Showing papers by "Bridgewater State University published in 2009"

Evaluation of forest snow processes models (SnowMIP2)

Abstract: Thirty-three snowpack models of varying complexity and purpose were evaluated across a wide range of hydrometeorological and forest canopy conditions at five Northern Hemisphere locations, for up t ...

Women's Use of Intimate Partner Violence against Men: Prevalence, Implications, and Consequences

Abstract: Evidence showing that women use intimate partner violence (IPV) against their male partners has existed since the 1970s when IPV was first systematically examined This article discusses the various sources of prevalence rates of IPV by women against men, the dominant theoretical explanation for IPV in general, and its implications for female perpetrators and male victims in the social service and criminal justice systems, as well as the current evidence of the consequences of women's use of IPV to the men who sustain it Finally, we discuss directions for future research, including our own study focusing on men who sustain IPV

Are Female House Members Still More Liberal in a Polarized Era? The Conditional Nature of the Relationship Between Descriptive and Substantive Representation

Abstract: Some past studies looking at the voting behavior of women in Congress have shown that they tend to be more liberal than their male colleagues and are more likely to support issues of importance to women. Yet many of these analyses were conducted prior to the entrance of a number of conservative women into the U.S. House over the past few election cycles. Focusing on roll-call voting data over 13 Congresses, this study demonstrates that women in the House are more divided along partisan and ideological lines than at any point over the past two decades, even more ideologically distant than their male colleagues. It presents evidence that over the entirety of this period after controlling for other relevant factors, the effect of gender on roll-call ideology was stronger for Republican women than for Democratic women. However, in the 108th and 109th Congresses they were virtually ideologically indistinguishable from their male Republican colleagues. A similar pattern has materialized when the analysis is str...

Conditions for Competition in Low-Information Judicial Elections: The Case of Intermediate Appellate Court Elections

Abstract: Although much work has examined the conditions for competition and incumbent defeat in high-visibility elections, scholars have conducted little research on these conditions for less visible offices. We look at one particular type of low-information election: those to state intermediate appellate courts (IAC). Using a comprehensive data set of all IAC elections involving incumbents from 2000 to 2007, we estimate models of challenger entry and incumbent success once challenged. Our results comport, in some cases, and diverge, in others, with the findings of studies of more visible judicial and legislative offices.

Samuel Johnson, the Ossian Fraud, and the Celtic Revival in Great Britain and Ireland

Abstract: 1. An introductory survey of scholarship on Ossian: why literary truth matters 2. James Macpherson's violation of literary truth 3. Johnson on truth, frauds, and folklore: in the company of Thomas Percy 4. Searching for truth in the Highlands: Macpherson throws down the gauntlet 5. Charles O'Conor and the Celtic Revival in Ireland 6. Johnson and the Irish: more opposition to Ossian 7. Johnson's last word on Ossian with William Shaw: a finale to controversy Appendix: A Reply to Mr Clark (1782) by William Shaw in Association with Samuel Johnson Bibliography Index.

Obesity, Identity and Community: Leveraging Social Networks for Behavior Change in Public Health

Abstract: Obesity is a public health problem influenced by behavioral patterns that span an ecological spectrum of individual-level factors, social network factors and environmental factors. Both individual and environmental approaches necessarily include significant influences from social networks, but how and under what conditions social networks influence behavior change is often not clearly mapped out either in the obesity literature or in many intervention designs. In this paper, we provide an analysis of recent empirical work in obesity research that explicates social network influences on eating behaviors. We argue that a relational rather than individualistic view of personhood should help us better understand the content and context of social network relations that inform health behavior choices. We introduce the concept of ‘identity-constitutive affiliations’ as the glue that binds these social relationships together. Finally, we outline the implications for public health ethics in the development of effective interventions to address overweight and obesity, leveraging the content and context of social network ties to reinforce healthy (or alter unhealthy) eating. More complex treatment of positive and negative behaviors stemming from social network connections should lead to more comprehensive theoretical models of health behavior change and more effective public health interventions.

