bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meta-informatics and ethical issues in computing
Authors: Fleischman William M.
Published: July 2006

This paper deals with aspects of teaching a course on ethical issues in computer science for third- and fourth-year computer science and computer engineering majors. In addition to engineering concerns - soft and hard - our recent discussions have increasingly centered on public policy issues involving surveillance, access to, use and interpretation of information, and on early access to appropriate instruction in computer and information technology indispensable for productive life and citizenship in the 21st century. In these discussions, students have revealed blind spots with respect to manipulation, misuse, misrepresentation, and distortion of information. Among the difficulties are those associated with reification, "reverse reification", saturation of the channel, especially through the use of so-called "talking points", and outright falsification, misrepresentation, and distortion. These seem to belong to a neglected aspect of our discipline that might be given the name "meta-informatics." My assertion is that "meta-informatics" is an area worthy of consideration, especially in courses or modules devoted to ethical issues in computer and information science.
Don't be a phish
Authors: Robila Stefan A. , Ragucci James W.
Published: July 2006

Phishing, e-mails sent out by hackers to lure unsuspecting victims into giving up confidential information, has been the cause of countless security breaches and has experienced in the last year an increase in frequency and diversity. While regular phishing attacks are easily thwarted, designing the attack to include user context information could potentially increase the user's vulnerability. To prevent this, phishing education needs to be considered. In this paper we provide an overview of phishing education, focusing on context aware attacks and introduce a new strategy for educating users by combining phishing IQ tests and class discussions. The technique encompasses displaying both legitimate and fraudulent e-mails to users and having them identify the phishing attempts from the authentic e-mails. Proper implementation of this system helps teach users what to look for in e-mails, and how to protect their confidential information from being caught in the nets of phishers. The strategy was applied in Introduction to Computing courses as part of the computer security component. Class assessment indicates an increased level of awareness and better recognition of attacks.
A design patterns extension for the BlueJ IDE
Authors: Paterson James H. , Haddow John , Nairn Michael
Published: July 2006

Design patterns now have a strong influence on the design and development of object oriented software. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to teach patterns. In this paper we describe a tool, in the form of an extension to the BlueJ IDE, which has been developed to encapsulate knowledge of patterns in the IDE and to help students explore them and learn how to make use of them. The extension adds the capability to BlueJ to provide step-by-step construction of a pattern-based solution to a programming problem. We present technical details of the tool and describe an example of its use.
Foundational actions
Authors: Boetje Jerry
Published: July 2006

Often Software Engineering courses approach educating undergraduates in good processes and practices by using a simulated product development environment, following all of the steps for product development in a single semester. Some also create multi-semester projects to improve the student experience. We are in the group using multi-semester projects, but our approach differs in that we have only a single semester of project work per team, focused on the core actions used in all processes from waterfalls to XP. We call this foundational actions. Using industrial tools, processes, and evaluation methods, the students develop and integrate components of a well-specified, but major product. Emphasis is placed on teamwork, communication, and ultimately, working production code created with the foundational actions. The approach has also spun off related independent study opportunities for advanced students and even non-CS majors.
Teaching practical software engineering and global software engineering
Authors: Petkovic Dragutin , Thompson Gary , Todtenhoefer Rainer
Published: July 2006

Changes and globalization of software (SW) development urgently require new ways of teaching and training students in practical and global SW engineering (SE). In this paper we present the innovative methods and experiences from several years of teaching practical and global SW engineering at the Computer Science Departments of San Francisco State University (SFSU), USA in conjunction with the University of Applied Sciences, Fulda University, Germany. We also provide analysis and evaluation of class effectiveness based on several assessment methods including extensive student questionnaires, with our recommendations for teaching such SE classes. Our approach was to combine and synchronize class teaching about SW engineering methods and processes with actual SW development work in a setting designed to simulate a small SW company. Students were divided in "local" groups of 4-6 members, each group forming small SW "companies" in charge of developing a complete working WWW application as a final class project. Several smaller groups of students at SFSU were paired with groups of students at Fulda University, whom they never met face to face, to form "global" groups, thus simulating global SW engineering in a realistic setting. Students developed their final project incorporating five well-defined milestones typical for full SW development lifecycle. Instructors spent considerable time supervising and interacting with student "companies" in the role of company customers, CTO and VPs of engineering, marketing and sales. All student groups (including global ones) were able to produce impressive final project applications and provided very positive feedback for this class.
Approaches to teaching the programming languages course
Authors: Adams Elizabeth , Baldwin Doug , Bishop Judith , English John , Lawhead Pamela , Stevenson Daniel
Published: July 2006

