bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“US Planning Prevention for Them”: The Social Construction of Community Prevention for Youth
Authors: Hill Hannah , Piper Douglas , Moberg D. Paul
Published: May 2005

Recently, prevention programs for youth have been aimed at the social spheres presumed to influence health behavior decisions. Community-level programs have emerged as part of this trend. Communities are, however, dynamic, complex, and fluid. Describing community prevention efforts within the bounds of “normal” science has rendered invisible certain important features. We combined open- and close-ended research methods to study the grassroots prevention efforts of ten communities in the upper midwest. Three basic questions formed our inquiry: 1) how were community prevention actions constructed or planned?; 2) toward whom were these actions aimed?; and 3) what were the major success and problems in carrying out prevention actions? A central finding was the existence of an automatic yet tacit “filtering” process whereby certain people became involved in prevention while others did not. This “us versus them” pattern was expressed as a major barrier to the effectiveness and sustainability of community prevention efforts. Existing as informal, “everyday” knowledge, this problem has largely been rendered invisible by the heavy reliance on close-ended, “check the box” communication between the researcher and the researched.
Corporatization and Deprivatization of Health Services in Canada
Authors: Fried Bruce J. , Deber Raisa B. , Leatt Peggy
Published: May 2005

Canada's system of health services has been shaped by the forces and values in the Canadian political, cultural, social, and economic environment; these forces continue to place constraints on future changes. We distinguish between “corporatization” and “privatization,” and the implications of each for improved efficiency of the system. Although the organization of health services is, in certain provinces, undergoing significant structural changes, there is evidence that rather than privatizing, the system may actually be continuing to experience what we have termed deprivatization, as the scope of government involvement expands to include a more comprehensive definition of health care. Trends in Canada differ considerably from those in the United States; universal health insurance has curbed the ability and desire of institutions to exclude members of some socioeconomic groups from receiving care. U.S.-based models, if applied to Canada, could lead to both higher costs and lower quality of care. Considerable efficiencies can be realized within Canada's current system.
Levels of Death Anxiety in Terminally Ill Persons: A Cross Validation and Extension
Authors: Hayslip Bert , Servaty Heather L. , Christman Toni , Mumy Elaine
Published: May 2005

In order to explore the viability of the distinction between overt and covert levels of death fear, 141 individuals (32 HIV positive who had full-blown AIDS, 39 HIV positive without full-blown AIDS, 70 age-matched controls) were administered measures of conscious and unconscious death anxiety as well as a variety of self-report scales assessing life satisfaction, well-being, regrets about one's life, and hopelessness. While results suggested minimal differences to exist between the above groups for measures of conscious death fear, there were substantive, though in some respects, unanticipated differences across groups in aspects of covert fear tapping concerns about the interruption of goals and achievements, isolation from others, and pain, disease, and suffering. Results also suggested that there were both adjustment-related advantages and disadvantages associated with the appearance of symptoms signaling the appearance of full-blown AIDS. Neither gender nor the duration of time one had been living with the diagnosis of either HIV disease or AIDS influenced death fear.
Chronic Pain in a Victim of Attempted Homicide
Authors: Ford Charles V. , Castelnuovo-Tedesco Pietro , Goodman Stanley J. , Bustamante Juan P. , Long Kahlila
Published: May 2005

This Medical Psychology Forum focuses on the problem of chronic pain in a patient with a neurologic deficit incurred when he became the victim of an attempted homicide. Murderous anger, wishes for revenge and intolerance of helplessness and passivity proved closely intertwined with the patient's awareness of pain and his capacity to bear it. The use of a dorsal column stimulator to “mask” the pain and the role of personality factors in his adjustment to disability are discussed.
Place of the Indigenous and the Western Systems of Medicine in the Health Services of India
Authors: Banerji Debabar
Published: May 2005

The interrelationships of the indigenous (traditional and western (modem) systems of medicine are a function of the interplay of social, economic, and political forces in the community. In India, western medicine was used as a political weapon by the colonialists to strengthen the oppressing classes and to weaken the oppressed. Not only were the masses denied access to the western system of medicine, but this system contributed to the decay and degeneration of the preexisting indigenous systems. This western and privileged-class orientation of the health services has been actively perpetuated and promoted by the postcolonial leadership of India. The issue in formulating an alternative health care system for India is essentially that of rectifying the distortions which have been brought about by various forces. The basic premise for such an alternative will be to start with the people. Action in this field will lead to a more harmonious mix between the indigenous and western systems of medicine.
Logic: The Only Game in Town
Authors: Shaw Lew
Published: May 2005

