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Editor's note: James Roosevelt Jr., the grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, is a former associate commissioner of the Social Security Administration and is a member of the Democratic National Committee. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- Seventy-nine years ago this week, as he signed the Social Security Act into law, my grandfather, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, observed, "The civilization of the past hundred years, with its startling industrial changes, has tended more and more to make life insecure. Young people have come to wonder what would be their lot when they came to old age."
The first half of that sentiment carries even more weight today than it did then. Recent decades have witnessed changes in technology, in the workplace, and in the work force, that would have been difficult to imagine in 1935.
As our economy continues to recover from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, we're finding it necessary to adapt to a new economy that bears little resemblance to that of previous generations.
But as for the latter half of that sentiment, it is astonishing is how untrue it rings today. Even without the assurance of walking out the door 40 years down the line with a gold watch and a pension, younger Americans today have far less reason to fear living out their final years in abject poverty.
The reason, quite simply, is that Social Security has been one of the most successful programs in our nation's history. According to the Census Bureau, more than 35% of Americans age 65 and older were below the poverty line in 1959. Today, that number is below 10%. Take into consideration the families who receive Social Security benefits on account of the premature death of a parent or disability, and in 2012 Social Security lifted more than 22 million Americans out of poverty.
I'll admit that contributing to my appreciation of the Social Security program is that it is one of my grandfather's proudest legacies.
The Social Security Act fundamentally transformed America by putting in place a commitment to the most vulnerable members of our society; that commitment has been expanded with the additions of Medicare and Medicaid and strengthened by the reforms put in place by the Affordable Care Act
I also had the opportunity to work in the Social Security Administration, which has helped bring to light just how disingenuous are the attacks lobbed against the program's long-term viability.
Despite Social Security's extraordinary success, and the program's deep popularity with the American people, it has been targeted with lies and distortions by those who would seek to end the program as we know it based on rigid ideology.
We have been repeatedly told that the program is bankrupting our country or is insolvent. Critics who point to the glut of Baby Boomers entering retirement seem to forget that their generation has paid into the system since they started working about 50 years ago. Their Social Security benefits have been earned, not handed to them.
In truth, as laid out in the Trustees' annual report, Social Security is still projected to be able to pay out full benefits for nearly another two decades. Even without any action by lawmakers, the program would still be able to pay out about 75% of scheduled benefits after that point.
The American people should be skeptical of Republican leaders who suggest that the only way to save the program for future generations is to gut it.
In 2006, opposition to President George W. Bush's plan to privatize Social Security was part of the platform that contributed to Democrats winning control of the House and Senate. In 2016, Republicans could nominate a candidate like Rand Paul, who just last week suggested that we increase the retirement age for Social Security by five years.
Social Security has afforded millions of Americans the opportunity to retire with dignity after a lifetime of hard work. Raising the retirement age would severely threaten to take that away from people who've done the best they can day in and day out, but for whom the demands of their job make working into their 70s unrealistic. And it is frightening to think what would have happened to the earliest Baby Boomers, who reached retirement in the aftermath of the economic crisis, had they been totally subject to the whims of Wall Street where they may have lost everything.
Because of my grandfather's polio, he relied on my grandmother who shared with him accounts of the poverty she observed around the country. Those stories fortified his resolve to enact a program that would address the extreme hardship of struggling Americans.
The paucity of such stories in America today should not be misinterpreted as a sign that we no longer need Social Security but instead taken as proof of the program's success, and evidence of the importance of its continued existence for future generations.
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Showing the house one day last week, June Kemmerlin Matzner made a point to remark about the family quarters. "This is my favorite room," she says.
Hardwood floors highlight the gathering place, centered by a large wood-burning brick chimney with rectangular opening to stack wood. The oversized family room connects on either end to the kitchen and the foyer, while the two-way fireplace also opens to the dining room.
"There's a story in every room," she says.
Matzner, a Realtor with AgentOwned Realty, is listing agent for 27 Farmfield Ave. west of the Ashley. Built in 1974, the 4,200-square-foot home commands a sale price of $568,500.
The two-level brick residence touts plenty of features, notably five bedrooms and four-and-a half baths plus a renovated kitchen. A relatively open layout provides would-be buyers with options to revamp the house.
"The shell is here; they can do what they want to," says Betty Beckum, the owner.
Outside, the half-acre property showcases a large front yard bordering quiet Farmfield Avenue. A prodigious live oak rises from the lawn, offering ample shade.
Shrubs, plantings and sitting areas distinguish the back yard, which also sports a corner garden.
"You can do a lot with this lot," Matzner says.
According to Beckum, the 27 Farmfield Ave. property sits in a prime spot. It's far enough south on Farmfield to be peaceful and traffic-free while close enough to Savannah Highway to easily access the main artery.
"This is a wonderful neighborhood," she says. "It's so close to town."
Decades ago, the property was part of Farmfield Plantation — laid out in the 1850s and once covering 250 acres from Savannah Highway to Folly Road. The original plantation house stands at the foot of Farmfield Avenue, protected by land conservation easements.
A small covered porch ushers people into 27 Farmfield Ave. The modest foyer leads to the stairs or down a hallway marked by brick shelving with wooden top.
The first floor showcases formal living and dining rooms along with the gaping family area. Granite countertops and stainless steel appliances accentuate the modern kitchen, which hooks to a "sunny" breakfast room showcasing bay windows, Matzner describes in her listing write-up.
On the west wing, striking features include a spacious wood-floored sunroom, enormous laundry-utility room, outdoor covered patio and a one-and-a-half car garage. The east side of the house incorporates three guest bedrooms, two adjacent bathrooms and a half-bath.
Upstairs, the home showcases an "amazing" four-room master suite, Matzner says in the listing report. Along with a sizable bedroom and attached bath, the suite takes in a sitting room equipped with gas fireplace and a bonus room "suitable for library or study," she writes.
"This could be a great little getaway," Matzner said last week.
A fifth bedroom sits apart from the master suite on the second floor. His and her closets, scores of cabinets and an extra 200 square feet of attic storage complete the upper level. "Everywhere you look is storage," she says.
Considering all the bedrooms, the house should intrigue parents with children, Beckum says. She notes the only family to reside in the house was the original owner who also was the builder.
Recent upgrades include painting throughout and a new roof with architectural shingles. The house supports plenty of windows that keep the interior light and airy, she says.
Matzner agrees that the property is well situated. Nearby attractions include the West Ashley Greenway and the Charleston Tennis Center.
In her listing, she cites the home as "perfect for family and formal entertaining." And she dubs it a "must see residence."
The house sits near the entrance to Parkwood Heights. Heading south, take Savannah Highway past the Avondale business district. Continue for not quite a mile. Turn left at the traffic light on Farmfield Avenue. Travel past a few businesses into the neighborhood. Ahead on the right is 27 Farmfield Ave.
Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or email@example.com.
Agent: June Kemmerlin Matzner
Office: AgentOwned Realty Co., Mount Pleasant
Phone: 843-224-7308
Philosophy: "I am an active Realtor in the Charleston area with more than 30 years experience, member of the Charleston Trident Area Association of Realtors Million Dollar Club and hold the Certified Residential Specialist and Accredited Buyer Representative designations. I really enjoy the "people" side of real estate, deriving my greatest satisfaction from the joy my clients have experienced through ownership of the right home. The median price of homes in the area have increased more than 500 percent since my early days as a Realtor."

subset: commoncrawl


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Rare coins worth millions displayed in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS – Coin enthusiasts are getting a glimpse of more than $100 million worth of rare money including some of the crown jewels of money collecting at the National Money Show in New Orleans.
Among the attractions are two exceedingly rare 1913 Liberty Head nickels valued at more than $5 million. One was hidden in a Virginia closet for four decades before selling at auction last month for $3.17 million. The other was frequently carried in the pocket of a former owner from Wisconsin so he could show it to strangers.
The show runs through Saturday.
Other highlights include an 1804 silver dollar valued at more than $3 million and an example of the first coin authorized by President George Washington -- a 1792 half disme, an early spelling of the word dime.


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Audiobus to launch on Monday, December 10th 2012.
It will cost 9.99 US$ and it's going to be available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch on iOS 5.0 and later.
Supported apps at launch will be, in alphabetical order:
Funkbox (input slot)
JamUp XT (effects slot)
JamUp Pro XT (effects slot)
Loopy (input and output slot)
Loopy HD (input and output slot)
MultiTrack DAW (output slot)
NLog MIDI Synth (input, effects and output slot)
NLog Synth PRO (input, effects and output slot)
Rebirth for iPad (input slot)
SoundPrism Pro (input slot)
Sunrizer Synth for iPad (input slot)
We're expecting Thumbjam and Drumjam to be available shortly after launch since they're currently waiting to be reviewed by Apple App Review.
Moog and Wavemachine Labs have been working on making Animoog and Auria, respectively, compatible with Audiobus but implementation is not yet complete for either of them.
We'll be starting a limited second wave of Audiobus apps – limited so we can rapidly respond to any potential remaining issues – by giving another 25 developers access to the SDK. These developers will be selected from the list of developers who have expressed interest in acquiring access to the SDK – currently that's a list more than 700 entries strong.
