bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cancer Mortality in Psychiatric Patients: The IOWA Record-Linkage Study
Authors: Black Donald W. , Winokur George
Published: May 2005

Of 5,412 patients admitted to the University of Iowa Psychiatric Hospital over a ten-year period, forty-six died of cancer during follow-up, which did not differ significantly from expected. Significant excess mortality from cancer was present within the first two years of follow-up. At risk during this period were women and patients with organic mental disorders. A review of relevant literature is presented.
Counseling Suicide Survivors: Issues and Answers
Authors: Schuyler Dean
Published: May 2005

Survivors of the suicidal death of a loved one form a neglected group with individual needs and collective problems. Their vulnerability to subsequent episodes of depression with or without suicidal behavior has been suggested by follow-up studies. Their psychological situation is distinct from the bereavement following natural death in both intrapsychic and interpersonal ways. Issues prominent in Psychotherapy with survivors are identified. A case of the psychotherapy of a family subsequent to the suicide of one of its members is presented to highlight these issues. Suggestions are offered for helping the survivors deal with their feelings and the process of bereavement Follow-up is provided to enable the reader to gauge the success of the psychotherapeutic routine.
Do Suicide Survivors Report Near-Death Experiences?
Authors: Ring Kenneth , Franklin Stephen
Published: May 2005

Interviews with thirty-six persons who had been close to death as a result of a suicide attempt were conducted to determine whether such persons report Moody-type near-death experiences. Seventeen persons, or 47 per cent of the sample, related such experiences which were more common for men than women (p <.05). Although suicide-related near-death experiences do not appear different from near-death experiences in general, three distinct patterns were found here. The findings are discussed with reference to the concept of ego-death and their therapeutic implications are explored.
Consideration of the Vanity and Shortness of Man's Life: A Selection from Holy Dying
Authors: Taylor Jeremey
Published: May 2005

“Nature calls us to meditate of death…” The first section of Jeremy Taylor's classic tract, Holy Dying (1651) is reprinted. Described are several of the ways in which man learns to “taste of death” through his life experiences, the fragility and vulnerability of life, and the folly of attempting to put death out of mind. It is impossible to consider life deeply without considering death.
Technical English and the Future
Authors: Yoder Albert C.
Published: May 2005

“Technical English and the Future” begins by discussing two methods of teaching technical English: the practical and the imaginative. It then argues that these methods need not be mutually exclusive and that teachers should search for ways of synthesizing the two. One such way is for courses in technical English to focus on the subject of the future. After discussing the rationale for this approach, the article describes what such a course might be like.
The Induction of Acute and Chronic Cardiovascular Disease in Animals by Psychosocial Stimulation
Authors: Henry James P.
Published: May 2005

It has been established that sustained emotional arousal can accompany the psychosocial stimulation induced by the social interaction of members of a social group as they compete for desiderata, such as food and water. This paper reviews the evidence that this arousal of neuroendocrine response patterns can, in turn, lead to disease states and to a fatal outcome. Various experimental observations in pigs, monkeys, baboons, tree shrews, and rodents demonstrate both acute and chronic disturbances of cardiovascular function. These conditions can lead to sudden death or to sustained high blood pressure with arteriosclerotic lesions in the heart and blood vessels. It is shown that when social pressure that has been maintained for a sufficiently long period is relieved, the organism does not revert to normal.
Using Distance Education to Educate and Empower Community Coalitions: A Case Study
Authors: Kreisler Ann , Snider B. Alan , Kiernan Nancy Ellen
Published: May 2005

This article focuses on a community activism program about the issue of youth tobacco control across fourteen communities. The article highlights an interesting and innovative methodology to provide staff development workshops to each community site where participants received consistent messages with preparation for coalition building and local action planning to address youth tobacco control issues. The article concludes with recommendations for educators considering the use of distance education technologies to educate and empower collective activism in a limited time period.
Women in Male-Dominated Health Professions
Authors: Carpenter Eugenia S.
Published: May 2005

Analysis of survey data on six health professions in Michigan suggests the extent to which sex-role stereotypes are reflected in the distribution of women within and among those professions which typically function as independent practitioners. The particular emphasis of the analysis is the structural or organizational aspects of the professions which facilitate or hinder the recruitment and participation of women. Distribution of women among professions is associated with relative levels of sex-segregation and with the relative availability of career opportunities in nonentrepreneurial settings. Implications of these findings for future trends in the sex structure of the health professions are discussed and a research agenda on women health professionals is proposed.
Neurosarcoidosis Presenting as Schizophreniform Disorder
Authors: Sabaawi Mohamed , Gutierrez-Nunez Jose , Fragala M. Richard
Published: May 2005

