bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Evolution of FDA Policy on Silicone Breast Implants: A Case Study of Politics, Bureaucracy, and Business in the Process of Decision-Making
Authors: Palley Howard A.
Published: May 2005

The central issue facing federal regulation of breast implants is that while such devices are not functionally necessary or needed for survival, the side effects may be harmful and have not been proven unharmful. The Medical Device Amendments of 1976 appear to require such evidence prior to the FDA permitting the unrestricted marketing of these devices. However, only recently have such requirements been imposed by the FDA. The author examines the FDA's decision-making process, particularly as applied to silicone breast implants, and the factors that appear to have affected such decisions. In pursuing this study, the activities of a number of interest-group actors, as well as congressional responses and the role of federal bureaucratic actors, were examined. In 1992 the FDA established a regulatory protocol that effectively withdrew most silicone breast implants from the market for the purpose of breast augmentation and allows for the monitoring of the impact of new implants on women's health. This increased concern for determining the safety of breast implants is due to a number of factors, which are examined in this article.
The Effects of Logo Experience on First-Grade Children's Ability to Estimate Distance
Authors: Campbell Patricia F. , Fein Greta G. , Schwartz Shirley S.
Published: May 2005

This study investigated the effect of learning Logo on first-grade children's understanding of length of measure under the condition of changing unit size. Twenty-three children received Logo instruction for one hour per week between October and early April. An Estimation of Distance task was administered to these children and to twenty-five first graders who had no Logo experience. The children understood that, for a given unit size, as the magnitude of the distance increased, the number of units associated with that distance would also increase. However, the children who had Logo instruction were significantly more accurate in estimating distance. All of the children understood that there was a compensating relationship between unit size and the number of units, but the distance estimations of the children who had Logo instruction were more reflective of the strength of the inverse relationship between unit size and number.
Drug Education in Tune
Authors: Janowiak John J.
Published: May 2005

America's impassioned involvement with music has found its way into the schools. A great song is complete in itself and needs nothing more to enhance it. The nose-thumbing spirit of Vietnam protesters in the seventies was reflected in the music of American songwriters of that period which included John Prine. Written in the traditional folk music style, John Prine's “Sam Stone” follows the storyline of a Vietnam veteran addicted to heroin and his tragic death. This article examines the heroin-related lyricism and music of “Sam Stone” as a teaching method in drug education.
“This Self of All the other Selves:” Part II
Authors: Natsoulas Thomas
Published: May 2005

William James provided a lead regarding which totality of mental-occurrence instances make up the person's “conscious being:” this totality may amount to a certain kind of mental occurrence, which James called “the self of all the other selves,” “the central active self,” and “the innermost sanctuary of our life.” Published in two parts, the present article pursues the nature of the self of selves. In Part II, I attend to issues raised by James's account of this self, including his understanding of (a) causal relations, (b) mental causation, (c) mental activity, (d) the mental-physical relation, (e) the stream of consciousness's transparency, (f) functions of the self of selves, and (g) the nature of “I.”
Effect of Pregnancy on Psychosis: Life Circumstances and Psychiatric Symptoms
Authors: Krener Penelope , Simmons Mary Kay , Hansen Robin L. , Treat Janet N.
Published: May 2005

As part of an ongoing prospective study to correlate mother and infant outcome with social isolation during pregnancy, the Schedule for Affective Disorders, SADS-C, was administered to twenty-seven psychotic patients late in pregnancy. Extensive standardized evaluation of life stresses and social supports included a Prenatal Interview with sixty items relating to demographics, drug use, health and obstetrical history, family involvement and development expectations of the infant, and a thirty-item Difficult Life Circumstances questionnaire. In this sample the patients' previous life adjustments were stabilized by their pregnancy unless the pregnancy itself created personal stress for the patient. Higher scores on Difficult Life Circumstances were found to be associated with more psychiatric symptomatology. Symptoms of pregnancy confounded SADS-C items measuring vegetative signs of depression. One group of items on the SADS-C appeared to selectively identify a subset of women whose underlying affective symptomatology was potentiated by pregnancy. A second group of items identified women whose symptoms appeared to be reactive to current situational strains.
Toward an Ecstasy and Other Club Drug (EOCD) Prevention Intervention for Rave Attendees
Authors: Yacoubian George S. , Miller Sarah , Pianim Selwyn , Kunz Michael , Orrick Erin , Link Tanja , Palacios Wilson R. , Peters Ronald J.
Published: May 2005

