bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of U3O8 - Aluminum Dispersion Fuel Elements by Extrusion
Authors: Noland RA , Walker DE , Hymes LC
Published: March 2009

A description is given of the coextrusion of aluminum-canned U3O8- aluminum powder mixtures to produce dispersion type fuel elements. The effects of powder preparation, extrusion billet can composition, extrusion ratio, extrusion temperatures, and tri-uranium octi-oxide (U3O8) content of the powder mixture are illustrated. Use of density measurements of individual elements to determine their uranium-235 content is described.

The process entails the hot extrusion of a powder mixture of U3O8 and aluminum, contained in an aluminum can, into a long aluminum-clad shape from which individual fuel elements are sheared. The fuel elements are of near theoretical density, integrally clad, and exhibit a uniform dispersion of fissionable material in the matrix. Core compositions from less than 10 to as high as 51 per cent by weight of U3O8 have been shown to be feasible. A high conversion yield from billet to elements is regularly achieved. Reproducibility of the process is excellent; variation in the uranium-235 content of fuel elements from identically charged billets is almost negligible. The process has been used to produce the fuel loadings for the Argonaut Mark I Training Reactor (May 1956) and for the Argonaut G Reactor displayed at the 1958 Geneva Conference.
Design and Calibration of a Neutron Moisture Meter
Authors: Burn KN
Published: March 2009

A probe using an actinium-beryllium neutron source and a scintillation-type detector was designed and built for use in determining the moisture density in soils below the surface of the ground. A portable battery-operated sealer was selected to make it possible to use the equipment in places where there is no available a-c supply.

Since the principle of the neutron moisture meter is based upon the physical interaction of neutrons with hydrogen atoms, considerable thought was given to the idea of calibrating the instrument in media other than actual soils; the advantages of using substitute materials are better uniformity and better control of both bulk density and distribution of hydrogen atoms.

Requirements ol the artificial media are discussed and those adopted for calibration are described.
Application of Nuclear Soil Meters to Compaction Control for Airfield Pavement Construction
Authors: Carlton PF
Published: March 2009

Ten years of research have resulted in the development of nuclear soil meters capable of measuring the moisture content and density of soils within the average accuracies required for engineered construction. This paper describes the use of surface-type nuclear soil meters for compaction control testing during the construction of new pavement facilities at Clinton County Air Force Base, Ohio.

This study was made using engineering models of the P-21 surface moisture probe and the P-22 surface density probe, manufactured by the Nuclear-Chicago Corp. Both cohesive and granular soils were tested. On the basis of use of the nuclear method at the Air Force Base it was concluded that the reliability of the nuclear method was comparable to that of conventional testing procedures for compaction control, time requirements per test were greatly reduced, and radiation hazard to operating personnel was negligible.
Comparison of Nuclear and Sand-Cone Methods of Density and Moisture Determinations for four New York State Soils
Authors: Mintzer S
Published: March 2009

This report summarizes and compares the results of density and moisture content measurements made on compacted embankments by the nuclear or radiation method and by the sand-cone method. The latter method has been utilized as a standard for many years for such measurements by the Bureau of Soil Mechanics, New York State Department of Public Works. The tests were performed on three highway projects under construction, and involved four basic soil types. The tests were performed on Aug. 24 and 25, 1959.
Evaluation of Nuclear Moisture-Density Testing Equipment
Authors: Carey WN , Shook JF , Reynolds JF
Published: March 2009

The Highway Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council has the responsibility for administration and direction of the AASHO Road Test near Ottawa, Ill. This 25 million dollar cooperative highway research project involved the construction, starting in 1956, of about 15 miles of dual lane highway. To make the components of the pavement structures uniform and in accordance with rigid specifications, a large construction materials testing program was carried out by the Road Test Materials Branch. This program led to an examination of modern techniques for materials testing, among which was the nuclear system for in-place density determination utilizing the so-called flatiron surface gage principles. Since commercial equipment available at the time did not appear to have reached a satisfactory state of development, the Materials Branch undertook a development program founded primarily on work by Paul F. Carlton, B. W. Pocock, and engineers and physicists of the Nuclear Chicago Corp. This early Road Test work was reported in 1958 in Highway Research Board Special Report 38.
Basic Principles of Sensory Evaluation
Authors: Danker WH
Published: March 2009

Description

This special technical publication on Basic Principles of Sensory Evaluation was sponsored by Subcommittee II on Principles of Psychophysical Test Methods of Committee E18 on Sensory Evaluation of Materials and Products. The papers were compiled by members of Subcommittee II with W. H. Danker, Fritzsche Brothers, Inc., serving as chairman.
Metal Corrosion in the Atmosphere
Authors: Ailor WH , Coburn SK
Published: March 2009

