bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
P129: A phase IV real world study on the use of low dose methoxyflurane (PENTHROX™) for the treatment of moderate to severe trauma pain in the Canadian emergency department (ADVANCE-ED): an interim report on secondary outcomes
Authors: Campbell S. , Simard E. , Arcand A. , Blagrove L. , Piraino P. , Dhani S.
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Inhaled low dose methoxyflurane (MEOF) was recently approved in Canada for the short-term relief of moderate to severe acute pain associated with trauma or interventional medical procedures in conscious adult patients. ADVANCE-ED is an ongoing phase IV, prospective open label study undertaken to generate real-world evidence to complement the global clinical development program through evaluation of the effectiveness of low dose MEOF in Canadian emergency departments (EDs). Methods: This multi-centre study is enrolling adult (≥18 yrs) patients with moderate to severe acute pain (NRS0-10 ≥ 4) associated with minor trauma. To address limitations from the pivotal study, this study allows patients who were excluded in the pivotal trials: namely, those with severe (≥7) pain, and those using OTC or stably dosed analgesics for other conditions, including chronic pain. Eligible patients receive a single treatment of up to 2 x 3 mL MEOF (2nd 3 mL to be provided only upon request), self-administered by the patient under medical supervision. Rescue medication is permitted at any time, if required. Results: Here we describe the patient demographics and treatment satisfaction (Global Medication Performance, GMP) at 50% enrolment (n = 49). Mean (SD) patient age is 48.0 (17.1) yrs and 55.1% are female. Mean pain (SD) reported at enrolment is 8.3 (1.5), with 73.4% of patients with NRS0-10 ≥ 8. Injuries are overwhelmingly limb trauma (87.8%). The most common type is sprain/strain (40.8%), followed by fracture (32.7%). At 5 minutes post-start of administration (STA) of MEOF, 80.4% of patients reported pain relief; this increased to 91.3% at 15 minutes, and 100% of patients reported pain relief by 30 minutes post-STA. GMP was assessed as “good”, “very good” or “excellent” by ≥80% of patients both 20 minutes post-start of administration (STA) of MEOF (83.3%) and at discharge (85.8%). When asked to what extent their expectation of pain relief had been met, 32.7% responded good, 26.5% responded “very good” and 22.4% responded “excellent”. Three quarters of enrolled patients (75.5%) did not require rescue medication. The most common (≥5%) treatment-related adverse events were dizziness (n = 14, 28.6%) and euphoric mood (n = 4, 8.2%). No serious adverse events have been reported. Conclusion: Based on 50% of the patients enrolled in this prospective, open label study, responses to inhaled low-dose MEOF are within expectation for both effectiveness and tolerability.
P137: Distal radial fractures: adequacy of reductions performed in the emergency department
Authors: Atkinson P. , Montazeri R. , Wagg J. , Mayich J. , King H. , Swan J. , Fraser J. , Benjamin S. , Sibley A.
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Distal radial fractures (DRF) remain the most commonly encountered fracture in the Emergency Department (ED). The initial management of displaced DRFs by Emergency Physicians (EP) poses considerable resource allocation. We wished to determine the adequacy of reduction, both initially and at follow up. This data updates previously presented high level findings. Methods: We performed a mixed-methods study including patients who underwent procedural sedation and manipulation by an EP for a DRF. Radiological images performed at initial assessment, post-reduction, and clinic follow up were reviewed by a panel of orthopedic surgeons and radiologists blinded to outcomes, and assessed for evidence of displacement. Demographic data were pooled from patient records and included in statistical analysis. Results: Seventy patients were included and had follow-up completed. Initial reduction was deemed to be adequate in 37 patients (53%; 95% CI 41.32 to 64.10%). At clinic follow-up assessment, 26 reductions remained adequate; a slippage rate of 30% (95% CI of 17.37 to 45.90). Overall 7 patients (10%; 95% CI 4.65 to 19.51%) required revision of the initial reduction in the operating room. Agreement on adequacy of reduction on post-reduction radiographs between radiologists and orthopedic surgeons was 38.6% (95% CI -38.3 to -7.4, Kappa -0.229). The statistical strength of this agreement is worse than what would be expected by chance alone. There was no association found between age, sex, or of time of initial presentation and final outcomes. Conclusion: Although blinded review by specialists determined only half of initial EP DRF reductions to be radiographically adequate, only 10 percent actually required further intervention. Agreement between specialists on adequacy was poor. The majority of DRFs reduced by EPs do not require further surgical intervention.
PL04: A randomized controlled trial comparing prescribed light exercise to standard management for emergency department patients with acute mild traumatic brain injury
Authors: Varner C. , Thompson C. , de Wit K. , Borgundvaag B. , Houston R. , McLeod S.
Published: May 2020

