bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some Aspects of the Elderly Widow(er)'s Persistent Tie with the Deceased Spouse
Authors: Moss Miriam S. , Moss Sidney Z.
Published: May 2005

An elderly widow(er) often carries deep attachments to the deceased spouse. Elements of grief persist over many years. In spite of the loss, separation, and grief, five themes of the marital tie continue throughout widowhood: caring–an affirmation of continuing affection; intimacy–a unique sharing and sense of mutual importance; family feeling–a deep sense of biological kinship and bondedness; commitment–intended continuity of the relationship; and reciprocal identity support–each is defined and confirmed by the other. A sense of home is also a mechanism in maintaining the bond. These themes may persist to provide continuing comfort and support to the widow(er).
An Integrative Model of Factors Related to Computing Course Performance
Authors: Charlton John P. , Birkett Paul E.
Published: May 2005

A path modeling approach is adopted to examine inter-relationships between factors influencing computing behavior and computing course performance. Factors considered are gender, personality, intellect and computer attitudes, ownership, and experience. Among many other conclusions, intrinsic motivation is suggested as a major factor which can explain many variables' relationship with course performance. Similarly to the common finding for non-computing specialist students, a male advantage in previous computing experience is observed, gender differences in computer ownership partially explaining this. In the absence of an attitudinal gender difference, the ownership difference is suggested to stem from the perception of computers as objects stereotypically bought by and for males. However, while having implications with respect to the gender imbalance usually observed on programming-oriented and more technically-oriented applications courses, these differences are not shown to confer a male advantage in course performance.
The Effects of Early Parental Death on Sibling Relationships in Later Life
Authors: Mack Kristin Y.
Published: May 2005

The present study draws on elements of kinship and life course perspectives to examine the influence of parental death during childhood on adult sibling contact and closeness. Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households ( N = 3,684), comparisons are made between adults who experienced early parental death and those with no history of childhood family disruptions, and between adults who experienced early maternal death and those who experienced paternal death during childhood. Results from Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analyses indicate that adults who experienced parental death during childhood do not have more sibling contact, but are closer to their siblings in adulthood than adults who grew up in intact families. In addition, adults who experienced maternal death during childhood have less sibling contact than adults who experienced paternal death, but there are not differences between these two groups in terms of closeness. These findings indicate that it is important to assess the long-term impact of early parental death on adult outcomes and that gender of the deceased parent may have more significant implications for some dimensions of adult sibling relationships than others.
Implications of Screen Design upon Learning
Authors: Aspillaga MacArena
Published: May 2005

Research pertaining to the effects of Screen Design upon learning is scarce. Many recommendations point out the need for “using blank space,” “being consistent” in the presentation, “preventing clutter,” and “avoiding scroll,” which are subject to interpretation. This article deals with practical recommendations applicable to all CM lessons. They are the use of external structure of knowledge, capital versus lower case, screen page as a unit, and margins. Figures are provided for each recommendation.
A Pilot Study of Women's Attitudes towards Breast-Conserving Surgery with Primary Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer
Authors: Silverman Daniel C. , Edbril Susan , Gartrell Nanette , Wise Susan , Botnick Leslie , Liao-Rosenblatt Elizabeth , Huntley Betsy
Published: May 2005

Breast-conserving surgery (“lumpectomy”) with primary radiation therapy is gaining acceptance as an alternative to mastectomy for breast cancer. Currently, little is known about the specific immediate and long-range biopsychosocial effects of breast-conserving therapy as compared to more traditional mastectomy procedures. Physicians' speculations about the women who chose breast-conserving treatment as opposed to mastectomy seem to have been influenced by the scientific debate concerning the efficacy of this procedure. This study is a preliminary investigation of the attitudes and experiences of women receiving breast-saving therapy for carcinoma of the breast.
The Re-Use of Thermally Altered Stone
Authors: Pagoulatos Peter
Published: May 2005

This article presents an experimental study concerning the uses of thermally altered stone, commonly referred to as fire-cracked rock. A series of experiments were conducted as granitic cobbles contained within hearth areas were re-used. These cobble assemblages were then stone-boiled and subsequently analyzed for thermal alteration characteristics such as color change, cracking, and spalling, for comparative purposes. Quantitative analyses were then applied to the data in order to establish whether differential patterns of thermal alteration exist dependent upon re-use.
The Ethicality of Child-Finding in Third World Countries for the Purpose of Adoption
Authors: Pahz James A.
Published: May 2005

