bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Is Living and What Is Dead in the Marxist Theory of History
Authors: Chibber Vivek
Published: July 2011

During the 1980s and 1990s, the debate on the Marxist theory of history centred largely around the work of Robert Brenner’s property-relations-centred construal of it, and G.A. Cohen’s attempt to revive the classical, determinist argument. This article examines two influential arguments by Erik Wright and his colleagues, and by Alan Carling, which acknowledge important weaknesses in Cohen’s work, but which also try to construct a more plausible version of his theory. I show that the attempts to rescue Cohen are largely unsuccessful. And, to the extent that they render the argument plausible, they do so at the cost of turning it, willy-nilly, into a kind of class-struggle theory. I conclude that this spells the demise of the classical version of historical materialism, but also observe that this does not leave us with a voluntaristic understanding of history, as some of its defenders fear.
William Faulkner: An Economy of Complex Words
Authors: Lawson Andrew
Published: July 2011

This review-essay explores the theoretical and methodological innovations of Richard Godden’s William Faulkner, arguing that it makes a signal contribution to historical materialism in literary studies. The article focuses on Godden’s concept of ‘generative structure’, and relates the term to earlier usages by Aglietta and Jameson. After summarising the close readings of Faulkner’s texts performed by Godden, the article suggests an expanded rôle for biography in making the linkages between economy, psyche and text which form the basis of Godden’s analysis.
Gamāl al-Ghītānī’s Pyramid Texts and the Fiction of Jorge Luis Borges: A Comparative Study
Authors: Azouqa Aida O.
Published: July 2011

The Egyptian author Gamāl al-Ghītānī (b. 1945) published Pyramid Texts in 1994; nevertheless, the present scholarship on al-Ghītānī overlooks Pyramid Texts. In the absence of studies on Pyramid Texts, this article approaches the text from two vantage points. First it asserts that it is a metafictional text. The assertion is based on its attributes as a parataxical, non-representational, and self-referential text that belongs to the “anti-novel” and deals with metafictional themes. Secondly, it contends that formal attributes of Pyramid Texts derive from the fiction of the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986). The justification for such a contention emanates from their mutual use of geometric forms in the form of pyramids and labyrinths as metaphors. In this respect, the labyrinthine setting in Borges’ fiction gives the text its form, and functions simultaneously as a metaphor for the narrative’s ontological and metafictional concerns. Al-Ghītānī substituted the pyramid for the labyrinth; in the fiction of Borges his images remain horizontal, whereas al-Ghītānī gave Pyramid Texts the vertical form of a pyramid. The intertextuality between Pyramid Texts and the work of Borges centers on the use of geometric images of infinity in the form of pyramids and labyrinths as metaphors for fictional concerns.
“A Raging Sirocco”: Structures of Dysphoric Feeling in Midaq Alley
Authors: Scott Bede
Published: July 2011

This article explores the crisis initiated by colonial modernity in Naguib Mahfouz’s 1947 novel Midaq Alley. I begin by discussing the significance of anger within the narrative, arguing that this dominant structure of feeling could be read as a collective response to wider social and historical forces. In other words, rather than understanding emotion as the “subjective property” of the individual, I regard it here as a relational practice embedded within and determined by quite specific sociocultural circumstances. I then proceed to discuss the role of rumour in the novel and the significance of its pronounced melodramatic qualities. In the first case, I shall argue, the circulation of rumour provides a way of containing or quarantining the negative feelings produced by modernity, while also reinforcing the boundaries of a community facing the very real possibility of its own demise. In the second case, I would like to suggest that the narrative’s tendency to privilege the melodramatic mode creates a sense of social order and moral intelligibility by channelling these feelings into a stable and predictable generic structure. This latter project is ultimately frustrated, however, when the forces of evil emerge to destroy the novel’s principle representative of virtue.
Restrained Integration of European Case Reports in Danish Legal Information Systems and Culture
Authors: Olsen Henrik Palmer , Gøtze Michael
Published: July 2011

Court decisions not only serve to end legal disputes between the parties to the case, but also serve as precedents. In that sense court decisions are a source of law. This is common ground as to both national and European court decisions. Noting the existence of a context in which Danish legal information systems only publish case reports very selectively, we argue that although decisions of the European courts, notably European Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights, are available from the homepages of these courts (CURIA and HUDOC), the fact that these decisions are not part of an integrated dissemination of case reports in Denmark may diminish the regard for these decisions and lead to a relative neglect of European law to the detriment of legal certainty. The article proposes that one explanatory factor in this regard is that the main legal information system in Denmark is influenced by a legal culture which is still predominantly national in orientation. In order to promote awareness of European case law and to improve the quality of legal thinking and practice, we propose that significant parts of this case law should be published in a more suitable way by incorporating it into a comprehensive information system that integrates the promulgation of Danish and European case law.
Treaties in Domestic Civil Litigation: Jura Novit Curia?
Authors: Petersen Clement Salung
Published: July 2011

