Digital Commons Network^™

Gravitational Wave Burst Source Direction Estimation Using Time And Amplitude Information, J. Markowitz, M. Zanolin, L. Cadonati, E. Katsavounidis

Michele Zanolin

Rwanda: No Conspiracy, No Genocide Planning ... No Genocide?, C. Peter Erlinder

C. Peter Erlinder

No abstract provided.

Insig2 Gene Polymorphism Is Associated With Increased Subcutaneous Fat In Women And Poor Response To Resistance Training In Men, Funda Orkunoglu-Suer, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Priscilla Clarkson, Paul Thompson, Theodore Angelopoulos, Paul Godron, Niall Moyna, Linda Pescatello, Paul Visich, Robert Zoeller, Brennan Harmon, Richard Seip, Eric Hoffman, Joseph Devaney

Priscilla M. Clarkson

Background A common SNP upstream of the INSIG2 gene, rs7566605 (g.-10,1025G>C, Chr2:118,552,255, NT_022135.15), was reported to be associated with obesity (Body Mass Index, [BMI]) in a genome-wide association scan using the Framingham Heart Study but has not been reproduced in other cohorts. As BMI is a relatively insensitive measure of adiposity that is subject to many confounding variables, we sought to determine the relationship between the INSIG2 SNP and subcutaneous fat volumes measured by MRI in a young adult population. Methods We genotyped the INSIG2 SNP rs7566605 in college-aged population enrolled in a controlled resistance-training program, (the Functional Polymorphism …

Virtual Environments Innovation And R&D Activities: Management Challenges, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Companies will not survive long unless they join a threefold revolution in management itself, innovation, and information technology. Innovation plays a central role in economic development, at regional and national level. In the competitive environment companies are obliged to produce more rapidly, more effectively and more efficiently in new product development which is a result of research and development (R&D) activities. It is necessary for them to put together different capabilities and services with the goal, through cooperation between suppliers and customers, service providers and scientific institutions to achieve innovations of high quality. Depending on the type of industry, the …

The Legal Condition Of The Human Body In France And Japan. A Comparative Approach To Legal Personhood In A Context Of Globalization, Matthieu Forlodou

Matthieu Forlodou

This paper is a short abstract of my on-going PhD thesis. The ful text will be available soon.

Declining Unionization, Rising Inequality: An Interview With Kate Bronfenbrenner , Kate Bronfenbrenner

Kate Bronfenbrenner

Kate Bronfenbrenner is director of labor education research at the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. She worked for many years as an organizer with the United Woodcutters Association in Mississippi and the Service Employees International Union in Boston. She is the author, co-author and editor of numerous books and articles on union strategies.

Final Report : The Effects Of Plant Closing Or Threat Of Plant Closing On The Right Of Workers To Organize, Kate Bronfenbrenner

Kate Bronfenbrenner

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Strategic And Coordinated Bargaining Campaigns In The 1990s: The Steelworkers’ Experience, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Tom Juravich

Kate Bronfenbrenner

"With the refocusing of attention of the labor movement on organizing, an increasing number of scholars have been directing their research toward the nature and practice of current union organizing efforts. These scholars have begun updating a literature that had grown sorely out of touch with the organizing experience of America’s unions and have provided the foundation for a more sophisticated understanding of the organizing process. While we applaud this resurgence in organizing research, there has not been a comparable resurgence in research on collective bargaining…"

Worker Turnover And Part-Time Employment At Ups, Kate Bronfenbrenner

Kate Bronfenbrenner

Over the last ten years we have seen a dramatic increase in the utilization of part-time workers by the United Parcel Service (UPS). This increase has been coupled with a stunningly high turnover rate of 150 percent among these workers. This study documents the deteriorating work environment for part-time workers at UPS and finds that a lack of full-time opportunities, a pervasive pattern of management mistreatment, and an alarmingly high injury rate are the primary determinants of the high turnover rate.

