bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analytical Solutions of the Two-Site Holstein Model by the Coherent State Expansion
Authors: Lin Zijing , Han Rongsheng , Kelin Wang
Published: October 2003

The polaron problem presents a highly nonlinear dynamical system in which the charge and lattice deformations are intricately coupled together. The coherent state expansion method was applied to the two-site Holstein model. Analytical solutions are found for the first, the second and the third order approximations. Comparison is made among the exact numerical results, based upon solving a recursive relation for the expansion coefficients, and the analytical solutions up to the third order approximation for various e-ph coupling strengths and electron hopping parameters.
Transport Properties of the f=1/2 Square Lattice Coulomb Gas Model at the Ising-Like Phase Transition Temperature
Authors: Ren Qing-Bao , Luo Meng-Bo , Chen Qing-Hu
Published: October 2003

The transport properties of the f=1/2 square lattice Coulomb gas model at the Ising-like phase transition temperature are studied using Monte Carlo technique. A non-Ohmic transport property is found at the Ising-like phase transition temperature Tc, indicating that the Ising-like phase transition is influenced by the KT phase transition and some vortices are bound neutrally at Tc.
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) in Musculoskeletal Oncology
Authors: Yoshikawa Hideki , Takaoka Kunio , Ono Keiro
Published: October 2003

Current knowledge of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) in musculoskeletal oncology is reviewed in this paper. Bone morphogenetic activity, manifesting as ectopic bone induction, is present in a proportion of murine and human osteosarcoma tissues and cells in culture. In osteosarcoma, BMPs effect reactive bone formation including periosteal reactions by normal osteoblasts rather than through the production of tumorous osteoid by tumor cells. BMP-producing osteosarcomas may contain less differentiated mesenchymal cells, resulting in a poorer prognosis for these patients. BMP-2/4 proteins are also expressed in malignant fibrous histiocytoma, dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma, and a variety of soft-tissue sarcomas exhibiting undifferentiated features, suggesting that BMPs may have additional functions unrelated to bone formation. Clinically, BMPs have utility as new diagnostic and prognostic markets for characterizing the stage of differentiation of mesenchymal cells and mesenchymal tumors, and may be of value in predicting the prognosis of sarcoma patients.
Preoperative Instrumented Evaluation of Anterior and Posterior Laxity of the Knee Joint
Authors: Hsu Robert Wen-Wei , Yu Su-Ying
Published: October 2003

In order to justify the diagnostic criteria for the cruciate ligament injury of the knee joint, a series of 44 Chinese patients were enrolled for retrospective analysis. There were 15 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and 29 posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries. In addition, 80 normal volunteer subjects were recruited for the control group. Preoperatively, all the patients underwent the KT-1000 and Genucom analyses (except for 6 PCL patients without the Genucom test) of the injured and uninjured knees. Similarly, all the control subjects underwent the same assessments.

In the ACL deficient group, the between-knee displacement difference in the anterior drawer test at knee flexion of 30° was 5.2 ± 3.9 mm with KT 1000, and 3.5 ± 2.1 mm with Genucom. The between knee difference of quadriceps active displacement and manual maximum displacement in KT-1000 were 4.4 ± 3.3 mm and 4.8 ± 2.3 mm, respectively. In the PCL deficient group, the between-knee displacement difference via posterior drawer test at knee flexion of 70° was 8.2 ± 3.9 mm with KT-1000, while with Genucom at knee flexion of 90°, the displacement difference was 4.6 ± 4.8 mm. Meanwhile, the quadriceps active displacement in KT-1000 was 4.9 ± 2.2 mm at knee flexion of 90°. All of the ACL deficient patients exhibited a more than 2 mm between knee difference in the manual maximum test. Among the PCL deficient knees, 97% of them in the corrected posterior drawer test and 89% in the quadriceps active displacement, exhibited a greater than 3 mm between knee difference. A significant side-to-side difference existed between the injured patient and control normal subjects (p < 0.001). The findings indicated that the between-knee difference of more than 3 mm in the corrected posterior drawer test is highly suggestive of a PCL injury; while a 2 mm in manual maximum displacement implied the existence of ACL insufficiency. These results could be useful in substantiating the clinical screening judgement of cruciate ligamentous injury of knee joints, in addition to the history and physical examinations.
Spherical parametrization and remeshing
Authors: Praun Emil , Hoppe Hugues
Published: October 2003