A growing body of recent research has identified that “rave” attendees are at high risk for the use of “club drugs,” such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or “ecstasy”). Rave attendees, however, comprise only one of several club-going populations. In the current study, we explore the prevalence of ecstasy and other club drug (EOCD) use among a sample of club attendees in Washington, DC. Data were collected from adult, primarily homosexual, club attendees during the summer of 2003. Data collection was scheduled between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. Participation rates were high. Of the 211 club attendees approached, 88% ( n = 186) completed the interview. Drug use prevalence rates were low. With the exception of alcohol and marijuana, 2-day self-reports were less than 1% for each drug. These findings, amalgamated with results from other EOCD-related studies involving several distinct populations, offer considerable insight into the state of ecstasy in American society. Based on a meta-analysis of this literature, we offer a community-level prevention intervention for the population at highest risk for EOCD use—rave attendees.
Difficulties in Supporting the Bereaved
Authors: Rosenblatt Paul C. , Spoentgen Patricia , Karis Terri A. , La Dahl Car , Kaiser Tamara , Elde Carol
Published: May 2005

Interviews were carried out with fifty-seven adults concerning their interactions with others who were bereaved. When the respondent and the other person were bereaved by the same loss, support relationships were more likely to be difficult. The difficulty arose in part from problems in making shared decisions, in meeting one another's needs and standards, and in coming to shared realities. In some cases the difficulty could be attributed, in part, to the history of the relationship between the people sharing bereavement or to the emotional, cognitive, and physical demands of bereavement. In potential support situations where interviewees were not also mourners, those who held back generally had not experienced a death of somebody close.
Field Supervision for Quality Control of Local Family Planning Workers in Developing Countries
Authors: Wishik Samuel M. , Bertrand Jane T.
Published: May 2005

On-the-job supervision is the most crucial and most often neglected mechanism for promoting program effectiveness. This article focuses on promoting the quality of worker performance, based on experience with the community-based distribution of contraceptives in Zaire and Zimbabwe. A three-tiered approach to evaluating worker performance, based on testing distributor knnowledge, observing distributors in the field, and interviewing their clients, proved overambitious for routine evaluation purposes, but elements from it are included in a proposed supervisory system. Under this system, the supervisor reviews the performance of workers relative to each other based on output prior to a supervisory visit and tries to identify explanations for observed deficiencies. During the visit, he/she evaluates distributor performance and records these observations on a supervisory chart, presented herein. These charts are reviewed and updated on subsequent visits. Quantitative data on distributor performance may be interpreted in light of such factors as the difficulty of working in a specific area or competing demands on distributors' time. The proposed system is presented for relevant modification rather than as a rigid set of procedures.
Support for the Medical Profession among the Aged
Authors: Kleiman Michael B. , Clemente Frank
Published: May 2005

National survey data are utilized to delineate areas of confidence among the aged in the medical profession. Four key specifying variables were used in the analysis—race, sex, socioeconomic status, and size of community. Findings indicate that confidence in medical leaders is lowest among that group which in past studies has been found to visit the doctor most often: the elderly of low socioeconomic status. This finding suggests that improvement in the medical care received by the aged could be an important first step in restoring the elderly's confidence in medical leaders.
Selling before Telling: Why the Government Needs to Take a Second Look at Genetically Engineered Foods
Authors: Rubin Jill , Tesmenitsky Anna
Published: May 2005

This article documents the early warning signs of health and environmental dangers of DDT, vinyl chloride, and leaded gasoline. In each case, industry scientists and/or public health officials warned of potential hazards but their advice was ignored at great cost to human health and the environment. Now, genetically engineered (GE) foods have been introduced to our food supply and exhibit many of the same early warning signs. Leaded gasoline was sold in the United States from 1923 through 1986. The additive was introduced without safety testing even though it was known that lead was neurotoxic. Industry efforts kept the federal government from studying or banning leaded gasoline for decades. Leaded gasoline released millions of tons of lead into the air. Lead can cause brain damage and even death. Vinyl chloride, used to make PVC plastic, has a similar history. When scientific studies confirmed that vinyl chloride was a carcinogen, industry representatives signed a secrecy agreement to keep the information from becoming public. DDT was used all over the United States to kill unwanted pests. Evidence of DDT's environmental and health impacts began to emerge in the 1950s. DDT is now deemed a probable human carcinogen, suspected of causing liver damage, and blamed for triggering premature births. GE foods have been introduced into our food supply with no required safety testing. Initial independent studies indicate that GE foods can trigger unexpected or unknown allergic reactions, may damage organs and immune system, can contaminate neighboring crops, and may cause ecological damage. Yet, industry studies about GE food products are considered proprietary and are not available for peer review or public scrutiny.

