bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic Technologies and Achieving Health for Populations
Authors: Baird Patricia A.
Published: May 2005

The remarkable progress in genetics over the last 50 years has led to the development of genetic technologies to identify or alter genes in living organisms, and these technologies can be applied to people. This article presents background information on the role of genetics in human disease, outlines the technologies, and discusses the sources of the strong push for a genetic approach to ill-health and some implications and harmful consequences of using these genetic technologies. The determinants of most diseases are complex and are embedded in a social context. To focus on only one strand of this web—the genetic strand—because it is one that may be amenable to biological/pharmaceutical treatment, although profitable for industry, does not address other important determinants of health and may lead to a harmful overemphasis on genetic approaches. The author outlines some limitations to the potential contribution of genetic technologies to population health across the globe and the need for policy development if these technologies are to have an appropriate place in health care.
Depressive Symptomatology and Medical Co-Morbidity in a Primary Care Clinic
Authors: Coulehan John L. , Schulberg Herbert C. , Block Marian R. , Janosky Janine E. , Arena Vincent C.
Published: May 2005

Most primary care patients exhibiting significant depressive symptomatology fail to meet DSM-III criteria for a major depressive disorder (MDD). Yet, such patients have substantial morbidity and dysfunction attributable to their affective syndrome. Since surprisingly little is known about this group's clinical characteristics, we studied 618 general medicine patients aged eighteen to sixty-four years. In this population, fifty-seven (9.2%) scored quite high when screened on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (≥ 27) while not meeting MDD criteria on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Membership in the “depression symptoms only” (DSO) group was predicted by a logistic regression model including female gender, more severe medical illness, higher likelihood of operative procedures, and less frequent cardiovascular diagnoses. Our findings suggest that the DSO state is associated with substantial “medical” morbidity. Prospective studies of subclinical depression in the primary care setting are urged to clarify etiologic and treatment concerns.
Sex Discrimination after Death
Authors: Kastenbaum Robert , Peyton Sara , Kastenbaum Beatrice
Published: May 2005

Death notices and obituaries published during the same calendar month (March, 1975) by daily newspapers in Boston and New York were examined for possible sex bias. A clear pattern of male preference was found. A disproportionately low number of women received obituaries, and female obituaries were also shorter. The likelihood of a recently deceased male receiving an obituary with a photograph was approximately ten times greater than that of a female. These results suggest that terminal rites of passage tend to confirm and perpetuate rather than challenge or transfigure previously existing values. Discussion includes possible use of obituaries as an unobtrusive measure of social change, as well as some aspects of the death system's involvement in discriminatory policies.
Socio-Economic Factors Influencing the Health Status of Black Americans
Authors: Darity William A.
Published: May 2005

Although the health status of Americans has improved, particularly decreases in incidence and prevalence rates of diseases, these improvements are not consistent and equally distributed within all population groups — particularly black Americans. To describe the relative differences, an analytical procedure of calculating the differential deficit ratio (DDR) was developed. It was observed that for males the death rate from all causes increased in 1950 from a .426 to a .473 DDR or 47.3 percent in 1982 with black males dying at a much higher rate than white males. For females there was a closing of the gap. In 1950 the rate was .703, higher in black females than white females, but in 1982 the ratio was .431. These trends were also observed for deaths due to heart disease, cerebrovascular, malignant neoplasms, diabetes mellitus, pneumonia and influenza and chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. An epidemic in homicide exists among black males. The rate among black Americans is more than 5 times higher than among white. Infant mortality DDR in 1950 was .638 and in 1982 it was .949, the highest in more than 32 years. Also the infant mortality rate among blacks was higher than in any other ethnic or racial group. Indices show that there is a direct correlation between level of poverty, income level, education and infant mortality. Future directions indicate a need for overall change in the health care system, re-education for the consuming public, rebasing health care in the community and correlating health care with other social problems which impact on health.
Health Planning as a Regulatory Strategy: A Discussion of its History and Current Uses
Authors: Tannen Louis
Published: May 2005

Federally mandated health planning is one of the most significant responses to the cost crisis of American medicine. Portrayed as an objective and rational mechanism of determining the future, planning is a socially acceptable means of exerting third-party control over a sector of the economy long able to escape meaningful controls on its growth and development. However, far from being the neutral science which it is heralded to be, the planning process serves the interests that are able to control its use.

