bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expert Judgments versus Reader Feedback: A Comparison of Text Evaluation Techniques
Authors: De Jong Menno D. T. , Lentz Leo R.
Published: May 2005

Are technical writers able to predict the results of a reader-focused text evaluation? In this article we report a study with fifteen technical writers, who were asked to point out the reader problems in a public information brochure. The brochure was also evaluated with thirty readers from the target audience (using a combination of the plus-minus method, a questionnaire, and user protocols). The results of both kinds of text evaluation show little overlap. The technical writers only predicted a small proportion of the reader feedback, and produced a lot of new problem detections. In addition, there was little agreement among the technical writers with regard to their problem detections.
The Treatment of Psychosomatic Disorders by the General Practitioner
Authors: Pierloot R. A.
Published: May 2005

Three issues relating to the treatment of psychosomatic disorders by the general practitioner are discussed: 1) the characteristics of the therapeutic relationship in general practice, with more spontaneous intimacy and greater continuity, which often enable the physician to treat psychosomatic disorders more effectively than specialists, 2) the challenging task for the general practitioner of distinguishing a psychosomatic disorder, and 3) the special treatment forms available to the general practitioner in approaching the patient with a psychosomatic disorder.
Computer Attitudes and Opinions of Students with and without Learning Disabilities
Authors: Brown-Chidsey Rachel , Boscardin Mary Lynn , Sireci Stephen G.
Published: May 2005

Little research exists regarding the use of computers among students with learning disabilities. This study investigated the attitudes and opinions of students with and without learning disabilities regarding the use of computers for school-related work. Using a quasi-experimental design with three non-equivalent groups, within and between subjects effects were studied using a survey instrument. The students, in grades five through twelve, at three school sites, completed pre- and post-test computer use and attitude surveys at the beginning and end of the school year. One site served as the “treatment” group, while the other two were comparison groups. At the beginning of the school year a campus-wide computer network for use by all students was installed at one of the schools. The survey results indicated that students at the school with new computers did not exhibit better attitudes toward computers than the students at the other schools. Furthermore, there were no differences in computer use or attitudes across students with and without learning disabilities. There were also no differences in the factors predictive of attitudes toward computers (prior computer skills, use of games, frequency of use) across students with and without learning disabilities. The results support the notion that students with disabilities could be successfully included in computer-based instruction in general education classrooms.
Neo-Cortical Tests and Personal Death: A Reply to Robert Veatch
Authors: Linehan Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2005

Irreversible coma caused by the destruction of the whole brain has gained wide acceptance as an alternative to the traditional heart/lung approach to defining death. Robert Veatch has proposed an “updating” of the whole brain criteria to allow destruction of the neo-cortex alone to indicate the death of the person. This paper examines Veatch's definition of death, and its application to persons. Veatch's argument that a person is dead when he has irreversibly lost the capacities for conscious experience and social interaction confuses the criteria by which we determine that something is a person with the meaning of being a person. In so doing, it begs an important question: the relationship between the person and his body. Until that issue is resolved, the safer (and therefore morally preferable) course is to use the more stringent whole brain criteria for deciding when death has occurred.
A Computerized Lecture Preparation and Delivery System
Authors: Ward Darrell L.
Published: May 2005

This paper documents a system designed to aid the in-class presentation of information. The system is an initial effort to provide a tool for contributing to both the in-class and out-of-class learning environment. The various components of the system are described and a description of several benefits afforded by such a system is presented. The conclusion identifies areas for further work.
A Preliminary Study of the Relationship between Preoperative Depression and Weight Loss following Surgery for Morbid Obesity
Authors: Dubovsky Steven L. , Haddenhorst Ann , Murphy James , Liechty R. Dale , CoyLe Deborah A.
Published: May 2005

Fifty-two consecutive morbidly obese patients were evaluated psychiatrically before they were scheduled to undergo gastroplasty and again an average of twenty-six months later. Ten patients did not undergo surgery; six patients who did undergo gastroplasty were unavailable for follow up. In the remaining thirty-six patients, there was a statistically significant correlation between the degree of clinically estimated preoperative depression and the percent of body weight lost following surgery. Amount of preoperative weight was also correlated with postoperative weight loss, but depression before surgery was a more significant predictor of postoperative weight loss. Patients who expressed less distress prior to surgery tended to lose less weight after surgery and were more likely to manifest increased psychiatric distress postoperatively.
Development and Implementation of an Intervention to Increase Cervical Cancer Screening in Inner-City Women
Authors: Mamon Joyce A. , Shediac Mona C. , Crosby Coral B. , Celentano David D. , Sanders Bruce , Matanoski Genevieve M.
Published: May 2005

