Externalities, technological complementarities and sustained economic growth

Externalities as conventionally defined miss many of the spillovers that are both causes and consequences of the technological changes that underlie economic growth. We introduce a much wider concept called technological complementarities. New general purpose technologies (GPTs) rejuvenate the growth process by creating technological complementarities, which are adequately measured neither by total factor productivity (TFP) nor by externalities. There would be major gains from technological change even if the returns on capital invested in innovation never exceeded the returns on investing in existing technologies so that there were neither externalities nor positive changes in TFP.     

Using A Split-ballot Survey to Explore the Robustness of the 'MIP' Question in Agenda-Setting Research: A Methodological Study

Three aspects of the ‘most important problem’ questionused in agenda-setting research to measure issue salience amongthe public were examined. A split-ballot design in a state-widesurvey compared versions of the public agenda with a socialframe of reference versus a personal frame of reference, versionsusing the traditional term ‘problem’ versus ‘issue’,and the effects of question order. High correlations betweenthe different versions were found in all three sets of comparisons.     

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of goat ovaries,follicles and oocytes in view of in vitro production of embryos

Goat ovaries were collected from the slaughterhouse and categorized as right, left, corpus luteum （CL）-present and -absent group and evaluated on the basis of weight （g）, length （cm）, width （cm）, number of follicles, follicles aspirated and number and state ofcumulus-oocyte-complexes （COCs）. Comparatively higher weight [（0.66±0.02） vs （0.64±0.02） g], length [（1.17±0.02） vs （1.1 ±0.02） cm] and width [（0.77±0.02） vs （0.74±0.02） cm] were found in right ovaries than those of left. On the other hand significantly （P〈0.05） higher weight [（0.71±0.03） vs （0.64±0.01） g] and width [（0.76±0.03） vs （0.75±0.01） cm] were found in CL-present group than those of CL-absent group of ovaries. The left ovaries contained comparatively higher number of normal COCs [（1.06±0.09） per ovary] than fight ovaries [（1.03±0.10） per ovary] and the similar trend was found in total number of follicles [（4.51±0.25） vs （4.30±0.23） per ovary] and follicles aspirated [（2.55±0.14） vs （2.52±0.12） per ovary]. But the total COCs per ovary was almost similar in both ovaries [right and left： （1.85±0.12） and （1.85±0.11） per ovary, respectively]. Higher number of total COCs [（1.87±0.09） vs （1.76±0.16） per ovary], total number of follicles [（4.45±0.19） vs （4.16±0.37） per ovary], follicles aspirated [（2.55±0.10） vs （2.48±0.21） per ovary] and normal COCs [（1.12±0.07） vs （0.76±0.14） per ovary] were found in CL-absent group than those of CL-present group of ovaries.     

Phenomenal permanence and the development of predictive tracking in infancy

The perceived spatiotemporal continuity of objects depends on the way they appear and disappear as they move in the spatial layout. This study investigated whether infants' predictive tracking of a briefly occluded object is sensitive to the manner by which the object disappears and reappears. Five-, 7-, and 9-month-old infants were shown a ball rolling across a visual scene and briefly disappearing via kinetic occlusion, instantaneous disappearance, implosion, or virtual occlusion. Three different measures converged to show that predictive tracking increased with age and that infants were most likely to anticipate the reappearance of the ball following kinetic occlusion. These results suggest that infants' knowledge of the permanence and nonpermanence of objects is embodied in their predictive tracking.     

A structured forensic interview protocol improves the quality and informativeness of investigative interviews with children: a review of research using the NICHD Investigative Interview Protocol

OBJECTIVE: To show how the results of research on children's memory, communicative skills, social knowledge, and social tendencies can be translated into guidelines that improve the quality of forensic interviews of children. METHOD: We review studies designed to evaluate children's capacities as witnesses, explain the development of the structured NICHD Investigative Interview Protocol, and discuss studies designed to assess whether use of the Protocol enhances the quality of investigative interviews. RESULTS: Controlled studies have repeatedly shown that the quality of interviewing reliably and dramatically improves when interviewers employ the NICHD Protocol. No other technique has been proven to be similarly effective. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the structured NICHD Protocol improves the quality of information obtained from alleged victims by investigators, thereby increasing the likelihood that interventions will be appropriate.     