Health planning agencies must be studied in the context of the current emphasis on cost containment and reorganization of health services. Supported and enfranchised largely by major third-party payors, planning smooths the implementation of changes in the health sector. Despite its progressive potential, planning serves the interests of these third-party payors by masking their attempts to control the future development of the health system.
Enhancing Novices' Ability to Achieve Percipience of Works of Art
Authors: Cunliffe Leslie
Published: May 2005

This article reports on research to identify the conditions required to enhance novices' percipience of works of art in galleries. The first section relates empirical and philosophical aesthetics to cognitive and cultural processes to determine the theoretical basis of how knowledgeability of works of art is attained. A twofold approach for enhancing novices' percipience of works of art is established: first, novices require knowledge of causal explanations related to the context in which the art is made; second, novices have to use appropriate knowledge-seeking strategies for interpreting the art. The second section describes the effect of interventions, structured around the twofold approach outlined above, to enable a group of eight-to-eleven-year-old novices of mixed gender and ability to achieve percipience of a work of art.
Life Themes: A Method to Understand Terminal Illness
Authors: Zlatin Debbie Messer
Published: May 2005

As health care costs in general soar, the high cost of terminal care is questioned. Yet little is known about what kinds of medical care terminally ill persons, themselves, want. To explore the patient's view, I conducted a qualitative study of eight patients with incurable cancer to answer the question, “How do terminally ill persons understand their illnesses and treatments?” Analysis of interview transcripts indicated that study participants created illness-understandings within the context of their daily life experiences via life themes. Since life themes integrate and give meaning to illness events in both emic and etic ways and help to explain patients' coping strategies, it is recommended that health care providers elicit patients' life themes and use them in their approaches to diagnosis and treatment. The possible benefits of the life theme method are more balanced doctor/patient communication, improved patient satisfaction and quality of life, and the containment of health care costs.
The Medical Profession and the Pharmaceutical Industry: An Unhealthy Alliance
Authors: Lexchin Joel
Published: May 2005

The Canadian medical profession has a long history of allying itself with the Canadian pharmaceutical industry. This alliance exists on two levels: medical associations and medical journals. As a result of the alliance the traditional emphasis of the medical profession on the primacy of the welfare of the patient has been subverted in favor of the profit motive of the drug industry. Elements of the medical profession promote useless pharmaceutical research, poor physician prescribing, and physician involvement in educational activities controlled by the industry. Specific reforms to loosen the alliance are outlined, but ultimately the alliance will only be broken when the values of Canadian physicians change.
The Effect of Physical Attractiveness on Responses to Pop Music Performers and Their Music
Authors: North Adrian C. , Hargreaves David J.
Published: May 2005

Previous research has shown that manipulations of source prestige can mediate subjects' responses to music, and that attractive people are perceived more positively than their unattractive counterparts. In light of this, the present study investigated the effects of the physical attractiveness of twenty pop music performers on adolescent subjects' responses to them, and excerpts of new age/ambient dance music allegedly by these artists. A series of adjectival scales gave rise to multivariate main effects of physical attractiveness on ratings of both the performers and their alleged music, with univariate main effects on the scales indicating that performer physical attractiveness was perceived positively by the subjects. There was also evidence that responses to the music were associated positively with responses to the performers. These results indicate that the performer of music can influence aesthetic responses, and that his/her physical attractiveness may mediate the nature of this relationship.
More Money into the Medical Sector: Is This the Answer?
Authors: Teeling-Smith George
Published: May 2005

This paper questions the conventional assumption that additional resources are the best way of improving the quality of care provided under a nation's health service. It also challenges the proposition that some diseases will always remain simply too expensive to treat. It is pointed out that the proportion of health care concerned with life and death situations is extremely small, and that the total needs related with these aspects of medical care are quite limited. Extensive evidence is quoted to the effect that in other aspects of medical treatment, dealing with chronic progressive illness and with relatively trivial disease, there is substantial misuse of resources. This arises primarily because the present patterns of morbidity and of demand for medical care have not yet been fully appreciated. In addition, administrative inefficiency has added to the wasteful use of resources. The paper argues that it is only in the caring aspects of medicine, as opposed to its preventive and curative aspects, that the potential scope for improvement in quality of care is virtually unlimited.
Using a Battery of Tests to Predict Suicide in a Long Term Hospital: A Clinical Analysis
Authors: Smith Kim
Published: May 2005

The Wechsler-Bellevue, Rorschach, TAT and Word-Association Test of forty patients were examined for clinical indications of their suicide potential. Ten of these patients had completed suicide, ten had made serious attempts, ten had made mild attempts, and ten had never made a suicide attempt. On the basis of a blind psychoanalytically informed clinical interpretation of the protocols, the outcomes of these protocols were successfully predicted for 85 per cent of the cases. Also anticipated were the circumstances and motivations which would precipitate the suicidal crisis. The clinical inference principles used in the study are discussed and a case example of their application is provided. The results were judged much more clinically useful than the quantitative analysis performed on these data and reported elsewhere.
Effects of Computer Programming on Cognitive Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liao Yuen-Kuang Cliff , Bright George W.
Published: May 2005

