bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the “Liberal Media” Claim: Journalists' Views on Politics, Economic and Social Policy (Including Health Care), and Media Coverage
Authors: Croteau David
Published: May 2005

The conservative critique of the news media rests on two general propositions: journalists hold views that are to the left of the public, and journalists frame news content in a way that accentuates these left perspectives. Previous research has revealed persuasive evidence against the latter claim, but the validity of the former claim has often been taken for granted. This research project examined the supposed left orientation of media personnel by surveying Washington-based journalists who cover national politics and/or economic policy at U.S. outlets. The findings include: (1) On select issues from corporate power and trade to Social Security and Medicare to health care and taxes, journalists are actually more conservative than the general public. (2) Journalists are mostly centrist in their political orientation. (3) The minority of journalists who do not identify with the “center” are more likely to identify with the “right” when it comes to economic issues and to identify with the “left” when it comes to social issues. (4) Journalists report that “business-oriented news outlets” and “major daily newspapers” provide the highest quality coverage of economic policy issues, while “broadcast network TV news” and “cable news services” provide the worst.
Food Lobbies, the Food Pyramid, and U.S. Nutrition Policy
Authors: Nestle Marion
Published: May 2005

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 1991 withdrawal of its Eating Right Pyramid food guide in response to pressure from meat and dairy producers was only the latest in a long series of industry attempts to influence federal dietary recommendations. Such attempts began when diet-related health problems in the United States shifted in prevalence from nutrient deficiencies to chronic diseases, and dietary advice shifted from “eat more” to “eat less.” The Pyramid controversy focuses attention on the conflict between federal protection of the rights of food lobbyists to act in their own self-interest, and federal responsibility to promote the nutritional health of the public. Since 1977, for example, under pressure from meat producers, federal dietary advice has evolved from “decrease consumption of meat” to “have two or three (daily) servings.” Thus, this recent incident also highlights the inherent conflict of interest in the Department of Agriculture's dual mandates to promote U.S. agricultural products and to advise the public about healthy food choices.
Psychiatric Aspects of L-Dopa Therapy of Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Pearlman Chester A. , Sax Daniel S. , Feldman Robert D.
Published: May 2005

Psychiatric complications of L-dopa treatment of Parkinson's disease at our hospital were less frequent and severe than reported at other institutions. Psychosocial factors were much more prominent in the complications that did occur than a pharmacologic effect of L-dopa. Interest in the connections between L-dopa, catecholamine metabolism and emotional disorder should not lead to neglect of medical-psychological aspects of L-dopa therapy.
Does Sex Preference Affect Contraceptive Use in Bangladesh?
Authors: Kabir Ahmad , Islam Mohammad Shahidul , Kabir M.
Published: May 2005

Using the data derived from the three national surveys, this article attempts to find the effect of sex preference on the use of contraception. The findings showed that in the absence of sex preference, there would have been an increase in the contraceptive prevalence rate indicating that sex preference is still prevalent in Bangladesh. But this effect has been weakened with increase in contraceptive prevalence rate. Analysis of variance suggests that son preference is an important determinant of contraceptive use.
Computer Anxiety and Computer-Based Training: A Laboratory Experiment
Authors: Harrington Kermith V. , McElroy James C. , Morrow Paula C.
Published: May 2005

Seventy-four undergraduate students voluntarily participated in a laboratory experiment involving the learning of WordStar, a personal computer word processing software package. The experiment constituted a 2X2X2 factorial design; two levels of computer anxiety (based on a pre-experimental questionnaire), two types of training (lecture/demonstration versus self-paced tutorial) and a matching/nonmatching of personal preference for a particular leaning mode. Results indicated that pre-experimental computer anxiety directly affected post-experimental computer anxiety, number of questions asked during training and future intentions to avoid using WordStar. Type of training affected the number of questions asked and marginally influenced the number of errors. Preferred choice of training demonstrated no main effects but did interact with the other independent variables.
An Empirical Study of Intuition and Creativity
Authors: Raidl Marie-Hélène , Lubart Todd I.
Published: May 2005

The relationship between intuition and creativity is examined. After defining intuition from a phenomenological point of view and in terms of the cognitive and conative processes at work, an empirical study of intuition and creativity is presented. Creativity was measured through a test of divergent thinking as well as two creative production tasks. The tendency to act or treat information using an intuitive mode was assessed by: a) the Rational-Experiential Inventory [1]; b) scenario-based questionnaire; and c) two objective tests that measured some of the processes hypothesized to be central to intuition. The results from 76 student participants show that the scenario-based intuition questionnaire was significantly related to the REI intuition scale and to measures of creativity. The other measures of intuition showed little to no relation to creativity. Perspectives for future research are discussed.
What Retailers are Doing to Prevent Tobacco Sales to Minors
Authors: Cummings K. Michael , Hyland Andrew , Saunders-Martin Tina , Perla Jeanne
Published: May 2005

