bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Training of Psycho-Educational Technicians (Para-Professionals) to Administer a Screening Battery Which Delineates Dyslexia and Hyperkinesis
Authors: Hardman Patricia K.
Published: December 2008

A methodology is described regarding the training of paraprofessionals to administer and score a battery of tests which assesses the areas of intelligence, academics, perception, and behavior. The data could be utilized by the professional diagnostician or educational psychologist to obtain a differential diagnosis of dyslexia and hyperkinesis, i.e., SLD. The training program involved 40 hours of concentrated instruction and 10 participants with varying academic backgrounds and experience.

The study indicated that a high percentage of the participants became proficient in the administration and scoring of the battery. These could be expected to test under the direction of a professional diagnostician; thereby increasing the professional's effectiveness and efficiency.

The study established no correlation between the participant's previous academic degrees or level of intelligence and the level of proficiency during the training program.

A positive correlation existed between the participants who had previous experience with the dyslexic and hyperkinetic child and their level of proficiency attained in the testing program. This positive correlation also existed with participants who were dyslexic or hyperkinetic themselves and the level of proficiency they attained.

The study indicated that the training of sufficient numbers of qualified, lower cost, technicians to assist professionals in the preliminary stages of a child's assessment was feasible. This training could be conducted at a lower cost and in a reasonable time frame. This would allow the professional more time for diagnosis, counseling, and prescribing appropriate placement. More children could be addressed at less cost, increasing the probability of early detection, diagnosis, and proper academic placement for dyslexic and hyperkinetic children.
Problem-Solving Instruction as an Oral Comprehension Aid for Reading Disabled Third Graders
Authors: Manning Brenda H.
Published: December 2008

The intent of the study was to determine the effects of Cognitive Monitoring (CM), Creative Problem Solving (CPS), and Combination (CM and CPS) instructional programs on reading disabled third-graders oral comprehension as measured by performance on the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (BTBC). The BTBC was administered in groups of ten subjects and also individually. Subjects were one-hundred third-graders, identified as reading one and one-half years below grade level expectancy within average range intelligence. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: CM, CPS, Combination, or Control. Treatment lasted for ten consecutive school days for a total of five hours. Criterion group means on the BTBC were subjected to a one-way Analysis of Variance. Treatment effects were found for measures of Form A, BTBC (group administration) and Form B, BTBC, (individual administration).
LD as They See It
Authors: Schneider Barry H.
Published: December 2008

Twenty-six severely learning disabled students aged 10 through 20 enrolled in a special residential school were interviewed regarding their understanding of learning disability, their perceptions of their school experiences and peer relations. Most were found to have very little insight into the nature of LD. They tended to attribute their learning problems to their own lack of effort. Few claimed to have sought or received an explanation of their handicap. Within their current residential setting, the subjects were generally satisfied with their relationships with peers and teachers, as well as with their academic program.
Family Interaction and Learning Disabilities
Authors: Amerikaner Martin J. , Omizo Michael M.
Published: December 2008

This study explored the relationship of family systems theory to understanding the problems associated with learning disabilities in school children. Hypotheses were developed relating family interaction to classification of children as learning disabled (LD), emotionally disturbed (ED) and normal (N). The parents of 90 children (n = 30 LD, 30 ED, 30 N) completed The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES). Results provided partial support for the hypotheses, and were discussed in terms of: (1) implications for assessing and intervening in problems identified as learning disabilities, and (2) methods for practitioners to assist this population.
The Effects of Two Prepractice Procedures on Oral Reading
Authors: Rose Terry L.
Published: December 2008

An alternating treatments design was used to investigate the relative effects of two oral reading previewing, or prepractice, procedures: (a) silent, in which the student reads silently the assigned reading passage prior to reading the passage aloud, and (b) listening, in which the teacher reads the assigned selection aloud and the student follows along silently prior to the student reading the passage aloud. Six elementary school aged learning disabled students, three boys and three girls, participated in the study. Results indicated that systematic prepractice procedures were related to higher performance levels than was baseline (no prepractice). Differential effects were noted: the listening procedure was related to higher rates of words read correctly than was the silent procedure. Results are discussed further in terms of the implications for research and instructional procedures.
Depression in Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Stevenson D. T. , Romney D. M.
Published: December 2008

In order to investigate the prevalence of depression amongst LD children, 103 completed the Children's Depression Inventory. Fourteen percent of the sample scored at or above the critical cutoff, more than in the general population but not significantly so at the .05 level. Comparing the most depressed children with the least depressed, upper versus lower quartiles, revealed that the former were much lower in self-esteem, tended to be oversensitive and shared traits associated with neuroticism. No differences between the two groups were found, however, with respect to age, sex, intelligence, type of learning disability or parental expectations. It is suggested that in dealing with depressed LD children their affective state and their personality be taken into account as well as their obvious cognitive handicap.
Concerns in Interpreting Subtest Scatter on the Tests of Cognitive Ability from the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery
Authors: Marston Doug , Ysseldyke James
Published: December 2008