Introduction: The emergency department (ED) is often the first point of health care contact for patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Spontaneous resolution occurs in most patients within 7 days, yet 15-30% will develop post-concussion syndrome (PCS). Given the paucity of effective management strategies to prevent PCS and emerging evidence supporting exercise, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of prescribed early light exercise compared to standard discharge instructions for acute MTBI patients in the ED. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted in three Canadian EDs. Consecutive, adult (18-64 years) ED patients with a MTBI sustained within the preceding 48 hours were eligible for enrollment. The intervention group received discharge instructions prescribing 30 minutes of daily light exercise (e.g., walking), and the control group was given standard MTBI instructions advising gradual return to exercise following symptom resolution. Participants documented their daily physical activities and completed follow-up questionnaires at 7, 14, and 30 days. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with PCS at 30 days, defined as the presence of ≥ 3 symptoms on the Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) at 30 days. Results: 367 patients were enrolled (control n = 184; intervention n = 183). Median age was 32 years and 201 (57.6%) were female. There was no difference in the proportion of patients with PCS at 30 days (control 13.4 vs intervention 14.6; Δ1.2, 95% CI: -6.2 to 8.5). There were no differences in median change of RPQ scores (control 14 vs intervention 13; Δ1, 95% CI: -1 to 4), median number of return health care provider visits (control 1 vs intervention 1; Δ0, 95% CI: 0 to 0), or median number of missed school or work days (control 2 vs intervention 2; Δ0, 95% CI: 0 to 1) at 30 days. There was a nonsignificant difference in unplanned return ED visits within 30 days (control 9.9% vs intervention 5.6%; Δ1, 95% CI: -1.4 to 10.3). Participants in the control group reported fewer minutes of light exercise at 7 days (30 vs 35; Δ5, 95% CI: 2 to 15). Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first randomized trial of prescribed early light exercise for adults with acute MTBI. There were no differences in recovery or healthcare utilization outcomes. Results suggest prescribed early light exercise should be encouraged as tolerated at ED discharge following MTBI, but exercise prescription alone is not sufficient to prevent PCS.
LO13: Development of a national, standardized simulation case template
Authors: Baylis J. , Heyd C. , Thoma B. , Hall A. , Chaplin T. , Petrosoniak A. , McColl T. , O'Brien M. , Deshaies J. , Caners K.
Published: May 2020

Innovation Concept: A major barrier to the development of a national simulation case repository and multi-site simulation research is the lack of a standardized national case template. This issue was recently identified as a priority research topic for Canadian simulation based education (SBE) research in emergency medicine (EM). We partnered with the EM Simulation Education Researchers Collaborative (EM-SERC) to develop a national simulation template. Methods: The EM Sim Cases template was chosen as a starting point for the consensus process. We generated feedback on the template using a three-phase modified nominal group technique. Members of the EM-SERC mailing list were consulted, which included 20 EM simulation educators from every Canadian medical school except Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Memorial University. When comments conflicted, the sentiment with more comments in favour was incorporated. Curriculum, Tool or Material: In phase one we sought free-text feedback on the EM Sim Cases template via email. We received 65 comments from 11 respondents. An inductive thematic analysis identified four major themes (formatting, objectives, debriefing, and assessment tools). In phase two we sought free-text feedback on the revised template via email. A second thematic analysis on 40 comments from 12 respondents identified three broad themes (formatting, objectives, and debriefing). In phase three we sought feedback on the penultimate template via focus groups with simulation educators and technologists at multiple Canadian universities. This phase generated 98 specific comments which were grouped according to the section of the template being discussed and used to develop the final template (posted on emsimcases.com). Conclusion: We describe a national consensus-building process which resulted in a simulation case template endorsed by simulation educators from across Canada. This template has the potential to: 1. Reduce the replication of effort across sites by facilitating the sharing of simulation cases. 2. Enable national collaboration on the development of both simulation cases and curricula. 3. Facilitate multi centre simulation-based research by removing confounders related to the local adoption of an unfamiliar case template. This could improve the rigour and validity of these studies by reducing inter-site variability. 4. Increase the validity of any simulation scenarios developed for use in national high-stakes assessment.
LO38: Reducing inappropriate urine culture testing in the emergency department
Authors: Chan A. , Sarabia A.
Published: May 2020

