bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contractual or Responsive Accountability? Neo-Centrilist ‘Self-Management’ or Systemic Subsidiarity? Tasmanian Parents' and other Stakeholders' Policy Preferences
Authors: Macpherson R.J.S.
Published: March 2013

WHEN state governments decentralised many administrative responsibilities to schools in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was assumed that they would develop better capacities to manage, develop and govern themselves. In general, such decentralisation attempted to replace bureaucracies with corporate management, focus school evaluation onto the auditing of performance indicators, cut ex-school support structures in favour of locally contracted expertise, and displace hierarchy with collegial networks. The principle of public accountability in public education was redefined as a local obligation to be discharged through managerial, market and political mechanisms.

The research reported here shows that Tasmanian parents actually prefer a far more educative and communitarian approach to accountability, and that this view is broadly shared with other key stakeholders: teachers, principals and state government officials. The empirical findings reported contradict orthodox structures, practices and theory and have substantial implications for policy making.
Autonomy and Conformity: Adorno's Analysis of the Liberal Theory Education
Authors: Maddock Trevor
Published: March 2013

THIS paper is essentially expository. For the first time in the English language, it describes in detail Theodor Adorno's analysis of the liberal theory of education. Adorno is the major figure associated with what is known as the Frankfurt School of critical theorists. Adorno conceives of the development of liberal theory in terms of a dialectical struggle between the principles of individual autonomy and social conformity, a process which has led to contemporary educational failures and difficulties. However, Adorno sees in liberalism not only the root of current problems but also the elements of a solution to these problems.
Education for Sale: A Semiotic Analysis of School Prospectuses and other Forms of Educational Marketing
Authors: Symes Colin
Published: March 2013

IMPRESSION management strategies have become an important dimension of the educational endeavour. Their recent upsurge can be traced to the context of marketing and consumer choice that is now part of the prevailing orthodoxy of the modern school. In this paper, various types of ‘impression management’ (Schlenker, 1980) strategies are described, including those associated with school prospectuses and advertisements. These are the subjects of textual analysis, more specifically that of social semiotics which highlight the degree to which symbolic processes are influenced by context, and by the changing political economy. It is argued that the employment of a social semiotic framework to analyse educational promotional materials highlights the degree to which schooling, particularly private schooling, continues to be shaped by market forces.
Managing Quality in Higher Education Institutions of the 21st Century: A Framework for the Future
Authors: Penington David
Published: March 2013

The Australian university system developed with a commitment to academic independence of the sort expressed by von Humboldt in early nineteenth-century Europe. ‘Pursuit of truth’ came to be seen by many members of the academic community as a sufficient safeguard of quality outcomes in higher education. However, changes such as ‘massification’ and subsequent blurring of the divide between university and vocational education have led to increased demands for accountability. Much of the current policy framework relating to higher education will probably survive for many years, despite movements in the political spectrum, and the issue of quality must be reassessed in this context. Suggested models for the future assessment of quality in higher education include the development of statements of purpose for individual institutions, increased benchmarking among institutions of similar natures, more use of student feedback, and appraisal of quality in research.
Professional Development and Quality in Higher Education Institutions of the 21st Century
Authors: Marshall Stephen J.
Published: March 2013

THE issue of quality in higher education in Australia, as elsewhere, remains problematic. This is not surprising given that past and current approaches at both the institutional and sectoral levels have tended to focus on the assurance, assessment, monitoring, and reporting of quality rather than on the improvement of quality itself. Quality is not something that needs simply to be monitored and measured. Rather, it must be actively managed with a view to continuous improvement and development. This paper describes a model for continuous improvement of quality in higher education and the central role that professional development plays in such a process.
Youth Employment, Unemployment and School Participation
Authors: Lewis Philip E. T. , Koshy Paul
Published: March 2013

This paper identifies and examines the trends in teenage labour force and school participation in Australia over the past 25 years. It covers a broad range of associated issues such as school retention, youth employment, and apprenticeships. The aim here is to determine the important movements in young persons' participation in post-compulsory education and the labour force, and the changing interaction between the two in recent decades. To this end, a model of secondary education participation is developed. The results from this work indicate that declining full-time employment and increasing income support for students have been the most important determinants of school participation in Australia over the last 25 years. The results of this paper have important implications for government policy on school participation.
The Relationship between Study Skills and Learning Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Purdie Nola , Hattie John
Published: March 2013