A patient whose clinical presentation met criteria for schizophreniform disorder was ultimately found to have neurosarcoidosis, and the psychiatric symptoms responded to steroid treatment. The ongoing search for organic etiology was prompted by the presence of cognitive decline, perseveration and rare bizarre automatisms. This is virtually the first reported association between schizophreniform disorder and sarcoidosis. We reviewed the literature on neurologic involvement and psychiatric manifestations in sarcoidosis as well as the concurrence between organicity and schizophrenic psychosis. The importance of attending to all elements of the mental status examination in a patient with complex atypical findings is underscored.
Integrated Services Digital Networks: How it Can Be Used for Distance Education
Authors: Saba Farhad , Twitchell David
Published: May 2005

Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN) is an emerging telecommunications technology that will affect how distance education is designed, developed, and presented. Combined with integrated desktop workstations, it will put voice, text, and video telecommunications at the fingertips of educators and learners. Appropriate use of ISDN for distance education and training depends on the development of a conceptual scheme to integrate models from several closely related areas such as integrated information systems, educational broadcasting, computer assisted instruction, and distance education. In a project funded by Northern Telecom Inc., faculty and students of the Department of Educational Technology at San Diego State University are presently involved in evaluating an integrated telecommunications system and developing an integrated model of distance education.
Revise: A Computer-Based Writing Assistant
Authors: Chang Frederick R.
Published: May 2005

This article describes a computer-based writing assistant called REVISE, which implements some “Plain English” guidelines in an easy-to-use, efficient computerized tool. Some existing computer-based writing systems are reviewed and some problems with these systems are discussed, particularly in the area of the human-computer interface. The article describes the design principles that formed the basis of REVISE and how REVISE improves upon some of the difficulties noted in the existing systems. A preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of REVISE is described. Some limitations of REVISE are discussed as are directions for future research and development on computer-based writing aids.
Producing the Video for Interactive Video: Guidelines for Video Producers and Directors
Authors: Hanson Luett
Published: May 2005

Interactive video is a relatively new instructional medium that incorporates elements of its parent technologies, computers and video. Producers and directors of instructional video who wish to work in interactive video will find that straight-line video production skills are still relevant and valuable, but those skills must be augmented and applied in new ways. This article describes some of the adjustments a producer or director accustomed to working in linear video could expect to make when working on an interactive video program, during the stages of preproduction, production, and postproduction.
Effect of Residential Change on the Temporal Distance to Death of Terminal Cancer Patients
Authors: Schulz Richard , Aderman David
Published: May 2005

Records of deceased patients at a terminal-care cancer institute were examined to discover whether temporal distance to death varied as a function of the disparity between the patients' preadmission living arrangement and the institutional life style. The major finding was that those patients who came to the institute from other hospitals survived nearly one month longer, on the average, than the patients who came from a dissimilar home environment. It was argued that the detrimental effects of severe residential change are mediated by feelings of helplessness.
A Comparison of Vietnam Era Veterans and their Combat Exposure with the Symptomatology of Dying
Authors: Villereal Gary L.
Published: May 2005

This study examines the degree of differences exposure to combat had on Vietnam era veterans in relationship to the dimensions within Kübler-Ross' stages of dying. As a component of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the symptoms of dying are seen as contributing to an understanding of the effects of combat. The Veterans Diagnostic Scale was administered to 109 Vietnam era veterans. Correlational analysis and t-test were used to test significance. It was found that combat experience indicate that combat exposure relates to symptoms of dying as identified by the Veterans Diagnostic Scale. Combat and wounded Vietnam veterans scored significantly higher on those symptoms than non-combat and nonwounded Vietnam era veterans. Indicators do not support Kübler-Ross' sequential order of symptoms in the dying process.
Effective Use of Television to Popularize Science
Authors: Richardson Jacques G.
Published: May 2005

The growing use of television to popularize science and technology has generated a trial examination of the motives, the dynamics, and the effectiveness of the process. Some results of the first international meeting held on the subject are presented by one of the participants.
Memory for Picture Frames
Authors: Koutstaal Wilma
Published: May 2005