Many international treaties regulate relations between states and private individuals (vertical treaty rules) and transnational relations between private individuals (transnational treaty rules), and domestic civil litigation often plays an important role in the enforcement of such rules. The actual impact of treaty rules in domestic civil litigation depends inter alia on the procedural principles governing the judicial application of law. In the European legal tradition of civil law, these principles are often expressed by the Latin adages “jura novit curia” (the court knows the law) and “da mihi factum, dabo tibi jus” (give me the facts, I give you the law). This article analyses how such procedural principles affect the obligations of domestic courts to apply vertical and transnational treaty rules in civil litigation and how, at the same time, international law can influence these domestic procedural principles in ways which create a complex relationship between international law and domestic civil procedure law.
Empathy, Rationality, and Explanation
Authors: Stueber Karsten , Bevir Mark
Published: July 2011

This paper describes the historical background to contemporary discussions of empathy and rationality. It looks at the philosophy of mind and its implications for action explanation and the philosophy of history. In the nineteenth century, the concept of empathy became prominent within philosophical aesthetics, from where it was extended to describe the way we grasp other minds. This idea of empathy as a way of understanding others echoed through later accounts of historical understanding as involving re-enactment, noticeably that of R. G. Collingwood. For much of the late twentieth century, philosophers of history generally neglected questions about action explanation. In the philosophy of mind, however, Donald Davidson inspired widespread discussions of the role of folk psychology and rationality in mental causation and the explanation of actions, and some philosophers of history drew on his ideas to reconsider issues related to empathy. Today, philosophers inspired by the discovery of mirror neurons and the theory of mind debate between theory theorists and simulation theorists are again making the concept of empathy central to philosophical analyses of action explanation and to historical understanding.
Re-enacting in the Second Person
Authors: Dharamsi Karim
Published: July 2011

R. G. Collingwood’s theory of re-enactment has long been understood as an important contribution to the philosophy of history. It has also been challenging to understand how re-enactment is operationalized in the practice of understanding past actors or, indeed, other minds occupying less remote regions of our experiences. Sebastian Rödl has recently articulated a compelling defence of second person ascription, arguing that it is, in form, analogous to first person understanding. By Rödl’s lights, second person understanding follows the same order of reason as its first person counterpart. In this paper I argue that Rödl’s case for second person understanding, and its relationship to the first person point of view, is at once compelling in its own right but also helpful in explaining how re-enactment may be operationalized.
The Role of Joint Experience in Historical Narratives
Authors: Seemann Axel
Published: July 2011

There are historical events which cannot easily be made sense of by reference to the actions of single individuals. I suggest that one way to understand such events is by building on the involved agents’ joint experience, or reports thereof. The phenomenology of joint involvement, so my suggestion, is of use in a particular kind of sense making that combines hermeneutical and explanatory elements. Such sense making, I argue, is narrative in character. I suggest a particular conception of historical narratives that aligns them with what I call, taking up an idea from Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement, ‘psychological realism’ — the idea that what renders stories accurate is a reality with both physical and mental characteristics. I end by illustrating my account with a historical example.
Collingwood and Weber vs. Mink: History after the Cognitive Turn
Authors: Turner Stephen
Published: July 2011

Louis Mink wrote a classic study of R. G. Collingwood that led to his most important contribution to the philosophy of history, his account of narrative. Central to this account was the non-detachability thesis, that facts became historical facts through incorporation into narratives, and the thesis that narratives were not comparable to the facts or to one another. His book on Collingwood was critical of Collingwood’s idea that there were facts in history that we get through self-knowledge but which are nevertheless objective, his account of re-enactment, and his notion of absolute presuppositions. It is illuminating to compare Collingwood to Weber with respect to these puzzling arguments, for the same issues arise there in different form. Recent work in social neuroscience on mirroring allows a different approach to these puzzles: mirror system “knowledge” of others and simulation fit, respectively, with Weber’s idea of direct observational understanding and Collingwood’s re-enactment account. This account allows for the detaching of historical facts about thoughts and action from narrative.
Follicular lymphoma in situ: clinical implications and comparisons with partial involvement by follicular lymphoma
Authors: Jegalian Armin G. , Eberle Franziska C. , Pack Svetlana D. , Mirvis Mariya , Raffeld Mark , Pittaluga Stefania , Jaffe Elaine S.
Published: July 2011

