bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two Decades of Research on Dying: What do we Know about the Patient?
Authors: Schulz Richard , Schlarb Janet
Published: May 2005

The systematic study of dying is an important endeavor that deserves attention from sophisticated researchers in many disciplines. It would be especially useful to bring dying into the mainstream of stress research. Although much information is available regarding the demographic aspects of death, it is remarkable that there is so little generalizable empirical data about the process of dying and the experiences of dying persons. Most of the available data are either methodologically flawed, limited in scope, or based on small and non-representative samples. This article reviews the literature on terminal patients and the nature of their experiences during the time before their death. The discussion is divided into four parts. First, we examine the magnitude of the problem by identifying the number of individuals each year who must confront their own death. Second, we discuss the emotional responses of dying patients to their impending death. The third section deals with interventions for the dying patient, and the fourth identifies areas for future research.
The Role of Aggression in Somatic Symptom Formation
Authors: Musaph Herman
Published: May 2005

In searching for an operational definition of aggression, five different aspects of the concept of aggression are described: aggression as an instinct, as a behavior pattern, as an emotion, as a trait of character and as a defense. Discussion of the role of aggression is made very difficult because there still exist a great many unsolved fundamental problems in quantifying each aspect of the concept. Behaviorists and psychophysiologists have made important contributions toward solving the problem of quantification. The meaning of aggression for psychosomatic disorders has been intensively studied by psychoanalysts. The psychoanalytic model poses two hypotheses which are subject to critical consideration, namely: 1) the therapeutic meaning of the abreaction of repressed and suppressed strangulated affects [1] and 2) the pensée opératoire [2]. Psychotherapeutic practice is often disappointing in providing answers, but we can look for clarification by studying the specific meaning of patient-doctor relationships in which aggression as an emotion in interaction plays a leading role. In many cases the onset of the somatic symptom may be iatrogenic; the course and recovery may also be dependent on this or analogous relationships.
The Future of European Health Policies
Authors: Koivusalo Meri Tuulikki
Published: May 2005

The role of the European Union in health policies is changing. The European social model is under threat due to shifts in E.U. policies on liberalization of service provision, limited public budgets, a focus on the health sector as a productive sector in the context of broader European policies and the Lisbon strategy, and changes in the context of the new Constitutional Treaty. These changes are evident in a new reflection paper on European health strategy and its focus. E.U. health policies are at a critical juncture. The danger is that the current processes will lead European health policies and the health systems of member states more in the direction of U.S. health policies and the commercialization of health systems than toward improvement of the current situation.
Self-Actualization and Personal Mortality
Authors: Gamble John W. , Brown Earl C.
Published: May 2005

A study was designed to test the hypothesized relationship between self-actualization or authenticity and the ability to confront personal mortality. Two groups of ten persons each were matched on demographic variables and compared on their performance in a phantasied age-progression procedure. The actualized group was composed of persons in the helping professions; the nonactualized group was composed of patients confined to a state mental institution. The procedure involved relaxation, visualization, and phantasy, guided to successively older ages, with no mention of death or dying. Successful completion required a phantasied dying-to-completion of natural causes at age sixty-five or older. Sessions were recorded and rated by five judges. Results demonstrated rater reliability and a significant difference (p <.01) between groups in the hypothesized direction, with 7.6 successful completions in the actualized and one in the nonactualized group. This study supports the contention that the ability to face death is a concomitant of actualized authentic existence.
What is the Meaning of Life? Women's Spirituality at the End of the Life Span
Authors: Moremen Robin D.
Published: May 2005

Spiritual exploration often occurs after the loss of a significant other or with the impending death of oneself. Twenty-six older women were intensively interviewed; none had experienced a recent loss or terminal illness. Many wanted to understand their place in the order of things and were not looking to organized religion for answers. Dominant themes that emerged from the interviews included: a need to feel connected; spiritual questioning; existential angst; thoughts about death and dying; and, to a lesser degree, reliance on organized religion. Some older women—African Americans, Latinas, and women of lower socioeconomic status—turned to the Bible, prayer, and Church for answers to their questions, but most did not. These data suggest that spiritual questioning—independent of organized religion, significant loss, or impending death—is a natural part of the aging process as one approaches the end of the life span.
Five-Year Knowledge Retention by Volunteer Primary Health Workers in Western Nigeria
Authors: Ryan Julie M. , John Grace C. , Brieger William R.
Published: May 2005

