bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Component in Assessing Teacher Education Programs
Authors: Reinhartz Judy , Beach Don M.
Published: March 2007

Principals bring a valuable perspective to the evaluation of teacher education programs, according to these writers.
The School to College Transition: A Difficult Journey
Authors: Mazzuea Lois C.
Published: March 2007

The counselor's role in helping the student bridge the gap from high school to college is critical, says this writer, who warns that if financial considerations con tinue to result in fewer counselors, the transition may become an impos sible journey.
What Do You Send Us, Let Us Count the Ways
Authors: Vaillancourt James R.
Published: March 2007

Secondary schools, by pre paring illegible, unorganized, in complete, or just plain sloppy docu ments, often make it unnecessarily dif ficult for admis sions officers to evaluate the rec ords submitted to them. An admis sions director dis cusses some of the handicaps to com munication.
Making Adult Basic Education Work: A Change in Emphasis
Authors: Lane Richard W.
Published: March 2007

Recruiting functionally illiterate adults for basic education classes, and keeping them there, need not be so difficult a task, says this writer, if certain changes are made in the approach to such programs.
Bridging Programs for the Gifted And Talented in Junior and Senior High Schools
Authors: Salmon Daniel A. , Klein Gerald , Rieck William A.
Published: March 2007

All schools should establish structures that permit monitoring, continuity, and responsiveness to specific needs of gifted and talented young people.
A National Study of Schools In the Middle—Perspectives On Five Issues
Authors: Valentine Jerry W.
Published: March 2007

The project chairman of NASSP's National Study of Schools in the Middle highlights in this article what he considers the more significant and interesting findings of the study as they relate to the daily activities of the middle level principal.
A Behavior Management Plan for Middle Level Students
Authors: Preston Frederic B.
Published: March 2007

Here's a plan that works in one middle school that utilizes the interdisciplinary team approach to identify and coordinate re sponses to student misconduct.
Teacher Advisory Programs—Strategies for Successful Implementation
Authors: Shockley Robert , Schumacher Richard , Smith Denis
Published: March 2007

An extended guidance program is critically important to the success of a middle level program, according to these writers, who outline the steps needed to implement such a program.
Massachusetts School Administrators Celebrate 100 Years—Contribution To Education Described
Authors: Holland Bertram H.
Published: March 2007

The Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators' Associa tion (MSSAA) will celebrate its centennial during the 1984-1985 school year. Founded in the fall of 1884 as the High School Masters' Club of Massachusetts, the MSSAA is probably the oldest statewide professional association of secondary school administrators in the United States.
Curriculum, Instruction, and Supervision—Their Relationship and the Role of The Principal
Authors: Ornstein Allan C.
Published: March 2007

Clarifying the relationship of curriculum, instruction, and super vision, this educator believes, will not only help the teach ing/learning situation in general, but will also help principals in their decision-making role by knowing the dynamic nature of the three components and how they interact.
The Effective Principal: Leader or Manager?
Authors: Anderson Robert E. , Lavid Jean S.
Published: March 2007

Should the effective principal emphasize leadership or mana gerial functions? In considering the question, these writers pro vide the basis for reader evaluation of their own unique situa tions.
Advisement Programs— Improving Teacher-Student Relationships, School Climate
Authors: Keefe James W.
Published: March 2007

Personalization is the key to making schools exciting and pro ductive places of learning, writes NASSP's research director, who describes here the advisement process and how it is the heart of personalization.
Understanding Teacher Behavior in the Classroom: A Must for Sound Evaluation
Authors: Anderson Lorin W.
Published: March 2007

A great deal more information is necessary about the constraints and demands placed on teachers before we can begin to conduct sound, defensible evaluations of teachers based on their class room performance. That's the finding of the study described by this writer.
Improving the Academic Performance of Athletes
Authors: Thompson Rosemary
Published: March 2007

Student athletes have certain needs that differ from the general student population, says this writer, who proposes a com prehensive program to enhance their academic potential.
Evaluation to Revision: Putting the Attendance Policy to the Test
Authors: Andrews Charles S.
Published: March 2007

Some problems with student attendance may be solved by revis ing the attendance policy. Identifying problems, getting the help you need, and following through are all important to updating the current policy and will help make your attendance policy effective and clear.
American and Japanese Principals: A Comparative Analysis of Instructional Leadership
Authors: Bartell Carol A. , Willis David B.
Published: March 2007

What role do Japanese and American principals play in effec tive schools? How do their views of the principalship com pare ? How do their job responsibilities differ? These researchers compare principals and the principalship in two vastly different cultures.
Instructional Leadership—Can It Be Measured Validly? Who Performs What Functions?
Authors: Anderson Carolyn S. , Nicholson Glen I.
Published: March 2007

Little is known about how instructional leadership is provided in secondary schools, claim these educators, who describe their investigation of an instrument for measuring the leader ship functions of principals, assistant principals, and depart ment chairpersons.
The Principal New to a School—What Questions To Ask About the Facility
Authors: Lane Kenneth E. , Betz Loren E.
Published: March 2007

