bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leadership, Rhetoric, and thePolis
Authors: Gellis Mark
Published: May 2005

This article argues that leadership and rhetoric are intimately connected; therefore, rhetoric should include the explicit examination of all aspects of leadership (that is, including but not limited to rhetorical criticism of the speeches and writings of leaders), both as an area of research and an area of pedagogy. This is particularly important when helping students become active members of the citizenry is seen a central goal of what teachers are doing in the English or Communication class. The interconnections between leadership and the concept of the polis, the active assembly of citizens empowered to discuss and make public policy, is useful here, even though the polis may no longer exist in its original form. In particular, leadership through identification with the polis appears to be an approach with great potential.
Unemployment and Mental Well-Being: Elaboration of the Relationship
Authors: Lahelma Eero
Published: May 2005

The relationship between unemployment and mental well-being was studied in 703 Finnish women and men who were originally employed in industry (manufacturing). A population survey with a follow-up measurement was carried out in 1983 and 1984. Mental well-being was measured by a 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire. The association between unemployment and mental ill-health proved to be a strong one. Cross-sectional analyses and analyses on the improvement of mental well-being were made. The impact of employment status on mental ill-health, as well as its improvement, was controlled for by means of logistic regression analysis (GUM). Several variables included in the design did not alter the main result, apart from the fact that the impact of unemployment was stronger among men than among women. The impact of unemployment proved to be independent and direct. The author compares these results with other studies that have used a similar approach, and discusses the significance of paid work in developed capitalist societies in an understanding of the adverse impacts of unemployment.
Fantasy and Sexual Arousal in College Men: Normative and Functional Aspects
Authors: Campagna Anthony Frank
Published: May 2005

College freshmen completed personality and imaginal scales, and a fantasy questionnaire. Factor analysis of questionnaire data revealed four patterns of patently sexual and two forms of non-sexual fantasies, and linked sexual masturbatory fantasies to sexual activity. Functional aspects were examined by asking subjects to read a collection of erotic stories and photographs. One third then generated a private sexual fantasy, another third read erotic stories. A control group read non-erotic stories. Sexual arousal was assessed by a brief checklist. Results showed that self-generated fantasy increased arousal more than sexually vivid stories which were more arousing than non-erotic stories. Discussion focused on elements of control in daydreaming and behavioral conditioning effects.
Stigma, Discrimination, and Ostracization: HIV/AIDS Infection in Nigeria
Authors: Oyelese Adesola O.
Published: May 2005

The AIDS epidemic continues and HIV-infected persons continue to suffer stigmatization and discrimination in Nigeria. The results of an open-ended questionnaire administered non-randomly in Ile-Ife and Ilesa in the late 1990s confirm this. Six questions on Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were asked; 83 (36.4%) males and 145 (63.6%) females aged between 11 and 60 years responded. The respondents included 101 students, 49 civil servants, 39 artisans and traders. Others included 29 health professionals (doctors and nurses, etc.), 8 teachers, and 2 commercial sex workers. The median of negative responses (rejection) is 42.2%. It is concluded that there still exists a significant but suppressed or subtle stigmatization and discrimination against HIV-infected people, a major constraint in the management and control of HIV/AIDS.
Use of Essential Drugs in Rural Ghana
Authors: Hogerzeil Hans V.
Published: May 2005

In this article, a drug utilization study in 15 district hospitals and 2 health centers in Ghana is described. Use of 94 essential drugs was measured over 2.5 million treatment episodes during 1981–1982. It was found that much less is spent on drugs in health centers than in hospitals, expressed in cost per 10,000 treatment episodes. In hospitals with Ghanaian doctors, about twice as much is spent on drugs as in hospitals with expatriate doctors. Particular therapeutic groups and drugs for which larger quantities are used are also analyzed. Possible reasons for and consequences of these differences are discussed.

The results of this study form the most reliable records currently available on drug utilization in Ghana. They record the actual drug use, that is, the total drug use within existing patterns of prescription and losses. These figures have been used for a consumption-based estimate of drug requirements for 64 church-related district hospitals and health centers.
The Role of Organized Labor in Combating the Hepatitis B and Aids Epidemics: The Fight for an Osha Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
Authors: Muraskin William A.
Published: May 2005