Does the frame in which a picture appears become incorporated with our mental representation or memory for the picture? In five experiments, participants were shown several colored drawings, each set in a unique frame, and then later were given an unexpected memory test for the drawings and frames. Participants who initially performed a task that focused their attention on the drawings alone (rating the pleasingness or visual complexity of the drawings) were unable to correctly identify the frames as same or different at above chance levels. In contrast, participants who initially performed a task that focused attention on the drawings in relation to the frames (rating the suitability of the frames for the drawings, or the darkness of the drawings compared to the frames), showed significantly greater than chance frame identifications. Relational or interactive encoding of a picture and its frame is critical for memory of picture frames.
Effects of Personal and Situational Factors on Attitudes toward Suicide
Authors: Droogas Athena , Siiter Roland , O'Connell Agnes N.
Published: May 2005

This study investigated whether attitudes on suicide would be affected by the individual's personal characteristics and the nature of the situation. It was hypothesized that suicide would be judged more or less “justifiable” depending on characteristics of the crisis confronting the suicidal individual as well as perception of the individual's general utility to society as a whole. Eighty undergraduates responded to sixteen fictional suicide case histories with judgments on a series of twelve items indicating their perception of the “justifiability” of the suicidal act in each case. Results showed that the personal characteristics of the suicidal individual made little difference, but that the nature of the crisis confronting the suicidal individual affected judgments of justifiability. Specifically, respondents tended to regard physical deterioration and pain as more justifiable motives for suicide than the less acceptable motives of mental deterioration or pain. Implications of the data for theories on suicide are discussed.
Getting More Mileage Out of Audience Analysis — A Basic Approach
Authors: Tebeaux Elizabeth
Published: May 2005

An effective way to introduce audience analysis is to have students select a passage from an advanced text in their fields and then rewrite the passage twice for two different audiences. The assignment has several advantages: it gradually introduces students to the means of shaping material to meet reader needs by allowing the student to deal with only one reader at a time; it allows students to write about material they already know; it shows the instructor how effective his initial audience instruction has been; it gives the instructor the opportunity to show how definition is related to audience analysis; and it provides a means of developing and integrating several other writing projects which use this assignment as a basis.
Assessing the Readability of Government Accounting Standards: The Cloze Procedure
Authors: Shaffer Raymond J. , Stevens Kevin T. , Stevens William P.
Published: May 2005

Studies assessing the readability of business writing typically use either readability formulas or, less often, the cloze procedure. This study argues that the cloze procedure, rather than a formula, is the appropriate method of assessing the readability of business writing and uses the cloze procedure to determine the readability of a statement issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). The GASB provides authoritative statements on the accounting required for local and state governments and agencies. The results indicate that one important GASB statement is unreadable by college-level readers. If this and other GASB statements are unreadable by the users of GASB pronouncements, the GASB may not be fulfilling its role of communicating governmental accounting principles.
Collaborative Learning Tool for Presenting Authentic Case Studies and its Impact on Student Participation
Authors: Lourdusamy A. , Khine Myint Swe , Sipusic Mike
Published: May 2005

Advancement in information and communication technologies has brought about the development of newer tools that can promote collaborative learning. Conversant Media is a tool that allows users to engage in collaborative discussion based on viewing authentic video footages. This article reports the impact of the use of the tool on collaborative learning in a teacher education course. The trainee teachers engaged themselves enthusiastically in this exercise going beyond the minimum number of postings expected of them. Both the quantity and quality of interaction improved over the three activities they were engaged in. Writing critical comments on classroom events and reading feedback from peers were highly valued by the trainee teachers. Conversant Media has the potential for use in teacher education as an alternative means to classroom visits.
The Creativity and Job Satisfaction of Artists in Organizations
Authors: Runco Mark A.
Published: May 2005

Although the creativity of artists is often studied, typically these artists work alone. The primary objective of this investigation was to examine artists employed in a large organization. Collaboration is required in organizations, and it may be that only particular artists succeeded in those settings. With this in mind, the Adjective Check List (ACL) was administered to 35 artists from a large organization specializing in creative products. Background data (e.g., birth order and education) were also collected. Seven scales extracted from each ACL and both personality and background were tested as predictors of the job satisfaction of the organizational artists. Another objective of this investigation was to assess the artists' views about the organization, using a measure of the Climate for Creative Productivity. The final objective was to compare artists' views of “an ideally or maximally creative visual artist” (based on a second administration of the ACL). Results indicated that job satisfaction could be predicted from the ACL, with the more original artists the least satisfied. Also important was the discrepancy between artists' self-descriptions and their descriptions of the ideal artists, the latter being indicative of higher creative potential.
Correlates of Death Anxiety: A Review of Empirical Studies
Authors: Pollak Jerrold M.
Published: May 2005

