Showing papers by "University of North Carolina at Greensboro published in 2010"
TL;DR: Using data from 598 studies representing over 200,000 individuals, a meta-analyzed the relationship between G. Hofstede's (1980a) original 4 cultural value dimensions and a variety of organizationally relevant outcomes, finding significantly stronger effects in culturally tighter, rather than looser, countries.
Abstract: Using data from 598 studies representing over 200,000 individuals, we meta-analyzed the relationship between G. Hofstede's (1980a) original 4 cultural value dimensions and a variety of organizationally relevant outcomes. First, values predict outcomes with similar strength (with an overall absolute weighted effect size of rho = 0.18) at the individual level of analysis. Second, the predictive power of the cultural values was significantly lower than that of personality traits and demographics for certain outcomes (e.g., job performance, absenteeism, turnover) but was significantly higher for others (e.g., organizational commitment, identification, citizenship behavior, team-related attitudes, feedback seeking). Third, cultural values were most strongly related to emotions, followed by attitudes, then behaviors, and finally job performance. Fourth, cultural values were more strongly related to outcomes for managers (rather than students) and for older, male, and more educated respondents. Fifth, findings were stronger for primary, rather than secondary, data. Finally, we provide support for M. Gelfand, L. H. Nishii, and J. L. Raver's (2006) conceptualization of societal tightness-looseness, finding significantly stronger effects in culturally tighter, rather than looser, countries.
882 citations
TL;DR: Co-teaching as discussed by the authors is the sharing of instruction by a general education teacher and a special education teacher or another specialist in general education class that includes students with disabilities, is a relatively recent application.
Abstract: Although collaboration among service providers has been a hallmark of special education almost since its inception, co-teaching, the sharing of instruction by a general education teacher and a special education teacher or another specialist in a general education class that includes students with disabilities, is a relatively recent application. As a result of recent federal legislation and related policy changes, co-teaching has evolved rapidly as a strategy for ensuring that these students have access to the same curriculum as other students while still receiving the specialized instruction to which they are entitled. Despite considerable enthusiasm expressed by those who write about co-teaching and those who implement it, co-teaching illustrates the complexity of conceptualizing and studying collaboration in special education. Most inquiry on co-teaching has emphasized co-teachers' roles and relationships or program logistics rather than demonstrating its impact on student achievement and other key out...
549 citations
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: This chapter discusses the design, implementation, design, and Validation of Diagnostic Assessments with DCMs, and the model Fit of DCMs.
Abstract: Index of Notation 1. Introduction I. Theory: Principles of Diagnostic Measurement with DCMs 2. Implementation, Design, and Validation of Diagnostic Assessments 3. Diagnostic Decision Making with DCMs 4. Attribute Specification for DCMs II. Methods: Psychometric Foundations of DCMs 5. The Statistical Nature of DCMs 6. The Statistical Structure of Core DCMs 7. The LCDM Framework 8. Modeling the Attribute Space in DCMs III. Applications: Utilizing DCMs in Practice 9. Estimating DCMs Using Mplus 10. Respondent Parameter Estimation in DCMs 11. Item Parameter Estimation in DCMs 12. Evaluating the Model Fit of DCMs 13. Item Discrimination Indices for DCMs 14. Accommodating Complex Sampling Designs in DCMs Glossary
495 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that mind wandering represents a failure of executive control and that it is dually determined by the presence of automatically generated thoughts in response to environmental and mental cues and the ability of the executive-control system to deal with this interference.
Abstract: In this comment, we contrast different conceptions of mind wandering that were presented in 2 recent theoretical reviews: Smallwood and Schooler (2006) and Watkins (2008). We also introduce a new perspective on the role of executive control in mind wandering by integrating empirical evidence presented in Smallwood and Schooler with 2 theoretical frameworks: Watkins's elaborated control theory and Klinger's (1971, 2009) current concerns theory. In contrast to the Smallwood-Schooler claim that mind wandering recruits executive resources, we argue that mind wandering represents a failure of executive control and that it is dually determined by the presence of automatically generated thoughts in response to environmental and mental cues and the ability of the executive-control system to deal with this interference. We present empirical support for this view from experimental, neuroimaging, and individual-differences research.