One essential factor in youth tobacco use is a ready source of tobacco products. In May 1994, twelve state Attorneys General formed a working group to study the problem of illegal tobacco sales to minors. The working group met with various segments of the retail community to identify actions that could be taken to effectively prevent tobacco sales to minors. The goal of this research was to determine the extent to which tobacco selling retailers have implemented seven of the key recommendations of a working group of state Attorneys General. To address this goal, a five minute telephone survey of owners/managers of 174 tobacco selling retail outlets in Erie County, New York was conducted in February 1995. Results show that nearly all tobacco-selling retailers have implemented at least some store policy designed to prevent tobacco sales to minors. However, most stores continue to sell tobacco products in self-service displays and few stores with electronic price scanners have programmed them to prompt clerks to ask tobacco-purchasing customers for age identification. Shoplifting of tobacco products appears to be a bigger problem in stores with self-service displays.
Bibliotherapy: Using Books to Help Bereaved Children
Authors: Berns Carol F.
Published: May 2005

This article explores bibliotherapy as a process in which death-related literature is used to help bereaved children cope with experiences of death and loss. For that exploration, this article defines bibliotherapy, offers an argument in support of its value, and suggests how a potential bibliotherapist might begin. Suggestions are made for selecting and using stories in bibliotherapy. Since most bibliotherapy is actually used as an optional tool in bereavement support groups, guidelines are offered as to how it might best be implemented in that context. Much of this discussion is also relevant to the use of bibliotherapy on a one-to-one basis involving a particular child and an adult guide. Examples of stories and books for children that I have used in bibliotherapy are mentioned throughout this article.
Substance Use among Women at Risk for HIV Infection
Authors: Wambach K. G. , Byers Joseph B. , Harrison Dianne F. , Levine Philippa , Imershein Allen W. , Quadagno David M. , Maddox Kim
Published: May 2005

This article reports results from a survey of culturally diverse women at risk for HIV infection in south Florida. Data concerning their substance use and its association with HIV risk behaviors are presented. Results indicate levels of consumption which exceed expectations based on general estimates of female substance use. Further, substance use was associated with specific behaviors and lifestyles which placed the women at increased risk for HIV infection.
Imagery and the Recall of Movement Patterns
Authors: Hall Craig , Buckolz Eric
Published: May 2005

Whether instructions to image improves the recall of simple movement patterns was investigated. A second purpose was to determine if recall of such patterns is related to their imagery-arousing value. Participants were presented a list of movement patterns varying in imagery values. Half of the participants were instructed to mentally image each pattern while the remaining participants were given no mnemonic strategy. Free recall was no better for those participants instructed to image than for those who were not. The majority of participants reported both imaging and verbally labelling the movement patterns, regardless of the mnemonic strategy they were requested to use. Recall performance was, however, a direct function of the imagery-arousing value of a pattern. The higher the imagery value, the better the recall.
The Effect of Hedonic Context on Evaluations and Experience of Paintings
Authors: Herz Rachel S. , Cupchik Gerald C.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the proposition that the hedonic context within which paintings are viewed interacts with the hedonic quality of paintings to determine aesthetic evaluation. Hedonic context was manipulated using twelve positive and twelve negative odor cues in three different formats (odor alone, odor + name, name alone). The hedonic quality of paintings was manipulated using six positive, six negative and twelve neutral emotionally toned paintings. Twenty-four males and twenty-four females viewed each painting in the context of a different cue with half of the emotional cue-painting trials being hedonically congruent (e.g., pos-pos) and half hedonically incongruent (e.g., neg-pos). Following each cue-painting trial subjects provided their evaluations of the paintings along artistic (e.g., artistic quality, visual complexity) and subjective-emotional (e.g., personal meaningfulness, pleasantness, tense-relaxed) dimensions. As predicted, all aesthetic evaluations were intensified when the cue and painting were hedonically congruent. Moreover, evaluations of the most emotionally potent painting group (negative paintings) were least influenced by context, and women were more sensitive to congruency and emotional context in general than were men. The results were interpreted in accordance with prior research and principles in experimental psychology and aesthetics.
Polio, Politics, Publicity, and Duplicity: Ethical Aspects in the Development of the Salk Vaccine
Authors: Brandt Allan M.
Published: May 2005

This paper is an historical account of the discovery, testing, and early distribution of the Salk polio vaccine. The discovery posed fundamental dilemmas of medical research, pharmaceutical production, and public health. This paper assesses the ethical problems which arose, and examines critically their resolution.