Correlational studies of the fear of death completed over the last decade are reviewed. Research topics, trends, and findings are compared to earlier research on death anxiety correlates. Emphasis is placed on definitions of the construct, measurement techniques, concepts of death, and the variables of sex, age, occupation, socioeconomic status, value orientation, levels of awareness, and relationships between death anxiety and an array of personality variables. Suggestions for future areas of research are made.
Hypertext Links to Learning: Roadblocks and Obstacles along the Information Super Highway
Authors: Daly Joanne English
Published: May 2005

Educational research has reported a multitude of goals for academic institutions of higher education. Specific academic goals focus in various directions. A common theme permeates throughout mission statements, strategic planning documents, and planning committees objectives. That is, to provide an enhanced environment in which students will become actively engaged in the process of learning, achieve their highest possible level of understanding of scientific and theoretical concepts, and develop a sense of ownership of the knowledge that they create. The accessibility of the World Wide Web to students creates a virtual learning environment that facilitates the construction of scholarly activities without traditional restrictions of time, geographic limitations, and facilitates expedience of data collection. This article addresses the five fundamental obstacles faced by students and faculty as they attempt to achieve goals of academic institutions via Web-based support and instruction.
The Near-Death Experience: Is the Presence Always the Higher Self?
Authors: Serdahely William J.
Published: May 2005

Interviews with numerous near-death experiences have revealed that some experiencers may encounter a presence while in the dark tunnel. Kenneth Ring has hypothesized that the presence is actually the higher self. The present article provides evidence, albeit tentative, to suggest the presence may not always be the higher self, especially for victims of child and sexual abuse. Three case histories are presented which suggest that under special circumstances, the presence may be a female whose role is to provide comfort for suffering children. This alternative hypothesis is supported by transcendental experiences which occur during meditation, and an archetypal case history is discussed.
Regionalization of Cancer Control Efforts in the U.S.A.
Authors: Elwood Thomas W. , Waalkes T. Phillip , Vaughan William P.
Published: May 2005

The Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, one of the first of the nation's twenty-one Comprehensive Cancer Centers, established a cancer control program to mobilize resources to improve patient care and prevent the occurrence of neoplastic diseases. Initial efforts were based on the results of a series of investigations conducted in four communities. Findings from these studies were then converted into a series of programmatic interventions. The strategy included integrated approaches to creating a community education program within the overall effort.
Technical Communication in Britain
Authors: Bratchell D. F.
Published: May 2005

Colleges of advanced technology in Great Britain became technological universities following the recommendation of the Robbins Report of the Committee on Higher Education in 1963.

This paper discusses developments in communication studies in the context of general education for students entering commerce and industry. Central to the discussion is a description of the integration of courses in spoken and written communication at the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology. Specialists in technical communication in industry were consulted with the result that an existing degree course was adapted to meet the industrial challenge.
The Effects of Imagery and Language Cognitive Strategies on Dietary Intake, Weight Loss, and Perception of Food
Authors: Kirk Constance C. , Griffey David C.
Published: May 2005

Two forms of suggestion were practiced by a randomly assigned experimental group of twenty-seven volunteers, over a six week period, to determine the effects of suggestion on dietary intake, weight loss, and perception of food. One form of suggestion entailed reading a variety of written suggestions every time before eating and/or drinking. The other form was auditory; subjects listened to a fifteen minute cassette tape which led them through a variety of imagery suggestions. ANOVA, analysis of variance, was used to determine that the experimental group ( n = 27) experienced a significant average weight loss of 4.963 pounds ( p > .001) and decreased total daily caloric intake by approximately 200 calories per day; the control group ( n = 21) gained an average of one pound with a slight increase in daily caloric intake. Experimental subjects indicated that they were less anxious, less frustrated, and less depressed before eating a favorite food. They reported a lessening of liking foods that were harmful to them and experienced a diminution of their desire for eating such foods.
Videodisc Instructional Strategies: Simple May Be Superior to Complex
Authors: Balson Paul M. , Ebner Donald G. , Mahoney James V. , Lippert Henry T. , Manning Diane T.
Published: May 2005

This experiment is the final investigation of a sequential series of studies designed to determine whether or not videodisc technology is both educationally effective and cost-efficient. This experiment compared and contrasted the learning and performance behavior in paramedic students in a non-videodisc control group, a limited-access experimental group, and a full-access experimental group on several dimensions. Results indicated that both videodisc groups were superior, but there were no differences within any parameter between the limited-access and full-access videodisc groups. It was concluded that at least for a high-stress, psychomotor task, the additional costs of the more complex videodisc programming and training required for the full-access strategy were not justifiable by measured classroom value.
Globalization, Pharmaceutical Pricing, and South African Health Policy: Managing Confrontation with U.S. Firms and Politicians
Authors: Bond Patrick
Published: May 2005