The traditional approach for parametrizing a surface involves cutting it into charts and mapping these piecewise onto a planar domain. We introduce a robust technique for directly parametrizing a genus-zero surface onto a spherical domain. A key ingredient for making such a parametrization practical is the minimization of a stretch-based measure, to reduce scale-distortion and thereby prevent undersampling. Our second contribution is a scheme for sampling the spherical domain using uniformly subdivided polyhedral domains, namely the tetrahedron, octahedron, and cube. We show that these particular semi-regular samplings can be conveniently represented as completely regular 2D grids, i.e. geometry images. Moreover, these images have simple boundary extension rules that aid many processing operations. Applications include geometry remeshing, level-of-detail, morphing, compression, and smooth surface subdivision.
Shadow silhouette maps
Authors: Sen Pradeep , Cammarano Mike , Hanrahan Pat
Published: October 2003

The most popular techniques for interactive rendering of hard shadows areshadow mapsandshadow volumes. Shadow maps work well in regions that are completely in light or in shadow but result in objectionable artifacts near shadow boundaries. In contrast, shadow volumes generate precise shadow boundaries but require high fill rates. In this paper, we propose the method ofsilhouette maps, in which a shadow depth map is augmented by storing the location of points on the geometric silhouette. This allows the shader to construct a piecewise linear approximation to the true shadow silhouette, improving the visual quality over the piecewise constant approximation of conventional shadow maps. We demonstrate an implementation of our approach running on programmable graphics hardware in real-time.
Shape modeling with point-sampled geometry
Authors: Pauly Mark , Keiser Richard , Kobbelt Leif P. , Gross Markus
Published: October 2003

We present a versatile and complete free-form shape modeling framework for point-sampled geometry. By combining unstructured point clouds with the implicit surface definition of the moving least squares approximation, we obtain a hybrid geometry representation that allows us to exploit the advantages of implicit and parametric surface models. Based on this representation we introduce a shape modeling system that enables the designer to perform large constrained deformations as well as boolean operations on arbitrarily shaped objects. Due to minimum consistency requirements, point-sampled surfaces can easily be re-structured on the fly to support extreme geometric deformations during interactive editing. In addition, we show that strict topology control is possible and sharp features can be generated and preserved on point-sampled objects. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our system on a large set of input models, including noisy range scans, irregular point clouds, and sparsely as well as densely sampled models.
Keyframe control of smoke simulations
Authors: Treuille Adrien , McNamara Antoine , Popović Zoran , Stam Jos
Published: October 2003

We describe a method for controlling smoke simulations through user-specified keyframes. To achieve the desired behavior, a continuous quasi-Newton optimization solves for appropriate "wind" forces to be applied to the underlying velocity field throughout the simulation. The cornerstone of our approach is a method to efficiently compute exact derivatives through the steps of a fluid simulation. We formulate an objective function corresponding to how well a simulation matches the user's keyframes, and use the derivatives to solve for force parameters that minimize this function. For animations with several keyframes, we present a novel multiple-shooting approach. By splitting large problems into smaller overlapping subproblems, we greatly speed up the optimization process while avoiding certain local minima.
Real-time rendering of aerodynamic sound using sound textures based on computational fluid dynamics
Authors: Dobashi Yoshinori , Yamamoto Tsuyoshi , Nishita Tomoyuki
Published: October 2003

In computer graphics, most research focuses on creating images. However, there has been much recent work on the automatic generation of sound linked to objects in motion and the relative positions of receivers and sound sources. This paper proposes a new method for creating one type of sound called aerodynamic sound. Examples of aerodynamic sound include sound generated by swinging swords or by wind blowing. A major source of aerodynamic sound is vortices generated in fluids such as air. First, we propose a method for creating sound textures for aerodynamic sound by making use of computational fluid dynamics. Next, we propose a method using the sound textures for real-time rendering of aerodynamic sound according to the motion of objects or wind velocity.
Bilateral mesh denoising
Authors: Fleishman Shachar , Drori Iddo , Cohen-Or Daniel
Published: October 2003

We present an anisotropic mesh denoising algorithm that is effective, simple and fast. This is accomplished by filtering vertices of the mesh in the normal direction using local neighborhoods. Motivated by the impressive results of bilateral filtering for image denoising, we adopt it to denoise 3D meshes; addressing the specific issues required in the transition from two-dimensions to manifolds in three dimensions. We show that the proposed method successfully removes noise from meshes while preserving features. Furthermore, the presented algorithm excels in its simplicity both in concept and implementation.
Book preview
Authors: Campbell Marisa
Published: October 2003

Previews of upcoming titles
Creating sustainable competitive advantage through internetworked communities
Authors: Farhoomand Ali F. , Ng Pauline S. P.
Published: October 2003

Examining the effects of transforming the Hong Kong Stock Exchange from a closed to an open trading system.
Information-rich commerce at a crossroads
Authors: Fichman Robert G. , Cronin Mary J.
Published: October 2003

The day is approaching when most of our common transactions may be information-rich, but first an extensive supporting infrastructure must be developed in three areas: devices, networking, and trust.
Closing the learning application gap
Authors: Armour Phillip
Published: October 2003