491 citations
TL;DR: This work uses data from two urban centers and two taxa to link diversity loss with reduced community evenness among species in urban communities, and uses foraging efficiency as a mechanism to explain the loss of diversity.
Abstract: The global decline in biodiversity as a result of urbanization remains poorly understood. Whereas habitat destruction accounts for losses at the species level, it may not explain diversity loss at the community level, because urban centers also attract synanthropic species that do not necessarily exist in wildlands. Here we suggest an alternative framework for understanding this phenomenon: the competitive exclusion of native, nonsynanthropic species by invasive species. We use data from two urban centers (Phoenix and Baltimore) and two taxa (birds and spiders) to link diversity loss with reduced community evenness among species in urban communities. This reduction in evenness may be caused by a minority of invasive species dominating the majority of the resources, consequently excluding nonsynanthropic species that could otherwise adapt to urban conditions. We use foraging efficiency as a mechanism to explain the loss of diversity. Thus, to understand the effects of habitat conversion on biodiversity, and to sustain species-rich communities, future research should give more attention to interspecific interactions in urban settings.
410 citations
TL;DR: A statistically significant association between parent involvement and a child's academic performance, over and above the impact of the child's intelligence is indicated.
Abstract: Parent involvement in a child's education is consistently found to be positively associated with a child's academic performance. However, there has been little investigation of the mechanisms that explain this association. The present study examines two potential mechanisms of this association: the child's perception of cognitive competence and the quality of the student–teacher relationship. This study used a sample of 158 seven-year-old participants, their mothers, and their teachers. Results indicated a statistically significant association between parent involvement and a child's academic performance, over and above the impact of the child's intelligence. A multiple mediation model indicated that the child's perception of cognitive competence fully mediated the relation between parent involvement and the child's performance on a standardized achievement test. The quality of the student–teacher relationship fully mediated the relation between parent involvement and teacher ratings of the child's classr...
294 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that both national and organizational cultural differences and cultural integration in the form of cultural convergence and cross-vergence affect knowledge transfer in acquisitions and develop specific hypotheses concerning the nature of these effects, and test their hypotheses with data on international acquisitions carried out by Finnish corporations.
Abstract: In spite of the proliferation of research on cultural differences in international mergers and acquisitions, we lack systematic analyses of the impact of cultural factors on knowledge transfer. In this paper, we argue that both national and organizational cultural differences and cultural integration in the form of cultural convergence and crossvergence affect knowledge transfer in acquisitions. We develop specific hypotheses concerning the nature of these effects, and test our hypotheses with data on international acquisitions carried out by Finnish corporations. The analyses performed show that national cultural differences provide great potential for knowledge transfer in international acquisitions. Furthermore, organizational cultural convergence and crossvergence have a significant positive impact on knowledge transfer. In particular, convergence and crossvergence moderate the impact of national cultural differences on knowledge transfer.
283 citations
TL;DR: In a reprise of Lowe and Gardner's (2000) review of The Leadership Quarterly's (LQ) first decade as a premier outlet for scholarly leadership research, this paper reviewed 353 articles published in LQ during its second decade.
Abstract: In a reprise of Lowe and Gardner's (2000) review of The Leadership Quarterly's (LQ) first decade as a premier outlet for scholarly leadership research, we review 353 articles published in LQ during its second decade. Multiple methods were employed to prepare this review, including: interviews with the journal's current Senior Editor and Associate Editors; an assessment of LQ's impact, reputation, and most cited articles through citation analyses; a content analysis of article type (theory, empirical, and methods), contributors (e.g., discipline, nationality, and institutional affiliation), theoretical foundations, research strategies, sample location/type, data collection methods, and analytical procedures; survey and follow-up focus groups conducted with LQ Editorial Review Board members; and qualitative analyses to assess the prevalent themes, contributions, and trends reflected in LQ during its second decade. Drawing from these sources, we describe anticipated directions for future research.
