bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changing Patterns of Ritual Response to Death
Authors: Irion Paul E.
Published: May 2005

Changes in our understanding of death and grief in the past decades have produced corresponding changes in funerals-the ritual response to death. Examination of new funeral service orders in a number of mainstream faith communities indicates six common trends that reflect a growing intentional awareness of the psychological and sociological insights into the mourning process. These developments in the understanding of funeral ritual make it a more effective resource for coping with death and bereavement.
Feeling Expression and the Incorporation of Presleep Events into Dreams
Authors: Kuiken Don , Rindlisbacher Peter , Nielsen Tore
Published: May 2005

The expression of feelings about events occurring immediately before sleep was expected to increase the influence of remote memories on dream content and to decrease the influence of immediate presleep events on dream content. On each of two successive nights, twelve participants were asked to 1) view an emotionally involving film, 2) select the film segment that felt personally most important, and 3) rate the film segment using adjectives descriptive of affect. Participants in the feeling expression condition were then instructed to reflect on and characterize the feelings they experienced during the film, whereas participants in the no feeling expression condition were instructed to reflect on and analyze their impressions of the film's aesthetic quality. All participants were subsequently awakened from REM sleep and asked to 1) describe their sleep mentation and 2) rate the affect accompanying that mentation. As hypothesized, participants in the feeling expression condition were less likely than participants in the no feeling expression condition to have dreams with actions and scenes similar to those from the presleep films. They were also more likely than participants in the no feeling expression condition to have dreams with affect comparable to that experienced while viewing the presleep films.
Neuropsychiatric Considerations in the Treatment of Hypertension
Authors: Rauch Scott L. , Stern Theodore A. , Zusman Randall M.
Published: May 2005

Algorithms have been developed to guide the treatment of simple hypertension. The basic algorithms are modified in the face of concurrent medical conditions, taking into account the various pharmacological effects of antihypertensive agents. This article reviews the neuropsychiatric effects of the major classes of antihypertensive agents (ganglionic blockers, centrally acting agents, diuretics, vasodilators, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors). The purported efficacy of some antihypertensive agents in the treatment of psychiatric conditions is also discussed. Beneficial as well as adverse neuropsychiatric effects are reviewed. In this way, guidelines for the treatment of hypertension are suggested which take into account a broad spectrum of neuropsychiatric considerations.
The Wish to be Informed of a Fatal Illness
Authors: Blumenfield Michael , Levy Norman B. , Kaufman Diane
Published: May 2005

The Gallup Organization was commissioned to ask a representative sample of the adult population of the United States the question: “If you had a fatal illness would you want to be told about it, or not?” Nine out of ten people interviewed said they would like to be told if they had a fatal illness. While there are some differences by groups, a large majority of all groups would like to be informed. Once people become ill they may have a change in their wish to know about a fatal illness which must be taken into account by the treating physicians.
Serpentine and Steatite Artifacts from the Washington County, Pennsylvania Hatfield Site: Descriptions and Theories of Origins
Authors: George Richard L. , Fischer Kenneth L.
Published: May 2005

Two surface-collected artifacts from the Late Prehistoric Hatfield site, Washington County, Pennsylvania, are discussed. One of these, a small incised serpentine bowl fragment, is described, and theories of its possible origin in Tennessee are considered, along with a second serpentine effigy pipe that is reported to have been found in Washington County. The second Hatfield site artifact is the bowl of a steatite pipe that is attributed to the Protohistoric period. It is similar to examples from two West Virginia sites. Another steatite pipe, from an unidentified South Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania site, is also described. The presence of the two steatite pipes in southwestern Pennsylvania extends the distribution of this little understood Protohistoric artifact type.
A Grass-Lined Maize Storage Pit and Early Maize Horticulture in Central Connecticut
Authors: Bendremer Jeffrey C. M. , Kellogg Elizabeth A. , Largy Tonya Baroody
Published: May 2005

Excavations in New England have recently unearthed evidence of maize horticulture dating to after A.D. 1000. Evidence from the Burnham-Shepard Site, a 14th century occupation in the middle Connecticut River Valley, suggests more intensive involvement with the production and storage of maize, beans and sunflower than in coastal areas of New England. Of twelve storage features identified at the Burnham-Shepard Site, four were re-used and one was a specialized, grass-lined, maize storage pit. Zea mays (Maize), Phaseolus vulgaris (Bean), Chenopodium sp. (Lamb's Quarters), and Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) were present in the pit. This feature, and similar pits identified in New York, contained a lining identified as Andropogon gerardii (Big Blue-stem). This same grass was used by eastern Plains tribes to line maize storage pits. The presence of these cultigens and the lining material suggests that not only horticulture, but a specialized storage technique were imported, probably from the west.
Special Interests or Citizens' Rights? “Senior Power,” Social Security, and Medicare
Authors: Street Debra
Published: May 2005

