Changes in Academic Adjustment and Relational Self-worth Across the Transition to Middle School

Moving from elementary to middle school is a time of great transition for many early adolescents. The present study examined students’ academic adjustment and relational self-worth at 6-month intervals for four time points spanning the transition from elementary school to middle school (N = 738 at time 1; 53 % girls; 54 % African American, 46 % European American). Grade point average (G.P.A.), intrinsic value for schoolwork, self-worth around teachers, and self-worth around friends were examined at every time point. The overall developmental trajectory indicated that G.P.A. and intrinsic value for schoolwork declined. The overall decline in G.P.A. was due to changes at the transition and across the first year in middle school. Intrinsic value declined across all time points. Self-worth around teachers was stable. The developmental trends were the same regardless of gender or ethnicity except for self-worth around friends, which was stable for European American students and increased for African American students due to an ascent at the transition into middle school. Implications for the education of early adolescents in middle schools are discussed.     

A Participant Evaluation of the U.S. Navy Parent Support Program

This study reports on the results of a program evaluation of the U.S. Navy New Parent Support Program (NPSP). NPSP is composed of two components: center-based parenting classes and home-based visits. Data are presented on: (a) satisfaction with program quality, (b) how well the program met its primary objectives (e.g., helps reduce parenting stress), (c) how well the NPSP met its Reasons for Being (RFBs; e.g., Helps service members concentrate on their job), and (d) program impact on mission-related outcomes (i.e., quality of life (QOL), readiness, and program impact on their decision to remain in the military). Results indicate that parents who take part in both the parenting classes and home-based visits report that the program exceeded their expectations, the program improved their perceptions of their parenting and coping skills, they perceived that the program demonstrated the Navy's concern for Sailors and their families, and the program enhanced the family's quality of life. Implications of study findings are discussed.

False-negative probability in the SEM/EDS automated discovery of iGSR particles: A Bayesian approach

The automated search software integrated with a scanning electron microscope (SEM/EDS) has been the standard tool for detecting inorganic gunshot residues (iGSR) for several decades. The detection of these particles depends on various factors such as collection, preservation, contamination with organic matter, and the method for sample analysis. This article focuses on the influence of equipment resolution setup on the backscattered electron images of the sample. The pixel size of these images plays a crucial role in determining the detectability of iGSR particles, especially those with sizes close to the pixel size. In this study, we calculated the probability of missing all characteristic iGSR particles in a sample using an SEM/EDS automated search and how it depends on the image pixel resolution setup. We developed and validated an iGSR particle detection model that links particle size with equipment registers and applied it to 320 samples analyzed by a forensic science laboratory. Our results show that the probability of missing all characteristic iGSR particles due to their size is below 5% for pixel sizes below 0.32 μm². These findings indicate that pixel sizes as large as twice the one commonly used in laboratory casework, that is, 0.16 μm², are effective for initial sample scanning, yielding good detection rates of characteristic particles that could exponentially reduce laboratory workload.     

The applications of MicroCT in studying age-related tooth morphological change and dental age estimation: A scoping review

Conventional dental age estimation relies on destructive methods such as sectioning and staining, which are unpreferable when the tooth is required for evidential or archeological preservation. MicroCT is a non-destructive, high-resolution imaging technique that allows for accurate morphometrical measurement. Although microCT technology has been applied in a variety of dental studies, studies focusing on dental age-related change and dental age estimation based on microCT imaging remain lacking. Based on the question: “How has microCT technology been applied in studying human age-related tooth morphological change and dental age estimation studies?”, the authors conducted a scoping review in accordance with the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A literature search using five major scientific databases identified 452 articles, with 11 full-text articles being eligible to be included in the scoping review. Furthermore, 6 out of the 11 studies performed dental age estimation modeling. An overview of the parameters used in the selected articles revealed a variety of tooth characteristics, such as pulp cavity to whole tooth volume ratio, secondary dentin, as well as the diameter of root canal orifice. The findings of this scoping review highlight the extent microCT is used in studying dental age-related changes, as well as the effectiveness of microCT in dental age estimation studies. This review serves as a guide for future forensic odontology age estimation studies.     

Uncertainty in probabilistic genotyping of low template DNA: A case study comparing STRMix™ and TrueAllele™

Two probabilistic genotyping (PG) programs, STRMix™ and TrueAllele™, were used to assess the strength of the same item of DNA evidence in a federal criminal case, with strikingly different results. For STRMix, the reported likelihood ratio in favor of the non-contributor hypothesis was 24; for TrueAllele it ranged from 1.2 million to 16.7 million, depending on the reference population. This case report seeks to explain why the two programs produced different results and to consider what the difference tells us about the reliability and trustworthiness of these programs. It uses a locus-by-locus breakdown to trace the differing results to subtle differences in modeling parameters and methods, analytic thresholds, and mixture ratios, as well as TrueAllele's use of an ad hoc procedure for assigning LRs at some loci. These findings illustrate the extent to which PG analysis rests on a lattice of contestable assumptions, highlighting the importance of rigorous validation of PG programs using known-source test samples that closely replicate the characteristics of evidentiary samples. The article also points out misleading aspects of the way STRMix and TrueAllele results are routinely presented in reports and testimony and calls for clarification of forensic reporting standards to address those problems.     

遵约与国际制度的有效性:情投意合还是一厢情愿

20世纪90年代,国际关系学与国际法学开始走上了相互借鉴、学习的道路。国际关系学者和法学研究者在遵约研究方面具有共同的议程,遵约研究已经成为国际关系理论的重要方面。遵约被国际关系学界用来衡量制度的因果影响,具有一定的客观性。但是,遵约与国际制度有效性之间并不具有必然的联系,遵约是对制度因果关系的误读。此外,认识论、方法论上及分析层次、内生性问题上也对遵约研究提出了挑战。遵约研究对制度有效性的启示在于:应该慎重选择衡量结果的指标,从而准确评估制度对国家政策和行为的因果影响。     

国际法院对岛礁争端的裁量与南海维权——东南亚国家的经验及其对中国的启示

东南亚国家中的马来西亚、印尼和新加坡通过国际法院裁决的方式成功地解决了相互之间的岛礁主权争端。在对马来西亚与印尼、马来西亚与新加坡岛礁主权争端案的裁决过程中,国际法院综合考量了有效控制、继承、禁止反言和先占原则。马来西亚与印尼、马来西亚与新加坡通过国际法院裁决解决相互间岛礁争端的经验对中国更好地维护南海主权具有一定的启示。     

试论基础四国在后哥本哈根气候谈判中的立场和作用

基础四国是由中国、印度、巴西和南非四个主要发展中国家组成的气候谈判集团,鉴于其成员在发展中国家和世界上的影响力,该集团在国际气候谈判中备受关注。在构建2012年后国际气候机制的谈判中,基础四国的立场表现出了很高的协调性,但也存在一定的差异。总体而言,基础四国的出现和协调行动推动了国际气候谈判在公约框架下展开,有利于后京都气候安排的达成,但也可能促使国际气候谈判集团,特别是G77加中国的分化和重新组合。基础四国气候谈判集团出现时间尚短,其最终能够在构建后京都气候机制中发挥何种作用将取决于基础四国在应对气候变化中如何对待联合国渠道与其他渠道的关系、敦促发达国家减排的决心和能力以及是否能够保持G77加中国内部的团结性等。