Description

The papers in the Symposium on Metal Corrosion in the Atmosphere were given at the 70th Annual Meeting of the Society held at Boston, Mass., 25-30 June 1967. W. H. Ailor, Jr., Reynolds Metal Corp., and S. K. Coburn, U.S. Steel Corp., were the co-chairmen of this symposium sponsored by Committee G-1 on Corrosion of Metals.
Vibration Effects of Earthquakes on Soils and Foundations
Authors: Selig ET , Hampton D
Published: March 2009

Description

The papers in this volume were presented at the two-session Symposium on Vibration Effects of Earthquakes on Soils and Foundations held on 25 June 1968 during the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society at San Francisco, Calif. The Symposium was sponsored by Subcommittee 9 on Dynamic Properties of Soils, of Committee D18. Chairman of the Symposium was E. T. Selig, associate professor of engineering and applied sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo. Co-chairman was Delon Hampton, professor of civil engineering, Howard University.
Fatigue at High Temperature
Authors: Coffin LF
Published: March 2009

Description

This Special Technical Publication contains most of the papers presented at a Symposium on Fatigue at High Temperature held in San Francisco, Calif., during the Seventy-first Annual Meeting of ASTM, 23—28 June 1968. The topic was chosen because of its current timeliness and interest to those seeking answers to pressing questions regarding elevated temperature material behavior. The sponsor of this symposium was the Task Group on Fatigue under Cyclic Strain, now Subcommittee VIII of the E09 Committee on Fatigue. L. F. Coffin, Jr., General Electric Company Research and Development Center, presided as symposium chairman.
Manual on Low Cycle Fatigue Testing
Authors: Wetzel RM , Coffin LF
Published: March 2009

Description

The Manual on Low Cycle Fatigue Testing has been compiled by Subcommittee VIII on Fatigue Under Cyclic Strain of ASTM Committee E09 on Fatigue. The editorial work was coordinated by R. M. Wetzel, Ford Motor Co. L. F. Coffin, Jr., General Electric Co., is chairman of Subcommittee VIII.
Sampling of Soil and Rock
Authors: Gordon BB , Crawford CB
Published: March 2009

Description

The papers in the Symposium on Sampling of Soil and Rock were given at the Seventy-third Annual Meeting of the American Society for Testing and Materials held in Toronto, Ont., Canada, 21-26 June 1970. The sponsor of this symposium was Committee D18 on Soil and Rock for Engineering Purposes. B. B. Gordon, Woodward Clyde and Associates, and C. B. Crawford, National Research Council of Canada, presided as symposium cochairmen.
Effect of Automotive Emission Requirements on Gasoline Characteristics
Authors: Niles HT
Published: March 2009

Description

The papers in the Symposium on Effect of Automotive Emission Requirements on Gasoline Characteristics Were given at the 73rd Annual Meeting of theAmerican Society for Testing and Materials held in Toronto, Ont., Canada, 21—26 June 1970. The symposium was sponsored by Division A of ASTM Committee D02 on Petroleum Products and Lubricants. The symposium committee consisted of H. T. Miles, chairman, Ford Motor Company; J. B. Rather, Jr., Mobil Oil Corporation; and J. E. Sigsby, Jr., National Air Pollution Control Administration.
Elevated Temperature Testing Problem Areas
Authors: Voorhees HR , Faurschou DK , Smith GV
Published: March 2009

Description

The Symposium on Problem Areas in Elevated Temperature Testing was presented at the Seventy-third Annual Meeting of the American Society for Testing and Materials held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 21—26 June 1970. The Joint Committee on Effect of Temperature on the Properties of Metals (ASTM-American Society of Mechanical Engineers-Metal Properties Council) sponsored the two-session meeting on 22 June 1970. H. R. Voorhees of the Materials Technology Corp. served as symposium chairman; he was assisted by D. K. Faurschou, Canada Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, and G. V. Smith, Cornell University, who acted as session chairmen.
Hold-Time Effects in High-Temperature Low-Cycle Fatigue: A Literature Survey and Interpretive Report
Authors: Wundt BM , Krempl E
Published: March 2009

Description

The Metal Properties Council Subcommittee on Fatigue sponsored preparation by B. M. Wundt of an extensive Bibliography on Low-Cycle Fatigue. Published by ASTM in 1968 as their Special Technical Publication No. 449, that survey listed over 800 references for the years 1957 through 1967.
Fracture Toughness Testing at Cryogenic Temperatures
Authors: Kaufman JG
Published: March 2009

Description

Committee E24 on Fracture Testing of Metals sponsored the Symposium on Fracture Toughness Testing at Cryogenic Temperatures at the Seventy-third Annual Meeting of the American Society for Testing and Materials, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 21—26 June 1970. The two-session meeting, given on 24 June, was chairmaned by J. G. Kaufman of the Alcoa Research Laboratories, who was assisted by J. F. Boysen of the Boeing Company.
Composite Materials: Testing and Design (Second Conference)
Authors: Corten HT
Published: March 2009

