bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prospects for Practical Population Programs
Authors: Taylor Carl E.
Published: May 2005

A look toward future implications of population growth and the possibilities of practical programs to ameliorate unfavorable interactions with quality of life seem to be an appropriate way to close this review of the state of the world's population. More than virtually any other discipline demography has become the modern gloomy science with doomsday predictions, rising steadily in a crescendo of concern based on the conflicting predictions of population experts. The optimistic note that emerges from the present worldwide concern is that enough international awareness has been stimulated so that concerted and realistic action is now possible. The fact that the organizers of the 1974 World Population Year are trying to get international concurrence on a “World Population Plan of Action” carries the hope that planning may make programs more realistic and effective.
Development and Testing of a Contextually and Culturally Relevant Measure of Coping for use with Women Infected with HIV
Authors: Moneyham Linda , Demi Alice , Mizuno Yuko , Sowell Richard , Seals Brenda , Guillory Joyce
Published: May 2005

In this article, we describe the development and initial testing of a contextually and culturally relevant measure of coping. The instrument was developed and tested during several stages of a longitudinal study of 264 women with HIV infection carried out in rural and urban areas of a southeastern state. During the development phase, qualitative descriptions of how the participants were coping with HIV disease were collected in the first of five interviews conducted over a year. A fifty-four-item measure of coping was developed with individual items worded to reflect the descriptions provided by participants. The measure was submitted to testing during two of the final interviews with the participants. The results of psychometric testing revealed five valid and reliable coping subscales: avoidance, managing the illness, spirituality, seeking social support, and focusing on others. The results of psychometric assessment of the measure are reported and differences in coping strategies used based on socioeconomic factors are examined.
Mass Media Usage among Black Smokers: A First Look
Authors: Cernada George P. , Darity William A. , Chen Ted T. L. , Winder Alvin E. , Benn Suzette , Jackson Rudolph , Tolbert Joyce
Published: May 2005

This article discusses preliminary results of a National Cancer Institute-sponsored pilot baseline survey in 1989 of smoking knowledge, attitude and habits among black smokers in four major U.S. cities: two in the North (Springfield, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut) and two in the South (Durham, North Carolina and Columbia, South Carolina). It focuses on mass media readership, viewing and listening habits and a preliminary discussion of their application to practice.
Anesthesia and Mental Illness
Authors: Sedgwick J. V. , Lewis I. H. , Linter S. P. K.
Published: May 2005

Although drug interaction probably remains the most potentially serious problem current evidence suggests that psychiatric medication need not be discontinued prior to anesthesia and surgery, discontinuation of medication may constitute its own hazards. Most interactions can be predicted and appropriate precautions taken, the use of meperidine is now absolutely contraindicated for patients receiving MAOI's.
Marriage and Divorce among Bereaved Parents in a Self-Help Group
Authors: Klass Dennis
Published: May 2005

The death of a child is one of the most difficult griefs in contemporary society. This study using the participant observation method examines the relationship between the bereaved father and mother in The Compassionate Friends (TCF), a self-help group of bereaved parents. The study examines the dynamics of couples already divorced, of parents who divorce within a few years after the death of the child, and of parents who remain married. Findings from this study suggest that marital relationships are not separate from the whole set of dynamics which come with the death of a child. Among these parents, two themes seem central. First, there is the paradox of a new tie established between those who have lost a child even as there is a great deal of estrangement in the separate griefs. Second, there is a strong sense of reordered priorities and a sense of the self as a center of strength within the decision to face directly the issues given in the new world of parental bereavement.
Maternal Exhaustion as an Obstetric Complication: Implications of TBA Training
Authors: O'Rourke Kathleen
Published: May 2005

Maternal exhaustion is a common diagnosis for Guatemalan women referred to community hospitals by traditional birth attendants (TBAs). Maternal exhaustion is associated with prolonged labor, bearing down for > 2 hours, and oxytocin administration by TBAs. The strongest association is with prolonged bearing down which is a practice commonly encouraged by Guatemalan TBAs. Training TBAs in instructing the mother not to bear down until she has an urge to push and not to administer oxytocin to their patients had little impact in curtailing these practices. This lack of effect may be due to cultural beliefs about appropriate birthing practices and their importance for the women in the community.
An Empirical Search for Stages of Widowhood
Authors: Barrett Carol J. , Schneweis Karen M.
Published: May 2005

