Ecology: The Science Versus the Myth

This paper describes the foundations of ecology as a science and argues for adherence to scientific principles in the environmental arena. Ecology as a science does not present moral or ethical guidance for societal use in environmental management. Moral, ethical, economic, and political values are integral parts of environmental management, but they are derived outside the realm of science. We emphasize the importance of preserving the power of science as a methodology to acquire objective information separated from societal values. Environmental Risk Assessment is a process that engages and requires both the life and social sciences for successful environmental management.     

Dental Implications of Pharmacological Management of the Alzheimer's Patient

Medications used for the management of the Alzheimer's patient are of two types: agents prescribed for treatment of cognitive disorders and agents used for symptomatic relief of mood disorders. This article reviews the mechanisms of action and side-effects of the more common of these agents. In addition, dental management of the Alzheimer's patient is discussed in relation to specific medications being taken.     

The Myth of Male Superiority: Rise and Demise

A prolific literature exists concerning the origins and functions of the institutionalization of sex-role differences. However, persistent problems and sharply divergent views remain. This study attempts to circumvent the nature/nurture controversy by utilizing a holistic-evolutionary approach to the problem. The reviews of evidence from ethology, developmental psychology, and cross-cultural investigations lead to a social-exchange model involving differences in the elasticities of male and female labor contributions in social evolution. Assumptions about future technological progress lead to prediction of the demise of the myth of male supremacy. [sex differences in social evolution, ontogeny of human behavior]     

Moses and Civilization: The Meaning behind Freud's Myth

Moses and Civilization: The Meaning behind Freud's Myth. Robert A. Paul. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1996.268 pp.     

Dental Management of the Geriatric Head and Neck Cancer Patient1

The geriatric patient presenting with cancer of the head and neck region constitutes slightly less than half of all oral cancers diagnosed. Cancers of this region are generally treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or combinations of these three. These patients not only present with special problems due to their age but also with challenging ones resulting from treatment of their disease. The dentist plays an important role in evaluating the patient's oral health and providing necessary services prior to any curative treatment. The dental diagnosis and treatment protocol practiced at Memorial Hospital are discussed for each therapeutic modality along with the measures taken for follow up care.     

Myth and Reality in the Rain Forest: How Conservation Strategies Are Failing in West Africa. By John F. Oates

International Journal of Primatology -     

The Myth of Complex Cocoa Agroforests: The Case of Ghana

Most researchers defend cocoa agroforests as a model, which guarantees sustainable cocoa production while protecting biodiversity. However, in most countries, farmers’ strategies favour “full sun” cocoa farms, close to the concept of monoculture. Why this apparent paradox? Field surveys were conducted in 2005 and 2008 with 180 migrant and autochthon farmers in four districts of Ghana, including some measurements at the farm plot level and satellite images in a fifth district. An analytical grid shows how factors interact. Adoption of sun-loving hybrids; farmers’ negative perception of ecological services in relation to hybrids; legislation excluding smallholders from the legal timber market; recent expansion of the timber industry; and the migratory phenomenon. Most smallholders consider complex cocoa agroforests as a thing of the past. They were designed at a time when land and forests were abundant. The future of cocoa and timber may lie in ‘light commercial-oriented agroforests’ or a kind of mosaic landscape.     

War before Civilization: The Myth of the Peaceful Savage

War before Civilization: The Myth of the Peaceful Savage. Lawrence Keeley. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. 246 pp.     

Focus: The Aging Brain: The Knowledge of Memory Aging Questionnaire: Factor Structure and Correlates in a Lifespan Sample

The authors examined the factor structure of the Knowledge of Memory Aging Questionnaire (KMAQ) [1] using confirmatory factor analysis in a lifespan sample of 933 individuals who ranged in age from 18 to 101. Participants were college students at Louisiana State University and adults from the community enrolled in the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS). A two-factor solution was expected, consistent with the normal and pathological memory aging dimensions that comprise the KMAQ. A bi-factor solution with items loading on a general response bias factor and either a normal or pathological knowledge-specific factor showed good model fit. Knowledge scores were correlated with demographic and cognitive performance variables. Implications of these data for clinical settings and research are considered.