Community interventions are increasingly recognized as an effective method for reaching individuals in need of health behavior change. We present our experience in developing and implementing an intervention to increase Pap test screening in an inner-city community with a high rate of cervical cancer mortality. Results of a baseline needs assessment survey showed that: almost one-half of the population was inadequately screened; 66 percent of inadequately screened women reported belonging to a church; and, a significant proportion of those who tended to rely on the physician for screening did not receive adequate testing. These results formed the basis of our community intervention strategy: lay peer educators, recruited predominantly from churches, were trained to motivate inadequately screened women to actively seek testing. The implementation of the intervention was flexible and responsive to insights gained in the field and process evaluation data. Recommendations for future community-based interventions are offered.
Drawing upon Representations: An Empirical Study of the Depiction of the Human Face
Authors: Brodie Eric E. , Waller Bridget M. , Wyatt Robert
Published: May 2005

Two findings reported in the face perception literature—the 3/4-view advantage and the functional independence of expression and identity—were investigated for the depiction of a face by artists. Six undergraduate art students drew a female face with three different expressions and from three different viewpoints. Analysis of the accuracy of depiction of the drawings by 50 independent raters revealed that both 3/4 left and 3/4 right views led to better representations of both identity and expression. However, an interaction between the artists focus of depiction (focusing on expression or identity) and accuracy of depiction suggested that an artist's route to representing expression is via identity. These findings question the notion of a clear distinction between expression and identity perception and are discussed in terms of the inhibition of higher order facial representations by artists and the maintenance of unfamiliarity.
Amorphous Silica, Soil Solutions, and Archaeological Flint Gloss
Authors: Howard Calvin D.
Published: May 2005

Natural chemical processes in soils produce glossy conditions on artifacts of flint and chert that mimic, modify, or destroy ancient use-wear traces, thus making affected artifacts difficult or unacceptable for microwear studies. These glosses include general gloss patina or soil sheen, and intensely brilliant specular spots. The information presented suggests that this enigmatic “bright spot” phenomenon is the result of deposition and solidification of silica gel precipitated from soil colloids in the artifact's in situ environment and should not be confused with ancient use-wear evidence.
Age Identification in the Framework of Successful Aging. A Study of Older Finnish People
Authors: Uotinen Virpi , Suutama Timo , Ruoppila Isto
Published: May 2005

A person-oriented approach was used in a study of age identification among community-dwelling older people. The study was based on 8-year follow-up data; 843 persons aged 65–84 were involved in the first phase of the study, and 426 persons aged 73–92, in the second phase. Loosely, on the basis of the distinction between successful, usual, and pathological aging (Rowe & Kahn, 1987, 1997), participants were grouped according to their self-ratings of cognitive and physical functioning as “Positive,” “Negative,” and “Others.” Participants possessing at least 4 out of the 5 criteria used as indicators of successful aging in the study (no illness or injury presenting problems in daily life, no health problems imposing limitations on hobbies, self-rated cognitive functioning better than satisfactory, age-comparative functional capacity as good, and no signs of depression) were assigned to the “Positive” group. The results showed these individuals typically to have a more youthful age identity, indicated by a lower feel age and thus a lower subjective age-perception score, lower mental, physical, and look ages, and a less frequently reported sense of age weighing on them. Moreover, this group reported a higher ideal age and had a chronological age satisfaction score closer to 0, suggesting higher satisfaction with chronological age. Also a tendency to set the onset of old age later and a willingness to live to 100 years of age were features that were more characteristic of the “Positive” than the other groups. The findings, supported by multivariate analyses, were in line with those of previous variable-oriented studies on age identification, suggesting that an association exists between perceptions of personal aging and physical and psychological well-being.
Study of Participation Barriers in Family-Focused Prevention: Research Issues and Preliminary Results
Authors: Spoth Richard , Redmond Cleve
Published: May 2005

There is a growing body of literature which argues for more research on barriers to participation in family-focused interventions, particularly among at-risk families. Following a review of research needs and issues suggested by the literature, this article presents results from a study which 1) evaluates reasons for decisions against participation in a family-focused prevention intervention project and 2) compares characteristics of intervention project participants with those of non-participants. Data on reasons for refusing participation were collected from non-participants during a recruitment telephone interview and via a mail survey. Results indicated that the most frequent reasons given for decisions against participation concerned intervention time demands and research-related requirements such as videotaping. There were no significant differences between participants and non-participants on any sociodemographic variables. Analyses of the relationships between reasons for participation refusal and sociodemographic subgroupings of non-participants, however, suggested that variations exist among these subgroups. Overall, results highlight the feasibility and importance of data collection on intervention project non-participants, both to clarify potential participation barriers and to gather data on sample representativeness.
Rapport and Cognitive Skill Training in the Enhancement of Hypnotizability
Authors: Spanos Nicholas P. , Flynn Deborah M. , Niles Judy
Published: May 2005

