bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Collaborative Online Learning in Virtual Discussions
Authors: Fisher Mercedes , Coleman Bonita 
Published: May 2005

A useful strategy for learning communities in the virtual environment is the real-time forum, also called a synchronous discussion. Due to the fast pace of educational technology, this study hopes to benefit educators by developing an awareness and knowledge of virtual discussion capabilities. Using this strategy, instructors are able to initiate and facilitate their learning environment using dynamic methods of communication in order to achieve successful communication and collaboration between members of the class. This article discusses a case study conducted at Pepperdine University in the Online Master of Arts in Educational Technology and the critical insights which can be used by similar university programs to influence their thinking of how to best prepare future learning communities in virtual discussions. This idea that learning through utilization of real-time discussions is becoming increasingly popular throughout the educational community especially since students have become more advanced in terms of technology than those from just a few years ago. For the instructors, the major hurdle was how to design learning communities that encouraged participation by creating a sense of community greater than what is seen in the traditional face-to-face environments; thus, differentiating them from solely correspondence or courses with asynchronous discussion only. These modes of discussion are powerful environments rich in collaboration, communication, reflection, and practical application. This article addresses some of the key issues concerning this environment, as well as some of its benefits and methods and includes detailed examples. Successful strategies for conducting online discussions are proposed and the study suggests this environment has developed its own potential for unique dialect that allows communication to be most effective in a text-based environment. Discussion guidelines are also explored. Some changes brought about through Pepperdine's redesign process were obvious; however, other design considerations were more significant in bringing quality discussions online. Local consequences and the broader significance are discussed. Examples are included that describe not only what participants saw as enabling aspects of the support system but also ways in which universities can enhance program development by learning from other pioneers in this area. Learning is the human activity which least needs manipulation by others. Most learning is not the result of instruction. It is rather the result of unhampered participation in a meaningful setting.
The Mental Patients' Rights Movement and Mental Health Institutional Change
Authors: Brown Phil 
Published: May 2005

The mental patients' rights movement has added to the widespread critique of institutional psychiatry and provided leadership in opposing treatment methods such as electroshock, psychosurgery, and overdrugging, which are dangerous and regressive not only to patients, but to the expanded population of non-institutionalized persons as well. The movement has had some success in court cases for democratic rights, such as the right to treatment, the right to refuse treatment, patient labor, and commitment law. At the same time, patients' rights demands have been partly coopted by mental health administrators. In a number of cases, mental health officials supported patients' rights litigation because it enabled them to speed up their deinstitutionalization programs. Overall, the conjuncture of the movement with economic impetus toward deinstitutionalization has allowed mental health planners to use the patients' rights issues to justify their essentially fiscal policy. Providers and administrators have set up advocacy offices, posted patients' bills of rights, and incorporated ex-patient representatives on advisory boards. Yet mental health administrators are generally opposed to a broad application of patients' rights.
Policies toward Medical Technology: An International Review
Authors: Banta H. David , Russell Louise B. 
Published: May 2005

Rapidly rising medical care costs have become an important political issue in industrialized countries during the past decade. Attempts to control the growth in expenditures have focused on the contribution of medical technology to costs. All industrialized countries have begun to experiment with the kinds of mechanisms necessary to effect changes in development, diffusion, and use of medical technologies. This paper describes government policies toward: 1) research and development, 2) evaluation, 3) safety and efficacy regulation, and 4) investment in and use of medical technologies. To clarify how these policies work in practice, policies toward CT scanners, renal dialysis, and coronary bypass surgery are examined.Rapid changes in policies and laws in different countries are attempts to find effective policy mechanisms, but also reflect the difficulties of choosing a realistic policy objective. Until recently, most countries have focused on promoting the development and adoption of new technologies, or increasing the efficiency of their production and use. A few governments have begun to question and test the benefits of medical technologies as an aid to decision making. Finally, with the growing realization that every kind of care that is beneficial cannot be provided, some countries have begun to consider limiting the diffusion of technologies to a level that strikes a balance between the benefits to be gained and the costs of achieving them.
Relative Effectiveness of Corrective and Noncorrective Feedback in Computer Assisted Instruction on Learning and Achievement
Authors: Hodes C. L. 
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to research the impact of certain types of computer feedback on the subjects. Forty-one subjects were divided into two treatment groups. The corrective and noncorrective feedback types, both characteristic of commercially produced software, were isolated and systematized. Each subject was pre- and posttested on the content of the computer lesson. Test scores were analyzed by ANOVA. The results indicated no overall significance. When groups were redefined by gender, the girls who received the noncorrective feedback scored significantly lower ( p < .01) than the boys of either group. For these girls, noncorrective feedback may have reinforced the well documented sex bias that exists in all phases of education.
Characterization of the New Jersey Lead Hazard Control Workforce
Authors: Ritota Richard M. , Petix Julie R. , Ahmed Tariq 
Published: May 2005

