bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A quest for patient-safe culture: Contextual influences on patient safety performance
Authors: Charles Kathryn , McKee Lorna , McCann Sharon
Published: April 2011

Objectives

To use organizational change theory to explore the interplay of contextual influences on patient safety.

Methods

A multi-level comparative case study of eight National Health Service (NHS) acute hospital trusts in England, including 144 depth interviews with senior managers, staff involved with risk analysis and reporting, middle managers, and senior and junior clinicians, supplemented with documentary data and observation of nine meetings. Organizational change theory was used to identify content, contextual and process influences on patient safety.

Results

Organizational stability and staff engagement appeared to influence patient safety and specific contextual factors appeared to influence both organizational stability and staff engagement, both of which were important for patient safety. These contextual factors comprised: environmental shocks; cultural characteristics; processes and structures supportive of patient safety; and trust leadership style. A model is suggested that analyses the trusts in terms of these factors and then groups them into four trust types.

Conclusion

The study highlights the massive and unpredictable impact of both internal and external environmental shocks and how they destabilize trusts distracting attention from patient safety. It also underlines the importance of regular self-assessment of internal and external risks and awareness of context.
Challenges and opportunities associated with the introduction of assistant practitioners supporting the work of registered nurses in NHS acute hospital trusts in England
Authors: Spilsbury Karen , Adamson Joy , Atkin Karl , Bloor Karen , Carr-Hill1 Roy , McCaughan Dorothy , McKenna Hugh , Wakefield Ann
Published: April 2011

Objectives

To understand the challenges and opportunities associated with the introduction of assistant practitioner (AP) roles supporting the work of ward-based registered nurses (RNs) in National Health Service (NHS) acute hospital trusts in England.

Methods

Three case studies of NHS acute hospital trusts. This paper presents qualitative findings, drawing on documentary data sources and data generated through interviews and focus group discussions.

Results

Introduction of APs into ward-based nursing teams has been variable, and often driven by external pressures rather than perceived organizational need. This, along with little national guidance, has created some confusion about the role, but at the same time has permitted flexible role development through ‘negotiated compromise’ at local level. While there are various areas of potential improvement in policy and practice, APs are generally perceived to have the potential to make a valuable contribution to patient care.

Conclusions

Findings from this study will help policy-makers, organizations and practitioners understand factors that enable and/or inhibit the integration of new assistant roles within existing occupational structures to develop innovative services and enhance patient care. These factors are important when considering how care will be delivered to maximize the skills of the entire nursing workforce.
SNORD-host RNA Zfas1 is a regulator of mammary development and a potential marker for breast cancer
Authors: Askarian-Amiri Marjan E. , Crawford Joanna , French Juliet D. , Smart Chanel E. , Smith Martin A. , Clark Michael B. , Ru Kelin , Mercer Tim R. , Thompson Ella R. , Lakhani Sunil R. , Vargas Ana C. , Campbell Ian G. , Brown Melissa A. , Dinger Marcel E. , Mattick John S.
Published: April 2011

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly recognized to play major regulatory roles in development and disease. To identify novel regulators in breast biology, we identified differentially regulated lncRNAs during mouse mammary development. Among the highest and most differentially expressed was a transcript (Zfas1) antisense to the 5′ end of the protein-coding gene Znfx1. In vivo, Zfas1 RNA is localized within the ducts and alveoli of the mammary gland. Zfas1 intronically hosts three previously undescribed C/D box snoRNAs (SNORDs): Snord12, Snord12b, and Snord12c. In contrast to the general assumption that noncoding SNORD-host transcripts function only as vehicles to generate snoRNAs, knockdown of Zfas1 in a mammary epithelial cell line resulted in increased cellular proliferation and differentiation, while not substantially altering the levels of the SNORDs. In support of an independent function, we also found that Zfas1 is extremely stable, with a half-life >16 h. Expression analysis of the SNORDs revealed these were expressed at different levels, likely a result of distinct structures conferring differential stability. While there is relatively low primary sequence conservation between Zfas1 and its syntenic human ortholog ZFAS1, their predicted secondary structures have similar features. Like Zfas1, ZFAS1 is highly expressed in the mammary gland and is down-regulated in breast tumors compared to normal tissue. We propose a functional role for Zfas1/ ZFAS1 in the regulation of alveolar development and epithelial cell differentiation in the mammary gland, which, together with its dysregulation in human breast cancer, suggests ZFAS1 as a putative tumor suppressor gene.
Structural implications into dsRNA binding and RNA silencing suppression by NS3 protein of Rice Hoja Blanca Tenuivirus
Authors: Yang Xia , Tan Sook Hwa , Teh Yee Jin , Yuan Y. Adam
Published: April 2011