The United States is experiencing a hepatitis B epidemic that has until recently received relatively little public attention. Many groups of workers are at risk of infection, death, or chronic carriership because of workplace exposure to blood; those at risk include not only health care professionals but police, fire fighters, life guards, hospital-based laundry and cafeteria workers, park rangers, sanitation workers, etc. One of the most important victories against the hepatitis B pandemic in the United States occurred when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a Bloodborne Pathogens Standard that required employers to protect 5½ million workers from infection by offering those at risk free hepatitis B vaccination, and forced employers to bear the costs of providing equipment (e.g., gloves, gowns, masks, puncture-proof containers) to maintain “universal precautions” for employees handling bodily fluids. While most people assume the new standard was primarily aimed at fighting the AIDS epidemic, it was actually based on the more significant risk posed by hepatitis B infection. The standard resulted not from leadership provided by the experts in the Public Health Service mandated to control infectious disease, but rather from pressure applied by labor unions—providing a clear example of the continued importance of unions for worker protection in our supposedly post-union era.
Personal and Social Drinking Motives, Family Drinking History, and Problems Associated with Drinking in Two University Samples
Authors: Bradley John R. , Carman Roderick S. , Petree Allen
Published: May 2005

Two drinking motives scales, Negative Personal (NP) motives and Positive Social (PS) motives, derived from Mulford and Miller's Definitions of Alcohol Scales, and a Negative Family Models (NFM) scales designed to reflect family modeling of drinking-related problems were evaluated for internal consistency and association with college students' scores on a drinking-related Social Complications (SOCCOMP) scale. In both initial ( n = 553) and cross-validation ( n = 293) samples, all four scales demonstrated high internal consistency. Multiple regressions of NP, PS, and NFM scales, together with measures of quantity and frequency of drinking on SOCCOMP for both samples, yielded highly significant multiple R's, confirming the additive association of these measures with problem drinking outcomes. An unanticipated finding of positive associations between PS drinking motive and SOCCOMP is reported.
CAI as an Adjunct to Teaching Introductory Statistics: Affect Mediates Learning
Authors: Varnhagen Connie K. , Zumbo Bruno D.
Published: May 2005

This study evaluates the effectiveness of two different computer assisted instruction (CAI) formats compared with traditional in-class instruction as a laboratory supplement to lectures in introductory statistics. The labs occurred during the first third of the course and dealt with descriptive statistics. One hundred and thirty-four students enrolled in an introductory statistics course in psychology were assigned to one of the three lab sessions. The evaluation consisted of affective responses to a questionnaire concerning the lab session, as well as student performance on three homework assignments and on a midterm examination. Lab format had a significant effect on attitude toward the lab; it did not, however, significantly influence performance. Path analysis revealed interesting relations between lab format, student attitude toward the lab, and performance on the midterm examination. These findings point to the need to further examine CAI as a supplement to introductory statistics instruction.
Rhetoric as Social Act: Cicero and the Technical Writing Model
Authors: Smith Robert E.
Published: May 2005

In recent years, a new pedagogical model has arisen in the teaching of technical writing, one of “technical writing as enculturation.” A close examination of this model reveals not only its relation to the workaday world of modern technology but also its roots in classical, especially Ciceronian, rhetoric. Our awareness that the model is both modern and classical may, in fact, enable us to carry its amplification and refinement even further.
Social Epidemiology and the Work Environment
Authors: Syme S. Leonard
Published: May 2005

A major theme in virtually all of Bertil Gardell's work is that the social and work environment affects health and well-being. This concern with the social environment has been a major influence in the development of a new area of research referred to as social epidemiology. In this area of work, difficulties are increasingly being recognized in identifying specific social factors in the environment toward which intervention programs can be directed. An approach to this complex problem is to focus attention on the “mini-environment” of the workplace. Research here has yielded several interesting hypotheses that may have important implications for studies of the larger environment. These hypotheses involve the concepts of control and participation, concepts that are central to all of Garden's work.
Mesial Temporal Sclerosis and Psychiatric Symptoms: A Case Report
Authors: Moreo Lydia Gayubo , Pastor Carlos J. Martínez , Recio Alicia García
Published: May 2005

We present the history of a woman with mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) who was diagnosed with a psychotic depression before the correct diagnosis was made. The atypical course and some specific features raised doubt on the initial diagnosis. This case demonstrates the difficulty making a diagnosis of MTS.
Life Revisited (Parallels in Death Experiences)
Authors: Holck Frederick H.
Published: May 2005

Raymond A. Moody in his book, Life After Life, reports on his interviews with people who have experienced temporary clinical death. He points to the presence of certain features that are shared in most cases. The author of this essay investigates canonical literature and other writings of religious movements and folklore for parallels in the descriptions of death experiences. His findings are that these phenonmena manifest themselves universally and that they appear to be part of the experience of the human race.
Hypochondriacal Concerns in Panic Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder: A Comparison
Authors: Noyes Russell , Woodman Catherine L. , Bodkin J. Alexander , Yagla Stephen J.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

To gain perspective on the relationship between hypochondriasis and panic disorder, we compared the occurrence of hypochondriasis in patients with panic disorder ( N = 59) and major depressive disorder ( N = 27)

Methods:

Patients who participated in separate drug treatment trials were assessed at baseline and eight weeks using the Whiteley Index of Hypochondriasis.

