bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of evidence in decision models: an appraisal of health technology assessments in the UK since 1997
Authors: Cooper Nicola , Coyle Douglas , Abrams Keith , Mugford Miranda , Sutton Alexander
Published: October 2005

Objectives: To review the sources and quality of evidence used in the development of economic decision models in health technology assessments (HTAs).

Methods: All economic decision models developed as part of the NHS Research and Development HTA Programme between 1997 and 2003 were reviewed. Quality of evidence was assessed using a hierarchy of data sources developed for economic analyses.

Results: Decision models are parameterized using diverse sources of evidence (e.g. randomized controlled trials, observational studies, expert opinion). Evidence on the main clinical effect was mostly identified and quality assessed as part of the companion systematic review/meta-analysis of the HTA and therefore reported in a transparent and reproducible way. For the other model inputs (i.e. adverse events, baseline clinical data, resource use and utilities), the search strategies for identifying relevant evidence were rarely made explicit and in a number of reports the sources of specific evidence were unclear due to poor reporting.

Conclusions: A more formal and replicable approach to identification and assessment of quality of model inputs is required to reduce the 'black box' nature of decision models, and lead to less scepticism regarding model outputs.
Demystifying knowledge translation: learning from the community
Authors: Bowen Sarah , Martens Patricia ,   The Need to Know Team
Published: October 2005

Objectives: While there is increasing interest in research related to so-called Knowledge Translation, much of this research is undertaken from the perspective of researchers. The objective of this paper is to explore, through the participatory evaluation of Manitoba's The Need to Know Project, the characteristics of effective knowledge translation initiatives from the perspective of community partners.

Methods: The multi-method evaluation adopted a utilization-focused approach, where stakeholders participated in identifying evaluation questions, and methods were made transparent to participants. Over 100 open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with project stakeholders over the first three years of the project. These interviews explored the perspectives of participants on all aspects of project development. Formal feedback processes allowed further refinement of emerging theory.

Results: This research suggests that there has been insufficient emphasis on personal factors in knowledge translation. The themes of 'quality of relationships' and 'trust' connected many different components of knowledge translation, and were essential for collaborative research. Organizational barriers and lack of confidence in researchers present greater challenges to knowledge translation than individual interest or community capacity. The costs of participation in collaborative research for community partners and the benefits for researchers, also require greater attention.

Conclusions: Participation of community partners in The Need to Know Project has provided unique perspectives on knowledge translation theory. It has identified limitations to the common interpretations of knowledge translation principles and highlighted the characteristics of collaborative research initiatives that are of greatest importance to community partners.
Seeing Eye-to-Eye: Do Intergroup Biases Operate Similarly for Younger and Older Adults?
Authors: Chasteen Alison L.
Published: October 2005

Because of their relatively temporary group memberships, age groups represent an intriguing test of theories of intergroup relations. In spite of this unique feature, virtually no research has examined age group relations from an intergroup perspective. The present study investigated the role of two influential intergroup factors, degree of group identification and threats to group status, in younger and older adults' evaluations of their in group (own age group) and the outgroup (other age group). Participants were placed in situations in which their ingroup was either superior or inferior to the outgroup. Several measures of bias were then assessed, including ingroup favoritism, perceived similarity, social distance, outgroup homogeneity, and self-stereotyping. The results support the notion that age groups are unique from other groups, as age influenced all forms of bias. In particular, young adults exhibited more biases than older adults by perceiving less similarity and distancing themselves more from the outgroup. These findings suggest that older adults' greater familiarity with the outgroup might attenuate their age-based biases compared with younger participants.
Cognitive Appraisals and Interest in Visual Art: Exploring an Appraisal Theory of Aesthetic Emotions
Authors: Silvia Paul J.
Published: October 2005

Since Berlyne's seminal research, the study of experimental aesthetics has examined interest as a response to art. The present research explores the implications of appraisal theories of emotion for the study of interest as an emotion relevant to aesthetics. Participants viewed pictures of modern experimental visual art and rated each picture for interest and for appraisals of complexity and comprehensibility. Multilevel modeling assessed the within-person effects of appraisals on interest. As predicted by appraisal theories, both appraisals significantly and strongly predicted interest at the within-person level. The within-person relationships were not moderated by individual-differences relevant to interest in art (e.g., trait curiosity). Theories of “aesthetic response” should capitalize on modern theories and findings in emotion psychology.
Politics of Rural Health in India
Authors: Banerji Debabar
Published: October 2005