A volunteer primary health worker (PHW) must acquire a basic knowledge of preventive and curative medicine to approach his community with authority. Knowledge gained during training must be retained as a foundation for village level action. This study is a follow-up survey of knowledge among PHWs in a Western Nigerian town five years after training. The same end of course test was administered and results compared with age, sex, level of education and level of activity in PHC programming. The follow-up test scores showed an expected decrease in information retained. The only demographic factor consistently associated with knowledge after training and at follow-up was level of education. In addition level of PHC activity (e.g., attending PHW meetings, maintaining a village drug box) was associated with greater knowledge, but was also positively related to level of education. It is therefore recommended that PHC programs ideally recruit PHWs with vernacular literacy, but where this is not possible, extra effort must be put into close follow-up supervision of trainees.
Computer Anxiety and Communication Apprehension: Relationship and Introductory College Course Effects
Authors: Carlson Robert E. , Wright Donald G.
Published: May 2005

College students enrolled in either an introductory level computer course or a basic public speaking course completed the Computer Attitude Scale (measuring computer anxiety, liking, confidence, and usefulness) and the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension — 24 (a measure of communication apprehension) during the first and last weeks of a semester. Pre-and post-course measures were obtained from 181 students (90 speech and 91 computer students). Among the major results of the study were the following. A small significant positive relationship ( r = .22) was found between computer anxiety and communication apprehension. The examined introductory computer and public speaking courses appear to have no effect on common elements between the two types of anxiety. However, completion of the basic public speaking course lowered communication apprehension; completion of the basic computer course increased computer anxiety. A recommendation is made that the issue of anxiety be acknowledged and addressed in introductory computer courses.
Structuring a Multi-Site Evaluation for Youth Mentoring Programs to Prevent Teen Alcohol and Drug Use
Authors: Bellamy Nikki D. , Springer U. Fred , Sale Elizabeth W. , Espiritu Rachele C.
Published: May 2005

Despite mentoring's rapidly increasing popularity as an intervention for the prevention of teen alcohol and drug abuse and associated problems, there is little research consensus on its overall effectiveness or on the core principles and components that define effective mentoring. To advance knowledge concerning this important prevention intervention, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention has designed and funded a multi-site cooperative agreement involving seven mentoring programs. The programs are designed to provide a rigorous outcome evaluation that allows comparisons of differing approaches to organizing and delivering mentoring services to adolescents at high risk for substance abuse. The cooperative agreement guidelines set service parameters and options that focus on issues that are grounded in past research on mentoring prevention interventions. The cooperative agreement includes a quasi-experimental, longitudinal multi-site evaluation that provides evidence-based recommendations to advance the effective use of mentoring as a prevention strategy.
Media and Innovation Spark a Revolution in Higher Education in Iran
Authors: Cumming John , Rashidpour Ebrahim
Published: May 2005

Educators in Iran are attempting an educational revolution through the use of media to bridge the gap between needs for higher education graduates and a woefully short supply of them.

A massive growth of the economy has fueled a continuing crisis in providing adequately trained professionals for the nation.

One answer has been the creation of the Free University of Iran. Local Centers equipped with instrumentation will form a network modeled after the Open University in England and Mid-America University in the United States.
A Time-Free Perspective of a Liberal Arts Program
Authors: Harkin J. B.
Published: May 2005

New criteria for the design of liberal arts programs are formulated. These criteria concern the relationships among liberal arts content, process, and delivery system. The central role of process in time-variable educational systems is stressed. Crucial questions concerning the concept of purpose in the design of a liberal arts experience are raised.
International Health Education in Perspective
Authors: Hindson Paul
Published: May 2005

This article presents a broad view from the WHO viewpoint to highlight the important fact that Health Education is the top priority program in Primary Health Care in the world. However, the nations of the world today are in sharp contrast regarding their health situations. On the one hand they have the possibility of international cooperation and coordination of health-related organizations, and on the other hand have a number of powerful destructive forces working against the health of mankind. Challenging problems that health education faces today include: 1) use of limited resources, 2) the threat of war, 3) poverty, and 4) the deterioration of human environment. A clear policy in support of health education that can bring forward international collaboration to achieve better health for all is suggested.
The Effects of CAD-Like Software on the Spatial Ability of Middle School Students
Authors: Shavalier Maria
Published: May 2005

This study investigated whether the software Virtus WalkThrough Pro could be used to enhance middle school children's spatial ability as measured by the Paper Folding, Mental Rotations, and Eliot-Price Tests. The study also investigated whether the use of this software impacted males differently than females, or users with high spatial ability differently than those with low. A pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design was utilized. The sample group consisted of 116 students, 55 in the experimental group and 61 in the control group. Both groups were given the three measures as pretests and posttests. The investigator worked with the experimental group for 50 minutes a week for 11 weeks. Analysis of covariance determined that there were no significant gains on any measures. No significant differential treatment effects were found with respect to gender or spatial ability levels. However, males significantly outperformed females on the Eliot-Price Test.
Pseudocyesis—A Review and Report of Six Cases
Authors: Whelan Chantal I. , Stewart Donna E.
Published: May 2005