In reaction to the rejection of GE foods by many European countries and companies, the biotechnology industry is waging a massive propaganda effort in the United States. But when it comes to our food supply, we should not take any health or safety risks. We make these recommendations:

Hold biotechnology companies liable for any harm that comes from the use of GE foods. This will give them a financial incentive to ensure that GE foods are safe and provide compensation to any future victims Place a moratorium on GE foods until they are proven safe through independent, long-term testing for health and environmental impacts Require labeling of all GE foods that are proven safe to give consumers the right to know and choose
The Intersections of Culture, Health, and Systems in California Latino Communities
Authors: Clayson Zoe Cardoza , Casteñada Xóchitl , Sanchez Emma , Brindis Claire
Published: May 2005

The strategies adopted within several low-income California Latino communities were explored during evaluations of three larger initiatives designed to strengthen neighborhoods and improve the health and well-being of children and families. A model is proposed which depicts the interrelationships between culture, health, and the larger environmental context, factors which will become more important as political and economic constructs become increasingly globalized. Three interventions, the promotora outreach model, a neighborhood resource center, and a parent school-based safety patrol are discussed from the viewpoint of this multi-layered contextual analysis. The lessons learned from these interventions provide insight to practitioners working with diverse ethnic and socio-economic groups migrating across national boundaries.
Reach: An Unprecedented European Initiative for Regulating Industrial Chemicals
Authors: Epstein Samuel S.
Published: May 2005

In February 2001, the European Commission (EC) released a White Paper, REACH 2001, detailing unique and unprecedented legislative proposals for the regulation of industrial chemicals, based on the Precautionary Principle. The object of these proposals was to reverse the escalating incidence of avoidable cancers, a wide range of other industrial diseases, and environmental contamination. However, REACH was aggressively opposed by the European and U.S. chemical industries, and even more so by the U.S. administration. The EC responded by making major concessions in its October 2003 REACH-based legislative proposals. This report critically analyzes REACH, and its 2003 revised proposals, and recommends that REACH be strengthened, not weakened. Furthermore, the report urges that regulatory policies of the United States and other industrialized nations be drastically reformed to comply with those of REACH.
The First Experience in Teaching Psychiatry
Authors: Lazerson Alan M. , Tufo Robert P. , Downey Loren
Published: May 2005

For seven years, first year residents in psychiatry have been followed in their initial teaching effort. In the most recent group studied, five residents who taught psychology of adolescence to undergraduate education majors initially experienced considerable anxiety, followed by immediate relief, a progressive sense of mastery and enthusiasm, and a reluctance to end the elective. At the conclusion, all reported that the experience was extremely worthwhile and wished to continue teaching to try out new ideas. All of twenty undergraduate students who responded to an anonymous questionnaire rated their resident-instructor “above average” in comparison with previous instructors in high school and college, and 45 percent rated him “one of the best.” The faculty documented the residents' learning by behavioral changes over the observational period.

In our experience, brief but active involvement in teaching has proven to be the best starting point. Educators as supervisors help the resident bypass threatening issues relating to his uncertain identity as a psychiatrist, while guided experience helps him achieve a beginning sense of mastery of teaching skills which can be integrated with his developing knowledge of psychiatry.

A concomitantly developing conceptual model of therapy aids the resident in developing an educational model which includes such comparable aspects as a “learning contract,” a “learning alliance” and “transference/countertransference” student-teacher reactions.
Grieving Pet Death: Normative, Gender, and Attachment Issues
Authors: Wrobel Thomas A. , Dye Amanda L.
Published: May 2005

Grief over the loss of a pet was investigated to clarify the usual course of symptoms experienced, gender differences in the experience, and the role of attachment to the pet. The sample included 174 adults who had lost a pet dog or cat to death. Participants were administered a modified CENSHARE Pet Attachment Survey (Holcomb, Williams, & Richards, 1985) and a survey of symptoms experienced. Results indicate that initially 85.7% of owners experienced at least one symptom of grief, but the occurrence decreased to 35.1% at six months and to 22.4% at one year. Males and females reported significantly different rates on six of 12 symptoms surveyed. The severity and length of symptoms is significantly correlated with the degree of attachment to the deceased pet. These findings indicate that pet loss can be a potential area of clinical concern, especially if the person's attachment to the pet was strong.
Relationships between Imagery and Creativity in High-IQ Children
Authors: Shaw Geraldine A. , de Mers Stephen T.
Published: May 2005

The frequently postulated connection between imagery and creative thinking abilities was examined. Three commonly used creativity tests and three measures of imagery (self-reported vividness of imagery, self-reported control of imagery and visual memory) were administered to a sample of high-IQ children (to maximize the independence of creative thinking from IQ). Results of various regression analyses suggest that creativity and imagery are related in high-IQ children, and that neither creativity nor imagery as measured are unitary constructs but rather that some types and aspects of each are related. Implications for theories of human imagery, creativity, and intelligence are discussed.
The Relationship between Some Beliefs Held by Physicians and their Life-Prolonging Decisions
Authors: Degner Lesley
Published: May 2005

