bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delusions Induced by Procaine Penicillin: Case Report and Review of the Syndrome
Authors: Cummings Jeffrey L. , Barritt Clay F. , Horan Michael
Published: May 2005

A patient manifesting an acute psychosis after receiving an injection of procaine penicillin is reported. The psychosis began immediately after drug administration and gradually abated over a forty-eight-hour period. The clinical presentation was dominated by paranoid delusions and a Capgras-like syndrome. Sixty-six previously reported cases were identified and reviewed. Patients manifested combinations of fear, auditory hallucinations, somatic hallucinations, visual hallucinations, and paranoid or religious delusions. The syndrome may occur with inadvertent intravenous injection of procaine and most likely reflects the action of procaine on limbic system structures.
Holocene Climatic Change in the Middle Atlantic Area: Preliminary Observations from Archaeological Sites
Authors: Curry Dennis C. , Custer Jay F.
Published: May 2005

Observations drawn from a variety of archaeological sites in the central Middle Atlantic area are presented as possible indicators of mid-Holocene climatic change. Alluvial deposition records, sediment accretion in rockshelters, episodes of aeolian deposition, and evidence of extinct ponds indicate a series of depositional discontinuities that are dated roughly between 4200 and 2200 BP. These discontinuities are correlated with the xerothermic conditions of the Atlantic/Sub-Boreal period.
Exploration of Death Anxiety as a Function of Religious Variables in Gay Men with and without Aids
Authors: Franks Kent , Templer Donald I. , Cappelletty Gordon G. , Kauffman Inge
Published: May 2005

The relationship of religious variables to death anxiety was investigated in fifty-one gay men with AIDS and sixty-four gay men without AIDS. Higher death anxiety in the men with AIDS was associated with greater church attendance, belonging to the religion of childhood, citing religion to have been “harmful,” and not adhering to a spiritual belief system independent of formal religion. Within the group of men without AIDS higher death anxiety was associated with having the same religion as in childhood.
Social Marketing and Motivational Interviewing as Community Interventions for Safe Water Behaviors: Follow-up Surveys in Zambia
Authors: Thevos Angelica K. , Olsen Sonja J. , Rangel Josefa M. , Kaona Fred A. D. , Tembo Mathias , Quick Robert E.
Published: May 2005

To address the need for innovative approaches to diarrhea prevention in developing countries, we conducted two studies in Zambia to compare the effect of social marketing alone (SM) with social marketing plus motivational interviewing (SM+MI) on the adoption and continued use of a household-based water chlorination and storage intervention called the safe water system (SWS). In Study 1, we conducted a baseline survey, implemented SM+MI in intervention households, SM in comparison households, implemented the SWS, then compared chlorine residuals in stored water in SM and SM+MI households. In Study 2, we compared chlorine residuals in SM and SM+MI households 16 months after a similar implementation project in a different population. The proportion of SM+MI households with adequate chlorine residuals was 16-fold higher in Study 1 and 2-fold higher in Study 2 than SM households. MI is a promising method for motivating the adoption and sustained use of safe water behaviors.
The Effect of Schematic Context on Mental Imagery
Authors: Tracy Robert J. , Pabis Mary , Kilburg Don
Published: May 2005

A strong relationship exists between a word's power to arouse imagery and how memorable the word is. Although researchers have reported this relationship to be linear in nature, it can be U-shaped: Words rated as either easy or difficult in arousing an image can be recalled very well, while words rated as neutral are recalled poorly. A U-shaped function seems to occur when people image words in a schematic context. In this study, college students were asked to suppose that they were at a park (the schematic context) while rating words for the ease with which they aroused images. Students in a control condition also rated the words for ease of image arousal, but they were told nothing about a park or any other schema. In two other similar conditions, students rated words for the ease of arousing memories rather than images. After rating the words students recalled them. Results were generally consistent with the U-shaped function, suggesting schema involvement. That is, words rated as easy were consistent with the schema, which presumably aided their recall. Words rated as difficult were inconsistent with the schema, making them distinctive and memorable. Intermediate words, neither aided by the schema nor distinctive, were poorly recalled. Other results showed that rating words for imagery rather than memory arousal, produced higher ratings and better recall. Perhaps memory ratings constrain the person to consider only past events, while imagery ratings allow additional considerations.
Ect in the Medically Ill Elderly: A Case Report
Authors: Alao Adekola O.
Published: May 2005

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is well recognized as an effective treatment for depression. However, it is not often used among the elderly due to increased co-morbid medical problems and fear of complications. We present here the case of an 88-year-old man with a history of depression and co-morbid medical illness. This patient was successfully treated with ECT. With the population of individuals above the age of 65 expected to double in the next 40 years, the use of ECT to treat major depression and other psychiatric conditions among the elderly will likely increase.
Treatment of Panic Disorder in Older Adults: A Pilot Study Comparison of Alprazolam, Imipramine, and Placebo
Authors: Sheikh Javaid I. , Swales Pamela J.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Several studies have documented that a variety of pharmacological compounds are quite effective in controlling acute symptomatology of panic disorder in the general population. However, there is a paucity of such studies in the management of panic disorder in older adults (ages 55 and above). The purpose of this study was to gather pilot data in older patients with panic disorder to begin to assess the efficacy of two commonly-used antipanic medications, imipramine and alprazolam.

