Identity change and the human dissection experience over the first year of medical training

The aim of this study is to explore identity change in medical students over their first year of medical training, particularly in relation to their experience of human dissection. Each of our four participants completed two repertory grids at the end of term one and, again, towards the end of term three. One grid tapped their identity construction, and the other, their experience of human dissection. Our participants were optimistic about becoming similar to a doctor they admired and, towards the end of term three, began to develop a stable identity as a medical student. Their identity constructs involved three common themes: dedication, competence, and responsibility. However, the data also revealed negative reactions to the demands of training, such as feeling driven and stressed. Three major themes were apparent in their experience of human dissection: involvement, emotional coping, and ability. Our participants’ dedication to their studies was reflected in their appreciation of the need to become involved actively in the process of dissection but some experienced an erosion of their self-confidence and perceived some of their colleagues to have lost much of their enthusiasm for learning. Emotional coping could be an additional challenge within this context and their reaction tended to reflect distancing processes previously identified in the literature. In all, we see a development of a vulnerable sense of professionalism alongside a frustration of losing out potentially on wider aspects of personal development due to the high work demands

Impressing for Success: A Gendered Analysis of a Key Social Capital Accumulation Strategy

Social capital theory assesses the career benefits that accrue to individuals from the stock of relationships they have. Such benefits can be in the form of guidance and advice, access to key projects and assignments and help with setting up business deals. However, when assessing whether such career-enhancing resources are available equally to men and women, we find that gender impacts on the access to and accumulation of social capital. The article seeks to address two key research questions. The first is whether women are aware of the need to accumulate social capital to advance their careers and the second is whether they use impression management techniques in order to assist them in doing this. Findings are reported from a study in an international consulting firm with 19 female consultants. In respect of research question one the findings indicate that women in the sample are aware of the need to accumulate social capital to advance their careers; with particular emphasis being placed on the importance of gaining access to influential sponsors. In respect of research question two, the findings confirm that women in the sample do perceive the necessity to utilise impression management techniques to help them to accumulate social capital. This is done in a defensive way and is linked to ensuring that one is seen as ambitious, likable and available. It is argued that these are key organizational norms, and it is perceived that in order to accumulate social capital, women need to actively work to dispel the negative stereotypes that attach to them because of their gender. The article calls for greater recognition of the impact that masculine organizational cultures have on the career development of women, who not only have to perform at a high level but are also required to expend additional energy conforming to masculine organizational cultures they have had little say in creating

Endogenous oxytocin is associated with the experience of compassion and recalled upbringing in Borderline Personality Disorder

Background/Objective The role of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is poorly understood. It is particularly unknown how early experiences with caregivers moderate the action of OT in BPD. Here, we examined the association of plasma OT levels in BPD patients with the experience of compassion and recalled parental behavior during childhood. Methods Fifty-seven BPD patients and 43 healthy controls participated in the study. OT plasma levels were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. Subjects additionally completed questionnaires focusing on fears of compassion (FOC) and recalled upbringing (“Questionnaire of Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior/Fragebogen zum erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten,” FEE). Results BPD patients had significantly lower OT plasma levels than healthy controls and differed significantly on all FOC and FEE scales; BPD patients had higher FOC scores (indicating more aversion of being compassionate to themselves and others and receiving compassion from others). They also differed in recalled parenting. In the BPD group, scores of the FOC scale “fear of compassion from others” were significantly negatively correlated with OT levels. Moreover, recalled “emotional warmth” of their parents during childhood was positively correlated with OT plasma levels of BPD subjects. No such correlations were found in the control group. Conclusion Our results corroborate findings from previous studies reporting lower OT levels in patients with BPD. Moreover, peripheral OT seems to be linked with the tolerance of compassionate feelings and early experiences with caregivers. This is consistent with other findings that OT is an important mediator of the experience of emotional warmth from others.N/

Eduard Wilde "Mäeküla piimamehe" stiil = The style of Eduard Wilde's novel "The milkman of Mäeküla" : (with a summary in English)

http://www.ester.ee/record=b1394974*es

Eesti naisajakirjanike kogemused agressiivsete ja ahistavate kommentaatorite ja allikatega