This article reviews the nature of investigations, demonstrations, and decisions in the propositional process of logic. Limitations in decision-making are related to the propositions asked. A difference between criminal trials and civil trials exists in the basis of the propositions involved. The ability to create new propositions, i.e., compromises, is the means to adjustment and resolution of conflicts. In general, people do not “communicate”; they demonstrate propositions. To communicate, the need for the sender to be “tuned” to the receiver, consistent with theory and reality, is seen as based on the propositional process of logic.
Doing Business Abroad: The Problem of Training for Cultural Differences in Communication
Authors: Daniels John P. , Shane Hugh M. , Wall Jerry L.
Published: May 2005

Effective communication is essential for efficient management. Yet, the problem of communication is exacerbated when the manager is required to function in a foreign culture. Communication in a foreign country is often complicated by such cultural influences as the importance of time, space, relationships, and numerous other subtle psychological and sociological factors. Merely learning the language of a host country is not sufficient to effectively conduct business abroad. To be truly effective, a manager must not only understand the language of the host country but must also “have a feel” for its culture. The present article suggests that managers preparing for overseas assignments be familiarized not only with the language of the host country but also with the psychological and sociological norms inherent in that particular culture.
Influence of Burke and Lessing on the Semiotic Theory of Document Design: Ideologies and Good Visual Images of Documents
Authors: Ding Daniel D.
Published: May 2005

The syntactic aspect of semiotic theory, especially its “aesthetic principle,” is very influential in document design theories and practices. It has its roots in Burke's and Lessing's gender-related theories of images. Thus, it is laden with ideologies: it embodies our patriarchal attitudes and our iconophobia. Employing the semiotic theory in document design, we are making choices to reinforce the gender-related ideology in Burke's and Lessing's theories. It is time for us to re-conceive the “aesthetic principle” by de-emphasizing it and to adopt the reconciliation approach to design effective documents targeted at various rhetorical situations.
Approaches to Evaluation: Social Area Analysis
Authors: Struening Elmer L.
Published: May 2005

Modern social area analysis, as presented by Tryon and Bailey, offers a methodology for understanding the selective use of health services and for evaluating the effects of change introduced into health service delivery systems. Definitions of evaluation research are given in this paper, followed by a brief history and definition of social area analysis. Three types of evaluation studies-descriptive, comparative or correlational, and experimental-are described and exemplified.

The role of epidemiologic data in describing catchment areas and in the identification and location of high-risk populations is discussed. Applications of multivariate statistical procedures for identifying salient dimensions of defined areas and for developing equations linking area characteristics to rates of service use are described. It is concluded that applications of social area analysis methodology can make important contributions to the evaluation of health delivery systems serving catchment area populations.
The Development of Cobol and RPG Instructional Modules to Audit Computerized Accounting Systems
Authors: Skudrna Vincent J.
Published: May 2005

The concepts from instructional design, theory of instruction and the systems approach were used to develop COBOL and RPG instructional modules. These modules are designed to present COBOL and RPG programming knowledge to accounting students for the audit of computerized accounting systems. The steps in the modules are definition of terminal performance objective, required content with regard to knowledge and skills, learning experiences, instructional methods and evaluation of the learning results. The modules represent a training tool that includes terminal objectives, curricular content and instructional strategies for the programming languages involved.
Attachment and the Experience of Grief Following the Loss of a Spouse
Authors: Waskowic Tracey D. , Chartier Brian M.
Published: May 2005

Numerous studies have been conducted in the areas of attachment theory and grief. There is, however, very little research that explores the possible connection between attachment and grief. The present study examines the relationship between an adult's attachment style (i.e., secure or insecure) and an individual's experience of grief after the loss of a spouse. Seventy-seven widows and widowers completed a questionnaire package consisting of the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (Griffin & Bartholomew, 1994), the Grief Experience Inventory (Sanders, Mauger, & Strong, 1985a), and the Continuing Bonds Scale (Grund, 1998). Differences between participants who were secure in attachment to their spouse and those insecure in attachment (which includes preoccupied, dismissing, and fearful) were examined on the Grief Experience Inventory and the Continuing Bonds Scale. Findings revealed differences between securely and insecurely attached widowed people on subscales of the Grief Experience Inventory. In particular, securely attached people were less angry, less socially isolated, less guilty, had less death anxiety, less somatic symptoms, less despair, less depersonalization, and ruminated less than insecurely attached people. Analysis of the Continuing Bonds subscales revealed significant differences between secure and insecure attachments such that secure people scored higher on Interchanges with the Deceased, as well as Reminiscing about the Deceased, than insecure people. Taken as a whole, the results seem to indicate that attachment style has an affect on one's grief reaction.
Treatment of Antidepressant-Resistant Bulimia with Naltrexone
Authors: Jonas Jeffrey M. , Gold Mark S.
Published: May 2005