The setting up of the National Rural Health Mission is yet another political move by the present government of India to make yet another promise to the long-suffering rural populations to improve their health status. As has happened so often in the past, it is based on questionable premises. It adopts a simplistic approach to a highly complex problem. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and its advisors, because of ignorance or otherwise, have doggedly refused to learn from the many experiences of the past, either the earlier, somewhat sincere efforts to develop endogenous mechanisms to offer access to health services or the devastating impact on the painstakingly built rural health services of the imposition of prefabricated, ill-conceived, ill-formulated, technocentric vertical programs on the people of India. They also ignore some of the basic postulates of public health practice in a country such as India. That they did not substantiate the bases of some of their contentions with scientific data from health systems research reveals that they are not serious about their promise to rural populations. This is yet another instance of what Romesh Thaper called “Baba Log playing government government.”
Changes in Reading Strategies as a Function of Reading Training: A Comparison of Live and Computerized Training
Authors: Magliano Joseph P. , Todaro Stacey , Millis Keith , Wiemer-Hastings Katja , Kim H. Joyce , McNamara Danielle S.
Published: October 2005

The purpose of this study was to compare the relative effectiveness of live (SERT) and computer-based (iSTART) reading strategy training. Prior to and after training, participants read scientific texts and self-explained after each sentence. They also answered comprehension questions. Students showed improvement in the quality of their self-explanations and in the performance on the comprehension questionsasa function of both live and computer-based training. However, there were some differences in response to iSTART training as a function of reading skill. Specifically, less skilled readers improved their performance on text-based questions, but not bridging questions. The opposite was found for skilled readers. These results indicate that computer-based, reading-skills training is effective, but different readers may improve at different levels of comprehension.
Content-Focused Technology Inquiry Groups: Cases of Teacher Learning and Technology Integration
Authors: Hughes Joan E. , Kerr Shantia P. , Ooms Ann
Published: October 2005

Guided by a situated learning framework, this research examines the nature of teachers' technology learning when participating in a content-focused technology inquiry group, the ways teachers integrate what they learn into content-specific student learning activities, and how situated features of the learning context influence teacher learning. Longitudinal case studies of participating middle-school teachers reveal individual learning and technology integration accomplishments that were also inextricably linked to the group. The distributed nature of technology learning and integration evidenced in the cases raised the issue of whether teachers need to learn to operate the technology in order to integrate technology for student learning and the issue of sustainability when there is high reliance on participants outside the school organization during learning. The peer-supported learning also raised the wider societal issue about the role of teachers and highlighted the modest existence of professional learning communities in educational institutions. We recommend establishing technology inquiry groups within K-12 school settings and in teacher education courses.
Social, Health, and Age Differences Associated with Depressive Disorders in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Plach Sandra K. , Napholz Linda , Kelber Sheryl T.
Published: October 2005

Depression in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be related to social role experiences, physical health, and age. The purpose of this study was to examine the social and health factors contributing to depression in two age groups of women with RA. One-hundred and thirty-eight midlife and late-life women with a diagnosis of RA participated in this cross sectional survey study. Multiple regression analysis indicated that social role balance, functional status, number of co-existing health problems, and age were significant predictors of depression in midlife and late-life women with RA. Role balance was the strongest factor contributing to a woman's depression score. Compared to midlife women, late-life women reported significantly higher role balance and lower depression scores, despite poorer functional status and more concomitant health problems.
How the Perceived Masculinity and/or Femininity of Software Applications Influences Students' Software Preferences
Authors: Pinkard Nichole
Published: October 2005

Increasingly, technology skills are becoming central to academic and economic success. More and more technological tools are becoming a vehicle for teaching and learning and a vehicle for buying and selling goods. However, research continues to show that women lag behind men in PC-ownership regardless of social economic status (SES) or education level (Lenhart, 2003; McConnaughey & Lader, 1998); girls take fewer computer science and computer design courses and consistently rate themselves significantly lower than boys in terms of computer skills (AAUW, 1998); men outnumber women 6 to 1 in computer science Ph.D. programs (AAUW, 2000; Furger, 1998); and girls and boys are more likely to perceive computers as a male domain (Clewell, 2002; Eastman & Krendl, 1987). Due to our society's increasing dependence on technological skills, the continued existence of the technological gender and cultural gap is a problem that must be explored with vigor in order to ensure that the technological tools we use provide equitable1 access to and experiences for women and children of color.
The Utility of Prehistoric Predictive Models for Interior Riverine Zones in the Northeast: A View from Fort Dix, New Jersey
Authors: Pagoulatos Peter
Published: October 2005