The role of interpersonal rapport in facilitating the enhancements in hypnotizability produced by cognitive skill training was examined in two experiments. In Experiment 1 low hypnotizable subjects either received skill training or passively oriented training that was designed to facilitate rapport with the trainer without teaching subjects how to generate the responses called for by test suggestions. Subjects in the two treatments reported equivalently high levels of rapport with their trainer, but only those given skill training attained large gains on two hypnotizability posttests. Subjects given passive training did not differ from untreated controls at posttesting. In Experiment 2 subjects received skill training under conditions designed to either heighten or minimize rapport with the trainer. Those in the high rapport condition showed large hypnotizability gains on both posttests, whereas those in the low rapport condition failed to differ from no treatment controls in this regard. Our findings indicate that high rapport is not sufficient for producing training-induced enhancements in hypnotizability. However, the absence of such rapport may interfere with subjects' learning and applying skills that can enhance hypnotizability.
A Comparison of Terminally Ill Persons at Various Time Periods to Death
Authors: Baugher Robert J. , Burger Candice , Smith Roberta , Wallston Kenneth
Published: May 2005

A cross-sectional comparison was made of the responses of 1,110 terminally ill persons with cancer at varying time periods prior to death. In addition, a longitudinal analysis on a subgroup of this sample was conducted for self-reported mood changes and social interaction changes as death approached. Two theories, Disengagement and Objective Self-Awareness, which suggest that people nearing death would increase in their desire to separate from others, were not supported. In general, there were few differences in the responses of persons further from, or closer to, death. The mention of religion as a source of support was less common among persons closer to death. Finally, awareness of one's demise had an effect only on one's responses regarding the role of other people in the life of the terminally ill person.
Virtual Collaborations in the Spanish Class: From E-Mail to Web Design and CD-Rom Development
Authors: Hellebrandt Josef
Published: May 2005

Modern technologies can provide language students with authentic content and contextualized, collaborative learning situations. This article illustrates how e-mail exchanges, Web exercises, and CD-ROM development between students in the United States and organizations in Ecuador can promote contextualized and authentic practice of Spanish language and culture as well as the design of mutually beneficial practical applications.
The Effects of Incorporating Concept Mapping into Computer Assisted Instruction
Authors: Tan Seng Chee
Published: May 2005

This study investigated the effects of incorporating concept mapping into computer assisted instruction (CAI). Ninety-one tenth-grade students in Singapore participated in the study, in which they were randomly assigned to three groups. In the Partial Map group, partial concept maps were used in the program and the students were asked to construct concept maps after reviewing each topic; in the Complete Map group, complete concept maps were provided; and in the Menu-Selection group, traditional menu-selection interface was used. The Complete Map group and Menu-Selection group performed note-taking activities instead of concept mapping activity. It was found that students in the Partial Map group performed significantly better than the other two groups on a chemistry achievement test and significantly better than the Menu-Selection group on a concept mapping test. The results suggest that assigning students with a concept mapping activity accompanying a CAI tutorial program is a plausible method to enhance their learning.
Persons with Depressive Symptoms and the Treatments They Receive: A Comparison of Primary Care Physicians and Psychiatrists
Authors: Pingitore David , Snowden Lonnie , Sansone Randy A. , Klinkman Michael
Published: May 2005

Objective:

To determine if demographic differences exist in patients with depressive symptoms as the principal reason for visits to primary care physicians (PCP) versus psychiatrists. To estimate the likelihood of these patients receiving a range of mental health services from each provider group.

Methods:

Review and analysis of all outpatient visits made by patients with depressive symptoms using the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (NAMCS) conducted in 1995 and 1996.

Results:

A significantly greater proportion of visits by persons with depressive symptoms as the principal reason for visit were made to psychiatrists than to primary care physicians ( T = −3.56, p = .000). However, men, African-Americans, other Non-White persons, and persons aged 65 to 74 and 75 years and over were proportionately more likely to visit a PCP than a psychiatrist. Women, whites, and persons aged 45 to 64 were proportionately more likely to make a visit to a psychiatrist than to a PCP. The overall intensity of care delivered by PCPs for patients with depressive symptoms was significantly lower than that provided by psychiatrists ( t = −2.03, p = .02). Analysis of individual services also revealed significant differences in service provision.