An analysis of scatter among the Tests of Cognitive Ability for the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery was conducted on the performance of subjects in grades 1 through 12 from the standardization sample. Large mean high subtest-low subtest differences were noted for each grade level and compared to WISC-R scaled score ranges. Frequency distributions for high-low differences are presented as well as the mean differences between all pair-wise combinations for the 12 subtests. The practice of examining scatter on the Tests of Cognitive Ability, and especially efforts to identify specific “types” of learning disabled students using this test, are discouraged.
Phonological Awareness and Verbal Short-Term Memory
Authors: Mann Virginia A. , Liberman Isabelle Y.
Published: December 2008

Many studies have established an association between early reading problems and deficiencies in certain spoken language skills, such as the ability to become aware of the syllabic structure of spoken words, and the ability to retain a string of words in verbal short-term memory. A longitudinal study now shows that inferior performance in kindergarten tests of these same skills may presage future reading problems in the first grade. Based on these findings, procedures are suggested for kindergarten screening and for some ways of aiding children who, by virtue of inferior performance on these tests, might be considered at risk for reading failure.
Learning Disabled Children's Understanding of Social Interactions of Peers
Authors: Weiss Elizabeth
Published: December 2008

Judgments of children who have manifested social problems—physically aggressive and learning disabled boys—were compared with judgements of children whose behavior was more appropriate. Inner—city children viewed videotapes of similar children engaging in friendly, fighting or horseplay interactions. Approximately half the children in each group heard verbal descriptions of the same events rather than observing them on videotape. No differences were found between aggressive boys and non-aggressive boys, suggesting that aggressive perceivers do not necessarily “project” their own characteristics onto others. However, learning disabled boys both aggressive and non-aggressive, found all scenes more unfriendly. Differences in responses to videotapes and to verbal descriptions alone suggest that conclusions about social perceptions obtained from one mode of stimulus presentation may not generalize to other modes or to life situations.
A Validity and Reliability Update on the Informal Reading Inventory with Suggestions for Improvement
Authors: Klesius Janell P. , Homan Susan P.
Published: December 2008

The informal reading inventory is a diagnostic instrument used by learning disability specialists, reading teachers, and classroom teachers to identify an appropriate reading grade level placement for students, and to identify strengths and weaknesses in word recognition and comprehension. In recent years, a number of studies have examined its validity and reliability. This article gives a comprehensive review of this research. Based on the findings of this review, suggestions of ways the teacher can improve the validity and reliability of existing informal reading inventories are provided, along with suggestions for evaluating reliability and validity of newly published IRI's.
School Readiness and the Draw-A-Man Test
Authors: Simner Marvin L.
Published: December 2008

An item analysis of Harris' scoring system for the Goodenough-Harris Draw-A-Man Test was conducted by comparing sets of protocols obtained in the early fall of kindergarten from children whose overall in-class academic performance placed them either in an at-risk category (N= 21) or at the top of their class (N= 38) by the end of the school year. The outcome showed that three items in Harris' system (item #9—nose; item #30—arms; item #46—trunk) differentiated these two extreme groups and that by confining the scoring of additional protocols of the Draw-A-Man Test to these three items alone we were able to obtain an improvement over Harris' 73-item scale in predicting school achievement. However, since further evidence indicated that these three key items lose their predictive potential by the end of kindergarten, we strongly recommend that the use of this greatly abbreviated scoring system be limited to drawings made near the start of the kindergarten year.
Investigating the Effectiveness of Special Education
Authors: Tindal Gerald
Published: December 2008

The enormous literature on remedial procedures with mildly handicapped children contains many convincing demonstrations that specific instructional techniques can be effective in accomplishing narrowly defined goals. However, when the focus of evaluation shifts to more complex programs that are designed to achieve a more complete remediation of academic skill deficits, the results have often been discouraging. This Topical Review critically examines previous attempts to evaluate the efficiacy of special education programs for mildly handicapped children. The author suggests that serious methodological flaws in these evaluation efforts make our present knowledge in this area very weak. The final section of the review proposes a methodology that is designed to address and overcome many of the limitations of previous research.—JKT
The Development of Encoding Processes in Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Lorsbach Thomas C. , Gray Jeffrey W.
Published: December 2008