283 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore what is necessary, beyond traditional forms of professional knowledge, to support the development of thoughtful teachers who are responsive to students and situations, and suggest a need to move beyond knowledge in teacher education.
Abstract: As teacher educators, we have observed that knowledge alone does not lead to the kinds of thoughtful teaching we strive for. Puzzled by differences in the teaching practices of teacher candidates having similar professional knowledge, we explore what might account for these differences. We address what is necessary, beyond traditional forms of professional knowledge, to support the development of thoughtful teachers who are responsive to students and situations. We provide four perspectives, each drawn from areas in which we conduct our research, and suggest a need to move beyond knowledge in teacher education. Our aim is to explore questions about preparing thoughtful teachers and to challenge others to do the same. We postulate that self-knowledge and a sense of agency with the intent of purposefully negotiating personal and professional contexts may be as important, if not more important, than the more traditional conceptions of professional knowledge.
282 citations
TL;DR: The data suggest that sily marin- and silymarin-derived compounds may influence HCV disease course in some patients.
Abstract: Silymarin, also known as milk thistle extract, inhibits hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and also displays antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory actions that contribute to its hepatoprotective effects. In the current study, we evaluated the hepatoprotective actions of the seven major flavonolignans and one flavonoid that comprise silymarin. Activities tested included inhibition of: HCV cell culture infection, NS5B polymerase activity, TNF-α-induced NF-κB transcription, virus-induced oxidative stress, and T-cell proliferation. All compounds were well tolerated by Huh7 human hepatoma cells up to 80 μM, except for isosilybin B, which was toxic to cells above 10 μM. Select compounds had stronger hepatoprotective functions than silymarin in all assays tested except in T cell proliferation. Pure compounds inhibited JFH-1 NS5B polymerase but only at concentrations above 300 μM. Silymarin suppressed TNF-α activation of NF-κB dependent transcription, which involved partial inhibition of IκB and RelA/p65 serine phosphorylation, and p50 and p65 nuclear translocation, without affecting binding of p50 and p65 to DNA. All compounds blocked JFH-1 virus-induced oxidative stress, including compounds that lacked antiviral activity. The most potent compounds across multiple assays were taxifolin, isosilybin A, silybin A, silybin B, and silibinin, a mixture of silybin A and silybin B. The data suggest that silymarin- and silymarin-derived compounds may influence HCV disease course in some patients. Studies where standardized silymarin is dosed to identify specific clinical endpoints are urgently needed.
275 citations
TL;DR: Men and post-menopausal women accumulate more fat in their intra-abdominal depots than pre- menopausal women, resulting in a greater risk of developing complications associated with obesity.
TL;DR: Toddlers with poor emotion regulation skills and lower inhibitory control skills/higher reward sensitivity were more likely to be classified as overweight/at risk at 5.5 years of age, even after controlling for 2-year BMI.
Abstract: To investigate the role of early self-regulation skills, including emotion regulation, sustained attention and inhibitory control/reward sensitivity, in predicting pediatric obesity in early childhood. Participants for this study included 57 children (25 girls) obtained from three different cohorts participating in a larger ongoing longitudinal study. At 2 years of age, participants participated in several laboratory tasks designed to assess their self-regulation skills. Height and weight measures were collected when children were 2 and 5.5 years of age. Self-regulation skills in toddlerhood were predictive of both normal variations in body mass index (BMI) development and pediatric obesity. Specifically, emotion regulation was the primary self-regulation skill involved in predicting normative changes in BMI as no effects were found for sustained attention or inhibitory control/reward sensitivity. However, both emotion regulation and inhibitory control/reward sensitivity predicted more extreme weight problems (that is, pediatric obesity), even after controlling for 2-year BMI. Thus, toddlers with poor emotion regulation skills and lower inhibitory control skills/higher reward sensitivity were more likely to be classified as overweight/at risk at 5.5 years of age. Early self-regulation difficulties across domains (that is, behavioral and emotional) represent significant individual risk factors for the development of pediatric obesity. Mechanisms by which early self-regulation skills may contribute to the development of pediatric obesity are discussed.
