bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Birth Control to Reproductive Health: Future Direction of the Planned Parenthood Association of Taiwan
Authors: Chow L. P.
Published: May 2005

Historical review of the evolvement over some 40 years of the initial Maternal and Child Health Association of China and the euphemistically-termed Pre-Pregnancy Health Program of Taiwan through to the present Planned Parenthood Association of Taiwan (PPAT) and Taiwan's national Family Health Program. Program recommendations for consideration for future implementation by the PPAT are offered on the joyous occasion of its 40th anniversary celebration in Taipei, March 10, 2004.
A Model for the Inclusion of a Physical Fitness and Health Promotion Component in a Chemical Abuse Treatment Program
Authors: Fridinger Fred , Dehart Beverly
Published: May 2005

Alcohol and other substance abuse treatment programs are focusing more on the wellbeing of the total patient rather than just targeting functional sobriety. Various explanations are offered in this article for the inclusion of a fitness and health promotion component in a chemical abuse treatment program. The treatment program at Charter Hospital of Fort Worth, Texas, is discussed in detail, including a comprehensive medical examination, fitness and nutritional screenings, and appropriate exercise activities. Educational sessions are offered on health fitness, risk reduction, stress management, smoking cessation, proper nutrition and the positive psychological aspects of exercise. The implications of a health/fitness component in the recovery process are emphasized.
The Effects of Race, Gender, and Marital Status on Suicides among Young Adults, Middle-Aged Adults, and Older Adults
Authors: Humphrey John A. , Palmer Stuart
Published: May 2005

Investigations of suicide tend to focus on adolescents, young adults, and elderly adults. Little is known about suicide in midlife or about the timing of suicide across the life course. Analyses of the effects of marital status, race, and gender on the timing of suicide across three adult life stages are provided: young adult (ages 25 through 39); midlife (ages 40 through 59); and older adult (ages 60 and above). All officially recorded suicides twenty-five years of age or older ( N = 3,187) in North Carolina (1980 through 1984) are studied. Logistic modeling shows distinct structural effects on the occurrence of suicide in midlife compared to the life stages immediately preceding and following it. Greater attention to the crises of women in midlife appears warranted.
The Receptivity of Canadian Readers to Chinese Literature: Lin Yutang's Writings in English
Authors: Wei Gao , Miall David S. , Kuiken Don , Eng Tracy
Published: May 2005

The study explores how readers from an ethnic minority or from an ethnic majority negotiate their cultural identities within a multicultural context. It examines to what extent readers who were either Chinese-Canadian or Euro-Canadian become personally implicated in their reading experiences. Readers were asked to comment on passages that they found striking in two texts, a philosophical and a narrative text written in English by the Chinese author Lin Yutang. It was found that differences between the two ethnic groups of readers occurred only in response to the narrative text. Here a style of reading indicating familiarity with Chinese culture, comparison between the reader's life world and the world of the text, and explicit reference to cultural contrasts, was more frequent among Chinese-Canadian readers; in contrast, a style of commentary that combined evocative elaboration with a form of identification that situated the reader within the implicit “we” of the text, was more frequent among Euro-Canadian readers. These styles of reading suggest different forms of self-implication during reading that can be described respectively as similes or metaphors of personal identification.
Seriousness of Suicide Attempt and Future Risk of Suicide: A Comment on Card's Paper
Authors: Pallis D. J. , Barraclough B. M.
Published: May 2005

Card (1974) distinguished between the lethality of suicide methods and suicide risk. According to her interpretation of her data the two variables were clearly distinct. This report reconsiders Card's data and tests a revised hypothesis on a different set of data. The conclusion that a serious threat to life resulting from a suicide attempt indicates an increased risk of suicide in the future is consistent with previous work as well as with Card's data, provided an alternative analysis is adopted.
Learner Perceptions of a Clinical Training Component for School Administrators
Authors: Licata Joseph W.
Published: May 2005

Viewing school administrators as learners, the purpose of this investigation was to assess the relationship between learner perceptions of differential training systems and role and performance in school administration. The findings suggest that school administrators view problem solving as an important descriptor of role and performance and that clinical training experiences may be at least as relevant or more relevant to the process of school problem solving and administration than more traditional training experiences. A perceived inverse relationship between the relative hinderance (paperwork) level of instructional media and relevance to practice was noted. School administrators saw other administrators and their professional staff as being at least as relevant to performance in a clinical setting as the training component's instructional staff.
Mortality in Geriatric Psychiatric Inpatients
Authors: Hwang Jen-Ping , Tsai Shih-Jen , Yang Cheng-Hung
Published: May 2005

Objective:

This study investigated the deaths of patients sixty-five and older on a psychiatric ward to determine the mortality rate, the characteristics of illness, and the cause of death.