The current experiment compared the development of encoding preferences in learning disabled children and non-disabled children. Both learning disabled (LD) and non-learning disabled (non-LD) boys from grades 2 and 6 were given a false recognition task. To measure the relative dominance of attributes encoded by the two groups at the two ages, study and test items were manipulated to form visual, acoustic, and semantic distracters. For both second grade and sixth grade LD subjects, visual distracters produced significantly greater numbers of false recognitions than acoustic or semantic distracters. This pattern of encoding preferences was also observed with non-LD second graders. However, sixth grade non-LD subjects displayed a shift in encoding preference and were significantly more distracted by semantic than by acoustic or visual items. The results suggest that LD students do not spontaneously use the eflortful semantic processing strategy of elaborative rehearsal.
In Memorium: Burton Blatt (1927-1985)
Authors: Morris Richard J.
Published: December 2008

“So now let me tell you about Burton Blatt: The wisest, most compassionate, most courageous, most honest human being I have ever known” (Saranson, 1984, p. 15).
Family History as an Indicator of Risk for Reading Disability
Authors: Vogler George P. , DeFries J. C. , Decker Sadie N.
Published: December 2008

Self-reported reading ability of the parents of 174 reading-disabled children and of 182 controls was used to estimate the posterior probability that a child will become reading disabled given that a parent is affected. Using Bayesian inverse probability analysis, it was found that the risk for reading disability is increased substantially (by a factor of from about 4 to over 13) if either parent has had difficulty in learning to read. The absolute risk appears to be sufficiently high to warrant clinical application of family history information as one component of a multifactorial risk assessment battery.
The Future of the LD Field
Authors: Adelman Howard S. , Taylor Linda
Published: December 2008

A mail survey was conducted among prominent LD professionals to assess their views about the most fundamental concerns facing the field in the next decade. For purposes of this presentation, the findings from the 85 respondents are discussed, first in terms of several overriding considerations; then, specific issues and problems associated with theory, research, practice, training, and field and policy activity are explored. In highlighting interrelationships among concerns, respondents underscored the link between improving the quality of theory and upgrading research, practice, training, and policy making. The discussion stresses building an agenda for the future as the key to the field's integrity, viability, and survival.
Learning Disabilities Resource Room Teachers and Students: Competent for What?
Authors: Haight Sherrel Lee
Published: December 2008

If English teachers teach English, then do resource room teachers teach resource? Special education resource room teachers are in a quandary as to what they should be teaching to their students. In part, this dilemma is caused by several trends in regular education: minimum competency testing in basic skills, career education competencies and the requirements of an individualized educational program delivered in the least restrictive environment for each special education student. An example of this interaction as it has occurred in Michigan is cited to illustrate the dilemma. A proposal is presented for improving the plight of special education teachers who are uncertain about what they should be teaching. The possibility of applying current theoretical and research evidence to ameliorate the dilemma is elaborated by comparing the functional stages identified in child development theories to the developmental stages described by special education theories. The title recommended as appropriate for the resource room teacher is “learning specialist.” An instructional content emphasis would include school and society-learning skills.
Validation of a Learning Disability Index (LDI) Derived from a Principal Components Analysis of the WISC-R
Authors: Tittemore J. A. , Lawson J. S. , Inglis James
Published: December 2008

A learning disability index based on a principal components analysis of the WISC-R normative data has been developed to depict verbal or non-verbal deficits on that test. This index was calculated for the individual test performance of a total of 1550 children referred to a school board psychology service because of education difficulties. These children, subdivided by sex, and categorized as learning disabled or mentally retarded, returned mean scores on this index that were reliably different from the expected scores of the normative population; this difference revealed a verbal deficit in the test performance of the referred children. Reliable sex differences on this index appear in both the normal and abnormal groups.
Learning Disabilities
Authors: Smith Corinne Roth
Published: December 2008

Whether any of the learning disabled child's unique ability patterns, learning styles, and behavioral attributes become assets or severe liabilities depends on the nature of the school tasks helshe is expected to accomplish and the settings in which the child studies, lives, and plays. By successfully matching the nature of our learning tasks, teaching strategies and interpersonal interactions to children's strengths and weaknesses, we can do much to enhance their learning and life adjustment. This multidimensional, interactional perspective of learning disabilities originated with our field's pioneers, whose influences live on throughout our current theories, research, and practice. As then, we must now seek unity in our diversity. Much can be learned from different theoretical perspectives, as each adds meaning to observations, guides research and programming efforts, and systematizes knowledge about the complexities that characterize the learning disabled.
Teaching Basic Academic Skills to Learning Disabled Students
Authors: Graham Steve
Published: December 2008