After a sufficient amount of apps from the second wave of developers have been approved by App Review and feedback is favorable, we're going to make the SDK public. This is going to happen in the next months.
For those asking themselves how long it takes a developer to implement Audiobus support into their app: It depends on the complexity of the app and level of integration. The fastest teams have done it in one day. Testing and submission to App Review is typically the most time-consuming part.
We're currently finalizing the manual and we're going to post videos demonstrating the less obvious features of Audiobus over the course of this week to shorten the wait.
(Via Audiobus.)


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86 people have voted this rabbit as their favorite.
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Children with obstructive sleep apnea are increasingly being treated with positive airway pressure (PAP), particularly if they have underlying medical conditions. Although PAP is an effective treatment, its use is challenging due to poor adherence. We hypothesized that demographic, psychosocial, and polysomnographic parameters would be related to PAP adherence. We therefore prospectively collected data potentially pertaining to PAP adherence, and correlated it with PAP use.
Fifty-six patients and their parents completed a series of psychosocial questionnaires prior to PAP initiation. Objective adherence data were obtained after 1 and 3 months of PAP use.
The population was primarily obese; 23% had neurodevelopmental disabilities. PAP adherence varied widely, with PAP being worn 22 ± 8 nights in month-1, but mean use was only 3 ± 3 h/night. The greatest predictor of use was maternal education (p = 0.002 for nights used; p = 0.033 for mean h used/night). Adherence was lower in African American children vs other races (p = 0.021). In the typically developing subgroup, adherence correlated inversely with age. Adherence did not correlate with severity of apnea, pressure levels, or psychosocial parameters other than a correlation between family social support and nights of PAP use in month-3.
PAP adherence in children and adolescents is related primarily to family and demographic factors rather than severity of apnea or measures of psychosocial functioning. Further research is needed to determine the relative contributions of maternal education, socioeconomic status and cultural beliefs to PAP adherence in children, in order to develop better adherence programs.
DiFeo N; Meltzer LJ; Beck SE; Karamessinis LR; Cornaglia MA; Traylor J; Samuel J; Gallagher PR; Radcliffe J; Beris H; Menello MK; Marcus CL. Predictors of positive airway pressure therapy adherence in children: a prospective study. J Clin Sleep Med 2012;8(3):279-286.
The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) affects approximately 2% of young children.1 In most children with OSAS, adenotonsillectomy is the first line of treatment.1 However, in children with persistent postoperative OSAS due to additional risk factors, such as obesity or genetic syndromes, or in children for whom surgery is contraindicated, treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is often required.1–7 Although PAP use has become common in children, there is a paucity of studies rigorously evaluating its use. In particular, there have been very few studies evaluating PAP adherence in children using objective criteria. Studies in adults have shown that factors that are often thought intuitively by clinicians to be important for PAP adherence, such as high pressures or interface issues,8,9 have not been borne out by rigorous study.10
The few studies available in children suggest that PAP is highly effective in the laboratory situation, but its use outside the laboratory is limited by suboptimal adherence.3,6 To our knowledge, there have been no prospective studies evaluating psychosocial predictors of PAP use in children. A better understanding of the factors predicting PAP adherence in children would help in formulating better management plans. We therefore prospectively evaluated factors predicting PAP adherence in children referred for PAP initiation. Possible indicators of PAP adherence were chosen based on the literature regarding PAP adherence in adults, and adherence to other medical regimens in children. We hypothesized that older age (i.e., adolescence),11 minority status,9,12 and lower maternal education13,14 would be associated with less adherence. We also hypothesized that low parental stress and higher levels of social support would be associated with increased adherence,9,13,15 In addition, we evaluated exploratory factors including clinical parameters and parental and child rated quality of life.16
Current Knowledge/Study Rationale: Positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment is increasingly being used in children with obstructive sleep apnea, but its efficacy is limited by poor adherence. There have been no prospective studies evaluating predictors of PAP adherence in children.
Study Impact: This study shows that maternal education is the most significant predictor of PAP adherence in children, although race, age and family social support are also predictive factors. These factors should be considered when designing interventions to promote PAP adherence.
This study was conducted prospectively as part of a clinical trial examining PAP adherence in children with OSAS receiving two modes of PAP delivery: continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) vs bilevel pressure release (Bi-Flex). Although no difference in adherence was found between modes,17 the mode of usage was controlled for in the current study. The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (#NCT00458406).
Consecutive children aged 2-16 years with polysomnographically diagnosed OSAS, who were naïve to PAP and who were referred for PAP initiation, were recruited from the Sleep Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The study was approved by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Institutional Review Board (#07-005190). Written informed consent was obtained from the parent/legal guardian; and assent from children ≥ 7 years of age when capable.
All subjects had undergone a baseline clinical polysomnogram prior to study entry, and medical records were reviewed. Height and weight were measured, and subjects were classified as obese if their body mass index was ≥ 95th percentile for age and sex.18 Subjects and the accompanying parent/guardian completed a series of psychosocial questionnaires (see details of the measures in Table 1).
Survey instruments
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Subjects were fitted with a PAP mask and allowed to habituate to this for 2 weeks. They then underwent a protocol-driven titration polysomnogram. Subjects received free PAP equipment, including heated humidification and interfaces, the morning after titration. A 48-h phone call, 2-week phone call and monthly visits to the research clinic were made to assess use, provide support, and identify and troubleshoot side effects and barriers to use, such as behavioral issues, nasal congestion, eye irritation, skin breakdown, or equipment problems. The type of interface was adjusted or changed as needed. All efforts were made to contact subjects who did not use their PAP or return for evaluations and to address and treat any potential barriers to PAP use, e.g., by using behavior modification techniques and treating nasal symptoms with antihistamines, decongestants, or anti-inflammatories. Objective adherence data were obtained from the equipment at month-1 and month-3 (EncorePro2, Respironics, Murrysville, PA). Primary outcomes were the mean number of nights the equipment was placed on per month, and mean hours of PAP use at prescribed pressure per night (averaged over all nights). In addition, the number of hours that the machine was turned on but did not necessarily deliver the prescribed pressure was measured at month-1.
Unless otherwise specified, data are shown as mean ± SD. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Histograms and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests were used to examine normalcy of distribution. Appropriate parametric or nonparametric tests were used to examine differences between subjects under 2 conditions as well as differences between subgroups, and differences between a variety of categorical variables, including obesity status (Yes/No), gender, race (African American vs all others), and developmental delay (Yes/No). Maternal education was treated as an ordered categorical variable. Appropriate correlation coefficients (Pearson or Spearman) between predictor variables and PAP were examined. Hierarchical multiple linear regression models were used to examine the effects of various covariates on the primary PAP use outcomes. Variables correlating with PAP use at the < 0.10 significance level and variables considered theoretically important were considered for inclusion in the pool of potential predictors, and were entered in separate blocks in a specified order. PAP mode was forced into the model in the first block. Developmental delay (Yes/No) and CBCL score (disruptive child behaviors) were entered in the second block; total scores of the PSI (parental stress) and MOSS (social support) were entered in the third block; and age, race, and maternal education were entered in blocks 4-6, respectively. At block 2 through 6, a stepwise entry method was used.
Sixty children were enrolled; 4 were subsequently excluded. See Figure 1 for details of enrollment and exclusion. Adherence data could not be obtained for 2 patients at month-1 due to equipment malfunction, but could be obtained at month-3. Two subjects were evaluated at month-1 but were subsequently lost to follow-up.
Sixty-nine consecutive children were approached, of whom 9 declined (2 because of distance, 5 because of the burden of the study visits, 1 for no stated reason, and 1 because of severe parental illness). Thus, 60 children were enrolled. Four children were subsequently excluded: one child with Down syndrome developed pneumonia one week after enrollment and underwent tracheotomy; one child with nasopharyngeal stenosis underwent surgery; one adolescent was institutionalized for behavioral problems without his PAP equipment; and one child moved away after consenting but before entering the study. Thus, data are presented on 56 subjects.
Flow diagram of subject enrollmentSixty-nine consecutive children were approached, of whom 9 declined (2 because of distance, 5 because of the burden of the study visits, 1 for no stated reason, and 1 because of severe parental illness). Thus, 60 children were enrolled. Four children were subsequently excluded: one child...
Subject characteristics are shown in Table 2. As is typical for children requiring CPAP,3,5,6 many subjects were obese and/or had underlying medical problems contributing to their OSAS, and almost a quarter had major developmental disabilities. Children had moderate to severe OSAS and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Study group
Subjects placed PAP on most nights, with a mean use of 22 ± 8 nights in month-1 (Figure 2); 78% used it ≥ 50% of nights for month-1. At month-3, mean use was slightly lower (19 ± 9 nights/month). However, although PAP was placed on the subject most nights, the mean duration of nightly use was low. PAP was used for only 3 ± 3 h/night (range 0-9) during month-1, although there was wide individual variation. Month-3 data were similar, with mean nightly use of 2.8 ± 2.7 hours.