Description

The Second Conference on Composite Materials: Testing and Design was held 20-22 April 1971 in Anaheim, Calif. Committee D30 on High Modulus Fibers and Their Composites of the American Society for Testing and Materials sponsored the conference, in conjunction with the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers. H. T. Corten of the College of Engineering, University of Illinois, served as conference and program chairman. Of the 53 papers presented at the ten sessions, 36 are included in the volume, which complements the first conference publication, ASTM STP 460, Composite Materials: Testing and Design.
Ignition, Heat Release, and Noncombustibility of Materials
Authors: Robertson AF
Published: March 2009

Description

The Symposium on Ignition, Heat Release, and Noncombustibility of Materials was held 6 October 1971 at the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. Subcommittee 10 on Research of ASTM Committee E05 on Fire Tests of Materials and Construction, with the assistance of the Committee on Fire Research of the National Academy of Sciences National Research Council, sponsored the symposium. A. F. Robertson, National Bureau of Standards, presided as symposium chairman.
Stereology and Quantitative Metallography
Authors: Pellissier GE , Purdy SM
Published: March 2009

Description

The Symposium on Stereology and Quantitative Metallography was presented at the Seventy-fourth Annual Meeting of the American Society for Testing and Materials held in Atlantic City, N. J., 27 June—2 July 1971. Subcommittees 11, 14, and 15 on Electron Microscopy and Diffraction, Quantitative Metallography, and Scanning Microscopy and Microprobe Analysis, respectively, of Committee E04 on Metallography sponsored the symposium. G. E. Pellissier, Ernest F. Fullam, Inc. and S. M. Purdy, Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co., served as cochairmen. Of the ten papers presented at the two sessions, eight are included in this volume.
Acoustic Emission
Authors: Liptai RG , Harris DO , Tatro CA
Published: March 2009

Description

The Symposium on Acoustic Emission was presented at the December Committee Week of ASTM held in Bal Harbour, Florida, 7-8 December 1971. The ASTM Publications Committee sponsored the symposium. R. G. Liptai, Lawrence Radiation Lab., presided as symposium chairman, and D. O. Harris and C. A. Tatro, also of Lawrence Radiation Lab., served as co-chairmen.
Bibliographical Abstracts on Evaluation of Fluorescent Whitening Agents 1929–1968
Authors: Weeks LE , Staubly JL , Millsaps WA , Villaume FG
Published: March 2009

Description

Fluorescent whitening agents are essentially colorless dyes which when applied to textiles, papers, plastics, and other substrates absorb ultraviolet radiation and emit light of a bluish hue complementary to the yellow tint already present on the off-white substrate. In this manner the fluorescent whitening agents impart a greater apparent whiteness to the materials treated.
Probabilistic Aspects of Fatigue
Authors: Heller RA
Published: March 2009

Description

The Symposium on Probabilistic Aspects of Fatigue was presented at the Seventy-fourth Annual Meeting of ASTM held in Atlantic City, N. J., 27 June-2 July 1971. The sponsor of this symposium was ASTM Committee E09 or Fatigue. Robert A. Heller, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, presided as symposiun chairman.
Creep of Zirconium Alloys in Nuclear Reactors
Authors: Franklin DG , Lucas GE , Bement AL
Published: March 2009

Description

This book is aimed at the practicing engineer who is involved with the design, fabrication of operation of zirconium core components. The Metals Properties Council, as part of its continuing role of collecting, analyzing, and updating materials properties data, has arranged for the preparation of this book. STP 815 presents the reader with pertinent metallurgical and phenomenological aspects of creep in zirconium and zirconium alloys and the different ways in which this information is used in the design of core components for nuclear reactors.
Thesaurus on Resource Recovery Terminology
Authors: Hollander HI
Published: March 2009

Description

STP 832 is a compendium of terms identified as useful to those involved or interested in recovering the resources in the solid wastes discarded by communities, institutions, commercial enterprises, and industry. The terms included were selected to readily permit communication and commodities recovered from waste materials and the users of these commodities. To provide the greatest utility, this compilation of terms also recognizes the need of these individuals or associations who have yet to become involved in resource recovery.
The Biomedical Ethics Ontology Proposal: Excellent Aims, Questionable Methods
Authors: DuBois James M.
Published: March 2009

Koepsell et al. (2009) describe an ideal biomedical ethics committee environment with efficiencies such as electronic and universal application forms and consent templates, automated decision-trees, and broad sharing of data. However, it is unclear that a biomedical ethics ontology (BMEO) is necessary or even helpful in establishing such environment. Two features of any applied ontology are particularly problematic in establishing a useful BMEO: (1) an ontology is a description of a domain of reality; and (2) the description is subject to ongoing revision as it is developed through open processes, e.g., the use of a wiki. A BMEO would need to address two main kinds of entities, regulatory definitions and ethical concepts, and is ill-suited to both. Regulatory definitions are fiats and ought to be adopted verbatim to ensure compliance, but in such cases we do not need the assistance of ontologists, and their modes of working (constant revision within open wiki-based communities) might even be counterproductive. Ethical concepts within pluralistic societies are social constructs, not a priori concepts or biological natural kinds, and the prospects of generating intuitive definitions that enjoy broad acceptance across cultures and institutional settings are slim. In making these arguments, I draw from the writings of leading applied ontologists and Koepsell et al.'s own proof of concept.
Anonymous Self-Evaluation of Performance by Ethics Board Members: A Pilot Study
Authors: Feldman James A. , Rebholz Casey M.
Published: March 2009