This paper reports the results of a meta-analysis of 52 studies that investigated the relationship between a range of study strategies and outcomes measures. Low correlations were found between a range of different types of study skills and various outcome measures. Having many study skills (i.e. versatility), as assessed by total study skills scores, produced the largest correlations with both cognitive and affective outcomes. Various deep and achieving approaches were positively related to outcomes. Surface approaches were negatively related to outcomes, although many surface strategies such as inflexibility and reproducing were unrelated to outcomes. Merely increasing time-on-task was not correlated to outcomes. Results are interpreted not as an indictment of the usefulness of engaging in good study behaviour. It is suggested that students do not do this of their own accord; however, when they are taught to implement effective learning behaviours, then cognitive and affective outcomes are enhanced.
Inequity in Equity: The Paradox of Gifted Education in Australia
Authors: Gross Miraca U. M.
Published: March 2013

This article presents arguments to support the provision of differentiated curricula and programs for academically gifted and talented students and identifies a range of socio-political attitudes which have militated against the development of such programs in Australian schools. Gross discusses Australians' traditional suspicion of any process which might be construed as elitist; our reluctance to acknowledge intellectual talent even while we enthusiastically foster talent in sport and athletics; the view of excellence and equity as conflicting rather than complementary; and the confusion between the concept of gifts and strengths.
Multiple-Choice versus Short-Response Items: Differences in Omit Behaviour
Authors: Matters Gabrielle , Burnett Paul C.
Published: March 2013

The overall rate of omission of items for 28331 17-year-old Australian students on a high-stakes test of achievement in the common elements or cognitive skills of the senior school curriculum is reported for a subtest in multiple-choice format and a subtest in short-response format. For the former, the omit rates were minuscule and there was no significant difference by gender or by type of school attended. For the latter, where an item can be ‘worth’ up to five times that of a single multiple-choice item, the omit rates were between 10 and 20 times that for multiple-choice and the difference between male and female omit rate was significant as was the difference between students from government and nongovernment schools. For both formats, females from single-sex schools omitted significantly fewer items than did females from coeducational schools. Some possible explanations of omit behaviour are alluded to.
‘Working for Your Future’: The Rise of the Vocationalised University
Authors: Symes Colin
Published: March 2013

Universities are at a pivotal point in their history and are undergoing dramatic changes. One of the more significant of these changes is the move towards more instrumental programs of learning, as manifest, for instance, in workplace approaches to learning. This paper argues that this trend threatens the existence of the liberal university that was isolated from the economy and where knowledge was acquired for virtue rather than utility. This university is being superseded by the vocationalised university in which the dominant educational imperative is learning for employment. It is argued that the emergence of this new form of the university is evident in the symbolic economy surrounding higher education, in its advertising and promotional stratagems.
School-Based Trust in Victoria: Some Telling Lessons
Authors: Bishop Pam
Published: March 2013

The first major study of trust between principals and teachers in Australia reveals that trust is crucial for effective school leadership. The research data produced in a multiple case-study of trust relationships between teachers and principals in Victorian schools showed that a combination of principals' personal and professional work practices attracts teachers' trust. When principals lose teachers' trust, collaboration can founder, and staff fear, alienation, and disenfranchisement develop. Principals face numerous challenges when endeavouring to engender and maintain trust. Some challenges can be met by individual and organisational learning; others require greater employer co-operation and assistance. Recent externally driven reform initiatives have failed to capture teacher commitment. The role of principals in implementing non-negotiable reforms often jeopardises the nature and extent of teachers' trust in them. The study underscores the need for reformers seeking lasting school improvement to take account of the values of public school practitioners when designing change initiatives.
Examining Body Mass Index in an Urban Core Population
Authors: O’Connor Kaitlin Ann , Sahrmann Julie Marie , Magie Richard E. , Segars Larry W.
Published: March 2013

Background. Childhood obesity is commonly encountered in the primary care office and disproportionately affects those from low income or minority backgrounds. Objective. To determine how accurately primary care clinicians in an urban setting identified patients with body mass indices (BMIs) at or above the 95th percentile for age and to determine which obesity treatment strategies are used. Materials and Methods. The study population consisted of school-aged, inner-city children with a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age whose charts were made available for data collection by retrospective chart review. Results. A total of 158 patient medical charts were reviewed. Of these, 90 (57%) patients failed to be identified by the provider as having an elevated BMI. Obesity treatment was initiated in only 68 (43%) of these patients. Conclusions. Providers are not effectively recognizing childhood obesity and are not consistently implementing effective obesity treatment strategies.
Dual-Coded Advisory Turn Indicators for GPS Navigational Guidance of Surface Vehicles
Authors: Rizzardo Caitlan A. , Colle Herbert A.
Published: March 2013

Objective:

The aim of the study was to compare the decision times for left–right decisions for a dual-coded advisory turn indicator and a typical spatial-only turn indicator in a GPS navigational map display.

