bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Security Forces and Polish Communism: Reclaiming History from Myth
Authors: Szporer Michael
Published: February 2007

This article provides a critical review of Oczami Bezpieki (Through the Eyes of the Security Service), an overview of post-1945 Poland based on secret police files by Slawomir Cenckiewicz. The essay sheds light on the ongoing controversies surrounding the secret police files that still can cause turmoil in Polish politics. The article discusses the aggressive strategies of the Communist-era security apparatus in three areas considered in the volume: penetration of émigré communities in the United States; attempts to neutralize opposition to the Communist regime from 1968 through the 1980s; and the manipulation of the Roman Catholic Church. The documents demonstrate how obsessively the security forces kept track of opposition activities.
Synchrony of Neuronal Oscillations Controlled by GABAergic Reversal Potentials
Authors: Jeong Ho Young , Gutkin Boris
Published: February 2007

GABAergic synapse reversal potential is controlled by the concentration of chloride. This concentration can change significantly during development and as a function of neuronal activity. Thus, GABA inhibition can be hyperpolarizing, shunting, or partially depolarizing. Previous results pinpointed the conditions under which hyperpolarizing inhibition (or depolarizing excitation) can lead to synchrony of neural oscillators. Here we examine the role of the GABAergic reversal potential in generation of synchronous oscillations in circuits of neural oscillators. Using weakly coupled oscillator analysis, we show when shunting and partially depolarizing inhibition can produce synchrony, asynchrony, and coexistence of the two. In particular, we show that this depends critically on such factors as the firing rate, the speed of the synapse, spike frequency adaptation, and, most important, the dynamics of spike generation (type I versus type II). We back up our analysis with simulations of small circuits of conductance-based neurons, as well as large-scale networks of neural oscillators. The simulation results are compatible with the analysis: for example, when bistability is predicted analytically, the large-scale network shows clustered states.
A Generalized Divergence Measure for Nonnegative Matrix Factorization
Authors: Kompass Raul
Published: February 2007

This letter presents a general parametric divergence measure. The metric includes as special cases quadratic error and Kullback-Leibler divergence. A parametric generalization of the two different multiplicative update rules for nonnegative matrix factorization by Lee and Seung (2001) is shown to lead to locally optimal solutions of the nonnegative matrix factorization problem with this new cost function. Numeric simulations demonstrate that the new update rule may improve the quadratic distance convergence speed. A proof of convergence is given that, as in Lee and Seung, uses an auxiliary function known from the expectation-maximization theoretical framework.
Neighborhood Property–Based Pattern Selection for Support Vector Machines
Authors: Shin Hyunjung , Cho Sungzoon
Published: February 2007

The support vector machine (SVM) has been spotlighted in the machine learning community because of its theoretical soundness and practical performance. When applied to a large data set, however, it requires a large memory and a long time for training. To cope with the practical difficulty, we propose a pattern selection algorithm based on neighborhood properties. The idea is to select only the patterns that are likely to be located near the decision boundary. Those patterns are expected to be more informative than the randomly selected patterns. The experimental results provide promising evidence that it is possible to successfully employ the proposed algorithm ahead of SVM training.
Bridging the University–School Divide
Authors: Anagnostopoulos Dorothea , Smith Emily R. , Basmadjian Kevin G.
Published: February 2007

Research on teacher learning consistently documents the disjuncture between the practices beginning teachers encounter in university teacher preparation courses and those they reencounter in the K-12 classrooms in which they learn to teach. As preservice teachers enter teaching, they gravitate toward conventional K-12 practices, dismissing those endorsed by the university as impractical. In this article, the authors delineate the concept of horizontal expertise and document how its production and use can address this “two-worlds pitfall.” Drawing on the authors' work creating a cross-institutional collaborative, they identify three processes central to the production of horizontal expertise in teacher education: the exchange of tools, the negotiation of social languages, and argumentation. They then trace its use across the university and school settings to show how horizontal expertise can rescript mentoring and expand dialogic practices in the university. The authors conclude by identifying the challenges of developing horizontal expertise in teacher education.
Life and death in the history of philosophy
Authors: Nuzzo Angelica
Published: February 2007

This article discusses the role that history and historiography play in Brandom’s Tales of the Mighty Dead. I claim that Brandom’s attempt to integrate a historical dimension in his inferentialist project fails, and argue that the reason for that failure lies in the misconstruction and misreading of Hegel’s idea of rationality with regard, at least, to two fundamental points: to the Hegelian concept of ‘history’ and to his notion of the ‘social’. The further point that I make remains an open question and regards the ideological motives that lead American analytic pragmatists to repeatedly try to institute such a misconstrued contact with Hegel - a contact that is necessarily bound to fail unless the historical dimension of Hegel’s philosophy is not only recognized but somehow integrated into the very idea of philosophy that one systematically practises.
On reading Hegel
Authors: Rockmore Tom
Published: February 2007