Conventional political analysts and mainstream media accounts attribute substantial political power to the elderly in the United States. This attribution of “senior power” is usually made in the context of the politics of Social Security and Medicare. This article contrasts the conventional construction of elderly political actors as a special interest with a more critical perspective that views Social Security and Medicare as citizens' rights. Critical examination of the welfare state's role in creating age as a potential political cleavage and the politics of Social Security and Medicare reveals that there is no undifferentiated politics of aging in the United States. Rather, age interacts with a variety of other statuses such as race/ethnicity, gender, and class to condition citizens' political mobilization. Welfare state policies—social insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare, means-tested programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income, and targeted tax expenditures for private pensions and health insurance—differentially empower particular subgroups of elderly citizens and routinely disadvantage the most vulnerable elderly, including minority elders, women, and the oldest old.
Perspectives of the Genocide Issue
Authors: Sai Fred T.
Published: May 2005

At the international level the genocide theory is used to imply a covert or overt effort by the white races to eliminate or keep down the numbers of the colored races. Within Africa, however, more important problems are related to the balkanization of the continent into small states without reference to real physical or ethnic group boundaries. This has led to national insecurity which many feel would be allayed by increasing their national numbers. Within countries too, the new approach to democracy tends to make it possible for one tribe to be dominant over the other, and this in turn creates insecurity both for the tribe in ascendancy, making it want to maintain its numerical superiority, and for the minor tribe which would like to increase its numbers rapidly. The problem is worsened by very enthusiastic advocacy of population control as the main ingredient of economic advance and unguarded recommendations for methods of fertility limitation which may be completely unacceptable in cultural terms. The lack of real population and family planning experts on the African scene is particularly to blame as is also the disproportionate allocation of funds for family planning and population activities as opposed to overall developmental goals.

In spite of the genocide theory family planning and population programs are advancing in Africa. Progress will be accelerated, however, if such activities are seen as part of overall developmental activities aimed at improving the quality of life of all of the peoples. Success is much more likely if governments and technical assistant personnel make it obvious that family planning is to be undertaken within the context of human rights: respect for the dignity of the individual, and encouragement to individuals, families, and communities in the achievement of their own aspirations.
Emerging Trends in the Swedish Health System
Authors: Saltman Richard B.
Published: May 2005

The Swedish health care system has embarked upon a broad process of organizational reform. Confronted by increasing pressures from an aging population, intensive new medical technology, and tightly constrained public sector budgets, Swedish county councils have begun to experiment with new models of health service delivery that incorporate specific elements adapted from market-oriented approaches. This article briefly reviews two of the more influential organizational models presently in place or under development in different counties, and assesses the revised role for health planning that these reforms will require at both county and national levels.
Suicide Career: A Young Woman's Story in Phenomenological Perspective
Authors: Babow Irving , Rowe Robin
Published: May 2005

As part of a wider study of young suicide attempters' unmet service needs, a suicidal woman diagnosed as catatonic schizophrenic told her story in a state mental hospital. Her account in this case study revealed much about her life history, suicide career, problems of living, needs for help, and perceptions of relevant systems. The patient's diagnosis and readmissions seemed inappropriate. Regarded as a chronic schizophrenic, she experienced therapeutic nihilism in the hospital and benign neglect in the community. Accepting the expectation of not getting well reinforced helplessness and hopelessness. A proposed model would use parts of the patient's story for preventive intervention regarding suicidal behavior and improving her social competence, social networks, and support systems. A starting point could be her eating disorder, obesity, derogatory self-image, and related substance abuse and psychological problems. Patient perceptions of needs and priorities can help systems involved plan and deliver appropriate services.
Imaginative Consciousness — Function, Process and Method
Authors: Sheehan Peter W.
Published: May 2005

The literature on imagination fails frequently to distinguish process from function and the variations in methods that researchers use can compound the problems of accurately inferring process from the data. It is necessary to examine closely what processes and functions are, in fact, implicated by the evidence and what is the contribution to the data of using particular methods of assessment. Specific sets of procedures in the field are examined to demonstrate this point and special attention paid to the relevance of treatment-person interactions for understanding the full complexity of imagery functioning. The development of new procedures that focus on the diagnostics of the communications which subjects make about their experiences is needed to recognize this complexity. Aiming toward such a goal, one particular method is outlined that appears to usefully reveal imaginative phenomena in richer detail.
The Liaison Psychiatrist in Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Knight James A.
Published: May 2005