Results:

At baseline, the Whiteley Index score was greater for patients with panic disorder than for those with major depressive disorder. At eight weeks, a statistically significant reduction in the mean hypochondriasis score was observed in panic patients who had improved but not in major depressive patients who had improved. Modest correlations were observed between hypochondriasis and symptoms of panic and major depressive disorder, but in depressed patients, hypochondriasis was positively correlated with anxiety symptoms as well.

Conclusion:

A unique relationship appears to exist between hypochondriasis and panic disorder. The nature of this relationship and its implications for classification are discussed.
The Soroako Nickel Project: A Healthy Development?
Authors: Robinson Kathryn
Published: May 2005

The establishment of a nickel mine has greatly affected the lives of the inhabitants of a formerly remote rural community in Indonesia. The article examines some of the health consequences of the project for the local people. In particular, it discusses problems of water and sanitation in the mining town, the nutritional consequences of changing social relations with capitalist development, and problems in the delivery of health care. The conflicts generated by these issues indicate some of the shortcomings of a national development strategy which relies heavily on private foreign investment.
Black Lung: The Social Production of Disease
Authors: Smith Barbara Ellen
Published: May 2005

The black lung movement that erupted in West Virginia in 1968 was not simply a struggle for recognition of an occupational disease; it grew into a bitter controversy over who would control the definition of that disease. This article examines the historical background and medical politics of that controversy, arguing that black lung was socially produced and defined on several different levels. As a medical construct, the changing definitions of this disease can be traced to major shifts in the political economy of the coal industry. As an occupational disease, the history of black lung is internally related to the history of the workplace in which it is produced. As the object of a mass movement, black lung acquired a political definition that grew out of the collective experience of miners and their families. The definition of disease with which black lung activists challenged the medical establishment has historical roots and justification; their experience suggests that other health advocates may need to redefine the diseases they hope to eradicate.
Pictorial Realism
Authors: Blich Baruch
Published: May 2005

Regarding realism, Goodman says the following: “Realism is relative, determined by the system of representation standard for a given culture or person at a given time.”. “Realism is a matter of habit” [1, pp. 37–38]. “… reality in the world, like realism in a picture, is largely a matter of habit” [2, p. 20.] The relativist position expressed here, with its emphasis on the concept ‘habit,’ is reiterated by Goodman in many areas. We find it in each and every one of the subjects he dealt with, including the subject [3], to be discussed here, namely the problem of pictorial representation. Throughout the range of problems he considered, Goodman shows that the attribution of meanings to reality is an acquired habit, constituted by our exposure to history, culture and natural languages. Under different cultural-historical frameworks we would simply see in what is today considered as a nonrealistic painting, a depiction faithfully describing reality. Goodman leaves the ruling of a realism to the mercy of the cultural framework in which we live, and believes that habit alone is the final test for determining pictorial denotation: a picture is understood as denoting a particular scene from the moment we accustom ourselves to use a particular interpretative key, which is itself determined by tradition or even ad hoc. I attempt, in this article, to return the concept of habit to its usual, natural grounds, with the intent of proposing a contrasting approach to Goodman's. My aim is to prove that the attribution of a realistic meaning to a picture is the result of a natural and rational decision between a number of possible alternatives. Accordingly, a picture is considered realistic as long as it demands less information than the other possible alternatives, to draw similarity between it and the objects it depicts. Alongside the consolidation of my approach to realism, I will consider Goodman's parallel position according to which “to represent, a picture must function as a pictorial symbol; that is, function in a system such that what is denoted depends solely upon the pictorial properties of the symbol” [1, pp. 41–42]. I would like to show that by extracting the interpretation of a picture from its immediate and natural perception, and by requiring a sign system to elucidate it, Goodman ignores the natural and essential relationship between the artistic means deployed by the artist and what we eventually see in the picture. In his method, the same picture may denote a considerable number of alternatives since what it represents depends on the sign system currently in use. In order to prove my claim, I will present a number of studies within the framework of Gestalt psychology, and will harness them to dismiss the relativism which Goodman expounds in this matter.
The Health Left in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s
Authors: Silver George K.
Published: May 2005

To go back to a period more than five decades ago to talk about the health left is to enter not just another time, but another world. Between the Great Depression and the postwar period, challenging and contradictory social, political, and professional developments were brought to the surface in U.S. life. The health left shared in the opportunities and confusion, enriching the American spirit and participating in both the pleasures and the pain. The 1930s saw economic depression, wars, the birth of fascism, and fears of social collapse. In medicine, despite sporadic scientific advances, the social response was remote and narrow. But social activism motivated medical students and medical practitioners. The 1940s marked a change in both attitudes and values. The left was divided, and bitter factionalism stymied cooperative action. Participation in the war against fascism promoted solidarity, despite the sadness of the evidence of brutality and lack of humanity. The 1950s are sometimes considered regressive, but seeds germinated as the complexity of medical life engendered new approaches to meeting sociomedical needs. As we entered the 1960s a different and more hopeful story unfolded as the rebellions of the poor, blacks, and women brought about a new era of social action.
Philip Roth: The Exploration of the Self and the Writing of Fiction
Authors: Schneiderman Leo
Published: May 2005