Conclusions:

Demographic differences among the patient caseloads of these physician groups have implications for mental health service delivery because of known distinctions in prevalence rates, symptom presentation, and functionality among depressed patient subgroups.
Re-Examining the Relationship between Fantasy and Optimum Stimulation Levels
Authors: McDaniel Stephen R. , Lee Shu Chen , Lim Choonghoon
Published: May 2005

Conflicting results concerning the relationship between optimum stimulation levels (OSLs) and fantasies have been noted in the psychology literature [1, 2]. Therefore, the current study ( n = 330) employed the Impulsive Sensation Seeking Scale (ImpSS), the Change Seeking Index (CSI) short-form, and a short-form Need for Cognition (NFC) scale, along with gender, to examine their relationship with the fantasy subscale from Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index [3], while controlling for age. The Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) results support significant relationships between all OSL measures and the fantasy construct, as those reporting higher levels of each trait reported significantly greater levels of the fantasy measure. Gender was also a significant factor, as female respondents reported significantly greater mean fantasy scores than did males. In addition, fantasy scores were a significant negative function of age in two analyses. The results are discussed, along with the limitations of the study and future directions for research.
Comparisons between Museum and Mass-Produced Art
Authors: Lindauer Martin S.
Published: May 2005

Mass-produced art is a popular and inexpensive form of art which imitates museum art of the realistic sort, e.g., landscapes. Previous research has indicated that this art is positively evaluated. As a follow-up, six studies compared mass-produced and museum art. In four studies, preferences for the two kinds of art were compared. In two studies, recognition of the two kinds of art was tested. Either sixteen or twenty-eight examples of both examples of art were shown either singly or in matched pairs, as slides or as photos, and subjects were either informed or not about the kinds of art they were seeing. Subjects (177), of different ages, education, and art backgrounds, were tested in various locations. The results indicated both mass-produced and museum art were liked about equally, and the difference between the two kinds of art was not recognized. These and other results were discussed in terms of the relationship between popular and fine art.
The Relationship between Language and Disease Concepts
Authors: Warner Richard
Published: May 2005

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, well-known in anthropological linguistics, postulates that language may not only describe the world we inhabit but also mould the way we experience it. This paper argues that an individual's language may similarly determine his conception of disease. Possible relationships between linguistic features and disease concepts are cited for the Eskimo, the Navaho, and the Chinese, and it is suggested that, in European languages, the extensive use of spatial metaphors to express abstract concepts may encourage a more rigid categorization of disease and inhibit the ability to conceive of multiple factors in disease causation. The use of nouns rather than verbs to express the idea of illness could lead to a static view of disease and tends to separate illnesses as distinct entities rather than defining them as aspects of bodily functioning. The bipolar structure of Indo-European languages, setting subject against predicate and noun against verb, may play a part in the persistence of the mind-body dichotomy and restrict the holistic perception of man with nature. These linguistic features, in leading to a conception of disease as a rigidly defined, unchanging, unicausal thing, may encourage an over-use of surgery and lead to difficulty in perceiving social and psychological factors in disease.
How Do Students Participate in Synchronous and Asynchronous Online Discussions?
Authors: Davidson-Shivers Gayle V. , Muilenburg Lin Y. , Tanner Erica J.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of the study was to investigate how graduate students ( n = 14) participated in on-line discussions over a two-week period to determine the utility of synchronous and asynchronous modes of discussion. The types and amounts of communication statements that participants made in chats and threaded discussions were analyzed using a coding scheme developed by the researchers. Students were randomly assigned to either a small group chat or threaded discussion during one week. In the second week, the groups switched discussion modes and another topic question was provided. The researchers coded the transcribed discussions to determine whether the students' participation was substantive (directly related to the topic) or non-substantive (not directly related to the content) in nature. Results indicated that overall students' discussions included nine types of substantive and non-substantive comments. However, the participants when in the chat showed greater numbers of responding and reacting statements (substantive types) in both weeks than when participating in the threaded discussions. The majority-female group tended to make more comments overall in both types of discussion than did the majority-male group. Student surveys asking for their opinions about these modes of discussion were administered at various points in the semester. Some students found it difficult to follow the dialogue in the chat, but overall enjoyed this type of interaction. The students also enjoyed the threaded discussion for its convenience factor. The computer and on-line skills improved based on the student surveys. The results of the study indicate that both types of discussion are liked and should be considered viable options in on-line learning communities.
But My Program Runs! Discourse Rules for Novice Programmers
Authors: Joni Saj-Nicole A. , Soloway Elliot
Published: May 2005

