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Background: Mindfulness practices enhance executive function skills and academic achievement, spurring interest in integrating mindfulness interventions into education. Embedding mindfulness practice into a digital math game may provide a low‐cost, scalable way to induce mindfulness and boost game‐based learning, yet this approach remains unexplored. Objectives: We investigated the learning benefits of integrating mindfulness exercises in a digital math learning game and examined how students' trait mindfulness might moderate the outcomes. Methods: Two classroom studies were conducted with 404 5th and 6th grade students from six public schools in the U.S. (nStudy 1 = 227, nStudy 2 = 177). The two randomized controlled experiments assigned students to one of the three conditions: passive control (playing the digital learning game Decimal Point), story‐enriched active control, or mindfulness‐enriched condition. Trait mindfulness, learning gains, and in‐game problem‐solving (including problem‐solving duration, error count and correctness after reminder) were assessed. Study 2 included a manipulation check to better understand the effects of the mindfulness intervention. Results: Findings showed no significant differences in learning gains, problem‐solving duration or error count among the conditions. Students' trait mindfulness did not moderate these outcomes. Mindfulness reminders in the mindfulness‐enriched game led to more correct answers after errors than jokes in the story‐enriched game. Study 2 revealed that we failed to induce higher state mindfulness through the mindfulness inductions. Conclusions: Mindfulness prompts could be especially beneficial for students experiencing frustration during gameplay, warranting more exploration for digital game‐based instruction. We highlight barriers and future directions for fostering mindfulness through computer‐based instruction in classrooms. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic?: Researchers focus on digital games as productive learning environments for math, with potential for higher learning gains compared with traditional methods. However, results are mixed, and not all games lead to improved math outcomes.Executive function (EF) skills are crucial for math learning, and mindfulness‐based interventions show promise in enhancing EF skills in school‐aged students.Embedding mindfulness practice into a digital math game may provide a low‐cost, scalable way to induce mindfulness and, in turn, boost EF skills and game‐based learning, yet this approach remains unexplored What does this paper add?: This paper presents the results of two randomized control trials investigating the feasibility and benefits of incorporating mindfulness exercises into a digital math game designed for middle school students. Benefits are compared to those of a story‐enriched and regular version of the same digital math learning game.The paper also explores variations in the effects of the mindfulness‐enriched game based on students' initial trait mindfulness levels.We observe that listening to mindfulness inductions at the beginning of game sessions do not induce mindfulness, and therefore does not benefit math learning.We find that mindfulness prompts received after recurrent errors can be beneficial for students' problem solving. Implications of study findings for practitioners: Our study provides important information on how digital learning game designers should attempt to induce mindfulness in a digital game to promote learning.Digital learning game designers should consider incorporating mindfulness exercises into their games strategically. Presenting mindfulness inductions in audio format at the beginning of game sessions may not induce mindfulness or benefit math learning. Instead, designers should focus on integrating mindfulness prompts at moments when students encounter frustration within the learning game.Beyond embedding audio mindfulness exercises in the game, learning designers should also consider alternative technological and game features to induce mindfulness within a learning game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Although tablet computers offer advantages in data collection over traditional paper-and-pencil methods, little research has examined whether the 2 formats yield similar responses, especially with underserved populations. We compared the 2 survey formats and tested whether participants' responses to common health questionnaires or perceptions of usability differed by survey format. We also tested whether we could replicate established paper-and-pencil findings via tablet computer. Methods We recruited a sample of low-income community members living in the rural southern United States. Participants were 170 residents (black = 49%; white = 36%; other races and missing data = 15%) drawn from 2 counties meeting Florida's state statutory definition of rural with 100 persons or fewer per square mile. We randomly assigned participants to complete scales (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Inventory and Regulatory Focus Questionnaire) along with survey format usability ratings via paper-and-pencil or tablet computer. All participants rated a series of previously validated posters using a tablet computer. Finally, participants completed comparisons of the survey formats and reported survey format preferences. Findings Participants preferred using the tablet computer and showed no significant differences between formats in mean responses, scale reliabilities, or in participants' usability ratings. Conclusions Overall, participants reported similar scales responses and usability ratings between formats. However, participants reported both preferring and enjoying responding via tablet computer more. Collectively, these findings are among the first data to show that tablet computers represent a suitable substitute among an underrepresented rural sample for paper-and-pencil methodology in survey research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cough is one of the most common presenting problems for patients in primary care and is largely managed in primary care clinical settings. Family physicians' familiarity with chronic cough guidelines and the extent to which these guidelines translate into everyday practice have not been well described. The objective of this study was to characterize current diagnosis, treatment, and referral practices among family physicians and to identify potentially impactful strategies to optimize chronic cough management in primary care. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 5,000 family physicians to explore diagnosis, treatment, and referral practices related to chronic cough management in adults in primary care. Respondents completed the survey via paper or online. The outcome measures were self-reported numeric ratings and responses related to the survey elements. Results: 588 surveys were completed (11.8% response rate). About half (49.6%) of respondents defined chronic cough in a manner consistent with the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) chronic cough guidelines, with the rest differing in opinion primarily regarding duration of symptom presentation. Respondents reported trying to rule out most common causes of chronic cough themselves before referring (mean 3.41 on a 4-point scale where 4 is "describes me completely") and indicated a desire for more resources to help them manage and treat chronic cough. Years in practice and rural/urban setting influenced diagnosis and referral practices. Conclusions: Family physicians see chronic cough as a complicated condition that can be and is often diagnosed and treated entirely in a primary care setting. They also value the ability to refer in complex cases. Our results support that family physicians provide evidence-based management of chronic cough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The authors examined a tablet computer application (iPad app) for its effectiveness in helping students studying pre-algebra to solve mathematical word problems. Methods: Forty-three visually impaired students (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) completed eight alternating mathematics units presented using their traditional literacy medium or an iPad app. Twenty percent of the mathematics problems included graphics such as maps, line graphs, and bar graphs. During each session, teachers of visually impaired students rated the amount of support they provided for students and the student motivation. Results: Students answered more mathematics problems correctly when using the iPad app and, overall, teachers reported that their students were more motivated with the app than with their traditional literacy medium. Students often used the hints provided in the app when they did not solve a problem correctly the first time. Discussion: Visually impaired students and their teachers found the app and graphics to be easy to use and motivating. The built-in Scratch pad was used by almost all students who were print users. Implications for practitioners: The study results contribute to the growing body of knowledge about the potential value of tablet-type devices for use by visually impaired students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This exploratory study, using mixed methods research, aimed to (1) examine the associations among self‐efficacy, social support and regular leisure‐time physical activity of nursing staff, and (2) identify motivators and barriers to leisure‐time physical activity. Background: It is important to engage nursing staff in regular leisure‐time physical activity as a countermeasure against high occupational stress and poor health. Limited research has examined nursing staff's participation in leisure‐time physical activity and associated factors. Methods: Nursing staff employed at a community hospital in the northeastern United States were invited to participate in this cross‐sectional survey with close‐ and open‐ended questions in March 2016. Results: A total of 363 nurses and nursing assistants responded, among whom, 59.8% reported regular leisure‐time physical activity. Poisson regression models suggested that self‐efficacy and social support had an interactive association with increased prevalence of regular leisure‐time physical activity. Conclusion: Self‐efficacy and social support have an important synergistic association with regular leisure‐time physical activity of nursing staff. Effective interventions intending to facilitate nursing staff's leisure‐time physical activity should consider improving their self‐efficacy and social support. Qualitative comments suggested that work‐out areas in the workplace with release time and organized activity may promote regular leisure‐time physical activity of nursing staff. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Leisure‐time physical activity is beneficial to both physical and mental health.Self‐efficacy and social support have been reported as independent predictors of leisure‐time physical activity in the general population.There is limited evidence regarding nursing staff's level of participation in leisure‐time physical activity and associated factors. What this paper adds? There is a higher level of participation in leisure‐time physical activity among nursing staff than the general population.Exercise self‐efficacy and social support have a synergistic association with regular leisure‐time physical activity among nursing staff.Support and promoting physical and mental fitness are motivators, whereas lack of time and energy and physical illnesses are barriers to regular leisure‐time physical activity reported by nursing staff. The implications of this paper: Findings indicate effective interventions designed to improve both self‐efficacy and social support might help facilitate nursing staff's participation in regular leisure‐time physical activity.Findings suggest organizational support through installing work‐out areas in the workplace with release time and organized activity might enhance nursing staff's capacity to engage in leisure‐time physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-based risk behavior surveys traditionally have been administered via paper-and-pencil. This study assessed the feasibility of conducting in-class online surveys in US high schools. A paper-and-pencil questionnaire assessing computer availability and perceptions of online surveys was mailed to a nationally representative sample of public and private high school principals in fall 2008. Completed surveys were returned by principals from 580 of 704 selected schools. Prevalence and 95% confidence intervals were computed. Most high schools have at least 1 computer lab, most computers in computer labs are connected to the Internet, and just under half of schools with a stationary computer lab had a sufficient number of computers to accommodate an in-class online survey administration. The 2 most common problems associated with online surveys were logistics of providing enough computers for an entire class and rotating classes into computer labs. Nearly two thirds of principals preferred online to paper-and-pencil surveys when administered to 4 randomly selected classes that met at different times during the school day, but less than half reported this preference when administered to 4 randomly selected classes that met at the same time during the school day. Many schools do not have sufficient computer capacity to participate in a voluntary in-class online survey. An online survey could impose significant perceived and actual burden on schools and therefore could result in unacceptably low school participation rates. Online administration for in-class surveys of students in US high schools are not recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has found that music brings back more vivid and emotional autobiographical memories than various other retrieval cues. However, such studies have often been low in ecological validity and constrained by relatively limited cue selection and predominantly young adult samples. Here, we compared music to food as cues for autobiographical memories in everyday life in young and older adults. In two separate four‐day periods, 39 younger (ages 18–34) and 39 older (ages 60–77) adults recorded their music‐ and food‐evoked autobiographical memories in paper diaries. Across both age groups, music triggered more frequent autobiographical memories, a greater proportion of involuntary memories, and memories rated as more personally important