Follicular lymphoma in situ (FLIS) was first described nearly a decade ago, but its clinical significance remains uncertain. We reevaluated our original series and more recently diagnosed cases to develop criteria for the distinction of FLIS from partial involvement by follicular lymphoma (PFL). A total of 34 cases of FLIS were identified, most often as an incidental finding in a reactive lymph node. Six of 34 patients had prior or concurrent FL, and 5 of 34 had FLIS composite with another lymphoma. Of patients with negative staging at diagnosis and available follow-up (21 patients), only one (5%) developed FL (follow-up: median, 41 months; range, 10-118 months). Follow-up was not available in 2 cases. Fluorescence in situ hybridization for BCL2 gene rearrangement was positive in all 17 cases tested. PFL patients were more likely to develop FL, diagnosed in 9 of 17 (53%) who were untreated. Six patients with PFL were treated with local radiation therapy (4) or rituximab (2) and remained with no evidence of disease. FLIS can be reliably distinguished from PFL and has a very low rate of progression to clinically significant FL. FLIS may represent the tissue counterpart of circulating t(14;18)-positive B cells.
Double Nucleophilic Addition to Acrolein with Ketene Silyl Acetals and Allylborolanes Catalyzed by Proline
Authors: Shimizu Makoto , Kawanishi Mami , Itoh Akinori , Mizota Isao , Hachiya Iwao
Published: July 2011

In the presence of a catalytic amount of proline and silica gel, a mixture of ketene silyl acetals and 2-allyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolane underwent 1,4- and subsequently 1,2-addition with acrolein to give δ-hydroxyesters in good yields in a highly diastereoselective manner.
Application of Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) and Energy-Filtered Transmission Electron Microscopy (EFTEM) to the Study of Mineral Transformation Associated with Microbial Fe-Reduction of Magnetite
Authors: Kim Jinwook , Dong Hailiang
Published: July 2011

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) have been applied in mineralogy and materials research to determine the oxidation states of various metals at high spatial resolution. Such information is critical in understanding the kinetics and mechanisms of mineral–microbe interactions. To date, the aforementioned techniques have not been applied widely in the study of such interactions. In the present study, the three techniques above were employed to investigate mineral transformations associated with microbial Fe(III) reduction in magnetite. Shewanella putrefaciens strain CN32, a dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium, was incubated with magnetite as the sole electron acceptor and lactate as the electron donor for 14 days under anoxic conditions in bicarbonate buffer. The extent of bioreduction was determined by wet chemistry and mineral solids were investigated by HRTEM, EFTEM, and EELS. Magnetite was partially reduced and biogenic siderite formed. The elemental maps of Fe, O, and C and red-green-blue (RGB) composite map for residual magnetite and newly formed siderite were contrasted by the EFTEM technique. The HRTEM revealed nm-sized magnetite crystals coating bacterial cells. The Fe oxidation state in residual magnetite and biogenic siderite was determined using the EELS technique (the integral ratio of L3 to L2). The integral ratio of L3 to L2 for magnetite (6.29) and siderite (2.71) corresponded to 71% of Fe(III) in magnetite, and 24% of Fe(III) in siderite, respectively. A chemical shift (~1.9 eV) in the Fe-L3 edge of magnetite and siderite indicated a difference in the oxidation state of Fe between these two minerals. Furthermore, the EELS images of magnetite (709 eV) and siderite (707 eV) were extracted from the electron energy-loss spectra collected, ranging from 675 to 755 eV, displaying different oxidation states of Fe in the magnetite and siderite phases. The results demonstrate that EELS is a powerful technique for studying the Fe oxidation-state change as a result of microbial interaction with Fe-containing minerals.
ProBNP1–108 Is Resistant to Degradation and Activates Guanylyl Cyclase-A with Reduced Potency
Authors: Dickey Deborah M , Potter Lincoln R
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) compensates for the failing heart and is synthesized as a 108-residue prohormone that is cleaved to a 32-residue C-terminal maximally active peptide. During heart failure, serum concentrations of proBNP1–108 exceed concentrations of BNP1–32. The aim of this study was to determine why the proBNP1–108/BNP1–32 ratio increases and whether proBNP1–108 is bioactive.

METHODS

Using cGMP elevation and 125I-ANP binding assays, we measured binding and activation of individual human natriuretic peptide receptor populations by recombinant human proBNP1–108 and human synthetic BNP1–32. Using receptor bioassays, we measured degradation of recombinant proBNP1–108 and BNP1–32 by human kidney membranes.