New readings have recently been offered by Frederick Beiser and Robert Brandom of Hegel, a notoriously difficult writer. I believe that both Beiser and Brandom go astray in reading Hegel otherwise than how he reads others, that is, in terms of the internal development of their theories in response to philosophical problems with which they were concerned as opposed to other, external concerns. Beiser reads Hegel’s position in the context of German idealism in order to refute it and Brandom reads it in the context of analytic philosophy to learn from it. I will be recommending an alternative reading of Hegel’s position in the context of German idealism in order to learn from it. I believe we cannot magically detach Hegel from idealism in order to learn from, or even to understand, his position. But I also believe we need to interpret German idealism differently in order to grasp Hegel’s contribution.
‘Gadamerian platitudes’ and rational interpretations
Authors: Baynes Kenneth
Published: February 2007

The article considers some of the methodological commitments - specifically, what Brandom calls ‘Gadamerian platitudes’ - defended in Tales of the Mighty Dead. I argue that, given his commitment to Gadamer’s model of dialogue and Vorgriff der Vollkommenheit (‘anticipation of completeness’), Brandom should also accept Habermas’ position on the ineliminability of the second-person or performative perspective concerning our interpretive claims.
The meaning of being is the being of meaning
Authors: Mendieta Eduardo
Published: February 2007

Heidegger has been taken by many as a prophet of extremity, a nihilist, an existentialistic individualist, and a destroyer of normativity. This article offers a sympathetic reading of Brandom’s efforts to extricate Heidegger from such readings and to set out a way to read Heidegger’s philosophy of language and action that underscores their fundamental sociality and normativity. Herein it is shown specifically why Brandom must turn to Heidegger’s work as a testing ground for his own proposal of an inferentialist semantics. In tandem, Brandom’s Kantian reading of Heidegger is analysed and assessed.
Can a discursive pragmatism guarantee objectivity?
Authors: Swindal James
Published: February 2007

Robert Brandom and Jürgen Habermas both agree that all theoretical and practical determinations are normative affairs. But what grants this normative order the power to be objective? While Brandom assumes that ever new appeals to reliable perceptual judgments and inferentialist determinations eventuate objectivity, Habermas thinks that such an objectivistic presumption fails to sustain a thoroughgoing critique of norms. He insists that Brandom’s model of the determination of norms cannot transcend the limits of the given social community the actors share. Habermas thus delimits an additional intersubjective space, internal to the structure of speech, by which discursive actors can distance themselves from the limits of a de facto system of norms and construct norms that have a universal extension. While pointing out that in a more recent work Brandom in fact has made a stronger case for objectivity, I explore a model that is distinct from each of their approaches: Davidson’s. Davidson holds onto a causal story about rationality, while appealing to an objectivity that requires neither inferentialism nor a trans-subjective discursive space. Davidson is more sparing: he requires as the basis of the rational only the existence of another interpreter and an assumption about the basic veridicality of one’s beliefs about the world. This weak naturalist move, I conclude, furnishes an adequate answer to the objectivity problem while relying upon fewer problematic assumptions about what constitutes rationality.
Lifestyle correlates of musical preference: 2. Media, leisure time and music
Authors: North Adrian C. , Hargreaves David J.
Published: February 2007

Several studies indicate that musical preferences provide a means of discriminating between social groups, and suggest indirectly that musical preferences should correlate with a variety of different lifestyle choices. In this study, 2532 participants responded to a questionnaire asking them to state their musical preference and also to provide data on various aspects of their lifestyle (namely media preferences, leisure interests and music usage). Numerous associations existed between musical preference and these aspects of participants’ lifestyle. The nature of these associations was consistent in part with previous research on taste publics concerning the high-culture-low-culture divide, such that fans of ‘high-art’ and ‘low-art’ musical styles demonstrated a preference for other ‘high-art’ and ‘low-art’ media objects respectively, as reflected in reading, TV and radio preferences, and leisure activities.
On the Role of Capital in “Capitalist” and in Labor-Managed Firms
Authors: Ellerman David
Published: February 2007

This article outlines the “fundamental myth” about the structure of property rights in a capitalist economy, namely the idea that being the residual claimant in a productive opportunity is part of a bundle of property rights known as the “ownership of the firm.” Residual claimancy is contractually determined so there is no such “ownership.” The fundamental myth exposes a basic fallacy in capital theory that has hitherto escaped attention in the capital theory debates.
Learning from the Past: A Small Quibble with Fred Lee’s History of American Radical Economics
Authors: Murphy Jonathan
Published: February 2007