Methods:

We analyzed the case record of patients sixty-five and older who had died during hospitalization on a psychiatric ward during a seventeen-year period. Case data was collected by review of chart records.

Results:

The mortality rate in the patients sixty-five and older was 18/1208 (1.5%). Eight of these eighteen patients died of pneumonia. Mortality in the acutely ill geropsychiatric inpatients was difficult to predict. Age, sex, and diagnosis did not predict mortality.

Conclusions:

To reduce mortality, especially in male veterans, management of geropsychiatric patients should include early recognition of pneumonia symptoms, especially for patients with history of pulmonary disease.
The Holistic Alternative to Scientific Medicine: History and Analysis
Authors: Berliner Howard S. , Salmon J. Warren
Published: May 2005

The resurgence of the holistic health movement in the 1970s can be in part attributed to increasing consumer dissatisfaction with the present system of medical care delivery. This article traces the rise and decline of modern medicine by analyzing the assumption of hegemony by scientific medicine and its practitioners. Then it describes the challenges that holistic medicine's theories and therapies currently pose to scientific medicine's organizational form and practical content. Holistic medicine is assessed in terms of its organizational and conceptual basis, and the relationship between holistic medicine and the needs of advanced capitalist society is discussed.
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and Growth Hormone Responses to Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone in Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Gold Mark S. , Pottash A. L. C. , Martin David M. , Finn Lawrence B. , Davies Robert K.
Published: May 2005

Ten female patients who satisfied objective criteria for the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa were given 500 ug of thyrotropin releasing hormone. Thyroid stimulating hormone and growth hormone responses were measured in duplicate by radioimmunoassay. These patients had a low normal Δ thyroid stimulating hormone but a delayed peak response. In addition, these patients had pathological growth hormone release in response to thyrotropin releasing hormone infusion. Both delayed peak thyroid stimulating hormone and growth hormone response to thyrotropin releasing hormone have been reported for patients with hypothalamic disorders.
The Doctor of Arts Program
Authors: Videbeck Richard
Published: May 2005

Three Doctor of Arts degree programs are offered at the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle. Students in the programs must prepare themselves both as scientists, and as instructional developers. Four special courses provide students with a grounding in instructional design, using media, and evaluating products and are the core of the program that is designed to produce university instructors that are strongly oriented toward the task of improving instruction and well prepared to do so.
Finding Information about Educational Technology in the Library
Authors: Pickert Sarah M. , Dager Meryana
Published: May 2005

Much information and research on educational technology originates outside of the university community and often in non-print media form. Gradually new information in the field is included and stored in a variety of library bibliographic sources. Because research questions in educational technology derive from our current understanding of information in the field, it is important to be clear about how that information is organized. Since information on a topic in one source leads to other sources, the way scientific literature is searched should not be random. It requires a step by step procedure that covers all sources where particular topics are treated. An example of LOGO is used to show how one topic in educational technology is referenced in the library.
QUALITY CONTROL AND THE COMMUNITY PHYSICIAN IN ENGLAND: AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Wolman Dianne Miller
Published: May 2005

The quality of health care is becoming an issue of increasing public importance in both England and the United States. As the government role in providing health care grows and citizen demands increase, the effective and efficient use of health care resources and their equitable distribution become crucial. Although government responsibilities, particularly for health care, differ in both countries, as do traditions of quality control, cross-national comparisons are nonetheless useful. An examination of the role of the new English community medicine specialist and his potential for quality control may indicate what tools and powers should be introduced into a health planning and quality control system in the United States. The study concludes that at the district level of the National Health Service, where the basic planning, monitoring, and evaluation of services are to take place, the District Community Physician has very limited tools to carry out his quality control function. Although he has a formal position in the unified decision-making structure, it is unlikely that he will be able to effect any substantial reallocation of resources without the voluntary support and cooperation of the consultants, general practitioners, and other health providers.
Mental Health Intervention with Children and Adolescents with End-Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Drotar Dennis , Ganofsky Mary Ann
Published: May 2005

The increasing number of pediatric patients with end-stage renal disease who undergo dialysis and transplantation have necessitated the development of psychological interventions to lessen the emotional impact of these procedures. This report describes the dilemmas involved in mental health interventions and consultation in a treatment program for end-stage renal disease. Case illustrations of a young child's severe anxiety reaction to dialysis, an adolescent's depression, and a family's withdrawal document the varied patterns of adaptation to treatment for renal failure. Psychotherapeutic approaches are presented to illustrate the flexible use of a number of treatment modalities including brief crisis-oriented intervention which emphasizes the patient's cognitive mastery of procedures. The development of viable mechanisms of professional collaboration improves the quality of patient adaptation by lessening the fragmentation of care and problems of interdisciplinary communication often associated with the medical care of children and adolescents with end-stage renal failure.
Family Beliefs among Adolescents at Risk for Substance Abuse
Authors: Harbach Robert L. , Jones W. Paul
Published: May 2005