Developmental theory and clinical experience suggest that stages of adjustment to widowhood beyond the initial stages of grief may exist. Structured interviews with 193 widowed community residents over sixty-two were conducted as part of a needs assessment survey of the elderly in Wichita. One hundred fifty-one variables including eight psycho-social needs, the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale scale, age perception, future orientation, presence of or desire for a confidant, contact with children, and participation in work, volunteer, religious and organizational roles were assessed, as well as transportation, nutrition, health care, household and educational needs. The median was used to differentiate short-term from long-term widowhood. The two groups differed significantly on fewer than 5 per cent of the variables. This was true of both widows and widowers. Six categories of widowhood were then defined ranging from less than three years to over twenty years. Only about 6 per cent of the variables were related to the six “stages.” The results provide further evidence that the stresses of widowhood persist for years after the spouse's death; they do not confirm the existence of separate stages of adaptation.
Final Declaration of the Fourth World Parliamentary Forum in Mumbai, India, January 19, 2004
Authors: Dunn Mary Lee
Published: May 2005

The following comment addressing crises arising from globalized trade came out of a meeting between the World Parliamentary Forum and the World Social Forum in India in January 2004.
Adjustment to Loss of Spouse as a Multivariate Construct
Authors: Lowenstein Ariela , Landau Ruth , Rosen Aron
Published: May 2005

Interview data collected in 1985–86 from a stratified random sample of widows under the age of fifty-four ( n = 150) in Israel were analyzed in an attempt to answer the following question: is adjustment to widowhood a univariate or a multivariate construct? Using four indicators for adjustment to widowhood—functioning in everyday living, depression level, health status, and life satisfaction—factors that may affect adjustment to widowhood are examined. Multiple regressional analysis of the data reveals that the four indicators are associated with different clusters of predictors, and that only two predictors are associated with all four of them: widow's locus of control and present standard of living as compared to prior one.

The results, providing evidence that adjustment to widowhood may be perceived as a multivariate construct and their implications for further research, are discussed.
Coping with Bereavement: A Review of the Grief Work Hypothesis
Authors: Stroebe Margaret
Published: May 2005

The article challenges the longstanding belief in the importance of “grief work” for adjustment to bereavement (the grief work hypothesis). It examines claims made in theoretical formulations and principles of grief counseling and therapy concerning the necessity of working through loss. Empirical evidence is reviewed, and cross-cultural findings are described to document alternative patterns of coping with grief. It is argued that there are grounds for questioning the hypothesis: 1) existing definitions and operationalizations are problematic; 2) the few empirical studies that have examined the impact of grief work have yielded equivocal results; 3) grief work is not a universal concept. Limitations of the grief work hypothesis as an explanation of coping with bereavement are identified and a differential approach is suggested. Implications for counseling and therapy are discussed.
Technology Policy and Planning in the Third World Pharmaceutical Sector: The Cuban and Caribbean Community Approaches
Authors: Thrupp Lori Ann
Published: May 2005

There has been growing international concern over many aspects of the use and flow of medicines in developing countries. This article briefly reviews factors which have contributed to problems in this area including marketing and promotional practices of the pharmaceutical companies, rising drug import costs, and the unsuitability or poor quality of available drugs. This analysis is primarily concerned with policies that have emerged from efforts to alleviate such problems, to increase control over multinational drug companies, and to bring about changes in the technology transaction processes and in the pharmaceutical sector. It focuses on two cases: the regional cooperation scheme of the Caribbean countries (CARICOM) and the national-level policy of Cuba. It is shown that the CARICOM strategy has significant limitations, primarily due to its voluntary nature and lack of enforcement mechanisms for member countries. On the other hand, the Cuban approach has brought about positive effects and progressive changes, made through political commitment to achieve social benefits, and in conjunction with integrated broad reforms of the entire health system within a socialist framework. Thus, the problems and promises of such strategies are viewed in a context which emphasizes the prevailing forces of the global political economy. The lessons from this study, applicable to other developing countries, not only reveal important measures for the pharmaceutical sector, but also stress the ultimate need for strong commitment to enforce policies at the national level and for major structural changes, in order to adequately meet the health and medical needs of the people.
Simulation vs. Lecture Demonstration: Alternative Approaches to Teaching Television Lighting
Authors: Carroll James K.
Published: May 2005

The increasing dependence upon the medium of television to inform, instruct, and entertain our citizens in the 1970's has created a need for Broadcast Communication personnel, trained in media production techniques. The effectiveness of television is dependent upon the mastery of these techniques which serve to clarify action, reduce distractions and add emphasis to messages. Appropriate illumination of the subject matter is the key element in television production. It provides the base for all camera coverage and subsequent electronic manipulation of images.