Pseudocyesis is a rare condition in which a woman believes herself to be pregnant when she is not. Its incidence has fallen in the last fifty years, probably due to a number of sociocultural and medical factors. Six cases are described which show common features of recent pregnancy loss or infertility, psychological and medical naivete, social isolation, recent loss and membership in a cultural or religious group that focuses on childbearing as the central role of women. Etiology includes psychological, sociocultural and endocrine factors which interact with each other demonstrating the reciprocal interplay between mind and body. Guidelines are provided for the assessment and management of this ancient and fascinating condition.
State-Based versus Federal-Based Approaches to Reducing the Medicare Pharmaceutical Coverage Gap
Authors: Cohen Joshua
Published: May 2005

A state-based approach, such as the Immediate Helping Hand proposal put forward by the Bush administration, is likely to be less effective than a federal-based approach at reducing the Medicare pharmaceutical coverage gap. In addition, the voluntary nature of a state-based approach, coupled with variations across states in existing coverage benefits and the limited reach of state pharmacy assistance programs, would likely lead to a perpetuation of uneven coverage. This article argues in favor of adding a federal-based universal prescription drug benefit to Medicare on the grounds of both equity and empirical evidence. Adding a universal drug benefit to the currently existing Medicare program would extend application of the social insurance concept across hospital care, physician service, and prescription drug coverage components of Medicare. As a result, a more equitable distribution of prescription drug coverage would be promoted while mitigating the effects of selection risk.
The Social Construction of Death in the Gulf War
Authors: Umberson Debra , Henderson Kristin
Published: May 2005

Military and media reports indicated that the Gulf War was characterized by a striking absence of death. This article applies a social construction of reality paradigm to explain why and how media reports facilitated denial of death in the Gulf War and suggests a psychological mechanism to explain why this social construction may have been particularly effective. A content analysis was conducted of war-related stories in the New York Times for the duration of the Gulf War, giving special attention to direct and indirect references to death and killing. This analysis reveals four major themes: 1) rhetorical devices that distance the reader from death and encourage denial of death in the war; 2) official denial of responsibility for war-related deaths and reassurance to the public that death would be “minimal,” 3) rhetoric that prepares the public for death in war and to view the deaths to come as just, and 4) ambiguity and uncertainty about the actual death toll from the war.
Violence and Health: Preliminary Elements for Thought and Action
Authors: Agudelo Saúl Franco
Published: May 2005

Violence is one of the most serious problems that society, and the public health sector in particular, has to deal with today. This article begins with a discussion of the concept of violence itself, bringing out its historical and cultural dimensions and emphasizing its essential relationship to the exercise of force in the interest of power under conditions of inequality. Violence must be seen as a process that includes its origins, the conditions that allow it to happen, its different forms of expression, and its individual and collective consequences. The violence–health relationship is seen as having different levels: violence threatens or denies not only health but the entire vital human process. The author analyzes the different forms of violence: violence that impairs health (torture, disappearances, rape, child abuse, elderly abuse) and violence that kills (suicide, homicide, war). Recent data show that the problem is on the increase and pervades everyday life. The author then examines the mechanisms by which violence impinges on health care institutions, especially the health services, training institutions, and agencies responsible for orienting and financing the sector. Finally, the health sector is revealed as not only a victim or patient of violence, but, unfortunately, sometimes an agent of violence, which means that changes are needed in approaches, attitudes, and behavior.
Improving Communication: Eleven Guidelines for the New Technical Editor
Authors: Annett Clarence H.
Published: May 2005

The new technical editor, especially a journal editor, is faced with an immense task. He can consult a vast collection of reference books to help him master the mechanics of editing, learn the system of publication, and improve his writing skills. However, no reference book tells him the thing he needs most: how to master the art of successful communication and interaction with authors, many of whom he will meet only through letters or telephone calls. The technical editor almost always depends on authors for his livelihood, since they submit the original manuscripts and research reports which he turns into the final product. The interaction between writers and editors often leaves both with bad feelings. To help the new technical editor prevent this, eleven guidelines for developing a good style of communication are presented. The goal of these guidelines is to make the editorial process satisfying and pleasant for all concerned.
The Influence of Self-Esteem on Smoking among African-American School Children
Authors: Crump Regan L. , Lillie-Blanton Marsha , Anthony James C.
Published: May 2005

