THE EFFECT OF PREECLAMPSIA ON RENAL FUNCTION: CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES OF POSTPARTUM PREECLAMPTICS AND WOMEN WHO WERE DESTINED TO DEVELOP PREECLAMPSIA

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complication that is new-onset of hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. However, subclinical renal dysfunction may be apparent earlier in gestation prior to the clinical presentation of PE. Although the maternal syndrome of PE resolves early postpartum, women with a history of PE are at higher risk of renal dysfunction later in life. Mineral metabolism, such as phosphate balance is heavily dependent on renal function, yet, phosphate handling in women with a history of PE is largely unknown. To investigate whether women with a history of PE would exhibit changes in phosphate metabolism compared to healthy parous women, phosphate loading test was used. Women with or without a history of PE, who were 6 months to 5 years postpartum, were recruited for this study. Blood and urine samples were collected before and after the oral dosing of 500mg phosphate solution. Biochemical markers of phosphate metabolism and renal function were evaluated. In order to assess the difference in renal function alteration between first trimester women who were or were not destined to develop PE, plasma cystatin C concentration was analysed. After phosphate loading, women with a history of PE had significantly elevated serum phosphate at both 1- and 2-hour, while controls had higher urine phosphate:urine creatinine excretion ratio at 1-hour than women with a history of PE. Women with a history of PE had no changes in intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) concentration throughout the study period, whereas controls had elevated iPTH at 1-hour from baseline. In terms of renal function in the first trimester, there was no difference in plasma cystatin C concentration between women who were or were not destined to develop PE. The elevation of serum phosphate in women with a history of PE could be due to the delay in phosphate excretion. Prolong elevation of serum phosphate can have serious consequences later in life. Thus, oral phosphate challenge may serve as a useful method of early screening for altered phosphate metabolism and renal function.

The Democratic Dynamics of Government Consultations. Speaking Freely and Listening Properly

There is a growing use of consultation and e-consultation procedures by governments. This chapter seeks to examine the role of consultation as part of a new technology of government. Consultation on policy development can reinvigorate democratic engage- ment but often it can silence views through a sort of participatory disempowerment; it can loosen the democratic anchorage of the public service within the state. The chapter develops a governmentality perspective interrogating what participation, democratic engagement and free speech mean in this context, and how ideas of publicness are constructed, managed and controlled. The focus is on the nature of consultation, its relationship to ideas of free speech and speaking freely, and its potential to empower subaltern counterpublics which can formulate oppositional interpretations and urge alternative conclusions. The aim is to develop an idea of the democratic adequacy of the consultation process and draw out a sense of how democratic engagement here can be structured – for good or ill.

I Stormens Öga : En kvalitativ studie inspirerad av grundad teori, om väntade förändringar inom elitidrottsföreningar

Adapt or die. En omvärld i ständig rörelse ställer högre krav än någonsin på organisationer att utveckla sitt förändringsarbete och sättet man ser på förändringar, något som lett till att fenomenet "organisationsförändringar" blivit ett fokusområde för organisationsforskare. Inom denna forskning framhävs inte sällan vikten av att ta ställning till hur anställda tar emot, och påverkas av, detta förändringsarbete. En typ av förändringar som dock förblivit outforskade är väntade förändringar, förändringar där de anställda vet att en förändring kan komma att ske men inte när eller hur den kommer ske. Inom idrotten återfinns en viss typ av organisationer, elitidrottsföreningar, som ställs inför väntade förändringar med jämna mellanrum. Dessa situationer uppkommer när föreningarna omplaceras i det standardiserade seriesystem som återfinns i Sverige och ställs inför kraftigt omväxlande ekonomiska förutsättningar. För att kunna hantera denna osäkerhet förutsätts att organisationen konstant står redo att genomföra omvälvande förändringar, enbart baserat på föreningens sportsliga resultat. Syftet med uppsatsen är att skapa en förståelse för de anställdas reaktioner vid situationer av omplacering och väntad förändring. För att uppnå syftet utgick uppsatsen ifrån bristen på forskning och sökte, med hjälp av metoden Grundad teori, producera en serie väl underbyggda frågeställningar baserade i studiens fynd. Frågeställningarna producerades sedan via fyra semi-strukturerade intervjuer inom två olika elitidrottsföreningar. Resultatet visar på att en utbredd acceptans för väntade förändringar återfinns hos anställda inom elitidrottsföreningar. Uppsatsens fynd grundades i data från respondenterna och sammanställdes via en resultatmodell innehållandes en kärnkategori och fyra underkategorier. Uppsatsen erbjuder således, via metodvalet, en nyproducerad infallsvinkel på en situation som många organisationer inom idrotten – men även utanför – kan komma att ställas inför.

