Testing new identity models and processes in French-speaking adolescents and emerging adults students

Developing a sense of identity is a crucial psychosocial task for young people. The purpose of this study was to evaluate identity development in French-speaking adolescents and emerging adults (in France and Switzerland) using a process-oriented model of identity formation including five dimensions (i.e., exploration in breadth, commitment making, exploration in depth, identification with commitment, and ruminative exploration). The study included participants from three different samples (total N = 2239, 66.7% women): two samples of emerging adult student and one sample of adolescents. Results confirmed the hypothesized five-factor dimensional model of identity in our three samples and provided evidence for convergent validity of the model. The results also indicated that exploration in depth might be subdivided in two aspects: a first form of exploration in depth leading to a better understanding and to an increase of the strength of current commitments and a second form of exploration in depth leading to a re-evaluation and a reconsideration of current commitments. Further, the identity status cluster solution that emerged is globally in line with previous literature (i.e., achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, carefree diffusion, diffused diffusion, undifferentiated). However, despite a structural similarity, we found variations in identity profiles because identity development is shaped by cultural context. These specific variations are discussed in light of social, educational and economic differences between France and the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Implications and suggestions for future research are offered.

Metadata For Identity Management of Population Registers

A population register is an inventory of residents within a country, with their characteristics (date of birth, sex, marital status, etc.) and other socio-economic data, such as occupation or education. However, data on population are also stored in numerous other public registers such as tax, land, building and housing, military, foreigners, vehicles, etc. Altogether they contain vast amounts of personal and sensitive information. Access to public information is granted by law in many countries, but this transparency is generally subject to tensions with data protection laws. This paper proposes a framework to analyze data access (or protection) requirements, as well as a model of metadata for data exchange.

Adverse obstetrical and neonatal outcomes in elective and medically indicated inductions of labor at term.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes after medically indicated and elective labor induction. Both induction groups were also compared to women with spontaneous onset of labor. METHOD: Retrospective cohort study of 13 971 women with live, cephalic singleton pregnancies who delivered at term (from 1997 to 2007). Adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared between women who underwent an induction of labor in the presence and absence of standard medical indications. RESULTS: Among 5090 patients with induced labor, 2059 (40.5%) underwent elective labor inductions, defined as inductions without any medical or obstetrical indication. Risks of cesarean or instrumental delivery, postpartum hemorrhage >500 ml, prolonged maternal hospitalization >6 days, Apgar<7 at 5 min of life, arterial umbilical cord pH<7.1, admission in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and prolonged NICU hospitalization >7 days were similar between nulliparous who underwent elective and medical labor induction. Similar results were obtained for multiparous. All the above mentioned risks, but the Apgar<7 at 5 min of life, were significantly increased after induction in comparison to spontaneous labor. CONCLUSION: Elective induction of labor carries similar obstetrical and neonatal risks as a medically indicated labor induction. Thus, elective induction of labor should be strongly discouraged.

Faut-il autoriser les femmes à boire ou à manger durant l'accouchement [Should we allow women to eat or drink during labor?].

Cet article présente les résultats de la revue systématique: Singata M, Tranmer J, Gyte GM. Restricting oral fluid and food intake during labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jan 20;(1):CD003930. PMID: 20091553.

Suivi du patient oncologique, garant de la permanence de soi [Follow-up of the cancer patient, maintaining self-identity]