TL;DR: In vivo and in vitro findings from the literature regarding potential mechanisms by which CLA reduces adiposity are summarized, including its impact on energy metabolism, adipogenesis, inflammation, lipid metabolism and apoptosis.
Abstract: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a family of fatty acids found in beef, dairy foods and dietary supplements, reduces adiposity in several animal models of obesity and some human studies. However, the isomer-specific antiobesity mechanisms of action of CLA are unclear, and its use in humans is controversial. This review will summarize in vivo and in vitro findings from the literature regarding potential mechanisms by which CLA reduces adiposity, including its impact on (a) energy metabolism, (b) adipogenesis, (c) inflammation, (d) lipid metabolism and (e) apoptosis.
TL;DR: This paper proposed a tentative verbal theory based on the SAM/REM model that utilizes contextual variability and study-phase retrieval to explain the major findings, as well as predict some novel results.
Abstract: What appears to be a simple pattern of results—distributed-study opportunities usually produce better memory than massed-study opportunities—turns out to be quite complicated. Many “impostor” effects such as rehearsal borrowing, strategy changes during study, recency effects, and item skipping complicate the interpretation of spacing experiments. We suggest some best practices for future experiments that diverge from the typical spacing experiments in the literature. Next, we outline the major theories that have been advanced to account for spacing studies while highlighting the critical experimental evidence that a theory of spacing must explain. We then propose a tentative verbal theory based on the SAM/REM model that utilizes contextual variability and study-phase retrieval to explain the major findings, as well as predict some novel results. Next, we outline the major phenomena supporting testing as superior to restudy on long-term retention tests, and review theories of the testing phenomenon, along with some possible boundary conditions. Finally, we suggest some ways that spacing and testing can be integrated into the classroom, and ask to what extent educators already capitalize on these phenomena. Along the way, we present several new experiments that shed light on various facets of the spacing and testing effects.
TL;DR: This document was developed collaboratively by members of the Telerehabilitation SIG of the American Telemedicine Association with input and guidance from other practitioners in the field, strategic stakeholders, and ATA staff.
Abstract: Telerehabilitation refers to the delivery of rehabilitation services via information and communication technologies. Clinically, this term encompasses a range of rehabilitation and habilitation services that include assessment, monitoring, prevention, intervention, supervision, education, consultation, and counseling. Telerehabilitation has the capacity to provide service across the lifespan and across a continuum of care. Just as the services and providers of telerehabilitation are broad, so are the points of service, which may include health care settings, clinics, homes, schools, or community-based worksites. This document was developed collaboratively by members of the Telerehabilitation SIG of the American Telemedicine Association, with input and guidance from other practitioners in the field, strategic stakeholders, and ATA staff. Its purpose is to inform and assist practitioners in providing effective and safe services that are based on client needs, current empirical evidence, and available technologies. Telerehabilitation professionals, in conjunction with professional associations and other organizations are encouraged to use this document as a template for developing discipline-specific standards, guidelines, and practice requirements.
TL;DR: Although inhibition of in vitro NS5B polymerase activity is demonstrable, the mechanisms of silymarin's antiviral action appear to include blocking of virus entry and transmission, possibly by targeting the host cell.
TL;DR: This study assessed the important metabonomic variations in urine associated with CRC and provided baseline information complementary to serum/plasma and tissue metabonomics for the complete elucidation of the underlying metabolic mechanisms of CRC.
Abstract: After our serum metabonomic study of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients recently published in J. Proteome Res., we profiled urine metabolites from the same group of CRC patients (before and after surgical operation) and 63 age-matched healthy volunteers using gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC−MS) in conjunction with a multivariate statistics technique. A parallel metabonomic study on a 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-treated Sprague−Dawley rat model was also performed to identify significantly altered metabolites associated with chemically induced precancerous colorectal lesion. The orthogonal partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models of metabonomic results demonstrated good separations between CRC patients or DMH-induced model rats and their healthy counterparts. The significantly increased tryptophan metabolism, and disturbed tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and the gut microflora metabolism were observed in both the CRC patients and the rat model. The urinary metabolite profile of pos...
