bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constructing a City: The Cerdà Plan for the Extension of Barcelona
Authors: Aibar Eduardo , Bijker Wiebe E.
Published: March 2007

This article applies a constructivist perspective to the analysis of a town-planning innovation. The so-called Cerdà Plan for the extension of Barcelona was launched in the 1860s and gave this city one of its most characteristic present features. For different reasons it can be considered an extraordinary case in town-planing history, though almost unknown to international scholars. The authors analyze the intense controversy that developed around the extension plan and the three technological frames involved. Finally, the relationship between power and technology is discussed. The sociohistorical account is used to illustrate a specific concept of power, to be used in a politics of technology.
Images of Work
Authors: Orr Julian E.
Published: March 2007

The ways in which work gets done are observably different from the ways in which those in positions of responsibility talk about that work or from the ways in which the organizational and business literature portrays work. The ethnographic study of work focuses on work practice, on what is actually done, and on how those doing the work make sense of their practice, but this is rarely part of either corporate or organizational discourse about work This article tries to show what is missing from this discourse and suggests that the corporate model is based on a common misapprehension of the nature of technique and confounds the ways humans work with the ways machines work
Development of the Cochrane Collaboration’s Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials
Authors: Dickersin Kay , Manheimer Eric , Wieland Susan , Robinson Karen A. , Lefebvre Carol , McDonald Steve ,   Central Development Group
Published: March 2007

The Cochrane Collaboration has established a centralized database of controlled trials and other studies of health care interventions (called CENTRAL) that serves as the best available resource for all those preparing and maintaining systematic reviews or otherwise searching for trials. CENTRAL is available on The Cochrane Library. This article describes the history and methods of CENTRAL’s development and the results of an analysis of the current composition of CENTRAL. As of September 2000, CENTRAL contained almost 300,000 citations to reports of trials, contributed mainly by Cochrane Groups and Centers around the world. Development of CENTRAL has been an ambitious, scholarly undertaking and has resulted in a valuable resource: CENTRAL includes citations to controlled trials that may not be indexed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, or other bibliographic databases; citations published internationally in many languages; and citations that are available only in conference proceedings or other hard-to-access sources.
Effects of Multiple Continuing Education Programs in Perinatal Nursing
Authors: Arney William Ray , Little George A. , Philip Alistair G.S.
Published: March 2007

Data from the second year ofnursing con ferences sponsored by the Vermont/New Hampshire Regional Perinatal Program are used to test several hypotheses concerning the effects of continuing medical education programs. Analysis of covariance indicates a significant difference in posttest scores of conference attendants and non-attendants after adjustment for differences in group pretest means. Multiple regression analysis confirms this result and shows that attendance at previous continuing education programs has a significant effect on test score. The hypothesis that simply having taken a pretest positively affects postscore is not confirmed.
Teaching Clinical Interviewing in the Health Professions
Authors: Carroll J. Gregory , Monroe Judy
Published: March 2007

Empirical research on the teaching of interview skills has consistently shown significant (at p≤.05 level) changes on cognitive tests, affective measures, and observational data for students of various programs in the health professions. Most studies were simply comparisons of stu dents' pretest and posttest scores, with little control over possible confounding factors. Relatively few studies have in cluded direct comparisons of alternative approaches to the teaching of interview skills. These studies are examined in de tail, and trends among them are noted for the design of instructional programs. Also noted are the implications of these studies for future research.
An Educational Program for Psoriatics
Authors: Rothman A.I. , Byrne N. , Schachter R.K. , Rosenberg L. , Mitchell Donna
Published: March 2007

Patients with psoriasis referred to the Dermatology Service at Women's College Hospital and satisfying certain criteria relating to percentage body involvement, age, and the absence of serious coincident conditions were assigned at random to three weeks of day care and education at the Psoriasis Education and Research Centre (PERC) or to the Dermatology Service at Women's College Hospital (WCH) for normal hospital care . On admission, all study patients received normal history and physical examinations and were photographed by a standardized procedure that provided an accurate estimate of type and extent of body involvement. A functional history was takenfrom PERCpatients that provided information concerning their ability to cope at home, at work , and so cially; the extent and appropriateness of their self-care practices; and their knowledge concerning the pathophysiology and etiology of psortasis and the names and ac tions of the medications they were using. Individualized patient education programs were designed with reference to the medical and functional information and imple mented in the three weeks of day care. Photographic assessment and the func tional history were repeated at three weeks, six months and twelve months. Hospital patients were reassessed at six and twelve months and a functional history was taken at six months. The functional status of PERC and hospital patients was compared at six months. The results of this study re inforced the belief that in the case of psoriasis, education coupled with treatment is more effective than treatment alone.
Spatial Rearrangement
Authors: Gray Heather , Kutner Nancy G.
Published: March 2007

