Epistemic constraint and teaching style

An experimental study investigated the influence of informational dependence on information appropriation as a function of epistemic authority’s styles. In a 2×2 design, university students were informed that acknowledging epistemic dependence was related either to academic success or to academic failure, and were exposed to controversial information from an epistemic authority that used either an authoritarian or a democratic style. The main dependent variable was the extent to which participants appropriated the controversial information. Firstly the results showed that students were more inclined to admit that their own academic competence depended on the information delivered by the teachers when epistemic dependence was related to success rather than to failure. Secondly, the admittance of dependence had a different impact on information appropriation according to the authority’s style. Admittance increased appropriation under a democratic style whereas it decreased appropriation under an authoritarian style.     

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN LISTENING STYLE PREFERENCES: A COMPARISON OF YOUNG ADULTS IN GERMANY, ISRAEL, AND THE UNITED STATES

Do the listening styles preferred by young adults in Germany,Israel, and the USA differ significantly? In order to addressthis question, college students in all three countries completedversions of the Listening Styles Profile (LSP; Watson et al.1995) presented in their native languages. Factor analysis revealedfour predominant constructs underlying the LSP, which were designatedas people, action, content, and time listening styles. Comparisonsbetween the three cultures revealed distinctively differentpatterns of listening style preferences, with Germans preferringthe action style, Israelis endorsing the content style, andAmericans favoring both the people and time styles.     

Measuring Emotional Appeals in Israeli Election Campaigns

The use of emotions in political campaigns is known and welldocumented. From its earliest days in the Roman Empire or laterin Crusader times to its extensive use by the Nazi regime, politicalpropaganda attempted to seduce and convince, attract and influencetargeted publics by appealing to their emotions. Appeals tofear, hope, pride, anger, and anxiety are frequent in moderncampaigns too. Yet no attempts appear to have been made to developa methodological tool for the objective and systematic identificationof the use of such appeals. This research is based on the design,testing, and validation of a research instrument intended tomeasure quantitatively and comparatively the use of emotionalappeals in two Israeli election campaigns (1996 and 1999). Italso reports findings from an application of the new measureto test specific hypotheses on the use of emotional appealsacross campaigns and parties.     

Looking for Opinion Leaders: Traditional vs. Modern Measures in Traditional Societies

Since the introduction of the opinion leadership conceptualization,both practitioners and academics have been keenly interestedin its applicability in modern society. Numerous studies havebeen conducted to identify potential opinion leaders, learnof the characteristics distinguishing them from their ‘followers,’and understand how they exert their personal influence to changeopinions and behaviors of the masses. Despite the growing researchon opinion leadership, the identification of appropriate opinionleaders for practical purposes continues to be a challenge.Several methods were used to identify opinion leaders. The existenceof numerous methods and their use in various societies, socialsettings and cultures and the variance across domains of opinionleadership raises questions on the applicability and validityof the modern, advanced measures when applied to other socialsettings. The present study is in fact a first attempt to applythe modern personality strength (PS) scale to a traditionalcommunity. The PS scale was found to be an efficient, valid,and useful instrument to identify opinion leaders in numerousstudies. However, it was always used, tested, and validatedin Western societies (e.g., Germany, USA, and Israel). Whenwe applied the method in the Skukuza community, a small villagein South Africa, the findings revealed the inapplicability ofthe scale in a traditional community. Several factors are suggestedto explain the futility of the PS scale in a traditional society.     

Die Klasse an die Universit?t, die Masse an die anderen Hochschulen?

In Germany, different types of university-level institutions are available for tertiary education: traditional universities (Universit?ten) and??since the 1970s??universities of applied science (Fachhochschulen) as well as universities of cooperative education (Berufsakademien). The present study investigates differences in key areas related to students?? academic choices and success: do students at different types of university differ significantly in terms of cognitive performance, personality or social background? We compared N?=?1.230 students at traditional universities, universities of applied science, and universities of cooperative education (Baden-W??rttemberg Cooperative State University) on the basis of a large scale longitudinal study in the German federal state of Baden-W??rttemberg. Students of the different university types differed significantly in all three key areas (cognitive performance, personality, and social background) within the fields of technical sciences and economics. We determine the relative importance of these key areas for differences between university types and we discuss the implications of our findings.     