Brewing since the advent of South African democracy in 1994 and promises of health sector transformation, an extraordinary drug war between President Nelson Mandela's African National Congress government and U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers took on global proportions in 1998–1999. Within months of the passage of South African legislation aimed at lowering drug prices, the U.S. government quickly applied powerful pressure points to repeal a clause allowing potential importation of generic substitutes and imposition of compulsory licensing. At stake were not only local interpretations of patent law and World Trade Organization rules on Trade in Intellectual Property, but international power relations between developing countries and the pharmaceutical industry. In reviewing the ongoing debate, this article considers post-apartheid public health policy, U.S. government pressure to change the law, and pharmaceutical industry interests and links to the U.S. government, and evaluates various kinds of resistance to U.S. corporate and government behavior. The case thus raises—not for the first time—concerns about contemporary imperialism (“globalization”), the role of the profit motive as an incentive in vital pharmaceutical products, and indeed the depth of “democracy” in a country where high-bidding international drug firms have sufficient clout to embarrass Vice President Al Gore by pitting him against the life-and-death interests of millions of consumers of essential drugs in South Africa and other developing countries.
User-Controlled Technology in the Humanities
Authors: Hansen Desna Wallin
Published: May 2005

Humanists have resisted and sometimes actively opposed the use of instructional technology for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, the following: 1) self-preservation, fear of being replaced by a “machine”; 2) myths associated with technology; and 3) lack of technical skills.

Upon closely examining these frequently used reasons, it becomes apparent that the common link among them is the instructor's fear of somehow relinquishing control over the teaching/learning environment It would appear that, in order to be acceptable to most humanists, any new instructional technology must be user-controlled. Cases are presented in which user-controlled technology is being used successfully in literature, drama, art, music and languages.
Health Care Workers' Unions and Health Insurance: The 1199 Story
Authors: Berliner Howard S. , Gibson Geoffrey , Devine-Perez Cyprian
Published: May 2005

Labor unions that represent health care workers encounter unique circumstances. This study focuses on 1199—the largest health care workers' union in the United States, based in New York City—and describes how the union and its National Benefit Fund have structured a managed indemnity health insurance program that provides extensive benefits for its members. The authors detail the workings of the National Benefit Fund and the ways in which it can improve the health care of its members through its union structure. The Fund represents a model for improving the provision of health care to Americans.
China's “Market Economics in Command”: Footwear Workers' Health in Jeopardy
Authors: Chen Meei-Shia , Chan Anita
Published: May 2005

This study of occupational safety and health (OSH) problems in the footwear industry in China, the world's largest shoemaker, is based on four years of research in China supplemented by research in Taiwan, Australia, and the United States. With the advent of the economic reforms of the early 1980s, the Chinese state is being driven by an economic imperative under which the profit motive overrides other concerns, causing a deterioration in OSH conditions. Footwear workers are being exposed to high levels of benzene, toluene, and other toxic solvents contained in the adhesives used in the shoe-making process. Many workers have been afflicted with aplastic anemia, leukemia, and other health problems. Most of China's current permissible exposure limits to toxins are either outdated or underenforced. As a result, the Chinese state's protection of footwear workers' health is inadequate. The article aims to draw the attention of the international OSH community to the importance of setting specific exposure standards for the footwear industry worldwide.
Impacts of the Proposed Restructuring of Medicare and Medicaid on the Elderly: A Conceptual Framework and Analysis
Authors: Lynch Marty , Minkler Meredith
Published: May 2005

The article examines the proposed transformations in U.S. Medicare and Medicaid as these are likely to affect the nation's elderly population. Drawing on political economy, moral economy, and notions of the deserving versus the undeserving poor, the authors develop a broad conceptual framework within which to better understand the current upheavals. Both Republican and Democratic proposals for restructuring Medicare and Medicaid are described and analyzed, and common themes within the various proposals highlighted. After exploring the differential impacts of the restructuring on subgroups within the elderly population, including low-income seniors, the disabled, women, and elders of color, the authors conclude with a discussion of the symbolic importance of the proposed transformations. The latter reflect both accelerated government movement away from its legitimation functions and toward increased capital accumulation, and continuing government attempts to reshape our perceptions of the state economy in ways that permit more radical cutbacks and austerity measures.
Operational Definitions of Youth Violence in Empirical Research
Authors: Chávez Vivian
Published: May 2005