Using Philip Roth's writings as a basis, the present study examines the relationship between self-analysis and the writing of fiction. Insofar as Roth's novels depend heavily on introspective data, as well as the recreation of relationships and events taken from the author's direct experience, they provide valuable data concerning the links between autobiography and directed fantasy. The limitations of the confessional novel are discussed with reference to the fate of narrative and empathic characterization. Also examined are the effects of the writer's psychological conflicts on the treatment of fictional relationships and the resolution of fictional “problems”. The question of the generalizabilty and utility of the author's self-insights is raised, noting that Roth's protagonists achieve only partial insights due to defensiveness. The significance of Roth's treatment of romantic love is analyzed in the light of his difficulties in creating characters capable of idealizing love objects. These difficulties are seen in the broader context of Roth's satirical outlook, which tends toward the de-idealization of love object and of society in general. The manic qualities of Roth's satire are interpreted as depression-based, involving a sense of loss in relation to devalued love objects and their associated security system.
Kevorkian, Martha Wichorek and US: A Personal Account
Authors: Kaplan Kalman J. , Leonhardi Mary
Published: May 2005

In this short article, the authors describe their attempt to do suicide-prevention with a patient that ultimately died as the result of a physician-assisted suicide. Autopsy revealed no sign of physical disease but the patient's letters indicate a preoccupation with independence as the definition of life, and conviction that people who lose independence are no longer alive.

I am not stressed, oppressed, or depressed. I don't have Alzheimer's and am not terminally ill, but I am 82 years old and I want to die.
Nonpsychotic Patients Referred to a Consultation Service
Authors: Kellner R. , Robinson J. , Vogel A. , Winslow W. W. , Pathak D.
Published: May 2005

In order to examine characteristics of nondangerous and nonpsychotic patients referred to a consultation service, the authors administered self-rating scales and questionnaires to fifty referred medical patients and nonreferred controls. Recalled abuse in childhood appeared a stronger predictor for referral than some other commonly researched ones such as parental death, divorce or separation in childhood or recent losses. Anxiety, hostility and depression were significantly higher in referred patients, whereas hypochondriacal attitudes did not differ between the two groups. The findings appear to have implications for treatment.
Older Adults' Perceptions of Dr. Kevorkian in Middletown, U.S.A.
Authors: Morris David C.
Published: May 2005

This article focuses upon whether 422 randomly selected older adults believe that Dr. Jack Kevorkian should or should not be prosecuted. The study was conducted by Ball State University's Department of Sociology in the Lynd's classic community setting of “Middletown,” a.k.a. Muncie, Indiana. The findings indicate that a majority of the respondents do not support prosecuting Kevorkian and also feel that the terminally-ill have the right to end their own lives. Of eight variables included in the initial analysis, four were found to explain most of the variance in attitudes toward prosecuting Dr. Kevorkian. Those variable are: attitudes on taking one's life to end suffering, political liberalism-conservatism, education and frequency of church attendance ( R = 0.5331; R2 = 0.2842). Those who favor the right to take one's life to end suffering, who see themselves as politically liberal, who are more educated and who attend church less frequently, tend to oppose prosecution. A multivariate path analysis examines interrelationships between the eight variables previously mentioned.
Reception and Memory for Serious and Light Rock Music Videos
Authors: Cupchik Gerald C. , Saltzman Marc
Published: May 2005

An experiment was conducted to examine verbal scale ratings of rock music videos and recognition memory for clips extracted from them. In Part One of the experiment, forty-eight subjects, including equal numbers of males and females, saw forty-five second segments from eight “Serious” (meaningful subject matter) and eight “Light” (entertaining) rock music videos. They rated each video segment on nine scales measuring cognitive (interesting, challenging, memorable), affective (pleasant, exciting), contextual (personally meaningful, socially relevant), and stimulus qualities (fit of lyrics and melody, fit of video image and music). Half of each music type was viewed in a “subjective, emotional, and personal manner” and half were viewed in an “objective, analytical, and detached manner” in a within-subjects design. In Part Two, subjects were shown forty-eight three-second clips from either 1) the original forty-five second segment (“old”), 2) another part of the same video (“new”), or 3) another video altogether. Subjects had to indicate whether the clip had been seen in Part One (“old”) or not (“new”). Recognition accuracy was greater for clips from the Serious videos and for videos viewed under the Subjective Set. Generally, clips that were rated as Exciting but less Challenging were more accurately recognized. Serious videos were more accurately recognized if they were perceived as Socially Relevant and Pleasing, while Light videos were more accurately recognized if the image fit the music but the lyrics did not fit the melody.
Ethnomedical Beliefs, Health Education, and Malaria Eradication in Ethiopia
Authors: Vecchiato Norbert L.
Published: May 2005