This study investigates the extent to which adolescents identified as at-risk for substance abuse express different beliefs about the importance of family, religiosity, education, and work in comparison to their own parents and to adolescents and parents in control group. It was hypothesized that the success of parents in communicating such values to their children could be a significant variable in risk of substance abuse. We found that parents of at-risk adolescents did not hold significantly different beliefs than parents in the control group. Beliefs of the at-risk adolescents were significantly different from other adolescents and both parent groups. We also found that the absolute difference in age between parent and adolescent significantly smaller in the at-risk group as compared to the control group.
The ICU Syndrome: Fact or Fancy
Authors: Holland Jimmie , Sgroi Suzanne M. , Marwit Samuel J. , Solkoff Norman
Published: May 2005

Thirty-two patients admitted to a general medical intensive care unit were compared to twenty patients, matched for age, sex, type and severity of illness, treated in a conventional medical ward. No meaningful difference in incidence of delirium was noted. Neither sensory monotony nor sleep deprivation could be correlated with occurrence of delirium. An organic base was present in all four cases of delirium which occurred in the ICU. By use of a specially devised scale to measure levels of anxiety or depression in medically ill patients, no higher levels of anxiety or depression were found in ICU patients than in comparably ill patients treated in a ward. This comparative study fails to support the proposition that the intensive care unit environment per se causes psychological disturbance.
Status of Behavioral Medicine in American and Canadian Medical Training
Authors: Margolis Ronald B. , Duckro Paul N. , Sata Lindbergh S. , Merkel William T.
Published: May 2005

This article reports a survey of attitudes and current practices regarding behavioral medicine in American and Canadian medical school departments of psychiatry. Participants were eighty-two chairpersons of departments of psychiatry. Five major areas were addressed concerning the existence, location, and composition of behavioral medicine faculty and their contribution to training and research programs. Results indicate that behavioral medicine is represented in the majority of medical schools and teaching hospitals. Faculty tended to be located in psychiatry. A majority of the respondents did not think that behavioral medicine should be considered a separate clinical specialty area, but in actual practice behavioral medicine was distinct from consultation/liaison psychiatry as often as integrated with it. The analysis of subjects and methods taught in residency training programs suggested a meaningful trend in the data. The implications of these results for models underpinning traditional medical education and psychosomatic medicine are discussed.
Techniques and Technology: Affecting Variables That Make a Difference
Authors: Wager Walter
Published: May 2005

Through an application of John Carroll's model of school learning the instructional technologist can initiate a multivariate approach toward the improvement of instruction. Variables such as time allowed, student perseverance, quality of instruction, and ability to understand can be manipulated or attended to in the design of more effective and efficient instruction through the application of educational technology.
To be or Not to be: The Effects of Aging Stereotypes on the Will to Live
Authors: Levy Becca , Ashman Ori , Dror Itiel
Published: May 2005

This Study Examined Whether Stereotypes Of Aging Might Contribute To Decisions The Elderly Make About When To Die. Old And Young Participants ( N = 64) Were Subliminally Primed With Either Negative Or Positive Stereotypes Of Old Age And Then Responded To Hypothetical Medical Situations Involving Potentially Fatal Illnesses. Consistent With Our Prediction, the aged participants primed with negative stereotypes tended to refuse life-prolonged interventions, whereas the old participants primed with positive age stereotypes tended to accept the interventions. This priming effect did not emerge among the young participants for whom the stereotypes were less relevant. The results suggest that societally-transmitted negative stereotypes of aging can weaken elderly people's will to live.
Overcoming Barriers to Teaching Medical Housestaff about Psychiatric Aspects of Medical Practice
Authors: Luber M. Philip
Published: May 2005

Objective:

This article describes a training program in psychiatric aspects of medical practice. It is aimed at medical residents.

Methods:

Six fundamental elements have been identified that contribute to the effectiveness of this program. 1) It directly confronts resistance to such training. 2) Practical skills are emphasized. 3) Learning is active. 4) Attention to group process during training is used. 5) Integration by on-site location of the psychiatrist and co-teaching with medical faculty is essential. 6) Teaching efforts are integrated with clinical service.

Results:

All 112 medical housestaff participate in the program with a generally enthusiastic response.