Fred Lee’s history of radical economics in America between 1945 and 1970 ( RRPE 36, 2) fails to address why the powerful New Deal movement disintegrated so quickly after the war. This article argues that the Soviet Union’s decision to retreat into isolationism split and effectively destroyed the American Left. Progressive but noncommunist economists including Harry White and Lauchlin Currie were isolated and easy targets for McCarthyites. The Bretton Woods institutions they had designed were effectively consigned into the hands of American imperialism.
Extended Time Accommodations and the Mathematics Performance of Students With and Without ADHD
Authors: Lewandowski Lawrence J. , Lovett Benjamin J. , Parolin Rosanne , Gordon Michael , Codding Robin S.
Published: February 2007

Test accommodations such as extended time are presumed to reduce the impact of a disability, while not affecting test scores of the general population. This study examined the effects of an extended time (time and one-half) accommodation on the mathematics performance of fifth-to seventh-grade students with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The results did not support the differential boost hypothesis in that the ADHD group did not make more gains than the control group with extended time. However, the ADHD group did demonstrate lower processing speed, math fluency, and achievement. These findings suggest that, although students with ADHD tend to work with less overall efficiency in terms of processing speed and task fluency, they do not benefit significantly more than nondisabled students when given extended time on a speed-based math task. Implications for future research and accommodations policies are discussed.
Creativity Lost
Authors: Delis Dean C. , Lansing Amy , Houston Wes S. , Wetter Spencer , Han S. Duke , Jacobson Mark , Holdnack James , Kramer Joel
Published: February 2007

In school settings, students are typically evaluated using group achievement tests, IQ scales, and college entrance exams that focus more on rote-verbal skills (e.g., vocabulary, mathematical facts) than on higher level executive functions (e.g., abstract thinking, problem solving). However, recent neuropsychological findings suggest that rote-knowledge skills and executive functions are divergent cognitive domains that can be dissociated in both adults with frontal lesions and children with neurodevelopmental disorders. New correlational findings obtained from 470 children and adolescents provide additional support for the divergent nature of these cognitive domains and the existence of subgroups of students who exhibit either strengths in abstract, creative thinking with relative weaknesses in rote-verbal skills or vice versa. The results suggest that current school assessment practices may result in academic roadblocks for those students who have strengths in abstract, creative thinking but whose relative weaknesses in rote-verbal skills may hinder their ability to take college entrance exams.
Assessment of English- and Spanish-speaking Students With the WISC-III and Leiter-R
Authors: Cathers-Schiffman Teresa A. , Thompson Marilyn S.
Published: February 2007

The Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter-R) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) scores of 47 English- and 47 Spanish-speaking students were analyzed, and the effects of English language ability on these scores were examined. Leiter-R validity was supported for both language groups. WISC-III validity was supported for English speakers but contained substantial construct irrelevant variance for Spanish speakers as a function of English proficiency as measured by the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery-Revised Oral Language Scale (OLS). The WISC-III appeared to measure intelligence validly for Spanish speakers scoring ≥ 90 on the OLS but seemed to reflect linguistic ability for Spanish speakers scoring < 90. Because of similarities between the WISCIII and the newer WISC-IV index scores, the OLS criterion of ≥ 90 is suggested as a reasonable guideline for valid administration of the WISC-IV to Spanish speakers.
An Examination of Strategies for Encouraging Feedback Interest After Career Assessment
Authors: Anseel Frederik , Lievens Filip
Published: February 2007

This study examines how feedback interest after career assessment can be influenced by changing individuals’ beliefs about the importance and modifiability of the various performance dimensions. In an experiment, 82 master students completed a computerized assessment tool developed for assessing managerial potential. Results showed that participants in the experimental condition were more interested in feedback about important dimensions as opposed to unimportant dimensions and were more interested in feedback about nonmodifiable dimensions as opposed to modifiable dimensions. These findings might assist career counselors and organizations in designing strategies that direct feedback interest toward performance dimensions that are most important for their clients’ career or that are most valued in their organization.
Synthesis of Novel p-π Conjugated Graft Poly(Amic Acid)s and their Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties
Authors: Najun Li  , Xiuxiu Qi  , Qingfeng Xu  , Jianmei Lu  , Lihua Wang
Published: February 2007

A novel p- π conjugate poly(amic acid) (PAA) was synthesized by the polycondensation of benzoguanamine (BGA) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) under microwave irradiation. The PAAs were grafted with toluene isocyanate-aliphatic alcohol derivatives with varying alkyl chain lengths. The solubility of the grafted PAAs improved and the degree of electron delocalization along the polymer chain increased. The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of these graft polymers in both solution and solid state (i.e. thin films) were measured by the degenerated four wave mixing (DFWM) technique. The effects of alkyl chain length of the graft on the third-order NLO coefficient to polymers backbone were investigated. The extension of the conjugate length and relatively high electron densities of polymer chains contributed significantly to the enhancement of the NLO properties. The third-order NLO coefficient of polymer films was much higher than that in solution.
Self-Control and Criminal Career Dimensions
Authors: Piquero Alex R. , Moffitt Terrie E. , Wright Bradley E.
Published: February 2007