It has been widely recognized that worldwide efforts to eradicate malaria have generally failed because they were largely based on biotechnological interventions while neglecting the human factor. WHO's Primary Health Care orientation emphasized the importance of situating disease eradication programs within the context of the medical beliefs, values, and needs of the target community. This study presents the results of a survey conducted in a rural Southern Ethiopian community on malaria-related beliefs and practices. The findings show that ethnomedical beliefs prevailed in the causational conceptualization of the disease. The majority of the respondents failed to acknowledge the Anopheline mosquitoes as a potential source of ill-health. This lack of vector awareness is discussed in relation to the need for community health education programs. Various organizational and infrastructural innovations introduced by the 1974 Ethiopian Socialist Revolution could be successfully utilized to disseminate basic medical information concerning the malaria cycle and to raise community participation in eradication programs.
Are There Unique Features of Suicide in Adults of Different Ages and Developmental Stages?
Authors: Lester David
Published: May 2005

Differences between the suicidal behavior of younger adults and the elderly are reviewed, and their implications for suicide prevention efforts examined. Elderly suicides use more lethal methods, are more often diagnosed with affective disorder and organic brain syndrome, and have experienced less recent stress than younger adults. It is concluded that psychiatric treatment of depression and restricting access to lethal methods for suicide are more useful tactics for suicide prevention programs in the elderly, and that crisis counseling from suicide prevention centers and educational programs are more useful in younger adults.
Draft Public Health Statement on the U.S.—Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
Authors: Dunn Mary Lee
Published: May 2005

The U.S. is rapidly negotiating a raft of new regional and bilateral trade agreements. The most recent agreement, with Central America, [was to] come before Congress for a vote as soon as late May. There is growing concern that international trade agreements threaten health care and the health of communities.… The Draft Public Health Statement on the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), developed by CPATH which planned a campaign around the issues, analyzes key provisions from the perspective of public health and suggests reframing the trade debate in terms of health.
Sharing: A Death Research Information Exchange
Authors: Branscomb Allan B. , Branscomb Elbert W.
Published: May 2005

A proposal for the establishment of a computer supported system of direct data sharing between death researchers is briefly outlined. The proposal is intended to stimulate discussion eventually leading to support for the design and construction of such a system.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Family Planning among Currently Married Women in Jordan Badia
Authors: El-Qaderi Saleh S. , Al-Omari Nouf
Published: May 2005

This article reports the results of the first household survey ever conducted in Jordan Badia to include questions on knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) among 15–49 currently married women in Jordan Badia toward family planning. The Jordan Badia is the eastern part of Jordan populated by Bedouins who make up about 7 to 9 percent of the 4.8 million total population of Jordan. Using convenience sampling procedure, a total of 450 respondents, 50 from each of nine villages, were selected for participation. The mean age of the study population was 30.9 years and the women's age at marriage ranged from 13 to 35 years, with a mean age at first marriage of 16.8 years. More than 37 percent of the women were illiterate. Over 91 percent of the women know about family planning, but proportions of ever-users or currently-users of contraception are found to be 35.7 percent and 31.7 percent respectively. The social support network, including the husbands, mothers, and mothers-in-law, was explored. Husbands' support for family planning was significantly higher ( p < 0.001, Chi Square test, df = 2) than the support of both the mothers and mothers-in-law. In view of the limited data-based literature in the area of family planning, findings of this survey can assist in the formulation of culturally appropriate population policy and viable family planning programs for this Bedouin community. Based on the results of this KAP survey, appropriate recommendations aiming at increasing the demand for family planning services among women in Jordan Badia are provided.
Psychomanteum Research: Experiences and Effects on Bereavement
Authors: Hastings Arthur , Hutton Michael , Braud William , Bennett Constance , Berk Ida , Boynton Tracy , Dawn Carolyn , Ferguson Elizabeth , Goldman Adina , Greene Elyse , Hewett Michael , Lind Vera , McLellan Kathie , Steinbach-Humphrey Sandra
Published: May 2005

