bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Caring for Depressed and Suicidal Older Patients: A Survey of Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Authors: Adamek Margaret E. , Kaplan Mark S.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

This study sought to describe patterns of mental health care for depressed and suicidal geriatric patients by primary care physicians (MDs) and nurse practitioners (NPs).

Methods:

A probability sample of 300 Illinois MDs from the AMA Physician Masterfile and a national sample of 595 NPs from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners were surveyed. Sixty-three percent of MDs and 61 percent of NPs responded regarding their approaches to assessing, treating, and referring older adult patients who were depressed or suicidal. Respondents rated their confidence in assessing and treating depression and suicidality and identified barriers to mental health treatment in a primary care setting.

Results:

Both similarities and differences were found among MDs and NPs in their patterns of managing depressed and suicidal older adults. NPs used more varied approaches in assessing, treating, and referring their geriatric patients with mental health problems. MDs relied more heavily on psychotropic medications for the treatment of depression and on psychiatrists when referring suicidal older patients. NPs were more likely than MDs to note lack of training and referral resources as barriers to treating depression of older patients. NPs rated their training in geriatric mental health more favorably than MDs.

Conclusions:

In terms of assessment of depression, preferred treatment approaches, the use of referral resources, and perceived barriers to mental health care, there appears to be a greater orientation towards a psychosocial approach among NPs. Primary care MDs and NPs often have different perspectives that in combination could enhance the mental health care of geriatric patients.
Comments on “Breast Cancer: Evidence for a Relation to Fission Products in the Diet”
Authors: Musolino Stephen V.
Published: May 2005

For over 30 years, Ernest Sternglass (recently joined by Jay Gould) has claimed that large occurrences of health effects result from small exposures to ionizing radiation. A recent study published in the Journal claimed to show a “supralinear” dose-effect relationship versus curies per million persons. The authors of this article show that Sternglass and Gould did not follow accepted scientific methods, never calculated the dose equivalent to the population studied, misinterpreted the raw data, and did not evaluate any possible confounding factors that could influence the observed breast cancer mortality. The reanalysis of the raw data shows that, while there may have been changes in the mortality patterns from breast cancer in the four geographical regions reported, Sternglass and Gould failed to demonstrate a relationship between the operational histories of the Haddam Neck, Millstone, and Indian Point reactors and breast cancer mortality.
Variations in Funeral-Related Costs of Older Adults and the Role of Preneed Funeral Contracts and Type of Disposition
Authors: Bern-Klug Mercedes , Deviney Stanley , Ekerdt David J.
Published: May 2005

Based on this 1995 study of 163 families in the Kansas City area who experienced the death of a loved one age 50+ in the previous months, we found that combined funeral and cemetery-related costs ranged from $195 to over $14,000. We also report ranges in costs for caskets, outer burial containers, cemetery expenses, and funeral home costs. Total final costs were regressed on two independent variables, 1) presence of a preneed funeral home contract and, 2) type of body disposition (burial versus cremation). This model explained over 40 percent of the variation in total final costs. Final costs for decedents who were cremated were $4,426 less than their buried counterparts, and those with a preneed contract spent about $1,600 less. Implications for families and for helping professionals who may have interactions with families around the time of death are provided. Readers are cautioned that the purchase of a preneed funeral contract is not without financial risk; the financial risk varies from state to state. Other options of setting funds aside to cover final arrangements are discussed.
A Case Study of Oshep's Training Partnership with the American Standard Corporation's Trenton Facility and Gmp Local 175
Authors: Ochsner Michele
Published: May 2005

This case study examines the evolution and impact of a training partnership between the Rutgers University/N.J. Industrial Union Council's (IUC) Occupational Safety and Health Project and the American Standard Corporation's Trenton facility. The study draws on on-site interviews with three employees who played a key role in the training program as well as survey data from a broader cross-section of the facility's workforce. Insights about the impact of training are viewed within the context of the adult education and evaluation literature, particularly studies focusing on participatory, interactive training techniques. Committed activists, a supportive union and management, and the infusion of skills and ideas from the Rutgers/IUC worker-to-worker health and safety program are viewed as key factors in understanding developments at the facility. In addition, the study emphasizes the importance of relationships developed between union activists, facility management, and the OSHEP training staff. On January 2, 2001, the corporation announced plans to shut down the facility within the year, and plans for training the rest of the work force were dropped. Although the site-specific training program was cut short, this case study traces changes in the plant's health and safety culture that occurred over a three-year period.
Benefit-Cost Analysis of Drug Abuse Prevention Programs: A Macroscopic Approach
Authors: Kim Sehwan , Coletti Shirley D. , Crutchfield Charles C. , Williams Charles , Hepler Nancy
Published: May 2005

