Prevalence of Insomnia and Its Psychosocial Correlates among College Students in Hong Kong

This study examined the prevalence of insomnia and its psychosocial correlates among college students in Hong Kong. A total of 529 Hong Kong college students participated in the study. The participants completed a self-reported questionnaire (included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality

Index (PSQI)) that indicated whether or not they had insomnia based on their scores. Results indicated that over 65% of the participants were insomniacs. Analyses revealed that optimism, stress, and depression significantly predicted insomnia in the participants.

These results suggest that insomnia is very common among Hong Kong college students and the insomnia was associated with other psychosocial factors. This study provided preliminary data on sleep quality and risk factors for insomnia, which may be used to guide sleep hygiene promotion and intervention among college students.

This study was a perfect example of how a usual sleep study in conducted. The research process in the field of sleep medicine is unique in that it uses questionnaires to help diagnose sleep conditions. I want to use questionnaires in my study as well as supplement them with polysomnography tests to better diagnose the sleeping habits of the individuals. I believe this study will be very useful to me because they used a college student population which I plan on doing myself.

Sing, C. Y., & Wong, W. S. (2010). Prevalence of Insomnia and Its Psychosocial Correlates among College Students in Hong Kong. Journal of American College Health, 59(3), 174-182. doi:10.1080/07448481.2010.497829

Fun and Exciting by David

Insomnia is one of the most debilitating health problems facing huge portions of the population. The only well-tested and reliable treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and sleep medications. Morin et al. (2009) design an experiment testing the various combinations of these two treatments. They effectively randomize their sample into two groups, one receiving CBT and the other receiving CBT and a dose of hypnotics, for a prescribed amount of time. Then each group is again randomized and split into two more groups for 6 months; the CBT group either receives more CBT or the therapy is terminated, and the CBT plus hypnotic group either receives only CBT or they continue their regiment. This method and organization reduces the alpha and provides a clear, logical flow to the experiment.

Utilizing a flowchart, the article itself demonstrates the continuity of the study, which showed the stages that participants left the experiment or how many participants were involved. Such permits even the layman to read and understand how the experiment progressed. However, a weakness within the experiment lies in its generalizability; it included only White participants, most of which had a spouse and were employed. While the researchers are not at fault for keeping only individuals who met the inclusion criteria, the ability to generalize these data to non-White populations is lost. Despite this, the article provides another step to reducing the severity and incidence of insomnia.

Morin, C. M., Vallières, A., Guay, B., Ivers, H., Savard, J., Mérette, C.,  Bastien, C., & Baillargeon, L. (2009). Cognitive behavioral therapy, singly and combined with medication, for persistent insomnia: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 301(19), 2005-2015. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.682

Career Success and Interplay with Personality and Interpersonal Relatsionships

Article
Wu, P., Foo, M., & Turban, D. B. (2008). The role of personality in relationship closeness, developer assistance, and career success. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 73(3), 440-448. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2008.08.005


Wu, Foo and Turban in this study examined the importance relationship closeness In professional development relationship (mentor/mentee) and the effect of the Big Five personality factors (conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, openness and agreeableness), using adaptive principles of social networking and career theory. A series of 8 hypothesis validated that global manifestations of the five traits proved more effective in building successful relationships (Wu, Foo, and Turban , 2008), building on past research showing that developer assistance (or professional development) relationships facilitated career success. Practical benefits of this study are the implications that further mentoring research can provide understanding of the positive effects of interpersonal closeness and personality factors in the professional area.

Strong points of this research are a strong ground on a highly tested theory (The Big 5 Personality, aka the Pentagonic Factor Model of Personality) along with an effective use of statistical factor analysis, CFI (comparative fit index) . Weak points as addressee in the article, was self reported measures, and a limited response rate of 51%.

Melting Ice Increases Amount of Mercury in Oceans

CNRS (Délégation Paris Michel-Ange). "Arctic sea-ice controls the release of mercury."ScienceDaily 20 January 2011. 26 January 2011 <http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2011/01/110119084753.htm>.

