Search

Topic: Empress Eugénie (1826–1920), the widow of Emperor Napoléon III of France, developed mature cataracts late in life. In 1920, at age 94, she underwent surgery to one eye by Ignacio Barraquer (1884–1965), a member of the famous dynasty of ophthalmologists originally from Barcelona, Spain. Clinical relevance: Barraquer used his new instrument which employed a vacuum cup to hold the lens for intracapsular extraction. Methods: Research of historical documents. Results: The surgery was a success; the Empress was pleased that she could read again although she did not have long to live. She was his first famous cataract patient and his fame spread internationally. Barraquer spoke at the International Congress of Ophthalmology held in Washington, DC, in 1922 and demonstrated his technique on patients in Washington, DC, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Richmond, VA. Conclusion: Barraquer's surgery on Éugenie, who was the most powerful woman in Europe during her husband's reign, influenced the course of development of cataract surgical technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This field study examined the effects of adaptive cruise control (ACC) on mind wandering prevalence. Background: ACC relieves the driver of the need to regulate vehicle speed and following distance, which may result in safety benefits. However, if ACC reduces the amount of attentional resources drivers must devote to driving, then drivers who use ACC may experience increased periods of mind wandering, which could reduce safety. Methods: Participants drove a prescribed route on a public road twice, once using ACC and once driving manually. Mind wandering rates were assessed throughout the drive using auditory probes, which occurred at random intervals and required the participant to indicate whether or not they were mind wandering. Measures of physiological arousal and driving performance were also recorded. Results: No evidence of increased mind wandering was found when drivers used ACC. In fact, female drivers reported reduced rates of mind wandering when driving with ACC relative to manual driving. Driving with ACC also tended to be associated with increased physiological arousal and improved driving behavior. Conclusion: Use of ACC did not encourage increased mind wandering or negatively affect driving performance. In fact, the results indicate that ACC may have positive effects on driver safety among drivers who have limited experience with the technology. Application: Driver characteristics, such as level of experience with in-vehicle technology and gender, should be considered when investigating driver engagement during ACC use. Field research on vehicle automation may provide valuable insights over and above studies conducted in driving simulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Göbekli Tepe is the name of a remarkable archaeological site that challenges long held assumptions about the Neolithic Revolution, that is, our first transition from hunters and gatherers into settled farmers. Instead of permanent settlements and agriculture being prerequisite for religion, social specialization, and writing, evidence from Göbekli Tepe suggests that may be backward, and that such psychological changes are what afforded sedentism and agriculture. Three aspects of the site—who built it, its use as a "temple," and evidence of the earliest known proto-writings—are discussed to illustrate Göbekli Tepe's relevance to psychology. In turn, the social psychological phenomenon of storytelling is used to illustrate psychology's potential relevance to cognitive archeology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central argument of the Leviathan has to do with the political importance of education. Hobbes wants his book to be taught in universities and expounded much in the manner that Scripture was. Only thus will citizens realize what is in their hearts as to the nature of good political order. Glory affects this process in two ways. The pursuit of glory by a citizen leads to political chaos and disorder. On the other hand, God’s glory is such that one can do nothing but acquiesce to it. The Hobbesian sovereign shares some of the effects of glory that God has naturally; this, however, has to be supplemented by awe and that but fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpretations of Nietzsche, particularly about politics, cover an exceptionally wide range. Additionally, Nietzsche is often said to commit “rhetorical excesses.” I argue and show that Nietzsche consciously crafted his published works to allow this range of interpretations, that he did this for critical purposes, and that his so-called rhetoric is there to serve this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examines perceptions of achievement motivation as influenced by first name and student ethnicity. One hundred thirty elementary school teachers were given a vignette of a fifth-grade student and instructed to judge the behavior and characteristics of the student. Results showed that there was a significant main effect for an ethnic first name. Overall, significantly lower achievement scores were given by raters whose descriptions used an African American-sounding name rather than a Caucasian-sounding name. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast paced nature of emergency medicine often precludes assessment of patient functioning which may have significant consequences for geriatric patients including falls, functional decline and/or hospital re-admission. A rehabilitation consultation service to a hospital emergency department was implemented based on recommendations in the literature that functional assessments and a multidisciplinary approach be used with older adults. A systematic method of targeting and assessing elderly at-risk patients included a safety checklist and a comprehensive functional assessment tool. An observational study of 80 patients receiving functional assessments from rehabilitation professionals is described. Patients with high levels of disability or who lived alone prior to the emergency visit were more likely to be admitted to hospital. This study supports using multidisciplinary efforts and comprehensive functional assessments in emergency departments to guide decision-making about discharge outcome and planning for the health care needs of elderly patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the similarities and differences in the meaning of aging for young and old adults. Negative meaning of aging to young adults; Tendency for young adults to associate to associate aging with increased responsibility and lost freedom; Older adults' association of aging with everyday events or no specific events at all.

Explores the book `The Political System: An Inquiry in the State of Political Science,' by David Easton. Political theories of Easton; Correlation of political system with power relations; Comparison with Easton's understanding of the authoritativeness of authority.

Examines the gender and causal attributions for mastery, personal and interpersonal events. Assessment of the involvement of traditional correlates of achievement; Characterization of the mastery of events by public standards; Variation of the characteristics reported for personal events.

In this article, the author reflects on the doctrine of perspectivism created by Friedrich Nietzsche. The author begins with a discussion of epistemology of the doctrine. She indicates that perspectivism is Nietzsche's attempt to give an account of how knowledge of the world is (or is not) possible. She claims that the doctrine often is textually associated with his remarks on the possibility of truth. The author concludes that perspectivism cannot be understood as the perspective of something, for there can be no thing without perspective, which is not a perspective.

The article analyzes the political significance of the work of philosopher Sigmund Freud on psychoanalysis. In doing so, the author attempts to interpret Freud's work and emphasizes one paradigm present in his thought. He contends that Freud's work constitutes a significant part of a more general attitude towards political, social, and human matter that describes a generation that came to maturity on the narrow boundary between the nineteenth century and Nazism. Other significant analyses relative to the matter are provided.

Editorial. Focuses on the audience of the `Political Theory' periodical. Submissions received by the periodical.