Although claims regarding the cognitive benefits of computer programming have been made, results from existing empirical studies are conflicting. To make a more reliable conclusion on this issue, a meta-analysis was performed to synthesize existing research concerning the effects of computer programming on cognitive outcomes. Sixty-five studies were located from three sources, and their quantitative data were transformed into a common scale—Effect Size. The analysis showed that 58 or 89 percent of the study-weighted effect sizes were positive and favored the computer programming group over the control groups. The overall grand mean of the study-weighted effect size for all 432 comparisons was 0.41; this suggests that students having computer programming experiences scored about sixteen percentile points higher on various cognitive-ability tests than students who did not have programming experiences. In addition, four of the seven coded variables selected for this study (i.e., type of publication, grade level, language studied, and duration of treatment) had a statistically significant impact on the mean study-weighted effect sizes. The findings suggest that the outcomes of learning a computer language go beyond the content of that specific computer language. The results also suggest to teachers a mildly effective approach for teaching cognitive skills in a classroom setting.
The Life and Death of a Health Promotion Program: An Institutionalization Case Study
Authors: Goodman Robert M. , Steckler Allan B.
Published: May 2005

This article presents a case study of a health promotion program that successfully operated for four years but terminated when its federal and state funding ended, i.e., it failed to become institutionalized. The program, which was funded under the federal health education-risk reduction grants, was directed at preventing use of alcohol and tobacco among young adolescents. Evaluations indicated that the program was highly successful. The authors argue that health promotion programs can be viewed as organizational innovations in which institutionalization is the final stage of the innovation process. In the case study, institutionalization did not occur for two reasons: 1) demonstration of effective implementation was the health department's primary goal, and program institutionalization was only a latent concern and; 2) both the county commissioners and the community feared federal and state “dumping.” The “CODAPT” model of health education program planning is presented as one way of dealing with the problem of “deep” program implementation but “shallow” institutionalization. Implications of these findings for health education practice and policy are discussed.
Caution! NRC as Protector of Worker Health and Safety at Nuclear Power Plants
Authors: Dunn Mary Lee
Published: May 2005

Congress may soon face a decision about what agency will take responsibility for worker and facility safety at Department of Energy (DOE) sites as the DOE moves to external regulation. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) occupies a prominent place on the short list of candidates. Thus, an examination of the NRC's historical record on health and safety, in particular, its record in protecting workers, is warranted. This look at the record shows that the NRC does not adopt a strong regulatory stance; exposure standards for workers have not changed despite evidence of harmful effects at low doses of radiation exposure; record-keeping and worker monitoring are lax; the NRC is blind to internal cultural problems; it appears more concerned about its public image than about entrenched problems; it is too lenient to the industry it is supposed to regulate. The NRC's history of recent problems has caused some critics to call for Congressional hearings or additional oversight of the agency.
Rigor in Health-Related Research: Toward an Expanded Conceptualization
Authors: Ratcliffe John W. , Gonzalez-Del-Valle Amalia
Published: May 2005

When the research process is viewed not merely as a set of methods for data collection and analysis but, instead, as an integrated series of arbitrary choices made by the researcher, it quickly becomes apparent that the prevailing conceptualization of rigor is much too narrow; indeed, the way rigor is currently conceptualized may well be responsible for the many errors that are commonly made in the research process. An expanded conceptualization of rigor is presented, and its implications for research into some critical health issues are discussed in some detail.
Knowledge of Results in Training Device Design: Individual and Team Applications
Authors: Hays Robert T. , Blaiwes Arthur S.
Published: May 2005

It has long been recognized that knowledge of results (KOR) is essential for learning to occur in a program of instruction. Principles for the generation and use of performance data should guide the design of training devices (i.e., systems for teaching job performance) to enhance KOR and, thereby, to optimize learning in the device. These design principles have been applied in a system which uses data from performance on operational equipment as KOR for remedial practice in a training device. This system, called the Automated Performance Assessment and Readiness Training System (APARTS), is used to train Navy aviators during Field Carrier Landing Practice. This article recommends application of the principles of data transformation and presentation demonstrated in APARTS in other task areas, and offers examples of these principles and suggestions for their use in team training.
A Multifaceted Approach to Technology Mediated Learning
Authors: Ganesan Nanda
Published: May 2005

A multifaceted approach to Technology Mediated Learning (TML) implemented in a number of courses in Information Technology is discussed in this article. The implementation involved the development and deployment of Websites and multimedia modules, and the experimental configuration of a cyber-lab. The process spanned several years. The experience gained with TML suggests that TML could be very effective in creating an effective and a flexible learning environment provided a combination of initiatives that complement one another is implemented. The technical and functional details of the TML model and its components are presented in this article along with a brief discussion of the merits of TML.
Practical Uses of Modeling, Feedback, and Practice—Specification of Some Behaviors for Pupils, Teachers, and Supervisors
Authors: Wilson John T. , Koran John J.
Published: May 2005