In 2004, a planning level (Phase I) survey was completed at the Fort Dix Military Installation, New Jersey. A stratified research methodology was initially employed by placing standardized sampling units into zones of high and low sensitivity. Areas of high and low archaeological sensitivity consisted of testable areas within and beyond 500 feet of stream margins and wetlands, respectively. Although the majority of field tests represented negative-based data, environmental attributes were measured using GPS and GIS; these data were then compared to discovered prehistoric site locations, using simple statistical procedures. Prehistoric sites consist of generalized camp sites (Bases) and specialized extractive stations (Targets) which span the entire prehistory of the region, dating from 11,500 to 350 years B.P. Site distributions produce a dual, or two-level settlement system, where multiple activity base camps were situated on low divides, adjacent to large wetlands and streams, while more specialized loci tended to be found on upland divides and side slopes, further from water. Interestingly, over half of all prehistoric sites are positioned on southern exposures, possibly implying a fall/winter season(s) procurement pattern in this region.
Intelligence Correlates of Transcendent Beliefs: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Lukey Nicole , Barušs Imants
Published: October 2005

In previous research, Barušs and Moore had identified a material-transcendent dimension of beliefs about consciousness and reality that underlies the Western intellectual tradition including the academic study of consciousness. At one pole, materialists believe that reality is entirely physical in nature, whereas those tending toward the transcendent pole believe that reality cannot exhaustively be captured in physical terms. More recently, Jewkes and Barušs had found a number of personality correlates of transcendent beliefs including a tendency toward curiosity and a rational approach to the world [1]. These previous results prompted the present study in which 39 undergraduate psychology students at a liberal arts college were given a measure of beliefs about consciousness and reality, a comprehensive intelligence test, and a personality subtest. Correlations were found among various facets of intelligence, aspects of beliefs, and intellectual curiosity. The results indicate that greater intelligence is associated with transcendent beliefs.
Information Strategies of Fine Art Collectors, Gallerists, and Trendsetters
Authors: Batinic Bernad
Published: October 2005

The objective of this article is to identify the strategies and information sources used by gallery owners and people who are particularly interested in the art market to obtain information about artists and their works, and how they use this information to evaluate an artist's significance. The survey was carried out at the international art fair “Art de Cologne.” One hundred three people participated in this study, of which 25 were gallery owners. The descriptive data analysis reveals many differences between the gallery owners and people interested in the art market. In a second step, a model for trendsetting in the field of arts is proposed. According to this proposal, such a model should be able to identify significant artists of the future at an early point in their career. Key features of trendsetters are their pronounced information-seeking behavior and their intensive use of the media to inform themselves about art. They are able to categorize innovative artists into the correct existing art-trends, and furthermore they are interested in telling people in their sphere about their discoveries. The results of this study show a significant positive correlation between trendsetting and knowledge about art. Major trendsetters inform themselves about arts using specialist journals and the Internet, but reject friends and acquaintances as sources of information.
The Tickit to Teacher Learning: Designing Professional Development According to Situative Principles
Authors: Keller John B. , Bonk Curtis J. , Hew Khe
Published: October 2005

Professional development that leads to change in teacher practice is hard to find, especially professional development focused on technology integration. The Teacher Institute for Curriculum Knowledge about the Integration of Technology (TICKIT) successfully answers both challenges. This article reports on a study aimed at understanding the impact of one professional development program on self-reported levels of technology integration. We then frame the success of the design and the positive associations of the TICKIT experiences with increased levels of technology integration against the situated perspective on learning. The situated perspective and its instantiation in the teacher institute provide insight about why the program was effective. We propose that the active ingredient in the model is the intentional design of the program around the tenets of the situated perspective.
Mothers of Children with Acquired Disabilities: Using the Subjective Voice to Inform Parent/Professional Partnership
Authors: Konrad Shelley Cohen
Published: October 2005

This article presents findings from a phenomenological dissertation that interviewed mothers of young children who acquired permanent disabilities. Mothers' accounts provide a rich source of information to professionals about the subjective and interpersonal experiences that accompany unexpected acquired disability in a young child. Their stories reveal the complex interplay of emotions that occur in the immediate aftermath of acquired disability and all along the continuum of the child's care. Mothers also identify qualities and barriers that influence their satisfaction with parent/professional relationships. The article highlights the value of an integrated model for theory and practice based on mothers' earned wisdom.
Lifespan Differences in the Social Networks of Prison Inmates
Authors: Bond Gary D. , Thompson Laura A. , Malloy Daniel M.
Published: October 2005

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST) (Carstensen, 1992, 1993) accounts for lifespan changes in human social networks and for the motivations which underlie those changes. SST is applied in this research with 256 prison inmates and non-inmates, ages 18–84, from Mississippi, Kansas, and New Mexico. Two research questions sought to identify (a) whether inmate networks change in size, and (b) whether overall closeness within an inmate's network changes over the adult years. Results indicate that older inmates, much like older non-inmates, have few peripheral partners, are buffered from the wider population of prisoners, and interact within a small group of very close partners. Although older inmates are not completely isolated, they do maintain fewer network partners as age increases, like their non-incarcerated counterparts, and overall are as emotionally close to network members as non-inmates.
Five Design Principles for Experiments on the Effects of Animated Pedagogical Agents
Authors: Clark Richard E. , Choi Sunhee
Published: October 2005