Evaluating the effectiveness of a Reserch Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) continues to be a difficult task. There are limited data that examine the perceptions of members of IRBs about their own performance or methods that would allow comparison among IRB panels at a single institution or between institutions. We piloted an anonymous survey instrument that examined members' attitudes about the efficiency, procedures and outcomes of IRB meetings and developed a process for presentation and discussion of these results with panel members. This quality improvement process was initially completed with one panel, and then replicated with two other IRB panels at one institution. This allowed comparison of perceived IRB performance across panels at a single institution. Further research is required to determine the association between IRB members' perception of performance and other measures of IRB effectiveness and to examine the perceived performance of IRBs by other research stakeholders.
Museums and Media: A View from Canada
Authors: Gendreau Andrée
Published: March 2009

The rapid transformation of museums over the last twenty years, both in Canada and around the world, has provoked numerous commentaries and interpretations. It has also fanned the flames of an argument that began three hundred years ago. The quarrel of the ancients and the moderns on the question of “museumfication” continues today. The quarrel is now not so much about problem of works and objects being placed in a kind of thesaurus, removed from their true context and accessible to only a limited public, but rather about the mummification of living traditions, intangible heritage, public spaces, and certain cities or their neighborhoods. The museum networks is growing extremely quickly, while at the same time becoming part of today's mass media universe. These changes are received enthusiastically by some, but are met with disapproval by others. Communication, theatrical presentation, the exchange and sharing of works, and the increased forging of links between institutions throughout the world have all contributed to making museums places of encounter and debate. As a result, museums now are among the liveliest and most productive cultural industries in the Western world. This hypermediatization has also brought about internal changes in museums. The goal of the museum has not necessarily been modified, but the ways of managing the institution have definitely undergone a transformation. What is the place of historians and researchers in this shifting world? Are they still welcome there?
Experts on Our Own Lives: Commemorating Canada at the Beginning of the 21st Century
Authors: Strong-Boag Veronica
Published: March 2009

This article highlights the contested nature of public commemoration in Canada. Vigorous grassroots enthusiasm for commemoration is compared with the evolving commitment of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board, one of Canada's senior players in national commemoration. The article begins by pointing to the ongoing attention to history that pervades contemporary movement politics among the First Nations, ethno-cultural groups, women, and workers. It next considers recent popular efforts at commemoration, with a particular focus on those targeting ethnic and racial injustice, violence against women, and the invisibility of workers. It then considers the role of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada from its founding in 1919 to the present. Ultimately, it asks what grassroots and official actors in historical commemoration contribute to the maintenance of public memory.
Canada's Historic Sites: Reflections on a Quarter Century, 1980–2005
Authors: Pannekoek Frits
Published: March 2009

The current heritage landscape in Canada was shaped between 1980 and 2008 by provincial legislation and grants, by federal government influence and funding, by private provincial and federal foundations, but most important of all by the realities of the property development and the opposition and foresight of local community action groups. The ability of government to make any real change was tempered by the belief that less government was better and that the forces of the marketplace were best placed to determine the shape of a society and its heritage.
“Battle and Burial”: Recapturing the Cultural Meaning of Canada's National Memorial on Vimy Ridge
Authors: Hucker Jacqueline
Published: March 2009

The Vimy Memorial commemorates Canadians who fought and died in the First World War. In honoring the ordinary soldier, it departs from earlier traditions of celebrating victory or paying tribute to military leaders. The memorial is remarkable for its aesthetic qualities, as well as for its relationship to its battle landscape. This presentation examines the original conception of the monument and memorial park as a sacred site. It traces the gradual deterioration of the site, and the consequential challenges to its management and presentation, attributable to an under-appreciation of its metaphysical qualities. The presentation concludes with a description of a recent major international restoration project aimed at recapturing the significance of the place.
A study of roll‐printing technology for TFT‐LCD fabrication
Authors: Chang Youn‐Gyoung , Nam Seong‐Hee , Kim Nam‐Kook , Kook Yun‐Ho , Kim Jinook , Yoo Soon‐Sung , Kim Chang‐Dong , Kang In‐Byeong , Chung In‐Jae
Published: March 2009