Attempting to overcome the challenges to effectively conveying knowledge.
Metaheuristics in combinatorial optimization
Authors: Blum Christian , Roli Andrea
Published: October 2003

The field of metaheuristics for the application to combinatorial optimization problems is a rapidly growing field of research. This is due to the importance of combinatorial optimization problems for the scientific as well as the industrial world. We give a survey of the nowadays most important metaheuristics from a conceptual point of view. We outline the different components and concepts that are used in the different metaheuristics in order to analyze their similarities and differences. Two very important concepts in metaheuristics are intensification and diversification. These are the two forces that largely determine the behavior of a metaheuristic. They are in some way contrary but also complementary to each other. We introduce a framework, that we call theI&Dframe, in order to put different intensification and diversification components into relation with each other. Outlining the advantages and disadvantages of different metaheuristic approaches we conclude by pointing out the importance of hybridization of metaheuristics as well as the integration of metaheuristics and other methods for optimization.
Effects of scent and breadth on use of site-specific search on e-commerce Web sites
Authors: Katz Michael A. , Byrne Michael D.
Published: October 2003

Users faced with Web sites containing many possibly relevant pages often have a decision to make about navigation: use the menu of links or use the provided site search function. Two studies were conducted to examine what users do when faced with this decision on e-commerce Web sites, and how users go about deciding which method to attempt. An exploratory study revealed a wide distribution of searching and browsing behavior across sites and users. Counter to some predictions, use of the site search functions did not yield faster or more accurate performance in locating products. Questionnaire data suggested that factors relevant to the menu structure, interface element prominence, information scent and user dispositions all influenced the decision of whether to browse or search a site for a product. A second experiment utilizing novel e-commerce sites and allowing for more control of factors found to be important in the first study found that browsing behavior was influenced by both the breadth and information scent of the menus. These results suggest that providing site search should not be used to compensate for poor menu design, and provide further evidence regarding the design of effective menu structures.
The receptive distributed π-calculus
Authors: Amadio Roberto M. , Boudol Gérard , Lhoussaine Cédric
Published: October 2003

We study an asynchronous distributed π-calculus, with constructs for localities and migration. We show that a static analysis ensures the receptiveness of channel names, which, together with a simple type system, guarantees the
message deliverability
property. This property states that any migrating message will find an appropriate receiver at its destination locality. We argue that this distributed, receptive calculus is still expressive enough while allowing for an effective type inference à la ML.
Iterative spatial join
Authors: Jacox Edwin H. , Samet Hanan
Published: October 2003

The key issue in performing spatial joins is finding the pairs of intersecting rectangles. For unindexed data sets, this is usually resolved by partitioning the data and then performing a plane sweep on the individual partitions. The resulting join can be viewed as a two-step process where the partition corresponds to a hash-based join while the plane-sweep corresponds to a sort-merge join. In this article, we look at extending the idea of the sort-merge join for one-dimensional data to multiple dimensions and introduce the
Iterative Spatial Join
. As with the sort-merge join, the Iterative Spatial Join is best suited to cases where the data is already sorted. However, as we show in the experiments, the Iterative Spatial Join performs well when internal memory is limited, compared to the partitioning methods. This suggests that the Iterative Spatial Join would be useful for very large data sets or in situations where internal memory is a shared resource and is therefore limited, such as with today's database engines which share internal memory amongst several queries. Furthermore, the performance of the Iterative Spatial Join is predictable and has no parameters which need to be tuned, unlike other algorithms. The Iterative Spatial Join is based on a plane sweep algorithm, which requires the entire data set to fit in internal memory. When internal memory overflows, the Iterative Spatial Join simply makes additional passes on the data, thereby exhibiting only a gradual performance degradation. To demonstrate the use and efficacy of the Iterative Spatial Join, we first examine and analyze current approaches to performing spatial joins, and then give a detailed analysis of the Iterative Spatial Join as well as present the results of extensive testing of the algorithm, including a comparison with partitioning-based spatial join methods. These tests show that the Iterative Spatial Join overcomes the performance limitations of the other algorithms for data sets of all sizes as well as differing amounts of internal memory.
New sensations
Authors: Schindler Esther
Published: October 2003

Will Internet-based haptics have the right touch?
Motion sketching for control of rigid-body simulations
Authors: Popović Jovan , Seitz Steven M. , Erdmann Michael
Published: October 2003