To date, benefit-cost analysis has rarely been used to justify the drug abuse prevention field. However, there is an increasing demand for this type of analysis as the field of substance abuse prevention enters a new phase—a phase characterized by a competitive marketplace, an increased demand for accountability, and the desire to measure return on the money invested in prevention. In response, an effort is made to stimulate discussion and further research on the topic. This article first determines the overall strategy for initiating benefit-cost analysis (BCA), followed by definitions of BCA and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). This is followed by the determination of some of the major variables used in BCA along with the algorithm for determining the benefit-cost efficiency ratio (R) as it applies to the macro level analysis. In estimating a value for the R, a decision has been made to incorporate uncertainty into the BCA. In a macroscopic approach to BCA, four independent variables are identified for computing R. These independent and dependent variables are assumed to be random variables with normal distributions. The population means and standard deviations pertaining to these independent variables are estimated from the existing literature. In order to incorporate uncertainty into the computation of R, ten measurements have been randomly selected for each of the four independent variables. Following this procedure, fifteen benefit-cost efficiency ratios are calculated by selecting one of the ten values at random per variable used in the R equation. In this way, we were able to determine the most likely population benefit-cost efficiency ratio of 15:1, indicating that there is a $15 savings on every dollar spent on drug abuse prevention. The 95 percent confidence level pertaining to the R has an interval from $13.7 to $16.1. This indicates that the population R resides within the range 95 percent of the time.
Computer Program Plagiarism Detection: The Limits of the Halstead Metric
Authors: Berghel H. L. , Sallach David L.
Published: May 2005

Plagiarism detection is an increasingly important issue in educational environments. This article employs two alternative metrics in the identification of program similarity. The first is the Halstead metric drawn from the discipline of software science. The second is an ad hoc metric drawn from program grading experience, and identified by means of factor analysis. The ad hoc metric proves to be more useful in identical-task environments. Possible explanations for, as well as some larger implications of, this result are considered.
An Interactive Genre within the University Textbook: The Preface
Authors: Luzón María José
Published: May 2005

This article examines the communicative categories and linguistic features of university textbook prefaces. The textbook preface is a highly interactive genre, with a double purpose: informative and promotional. The analysis of the genre moves and of their realization reveals that the preface is used by the author both to help the audience use the book and to convince them of the value of the book. This twofold purpose accounts for the most relevant features of prefaces: the frequent use of textual metadiscourse and the pervasive presence of evaluation. The criteria used in the preface to evaluate the textbook are related to the audience's expectations about introductory textbooks: novelty, usefulness, accessibility, comprehensiveness, importance, and interest.
Compliance and Suggested Deafness in Hypnotic and Nonhypnotic Subjects
Authors: Spanos Nicholas P. , Burgess Cheryl A. , Perlini Arthur H.
Published: May 2005

On each of three trials high and low hypnotizables rated the loudness of a tone after its termination. Trial 1 was a baseline and Trial 2 was preceded by hypnotic or nonhypnotic deafness suggestions. Trial 3 was not preceded by instructions. After its termination, but before giving their loudness ratings, half the subjects in each condition were given instructions designed to induce false reports of hearing loss. High hypnotizables and low hypnotizable nonhypnotic subjects reported greater loudness reductions to both the suggestion (Trial 2) and the compliance instruction (Trial 3) than did low hypnotizable hypnotic subjects. Trial 2 deafness reports and Trial 3 compliance reports were highly correlated and, in hypnotic subjects, hypnotizability and Trial 3 compliance reports were significantly correlated. These findings indicate that the occurrence of demand-induced reporting bias is common in hypnotic settings, and constitutes an integral part of hypnotic responding.
Assessment of the Quality of Prenatal Care: The Transmission of Information to Pregnant Women in Maternal and Child Health Centers in Jordan
Authors: Al-Qutob Ra'Eda , Mawajdeh Salah
Published: May 2005

The quality of information provided to pregnant women seeking prenatal care from public maternal and child health (MCH) facilities was assessed in Irbid, the principal city in the North of Jordan. The structural setup of the settings, as well as the process of information transmission, were examined using interviews of the managing physicians and recipients, as well as observation of encounters between pregnant women and health care providers (physicians and midwives) at the health facility. The results of the study showed that pregnant women's needs for health information were not being adequately met Women were dissatisfied with the quality of information delivered. Inadequacies in both the structure and the process of information provision are discussed.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Migrant Labor in South Africa
Authors: Jochelson Karen , Mothibeli Monyaola , Leger Jean-Patrick
Published: May 2005