The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (March of Dimes) financed and directed the discovery of the vaccine, subsequent field trials, and early distribution. The Foundation's role is analyzed with special attention to the conflicts between its philanthropic and scientific functions.

The great public demand which the discovery of the vaccine generated created a need for federal control which was only partly met. The federal government did not have sufficient institutional and legal mechanisms to assure the safety of the vaccine and protect the public. This discussion illustrates the failure of the government to keep pace with medical technology.
The Development of Community Care Policy for the Elderly: A Comparative Perspective
Authors: Litwin Howard , Lightman Ernie
Published: May 2005

A comparison of the development of community care for the elderly in the province of Ontario, Canada, and in the State of Israel is presented in the light of the economic constraints currently challenging the expansion of welfare state services. The inquiry identified several common issues regarding the nature of the policy mandate for long-term care delivered in the home, the structure of the service delivery system, and matters concerning funding arrangements for community care. Issues that emerged in both settings include the relationship between health and social services in the delivery of care at the local level; the separation of purchaser and provider functions; the question of needs-driven versus service-driven social care provisions; accessibility concerns and the aspiration for one-stop entry to the delivery system; the growing involvement of the private sector in the delivery of domiciliary-based personal care services; and the relative paucity of current efforts to address the needs of family caregivers.
Rhetorical Theory and Newsletter Writing
Authors: Blyler Nancy Roundy
Published: May 2005

Research on newsletters, a major form of organizational communication, has largely been practical rather than theoretical. Certain theories, such as those in organizational theory and mass communication, can be applied to newsletters as forms of organizational communication and as media. Rhetorical theory, however, has not been used to understand how newsletter writing achieves its effects. This study applies rhetorical theory to newsletters produced by two political-activist organizations. The newsletters and the organizations are described, as background for the study. Three aspects of rhetorical theory (schema theory, social construction, and theories about audience) are presented, and their application to the newsletters is illustrated with sample passages. An agenda is suggested for further research on rhetorical theory and newsletter writing.
Medical and Psychological Characteristics of “Crocks”
Authors: Lipsitt Don R.
Published: May 2005

The so-called “crock” is a familiar and difficult patient for physicians to treat. This paper presents, through case illustration, one example of the treatment and course of such patients and describes characteristics commonly observed in them. Attention is drawn to the depressive and masochistic features of the “crock” and how his tendency to abortively utilize symptoms and complaints evokes interest and concern in others. Parallels are drawn between Freud's description of “negative therapeutic reaction” and characteristics of the “crock,” and practical suggestions are offered for the early recognition and treatment of these people.
High Risk Behaviors in Adolescence and Their Relationship to Death Anxiety and Death Personifications
Authors: Cotter Richard P.
Published: May 2005

This study examines adolescent perceptions of death with a sample of 220 high school students. Variables examined were personifications of death, death anxiety, locus of control, self-esteem, and level of risk. Chi-square, regression analysis, and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. High risk behaviors were negatively correlated with death anxiety. Males had higher risk scores and lower death anxiety scores than females. Females revealed higher death anxiety scores than males and lower self-esteem scores. High self-esteem correlated with an internal locus of control. Most students selected a male, cold, remote death personification image; females were more likely to select a female death personification image than males. These results suggest that adolescents have formulated a perception of death. When asked to personify death most students chose a negative, cold, remote image, with females more likely to select a gentle, comforting death image than males. The grim, terrifying, and robot-like images were more likely to be selected by males but were chosen much less frequently than the cold, remote, and gentle well-meaning images.
Rectal Prolapse: A Possibly Underrecognized Complication of Anorexia Nervosa Amenable to Surgical Correction
Authors: Dreznik Zeev , Vishne Tal H. , Kristt Don , Alper Dan , Ramadan Edward
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Rectal prolapse is a complication of AN that may be more common than previously recorded experience would suggest.

Method:

In this report we document, for the first time, the association of anoxia nervosa (AN) and rectal prolapse in a series of three patients seen in the past three years. An extensive review of the literature using Medline over the period from 1966 to Jan 2000 failed to reveal any previous example of this association.

