SPRINGFIELD RULING UPSET

On January 15, 1965, U.S. District Judge George C. Sweeney ruled that the Springfield, Mass, school board was constitutionally obligated to “eliminate to the fullest extent possible racial concentration in its elementary and junior high schools within the framework of effective educational procedures . . . “’ [See text of ruling in Integrated Education, April‐May, 1965, pp. 44‐46 For background, see Integrated Education, December, 1964‐January, 1965, p. 7.] The school board appealed.     

General Growth Mixture Analysis of Adolescents' Developmental Trajectories of Anxiety: The Impact of Untested Invariance Assumptions on Substantive Interpretations

Substantively, this study investigates potential heterogeneity in the developmental trajectories of anxiety in adolescence. Methodologically, this study demonstrates the usefulness of general growth mixture analysis (GGMA) in addressing these issues and illustrates the impact of untested invariance assumptions on substantive interpretations. This study relied on data from the Montreal Adolescent Depression Development Project (MADDP), a 4-year follow-up of more than 1,000 adolescents who completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory each year. GGMA models relying on different invariance assumptions were empirically compared. Each of these models converged on a 5-class solution, but yielded different substantive results. The model with class-varying variance–covariance matrices was retained as providing a better fit to the data. These results showed that although elevated levels of anxiety might fluctuate over time, they clearly do not represent a transient phenomenon. This model was then validated in relation to multiple predictors (mostly related to school violence) and outcomes (grade-point average, school dropout, depression, loneliness, and drug-related problems).     

Effective Counseling for Racial/Ethnic Minority Clients: Examining Changes Using a Practice Research Network

Studies have shown that counseling decreases students' academic distress. These findings, however, are based primarily on European American students. This study explored the impact of counseling on academic distress for treatment‐seeking racial/ethnic minority college students using the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms–34 ( Locke et al., 2012 ) Academic Distress subscale. Results indicated that there are significant differences in academic distress at intake based on race/ethnicity. Furthermore, findings revealed that change in academic distress over the course of treatment varies by race/ethnicity.     

Molecular diffusion analysis of dynamic blood flow and plasma separation driven by self-powered microfluidic devices

Integration of microfluidic devices with pressure-driven, self-powered fluid flow propulsion methods has provided a very effective solution for on-chip, droplet blood testing applications. However, precise understanding of the physical process governing fluid dynamics in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices remains unclear. Here, we propose a pressure-driven diffusion model using Fick''s law and the ideal gas law, the results of which agree well with the experimental fluid dynamics observed in our vacuum pocket-assisted, self-powered microfluidic devices. Notably, this model enables us to precisely tune the flow rate by adjusting two geometrical parameters of the vacuum pocket. By linking the self-powered fluid flow propulsion method to the sedimentation, we also show that direct plasma separation from a drop of whole blood can be achieved using only a simple construction without the need for external power sources, connectors, or a complex operational procedure. Finally, the potential of the vacuum pocket, along with a removable vacuum battery to be integrated with non-PDMS microfluidic devices to drive and control the fluid flow, is demonstrated.     

Validation of a videogrammetry technique for analysing American football helmet kinematics

ABSTRACT

Professional American football games are recorded in digital video with multiple cameras, often at high resolution and high frame rates. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a videogrammetry technique to calculate translational and rotational helmet velocity before, during and after a helmet impact. In total, 10 football impacts were staged in a National Football League (NFL) stadium by propelling helmeted 50th percentile male crash test dummies into each other or the ground at speeds and orientations representative of concussive impacts for NFL players. The tests were recorded by experienced sports film crews to obtain video coverage and quality typically available for NFL games. A videogrammetry procedure was used to track the position and rotation of the helmet throughout the relevant time interval of the head impact. Compared with rigidly mounted retroreflective marker three dimensional (3-D) motion tracking that was concurrently collected in the experiments, videogrammetry accurately calculated changes in translational and rotational velocity of the helmet using high frame rate (two cameras at 240 Hz) video (7% and 15% error, respectively). Low frame rate (2 cameras at 60 Hz) video was adequate for calculating pre-impact translational velocity but not for calculating the translational or rotational velocity change of the helmet during impact.     