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a common emergency department (ED) presentation. Urine cultures (UC) are frequently ordered to confirm the diagnosis, however, it can be challenging to differentiate between a true infection and asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) which does not generally benefit from antibiotics. This over-treatment of ASB leads to serious adverse side effects, growing antimicrobial resistance and increased healthcare costs. By reducing inappropriate ED urine culture testing, we can concomitantly avoid the false positives that contribute to this large-scale problem. Aim Statement: We aimed to reduce ED urine culture testing at Credit Valley Hospital, a large community hospital based in Mississauga, Ontario by 30%, from a baseline average of 97 cultures per 1000 ED visits in 2017, to 68 cultures per 1000 ED visits by year end 2019. Measures & Design: Multiple PDSA cycles were ran with our multi-disciplinary ED team. Our interventions to encourage rational urine culture testing are three-fold, including (1) medical directive optimization (removal of routine sending of UC), (2) individualized physician feedback and (3) physician education with introduction of a clinical decision aid. Our outcome measure is rate of UC per 1000 ED patient visits with a balance measure of rate of 30-day ED return visit of hospital admission for patients with a UTI. Evaluation/Results: Despite a parallel surge in ED volumes, we observed a significant decrease in urine culture testing, from an annual average of 97 cultures per 1000 ED visits to 60 cultures per 1000 ED visits in 2019 year-to-date. There was no increase in the rate of ED 30-day return visit or admission for UTI or a diagnostic equivalent. Discussion/Impact: Our multipronged approach effectively decreased the rate of UC testing during the study period. ED physicians provide higher quality care with judicious use of resources to guide diagnosis and management. Active ongoing interventions include our transition to a 2-step UC order protocol (uncoupling urinalysis with culture) using BD vacutainer urine collection products, which will allow for 48 hour storage of uncompromised urine. Further work will leverage our knowledge and experience with optimizing urine culture testing to other culture specimens.
LO42: A systematic review of short-term use of therapeutic opioids for children and future opioid use disorders
Authors: Ali S. , Afzalzada-Ahrari M. , Dyson M. , DaRosa D. , Dong K. , Drendel A. , Hartling L.
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Despite an overall decline in opioid prescriptions in Canada, healthcare visits, hospitalizations, and deaths due to opioid-related harms continue to rise for children. Clinicians urgently require high quality synthesized evidence to inform personalized decisions regarding opioid use for children. The objective of this systematic review was to examine the association between short-term therapeutic exposure to opioids and development of opioid use disorder. Methods: A medical librarian conducted a comprehensive search of 10 databases from inception to May 2019. Two authors independently assessed studies for inclusion. Studies were eligible if they reported primary research in English or French, and study participants had short (<14 days) or non-specific duration of therapeutic exposure to opioids before age 18 years. Primary outcome was the development of an opioid use disorder; secondary outcomes included opioid addiction, dependence, misuse, and abuse. Data extraction involved two independent reviewers utilizing a standardized form. Methodological quality was assessed using the NIH tools for observational studies. Results are described narratively. Results: The search identified 4,072 unique citations; 82 were selected for review, and 17 were included (3 retrospective cohort, 4 prospective cohort, and 10 cross-sectional). All studies took place in the USA. A total of 1,562,503 participants were analyzed. Nine studies were administered in schools, 3 used administrative data. While most settings were non-specific, 1 study examined opioid use in dentistry, 1 in trauma, and 1 in organized sports. One comparative study showed an association between short-term therapeutic use and opioid misuse. Two studies showed opioid related adverse events (e.g., overdose) among cohorts exposed to short-term use. The remaining 14 studies did not specify duration of exposure; therefore, confirming whether misuse was due to short-term therapeutic exposure was not possible. Conclusion: A small number of studies in this review suggest an association between short-term opioid use and opioid misuse; however, further analysis is underway with consideration of methodological limitations of the individual studies (final results pending). Careful consideration of the risk and benefits of short-term opioid use should be undertaken prior to prescribing opioids. PROSPERO Registration Number: 122681.
LO44: Birth cohort hepatitis C screening in an academic emergency department in Canada: preliminary results
Authors: Friedman S. , Capraru C. , Bates K. , Porplycia D. , Mazzulli T. , Vanderhoff A. , Hansen B. , Shah H. , Janssen H. , Feld J.
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Epidemiologic and modeling studies suggest that between 45 and 70% of individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Canada remain undiagnosed. The Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL) recommends one-time screening of baby boomers (1945-1975). Screening programs in the US have shown a very high prevalence of previously undiagnosed HCV among patients seen in the emergency department (ED). We sought to assess the feasibility of implementing a targeted birth-cohort HCV screening program in a Canadian ED setting. Methods: Patients born from 1945 to 1975 presenting to the ED of a downtown Toronto hospital were offered HCV testing. Patients with life-threatening conditions, unable to provide verbal consent in English or intoxication were excluded. Blood samples were collected by finger prick on Dried Blood Spot (DBS) collection cards and tested for anti-HCV antibody with reflex to HCV RNA. Patients with positive HCV RNA were referred to a liver specialist. Results: During a 27-month period (July 2017 - Sept 2019), 8363 patients in the birth cohort presented to the ED during daytime hours. 80% (6714) met eligibility criteria, and 48.4% (3247) were offered testing. Screening was performed by non-medical staff (mean 8/day, median spots on DBS 4). 345 (10.6%) had been previously tested, and 639 (19.7%) declined. 2136 (65.8%) patients underwent testing: median age 58.4 years (40-82), 1117 male (52.3%). Of these, 45 patients (2.1%; 95% CI 1.5%-2.7%) were anti-HCV positive: 32 (76.2%) were HCV RNA positive, 10 (23.8%) negative and 3 not done due to inadequate DBS sample. 26 patients (81.3%) were linked to care and 3 (9.4%) lost to follow-up. HCV prevalence in the ED was significantly higher than the general Canadian population (2.1% vs 0.7%; p < 0.0001) but much lower than reported rates in American EDs (2.1% vs 10.3%; p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Acceptance of HCV screening in the ED birth cohort was high and easily performed using DBS to ensure the majority of positive samples were tested for HCV RNA. Challenges included implementation that limited number of people tested, and linkage to care for HCV positive patients. HCV prevalence among this ED birth cohort was higher than the general population but lower than seen in the ED in the US. This may in part be due to exclusion of individuals with more severe medical issues, refusal by higher risk subgroups, or population and healthcare system differences between countries.
Roll-Call Vote Selection: Implications for the Study of Legislative Politics
Authors: AINSLEY CAITLIN , CARRUBBA CLIFFORD J. , CRISP BRIAN F. , DEMIRKAYA BETUL , GABEL MATTHEW J. , HADZIC DINO
Published: May 2020