Shaping and acquiring new behavior can be facilitated through techniques called practice, modeling, and feedback. The paper also deals with the portrayal of desired behavior such as what it is the individual is to say or do. Identified discrete behaviors and behavior clusters subsequently become target behaviors for teacher training, classroom instruction, and teacher supervision. The emphasis here is upon building a repertoire of skills to enable individuals to perform tasks they seek to accomplish.
The Heerwald Site and Early Plains Village Adaptations in the Southern Plains
Authors: Drass Richard R. , Baugh Timothy G. , Flynn Peggy
Published: May 2005

Since the 1957 excavations, the Heerwald site (34CU27) has represented a taxonomic problem for Southern Plains archaeologists. This article will re-examine this problem in light of results from a 1983 testing program at Heerwald and on the basis of a complete reanalysis of all cultural remains from the site. Heerwald is compared with other Southern Plains cultural manifestations to provide insights on social relationships during the Early Plains Village period (A.D. 1250–1450).
Structural Impediments in the Development of a Community-Based Drug Prevention Program for Youth: Preliminary Analysis from a Qualitative Formative Evaluation Study
Authors: Kaskutas Lee , Morgan Patricia , Vaeth Patrice
Published: May 2005

In response to community pressure to “do something” about increased drug related problems, a consortium was formed to refocus existing community services towards at-risk youth with special needs and few resources. Using a lead agency approach, ethnically matched case counselors allocated services which included jobs, tutoring, recreation, mentors, family workshops, and drug counselling. The lead agency and case counselors worked in parallel with the newly formed consortium of service providers to reshape and customize services as client needs become clarified. This article reports on the initial six months of this program's implementation, focusing on the problems which arose due to the structural relations amongst the service providers, lead agency and case counselors. The beneficial role of the formative evaluation process itself—in highlighting these problems as they surfaced—is also discussed.
The Construction of Gender and Mental Health in Nordic Psychotropic-Drug Advertising
Authors: Lövdahl Ulrica , Riska Elianne
Published: May 2005

The authors examine the advertisements for psychotropic drugs in the major medical journals of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden in 1975, 1985, and 1995, with the object of illuminating the gender construction of the portrayed user. Using both a longitudinal and a cross-sectional approach, the study looked for a common Nordic gender display and whether it varied over time. The Nordic journals clearly conveyed a message that psychotropics are a gendered product, but without any uniform pattern. In 1975, men dominated the gender portrayals in Finland and Denmark, and women in Norway and Sweden. In 1985, the pattern was reversed: women dominated in Finland and Denmark, and men in Sweden and Norway. By 1995, the advertisements were mainly for antidepressants, and women were portrayed as the predominant users in Denmark, Finland, and Norway; the Swedish journal displayed couples only. In advertisements with dual-gender positions, however, the focus was on the female; they showed that the drug would assist her in fulfilling the expected supportive female gender behavior.
The Economic and Political Determinants of Human (Including Health) Rights
Authors: Navarro Vicente
Published: May 2005

This paper presents an analysis and critique of the U.S. government's current emphasis on human rights; and (a) its limited focus on only some civil and political components of the original U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, and (b) its disregard for economic and social rights such as the rights to work, fair wages, health, education, and social security. The paper discusses the reasons for that limited focus and argues that, contrary to what is widely presented in the media and academe: (1) civil and political rights are highly restricted in the U.S.; (2) those rights are further restricted in the U.S. when analyzed in their social and economic dimensions; (3) civil and political rights are not independent of but rather intrinsically related to and dependent on the existence of socioeconomic rights; (4) the definition of the nature and extension of human rights in their civil, political, social, and economic dimensions is not universal, but rather depends on the pattern of economic and political power relations particular to each society; and (5) the pattern of power relations in the U.S. society and the western system of power, based on the right to individual property and its concomitant class structure and relations, is incompatible with the full realization of human rights in their economic, social, political, and civil dimensions. This paper further indicates that U.S. financial and corporate capital, through its overwhelming influence over the organs of political power in the U.S. and over international bodies and agencies, is primarily responsible for the denial of the human rights of the U.S. population and many populations throughout the world as well.
Turkey's Physicians' Attitudes Toward Euthanasia: A Brief Research Report
Authors: Özkara Erdem , Hanci Hamit , Civaner Murat , Yorulmaz Coskun , Karagöz Mustafa , Mayda Atilla Senih , Gören Süleyman , Kök Ahmet Nezih
Published: May 2005