Mercury in its natural gaseous form is not harmful. It is easily trapped in Arctic ice when spread from other regions through the atmosphere. When the ice begins to melt, mercury changes form into methylmercury, the toxic form. To study the amount of methylmercury in the Arctic food chain, researchers tested the amount found in murre eggs. Since murre are considered to be at the top of the arctic food chain, they are the perfect species for tracking the amount of toxins in the food chain. They studied the isotopes and found that methylmercury does not behave as predicted. Most isotopes change based on weight, but methylmercury changes between even and odd isotopes. The researchers now believe that this is because of where the murre nests were. They found that light plays a factor in breaking down methylmercury and were able to test the difference between amounts found in areas of high and low sea ice. The researchers concluded that in areas of high sea ice it is more difficult for methylmercury to go through the natural destruction process. This means that with the increase of global warming and the increase of melting sea ice, the amount of methylmercury that will be released into the atmosphere will increase significantly. With the new knowledge of the isotopes, researchers can begin to study the effects of these on the global ecosystem.

Audiation for Beginning Instrumentalists: Listen, Speak, Read, Write

The article is about a middle and high school band director who uses the Gordon method to teach her students, especially in the beginning band stages. The author personally started out her early education in instrumental music teaching herself music by ear and focusing on tunes rather than the playing long tone and resting that is often the focus in beginning band methods. (Liperote, 2006, p. 46) Through her personal experience and teaching methods she found that Gordon’s Music Learning Theory was more effective for herself and her students. I did not particularly learn anything about the research process in this article, as it was more of an article for teaching than substantial research, but the information is useful for my topic. I wanted to find an article that focused on using elementary methods in the beginning band instruction, as that is my topic. The article is very strong with how it addresses the method used by Gordon to teach beginning instrumentalists. However, the article is somewhat lacking on how the method compares to the “traditional” style of instrumental music learning.

References
Liperote, Kathy A. (2006). Audiation for Beginning Instrumentalists: Listen, Speak, Read, Write.
Music Educators Journal, 93(1), 46-52.

The effects of substrate particle size on insect distribution and leaf decomposition

Reice, Seth R. 1980.The Role of Substratum in Benthic Macroinvertebrate Microdistribution and Litter Decomposition in a Woodland Stream. Ecology 11: 580-590.

Reice studied the relationship substrate size had with both the rate of leaf decomposition and aquatic insect distribution. This was done by creating baskets with three different sizes of substrate, covering half with leaf packs, placing them in the same area of a stream to reduce velocity variations, and sampling from them every two weeks for two months.

Leaf decomposition was the same for all three substrate groups at first, but by the end of the two months the substrate composed of cobbles, the largest used, had the most remaining leaf material. All leaf packs, regardless of their substrate, had about the same amount of insects inside them, meaning this was not a factor for the difference in decomposition. Insect density was greater on the leaves than on any of the substrates, and the presence of a leaf pack generally increased the density in the substrate below it. Preference over substrate size varied greatly by species, but density was overall higher in the largest substrate.

A strong aspect of this study is the fact that Reice managed to avoid the interrelatedness of current velocity and substrate particle size by studying patches of artificial substrate. This allowed him to view substrate preference as independent of preference for current speed. This study was conducted only during two months in the winter, and probably should have been repeated during other seasons to see if water temperature had any impact on the results.

For-profit Versus Nonprofit Microfinance: How Are the Poor Affected?

Weinberg, Brian. "For-profit Versus Nonprofit Microfinance: How Are the Poor Affected?." The Eagle Feather. University of North Texas Honors College, n.d. Web. 24 January 2010.

The Chiapas Project is obviously a philanthropy that is very near to Brian Weinberg’s heart. This organization uses money from recycled cell phones to fund microfinance loans. Microfinance lending occurs when institutions give nominal amounts to individuals in poorer nations hoping to ignite a sense of entrepreneurship and rising social status. In his article, Weinberg deconstructs poverty and some methods of microfinance lending.