Motion sketching is an approach for creating realistic rigid-body motion. In this approach, an animator sketches how objects should move and the system computes a physically plausible motion that best fits the sketch. The sketch is specified with a mouse-based interface or with hand-gestures, which move instrumented objects in the real world to act out the desired behaviors. The sketches may be imprecise, may be physically infeasible, or may have incorrect timing. A multiple-shooting optimization estimates the parameters of a rigid-body simulation needed to simulate an animation that matches the sketch with physically plausible timing and motion. This technique applies to physical simulations of multiple colliding rigid bodies possibly connected with joints in a tree (open-loop) topology.
Testing high-performance pipelined circuits with slow-speed testers
Authors: Nummer Muhammad , Sachdev Manoj
Published: October 2003

This article presents a methodology for testing high-performance pipelined circuits with slow-speed testers. The technique uses a clock timing circuit to control data transfer in the pipeline in test mode. The technique adds no extra hardware in the data path of the pipeline and therefore has virtually no performance penalty. A clock timing circuit capable of achieving a timing resolution of 50 ps in 0.18 μm CMOS technology is presented. The design provides the ability to test the clock timing circuit itself. The effectiveness of the technique is demonstrated using a 16-bit pipelined multiplier as a test vehicle. Simulations show that we are able to detect delay faults as small as 50 ps at an input clock frequency of 100 MHz.
On pseudo object-oriented programming considered harmful
Authors: Xing Cong-cong , Belkhouche Boumediene
Published: October 2003

Reconsidering and disentangling some fundamental relationships and issues.
Balancing performance and flexibility with hardware support for network architectures
Authors: Hadžić Ilija , Smith Jonathan M.
Published: October 2003

The goals of performance and flexibility are often at odds in the design of network systems. The tension is common enough to justify an architectural solution, rather than a set of context-specific solutions. The Programmable Protocol Processing Pipeline (P4) design uses programmable hardware to selectively accelerate protocol processing functions. A set of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and an associated library of network processing modules implemented in hardware are augmented with software support for function selection and composition, and applied to processing-intensive portions of a user-programmable protocol stack. The system is sufficiently flexible to support protocol stacks that are dynamically altered in reaction to changing network conditions or user needs.The P4 can be transparently inserted into a conventional protocol architecture, such as that of TCP/IP. This experimental demonstration shows that the P4's programmability can be used to significantly improve the performance of TCP/IP under operating conditions where the protocol would perform poorly without augmentation. Generalizing from these experiments, the P4 is shown to have many applications as an open platform for implementing adaptive and programmable networks, and has illustrated new security issues that arise in FPGA-based architectures.The P4 and closely-related systems, such as network processors, are attractive architectural solutions to balancing performance and flexibility.
A system of high-dimensional, efficient, long-cycle and portable uniform random number generators
Authors: Deng Lih-Yuan , Xu Hongquan
Published: October 2003

We propose a system of multiple recursive generators of moduluspand orderkwhere all nonzero coefficients of the recurrence are equal. The advantage of this property is that a single multiplication is needed to compute the recurrence, so the generator would run faster than the general case. Forp= 231− 1, the most popular modulus used, we provide tables of specific parameter values yielding maximum period for recurrence of orderk= 102 and 120. Forp= 231− 55719 andk= 1511, we have found generators with a period length approximately 1014100.5.
Bird brains and songs: neural mechanisms of birdsong perception and memory
Authors: Bolhuis Johan , Eda-Fujiwara Hiroko
Published: October 2003

The males of songbirds and parrots learn their songs from a tutor. Until recently it was thought that in songbirds, brain nuclei in the so-called 'song system' were involved in song learning, in addition to their role in song perception and production. Experiments involving measurement of the expression of immediate early genes (IEG) showed that exposure to song leads to activation of cells in brain regions outside the song system, notably the caudomedial neostriatum (NCM) and the caudomedial hyperstriatum ventrale (CMHV), suggesting that these regions are involved in auditory perception. In addition, neuronal activation in the NCM correlates with the number of song elements that a male has learned from its tutor, suggesting that NCM may be (part of) the neural substrate for stored tutor song. Songbird females do not usually sing, but nevertheless they can learn the characteristics of tutor song, and they can develop a perceptual preference for tutor song over novel song. When exposed to male song, female songbirds and parrots show increased IEG expression in NCM and CMHV that is related to song complexity. In addition, the IEG response in the NCM (and perhaps in the CMHV) of female songbirds may also be related to song learning.
The Role of the State in Managing Ethnic Tensions in Malaysia
Authors: Haque M. Shamsul
Published: October 2003

In most multiethnic developing societies, the state attempts to play a crucial role in managing ethnic tensions and reconciling diverse ethnic interests by undertaking relevant policies and programs. Malaysia is a classic case where there is a coexistence of some major ethnic groups with distinct identities and where the state has used wide-ranging preferential policies to manage ethnic problems. In fact, the formation of the state itself is largely founded upon ethnic politics and characterized as an “ethnocratic state” or “ethnic democracy.” This article examines the origin and rationale of ethnic preferences, major domains of ethnic contestation and state intervention, critical impacts of such ethnic preferential policies, and possibilities to replace such preferential policies by alternative policy measures in Malaysia.
Blackballed
Authors: Tucker Linda
Published: October 2003

