bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attitude toward Death, Fear of Being Declared Dead Too Soon, and Donation of Organs after Death
Authors: Hessing Dick J. , Elffers Henk
Published: May 2005

Although death anxieties seem to play a decisive role in the degree of willingness to donate organs for transplantation after death, the results of most studies have not been able to explain satisfactorily the discrepancy between attitude(s) and behavior in the matter of organ donation. Following up on prior research, this article describes a study based on Weyant's cost-benefit model for altruistic behavior. Two death anxieties (the attitude toward death and the fear of being declared dead too soon) are introduced separately to explain organ donation behavior. The results show that these two almost unrelated death anxieties improve the explanatory force of the attitude-behavior relationship with respect to organ donation.
Implications of Metaphors in Defining Technical Communication
Authors: Beck Charles E.
Published: May 2005

Examining the limitations of some common metaphors for technical communication and exploring new alternatives lead to a new definition of technical communication. In current studies of the field, four metaphors appear dominant through explicit or implicit use: transmitter, channel, balance, and bridge. But each of these metaphors is limited in some way when used to describe the field. These limitations arise from complexity, directionality, or originality of the process. Some alternatives provide a new way of viewing the field: lock, translator, transformer, synthesizer, conductor, and orchestrator. The latter term leads to a tentative definition of the field: Technical communication is the process of orchestrating linguistic, visual, or auditory codes to accommodate information to the user.
Distance Learning over ATM/SONET: The Distance Learning Environment Demonstration
Authors: Viren John , Viren Catherine
Published: May 2005

A new movement in learning and communicating is underway. High bandwidth data link services are being installed throughout the country in support of evolving learning and communication needs. Early adopters are pushing the infrastructure and networks to bring high quality interactive services to the desktop. “New applications such as distance learning and interactive Internet capabilities are capturing the hearts and minds of decision-makers. A growing number of businesses and institutions are facing the challenge of finding smart, affordable network solutions” [1]. Most distance learning multimedia programs remain instructor-led mediated events. The infrastructure technology is expensive to install and most applications, especially distance learning applications, do not exploit student-centric applications. Distance learning systems integrators are quick to offer high cost instructor-centric solutions, however, the educational community is slowly moving toward low cost self-directed education-on-demand. Studies, such as the Distance Learning Environment Demonstration (DLED), offer a base study solution for legacy Ethernet local area networks (LANs), school-centric courseware management, and student-centric courses. Using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) PC-based hardware and software, computer-based training (CBT) courseware was either re-purposed or developed new in support of the study. Students logged into a centralized server via asynchronous transfer mode/synchronous optical network (ATM/SONET) to take different interactive multimedia courses. Individual student information was tracked and stored on the server and accessible only by the administration. The centralized courseware simplified the task of software maintenance and gave instructors and administrators direct control of the courses. The performance metrics indicated that low cost high performance COTS hardware and software can be used to develop high fidelity multimedia interactive courseware distributed over a wide area network (WAN). This study would suggest that distance learning over a high bandwidth ATM/SONET WAN was a viable solution for a remote student population.
Does Social Security Support for Medical Care Weaken Public Health Programs?
Authors: Roemer Milton I. , Maeda Nobuo
Published: May 2005

Social security programs for medical care in Latin American countries have long been regarded as rivals to the Ministries of Health. Although they typically cover only a small fraction of the population theoretically served by the Ministries, they often have larger health budgets; on a per beneficiary basis, their expenditures are invariably much higher. Analysis of the relative strengths of social security programs (percentage of economically active persons covered and national per capita outlays), in twelve Latin American countries, however, shows them to have no correlation (virtually zero) to the strengths of Ministries of Health (percentage of national budgets devoted to public health). It appears that both social security and Ministry of Health expenditures correlate in a strongly positive direction with a country's per capita gross domestic product. There is no evidence that stronger social security programs are associated with weaker Ministries of Health.
Audio and Text Density in Computer-Based Instruction
Authors: Koroghlanian Carol M. , Sullivan Howard J.
Published: May 2005

This study investigated the effects of audio and text density on the achievement, time-in-program, and attitudes of 134 university undergraduate students. Data concerning the participants' pre-existing computer skills and experience, as well as demographic information, were also collected. The instruction in visual design principles was delivered by a CBI program and included numerous illustrations. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three presentation versions of the instruction: Text Only, Full Text-Full Audio, or Lean Text-Full Audio. No significant difference in achievement was found between the three treatment groups, however there was a significant difference in learning efficiency, with the Text Only group requiring significantly less instructional time and achieving as well on the posttest as each of the other two groups. Significant differences in achievement were obtained for overall computer experience (participants with more computer experience performed better than those with less) and gender (females performed better than males). Overall, attitudes toward the instruction were favorable with participants in the Full Text-Full Audio treatment responding less favorably than their counterparts in the other two treatments. The findings have implications for the use of audio, text and graphics in the instructional design of computer-based instruction.
Death Acceptance: A two-Component Formulation and Scale
Authors: Klug Leo , Sinha A.
Published: May 2005

