Judgements of Solomon: anxieties and defences of social workers involved in care proceedings

Evidence from focus group discussions with social workers in child care and child protection was collected for a research project exploring decision-making in care proceedings and seeking a better understanding of the causes of delay in the process. Here this material is used to examine social workers’ feelings about their work and to explore the anxieties they expressed. Isabel Menzies’s work on containing anxiety in institutions is used to provide a conceptual framework for thinking about the ways in which individuals’ unconscious defences against anxiety may affect the structure, policies and practices of the organization in which they work. It is suggested that this dimension needs to be taken into account in understanding difficulties which arise in putting policy into practice

Chronic adaptations of lung function in breath-hold diving fishermen

Objectives: The aim of this study was to verify and analyze the existence of chronic adaptations of lung function in freediving fishermen whose occupation is artisanal fishing. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 11 breath-hold diving fishermen and 10 non-breath-hold diving fishermen (control) from the village of Bitupitá in the municipality of Barroquinha (Ceará - Brazil). Anthropometric measurements, chest and abdominal circumferences as well as spirometric and respiratory muscle strength tests were conducted according to the specifications of the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS). In order to compare the measured values versus the predicted values, Student t test was used in the case of parametric test and Wilcoxon test in the case of nonparametric test. To compare the inter-group means Student t test was used for parametric test and Mann-Whitney test for the nonparametric one. The level of significance was set at α = 5%. Results: The forced vital capacity (FVC) (4.9±0.6 l vs. 4.3±0.4 l) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (4.0±0.5 l vs. 3.6±0.3 l) were, respectively, higher in the group of divers compared to the control group (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, in the group of free divers, the measured FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratios were significantly greater than the predicted ones. No differences were found between the measured respiratory pressures. Conclusions: These results indicate that breath-hold diving seems to produce chronic adaptations of the respiratory system, resulting in elevated lung volumes with no airway obstruction

Do smoke-free laws affect revenues in pubs and restaurants?

In the debate about laws regulating smoking in restaurants and pubs, there has been some controversy as to whether smoke-free laws would reduce revenues in the hospitality industry. Norway presents an interesting case for three reasons. First, it was among the first countries to implement smoke-free laws, so it is possible to assess the long-term effects. Second, it has a cold climate so if there is a negative effect on revenue one would expect to find it in Norway. Third, the data from Norway are detailed enough to distinguish between revenue from pubs and restaurants. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) intervention analysis of bi-monthly observations of revenues in restaurants and pubs show that the law did not have a statistically significant long-term effect on revenue in restaurants or on restaurant revenue as a share of personal consumption. Similar analysis for pubs shows that there was no significant long-run effect on pub revenue

Source analysis of fine and coarse particulate matter from livestock houses

The analyses of the different sources which can contribute to particulate matter (PM) emissions from livestock houses are essential to develop adequate reduction techniques. The aim of this study was to morphologically and chemically characterize several sources of PM from livestock houses. We collected known sources of PM from different housing systems for poultry and pigs, which were later aerosolized in a customized laboratory dust generator to collect fine and coarse PM samples. These samples were morphologically and chemically characterized using scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis to develop comprehensive morphological and chemical source profiles. Moreover, source particle-size distribution was determined. Results showed distinct and unique particle morphologies in collected sources from different housing systems for poultry and pigs. Although presence of N, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, and Ca were identified in all sources, their relative element concentrations varied amongst sources and could be used to discriminate amongst them. Particle size and size distribution also varied amongst sources (size ranged from 2.1 ¿m to 18.1 ¿m projected area diameter), and mainly depended on its mineral or organic origin. The results from this work can be useful information for source identification and quantification in PM from livestock houses, improving the understanding of how PM is generated in such environments, and developing strategies for its reduction. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.We acknowledge the support of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Food Quality and Nature that financed this study. We thank the Servicio de Microscopia Electronica (Universidad Politecnica de Valencia) for expert technical assistance during SEM analysis. The help from T. Hermosilla (Geo-Environmental Cartography and Remote Sensing Research Group, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia) in image analysis and M. Montero in the dust generation of samples is also acknowledged.Cambra López, M.; Torres Salvador, AG.; Aarnink, AJA.; Ogink, NWM. (2011). Source analysis of fine and coarse particulate matter from livestock houses. Atmospheric Environment. 45(3):694-707. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.10.018S69470745

