A qualitative investigation of the career paths of individuals working in an information technology environment

Thesis (M.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Arts Faculty (Industrial Psychology), 2002The aim of this research was to investigate the career paths of individuals working in an Information Technology (IT) environment. The focus of the study is on the career history, subjective career views and career expectations and aspirations of these individuals. The study is exploratory and involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine individuals working in an IT environment in one financial institution. Results indicate that the career paths of these individuals no longer follow the traditional approaches to Career Development (CD), but rather amalgamate aspects of the traditional with the less traditional CD approaches. The results also indicate that the emphasis of CD is increasingly becoming the responsibility of the individual themselves, thereby requiring a more proactive and self-directed Career Management (CM) style. The results are discussed and interpreted in light of the literature reviewed.AC 201

An Exploratory Analysis of Father Involvement in Low-Income Families

Using data from the Fragile Families study, this paper explores factors that influence paternal involvement in low-income families. 4873 fathers from the Fragile Families study were classified using CART (Classification and Regression Tree Analysis). CART is a nonparametric technique that allows many different factors to be combined in order to classify homogeneous subgroups within a sample. The CART analysis distinguished between residential and non-residential fathers. In addition, among residential fathers, race emerged as the distinguishing factor. For White men, residential status was the only factor to affect involvement. For African American and Hispanic men however, interactions among several sociodemographic characteristics revealed that both contextual and individual factors affect paternal involvement. Results suggest that an ecological approach is necessary in the investigation of paternal involvement.

First-Generation University Students: University Experiences and Outcomes

Gaining a university qualification has the potential to reduce socioeconomic inequalities through several economic and social benefits of studying beyond secondary school. Students who are the first in their family to attend university originate from backgrounds that may benefit especially from higher education. Unfortunately, first- generation students are disproportionately challenged in a number of ways that may have an impact on their experience at university and subsequent beneficial returns of gaining a university qualification. The overarching goal of the present study was to investigate the university experiences and subsequent outcomes of first-generation students compared to continuing-generation students. In the present study, first-generation students were those whose parents had gained a qualification lower than a bachelor’s degree, whilst continuing- generation students were those whose parents had gained a qualification equal to or higher than a bachelor’s degree. In their final year of study, participants were asked a host of questions about their experiences at university, including satisfaction, aids/barriers while studying, finances, and their academic beliefs. In a follow-up survey at 2 years post- graduation, participants were asked similar questions to determine the extent to which gaining a university qualification may have had an impact on their lives and their communities in the short-term. Results indicated that whilst first-generation students were more likely to report certain barriers and lower academic self-esteem compared to continuing-generation students, on the whole first-generation students reported comparable university experiences and as well as comparable, if not more favourable, economic and social benefits at 2 years post-graduation. These findings provide valuable insight into the university experiences of and outcomes for first-generation students, and are uniquely placed to provide a foundation for informing any future policy changes at the governmental or university level

The Promise of Research to Advance Smart Decarceration

This paper describes the concept of "Smart Decarceration" and introduces the special issue of Criminal Justice and Behavior entitled Research to Advance Smart Decarceration Policies, Programs, and Interventions. The concept of Smart Decarceration originated nearly a decade ago as the United States reached a tipping point in mass incarceration, and it focuses on three interrelated outcomes: substantially reducing the use of incarceration and other forms of punishment; reversing racial disparities and other inequities in the criminal justice system; and promoting safety and well-being, particularly for communities that have been most impacted by mass incarceration. Ultimately, Smart Decarceration efforts should prioritize reducing the overall footprint of the criminal justice system, while building capacity outside of the system to support safety, health, and well-being. Research plays a critical role in advancing Smart Decarceration, as new forms of knowledge and evidence must be developed to replace ineffective and unjust policies and practices associated with mass incarceration. The paper discusses approaches to research that move beyond typical criminal justice outcomes and focus on the multifaceted goals of Smart Decarceration. The six articles in this special issue are introduced, highlighting their foci across ecological levels and the breadth of the criminal justice continuum, centering populations most impacted by incarceration, and identifying practice and policy innovations

Embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in Australian STEM higher education: A holistic framework

