Splitting and blaming: The psychic life of neoliberal executive women

The aim of the article is to explore the psychic life of executive women under neoliberalism using psychosocial approaches. The article shows how, despite enduring unfair treatment and access to opportunities, many executive women remain emotionally invested in upholding the neoliberal ideal that if one perseveres, one shall be successful, regardless of gender. Drawing on psychosocial approaches, we explore how the accounts given by some executive women of repudiation, as denying gender inequality, and individualization, as subjects completely agentic, are underpinned by the unconscious, intertwined processes of splitting and blaming. Women sometimes split off undesirable aspects of the workplace, which repudiates gender inequality, or blame other women, which individualizes failure and responsibility for change. We explain that splitting and blaming enable some executive women to manage the anxiety evoked from threats to the neoliberal ideal of the workplace. This article thereby makes a contribution to existing postfeminist scholarship by integrating psychosocial approaches to the study of the psychic life of neoliberal executive women, by exploring why they appear unable to engage directly with and redress instances of gender discrimination in the workplace

Rheumatoid arthritis - treatment: 180. Utility of Body Weight Classified Low-Dose Leflunomide in Japanese Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background: In Japan, more than 20 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients died of interstitial pneumonia (IP) caused by leflunomide (LEF) were reported, but many of them were considered as the victims of opportunistic infection currently. In this paper, efficacy and safety of low-dose LEF classified by body weight (BW) were studied. Methods: Fifty-nine RA patients were started to administrate LEF from July 2007 to July 2009. Among them, 25 patients were excluded because of the combination with tacrolimus, and medication modification within 3 months before LEF. Remaining 34 RA patients administered 20 to 50 mg/week of LEF were followed up for 1 year and enrolled in this study. Dose of LEF was classified by BW (50 mg/week for over 50 kg, 40 mg/week for 40 to 50 kg and 20 to 30 mg/week for under 40 kg). The average age and RA duration of enrolled patients were 55.5 years old and 10.2 years. Prednisolone (PSL), methotrexate (MTX) and etanercept were used in 23, 28 and 2 patients, respectively. In case of insufficient response or adverse effect, dosage change or discontinuance of LEF were considered. Failure was defined as dosages up of PSL and MTX, or dosages down or discontinuance of LEF. Last observation carried forward method was used for the evaluation of failed patients at 1 year. Results: At 1 year after LEF start, good/ moderate/ no response assessed by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria using Disease Activity Score, including a 28-joint count (DAS28)-C reactive protein (CRP) were showed in 14/ 10/ 10 patients, respectively. The dosage changes of LEF at 1 year were dosage up: 10, same dosage: 5, dosage down: 8 and discontinuance: 11 patients. The survival rate of patients in this study was 23.5% (24 patients failed) but actual LEF continuous rate was 67.6% (11 patients discontinued) at 1 year. The major reason of failure was liver dysfunction, and pneumocystis pneumonia was occurred in 1 patient resulted in full recovery. One patient died of sepsis caused by decubitus ulcer infection. DAS28-CRP score was decreased from 3.9 to 2.7 significantly. Although CRP was decreased from 1.50 to 0.93 mg/dl, it wasn't significant. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 was decreased from 220.0 to 174.2 ng/ml significantly. Glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) was increased from 19 to 35 U/l and number of leukocyte was decreased from 7832 to 6271 significantly. DAS28-CRP, CRP, and MMP-3 were improved significantly with MTX, although they weren't without MTX. Increase of GPT and leukopenia were seen significantly with MTX, although they weren't without MTX. Conclusions: It was reported that the risks of IP caused by LEF in Japanese RA patients were past IP history, loading dose administration and low BW. Addition of low-dose LEF is a potent safe alternative for the patients showing unsatisfactory response to current medicines, but need to pay attention for liver function and infection caused by leukopenia, especially with MTX. Disclosure statement: The authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Providing Secure Access to Confidential Patient Information Detailing Diabetic Condition

Can secure access be granted to confidential patient records using the Internet? Our study has involved providing distributed access to one such confidential information database in a United Kingdom (UK) secondary care (hospital) organisation. We describe the application chosen to be distributed, the security systems used to protect the data, the reasons for the implementation decisions made and the results of the test data and feedback from the users taking part in a trial of the system. We conclude by stating that secure access to patient information systems over the internet is possible using the architecture we have in place, but for distributed access to patient information systems to be successful the cost to ownership of the system must be far outweighed by the benefits. However, as more business processes become Internet based and high connection bandwidth becomes available at reasonable prices, systems such as ours will be present in day to day operation amongst a large number of the disparate operations of the UK National Health Service (NHS)

Reflections of Living Art: Spenser\u27s Depictions of Queen Elizabeth

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature of Bard College

Surviving a crisis as a family business: an all-island study

Surviving a Crisis as a Family Business came about following a conversation among colleagues at DCU National Centre for Family Business, Ulster University, the Northern Ireland Family Business Forum, and the University of Central Florida. The catalyst for the study came during a unique moment in Irish business history when the onset of an all-island lockdown, as a result of COVID-19, necessitated the closure of many businesses across the island overnight. The research followed the progress of family businesses from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland from mid-March 2020 until early November 2020. Data was collected across this seven month period with input from 53 CEOs and 198 employees, with a minimum of three employee respondents representing each family business. The survey was developed with two main aims. Firstly, to conduct the first all-island research study that assessed the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on Irish family businesses. Secondly, we developed the study with a longer-term objective to understand how family business teams respond during crises. While the urgency of the global health pandemic and its resulting impact on family businesses across Ireland necessitated a research intervention to assist those affected, our teams also recognised the value of developing a crisis resource that family businesses could take into the future. We hope the report’s evidence-based findings and theory-driven recommendations will provide useful, practical steps and tools for family businesses managing crises in years to come