The authors investigate the impact of the migrant labor system on heterosexual relationships on South African mines and assess the implications for the future transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The migrant labor system has created a market for prostitution in mining towns and geographic networks of relationships within and between urban and rural communities. A section of the migrant workforce and a group of women dependent on prostitution for economic support appear especially vulnerable to contracting HIV infection since they are involved in multiple sexual encounters with different, changing partners, usually without condom protection. Furthermore, sexually transmitted disease morbidity is extensive in the general and mineworker populations. Historically, migration facilitated the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and may act similarly for HIV. Problems of combating the HIV epidemic in South Africa are discussed.
The Short Life and Painful Death of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act
Authors: Holstein Martha , Minkler Meredith
Published: May 2005

This article draws upon a combined political and moral economy theoretical framework to explicate the rise and fall of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act (CHI). Underlying factors, including the legacy of Medicare, the politics of austerity, and the declining political legitimacy of the aged in the 1970s and 1980s, are seen to have heavily shaped the unique characteristics of the legislation, such as its unpopular self-financing mechanism. Moral economy concerns with reciprocity, fairness, and just taxation are used to help explain the intensity of the “senior revolt” against CHI, which ultimately led to the legislation's repeal. The “Catastrophic catastrophe” is seen as having further eroded the political legitimacy of the old, while at the same time demonstrating the raw political muscle of this population group. Implications of the repeal of CHI for future health coverage legislation, and the impact of repeal on the states and other stakeholders, also are discussed.
Attitudes of Registered Nurses toward Death in a General Hospital
Authors: Shusterman Lisa Roseman , Sechrest Lee
Published: May 2005

Nurses' attitudes toward death and dying are of increasing interest as management of dying patients becomes a focus of concern. A death anxiety questionnaire tapping six conceptually distinct aspects of attitudes toward death was developed from work of previous investigators and administered along with other measures to 188 hospital nurses. This sample proved not to express very much anxiety about death; older nurses especially were found to express less anxiety about death of others and more acceptance of conventional medical procedures for managing the dying patient. No aspect of death anxiety was related to death rate on the unit on which the nurse worked, to any of several personality variables, or to peer rating of death anxiety. Finally, the psychometric properties of the death anxiety questionnaire, along with other findings, suggest need for more attention to measurement problems, heretofore largely ignored.
Problems in the Health Care of Dying Old Men: Complaints by their Widows
Authors: Talbott Maria M.
Published: May 2005

Complaints of older widows regarding their husbands' health care are investigated in this study. Sixty-four older widows were interviewed several years after their husbands' deaths. The deaths occurred in the early 1980s. Forty-six percent reported problems in the health care their husbands had received. Widows whose husbands had not known in advance that they were going to die were more likely to complain about their husbands' medical care than widows whose husbands had known in advance. Complaints were also related to the frequency of several symptoms of grief. The widows' complaints about their husbands' care focus on quality of care, perceived insensitivity on the part of health care professionals, lack of control over the death, and the organization of services.
Investigating Moderator Hypotheses in Aging Research: Statistical, Methodological, and Conceptual Difficulties with Comparing Separate Regressions
Authors: Newsom Jason T. , Prigerson Holly G. , Schulz Richard , Reynolds Charles F.
Published: May 2005

Many topics in aging research address questions about group differences in prediction. Such questions can be viewed in terms of interaction or moderator effects, and use of appropriate methods to test these hypotheses are necessary to arrive at accurate conclusions about age differences. This article discusses the conceptual, methodological, and statistical problems in one approach to investigating moderator hypotheses. The subgroup regression approach, in which separate regression analyses are conducted in two or more groups, is widely used in aging research to examine group differences in prediction, but the approach can lead to erroneous conclusions. The moderated regression approach, involving the test of a product term, is described and recommended as an a alternative approach. The question of whether social support has greater beneficial effects for younger or older adults is investigated in a study of 287 recently-bereaved adults ranging in age from 20 to 91. Using the subgroup approach, findings indicated that social support significantly predicted depressive symptoms among younger adults and did not significantly predict depressive symptoms among older adults. The moderated regression analysis, however, indicated no significant age differences in the effect of social support. These results clearly illustrate that the analysis strategy researchers choose may have important bearing on theory in aging research such as conclusions regarding the role of social support across the life span.
Construct Validity of the Revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death and Dying Scale
Authors: Mooney Deborah C. , O'Gorman J. G.
Published: May 2005

The construct validity of the Revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death and Dying Scale was examined in three separate studies. Study 1 ( N=106) found substantial relationships between the Collett-Lester subscales and the subscales of the Multidimensional Fear of Death and Dying Scale. High test-retest reliabilities of the subscales over a six-week period were also observed. Study 2 ( N=268) examined the sensitivity of the subscales to an intervention designed to change attitudes to death and dying. Statistically significant changes in three of the four subscales were found over a 14-week period. Study 3 examined the factor structure of the scale using exploratory and confirmatory techniques. Two of the subscales could be recovered from analyses at the item level but there was little support for the four factor model that guided test construction.
International Dimensions of Colombian Violence
Authors: Franco Saúl
Published: May 2005