Method:

Twenty-five ( n = 25 (23 females; 2 males); 18 completers, 7 dropouts) older panic disorder (DSM-III-R) patients (age range = 55–73; mean = 61.24) were studied in an eight-week randomized, parallel-groups, double-blind, placebo-controlled, flexible dose design. Outcome was assessed weekly by global change ratings (Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scales; Physicians' Global Impression ratings) and panic diaries. Because of small sample size, we present data descriptively.

Results:

Subjects in active medication groups evidenced reductions in panic attacks and in levels of overall anxiety and depression. Therapeutic dosages were approximately half those commonly used in younger panic disorder patients.

Conclusion:

Our data suggest the comparable efficacy of alprazolam and imipramine in the short-term treatment of older adults with panic disorder. There is clearly the need for a larger scale placebo-controlled study, preferably comparing imipramine and/or alprazolam with one of the SSRIs, to substantiate our findings.
The Function of Metaphor in Technical Discourse
Authors: Butler Douglas R.
Published: May 2005

Metaphor is best conceived not as a textual feature, but as a product of readers responding to texts. In technical discourse, metaphors help readers perform certain physical and mental operations. The technical metaphor can be classified by how it specifically helps readers perform these tasks, that is, by its purpose and method. The technical metaphor can 1) name parts, stressing space; 2) denote actions, stressing time; 3) denote qualities, stressing neither time nor space; or 4) create models, stressing both time and space.
Age Differences in Perceptions of Control in Social Relationships
Authors: Hay Elizabeth L. , Fingerman Karen L.
Published: May 2005

To date, few studies have examined perceptions of control in interpersonal relationships, and whether such perceptions reflect individual characteristics (e.g., age) and features of relationships (e.g., quality). One hundred and eighty-seven individuals aged 13 to 99 ( M = 45.62, SD = 25.69) provided information about their close and problematic relationships and their perceptions of control over those relationships. Multilevel modeling revealed that both relationship features and individual characteristics were associated with perceptions of control in relationships. Specifically, individuals felt more control in their marital relationships, and in relationships characterized by higher quality and fewer worries. Age differences in individuals' perceptions of control in relationships appear to reflect age-related shifts in perceptions of control in the parent-child tie.
Effects of Stimulus Modality and Working Memory Load on Mental Synthesis Performance
Authors: Pearson David G. , Logie Robert H.
Published: May 2005

Previous work on mental synthesis has suggested that verbal presentation of stimuli may encourage considerable reliance on verbal rehearsal, as well as the generation of images from long-term memory. An experiment is reported which contrasts verbal and visual presentation of stimuli on synthesis performance, as well as the effect of having the presented stimuli continuously visible. The results demonstrate significant effects of stimulus modality and working memory load on participants' performance. These findings are interpreted in terms of cognitive differences between images generated directly from visual traces, and images generated from long-term memory in response to verbal cues.
Occupational Health and Safety in the Real “New Economy”
Authors: Guidotti Tee L.
Published: May 2005

The so-called New Economy of the 1990s failed to deliver its promise of clean work and huge leaps in productivity; what really happened was an intensification of economic pressures on marginal workers. The effects on employment include: increasing income disparities, fewer jobs that lead to viable career tracks, less secure employment, longer working hours, and higher risk of uncompensated unemployment. Workers who are either newly entering the workforce or who do not have the training or skills to trade up in employment are under pressure from falling middle- and lower-income wage scales and increasing income disparities. Their opportunities are increasingly limited, whether by seeking better-paying jobs with other employers or moving up the now-shortened ladder at one employer. They face a declining choice of employment opportunities and well-paying jobs that tend to be concentrated in residual dangerous work in manufacturing or service subsectors that are often small or economically marginal. These forces appear to be pushing workers into accepting jobs in the diminishing but still substantial number of jobs that remain that are dirty and dangerous, as illustrated by the extreme example of McWane Pipe. Those who are forced into these dangerous jobs will once again most likely be the poorly prepared, the new-entry, the recent immigrant, and the illiterate worker. National occupational injury statistics may conceal the experience of these marginal industries by aggregating them into much bigger economic sectors. To understand this phenomenon, we need studies that examine the social choices and tradeoffs involving employment from the point of view of the worker and develop a means of monitoring these tradeoffs.
The Role of the Liaison Psychiatrist in a Hemodialysis Program: A Case Study
Authors: Kaye Robert , Leigh Hoyle , Strauch Barry
Published: May 2005