Results and Conclusion:

The finding could have significant health care implications if confirmed. It would suggest that patients with either the psychiatric or surgical problem may not be receiving the appropriate complementary referrals: psychiatrist to surgeon and vice versa. The importance of recognition of this association in anorectic patients is the availability of effective surgical therapy.
Long-Term Psychological and Somatic Consequences of Later Life Parental Bereavement
Authors: De Vries Brian , Davis Christopher G. , Wortman Camille B. , Lehman Darrin R.
Published: May 2005

The death of an adult child is purported to precipitate the most distressing and long-lasting of all grief reactions. The empirical literature surrounding such a claim, however, is primarily clinical and anecdotal in nature with relatively arbitrary and small samples. Drawing from a nationally representative sample of adults (Americans' Changing Lives, 1986, 1989), we examine the long-term effects of the death of an adult child longitudinally over two waves of assessment separated by two and one-half years. The bereaved sample comprised seventy-seven parents (78% female) with a mean age of approximately seventy years whose adult child (mean age at time of death was 42 years) had died within the preceding one to ten years. Results indicated that, in comparison with a comparably aged group of non-bereaved parents, the bereaved group experienced higher levels of depression. Additionally, the bereaved group reported slightly higher levels of marital satisfaction and expressed somewhat different sources of life satisfaction and different sources of worry. From Wave 1 to Wave 2 of assessment, health status declined at a more rapid rate for the bereaved than the control and the higher levels of depression for the bereaved did not change. Discussion focuses on the meaning of the death of a child, and an adult child in particular, and the complexity of the associated bereavement process.
Metanalysis of Definitions of Consciousness
Authors: Barušs Imants
Published: May 2005

With a resurgence of interest in human consciousness, there is a need to know what it is that the term consciousness refers to. Twenty-nine definitions of consciousness by eleven authors are examined, twenty-six of which are organized into a set ordered by ontological necessity. In addition, these definitions are grouped as either phenomenological or behavioral and passive or active. It is suggested that five meanings of the term consciousness be distinguished: consciousness1 is the characteristic of an organism in a running state which entails the registration, processing and acting upon information; behavioral consciousness2 refers to the explicit knowledge of one's situation, mental states or actions, as demonstrated by one's behavior; subjective consciousness2 refers to subjective awareness characterized by intentionality; consciousness3 refers to the sense of existence of the subject of mental acts; and conscientia refers to participation in a shared plan.
The Attitudes of Medical Inpatients toward Psychiatric Consultation: A Re-Examination
Authors: Klein David A. , Saravay Stephen M. , Pollack Simcha
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Several surveys from twenty to thirty years ago demonstrated that approximately 80 percent of patients were readily accepting of psychiatric consultation. The aim of this study was to re-examine whether medical inpatient attitudes toward psychiatric consultation have changed in the past twenty-five years and whether the type of psychiatric disorder affects the attitude toward consultation.

Method:

Forty-eight medical inpatients seen in psychiatric consultation consented to answering a questionnaire pre- and post-consultation to assess their attitudes to this intervention. Chi-square and t-tests were used to determine statistically significant differences between the “before” and “after” consultation groups.

Results:

Eight-one percent stated they would be moderately, to very, agreeable to psychiatric consultation if their primary care doctor felt it was indicted. Sixty-seven percent claimed not to have been informed beforehand that a psychiatric consultation was requested. Only 8 percent of patients were disinterested in having the consultation. Psychiatric diagnosis (primary vs. organic) and the attitude toward psychiatric consultation were not significantly related.

Conclusions:

Our results show little change in attitude over the past twenty-five years and support earlier studies that show medical inpatients are generally accepting of psychiatric consultation, that consultation does not pose a threat to the doctor-patient relationship, and that careful preparation of the patient by the primary care provider can improve patients' attitudes toward the consultation.
Occurrence of Altered States of Consciousness among Students: Profoundly and Superficially Altered States in Wakefulness
Authors: Kokoszka Andrzej
Published: May 2005

In a questionnaire survey waking altered states of consciousness (ASC) are found to be common among 174 Polish students. The experience of Superficially Altered States of Consciousness (SACS) was reported by 96 percent of subjects and more than half of them had such experiences often. Whereas an experience of Profoundly Altered States of Consciousness (PASC) was confirmed by 75 percent and about one-third of them had them often. The comparison of the experiences accompanying the ASC indicates that SASC are characterized by disturbances in experiencing the reality and oneself combined with positive, pleasant feelings and with quietness. On the other hand, PASC are accompanied by experiences related to an absolute, universal, eternal, and existential or religious matters. PASC are accompanied by extremely strong positive emotions of happiness, total love, etc. and are experienced as more rational than SASC, and with significantly less feelings of cognitive disturbances than in SASC. The comparison of circumstances of the ASC occurrence, indicates that SASC occur in usual and common states and situation of everyday life, whereas PASC mainly in the context of religion and nature. The congruence of these findings with an integrated model of the main states of consciousness suggests a natural tendency for a cyclical occurence of ASC, or more precisely, the differentiated waking states of consciousness.
Perpetual Care in Cyberspace: A Portrait of Memorials on the Web
Authors: Roberts Pamela , Vidal Lourdes A.
Published: May 2005

