bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Bridge between Traumatic Life Events and Losses by Death
Authors: Trolley Barbara C.
Published: May 2005

The bereavement process associated with losses by death has been well documented. More recently, the existence of a grief reaction following certain traumatic life events has been recognized. A main purpose of this article is to provide support for such a connection. Reactions to a gamut of life traumas (alcoholism, abuse, disability, divorce, and infertility) are discussed within the context of a grief framework. Literature pertaining to the responses to suicide and murder is applied to traumatic life events. Proposed differences between death related bereavement and reactions to life traumas are discussed and dissolved. Through this discussion, an attempt is made to generalize grief work to a broader range of traumatic life situations.

Another central goal of this review is to offer a unified conceptualization of loss among differential life and death traumas. Emphasis is on the common bond which exists among these survivors without disregard to the presence of individual differences. Clinical implications are briefly reviewed with respect to assessment, diagnostic choice and utilization of interventions.
The General Practitioner and the Patient with Backache
Authors: Chertok Leon , Bourguignon Odile , Velluet Louis
Published: May 2005

Patients with backache often present a difficult challenge for the physician, who often experiences feelings of helplessness in treating the pain. Reported here are discussions centering around different backache cases met in general practice, focusing particularly on the therapeutic difficulties encountered and the resistance to establishing a deep doctor-patient relationship. Recommendations are made for modifying certain medical attitudes, and reconciling physicians to their inevitable therapeutic limitations in such cases.
Death and Dreams: A Sociological Approach to Grieving and Identity
Authors: Loconto David G.
Published: May 2005

Dreaming of the dead may provide the context from which a dead self or identity comes back to life. During sleep, our dreams open alternative realities in which we have opportunities not perceived while awake. For those who have lost friends, family members, or influential people in their lives to death, these dreams bring opportunities to interact with the deceased. Through interviews with thirty individuals, four themes of dreams emerged: 1) static depressive past, 2) static historical past, 3) emergent traumatic present, and 4) emergent natural present. This research illustrates how dreams possibly facilitate the grieving process and bring the dead self or identity associated with the deceased back to life. A sociological approach, specifically Symbolic Interactionist, suggests that dreaming of the dead: 1) provides a context where the self or identity associated with the deceased returns to life, 2) is a strategy for coping with grief, 3) provides a context integrating past and present allowing for direction and continuity in the present, and 4) allows individuals to complete acts and attain closure.
Religion and Drug Use
Authors: Hawks Ricky D. , Bahr Stephen H.
Published: May 2005

This study is a secondary analysis of data gathered under the sponsorship of the Utah State Division of Alcoholism and Drugs in 1989. The researchers concluded that there is a difference in frequency of alcohol use, source of alcohol, and age of first alcohol use among LDS, Other Religions and No Religion subgroups. There is no significant difference found among the various religious subgroups for age of first marijuana use of quantity of alcohol use. For all religions except Jews, a lower percentage of Utahns used alcohol than their national counterparts. A theoretical model for LDS Drug use is presented.
Open-Ended Attributions for the Performance of the Elderly
Authors: Ryan Kathryn M. , Bartlett-Weikel Kim
Published: May 2005

The present study explored open-ended attributions for the success and failure of relatively younger and older men in social and academic situations using a between-subjects design. Attributions were collected from 109 college students and were coded using the Elig and Frieze scheme. Results showed that respondents were more likely to make attributions that combined age with other attributional categories (age-related attributions) than attributions solely to target's age. And, they made more ability-task interaction than ability attributions. Moreover, both attributions were as likely to be made for the elderly adult's success as his failure. Finally, differences also emerged in results from the stability dimension and those for age-related and ability-task attributions indicating that these parameters should be assessed independently in future research.
Factors Influencing Early Childhood Administrators' Decisions regarding the Adoption of Computer Technology
Authors: Jorde-Bloom Paula , Ford Martin
Published: May 2005

This research examined several key factors involved in decisions regarding adoption of microcomputers for administrative and instructional uses in early childhood education. Eighty directors representing both nonprofit and private proprietary early childhood programs participated in the study. Four sets of decision-making influences were considered: relevant past experiences (i.e., experiences with and knowledge about computers, experience with other educational innovations, and background in math and science), future expectancies (i.e., self-efficacy expectations and expectancies regarding the consequences of computer use), openness to change (i.e., self-perception of innovativeness and professional orientation), and social support. Multivariate prediction analyses revealed that knowledge and experience, self-efficacy for computer use, and professional orientation were the most salient factors associated with microcomputer use in the early childhood setting.
Toward an Experiential Theory of Bereavement
Authors: Hogan Nancy , Morse Janice M. , Tasón Maritza Cerdas
Published: May 2005