Roll-call votes provide scholars with the opportunity to measure many quantities of interest. However, the usefulness of the roll-call sample depends on the population it is intended to represent. After laying out why understanding the sample properties of the roll-call record is important, we catalogue voting procedures for 145 legislative chambers, finding that roll calls are typically discretionary. We then consider two arguments for discounting the potential problem: (a) roll calls are ubiquitous, especially where the threshold for invoking them is low or (b) the strategic incentives behind requests are sufficiently benign so as to generate representative samples. We address the first defense with novel empirical evidence regarding roll-call prevalence and the second with an original formal model of the position-taking argument for roll-call vote requests. Both our empirical and theoretical results confirm that inattention to vote method selection should broadly be considered an issue for the study of legislative behavior.
Bulk tank milk quality data is unlikely to give useful information about dairy cow welfare at herd level
Authors: Ginestreti Jessica , Strano Rosa Maria , Lorenzi Valentina , Fusi Francesca , Angelucci Alessandra , Ferrara Giandomenico , Galletti Giorgio , Bergagna Stefania , Bolzoni Giuseppe , Zanardi Giorgio , Buffoli Elena , Marcolini Antonio , Bertocchi Luigi
Published: May 2020

This research communication explores the value of routinely collected bulk tank milk quality data for estimating dairy cattle welfare at herd level. Selected bulk tank milk quality parameters (somatic cell count, total bacterial count, urea, protein and fat contents) recorded during the years 2014–2016 in 287 Italian dairy farms were compared with the animal welfare data of each farm. The welfare assessment data were extracted from the database of the Italian Reference Centre for Animal Welfare (CReNBA), which includes the outputs of the application of the CReNBA welfare assessment protocol for dairy cows, used at national level for on-farm controls. The statistical analysis was carried out using the correlation coefficient for Kendall's Tau ranks, in order to investigate the presence of a categoric relationship between the selected bulk tank milk quality parameters and the overall animal welfare score or the scores of the single areas A (farm management and staff training), B (housing) and C (animal-based measures). Somatic cell count, total bacterial count, urea and proteins demonstrated only a few statistically significant and very weak correlations with farm animal welfare data, while no significant correlations were obtained for milk fat content. Given the weak correlations found, the selected bulk tank milk parameters seems to be able to provide only limited information about the welfare level of the herd, thus it could be difficult to use them for drawing up a pre-screening model for identifying herds at risk of poor welfare.
Chronic subclinical mastitis reduces milk and components yield at the cow level
Authors: Martins Larissa , Barcelos Melina Melo , Cue Roger I. , Anderson Kevin L. , Santos Marcos Veiga dos , Gonçalves Juliano Leonel
Published: May 2020

We evaluated the effects of chronic subclinical mastitis (CSM) caused by different types of pathogens on milk yield and milk components at the cow level. A total of 388 Holstein cows had milk yield measured and were milk sampled three times at intervals of two weeks for determination of SCC and milk composition, and microbiological culture was performed. Cows were considered healthy if all three samples of SCC were ≤200 000 cells/ml and were culture-negative at the third milk sampling. Cows with one result of SCC > 200 000 cells/ml were considered to suffer non-chronic subclinical mastitis whereas cows with at least 2 out of 3 results of SCC > 200 000 cells/ml had CSM. These latter cows were further sorted according to culture results into chronic negative-culture or chronic positive-culture. This resulted in four udder health statuses: healthy, non-chronic, chronicNC or chronicPC. The milk and components yields were evaluated according to the udder health status and by pathogen using a linear mixed effects model. A total of 134 out of 388 cows (34.5%) were chronicPC, 57 cows (14.7%) were chronicNC, 78 cows (20.1%) were non-chronic and 119 cows (30.7%) were considered healthy, which resulted in a grand total of 1164 cow records included in the statistical model. The healthy cows produced more milk than each of the other groups (+2.1 to +5.7 kg/cow/day) and produced higher milk component yields than the chronicPC cows. The healthy cows produced more milk than cows with chronicPC caused by minor (+5.2 kg/cow/day) and major pathogens (+7.1 kg/cow/day) and losses varied from 5.8 to 11.8 kg/cow/day depending on the pathogen causing chronicPC mastitis. Chronic positive-culture cows had a reduction of at least 24.5% of milk yield and 22.4% of total solids yield.
Unsustainable harvest of water frogs in southern Turkey for the European market
Authors: Çiçek Kerim , Ayaz Dinçer , Afsar Murat , Bayrakcı Yusuf , Pekşen Çiğdem Akın , Cumhuriyet Oğuzkan , İsmail İlhan Bayram , Yenmiş Melodi , Üstündağ Erdal , Tok Cemal Varol , Bilgin C. Can , Akçakaya H. Reşit
Published: May 2020