With a shortage of time, facilities and faculty, today's Broadcast Communication student often operates at the level of an observer, thereby taking a passive role in the education process. Given a lecture-demonstration approach to such instruction as found in a majority of institutions of Higher Education, individual differences and needs in many relevant variables simply are not accounted for. One such variable in television production lies in the area of television lighting, a field demanding, but rarely receiving, an adequate amount of individualized instruction and “hands on” manipulation of equipment.
Injury, Death, and the Deregulation Fetish: The Politics of Occupational Safety Regulation in U.K. Manufacturing Industries
Authors: Tombs Steve
Published: May 2005

The author examines some of the more recent developments in the social and political environments within which the “deregulation fetish” is crucial, but of which it remains only one element. This fetish, as part of a broader assault on the legitimacy of the external regulation of business activity, will not go away; its effects are already being felt in the context of the regulation of occupational safety in the United Kingdom. After outlining recent trends in recorded injuries in U.K. workplaces, with particular reference to manufacturing industries, the author charts the nature and effects of the social and political contexts of the work of U.K. safety regulators in the 1980s. While Thatcher governments withdrew from any direct deregulatory assault on occupational safety, what transpired was a gradual but continual undermining of the ability of these agencies to fulfill their mandated functions. The nature and effects of a new politics of deregulation are examined and this new politics is related to U.K. governmental opposition to European Union influence in domestic social policy, which stands in a symbiotic relationship with the reemergence of a sustained deregulatory discourse in the United Kingdom.
Correlates of Death Anxiety in Nurses who Provide Aids Care
Authors: Sherman Deborah Witt
Published: May 2005

Within Martha E. Rogers' framework of the science of unitary human beings [1–3], a descriptive, correlational study was done to examine the relationships among spirituality, perceived social support, and death anxiety in nurses who provide AIDS care. Death anxiety was also examined as a predictor of nurses' willingness to care for AIDS patients. A convenience sample of 220 female RNs who provided AIDS care completed the Templer Death Anxiety Scale, the Spiritual Orientation Inventory, the Personal Resource Questionnaire-85, and the Willingness to Care for AIDS Patients Instrument. Multiple regression analyses indicated that death anxiety was significantly correlated with spirituality and nurses' willingness to care for patients with AIDS, yet no significant relationship was found between death anxiety and perceived social support. Analyses further revealed that despite high levels of death anxiety, the majority of nurses had a positive perception of death. Several personal, professional, and employment characteristics were associated with death anxiety in nurses who provide AIDS care. Methodological implications are discussed.
Perceived Changes in Life Meaning following Bereavement
Authors: Edmonds Sarah , Hooker Karen
Published: May 2005

Much research has documented the negative sequelae associated with death of a loved one. The goal of the present study was to investigate the possibility, alluded to by existential and humanistic theorists, that positive aspects of bereavement exist. College students who recently experienced the death of a close family member completed measures of grief-related distress, existential meaning, and answered open-ended questions regarding perceived changes in belief in God and life goals occurring as a result of their experience. A significant inverse relationship was found between grief and existential meaning. The majority of the sample reported a positive change in life goals, and these individuals had significantly higher existential meaning than those who reported a negative change in goals. Those who experienced change (positive or negative) in belief in God had higher levels of grief than those who reported no change. These results suggest that positive changes are associated with bereavement and that grief itself may serve as an impetus for personal growth.
Knowledge and Attitudes of Nurses toward AIDS: A Case Study of General Hospital Ogoja, Cross River State, Nigeria
Authors: Ebong R. D.
Published: May 2005

One hundred nurses were randomly selected from General Hospital Ogoja to assess the level of knowledge of nurses about AIDS with regard to causes, signs and symptoms, mode of transmission, attitudes of nurses toward AIDS patients and safety practices as they affect the practice of caring for AIDS patients. A questionnaire made up of two parts was used. Part A sought demographic information while Part B sought information on knowledge and attitudes of nurses toward AIDS patients. Six hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Data were analyzed by the use of t-test and chi-square statistics. The results revealed a “passing” level of knowledge for nurses with regard to AIDS matters. On the other hand, the result revealed negative attitudes among nurses toward the care of AIDS. Recommendations were made for nurses to be involved in seminars and workshops regarding the AIDS issue both within and outside the country.
Stress-Coping Factors in Adolescent Substance Use: Test of Ethnic and Gender Differences in Samples of Urban Adolescents
Authors: Vaccaro Donato , Wills Thomas A.
Published: May 2005