RESULTS

ProBNP1–108 stimulated guanylyl cyclase-A (GC-A) to near-maximum activities but was 13-fold less potent than BNP1–32. ProBNP1–108 bound human GC-A 35-fold less tightly than BNP1–32. Neither proBNP1–108 nor BNP1–32 activated GC-B. The natriuretic peptide clearance receptor bound proBNP1–108 3-fold less tightly than BNP1–32. The half time for degradation of proBNP1–108 by human kidney membranes was 2.7-fold longer than for BNP1–32, and the time required for complete degradation was 6-fold longer. BNP1–32 and proBNP1–108 were best fitted by first- and second-order exponential decay models, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ProBNP1–108 activates GC-A with reduced potency and is resistant to degradation. Reduced degradation of proBNP1–108 may contribute to the increased ratio of serum proBNP1–108 to BNP1–32 observed in patients with congestive heart failure.
Immediate Postextraction Implant Placement Using Plasma Rich in Growth Factors Technology in Maxillary Premolar Region: A New Strategy for Soft Tissue Management
Authors: Rosano Gabriele , Taschieri Silvio , Del Fabbro Massimo
Published: July 2011

Achieving an excellent aesthetic outcome in postextraction dental implant placement in the anterior maxilla is a challenging procedure for clinicians. In fact, there is an increased risk for soft tissue recession at the facial aspect which may require supplementary connective tissue grafts to accomplish the final aesthetic result. The aim of this case report is to describe a regenerative technique using autologous plasma rich in growth factors fibrin plug for preservation of soft tissue architecture around an implant immediately placed into an extraction site in the anterior maxilla. Such a procedure allowed for guided bone regeneration without the need for vertical releasing incisions and primary healing, thus showing a pleasant gingival contour at the facial aspect after a single stage surgery. Integrating this technique into common practice could provide important benefits for the patients regarding aesthetics, without any risk of infection or transmission of diseases.
Influence of Different Soft Liners on Stress Distribution in Peri-Implant Bone Tissue During Healing Period. A 3D Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Santos Mateus Bertolini Fernandes dos , Consani Rafael Leonardo Xediek , Mesquita Marcelo Ferraz
Published: July 2011

The aim of this study was to evaluate the stress distribution in the bone adjacent to submerged implants during masticatory function in conventional complete dentures with different soft liners through finite element analysis. Three-dimensional models of a severely resorbed mandible with 2 and 4 submerged implants in the anterior region were created and divided into the following situations: (1) conventional complete dentures (control group); and conventional complete dentures with different soft liner materials, (2) Coe-Comfort, (3) Softliner, and (4) Molteno Hard. The models were exported to mechanical simulation software and 2 simulations were done with the load in the inferior right canine (35 N) and the inferior right first molar (50 N). The data were qualitatively evaluated using the maximum principal stress and microstrain values given by the software. The use of soft liners provides decreased levels of stress and microstrains in peri-implant bone when the load was applied to canine teeth. Considering all of the values obtained in this study, the use of softer materials is the most suitable for use during the period of osseointegration.
Accuracy of a Newly Developed Cone-Beam Computerized Tomography-Aided Surgical Guidance System for Dental Implant Placement: An Ex Vivo Study
Authors: Murat Sema , Kamburoğlu Kıvanç , Özen Tuncer
Published: July 2011

The aim of the present study was to measure the accuracy of the cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT)- aided StentCad Beyond surgical guidance system and to compare bone-supported and tooth/bone-supported guidance by using this system in dental implant placement ex vivo. Five cadaver mandibles were scanned using an Iluma CBCT scanner. After scanning, DICOM slices were transferred to the StentCad Beyond implant simulation software, which was used for preoperative implant planning. Using the StentCad Beyond guidance system, 9 implant drills were inserted using a bone-supported guidance system and 11 using a tooth/bone-supported guidance system. Mandibles were scanned again and these data were transferred to the StentCad Beyond software. Pre- and postoperative information was superimposed using the Rhinoceros version 4 software program, and deviations between planned and actual drill positions were calculated for each implant. In addition, differences between bone-supported and tooth/bone-supported guidance systems were analyzed by t-test, with a significance level of P < .05. Data analysis found a mean coronal deviation of 1.2 ± 0.3 mm and 0.6 ± 0.6 mm, mean apical deviation of 1.3 ± 0.6 mm and 0.7 ± 0.6 mm, mean apical and coronal depth deviation of 1.4 ± 0.3 mm and 1.3 ± 0.3 mm, and mean angular deviation of 4.2° ± 2.0° and 3.0° ± 1.5° for tooth/bone supported and bone-supported guides, respectively. No statistical differences were found in depth or angular deviations between groups (P > .05); however, statistically significant differences between groups were found in mean horizontal coronal deviation (P = .016) and mean horizontal apical deviation (P = .047). The StentCad Beyond system was found to be a reliable guide for placing implants ex vivo.
The Use of Root Form Implants in Overdenture Treatment for the Atrophic Mandible: A Clinical Report
Authors: Piermatti Jack , Nikas John , Winkler Sheldon
Published: July 2011