A Psychomanteum Process involving mirror-gazing was conducted in a research setting to explore apparent facilitated contact with deceased friends and relatives, and to collect data on the phenomena, experiences, and effects on bereavement. A pilot study with five participants resulted in strong experiences and four apparent contacts. The main study took 27 participants through a three-stage process: remembering a deceased friend or relative, sitting in a darkened room gazing into a mirror while thinking of the person, and finally discussing and reflecting on the experience. Data were collected with pre- and post-questionnaires, a follow-up questionnaire at least four weeks after the session, interviews by the facilitators, and two personality measures, the Tellegen Absorption Scale and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Contacts with the sought person were reported by 13 participants. Participants reported that a variety of imagery appeared in the mirror, as well as experiences of dialogue, sounds, light, body sensations, and smell. Several specific messages were reported by participants who believed that they were from the sought persons. Twenty-one self-report items relating to bereavement were analyzed for changes between pre- and follow-up questionnaires. Using a Wilcoxon signed ranks analysis, statistically significant reductions in bereavement responses were found over the entire group ( p=.05 to .0008). These included unresolved feelings, loss, grief, guilt, sadness, and need to communicate. Participants also reported significant impact on their lives following the session.
A Two Year Longitudinal Study of Poststroke Mood Disorders: Prognostic Factors Related to One and Two Year Outcome
Authors: Parikh Rajesh M. , Lipsey John R. , Robinson Robert G. , Price Thomas R.
Published: May 2005

In a prospective study of mood disorders in 103 stroke patients, we examined the predictive value of affective, cognitive, social and neurologic variables obtained in-hospital and at six months poststroke in terms of outcome as determined by the same measures at one and two years follow-up. The following factors were found to have prognostic significance: 1) Lesion Location: proximity of the lesion on CT scan to the frontal pole in patients with left anterior infarcts showed a strong positive relationship with severity of depression at one year but not at two years poststroke. 2) Affective Status: depression (in-hospital and at 6 months) strongly predicted depression at one year but not at two years poststroke. Additionally, in-hospital depression significantly correlated with physical impairment at two years, while depression at six months bore a moderate relationship to physical impairment at one year. 3) Physical Impairment: impairment in activities of daily living in-hospital bore a modest relationship to depression at one year while such impairment at six months correlated strongly with depression at both one and two years. These findings may reflect the natural course of major depression which remits between one and two years poststroke. Although stroke lesion location is the strongest predictor of subsequent depression, there appears to be a reciprocal relationship between physical impairment and depression (i.e., depression predicts impairment and impairment predicts depression). Since poststroke depressions are amenable to therapeutic intervention, these prognostic factors may have implications for the treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients.
The Role of the Editor in Australia
Authors: Williams Graham
Published: May 2005

This article has been adapted by the author from a paper presented to the first technical communications seminar held at The New South Wales Institute of Technology in June 1974.

Discussed are some elements and techniques of editing from the author's experiences as an editor in Australia and which may be applicable to other countries. Format, typography, printing, the duties of the editor, the instruction manual, and liaison are some of the topics discussed.
Psychosomatic Patients in a Psychiatric Clinic
Authors: Chaturvedi Santosh K. , Michael Albert
Published: May 2005

This study reports lifetime prevalence of certain “psychosomatic disorders” in psychiatric patients in India. The “psychosomatic disorders” studied were peptic ulcer, bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, ischemic heart disease and irritable bowel syndrome. One percent of psychiatric patients had these psychosomatic illnesses. Ten of the fifteen cases had two psychosomatic illnesses. Patients with psychosomatic disorders were significantly more often older in age ( p = 0.003) and from an urban background ( p = 0.05) as compared to other psychiatric patients. Depression was the commonest diagnosis, and was significantly ( p = 0.01) more often diagnosed in the psychosomatic patients. Psychosis was not diagnosed in patients with psychosomatic disorders. This article emphasizes the need for identifying concomitant psychosomatic problems in psychiatric patients for their appropriate management.
Effects of an AIDS Awareness Campaign on Knowledge about AIDS in a Remote Rural Area of Bangladesh
Authors: Bhuiya Abbas , Hanifi S. M. A. , Hossain Moazzem , Aziz Ayesha
Published: May 2005

The article reports the process of carrying out an AIDS awareness campaign, and its effect on the villagers' knowledge about AIDS in a remote rural area of Bangladesh. The campaign was carried out on the occasion of the “Worlds AIDS Day, 1996,” by the volunteers of the village-based traditional self-help organizations. Surveys were carried out both before and after the campaign. As for the effectiveness of the program, the campaign was effective insofar as only managing to familiarize the word “AIDS” among the villagers. It did not succeed in creating an impact on the knowledge about transmission, prevention, and high-risk behavior. Thirty-nine percent of the respondents in the post-intervention survey reported having heard about AIDS compared to 19 percent in the pre-intervention survey. The improvement in knowledge was somewhat similar across all gender, age, and religious groups. The effect of the campaign was greater among illiterate respondents, having relatively smaller effect on the educated respondents. The findings suggest that awareness-raising activities about AIDS can be carried out in conservative Bangladeshi villages in a participatory manner. However, a content-focused approach will be needed to make such a program more effective.
Screening for Depression in Primary Care Clinics: The CES-D and the BDI
Authors: Zich Jane M. , Attkisson C. Clifford , Greenfield Thomas K.
Published: May 2005