These writers offer a list of questions every new principal should ask about the school building. Knowing the answers will help to ensure that the building is maintained properly.
Building School Culture: An Open Letter To Principals
Authors: Lambert Linda G.
Published: March 2007

The following comments are part of the diary of one princi pal. They represent a reflection on what seemed to facilitate the journey toward a healthy school culture. Her intention was to influence the belief structure of a school and commu nity so that their capacity for personal and professional growth would be enhanced.
The Effect of Homework Policies on Student Achievement
Authors: Palardy J. Michael
Published: March 2007

This writer takes a practical look at the pros and cons of assigning homework, and offers a number of recommenda tions for effective homework procedures.
Does an A Really Equal Learning?
Authors: Haley Beverly
Published: March 2007

Do good grades on a report card necessarily mean that the student learned the material? No, says this author, who exam ines the real meaning—or lack of meaning—of grades.
C-Average Rule: The Educational Psychology Behind It
Authors: Tauber Robert T.
Published: March 2007

The C-Average Rule is a hotly contested issue. What educa tional psychologists have to say about the issue should help principals who are often caught in the middle.
Student Handbooks: An Analysis of Contents
Authors: Purvis Johnny R. , Leonard Rex
Published: March 2007

These writers surveyed administrators in 713 schools in 48 states regarding student handbooks. An analysis of their find ings is presented here.
Curriculum Theory and Practice: Considerations for the 1990s and Beyond
Authors: Mccutcheon Gail
Published: March 2007

Research has opened some new ways of conceiving curriculum, theory, and practice in the last few years. This article explores some of those options and raises implications and issues related to them.
Clinical Supervision: the Role of the Principal
Authors: Sullivan Richard L. , Wircenski Jerry L.
Published: March 2007

Clinical supervision is one way for the principal to evaluate teacher performance. These authors review the process and offer suggestions designed to ensure quality instruction.
Ethical Excellence for School-Based Administrators
Authors: Doggett Maran
Published: March 2007

Administrators make hundreds of decisions each year that affect the academic and ethical quality of their school. This writer offers 12 practical examples of such situations.
Ethics, Evaluation, and the Secondary Principal
Authors: Seldin Clement A.
Published: March 2007

The biases principals hold can affect the quality of teacher evaluations. This writer provides five "commandments" designed to help principals develop a sound basis for professional ethics.
The Principal's Role in the Multi-Disciplinary Assessment Team
Authors: Mcinerney William , Swenson Stuart
Published: March 2007

Administrators who are also instructional leaders should expand their involvement in the instructional program to include special education. One way to do this is through participation in a multi-disciplinary assessment team.
Reducing Adolescent Alienation: Strategies for the High School
Authors: Seldin Clement A.
Published: March 2007

The strategies that follow are suggestions, says this writer. Taken singly, their impact may be minimal. Taken as an integrated system, they may make a significant difference in the lives of students, teachers, and administrators.
Youth Alienation: Implications for Administrators
Authors: Wynne Edward A.
Published: March 2007

We know some important things about youth alienation, and principals should have this information and understand its practical implications, according to this writer. Educators have taken some real steps in dealing with long-term increases in youth alienation, he says, but they still have a long way to go.
Using the Research for Effective Supervision: Measuring a Teacher's Questioning Techniques
Authors: Roberts JO , Zody Melody
Published: March 2007

Here's a practical, research-based process designed to help principals assist teachers in developing questioning skills.
Three Fields of Research Help Mold the Future of Education
Authors: Hunter Brother Eagan
Published: March 2007

School administrators and teachers realize that the nation is calling upon its schools to improve the quality of graduates. Learning styles, brain behavior, and thinking skills research can help educators meet that challenge,
Senior Surveys—a Valuable Planning Tool for Administrators
Authors: Hughes Evelyn , Orr William T.
Published: March 2007

Administrators at this school survey graduating seniors to learn their perceptions of the curricular program, and use that information in planning for the following year. The questions used and the significant responses are reviewed on the following pages.
Solving G.P.A. and Class Rank Problems
Authors: Gilman David A. , Swan Edward
Published: March 2007

G.P.A. and class rank are so firmly entrenched in our educational process that most schools will not be able to do away with them. However, we should not expect the ranking of students in order of their accumulated grades to be a fair ranking, nor should we expect that any attempt to make the system fairer will produce fewer problems than the system it has modified.
Outcomes of Grouping Students in Mainstreamed Middle School Classrooms
Authors: Swank Paul R. , Taylor Ronald D. , Brady Michael P. , Cooley Robin , Freiberg H. Jerome
Published: March 2007

Analyses of instruction in main streamed, middle school classrooms suggest that when compared to homogeneous grouping, heteroge neous placement is more closely associated with "effective teaching" behaviors. However, there are both desirable and undesirable outcomes associated with both placement practices.
Evaluation By Checklist: Debating the Effectiveness
Authors: Pigford Aretha B.
Published: March 2007