The casualty chain inventory: a new scale for measuring peritraumatic responses: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Peritraumatic psychological- and sensory impressions in victims of civilian accidents are only partly understood. This study scrutinizes the level and duration of perceived psychological threat at <it>scene of injury </it>as well as <it>in hospital </it>(the casualty chain) measured by the Casualty Chain Inventory (CCI). The purpose of the study was to assess and validate the CCI, and to examine the correlations between the new instrument and stress responses measured by the Impact of Event Scale (IES) and the Post-traumatic Stress Scale-10 (PTSS-10)</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three hundred and fifteen injured, conscious, hospitalised patients were assessed with a self-report questionnaire. The CCI consists of eight items including sensory impressions and well-known psychological responses to trauma.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The internal consistency of the CCI was solid (Cronbach's alpha: .83-.85). A factor analysis revealed two components, "perception" and "dissociation". The instrument correlates significantly with the Impact of Event Scale (r = 0.47 - 0.54) and the Posttraumatic Stress Scale-10 (r = 0.32 - 0.50). The explained variance is high both at the scene of injury (61%) and in the hospital (65%). Dissociation and perception either used as a two-factor solution or as a sum score measured in the hospital, gave the strongest prediction for later psychological distress.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The CCI appears to be a useful screening instrument for, at an early state, identifying patients hospitalized after a physical incident at risk for subsequent psychological distress.</p

Police officers and post traumatic stress disorder: discussing the deficit in research, identification and prevention in England and Wales

This article will review available literature regarding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within policing in England and Wales, with a particular focus on its early identification and prevention. An overview of PTSD will be given as well as an exploration of why police officers are potentially more susceptible to this mental health condition compared to other members of society. Key factors in the early identification and prevention of PTSD will be outlined, with a focus on crisis intervention techniques which have been subject to considerable academic study. There is limited research available from England and Wales that looks specifically at PTSD in policing, this research deficit will be highlighted and key areas of research which need to be explored further will be given so that this problem can be both identified and prevented in officers

Ventilation-perfusion inequality in the human lung is not increased following no-decompression-stop hyperbaric exposure

Venous gas bubbles occur in recreational SCUBA divers in the absence of decompression sickness, forming venous gas emboli (VGE) which are trapped within pulmonary circulation and cleared by the lung without overt pathology. We hypothesized that asymptomatic VGE would transiently increase ventilation-perfusion mismatch due to their occlusive effects within the pulmonary circulation. Two sets of healthy volunteers (n = 11, n = 12) were recruited to test this hypothesis with a single recreational ocean dive or a baro-equivalent dry hyperbaric dive. Pulmonary studies (intrabreath VA/Q (iV/Q), alveolar dead space, and FVC) were conducted at baseline and repeat 1- and 24-h after the exposure. Contrary to our hypothesis VA/Q mismatch was decreased 1-h post-SCUBA dive (iV/Q slope 0.023 ± 0.008 ml−1 at baseline vs. 0.010 ± 0.005 NS), and was significantly reduced 24-h post-SCUBA dive (0.000 ± 0.005, p < 0.05), with improved VA/Q homogeneity inversely correlated to dive severity. No changes in VA/Q mismatch were observed after the chamber dive. Alveolar dead space decreased 24-h post-SCUBA dive (78 ± 10 ml at baseline vs. 56 ± 5, p < 0.05), but not 1-h post dive. FVC rose 1-h post-SCUBA dive (5.01 ± 0.18 l vs. 5.21 ± 0.26, p < 0.05), remained elevated 24-h post SCUBA dive (5.06 ± 0.2, p < 0.05), but was decreased 1-hr after the chamber dive (4.96 ± 0.31 L to 4.87 ± 0.32, p < 0.05). The degree of VA/Q mismatch in the lung was decreased following recreational ocean dives, and was unchanged following an equivalent air chamber dive, arguing against an impact of VGE on the pulmonary circulation