This article argues that historical images of Black men as hypersexual criminals inform contemporary responses to and representations of Black male basketball players. It argues that the methods by which whites manage their fearful and voyeuristic responses to Black male athletes are representative of how they manage their relationships to Black men generally. The article argues that it is possible to better understand the cycle of white lore within which historical images of Black men circulate by applying a telescoped gaze to basketball and representations of professional Black basketball players. The article links the dynamic of fear and desire enacted in literal ways in minstrel performances and lynching rituals to the more subtle ways that the same dynamic informs contemporary responses to, and representations of, Black male athletes such as Latrell Sprewell, Dennis Rodman, and Michael Jordan.
Law and the Cultural Production of Race and Racialized Systems of Oppression
Authors: Coates Rodney D.
Published: October 2003

America, to the extent that it is a nation of laws, must be understood within the context of these laws. Unfortunately, these laws have not always conformed to the ideals associated with the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Through much of our history, the law has served to protect a racialized elite from competition from another racialized nonelite. Race and racialized sociopolitical systems of inequality have served to structure American society since its inception. Ignoring the rhetoric of freedom, justice, and equality for all, America developed laws that were distinctively racial in character, substance, and operation. This article demonstrates the exact period, conditions, and processes whereby racism and racist social structures came into being. It is argued that laws and the legal record represent uniquely cultural elements of America. As such, they demonstrate the cultural production of race and racialized systems of oppression.
Identifying Labels among University Students in the New South Africa
Authors: Goldschmidt Myra M.
Published: October 2003

This article examines the relationship between political change and university students' sense of identity in South Africa during a 10-year period. Prior to 1994, identity in South Africa was largely based on ethnicity and language; is this still the case today? The new government has not only forced people to face changes in political issues but also changes in identification issues. Nowhere are these issues more striking than in an institution of higher learning, where students from diverse ethnic backgrounds are unified by a similar goal—an education. In an attempt to address the issue of identification, a survey was conducted at Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine if the change in government is causing a change in how people perceive themselves.
Role of the Research‐Subject Locator (RSL) in the Performance of a Pediatric Drug Trial
Authors: Wilson J. T. , Kearns G. , Springer M. A.
Published: October 2003

This article examines the feasibility, effectiveness, and ethical constraints relevant to appropriate financial compensation of the pediatric house officer who functions as a research‐subject locator (RSL). When carefully trained and supervised, the RSL can facilitate timely enrollment of research subjects in pediatric drug trials, augment the house officer training experience, and advocate for children to increase therapeutic options available for pediatric care. When monitored within the clinical trial schema, the RSL has no direct link to the study outcome and thus performs within ethical standards for subject enrollment and study participation.
Influence of Goldenseal Root on the Pharmacokinetics of Indinavir
Authors: Sandhu Ranjeev S. , Prescilla Randy P. , Simonelli Thomas M. , Edwards David J.
Published: October 2003

Goldenseal root was identified as the most potent inhibitor of CYP3A4 in a study that tested 21 popular herbal products for in vitro inhibitory activity. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the influence of goldenseal root on the disposition of the CYP3A4 substrate indinavir in humans. Using a crossover study design, the pharmacokinetics of indinavir were characterized in 10 healthy volunteers before and after 14 days of treatment with goldenseal root (1140 mg twice daily). Indinavir was given as a single 800‐mg oral dose, and blood samples were collected for 8 hours following the dose. No statistically significant differences in peak concentration (11.6 vs. 11.9 mg/L) or oral clearance (26.8 vs. 23.9 mg•mDh/L) were observed following treatment with goldenseal root. Half‐life and time to reach peak concentration were also unchanged by goldenseal. These results suggest that patients being treated with indinavir can safely take goldenseal root and that interactions with other drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 in the liver are unlikely.
The Role of General Family Functioning in the Quality of the Mother-Daughter Relationship of Female African American Juvenile Offenders
Authors: Petrocelli John V. , Calhoun Georgia B. , Glaser Brian A.
Published: October 2003

Little investigative knowledge exists with regard to the roles that adolescent-parent relationships play in the development of female juvenile delinquency among African Americans. In the current investigation, the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD) and the Assessment of Interpersonal Relations were employed to examine 76 female African American juvenile offenders' perceptions of their existing family functioning characteristics and the quality of their relationships with their mothers. Results indicated that all of the family functioning constructs measured by the FAD, except communication, were positively related to the quality of the mother-daughter relationship as perceived by the daughter. However, when the perceived quality of the relationship was simultaneously regressed on each of the constructs measured by the FAD, only the simple effect of general family functioning appeared to contribute significantly to the quality of the relationship. Findings are discussed in light of the need to further explore delinquency in female African American adolescents and implications for interventions and prevention practices.
Body Mass Index, Self-Esteem, and Suicide Risk in Clinically Depressed African American and White American Females
Authors: Palmer Charles James
Published: October 2003