The role of a liaison psychiatric consultant and the practical usefulness of psychiatric expertise in an ongoing hemodialysis program is illustrated by means of an individual patient study. Initially, the psychiatrist concentrated on establishing a diagnosis and defining the etiological significance of a variety of factors that were influencing the patient's behavior. Consequently, changes in the patient's medical program were suggested in an attempt to modify the patient's psychiatric status. The psychiatrist also needed to help the dialysis unit staff understand the patient and make a decision on feasibility of a kidney transplant.
Modification and Factor Analysis of the Grief Experience Inventory in Non-Death Loss/Bereavement Situations
Authors: Zinner Ellen S. , Ball John D. , Stutts Michael L. , Mikulka Peter
Published: May 2005

The Grief Experience Inventory (GEI), developed by Sanders, Mauger, and Strong in 1985, is a broad multidimensional measure of grief applicable to both death and non-death loss/bereavement situations. Further modification of the non-death GEI form was undertaken and employed in assessing grief reactions of mothers of brain-injured adolescents and young adults across three years, post-injury. Factor analysis of these data was computed and compared to factors derived from the original GEI General Reference Group. There were strikingly similar factor structures between the modified non-death form and the original GEI, affirming the rationale and method of inventory construction, and supporting the validity and strength of the GEI as a measure of grief in varied loss situations. Recommendations for future application are offered.
The Responsibility Continuum: Never Primary, Coresident and Caregiver—Heterogeneity in the African-American Grandmother Experience
Authors: Lee Rosalyn D. , Ensminger Margaret E. , Laveist Thomas A.
Published: May 2005

This article examines diversity among 542 African-American grandmothers from the Woodlawn Longitudinal Study. Women were categorized on the basis of their household composition, degree of care provided to grandchildren, and status of primary caregiver to grandchildren during lifetime. Overall, 67.7% of the sample engaged in parenting and exchange behaviors at high or moderate levels. Twenty-seven percent of the sample coresided with and provided care to grandchildren, 28% did not coreside but had been primary caregivers in the past, and 45% did not coreside and had never been primarily responsible for a grandchild. Heterogeneity was found among seven grandmother types on economic measures, life events, and grandchild characteristics. Grandmothers with earlier primary responsibility and those currently in homes of three or more generations were associated with poor outcomes. Policy and practice can be informed by additional research on status, context, and timing of assumption of responsibilities for grandchildren.
Death out of State: Arizonans who die Elsewhere
Authors: Comeaux Malcolm
Published: May 2005

Many individuals in America die in distant states, sometimes quite far from what is considered their residence. This study employs an analysis of death certificates in order to explore the geography of death away from home. The state of Arizona, 807 residents of which died out-of-state in 1984, is used as a case study. This study reveals that most out-of-state deaths did not occur randomly around the United States, but rather occurred in adjacent states, and in those states that have strong cultural and economic ties to Arizona. Most deaths occurred in summer months, when most Arizonans can be expected to be out of the state. Finally, it appears that minorities do not travel much out of Arizona, except for Navajo Indians, who are a very special case.
Two Models for Change in the Health Services in Zimbabwe
Authors: Bloom Gerald
Published: May 2005

The health situation in pre-Independence Zimbabwe was much as elsewhere in the Third World. While the majority suffered excess mortality and morbidity, the affluent enjoyed a health status similar to that of the populations of developed countries. The health services also showed the familiar pattern, with expenditure concentrated on sophisticated facilities in the towns, leaving the rural majority with practically no services at all. With the coming of Majority Rule, the previous pattern of controlling access to facilities on the basis of race could not continue. Two broad routes forward were defined. On the one hand, the private doctors, the private insurance companies, and the settler state proposed a model based on improving urban facilities, depending on a trickle-down to eventually answer the needs of the rural people. On the other hand, the post-Independence Ministry of Health advocated a policy of concentrating on developing services in the rural areas. The pattern of the future health service will depend on the capacity of the senior health planners and on the enthusiasm of front-line health workers but, of overriding importance will be the political commitment to answer the needs of the majority and the outcome of the inevitable struggle for access to scarce health sector resources.
Teachers' Conceptions of the Internet and the World Wide Web: A Representational Toolkit as a Model of Expertise
Authors: Levin James A. , Stuve Matthew J. , Jacobson Michael J.
Published: May 2005