Bubblemania is a disease that seems to be spreading throughout school districts. The causes are known, the symptoms are becoming increasingly evident, and the results may be potentially devastating to teaching and learning.
Principals Can Be Effective Managers and Instructional Leaders
Authors: Donmoyer Robert , Wagstaff Juanita Garcia
Published: March 2007

By the nature of their positions, principals are to some extent instructional leaders. Six manage rial tasks inherent in the principal ship can significantly affect teaching and learning. How prin cipals handle these tasks deter mines their effectiveness as man agers and instructional leaders.
Sharing Instructional Leadership— a View To Strengthening the Principal's Position
Authors: Cunard Robert F.
Published: March 2007

Secondary school principals are expected to provide instructional leadership, but the everyday demands of the principalship compromise their ability to ade quately fulfill that role, according to this writer, who challenges the traditional role of the principal. The editors invite reader reaction to this perspective.
What Principals Must Know Before Assuming the Role of Instructional Leader
Authors: Carter Carolyn J. , Klotz Jack
Published: March 2007

To create an effective school, principals must make learning and teaching their highest school priority, say these writers. The expectation that students can learn, will learn, and must learn—they say—should be the battle cry of all principals seeking higher student achievement.
The Mentor-Intern Relationship: Making the Most of Learning From Experience
Authors: Barnett Bruce G.
Published: March 2007

How can mentors and interns make the most of learning from their experience by observing and providing feedback to one anoth er? The suggestions provided here are based on the experi ences of professors at Indiana Uni versity, where these strategies are being incorporated into a Dan orth Foundation-sponsored princi pal preparation program.
A View of RE : Learning from The Delaware Statehouse
Authors: Foss Helen
Published: March 2007

The groundwork for Delaware's RE:Learning project was laid in the governor's office, as detailed by this writer.
The First Year of RE:Learning at Laurel Central Middle School
Authors: Taylor Edward E.
Published: March 2007

This principal describes what occurred in his school following the first year of participation in the RE:Learning project.
The Importance of Networking In the Restructuring Process
Authors: Roberts Harold
Published: March 2007

This principal, also a participant in the RE:Learning project, shares his per spective and experience, and his belief in the value of networking to any change effort.
A Practical Approach to Organizing Curriculum
Authors: Harkins William
Published: March 2007

Each school has its own curriculum story. An important leadership role of the principal is to focus the search for curriculum and curriculum improve ment around specific questions. The basic journalistic questions-who, what, where, why, etc.—provide such a focus.
Helping Teachers To Plan: The Role of the Principal
Authors: Juarez Tina
Published: March 2007

Teacher planning—especially with regard to student evaluation-is a neglected area. It is incumbent upon the principal, as instructional leader, to encourage teachers to plan and to value planning.
Teacher Planning: A Foundation For Effective Instruction
Authors: Glatthorn Allan A.
Published: March 2007

Here's an overview of what the research says, along with a look at what principals can do to help teachers plan more effectively.
Teacher Observation Forms: A New Look at an Old Technique
Authors: Bronowski Carl , Toms-Bronowski Susan , Bearden Kenneth J.
Published: March 2007

Teacher observation forms may appear simple, but considerable preparation is necessary if they are to be used effec tively. Offered here is a sample form and suggestions for its use.
Encouraging Thoughtful Teaching: Another View of the Pre-Observation Conference
Authors: Phelps Patricia H.
Published: March 2007

The pre-observation conference should allow the teacher to think criti cally about the proposed lesson. The conference structure proposed here is designed to ensure that such reflec tion occurs.
Planning for Professional Growth: A Process for Administrators
Authors: Wilmore B. Elaine , Erlandson David A.
Published: March 2007

Described here is a method administrators can use to review their performance, evaluate, and plan for their own professional growth.
The Principal as Instructional Leader: Past Influences and Current Resources
Authors: Niece Richard D.
Published: March 2007

What constitutes instructional leader ship? To whom do principals turn for advice on such leadership? The study reported here sought to answer such questions.
The Instructional Leadership Team: A New Role for the Department Head
Authors: Worner Wayne , Brown Glenn
Published: March 2007

In an effort to examine the changing role of the principal with respect to instructional leadership, and the extent to which those responsibilities are shared and with whom, a series of studies has been conducted at Vir ginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va. Several of those studies are reviewed here.
Restructuring To Improve Student Performance
Authors: Edwards Clarence M.
Published: March 2007

If high schools are to successfully educate all students, they need the efficiency of the four-period day and concrete incentives to promote learning, according to this writer, who provides a look at how the system would work.
Setting Standards for Students: The Case for Authentic Assessment
Authors: Darling-Hammond Linda
Published: March 2007

When assessment allows students to achieve challenging goals in authentic ways, it creates more than just high scores—it creates confident and capable learners.
The Principal: A Leader in a Democratic Society
Authors: Calabrese Raymond L. , Barton Angela M.
Published: March 2007

Educating young people to live in a de mocracy is more than teaching about American heroes, saluting the flag, or singing the national anthem. It is the se rious process of engaging in the renewal of a commitment to how we want to live as a people.
Can a Principal Run the Show and Be a Democratic Leader?
Authors: Hoyle John R.
Published: March 2007

