Physical aggression, compromised social support, and 10-year marital outcomes: Testing a relational spillover model

The purpose of the present study was to test a relational spillover model of physical aggression whereby physical aggression affects marital outcomes due to its effects on how spouses ask for and provide support to one another. Newlywed couples (n = 172) reported levels of physical aggression over the past year and engaged in interactions designed to elicit social support; marital adjustment, and stability were assessed periodically over the first 10 years of marriage. Multilevel modeling revealed that negative support behavior mediated the relationship between physical aggression and 10-year marital adjustment levels whereas positive support behavior mediated the relationship between physical aggression and divorce status. These findings emphasize the need to look beyond conflict when explaining how aggression affects relationships and when working with couples with a history of physical aggression who are seeking to improve their relationships

Pre-notification of arriving trauma patient at trauma centre: A retrospective analysis of the information in 700 consecutive cases

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pre-notification of an arriving trauma patient, given by transporting emergency medical unit, is needed in terms of facilitating the admitting emergency department to get ready for the patient before the patient actually arrives. In the present study we retrospectively analyzed the pre-hospital information provided by 700 consecutive pre-notification mobile phone calls in terms to asses the response of trauma team activation regard to pre-notified information such as vital signs and level of consciousness, mechanism of injury (MOI), and estimated elapsed time (EET) from the time of pre-notification phone call to arrival.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The median EET was 15 minutes (range 0 – 80 min, interquartile range 10 – 20 min). In 11% of the cases EET was 5 minutes or shorter. 17% of the patients were intubated and ventilated on scene at the time pre-notification phone call took place. The most commonly notified pre-hospitally diagnosed injuries were thoracic in 75 cases (11%), followed by unstable long bone (tibia, femur, humerus) fracture in 66 cases (9%), and abdominal injuries in 32 cases (5%). Trauma team was activated for 61% of 700 pre-notified patients. MOI without clinical symptoms was the reason for team activation in 75% of the cases. In 25% of the cases there were pre-hospitally observed clinical injuries or abnormalities in vital parameters.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Pre-notification phone call is of a crucial importance in organizing every day activities at a busy trauma centre, but it should not take place in too much advance. In any case, a pre-notification phone call, even on short notice, gives emergency department personnel some time to prepare for the incoming patient.</p

Let\u27s Get Theoretical: A Quantitative Content Analysis of Theories and Models Used in the Journal of Applied Communications

Theories and models are an important element in the progression of an academic field. This article focused on quantifying theories and models used in agricultural communication through a quantitative content analysis of the last 20 years of the Journal of Applied Communication (JAC). Specifically, the following research objectives guided this study: 1) describe characteristics (methods, number of authors) of articles in JAC, 2) identify which theories and models have been used in JAC, 3) determine how theory was used in JAC, 4) determine what characteristics predict the use of a theory or model in JAC. Researchers found 87 theories and models identified in JAC with 11 used five or more times and 19 that used between two and four times. Approximately 35% of the articles in JAC used a theory or model. Of those using a theory or model, the majority used it to inform the study, but rarely tested, created/built theory. Other results indicate the use of theory has increased in recent years and the number of authors and number of articles published. Implications for this study are a clear need for increased theoretical vigor in agricultural communication through increased focus on using theory to build on previous work in the industry

A Perplexing Process: Understanding How Agricultural Producers Process Best Management Practice Information

Best management practices (BMPs) are suggested practices that help agricultural producers optimize production while reducing pollution, soil erosion, and other environmental impacts. Many audiences, including scientists and policy makers, have expressed disappointment at the current level of BMP use. Elaboration likelihood model (ELM) is used to understand how people process messages. ELM states that people can process messages either centrally or peripherally. This study sought to understand how producers processed information related to BMP adoption in grazing systems. Researchers conducted qualitative, in-depth interviews with 42 beef-cattle producers in Kansas and Oklahoma. It was found producers process information both centrally and peripherally, more specifically ­­through past experiences and visual observations. This study suggests that when promoting BMPs, communicators should use visual cues to help producers process information. More importantly communicators should utilize strategies that encourage producers to reflect on past experiences to promote central processing

The reliability of the ICD-AIS map in identifying serious road traffic injuries from the Helsinki Trauma Registry

