% vs. 22.5%) and the lower back was the predominantly affected part of body among both males and females. In 45.4% of males and 43.9% of females back pain was brought on by repeated activities. Males' activities at work were more likely to cause back pain while females' activities at home were more likely to cause back pain. Three factors were found to be significantly associated with back pain: being depressed (odds ratio (OR) = 3.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.23-6.09), farming/ranching as main activities (OR = 1.66, CI = 1.17-2.36), and worked in agriculture for 10 to 29 years (OR = 1.62, CI = 1.14-2.30). CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses indicate that back pain is an occupational health problem among farmers on small operations or family farms and that back pain affected males and females differently. The finding of significant positive associations between depression, farming activities, and back pain warrants further attention.     

Concomitants of boys' locus of control examined in parent-child interactions.

A total of 45 4th- and 5th-grade males who were either highly internal or highly external in locus of control (as measured by a modification of the Bialer Locus of Control scale for children) were observed, to assess the parental influence on their locus of control. Each S was seen with his mother and father separately in a structured interaction and then with both parents in a Family Rorschach. Support was found for a role-complementarity model of locus of control development. External sons more frequently had highly directive parents. Internal sons more frequently had less directive (suggestive) parents. These differences were somewhat clearer with mothers than with fathers. The only historical or demographic difference found was a greater number of reported learning problems in external sons than in internal sons. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)