Que(e)rying the Closet in Diversity Management: "Coming-Out" as an Authentic (and Successful) LGBT Employee

This paper will "que(e)ry" "coming-out" as constructed by LGBT-diversity experts to advance our understanding of the relation between the social justice and business case for equality, diversity, and inclusion.

O Sistema de Gestão e Avaliação do Desempenho na Administração Pública Portuguesa: efeitos da sua prática no contrato psicológico dos colaboradores

Desde as últimas décadas do século XX que, perante um cenário marcado pela complexidade de uma economia globalizada, a Administração Pública tem sido coagida a passar por processos de reforma. As referências à reestruturação da Administração Pública por motivos políticos, económicos e financeiros, são frequentes na literatura, e surgem, quase sempre, num discurso imperativo. Neste contexto, foram introduzidos mecanismos de mercado por se acreditar que estes produzem soluções mais eficazes para o cidadão-cliente, uma administração motivadora, para quantos nela trabalham, e eficiência económica. Na esfera pública, mais do que transformar inputs em outputs, importa, avaliar os outcomes, isto é, o impacto sobre o valor público. Inúmeros estudos concorreram para enquadrar e justificar a reforma do sector público. Continuam, porém, a faltar respostas de como compatibilizar a gestão orçamental com práticas ideológicas das organizações, nomeadamente ao nível da gestão de recursos humanos. Este estudo tem como objectivo central contribuir para um melhor conhecimento dos efeitos que a prática da avaliação do desempenho, em vigor na Administração Pública Portuguesa, tem no contrato psicológico dos colaboradores. Para o teste das hipóteses propusemos um modelo de investigação, tomando como referência a teoria de Guest. Com uma abordagem qualitativa, construímos um inquérito por questionário, que foi aplicado a alguns colaboradores de uma Instituição pública. Os dados recolhidos permitiram a elaboração de quadros de referência de resultados que, por meio da análise de conteúdo, nos possibilitou tirar ilações acerca do comprometimento organizacional e comportamentos de cidadania organizacional dos Colaboradores. Trata-se de uma pesquisa com características exploratórias que, acreditamos, possa ser a base para trabalhos futuros sobre os efeitos do SIADAP nos indivíduos e nas organizações. Os resultados mostram que o sentimento de que a organização não cumpriu os termos do contrato psicológico é moderado por um esforço emocional, que mantém o colaborador na organização, evidenciando, ainda, um comprometimento afectivo com a Instituição e comportamentos de virtude cívica. / Since the last decades of the 20th century, in a scenario marked by the complexity of a globalized economy, the Public Administration has been forced to undergo reform processes. References to the restructuring of the Public Administration for political, economical and financial reasons are frequent in literature, and arise, in most cases, in an imperative tone. In this context, market mechanisms were introduced, as it is believed that they produce more efficient solutions for the citizen-client, motivated administration for whom many work, and economic efficiency. In the public sphere, more than just transforming inputs into outputs, it is important to evaluate the outcomes, that is, the impact on the public value. Numerous studies have contributed to contextualize and justify the public sector reform. However, there are still no answers of how to develop compatibility between the budgetary management and the ideological practices of the organizations, namely on the level of human resource management. The main aim of this study is to contribute to a better knowledge of the effects that the practice of performance appraisal, in force in the Portuguese Public Administration, has on the employee's psychological contract. For this hypothesis test, we proposed a research model, with reference to Guest's theory. With a qualitative approach, we constructed a survey questionnaire that was applied to some employees of a Public Institution. The data gathered allowed the elaboration of results frameworks which, by means of the content analysis, enabled us to draw conclusions of the employees' organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviour. It is a research with exploratory characteristics, which we believe, may provide the basis for future work on the effects of the SIADAP on individuals and organizations. The results indicate that the feeling that the organization did not fulfil the psychological contract terms is moderated by an emotional effort, which leads the employee to remain in the organization, also showing an affective commitment to the institution and civic virtue behaviours.