Conclusions:

Successful educational programs for primary care residents require teaching collaboration between psychiatric and medical faculty and impart specific clinical skills while addressing perceived burdens of time and emotional reactions.
Whose Epidemiology, Whose Health?
Authors: Wing Steve
Published: May 2005

Simplistic claims about the objectivity of science have been challenged from a variety of perspectives. Evaluation of the external context of production of knowledge and the methodological approaches to posing questions and assembling evidence shows that there is no pure “science”; rather, all scientific knowledge is shaped by the social history of its production. Examples are given of how quantitative concepts in modern epidemiology influence the recognition of the causes of disease. The author uses the phenomenon of intensive swine production by vertically integrated agribusiness to illustrate how broad problems such as environmental racism, agricultural determinants of nutrition, loss of natural resources, and conditions conducive to emergence of new diseases are hidden by epidemiological approaches that fit into corporate policy perspectives. It is critically important to ask who produces epidemiological knowledge, and whose health is promoted by that knowledge.
Collaborative Everyday Problem Solving: Interpersonal Relationships and Problem Dimensions
Authors: Strough JONell , Patrick Julie Hicks , Swenson Lisa M. , Cheng Suling , Barnes Kristi A.
Published: May 2005

Older adults' preferred partners for collaborative everyday problem solving and the types of everyday problems solved alone and with others were examined in a sample of community dwelling older adults ( N = 112, M age = 71.86 yrs., SD = 5.92 yrs.). Family members (i.e., spouses, adult children) were the most frequently nominated partners for collaborative everyday problem solving, but friends, neighbors, and church members also were nominated. Older adults reported that they solved numerous types of problems, including finance, house repair, and health, in collaboration with others. These problems were also prominent when older adults reported the problems that they consulted others for advice on how to solve and the problems they solved alone. Together the results suggest new directions for research on collaborative everyday problem solving in terms of the types of interpersonal relationships and problems to be investigated. Implications of the findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed in terms of how to best understand and promote successful aging.
Health Care Facilities for the Elderly in Japan
Authors: Lawrence Timothy L.
Published: May 2005

North America and Europe have been struggling with increasing elderly populations needing medical and personal care. Japan also has suddenly found itself faced with a rapidly expanding population of sick and disabled old people. Japan, however, has witnessed this dramatic increase in its aged population proceed at a rate almost twice that of any other industrialized nation. The very suddenness of the emergence of such a top-heavy population and the equally sudden changes in the family structure have placed great stresses on both the medical and social welfare systems of Japan. This study is, then, of the present state of facilities for the care of the elderly in Japan. As the United States is now grappling with the sheer bulk of its own Social Security and Medicare plans, this article casts a light for comparison on the care of the elderly in Japan. In Japan, as in the United States, major concerns focus on the short supply of trained personnel and the mushrooming costs of care. Moreover, the dependence of the Japanese medical system on the hospital has made some hospitals into warehouses for sick or disabled elderly, while not providing enough support for the elderly to remain active at home. Japan should carefully consider, therefore, diverting some funds from medical and hospital care to social welfare facilities and home care services.
Beyond Word Processing: Preparing Students for Writing in the Computer Medium
Authors: Ziegfeld Richard
Published: May 2005

The author draws upon experience in software publishing and in the composition classroom to indicate what challenges confront new technical writers in software writing positions. The paper covers four topics: 1) Descriptions of software writing projects which indicate that writers must know how to use options such as motion, color, reader interaction, and individualization; 2) Writing challenges facing students—orienting readers, interaction technique, succinctness, and pace; 3) Print/software publishing differences which include: the need for programming or authoring systems, the planning and implementation of computer options and mechanical detail, the influence of graphics on the writing, the use of a top/down approach, the use of necessary field tests, and the early involvement of publishers; and 4) A software writing exercise requiring students to use the top/down approach and to write text to accompany the graphics.
Eating Attitudes, Dieting, and Bulimia among Junior High School Students
Authors: Ogaitis Susanne , Chen Ted T.-L. , Cernada George P.
Published: May 2005

Students in a western New England (U.S.) junior high school (ages 11–15) were surveyed in 1986 to identify attitudes and behaviors about eating and dieting which might foster disordered eating habits. Although few students met official criteria for disordered eating habits, at least 12 percent did practice dieting and 28 percent were frequently preoccupied with the desire to be thinner and/or were terrified of being overweight. One-quarter of girls (vs. only 3.2% of boys) mistakenly classified themselves overweight. Perception of one's own weight seems to be more highly correlated with measures of eating attitude and behavior than does actual weight. Differences also were found in how males and females viewed their own weight although both dieted to about the same extent. Females also were more interested in having school classes on eating and dieting. Recommendations were made for prevention and education regarding eating disorders among this age group.
Literature in Death, Dying and Bereavement Viewed from the Basic Text
Authors: Wrenn Robert L. , Harada Patti
Published: May 2005