Background:

Track-up maps are useful for turn decision making but do not facilitate configural knowledge acquisition of an area. North-up maps present a stable orientation for this type of learning, but typical implementations of north-up map displays lead to misaligned and confusing turn information. We compared a typical spatial-only indicator with a dual-coded spatial-plus-verbal indicator, systematically manipulating vehicle heading and measuring reaction time. The new display, the Dual-Coded Advisory Turn Indicator for Maps (DATIM), was based on an assumption of the advantages of concurrent verbal and spatial processing of advisory turn indicators in map displays.

Method:

The experimental design was a 2 × 2 × 24 mixed design with indicator type as a between-subjects factor and turn direction (left, right) and 24 heading angles (15° intervals) as repeated-measures factors. Participants made turn decisions while viewing static displays of intersections at variably rotated headings.

Results:

Reaction time for the DATIM display was consistently faster than the typical spatial-only indicator at all heading angles but especially at heading angles beyond ±45° (520-ms difference at 180°).

Conclusion:

The DATIM display produced faster turn decisions at all heading angles.

Application:

DATIM displays could allow north-up maps to be used for turn-by-turn decision making in GPS navigational systems. Drivers could have the advantages of both the stable orientation to facilitate planning and the easy turn-by-turn guidance. Limitations are discussed.
The Impact of Eye Movements and Cognitive Workload on Lateral Position Variability in Driving
Authors: Cooper Joel M. , Medeiros-Ward Nathan , Strayer David L.
Published: March 2013

Objective:

The objective of this work was to understand the relationship between eye movements and cognitive workload in maintaining lane position while driving.

Background:

Recent findings in driving research have found that, paradoxically, increases in cognitive workload decrease lateral position variability. If people drive where they look and drivers look more centrally with increased cognitive workload, then one could explain the decreases in lateral position variability as a result of changes in lateral eye movements. In contrast, it is also possible that cognitive workload brings about these patterns regardless of changes in eye movements.

Method:

We conducted three experiments involving a fixed-base driving simulator to independently manipulate eye movements and cognitive workload.

Results:

Results indicated that eye movements played a modest role in lateral position variability, whereas cognitive workload played a much more substantial role.

Conclusions:

Increases in cognitive workload decrease lane position variability independently from eye movements. These findings are discussed in terms of hierarchical control theory.

Applications:

These findings could potentially be used to identify periods of high cognitive workload during driving.
Can Neighbor Attributes Predict School Absences?
Authors: Gottfried Michael A.
Published: March 2013

Recent evidence suggests that the neighborhood context, particularly for urban youth, can influence a range of outcomes. This study makes contributions to the field by examining how the neighborhood context directly relates to missing school. To do so, this study employs a large-scale, longitudinal data set of multilevel observations for entire elementary- and middle-school student cohorts in an urban district over 8 academic years. By linking urban school district administrative data with U.S. Census data, this study provides unique insight into how the characteristics of the neighbors on a student’s residential block (determined by his or her exact home address) predict school absences. The results indicate significant relationships between school absences and multiple categories of neighbor attributes, as delineated across measures of poverty, family structure, homeownership status, and race. These results are also distinguishable based on student gender, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
The application of animal-assisted therapy in the South African context: A case study
Authors: Lubbe Carien , Scholtz Suné
Published: March 2013

The purpose of this article is to explore the use, value, and applicability of animal-assisted therapy in psychology. The case study method was applied to a therapeutic case, using the interpretivist paradigm. Data were analyzed by means of document analysis. The findings are discussed according to five themes derived from the study, namely, “facilitating relationship building,” “enabling communication by working indirectly,” “experiencing physical affection through the therapy dog,” “socialization skills,” and “enhanced self-esteem.” We report that the deliberate inclusion of an animal in therapy facilitates relationship building and therefore aids the therapeutic alliance, as well as enhances an individual’s socialization skills and self-esteem.
Family relationships in childhood, pubertal timing, and subsequent reproductive strategies among adolescents
Authors: Meckelmann Viola , Pfeifer Caroline , Rauh Hellgard
Published: March 2013

The evolutionary theory of socialization of Belsky, Steinberg, and Draper was investigated on the empirical basis of a longitudinal sample of 26 adolescent girls and boys who were born in Berlin during German reunification, as well as their mothers. Consistent with the theory, pubertal timing of the girls (but not of the boys) was predicted by the quality of parental relations in childhood, and pubertal timing of the girls (but not of the boys) was a significant predictor of the age at first intercourse. The results suggest that there are different developmental pathways for girls and boys with respect to the predictions of the evolutionary theory of socialization of Belsky et al. The findings also support the hypothesis that early onset of reproduction and frequent reproduction may be two different aspects of a quantitative reproductive strategy.
Poetic and therapeutic encounters in an adolescent drama group
Authors: Butler Elmien , Bakker Terri M , Viljoen Gerhard
Published: March 2013