Four short root form implants were inserted in an atrophic mandible and the case restored with a lower connecting bar and an overdenture, opposing a complete maxillary denture. Root form implants were selected, as opposed to a subperiosteal implant in this case. The patient had a favorable medical history, appeared healthy, did not smoke, drink, or do illicit drugs, and had good bone quality.
A continuous‐viewing‐angle‐controllable liquid‐crystal display using a blue‐phase liquid crystal
Authors: Liu Li‐Wei , Wang Qiong‐Hua , Cui Jian‐Peng
Published: July 2011

Abstract— A continuous‐viewing‐angle‐controllable liquid‐crystal display (LCD) using a blue‐phase liquid crystal is proposed. To realize both wide‐viewing‐angle (WVA) mode and narrow‐viewing‐angle (NVA) mode with a single liquid‐crystal panel, each pixel is divided into a main pixel and a subpixel. The main pixel is for displaying images in both modes. The subpixel is for displaying images in WVA mode and controlling the viewing angle in NVA mode. The device exhibits a good viewing‐angle‐controlling characteristic and high transmittance.
Magnetism and the Nursing Workforce
Authors: Messmer Patricia R. , Turkel Marian C.
Published: July 2011

The focus of this chapter is to highlight practice exemplars and research findings related to the five components of the new Magnet Model®. A brief overview of the historical development and professional evolution of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program® is presented followed by a brief overview of the original fourteen forces of magnetism. Content related to empirical practice-based research framed under the components of transformational leadership; structural empowerment; exemplary professional practice; new knowledge, innovation, and improvement; and empirical outcomes is presented and discussed. The authors provide key findings from scholarly publications and describe how the findings contribute to the creation of work environments based on the tenets of magnetism. The chapter concludes with a brief over of the ANCC Pathway to Excellence Program®.
Understanding the Supply and Distribution of Registered Nurses Where Are the Data and What Can They Tell Us?
Authors: Martiniano Robert , McGinnis Sandra , Moore Jean
Published: July 2011

Health workforce researchers routinely conduct studies to determine whether a profession is currently in short supply and whether future shortages are likely. This is particularly important for registered nursing since the profession has experienced periodic shortages over the past three decades. Registered nurse (RN) forecast studies can be valuable in quantifying supply and demand gaps and identifying the most appropriate strategies to avert future shortages. In order to quantify RN supply/demand gaps, it is important to have accurate data on RNs, including the number of active RNs as well as their demographic, education, and practice characteristics, and work location(s). A lack of relevant and timely data on the nursing workforce is a significant barrier to identifying where nursing shortages exist, where they are most severe, and determining the factors that contribute to them. This lack of understanding impedes the development of effective health workforce programs and policies to mitigate shortages and the ability to evaluate these programs and policies for effectiveness. This study describes the national data sources available to nursing researchers to study the supply and distribution of the RN workforce and assesses the sources' strengths and limitations. This study also explores the potential for using state-level data for nursing workforce research.
Forgetting While Learning: A Plea for Specific Consolidation
Authors: Steiner Gerhard
Published: July 2011

One of the most striking observations during our longitudinal studies in six vocational schools with more than 50 classes and teachers was the tremendous loss of knowledge from one teaching unit to the next one: sometimes over as short a time as from the beginning of a lecture to its end, sometimes from one week to the next one. So, it is not only mid- or long-term forgetting but also very short-term forgetting, or “forgetting while learning.” An exemplary analysis of an example from conceptual learning is given, and some causes for this striking form of forgetting—at a moment where forgetting is extremely detrimental for any kind of continuing learning—are presented. This article refers to some theoretical considerations about certain conditions of conceptual learning and presents the conclusions of the longitudinal studies rather than the description of the research and development processes. It may be interpreted as a direct contribution to teachers’ further education.
The Influence of Achievement Goals on Metacognitive Processes in Math Problem Solving
Authors: Berger Jean-Louis
Published: July 2011

The relations between achievement goals in mathematics and task-specific metacognitive experiences and control were analyzed using path analyses. A sample of vocational students (n = 253) completed a set of scales on their motivational beliefs in mathematics, a test of numerical reasoning ability, and a math problem. Before and after solving this problem, the participants reported their subjective metacognitive experiences and metacognitive control. Different achievement goals were found to have unique effects throughout the solution of the problem. For example, mastery-approach goals predicted effort related to metacognitive experiences and mastery-challenge goals (Grant & Dweck, 2003) explained feelings of difficulty and liking. Metacognitive control was found to be indirectly predicted by achievement goals, with their effects mediated by metacognitive experiences. The results paint a complex picture of achievement goals’ effect on metacognitive processes.
Metacognitive Teaching in a Special Education Class
Authors: Hessels Marco G. P. , Hessels-Schlatter Christine , Bosson Mélanie S. , Balli Yann
Published: July 2011

