bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Technical Writing in the Netherlands
Authors: De Vet Dominique M. W. 
Published: May 2005

This article is about the profession of technical writing in the Netherlands. The data are mainly based on two studies. The first was directed at technical writers who work as freelancers (external writers). It was done with the objective of learning about the characteristics and backgrounds of external technical writers and about their wishes concerning the development of the profession. The second study was directed at technical writers who work inside organizations (internal writers) and focused on questions about text quality and the writing problems that threaten this quality. We will focus on three issues. After the introduction in the first section and the description of the design of our studies in the second section, we will give a global profile of technical writers in the Netherlands. In the fourth section we will give an impression of the writing problems internal technical writers have to deal with. In the fifth section opinions concerning more professionalism in the field of technical writing are discussed. Also attention is paid to current developments in professionalism.
Perceived Mental Health and Disablement of Primary Care and End-Stage Renal Disease Patients
Authors: Parkerson George R. , Gutman Robert A. 
Published: May 2005

Objective: To compare perceived current mental health and disablement between primary care and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, and to study social support and stress and severity of illness as possible determinants of mental health and disablement. Method: Observational cross-sectional analysis of 414 primary care patients in a rural community health center and 125 ESRD patients requiring hemodialysis in two community dialysis units. The Duke Health Profile (DUKE) anxiety-depression scale was used to assess mental health; the DUKE disability scale, to indicate disablement; the Duke Social Support and Stress Scale, to measure support and stress; and the Duke Severity of Illness Scale, to rate severity of illness. Results: Perceived current mental health in terms of anxiety and depression symptoms was worse for primary care than for ESRD patients, and perceived current disablement was no different for the two groups. Patients' perception of their health status and of stress from family members were more closely associated with their level of anxiety and depression symptoms than were their diagnostic profiles or overall severity of illness. In turn, their level of anxiety and depression symptoms was the principal correlate of their disablement. Conclusions: The demonstration of strong relationships among anxiety and depression symptoms, disablement, and family stress in these two very different patient populations should stimulate further research and motivate clinicians to evaluate all three parameters as part of routine patient care.
The Recognition and Treatment of Late-Life Depression: A View from Primary Care
Authors: Callahan Christopher M. , Hendrie Hugh C. , Tierney William M. 
Published: May 2005

Objective: Efforts to improve the recognition and treatment of late-life depression in primary care are often based on the assumption that primary care physicians underutilize currently available and effective treatments. This article reviews the validity of this assumption and offers recommendations for future research. Methods: Clinical trials designed to improve the recognition and treatment of late-life depression in primary care are reviewed. Because studies limited to older adults are rare, we also include studies enrolling younger patients. These data are reviewed in the context of recent reviews on the prevalence of depression in primary care settings and the effectiveness of available treatments. Results: Although depressive symptoms are common among older adults, there is insufficient literature documenting the proportion of these patients who respond to currently available treatments. Patients with uncomplicated major depressive disorder constitute the minority of primary care patients with depressive symptoms. Nearly all available studies of treatment effectiveness of pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy focus on older adults with uncomplicated major depression. Currently available treatment options may apply to less than 15 percent of depressed primary care patients. Conclusions: More research is needed to help primary care providers manage their depressed patients with comorbid medical conditions, functional disability, or minor or chronic depressions. In addition, more research is needed to identify those patients who would benefit from specialized or interdisciplinary care.
Disease and Rural Development: A Sociological Analysis of Morbidity in Two Mexican Villages
Authors: Laurell Asa Cristina , Gil José Blanco , MacHetto Teresa , Palomo Juan , Rulfo Claudia Perez , de Chávez Manuel Ruíz , Urbina Manuel , Velázquez Nora 
Published: May 2005

It is suggested that the problem of the social causes of disease should be analyzed on the basis of the significant social processes of a given society. In this theoretical framework, a comparative study of two Mexican rural villages at different degrees of development is presented in order to clarify two related questions: what is the impact on morbidity of the rural development process, and what is the influence of socio-economic conditions on the distribution of disease in the population? It was found that morbidity was significantly higher in the more “developed” village than in the one characterized by a predominantly subsistence economy. This finding is ascribed to the character of Mexican rural development, similar to that of other subordinated countries, which implies a change from subsistence agriculture to cash-crops in an unstable market, a massive conversion of peasants into wage laborers with unstable employment, and substantial migration; these phenomena give rise to new, unfavorable living and working conditions for large parts of the rural population. It is argued that it is not development as such that is responsible for the increase in morbidity, but the particular form that it assumes in the dependent countries. It was also found that socioeconomic characteristics such as people's position in production, the sector of economic activity, and migration patterns define groups of high and low morbidity more clearly than do sanitary conditions and access to professional medical care. These results suggest that the success of public health activities depends on the possibility to plan the process of change.
The Inadequacies of Technical Reporting
Authors: Macchi Reynolds 
Published: May 2005