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are subject to an ongoing debate and discussed with various aspects. Because physicians are in a profession closely related to euthanasia, their attitudes toward this subject are significant. Thus, research intending to explore their opinions is carried out in many countries. In this study, opinions of the physicians regarding euthanasia's definition, contents, legal aspects, and acceptable conditions for its application are addressed. The questionnaire was given to 949 physicians, more than 1% of the total working in Turkey. Of the physicians who participated in the study, 49.9% agreed with the opinion that euthanasia should be legal in certain circumstances. In addition, 19% had come across a euthanasia request and the majority of physicians (55.9%) believed that euthanasia is applied secretly in the country despite the prohibitory legislation. In conclusion, the authors infer from the study itself and believe that euthanasia should be legal in certain circumstances and that the subject, which is not in the agenda of the Turkish population, should continue to be examined.
Drugs and the College Athlete: An Analysis of the Attitudes of Student Athletes at Risk
Authors: Tricker Raymond , Connolly Declan
Published: May 2005

Theories related to planned behavior and reasoned action have included an individual's attitude as an important factor in the formation of behavioral intentions and behaviors [1, 2]. Research on this topic suggests that salient beliefs affect intentions and subsequent behaviors, either through attitudes or subjective norms, or the degree of (perceived) control that an individual feels he/she has over the behavior. This study was designed to examine the relative importance of selected attitude variables in describing a profile of athletes who were at risk for using anabolic steroids, human grown hormone, amphetamines, cocaine, and marijuana. Responses from 563 student athletes at two Division One NCAA universities were used in the study. The results of this study suggest that subjective norms, based on the influence of drug testing, peer influence, and a fear of detection are significant factors that influence the decisions of student athletes related to using banned substances. In this article characteristics of at-risk athletes are presented with recommendations for drug education programs for student athletes.
The Identification and Study of Indian Shell Middens in Eastern North America: 1643–1861
Authors: Christenson Andrew L.
Published: May 2005

Although the interest in shell middens in North America is often traced to reports of the discoveries in Danish kjoekkenmoeddings in the mid-nineteenth century, extensive shell midden studies were already occurring on the East Coast by that time. This article reviews selected examples of this early work done by geologists and naturalists, which served as a foundation for shell midden studies by archaeologists after the Civil War.
Public Policy and the Nursing Home Industry
Authors: Harrington Charlene
Published: May 2005

The nursing home industry is a multibillion dollar business in the United States, characterized by rapid growth in profits and large chain-owned corporations. The industry, while private in nature, is effectively a public program defined by public policies, particularly by the Medicaid program. Demand for services is artificially inflated because of the absence of community-based alternatives and favorable nursing home reimbursement policies. The effectiveness of regulatory activities in protecting consumers is questionable, where poor quality is commonly found. Although the structure of the nursing home industry requires radical change, the politics and economics of the current situation reinforce continued expansion of the industry and the use of institutionalization as the primary modality of treatment for the frail aged.
Child Care Practices of Mexican-American Working Mothers: A Pilot Study
Authors: Alcalay Rina
Published: May 2005

There is scarce information on child care strategies among Hispanics in the United States. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify and understand child care practices in a sample of forty-five Mexican-American working mothers living in northern California by means of conducting six focus groups. Results included data on child care selection, problems, and preferences. Results also expose myths based on ethnic stereotyping that have obscured the understanding of this issue. Suggestions for further research are discussed as well as child care policy considerations.
Opinions, Attitudes, and Beliefs about Self-Treatment Practices in a Nigerian Urban Setting: Implications for Health Education
Authors: Adeniyi J. D. , Ramakrishna J.
Published: May 2005

The universality of self-care is well documented but there is a lack of data on the manifestations of self-care in a particular environment: information which is sorely required for health planning purposes. This study conducted in Ibadan, Nigeria, attempts to provide some detailed information on opinions, attitudes and beliefs on self-treatment — an important aspect of self-care. Within the three-month period prior to the study, 80 percent of respondents had self-treated themselves or a member of their family, and 55 percent bought modern drugs without a doctor's prescription. On the one hand, common, self-limiting diseases were self-treated with modern drugs. On the other, people with chronic diseases usually sought professional help. In the people's perception, the elderly and mothers of young children are most suited to engage in self-treatment. Most importantly, people view self-treatment as a right of the individual to take responsibility for and to take an active part in maintaining his/her health, rather than a substitute or alternative to professional care.
Effects of Chunked Reading among Learning Disabled Students: An Experimental Comparison of Computer and Traditional Chunked Passages
Authors: Casteel Clifton A.
Published: May 2005