RiceHoja Blanca Tenuivirus (RHBV), a negative strand RNA virus, has been identified to infect rice and is widely transmitted by the insect vector. NS3 protein encoded by RHBV RNA3 was reported to be a potent RNAi suppressor to counterdefense RNA silencing in plants, insect cells, and mammalian cells. Here, we report the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of RHBV NS3 (residues 21–114) at 2.0 Å. RHBV NS3 N-terminal domain forms a dimer by two pairs of α-helices in an anti-parallel mode, with one surface harboring a shallow groove at the dimension of 20 Å × 30 Å for putative dsRNA binding. In vitro RNA binding assay and RNA silencing suppression assay have demonstrated that the structural conserved residues located along this shallow groove, such as Arg50, His51, Lys77, and His85, participate in dsRNA binding and RNA silencing suppression. Our results provide the initial structural implications in understanding the RNAi suppression mechanism by RHBV NS3.
Synergistic actions between the SRP RNA and translating ribosome allow efficient delivery of the correct cargos during cotranslational protein targeting
Authors: Shen Kuang , Zhang Xin , Shan Shu-ou
Published: April 2011

During cotranslational protein targeting by the Signal Recognition Particle (SRP), the correct cargo accelerates stable complex assembly between the SRP and SRP receptor (FtsY) by several orders of magnitude, thus enabling rapid and faithful cargo delivery to the target membrane. The molecular mechanism underlying this cargo-induced rate acceleration has been unclear. Here we show that the SRP RNA allows assembly of the SRP–FtsY complex to be specifically stimulated by a correct cargo, and, reciprocally, a correct cargo enables the SRP RNA to optimize its electrostatic interactions with FtsY. These results combined with recent structural work led us to suggest a “conformational selection” model that explains the synergistic action of the SRP RNA with the cargo in accelerating complex assembly. In addition to its previously proposed role in preventing the premature dissociation of SRP and FtsY, we found that the SRP RNA also plays an active role in ensuring the formation of productive assembly intermediates, thus guiding the SRP and FtsY through the most efficient pathway of assembly.
RNA helical imperfections regulate activation of the protein kinase PKR: Effects of bulge position, size, and geometry
Authors: Heinicke Laurie A. , Nallagatla Subba Rao , Hull Chelsea M. , Bevilacqua Philip C.
Published: April 2011

The protein kinase, PKR, is activated by long stretches of double-stranded (ds) RNA. Viruses often make long dsRNA elements with imperfections that still activate PKR. However, due to the complexity of the RNA structure, prediction of whether a given RNA is an activator of PKR is difficult. Herein, we systematically investigated how various RNA secondary structure defects contained within model dsRNA affect PKR activation. We find that bulges increasingly disfavor activation as they are moved toward the center of a duplex and as they are increased in size. Model RNAs designed to conform to cis, trans, or bent global geometries through strategic positioning of one or more bulges decreased activation of PKR relative to perfect dsRNA, although cis-bulged RNAs activated PKR much more potently than trans-bulged RNAs. Activation studies on bulge-containing chimeric duplexes support a model wherein PKR monomers interact adjacently, rather than through-space, for activation on bulged substrates. Last, unusually low ionic strength induced substantial increases in PKR activation in the presence of bulged RNAs suggesting that discrimination against bulges is higher under biological ionic strength conditions. Overall, this study provides a set of rules for understanding how secondary structural defects affect PKR activity.
Stm1 modulates translation after 80S formation inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Balagopal Vidya , Parker Roy
Published: April 2011

The control of translation is a critical aspect of gene regulation. It is often inversely related to mRNA degradation and is typically controlled during initiation. The Stm1 protein inSaccharomyces cerevisiaehas been shown to interact with ribosomes, affect the interaction of eEF3 with ribosomes, and promote the decapping of a subclass of mRNAs. We demonstrate that in vitro Stm1 inhibits translation after formation of an 80S complex. This suggests that Stm1 modulates translation and mRNA decapping by controlling translation elongation.
Monte Carlo Bounds for Game Options Including Convertible Bonds
Authors: Beveridge Christopher , Joshi Mark
Published: April 2011

We introduce two new methods to calculate bounds for zero-sum game options using Monte Carlo simulation. These extend and generalize upper-bound duality results to the case where both parties of a contract have Bermudan optionality. It is shown that the primal-dual simulation method can still be used as a generic way to obtain bounds in the extended framework, and we apply the new results to the pricing of convertible bonds by simulation.

This paper was accepted by Wei Xiong, finance.
Risk Preferences at Different Time Periods: An Experimental Investigation
Authors: Abdellaoui Mohammed , Diecidue Enrico , Öncüler Ayse
Published: April 2011

Intertemporal decision making under risk involves two dimensions: time preferences and risk preferences. This paper focuses on the impact of time on risk preferences, independent of the intertemporal trade-off of outcomes, i.e., time preferences. It reports the results of an experimental study that examines how delayed resolution and payment of risky options influence individual choice. We used a simple experimental design based on the comparison of two-outcome monetary lotteries with the same delay. Raw data clearly reveal that subjects become more risk tolerant for delayed lotteries. Assuming a prospect theory–like model under risk, we analyze the impact of time on utility and decision weights, independent of time preferences. We show that the subjective treatment of outcomes (i.e., utility) is not significantly affected by time. In fact, the impact of time is completely absorbed by the probability weighting function. The effect of time on risk preferences was found to generate probabilistic optimism resulting in a higher risk tolerance for delayed lotteries.