Improving credibility assessment in child sexual abuse allegations: the role of the NICHD investigative interview protocol

OBJECTIVES: The study was designed to explore whether the credibility of children's statements regarding their alleged experiences of child sexual abuse could be assessed in a more valid and reliable way when investigative interviews were conducted using the NICHD protocol rather than in an unstructured manner. METHODS: Forty-two experienced Israeli youth investigators each assessed the credibility of allegations of sexual abuse made by alleged victims of sexual abuse when interviewed either with or without the protocol. Half of the alleged incidents were judged likely to have happened ("plausible") on the basis of independent evidence, while half were deemed unlikely to have happened ("implausible"). RESULTS: More non-protocol than protocol interviews were rated as "No judgment possible" rather than either credible or incredible. Allegations made in protocol interviews were more accurately rated as credible or incredible when they were either plausible or implausible, respectively, than those made in non-protocol statements. Levels of inter-rater reliability were also higher when protocol interviews were rated. The differences were significant only for plausible cases, however. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the NICHD protocol facilitated the assessment of credibility by child investigators although incredible allegations (those describing incidents that were unlikely to have happened) remained difficult to detect, even when the protocol was used.     

Ghosts in the Nursery 2.0

SYNOPSIS

Parental working is not unambiguously beneficial for children. On the one hand, working parents can be positive role models for their children, and income can improve children’s lives in many ways. On the other hand, work can impair parent-child interactions, especially when the parents experience high levels of working stress. In my commentary, I conclude that the paper by River, enjoys strong support for the impact of maternal state anxiety (attachment anxiety) and work-interfering-with-family (WIF)-conflict related guilt on parents behaviors. Considering the cognitive-relational stress-theory by Lazarus and Folkman, the balance of personal resources and external demands can explain parental stress, which could be associated with parental behavior. Full-time-working parents, who experience high levels of guilt and report high levels of attachment anxiety, are more prone to show low levels of stress resistance toward crying infants. However, these associations are not studied in families with high risk factors. Furthermore, future studies should include aspects of mental health status in a theoretical model. Taken together, the target article provides a solid foundation for further research. I also propose to transfer the findings into more realistic research setting, which includes high-risk groups (parents with low socioeconomic status, low-income, mental health problems) to study how infant cry can influence parents’ patterns of care and abuse. The commentary tries to enrich the study by including Fraiberg’s “ghosts in the nursery” to further integrating parental mentalizing processes in the model explaining parents’ reactions to infant cry signal in the context of WIF conflicts.     

Validity and reliability of a linear positional transducer across commonly practised resistance training exercises

This study investigated the validity and reliability of the GymAware PowerTool (GPT). Thirteen resistance trained participants completed three visits, consisting of three repetitions of free-weight back squat, bench press, deadlift (80% one repetition maximum), and countermovement jump. Bar displacement, peak and mean velocity, peak and mean force, and jump height were calculated using the GPT, a three-dimensional motion capture system (Motion Analysis Corporation; 150 Hz), and a force plate (Kistler; 1500 Hz). Least products regression were used to compare agreeability between devices. A within-trial one-way ANOVA, typical error (TE; %), and smallest worthwhile change (SWC) were used to assess reliability. Regression analysis resulted in R² values of >0.85 for all variables excluding deadlift mean velocity (R² = 0.54–0.69). Significant differences were observed between visits 3-2 for bench press bar displacement (0.395 ± 0.055 m; 0.383 ± 0.053 m), and deadlift bar displacement (0.557 ± 0.034 m; 0.568 ± 0.034 m). No other significant differences were found. Low to moderate TE (0.6–8.8%) were found for all variables, with SWC ranging 1.7–7.4%. The data provides evidence that the GPT can be used to measure kinetic and kinematic outputs, however, care should be taken when monitoring deadlift performance.     

The problems facing multidisciplinary teams: As perceived by team members

The present study investigated the problems that team members perceive to exist on multidisciplinary teams. One hundred forty-seven team members on 40 teams from four urban school districts completed a questionnaire that presented an exhaustive listing of potential team problems. Results indicated that the two most pressing areas of concern for urban, multidisciplinary team members were: too constrictive a set of team roles and goals, and teams functioning under extensive pressure with minimal support. Strategies to reduce problems and enhance team functioning are presented.