The basic text books in Death and Dying make numerous references to the literature. A sample of five such texts disclosed that each covers similar topics, but with noted exceptions, they use references that are unique to each text. The authors' areas of special interest are indicated in these texts by the frequency of references cited within those topics of special interest. An operational definition of what is a “classic” reference to the field is offered by tallying those reference cited by all text authors.
Observations on Entrepreneurship, Instructional Texts, and Personal Interaction
Authors: Durack Katherine T.
Published: May 2005

This article explores the complexity in Rohan's observation that “although texts in progress create community, this function hasn't value; in the world of business works in progress must be free” [1, p. 130]. To do so, the article describes the history of the development of the paper sewing pattern, discusses the role personal communications with consumers played as the genre evolved, and offers observations on the kinds of instruction provided by sewing machine and pattern companies. The extent to which gender and authority are connected in communications between consumers and corporate authors is explored. The article concludes by observing that once a genre is sufficiently established to become a standard, two changes occur: industries adopt authority for only certain types of necessary information, and women's authorship becomes anonymous, corporate, and personal exchanges with consumers are curtailed to save the expense.
What Imagery Can't do and why Sketching Might Help
Authors: Verstijnen I. M. , Van Leeuwen C. , Hamel R. , Hennessey J. M.
Published: May 2005

The utility of enactment to overcome the limitations of imagery was investigated in three experiments using a paper- and pencil-sketching task. Novice sketchers were compared to experts. Subjects were briefly presented a configuration of several overlapping simple geometrical components and decided whether a succeeding figure formed part of it. Succeeding figures included novel parts, produced incidentally as a result of overlapping components. The ability to detect these novel parts by imagery alone was expected to be restricted. In the first experiment, forced sketching was compared to imagery-alone conditions. Forced sketching led to enhanced detection of the novel parts in expert-sketchers. By comparison, sketching had no influence on performance in novices. In the second experiment, subjects were given the option to sketch. Both novices and experts turned to spontaneous sketching in the case of novel parts, but only for experts detection of these parts was raised by it. The third experiment controlled for effects of memory load. Implications for the controversy about discovery in imagery are discussed.
What Makes a Polygon Pleasing?
Authors: Katz Bruce F.
Published: May 2005

Extensive preference data has been collected on Birkhoff's set of 90 polygons; therefore, they make an excellent test of any theory of aesthetics. None of the prior methods of explaining these data, however, are motivated by a theory of visual processing. Moreover, they do not provide an account of the response differences between artistically-trained and control subjects. The proposed method, based on a neurally-inspired model, attempts to correct these deficiencies. It is first argued that by measuring classification activity, one can gauge the extent to which the classical desideratum of unity in diversity is met. A classification model is then described in which this measure can be applied. It is based on the idea that recognition of an object can be thought of as a process of building up the object from its constituent parts. In this case, lines are built from localized line detectors and line-end detectors, polygon parts are built from lines, and the polygon itself is constructed from the parts. It is shown that the activity measure applied to this network correlates strongly with the preference data for the polygons for which the artists and controls agree. It is then demonstrated that the preference data for the polygons on which the artists and the controls differ can be accounted for by the effect of exposure on the network. Finally, it is argued that modeling preference data can provide a method of complementing other investigations into the nature of visual processing.
Talkback Television: A Successful Statewide Instructional Distribution System
Authors: Dechenne James A.
Published: May 2005

The current practice of physically transporting professors to remote areas of a state to teach classes is a tremendous drain on faculty time. In such instances, it would be advantageous to adopt or develop a more efficient statewide instructional distribution system. Talkback Television (TBTV) is one such system currently being employed in the State of Oklahoma. TBTV is proving to be a successful method of instructional distribution which enables individuals throughout the state to remain in their home areas and enroll in classes offered by several higher education institutions. In addition to effectively and efficiently meeting its objective of making “quality postsecondary educational opportunities available to Oklahomans on a statewide basis,” it also provides several other benefits to the state's higher education systems.
Reaganomics: Implications for Peace and the Public Health
Authors: Ratcliffe John W.
Published: May 2005

This article explores the implications of “Reaganomics” for both the health of the public and international peace. The first two sections examine the fields of health and peace, and find that both have been traditionally defined in terms of their opposite condition; that is, health has been operationally defined as the absence of disease, and peace has been defined as the absence of war. For reasons discussed in some detail, a paradigm shift is underway that is forcing a fundamental redefinition of both these terms, with consequent profound implications for professional practice and intervention strategies in each field. Examined from the perspective of these redefinitions, both health and peace are found to be closely linked with the degree to which equity (distributive justice) is pursued as a guiding purpose and goal of domestic and foreign policies. The third section analyzes the impact of Reagan Administration policies on national and international equity, and finds that they have systematically increased existing inequities, with the following consequences: measurable and increasing decrements in the health of the public; and an enormously increased probability of nuclear war. The final section deals with implications for practice of those concerned with promoting both the health of the public and international peace.
The Stigmatization of Smokers: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Goldstein Jay
Published: May 2005

This study examines the social stigmatization of tobacco smokers, i.e., the extent to which smokers are seen as discredited persons. A representative sample of residents of a major Canadian city was interviewed. Clear evidence of an unfavorable stereotype of smokers was found. The ex-smoker enjoys a positive image, but one which is slightly less favorable than that of someone who has never smoked. A majority of non-smoking respondents preferred non-smokers in roles in which the role incumbents were likely to be in close proximity. Friendship networks and marital relationships tended to be segregated along lines of smoking behavior. Sociodemographic and attitudinal correlates of anti-smoker attitudes are explored. The implications of stigmatization for changing smokers' behavior are examined.
Openness to Experience, Non-Conformity, and the Preference for Abstract Art
Authors: Feist Gregory J. , Brady Tara R.
Published: May 2005

Recent evolutionary theory has argued that what people find “beautiful” is not arbitrary, but rather has evolved over millions of years of hominid sensory, perceptual, and cognitive evolution. Sensations that have adaptive value (i.e., that enhance safety, survival, and reproduction) often become aesthetically preferred. One purpose of the current study was to present a personality and social attitude template for persons who prefer a relatively recent and generally unappreciated form of art, namely abstract art. One hundred and four college participants (68 female) completed personality (openness and experience seeking) and social attitude questionnaires and recorded their preference for 15 realistic, 15 ambiguous, and 15 abstract works of art. Results showed that open participants preferred every form of art presented, but that this difference increased as the art became more abstract. In addition, those with attitudes more tolerant of political liberalism and drug use preferred abstract art the most.
Sexual Surgery in Late-Nineteenth-Century America
Authors: Barker-Benfield Ben
Published: May 2005

This article describes how the tendency of post-Civil War medicine accorded with general social tendencies. Doctors' attitudes toward women reflected their anxiety about female emancipation and changing sex roles. The specialty of gynecology emerged in significant part as a reaction to female emancipation. The strong surgical emphasis in American gynecologic practice has continued. The operations, clitoridectomy and female castration, were intended to reimpose the traditional sexual order (the term “castration” and “female circumcision” implied women had become men). The paper goes on to describe the beginnings of psychosomatic medicine, the circularity of gynecologists' treatment of women, and the effects of this treatment. The operations were in part the expression of a symbiotic relation between doctor and patient. Because they expressed widespread and deep-seated beliefs, they were difficult to challenge.
A Reexamination of the Dimensionality of Death Anxiety
Authors: Levin Richard
Published: May 2005

On the basis of factor analyses, critics have claimed that the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) is multi-dimensional. Heretofore, all analyses have involved the extraction of principal components, and all have employed orthogonal rotation procedures, precluding the possibility of a general factor. In the present study, 105 participants completed the DAS and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). The DAS was factored using the Big Jiffy factor analysis computer program, which allows for higher-order factors. A general factor, accounting for 29 percent of the extracted variance, was found. First-order factors were also important in the factor solution. The pattern of MMPI-DAS correlations further indicated that the confounding of factors greatly influences conclusions drawn about the nature of death anxiety.
E-Mail as Social Capital and its Impact on First-Year Persistence of 4-Year College Students
Authors: Duggan Michael B.
Published: May 2005

This study addressed the influence of social capital factors on the first-year persistence of beginning first- and second-generation four-year college students. First-generation students were those students whose parents had never attended college. Second-generation students had at least one parent who attended college. A case was made for considering e-mail to be a form of social capital. Data for the study were from the NCES Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) 1996/1998 survey. Findings from the cross-tabulations indicated that first-generation students differed from second-generation students over a range of demographic, socioeconomic, high school, social capital, academic and social integration, and college performance factors. Findings from the sequential logistic regressions indicated that first-generation status, after controlling for all other factors in the study, had a statistically significant, but comparatively minor, negative effect on persistence. Findings indicated that whether a student had an e-mail account was a statistically significant predictor of persistence.
The Management of Business Writing
Authors: Manyak Terrell G.
Published: May 2005