There has been little research on social environments created by spatial arrangements in health care and how these social environments may affect the nature of health care. This article describes changes in the social environment of a renal dialysis clinic that were created by an alteration in the spatial arrangements. It wasfound that changes occurred in the communication between staff and patients, the communication among patients, and the communication between patients and visitors. These changes in turn raised questions about the quality of care available to patients.
Practice-Related Factors, Practice Satisfaction, and the Health Care System
Authors: Fincham Jack E.
Published: March 2007

An examination of Physician Assistants' (PAs) views relating to various aspects of theirprofession was accomplished through a mailed attitudinal questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 72.1%. Items examined were practice satisfaction, views toward the effects of a physician surplus, view toward third-party reimbursement, view of legal restraints, practice attributes, demographics, and feeling of patient acceptance. Respondents on average felt satisfied with their practice and reported high patient acceptance. The most dissatisfied PAs were younger, spent more time in practice-related travel, were involved more in telephone patient care, felt there were too many PAs, andfelt less acceptance by their patients. Significant correlation was found between practice dissatisfaction and lack of opportunity to function independently, a feeling that skills and training did not match current practice needs, a negative feeling toward a possible physician surplus, and afeeling of underutilization.
Explaining Preventive Behavior
Authors: Bausell R. Barker
Published: March 2007

The development andproposed evaluation of a Preventive Behavior Model is discussed. In addition to variables hypothesized by the Health Belief Model (i.e., perceptions of efficacy, susceptibility, barriers to action, personal control over health, and overall value placed upon health), the Preventive Behavior Model posits a number of new behavioral determinants including life satisfaction, predisposingpersonality, and the desirability of actionfor its own sake. Empirical evidence for these constructs is discussed where available and a proposed test of the model is described.
Diagnostic Reasoning in the Multiproblem Patient
Authors: Voytovich Anthony E. , Rippey Robert M. , Jue Donald
Published: March 2007

This article describes an interactive computerprogram that allows students to enter a completely free-form problem list at the keyboard and receive immediate analysis of the accuracy and thoroughness of their diagnostic impressions. This type of exercise is a departure from traditional instruments because it focuses on patients with multiple interacting issues offering greater realism in approximating the elderly or primary care interaction. The program is briefly described and correlations with traditional audit techniques are shown. More important, development of the program had a profound effect in evolving our understanding of the teaching of diagnostic reasoning in multiproblem patients. This process is described.
The Validity of Credentialing Examinations
Authors: D'Costa Ayres G.
Published: March 2007

Job relevance, along with adverse impact, are major validity concerns relative to credentialing examinations. Although it is generally recognized that job relevance is facilitated by utilizing a job analysis in developing the examination blueprint, test developers typically are not clear about the legal expectations of this approach and the specific procedures that must be followed to ensure job relatedness in developing and scoring examinations. This article recommends that examination blueprints utilize a competency model based on three dimensions: the job functions assigned, the level of expertise expected given the content and resources typically available, and the specific context or situation in which the job must be performed. It also presents the critical scenario technique for generating items for examinations and discusses weighted scoring and error-pattern scaling techniques for reporting results. It is argued that a credentialing examination based on a competency model, which in turn is derived from job analysis data, would ensure defensible job relevance to such examinations.
The Impact of Clinical Appearance on Pediatric Residents' Assessment of the Febrile Infant
Authors: Bergman David A. , Beck Arne L.
Published: March 2007

In order to examine physicians' use of clinical appearance versus historical and laboratory information in medical decision making, 29 pediatric residents were shown videotapes of febrile infants and accompanying clinical histories of varying severity. The results showed that contradictory visual and historical information led to higher, but much more variable, diagnostic likelihood estimates. Severity of appearance was directly related to further diagnostic and therapeutic action but was inversely related to confidence in diagnostic likelihood estimates. Clinical appearance plays an important role in medical decision making but when coupled with contradictory historical information may pose difficulties for physicians attempting to assess diagnostic likelihood.
Alcohol Abuse, Prevention Issues, and The Black Community
Authors: Clifford Patrick R. , Jones Woodrow
Published: March 2007

