The efficacy of a psychosocial intervention for HIV/AIDS caregiving dyads and individual caregivers: a controlled treatment outcome study

The present study examined the comparative efficacy of intervening at the caregiver/care-recipient dyadic level, versus the individual caregiver level, for caregivers and their care-recipients with HIV/AIDS. Participants were randomly assigned to a Dyad Intervention (DI), a Caregiver Intervention (CI) or Wait List Control group (WLC), and assessed by interview and self-administered scales immediately before treatment and eight weeks later. Participants in the intervention groups also completed a four-month follow-up assessment. Dependent variables included global distress, social adjustment, dyadic adjustment, subjective health status, HIV/AIDS knowledge and target problem ratings. Results showed that caregivers in the DI group showed greater improvement from pre- to post-treatment on global distress, dyadic adjustment and target problems than the CI and WLC caregivers. The CI and DI caregivers showed greater improvement than the WLC group on all dependent variables except social adjustment. Care-recipients in the DI group improved significantly from pre- to post-treatment on dyadic adjustment, social adjustment, knowledge, subjective health status and Target Problem 1, whereas the CI and WLC care-recipients failed to improve on any of these measures. The treatment gains made by the DI caregivers and care-recipients on most dependent variables were maintained at a four-month follow-up. Findings support a reciprocal determinism approach to the process of dyadic adjustment and suggest that intervening at the caregiver/care-recipient level may produce better outcomes for both the caregiver and care-recipient than intervening at the individual caregiver level.

Alcohol, tobacco and breast cancer - collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 53 epidemiological studies, including 58 515 women with breast cancer and 95 067 women without the disease

Alcohol and tobacco consumption are closely correlated and published results on their association with breast cancer have not always allowed adequately for confounding between these exposures. Over 80% of the relevant information worldwide on alcohol and tobacco consumption and breast cancer were collated, checked and analysed centrally. Analyses included 58515 women with invasive breast cancer and 95067 controls from 53 studies. Relative risks of breast cancer were estimated, after stratifying by study, age, parity and, where appropriate, women's age when their first child was born and consumption of alcohol and tobacco. The average consumption of alcohol reported by controls from developed countries was 6.0 g per day, i.e. about half a unit/drink of alcohol per day, and was greater in ever-smokers than never-smokers, (8.4 g per day and 5.0 g per day, respectively). Compared with women who reported drinking no alcohol, the relative risk of breast cancer was 1.32 (1.19 - 1.45, P < 0.00001) for an intake of 35 - 44 g per day alcohol, and 1.46 (1.33 - 1.61, P < 0.00001) for greater than or equal to 45 g per day alcohol. The relative risk of breast cancer increased by 7.1% (95% CI 5.5-8.7%; P

EMG activity normalization for trunk muscles in subjects with and without back pain

Purpose: The aims of the present study were to examine electromyographic (EMG) activity of six bilateral trunk muscles during maximal contraction in three cardinal planes, and to determine the direction of contraction that gives maximal activation for each muscle. both for healthy subjects and back-pain patients. Methods: Twenty-eight healthy subjects and 15 back-pain patients performed maximum voluntary contractions in three cardinal planes, Surface EMG signals were recorded from rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, latissimus dorsi, iliocostalis lumborum, and multifidus bilaterally. Root mean square values of the EMG data were calculated to quantify I the amplitude of EMG signals. Results: For both healthy subjects and back-pain patients. one single direction of contraction was found to give the maximum EMG signals for most muscles. Rectus abdominis demonstrated maximal activity in trunk flexion, external oblique in lateral flexion. internal oblique in axial rotation, and multifidus in extension. For the latissimus dorsi and iliocostalis lumborum. maximal activity was demonstrated in more than one cardinal plane. Conclusion: This study has implications for future research involving normalization of muscle activity to maximal levels required in many trunk EMG studies. As the latissimus dorsi and iliocostalis lumborum demonstrate individual differences in the plane that gives maximal activity, these muscles may require testing in more than one plane.

Social rules for managing attempted interpersonal domination in the workplace: Influence of status and gender.

The present study utilized a social rules approach to investigate the relative influence of gender and status on managers' self-evaluations of their effectiveness in handling a dominating subordinate. In the first study 84 White middle-class participants identified the prescriptive and proscriptive rules for socially appropriate responding to a stimulus situation involving a pushy subordinate. Four rule sets were identified for female and male managers and subordinates, respectively. Rule-sets shared a number of common rules and showed some variation according to gender roles. In the second study, 91 White middle-class participants rated the individual rules for importance and also rated their personal and managerial effectiveness when responding to the stimulus situation using gender- and status-consistent and gender-and status-inconsistent response strategies. Both men and women rated the female gender and status- consistent strategy as most effective, and rated the status-inconsistent strategy as less effective than a gender-inconsistent response. Results were interpreted as providing more support for a situational gender-related theory of workplace behavior, rather than a traditional gender role perspective.

