Reports Of Conferences, Institutes, And Seminars

This quarter\u27s column offers coverage of multiple sessions from the 2016 Electronic Resources & Libraries (ER&L) Conference, held April 3–6, 2016, in Austin, Texas. Topics in serials acquisitions dominate the column, including reports on altmetrics, cost per use, demand-driven acquisitions, and scholarly communications and the use of subscriptions agents; ERMS, access, and knowledgebases are also featured

Informing Migration Policies: A Data Primer

Researchers in many fields, such as demography, economics, and sociology, have established various data collection methodologies and principles to answer a range of academic and policy questions on migration. Although the progress has been impressive, some basic challenges remain. This paper addresses some basic, yet fundamental, questions on identification of international migrants and how their various demographic, personal, and human capital characteristics are captured via different data sources. The critical issues are the construction of proper sampling frames in censuses, registers, and surveys and the design of questionnaires in household, labor market, and other relevant surveys. The paper discusses how these data sources can be used to answer policy questions in areas such as labor markets, education, or poverty. The focus is on how some of the existing shortcomings in availability, quality, and relevance of migration data can be overcome via improvements in data collection methods

The Impact of Mindfulness Practices on Enhancing Focus and Reducing Behavioral Challenges

This research investigates how mindfulness practices affect student focus and behavioral regulation in an elementary classroom. Conducted in a second-grade classroom at a preschool through fourth-grade school in a rural district in Osage, Iowa, this study addresses the growing need for effective strategies in social-emotional learning and self-regulation for young learners. Eighteen students, ages seven to nine, participated in a mindfulness-based intervention to promote self-regulation, enhance classroom engagement, and increase focus. The intervention incorporated developmentally appropriate mindfulness practices, such as yoga, breathing exercises, and guided meditation, into the daily classroom schedule. A qualitative approach was employed, combining teacher observations, surveys from students and teachers, behavioral tallies, and reflective journaling. The data collection sought to reveal patterns in student behavior, especially regarding focus levels and the necessity for behavioral redirection. Initial findings suggest that incorporating mindfulness increased student attention during academic tasks and reduced teacher redirections. These results support existing research on the benefits of mindfulness for young children and highlight the potential of such practices to improve executive functioning, emotional regulation, and the overall classroom environment. This study offers practical insights for educators and enriches the conversation regarding the importance of mindfulness practices in early childhood education

Review of \u3cem\u3eBeyond Segregation: Multiracial and Multiethnic Neighborhoods in the United States.\u3c/em\u3e Michael T. Maly. Reviewed by Christopher R. Larrison.

Book review of Michael T. Maly, Beyond Segregation: Multiracial and Multiethnic Neighborhoods in the United States. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2005. $68.50 hardcover,$22.95 papercover

An Uncertain Stability

Installation of 16 mixed media found object sculptures

Review of \u3cem\u3eThe Dismal Science: How Thinking like an Economist Undermines Community.\u3c/em\u3e Stephen A. Margin. Reviewed by Christopher R. Larrison.

Book review of Stephen A. Marglin, The Dismal Science: How Thinking Like an Economist Undermines Community. Cambridge, MA and London, England: Harvard University Press, 2008. $35.00, hardcover

Review of \u3cem\u3eA Prelude to the Welfare State: The Origins of Workers\u27 Compensation.\u3c/em\u3e Price V. Fishback and Shawn Everett Kantor. Review by Christopher R. Larrison

Book review of Price V. Fishback and Shawn Everett Kantor, A Prelude to the Welfare State: The Origins of Workers\u27 Compensation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. $37.50 hardcove

The antisaccade task as an index of sustained goal activation in working memory: modulation by nicotine

The antisaccade task provides a laboratory analogue of situations in which execution of the correct behavioural response requires the suppression of a more prepotent or habitual response. Errors (failures to inhibit a reflexive prosaccade towards a sudden onset target) are significantly increased in patients with damage to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and patients with schizophrenia. Recent models of antisaccade performance suggest that errors are more likely to occur when the intention to initiate an antisaccade is insufficiently activated within working memory. Nicotine has been shown to enhance specific working memory processes in healthy adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We explored the effect of nicotine on antisaccade performance in a large sample (N = 44) of young adult smokers. Minimally abstinent participants attended two test sessions and were asked to smoke one of their own cigarettes between baseline and retest during one session only. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Nicotine reduced antisaccade errors and correct antisaccade latencies if delivered before optimum performance levels are achieved, suggesting that nicotine supports the activation of intentions in working memory during task performance. The implications of this research for current theoretical accounts of antisaccade performance, and for interpreting the increased rate of antisaccade errors found in some psychiatric patient groups are discussed

Meaningful Inclusion of Elementary Students with Autism

Abstract Inclusion of students with autism in elementary schools is increasing. Studies show that meaningful inclusion of elementary students with autism can have a positive impact on social and academic outcomes. This paper examines the existing research on inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder in the general education classroom and conducts an in-depth examination of the prevalent barriers and facilitators related to this topic. In this literature review, inclusion will be defined as teaching children with special needs alongside their typically developing peers in the same environment. For the purposes of a focused discussion, five key themes were identified: [1] impact of teacher attitudes [2] social skills interventions [3] stakeholder collaboration [4] instructional practices, and [5] peer models and supplemental supports. Keywords: social skills, autism spectrum disorder, ASD, inclusion, collaboration, high- functioning autism, equity, and engagemen