A Guttman scale was developed to elicit physicians' tendencies in regard to life-prolonging decisions. The great majority (79.4%) of the 92 physicians in the sample favored withdrawing treatment from terminally ill patients in at least two out of three imaginary situations. A comparison of the sample's life-prolonging decisions by their beliefs in God and afterlife yielded no significant differences. Comparison of the sample's life-prolonging decisions by their beliefs about death indicated that physicians who favored withdrawal of treatment from terminally ill patients viewed death more as a negative than as a neutral or positive phenomenon.
Change in the British National Health Service: Policy Paradox and the Rationing Issue
Authors: Salter Brian
Published: May 2005

The National Health Service of the United Kingdom is trapped in a policy paradox. On the one hand, the 1990 reforms encourage the devolution of power to local purchaser and provider units through the operation of the “internal market.” On the other, mechanisms of control and accountability are being revamped to produce a centrally managed system bound together by corporate contracts. The political frictions generated by this paradox are exacerbated by the problem of rationing health care in the face of apparently unlimited demand. This article examines the political problems faced by a single Health Authority as it sought to implement the changes required of it by the conflicting policies.
Positive Emotional States and Enhancement of the Immune System
Authors: Dillon Kathleen M. , Minchoff Brian , Baker Katherine H.
Published: May 2005

Salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentration increased significantly after subjects viewed a humorous videotape and did not change significantly after they viewed a didactic videotape. Scores on a questionnaire measuring the perceived use of humor as a coping skill were positively related to initial IgA concentration and inversely related to changes in IgA concentration after subjects' viewing of the humorous videotape, which implies a ceiling effect. Enhancement of the immune system may be one link between anecdotal claims of relationships between an individual's being in a positive emotional state and healing.
Quality Control Methods for IBM Computer Manuals
Authors: Wagner Carl B.
Published: May 2005

This paper summarizes the quality-control methods that the author has used or seen used at five IBM locations that publish various documents. The methods are editing, lead-writer review, peer review, self-review, technical-owner review, reviews by people with special skills, testing, walkthroughs, design review, checklists, mechanical reviews, and user feedback. The author gives his opinions about the advantages and limitations of each method.
Social and Demographic Characteristics of Nicaraguan Health Volunteers
Authors: Garfield Richard M. , Frieden Tom
Published: May 2005

Although the training and mobilization of volunteer health aides is widely promoted in Third World countries, little is known about those who volunteer. A survey of Nicaraguan volunteers in 1982 revealed findings which are similar to results found elsewhere. Women, young people, and students have tended to be those groups which volunteer most often. Less is known about the level of responsibility and organizational affiliation of volunteers. In the Nicaraguan case, it was found that although most volunteers are female, they usually do not represent a women's organization. A majority of the volunteers represent non-traditional organizations or no organization at all. Those volunteers with greater responsibility tend to be older, better educated, are more likely to be female, and more commonly represent an organization which came into existence after the country's 1979 revolution. Changes in the organization of health promotion campaigns in Nicaragua are likely to soon influence the recruitment and retention of volunteers.
Parental Bereavement and Religious Factors
Authors: Higgins Maura P.
Published: May 2005

There is a long held theory that religiosity provides comfort in times of bereavement. The purpose of this study is to examine religious factors and their relationship with depression as measured by the short CES-D scale in respondents that have experienced the death of a child. It is hypothesized that religious variables including a belief in afterlife and frequency of attendance at religious services will have a relationship with depression, with respondents who have higher measures of religiosity on these measures experiencing lower levels of depression. The research design is a secondary analysis of a single survey with data from the American Changing Lives Data Set, 1986, Wave 1. The study utilizes multiple regression analysis. The results of the study only weakly support the hypothesis that religious factors have a relationship with depression. Other variables, including, sex, marital status, race, age, family income, and education appear to have a stronger relationship with depression than religious factors. The study suggests that marital status has the strongest relationship with depression for women, and education has the strongest relationship with depression for men. The study's conclusion suggests that married women, and men with a higher level of education experience lower levels of depression.
Migrant Farm Workers in Southwestern Nigeria: Implications for HIV Transmission
Authors: Oyadoke Adebola A. , Brieger William R. , Adesope Azeez , Salami Kabiru K.
Published: May 2005