Given rapid changes in the use of network computer technologies in education, it is increasingly important to better understand teachers' conceptions of these technologies, especially as used in teaching and learning. This is particularly true regarding teachers' ways of thinking about the Internet and the World Wide Web. Two questions are addressed in this study: First, does a teacher's conceptual representation of a network technology have an impact on how he or she uses it? Second, do experts think about network technologies such as the Internet and the World Wide Web in ways different than novices? To examine the role of teachers' conceptual representations in detail, a survey and ten case studies were conducted among pre- and in-service teachers enrolled in university courses. The survey elicited the representations that teachers had of the Internet and the World Wide Web. The case studies consisted of network problem-solving tasks using think-aloud protocols. The results show a surprisingly diverse set of plausible representations of the Internet and the Web, not related to the level of technical expertise. The case studies reveal relationships between representations and navigation strategies, in which experts employ multiple structurally and epistemically different representations at different stages in network tasks. This suggests that experts have “representational toolkit” containing many different representations. Experts not only know how to use each representational tool, but they know which representational tool to use for which purpose and how to sequence the selection and use of multiple representational tools. This reconceptualization of the nature of expertise has implications for the design of educational applications of technologies, for teacher training, and for learning and teaching more generally.
Terminally Ill Elderly Patient's Experiences, Attitudes, and Needs: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Laakkonen M. L. , Pitkala K. H. , Strandberg T. E.
Published: May 2005

The aim of this qualitative study was to clarify how terminally ill elderly patients in acute wards perceive the end of life and what are their needs and wishes regarding care. The patients, despite their advanced illness, wished to be treated actively and hoped for more conversations with doctors about active care. They were content with their daily care but evaluated the care in light of the great workload of the nurses, forgiving them for not having time to talk to individual patients. They had specific modest wishes, but were reluctant to express even these because of concern about troubling their caregivers. We conclude that death remained a distant abstraction for these patients with a terminal prognosis. The challenge is to create an intimate caring atmosphere, where the issues related to dying may be elaborated in interaction and the last wishes expressed in a safe atmosphere.
Toxicity and Abuse of Prescribed Stimulants
Authors: Spier Scott A.
Published: May 2005

Concerns about the toxicities of psychomotor stimulants originate primarily from effects seen at high doses, when stimulants are abused. Low dose use in the apathetic medically ill patient has been generally associated with only minimal, short lived side effects, which are detailed herein. Confusion may be worsened in already delirious patients. Anxiety, psychosis, cardiovascular effects, insomnia, and tremor may occur but infrequently require discontinuation. Appetite is normally stimulated in the medically ill. In fact, stimulants are frequently utilized in the medically ill largely because of their minimal toxicity. The history of U.S. stimulant abuse in the twentieth century is briefly discussed. Abuse of prescribed stimulants appears to be infrequent. Over-zealous concern regarding abuse has previously led to unfortunate declines in appropriate utilization of stimulants, e.g., for attention deficit disorder. Guidelines for prescribing stimulants in light of abuse potential are included.
Attitudes of Catholic and Protestant Clergy toward Euthanasia
Authors: Nagi Mostafa H. , Pugh M. D. , Lazerine Neil G.
Published: May 2005

The findings of this study do not categorically confirm the popular assumption that the clergymen are opposed to euthanasia because of the sanctity with which they regard human life. Although they find active euthanasia highly unacceptable, they view passive euthanasia more favorably. However, Catholic clergymen more than Protestant, are significantly opposed to both forms of euthanasia. From the response patterns, a Guttman Scale with a high coefficient of reproducibility was derived, revealing a definite ranking in periority of the different circumstances under which the termination of life supporting techniques would be acceptable. Even though Catholic and Protestant clergymen, in about the same proportions, tend to see the terminal patient as competent to make decisions concerning euthanasia, the two groups, strongly agree that neither the individual patient nor the state should be allowed sole responsibility for the decision.
Not a Usual Suspect; Rabeprazole Therapy Presenting as a Severe Neuropsychiatric Illness: Case Report
Authors: Alfonzo Christopher A. , Bobo William V. , Almond Myron D.
Published: May 2005

We report the case of a patient who, as a result of exposure to the proton pump inhibitor rabeprazole, developed a severe and disabling admixture of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Because of its widely appreciated placebo-like side effect profile, rabeprazole was never suspected as being the cause of his symptoms. Instead, a somatoform spectrum disorder was assigned based on the patient's atypical symptom presentation, progressive course, subjective psychological distress, intemperate consumption of healthcare resources over a relatively brief period of time and lack of any medical explanation for his symptoms at that time, despite exhaustive laboratory and radiologic work-ups. This case report reinforces the notion that even a medication such as rabeprazole, with an established safety and tolerability profile, may be associated with side effects severe enough to mimic disabling neuropsychiatric illness.
The Application of Competency-Based Education to Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry: I. Data Gathering and Case Formulation
Authors: Houpt Jeffrey L. , Weinstein Harvey M. , Russell Michael L.
Published: May 2005

