Can children resist making interpretations when uncertain?

In two experiments we examined young children’s ability to delay a response to ambiguous input. In Experiment 1 5- and 6- year olds performed as poorly when they had to choose between basing an interpretation on ambiguous input and delaying an interpretation as when making explicit evaluations of knowledge. Seven- and 8- year olds’ found the former task easy. In Experiment 2 5- and 6- year olds performed well on a task that required delaying a response but removed the need to decide between strategies. We discuss children’s difficulty with ambiguity in terms of the decision making demands made by different procedures. These demands appear to cause particular problems for young children

The National Domestic Workers Union and the War on Poverty

This article explores values, strategies, and tensions found within the War on Poverty and examines a War on Poverty-supported initiative, the National Domestic Workers Union (NDWU). The article makes the argument that the NDWU is illustrative of the War on Poverty in that each held structurally based descriptions of poverty and individually based prescriptions. The article explores the relationship of domestic service to the institutions of racism, classism, and sexism and how the ND WU strategies of training, service, and, advocacy-like those of the War on Poverty-sought to address the needs of individual domestic workers while circumventing larger and more complicated issues

Review of \u3cem\u3eThe People Shall Rule: ACORN, Community Organizing, and the Struggle for Economic Justice.\u3c/em\u3e Robert Fisher, Ed. Reviewed by Elizabeth Beck.

Book review of Robert Fisher, Ed., The People Shall Rule: ACORN, Community Organizing, and the Struggle for Economic Justice. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press, 2009. $69.95 hardcover,$27.95 paperback

Noninvasive Cleaning and Sanitation Monitoring System for Deli Department Processing

The inability to adequately judge the efficacy of cleaning/sanitation in deli departments is a recognized food safety concern. In prior studies, our research group demonstrated that visual inspection of cleaned produce processing surfaces could be enhanced through the use of a portable imaging device. To explore the feasibility of using this technology to facilitate detection of deli residues, fluorescence spectra of deli commodities were acquired using a laboratory-based hyperspectral imaging system. Cheeses evidenced a strong response at 675 nm; meats were best detected at 475 or 520 nm, demonstrating these wavelengths are good candidates for deli residue detection. To confirm these findings, images were taken of an in-house deli slicer with the portable imaging device. Deli residues were detected and several slicer areas were identified as being prone to residue buildup. Results confirmed the potential to use a portable imaging device to enhance current cleaning procedures in a deli setting

Trajectories, Antecedents, and Outcomes of Childhood Somatization in School-Age Boys

The current study had three goals that were designed to extend our understanding of childhood somatization (SOM). The first goal was to use a group-based trajectory analysis to plot developmental pathways of SOM. The second goal was to use a developmental psychopathology framework to identify risk factors from multiple domains that discriminated SOM trajectories. The third and final goal was to examine the relationship between child maladjustment, including functional impairment, and SOM trajectory group status. These goals were conducted with a sample of 310 ethnically diverse, low-income boys followed longitudinally from ages 2 to 12, using multiple methods and informants. Similar to research using broadly-defined internalizing behaviors, three developmental trajectories were identified: No, Low Increasing, and Moderate Increasing. The majority of the boys (i.e., 82%) were reported as displaying at least low to moderate levels of SOM across childhood. In addition to these three trajectories, a small group of boys (n = 5) demonstrated a distinct pattern of SOM, called the Moderate to High (MTH) group. Follow-up analyses indicated that the Moderate Increasing group was differentiated from the No group by higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms and parent-child conflict, whereas the MTH group demonstrated lower levels of social skills than the other three groups. Higher levels of both child negative affectivity and parent-child conflict discriminated the Low Increasing group from the No group. Differences in child outcomes at ages 11 and 12 were not found. The implications of the results for clinical intervention and future research are discussed

Perceiving Oppression: Relationships with Resilience, Self-Esteem, Depressive Symptoms, and Reliance on God in African-American Homeless Men

Empowerment has been proffered as a desirable goal for many disadvantaged populations. The process of empowerment can include encouraging disadvantaged individuals to recognize the structural factors in society (e.g., discrimination, oppression, injustice) which contribute to disadvantaged status. Two studies sought to determine the impact that recognition of oppression has on a disadvantaged individual\u27s (1) self-esteem; (2) level of depressive symptoms; (3) resilience which includes a sense of master y and optimism; (4) anger; and (5) reliance on God. These issues were investiga ted in a sample of African-American men seeking services at a soup-kitchen ministry. Perceptions of racial discrimination were marginally associated with attenuated levels of depressive symptoms. There was no evidence that perception of oppression influenced anger or self-esteem. However, belief in a just world was associated with some aspects of resilience and stronger reliance on God. Attributions to individual causes of homelessness were marginally associated with greater optimism. Those practitioners endeavoring to empower should be cautious about impairing clients\u27 belief in a just world or undermining a sense of personal control over events

Do Inner-City, African-American Males Exhibit Bad Attitudes toward Work?

Many potential employers of inner-city African-American men believe that African-American men have poor work attitudes. The investigations reported here attempted to evaluate the veridicality of this assumption. The responses of African-American men who utilize a soup-kitchen were compared with college men on a variety of attitude measures, as well as on their reactions to a scenario about a man who worked for an unfair boss and quit in response. Generally, little support for the view that innercity, African-Americans men have a predilection to presume prejudice or unfairness, or to render a favorable evaluation of quitting under unfair conditions, was found

Citizen Participation in Neighborhood Organizations in Poor Communities and its Relationship to Neighborhood and Organizational Collective Efficacy

Collective efficacy describes residents\u27 perceptions regarding their ability to work with their neighbors to intervene in neighborhood issues to maintain social control and solve problems. This study examines whether citizen participation in neighborhood organizations located in poor communities is related to neighborhood and organizational collective efficacy among residents. The results indicate that the more residents participated in their neighborhood organization, the greater their level of organizational collective efficacy, but not neighborhood collective efficacy. The results of the current study will help support social workers and other community practitioners understand how to effectively facilitate citizen participation in ways that enhance collective efficacy in poor communities. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed

Preliminary Investigations on the Deposition of Fine Powders Through Miniature Hopper-Nozzles Applied to Multi-Material Solid Freeform Fabrication

A concept for multi-material solid freeform fabrication is proposed to enable the fabrication of heterogeneous components. This concept features nozzles designed for depositing thin layers of multiple patterned materials followed by selective laser sintering for consolidation to desired densities. Although prior work on the design of small-scale nozzles for powder delivery is lacking, our design is guided by background theory for particle flow through hoppers. Experimental guidelines for the delivery of powders with particle sizes in the 10-125µm range through hopper-nozzle orifices with diameters in the 0.5-2mm range are presented. This is a preliminary investigation of particle flow behavior necessary for continuous mass flow rates under gravity, low gas pressure-assisted flow, and vibration-assisted flow conditions. As proof of concept, several patterned beds of single and multiple materials were deposited on an X-Y table. A simple model to predict the linewidth of lines deposited by gravity flow is presented.Mechanical Engineerin