Abstract— Recently, potential breakthrough technologies for low‐cost processing of TFT‐LCDs and new process developments for flexible‐display fabrication have been widely studied. A roll‐printing process using etch‐resist material as a replacement for photolithographic patterning was investigated. The characterization of the properties of patterns formed in roll printing, a method to fabricate cliché plates for fine patterns, and the design of a new formulation for resist printing ink is reported. The pattern position accuracy, which is one of the most important issues for the successful application of printing processes in display manufacturing was studied and how it can be improved by optimizing the blanket roll structure is explained. New design rules for the layout of the thin‐film‐transistor array was derived to improve the compatibility of roll printing. As a result, a prototype 15‐in.‐XGA TFT‐LCD panel was fabricated by using printing processes to replace all the photolithographic patterning steps conventionally used.
Novel concept for full‐color electronic paper
Authors: Lenssen Kars‐Michiel H. , Baesjou Patrick J. , Budzelaar Frank P. M. , van Delden Marc H. W. M. , Roosendaal Sander J. , Stofmeel Leon W. G. , Verschueren Alwin R. M. , van Glabbeek Jack J. , Osenga Johan T. M. , Schuurbiers Roland M.
Published: March 2009

Abstract— Despite a steep increase in commercial devices comprising paper‐like displays, a much desired feature is still missing: bright full‐color electronic paper. A new reflective‐display technology has been developed to solve this issue. For the first time, the principles behind this in‐plane electrophoretic technology will be presented, which enables the realization of full‐color reflective displays with a higher brightness than presently available e‐paper technologies, without compromising paper‐like properties such as viewing angle and ultra‐low power consumption. An additional major advantage (e.g., for future low‐cost manufacturing) is that, besides direct‐drive and active‐matrix configurations, a passive‐matrix option with analog gray levels has been successfully developed.
The Effect of Aerobic Training and Cardiac Autonomic Regulation in Young Adults
Authors: Sloan Richard P. , Shapiro Peter A. , DeMeersman Ronald E. , Bagiella Emilia , Brondolo Elizabeth N. , McKinley Paula S. , Slavov Iordan , Fang Yixin , Myers Michael M.
Published: March 2009

Objectives. We tested the effect of aerobic exercise on autonomic regulation of the heart in healthy young adults.

Methods. Healthy, sedentary young adults (n = 149; age = 30.4 ± 7.53 years) were randomized to receive 12 weeks of either aerobic conditioning or strength training. Primary outcomes were heart rate and RR interval variability (RRV) measured before and after training and after 4 weeks of sedentary deconditioning. RRV, a noninvasive index of cardiac autonomic regulation, reflects variability in the intervals between consecutive R waves of the electrocardiogram.

Results. Aerobic conditioning but not strength training led to a significant increase in aerobic capacity (3.11 mL/kg/min), a decrease in heart rate (−3.49 beats per minute), and an increase in high-frequency RRV (0.25 natural log msec2), each of which returned to pretraining levels after deconditioning. Significant 3-way interactions, however, revealed autonomic effects only in men.

Conclusions. In sedentary, healthy young adults, aerobic conditioning but not strength training enhances autonomic control of the heart, but post hoc analyses suggested that gender plays a significant role in this exercise-related cardioprotection.
An Observational Study of Consumers’ Accessing of Nutrition Information in Chain Restaurants
Authors: Roberto Christina A. , Agnew Henry , Brownell Kelly D.
Published: March 2009

In this observational study, we determined how frequently consumers accessed on-premises nutrition information provided at chain restaurants. The number of patrons entering and accessing nutrition information was recorded at 8 locations that were part of 4 major restaurant chains (McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, and Au Bon Pain). Only 6 (0.1%) of 4311 patrons accessed on-premises nutrition information before purchasing food. This very small percentage suggests that such information should be more prominently displayed, such as on restaurant menu boards, to help customers make informed decisions.
Effectiveness ofCultivando La Salud: A Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Promotion Program for Low-Income Hispanic Women
Authors: Fernández María E. , Gonzales Alicia , Tortolero-Luna Guillermo , Williams Janet , Saavedra-Embesi Monica , Chan Wenyaw , Vernon Sally W.
Published: March 2009

Objectives. We tested the effectiveness of a lay health worker intervention to increase breast and cervical cancer screening among low-income Hispanic women.

Methods. Participants were women 50 years and older who were nonadherent to mammography (n = 464) or Papanicolaou (Pap) test (n = 243) screening guidelines. After the collection of baseline data, lay health workers implemented the Cultivando la Salud (CLS; Cultivating Health) intervention. Data collectors then interviewed the participants 6 months later.

Results. At follow-up, screening completion was higher among women in the intervention group than in the control group for both mammography (40.8% vs 29.9%; P < .05) and Pap test (39.5% vs 23.6%; P < .05) screening. In an intent-to-treat analysis, these differences remained but were not significant. The intervention increased mammography self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility, perceived survivability, perceived benefits of mammography, subjective norms, and processes of change. The intervention also significantly increased Pap test self-efficacy, perceived benefits of having a Pap test, subjective norms, and perceived survivability of cancer. It did not change Pap test knowledge, perceived susceptibility, or perceptions about negative aspects of Pap test screening.