The release of Curriculum 2001 coupled with the increasing importance of the World Wide Web and the changes in pedagogy enabled by new technologies has made the choices about what to teach in the programming languages course and how to teach it more varied . Each of the members of this panel approaches their version of the course differently and will speak about their vision of the course, their style, their techniques and the materials they use. By sharing our versions of the course and generating discussion, we hope to provide others with additional ideas to consider including in their courses and to gain inspiration for inclusions in ours.
Karel universe drag & drop editor
Authors: Bergin Joe
Published: July 2006

Karel Universe is a drag and drop editor integrated with the Karel J Robot [1] simulator system. It is intended for those students who wish to learn Java with the absolute minimum of syntax. The editor permits the student to create classes, objects, and programs by dragging syntactically correct program fragments from one pane to another. The resulting programs may be then executed in the Karel J Robot simulator.
Developing a hybrid software engineering curse that promotes project-based active learning
Authors: Quade Ann M.
Published: July 2006

Software engineering courses typically introduce students to the fundamental principles used in this disciple area and provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of these principles through the development of a software product. This session describes the author's experiences designing and implementing a hybrid software engineering course that incorporates elements from both traditional classroom and online learning environments. The classroom time saved by having students study and complete materials online is used by the instructor throughout the course to provide students with additional electronic and face-to-face feedback. An authentic business client, who provides students with an actual project for use in software development process, also participates in the course via the online environment.
A
Puzzles-First
approach to computer science
Authors: Snapp Robert R.
Published: July 2006

Outcomes of a
Puzzles-First
computer science course, offered each Fall semester from 2003 to 2005 at the University of Vermont, indicate that this novel format, which uses mathematical puzzles and games to illustrate fundamental concepts, attracts both computer science majors and non-majors, including a significant number of females.
Men are from toys
Authors: Almstrum Vicki L. , Last Mary Z.
Published: July 2006

This poster compares the hypothesized reasons for why males choose computing versus why females choose computing. Preliminary results of the analysis validate research results from other gender studies.
Learning project planning the agile way
Authors: Keenan Frank , Powell Sarah , Coleman Gerry , McDaid Kevin
Published: July 2006

Teaching and learning software project management concepts using traditional plan-driven approaches to software development can be difficult. It is often necessary to define a
waterfall
style plan and follow this throughout a full development project. Students rarely have an opportunity to practice management activities. However, with agile approaches to software development the expectation is that a project plan will evolve, in response to change, while development progresses. This poster presents an overview of the Extreme Programming (XP) approach to project planning and observations and feedback from a project conducted by degree students.
The effect of prior programming experience in a scheme-based breadth-first curriculum at wits
Authors: Rauchas Sarah , Sanders Ian , Kumwenda Benjamin
Published: July 2006

In 1999 the School of Computer Science at The University of Witwatersrand (Wits) revised its curriculum to address a number of problems [2]. One of the problems was the increasing gap between students with regard to their prior programming experience. Many of our students, who attend the wealthier schools---formerly schools catering for white scholars---study Computer Studies at High School and come to university as quite experienced Pascal programmers. Other students---typically black students from the poorer areas---have no programming experience. While the emphasis of our first year course is not on programming, we do use a programming language as a vehicle to illustrate concepts, so students must acquire some programming skill during the course. This means that many of our students need to master programming as well as coming to terms with other parts of the course.
Sharing the wealth
Authors: Cassel Lillian N. , Fox Edward A.
Published: July 2006

This poster describes the publication of educational resources in ACM's online Journal for Educational Resources in Computing (JERIC) and the US National Science Foundation's National STEM Digital Library (NSDL).
What do beginning students know, and what can they do?
Authors: Chen Tzu-Yi , Lewandowski Gary , McCartney Robert , Sanders Kate , Simon Beth
Published: July 2006

We are studying what students know about computer science-related topics before they take formal coursework at the university level. Preliminary results suggest that entering students have a fairly sophisticated understanding of algorithms. We are exploring other central computing topics for similar shared commonsense understanding.
Sharing software engineering curriculum materials
Authors: Hislop Gregory W. , Hilburn Thomas B. , Lutz Michael J. , Sebern Mark J.
Published: July 2006

This poster presents results of the SWENET project, an NSF funded project to produce and organize high-quality materials supporting software engineering education. These materials support faculty members delivering software engineering degrees and also individual software engineering courses or modules in other computing degrees. The poster summarizes the SWENET efforts, addresses future directions in developing shared course materials, and explains how faculty members can make use of the existing material.
Reconstructed high frame rate sequences quality measurement tool
Authors: Costa Monica I. , Tavares Carmem , Barroso João , Soares Salviano
Published: July 2006

In this paper, we presented an application developed to measure the quality of a set of reconstructed high frame rate sequences. The main goal of the developed application is to allow the simultaneous visualization of both original and reconstructed sequences and measure the quality of the reconstructed frames.
Using a computing ontology for educational purposes
Authors: Davies Gordon , Cassel Lillian N. , Topi Heikki
Published: July 2006