Efforts to widen participation in STEM higher education has had some success. However, further increases in response to targeted equity programs may be limited with differences in retention and success measures as well as employment outcomes (Productivity Commission, 2019). For example, there has been just a 3% increase in female STEM students over the last ten years and in 2021 the majority (73%) of STEM students still identified as male (STEM Equity Monitor, 2021). Now, two years of pandemic response and disruption have exacerbated inequities (O’Shea, Koshy & Drane, 2021). So, while we, as academics, and our respective institutions, are grappling with imagining and implementing post-COVID STEM education, we have an opportunity to also improve outcomes for our traditionally marginalised students. The data demonstrate that enabling access alone is insufficient, and that the success of these students will require systemic and transformative change (Harkavy et.al., 2015), the very scale of change we are currently traversing. In this workshop we will discuss findings from our ACDS Learning and Teaching project which aims to understand the capacity for inclusive teaching in STEM higher education in Australia. Based on our findings and literature in this space, we are proposing a potential framework for implementing sustainable inclusive STEM education in Australian higher education institutions. We seek your feedback and input into this framework. This will be a session that encourages open dialogue and discussion to envision a pathway to a sustainable inclusive STEM higher education environment in Australia. REFERENCES Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (2021). STEM Equity Monitor Data Highlights 2021, Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. Retrieved 17 March 2022, from https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/stem-equity-monitor. Fuentes, M. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Madsen, J. W. (2021). Rethinking the course syllabus: Considerations for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 69-79. Harkavy, I., Cantor, N., & Burnett, M. (2015). Realizing STEM equity and diversity through higher education-community engagement. Netter Center for Community Partnerships Supported White Paper, 1-52. O’Shea, S., Koshy, P., & Drane, C. (2021). The implications of COVID-19 for student equity in Australian higher education. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 43(6), 576-591. Productivity Commission (2019). The Demand Driven University System: A Mixed Report Card, Commission Research Paper, Canberra. https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/university-report-car

Assessing the Expression of Astrocytic Markers in Retinal Ganglion Cell Projection of LCR/HCR Rats

Metabolic Syndrome is a human condition that presents with various metabolic issues such as abnormal distribution of body fat, high blood pressure, and a prothrombotic state, among other problems (Alberti,et al, 2005). This syndrome is a risk factor for visual disorders, such as glaucoma, and is often associated with increased levels of neuroinflammation. Currently, the animal model used to replicate this syndrome is The Low Capacity Runner and High Capacity Runner Rat Model. These rats have been bred based on their running capacities for 30+ generations to have drastic metabolic differences. We assessed key areas of the retinal ganglion cell projection (optic nerve, superior colliculus, and retina) and other important thalamic nuclei in Metabolic Syndrome such as the arcuate nuclei and inferior colliculus, in the rats for expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and Aquaporin 4. We expected to find elevated glial fibrillary acidic protein and Aquaporin 4 in key visual structures of Low Capacity Runner compared to High Capacity Runner rats. We found that in the superior colliculi of the Low Capacity Runner rats there was significantly a greater percent area fraction of glial fibrillary acidic protein than in the High Capacity Runner rats; as there was little Aquaporin 4 staining in many of the regions assessed, that data was inconclusive and it appears Aquaporin 4 plays a negligible role in stress-related changes associated with the Metabolic Syndrome phenotype. In this research, we provide novel evidence that Low Capacity Runner rats express an elevated immune response compared to their High Capacity Runner counterparts and that this response is partially specific to visual structures, as the inferior colliculus, an auditory-related thalamic nuclei, shoed to astroglial differences between High Capacity Runners and Low Capacity Runners. These findings could lead to a better understanding of the metabolic underpinnings of optic neuropathies and present new avenues for their treatment

Baclofen alters gustatory discrimination capabilities and induces a conditioned taste aversion (CTA)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies intending to measure drug-induced changes in learning and memory are challenged to parse out the effects of drugs on sensory, motor, and associative systems in the brain. In the context of conditioned taste aversion (CTA), drugs that alter the sensorium of subjects and affect their ability to taste and/or feel malaise may limit the ability of investigators to make conclusions about associative effects of these substances. Since the GABAergic system is implicated in inhibition, the authors were hopeful to use the GABA agonist, baclofen (BAC), to enhance extinction of a CTA, but first a preliminary evaluation of BAC's peripheral effects on animals' sensorium had to be completed due to a lack of published literature in this area.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Our first experiment aimed to evaluate the extent to which the GABA_Bagonist, BAC, altered the ability of rats to differentiate between 0.3% and 0.6% saccharin (SAC) in a two bottle preference test. Here we report that 2 or 3 mg/kg (i.p.) BAC, but not 1 mg/kg BAC, impaired animals' gustatory discrimination abilities in this task. Furthermore, when SAC consumption was preceded by 2 or 3 mg/kg (i.p.) BAC, rats depressed their subsequent SAC drinking.</p> <p>A second experiment evaluated if the suppression of SAC and water drinking (revealed in Experiment 1) was mediated by amnesiac effects of BAC or whether BAC possessed US properties in the context of the CTA paradigm. The time necessary to reach an asymptotic level of CTA extinction was not significantly different in those animals that received the 3 mg/kg dose of BAC compared to more conventionally SAC + lithium chloride (LiCl, 81 mg/kg) conditioned animals.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings were not consistent with a simple amnesia-of-neophobia explanation. Instead, results indicated that 2 and 3 mg/kg (i.p.) BAC were capable of inducing a CTA, which was extinguishable via repeated presentations of SAC only. Our data indicate that, depending on the dose, BAC can alter SAC taste discrimination and act as a potent US in the context of a CTA paradigm.</p

