Fostering networking behavior, career planning and optimism, and subjective career success: An intervention study

The present study evaluated personal resource-oriented interventions supporting the career development of young academics, working at German universities within the STEM fields. The study sought to foster subjective career success by improving networking behavior, career planning, and career optimism. The study involved a quasi-experimental pre-post intervention with two intervention and two control groups (N = 81 research associates). Participants of the first intervention group received networking training; participants of the second intervention group received the same networking training plus individual career coaching. Participants of both intervention groups were female. Participants of the control groups (i.e., male vs. female group) did not participate in any intervention. As expected, path analyses, based on mean differences frompre-test to post-test, revealed an increase in career planning and career optimism within the networking plus career coaching intervention group, that was indirectly positively related to changes in subjective career success. Contrary to our expectations, the networking group training alone and in combination with the career coaching showed no effectiveness in fostering networking behavior. Results are discussed in the context of career counseling and intervention effectiveness studies.

Gender, Professional Networks, and Subjective Career Success within Early Academic Science Careers: The Role of Gender Composition in Inside and Outside Departmental Support Networks

The present study analyzed (a) gender differences in the gender composition (i.e., the proportion of male to female contacts) of professional support networks inside and outside an individual’s academic department and (b) how these differences in gender composition relate to subjective career success (i.e., perceived career success and perceived external marketability). Results showed that the networks’ gender composition is associated with subjective career success. Men’s networks consist of a higher proportion of male to female supporters, which, in turn, was positively related to subjective career success. Additional analyses revealed that the findings could not be accounted for by alternative factors, such as network size, networking behaviors, and career ambition.

The construct of career success: measurement issues and an empirical example

The aim of the present paper is twofold. We first give an overview of the multi-faceted construct of career success with its “objective” (real attainments) and “subjective” (perceived attainments) components and with the different methodologies measuring them (“subjectivist” vs. “objectivist” approaches). We also discuss the relationship between the different components of career success as revealed in the literature. Our second aim is to show that the interrelationship between the different facets of career success varies with the employment context. We analyze subjective and objective career success measures collected from professionals working either in the private sector, in the public sector, or that are self-employed. Our findings show that objective success and subjective success are more closely related in the private and self-employment sectors than in the public sector. Moreover, the interrelationship between objective and subjective success varies with the specific subjective success measure chosen. It is stronger for an “other-referent” subjective success measure than for a “self-referent” subjective success measure. Conclusions regarding the measurement of career success as well as regarding the relevance of subjective success for studying occupational careers are drawn.

All-Cause Mortality and Liver-Related Outcomes Following Successful Antiviral Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C

BACKGROUND: Antiviral therapy for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) reduces all-cause and liver-related morbidity and mortality. Few studies are available from populations with multiple medical and psychiatric comorbidities where the impact of successful antiviral therapy might be limited. AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sustained virologic response (SVR) on all-cause and liver-related mortality in a cohort of HCV patients treated in an integrated hepatitis/mental health clinic. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of all patients who initiated antiviral treatment for chronic HCV between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2009. Cox regression analysis was used to determine factors involved in all-cause mortality, liver-related events and hepatocellular carcinoma. RESULTS: A total of 536 patients were included in the analysis. Median follow-up was 7.5 years. Liver and non-liver-related mortality occurred in 2.7 and 5.0 % of patients with SVR and in 17.8 and 6.4 % of patients without SVR. In a multivariate analysis, SVR was the only factor associated with reduced all-cause mortality (HR 0.47; 95 % CI 0.26-0.85; p = 0.012) and reduced liver-related events (HR 0.23; 95 % CI 0.08-0.66, p = 0.007). Having stage 4 liver fibrosis increased all-cause mortality (HR 2.50; 95 % CI 1.23-5.08; p = 0.011). Thrombocytopenia at baseline (HR 2.66; 95 % CI 1.22-5.79; p = 0.014) and stage 4 liver fibrosis (HR 4.87; 95 % CI 1.62-14.53; p = 0.005) increased liver-related events. CONCLUSIONS: Despite significant medical and psychiatric comorbidities, SVR markedly reduced liver-related outcomes without a significant change in non-liver-related mortality after a median follow-up of 7.5 years.