Medical progress in transplantation has given rise to special psychiatric problems requiring understanding and proper care. If these problems are to be adequately addressed, psychological services should be available in all activities of the transplant unit. This paper discusses the role of the consultation liaison psychiatrist with patients and colleagues in kidney transplantation. Areas for exploration in evaluating prospective donors and recipients are identified. While body image problems emerge infrequently in kidney transplantation, careful psychological screening may identify some of these potential difficulties and set the stage for dealing with them. The discussion of pertinent issues and possible complications with patients proves to be an effective, preventive approach. While most members of a transplant team are aware of the ethical dimensions in transplantation, psychiatrists, by the very nature of their work as students of human behavior, are pulled directly into these issues. Further, the atmosphere on the transplant unit should be constantly monitored in order to nurture a healing environment for both patients and staff.
Mapping the Unexplored Area: Developing New Courses and Coherent Programs in Technical Communication
Authors: Stevenson Dwight W.
Published: May 2005

Teachers new to technical writing must understand that “Technical Writing” is not one course. Rather it is a whole variety of courses distinguished from one another primarily by differences in objectives and only secondarily by differences in subject matter. To identify needed technical writing courses and to define coherent sets of courses, teachers of technical writing and program administrators need “a mapping procedure” to help them consider alternatives systematically in terms of objectives. This paper proposes such a mapping procedure.
Instructional Design for College-Level Courses Using Interactive Television
Authors: Price Robert V. , Repman Judi
Published: May 2005

The effectiveness of courses delivered over a distance, like face-to-face instruction, depends on the planning of the course, class activities and the instructional materials used. The use of systematic instructional design (ID) in course planning can help to make any instruction more successful in promoting learning. However, there are significant differences between face-to-face instruction and distance learning. In this article, applicable instructional design models are reviewed, the unique characteristics of distance education in higher education via interactive television (ITV) are discussed, and a nine step instructional design model, designed specifically for college course delivery via interactive television, is presented. This model is an adaptation of the Dick and Carey model which is discussed in the article. Implementation of this model in situations which do not have large support staffs and budgets for ITV is discussed.
From Marshland to Desert: The Late Prehistoric Environment of Boca de Potrerillos, Nuevo León, Mexico
Authors: Turpin Solveig A. , Eling Herbert H. , Moreno Moisés Valadez
Published: May 2005

Despite the paucity of archaeological research in the Sierra Madre Oriental ecotone of northeastern Mexico, a patterned distribution of large open campsites replete with petroglyphs is suggested by a recent rock art survey sponsored by the Mexican government. Pilot research at Boca de Potrerillos, one of the largest and best preserved examples of this site type, demonstrates that the intermontane desert of today was once a combination of grassland and wetland. Hundreds of hearths are now exposed on the surface of a desiccated alluvial plain and thousands of petroglyphs have been incised into sandstone boulders fringing the occupational area. Radiocarbon assay of charcoal derived from buried hearths dates the intact subsurface living surfaces to the period between 1350 and 650 years ago. Pollen and phytolith samples from buried strata and ground stone implements describe a mesic environment and provide a list of potential economic plants processed at the site. The presence of both aquatic and terrestrial snails supports the paleoenvironmental reconstruction of wetlands, replete with emergent vegetation, flanked by rocky slopes. Archival research suggests that a drying trend is mirrored in the agricultural history of the valley but the extreme degradation effected in the last four decades is attributable to modern exploitation of the aquifer.
A Psychiatric Consultation/Liaison Clinic: Follow-up of Fifty-Four Patients Referred from Neurology
Authors: Schwartz Joseph , Speed Nancy , Kuskowski Michael
Published: May 2005

To assess the impact of psychiatric consultation, the authors reviewed the charts of patients referred from a neurology clinic to an outpatient consultation/liaison psychiatry clinic. The patients were found to have both significant neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Only 46 percent returned to see their neurologists within six months of the referral. This finding highlights a major problem in outpatient consultation.
Deixis and the Format of the Business Letter
Authors: Campbell B. G.
Published: May 2005

The format of the business letter reflects the necessary adjustments that writers must make to communicate successfully in the written medium. The heading, inside address, salutation, complimentary close, and signature block establish contextual anchoring for the reader to understand the many deictic references within the body of the letter. By seeing the practical nature of the components of the business letter, students no longer view the format as arbitrary and ad hoc.
Relationships between Beer, Wine, and Spirits Consumption and Suicide Rates in U.S. States from 1977 to 1988
Authors: Liu Tiepu , Waterbor John W. , Soong Seng-Jaw
Published: May 2005