The Experiential Theory of Bereavement was derived from open-ended, telephone interview data provided by thirty-four adults who had experienced the death of a loved one. Strengths of this grounded theory study are that it was developed with nonclinical persons, it encompasses the illness and dying course, taking into account the full context of illness survivors grief, and it encompasses personal growth as a vital component of the grieving process. Regardless of the cause of death, the timeliness of the person's death, or the relationship of the survivor to the deceased, the process of bereavement follows a consistent overall pattern. Illness survivors were not found to have an ameliorated or foreshortened bereavement process as predicted by the anticipatory grief hypothesis.
Psychiatric Impairment versus Adjustment in Hemophilia: Review and Five Case Studies
Authors: Spencer Roger F.
Published: May 2005

The literature on psychiatric impairment and adjustment in hemophiliacs is reviewed with particular regard to types of psychiatric disorder and social maladjustment which have been found in adolescents and adults. A set of hypotheses is developed from the literature regarding factors which may interact with hemophilia to produce psychiatric impairment. The hypothetical factors relate to the age of onset and frequency of bleeding episodes; degree of gratification and restriction consequent to them; rejection by the father; and death of a sibling. Five cases are presented which are representative of the spectrum of psychiatric impairment in hemophilia. Some of the hypothesized factors are found to be significantly operative in the individual cases, and others are not.
Computer Software Documentation
Authors: Petito Joseph
Published: May 2005

In the Spring 1973 of the Journal, Mr. Petito presented two closely related lectures in note form on the development of manuals, as given at an AMA seminar. The present paper develops computer software documentation with reference to types of documentation, documentation library, and documentation standards.
Jack's Reef Corner Notched Points in New England: Site Distribution, Raw Material Preference, and Implications for Trade
Authors: Strauss Alan E.
Published: May 2005

This article examines the type and distribution of raw materials used to manufacture Middle Woodland Corner-Notched (Jack's Reef) points across the six-state New England region. A data base of several hundred points was used to determine if this point type clustered in certain geographical areas or features and what raw materials were used for their manufacture. Finally, the implications for trade and social interaction are examined.
Grammar and Technical Writing
Authors: Ferguson K. Scott , Parker Frank
Published: May 2005

Harris argues that linguistic theory is useful for solving certain problems encountered in technical writing theory and pedagogy [1]. However, he undermines his purpose by introducing irrelevant distinctions between competing syntactic theories (Generalized Phrase Structure Grammar and Transformational Grammar) and by failing to exploit the full potential of the few applications he mentions. The passive rule is a case in point. It not only constitutes an operational test for identifying passive sentences, it also contributes to the flow of discourse by rearranging both thematic roles (e.g. agent and patient) and given/new information. The passive rule is only one of a class of noun phrase-moving operations that technical writing specialists may find useful.
Interracial Communication — Minus Race, Creed, and Color
Authors: Gihan Frank C.
Published: May 2005

In this paper, the author briefly comments on the factors that influence interracial communication: physical characteristics, language and culture, social roles, and traditional values. He has indicated, primarily, that these differences between Whites and Blacks are not actually race-linked, yet, they tend to cloud most interracial communication.
Service Meetings in a Renal Transplant Unit: An Unused Adjunct to Total Patient Care
Authors: Eisendrath Robert M. , Topor Michele , Misfeldt Catherine , Jessiman Andrew G.
Published: May 2005

This paper presents a commonly known event which is uncommonly practiced consisting of a meeting of all personnel involved in the care of renal transplant patients meeting together once a week. The purpose is to coordinate and facilitate the total care of these patients. The discussions involve the medical, social, psychological, and financial aspects of the lives of these patients as well as the functioning of the service. Information and suggestions can be exchanged and policy, additional care, and changes in management can be effected.

Such meetings promote increased knowledge of the patient and improved functioning of the service team. The patient's care and staff morale are improved. It would seem that the institution of such service meetings provides a significant advance in total patient care.
Health Status of the Cuban Population
Authors: Valdes-Brito Jorge Aldereguia , Henriquez Jorge Aldereguia
Published: May 2005

The health status of the Cuban population is an expression of the social development attained by the Cuban Revolution. A comparative analysis is presented of the behavior of the main components that express health status (natality, mortality, other demographic indicators, morbidity, disability, and physical development) from the triumph of the Revolution until the present. The statistics demonstrate the radical and positive transformation of the health of the population. The trend toward social homogeneousness in health in Cuba is also assessed.
Cancer Control Activities in Australian Public Hospitals
Authors: Balanda Kevin P. , Lowe John B. , Stanton Warren , Gillespie Amaya , Conway Vincent
Published: May 2005