in comparison to food cues. Age differences impacted music‐ and food‐evoked memories similarly, with older adults consistently recalling older and less specific memories, which they rated as more positive, vivid, and rehearsed. However, young and older adults did not differ in the number or involuntary nature of their recorded memories. This work represents an important step in understanding the phenomenology of naturally occurring music‐evoked autobiographical memories across adulthood and provides new insights into how and why music may be a more effective trigger for personally valued memories than certain other everyday cues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted nursing education in developing and developed countries. In response to pandemic-related challenges such as campus shut downs, nursing schools implemented open and distance learning programs (ODL) that allowed them to continue offering nursing education. This paper reports on an ODL patient safety course implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic that was also used to facilitate an international, cross-cultural learning experience. Method: Forty undergraduate senior nursing students in the United States (U.S.) and the Dominican Republic (D.R.) enrolled in a synchronous and asynchronous ODL nursing patient safety course implemented by [Blinded] in conjunction with [Blinded]. Results: Thirty-seven students completed all of the program requirements. The majority of students rated their course experience highly; they agreed or strongly agreed with all course evaluation statements, including whether their overall course evaluation was positive (95%) and whether the curriculum was culturally appropriate (97%). Conclusions: Our experience in implementing a nursing patient safety ODL course can serve as a model for (1) how ODL can help nursing schools respond to restrictions imposed by an ongoing pandemic; (2) how ODL can be used to enhance cross-cultural nursing education; and (3) how nursing schools can collaborate effectively across borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, mitigation measures were implemented on a state-by-state basis. Governors were responsible for establishing interventions appropriate for their states and the timing of implementation. This paper evaluated the association between the presence and timing of a mask mandate and the severity of the COVID-19 epidemic by state. Methods: The states were divided into 3 categories based on when the governors of each state implemented a mask mandate: Early (mask mandate implemented between March 2020 and June 2020), Late (July 2020-December 2020), and Never (no mask mandate implemented). The rates of hospitalizations and mortality (per 100 000) were assessed at the different time points during the pandemic across these categories from March to December 2020. Results: The mortality rates across all 3 groups were observed to be highest in the beginning and toward the end of the pandemic in 2020 with the peak observed in the Early group between April and May 2020. Also, the rates of hospitalization increased steadily across all groups. The Early mask group was comprised of 86.7% and 13.3% states with Democratic and Republican governors respectively, and no states in the Never category had Democratic governors. Conclusion: These results support the benefit of implementing a mask mandate to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of political affiliation of governors on that impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Research has been and will continue to be important to the music therapy profession, as evidenced by the number of studies examining the evolution of research in the field. Despite its seeming importance, no recent studies have investigated the extent to which music therapists find research relevant to practice and very few studies have examined this topic outside of the United States. The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the extent to which music therapists around the world view research as relevant to clinical practice and (b) among those who read research, identify which sections from scientific papers are read. This nonexperimental study involved an online survey of music therapists from 51 countries. Of the 1586 initially responding to the participant invitation, 1272 music therapists completed the survey (a completion rate of 80%). Findings suggest that music therapists find research to be relevant to clinical practice and perceptions differ as a function of educational attainment and occupational role. Results also evidenced similar educational and occupational differences with regard to reading scientific papers. These findings parallel those from earlier studies indicating those with higher educational attainment and working in academic/research-related positions tend to find research more relevant. These findings are important because they suggest there may be a disconnection between the extant research and the end consumer, the clinician. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports results from a second study which examines the knowledge and training of child welfare professionals with regard to risk factors for fatal child maltreatment. This multi-state, online study (n = 619) shows that workers have gaps in their knowledge of risk factors for maltreatment-related deaths. The majority of workers had received training, but it had little impact on worker knowledge. Workers reported receiving a variety of trainings on risks for fatalities, with different sources, length of training, and foci. Workers who received training that focused on research-based risk factors had higher levels of knowledge than other workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increased attention paid to federal-state unemployment insurance (UI) schemes after the Great Recession (2007–2009), research examining the policy characteristics and the underlying logic shaping the social protection provided by a federal-state UI system is limited. Integrating the perspectives of policy design theory, comparative welfare politics, and fiscal welfare, this paper examines the unequal social protection under the American UI system during and after the Great Recession. By using model-based cluster analysis and fixed-effect panel regression models, this paper identifies three distinct UI approaches, i.e. the limited social protection approach, the unbalanced social protection approach, and the balanced social protection approach. The policy choices made by those states that follow the three approaches reflect different mixtures of policy logic, including social protection, economic stabilization, work disincentives, and interstate competition. The overall downward trend in social protection signals that the American UI system is under-prepared for the next economic recession, thereby exposing unemployed workers to the risk of economic insecurity. These findings provide implications for future policy designs aiming to strengthen the social protection of the federal-state UI system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lower sexual satisfaction with one's current partner (SSCP) has been associated with having a history of sexual victimization experience (SVE). However, whether or not this SVE involved