Validation and Use of a Predictive Modeling Tool: Employing Scientific Findings to Improve Responsible Conduct of Research Education

Although recent evidence suggests ethics education can be effective, the nature of specific training programs, and their effectiveness, varies considerably. Building on a recent path modeling effort, the present study developed and validated a predictive modeling tool for responsible conduct of research education. The predictive modeling tool allows users to enter ratings in relation to a given ethics training program and receive instantaneous evaluative information for course refinement. Validation work suggests the tool’s predicted outcomes correlate strongly (r = 0.46) with objective course outcomes. Implications for training program development and refinement are discussed.     

Women’s views about the timing of birth

Background

Estimated date of birth (EDB) is used to guide the care provided to women during pregnancy and birth, although its imprecision is recognised. Alternatives to the EDB have been suggested for use with women however their attitudes to timing of birth information have not been examined.

Comparison of decapod communities across an urban-forest land use gradient in Puerto Rican streams

Urbanization influences a range of factors related to stream health, including the hydrologic regime, water quality, and riparian conditions that lead to negative effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, impacts on freshwater decapods from urbanization of tropical streams have not been reported. We hypothesized that changes in decapod communities in watersheds with different levels of urbanization are related to changes in physical stream habitats caused by different land uses and their effects on water discharge. The impacts of land use on the physico-chemical characteristics of streams and freshwater decapod communities were evaluated in three watersheds characterized by low, moderate and high-intensities of urbanization in Puerto Rico. For the low and moderately developed urban watersheds, decapod species richness ranged from 10 to 11 species; the highly urbanized watershed only had 4 species. Macrobrachium faustinum and Xiphocaris elongata were the most ubiquitously species and were found in all watersheds. Multivariable analysis of physical characteristics and densities of the decapod families resulted in one axis that explained 80 % of the total variation among the watersheds and was correlated with stream discharge. The effect of discharge is likely a result of frequent high flows that sustain habitats with high concentrations of dissolved oxygen and low concentrations of pollutants. An increase in physico-chemical parameters were observed from the LUW to the HUW. These results indicate that the decapod communities were most likely influenced by land use and environmental conditions that affected erosional aspects related to water discharge and water quality in the highly impacted watersheds.     

Interculturalising the curriculum: faculty professional development

Abstract

This paper describes faculty perceptions of the impacts of a professional development (PD) programme for faculty called Interculturalising the curriculum. Over 70 faculty members have participated since 2008. Participants in the study represented four cohorts from 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, from a broad range of academic disciplines. We begin with a review of the literature relevant to the rationale for, and challenges of, intercultural faculty development. We describe the theoretical frameworks and design of the programme. Next we present the results of a survey and one-on-one interviews with 20 past participants. The findings of the study combined with real changes in pedagogy and curriculum provide evidence that well-planned, theoretically grounded, intercultural PD for faculty can promote long-lasting impacts for both the educators and their students.     

Stepfather Involvement and Stepfather–Child Relationship Quality: Race and Parental Marital Status as Moderators

Stepparent–child relationship quality is linked to stepfamily stability and children's well‐being. Yet, the literature offers an incomplete understanding of factors that promote high‐quality stepparent–child relationships, especially among socio‐demographically diverse stepfamilies. In this study, we explore the association between stepfather involvement and stepfather–child relationship quality among a racially diverse and predominately low‐income sample of stepfamilies with preadolescent children. Using a subsample of 467 mother–stepfather families from year 9 of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, results indicate that stepfather involvement is positively associated with stepfather–child relationship quality. This association is statistically indistinguishable across racial groups, although the association is stronger among children in cohabiting stepfamilies compared to children in married stepfamilies.     

Research Implications of Electronic Filing of Nonprofit Information: Lessons from the United States’ Internal Revenue Service Form 990 Series

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - Increased electronic filing, or e-filing, of nonprofit data in the United States and abroad quickens public availability,...     

Making available information from studies sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry: some current practices

Since the web-based registry ClinicalTrials.gov was launched on 29 February 2000, the pharmaceutical industry has made available an increasing amount of information about the clinical trials that it sponsors. The process has been spurred on by a number of factors including a wish by the industry to provide greater transparency regarding clinical trial data; and has been both aided and complicated by the number of institutions that have a legitimate interest in guiding and defining what should be made available. This article reviews the history of this process of making information about clinical trials publicly available. It provides a reader's guide to the study registries and the databases of results; and looks at some indicators of consistency in the posting of study information.     

Starting from scratch: Building of meaningful endowments by public charities

Most nonprofits lack a true endowment and endowment wealth is concentrated in a relatively small number of organizations and subsectors. This study supports an operational definition of material endowment, equal to or greater than annual expenses, and investigates how common it is for a nonprofit to establish a meaningful endowment over time. Specifically, we address whether the sector's enthusiasm over the potential of endowment building is reflected in charitable organizations' experiences. Using financial data, we find that building a meaningful permanent endowment is a rare achievement among public charities over a period of two decades. Meaningful endowment creation, achieved by less than 2% of the sample, is more common for organizations with donor attachments, the need for subsidization of mission services, those with more fundraising costs, and those with more donative revenue portfolios.     

Personality,Gender, and Family History in the Prediction of College Gambling

The present study examined the degree to which gambling behaviors and gambling-relevant cognitive distortions could be predicted by personality factors, gender, and familial history of substance use and gambling problems in a large sample of college students (N = 581). Results indicate that parental gambling problems and, especially for males, a propensity to experience negative emotions predicted time spent gambling and gambling problems. Negative emotionality, along with parental substance use problems, impulsivity, and being male predicted gambling-related cognitive distortions. The differing pattern for impulsivity with respect to behaviors and beliefs might be explained by the low accessibility of gambling venues for the student population. We compare the present findings with past studies examining gambling behaviors in adult populations.