Ten individuals with antidepressant-resistant bulimia were treated with the long-acting opiate antagonist naltrexone. Seven of the ten experienced at least a 75 percent reduction of their bulimic symptoms, and have maintained their improvment on three to five month follow-up. These preliminary data suggest that naltrexone may be of use in bulimia unresponsive to standard antidepressant therapy, and may provide insight into the role of endogenous opioids in the etiology of eating disorders.
Sleep Patterns in Older Bereaved Spouses
Authors: Richardson Stephanie J. , Lund Dale A. , Caserta Michael S. , Dudley William N. , Obray Sarah Jane
Published: May 2005

The study examined the prevalence and pattern of reports of sleep disturbance over two years in a group of 296 adults aged 50 years and over, and assessed the relationship between patterns of sleep disturbance and bereavement adjustment over time. A sample of 192 widows and widowers were compared to a matched sample of 104 non-bereaved persons. About half of the bereaved respondents experienced sleep disruption in the first month following their loss. Regardless of bereavement status, one-third of the sample experienced ongoing sleep disruption, and 10% consulted a physician for difficulty sleeping. Persons with a pattern of consistent sleep disturbance showed statistically significant differences in grief outcomes that persisted over time and tended to be female, older, with poor health, and taking more medications.
The Issue of Communication within Medicine
Authors: Joyce C. R. B.
Published: May 2005

Communicating is one of the physician's most important skills; yet there are serious impediments to acquiring such assets in medical curricula as customarily presented.

Balint attempted to fill a void in this significant area through an innovative approach to group discussion of cases, which enabled the doctor to “use himself” more effectively in the doctor-patient relationship. Through self-development and insight, the physician could improve his “apostolic function” as a teacher-to the patient's benefit.

Communication is viewed as a two-way exchange, acknowledging the impact of the doctor upon the patient as well as the patient upon the doctor. The “soft” data of experience, behavior, dress and speech are as relevant as more quantifiable information. The ambiguity of words-and even silence-can have a profound influence upon illness in the context of the interaction between patient and physician.

In spite of the difficulties of evaluating studies in the area of human relations, medical students and physicians are urged to undertake such explorations to enhance their own growth and perceptiveness and thereby improve their capacity to communicate meaningfully. Representative examples of such studies–including the small-group experience as used by Balint-are reported.
A Delphi Study of Educational Telecollaborative Projects: Identifying Critical Elements and Obstacles
Authors: Buss Alan R.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to collect the knowledge and opinions held by a Delphi panel of leaders and researchers of successful educational telecommunications projects requiring collaboration across multiple sites. A parallel objective was to synthesize and analyze this knowledge and to communicate the results as a resource for people who are interested in creating similar learning environments. The Delphi technique was used to gather information from a panel of seven experts in educational telecollaborative projects about successful elements of these projects as well as obstacles to success. Thirty-one items received high ratings from the panelists and had a high consensus level among the panel. These critical items included 25 essential elements and six highly detrimental obstacles. The conclusions provide guidelines for teachers, students, and project leaders and designers.
Death Attitudes across the Life-Span: The Development and Validation of the Death Attitude Profile (DAP)
Authors: Gesser Gina , Wong Paul T. P. , Reker Gary T.
Published: May 2005

Four orthogonal factors were identified by principal component factor analysis: Fear of Death/Dying, Approach-Oriented Death Acceptance, Escape-Oriented Death Acceptance, and Neutral Death Acceptance. Theta estimates of the internal consistency of the factor scales ranged from fair (.60) to good (.89). An elderly sample ( n = 50) showed less fear of death and more acceptance (all three kinds of acceptance) than the middle age ( n = 50) and the young ( n = 50) samples. As predicted, Fear of Death/Dying was negatively related to happiness, but positively related to hopelessness, whereas Escape-Oriented Death Acceptance was positively related to hopelessness, thus providing some evidence of concurrent validity of the DAP.
Death Control
Authors: Vernon Glenn M.
Published: May 2005

What appears to be an emerging public acceptance of death control has followed a meaning-of-death developmental sequence from (1) supernatural control to (2) biological control to (3) social-symbolic control. The “social death” concept is beginning to take its place beside the “biological death” concept. Belief that biological factors should control death, which incorporates belief in instinctive self-preservation and instinctive fear of death, is being replaced by interpretations summarized in the statement that the behavior of an individual as he confronts death and dying is in response to symbols (meaning) and is relative to the audience and the situation. People are increasingly questioning the beliefs that (1) biological preservation is inherently of greater worth than preservation of the social-symbolic image of the dying, which includes self-definitions productive of dignity, and (2) whether bureaucratic hospital dying is always preferable to dying at home.
Applications of a Health Planning Model in Morocco
Authors: Barlow Robin
Published: May 2005