Cancer is a major cause of death in Australia and there is considerable interest in the role health education in hospital settings has in reducing this burden. Based on a survey of medical superintendents and other hospital staff, this article describes the cancer control activities routinely conducted in Australian public hospitals. The survey considered cigarette smoking, alcohol, diet and nutrition, exercise, and the early detection of skin cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. Overall 112 medical superintendents (93%) participated and a further 163 hospital staff members provided additional details. Not unexpectedly, the survey confirmed the very low level of activity and identified a number of specific issues that need to be addressed in order to enhance cancer control activities in public hospitals. Given the relatively higher level of activity, and the prominence of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption as health issues, one approach might be to initially concentrate on these areas when they are related to the patient's condition.
Design and Use of Computer Tools for Interactive Mathematical Activity (TIMA)
Authors: Steffe Leslie P. , Olive John
Published: May 2005

Our guiding principle when designing the TIMA was to create computer tools that we could use to achieve our goals when teaching children. The design of the TIMA took place in the context of a constructivist teaching experiment with 12 children that extended over a three-year period. Three different TIMA were designed and used in the teaching experiment: Toys, Sticks, and Bars. These tools were designed to provide children contexts in which they could enact their mathematical operations of unitizing, uniting, fragmenting, segmenting, partitioning, disembeding, iterating and measuring. As such, they are very different from the drill and practice or tutorial software that are prevalent in many elementary schools. We provide examples of how the TIMA were used by children to engage in cognitive play and, through interactions with a teacher/researcher and other children, transform that play into independent mathematical activity with a playful orientation. The role of the teacher in provoking perturbations that could lead eventually to accommodations in the children's mathematical schemes was critical in the use of the TIMA as learning tools.
Alternative Assessment Approaches for Online Learning Environments in Higher Education
Authors: Reeves Thomas C.
Published: May 2005

This article describes the need and prospects for alternative assessment approaches in online learning environments within the context of higher education. Assessment in higher education has traditionally focused on retention of knowledge and its application in limited contexts as measured by paper and pencil tests and academic assignments such as writing term papers. Increased interest among academics in what has been labeled “alternative assessment” reflects both dissatisfaction with national approaches to assessment and the desire to assess the attainment of higher order educational goals that involve deep understanding and active use of knowledge in complex, realistic contexts. Concerns about current assessment approaches are increasing as online learning environments become more prevalent in higher education. The article prescribes three different approaches to integrating alternative assessment approaches into online learning environments: 1) cognitive assessment, 2) performance assessment, and 3) portfolio assessment.
The Influences of Drug Companies' Advertising Programs on Physicians
Authors: Güldal Dilek , Şmin Semih
Published: May 2005

This study investigates the influences of drug companies' advertising programs on physicians. Of the 446 physicians interviewed, 53.9 percent were visited by pharmaceutical company representatives at least once a day, and 43.5 percent spent 15 minutes or more per day on these visits. With respect to the information delivered by the pharmaceutical company representatives, 67.7 percent of physicians thought it was not reliable, and 62.8 percent reported that it had no effect on their prescription writing. The promotional gifts had little effect on prescriptions for 43.9 percent of physicians, and 80.3 percent reported that these gifts were distributed unequally among doctors according to the drugs they prescribed. Only 23.5 percent of physicians supported the prohibition of promotion programs; 90.6 percent of physicians agreed that drugs are too expensive, and 82.9 percent agreed on the presence of overprescription. The authors evaluate these results and provide some suggestions for improving the sources of information for drug prescribing.
Death, Anxiety, and Depression
Authors: Abdel-Khalek Ahmed M.
Published: May 2005

An Arabic version of the Templer et al.'s (1990) Death Depression Scale was constructed and correlated 0.86 with the English version. Its alpha was 0.87 denoting high cross-language equivalence and high internal consistency. It has meaningful factorial structure. However, factor similarity was not high. Subjects were 208 male and female Egyptian undergraduates. Death anxiety and death depression correlated 0.69. Both scales had somewhat similar positive and significant correlations with general anxiety (STAI-T) and gender. Death anxiety correlated 0.32 ( p > .001) with general depression (BDI), while the correlation between death depression and general depression was not significant. Two Varimax factors were extracted: death distress (highly saturated with death anxiety and death depression scales), and general neurotic disorder (high loadings with general anxiety and general depression). There is a need to factor analyze the individual items of death anxiety and death depression scales among Arabic subjects.
Attitudes toward Suicide: German and U.S. Nationals
Authors: Domino George , Groth Markus
Published: May 2005

The Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) was administered to two samples of adult volunteers: 172 Germans and 172 U.S. nationals. An analysis of the results indicated five major findings: 1) statistically significant gender differences in attitudes toward suicide were obtained in both samples. 2) These gender differences showed consistency across the two samples. 3) Statistically significant differences between German and United States samples were obtained on all eight SOQ scales. 4) The differences between countries were significant for both males and females considered separately, with one exception. 5) Finally, four SOQ scales showed significant but modest correlation with age in both samples.
Thinking about the Unthinkable: The Relationship between Death Anxiety and Cognitive/Emotional Responses to the Threat of Nuclear War
Authors: Hamilton Scott B. , Keilin William G. , Knox Thomas A.
Published: May 2005

In order to evaluate the relationship between death anxiety and cognitive/emotional responses to the threat of nuclear war, 345 college students completed the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) and a multifaceted questionnaire which included items concerning personal reactions, predictions, and opinions about nuclear war. Full sample correlations as well as multivariate analyses of high and low death-anxious groups indicated that death anxiety was positively related to nuclear anxiety, but negligibly associated with perceptions of political efficacy and support for specific strategic policy proposals. Moreover, although students in both groups indicated that it was “unlikely” that they would survive a nuclear war, in comparison to low death-anxious participants, those with high death anxiety reported a significantly lower desire to survive such a war. Results are discussed with regard to information-seeking coping strategies, repressive defensive structures, post-nuclear death perceptions, and the need for additional empirical research.
Suicide Care: Obstacles in the Education of Psychiatric Residents
Authors: Shein Harvey M. , Light Donald
Published: May 2005

The author describes obstacles to education in suicide care that arise from misinformation and from personal and professional anxieties among residents and staff. An approach is presented to managing these obstacles by continuing education of all staff, group discussions of multiple clinical cases with senior staff, expert didactic teaching, individual and group supervision, and multidisciplinary team experience. The approach emphasizes provision of accurate information and comprehensive clinical experience, promotion of non-moralistic, problem-solving attitudes, and assistance with neurotically-derived disabilities that interfere with suicide care.
A STudy of Psychiatric Emergencies: Part III. Findings on Followup
Authors: Miller Sheldon I. , Browning Charles H. , Tyson Robert L.
Published: May 2005

Criteria to measure the effectiveness of a psychiatric emergency consultation service include (1) whether or not the recommendations made were followed, and (2) the rate of hospitalizations in the followup period.

Negro females were identified as following outpatient recommendations least often of any group. With this finding, the suitability of the classical recommendations available is discussed.

The hospitalization rate for the psychiatric emergency group in the followup period is significantly higher than the national rate. This finding is independent of (1) hospitalizations effected at the time of the emergency evaluations and (2) psychiatric hospitalizations in the followup period. This result suggests that a large fraction of the psychiatric emergency population presents with extensive pathology which is not or cannot be dealt with in the context of the emergency consultation.
The National Plan for Britain's National Health Service: Toward a Managed Market
Authors: Iliffe Steve
Published: May 2005

Britain's New Labour government has consolidated its reform of the National Health Service with an ambitious NHS Plan that links investment in staff, new buildings, and new technology to delivery of a modernization agenda combining consumerist and public health agendas. The fundamental principles of the NHS are preserved, but within a regulatory structure of a managed market. The author outlines the changes proposed and the possible responses of different stakeholders.
Playing Chicken with People: The Occupational Safety and Health Consequences of Throughput über Alles
Authors: Linder Marc
Published: May 2005

The political-economic and legal analysis of regulation in this article argues that the speed of work on disassembly lines in poultry processing plants, the fastest growing factory employment in the United States, is de facto regulated not by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the agency charged with protecting workers, but, perversely, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In arrogating to itself the power to set line speeds in connection with its inspection of processed carcasses, the Department of Agriculture has one-sidedly promoted chicken oligopolies' interests by accommodating their drive to produce as much product as quickly and cheaply as possible (throughput über alles) and especially without regard to the incidence of repetitive stress disorders associated with high-speed machine-paced manual production. In contrast, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has failed either to assert its statutory authority over this vital determinant of workers' well-being or to persuade any administrative or judicial tribunal that it possesses such authority. Consequently, the article concludes, the health and safety of 200,000 low-paid and largely unorganized, female, and non-white workers continue to be held hostage to the self-valorization needs of capital and the state's cheap food policy.
An Examination of the Impact of Tuning Students' Attention to Information in a Mathematics Problem on Their Problem-Solving Performance
Authors: Arthurs Edna M. , Defranco Thomas C. , Young Michael F.
Published: May 2005

This study asked the question: Does tuning students' attention to information in a mathematics problem impact their problem-solving performance? This was a traditional quasi-experimental research study, using some observation and interviewing techniques. The participants were sixth grade middle school students in Connecticut. The experimental group was provided a “tuning” activity prior to solving the Jasper problem, “Rescue at Boone's Meadow.” Statistical analyses were used to determine the difference on mathematical performance between the two groups and qualitative data were analyzed for emerging themes.