In the first of three papers, the authors present a competency-based model for training in consultation-liaison psychiatry which addresses the issues of how residents are taught to collect and formulate patient data. This model emphasizes the use of behavioral statements to describe the process of how a consultation is done. By comparing the resident's performance with prestated behavioral objectives, a method for residency supervision is offered. The second paper carries this one step further with the application of the model to clinical intervention strategies. The final paper discusses the implications of this approach to some of the issues that surround residency training in this field.
Death Anxiety and Psychometric Studies in Huntington's Disease
Authors: Gielen Andrea Carlson , Roche Kathleen A.
Published: May 2005

Levels of death anxiety and psychopathology were measured in thirteen Huntington's disease patients. An attempt was made to isolate factors relevant to the determination of death anxiety in patients with this disease. It was found that as their illness progresses, HD patients suffer from a decrease in cognitive function as measured by the WAIS, a significantly high level of depression as measured by the MMPI, and a great concern for physical and emotional care. Levels of death anxiety, as measured by Templer's Death Anxiety Scale (DAS), were widely dispersed; however, all patients viewed death as relief. The DAS was positively correlated with measures of psychopathology. Five of the patients considered suicide a realistic alternative to living with HD, and cited motivating factors as ungratified physical and emotional needs, and financial burdens. Recommendations are made for specialized care.
Three Models of Narrative Comprehension in William Stafford's “Traveling through the Dark”: Some Relations between Schemata and Interpretive Context (Part 2)
Authors: Brooke Robert
Published: May 2005

This article discusses the mechanisms involved in accounting for William Stafford's poem “Traveling Through the Dark.” Part 1 presented the narrative models of Teun van Dijk and William Labov, while Part 2 continues the discussion of Labov's model, introduces Stanley Fish's view of narrative, and relates all three models to Roger Schank's and Robert de Beaugrande's theoretical work on stories. In the conclusion, a number of criteria for the evaluation of narrative theories are suggested.
A Comparison of Hypnotic and Nonhypnotic Treatments for Smoking
Authors: Spanos Nicholas P. , Sims Ann , de Faye Barbara , Mondoux Thomas J. , Gabora Nataue J.
Published: May 2005

Three experiments administered variants of Spiegel's (1970) smoking cessation procedure to smokers in hypnotic and nonhypnotic treatments. Followup periods were from twelve to twenty-four weeks depending on the experiment. Complete abstinence was an infrequent outcome in all three experiments. Greater-than-control reductions in smoking for treated subjects were obtained in two of the experiments but, in both cases treatment and control subjects failed to differ significantly before the end of the followup period. Hypnotic and nonhypnotic treatments produced equivalent smoking reductions in all studies, and neither hypnotizability nor questionnaire assessments of motivation to quit correlated significantly with treatment outcome. Implications are discussed.
The Learning Curve: Computer Assisted Instruction and Programming
Authors: Rushinek Avi , Rushinek Sara F. , Stutz Joel
Published: May 2005

The present study evaluates the learning curve of students who are learning to program in BASIC via classroom instruction supplemented by the use of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) software tutorials. This study identifies the “difficult to understand” areas. It concludes that some topics are significantly more difficult to understand as compared to other topics. It further appears that as the level of topic difficulty increases, the additional complexity offsets the effects of the learning phenomena, leading to a slower pace of learning more advanced topics. The understanding of such problems may be helpful for system resources planning and control.
Voracities and Verities are Sometimes Interacting
Authors: Wyld Lionel D.
Published: May 2005

While the field of report writing has assumed an increasingly sophisticated status in recent years (reflected even in textbook titles), the “old verities” continue to be an important center of attention for those who write or edit material in the field. In addition to keeping uppermost in mind the age-old, sound principles of rhetoric and composition, we need, today, to ask ourselves relevant questions regarding problem areas created by technological advances and linguistic developments. If we can strive always to be lucid, accurate, and succinctly informative, human communication will continue to keep pace with technology.
Doctor, am I Dead? A Review of Social Death in Modern Societies
Authors: Sweeting Helen N. , Gilhooly Mary L. M.
Published: May 2005

In this article the concept of social death as defined by authors from various disciplines is described within the framework of the transition from life to death. The notion of social death as being complementary to such concepts as “personhood” and “a worthwhile life” is presented. Three examples of people likely to be seen as socially dead before they are biologically dead are presented: those in the final stages of a lengthy terminal physical illness, the very old, and those suffering from loss of their essential personhood because of dementia or coma. The moral dimensions of the social death phenomenon and the implications for current medical practice are considered in the conclusion.
Beyond Ideology: The Emerging Roles of New Zealand's Crown Health Enterprises
Authors: Barnett Pauline , Malcolm Laurence
Published: May 2005