Violence is the main public health problem in Colombia, as demonstrated by current homicide rates (the highest in the world), the strong effect of violence on the health care sector, and the forceful displacement of citizens, among other factors. This violence has international dimensions and consequences: inequity resulting from the political-economic system and increased by the neoliberal adjustments; the international traffic of drugs and weapons; exile and forceful displacement of persons into bordering countries; and frequent violations of human rights and humanitarian international rights. The international community can play a role in the search for a solution to this problem, as the author discusses in terms of contributions made in the past and those that could be made in the near future. Colombian violence can be viewed as a problem, a message, and a challenge for international public health, and the author suggests specific areas in which international public health could contribute to the study and solution of this complex situation.
Motivational Appeal, Aesthetic Appreciation, and Attributed Efficacy of Advertising Illustrations
Authors: Bonaiuto Paolo , Giannini Anna Maria , Chiodetti Manuela , Biasi Valeria
Published: May 2005

The influence of incongruity intolerance levels on people's aesthetic evaluation of two categories of visual images was examined. This study used advertising illustrations that prominently activated one of two opposing perceptual processes: amodal completion, which involves the application and confirmation of already consolidated mental schemata, or perceptual contradiction, which highlights their conspicuous non-confirmation, thus generating incongruity experience. Forty young adults were divided into two subgroups: 20 very incongruity intolerant subjects and 20 very incongruity tolerant ones; both genders were equally represented. Incongruity intolerance levels were assessed with a specific quick visual procedure, the Building Inclination Test (Bonaiuto, Giannini, & Bonaiuto, 1989). Thirty-two advertising illustrations were selected from current magazines,16 clearly based on amodal completion of objects, characters and environments and 16 on contradiction processes. In a double blind design, participants evaluated each illustration on aesthetic, structural, and physiognomic aspects, using 11-point scales. Scale orientation, scale order, and illustration order were counterbalanced. An interaction between image category and level of incongruity intolerance was obtained on aesthetic appreciation. Incongruity very intolerant persons deeply disliked the contradiction images, and appreciated the completion ones. On the other hand, incongruity very tolerant persons showed the exact opposite aesthetic tastes. Positive relationships were found between aesthetic scores and scores of attributed efficacy or convincing power for each category of advertising illustrations. Because advertising experts consider users' aesthetic appraisal as a component of the objective efficacy of messages, we speculate that individual differences contribute to the contrasting effects of messages when the illustration diffusion is large and it is viewed by a heterogeneous population.
Campus Suicide in America
Authors: Knott J. Eugene
Published: May 2005

Among American college students, suicide stands second to accidents as a cause of death. Such an alarming factor prompts researchers to find critical antecedents of suicide and possibly make recommendations for dealing with the problem. Studies conducted at colleges throughout the nation indicate that early loss of father through death or physical absence, sex, race, religion, class standing differences, concern over academic sufficiency, high parental educational levels, etc., were among the possible determinants of suicidal behavior. However, very little patterning has been established to identify the suicidal risk beforehand.
Death Anxiety and Personality: Are they Truly Related?
Authors: Frazier Patricia H. , Foss-Goodman Deborah
Published: May 2005

The purpose of the present study was to investigate a multidimensional conceptualization of death, as opposed to the traditional unidimensional approach, by utilizing a randomly-ordered questionnaire composed of selected personality variables and two measures of death anxiety (Templer's 1970 Death Anxiety Scale and Sarnoff and Corwin's 1959 Fear of Death Scale). Personality variables measured were extraversion-introversion, neuroticism, Type AB behaviors, and major life stressors. The questionnaire was completed by 161 undergraduates attending a Southwestern college. Results of Pearson correlation analyses demonstrated that both death anxiety scales were significantly related to neuroticism and to Type A behavior patterns, such that high death anxiety was correlated with greater emotionality and more aggressiveness. Correlational measures with extraversion and life stressors did not reach significance. Stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that neuroticism, Type A behaviors, extraversion, and anticipated life stressors accounted for a significant amount of variability in death anxiety. Suggestions made for future researchers include measuring different populations and further developing a multidimensional conceptualization of death.
Cancer Curricula for Secondary Schools: Making the Right Choice
Authors: Pezza Paul E.
Published: May 2005