Migration of labor is an international phenomenon, but is especially pronounced within the West African region. Such migration is also known to be associated with the spread of sexually transmitted infections and HIV. Farmers in southwestern Nigeria increasingly depend on migrant farm workers (MFWs) as the traditional source of farm labor, their children are seeking further education and urban employment. This study documented a population of 482 MFWs within the Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State, a number less than 1% of the total population, which is primarily Yoruba. A sample of 244 was interviewed. Three types of MFWs were found: labor team leaders, their apprentices, and independent migrants. Slightly over half were from Nigeria, primarily from Kogi and Benue States in what is referred to as the middle belt of the country. Benue has the highest HIV prevalence in the country. Non-Nigerians came from neighboring Benin Republic and Togo. Their ages ranged from 14–46 years, with a mean of 31. Most were paid at the end of the harvest, though some received some cash and food from the farmers who hired them. The most commonly known STIs were AlDS (86%) and gonorrhea (76%). Fifty respondents (20.5%) reported symptoms of an STI in the past year, and few of these were the apprentices. While 199 (82%) had sex before, only 77 (39%) said they had sex in the past month. Most of these (61%) had sex with their wives, and 13 (17%) had sex with multiple partners. Less than half (47%) who had sex with a non-marital partner used a condom. A positive association was found between condom use and the following: STI knowledge, perceived seriousness of STIs, favorable attitudes toward condoms, and self-efficacy perceptions for condom use.
A Conversation about the Work Environment
Authors: Sass Robert
Published: May 2005

The author looks at work environment matters from the perspective of public policy-making and the policy instruments used to deal with workplace health and safety: standard setting; joint health and safety committees; compliance, enforcement, and prosecution; workers' compensation as an economic incentive; and collective bargaining. While regarding all as necessary, the author considers them as separately and collectively, fundamentally flawed and therefore insufficient, because liberal public policy-making itself is problematic. He proposes an alternative way of thinking about this subject from the perspective of the “politics of meaning.”
Predictors of Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes in Tennessee
Authors: Kedia Satish , Williams Charles
Published: May 2005

In planning and implementing programs to treat substance abuse, it is important to understand which factors influence post-treatment abstinence. This article identifies and analyzes several variables important in predicting the likelihood of abstinence among substance abuse clients. The data used in this study was collected from 1,350 clients treated for alcohol or drug abuse in residential, halfway house, or outpatient facilities in Tennessee. We analyzed 22 variables as possible treatment outcome predictors by using two statistical procedures: stepwise logistic regression analysis and Quick, Unbiased, Efficient, Statistical Tree (QUEST) analysis, a tree-structured classification algorithm analysis. We found one pre-treatment, five in-treatment, and three post-treatment variables to be significant predictors of treatment outcome: previous treatment history, perceived helpfulness of the treatment, simultaneous treatment for mental health, number of days in treatment, completion of treatment, special skills training during treatment, obtaining healthcare services for major physical health problem after treatment, living with someone using alcohol or drugs post treatment, and arrest record since treatment.
Patient Education in Nepal
Authors: Kanno Nellie B. , Dixit Kalyanmani Acharya
Published: May 2005

The authors, using the definition of health education as a deliberately, planned, structured learning opportunity about health that occurs in a setting at a given point in time involving an interaction between an educator and learner, recommend patient education in hospitals. The authors make a strong recommendation for the health education department within the Ministry of Health in Nepal to develop patient educational programs collaboratively with the nursing division. Such programs in the authors' opinion would limit the spread of infections, decrease diseases, and allow for maximum use of equipment and facilities unfamiliar to most Nepalese. Patient education would also promote adequate utilization of existing manpower.
The 1980 and 1984 U.S. Elections and the New Deal: An Alternative Interpretation
Authors: Navarro Vicente
Published: May 2005

This article has three sections. The first discusses the hegemonic interpretations of the 1980 and 1984 U.S. elections that are being reproduced on both sides of the political spectrum and that are presented as justification of current federal health and social policies. This section presents evidence that questions those hegemonic interpretations. Section II presents an alternative explanation of current political realities rooted in the class practices of the current federal administration and the Republican Party and in the abandonment by the opposition party—the Democratic Party—of the class practices of the New Deal. It discusses the reasons for that situation and analyzes its consequence for social policy. Section III presents evidence that questions the ideological arguments that are put forward by the Right (and are uncritically accepted by large sectors of the Left) and that sustain current federal economic and social policies. This section concludes with a discussion of alternative policies, stressing the need to rediscover class practices and its implication in health and social policy.
Computer Supported Instruction and Student Characteristics: An Experimental Study
Authors: Premkumar G. , Ramamurthy K. , King William R.
Published: May 2005