Conclusions. Our results add to the evidence concerning the effectiveness of lay health worker interventions for increasing Pap test screening and mammography. Future research should explore the effectiveness of CLS in other Hispanic groups, the mechanisms through which interpersonal communication influences decisions about screening, and how effective interventions such as CLS can best be adopted and implemented in community-based organizations or other settings.
Perceived Racial/Ethnic Discrimination Among Fifth-Grade Students and Its Association With Mental Health
Authors: Coker Tumaini R. , Elliott Marc N. , Kanouse David E. , Grunbaum Jo Anne , Schwebel David C. , Gilliland M. Janice , Tortolero Susan R. , Peskin Melissa F. , Schuster Mark A.
Published: March 2009

Objectives. We sought to describe the prevalence, characteristics, and mental health problems of children who experience perceived racial/ethnic discrimination.

Methods. We analyzed cross-sectional data from a study of 5147 fifth-grade students and their parents from public schools in 3 US metropolitan areas. We used multivariate logistic regression (overall and stratified by race/ethnicity) to examine the associations of sociodemographic factors and mental health problems with perceived racial/ethnic discrimination.

Results. Fifteen percent of children reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, with 80% reporting that discrimination occurred at school. A greater percentage of Black (20%), Hispanic (15%), and other (16%) children reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination compared with White (7%) children. Children who reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination were more likely to have symptoms of each of the 4 mental health conditions included in the analysis: depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. An association between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and depressive symptoms was found for Black, Hispanic, and other children but not for White children.

Conclusions. Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination is not an uncommon experience among fifth-grade students and may be associated with a variety of mental health disorders.
Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People in India: Project MYTRI
Authors: Perry Cheryl L. , Stigler Melissa H. , Arora Monika , Reddy K. Srinath
Published: March 2009

Objectives. We assessed the effectiveness of a 2-year multicomponent, school-based intervention designed to reduce tobacco use rates among adolescents in an urban area of India.

Methods. Students from 32 schools in Delhi and Chennai, India, were recruited and randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. Baseline, intermediate, and outcome data were collected from 2 cohorts of 6th- and 8th-grade students in 2004; 14 063 students took part in the study and completed a survey in 2004, 2005, or 2006. The intervention consisted of behavioral classroom curricula, school posters, a parental involvement component, and peer-led activism. The main outcome measures were self-reported use of cigarettes, bidis (small hand-rolled, often flavored, cigarettes), and chewing tobacco and future intentions to smoke or use chewing tobacco.

Results. Findings showed that students in the intervention group were significantly less likely than were students in the control group to exhibit increases in cigarette smoking or bidi smoking over the 2-year study period. They were also less likely to intend to smoke or chew tobacco in the future.

Conclusions. School-based programs similar to the intervention examined here should be considered as part of a multistrategy approach to reducing tobacco use among young people in India.
Health Reform Redux: Learning From Experience and Politics
Authors: Ross Johnathon S.
Published: March 2009

The 2008 presidential campaign season featured health care reform proposals. I discuss 3 approaches to health care reform and the tools for bringing about reform, such as insurance market reforms, tax credits, subsidies, individual and employer mandates, and public program expansions. I also discuss the politics of past and current health care reform efforts.

Market-based reforms and mandates have been less successful than public program expansions at expanding coverage and controlling costs. New divisions among special interest groups increase the likelihood that reform efforts will succeed.

Federal support for state efforts may be necessary to achieve national health care reform. History suggests that state-level success precedes national reform. History also suggests that an organized social movement for reform is necessary to overcome opposition from special interest groups.
Clinical and Demographic Factors Associated With Homelessness and Incarceration Among VA Patients With Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Copeland Laurel A. , Miller Alexander L. , Welsh Deborah E. , McCarthy John F. , Zeber John E. , Kilbourne Amy M.
Published: March 2009

Objectives. We assessed the association between homelessness and incarceration in Veterans Affairs patients with bipolar disorder.

Methods. We used logistic regression to model each participant's risk of incarceration or homelessness after we controlled for known risk factors.

Results. Of 435 participants, 12% reported recent homelessness (within the past month), and 55% reported lifetime homelessness. Recent and lifetime incarceration rates were 2% and 55%, respectively. In multivariate models, current medication adherence (based on a 5-point scale) was independently associated with a lower risk of lifetime homelessness (odds ratio [OR] = 0.80 per point, range 0–4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66, 0.96), and lifetime incarceration increased the risk of lifetime homelessness (OR = 4.4; 95% CI = 2.8, 6.9). Recent homelessness was associated with recent incarceration (OR = 26.4; 95% CI = 5.2, 133.4). Lifetime incarceration was associated with current substance use (OR = 2.6; 95% CI = 2.7, 6.7) after control for lifetime homelessness (OR = 4.2; 95% CI = 2.7, 6.7).