The methods used to understand, interpret, and critically present youth violence have wide ranging implications for developing policy and programs engaging our cultural context. While in the last thirty years tremendous advances have occurred in naming and researching violence, violence problems continue to be difficult to address because no one factor causes—or for that matter prevents—violence. This exploratory study uses quantitative and qualitative methodologies to examine operational definitions of youth violence in the scientific literature. The study describes how violence in the lives of young people is defined in a sample of peer reviewed journal articles published between 1987 and 1997. Definitions play an important role in enhancing collaboration between and within disciplines by clarifying roles and responsibilities, by anticipating potential professional conflicts, and by illuminating what methodologies are under or over-represented in the literature.
Political Ideology and Public Health in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Tesh Sylvia
Published: May 2005

A study of early-nineteenth-century disease prevention practices in the Western world reveals four competing theories about the causes of epidemic diseases: a contagion theory, a personal behavior theory, a supernatural theory, and an environmental theory. With the exception of the supernatural approach, these explanations for illness closely resemble the theories advanced today to account for chronic diseases. In both periods disease causality theories have been more than medical postulates; they have also implied political ideologies.
Breast Self-Examination Proficiency: Pilot Evaluation of an Instructional Audiotape
Authors: Mayer Joni A. , Beach Diane L. , Kellogg Molly , Hillman Eva
Published: May 2005

The present study evaluated the effects of a refresher instructional audiotape on breast self-examination (BSE) proficiency after proficiency was trained to criteria. Subjects ( N = 46) were trained individually in an initial session to perform BSE competently. Following this session, subjects were randomly assigned to one of two testing conditions: tape or no tape; the test session occurred one week after the initial session. Tape subjects were tested using the tape. Results indicated that subjects in both conditions were practicing BSE at high proficiency levels one week post-training. The use of the tape in no way compromised proficiency, and in fact it resulted in improved (though statistically nonsignificant) levels of specific proficiency variables (i.e., search duration and proper use of fingers). The tape may be a valuable tool in maintaining BSE proficiency during home-practice once BSE is trained.
The Pipestem Burial: An Archaic Interment from Southeastern North Dakota
Authors: Fox Richard A. , Williams John A.
Published: May 2005

The Pipestem burial is the oldest known burial site in North Dakota. Radiocarbon assay dates the site at ca. 3500 B.P., a date which falls within the Archaic Period. Geomorphological conditions at the site tend to corroborate the date as do several other factors. Although limited, skeletal metric and non-metric data from the multiple interment compare favorably with other Archaic burials. Erosion at the site badly disturbed the burial context, thereby hampering definitive statements on the mode of burial. Despite this, comparative burial mode data from the region and elsewhere on the Great Plains are discussed.
Laboratory Notebooks: Current Teaching Applications
Authors: Eisenberg Anne
Published: May 2005

The laboratory notebook, traditionally a primary document in patent applications, has recently developed additional importance in the wake of federal regulations designed to insure more stringent record-keeping in the testing of drugs. Compression of procedural detail in published reports to save journal space has also changed the function of the laboratory notebook, which now serves as a receptacle for detailed information omitted from published accounts. These recent developments in laboratory notebooks are discussed with application to possible technical writing assignments.
Motivations and Deterrents to Educational Use of “Intelligent Videodisc” Systems
Authors: Eastwood Lester F.
Published: May 2005

The “intelligent videodisc” — a combination of advanced microprocessor, display, and storage technology — holds the potential for developing into a powerful instructional delivery system. In an inexpensive package, it could combine advanced computer-aided instruction (CAI) software power and display capability for audio, video, and textual programming. Attractive technically though it is, this system's real contribution will be that CAI will fit the institutional structure of education for the first time. In contrast to existing, large-scale CAI systems, this small-scale device could be purchased locally, e.g., by one teacher or administrator. Another unique attribute of this technology is its potential attractiveness to consumers. Acceptance in the home may speed acceptance in schools.

Despite these unique characteristics, this new technology will face some of the same traditional barriers to innovation in education that have doomed other systems. It is likely that many teachers will retain their unwillingness to innovate using technology. Tight budgets will remain because of shrinking student populations and voter apathy. High costs might restrict software availability.