New Zealand has experienced radical public sector restructuring over the last decade, including the corporatization and subsequent privatization of state trading units and the reform of social services, including health. In 1991 a new government proposed and then implemented more radical health reforms, which included the corporatization of state-owned provider units (23 crown health enterprises) and the creation of an internal market with purchasers (four regional health authorities) separated from providers. Interviews with chief executives of crown health enterprises suggest that provider units are seeking a wider role than envisaged, with an interest in the health needs of their populations and undertaking some purchasing on their behalf. The purchasers see a narrower role for crown health enterprises. Both purchasers and providers report that competition between providers is not particularly helpful (and with only limited opportunities for this to occur), with collaboration being seen as more useful. Providers are critical of purchasers' ability to adopt a strategic approach. Unlike other aspects of New Zealand's restructuring, there appears to be a retreat from some of the more radical facets of the reforms, reflecting both the resistance of the health sector and a newly uncertain political climate.
Immunization Drop-Outs and Maternal Behavior: Evaluation of Reasons Given and Strategies for Maintaining Gains Made in the National Vaccination Campaign in Liberia
Authors: Bender Deborah , MacAuley Rose Jallah
Published: May 2005

Through annual National Vaccination Weeks, Liberia, one of thirteen African countries participating in the CCCD program, has achieved good rates of initial vaccination coverage against childhood diseases. However, rates of completion have been disappointing. Described is a community-based operations research methodology for a.) identifying reasons for non-completion of the vaccination series according to groups of mothers, front-line health workers and country level administrators, b.) for making recommendations for alternatives in the delivery system, and c.) for critiquing the focus group methodology as a tool for increasing commitment to program goals.
Brief Hypnotic Suggestibility Training: A Confirmation of its Effectiveness and a Test of Self-Report Validity
Authors: Gorassini Donald R.
Published: May 2005

Participants who pretested low in hypnotic suggestibility were, prior to a retest, either given a four-minute version of the Carleton Skill Training Package or encouraged to try hard. Large pre- to posttest gains in behavioral and nonvolitional suggestibility scores occurred in the training condition only. In order to evaluate the possibility that nonvolition self-reports of trained participants were faked, self-ratings of nonvolition were elicited under anonymous as well as public conditions. Training-induced gains in nonvolition were as great when the ratings were made anonymously as when they were made in public. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Rhythmic and Strophic Organization in Mediaeval Hebrew Poetry: (A Cognitive Approach)
Authors: Tsur Reuven , Bentov Yehosheva
Published: May 2005

This article explores the correlations and relative frequencies of certain prosodic structures in Mediaeval Hebrew Poetry, where metre is based on systematic manipulation of shorter and longer vowels (schwas versus full vowels). These correlations and frequencies cannot be accounted for by the explicit poetics of the period. It is assumed here that they reflect the tacit intuitions of the poets. The article presents several cognitive mechanisms underlying the experiencing of poetic rhythm, on the assumption that while metrical conventions may change from time to time and from style to style, the cognitive mechanisms underlying them show remarkable consistencies over considerable periods of time, and perhaps even across cultural traditions. The cognitive assumptions of the article include Gestalt theory, as well as the hypotheses concerning “limited channel capacity,” and the nature of short-term memory.
Action Research on Occupational Stress: Involving Workers as Researchers
Authors: Israel Barbara A. , Schurman Susan J. , House James S.
Published: May 2005

In this article we describe the rationale, design, and selected results of a longitudinal action research project conducted in a component-parts manufacturing plant. This project is aimed at reducing occupational stress and strengthening psychosocial factors (i.e., social support and participation in and influence over decision-making) that may mediate the negative effects of stress on health and quality of worklife. A discussion of the gaps and weaknesses in the existing research and intervention literature on work stress and health is provided, followed by an overview of the theoretical and empirical foundations of the present study. The design of this research addresses previous limitations in three major ways: (1) the project has been implemented within an action research framework that has the potential to enhance both the quality, relevance, and utilization of research findings and the adoption, diffusion, and impact of planned interventions; (2) it combines research and intervention in a single longitudinal study providing data that allow for stronger causal inferences than cross-sectional research, while also ensuring that research findings guide the design and evaluation of the interventions; and (3) it employs multiple methods of research and intervention that enhances the comprehensiveness and validity of the project. We explicate each of these aspects of the design, show how the design has effectively been put in operation, provide evidence of ways in which these features have improved the project over conventional approaches, and address limitations in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.
Sertraline-Induced Hyperglycemia: Case Report
Authors: Sansone Randy A. , Sansone Lori A.
Published: May 2005

