Risk factors for pregnancy and childbearing in single young women: Evidence from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

This study investigated psychosocial predictors of early pregnancy and childbearing in single young women, consistent with the Eriksonian developmental perspective. Two mail-out surveys assessing reproductive behaviour and sociodemographic, education/competence, psychosocial well-being, and aspiration factors were completed 4 years apart by 2635 young women, aged 18 to 20 when first surveyed. Young women in the emerging adulthood'' developmental period were selected from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Longitudinally, lower investment in education over low-status paid work, experiencing unemployment, greater psychosocial distress, stress and alcohol use, and high family aspirations combined with low vocational aspirations were risk factors for early single pregnancy and childbearing. Several mediational relationships also existed between these predictor variables. It was concluded that psychosocial factors play an important role in understanding early pregnancy and childbearing in single young Australian women, and that the findings provide some support for investigating early pregnancy and childbearing from an Eriksonian developmental perspective.

Sibling relationships in adolescence: Learning and growing together

fit this article, I discuss the reasons for my interest in sibling relationships, and showcase studies on sibling relationships in adolescence carried out with my colleagues and students, in the context of the broader literature on sibling relationships. Our studies have focused on a number of important issues concerned with sibling relationships. First, I report on the associations between sibling relationships and other family relationships and the ways that the various family relationships affect each other. Second, I report a study of sibling relationships in the context of parental separation and divorce and show that sibling relationships in these families are more likely to be high in both warmth and hostility than is true for relationships in 2-parent families. Third, I report on several data sets showing an association between the quality of sibling relationships and adolescent adjustment and the link between differential parenting, adolescent adjustment, and the quality of the sibling relationship. Fourth, I report on a study of comparison and competition in sibling relationships and the associations between sibling relationship quality and reactions to being outperformed by a sibling. Finally, I discuss possible future directions for research on sibling relationships, including the importance of multimethod studies and a longitudinal perspective.

Common causes of sleep disruption and daytime sleepiness: childhood sleep disorders II

There are strong associations between childhood sleep disorders and behavioural, concentration and mood problems. Sleep disorders caused and maintained by behavioural factors (eg, sleep-onset association disorder) are common in young children, and have a significant impact on families. Evaluation should include a medical history, a physical, neurological and developmental examination, a description of any nocturnal events or daytime effects of the child's disturbed sleep, and a good understanding of the family situation and parental management of the child. Management involves recognising the developmental age of the child and the family dynamics, and educating and supporting families in applying behavioural techniques to establish good sleep hygiene. Children with parasomnias (eg, night terrors) also benefit from good sleep hygiene, while those with respiratory or neurological causes of sleep disturbance should be referred for specialist treatment.

Syntactic complexity measures and their relation to oral proficiency in Japanese as a foreign language

The study reported in this article is a part of a large-scale study investigating syntactic complexity in second language (L2) oral data in commonly taught foreign languages (English, German, Japanese, and Spanish; Ortega, Iwashita, Rabie, & Norris, in preparation). In this article, preliminary findings of the analysis of the Japanese data are reported. Syntactic complexity, which is referred to as syntactic maturity or the use of a range of forms with degrees of sophistication (Ortega, 2003), has long been of interest to researchers in L2 writing. In L2 speaking, researchers have examined syntactic complexity in learner speech in the context of pedagogic intervention (e.g., task type, planning time) and the validation of rating scales. In these studies complexity is examined using measures commonly employed in L2 writing studies. It is assumed that these measures are valid and reliable, but few studies explain what syntactic complexity measures actually examine. The language studied is predominantly English, and little is known about whether the findings of such studies can be applied to languages that are typologically different from English. This study examines how syntactic complexity measures relate to oral proficiency in Japanese as a foreign language. An in-depth analysis of speech samples from 33 learners of Japanese is presented. The results of the analysis are compared across proficiency levels and cross-referenced with 3 other proficiency measures used in the study. As in past studies, the length of T-units and the number of clauses per T-unit is found to be the best way to predict learner proficiency; the measure also had a significant linear relation with independent oral proficiency measures. These results are discussed in light of the notion of syntactic complexity and the interfaces between second language acquisition and language testing. Adapted from the source document

Health and developmental outcome of children following prenatal diagnosis of confined placental mosaicism