Relationships between alcohol consumption and suicide rates were examined through an ecological study. Data on total apparent per capita alcohol consumption, as well as beer, wine, and spirits consumption, from 1977 to 1988 in each of the fifty U.S. states and District of Columbia were compared with suicide rates. It was found that total alcohol consumption was weakly but significantly related to suicide rate by univariate analysis ( r = 0.16, p < 0.01). Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.30, 0.12, and −0.01 for correlation of suicide rate with beer, wine, and spirits consumption, respectively. Over the twelve years, the magnitude of associations between total alcohol consumption and suicide varied with correlation coefficients of 0.29, 0.23, 0.09, and 0.11 for four three-year periods, 1977–79, 1980–82, 1983–85, and 1986–88, respectively. The association between beer consumption and suicide persisted over the whole period with correlation coefficients of 0.35, 0.31, 0.26, and 0.30, while that between wine and suicide did not. Associations were also examined by quartile of each alcohol's consumption. Significant inverse association was found for beer as well as total consumptions at the lowest quartile. However, at the highest quartile, beer and spirits consumption showed positive association with suicide. These data suggest a “U-shaped” curve relating suicide rate to alcohol consumption. By using 1980 census data with adjustment for confounding effects of socioeconomic factors, total alcoholconsumption was found to be positively associated with suicide especially at high consumption level. At low level consumption, beer showed an inverse association with suicide after controlling for confounding effects.
Psychiatric Indications for Carbamazepine
Authors: Goldstein David M. , Gardner David L.
Published: May 2005

Carbamazepine, a drug initially used for the treatment of seizure disorders, is currently being investigated for its usefulness with psychiatric patients. Affectively disturbed patients in particular have received attention. This article presents three clinical vignettes of patients helped by carbamazepine and suggests future research directions.
Use of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale as a Predictor of Psychiatric Admission for Non-Suicidal Patients
Authors: Hooten W. Michael , Lyketsos Constantine G. , Mollenhauer Mark
Published: May 2005

Objective:

We hypothesized that a systematic determination of symptom severity would predict psychiatric admission for non-suicidal patients referred for a psychiatric evaluation in an urban emergency department (ED) setting.

Method:

In a pilot study involving consecutive patients referred for a psychiatric evaluation in an urban ED, symptom severity was quantified using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). The BPRS scores of all non-suicidal patients were subjected to receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and optimal cutoff score of the BPRS in predicting admission for non-suicidal patients.

Results:

A BPRS cutoff score of 39 had a sensitivity of 85.71 percent and a specificity of 86.11 percent. The area under the ROC curve was .8671 (Somer's D = .7342) and the standard error of the curve was .1124. The cutoff score of 39 correctly identified six of seven non-suicidal patients who were hospitalized.

Conclusions:

It is anticipated that use of the BPRS in the ED will be further refined when a larger patient sample is studied. Potentially, a subset of BPRS items could be identified which would be more sensitive in predicting admission than the full BPRS and increase the overall efficiency of administering the BPRS in the ED.
Non-Compliance with Instructions in Studies of the Use of Imagery as a Memory Aid
Authors: Campos Alfredo , López Antonio , Pérez María José
Published: May 2005

Subjects compliance with instructions was evaluated in tests of the efficacy of normal or bizarre imagery as memory aids. High-school students (total sample size = 500) were presented with lists of thirty-two word pairs, and instructed to form normal or bizarre images as aids to remembering the words in each pair. Subjects also completed a questionnaire designed to evaluate the type of imagery used in each case. On the basis of the completed questionnaires, two independent judges then classified each subject as a “complier” or “non-complier.” The proportion of non-compliers was significantly larger among subjects instructed to use bizarre images than among subjects instructed to use normal images. Recall rates were significantly higher 1) among subjects who used bizarre images than among subjects who used normal images. 2) among compliers than among non-compliers, and 3) immediately after presentation of the word list than one week later.
Are Death Anxiety and Death Depression Distinct Entities?
Authors: Alvarado Katherine A. , Templer Donald I. , Bresler Charles , Thomas-Dobson Shan
Published: May 2005

Subjective distress about the matter of death is widely recognized by thanatology scholars to be multiple faceted. Although there are several instruments that assess anxiety or fear regarding death, until recently there had been no instrument reported in the literature for measuring depression pertaining to death. In the present study the fifteen-item Death Anxiety Scale and the more recently constructed seventeen-item Death Depression Scale were correlated, and their combined thirty-two items were factor analyzed. The two scales correlated .55. Factor 1 was labeled “death anxiety” and its five highest factor loadings were with Death Anxiety Scale items. Factor 2 was labeled “death depression” and its five highest factor loadings were with Death Depression Scale items. Factors 3 and 4 each had the highest factor loadings on both Death Anxiety Scale and Death Depression Scale items and were respectively called “death of others” and “brevity of life.” Factor 5 was called “meaning-lessness of life” and its highest factor loadings were with Death Depression Scale items. It was concluded that the two death attitude instruments do have discriminant validity in relationship to each other. Also, suggestions were made for the combined use of these two scales.
Cognitive Processing, Text Linguistics and Documentation Writing
Authors: Mirel Barbara
Published: May 2005