Tuning students' attention to information in a mathematics problem affected their performance on the modified Cloze Procedure Problems. No significant difference was found between the two groups on Transfer Problems. Some differences between the two groups emerged from the qualitative data analysis.
Expectations and Processes in Reading Poetic Narratives
Authors: Kintgen Eugene R.
Published: May 2005

Taking up Robert Brooke's suggestion that a model of reading must describe the processes readers use, I examine the expectations and actual reading experiences of two readers reading Swinburne's “A Ballad of Dreamland.” After describing in some detail how the readers mediate among often conflicting expectations to arrive at a plausible interpretation of the poem, I consider the relevance of this orientation—focusing on process rather than on either product or expectations—for research into how readers understand narratives.
Clockwork Shakespeare: The Bard Meets the Regressive Imagery Dictionary
Authors: Derks Peter L.
Published: May 2005

Shakespeare's plays were analyzed with the Regressive Imagery Dictionary. Incongruous juxtapositions first increased then decreased with date of composition. Primordial content decreased, while conceptual content increased over the same period. These trends were reflected in most, but not all, play types. Both overall and within most play types, popularity did not correspond to the various contents as they changed with time. In this analysis at least, Shakespeare's work does not seem to have been influenced by factors that might have been related to popularity.
Special Characteristics of Population Policy in the Middle East and North Africa
Authors: Thorne Melvyn C. , Montague Joel
Published: May 2005

The 22 countries stretching from Morocco, at the northwestern tip of Africa, to Afghanistan, on the rim of Asia, present a spectrum of positions on population ranging from governmental policy to increase population growth rates, to no explicit policy, to explicit policy to reduce them. High population growth rates throughout the area have evoked various interpretations and responses from these largely Islamic nations, which have been grouped for presentation into five arbitrary categories. There are some family planning services available in practically all the states, although laws vary from frank interdiction of contraception to governmental national family planning programs. There has been remarkable movement toward articulated national population policies in the past decade. This is likely to increase in the future despite problems due to intranational heterogeneity, the Arab-Israeli hostility, certain values of Islamic culture and theology, and the present paucity of demographic and developmental data.
The Management of Grief: A Study of Black Funeral Practices
Authors: McDonald Morris J.
Published: May 2005

This study is concerned with the nature of the influence of noneconomic values in economic transactions. It deals with the ethnic differences in meeting the bereavement needs of black mourners, as well as the means used by black morticians to impute roles to their clientele; and their means of meeting the bereavement needs of those they serve. Some practices of black morticians are examined in contrast to their white competitors; others are studied in terms of traditional values vs. rational behavior. More than the mere disposal of the dead, the black mortuary emerges as an institution for the sublimation of guilt and the acquisition of social status. This study demonstrates the role of the clergy within the funeral pageantry.
The Sustainability of Welfare States into the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Esping-Andersen Gosta
Published: May 2005

Few would deny that the advanced welfare state faces a set of severe challenges. There is less agreement on what the challenges are and how important they are. The three most cited sources of crisis are population aging, family instability, and the labor market consequences of globalization and technological change. It is, however, questionable whether these affect the three dominant types of welfare systems similarly. The past decade bears witness to numerous attempts at reform and readaptation but such efforts have, so far, perpetuated or even strengthened underlying disequilibria. The result is mounting diswelfare, especially among younger households. The author examines various reform strategies (privatization, decentralization, and familialization) and concludes that these imply suboptimality. A “win-win” policy can be identified to the extent that it simultaneously maximizes fertility and women's employment and minimizes poverty risks. Greater earnings and income inequalities probably cannot be escaped, but their impact can be neutralized through a shift toward guaranteed life chances through education and skills.
Responsibility—The other Side of the Coin
Authors: Shaw James G.
Published: May 2005

This paper discusses a writer's responsibility in terms of the technical craftsmanship represented in his document, and of the writer's responsibility to his audience, his field, and his own professional stature. Craftsmanship is defined as the details of effective writing; examples are given to illustrate its importance to good professional work. Audience responsibility is defined in terms of the message conveyed. Numerous examples are used to illustrate the points emphasized.
Psychosocial Variables Associated with the Exceptional Survival of Patients with Advanced Malignant Disease
Authors: Roud Paul Charles
Published: May 2005