Frogs have been harvested from the wild for the last 40 years in Turkey. We analysed the population dynamics of Anatolian water frogs (Pelophylax spp.) in the Seyhan and Ceyhan Deltas during 2013–2015. We marked a total of 13,811 individuals during 3 years, estimated population sizes, simulated the dynamics of a harvested population over 50 years, and collated frog harvest and export statistics from the region and for Turkey as a whole. Our capture estimates indicated a population reduction of c. 20% per year, and our population modelling showed that, if overharvesting continues at current rates, the harvested populations will decline rapidly. Simulations with a model of harvested population dynamics resulted in a risk of extinction of > 90% within 50 years, with extinction likely in c. 2032. Our interviews with harvesters revealed their economic dependence on the frog harvest. However, our results also showed that reducing harvest rates would not only ensure the viability of these frog populations but would also provide a source of income that is sustainable in the long term. Our study provides insights into the position of Turkey in the ‘extinction domino’ line, in which harvest pressure shifts among countries as frog populations are depleted and harvest bans are effected. We recommend that harvesting of wild frogs should be banned during the mating season, hunting and exporting of frogs < 30 g should be banned, and harvesters should be trained on species knowledge and awareness of regulations.
Presidential Nominating Conventions and Elections
Authors: Levitt Morris J . , James Ronald
Published: May 2020

Teaching through simulation is one of the most innovative and interesting methods available. Many educators, however, are reluctant to utilize this technique. Some of the reasons for this are understandable. Setting up a simulation is somewhat time consuming and involves more than the usual amount of paperwork. Secondly, the educator may be unfamiliar with organizing a flexible, people- integrating simulation. Third, grading criteria may be a bit more difficult to develop. In spite of these facts, the strengths of using simulation far outweigh the difficulties, and it is the intention of this article to help overcome such problems.

Although setting up a simulation is time consuming, once accomplished, the teacher's job becomes easier because the students will begin to “learn by doing”.
Teaching Ethics in a Not-So-Ivory Tower of Babel
Authors: Brandon William P. , Bluhm William T.
Published: May 2020

Our course differs from most comparable courses in ethics and public policy because we attract students from widely disparate programs. at the university of rochester, we put into the same small seminar master's students in a very quantitative public policy program dominated by microeconomics, community medicine students from the preventive medicine department's master's program in the medical school, selected undergraduate upperclassmen, and nursing students in nurse-clinician master's programs.

The faculty also have different backgrounds. One has taught politica philosophy in the Political Science Department for many years; the other (who had a primary appointment in the Preventive Medicine Department and a joint appointment in Political Science) taught health politics and policy, but had previously completed considerable training in philosophy and political theory.
Political Scientists and Journalists Watch Congress
Authors: Ornstein Norman J.
Published: May 2020

When the House of Representatives began to allow television cameras in to cover its floor proceedings in early 1979, it was not widely noticed in the country or the academic community. As C-SPAN's Susan Swain notes, the initial cable coverage was from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, with only three-and-one- half million homes wired to receive the service. It was rare in the first year or two of television coverage for other television outlets, especially the commercial networks, to use any of the floor footage extensively either.

But within a couple of years, the television coverage of the House began to penetrate the media and the country more widely. C-SPAN, under Brian Lamb's astute tutelage expanded dramatically; network evening and weekend news shows, growing comfortable at monitoring the floor debate, began to use both ten-second “sound bites” and more extended excerpts on their shows; public television, through the Mac-Neil/Lehrer NewsHour and The Lawmakers, made the televised floor proceedings staples of their news coverage.
Confessions of a Professor
Authors: Joyner Conrad
Published: May 2020

This is an essay and a confession. It is an essay, because I deal with teaching from a personal point of view. It is a confession in the dual sense of revealing a few “sins,” and stating my beliefs about teaching. My aim is didactic. I hope others, including professors, students, administrators, college and university trustees, and legislators, discover something useful in what I say.