There are two views of poverty: sociological and statistical. Sociologically, poverty can be defined as the existence deprived of the basic human needs such as food, clothes, shelter, water, and even education. Weinberg states that this is somewhat ambiguous and can be cemented further. The second view, statistical, is established by the World Bank to be somewhere around two dollars a day. Weinberg also mentions research leading to five factors—not causations—of poverty. Ultimately, he examines the for-profit and non-profit lending models that allow impoverished people to borrow money in the hopes of raising their socioeconomic status.

The strongest portions of Weinberg’s research were the tables (Appendix) allowing readers to compare the feasibility and economic soundness of each lending style. The weakest parts are comprised of his experiences in these third world countries, and the exclusion of references for some haphazard statistics. As simple as it sounds, Weinberg showed me that I should research something I truly care about. With that, my research will have depth, appeal, and relevance.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Assignment 1; Article Review
In the article “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” by Dietrich von Hildebrand, the main ideas are how Mozart's music should be evaluated, how composers of different genres have to be appreciated separately but equally, and the profound impact this composer's work has had in music. This author holds the view that instead of using what is known about Mozart's life to frame opinions of his music, the music should be allowed to speak for itself. When evaluating something, one always has preconceived ideas and biases that affect how they interpret a piece of music, a painting, or any other work of art. The author makes the point that the “spirit” of the work which can be clearly heard will speak more accurately as to who this man was than simply knowing facts about his life. The point is also made that it is error to claim to esteem Mozart but disregard someone like Beethoven or Chopin because the music is so different. These composers are not as contradictory to each other as it might seem, as every new musical period grows and draws some from the previous; whether that means changing the old completely or borrowing from it.
Much of the article is referencing Mozart's operas and so much of the “research” is simply watching, listening to and studying the operas themselves. The operas themselves are very strong research material simply because they are direct sources and examples of Mozart's work. Other materials referenced were quotes from other great musicians/composers about Mozart. The weakest aspect of the research I would guess, is the guesswork that has to be done to draw conclusions about the intentions of the composer. When interpreting the operas some conclusions have to be drawn and different people might not agree with one person's interpretation.


Works Cited
Von Hildebrand, Dietrich, 1889-1977.; Crosby, John Henry. "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart." Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture 7.2 (n.d.): 189-212. Project MUSE. EBSCO. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.

Teratogenic Effects from the Use of Abused Drugs

The use of certain drugs during a pregnancy has been linked to causing damage to the central nervous system in the developing fetus. Exposure to alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamines not only leads to poor brain development, but also defects in physical features. These chemical substances that cause harm to the fetus are known as teratogens. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) has been “extensively documented since the 1970s” (Roussotte, Soderberg, & Sowell, 2010, p. 379). From these studies, “much has been learned about the significant and permanent changes caused by the teratogenic effects of alcohol on the developing fetus” (Roussotte, Soderberg, & Sowell, 2010, p. 387). This study examines those effects and which drugs are the ones to blame.
Multiple studies were conducted using different types of neuroimaging and three types of abused drugs. For example, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine was used to grasp a “better understanding of the way in which prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse impact the structure, function, and metabolism of the developing human brain” (Roussotte, Soderberg, & Sowell, 2010, p. 376). This study incorporated a control and variable group. The control group involved those who were unexposed to any of the drugs. The variable group included those who had been exposed to the drug being tested. Although several studies were conducted, the data from each was unanimous. Each reported the presence of “metabolic abnormalities in brains of children with prenatal exposure” to these three types of abused drugs (Roussotte, Soderberg, & Sowell, 2010, p. 393). The conclusion from these studies suggested that there is a relationship between brain and behavior and commonly abused drugs during the time of a pregnancy.
From this article, I learned that the research process involves many different factors. A control and variable group are always necessary, but other aspects could also cause some outcomes. For example, when testing the effects of cocaine use during pregnancy the data is debatable. Other factors not related to the use of the drug are skewing the report. Although this is a weak part of the study, there were strong aspects. The data recorded from the FAS study is very accurate and proves that alcohol is to blame for any abnormalities that may occur in the fetus.
Overall, this research has important findings. Too many women continue to smoke or drink alcohol while they are pregnant believing their actions will cause no harm. However, according to this study, negative effects can occur from continuing use of certain drugs during a pregnancy.