Reliable prediction of clinical outcome in patients with chronic HCV infection and compensated advanced hepatic fibrosis: a validated model using objective and readily available clinical parameters.

OBJECTIVE Reliable tools to predict long-term outcome among patients with well compensated advanced liver disease due to chronic HCV infection are lacking. DESIGN Risk scores for mortality and for cirrhosis-related complications were constructed with Cox regression analysis in a derivation cohort and evaluated in a validation cohort, both including patients with chronic HCV infection and advanced fibrosis. RESULTS In the derivation cohort, 100/405 patients died during a median 8.1 (IQR 5.7-11.1) years of follow-up. Multivariate Cox analyses showed age (HR=1.06, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.09, p<0.001), male sex (HR=1.91, 95% CI 1.10 to 3.29, p=0.021), platelet count (HR=0.91, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.95, p<0.001) and log10 aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio (HR=1.30, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.51, p=0.001) were independently associated with mortality (C statistic=0.78, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.83). In the validation cohort, 58/296 patients with cirrhosis died during a median of 6.6 (IQR 4.4-9.0) years. Among patients with estimated 5-year mortality risks <5%, 5-10% and >10%, the observed 5-year mortality rates in the derivation cohort and validation cohort were 0.9% (95% CI 0.0 to 2.7) and 2.6% (95% CI 0.0 to 6.1), 8.1% (95% CI 1.8 to 14.4) and 8.0% (95% CI 1.3 to 14.7), 21.8% (95% CI 13.2 to 30.4) and 20.9% (95% CI 13.6 to 28.1), respectively (C statistic in validation cohort = 0.76, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.83). The risk score for cirrhosis-related complications also incorporated HCV genotype (C statistic = 0.80, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.83 in the derivation cohort; and 0.74, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.79 in the validation cohort). CONCLUSIONS Prognosis of patients with chronic HCV infection and compensated advanced liver disease can be accurately assessed with risk scores including readily available objective clinical parameters.

Privacy Policies and Users’ Trust: Does Readability Matter?

Over the years, a drastic increase in online information disclosure spurs a wave of concerns from multiple stakeholders. Among others, users resent the “behind the closed doors” processing of their personal data by companies. Privacy policies are supposed to inform users how their personal information is handled by a website. However, several studies have shown that users rarely read privacy policies for various reasons, not least because limitedly readable policy texts are difficult to understand. Based on our online survey with over 440 responses, we examine the objective and subjective readability of privacy policies and investigate their impact on users’ trust in five big Internet services. Our findings show the stronger a user believes in having understood the privacy policy, the higher he or she trusts a web site across all companies we studied. Our results call for making readability of privacy policies more accessible to an average reader.

One-stage (Warsaw) and two-stage (Oslo) repair of unilateral cleft lip and palate: Craniofacial outcomes

The aim of this study was to compare facial development in subjects with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP) treated with two different surgical protocols. Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 61 patients (42 boys, 19 girls; mean age, 10.9 years; SD, 1) treated consecutively in Warsaw with one-stage repair and 61 age-matched and sex-matched patients treated in Oslo with two-stage surgery were selected to evaluate craniofacial morphology. On each radiograph 13 angular and two ratio variables were measured in order to describe hard and soft tissues of the facial region. The analysis showed that differences between the groups were limited to hard tissues – the maxillary prominence in subjects from the Warsaw group was decreased by almost 4° in comparison with the Oslo group (sella-nasion-A-point (SNA) = 75.3° and 79.1°, respectively) and maxillo-mandibular morphology was less favorable in the Warsaw group than the Oslo group (ANB angle = 0.8° and 2.8°, respectively). The soft tissue contour was comparable in both groups. In conclusion, inter-group differences suggest a more favorable outcome in the Oslo group. However, the distinctiveness of facial morphology in background populations (ie, in Poles and Norwegians) could have contributed to the observed results.

Epicardial Radiofrequency Ablation Failure During Ablation Procedures for Ventricular Arrhythmias: Reasons and Implications for Outcomes.