Alcohol abuse and its related difficulties present major concerns for public health professionals. It has been associated with both increased morbidity and premature mortality. Although alcohol abuse is a problem of great magnitude for society in general, minority communities experience its overall negative impact more severely than do other groups. Furthermore, the rate ofproblematic drinking among members of the lower socioeconomic status group has been estimated to be almost three times higher than that of the general adult U.S. population. This is particularly disturbing given thefact that a disproportionate number of minority people are classified within lower SES groupings. The lack of an adequate conceptualization of a public health strategy contributes significantly to the problems of alcohol abuse prevention in the Black community. Priority must be given to national policies that foster the development and delivery of primary prevention services targeted for minority populations.
A Retrospective Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Colorectal Cancer Screening in a Public Hospital
Authors: Hoffman Arthur , Feinglass Joe , Orsay Charles , Croke Kevin
Published: March 2007

We compared the actual diagnosis and treatmnent costs for nine colon cancer and 19 polyp patients detected by occult blood rsceening with excess hospitalization costs incurred by a comparable group of traditionally deteced patients. Program benefits were calculatedfrom data on group differentials in surgical length of stay, readmissions in the year following surgery, and preventive polvpectomnies. A sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate varying estimates of ite per ientatge of polyps that may have become cancers, the urgency of presentation of clinically apparent cancer, and the inclusion or exclusion of the observed differences for hospitalization in the year after surgery. Two year program benefits varied from 59% to 185% of program costs. Adjusting estimates with DRG weightings for resource intensity produced considerably higher beneffis. All estimates ofprogram benefits are con ser ative because screened patients were compared with the 15-20% least severely ill, Most favorably staged of all traditionally detected colon cancer patients admitted. Results indicate that occult blood screening progranms may produce significant benefits derived from outpatient diagnosis, preventive polypectonmies, coordination of care between medical and surgical services, and enhanced patient education.
The Effects of Nonresponse and Late Response on a Survey of Physician Attitudes
Authors: Guadagnoli Edward , Cunningham Susan
Published: March 2007

We examined the extent of nonresponse bias in a population of physicians (N = 408) mailed a cancer attitudes questionnaire by comparing respondents' and nonrespondents' demographic and medical practice characteristics. In addition, we assessed the usefulness of pursuing a higher response rate through a followup mailing by comparing characteristics and responses of early (first mailing) and late (second mailing) respondents. Although the overall response rate increased from 35% to 58% as a result of the follow-up mailing, nonresponse bias was still present. U.S. medical school graduates and recently licensed physicians were more likely to return questionnaires than were other physicians. Characteristics and attitudes of respondents remained similar over the follow-up mailing effort. Follow-up mailings are worthwhile only if nonresponse bias is reduced. Researchers must focus their attention on increasing the participation of all types of physicians at all points in the data collection process.
Sampling Clinicians' Activities Using Electronic Pagers
Authors: Brock Douglas M. , Scott Craig S. , Pendergrass Thomas W. , Macdonald Steven C.
Published: March 2007

Pager-based activity sampling (PAS) is described as a cost-effective and unobtrusive method for sampling residents' activities in clinical settings. A sample program evaluation is presented using residents in an urban children's hospital resident-training program. The purposes of the program evaluation were: (a) to establish a behavioral baseline that would help clinical faculty understand how residents were using their time, and (b) to determine whether alterations in the way residents were assigned within the hospital resulted in desired changes to time spent. The primary rationale for changing resident-assignment policies were: (a) to decrease the time residents were spending in transit between various locations within the hospital, and (b) to increase the time spent by residents in educational activities and in direct contact with patients and their families. This PAS application demonstrates that the technique can produce statistically supportable conclusions, at minimal cos4 without unduly disrupting either the residents or their patients. PAS is compared with other time-sampling methods, its limitations are discussed, and suggestions for future applications are provided.
Response to a Legal Challenge
Authors: Cavanaugh Sally Hixon
Published: March 2007

In 1975 the National Board for Respiratory Therapy (currently the National Boardfor Respiratory Care) was named as a defendant in a class action suit filed on behalf of three individuals seeking relief for alleged violations of Title VII of the Civil RightsAct of 1964, as well as the Sherman Antitrust Act. Although a pretrial settlement was reached, the conduct of this case demonstrates the potential vulnerability of credentialing examinations to complaints regarding discrimination and the necessity for credentialing organizations to be socially responsible for the potential use of test results by employers. The board has since instituted a systematic five-step research and development process that is used for all of its examinations to ensure and document that they are fair, valid, and defensible. This article recounts the salient aspects of the class action suit, discusses implications and current applicable technical standards and legal guidelines, and describes the components of the "Five Step Examination Development Process. "
Sampling and Accessing People with AIDS
Authors: Fleishman John A. , Mor Vincent , Cwi Joan S. , Piette John D.
Published: March 2007