The criminal career paradigm parcels offenders’ careers into multiple dimensions, including participation, frequency, persistence, seriousness, career length, and desistance, and each dimension may have different causes. In a forceful critique of this perspective, Gottfredson and Hirschi claim that low self-control equally predicts all dimensions of criminal behavior and that its effect holds steady across types of people, including both men and women. This study examines the link between low self-control and the career dimensions of participation, frequency, persistence, and desistance from crime. Analyses also investigate whether self-control distinguishes between persistence and desistance. Using data from 985 participants in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Human Development Study, the authors found overall support for Gottfredson and Hirschi’s position.
Subjective Desistance and the Transition to Adulthood
Authors: Massoglia Michael , Uggen Christopher
Published: February 2007

This article introduces two new conceptualizations of desistance based on individuals’ personal assessments of their own movement away from crime. Drawing on qualitative accounts of changes in offending, survey items indexing subjective desistance and reference group desistance are developed. A representative community sample of young adults is used to compare these new conceptualizations of desistance against more established measures derived from changes in arrest and self-reported crime. Results indicate that the prevalence and predictors of desistance vary with these alternative conceptualizations. Although relationship quality is consistently related to each desistance measure, the effects of prior crime, peer relationships, race, gender, and parental status depend on the outcome under consideration. These results show both the generality of the desistance process and the utility of comparing subjective accounts of this process alongside official and self-reported behavioral measures.
Amputation or Reconstruction? Notes on the Concept of “Knifing Off” and Desistance From Crime
Authors: Maruna Shadd , Roy Kevin
Published: February 2007

Several scholars have suggested that life changes—such as desistance from crime—may be shaped by social structures through a process of “knifing off.” Individuals are thought to change their lives by severing themselves from harmful environments, undesirable companions, or even the past itself. Despite the frequent use of this terminology in criminology and other fields, the concept of knifing off remains underdeveloped. Few studies have considered diverse contexts and conditions in which knifing off may or may not occur. The authors raise the following questions: What is knifing off? What gets knifed off, and who does the knifing? Is knifing off necessary and/or sufficient for behavioral change? They conclude that the concept is useful for understanding desistance and self-change but also encourage further refinement and clarification. Recommendations are proposed for developing the concept of knifing off for theories of desistance, particularly recognizing the significance of life scripts for constructing a noncriminal future.
Advancing Knowledge About Desistance
Authors: Farrington David P.
Published: February 2007

This article reviews key issues in desistance research, especially those arising from developmental and life-course theories and the criminal career paradigm. It discusses policy issues and the measurement of desistance. It outlines key questions that need to be addressed in future research on desistance and sets out a 10-year longitudinal research agenda. This includes (a) multiple cohorts, (b) community and offender samples, (c) self-report and official measures, (d) repeated measures of offending, and (e) measures of risk factors, life events, situational factors, and cognitive processes. Within-individual analyses are recommended.
Modeling of Progressive Damage in the Adhesive Bond Layers of Actuated Plates
Authors: Robbins D.H. , Chopra Inderjit
Published: February 2007

This article discusses finite element modeling of progressive damage in the adhesive bond layers of actuated plates and investigates the reduction in actuation capacity caused by the damaged bond layers. The primary challenge posed by this class of problems stems from the vast range of geometric scales that are represented, with the thickness of the adhesive layer representing the smallest scale, the overall thickness of the actuated plate representing the intermediate scale, and the in-plane dimensions of the plate representing the largest scale. In multiscale problems, the overall efficiency of the numerical methodology is of paramount importance, thus model development is guided by the need to obtain a sufficiently accurate solution at an acceptable computational expense. In this study, this goal is achieved through the use of a hierarchical, displacement-based, 2-D finite element model that includes the first-order shear deformation (FSD) model, Type I layerwise models (LW1) and Type II layerwise models (LW2) as special cases. Both the LW1 layerwise model and the more familiar FSD model use a reduced constitutive matrix that is based on the assumption of zero transverse normal stress; however, the LW1 model includes discrete layer transverse shear effects via in-plane displacement components that are C0 continuous with respect to the thickness coordinate. The LW2 layerwise model utilizes a full 3-D constitutive matrix and includes both discrete layer transverse shear effects and discrete layer transverse normal effects by expanding all three displacement components as C0 continuous functions of the thickness coordinate. The hierarchical finite element model incorporates a 3-D continuum damage mechanics model that predicts local orthotropic damage evolution and local stiffness reduction at the geometric scale represented by the individual material ply or, in the case of layerwise models, by the individual numerical layer. The results clearly demonstrate that the resulting model can efficiently simulate progressive damage in the adhesive layers. For rectangular actuator patches, the adhesive damage is highest near the corners of the actuator and is driven primarily by local concentrations in the transverse normal and transverse shear stresses. In contrast to previous studies that have shown that the inclusion of discrete layer transverse normal stress does not significantly influence the predicted global deformations, the present study shows that the transverse normal stress has a very significant effect in the initiation and progression of localized damage in the adhesive layers.
Response
Authors: Seal David Wyatt , Bloom Frederick R. , Somlai Anton M.
Published: February 2007