This study identified psychosocial variables associated with the exceptional survival of nine cancer patients diagnosed terminal. During open-ended interviews, subjects described their behaviors and emotions following disease onset, and articulated personal explanations for the unusually positive results attained. Despite the methodological limitations inherent in this type of research, the similarity of subjects' responses was compelling. All subjects believed that there was a direct relationship between the outcomes experienced and their psychological states. They remained confident that they would not die, and assert that these positive expectations were critical to the healing process. The report by subjects that they experienced major psychosocial changes in the months following their prognoses presents a serious challenge to the conclusions of a related study by Cassileth et al. [1]. The subjects assumed responsibility for all aspects of their lives, including recovery. Thus, medical personnel were often used as consultants. All patients established a physician relationship characterized as trusting, meaningful, and healing. They indicated an intense desire to stay alive. Unlike their attitudes before illness, once they were confronted with the prospect of death, life suddenly became very precious.
Pediatric Aids in the United States: Epidemiological Reality versus Government Policy
Authors: Birn Anne-Emanuelle , Santelli John , Burwell LaWanda G.
Published: May 2005

Pediatric AIDS cases constitute approximately 2 percent of total AIDS cases in the United States, but HIV infection and AIDS among children pose a growing concern. Government policies have failed to match the epidemiological reality of the disease. The powerful shapers of public opinion have dedicated their energies to a handful of cases, involving the school attendance of primarily middle-class children. Unfortunately, coverage of school placement issues has overshadowed both the demographically more serious issue of perinatally transmitted AIDS cases and the growing concern over adolescent AIDS. Seventy-five percent of perinatal AIDS sufferers are poor, urban minorities: the disease is clearly related to other indicators of poor child health—urban poverty and oppressive social conditions. School-based prevention efforts for adolescents have been rendered impotent because of moralistic obstacles to explicit education. Prevention of perinatal and adolescent HTV transmission must be both sensitive and relevant to communities in which the greatest threat to survival is poverty, not AIDS. Ultimately, issues surrounding pediatric AIDS only reinforce the long-term position of child health advocates: the best investment a society can make is a sincere commitment of resources to improve the health, education, and welfare of its children.
Family Business Members' Narrative Perceptions: Values, Succession, and Commitment
Authors: Barker Randolph T. , Rimler George W. , Moreno Evandro , Kaplan Thomas E.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this article is to investigate the values, succession, and commitment issues found in a convenient sample of 26 family-owned businesses. An organizational commitment scale is used to determine the level of commitment of family members and its relationship to specific demographics variables. Family business stories were also developed using Narrative Paradigm Theory and then evaluated by this sample. Significant relationships were found between commitment and the variables Studied. Content analysis of the story evaluative narratives suggests similar content themes across family-owned businesses.
Openness to Experience as a Basic Dimension of Personality
Authors: McCrae Robert R.
Published: May 2005

In this article I trace some of the historic roots of the concept of Openness to Experience and provide data on the convergent and discriminant validity of measures of Openness in the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R). Factor analyses demonstrate that facet scales measuring Openness to Fantasy, Aesthetics, Feelings, Actions, Ideas, and Values covary to define a broad dimension of personality; these scales are weakly and inconsistently related to psychometric measures of intelligence and to self-report measures of Intellectance that emphasize academic ability. I illustrate the construct of Openness with a case study and conclude with suggestions for exploring the role of Openness in understanding cognitive traits, consciousness and mental processes, and the interface between cognition and emotion.
Prehistoric Maple Sugaring: A Sticky Subject
Authors: Mason Carol I.
Published: May 2005

Maple sugaring as a part of prehistoric subsistence cannot be sustained solely by archaeological research. Historic documents have to be part of the investigation, and as yet they will not support sugaring in the earliest historic periods.
Screening for Patients with Alcohol Problems: Severity of Patients Identified by the Cage
Authors: Lairson David R. , Harlow Kirk , Cobb John , Harrist Ronald , Martin David W. , Ramby Rhonda , Rustin Terry A. , Swint J. Michael
Published: May 2005