It is argued in this paper that public health planning should be guided by the principle of output maximization. The objectives of the health sector should be specified, and measurable forms of output should be derived from these statements of purpose. Knowledge of the contributions which given combinations of inputs make toward output thus defined allow, in principle, calculation of the particular deployment of the available inputs which will maximize output. There is a discussion of the objectives or forms of output in a public health system, both humanitarian and economic. A verbal model of such a system for an underdeveloped country is constructed which identifies the relationships which must be known if spending decisions are to succeed in maximizing output. An attempt is then made, in the context of the Moroccan public health system, to show that the model is not merely a theoretical exercise, but is potentially useful as a planning instrument. The respective contributions of general hospitals and of mass vaccination programs toward the objective of reducing mortality are estimated. On the whole, the preventive activities (the mass vaccinations) are found to be a much cheaper way of saving lives than are the curative activities (the general hospitals).
Musical Creativity: The Stream of Consciousness in Composition, Improvisation, and Education
Authors: Aranosian Christopher M.
Published: May 2005

This article explores the stream of consciousness as a primary source for the ideas from which music is created. Improvisation and composition are presented as behaviors which deserve attention at all levels of elementary and high school music programs; the cognitive foundations of each are discussed. Also, humanistic methods of teaching music are described in the article as being superior to the traditional behaviorist methods, because the former encourage the development of both representational and creative skills, while the latter reward representational skill development and discourage the skills needed to be a creator of music.
Computer Assisted Instruction at Northern Virginia Community College: Integrating Ticcit into the Instructional Program
Authors: Sasscer Monica Flynn
Published: May 2005

TICCIT has been a prominent feature of the instructional environment of the Alexandria Campus of Northern Virginia Community College since 1974. Its presence has pervaded all the operations of the campus, both instructional and administrative. Positive and negative impacts have been recorded by two evaluations. The faculty and staff of the college continue to seek ways of integrating TICCIT into the educational program.
Religiosity and Attitudes toward Suicide
Authors: Domino George , Miller Karen
Published: May 2005

The relationship between religiosity and attitudes toward suicide was assessed in a sample of 186 Christian adults, most affiliated with churches or church-related organizations. A significant correlational pattern was obtained, such that persons higher on religiosity tended to perceive suicide as reflective of mental illness, as less of a cry for help, as not being an individual's prerogative, as highly related to a lack of religious influence, as “abnormal” behavior, as evidence of the aggressiveness of human nature, and as a moral evil not to be condoned.
Technical Writing in Seventeenth-Century England: The Flowering of a Tradition
Authors: Tebeaux Elizabeth
Published: May 2005

English technical writing clearly emerged during the Renaissance and the first decades of printing, but during the 1641–1700 period technical writing gained credibility and prestige. It was a valued tool for achieving the utilitarian ends of an age in which practical goals were valued more than aesthetic ones. Technical writing can be found in a range of disciplines, such as agriculture, medicine, science, as well as the major English trades and crafts. As a valued form of discourse, it illuminates the world of work in seventeenth-century England and the problems faced by the early experimenters of the Royal Society who sought to use science to solve major human, military, and economic problems while seeking to expand understanding of nature. Studying technical writing of this period allows us to track the continued development of technical writing as a distinct form of discourse.
From a Policy of Inequality to a Proposal of Equity: Political Processes and Health Care in the Municipality of São Paulo
Authors: Cohn Amélia
Published: May 2005

A tentative analysis is made of the recent São Paulo experience in health care management, in which the chief guideline has been to create institutional space for grass-roots and health worker participation within the State apparatus. The analysis takes Brazil's recent health policies and the so-called Sanitary Reform movement as reference points. The issue is approached from the angle of democracy and democracy's possibilities in the context of a society characterized by tremendous social inequalities, and in the context of the current international and national neoliberal offensive.
Scientific Communication and Metaphors: An Analysis of Einstein's 1905 Special Relativity Paper
Authors: Johnson-Sheehan Richard D.
Published: May 2005

Examining the history of science from the perspective of metaphor suggests that there are few differences between the literal and the metaphorical in scientific discourse. The central role of metaphors in science seems to ensure that science is open-ended, suggesting that conceptions of reality will always be open to change and interpretation.
Procedure Writing and Corporate Management: Thinking, Writing, and Speaking for Internal Coordination
Authors: Vink Jamie
Published: May 2005