Characterisation of multiple Caribbean ciguatoxins and congeners in individual specimens of horse-eye jack (Caranx latus) by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

We studied the variation in toxin profiles of purified extracts of 10 individual specimens and two pools of ciguateric Caranx latus. High-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) identified in all individual samples at least seven Caribbean ciguatoxins (C-CTXs) comprising C-CTX-1 and its epimer C-CTX-2 ([M + H](+) m/z 1141.58), and five new C-CTX congeners with pseudo-molecular ions at m/z 1141.58, 1143.60, 1157.57, 1159.58, and 1127.57. In some samples, additional C-CTX isomers were detected with [M + H](+) ions at m/z 1141.58 (two), 1143.60 (one) and 1157.57 (two). The two low-toxic pools contained only four to six ciguatoxins. The comparison in relative proportions of four different mass classes ([M + H](+) at m/z 1141, 1143, 1157 and 1127) showed that the group at m/z 1157 increased (2-20%) with flesh toxicity. More than 80% of group m/z 1141 comprised C-CTX-1, C-CTX-2 and their isomer C-CTX-1 a whose level in this group correlated with fish toxicity. Contrary to low-toxic fishes, high-risk specimens had C-CTX-1 levels

For Your Freedom and Ours: The Polish Question in Wilson's Peace Initiatives, 1916 - 1917

The first eighteen months of the Great War witnessed an unprecedented awakening of interest in the Polish Question, when worldwide attention was drawn to the prolonged devastation of the Polish territories. Thereafter, a steady increase in media comment and criticism, highlighting Poland's plight, fostered public indignation at the continual stalling of humanitarian relief efforts for Polish refugees. Such burgeoning popular sentiment focused wider political attention upon a growing movement for recognition of Polish claims to independence. This particularly proved to be the case for Woodrow Wilson and his administration's budding interest in Poland. Subsequently, nowhere did the Polish Question assume a greater role in diplomatic efforts to mediate for peace than in America, and at no time more than during the year preceding the President's hesitant decision to intervene in hostilities.

Democracry and the Individual

The main question informing this paper is whether it is possible to extend democracy beyond its liberal forms. The paper reflects upon this question with regard to its implications for the individual. For the radicalization of democracy implies a need for self-transformation, if the everyday egoism of contemporary citizens is not to thwart reasonable discussion and participation. Theorists such as Richard Rorty argue that the philosophical resources required to guide such self-transformation can be made available only by sacrificing the political freedom and cultural diversity liberalism has been able to precariously establish. Other theorists insist that the thresholds of pluralism and tolerance that existing liberal democracies are struggling to maintain actually require an extension of democracy. The paper evaluates two different theoretical strategies that aim to identify potentials for democratization without falling prey to the dilemma identified by Rorty: a ‘ deliberative’ strategy explicated with reference to Jürgen Habermas and an ‘existential’ approach represented here by William Connolly.

Sistema de Avalia????o de Desempenho Individual do Inmetro (Siadi)

O Inmetro desenvolveu e implementou modelo de avalia????o de desempenho individual, instrumento de gest??o capaz de promover nova cultura baseada no m??rito, exig??ncia, motiva????o e reconhecimento. Adota remunera????o vari??vel vinculada ao desempenho, com crit??rios objetivos e regras claras, elaborados a partir de amplo debate com os servidores; a avalia????o ?? realizada por comit??s com maioria dos membros externos ?? institui????o, rompendo com a pr??tica limitada da avalia????o exclusivamente pelas chefias. O ciclo ?? anual e o processo consta basicamente da pactua????o de um plano de trabalho do servidor com sua chefia ao in??cio do ciclo, vinculado ao conjunto de objetivos institucionais. A an??lise, ao final do ciclo, do relat??rio de atividades do servidor e do parecer de sua chefia ?? conduzida pelo Comit?? de Avalia????o. A participa????o dos servidores nos dois primeiros ciclos foi irrestrita, com excelente receptividade, independente dos resultados

Pintura de guerra I: tomada de decis??o individual e organizacional

Maria Cec??lia, divorciada e com dois filhos, ?? servidora p??blica h?? vinte anos e h?? seis trabalha como coordenadora em um projeto da Secretaria de Educa????o do seu Estado. Com a proposta de se transformar em uma pol??tica p??blica e com um or??amento significativo, o projeto passa por um momento de crise, pois os resultados est??o abaixo do esperado. Maria Cec??lia e outros membros da equipe entram em conflito e divergem quanto aos ajustes que devem ser feitos no plano de trabalho. Nesse contexto, todos, incluindo Maria Cec??lia, encontram-se em um momento de tomada de decis??o

Associar o desempenho individual ao planejamento organizacional pela gest??o de compet??ncias: um novo enfoque para a avalia????o de desempenho na administra????o p??blica brasileira

Neste artigo, pretende-se fazer uma abordagem cr??tica da avalia????o de desempenho dirigida aos servidores p??blicos em suas m??ltiplas dimens??es, notadamente a partir da experi??ncia dos Minist??rios da Fazenda e do Planejamento, Or??amento e Gest??o com a implementa????o de sistemas de avalia????o de desempenho individual e institucional vinculados ao pagamento de gratifica????es de desempenho, e ?? tend??ncia ?? generaliza????o desse tipo de vantagem remunerat??ria. Como elemento inovador, recomenda-se analisar a gest??o por compet??ncias associada ?? avalia????o de desempenho, como forma de integrar, de modo mais eficaz e satisfat??rio, o planejamento organizacional ao dia-a-dia da organiza????o e ao desempenho dos servidores. Inicia-se por uma breve descri????o dos sistemas de avalia????o organizacionais que funcionam em conjunto com as avalia????es de desempenho para fins remunerat??rios at?? o momento atual para, em seguida, apresentar um breve hist??rico sobre as avalia????es de desempenho dos servidores atualmente existentes e experi??ncias ainda em fase de consolida????o. Encerra-se apresentando algumas perspectivas para a avalia????o de desempenho no setor p??blico brasileiro.