The poster session will describe the development of an ontology of computing and suggest questions to be answered by use of the ontology.
The checkpoint automated assessment system
Authors: English John
Published: July 2006

This presentation describes Checkpoint, an integrated automated assessment system. The system manages both homework assignments and formal examinations based on a range of different question types, including questions requiring free-text answers. It supports an interactive authoring facility and provides a wide range of management and auditing facilities. It is currently being piloted with a cohort of 159 students on two first-year Java programming modules at the author's institution.
Flexible computer science university studies
Authors: Klimeš Cyril , Habiballa Hashim
Published: July 2006

The article presents real experience with integration of "Bologna declaration" into study programs in the field of computer science on University of Ostrava. The designed model inheres not only professional CS studies but also teacher studies at all levels of university studies.
Retention of distance and on-campus students in a graduate computer science degree program
Authors: Hislop Gregory W. , Ellis Heidi J. C.
Published: July 2006

This poster presents the results of a comparison of retention rates for students in a Masters of Computer Science degree program located in the United States. This study is unusual in that it compares retention for an entire degree program where the same program is offered in both distance education and traditional on-campus formats.
What
don't
you know?
Authors: Boyle Roger , Briggs Joanna
Published: July 2006

In this note, we describe a way of reminding students that they don't know everything, and that graduates from other institutions will have a different academic make-up. As a consequence, they will acquire some understanding of the limits of their knowledge, and an acquaintance by name with the broad topic areas in which their understanding is low or zero.
Motivating data structures with caching internet stock data
Authors: Sher David B.
Published: July 2006

Caching internet data is an application that illustrates data structure speed. I have developed a sequence of assignments for teaching about lists, hash tables and trees using caches for internet sourced stock prices.
Assessing CS1 java skills
Authors: Crescenzi Pilu , Loreti Michele , Pugliese Rosario
Published: July 2006

We describe the approach that has been followed by the authors while teaching the CS1 laboratory course on Java programming at the University of Florence. In particular, we focus on the assessment method that has been utilized: by making use of specific software developed by the teachers themselves, the method allowed them to automatically obtain a preliminary evaluation of the students' performance, which could subsequently be analyzed and modified after a manual exploration of the students' work.
Self-grading
Authors: Ellis Heidi J. C.
Published: July 2006

Most graduate students and even upper-level undergraduates desire to maximize control of their learning experience. One approach to supporting self-directed learning is to allow students to control course particulars such as assignments and due dates. This presentation describes an approach that allows students to define their own grading rubric for a semester-long software project and then to self-assess their grade on the project according to the rubric. The approach has been employed successfully in a graduate web application design and development course.
Surprise snippets
Authors: Motil John
Published: July 2006

This presentation describes various programming surprises created to motivate students to experimentation and discovery by appealing to their curiosity.
WriteOn
Authors: Tront Joseph G. , Eligeti Vinod , Prey Jane C.
Published: July 2006

In this talk we describe a new software package called WriteOn. By using this software on a tablet PC, instructors can significantly improve their classroom presentations and demonstrations.
Computer architecture simulation models
Authors: Ibbett Roland N. , Diaz y Carballo J. C. , Dolman D. A. W.
Published: July 2006

Simulation models of a variety of computer architectures have been created using HASE, a Hierarchical Computer Architecture design and Simulation Environment. Some of these models were previously available as applets but using the models directly in a new version of HASE, itself now available for downloading, has proved more satisfactory.
jGRASP
Authors: Cross James H. , Hendrix T. Dean
Published: July 2006

The jGRASP IDE provides new
object viewers
that automatically generate dynamic, state-based visualizations of objects and primitive variables in Java. Multiple synchronized visualizations of an object, including complex data structures, are immediately available to users from the jGRASP debugger window or object workbench. Initial classroom use has demonstrated the object viewers' potential as an aid to student learning, while future research will explore their utility through controlled experiments.
Interactive embedded examples
Authors: Bruce-Lockhart Michael , Norvell Theodore S.
Published: July 2006

A demonstration of the integration of a program animation tool into a set of web based notes used by instructors for lecturing and students for studying. Standard, conventionally prepared C++ and Java examples are dynamically incorporated into the class notes and can be interactively run in the animation tool directly from within the notes.
Minimizing GC work by analysis of live objects
Authors: Ning Zhang , Xiong Guangze
Published: July 2006

