bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of a Laryngectomy and Surgical Closure Technique on Swallow Biomechanics and Dysphagia Severity
Authors: Maclean Julia , Szczesniak Michal , Cotton Susan , Cook Ian , Perry Alison
Published: December 2010

Objective

The incidence of self‐reported dysphagia following a laryngectomy is high (72%). The impact, if any, of a surgical closure technique on swallowing biomechanics and dysphagia severity is not known. To date, there is no recommended standard procedure for pharyngeal reconstruction during laryngectomy surgery. The aim of this study was to determine how laryngectomy surgery alters swallowing biomechanics, pharyngeal peak deglutitive pressure, and hypopharyngeal intrabolus pressures and whether these changes in pressure correlate with specific surgical closure after total laryngectomy or with dysphagia severity.

Study Design

Combined videoradiography and manometry was used to measure peak mid‐pharyngeal, tongue, and intrabolus pressures; anatomical derangements; postswallow residue; and pharyngeal dimensions.

Setting

Radiology Department, St George Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

Subjects

Twenty‐four patients following total laryngectomy surgery and age‐matched control data.

Results

When compared to controls, peak mid‐pharyngeal pressures were significantly reduced in laryngectomy patients (P <. 001). Hypopharyngeal intrabolus pressures were significantly higher in patients when compared to controls (P <. 001). Patients who had undergone mucosa‐and‐muscle pharyngeal reconstruction had higher peak mid‐pharyngeal pressures compared to those who had mucosa‐alone closure (P ≤. 04). Combined mucosa‐and‐muscle closure was also associated with reduced postswallow residue, indicative of a more efficient swallow.

Conclusion

Following laryngectomy surgery, pharyngeal pro‐pulsive contractile forces are impaired, and there is increased resistance to bolus flow across the pharyngoesophageal segment. These adverse biomechanical effects can be influenced by surgical techniques, providing surgeons with evidence for optimum pharyngeal closure following a laryngectomy to improve swallowing outcomes.
Video Pneumatic Otoscopy for the Diagnosis of Conductive Hearing Loss With Normal Tympanic Membranes
Authors: Lee Jae Kwon , Cho Yang‐Sun , Ko Moon Hee , Lee Won Yong , Kim Hyung‐Jin , Kim Eunhee , Chung Won‐Ho , Hong Sung Hwa
Published: December 2010

Objective

To evaluate the usefulness of video pneumatic otoscopy (VPO) for the diagnosis of conductive hearing loss (CHL) with normal tympanic membranes (TM).

Study Design

Prospective study.

Setting

Tertiary care hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Thirty‐seven ears with CHL and 9 control ears with normal TMs were included. The VPO was performed preoperatively in all patients. The authors captured TM images in 3 stages of the VPO (static, positive, and negative pressure stage) in all subjects and measured the amount of relative position differences of the umbo. Pure‐tone audiometry and temporal bone computed tomography (TBCT) were performed preoperatively. The possible causes of hearing loss were evaluated during exploratory tympanotomy in the patients with CHL.

Results

Fifteen patients had stapedial fixation, 10 had fixation of the malleus or incus (MIF), and 12 had ossicular discontinuity. The positional differences between the negative and positive pressure stage of the MIF group were significantly smaller between the CHL and control groups (P =. 001). The air‐bone gap showed no significant difference among the CHL groups. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the VPO for the diagnosis of MIF, with a cutoff value of 1.5% or less in terms of the movement of umbo, were 80.0%, 92.6%, and 89.2%, respectively. These findings were comparable to those of the TBCT, which were 90.0%, 85.2%, and 86.5%, respectively.

Conclusion

The VPO is a simple, noninvasive, and accurate tool for the differential diagnosis of CHL with a normal TM.
Disparities in Children With Otitis Media
Authors: Patel Sundip , Schroeder James W.
Published: December 2010

Objectives

To determine the difference between children with private and public insurance at the time of referral to a pediatric otolaryngologist.

Study Design

Prospective study.

Setting

Tertiary care hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Data relating to the severity of a patient’s otitis media (number of infections, doctor visits, antibiotic courses) were collected by phone interview. All patients referred to a pediatric otolaryngologist at an urban tertiary care hospital over a 5‐month period were included.

Results

One hundred eighty‐three children were studied: 87 consecutive patients in the private third‐party insurance group (PIN) and 96 patients in the state‐based Medicaid insurance group (PA). During the 6 months prior to referral, children in the PIN group had a median 4 acute otitis media infections with 5 courses of oral antibiotics and 6 primary care visits compared to 3 infections with 3 courses of antibiotics and 4 primary care visits for the PA group (P =. 0009, P ≤. 0001, P =. 0003, respectively). For recurrent acute otitis media, the PA group had a significantly longer time with disease prior to referral than the PIN group (P =. 0478).

