After Multiple Studies, Debate Over the Root of Sexual Orientation Remains Unresolved

Some research has indicated that sexual orientation is determined between birth and age three, but the cause of particular orientations is still undetermined. Sexual experiences as a child are not necessarily indicative of one's sexual orientation as an adult. Research has estimated that approximately 10% of the US population is gay, lesbian, or bisexual. There is still no definite answer as to whether it is determined at birth or not but various research and studies have resulted in a range of hypothesis'.

Multiple factors have been studied to analyze whether they could affect the person's sexual orientation. Some of these factors include parenting styles, genetic origins, childhood sexual experiences, hormonal origins, mental health, conversion therapy, and religious perspectives.

People who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual come in various shapes, sizes, and colors just like heterosexual people. Being gay, lesbian, or bisexual is not the same thing as being transgender. Most gay, lesbian, and bisexual people are comfortable with their own biological sex; they don't consider themselves as members of the opposite sex. Regardless of origin, it is about that time where homosexual people are given equal rights.

There continues to be debate by scientist, religious leaders, elected officials, and the general public on whether sexual orientation is a trait you are born with or if its caused by the environment we are raised in.

Society, with some rare exceptions, are socialized to be heterosexual. Despite this socialization into heterosexual patterns, some research has showed that the behavioral patterns of homosexuals suggest that is biologically based and that sexual orientation itself is also derived biologically.

The Associate Director at the University of Maryland LGBT Equity Center, Nicholas Sakurai, and the Coordinator, Calvin Sweeney, were able to take some time and answer a few questions I had regarding sexual orientation. The only question I had for both of them was their opinion on whether the origin or sexual orientation was nature or nurture. I chose to ask both of them this question because I think it's important to hear more then one opinion about the origin of homosexuality.



Both Sakurai and Sweeney has similar responses, neither gave a direct answer or thought the question was relevant. This is key because people are so concerned on whether the determinant is nature or nurture that its obsurity is affecting the real problem here, human rights. Regardless of the origin of sexual orientation, it is about that time where the LGBT community is given equal rights.

One of the strongest arguments risen regarding sexual orientation is whether it is determined by biological factors like genes and hormones.

One study conducted was the 2006 Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, which reported that having older biological brothers play a role in determining male sexual orientation. The results of this study conclude that the odds of being gay increase by 33% with each older male sibling. A second study was done after to see if this applied to homosexual women. Table 1 shows the mean number of siblings for the four groups. Homosexual men had more older brothers than heterosexual men did, but homosexual women did not differ from the heterosexual women with regard to any class of sibling. 

This next graphic demonstrates the relationship between the number of older brothers with percentage of homosexuals. The numbers in parenthesis show how many of the 610 men who participated in the study had zero, one, two, and more then three brothers. For example, 60% of the 416 male participants with no older brothers were homosexual.

These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the high birth order of homosexual men reflects the progressive immunization of certain mothers H-Y antigen and the increasing effects of H-Y antibodies on sexual differentiation of the brain in succeeding male fetus. The fact that the maternal immune hypothesis survived the study does not mean that it has now been proven. There could be various alternative explanations like sex play between boys, increasing the likelihood of adult homosexuality.

The variation between men and women with these results makes it difficult to derive a solid conclusion about sexual orientation. 

This study makes it apparent that having an older male sibling increases the likelihood of being a homosexual, but it doesn't apply to women.  This study just further proves that there are differences between homosexual men and women, just like there are between heterosexual men and women, and homosexual and heterosexual people in general. 

People argue that there are actual differences in the brain between homosexuals and heterosexuals, to justify why heterosexuals differ from homosexuals. Sakurai began responding to this by saying he is no expert in brain structure, but referred back to the brains of males and females. There are differences in the brain between males and females while still overlapping in some areas, but brain differences won't solve any problems regarding the rights of homosexuals.

                          

Chandler Burr, another researcher, wrote the book on the right, in search for the genetic origin of sexual orientation. He believes in the theory called the Eve Principle of Harvard Researcher, Richard Pillard, where a "gay gene" in humans is the origin of homosexuality. He makes in interesting hypothesis that without male hormones, we'd all be women, regardless of whether we are XX or XY chromosome.

According to Pillard, the process of becoming a male means that the body must become defeminized and masculinized (including the brain). If the main difference between homosexuals and heterosexuals is the orientation of sexual feelings towards others, then the brain needs to be involved. In male homosexuals, the brain is biologically masculinized but not defeminized in terms of orientation of sexual feelings towards others. Pillard says that The Mullerian Inhibiting Hormone (MIH), does its job in the body but not the brain.