The advancements of science and engineering which are reported by oral and written modes have become overcomplicated. The message of reporting clearly defines the problem at hand; however, reporting inadequacies have prevented that message from reaching the public. Reporting in the past has suffered due to strong censorship and ignorance from learning about technical contributions in society. Progress has been made through art and increased faith in scientific discoveries which were monumental enough to have wakened man's mind. Through the institutional changes in our education programs, technical reporting will become adequate and allow mankind to live with a mutual understanding.
Simulation to Teach or Evaluate Problem-Solving in Professional Programs
Authors: Edwards Judith B. 
Published: May 2005

Simulation is a technique which has gained considerable attention and use in education recently as a strategy for teaching, eliciting, and evaluating higher-level problem-solving skills while providing realism, richness, and complexity. Complex problem-solving skills are important outcomes of most professional programs in medicine, dentistry, law, and education. Various means have been employed to teach and to test these skills, with simulation techniques being among the most promising. Computer-based simulation can provide a flexible and individually responsive dimension while automatically scoring and maintaining detailed records of each student's performance. Computer simulation in the health sciences and law provide a strategy—a medium uniquely suited to instruction in problem-solving for large numbers of students. Projects at the University of Iowa and elsewhere to develop, use, and test simulations for instruction in these settings is described and compared.
Are Voluntary Agencies Helping to Improve Health in Bangladesh?
Authors: Briscoe John 
Published: May 2005

Since independence in 1971, a large number of health programs run by local and foreign voluntary organizations have been started in Bangladesh. This paper is the result of a survey undertaken on behalf of the Oxford Famine Relief Committee of ten of the most interesting of these projects. On the basis of an analysis of the underlying causes of ill health in Bangladesh, a criterion for the assessment of these health programs is developed. Following an overview of the performance of these “innovative” projects, the pertinent issues which have been and have to be dealt with by appropriate projects are addressed by means of a case study of one of the best of these projects. A basic premise of this analysis is that ill health in particular communities is not simply a result of local conditions; rather, the structural determinants of ill health are frequently national and even international in scope. The effect of these structural determinants of the presence and funding policies of the many voluntary agencies in Bangladesh is assessed by analyzing the performance of the Oxford Famine Relief Committee, one of the more enlightened of these agencies.
Focusing on Women for Water and Sanitation: The Case of Mapo Community in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Olaseha I. O. , Namanja Gracian Bazilious 
Published: May 2005

This health service study has attempted to make a needs assessment of the Mapo Community in order to provide basis for appropriate and meaningful intervention. It is believed that even though this community is plagued with water, social, and economic problems, it was possible to reduce the burden of the residents and reduce water-borne infections by creating a sense of determination and self reliance among the women in particular and the community in general. Geographical and topographic limitations have hindered community efforts to get wholesome water for domestic purposes. In response to this expressed need of the people an educational intervention using women as unit of practice and solution as water purification and management in order to reduce water-borne infections was embarked upon. Health talks, motivation of the participants, seminar/workshop for professional health providers, and laboratory sessions for water purification methods and techniques were some of the components of the learning process to achieve the goal. During and at the end of the project, participants showed interest and enthusiasm and demonstrated behavioral changes as far as making sure that the water they use is clean and kept so in clean receptacles. It is hoped that the process set up will continue through the Community Development Health Committee and the Mapo Zonal Health Office, Ibadan.
Is Propranolol Effective in Primary Polydipsia?
Authors: Kishi Yasuhiro , Kurosawa Hisashi , Endo Shunkichi 
Published: May 2005