Cyberbullying and information exposure: user-generated content in post- secondary education

Abstract: The term ―Cyberimmersion‖ refers to the central role that the Internet and electronic communications now play in the lives of individuals born after 1980 in the First World. Cyberimmersion has transformed everything about bullying and harassment between youth in the First World. It has also transformed the information landscape, although confusion about the scope and nature of this transformation is common. User-generated content has opened the door to a vast ―spillage‖ of information, both damaging and promising. Younger users evidence a high comfort level with technology but many remain naive in the areas of electronic security, privacy, and information exposure. This report details research findings from the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center on the frequency and nature of online interactions between college students, some of which encompass bullying and harassing behaviors and others of which deal with information sharing and exposure.

Voter Rolloff in a Low-Information Context Evidence From Intermediate Appellate Court Elections

Abstract: Hall notes that ballot rolloff in supreme court races is substantial but not random. Various institutional, election-specific, state, and district-level contextual forces lead rolloff to increase in some cases and decrease in others. However, it is not clear that Hall's findings apply to lower-level judicial elections because of the low-information environment in which those elections occur. Analyzing rolloff in 755 intermediate appellate court (IAC) elections from 2000 to 2007, we, with a few deviations, replicate Hall's study. The findings indicate that in many ways the variables that affect rolloff in supreme court elections are similar to those in IAC races although some differences do exist.

Elementary teachers’ use of language to label and interpret science concepts

Abstract: This qualitative study examined how three teachers of upper elementary students used science vocabulary in their lessons. The data revealed that teachers used vocabulary to label science phenomena and interpret scientific concepts for students. The practice of labeling was used more extensively than interpreting. Teachers did not help their students understand why scientists use language in these two ways or how one informs the other. Implications for science educators include using inquiry to explicitly teach the purposes of scientific language in order to enhance elementary teachers’ knowledge of how vocabulary can aid student understanding of science.

Media Coverage of Agency-Related Child Maltreatment Fatalities: Does It Result in State Legislative Change Intended to Prevent Future Fatalities?

Abstract: This study investigates whether child maltreatment fatalities among children receiving services from state child welfare agencies spur substantive, as opposed to symbolic, legislative change to direct child welfare policy and practice. Using existing state-level data from three years, this study examined the influence of news stories, state characteristics, and child welfare policy practice factors on the passage of new child welfare legislations. The results suggest that high levels of media attention are indeed associated with new child welfare policy that is preventative in nature. Furthermore, state child welfare policy practice characteristics are also significantly related to the passage of new child maltreatment fatality-related legislation. The author makes recommendations for future research concerning the effectiveness of policy and practice change that results from child maltreatment fatalities.

Zen Practice: A Training Method to Enhance the Skills of Clinical Social Workers

Abstract: The use of Zen Buddhist meditation in clinical practice has received specific attention from mental health disciplines in the West. A study was undertaken to examine the influence of a personal practice of Zen on the professional work of clinical social workers. Ten experienced clinical social workers who were long-term Zen practitioners were interviewed. Findings from this qualitative study suggest that Zen meditation has direct application to clinical social work in three areas: (1) cultivating Awareness, (2) enhancing Acceptance, and (3) nurturing Responsibility. This article reports on the findings in the area of Awareness. Awareness increases a social worker's focus on the present moment with the client, providing for a suspension of preconceived ideas about the client. Building on the view that social work is both art and science, the author proposes the use of Zen in the training of clinical social workers.

Effects of competition on size and growth rates of Caracolus caracolla (L.) in Puerto Rico

Abstract: Although interspecific competition has been demonstrated between some pairs of terrestrial gastropod species, little work addresses its importance in tropical assemblages, which are often characterized by high species richness or population densities. A 9-year data set was used to assess growth rates and median shell size of a common Puerto Rican snail, Caracolus caracolla, as a function of density of conspecifics and potential interspecific competitors. Neither the rate nor the magnitude of growth of C. caracolla were inhibited at high densities. No association existed over time between density and size or growth rate. In contrast, C. caracolla generally was largest at sites with high densities of conspecifics. Several factors may be responsible for the apparent unimportance of competition, including the broad, flexible diet of C. caracolla, high productivity of the study site or periodic changes in microclimate or resource availability associated with hurricane-induced disturbance and recovery.

Muscle dysmorphia symptomatology and extreme drive for muscularity in a 23-year-old woman: a case study.