Individuals performing lead evaluation and abatement activities in New Jersey must complete certified training, an examination, and have a state permit card. Key demographic information was collected and summarized to describe this newly emerging lead workforce, to enhance lead training, to identify education and outreach needs, and to promote environmental justice. Summarizing these data also will assist other states implementing similar lead training and certification programs. As of June 30, 1998, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) issued 2,370 permits to individuals in six disciplines. The lead workforce's average age was 38 years and 88 percent male. Most females were in the Inspector/Risk Assessor and Worker-Housing and Public Buildings (HPB) disciplines. Eighty percent of the workforce resided in New Jersey. Whites and Asians/Pacific Islanders were more educated than Hispanics or Blacks and a greater proportion of them were employed in the more skilled disciplines. Inadequate work experience may have prevented Blacks from qualifying for the more skilled disciplines; for Hispanics, there was also a language barrier. Twenty-nine percent of Workers and Supervisors had children less than six years of age residing in their household, which was higher than comparable state rates. The proportion of households with children under six years of age were similar for Black (32 percent), Hispanic (30 percent), and White (27 percent) households. The number of children less than six years of age per Black and Hispanic permittee was significantly higher than for Whites. Take-home lead issues and possible initiatives to promote minorities in the more skilled disciplines are discussed.
Profits in Medicine: A Context and an Accounting
Authors: Stevenson Gelvin 
Published: May 2005

The U.S. health care industry is composed of a dynamic mixture of profit and non-profit entities. These sectors sometimes compete in the same activities and may have virtual monopolies over other activities. Estimates of the relative and absolute sizes and growth trends of the profit and non-profit sectors are developed in this article. These estimates show that approximately 39 percent of total health care expenditures in the U.S. in 1975 went to for-profit institutions, generating $3.3 billion in profit. This represented 7 percent of for-profit and 2.8 percent of total expenditures. Some for-profit subsectors grew more rapidly and others less rapidly than total health care expenditures. As a whole, the for-profit sector grew faster than the non-profit sector before and after Medicare and Medicaid were introduced as well as during the period when price controls were in effect. The relative growth of the for-profit sector was greatest right after the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid. The true significance of profit lies not in numbers, but in the effects that the drive for profit have on the nature and quality of health and health care. This is discussed in the final section.
Patient-Centeredness and its Correlates among First Year Medical Students
Authors: Krupat Edward , Hiam C. Michael , Fleming Michael Z. , Freeman Phillip 
Published: May 2005

Objective: This research was performed to study the attitudes that medical students hold concerning their relationships with patients, and whether such attitudes are gender-related, affect career plans, and influence their evaluation of psycho-social and biomedical issues. Methods: One hundred fifty-three first year students at the Boston University School of Medicine completed the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), a scale that differentiates between a patient-centered vs. doctor-centered orientation toward medical practice, indicated their interest in community and primary care practice, and rank ordered psycho-social and biomedical clinical issues in terms of their perceived relative importance. Results: The data revealed that female medical students were more patient-centered, and that (across sexes) patient centeredness was positively associated with an interest in community and primary care practice and the ranking of psycho-social issues. Conclusions: These findings indicate that differences in the practice attitudes of males and females exist very early on in medical training, and that these differences are associated with anticipated career choices. They also suggest that the PPOS may prove useful in measuring the attitudes of practicing physicians toward their clinical roles and might predict physicians' behavioral strategies and patient medical outcomes.
Personality Neuroticism and Depression after Stroke
Authors: Morris Philip L. P. , Robinson Robert G. 
Published: May 2005

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine whether personality neuroticism or extroversion traits are associated with post-stroke depression. Method: Ninety-four stroke inpatients undergoing rehabilitation were examined two months post-stroke for the presence and severity of depression and a retrospective assessment was made of life-time neuroticism and extroversion. Results: Depressed patients ( N = 35) had higher neuroticism scores than non-depressed patients. Neuroticism was correlated positively with depressive symptomatology. Extroversion was not associated with depression diagnosis or depressive symptomatology. Conclusion: We conclude that personality neuroticism may be a risk factor for depression following stroke.
Comparative Strength of Association between Religious Attendance and Survival
Authors: Strawbridge William J. , Cohen Richard D. , Shema Sarah J. 
Published: May 2005