The number of nights/month that positive airway pressure therapy was used during month-1 is shown for individual subjects (expressed as a percentage of total subjects)
Positive airway pressure nightly use for month-1The number of nights/month that positive airway pressure therapy was used during month-1 is shown for individual subjects (expressed as a percentage of total subjects)
The average number of h/night during month-1 that the device was turned on (i.e., the total time that the device was turned on, whether it was delivering full pressure or not) was much higher than the mean use at pressure: 4.9 ± 2.7 vs 3 ± 3 h (p < 0.001).
There was no correlation between adherence and age for the group as a whole (Figure 3). When the subjects with developmental delay were excluded from analysis, there was a significant inverse correlation between age and number of nights at month-3 (r = −0.483, p = 0.001), but not for other adherence parameters.
The correlation between mean nightly positive airway pressure (PAP) use and age is shown for month-1. There was no significant correlation.
Correlation between positive airway pressure use and age for month-1The correlation between mean nightly positive airway pressure (PAP) use and age is shown for month-1. There was no significant correlation.
African American children used PAP for fewer hours/night than other races (2.5 ± 2.4 vs 4.2 ± 2.8 h in month-1, p = 0.021). However, there was no significant difference in the number of nights that PAP was placed on (African Americans 21.6 ± 8.6 vs other races 23.2 ± 8.0 nights, p = 0.63), or in the number of hours of use/night for month-3. There were no differences between African American subjects and subjects of other races in any of the demographic, polysomnographic, behavioral, or social predictor variables, with the exception of developmental delay, which was less common in the African American subjects (p = 0.026).
Adherence was highly correlated with maternal education (Figures 4, 5): Month-1, r = 0.405, p = 0.002 for nights used, and r = 0.290, p = 0.033 for mean h of use/night; month-3, r = 0.396, p = 0.004 for nights used, and r = 0.314, p = 0.023 for mean h of use/night. Note that maternal education was used, as only 9% of respondents were fathers.
The number of nights that positive airway pressure (PAP) was used at each level of maternal education is shown for month-1. There was a significant correlation between maternal education and nights PAP was used. HS, high school; grad, graduate; PG, postgraduate.
Maternal education and number of nights with positive airway pressure use (month-1)The number of nights that positive airway pressure (PAP) was used at each level of maternal education is shown for month-1. There was a significant correlation between maternal education and nights PAP was used. HS, high school; grad, graduate;...
The mean hours per night of positive airway pressure (PAP) use per night at each level of maternal education is shown for month-1. There was a significant correlation between maternal education and minutes of PAP use. HS, high school; grad, graduate; PG, postgraduate.
Maternal education and hours of PAP use per night (month-1)The mean hours per night of positive airway pressure (PAP) use per night at each level of maternal education is shown for month-1. There was a significant correlation between maternal education and minutes of PAP use. HS, high school; grad, graduate;...
There was no effect on adherence of gender, obesity status, presence/absence of developmental delay, severity of baseline polysomnography, pressure level, nasal symptoms at baseline, sleepiness, child behavior, parental stress, or social support, except for the MOSS, which correlated with nights used at month-3 (i.e., a higher level of social support correlated with more PAP use; r = 0.50, p < 0.0005). Parental stress, as measured by the Parental Stress Index, did not change between month-1 and month-3 (p = 0.47).
Other than the effect of age (noted above), findings were similar when the subset of children with developmental delay was excluded from analysis.
PAP has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA for children < 7 years of age or weighing < 40 pounds (18.2 kg). Nine of the subjects were < 7 years of age, and 4 of these children also weighed < 18.2 kg and therefore did not meet FDA eligibility criteria. There was no difference in PAP adherence between children < 7 years of age compared to older children.
Data from the regression models are shown in Table 3. The unstandardized regression coefficients (β) indicate that for a unit increase in maternal education (e.g., from high school graduate to some college), ~3.5 more nights of PAP use would be expected at month-1; that the comparison group (race other than African American) would be expected to use PAP ~1.9 h longer per night at month-1 compared to the reference group (African American); and that the subjects with developmental delays would be expected to use PAP ∼2.4 h longer per night at month-3 compared to typically developing children. Changes in R2 at each step as a result of adding the new predictor at that step are shown.
Multiple linear regression model results, controlling for positive airway pressure mode (mode forced into the model at step 1)
This study evaluated a wide range of demographic, psychosocial, and polysomnographic variables that were thought to be possible predictors of PAP adherence in children and adolescents. Despite the removal of any potential economic barrier by providing free equipment and treatment, it was shown that lower maternal education was the strongest predictor of poor PAP adherence, with older, typically developing youth, and African American youth less adherent to PAP. Lower levels of social support were also associated with poor adherence.
Similar to other studies of pediatric PAP use, this study comprised a clinically heterogeneous group of children with many medical and psychiatric comorbidities.2–7 Adults with OSAS requiring PAP treatment are typically obese but otherwise healthy. In contrast, most children with OSAS respond clinically to adenotonsillectomy, and only a small proportion go on to require PAP1; thus, those requiring PAP are typically children with additional medical risk factors for OSAS such as Down syndrome. Therefore, PAP adherence programs need to be designed for medically complex and/or developmentally delayed children and their families. The proportion of obese and African American children in this study reflects an inner city population which may not be representative of other areas, although the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity has resulted in a worldwide increase in obesity and childhood OSAS.19,20
As found in other studies of adherence to pediatric medical regimens,13 maternal education was strongly associated with adherence to PAP. Presumably, this was due to better parental understanding of the consequences of OSAS and the importance of treatment; in general, parental literacy and education have been associated with better child health outcomes, including better adherence to medical regimens.21 However, it is also possible that the relationship between PAP adherence and maternal education was a reflection of socioeconomic status. Low socioeconomic status has been associated with poor adherence to CPAP in adults,9 and poor adherence to other medical regimens in children.22 A limitation of this study was the lack of data regarding socioeconomic status.
After excluding the subgroup of children with developmental disabilities, older children and adolescents were less likely to be adherent to PAP than younger children. This was not surprising, as adolescents tend to have poor adherence to medical regimens,11 and a study of subjective PAP use in adolescents showed poor adherence.23 The poor adherence in adolescents may be related to developmental issues such as feeling invincible, not wanting to be different from peers, not perceiving potential benefits from therapy, and the overall need to rebel against authority. In addition, it is likely that the older children and adolescents had less parental supervision for PAP use. A recent study of children with asthma found that 50% of 11-year-olds and 75% of 15-year-olds were responsible for taking their own medication24; it is likely that the adolescents in the current study had similar responsibilities for their PAP use. Indeed, a study of adolescents with diabetes showed that adherence improved when family members were more involved in the patient's care.13 This may be one reason why children with developmental disabilities, whose parents are more closely involved in their care, did not show age-related differences in adherence.
African American children were less likely to be adherent than those of other races. This is similar to studies of adults, in whom African Americans were five times more likely to be nonadherent to PAP than Caucasians.9 It is possible that racial differences in adherence are due to differences in socioeconomic status and maternal education level, but differences may also be related to cultural attitudes and beliefs.
Similar to other studies of adherence in children13 and adults,9,15 indices of family social support were somewhat predictive of PAP adherence. Concordant with studies in adults, neither polysomnographic measures of OSAS severity nor nasal symptoms predicted PAP adherence.9 Daytime sleepiness, a predictor of PAP adherence in adults,25 was not a predictor of adherence in this study, perhaps because sleepiness is a less prominent symptom in children with OSAS than in adults.26 Behavioral factors from the Conners scale and CBCL, such as hyperactivity and externalizing symptoms (e.g., aggression), which are often associated with childhood OSAS,27 were also not related to PAP adherence.
Adherence decreased slightly between month-1 and month-3, and different factors played a role at each time point (Table 3). There was no indication that the clinical or social status of any of the subjects or their families changed during the short observation period. This suggests that factors affecting initiation of PAP are different than factors maintaining PAP use, and future studies should evaluate predictors of long-term PAP use.
A limitation of this study is that self-efficacy, a predictor of PAP adherence in adults,28 was not studied as we could not find an appropriate measure to use in children. Future studies of self-efficacy in children are needed.
Overall, PAP adherence in this study was suboptimal. Few studies have evaluated PAP adherence in children using objective recordings of PAP use. Two recent studies both showed that about a third of children either refused CPAP immediately or were lost to follow-up; for those who did use CPAP, nightly usage was 5 hours/night.3,6 However, these data cannot be compared directly to the data in the current paper, as the hourly use in the previously reported studies included only those subjects who accepted CPAP. In contrast, the current study included all children regardless of CPAP use and acceptance, and collected adherence data on 96% of the cohort by month-3. To our knowledge, this is the first study prospectively evaluating predictors of PAP use in children without excluding any who initially refused CPAP. Like other studies using objective adherence data, use was found to be less than reported in studies with subjective reports of CPAP use.5
PAP has not been approved by the FDA for use in young children. However, we did not detect any differences in adherence in children < 7 years of age compared to older children, and none of the young children experienced any serious complications from PAP. Home PAP has been used extensively off-label in children ranging in age from infancy onwards, with more than 300 children enrolled in several large published studies.2–6 It has been shown to be safe and efficacious, especially when compared to the alternative treatments (such as tracheostomy) available for children who are not candidates for or were not cured by adenotonsillectomy.