Objective: The EU has recommended that its member countries compile statistics on the number of serious road traffic injuries. In Finland, the number of seriously injured road traffic patients is assessed using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) and the automatic conversion tool (ICD-AIS map) developed by The Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). The aim of this study was to assess how reliably the ICD-AIS map identifies both serious injuries and seriously injured patients due to road traffic accidents. Methods: Data was derived from the Helsinki Trauma Registry (HTR) and included 215 severe (New Injury Severity Score >15) trauma patients injured in road traffic accidents from the years 2016 and 2017. The severity ratings of injuries (Abbreviated Injury Scale, AIS 3+) and patients (Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale, MAIS 3+) were determined by direct AIS coding of the HTR and were also generated by the ICD-AIS map based on ICD-10 injury codes. These two ratings were compared by injury mechanism and Injury Severity Score (155) body regions. The strength of agreement was described using Cohen's kappa. The most common injury codes with errors in severity rating by the ICD-AIS map were presented. Results: The number of seriously injured patients by the ICD-AIS map was 21% lower, and the number of serious injuries was 36% lower than the corresponding numbers by direct coding. The exact agreement of the injury ratings was 72% (kappa = 0.44, 95% CI 0.42-0.46). Most of the conversion errors were due to the simplicity of the ICD-10 codes used in Finland compared to those used in the ICD-AIS map (ICD-10-CM) and the missing codes from the ICD-AIS map. The most frequent misclassifications were due to multiple rib fractures, visceral organ injuries, some open fractures of extremities, and specific head injuries. Missing codes were most common in face, chest, and limb injuries. Conclusions: The ICD-10 injury codes presently used in Finland should be more specific to permit reliable conversion results by the ICD-AIS map. The problem with missing codes should be considered more closely. When implementing the ICD-11, all detailed injury codes should be introduced. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Printing and Mailing for the Brand: An Exploratory Qualitative Study Seeking to Understand Internal Branding and Marketing Within University and Extension Communication Services Units

Investment of employees in a brand can lead to greater public understanding and positive impressions of a brand by external stakeholders. However, this can be challenging in public organizations with multiple brand segments and a large number of employees spread across great distance with limited funds for marketing. While previous work has looked at Extension agents, faculty, and volunteers’ brand perceptions, no studies have looked at communication services employees’ investment in the brand. The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover how well employees in a university and Extension printing and mail entity understood the Extension brand and their investment in the brand. Research questions that guided this study were: 1) What perceptions and investment do communication services employees have in the Extension brand? And 2) what are employees’ perceptions of the organization’s branding and marketing efforts? Each of the 18 interviews included a series of questions focusing on employees’ story related to Extension and employees’ thoughts on branding and marketing efforts. Results in this study with communication services employees indicate these employees are not invested in the brand with the majority having little to no understanding of the mission of Extension. This contradicts previous research with employees in other brand segments of Extension. Implications of this work include a need for training on the Extension mission for communication services employees, a shift in culture to encourage investment in the brand, and inclusion of all Extension employees in the mission of Extension

Spatial statistics of hydrography and water chemistry in a eutrophic boreal lake based on sounding and water samples

Spatial variability, an essential characteristic of lake ecosystems, has often been neglected in field research and monitoring. In this study, we apply spatial statistical methods for the key physics and chemistry variables and chlorophyll a over eight sampling dates in two consecutive years in a large (area 103 km(2)) eutrophic boreal lake in southern Finland. In the four summer sampling dates, the water body was vertically and horizontally heterogenic except with color and DOC, in the two winter ice-covered dates DO was vertically stratified, while in the two autumn dates, no significant spatial differences in any of the measured variables were found. Chlorophyll a concentration was one order of magnitude lower under the ice cover than in open water. The Moran statistic for spatial correlation was significant for chlorophyll a and NO2+NO3-N in all summer situations and for dissolved oxygen and pH in three cases. In summer, the mass centers of the chemicals were within 1.5 km from the geometric center of the lake, and the 2nd moment radius ranged in 3.7-4.1 km respective to 3.9 km for the homogeneous situation. The lateral length scales of the studied variables were 1.5-2.5 km, about 1 km longer in the surface layer. The detected spatial "noise" strongly suggests that besides vertical variation also the horizontal variation in eutrophic lakes, in particular, should be considered when the ecosystems are monitored.Peer reviewe

Community-Based Grazing Marketing: Barriers and Benefits Related to the Adoption of Best Management Practices in Grazing Systems

Environmental impacts of less than optimal grazing management choices can be intense and widespread. Improved communication of responsible grazing practices known as best management practices (BMPs) may increase adoption of these practices and increase sustainability of grazing systems. Community-based social marketing (CBSM) is a tool that can be used by communicators to generate behavior changes. This strategy emphasizes the identification of barriers to goal behaviors and the development of strategies to overcome them. This study sought to identify barriers and benefits associated with the adoption of grazing BMPs. Barriers identified include water availability and quality, and leasing and renting land. Benefits identified were increased resiliency through rotational grazing, improved watering and burning practices