As complex embedded real-time systems are widely used, automatic memory management, orgarbage collection, is a technique that significantly reduces the complex problem of correct memory management. In recent years, people often use time-based real-time GC to meet the deadline of real-time tasks. Some algorithms are proposed to reduce memory requirement based on time-based approaches. However, they mainly focus on scheduling strategy and GC algorithms such as copying algorithm and mark-sweep algorithmet al.This paper treats GC as a dynamical process and gives the analysis of amount of live objects. We propose that GC should process memory space of each task one by one based on the variance of amount of live objects. The proposed approach can minimize GC work and further reduce memory requirement.
SIGACT news complexity theory column 51
Authors: Hemaspaandra Lane A.
Published: July 2006

Warmest thanks to guest columnist Oded Goldreich for this issue's article. Also, I'd like to commend to all readers the web directory, www.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il/~oded/cc-texts.html, that appears as reference [15] of Oded's column. This directory is a real treasure trove.
An analysis tool for the assessment of student participation and implementation dynamics in online discussion forums
Authors: Pendergast Mark
Published: July 2006

In order to conduct a successful online forum it is necessary to have a collection of proven provocative discussion topics, a sound technique to implement them, and a consistent way to assess student participation. In this paper I present an analysis tool that helps me evaluate individual student participation, the viability of the forum cases, and their success/failure of their execution. The paper begins with a brief introduction to the ANGEL learning system in use by my university, a review of techniques to promote, facilitate, and assess participation. This is followed by a description of the analysis tool, its operation, and factors that it measures. The paper concludes with lessons learned and opportunities for future work.
How should software reliability engineering (SRE) be taught?
Authors: Garzia Mario , Hudepohl John , Snipes Will , Lyu Michael , Musa John , Smidts Carol , Williams Laurie
Published: July 2006

This article on teaching software reliability engineering (SRE) represents a consensus of views of experienced software reliability engineering leaders from diverse backgrounds but with ties to education: directors of software reliability and software reliability training in industry, a consultant who teaches SRE practice to industry, and university professors. The first topic covered is how to attract participants to SRE courses. We then analyze the job-related educational needs of current and future (those now university students) software practitioners, SRE practitioners, researchers, and nonsoftware professionals. Special needs relating to backgrounds, limited proficiency in the course language, and work conflicts are outlined. We discuss how the needs presented should influence course content and structure, teaching methods, and teaching materials. Finally, we cover our experiences with distance learning and its special needs. Some of this article applies to any course and is not SRE-specific.
Cognitive web based software development process
Authors: Kushwaha Dharmender Singh , Singh R. K. , Misra A. K.
Published: July 2006

Web engineering is a mix of scientific, engineering, management and cognitive principles that are used to create web based software applications. In order to successfully build large and complex web based applications, web developers and practitioners should adopt a disciplined development process in order to achieve the desired goals. It is by far more complex than the conventional software development process, where we have a fair idea about the users. Hence we cannot proceed by the conventional methods and processes for successful web based software development.The complexity of Web based-software applications is by far very different from traditional procedural or object-oriented paradigms. The failure rate of web based applications is particularly higher. To increase the success rates, we should acknowledge that it is a mix of engineering, management and cognitive principles involving a high user-centric bias. There are numerous factors that contribute to the complexity of web based applications. Unfortunately, the complexity issues have not been even paid due attention although numerous authors have pointed towards high failure rates of web based software applications.The existing models have not been able to reduce the failure rate of web based software applications. This paper makes an attempt to propose the major factors responsible for failure of web based applications. We emphasize on user-centric and a more holistic approach of requirement engineering to help increase the success rate and reliability of web based software applications. Finally the complexity issues of web application and importance of operation research is highlighted.
A leadership primer for software engineers
Authors: Raccoon L. B. S.
Published: July 2006

The principles of leadership resemble the life lessons we (are supposed to) learn as children: introduce yourself first, accentuate the positive, and set an example for others. Everyone knows most of them, already. The hard part of leading (the secret of leading) is that you have to do it, and do it consistently. This essay is intended for career software engineers who want to help their friends and colleagues in the SE community to succeed, whether helping their teams to complete projects or helping the SE profession to thrive.
JavaScript
Authors: Doernhoefer Mark
Published: July 2006

A whole article on JavaScript? You bet. JavaScript has always been the glue that holds your HTML pages together and now, in conjunction with XML, JavaScript is enjoying a new wave of popularity. So I thought I'd dedicate this month's column to a short exploration of JavaScript and highlight some sites that will not only help you write JavaScript, but also explore some of the things you can do with JavaScript.
Risks to the public
Authors: Neumann Peter G.
Published: July 2006

Edited by Peter G. Neumann (Risks Forum Moderator and Chairman of the ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy), plus personal contributions by others, as indicated. Opinions expressed are individual rather than organizational, and all of the usual disclaimers apply. We address problems relating to software, hardware, people, and other circumstances relating to computer systems. To economize on space, we include pointers to items in the online Risks Forum: (R i j) denotes RISKS vol i number j. Cited RISKS items generally identify contributors and sources, together with URLs. Official RISKS archives are available at www.risks.org (which redirects to Newcastle and gets you nice html formatting and a search engine courtesy of Lindsay Marshall; http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/i.j.html gets you (R i j)) and at ftp://www.sri.com/risks.
Interaction of Endothelin with Renal Nerves Modulates Kidney Function in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Girchev Radoslav A. , Bäcker Angela , Markova Petia P. , Kramer Herbert J.
Published: July 2006