TL;DR: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first demonstration via unbiased molecular dynamics that a ligand can access the binding pocket of a class A G protein-coupled receptor via the lipid bilayer and the first demonstrated via molecular dynamics of Gprotein-cOUpled receptor activation triggered by aligand binding event.
TL;DR: It is suggested that quercetin is equally or more effective than trans-RSV in attenuating TNF-α-mediated inflammation and insulin resistance in primary human adipocytes.
TL;DR: The findings of this study demonstrate the potential for broad-based treatments of child physical abuse to be effectively transported and implemented in community treatment settings.
Abstract: The primary purpose of this study was to conduct a randomized effectiveness trial of Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) for physically abused youth (mean age = 13.88 years, 55.8% female, 68.6% Black) and their families. Eighty-six families being followed by Child Protective Services due to physical abuse were randomly assigned to MST-CAN or Enhanced Outpatient Treatment (EOT), with both interventions delivered by therapists employed at a community mental health center. Across five assessments extending 16 months post baseline, intent-to-treat analyses showed that MST-CAN was significantly more effective than EOT in reducing youth mental health symptoms, parent emotional distress, parenting behaviors associated with maltreatment, youth out-of-home placements, and changes in youth placement. Also, MST-CAN was significantly more effective at improving natural social support for parents. Effect sizes were in the medium to large range for most outcomes examined. Although fewer children in the MST-CAN condition experienced an incident of reabuse than did counterparts in the EOT condition, base rates were low and this difference was not statistically significant. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential for broad-based treatments of child physical abuse to be effectively transported and implemented in community treatment settings.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on school functioning for 227 youth ages 7-14 (M = 10.3) with principal diagnoses of separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder or no diagnoses (n = 53), and the specific anxiety-disordered groups were differentiated to some degree on parent and teacher report of school functioning.
Abstract: This article reports on school functioning for 227 youth ages 7-14 (M = 10.3) with principal diagnoses of separation anxiety disorder (n = 40), social phobia (n = 58), generalized anxiety disorder (n = 76), or no diagnoses (n = 53). School functioning data were gathered via parent and teacher report. Youth with no diagnoses demonstrated significantly higher levels of school functioning than those with separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, or generalized anxiety disorder. The specific anxiety-disordered groups were differentiated to some degree on parent and teacher report of school functioning. Analyses revealed that differences were often attributable to increasingly complex comorbidity. These results underscore the need for services for youth with anxiety given the range of challenges they face in the school environment. ********** Reviews of epidemiologic studies conclude that anxiety disorders are common and possibly the most prevalent category of disorder in youth (Albano, Chorpita, & Barlow, 2003; Bernstein & Borchardt, 1991; Chavira, Stein, Bailey, & Stein, 2004). Using diagnostic criteria (e.g., Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR]; American Psychiatric Association, 2000), prevalence rates of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents range from 2% to 27%, depending on age, measure/assessment used, and assessment interval (Costello, Egger, & Angold, 2004). Yet, despite initial efforts (e.g., Phillips, 1978) and the high prevalence of anxiety disorders in youth, the relationship between anxiety and school functioning remains understudied. Surprisingly, a search of four major school psychology journals (e.g., School Psychology Review, Journal of School Psychology, School Psychology Quarterly, and Psychology in the Schools) has revealed a dearth of published studies involving a specific focus on the overlap between DSM-classified anxiety disorders typically found among school-age children and the associated influence on school functioning. Only a very small number (e.g., Callahan, Panichelli-Mindel, & Kendall, 1996; Wood, Chiu, Hwang, Jacobs, & Ifekwunigwe, 2008) have addressed this topic area. The literature highlights a number of deleterious outcomes linked to anxiety as rated by various informants. Children with anxiety tend to be rated by peers as being shyer and more socially withdrawn (Coplan, Girardi, Findlay, & Frohlick, 2007), and are rated as less popular and less likeable, relative to children who are not anxious (Nelson, Rubin, & Fox, 2005). Other studies (e.g., Kashani et al., 1990) have compared parent report of anxious youth to those who are not anxious, finding more difficulties experienced among the former group across ages. Strauss, Frame, and Forehand (1987) found that children classified as highly anxious by their teachers exhibited greater psychosocial difficulties and problems with adjustment than did children rated as nonanxious. Moreover, the effects of anxiety are not confined to childhood and adolescence, but can lead to problems in later functioning. Negative