Self-esteem and depression, as well as depression and body mass index (BMI), have consistently been found to be significantly associated for African American and White American females. The results are dissimilar when BMI and self-esteem are studied. Historically, the relationship between BMI and self-esteem is weak or nonexistent for African American females; however, for White American females, the relationship is usually significant. The goal of this study was to determine whether clinically depressed, healthy-weight, overweight, and obese females would differ significantly on self-esteem and suicide risk measures. In a voluntary hospital-based inpatient psychiatric unit, 165 clinically depressed females completed the self-esteem rating scale and the suicide risk scale. Healthy-weight, overweight, and obese African American females did not differ significantly on measures of self-esteem and suicide risk. However, depressed, obese White American females had significantly lower self-esteem and increased suicide risk than depressed healthy-weight and overweight White American females. Implications of the current results are discussed.
Correlates of Complaints Made to the Connecticut Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Authors: Allen Priscilla D. , Klein Waldo C. , Gruman Cynthia
Published: October 2003

Using Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program complaint data ( N = 3,360) from all of Connecticut's 261 nursing facilities, this study investigated facility characteristics that may be correlated with resident complaints. Complaints per 100 beds and four subcategories of complaints established by the Administration on Aging (AoA) were the dependent variables. The presence of volunteers trained by the Ombudsman Pro-gram significantly predicted total complaints. At the bivariate level, profit status, size, location, citations, and the presence of a volunteer resident advocate were associated with the rate of complaints. However, multivariate analysis exposed a more complex pattern of relationships. The strongest model explained slightly more than 9% of the variance using the nine predictors. This indicates that other factors such as psychosocial characteristics of complainants may influence complaint reporting, rather than structural/organizational components of the facility.
Living Arrangements among Older Persons
Authors: Mutchler Jan E. , Burr Jeffrey A.
Published: October 2003

This study examines the effects of housing market conditions on the living arrangements of non-Hispanic White and African American persons 60 years old and older. The multilevel models include indicators of local housing market affordability and availability, as well as individual-level resources, evaluated for unmarried women, unmarried men, and married couples. The results indicate that older persons' and couples' living arrangement decisions are responsive to housing affordability in that those who live in areas with high housing costs experience increased likelihoods of living with nonnuclear adults. For married couples, housing availability is also associated with living arrangement decisions, and for single men and women, the relative share of the housing market composed of small rental units is positively associated with residential independence. In addition, housing availability and affordability are positively associated with the likelihood of living alone as compared to living in group quarters or an institution.
Positive Individual and Social Behavior among Gang and Nongang African American Male Adolescents
Authors: Taylor Carl S. , Lerner Richard M. , von Eye Alexander , Bobek Deborah L. , Balsano Aida B. , Dowling Elizabeth M. , Anderson Pamela M.
Published: October 2003

To explore potential bases of positive development among gang youth, attributes of positive individual and social behavior were assessed in individual interviews with 45 African American adolescent male members of inner-city Detroit gangs and 50 African American adolescent males from the same communities but involved in community-based organizations aimed at promoting positive youth development. As anticipated, the groups differed in regard to the majority of interview questions and to positive attribute scores pertaining to parents/family, peer relations, school/education, drug use, sexual activity, religious activities/religiosity, racial/ethnic identity, role models/confidants, and neighborhood/safety. The correlations of attributes scores were more often significant (i.e., coupled) for the gang than for the nongang youth. Consistent with the ideas that all young people have resources pertinent to positive development and that, therefore, gang and nongang youth would have some resource comparability, across the nine attributes, about one quarter of the gang youth had total positive attribute scores that were above the average total positive attribute score for the nongang youth. Implications of these findings for both research and applications to programs seeking to promote positive youth development among diverse youth are discussed.
Ethnic, Social Class, and Gender Differences in Adolescent Drinking
Authors: Stewart Cindy , Power Thomas G.
Published: October 2003