Conclusion

Children in this metropolitan area referred for tympanostomy tube placement with PIN are younger, have more episodes of acute otitis media, receive more antibiotic courses, and have more primary care visits in the 6 months prior to referral than their PA counterparts. Additional research is required to determine why these differences exist, especially in light of ongoing changes to the health care system.
Mediated Intergroup Conflict: The Discursive Construction of “Illegal Immigrants” in a Regional U.S. Newspaper
Authors: Stewart Craig O. , Pitts Margaret J. , Osborne Helena
Published: January 2011

Using an intergroup communication framework, this article examines how a newspaper in southeastern Virginia discursively constructs the “illegal immigrant” as a metonym for Latino immigrants. This mixed methods study traces the development of this newspaper discourse about illegal immigrants from1994 to 2006 using quantitative lexical analysis. It then shows how two local news events further instantiate an illegal immigrant metonymy influencing perceptions of Latinos, subsequent media discourse about immigration, and local immigration policies using critical discourse analysis. The quantitative findings suggest that news discourse focusing on (illegal) immigration tended to use lexical items low in optimism and commonality, consistent with out-group negativity. The qualitative findings show how two incidents involving “illegal immigrants” attached negative stereotypes to this category, which then potentially influenced perceptions of Latinos more broadly. This analysis shows some of the ways that media discourse influences perceived intergroup threats at the local and national levels.
The Effect of Comprehension Feedback and Listener Age on Speech Complexity
Authors: Lineweaver Tara T. , Hutman Paul , Ketcham Christopher , Bohannon John Neil
Published: January 2011

Forty college-aged participants told a story and gave verbal walking directions to either a same-age peer or a 75-year-old adult. The listeners gave some participants comprehension feedback and gave other participants mixed comprehension and noncomprehension feedback. Analyses examined length of utterance immediately preceding or following feedback cues. Participants did not globally simplify their speech when talking to the older compared with the young adult. However, speech was sensitive to comprehension feedback from both listeners, and listener age affected speech complexity by influencing the magnitude of this fine tuning effect. Participants simplified their speech more in response to feedback cues from the older than the young listener. Taken together, these results suggest that fine tuning applies to conversations between adults and speech accommodations may be further “fine tuned” based on other factors such as listener age.
Dear Professor: The Influence of Recipient Sex and Status on Personalization and Politeness in E-Mail
Authors: Knupsky Aimee C. , Nagy-Bell Natalie M.
Published: January 2011

Although previous research has demonstrated a number of factors that affect the linguistic style of e-mails (e.g., sex of the sender and recipient), the present study emphasized the important role of recipient status on the personalization and politeness of educational e-mails. A total of 66 female undergraduates were asked to compose e-mails to a male or female peer or professor requesting study help for an upcoming exam. Results showed that participants wrote significantly more personalized and polite e-mails to peers, although e-mails to professors displayed significantly more written complexity.
Mothers’ Reports of Their Involvement in Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention
Authors: Granger Stéphanie , des Rivières-Pigeon Catherine , Sabourin Gabrielle , Forget Jacques
Published: December 2010

Although numerous studies examine the effectiveness of intensive behavioral intervention programs (EIBI) for young children with autism, few focus on the family aspect of the program. In particular, involvement of mothers in the program, which is strongly recommended, is the subject of only a small number of studies. The goal of this research is to identify the forms of involvement adopted by mothers whose child follows an EIBI program. Thirteen mothers of children with autism receiving EIBI services were questioned through semistructured interviews. The results demonstrate that maternal involvement can take various forms and that these forms may vary from those usually described in the literature.
Remodeling of Articular Cartilage and Subchondral Bone After Bone Grafting and Matrix-Associated Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation for Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee
Authors: Ochs Björn Gunnar , Müller-Horvat Christian , Albrecht Dirk , Schewe Bernhard , Weise Kuno , Aicher Wilhelm Karl , Rolauffs Bernd
Published: December 2010

Background: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the knee is a challenging problem. Previously, the authors implemented a novel 1-step surgical procedure for OCD treatment consisting of matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) and simultaneous bone reconstruction including the subchondral lamina.

Purpose: This study presents the 2-to 5-year results after this technique, assessing correlations of clinical function and cartilage and bone remodeling processes.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: Twenty-six patients with symptomatic condylar knee OCD (International Cartilage Repair Society OCD III/IV) were treated with matrix-associated ACI and monocortical cancellous cylinders for defect filling and subchondral bone plate reconstruction using cortical graft layers as novel subchondral lamina. Evaluations were performed with clinical rating scales and 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging using the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score and a newly implemented subchondral lamina remodeling grade.