Committees or principals do not run schools; rather, they share a vision of success and empower one another to make their vision a reality.
Non-Traditional Sources Of Revenue: South Dakota's Experience
Authors: Garnos Michael L. , King Richard A.
Published: March 2007

How can school districts raise more money at a time when the public is not inclined to accept higher taxes or to designate a larger portion of the "financial pie" earmarked for educa tion?
Parental Involvement: A Key to Successful Schools
Authors: Coulombe Gérard
Published: March 2007

Staff members who enjoy strong parental support have programs in place that actively seek to involve parents and frequently demonstrate to them how to get involved.
Concurrent School Transformation: Resolving the Dilema
Authors: Giella Mary , Stanfill Myndall
Published: March 2007

Without a well-educated population, we cannot hope to compete in a global economy. Yet, we are told by business and industry representa tives that we are not preparing graduates who can meet the demands of the workplace. What can we do to help resolve that dilemma?
Block Scheduling the High School: The Effects on Achievement, Behavior, And Student-Teacher Relationships
Authors: Eineder Dale V. , Bishop Harold L.
Published: March 2007

As high schools across the nation seek to improve delivery of instruc tion, increasing numbers are turning to block scheduling. Many ques tions face school communities that are trying to decide whether or not to move to block scheduling. This article seeks to answer questions about block scheduling by discussing current knowledge and by report ing the results of a study conducted at a small rural high school.
An Objective Look at Math Outcomes Based on New Research Into Block Scheduling
Authors: Wronkovich Michael , Hess Caryl A. , Robinson James E.
Published: March 2007

Block scheduling, Copernican scheduling, macro scheduling, 4 x 4 scheduling, 3 x 3 scheduling—all these names have been applied to a form of restructuring of the school day. What effect does the block schedule have on student performance in math?
The Journalist as Writer
Authors: Bowie John
Published: March 2007

It's the journalist's obligation to avoid both the cerebral peaks and rarified air of the literary commu nity and the substandard committee writing of who-what-when-where news, to apply "direct perceptions" and "immediate intuitions" to events, and to express those verdicts regularly in clear and cogent prose. It's the editor's obligation to have faith in that prose.
Symbolic Interactionism and Ethnomethodology: A Perspective on Qualitative Research
Authors: Soloski John , Daley Patrick
Published: March 2007

The researcher who opts for the phenomenological approach must further explore the methods he/she employs in order to identify their ad hoc nature.
The protective shell of information
Authors: Gelstharp David
Published: March 2007

Outlines the categories of information required to monitor the performance of a company, its industrial sector, competitors, customers and suppliers.
Company ranking lists in UK business magazines
Authors: Blake Paul
Published: March 2007

Examines company ranking lists published in UK business magazines and details the coverage of 62 major rankings
Modal Preferences Predict Elderly Patients' Life-sustaining Treatment Choices as Well as Patients' Chosen Surrogates Do
Authors: Smucker William D. , Houts Renate M. , Danks Joseph H. , Ditto Peter H. , Fagerlin Angela , Coppola Kristen M.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of an actuarial method of predicting patients' preferences for life-sustaining treatment with the accuracy of surrogate decision makers. 401 outpatients 65 years old or older (mean = 73 years) and their self-designated surrogate decision makers recorded preferences for four life-sustaining medical treatments in nine hypothetical illness scenarios. The surrogates did not predict the patients' preferences more accurately than did an actuarial model using modal preferences. Surrogates' accuracy was not influenced by the use of an advance directive (AD) or discussion of life-sustaining treatment choices. In clinical practice, an actuarial model could assist surrogate decision makers when a patient has no AD, an AD is unavailable, a patient's AD is vague or describes treatment choices for only extreme or unlikely disease states, no proxy decision maker has been designated, or a patient was never competent. Key words: decision making; advance directives; substituted judgment; elderly; surrogates; actuarial. (Med Decis Making 2000;20:271- 280)
The Effectiveness of One-to-one Risk-communication Interventions in Health Care
Authors: Edwards Adrian , Hood Kerenza , Matthews Elaine , Russell Daphne , Russell Ian , Barker Jacqueline , Bloor Michael , Burnard Philip , Covey Judith , Pill Roisin , Wilkinson Clare , Stott Nigel
Published: March 2007