American business is now responsible for training an entire generation of poorly skilled writers. While brief writing seminars may help, the real cure begins with training managers on how to manage the writing process. They need to see the link between good writing and good leadership. Simply sending reports back to employees with a sarcastic note to “get it right” does little to build writing skill and confidence. Managers also need strategies for working with employees. These strategies extend from simple revising techniques to the use of sophisticated computer programs.
The Effects of Death Anxiety and Mode of “Case Study” Presentation on Shifts of Attitude toward Euthanasia
Authors: Hart Edward J.
Published: May 2005

The influence of death anxiety and variations in method of “case study” presentation were investigated to determine the effects on shifts of attitude toward euthanasia. College students (N = 18) were randomized to one of two experimental treatments: (I) a video tape presentation of a burn victim who was requesting that treatment be withdrawn, and (II) a written narrative of the same “case study.” All participants were administered the Collett-Lester Death Anxiety Scale [1], and a Likert-type Euthanasia Attitude Scale [2], as a pre-experimental condition approximately four weeks before exposure to the treatments. Following treatment, all participants were readministered the Euthanasia Attitude Scale. Data were analyzed by t-tests for related data to determine pre- to post-test shifts of attitude and by an ANOVA (presentations × death anxiety). There was a significant shift of attitude in the “video” group toward a more supportive posture and a significant shift toward a less supportive posture in the “written” group. There appeared to be significant differences in attitudes toward euthanasia between experimental groups and the data also suggested a significant interaction effect between presentation and death anxiety.
Relationship of Death Anxiety Scale Factors to Subjective States
Authors: Gilliland Jack C. , Templer Donald I.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of the present research was to determine the relationships between the factors of Templer's Death Anxiety Scale and a number of measures of subjective state. Previous research had demonstrated that the Death Anxiety Scale correlates more highly with subjective state measures, especially anxiety and depression, than with other variables. The present research sought to provide a more refined perspective. The most salient finding was that in a general population, Factor I was essentially unrelated to anxiety and depression in contrast to the positive correlations provided by Factors II, III, and IV. Factor I, whose items directly assess an uncomplicated fear of death and dying, was conceptualized as fear of death. The other factors, whose items pertain to obsessional thinking regarding death and its ramifications, were collectively conceptualized as death anxiety.
Health Planning in the United States: Some Categorical and General Approaches
Authors: Hilleboe H. E. , Barkhuus A.
Published: May 2005

It is rather amazing that in 1971, the United States does not have a comprehensive health policy or national health plan. Our advanced science and technology have not taken root on a broad basis in the health field. Yet categorical planning has been done in several fields of health ever since the enactment of the Social Security Act in 1935. Planning was initiated in the fields of maternal and child health and crippled children by the federal Children's Bureau.

This article gives some examples of both categorical and general approaches to health planning, how they came into being, and what planning concepts and processes were developed and used. These examples may be of some value to planners who have to employ categorical approaches—largely pragmatic—pending the time that comprehensive national health planning becomes feasible.

The categorical areas chosen for discussion are: (a) health facilities, (b) heart, cancer, stroke, and kidney disease (Regional Medical Programs), (c) mental health, and (d) American Indian health. The general area includes comprehensive health planning.

Following the passage of the Social Security Act of 1935, personal and environmental health services have been fragmented into a number of pieces. In 1971, utter confusion reigns in the federal and state structure and functions of health. Hopefully, the Congress may soon realize that a national system of health services is essential to provide 205 million people with the quality and distribution of services—without financial barriers—that $70 billion dollars a year should buy. Certainly the experiences gained with the categorical approaches to health planning can be of value to governmental leaders and their advisers as they prepare comprehensive health policies and national health plans for the 1970s.
Parental Death in Childhood and Loneliness in Young Adults
Authors: Murphy Patricia Ann
Published: May 2005

This descriptive, correlational study was undertaken to determine the relationship between self-esteem and reported mourning behavior as it pertains to loneliness in young adults who, as children, had experienced parental death. A sample of 184 males and females between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five years completed the four questionnaires that were the research instruments. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients. Analysis of the data revealed that self-esteem was the single best predictor of loneliness and that reported mourning behaviors significantly added to the prediction of variance in loneliness.
The Logic of Tax-Based Financing for Health Care
Authors: Bodenheimer Thomas , Sullivan Kip
Published: May 2005

Employment-based health insurance faces serious problems. For the first time, the number of Americans covered by such health insurance is falling. Employers strongly oppose the employer mandate approach to extending health insurance. Employment-based financing is regressive and complex. Serious debate is needed on an alternative solution to financing health care for all Americans. Taxation represents a clear alternative to employment-based health care financing. The major criterion for choosing a tax is equity, with simplicity a second criterion. An earmarked, progressive individual income tax is a fair and potentially simple tax with which to finance health care. The political feasibility of such a tax is greater than that of employer mandate legislation.
Depression in Intensive Care Units
Authors: Goldman Larry S. , Kimball Chase P.
Published: May 2005