Results: The defect size was 5.3 ± 2.3 cm2. The defect depth was 8.7 ± 2.4 mm. After a follow-up of 39.8 ± 12.0 months, all scores improved significantly. Nineteen patients (73%) reached good/excellent results in the Lysholm-Gillquist score (preoperatively: 53.2 ± 18.0 points; latest follow-up: 88.5 ± 9.5 points) and the Cincinnati knee rating score (preoperatively: 51.7 ± 13.0 points; latest follow-up: 84.6 ± 11.7 points) and significant improvements in the subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score by 27.9% (preoperatively: 50.5% ± 16.1%; latest follow-up: 78.4% ± 13.4%). The MOCART score reached 62.4 ± 18.9 points. The clinical improvement and tissue remodeling occurred simultaneously and timed; thus, the cartilage defect filling and the lamina remodeling grades correlated significantly with each other, the follow-up time, and almost all clinical scores.

Conclusion: The simultaneous reconstruction of deep osteochondral defects of the knee OCD with monocortical cancellous cylinders and matrix-associated ACI is a biological, 1-step alternative to osteochondral cylinder transfer or conventional ACI that leads to good clinical and magnetic resonance imaging results after an intermediate follow-up period. The present study demonstrated simultaneous remodeling processes of articular cartilage repair tissue and subchondral lamina; this synchronization is not yet understood and deserves further investigation.
Differential Item Functioning Analysis of the Science and Mathematics Items in the University Entrance Examinations in Turkey
Authors: Kalaycioğlu Dilara Bakan , Berberoğlu Giray
Published: December 2010

This study is aimed to detect differential item functioning (DIF) items across gender groups, analyze item content for the possible sources of DIF, and eventually investigate the effect of DIF items on the criterion-related validity of the test scores in the quantitative section of the university entrance examination (UEE) in Turkey. The reason for DIF items in the UEE basically comes from subject matter related factors, cognitive skills measured, and item format characteristics. It seems that higher order cognitive skills and figural or graphical representations used in item content are the two sources of DIF for favoring male students, whereas routine algorithmic calculations could produce DIF against males. Among the factors considered, cognitive skills assessed by items seem the most effective factor in producing gender DIF. However, DIF items do not create a threat to the criterion-related validity of the quantitative section of the UEE. Consideration of the DIF items and gender differences as presented here serves to underscore the need to consider gender differences in item selection on any measure that is used for a similar purpose.
Assessing Autonomic Dysfunction Symptoms in Children: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ming Xue , Bain Jennifer M. , Smith Douglas , Brimacombe Michael , Gold von-Simson Gabrielle , Axelrod Felicia B.
Published: January 2011

As a screening tool to identify symptoms of autonomic dysfunction, the Pediatric Autonomic Symptoms Scale was administered to parents of children with familial dysautonomia, autism spectrum disorders, and age-matched controls. The total scores for the presence of symptoms were compared among the 3 groups for each section and overall. The Pediatric Autonomic Symptoms Scale distinguished controls from children with familial dysautonomia and autism spectrum disorders with scores from each section and overall scores. Familial dysautonomia children scored significantly higher in visceral symptoms, while children with autism spectrum disorders scored significantly higher in psychosocial symptoms. In familial dysautonomia, the concordance for the presence of symptoms within sections and overall scores ranged from 71% to 100%. The concordance for absence of autonomic dysfunction symptoms in controls ranged from 75% to 87.5%. The Pediatric Autonomic Symptoms Scale is comprehensive and can profile autonomic dysfunction in the 2 neurodevelopmental disorders. Its usefulness in other pediatric disorders remains to be studied.
Strategies for ESOPs Under the New Diversification Requirements
Authors: Burgess M. John
Published: January 2011

Sponsors of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are already accustomed to satisfying diversification rules under the Internal Revenue Code. However, ESOPs that are sponsored by publicly traded companies may become subject to the more stringent diversification requirements under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA). This article discusses the PPA’s diversification requirements, as implemented by the final regulations issued in 2010, and how an ESOP sponsor can prepare if its ESOP becomes subject to the PPA’s requirements.
Compensation Practices and Plan Effectiveness in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Ramlall Sunil , Maimani Khalid , Diab Abdulhameed
Published: January 2011

This article identifies current compensation practices in Saudi Arabia, relates these practices to the local culture and compares the results with practices in the United States. The authors collected data from 130 human resources professionals. This study provided concrete insights about employees’ views of compensation systems and highly useful information about compensation practices for organizations across the world with business interests in Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations.
Fee Transparency Is Here: Ready or Not
Authors: Rain Scott R.
Published: January 2011

There is much talk about “transparency” these days, particularly when it comes to reporting financial information. Fee transparency has become a hot topic for employers and plan sponsors of 401(k) savings plans and for participants alike. This article provides an overview of how today’s 401(k) plans work and how they are priced and the fees built into the process for operating and managing those plans. It further details the latest guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor on how information on the performance of the plans is reported and what this means to all involved.
Examining the Job Itself as a Source of Employee Motivation
Authors: Giancola Frank L.
Published: January 2011