The American Cancer Society has produced and distributed for use in secondary schools a curriculum package entitled Right Choices. This article considers the development, testing, and marketing of the new cancer education program. Of particular interest is the selection of the theoretical perspective, evaluation methodology, and marketing strategy employed in its production, given the direction in which the field of health education is moving and the political context in which the curriculum has emerged. The author concludes that in selecting cancer prevention curricula for the schools, making the right choice may not be as simple as adopting what is available from the American Cancer Society. The case of Right Choices also serves to illuminate concerns about the American Cancer Society raised by others and bolsters the call for an examination of the organization's role in an effort to control cancer.
Borderline Syndrome and Incest in Chronic Pelvic Pain Patients
Authors: Gross Robert J. , Doerr Hans , Caldirola Della , Guzinski Gay M. , Ripley Herbert S.
Published: May 2005

Twenty-five gynecologic patients with chronic pelvic pain were evaluated in a multi-disciplinary study. Gynecologic evaluation revealed most patients had normal pelvic exams. Psychiatric evaluation showed all of the patients to have significant psychopathology, with Borderline Syndrome, and Hysterical Character Disorder the most frequent diagnoses. A significant incidence of early childhood family dysfunction and incest were found. Psychological testing corroborated the high incidence of severe psychopathology.
A Comprehensive Program of Psychosocial Care for Mastectomy Patients
Authors: Pfefferbaum Betty , Pasnau Robert O. , Jamison Kay , Wellisch David K.
Published: May 2005

The traumatic experience of the discovery of a lump in the breast, the diagnosis of cancer and eventual mastectomy have focused medical attention on the importance of providing adequate psychosocial care for mastectomy patients. This paper outlines a comprehensive program now underway. The program includes the premastectomy (preventive), postoperative (interventive) and recovery (postventive) periods. To secure more information for this program, an initial project examining the psychological effects of mastectomy on women and their spouses has been undertaken. It is anticipated that these findings will be helpful in identifying some of the problems encountered and aid in the success of the program in attaining the desired results.
Does Unemployment Cause the Death Rate Peak in Each Business Cycle? A Multifactor Model of Death Rate Change
Authors: Eyer Joseph
Published: May 2005

Natural time series and prospective studies are combined to determine the contribution of many causal factors to the business cycle variation of the death rate. The variation of housing and nutrition together accounts for roughly a tenth of the death rate fluctuation. Drug consumption accounts for about one-sixth, with 11 percent of the total variation due to alcohol and 6 percent due to cigarette smoking. Social relationship changes, both as sources of stress and as means of relief, account for the greatest part (72 percent) of the business cycle variation of the death rate.
Report on Educational Technology
Authors: Braun Ludwig
Published: May 2005

This paper reports on a state-of-the-art conference held at the New York Institute of Technology on April 24 and 25,1983. The objective of the conference was to clarify the issues relating to applications of technology to education. Conferees identified six major technologies having great potential for education in mathematics, science, and technology: computers; educational television; videotex, databases, and computer-based telecommunications; video discs; intelligent video discs; and robotics. In addition, the conferees suggested exploration of combinations of these technologies and vigilant attention to new technologies as they emerge to identify educational applications.

The report also includes discussion of the evidences of effectiveness of educational technology, quality of courseware, and twenty-eight recommendations. These recommendations are action suggestions that are being forwarded to the National Science Foundation's Commission for Precollege Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology for inclusion in their report.
Two Decades of Debate on Meadowcroft Rockshelter
Authors: Adovasio J. M. , Pedler D. R. , Donahue J. , Stuckenrath R.
Published: May 2005

Since the publication of the first of more than fifty internally consistent radiocarbon dates from Meadowcroft Rockshelter (36WH297), intense and sometimes acrimonious controversy has swirled around the timing of the initial human occupation of this deeply stratified site. Critics of a late Pleistocene presence at this locality have questioned its stratigraphy, floral and faunal associations, the “character” of its earliest artifact assemblage, and—with particular vigor—the radiocarbon dates from the site's basal deposits. While most conservative assessments concede a 12,000-year initial occupancy (cf. Fagan, 1995), it nonetheless continues to be asserted that Meadow-croft's earlier dates have suffered particulate or non-particulate contamination. Data bearing on myriad aspects of this controversy have been published since 1975, and in the continuing debate many once-vocal critics have become silent, bored, or perhaps both. To provide background for this debate, the Meadowcroft radiocarbon chronology and related issues are reviewed and assertions of particulate and non-particulate contamination are reassessed and evaluated in light of current information. The weight of all available data continues to suggest that this site still represents the best and earliest evidence for the presence of human beings south of the glacial front in North America. More specifically, the evidence further suggests that Native Americans possessing a technologically sophisticated core- and blade-based lithic technology not at typological or chronological variance with possible Siberian prototypes were present in southwestern Pennsylvania by 10,600–12,000 B.P. at the very latest.
Risk as Moral Danger: The Social and Political Functions of Risk Discourse in Public Health
Authors: Lupton Deborah
Published: May 2005