This study provides some evidence, although not very strong, that self-esteem is associated with the likelihood of smoking among African-American children. In a sample of 1,256 children, those with lowest levels of self-esteem were twice as likely to have ever smoked as those with highest level of self-esteem (95% C.I. = 1.10–7.78). Girls, more so than boys, have an increased risk of smoking at the lowest level of self-esteem. Girls with the lowest level of self-esteem were 2.8 times (95% C.I. = 3.85–16.59) as likely to have smoked when compared to girls with higher self-esteem. The findings suggest preventive interventions that seek to build self-esteem may reduce the likelihood of smoking among girls, although perhaps only modestly. Further study is needed to identify potentially effective methods for reducing the likelihood of smoking among African-American boys.
Parental Bereavement over the Life Course: A Theoretical Intersection and Empirical Review
Authors: De Vries Brian , Dalla Lana Rose , Falck Vilma T.
Published: May 2005

This article reviews the literature on parental bereavement over the family life course drawing attention to the meaning of the loss. The conceptual framework for this article arises from the intersection of Klass and Marwit's [1] theory of parental bereavement and the theory of family development as proposed by Aldous [2] and others. The review of the literature is organized according to a series of factors, proposed by Rando [3] and others, thought to influence the parental grief experience: the untimeliness of the death; the nature and quality of the lost relationship; the role the deceased played; the characteristics of the death; and, the social support system. The role of a family developmental perspective in the understanding of parental bereavement and the recognition of the issues involved in the losses at different family stages is discussed in relation to each factor and strategies for future research are offered.
Accommodation for Elderly Persons in Newly Industrializing Countries: The Hong Kong Experience
Authors: Phillips David R.
Published: May 2005

The newly industrializing countries seem set to follow many developed countries with a rapid growth in numbers of elderly people. This will throw considerable strain on their resources, particularly in the provision of services and accommodation for this group in society. Hong Kong is a leader amongst the newly industrializing countries, both in terms of its aging population (more than 11 percent of its people are now over 60 years of age) and in terms of economic growth. It has, however, only relatively recently embarked upon a comprehensive and integrated program to provide a wide range of accommodation for the elderly. This includes sheltered housing within Hong Kong's well-known public housing schemes, old people's homes, care-and-attention homes, and infirmaries. The private sector has also been growing rapidly in the 1980s with a considerable recent increase of old people's homes. A voluntary code of conduct for this sector was introduced in late 1986, but concerns remain about the quality of care and the rapid growth of private homes in the territory. The approaches to the provision of accommodation for the elderly are set in the context of Hong Kong's overall social policy development. Whilst the experience of relatively wealthy Hong Kong may not prove to be of relevance for the majority of Third World countries, it is argued that it may provide a model for other newly industrializing countries.
Multivariate Personality and Clinical Assessment in Court: Use of the Cattell Tests in Forensic Proceedings
Authors: Pope Kenneth S.
Published: May 2005

One of the most innovative and ambitious attempts to describe the human personality in ways that are both quantifiable and empirically testable is the theoretical approach of Raymond B. Cattell. Expert witnesses who offer testimony based on the Cattell tests (e.g., 16PF, CAQ, 8SQ, HSPQ, CPQ, MAT, SMAT) face special challenges and pitfalls during direct and cross-examination. This article provides sample deposition and cross-examination questions that expert witnesses may use to assess their own knowledge of the theory and tests and to prepare to offer testimony about assessments based on Cattell's tests.
Grief and Depression in Newly Widowed Parents with School-Age Children
Authors: Worden J. William , Silverman Phyllis S.
Published: May 2005

The objectives of this study were to examine depression levels found in newly widowed parents with school age children and to distinguish bereavement dysphoria from clinical depression. A community based sample of seventy bereaved families with school-age children were assessed four months after the death and at the first anniversary. Parents were assessed with the CES-D depression scale [1], and the Impact of Events Scale [2], and the Family Inventory of Life Events [3]. The results indicate that 56 percent of the parents had high CES-D scores (> 16) at four months and 44 percent had high scores at one year. Early depression was a strong predictor of later depression. Higher depression levels were associated with more family life changes (FILE), limited income, lack of peer support, more younger children, and difficulty mobilizing support. Few parents with high CES-D scores selected the low self-esteem items suggesting more of a grief response than depression. Those who selected the low esteem items looked more clinically depressed than those who did not. In conclusion, it is important to distinguish between clinical depression and grief reactions since both share similar characteristics. This distinction is especially critical when planning appropriate interventions to assist the bereaved in coping with the loss.
Walking in the Shadows of Archaeologists Past: Researching Museum Collections and Associated Records to Elucidate past Lifeways
Authors: Crowell Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2005