sequelae of childhood anxiety include adult anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and substance use problems (Kendall, Safford, Flannery-Schroeder, & Webb, 2004; Woodward & Fergusson, 2001). In considering contexts likely to produce anxiety for youth, the school environment emerges as especially salient, offering no lack of stress-producing stimuli for youth. Indeed, Langley, Bergman, McCracken, and Piacentini (2004) found that school-related stressors were among the most frequently endorsed as causing significant interference by their sample of youth with an anxiety disorder. Furthermore, numerous school-related "hassles" (e.g., peers, schoolwork, teachers, homework, and parent-school relations) affecting elementary and middle school children have been found to be significantly correlated with internalizing disorders such as anxiety (Barrett & Heubeck, 2000; Heubeck & O'Sullivan, 1998). …
TL;DR: A cross-disciplinary model of technology adoption is developed to address the multi-faceted context of social computing and suggests that social computing action, social computing consensus, social Computing cooperation, and social computing authority are antecedents to social influence, and augment usefulness and ease of use.
Abstract: IntroductionHuman innovation, in combination with the internet, networking, and communications technologies have produced a new platform for social and business networking, formation of community, and communication. This emerging phenomenon is generally known as social computing. While there is no widely accepted definition of social computing, we define it as: intra-group social and business actions practiced through group consensus, group cooperation, and group authority, where such actions are made possible through the mediation of information technologies, and where group interaction causes members to conform and influences others to join the group.In this article, we examine the adoption of information technologies in the context of social computing. Most current information systems research on individual technology adoption has focused upon the adoption of technology in organizations and has utilized such technology acceptance models as the TRA and TAM. It has been suggested, however, that a new perspective on adoption may be necessary to fully capture the nature of technology acceptance in social computing situations, where the technology is embraced rather than simply accepted by the user, and where the action made possible by technology is seen as a behavior embedded in society.Few studies have investigated technology adoption targeting the individual at the level of society, community, or lifestyle experience. There is little research that approaches adoption in the context of social computing, and to our knowledge, no models have been developed to investigate this phenomenon. This study addresses this gap by developing social constructs and providing a theoretically grounded model for technology adoption in the context of social computing.We develop a cross-disciplinary model of technology adoption to address the multi-faceted context of social computing. Our model suggests that social computing action, social computing consensus, social computing cooperation, and social computing authority are antecedents to social influence, and augment usefulness and ease of use. In social influence, group membership legitimizes actions and the individual is guided by the group's rules of practice. Social influence leads to technology adoption. Technology adoption incorporates two essential elements, the embracement of the technology by individuals and its embedment in society. Each of the model's constructs will be explained in further detail.As Figure 1 demonstrates, while technology may influence society, society often exerts influence on technology. Consider SMS text messaging. A technology that was originally intended to deliver subscriber information was adopted by end users as a vehicle for social behavior. Peer-to-peer (P2P) file swapping offers another example. A technology that was intended to provide an efficient mechanism for remote file access was adopted by end users to create music sharing networks. The strength of social influence is evident, as text messaging has now outpaced voice mobile calling as well as email. Similarly, sales of traditional music media such as CDs are declining as the number of music downloads and uploads via P2P networks continue to increase.As the Internet, networking, and communications technologies become increasingly embraced by individuals and embedded in everyday lives and activities, technologically enabled social structures are emerging that are changing the way individuals interact and communicate, and are facilitating fundamental changes to business practices. People socialize and network via their Web browsers by joining social networking sites such as MySpace.com and LinkedIn.com. Text messaging has created a form of communication that has its own user-defined language and protocols. A recent study by Cision on the influence of Web blogs on mainstream media showed that the mention of blogs in top magazines and newspapers has increased from just over 2,000 in 2005 to over 13,000 in 2008.In a 2006 study, Forrester Research found that although social computing is in infancy, societal changes are being witnessed, as individuals increasingly take cues from one another, in addition to traditional sources of authority, such as corporations, media, political institutions or