Software documentation is a growing field in technical writing, yet no synthesis of current research exists to bring together findings on content, form, and the invoked relationship between reader and writer. Without such an overview writers are apt to follow discrete, context-free prescriptions instead of guiding principles that account for the multidimensional functions of language in the communication act of a user's manual. This article reviews findings from research in cognitive processing and text linguistics to derive such a set of principles. It then assesses a widely-used wordprocessing manual against these principles to find that the writers manipulate form (the textual function of language) to achieve comprehension better than they do content (the ideational function) or reader-writer relationships (the interpersonal function). However, comprehension is stymied without equal attention paid to ideational and interpersonal strategies.
Evaluation of a Parent Child Drug Education Program
Authors: Young Michael , Kersten Carolyn , Werch Chudley
Published: May 2005

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a parent-child drug education program. One thousand four hundred and forty-seven fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students and 2,036 of their parents participated in the study. Results indicated that the program produced changes in the responses of children and their parents to questions concerning attitudes, use, perceptions of use, and intended use of drugs.
Development of a Tele-Oral Test Hardware System Using Video Equipments and its Evaluation
Authors: Kitagaki Ikuo , Ikoda Tomohiro , Miyamoto Yuhko
Published: May 2005

In an employment exam, students take the oral test. As for the oral test training, assuming that a trainee and the trainer as interviewer are separate by a long distance, here we discuss a distant training method of the oral test using a video camera and a TV monitor. We call it a tele-oral test training. In order that their eyes meet through the TV monitor, we propose a sophisticated hardware system using a half-mirror between a TV monitor and the trainer (and the trainee). We compare three kinds of the distant training hardware system: with a half-mirror, without a half-mirror, and telephones. As a result, the system with a half-mirror gets the highest utility. It was also obtained that the utility was about 90 percent of that in the direct face-to-face oral test method.
Relations of Home Preference with Temperament and with Prevailing Emotional Conditions in Everyday Life
Authors: Mehrabian Albert
Published: May 2005

Two studies explored relations of an individual's ideal home environment with (1) his/her personality or temperament and (2) the prevailing emotional conditions present in his/her everyday work and family life. The PAD Temperament and Emotion Models were used to assess temperament and the emotional impact of everyday work and family life and of the ideal residence. Findings across both studies consistently supported the proposed hypotheses of positive correlations between temperament Pleasantness (Arousability, Dominance) and life-circumstance Pleasure (Arousal, Dominance) on the one hand, and Pleasure (Arousal, Dominance) impact of ideal residence on the other. Thus, (1) temperament variables and (2) prevailing emotional conditions in everyday work and home life related positively to the emotional conditions individuals sought in their ideal residences. Also, across both studies, participants showed strong preferences for residences that would heighten pleasure and dominance, but not arousal, levels.
Expression of Anger and Alexithymia in Patients with Psychogenic Excoriation: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Çalikuşu Celal , Yücel Başak , Polat Aslihan , Baykal Can
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Psychogenic excoriation (PE), which is characterized by lesions formed by self-picking, has a significant place among the dermatoses related to psychological factors. Emotions, particularly anger that cannot be expressed, may be important in the etiology. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sociodemographic characteristics of patients with PE and with another psychodermatosis, and compare them in terms of anger, manner of anger expression, and alexithymia.

Methods:

Thirty-one consecutive subjects with PE and thirty-one patients with chronic urticaria were recruited from an outpatient dermatology clinic. All of the subjects completed Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Trait Anger and Anger Expression Scale.

Results:

PE patients had higher levels of anger ( p < .01), tended not to show their anger ( p < .05), and were more alexithymic ( p < .05). There was also a positive correlation between anger and alexithymia scores ( r = .49, p < .05).

Discussion:

PE, a severe and chronic psychiatric and dermatological problem, may be related to affect-regulation, particularly anger and alexithymia. Due to the fact that it has a different place among psychodermatoses, individuals with PE might benefit from learning how to regulate their affects other than by excoriation.
Suicide-Related Experiences among Blacks: An Empirical Test of a Suicide Potential Scale
Authors: Wenz Friedrich V.
Published: May 2005