Previous studies have indicated that chunking/phrasing of sentences into smaller groups of meaningfully related words enhances retention and comprehension. This investigation was designed to assess the effects of two methods of presenting chunked reading. Thirty learning disabled tenth- and eleventh-grade students were assigned to three groups. One training group received chunked passages displayed on the screen using computer assisted instruction (CAI); the other was administered chunked passages in the traditional mode. The control group used CAI with non-chunked passages. A posttest revealed that the CAI chunked group showed higher gains. However, the CAI chunked group's mean score was not significant when compared to the traditional chunked group. Both chunked groups were superior to the CAI non-chunked group. Thus, it was concluded that separation of reading material into meaningfully related words does significantly enhance reading comprehension and the method of presentation is not significant.
The Broken Heart: Reality or Myth?
Authors: Stroebe Margaret S. , Stroebe Wolfgang , Gergen Kenneth J. , Gergen Mary
Published: May 2005

The hypothesis that the death of a spouse results in high mortality risk for the remaining mate is gaining credence. Further, it is held, this risk recedes with the age of the couple, and is elevated in the male population. The validity of these views is assessed. Direct evidence for this “loss effect” has been derived from cross-sectional and longitudinal research. In the former case, plausible alternative explanations exist for virtually all findings to date. Cross-sectional research thus fails to establish the existence of a loss effect. Although many alternative explanations can be ruled out in longitudinal research, analysis reveals shortcomings in virtually every study. Thus, neither the loss effect nor its associated hypotheses concerning age and gender rest as yet on convincing evidence. At the same time, indirect sources of evidence support the loss effect and indicate the necessity for continued research of expanded scope.
Women who Threaten Suicide; Evidence for an Identifiable Personality Type
Authors: Kinsinger John R.
Published: May 2005

Female subjects who had threatened but never attempted suicide were compared by means of psychological tests to other suicidal and nonsuicidal criterion groups. These included a group who had attempted suicide and nonsuicidal control groups of psychiatric patients and normals. Individuals who had attempted suicide and nonsuicidal psychiatric patients were found to be very similar. However, individuals who had a history of suicide threats but no attempts were discriminated from all other criterion groups by means of the MMP1 and Leary Interpersonal Check List. It is hypothesized that persons who threaten suicide but do not carry out these threats may be characterologically different from the other criterion groups.
Bereavement following Suicide and Other Deaths: Why Support Attempts Fail
Authors: Thompson Karin E. , Range Lillian M.
Published: May 2005

To assess perceptions both of bereaved individuals and of potential comforters across five causes of death, 400 undergraduate volunteers were screened in order to find 112 who either were bereaved in the past two years, or were not but matched a bereaved individual in age and gender. Non-bereaved individuals imagined that they knew and had to talk to someone bereaved under the same circumstances as their yoked bereaved person. Bereaved individuals reported experiencing more unhelpfulness and blame and less interpersonal contact than potential comforters thought they would give, but also reported more recovery and acceptance, more helpful support, and less need for active avoidance, than potential comforters imagined. People apparently view bereaved individuals as extremely vulnerable. Across all types of death, suicide involved most variability in social support, accidents involved most blame, and homicide involved most loss of belonging support and feeling that the death was not real. Perhaps because of these misconceptions, nonbereaved comforters may hypothetically be able to provide helpful support, but in reality be unable to carry these out.
Female Genital Mutilation in the World Today: A Global Review
Authors: Hosken Fran P.
Published: May 2005

Extensive research and field work have established that more than 74 million women and female children are mutilated by female genital operations in Africa alone. The operations are also practiced in many parts of the Middle East and, with Moslemization, were introduced into Indonesia and Malaysia where they are performed at the present time in a less damaging form. This paper lists the countries where instances of excision and infibulation have been reported and includes case reports from Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, Upper Volta, and Senegal. The ethical issues posed by genital mutilation are also discussed.
Curriculum Content on Evaluation for a Certificate Program in Applied Learning Technology
Authors: Maher P. D. , Spindell W. A.
Published: May 2005

The intent of this paper is to present a brief overview of the type of information that might be included in the applied learning technologist certificate program. The narrative is philosophical in nature and is designed to elicit comments or suggestions from a broad spectrum of people in the education and training field. As a result, some terms or concepts may appear to be unnecessarily belabored where terminology may vary from one sector to another. Again, in keeping with the goals of the society (SALT), a realistic concensus of what an applied learning technologist should know and how he should best acquire it is earnestly sought. Thus, it is requested that comments, suggestions, cautions, expressions of interest in such a program, etc. be sent to the society or to the author.
Ceramic Analysis and the Investigation of Matrilocality at the Smith Mohawk Village Site
Authors: Brumbach Hetty Jo
Published: May 2005