religions. Social computing mechanisms such as blogs, e-Bay-esque Web sites, Web-based forums such as MySpace.com, text messaging, and instant messaging are often utilized instead of traditional sources of news, purchasing, and social interaction.Unauthorized P2P file sharing provides an example of how technology is used in the formation and organization of groups with shared interests. Through cooperation with a particular action, communities based upon the shared interest of music exchange are created by the consensus of the group that it is acceptable to use the Internet and communication technologies to share music among group members. Though the action is illegal in the traditional sense, the decentralized nature of P2P makes regulation difficult and largely immunizes its activities against established forms of authority. Furthermore, unauthorized file sharing has become socially acceptable (embedded) due to the new authority imposed by the group. The embracement and embedment of P2P file sharing is evident as the number of P2P networks continues to grow. Individuals have historically exchanged music via low quality mechanisms such as magnetic tape; however, the development of file formats such as .mp3 that could carry music of high quality and the adoption of P2P transferred some portion of the power wielded by the entertainment industry to the consumer. P2P file exchange has provided a means for obtaining music outside of mechanisms sanctioned by the entertainment industry, such as purchasing CDs or obtaining .mp3 files from legitimate sources.As social computing becomes prevalent, creating new ways to examine human behavior in the context of information technology becomes important. Parameswaran and Whinston9 suggest that social computing has brought about a much more complex model of computing that may not fit within the confines of current knowledge. Current research on IT adoption focuses largely upon the concepts of usefulness and ease of use, which may not fully explain technology adoption in the context of social computing. Due to the social influence inherent in social computing and the embedment and embracement of technology in the lives of individuals and the interactions of society, it has become important to examine technology adoption from a cross-disciplinary and multifaceted context, and in terms of social and business interactions.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and quantify the probability that a project funded by the SBIR program will fail to commercialize its results.
TL;DR: The authors suggest that confusion and interest have different positions in a two-dimensional appraisal space: interesting things stem from appraisals of high novelty and high comprehensibility, and confusing things arise from appraisal of low novelty and low comprehensibility.
Abstract: What makes something confusing? Confusion is a common response to challenging, abstract, and complex works, but it has received little attention in psychology. Based on appraisal theories of emotion, I suggest that confusion and interest have different positions in a two-dimensional appraisal space: interesting things stem from appraisals of high novelty and high comprehensibility, and confusing things stem from appraisals of high novelty and low comprehensibility. Two studies—a multilevel correlational study and an experiment that manipulated comprehensibility—found support for this appraisal model. Confusion and interest are thus close relatives in the family of knowledge emotions.
TL;DR: Cell signaling cascades and their interacting factors have become important targets of chemoprevention and phenolic phytochemicals and plant extracts seem to be promising in this endeavor.
TL;DR: An intervention was developed to promote parent involvement with ethnic minority families of children attending Head Start preschool programs and the quality of the parent-teacher relationship was significantly correlated with parental participation in the intervention.
Abstract: An intervention was developed to promote parent involvement with ethnic minority families of children attending Head Start preschool programs. Two hundred eighty-eight predominantly African American families from a small southern city were included in this study. Parent satisfaction with the program was high, yet engagement was less than optimal. Some effects were found for the program, despite low levels of participation. Ethnic minority parents who received the intervention increased the frequency of reading to their child as compared with parents in a comparison group who did not receive the program. The quality of the parent-teacher relationship was significantly correlated with parental participation in the intervention. Program participation and the parent-teacher relationship were correlated with higher levels of children's school readiness abilities. Children in the intervention condition showed stronger end-of-year receptive vocabulary and parent-rated social competence as compared with children who did not receive treatment. This research documents the challenges involved in engaging parents in prevention programs. Strategies for maximizing the benefits of preschool for ethnic minority families and their children are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore how family ownership and family expectations influence family firm image and entrepreneurial risk taking, and ultimately firm performance, and find support for a fully mediated model, utilizing a sample of 163 Swiss family firms.