Bakalaureusetöös uurisin Eesti naissoost ajakirjanike kogemusi lugejate- ja allikatepoolse ahistamisega. Bakalaureusetöö eesmärk oli saada paremat aimu, kuidas tajuvad Eesti naissoost ajakirjanikud ahistamist. Täpsemalt soovisin ka teada saada, kuidas ajakirjanikud sellega hakkama saavad ning mis võivad olla pikaaegse süstemaatilise ahistamise tagajärjed. Soovisin ka uurida seda, kas ajakirjanikud üldse kasutavad enda kogemustest rääkides sõna „ahistamine“ või kõnelevad nad läbielatust teiste sõnade ja terminite kaudu, pehmendades kogemust. Kasutasin kvalitatiivset meetodit, viies kaheteistkümne ajakirjanikuga läbi poolstruktureeritud intervjuud ning analüüsides neid hiljem kvalitatiivse sisuanalüüsi kaudu. Kasutasin seda, et jätta alles ajakirjanike endi sõnad ja kirjeldused, et kanda töös edasi nende „häält“. Intervjuudest selgus, et ajakirjanike ahistamine ei ole üsna tõenäoliselt ka Eestis võõras probleem. Ei saa tulemusi küll kaheteistkümne intervjuu põhjal üldistada, kuid ajakirjanikud tõid välja, et ka nende kolleegid on ahistava käitumisega kokku puutunud ning see on nende arvates suuresti üks osa ajakirjaniku elukutsest. Intervjuudest tuli esile see, et ahistavat käitumist defineeritakse ka teiste sõnade kaudu, näiteks „kiusamise“ ja „terrorina“. Intervjueeritavad leidsid, et süstemaatiline ahistamine võib lõppeda kas depressiooni, valdkonnast lahkumise või tõsiste terviseprobleemidega. Seksuaalse ahistamise puhul leidsid paar ajakirjanikku, et probleem eksisteerib ning seda pisendatakse tugevalt. Nooremate ajakirjanike puhul panevad ahistajad kahtluse alla ajakirjanike kompetentsi „noore tibi“ narratiivi kaudu. Ahistamise ja seksuaalse ahistamise uurimine Eesti kontekstis on oluline, kuna vaatamata demokraatlikule riigikorrale esineb ka siin seksismi ning ahistamise normaliseerimine ei aita selle kaotamisele kaasa. Ahistamisest on oluline rääkida, et probleemi paremini mõista ja loodetavasti ka otsida sellele lahendusi.https://www.ester.ee/record=b5152312*es

Info- ja dokumendihaldustarkvara WebDesktopi kasutatavuse testimine

Magistritöö eesmärgiks oli kaardistada WebDesktopi tarkvara praeguse disainilahenduse kasutatavuse probleemid ning ühtlasi testida uue disainilahenduse kasutatavust. Eesmärgi saavutamiseks püsitasin järgmised uurimisküsimused: ● Millised kasutatavuse probleemid on info- ja dokumendihaldussüsteemi WebDesktop praeguses lahenduses? ● Millised kasutatavuse probleemid on info- ja dokumendihaldussüsteemi WebDesktopi uue disainilahenduse esimestes prototüüpides? Praeguse disainilahenduse probleemide väljaselgitamiseks viisin läbi poolstruktureeritud individuaalsed intervjuud. Intervjueeritavatele oli meenutamisel abiks võimalus kasutada praegust süsteemi. Uue disainilahenduse kasutatavuse testimiseks palusin kasutajatel testida prototüüpe, lahendades ettemääratud ülesandeid ning jagades valjult oma mõtteid. Ülesannete sooritused jäädvustasin kasutaja ekraanivaate ning heli salvestamise teel, et tulemuste analüüsimisel oleks võimalik nende juurde tagasi pöörduda ja tutvustada probleeme disainimeeskonna teistele liikmetele. Valitud meetodeid eelistasin nende suhteliselt madala aja-, raha- ning inimressursikulu tõttu, mis loodetavasti innustab leidma rakendust ka WebDesktopi edaspidistes arendusprojektides. Metoodika peamiseks nõrgaks kohaks pean tagasiside subjektiivsust: uuringus sai kõlada ainult väheste valitud kasutajate hääl. Praeguse disainilahenduse probleemide analüüsimisest selgus, et üldjoontes ollakse praeguse süsteemiga ära harjunud ning rahul. Kõige rohkem mainitud probleemiks oli otsingu, lisamise ning haldamise rippmenüüde ebamugav kasutatavus, millega peamiselt on hädas need kasutajad, kes kasutavad süsteemi vähem. Mitmed väljatoodud kasutusprobleemid olid seotud puuduliku ja ajale jalgu jäänud administreerimistegevustega, mis põhjustab kasutajatele asjatut kasutuskeerukust. Siin on kindlasti võimalik abiks olla WebDesktopi kasutajatoel, kes nõustab asutuste administraatoreid. Uue disainilahenduse prototüüpide testimisel praeguste kasutajatega panin tähele, et praegune otsingu, lisamise ning haldamise menüüde probleemsus võib olla üle kandunud ka uuele lahendusele ning sellega peaks disainer veel tegelema. Hea meel on, et kasutajad peegeldasid oma tagasisidega WebDesktopi uue disainilahenduse taotlusi, milleks on kaasaegsem välimus, puhtus (ebavajalike funktsionaalsuste eemaldamine või peitmine) ning tuttavlik lähenemine, kus eeskuju on võetud laialt levinud infosüsteemidest. Palusin kasutajatel hinnata teatud süsteemitegevuste kasutuslihtsust, millest järeldus, et kaks testitud süsteemitegevust olid kasutajate jaoks pigem lihtsad ning kolm ülesannet väga lihtsad. Kõige keerukamaks kujunes dokumendiseoste uue kuvamisloogika mõistmine, kuid nagu mitmed kasutajad ka arvasid, siis tuleb muudatusest lihtsalt teadlik olla ning siis õpitakse seda kasutama. Järelduste ning diskussiooni peatükis tegin kokkuvõtte praeguse ning uue disainilahenduse peamistest probleemidest koos kasutajate ja minupoolsete ettepanekutega. Seejärel arutlesin WebDesktopi kasutatavuse testimiseks rakendatud metoodika sobivuse üle, mida edaspidi võiks teisiti teha ning millised jätku-uuringud oleksid tulevikuperspektiivis asjakohased WebDesktopi uue disainilahenduse võimalikult edukaks implementeerimiseks (veebiküsitlus võimalikult paljude kasutajate hulgas, juurdepääsetavuse uuring, kaaluda administreerimise lihtsustamist).https://www.ester.ee/record=b5153592*es