Because of a scarcity of adoptable infants in the United States, adoption agencies are looking overseas for children. In their efforts at finding overseas “sources” they sometimes become associated with persons who see intercountry adoption as a means of easy financial gain. The author's commentary questions the behavior of U.S.-based adoption programs in forming these associations as well as the system which weighs the interests of North American adoptive parents against those of impoverished, Third World birthmothers.
Are Media Needs Being Met for the Beginning Teacher?
Authors: Cropp David
Published: May 2005

Dual surveys were conducted in the Spring of 1989 to aid in answering the title question. Elementary school teachers in Kansas were surveyed to learn of the use they make of media in the classroom. The Kansas teacher education institutions were surveyed at the same time to learn of the media instruction provided for the pre-service teacher. A comparison of the two sets of data suggested the content of the instructional media component of the undergraduate degree in education matches the use the practicing teacher makes of the various media formats. What is taught about instructional media in the teacher education program is what is used by the classroom teacher is essentially a correct assessment. The only modifications necessary to align the media curriculum to better meet the needs of the beginning teacher seem to be 1) to enhance the instruction regarding the use of video-tape and maps as instructional media and 2) to discontinue instruction regarding the use of 35 mm slides because only 13.2 percent of the teachers use them even though the teachers that do judge them to be an effective instructional medium. The use of video tape and computers by the classroom teacher is rapidly increasing. Their use is being restrained only by the volume of equipment available to the teacher.
Age Differences in Health Attitudes and Beliefs: Aging and/or Cohort Effects?
Authors: Hibbard Judith , Pope Clyde R.
Published: May 2005

The study examines age differences in selected health attitudes and beliefs. Using one indicator for cohort effects and one indicator of aging effects, an attempt is made to identify the origins of these age differences. The study population is comprised of a random sample of 2603 adults from a large health maintenance organization. The subjects participated in an indepth household interview. Analytic approaches include bivariate to multivariate methods. The findings indicate that there are significant age differences in health attitudes and beliefs and that both aging and cohort contribute to these differences. The findings must be interpreted as only tentative. However, they do highlight the need to examine the degree to which these health attitudes and beliefs are actually predictive of medical care utilization and other health and illness behaviors. The policy and research implications are discussed.
Parental Grief Response to Perinatal Death
Authors: Smith Anne Clarke , Borgers Sherry B.
Published: May 2005

This study examined whether parents who had suffered perinatal loss experienced grief responses similar to other adult mourners and also examined the effect of several variables (sex, type of loss, length of time since loss, number of losses, and subsequent pregnancy) on the grief response. The Grief Experience Inventory was completed by 176 individuals, and data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis of variance. Parents who experienced perinatal losses suffered grief; the findings also suggest it is not the variables which influence the grief response as much as the perception that their loss is not understood. The only significant variable was the sex of the parent. Implications are discussed.
AIDS Communication: What Predicts Health Professionals' Decisions?
Authors: Treadwell D. F.
Published: May 2005

Theoretical models from the persuasion/health communication literature have identified many components such as message appeal, audience attributes and channel characteristics that need to be addressed as a prerequisite to designing any successful AIDS communication program, but a variety of models compete in the marketplace of ideas, and many are divergent with respect to focus and to specific recommendations. The question then arises of what theoretical perspectives predominate in AIDS communication practice and why. This article explores the decisions and theoretical perspectives behind the thinking of health and health communication specialists who were asked to design an AIDS communication program aimed at a target audience of students. Results show two different theoretical predispositions: a fact-based formal teaching approach and a skills-oriented approach using interactive methods. Preference for one of these over the other is predicted by level of education, religion, and institutional affiliation.
Differences in Final Arrangements between Burial and Cremation as the Method of Body Disposition
Authors: Dawson Grace D. , Santos John F. , Burdick David C.
Published: May 2005

A survey of close survivors of deceased persons from six metropolitan areas of the United States investigated the differences in final arrangements when burial or cremation was employed as the method of body disposition. Survivors rated the influence that various factors had on making final arrangements. The results from the cremation sample (N = 407) and a smaller, but comparable, burial sample 233) indicate both similarities and differences between the body disposition samples with respect to various respondent and deceased characteristics; the use of final arrangement products and activities carried out for the deceased; and in the influence and importance of various factors on final arrangements.
Privatization—The New Challenge to Working Conditions in Bulgarian Enterprises
Authors: Kokalov Ivan , Todorov Todor , Atschkova Paraskeva , Popov Todor , Zaikova Mica
Published: May 2005