A model of the teaching-learning process that can be used as a framework through which learning disabled students' mastery of basic academic skills can be maximized is presented. The model takes into consideration both the psychological and social conditions of learning, and necessarily reflects the complexity of the classroom environment. The central tenet of the model is that learning is a direct result of students' activities and pursuits. At the same time, the teacher's activities are represented as a consequence of institutional factors, the teacher's own background and characteristics, and the pursuits and predilections of individual students. Procedures for directly and indirectly affecting pupil pursuits during learning are also examined.
The Effects of a Strategy and Sequenced Materials on the Inferential-Comprehension of Disabled Readers
Authors: Holmes Betty C.
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine whether teaching disabled readers a structured inferencing strategy using materials sequentially arranged from easy to more difficult would improve their ability to answer inferential questions. The subjects consisted of fourth and fifth grade poor readers who were randomly placed in one of four groups—strategy plus materials, strategy only, materials only, control. An analysis of covariance revealed that the strategy plus materials group scored significantly better than the other three groups on experimenter—designed inference questions. In addition, the strategy plus materials group and the materials only group scored significantly better than the control group on a standardized reading test.

Results suggest that disabled readers' apparent lack of logical reasoning in answering inferential questions may exist because they do not have a successful strategy for attacking problems. Furthermore, a strategy may be enhanced by the use of materials sequentially arranged from easy to more difficult.
Book Reviews
Authors: Chandler Harry N.
Published: December 2008

Working With Parents Of Exceptional Children: A Guide For Professionals, By Richard M. Gargiulo, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1985, 238 pages, $18.95 paperback.

Communicating With Parents Of Exceptional Children: Improving Parent Teacher Relationships, By Roger L. Kroth, Denver: Love Publishing Co., 242 pages, $11.95 paperback.
The Cost of Shame: International Organizations and Foreign Aid in the Punishing of Human Rights Violators
Authors: Lebovic James H. , Voeten Erik
Published: December 2008

Are violators of international human rights norms punished with lower levels of foreign aid? Despite their abstract preferences, governments often lack the incentive to punish norm violators bilaterally. Multilateral lending institutions, such as the World Bank, could fill the void if they wanted to consider human rights abuses and could bypass restrictions on evaluating the political character of recipients. This article argues that `shaming' in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, through resolutions that explicitly criticized governments for their human rights records, provided substantive information about rights abuses and gave political cover for the World Bank and other liberal multilateral aid institutions seeking to sanction human rights violators. Statistical analyses support these theoretical claims. The adoption of a UNCHR resolution condemning a country's human rights record produced a sizeable reduction in multilateral, and especially World Bank, aid but had no effect on the country's aggregate bilateral aid receipts. The analyses also support predictions that `objective' measures of human rights have no independent effect on multilateral aid allocations. The findings, which are robust to different model techniques and specifications, suggest that punishment for violating international human rights norms is selective, that international organizations play an important role in the selection process and, thus, that seemingly symbolic resolutions of a politically motivated IO can carry tangible consequences.
Diplomatic Interventions and Civil War: A New Dataset
Authors: Regan Patrick M. , Frank Richard W. , Aydin Aysegul
Published: December 2008

Recent research in the civil war literature has focused on how and when external actors intervene. However, to date, systematic data have not existed on diplomatic efforts in conflict management. This article fills this gap and introduces a dataset on 438 diplomatic interventions in 68 conflicts stretching from 1945 to 1999. The authors briefly outline previous research on third-party interventions in civil wars, describe the dataset in some detail, including some initial patterns in the data, and describe how this dataset contributes to research into conflict processes. The authors also demonstrate how diplomatic interventions can be incorporated into other research agendas by merging this dataset with Doyle & Sambanis's peacekeeping data and replicating their analysis to examine the role of external diplomacy on peacebuilding success. These data on interventions, moreover, can be merged with commonly used datasets on intrastate conflicts, which promises a wide range of application in civil war studies. Developing a greater understanding of when and how civil wars end, scholarship needs to take into account efforts to arrive at diplomatic solutions. And if, as the results demonstrate, externally driven diplomacy facilitates the termination of civil wars, then the policy implications are quite important.
Effect of Immersion Time in Water on the Tensile Properties of Acetylated Steam-exploded Acacia mangium Fibers-Filled Polyethylene Composites
Authors: Mat Taib R. , Ramarad S. , Mohd Ishak Z.A. , Rozman H.D.
Published: December 2008