This paper investigates these and other driving forces and barriers to use of the “intelligent videodisc” as a personal instructional delivery system. The paper can serve as a platform for a discussion of needs and opportunities for a Federal role in promoting educational utilization of this system.
Relational Conclusion through Interaction with the Dying
Authors: Fieweger Margaret , Smilowitz Michael
Published: May 2005

Relational conclusion when one person in a relationship is known to be dying has not been studied by communication researchers. Since every relationship has the potential of ending because of the death of one of its members, relational conclusion should be studied. In the first part of this study, 455 respondents agreed or disagreed with Likert-type statements about what persons would say or do when communicating with a close friend or family member who is known to be dying. The rated statements were subjected to a factor analysis procedure. An Interaction with the Dying Measurement (IDM) was developed containing five factors: expressions of love and affection, avoidance of discussion of the impending death, bolstering of spirits, expressions of loss, and acts of succorance. In the second part of this study, the IDM was used as the dependent measure in the following conditions: intimate and nonintimate relationship with the dying person. The following hypothesis was confirmed: Persons in the intimate condition will score significantly different scores on the IDM than persons in the nonintimate condition.
Suicide and Elderly People: Assessment and Intervention
Authors: Valente Sharon M.
Published: May 2005

Despite improvements in the health of Americans over the last three decades, people over age sixty have the highest suicide rates and comprise one-fourth of all suicides. A case study illustrating risk assessment and intervention is discussed. Clinical issues related to recognition of suicidal elderly patients are examined and a practical approach to early detection, evaluation, and management of suicide risk is presented. Criteria for evaluating rational suicide are outlined.
Effectiveness of Addiction Science Presentations to Treatment Professionals, Using a Modified Solomon Study Design
Authors: Erickson Carlton K. , Wilcox Richard E. , Miller Gary W. , Littlefield John H. , Lawson Kenneth A.
Published: May 2005

Objectives:

Knowledge of addiction research findings is critical for healthcare professionals who treat addicted patients. However, there is little information available about the instructional effectiveness of lecture-slide presentations in changing knowledge vs. beliefs of such professionals.

Design:

A modified Solomon four-group experimental design was used to assess the instructional effectiveness (knowledge gain vs. belief changes) of threehour addiction science workshops presented to health-care professionals by neurobiologically-trained academic researchers. Effectiveness of the workshops was assessed by a 28-item questionnaire on participant versus control group knowledge/beliefs on addiction. Six-month follow-up questionnaires measured “retention” of knowledge and belief changes.

Results:

The workshop participants showed significant knowledge gain and belief changes, whereas the two control groups showed no change in knowledge or beliefs. After six months, knowledge gains decreased, but were still higher than pre-test scores. In contrast, belief changes on three subscales persisted over six months in 40 to 52 percent of the subjects. Conclusions: These results illustrate a successful continuing education model by which academic researchers who are skilled teachers present a three-hour lecture-slide workshop with extensive question-and-answer sessions on addictions. We conclude that motivated health-care professionals can experience important knowledge gains and belief changes by participating in such workshops. In contrast to the transient retention of knowledge, belief changes persisted surprisingly well for at least six months in about half the subjects. These results suggest that long-term changes in the professional orientation of these health-care workers are possible.
Informational and Symbolic Content of over-the-Counter Drug Advertising on Television
Authors: Tsao James C.
Published: May 2005

The informational and symbolic content of 150 over-the-counter drug commercials on television are empirically analyzed in this study. Results on the informational content suggest that over-the-counter drug ads tend to focus on the concern of what the drug will do for the consumer, rather than on the reasons why the drug should be ingested. Accordingly, advertising strategy is centered on consumer awareness of the product as the primary goal. Educational commitment, however, did not seem to be blended into the promotional efforts for over-the-counter drugs. Findings on the symbolic content of over-the-counter drug ads reveal that drug images have been distorted. Performance of most drugs has been portrayed to be simple resolutions to relieve the symptom. Moreover, a casual attitude toward drug usage is encouraged in the commercials, while time lapse of drug effects is overlooked.
A Quality Control System for Curriculum-Based CBI Projects
Authors: Darabi G. Abbas , Dempsey John V.
Published: May 2005

Development of a curriculum-based instructional system is a complex process. This process becomes more complicated when the system is developed as a computer-based instruction (CBI) system. Because of the size of the curriculum and the number of people involved in developing these systems they are heavily dependent upon a well planned and organized quality control (QC) system. This article discusses the significance of QC for a curriculum-based CBI program and describes one way to establish a QC system. It explains in detail the stages involved in that system and offers a set of recommendations for its maintenance. The system described in this article evolved in response to needs encountered by developers of a particular curriculum-based CBI project and may be adjusted for effective operation of similar projects.
Post-Secondary Enrollment: A New Frontier in Recruitment and Retention
Authors: Huntley Heather Johnson , Schuh John H.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the experiences of students who are enrolled in high school and college simultaneously, a growing phenomenon known as dual-enrollment. Using qualitative methods, the study examined such elements of dual-enrollment as why students chose to enroll in high school and college at the same time, how they perceived the college environment, and what they reported as benefits from this experience. None of the participants indicated that the institutions they attended made any effort to retain them as full time students after they completed high school, presumably missed opportunities for the post-secondary institutions included in the study. Building on the students' experiences, recommendations for retaining these students are suggested.
Health Care Providers and Dying Patients: Critical Issues in Terminal Care
Authors: Benoliel Jeanne Quint
Published: May 2005