Another researcher, Bruce Bagemihl, wrote a book in 1999 called Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity. In his study, he estimated that about 20% of all interactions of birds and mammals are homosexual. Through this evidence one can conclude that sexuality is common is a wide variety of species. Multiple hypothesis' have been tested, but the varied results through biological determinants still leave the question unresolved.

Chloe43

Whats your favorite restaurant and why?

Since Marijuana Legalization, Highway Fatalities in Colorado are at Near-Historic Lows

In an August, 2014 article titled, "Since Marijuana Legalization, High Fatalities in Colorado are at Near-Historic Lows," explains how the legalization has resulted in lower highway fatality rates. It makes sense that loosening restrictions on pot would result in a higher percentage of drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents having smoked the drug at some point over the past few days. A post-accident test for marijuana metabolites doesn't tell us much at all about whether pot contributed to the accident.



The best way to gauge the effect legalization has had on the roadways is to look at what happened on the roads since legalization. The data graphic on the right shows highway fatalities in Colorado in the first seven months of this year, last year, highest fatality figures since 2002, the lowest, and the average. Roadway fatalities this year are more down from last, and down from the 13-year average.

The data graphic below shows the total fatalities from January through July. Whats notable here is that the totals so far in 2014 are closer to the safest composite year since 2002 than to the average year since 2002. The continuing drop in roadway fatalities in Colorado is due to other factors including better built cars, improved safety features, and better road engineering. These figures only indicate that the roads are getting safer; they don't suggest that pot had anything to do with it.

Some researchers have even said that better access to pot is making roads safer. The theory is that people are substituting pot for alcohol because pot causes less driver impairment than booze. However, this is just a theory more research needs to be done for confirmation. 

Personalization is evident through the controversial content and the tailored related news articles presented. The controversial style of how this information is presented will allow readers to learn more. There are obviously prohibition supporters that will also be looking to read this article in addition to the legalization supporters. Topics like this will attract both audiences. At the end of the article there is related news article links placed together, which will be convenient for most marijuana readers. Social media sharing also allows for readers to personalize the article in their own way.

Social media integration, imbedded links, direct commenting, and a video at the end provide interactivity and content. There are multiple interactivity components portrayed in this article. Related information can be accessed in this article through the embedded links within the text opening to new windows. Right below the title of the article, are various social media icons so you can instantly share with friends. There are also comments at that bottom which allows readers to discuss and continue conversation with other readers. At the end of the article there is a video which explains the black market of marijuana which allows for better engagement with the topic.                             

Contiguity is demonstrated through the integration of text with the related data graphics throughout the article. Contiguity is apparent by having data graphics that directly relate to the title, and is easily understood with the content. There are two data graphics with explanations in the text that directly relate to the title of the article. The content is presented in an explanatory way with the data graphics coinciding with further explanation in the text. The data graphics are presented right when explained allowing readers to look and read easily at once. 

Kick-Outs are avoided with clear content, fast loading, and minimal advertisements. The article said the right amount of information while remaining on topic throughout the whole article. There was added information where there could have been a lack of understanding. There were various embedded links, none broken, within the text that led me to a new window instantly. There were no pop-up ads with a small amount of advertisements. However, some of the advertisements weren't loaded or really displayed. Related articles are at the bottom of the article which won't distract readers from the content halfway through the article. 

UMD Alumni Faculty Member, Vedran Lekic, Receives $875,000 Packard Fellowship Grant for His Seismology Research

Alex7, Michel1

(1) In recognition of his efforts to integrate computer science and geological studies, Lekic joined the ranks of 17 other early career U.S. scientists and engineers who were awarded a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering last week. (Important News)

(4) Lekic is now one of five alumni faculty members who have received the award while at this university, and he will be given access to unrestricted funds of $875,000 over a five-year period to support his extensive research on Earth’s inner structure. (Important News)

Lekic's research includes groundbreaking seismic activity analysis. 