Composites of high-density polyethylene and acetylated steam-exploded Acacia mangium fibers are immersed in water at room temperature for 30 days and tested for tensile properties after 2, 4, and 6 days of immersion. All composites absorb water but the water uptake decreases with increasing weight percent gain (WPG) of the acetylated fibers (AAEF). Immersion time has negative effect on the tensile properties and the impact is lesser for composites filled with AAEF of higher WPG. Tensile modulus decreases linearly (R 2=0.80) with water uptake. Acetylation does not improve fiber—matrix interaction but reduces the amount of water absorbed by the composite systems.
The Influence of Conscience in Nursing
Authors: Jensen Annika , Lidell Evy
Published: December 2008

The influence of conscience on nurses in terms of guilt has frequently been described but its impact on care has received less attention. The aim of this study was to describe nurses' conceptions of the influence of conscience on the provision of inpatient care. The study employed a phenomenographic approach and analysis method. Fifteen nurses from three hospitals in western Sweden were interviewed. The results showed that these nurses considered conscience to be an important factor in the exercise of their profession, as revealed by the descriptive categories: conscience as a driving force; conscience as a restricting factor; and conscience as a source of sensitivity. They perceived that conscience played a role in nursing actions involving patients and next of kin, and was an asset that guided them in their efforts to provide high quality care.
Nurses' (Un)Partner-Like Relationships With Clients
Authors: Pajnkihar Majda
Published: December 2008

The aim of a previous study was to describe nursing in Slovenia generally, and to identify the most appropriate nursing model for that country. One specific finding was the issue of partner-like relationships; this article deals with that issue only. An interpretive paradigm and qualitative research design were used with a modified grounded theory approach. Interviews were carried out with selected nursing leaders ( n = 24) and other professionals ( n = 6) in order to draw on their knowledge and experience to describe the reality of nursing phenomena. The results of this research suggest that participants wish to use a theory that emphasizes clients and treats them as equal partners in nursing, promotes health, and rests on interpersonal relationships. The participants described the missing or obscure parts in nursing and their own beliefs and values about human beings and nursing. Descriptions of and the need for partner-like relationships, and the specific elements of such relationships, were of main concern. The participants argued that nurses need high quality and continuing education to ensure competent nursing practice. The indication is that Slovenia should move to graduate and undergraduate nurse education to foster expert reflective practice in order to abolish routinized care carried out in a hierarchical system.
Nurse Educators' and Nursing Students' Perspectives On Teaching Codes of Ethics
Authors: Numminen Olivia , van der Arend Arie , Leino-Kilpi Helena
Published: December 2008

Professional codes of ethics are regarded as elements of nurses' ethical knowledge base and consequently part of their ethics education. However, research focusing on these codes from an educational viewpoint is scarce. This study explored the need and applicability of nursing codes of ethics in modern health care, their importance in the nursing ethics curriculum, and the need for development of their teaching. A total of 183 Finnish nurse educators and 212 nursing students answered three structured questions, with an opportunity to justify their responses, and one open-ended question. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse the data. The results suggest that the existence of the codes was seen as important and their applicability mainly as appropriate, despite new challenges posed by modern health care. The codes were regarded as an important part of nurses' ethics education, but current integrated teaching methods require development.
Advance Directives and Proxies' Predictions About Patients' Treatment Preferences
Authors: Barrio-Cantalejo Inés Maria , Molina-Ruiz Adoración , Simón-Lorda Pablo , Cámara-Medina Carmen , Toral López Isabel , del Mar Rodríguez del Águila Maria , Bailón-Gómez Rosa Maria
Published: December 2008

The accuracy of proxies when they interpret advance directives or apply substituted decision-making criteria has been called into question. It therefore became important to know if the Andalusian Advance Directive Form (AADF) can help to increase the accuracy of proxies' predictions. The aim of this research was to compare the effect of the AADF on the accuracy of proxies' predictions about patients' preferences with that gained from informative and deliberative sessions about end-of-life decision making. A total of 171 pairs of patients and their proxies were randomized to three groups. The control group's answers to the Life Sustaining Preferences Questionnaire (LSPQ) were compared with their proxies' answers to the same questionnaire. In one intervention group, the patients had already completed the AADF and given it to their proxies, who used it to guide their own answers to the LSPQ. In the second intervention (discussion) group, both patients and proxies attended two educative sessions guided by trained nurses and later filled in the LSPQ. Comparisons of accuracy and other variables showed a strong association with the discussion group. The findings show that promoting communication between patients and their proxies improves the accuracy of proxies' predictions much more than isolated use of the AADF form.
The twins: a case study in ethical deliberation
Authors: Freysteinson Wyona
Published: December 2008

A case study of an ethical dilemma concerning twin nine-year-old sisters in a persistent vegetative state is presented. This is illustrated by the use of a systematic ethical framework to examine the case and the resolution, which was ultimately obtained with nurse—parent interrelations, using the human becoming nursing theory.
Goal Setting and Self-Monitoring for Students With Disabilities
Authors: Lee Suk-Hyang , Palmer Susan B. , Wehmeyer Michael L.
Published: December 2008