This study describes memorials in the newly created “virtual cemeteries.” Web memorials ( N = 276) from three cemeteries were coded for demographics about the deceased, characteristics of authors, and issues of content, audience, and theme. While memorials were extremely varied, they were written frequently for the young ( M age = 47, SD = 24) and for more males than females. Most deaths were recent, but 7.3 percent had occurred more than twenty years prior to the posting of their memorials. Authors included family members, friends, and others who were typically younger or from the same cohort as the deceased. Most memorials were addressed to the community, but 28.3 percent were written to the dead. The majority of memorials were written as stories or celebrations but other primary themes included: grief/missing the dead, retelling the circumstances of the death, and guilt. Web memorials are discussed as a resource to the bereaved and researchers alike, providing the bereaved with an opportunity to create a public memorial regardless of their relationship to the deceased, time elapsed since the death or message content and allowing researchers better access to personal writings undertaken during bereavement.
Consumer Preferences in Literature, Motion Pictures, and Television Programs
Authors: Hirschman Elizabeth C.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the relationship between five motives—sensory arousal, cognitive arousal, escapism, mastery-control, and emotional involvement—and preferences for different types of content in three cultural media—television programs, motion pictures, and books. The findings both confirmed and extended prior theorization and found some intriguing differences in content preferences between women and men.
Communication Complexity and Quality: A New Perspective
Authors: Steiner Richard
Published: May 2005

Communication practitioners place much emphasis on the role and function of the message in the communication system. However, message effects do not occur in isolation. In order to comprehend how a message operates on the acceptance and source credibility process, one must consider the role of such message-based variables as communication complexity and quality. This study starts with the hypothesis that neither the level of message complexity nor quality used has a unique or inherent effect, singly or in combination, on either acceptance or source credibility. Analysis of variance provides firm data for accepting this hypothesis. This lack of relationship is attributed to the type of communication used, i.e. motivational type, to the experiential base of attitudes, and to the respondents high tolerance for complexity.

The study also found subjects downgrading the message rather than its source. Writers are urged to communicate neither down to, nor up to, but at a target population. Each message should be created for a specific purpose, to be communicated to a unique audience, for a particular situation and for achieving a certain desired effect.
A Royal College of General Practitioners in Great Britain
Authors: Kuenssberg E. V.
Published: May 2005

The concept of a Royal College for General Practitioners as an educational and academic force as contrasted with the medical political organizations is discussed in this article.
The Disenfranchised Grief of Teachers
Authors: Rowling Louise
Published: May 2005

Much attention has been paid to the need for support for grieving young people. Teachers have often been identified as supportive, emotionally detached adults who can perform this role. This expectation of them, in their professional role, creates tension with their beliefs, expectations and experiences in that role and their personal lives. The tension is often centered around the issue of control, control of personal grief reactions and orderliness and predictability in the school environment. Teachers' grief can be hidden—disenfranchised because their relationship with a student is not recognized by themselves or others. The loss experienced by their perceived professional failure of “duty of care” also may not be recognized. Additionally, teachers disenfranchise themselves by their “intrapsychic” beliefs about their professional role. The experiences of a number of teachers will be used to exemplify how traumatic incidents impact on them and how their view of themselves as teachers is influenced by their professional and personal grief experiences. For them, it is the school context that creates multiple affect-laden responses. This is of vital importance for employers, whose responsibility to employees involves provision for their welfare in the workplace.
The Contribution of Death-Related Experiences to Health Care Providers' Attitudes toward Dying Patients: I. Graduate and Undergraduate Nursing Students
Authors: Brent Sandor B. , Speece Mark W. , Gates Marie F. , Mood Darlene , Kaul Manju
Published: May 2005

This is the first in a series of studies planned by the authors concerned with the contribution of different death-related experiences to health care providers' attitudes toward caring for dying patients. This study investigated the contributions of personal, professional, and educational experience to the aversive and attractive components of those attitudes among 420 undergraduate and graduate students at six university-based nursing schools. The results showed that aversiveness decreased, attractiveness increased, and overall attitude became more positive, as the number, extent, and specificity of a student's death-related experiences increased. However, the different types of experience differed in the degree to which they affected each component: aversiveness was most affected by professional experience, attractiveness by personal experience. Educational experience made a small but significant contribution to both. The psychological assumptions and the measurement model underlying the development of the questionnaire and the interpretation of the data are presented. The implications of these results for future professional education are discussed.
Designing Field Research in Technical Communication: Usability Testing for In-House User Documentation
Authors: Mirel Barbara
Published: May 2005