A number of factors affect how and what people teach. Performance is shaped by the professor's personality, experience, subject matter, research interests, publications, general prominence within the university or college, type of students, and the value placed on teaching by peers and the administration.
Teaching Policy Evaluation
Authors: Nagel Stuart S.
Published: May 2020

An instructor needs to resolve several issues in teaching a course on policy evaluation. Those issues include matters of course content such as what books to use, what evaluation methods to present, the role of statistical analysis in determining relations, the role of legal analysis in determining values, the role of political and administrative feasibility, and how to combine policy analysis and program evaluation.

Back in 1958, the economist Roland McKean, working for the Rand Corporation, wrote a book entitled Efficiency in Government Through Systems Analysis: With Emphasis on Water Resources Development (Wiley, 1958). That may have been the first book that attempted to provide a survey, of methods involved in systematically evaluating alternative public policies, although only the first 100 pages are general in nature.
Women and the Constitution
Authors: Hoff-Wilson Joan
Published: May 2020

Since the drafting of the federal Constitution in 1787, the legal status of women in the United States has passed through four distinct phases and is on the brink of entering a fifth one. In this two-hundred-year period, there has been more change in the last twenty years than in the previous onehundred- and-eighty. Yet, a decade and a half ago scholarly classes about women and the Constitution could not be taught because too little primary research had been conducted in either the new social history with its subfield of women or the latest version of the new legal history with its subfield of sex discrimination.

Both subfields reflect the increased interest of historians and lawyers in interdisciplinary research techniques developed in this country and abroad since the 1960s.
Cheating: Ethics in the Classroom
Authors: Bowman James S.
Published: May 2020

This paper deals with one of the most difficult and enduring issues in higher education: cheating. Predictably, the mass media emphasizes its more sensational aspects such as cheating scandals at military academies and commercial term paper mills. Available academic studies, however, document that classroom dishonesty is hardly an isolated phenomenon. Yet, public and campus concern shifts rapidly from indignation to inattention, leaving the problem much as it was.
A Data Center for an Undergraduate College
Authors: Trudeau Robert H. , Hyde Mark S. , Carlson James M.
Published: May 2020

Acrimonious and seemingly interminable debates have surrounded the introduction and dissemination of systematic empirical methods in political science. Nevertheless, for better or worse, these methods and this mode of analysis are here to stay in political science and the other social science disciplines. No one can deny the general leaning towards behavioralism that is evident in the programs of the major PH.D. granting institutions. Scholars may debate the ultimate validity of these approaches for understanding politics, but all must agree that a thorough understanding of today's social science requires at least some familiarity with the behavioral approach, even if this familiarity were to be conceived of as “self defense” in the struggle to keep up with the literature in the major journals, and even if that familiarity were to breed contempt.
A Library Guide to State Government Documents Florida
Authors: Levine E. Lester , St. Angelo Douglas
Published: May 2020

In the history of what is now the United States, Florida holds a preeminent position. The Florida peninsula was explored by Spaniard Ponce de Leon in 1513. Pensacola Bay is the site of the first European settlement in the nation in 1559. Six years later, Pedro Menendez de Aviles founded St. Augustine, the country's oldest city in continuous existence. The French came into the area in 1564 and the British in 1586. All of this activity was prior to the Virginia and Massachusetts English settlements in the early part of the next century. Florida, however, did not become a territory of the United States until 1821 when it was acquired from Spain. It became a state in 1845.
California Resources, References and Syllabus
Authors: Schiffman Irving
Published: May 2020

California. The most populous state in the Union, the third largest in area, with a gross product that surpasses that of any other state and all but a handful of countries in the world. Stretching almost 900 miles from the Mexican border to the Oregon state line, this Golden State contains within its 100 million acres a varied landscape of coastline, foothills, mountains, valleys, and deserts. From the northern foothills came the gold that sparked the early and raucous growth of the state, and from the fertile land of the Great Central Valley comes the agricultural products that constitute the foundation of its present wealth. Along its vast coast line, especially in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area, resides over ninety percent of the population.
A Review of Citizenship and Law Related Education — Publications and Organizations
Authors: Chesteen Richard D.
Published: May 2020

According to various studies of political socialization, only the immediate family may have more impact upon the development of the child's political values and partisan allegiances than the school system. And in the areas of citizenship education and patriotic inculcations the school is usually defined as the primary facilitator. Because citizenship education is considered to be indoctrinational, value laden, and non-neutral, it has generated considerable controversy. Some consider citizenship education to be a vital function of the schools, while others feel it should not receive particular attention.