Research on animated pedagogical agents (agents) is viewed as a very positive attempt to introduce more pedagogical support and motivational elements into multi-media instruction. Yet, existing empirical studies that examine the learning benefits of agents have had very mixed results, largely due to the way that they are designed. This article will suggest five design principles for future research on the impact of agents on learning and motivation including: 1) The Balanced Separation Principle describes need for adequate controls that tease out the specific type of learning and/or motivational support the agent is providing; 2) The Variety of Outcomes Principle suggests different measures to test a variety of learning and motivation outcomes that may be influenced by agents; 3) The Robust Measurement Principle advises researchers to pay special attention to the reliability and construct validity of experimenter designed measures; 4) The Cost-Effectiveness Principle recommends the collection of data on the relative cost of producing agent and non-agent treatments; and 5) The Cognitive Load Principle alerts those who plan treatments for experiments to exercise caution when developing and testing agents that are visually and aurally “noisy” or complex.
Dangers, Delights, and Destiny on the Sea: Fishers along the East Coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: Markkanen Pia
Published: October 2005

This article describes a collaborative project between the International Labour Organization's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) and the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, in identifying work hazards of fishers along the east coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia, in July 2004. The study employed qualitative investigation techniques: participant observations at fishing villages and harbors; and interviews with local fishers and skippers. Fishers work long hours in life-threatening conditions, often with low pay. It would be synergistic to incorporate fishing safety and health policies and advocacy efforts into reconstruction undertakings of fisheries devastated by the 2004 tsunami.
Hikikomori, is it a Culture-Reactive or Culture-Bound Syndrome? Nidotherapy and a Clinical Vignette from Oman
Authors: Sakamoto Noriyuki , Martin Rodger G. , Kumano Hiroaki , Kuboki Tomifusa , Al-Adawi Samir
Published: October 2005

Hikikomori, a form of acute social withdrawal, is becoming a silent epidemic in Japan. As it has not been reported from other parts of the world, hikikomori fulfills the criteria for “a culture-bound syndrome.” We report a case from Oman, in the southern part of Arabia, with all the essential features of hikikomori. We speculate that the social environment of Japanese and Omani society could reinforce behavior akin to hikikomori although this condition may also transcend geography and ethnicity.
Sociolinguistic Challenges to Minority Collegiate Success: Entering the Discourse Community of the College
Authors: White John Wesley
Published: October 2005

A significant body of research has examined the reasons behind high minority collegiate attrition. All of this work has contributed to our understanding of the unique challenges minority and first generation college students face in the difficult transition to the often new culture that is the college experience. One area that has gone virtually ignored in the literature, however, is the relationship of language, discourse, and literacy to collegiate success. Because the university comprises its own “discourse community”—with its own “ways with words”—those wishing to help minority students in their transition to college should not ignore students' levels of academic literacy. Rather, differences in language use contribute to many students' feelings of alienation from the academic and social culture of the academy. Fortunately, results from this study support the thesis that students lacking academic literacy may be able to learn it—and have a better chance at academic success—through the efforts of college-preparatory programs, college-level student academic services programs, pre-collegiate “bridge” programs, and college mentoring programs.
Taiwanese Undergraduate Nursing Students' Personal Priorities before Death
Authors: Chou Shieu-Ming , Two Shiow-Ni , Woodard Beth
Published: October 2005

Death is a taboo subject to the Chinese. People rarely discuss this subject in public. However, it is inevitable that a nursing student will encounter a patient with a fatal disease or an end-of-life situation. Though death is a personal issue for each nurse, their unique perspective can affect the patient under their care. This article explores nursing students' personal priorities if told they had six months to live. The 167 participants were asked one question, “List five things you plan to do six months before your death.” The results yielded 815 responses categorized into five dimensions as follows: connecting or reconnecting with family and close friends, specific goals, spiritual awareness, self-determination, and altruism. The results of this study can facilitate the teaching of death education and spiritual nursing courses.
Narratives and Story Telling in Coping with Grief and Bereavement
Authors: Bosticco Cecilia , Thompson Teresa L.
Published: October 2005

My daughter was a normal, healthy young lady, looking forward to becoming a teenager. Then, a strange sensation appeared in the muscle of her upper arm and everything changed! She waged the toughest battle of her life, but died of cancer in the middle of her thirteenth year. How does a mother cope with so tragic a loss? I told and retold the story. I talked about how we faced the chemo, the pain, and the fear together, about the fun we had, about the impact on our family, about the final days on the wish trip, about her death, about her friends, about the support of our faith community. I shared with all who would listen and, gradually, the storytelling helped me to make sense of things, to cope with the gaping hole in my world, to find a new normal for myself, to move on. My daughter stills lives—in eternity, in my memory, in the life I live as a result of having been her mom for those thirteen and a half years, and in the stories—hers, mine, ours.
Current Drug Education Policies in NCAA Institutions: Perceptions of Head Athletic Trainers
Authors: Shirazi Aida , Tricker Raymond
Published: October 2005