This article provides teachers with practical tips and ideas about how self-monitoring works in conjunction with goal-setting strategies to support students to set and achieve different types of academic goals. In addition, specific examples of academic goals and self-monitoring forms are provided to give teachers an example of such goals. To provide teachers with practitioner-oriented information about how to use these strategies, practical tips and ideas are addressed in the following sequence: (a) how to support students to set school-related goals, (b) how to support students to develop action plans for student-set target goals, (c) how to create a self-monitoring sheet that matches the self-set goals, and (d) how to evaluate the targeted goal.
Promote Student Success During Independent Seatwork
Authors: Rock Marcia L. , Thead Beth K.
Published: December 2008

Students with learning and behavioral disorders often lack the requisite academic skills and behavioral self-control to remain engaged during passive seatwork activities. Because independent seatwork composes a large portion of the instructional time in general education classrooms and teachers expect students to demonstrate self-control in these environments, it is important to identify effective procedures to manage student behavior and increase academic involvement during such tasks. The purpose of this article is to present 20 approaches special educators can implement with general educators to do this.
On the Surface Displacement of an Isotropic Elastic Halfspace Containing an Inextensible Membrane Reinforcement
Authors: Selvadurai A.P.S.
Published: December 2008

This paper examines the axisymmetric problem of the uniform circular surface loading of an isotropic elastic halfspace, which is internally reinforced with an inextensible membrane of finite extent.
The Stiffness of a Biomembrane Force Probe Vesicle
Authors: Freund L.B.
Published: December 2008

The biomembrane force probe is an experimental apparatus that has been developed to measure the response of a single molecular bond to applied force. A key element in the probe is a small vesicle that is held and manipulated by means of a pipette tip. The interest in this element is due to the fact that it is positioned in series with the bond being interrogated. As a result, the interpretation of data hinges on a knowledge of the mechanical properties, principally the load versus deflection behavior, of the vesicle. Under the assumptions that the vesicle has fixed membrane surface area and fixed internal volume, its load—deflection behavior is considered here. The analysis is exact but the final result does not appear in closed form1 consequently, it must be evaluated by numerical means. For a given geometry, the initial stiffness is found to scale with the pipette pressure and pipette channel radius.
The Pair Distribution Function for an Array of Screw Dislocations: Implications for Gradient Plasticity
Authors: Vinogradov V. , Willis J.R.
Published: December 2008

The problem of spatial correlation within an array of dislocations in a two-dimensional crystalline solid is addressed. A system of equations for joint probability densities is derived based on the assumption that the force on each dislocation remains finite. For arrays of screw dislocations moving on several slip planes the equations are consistent with balanced positive and negative dislocations forming dipoles or mutually cancelling, leaving geometrically necessary dislocations to interact and correlate. The resulting pair distribution function for the geometrically necessary screw dislocations is found, and used to demonstrate the strain gradient correction emerging in the case of micro-scale plasticity.
Doris Lessing, Feminism and the Representation of Zimbabwe
Authors: De Mul Sarah
Published: December 2008

This article examines the complex intertwinements of feminism, anti-colonial Marxism and imperialism in the work of the recent Literature Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing, particularly in her writings on colonial Africa and the travelogue African Laughter. The article outlines the implications of these intersections for the representation of Zimbabwe against some political, aesthetic and epistemological developments in Lessing's oeuvre. Through a reading of African Laughter, the article argues that a crucial tension is at stake between Lessing's political project of giving voice to black Zimbabweans and the western female protagonist as the authoritative subject of this project. The aim is to render an innovative perspective of Doris Lessing's status as a feminist icon, which she gained in the wake of her acclaimed novel The Golden Notebook (1962), by proceeding from postcolonial feminist scholarship .
New Materialism and Feminism's Anti-Biologism
Authors: Davis Noela
Published: December 2008

In a recent article, Sara Ahmed castigates so-called new materialist theorists for their accusations of a biophobia evident in feminism. Biophobia is taken simply to be the claim that feminists do not engage with biological detail in their theorizations, which is demonstrably not the case. However, an elaboration of new materialist usage of biophobia reveals that they are proposing a particular conceptualization of what an engagement with the biological means. They theorize an entanglement and non-separability of the biological with/in sociality, and what they criticize in much feminism is the conventional assumption that the biological and the social are two separate and discrete systems that then somehow interact. If the new materialist arguments are fully contextualized and then applied to the supporting examples given in the article, the new materialist critique is actually borne out.
Evidence for relative cortical sparing in benign multiple sclerosis: a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Calabrese M , Filippi M , Rovaris M , Bernardi V , Atzori M , Mattisi I , Favaretto A , Grossi P , Barachino L , Rinaldi L , Romualdi C , Perini P , Gallo P
Published: December 2008

Background

Using double inversion recovery (DIR) MRI, cortical lesions can be seen in the brain of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The burden of such lesions seems to be well correlated with the severity of MS-related disability.