This article reports on a research project that explored the use of drama and movement in facilitating the transformation of narratives of adolescents. Narrative therapy and social constructionism were combined with concepts in drama and movement to create poetic moments. The focus was on transformative dialogue, responsive events, and poetic moments that suddenly open the eyes for a different way out of a problem or into a new way of thinking. A group of adolescents participated in a 10-week programme in which they explored different processes, stories, and relationships. The participants responded positively and spontaneously to constructing a movement drama with a social theme through a process of creative interaction and conversation. A review of the realities and knowledge constructed revealed how drama, movement, and narrative therapy may be used therapeutically with adolescents in a group context. Furthermore, the research showed how a social constructionistist approach, linked to languaging and movement, can create poetic moments that may benefit the creative therapeutic process. From a creative position, the author hopes that the construction process reflected on in this research project may lead to new discoveries in meaningful conversations.
‘She’s a slut … and it’s wrong’: Youth constructions of taxi queens in the Western Cape
Authors: Strebel Anna , Shefer Tamara , Potgieter Cheryl , Wagner Claire , Shabalala Nokuthula
Published: March 2013

Recent research on young women’s sexuality highlights the transactional nature of relationships among young people, as well as the increase in intergenerational sexual relationships. These unequal and often coercive sexual practices may increase young women’s vulnerability to unsafe sexual practices. Within this context, while there have been some media reports on the relationship between girls and taxi drivers, there has been little documented research on the phenomenon of ‘taxi queens’. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the understandings and constructions of taxi queens among local youth. A qualitative study involving 13 focus groups were held with youth in the Cape Town Metropole and the southern Cape region and analysed thematically. In general, there was widespread recognition among participants of transactional relationships between young women and usually older drivers. Taxi queens were strongly stigmatised, but their behaviour was also constructed as normative, especially in poor communities, and reflecting contradictory notions of vulnerability and power. However, taxi drivers were less stigmatised. Such constructions allow for the ‘othering’ of these young women, which may undermine their ability to seek help in negotiating safer sexual relationships. At the same time, their concerns need to be understood within the larger context of challenges facing youth, especially in poor South African communities.
A quasi-experimental comparison of spreadsheet- and classroom-based statistics tutorials
Authors: King Warren , Malcolm-Smith Susan , Jaftha Jacob , Louw Johann , Tredoux Colin
Published: March 2013

This article reports an evaluation of a set of eight spreadsheet-based tutorials developed for the statistics portion of an undergraduate psychology research methods course. The evaluation involved a quasi-experimental comparison of spreadsheet-based and traditional classroom teaching methods in a course that gave equal teaching time to both solutions, and took the unique approach of investigating both outcomes-based and attitudinal measures in the same study. Compared to traditional pen-and-paper-based tutorials, the spreadsheet-based tutorials improved student outcomes-based performance on an end-of-semester test. After using the spreadsheet-based tutorials, student attitudes towards the course material were found to have improved on some, but not all, of the measures used. Taken together, these results indicate that spreadsheet-based tutorials may be advantageous in the teaching of statistics, although effect sizes were small to moderate.
Concurrent validity of the Structured Interview for Disorders of Extreme Stress (SIDES-SR) in a non-clinical sample of South African adolescents
Authors: Collings Steven J
Published: March 2013

The concurrent criterion-related validity of the Structured Interview for Disorders of Extreme Stress (SIDES-SR) was examined in a cross-sectional study of 719 secondary school students attending a high school in Durban, South Africa. For purposes of analysis, exposure to complex developmental trauma was defined as exposure to either chronic (>1 month) and/or multiple incidents (5+ types) of interpersonal victimisation prior to the age of 18 years. A series of discriminant analyses indicated that 12 of the 45 items on the SIDES-SR (27%) did not significantly discriminate individuals who had been exposed to complex developmental trauma from those who had not, with the removal of these 12 items from the scale having no significant impact on estimates of the concurrent validity, sensitivity, or specificity of the SIDES-SR. These findings suggest that the SIDES-SR may be characterised by some degree of construct over-representation when applied to South African samples, with further research being indicated in order to not only replicate the present findings but also address the issue of construct under-representation in the South African context.
The Roles and Interplay of Intragroup Conflict and Team Emotion Management on Information Seeking Behaviors in Team Contexts
Authors: Meng Jingbo , Fulk Janet , Yuan Y. Connie
Published: March 2013