Procedure manuals, narrowly conceived, implement institutional policy as it affects more than one department. Such writing requires detailed procedural auditing, composing job instructions, coordinating paperflow and forms use, as well as general operational, financial, and information-processing systems analysis. Resulting procedures serve as a form of company “legislation” settling interactions between departments, in an ongoing process of updating and managerial decision-making which creates a promising career possibility for the technical writer.
The Use of Analog Computer Simulation for Learning Modeling Concepts and Skills
Authors: Liao Thomas T.
Published: May 2005

This paper reports on the need, rationale, design and findings of a doctoral research study done at Teacher's College, Columbia University. Significant differences were found in several comparisons which were done to obtain answers to basic questions about the usage of analog computer simulations. Suggestions are also made for further research in this area of educational technology.
School Drug Education Programming: In Search of a New Direction
Authors: Lamarine Roland J.
Published: May 2005

School drug abuse prevention programs represent an enormous educational resource. Recent perceptions of an epidemic of drug abuse among the nation's youth have fueled the escalation in expenditures for drug prevention programming. An important question that needs to be addressed concerns whether broad ranging drug education efforts directed at all public and private school students are efficient and effective uses of available resources? After a brief survey of the evolution of drug education programming in the U.S., this article examines recent longitudinal research regarding the antecedents of drug abuse among young people. Based on this research, suggestions are made for a new approach to drug education programs which would direct intensive interventions at the minority of youth who are identifiable in early childhood as particularly susceptible to problems with drug abuse.
What is the Role of Lecture in High-Tech Education?
Authors: Pence Harry E.
Published: May 2005

Despite many criticisms, lectures continue to be a major method of higher education instruction. What is the explanation for this continued popularity? Can the lecture adapt to new educational demands? What is the most effective way to use lecture? And, most important of all, what is the future of lecture as educational technology plays a more important role in higher education? This article will attempt to provide at least tentative answers to these questions.
Out of the Privy and into the Lab: Field Conservation on Waterlogged Sites
Authors: Young Lisa
Published: May 2005

Field conservation efforts on archaeological sites in the United States have still not been mandated by many local, state, and federal agencies. For terrestrial sites, this may not always be necessary, but for underwater sites conservators are included much more frequently. But what about archaeological sites in between, such as waterlogged wells and privies? And what happens when the archaeologists suddenly run into a feature yielding large quantities of waterlogged materials in a good state of preservation? On a recent excavation in Alexandria, Virginia, artifacts were recovered from a Civil War period privy which yielded organics, inorganics, and synthetic materials. Due to funding, time constraints, and lack of knowledge, a conservator was not included in the original scope of work for the project. This type of situation occurs far too frequently. However, by working with a conservator early on in the initial stages of an excavation, priorities and guidelines can be established for dealing with waterlogged finds.
Maladaptive Denial of Physical Illness: A Useful New “Diagnosis”
Authors: Muskin Philip R. , Feldhammer Tovah , Gelfand Janice L. , Strauss David H.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Denial of physical illness and/or refusal of treatment are critical issues in the practice of medicine. A previous article proposed DSM-IV consider a new diagnosis for a subgroup of patients who refuse treatment, i.e., maladaptive denial of physical illness [1]. It is necessary to be able to use this form of denial as a diagnosis rather than invoke the term denial as merely a mental mechanism. This is a report of a prospective descriptive study of psychiatric consultations for medical inpatients who deny that they are ill or who refuse treatment.

Method:

In order to investigate the utility of this proposed diagnosis we conducted a one year study of all psychiatric consultations at a community hospital in Manhattan, New York.

Results:

The diagnosis of maladaptive denial of physical illness was made in 2.5 percent of 317 psychiatric consultations. The patients did not fit into other DSM-III-R or DSM-IV categories.

Conclusions:

We suggest a clarification of the concept of denial for use with medically ill patients. The findings in this study demonstrate that the current categories in DSM-IV do not provide physicians with a diagnosis that describes this particular type of pathological denial of illness.
Effects of Flotation-Versus Chamber-Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique (Rest) on Creativity and Realism under Stress and Non-Stress Conditions
Authors: Norlander Torsten , Kjellgren Anette , Archer Trevor
Published: May 2005