Investigated group differences in the relationship between stress-coping variables and substance (cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana) use with samples of inner-city students in sixth through eighth grades ( N = 1,289) and metropolitan-area students in seventh through ninth grades ( N = 1,702). Measures included affect, life events, parental support, and coping patterns. African-American adolescents had the lowest rate of substance use, Hispanics were intermediate, and Whites had the highest rate; there was no gender difference in overall substance use. Multiple regression analysis showed the strength of predictive relationships for stress-coping variables was lower for African Americans and was greatest for Whites; four methodological tests showed these differences were not attributable to statistical artifacts. Hispanic adolescents showed greater vulnerability than Whites at younger ages but this effect reversed at later ages. Implications for prevention research are discussed.
Death Anxiety in Physicians: Defensive Style, Medical Specialty, and Exposure to Death
Authors: Kane Anne C. , Hogan John D.
Published: May 2005

This study explores certain aspects of death anxiety in the physician. The participants of the study were seventy-seven male physicians actively practicing their profession in the New York metropolitan area, Twenty-nine were internists, twenty-eight were psychiatrists, and twenty were surgeons. The results confirmed an inverse relationship between the use of repression and overt report of death anxiety for the physicians tested. Frequency of exposure to death seemed to have no effect on defensive style. The physicians most frequently exposed to death (internists) did not employ the most repression, as expected. Other significant differences between the three tested medical specialties were noted. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between age, experience, and death anxiety. It was the younger and less experienced physician who. displayed the greatest death anxiety. It was also the younger physician who was most frequently confronted with death.
An Examination of the Performance and Motivation of Indonesian Village Health Volunteers
Authors: Reis Thomas , Elder John , Satoto John , Kodyat Benny A. , Palmer Anne
Published: May 2005

Indonesian “kader Posyandu” or village health post volunteers are a key link in the provision of primary health care services and health education to this country's 170,000,000 inhabitants. Yet little is known about the quality of service that they actually provide, with most existing data being derived from their own self-reports or from those of the mothers they serve. Moreover, it is widely acknowledged that inadequate kader motivation and subsequent high rates of dropout are a chronic problem for the Indonesian primary health care strategy, creating frequent disruptions in service as well as the necessity for continual recruitment and training efforts. The present study was conducted to shed further light on these issues through observations of kader behavior during village health post clinic days. These observations emphasized the amount and type of health education related to child survival that was performed by the kader. Subsequent interviews with kader, mothers, and village leaders complemented these observational data and provided further information on present and potential motivators for kader. The observations indicated that while kader performed growth monitoring, immunization, and other village health post clinic activities appropriately, they failed to take advantage of opportunities to educate mothers in nutrition, oral rehydration, and other important skill areas. In turn, interviews indicated that while money for services rendered could be a powerful motivator for these volunteers, they felt that even more important, given limited resources, was an expression of appreciation on the part of the community being served. These data have proved critical for the design of a health communication campaign seeking to improve kader performance and lengthen their term of service.
The Nurse as a Psychiatric Consultation Team Member
Authors: Barton David , Kelso Margaret T.
Published: May 2005

A better understanding of the psychological aspects of illness and hospitalization necessitates increased attention to the patient's interpersonal transactions with care-givers in the general hospital setting. Ward nurses are key individuals in these transactions; they can play an important part in facilitating the patient's psychological adaptation in response to the stress of illness. To bring the nurse-patient relationship into the scope of the consultation process, the University of Virginia psychiatric consultation team includes a nurse as a member. As a participant observer in the general hospital milieu, the “consultation team nurse” is able to aid ward nurses in facilitating patients' psychological adaptations through reinforcing the therapeutic relationships and intervening in situations where antitherapeutic emotional responses to patients have developed. Her activities also include the gathering of information from ward nurses for diagnostic purposes, the giving of direct psychiatric care where appropriate, and the provision of perspective for the team from the viewpoint of the nurse. Her presence and activities encourage closer scrutiny of nurse-patient transactions, allowing insights into patients' interpersonal responses at times of stress, providing a self-awareness for care-givers, and enabling the consultation team to investigate and better understand the psychological aspects of nursing care. This approach serves to aid in the development of a psychologically therapeutic milieu in the general hospital.
Sickness as Cultural Performance: Drama, Trajectory, and Pilgrimage Root Metaphors and the Making Social of Disease
Authors: Frankenberg Ronald
Published: May 2005