Objective To determine the long-term health and development of a cohort of children in whom confined placental mosaicism (CPM) was diagnosed at prenatal diagnosis. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed comparing 36 children in whom CPM had been diagnosed prenatally with 195 controls subjects in whom a normal karyotype had been detected prenatally. Data comprising birth information, health, health service utilisation, growth, development, behaviour, and the family were collected by a maternal questionnaire administered when the subjects were aged between 4 and 11 years. Results CPM cases did not differ from controls across a broad range of health measures and there were no major health problems or birth defects among the CPM group. No increase was detected in the incidence of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) among CPM cases; however, postnatal growth was reduced compared with controls (p = 0.047). Development and behaviour in CPM cases was similar to that of controls. Conclusions The prenatal diagnosis of CPM is not associated with an increased risk of birth defects or developmental problems, but may be associated with decreased growth. Copyright (C) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

IMPRENSA DE COMUNIDADES IMIGRANTES DE SÃO PAULO E IDENTIDADE: estudo dos jornais ibéricos Mundo Lusíada e Alborada

Entre os veículos impressos voltados para colônias de imigrantes em circulação na cidade de São Paulo, atualmente (2005/2006), estão Mundo Lusíada (português) e Alborada (espanhol). Identificar se estes dois jornais trazem em seu conteúdo, predominantemente, assuntos que favorecem a aculturação e assimilação do estrangeiro no território receptor ou a preservação de sua identidade cultural foi o principal objetivo deste trabalho, além de apurar as características editoriais e averiguar se a relação com a comunidade em questão não é apenas uma estratégia mercadológica. O estudo foi baseado em pesquisa bibliográfica, mapeamento das principais publicações voltadas para imigrantes que circulam na capital paulista e, sobretudo, em análise de conteúdo de 12 edições do Mundo Lusíada e 11 de Alborada. Entre os resultados observados destaca-se que o conteúdo de ambos os títulos fornece elementos que propiciam um contato direto com as raízes desses grupos. Este demonstra elementos que permeiam a memória coletiva dos imigrantes luso e hispânico que vieram para o Brasil há mais de um século independentemente de essa identidade ser real. Mundo Lusíada, apesar de ser um veículo voltado para a comunidade luso-brasileira é segmentado, uma vez que, entre outros fatores, se utiliza de estrutura comercial de uma micro empresa. Já Alboradapode ser considerado comunitário no sentido de servir à comunidade atendida pela Sociedade Hispano Brasileira SHB (que o mantém) embora este caráter esteja mudando. Com relação a aspectos jornalísticos verificados nos dois jornais, estes se assemelham aos da pequena imprensa, numa mistura de amadorismo e fonte de status. No entanto, ambos têm papel relevante no fortalecimento dos laços de amizade, culturais e união dos envolvidos, bem como na celebração de suas origens.(AU)

The second intracellular loop of the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor provides molecular determinants for signal transduction and cell surface expression

The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor is a heterodimer of a family B G-protein-coupled receptor, calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLR), and the accessory protein receptor activity modifying protein 1. It couples to Gs, but it is not known which intracellular loops mediate this. We have identified the boundaries of this loop based on the relative position and length of the juxtamembrane transmembrane regions 3 and 4. The loop has been analyzed by systematic mutagenesis of all residues to alanine, measuring cAMP accumulation, CGRP affinity, and receptor expression. Unlike rhodopsin, ICL2 of the CGRP receptor plays a part in the conformational switch after agonist interaction. His-216 and Lys-227 were essential for a functional CGRP-induced cAMP response. The effect of (H216A)CLR is due to a disruption to the cell surface transport or surface stability of the mutant receptor. In contrast, (K227A)CLR had wild-type expression and agonist affinity, suggesting a direct disruption to the downstream signal transduction mechanism of the CGRP receptor. Modeling suggests that the loop undergoes a significant shift in position during receptor activation, exposing a potential G-protein binding pocket. Lys-227 changes position to point into the pocket, potentially allowing it to interact with bound G-proteins. His-216 occupies a position similar to that of Tyr-136 in bovine rhodopsin, part of the DRY motif of the latter receptor. This is the first comprehensive analysis of an entire intracellular loop within the calcitonin family of G-protein-coupled receptor. These data help to define the structural and functional characteristics of the CGRP-receptor and of family B G-protein-coupled receptors in general. © 2006 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Challenges for expatriate managers:an exploration of cross-cultural management, adjustment, and training issues faced by Anglo-American managers in Hong Kong