This paper was accepted by Teck Ho, decision analysis.
Designing Multiperson Tournaments with Asymmetric Contestants: An Experimental Study
Authors: Chen Hua , Ham Sung H. , Lim Noah
Published: April 2011

Is the right amount of effort exerted in multiperson tournaments where contestants have two different levels of initial endowments (termed “favorites” and “underdogs”)? We develop theoretical predictions for the level of effort and the effect of varying the prize structure. We test these predictions for three-person tournaments using an economic experiment in a social environment where contest outcomes are publicly announced. We find that both favorites and underdogs overexert effort relative to the theoretical point predictions. Moreover, in the treatment with two favorites and one underdog, favorites increase their effort when the number of prizes is increased from one to two, contrary to the theory prediction. We show that a generalized model that allows for psychological losses from losing for favorites and psychological gains from winning for underdogs because of social comparisons tracks the experimental results better than the standard theoretical model.

This paper was accepted by Peter Wakker, decision analysis.
Iterative processes of gradient type with applications to gravimetry and magnetometry inverse problems
Authors: Vasin Vladimir , Skorik Georgy
Published: April 2011

The iterative processes of gradient type for nonlinear equations with differentiable operator satisfying a local condition in the neighborhood of solution are investigated. The theorems on weak and strong convergence of iterations constructed by these methods and their modified analogs are established.

The inverse gravimetry problem is considered as the application of the developed methods: retrieval of the interface between the media with different constant densities. For stable solution of the nonlinear inverse magnetometry problem the additional regularization by the Tikhonov method is used and for approximation of the regularized solution one variant of the conjugate gradient method is applied. The numerical results for model and real gravitational and magnetic data are considered.
Algorithm of finding a body projection within an absorbing and scattering medium
Authors: Anikonov Dmitry Sergeevich , Nazarov Vasilii Genadievich , Prokhorov Igor Vasilievich
Published: April 2011

The problem of an arbitrary medium probing by use of radiation flux on the bases of the monoenergetic transport equation is considered. The medium is assumed to comprise some bodies, which radiation characteristics differ from ones of the medium. The outgoing radiation density flux is assumed to be measured at a plane nonintersecting the bodies whereas the boundaries of the body projections (shadows) on the plane are to be found. The case when the direct imaging of the objects is embarrassing owing to a strong scattering and absorption within the medium. The current work is being carried out under a special project so the limitations imposed have a specific character. More definite, these limitations are adopted to the problem of the world ocean near-bottom zone probing.
The optimum of the M. M. Lavrent'ev method
Authors: Tanana Vitaly Pavlovich , Rudakova Tatiana Nikolaevna
Published: April 2011

M. M. Lavrent'ev method for solving operator equation of the first kind in the Hilbert spaces have been consider. Exact estimates of error for the M.M. Lavrent'ev method have been make. The optimum of the M. M. Lavrent'ev method have been prove.
Parameter identification methods of hydraulic models for the study of current water in open channels
Authors: Voevodin Anatoly Fedorovich , Nikiforovskaya Valentina Sergeevna
Published: April 2011

Both adequacy of the mathematical model and accuracy of the initial data define the adequacy of numerical results of the real process. Being the phenomenological model, the model of current water based on one-dimensional Saint-Venant equations has the parameters which cannot be determined within the scope of one-dimensional model. The most important such parameter is, for example, the Chezy coefficient (coefficient of roughness) or the wind stress coefficient. The main difficulty to use the one-dimensional model is that the parameters are hardly measured.

In this paper we suggest the numerical method of identification of such hydraulic parameters as the coefficient of roughness, the wind stress coefficient and so on, given the actual measurement data of free surface level or of flow depth. We assume that the flows is gradually varies and describes by the Saint-Venant equations. Also we assume that the identification parameters do not vary on the whole length of the channel.

The developed methods are based on the Bellman method of sensitivity and on the modified Newton method which are applied for minimization of the functional of mean square deviation of the calculated parameters of the flow from the measurement data.