Confluent Learning: Using a Design Approach to Develop Cognitive Abilities and Enhance Affective Capacities Through Change Management Curriculum

Purpose The aim of the study is to explore the role of confluent learning in supporting the development of change management knowledge, skills and attitudes and to inform the creation of a conceptual model based upon a priori and a posteriori knowledge gained from literature and the research. Design/methodology/approach The research adopts qualitative approach based on reflective inquiry methodology. There are two primary data sources, interviews with learners and the researchers’ reflective journals on learners’ opinions. Findings The confluent learning approach helped to stimulate affective states (e.g. interest and appreciation) to further reinforce cognitive gains (e.g. retention of knowledge) as a number of higher order thinking skills were further developed. The instructional design premised upon confluent learning enabled learners to further appreciate the complexities of change management. Research implications/ limitations The confluent learning approach offers another explanation to how learning takes place, contingent upon the use of a problem solving framework, instructional design and active learning in developing inter- and trans-disciplinary competencies. Practical implications This study not only explains how effective learning takes place but is also instructive to learning and teaching, and human resource development (HRD) professionals in curriculum design and the potential benefits of confluent learning. Social implications The adoption of a confluent learning approach helps to re-naturalise learning that appeals to learners affect. Originality/value This research is one of the few studies that provide an in-depth exploration of the use of confluent learning and how this approach co-develops cognitive abilities and affective capacity in the creation of a conceptual model.

Intermédialité et déconstruction de la fiction chez Alain Robbe-Gillet - Analyse comparative de "La maison de rendez-vous" et de "L'homme qui ment"

Alain Robbe-Grillet, d’abord connu en tant que romancier, a dès le début des années 1960 partagé son temps entre le cinéma et la littérature. Après avoir fourni le scénario de L’année dernière à Marienbad, il est passé derrière la caméra et a réalisé une dizaine de films qui, tant par leur forme que leur propos, poursuivent les recherches esthétiques entreprises dans sa pratique littéraire. Plus encore, il nous semble que le début de cette aventure cinématographique marque un tournant dans son œuvre. Alors que le point de vue qui portait les premiers romans — point de vue que les critiques ont rapproché de celui d’une caméra —, marquait déjà la dimension intermédiale de son œuvre, il apparaît que son passage dans la chaise du réalisateur a été le germe d’une radicalisation de sa pratique. Ainsi, les romans et les films qui ont suivi possèdent une portée intermédiale beaucoup plus large. De fait, c’est l’ensemble de la narration qui s’y trouve remise en question par la mise en évidence des spécificités de chacun des médias et par la transposition de procédés propres à la littérature dans le film, et vice versa. C’est par une étude comparative de La maison de rendez-vous (1965) et de L’homme qui ment (1968) que nous montrons en quoi consiste la relation intermédiale que Robbe-Grillet établit entre les disciplines, en plus de mettre en évidence les mécaniques qui, ancrées dans la matérialité des médias, fondent le roman et le film.

The Usability of a Commercial Game Physics Engine to Develop Physics Educational Materials: an Investigation

Commercial computer games contain “physics engine” components, responsible for providing realistic interactions among game objects. The question naturally arises of whether these engines can be used to develop educational materials for high school and university physics education. To answer this question, the author's group recently conducted a detailed scientific investigation of the physics engine of Unreal Tournament 2004 (UT2004). This article presents their motivation, methodology, and results. The author presents the findings of experiments that probed the accessibility and fidelity of UT2004's physics engine, examples of educational materials developed, and an evaluation of their use in high school classes. The associated pedagogical implications of this approach are discussed, and the author suggests guidelines for educators on how to deploy the approach. Key resources are presented on an associated Web site.

Are we Doing Enough to Develop Career Competency?

How can you make sure that the graduates you employ are ‘career competent’? Are they prepared for your workplace when they arrive? How can you develop their competency?

The genesis of the documents during the chancellery of Alfonso X.

The Chancellery of Alfonso X represents one of the most signi-ficant milestones for the study of the configuration of the future Spanish Administration. One of the least known subjects of his reign is the pro-cess followed to draft his documents —the genesis of the documents—. Having disappeared the records of the Castilian Chancellery, the use of the legal sources of Alfonso X like: Speculum, Fuero Real, Partidas and the Monarch´s documents have become essential to develop this work. This work approaches the different stages of construction of the docu-ment, from its “actio” to its “conscriptio” which we have divided into “documental” and “cancilleresca”, respectively. This division is due to, on one hand, to the different places in which documents were created and on the other hand, to the strengthening of the belief that the Chan-cellery was the place where the documents were validated and can-celled.