The independent effects of ethnicity and social class on multiple aspects of adolescent drinking were examined. African American, European American, and Mexican American high school students (1,134 females, 740 males) from three social classes completed measures of drinking frequency and quantity, drinking consequences, reasons for drinking, and the social context of drinking. Overall, European American students showed the highest frequency and quantity of drinking followed by Mexican Americans and then by African Americans. Despite differences in frequency and quantity, adolescents from the three ethnic groups showed similar drinking patterns, motivations, and consequences. However, European Americans engaged in more normative and outdoor drinking, and a larger minority of African American adolescents reported consuming alcohol alone and in school or work settings. The independent effects of social class were minimal.
Adolescents Discriminate between Types of Smokers and Related Risks
Authors: Rubinstein Mark L. , Halpern-Felsher Bonnie L. , Thompson Pamela J. , Millstein Susan G.
Published: October 2003

Many studies concerning cigarette smoking and smoking-related outcomes among adolescents use categories such as “casual” or “regular” smoker to define different types of smokers. It is not clear whether adolescents themselves differentiate between different types of smokers. The present study sought to examine whether and how adolescents discriminate between categories of smokers and how these discriminations engender different perceptions of risk attributable to smoking. Five hundred and fifty ninth graders (mean age 14) who reported never smoking tobacco completed a self-administered survey concerning smoking attitudes and beliefs. Adolescents discriminated significantly between nonsmokers, casual smokers, smokers, and addicted smokers, based on both frequency of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked. Addicted smokers were perceived as having the greatest chance of experiencing negative outcomes, followed by the smoker, the casual smoker, and last, the nonsmoker. Finally, adolescents ascribed a far greater chance of quitting smoking to casual smokers than they did to either regular or addicted smokers. Understanding how adolescents define and discriminate between types of smokers has important implications for smoking-related interventions, especially concerning how we communicate about risks of smoking.
My Doctoral Journey: A Chinese Woman's Struggles
Authors: Chan Zenobia C. Y.
Published: October 2003

Now that the author has finished her doctoral thesis in social welfare but has not yet taken her oral examination, she wants to share the experience of her struggles in the past 3 years of nonstop studying. The completion of her studies motivated her to reveal her experiences as a Chinese woman who had been a housewife for 6 years before she entered the doctoral program. This was really a critical turning point for her in changing her social identity from a woman who was locked in the family domain to a female elite who could be accepted in the academic domain. However, then as now, she is filled with a strong passion for expressing women's voices, has a commitment to social justice, and is inspired to add to the knowledge base in her field.
Understanding Context and Culture in the Parenting Approaches of Immigrant South Asian Mothers
Authors: Maiter Sarah , George Usha
Published: October 2003

This qualitative study of the parenting approaches of immigrant South Asian Canadian mothers found that character formation and identity formation were the mothers' key goals of parenting. Internalized cultural values, beliefs, and norms and external factors related to their social context and environment, such as collectivism, dual socialization, and environmental stress, guided the mothers' approaches to parenting. Social service providers need to be aware that racial-minority mothers think through their approaches to parenting to respond to social contexts that have negative consequences for their children and should include this understanding in their provision of services.
Self-Harm Narratives of Urban and Suburban Young Women
Authors: Abrams Laura S. , Gordon Anne L.
Published: October 2003

This qualitative study explored the motivations, meanings, functions, and consequences of self-harm for young women in urban and suburban contexts. It found that all 6 participants deliberately harmed themselves in response to traumas, family stress, and relationship problems. However, the suburban girls connected their self-harm behaviors to an overall sense of despondency, whereas the urban girls attributed these to release of unresolved anger. Key differences between the groups also emerged in the functions and consequences of their self-harm behaviors. These findings can increase social workers' capacity to respond to intentional self-injury among ethnically and socioeconomically diverse populations of young women.
Sex Crime Recidivism
Authors: Schweitzer Robert , Dwyer Jonathan
Published: October 2003

Evaluations of programs for sex offenders report mixed results, are costly, and require validation. This study examines recidivism following a sexual offender treatment program in an Australian male offender population over an average at-risk period of 5 years and 1 month in the community. The group format, cognitive-behavioral program was offered to a subgroup of adult male prisoners. Subsequent reoffense types and rates for program completers, dropouts, and controls were compared. No statistically significant recidivism reduction was observed following participation in this sexual offender treatment program, whereas recidivism appears to be related to a history of violent or sexual offenses. The initial promise of sexual offender treatment programs must be further examined by individual and meta-analytic studies. Limited follow-up, missing data, and fidelity of the program may have contributed to the null result. Monitoring treatment programs to ensure inclusion of proven interventions may enhance future program effectiveness.
The Expect Respect Project
Authors: Meraviglia Martha G. , Becker Heather , Rosenbluth Barri , Sanchez Ellen , Robertson Trina
Published: October 2003