This paper examines the use of root metaphors in the description of social activity and especially the performance of sickness. It starts with a critical account of Susan Sontag's examination of the use of illness as metaphor in literature. There then follows a brief analysis of another account of society based on the discussion of creative literature—Kenneth Burke's “Dramatism,” itself acknowledged as a source by Erving Goffman. Goffman's own expressed reservations about his supposed use of a dramatic metaphor are then extended to suggest that Goffman was more concerned with “performance” in a broader sense. The discussion of performative metaphors is then shifted by a critical consideration of Anselm Strauss and colleagues' view of sickness as manifold performances of work rather than drama, expressed in their metaphor of “trajectory.” Sickness as a process compounded of many performances is further explored using ideas developed by the anthropologist Victor Turner toward the end of his life, in collaboration with his wife, Edith Turner. It is finally suggested that sickness as cultural performance enables us to understand the dialectical relationships between expressive and instrumental activities surrounding sickness. This in turn leaves room for the nonreductionist understanding, within a sociological framework, of individual idiosyncrasy, biological accident, and the discourse of healing.
Race, Gender, and the Effect of Social Supports on the Use of Health Services by Elderly Individuals
Authors: Nelson Martha A.
Published: May 2005

This study examines the effects of social supports on the use of health services by elderly individuals, and whether those effects differ by race or gender. Multiple regression analysis of the 5,151 baseline Longitudinal Study on Aging (LSOA) respondents revealed that social supports, mainly church attendance, increased the R2s when estimated separately within race and gender groups in a statistically significant manner. The magnitude of these increases, however, was small suggesting that their unique contribution may be minimal. The effects of the social support variables on the use of health services differed by race and gender. These differences, however, were not consistent across the various measures of health services utilization.
Population Planning in Turkey: National and Foreign Priorities
Authors: Fisek Nusret H.
Published: May 2005

The sharp decline in the death rate in Turkey after World War II caused a rapid population expansion. In 1965, Turkey had to change its traditional pronatalist policy. The objective of this new policy, specified in the First Five-Year Development Plan, was to counteract the adverse effects of rapid population growth on economic development. The plan envisaged a forceful implementation of its new policy. The subsequent Second and Third Plans, however, placed a lower priority on the control of population growth even though the actual rate of growth was not changed appreciably. The implementation of family planning programs by the government has always been slow and results have lagged far behind both targets set in the plans and public demand. It is encouraging that the public attitude continues to be favorable, in spite of slow government action, and that the level of contraceptive use is increasing. In fact, the small family norm is accepted by the majority of families in Turkey. Knowledge of modern contraception is rapidly being disseminated, though no modern means has yet displaced coitus interruptus as the most frequently used method. The probable reasons for the low priority given to family planning programs by the government are discussed. International agencies and governments which have bilateral agreements with the Turkish government always give a high priority to requests related to family planning. The resources they have provided, however, have not been utilized properly and have had little effect on the projects. Grant and loan giving agencies have recently requested the Turkish government to provide them with a long-range comprehensive program in population control so that they can coordinate their assistance within its broad framework.
Radicalism, Marxism, and Medicine
Authors: Navarro Vicente
Published: May 2005

This article presents a critique of recent radical interpretations of medicine and provides an alternative explanation of such interpretations. It analyzes 1) the articulation of medical practices, knowledge, and institutions within specific modes of production and social formations; 2) the dual functions of medicine within capitalist relations of production; 3) the reproduction of power within medicine; and 4) the meaning of capitalist, socialist, and communist medicine. The political practice derived from these analyses is also elaborated.
What is Happening to Injured Computer Users? A Study of CWA District 1 Members
Authors: Ochsner Michele , Love Marsha , Lynch Richard , De John Louise , Huie Shirley
Published: May 2005

Using quantitative and qualitative data, this study sought to characterize the results of workers' compensation claims filed by CWA computer users in New York and New Jersey and document the perception of a small sample of workers living with these disorders. Most of CWA District 1's injured computer users in this study were diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. The vast majority of the workers who have gone before a workers' compensation judge have been found to meet the criteria for a “permanent” disability. The survey also reveals that compensation levels vary enormously between New York and New Jersey, and that the amount of compensation received by many workers in both states is very low. Interview data expand this picture by illuminating injured workers' perceptions of the responses of their employers, their experience within the health care and compensation systems, and the impact of these injuries both at home and at work.
Cross-Cultural Aesthetic Contrasts and Implications for Aesthetic Evolution and Change
Authors: Anderson Richard L.
Published: May 2005

