Yours, mine or ours? : a study of intra family income distribution : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University, Albany Campus

Access accorded to family members to the resources of the household are an aspect of distribution which reflects the structure and values of a society. This thesis is an examination of the issues surrounding intra family income distribution. A significant aspect of this broad issue of distribution and the way in which it reflects inequalities in our society, is the use of statistical data on income and its distribution as a base for policy, without examination of the reality of access to economic resources for women. There are traditional assumptions of joint decision making by husbands and wives which influence policy decisions, and these assumptions need to be examined in the light of evidence from research, to determine the extent to which they can be justified. This thesis is based on three foundation studies conducted in Australia (Edwards, 1981), Britain (Pahl, 1989), and New Zealand (Easting and Fleming, 1994), about intra family income distribution, which challenge the traditional assumptions. A qualitative study was carried out for this thesis, employing a feminist perspective within a framework of critical social science and grounded theory, to investigate the systems of pooling of money in four New Zealand households. The thesis considers the findings of this study, and relates them to the three foundation studies conducted earlier in Australia, Britain and New Zealand. The thesis concludes with recommendations for policy and future research

The Spiritual Dimension Of Social Work Practice In And Through Research, Education, And Life Experience

In recent years there has been an effort to reintroduce religion and spirituality as tangible constructs into social work education and practice in an effort to incorporate all aspects of the client\u27s system (biological, psychological, social, spiritual) and to understand and appreciate the client\u27s diversity and potential strengths and resources. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of social work practitioners as it relates to their social work practice and to the education of future social workers. This study was composed of two parts. The first was a secondary data analysis using factor analysis, regression, and analysis of variance techniques to analyze items of interest from a national survey of social workers. Questions for the secondary analysis focused on the definitions of religion and spirituality; the religious and spiritual beliefs, practices, and ideologies of the social workers surveyed; their ideas about incorporating religion and spirituality into social work practice situations; and whether they believed that spirituality should be considered a fundamental aspect of being human. The second part is a reflection upon and an accounting of the unexpected developments in the spiritual journey of the researcher as they unfolded during the investigative process. Social workers surveyed defined the concepts of religion and spirituality much in the same way as researchers did. Factor analysis identified similar latent components to the concepts of religion and spirituality. Stepwise forward multiple regression identified two models that reflected differences as to whether social workers felt it was appropriate to bring up the topic of religion or spirituality in their social work practice. Differences were based on the personal private or personal public community religious practices of social workers. Analysis of variance demonstrated that the greater the lifetime frequency of participation of social workers in spiritual or religious activities, the more likely they were to believe it is appropriate to raise the topics of religion and spirituality. Over 90% of social workers in this sample agreed that religious and spiritual beliefs should be incorporated into social work education because they are a part of multicultural diversity and 77.7% believed they should be included because there is a spiritual aspect of human existence. Eighty-nine percent of social workers believed that spirituality was a fundamental aspect of being human. The importance of each social worker\u27s awareness and participation in their own spiritual self-journey was stressed through the findings in the literature and the researcher\u27s own personal reflections

Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Nurses’ Experiences of using the Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patient Held Record in Clinical Practice.

Background The Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patient Held Record (PIBDPHR) is a tool that was initially conceptualised to enhance the care and education of children with IBD attending Alderhey Children’s Hospital. The PIBDPHR was adopted as a national project by the RCN/BSPGHaN Paediatric IBD nurses group. A literature review was performed and no studies were identified on using a PHR in PIBD. Therefore a study was devised to develop an understanding of how the PIBDPHR was used in practice from the perspective of paediatric IBD nurses. Methods 26 paediatric clinical nurse specialists, who participated in the national adoption of the PIBDPHR were identified to take part in a two phased mixed methods study, of which 5 had left their post and 1 was ineligible. Only 1 nurse per paediatric IBD service was invited to participate. Phase 1 - An e-survey was sent to the eligible nurses (N=20). The survey had 3 sections – demographics, service use and challenges/benefits/solutions. were invited to self-select to participate in Phase 2. Data gathered in Phase 1 was used to inform Phase 2 of the study. Phase 2 - Interviews with six nurses focused on gaining a deeper understanding and allowed an interrogation of the responses given in phase 1. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, as appropriate. Results Phase 1 12 Nurses (60%) completed the e-survey although 1 nurse did not receive any copies of the PIBDPHR. The PIBDPHR was used for newly diagnosed patients (100%), patients who had difficult to manage disease (91%), patient and parent education (64%) and transitional patients (55%). The nursing challenges in implementing the PIBDPHR included remembering to use the record (55%) and the time involved in using it (36%). Barriers described by the participants included engaging medical staff in their use (45%) and patients forgetting to bring the record to clinic (64%). Phase 2 6 participants (55%) self-selected to participate in Phase 2. The PIBDPHR was found to be a good record for blood monitoring (100%), and gave the opportunity to develop a consistency for information giving (100%). 83% of participants cited the rationale for using the PIBDPHR was the need to empower patients. When interviewed in Phase 2 there was an acknowledgement by 5 participants that they would use the PIBDPHR in more patients and be less selective about who received copies if there was more availability of the PIBDPHR. 100% of the nurses interviewed volunteered to participate in further development of the PIBDPHR. Conclusions The nurses’ experience of using the PIBDPHR was to empower the patients; this was done primarily by targeting newly diagnosed patients and patients who required complicated disease management. Future development of the PIBDPHR will take into consideration the barriers and challenges that have been identified in this study to produce a PIBDPHR that remains relevant to the PIBD population