In this article, we present an approach to critiquing and correcting novice programs that “work” (that is, they have correct I/O behavior for all input from the problem space), but are poorly constructed. Poorly constructed working code is often produced by beginning programming students, and it is important but difficult to teach them why some working code is better than others. Traditional explanations of these problems often rest on some kind of efficiency principle. We shall argue that using efficiency as a guiding principle in critiquing working code is inappropriate for novice programmers. Instead, we develop an approach to critiquing working but poorly constructed novice programs based on the principle of program readability. That is, we base our critique of working code on its ability to communicate to program readers.
Work, Ideology, and Science: The Case of Medicine
Authors: Navarro Vicente
Published: May 2005

This article discusses the nature of work, ideology, and science in Western capitalist societies. It analyzes how capitalist or bourgeois ideology reproduces capitalist dominance in the spheres of production (Section I), politics (Section II), and science and medicine (Section III). Also, this article explains how the working class responds to that capitalist dominance through a continuous process of class struggle. Sections I, II, and II show how class struggle affects bourgeois dominance in the processes of production, politics, and science and medicine, respectively. Special focus in Section III is on the analysis of (a) how bourgeois dominance appears in science and medicine, (b) how bourgeois ideology appears and is reproduced in medical knowledge, and (c) how class struggle determines the nature of scientific and medical knowledge. In this section, an alternative mode of production of scientific and medical knowledge, different from the prevalent bourgeois one, is presented and discussed. In all three sections, medicine and medical knowledge are chosen as the primary points of reference.
Introducing Expanding Hypertext Based on Working Memory Capacity and the Feeling of Disorientation: Tailored Communication through Effective Hypertext Design
Authors: Lee Moon J. , Tedder Matthew C.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate how text formats affect readers' recall and feeling of disorientation based on their working memory capacities and past experience with hypertext. A post-test only experiment was conducted. A new hybrid hypertext, expanding hypertext, was proposed and tested with 201 college students. Among the participants who were low in hypertext experience, those who read the expanding hypertext reported the least disorientation whereas those who read the paged hypertext reported the most disorientation. Of the participants with more hypertext experience, those who read the paged hypertext reported the least disorientation while those who read the scrolling text reported the most disorientation. Of the participants who were low in working memory capacity, those who read the scrolling text produced higher recall scores than those who read the paged hypertext. The text formats appeared to influence how much time the participants spent reading the texts and in turn affected the participants' recall scores.
A Nonscience Forerunner to Modern Near-Death Studies in America
Authors: Lundahl Craig R.
Published: May 2005

This article presents information on a nonscience forerunner, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to both the work of the original psychical researchers and modern near-death studies. It examines Joseph Smith's early knowledge of the death experience and his teachings on death, five historical Mormon NDE accounts predating 1864 and two NDEs of young people in the late 1800s, other Mormon teachings on the death experience before 1886, and the Mormon sources of knowledge on the death experience and the NDE prior to scientific investigations. The study shows Bible passages and Mormon scriptures were the basis for Mormons understanding the death experience. Early Mormon NDEs provided NDE information to Mormons that recent NDEs are providing to researchers today. Some evidence suggests that early Mormon NDEs reaffirmed Mormon teachings on the death experience rather than gave origin to them. The developing system of knowledge in the field of Near Death Studies is confirming early Mormon observations on the death experience.
Self-Instruction and Technology: A Review
Authors: Moore David M.
Published: May 2005

Self-instruction is a unique teaching technology in the fact that it was developed solely for education and did not come to education by the way of the entertainment medium as did films or television. Another unique factor is that it can be totally dependent upon the use of media or use no media at all. What ever the format used, all self-instruction programs must contain certain parameters in order to be effective. This paper discusses those parameters and their implication on the media technologies.
Technology in Education
Authors: Truxal John G.
Published: May 2005

The possible contributions and the major limitations of educational technology are noted. Six areas where technology can be applied to educational problems are noted and their suitability as programs for the National Institute of Education is discussed. The initiation by the NIE of a system modeling research program aimed at developing an Educational Dynamics postulative type model analogous to the Forrester Urban Dynamics model seems to have a number of associated advantages.
Psychiatric Management of Patients Who Threaten to Sign out against Medical Advice
Authors: Wise Thomas N.
Published: May 2005