(15) Now that a large fund has been granted to his work, he hopes to spend more time plotting the seismic information in graphs and models so that he may better understand the Earth, Lekic said. (Important News) 

(7) Nearly 2 million data lines fill the screen of Vedran Lekic’s computer every day, each representing seismic waves that are detected from of the more than 1,700 seismic stations around the U.S. (Background)

(18) As a doctoral student at the University of California, Berkley, Lekic formulated higher-resolution images of the Earth’s mantle structure, stemming from his creation of a global seismic velocity model. Not only is the model able to give geologists a better understanding of plate tectonics, but it also helps explain the movement of continental plates and their evolution, Lekic said. (Background)

Cooperative research with other geologists delves into subatomic nature of seismic activity

(16)  “We are both interested in the energy that moves the tectonic plates and creates the magnetic shield around the planet,” geology professor William McDonough said. (Explanatory Quote)

(10) Lekic’s research is based on ground vibration recordings, which he and his students use to detect the scattering of seismic waves across the North American tectonic plate. In conjunction with the National Science Foundation’s EarthScope Facility network, the data is collected from the 49 states and Puerto Rico and makes up about 3.8 million square miles, Lekic said. (Explanation)

(12) “EarthScope is kind of like our Apollo mission, but not as costly,” Lekic said (Explanatory Quote)

(5) From this data, Lekic is creating a map that will not only cover all 48 contiguous states, Alaska and Puerto Rico, but also dive deep into the Earth’s crust and core. (Explanation)

(2) Lekic has already used the seismic information to investigate why and how the crust moves over the Earth’s mantle. As of now, the deepest any machine has been able to dig was about 12 kilometers into the Earth’s crust, a minuscle fracture of the roughly 6,730 kilometers it takes to get to the Earth’s core. Using the seismic information helps geologists see the shapes and sizes of the Earth’s layers. (Explanation)
(3)  Other than his seismology research contributions, Lekic is also a forerunner in the new geological field of neutrino geoscience. (Background)

(6) Neutrinos are a type of electrically neutral subatomic particle that are created during radioactive decay or some kinds of nuclear reactions. The particle, which was only discovered geologically in 2005 and physically detected for the first time last year, moves through every kind of object, McDonough said. (Explanation)

(11) “It sounds magical; it’s like a particle that exists but you can’t really see,” Lekic said of neutrinos. (Explanatory Quote)

(17) Lekic and McDonough are attempting to harness that energy to create another way to build a model of the Earth. All of this effort demonstrates why he received this grant from the Packard Fellowship of Science and Engineering to further their research. (Explanation) 

Packard Grant is highly exclusive and attainment offers opportunity for Lekic to further studies

(8) “If you look at the field of those who get it and try to figure out from their research summaries and letters which are the strongest candidate, it’s a difficult task,” said Franklin Orr, chairman of the Packard Fellowship panel. “We always run out of fellowships before we run out of wonderful people to give them too. (Explanation)

(9) “The great thing about this fellowship is its flexibility to go chase a really good idea to wherever it leads,” said Orr, a Stanford University professor. “It is an incredibly valuable fund and gives the researchers an opportunity to take off with a good idea instead of waiting a year or more for federal money.” As a member of the University of Maryland community you can celebrate this tremendous moment and hope to reach even greater heights in your studies. All of us have the potential to reach Lekic's accomplishments and must work towards broadening our understanding through our studies. (Explanatory Quote)

  

Surgeon Generals Report Shows New Data on Health Consequences of Smoking

In the past 50 years, 20 million Americans have died because of smoking. This report highlights 50 years of progress in tobacco control and prevention, shows new data on health consequences of smoking, and discusses opportunities that can potentially end the smoking epidemic in the US. The century-long epidemic of cigarette smoking has caused a huge and avoidable public health catastrophe in the US. With these continuing rates, 5.6 million Americans younger than 18 years old who are alive today are projected to die prematurely from smoking-related diseases. Out of the 20 million, 2.5 of them were non-smokers who died from diseases caused by exposure to second hand smoke. More then 100,000 babies have died in the last 50 years from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, complications from prematurity, low birth weight, and other pregnancy problems resulting from parental smoking. Smoking still remains the single largest cause of preventable disease and death in the US. Their is scientific evidence that inhaling smoke is deadly; with this updated report, evidence has linked smoking to diseases of nearly all organs in the body. Smokers today have a greater risk of developing lung cancer than smokers in 1964. Woman now are as likely to die as men from many diseases caused by smoking. Their are proven tobacco control strategies and programs, with the combination of eliminating use of cigarettes and tobacco products that could help achieve a society free of tobacco-related death and disease. Scientific evidence contained in the report supports all of these facts. For further analysis on this report, click here for the executive summary. 

Undergraduate Students' Perceptions on Benefits of Technology

Their were 111 undergraduate students that participated in this study. All participants attended the University full-time. The group compromised 90 females students and 21 male students. Their age and majors all varied.