Bulgaria is facing serious economic problems. Privatization is going slowly and painfully. High unemployment, poor working conditions, lack of proper health and safety systems at work are only some of the problems faced presently by the trade unions. Yet there is still a place for optimism. Examples demonstrate that privatization of state enterprises accompanied by proper legal requirements and trade union involvement can, in fact, improve working conditions.
Habitual Visualizer/Verbalizer Cognitive Style: The Impact of Anxiety and Depression
Authors: Moore Kathleen A.
Published: May 2005

Imagery and verbal cognitive abilities appear to be differentially affected by psychopathology, yet research has failed to consider Paivio's proposition that people have habitual cognitive styles. The aim of this study was to establish habitual cognitive style (verbalizer/visualizer) among depressed, anxious, and control respondents and compare these to their imagery and verbal abilities in the state mode. A comparison of these groups confirmed that there were no differences in preferred habitual cognitive style. In the state mode, the anxious group demonstrated the highest imagery vividness and the depressed group the lowest. Both clinical groups demonstrated attenuated verbal reasoning and high levels of confusion. Within-groups comparison confirmed the attenuation of verbal ability for both clinical groups while the control group remained stable. All three groups demonstrated enhanced state imagery ability over habitual visual preference. This change was greatest for the anxious group followed by the control and then the depressed groups. The therapeutic implications of these findings are discussed
Effects of Computerized Feedback on Performing and Debugging Algebraic Transformations
Authors: Yerushalmy Michal
Published: May 2005

This article presents research about the effects of computerized feedback on the way students carry out algebraic transformations and how they debug their own working processes. Twenty-five seventh graders met for two-hour weekly sessions in a computer lab, over the course of twelve weeks. They were divided into four groups, each group working with a different version of the same experimental software. The software creates an environment conducive to student experimentation in the transforming of algebraic expressions. It allows the user to carry out processes of algebraic transformation and it indicates the effect each transformation has on the expression. One group of students used a version of the software which provided a graph of each step in the transformation, in addition to a “difference” graph which showed the difference between the expressions in question. A second group worked with judgmental feedback. The third group used a symbolic manipulator aid. And the fourth group received no feedback at all. Observations showed that judgmental feedback had positive effects on the process, but that the students still lacked the motivation and/or ability to complete the tasks correctly. The feedback had more significant effects on the first and third groups: the manipulator aid motivated the students to obtain a correct product; the graph feedback motivated them to make algebraic investigations.
Testing Relationships among Determinants of Health, Health Policy, and Self-Assessed Health Status in Quebec
Authors: Wilson Kathleen , Jerrett Michael , Eyles John
Published: May 2005

By removing financial barriers, the Canada Health Act (1984) equalized access to health care services in Canada. Yet class, educational, and geographical disparities in individual and population health status persist. Recent health reform policies in Quebec assert that health and well-being are a function of income, educational level, housing conditions, employment, and other socioeconomic factors. They suggest that health policy should encompass social policies that influence individual and community socioeconomic factors which in turn affect health. Against the backdrop of these reforms, this study tests the importance of socioeconomic factors as a determinant of health–while controlling for other known determinants through a logistic regression model–with data from the Santé Quebec health surveys 1987 and 1992–93. The results confirm the importance of economic security as a determinant of individual health. This effect appears to operate through an individual income variable and through the community-level variable of regional unemployment. The importance of the income effect declined between 1987 and 1992–93. This may indicate that an increased focus on the socioeconomic determinants of health has reduced inequalities in health. It may also mean that health inequalities appear inevitable until health care policy merges completely with broader health and social policies. But such integration may well conflict with economic (and political) imperatives of the post-Fordist capitalist system.
Neuropsychiatric Adverse Drug Reactions: Passive Reports to Health and Welfare Canada's Adverse Drug Reaction Database (1965-Present)
Authors: Patten Scott B. , Love Edgar J.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Since 1965, Health and Welfare Canada has operated an adverse drug reaction (ADR) program. The program accepts spontaneous reports of adverse drug reactions, and maintains an ADR database. The purpose of this article is to summarize the Psychiatric ADRs reported to this database since 1965. The nature of the information prohibits its use in the evaluation of epidemiological hypotheses about the etiology of drug-induced mental disorders. However, in an exploratory sense, the contents of the database may contribute to the development of epidemiological hypotheses about the etiology of drug-induced mental disorders. Of particular interest are areas of apparent contradiction between the contents of the database and the clinical literature.

Methods:

The database was searched for reports of ADRs to a group of drugs which have been frequently implicated in causing psychiatric toxicity. All reports characterized as “psychiatric disorders” were downloaded from the database for the analysis ( n = 1822). The reports were further classified into nine categories according to the type of psychiatric symptoms described.

