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Little Agreement (little + agreement)
Selected AbstractsSexual abuse at a Swedish daycare centre: allegations, confessions and evaluationsACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 8 2000F Lindblad In September 1997, sexual abuse at a Swedish daycare centre was disclosed. The suspect, a male member of the staff, admitted having abused six children. A total of 30 children were included in the police investigation. In this study, these cases were evaluated individually using a child psychiatric method. Information was collected from the police investigation and from interviews with parents. The conclusions,categorized as "abuse likely", "abuse conceivable" or "abuse uncertain",were compared with the children's own reports, the legal evaluations and the confessions of the suspects. Conclusions: The correspondence of child reports with child psychiatric evaluations was fairly high, indicating that child reports may serve as a good screening indicator of abuse. There was little agreement between child psychiatric evaluations and legal decisions, which were based on the reports of suspects. Some differences may be explained by varied methodology, definitions and criteria. Others reflect real differences in opinion. Our study illustrates the need to establish legal criteria for statements from pre-schoolers if such evidence is to constitute the basis of a ruling without a confession. Studies comparing professional psychological assessments of children's statements about sexual abuse with independent data stand out as an important line of research for the future. [source] A Framework for Determining the Influence of the Corporate Board of Directors in Accounting StudiesCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2001Karen Cravens Accounting, auditing, and tax professionals constantly evaluate the integrity, competence, and financial performance of clients as factors in practice that influence both client acceptance decisions and the manner in which professional services are rendered. Yet, from an accounting perspective, previous research investigating the corporate board of directors as a governance mechanism has focused only on the representational role of board members. Moreover, many of these studies resulted in conflicting findings according to these attributes. Other disciplines address the particular influence of the board with respect to overall corporate performance, but arrive at little agreement on either the effect of or the most critical of board attributes. This literature review synthesizes the existing research to provide a framework in which to evaluate the effect of the board of directors in accounting settings and, in particular, when conducting future research that employs elements of corporate governance as dependent or independent variables in accounting studies. [source] Challenging Orthodoxies: Understanding Poverty in Pastoral Areas of East AfricaDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 4 2008Peter D. Little ABSTRACT Understanding and alleviating poverty in Africa continues to receive considerable attention from a range of diverse actors, including politicians, international celebrities, academics, activists and practitioners. Despite the onslaught of interest, there is surprisingly little agreement on what constitutes poverty in rural Africa, how it should be assessed, and what should be done to alleviate it. Based on data from an interdisciplinary study of pastoralism in northern Kenya, this article examines issues of poverty among one of the continent's most vulnerable groups, pastoralists, and challenges the application of such orthodox proxies as incomes/expenditures, geographic remoteness, and market integration. It argues that current poverty debates ,homogenize' the concept of ,pastoralist' by failing to acknowledge the diverse livelihoods and wealth differentiation that fall under the term. The article concludes that what is not needed is another development label (stereotype) that equates pastoralism with poverty, thereby empowering outside interests to transform rather than strengthen pastoral livelihoods. [source] Community effects of praying mantids: a meta-analysis of the influences of species identity and experimental designECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 4 2002William F. Fagan Abstract ,1. Generalist arthropod predators are ubiquitous in terrestrial ecosystems but experimental studies have yielded little agreement as to their effects on prey assemblages. Drawing on results from a suite of experimental field studies, a meta-analysis was conducted of the impact of praying mantids (Mantodea: Mantidae) on arthropod assemblages in order to identify predictable and unpredictable effects of these extremely generalised predators. 2. Results across different experiments were synthesised using the log response ratio framework, with a focus on quantifying net mantid impacts on arthropod density across taxonomic orders and trophic levels of arthropods, paying special attention to the contribution of mantid species identity and experimental design variables, such as the use of cages, length of experiment, and manipulated mantid density. 3. Calculated on a per mantid-day basis, the net impacts of Tenodera sinensis on arthropod density were generally weaker but more predictable than the effects of Mantis religiosa. Mantids in general had weak negative effects on density for most taxa but exhibited strong negative and positive effects on some taxa. Tenodera sinensis tended to have negative effects on Homoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera and herbivores as a group, however M. religiosa exhibited greater variation in response of different taxa that appeared to be affected more strongly by experimental design. The effects of Stagmomantis carolina tended to be negative or non-significant. 4. Experimental cages had little influence on either the sign or magnitude of net community impacts for T. sinensis, however cage experiments reversed the sign of the mean effect for two of six taxonomic orders when the experimental predator was M. religiosa. Cages also increased the variability of effect size greatly for M. religiosa but not for T. sinensis. 