A metacognitive teaching approach was implemented in a special education class with five children, aged 12 to 13 years. One day per week, the regular school activities were enriched with a metacognitive intervention with curriculum-unrelated tasks during the morning hours and curriculum-related tasks during the afternoon. The children first worked in dyads, after which the tasks were discussed in the whole class. The discussions served indirectly to teach cognitive and metacognitive strategies and to develop metacognitive awareness in an indirect manner. In the afternoon, the learned strategies were applied to the curriculum related task to foster transfer. In addition, a strategy of the day was defined in the final discussion of both types of exercises, and children were encouraged to use these on other school days. The application of the strategies and the children’s metacognitive knowledge were evaluated through self-report questionnaires (both general and task specific), observation of their behavior and verbalizations, and their performance in the various tasks. Children progressed in cognitive and metacognitive strategy use in both types of tasks as well as in their overall performance on the tasks, but their evaluations in the general metacognitive questionnaire decreased. The latter was interpreted as a metacognitive adjustment in the children, who, after repeated reflection on their behavior in different types of tasks, were better able to evaluate their cognitive and metacognitive behavior.
Mediation Strategies and Cognitive Modifiability in Young Children as a Function of Peer Mediation With Young Children Program and Training in Analogies Versus Math Tasks
Authors: Tzuriel David , Shamir Adina
Published: July 2011

The effects of a peer-mediation program and training in analogies versus math on mediation strategies, cognitive modifiability, and math were investigated with 78 tutor-tutee dyads. Experimental group tutors (EGT, n = 39) received the Peer-Mediation for Young Children program, whereas control group tutors (CGT, n = 39) received a substitute program. Grade 3 tutors taught kindergarten tutees analogies and math problems. Their interactions were videotaped and analyzed by the Observation of Mediation Interaction scale. Dynamic assessment measures were administered before and after the program. EGT showed higher levels of mediation strategies and cognitive modifiability than did CGT. EGT trained in teaching analogies showed higher mediation strategies and cognitive modifiability than did EGT trained in teaching math. EGT teaching math showed higher levels of mediation strategies than did EGT teaching analogies. EGT showed higher improvement in math than CGT. The findings are discussed in view of the mediated learning experience theory and transfer effects of intervention.
An Evaluation of a Classroom-Based Intervention to Help Overcome Working Memory Difficulties and Improve Long-Term Academic Achievement
Authors: Elliott Julian G. , Gathercole Susan E. , Alloway Tracy P. , Holmes Joni , Kirkwood Hannah
Published: July 2011

Two contrasting forms of classroom-based intervention were implemented with 256 primary school children identified as having working memory (WM) difficulties. In one, teaching staff were trained to provide educational environments that were sensitive to the needs of identified children with WM difficulties. The second form of intervention utilized a behavioral teaching approach in which identified children were provided with regular, brief, and highly focused inputs in relevant basic skills areas. A third group of children with similar WM difficulties served as controls. At the end of the year, there was no evidence that either of the intervention programs had resulted in greater WM or academic performance (on Wechsler mathematics and reading tests) than for controls. However, classroom observation data indicated that the extent to which teachers implemented desirable strategies at any time point, inside or outside of the interventions (that is, across all of the research groups), proved to be a predictor of the children’s attainment. The implications of these findings for further work in this burgeoning field are discussed.
Application of IE-Basic Program to Promote Cognitive and Affective Development in Preschoolers: A Chilean Study
Authors: Salas Natalia , Assael Cecilia , Huepe David , Pérez Teresa , González Fernando , Morales Alejandra , Arévalo Rita , Espinoza Chetty , Araya Grimaldina
Published: July 2011

This study explores the effectiveness of theInstrumental Enrichment Basic program (IE-B)in enhancing cognitive and affective functions of young children. The IE-B is a cognitive intervention program based on Feuerstein’s theories of structural cognitive modifiability (SCM) and mediated learning experience (MLE). Thirty 3- to 4-year-old children were assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received the IE-B program for seven months (for a total of 48 hours) and was compared to the control group before and after intervention on tests of knowledge acquisition and vocabulary. Cognitive change was evaluated using a Chilean assessment battery that measured children’s language, cognition, and knowledge. The findings indicate that children in the experimental group improved their performance more than children in the control group. Results indicate that IE-B can be used with socially disadvantaged children as young as 3–4 and that it leads to improvement in their performance.
Report from the Field: Effects of Teaching Thinking on Teachers—An International Comparison
Authors: Martin David S.
Published: July 2011