Background and Methods: We investigated kidney function, renal endothelin-1 concentration, prepro-endothelin-1 mRNA as well as endothelin receptor A and B mRNA expression and receptor properties in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with intact renal nerves and 7 days after renal denervation. In addition, responses of renal function to the non-selective ETA/ETB receptor blocker bosentan (10 mg/kg i.v. bolus injection) were studied. Results: In SHR, renal papillary prepro-endothelin-1 mRNA expression, endothelin-1 tissue concentrations and endothelin receptor density were significantly lower than in normotensive rats. Renal denervation was associated with a decrease in papillary tissue prepro-endothelin-1 mRNA and in WKY rats also with a significant reduction in papillary endothelin-1 content without affecting ET receptor density. Bosentan did not alter renal blood flow or glomerular filtration rate but decreased urine flow rate in both intact normotensive and hypertensive rats, whereas it decreased urine sodium and potassium excretion only in intact WKY. Bosentan had no effects on renal function in renal denervated rats. Conclusion: Since renal papillary endothelin-1 appears to counteract the fluid and sodium retaining effects of renal nerve activity, an impaired renal endothelin-1 synthesis in SHR may contribute to excessive sodium retention and thus to the pathogenesis of hypertension in SHR.
Effects of Nicotine on Angiogenesis and Restenosis in a Rabbit Model
Authors: Ruixing Yin , Qi Bi , Tangwei Liu , Jiaquan Li
Published: July 2006

Background and Aims: Nicotine is a major component of cigarette smoke and has been found to play an important role in angiogenesis. However, whether nicotine plays a role in restenosis has not been determined. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effects of nicotine on angiogenesis and restenosis in a rabbit model. Methods: Forty male New Zealand White rabbits were randomly divided into control and low-, middle-, and high-dose (0.005, 0.05 or 5 µg/kg, respectively) nicotine-treated groups. Balloon catheter denuding injury iliac artery and ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery were performed in all animals fed with a high-cholesterol diet (HCD) beginning 2 weeks before operation. Nicotine was administered daily by intramuscular injection in the ischemic hindlimb for 3 weeks. Control rabbits received an equal volume of phosphate-buffered saline alone. Collateral vessels of the ischemic hindlimb were observed by angiography of abdominal aorta, and the density of intramyocardial microvessels and proliferative activity of balloon-injured arteries were examined by immunohistochemistry. Serum levels of lipids and the indexes of hepatic or renal functions were also determined before HCD and after nicotine treatment. Results: One rabbit in control, two in low-, one in middle- and two in high-dose groups died during the experiment. The remaining 34 rabbits were included in the study. Two or five weeks after HCD, the levels of serum lipids were significantly increased in all groups, but there was no significant difference of the levels between control and nicotine-treated groups 3 weeks after treatment; the indexes of hepatic or renal functions showed no significant changes 3 weeks after nicotine treatment; there were no significant differences on collateral vessels shown by angiography in all four groups; the density of intramyocardial microvessels in three nicotine-treated groups was significantly higher than that in control group; but the intimal area and proliferative activity in the balloon-injured arteries in three nicotine-treated groups were also higher than those in control group. Conclusions: The present study shows that intramuscular administration of nicotine for 3 weeks could not increase arteriogenesis in ischemic hindlimb of rabbits, but is capable of significantly promoting intramyocardial angiogenesis. Nicotine can also accelerate intimal proliferation and thickening of balloon catheter denuding injury iliac artery, so it may contribute to the development of restenosis.
Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins in Conjunction with Thrombolysis for ST-Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Rubboli Andrea , Ottani Filippo , Capecchi Alessandro , Brancaleoni Rossella , Galvani Marcello , Swahn Ewa
Published: July 2006