the current partner as the perpetrator has been unclear. This study aimed to address this gap in the sexual health literature by examining women's SSCP based on SVE with that current partner (yes; no) and/or a different perpetrator (yes; no). A convenience sample of undergraduate women with an exclusive current partner (n = 412; 99 percent unmarried) at a U.S. public university anonymously responded via paper-and-pencil to the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction and the Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Victimization between 2012–2016. A 2 × 2 ANOVA revealed that current-partner SVE was associated with lower SSCP (F (1, 410) = 7.38, p =.007, partial n2 =.018), but other-perpetrator SVE was not. SVE may predict lower SSCP when victimized by that partner, as that partner may be associated with the negative victimization experience. Although preliminary, findings highlight the importance of considering how partner-related health factors (e.g. SSCP) may be differentially associated with SVE based on whether or not the victim's current partner was the perpetrator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the late twentieth century, researchers began calling attention to declining social capital in America and the potential consequences of this trend for a healthy society. While researchers empirically assessed the decline in social capital from the mid-1900s onward, this line of research diminished when the major source of data, the General Social Survey, stopped fielding critical questions in 2004. We do not know, therefore, whether social capital, especially associational social capital, has declined, stabilized, or even increased in a twentyfirst century America. In this paper, we develop a new measure of associational social capital using a confirmatory factor analysis of six indicators from the Civic Engagement Supplement to the Current Population Survey for 2008–2011 and 2013. Our findings support previous research suggesting that associational social capital does not seem to be declining over time. However, we do find evidence of a nonlinear decrease in associating during the Great Recession years. Across the entire time period, though, membership in groups has not declined and there has been little practical change in the amount of time that individuals spend with neighbors. Our analysis of the variance of social capital also shows no general change in the national dispersion of social capital from 2008 to 2013. The paper advances the measurement of social capital and updates our understanding of its possible decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Population-based recruitment of a cohort of women who are currently pregnant or who may become pregnant in a given timeframe presents challenges unique to identifying pregnancy status or the likelihood of future pregnancy. Little is known about the performance of individual eligibility items on pregnancy screeners although they are critical to participant recruitment. This paper examined the patterns and respondent characteristics of key pregnancy screener items used in a large national study.Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine nonresponse patterns to three questions (currently pregnant, trying to get pregnant and able to get pregnant). The questions were asked of 50,529 women in 17 locations across the US, as part of eligibility screening for the National Children's Study Vanguard Study household-based recruitment.Results: Most respondents were willing to provide information about current pregnancy, trying, and able to get pregnant: 99.3% of respondents answered all three questions and 97.4% provided meaningful answers. Nonresponse ranged from 0.3 to 2.5% for individual items. Multivariable logistic regression results identified small but statistically significant differences in nonresponse by respondent age, marital status, race/ethnicity-language, and household-based recruitment group.Conclusions for Practice: The high levels of response to pregnancy-related items are impressive considering that the eligibility questions were fairly sensitive, were administered at households, and were not part of a respondent-initiated encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conference paper pertaining to the application of sampling to agricultural statistics is presented. The author notes the use of Pre-Harvest Wheat Surveys conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture. Also discussed are issues surrounding the variables of sample size and standard deviation.

Purpose: We examined positive behavioral resources and characteristics that might distinguish resilient personality prototypes among persons with chronic spinal cord injury/disorder (SCID). Positive psychology variables with clear linkages to existing psychological interventions were examined as potential mediators of the resilience–well-being relationship. Research Method and Design: A cross-sectional, self-report study was conducted. Two hundred and ninety-eight consenting members of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (268 male; 236 self-identified as white) provided useable survey data for analysis (including 161 veterans with tetraplegia, 107 with paraplegia, 30 with cauda equina). Cluster analysis of Big Five personality traits identified resilient and nonresilient personality profiles. Tests of mean differences between resilient and nonresilient participants on behavioral resources and characteristics were performed. Path models predicting well-being and health-related quality of life (HRQL) were conducted. Results: One hundred and sixty-three respondents had resilient personality profiles and 135 had nonresilient profiles. Resilient individuals reported significantly more optimal scores on every positive psychology variable, and greater well-being and HRQL than nonresilient respondents. Path models found the relationship of resilience to well-being was explained through its beneficial associations with psychological flexibility, use of personal strengths, meaning in life (MIL), and gratitude. Psychological flexibility also mediated the resilience–HRQL relationship. Cauda equina was significantly associated with higher pain interference and lower HRQL. Conclusions: Higher gratitude, MIL, use of personal strengths, and psychological flexibility appear to characterize resilience and well-being among persons with chronic SCID. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of pain interference on HRQL among individuals with cauda equina. Impact and Implications: The present study documents several positive behavioral resources and characteristics that typify resilience among persons with chronic spinal cord injury/disorder. The results should prompt rehabilitation psychologists to consider further study of the positive psychology variables examined in this paper, and the potential use of the existing interventions associated with each one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bullying is a specific pattern of repeated victimization explored with great frequency in school-based literature, but receiving little attention within sport. The current study explored the prevalence of bullying in sport, and examined whether bullying experiences were associated with perceptions about relationships with peers and coaches. Method: Adolescent sport team members (n = 359, 64% female) with an average age of 14.47 years (SD = 1.34) completed a pen-and-paper or online questionnaire assessing how frequently they perpetrated or were victimized by bullying during school and sport generally, as well as recent experiences with 16 bullying behaviors on their sport team. Participants also reported on relationships with their coach and teammates. Results: Bullying was less prevalent in sport compared with school, and occurred at a relatively low frequency overall. However, by identifying participants who reported experiencing one or more act of bullying on their team recently, results revealed that those victimized through bullying reported weaker connections with peers, whereas those perpetrating bullying only reported weaker coach relationships. Conclusion: With the underlying message that bullying may occur in adolescent sport through negative teammate interactions, sport researchers should build upon these findings to develop approaches to mitigate peer victimization in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have identified race-based stress as a unique form of stress and have examined associated mental and physical health outcomes, yet less is known about the emotional responses and accompanying symptoms associated with negative race-based events and how these experiences differ by racial group membership, stress level, and/or race-based event type. This paper explores and compares the differences in emotional and race-based stress symptom reactions to negative racial encounters among 175 Black and White participants. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed different patterns of emotional and race-based stress symptom reactions to racial encounters among Black and White participants. At high levels of stress, Black and White participants experienced markedly different patterns of race-based stress symptoms: White participants primarily exhibited symptoms of intrusion, while Black participants experienced a variety of symptoms including depression, intrusion, anger, hypervigilance, and physical symptoms. Practice and research implications are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earliest documented analytical approach to portfolio selection is Markowitz’s mean-variance analysis, which attempts to find the portfolio with optimal performance by considering the tradeoff between return and risk. The performance of mean-variance analysis has been the subject of many studies and compared to other portfolio construction approaches such as a naïve equally-weighted allocation scheme. In recent years, several approaches have been proposed to improve the mean-variance model by reducing the sensitivity of the portfolio selection process in order achieve robust performance. Although robust portfolio optimization has been one of the most researched methods for improving portfolio robustness, the performance of robust portfolios has not been the major focus of studies. In this paper, a comprehensive analysis on robust portfolio performance is presented for equity portfolios constructed in the U.S. market during the period 1980 and 2014, and results confirm the advantage of robust portfolio optimization for controlling uncertainty while efficiently allocating investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the performance of conditional heteroscedasticity model of inflation uncertainty in the U.S. It has often been argued that high inflation causes high inflation uncertainty, and that uncertainty in turn causes inefficiencies in the real economy. This argument involves conjectures about the causes and consequences of inflation uncertainty which can only be substantiated by empirical analysis. For such analysis to be convincing, inflation uncertainty must be measured in a convincing way. This paper examines the performance of one type of uncertainty measure which has become popular in recent years, the conditional heteroscedasticity model developed by Engle. This measure is indirect in the sense that it relies on some maintained hypothesis about how uncertainty is generated. For example, in the autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity model, the variance surrounding a forecast is assumed to be related to the size of past forecast errors.

This paper analyzes the relationship between sticky information and inflation persistence by implementing a novel approach to estimate the Sticky Information Phillips Curve (SIPC). The degree of sticky information is estimated using a GMM estimator that matches the covariance between inflation and the shocks that affect firms' pricing decisions. Although the SIPC contains an infinite number of terms, the theoretical covariances derived from the model have finite dimensions, thus allowing the estimation of the structural parameters without any truncation of the original model. This work shows that sticky information is significantly different if the model is estimated by matching inflation persistence or inflation variance. Previous empirical literature found that the SIPC model does not provide an accurate representation of the US postwar inflation. This paper qualifies such a finding by demonstrating that the SIPC is able to match the inflation persistence only at the cost of mismatching the inflation variance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constraints arise naturally in many scientific experiments/studies such as in, epidemiology, biology, toxicology, etc. and often researchers ignore such information when analyzing their data and use standard methods such as the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Such methods may not only result in a loss of power and efficiency in costs of experimentation but also may result poor interpretation of the data. In this paper we discuss constrained statistical inference in the context of linear mixed effects models that arise naturally in many applications, such as in repeated measurements designs, familial studies and others. We introduce a novel methodology that is broadly applicable for a variety of constraints on the parameters. Since in many applications sample sizes are small and/or the data are not necessarily normally distributed and furthermore error variances need not be homoscedastic (i.e. heterogeneity in the data) we use an empirical best linear unbiased predictor (EBLUP) type residual based bootstrap methodology for deriving critical values of the proposed test. Our simulation studies suggest that the proposed procedure maintains the desired nominal Type I error while competing well with other tests in terms of power. We illustrate the proposed methodology by re-analyzing a clinical trial data on blood mercury level. The methodology introduced in this paper can be easily extended to other settings such as nonlinear and generalized regression models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the 2007-8 real estate market as a complex adaptive system. The article begins with a discussion of its perception of a system. Given that definition, system elements are reviewed. Agents include mortgage holders, lending institutions of a variety of forms, insurers, and regulatory agencies. The focus is on the US with some comparison to the UK