Primary care physicians are well situated to identify patients with substance abuse problems and motivate them to seek appropriate assistance, but active programs are the exception. A study in a community setting was undertaken to assess the CAGE (the first letters of key words in a series of four questions about drinking: cut down; annoyed; guilty; and eye-opener), instrument in the routine screening for alcohol problems in both new and established patients. The screening process identified subjects for a pilot evaluation of a motivational interview designed to encourage problem-solving behavior. This article focuses on the screening results and the use of the CAGE instrument. During June and July of 1990, 687 patients of two primary care physicians belonging to a large group practice were asked to complete a health questionnaire that included the CAGE. Those who responded affirmatively to at least two of the four CAGE questions were requested to participate in follow-up assessment of problems associated with alcohol and health. The type and severity of alcohol problems experienced by patients who scored positive on the CAGE are described. Prevalence of a positive score on the CAGE was 8.6 percent with males, smokers, and blue collar and unemployed persons being more likely to score positive. The positive predictive value was .68. Primarily, persons with moderate alcohol problems were identified. Results show that the CAGE instrument is a useful screening device for identifying those with mild to moderate substance abuse problems, increasing the opportunity for intervention prior to serious medical complications. The instrument is easily administered, and has demonstrated relatively high levels of sensitivity and specificity. When combined with assessment and motivational interviews, the CAGE shows promise in the secondary prevention of substance abuse and related health problems.
Perception of Anthropomorphistic Expressions in Software Manuals
Authors: Mulder Monique N.
Published: May 2005

Metaphors and analogies can be helpful for people when they have to learn or learn to use something. Some empirical studies into the effect of metaphors in software manuals showed a positive influence on computer task performance, although this influence proved to be a conditional one. A necessary condition must be that readers understand the metaphor used; readers must have knowledge about its source domain. The most understandable concept for all humans seems to be a human being; the metaphor with human beings as a source domain is called personification or anthropomorphism. Up to now, no coherent theory has been available about linguistic expressions that can be labeled as anthropomorphism, and no empirical data have been gathered about expressions in software manuals that are perceived as such by readers. Therefore, an explorative experiment with real manual material was carried out. Expressions suggesting that computers or programs have feelings or an affective relationship to the user, that they are able to perform non-routine (mental) activities and communicate their intentions through human language use, appear to be perceived as anthropomorphistic. Such expressions might help readers to use a computer (program) more easily.
Predictors of Depression in Geriatric Medically Ill Inpatients
Authors: Borin L. , Menon K. , Raskin A. , Ruskin P.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Depression in medically ill inpatients has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to identify variables that would successfully predict depression in this population.

Methods:

The sample consisted of 314 male, medically ill veterans, age 60 and older, admitted to the acute medical service at Baltimore Veteran Administration Medical Center. Sixty of 314 patients met criteria for Major Depression and scored 11 or higher on the Geriatric Depression Scale. Variables assessing age, race, social support, severity of illness, degree of functional disability, life satisfaction, and hopelessness were included in a logistic regression analysis as predictors of depression.

Results:

The variables that significantly predicted depression were derived from the Beck Hopelessness Scale, Life Satisfaction Score, and the Cumulative Illness Rating Score.

Conclusions:

The results indicated that medically ill inpatients who feel hopeless about the future, feel the best years of their lives are behind them, and have serious medical problems are likely to be clinically depressed.
A Comparison of the Grief Reaction of Children and Adults: Focusing on Pet Loss and Bereavement
Authors: Jarolmen Joann
Published: May 2005

Based on the fact that the human-animal bond has existed through recorded history and researchers are now beginning to explore humans' reactions to its loss, this study attempts to answer the following questions: Does human attachment to a pet vary with age/stage of development? Does grief vary by age/stage of development? Does the length and intensity of grief change if the loss was anticipated or sudden? The purpose of this study is to understand attachment and bereavement/loss in children and adolescents as compared to adults. The “Pet Attachment Survey,” the “Grief Experience Inventory,” and “Questions for Each Person in the Study” were the instruments used in this study. The participants included 106 children, 57 adolescents, and 270 adults who had lost their pets within a twelve-month interval. The findings suggest that children and adolescents have similar attachments to their pets. Children grieved more than adults in this study. Anticipated grief partially helped participants to allay the grief response.
Changes in Poverty, Income Inequality, and the Standard of Living in the United States during the Reagan Years
Authors: Plotnick Robert D.
Published: May 2005

The record of economic well-being in the 1980s belied Reagan's claim that Americans would be better off if they scaled back the welfare state and cut tax rates. Though the standard of living rose, its growth was no faster than during 1950–1980. Income inequality increased. The rate of poverty at the end of Reagan's term was the same as in 1980. Cutbacks in income transfers during the Reagan years helped increase both poverty and inequality. Changes in tax policy helped increase inequality but reduced poverty. These policy shifts are not the only reasons for the lack of progress against poverty and the rise in inequality. Broad social and economic factors have been widening income differences and making it harder for families to stay out of poverty. Policy choices during the Reagan Administration reinforced those factors.
Knowing What a Word is
Authors: Foley Louis
Published: May 2005