Background: Intravenous unfractionated heparin (UFH) is recommended in ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), following thrombolysis with fibrin-specific agents. Subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH), previously proven effective in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes, have been recently investigated in the setting of STEMI. We aimed at evaluating the current level of evidence supporting the use of LMWH in STEMI. Methods: A Medline search of the English language literature between January 1995 and December 2005 was performed and randomized clinical trials comparing LMWH to either placebo or UFH in conjunction with thrombolysis were selected. Results: About 26,800 patients treated with various thrombolytic regimens were included in 12 randomized clinical trials. Dalteparin was superior to placebo on left ventricular thrombosis/arterial thromboembolism, with no significant effect on the early patency rate of the infarct-related artery (IRA). Compared to UFH, dalteparin had no significant effect on clinical events and on the IRA late patency, although less thrombus was present. Enoxaparin was superior to placebo on the medium-term death/reinfarction/angina rate and late IRA patency, and superior also to UFH on in-hospital and medium-term occurrence of death/reinfarction/angina. The effect of enoxaparin on IRA patency rate was not univocal. Compared to placebo, reviparin significantly reduced early and medium-term mortality and reinfarction rates, without a substantial increase in overall stroke rate. As regards safety, bleedings were more frequent than placebo and comparable to UFH in LMWH groups, with the exception of the pre-hospital ASSENT-3 PLUS trial, where in elderly patients, enoxaparin had an incidence of intracranial hemorrhage twice higher than UFH. Conclusions: In-hospital subcutaneous administration of dalteparin, enoxaparin or reviparin, as an adjunct to various thrombolytics in STEMI, appears feasible and at least as effective and safe as intravenous UFH. Before LMWH might be recommended, however, some yet unresolved issues (i.e. use in elderly patients, in severe renal insufficiency, in association with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and during interventional procedures), need to be addressed.
Principles of Antibiotic Penetration into Abscess Fluid
Authors: Wagner Claudia , Sauermann Robert , Joukhadar Christian
Published: July 2006

Although drainage is considered the gold standard in abscess treatment, abscesses of different sizes and locations have been successfully cured by means of antibiotic treatment alone. The penetration of an antibiotic into an encapsulated purulent lesion is limited and highly dependent on the degree of abscess maturation. In fact, in vivo pharmacokinetic data demonstrate that substantial antibiotic concentrations can be reached within abscesses in humans and animals, provided the choice of an appropriate agent and an optimal dosing regimen. However, the efficacy of antibiotics in pus may be hampered by various factors like low pH, protein binding and degradation by bacterial enzymes. This article provides a comprehensive review on conservative abscess treatment, presenting clinical data on success rates of antibiotic therapy. Antibiotic concentrations measured in abscesses of humans and animals are outlined, and theoretical considerations on the understanding of pharmacokinetics and efficacy of antibiotics in abscesses are discussed.
Incidental Finding of a Benign Bladder Tumor during the Tension-Free Vaginal Tape Procedure
Authors: Wang Chiu-Lin , Tsai Eing-Mei , Liu Cheng-Min , Wu Chin-Hu , Long Cheng-Yu
Published: July 2006

As use of the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) grows, more unexpected findings during this procedure are likely to be encountered. However, concomitant resection of a bladder tumor during the TVT procedure is rare. A TVT operation was carried out in a 56-year-old woman with urodynamic stress incontinence. A bladder tumor located in the trigone was found incidentally during cystoscopy. Concomitant resection of the bladder tumor was performed following the TVT procedure. The surgical result of our patient suggests that concomitant resection of a benign intravesical pathology with TVT procedure is safe and effective. Moreover, it does not compromise overall improvement of stress incontinence. The value of cystoscopy during the TVT procedure is emphasized.
Endobronchial Fungal Disease: An Under-Recognized Entity
Authors: Karnak Demet , Avery Robin K. , Gildea Thomas R. , Sahoo Debasis , Mehta Atul C.
Published: July 2006

Most fungi enter the human body via inhalation; however, endobronchial fungal infection (EBFI) seems to be a rare manifestation compared to pulmonary or systemic disease. This presentation seems to be related to environmental factors as well as to the host status. With the increasing popularity of flexible bronchoscopy, it is being recognized with a higher frequency. Bronchoscopic findings in EBFI vary from mild mucosal inflammation to central airway obstruction. We searched English literature related to the topic and found 228 total cases of EBFI: Aspergillus species (121), Coccidioides immitis (38), Zygomycetes (31), Candida species (14) Cryptococcus neoformans (13), and Histoplasma capsulatum (11). We have also included a single case of endobronchial Pseudallescheria boydii infection in a lung transplant recipient that has not been reported previously. Most patients were immunocompromised, exhibited systemic manifestations of the primary infection, and responded to appropriate therapy. EBFI should be included in the differential diagnosis of any form of airway lesions in immunocompromised patients, especially among residents from the endemic areas.
The Major Allergen of Olive Pollen Ole e 1 Is a Diagnostic Marker for Sensitization to Oleaceae
Authors: Palomares Oscar , Swoboda Ines , Villalba Mayte , Balic Nadia , Spitzauer Susanne , Rodríguez Rosalía , Valenta Rudolf
Published: July 2006