This field work study furthers understanding about expatriate management, in particular, the nature of cross-cultural management in Hong Kong involving Anglo-American expatriate and Chinese host national managers, the important features of adjustment for expatriates living and working there, and the type of training which will assist them to adjust and to work successfully in this Asian environment. Qualitative and quantitative data on each issue was gathered during in-depth interviews in Hong Kong, using structured interview schedules, with 39 expatriate and 31 host national managers drawn from a cross-section of functional areas and organizations. Despite the adoption of Western technology and the influence of Western business practices, micro-level management in Hong Kong retains a cultural specificity which is consistent with the norms and values of Chinese culture. There are differences in how expatriates and host nationals define their social roles, and Hong Kong's recent colonial history appears to influence cross-cultural interpersonal interactions. The inability of the spouse and/or family to adapt to Hong Kong is identified as a major reason for expatriate assignments to fail, though the causes have less to do with living away from family and friends, than with Hong Kong's highly urbanized environment and the heavy demands of work. Culture shock is not identified as a major problem, but in Hong Kong micro-level social factors require greater adjustment than macro-level societal factors. The adjustment of expatriate managers is facilitated by a strong orientation towards career development and hard work, possession of technical/professional expertise, and a willingness to engage in a process of continuous 'active learning' with respect to the host national society and culture. A four-part model of manager training suitable for Hong Kong is derived from the study data. It consists of a pre-departure briefing, post-arrival cross-cultural training, language training in basic Cantonese and in how to communicate more effectively in English with non-native speakers, and the assignment of a mentor to newly arrived expatriate managers.

To move or not to move - a question of family?

Relocation is one organizational phenomenon where the influence of family is prominent. Our paper thus uses it as a backdrop against which to study the work–family interface. In-depth qualitative analysis of 62 interviews with Royal Air Force personnel is used to complement the literature by demonstrating the impact on and the impact of the immediate family in relocation. The analysis provides evidence that relocation influences an employee's role as family member, other family members and the family as a whole. Findings also illustrate that families influence employees' relocation behaviour, organizational tenure and work focus. In summary, this paper supports the bidirectional nature of the work-family interface and also demonstrates that regardless of whether examining the work-to-family influence or the family-to-work influence the effects are not always negative.

(Para)translated ideologies in Simone de Beauvoir's 'Le deuxième sexe': the (para)translator's role

At the beginning of the 80s new approaches to translation were emerging in such a way that, in the global context of postmodernism and poststructuralism, they provoked a reassessment of Translation Studies (TS), acknowledging ideologies as a relevant concept to TS and considering the political and visible role of the translator. This introduction aims to establish a basic theoretical framework in which we can develop an analysis of the ‘alterations’ that, consciously or unconsciously, translators have imposed on Le deuxième sexe (1949, Gallimard) by Simone de Beauvoir for the last fifty years. Furthermore, it is essential to examine the divergences of the censoring attitude adopted by the first male translators (Parshley, Palant and Milliet) who considered this text to be a sex manual, and the one adopted by more recent female translators (Martorell and Simons) who considered it to be a philosophical book on feminism. Nevertheless, despite this tendency to consider that translators are the only professionals responsible for the translation process, it is necessary to bear in mind the work carried out by the paratranslator, who is the real censor and ‘decider’ of the way a work is presented to the translation community. Paratranslators work with paratexts (also known as ‘analysis-spaces’), and this makes it possible to study the ideological adaptation that a cultural object undergoes when it is incorporated into a new culture and society (covers, volumes, tables of contents, titles, iconic or visual elements and so forth). In short, the analysis of the texts and paratexts of Le deuxième sexe, along with its subsequent translations and rewritings into Spanish, Portuguese and English, will help reveal the function of the censoring apparatus and demonstrate the essential role that –without exception– ideologies play in the professional work of translation and paratranslation, since they have a decisive influence on the reception of the cultural (and ideological) object, in both the society in which it is created and that in which it is received.

Family relocation: worse or just different?

Organisational relocation directly affects the family. It is thus often assumed that relocation is more difficult for individuals with families; however, few studies actually examine this premise. This paper investigates whether family status plays a role in relocation by comparing single individuals to married individuals. The paper uses qualitative and quantitative indicators to uncover subtle nuances between the groups and, on the basis of these, develops proposition for future research to test. Quantitative indicators highlight several important differences: Individuals with families report a greater number of moving tasks and difficulties; family relocation is viewed as more complex because of the impact of non-relocation related factors; and employees with families experience more negative and positive consequences of relocation. Qualitative techniques help to uncover subtle differences between groups and suggest that although relocation for families is different from individual relocation, it is not necessarily worse. RP0721.

Unraveling the role of forgiveness in family relationships

Testing the idea that the process of forgiveness is intrinsically different across diverse relationships, this study examined the role of forgiveness in different family relationships. In 2 laboratory sessions 1 year apart, 114 families (each including 2 parents and 1 child) completed a new measure of family forgiveness and many individual-level, relationship-level, and family-level variables that have been previously linked with forgiveness. After validating the measure of family forgiveness in cross-sectional analyses, investigators performed longitudinal analyses to examine the role of forgiveness in each family relationship over the 1-year interval. Results indicated many important positive consequences of forgiveness on individual traits, aspects of each family relationship, and general family environment. However, there were also important asymmetries in associates of forgiveness across parent-child and parent-parent relationships, demonstrating the relationship-bound nature of forgiveness.

