Maximal Reliability and Composite Reliability: Examining Their Difference for Multicomponent Measuring Instruments Using Latent Variable Modeling

A latent variable modeling method for examining the difference between maximal reliability and composite reliability for homogenous multicomponent measuring instruments is outlined. The procedure allows point and interval estimation of the discrepancy between the reliability coefficients associated with the optimal linear combination and with the popular unit-weighted sum of the scale components. The approach permits a researcher to make an informed choice if needed between the maximal reliability and composite reliability coefficients and concepts in an empirical setting as indexes of quality of measurement with an instrument under consideration. The discussed method is illustrated using numerical data.     

The impact of college selectivity on income for men and women

In this study a large national data set was used to assess the causal influence of college selectivity on earnings after controlling for a variety of background variables such as family background, financial considerations, academic ability, and degree aspirations. Using a recursive structural equation model, it was found that for both genders selectivity had a significant direct and indirect effect on earnings; however, selectivity could explain only a minute percentage of variance in income above and beyond the controls. Males and females differed slightly on the total effect of selectivity on earnings, but the indirect effect was twice as large for women as for men.     

Surfel-based surface modeling for robotic belt grinding simulation

INTRODUCTION The simulation and verification technologies of numerical controlled (NC) manufacturing processes have been developed since the end of the 1970s, and a lot of significant accomplishments have been achieved. This kind of technology has important im- pact on product development and quality control. The designed CAD model can be produced to virtually reduce or even eliminate expensive experiments on testing material. If any potential problem, such as collision, improper parame…     

Adolescent understandings of disability labels and social stigma in school

Frequent discussion in the field of disability research focuses knowledge on rehabilitation for students with disabilities. However, lacking is a focus on student identity development in the face of a highly stigmatizing and stigmatized label. Semi-structured interviews with four freshman males labeled with high incidence disabilities were conducted. The aim of the study was a student-centered discussion of disability knowledge and awareness of stigma. This student-centered discussion is presented in contrast to a body of literature critiqued as stories that are told about people with disabilities by nondisabled researchers and practitioners. Instead, this paper frames students with disabilities as the experts on their own identity. All students were aware of the stigma of their disability label, though each negotiated this stigma differently. The young men conceptualized disability in differing ways. Results suggest students’ deep knowledge, of, and conscious behaviors to avoid disability stigma.     

Exploring effectiveness in brain removal techniques: A comparison of approaches

Brain dissection is typically an important part of teaching neuroscience in health professional programs. This results in the need to effectively remove brains, which is often performed in a gross anatomy laboratory in the same curriculum. The aim of this study was to determine the most effective method of brain removal based on the time required for removal, difficulty of removal, and preservation of key brain structures for educational purposes. Six different dissectors performed each of the three calvaria removal approaches and three different spinal cord transection methods rating them for difficulty and tracking the time required. The combination of calvaria and brainstem approaches and the order of completion was randomized to control for fatigue and previous individual experience. After all brains were removed, each was evaluated by neuroscience faculty for utility in education contexts. The study found little difference between the individual approaches for both calvaria removal and spinal cord transection in regards to quality of outcome. The use of a circumferential cut only proved to be the most time-effective method for calvaria removal while a posterior cut between C1 and C2 was the most time-effective and least difficult method for brainstem release. There was no one technique that proved to be most beneficial across all three measures. However, different approaches resulted in a different combination of benefits across the time, difficulty, and outcome ratings that should be considered in light of the individual needs of any program or researcher.     

A sociometric comparison of mainstreamed,orthopedically handicapped high school students and nonhandicapped classmates

This study explored the sociometric status of orthopedically handicapped (OH) high school students in mainstreamed classrooms. Twenty-nine students in mainstreamed classrooms (e.g., spina bifida or other paralysis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy) were compared with randomly selected classmates on the Peer Rating Scale (PRS), a class-administered sociometric scale. The OH group received significantly higher scores on 2 of 12 PRS factors, as well as directionally higher scores on 8 others. These were interpreted as reflecting either genuine liking and admiration for mainstreamed OH high school students or, alternatively, a “defensive” inability on the part of peers to express base-rate negative feelings toward the orthopedically handicapped. Recommendations for future research are made.     

A Look at the Anatomy Educator Job Market: Anatomists Remain in Short Supply

In 2002, a widely publicized report projected an anatomy educator shortage based on department chairpersons' perceptions. Now, 17 years later, the question lingers: “Does an anatomy educator shortage persist and, if so, how severe is the shortage?” Trends in the number, type, and fill rate of anatomy educator job openings were explored by analyzing job posting in the United States over the past two years. A survey was distributed to leaders of anatomy-related departments in the United States, Canada, and European Union. Most departmental leaders who responded (65% or more) from the United States/Canada (n = 81) and the European Union (n = 52) anticipate they will have “moderate” to “great” difficulty hiring anatomy educators in gross anatomy, histology, and embryology over the next five years. Within the United States, the number of anatomy educator job postings at medical schools more than doubled from at least 21 postings in 2017 to 52 postings in 2018. Twenty-one percent of postings between 2017 and 2018 were never filled. While the number of anatomy educator openings within the United States/Canada is perceived to remain in a steady state for the next five years, the European Union estimates a five-fold increase in the number of openings. Departmental leaders prioritize anatomy educator applicants who have teaching experience (mean ± SD = 4.64 ± 0.84 on five-point Likert scale), versatility in teaching multiple anatomy disciplines (3.93 ± 1.07), and flexibility in implementing various teaching pedagogies (3.69 ± 1.17). Collectively, these data suggest the shortage of anatomy educators continues in the United States/Canada and the European Union.