The examples of recovery of hydraulic parameters, in particular, for real objects are considered.
Recent advances in analytical and numerical methods in inverse problems for PDEs (minisymposium report)
Authors: Clason Christian , Shishlenin Maxim
Published: April 2011

This minisymposium, held at the 5th International Conference “Inverse Problems: Modeling and Simulation”, May 24–29, 2010 in Antalya, Turkey, was dedicated to the 60th birthday of Michael V. Klibanov.
Some regularization methods for a thermoacoustic inverse problem
Authors: Kaltenbacher Barbara , Polifke Wolfgang
Published: April 2011

In this paper we consider the thermoacoustic inverse problem of identifying the oscillatory heat release from pressure measurements. We consider the spatially onedimensional and time harmonic case. Three different regularization methods for the stable solution of this ill-posed inverse problem are proposed: Lavrent'ev's method, regularization by discretization, and a method based on an explicit formula combined with regularized numerical differentiation. For these methods, the results of numerical experiments are documented.
Application of inversion methods in solving ill-posed problems for magnetic parameter identification of steel hull vessel
Authors: Lukyanenko D. V. , Yagola A. G. , Evdokimova N. A.
Published: April 2011

Recovery of magnetic target parameters from magnetic sensor measurements has attracted wide interests and found many practical applications. However, difficulties present in identifying the permanent magnetization due to the complications of magnetization distributions over the ship body, and errors and noises of measurement data degrade the accuracy and quality of the parameter identification. In this paper, we use a two step sequential solutions to solve the inversion problem. In the first step, a numerical model is built and used to determine the induced magnetization of the ship. In the second step, we solve a type of continuous magnetization inversion problem by solving 2D Fredholm integral equation of the 1st kind. We use parallel computing which allows solve the inverse problem with high accuracy. In additional, Tikhonov regularization has been applied in solving the inversion problems. The proposed methods have been validated using simulation data with added noises.
On sequential minimization of Tikhonov functionals in ill-posed problems with a priori information on solutions
Authors: Kokurin Mikhail Yu.
Published: April 2011

The aim of the paper is to substantiate a general scheme of constructing twostage iterative processes for solving irregular nonlinear operator equations in a Hilbert space with a priori conditions on the solution. The processes use the technique of sequential approximate minimization of locally strongly convex Tikhonov functionals.
Impaired quality of life and sexual function in overweight and obese men: the European Male Ageing Study
Authors: Han Thang S , Tajar Abdelouahid , O'Neill Terence W , Jiang Min , Bartfai György , Boonen Steven , Casanueva Felipe , Finn Joseph D , Forti Gianni , Giwercman Aleksander , Huhtaniemi Ilpo T , Kula Krzysztof , Pendleton Neil , Punab Margus , Silman Alan J , Vanderschueren Dirk , Lean Michael E J , Wu Frederick C W , _ _
Published: April 2011

Background

Few published data link overweight and obesity with measures of quality of life (QoL) including sexual health in men.

Objective

To assess the association of overweight/obesity with impairment of physical and psychological QoL and sexual functions in men.

Design and setting

Cross-sectional, multicentre survey of 3369 community-dwelling men aged 40–79 (mean±s.d., 60±11) years randomly selected from eight European centres.

Outcomes

Adiposity was assessed by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), QoL and functional impairments by physical and psychological function domains of the Short Form-36 questionnaire, Beck's Depression Inventory and the European Male Ageing Study sexual function questionnaire.

Results

Complete data on sexual activities and erectile function were available in 2734 (92%) and 3193 (95%) of the participants respectively. From the population studied, 814 men were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) and 1171 had WC ≥102 cm, 25% of all men were unable to do vigorous activity and 2–13% reported depressive symptoms. Symptoms of sexual dysfunction ranged between 22% (low sexual desire) and 40% (infrequent morning erections) of the participants. Among obese men with both BMI ≥30 kg/m2 and WC ≥102 cm, at least one symptom of impaired physical, psychological and sexual function was reported by 41, 43 and 73% of the participants respectively. Compared with the reference group of non-obese men (BMI <30 kg/m2 and WC <102 cm), men with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 and WC ≥102 cm more frequently reported at least one symptom of impaired physical function (odds ratio (OR)=2.67; confidence interval (CI): 2.07–3.45, P<0.001), impaired psychological function (OR=1.48; CI: 1.14–1.90, P<0.01) and impaired sexual function (OR=1.45; CI: 1.14–1.85, P<0.01). These functional impairments were also more prevalent in men who had WC ≥102 cm even with BMI <30 kg/m2, but those with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 and WC <102 cm generally did not suffer from increased impaired physical or sexual health. Men with high BMI and WC were at even greater likelihood of having a composite of two or more or three or more symptoms compared with those with normal BMI and WC.

