Public Perception of Female Sex Co-Offenders: Implications for Convictions and Sentencing

Female-perpetrated sex offenses are on the rise, despite rampant underreporting and harsher legal treatment of male sex offenders (MSOs) than female sex offenders (FSOs). Previous researchers have posited that these discrepancies are due to the prevalence of gender role expectations in the United States. Using the theory of ambivalent sexism, this study explored the impact of co-offending dynamics on public perception of sex offenders, measured by the convictions and sentences assigned by 451 survey participants (recruited via social media) to each offense group: solo male sex offenders (MSOs), solo female sex offenders (FSOs), male/female co-offending pairs (MFCoM and MFCoF), and female/female co-offending pairs (FFCo). Results reflected higher conviction rates for MFCoFs than FSOs, and longer sentences for MSOs than FSOs, MFCoFs than FSOs, MFCoMs than MFCoFs, and MFCoFs than FFCos. MSOs received the highest sentences, followed in order by MFCoMs, MFCoFs, FSOs, and FFCos. This suggests that perception of female offenders was overall more favorable than that of male offenders, and that perceptions of female offenders were diminished with the presence of a male offender. Additionally, the co-offending dynamic alone did not impact public perception, as shown by the scores assigned to the FFCo offenders. Awareness of these differences is essential in ensuring that the court system is working as intended, keeping the legal actions just and fair, as well as simply reminding the public that gender biases are at work in ambiguous ways. Future research may focus more on recruiting a more diverse sample and include a qualitative element to further explore closely held biases. Findings may be used by the court system for positive social change to better serve the public

An easily implemented agro-hydrological procedure with dynamic root simulation for water transfer in the crop–soil system: validation and application

Models for water transfer in the crop–soil system are key components of agro-hydrological models for irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide practices. Many of the hydrological models for water transfer in the crop–soil system are either too approximate due to oversimplified algorithms or employ complex numerical schemes. In this paper we developed a simple and sufficiently accurate algorithm which can be easily adopted in agro-hydrological models for the simulation of water dynamics. We used a dual crop coefficient approach proposed by the FAO for estimating potential evaporation and transpiration, and a dynamic model for calculating relative root length distribution on a daily basis. In a small time step of 0.001 d, we implemented algorithms separately for actual evaporation, root water uptake and soil water content redistribution by decoupling these processes. The Richards equation describing soil water movement was solved using an integration strategy over the soil layers instead of complex numerical schemes. This drastically simplified the procedures of modeling soil water and led to much shorter computer codes. The validity of the proposed model was tested against data from field experiments on two contrasting soils cropped with wheat. Good agreement was achieved between measurement and simulation of soil water content in various depths collected at intervals during crop growth. This indicates that the model is satisfactory in simulating water transfer in the crop–soil system, and therefore can reliably be adopted in agro-hydrological models. Finally we demonstrated how the developed model could be used to study the effect of changes in the environment such as lowering the groundwater table caused by the construction of a motorway on crop transpiration

Developing a reliable strategy to infer the effective soil hydraulic properties from field evaporation experiments for agro-hydrological models

The Richards equation has been widely used for simulating soil water movement. However, the take-up of agro-hydrological models using the basic theory of soil water flow for optimizing irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide practices is still low. This is partly due to the difficulties in obtaining accurate values for soil hydraulic properties at a field scale. Here, we use an inverse technique to deduce the effective soil hydraulic properties, based on measuring the changes in the distribution of soil water with depth in a fallow field over a long period, subject to natural rainfall and evaporation using a robust micro Genetic Algorithm. A new optimized function was constructed from the soil water contents at different depths, and the soil water at field capacity. The deduced soil water retention curve was approximately parallel but higher than that derived from published pedo-tranfer functions for a given soil pressure head. The water contents calculated from the deduced soil hydraulic properties were in good agreement with the measured values. The reliability of the deduced soil hydraulic properties was tested in reproducing data measured from an independent experiment on the same soil cropped with leek. The calculation of root water uptake took account for both soil water potential and root density distribution. Results show that the predictions of soil water contents at various depths agree fairly well with the measurements, indicating that the inverse analysis is an effective and reliable approach to estimate soil hydraulic properties, and thus permits the simulation of soil water dynamics in both cropped and fallow soils in the field accurately

Modelling diverse root density dynamics and deep nitrogen uptake — a simple approach

We present a 2-D model for simulation of root density and plant nitrogen (N) uptake for crops grown in agricultural systems, based on a modification of the root density equation originally proposed by Gerwitz and Page in J Appl Ecol 11:773–781, (1974). A root system form parameter was introduced to describe the distribution of root length vertically and horizontally in the soil profile. The form parameter can vary from 0 where root density is evenly distributed through the soil profile, to 8 where practically all roots are found near the surface. The root model has other components describing root features, such as specific root length and plant N uptake kinetics. The same approach is used to distribute root length horizontally, allowing simulation of root growth and plant N uptake in row crops. The rooting depth penetration rate and depth distribution of root density were found to be the most important parameters controlling crop N uptake from deeper soil layers. The validity of the root distribution model was tested with field data for white cabbage, red beet, and leek. The model was able to simulate very different root distributions, but it was not able to simulate increasing root density with depth as seen in the experimental results for white cabbage. The model was able to simulate N depletion in different soil layers in two field studies. One included vegetable crops with very different rooting depths and the other compared effects of spring wheat and winter wheat. In both experiments variation in spring soil N availability and depth distribution was varied by the use of cover crops. This shows the model sensitivity to the form parameter value and the ability of the model to reproduce N depletion in soil layers. This work shows that the relatively simple root model developed, driven by degree days and simulated crop growth, can be used to simulate crop soil N uptake and depletion appropriately in low N input crop production systems, with a requirement of few measured parameters