The extensive use of computers by businesses makes it imperative for most business graduates to possess a fair amount of computer skills to effectively perform in today's work environment. Business schools are integrating computers into their curricula to provide their students with these skills. While many studies in education have evaluated the effect of computer-based education, there are very few in the field of business education. This study evaluates the influence of a computer-based support system on the decision-making skills of students in a introductory financial management course. It also evaluates the impact of various personal characteristics of the student on decision-making performance. An experimental design combined with a survey instrument is used to collect data from forty-two graduate students. Discriminant analysis is used to derive a profile of students classifiable into groups based on quality of performance and degree of satisfaction. The results of the study indicate that the computer support system does indeed improve the performance of the students. The results of discriminant analyses suggest aptitude to be an important variable that emerged consistently in all the discriminant models. The other important predictors of improved performance and satisfaction with computer-supported instruction were observed to be domain expertise, domain experience, system experience, and the gender of the students.
Older Women in the Post-Reagan Era
Authors: Arendell Terry , Estes Carroll L.
Published: May 2005

This article explores the social, economic, and institutional factors that affect older women throughout the life cycle, and recent policy and ideological changes that will continue to affect older women in the decades ahead. The situation of the older woman is shown to result from lifelong patterns of socioeconomic and gender stratification in the larger society. The consequences for women flow from the complex and often subtle relationships in the social institutions of the family, the labor market, and the state and its social policy. The female roles of worker, unpaid caregiver, and beneficiary of public policies continue to be systemically unequal to those of men. The patriarchal structure of (and control over) the labor market and policy-making promotes the informalization of long-term care, ageism and sexism toward older women attempting to reenter the labor market, and the devaluing of female work that is not economically remunerated. The failure of social problems to address the underlying structural inequities of women perpetuates their disadvantaged economic and health situation throughout old age. Changes in social policies are required to address the problem of access to basic resources, including Social Security, housing, health, and long-term care, but most importantly, to abridge and compensate for the gendered division of labor and the lifelong discrimination that women experience.
Marketing Information Systems and Management Information Systems: Education and Training
Authors: Thompson Warren
Published: May 2005

Computer education and computer training is becoming more important as technology advances. Human resource specialists will be forced to make crucial decisions that will impact the total organization as more organizations use computer technology. Information is important to the organization. Business executives and managers need to be educated and continuously trained on computer information systems. The benefits from computer education and training outweigh its costs. This is evident by the increasing interest in education and training in business organizations. This article compares and discusses management information systems and marketing information systems and focuses upon the training that is needed for today's managers and executives. It is an attempt to review the major concerns of MKIS and MIS education and training.
An Empirical Approach to Representing Patterns of Consumer Tastes, Nostalgia, and Hierarchy in the Market for Cultural Products
Authors: Holbrook Morris B.
Published: May 2005

Previous empirical research on consumer tastes for cultural products has investigated the structures of markets for art, entertainment, and popular culture by examining how customer characteristics affect preferences among cultural categories (e.g., films versus television) or within a category (e.g., television soap operas versus TV sports programs). The present study explores preferences both among and within cultural categories. It hypothesizes and finds taste patterns that reflect age-related nostalgia and that indicate a hierarchy from highbrow to lowbrow cultural products. Further—in answer to a research question concerning the market segments defined by ethnic group, gender, and religion—it appears that whites, men, and Christians tend relatively to favor the more popular or lowbrow aspects of the consumer culture.
It's a Rave New World: Estimating the Prevalence and Perceived Harm of Ecstasy and other Drug use among Club Rave Attendees
Authors: Yacoubian George S. , Boyle Cynthia , Harding Christine A. , Loftus Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2005

The use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or “ecstasy”) appears to be increasing worldwide, with “rave” attendees being one high-risk population. To date, however, only one study has collected ecstasy use information from rave attendees in the United States. To address this limitation, we collected self-report drug use information from 70 adult “club rave” attendees within the Baltimore-Washington corridor in April and May 2002. Data collection was scheduled between 12 A.M. and 5 A.M. Participation rates were high, with 85 percent of the club rave attendees completing the interview. Eighty-six percent of the respondents reported lifetime ecstasy use, 51 percent reported 30-day use, and 30 percent reported using ecstasy within the two days preceding the interview. While past-year ecstasy users were comparable to non-users with respect to a host of demographic and drug use variables, non-ecstasy users were significantly more likely than past-year users to perceive risks associated with the regular use of alcohol and ecstasy. Not surprisingly, non-ecstasy users were significantly more likely than past-year users to perceive harmful long-term physical and psychological effects associated with ecstasy ingestion. These findings suggest that rave attendees may be an important population for ecstasy-related prevention efforts.
Body Image and its Disorders
Authors: Shontz Franklin C.
Published: May 2005