Concerted efforts by education theorists and educational associations to define the proper role and objectives of citizenship education span the twentieth century.
The Economics of Tax Reform
Authors: Minarik Joseph J.
Published: May 2020

The federal income tax is of central importance in both economics and politics. The income tax has been the mainstay of the federal government's revenue since the end of World War II. The income tax on individuals has consistently produced over 40 percent of total revenues for the last three decades. The income tax on corporations, while not as productive of revenue as it once was, still contributes about 10 percent of the total tax take. These large revenue yields make the income tax the main point of contact between the federal government and the broad population of typical American households, and perhaps also the dominant factor in people's attitudes toward the government as a whole.
Immigration, Naturalization and the Constitution
Authors: Vecoli Rudolph J.
Published: May 2020

Nothing is more important to the existence of a human community than the definition of its membership. Who is permitted to enter the community's territory and who is kept out? Who is entitled to the rights and benefits of membership and who is excluded? What are the differences in this respect between citizens and aliens? The answers to these questions are of vital importance in the making of nation-states since they shaped cultural as well as political character. For the United States, the country par excellence of immigration, these issues have been particularly salient. To be or to become an American has often been a matter of choice. Choice on the part of both the immigrant and the host society.
Gender - Balancing the Curriculum Who Gets What and Why
Authors: Howe Florence
Published: May 2020

When I went to college in the forties, I could not have imagined questioning the teacher, the syllabus, or the texts we were given to read. I was at Hunter College, in those days still a women's college with a high percentage of women faculty, even a few women administrators. None of these persons, however, seemed concerned about the fact that the entire curriculum taught women that their education would carry them into domesticity and/or jobs in school teaching, social work, the library, or, if they were exceptional, on a women's college campus. The message of the curriculum was, in short: men achieve and work; women love and marry. The twin message of love and marriage, I should add, was present in sociology and literature: elsewhere, women were almost entirely absent, except for the traditional nudes painted by scores of male artists one viewed in art history.
Higher Education Policy: Implications for Gender-Balancing the Curriculum
Authors: Mulkeen Thomas A.
Published: May 2020

American higher education has been molded by forces outside the educational community. From the Civil War through the mid-1970's our political leadership considered investment in education good for the economy and, therefore, good public policy. This link between schooling and the economic system developed as the United States moved from an agrarian to an industrial economy. Industrialization demanded skills that neither the family nor the church could provide, and tax-supported public higher education was to assist the transformation to an industrial society. The catalyst for this transformation came in 1862 with the passage of the Morrill Act establishing the land grant colleges. These new institutions emphasized the development of technical skills and the application of scientific principles to agriculture, industry and commerce.
Women, Political Action and Political Participation
Authors: Sapiro Virginia
Published: May 2020

The intriguing thing about the study of political behavior is that it focuses our attention directly on “the people” in a political system. Without the existence and actions of people a political system has no meaning — it could not exist. There have been attempts to break this rule, but they have not been successful. There is a spot under the North Sea off the coast of England, for example, that continued to have parliamentary representation long after the sea had buried what was once the important port of Dunwich. This was one of the famous “rotten boroughs”. This make-believe borough, however, required the political action of real people to have political meaning, even if the real people had to act in rowboats.
Illinois: A Bibliographical Essay
Authors: Gove Samuel k.
Published: May 2020

The study of Illinois government and politics is made immensely more enjoyable and possible by a rich and long-standing body of written material. Most aspects of the state's past and present governance and political processes have been documented and researched.

Before discussing Illinois documents, it is well to consider the broad characteristics of the state. Illinois is a large industrial and agricultural state in the Midwest. The population is now eleven million, the state has been described as a microcosm of the nation both on an economic and political basis. For this reason alone, Illinois is well worth studying. It has played an important role in several recent federal elections, and at the state level its politics continue to fascinate researchers on political behavior. As for the economic sphere, it should be noted that Illinois exports more products than any other state in the Union.
The Judicial Function Under the Constitution: Theory and Practice
Authors: Abraham Henry J.
Published: May 2020

No branch of the American system of government has been at once less understood and more misunderstood than the judiciary. Yet it may well be argued — and I propose to do so — that the so-called “least dangerous branch” (Hamilton's half-truth) is, in the final analysis, the most powerful of the three in its impact upon the nature and character of our constitutional law. Notwithstanding rampant, and indubitably often justified, criticism, it is also seen by the public as both the most trustworthy and the most professional of the three. And incidentally — or not so incidentally — it also ranks high, indeed, in that perception among all visible public and private groups, with Congress consistently bringing up the rear, outranked in the booby realm only by lawyers (what delicious irony!) and labor unions.
Teaching Law : The Logic of American Gov't Through Administrative Law
Authors: Feldman Daniel L.
Published: May 2020

Administrative law provides the concepts and the logical framework that explain American government. The fundamental questions of modern American government and of administrative law are the same: by what right do the agencies of government operate? Are there limits on their powers? Who sets the limits? What are the limits? Where is the line drawn between Congress and the agencies in the allocation of policy–making authority? How much access to the courts should be available to the citizen who seeks protection of his or her individual rights against government — agency — power? To what extent must the government spell out rules in advance, and to what extent may a citizen find himself or herself in trouble for doing something that had not previously or usually resulted in prosecution?
A Case Study in Policy Analysis : The Controversy over Tax Exemptions for Private Schools
Authors: Ruscio Kenneth P.
Published: May 2020

Debates persist about the use of case studies as a research methodology, but regardless of how that issue is resolved, the judicious use of case studies as a teaching instrument can be very effective. The controversy over tax exemptions for private schools which discriminate on the basis of race serves as one example. Questions about theory, political institutions, and substantive policy issues abound, and the timeliness and sensitivity of the issue make for a stimulating study of American government and public policy.