Effect of extended training on generalization of latent inhibition: an instance of perceptual learning

Four experiments examined generalization of latent inhibition (LI) as a function of the length of preexposure in a conditioned taste aversion procedure with rats. Experiment 1 showed that one or four nonreinforced presentations of a flavor compound (BX) retarded subsequent conditioning to another compound (AX). However, after eight presentations of BX, conditioning to AX occurred at the same rate as with no preexposure. These results indicate that generalization of LI decreased as the length of preexposure to BX increased. Experiment 2 replicated this effect of reducing generalization, as well as demonstrating that LI actually increased as the length of preexposure to AX increased. Experiment 3 extended the generality of the effect to a procedure in which both BX and AX were preexposed. Experiment 4 demonstrated a similar reducing-generalization effect when generalization of LI from BX to X was assessed. All of these data are consistent with the notion that prolonged preexposure to BX enhances its discriminability. Different learning mechanisms that might be responsible for this perceptual learning effect are discussed.     

Sense,Nonsense, and Violence: Levinas and the Internal Logic of School Shootings

Utilizing a broadly Levinasian framework, specifically the interplay among his ideas of possession, violence, and negation, Gabriel Keehn and Deron Boyles illustrate how the relatively recent sharp turn toward the hypercorporatized school and the concomitant transition of the student from simple (potential) customer to a type of hybrid consumer/consumable has rendered it more difficult for students to see themselves as engaged in any type of serious ethical relationship with those around them. To be unable to see their peers as Others, in other words, makes it easier for students to perpetrate a specific type of violence against them. Keehn and Boyles suggest that current popular policy responses to gun violence in schools (such as increased security, zero‐tolerance policies, antibullying initiatives, and mental‐health policy revisions) are approaches that, at best, fail to address the root cause of gun violence in schools and, at worst, are themselves branches of that root: namely, a homogenizing corporatism that creates an ethical vacuum in the schoolhouse.     

Romanian scholarly productivity: recent history and recommendations

Romanian scholars, and others, have decried the quality and quantity of scholarly productivity from Romania. However, Romanian scholars face challenges of both tradition and resources as they try to westernize their higher education system. We analyzed data from two sources to compare Romanian scholarly productivity to that of other countries from Central and Eastern Europe that have similar histories, as well as to worldwide publication rates. We found that Romanian scholarly productivity is weak compared to other countries in psychology, sociology, environmental sciences, linguistics, geology and medicine. However, Romanian scholarly productivity has been comparable to other countries in agriculture and computer sciences. We also found that Romanian scholarly productivity has shown gains in engineering and economics compared to other countries over a 20-year period. We conclude this paper with research-based recommendations for improving scholarly productivity.     

In vitro diagnostic company recalls and medical laboratory practices: an Italian case

Introduction

In vitro human diagnostic (IVD) company recalls are a common practice aimed to either minimize a potential error or eliminate an existing failure. In this case report, we aim to provide a critical analysis of a recent IVD recall and to provide a practical framework about what to do when an IVD company recalls product(s) based on the International Organization for Standardization - ISO 15189:2012 standard.

Case report

In 2014, Abbott Laboratories® (Green Oaks, IL) published an urgent field safety notice regarding a product recall (Architect Intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) Assay List Number 8K25) with immediate action required. The IVD company explained the reasons for the recall as follows: i) Abbott has confirmed that a performance shift in the Architect Intact PTH assay has the potential to generate falsely elevated results on patient samples; ii) results generated with impacted lots may demonstrate a positive shift relative to those generated with previous reagent and/or calibrator lots. This issue may also impact established Architect Intact PTH reference ranges; iii) the magnitude of shift averages approximately 13% to 45%; iv) Abbott Architect Intact PTH controls do not detect the shift; and v) all current reagent, calibrator, and control inventory are impacted. The recall could have resulted in ~40,000 inaccurate laboratory tests reported by 18 laboratories from Italy (Lombardy region).

Conclusion

IVD company recalls have a serious impact on the patient safety and require a thorough investigation and responsible approach to minimize the possible damage. Medical laboratories accredited according to the ISO 15189 standard have procedures in place to manage such situations and ensure that patient safety is maintained when such recalls are issued.Key words: clinical laboratory techniques, patient safety, laboratory variability, reference standards, quality control, parathyroid hormone