The body image is not a body organ, a psychological picture, or a little-person-in-the-head. It is best described in terms of the functions it serves and the levels at which it is experienced. The body functions as a sensory register, an instrument for action, a source of drives, a stimulus to the self and others, a private world, and an expressive instrument. The four levels of body experience are schemata, self, fantasy, and concept. A complete description of a body image disorder identifies the source of the disorder and its effects on the functions and levels of experience. Behavioral treatment for body image disorder may develop basic sensory-motor capacities, teach specific skills, promote interpersonal relations with others having similar problems, or use traditional psychotherapeutic techniques, depending upon the needs of the individual patient.
Does War affect Death Anxiety Level? Seven Readings of Measurements (1988–2002) before and after the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait
Authors: Abdel-Khalek Ahmed M.
Published: May 2005

The present study compared death anxiety level in 1988 (i.e., before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990) and six readings in the years 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2002 (i.e., after the liberation of Kuwait in 1991). The total samples for comparison were 2,221 male and female Kuwaiti volunteer undergraduates. The Arabic version of the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) was used with all groups. It was found that all the sex-related differences in the same year of the seven testing occasions were significant. For males, the mean DAS scores after the invasion in 1993, 1995, and 1996 were only significantly higher than that before the invasion. With females, there were a number of fluctuations; however, there was a significant increase of the DAS mean score directly after the invasion in comparison with that before it. By and large, the present findings support the Templer's theory regarding death anxiety as a fluid entity influenced by environmental events, particularly war-related experiences.
The Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties: A Critical Analysis
Authors: Bell R. Warren , Osterman John W.
Published: May 2005

The Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (CPS) is the most widely used source of drug information in Canada, and is heavily financed by the pharmaceutical industry. A close examination of its contents comparing a computer-drawn, randomized sample of monographs from its “White Pages” to standard pharmacological reference works demonstrates certain of its characteristics: it uncritically includes many inadequate preparations; it overstates the benefits and understates the adverse qualities of many preparations; and it contains little or no information on relative indications, efficacy, or price. These characteristics serve to promote the marketing goals of the drug manufacturers and severely limit the volume's usefulness as an objective source of drug information. The role of the CPS and similar publications in the overall context of current drug company marketing strategies is discussed. Finally, suggestions for improvements are made involving the elimination of direct manufacturer financing, and the creation of an objective, independent, nonprofit publishing agency supported by professional and governmental organizations.
Condom Use Behavior: An Assessment of United States College Students' Health Education Needs
Authors: Schuster Catherine
Published: May 2005

Descriptive studies regarding sexual activity and condom use among college persons have found that college students are particularly permissive and do not use condoms regularly. Within a social cognitive theory (SCT) framework, the present study determined the condom use related health education needs of college students. Data regarding condom use frequency, appropriateness of condom use, social support for condom use, perceived barriers regarding condom use, perceived social norm regarding the use of condoms, perceived outcomes of using a condom, and condom use self-efficacy were collected from 569 students enrolled in health, physical education, and recreation classes at a large mid-Western United States university. Results indicated a serious lack of consistent and appropriate use of condoms. Strengths and weaknesses of SCT scales were described. Women could improve on their physical and emotional outcome expectations of using a condom. Areas for men that could be improved include perceived physical and emotional outcomes of condom use, self-efficacy related to partner disapproval and embarrassment, and self-efficacy related to intoxicants. Several recommendations for college health education programs were made.
Imagery in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Implications for Symptoms and Treatment
Authors: Gapinski Kathrine D.
Published: May 2005

The present article examines the existing literature on the role of imagery in the symptoms and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Intrusive thoughts and images are conceptualized as falling somewhere along a continuum of normality to pathology. The development of OCD is discussed as resulting from anxious emotional states and dysfunctional cognitive appraisals that occur in response to intrusive cognitions. Four types of imagery evidenced by OCD sufferers are reviewed from de Silva's paper: the obsessional image, the compulsive image, the disaster image, and the disruptive image [1]. The logic and efficacy of an imagery component in the treatment of OCD is discussed, particularly as it pertains to the implementation of imaginal exposure within the framework of the empirically validated cognitive-behavioral treatment of exposure and responsive prevention.
Conceptual Issues in the Assessment of Clinical Pain
Authors: Turk Dennis C. , Kerns Robert D.
Published: May 2005

A number of approaches to the clinical assessment of pain are examined. Emphasis is placed on the importance of matching assessment procedures with specific research or referral questions being addressed. The importance of a comprehensive approach in which cognitive, affective, and behavioral, as well as sensory-physiological dimensions are assessed is discussed drawing on three case examples. Methodological and conceptual issues of pain assessment are examined and guidelines for comprehensive pain assessment are offered.
Organizational Development as a Health Education Strategy to Maintain Community Involvement in PHC Management
Authors: Brieger William R. , Ramakrishna Jayashree , Akpovi Samuel U. , Adeniyi Joshua D.
Published: May 2005