This article describes issues that arose in attempting to conduct a survey of people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) as part of an evaluation of a program to deliver health and social services to this population. Demands to maintain the confidentiality of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HM infection posed a large impediment to randomly sampling and accessing program recipients. Efforts to contact people with AIDS through the mediation of health service providers encountered problems of nonimplementation and slow accrual. Comparisons of the obtained sample with a more comprehensive data base of program clients suggest that clients who were more accessible and compliant were overrepresented in the sample. People with AIDS themselves, however, were willing to be interviewed as demonstrated by refusal rates less than 11%. Future studies of people with AIDS must overcome direct service providers' lack of time to contact and recruit respondents; it may be wise to allocate funds to support recruitment activities conducted by an administrative staffperson in the service delivery agency.
Perceptions of Practice Problems Encountered by Family Physicians, Pediatricians, and Orthopedic Surgeons
Authors: Xu Gang , Brigham Timothy P. , Veloski J. Jon , Rodgers Joseph F.
Published: March 2007

Information about physicians' practice problems was solicited through a structured questionnaire mailed to a group of family physicians, pediatricians, and orthopedic surgeons. Overall, a lack of personal time was the major concern across the three groups of physicians. Comparisons among the three types of physicians revealed two pattems: Family physicians reported more concerns in the "interpersonal" dimension, whereas orthopedic surgeons had more concerns in the "legal-economic" dimension. These patterns of differences persisted with two variables controlled: gender and time period in which they completed their residency program. These findings indicate that physicians 'concerns in theirpractice vary among the specialties, and they imply that the changed economy and reimbursement system might have more impact on one than the other Thus the effectiveness of residency training and continuing education might be improved by emphasizing the specialty-relatedproblems in practice.
Gender and Hospital Resource Use
Authors: Bernard Annette M. , Hayward Rodney A. , Rosevear Judith S. , McMahon Laurence F.
Published: March 2007

Several recent studies have explored gender differences in medical care that are not attributable to clinical characteristics. At an 880bed teaching hospital between July 1987 and June 1990, we studied the importance of gender on two measures of hospital care: length of stay and ancillary service use. The latter was measured on a relative value unit (RVU) scale, based on an estimation of direct cost dollars. Neither mean age nor in-hospital mortality differed between the 9,102 women and 10,285 men. After case-mix adjustment, women stayed in the hospital 0.22 days longer than men (p = 0.01) but consumed 67fewer RVUs (p = 0.01). This RVU difference dissolved when intensive care unit (ICU) stays were eliminated; men were 1.13 times more likely (95% confidence interval 1.07 to 1.19) to be placed in the ICU. Being married shortened length of stay and women were less likely to be married (51% vs. 68%; p < 0.001), but even within marital status subgroups women remained in the hospital longer than men. Whether this longer length of stay and less technologically intensive care for women reflects a difference in illness severity or physician gender bias requires further study.
Gender Comparisons Prior to, during, and after Medical School Using Two Decades of Longitudinal Data at Jefferson Medical College
Authors: Hojat Mohammadreza , Robeson Mary R. , Veloski J. Jon , Blacklow Robert S. , Xu Gang , Gonnella Joseph S.
Published: March 2007

Similarities and differences prior to, during, and after medical school between 3,541 men and 1,121 woman graduates of Jefferson Medical College were investigated. Gender comparisons were made on examination scores, admissions interview ratings, competence ratings in residency, specialty choice, board certification, income estimates, and academic appointments. Results indicated that prior to medical school, women scored higher on verbal tests, whereas men outscored women on quantitative and science tests. During medical school, men performed better than women in the basic science examinations, but not in the clinical science examinations. Men and women had similar postgraduate competence ratings except that women were rated higher than men in the socioeconomic aspects of patient care. Women had lower board certification rates, expected less income, and had a higher proportion offaculty appointments than did men. Gender differences in specialty choices, faculty appointments, and estimated income could have important implications for health care manpower
Physicians' Intention to Stay in or Leave Primary Care Specialties and Variables Associated with Such Intention
Authors: Xu Gang , Veloski J. Jon , Hojat Mohammadreza , Fhelds Sylvia K.
Published: March 2007

A national mail survey of primary care physicians was conducted in 1993 to examine the differences between those who planned to leave and those who planned to stay in primary care disciplines. The physicians who planned to stay in primary care were those who, at the time of choosing primary care specialties, were more influenced by factors such as personal social values, religion, and the presence of a role model prior to medical school. Physicians'race, sex, workload, debt, place where they grew up, family income as a child, and timing when they made the decision to enterprimary care disciplines are not associated with their plans to stay in or leave primary care disciplines. Findings indicated that personal social values, religious beliefs, and the presence of a role model prior to medical school not only influencedphysicians' choice ofprimary care, but had a lasting effect on their commitment to such choice.
Graduate Education in Health Services Administration
Authors: Langland-Orban Barbara , Greene Barry R. , Vogel W. Bruce
Published: March 2007