Adenylate cyclase A acting on PKA mediates induction of stalk formation by cyclic diguanylate at the <i>Dictyostelium</i> organizer

Coordination of cell movement with cell differentiation is a major feat of embryonic development. The Dictyostelium stalk always forms at the organizing tip, by a mechanism that is not understood. We previously reported that cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP), synthesized by diguanylate cyclase A (DgcA), induces stalk formation. Here we used transcriptional profiling of dgca− structures to identify target genes for c-di-GMP, and used these genes to investigate the c-di-GMP signal transduction pathway. We found that knockdown of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity in prestalk cells reduced stalk gene induction by c-di-GMP, whereas PKA activation bypassed the c-di-GMP requirement for stalk gene expression. c-di-GMP caused a persistent increase in cAMP, which still occurred in mutants lacking the adenylate cyclases ACG or ACR, or the cAMP phosphodiesterase RegA. However, both inhibition of adenylate cyclase A (ACA) with SQ22536 and incubation of a temperature-sensitive ACA mutant at the restrictive temperature prevented c-di-GMP–induced cAMP synthesis as well as c-di-GMP–induced stalk gene transcription. ACA produces the cAMP pulses that coordinate Dictyostelium morphogenetic cell movement and is highly expressed at the organizing tip. The stalk-less dgca− mutant regained its stalk by expression of a light-activated adenylate cyclase from the ACA promoter and exposure to light, indicating that cAMP is also the intermediate for c-di-GMP in vivo. Our data show that the more widely expressed DgcA activates tip-expressed ACA, which then acts on PKA to induce stalk genes. These results explain why stalk formation in Dictyostelia always initiates at the site of the morphogenetic organizer

Evaluacija inovativno digitalno kontroliranog Er:YAG lasera u liječenju leukoplakije - probno istraživanje

The use of lasers for treatment of oral leukoplakia has gained a lot of interest in the past years, however, data on the use of Er:YAG laser are scarce. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of Er:YAG laser and 1% topical isotretinoin in the treatment of 27 oral leukoplakia patients. Er:YAG laser (LightWalker AT, Fotona, Slovenia) was used in 27 patients with 27 leukoplakia lesions. Postoperative pain was assessed by use of visual analog scale (VAS), and the impact of laser treatment on the quality of life was assessed by the OHIP-14 questionnaire (Croatian version). Control group consisted of the same 27 patients previously treated with 1% topical isotretionin three times a day during the period of one year. No improvement in the size of leukoplakia lesions was observed after treatment with topical isotretinoin. There were significant differences between men and women according to leukoplakia localization, number of laser sessions and VAS (p<0.05). At follow-up after six months and one year, there was no recurrence of lesions. Er:YAG laser is a successful treatment for oral leukoplakia. Topical isotretionin treatment is unsuccessful in patients with oral leukoplakia.Posljednjih godina postoji veliko zanimanje za upotrebu lasera u liječenju oralne leukoplakije, ali su podatci o upotrebi Er:YAG lasera malobrojni. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je usporediti učinak Er:YAG lasera i 1%-tnog topikalnog izotretinoina u liječenju 27 bolesnika s oralnom leukoplakijom. Er:YAG laser (LightWalker AT, Fotona, Slovenia) je korišten u 27 bolesnika s 27 leukoplakičnih lezija. Poslijeoperacijska bol je određena uz pomoć vizualne analogne ljestvice (visual analog scale, VAS), a utjecaj na kvalitetu života mjeren je pomoću upitnika OHIP-14 (hrvatska verzija). Kontrolna skupina se sastojala od istih 27 bolesnika koji su prije toga liječeni 1%-tnim topikalnim izotretioninom tri puta na dan tijekom tri mjeseca. Nije bilo poboljšanja u veličini lezija leukoplakije nakon topikalno primijenjenog izotretinoina. Utvrđene su značajne razlike između muškaraca i žena s obzirom na lokalizaciju leukoplakije, broj laserskih zahvata i rezultata VAS (p<0,05). Šest mjeseci i godinu dana od laserskog zahvata nije bilo recidiva oralne leukoplakije. Er:YAG laser je uspješna terapija u liječenju oralne leukoplakije. Topikalna primjena izotretionina nije uspješna u liječenju oralne leukoplakije