Objective: Analyze effects on long-term survival of frequent religious attendance compared with four widely-accepted beneficial health behaviors. Method: Calculate gender-specific associations with mortality over 29 years for religious attendance, cigarette smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and non-religious social involvement. Subjects were 5,894 participants in the Alameda County Study age 21–75. Analyses use proportional hazards modeling with time-dependent measures to adjust for subsequent changes in attendance and each health behavior over the follow-up period. All statistical models adjust for the same variables. Results: For women, the protective effect of weekly religious attendance was of the same order of magnitude as the four other health behaviors. For men, the protective effect of weekly religious attendance was less than for any of the other health behaviors. Conclusions: The protective effect of religious attendance for women is comparable to those observed for several commonly recommended health behaviors: for men the protective effect of religious attendance is more modest. This strong gender difference may be a key to understanding how religious attendance exerts its effects.
What is in a Name? Freshman English or Technical Writing
Authors: Bruckmann C. G. 
Published: May 2005

W. Earl Britton's and Merril D. Whitburn's views on freshman English and technical writing are not as much in conflict as the titles of their recent articles may suggest. The two courses are solutions to two different problems, namely the communicative skills required by undergraduates and by graduate engineers. Experience at the University of the Witwatersrand indicates that two courses, one given at the beginning of the undergraduate course and one at the end, would be an ideal solution. Where a crowded curriculum permits only one course, the compromise solution requires elements from both types of courses.
Teaching Unit Revision Instrumentation
Authors: Poole Richard L. 
Published: May 2005

The topic of this article is the development of an instrument which is designed to aid the unit developer in the revision of elementary and secondary school units. In preparation for this, a teaching unit is defined, and its nature and composition are described. The instrument development activity starts by acknowledging the constraints of data type, unit production, resource limitation and unit variation which confront the developer. It is continued by specifying some of the desirable characteristics which such instruments should have: namely, relevancy, practicality, and interpretability. And it is concluded by the production of an instrument which incorporates these characteristics, which is entitled, “Lesson Check.”
Psychiatric Treatment of Chronic Somatizing Patients: A Pilot Study
Authors: Roskin Gerald , Mehr Anita , Rabiner Charles J. , Rosenberg Conrad 
Published: May 2005

Somatization is a very common condition although these patients are usually seen by general medical practitioners rather than mental health professionals. In a pilot demonstration study, chronic somatizers were significantly improved in a group psychotherapy treatment modality. The somatization was ameliorated and their functioning was significantly improved. Our findings strongly suggest that these patients should be clearly conceptualized as psychiatric and would respond well to traditional psychiatric treatment modalities. As we move towards a National Health Insurance type of health care system, dealing appropriately with this problem becomes extremely important, considering the fiscal drain these patients impose on the health care system and the degree of symptomatic and functional improvement possible with an adequate psychiatric approach.
The Fire Areas of Santa Rosa Island: An Interpretation
Authors: Wendorf Michael 
Published: May 2005

The fire areas—or hearths—of the California Channel Islands, especially Santa Rosa Island, may be the oldest evidence of man in the Americas. The brick-red fire areas, dated at more than 40,000 years to 10,000 years ago, often contain charred mammoth bone and, rarely, possible stone tools. Though some of the fire areas may be hearths, recent research indicates that natural fires produce similar fire areas. Burned tree stumps and roots can redden the adjacent soil and resemble hearths. It is likely that most of the Pleistocene fire areas were caused by burned vegetation.
Nature and Provenance of Red Pipestone from the Wittrock Site (130B4), Northwest Iowa
Authors: Gundersen James N. , Tiffany Joseph A. 
Published: May 2005

Five pipestone specimens from the Wittrock Mill Creek culture site were evaluated by x-ray powder diffraction analysis. While their mineral compositions were very similar to one another, they are not among the varieties of “catlinite” pipestone types occurring at Pipestone National Monument, a commonly assumed source of all pipestone. Pipestone types like the Wittrock specimens were found in outcrop and cores from south central Minnesota. Because several pipestone samples from abandoned river-terrace gravel quarries and gravel bars immediately adjacent to the site produced the same kaolinite-rich quartzose variety of pipestone materials recovered archaeologically, the conclusion is that the Wittrock Village inhabitants obtained pipestone raw materials locally. These results are discussed with respect to resolution of archaeological problems not the least being when prehistoric groups abandoned the use of local source materials in favor of “catlinite” materials now exposed at Pipestone National Monument.
Performance and Simulated Performance Test Results as a Function of Instruction by Still and Motion Visuals
Authors: Jeon Unna H. , Branson Robert K. 
Published: May 2005