Three major areas of concern can be identified in the relationship between health care providers and dying patients: a) the nature of the difficulties and stresses associated with terminal care, b) the education of providers for this kind of work, and c) the influence of organizational structure and institutionalized values on services for dying patients and their families. A review of the research literature indicates that obstacles to effective terminal care continue to exist at the personal, interpersonal, and social levels in the current American health care system. Particular attention is given to demonstrated differences among health care professionals in their sources of emotional support and to difficulties associated with innovations in terminal care. Recent developments such as the predetermined reimbursement for health care based on established diagnostic categories (DRGs) have the potential for generating further obstacles to the providers' efforts to function as one human being helping another.
Palliative and Curative Care Nurses' Attitudes toward Dying and Death in the Hospital Setting
Authors: Thompson Edward H.
Published: May 2005

This study tested the hypothesis that nurses' attitudes toward caring for the dying would be systematically related to the type of nursing unit in which they work. The competing hypothesis suggested that it may not be the structural variable of work setting, but the nurse's experience and, possibly, learned ability to cope with problems surrounding the care of the dying. The major finding was that work setting is a more significant force in shaping attitudes than is experience. The results suggest that nurses working in a curative setting, such as surgery or pediatrics, cannot easily escape the saliency of their unit's curative orientation and sentiment order.
Activity of the World Wide Fund for Nature in Hungary
Authors: Kun Zoltán
Published: May 2005

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has operated in Hungary since 1986 and has focused its efforts on forests, wetlands, and agriculture. Activities take three forms: policy, field work, and public relations. The WWF has a network of contacts and has issued policy papers to generate government and public attention to certain problems. The organization has paid special attention to privatization processes and aims to transfer this knowledge elsewhere. The article also surveys various WWF field projects.
Perception of Alcoholism among Jewish, Moslem and Christian Teachers in Israel
Authors: Weiss Shoshana , Moore Michael
Published: May 2005

This article describes a survey which investigated perception of alcoholism among Jewish, Moslem and Christian teachers in the north of Israel during the spring of 1991. Data were obtained from a sample of 553 teachers. The teachers were asked to agree or disagree with items associated with the disease concept or with the moral concept of alcoholism. The findings indicate differences in the perception of alcoholism among teachers of different religions, education levels, gender, and drinking practices. No differences were found among teachers of different ages or among those working in different types of schools.
The Computer Gender Gap: Children's Attitudes, Performance and Socialization
Authors: Nelson Carole S. , Watson J. Allen
Published: May 2005

A review of research studies on gender differences in computer-based education revealed significant discrepancies between equality of access and performance outcomes for female and male users. Beginning during preschool years, males consistently spend more time than females in computing activities. For males, such concentrated involvement translates into higher achievement scores in computer-based technology in both academic and career settings. The outcome for females is an inequitable chance to acquire the same technological skill levels as males. An analysis of research findings reveals that social interactions among children, their families and schools can affect attitudes and motivation of children in very different ways according to gender. Eighteen unique factors which have a significant impact on the formation of this discrepancy are identified. Recommendations for further research studies to examine and bridge the existing technological gender gap are made.
Modular Instruction: Its Structure, Operation, and Implications
Authors: Fraley Lawrence E. , Vargas Ernest A.
Published: May 2005

The module is defined as the basic unit for accountability. How modules are organized to provide flexibility in a curriculum is described. The use of modules as an aspect of instructional technology implies changes in the structure of educational organizations and provides a practical way to achieve student-centered goals.
Educational Software Reviews: Time Capsule and Mind over Matter
Authors: Bellin Barbara
Published: May 2005

New educational software becomes available daily. It is essential that these new programs be thoroughly reviewed to determine programming proficiency and efficacy. Educational software may be considered valuable if it promotes learning, however educators must purchase selectively to achieve specific objectives. To this end, the following review of two new programs offered by Learning Well is presented. To adequately review educational software it is advisable to evaluate content, educational purpose, method of operation and technical features of the program in question. Recommendations based upon so complete a review will allow educators to make informed choices, thereby effecting the greatest benefits of educational software.