This study compared the perceptions of head athletic trainers (HATS) from NCAA member Divisions I, II, and III regarding current athletic department drug education policies in their institutions. A Web-based questionnaire collected responses from 353 HATS. Drug education programs focused more on providing information about the negative consequences of drugs than changing the attitudes and behaviors of students in relation to drug use. More Division I and II schools offered comprehensive ATOD education programs to their athletes compared to Division III schools; however, the majority of these programs were not scheduled on a regular basis. HATS in all divisions reported that the abuse of alcohol and other drugs by student athletes during and after athletic and social events was a significant concern and indicated the importance of scheduling drug education programs closer to such events. Majority of HATS did not view participating in the drug education programs as part of their professional duties; however, they expressed an interest to increase their involvement in these activities.
Trafficking in Meth: An Analysis of the Differences between Male and Female Dealers
Authors: Senjo Scott R.
Published: October 2005

Male and female meth dealers exhibit numerous common characteristics and patterns. For example, both can be relatively heavy users and both have similar (long) criminal records. However, both groups show important distinctions in their drug dealing patterns. This exploratory study compares 34 male and 26 female meth dealers ( N = 60) who were involved in the same criminal justice system of a single western state during the same time period. Among other things, the findings indicate that male dealers treat their trafficking activities more like a business, have more customers, make more money, and are more likely prepared for violence while dealing than females. In contrast, female dealers have more education, including graduate school, have been arrested less often and are more willing to try drug treatment than male dealers.
Where Schizophrenic Patients Commit Suicide: A Review of Suicide among Inpatients and Former Inpatients
Authors: Pompili Maurizio , Mancinelli Iginia , Ruberto Amedeo , Kotzalidis Giorgio D. , Girardi Paolo , Tatarelli Roberto
Published: October 2005

Objective:

To review the literature on suicide of inpatients with schizophrenia, to identify suicide risk factors as well as typical patterns of behavior and to suggest a rationale and strategies for future interventions.

Method:

A computerized MedLine, Excerpta Medica and PsycLit search supplemented by an examination of cross-references and reviews.

Results:

Up to half the suicides among patients with schizophrenia occur during inpatient admission. Inpatient suicides were found among those of a young age group who were predominantly single, childless and socially isolated. The vast majority experienced an illness characterized by long duration and prolonged psychiatric hospitalizations or multiple admissions and discharges. Up to 50% of the suicides occurred in the first few weeks and months following discharge from the hospital. The paranoid subtype of schizophrenia, where positive symptoms prevail and negative symptoms are few, is associated with a suicide risk that is three times greater than that associated with nonparanoid subtypes and eight times greater than the risk associated with the deficit subtype.

Conclusions:

Treatment of suicide is a major problem among inpatients with schizophrenia. Evidence suggests that suicide is generally carried-out by patients who have been recently discharged or by those who manage to get away from the hospital. Strategies aimed at preventing this phenomenon have been introduced to the medical personnel, but suicide in these patients does not seem to have been reduced. We emphasize the need to establish guidelines for the prevention of suicide in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia.
The Interaction between Thoughts and Emotions following the News of a Loved One's Murder
Authors: Goodrum Sarah
Published: October 2005

This study uses the social psychological perspective of symbolic interactionism to examine the death notification experience of people who have lost a loved one to murder (“bereaved victims”). The data come from in-depth interviews with 32 bereaved victims whose loved ones were murdered from 1994 to 1999 in Union County (pseudonym). Bereaved victims' notification stories indicate that the interplay between thoughts and emotions in self-interaction during the first stage of grief produces two main types of emotional reactions to the news of murder: 1) feeling emotional upset (e.g., crying, screaming, hysteria) and 2) containing emotional upset (e.g., shock, disbelief, and spontaneous action). Disbelief allowed bereaved victims to cognitively control their physical expressions of emotional upset by dismissing the reality of the news of the death; the spontaneous action response allowed bereaved victims to take action on something in substitution for thinking about the loss and then feeling emotionally overwhelmed by it. Some bereaved victims indicated that they alternated between feeling intense emotional upset and cognitively containing their emotional upset through spontaneous action.
Embedding E-Mail in Primary Schools: Developing a Tool for Collective Reflection
Authors: De Vries Bregje , Van Der Meij Hans , Boersma Kerst Th. , Pieters Jules M.
Published: October 2005