When they design a job, compensation professionals generally devote little time addressing employees’ intrinsic motivational needs. Their primary focus is to design a job that allows an employee to get the work done efficiently and at an appropriate level of compensation. Daniel Pink’s 2010 best-selling book, Drive, has caused many people to look at the job itself as a source of intrinsic motivation, especially for knowledge workers. This development gives us a needed push to reexamine the motivational value of the job itself and to consider probable reasons why this aspect of job design lacks emphasis.
The Relationship Between Gun and Gun Buyer Characteristics and Firearm Time-to-Crime
Authors: Brandl Steven G. , Stroshine Meghan S.
Published: January 2011

Gun violence continues to be a major crime control problem in many metropolitan cities in America. To comprehend this problem more completely, this study seeks to develop an understanding of the dynamics of illegal firearm markets in one particular city: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In particular, the characteristics of guns and gun buyers that are related to fast firearm time-to-crime are identified. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) trace data and Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Police Department (MPD) records associated with guns purchased at federally licensed gun dealers and subsequently confiscated by the MPD in 2005 ( N = 1,563) are used. The results of the analyses revealed both the characteristics of the fast time-to-crime guns (large caliber, semiautomatic, sold at a particular Milwaukee gun dealer) and their buyers (minority females). The results highlight problematic gun sales and purchasing patterns that are suggestive of statutory changes, stronger regulatory measures, and supply-side gun market disruption efforts.
Exploring General and Specific Attitudes Toward Drug Policies Among College Students
Authors: Garland Tammy S. , Bumphus Vic W. , Knox Sara A.
Published: January 2011

Numerous studies have focused on issues dealing with students’ attitudes toward drug use. Although these studies have examined attitudes toward drug use, there has been little research focusing on drug policy attitudes. Although some research has been conducted on attitudes of students and professionals regarding criminal justice policies, the literature has not directly addressed the perceptions of students regarding specific drug policies in the United States. Using data collected from 294 students enrolled at a southern university, this study examined criminal justice/legal studies majors’ and nonmajors’ perceptions regarding current drug policy and demographic factors influence these perceptions. Findings revealed little variation in overall attitudes among the two study cohorts; however, college major emerged as a significant predictor of more tolerant marijuana attitudes.
A Qualitative Study of Attitudes Toward Public Breastfeeding Among Young Canadian Men and Women
Authors: Spurles Patricia Kelly , Babineau Jessica
Published: January 2011

This research aims to explore, in qualitative terms, attitudes held by a sample of university-educated young men and women residing in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia about breastfeeding in public places. In sum, 20 women and 27 men between the ages of 18 and 23 participated in moderated single-sex focus groups that discussed breastfeeding, following a list of prepared questions and using photographs as discussion cues. Although participants uniformly stated that they desired their future children to be breastfed, 31 of 47 expressed restrictive attitudes toward exposure of the breast (eg, “should use washrooms,” “okay if discreet”) and breastfeeding in restaurants. Eight expressed positive unrestricted statements about breastfeeding in public spaces. Addressing widely held attitudes toward breastfeeding in public spaces, in addition to providing information about breastfeeding’s health benefits, may be helpful in campaigns promoting breastfeeding. J Hum Lact. 27(2):131-137.
The Emotional Impact and Behavioral Consequences of Post-M&A Integration: An Ethnographic Case Study in the Software Industry
Authors: Ager David L.
Published: December 2010

This ethnographic case study has focused in depth on one type of acquisition, that of two small, young firms (each with less than 2,000 employees and less than ten years in operation) acquired by one company in the software development industry based in the United States. The underlying research extends understanding of postacquisition integration by (1) offering new insights into why actors become so intransigent about preserving their self-and group identity, especially in situations of major organizational change; (2) illustrating how seeking socio-emotional support from one’s in-group may actually lead to perverse, unintended consequences for both the individual and the organization-level goal of integration; and (3) through the “emic” perspective adopted in this ethnographic research, the findings extend thinking in a number of theoretical realms, illuminating the complexities of postmerger integration by demonstrating how social identity, emotions, the appraisal process, and coping strategies both motivate and constrain human behavior.
Erosive Wear Studies of Glass fiber- and Carbon Fiber-reinforced Polyetheretherketone Composites at Low Particle Speed
Authors: Sari N. Y. , Sinmazcelik T. , Yilmaz T.
Published: January 2011