Conclusions. Recent and lifetime incarceration and homelessness were strongly associated with each other. Potentially avoidable or treatable correlates included current medication nonadherence and substance use. Programs that better coordinate psychiatric and drug treatment with housing programs may reduce the cycle of incarceration, homelessness, and treatment disruption within this vulnerable patient population.
Nurses' Utilization and Perception of the Community/Public Health Nursing Credential
Authors: Bekemeier Betty
Published: March 2009

Objectives. I explored the underutilization of the community/public health nursing (C/PHN) credential by examining the individual characteristics of public health nurses, the value these nurses perceive for certification, the barriers they perceive to obtaining or maintaining a C/PHN credential, and their credential status.

Methods. I surveyed a national sample of 655 public health nurses regarding this more than 20-year-old credential. I analyzed variables related to perceived value, barriers, and characteristics of public health nurses.

Results. The perceived value of credentialing did not differ among public health nurses relative to whether they had ever had a C/PHN credential. The C/PHN credential, however, was obtained significantly more often by public health nurses in academic settings than by those working in practice settings.

Conclusions. The C/PHN credential appears to be disproportionately underutilized and unknown to public health nurses in the practice community. Findings suggest, however, that utilization could be improved by increasing the credential's visibility outside of academic environments and by establishing system-level changes that provide external recognition, such as salary increases and career advancement, for specialty credentials.
Spousal Perceptions of Marital Stress and Support among Grandparent Caregivers: Variations by Life Stage
Authors: Matzek Amanda E. , Cooney Teresa M.
Published: March 2009

Few studies have examined how raising grandchildren influences the marital relationship of grandparent caregivers although half of such caregivers are married. This study used national survey data from Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) to contrast perceptions of spousal support and strain for grandparents who had recently provided care for grandchildren along with their own young children ( n = 16), and grandparents who had recently cared for grandchildren only ( n = 96). Results revealed an interaction between caregivers' sex and family situation with grandmother caregivers who were raising both their own minor children and grandchildren reporting less spousal support than grandfathers in the same situation. Differences on the spousal strain dimension were not significant. Grandmother caregivers occupying 2 caregiving roles appear to have a unique experience with caring for grandchildren. These results parallel other studies that show that grandparent caregivers have poorer outcomes when they hold multiple caregiving roles simultaneously.
Parenthood, Stress, and Mental Health in Late Midlife and Early Old Age
Authors: Pudrovska Tetyana
Published: March 2009

Using 2 waves of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, I examine psychological consequences of potentially stressful, non-normative, or “off-time” aspects of the parental role in late midlife and early old age, including coresidence with adult children, stepparenthood, and parental bereavement. Additionally, I analyze gender differences in psychological implications of these characteristics of parenthood. Findings from random-effects pooled time-series models indicate that having stepchildren is unrelated to older parents' mental health. Moreover, the psychological consequences of stepparenthood do not depend on parental gender or the quality of parent-child relationships. Conversely, having at least 1 coresidential adult child of post-college age decreases psychological well-being among mothers but not among fathers. Death of a child has a detrimental effect on parents' mental health; yet, fathers are affected more adversely than mothers. The findings are interpreted with respect to family stress, parental role, and gendered role perspectives. Distinct experiences of this cohort of mothers and fathers are discussed.
Why Do Older Men Report Low Stress Ratings? Findings from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study
Authors: Boeninger Daria K. , Shiraishi Ray W. , Aldwin Carolyn M. , Spiro Avron
Published: March 2009

We examined the interplay between three explanatory hypotheses for why older adults appear to rate their problems as less stressful than do younger adults: age-related differences in personality, in types of problems, and in the appraisal process—specifically, the number of primary stress appraisals. A sample of 1,054 men from the Normative Aging Study (mean age = 65.02; range = 45 to 92) were interviewed about a problem in the past week. Personality did not mediate the effect of age on stress ratings. While general hassles and health problems both increased with age, they had opposite influences on stress ratings. Accounting for covariates, older men reported fewer appraisals, and the number of appraisals mediated the association between age and stress ratings. We found no moderating effects of problem type on these processes. Thus, lower stress ratings for everyday problems in later life may result from developmental changes in primary appraisal processes.
The Academic and Social Integration of Persisting Community College Transfer Students
Authors: Townsend Barbara K. , Wilson Kristin B.
Published: March 2009

This qualitative study sought to discern the applicability of Tinto's theory of the importance of academic and social integration to students' persistence by interviewing community college transfer students who had persisted for several semesters in a large, public, research extensive university. Twelve students who participated in a 2004 study about factors affecting the transfer process and their subsequent integration into the receiving institution were interviewed again in 2006 about their academic and social integration into the university. The researchers found that persisting community college transfer students' academic and social integration needs appeared to be different from those of first-year, traditional-age college students at a residence-oriented 4-year institution. The primary institutional influences affecting their integration were university size, the opportunity to join clubs in their major, and the opportunity to conduct research with a professor. Individual or situational influences were working and living off-campus and having the goal of completing the baccalaureate, but not necessarily at the receiving university.
Pre-College Factors Impacting Persistence at a Diverse University
Authors: Vaquera Gloria , Maestas Ricardo
Published: March 2009