There has been a continuing controversy concerning the rate of black suicide. A majority of studies reported lower suicide rates for blacks. Contrary to these studies, some of the literature indicates that the opposite is true and that suicide among black Americans has been a problem since the nineteenth century. Developing a Suicide Potential Scale for a number of socially differentiated and stratified census tract populations in a northern city, this paper argues that scores on this scale are related to actual suicidal behavior. Variation in scores among racial groups are examined within two different economic status areas of the city. Little variation in suicide potential scores among racial groups was found within the two economic status areas, but wide variation exists between different economic status areas. These data support the position that variation in suicide among blacks is mainly determined by economic status.
The Ghost of Health Services Past: Comparing British Health Policy of the 1930s with the 1980s and 1990s
Authors: Powell Martin A.
Published: May 2005

It has recently been argued that British health policy of the 1990s has a number of similarities with that of the 1930s. In other words, recent years have seen a return to earlier policies, which has been termed “back to the future.” The author critically examines these assertions under a number of themes: comprehensiveness, services free at the point of use, inequality, planning, coordination, adverse selection, and democracy. In many of these areas there is a good deal of similarity between the periods. Moreover, both periods appear to be inferior to the intervening period of the “classic” National Health Service. A different temporal pattern is observable in the area of democracy, where there appears to be a clear deterioration over time. However, in many ways, the ghost of health services past may return to haunt the future.
Computerized Academic Monitoring System: A Support System for Improving Minority Student Persistence in Select Problem Courses
Authors: Goodrich Andrew
Published: May 2005

In order to improve student retention in an Educational Assistance Program (EAP), a Computerized Academic Monitoring System (CAMS) was designed and implemented. This paper describes the various components of CAMS and how it was implemented at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. Design features include incorporation of recent research on student retention and adaptability to other institutions.
Computer-Based Integrated Learning Systems in the Elementary and Middle Grades: A Critical Review and Synthesis of Evaluation Reports
Authors: Becker Henry Jay
Published: May 2005

Currently, schools are investing substantial funds in integrated learning systems (I.L.S.'s)—networked comprehensive basic skills software from a single vendor. Although rational arguments can be made for the effectiveness of I.L.S.'s, districts want—and vendors are supplying—empirical evidence for decisionmaking. This article reanalyzes results reported in thirty evaluations of I.L.S.'s by using a common “effect size” statistic and correcting, where possible, for deficiencies in the original designs and reports. Some studies (including the most widely cited) substantially over-report I.L.S. effectiveness. On average, I.L.S.'s show a moderately positive effect on student achievement. However, the poor quality of most evaluations and the likely bias in what does get reported at all provide too weak a platform for district purchasing decisions.
Pinter: EGO Development and Psychological Space
Authors: Schneiderman Leo
Published: May 2005

This article analyzes Pinter's room-symbolism as a form of imagery deriving from the earliest stages of the mother-infant relationship, antedating the process of separation-individuation. Such imagery, conceived as forming an integral part of cognitive and adaptive skills, serves as a spatial analogue of secure/insecure containment by the mother. Feelings of insecurity are engendered by the child's perception of the mother as a dangerous or non-gratifying object. The symbolic representation of the child's conflicted feelings, as interpreted by Pinter, is a room or house that fails to provide protection against invasive forces. The result of such vulnerability, explored with great ingenuity by Pinter, is the blocking of major ego functions and resources for coping. The invasive forces, resulting from projected aggressive drives, overwhelm Pinter's feckless protagonists, who yearn for the physical reparation of the mother's “destroyed” body. The playwright's anti-heroes and their antagonists alike represent the divided self, in which the aggressors act on behalf of an archaic, punitive superego. Such a superego is traceable to early defects of ego development in which perceptual and cognitive distortions play an important role.
Communication Training for Hospice Volunteers
Authors: Coffman Stephen L. , Coffman Victoria T.
Published: May 2005

For the past five years the first author has served as a communication trainer of new volunteers for a thriving Hospice organization. This article details the communication-related portions of the new volunteer training process. This description covers both the theoretical intentions of the training as well as the contextual applications. It can serve as a text and an outline of activities in developing an initial communication skills training program for Hospice volunteers. Topics addressed include trusting, listening, talking about death and dying, communication/interacting effectively, being assertive, taking responsibility, modeling appropriate behavior, and using imagination.
Globalization and the Pharmaceutical Industry Revisited
Authors: Busfield Joan
Published: May 2005

This survey of the pharmaceutical industry at the beginning of the 21st century updates some of the information provided in Claudio Tarabusi and Graham Vickery's survey, “Globalization in the Pharmaceutical Industry,” published in the International Journal of Health Services in 1998, which was largely based on data up to 1993. However, the purpose of the present article differs from that of Tarabusi and Vickery, which covered a wide range of aspects of the industry relevant to globalization but did not explicitly address the question of the extent to which the industry could be described as globalized. After looking at the industry in some detail, the author directly confronts the question of the appropriateness of the use of the term “globalization” for characterizing the directions in which the pharmaceutical industry has been moving.
Recent Distortions of Ethnohistorical and Archaeological Data for the Arikaras and General Plains
Authors: Thurman Melburn D.
Published: May 2005