This study developed a cross-level model to study the effects of contextual factors, including team-level conflict and team-level emotion management (EM), on how individual team members seek information. Cross-level analysis using data collected from 175 individuals in 30 teams showed that team-level relationship conflict (TRC) had a negative effect on individual information seeking (IS) behavior, whereas team-level task conflict (TTC) did not have a significant effect. EM at both team and individual levels had positive effects on individual IS behavior. The same set of analyses conducted using a subset of 22 of these teams at an earlier time point confirmed the same pattern of relationships. In addition, team-level EM interacted with TRC in influencing individual IS behavior, although the patterns varied for the two time points of data collection. Theoretical implications are discussed.
Harlem in Black and White
Authors: Robertson Stephen , White Shane , Garton Stephen
Published: March 2013

In the 1920s, as Harlem emerged as the largest black city in the world, a significant white presence remained in the neighborhood. Whites not only frequented nightlife, they owned and operated the vast majority of Harlem’s businesses, policed its streets, staffed its schools and hospital, drove its public transport and most of the vehicles traveling its streets, delivered goods, collected rent and insurance payments, and patronized sporting events. Scholars have made only brief mention of this presence and its impact on everyday life, portraying race relations as harmonious and inconsequential in a neighborhood represented as a segregated refuge from whites. Drawing on black newspapers and legal records, and using the Digital Harlem website to map and visualize that evidence of the white presence, reveals a very different picture, of interracial encounters that often led to conflict, and of Harlem as a place of contestation, negotiation, resistance, and accommodation.
The role of reflection in the pedagogical thinking and practice of the MPA programme at Copenhagen Business School
Authors: Ry Nielsen JC
Published: March 2013

Reflection plays a significant role in the pedagogical thinking and practice at the Copenhagen Business School Master of Public Administration Programme. It is thus embedded in one of the pedagogical models we have developed based on ideas from Argyris, Schön, Vygotsky, Senge, Lave and Wenger, and Schein. The model has four interrelated dimensions: challenges, feedback, psychological safety, and reflection. Based on previous articles, interviews and essays from participants, and the author’s own knowledge, the surprisingly numerous possibilities for reflection before, during, and after the programme are outlined. The article concludes with suggestions for improvements.
Understanding trust formation in digital information sources: The case of Wikipedia
Authors: Rowley Jennifer , Johnson Frances
Published: March 2013

This article contributes to knowledge on how users establish the trustworthiness of digital information. An exploratory two-stage study was conducted with Master’s and undergraduate students in information studies. In the first phase of the study respondents commented on the factors and processes associated with trust formation. Participants commented on authorship and references, quality of writing and editing, and verification via links to external reference sources. Findings from the second phase, based on a checklist, suggested that participants relied on a range of factors when assessing the trustworthiness of articles, including content factors such as authorship, currency and usefulness together with context factors such as references, expert recommendation and triangulation with their own knowledge. These findings are discussed in the light of previous related research and recommendations for further research are offered.
Measuring Acculturation Gap Conflicts Among Hispanics
Authors: Basáñez Tatiana , Dennis Jessica M. , Crano William D. , Stacy Alan W. , Unger Jennifer B.
Published: March 2013

This study examined the factor structure and validity of the Acculturation Gap Conflicts Inventory (AGCI), a new instrument developed to measure the types of recurring conflicts that young people experience as part of the parent–child acculturation gap. Participants included 283 Hispanic young adults who completed the AGCI and existing measures of acculturation, family dynamics, psychosocial, and academic adjustment. Principal axis factor analysis revealed three factors with good internal consistency: Autonomy Conflicts, Conflicts over Preferred-Culture, and Dating/Being Out Late Conflicts. These factors correlated in the expected direction with acculturative stress and family dynamics variables.  Autonomy Conflicts explained more than 25% of the variance in the acculturation gap conflicts items investigated, and this factor demonstrated incremental validity in predicting psychosocial and academic adjustment beyond the variance accounted for by other acculturative stress variables. The AGCI can be valuable to researchers from a variety of disciplines interested in measuring acculturation-related intergenerational conflicts among Hispanic youth that may be predictive of adjustment.
Nonresident Fathers’ Financial Support, Informal Instrumental Support, Mothers’ Parenting, and Child Development in Single-Mother Families With Low Income
Authors: Choi Jeong-Kyun , Pyun Ho-Soon
Published: March 2013

This study examines the relationships among nonresident fathers’ financial support, informal instrumental support, mothers’ parenting and parenting stress, and their children’s behavioral and cognitive development in single-mother families with low income. Informed by stress-coping and social support models, this study estimates the mediating effects of nonresident fathers’ financial support on children’s outcomes transmitted through mothers’ parenting and parenting stress. The analyses use the longitudinal data from a subsample of 679 single mothers in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Results suggest that nonresident fathers’ financial support is directly associated with children’s cognitive development. Nonresident fathers’ financial support is found to have indirect effects on children’s behavior problems and cognitive development transmitted through mothers’ parenting and parenting stress. Informal instrumental support is directly and indirectly associated with both outcomes of children transmitted through maternal economic hardship, parenting, and parenting stress. The study discusses the policy and practice implications of these findings.
Attributions of Fathering Behaviors Among Adolescents
Authors: Finlay Andrea K. , Cookston Jeffrey T. , Saenz Delia S. , Baham Melinda E. , Parke Ross D. , Fabricius William , Braver Sanford
Published: March 2013