Roussotte F, Soderberg L, Sowell E. Structural, Metabolic, and Functional Brain Abnormalities as a Result of Prenatal Exposure to Drugs of Abuse: Evidence from Neuroimaging. Neuropsychology Review [serial online]. December 2010;20(4):376-397. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 24, 2011.

Orr's Four Part Analysis of Poetry

Orr, Gregory. “Four Temperaments and the Forms of Poetry.” Poets Teaching Poets: Self and the World. Ed. Gregory Orr, Ellen Voigt. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1996. 269 – 278. Print.

            In “Four Temperaments and the Forms of Poetry,” Gregory Orr lays out a way of breaking down poetry that consists of two categories with two parts each. The “intensive” elements of poetry are story and structure; the “extensive” elements are music and imagination (Orr 269-70). According to Orr, good poetry arises from the dialectic nature of this structure. In other words, story and structure provide ways to form the shape of the poem, while music and imagination fill it.

In poetry, story can be “the mere presence of two discrete pronouns” that can suggest the slightest outline of story that gives the rest of the poem the shape that helps it make sense (271-2). Structure, the other “limiting impulse” (270), is the use of form, meter, or patterns to give structure to a poem. Music is simply the way that language sounds and the effects that poets can achieve using those sounds. Imagination is the use of images or thoughts.

Orr’s four-part analysis of how poetry works is particularly useful in its idea of poetry as a tension between a force to constrain and a force that stretches constraints to the limit. His explanation of the function and use of story in poetry is clear and insightful, as he recognizes that story is not restricted to explicit narrative, but arises even in the ambiguities of undefined pronouns.

Intervention program to reduce deviant behavior in students

Oesterle, S, Hawkins, J, Fagan, A, Abbott, R, & Catalano, R. (2010). Testing the universality of

 the effects of the communities that care prevention system for preventing adolescent

 drug use and delinquency. Society for Prevention Research, 11, 411-423.

Rubin, A, & Babbie, E. (2008). Research methods for social work. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole,

 Cengage Learning.

 The Communities that Care (CTC) Prevention System is an intervention program designed to “prevent adolescent drug use and delinquency community-wide and universally across individuals and subgroups in the community” (Oesterle, Hawkins, Fagan, & Catalano, 2010, p. 419).  The study discussed within the article was conducted by separating children ranging from 5^th to 8^th grade into different groups based on risk factors within their lives, such as interactions with delinquent children, unusual family structure, and general emotional problems.  Trained counselors held sessions over the course of a year in order to educate the students involved within the study on ways to avoid peer pressure that could potentially lead to deviant behavior.  A control group was implemented in the study in order to compare the results of those involved in the counseling sessions with the results of students who underwent no such intervention.  The results revealed a more substantial decrease in potential deviant behavior of the male students involved in the study as compared to the female students, specifically in regards to marijuana use and underage drinking – the male students in the examined CTC community revealed a lessened frequency of use in comparison to the control groups while use within the female groups remained the same in prevalence across the board.

 Although the study showed a promising outcome in regards to lessening the potential of deviant behavior within the pre-teen student population involved, various aspects of the study brought to question the general accuracy of the observed data.  First, although anonymity was maintained through written surveys proctored by the trained counselors, the idea of confirmation bias – the tendency for subjects to manipulate their answers toward what would be expected or favored as an outcome within the study (Rubin & Babbie, 2008, p. 188) – brings to light the question of whether the participants were affected more so by the program or by their own thoughts of what was expected of them.  Second, the group chosen to participate was characterized by young students who portrayed signs of being exposed to risk factors within their environment that would trigger their deviant behavior; students showing few or relatively no signs of risk factor exposure were not included within the study.  Finally, this was the first community implemented trial of the Communities that Care program and therefore mistakes and inaccuracies may have altered the outcome simply due to a lack of preparation and no past studies of the program to reference.