Two studies examining different aspects of the Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique (REST) were carried out. In the first study, 38 participants were assigned randomly to either a group that floated on one occasion or a group that was given floating on three occasions. Following this, the subjects performed a test of divergent creativity and a test of logic. In the second study, 32 participants were assigned randomly first to two groups, Flotation-REST or Chamber-REST groups, and then randomly assigned to two more groups, namely to either a Stress-group or to a Non-stress group. The most inportant dependent variables of this second study were derived from essay-writing which was adjudged on the basis of elaboration, liveliness, originality, and realism. The results did not indicate any differences deriving from one or three flotations; both groups performed worse on the test of logic but tended to be better on the test of creativity. Both REST groups were similarly relaxed after treatment although the Flotation-REST group showed altered states of consciousness to a greater degree. The Flotation-REST group showed more originality whereas the Chamber-REST group showed more elaboration and realism. The results are discussed from the standpoint of fluctuations within the primary-secondary process continuum.
Well-Healed: Inside Lobbying for Health Care Reform, Part II
Authors:   The Center for Public Integrity
Published: May 2005

The Center for Public Integrity conducted a year-long investigation of the decision-making processes of the U.S. government during its work on health care reform. The results suggest that health care reform has become the most heavily lobbied legislative initiative in recent U.S. history. In 1993 and 1994, hundreds of special interests spent over $100 million to influence the outcome of this public policy issue. In Part II, the authors describe some of these special interests, including the insurance industry, both the largest companies and those that make up the Health Insurance Association of America; doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers; the pharmaceutical industry; businesses of all sizes; and the tobacco industry.
Motivation and Learner Characteristics Affecting Online Learning and Learning Application
Authors: Lim Doo H. , Kim Hyunjoong
Published: May 2005

Many studies have been conducted to verify the effect of learner characteristics and motivation in traditional classroom, but very few are found in online learning research. This study sought to identify what learner characteristics and motivation types affected a group of undergraduate students' learning and application of learning for a course conducted online. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative analyses, the study found that gender and employment status affected online learners' learning and learning application. Several motivation variables were also found to significantly influence online learners' learning application. Discussions of instructional strategies to promote learner motivation and satisfaction in online learning environment were included.
A Pattern for Publication
Authors: White Leigh Cree
Published: May 2005

When students realize that writing is only one part of the process, their chances rise for acceptance and publication of articles. In the pattern for publication model, developed by the author, she emphasizes five parts to article acceptance: 1. idea; 2. magazine research; 3. article writing; 4. marketing; and 5. sale. Practical hints from experience create a recognizable path to success in being published.
Major Barriers to Effective Delivery of Health Services in Nigeria
Authors: Williams P. Bassey , Omishakin Moses A.
Published: May 2005

Major barriers to effective delivery of health services associated with health service organizations, professionals, and care recipients in Nigeria are reviewed. Discussed are: lack of health planning efforts by health agencies; problems of health services accessibility; poor public health image; and inadequate health manpower and training programs. Remedies suggested include comprehensive health planning and consumer involvement in community health decision-making.
Promoting Prepackaged Drugs for Prompt and Appropriate Treatment of Febrile Illnesses in Rural Nigerian Communities
Authors: Brieger W. R. , Salako L. A. , Umeh R. E. , Agomo P. U. , Afolabi B. M. , Adeneye A. K.
Published: May 2005

Among the strategies being tested to improve prompt and appropriate treatment of febrile illness, especially malaria, in young children is the prepackaging of antimalarial drugs in easy to use daily dosages. A TDR-sponsored study in three rural communities in southern Nigeria tested a delivery system for prepackaged chloroquine and cotrimoxazole for children aged 6 months to 6 years. A variety of distributors were trained including village health workers (VHWs), patent medicine vendors (PMVs), and health clinic staff. These distributors also performed community health education. During a 12-month study period, 3954 units of project medicines were sold. While VHWs accounted for the majority of distributors and as a group sold the largest proportion of drugs overall, health staff sold the highest number on average. A follow-up survey found a 25 percent increase in the use of antimalarials over baseline, almost all of which could be attributed to sales of the project chloroquine. While there was also an increased use of cotrimoxazole over baseline, the contribution of project drugs was less. PMVs remained the most common source of treatment both before and after intervention, and there was a small but significant rise in the proportion who sought care from VHWs. While 93 percent of respondents sought care for their sick child within 24 hours, there was significantly more delay among those whose first choice was a government or private clinic. Factors that were positively associated with use of project drugs included reports that the child had a high temperature and seeking care from a VHW or PMV. The results indicate that it is possible to gain a significant market share for prepackaged drugs using locally available distribution channels. The value lies in using a variety of channels, both ones that are centrally located and others that are accessible to scattered, outlying communities that are poorly served by orthodox medicine.
Medical Text and Historical Context: Research Issues and Methods in History and Technical Communication
Authors: Connor Jennifer J.
Published: May 2005