Objectives. To assess whether risk-communication interventions are associated with changes in patient knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, and to identify aspects of these interventions that modify these effects. Design. Systematic review. Data sources. 96 studies from the period 1985-1996 retrieved by electronic searching of eight databases, hand searching of four journals, contacting key authors, and reference list searching. Main outcome measures. The effect size of the principal outcome was identified from each study. Outcomes measuring behavioral change were preferred; if these were not available, knowledge, anxiety, or risk perceptions were used, according to the focus of the study. Data were available to calculate the principal effect sizes for 82 of the studies. Analysis. Meta-regression. Results. The methodologic qualities of the studies varied. Nevertheless, risk-communication interventions generally had positive (beneficial) effects. Interventions addressing treatment choices were associated with larger effects than were those in other contexts, such as prevention or screening. Interventions using individual risk estimates were associated with larger effects than were those using more general risk information. Two design variables were identified as effect modifiers: randomized controlled trials were associated with smaller effects than other designs, and dichotomous outcomes were associated with larger effects than continuous outcomes. Conclusions. Risk communication interventions may be most productive if they include individual risk estimates in the discussion between professional and patient. Patient decisions about treatment appear more amenable to change by these interventions than attendance for screening or modification of risky behavior. Key words: risk communication; prevention interventions; patient behavioral changes; systematic review. (Med Decis Making 2000;20:290-297)
Life Expectancy Biases in Clinical Decision Modeling
Authors: Kuntz Karen M. , Weinstein Milton C.
Published: March 2007

Clinical decision models often rely upon survival models predicated on disease-specific hazard functions combined with baseline hazard functions obtained from standard life tables. Two biases may arise in such a modeling process. First, life expectancy estimates may be biased even if estimates of survival probabilities are unbiased (misestimation bias). In sim ulation studies, the authors discovered that the magnitude of misestimation bias is larger as life expectancy increases, sample size decreases, and censoring percentage increases. In the context of a simple decision analysis, they found that imbalances in the sample sizes for the data used to estimate the parameters among different strategies resulted in non- optimal decisions in the long run. The second bias stems from misspecification of the survival model itself (misspecification bias). Using a simple cost-effectiveness model, the authors found that life expectancies and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios differed depending on whether an excess-mortality or a proportional-hazards model was specified. In addition, a predictable pattern was observed for these two survival models when extrapolated to other age and gender groups. Key words: Markov models; Markov-cycle tree; decision making; excess-mortality model; proportional-hazards model; life expectancy. (Med Decis Making 1995;15:158-169)
Empirical Bayes Combination of Estimated Areas under ROC Curves Using Estimating Equations
Authors: Zhou Xiao H.
Published: March 2007

A synthesis of the empirical Bayes method and the method of estimating equations is used to combine individual receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area estimates from different studies of the same diagnostic test into a single estimate. This single estimate represents the population mean from which individual areas under the ROC curves were sampled. The only data needed to carry out the method are estimated areas under the ROC curves and the corresponding standard errors. Key words: ROC curves; empirical Bayes method. (Med Decis Making 1996;16:24-28)
Performance of a Neural Network Trained to Make Third-molar Treatment-planning Decisions
Authors: Brickley Mark R. , Shepherd Jonathan P.
Published: March 2007

The authors developed and tested 12 neural networks of different architectures to make lower-third-molar treatment-planning decisions, using a software-based neural network (Neudesk 1.2, Neural Computer Sciences, Southampton, UK). Network train ing was undertaken using clinical histories from 119 patients (with 238 lower third molars) referred for treatment planning (79 females and 40 males, mean age 25 years) together with output data consisting of actual treatments planned by a senior oral surgeon. Both the input clinical data and the consultant decisions were treated on a tooth-wise basis and were coded to numerical values. Binary data (e.g., present/ab sent) were coded to 1 and 0, while quantitative data (e.g., age) were scaled to fall between 0 and 1. A network based on the optimal architecture was trained and then interrogated with test data derived from a further 174 patients (119 females and 55 males, mean age 26 years) with 348 lower third molars. Network decisions were di chotomized with a threshold of 0.8. With no knowledge of the network decisions, the senior oral surgeon indicated his preferred treatments. The teeth were then assigned to "gold-standard" categories of indications present or absent based on National In stitutes of Health consensus criteria. Against this, the network achieved a sensitivity of 0.78, which was slightly inferior to that of the oral surgeon (0.88), although this difference was not significant, and a specificity of 0.98, compared with 0.99 for the oral surgeon (p = NS). Agreement between the oral surgeon and network decisions was very high (kappa = 0.850). This study demonstrates that it is possible to train a neural network to provide reliable decision support for lower-third-molar treatment planning. Key words: Decision support; neural network; third molars. (Med Decis Making 1996; 16:153-160)
Diagnostic Value of Signs and Symptoms Associated with Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease Seen in General Practice
Authors: Stoffers Henri E.J.H. , Kester Arnold D.M. , Kaiser Victor , Rinkens Paula E.L.M. , Knottnerus J. André
Published: March 2007