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The landscape model: a model for exploring trade-offs between agricultural production and the environment

We describe a model framework that simulates spatial and temporal interactions in agricultural landscapes and that can be used to explore trade-offs between production and environment so helping to determine solutions to the problems of sustainable food production. Here we focus on models of agricultural production, water movement and nutrient flow in a landscape. We validate these models against data from two long-term experiments, (the first a continuous wheat experiment and the other a permanent grass-land experiment) and an experiment where water and nutrient flow are measured from isolated catchments. The model simulated wheat yield (RMSE 20.3–28.6%), grain N (RMSE 21.3–42.5%) and P (RMSE 20.2–29% excluding the nil N plots), and total soil organic carbon particularly well (RMSE 3.1 − 13.8 %), the simulations of water flow were also reasonable (RMSE 180.36 and 226.02%). We illustrate the use of our model framework to explore trade-offs between production and nutrient losses

Ageism and sexuality

Sexuality remains important throughout a person’s life, but sexual behavior does not receive the same levels of acceptance at all ages. Older people are challenged by ageist attitudes and perceptions that hinder their sexual expression. They are stereotyped as non-sexual beings who should not, cannot, and do not want to have sexual relationships. Expressing sexuality or engaging in sexual activity in later life is considered by many in society as immoral or perverted. False expectations for older people also stem from ideals of beauty, centralization of the biomedical perspective on sexuality of older adults, and the association of sex with reproduction. Unfortunately, older people internalize many ageist attitudes towards sexuality in later life and become less interested in sex and less sexually active. The following chapter explores attitudes towards sexuality in later life among the media, young people, older people themselves, and care providers. In order to enable older people to express their sexuality and sexual identity freely and fully, awareness of ageist perceptions must be raised and defeated

Bifidobacterium Infantis 35624 Protects Against Salmonella-Induced Reductions in Digestive Enzyme Activity in Mice by Attenuation of the Host Inflammatory Response

OBJECTIVES: Salmonella-induced damage to the small intestine may decrease the villi-associated enzyme activity, causing malabsorption of nutrients and diarrhea, and thus contribute to the symptoms of infection. The objective of this study was to determine the mechanism by which different doses and durations of Salmonella infection and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) affect brush border enzyme activity in the mouse, and to determine if the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis 35624 could attenuate the intestinal damage. METHODS: BALB/c mice were challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium UK1 at various doses (10(2)-10(8) colony-forming unit (CFU)) and durations (10(6) CFU for 1-6 days). Mice were also treated with B. longum subsp. infantis 35624 for 2 weeks before and during a 6-day S. Typhimurium challenge (10(6) CFU), or before injection of LPS. The small intestine was assessed for morphological changes, mRNA expression of cytokines, and activity of the brush border enzymes sucrase-isomaltase, maltase, and alkaline phosphatase. RESULTS: S. Typhimurium infection significantly reduced the activity of all brush border enzymes in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P<0.05). This also occurred following injection of LPS. Pre-treatment with B. longum subsp. infantis 35624 prevented weight loss, protected brush border enzyme activity, reduced the small intestinal damage, and inhibited the increase in interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-8 expression due to Salmonella challenge. CONCLUSIONS: Salmonella infection reduces the small intestinal brush border enzyme activity in mice, with the level of reduction and associated weight loss increasing with dose and duration of infection. B. longum subsp. infantis 35624 treatment attenuated the effect of Salmonella infection on brush border enzyme activity and weight loss, which may be due to modulation of the host immune response

New Biomarkers Probing Depth of Cell Senescence Assessed by Laser Scanning Cytometry

The imaging analytical capabilities of laser scanning cytometer (LSC) have been used to assess morphological features considered to be typical of the senescent phenotype. The characteristic “flattening” of senescent cells was reflected by the decline in the density of staining (intensity of maximal pixel) of DNA-associated fluorescence [4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)] paralleled by an increase in nuclear size (area). The decrease in ratio of maximal pixel to nuclear area was even more sensitive senescence biomarker than the change in maximal pixel or nuclear area, each alone. The saturation cell density at plateau phase of growth recorded by LSC was found to be dramatically decreased in cultures of senescent cells, thereby also serving as an additional marker. The induction of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors p21WAF1 and p27KIP1 and γH2AX and activation of ATM markers of DNA damage response were measured in parallel with DNA/DAPI maximal pixel and nuclear area. These biomarker indices were expressed in quantitative terms by reporting them as a fraction of the respective controls. The effect of treatment of A549 and WI-38 cells with different concentrations of mitoxantrone (Mxt) and trichostatin A for various time periods was studied to assess the degree (depth) of cell senescence. Also assessed was the effect of 2-deoxy-d-glucose, the agent attenuating metabolic cell activity, on the depth of senescence induced by Mxt. A relationship between the ability of cells to synthesize RNA (incorporate 5-ethynyluridine) that leads to growth imbalance and induction of cell senescence was also studied. The data show that morphometric analysis of cellular attributes by LSC offers an attractive tool to detect cell senescence and measure its degree particularly in assessing effects of the factors that enhance or attenuate this process. This methodology is of importance in light of the evidence that cellular senescence is not only a biological process that is fundamental for organismal aging but also impedes formation of induced-pluripotent stem cells providing the barrier for neoplastic transformation and is the major mechanism of induction of reproductive cell death during treatment of solid tumors. © 2010 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry