Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Occupational Choice and Attainment

In this paper, we examine how two psychoanalytic concepts--character structure and defense mechanism-elucidate the issues of occupational choice and attainment. By character structure we mean an individual's general mode of functioning. By defense mechanism we mean ways of responding to anxiety. Both factors shape the behavioral expression of ideas and feelings and interact with occupational requirements. Using five styles of functioning-defined as personality disorders in DSM III-R-we discuss implications for career development. First, we argue that individuals with different character structures select into, and succeed in, occupations that reward their particular personality type. In this framework, mild levels of character disorders are turned into assets in certain work contexts. Second, we argue that mature--that is, "neurotic"--defenses enhance attainment in a wide range of occupations

A Noncanonical Poly(A) Signal, UAUAAA, and Flanking Elements in Epstein–Barr Virus DNA Polymerase mRNA Function in Cleavage and Polyadenylation Assays

Two forms of the Epstein-Barr virus DNA polymerase (pol) mRNA (3.7 and 5.1 kb) have been detected, neither of which contains a canonical poly(A) signal. The 5.1-kb pol mRNA, which contains a rare poly(A) signal, UAUAAA, studied only in transcripts of Hepadnaviridae and a plant pararetrovirus, was analyzed in cleavage and polyadenylation assays. Incubation of the pol transcript in cell extracts produced relatively low efficiency of cleavage (12 to 14%), which was improved by conversion of the poly(A) signal to AAUAAA. Deletion of the UAUAAA signal abolished cleavage and polyadenylation. An auxiliary element, UUUGUA, 3-8 nt upstream of the poly(A) signal and two downstream core elements, a GU-rich sequence 36-46 nt, and an AUUUGUGU sequence 47-53 nt downstream of the signal (8-19 nt and 20-28 nt downstream of cleavage site) facilitated processing of pol mRNA. Replacement of sequences near the cleavage/poly(A) site affected cleavage accuracy. Binding of the 64-kDa cleavage stimulatory factor to the U-rich as well as the GU-rich elements correlated with cleavage efficiency. Thus the UAUAAA hexanucleotide plus the other cis-acting elements are clearly functional in the native pol mRNA, but are relatively inefficient. Implications of the use of an anomalous poly(A) signal and its elements are discussed

Permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus - a case report of a rare cause of diabetes mellitus in East Africa.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterised by chronically high glucose levels. Genetic factors have been implicated in the aetiology following mutations in a single gene. An extremely rare form of diabetes mellitus is monogenic diabetes, a subset of which is permanent neonatal diabetes, and is usually suspected if a child is diagnosed with diabetes at less than 6 months of age. We present the first case reported from East Africa of a child diagnosed with permanent neonatal diabetes resulting from a mutation in the KCNJ11 gene encoding the Kir6.2 subunit. Despite the rarity of permanent neonatal diabetes, this diagnosis should be considered in infants with persistent hyperglycaemia requiring insulin therapy. Children with an ATP-sensitive potassium channel defect in the pancreatic beta cell have an overall good prognosis when treated with oral sulphonylurea therapy

Improving patient experience of kidney care, one comment at a time: A mixed methods analysis of Kidney PREM 2020 patient comments

Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Individual Worker level Attitudes Toward Empirically Supported Treatments

Objectives: There is a growing literature indicating that organizational and individual worker-level factors affect decisions about whether or not empirically-supported treatments (EST’s) are adopted within health care agencies. The purpose of this pilot study is to further investigate and measure worker’s attitudes within a community organization. Methods: A small organization participated in the study due to their diversity in services offered. Of the 92 workers eligible for participation in the study, 66 (72%) completed the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS) survey. Results: Multivariate analyses revealed that female workers scored higher on both Openness and total score; workers with nursing, education or psychology majors scored lower than workers with other (excluding social work) majors on both Divergence and total score; and that older workers scored higher on Divergence. Conclusion: Although small, this study identifies individual characteristics that are most likely to fit the profile of an EST adopte