Using arbitration as a method for disputes resolution in Malaysia’s construction industry

Disputes in construction industry are a common thing and sometimes could not be avoided.Disputes majorly arise from misinterpretation or conflicts of engineering documents at any time during the execution of a contract.There are many methods/techniques used in resolving disputes.One of the popular recommendations is arbitration.This aim of this study is to study the process and procedures of arbitration as a method for disputes resolution, to identify and also analyze the causes of disputes and its solution techniques in construction industry.The questionnaires will be distributed by hand to all types of contractors limited to area in Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan. The data from the questionnaire survey will be analyzed in percentage and value of index by using frequency analysis and average index analysis.This study will show that many factors can contribute to disputes and its solution techniques.From the study,it is found that the cause of failure of planning and executing project is the main factor in construction dispute.Furthermore,negotiation is the best solution technique in construction dispute.In conclusion, determining the factors that contribute to disputes is important in order to recognize what is the suitable technique to resolve it as it is necessary for contractors that involved in Malaysian construction industry.Moreover,it is hoped that these findings can be used to overcome disputes that cause all the problems in Malaysian construction industry and hopefully will give new point of view on arbitration as a resolution technique to the contractors and construction industry in Malaysia

Fatalism and ICD-11 CPTSD and PTSD diagnoses: Results from Nigeria, Kenya & Ghana

BackgroundExisting research on post-traumatic sequelae suggests a positive association between fatalism and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the associations between fatalism and the new ICD-11 diagnosis of complex PTSD (CPTSD) have never been explored before.ObjectiveThe current study explored the association between fatalism and PTSD and CPTSD in samples from three African countries.MethodsA total of 2,524 participants from Nigeria (n = 1018), Kenya (n = 1006), and Ghana (n = 500) completed measures of fatalism (non-judgemental fatalism, current fatalism, pessimistic fatalism, prospective fatalism) and the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ). A combination of a multinomial regression and path analysis was used to identify fatalism predictors of PTSD and CPTSD versus no diagnosis, and CPTSD versus PTSD, adjusted for demographic variables and trauma exposure.ResultsWhile PTSD was not predicted by any of the fatalism types, compared to no diagnosis, CPTSD was significantly predicted by pessimistic, non-judgemental and current fatalism, both compared to no diagnosis and PTSD.ConclusionsThe results broaden the knowledge on potential correlates of the new diagnosis of CPTSD. Addressing fatalistic beliefs by empowering people to think that they can choose their fate should be further explored as a possible target for intervention in the treatment of CPTSD