Risk is a concept with multiple meanings and is ideologically loaded. The author reviews the literature on risk perception and risk as a sociocultural construct, with particular reference to the domain of public health. Pertinent examples of the political and moral function of risk discourse in public health are given. The author concludes that risk discourse is often used to blame the victim, to displace the real reasons for ill-health upon the individual, and to express outrage at behavior deemed socially unacceptable, thereby exerting control over the body politic as well as the body corporeal. Risk discourse is redolent with the ideologies of mortality, danger, and divine retribution. Risk, as it is used in modern society, therefore cannot be considered a neutral term.
Family Physicians' Perceptions of Psychosocial Disorders: Survey Report and Educational Implications
Authors: Stoudemire Alan , Thompson Troy L. , Mitchell Wayne , Grant Richard L.
Published: May 2005

One-hundred seventy-seven family physicians were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the types of psychosocial problems encountered in their practices, the amount of time they felt they devoted to each problem, and their interests regarding continuing psychiatric education. Patients with “multiple somatic complaints” and “symptoms of emotional distress” were reported as being encountered most frequently. Marital and family problems, alcoholism and sexual dysfunction were also ranked highly. The physicians indicated the highest interest in managing these disorders in addition to treatment of the suicidal patient. The implications of these results for psychiatric educators and liaison psychiatrists are discussed. The authors recommend using DSM-III diagnostic criteria applicable to these syndromes in formulating educational programs for primary care physicians.
Minorities in Engineering: Pre-College Motivation and Preparation
Authors: Staff
Published: May 2005

Because minorities hold a disproportionately low number of jobs in engineering and related professions, a program to attract and prepare more minority high school students for these fields has been developed and tested nationwide.

New supplementary curriculum materials that apply practical life-experience situations of our technological society to basic mathematics, science, communications and guidance principles are provided. By using these materials, it is hoped that students will see the nature of modern technology and engineering and the strong interrelationship between technology and the quality of life for individuals.

Since the positive attitude and influence of teachers, parents, and community members are necessary for the implementation of the minorities-in-engineering program, special activities, audio-visual aids, and workshops have been designed to interest and motivate teachers, administrators, parents, and community and industrial organizations for use on a regional basis.
Technical Writing and the Liberal Arts School
Authors: Ford Arthur L.
Published: May 2005

Liberal arts colleges that elect to introduce technical writing courses or programs into their curriculum face the dilemma of vocationalism vs. liberal education. This paper examines the philosophical differences between the two as well as their practical compatibility or incompatibility, and then argues for the union of technical writing and the liberal arts school while admitting certain reservations. The technical writing course at a liberal arts school should use a wider range of books and periodicals than should a technical school, should stress rhetorical theory and strategy, and should confront the moral issues resulting from technology.
Rural Health under Colonialism and Neocolonialism: A Survey of the Ghanaian Experience
Authors: Aidoo Thomas Akwasi
Published: May 2005

This paper discusses some of the implications of colonialism and neocolonialism for rural health in Ghana. The starting point for discussion is a critical review of the dominant ahistorical, atheoretical, and technocratic conception of the underdevelopment of rural health. It is argued that the problems of rural health cannot be fully explained without a consideration of Ghana's colonial and neocolonial experiences. It is necessary to examine the impact of the colonial capitalist mode of production on rural health and health care, as well as the mechanisms underlying the post-colonial entrenchment of the colonial legacy. The implications of the reformist approach to the problems of health are examined, and the possibility of a structural transformationist solution, which must start from the elimination of imperialist control, is assessed. It is concluded that the Ghanaian social formation, given its current constitution and crises, makes structural transformation the only viable alternative to solving the problems of rural health.
Lithic Procurement and Paleo-Indian Settlement Patterns on the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain
Authors: Custer Jay F. , Cavallo John A. , Stewart R. Michael
Published: May 2005

Paleo-Indian settlement patterns and differential tool use on the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain can be related to patterns of lithic resource distribution. In areas where cryptocrystalline lithic resources are concentrated in a few locales, a cyclical system oriented toward specific sources is seen. In areas where lithic resources are more numerous and dispersed, a serial system utilizing various non-specific outcrops or cobble beds is noted. The Delmarva Peninsula and the New Jersey Outer Coastal Plain are examples of areas where the cyclical system applies. The New Jersey Inner Coastal Plain is an area where the serial system may apply.
Turning the Other Cheek: Profile Direction in Self-Portraiture
Authors: Latto Richard
Published: May 2005