Researching museum collections and associated field data, in addition to consulting modern scientific studies, can provide a great deal of information about the presence and nature of archaeological sites in a locale. This article was developed based upon collections research conducted for prehistoric archaeological sites in Washington, D.C., using the collections of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, and other repositories. The state of collections varies widely. Some collectors gathered only perfect completed tools and other objects, while others collected these materials and debitage. The state of documentation ranges from complete and exacting with precision rivaling modern-day to non-existent. The importance of examining museum collections and private collections, where available, cannot be downplayed. Sometimes they possess the only clues remaining regarding certain practices which occurred in the past and can provide information not otherwise available to the researcher.
The Fetish of the Objective Finding
Authors: Lax Michael
Published: May 2005

Pressure is mounting for clinicians to rely solely on “objective” measures when evaluating workers with possible work-related disease. These measures are intended to largely supplant the worker's history as sources of information regarding diagnosis, work relatedness, and extent of disability. While seeming to promote more accurate and neutral evaluation methods, the underlying agenda is to reduce business costs by denying work-related illness and disability. Promoting the view of occupational health as the province of technical experts, the campaign for the “objective” finding silences workers as unqualified to comment. The methods proposed to enhance objectivity also suffer from significant specific shortcomings. To resist efforts to fetishize the objective finding, clinicians need to recognize the subjective elements of objective methods as well as the objective value of subjective data. This requires recognition of the central role of workers and histories in the clinical evaluation process.
Multiple Sclerosis and Schizophrenia: A Case Report
Authors: Hollender Marc H. , Steckler Philip P.
Published: May 2005

In the borderland between psychiatry and neurology the clinician occasionally encounters patients with diseases which challenge diagnostic skills and treatment methods.

A case is presented in which the coexistence of multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia raises essential questions about the relationship of mind and brain. A young woman with multiple sclerosis developed a clinical picture of schizophrenia in the initial stages of her disease. During sodium amobarbital interviews the patient's mental functioning cleared temporarily, although tranquilizers failed to control disruptive behavior. Electroconvulsive therapy was administered with dramatic improvement of her psychiatric disorder and no worsening of her neurological disease. In the seven years since recovery she has married and raised two healthy children without recurrence of either neurological or psychiatric disorder. While no cause-and-effect relationship can be defined, such cases emphasize the need for further studies of the relationship of central nervous system disease to psychiatric disorder.
The Bosman Site: Seasonality and Diversity of the Faunal Assemblage from a Protohistoric Village in Muskingum County, Ohio
Authors: Church Flora
Published: May 2005

Excavation of part of the Bosman site, a Wellsburg phase site (A.D. 1520-1580) located in Muskingum county, Ohio, revealed four structures and associated features within a palisade. Nineteen mammalian species, one bird, five reptiles, one amphibian, five fishes, two gastropod species, and an undetermined number of mollusc species were identified in the sample of 70,293 faunal remains. Faunal resources are almost equally distributed across three seasons of the year from late spring through fall. While the dominant food resources appear to have been elk, deer, turtles, turkey, fish, and bear, the amount of beaver remains recovered from the Bosman site, is greater than expected if the proportion of beaver is simply a function of sampling. Bosman site inhabitants may have been participating indirectly in Indian-European trade networks. The intensity of processing of faunal resources suggests pressure from some direction, perhaps resulting from the effects of the fur trade, on subsistence.
Directions and Potentials of Contraceptive Research
Authors: Djerassi Carl
Published: May 2005

This article reviews the current status of birth control methods, emphasizing the reversible fertility control agents that will be needed during the next decade or two, notably in developing countries. Special mention is made of chemical approaches to abortion, hormonal agents, the intrauterine device, sterilization techniques, and male contraceptives. The prospects for reaching the goals of better research and more effective implementation are fairly dim unless major changes in public and governmental attitudes toward contraceptive research are instituted. Attention is drawn particularly to some of the operational problems associated with the development of new fertility control approaches in the female and in the male.
Analysis of Copper-Based Metals from three Mi'kmaq Sites in Nova Scotia
Authors: Whitehead R. H. , Pavlish L. A. , Farquhar R. M. , Hancock R. G. B.
Published: May 2005