In this study, solid particle erosive wear behavior of randomly oriented short glass fiber and carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites was investigated. The solid particle erosion experiments were carried out at six different contact angles (15—90°) and at low particle speed using brown fused aluminum oxide (Al2O3) particles (500—710 µm) as an erodent. The PEEK composites showed semi-ductile erosion behavior, with a maximum wear amount at a contact angle of 45°. The fiber type and the contact angle had a significant influence on erosion behavior. Glass fiber-reinforced PEEK composites showed better erosive wear resistance than carbon fibre-reinforced composites. Scanning electron microscopy studies were conducted to understand the wear mechanisms involved during the erosive wear.
Estimation of Elongation Viscosity of Polyethylene Melts
Authors: Liang J.-Z. , Zhong L.
Published: January 2011

Extensional flow is one of the common flow patterns in polymer processing, such as melt spinning and entry contraction flow. Extensional viscosity is an important characterization of flow properties for polymeric materials. In this article, temperature T was introduced into H function which represents the destruction rate of network junctions and a new viscosity equation was derived based on Phan-Thien—Tanner model. The elongation viscosities of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) melts were estimated using this equation at 150°C, and the calculations were compared with the measured data from the extension experiments of the HDPE and LDPE melts reported in reference. Good agreement was showed between the predictions and the measured data. Furthermore, the parameters in this equation were easy to be determined.
Synthesis and Characterization of Polyaniline Microbelt via Cotton Template
Authors: Li Q. , Zhang C. , Ye Y.
Published: January 2011

Polyaniline (PANI) microbelts were synthesized via cotton template. The PANI microbelts were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the morphology and electrical conductivity of such microbelts were evaluated by means of scanning electron microscope and four-probe conductivity. A possible mechanism for the formation of the PANI microbelts had been proposed. The conductivity was measured, and the conductivity variation mechanism of the PANI microbelts with the aniline monomer concentrations was analyzed in this article.
Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube/Polysulfone Composites
Authors: Dooher T. , Dixon D. , McIlhagger A.
Published: January 2011

The solution method was used to create polysulfone/carbon nanotubes composites. The effect of three solvents (NMP, DMF, and THF), treatments (nitric acid and ethanol) and surfactants (ODA and OCA) on CNT/ solvent stability was investigated. NMP and DMF resulted in improved stability compared to THF, and all CNT treatments improved stability. Four composites were produced with CNT loadings of 0—5 wt%: as-received CNT and nitric acid treated in THF, as-received CNT and OCA surfactant CNT in NMP. Optical, TEM, and electrical percolation measurements confirmed the role of CNT/solvent stability on the final composite dispersion. Tensile testing and thermal analysis confirmed the presence of residual solvent in all samples.
Tensile Creep Behavior of Medium-Density Polyethylene
Authors: Hamed Mosavian M.T. , Bakhtiari A. , Sahebian S.
Published: January 2011

This research investigated the effect of stress and temperature on the viscous behavior of medium-density polyethylene (MDPE). The creep properties of pure MDPE using film specimens were studied under the static loading range 15—55 MPa by a thermomechanical analyzer at room temperature and elevated temperature (30°C, 60°C, and 90°C). Viscoelastic properties were derived from experimentally measured creep data, including isochronous stress—strain diagram, creep modulus, and creep rate charts with the influence of stress and temperature. In addition, the effect of creep strain and viscous flow on MDPE structure was investigated by a thermogravimetry analyzer. The results of this study showed that the linear viscoelastic behavior of MDPE changes with stress and temperature, and any reduction of polymer chains and structure revolution under the tensile creep test were not shown.
Paving the Way
Authors: Domina Thurston , Ruzek Erik
Published: January 2011

Partnerships between colleges and universities and K-12 school districts attempt to improve access to higher education by tailoring college outreach and teacher professional development programs to local needs as well as aligning high school curricula with higher education admissions criteria. In this article, we conduct a quasi-experimental evaluation of partnerships between universities and school districts in California. Our fixed-effects models indicate that comprehensive K-16 partnerships substantially increase student graduation and nonselective university enrollment rates in participating school districts, but that these effects take time. We argue that local partnerships are an effective, but resource- and time-intensive, K-16 school reform strategy.
Are More Stringent NCLB State Accountability Systems Associated With Better Student Outcomes? An Analysis of NAEP Results Across States
Authors: Wei Xin
Published: January 2011

This study developed a comprehensive measure of the stringency level of NCLB states’ accountability systems, including the strength of their annual measurable objectives, confidence intervals, performance indexing, retesting, minimum subgroup size, and the difficulty levels of proficiency standards. This study related accountability stringency in 2003 to student achievement and achievement gaps on NAEP math and reading tests from 2003 and 2005. The results were inconsistent across grades, subjects, and ethnic groups. An increase in accountability stringency, such as requiring faster progress, not allowing for retesting, and allowing a smaller minimum subgroup size were related to improved math achievement for fourth-grade Hispanic students. Not using confidence intervals was related to higher math and reading achievement for White and Hispanic students. However, accountability stringency did not have any positive effects and even negative effects on eighth-grade Black students.
Declaring Bankruptcy on Educational Inequity
Authors: Bass Lisa , Gerstl-Pepin Cynthia
Published: January 2011