Identifying problems in recent technical communication studies of historical medical text, this article suggests ways for researchers to overcome them. Its approach uses five steps for conducting sound historical research: establishing originality for historical textual analysis; adopting an authoritative text for analysis; understanding the genre or form of a historical text; understanding the intellectual or social context for a historical text; and understanding the publishing and readership context of a historical text. These steps are discussed within the context of related fields of inquiry, namely history of medicine, history of the book, literary criticism and historical linguistics, and analytical bibliography. The article concludes by exploring new directions for research in technical communication and history of medicine.
Health Education and Prevention: Designing Community Initiatives
Authors: Wallack Lawrence , Wallerstein Nina
Published: May 2005

Health is a community as well as individual concern. Efforts to address public health problems should be based on an integrated approach to prevention that addresses community level as well as individual level concerns. This article reviews five basic principles of a planning approach to prevention. Planning concepts that follow from the principles include: entrance into the community, problem identification, identification and understanding of assumptions, force field analysis and public education. The implications of the planning process for intervention are discussed.
Why is Virginia Slim? Women and Cigarette Advertising
Authors: Boyd Carol J. , Boyd Thomas C. , Cash Jennifer L.
Published: May 2005

Despite increasing efforts to reduce smoking among young women, they remain one of the fastest growing groups of cigarette smokers in the United States. A Means-end Chain framework, derived from marketing theory, is presented as a way to create effective anti-smoking messages. The intent is to explain how advertisers influence women to smoke in spite of repeated health warnings and public knowledge of the problems associated with tobacco products. After describing this marketing framework, a Means-end Chain analysis is applied to contemporary Virginia Slims advertisements, highlighting the associations between product attributes and women's values. The usefulness of this framework in developing anti-smoking messages is then demonstrated.
How to Read a Chemical Research Report
Authors: Youmans Hubert L.
Published: May 2005

An intensive reading of a research report is a three-step process. The first is an analytic reading, in which the aim is to separate the paper into parts that can be understood. The second is an interpretive reading, in which understanding is derived by building the author's sentences into propositions and arguments. The third reading is critical, in which strengths and weaknesses of the paper are identified. Thinking, more than word-for-word perusal, marks the second and third readings.
The Effects of Different Grade Weights on Business Game Learning Levels
Authors: Wolfe Joseph , Roberts C. Richard
Published: May 2005

Three separate senior-level business policy sections played a comprehensive computer-based business game under different game performance grade-weighting schemes. Before/after knowledge tests found that weights had a minor effect on knowledge levels. It was concluded that grade weight is an unnecessary and ineffective motivating device in a business gaming context. Additional data suggested that qualitative factors associated with grade weight issues were more important than the quantitative factors studied here.
Children's Understanding of Funeral Ritual
Authors: Silverman Phyllis R. , Worden J. William
Published: May 2005

One hundred-twenty children who experienced the death of one of their parents were interviewed about their view of the funeral ritual. Ninety-five percent of them attended the funeral. Shortly after the death they recalled little about the funeral. Two years later, children reported that it was important to them that they had attended. Attendance helped them to acknowledge the death, provided an occasion for honoring their deceased parent, and made it possible for them to receive support and comfort.
Attitudes toward Death, Anxiety, and Social Desirability
Authors: Dickstein Louis S.
Published: May 2005

Thirty-four male and thirty-four female undergraduates completed four scales of attitudes toward death including the Death Concern Scale, the Templer Death Anxiety Scale, the Tolor and Reznikoff Death Anxiety Scale, and the Fear of Death and Dying Scale, as well as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. The four death scales showed moderate commonality reflecting, on average, 35 per cent common variance for both males and females. For females, a substantial portion of this commonality could be attributed to correlations between the death scales and trait anxiety whereas for males there was stronger evidence for the discriminant validity of the death scales. Three of the four death scales showed significant negative correlations with social desirability. There were no significant sex differences on the death scales.
The Place of General Practice
Authors: Fry J.
Published: May 2005

The editor of this issue sets out the place of primary medical care or general practice in any system of health care and shows that the features and problems are common to all forms of care throughout the world.
Bereavement, Grief, and Mourning in Death-Related Literature for Children
Authors: Corr Charles A.
Published: May 2005

In preparing a series of annotated bibliographies on death-related literature for children and adolescents (Corr, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003a, 2003b), it became evident that this literature discusses topics related to bereavement, grief, and mourning in a variety of ways. That should not be surprising, since much of this literature was written to help children cope with experiences of death and loss. What is surprising, however, is the apparent absence of formal studies of bereavement issues in this body of literature in the major professional journals in the field of dying, death, and bereavement. This article is an initial attempt at rectifying that apparent gap in attention. It is also an effort to stimulate increased appreciation of these and other noteworthy aspects of death-related literature written to be read by or with children.
In Marie's Memory: The Rights of the Child with Life-Threatening or Terminal Illness
Authors: Meagher David K. , Leff Patricia Taner
Published: May 2005