BACKGROUND Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) from the epicardial space for ventricular arrhythmias is limited or impossible in some cases. Reasons for epicardial ablation failure and the effect on outcome have not been systematically analyzed. METHODS AND RESULTS We assessed reasons for epicardial RFA failure relative to the anatomic target area and the type of heart disease and assessed the effect of failed epicardial RFA on outcome after ablation procedures for ventricular arrhythmias in a large single-center cohort. Epicardial access was attempted during 309 ablation procedures in 277 patients and was achieved in 291 procedures (94%). Unlimited ablation in an identified target region could be performed in 181 cases (59%), limited ablation was possible in 22 cases (7%), and epicardial ablation was deemed not feasible in 88 cases (28%). Reasons for failed or limited ablation were unsuccessful epicardial access (6%), failure to identify an epicardial target (15%), proximity to a coronary artery (13%), proximity to the phrenic nerve (6%), and complications (<1%). Epicardial RFA was impeded in the majority of cases targeting the left ventricular summit region. Acute complications occurred in 9%. The risk for acute ablation failure was 8.3× higher (4.5-15.0; P<0.001) after no or limited epicardial RFA compared with unlimited RFA, and patients with unlimited epicardial RFA had better recurrence-free survival rates (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Epicardial RFA for ventricular arrhythmias is often limited even when pericardial access is successful. Variability of success is dependent on the target area, and the presence of factors limiting ablation is associated with worse outcomes.

Personal mastery attenuates the effect of caregiving stress on psychiatric morbidity

This study examined the protective effects of personal mastery on the relations between both objective and subjective stress and psychiatric morbidity in 79 spousal Alzheimer caregivers. Results indicated that with low mastery, the relations between patient problem behaviors and caregiver psychiatric symptoms was significant (t[71] = 2.03; p = 0.046). However, with high mastery, no significant association was found (t[71] = -0.76; p = 0.452). Similarly, the relations between role overload and psychiatric morbidity was significant when mastery was low (t[71] = 2.22; p = 0.029), but not high (t[71] = -1.49; p = 0.140). These results suggest that caregivers with a greater sense of personal mastery may be protected from the negative effects of caregiver stress.

Impact of working memory training on memory performance in old-old adults

Memory impairments constitute an increasing objective and subjective problem with advancing age. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of working memory training on memory performance. The authors trained a sample of 80-year-old adults twice weekly over a time period of 3 months. Participants were tested on 4 different memory measures before, immediately after, and 1 year after training completion. The authors found overall increased memory performance in the experimental group compared to an active control group immediately after training completion. This increase was especially pronounced in visual working memory performance and, to a smaller degree, also in visual episodic memory. No group differences were found 1 year after training completion. The results indicate that even in old?old adults, brain plasticity is strong enough to result in transfer effects, that is, performance increases in tasks that were not trained during the intervention.

The use of polydimethylsiloxane for injection laryngoplasty

BACKGROUND: Injuries of the recurrent laryngeal nerve with consecutive vocal cord paralysis is a typical complication in chest, esophageal, thyroideal, and neck surgery. Glottic insufficiency secondary to such a lesion can be treated by endolaryngeal vocal cord augmentation (injection laryngoplasty). Many different substances have been used, often showing complications or disadvantages. This study reports on the use of injectable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), with special regard to the long-term results. METHODS: In this prospective study, 21 patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis underwent injection laryngoplasty using PDMS at a volume of 0.5-1.0 ml. Preoperatively, 6 weeks and 12 months after the injection the following parameters concerning patients' voice were evaluated: Glottic closure by videolaryngostroboscopy, maximum phonation time, voice range, voice dynamic, jitter, shimmer, noise-to-harmonic-ratio, and roughness, breathiness, and hoarseness (RBH). In addition, patients were asked to give their own evaluation of how satisfied they felt with their voice and of the handicaps it caused them. RESULTS: Postoperatively an improvement was evident in all the parameters that were investigated, and this significant improvement was still in evidence for most of the parameters more than one year after the injection. In our study no complications were observed more than one year after injection. CONCLUSION: PDMS is a safe substance for injection laryngoplasty in unilateral vocal cord paresis. Objective and subjective parameters confirm its effectiveness. It is suitable for obtaining satisfying results in the reestablishment of the patient's voice and communication ability.