In summary, this study has shown that key barriers to PAP adherence in children include low maternal education, African American race, older patient age, and decreased family social support, with maternal education being the most prominent predictive factor. Clinical factors such as PAP pressure and nasal symptoms do not predict PAP usage. Pediatric PAP adherence programs tend to focus on equipment modification, behavioral modification and intensive family counseling.5,6,29 However, this may not be adequate as these programs may not be sufficiently tailored to the needs of many families being served, i.e., families of different races, low socioeconomic status and/or limited maternal education. Further research is needed to determine the relative contributions of maternal education, race, socioeconomic status and cultural and personal beliefs to PAP adherence, and whether a more targeted and culturally tailored focus on patient and family education regarding OSAS and its treatment can improve PAP adherence, and hence the outcomes of children with OSAS.
This was an investigator-initiated (CLM) study funded by Philips Respironics. All data collection, statistical analyses and manuscript writing were performed by the investigators independent of Philips Respironics. Dr. Marcus also received support from NIH RO1 HL58585, and Dr. Meltzer from K23 MH077662. Off-label use: This study used positive airway pressure therapy in children under 7 years of age or 40 lb.
Child Behavior Checklist
continuous positive airway pressure
Food and Drug Administration
Medical Outcomes Study Social Support
Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation
obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
positive airway pressure
Pediatric Quality of Life
Parenting Stress Index Short Form
The authors thank the patients and their families who participated in this study, all the sleep technologists at the Sleep Center of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for their help, and Kelly Ann Davis for assistance with data entry.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Clinical practice guideline: diagnosis and management of childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Pediatrics. 2002;109:704–12. [PubMed]
Waters KA, Everett FM, Bruderer JW, Sullivan CE, authors. Obstructive sleep apnea: The use of nasal CPAP in 80 children. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1995;152:780–5. [PubMed]
Marcus CL, Rosen G, Ward SL, et al., authors. Adherence to and effectiveness of positive airway pressure therapy in children with obstructive sleep apnea. Pediatrics. 2006;117:e442–e451. [PubMed]
Guilleminault C, Pelayo R, Clerk A, Leger D, Bocian RC, authors. Home nasal continuous positive airway pressure in infants with sleep- disordered breathing. J Pediatr. 1995;127:905–12. [PubMed]
Uong EC, Epperson M, Bathon SA, Jeffe DB, authors. Adherence to nasal positive airway pressure therapy among school-aged children and adolescents with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Pediatrics. 2007;120:e1203–e1211. [PubMed]
O'Donnell AR, Bjornson CL, Bohn SG, Kirk VG, authors. Compliance rates in children using noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure. Sleep. 2006;29:651–8. [PubMed]
Massa F, Gonsalez S, Laverty A, Wallis C, Lane R, authors. The use of nasal continuous positive airway pressure to treat obstructive sleep apnoea. Arch Dis Child. 2002;87:438–43. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Ryan S, Garvey JF, Swan V, Behan R, McNicholas WT, authors. Nasal pillows as an alternative interface in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome initiating continuous positive airway pressure therapy. J Sleep Res. 2011;20:367–73. [PubMed]
Weaver TE, Grunstein RR, authors. Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure therapy: the challenge to effective treatment. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2008;5:173–8. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Aloia MS, author. Understanding the problem of poor CPAP adherence. Sleep Med Rev. 2011;15:341–2. [PubMed]
Smith BA, Shuchman M, authors. Problem of nonadherence in chronically ill adolescents: strategies for assessment and intervention. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2005;17:613–8. [PubMed]
Drotar D, Bonner MS, authors. Influences on adherence to pediatric asthma treatment: a review of correlates and predictors. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2009;30:574–82. [PubMed]
Hsin O, La Greca AM, Valenzuela J, Moine CT, Delamater A, authors. Adherence and glycemic control among Hispanic youth with type 1 diabetes: role of family involvement and acculturation. J Pediatr Psychol. 2010;35:156–66. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
DeWalt DA, Hink A, authors. Health literacy and child health outcomes: a systematic review of the literature. Pediatrics. 2009;124 Suppl 3:S265–S274. [PubMed]
Lewis KE, Seale L, Bartle IE, Watkins AJ, Ebden P, authors. Early predictors of CPAP use for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep. 2004;27:134–8. [PubMed]
Modi AC, Quittner AL, authors. Barriers to treatment adherence for children with cystic fibrosis and asthma: what gets in the way? J Pediatr Psychol. 2006;31:846–58. [PubMed]
Marcus CL, Beck SE, Traylor J, et al., authors. Randomized, double-blind clinical trial of two different modes of positive airway pressure therapy on adherence and efficacy in children. J Clin Sleep Med. 2012;8:37–42. [PubMed]
Rosner B, Prineas R, Loggie J, Daniels SR, authors. Percentiles for body mass index in U.S. children 5 to 17 years of age. J Pediatr. 1998;132:211–22. [PubMed]
Bhattacharjee R, Kheirandish-Gozal L, Spruyt K, et al., authors. Adenotonsillectomy outcomes in treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in children: a multicenter retrospective study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010;182:676–83. [PubMed]
Li AM, So HK, Au CT, et al., authors. Epidemiology of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in Chinese children: a two-phase community study. Thorax. 2010;65:991–7. [PubMed]
DeWalt DA, Hink A, authors. Health literacy and child health outcomes: a systematic review of the literature. Pediatrics. 2009;124 Suppl 3:S265–74. [PubMed]
Vreeman RC, Wiehe SE, Pearce EC, Nyandiko WM, authors. A systematic review of pediatric adherence to antiretroviral therapy in low- and middle-income countries. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2008;27:686–91. [PubMed]
Beebe DW, Byars KC, authors. Adolescents with obstructive sleep apnea adhere poorly to positive airway pressure (PAP), but PAP users show improved attention and school performance. PLoS One. 2011;6:e16924[PubMed Central][PubMed]
Orrell-Valente JK, Jarlsberg LG, Hill LG, Cabana MD, authors. At what age do children start taking daily asthma medicines on their own? Pediatrics. 2008;122:e1186–e1192. [PubMed]
Olsen S, Smith S, Oei T, Douglas J, authors. Health belief model predicts adherence to CPAP before experience with CPAP. Eur Respir J. 2008;32:710–7. [PubMed]
Gozal D, Wang M, Pope DW, authors. Objective sleepiness measures in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea. Pediatrics. 2001;108:693–7. [PubMed]
Beebe DW, author. Neurobehavioral morbidity associated with disordered breathing during sleep in children: a comprehensive review. Sleep. 2006;29:1115–34. [PubMed]
Aloia MS, Arnedt JT, Stepnowsky C, Hecht J, Borrelli B, authors. Predicting treatment adherence in obstructive sleep apnea using principles of behavior change. J Clin Sleep Med. 2005;1:346–53. [PubMed]
Koontz KL, Slifer KJ, Cataldo MD, Marcus CL, authors. Improving pediatric compliance with positive airway pressure therapy: the impact of behavioral intervention. Sleep. 2003;26:1010–5. [PubMed]
Melendres MC, Lutz JM, Rubin ED, Marcus CL, authors. Daytime sleepiness and hyperactivity in children with suspected sleep-disordered breathing. Pediatrics. 2004;114:768–75. [PubMed]
Elkhayat HA, Hassanein SM, Tomoum HY, Abd-Elhamid IA, Asaad T, Elwakkad AS, authors. Melatonin and sleep-related problems in children with intractable epilepsy. Pediatr Neurol. 2010;42:249–54. [PubMed]
Chan EY, Ng DK, Chan CH, et al., authors. Modified Epworth Sleepiness Scale in Chinese children with obstructive sleep apnea: a retrospective study. Sleep Breath. 2009;13:59–63. [PubMed]
Achenbach TM, Rescorla LA, authors. Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. 2001. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth & Families;
Achenbach TM, Rescorla LA, authors. Manual for the ASEBA preschool forms & profiles. 2000. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth & Families;
Conners CK, Sitarenios G, Parker JD, Epstein JN, authors. The revised Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-R): factor structure, reliability, and criterion validity. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1998;26:257–68. [PubMed]
Varni JW, Seid M, Kurtin PS, authors. PedsQL 4.0: reliability and validity of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory version 4.0 generic core scales in healthy and patient populations. Med Care. 2001;39:800–12. [PubMed]
Franco RA Jr.; Rosenfeld RM, Rao M, authors. First place--resident clinical science award 1999. Quality of life for children with obstructive sleep apnea. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2000;123:9–16. [PubMed]
Abidin RR, author. Parenting Stress Index. 1995. Lutz,FL: Psychological Assessment resources, Inc.;
Sherbourne CD, Stewart AL, authors. The MOS social support survey. Soc Sci Med. 1991;32:705–14. [PubMed]
Stewart MG, Witsell DL, Smith TL, Weaver EM, Yueh B, Hannley MT, authors. Development and validation of the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004;130:157–63. [PubMed]


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Diagnosing and managing canine eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy
A harsh, persistent cough with gagging and retching can signal this serious, but manageable disease. Here are the steps practitioners can to take to confirm a diagnosis and help improve a patient's clinical signs through corticosteroid therapy.