This article describes the final weeks of a dying child's life and the people who cared for her. Was the suffering and isolation surrounding Marie's death as inevitable as death itself? Marie died over eight years ago. Although specific treatment issues and modalities have changed, the ethical dilemma at the core of her life remains painfully alive and continues to challenge the hospital network that services irreversibly ill children. Goals of the discussion are fourfold: 1.) to tell Marie's story as true to her experience as possible; 2.) to explore the ethical and humanistic concerns involved in Marie's life and death; 3.) to propose a model of hospital care that would encompass these concerns and, thus, have a direct impact on improving the lives of children such as Marie; and 4.) to engender thought and debate.
A Comparative Study of Measures of General Anxiety and Death Anxiety among Three Medical Groups Including Patient and Wife
Authors: Lucas Richard A.
Published: May 2005

A problem not yet extensively researched among hemodialysis patients and their families concerns matters of dying and death. This paper presents a comparative study of general and death anxiety among three different groups of physically ill males (center and home hemodialysis patients and surgery patients) and their wives. The MMPI, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Templer's Death Anxiety Scale were administered to all S's. In addition a Death Questionnaire was used in a structured interview setting with dialysis patients and their spouses in their homes. General and death anxiety scores of male and female Ss were compared. Husband-wife correlation coefficients were determined for measures obtained. Inter-correlations of the measures used were also determined.
A New Light on Distance Learning—Fiber Optics
Authors: Tompkins Lynda S.
Published: May 2005

Distance education is changing as the capabilities offered by electronic technology expand. The distant learner is no longer isolated from the educational source by geographic barriers. Two-way interaction between teacher and student is now possible through bound and unbound media. A common method of delivering distance education is satellite transmission. Satellite networks provide one-way video transmission augmented with two-way audio transmission via telephone connections. T1 lines and fiber optic cables can provide two-way video and audio communication. T1 lines provide compressed video images which are not full motion, while Tiber optic systems deliver full-motion video. Fiber optic systems are becoming a popular method to deliver education at a distance. Several states have adopted fiber networks to meet school districts' curricular demands. In face of decreasing budgets and teacher availability, fiber optics may be a cost effective teaching method for the future.
Physicians' Acceptance of an Alternative to Fee-for-Service Payment: A Possible Source of Change in Quebec Medicine
Authors: Pineault Raynald , Contandriopoulos A. P. , Fournier M. A.
Published: May 2005

This article reports on a survey conducted on a sample of Quebec physicians at the end of 1981. The objective of the study was to assess the acceptance by physicians of a possible change in their current mode of remuneration and to identify the consequences of such a change on the physicians' practice and on the attainment of broader health care objectives. The results presented in this article seem to indicate that neither the present fee-for-service mode of payment nor a change to time-based remuneration can reconcile both professional and broader health care objectives. Implications of these findings for health policies are discussed.
Interactive Multimedia in an Informal Setting: The Use of a Multimedia Information Kiosk by University Students
Authors: Liu Min
Published: May 2005

This article reports on a study that evaluated the use of a multimedia information kiosk by university students over a period of two years. It examined the users' perception of the system, their media preferences, and their patterns of use through actual on-line data and survey information. The results of the study highlighted several important features that an effective public access systems should have: 1) multiple navigation paths to accommodate users with different needs, 2) simple graphical user interface, and 3) visual media as the primary presentation means. Implications for designing public access systems and for future research were discussed.
Nursing Care of the Terminal Patient
Authors: Simmons Sandra , Given Barbara
Published: May 2005

This article reports on a study of fifty-one hospitalized dying patients who were interviewed by a nurse to determine: (1) if the dying patient would discuss his diagnosis, death, or dying if given the opportunity; and (2) what implications for nursing action the information obtained during these interviews would have. Forty-seven of the 51 patients interviewed did openly discuss or allude to these topics and verbatim accounts of some conversations are given. The major nursing implications discussed include: assignment of personnel; purposeful planning of conversation and listening time; attention-getting and control mechanisms used by patients; misinterpretation of information by patients; patient loneliness and hope; and working with families. Specific aspects of each of these topics are discussed with special emphasis on nursing application. A significant factor of this study is that it was designed and conducted by nurses, for nurses, and it presents generalized concepts that are applicable to more than one patient or one patient care setting.