A formulation of death acceptance involving two components, confrontation and integration, is presented and discussed in the light of the literature on death attitudes. A proposed scale (Klug Death Acceptance Scale) to measure the two-component concept is also provided, including data on the scale's reliability and validity, along with some suggested norms. The contribution of this research is the clarification of the theoretical rationale for a multi-dimensional approach to death acceptance, an operationalization of the theory, and a proposed scale to measure it. Additional research on diverse populations, and a variety of measurement approaches, is needed to further establish the reliability and validity of the instrument.
Analysis of the Competent Community: Support for the Community Organization Role of the Health Educator
Authors: Knight Evelyn A. , Johnson Hans H. , Holbert Don
Published: May 2005

This study looks at the implications of emphasizing macro-change strategies for achieving a well society by examining the impact of community competence in the delivery of services on health status, as measured by years of productive life lost (YPLL), in thirty-three counties of Eastern North Carolina. Results of rankings and canonical analyses indicate that agency use of networks in planning is related to lower YPLL rates overall, but knowledge of services was related to lower white rates only. Community competence as a framework for evaluating community organization techniques is defined and the implications of the findings for community health practice are discussed.
Jackson County Partnership: Developing an Effective Coalition
Authors: Sutherland Mary , Cowart Marie E. , Harris Gregory J.
Published: May 2005

The Community Partnership Demonstration Program allows a community to develop and carry out a long-range, comprehensive, and self-sustaining alcohol and other drug abuse prevention program. A case study that shows the use of coalition building to carry out a prevention program is presented. The case study is followed by a discussion of the principles involved in forming and maintaining a coalition. Discussion about using the coalition method for implementing health promotion and prevention programs in rural or underserved communities and the important role that health educators can play follow.
Structuring and Evaluating Scitech Communications
Authors: Mandersloot Wim G. B. , Bruckmann Clive G.
Published: May 2005

The basis for effective scitech communications is formed by: focusing on the needs of the audience; structuring the substantive and language content accordingly; concentrating on accuracy, clarity and brevity; meeting logical requirements; and presenting in a communicative style and layout, including the use of visuals. In many scitech communications, the Appendix is the right place for detail not of immediate interest to most readers; this option is grossly under-utilized.
Percepts Considered as “Bundles of Sensations”: The Confusion of Percepts with Afterimages
Authors: Kunzendorf Robert G. , Thompson David , Butler William
Published: May 2005

Radical behaviorism and direct realism attempt to reduce percepts and sensations, respectively, to environmental stimuli and bodily stimuli. Contrary to this attempted reduction, the present research indicates that percepts are not qualitatively distinguishable from after-sensations. Other research suggests that the “peripherally excited sensations” in percepts are nevertheless distinguishable from the “centrally excited sensations” in mental images.
Problems Associated with Conducting Illness Prevention and Health Promotion Research in Developing Countries
Authors: Ogbudimkpa Jerry Emeka , Ebomoyi Ehigie William , Cresswell William
Published: May 2005

Conducting research projects that are related to illness prevention in developing countries is complex and challenging. In this article we discuss those areas common to health programs which pose potential problems to researchers; especially those foreign to the community in which a research project is taking place. Results from past experiences have indicated that failure to involve community members and indigenous research workers can lead to mistrust, misconceptions, and self-protection. Also, whenever villagers feel that the information they give may be used against them, they may be forced to alter or conceal true data. Health investigators and granting agencies must be prepared to acquaint themselves with problems related to communication, transportation, weather, and how local governments function officially and unofficially so as to guard against unrealistic assumptions and expectations. It has also been noted that students from developing countries are often faced with the double dilemma of attempting to ride the roller coaster between two cultures; and in essence, be a part of both when working on research projects with their professors from developed countries.
Beyond the Schools: Strategies for Implementing Successful Drug Prevention Programs in Community Youth-Serving Organizations
Authors: Kaltreider D. Lynne , St. Pierre Tena L.
Published: May 2005