Results:

There were several reports of hallucinations caused by methyldopa, and also several reports of benzodiazepine-induced hallucinations and encephalopathy. These reactions have not been described in the literature. Also, there were few reports of digoxin-induced organic depression, and an absence of reports of organic mania induced by H-2 blockers, despite descriptions of these sorts of reactions in the clinical literature.

Conclusions:

Further research is needed to define the neuropsychiatric toxicity associated with medical drugs. Clinicians must continue to consider the potential role of medications in the etiology of psychiatric symptoms.
L'Art Pour L'Art? Behavioral Effects of Performing Arts Organizations
Authors: Frey Bruno S. , Pommerehne Werner W.
Published: May 2005

The institutional forms of cooperative, profit-oriented (private) and government subsidized non-profit performing arts companies affect the behavior of their management systematically. Thus, the managers of profit-oriented theaters, operas, and orchestras tend to let plays run longer, to have a smaller number of new productions and a more narrow repertoire than do public companies. The number of rehearsals will, ceteris paribus, be smaller, and more plays suiting the preferences of the general public will be offered. These propositions are derived using the economic model of behavior looking also on the incentive effects of different types of government subsidies.
Theories of Visual Rhetoric: Looking at the Human Genome
Authors: Rosner Mary
Published: May 2005

For too long, journal articles and textbooks on scientific and technical discourse have adopted a positivistic approach to visuals. Unfortunately, this approach is problematic. It ignores that visuals are constructions that are products of a writer's interpretation with its own power-laden agenda. For example, in representing a tamed and dominated nature, visuals become instruments of patriarchy. Reading them responsibly requires that we uncover some of the values attached to the strategies of creating visuals and to the objects created. This article reviews the current approach taken by composition scholars, surveys richer interdisciplinary work on visuals, and—by using visuals connected with the Human Genome Project—models an analysis of visuals as rhetoric.
Death of the Nursed: Burnout of the Provider
Authors: Marquis Serge
Published: May 2005

Burnout among caregivers of the terminally ill is related to the various ways in which people meet their death. Clinical experience and field studies reveal that every form of dying and death places its own distinctive emotional burden on the caregiver. For example, in the wake of a swift and violent death, an emergency room nurse may believe that he or she was not really trusted by the supervisors and not allowed to exercise his or her own professional judgment. The lack of opportunity to establish a last bond with the dying person can generate intense frustration. By contrast, the “slow death” process can result in debilitating fatigue on the caregiver's part, a fatigue whose source in the relationship with the dying person may not be recognized. A number of suggestions are made for identifying and coping with caregiver burnout throughout the spectrum of individuals, relationships, and modes of death.
Longitudinal Effects of Social Support on the Health and Functioning of Older Women with Heart Disease
Authors: Janevic Mary R. , Janz Nancy K. , Dodge Julia A. , Wang Yue , Lin Xihong , Clark Noreen M.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the effects of: 1) four dimensions of social support, 2) the number of close social ties, and 3) marital status on the physical and psychological health and functioning of 471 women aged 60 years and over with heart disease. Linear mixed models were used to assess the impact of each baseline social relations predictor on health outcomes at four-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up intervals. A second set of models examined the association between change in support variables over time with concomitant change in health outcomes. Results indicated that baseline emotional/informational support, positive social interaction, affectionate support, tangible support, number of close friends and relatives, and marital status all significantly predicted ( p < .05) one or more health outcomes over time. Increases in positive social interaction and emotional support over time were significantly associated with concurrent improvement in all self-reported physical and psychological health outcomes. Interventions that enhance the availability of emotional/informational support and promote social interaction are needed for this population.
Developing a Research Agenda for Ubiquitous Computing in Schools
Authors: Zucker Andrew
Published: May 2005

Increasing numbers of states, districts, and schools provide every student with a computing device; for example, the middle schools in Maine maintain wireless Internet access and the students receive laptops. Research can provide policymakers with better evidence of the benefits and costs of 1:1 computing and establish which factors make 1:1 computing more or less effective. To think about the research that is most needed, a framework is discussed focusing on critical features of 1:1 initiatives (e.g., the technology used), interactions and intermediate outcomes (e.g., impacts on teaching and instruction), and ultimate outcomes (e.g., impacts on students and their learning). Some especially high priorities for research on 1:1 computing are identified and discussed, including: investigating the impacts on student achievement, especially for low-achieving students; understanding better the costs of 1:1 computing; and documenting the implementation and impacts of large-scale 1:1 initiatives.
Development of the Computer Interface Literacy Measure
Authors: Turner G. Marc , Sweany Noelle Wall , Husman Jenefer
Published: May 2005