Instrumental neutron activation of sixty-one copper-based metal samples from Mi'kmaq First Nations archaeological sites at Northport, Pictou, and Avonport in Nova Scotia shows that all samples are of European origin. There are two brass and one gun metal samples; all are of different trace element chemistries. The remaining fifty-eight pieces of European copper displayed from six to thirteen different trace element chemistries, implying that a minimum of this number of cooking pots was associated with the assemblage. Six of the seven Northport copper samples match with different Pictou copper chemistries, linking the sites. Since two Northport samples were from essentially whole pots, and since they match trace element groupings 1 and 2i, at least two pots of each of these chemistries must have arrived at Northport and Pictou. On the other hand, the two copper samples from Avonport are chemically unique in this small collection, matching nothing from Northport or Pictou.
A Public Sector Health Promotion Program
Authors: Kronenfeld Jennie J. , Maysey Dorothy , McGee Joan G. , Gimarc Jerry Dell , Jackson Kirby L. , Blair Steven N. , Salisbury Zora
Published: May 2005

The use of a volunteer model in the provision of health promotion programs in the public sector is described based on the experiences of the Carolina Healthstyle Project, originally a health promotion project for state employees in the Columbia, South Carolina metropolitan area and now expanding to all state employees, public school district employees, and, in a more limited fashion, to state government retirees. The revised models for this project may be particularly helpful to other modestly-funded health promotion efforts.
Environmentalism Unbound: Reconnecting and Re-Envisioning Movements for Change
Authors: Gottlieb Robert
Published: May 2005

Disputes over environmental discourse have generated divergent pathways and discordant messages over the last three decades. An examination of them becomes a study of environmentalism's roots. The workplace is shown as a hidden and often discounted arena of debate about what constitutes an environmental issue. The triumph of the productionist and limitless consumption views helped to establish a focus on environmental change as a form of consumer action. Since the 1970s though, new forms of environmental discourse and action—both community- and production-related—have sought to shift the terrain. The possibility of becoming a broader, more socially inclusive movement capable of challenging the very structure and logic of capitalist social order is possible again, including the ability to identify new strategies for action. Overcoming the work/environment divide is perhaps the most contentious question facing the future of the environmental and labor movements. New approaches, including developing a community of interests, revaluing work, and developing an ethic of place (with urban, industrial, and global forms), require that the social and the ecological become joined in the construction of a common vision. When any environmental issue can be seen as socially determined, then environmentalism's great task will be to see itself as a primary agent of social change.
Examining the Organizational Characteristics of CAI Projects in Institutions of Higher Education
Authors: Nelson Randall B. , Erwin T. Dary
Published: May 2005

This article examines the evolution of awareness regarding the importance of organizational characteristics on the success of CAI projects. A list of twelve organizational factors are described that institutions of higher education need to consider in planning CAI projects.
Inequalities in Health. The Black Report: A Summary and Comment
Authors: Gray Alastair McIntosh
Published: May 2005

In August 1980 the United Kingdom Department of Health and Social Security published the Report of the Working Group on Inequalities in Health, also known as the Black Report (after chairman Sir Douglas Black, President of the Royal College of Physicians). The Report showed in great detail the extent to which ill-health and death are unequally distributed among the population of Britain, and suggested that these inequalities have been widening rather than diminishing since the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948.

The Report concluded that these inequalities were not mainly attributable to failings in the NHS, but rather to many other social inequalities influencing health: income, education, housing, diet, employment, and conditions of work. In consequence, the Report recommended a wide strategy of social policy measures to combat inequalities in health. These findings and recommendations were virtually disowned by the then Secretary of State for Social Services, very few copies of the Report were printed, and few people had the opportunity to read it.

The Black Report is an important document that deserves wide attention and debate. This summary and comment is intended to give greater access to its evidence, arguments, conclusions, and recommendations.
Path Analysis of Socioeconomic Correlates of County Infant Mortality Rates
Authors: Brooks Charles H.
Published: May 2005

Relationships between selected socioeconomic characteristics of counties and infant mortality rates are examined. There are two research objectives: to determine the extent to which low family income, low education, sound housing, and the percentage of blacks “directly” and “jointly” relate to neonatal and postneonatal mortality rates; and to determine the degree to which a zero-order correlation between a given socioeconomic measure and general infant mortality is transmitted by neonatal and postneonatal mortality rates, respectively. Data corresponding to 2237 counties in the United States are analyzed by path analysis. Results show that the percentage of blacks and low education are two variables which have appreciable direct effects on both components of infant mortality. These two factors are also responsible in large measure for gross associations between low family income, sound housing, and rates of infant loss. On the basis of this study it is estimated that approximately two-thirds of the zero-order correlation between a given county measure of socioeconomic status and infant mortality occurs through the postneonatal component. Implications of these findings are discussed.
The Metamorphosis of an Introduction to Computer Science
Authors: Ben-Jacob Marion G.
Published: May 2005