The effects of inservice education and experience in teaching thinking skills on teachers’ self-reported thinking behaviors and teaching style were investigated with an American group and a Costa Rican group of teachers. Both similar and different effects on personal problem-solving strategies and teaching behaviors were reported across the two groups. Explanations are proposed for the differences in relation to educational traditions in the two countries.
Performance of Adolescents with Moderate Mental Retardation on a Working Memory Task and Analysis of their Response Patterns
Authors: Hessels Marco G. P.
Published: July 2011

A Rasch-scaled working memory task was used to estimate the working memory capacity of adolescents with moderate mental retardation. The working memory task was calibrated using a sample of 412 children from regular mainstream classes and special education classes in primary school. The main issue of this paper concerns the usefulness of the constructed scale for children with moderate mental retardation. The Item Response model used is the Verhelst and Glas generalized Rasch-model (see e.g., Verhelst & Glas, 1995), a strong measurement model with attractive properties, such as measurement on a true interval scale on which both items and persons can be represented and the estimation of personal capacities independent of the items actually used. Because the model can be tested and the response patterns of individual persons can be analyzed, inferences can be made about the usefulness of the model for persons with moderate mental retardation. When the estimated capacity of a person is not in line with the responses given to individual items, this implies that the measure is not reliable for this person. When such a situation arises for many persons with mental retardation, this indicates that the present model is not applicable to this population; however, when the capacity estimates of persons with moderate mental retardation are reliable, this implies that working memory capacity is measured on the same dimension. In this study, the performance of adolescents with mental retardation was generally comparable to those of six- to seven-year-old normally developing children, but never surpassed complexity level 4. Their response patterns also conformed to the model. We concluded that working memory was measured on qualitatively the same dimension in both groups.
Working Memory Deficits in Individuals with and without Mental Retardation
Authors: Lanfranchi Silvia , Cornoldi Cesare , Vianello Renzo
Published: July 2011

The authors critically examine the issue of working memory in mental retardation. Different outcomes reported in the literature could be due to the different aspects of working memory tested. It was hypothesized that working memory functions can be distinguished according to a control continuum: a deficit of an individual with mental retardation in working memory tasks should be more evident to the extent to which they require higher control. 30 individuals with mental retardation, aged between 7 and 17, with a mean mental age of 5 years 6 months, and 30 children without mental retardation, matched for mental age, were given a battery of four working memory tests requiring different levels of control: low (forward word span), medium-low (backwards word span), medium-high (listening word span), and high (dual task span). Results confirmed the hypothesis that an increase in the gap between the two groups corresponds to an increase in the control required by the task. Results are discussed for their implications on working memory models and the role of working memory in intelligence.
External Memory and Verbalization in Students with Moderate Mental Retardation: Theory and Training
Authors: Rinaldi Delphine O. , Hessels Marco G. P. , Büchel Fredi P. , Hessels-Schlatter Christine , Kipfer Nadine M.
Published: July 2011

Persons with moderate mental retardation were trained to use external memory strategies in order to overcome their working memory limitations. We expected that metacognitive training would allow these individuals to use external memories and that this would be associated with higher recall. It was further hypothesized that the training would be more effective when combined with a short verbalization instruction. Verbalization of one’s own thinking and actions should support and reinforce strategic thinking and structure representation. Verbalization should also permit the participants to acquire or access meta-knowledge, one of the basic components postulated for transfer of strategies. Furthermore, performance in analogical tasks should be improved by transferring the use of external memory strategies. The results show that only some of the participants of the experimental group with and without verbalization used the external memory strategy after training. Those who did use the external memory strategy at posttest performed well with regard to recall performance. We concluded that an external memory strategy is required if the task memory load is high and that the memory performance depends on the use of an external memory aid. The problem of transfer to analogical reasoning tasks remained, most likely because how external memories could be used in such tasks was not made explicit, and did the tasks did not allow much use of external memories.
Communities of Learners and Thinkers: The Effects of Fostering Writing Competence in a Metacognitive Environment
Authors: Alfassi Miriam
Published: July 2011

In this study the author examines the efficacy of translating socio-cognitive principles into practice, by using the FCL (Fostering Communities of Learners and Thinkers) method devised by Brown and Campione. The benefits of FCL are compared with traditional interventions, within the context of writing competence. The principle hypothesis of this study is that an FCL intervention program will deliver greater writing competence than more traditional methods. It is shown that students exposed to the metacognitive and shared problem solving environment that is created by FCL derive larger benefits than students exposed to traditional instruction. Moreover, it is shown that the benefits of the FCL approach increase with time, even after the intervention has ceased.
Cognition and the Design of Products Large and Small
Authors: Kumar K. L.
Published: July 2011

Innovative design of new products proceeds by way of cognitive processes of analysis, critical thinking, creativity, conceptualization, cognitive modeling, synthesis, prototyping, and evaluation. Design phases invariably consist of divergence, transformation, and convergence operations. Designing is a creative faculty of the mind, akin to the conceptual faculty of learning arts, sciences, and languages. The author dwells briefly on cognitive, graphical communication, morphological, philosophical, and psychological aspects of design, together with educational imperatives, and proposes that designing new products requires the same cognitive processes regardless of their size, shape, and complexity.