Over the last fifteen years, computers have increasingly become a central component of our lives. During this period, educational research has focused on the effectiveness of computers as both tools for teaching and as a replacement for more traditional instruction. This research has indicated that computer literacy can have a significant impact on a student's ability to learn in a computer-mediated environment. However, there is currently no widely accepted definition of computer literacy nor recent scale-to measure it. The definitions and scales that do exist are specific to the prevailing technology at the time of their development. Because of the rapidly changing face of technology, the current usefulness of these scales is limited with respect to graphical user interfaces. This study represents an effort to redefine computer literacy to include competencies for using graphical user interfaces for operating systems, hypermedia applications, and the Internet. The Computer Interface Literacy Measure (CILM) was developed and validated on 498 undergraduate students. The CILM is composed of both self-report (CILM-SR) and knowledge application (CILM-KA) sub-scales. The CILM-SR consists of twenty-six items, while the CILM-KA contains forty-two items. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the CILM-SR and CILM-KA were α = 0.8978 and α = 0.8455, respectively. The overall CILM had a reliability estimate of α = 0.9102, and was found to significantly correlate with Need for Cognition, a measure of computer instrumentality, and computer experience. It is believed that the CILM will provide researchers with a valuable tool for describing the computer literacy level of participants in educational research.
Northern Exposure
Authors: Gillard Michael , Jones Melissa , Rowell Andrew
Published: May 2005

The operators of Alaska's Alyeska pipeline have often claimed an outstanding record in preventing accidents and environmental damage. This article highlights that, contrary to these claims, Alyeska's operations have brought with them a life-threatening gamble with Alaska's fragile environment. The authors document how the operators of Alyeska have misled the public about the company's real safety record, while at the same time preventing employees from speaking out. As the oil companies consolidate globally, territorial entities such as Alaska can literally assume the character of an oil province.
Health Personnel Training in the Nicaraguan Health System
Authors: Braveman Paula A. , Roemer Milton I.
Published: May 2005

The “Unified National Health System” of Nicaragua was established in 1979, in an attempt to transform some of Latin America's worst health indices. This system, based on the stated principles of planning, regionalization, public participation, and primary care, has prioritized the development of health professions training programs appropriate to its special needs and principles. Public Health and Epidemiology training was inaugurated in 1982. A new campus of the School of Medicine was opened in 1981, increasing the number of medical students by a factor of five. Formal residency training (never before available within the country) in primary care specialties has been established. Training for allied health personnel has been formalized in several fields, with the establishment of the Polytechnical Institute of Health. The rapid increase in number and size of training programs has created a tremendous need for educational resources both human and material. This article reviews the status of health personnel training in Nicaragua today, the integration of these programs into planning for the health system, and problems arising from their rapid appearance.
The Relation of Fantasy Proneness, Psychological Absorption, and Imaginative Involvement to Nightmare Prevalence and Nightmare Distress
Authors: Levin Ross , Fireman Gary
Published: May 2005

The present study prospectively investigated the relationship between nightmare prevalence, nightmare distress, and waking imaginative involvement. One hundred and sixteen individuals completed self-report indices of fantasy proneness, psychological absorption, and daydreaming as well as a sleep and dreaming questionnaire and a nightmare distress measure. Participants then kept a dreaming and nightmare log for 21 consecutive nights. As predicted, both nightmare prevalence and nightmare distress were associated with higher levels of fantasy proneness, psychological absorption, and a guilty-dysphoric daydreaming style but not with positively-toned daydreams or a highly distractible daydreaming style. Further, these results were not due to higher levels of overall dream recall. Last, these effects were additive as high scores on either fantasy proneness or absorption added significantly higher incremental validity to the prediction of nightmare prevalence and distress than just from the dysphoric daydreaming measure alone. The results are discussed within the context of emerging etiological theories of nightmare production.
Changes in Cuban Health Care: An Argument against Technological Pessimism
Authors: Guttmacher Sally , Danielson Ross
Published: May 2005

Since the popular revolution in 1959, alterations in the organization and delivery of health care in Cuba have paralleled the country's broader political, economic, and social changes. This paper discusses the evolution of the Cuban health care system during the past seventeen years within the wider context of societal development. The authors compare three “snapshots” of Cuba, the first in 1959, the second in 1970, and the last in 1976, and touch upon such issues as the organization of health care delivery, the recruitment and socialization of health workers, and aspects of the process of receiving health care. They point out that the Cuban experience should be of particular interest to the developing world. For though it is true that a larger portion of Cuban national resources has been directed to the health and social services than in other developing countries, nonetheless, it was largely through the reorganization and equalization of the prerevolutionary health care system that improvement in the health status of the population was achieved. It appears that Cuba could well serve as an example for those who are skeptical about the possibility of combining technical development with improvement in the humane quality of care.
Caregivers' Reactions to the Physical Appearance of a Person in the Final Stage of Dementia as Measured by Semantic Differentials
Authors: Asplund Kenneth , Norberg Astrid
Published: May 2005