L'individu confronté au diagnostic de cancer subit un bouleversement brutal de ses repères et de ses habitudes. La maladie représente une menace pour son équilibre de vie et sa stabilité sociale. Sa capacité à faire face et à opérer différents remaniements dans sa façon d'être au monde et d'envisager l'avenir est en partie déterminée par ses ressources personnelles. Toutefois, le soutien émotionnel peut également représenter un moyen privilégié de donner du sens à cette expérience singulière qu'est la maladie. La reconstruction narrative dans un cadre soutenant, caractérisé par une écoute bienveillante, offre au patient la possibilité de reconnaître sa souffrance comme partie intégrante de lui-même. Un récit de vie qui intègre la maladie lui permet de se réapproprier son histoire. Cette démarche nécessite de la part du thérapeute une disponibilité psychique et temporelle et la capacité de soutenir le patient dans un processus de liaison à travers les différentes étapes de la maladie. The individual facing the diagnosis of cancer is subjected to abrupt changes with regard to his inner world, his life, habits and social relationships. The patient's capacity to cope, to integrate changes in the way of living and to face the future is determined by his personal resources. However, psychological support may also be an important mean to search for and find sense to the singular experience of the illness. The narrative reconstruction within a supportive setting provides the patient a possibility to recognise his sufferance as an integral part of himself. A life narrative, which integrates the illness, allows the patient to re-appropriate his history again. Such a therapeutic project necessitates from the therapist a psychological and temporal disponibility and a capacity to create links all along the different stages of the disease.

Mastectomy, body deconstruction, and impact on identity: a qualitative study.

Objectives This qualitative study aims at understanding the consequences of body deconstruction through mastectomy on corporality and identity in women with breast cancer. Design Nineteen women were contacted through the hospital. All had to undergo mastectomy. Some were offered immediate breast reconstruction, others, because of cancer treatments, had no planned reconstruction. A qualitative reflexive methodological background was chosen. Method Women were invited to participate in three semi-structured interviews, one shortly before or after mastectomy, and the other interviews later in their illness courses, after surgery. All interviews were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was performed. The analysis of the first interview of each woman is presented in this article. Results Mastectomy provokes a painful experience of body deconstruction. Even when immediate reconstruction is proposed, contrasted feelings and dissonance are expressed when comparing the former healthy body to the present challenged body entity. Body transformations are accompanied with experiences of mutilation, strangeness, and modify the physical, emotional social, symbolic and relational dimensions of the woman's gendered identity. Although the opportunity of breast reconstruction is seen as a possible recovery of a lost physical symmetry and body integrity, grieving the past body and integrating a new corporality leads to a painful identity crisis. Conclusion With mastectomy, the roots of the woman's identity are challenged, leading to a re-evaluation of her existential values. The consequences of mastectomy transform the woman's corporality and embodiment, and question her identity. Psychological support is discussed in the perspective of our results.

Group mentoring for women starting a PhD: a "duty free zone" to build professional identity

Despite increasing numbers of women attaining higher level academic degrees, gender disparities remain among higher education and among university faculties. Some have posited that this may stem from inadequate academic identity development of women at the doctoral level. While existing gender differences may stem from multiple and variable origins, mentoring has been proposed as a viable means to promote academic identity development and address these gender gaps. This study used a qualitative, narrative case study design to evaluate "StartingDoc" a structured mentoring program launched among Swiss Universities aimed at promoting networking and academic identity development among female doctoral students. Herein we describe the 9 emergent themes which arose from the small-group mentoring program and suggest that such an approach is both feasible and beneficial for young female academics. Further work is needed to elucidate the most effective strategies for developing and retaining women in academia.

The profiling of false identity documents: a promising method to fight identity fraud

Under the influence of intelligence-led policing models, crime analysis methods have known of important developments in recent years. Applications have been proposed in several fields of forensic science to exploit and manage various types of material evidence in a systematic and more efficient way. However, nothing has been suggested so far in the field of false identity documents.This study seeks to fill this gap by proposing a simple and general method for profiling false identity documents which aims to establish links based on their visual forensic characteristics. A sample of more than 200 false identity documents including French stolen blank passports, counterfeited driving licenses from Iraq and falsified Bulgarian driving licenses was gathered from nine Swiss police departments and integrated into an ad hoc developed database called ProfID. Links detected automatically and systematically through this database were exploited and analyzed to produce strategic and tactical intelligence useful to the fight against identity document fraud.The profiling and intelligence process established for these three types of false identity documents has confirmed its efficiency, more than 30% of documents being linked. Identity document fraud appears as a structured and interregional criminality, against which material and forensic links detected between false identity documents might serve as a tool for investigation.