Uneasy Terrain: The Impact Of Capital Mobility On Workers, Wages, And Union Organizing, Kate Bronfenbrenner

Kate Bronfenbrenner

In May 2000, the United States Trade Deficit Review Commission contracted with Cornell University to conduct a study updating Cornell’s previous research on the impact of plant closings and threats of plant closings on union organizing campaigns in the U.S. private sector. Through surveys, personal interviews, documentary evidence, and the use of electronic databases, the Cornell researchers were able to collect detailed data on the extent, nature, and impact of plant closings and plant closing threats for a random sample of more than 400 NLRP certification campaigns that took place between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 1999. By examining …

Significant Victories: The Practice And Promise Of First Contracts In The Public And Private Sectors, Tom Juravich, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Robert Hickey

Kate Bronfenbrenner

After decades of massive employment losses in heavily unionized sectors of the economy, and the exponential growth of the largely unorganized service sector, the American labor movement is struggling to remain relevant. Despite new organizing initiatives, the combination of US labor law and labor relations practices have made new organizing a tremendously arduous endeavor. Private sector workers, in particular, are routinely confronted with a host of aggressive legal, marginally legal, and illegal anti-union tactics from employers and their representatives.

Korean Patent No. Kr1020067027478, Adam R. Stephenson

Adam Stephenson

No abstract provided.

Distance Learning Programs For Pathology Education, Bruce Fenderson, Anthony J. Frisby

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

In this article we describe the development of distance learning programs for pathology education at Thomas Jefferson University. Our first step was to create a one-credit computer lab for an existing graduate course (Pathologic Aspects of Disease, PA570). Students use this computer lab to review case studies, submit essays, and take weekly quizzes. A discussion board is used to publish student essays and provide a forum for class discussion. Examination scores and academic progress are reported online. Our second step was to add lectures to create a complete, three-credit distance learning course for pathology education. (Pathophysiology of Human Disease, NU570). …

Evaluations Of The Effectiveness Of A Web-Based Graduate Epidemiology Course, Molly A. Rose, Anthony J. Frisby, Michael D. Hamlin, Susan S. Jones

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

An online epidemiology course was developed, implemented, and evaluated for graduate nursing students through the collaborative efforts of nursing faculty and information, education, and instructional design staff of the library at a health sciences university. This epidemiology course is a core curriculum course for graduate nursing students. The course was piloted with 14 students (one student in Romania); the initial online offering ran concurrently with a traditional classroom section. Extensive evaluation data were collected and analyzed to compare the effectiveness of the classroom and distance-learning formats. Areas of evaluation included objective measures, such as midterm and final examination scores and …

An Operational Measure Of Physician Lifelong Learning: Its Development, Components And Preliminary Psychometric Data, Mohammadreza Hojat, Thomas J. Nasca, James B. Erdmann, Anthony J. Frisby, Jon J. Veloski, Joseph S. Gonnella

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

Despite the emphasis placed on physicians’ lifelong learning, no psychometrically sound instrument has been developed to provide an operational measure of the concept and its components among physicians. The authors designed this study to develop a tool for measuring physician lifelong learning, to identify its underlying components and to assess its psychometric properties. A 37-item questionnaire was developed, based on a review of literature and the results of two pilot studies. Psychometric analyses of the responses of 160 physicians identified 19 items that were included in the Jefferson Scale of Physician Lifelong Learning. Factor analysis of the 19 items showed …

Health Policy Newsletter Goes On-Line!, Anthony J. Frisby

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

No abstract available.