A current assumption is that “one best system” can be devised to develop and test user documentation. In-house documentation, however, demands approaches that do not fit into a generic system. Specifically, an in-house manual needs a special type of usability testing, one that measures if and how a manual is used to meet the goals of its organization. Along with quality testing, in-house writers must also run studies on how their manuals actually function in the workplace. This article describes a three-pronged design for actual use testing: user logs; observations; and surveys. In my case study, this testing revealed that users did not use their manuals for reasons other than quality — for instance, reliance on social interactions for acquiring information. My findings show that writing an effective manual requires more than composing skills; it demands writers' involvement in the organizational dynamics that motivate workers to use or not use their manuals.
The Need for and the Improvement of Technical Writing
Authors: Estrin Herman A.
Published: May 2005

Lack of unity and logic, wordiness and repetition, and lack of coherence are the most prominent weaknesses in technical writing. Adherence to the six C's—conciseness, completeness, concreteness, correctness, coherence and carefulness—will improve report writing. A list of periodicals and books useful in the field is given.
Computer Awareness and Use at a Research University
Authors: Jackson William K. , Clements David G. , Jones Larry G.
Published: May 2005

The authors describe results of a survey which measured levels of computer awareness and use among the faculty of The University of Georgia. A one page questionnaire was mailed to all tenure track faculty resulting in usable responses from 976 faculty members. A pattern of high interest; moderate use of a mixture of micros, minis and mainframe; and relatively low numbers of faculty publishing relating to computing or authoring software for adoption by others was observed across all of the academic units of the University. Although there was some evidence that those interested in computing responded to the survey at a higher rate than others, the results provide descriptions of the various levels of computer awareness and use among the faculty of a large research University, the types of computers used by the faculty, and the use made of computers by the faculty. Differences among various faculty subgroups are also described.
Healthism and the Medicalization of Everyday Life
Authors: Crawford Robert
Published: May 2005

This article considers some implications of the new health consciousness and movements—holistic health and self-care—for the definition of and solution to problems related to “health.” Healthism represents a particular way of viewing the health problem, and is characteristic of the new health consciousness and movements. It can best be understood as a form of medicalization, meaning that it still retains key medical notions. Like medicine, healthism situates the problem of health and disease at the level of the individual. Solutions are formulated at that level as well. To the extent that healthism shapes popular beliefs, we will continue to have a non-political, and therefore, ultimately ineffective conception and strategy of health promotion. Further, by elevating health to a super value, a metaphor for all that is good in life, healthism reinforces the privatization of the struggle for generalized well-being.
An Investigation of Cognitive Style and Alcohol/Work-Related Problems among Naval Personnel
Authors: Jones Randall M. , Ross Camille Nebeker , Hartmann Barbara Reed
Published: May 2005

This study examines the relationship between cognitive style (i.e., information, normative, and diffuse orientation, and commitment) and alcohol/work-related problems. A random sample of Naval personnel ( n = 2000) with less than two years of service toward their first enlistment was sent a questionnaire to assess cognitive style [1] and alcohol/work-related problems. A total of 899 respondents (45.0%) returned their questionnaires. Findings support prevention strategies that incorporate problem-solving, decision-making, and coping strategies, particularly among participants who employ diffuse problem-solving/coping strategies (lack of exploration and commitment, avoidance of problems). Correlations between cognitive style and alcohol/work-related problems are theoretically compatible. Diffuse orientation scores are positively related to both alcohol- and work-related problems, while norm and information orientation scores are negatively related to both measures. Collectively, cognitive style measures explain 11.4 percent of the variability in alcohol-related problems, and 14.0 percent of the variability in work-related problems.
How Does the Family Narrative Influence the Individual's Ability to Communicate about Death?
Authors: Book Patricia L.
Published: May 2005

Adults often report that there was little or no discussion of death in their homes when they were children. Although many families have a rich history of narratives, stories about death may be overlooked by family members. This study utilizes symbolic interactionism, rules theory and silence theory to examine the impact of family narratives on individual women's perspective of death. Interviews with three women provide insight into their perspectives of death based on family death communication, reactions to death, perceptions of death and the connection between life and death. Although the women reported that their families had no narratives or discussions concerning death, each person developed attitudes toward death similar to those of family members. Communication regarding death occurred through impressions and silence expressed by families through implicit and explicit rules. Przemilczec, the failure to say something, was apparent in each woman's narrative, as perspectives were also formed from what was not said regarding death.
Harmonization, Regulation, and Trade: Interactions in the Pharmaceutical Field
Authors: Timmermans Karin
Published: May 2005