The present study was undertaken to examine the utility of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) as screening instruments for primary care clinic patients. We examined: 1) patients' willingness to complete the scales; 2) the level of agreement between the screening instruments and DSM-III diagnosis of Major Depressive Episode, based on the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS); 3) the effect on detection rates of raising the cut-off score for each depression screen; and 4) the factor structure of the CES-D in our primary care sample versus findings from general population studies. The CES-D and BDI performed comparably as depression screening instruments. Both produced too many false positives when standard (low) cut-off scores were applied. However, when stringent cut-off scores were used, results suggested that either the CES-D or BDI might assist physicians in reliably detecting depressed patients, without an overload of false positives. Comparison of our findings with those from other studies suggest that depression screening instruments may be particularly helpful with older primary care patients. The CES-D factor analysis highlights the need to look more closely at the relevance of positive affect to the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of depressive disorders in primary care practices.
“Nerves” and Tranquilizer Use in Rural Brazil
Authors: Rozemberg Brani , Manderson Lenore
Published: May 2005

Drawing on data from a morbidity survey of sampled households in 25 small villages in Espirito Santo, Brazil, this article is concerned with reports of “nerves” ( nervos) or nerve problems ( problema de nervos). Reported cases of nervos (30 percent of all reports of illness) included a variety of symptoms: insomnia, body pains, dizziness, trembling, weakness, and emotional states ranging from feelings of sadness to anger. In one-third of the accounts, “overwork” was mentioned as the main cause, due both to its direct physical effect and to stress related to economic hardship and responsibility. In 88 percent of the cases, the afflicted person regularly used at least one psychotropic drug to relieve symptoms. Daily use of drugs occurred in 68 percent of the cases, and in 47 percent of cases people were reported as “dependent” on the drugs. The extensive use of psychotropic drugs suggests medicalization of nervos, creating a sick role for patients and keeping at an individual level the problems resulting in nervos.
Reforming Gendered Health Care: An Assessment of Change
Authors: Zimmerman Mary K. , Hill Shirley A.
Published: May 2005

Health policy in the United States has changed dramatically over the past three decades, with the main concern shifting from expanded health care coverage to containment of health care costs. The current focus on providing cost-effective health services, reflected in the growth of managed care initiatives, has elevated concern about the quality of health care. The authors contend that quality of health care has always been the key focus in the women's health movement, which evolved in the late 1960s as the first significant challenge to modern medicine. In this article, they apply the analytic lens of gender to develop a fresh perspective on U.S. health care organizations and policies, examining the six broad demands of the feminist consumer model of health care, all of which hinge on the issue of quality care for women, to determine whether women's health needs are now being better addressed. The authors conclude that, despite some notable gains in the roles of women as consumers and providers of health care, many of the new health reforms have replicated and solidified the historical inequities in the health care system.
Embodying Inequality: A Review of Concepts, Measures, and Methods for Studying Health Consequences of Discrimination
Authors: Krieger Nancy
Published: May 2005

Investigating effects of discrimination upon health requires clear concepts, methods, and measures. At issue are both economic consequences of discrimination and accumulated insults arising from everyday and at times violent experiences of being treated as a second-class citizen, at each and every economic level. Guidelines for epidemiologic investigations and other public health research on ways people embody racism, sexism, and other forms of social inequality, however, are not well defined, as research in this area is in its infancy. Employing an ecosocial framework, this article accordingly reviews definitions and patterns of discrimination within the United States; evaluates analytic strategies and instruments researchers have developed to study health effects of different kinds of discrimination; and delineates diverse pathways by which discrimination can harm health, both outright and by distorting production of epidemiologic knowledge about determinants of population health. Three methods of studying health consequences of discrimination are examined (indirect; direct, at the individual level, in relation to personal experiences of discrimination; at the population level, such as via segregation), and recommendations are provided for developing research instruments to measure acute and cumulative exposure to different aspects of discrimination.
Visual/Graphic Aids for the Technical Report
Authors: Cury Robert
Published: May 2005

Authors of technical papers have many visual/graphic aids available to them. The most common are: grid graphs, tables, bar charts, flow charts, maps, pie diagrams, and drawings and sketches. Grid graphs are used to show relationships. Tables allow the reader to make comparisons of data. The bar chart is another form of the grid graph and is used for the same purpose. A flow chart gives the reader a visual description of a process. Maps show the location of specific features. Pie diagrams show the proportional breakdown of a topic. Pictures and sketches show the reader exactly what is being talked about in the report. Visual/graphic aids allow the technical writer to condense and present his information in an aesthetically pleasing manner; in addition, these aids serve as psychological white space.
From Lion to Lamb: Exemplary Deaths in Chronicles of the Middle English Period
Authors: Jankofsky Klaus P.
Published: May 2005