Jun 01, 2010
The most frequently observed clinical sign in dogs with EBP is cough, which is documented in 95% to 100% of cases.1,6 The cough is characterized as persistent and harsh and is typically followed by gagging or retching, likened to a "smoker's cough."1 Other common clinical signs include dyspnea, exercise intolerance, and nasal discharge that may be serous, mucoid, or mucopurulent.1,6 Lethargy and anorexia are usually not reported but may be noted if concomitant pneumonia is present.2 The clinical picture may vary from acute, life-threatening dyspnea to chronic, occasional cough.1,6,7
Physical examination and laboratory evaluation


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Researching the Genealogy and Family History of Orphan Heirlooms
Search our archive for Bibles, autograph albums, IDed photos, documents, correspondence, and other treasures from the past that may relate to your family or area. This project is ongoing, so please visit often.
Many items are available for purchase.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Photographs of Sisters Clara Prescott Morrill and Frances Horton Morrill of Canaan, Maine
Separate photographs of sisters Clara Prescott Morrill and Frances Horton Morrill, "Frank", of Canaan, Maine. Both photographs were taken by the Preble studio of Waterville, Maine.
The photograph above, of Clara Prescott Morrill, is dated 1894 and may have been taken at the time of her graduation from Colby College.
Frances Horton Morrill, below, also graduated with the Class of 1894 at Colby College. Her photograph is undated. Both sisters went on to earn Masters degrees at Colby.
Frances Horton Morrill's nickname was "Frank".
The girls' sisters, Mary Sophronia Morrill and Lucia Haskell Morrill, also attended Colby College. The sisters' parents deserve a great deal of credit for their commitment and, no doubt, sacrifice.
After graduation from Colby, Clara and Frances went on to careers in education in Maine.
Clara taught at Fort Fairfield, Maine, from 1894-1898 and then was preceptress at Hebron Academy at Hebron, Maine. By 1920, she was teaching at Waterville, Maine. From one online reference I found, it appears she was also acting as the librarian at Coburn Classical Institute in Waterville.
From mentions in several Colby College publications, it appears that Frances Horton Morrill spent her teaching career at Waterville, Maine.
I don't believe Clara or Frances married. Of the four sisters mentioned, perhaps only the eldest, Mary Sophronia Morrill, married.
Mary married Springvale, Maine, native Reuben Lowell Ilsley, also a Colby graduate. After graduation and marriage, Reuben had a number of educational positions in Maine and Massachusetts before joining the Internal Revenue Service at Washington, D.C. The couple had at least two children.
Lucia Haskell Morrill had teaching positions at Gould Academy at Bethel, Maine; at Hallowell, Maine; at Ricker Classical Institute at Houlton, Maine; and at Waterville, Maine.
From online research, hopefully correct: [corrections welcome]
Clara Prescott Morrill, Frances Horton Morrill, Mary Sophronia Morrill and Lucia Haskell Morrill were the daughters of Llewellyn and Priscilla (Hubbard) Morrill, who were born at Readfield, Maine, and Canaan, Maine, respectively.
The sisters' paternal grandparents were John Johnson Morrill and Sophronia (Pool) Morrill. Their maternal grandparents were Samuel F. and Mary (Ricker) Hubbard.
If you have any corrections or additions to the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.
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Posted by Pam Beveridge at 5:54 AM
2 comments:
- AnonymousSeptember 20, 2012 at 8:57 AM
You Know I have a photo of Sam Preble his Wife and daughter it is beautifully framed it is signed in pencil by sam preble and dated 1920 if anyone is interested in seeing it they can cotact me via email at firstname.lastname@example.com
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text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - Vaccinations Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Vaccinations Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Taiwan View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message ruggededgeJoined: 17 May 2012Posts: 2Location: Buffalo, NY, USA Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 12:21 am Post subject: Vaccinations Just wondering, for those of you already teaching in Taiwan, if there are any mandatory vaccinations one must get (coming from USA) before arrival into Taiwan. The CDC does give guidelines, but I thought I'd ask here. Also, I am planning to do some extensive traveling throughout SE Asia, and just wondering, for those who have also done this, what vaccinations you got or might recommend getting. Typhoid? Anti-malarial prophylaxis? Hep B? Thanks. Steve Back to top lewis1919Joined: 29 May 2012Posts: 10 Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:25 pm Post subject: Vaccinations If you want a job then take your measles vaccination paper...or get it again. None are mandatory, I don't get any for almost any place I go to but you should really talk to a doctor. If you are going deep south or love swamps then perhaps you'd be more at risk. I wouldn't get any but wouldn't advise anyone to do that before really looking into it.[/list] Back to top atreyueJoined: 07 May 2010Posts: 33Location: Taipei, Taiwan - The Rain Capital Of Asia Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 4:27 pm Post subject: ruggededge If you're travelling through SE Asia / Taiwan and are looking to 'sample' the local girls - then Hep B is HIGHLY recommended. The rates of infection are astronomical, as well as the potential for food borne transfer. typhoid and malaria aren't really going to be a problem unless you're planning on living in the bush (the flora/fauna type) for a few weeks. Back to top lewis1919Joined: 29 May 2012Posts: 10 Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 4:47 pm Post subject: Vaccinations Hepatitis B rates are very low in Taiwan among those in the 20s or younger. They were astronomical (15%), higher than the rest of South East Asia. Then came a very successful vaccination program. Condoms. If anyone has time and money (or NHS) then get vaccinated, but if you're only going to Taiwan the risks are low for anything. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Taiwan All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group Teaching Jobs in China


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As the year 2013 comes to a close, I would like to reflect on the milestones this year for allofasuddenpartJew. From Limmud conferences in Hong Kong and Shanghai, traveling to Japan to visit the Chabad house, and walking around Jewish Lower East Side–I feel I have furthered my understanding of the Jewish people and beliefs.
- Limmud – A Hebrew word that means learning, I attended my first Limmud conference in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Made a few valuable connections from the Jewish philanthropy and non-profit space.
- Jewish Japan – Traveled to Japan (My new favorite Asian country) and spent Sukkot at the Chabad House of Tokyo. Many Japanese people are interested in Jewish people. Some Japanese believe they are descendents of the lost tribes.
- Melton Mini-School – After an initial Intro to Judaism course at the United Jewish Congregation of Hong Kong, I felt I needed to go deeper. I enrolled in the Melton Adult Mini-School course at Ohel Leah Synagogue and have enjoyed the teachings from Rabbi Oser.
- Chinese Studies – Continued my studies in relevant topics. I started to pursue an MA in Chinese Studies at CUHK to deepen my knowledge of China.
- Jewish New York City – Visited NYC to visit Jewish enclaves like Williamsburg and the Lower East Side.
I have to be honest, I haven't been keeping up with my social media as much as I would like. My social media stats for as of December 2013 are:
- Blog – allofasuddenpartJew (83 posts)
- Facebook – page under the same title (480 Fans)
- Twitter – account under the same title (285 Followers)
Looking forward to 2014–the year of the horse in Chinese astrology. The horse is a highly respected animal in Chinese culture–one that symbolizes strength, agility, and endurance. Even the German carmaker BMW's brand name in China is 宝马(Baoma), which literally means treasure horse, contains the character for horse.
Happy New Year 2014!


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A blast from the past. I knew what a Churchkey is.
Quote from: hopfenundmalz on April 24, 2012, 02:45:16 AMA blast from the past. I knew what a Churchkey is. I have a couple of the openers.
Well there is a reason pull-tabs were phased out my the early 80's. Ever step on one of those little bastards? I'd rather see a twist-off cone-top.
I saw a billboard Monday advertising a new can for Miller Lite. When you pop the top it makes another small hole for air so you can chug it faster. The billboard didn't actually say that, but I'm pretty sure that's why they invented it.I can picture a room full of advertising excecutives:"Hey, what can our engineers do to get our beer out of the can or bottle faster? The faster the can is emptied, the sooner they'll need another can."


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SpunkyBookworm wrote:Don't worry Lisa, we'll go other places, too!! At least you can say that you haven't been there yet, while I'm pathetic and go at least once a year!
Gretchen- I thought I told you about this. I've been to Forks at least once pre-Twilight and once in March, 09, shortly after the Fever set in. I talked hubby into taking me and we stayed 2 nights at the "Cullen House". (Are you all 2nd hand embarrassed for me as you read this?) I met so many other crazies there. It actually was a pretty fun time. Hubby had fun too but said he never wants to go again. ha!
Off to bed- good night, All!


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Young Breed (Triple C's) - Bout It, Bout It
Brand new music video for "Bout It, Bout It" by Young Breed of Triple C's. Triple C's Custom Cars & Cycles, in stores now! Rick Ross new album Teflon Don, coming soon!
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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Member Dues
30 day free trial
30 day free trial
No credit card required
After the trial you must pay dues to be a member of this Meetup.
Cancel dues at any time.
Dues are billed each year.
*** Not taking new members at this time. ***
We are a recreational and social volleyball group. We encourage everyone to improve their game by practicing passing, setting, and hitting. We strive to play competitive games while maintaining a great social atmosphere. You will love this great group of volleyball enthusiasts! Come on out! Hit the courts!!!
For identification and safety reasons, we require a profile photo of yourself (which shows your face) before you can be approved for membership - thank you!
