This study focused on the incidence, correlates, and effects of mathematics anxiety among Japanese children. A translation of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale for Elementary School Students (MARS-E) was completed by 154 fifth- and sixth-grade students. Factor analysis identified four dimensions of math anxiety, and factor scores were computed. Measures of correlation revealed a number of significant relationships between MARS-E scores and classroom achievement grades, gender, and class. Comparison of mean factor scores for each dimension and the three independent variables revealed significant differences among low, middle, and high achievers. Findings are compared with those of a study of American children, and methodological issues are discussed.

Transformation of the dispersed phase and subsequent gelation in an aqueous colloidal dispersion of an organic compound upon aging of the dispersion are analyzed using cryotransfer transmission electron microscopy, video-enhanced optical microscopy, and FT-Raman spectroscopy. After a few hours at room temperature, the original particles of the dispersion (prepared using only an anionic surfactant as the wetting agent) gradually disappear and are replaced by a new set of particles that are strongly anisodiametric. Entanglement of these strongly anisodiametric fibrillar units results in the formation of a network and gelation. FT-Raman spectroscopy suggests that there is structurally greater ordering of the organic compound in the fibrillar units compared to the original particles which appear to be amorphous or liquidlike. We postulate that the original particles represent a metastable state. It is possible that transformation of the dispersed phase (i.e., disappearance of the metastable form and appearance of the thermodynamically stable form) occurs via a dissolution-growth process similar to that associated with Ostwald ripening. The presence of the nonionic polymer poly-(vinylpyrrolidone) in the formulation in conjunction with the anionic surfactant significantly increases the lifetime of the metastable state. In this case the dispersion remains as a sol for a relatively long period of time (over 20 days at room temperature).

This article provides the context and rationale for a unique partnership of a communication college and medical school synergistically combining resources to create a master's degree program specifically in health communication. The architects of this revolutionary educational approach to health communication at Emerson College and Tufts University School of Medicine offer suggestions for administrators and professors interested in advancing health communication education. A slightly modified version of the actual proposal of a unique academic relationship to educate leaders in the field of health communication is discussed in relation to the target audience, curriculum, and career opportunities. Given the groundbreaking nature of the program, it is presented as an exemplar, with a copy of the proposal approved by each institution's Board of Trustees.

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