Objectives. To assess the diagnostic values of single and combined data from the history, physical examination, and medical record with regard to peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) in patients with leg complaints; to construct a multivariable model for the clinical diagnosis of PAOD by primary care physicians. Setting. 18 gen eral practice centers in The Netherlands. Design. Cross-sectional comparison of signs, symptoms, and data from the medical record with the independently assessed ankle- brachial systolic pressure index (ABPI; cutoff point < 0.90); analysis: bivariate, multiple logistic regression (MLR). Population. 2,455 individuals with leg complaints, aged 40.7-78.4 years; ABPI < 0.90 present in 9.2% of legs (11.7% of individuals). Outcome measures. Clinical variables: sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PV+, PV-), diagnostic odds ratio (OR); models: likelihood ratio test, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results. Bivariate analysis: highest sensitivity: age more than 60 years (77.3%); highest specificity: wounds or sores on toes and foot (99.7%); highest PV+: typical intermittent claudication (IC) (45.0%) (abnormal foot pulses 41.3%); highest PV-: strong pulses of both foot arteries (97.7%). MLR: the best-performing model (AUC 0.89) consisted of ten clinical varia bles : gender (OR 1.5), age more than 60 (OR 2.2); IC (OR 3.5); palpation of the skin temperature of the feet (OR 2.5), palpation of both foot pulses [OR 16.4 (abnormal) and 7.0 (doubtful)], auscultation of the femoral artery (OR 3.5); previous diagnosis of IHD (OR 1.7) or diabetes (OR 1.6), history of smoking (OR 2.1), and elevated blood pressure (OR 1.5). The range of predicted probabilities was 0.4-98%. The Hosmer- Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test indicated good overall fit (p = 0.52). Conclusions. Pal pation of both foot pulses is the key procedure for the clinical diagnosis of PAOD. Traditional clinical evaluation enables the general practitioner to exclude the diagnosis of PAOD in many individuals with a high degree of certainty, to establish the diagnosis in a small group of patients, and to define a limited group of patients where supple mentary noninvasive testing is appropriate. The MLR model can be used as a diag nostic checklist and as a reference for the physician's clinical hypothesis. Key words: peripheral arterial disease, intermittent claudication, diagnosis, general practice, mul tiple logistic regression. (Med Decis Making 1997;17:61-70)
The impact of Computer-assisted Test Interpretation on Physician Decision Making
Authors: Brailer David J. , Kroch Eugene , Pauly Mark V.
Published: March 2007

This research investigated the effect of computer-assisted test interpretation (CATI) on physicians' readings of electrocardiograms (ECGs). The authors used an experimental method based on direct observations of 22 cardiologists, each reading 80 ECGs, for a total of 1,760 (of which 1,745 were used in the study). There were 40 sets of clini cally-matched pairs of ECGs, one with CATI and one without. Reading time was ob served and interpretation accuracy was measured by criterion-referenced aggregate scoring. To control for potential biases, the findings were subjected to multivariate analyses using ordinary least-squares regressions. The impact of CATI on cardiolo gists' readings of ECGs is demonstrably beneficial: the main empirical conclusion of this study is that, compared with conventional interpretation, the use of computer- assisted interpretation of ECGs cuts physician time by an average of 28% and signif icantly improves the concordance of the physician's interpretation with the expert benchmark, without increasing the false-positive rate. Moreover, CATI is the most ac curate and saves the most time when the ECGs have many unambiguous diagnoses. Given that computers alone cannot perform the task of cardiovascular diagnosis, and that cardiologists' ECG interpretations are greatly enhanced by ubiquitous CATI tech nology, it appears that the best approach is one that combines person and machine. Key words: electrocardiogram interpretation; computer-assisted test interpretation; physician decision making; diagnostic concordance; technology utilization. (Med Decis Making 1997;17:80-86)
Preference Values for Visual States in Patients Planning to Undergo Cataract Surgery
Authors: Bass Eric B. , Wills Stacey , Scott Ingrid U. , Javitt Jonathan C. , Tielsch James M. , Schein Oliver D. , Steinberg Earl P.
Published: March 2007

To assess how preference values that cataract surgery patients assign to their preoperative visual states relate to visual acuity and problems in specific aspects of daily life, the authors interviewed 47 patients scheduled to have cataract surgery. Using a rating-scale technique with a scale from 0 (death) to 1 (excellent health), the patients had a mean preference value of 0.68 for their preoperative vision. Patients' preference values for their preoperative vision were more closely related to problems in specific aspects of daily life (especially feelings of depression and problems interacting with people) than to visual acuity in the operative eye, better eye, or worse eye, or a weighted average of visual acuities in both eyes. These results provide a rationale for relying more on patients' views about the effects of visual impairment than on measures of visual acuity when assessing the need for cataract surgery. Key words: patient preference values; cataract surgery; visual impairment; rating scale. (Med Decis Mak ing 1997;17:324-330)
Carrier Screening for Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Asch David A. , Hershey John C. , Dekay Michael L. , Pauly Mark V. , Patton James P. , Jedrziewski M. Kathryn , Frei Frances , Giardine Rose , Kant Jeffrey A. , Mennuti Michael T.
Published: March 2007