On January 8, 1982, the Reagan Administration announced that private schools which discriminate on the basis of race would no longer be denied tax-exempt status. The Administration defended this policy change as an effort to prevent bureaucrats from making policy in the absence of specific guidance from Congress.
Teaching Through Informal Debate
Authors: Spracher William C.
Published: May 2020

In the Summer 1982 issue of NEWS, W. Rick Johnson in an article entitled "Some Strategies for Teaching Students Critical Thinking" delved into a subject which has often bedeviled those of us who have ever taught political science to undergraduates. Like Johnson, I found that the basic exam/term paper format is inadequate and needs to be expanded upon to excite the average student about politics and get him thinking critically and independently.

Between 1979 and 1982, I taught five semesters of a core course in politics and government to second year cadets at the United States Military Academy (USMA), four of which were for regular course students and one at a more advanced level. The other semester I taught an elective in comparative political systems and an evening colloquium series on intelligence and public policy. At that institution I found I needed to search for an even more effective tool to spark student interest due to a couple of institutional constraints not faced by instructors at civilian colleges. First of all, only recently has West Point begun to institute a major's program.
The Citizen and Local Government : Teaching Strategic Thinking and Problem Solving
Authors: Cline Paul C. , Graham P. Tony
Published: May 2020

It is a paradox that the level of government which is closest to us is the level that we know the least about. Local government is overseen and managed often literally by neighbors, but what the neighbors do and how they do it remain unknown quantities to most people. It might well be the responsibility of the school system to place more emphasis on local government in its curriculum. The tasks of local government, while affecting us severely (where we live?), are often not excessively complicated.

One such important task that can be studied in the classroom is zoning. Zoning is the dividing of the local jurisdiction into areas designated for particular uses; other uses are prohibited. For instance, some parts of the city or county may be designated for residential use, other parts for business, and still other zones for manufacturing.
The First Year of the Political Science Micro Review
Authors: Garson G. David
Published: May 2020

Though humble, the Political ScienceMicro Review (PSMR) is the only social science-oriented microcomputer periodical in the United States. Founded in 1982, it provides low-cost software for microcomputer users at over a hundred institutions affiliated with the network which it serves. Moreover, virtually all microcomputer software produced through the PSMR is donated to the public domain by the North Carolina State University Public Service Research and Computer Laboratory and other network members. Panels and workshops supplement PSMR activities, including three scheduled for the 1983 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting.

Background

In 1979 the public Service Research and Computer Laboratory was established in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at North Carolina State University.
Microcomputer Simulations of Presidential Elections
Authors: Ross Robert S.
Published: May 2020

Simulations have been an important adjunct to instructional programs for some time. These have ranged from games, or role playing exercises, such as SIMSOC or Internation Simulation, to student-machine interaction, such as the inter-school simulation run out of University of California, Santa Barbara in the early 70's, to the all machine activities found in some of the early SETUPS. Having social science students use the mainframe computer, however, always posed problems: it definitely was not user-friendly and most instructors had little if any training or interest in the use of large scale systems.

The wide-spread use of the micro computer is not only revolutionizing areas traditionally relying upon the computer, but is going to have an impact on the social sciences as well.
El polimorfismo Taql A del gen del receptor D2 de la dopamina no se asocia con la búsqueda de novedad, la evitación del daño y la dependencia de la recompensa en los sujetos sanos
Authors: de Brettes B. , Berlin I. , Laurent C. , Lépine J. P. , Mallet J. , Puech A. J.
Published: May 2020

Se ha encontrado que el alelo A1 del polimorfismo de longitud de fragmentos de restricción (RFLP) Taql A del gen del receptor D2 de dopamina está asociado con el abuso de sustancias y el alcoholismo. El rasgo de personalidad búsqueda de la novedad (BN) se asocia también con el abuso y la dependencia de sustancias. Sobre la base de la implicación de mecanismos dopaminérgicos en el abuso de sustancias, formamos la hipótesis de que la presencia del alelo A1 del gen del receptor D2 de dopamina puede representar una predisposición genérica para el rasgo de personalidad BN. Por tanto, investigamos si el alelo A1 del RFLP Tagí A del gen del receptor D2 de dopamina se asocia con la dimensión de BN del Cuestionario Tridimensional de la Personalidad (TPQ) en sujetos caucasianos sanos sin historia de abuso o dependencia de alcohol o sustancias. Determinamos el genotipo de 204 sujetos de 18 a 30 años edad. No hubo asociación entre ninguno de los alelos de los genes del receptor D2 y ninguna de las puntuaciones del TPQ (BN, Evitación del daño, Dependencia de la recompensa). Concluimos que el alelo A1 del RFLP Taql A del receptor D2 de dopamina no se asocia con el rasgo de personalidad BN en los sujetos caucasianos sanos.