Ceramic analysis was undertaken to identify spatial patterns of stylistic variables which might shed light on the social organization of the prehistoric Mohawk, who have been described ethnographically as both matrilocal and matrilineal. Attribute analysis of samples of decorated ceramics recovered from two longhouses at the Smith site, in Fulton County, New York, was carried out. The percentage of occurrence of stylistic attributes was calculated, and a coefficient of agreement generated between pairs of ceramic samples. Based on these data, it is concluded that the ceramics demonstrate within-longhouse homogeneity. This would be compatible with a preferred, but not necessarily prescribed, matrilocal rule of post-marital residence.
Systematic Self-Observation of Entoptic Phenomena and Their Relation to Hypnagogia
Authors: Glicksohn Joseph , Friedland Gailie , Salach-Nachum Avi
Published: May 2005

We report the results of systematic self-observation of entoptics and hypnagogia, in a study whose purpose was to investigate the “entoptic explanation” of hypnagogic imagery (i.e., that entoptic phenomena play a role in the genesis of visual hypnagogic imagery). Employing various experimental manipulations designed to increase the incidence of both phenomena, we were able to show the effectivity of such manipulations on reported incidence of entoptics, but not regarding hypnagogia. Furthermore, the two phenomena seem to be independent, and thus we argue that the entoptic hypothesis cannot be supported. In addition, we report that the frequency of incidence of entoptics is an inverted U-shaped function of level of attention (as defined in this study).
Despedidas as Reflections of Death in Hispanic New Mexico
Authors: Korte Alvin O.
Published: May 2005

The Spanish-speaking people of northern New Mexico have a long tradition of written and oral culture that assists them in dealing with death. The recuerdo (remembrance) serves to memorialize the dead and to bring comfort to the family members. This leave-taking is known as la despedida and is normative in the lives of Hispanics. Alfred Schutz's phenomenology of everyday life and contributions by philosophers and folklorists are called upon to examine the recuerdo tradition as it continues to function today.
The Passive Voice and Social Values in Science
Authors: Ding Daniel D.
Published: May 2005

This article claims that two social values in science—falsifiability of science and cooperation among scientists—determine use of passives in scientific communication. Scientists do not always develop valid theories, so scientific experiments must be amenable to being repeated and found invalid. This requires that the experiments must not be discrete events. Science is also a cooperative enterprise. As an integral part of science, scientific writing employs more passives than actives to focus on materials, methods, figures, processes, tables, concepts, etc. Use of passives to focus on the physical world helps de-emphasize discreteness of scientific experiments. Besides, it also helps remove personal qualifications of observing experimental results. Finally, it enhances cooperation among working scientists by providing a common knowledge base of scientific work—things and objects. Looked at in this way, the passive voice in scientific writing represents professional practices of science instead of personal stylistic choices of individual scientists.
Alternative Forms of Transport and Their Use in the Health Services of Developing Countries
Authors: Gish Oscar , Walker Godfrey
Published: May 2005

During the past few years greater interest has been shown in ways in which the coverage of health services in developing countries might be increased. Frequently, it has been advocated that greater use be made of mobile health services, often using relatively sophisticated transport systems, including aircraft. The present article examines the uses to which mobility in health services has been put and the merits of different forms of transport, within the resource constraints and health “needs” of Third World countries. Our main conclusions are that for the majority of health service movement appropriate intermediate technology transport should be used (i.e. bicycle, animals, or motorcycles). The use of mechanical transport within health services with the highest benefit per unit cost is likely to be that employed in the regular supportive (not policing) visits to permanently staffed fixed basic care facilities by more highly skilled and scarce health personnel. Those clinics located closer to the regional base can usually be reached more cheaply by land transport, while those at a distance might justify the use of a light aircraft. Where aircraft are used in this supportive role, it is important they are integrated into the ongoing health services and tightly scheduled to lessen the risk of their diversion to less cost-effective activities.
Textual Grounding: How People Turn Texts into Tools
Authors: Swarts Jason
Published: May 2005

The author argues that users see texts as tools when they recognize the texts' specific value and function within highly localized use settings. The author argues that users “ground” their texts to local use settings by altering the ways in which the texts structure and represent information (e.g., underlining, annotation, and sketching). The author discusses three practices by which texts are grounded as tools in document reviews: mode shifting, layering, and marking. These practices reflect different ways by which users add, subtract, and restructure information in a text so that it is usable under very specific conditions. This article explores document review as a practice in which grounding is the object of discussion (how others use the reviewed documents) and a practice by which review is facilitated. These observations will be important for exploration of technology to support “grounding” practices.
When Hospice Fails: The Limits of Palliative Care
Authors: Logue Barbara J.
Published: May 2005