5. It was concluded that it is possible to use log response ratios to determine general, predictable trends in a well-studied system. Similar meta-analyses of generalist predator effects in other systems should produce predictions of how these predators influence food webs, an important step towards defining more clearly the influences of generalist predators on community structure and dynamics. [source] The potential roles of biological soil crusts in dryland hydrologic cyclesHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 15 2006Jayne Belnap Abstract Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are the dominant living cover in many drylands of the world. They possess many features that can influence different aspects of local hydrologic cycles, including soil porosity, absorptivity, roughness, aggregate stability, texture, pore formation, and water retention. The influence of biological soil crusts on these factors depends on their internal and external structure, which varies with climate, soil, and disturbance history. This paper presents the different types of biological soil crusts, discusses how crust type likely influences various aspects of the hydrologic cycle, and reviews what is known and not known about the influence of biological crusts on sediment production and water infiltration versus runoff in various drylands around the world. Most studies examining the effect of biological soil crusts on local hydrology are done by comparing undisturbed sites with those recently disturbed by the researchers. Unfortunately, this greatly complicates interpretation of the results. Applied disturbances alter many soil features such as soil texture, roughness, aggregate stability, physical crusting, porosity, and bulk density in ways that would not necessarily be the same if crusts were not naturally present. Combined, these studies show little agreement on how biological crusts affect water infiltration or runoff. However, when studies are separated by biological crust type and utilize naturally occurring differences among these types, results indicate that biological crusts in hyperarid regions reduce infiltration and increase runoff, have mixed effects in arid regions, and increase infiltration and reduce runoff in semiarid cool and cold drylands. However, more studies are needed before broad generalizations can be made on how biological crusts affect infiltration and runoff. We especially need studies that control for sub-surface soil features such as bulk density, micro- and macropores, and biological crust structure. Unlike the mixed effects of biological crusts on infiltration and runoff among regions, almost all studies show that biological crusts reduce sediment production, regardless of crust or dryland type.Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Pearls and Perils of Identifying PotentialINDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2009ROB SILZER Organizations today are increasingly focused on talent as a strategic asset and a competitive advantage for achieving business success. As a result, most major organizations have recognized the need for and outlined a formal process to identify and assess high-potential talent. There is, however, little agreement within or between organizations on the definition and components of the concept of potential. The existing definitions and models of potential are often narrowly focused on only a few select factors and give little attention to the broad spectrum of potential talent in an organization. This article introduces a new integrated model of potential that incorporates previous literature and current assessment practice regarding high potentials, provides a coherent structure of potential, and is reflective of a variety of different talent pools. The model provides a useful method for answering the key question,Potential for what? Three key components of potential are described by the model: (a) foundational dimensions, (b) growth dimensions, and (c) career dimensions. Implications for assisting organizations in more effectively managing their high potential talent for strategic business objectives are discussed. [source] Measures of effortful regulation for young childrenINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 6 2007Tracy L. Spinrad Emotion-related regulation is a topic of increasing interest among researchers, yet there is little agreement on ways to measure emotion regulation in young children. In this paper, we first consider important conceptual distinctions in regard to the different types of emotion-related regulation and control. Next, we describe a number of ways researchers have assessed children's regulation. We also present data from the Toddler Emotional Development project, in which laboratory-based measures of effortful regulation were used. In this section, we highlight the measures that show promise (and those that did not work well). Future directions for research on the measurement of effortful regulation are presented [source] The future of urban sociology: report of joint sessions of the British and American Sociological AssociationsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2002Beth Perry This article reports on two joint sessions of the British and American Sociological Associations held during the course of 2001 as a first step toward more structured dialogue and debate between the two national associations. Drawing on the comments of a number of leading academics on both sides of the Atlantic, this paper presents a series of discussions about the role and future of urban sociology. It explores the challenges and opportunities offered to urban sociology by increasing interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity in the field of urban studies as a whole. It then explores the role of sociology in understanding the relationship between contemporary processes of globalization and urban change and the degree to which this constitutes a new dynamic core of sociological theory and research. The paper reveals that there are a variety of alternative futures for urban sociology and there would appear to