Empirical studies with humans suggest that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may, through increases in serotonergic activity [1], increase insulin secretion [2], increase insulin sensitivity [3], and lower serum glucose levels [1]. Indeed, the potentially beneficial effects of SSRI treatment in diabetics are documented. However, we describe the case of a female, with diet-controlled, type 2 diabetes, whose glucose levels increased with exposure to sertraline.
An Engineer Teaches English
Authors: Schnure Wilmer K.
Published: May 2005

In the fall of 1972, the Department of Humanities of the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan adopted a lecture-recitation format for its required course in scientific and technical communication. The recitations were conducted by graduate student teaching assistants of which I was one. Though I found my educational background, which was in electrical engineering, to be an advantage rather than a disadvantage in many ways, there were certain aspects of the department, the course, and the teaching techniques of my colleagues that I did not originally anticipate. This article presents some of these.
Web Evaluation Tool (WET): A Creative Web Tool for Online Educators
Authors: Hamza Mohammad Khalid
Published: May 2005

The Nielsen/Net report Ratings 2000, reported that in 2002, online usage at work Jumped 17 Percent Year-Over-Year, driven by female office workers. Nearly 46 million American office workers logged onto the Web, the highest peak since January 2000. It was also predicted that the number of students using the Internet was expected to reach 13.5 million by 2002, an increase from 3.4 million who were using the Internet in 1995. United States colleges and universities, in the year 2000, offered in excess of 6,000 accredited courses on the Web. Furthermore, nearly 10 million people over the age of 16 gained Internet access in the United States between the end of 2001 and the end of 2002, significantly more than in the other 10 markets studied The Internet population of 71.1 percent in 2002 was up from 66.9 percent in 2000 [1, 2]. Many visually pleasing Web sites claim to be educational but have little, if any, pedagogical importance due to a poor application of a systematic design of instruction and the use of the technology as a cognitive tool to enhance the learning experience [3, 4]. Also, there is a need to measure and evaluate technology [5], but there is no standard review process for identifying a good educational Web site [6]. Therefore, the author of this article address the need to effectively and authentically evaluate “educational” Web sites, or those that claim to be educational based on a sound and systematic process that incorporates elements of instructional design and cognitive tools principles. Hence, the “Web Evaluation Tool” (WET) was developed at the Center for the Advancement of Distance Education Technologies (CADET) ( http://www.fau.edu/cadet ). WET, a user-friendly tool that supports its users (teachers, trainers, and researchers), was created to enhance the evaluation process of educational Web sites and Internet environments to foster effective and creative learning at all levels.
An Exploratory Study of Muslim Girls' Understanding of Death
Authors: Anthony Z. , Bhana K.
Published: May 2005

This study investigated the relationship between age and the understanding of death and its various components. The sample consisted of forty Muslim children who were divided into two groups according to age. The subjects, all girls, were given a biographical inventory, classification and conservation tasks, and an author constructed a death understanding questionnaire. Significant differences were found in the children's understanding of life in the hereafter and in their ideas regarding recognition of death, premonition of death, mortality of individuals, and the finality of death. The significant and non-significant relationships were discussed with respect to the aims of this study. Practical implications and suggestions for further research were discussed.
On Teaching an Undergraduate Course on Death and Dying
Authors: Bloom Sholom
Published: May 2005

The origins, goals and content of an undergraduate course in death education is described. The course received favorable student evaluations and much was learned that was useful in further developments.
Health Policy in France: A Major Issue in the 1978 Legislative Elections
Authors: Canone François , Guyot Jean Claude
Published: May 2005

For the 1978 legislative elections, all French political parties have, for the first time, a relatively detailed health policy. The right-wing parties of the present government concentrate on the reduction of medical expenditure and the maintenance of the free enterprise tradition of French medicine. The left-wing parties concentrate more on the development of public health institutions and suggest nationalization of the pharmaceutical industry. Within the Left, there is, however, a difference of emphasis: the Socialists propose the setting up of medicosocial centers and abolition of the fee-for-service system; the Communists concentrate rather on industrial health and believe that an improved health service can only come from changes in overall social economic policy.

None of these policies is particularly adventurous but their mere existence shows that health is now a major political preoccupation in France. Some of these policies are mainly concerned with individual and public welfare and others with the necessity of maintaining a certain social order. The debate surrounding health policy usually turns around these two issues.
Interactive Learning Environments for Promoting Inquiry Learning
Authors: Looi Chee-Kit
Published: May 2005