Dues are only $40 (cash or check) for the whole year ($44 if you pay online through Meetup). Funds are used to purchase and maintain equipment for many venues. We also purchase parts and equipment to maintain the nets and the lines at South Beach Park.
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Boy with rifle causes outage
SILVER SPRINGS SHORES — A 12-year-old boy shot a rifle Tuesday afternoon and hit a 69,000-volt transmission line — causing almost 6,000 customers in Lynne, Silver Springs Shores, Silver Springs and Ockawaha to lose service for several hours, according to a news release from the Clay Electric Co-op.
Progress Energy owns the transmission line, but it supplies power to Clay Electric's Lynne substation near State Road 40 and County Road 314A, the release said.
In all, 5,689 commercial and residential accounts were affected. The outage began at 1:34 p.m., and full service was back by 6:10 p.m. Progress crews had to repair the line.
"The Marion County Sheriff's Office has classified the incident as accidental, since the youth claimed he was shooting the rifle at tree limbs and was not targeting the transmission line," the release said.
Clay Electric serves approximately 165,000 members in 14 counties including Marion.
Two crash victims remain in hospital
A man and woman injured in separate crashes in late December remained hospitalized Wednesday.
Maria Luz Ausua-Vega, of Silver Springs Shores, was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center on Saturday afternoon after the Yamaha YZ 85 dirt bike she was riding crashed into the front of a home.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers said they believe Ausua-Vega was riding on Pine Close when, for an unknown reason, she ran the stop sign at the intersection of Pine Close and Cedar Road. The motorcycle went across the front lawn at 69 Cedar Road and slammed into the front wall. Ausua-Vega was not wearing a helmet.
Suzanne Santangelo, spokeswoman for ORMC, said Ausua-Vega remained hospitalized in critical condition.
John Bronzi, seriously injured in a Dec. 21 crash on Southwest 27th Avenue, also remained at ORMC in critical condition.
Bronzi was riding a Harley-Davidson south on Southwest 27th Avenue while a Ford F-150 driven by Jeffrey Scott Senules of Beverly Hills was heading north on the roadway. Authorities said Senules was turning left into Toys R Us and turned into the path of the motorcycle, which crashed into the back passenger door of the truck. Bronzi, who was wearing a helmet, was ejected. Senules was not injured.
Funeral will be held Saturday for soldier
The funeral for Army Pfc. Markie T. Sims, of Citra, who was killed in Afghanistan, is slated for Saturday.
The solider's mother, Wanda Thompson, said services for her son will begin at 1 p.m. at United Baptist Church in Reddick.
Sims, 20, was killed when an improvised bomb exploded next to his vehicle. He was assigned to the U.S. Army's 38th Engineering Company, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
Sims played football while attending North Marion High School and later graduated from Marion Technical Institute in 2011.
Sims is survived by Thompson; wife Shakeli Sims; father Henry Sims; grandparents Randolph and Ella Mae Thompson; brothers Henry Sims Jr. and Demarrio Sims, both of Reddick, Defonzio Sims, of California, and Henry Lee Daniels, of Ocala; and sister Lashay Daniels, of Gainesville.
Improvements to roads in Citra start Monday
Crews will begin road improvement work Monday on U.S. 301 between County Road 329 — where U.S. 441 and U.S. 301 split — and Northeast 172nd Place.
"The enhancements include the removal of the top layer of the current roadway and the laying down of new asphalt. In addition, there will be drainage and signalization upgrades," the state Department of Transportation said in a news release.
The contractor for the $3.4 million project, Anderson Columbia, is expected to work 170 calendar days, weather permitting.
Naval Sea Cadet Corps open for interested youth
The U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps Manatee Division is an organization for youth ages 11 to 17 who are interested in the maritime services.
Cadets wear Navy uniforms and gain rank as they train and learn new skills, and earn ribbons for outstanding performance in training, academics and community service.
The division drills the second full weekend of each month. Those who are interested can observe training weekends on Jan. 12-13 or Feb. 9-10 at U.S. Coast Guard Station Yankeetown. For more information, call 212-5473 or visit www.manateediv.org.
Citra nonprofit outreach is seeking donations
S.O.S. Community Outreach Inc., a nonprofit based in Citra, seeks donations so it can provide clients with food, gas, utilities, rent and other needs. Donations are tax deductible.
The outreach operates a thrift store at 17860 NE 22nd Court, Citra. For more information, call 509-6032 or visit www.soscommunityoutreach.org.
'Martha Washington' to show up at Woman's Club
The day and evening groups of the GFWC Woman's Club of Ocala will meet Tuesday at the Elks Club and Lodge at 702 NE 25th Ave., Ocala. Club member Dee Collier will portray Martha Washington, the wife President George Washington, at each meeting.
The Day Group will meet for a luncheon at 11:45 a.m. For reservations, call 347-3975.
The Evening Group and Little Women Juniorettes will meet for a buffet at 6:30 p.m. For reservations, call 629-7397 or email email@example.com.
Safe-driving courses open for 50 and older
AARP safe-driving courses are open to those 50 and older. Upcoming classes include:
Jan. 10-11, 8 a.m., Sheriff's Office, 9048 W. State Road 200, Ocala, (237-2971)
Jan. 22-23, 1 p.m. Rainbow Lakes Estates Clubhouse, 9514 SW Rainbow Lakes Blvd., Dunnellon. (489-1574)
Jan. 24-25, noon, Master the Possibilities, 8415 SW 80th St., Ocala (854-3699). The fee is $12 for members and $14 for nonmembers.
Call the listed number to register.
For additional times and locations, visit www.aarp.org/drive.
Series of courses for new gardeners to be offered
A series for those new to gardening or gardening in Central Florida will be taught by UF/IFAS Marion County faculty and Master Gardeners from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 28-Feb. 1 at 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala.
The fee is $25 per person or $40 per couple, which covers materials.
The deadline to register is Jan. 18.
For more information, call 671-8400 or email email@example.com.
Homeowner shoots naked intruder
MIAMI — A naked intruder shot after allegedly attacking a Miami family's dog and trying to bite its owner is refusing to cooperate with authorities.
The homeowner heard the dog barking around 5 a.m. Wednesday and went to investigate. Police say the homeowner saw the naked man trying to choke the animal and rushed to free it. That's when police say the naked man bit the homeowner.
The homeowner told police he feared for his life and shot the intruder while other family members called 911.
The intruder was hit once but continued to put up a fight as officers arrived. He eventually was arrested and taken to a hospital, where refused to provide his name.
— The Associated Press


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After you finish a League game hop over to one of the computers at Cape Fear Games and go ahead and submit that game in the appropriate dated thread (anyone submitting games will submit below this post). It takes like, 2 minutes, and keeps the map and store standings updated! Games must be submitted to grant a player points.
Your submission will look like this-
Name of Players and the number of games played by said players
Faction Names
Point Size
Map Location Being Fought Over
Victory points and bonus points received
Derek (3) vs Allen (2)
Circle vs Skorne
35 pts
The Narrow Sea
Victory for Allen- 2 point + 1 battle point for playing=3 points in standings
Loss for Derek- 1 battle point= 1 point in standings


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Annual Meeting Coverage
Anthropological Approaches to Information Systems and Behavior
Pamela Effrein Sandstrom is head of reference and information services at the Walter E. Helmke Library at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, 2101 Coliseum Blvd. East, Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499; phone: 260-481-5404; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Editor's note: The following article is an abbreviated version of the author's talk given on October 20, 2003, at the ASIS&T 2003 Annual Meeting for the second Plenary Session: Humanizing Information Technology: New Theoretical Approaches in Play.
I am about to take you on a risky foray by connecting two apparently separate approaches to studying human behavior and its artifacts. One approach and set of methods derives from the field of anthropology. The other comes from information science. Anthropological approaches have lately grown in importance for some information science professionals and those in such practice-oriented fields as nursing, social work, counseling therapy, educational research or business administration. As ethnographic and participant observation research designs become more accepted and commonplace, I find it problematic that many people equate anthropological approaches with largely nonscientific, descriptive research aims, overlooking or outright denying their potential for generating social-scientific explanation and prediction.
I think that for many people anthropology connotes exotic travel, archaeological excavations or long sojourns among people living in jungle settings. It also connotes something unpalatable-sounding but fashionable called "thick description." Information science, to the uninitiated outsider, probably connotes computers and data files, a conception of infrastructure having to do with wires, plugs and protocols and unflattering objects of study called uses and users. Pairing anthropology's key informants with information science's users suggests an undercover drug operation, but what I have in mind is a fruitful research synthesis Bill Gates, meet Indiana Jones.
Exploring Common Ground
I believe that anthropology and the information disciplines share logical connections, although their literatures remain largely non-interactive and not all that useful to one another. What information science takes from anthropology, in my view, is but a small, generally nonscientific, portion of the corpus of research. Anthropology to a large extent ignores information science. Why is it always the weakest, attenuated versions of core concepts and methodologies that end up imported from one tradition to another, and not a more coherent world view? This seems especially true for ethnographic research strategies.