In contrast to small-scale societies, philosophies of art in complex societies tend to be relatively explicit, produced by specialists, and densely textured—a pattern exemplified by the differences between the aesthetic systems of Aboriginal Australian versus pre-Columbian Aztec societies. These differences may parallel the gradual changes in aesthetics that occurred as some small, pre-neolithic cultures evolved into complex states. Also, when traditional societies undergo the shock of culture contact, their previously profound aesthetic systems, whether explicit or implicit, tend to be replaced by concerns about craftsmanship, intensiveness of work, and market value—as exemplified by pre- and post-contact Aztec culture. Also discussed are possible future developments in each of these dynamic processes, respectively designated “bary-evolution” and “ocy-evolution.”
CBE Technology, Non-Traditional Learning and University System Development Specialist: An Approach to Change
Authors: McBrayer John
Published: May 2005

Management of change in multi-university systems is difficult, but possible. Though the topic of change has been thoroughly studied, there is still much to be learned from actual attempts to implement multi-university system change. One obvious lesson is a clearer definition of the processes involved in “change” itself. This paper reviews a University of Wisconsin system approach to change in order to focus on interesting developmental techniques for multi-university system improvement. The specific change discussed is translation of existing courses and curricula to an innovative competency approach in order to bring about extended degree opportunities for non-traditional students. Change is operationally defined here as “purposive intervention into articulated congeries of dynamic university systems, in order to achieve appropriate outcomes …” [1]. Correspondingly, it is suggested that the processes of change require a multi-university systemic development strategy. Activities of the University of Wisconsin Extended Degree Program is cited as a working example of the process of systematic development for change in a statewide multi-university system.
Does the Curriculum Fit the Career? Some Conclusions from a Survey of Graduates of a Degree Program in Professional and Technical Communication
Authors: Coon Anne C. , Scanlon Patrick M.
Published: May 2005

Recent graduates of a degree program in professional and technical communication were surveyed to identify their current employment, their attitudes toward their academic preparation, and the professional courses they found most helpful. The history and curriculum of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT's) eleven-year-old program in Professional and Technical Communication (PTC) is described, as well as the program's “professional core,” its Liberal Arts core, and its cooperative education requirement. The survey was modeled after a previous survey the authors conducted with members of the Society for Technical Communication. The results of both surveys emphasized the basics of writing and computer skills. The degree program alumni also expressed the desire for a “more practical” curriculum that placed less emphasis on theory. Anecdotal responses from the alumni provided a unique view of the field through the eyes of its newest practitioners.
Use of Educational Technology in a Program on Technology and Society
Authors: Braun L. , Liao T. , Visich M.
Published: May 2005

This paper describes how educational technology is being used in components of a Program on Technology and Society. First, two secondary school programs for developing technological literacy are discussed. Then, the development of digital simulation packages for use in natural and social science instructional programs is described. An experimental program to deliver adult education courses via video tapes is the final PTS application of educational technology.
Assuring the Safety and Efficacy of Therapies
Authors: Stolley Paul D.
Published: May 2005

A brief history and discussion of the evolution of methods for testing and evaluating medical and surgical therapies demonstrates that sophisticated means for such evaluation are presently at hand, primarily in the form of the randomized controlled clinical trial. This article discusses problems in evaluating surgical procedures, increasing drug use, and adverse reactions to therapies, indicating limitations in current practices and pointing out where greater acceptance and application of the controlled clinical trial could improve the overall safety and efficacy of therapies. The example of a minor epidemic of drug-induced cancer is described to illustrate the use of the epidemiologic method in detecting adverse effects and for its implications for the development of a more responsible public policy to prevent such occurrences. Advances in the epidemiologic detection of adverse effects, coupled with the development and application of the controlled clinical trial have provided the necessary evidence on the basis of which new governmental regulations for ensuring safety and efficacy have been developed. It is argued that such evidence suggests that regulation should be expanded to require that manufacturers of new drugs introduced into the market demonstrate, in addition to safety and efficacy, the relative efficacy of their products over existing formulations. It is also suggested that surgical procedures be subjected to forms of scrutiny similar to those to which drugs are now subjected. Finally, some current practices of drug advertising are critically reviewed, and a greater attention to the ecologic consequences of drugs and food additives is recommended.
Is More Optimism Associated with Better Health? Findings from a Population-Based Survey
Authors: Bosompra Kwadwo , Ashikaga Takamaru , Worden John K. , Flynn Brian S.
Published: May 2005