The semantic differential (SeD) technique was applied to 158 caregivers from a nursing home in the northern part of Sweden. The questionnaire contained fifty-eight bipolar scales of adjective pairs and the interviewees indicated then-reactions to a described picture of a severely demented person: A factor analysis revealed three dimensions; an ethical one, an esthetical one, and one about the person's own feelings. The fifty-eight scales were mostly rated toward the negative poles. The severely demented person was rated as painful, apathetic, suffering, weak, afraid, sad, cold, dark, rough, and ugly.

Four years later a comparable group of caregivers ( n = 93) answered a revised questionnaire containing the 26 SeD scales with factor loadings > .50 for the picture of the severely demented person. The result was nearly identical and alternative interpretations are discussed.
Below-the-Watertable Archaeology at Lamoka Lake
Authors: Gramly Richard Michael
Published: May 2005

A trench excavated into the waterlogged fringe of the Lamoka Lake site in central New York state yielded cultural stratigraphic zones with abundant artifacts and food remains. A peaty layer resting upon Late Archaic beach or streamside deposits produced late Middle Woodland (Kipp Island phase) ceramics and stone implements. Discoveries of wood, fruit pits, and nuts in the same layer as well as rich congeries of animal bones indicate that the archaeological potential of the Lamoka Lake site is not exhausted.
Exploring the Role of Video in Enhancing Learning from Hypermedia
Authors: Swan Karen
Published: May 2005

This article examines the potential of video to enhance learning from hypermedia applications. It reports on two studies that compared responses to, and recall from, hypermedia materials with and without integrated video segments. The results of these studies suggest that embedded video indeed can enhance learning from hypermedia. Two possible explanations for such enhancement are suggested—that video adds an affective dimension to hypermedia materials, making them more meaningful, hence more memorable; and that video is presented in a more complex form than text in memory and so provides more links to elaborated knowledge therein.
Dialysis Encephalopathy: A Review
Authors: Jack Robert , Rabin Pauline L. , McKinney T. Dwight
Published: May 2005

Dialysis encephalopathy (DE) is a distinct neuropsychiatric syndrome typically occurring in patients undergoing longterm hemodialysis. It is characterized by electroencephalographic abnormalities in association with disturbances of speech, cognition, movement, affect, or behavior. Previously thought to be relentlessly progressive, recent evidence linking the illness to aluminum overload has led to advances in prevention and treatment. Early diagnosis aids in the reversal or amelioration of the syndrome and can be of immense value to the patient, the family and involved health personnel. The general features of the syndrome, etiologic considerations, differential diagnosis and treatment are discussed. Three case studies are included to illustrate salient features of the syndrome.
Counseling in Catastrophic Illness: A Self-Instructional Unit
Authors: Koenig Ronald
Published: May 2005

A self-instructional unit is presented to help students in the allied health fields through their initial experiences in counseling patients with serious illness. This unit is intended to be used in combination with didactic approaches. Clinically, the unit may be particularly useful for those who are learning to apply the problem-oriented record system. In the classroom situation, it may help in easing the student's thoughts and feelings into the world of the seriously or fatally ill individual. Considerable attention is given to the student's own experiences, opinions, and feelings. The unit is most effective when there is active guidance and participation from the instructor, although it is in a self-instructional format.
Learning Systems Research, Development Testing and Evaluation
Authors: Glasgow Zita
Published: May 2005

A number of models have been developed which delineate formal procedures for instructional design. Systematic application is usually time-consuming, and time means money. Research into strategies for reducing costs while maintaining professional standards is discussed in terms of: 1) the degree to which all steps in systematic development are formally applied; 2) the complexity of the learning tasks which are the object of instruction; and 3) the orientation of the organization and personnel responsible for developing instruction.
Remote Delivery of Instruction in Complex Skills
Authors: Rushton A. F. , Branson Robert K.
Published: May 2005