Orser's (1983) paper on Arikara mortuary procedures, in which he has used unsound ethnohistorical research to buttress shaky archaeological conclusions, betrays a general misunderstanding of ethnohistorical data. This article, which concerns itself with the interrelationships of archaeological and ethnohistorical data, reexamines Orser's analysis of Mackay's notes on Indians: 1) suggests that these notes (which Orser could only bracket to 1799–1822) were written by 1804; 2) shows that there is no reason to accept any of Orser's references pertaining to Arikara scaffold burial; 3) outlines why Orser's “ethnohistorical” research is unsound; and 4) shows how this unsound ethnohistory hampers the advance of knowledge of the Plains. In short, this article serves to caution scholars not well versed in Arikara and Plains data about the shortcomings of Orser's studies.
Sure, I'm Creative—But Not in Mathematics!: Self-Reported Creativity in Diverse Domains
Authors: Kaufman James C. , Baer John
Published: May 2005

The degree to which creativity is domain-specific or domain-general remains hotly contested, but there is at least one area of agreement: people have different creativity profiles. In this study, we asked 241 students to give self-ratings of their creativity in different domains. These ratings were then studied for inter-correlations. We also examined how such self-assessments in diverse domains relate to other measures of cognitive ability and to creativity as measured with a personality scale. In general, if students viewed themselves as generally creative, they also viewed themselves as creative in different areas. The only area that was not correlated with general creativity ratings was mathematics.
Susquehannock Animal Economy
Authors: Webster Gary S.
Published: May 2005

The importance of animal resources within economies of historic Northern Iroquois tribes has been largely overlooked by anthropologists. Recent studies of known ethnohistorical sources on Iroquois animal use including the analysis of archaeofaunal data from four Susquehannock village sites, dating ca AD 1575–1685, provide valuable information on the fundamental role played by animals within both subsistence and political economies. A significant finding is that Susquehannock villages altered animal procurement patterns over time in response to four factors: 1) hunter density, 2) native incentives, 3) military risk, and 4) new technologies. It is argued that the observed trends represent alternate strategies devised to harvest desired levels of meat and valuable furs economically and safely under the rapidly changing conditions of the 17th century.
Freidson Then and Now: An “Internalist” Critique of Freidson's Past and Present Views of the Medical Profession
Authors: Coburn David
Published: May 2005

Freidson is a foremost analyst of the medical profession. Most recently Freidson attacks those who claim that medicine is declining in power. He insists that medicine has not lost the core elements that make it a powerful, indeed, the dominant, health profession. The author compares Freidson's early writings on medicine with his most recent ones, and shows that there are critical confusions in Freidson's central concepts of professional autonomy and dominance. This difficulty is illuminated by viewing dominance, autonomy, and subordination as on a continuum of control. Using this continuum, the author argues that Freidson implicitly admits what he set out to deny (that medicine has not declined in power) by shifting his focus from medical dominance to that of autonomy. Freidson also now rejects valid parts of his earlier work (that which emphasizes social structural determinants of behavior over socialization). In equating medicine in the United States with teaching in that country, Freidson's contention of “little change in medical power” meets its own refutation. Finally, despite his derogation of others, Freidson's lack of an adequate framework to explain the dynamics and not simply the structure of health care produces purely normative, Utopian (and unhelpful) policy recommendations.
Asbestos Hazard Evaluation in South Korean Textile Production
Authors: Johanning Eckardt , Goldberg Mark , Kim Rokho
Published: May 2005

The manufacture and use of asbestos-containing products has become the object of restrictive environmental and occupational health regulation in the United States and many European countries. World production, however, has not declined, but rather shifted to developing countries. Our knowledge of the working conditions in these countries is limited. This article describes an investigation conducted in 1991 into the conditions and work practices in asbestos textile manufacturing in South Korea. The findings are based on site visits to several asbestos textile manufacturing facilities, meetings with industrial safety experts, and labor and industry representatives. The authors describe the current status of exposure control technology and industrial hygiene practices, and the results of personal asbestos dust monitoring at five representative textile production workstations. In general, manufacturers and regulatory agencies have not taken the precautions necessary to adequately protect employee health and meet international standards. Worker exposure to asbestos dust well above U.S. and German standards is commonplace in South Korea. International cooperation of health and safety experts with experience in asbestos-related problems should be promoted to improve the level of industrial safety in developing countries.
The Development of the Concept of Death among Chinese and U.S. Children 3–17 Years of Age: From Binary to “Fuzzy” Concepts?
Authors: Brent Sandor B. , Speece Mark W. , Lin Chongede , Dong Qi , Yang Chongming
Published: May 2005