Inquiry-oriented learning has been characterized and promoted from a variety of perspectives by researchers, educators and practitioners over the years [1–5]. Some have stressed the active nature of learner's involvement, associating inquiry with hands-on learning and experiential or activity-based instruction. Others have associated inquiry with a discovery approach or with the development of process skills associated with scientific methods. Yet others have emphasized promoting metacognitive knowledge and skills such as self-reflection and attitudes for inquiry. What role can technology play in facilitating these kinds of inquiry-oriented learning? We see at least a few ways in which technology in the form of interactive learning environments can enrich inquiry learning: 1) as instructive tools; 2) as constructive tools; 3) as communicative tools; and 4) as situating tools. We provide a discussion of current approaches to designing learning environments that support these roles. In particular, we describe three interactive learning environments that we have built: an instructive tool, a constructive tool, and lastly an environment which is intended to serve all the roles of instruction, construction, communication, and providing situatedness.
Interactive Effect of Cognitive Learning Theory with Computer Attributes in the Design of Computer-Assisted Instruction
Authors: Tennyson Robert D.
Published: May 2005

Presented is a review of the effects of cognitive learning theory on instructional design strategies in the planning of computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Specifically, the paper focuses first on how information is represented in a given discipline and in human memory, and second, on the interaction of these two representatives of information on the planning of CAI. From research, two levels of effect are identified and defined in the development of several principles of CAI instructional design from a cognitive approach: macro, referring to the planning of CAI; and micro, referring to the means of student control in processing presented information via CAI. The paper concludes with specific design recommendations for planning CAI.
Panamanian Grandmothers' Family Relationships and Adjustment to Having a Grandchild with a Disability
Authors: Gardner J. Emmett , Scherman Avraham , Efthimiadis Maria S. , Shultz Shelli K.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this article was to explore the family relationships and role adjustment of grandmothers in the Republic of Panama who have a grandchild with special needs. Thirty Panamanian grandmothers of children with a disability were interviewed using a standardized format and non-directive probing. Categories of analysis were established only after the data was fully collected and reviewed. The results indicate that for most Panamanian grandmothers, their changes in family relationships are not dramatic when they have a grandchild with a disability; however, 25% clearly report a deteriorated relationship with their son-in-laws. They view their relationship with their grandchild with a disability to be one that provides a mixture of affection, love, acceptance and patience. In the area of role adjustment, they see a need to become more involved in areas that include assisting their grandchildren and/or her family with caregiving and household responsibilities, economic and medical support, or in areas related to school/academic, spiritual or recreational activities. With respect to emotional adjustment, Panamanian grandmothers of children with disabilities distinguish themselves from grandmothers in the United States, by experiencing reduced emotional stress and dwelling less on personal loss, grief, or role stigma. The implications are that there appear to be universal beliefs and adjustment factors that Panamanian grandmothers of grandchildren with disabilities experience. However, culture appears to have a genuine influence that results in subtle but unique differences from their U.S. counterparts.
Inequalities in Health and Disease: The Case of Mortality Rates for the City of Johannesburg, South Africa, 1910–1979
Authors: Unterhalter Beryl
Published: May 2005

This article analyzes crude death and infant mortality rates for the different population groups in Johannesburg, the largest city in the Republic of South Africa. The analysis is based on official statistics collected by the Department of Health between 1910 and 1979. Over this period, death rates have declined for white, black, Colored, and Asian citizens. However, the present situation reflects the gross inequalities in the health status of the different population groups in South Africa, a country where disease patterns and access to medical resources are as stratified as any other index of social class.
A Review of the Evidence concerning the Impact of Medical Measures on Recent Mortality and Morbidity in the United States
Authors: McKinlay John B. , McKinlay Sonja M. , Beaglehole Robert
Published: May 2005

Because it still is widely believed that one deadly disease after another is being eliminated, or diminished, largely because of medical interventions, there is little commitment to social change and even resistance to a reordering of national priorities. In this article we examine the contribution of medical measures to recent mortality changes in coronary heart disease, cancer, and stroke, which together account for two-thirds of total U.S. mortality and consume the vast majority of available resources. Morbidity changes are also examined and found to be not declining in a manner congruent with mortality and, in fact, increasing for some subgroups. Using a combined measure of mortality and morbidity (the probability of a life free of disability), it is demonstrated that although overall life expectancy has increased over several decades, most of this increase is in years of disability. Our late 20th century approach to the emerging AIDS pandemic (the frantic search for a “magic bullet”–either a treatment or a vaccine) belies any suggestion that the arguments and data presented concerning the modest contribution of medical measures are now passé.
Job Alienation and Well-Being
Authors: Coburn David
Published: May 2005

This paper analyzes the relationships between alienation conceived as monotonous, repetitive work and alienation as job-worker incongruence to a variety of measures of worker well-being among a population of workers from Victoria, British Columbia. The data show weak relationships between work perceived as monotonous and general psychological and physical well-being and between alienation as job-worker incongruence and health. While weak in variance-explained terms, the relationships show the predicted patterns are robust and are independent of a large number of control variables. Percentage differences in well-being between the alienated and nonalienated workers are fairly substantial. Some societal implications of the findings are discussed.