Illness perceptions, beliefs and prevention of Type 2 Diabetes among British Pakistani mothers and young British Pakistani women

The prevalence rates of type2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) continues to rise among British Pakistanis. The aim of this project was to explore T2DM perceptions and any preventative intentions among British Pakistani women and to discover whether they are doing anything to prevent the onset in themselves and their families. Initially a systematic review was conducted to investigate 20 existing prevention interventions and to assess their effectiveness (n=12,419). Mixed methods approach was adopted and three studies were conducted. The first study consisted of two focus groups with T2DM mothers (n=8) and three focus groups with non-T2DM mothers (n=17). The second study consisted of four focus groups young British Pakistani females (n=11). All focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Following these a quantitative study was undertaken comprising of a questionnaire survey; 12 prevention-perception items (derived from the qualitative data) and the Illness-Perception Questionnaire Revised (IPQ-R) using participants from the same populations: T2DM mothers (n=41), non-T2DM mother (n=47) and young women (n=42). Results were analysed using multiple/hierarchical regression. The systematic review highlighted that the most effective prevention programmes focussed on behaviour and lifestyle with a combination of support and education to participants. The research studies demonstrated that T2DM was seen as an older person’s disease to be dealt with if/when it happens. T2DM mothers demonstrated knowledge and prevention understanding. There were non-significant relationships between prevention perceptions and T2DM illness perceptions across all three groups. The finding of this thesis emphasised that lifestyle interventions are crucial to aiding T2DM preventions as a good healthy diet and regular physical activity are the key components to T2DM prevention, and the importance of personal experience in perceived severity and lay-beliefs regarding T2DM and on family/cultural influences in British-Pakistanis. The findings of this project can be used to design culturally specific interventions towards preventing T2DM in the British Pakistani community.

Relationship between sunlight and the age of onset of bipolar disorder:an international multisite study

Background - The onset of bipolar disorder is influenced by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. We previously found that a large increase in sunlight in springtime was associated with a lower age of onset. This study extends this analysis with more collection sites at diverse locations, and includes family history and polarity of first episode. Methods - Data from 4037 patients with bipolar I disorder were collected at 36 collection sites in 23 countries at latitudes spanning 3.2 north (N) to 63.4 N and 38.2 south (S) of the equator. The age of onset of the first episode, onset location, family history of mood disorders, and polarity of first episode were obtained retrospectively, from patient records and/or direct interview. Solar insolation data were obtained for the onset locations. Results - There was a large, significant inverse relationship between maximum monthly increase in solar insolation and age of onset, controlling for the country median age and the birth cohort. The effect was reduced by half if there was no family history. The maximum monthly increase in solar insolation occurred in springtime. The effect was one-third smaller for initial episodes of mania than depression. The largest maximum monthly increase in solar insolation occurred in northern latitudes such as Oslo, Norway, and warm and dry areas such as Los Angeles, California. Limitations - Recall bias for onset and family history data. Conclusions - A large springtime increase in sunlight may have an important influence on the onset of bipolar disorder, especially in those with a family history of mood disorders.

A szervezeti elkötelezettség és a munka-család viszonyrendszer összefüggései (The relationship between organizational commitment and work-life balance)

376 ügyfélszolgálati dolgozó bevonásával végzett kérdőíves vizsgálatukban a szerzők arra keresték a választ, hogy a szervezeti elkötelezettség profilok hogyan függnek össze a munkahelyi elégedettséggel, a kilépési szándékkal és a munka-család viszonyrendszerre vonatkozó változókkal (munka-család konfliktus, munkacsalád egyensúly, munka-család gazdagítás). Nyolc különböző profilt találtak, amelyek elemzéséből kiderült: az elkötelezettség-komponensek közül az érzelmi elkötelezettségnek kitüntetett szerepe van a kedvező következményeket tekintve, továbbá az elkötelezettségkomponensek együttes hatása szinergikus lehet. ________ In their research that was based on the answers of 376 customer service employees to a questionnaire survey, the authors are looking at the relationship between the organizational commitment profiles and work satisfaction, intention to leave the organization and various subconcepts of work life balance (work-family conflict, work-family balance and work-family enrichment). They have found 8 different profiles, the analysis of which revealed the central role of the affective component regarding the positive outcomes of the above mentioned variables as well as the synergic relations among the different components of organizational commitment.