Primary Health Care programs should not stop with the training of PHW's. Not only do these village-based workers need regular supervision; they also need continual access to the resources required for them to carry out their duties. Formal health agencies have had difficulties in meeting these demands for supervision and management on the scale required to bring health to all in even the remotest hamlet. There is consequently a need to look for ways that a community can manage its own PHC program. Efforts to develop a PHW Association in Idere, Nigeria, have shown that self-management is a realistic goal. They have also shown the need for health educators to focus on organizational and leadership development as part of their contribution to primary health care.
Some Factors Affecting the Birthday-Deathday Phenomenon
Authors: Zusne Leonard
Published: May 2005

Samples of individuals differing in sex, age, profession, eminence and fame, and historical period (total N = 3306) were examined for the presence of the birthday-deathday phenomenon. A decrease in the probability of death with approaching birthday followed by an increase was found in most males. The dip-rise centered on the birthday, spanning on the average thirty-six days before and thirty-six days after the birthday. Females, by contrast, showed an initial rise in the probability of death with approaching birthday, followed by a drop. The phenomenon extended from an approximate average of sixty-five days before to sixty-five days after the birthday. In the general population these two trends may combine to yield a pattern indistinguishable from chance. In addition to gender, age also appears to be a factor in that both the male and the female birthday-deathday phenomena tend to be more pronounced in the elderly. The importance of using time units that are appropriate to the temporal grain of the phenomena is stressed.
Cancer: Denial or Suppression?
Authors: Dansak Daniel A. , Cordes Rosemarie Selgas
Published: May 2005

Medical personnel often reach erroneous judgments on the reaction of cancer patients to death and dying. Patients with terminal cancer sometimes will say little or nothing to hospital staff members or other professionals about their fears or expectations. This silence is generally construed as indicative of the primitive defense mechanism of denial. Usually, however, such patients are not truly “denying” cancer and its consequences, but have merely decided, more or less voluntarily, to “suppress” these thoughts as a method of coping with their illness. The medical staff, through careful observation of cancer patients, and through discussions with patients' families, should be able to distinguish between denial and suppression. This distinction can be significant because it enables the staff to understand the patient's feelings correctly, and thereby to provide more effective care. The staff, and the patients themselves, are thus in a better position to orchestrate the patients' various physical, emotional and interpersonal needs and resources optimally.
Psychosomatic Aspects of Chronic Pelvic Pain
Authors: Castelnuovo-Tedesco Pietro , Krout Boyd M.
Published: May 2005

Three groups of women of different socioeconomic extraction, some with and some without chronic pelvic pain, were studied gynecologically and psychiatrically. Regardless of the presence or absence of organic pelvic pathology, pelvic pain patients showed considerable psychopathology clinically and by psychological testing, mainly mixed character disorders with predominant schizoid features. They usually were eager to undergo hysterectomy. Those who received a hysterectomy generally became pain-free, but often they seemingly substituted for it other symptoms (mostly psychological). Pelvic pain patients of different socioeconomic extraction had similar psychological characteristics. A central conclusion is that chronic pelvic pain appears more closely related to the presence of psychiatric disturbance, which is a constant finding, than to the presence of organic pelvic pathology, which is an inconstant finding.
A Review of PSI Course Features and Selected Concerns for Their Implementation
Authors: Jacobs Ronald L.
Published: May 2005

This article reviews the five basic features of PSI courses and then assesses the relative importance of each in contributing to students' success. Some of the relevant research findings are cited to provide support for the conclusions regarding each feature. In addition, a number of concerns are presented which should be considered by instructors and instructional designers before implementing a personalized system. While PSI may not be appropriate for all instructional settings, the system is based on some tenets of sound teaching practice: high student involvement, immediate feedback, and mastery orientation.
Psychodynamic Therapy with the Bereaved: Listening for Conflict, Relationship and Transference
Authors: Rubin Simon Shimshon
Published: May 2005

Three main themes of classical and contemporary psychodynamic theories of therapy are reviewed and their application to intervention with the bereaved is considered: 1) The unconscious experience of bereaved individuals following loss is a central aspect of psychodynamic therapy as it addresses drive, defense and conflict. 2) The bereaved's self- and other-focused relational schema are considered under the object-relations paradigm. 3) The transference relationship in therapy of the bereaved must make allowances for the bereaved's involvement with the deceased. The application of these aspects of theory to the specifics of working with bereaved individuals is explored in the therapy of a young man bereft of his father.