This is a cross-cultural study of the development of three components of the concept of death: Universality, Irreversibility, and Nonfunctionality. Two hundred and sixty-two Chinese and 215 U.S. children were interviewed individually using a standard interview schedule. Universality was understood at an early age by virtually all children in both cultures, as expected. However, the children's understanding of Irreversibility and Nonfunctionality varied with both culture and age: overall a greater percentage of Chinese than U.S. children gave the presumed mature adult response to each of these components; within both cultures this percentage decreased with age, rather than increasing as predicted by traditional theories of children's concept development. The children's explanation for their responses suggest that with increasing age children of both cultures develop a more complex but “fuzzier” conceptualization of death—one which increasingly includes both 1) Non-naturalistic and Naturalistic considerations and 2) uncertainty about the exact nature and location of the boundary between life and death. Implications for a more general understanding of how such complex “fuzzy” concepts develop and how they might be influenced by cultural and situational factors are discussed.
Computer Inclination of Students and Teachers in Relation to Their STS Views
Authors: Zoller Uri , Donn Stuart
Published: May 2005

The computer inclination (CI) of 881 eleventh-grade students and of their 181 teachers in relation to their Science-Technology-Society (STS) views was assessed in randomly selected high schools in British Columbia using a two-part questionnaire: a short, modified version of the Survey of Attitudes Toward Learning About and Working With Computers for the CI, and a condensed form of the Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) Inventory for the STS views. Significant differences between the computer inclinations of non-STS and STS students and between the STS views of non-STS and STS teachers and students in the “attitude” category were found, but there were no differences between other subgroups on these dimensions. Computer Inclination Indices (CII) and Science/Technology Indices (STx) have been defined and used for the elucidation of possible correlations between the CIIs and the STxs. It is argued that the CIs and STS views of both students and teachers should be assessed and taken into consideration by the educational policy makers and developers of future science curricula and teacher training programs, if the goals of the currently sought reforms in science education are to be attained.
Star + Transcription Rules = Reliable Readability Index
Authors: Lemos Ronald S.
Published: May 2005

STAR, a computer program that computes Flesch Reading Ease scores and reading grade level estimates is described. This program processes text samples in an on-line environment The readability indicators are a function of number of syllables per word and number of words per sentence. Six text transcription rules are described to maximize the reliability of computer processing. Nineteen varied samples are analyzed by STAR and compared to hand calculations done by Flesch. The results show that the STAR program, coupled with the described transcription rules, is an extremely reliable analysis tool.
A Phenomenological Study of Wisdom in Later Life
Authors: Montgomery Anita , Barber Clifton , McKee Patrick
Published: May 2005

There is growing agreement that wisdom is multidimensional. But are the dimensions imputed to wisdom by recent theories congruent with major attributes of wisdom as lived by aging adults? Significant data exist on the attributes that various populations, including elderly populations, associate with wisdom. But there is little data available on what attributes and dimensions of wisdom emerge in descriptions of wisdom as lived by older adults. To produce such data, we adopted a phenomenological approach to wisdom. Interviews were conducted individually with six older adults. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using a qualitative software program known as MAX. We concluded that essential elements of wisdom as it is lived are Guidance, Knowledge, Experience, Moral Principles, Time, and Compassionate Relationships.
Psychosis and Pseudo Dementia Associated with Hemodialysis
Authors: Buchanan Denton C. , Abram Harry S. , Wells Charles , Teschan Paul
Published: May 2005

A patient treated with hemodialysis developed psychotic episodes, including visual hallucinations and delusions, as well as symptoms similar to the fatal dialysis dementia. His hospital course seems to demonstrate an original organic dysfunction with behavioral sequelae that were perpetuated by psychological difficulties. His tendency to overdramatize his disability and to adopt an excessively helpless and passive role made treatment difficult. A one-year followup is provided along with a discussion of the relationship of his case to dialysis dementia.
Annual Reports: A Literature Review (1989–2001)
Authors: Lord Heather L.
Published: May 2005

Since the collapse of Enron Corporation in November 2001, annual reports and corporate financial disclosures have been the focus of government, corporate, and public attention. This article examines the literature written about annual reports between 1989 and 2001 to identify trends in research and determine areas of future study. Articles were categorized as related to SEC regulations and guidelines, summary annual reports, online annual reports, rhetorical analysis of annual reports, readability and accessibility of annual reports, methods of conveying negative information in annual reports, effective annual report writing, use and importance of annual reports, or use of annual reports in business writing classes. Post-Enron, it is likely that the number of articles in this area will dramatically increase over the next five to ten years.