The spatial organization of the forty-seven self-portraits in the exhibition “Face to Face: Three Centuries of Artists' Self-Portraiture” held at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, was analyzed and compared with previously published studies, all of which have obtained their data predominantly from non-self-portraits. In the seventeenth century there was a significant asymmetry in self-portraits for both the direction of profile, with most paintings showing the right profile, and the direction of lighting, with most paintings showing the light coming from the left of the painting. Both these asymmetries declined over time and were not present in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century paintings. The lighting asymmetry and the temporal change confirmed findings with non-self-portraits, but the profile asymmetry was in the opposite direction probably because of the use of mirrors to generate the image being painted. Taken together, the findings support an explanation for asymmetries in portraits of all kinds in terms of the conventions of studio organization.
The Stream of Consciousness: XVII. James in Recent Context (1991–1996)
Authors: Natsoulas Thomas
Published: May 2005

By examining work published in this Journal, I bring present-day issues to bear on my ongoing exploration of William James's stream of consciousness. How do knowledgeable psychological scientists demonstrate or acknowledge the relevance to their own work of their illustrious predecessor's introspectively grounded theses and arguments? In installments number XV, XVI, and XVII of the present series, I consider in units of five the initial fifteen volumes of Imagination, Cognition and Personality—the final five of these volumes in the present article. I inquire here into what specifically it was that each of five particular teams of psychologists who published in this Journal from 1991 to 1996 explicitly drew from James; and I address the corresponding topic from James's perspective insofar as space allows. Thus, the topics of the present article turn out to be these: 1) two kinds of self-awareness, 2) consciousness as impulsive in its very nature, 3) how the self is comprised, 4) the scope of psychology, and 5) possible selves.
Fear of Death, Death Attitudes, and Religious Conviction in the Terminally Ill
Authors: Smith Douglas K. , Nehemkis Alexis M. , Charter Richard A.
Published: May 2005

The way in which an individual's belief system about death affects fear of death (FOD) has been largely neglected in the thanatology literature. The present study addresses the dimension of certainty or uncertainty with which beliefs about death are held and examines the way in which such attitudes might affect the FOD in dying patients. Twenty terminally ill patients were administered three FOD measures and a death perspective scale which assessed eight death attitudes. FOD among the terminally ill at both the conscious and fantasy level was low. Increased age was associated with declining conscious FOD, independent of life expectancy. Of the eight death perspectives, the attitudes toward death as afterlife-of-reward most directly tap the dimension of certainty or uncertainty. A significant curvilinear relationship emerged between this death perspective and FOD, suggesting that beliefs are a less critical determinant of death fear than is the certainty with which these beliefs are held. The study raises research and clinical issues pertinent to understanding FOD in dying patients.
Technical Communication, Group Differentiation, and the Decision to Launch the Space Shuttle Challenger
Authors: Pace Roger C.
Published: May 2005

One lesson to be learned from the fatal decision to launch Challenger is that effective technical and group communication requires more than the fidelious exchange of information. This article examines testimony gathered by the Presidential Commission on the Challenger Accident and reveals communication failures in four dimensions of group differentiation—clarity, interrelatedness, centrality, and openness. The article illustrates all four dimensions with excerpts from the Commission Hearings and identifies communication problems peculiar to highly technical groups.
Aviation Science Students vs. English Composition I
Authors: Hodgin Jean
Published: May 2005

Many composition courses do not fit the specialized requirements of students engaged in professional programs.

The author states a case for the publishing of special composition texts and the use of special audiovisual material. A third suggestion deals with the instructor using specific resource books to acquire the vocabulary of the profession itself.
The Effects of Polygraph Evidence and Eyewitness Testimony on the Beliefs and Decisions of Mock Jurors
Authors: Spanos Nicholas P. , Myers Bryan , Dubreuil Susan C. , Pawlak Anne E.
Published: May 2005

Mock jurors heard one of four versions of a murder trial and then deliberated in small groups to a verdict. Half the juries heard a trial in which an eyewitness identified the defendant as the murderer and half heard a trial in which a polygraph expert testified that the defendant responded deceptively when denying the crime. These two factors were completely crossed in a 2 × 2 (eyewitness/no eyewitness x polygraph/no polygraph) design. Jurors exposed to the eyewitness testimony believed more strongly in the defendant's guilt and voted guilty more frequently than did those not exposed to eyewitness testimony. Eyewitness testimony also enhanced the degree to which jurors believed that other pieces of evidence indicated that the defendant was guilty. Polygraph evidence exerted no significant effects either on jurors' beliefs or on their verdicts.
A Supplemental Interview for Forms of “Affective Spectrum Disorder”
Authors: Pope Harrison G. , Hudson James I.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Recent evidence suggests that a number of psychiatric and medical conditions may be members or candidate members of a larger family of conditions, which we have termed “affective spectrum disorder (ASD).” In order to facilitate further research into this concept, we drafted seven interview modules, using the format of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID), designed to diagnose the following psychiatric and medical disorders: irritable bowel syndrome, narcolepsy, Tourette's disorder, migraine, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and kleptomania.