Patients who are seriously ill are often unable to tolerate the stress of hospitalization and threaten to sign out against medical advice. Such a crisis often evolves because of inadequate or distorted communication with persons in the hospital environment such as physician and other patients. Physical illness, which stirs up issues of autonomy or loss of control, can compromise an individual's ability to cope. The patient, fearing loss of control, can utilize denial in his decision to leave the hospital prematurely. By exploring these factors, the psychiatric consultant can effectively evaluate and then manage this difficult situation, from his own position in the small group comprised of patient, staff and consultant. Case examples illustrate effective evaluation and management of the patient who threatens to sign out against medical advice.
Reputations, Self-Concepts and Coping Strategies of Volatile Solvent Users
Authors: Houghton Stephen , Odgers Pete , Carroll Annemaree
Published: May 2005

Data pertaining to the reputations, self-concepts and coping strategies of thirty-one secondary school Volatile Solvent Users (VSUs), forty-four ex-VSUs, and forty-eight non-VSUs in the Perth Metropolitan area of Western Australia were obtained using the High School Student Activity Questionnaire. Findings revealed that significant differences between current VSUs, ex-VSUs, and non-VSUs were more attributable to factors of reputation enhancement than to factors of either self-concept or coping strategies. Current VSUs identified themselves as both having and wanting to have a more non-confronting reputation, and as admiring drug-related activities significantly more than both ex-VSUs and non-VSUs. Two coping variables were also found to be significant indicating that females use more nonproductive coping strategies and external coping strategies than males. No interaction effects were identified. The implications for drug education and further research are discussed.
Plundering the Poor: The Role of the World Bank in the Third World
Authors: Feder Ernest
Published: May 2005

The World Bank, the most important so-called development assistance agency, annually dispenses billions of dollars to Third World governments, ostensibly to “develop” their economies through a variety of loan projects. But even a superficial analysis reveals that the Bank is the perfect mechanism to help (i.e., subsidize) the large transnational corporations from the industrial countries to expand their industrial, commercial, and financial activities in the Third World, at the expense of the latter and particularly at the expense of the rural and urban proletariat. This article discusses Cheryl Payer's recent book, The World Bank: A Critical Analysis, in which she analyzes the Bank's role in the Third World and sets forth the major reasons why poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, as well as unemployment, and all the adverse social phenomena associated with them, are on the increase.
Program Delivery via Satellite in the Information Age: Extension Educators' Perspectives on Teaching Techniques, Communication Channels, and Participation
Authors: Shrestha Govinda M. , Sutphin H. Dean
Published: May 2005

Interest in the educational satellite technology in Cooperative Extension is increasing rapidly. This study describes program delivery through the Cornell Cooperative Extension Satellite Network (CCESN) as a new educational initiative in the information age. The description is focused on examining extension educators' perspectives on teaching techniques, communication channels, and factors related to participation in the program. The study found that traditional educational techniques such as multiple speakers, interviewing, case studies, team teaching, and panel discussions were seen as only somewhat effective, and communication channels such as face-to-face contact, small group meetings, interactions with local county extension staff, and personal contact by telephone more effective than satellites and computers. Factors encouraging participation include economy of scale, access to information and other resources, professionalization of programming, and interactivity, and those that discouraged participation include lack of interactivity, programming costs, lack of depth in content, and technical support. Further study is needed to probe satellite technology as a single educational delivery or one needing combination with other technologies.
Pediatric Referrals to Psychiatry: I. Comparison of Referrals and Nonreferrals
Authors: Froese Arthur P.
Published: May 2005

Age, sex and duration of hospital stay of 220 patients consecutively referred to psychiatry (Group I) and of their fellow 2065 nonreferred patients (Group II) were compared. Overall, Group I was significantly older, remained in hospital longer, and included more girls than boys, whereas Group II included slightly more boys than girls. Separation of Group II into those whose primary discharge diagnosis was psychiatric or nonpsychiatric revealed that mean age and duration of hospital stay of the former were almost identical, and the sex distribution was similar, to those of Group I. These findings suggest that children referred for psychiatric evaluation differ from their nonreferred fellows discharged with a nonpsychiatric diagnosis but not from nonreferred fellows discharged with a psychiatric diagnosis.
Emotion Conveyed by Sound in the Poetry of Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Authors: Whissell Cynthia
Published: May 2005

The use of sound was studied in several of Tennyson's shorter and better-known poems (e.g., Break, Break, Break and Ulysses) and in In Memoriam A. H. H. Poems were broken down into their component phonemes which were then classified in terms of their emotional character. The emotional character of sounds preferentially employed in each of the shorter poems matched the emotional theme of the poem (e.g., sounds employed in Airy Fairy Lilian and Lady of Shallot were most pleasant, those in Crossing the Bar were least pleasant). The emotional character of sounds preferentially employed in the final segments of In Memoriam revealed an underlying sadness to the poem's close belied by Tennyson's own interpretation of it. Analyses of In Memoriam also highlighted the elegy's frequent transitions from grief to hope and back again. It is concluded that Tennyson used sound (both consciously and unconsciously) to amplify the effects of his poetry.
Homes or Hospitals? Contradictions of the Urban Crisis
Authors: Waitzkin Howard , Wallen Jacqueline , Sharratt John
Published: May 2005