This article discusses why community-based youth-serving organizations are natural settings for drug prevention programming. Based on a three-year study of a school-based drug prevention program adapted to the Boys & Girls Club setting and serving high-risk youths, we identify organizational impediments to implementing a structured prevention program in youth organizations. We also present some strategies the clubs used to achieve success in a nonschool setting where program participation is voluntary. Strategies include: 1) employing a team approach and making program institutionalization a goal; 2) choosing the “right” prevention program leader; 3) creating a special prosocial bonding group for program youths; 4) involving program graduates as recruiters and positive role models; and 5) developing community support. Drug prevention programming in youth-serving organizations can reinforce, supplement, and enhance school-based prevention efforts, thus providing communities with important drug prevention alternatives that go beyond the schools.
Problems of Distortion in Doctor-Patient Communications
Authors: Golden Joshua S. , Johnston George D.
Published: May 2005

Physicians too often fail to recognize that what they tell patients is sometimes not understood by patients. The conditions which interfere with adequate understanding include the anxiety of the patient about what is being told to him as well as his intelligence, experience and opportunities to question his medical informant. Factors affecting the physician's ability to communicate clearly relate primarily to the clarity and simplicity of his language, his own anxiety about what he is telling the patient and his providing opportunities for the patient to feed back to him indications of comprehension. The ethical implications of distorted communication between doctors and patients are of great importance. With increasingly complex mutilating and debilitating procedures available to physicians, the patient's capacity to understand what is explained to him is crucial to his ability to give informed consent. By studying actual transcripts of conversations between varieties of physicians and patients, one can define factors which contribute to both clarity and distortion in doctor-patient communication.
The “Heartscore” Program: A Case Study in Limited Evaluation
Authors: Vojtecky Mark A. , Vojtecky Michael A.
Published: May 2005

In greater Youngstown, Ohio coronary heart disease (CHD) is the number one cause of death and disability. Moreover, mortality rates from CHD are higher in this region than in any other part of Ohio. In response to the obvious need for risk reduction programs in this area the “Heartscore” program was created. Heartscore is a hospital-based community health promotion effort designed to help decrease the incidence of death and disability resulting from CHD by increasing the public's awareness of risk factors and the ways that they can be controlled. A total of 2,135 people took part in Heartscore. Resources for a comprehensive evaluation of the Heartscore program were scarce, therefore only a limited evaluation of the screening programs was conducted. Even a limited evaluation, however, can produce useful results. This article describes Heartscore giving particular attention to how information gathered during the evaluation of the screenings is being used to fine-tune Heartscore and to plan more specific interventions.
Loss and Bereavement among Israel's Muslims: Acceptance of God's Will, Grief, and the Relationship to the Deceased
Authors: Rubin Simon Shimshon , Yasien-Esmael Hend
Published: May 2005

The manner in which people manage their grief and mourning for loved ones who have died is a window into a culture and people. The beliefs and practices of Muslim citizens in Israel stem from a cultural-religious world-view that organizes the public and private experience of loss and bereavement. Prolonged public expression of grief and ritualized mourning are discouraged in Islamic practice which places great value on the acceptance of God's or Allah's will with restraint and understanding. The distinction between the return to functioning following loss and the management of memories and attachments to the deceased are fundamental to the Two Track Model of Bereavement (Rubin, 1999). The distinction is also relevant to the analysis of Israeli Muslims' responses to loss. Following an introduction to Islamic attitudes to death and loss, a number of basic elements of response to loss are considered. The Islamic emphasis on acceptance and a return to functioning is clear cut. The myriad ways in which the memory of the deceased and the relationship to him or her is bound up with the life lived following death is an area that leaves significant room for individual variation.
TOPOS: An Advice System for the Invention of Persuasive Arguments
Authors: Yerkey Neil
Published: May 2005

This article presents a conceptual model for a computer assisted, advice-giving system to help speakers or writers develop lines of arguments in persuasive situations. The model combines a traditional bibliographic database of issues-oriented publications with sets of terse conclusions and an expectancy-value attitude paradigm to form a type of expert system. It would supply lists of conclusions concerning an issue that the persuader uses to measure or estimate the audience's attitudes. The system would analyze those measurements and give advice based on rhetorical theory. The output would be a set of statements about how best to develop arguments, accompanied by supporting literature citations. It is proposed that the advice would not only teach argument development to beginning students, but it would become a cognitive tool in their repertoire of skills.
Effectiveness of Multi-Image Presentations
Authors: Fradkin Bernard M.
Published: May 2005

This is an investigation of the effectiveness of viewing three types of visual presentations over different intervals of time. The treatment presentations were specifically designed to test the ability of viewers to recall cognitive information from a linear, two, and four image program. Evaluation of recall was measured by a multiple-choice test instrument administered immediately, twenty-four hours, and seven days after the treatment. Three 16mm motion picture presentations were made of forty still cartoons used for all treatment presentations. The findings of the investigation point the direction between the relationship of recall and retention in viewing multi-image programs when cue summation and redundancy are not considered.
The Consulting Psychiatrist and the Polydipsia-Hyponatremia Syndrome in Schizophrenia
Authors: Vieweg Victor , Pandurangi Anand , Levenson James , Silverman Joel
Published: May 2005

Objective:

The authors seek to extend understanding and treatment of hospitalized schizophrenics presenting with complications of polydipsia and dilutional hyponatremia. Attending physicians may ask the consultation/liaison psychiatrist to see schizophrenics with hyponatremically-induced delirium or other psychiatric syndromes. The referring physician may or may not have identified polydipsia and dilutional hyponatremia and their complications. This article will help the consultation/liaison psychiatrist recognize early evidence of water imbalance, describe evaluation, and provide somatic and behavioral treatment approaches to this life-threatening syndrome.