Using Action Research to Develop My Solution-Focused Practice in Collaboration with Year 6 And 7 Pupils When Discussing Their Behavioural Self-Regulation at School

This action research study aimed to develop the researcher's use of solutionfocused techniques when working with Year 6 and 7 pupils’ self-regulation. A systematic literature review highlighted an evidence base that demonstrated the efficacy of solution-focused methods when working with this population. The researcher’s intention was to add to the body of Educational Psychology practice-based evidence in this area. The researcher recruited eight participants from primary and secondary school provisions. Solution-focused techniques were systematically trialled in partnership with the pupils and were modified through an action research cycle. Semistructured interviewing provided participants the opportunity to critically evaluate the researcher’s solution-focused practice. Thematic Analysis was used to assess feedback in order to adapt the delivery of solution-focused techniques. Developments to practice explored within this study included modifications to the use of the six core components of Solution Focused Brief Therapy. Adaptations have the potential to inform the use of these solution-focused approaches with other educational practitioners.

Empowering single mothers in Iran : Applying a problem-solving model in learning groups to develop participants' capacities to improve their lives

Since 2000, a problem-solving model has been taught to the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child, and teachers and  students of social work in two universities in Iran. Since 2006, with the initiation of UNICEF, social workers, psychologists  and even some psychiatrists in Iran have been learning this model. In 2008, a group of researchers created an empowerment-oriented  psycho-social group and private intervention project to assess whether a group of Iranian single mothers could use this model, which was traditionally used by professionals only, to effectively and independently meet challenges in their own lives. Our results show that all women used the model effectively and, consequently, made more deliberate decisions to improve their life situations. Some of the women succeeded in finding a job and many improved their family relationships. This study suggests that empowerment-oriented social work can help many clients to achieve their goals, and that this psycho-social intervention project can be a useful model for social work in Iran and many other societies.

CSR Communication - An Employee Perspective : Tailoring Internal Communication using Employee Preferences for Content, Style and Channel.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) represents a theory and practice that is well-known and communicating its content has shown to play an important role in order to exploit its advantages and engage stakeholders on CSR issues. Even though, CSR communication has shown to be a real challenge, since corporations are encouraged to engage in CSR, but not to communicate too loud about this engagement. This study was inspired by Jenny Dawkins (2005) and her initial idea that tailoring CSR messages by exploring stakeholder preferences for content, style and channel, would solve the communication challenge. One stakeholder group that corporations are highly dependent on is employees and exploring their preferences for CSR communication became the purpose of this thesis: to understand employee preferences for style and channel within the content of CSR. This was of specific interest, since existing research on CSR communication has mainly been centered around financial and external issues on the expense of internal. In addition, the idea of a tailored approach has not gained any interest in research so far, and a possible explanation might be its diffuse meaning, a problem this thesis has addressed. In order to understand employee preferences for internal CSR communication, a qualitative case study research was conducted with in-depth interviews, observations and exercises at site. A total of 20 interviews were arranged in order to collect primary data during a one week prolong engagement at the case. The empirical findings from the respondents’ answers were then transcribed and analyzed using both inductive and theoretical thematic analysis. Based on the findings, the authors of this thesis contribute with two models that help practitioners to understand how to best communicate about various CSR content to employees. The first model developed suggests an implementation of the tailored approach for content, style and channel, and demonstrates a relationship between nature of content and constraint recognition. Also, the model explains how practitioners can provide CSR explanation in order to reduce skepticism and enable endorsement processes where employees communicate CSR to third parties. To show a more dependent relationship between how changes in nature of content and constraint recognition affect employee preferences, the authors created the "CSR Communication Grid". The authors made a theoretical contribution by clarifying and providing a framework for the tailoring approach as initially developed by Dawkins (2005). Additionally, the authors managed to draw a relation between Public Relations (PR) and CSR by referring models of PR to communication styles, which filled this gap in previous research.

Benefit News: Employee Benefit News, Department of Administrative Services, October 2016

Benefit News, brought to you by the DAS Benefits Team, providing you with the most up-to-date information about the state of Iowa’s employee benefits.

A Novel Siderophore-based Chelator to Develop Targeted 68Ga and 89Zr Labelled RGD Peptides for Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

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