Empirically Supported Treatments Impact on Organizational Culture and Climate

Objectives: With the continued push to implement empirically supported treatments (ESTs) into community based organizations, it is important to investigate whether working condition disruptions occur during this process. While there are many studies investigating best practices and how to adopt them, the literature lacks studies investigating the working conditions in programs that currently use ESTs. Methods: This study compared the culture and climate scores of a large organization’s programs that use ESTs and those programs indicating no EST usage. Results: Of the total 55 different programs (1,273 front-line workers), 27 programs used ESTs. Results indicate that the programs offering an EST had significantly more rigid and resistant cultures, compared to those without any ESTs. In regard to climate, programs offering an EST were significantly less engaged, less functional, and more stressed. Conclusion: Outcomes indicate a significant disruption in organizational culture and climate for programs offering ESTs

Is Openness to Using Empirically Supported Treatments Related to Organizational Culture and Climate?

An established literature indicates that organizational factors such as culture and climate can impede the implementation of empirically supported treatments (ESTs) in real world practice. What remains unclear is whether certain worker attitudes create barriers to implementing ESTs and how these attitudes might impact the working culture and climate within an organization. The overall purpose of this study is to investigate workers’ openness towards implementing a new EST and whether the workers’ openness scores relate to their workplace culture and climate scores. Participants in this study (N=1273) worked in a total of 55 different programs in a large child and family services organization. Participants completed an organizational culture and climates survey and a survey measuring their attitudes toward ESTs. Results indicate that work groups that measure themselves as being more open to using ESTs rated their organizational cultures as being significantly more proficient and significantly less resistant to change. Further, they rated their organizational climates as being significantly more functional and less stressed. Work groups with open attitudes towards using ESTs create a culture and climate that also foster using ESTs. With ESTs becoming the gold standard for professional social work practices, it is important to have accessible pathways to EST implementation

Conceptual representations for transfer: A case study tracing back and looking forward

A primary goal of instruction is to prepare learners to transfer their knowledge and skills to new contexts, but how far this transfer goes is an open question.  In the research reported here, we seek to explain a case of transfer through examining the processes by which a conceptual representation used to reason about complex systems was transferred from one natural system (an aquarium ecosystem) to another natural system (human cells and body systems). In this case study, a teacher was motivated to generalize her understanding of the Structure, Behaviour, and Function (SBF) conceptual representation to modify her classroom instruction and teaching materials for another system. This case of transfer was unexpected and required that we trace back through the video and artefacts collected over several years of this teacher enacting a technology-rich classroom unit organized around this conceptual representation. We provide evidence of transfer using three data sources: (1) artefacts that the teacher created (2) in-depth semi-structured interview data with the teacher about how her understanding of the representation changed over time and (3) video data over multiple years, covering units on the aquatic ecosystem and the new system that the teacher applied the SBF representation to, the cell and body. Borrowing from interactive ethnography, we traced backward from where the teacher showed transfer to understand how she got there. The use of the actor-oriented transfer and preparation for future learning perspectives provided lenses for understanding transfer. Results of this study suggest that identifying similarities under the lens of SBF and using it as a conceptual tool are some primary factors that may have supported transfer

Permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus - a case report of a rare cause of diabetes mellitus in East Africa.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterised by chronically high glucose levels. Genetic factors have been implicated in the aetiology following mutations in a single gene. An extremely rare form of diabetes mellitus is monogenic diabetes, a subset of which is permanent neonatal diabetes, and is usually suspected if a child is diagnosed with diabetes at less than 6 months of age. We present the first case reported from East Africa of a child diagnosed with permanent neonatal diabetes resulting from a mutation in the KCNJ11 gene encoding the Kir6.2 subunit. Despite the rarity of permanent neonatal diabetes, this diagnosis should be considered in infants with persistent hyperglycaemia requiring insulin therapy. Children with an ATP-sensitive potassium channel defect in the pancreatic beta cell have an overall good prognosis when treated with oral sulphonylurea therapy