Method:

Over the past ten years, the authors have treated more than 100 patients with the polydipsia-hyponatremia syndrome. The authors discuss their and others' experience with drugs that help and hinder patients suffering from dilutional hyponatremia. They review current key articles from the polydipsia-hyponatremia syndrome literature including articles identified via Medline search 1985–94.

Results:

Schizophrenics with the polydipsia-hyponatremia syndrome most commonly present with polydipsia, polyuria, urinary incontinence, cognitive, affective, and behavioral changes, seizures, or coma. Quantitating polydipsia, hyponatremia, and diurnal changes in body weight facilitate therapeutic interventions. Treatment include patient and caregiver education, drug therapies to better treat psychosis and better treat osmotic dysregulation, behavioral interventions to interdict polydipsia, and diurnal weight monitoring.

Conclusions:

Once recognized, acute, subacute, and chronic complications of the polydipsia-hyponatremia syndrome are readily treatable. Besides treating the patient, consultation/liaison psychiatrists can teach their medical colleagues about this syndrome. In so doing, they will enhance the quality of their patients' lives and help the internist and surgeon feel more comfortable when working with schizophrenics.
Design and Development of Programs for the Videodisc
Authors: Lipson Joseph
Published: May 2005

The design and development of an instructional videodisc requires attention to the way the many flexible possibilities of the disc are integrated. The constraints on the process involve: 1. the intrinsic characteristics of the medium; 2. the intrinsic characteristics of people; 3. the traditions and conventions of the medium; and 4. the expectations that people have regarding the medium and the instructional process. Aspects of each of the above are discussed with the intention of emphasizing a combination of artistry and knowledge in the design process.
Coping Strategies of Taiwanese Widows Adapting to Loss
Authors: Hsu Min-Tao , Kahn David L.
Published: May 2005

Adaptation strategies used by Taiwanese widows following the deaths of their spouses were identified and analyzed. Thirty-five Taiwanese widows representing a cross-section of such demographic features as rural/urban, ethnic background, age, and education level were interviewed. According to their descriptions, the five coping strategies most commonly used were keeping busy, shifting focus, speaking out, doing something for their deceased husbands, and looking at the good side of their spouses' deaths. It is suggested that adaptation to loss should be viewed in a more positive light, since it represents an effort to bridge the past with the future rather than an act of detaching one's self from prior experiences and emotional pain. An argument is made that some of these strategies are unique products of Taiwanese culture.
Intranasal Cocaine: Dose Relationships of Psychological Effects and Plasma Levels
Authors: Van Dyke Craig , Ungerer James , Jatlow Peter , Barash Paul , Byck Robert
Published: May 2005

We compared the psychological effects of three doses of intranasal cocaine hydrochloride (.2, .75, and 1.5 mg/kg) with cocaine plasma concentrations in four volunteers. Intranasal lidocaine hydrochloride (.2 mg/kg) was used as a topically active placebo. Peak “high” ratings were related to both dose and peak plasma concentrations. At a given plasma concentration, “high” ratings were greater when plasma levels were increasing than when they were decreasing. This indicates that acute tolerance by tachyphylaxis occurred after single doses. The cocaine “high” was a pleasant feeling but was without distinctive sensations. The dramatic effects of intranasal cocaine on the street may be related to larger or repeated doses as well as the setting.
Bereavement Responses among Palestinian Widows, Daughters and Sons Following the Hebron Massacre
Authors: Al-Krenawi Alean , Graham John R. , Sehwail Mahmud A.
Published: May 2005

In February 1994, an Israeli settler shot Muslim worshippers at the Ibrahime Mosque at Hebron, West Bank. Fifty-three people were killed, and 200 injured. The Derogatis Symptom Checklist-Revised (SCL-90-R), a 90-item 5-point self-administered discomfort scale was administered to all surviving widows ( n=23), daughters ( n=12), and sons ( n=26). Statistically significant different results occurred in 3 of 9 subscales. Widows scored higher somatization than the daughters, who scored higher than the sons. Daughters scored higher phobia than the widows, who scored higher than the sons. Widows scored higher anxiety than the daughters, who scored higher than the sons. Culturally-and-religiously-proscribed gender and familial roles appear to contribute to the different bereavement response patterns. No respondents sought professional mental health counseling.
Role of Trade Unions in Workplace Health Promotion
Authors: Johansson Mauri , Partanen Timo
Published: May 2005