Development And Evaluation Of An Interactive Multimedia Clinical Skills Teaching Program Designed For The Pediatric Clerkship., Anthony J. Frisby, Lindsey Lane, Anna M. Carr, Ellen Ross, Ruth P. Gottlieb

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

Background and Purpose: The physical examination section of a multimedia program developed to teach infant history and physical examination skills was evaluated. Methods: 71 students participated: one group viewed only the physical examination section (PX), one the history section (HX), one none of the program (CX). Physical examination skills were assessed by direct observation of medical students performing an abdominal exam and scored using a checklist at baseline, immediately after intervention and at the end of the pediatric clerkship. Results were analyzed using ANOVA with repeated measures. Results: Baseline scores were: PX 2.5; HX 2.8. The PX group scored significantly …

Evaluation Of A Web-Based Research Course, Mary E. Bowen, Anthony J. Frisby

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

A web-based research course for graduate nursing students was developed, implemented, and evaluated for academic and satisfactions outcomes. A collaborative paradigm was utilized in designing the course to increase successful attainment of the graduate nursing program’s goal of a complete online graduate nursing MSN program. This web-based research course with 24 enrolled students was compared to an identical classroom based research course with 20 enrolled students. Areas of evaluation were academic outcomes of overall numerical course grades, satisfaction with course scores, and qualitative data on satisfaction of course. Results of this descriptive exploratory study demonstrated no statistically significant differences between …

Using Computer-Based Case Studies For Developing Information Searching Skills And Implementing Evidence-Based Medicine In Patient Care Plans., Anthony J. Frisby, Daniel G. Kipnis

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

Since 1987 over 1,300 first year medical students at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA have completed a required Medical Informatics course. This course is the responsibility of the Library’s Education Services division. Designed to develop information-searching skills and teach methods for evaluating evidence-based medicine, the course employs a combination of self-paced online tutorials and case studies. The case studies in particular have proven to be a very effective learning tool. Course evaluations are consistently positive, with comments citing the interesting case studies and the effectiveness and appropriateness of the teaching method. This chapter describes the case development process, presents …

Computer-Based Learning For Esrd Patient Education: Current Status And Future Directions, Jeanette K. Chambers, Anthony J. Frisby

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

Computer use in everyday life has expanded human potential in virtually every possible arena. In health care, computer technology affects direct clinical care through diagnostics, treatment, monitoring, and documentation processes. Patient care systems use computer technology to manage billing, scheduling, and multiple other administrative functions. Computer technology for education of health care professionals has been primarily in elected undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. Computer-based continuing education for health care professionals has been available for at least a decade, but computer-based patient education is just now beginning to emerge as a learning options. This article describes examples of patient education …

Self-Directed Learning Readiness In Medical Students At The Ohio State University, Anthony J. Frisby

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

The purpose of this study is to investigate self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) in medical students at The Ohio State University. Questions to be addressed include, do the independent study students have higher SDLR scores than the lecture-discussion students, and to SDLR scores differ between the class years for the first three years of coursework? The first year of medical schools is identified as Med I, the second as Med II and the third as Med III. Self-directed learning (also referred to as: self-instruction, autonomous learning, independent learning, independent study, self-study (Guglielmino, 1977)) is defined by Griffin as a learning situation …

Developing And Sustaining A Web-Based Library Newsletter, Liz Mikita, Daniel G. Kipnis, Anthony J. Frisby

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

Before the rising popularity of the Internet in the mid 1990s, Scott Memorial Library, like most others, used printed newsletters to inform users about new resources and services. The JEFFLINE Forum, our attempt to resuscitate the Library's newsletter by employing the technical advantages-and increasing presence-of the Web, debuted in October of 1999. The fifth anniversary of the Forum seemed like a good time to look back at its evolution and to examine some of the challenges inherent in developing and sustaining a library newsletter.

Using World-Wide-Web Technology For Pathology Education, Anthony J. Frisby, Bruce Fenderson, Christopher D. Braster, Rodney B. Murray

Anthony J Frisby, PhD

In this article, we describe the development of computer-based learning programs for pathology students at Jefferson Medical College. These programs are authored using HTML (HyperText Markup Language), and are available to students on campus and via the internet. Our computer-based learning resources include scheduling information, course goals and objectives, glossary of key words, self-assessment programs and image-based case studies. These educational programs are popular with the students. We recommend the use of World Wide Web technology to improve teaching and learning in pathology education.