Health care disparities for incarcerated adults after a suicide attempt

OBJECTIVE: Incarcerated adults have high rates of fatal and nonfatal suicidal behaviors. Suicide prevention recommendations stress the need for the provision of health care for incarcerated adults after suicide attempts, yet prison policies and practices often focus instead on punitive responses to suicidal behaviors. Existing research is limited regarding factors that predict the provision of health care to incarcerated adults post-suicide attempt. The current study examined individual, incident, and institutional factors as predictors of health care to incarcerated adults post-suicide attempt. METHOD: We used data from critical incidents reports for suicide attempts (NÂ =Â 495) to conduct mixed-effects logistical regression models. RESULTS: Staff responded to suicide attempts by placing incarcerated adults under direct observation (with no care) or in segregation at odds two and three times higher than of providing health care, particularly in prisons for men. Race was a significant factor; incidents involving Black men were less likely than incidents involving white men to include staff requesting health care, and incidents involving Black women were less likely than incidents involving white women to include requesting and providing health care. CONCLUSIONS: This study's findings highlight factors predicting health care responses to suicide attempts and the need to address and prevent health care disparities in prisons

Factores Clave en la Gestión de Tecnología de Información para Sistemas de Gobierno Inteligente

La dinámica actual de las ciudades establece nuevos retos para los sistemas de gobernanza pública. Un reto importante para los gobiernos es diseñar e implementar novedosas estrategias de interacción y comunicación con los ciudadanos, a través de las tecnologías, con el fin de lograr un mejoramiento en la prestación de servicios sostenible, eficaz y eficiente garantizando la integridad y la construcción de confianza para mejorar la relación de los ciudadanos con el estado y la implementación de iniciativas de gobierno inteligente es una de las estrategias validas en este contexto. Este artículo identifica, presenta y analiza los factores claves para la gestión de Tecnología Informática (TI) teniendo en cuenta los desafíos y retos actuales que afrontan los territorios al momento de trazar metas hacía una gobernanza inteligente

Prevención y manejo de la hipertrofia ventricular izquierda en pacientes adultos obesos.

In Ecuador, cardiovascular risks are the leading cause of death, among them we have Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and the risk factors are arterial hypertension, but current studies have characterized that obesity independently can also trigger this pathology, affecting more women than men. and thus, promotes primary prevention and early diagnosis. &nbsp;It was evidenced that overweight and obesity in childhood are associated with cardiovascular damage, however, this significantly increased morbidity and mortality in adulthood, leading to advanced LVH. Antihypertensives arrest the progress and improve left ventricular hypertrophy, as well as weight loss or dietary sodium restriction have additional beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. A significant benefit has also been shown in therapeutic management such as thiazide diuretics, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) up to sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors. (SGLT2).En Ecuador los riesgos cardiovasculares es la primera causa de muerte, entre ellas tenemos la Hipertrofia Ventricular Izquierda y los factores de riesgos es la hipertensión arterial, pero estudios actuales han caracterizado que la obesidad independientemente puede también desencadenar esta patología afectando más a mujeres que a hombres y así se promueve una prevención primaria y un diagnóstico precoz. Se evidenció que el sobrepeso y la obesidad en la infancia se asocian con daños cardiovasculares, sin embargo, esto aumentó significativamente la morbimortalidad en la edad adulta llegando a padecer una HVI avanzada. Los antihipertensivos detienen el progreso y mejora la hipertrofia ventricular izquierda, asi como, la pérdida de peso o la restricción de sodio en la dieta tienen efectos beneficiosos adicionales sobre el sistema cardiovascular. También se ha demostrado un beneficio significativo en el manejo terapéutico como los diuréticos tiazídicos, los inhibidores del sistema renina-angiotensina-aldosterona (RAAS) y los bloqueadores de los canales de calcio (CCB) hasta los inhibidores del cotransportador de sodio-glucosa tipo 2 (SGLT2)