Since the 19th century, workers have organized in trade unions and parties to strengthen their efforts at improving workplace health and safety, job conditions, working hours, wages, job contracts, and social security. Cooperation between workers and their organizations and professionals has been instrumental in improving regulation and legislation affecting workers' health. The authors give examples of participatory research in occupational health in Denmark and Finland. The social context of workplace health promotion, particularly the role of unions and workers' safety representatives, is described in an international feasibility study. Health promotion is rife with fundamental political, socioeconomic, philosophical, ethical, gender- and ethnicity-related, psychological, and biological problems. Analysis of power and context is crucial, focusing on political systems nationally, regionally, and globally. The authors advocate defending and supporting workers and their trade unions and strengthening their influence on workplace health promotion. In the face of rapid capitalist globalization, unions represent a barricade in defense of workers' health and safety. Health promoters and related professionals are encouraged to support trade unions in their efforts to promote health for workers and other less privileged groups.
Late Onset Anorexia Nervosa: Two Case Reports
Authors: Inagaki Takuji , Horiguchi Jun , Subouchi Kent , Miyaoka Tsuyoshi , Uegaki Jun , Seno Haruo
Published: May 2005

Objective:

Some patients develop an eating disorder at a late age. It is worth investigating why this syndrome develops at such widely different ages.

Methods:

Two Japanese cases of late onset anorexia nervosa are reported.

Results:

In these late onset cases, anorexia developed out of sadness over a loss such as bereavement, divorce, and fear or anxiety for the future. In addition, these two patients didn't demonstrate a fear of aging or of losing their attractiveness and sexuality, nor did they develop a dissociative disturbance based on an early traumatic history of sexual abuse in PTSD.

Conclusion:

Although the clinical features are similar, there appear to be differences between late onset and adolescent cases in psychological mechanisms.
“Don't Go like That”: A Guide to Correct Writing
Authors: McDonald Daniel
Published: May 2005

Perhaps with tongue in cheek, the author gives sound advice on how to avoid some of the pitfalls of style, punctuation, and grammar. He suggests that the principles he gives will result in clearer and simpler writing.
The Welfare State, Pensions, Privatization: The Case of Social Security in the United States
Authors: Du Boff Richard B.
Published: May 2005

In all high-income nations, the welfare state is under challenge, with particular concern voiced about the burden of retirement pensions on the public fisc and on younger workers. The strongest drive against social insurance is taking place in the United States, which has less of it than other nations and appears to be in the best position to meet future entitlement claims. In this article, the author examines the liabilities that the U.S. Social Security system is likely to incur over the next 35 years and finds that there is little danger that the system will fall into insolvency. Privatizing Social Security is not necessary to assure the integrity of future pension benefits. Furthermore, the cost-benefit ratio of privatization appears to be unfavorable, as borne out by the mandatory private pension plan in effect in Chile. Some wealthy nations will face greater demographic strains than the United States, but all need to retain the welfare state as a foundation for future changes in the world of work.
The Experience of Time, Pleasure, and Interest during Aesthetic Episodes
Authors: Cupchik Gerald C. , Gebotys Robert
Published: May 2005

This study examined time estimations as well as ratings of pleasure and interest for aesthetic episodes varying in duration. It was hypothesized that judgments of exposure duration would reflect the amount of perceptual/cognitive effort needed to appreciate a painting. Effortful processing would lead to overestimation of duration, and automatic or overlearned analysis would produce underestimation. The experiment also examined changes in aesthetic pleasure and interest as a function of exposure duration and stylistic properties of the paintings. Sixteen trained and sixteen naive subjects, including equal numbers of males and females, viewed two sets of paintings varying in collative and stylistic properties for 18, 36 and 72 seconds. The Collative Set of twelve paintings represented two dimensions, Uncertainty and Arousal potential. The Stylistic Set of twelve paintings comprised two dimensions, Representational—Abstract and Linear (hard edge)—Painterly (soft edge). The results for judgment of duration supported the hypothesis. Trained subjects, who possess a repertoire of skills for appreciating paintings, generally underestimated exposure duration. Naive subjects, for whom art appreciation represents an effortful challenge, overestimated duration, especially for the complex paintings. In addition, naive males and females showed opposite monotonic changes in pleasure ratings for the Stylistic Set of paintings. These findings were interpreted in the context of a theory about sex differences in perceptual style.
Emotionally Directing Visual Sensations: II. Lowering the Threshold for Tinted Percepts
Authors: Kunzendorf Robert G. , Paroskie Janet
Published: May 2005