Little attention has been paid to how early adolescents make attributions for their fathers’ behavior. Guided by symbolic interaction theory, we examined how adolescent gender, ethnicity, family structure, and depressive symptoms explained attributions for residential father behavior. A total of 382 adolescents, grouped by ethnicity (European American, Mexican American) and family structure (intact, stepfamilies), reported attributions for their fathers’ positive and negative behaviors. Results indicated that for positive events, girls made significantly more stable attributions, whereas boys made more unstable attributions. Mexican American adolescents tended to make more unstable attributions for positive events than European Americans, and adolescents from intact families made more stable attributions for positive events than adolescents from stepfamilies. Implications are discussed for the role of attributions in father–adolescent relationships as prime for intervention in families.
In-Home Social Networks and Positive Adjustment in Children Witnessing Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Miller Laura E. , VanZomeren-Dohm Adrienne , Howell Kathryn H. , Hunter Erin C. , Graham-Bermann Sandra A.
Published: March 2013

Evidence suggests that social support may act as a potential protective factor for psychological maladjustment, but few studies have examined the social support networks of young children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). The present study examined the in-home networks for 120 preschool-age children who were recently exposed to male-to-female IPV. Results indicated that larger in-home networks were associated with fewer child internalizing and externalizing problems. Mother’s education level was found to moderate the relationship between total in-home network size and child adjustment, such that that when mothers had low levels of education, children had fewer overall adjustment problems as network size increased. When mothers had high levels of education, child adjustment did not significantly vary as network size increased. These findings suggest that the presence of extended family members in the home can positively influence child functioning following exposure to male-to-female IPV.
“It Was Like a Revolution”
Authors: Brumley Krista M.
Published: March 2013

In 1997, a multinational company in northern Mexico replaced a work policy that required women to quit on marriage or pregnancy. Analysis of extensive data from a qualitative case study shows how the women perceive the policy change as shaping work–family choices. The women interpret the change as significant because it recognizes women’s “right to work” and grants them access to family-friendly workplace policies. But their interpretations of how it plays out in practice vary over the gendered life course. Furthermore, evidence of obstacles to women’s advancement indicates that workplace practices remain gendered and vary by occupational status and age. This analysis demonstrates the importance of situating women’s workplace experiences within a particular context with its distinct cultural and sociopolitical framings of work and family.
Unexpected Hematologic Effects of Biotherapeutics in Nonclinical Species and in Humans
Authors: Everds Nancy E. , Tarrant Jacqueline M.
Published: March 2013

Biotherapeutics are expanding the arsenal of therapeutics available for treating and preventing disease. Although initially thought to have limited side effects due to the specificity of their binding, these drugs have now been shown to have potential for adverse drug reactions including effects on peripheral blood cell counts or function. Hematotoxicity caused by a biotherapeutic can be directly related to the activity of the biotherapeutic or can be indirect and due to autoimmunity, biological cascades, antidrug antibodies, or other immune system responses. Biotherapeutics can cause hematotoxicity primarily as a result of cellular activation, cytotoxicity, drug-dependent and independent immune responses, and sequelae from initiating cytokine and complement cascades.  The underlying pathogenesis of biotherapeutic-induced hematotoxicity often is poorly understood. Nonclinical studies have generally predicted clinical hematotoxicity for recombinant cytokines and growth factors.  However, most hematologic liabilities of biotherapeutics are not based on drug class but are species specific, immune-mediated, and of low incidence. Despite the potential for unexpected hematologic toxicity, the risk–benefit profile of most biotherapeutics is favorable; hematologic effects are readily monitorable and managed by dose modification, drug withdrawal, and/or therapeutic intervention.  This article reviews examples of biotherapeutics that have unexpected hematotoxicity in nonclinical or clinical studies.
On-target Effects of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Thyroid C-cells in Rats and Mice
Authors: Rosol Thomas J.
Published: March 2013