Computer science departments in colleges and universities are always involved in curriculum reviews to insure their students receive an up-to-date education. In particular, the introductory or first course in computer science has undergone significant changes over the past years. This article concerns itself with the metamorphosis of the introductory course and addresses the possibilities of what the future first course in the discipline might be like.
Attitudes toward Stillbirth and Death Threat Level in a Sample of Obstetricians
Authors: Kirkley-Best Elizabeth , Kellner Kenneth R. , Ladue Terry
Published: May 2005

The exact attitudes that physicians hold toward stillbirth have never been empirically explored. Seventy obstetricians and obstetrical residents were polled on their attitudes regarding stillbirth. Physicians simultaneously were assessed for their level of death threat as measured by the Threat Index. No effect of death threat level on attitudes toward stillbirth was observed, even when extreme scores were isolated and compared. Possible reasons for the lack of findings is discussed. Patterns of physicians's responses about perinatal grief are presented. Further dissemination of information on the grief following perinatal loss is encouraged.
The Medical Context of Hypochondriacal Traits
Authors: Mabe P. Alex , Riley William T. , Jones L. Ralph , Hobson Douglas P.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

This study examines the effects of two medical contexts on the relationship of hypochondriacal traits and their potential correlates.

Method:

Correlates of hypochondriacal traits were compared from a matched sample of fifty-five general medical inpatients with a sample of fifty-five medical inpatients referred for psychiatric evaluation. Patients completed questionnaires assessing emotional distress and health attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, and their attending physician completed ratings of the patient's illness and illness behavior.

Results:

Patients referred for psychiatric consultation exhibited significantly higher levels of hypochondriacal illness presentation than the matched nonreferred sample. Moderated regression analyses revealed three trends regarding the interactive effects of group status on the relationship of hypochondriacal traits to their potential correlates: 1) presence of angry feelings and interpersonal friction was positively associated with hypochondriacal concerns for the psychiatric referred patients only, 2) the tendency to deny life stresses and attribute all problems to the effects of illness was positively associated with a misinterpretation of the severity of their illness and hypochondriacal illness presentation for the psychiatric referred patients, whereas this association was negative for the nonreferred medical patients, and 3) the association of reports of emotional distress symptoms with hypochondriacal illness preparation was negative for the psychiatric referred patients and positive for the nonreferred medical patients.

Conclusions:

Study results suggest that hypochondriasis may not represent a uniform nosological disorder and that the context of its study can significantly influence etiologic findings.
Introduction
Authors: Salmon J. Warren
Published: May 2005

Here and in subsequent issues of the Journal, this Special Section on Health Promotion Strategies will address broad analytical concerns, grounded in case studies in different cultural and national settings. The articles examine the interfaces and tensions between theoretical considerations and varying approaches to promoting health in populations. Each portrays situations in which communities have made important linkages toward empowerment. As a whole, this series of articles will go beyond prevailing, limited conceptualization in the field of health promotion, and will stimulate further research and aid those who are struggling in communities and workplaces for improvements in collective health.
Coping with Bereavement among Elderly Widowers
Authors: Richardson Virginia E. , Balaswamy Shantha
Published: May 2005

A Dual Process Model of Bereavement, which considers the impact of loss- and restoration-oriented variables on widowers' levels of well-being, is tested on 200 widowed men during the second year of bereavement. Those who were widowed less than 500 days exhibited significantly more negative affect, less positive affect, and lower well-being that those widowed more than 500 days. Multiple regression analyses revealed that both loss and restoration variables were important throughout bereavement. Loss variables influenced negative affect and were especially critical during the early stages. Restoration variables significantly affected positive affect and had greater impact on the later bereaved. The results support a dual process model of bereavement, but also suggest that certain events, such as circumstances of death, are more important during early bereavement while reinvestment activities, such as dating, become relevant later. Some circumstances, such as a wife's suffering, have prolonged effects.
Medical Brain Drain Revisited
Authors: Gish Oscar
Published: May 2005

There is increasing pressure for the training of greater numbers of doctors. This pressure stems from the growing demand for higher education for the children of an expanding middle class, and from the desire to create more “satisfactory” doctor/population ratios. But, in fact, the middle classes produce doctors primarily to serve their own class. Since the training of doctors is geared to the values and requirements of those with money incomes sufficient to purchase private medical care, it is very expensive. These costs are such that the level of effective economic demand of most of the population cannot possibly meet the expectations and requirements of the medical graduates, who then “overflow” into those parts of the world where demand is greater than the current supply of doctors.
Adolescents and Destructive Themes in Rock Music: A Follow-Up
Authors: Wass Hannelore , Miller M. David , Redditt Carol Anne
Published: May 2005