This study sought to discourse whether an experimental methodology could provide instruction in identification and quantitation tasks which were categorized as intellectual skills with some motor skill components. Hypotheses were derived from the thesis that remotely located students would perform at a level equal to or higher than conventionally trained counterparts. Subjects participating in the study were medical laboratory workers from four states. A remote delivery instructional methodology was compared with conventional instruction. Conventional instruction and the experimental methodology essentially differed only in that in the experimental methodology subjects were remotely located from instructors. Terminal Learning Objective tests were scored on a pass/fail basis. A Chi-square one sample test yielded a value below that required for statistical significance. There was no evidence to suggest that failures signified anything other than random processes or other sources of variation not inherent in administration of instruction. The conclusion reached is that the experimental treatment is no different in effect than the control group treatment. A discussion of potential cost savings using teleconferencing is presented.
Effectiveness of Technology in Precollege Mathematics and Science Teaching
Authors: Kulik James A. , Bangert-Drowns Robert L.
Published: May 2005

The first major applications of scientific technology to education were made by psychologist B. F. Skinner three decades ago. In the years since, the emphasis in instructional technology has shifted from programmed instruction to individualized systems of teaching to computer-based instruction. These three approaches show different degrees of promise as aids in precollege mathematics and science classrooms. Programmed instruction and individualized instruction have had only limited success in raising student achievement or improving student attitudes in precollege education. Computer-based instruction, on the other hand, has raised student achievement significantly in numerous studies, dramatically affected the amount of time needed for teaching and learning, and greatly altered student attitudes toward the computer.
“And there's Always this Great Hole Inside that Hurts”: An Empirical Study of Bereavement in Later Life
Authors: Bennett Kate M. , Bennett Gillian
Published: May 2005

Stage theoretical approaches to bereavement have long been used in both academic and clinical work. Their impact has been so great that they have permeated lay understanding of bereavement, to become, as Tony Walter puts it, the “clinical lore” of bereavement. This paper examines this clinical lore from the perspective of older women's narratives of widowhood. We suggest that, though these widows experience the sorts of emotions stage theories predict, there is little evidence to support the notion of steady progression from one stage to another. Nor is there evidence to support the idea that widows “recover” from their loss in the sense of surrendering their attachment to the dead, nor that “renewal” equates with a fully restored sense of wellbeing. The widows themselves argue cogently that the idea of “recovery” is an inappropriate (and indeed insensitive) aim for them to strive for. They feel uncomfortable with the pathologizing of lasting grief; they also express strong views about those who try to “help” them. It concludes that, though stage theories are useful in identifying some of the physical effects and emotions associated with bereavement, they do not adequately reflect the experiences of women widowed in later life.
Jakobson's Model of Linguistic Functions and Modern Painting
Authors: Krampen Martin
Published: May 2005

Four of the six functions of linguistic communication postulated by Roman Jakobson were applied to twenty color reproductions of modern paintings. The functions were: Emotive self-expression of the addresser, the poetic (more general aesthetic) function (concerning the material aspects of the message), the conative function (concerning the persuasion of the addressee) and the referential function (applied to the context). Thirty artistically trained and thirty “lay persons” rated the paintings on 5-point scales, expressing degrees of agreement with two statements descriptive of each function. Factor analysis resulted in four factors representing the functions under study. Analyses of variance with the factor scores of the twenty paintings allowed their ranking on the functions for visual comparison. Further analyses of variance showed significant differences for the aesthetic (artistically trained high) and referential function (lay persons high). There were also significant differences between male and female subjects on the referential dimension.
Assessing Youth/Adult Partnerships: The Seven Circles (AK) Experience
Authors: Einspruch Eric L. , Wunrow Jonathan J.
Published: May 2005

Seven Circles is a substance abuse prevention coalition in Southeast Alaska with a two-tiered structure consisting of local partnerships joined together in a regional coalition. Seven Circles incorporates a youth/adult partnership approach to accomplish its activities. This article describes the results of four annual administrations of a partnership member survey designed to assess the development and implementation of youth/adult partnerships in the local projects, assess the value of the partnerships to the participants, and gather feedback about the functioning of the Seven Circles Coalition. The results support the youth/adult partnership model and are also discussed in the context of youth empowerment.
To Decentralize or Not to Decentralize, is That the Question? Nicaraguan Health Policy under Structural Adjustment in the 1990s
Authors: Birn Anne-Emanuelle , Zimmerman Sarah , Garfield Richard
Published: May 2005