In Experiment 1, while ranking the similarity of paired colors, 126 subjects generated feelings of anger and 115 subjects generated feelings of sadness. Paired reds became more similar during anger, and paired blues became more similar during sadness. This initial finding suggests that, from a first-person perspective, the phenomenal world looks redder during anger and bluer during sadness. On each trial in Experiment 2, while trying to discriminate whether a monochromatic face was liminally presented at the top or bottom of a screen, 30 subjects generated either anger or sadness. Better than chance discriminations were obtained only for the localization of red faces during anger and the localization of blue faces during sadness. This latter finding suggests that, from a third-person perspective, the neural threshold for red sensations is lowered by anger, and the neural threshold for blue sensations is lowered by sadness.
Multiple Methods for Workshop Evaluation
Authors: Saarlas Kristin Nicholson , Paluku Kalenga M. , Roungou Jean-Baptiste , Bryce Jennifer W. , Naimoli Joseph F. , Benzerroug El Hadi
Published: May 2005

Evaluation is a necessary component of all training, including workshops. Evaluation can provide information about the teaching and learning that occur during a workshop and document the extent to which long-term objectives were achieved after a workshop. Multiple methods for evaluating the process and outcomes of a regional workshop on Program Planning and Management for Malaria Control were developed and implemented by an evaluation team composed of African program managers and technical assistance partners, all of whom served as workshop trainers. Among the five methods used to assess the process of workshop implementation and participant satisfaction, a questionnaire administered at the close of the two-week workshop was found least useful in improving the training. Much more useful were the results of daily trainers' meetings and of two qualitative evaluation methods: large group feedback sessions and focused group discussions. Among the three methods used to evaluate the workshop outcomes, a review of the quality of the pre- and post-workshop national malaria control program plans by a panel of experts was found to be the most useful in providing information about the extent to which learning objectives were achieved. The involvement of trainers in evaluation activities permitted immediate action based on results. Our experience suggests that during brief workshops, evaluation should not compete with training activities for time and resources but must be considered an essential part of the curriculum. Effective and efficient workshop evaluation will require advance planning by trainers, support and training in evaluation methods for all members of the evaluation team, and advance consideration of how evaluation results will be summarized and translated into action.
WWW.TELD.NET: Online Courseware Engine for

T

eaching by

E

xamples and

L

earning by

D

oing
Authors: Huang G. Q. , Shen B. , Mak K. L.
Published: May 2005

TELD stands for “Teaching by Examples and Learning by Doing.” It is an on-line courseware engine over the World Wide Web. There are four folds of meanings in TELD. First, TELD represents a teaching and learning method that unifies a number of contemporary methods such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in medical education, Project-Based Learning (PBL) in engineering education, and Case Method (CM) in business education. Second, TELD serves as a Web server for hosting teaching and learning materials especially based on the TELD method. A variety of on-line facilities are provided for editing and uploading course materials such as syllabus, schedule, curriculum, examples of case study, exercises of mini-project, formative and summative assessments, etc. Third, TELD is a courseware search engine where educators are able to register their course materials and search for materials suitable for a particular course. In contrast with general-purpose search engines, TELD is set up for the special purpose of education. Therefore, the time and efforts spent on surfing are expected to be reduced dramatically. Finally, TELD is an on-line virtual classroom for electronic delivery of electronic curriculum materials. In addition to providing the lecture notes, TELD not only provides discussion questions for conducting in-class discussions and homework as formative assessment but also provides facilities for students to plan and submit their group work. This article presents an overview of the TELD courseware engine together with its background and underlying philosophy.
Teaching Personal Investments via Long-Distance
Authors: Magiera Frank T.
Published: May 2005

This article presents results of teaching a personal investments class using a compressed video system which linked students at a send-site with students at two remote-sites. A pre-test, post-test analysis indicates that students at the remote-sites experienced learning comparable to that of students at the send-site. In addition to academic applications, this delivery medium may be of interest to those in the financial services industry who are exploring additional ways to train employees and communicate with clients.
The Contribution of Death-Related Experiences to Health Care Providers' Attitudes toward Dying Patients: II. Medical and Nursing Students with No Professional Experience
Authors: Brent Sandor B. , Speece Mark W. , Gates Marie F. , Kaul Manju
Published: May 2005