Health services administration continues to evolve in response to environmental changes in reimbursement, technology, demographics, and health care reform. These changes encourage further integration of business skills in health services, an emphasis which often conflicts with the perspectives of clinicians. The balance between business and clinical perspectives must be developed such that administrators and clinicians foster the survival and growth of their organizations while assuring comprehensive and quality health services to patients and the community. This paper describes education in health services administration, and uses a survey of one program's graduates to assess the usefulness of the current educational model in balancing business and clinical perspectives.
Exploratory Research Synthesis
Authors: Yeation William H. , Langenbrunner John C. , Smyth Joshua M. , Wortman Paul M.
Published: March 2007

Exploratory meta-analysis or research synthesis has been advocated as a way of developing important hypotheses for further study. An exploratory research synthesis was conducted on the carotid endarterectomy (CE) literature to illustrate this method. The CE scientific literature is similar to that of many other new medical interventions because it contains numerous limitations to data quality. Exploratory research synthesis of such literature necessitates a number of methodological and statistical considerations to address these limitations, including the problems of missing data, appropriate unit of analysis, nonnormal distribution of outcomes, and lack of controlled studies. Strengths and limitations of the exploratory research synthesis approach are discussed within the context of public policy decisions for assessing medical technologies.
Misunderstanding Meta-Analysis
Authors: Bangert-Drowns Robert L.
Published: March 2007

Although it is increasingly common, metaanalysis is still a relatively new addition to the toolbox of research strategies. Partially because of its newness and partially because its early enthusiasts may have overstated its presumed contributions, a number of common misunderstandings have developed about the meta-analytic approach. These misunderstandings have to do with the way that metaanalysis is conducted and interpreted and its relation to primary research and narrative review. This article aims to highlight these misunderstandings and offer an alternative view of meta-analysis. It is hoped that metaanalytic research of the future will be a partnership with primary research and that metaanalysis will be valued not so much for its definitiveness as for the creative speculations it allows about patterns that appear across studies.
Relationship between Myers-Briggs Psychological Traits and Use of Course Objectives in Anatomy and Physiology
Authors: Harasym P. H. , Leong E. J. , Lucier G. E. , Lorschelder F. L.
Published: March 2007

The results from the Myers-Briggs 7Tpe Indicator (MBTI), which identified preferred psychological traits for 131 nursing students, were compared to their usage levels of course objectives in an undergraduate course in anatomy and physiology. The three usage levels (user, occasional user, and nonuser) were also compared to exam scores in the course, overall grade point averages (GPA) in first-year nursing, and the various psychological traits measured by the MBTI. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that users of objectives achieved significantly higher exam scores and maintained a higher GPA than occasional and nonusers. The MANOVA also indicated that users of course objectives preferredasensingjudging modality, whereas nonusers preferred an intuiting perceiving style to guide their studying and learning.
Factors that Influence Health Risk Behaviors Among Tanning Salon Patrons
Authors: Beasley T. Mark , Kittel Brigitite S.
Published: March 2007

A principal components analysis identified the immediate convenience of indoor tanning (i.e., relaxation, perceived attractiveness of tans) as a major factor that motivates people to visit commercial tanning salons frequently and continually. Long-term considerations, such as price, socializing, and perceived health, also emerged as a motivating factor that was related to tanning frequency. Furthermore, almost half of the participants mentioned that regulations restricting indoor tanning would not make them more cautious in their tanning behavior Findings confirm several other studies indicating that knowledge of the danger of UV exposure may have little influence on actual tanning behavior Suggestions for alternative approaches that focus on the perceived attractiveness of tanned skin rather than the susceptibility offrequent tanners to skin cancer are discussed.
Quality-of-Life Assessment in Health Care Research and Practice
Authors: Martin Andrew J. , Stockler Martin
Published: March 2007

This article reviews the different ways in which quality-of-life assessment has been applied to and has affected health care research and practice. A schema that describes the steps involved in the ongoing challenge of improving health outcomes is used to structure the review. The role of quality-of-life assessment is addressed with regard to: the identification of health problems, the evaluation of new treatments, the formulation of treatment guidelines and health policies, the delivery of optimal care in practice, and the assessment of outcomes in the wider community. The benefit of quality-of-life assessment has been demonstrated in a number of these areas (e.g., in identifying problems and evaluating treatments). Its role in other applications (e.g., in clinical practice to assess patients' needs) shows great promise and requires additional evaluation.
Use of Quality-of-Life Outcome Assessments in Current Cancer Clinical Trials
Authors: Gotay Carolyn Cook , Wilson Malia
Published: March 2007