This article aims to draw attention to the process of harmonization of requirements for drug registration (the so-called ICH process) and to examine how it may affect access to medicines in developing countries. The ICH process, especially when seen in conjunction with the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, may create additional barriers to would-be entrants on the global pharmaceutical market, notably large generic manufacturers in developing countries—the very companies that can create credible price competition for the innovative industry and, thus, increase access to medicines. These barriers could help maintain the status quo by insulating well-established companies from competition, thereby forming a further obstacle to lower drug prices and to access to medicines, especially in developing countries. Developing countries should therefore carefully consider the implications of the positioning of ICH standards as global standards, and be vigilant with regard to their possible incorporation, whether explicitly or not, in international trade agreements.
A Preliminary Study of Job-Related Depression among Professional Health Education Specialists in Taiwan
Authors: Chen W. William , Lu Laura P.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the extent of job-related depressive symptoms and demographic factors and professional status related to depressive symptoms among health education specialists in Taiwan. A translated and modified version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess feelings and behaviors related to depressive symptoms. Mean scores for the group was 14.12, and 35.22 percent of subjects had high levels of depressive symptoms. Data analysis also indicated that younger subjects scored higher than older subjects and subjects who practiced less than fifteen years scored higher than subjects who were in the profession longer than fifteen years. There were no other significant differences of depressive symptoms when comparing gender, practice settings, and levels of religiosity.
Cumulative Loss, Current Stress, and the Family: A Pilot Investigation of Individual and Systemic Effects
Authors: Jordan John R.
Published: May 2005

While many clinical approaches to family therapy emphasize the impact of past stressors and losses on family functioning, there has been little empirical support for this position. This pilot study of twenty-four families examined the relationship between stressors and all deaths over four generations in a family's history, and the current functioning of family members. Results were mixed, but provided some intriguing findings about the differential impact of loss histories on mothers and fathers, and some evidence for the multigenerational and systemic effects of the stress/loss history. Methodological problems are discussed, and suggestions for future research are made.
Dating Tom Ketchum: The Role of Chronometric Determinations in Rock Art Analysis
Authors: Farrell Mary M. , Burton Jeffery F.
Published: May 2005

Rock art analysis has been used both to provide insight into prehistoric symbolism and ceremony, and to measure prehistoric interaction and communication. But chronological control, essential to distinguishing functional or social differences from temporal differences, has been difficult to establish. No one method of dating has yet proven completely reliable or applicable. Accelerator mass spectrometer radiocarbon dating, at the Tom Ketchum Cave pictograph site in southeastern Arizona, provides one of the first examples of direct independent dating of rock art. The dates suggest the pictographs may have been created during a time when subsistence patterns were shifting from Archaic hunter and gatherer traditions to more agriculture-based subsistence. The Tom Ketchum Cave artists broke from the abstract style more common in the region to represent game animals and hunters, perhaps to ensure success in a disappearing way of life.
Utilization of Medical Resources in Persons with DSM-III Personality Disorders in a Community Sample
Authors: Reich James , Boerstler Heidi , Yates William , Nduaguba Mary
Published: May 2005

A community survey of 401 randomly selected subjects yielded 249 responders, of which twenty-six had DSM-III criteria personality disorders (PDs), and 167 had no personality disorder traits (controls). More PDs than controls were medically hospitalized during the last year (38% vs 17%, p = .006). A number of significant associations was found between the number of DSM-III personality trait questions answered in a positive fashion and medical utilization. These associations varied by gender. Most striking was the .50 correlation for females between flamboyant personality disorder scores and visits to the family doctor for mental health reasons.
Primary Care in Australia
Authors: Andersen N. A.
Published: May 2005

The Australian health care delivery system is reviewed in this article, with special comment on the implications of the financial components of the system and government concerns regarding costs and over-servicing. General practitioners' perception of their role is not significantly different from the expectation of patients, yet the reality may not match the idealized view. There are problems related to availability and there are developments which seem to pose some threat to the continuing care of patients. New developments have occurred in the way in which practice is organized which give an emphasis to continual availability over 24 hour periods, and these developments pose a challenge to the way in which doctors have organized their practices. Population features-Aborigines, migrants, and the elderly-present significant problems that are not always well met, and the concept of total patient care thereby suffers. The general practitioner's apparent failure to fill the expected role in co-ordination of services is discussed, as is the need for general practitioners to become more actively involved in health education and promotion. The hope for the future lies in the Family Medicine Programme of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, which represents a major attempt to provide appropriate vocational training for general practice.
Some Difficulties of Learning to Program
Authors: Du Boulay Benedict
Published: May 2005