Objective: Psychiatric patients presenting with polydipsia are often difficult to treat with standard psychiatric interventions. Pharmacological intervention was attempted in these patients based on the hypothesis that angiotensin II, a potent dipsinogen, may be involved in the drinking behavior of patients with polydipsia. Beta-blockers inhibit renin release (and thus indirectly angiotensin II) by blocking beta receptors in the kidney. Methods: Three patients were identified as excessive water drinkers during their hospital admissions. All three patients were eunatremic but polydipsic at the time of study. Two of the three had histories of hyponatremia and required emergency medical treatment on more than one occasion. No patients had been controlled by strict fluid restriction. Trials of propranolol were initiated to control their water drinking. Results: After starting propranolol, two patients responded quickly. In one patient, fluid intake decreased from 2650 ± 647 to 1577 ± 361, p < .001. In the other, fluid intake decreased from over 7000 ml before starting propranolol to around 3000 ml. The mean noon body weight of the third patient, in whom it was not possible to document fluid intake or urine volume before and after administering beta-blocker, was 72.6 ± 2.6 Kg and 66.0 ± 1.0 Kg, respectively ( p < .0001). Conclusions: These results suggest that propranolol may be useful for the treatment of polydipsia in patients with schizophrenia. Its efficacy could be related to inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system. Additional research using the controlled pharmacotherapeutic trials is required to confirm these findings.
The Role of the Mental Health Counselor in the Psychiatric Liaison Service of the General Hospital
Authors: Shochet Bernard R. 
Published: May 2005

A substantial number of patients admitted to the medical and surgical services of the general hospital experience significant and obvious psychological difficulties associated with their acute illness. This is more likely to be recognized overtly on a medical than on a surgical service; on both, a significant number of patients need psychological services during their acute illness and convalescence. The mental health counselor serves an important function on the medical and surgical units: screening new admissions and identifying those patients in need of psychosocial services, providing supportive psychotherapy to selected patients and consulting with the nursing staff and house staff concerning day to day management. By participating in walking rounds with the medical staff, the counselor is also able to facilitate the request and use of formal psychiatric consultative services. As demonstrated through statistics and case reports, the mental health counselor, trained to operate in the general hospital setting, makes a valuable contribution in the care of medical and surgical patients in the general hospital.
Clinical Differences between Subjects with Familial and Non-Familial Tourette's Syndrome: A Case Series
Authors: Párraga Humberto C. , Párraga Marianela I. , Spinner Laura R. , Kelly Desmond P. , Morgan Suzanne L. 
Published: May 2005

Objective: As many as 35 percent of Tourette's Syndrome patients do not acquire this disorder genetically. Since there has been little research conducted in this area, the purpose of this study was to compare the clinical differences between two groups of patients with Tourette's Syndrome (TS), one with family history of TS and one without. Method: Using data of eight previously diagnosed TS patients, the authors made comparisons of clinical and sociodemographic variables between a group of three patients with family history of TS and five with no family history. Results: There were no differences in clinical presentation, current age, age at diagnosis, gender, and socioeconomic status. There were differences in birth history, developmental milestones, I.Q., and neurological findings between patients with family history and no family history of TS. Conclusions: Our findings support the need for testing the hypothesis of a multidetermined origin of TS, a disorder in which hereditary, neuropsychological, and environmental factors play a role.
Intravenous Biperiden in Akathisia: An Open Pilot Study
Authors: Hirose S. , Ashby C. R. 
Published: May 2005

Objective: Antipsychotic-induced akathisia can be distressing and unendurable for prolonged periods. It has been shown that intramuscular biperiden is a relatively rapid and effective treatment for akathisia. However, the intravenous administration of biperiden may provide a more rapid effect, although this remains to be definitively proven. Method: The subjects obtained for this study met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). The therapeutic effect of i.v. and i.m. biperiden was studied in an open clinical trial in twenty-three (12 male and 11 female) patients who developed antipsychotic-induced acute akathisia as defined by the research criteria of the DSM-IV. Following the development of akathisia, 5 mg of biperiden was intravenously injected in seventeen patients and intramuscularly in six patients. The therapeutic effect of biperiden on akathisia was clinically assessed by using the rating scale of Barnes. Results: Following i.v. administration on biperiden, the mean time to onset and maximum effect occurred 1.6 ( SD = 1.9) and 9.2 minutes ( SD = 6.0), respectively. Furthermore, at the time of maximal effect, akathisia was completely ameliorated in all patients. The side effects reported were mild and transient. Following i.m. administration, the mean time to onset and maximum effect were 30.5 ( SD = 5.9) and 50 minutes (SD = 7.4), respectively. Thus, the time to maximal effect was significantly less (40 minutes) after i.v. compared to i.m. administration. Conclusion: These results suggest that i.v. administration of 5 mg of biperiden could be used to provide a rapid and effective treatment for patients with severe akathisia.
The Depression in Primary Care Tool Kit
Authors: Brody David S. , Dietrich Allen J. , deGruy Frank , Kroenke Kurt 
Published: May 2005