During the past decade, the importance of integrating quality of life with other indicators of efficacy in cancer clinical trials has been emphasized. This article reviews quality-oflife assessment in clinical trial reports. All empirical studies using patient ratings published in the Journal of Clinical Oncologyfrom 1992 to 1996 were identified. Of these, 59 articles (4%) included quality-of-life assessment, mostfrequently measured by selfreport questionnaires. Most articles reported clinical trials of symptom management or treatment. Future research needs to specify relationships between quality of life, toxicity, and survival. Continued development of this field requires more frequent inclusion of quality of life in clinical studies.
Quality Improvement in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Heart Failure by Participating Indiana and Kentucky Hospitals
Authors: Caldwell Glyn G. , Berg Paul , Pritchard Cathie , Lewis John N.
Published: March 2007

Acute-care hospitals in Kentucky and Indiana collaborated with Health Care Excel, the Medicare peer review organization, to improve the care of patients admitted with heart failure. Current guidelinesfor the treatment of heart failure support a focus on quality indicators including confirmation of diagnosis, choice of therapeutic agents, education ofpatients and their caregivers, and discharge planning. Significant improvement occurred in use of diagnostic tests to confirm diagnosis and in patient education and discharge planning. Improvement in use of therapeutic agents was minimal or lacking in most hospitals. Thisprojectdemonstrated an opportunity and needfor continued improvement efforts in the care of heart failure patients.
Modified Therapeutic Community for Mentally Ill Chemical Abusers: Outcomes and Costs
Authors: French Michael T. , Sacks Stanley , de Leon George , Staines Graham , McKendrick Karen
Published: March 2007

Several studies have established that the personal and social consequences of substance abuse are extensive and costly. These consequences are frequently compounded by mental illness. Although interventions that target mentally ill chemical abusers (MICAs) present several challenges, the potential benefits of successful interventions are significant. This article presents outcomes and costs of a modified therapeutic community (TC) intervention for homeless MICAs. Outcomes at follow-up are compared with those for a control group of homeless MICAs receiving standard services in a “treatment-as-usual” (TAU) condition. Annual economic costs for the modified TC and the average weekly cost of treating a single client are estimated. Treatment and other health service costs at 12 months postbaseline are compared for modified TC and TAU clients. The results of this study indicate that, suitably modified, the TC approach is an effective treatment alternative for homeless MICAs, with the potential to be highly cost-effective relative to standard services.
All ears: radio, reception and discourses of disability
Authors: Ross Karen
Published: March 2007

This article focuses on the way radio programmes deal with issues of disability in fictional and factual programming, from the perspective(s) of disabled listeners. I argue that, for the most part, radio does not offer a diverse range of images of disability and that too many programmes continue to treat the issue in highly partial terms, using an outmoded lexicon of disablist images and language. Areas of contention include: characterization and genre range in fictional programming; language and authority in fact-based shows; and structure, agency and employment in the industry more generally. Crucially, though, issues of (o)mission were just as important as those of (co)mission, where disability in radio is less a blot and more of a creater on the landscape of radio broadcasting.
Argentina versus England at the France '98 World Cup: narratives of nation and the mythologizing of the popular
Authors: Alabarces Pablo , Tomlinson Alan , Young Christopher
Published: March 2007

The football (soccer) game between Argentina and England during the France '98 World Cup is analysed as a form of media event in which the sports encounter is the source of and high-profile focus for the media's mobilization of narratives of the nation, and reaffirmation of popular mythologies of the national. The legacy of previous Argentina-England encounters is discussed in the light of the persistence of foundation myths concerning the style and impact of the respective national versions of soccer, and the contemporary media's coverage of those myths. The media responses, primarily in press and television, to the 1998 encounter are reviewed and compared in both the Argentinian and the English settings. This comparative analysis is situated, in conclusion, within analytical debates concerning the geo-political nature of persisting sporting stereotypes, and methodological issues concerning the relationship between contextual historical analysis and textual interpretation.
For all kids' sakes: comparing children's television policy-making in Australia, Canada and the United States
Authors: Lisosky Joanne M.
Published: March 2007