Medical expansion is threatening to eliminate many urban residential areas, despite criticism that argues for comprehensive planning, reduced costs, less concentrated power in the health sector, and a reversal of “medicalization.” Our research on expansion, which grew partly from personal participation in a local struggle against expanding institutions in Boston, revealed certain tensions in combining sociomedical research with concrete political practice. From events in Boston and from an exploratory review of periodicals, we recognized that medical expansion and community conflict occur frequently in cities throughout the United States.

Based on general theoretical perspectives from organizational analysis and political economy, we made several hypotheses that we tested through a questionnaire sent to all hospitals in the 20 largest cities of the United States and through other data available on the same hospitals. In large part, this empirical study confirmed our theoretical expectations that (a) larger medical centers show a greater tendency toward territorial growth than smaller hospitals; (b) bureaucratic and administrative dynamics lead to facilities that do not necessarily enhance patient care; (c) despite short-term cycles of expansion and contraction in public hospital growth, expansion projects are widespread and generate considerable political conflict; (d) because of the state's contradictory roles in regulation and social capital expenditures, opposition to medical expansion comes more from community organizations than from governmental monitoring or planning bodies; and (e) the needs of capital determine that medical expansion has a more detrimental impact on housing than on commercial or industrial facilities.

Future expansion of private medical facilities is more likely than that of public facilities, although much private expansion may receive public subsidization. As ideologic patterns are demystified, the contradictions between medical expansion and housing needs can provide a focus for successful community organizing.
The Fear of Death, Sex and Androgyny: A Brief Note
Authors: Lester David
Published: May 2005

The fear of death (and other attitudes toward death) were explored in male and female students, together with masculinity/femininity scores as a covariate. Both sex and masculinity/femininity scores had little relationship with attitudes toward death. Furthermore, masculinity/femininity scores did not account for the sex differences observed, and sex did not account for the relationship between masculinity/femininity scores and attitudes toward death.
Studies of Alternative Patterns of Administrative Organization
Authors: Reinke William A.
Published: May 2005

A systematic framework is provided for the analysis of the major administrative issues of interest in the organization of family planning programs. This framework includes clarification of the problem of concern, a review of alternative means for solution, and enunciation of concrete objectives regarding program structure, process (services provided), and product (end results). Eight administrative principles that arise from the analysis are formulated. These can either be accepted as general guides for application to each unique set of circumstances or used as a basis for pinpointing sources of disagreement and subjects for further research.
Market Reforms in Swedish Health Care: A Threat to or Salvation for the Universalistic Welfare State?
Authors: Diderichsen Finn
Published: May 2005

This report presents the main characteristics of reforms in the Swedish health services, as exemplified by the “Stockholm Model” introduced in 1992 in Stockholm county. The author discusses the motives behind these reforms, the already-evident increases in costs that are occurring, and the effect of these reforms on public support for the welfare state.
Factors Associated with Work-Related Accidents and Sickness among Maquiladora Workers: The Case of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico
Authors: Balcazar Hector , Denman Catalina , Lara Francisco
Published: May 2005

The health problems of maquiladora workers were explored in a sample of 497 workers of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. The workers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire containing four sections: a sociodemographic profile, occupational history, working conditions, and a health profile. Overall, 12.6 percent of the workers reported having an accident while working in the maquila, more than 40 percent of these requiring at least one day of disability, and 18.3 percent of workers reported having an episode of sickness/disease. More than 60 percent perceived health-related risks associated with working conditions. The presence of a doctor or nurse in the plant (odds ratio = 0.30), a perception of risk associated with working conditions (odds ratio = 1.85), and the plant offering information about work-related risks (odds ratio = 0.39) were among the significant predictors of work-related accidents and disease/sickness. The authors discuss the implications of these results for programs and policies to improve safety conditions in the maquiladora industry.
Leo: A Learning Environment Organizer to Support Computer-Mediated Instruction
Authors: Coffey John W. , Cañas Alberto J.
Published: May 2005