Hospice is the best-known example of palliative care. Advocates maintain that good palliative care precludes any need for suicide, assisted suicide, or euthanasia for suffering patients near the end of life. This article examines the feasibility of the palliative approach for all patients, showing that reasonable people may refuse even the most exemplary care for themselves or an incompetent relative. Palliative care should always have an important place in medicine. Yet medical realities and the alleviation of pointless suffering necessitate that policymakers consider other options, including “active” euthanasia, consistent with patient autonomy and the right to die.
Microcomputers in Informal Learning Centers
Authors: Lewin Ann White
Published: May 2005

The microcomputer revolution was a popular revolution that put computers under the control of individuals. The proliferation of micros in homes, schools and public places made many believe that a revolution in education would follow. But, the spread of computers was not matched by the development of quality software or by the guarantee of equal access for poor people. The paper entitled “Microcomputers in Informal Learning Centers” presents an overview of the use of computers in public places and in homes; it raises questions about the responsibilities of public centers, the need for quality software, and the issues of equal access.
Nisp:Mne and %Whole in Analysis of Prehistoric Carcass Exploitation
Authors: Wolverton Steve
Published: May 2005

Several analytical problems with the use of utility curves in archaeofaunal analysis have arisen since Lewis Binford first introduced them in 1978. First, do utility curves actually reflect which parts of an animal carcass were chosen or preferred by prehistoric hunters, or do the curves represent transport choices of hunters (what they could carry)? Second, differential preservation of elements mediated by bone density also contributes to what bones archaeologists recover from sites. Density-mediated destruction of bone can produce curves that mimic those of human behavior; thus, inferences about human behavior might be better attributed to bone-preservation factors. A shift from use of prey body-part representation to the use of fragmentation of prey bones as an inferential tool to study prehistoric foraging of prey carcasses diminishes both analytical problems.
Early Paleoindian Land Use, Mobility, and Lithic Exploitation Patterns: An Updated Distribution of Fluted Points in Indiana
Authors: Tankersley Kenneth B. , Smith Edward E. , Cochran Donald R.
Published: May 2005

This article documents 583 fluted projectile points from seventy-two Indiana counties. While fluted points occur in virtually all microtopographic settings, the highest frequency were recovered from riparian settings or overlooks of those areas. The largest concentrations of these artifacts are located on the terraces of major streams. More than half of the fluted points documented were found in the unglaciated portion of the state along the Ohio River and in the bedrock source areas of high-quality lithic material. Most of the fluted points are manufactured from high-quality lithic materials that occur as abundant, large, unflawed masses that outcrop within a 250 km radius of the artifact's findspot. Ten percent of the fluted points documented were manufactured from exotic lithic materials (> 250 km between the fluted point findspot and lithic raw material source area). A number of typological-geographical patterns are also evident: (1) Clovis points occur throughout Indiana; (2) Cumberland points are more abundant in the unglaciated region, especially along the Ohio River; and (3) Gainey, Barnes, Crowfield, and Holcombe points are restricted to the glaciated landscape of the northern half of the state.
Social Change in the Woodland-Mississippian Transition: A Study of Household and Community Patterns in the American Bottom
Authors: Peregrine Peter
Published: May 2005

The nature of social change during the Woodland-Mississippian transition in the central Midwest has been a contended question for some time. Because settlement pattern data can be used to infer sociopolitical organization in archaeological contexts, changes in household and community patterns in the American Bottom are used to infer the nature of social and political alterations from the Middle Woodland to the Mississippian period. It appears from the settlement data that a general trend towards smaller and more autonomous family units characterizes social change during the Woodland-Mississippian transition.
Causal Attribution and Life-Threatening Disease
Authors: Mumma Christina , McCorkle Ruth
Published: May 2005

When individuals are confronted with a diagnosis of serious disease, they try to understand why it has happened to them. The degree to which any individual can control his or her susceptibility to disease is not clear, but different diseases carry with them varying degrees of implied personal responsibility. For example, certain diseases (heart attack, stroke, cancer) have associated risk factors. Presumably, avoiding these risk factors will have some effect on a person's chance of developing those diseases. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to describe patients' attributed causes for two groups of individuals recently diagnosed with either lung cancer or myocardial infarction. Content analysis was done on the responses to an open-ended question about the cause of their disease for 108 subjects at Interview 1 and for 100 subjects at Interview 2.

The most frequent causal explanations given by post myocardial infarction subjects in this study were related to life style, which could be interpreted as self-blame or self responsibility for what had happened to them. In contrast, the subjects with lung cancer more consistently said that they did not know what caused their disease, or mentioned a combination of life style (smoking) and external factors (exposure to noxious fumes or asbestos).