Lew Margolis’s commentary on our discussion of field dilemmas delineates the basic tenets of research ethics and presents the historical backdrop for Institutional Review Board governance of the conduct of scientific research. Margolis’s commentary also highlights two important points: (1) within broad boundaries, multiple strategies may exist for resolving ethical dilemmas, and (2) field judgments about the best strategy for resolving ethical dilemmas may sometimes appear less than optimal with hindsight.

These emphases reinforce the critical need for continued dialogue about the practical application of research ethics in applied field settings. We further emphasize the importance of conducting this dialogue not only in community forums but in academic arenas. The professional expertise of field researchers often is derived from direct experience with or membership in the communities being studied. For academic discussion of research ethics to have real-life utility, it is essential that conceptual discussion be translated into discussion of these issues as they apply to real-life situations demanding real-life solutions. We invite others to continue this dialogue about the practical application of research ethics to dilemmas that have been encountered during the conduct of applied field research.
Project Northland High School Interventions: Community Action to Reduce Adolescent Alcohol Use
Authors: Perry Cheryl L. , Williams Carolyn L. , Komro Kelli A. , Veblen-Mortenson Sara , Forster Jean L. , Bernstein-Lachter Randi , Pratt Lara K. , Dudovitz Bonnie , Munson Karen A. , Farbakhsh Kian , Finnegan John , McGovern Paul
Published: February 2007

Project Northland is a randomized community trial initially implemented in 24 school districts and communities in northeastern Minnesota, with goals of delaying onset and reducing adolescent alcohol use using community-wide, multiyear, multiple interventions. The study targets the Class of 1998 from the 6th to 12th grades (1991-1998). The early adolescent phase of Project Northland has been completed, and reductions in the prevalence of alcohol use at the end of 8th grade were achieved. Phase II of Project Northland, targeting 11th- and 12th-grade students, uses five major strategies: (1) direct action community organizing methods to encourage citizens to reduce underage access to alcohol, (2) youth development involving high school students in youth action teams, (3) print media to support community organizing and youth action initiatives and communicate healthy norms about underage drinking (e.g., providing alcohol to minors is unacceptable), (4) parent education and involvement, and (5) a classroom-based curriculum for 11th-grade students. This article describes the background, design, implementation, and process measures of the intervention strategies for Phase II of Project Northland.
Teacher Training as a Behavior Change Process: Principles and Results from a Longitudinal Study
Authors: Kealey Kathleen A. , Peterson Arthur V. , Gaul Marcia A. , Dinh Khanh T.
Published: February 2007

For students to realize the benefits of behavior change curricula for disease prevention, programs must be implemented effectively. However, implementation failure is a common problem documented in the literature. In this article, teacher training is conceptualized as a behavior change process with explicit teacher motivation components included to help effect the intended behavior (i.e., implementation). Using this method, the Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project, a randomized controlled trial in school-based smoking prevention, conducted 65 in-service programs, training nearly 500 teachers (Grades 3-10) from 72 schools. Implementation was monitored by teacher self-report and classroom observations by project staff. The results were favorable. All eligible teachers received training, virtually all trained teachers implemented the research curriculum, and 89% of observed lessons worked as intended. It is concluded that teacher training conceptualized as a behavior change process and including explicit teacher motivation components can promote effective implementation of behavior change curricula in public school classrooms.
Gimme 5 Fruit, Juice, and Vegetables for Fun and Health: Outcome Evaluation
Authors: Baranowski Tom , Davis Marsha , Resnicow Ken , Baranowski Janice , Doyle Colleen , Lin Lillian S. , Smith Matthew , Wang Dongqing Terry
Published: February 2007

A theory-based multicomponent intervention (Gimme 5) was designed and implemented to impact fourth- and fifth-grade children’s fruit, juice, and vegetable (FJV) consumption and related psychosocial variables. Gimme 5 was a randomized controlled intervention trial with school ( n = 16 elementary) as unit of random assignment and analysis. Participants included the cohort of students who were in the third grade in the winter of 1994 and students who joined them in the fourth and fifth grades. The intervention included a curriculum, newsletters, videotapes, and point-of-purchase education. Evaluation included 7-day food records and psychosocial measures from students, telephone interviews with parents, and observational assessments. Favorable results were observed for consumption of FJV combined, FJV consumed at weekday lunch, eating FJV self-efficacy, social norms, asking behaviors, and knowledge. A theory-based school nutrition education program can help change children’s FJV consumption and impact factors at home that predispose to FJV consumption, but changes were small, and their persistence is unknown.
Mediating Factors in Dietary Change: Understanding the Impact of a Worksite Nutrition Intervention
Authors: Kristal Alan R. , Glanz Karen , Tilley Barbara C. , Li Shuhui
Published: February 2007