Conclusions

Men with high WC, including those who are ‘non-obese’ with BMI <30 kg/m2, have poor QoL with symptoms of impaired physical, psychological and sexual functions. Health promotion to improve QoL should focus on prevention of obesity and central fat accumulation.
“Aren't These Boy Books?”: High School Students' Readings of Gender in Graphic Novels
Authors: Moeller Robin A.
Published: April 2011

The author, a former library media specialist, often heard female students describe graphic novels as being “boy books” and sought to examine how a group of high school girls and boys read gender in three graphic novels. Through focus group and individual interviews, the participants indicated that they enjoyed reading graphic novels to varying extents, and they did not feel that graphic novels were geared only toward boys. Despite this conclusion, the students' responses revealed points of contention in terms of how they identified themselves as graphic novel readers and how they considered graphic novels to be forms of school knowledge.
On the Cusp of Cyberspace: Adolescents' Online Text Use in Conversation
Authors: Berg Margaret A.
Published: April 2011

This discourse analysis study examines the use of online texts in the live conversations of adolescents at and around computers in the Young Adult section of a Midwestern public library serving a diverse SES population. On the cusp of cyberspace, where online texts influence conversation and the conversation influences the creation of online texts, the adolescents in this investigation were found to use the text for their talk in five ways: reference, authority, experience, expression, and instrument. These techniques are delineated and connected to classroom teaching. The conclusion of the article focuses on the broader teaching implications as they relate to these teens' literacy practices at computers in the library.
You Need to Realize It in Yourself: Positioning, Improvisation, and Literacy
Authors: Mapes Aimee C.
Published: April 2011

In this article, the author profiles a university student during her first year in a support classroom for students deemed to be academically underprepared. Focused on the impact of gender in the classroom, the study examines how this young woman crafted an identity through literacy at a Midwestern public university. The author argues that the student's identifying as a good girl emerged as a playfully improvised sense of self in literacy practices, which culminated into self‐efficacy in ways unforeseen. Classroom literacy practices, as a result, mediated this student's transition to the university through a required developmental program, which has implications for how educators respond to classroom identities when they do not match their expectations.
Beyond “Is This OK?”: High School Writers Building Understandings of Genre
Authors: Whitney Anne Elrod , Ridgeman Michael , Masquelier Gary
Published: April 2011

Understandings about genre govern nearly all of the choices writers make. They make choices about form, persuasive moves, conventions, and even ideas through a sense, whether articulated or tacit, of the social situation from which a piece of writing is arising. In a semester‐long high school writing course, the authors engaged students in a series of activities designed to help them develop genre awareness. The goal was to support students in becoming more independent and flexible writers who possess genre analysis skills they can apply anywhere. Through whole‐class genre studies, self‐selected genre studies, and collaborative analyses of state test materials, students built deeper understandings about genre. Their sense of what is “OK” in a piece of writing shifted from successful evaluation by a teacher to successful navigation of the demands of a given rhetorical situation.
Embracing the Squishiness of Digital Literacy
Authors: Chase Zac , Laufenberg Diana
Published: April 2011

The thing about digital literacy is its inherent squishiness. Educators argue whether the tool or the purpose matters most. They debate whether something being “electronic” constitutes “digital.” Does it need a screen? A keyboard? More than that, teachers must decide what it means to read and write digitally and how to assess those skills. Just as teachers were working to conclusively define literacy, digital literacy arrived on the scene and the discussion started again. In fact, the most solid of ground to be found in the debate surrounding digital literacy is the agreement that, whatever it is, it is important to the success of our students. Even then, not everyone is in agreement.
A Social Justice Approach as a Base for Teaching Writing
Authors: Chapman Thandeka K. , Hobbel Nikola , Alvarado Nora V.
Published: April 2011

In the English language arts classroom, social justice is a way to increase students' abilities to articulate their experiences, critique their world, and address those identified issues with subsequent action. Teachers who practice social justice education cultivate student voice through class activities, readings, assignments, and assessments that allow students to incorporate their personal stories within the contexts of the school curriculum. By teaching students to use genre, voice, research support, and various writing conventions for social justice, teachers help students learn to express themselves as individuals, community members, and global citizens.
Reciprocity Between Reading and Writing: Strategic Processing as Common Ground
Authors: Anderson Nancy L. , Briggs Connie
Published: April 2011

Connecting reading and writing has important implications for all readers, but particularly for those who struggle in learning to read and write. Reading and writing is discussed from the perspective of strategic processing and reciprocity and explicit language for teachers to help children build common ground between reading and writing is described.
New Teachers as Literacy Leaders
Authors: Turner Jennifer D. , Applegate Anthony J. , Applegate Mary DeKonty
Published: April 2011

New teachers, even in their first years, can be important literacy leaders in their classrooms and schools. The authors offer their thoughts and ideas to inspire new teachers to step up and strive to lead.
Who Wants to Be a (Reading) Millionaire?
Authors: Rasinski Timothy V. , Padak Nancy
Published: April 2011

Students' reading achievement is influenced by the amount of reading they actually do. In this column we present a workable and engaging model to increase the volume of student reading at home. A detailed outline of how teachers and schools can work with parents to implement the model is presented.
Writing Parodies Across the Curriculum
Authors: Bintz William P.
Published: April 2011

A parody is a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule. The author describes and reports on an instructional lesson that was designed and implemented to help students write parodies across the curriculum.
In a World of Mandates, Making Space for Inquiry
Authors: Guccione Lindsey M.
Published: April 2011

