Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism

SUMMARY

This paper presents a literature review of social work programs' distance education evaluation studies with an emphasis on the strengths distance education programs offer to students relative to standard programs. The authors discuss quality issues in relation to teaching and learning in distance education programs with a panel of distance learners who will discuss their experiences.     

Identifying Themes Regarding the Benefits and Limitations of Caregiver Support Group Conversations

Support groups continue to be one of the most needed and desired forms of help for family caregivers to persons with dementia. Though the effects of caregiver support group participation have been examined, the benefits and limitations of the dynamics of support group conversations have been neglected. This study focuses on the perceived consequences of group dynamics. Three themes—balance, sameness, and individuality—emerged through analysis of open-ended interviews with support group members following observations of their meetings. The consequences of these themes are illustrated with a case study and the implications of these themes for practitioners are discussed.     

The case for small area microdata

Summary.  Census data are available in aggregate form for local areas and, through the samples of anonymized records (SARs), as samples of microdata for households and individuals. In 1991 there were two SAR files: a household file and an individual file. These have a high degree of detail on the census variables but little geographical detail, a situation that will be exacerbated for the 2001 SAR owing to the loss of district level geography on the individual SAR. The paper puts forward the case for an additional sample of microdata, also drawn from the census, that has much greater geographical detail. Small area microdata (SAM) are individual level records with local area identifiers and, to maintain confidentiality, reduced detail on the census variables. Population data from seven local authorities, including rural and urban areas, are used to define prototype samples of SAM. The rationale for SAM is given, with examples that demonstrate the role of local area information in the analysis of census data. Since there is a trade-off between the extent of local detail and the extent of detail on variables that can be made available, the confidentiality risk of SAM is assessed empirically. An indicative specification of the SAM is given, having taken into account the results of the confidentiality analysis.     

Protecting ecosystems: network structure and social capital mobilization

The research reported here explores a community that amassedsocial capital in effective and diverse ways, enabling it tofight a corporate giant and protect critical, large watersheds.We explore how the dynamic interaction between network formationand network structure augmented community social capital, particularlybridging, for increased access to human and economic capital.Network structure(s) can create enabling conditions for themobilization of social capital within communities and for peopleto feel empowered to act. The research suggests that there isan opportunity for policy-makers to learn what kinds of policiescan enhance or destroy existing social capital in a community.     

Has the National Do Not Call Registry Helped or Hurt State-Level Response Rates?: A Time Series Analysis

By the end of the initial registration period on August 31,2003, the National Do Not Call Registry (DNC Registry) had registeredmore than 50 million telephone numbers. Approximately 18 monthslater that number had increased to more than 91 million. Theimpact of the DNC Registry on survey response rates, however,is largely unknown. Some researchers speculate that the registrycould make it easier to distinguish between telephone surveyinterviewers and telemarketers. Other researchers argue thata significant portion of DNC registrants may not make such distinctionsand would prefer instead to reduce all unsolicited calls frommarketers and interviewers alike. Case outcomes from nearly4.5 million telephone numbers called between January 1, 2002,and June 30, 2005, as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor SurveillanceSystem were analyzed. Using trend analyses and autoregressiveintegrated moving average (ARIMA) time series modeling, we assessedthe impact of the DNC Registry on state-level monthly responserates in 47 states. Our findings indicate that once pre-DNCRegistry trends in response rates and other potential covariatesare accounted for, the national Do Not Call rules have had nosignificant impact on state-level response rates in either apositive or negative direction.     

Proposals for 2001 samples of anonymized records: An assessment of disclosure risk

In 1991 Marsh and co-workers made the case for a sample of anonymized records (SAR) from the 1991 census of population. The case was accepted by the Office for National Statistics (then the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys) and a request was made by the Economic and Social Research Council to purchase the SARs. Two files were released for Great Britain—a 2% sample of individuals and a 1% sample of households. Subsequently similar samples were released for Northern Ireland. Since their release, the files have been heavily used for research and there has been no known breach of confidentiality. There is a considerable demand for similar files from the 2001 census, with specific requests for a larger sample size and lower population threshold for the individual SAR. This paper reassesses the analysis of Marsh and co-workers of the risk of identification of an individual or household in a sample of microdata from the 1991 census and also uses alternative ways of assessing risks with the 1991 SARs. The results of both the reassessment and the new analyses are reassuring and allow us to take the 1991 SARs as a base-line against which to assess proposals for changes to the size and structure of samples from the 2001 census.     

Modeling developmental data using U-shaped threshold dose-response curves

This paper develops threshold models for developmental toxicity data. The distinguishing feature of these threshold models is their flexibility in modeling data below threshold with a U-shaped function if the data warrants. The method is applied to actual data from a developmental study which exhibits U-shaped behavior in early dose groups. Results from a simulation study demonstrate the flexibility of the threshold model to pick up on U-shaped trends in the data. In addition, the simulation study reveals important considerations in design of developmental studies.     

A Parametric Model for Detecting Hormetic Effects in Developmental Toxicity Studies

Hormetic effects have been observed at low exposure levels based on the dose-response pattern of data from developmental toxicity studies. This indicates that there might actually be a reduced risk of exhibiting toxic effects at low exposure levels. Hormesis implies the existence of a threshold dose level and there are dose-response models that include parameters that account for the threshold. We propose a function that introduces a parameter to account for hormesis. This function is a subset of the set of all functions that could represent a hormetic dose-response relationship at low exposure levels to toxic agents. We characterize the overall dose-response relationship with a piecewise function that consists of a hormetic u-shape curve at low dose levels and a logistic curve at high dose levels. We apply our model to a data set from an experiment conducted at the National Toxicology Program (NTP). We also use the beta-binomial distribution to model the litter response data. It can be seen by observing the structure of these data that current experimental designs for developmental studies employ a limited number of dose groups. These designs may not be satisfactory when the goal is to illustrate the existence of hormesis. In particular, increasing the number of low-level doses improves the power for detecting hormetic effects. Therefore, we also provide the results of simulations that were done to characterize the power of current designs in detecting hormesis and to demonstrate how this power can be improved upon by altering these designs with the addition of only a few low exposure levels.     

Expanded learning time and opportunities: key principles, driving perspectives, and major challenges

If expanded learning is going to make a real difference, then three key principles must inform how communities overcome challenges and assure equitable access to learning opportunities.