This report, based on 1,795 participants in the Next Step Trial, examines how a dietary intervention program affected mediating factors for dietary change. The model tested whether intervention increased predisposing (skills, knowledge, and beliefs) and enabling (social support and norms) factors for change and advanced participants into action and maintenance stages of change. The intervention significantly increased both predisposing factors for dietary change and the likelihood of moving into or remaining in action and maintenance stages of change. Changes in predisposing and enabling factors and stage of change at follow-up (regardless of stage at baseline) were associated with significant dietary change. Changes in mediating variables explained between 34% and 55% of the effects of the dietary intervention. These results support the value of measuring mediating factors as part of dietary intervention evaluations and suggest that interventions that target norms and eating environments in addition to skills and knowledge may further increase intervention effectiveness.
Implementing a 5-a-Day Peer Health Educator Program for Public Sector Labor and Trades Employees
Authors: Buller David , Buller Mary Klein , Larkey Linda , Sennott-Miller Lee , Taren Douglas , Aickin Mikel , Wentzel Thomas M. , Morrill Calvin
Published: February 2007

Peer education in the Arizona 5-a-Day project achieved lasting improvements in fruit and vegetable intake among multicultural employees. Measures monitored implementation of peer education from peer educators’ logs, the program’s reach from employee surveys, and employees’ use in terms of employees’ dietary change. Peer educators logged 9,182 coworker contacts. Contacts averaged 10.9 minutes, according to coworkers. Coworkers read an average of 4.7 booklets and 2.23 newsletters. Many employees talked with peer educators (59%) and read materials (54%) after the program finished. Employee reports of peer educator contact were positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake. Peer education was implemented as intended and reached many coworkers. It continued after program completion, reached into coworkers’ families, and was used by employees to improve intake. This method can be used with employees who rely on informal sources and whose work presents barriers to wellness activities.
The North Carolina Black Churches United for Better Health Project: Intervention and Process Evaluation
Authors: Campbell Marci Kramish , Motsinger Brenda McAdams , Ingram Allyson , Jewell David , Makarushka Christina , Beatty Brenda , Dodds Janice , McClelland Jacquelyn , Demissie Seleshi , Demark-Wahnefried Wendy
Published: February 2007

The North Carolina Black Churches United for Better Health project was a 4-year intervention trial that successfully increased fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption among rural African American adults, for cancer and chronic disease prevention. The multicomponent intervention was based on an ecological model of change. A process evaluation that included participant surveys, church reports, and qualitative interviews was conducted to assess exposure to, and relative impact of, interventions. Participants were 1,198 members of 24 intervention churches who responded to the 2-year follow-up survey. In addition, reports and interviews were obtained from 23 and 22 churches, respectively. Serving more F&V at church functions was the most frequently reported activity and had the highest perceived impact, followed by the personalized tailored bulletins, pastor sermons, and printed materials. Women, older individuals, and members of smaller churches reported higher impact of certain activities. Exposure to interventions was associated with greater F&V intake. A major limitation was reliance on church volunteers to collect process data.
Uses of Process Evaluation in the Maryland WIC 5-a-Day Promotion Program
Authors: Havas Stephen , Anliker Jean , Damron Dorothy , Feldman Robert , Langenberg Patricia
Published: February 2007

Using a crossover design, the authors conducted a 6-month intervention program aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among women served by the Women, Infants, and Children program in Baltimore City and six Maryland counties. The theoretical framework for the interventions was the Transtheoretical Model of Change. At 2 months postintervention, mean daily consumption had increased significantly more in intervention participants than in control participants. Extensive process evaluation data were collected to assess the quantity and quality of program services delivered. These included participant nutrition session evaluation forms and attendance logs, focus groups of attenders and nonattenders of sessions, information about peer educators, and postintervention surveys. Many lessons were learned about program delivery, factors affecting attendance, and the obstacles to dietary change. Strategies to increase participants’consumption of fruits and vegetables were modified based on these lessons and the process evaluations.
Public Health Strategies for Mäori
Authors: Durie Mason
Published: February 2007