Here you will find detailed suggestions for using inquiry in any classroom, including those where a core program or paced curriculum is in place. This Teaching Tip chronicles the author's experience implementing inquiry in a second‐grade classroom with a high percentage of English learners and students from backgrounds of poverty. Along with suggestions for guiding inquiry day by day, the author provides an account of how teachers can learn from their students as they use language and literacy for authentic purposes.
Intentional Spelling: Seven Steps to Eliminate Guessing
Authors: Newlands Michelle
Published: April 2011

Making spelling instruction effective, fun, practical, and meaningful is a challenge faced by many teachers. Spelling is traditionally taught with prepackaged word lists using a test‐practice‐test method, which results in little transfer to independent word use. Because spelling is an important component and gauge of literacy skills, students need to acquire strategies that allow them to become effective lifelong spellers. The seven steps provide an approach to spelling instruction that encourages word study based on the words students experience in their daily writing activities. The goal of intentional spelling is to shift spelling instruction from a focus on the number of words spelled correctly to developing an understanding of how words work.
Ask the Expert
Authors: Graves Michael F.
Published: April 2011

Michael Graves has published numerous influential books and articles on vocabulary instruction. Here he replies to questions posed via Facebook about the topic.
Challenges and Benefits of Using a Virtual Community to Explore Nursing Concepts Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students
Authors: Carlson-Sabelli Linnea L , Giddens Jean Foret , Fogg Louis , Fiedler Ruth A
Published: April 2011

This research study examines learner perceptions of benefits and challenges associated with the Neighborhood (NBH), an innovative pedagogy that fosters learner engagement and integration of nursing concepts using a “virtual community” as an alternative to lecture. First-semester students from five baccalaureate nursing programs that used the NBH intervention were divided into high (N = 78) and low faculty use (N = 203) groups. Qualitative analysis revealed that the NBH intervention promoted application of concepts to real life situation was engaging and “eye-opening,” allowing students to understand health care issues from a variety of perspectives. A major challenge was busy work generated by faculty assignments unrelated to enhancing conceptual clarity. Statistical analyses indicate that benefits and challenges grow together; benefits outweigh challenges and net benefit increases with increased faculty use. This study highlights the need to provide initial and ongoing training and support to faculty at schools who adopt this intervention.
Deliberating Environmental Policy Issues: Comparing the Learning Potential of Online and Face‐To‐Face Discussions on Climate Change
Authors: Talpin Julien , Wojcik Stéphanie
Published: April 2011

To what extent is political participation deepened and enriched by the Internet? Is the Internet more inclusive—especially towards the young—than traditional forms of participation requiring physical contact? Do people learn more by discussing on the Internet—and especially in online political forums—than by deliberating face‐to‐face? We aim to answer these questions by presenting the results of research based on the observation of a deliberative experience that allowed both online and face‐to‐face participation, namely the IDEAL‐EU project, carried out by the Tuscany (Italy), Catalonia (Spain), and Poitou‐Charentes (France) regions. IDEAL‐EU was aimed at involving young people—between ages 14 and 30—to discuss the issue of climate change in order to produce a report to be handed to the President of the European Parliament Commission on Climate Change. It first consisted in online discussion forums, and then in an electronic town meeting organized in the three regions' capitals in November 2008. This town meeting involved both keypad voting and face‐to‐face discussions in small groups. The comparison of these two stages of the experience allows evaluation of the respective effects of online and face‐to‐face political discussions on young participants' political knowledge. Using content analysis of websites, direct observation of the assembly, and interviews and questionnaires completed by both online and assembly participants, we evaluate the respective effects of these different forms of civic engagement for actors' perceived level of knowledge on climate change and on their political competence more generally.
Voting Advice Applications in Lithuania: Promoting Programmatic Competition or Breeding Populism?
Authors: Ramonaite Ain
Published: April 2011

This article analyses the effects of the voting assistance tool Manobalsas that was developed for the Lithuanian parliamentary elections of 2008 by three leading universities in Lithuania. Analytical voting assistance tools (or Voting Advice Applications — VAAs) assist voters by offering systematised information about candidates and parties, and by providing voting recommendation based on the congruence of political attitudes between a voter and a party. Voting assistance tools were mainly developed by academic institutions to inform voters about the policy positions of political parties, and to promote programmatic competition between parties. The analysis of the use of the Manobalsas voting advice application in Lithuania suggests that parties might be able to manipulate the results of the tool by adopting non‐ideological (ideologically unconstrained) populist policy positions. The remarkable success of a non‐programmatic party in the Lithuanian Manobalsas system demonstrates that VAAs might be advantageous to non‐ideological populist parties which are most flexible to adjust to the attitudes of an “average” voter.
Compliance or Obscurity? Online Anonymity as a Consequence of Fighting Unauthorised File‐sharing
Authors: Larsson Stefan , Svensson Måns
Published: April 2011