This article is a brief introduction to some of the issues that teachers of programming may find helpful. It starts by presenting a fairly idiosyncratic view of teaching programming which makes use of mechanistic analogies and points out some of the pitfalls. The article goes on to examine certain errors based on the misapplication of analogies as well as certain interaction errors. The main emphasis is on the notional machine both at the general level of understanding (and misunderstanding) the relationship of the terminal to the computer as such, as well as at the more specific level of understanding assignment. Notation and mistakes that poorly-designed languages can induce novices to commit are discussed.
The New Conventional Wisdom: An Evaluation of the Who Report Health Systems: Improving Performance
Authors: Navarro Vicente
Published: May 2005

The World Health Organization's recent report, Health Systems: Improving Performance, has been highly visible in the professional and popular media. The report evaluates the world's health care systems according to three characteristics— effectiveness, responsiveness to users, and the progressivity of their funding—then uses these evaluations to rank countries by each of these characteristics and by an overall indicator of performance, a composite of all three characteristics. The ranking has been widely cited, but rarely subjected to scientific scrutiny. This article analyzes the concepts and methods used in the study and the assumptions and values inherent in the report. The author demonstrates how the report's uncritical acceptance of what has become the new conventional wisdom on health and medical care policies in the United States and other developed countries seriously limits its value.
Postcardiotomy Psychosis in Non-English-Speaking Patients
Authors: Danilowicz Delores A. , Gabriel H. Paul
Published: May 2005

This paper presents another causative or additive factor in the production of post-cardiotomy delirium. Comparison of two matched groups of patients from the National Heart Institute reveals a marked difference in the incidence of psychosis between the group that is from the United States and speaks English and the group that is foreign and has no ability to communicate in English. The United States group had two patients with psychosis (3.9 percent), while the foreign group had fifteen (29.4 percent) (p<0.001). A higher incidence of delirium occurred in men than women, and there was suggestive evidence that the group with psychoses had more medical complications, with resulting delays in discharge. The importance of language and culture in the determination of this delirium are considered and methods of mitigating this reaction are presented.
The Reasons for Suicide in Japan
Authors: Lester David , Saito Yukio
Published: May 2005

A study of the reasons for suicide from 1978 to 1995 in Japan revealed strong trends over time and strong gender differences. For both men and women, suicides due to relationship problems became less common over the period; for men job stress became a more common precipitant, while for women psychiatric disorder became a more common precipitant. Years of high unemployment witnessed higher proportions of suicides due to economic hardship, lending support to the reliability and validity of these data.
Do Thinking Styles Matter in the Use of and Attitudes toward Computing and Information Technology among Hong Kong University Students?
Authors: Zhang Li-Fang , He Yunfeng
Published: May 2005

In the present study, the thinking styles as defined in Sternberg's theory of mental self-government are tested against yet another domain relevant to student learning. This domain is students' knowledge and use of as well as their attitudes toward the use of computing and information technology (CIT) in education. One hundred and ninety-three (75 male and 118 female) students from the University of Hong Kong responded to the Thinking Styles Inventory and to a short questionnaire assessing their attitudes toward the use of CIT in education. The participants also indicated their knowledge and use of a comprehensive list of computing and information technology operations as well as their willingness to receive further training in CIT. Results indicated that, after age and gender being controlled for, the more creativity-generating thinking styles and a preference for working with others (as opposed to a preference for working alone) statistically predicted more knowledge and more frequent use of CIT. Moreover, a favorable attitude toward the use of CIT in education was identified among students of all thinking styles but of the local thinking style. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to teachers and computing/IT programmers as well as to staff development programs among university teachers.
Building Illness in the White-Collar Workplace
Authors: Sterling Theodor D. , Sterling Elia , Dimich-Ward Helen
Published: May 2005

An increasing incidence of “building illness” is being noted among white-collar workers due to the high pollutant content of air in modern energy-efficient office buildings. These buildings are hermetically sealed, mechanically ventilated, and contain many materials that give off a variety of toxic fumes and aerosols. Severe outbreaks of illness have also been traced to ventilation problems in sealed hospital buildings. Similarly, tightly sealed and well insulated private homes present many sources of toxic pollutants to homemakers. Recent studies linking increases in the frequency and duration of respiratory illnesses with increasing pollution levels warn us that increases in indoor pollution levels should be avoided in the white-collar workplace, hospital, and private residence. Unfortunately, the cost of adequate ventilation of modern air-tight buildings is high. However, proper planning must be conducted to foresee and correct the impact of energy management policies on the livability and healthfulness of the indoor environment.