Abstract: We describe a 23-year-old woman with muscle dysmorphia symptomatology and extreme drive for muscularity. In addition to structured case study interviews, 3 questionnaires and a series of semistructured interview questions were administered for elaboration on key issues. The case studies allowed for triangulation of data garnered from the questionnaires. Responses revealed high scores for drive for muscularity, moderate scores for the Adonis complex, and high scores for symptoms of muscle dysmorphia. Muscle dysmorphia and drive for muscularity are more prevalent in men; however, unique cases such as this need to be further explored both empirically and theoretically. Cross-cultural references are needed to assess the overall impact of global social influences. Instruments measuring muscle dysmorphia need to be devised and validated for women as well as men. The strength and conditioning professional needs to be both aware and vigilant in helping people affected with psychosomatic disorders such as muscle dysmorphia or exercise addiction.

New Mandates and Imperatives in the Revised ACA Code of Ethics

Abstract: The first major revision of the ACA Code of Ethics in a decade occurred in late 2005, with the updated edition containing important new mandates and imperatives. This article provides interviews with members of the Ethics Revision Task Force that flesh out seminal changes in the revised ACA Code of Ethics in the areas of confidentiality, romantic and sexual interactions, dual relationships, end-of-life care for terminally ill clients, cultural sensitivity, diagnosis, interventions, practice termination, technology, and deceased clients.

Provincetown queer: paradoxes of ‘identity, space, and place’†

Abstract: Provincetown, MA, located at the tip of Cape Cod, has transitioned over the twentieth century from a predominantly Portuguese fishing village to a magnet for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals and queers, both as tourists and year-rounders. Newcomers have fostered change – economically, socially, and culturally – to which the town's predominantly straight old-timers have responded with a libertarian, generally accepting stance. Accommodation to newcomers – both ‘good gays’ and ‘sexual rebels’ – with its attendant social and cultural challenges, has not been without conflict. Today, economic gentrification and an influx of workers of color test the community's resolve to maintain and promote a culture of diversity and acceptance, as members cope with ever-more challenging economic issues, including escalating housing, and living costs. Provincetowners also confront other troubling demographic changes, especially declining school enrolments caused by the so-called ‘straight flight’ and an ever-incre...

Teach Alice programming to non-majors

Abstract: This paper presents the design and implementation of an introductory computer programming course using Alice for non-CS majors. This course gives a broad overview of computer science as an academic discipline and teaches computer programming to non-CS majors in a fun way.

Integration of Web 2.0 technologies in the translational research environment.

Abstract: Recent advancements in translational medicine have created an urgent need for solutions that support information dissemination and facilitate a fluid exchange of data from the research laboratory to the clinical environment and on to the broader community. Medical libraries can help meet this need by incorporating emerging Web-based technologies in support of educational, research, and patient care objectives. Web 2.0 resources facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing among users. Integration of Web 2.0 resources allows scientists, students, and medical professionals to efficiently organize and manage the information and resources that are critical in today's quickly changing biomedical research environment.