The research process within the article as a whole contained various outside variables that may inadvertently have affected the outcome of the study.  All weaknesses of this study set aside, it did show a substantial amount of potential in terms of continuing to develop the CTC program.  This was the first program of its kind that focused on at-risk youth within specific communities and drew upon community leaders as allies in the process of reducing deviant behavior within school-aged kids and concluded with an overall positive outcome.

Did intestinal parasites protect us from stomach aches? Draft

Autoimmune diseases are troubling, and often frustrating and painful for health care practitioners and patients. As far as I know, celiac disease is the only autoimmune disorder with a specific and identified trigger: the protein gluten. It has also been pointed out that the incidence of Celiac Disease, the formal name for gluten-triggered autoimmune reactions in the bowel, appears to have been increasing. Some have claimed that humans are not adapted to consumption of plant proteins like gluten, and that inflammatory bowel disorders are the result of the development of agriculture. However, there are a few other possibilities. One is that autoimmune disorders in general have been increasing and that Celiac disease is not increasing at a uniquely faster rate.

A major hypothesis in the development of allergies (inappropriate immune responses to non-pathogens, such as glutten or pollen or dog hair) is lack of exposure to potential allergens early in life. This, perhaps, is the root of the problem: soap, lysol, and a generally high level of cleanliness. Also, a huge change in human habit is the widespread introduction of infant formula to replace breast milk, and early introduction of other foods into infant diets. The ideal window of exposure to gluten is now considered to be between 4 and 7 months and that exposure should be concurrent with continuing breast milk consumption. Introduction to wheat cereals during this period is thought to be protective against celiac disease. Those raising their young children on gluten-free diets in the hope of protecting them from celiac disease, or the adverse effects of inflammation in general, may be taking the wrong route. (See Pinier et al. 2010 and Lopez-Serrano et al. 2010). Let them get a little dirty

Another possiblity, proposed by Elliot and Weinstock (2009) is the current rarity of helminth infection in the Western World. These authors propose that helminth infection was protective against autoimmune diseases like celiac disease by stimulating immune circuits that lower inflammation. I suppose if one were to choose between a gluten-free diet and helminth infection, most would go with the gluten-free diet. However, before you consider loss of bread as the price some pay for the protection of all against intestinal parasites, note that Elliot and Weinstock also propose exploration of the use of helminths for clinical treatment of auto-immune disease.

Elliott, DE and Weinstock JV (2009). Inflammatory bowel disease and the hygiene hypothesis: an argument for the role of helminths Progress in Inflammation Research, 149-178 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7643-8903-1_9

Pinier M, Fuhrmann G, Verdu E, & Leroux JC (2010). Prevention measures and exploratory pharmacological treatments of celiac disease. The American journal of gastroenterology, 105 (12) PMID: 20877349

López-Serrano P, Pérez-Calle JL, Pérez-Fernández MT, Fernández-Font JM, Boixeda de Miguel D, & Fernández-Rodríguez CM (2010). Environmental risk factors in inflammatory bowel diseases. Investigating the hygiene hypothesis: a Spanish case-control study. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology, 45 (12), 1464-71 PMID: 20704469

TheseTheses

Atrazine

Congratulations to Walid D. Fakhouri, Joseph L. Nuñez, and Frances Trail for their recently published work on reduction of growth hormone production by the herbicide Atrazine.  Growth hormone is important, as will sound obvious, because it plays a key role in growth (cell proliferation) but also because it influences production of many other hormones including those important in sexual development and reproduction. Changes in growth hormone produce a range of effects that extend far beyond body size. 

The battles over Atrazine have been politically intense and, at times, highly entertaining to those on the sidelines.  It was banned in Europe in 2004, but remained in use in the US after studies were provided to the EPA through Syngenta, the company that manufactures Atrazine, that contradicted studies by independent scientist Tyrone Hayes at the University of California at Berkeley. 

Understanding Atrazine's mechanism of action will be invaluable in making informed well-reasoned decisions for protection of human health and the environment.

Fakhouri, W., Nuñez, J., & Trail, F. (2010). Atrazine Binds to the Growth Hormone–Releasing Hormone Receptor and Affects Growth Hormone Gene Expression Environmental Health Perspectives, 118 (10), 1400-1405 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0900738