I would like to discuss some of the scientifically oriented approaches in anthropology. The idea of a scientific anthropology may surprise those who associate anthropology primarily with meaning-based investigations of local settings (what those familiar with the philosophical and social science jargon might label hermeneutical or phenomenological approaches). Despite the effort required to develop and maintain an expertise in multiple fields, bridging these two distinguished research traditions would be well worth our while. Researchers interested in pursuing such a synthesis might begin with the resources in For Further Reading. One patch of common ground that immediately comes to mind is the anthropological insight that culture is an information system or system of communication. Conversely, many technologists are beginning to look at information as a cultural construct. My purpose here is to show how anthropological approaches may literally humanize information technology and research practice in our field.
These are deep waters. Research paradigms and methodology involve issues best left to the philosophers of science. I claim no specialized training in epistemology, nor do I consider myself an anthropologist. I am, however, a longtime and durable field assistant. Working in Mexico and India over three decades with my anthropologist-husband, I have had the privilege to experience firsthand what it is like to try to bridge a cultural divide that is sometimes profound. Through painstaking participant observation and sometimes painful feelings of estrangement I believe that it is possible to understand people whose history, cultural traditions and productive systems are entirely different from one's own. I would like to share some observations from this fortunate marriage of anthropology and information science.
This presentation focuses on four issues that need to be addressed in adapting anthropological methods to study information systems and behavior. First, I examine culture as an information system. Second, I highlight some of the advantages and limitations of empirical ethnographic methods. Among them, I focus on one of the most important aspects of ethnographic research the matter of perspective, or what some anthropologists term the emic-etic distinction. Third, I make the case for paying greater attention to cross-cultural, cross-temporal generalization in information science research. Fourth, I focus on the importance of including material factors in the analysis. By way of synthesizing these points, I highlight a research strategy called "optimal foraging theory" from the anthropological specialty of human behavioral ecology, which takes into account all of these issues. I argue that optimal foraging theory promises both to humanize and increase our scientific understanding of scholars' information seeking and communication behavior.
Viewing Culture as Information
My first point is to acknowledge that anthropologists have long regarded culture as a kind of information system. This affinity among our central objects of study should make some of the methods and findings of anthropological studies useful to designers and analysts of information systems. The signature American four-field, holistic brand of anthropology is an approach that uniquely aims to integrate sociocultural anthropology, bioanthropology, linguistics and archaeology. Although the ideals of holism may be difficult to achieve by one investigator, this goal leads anthropologists today to work in collaborative teams or undertake systematic comparisons of their various findings. Anthropologists themselves are often broad in their interests. Many early founders of the discipline came to the study of the customs, language and history of preliterate peoples from such diverse traditions as law, philosophy, economics, medicine or field biology and geology. The holistic aims of anthropology have been greatly enhanced by this disciplinary and methodological pluralism.
Franz Boas, who founded the American school of anthropology in the early 20th century, was a strong proponent of the four-field approach. Trained in Germany as a geographer and physicist, Boas' early research led him into investigations of perception and, ultimately, the importance of the impact of the observer on the observed. The Boasian approach significantly influenced generations of American anthropologists and fostered an intellectual lineage that has always hotly debated research strategies, appropriate units of analysis and nomothetic versus idiographic aims (discussed below). Despite differences of epistemology and political allegiance, I would say that scientific-minded scholarship within American anthropology today offers the greatest potential for a unified social science.
Just 100 years ago Emile Durkheim and his nephew, Marcel Mauss, wrote a short treatise on the ways that people in different cultures classify things. Their essay concludes that the categories of people's thought derive from the structure of the society in which they live. Their aim was to show how the sociological or anthropological method surpasses psychology and metaphysics as a way of understanding the commonalities underlying logical constructs and shared systems of belief. Whether we regard information as a thing or as a process for analytical purposes, I think many of us can agree that information is part of an ongoing, organic cultural system, not a commodity that can easily be divorced from its meaningful context or content.
This fact ties the information disciplines to the wider social-scientific enterprise. Many interpretive anthropologists, among them Clifford Geertz and others who invoke Talcott Parson's philosophical idealism, define culture as a communication, symbolic or semiotic system and a source of "extrasomatic" information, that is, part of the shared patterns of meaning that lie outside an individual's knowledge system. In interpretive anthropology, social scenes and "cultural processes must be read, translated, and interpreted" (Kuper, p. 98) through a process that Geertz, following philosopher Gilbert Ryle, termed thick description. Other anthropologists have opted for a distinctively cybernetics model of culture as communication like that propounded by Norbert Wiener. As Roy Rappaport articulated in Pigs for the Ancestors a superb ethnographic analysis of the ritual life and ecology of the Tsembaga people of New Guinea culture is a negative-feedback system for regulating relations between the human realm and critical factors in the natural environment. Models of culture that incorporate a systems view of information are expounded; for example, in social exchange theory, French structuralism, evolutionary culture theory and other formulations.
Understanding Ethnography's Advantages and Limitations
Culture can be seen as information, and ethnography that defining anthropological product and method adds a richness and dimensionality to research on culture. The second point I would like to emphasize is that ethnography and the case-study approach should not be thought of as an alternative to science and quantification. In the first place, ethnography is not a single technique but is instead a general strategy for approaching research problems. It is a time-tested approach that has the capacity to produce a valid, contextual understanding of human behavior. While sometimes ethnography is regarded as a synonym for qualitative research, the most useful ethnographic accounts often yield significant quantifiable data based on a range of methods, for example, census taking, interviewing, content analysis, unobtrusive measures of behavior and diary or talk-aloud techniques. The qualitative-quantitative distinction is a false one. Good ethnography always yields quantifiable data.
One clear advantage of ethnography is that it lends itself to systematic observations of what people actually do in their local environments rather than reflecting idealized, highly theorized models. Ethnographic research looks for the system underlying observable reality and is responsive to changes in context. Ethnography improves the design of survey research and should be used more widely to validate research results. It is utterly engaging, requires long-term residence and face-to-face interaction within a community and sometimes the direct involvement by the researcher in the activities of the people under study (that is, participant observation). The downside of ethnography is its large investment of time and training and the difficulty of generalizing results from a single intensive study. Naive adopters of ethnographic methods fail to realize that success depends upon the systematic sampling of time and place and often significant prior knowledge of the context. In addition, ethnographic methods can present serious ethical challenges. A complicating characteristic of research among human beings is that they have a consciousness of their own along with ideas about the causes and consequences of their own thoughts and behavior. It thus is critical to differentiate the researcher's viewpoint from the viewpoints of people being studied. Research that confuses them is doomed to failure.
Paying Attention to Emics and Etics
Some anthropologists address the problem of determining from whose perspective an observation is meaningful and against which set of standards it should be validated by calling attention to the emic or etic status of data. These concepts were first proposed by linguist Kenneth Pike and elaborated over the past 40 years by sociocultural anthropologist Marvin Harris. Harris' research strategy of cultural materialism exemplifies the power of these analytical distinctions in practice and greatly extends our understanding of the concepts of subjectivity and objectivity. "Emic" derives from phonemic, a linguistic term that refers to the categories of sounds used by native speakers to understand and create meaningful utterances. "Etic" is from the linguistic term phonetic, referring to the acoustical properties of sounds discernible through linguistic analysis. If the different perspectives characterized as emics or etics are ignored or conflated, the theoretical aims and empirical data of the study will be rendered worthless.
Emics and etics are central to cultural materialism, a research strategy that aims to explain the differences and similarities in the world's inventory of cultures by focusing on the material conditions that provide the context for individual cultures. The approach is illustrated in popular treatises such as Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches or Cannibals and Kings or Harris' technical treatise entitled Cultural Materialism. Harris addresses cultural puzzles in our own service-and-information economy in his book America Now, which explains why technology fails and why the help won't help you. Some social scientists attempt to deal with the emic-etic problem but eschew the terminology, avoiding too close an association with cultural materialism. This avoidance is unfortunate and a detriment to theory building. I sincerely hope that information science researchers will pick up and run with Harris' formulations. Marvin Harris was a brilliant, formidable critic of everyone who flirted with neo-Kantian philosophical idealism and mentalist definitions of social phenomena, from Hegel to Weber and Parsons. I'll say more about philosophical materialism shortly.
Social researchers who believe they substitute synonymous concepts for emics and etics in fact settle for less precision by distinguishing between subjective and objective perspectives. The distinction obscures the problem of data sources because both the researcher and the people being studied have subjective and objective views of their thoughts and behavior. Indeed, both subjective and objective data can be gathered subjectively or objectively. Other contrasts in the literature such as insider vs. outsider, cognized vs. operational models, mental vs. behavioral frames, or the postmodern self vs. the other are equally inadequate analytical distinctions.
This issue of data sources and validation procedures is critical, whether we aim to achieve nomothetic goals and thereby produce generalizing theories and general laws or aim for idiographic goals of understanding particular local scenes from strictly local perspectives. The contrast between nomothetic and idiographic aims may be grasped intuitively by comparing a social scientist who analyzes systematic changes or patterns across time and place (producing, in simplified terms, a science of history) to a humanities scholar who documents phenomena or events situated in a particular time and place (undertaking a history of science, for example).