The Expect Respect Project, a violence prevention program, was developed to reduce the incidence of bullying and sexual harassment by creating a positive school climate in which inappropriate behaviors are not tolerated and staff members respond consistently to incidents. The project implemented an educational intervention for students, parents, and staff members on expecting respect in student relationships and strategies for responding to inappropriate student behaviors. This article describes the educational intervention and evaluation of the project. Findings from the project showed a significant increase in awareness of bullying following the educational intervention. Bullying was reported to have occurred in areas with less adult super-vision such as the playground, cafeteria, hallway, and buses. Students thought staff would respond to inappropriate behaviors by telling students to ignore verbal bullying or sexual harassment. In contrast, staff at the elementary schools thought adults would respond to inappropriate behaviors by telling the bully to stop, calling his or her parents, or giving a specific punishment.
Analyzing Information Technology Investments in State Government
Authors: Rivenbark William C. , Fitzgerald Kevin M. , Schelin Shannon H.
Published: October 2003

State agencies often find themselves caught between the need for technological innovation and the reality of large-scale technology failures, increasing the importance of supporting an information technology (IT) investment with a systematic and repeatable approach of analysis. This research explores the application of business metrics in state government for selecting and evaluating IT initiatives. The purpose is to identify benchmark states for their creation and implementation of specific metrics to enhance the decision-making processes found within the core phases of business case analysis, expanding the research of Fletcher on strategic planning. The states of Arizona, Oregon, Tennessee, and Iowa were identified as benchmark states based on the criteria of quantitative measurement, guidelines for calculation, and developed for utility. The authors conclude that business metrics derived from economic returns are only one component in managing an IT portfolio given the specific differences between public and private organizations.
An Analysis of Performance-Based Accountability: Factors Shaping School Performance in Two Urban School Districts
Authors: Powers Jeanne M.
Published: October 2003

In this era of increased accountability of public schools, standardized testing has been selected as a primary tool for assessing school performance. Since 1999 the state of California has used a summary measure of student test scores, the Academic Performance Index (API), to rank all public schools and has attached rewards and sanctions to the results. Analysis of 2 years of API scores for two large urban districts using variables measuring student socioeconomic status, teacher training and experience, and school characteristics provides strong evidence that this measure of school performance is largely driven by the socioeconomic conditions of the school. Teacher training and experience also have positive effects on school performance.
Social Ties and Perceived Support
Authors: Cornman Jennifer C. , Goldman Noreen , Glei Dana A. , Weinstein Maxine , Chang Ming-Cheng
Published: October 2003

Objectives: Assess the effects of social relationships on physical and mental health among the elderly in Taiwan. Methods: Using 4 waves of a survey of the elderly, we examine the relationship between social ties and perceived support and four health outcomes—mortality, functional status, self-assessed health, and depression. Results:Perceived support and social ties are related to health, but many of the apparent effects are attenuated in the presence of controls for prior health. However, positive perceptions about support are protective of mental (but not physical) health. Discussion: If baseline health is ignored, estimates of the effects of social relationships on health at a given stage of life are likely to be inflated by reverse causality or by effects occurring prior to baseline. Inclusion of controls for initial health reveals that, in general, the relationship between social support and health at the older ages in Taiwan is relatively modest.
Estimating the Costs of VA Ambulatory Care
Authors: Phibbs Ciaran S. , Bhandari Aman , Yu Wei , Barnett Paul G.
Published: October 2003

This article reports how we matched Common Procedure Terminology (CPT)codes with Medicare payment rates and aggregate Veterans Affairs (VA)budget data to estimate the costs of every VA ambulatory encounter. Converting CPT codes to encounter-level costs was more complex than a simple match of Medicare reimbursements to CPT codes. About 40 percent of the CPT codes used in VA, representing about 20 percent of procedures, did not have a Medicare payment rate and required other cost estimates. Reconciling aggregated estimated costs to the VA budget allocations for outpatient care produced final VA cost estimates that were lower than projected Medicare reimbursements. The methods used to estimate costs for encounters could be replicated for other settings. They are potentially useful for any system that does not generate billing data, when CPT codes are simpler to collect than billing data, or when there is a need to standardize cost estimates across data sources.
Pharmacy Data in the VA Health Care System
Authors: Smith Mark W. , Joseph George J.
Published: October 2003

Recent advances in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care data systems have greatly increased access to operational pharmacy information. This article presents a brief guide to VA pharmacy data sources: the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture files, the Pharmacy Benefits Management database, Decision Support System (DSS) National Data Extracts for inpatient and outpatient care, the planned DSS National Pharmacy Extract, DSS databases at local VA facilities, and the Non-VA Fee Basis files. Depending on the source, available data elements include patient demographics, clinical care information, characteristics of the medication and of the pre-scribing physician, and cost. Access policies are detailed for VA and non-VA researchers. Linking these sources to VA databases containing data on inpatient and outpatient ser-vices offers a comprehensive view of health care within several VA populations of general interest, including people over age 65 and those with physical and psychiatric disabilities.