be little agreement on one specific route, nor on how to get there. Urban sociology continues to face a variety of challenges and more debate on its future trajectory is clearly needed but it remains a vital and expanding sub,field. Cet article rend compte de deux sessions communes des associations de sociologie britannique et américaine qui ont eu lieu en 2001, premier stade vers un dialogue et un débat plus structurés entre les deux organismes nationaux. Partant des remarques d'un certain nombre de grands intellectuels des deux côtés de l'Atlantique, ce travail présente plusieurs discussions sur le rôle et l'avenir de la sociologie urbaine. Il examine les défis et possibilités que lui offrent l'interdisciplinarité et la pluridisciplinarité croissantes dans l'ensemble du domaine des études urbaines. Il explore ensuite comment la sociologie aide à comprendre la relation entre les processus contemporains de mondialisation et de changement urbain, et la mesure où peut ainsi émerger une nouvelle dynamique nodale pour la théorie et la recherche sociologiques. L'article expose plusieurs avenirs possibles de la sociologie urbaine, sans qu'il y ait apparemment d'accord sur une voie particulière ni sur le moyen d'y parvenir. La sociologie urbaine rencontre toujours de multiples défis et il faut manifestement approfondir les débats sur sa future trajectoire, mais elle demeure un sous,domaine à la fois crucial et en expansion. [source] "Kana sora ratswa ngaritswe": African Nationalists and Black Workers , The 1948 General Strike in Colonial ZimbabweJOURNAL OF HISTORICAL SOCIOLOGY, Issue 3 2000Ian Phimister For almost two weeks in April 1948 colonial Zimbabwe's two major cities, as well as smaller towns, mines and farms were convulsed by mass unrest. Although the causes of the General Strike have long been recognised as having their origins in the urban squalor and rampant inflation of the immediate post-war era, there is little agreement about either its organisation or its significance. Recent interventions in the debate have tended to strengthen existing prejudices. This paper advances four linked propositions which radically reformulate previous positions: that, while the development of secondary industry and the related growth of colonial Zimbabwe's urban areas were both relatively large by the modest standards of Sub-Saharan African, the scale was small in absolute terms; that these processes and their social consequences differed considerably between Bulawayo and Salisbury; that that the limited scale of these processes often meant that parochial concerns were more important than national issues; and that while all of this facilitated a greater degree of control over events in Bulawayo, if not in Salisbury, by an elite leadership than some writers have conceded, these events did not amount to a colony-wide General Strike. [source] Agreement on Perceptions of Quality of Life in Couples Dealing With InfertilityJOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 5 2010Juliana Rigol Chachamovich ABSTRACT Objective: To examine the extent to which men and women seeking treatment for infertility were able to accurately perceive their partners' ratings of their quality of life (QOL). Design: Cross-sectional prospective study. Quality of life was measured as a multidimensional construct. Setting: Assisted reproduction clinic of a university hospital. Participants: One hundred and sixty-two couples participated. The men's and women's mean ages were 36.1 and 32.1 years, respectively. Most participants had no children, and no previous assisted reproduction attempts. Methods: Men and women completed the World Health Organization-Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-Brief) and the Beck Depression Inventory independently. Paired t tests were used to explore men's perceptions of their wives' QOL ratings and wives' perceptions of their husbands' ratings. Multiple regression and repeated-measures ANCOVA were used to examine the role of depression. Results: Proxy assessments were consistently lower than self-reports on the domains of QOL. The influence of depression on agreement was minimal, and no gender effect was observed. Conclusion: Findings indicated little agreement in perceptions of the partner's QOL, with each partner tending to underrate the other's view. Practitioners need to consider the differences between partners to enable partners to better understand and support each other. [source] Formal mentoring versus supervisor and coworker relationships: differences in perceptions and impactJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2003Babette Raabe Formal mentoring programs in two companies were examined regarding (1) the extent to which mentees and mentors agreed on the nature of the mentoring relationships and (2) the extent to which dimensions of mentoring relationships were related to outcomes for the mentees, compared with the extent to which dimensions of supervisory and coworker relationships were related to the same outcomes: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. Mentors were at least two hierarchical levels above the mentee, and both were part of the companyies' formal mentoring program. Sixty-one pairs of mentors and mentees participated. Overall, there was little agreement between mentees and mentors regarding the nature of the mentoring relationship. Furthermore, the mentoring relationship was not related to mentee outcomes, while supervisory and coworker relationships were. It is suggested that, if one desires to affect job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and organizational commitment, mentoring functions may be best performed by supervisors and coworkers rather than assigned formal mentors from higher up in the organizational hierarchy. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Strategic management of the Tokyo taxi cab industry: an exploratory studyKNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 1 2007Walter Skok Taxicabs are an indispensable means of transportation in Tokyo, as they provide a 24/7 door-to-door service for a daily average of 1.3 million people. In 2002, legislation was introduced to abolish restrictions on the number of taxicabs on the road. This relaxation of regulation, together with the corresponding recession, raised new issues such as increasing cab numbers and reducing drivers' wages. The wide variety of stakeholders involved within the taxicab industry have conflicting positions, resulting in little agreement on the possible way forward. An exploratory study was therefore undertaken in order to investigate the management of Tokyo's taxicab operations in order to formulate strategies for improving the service. Two related papers report on the study. This paper starts by providing an understanding of the current situation, examining the roles of the major stakeholders and outlining day-to-day operations. Academic frameworks, for example PEST, Critical Success Factors and the Cultural Web, from the strategic management literature, are used to identify the structure of the industry and analyse the environment in which it operates. The results found that Tokyo's taxicab industry is highly efficient operationally, due to the high standard of customer service, effective driver's learning scheme and active use of IT. However, a paradoxical situation has been identified where the demand for cabs has decreased even though the available vehicles have increased. Finally, a uniform method to measure the level of taxicab service is recommended. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effectiveness of dentine bonding agents against cariogenic bacteria in vitro: a comparison of two methodsMOLECULAR ORAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2003O. A. Schmidlin Data obtained from studies on the antimicrobial properties of bonding agents are the subject of controversy, probably because of methodological differences. This study compared two commonly used in vitro methods, the disc agar diffusion test and the well agar diffusion test. Agar plates were seeded with Streptococcus sobrinus, Lactobacillus gasseri, or Actinomyces naeslundii. For the well diffusion test, wells cut out of the agar were filled with the test material, and for the disc method, discs impregnated with the test material were applied to the agar; the discs and wells were both 9 mm in diameter. After incubation, measurements of the zones of inhibition showed little agreement between the two methods when bonding agents were tested; the mean differences (± sdiff) in the zones of inhibition between the methods were 0.7 ± 3.4 mm (P = 0.40, one sample t -test against zero), 4.9 ± 4.4 mm (P = 0.97), and 0.8 ± 4.3 mm (P = 0.47) for S. sobrinus, L. gasseri, and A. naeslundii, respectively. Mean differences were less contrasting when chlorhexidine and pure components were tested (P < 0.05 for S. sobrinus and L. gasseri). These results indicate the need for a gold standard method to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of bonding agents. [source] Comparison of binding energies of SrcSH2-phosphotyrosyl peptides with structure-based prediction using surface area based empirical parameterizationPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 10 2000Denise A. Henriques Abstract The prediction of binding energies from the three-dimensional (3D) structure of a protein,ligand complex is an important goal of biophysics and structural biology. Here, we critically assess the use of empirical, solvent-accessible surface area-based calculations for the prediction of the binding of Src-SH2 domain with a series of tyrosyl phosphopeptides based on the high-affinity ligand from the hamster middle T antigen (hmT), where the residue in the pY+3 position has been changed. Two other peptides based on the C-terminal regulatory site of the Src protein and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) are also investigated. Here, we take into account the effects of proton linkage on binding, and test five different surface area-based models that include different treatments for the contributions to conformational change and protein solvation. These differences relate to the treatment of conformational flexibility in the peptide ligand and the inclusion of proximal ordered solvent molecules in the surface area calculations. This allowed the calculation of a range of thermodynamic state functions (,Cp, ,S, ,H, and ,G) directly from structure. Comparison with the experimentally derived data shows little agreement for the interaction of SrcSH2 domain and the range of tyrosyl phosphopeptides. Furthermore, the adoption of the different models to treat conformational change and solvation has a dramatic effect on the calculated thermodynamic functions, making the predicted binding energies highly model dependent. While empirical, solvent-accessible surface area based calculations are becoming widely adopted to interpret thermodynamic data, this study highlights potential problems with application and interpretation of this type of approach. There is undoubtedly some agreement between predicted and experimentally determined thermodynamic parameters; however, the tolerance of this approach is not sufficient to make it ubiquitously applicable. [source] Measurement of Outcome: A Proposed SchemeTHE MILBANK QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2005BARBARA STARFIELD The need to demonstrate that health care has an influence on health status is increasingly pressing. Such demonstrations require tools of measurement which are unfortunately not available. Development of instruments has been hampered by a lack of consensus on appropriate frames of reference, and there appears to be little agreement on what should be measured and what relative importance should be ascribed to different dimensions of health status. An approach that does not require the assignment of numerical values or weights to various aspects of health status and is applicable to all age groups within the population and to the whole spectrum of health problems rather than to specific medical diagnoses would seem desirable. A scheme that is based upon the development of a "profile" rather than a single "index" for describing health status is proposed in this paper. The model is a conceptual framework whose usefulness will depend upon efforts of a large number of researchers from many disciplines