The kinematic differences between accurate and inaccurate squash forehand drives for athletes of different skill levels

ABSTRACT

To maintain the accuracy of squash shots under varying conditions, such as the oncoming ball’s velocity and trajectory, players must adjust their technique. Although differences in technique between skilled and less-skilled players have been studied, it is not yet understood how players vary their technique in a functional manner to maintain accuracy under varying conditions. This study compared 3-dimensional joint and racket kinematics and their variability between accurate and inaccurate squash forehand drives of 9 highly skilled and 9 less-skilled male athletes. During inaccurate shots, less-skilled players hit the ball with a more open racket, demonstrating a difference in this task-relevant parameter. No joint kinematic differences were found for accuracy for either group. Coordinated joint rotations at the elbow and wrist both displayed a “zeroing-in” effect, whereby movement variability was reduced from the initiation of propulsive joint rotation to a higher consistency at ball-impact; potentially highlighting the “functionality” of the variability prior to the impact that enabled consistent task-relevant parameters (racket orientation and velocity) under varying conditions. Further, highly skilled players demonstrated greater consistency of task-relevant parameters at impact than less-skilled players. These findings highlight the superior ability of highly skilled players to adjust their technique to achieve consistent task-relevant parameters and a successful shot.     

The motivation activation measure and media use in Singapore: cross-cultural stability

The purpose of this paper is twofold: First, it tests how the Motivation Activation Measure [MAM; Lang, A., Bradley, S. D., Sparks Jr, J. V., &; Lee, S. (2007). The motivation activation measure (MAM): How well does MAM predict individual differences in physiological indicators of appetitive and aversive activation? Communication Methods and Measures, 1(2), 113–136] applies in a non-American (i.e. Asian) context, in order to provide evidence for the universality asserted through its theoretical underpinnings as an indicator of biologically based motivation systems. It thus investigates cross-cultural variation in the MAM scores and the associations with established measures of theoretically related personality factors. Second, the paper examines how individual differences in motivational system responsiveness correlate with media use and interests in an Asian culture. Eight hundred sixty-five respondents completed MAM, personality measures and self-reported media preference in an online survey. Findings indicate that the MAM values recorded in the Asian sample associate with the measures of theoretically related human traits as expected, and had a similar pattern of scores with those found in American samples. Moreover, results suggest that audience interests in different types of media can be predicted through their variation in motivation systems activation.     

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for Cataloging: An Application and Evaluation

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a proactive assessment tool originally created for quality assurance in manufacturing industries. FMEA involves the assignment of rankings for frequency, severity, and detection of errors within a process. Catalogers at ProQuest undertook an innovative project to use FMEA to evaluate MARC record production. This article provides an overview of FMEA for process evaluation and summarizes an application for cataloging. It considers the tool's value for error-proofing in MARC record creation and how FMEA might be applied more effectively in a variable environment.     

Faculty/Staff Perceptions of a Standards-Based Exit Portfolio System for Graduate Students

New standards for certification were recently developed for speech–language pathology graduate training programs by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The new standards are outcomes-based rather than process-based. Using a collective case study approach, this article highlights the perceptions of faculty and staff regarding use of a standards-based exit portfolio system for students in a Speech–Language Pathology graduate program at a medium-sized, public university after two semesters of use.Tena L. McNamara received a B.S. degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology and an M.S. degree in Audiology from Bradley University, and the Doctor of Audiology Degree from the University of Florida. She is now Assistant Professor at Illinois State University. Special interests include soundfield FM systems utilized in classroom settings, auditory processing disorders, electrophysiology, and phonological awareness. Rita L. Bailey is a speech–language pathologist and holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Speech–Language Pathology and an Ed.D. in Special Education, all from Illinois State University. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at Illinois State University. Her primary research interests include pediatric dysphagia, service-learning, alternative-augmentative communication methods, and voice. E-mail: tlmcnam@ilstu.edu.