Reflection is an important aspect of learning in groups. In collective moments of reflection, learners can share and compare their ideas with others, and by doing so can reach an articulated and personal understanding of a learning task and domain. In the research presented here, e-mail is examined as a means for reflection in the context of group learning. In two design experiments, an e-mail tool is developed that seeks to (1) support collective reflection, and (2) overcome practical problems related to e-mail use in primary classrooms. Two prototypes of the tool are presented and tested in five primary classrooms. We conclude that e-mail supports collective reflection on a learning task after adding the following supportive measures to the regular e-mail program: (1) a fixed partnership, (2) fixed timing, (3) an exercise of individual freewriting, and (4) collective use of a paper worksheet.
Effects of Parental Rejection and Relationship Quality on Depression among Older Rural Adults
Authors: Stimpson Jim P. , Tyler Kimberly A. , Hoyt Dan R.
Published: October 2005

Research suggests that families have development histories which influence their responses to situations across the life course. The present study examined the effects of family relationship histories on intergenerational affection and conflict between adult children and their parents and how this affects parents' depressive symptoms. Path analysis based on matched reports of adult children and their parents revealed that parental behavior early in life affects contemporary relationships between family members, which ultimately impacts parents' depressive symptoms. Parental rejection is negatively associated with intergenerational affection, which in turn is negatively associated with depressive symptoms.
A Situative Perspective on a Collaborative Model for Integrating Technology into Teaching
Authors: Franklin Cheryl A. , Sessoms Deidre B.
Published: October 2005

This article describes a collaborative professional development model in which faculty in a College of Education partnered with a local school district to design and implement a year-long project in an effort to increase effective integration of technology in instruction by K-8 classroom teachers, university teacher preparation faculty, pre-service teachers and novice teachers graduating from that teacher preparation program. A brief description of the project, its accomplishments and dilemmas, analysis of the project design and experiences of participants through the lens of situative professional development are presented. Lessons for structuring professional development such that subsequent improvements in technology use within partnership schools and teacher preparation programs can occur are discussed.
Degree and Content of Negative Meaning in Four Different Age Groups in Germany
Authors: Read Sanna , Westerhof Gerben J. , Dittmann-Kohli Freya
Published: October 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the degree and content of negative meaning (i.e., negative evaluations, motivations, feelings) in four different age groups of men and women in East- and West-Germany. A sample was drawn from 290 cities in Germany which was stratified according to four age groups (18–25, 40–54, 55–69, and 70–85), gender and region of residence (West- or East-Germany). A total of 3,306 individuals participated in the study. A sentence completion task was administered to study negative meaning. An analysis of variance was carried out for the degree of negative meaning, as well as binary logistic regression and correspondence analysis for the content of negative meaning to study the differences between the four age groups, gender, and East- and West-Germans. The results showed that the youngest age group, men, and people living in the Western part of Germany reported significantly less negative meaning than other groups. However, the difference between the groups was very small. The negative meaning showed different content in age groups reflecting age-graded developmental tasks. Some gender and regional differences in the content of negative meaning were also found.
Film as Art versus Film as Business: Differential Correlates of Screenplay Characteristics
Authors: Simonton Dean Keith
Published: October 2005

This investigation determined whether certain screenplay features can differentiate films directed toward artistic expression from those aimed at financial gain. The sample consisted of 1436 English-language, narrative films released between 1968 and 2002. The variables included 4 economic indicators, 5 movie award assessments, 2 composite critical evaluations, and 24 screenplay characteristics. A subset of those characteristics distinguished film as art from film as business. In particular, the two types could be distinguished according to the impact of sequels, adaptations (e.g., from plays), writer-directors (or “Auteurs”), genre (viz., dramas), and MPAA ratings (especially Restricted). These contrasts help explain why budget and box office variables fail to correlate with the most important movie awards and are even negatively correlated with critical acclaim.
Using Emotions, Hypnosis, and the Past to Increase the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
Authors: Brink Nicholas E.
Published: October 2005

Research finds that Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is effective in promoting mental health, and that greater emotional depth in therapy increases this effectiveness. CBT on the other hand is a here-and-now therapy and does not consider the childhood experiences from which the core schema and consequently the negative ways of thinking were learned. This article presents a six-step hypnotic procedure using the uncovered childhood experiences in CBT: 1) uncovering the emotionally painful experience that cause the negative ways of thinking; 2) experiencing the emotions associated with these painful experiences; 3) defining the dysfunctional ways of thinking; 4) stating needs; 5) finding new positive ways of thinking; and 6) becoming the positive way of thinking. The uncovered emotionally experience is generally found to be one of four potential parental control patterns: threats-fear, shaming-guilt, ridicule-inadequacy, and rejection-insecurity. Each of the parental control patterns has implications in determining the nature of the emotional disorder.
Correlates of Successful Aging: Are They Universal?
Authors: Litwin Howard
Published: October 2005