In emic operations, the researcher records information from the viewpoint of people engaged in the behavior under investigation, with the aim of producing analyses that the participants find meaningful or appropriate. As Harris puts it in Cultural Materialism, "the observer attempts to acquire a knowledge of the categories and rules one must know in order to think and act as a native" (p. 79). Emic data sources may include ideological or linguistic discourse, mental and emotional states, cognitive categories, symbols, beliefs, attitudes and values. In our field, good examples of research in the emic mode would be the cognitive mapping of libraries or online communities, user satisfaction research based on perceptions of service effectiveness, or studies of information needs analyzed, for instance, in the framework of Brenda Dervin's sense-making or Carol Kuhlthau's cognitive-affective models.
By contrast, etic operations require information recorded from the perspective of those versed in the data language and consensus judgment of science. Trained observers thus are the "ultimate judges of the categories and concepts used in descriptions and analyses" (p. 32). Etic data sources and measurements, which may or may not be meaningful to native participants, include census counts and other inventories, event or network analyses, time-motion studies, traces caused by erosion or accretion, kinesic data on body language and proxemic data on cultural use of space, and so on. Examples of information science research designed in the etic mode include reference-accuracy studies, question-negotiation analysis, unobtrusive or structured observation of browsing, monitoring and other information behaviors, protocol analysis of human-computer interactions, queuing at public-service points or server transactions and the range of bibliometric analyses that regard citations as a proxy for information use.
I emphasize this point about the epistemological status of research data to clarify what is so easily confounded in social analysis. Without more time to demonstrate these principles in action let me merely assert that information scientists should distinguish among emic and etic data sources and design research that does not privilege one over the other and takes both into account. Both perspectives often coincide. But where emic and etic accounts differ lies the potential for insights into, and explanations for, puzzling human behavior.
Making Systematic Comparisons Across Time and Place
If culture can be understood as information and ethnography is a fruitful approach to understanding culture, my third point is that ethnographic knowledge should lead some analysts to undertake cross-cultural, cross-temporal ethnological research. Ethnology is the systematic comparison of ethnographic descriptions a special kind of meta-analysis and the primary strategy for theory building in anthropology. Comparisons made across place and time avoid over-reliance on evanescent cultural norms and a shallow presence. I think that the vast workforce of our global information economy and those at the research front of information science and technology are especially vulnerable to time-bound and ethnocentric assumptions about people and their interactions with technology. To truly humanize the face of technology, we must see things from a more diverse, worldwide vantage.
National boundaries and power structures everywhere today are giving way to social movements based on ethnic identity and internecine conflict. This fact alone must increase our urgency in designing effective computational infrastructures and information-supply systems based on the ways that real people actually use them and need to use them in their day-to-day lives.
The unintended consequences of poorly designed information systems are painfully apparent. We are in the midst of an unprecedented concentration of ownership within scholarly systems of external memory and information supply to the point that libraries are being held hostage by rising costs. The broadcasting and media monopoly traced for years by journalist Ben Bagdikian continues unchecked by international law. Herbert Schiller has presented compelling evidence for massive disinformation campaigns in the communication industries. And the unrelenting absorption of our scarce human attention by high-tech gadgetry strikes me as symptomatic of an escape from reason and from theoretical formulations that ground us in reality. In committing to long-term studies of particular communities and asking research questions that allow for synchronic and diachronic comparison, we make the corollary commitment to valid, cross-cultural generalization, comparing problems across different communities and within communities over time.
Focusing on Material Factors
My fourth point about the importance of material factors follows this universalizing of our research programs. To achieve scientific, nomothetic goals in the information disciplines, we should focus on the technological, demographic, environmental and economic conditions that motivate and constrain people operating in social groups. And, I would argue, we especially cannot fail to take material factors into account when our research aims to discover people's cognitive categories, meaning systems or values. Making a case for or against philosophical materialism is outside the scope of this presentation. I would like, however, to conclude by suggesting how a materialist-oriented theoretical stance improves the study of behavioral variation by pointing the causal arrow from the infrastructural, material factors nested in a political economy and away from the almost instinctive sense that peoples' ideas must generate their behavior. The question for me is "What factors condition people's intentions?" The connection between intentions and behavior is weak, to say the least. The anthropological approach that I believe holds most promise for the information disciplines that is, cultural materialism firmly opposes the prevailing view that meaning drives behavior or that culture is the domain of ideology and values, not behavior. A materialist approach based not on a dialectical logic but on the epistemology of science offers a corrective to the supposition that science is dehumanizing. To create systems on a human scale what is needed is empirical analysis and more, not less, science.
A Cultural Materialist, Behavioral Ecology Framework for Information Behavior
I would like to present, in conclusion, a short synopsis of how I applied these principles in a study of scholars' information behavior, using the conceptual framework of optimal foraging theory. Developed by biologists and anthropologists, optimal foraging is a good example of a microeconomic, deductive modeling strategy, and not, like some ethnographic enterprises, an inductive fishing expedition. Optimal foraging models focus on the repertoire of human subsistence strategies, on decision making, game-theoretic constructs, methodological individualism and forecasting measurable outcomes, for example, predicting under what conditions food foragers will be specialists or generalists. I mention some of these features of the optimal foraging framework to pique your interest in learning more, as we have time for only a brief look at the method and findings of my study.
My idea is that scholars in an information environment are analogous to hunters and gatherers in a natural environment. I studied how anthropologists in the specialty of human behavioral ecology searched for and handled information resources belonging to literatures that I defined as core or peripheral to their research interests. I depicted this information environment empirically, using the bibliometric toolkit of author co-citation analysis. Without going into details of the analysis or illustrating this multidimensional space here, let me simply characterize human behavioral ecology as an active research specialty located at the boundaries of anthropology, evolutionary psychology, sociobiology and biological evolutionary theory. Please see my other papers for more about the mapping techniques and features of human behavioral ecology.
By tracing the individual resource mixes of salient authors, colleagues and specialties that each informant in the study actually discovered, consumed and cited, I created a series of personalized co-cited author maps that were idiosyncratic but similar to the map of human behavioral ecology at large. To clarify the core-periphery structure of each person's bibliographic microhabitat, I divided each map into zones that included the informant's own cluster, the other mapped clusters and the names omitted from the map altogether due to their low co-citation with the authors in this particular configuration. Keep in mind that one's own cognitive perspective on a field of study is often isomorphic with bibliometric maps like these, although usually it is incomplete that is, the emic construction may or may not adequately match the etic formulation. Clearly, what is peripheral to one person's research career is the core business of another scholar's concerns.
My assumption is that the mix of names and specialties in these individualized renderings represents the optimal solution to the information problem at hand. This is not a tautological exercise, but a principle of deductive logic in optimal foraging analysis, akin to reconciling voting patterns with attitudes about candidates. I have set aside motivations for citing, which may vary enormously, and focused on the techno-environmental and economic constraints that underlie the decision to pursue particular information resources among all other potential prey. In a cost-benefit calculation common to all subsistence foragers, the value of a single information item for a busy scholar is measured as a net rate of return per unit handling time. That is, scholars discern the tradeoffs between the investment of time, effort and the opportunity costs of alternate activities, measured in some empirical currency against the energy or fitness gained by taking the resource. Calories are a typical proxy currency for energy in the food-foraging context, but I have proposed novelty both emic and etic definitions as the currency maximized by information foragers.
Scholars as Optimal Foragers
By pairing author co-citation methods with an optimal foraging approach, I was able to establish that these scholars indeed behaved as the theory would predict. I found that the resources classed as core were strongly associated with searching behaviors in which a social contact of some sort brought cited works to the scholar's attention, either a paper or book that had been reviewed before publication, received later as a reprint, or recommended by a colleague. In contrast, I found that peripheral items in the omitted clusters were dominated by deliberate, active searches for information. Such solitary hunting strategies were rarely observed within the core resources. The finding confirms what we suspect about scholars and supports Patrick Wilson's argument that even the studious prefer to get by with a gathering-style approach and passive information-supply and advisory arrangements. Productive scholars rarely undertake an extensive, active hunting-style search for information if it can be avoided.
The value of the optimal foraging approach, however, is confirmed by examining how handling, not searching, behaviors varied by zone. As predicted I found that the core clusters were associated with low-cost information handling, containing items retrieved from personal collections right at hand and items that had been referenced previously. Authors at the core were more often personally known to informants as collaborators or acquaintances, whereas most of the names at the periphery were not personally known nor had they been referenced before (that is, they were novel). The emic status of novelty can be contrasted with its etic status, predicting through mean author co-citation rates and other co-occurrence measures the likelihood of encountering a given pair of resources in a particular microhabitat. Peripheral clusters entailed temporary, rather than permanent, access by being obtained from local libraries or through interlibrary loan. These relatively high-cost handling practices were rarely observed at the core.
In summary, tracking scholarly microhabitats and scholars in the wild make good subjects of study for the anthropologically inclined among us. I hope I have clarified what, for me, are some of the main considerations in adapting research strategies and methodology from one community of practice to another. I have argued for a wider reading of scientific approaches from anthropology, especially from the cultural materialist and behavioral ecology perspectives. Attempts, such as this ASIS&T symposium, to humanize information technology through cross-disciplinary fertilization will, I hope, accelerate a fruitful synthesis within the information disciplines and anthropology.
For Further Reading
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Information Science and Technology


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