Since 1990, health services decentralization in Nicaragua has been accompanied by structural adjustment, resulting in reduced equity and accountability. Sandinista efforts in the 1980s to extend access to primary care and reduce class and regional disparities in the delivery of health services were accompanied by modest attempts to increase local-level accountability and responsiveness. The escalation of war in the late 1980s transformed this effort into greater de facto decentralization. Over the past decade, Nicaragua has used decentralization policy to restructure the health system through health spending cuts and the favoring of curative over preventive services; privatization and the promotion of user fees; and confusion of lines of accountability. The authors analyze the 1990s' health policies in Nicaragua, paying particular attention to the blending of decentralization policy with the fiscal and administrative reforms advanced by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and other international agencies. They conclude that analyzing decentralization as a sector-specific reform that can be ameliorated through technocratic modifications is insufficient. A full understanding of the problems and possibilities of decentralization requires an analysis of the political and economic context that conditions these policies.
An Experiential Partnership for Effective Self-Paced Education
Authors: Thomas Donald H. , Friedman Charles P.
Published: May 2005

The XPRT project's primary objectives were: 1. to cooperatively develop self-paced, PSI/Keller course materials in core engineering courses offered at six partner schools; 2. to train the partner school faculty to develop and use these PSI materials; 3. to establish PSI (Personalized System of Instruction) methods at the partner schools as optional learning modes available to the students; and 4. to evaluate the costs and effectiveness of courses given in the PSI mode at those schools. The partnership involved Drexel University, which also served as the administrative headquarters for the project, Lehigh University, University of Lowell, Rutgers University, Southeastern Massachusetts University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. By the conclusion of the project sixty faculty had become involved, materials for ten courses had been developed and evaluated, more than 8400 students had taken courses using these materials and 350 student teaching assistants (coaches) had gained valuable experience tutoring and proctoring students in these courses. Evaluation studies have shown these PSI methods to be at least as effective as the traditional methods employed at the partner schools and in many cases the PSI methods produced significantly better student learning (based upon retention studies and common final exam grades) at lower teaching costs (dollars per student credit). The project demonstrated how, with proper planning and organization, effective self-paced course materials can be cooperatively developed and used by a variety of faculty at different schools.
Loki and Grendel: Imagery Therapy for Two Classes of Emotional Problems
Authors: Brink Nicholas E.
Published: May 2005

Two causes of emotional disorders are those caused by attitudes or behaviors inflicted upon the client for which the client needs not to take responsibility and those caused by some unwise decision made by the client for which the client needs to take responsibility. A combination is most likely, yet this distinction influences the style and course of therapy as well portrayed in two ancient myths. When the problems are caused by torment from outside the client, therapy is empathetic and the healing process of the death of the internal torment is portrayed by the story of Beowulf. When the problem is due to a client's unwise decisions, therapy is more confrontive and requires death of the unwise inner part and a rebirth of innocence as illustrated in the Nordic myth of Loki's children.
Methodological Issues in the Study of Personality and Psychiatric State in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Hnatiuk Sarah H. , Duncan-Jones Paul
Published: May 2005

Many studies of personality and psychiatric state among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suffer from methodological weaknesses. This review considers these weaknesses, and suggests criteria that should be met for the sound design of studies that are intended to demonstrate a role for personality traits and psychiatric states in the aetiology and course of the disease. These criteria include the method used to diagnose RA, sample size, the appropriateness of the tests of personality and psychiatric state for use with RA, and the matching of RA subjects with controls.
Visual Texts: Format and the Evolution of English Accounting Texts, 1100–1700
Authors: Tebeaux Elizabeth
Published: May 2005

Emphasis on page design, as an aid to visual accessibility, did not receive attention in modern technical writing until the 1970s. However, accounting documents and instructional texts utilized format and document design strategies as early as the twelfth century to enhance the organization of quantitative data and linear bookkeeping entries. Format in text was used to reflect the arrangement used in oral accounting practices and to produce uniform documents. Thus, format was integral to the rise of pragmatic literacy of the commercial reader. During the Renaissance, these early format strategies received impetus from Ramist method. The result was design strategies that attempted to capture the rigid principles of organization fundamental to commercial accounting. These early accounting documents also illustrate the plain style that would become the focus of the later decades of the seventeenth century. Clarity in language paralleled clarity in page design for the sole purpose of eliminating ambiguity on the page and on the sentence level. Plain style was thus nurtured by financial forces long before the advent of natural science.
The Bio-Social Paradox in the Black Community: Life Gets Longer but Not Healthier
Authors: Kamara J. Lawrence
Published: May 2005

The demographic profile of American Blacks reveals, inter alia, a phenomenal rise in longevity between 1900 and 1970. However, the longer life expectancy has not been correspondingly matched by healthier living. This bio-social paradox is, in large measure, attributable to a higher incidence of cardiovascular disorders and certain cancer sites among non-whites than whites. This racial differential is statistically correlated with black peoples' place of residence, work and dietary habits.