Glucagon-like peptide-1 is an incretin hormone from the gastrointestinal tract, which enhances insulin secretion, slows gastric emptying, and reduces food intake. GLP-1 receptor agonists are being developed for Type 2 diabetes mellitus. GLP-1 is rapidly degraded by serum dipeptidyl peptidase IV, so analogues with a prolonged serum half-life are used clinically. Exenatide was the first GLP-1 agonist approved and is a synthetic version of exendin-4 derived from the Gila monster. Liraglutide was approved for clinical use in 2010. GLP-1 receptor agonists have been shown to increase calcitonin secretion and stimulate C-cell hyperplasia and neoplasia in rats and mice of both sexes. Rat C-cells are more sensitive to the effects of GLP-1 agonists than mice. The effects of GLP-1 agonists on C-cell proliferation or neoplasia have not been documented in nonhuman primates or humans. The proliferative C-cell effects may be rodent-specific. GLP-1 receptors have been demonstrated on normal rodent C-cells, but are either not present or occur in low numbers on C-cells of nonhuman primates and humans. Hyperplasia and neoplasia of C-cells in rodents treated with GLP-1 agonists represent a unique example of an on-target species-specific effect that may not have relevance to humans.
The interplay of partner influence and individual values predicts daily fluctuations in eating and physical activity
Authors: Skoyen Jane A. , Blank Elaine , Corkery Shannon A. , Butler Emily A.
Published: March 2013

Both social and individual factors play a role in shaping one’s diet and exercise habits. A total of 62 heterosexual couples reported on health behavior values (HBVs) and completed daily diaries assessing food intake and physical activity relative to their own normal behavior and the helpfulness of health-related influence from their partners. Repeated measures dyadic analysis showed that men in couples with high average HBV ate less than usual in response to positive partner influence. Also, in such couples, normal weight men engaged in more physical activity when positively influenced by their partners. However, normal weight men in couples with low average HBV engaged in less physical activity when influenced by their partners. Women who valued health less than their partners responded to partner influence by eating healthier. These results highlight the importance of considering both social and individual contributors to health behaviors.
Intertunnel Relationships in Combined Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Posterolateral Corner Reconstruction
Authors: Kim Sung-Jae , Chang Chong Bum , Choi Chong Hyuk , Yoo Yon-Sik , Kim Sung-Hwan , Ko Jae Han , Park Kwan Kyu
Published: March 2013

Background:

Combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterolateral corner (PLC) injuries are relatively common, and tunnel convergence could occur in combined ACL and PLC reconstruction.

Purpose:

This study sought to elucidate the ranges of angles and distances of lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and popliteus tendon (PT) femoral tunnels that do not violate the intercondylar notch distally and ACL tunnels proximally during combined ACL and PLC reconstruction.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Three-dimensional anatomic knee models were developed using customized software from computed tomography images of 14 patients at 0°, 90°, and 120° of flexion. Single-bundle (SB) and double-bundle (DB) ACL tunnels using the transtibial method for anteromedial bundles and the anteromedial portal method for posterolateral bundles were created. The ranges of safe angles and distances were measured at 10° and 20° posterior, neutral (0°), and 10° and 20° anterior on the horizontal plane relative to the transepicondylar axis from the isometric LCL and PT femoral insertions. The SB ACL reconstruction using the accessory medial portal and LCL reconstruction using the anatomic footprint were also analyzed.

Results:

Distal and proximal angles from insertions of the LCL and PT, not violating the intercondylar notch or the ACL tunnels, increased as the LCL or PT headed from a posterior to anterior direction. Safe distances from the LCL and PT femoral insertions were approximately over 35 mm distally and 30 mm proximally. For SB ACL reconstruction using the accessory medial portal, safe angles were larger proximally than those of SB ACL reconstruction using the transtibial technique. For LCL reconstruction using the anatomic footprint, proximal angles were significantly smaller than those of the isometric LCL.

Conclusion:

Considering the relationship between the LCL and PT tunnels and fixation strength, tunneling will be safe when the LCL and PT are positioned at an angle of approximately 20° anterior and 10° proximal to the transepicondylar axis.

Clinical Relevance:

These results will help to reduce the incidence of tunnel convergence in combined ACL and PLC reconstructions.
Combined Trochleoplasty and Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction for Recurrent Patellar Dislocations in Severe Trochlear Dysplasia
Authors: Nelitz Manfred , Dreyhaupt Jens , Lippacher Sabine
Published: March 2013

Background:

Trochlear dysplasia is an important etiological factor for the development of patellofemoral instability. Because a dislocation of the patella as a result of trochlear dysplasia results in a traumatic disruption of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL), a combined trochleoplasty and patellofemoral ligament reconstruction appears to be the most appropriate procedure to treat patients with severe trochlear dysplasia.

Hypothesis:

Combined trochleoplasty and anatomic reconstruction of the MPFL will prevent redislocations of the patella and will lead to improved knee function.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Twenty-three consecutive patients (26 knees) with patellofemoral instability and severe trochlear dysplasia underwent combined trochleoplasty and anatomic reconstruction of the MPFL. Preoperative radiographic examination included anteroposterior and lateral views to assess patella alta. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to evaluate trochlear dysplasia and the tibial tubercle–trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance. Evaluations included the detection of cartilage injuries, preoperative and postoperative physical examinations, and scores for the visual analog scale (VAS), Kujala knee function, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), activity rating scale (ARS), and Tegner activity scale.