TL;DR: This review focuses on the experimental and computational studies that have been used to probe the nature of endocannabinoid interaction with the cannabinoid receptors, including mutation, SAR and NMR studies, as well as, QSAR, docking and molecular dynamics simulations.
Abstract: The cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors are Class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). While many Class A GPCRs have endogenous ligands that are hydrophilic cations (e.g., the serotonin and dopamine receptors), the cannabinoid receptors have neutral, highly lipophilic ligands derived from the fatty acid, arachidonic acid. The most well-studied of these are N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide, AEA) and sn-2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). This review focuses on the experimental and computational studies that have been used to probe the nature of endocannabinoid interaction with the cannabinoid receptors. These studies include mutation, SAR and NMR studies, as well as, QSAR, docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Gaps in our knowledge are identified. The review begins more generally, however, by discussing the entire endocannabinoid system, of which the cannabinoid receptors are part. For in order to understand endocannabinoid action, one needs an appreciation for the environments for which these ligands have been designed and the conformational changes these ligands must undergo in order to act on the cannabinoid receptors.
TL;DR: This paper investigated differences in college-going expectations of middle school students who would be the first in their families to attend college and found that the former group demonstrated lower self-efficacy, higher negative outcome expectations, and more perceived barriers.
Abstract: The authors investigated differences in college-going expectations of middle school students who would be the 1st in their families to attend college. Social-cognitive career theory (SCCT; R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, & G. Hackett, 1994) was used to examine college-related expectations in 272 seventh-grade students. Differences were found between prospective 1st-generation college students (PFGCSs) and their non-PFGCS peers, with the former group demonstrating lower self-efficacy, higher negative outcome expectations, and more perceived barriers. Path analysis demonstrated partial support for the SCCT model. An alternative model for PFGCSs is proposed.
TL;DR: Students' performance reflected difficulty meeting expectations in simulated clinical scenarios, and high-fidelity human simulation performance appeared to approximate scores on metrics of critical thinking best.
Abstract: fero l.j., o’donnell j.m., zullo t.g., dabbs a.d., kitutu j., samosky j.t. & hoffman l.a. (2010) Critical thinking skills in nursing students: comparison of simulation-based performance with metrics. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(10), 2182–2193.
Abstract
Aim This paper is a report of an examination of the relationship between metrics of critical thinking skills and performance in simulated clinical scenarios.
Background Paper and pencil assessments are commonly used to assess critical thinking but may not reflect simulated performance.
Methods In 2007, a convenience sample of 36 nursing students participated in measurement of critical thinking skills and simulation-based performance using videotaped vignettes, high-fidelity human simulation, the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Simulation-based performance was rated as ‘meeting’ or ‘not meeting’ overall expectations. Test scores were categorized as strong, average, or weak.
Results Most (75·0%) students did not meet overall performance expectations using videotaped vignettes or high-fidelity human simulation; most difficulty related to problem recognition and reporting findings to the physician. There was no difference between overall performance based on method of assessment (P = 0·277). More students met subcategory expectations for initiating nursing interventions (P ≤ 0·001) using high-fidelity human simulation. The relationship between videotaped vignette performance and critical thinking disposition or skills scores was not statistically significant, except for problem recognition and overall critical thinking skills scores (Cramer’s V = 0·444, P = 0·029). There was a statistically significant relationship between overall high-fidelity human simulation performance and overall critical thinking disposition scores (Cramer’s V = 0·413, P = 0·047).
Conclusion Students’ performance reflected difficulty meeting expectations in simulated clinical scenarios. High-fidelity human simulation performance appeared to approximate scores on metrics of critical thinking best. Further research is needed to determine if simulation-based performance correlates with critical thinking skills in the clinical setting.