Inhibition and Sentence Processing in Children with Learning Disabilities

In recent years, theorists have noted that developmental and individual differences may exist in the ability to suppress information that is irrelevant to a given task (e.g.,, Bjorklund & Harnishfeger, 1990; Dempster, 1992; Gernsbacher, 1988; Hasher & Zacks, 1988). The present study examined whether language/learning disabled (L/LD) children have greater difficulty than nondisabled (NLD) children suppressing irrelevant information during a sentence memory task

(Virtual) Identity Communication: Motivations and Contextual Factors

Although prior literature has explored the important process of identity communication in face- to-face settings, significant changes in how work is accomplished in modern organizations require the development of new theory. Building on extensive identity research in non-virtual settings, this paper develops and justifies a new theoretical model that better explains the antecedents of virtual identity communication. The model explores how identity motives lead to identity communication, and how virtual communication environments alter these processes. We summarize our data collection methodology and the results of a preliminary data collection and conclude by discussing theoretical and practical contributions. The concepts and relationships presented here can help theorists and managers better address identity issues faced by modern, technology-infused organizations.

Using narratives to understand progress in youth alcohol and other drug treatment

Purpose – This paper aims to illustrate how narrative research techniques can be employed to promote greater understanding of young people’s experiences of progress in residential alcohol and other drug treatment. Design/methodology/approach – Narrative inquiry is used to explore client understandings of what characterises progress in treatment for young people attending a residential detoxification and a residential rehabilitation service in Perth, Western Australia. This article focuses on stories of progress collected through in-depth qualitative interviews, observation and participation with clients of the two services, over a five-month period. Findings – Analysis of data revealed that young people were able to vividly describe their progress through treatment, and their drug taking trajectories can be conceptualised along five stages. The authors prepared narrative accounts to illustrate the features characteristic of each stage as identified by the young people. These composite narratives, written from the perspectives of young people, are presented in this article. Practical implications – Clients’ own perceptions of their journeys through drug treatment might enable staff of such services to collaborate with the young person, in shaping and positively reinforcing alternative life-stories; from those of exclusion and disconnection, to narratives of opportunity, inclusion and possibility. Originality/value – Harmful adolescent drug and alcohol use is on the rise in Australia and elsewhere. However, our knowledge of how young people experience progress through residential treatment for substance use is limited. This paper highlights how creating narratives from young people’s own stories of progress can broaden our knowledge of “what works” in residential youth alcohol and other drug treatment services

Identity Communication in Virtual Teams: Insights from Interviews with Working Professionals

Organizations are increasingly using virtual teams to gain competitive advantages in the marketplace, but managers face a tradeoff between the benefits that such virtual teams provide and their inherent weaknesses. This paper examines identity communication in virtual environments, arguing that identity communication can counteract some of the negative aspects of virtual teamwork. Using coded transcriptions from 35 semi-structured interviews with working professionals who participate in virtual teams, we explore the process of identity communication in virtual teams and the role of technology in influencing and enabling these processes. Using established identity and media theories as a guide, we formulate, and then refine, a framework to summarize consistent themes in the interview data. Our findings lay the groundwork for future theoretical development in this relevant area of research, and we argue that further advances in this domain will allow organizations to more effectively leverage a virtual workforce with effective collaboration technologies

Examining Predictors and Outcomes of Identity Communication in Virtual Teams

Virtual teams play an increasingly important role in the modern economy, and many organizations struggle to overcome the weaknesses inherent in technology-mediated work. Identity communication has been shown to greatly improve individual- and group-level outcomes in offline settings, but these benefits have not been investigated in the context of virtual teams, where mediated interaction can affect the opportunity for identity communication. This research-in-progress paper proposes a theoretical model and experimental design that investigates the predictors and outcomes of identity communication in virtual teams. Our anticipated findings should have important implications for researchers seeking to understand identity communication via technology and for practitioners hoping to improve virtual team communication and collaboration.

A chondroitin sulfate small molecule that stimulates neuronal growth

Chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans are sulfated polysaccharides involved in cell division, neuronal development, and spinal cord injury. Here, we report the synthesis and identification of a chondroitin sulfate tetrasaccharide that stimulates the growth and differentiation of neurons. These studies represent the first, direct investigations into the structure−activity relationships of chondroitin sulfate using homogeneous synthetic molecules and define a tetrasaccharide as a minimal motif required for activity

“My journey map”: Developing a qualitative approach to mapping young people’s progress in residential rehabilitation

Young people with substance misuse issues are at risk of harm from significant negative health and life events. Contemporary research notes both a historical failure to recognize the unique needs of adolescents, and the ongoing need for dedicated adolescent treatment programs and outcome measures. It is concerning that there is so little literature assessing the quality, availability, and effectiveness of adolescent-focused treatment programs, and no adolescent-specific measurement tools centered on a young person’s progress in residential treatment. This article reports on the process of developing a qualitative approach to mapping progress in treatment over time. The research seeks to develop an approach that captures, at three points in time and from multiple viewpoints, the progress of young people in four residential rehabilitation services located in New South Wales and Western Australia, across several dimensions of the personal and social aspects of life. Our aim is to develop an approach that is accessible to the alcohol and other drug workforce, and that informs the development of a psychometrically robust quantitative measure of progress that is meaningful and useful both to practitioners and to the young people themselves

Health policy engagement among graduate nursing students in the United States

Aim The aim was to understand how health policy education is currently being delivered in the United States’ graduate nursing programs. Methods This exploratory cross‐sectional design used an anonymous online survey to target graduate nursing students attending American Association of College of Nursing (AACN) member institutions. Results Over 75% of the sample (n = 140) reported taking a dedicated health policy course and 71.5% ( n = 131) of the sample responded that a health policy course was required and an equal distribution among master’s and doctoral students. There was no significant difference between type of graduate degree sought and the requirement to take a health policy course ( P = 0.37). For students involved in health policy, there was a greater proportion of master’s students involved at the state level, than doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) or PhD students ( P = 0.04). Conclusions Health policy and advocacy education are important aspects of graduate nursing curriculum and have been integrated into curricula. Graduate nursing students at all levels reported that health policy AACN Essential competencies are being included in their program, either as stand‐alone health policy courses or integrated health policy learning activities during matriculation