Results:

The mean age at the time of operation was 19.2 years (range, 15.4-23.6 years). The mean follow-up after operation was 2.5 years after surgery (range, 2.0-3.5 years). No recurrent dislocation occurred postoperatively. Kujala scores improved from 79 to 96, IKDC scores from 74 to 90, and VAS scores from 3 to 1. All improvements were highly statistically significant ( P < .01). The activity level according to the Tegner activity scale and the ARS decreased but was not statistically significant ( P = .06 and P = .21, respectively). There were 95.7% of the patients who were satisfied or very satisfied with the procedure.

Conclusion:

Combined anatomic reconstruction of the MPFL and trochleoplasty reliably improved the stability of the patellofemoral joint in patients with severe trochlear dysplasia and no or mild degenerative changes. In addition, the described procedure showed significant improvement of knee function and good patient satisfaction without any episode of redislocations of the patella.
Minimally Invasive Reconstruction of Chronic Achilles Tendon Ruptures Using the Ipsilateral Free Semitendinosus Tendon Graft and Interference Screw Fixation
Authors: Maffulli Nicola , Loppini Mattia , Longo Umile Giuseppe , Maffulli Gayle D. , Denaro Vincenzo
Published: March 2013

Background:

Achilles tendon ruptures represent more than 40% of all tendon ruptures requiring surgical management. About 20% of acute Achilles tendon tears are not diagnosed at the time of injury and become chronic, necessitating more complicated management than fresh injuries. Several techniques for the reconstruction of chronic tears of the Achilles tendon have been described, but the superiority of one technique over the others has not been demonstrated.

Hypothesis:

Mini-invasive reconstruction of the Achilles tendon, with a gap lesion larger than 6 cm, using the ipsilateral free semitendinosus tendon graft will result in improvement of the overall function with a low rate of complications.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Between 2008 and 2010, the authors prospectively enrolled 28 consecutive patients (21 men and 7 women; median age, 46 years) with chronic closed ruptures of the Achilles tendon who had undergone reconstruction with a free semitendinosus tendon graft. They assessed the Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS), maximum calf circumference, and isometric plantarflexion strength before surgery and at the last follow-up. Outcome of surgery and rate of complications were also recorded. The median follow-up after surgery was 31.4 months.

Results:

The overall result of surgery was excellent/good in 26 (93%) of 28 patients. The ATRS improved from 42 (range, 29-55) to 86 (range, 78-95) ( P < .0001). In the operated leg, the maximum calf circumference and isometric plantarflexion strength were significantly improved after surgery ( P < .0001); however, their values remained significantly lower than those of the opposite side ( P < .0001). All patients were able to walk on tiptoes and returned to their preinjury working occupation. No infections were recorded.

Conclusion:

Mini-invasive reconstruction of the Achilles tendon, with a gap lesion larger than 6 cm, using the ipsilateral free semitendinosus tendon graft provides a significant improvement of symptoms and function, although calf circumference and ankle plantarflexion strength do not recover fully.
“You Start Feeling Old”
Authors: Ramirez Michael
Published: March 2013

Using interview data from 38 musicians, this study examines the ways in which the transition to adulthood is complicated by aspirations to a nonstandard line of work. Musicians face a recurring set of obstacles as they move into adulthood and respond by enacting various tactics to reconcile these dilemmas. The “on-time” musicians do so by framing emerging adulthood as a time for exploration, while musicians in young adulthood regarded as “off-time” feel more pressure to disengage from musical careers. Those who persist are able to do so by successfully reframing the musician identity as congruent with adulthood. This research illustrates the challenges of attaining adulthood for those on nonstandard paths as well as the ways in which adulthood is achieved by contemporary young adults.
The Role of Empowerment in a School-Based Community Service Program with Inner-City, Minority Youth
Authors: Gullan Rebecca L. , Power Thomas J. , Leff Stephen S.
Published: March 2013

Despite considerable fiscal and structural support for youth service programs, research has not demonstrated consistent outcomes across participants or programs, suggesting the need to identify critical program processes. The present study addresses this need through preliminary examination of the role of program empowerment in promoting positive identity development in inner-city, African American youth participating in a pilot school-based service program. Results suggest that participants who experienced the program as empowering experienced increases in self-efficacy, sense of civic responsibility, and ethnic identity, over and above general engagement and enjoyment of the program. Preliminary exploration of differences based on participant gender suggests that some results may be stronger and more consistent for males than females. These findings provide preliminary support for the importance of theoretically grounded program processes in producing positive outcomes for youth service participants.