Beginning medical and nursing students with no professional death-related experience were compared in order to discover the attitudes they bring to their respective careers prior to their professional education and socialization. Hypotheses were derived from psychological models for the effects of professional choice, gender, and non-professional experience on these attitudes. On five of the six attitude measures female nursing students expressed a more positive attitude than cither male or female medical students, as predicted. However, contrary to expectation, the attitudes of the female medical students were not more positive than those of the male medical students on any of these measures. Hours of death-and-dying coursework and general life experience exerted a significant influence on attitudes toward talking to dying patients about death and dying but not on any of the other attitude measures. These data also suggest the existence of an underlying attitude structure, representing these students' Overall Attitude toward caring for dying patients, which remains stable across group differences in professional career choice, gender, and death-related experience. The original theoretical models were enriched and revised in the light of these findings.
Abstracts in Relation to Larger and Smaller Discourse Structures
Authors: Manning Alan D.
Published: May 2005

Students usually compose adequate descriptive abstracts, but many confuse summary abstracts with short paraphrases or descriptive abstracts. Textbooks define a summary abstract ambiguously, as a “mini-paper” and/or as a mere statement of an article's topic and conclusions; most textbooks maintain the conceptual distinction between summary and descriptive abstracts even though differences between the two types are blurred in practice. These irregularities are accounted for by a hypothesis: in all levels of discourse, from sentences to extended texts, general and specific components conserve the “shape” of information. Intermediate discourse components (e.g., sentential tense, the syllogistic middle term, or the body of a text) may be deleted to create a smaller equivalent discourse structure. The two polar abstract types represent polar (general vs. specific) text components. Common abstracting errors arise from two sources: failure to distinguish between an abstract as “mini-paper” and a short paraphrase from the body of a long text, but also failure to distinguish between general topical information and the specific claims of a text, attributed to students' usual lack of acquaintance with other literature on a topic, besides the article they attempt to abstract.
Plain English in Corporate Disclosures: Review and Implications for Consumers, Producers, and the Free-Market System
Authors: Clements Rhonda
Published: May 2005

The Internet is revolutionizing the investment world. There are clear benefits to these changes, including lower costs and faster access to the market for investors. There also are consequences to these changes when investors take risks without having access to clear, accurate, and full disclosures. In a free-market system, investors must have access to information they can understand and use autonomously to have full and equal access to the investment market. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently passed a rule requiring businesses to use plain English to try and rid disclosures of their traditionally complex and ambiguous language. However, SEC's rule only addresses the front and back sides of prospectus disclosures. Consequently, the success of plain English will depend on the writer and business using it. Public corporations committed to using plain English will empower investors with the information they need to participate in the market freely and safely. In return, businesses will create a more effective and efficient free-market system by maximizing utility, benefiting producers, consumers, and the market as a whole.
Symptom Differences between Older Depressed Primary Care Patients with and without History of Trauma
Authors: Cook Joan M. , Areán Patricia A. , Schnurr Paula P. , Sheikh Javaid I.
Published: May 2005

Objective:

The current study explored the relationship between past traumatic experiences and current depression in a sample of depressed older adult primary care patients.

Method:

Sixty-six patients were referred from primary care to a psychogeriatric clinic that specialized in the treatment of unipolar depressive disorders. All patients received an extensive psychological assessment.

Results:

Twenty-one percent had a history of trauma reported in their medical charts. Despite no differences found on a clinician-rated measure of depression, those with a trauma history had more depressive symptoms on a self-report measure.

Conclusions:

Although older patients with a history of trauma may not appear more depressed than a non-trauma comparison group, they may be in more psychological distress. The clinical implications of these findings and recommendations for mental health professionals are discussed.
Tobacco Use and Quit Behaviors among Delinquent Youth: A Pilot Study
Authors: Smith Dennis W. , Colwell Brian , Zhang James J. , McPherson Robert , Stevens Stacey , McMillan Catherine , Robinson James
Published: May 2005

With rates of adolescent tobacco use steadily increasing over the past 20 years, assisting youth to quit, particularly those youth most susceptible to tobacco use, has become a national focus. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine and profile the smoking patterns of a small sample ( n = 37) of juvenile offenders in Texas. In contrast to anecdotal reports, the sample group from this study did not differ clinically from the general population of adolescent tobacco users. Importantly, the study participants indicated previous attempts to stop smoking. The authors conclude that delinquent youth may be responsive to cognitive behavioral smoking cessation programs that also address the management of peer networks.
Self/Ideal Discrepancy and Fear of Death: The Test of an Existential Hypothesis
Authors: Neimeyer Robert A. , Chapman Kenneth M.
Published: May 2005