and Canada. This system was affected by economics with heavy governmental influence. A market that had been highly stable for decades reacted very negatively to the influences of financial engineering seeking to take advantage of expedient opportunities. The complex interactions of financial and governmental actors led to the apparent (and most likely temporary) disappearance of many paper fortunes, as well as leading to the demise of some established banking institutions and foreclosure of many homes in certain areas. Conversely, Canadian real estate markets had less relaxation of regulation, and experienced fewer risky mortgages. The evolution of the real estate system from a systems perspective is described, with analysis of interactions among actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon the notion of trust, the paper outlines a model of managing conflict that may be more practical than other negotiation approaches only based on cultural differences. The theoretical model relates different types of trust to different styles of conflict resolution so as to allow for optimal strategy and joint-outcomes that are not solely determined by national cultural attributes. This study used a quantitative design and administered a survey that captures the differences between Koreans and Americans in their level of trust and conflict styles when they negotiated with each other. The statistical significance of ANOVA accepts the posited hypothesis that however large cultural differences may be; the level of trust determines the optimal means of resolving conflict in cross-cultural negotiation. Overall, research findings demonstrate that higher level of trust is associated with collaboration while lower level of trust is associated with competition. The approach used in this study contributes to the field of crosscultural negotiations by providing a new perspective on optimizing conflict resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

mcinnes e., seers k. & tutton l. (2011) Older people's views in relation to risk of falling and need for intervention: a meta-ethnography. Journal of Advanced Nursing 67(12), 2525-2536. Abstract Aim. This paper is a report of a meta-ethnography of qualitative studies of older peoples' views on risk of falling and need for intervention. Background. Falls and falls-related injuries in older people are worldwide problems. A conceptual understanding of older people's views about falls risk and need for intervention is useful for understanding factors likely to impact on acceptance of risk and recommended interventions. Data Sources. Seven electronic databases were searched 1999-2009. Reference lists of included articles were screened for eligible papers. Review Methods. Assessment of quality was carried out. Themes and concepts were extracted using a meta-ethnographic approach to compare similarities and differences across the retrieved studies. A line of argument was developed to produce an explanatory framework of the extracted themes and concepts. Results. Eleven relevant qualitative research articles of reasonable quality were identified. Six key concepts were identified: beyond personal control; rationalizing; salience; life-change and identity; taking control and self-management. A line of argument synthesis describes how older people approach self-appraisal of falls risk and intervention need, and how they cope and adapt to falls risk and intervention need. Conclusion. In response to having an elevated risk status and perceived associations with frailty and impact on an independent life-style, some prefer to adapt to this reality by taking control and implementing self-management strategies. Healthcare professionals should take into account beliefs about risk and negotiate choices for intervention, recognizing that some individuals prefer to drive the decision-making process to preserve identity as a competent and independent person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the performance benefits of using conditioning information in mean-variance strategies in UK and US stock returns. The paper finds that after adjusting for trading costs, there are no significant performance benefits in using conditioning information in mean-variance strategies. This result stems from the high turnover that is required to implement dynamic trading strategies. The paper does find that after adjusting for costs, that the unconditional approach of significantly outperforms alternative approaches of using conditioning information in mean-variance strategies in UK stock returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rental assistance, in the form of vouchers and project-based subsidized housing, is a primary source of affordable housing for low-income Americans, given a growing and severe shortage of private-market rental units. However, due to supply constraints, fewer than one in four eligible households receive this kind of assistance. In this paper, we examine associations between receipt of rental assistance and self-rated health among a sample of 400 low-income adults in one U.S. city. We find that individuals who currently receive rental assistance have lower odds of reporting poor or fair self-rated health than individuals who are currently on rental assistance waiting lists. These relationships persist after adjusting for factors that affect access to rental assistance and are not significantly modified by criminal justice history. Our findings suggest that the current unmet need for rental assistance may contribute to poor health among low-income Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of two studies undertaken in the same Fortune 500 company as it adopted an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program. Study 1 assessed employees' perceptions of fairness, trust, and turnover intentions regarding ADR options. Compared with other options for ADR, a program consisting of mandatory mediation followed by mandatory and binding arbitration (MMBA) resulted in significantly lower levels of procedural fairness perception, organizational trust, and intentions to stay with the firm. Contrary to previous research, no significant effects were found related to respondents' demographic characteristics and their reactions to ADR program characteristics. In Study 2, job-applicant flow data were evaluated and compared by corporate region to determine the effects of an MMBA program installed in one region. Results revealed no significant effects related to the MMBA program on the organization's ability to recruit and ultimately fill key positions. As in Study 1, no significant effects were found in Study 2 for the demographic characteristics of applicant race/ethnicity, gender, or age on applicant recruitment decisions. Although Study 2 results indicated job candidates are unaffected by the existence of an MMBA program, given Study 1's results, practitioners should be cautious about implementing such a program for current employees. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of market-based reforms over the past twenty-five years has fundamentally changed the way healthcare is delivered in the United States. This paper reports the results of a survey of the workplace experiences and attitudes of hospital-based registered nurses under healthcare reform. The authors find that nurses who had experienced reform-related job restructuring held substantially more negative views of the climate for patient care than nurses who had not experienced restructuring. Also, nurses who had experienced reform-related mergers held more negative perceptions of the climate for patient care than those who had not been through a merger, although the relationship was less strong than it was for restructuring. Nurses concerned about a deteriorating climate for patient care indicated a desire for greater voice in the organization and staffing of hospitals and also indicated a greater readiness than other nurses to vote for a union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of goal awareness and IT self-efficacy on job satisfaction based on the motivation sequence model, goal-setting theory, and social cognitive theory. Using a large-scale field survey of healthcare enterprise resource planning (ERP) system users (n = 352), this study investigates these relationships and provides important insight to healthcare ERP system researchers and managers. Both goal awareness and IT self-efficacy influence positive job satisfaction of healthcare ERP system users, as expected. Furthermore, the influence of goal awareness is stronger when the role of ERP systems is highly perceived for decision-making of the job. There was no interaction effect between goal awareness and IT self-efficacy in thepost hocanalysis. The model is significantly supported by the empirical test with the large number of field data from healthcare ERP system users in the healthcare company. Practical and academic implications are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Literature supports including occupational therapists on primary care teams. Few occupational therapists practice in this setting. The health care community needs more information regarding the benefits of occupational therapists on the team. Method: We completed an 18-month pilot integrating an occupational therapist in a primary care team, tracking conditions treated by the occupational therapist, visit duration, reimbursement, and level of primary care providers’ (PCP) satisfaction. We then evaluated outcomes via a retrospective chart review. Results: Visits were brief, averaging 35 min. Longer visits did not improve outcomes. Occupational therapists were reimbursed by Medicare (47%), commercial (47%), both (6%). PCPs referred numerous conditions, and > 50% related to musculoskeletal pain. Most of the patients, 84%, reported partial (30%) or complete (54%) improvement; 60% required one-time treatment; and 40% were referred for further treatment on-site or outside the department for additional or specialty treatment. After the pilot, most of the PCPs felt an occupational therapist on the team was absolutely essential (n = 14; 61%), or very important (n = 7; 30%). Conclusion: Embedded occupational therapy treatment resulted in symptom improvement in 84% of patients across a variety of conditions, and brief visits were effective. Occupational therapist services were reimbursed across insurance plans. After working with an occupational therapist, 91% of the PCPs viewed the occupational therapist as a very important or essential team member. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recreational therapy (RT), job satisfaction and thriving in the workplace is a relatively unexplored research topic. Supporting literature highlights employee and organizational benefits associated with job satisfaction and thriving that are worth exploring in RT. This study sought to further the understanding of RTs' perceptions of job satisfaction and sense of "thriving" in the workplace, anticipating that research will contribute to the further study of RTs and the organizations in which they work. The sample consisted of 260 Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRSs®) who completed an e-survey mailed through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification. Respondents noted job satisfaction was linked to the nature of work and to the relationships in the workplace. No significant differences were found by sector or number of years in the profession. Sense of thriving was tied to on-the-job learning. Findings indicated that thriving in the workplace was a predictor of one's job satisfaction. The manuscript outlines study limitations and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how the content and approach of parent-adolescent communication about sexuality were associated with three adolescent sexuality variables (sexual attitudes, combination of all behaviors and advanced behaviors). Design/methodology/approach: Survey research with adolescents was conducted in classrooms at school. Participants were 473 adolescents (196 males, 253 females and 24 unreported) in grades 9–12 from two high schools (one urban and one suburban) in a large midwestern city. Findings: Adolescents who described their parents' communication approach as open, or who did not engage in conversations about sexuality with their parents reported lower rates of sexual behavior, when compared to adolescents whose parents dictated such conversations. Females were found to have more conservative sexual attitudes than males, and both mothers and fathers were found to have a direct role in talking to their children about sexuality. Originality/value: Findings from the study may offer guidance to parents and help adults aiming to empower youth to make healthy sexual decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined strategies used across two modalities of information presentation. Students were presented with two sources on endangered species, either as two texts or two videos. Then, participants were asked to annotate the two sources either using the track changes function in Microsoft Word, for the text condition, or using the VideoAnt, video annotation platform, for the video condition. Students' annotations were coded for the strategies evidenced. More strategies were reported in association with the text condition and a greater number of higher‐level strategies and emphasis‐related strategies were reported. Moreover, students were found to report consistent strategies when processing two different sources, on two different topics, and were found to report strategies disproportionately early during processing, particularly for the video condition. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Strategy use has been positively associated with reading comprehension during text processing.However, less is known about students' strategy use during video processing. What our paper adds to this: We examined students' strategy use while processing two texts or two videos.We investigated temporal patterns of students' strategy reporting during text and video processing.We explored comprehension and integration performance across text and video processing. The implications of study findings for practitioners: Students identified more strategies when processing texts, than videos.Strategies identified were associated with one another across information sources.Students identified strategies more toward the beginning, rather than the end, of processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the importance of year, industry, corporate-parent, and business-specific effects on the profitability of U.S. public corporations within specific 4-digit SIC categories. Our results indicate that year, industry, corporate-parent, and business-specific effects account for 2 percent, 19 percent, 4 percent, and 32 percent, respectively, of the aggregate variance in profitability. We also find that the importance of the effects differs substantially across broad economic sectors. Industry effects account for a smaller portion of profit variance in manufacturing but a larger portion in lodging/entertainment, services, wholesale/retail trade, and transportation. Across all sectors we find a negative covariance between corporate-parent and industry effects. A detailed analysis suggests that industry, corporate-parent, and business-specific effects are related in complex ways. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of involvement in determining consumer response to radio and TV commercials. After reviewing relevant literature, a summary model that focuses on the amount and type of cognitive elaboration and subsequent effects on consumer recognition of the brand and message points is presented. Hypotheses are developed that predict interaction effects between the type of broadcast media and the level of consumer involvement in the commercial. A study is conducted where mode of presentation (radio versus television) and level of consumer involvement (low versus high) are experimentally manipulated. Analysis of variance of the data provide general support for the hypotheses. Other results and the implications for advertising research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Collective efficacy and teacher leadership, two constructs central to school reform, were examined in this quantitative study of three school districts. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between teacher perceptions of the extent of teacher leadership and the extent of collective efficacy. Research was guided by the following questions: Do teachers who perceive a strong sense of collective efficacy also perceive a greater extent of teacher leadership in their schools? Are there differences in perceptions of collective efficacy and the factors of teacher leadership, specifically, sharing expertise, shared leadership, supra-practitioner, and principal selection? Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected utilizing two instruments, the Teacher Leadership Inventory (TLI) (Angelle and DeHart, 2010) and the Teacher Efficacy Belief Scale – Collective Form (Olivier, 2001). Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were run to examine mean differences by district in teacher collective efficacy and the extent of teacher leadership in the school (n=363). In addition, ANOVA were run to examine district differences in the four factors on the TLI. A one-way ANOVA contrasted the overall collective efficacy mean scores of Districts A, B, and C. Demographic data were also collected from participants. Findings – Findings indicate a clear and strong relationship between collective efficacy and teacher leadership. District B was markedly stronger in teacher leadership and collective efficacy than the other two districts. The highest percentage of participants indicating they have a leadership role were from District B. Findings from this study also indicate that teachers perceive the informal aspects of teacher leadership as a greater indicator of collective efficacy. District B, which reported significantly higher collective efficacy than did District A or C, also reported a significantly lower extent of principal selected teacher leadership. Formal roles such as department heads and grade level chairs were not perceived as extensive indicators of teacher leadership as were teacher roles in collaboration or extra role behaviours. Research limitations/implications – This study took place in three small districts in a southeastern US state. Generalizability to larger school districts should be approached with caution. This study may be limited in that teacher leaders may have a greater tendency to complete a survey on teacher leadership than teachers who do not take on leadership roles. Practical implications – This study provides support for developing shared leadership which can impact the collective beliefs of the faculty in a positive manner. Results from this study affirms those leaders who believe in the power of professional learning communities, shared decision making, and other indicators of teacher leadership. Success of teacher leaders depends, in large part, on the principal's philosophy of power sharing in the context in which they work. Teachers can be given the power to lead but they must also be willing to accept the roles this power brings. Originality/value – While several studies have been conducted on collective efficacy in schools, most of these studies have been quantitative. Studies of teacher leadership have tended to focus on the formal roles of teacher leaders with a qualitative. Using quantitative methodology for collective efficacy and teacher leadership, this study approaches teacher leadership from an organizational perspective, examining the extent to which both informal and formal, or principal selected, teacher leadership exists across the school. The authors also argue that teacher leadership is a construct greater than administrative roles assigned to teachers but also includes informal leadership, primarily through their influence on organizational effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than ever, business firms are wanting to know what results are being achieved for their outlay of funds for advertising and promotion. This paper gives some experimental designs that have been successfully used in quantitatively measuring the effects of specific promotional efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – In the current study, the purpose of this paper is to examine the self-regulation and social interaction skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as compared to children with intellectual disabilities (IDs) across time. Design/methodology/approach – Drawn from the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS), our sample consisted of 1,016 children diagnosed with ASD and 597 children diagnosed with ID. The self-regulation and social interaction skills were measured using relevant subscales of the Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised across three time points evenly spaced at two years apart. Findings – Results revealed that children with ASD have significantly worse self-regulation (p<0.01, η2=0.12, Cohen's f=0.36) and social interaction skills (p<0.01, η2=0.05, Cohen's f=0.21) as compared to children with ID across time. The results of the current study support the results of Bieberich and Morgan (2004) that children with ASD have significantly worse self-regulation and social interaction skills as compared to children with ID across time. Originality/value – The paper suggests that our results may be considered as more generalizable given the utilization of data from the SEELS as a large, nationally representative, and community-based sample of children with disabilities across the USA examined longitudinally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]