Objective

To investigate whether the extent of cortical damage in patients with benign MS (BMS) might contribute to explain their favorable clinical status.

Methods

Forty-eight patients with BMS (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score ≤3.0 and disease duration ≥15 years) and 96 patients with non-disabling, early relapsing–remitting (RR) MS (EDSS score ≤3.0 and disease duration ≤5 years) were studied. Brain MRI, including a DIR and a fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence, was acquired at baseline and after 12 months. On DIR images, intracortical (ICL) and cortical-subcortical lesions (CSL) were identified and their number and volume calculated. Total white matter (WM) lesion volume was quantified on FLAIR images.

Results

Compared with early RRMS, patients with BMS had lower number of ICL at both study time points ( P ≤ 0.001 for both comparisons). At one-year follow-up, a significant increase of ICL and CSL number and total volume was observed only in early patients with RRMS. The number and volume of cortical lesions was not correlated with WM lesion volume. Total ICL number at baseline, total cortical lesion volume at baseline, and total cortical lesion volume change were independent predictors of MS phenotype.

Conclusion

In patients with BMS, the selective sparing of the cortex from disease-related focal pathology might be one of the factors associated to their favorable clinical status, independently of the (possible) accrual of WM lesions.
Characterizing Anxious Children with an Obsessive Difficult Temperament
Authors: Wood Hayley , Manassis Katharina , Owens Mary , Garland E. Jane
Published: December 2008

This exploratory study sought to characterize anxious children displaying an Obsessive Difficult Temperament (ODT), and examined features that may differentiate them from anxiety disordered, non ODT children. Participants comprised 67 children, aged 4 to 7 years, consecutively referred to an anxiety disorders clinic at an urban children's hospital. Retrospective categorization of the participants' temperament profile was undertaken, with 21 children appearing to display ODT. Groups were compared on the bases of child functioning (parent and clinician rated), the presence of comorbid disorders (based on structured interview), and parental stress and symptomatology. Participants with ODT were found to display a specific profile of temperament traits. Compared to non ODT participants, they showed a significantly poorer social functioning, more comorbid externalizing disorders, elevated levels of maternal stress, and increased maternal psychiatric symptoms. To conclude, anxious children expressing ODT present with significant impairments in functioning and require further investigation. Associated parental stress and impaired maternal psychosocial functioning are evident.
The Perpetuation of Patriarchy: The Hidden Factor of Gender Bias in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Children
Authors: Abell Steven , Dauphin Barry
Published: December 2008

The history of the mental health movement suggests that political and economic forces often have undue influence on the science of nosology. Given this situation, diagnostic categories which are applied disproportionately to a particular population segment may warrant reconsideration. While many scholars have questioned why a number of adult diagnostic categories are used disproportionately with females, few have examined why the diagnostic categories for children are applied with greater frequency to males. The authors suggest that gender bias in the diagnosis and treatment of children ultimately serves to foster patriarchy, by reinforcing existing patterns of maternal child rearing rather than promoting the goal of shared parenting.
`They Don't Like Our Kind': Consequences of Being Ostracized While Possessing a Group Membership
Authors: Wirth James H. , Williams Kipling D.
Published: December 2008

Individuals are ostracized nearly on a daily basis, which thwarts the satisfaction of fundamental needs and is painful (Williams, 2007). While facing prejudice or discrimination, possessing a group membership can be self-protective (Crocker & Major, 1989) or harmful, depending on group identification (Schmitt & Branscombe, 2002a). How will individuals react to ostracism when a group membership attribution is available? Participants were ostracized or included during Cyberball, a virtual online ball-tossing game, while possessing a temporary, permanent, or no group membership. Participants reported need satisfaction and mood during the game and after a short delay to assess recovery. Initially, ostracized participants felt equally distressed. Possessing a permanent group membership resulted in slower recovery compared to possessing a temporary group membership.
Individual–Group Discontinuity in Group–Individual Interactions: Does Size Matter?
Authors: McGlynn Richard P. , Harding Deborah Jean , Cottle Jacquline L.
Published: December 2008