The author has drawn upon his own experience of designing a variety of things and has quoted references to design of household artifacts, office equipment, and industrial products. Reference is made to the ‘Design and Technology’ subject being taught at junior and senior secondary schools in Botswana and elsewhere. Examples are also drawn from some recent world-class designs. These establish the belief that human design cognition is the same for all products, small or large.
Using Mediated Teaching and Learning to Support Algebra Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Poissant Hélène , Hirsch Judi
Published: July 2011

An approach to the teaching and learning of high school mathematics to special needs pupils, based on philosophies of Freire, Feuerstein, and Vygotsky, is described, as is the experience of two teachers who shared the teaching of a class. Learners were from minority ethnic communities that were characterized by poverty and unstable home situations. Major emphasis was placed on enhancing the learners’ self concepts as learners, their attitudes toward school learning, and their study and organizational skills.
A Comparison of the Scaffolding Approach and the Cognitive Enrichment Advantage Approach in Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills in First-Year University Freshmen
Authors: Hurte Vernon J.
Published: July 2011

Although there is no universally accepted operational definition of critical thinking, there is agreement that it can be improved through various means of instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a modified, condensed version of the Cognitive Enrichment Advantage (CEA) approach and the Scaffolding approach in enhancing critical thinking skills in first-year university freshman.

A modified pre-test/post-test comparison group design was employed in this study. Participants were students enrolled in a freshman seminar course for first-year freshman in a merit-based scholarship program for African American students. The first phase, the Pre-Intervention Phase, included the first of three critical thinking assessment administration sessions to obtain baseline data of all participants’ critical thinking ability. This phase also included a two week period of direct instruction of critical thinking knowledge to all participants. After the pre-intervention phase, matched pairs were randomly assigned to the CEA group and the Scaffolding group, based on scores from the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (W-GCTA) obtained during the second assessment administration session.

The Intervention Phase included five weekly, 40-minute teaching sessions for both groups. During the intervention period, both groups completed practice worksheets, providing a step-by-step expert strategy for critical thinking. In the Scaffolding intervention, participants also received pre-determined verbal prompts and cues to support their critical thinking. In the modified CEA intervention, participants were encouraged to create their own personal strategies, based on the metastrategic knowledge (Building Blocks of Thinking & Tools of Learning) introduced during each session. Participants were also encouraged to provide both self-evaluation and evaluation on the contributions of their colleagues. Finally, in the modified CEA intervention, participants developed decontexualized principles for using the Building Blocks and Tools in other settings, encouraging transfer of learning. The Post-Intervention Phase included the final assessment administration session.

Results indicate no significant change in critical thinking performance in the CEA group, based on both assessment tools. Results, based on the critical thinking performance assessments, indicated no significant change in the Scaffolding group; however, results, based on the W-GCTA, indicated a significant decrease in critical thinking performance in the Scaffolding group. It was concluded that the modified CEA intervention supported the retention of the participants’ critical thinking skills and facilitated learning transfer, while the Scaffolding intervention did not positively influence the participants’ critical thinking skills. Recommendations for future research and issues related to conducting intervention research are offered.
Interleaving Instruction and Assessment
Authors: Hunt Earl , Thissen-Roe Anne
Published: July 2011

Assessment is conducted for three reasons; personnel selection in academic, industrial, and government situations, certification of individuals and accountability of training institutions, and to provide formative instruction. The first goal has dominated much of psychometrics over the past century, the second goal is relatively new, and the third is not yet in widespread use. We review the mathematics of personnel selection and argue that there is not a great deal to be gained by improvement of present testing methods for personnel selection unless the institution doing the selection is either extremely large or highly selective. We concentrate on the third use, providing formative instruction. Formative instruction ought to diagnose an individual’s capabilities and knowledge, rather than simply grading them on a satisfactory-unsatisfactory scale. However the idea of grading is, in some fashion, built into traditional psychometric forms of testing. We sketch the beginnings of a psychometric approach intended to provide analyses for formative testing. Examples are given from the field of science instruction.