Undergraduate student persistence has been widely studied over the past several decades; however, the majority of this research focuses on predominantly White institutions and fails to consider retention in a diverse context. To address this need, this exploratory study examined 3rd and 5th semester persistence of White and Hispanic students at a Hispanic-serving institution. In addition to traditional pre-college factors found to impact persistence, previous academic preparation, degree intent, and social class background, we examined experiences with diversity prior to entering college. The results of the logistic regressions indicate that different factors impact White and Hispanic students. Two of the three diversity experience variables, cultural awareness and racial composition of high school, were significant factors impacting persistence. The most important predictor of retention was the college cumulative grade point average.
Washington State Achievers Program: Influence of the Scholarship Program on Low-Income College Students' Achievement and Aspirations
Authors: Hilberg Soleste , Joshi Aasha , House Ann
Published: March 2009

This qualitative study examined the personal experiences of scholarship recipients from the first cohort of the Washington State Achievers Program to determine the influence of the scholarship on students' lives. Focus groups were conducted with students and recent graduates at 7 undergraduate institutions and life history interviews were conducted with 8 of 15 Scholars who had represented the program in its inaugural year. Key understandings about the Achievers Scholars program derived from these interviews include how critical it was for these students, often the first in their families to attend college, to ask for and accept assistance from others, and the key role that program mentors and coordinators played in assisting students with finding the help they needed and accessing resources available to them.
Determined to Succeed: Salient Factors That Foster Academic Success for Academically Unprepared Black Males at a Black College
Authors: Palmer Robert T. , Young Estelle M.
Published: March 2009

Attrition for Black men is a serious problem in higher education. While researchers have explored factors of retention for Black men attending historically White institutions (HWIs), less research explains factors underlying the success of Black men attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), particularly those men who are academically unprepared. Eleven Black men, who entered a public, urban HBCU through its pre-college program and persisted to graduation, provided a retrospective view of factors promoting their success. The result from this study may help universities enhance retention for Black men by understanding salient variables in their academic achievement and retention.
Distinguishing between Exogenous and Endogenous Intent-to-Transfer Students
Authors: Okun Morris A. , Karoly Paul , Martin Jessica L. , Benshoff Annja
Published: March 2009

In this article, we distinguish between 2 types of students who intend to transfer and graduate from another institution. During the fall of 2006, 507 first-semester students attending a state university completed a survey. Seventy-six percent of the students indicated that they planned on graduating from the University (intent-to-persist), 16% indicated that the intended to transfer and that this intention emerged following enrollment at the University (endogenous intent-to-transfer), and 8% indicated that they entered the University with the intent to transfer (exogenous intent-to-transfer). Exogenous intent-to-transfer students were significantly ( p < .05) higher than endogenous intent-to-transfer students on academic integration, social integration, and institutional commitment. The 2 types of intent-to-transfer students differed in their economic, social, and quality of academic program reasons for enrolling at and transferring from the University. Implications for retention of making the distinction between the 2 types of intended transfer students were noted.
Organizational Effects on First-Year Students' Academic Outcomes at a New Public Research University
Authors: Nuñez Anne-Marie
Published: March 2009

The relationship between organizational behavior and student outcomes has been understudied, especially in less selective public research universities and among students from underrepresented populations. This study draws on Berger and Milem's (2000) framework to examine the relationship between student entry characteristics, organizational behavior, student experiences, and two early academic outcomes (GPA and academic development) for first-year students enrolled in a new public research university. Student entry characteristics were most strongly associated with GPA, while organizational characteristics and student experiences were most strongly associated with academic development, a measure of students' perceptions of the extent to which the institution contributed to gains in their academic skills. Institutional emphases on academic and social engagement were found to be positively associated with academic development.
Cigarette Smoking and Indicators of Psychosocial Distress in Southeast Asian and Central-Eastern European Adolescents
Authors: Page Randy M. , Zarco Emilia Patricia T. , Ihasz Ferenc , Suwanteerangkul Jiraporn , Uvacsek Martina , Mei-Lee Ching , Miao Nae-Fang , Simonek Jaromir , Klarova Renata , Hantiu Iacob , Kalabiska Irén
Published: March 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of cigarette smoking and 2 indicators of psychosocial distress (hopelessness and loneliness) among adolescents from 2 distinctly different regions of the world: Central-Eastern Europe (Hungary, Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania, Poland) and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines). Among Southeast Asian boys and girls, smokers had elevated hopelessness in comparison to nonsmokers but among Central-Eastern European students, this relationship was true only for girls and there was no relationship for boys. Across the country samples, there was only association of smoking with loneliness among Southeast Asian girls and Central-Eastern European girls. While Southeast Asian girls who smoked scored higher on loneliness than nonsmokers, the opposite was true among Central-Eastern European girls, with smokers scoring lower on loneliness.