Objectives. To evaluate the costs and clinical effects of 16 alternative strategies for cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier screening in the reproductive setting; and to test the sensitivity of the results to assumptions about cost and detection rate, stakeholder perspective, DNA test specificity, chance of nonpaternity, and couples' reproductive plans. Method. Cost-effectiveness analysis. Results. A sequential screening strategy had the lowest cost per CF birth avoided. In this strategy, the first partner was screened with a standard test that identifies 85% of carriers. The second partner was screened with an expanded test if the first partner's screen was positive. This strategy identified 75% of anticipated CF births at a cost of $367,000 each. This figure does not include the lifetime medical costs of caring for a patient with CF, and it assumes that couples who identify a pregnancy at risk will choose to have prenatal diagnosis and termination of affected pregnancies. The cost per CF birth identified is approximately half this figure when couples plan two children. Conclusions. The cost-effectiveness of CF carrier screening depends greatly on couples' reproductive plans. CF carrier screening is most cost-effective when it is performed sequentially, when the information is used for more than one pregnancy, and when the intention of the couple is to identify and terminate affected pregnancies. These conclusions are important for policy considerations regarding population-based screening for CF, and may also have important implications for screening for less common diseases.
Robotic Bevel-gear Differential Train
Authors: Litvin F.L. , Zhang Yi
Published: March 2007

A robotic bevel-gear train with three input parameters is considered. The contents of this paper cover: (1) derivation of basic kinematic equations that relate the train input parame ters and the end-effector direction cosines, (2) determination of singularities in motion of the gear train, and (3) the com putational procedure for the invert kinematics.
Optimization of the Workspace of a Three-Link Turning- Pair Connected Robot Arm
Authors: Lin Chih-Chung Daniel , Freudenstein Ferdinand
Published: March 2007

The workspace of a three-axis, turning-pair connected robot arm has been optimized using algebraic criteria for extreme axial and radial reach and the elimination of voids (Freuden stein and Primrose 1984). Based on these criteria, an effi cient, systematic search procedure has been developed for maximizing the workspace and the rvorkspace-to-void ratio of the R3 robot arm.
Generation of Configuration Space Obstacles: Moving Algebraic Surfaces
Authors: Bajaj Chanderjit , Kim Myung-Soo
Published: March 2007

We present an algebraic algorithm to generate the boundary of configuration space obstacles arising from the translatory motion of curved convex objects among curved convex obsta cles. Both the boundaries of the objects and obstacles are given by patches of algebraic surfaces. Further, we consider obtaining compliant motion paths where a curved convex object with fixed orientation moves in continuous contact with another curved convex obstacle in three-dimensional space. We also give a method to obtain a piecewise algebraic, ap proximate geodesic path on a curved convex C-space obstacle.
Geometric Representation of Swept Volumes with Application to Polyhedral Objects
Authors: Weld John D. , Leu Ming C.
Published: March 2007

A formulation for developing a geometric repre sentation of swept volumes for compact n -manifolds undergo ing general sweeps in R n is presented. This formulation shows that the swept volume of a compact n-manifold in Rn is equal to the union of the swept volume of its boundary with one location of the compact n-manifold in the sweep. This result is significant in that the problem of developing a geo metric representation of swept volumes for n-dimensional objects in Rn is reduced to developing a geometric representa tion of swept volismes for (n - 1)-dimensional objects in Rn. Based on this formulation, the swept volumes of polyhedral objects were generated from the swept volumes of their poly gonal faces.
Comment on "Consistent Integration and Propagation of Disparate Sensor Observations" by H.F. Durrant-Whyte
Authors: Müller Markus A.
Published: March 2007

A small change in a homogeneous transform may be repre sented by either the change in the description vector of the transform or by a differential translation and rotation transfor mation. The differential motion vector describing the differential translation and rotation transformation is in general not equal to the change in the description vector. The calculations in Durrant-Whyte (1987a) are based on the assumption that they are equal and have to be modified accordingly.
Experimental Results for Force Distribution in Cooperating Manipulator Systems Using Local Joint Control
Authors: Luecke G.R. , Gardner J.F.
Published: March 2007

Local control schemes using only position and rate errors to generate control forces are widely used for control of open- chain, serial-link robotic mechanisms, When two or more such open chains interact, closed kinematic chain, redundantly actu ated mechanisms are formed. Recent work has shown that the vector of joint forces produced using a local proportional-plus- derivative feedback scheme for the control of a cooperating manipulator system results in a vector of joint torques with a minimum weighted Euclidean norm. The current work presents the derivation of this force distribution and experimental evi dence to corroborate the analytic results. The data presented are obtained from an experimental cooperating manipulator system developed specifically for use in the application of theo retical control approaches in cooperating hardware systems.
Fast Algorithms for Near-Minimum-Time Control of Robot Manipulators
Authors: Yang Hyun S. , Slotine Jean-Jacques E.
Published: March 2007

Finding minimum-time strategies for point-to-point operation of a robot manipulator is algorithmically difficult and com putationally very intensive, even when the dynamic equations and parameters of the manipulator are precisely known. As a result, the practical applicability of available methods currently is very limited. In this research, fast algorithms to generate near-minimum-time point-to-point motions of a robot manip ulator are proposed, using a "two-step" Lyapunov approach. While not producing exact minimum-time solutions, the algo rithms can be easily used on-line to approximate minimum-time trajectories. The proposed method focuses on changes in the manipulator's kinetic energy during time-optimal motion, in stead of concentrating on the system's state variables, as is usually done in conventional approaches. Its performance is compared in simulation with true optimal solutions and the computed torque method with actuator bounds. The results also suggest that the method may actually compare favorably with "exact" time-optimal solutions when parameter uncertainty is present.
Spatial Reasoning About Robot Compliant Movements and Optimal Paths in Qualitatively Modeled Environments
Authors: Liu Jiming
Published: March 2007