Correction: Mucosal Healing and Fibrosis after Acute or Chronic Inflammation in Wild Type FVB-N Mice and C57BL6 Procollagen α1(I)-Promoter-GFP Reporter Mice

BackgroundInjury and intestinal inflammation trigger wound healing responses that can restore mucosal architecture but if chronic, can promote intestinal fibrosis. Intestinal fibrosis is a major complication of Crohn’s disease. The cellular and molecular basis of mucosal healing and intestinal fibrosis are not well defined and better understanding requires well characterized mouse models.MethodsFVB-N wild type mice and C57BL6 procollagen α1(I)-GFP reporter mice were given one (DSS1) or two (DSS2) cycles of 3% DSS (5 days/cycle) followed by 7 days recovery. Histological scoring of inflammation and fibrosis were performed at DSS1, DSS1+3, DSS1+7, DSS2, DSS2+3, and DSS2+7. Procollagen α1(I)-GFP activation was assessed in DSS and also TNBS models by whole colon GFP imaging and fluorescence microscopy. Colocalization of GFP with α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) or vimentin was examined. GFP mRNA levels were tested for correlation with endogenous collagen α1(I) mRNA.ResultsMales were more susceptible to DSS-induced disease and mortality than females. In FVB-N mice one DSS cycle induced transient mucosal inflammation and fibrosis that resolved by 7 days of recovery. Two DSS cycles induced transmural inflammation and fibrosis in a subset of FVB-N mice but overall, did not yield more consistent, severe or sustained fibrosis. In C57BL6 mice, procollagen α1(I)-GFP reporter was activated at the end of DSS1 and through DSS+7 with more dramatic and transmural activation at DSS2 through DSS2+7, and in TNBS treated mice. In DSS and TNBS models GFP reporter expression localized to vimentin+ cells and much fewer α-SMA+ cells. GFP mRNA strongly correlated with collagen α1(I) mRNA.ConclusionsOne DSS cycle in FVB-N mice provides a model to study mucosal injury and subsequent mucosal healing. The procollagen α1(I)-GFP transgenic provides a useful model to study activation of a gene encoding a major extracellular matrix protein during acute or chronic experimental intestinal inflammation and fibrosis

The Innate Immune Receptor NLRX1 Functions as a Tumor Suppressor by Reducing Colon Tumorigenesis and Key Tumor-Promoting Signals

NOD-like receptor (NLR) proteins are intracellular innate immune sensors/receptors that regulate immunity. This work shows that NLRX1 serves as a tumor suppressor in colitis-associated cancer (CAC) and sporadic colon cancer by keeping key tumor promoting pathways in check. Nlrx1(-/-) mice were highly susceptible to CAC, showing increases in key cancer-promoting pathways including nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and interleukin 6 (IL-6). The tumor-suppressive function of NLRX1 originated primarily from the non-hematopoietic compartment. This prompted an analysis of NLRX1 function in the Apc(min/+) genetic model of sporadic gastrointestinal cancer. NLRX1 attenuated Apc(min/+) colon tumorigenesis, cellular proliferation, NF-κB, MAPK, STAT3 activation, and IL-6 levels. Application of anti-interleukin 6 receptor (IL6R) antibody therapy reduced tumor burden, increased survival, and reduced STAT3 activation in Nlrx1(-/-)Apc(min/+) mice. As an important clinical correlate, human colon cancer samples expressed lower levels of NLRX1 than healthy controls in multiple patient cohorts. These data implicate anti-IL6R as a potential personalized therapy for colon cancers with reduced NLRX1