The authors consider Ladson-Billings’ (2006) charge to reframe the way the ‘achievement gap’ is viewed, and put forth the metaphor of “bankruptcy” as a way to acknowledge the educational debt and educational inequity and move towards debt forgiveness in public education. Specifically, the bankruptcy metaphor is used to examine the debt embedded in the historical progression of federal school reform policy including the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act. Acknowledging this debt requires valuing and supporting children and their families through educational policy that supports equity. The authors assert that reconciliation of the debt requires working across disciplines and agencies to address the larger community issues surrounding educational inequities.
Vestiges of Segregation in the Implementation of Inclusion Policies in Public High Schools
Authors: McCarthy Mary Rose , Wiener Roberta , Soodak Leslie Carol
Published: January 2011

The present study sought to determine to what extent vestiges of the dual system of educating students with and without disabilities persist and how they undermine the implementation and sustainability of inclusive education. We investigated how prior experiences with segregation shape administrators’ thinking and school policies and practices through interviews with administrators in 11 public high schools. Analysis of the interviews indicated that remnants of past policy and practice persist and that these vestiges and their causes weaken the prospect of sustained change. We discuss the limitations of relying on legislation to change long-standing institutional practices that reinforce a philosophy of difference.
Promoting the Educational Attainment of Adults
Authors: Perna Laura , Walsh Erin , Fester Rachél
Published: January 2011

This study draws on data collected from case studies of four precollege outreach programs and a survey of program administrators to explore the ways that youth-oriented precollege outreach programs may promote the educational attainment of the parents of participating students. The results suggest that precollege outreach programs may expand the “worldview” of participating students’ parents to include enrollment in an educational program as a realistic option and provide parents with information required for this enrollment. The results also suggest that, despite the potential role of precollege outreach programs in promoting the educational attainment of participating students’ parents, low current educational attainment and insufficient financial resources are substantial deterrents to enrollment.
Young Children Share the Spoils After Collaboration
Authors: Warneken Felix , Lohse Karoline , Melis Alicia P. , Tomasello Michael
Published: January 2011

Egalitarian behavior is considered to be a species-typical component of human cooperation. Human adults tend to share resources equally, even if they have the opportunity to keep a larger portion for themselves. Recent experiments have suggested that this tendency emerges fairly late in human ontogeny, not before 6 or 7 years of age. Here we show that 3-year-old children share mostly equally with a peer after they have worked together actively to obtain rewards in a collaboration task, even when those rewards could easily be monopolized. These findings contrast with previous findings from a similar experiment with chimpanzees, who tended to monopolize resources whenever they could. The potentially species-unique tendency of humans to share equally emerges early in ontogeny, perhaps originating in collaborative interactions among peers.
Learning About What Others Were Doing
Authors: Hart William , Albarracín Dolores
Published: December 2010

Scientists have long been interested in understanding how language shapes the way people relate to others, yet it remains unclear how formal aspects of language influence person perception. We tested whether the attribution of intentionality to a person is influenced by whether the person’s behaviors are described as what the person was doing or as what the person did (imperfective vs. perfective aspect). In three experiments, participants who read what a person was doing showed enhanced accessibility of intention-related concepts and attributed more intentionality to the person, compared with participants who read what the person did. This effect of the imperfective aspect was mediated by a more detailed set of imagined actions from which to infer the person’s intentions and was found for both mundane and criminal behaviors. Understanding the possible intentions of others is fundamental to social interaction, and our findings show that verb aspect can profoundly influence this process.
Seasonality in the early Holocene: Extending fossil-based estimates with a forest ecosystem process model
Authors: McGlone Matt S. , Hall Graeme M.J. , Wilmshurst Janet M.
Published: December 2010

Past seasonality changes are often poorly represented by Quaternary proxies because one season, or one factor, dominates the reconstructed signal. During the early Holocene in New Zealand, mean annual temperatures were at least 1.5°C warmer than present. However, treelines were lower, suggesting summers were cooler. Here we use a forest ecosystem process model, LINKNZ, to explore past precipitation and temperature seasonality changes in an intermontane basin of the Southern Alps, New Zealand. Pollen and macrofossils from the basin show that during an early-Holocene warm event (11 500 to 9500 cal. yr BP) podocarp and broadleaved species dominated. In exploratory modelling runs, mean annual temperatures were increased by up to 2°C, precipitation was reduced by 20—30%, and temperature seasonality reduced. When mean annual temperature was increased by 1.0—2.0°C, LINKNZ reconstructed wet forest associations, very different to those in the early-Holocene fossil assemblages. Acceptable matches were made with the early-Holocene vegetation using elevated temperature scenarios with up to 30% lower annual precipitation and decreased temperature seasonality. Longer growing seasons apparently compensate for cooler summer temperatures. We suggest that during the early Holocene in this area, westerly wind flow over the Southern Alps to the west of the basin was less, reducing spill-over rainfall and vapour pressure deficits. Warm oceans generated milder, cloudier climates reducing seasonal contrasts. Inverse modelling is recommended as a tool for exploring past climate scenarios when proxies fail to reconstruct important climate variables.
Holocene carbon emissions as a result of anthropogenic land cover change
Authors: Kaplan Jed O. , Krumhardt Kristen M. , Ellis Erle C. , Ruddiman William F. , Lemmen Carsten , Goldewijk Kees Klein
Published: December 2010