Method:

Published operational diagnostic criteria for these seven disorders were sought in the literature. Questions in SCID format were then drafted in accordance with these operational criteria. Draft modules were then sent to experts familiar with each of the disorders and suggestions and revisions from these experts incorporated into the final modules.

Results:

The complete supplemental interview is presented with this report. Preliminary experience with this interview in more than 100 patients tentatively suggests that it is reliable for diagnosing the disorders in question; however, a formal test-retest reliability assessment is still required.

Conclusions:

It is hoped that this supplemental interview, used in conjunction with the SCID, will be helpful in further studies of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of these possible forms of affective spectrum disorder.
Trends in Health Insurance Coverage, 1989–1997
Authors: Carrasquillo Olveen , Himmelstein David U. , Woolhandler Steffie , Bor David H.
Published: May 2005

The authors analyze trends in health insurance coverage in the United States from 1989 through 1997, using cross-sectional surveys by the U.S. Census Bureau (Current Population Survey) of 160,000 persons representative of the non-institutionalized population. Between 1989 and 1997, the number of people without health insurance increased by 10.1 million to 43.4 million. From 1989 to 1993, the proportion covered by Medicaid increased by 3.6 percentage points while the proportion covered by private insurance declined by 4.2 percentage points. Since then, private coverage rates have stabilized and Medicaid coverage has decreased. Consequently, the number and percent uninsured continues to rise. Young adults age 18–39 had the largest increase in the proportion uninsured, and rates among children have also risen steeply since 1992. While blacks had the largest increase in the percent uninsured, Hispanics accounted for 35.6 percent of the increase in the number uninsured. Low-income families constituted over half of the increase in the number uninsured, but since 1993 the middle income group had the largest increase in the percent uninsured. Northeastern states had the largest increase in the percent uninsured. Thus, despite economic prosperity, the numbers and rates of the uninsured continue to rise. Principally affected are children and young adults, poor and middle-income families, blacks, and Hispanics.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Severe Psychiatric Side Effects
Authors: Browning Charles H.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are used extensively in the treatment of pain. This study explored the possibility that psychiatric side effects may be both more frequent and more severe than thought previously.

Method:

Four psychiatric outpatients, three with affective disorders and one with schizophrenia, were treated with NSAIDS for a complaint of pain. The NSAIDs were withdrawn, then restarted for three patients, and then withdrawn again one or more times. The patients were evaluated while on and off NSAIDs.

Results:

All four patients developed moderate to severe depression and one became severely paranoid while on NSAIDs initially. When the NSAID was withdrawn there was remission of the depressive symptoms and in one case the accompanying paranoia. The depressive symptoms were reproduced when the NSAID was restarted in five instances (involving only 3 of the patients) and remitted when the NSAID was discontinued. One of these three patients also became paranoid in two instances. The paranoia remitted when the NSAID was discontinued.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that NSAIDs can induce or exacerbate reproducible symptoms (depression, paranoia) in patients with either affective disorder or schizophrenia. These adverse effects may be more severe and frequent than thought previously. NSAID-treated patients should be studied for NSAID-induced psychiatric side effects.
Denial in Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: The Consulting Psychiatrist's Dilemma
Authors: Feldman Marc D.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

The purpose of this review, which also includes the report of a new case, is to discuss the pervasive denial of responsibility among individuals who have engaged in Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) behavior. In MSBP, a caretaker (almost always the mother) fabricates or induces illness in her child; she then presents the child for medical treatment, disclaiming knowledge of the etiology of the illness.

Method:

Literature searches of several computer databases were performed, and ninety-two citations dealing with MSBP, culled from medical, legal, and lay publications, were examined for descriptions of caretakers' responses to being confronted with the allegation of MSBP. Thirty-four citations contained relevant material, which was combined with observations from cases in which the author has served as a consultant.

Results:

Caretakers engaging in MSBP consistently deny any role in the dissimulation, even when confronted with compelling evidence. This denial complicates management, though intervention must focus on ensuring the safety of the child regardless of the caregiver's response.

Conclusions:

Techniques sometimes advocated in factitious disorders in general may be useful in stopping the abusive behavior; however, no consistently effective strategy for overcoming denial in MSBP has yet been described.