The European Union directive on Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement (IPRED) was implemented in Sweden on April 1, 2009, and was meant to be the enforcement needed to achieve increased compliance with intellectual property online, especially copyright. This, therefore, was the manifest function of the directive. The article empirically shows changes in levels of use of Online Anonymity Services (OAS) as a result of the implementation of IPRED in Sweden, as being a latent dysfunction of the implementation The data consists of two surveys of about 1,000 people between 15 and 25 years of age, where the first survey was conducted two months prior to the implementation of IPRED, and the second one seven months afterwards. This data is complemented with OAS statistics as well as Google search engine statistics in Sweden during 2009 on a selection of phrases related to online anonymity, revealing the link between encrypted anonymity fluctuations and copyright enforcement. The article suggests that a key to understand any relationship between IPRED and fluctuations in online anonymity can be found in the law's relationship to social norms and levels of perceived legitimacy. The implementation of illegitimate laws is likely to spur dysfunctional (for the law) counter‐measures. In the case of copyright enforcement and encryption technologies, the first seems to drive the other to some extent, affecting the balance of openness and anonymity on the Internet, possibly and at worst leading to that the enforcement of legislation that has a weak representation among social norms negatively affects the enforcement of legislation that has a strong representation among social norms.
Campaigning Online: Use of the Internet by Parties, Candidates and Voters in National and Local Election Campaigns in Israel
Authors: Lev‐On Azi
Published: April 2011

This article analyzes Internet usage by key political players—candidates, parties and the public—during national and municipal election campaigns between 2007 and 2009 in Israel. Parties maintain a presence on a variety of Internet platforms, are aware of the potential of the Internet and are willing to divert budgets for Internet campaigns, but there are extensive differences in the character and scope of online campaigning between large and small parties and between Internet uses in general and in municipal elections. In the municipal elections, incumbency, size of the electorate, competitiveness of the race, and the socio‐economic characteristics of the constituency impacted on the probability of having a website. Many sites functioned largely as upgraded message boards, and most had few interactive features. The study concludes by stressing the need for a theory of technology usage in both high‐ and low‐visibility campaigns, taking into account strategic, environmental, and individual‐level variables that may influence the scope and character of Internet usage by candidates.
'Anti‐social' Networking in Northern Ireland: Policy Responses to Young People's Use of Social Media for Organizing Anti‐social Behavior
Authors: Reilly Paul
Published: April 2011

Ten years after the Belfast Agreement, Northern Ireland remains a divided society as signified by the persistence and even proliferation of interface areas, often divided by so‐called ‘peace walls’ and intermittent conflict between rival communities on either side. Recent media reports have suggested that online interactions between rival interface communities on social networking sites may be undermining efforts to foster better intercommunity relationships. This article explores the extent to which key stakeholders are aware of the use of the Internet by young people to plan street riots in interface areas in Northern Ireland and their responses to this ‘anti‐social’ use of sites such as Bebo. It presents evidence to suggest that stakeholder awareness about the extent of the use of social media by young people to organize street riots is based on rumour and hearsay. Key stakeholders report that Internet Safety programmes have received positive feedback from local audiences but concede that they are unlikely have any significant impact upon the level of anti‐social behavior in interface areas.
The Trouble with Transparency: A Critical Review of Openness in e‐Government
Authors: Bannister Frank , Connolly Regina
Published: April 2011

Transparency in public administration is generally held to be desirable, something to be fostered and enabled. This long standing idea has gained considerable further momentum with the emergence of e‐government and the affordances of computing in general and the Internet in particular. This paper examines the argument that transparency may, in certain and not uncommon circumstances, be inimical to good government and good governance and suggests that the importance of understanding why this is so has increased as information and communications technology permeates government and society. It suggests that in an electronic age, the scope and nature of transparency needs to be carefully managed, and that expectations of the benefits of ICT enabled transparency may be too high.
Broadening Participation Through E‐Petitions? An Empirical Study of Petitions to the German Parliament
Authors: Lindner Ralf , Riehm Ulrich
Published: April 2011

Petitioning is a well established form of political participation in most liberal democracies, but little is known about petitioners, their socio‐demographics, motivations and assessments of petitioning processes. In 2005, the German parliament introduced public e‐petitions which are submitted, signed and discussed on the Internet. This article reports a 2007 survey of 571 traditional and 350 e‐petitioners. The results indicate that both petitioner samples are characterised by an above average level of general political participation and Internet use. Users of the e‐petition system are younger than traditional petitioners, but the group continues to be dominated by men and those with higher levels of formal education than traditional petitioners. E‐petitions seem to amplify existing inequalities in participation patterns as they predominately attract highly mobilised and politically active individuals with a disproportionately high socio‐economic status.
The Political Click: Political Participation through E‐Petitions in Germany
Authors: Jungherr Andreas , Jürgens Pascal
Published: April 2011