This article contains a description of a network-based Learning Environment Organizer entitled LEO, which takes its impetus from the Assimilation Theory of meaningful learning [1]. LEO represents a new approach to computer-mediated augmentation of face-to-face, or hybrid courses, and a different approach to distance learning course delivery. LEO provides the learner with a graphical advance organizer for the course, links to instructional content, various completion criteria for topics, and a visual representation of student progress. The organizer is non-linear in the sense that it maps only those prerequisites that are necessary for any given topic, creating many potential paths through the material. LEO is part of a software suite entitled “CmapTools” that provides a unique method of knowledge modeling or instructional content structuring. LEO can be used to organize CmapTools-type knowledge models or any other online instructional content. This work presents a description of the software's rationale, basic functionality, look and feel, and a discussion of an example course organizer.
A Comprehensive Multi-Media Program to Prevent Smoking among Black Students
Authors: Kaufman Joy S. , Jason Leonard A. , Sawlski Lisa M. , Halpert Jane A.
Published: May 2005

Much research has been done in developing and implementing smoking prevention programs; however, few studies have focused on urban Black populations. In November of 1989, a comprehensive prevention program was implemented to decrease the incidence of new smokers within the adolescent population in a Black community. The program combined a school-based curriculum with a comprehensive media intervention. All components of the program were financed by business leaders from the targeted community. There were two experimental conditions: one group participated in a school-based intervention and were prompted to participate in a multi-media intervention and the other group had access to the multi-media intervention; however, they were not prompted to participate. A key finding was that the rate of smoking decreased for all children involved in the intervention. The authors present a model that can be employed to prevent other high-risk behaviors within the Black population.
The Relationships between Creativity and Cerebral Hemisphericity for Creative Architects, Scientists, and Mathematicians
Authors: Katz Albert N.
Published: May 2005

The relationship between creativity and the specialized cognitive functions supported by each of the cerebral hemispheres (hemisphericity), was examined on archival data available for creative architects, scientists, and mathematicians. Hemisphericity was estimated by the A/P ratio, in which A represents performance on the Street Gestalt Completion test, a marker test of right hemipsheric processes and P represents performance on a marker test of left hemispheric functioning, the Similarities subtest of the WAIS. Creativity was indexed by objective indices (such as the number of patents earned by each scientist), subjective measures (such as peer evaluations of creativity) and by psychometric instruments that purport to measure creativity. Performance on a test of general intelligence was also examined. The data indicates that hemisphericity is related to some indices of creative performance (especially the objective measures) but not to the index of general intelligence. Moreover, the direction of the relationships were different for the creative architects than for the creative scientists and mathematicians. These data were taken as support for the proposition that creativity depends on the cognitive functions supported by both hemispheres: different professions demand a specific cognitive mode for efficient performance; creative performance is reflected in those who can also access and are efficient in using the cognitive mode supported by the complementary cerebral hemisphere.
Precaution, Prediction, Proof, and Policy Assessment
Authors: Dovers Stephen
Published: May 2005

The challenge of sustainable development—the ultimate goal of precaution—demands that we shift our focus away from individual environmental problems and toward long-term integration of environmental, social, and economic policy. It also elevates protection of ecosystem processes and biodiversity to the status of significant policy goals. In this article, the author argues for a new use of the precautionary principle, as a means to assess broad policy decisions to target indirect or systemic rather than direct threats to sustainability. He draws on a case study of two Australian policies: the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD), and the National Competition Policy (NCP). While the proposals are ambitious and may not be achievable in the near future, nonetheless, it is in the nature of institutional and policy systems that it is difficult to predict when opportunities for policy change will arise. It is crucial to develop and articulate strategies now, to be promoted during brief windows of opportunity for policy change.
The Effects of Modeling Expert Cognitive Strategies during Problem-Based Learning
Authors: Pedersen Susan , Liu Min
Published: May 2005

While problem-based learning (PBL) is widely regarded as an effective instructional approach, research on it has largely been restricted to advanced and/or gifted learners. This study examined the potential of a hypermedia based expert tool to scaffold regular education sixth graders engaged in a problem-based learning (PBL) program. Participants completed Alien Rescue, a hypermedia PBL environment on the solar system. The tool under investigation offered students interactive video of an expert modeling his cognitive processes as he performed tasks relevant to the development of a solution to the central problem of the PBL unit. Two other versions of the expert tool were developed to isolate the effect of the cognitive modeling. Results suggest that the cognitive modeling offered through the expert tool brought the way students worked during periods of self-directed study into line with expert actions and impacted the quality of the rationales students wrote for their solutions.
From Chore to Profession: How Technical Communication in the United Kingdom Has Changed over the past Twenty-Five Years
Authors: Kirkman John
Published: May 2005

How has technical communication changed over the past twenty-five years in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe? As a task, it has not changed at all; as a professional occupation, it has evolved slowly; as a procedure, it has changed dramatically.