Effect of urinary tract infection on reservoir function in patients with ileal bladder substitute

PURPOSE: We determined the functional consequences of urinary tract infection in patients with an ileal bladder substitute in terms of urinary continence, post-void residual and urinary retention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 48 patients with culture documented urinary tract infection (single organism, 10(5) or greater cfu) were retrospectively evaluated before, during and after the infection for changes in continence, post-void residual and urinary retention as well as for resolution of symptomatology after appropriate antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: Of the 48 patients 40 had a single infection while the remaining 8 had multiple urinary tract infection episodes. During daytime 27 of the 44 patients with previously good daytime continence experienced deterioration in their baseline voiding status while infected. Of the 40 patients who were previously continent at night 20 had incontinence while infected. There were 15 patients with documented post-void residual and urinary retention developed in 4 during the urinary tract infection. All patients returned to baseline continence status and reservoir function after appropriate antibiotic treatment based on objective and subjective assessments. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary tract infection may cause urinary incontinence in patients with ileal bladder substitutes. Therefore, when there are complaints of de novo urinary incontinence, a finding of post-void residual or an acute presentation of urinary retention, a urinary tract infection should be excluded. When the urinary tract infection is appropriately treated urinary continence and reservoir function return to their baseline status.

Benefit of a Contralateral Routing of Signal Device for Unilateral Cochlear Implant Users.

Objective: To investigate objective and subjective effects of an adjunctive contralateral routing of signal (CROS) device at the untreated ear in patients with a unilateral cochlear implant (CI). Design: Prospective study of 10 adult experienced unilateral CI users with bilateral severe-to-profound hearing loss. Speech in noise reception (SNR) and sound localization were measured with and without the additional CROS device. SNR was measured by applying speech signals at the untreated/CROS side while noise signals came from the front (S90N0). For S0N90, signal sources were switched. Sound localization was measured in a 12-loudspeaker full circle setup. To evaluate the subjective benefit, patients tried the device for 2 weeks at home, then filled out the abbreviated Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale as well as the Bern benefit in single-sided deafness questionnaires. Results: In the setting S90N0, all patients showed a highly significant SNR improvement when wearing the additional CROS device (mean 6.4 dB, p < 0.001). In the unfavorable setting S0N90, only a minor deterioration of speech understanding was noted (mean -0.66 dB, p = 0.54). Sound localization did not improve substantially with CROS. In the two questionnaires, 12 of 14 items showed an improvement in mean values, but none of them was statistically significant. Conclusion: Patients with unilateral CI benefit from a contralateral CROS device, particularly in a noisy environment, when speech comes from the CROS ear side. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Collingwood on religious atonement

R. G. Collingwood’s philosophical analysis of religious atonement as a dialectical process of mortal repentance and divine forgiveness is explained and criticized. Collingwood’s Christian concept of atonement, in which Christ TeX the Atonement (and also TeX the Incarnation), is subject in turn to another kind of dialectic, in which some of Collingwood’s leading ideas are first surveyed, and then tested against objections in a philosophical evaluation of their virtues and defects, strengths and weaknesses. Collingwood’s efforts to synthesize objective and subjective aspects of atonement, and his proposal to solve the soteriological problem as to why God becomes flesh, as a dogma of some Christian belief systems, is finally exposed in adversarial exposition as inadequately supported by one of his main arguments, designated here as Collingwood’s Dilemma. The dilemma is that sin is either forgiven or unforgiven by God. If God forgives sin, then God’s justice is lax, whereas if God does not forgive sin, then, also contrary to divine nature, God lacks perfect loving compassion. The dilemma is supposed to drive philosophy toward a concept of atonement in which the sacrifice of Christ is required in order to absolve God of the lax judgment objection. God forgives sin only when the price of sin is paid, in this case, by the suffering and crucifixion of God’s avatar. The dilemma can be resolved in another way than Collingwood considers, undermining his motivation for synthesizing objective and subjective facets of the concept of atonement for the sake of avoiding inconsistency. Collingwood is philosophically important because he asks all the right questions about religious atonement, and points toward reasonable answers, even if he does not always deliver original philosophically satisfactory solutions.