We seem naturally to think of “words” as definite units of language. Yet, on every hand there is continual confusion as to what constitutes a word. It is something quite different from a mere group of letters—unless or until a word is made out of them. And there is no clearer distinction in the structure of English than the difference between a compound word and a phrase. In much printed matter nowadays, however, these distinctions are largely ignored.
Reattribution of Cancer Pain
Authors: Nehemkis Alexis M. , Charter Richard A. , Stampp Michele S. , Gerber Kenneth E.
Published: May 2005

The psychological aspects of cancer pain have been largely neglected except in the treatment related research literature. The present study examines the role of attribution theory in illuminating the experience of cancer pain. Twenty-five cancer patients were administered pain and discomfort vertical visual analogue scales and a measure of locus of control. Data pertaining to intensity and perceived source (cancer, cancer therapy or unrelated benign conditions) of pain and discomfort, per cent attribution to each and physician ratings as to source were also obtained. While results indicate that a variety of reattributional phenomena do occur in cancer patients, such cognitive reappraisal does not diminish pain intensity. The findings further suggest that locus of control expectancies are important mediating variables in the reattribution of cancer pain and discomfort. The study raises research and clinical issues pertinent to understanding the experience of pain associated with cancer.
Dying of Cold in the Sunbelt: Elderly Hypothermia Mortality Rates
Authors: Macey Susan M. , Schneider Dona F.
Published: May 2005

Given that Sunbelt states promote their images by stressing their good climate, the question arises as to how healthy their climate is for the elderly. This study compares deaths attributed to excessive cold for persons sixty years of age and over in Sunbelt and nonsunbelt states for the years 1980–1985. State mortality data are analyzed using descriptive statistics and simple correlations. Blacks of both sexes have significantly higher death rates in the Sunbelt, while the reverse is true for whites. Death rates by age group were generally lower in the Sunbelt, though the few significant correlations showed a Sunbelt bias. The latter may be linked to particularly severe winters.
New Age of Satellite Education
Authors: Wu Chih
Published: May 2005

A new age of satellite education has emerged during the last decade. The world has seen tremendous progress in all facets of space research in the recent past especially after man's successful moon landing in 1969. Today, multispectral scanners and modern sensors on different satellites which are orbiting the earth, are continuously sending repetitive coverages of the earth which enable us to identify, manage, and monitor the various natural resources in the pursuit of human welfare on the global basis. This important aspect has necessitated a change in educational methodologies. Making use of the satellite for educational purposes is a challenge to institutes of higher technologies, universities and research organizations. Developed countries will have to extend their helping hands to the developing countries with respect to infrastructural facilities, and guidance in educational programs so as to reap the fruits of satellite-based remote sensing in using repetitive and synoptic digital data from satellites for the human welfare and happiness. An attempt is made in this article to present the state of the art of the satellite technological education. The feasibility of applying satellite education by China for distance learners, foreigners and oversea Chinese is also discussed in the article.
The Chronic Illness Problem Inventory: Problem-Oriented Psychosocial Assessment of Patients with Chronic Illness
Authors: Kames Linda D. , Naliboff Bruce D. , Heinrich Richard L. , Schag Cyndie Coscarelli
Published: May 2005

Two studies are presented which describe the development of a problem-oriented psychosocial screening instrument for use in health care settings. Reliability and validity data are presented on the Chronic Illness Problem Inventory (CIPI) which demonstrate its ability to document accurately patient's specific problems in areas of physical limitations, psychosocial functioning, health care behaviors and marital adjustment. A study is also presented which compares the problems of patients with three distinct chronic illnesses: pain, obesity, and respiratory ailments. Results indicate a significantly greater severity of problems for pain patients and especially patients with multiple pain complaints. Problem areas common to all three illness groups are discussed in the context of providing better comprehensive treatment for chronically ill patients.
The Effects of Widowhood on Disabled Older Women (The Women's Health and Aging Study)
Authors: Telonidis Jacqueline S. , Lund Dale A. , Caserta Michael S. , Guralnik Jack M. , Pennington James L.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the effects of becoming widowed for older women with pre-existing physical disability. Data from three consecutive interviews from the Women's Health and Aging Study (WHAS) were used to compare depression, quality of life, and functional difficulty for widowed and non-widowed women. The two groups of 24 women were matched by age, disability level, domains of disability, and race. Repeated measures of analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed that, for both groups, depression scores were low and remained relatively stable and they were satisfied with their quality of life at all three time points (T1 = 0–6 months pre-bereavement, T2 = 0–6 months bereaved, T3 = 6–12 months bereaved), with no significant group by time interaction effects. The two groups were no different on their levels of functional difficulty at T1 and T2 but by T3, surprisingly, the widows reported slightly less difficulty. Overall, the findings show that disabled women who became widows demonstrate a noticeable degree of resiliency and hardiness.