The analysis compared differing correlates of life satisfaction among three diverse population groups in Israel, examining background and health status variables, social environment factors, and activity indicators. Multiple regression analysis revealed that veteran Jewish-Israelis ( n = 2,043) had the largest set of predictors, the strongest of which was health status. Among Arab-Israelis ( n = 609), social visitation served as a significant base for life satisfaction. The predictors among the new immigrant group ( n = 751) reflected the search for social ties beyond the immediate family. The analysis underscores the universal basis of successful aging, especially the contribution of health status. However, it also clarifies that the specific components of some of the general categories of predictors work in different ways among different population groups.
An Agenda for Unemployment Research: A Challenge for Public Health
Authors: Hammarström Anne , Janlert Urban
Published: October 2005

Unemployment figures are high worldwide, and this should be a challenge for both researchers and politicians. Public health research has a tradition of descriptive studies among the unemployed at the individual level and has to a limited extent been engaged in interventive and preventive trials to study the effect of different measures to counter unemployment. The article gives a brief review of the development of postwar unemployment research and proposes an agenda for unemployment research within public health for the coming years.
The Effect of Color on Viewers' Ratings of Paintings
Authors: Polzella Donald J. , Hammar Stephanie H. , Hinkle Chad W.
Published: October 2005

Sixty college students rated digitized facsimiles of 20 paintings on 12 semantic differential scales. The paintings represented two classes of content, landscape and portrait, and two styles, traditional and modern. Half the participants viewed the paintings in color, half in black and white. Removing color from portraits increased their perceived pleasantness and beauty and reduced tension. In contrast, removing color from landscapes reduced their perceived beauty. It is argued that for landscapes color may provide a critical channel for transmitting increased amounts of information such as depth. For portraits, color can be superfluous or even distracting.
Difficulties, Disagreements, and Disappointments in Late-Life Marriages
Authors: Henry Ryan G. , Miller Richard B. , Giarrusso Roseann
Published: October 2005

Although research has examined marital satisfaction in later life, little is known about the specific relationship challenges that older couples experience. Thus, the objective of the study was to explore the challenges older couples face. Data came from the USC Longitudinal Study of Generations. Qualitative analysis was conducted on 105 older couples, with an average age of 69, who responded in 1997 to an open-ended question about difficulties, disagreements, and disappointments in their marriage. Ten themes emerged from the data. In order of frequency, they were leisure activities, intimacy, finances, no problems, personality, intergenerational relations, household concerns, personal habits, health issues, and work/retirement. Comparisons in responses were made for age, gender, marital quality, length of marriage, and health. In addition, the dyadic data were examined for patterns within the relationship.
Replacing Lecture with Web-Based Course Materials
Authors: Scheines Richard , Leinhardt Gaea , Smith Joel , Cho Kwangsu
Published: October 2005

In a series of 5 experiments in 2000 and 2001, several hundred students at two different universities with three different professors and six different teaching assistants took a semester long course on causal and statistical reasoning in either traditional lecture/recitation or online/recitation format. In this article we compare the pre-post test gains of these students, we identify features of the online experience that were helpful and features that were not, and we identify student learning strategies that were effective and those that were not. Students who entirely replaced going to lecture with doing online modules did as well and usually better than those who went to lecture. Simple strategies like incorporating frequent interactive comprehension checks into the online material (something that is difficult to do in lecture) proved effective, but online students attended face-to-face recitations less often than lecture students and suffered because of it. Supporting the idea that small, interactive recitations are more effective than large, passive lectures, recitation attendance was three times as important as lecture attendance for predicting pre-test to post-test gains. For the online student, embracing the online environment as opposed to trying to convert it into a traditional print-based one was an important strategy, but simple diligence in attempting “voluntary” exercises was by far the most important factor in student success.
Personal Transformation in Midlife Orphanhood: An Empirical Phenomenological Study
Authors: Pope Alan
Published: October 2005

The present study explores the ways in which being orphaned at midlife leads to personal transformation. Empirical phenomenological methods were applied to in-depth interviews with four participants. Analysis of the explicit and implicit lived meanings of this experience yielded 74 themes organized into a general structural narrative. This narrative ranged from early experiences of providing care to the dying parent to an eventual reorganization of self. In crossing the generational line and assuming the role of elder, study participants developed an increased sense of purpose and meaning, transcendence of egoistic concern, a greater sense of interconnectedness to others, and deeper sensitivity and compassion. Further, the results provide evidence that an ongoing relationship to the deceased parent serves several vital psychological and developmental functions, and that actively “holding on” to the deceased parent drives many of the dynamics through which personal transformation is effected.
Changes in the Approaches of Teachers Following Computerization of Schools
Authors: Wasserman Egoza , Millgram Yitzchak
Published: October 2005

