Student ethics in an era of personal entitlement.

397 students arriving to take an exam in a junior level Principles of Management course were clearly warned on several occasions to keep cell phones outside the testing area or receive a failing test grade if the policy was violated. Just before the examination was administered, with all students sitting in their assigned seats, the professor made a final announcement that anyone still in possession of a cell phone would have one last opportunity to come forward and place it in a box at the front of the testing room. After eight students accepted this final "opportunity," the professor produced a hand-held metal detector, demonstrated how it could detect cell phones placed inside clothing, and informed the class that random screening of students would be conducted as they handed in their examinations. He then added that, as a special favor, he would allow a two-minute amnesty period during which any student could bring a cell phone to the front of the room for storage during the test. 38 students responded by turning in cell phones they had retained in direct violation of course policy. Implications of this cell phone dishonesty for creating viable business ethics and the role of perceived entitlement in shaping the behavior of these future business leaders were discussed.

A 6-year prospective study of 620 stress-diversion surface (SDS) dental implants.

A 6-year prospective study was conducted to assess the clinical success rates and crestal bone response of a dental implant system with a stress-diversion design. Mathematical modeling, digital radiography with applied isodensity, and finite element analysis were used to highlight the effect of the stress distribution design. A total of 386 hydroxyapatite-coated prototypes and 234 commercial grit-blasted external hex implants were placed in virgin bone as well as various grafted maxillary regions, with 36% of the posterior implants being immediately loaded. Prototypes achieved 96.6% survival over a 3-year period. The grit-blasted implant, placed from 2000 to 2003, showed a 95% survival rate. There were no significant changes in crestal bone levels after the first 12 months of prosthetic loading. Engineering evaluations suggested that undesirable stresses were distributed from the crest of the ridge down through the center of the implant body.