When the New Zealand Department of Public Health was established in 1900, Mäori health status was compromised to the extent that survival itself was threatened. The remarkable turnaround was unexpected and owes much to pioneer Mäori professionals, especially the first Mäori medical practitioner, Dr. Maui Pomare, who graduated in the United States in 1899. As “Medical Officer to the Mäoris,” and later as Minister of Health, he made major changes through a five-part strategy: recognizing Mäori community leaders as leaders in health, improving access to societal goods and services (especially housing and education), appealing to cultural practices that were linked to good health, wise use of political power, and developing a skilled Mäori health workforce to complement community leadership. Although mental health disorders and lifestyle illnesses have largely replaced infectious diseases, malnutrition, and tuberculosis, Pomare’s strategy has continuing relevance and warrants serious consideration as a model for health promotion.
A Moment in Time: Selected Results from the 1996-1997 New Zealand Health Survey
Authors: Sarfati Diana , Scott Kate M.
Published: February 2007

This article presents key results from the 1996-1997 New Zealand Health Survey, the second of two nationally representative surveys on the health status and health service utilization of New Zealanders. This survey involved a face-to-face interview with 7,862 adults and 1,019 children carried out during the period of a year. The survey had an adult response rate of 73.8%. Using the results of this survey, this article highlights some of the major public health issues facing New Zealanders. These issues include smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol use, asthma, and diabetes. The results presented here show that significant disparities exist between particular demographic and socioeconomic groups in New Zealand in relation to both health risk factors and specific chronic diseases. The policy implications of the results are discussed in relation to existing public health strategies and future initiatives.
Why do Australians Live Longer than New Zealanders?
Authors: O’Donoghue Brendon , Howden-Chapman Philippa , Woodward Alistair
Published: February 2007

The aim of this study was to compare patterns of mortality in Australia and New Zealand, using routinely collected data. Life expectancy at birth is greater in Australia than in New Zealand (in 1996 the gap was 1.5 years for women and 1.1 years for men). Prior to 1970, mortality was lower in New Zealand than Australia. Possible reasons for the divergence in life expectancies include slower economic growth in New Zealand, more marked increases in economic inequalities which have affected Mäori in particular and, to a modest extent, differentials in health care.
Socioeconomic Deprivation and Ethnicity are both Important for Anti-tobacco Health Promotion
Authors: Crampton Peter , Salmond Clare , Woodward Alistair , Reid Papaarangi
Published: February 2007

The aim of the study was to explore the relative importance of socioeconomic deprivation and ethnicity for smoking in New Zealand in order to assist with the design and evaluation of health promotion programs. Smoking data were derived from the 1996 census. Socioeconomic deprivation was measured using the NZDep96 index of socioeconomic deprivation for small areas, which combines nine variables from the 1996 census. There was a strong and consistent relationship between area-level socioeconomic deprivation and the proportion of regular smokers. In all age-groups, at each level of deprivation, Mäori smoked more than the “European and Other” ethnic group. The findings of this study support the view that effective tobacco control activities should address ethnic differences in smoking behavior as well as socioeconomic deprivation, and must operate at the levels of populations, places and environments, as well as individuals.
Te Whanau Cadillac—A Waka for Change
Authors: Conway Kim , Tunks Megan , Henwood Wendy , Casswell Sally
Published: February 2007

Community action research is an effective mechanism to improve the relationship between research and public health practice. The Alcohol and Public Health Research Unit (APHRU) and its Mäori research partner Whariki have developed practice in building partnerships with communities characterized by mutual respect of the different resources the partners bring to public health. A current APHRU/Whariki project focused on youth and drugs is a partnership with six communities in rural and urban areas throughout New Zealand, many predominantly Mäori. This project illustrates a model that aims to bridge the gap between research and practice, and to improve health and well-being through working with communities to increase their capacity to deal with alcohol and drug issues, and to introduce sustainable initiatives.
Open Houses and Closed Rooms: Tokelau Housing in New Zealand
Authors: Howden-Chapman Philippa , Pene Gina , Crane Julian , Green Robyn , Iupati Loi , Prior Ian , Teao Ioane
Published: February 2007

The migrant Tokelau community in New Zealand, through the Wellington Tokelau Association, is playing an active role in partnership with the Wellington School of Medicine to develop a research program to help improve the health of its people. The relationship between crowded homes and health was investigated in six focus groups. While cultural patterns were an essential part of Tokelau hospitality, the decision to “double up” households was often the result of “rational” economic decision making in relation to household expenditures such as rent and food. The implication for public health practitioners is that while overcrowding may be a health hazard for residents, the most effective solutions by the community are higher household income and more flexible housing designs that accommodate multifamily households.
Taking Public Health to the Streets: The 1998 Auckland Meningococcal Disease Awareness Program
Authors: Bullen Chris
Published: February 2007