We report findings of a follow-up on rock music preferences and of views of themes advocating homicide, suicide, and satanic practices (HSSR). A total of 120 adolescent offenders (ages 13–18 years), in two youth detention centers, were administered a questionnaire of Likert-type, categorical, and open-ended questions. Ninety-one students were fans of rock music. Of those, approximately 54 percent were HSSR fans. HSSR fans were more likely to be white and school dropouts, to spend more time listening to music, to think it is harmless for young children to listen to HSSR music, and to assume that HSSR lyrics do not lead to destructive acts. Contrary to previous findings, gender and parents' marital status did not predict whether a juvenile offender was an HSSR fan: both males and females, from intact and broken homes, were fans. Findings suggest a strong relationship between a preference for rock music with destructive themes and antisocial or destructive behavior.
Neoliberalism, “Globalization,” Unemployment, Inequalities, and the Welfare State
Authors: Navarro Vicente
Published: May 2005

This analysis of “neoliberalism” and its economic and social consequences is presented in six sections. Section I begins by describing the impact of neoliberal public policies on economic growth and inflation, on business profits and business investments, on productivity, on business credit, on unemployment and social inequalities, on social expenditures, and on poverty and family debt. The author shows that, except in the area of business profits and control of inflation, neoliberal policies have not proved superior to those they replaced. Section II deals with unemployment and social polarization in the developed capitalist countries. The author criticizes some of the theories put forward to explain these social problems, such as the introduction of new technologies and globalization of the economy, and suggests that a primary reason for these problems is the implementation of neoliberal policies. Section III challenges the widely held neoliberal perception that the U.S. economy is highly efficient and the E.U. economies are “sclerotic” due to their “excessive” welfare states and “rigid” labor markets. The author shows that the U.S. economy is not so dynamic, nor the E.U. economies so sclerotic. Some developed countries with greater social protection and more regulated labor markets are shown to be more successful than the United States in producing jobs and lowering unemployment.

The reasons for the growing polarization in developed capitalist countries, rooted in political rather than economic causes, are discussed in section IV—especially the enormous power of the financial markets and their influence on international agencies and national governments, and the weakness of the labor movements, both nationally and internationally. Section V questions the major theses of globalization. The author shows that rather than globalization of commerce and investments, we are witnessing a regionalization of economic relations stimulated by political considerations. He also analyzes the globalization of capital finance, criticizing the thesis that capital markets are determining public policies. The economic determinism that underlies the globalization position is questioned, uncovering the importance of political explanations for understanding major social problems such as unemployment. Finally, section VI shows that neoliberal public policies on the deregulation of labor markets are creating enormous instability in the labor force, worsening the living conditions of the majority of the populations.
Listening to the Inner Soundtrack: A Therapist's Personal Journey
Authors: Brown Laura S.
Published: May 2005

This article presents an experiential examination of the author's “internal soundtrack,” a process by which unconscious material communicated by clients is manifested in the form of words and music in the mind's ear. The article traces the hypothesized development of this source of access to unconscious process, and explores the impact of the therapist's loss of her actual voice on her access to this unconscious voice.
Technical Writing and Translation: Changing with the Times
Authors: Séguinot Candace
Published: May 2005

As trade becomes global and technology allows more of the production of documentation to be done in-house, the difference between the roles of technical writers and translators is narrowing. The assumptions underlying the training of technical translators and notions of quality in technical language do not yet reflect this change. Quality implies standards, and that has recently come to mean international standards. The concluding part of this article will look at some of the implications of the standardization of text conventions for communicating procedures across languages and cultures.
Why the United States Does Not Have a National Health Program: The Medical-Industry Complex and its PAC Contributions to Congressional Candidates, January 1, 1981, through June 30, 1991
Authors: Young Amy
Published: May 2005

The Common Cause study presents data on medical-industry PAC contributions to Members of Congress during the period January 1, 1981, through June 30, 1991. Included are listings of the top 25 congressional recipients, the top 25 Senate recipients, and the top 50 House recipients of contributions from medical-industry PACs; medical-industry PAC contributions to members of the four key congressional committees and to the congressional leadership; top congressional recipients of contributions from medical professionals' PACs, including the American Medical Association, from health insurance PACs, from pharmaceutical PACs, and from hospitals and care-provider PACs; and the top medical-industry PACs. State-by-state lists of medical-industry PAC contributions to Senators and to Representatives, including breakdowns of insurance, AMA, and pharmaceutical contributions, are given in the appendixes.