The consistent finding that interactions involving groups are more competitive than interactions between individuals is known as the discontinuity effect. We investigated the effects of group size in order to determine whether the effect is a true discontinuity or a continuous function of group size. We also asked whether dyads behave like larger groups. Four hundred and eighty seven students volunteered for the experiment. Individuals played 10 trials of two-choice prisoner's dilemmas against other individuals or against groups of sizes two through eight. Major findings included (a) individual–individual interactions were more cooperative than individual–group interactions, but there were no differences among group sizes; (b) dyads were indistinguishable from larger groups; and (c) data on expectations revealed that, before interacting, groups were not only distrusted by individuals but also distrusted the individuals. The discontinuity between individuals and groups–including dyads–appears to be a true discontinuity.
Media Regulation in Small States
Authors: Puppis Manuel
Published: December 2008

What is so special about small media systems? The following article touches upon their structural peculiarities, arguing that the small states perspective in communication science is not limited to Western Europe: small production and sales markets, dependence on and the high penetration with foreign media make the operation of domestic media organizations in small states more difficult. In some countries, this problem is intensified by giant next-door neighbours sharing the same language. The main claim of this article is that size has an impact on media regulation as well. It is suggested that small states, in order to protect and promote media diversity, are inclined to an interventionist approach of media regulation. They may even revert to protectionist measures undermining the goal of media diversity.
Assessing UK drug policy from a crime control perspective
Authors: Reuter Peter , Stevens Alex
Published: December 2008

Over the entire last quarter of the 20th century the British drug problem worsened, despite the implementation of a variety of approaches and commitment of substantial criminal justice and other resources. The link between chronic use of expensive drugs and property crime makes this experience important for understanding trends in crime and justice in Britain. The worsening of the problem can be seen in the growing number of new heroin users each year over almost the entire period 1975—2000, on top of which was layered, starting in the late 1990s, the first major outbreak of chronic cocaine use. This was not the common pattern in Western Europe over that time and by 2000 the UK had Western Europe's most serious drug problem.

One component of the response has been increasing enforcement against drug markets; in just the decade 1994—2005 the number of prison cell years handed out in annual sentences has tripled. Even with this expansion we estimate that the annual probability of incarceration for a class A drug dealer is only approximately 6 per cent. Since 2000 there has also been a massive increase in treatment resources linked to the criminal justice system. The number of treatment assessments in recent years has been as large as 58 per cent of the number of persons estimated to be problematic users of Class A drugs. The government believes that drug policy has contributed to the decline in crime in the UK since 2000. Using what is known about treatment outcomes, we argue that despite impressive evidence of effect on individual level offending, the effect of treatment expansion in reducing overall crime rates is likely to have been limited.
Documents' memories: Enacting pasts and futures at the School for Individual Learning-in-Practice
Authors: Kontopodis Michalis
Published: December 2008

The study presented below has been an effort in examining the interdependence between time and memory practices, and in particular in studying how memory is related to the generation of pasts, presents and futures. Drawing on a one-year ethnographical research project in a secondary vocational school for students from sociocultural minorities in Germany, I examine how material-semiotic orderings determine how students' development and everyday action is remembered and forgotten, and at the same time what kind of futures are made possible for the students. On the ground of a relational-materialist approach, I analyze symmetrically the interaction between students and reports, files or questionnaires, and other actants. My analysis challenges the modern model of the arrow of time by suggesting that memory includes uncertainty, and that it is impossible to predict how pasts, presents and futures relate to each other.
A monument to dismantlement
Authors: Varvantakis Christos
Published: December 2008

The Palast der Republik was the parliament building of the former German Democratic Republic and an entertainment center for its people. It is currently being dismantled in a lengthy procedure that will last for a period of three years. The extended `present' of the building's removal is the focus of this article, which examines the ways in which the building is becoming a memory as it de-materializes. Throughout the text, the monumental characteristics of the dismantlement and its physiognomy as a monument to temporality are taken into consideration.
The appearing memory: Gilles Deleuze and Andrey Tarkovsky on `crystal-image'
Authors: Kozin Alexander
Published: December 2008

In this article I examine the concept `crystal-image,' as developed by Gilles Deleuze in the two volumes of Cinema (1986—89). In these texts, Deleuze examines the ways in which phenomenality of time discloses itself through the semiotic dimension of cinema. Subsequently, Deleuze identifies three distinctly different senses of cinematographic time: (1) time as the movement of image; (2) the movement of time-image; and (3) the appearance of time itself. In this article I elaborate the latter via the concept of `crystal-image'. The main objective behind my examination is two-fold: demonstrate that cinema can be approached as a special kind of phenomenological inquiry (semiotic phenomenology) and, on the strength of this hybrid method, further our understanding of memory and its materiality. An analysis of Andrey Tarkovsky's film Solaris provides an illustration.