Six hundred and eighty-one randomly selected adults aged 18 to 75 years were interviewed about their perceived health status and their dispositional optimism—the generalized expectation that good versus bad outcomes will occur in one's life. It was found that whichever way dispositional optimism was measured—whether as a single- or two-factor model—the construct was positively associated with perceived health. It is recommended that health educators and other health practitioners incorporate into their daily activities the finding of a positive relationship between dispositional optimism and perceived health in the general population and encourage people to maintain a positive outlook on life so as to improve their perceived health status and ultimately their actual health.
Preventing HIV Transmission along the Trans-Africa Highway in Kenya: Using Persuasive Message Theory in Formative Education
Authors: Cameron Kenzie A. , Witte Kim , Lapinski Maria Knight , Nzyuko Solomon
Published: May 2005

Although HIV infection is now seen as pandemic in many parts of Africa, little is known about existing perceptions and knowledge regarding the disease or about the use of preventive measures among groups with the highest infection rates. Further, many call for theoretically-based formative evaluations and interventions, yet few appear to utilize theory to determine perceptions and knowledge and to evaluate existing campaigns. This project reports the results of a theoretically-based formative evaluation conducted with commercial sex workers, truck drivers and their assistants, and young men at three truck stops along the Trans-Africa Highway in Kenya. The theoretical basis for the project was the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), a health risk message theory. Results indicate that the participants appear to have high levels of knowledge and threat, coupled with apparent low levels of efficacy. According to the theoretical perspective used, these results suggest that participants may be putting themselves at risk for HIV infection.
Professional Personality of the Technical Communicator
Authors: Shore Joseph N.
Published: May 2005

The rhetorical and syntactic interfaces between technical communicators and readers are being affected by cost-related pressures. The resulting modification of the technical communicator's role will benefit or harm engineering and technical communication according to the developing understanding of the technical communicator. In business and in education the changing professional rationale should consider both the nature of the work and the professional personality of the technical communicator. This is because the success of an engineering enterprise depends on the cooperation and interaction of administrators, engineers, and technical communicators, and because those who are being channeled into technical writing and illustrating are being increasingly selected by educators. As the bridge between the engineer and the user, the professional personality of the technical communicator fulfills two requirements, the technical and the artistic; technical communicators typically remain suspended between technology and art.
A Comparison of Noninteractive and Interactive Video Instruction about Smokeless Tobacco
Authors: Levenson Phyllis M. , Morrow James R. , Signer Barbara
Published: May 2005

To compare learner cognitive and affective responses to a lesson on smokeless tobacco, 205 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to a control or one of three experimental groups. Experimental groups viewed a videotape in the classroom or individually, or viewed an interactive video version of the lesson. They then completed a questionnaire to ascertain knowledge and attitudes about smokeless tobacco and lesson satisfaction. The interactive video group demonstrated the most accurate and comprehensive recall. While neither videotape group answered as many questions correctly as the interactive video group, the individual videotape group did better than the classroom videotape group and all experimental groups did better than the control group. Additionally, the interactive video group was more willing to promote cessation among users. Learner satisfaction with the interactive video equipment and lesson was high. The increased knowledge and motivation to act reported suggest opportunities for future uses of interactive video.
The Hartmann Boundary Questionnaire: Two Studies Examining Personality Correlates and Interpersonal Behavior
Authors: Zborowski Michael J. , Hartmann Ernest , Newsom Mark A. , Banar Maura
Published: May 2005

These studies investigated the relationship between the Boundary Questionnaire (BQ) [1] and measures of object relations (e.g., insecure attachment), interpersonal dependency, trait affect, and interpersonal behavior among undergraduate students. Study 1 ( N = 300) examined the association between the BQ and four dimensions of object relations and two dimensions of interpersonal dependency, revealing predicted correlations with thin boundaries. Subsequent stepwise multiple regression revealed that insecure attachment was singly predictive of thinner boundary score. Study 2 ( N = 75) was designed as a replication and extension, assessing the same dimensions along with measures of trait affect. Results revealed that thinness was related to trait anxiety, insecure attachment, and interpersonal dependency, respectively. Subjects also participated in a semi-structured interview assessing three dimensions of interpersonal behavior, demonstrating an association between thinner boundary score and interviewer-rated openness, comfort, and positive valence. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that openness and insecure attachment respectively predicted boundary score, accounting for 31% of the variance. These data provide further construct validation for the BQ, and for the concept of thick vs. thin boundaries as a broad personality dimension.
Moby-Dick: A Whale of a Handbook for Technical Writing Teachers
Authors: Kilgore Deborah
Published: May 2005