There is thought to be a high incidence of depression in intensive care units (ICUs), both as a result of the psychological toll of serious illness and threat to life as well as the physiologic derangements caused by illnesses and treatments. The authors outline a strategy to classify ICU depressions into major depressive illness, adjustment disorders, dysthymic disorder, or organic affective syndrome. Other psychiatric disturbances which may simulate depression are also discussed. A summary of environmental, behavioral, psychotherapeutic, and psychopharmacologic treatments for these disorders and their special application in the ICU setting is presented. The limitations and precautions with antidepressant drugs in this clinical site are reviewed.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Exacerbated during Pregnancy: A Case Report
Authors: Brandt Kathy R. , MacKenzie Thomas B.
Published: May 2005

An established obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in a twenty-six-year-old woman, characterized by obsessional fear of rat germs and ritualistic cleansing, was observed to worsen during pregnancy. The patient's OCD had followed a fluctuating course for three years but she had not previously experienced a decompensation of such duration and severity. During her pregnancy she became depressed and suicidal, was unable to care for her family and spent the majority of her confinement in the hospital. Several mechanisms are discussed which might explain the exacerbation.
Oral Health Knowledge and Self-Reported Practices among a Sample of University Students in Jordan
Authors: El-Qaderi Saleh S.
Published: May 2005

This cross-sectional survey gathered data on dental health knowledge from 21- to 23-year-old university students in Jordan, including self-reported dental health behaviors and factors affecting regular dental attendance. A representative random sample of 806 students in their final academic year was surveyed. A self-administered questionnaire resulted in a 93.2% response rate. The majority (51.8%) were able to correctly identify the definition of dental plaque and were aware of the periodontal diseases which could be prevented by brushing and flossing. Nonetheless, there are more participants who incorrectly believed that fluoride in toothpaste cleans and whitens teeth (78% and 65%, respectively), and only 7% recognized that fluoride can heal initial cavities. Female students have a significantly higher level of oral health knowledge than their male counterparts ( p < 0.001). Tooth brushing at least once and twice a day was claimed by 57.8% and 14.1% respectively. Only 10.4% spend more than two minutes for tooth brushing which is performed before going to bed by 56.2% of the study population. Thirty-three percent of male students and 36% of female students went to the dental clinic at some time during the last year and were more likely to receive dental extraction (41.1%) or dental filling (32.2%) at their last visit to the dentist. The mass media (TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines) were found to be the number one source of dental health information while formal academic courses and extracurricular activities at the university came at the bottom of the list of the six potential sources for health awareness information. Appropriate recommendations aimed at raising the oral health awareness and increasing the demand for dental health services among university students are suggested.
Building a Collaborative Online Learning Community: A Case Study in Hong Kong
Authors: Auyeung Lai Hung
Published: May 2005

This article reports on how a social sciences instructor teaching contemporary global issues implemented collaborative learning among students in a virtual environment. A substantial part of this particular course was delivered at a distance with the help of the Web. The bulletin board feature of WebCT was used to implement a simulation game where students role-played different countries and discussed issues online. At the end of the course, a total of over 480 messages were posted. A summative evaluation was conducted to examine the online collaborative experiences of the students. It was found that more than 90% of students reported that they gained from either actively participating in the online discussion or from just reading others' messages. In light of the present results, factors that would promote online collaboration among students were explored.
Beyond University 101: Elective Courses to Enhance Retention
Authors: Higbee Jeanne L. , Dwinell Patricia L. , Thomas Pamela V.
Published: May 2005

This article describes a series of elective courses that respond to academic needs articulated by both faculty and students. Two of the courses, “Learning to Learn” and “Strategies for Academic Success,” taught by Academic Assistance reading and counseling faculty respectively, are now offered for graduation credit. Other courses, which bear institutional credit, are designed to develop skills in such areas as critical thinking, problem solving, and writing, or to assist students in adjusting to college life. Several courses have been created to address the needs of specific populations, such as multilingual students. Enrollment in this series of courses consistently meets or exceeds registration limits.
Forum on Sustainable Production
Authors: Pawlowski Margie , Levenstein Charles
Published: May 2005

The University of Massachusetts Lowell held a Forum on Sustainable Production last spring. Included was an essay contest for high school students on topics related to Sustainable Production. The following three essays won the top prizes—$500 each—and provide clues to how today's young people see the issues.