Electronic petitions can serve as an influential mechanism for political participation. We present a study on the dynamics in the German e‐petition system which was introduced in late 2008. Drawing on a data set of signatures, we analyze four aspects: (a) the types of petitions found, (b) the temporal dynamics of petitions, (c) the types of users found, and (d) the intersection of different petitions' supporter populations. We present evidence that (a) the system is dominated by a very small number of high‐volume petitions and (b) these high‐volume petitions have a delayed boosting effect on the base activity in the petition system. We furthermore (c) present a typology of users, showing that although highly active “new lobbyists” and “hit‐and‐run activists” exist, one‐ or two‐time petitioners have the largest impact. Finally, it is indicated that (d) many of the high‐volume petitions share a significant part of their user base, hinting at a complex, topically motivated network of supporters. Through the application of methods from what has been called “Computational Social Sciences,” we illuminate a highly relevant field of political behavior online, while demonstrating the capability of data‐driven approaches in such novel domains.
Success Without Strategy: E‐Government Development in Estonia
Authors: Kitsing Meelis
Published: April 2011

This paper gives an overview of e‐government development in Estonia. The analysis incorporates both public sector initiatives and private sector developments which have contributed to the evolution of e‐government. Private sector agents are seen as endogenous, not exogenous, in explaining e‐government performance. Ultimately, the development of Internet banking by the private sector was fundamental in enabling the government to launch interactive online services. The findings reveal that the implementation of Estonian e‐government is considerably more heterogeneous than previous studies have indicated. Basic service delivery and platforms for participation vary significantly across functional areas. Some ministries have provided innovative online services for the last ten years while others still struggle in making basic information available online. The availability of innovative platforms for online political participation has delivered remarkable outcomes in the last elections, while they have consistently failed to engage the public in the legislative process.
Surfing the Net: A Pathway to Participation for the Politically Uninterested?
Authors: Borge Rosa , Cardenal Ana S.
Published: April 2011

This article explores whether use of the Internet changes the role that political motivation has traditionally played in classic explanations of participation. We ask if, by reducing so dramatically the costs of political participation, the Internet causes interest in politics to lose importance as a causal factor of participation. We examine this issue analysing a representative survey of the Spanish population which deals with political participation and Internet use. The results show that use of Internet has a direct effect on participation independently of motivation, and that, in order to participate online, skilled Internet users do not need to be motivated or interested in politics.
Editorial
Authors: Margetts Helen Z
Published: April 2011

This editorial introduces the articles in the first issue of volume three of Policy & Internet. The seven published articles all investigate some aspect of citizen—government interactions in online environments, including political participation (from petitioning to protest), blogs and agenda setting, e‐government, and the use of the Internet in election campaigns.
International Jurisdictional Competition under Globalization: From the U.S. Regulation of Foreign Private Issuers to Taiwan's Restrictions on Outward Investment in Mainland China
Authors: Tsai Chang-hsien
Published: April 2011

Drawing a lesson from the story that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act drives away foreign issuers and then their physical exit provokes a change in the U.S. regulation of non-U.S. issuers, this article takes as another case study the phenomenon that Taiwanese firms list shares overseas, to further test how usual law market demand and supply forces (or underlying exit and voice rights) interplay under international jurisdictional competition. Put simply, both cases of the U.S. and Taiwan significantly elaborate that law market forces underlying international jurisdictional competition are similarly at work even on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. Specifically, globalization strengthens the mobility of international production factors, and thus lowers firms costs of exiting from a given jurisdiction, which also fuels international jurisdictional competition for mobile firms or capital. Therefore, on the demand side of the international law market, if a regulating jurisdiction ignores business demands and imposes excessive regulation, firms would exit physically or threaten to exit in response. This means that the buyer side of the law market starts to operate and then sparks the seller side. On the international supply side, other jurisdictions as sellers would compete for these exiting firms corporate charters, listings and other related economic transactions by providing cost-effective regulatory products, to secure greater benefits to the local economy. Such economic exits send out signals to those in the political marketplace within the regulating jurisdiction, and thus activate interest group competition, or the domestic supply side. In consequence, firms, via these law market forces, exert pressure on the regulatory government to engage in a quest for more legal flexibility, or to liberalize unnecessarily excessive regulation.
Exclusive Dealing and the Market Power of Buyers
Authors: Oki Ryoko , Yanagawa Noriyuki
Published: April 2011

This paper examines the effects of exclusive dealing contracts offered by an incumbent distributor. The traditional literature has focused solely on exclusive dealing contracts offered by incumbent manufacturers, which derive multiple equilibria within homogeneous price competition models. In contrast, exclusive dealing contracts offered by distributors generate unique equilibrium, wherein an efficient entrant can be excluded as long as distributors have sufficient bargaining power. We also introduce an entrant in the manufacturing side, and show that the upstream entry may promote exclusion of the efficient entry by an exclusive dealing contract.