Sanctioning Foreign Policy: The Rhetorical Use of President Harry Truman

Abstract: Throughout his presidency, George W. Bush actively drew connections between the war on terror and World War II and/or the Cold War (see Chernus 2006; Ivie 2005; Noon 2004; Smith 2007). At the same time, Bush also drew parallels between his presidency and that of his predecessors. For example, in a speech before the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Bush made comparisons between his administration and that of Harry Truman. He stated, As we advance the cause of freedom in Iraq, our Nation can proceed with confidence that we have done this kind of work before. After World War II, President Harry Truman believed that the way to help bring peace and prosperity to Asia was to plant the seeds of freedom and democracy in Japan. Like today, there were many skeptics and pessimists who said that the Japanese were not ready for democracy. Fortunately, Harry Truman stuck to his guns. He believed, as I do, in freedom's power to transform an adversary into an ally. And because he stayed true to his convictions, today Japan is one of the world's freest and most prosperous nations, and one of America's closest allies in keeping the peace. The spread of freedom to Iraq and the Middle East requires the same confidence and persistence, and it will lead to the same results. (Bush 2005) Here, Bush analogized the circumstances in postwar Japan to that of Iraq in the midst of the war on terror. For President Bush, the parallels between Truman's presidency and his own were undeniable and served as tacit evidence to justify his activities in Iraq. You could read Bush's message to the nation as this: Harry Truman was right about Japan, and my ability to lead the United States in Iraq is the same as his. Thus, my efforts will be conducted with the "same confidence and persistence" and will "lead to the same results." Certainly, President Bush's use of the past is not an isolated example. Historical events and persons are often called upon in all aspects of society to celebrate some political purpose or appropriated in some way to meet the needs of the present day. For example, in American popular culture, the 1990s saw a resurgence of World War II nostalgia. Texts such as Saving Private Ryan and Tom Brokaw's best-selling book The Greatest Generation celebrated the contributions of the World War II generation, but more importantly, they offered up a "civics lesson" to the American people on the virtues of sacrifice and its own exceptionalist nature (Biesecker 2002). In the realm of politics, our discourse, particularly presidential rhetoric, is rife with references to past events and the great presidents of the past, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. When presidents invoke their predecessors, they are calling upon what Philip Abbott (1990) termed the "exemplar presidents." Donald Rice (1992) referred to this kind of invocation as the rhetoric of the "authorizing figure." Whatever terminology is used, appropriating the memory of historical heroes for present-day purposes is a form of collective memory that performs important political and symbolic work in American politics, in particular presidential foreign policy rhetoric, and is the subject of this inquiry. Specifically, I focus on the presidential foreign policy rhetoric of three contemporary presidents--Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush--and consider how they invoked the memory of Harry Truman. I chose these three presidents because enough time had passed between their presidencies and Truman's to allow for reflection on a number of events that occurred during the Cold War, which may have influenced their foreign policy worldviews. Moreover, these three presidents are the only contemporary ones who served two full terms that were not interrupted by death (JFK) or scandal (Nixon). That is not to say that one-term presidents such as Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush did not call upon the Truman legacy. …

Pioneering the personal robotics industry

Abstract: The world has yet to see an affordable commercial robot that can do more than one distinguishable task. In this paper I investigate the status of the home robotics industry. The work attempts to gauge when home robotics will become a successful norm. In my research, I interviewed leaders in the robotics industry. Their responses lead me to believe that the majority of robotics companies are isolated and independent. Where home robotics has been in the past shows missed opportunities while where it is going holds uncertain outcomes. A fact this paper confronts is often left undiscussed: the American government funds military robotics more than any other commercial entity. However, assistive commercial robotics is not within the scope of government funding. While this government support is also seen with Japan, the focus is on assistive technology rather than military. Robotics companies, venture capitalists, the United States government and the consumer are all entwined in the fate of commercial assistive home robotics. If unseen opportunities aren't utilized soon, Japan will be in place to dominate the home robotics market, leaving America behind.

How to Avoid Death by PowerPoint

Abstract: o Set-up: Ensure the projector and laptop are working well ah ead of the presentation. o Screens: Adjust room light; too much light gives slides a w shed out look. o Remotes: If a remote control is to be used, ensure you’re f amiliar with the buttons. o Common look and feel: Set up basic rules in the software’s slide master and apply them to all slides to ensure a professional p resentation. o Colour schemes: Be subtle. A garish combination can be distractin g. o Less is more: Keep the number of words on each slide to an absol ute minimum. o Special effects: Don’t go overboard with flying text or revolving l ogos. o Images: Check that photos are of sufficiently high resolut i n. o Talk to the audience: Always face your audience. Let them read the slid e . o Watch for signs: Keep an eye on the audience to ensure you’re not b oring them. o Consider training: A short training course can bring your speaking sk ills up to speed. o Energy: Stand to deliver your presentation, even to a smal l group. o Handouts: Have handout copies of your slides available after th meeting. o Back-up: Keep a hard copy of your notes so you can still de liver your presentation if the technology lets you down.

The Use of Economic Criteria in the Goods Provision Decisions of City Managers and Administrators

Abstract: What are the decision-making criteria used by public admin istrators in recommending which goods and services should be provided by local governments? Do city managers and administrators base their decisions on political criteria such as citizen support, elected official buy in, and special interest group advocacy, or do they focus on transaction and regulation costs and cost-benefit analysis? These ques tions are part of the ongoing debate in public administration about the relative importance of economic and political criteria in budget decision making. Empirical evidence at the local level has informed this largely normative discussion. In this article, survey methodol ogy is used to explore classic economic and budgeting theories in the context of budget decision making, with particular attention paid to economic and political criteria.