Humans have altered the Earth’s land surface since the Paleolithic mainly by clearing woody vegetation first to improve hunting and gathering opportunities, and later to provide agricultural cropland. In the Holocene, agriculture was established on nearly all continents and led to widespread modification of terrestrial ecosystems. To quantify the role that humans played in the global carbon cycle over the Holocene, we developed a new, annually resolved inventory of anthropogenic land cover change from 8000 years ago to the beginning of large-scale industrialization (ad 1850). This inventory is based on a simple relationship between population and land use observed in several European countries over preindustrial time. Using this data set, and an alternative scenario based on the HYDE 3.1 land use data base, we forced the LPJ dynamic global vegetation model in a series of continuous simulations to evaluate the impacts of humans on terrestrial carbon storage during the preindustrial Holocene. Our model setup allowed us to quantify the importance of land degradation caused by repeated episodes of land use followed by abandonment. By 3 ka BP, cumulative carbon emissions caused by anthropogenic land cover change in our new scenario ranged between 84 and 102 Pg, translating to c. 7 ppm of atmospheric CO2. By ad 1850, emissions were 325–357 Pg in the new scenario, in contrast to 137–189 Pg when driven by HYDE. Regional events that resulted in local emissions or uptake of carbon were often balanced by contrasting patterns in other parts of the world. While we cannot close the carbon budget in the current study, simulated cumulative anthropogenic emissions over the preindustrial Holocene are consistent with the ice core record of atmospheric δ13CO2 and support the hypothesis that anthropogenic activities led to the stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations at a level that made the world substantially warmer than it otherwise would be.
The built sport spectacle and the opacity of democracy
Authors: Friedman Michael T , Andrews David L
Published: December 2010

In 2004, city leaders in Washington, DC approved the construction of Nationals Park, in order to encourage Major League Baseball to relocate the Montreal Expos to the city. With public funding of the stadium exceeding $611 million, this became the most generous stadium subsidy in the United States at that time (Sports Facilities Reports, 2008). In this revealing action, city leaders clearly demonstrated their priorities by funding a project that primarily benefits visitors and corporate interests over the pressing needs of the city’s residents. Nationals Park is, thus, a spectacle, which, in David Harvey’s (2001b) terms helps to mask Washington’s ‘rot beneath the glitter’ (p. 140). Furthermore, and given the idiosyncratic political governance operating within Washington DC, this article utilizes a combination of Debordian and Lefebvrean theorizing in identifying and examining Nationals Park as a sporting edifice whose symbolic and aesthetic presence is rooted in the city’s pseudo-democratic aura, but whose socio-structural derivation and effects actively perpetuate Washington’s constitutional disenfranchisement and the locally iniquitous status quo.
The hoolifan: Positive fan attitudes to football ‘hooliganism’
Authors: Rookwood Joel , Pearson Geoff
Published: December 2010

Popular accounts of ‘football hooliganism’ have identified the phenomenon as being harmful and damaging for both the sport of football and the interests of spectators who attend matches. As a result, it has been generally assumed that ‘non-hooligan’ supporters disapprove of their hooligan counterparts and their activities. However, this one-sided account does not recognize the views of a significant proportion of match-going fans who consistently express positive attitudes towards the ‘hooligans’ who follow their team. Based on a series of ethnographic studies of football fans from 1995 to 2010, this article casts light on the positive role that hooligans are perceived to perform by many fans who attend home and away matches with their club. The research demonstrated that hooligans were believed to play vital roles in distraction, protection and reputation for many non-hooligan fans and even when fans did express disapproval of ‘hooligan’ activity, this was often for practical rather than moral reasons. Furthermore, fans who express positive attitudes to hooliganism – or ‘hoolifans’ – have to be acknowledged and understood if the problem of football crowd disorder is to be controlled.
The Columbia Impairment Scale: Factor Analysis Using a Community Mental Health Sample
Authors: Singer Jonathan B. , Eack Shaun M. , Greeno Catherine M.
Published: January 2011