Background: Trees of the family Oleaceae are important allergen sources, with a strongly varying geographic distribution. For example, olive pollen is an important allergen source in Mediterranean countries, whereas ash pollen dominates in Northern and Central Europe and North America. The aim of this study was to compare the profiles of olive and ash pollen allergens and to study the degree of cross-reactivity using populations of allergic patients selectively exposed to olive or ash pollen. Methods: Olive and ash pollen extracts were analyzed by IgE immunoblotting using sera from Spanish patients highly exposed to olive pollen and Austrian patients without olive but ash pollen exposure. IgE cross-reactivity was studied by qualitative immunoblot inhibition assays and semiquantitative ELISA inhibitions using olive, ash, birch, mugwort, timothy grass pollen extracts and the major olive pollen allergen, Ole e 1. Results: Spanish and Austrian patients exhibited an almost identical IgE-binding profile to olive and ash pollen allergens, with major reactivity directed against Ole e 1, and its homologous ash counterpart, Fra e 1. IgE inhibition experiments demonstrated extensive cross-reactivity between olive and ash pollen allergens. However, whereas cross-reactions between profilins and calcium-binding allergens also occurred between unrelated plant species, cross-reactivity to Ole e 1 was confined to plants belonging to the Oleaceae. Conclusions: Ole e 1 is a marker allergen for the diagnosis of olive and ash pollen allergy.
The Development and Evaluation of Procedures to Assess Child Self-Report Item Validity Educational and Psychological Measurement
Authors: Woolley Michael E. , Bowen Gary L. , Bowen Natasha K.
Published: July 2006

Cognitive pretesting (CP) is an interview methodology for pretesting the validity of items during the development of self-report instruments. This article reports on the development and evaluation of a systematic method to rate self-report item validity performance utilizing CP interview text data. Five raters were trained in the application of that system, resulting in acceptable to substantial levels of interrater agreement. Results from this study suggest that excellent reliability can be achieved in the analysis of CP data. Guidelines for systematically rating the qualitative data collected using CP methods are provided. Future research should focus on empirical demonstrations of how such rating procedures can lead to improvements in the validity of self-report instruments.
Recovering Preipsative Information From Additive Ipsatized Data
Authors: Cheung Mike W.-L.
Published: July 2006

Response bias has long been recognized as an issue in the behavioral and social sciences, especially in cross-cultural research. Transforming raw data into ipsatized data, individual scores subject to a constant sum constraint, is proposed to be an effective measure to minimize response bias. One major problem of applying ipsatized data is that scores are incomparable across individuals. By assuming that the ipsatized data are transformed from a preipsative confirmatory factor analytic model, factor scores based on the ipsatized data are proposed to serve as proxy variables for the preipsative information in this study. The ipsative factor scores can be used for further data analysis. Simulation results reveal that the proposed method works reasonably well. A real example is used to illustrate how this method can be applied to real data sets.
Testing the Difference Between Two Alpha Coefficients With Small Samples of Subjects and Raters
Authors: Feldt Leonard S. , Kim Seonghoon
Published: July 2006

Researchers sometimes need a statistical test of the hypothesis that two values of Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient are equal. The situation may involve scores from two different measures administered to independent random samples or from the same measure administered to random samples from two different populations. Feldt derived a test that functions well with large or moderate numbers of subjects. However, he validated this test only when the number of parts ( k) of the measurement was fairly large, as it would be if the parts were individual test items. He did not consider instances in which the parts were raters, and hence k would be as small as 2 or 3. In this article, the Feldt test is investigated for such situations. It is found to function quite well in its control of Type I error.
Effects of Estimation Bias on Multiple-Category Classification With an IRT-Based Adaptive Classification Procedure
Authors: Yang Xiangdong , Poggio John C. , Glasnapp Douglas R.
Published: July 2006

The effects of five ability estimators, that is, maximum likelihood estimator, weighted likelihood estimator, maximum a posteriori, expected a posteriori, and Owen's sequential estimator, on the performances of the item response theory–based adaptive classification procedure on multiple categories were studied via simulations. The following results were found. (a) The Bayesian estimators were more likely to misclassify examinees into an inward category because of their inward biases, when a fixed start value of zero was assigned to every examinee. (b) When moderately accurate start values were available, however, Bayesian estimators produced classifications that were slightly more accurate than was the maximum likelihood estimator or weighted likelihood estimator. Expected a posteriori was the procedure that produced the most accurate results among the three Bayesian methods. (c) All five estimators produced equivalent efficiencies in terms of number of items required, which was 50 or more items except for abilities that were less than -2.00 or greater than 2.00.
A Note on Inferences About the Median of the Distribution of Difference Scores
Authors: Wilcox Rand R.
Published: July 2006