to develop instruments which can be incorporated in it. Although the problems in development of the scheme are complex, I hope that it will focus attention on the relevant dimensions and facilitate improved coordination of efforts to produce ways to demonstrate what health care contributes to health. [source] Resolving the differences in plant burial responsesAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010MATTHEW E. GILBERT Abstract Burial is one of the major factors influencing plant ecology in deserts and coastal areas. Consequently, many studies have measured the responses of dune plants to sand burial. However, there remains little agreement about the mechanisms and characteristics constituting the burial response of plants. In particular, stimulation of growth has been reported as the most common plant burial response; however, stimulation has not been reported consistently among studies. Here, a literature survey showed that the depth of burial relative to the height of the plant determined whether the growth of a species was stimulated by burial. Growth stimulation was limited to shallow burial depths, while burial depths greater than the height of the plant consistently resulted in reduced growth. As studies used widely differing burial depths or units of growth measurement, the variation in reported stimulation of plant growth can be partly attributed to differences in experimental procedure. The stimulation of growth in many species was accompanied by an increase in photosynthesis over a limited period and by a shift in biomass allocation from root to shoot. Most plants demonstrated stimulated growth (up to 200%) in response to shallow burial indicating that some burial response mechanisms are general to many species. However, a few specialist dune species displayed a much greater ability to respond to burial (up to 700% stimulation of plant mass). Although allocation shifts and increased photosynthesis have been shown to be associated with dune plant burial response, there remains a need for field measurements that focus on the diversity of mechanisms underlying plant response to burial. [source] Mad Cows and Mad Money: Problems of Risk in the Making and Understanding of Policy1BRITISH JOURNAL OF POLITICS & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, Issue 3 2004Martin J. Smith Risk is now being widely used both as a way of understanding policy and decision-making, and as a way of making decisions. However, there is little agreement on how risk is defined. For some risk is objective and measurable, while for others risk is subjective. What this article demonstrates is that because risk is a contested concept, it is extremely difficult to use it either as a tool for analysing government or for making decisions. In their different ways both scientists and social theorists assume an objectivity to risk. However, risk is not objective but contingent, and depends on decisions that are often related to issues of power. Consequently both governments and analysts are caught between matching subjective and political notions of risk with objective risk assessment. Two case studies are used, BSE in cows and British exchange rate policy, to demonstrate the difficulties in using risk as a way of analysing the policy process and for making decisions. [source] Variation in GH and IGF-I assays limits the applicability of international consensus criteria to local practiceCLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 1 2007A. Pokrajac Summary Background, There is increasing reliance on consensus criteria for decision making. Recent criteria state that acromegaly is excluded by a nadir GH during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) of < 1 µg/l and a normal level of IGF-I. Objective, To study GH and IGF-I assay performance close to cut-off values for active acromegaly. Design and methods, Two serum samples known to give borderline results were sent to all centres participating in the UK National External Quality Assessment Service (NEQAS). Sample A was assigned to be a nadir during an OGTT and sent for GH assessment to 104 centres. Sample B, with a clinical scenario, was sent to 23 centres that measure IGF-I, and these centres were asked to measure IGF-I, interpret the result and provide the source of their reference ranges (RRs). Results, For sample A, the median GH was 2·6 mU/l (range 1·04,3·5 mU/l). Applying a conversion factor (CF) of 2·0 (1 µg/l = 2 mU/l), the most negatively biased method classified 10% of the values consistent with acromegaly, while the most positively biased method classified all values as consistent with the diagnosis. Applying a CF of 3·0 (1 µg/l = 3 mU/l), only 11% of results were consistent with acromegaly. For sample B, the median IGF-I was 50·8 nmol/l (range 24·3,60·9 nmol/l). All centres used age-related RRs. There was a 50% variation in the upper limit of the RRs between centres. Overall, 30% of the IGF-I results were against the diagnosis. There was little agreement in the RRs quoted by centres using the same method. Conclusion, Variability in assay performance, coupled with use of inappropriate CFs and RRs, undermines the applicability of international consensus criteria to local practice. [source] How we do it: Analysing GP referral priorities: the unforeseen effect of ,Choose and Book'CLINICAL OTOLARYNGOLOGY, Issue 4 2006D.D. Pothier Keypoints ,,The introduction of Choose and Book may have a significant effect on the proportion of urgent referrals seen by ENT surgeons. ,,Much of the responsibility for prioritisation will be transferred to the GP. ,,Patients who are considered urgent by the ENT surgeon will be added to those considered urgent by the GP. ,,Our results show that there was little agreement between GPs and ENT surgeon on what constitutes an urgent referral. ,,The combined effect of joint prioritisation and the removal of the ,soon' category resulted in a 270% increase in ,urgent' referrals in our sample. ,,This potentially unforeseen consequence of the Choose and Book system should be taken into consideration by ENT departments to allow for an expansion of the ,urgent' category. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||