This study evaluates the effectiveness of three different media in teaching a specific motor skill. Validated lessons utilizing three different media — motion/sound, slide/sound, and story boards — were used to teach basic manipulations of the M203 Grenade Launcher. Written and performance tests, derived directly from the instructional objectives, were used to evaluate the learning. As evaluated by the performance test, learners using motion film performed significantly better than those using either slides or workbooks, and required significantly less time. Written tests, however, failed to detect this difference. These results suggest that much previous research comparing media may have been inconclusive due to defects in experimental design, such as using a written test to measure motor skills taught by visual media.
The Plato IV CAI System: Where is it Now? Where Can it Go?
Authors: Eastwood Lester F. , Ballard Richard J. 
Published: May 2005

The University of Illinois' PLATO IV system is an exciting, versatile computer-aided instruction (CAI) system. However, it needs more development before it can grow from an experiment into a widely accepted teaching aid, used day-to-day in the schools. Cost is a major obstacle in the path of PLATO's growth. This article studies each component of the PLATO system—the computer hardware, the courseware, the student terminal, and the distribution network. The discussions of each component point out cost-determining factors. One component which offers an opportunity for cutting costs is the distribution network.
Conversion Reactions and Psychophysiologic Disorders: A Comparative Study
Authors: Barnert Cyril 
Published: May 2005

A chart study of psychosomatic consultations was undertaken in order to compare characteristics of conversions and psychophysiologic diseases. One hundred nine charts were rated according to sixty descriptive, mental status, and psychodynamic factors. The subjectivity of many of these parameters is recognized, but was controlled by cross-checking scorings made by independent raters. Reliability, so measured, proved satisfactory in general but not for certain factors central to psychosomatic theory. Within these limitations, the results showed significant differences between the two classes of disorders in eighteen factors, including reason for referral, type of stress, intelligence, insight and depression. Among the traits traditionally considered distinctive, yet failing to differ in this study, were sex, religion, rural background, education, social class, and sexual adjustment. Psychosomatic theory has evolved from the unitary “unconscious symbolism” model through the very discrete distinctions postulated by Alexander and others. More recent trends, however, minimize the classical taxonomy. These results suggest some re-examination of our descriptive pictures of conversions and psychophysiologic disorders, but also demonstrate enough differences to justify our continuing to regard them as distinct entities.
Emotional Interactions of Patient and Staff: A Focus of Psychiatric Consultation
Authors: Nadelson Theodore 
Published: May 2005

Factors in the relationship with the medical staff often precipitate a psychological crisis in a patient eventuating in a request for psychiatric consultation. Such reactions and the part the medical staff plays in them usually go unrecognized. The view presented is that the psychiatrist is maximally helpful when he applies both understanding of underlying personality variables with the additional focus directed toward the nature of the psychological relationship at the interface of the staff and patient. Consultation becomes the vehicle for understanding and sensitizing the staff to the complexity of patients as well as their own psychological reactions. Clinical cases are reported which illustrate the mutual and reciprocal effects of patient-doctor interaction. The context of illness and the hospital setting leads to a labile psychological equilibrium. Medical staff who are able to agree on some generalizations about treating the “whole patient” often have “scotomata” in actually dealing with specific difficulties in their interaction. This difficulty is seen stemming in part from medical education and in part from a model of medical care which emphasizes the physician's separateness from the patient in terms of an active-passive polarity.
The Epidemiology of Drug Promotion
Authors: Silverman Milton 
Published: May 2005

A survey was conducted on the promotion of 28 prescription drugs in the form of 40 different products marketed in the United States and Latin America by 23 multinational pharmaceutical companies. Striking differences were found in the manner in which the identical drug, marketed by the identical company or its foreign affiliate, was described to physicians in the United States and to physicians in Latin America. In the United States, the listed indications were usually few in number, while the contraindications, warnings, and potential adverse reactions were given in extensive detail. In Latin America, the listed indications were far more numerous, while the hazards were usually minimized, glossed over, or totally ignored. The differences were not simply between the United States on the one hand and all the Latin American countries on the other. There were substantial differences within Latin America, with the same global company telling one story in Mexico, another in Central America, a third in Ecuador and Colombia, and yet another in Brazil. The companies have sought to defend these practices by contending that they are not breaking any Latin American laws. In some countries, however, such promotion is in clear violation of the law. The corporate ethics and social responsibilities concerned here call for examination and action.