Experiences of Jordanian Mothers and Fathers of Children with Cancer

Previous studies investigating psychological stress of parents of a child with cancer have shown inconsistent findings about parental perceived stress whose children have cancer and most of these studies were established in Western communities (with none in the Arab world). Additionally, the majority of published research focused on mothers. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore perceived stress in mothers and fathers (couples) parenting a child with cancer in Jordan. Such an exploration may contribute to the existing literature and improve overall family survivorship experiences following childhood cancer in Jordan. This qualitative study used semistructured interviews of 12 mothers and 12 fathers parenting a child with cancer in Jordan. Parents of children of various cancer diagnoses were interviewed and the ages of children were between six months and 14 years. Most mothers admitted that being with the ill child most of the time and therefore away from other healthy children, relatives and friends was the main cause of stress. However, most fathers said that employment status and financial burden were their main causes of stress after their child’s health status. Most of the interviewed couples commented that they were sharing the life situation with their partners, helping and supporting each other to overcome the challenges. Results of this study highlight the importance of recognizing the psychological needs of Jordanian mothers and fathers of a child with cancer not only at the time of diagnosis but also during the cancer journey

Longitudinal assessment of the psychological well-being of parents caring for children with end stage renal failure

The study followed parents of 26 children with End Stage Renal Failure (ESRF) for two years to investigate the cumulative effects of caring for a child with ESRF. The mean age of the children was 10.24 (range 2yrs–17yrs), and 25 mothers and 18 fathers participated. The study assessed the stress, anxiety and depression levels of parents, as well as their information needs and perceived impact of the illness. This data was collected by questionnaires which were administered on seven occasions (four monthly). Data was also collected on socioeconomic factors. Qualitative data was obtained by attending the parents support group, and later transcribing the discussions. [Continues.

Previous pregnancies among young women having an abortion in England and Wales

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to use national statistics on abortions carried out in England and Wales to more precisely estimate the proportion of young women aged under 20 obtaining an abortion who have had one or more previous pregnancies. Methods: Secondary analysis of abortion data from the Office of National Statistic and the Department of Health by parity for women under 20, ordinarily residing in England and Wales, from 1992 - 2013. Results: Over the last 20 years, the proportion of teenagers in England and Wales having an abortion as a result of a subsequent pregnancy increased by 33% (from 0.172 in 1992 to 0.229 in 2013). The majority of this increase occurred prior to 2004 and the proportion now appears to have stabilised. In 2013, 22.9% of the young women aged under 20 who underwent an abortion had had at least one previous pregnancy (either a birth or an abortion). Only a minority (less than 5% of teenagers who obtained an abortion) had had more than one previous pregnancy. Conclusions: The findings show that nearly one in four teenagers presenting for an abortion have already been in contact with health services for a previous birth or abortion. Greater policy emphasis must be placed on the accurate identification of the proportion of teenage pregnancies that occur as a result of a subsequent pregnancy and developing more effective 'secondary prevention' interventions to help first-time pregnant and parenting teenagers

The temporal dynamics of deictic communication

Deixis – a fundamental part of communication – involves combinations of speech, gesture and eye-gaze, yet little is known about the temporal dynamics of this coordination. The authors analysed eye-gaze, pointing gestures and verbal productions in 514 deictic episodes during triadic, semi-naturalistic, book-reading sessions performed by Italian children (1;08–2;07) and their caregivers. Results show three new findings. First, deictic communication is overwhelmingly preceded and accompanied by shared attention (of consistent duration) on an object, and only sometimes by disjoint attention. Second, children are synchronously multimodal (conveying information via speech, pointing gesture and eye-gaze) in their deictic communications. Third, the form of deictic communication used is not related to the complexity of the linguistic structures of the sample. Deictic communication is remarkably consistent in children ranging from approximately 1;08 to 2;07 years of age

A Comparison of Radio and X-Ray Morphologies of Four Clusters of Galaxies Containing Radio Halos

Clusters of galaxies may contain cluster-wide, centrally located, diffuse radio sources, called halos. They have been found to show morphologies similar to those of the X-ray emission. To quantify this qualitative statement we performed a point-to-point comparison of the radio and the X-ray emission for four clusters of galaxies containing radio halos: Coma, Abell 2255, Abell 2319, Abell 2744. Our study leads to a linear relation between the radio and the X-ray surface brightness in two clusters, namely Abell 2255 and Abell 2744. In Coma and A2319 the radio and the X-ray brightnesses seem to be related with a sub-linear power law. Implications of these findings within simple radio halo formation models are briefly discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 13 .ps figures, accepted by A&

Variation in first-generation L1 deictic systems: Language attrition and bilingualism effects

Aims and Objectives: This study explored the extent to which bilingual language exposure and practice might alter the way in which bilingual first-generation adult speakers use deictic demonstratives in their first language (Spanish) after immersion in a new language environment (Norwegian). Fully developed L1 systems are expected to be stable and less susceptible to change or restructuring than child systems. In addition, core domains of a language such as deictic demonstrative reference are hypothesized to be more robust. Design: Participants were tested with the Spanish version of the memory game. They completed an ethnolinguistic background questionnaire with questions targeting demographic data, experience with language, and daily routines in language use. Data and analyses: Demonstrative use was analysed using binomial multilevel modelling, allowing residual variance to be partitioned into a between-participant component and a within-participant component. Findings: Results demonstrate a shift in the demonstrative system of Spanish native speakers who have resided in Norway for a median of 6.5 years. This shift is reflected in extensive use of the semantically underspecified item ese at the expense of the form aquel. The latter form is less frequent and highly context-dependent in corpora of the modern language. It can be hypothesized that first-generation speakers are faster in converging on a simplified system of deictic reference than the native speaker group tested in Spain, but this development parallels tendencies observed in the monolingual variety of the language. This faster shift may well be influenced and catalysed by bilingual language practice. Originality: This article addresses a gap in research on deictic terms under conditions of language attrition. It documents a restructuring of the deictic system in first-generation speakers of Spanish residing in another country. The results suggest that marking peri-personal space is a core feature of deictic systems across languages, also preserved under deictic system shift