For decades television policy makers around the world have recognized the influence television exerts on its audience, particularly youth. In response, nations have devised broadcast policies to attempt to control the medium. Each nation has carefully designed domestic children's television policies by assessing and balancing fundamental ideological, political and economic factors. As television evolves into an integrated global medium, regional and international declarations and resolutions are being proposed. The author explores whether these proposed universal guidelines represent a convergence of domestic children's television policies or merely normative strategies. Children's television policies in Australia, Canada and the United States are compared to test this convergence hypothesis. These policies are then plotted on a matrix that represents regulatory evolution through time and across political and economic lines. This matrix illustrates graphically the trends in children's television policies as well as areas of convergence and divergence among these nations.
Profit or ideology? The Chinese press between party and market
Authors: Hong Liu
Published: March 2007

Economic reforms have taken priority over political reforms in post-Mao China. This has caused the serious dilemma in which most newspapers find themselves. On the one hand, they are no longer financed or subsidized by the state; on the other hand, they are still expected to be at the ideological service of the state. The party-state has the last say in whether they can be published and who should be appointed editor-in-chief. Hence, the press in China now continues to be controlled by the party ideologically, while it relies on the market financially. This divorce between ideological dependence and financial independence has led to two interesting tendencies: first, most newspapers have started to increase their volume to print light-hearted material in order to increase readership and ultimately to maximize advertising income; second, some have even started to run other businesses such as service industries and thus to become a kind of media conglomerate. In this sense, newspapers are on the way to becoming true profit-making enterprises which eventually will undermine the role of mouthpiece for the party-state. This article analyses these problems, using several national and regional papers as exemplars to illustrate the tensions much of the Chinese press is going through.
Wife/mother/daughter-in-law: multiple avatars of homemaker in 1990s Indian advertising
Authors: Munshi Shoma
Published: March 2007

This article analyses the role which advertising discourses play in the construction of a `New Indian Woman' in her multiple avatars of homemaker. Given the new economic climate of liberalization that has been sweeping over India, the urban Indian woman is now an important consumer who, for the first time, has choices available to her. Consequently, advertising now adroitly combines both ideologies of feminism and femininity within discourses of consumerism. The article also argues that advertising discourses and the construction of gender and women's subjectivities are all inherently interrelated, and that they administer and moderate each other. Adopting a modified Foucauldian approach in locating the subject, the woman is seen both as constituted and formed by discourse, as well as resisting it. Moving away from reception-based analyses, the article concentrates on the ideas that producers of media texts have about their targeted audience. It goes on to show how, interestingly enough, women's spaces of resistance are created by advertisers themselves, even if that may not be their primary aim. Finally, the article examines how these spaces of resistance have to be understood as part of the entire dominant social structure.
Hip hop am Main: the localization of rap music and hip hop culture
Authors: Bennett Andy
Published: March 2007

This article examines the way in which rap music and hip hop culture have been appropriated and reworked by the youth of Turkish and Moroccan communities in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. I begin by considering how, via the incorporation of German and Turkish lyrics into self-composed rap songs, Frankfurt rap groups have been able to turn the genre into a highly localized mode of expression. More specifically, such a reworking of the rap genre has enabled its use as a medium for the voicing of issues relating to the problems of racism and citizenship with which ethnic minority groups newly or recently settled in Germany are faced. In the second part of the article I consider some of the resources which Frankfurt rappers have been able to draw upon in their attempts to rework hip hop as a localized mode of expression.
Reading Japanese women's magazines: the construction of new identities in the 1970s and 1980s
Authors: Sakamoto Kazue
Published: March 2007

This article examines the transgressive function of some Japanese women's magazines in the 1970s. It traces changes in the lives of Japanese women by focusing on the emergence of three new magazines that targeted young women from the late teens to the early 20s. It examines the contents of two magazines, An'an and Non'no, launched at the beginning of the 1970s, which showed their readers how to get independent time and space away from the surveillance of parents. In 1977 another magazine, More, was launched, targeting readers in their 20s and 30s who were brought up reading An'an and Non'no. More shows the strong influence of feminism, and encouraged its readers to escape from the traditional women's life which was centred on marriage, husband and children. This article argues that the three magazines reflected the changes of Japanese women and reinforced those changes by providing knowledge, support for new identities and an imaginary community for readers. In this respect it breaks with earlier feminist readings of girls' magazines which focused on their ideological function of reproducing patriarchy.
Memory and the transformation of social experience in modern Japan: rethinking the song `Home'
Authors: Uchida Ryuzo
Published: March 2007