Moby-Dick is a classic of technical literature as well as a classic of American literature. But for the technical writing teacher, its relevance goes beyond this: Moby-Dick can also be a valuable teaching resource. It provides pertinent examples for teaching students the concepts of audience, purpose, research and sources, use of background experience, and thoroughness in compiling data. It also supplies ample models of technical definitions, descriptions, processes, and theories. Finally, Moby-Dick demonstrates the kind of energetic technical writing that is so needed today.
Web Site Accessibility of Aacsb-Accredited Universities: Meeting the Requirements of the Law(S)
Authors: Gutierrez Charletta F. , Long Nancy M.
Published: May 2005

Universities and colleges are using the Internet as a major tool for providing information to prospective students about their programs and services. However, as more and more Web pages are designed using popular multimedia elements such as animation, graphics, and video, many may not be accessible to those using screen readers and other disability-related accessibility technology. With current legislation designed to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, especially the right to access postsecondary educational opportunities, providing equal access to all students has become a major issue. This research evaluates the main Web pages of AACSB-accredited colleges and universities for compliance with the two key laws pertaining to disability-access in these institutions: the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Determinants of Physiological Responses to Symbolic Stimuli: The Role of the Social Environment
Authors: Moos Rudolf H.
Published: May 2005

Recent studies indicate the importance of settings or environmental variables in accounting for individual behavior. Measurement of the perceived social climate is a particularly promising way of investigating the psychosocial characteristics of diverse environments. Three types of dimensions characterize and discriminate among environmental subunits: relationship dimensions, personal development dimensions, and system maintenance and system change dimensions. There is evidence that dimensions within each of these three categories have important effects on psychological processes. Individual and social environmental variables can interact, leading to differential physiological responses. Measurement of perceived social climate could provide a bridge between “objective” environmental stimuli and individual physiological responses, which are mediated by differences in perception, coping, and defense. Measurement might enable us to make environments healthier in general, or improve person-environment fit for specific groups of individuals.
Empowerment Rhetoric, Sexual Negotiation, and Latinas' AIDS Risk: Research Implications for Prevention Health Education
Authors: Gil Vincent E.
Published: May 2005

Heterosexually acquired HIV infections and their consequent deficiency syndrome continue to increase among Latinas despite more than a decade of prevention and education programs. Most programs targeting the non-IDU Latina attempt a reorientation of her personal beliefs and attitudes. They use “empowerment” education as a means of generating more sexually assertive women, in the hope that these will negotiate safer sex more effectively with their male partners. Despite the well-proven social paradox that knowledge and beliefs are not a good predictor of behavior, such programs maintain their popularity while missing fundamental understandings about Latinas, both idiosyncratic and subculture-specific, which are essential for effective prevention education. The failure of current programs which target Latinas is underscored, sadly, by the continued escalation of infections in this population. The state of empowerment rhetoric is examined and its deficits underscored in treating sexual negotiation as a fundamental, subcultural and interpersonally-determined dynamic which severely impacts a Latina's ability to enable safer sex. Drawing on ethnographic and interview data from two anthropological studies of at-risk Latina subpopulations by the author (combined n = 472), this article explores how diverse the sexual, attitudinal, and emotional universe of Latinas really is, and how distinct subcultural issues about negotiating sex often impede such women from obtaining safer sex via any present “empowerment” recipe. Implications for the design of prevention education programs are aired, as are recommendations, in light of findings from medical anthropological studies.
Language and Empiricism
Authors: Dombrowski Paul M.
Published: May 2005

The connection between language and empiricism is a central issue in technical writing and communication, more so than in other fields. Our field deals with technical and scientific knowledge which is oftentimes very definite and objective, yet there has been increasing recognition over the past few decades that this knowledge is socially constructed and rhetorically negotiated. Debates have ensued over the rhetoricity of technical communication in contrast to its empirical and instrumental aspects. W. V Quine, one of the most influential American philosophers of the twentieth century, however, rejected the distinction between empirical knowledge and knowledge stemming from language and social negotiation. Understanding technical writing and communication through the lens of Quine's theory ameliorates the tension between instrumental and rhetorical/humanistic views of technical discourse by recognizing the validity of both views and integrating the two. This understanding in turn will facilitate our pedagogical interactions with technical and scientific majors.
Using Communication Consultants to Rightsize Successfully
Authors: Tudor Thomas R. , Sleeth Randall G.
Published: May 2005

Successful rightsizing requires that managers preserve the morale and productivity of the remaining employees. A communication consultant can offer invaluable guidance on how to 1) maintain employees morale, 2) help employees perceive the layoffs as fair, 3) take care of employees who have lost their jobs, 4) assist management with layoff decisions, 5) help remaining employees cope with change, and 6) maintain effective communication with workers. On these sensitive topics, management will benefit from advice which is external, expert, and soundly based.