Cyber Civil Rights, Danielle Keats Citron

Danielle Keats Citron

Social networking sites and blogs have increasingly become breeding grounds for anonymous online groups that attack women, people of color, and members of other traditionally disadvantaged groups. These destructive groups target individuals with defamation, threats of violence, and technology-based attacks that silence victims and concomitantly destroy their privacy. Victims go offline or assume pseudonyms to prevent future attacks, impoverishing online dialogue and depriving victims of the social and economic opportunities associated with a vibrant online presence. Attackers manipulate search engines to reproduce their lies and threats for employers and clients to see, creating digital “scarlet letters” that ruin reputations. Today’s …

Reporting And Comparing School Performances, Geoff N. Masters, Glenn Rowley, John Ainley, Siek Toon Khoo

Dr John Ainley

This report provides advice on the collection and reporting of information about the performances of Australian schools. The focus is on the collection of nationally comparable data. Two purposes are envisaged: use by education authorities and governments to monitor school performances and, in particular, to identify schools that are performing unusually well or unusually poorly given their circumstances; and use by parents/caregivers and the public to make informed judgements about, and meaningful comparisons of, schools and their offerings. Our advice is based on a review of recent Australian and international research and experience in reporting on the performances of schools. …

Participation In And Progress Through New Apprenticeships, John Ainley, Matthew Corrigan

Dr John Ainley

New Apprenticeships provide a pathway from school to adult working life for a significant proportion of each cohort of young people and thus make a potentially important contribution to the formation of skills for individuals and for the community as a whole. New Apprenticeships are based on a formal combination of study and work that links learning in the workplace with learning in an educational institution. They incorporate both traditional apprenticeships and traineeships. This report focuses on two broad research questions : What are the characteristics of young people who commence a New Apprenticeship overall, as well as of those …

Reading Comprehension And Numeracy Among Junior Secondary School Students In Australia, Gary Marks, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

This report examines the performance, and levels of mastery, on tests of reading comprehension and numeracy of Australian students in junior secondary school between 1975 and 1995. Data for the analyses reported were drawn from two national monitoring studies and other studies of representative samples of junior secondary school students designed to monitor the progress of young people through school into further education, training and work. In each of the studies students completed tests that are similar to those conducted in the Australian states and territories and overseas to monitor student performance. The tests focussed on reading skills (which correlate …

Using Research To Advance Professional Practice, Geoff N. Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

This paper discusses quality in professional practice - whether as an engineer, accountant or orthopaedic surgeon - and how it depends on expert knowledge of the field, a deep understanding of underlying principles, accumulated experience in the practice of the profession, a familiarity with recent advances in the professional knowledge base, and mastery of the best available techniques and tools. Teaching qualifies as a profession to the extent that it requires the application of specialised knowledge and skill developed through research and high-level education and training. Quality in teaching practice depends on familiarity with recent advances in the professional knowledge …

Conceptualising And Researching Student Wellbeing, Geoff N. Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

Schools have always seen it as part of their role to support and encourage children's all-round development, including their cognitive, interpersonal, social, aesthetic, physical and moral/spiritual growth. Beyond the academic, schools have been committed to children's general wellbeing; in seeing children develop into well-rounded, healthy individuals who can take their place as informed, principled and engaged members of society. In fulfilling this role, schools have worked alongside and complemented families, churches and other institutions in the community. In recent years, Australian schools and education systems have made efforts to clarify the broad purposes of schooling and to introduce ways of …

International Achievement Studies: Lessons From Pisa And Timss, Geoff N. Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

In early December 2004, the results of two international studies were released providing the most recent evidence we have on how levels of school achievement in Australia compare with international standards. ACER's chief executive Geoff Masters compares the results and outlines lessons we can learn from the findings.