In their depiction of death and dying medieval English chroniclers from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries reveal certain similarities and consistencies which allow us to evaluate them as expressive of their times and their contemporaries' modes of perception. This article focuses on certain terms and modes of classification in which medieval chroniclers perceived death as a physical event with enormous moral consequences. The purpose of this article is to show with the method of literary analysis applied to historical texts—in particular one specific account of the death of King Richard the Lionheart—how certain patterns of evaluation can both conceal and reveal collective and individual assessments of death.
Commentary: Teaching Technical Writing in a Collaborative Computer Classroom
Authors: Gerson Steven M.
Published: May 2005

Twenty years ago I had no idea what a computer was. Ten years ago I knew what computers were, but I had never sat at a terminal. I just assumed that computers were machines used in those “other” disciplines, certainly not in English courses. Today, I teach my technical writing classes in a collaborative computer classroom. The classroom consists of twelve networked computers which my twenty-four students per class use in tandem. Despite my original ignorance of computers, I'm now happily ensconced in a computer classroom. In fact, computers are so important, I've concluded, that teaching writing without the aid of computers does our students a disservice. How did I make such a complete turn-around in attitude? I realized that far from being anathema, computers helped to create a perfect marriage for teaching and writing. First, computers let students write more effectively because computers are compatible with the writing process (writing and rewriting). Next, teaching students to write in a collaborative computer environment prepares our students for business and industry where they will be asked to work on group projects and to communicate electronically. Despite the values of computerizing our instruction, however, computers in the classroom present problems. Do the benefits outweigh the deficits? My answer is yes.
Anti-Egalitarianism, Legitimizing Myths, Racism, and “Neo-McCarthyism” in Social Epidemiology and Public Health: A Review of Sally Satel's PC, M.D.
Authors: Muntaner Carles , Gomez Marisela B.
Published: May 2005

Sally Satel's PC, M.D.: How Political Correctness Is Corrupting Medicine constitutes an attempt to weaken the influence of egalitarian and antiracist scholarship in contemporary public health. This book has been widely distributed and has received many positive reviews in academia and the general press. Surprisingly, Satel has enlisted the direct or indirect support of prominent public health academics. The authors' critical review of this book indicates that Satel uses a combination of tactics to convince the reader of the danger involved in egalitarian public health efforts. Among them are insults, traditional “red baiting” tactics, “triangulation,” exaggeration, emotionally charged examples, omissions, and a strong appeal to individual responsibility to explain social inequalities in health. PC, M.D. reveals a scientific and ideological conflict over the determinants of health in populations that takes place within and outside the public health discipline. Efforts such as PC, M.D. suggest that social epidemiologists and other egalitarian public health scholars are having some impact in shaping how the public views health disparities.
Story of a First-Born
Authors: Bowie Wende Kernan
Published: May 2005

Michael, the first-born child of the author, was a beautiful and healthy-looking boy. His very brief life is documented through a day-by-day account in which modern hospital policies and practices control much of what happens in the life of Michael and his parents. The reader will come to his/her own conclusions.
There Goes the Grading Curve: The Development of the Attitudes toward Non-Traditional Students Scale
Authors: Whatley Mark A. , Bos Allison B. , Kennedy David A. , Smith Melissa L. , Woods Wendy L.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument allowing the assessment of attitudes toward non-traditional students. A non-traditional student is defined as a person for whom going to school is not his or her full-time job. One hundred forty-eight undergraduates completed a 75 item survey assessing their attitudes toward non-traditional students. The data were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis that revealed the presence of two factors. The first factor consisted of primarily positive statements and accounted for 14.9% of the variance. The second factor consisted of negative statements and accounted for 8.97% of the variance. Implications for colleges and universities are discussed.
AIDS and Intravenous Drug Use: A Growing Menace
Authors: Zapata Vicente , Blanton Carlton
Published: May 2005

The AIDS virus is transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids between an infected person and an uninfected person, and the sharing of needles by IV drug users has been one of the primary means of transmission. The incidence of infection by this method has increased in the world, and in the inner cities of the United States has been a particular problem. Infected drug users also transmit the disease to their sexual partners and to their unborn children. Educational efforts have been directed at changing the behavior of drug users to reduce their sharing of needles, and some cities have tried handing out free needles. Such efforts, of course, run counter to the admonition not to use drugs at all, but health professionals believe changing behavior is the most important way of attacking the disease. While transmission of the HIV virus through IV drug abuse remains a significant problem, there is evidence that the educational efforts have been working and that, in some areas at least, behaviors have been changed and the risk has been reduced.