Since 1991, New Zealand has experienced a dramatic increase in cases of serogroup B meningococcal disease. Early in 1998, a program was initiated in Auckland to raise awareness among high-risk communities about the early clinical features of meningococcal disease and appropriate action to take. The campaign was conducted largely through door-to-door visiting by Mäori and Pacific Islands lay educators, who visited more than 11,000 households and engaged more than 9,000 people in discussion. Significantly greater awareness was found in people visited by lay educators than those not visited. For the first time in 5 years, there were no meningococcal deaths among the target population for the 6 months from the start of the campaign. Home visiting by lay educators is an effective and highly acceptable means of communicating important health information to populations at high risk of meningococcal disease in New Zealand and should be considered for other public health campaigns.
Participatory Environmental Health Research in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Constraints and Opportunities
Authors: Witten Karen , Parkes Margot , Ramasubramanian Laxmi
Published: February 2007

Within the Aotearoa/New Zealand context, this article identifies opportunities for, as well as constraints on, using participatory research to address environmental health concerns. In New Zealand, principles of partnership fundamental to the Treaty of Waitangi, and the requirements for consultation within the Resource Management Act, provide a framework for participatory approaches. Participatory environmental health research integrates knowledge from various scientific and community sources. It also fosters the innovation, evaluation, and sharing of information that new public health approaches demand. As an emerging field in Aotearoa/New Zealand, it must draw on experience from resource management, rural development, and public health research and practice. Water quality is used as an example of the complexity of environmental health issues and of the potential benefits of engaging stakeholders where long-term health and well-being require balancing ecosystem integrity, economic viability, and social processes.
The Limitations and Promise of Health Education in Managed Care
Authors: Golaszewski Thomas
Published: February 2007

Managed care has become the predominant form of health insurance in the United States. With its features of capitation, provider monetary risk, and population perspective, managed care represents a huge growth opportunity for advocates of disease prevention and health promotion, including those in the field of health education. In reality, however, health education’s role has fallen far short of expectations. This article is presented to initiate a dialogue on the role of health education and its subset, worksite health promotion, within managed care. The worksite is emphasized because of its attractiveness as a site in delivering population-based medicine. Furthermore, employers exercise considerable influence in shaping the health care marketplace. A list of recommendations is presented, offering suggestions on what health education needs to do to increase its impact in the managed care movement. These arguments are posed to better position this profession in a changing health care environment.
Finding the “Community” in Community-Level HIV/AIDS Interventions: Formative Research with Young African American Men Who Have Sex with Men
Authors: Kraft Joan Marie , Beeker Carolyn , Stokes Joseph P. , Peterson John L.
Published: February 2007

Data from 76 qualitative interviews with 18- to 29-year-old African American men who have sex with men (MSM) in Chicago and Atlanta were examined to identify perceptions of “community” and components of a community-level HIV/AIDS intervention. Many men reported feeling marginal to African American and gay White communities because of perceived homophobia and racism. Those who reported feeling part of gay African American communities characterized communities in terms of settings, social structures, and functions, including social support, socialization, and mobility. Despite these positive functions, divisions among groups of MSM, lack of settings for nonsexual interaction with other MSM, lack of leadership, and negative attitudes toward homosexuality may make it difficult for men to participate in activities to alter community contexts that influence behavior. Rather, changing norms, increasing social support, and community building should be part of initial community-level interventions. Community building might identify leaders, cre ate new settings, and create opportunities for dialogue between MSM and African American community groups to address negative perceptions of homosexuality.
Using Communicative Action in the Primary Prevention of Cancer
Authors: Baillie Lynne , Bassett-Smith Joan , Broughton Sandra
Published: February 2007

The primary prevention of disease, including cancer, has been a major part of health promo tion and health education for decades. However, the long-term results of these strategies have been mixed, and primary preven-tion as an instrument of cancer control continues to fail to live up to either public or pro fessional expectations. The authors identify and critique two possible factors contributing to this failure and then offer a model for the development and implementation of primary prevention strategies that addresses these factors. The model used is based on Habermas’s theory of communicative action and recognizes the importance of a critical dialogue in health education and health promotion. The primary prevention programs currently being conducted by the Cancer Centre for the Southern Interior are presented as an example of the model in action.
The Role of Availability as a Moderator of Family Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Authors: Kratt Polly , Reynolds Kim , Shewchuk Richard
Published: February 2007

The public health objective to improve the diet of Americans includes increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables (F&V). The availability of F&V in the home has been suggested but not confirmed as one environmental factor that influences the types and quantities of F&V eaten by family members. Using a model of parental and child influences on a child’s intake of F&V, the authors investigated F&V availability as a moderating variable for the relationships between the model constructs and how the relationships might change with varying levels of F&V availability. Path analysis and multigroup structural equation modeling were the analytic tools. Results indicated that homes with more F&V available had a richer and generally stronger set of motivating factors for parent and child F&V consumption than homes with low F&V availability. Findings have implications for parental involvement in interventions to enhance the diet of fourth-grade children.