Objective: A tool kit was developed to help primary care physicians overcome some of the barriers to recognition and management of depression. Method: Tools were collected from a variety of sources, categorized by function, and evaluated on the basis of previously established criteria, with the best tools selected for inclusion in the tool kit. New tools were developed when an adequate tool for a desired function was not available. The tool kit was reviewed and then revised based on the feedback from eleven experts on depression in primary care, five medical directors from health care systems or managed care companies, and eighteen primary care physicians. All eighteen primary care physicians completed a questionnaire after reviewing the tool kit as part of the evaluation process. Results: Only five of the eighteen physicians were using any kind of tool for depression prior to reviewing the tool kit. All eighteen physicians indicated that they were likely to use one or more of the components of the tool kit. On average, physicians indicated they were likely to use 6.5 of the ten types of tools included in the kit. Conclusions: A depression tool kit containing screening, diagnostic, management planning, and outcomes assessment questionnaires as well as treatment and counseling guidelines, information tables, flow charts, and patient education materials is likely to be well received by primary care physicians. However, its effectiveness may have as much to do with how its use is organized and implemented as it does with the intrinsic value of its components.
A Weekly Group Meeting for Children on a Pediatric Ward: Therapeutic and Practical Functions
Authors: Frank John L. 
Published: May 2005

The multiple sources of psychological stress to the hospitalized child are reviewed with references to the literature. The Hahnemann Pediatric Ward and patient population are described as are the functions of a weekly group meeting for school aged hospitalized children led by a child psychiatrist. Efforts are made to use knowledge gained from the children for therapeutic purposes within the group as well as for teaching the inpatient pediatric staff how the hospitalized child's behavior reflects his inner thoughts and feelings. Aspects of the children's behavior and verbal productions in the group are discussed from a psychodynamic viewpoint. Conflict, ambivalence, fantasy distortion, denial and displacement are exemplified, as is the children's ever-present need to simultaneously express, defend against and master anxiety. Questions are raised about outcome and future avenues of investigation.
Psychophysiology of Pain
Authors: Sternbach Richard A. 
Published: May 2005

The recent literature on pain states shows: pain thresholds are relatively constant for an individual, but pain tolerance is influenced by psychological state; the expression of pain is a function partly of ethnic membership and degree of extroversion; pain complaints are determined as well by cultural and extroversive factors, and also degree of neuroticism. Studies of pain patients reveals that those with acute pain tend to show normal personality profiles, but the degree of pain experienced is related to the degree of anxiety present. Most chronic pain patients, like those with psychogenic pain, show somatic preoccupations and reactive depression. The treatment and/or rehabilitation of pain patients has developed in three areas. In cases of peripheral neuropathy and some spinal cord lesions, electrical stimulation with “neural pacemakers” can often “close the gate” to pain signals and provide significant reduction or abolition of pain. Psychotropic medications, particularly the tricyclic antidepressants, sometimes in combination with phenothiazines and antihistamines, are effective in many instances of central pain, and help increase the pain tolerance and decrease the need for narcotics in other pain states. Operant conditioning, including the use of biofeedback, extinguishes pain behavior and increases pain-incompatible behaviors, with good long-term results.
Chest Pain in Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Authors: Carter Cameron S. , Maddock Richard J. 
Published: May 2005

Objectives: The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the prevalence of chest pain and related medical utilization in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and to investigate the possible relationship between the occurrence of chest pain in these patients and the episodes of excessive worry which characterize this disorder. Method: The presence of a history of chest pain in patients with generalized anxiety disorder was investigated in an outpatient psychiatric sample using a structured interview which also assessed related medical utilization and the relationship of chest pain to panic attacks and episodes of excessive worry. Results: Of fifty sequentially evaluated patients meeting DSM-IIIR criteria for G.A.D., twenty-four (48%) reported a history of chest pain. Seven of these patients also had a history of panic attacks, however, four of the seven reported that their pain occurred independently of their panic attacks. Sixteen patients with G.A.D. reported that their chest pain episodes were associated with episodes of excess worry. Eleven had sought medical evaluation for their pain. Patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries are frequently found to have panic disorder. The pattern of utilization of medical care was comparable in this sample of patients with G.A.D. and a group of patients with panic disorder recruited in a similar manner. Conclusions: These results suggest that in addition to panic disorder, G.A.D. may also be a common diagnosis in chest pain patients with no demonstrable coronary disease. Future studies of coronary artery disease negative patients with chest pain should include assessments for the presence of G.A.D. Our results also suggest that chest pain may be a common symptom in G.A.D. The possibility that chest pain should be included in the diagnostic criteria for this disorder should be the subject of further investigation.