The investigators reasoned, after Sartre, that death would be more threatening to individuals whose projected identities were radically incomplete, since it would finalize the meaning of their lives at a level discrepant with their ideals. In order to test this hypothesis, 101 adult respondents from a number of community groups were divided into “high” and “low” discrepancy categories on the basis of a modified Self/Ideal self “split” score derived from the Threat Index. The prediction was strongly supported: The “high split” group scored as significantly more apprehensive on both The Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale and Templer's Death Anxiety Scale. Moreover, further analysis suggested that this inter-group difference was primarily attributable to the “high split” group's greater concern with the state of death, as opposed to the process of dying. The paper concludes by noting the implications of these findings for thanatological theory, research and praxis.
Computer-Assisted Instruction and Developmental Studies: An Analysis of Student Performance
Authors: Leeds Marc , Davidson Robert , Gold Saralyn
Published: May 2005

Recent research in computer-assisted instruction (CAI) asserts that student achievement levels are equal to or better than non-CAI performance levels. Because very little CAI research involves college level developmental studies students, the researchers sought to determine the performance effects of CAI on developmental composition and mathematics students. Participants in the study were first time college freshmen with no computer experience possessing composite American College Test (ACT) [1] scores of 15 or below. The results, using the California Achievement Test (CAT)[2], indicated that the developmental students' achievement levels for the CAI group were equal to or statistically significantly better than their non-CAI counterparts.
Writing Clinical Investigator's Brochures on Drugs for a Pharmaceutical Company
Authors: Pakes Gary E.
Published: May 2005

A clinical investigator's brochure is a summary of the preclinical and clinical information about a drug that is about to enter clinical trials. It serves to update clinical investigators on the possible benefits, risks, and areas of uncertainty still left to be studied. The writer of the clinical investigator's brochure can create a streamlined, succinct, and easily readable document by using a format that closely parallels the research and the development history of the drug, as follows: 1) Introduction, 2) Chemistry, 3) Pharmacy, 4) Animal Pharmacology, 5) Animal Toxicology, 6) Animal Pharmacokinetics, 7) Clinical Experience, 8) Possible Risks and Precautions, and 9) Bibliography. In this article, the author explains what information is needed in each of these sections and suggests ways to avoid redundancy.
John Bowlby'S Model of Grief and the Problem of Identification
Authors: Klass Dennis
Published: May 2005

John Bowlby's model of grief is found inadequate to account for phenomena which are associated with most grief. Bowlby's ethological model deals only with grief as a disequilibrium in the social environment of the bereaved, but does not account for a disequilibrium in the relationship between the bereaved and the lost object. The basis of the inadequacy is found in Bowlby's rejection of Freud's concept of identification when Bowlby resumed the trauma theory which Freud had abandoned. The work of Freud and the Freudians, especially Volkan, is examined to understand what Bowlby was rejecting. Problems in accounting for phenomena associated with identification are traced in scholars using Bowlby's model. In addition to Bowlby's own work, the work of Parkes, Raphael, and Worden is examined. Possible modifications in the Bowlby model are suggested by reviewing the work of Attig, Lopata, and Marris.
Two Native American Near-Death Experiences
Authors: Schorer C. E.
Published: May 2005

H. R. Schoolcraft recorded two tales he heard from Chippewas in Michigan during the 1820s which exemplify two types of near-death experiences (NDE). The first tale has autoscopic, as well as specifically Native American, elements; the second, in a similar way, contains elements of the transcendental type. These are discussed with reference to local origin, influence of white American culture, and universality.
Dreams of the Dying
Authors: Coolidge Frederick L. , Fish Cynthia E.
Published: May 2005

This study investigated the dream themes of fourteen terminally ill cancer patients. The dreams were scored according to a standardized questionnaire, and the frequencies of the dream themes were compared to a group of forty-two aged persons. The results indicated that death and aggression occurred significantly more often in the dreams of the dying. Death themes also frequently appeared as a projection upon other dream characters. It is hypothesized that the projection reflects the dreamers' unresolved attitudes and feelings about their death experience.
An Investigation of the Relationships among Technology Experiences, Communication Apprehension, Writing Apprehension, and Computer Anxiety
Authors: McDowell Earl
Published: May 2005

This study explored the relationships among communication technologies, communication apprehension, writing apprehension, and computer anxiety. The results indicate that significant relationships exist between computer anxiety, and computer/wordprocessing, between computer anxiety, and computer electronic discussion group, between computer anxiety and online computer service, between computer anxiety and CD-RAM, as well as other types of technology. Other results reveal that students are least experienced with programming computers, computerized electronic discussion group, computer conferencing and Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDA). Significant differences occurred between gender groups on cellular phone scores, writing stories/poetry scores, computerized electronic discussion group scores, satellite TV scores, electronic videogames scores, and computer/video conferencing scores, as well as communication apprehension scores, writing apprehension scores, and computer anxiety scores. The specifics of these results and other significant differences are reported and discussed in this article.