Objective: The objective of this study was to test the factor structure of the parent version of the Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS) in a sample of mothers who brought their children for community mental health (CMH) services (n = 280). Method: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the fit of the hypothesized four-factor structure and the empirically validated one-factor structure. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify what factor structure best fit our sample of distressed mothers. Results: Neither the one- nor the four-factor model fit our sample. The EFA suggested that the CIS was best understood as a 12-item, three-factor model that identified functional impairment: (a) at school/work; (b) in socializing; and (c) at home/family. Conclusion: These findings call into question the construct validity of the parent version of the CIS in a CMH sample of mothers and provide support for multidimensional measures of functional impairment.
Message in a Bottle: Basic Business Lessons for Entrepreneurs Using Only a Soft Drink
Authors: McCormick Blaine , Gray Van
Published: December 2010

Coca-Cola is available in more than 200 countries and territories. As such, it stands as a readily available resource for teaching business lessons in developing countries. This article presents the use of a bottle of Coke to teach 12 basic business lessons. Designed for minimally educated entrepreneurs starting or running microenterprises, each lesson contains a microlecture and several discussion activities to improve the interaction of the group and reinforce the microlectures. The article concludes with advice for users and planned future activities.
Organizational Visioning: An Integrative Review
Authors: O'Connell Dave , Hickerson Karl , Pillutla Arun
Published: January 2011

Building on empirical, theoretical, and normative literatures, we develop an integrated discussion of organizational vision, including a range of factors, from the reasons for visioning to the impacts of vision on individuals, groups, and organizations. The goal is to help integrate the field and to provide direction for both future research and leadership practice. Building on prior reviews, we update the literature and contrast group visioning processes with leader-driven vision development. The article offers a comprehensive look at vision development, implementation, and the impact of visioning and suggests a number of propositions for future research.
Parental Influences on Greek Adolescents’ Career Decision-Making Difficulties: The Mediating Role of Core Self-Evaluations
Authors: Koumoundourou Georgia , Tsaousis Ioannis , Kounenou Kalliope
Published: December 2010

The purpose of the study was to explore the influence of family characteristics (family function and parental authority styles) and core self-evaluations (CSE), in adolescents’ career formation. Drawing on the relational framework of Cutrona and Russell, the study examined the mediating role of CSE on the relationship between family and parental variables and adolescents’ career decision-making (CDM) difficulties. Using a sample of 289 Greek students, it was found that for male students the permissive and authoritarian parenting styles and the family cohesion contributed significantly to the prediction of CDM difficulties. Males’ decision-making difficulties were not influenced by CSE. Females’ decision-making difficulties were influenced negatively only by the parents’ authoritarian style. Contrary to males, CSE fully mediated the relationship between the authoritarian style and females’ decision-making difficulties. The specific findings are discussed in reference to gender differences in adolescents’ personality development. Implications for research and adolescents’ career counseling are also discussed.
Differential Item Functioning on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Is Minimal in Demographically Matched Meditators and Nonmeditators
Authors: Baer Ruth A. , Samuel Douglas B. , Lykins Emily L. B.
Published: December 2010

A recent study of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire reported high levels of differential item functioning (DIF) for 18 of its 39 items in meditating and nonmeditating samples that were not demographically matched. In particular, meditators were more likely to endorse positively worded items whereas nonmeditators were more likely to deny negatively worded (reverse-scored) items. The present study replicated these analyses in demographically matched samples of meditators and nonmeditators ( n = 115 each) and found that evidence for DIF was minimal. There was little or no evidence for differential relationships between positively and negatively worded items for meditators and nonmeditators. Findings suggest that DIF based on items’ scoring direction is not problematic when the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire is used to compare demographically similar meditators and nonmeditators.
The Dynamical Balance of the Brain at Rest
Authors: Deco Gustavo , Corbetta Maurizio
Published: January 2011

The authors review evidence that spontaneous, that is, not stimulus or task driven, activity in the brain at the level of large-scale neural systems is not noise, but orderly and organized in a series of functional networks that maintain, at all times, a high level of coherence. These networks of spontaneous activity correlation or resting state networks (RSN) are closely related to the underlying anatomical connectivity, but their topography is also gated by the history of prior task activation. Network coherence does not depend on covert cognitive activity, but its strength and integrity relates to behavioral performance. Some RSN are functionally organized as dynamically competing systems both at rest and during tasks. Computational studies show that one of such dynamics, the anticorrelation between networks, depends on noise-driven transitions between different multistable cluster synchronization states. These multistable states emerge because of transmission delays between regions that are modeled as coupled oscillators systems. Large-scale systems dynamics are useful for keeping different functional subnetworks in a state of heightened competition, which can be stabilized and fired by even small modulations of either sensory or internal signals.