For two random variables, X and Y, let D = X - Y, and let θ x, θ y, and θ d be the corresponding medians. It is known that the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test and its modern extensions do not test H0: θ x = θ y, but rather, they test H0: θ d = 0. The article deals with an extension of these methods to dependent groups, so the goal is not to make inferences about the median of the pairwise differences or even the median of the marginal distributions. Rather, if an individual is randomly sampled from the first group and another individual is randomly sampled from the second group, the goal is to make inferences about the median value of the typical difference. The goal is not to suggest that alternative methods be abandoned but rather to provide a perspective on how dependent groups compare that it is similar in spirit to the perspective provided by the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test.
“Beware of the Frustrated...”
Authors: Worgs Donn C.
Published: July 2006

Throughout African Americans’ struggle for liberation, there have been incidents of their engaging in violent revolt—from slave revolts to the urban riots of the 21st century. Images and depictions of violent revolt have also been a recurring element in African American artistic productions—including literature, music, and film. An analysis of these “fantasies” of violent revolt provides insight into how African Americans understand violent revolt, and under what conditions such actions are justified. The analysis reveals that violent revolt is understood by many as both instrumental (a means to a desired end—usually freedom) and cathartic. Furthermore, there are four recurring themes within these fantasies. These include a justification for violence, the need to fight to gain the “respect” of the oppressor, the rage of the oppressed along with their yearning for retribution, and the humanizing or transformative effect of participating in a violent revolt against an oppressor.
Dynamics of a Multistage Circadian System
Authors: Leise Tanya , Siegelmann Hava
Published: July 2006

Tissues throughout the body exhibit circadian rhythms, forming a multioscillatory system whose disruption results in jet lag and other health problems in travelers and rotational shift workers. The authors’ simulations of the dynamics of a multistage circadian system (based on experimental results for nocturnal rodents) reveal the flexibility and stability inherent in a multistage system, as well as potential pitfalls. The modeling predicts that jet lag tends to be most severe following an eastward change of 5 to 8 time zones due to prolonged desynchrony of the system. This desynchrony is partly due to differing reentrainment rates among components, but a much greater source of desynchrony is the antidromic reentrainment of some but not all components (reentrainment by partition), triggered by the overshoot of the master pacemaker’s phase in response to these advances. Based on the multistage system dynamics, the authors design a simple protocol that results in a more orderly transition that avoids antidromic reentrainment in all components, thereby reducing the reentrainment time from nearly 2 weeks to just a few days for the most difficult shifts. The authors compare the predicted behavior of self-sustaining versus damped oscillatory components in the system as well as the effect of weak versus strong coupling from the master pacemaker to the peripheral components.
Non-Ocular Circadian Oscillators and Photoreceptors Modulate Long Term Memory Formation in Aplysia
Authors: Lyons Lisa C. , Rawashdeh Oliver , Eskin Arnold
Published: July 2006

In Aplysia californica, memory formation for long-term sensitization (LTS) and for a more complex type of associative learning, learning that food is inedible (LFI), is modulated by a circadian clock. For both types of learning, formation of long-term memory occurs during the day and significantly less during the night. Aplysia eyes contain a well-characterized circadian oscillator that is strongly coupled to the locomotor activity rhythm. Thus, the authors hypothesized that the ocular circadian oscillator was responsible for the circadian modulation of LFI and LTS. To test this hypothesis, they investigated whether the eyes were necessary for circadian modulation of LFI and LTS. Eyeless animals trained during the subjective day and tested 24 h later demonstrated robust long-term memory for both LFI and LTS, while eyeless animals trained and tested during the subjective night showed little or no memory for LFI or LTS. The amplitude of the rhythm of modulation in eyeless animals was similar to that of intact Aplysia, suggesting that extraocular circadian oscillators were mainly responsible for the circadian rhythms in long-term memory formation. Next, the authors investigated whether the eyes played a role in photic entrainment for circadian regulation of long-term memory formation. Eyeless animals were exposed to a reversed LD cycle for 7 days and then trained and tested for long-term memory using the LFI paradigm. Eyeless Aplysia formed significant long-term memory when trained during the projected shifted day but not during the projected shifted night. Thus, the extraocular circadian oscillator responsible for the rhythmic modulation of long-term memory formation can be entrained by extraocular photoreceptors.
The Local Context of a Sports Strategy for Economic Development
Authors: Rosentraub Mark S.
Published: July 2006

Three streams of research offer results in conflict with the conclusion that governments that provide tax dollars to build sports facilities are wasting money. Hamilton and Kahn and Rosentraub and Swindell found instances where the value placed on the intangible benefits of teams could exceed the cost of facilities. Carlino and Coulson's analysis indicated the presence of a National Football League franchise accounted for an 8% increase in rent levels, and Santo's work, also using regression models, found regions with teams and new facilities had higher income levels. Despite possible regional gains, the value of a sports investment rests on its context and the outcomes for the city and county that invested in the facilities. This analysis focuses on the outcomes for Cleveland and then offers a framework to assess the range of economic effects on investor communities.