In modern society, memory is often constructed, and sometimes erased, in conformity with the political purposes of the nation-state. From this point of view many historians have analysed the construction of memory. However, cultural resources such as media and technologies support the concrete formation of memory; in other words, we can reconsider the problem of memory in the phase of social experience that is closely connected with the media, technologies and the flow of capital. It is this phase of social experience that makes possible the political projects of the nation-state. In this article, I consider the songs published in 1910 for musical education at primary school by the Ministry of Education. The song was considered to be an effective strategy for state education, because it is easier for children to learn and is internalized more directly and unconsciously through the medium of music, than literary texts such as novels, poetry, etc. In 1890, the Imperial Rescript on Education was promulgated as the fundamental principle of national education. Its main object was to build up the faithful subject of the Emperor system of Japan and musical education was also coordinated with this policy. In the society after the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5 discipline relaxed among the people and social disaffection increased. The Ministry of Education songs were designed as a device to reinforce moral education. However, not all of people's memory was edited and manipulated by the government. In the song `Home' (1914), the scene took on a character of anonymity. How was this scene deeply impressed on the private feelings of individuals? At that time, due to changing social conditions, there appeared an abstract social space constructed from reproducible images and extended across national boundaries. The song `Home' mobilized the mass public not toward specific political goals, but to experience as actual that abstract social space.
Disrupting the media frame at Greenham Common: a new chapter in the history of mediations?
Authors: Couldry Nick
Published: March 2007

Drawing on Martin-Barbero's insistence on analysing the media's complex processes of social `mediation' and Scannell's insistence on grasping the phenomenal complexity of the media frame and how people interact with it, it is argued that an important, relatively neglected, dimension of the disruptive power of the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp (1981-) has been its challenge to the terms of the media frame, the `struggle for visibility' it represents. This struggle for visibility is examined in two stages - in relation to the early years of intense media coverage and in relation to the later years of media silence. In the concluding section, connections are opened up between Greenham Common and recent, more obviously `mediated' forms of protest action.
The limits of media democratization in South Africa: politics, privatization and regulation
Authors: Barnett Clive
Published: March 2007

This article critically examines the processes that have limited the development of a democratic media system in post-apartheid South Africa. After a brief overview of the formation of the Independent Broadcasting Authority, the evolution of the ANC's economic policies and approach to privatization is discussed. This provides the context in which the transformation of the broadcasting system since 1994 in South Africa can be understood. The privatization of radio stations in 1996 indicates the political tensions that shape media reform. It is argued that the progress of democratic broadcasting reform is increasingly being dictated by the state's programme for restructuring the telecommunications sector. In conclusion, it is suggested that the post-1994 period has witnessed a diminution in the influence of independent civil society organizations over media policies, consequent upon an increasingly centralized and bureaucratic emphasis in policy formulation and implementation.
Reality TV in the digital era: a paradox in visual culture?
Authors: Fetveit Arild
Published: March 2007

The simultaneous proliferation of digital image manipulation and reality TV seems somewhat paradoxical. The death of photography is proclaimed at a time when the use of cameras to produce visible evidence is approaching an all-time high. This coexistence, it is argued, testifies to a transmutation within our visual culture. The credibility of photographical discourses has become less dependent upon common technological features and more based upon institutional warrant related to specific photographical practices. Thus, the recent efforts to negotiate and communicate standards for such practices within newsrooms and other institutions. It is further suggested that the proliferation of reality TV might be read partly as a symptom of unsettled issues in this transmutation. More precisely, it might express a longing for a lost touch with reality, prompted by the undermining of indexicality.
Age and Distress in the Czech Republic
Authors: Hraba Joseph , Lorenz Frederick O. , Ma Enhua , Pechacová Zdenka
Published: March 2007

The relation between age and distress was examined with four-wave panel data from the Czech Republic. Age was positively associated with Czech men’s 1999 depression (the older panel members compared with the middle-aged members) and negatively with women’s problem behavior prior to controls. Age was also associated with change in men’s depression between 1994 and 1999, but not change in women’s problem behavior. The additions of life-course variables, economic experiences, and health and social-psychological resources helped explain the relation between age and change in men’s depression, and this was particularly true for economic experiences and personal resources. These same variables were also related to change in men’s problem behavior and women’s depression. Men’s problem behavior and women’s depression appeared to be distress symptoms but simply not related to age.
Age Migration in the United States
Authors: Bowles Gladys K.
Published: March 2007

Two points come across rather clearly from the research of the past, which, if remedied, could improve the results presented in the future. One is a lack of knowledge or disregard by some researchers of the findings of previous relevant research, usually that done by people in other disciplines. The other is the absence of an appropriate theoretical orientation in many of the studies. Some researchers appear to be unconcerned by this deficiency; others decry the fact that they do not find theories suitable to their endeavors. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of research on migration of the elderly is the design of studies that can contribute to theory development while at the same time providing research results that are timely, interesting, and useful.