This article examines the change in teachers' attitudes and instruction following computerization of their schools. Parameters chosen to assure the success of the study were: teachers' training courses, establishment of teachers' teams, teachers' expectations and willingness, and teachers' use of the computer in the school. The study took place in Israeli schools using the following tools: interviews, questionnaires, observations, case studies, and focus groups. The groups examined were teachers and students. The results showed a significant change in the teachers' attitude and instruction following computerization. Those who took training courses on computers, used computer tools as aids, and made greater use of software, had a greater willingness to employ the computer. Yet the teachers were not yet open to changing their methods by using the computer as a teaching tool and still preferred traditional frontal teaching. They stated that they did not have expectations for changing the learning process significantly as a result of computerization.
Disclosing Daydreams versus Real Experiences: Attitudes, Emotional Reactions, and Personality Correlates
Authors: Klinger Eric , Murphy Michael D. , Ostrem Jill L. , Stark-Wroblewski Kimberly
Published: October 2005

Clinical observations and anecdotal reports suggest that many people are more reluctant to disclose daydreams than thematically similar real past events. Two studies of daydream disclosures examined choices to disclose daydreams versus real experiences, imagined emotional and attitudinal reactions to such disclosures, the effects on these of experimentally varied thematic content and mood, and personality correlates. In a realistic choice situation, 79% of participants preferred to disclose real experiences versus 14% to disclose daydreams. Imagining disclosing daydreams evoked more negative emotions than imagining disclosing similar real events, and this was moderated by theme and mood. Those who felt less distressed after revealing daydreams as compared with past experiences scored lower on trait measures of negative emotionality, higher on positive emotionality, and lower on rumination.
Beton‐Beton Verbindungssystem in einer Festen Hochgeschwindigkeits‐Fahrbahn
Authors: Block Klaus , Dreier Friedrich
Published: October 2005

Bei Beton‐Beton Verbindungen für Hochgeschwindigkeits‐Fahrbahnen müssen diese Elemente nicht nur den Anforderungen an die Ermüdungstragfähigkeit, sondern auch an maximale Verformungen genügen. Der Nachweis der Verformungen ist im Regelfall entscheidend für die Ausführung. Da rein rechnerische Nachweise wegen der komplexen Aufgabenstellung derzeit noch nicht geführt werden können, ist eine versuchsgestützte Bemessung erforderlich. Im Zuge der Bearbeitung eines praktischen Anwendungsfalls zeigte sich, daß bei steigender Kraftschwingbreite die Verformungen überproportional zunehmen und von einer Vielzahl von Parametern abhängen. Dabei kommt der Beanspruchungsgeschichte eine besondere Bedeutung zu. In dieser Arbeit wird gezeigt, wie die Aufgabenstellung konstruktiv gelöst werden kann und wie vorzugehen ist, um zuverlässige Ergebnisse zu erhalten.
Zur Ermittlung der rißbreitenbeschränkenden Bewehrung bei Zwang in erhärtenden Betonbauteilen: Die Problematik einer “ausreichenden” Mindestbewehrung
Authors: Röhling Stefan
Published: October 2005

Wenn zwangsbedingte Zugspannungen auftreten können, ist zur Gewährleistung der Gebrauchstauglichkeit und Dauerhaftigkeit wie bisher nach DIN 1045 (Ausgabe 7.88), Abschnitt 17.6, auch weiterhin nach DIN 1045‐1 (2001‐07), Abschnitt 11.2, die sich einstellende Rißbreite in Abhängigkeit vom Verwendungszweck und den Beanspruchungen bzw. Umweltbedingungen des Bauwerkes zu begrenzen.

Die Einhaltung einer vorgegebenen Rißbreite nimmt innerhalb der Nachweise zur Gebrauchstauglichkeit und Dauerhaftigkeit der Tragwerke eine Schlüsselstellung ein.

Die parallellaufende Festlegung von konstruktiven oder betontechnologischen Maßnahmen zur Verminderung der Zwangsspannungen ist dabei stets sinnvoll, da die vorgegebenen Rißbreiten dann zuverlässig eingehalten und in Verbindung mit der Bemessung der Mindestbewehrung sowie den Aufwendungen für die Rißverpressung eine kostenseitige Optimierung erreicht werden kann.

Obwohl im folgenden nur auf die Rißbreitenbeschränkung bei frühem Zwang abgestellt wird, ist in der Tragwerksplanung die weitere Entwicklung der Spannungssituation ebenfalls zu berücksichtigen. Beispielsweise kann bei Außenbauteilen im Winter nach der Herstellung des Bauteiles eine Zwangsbeanspruchung auftreten, die bei höherer Zugfestigkeit zu einer Rißkraft führt, für die die rißbreitenbeschränkende Bewehrung dann nicht ausreicht.