This article describes a framework for qualitatively represent ing and reasoning about spatial configurations. The framework contains interval/region-based formalisms for describing dis tances, angles, and locations. These representations lead to the formulation of inference rules, as well as search-heuristics that enable the derivation of spatial relationships and paths among objects. The qualitative framework can be used in two principal ways: to formulate solutions to spatial configuration problems where exact geometric knowledge is not available, and to provide guidance for the application of quantitative configuration analysis and planning methods. The applications of the proposed framework are demonstrated through simula tion examples that involve inferring constrained instantaneous configurations as well as coupler curves for compliant mo tion planning and deriving collision-free paths for open-chain mechanisms moving among static obstacles.
A New Telerobotic Application: Remote Laparoscopic Surgery Using Satellites and Optical Fiber Networks for Data Exchange
Authors: Rovetta Alberto , Sala Remo , Cosmi Francesca , Wen Xia , Milanesi Santo , Sabbadini Dario , Togno Arianna , Angelini Licinio , Bejczy Antal K.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the significance in human, scientific, and technical terms of the first experiment in telerobotic surgery carried out between the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and the Telerobotics Laboratory of the Politecnico di Milano on 7 July 1993.

An Italian robot in the Telerobotics Laboratory was remotely controlled by an Italian surgeon in the United States. The robot's task was to perform a surgical operation on a model containing a pig's organs, involving execution of a biopsy, aspi ration of organic material, and two incisions in preparation of laparoscopy. Transmission was effected by means of a double satellite link, with three transceiver stations: one in Italy, one close to New York, and one in Pasadena, and two geostation ary satellites, the first over the Atlantic and the second over the United States. The route length of the signals was 150,000 km in each direction, and the two centers are 10,000 km apart.
Contact Force Canonical Decomposition and the Role of Internal Forces in Robust Grasp Planning Problems
Authors: Aicardi Michele , Casalino Giuseppe , Cannata Giorgio
Published: March 2007

This article addresses the problem of grasping rigid objects us ing robot hands. A new formalism is presented that is suitable for representing the space of the contact forces that allow a grasped object to perform an assigned motion, and emphasis is placed on the advantages to be gained from this formalism when planning a "robust grasp. " In particular, a "canoni cal" represeratation of the space of so-called internal forces is given. Within this framework, an algorithm is proposed for the determination of feasible grasping and manipulation forces.
Critical Anthropology Twenty Years Later
Authors: Ulin Robert C.
Published: March 2007

This essay reviews the current claims of political-economy and postmodernism to define the terrain of critical anthropology While it is argued that the marxist concept of labor is inadequate as a theory of social action, it is also argued that postmodernism fails to take into consideration the concrete social conditions of capitalist society that profoundly condition the representational process It is suggested that a metatheory grounded in history and responsive to the problematics of advanced capitalist society is the best means by which to bridge the impasse between political-economy and postmodern anthropology
Transformation as Usual?
Authors: Mathur Chandana
Published: March 2007

■ The present era of 'flexible accumulation' and crisis is widely seen to have engendered distinctive changes in the labour process. The analysis pre sented here explores the ways in which these transformations are experienced and absorbed by hourly wage workers at an aluminium plant in the United States. Of particular interest are the distinct meanings the workers attach to different managerial innovations; thus, the reordering of shift arrangements provokes worker response (and union action) that is quite different from the reaction inspired by the introduction of cooperative worker-management teams at the plant. Using classical Marxian analytical categories, it may be said that the current regimen of workplace control involves some combination of absolute and relative surplus value strategies. By disaggregating this mix of strategies, these workers' narratives help cast some light on the currently raging debate about whether or not we are living in an age of globalization and epochal change.
'Isn't tHe Bride Too Beautiful?' the Case of Jeremiah 6.16-21
Authors: Hoffman Yair
Published: March 2007

'The bride is too beautiful' is a folkloristic Jewish saying. Its original context is the man who, apprehensive of being talked into marriage, points out defects in each potential bride. When at last an apparently perfect woman is found, he denounces her as 'too beautiful'. It is used meta phorically to indicate absurd reasoning which conceals the real motives of one's resentment. However, a too-beautiful bride might indeed be a hindrance rather than a guarantee of successful marriage. In such cases to argue that 'the bride is too beautiful' is not absurd; it is paradoxical.
Prophetic Conflict in Israelite History: Taking Sides With William G. Dever
Authors: Whitelam Keith W.
Published: March 2007

William Dever's claim that my paper is outdated, incompetent and treats archae ological data cavalierly is based on a strategy of misrepresentation and misunder standing. The polarization of the debate into competing camps is misleading in terms of the views of the different scholars who are discussed. The rhetoric of his claim to be fostering inter-disciplinary dialogue is not borne out by the tone and arguments of his rejoinder.