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This report details the investigation of practices of instructors who use quantitative data to teach undergraduate courses within the Social Sciences. The study was undertaken by employees of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Library, who participated in this research project with 19 other colleges and universities across the U.S. under the direction of Ithaka S+R. Ithaka S+R is a New York-based research organization, which, among other goals, seeks to develop strategies, services, and products to meet evolving academic trends to support faculty and students.

This study investigates the sensemaking experiences of expatriate workers in Japan as they assimilate into their organizations. Data were collected through a series of 23 semi-structured interviews, with participants ranging from one to twenty years' experience living and working in Japan. Expatriates made sense of feelings of inclusion, strong relationships with other expatriates, and special accommodations in the Japanese workplace, which helped them integrate into their organizations. These socialization experiences led participants to stay with the organization. However, when expatriate workers felt isolation or experienced inflexibility in their organization, they indicated no intention to stay. This study provides valuable insights to the literature of organizational socialization and sensemaking by adding the unique experiences of expatriate workers in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imagined interactions (IIs) are conversational daydreams communicators can use to envision how interactions might unfold prospectively or how they might have unfolded differently in retrospect. In this study, imagined interactions with the boss (IIB) were investigated alongside employees' upward dissent and silence. Analyses of survey responses from U.S. working adults (N = 322) revealed that three functions (rehearsal, relationship management, and compensation) and three characteristics (frequency, proactivity, and specificity) of IIB were associated with various upward dissent or defensive silence strategies. The general pattern of findings indicated that when employees reported rehearsal or relationship management IIB, they tended to select communicatively-competent dissent strategies (e.g., prosocial dissent). The study is the first of its kind to associate IIB with upward dissent selection. Implications for theory and practice conclude the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research workshops are designed to help students develop skills that go beyond the scope of one-shot library sessions. However, with more students conducting research off-campus, online, and in the evening, workshops targeted towards complex skills and competencies are difficult to offer. But what if librarians were to design and deliver intensive workshops online? By removing the constraints of time and space, librarians can bring active learning and collaboration to an environment that meets student demand. This paper describes one research library's experience with the development, implementation, and assessment of a multi-day, asynchronous, online workshop, targeted at teaching "Effective Literature Review."

Background: Many male prisoners have significant mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. High proportions struggle with homelessness and substance misuse. Aims: This study aims to evaluate whether the Engager intervention improves mental health outcomes following release. Method: The design is a parallel randomised superiority trial that was conducted in the North West and South West of England (ISRCTN11707331). Men serving a prison sentence of 2 years or less were individually allocated 1:1 to either the intervention (Engager plus usual care) or usual care alone. Engager included psychological and practical support in prison, on release and for 3–5 months in the community. The primary outcome was the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), 6 months after release. Primary analysis compared groups based on intention-to-treat (ITT). Results: In total, 280 men were randomised out of the 396 who were potentially eligible and agreed to participate; 105 did not meet the mental health inclusion criteria. There was no mean difference in the ITT complete case analysis between groups (92 in each arm) for change in the CORE-OM score (1.1, 95% CI –1.1 to 3.2, P = 0.325) or secondary analyses. There were no consistent clinically significant between-group differences for secondary outcomes. Full delivery was not achieved, with 77% (108/140) receiving community-based contact. Conclusions: Engager is the first trial of a collaborative care intervention adapted for prison leavers. The intervention was not shown to be effective using standard outcome measures. Further testing of different support strategies for prison with mental health problems is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of gallium-aluminum-arsenide triple-diode laser irradiation on the action potentials of the nerve are examined. The test finds no significant difference before or after laser irradiation.

A study of 63 college students has examined their response to shopping for clothes on the Internet. Consumers can save time and shop outside regular hours by using the Internet. The garment industry needs to use different skills when selling in this way, and the research is useful in helping to design sites to sell apparel. Customer service is especially important for on line consumers, and return policies should be clearly set out. Consumers are more likely to buy if they already have some knowledge of the product.