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24 páginas, 4 tablas.-- Graziano Fiorito . et al.-- This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited. ; Cephalopods have been utilised in neuroscience research for more than 100 years particularly because of their phenotypic plasticity, complex and centralised nervous system, tractability for studies of learning and cellular mechanisms of memory (e.g. long-term potentiation) and anatomical features facilitating physiological studies (e.g. squid giant axon and synapse). On 1 January 2013, research using any of the about 700 extant species of "live cephalopods" became regulated within the European Union by Directive 2010/63/EU on the "Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes", giving cephalopods the same EU legal protection as previously afforded only to vertebrates. The Directive has a number of implications, particularly for neuroscience research. These include: (1) projects will need justification, authorisation from local competent authorities, and be subject to review including a harm-benefit assessment and adherence to the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction). (2) To support project evaluation and compliance with the new EU law, guidelines specific to cephalopods will need to be developed, covering capture, transport, handling, housing, care, maintenance, health monitoring, humane anaesthesia, analgesia and euthanasia. (3) Objective criteria need to be developed to identify signs of pain, suffering, distress and lasting harm particularly in the context of their induction by an experimental procedure. Despite diversity of views existing on some of these topics, this paper reviews the above topics and describes the approaches being taken by the cephalopod research community (represented by the authorship) to produce "guidelines" and the potential contribution of neuroscience research to cephalopod welfare ; D.M. has been supported by POR Campania FSE 2007–2013, Project MODO-Model Organism. ; Peer reviewed

Are young women in Japan on a wildcat baby strike? In 2005, for the first time since Japan began collecting population statistics in the late 1800s, the nation's birth rate dropped below its death rate, marking a new low in the ongoing "baby bust," which first came to public attention in 1990. The fewer children there are, the more crushing the weight of the health and pension systems are on each individual citizen. And a baby bust means not only fewer future workers, but also fewer future consumers to buy the products Japanese factories make.

Blame for this baby bust tends to fall on young women. In 1999, sociologist Masahiro Yamada described a generation of young people who live with their parents well into adulthood, spending their earnings on a new computer or a designer bag or a car. These "parasite singles" can be male or female, but in the popular image, it is the young women who are the ones rejecting the austerity of marriage and children, preferring conspicuous consumption. Mari Ozawa, a sociologist and women's activist, noted in 2004 how deeply ingrained the link between the dropping birth rates and the social advancement of women had become in the popular imagination. She questioned the real basis for this link, which is a standard sociological explanation in industrialized nations, and also the frantic imperatives to "reverse the tide" of the declining birth rate, favoring an approach that tries to "navigate" the conditions of the baby bust. Others have emphasized that it is not women's empowerment but a lack thereof that contributes to a decline in births. This refusal to reproduce suggests a deep dissatisfaction with contemporary Japanese society. Can this be read as a political refusal? How can one read a collective "tide" that is not based on collective action but on individual decisions?

IntroductionGlobally, HIV‐related stigma is prevalent in healthcare settings and is a major barrier to HIV prevention and treatment adherence. Some intervention studies have showed encouraging outcomes, but a gap continues to exist between what is known and what is actually delivered in medical settings to reduce HIV‐related stigma.MethodsThis article describes the process of implementing a stigma reduction intervention trial that involved 1760 service providers in 40 hospitals in China. Guided by Diffusion of Innovation theory, the intervention identified and trained about 15–20% providers as popular opinion leaders (POLs) to disseminate stigma reduction messages in each intervention hospital. The intervention also engaged governmental support in the provision of universal precaution supplies to all participating hospitals in the trial. The frequency of message diffusion and reception, perceived improvement in universal precaution practices and reduction in the level of stigma in hospitals were measured at 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up assessments.ResultsWithin the intervention hospitals, POL providers reported more frequent discussions with their co‐workers regarding universal precaution principles, equal treatment of patients, provider‐patient relationships and reducing HIV‐related stigma. Service providers in the intervention hospitals reported more desirable intervention outcomes than providers in the control hospitals. Our evaluation revealed that the POL model is compatible with the target population, and that the unique intervention entry point of enhancing universal precaution and occupational safety was the key to improved acceptance by service providers. The involvement of health authorities in supporting occupational safety was an important element for sustainability.ConclusionsThis report focuses on explaining the elements of our intervention rather than its outcomes. Lessons learned from the intervention implementation will enrich the development of future programs that integrate this or other intervention models into routine medical practice, with the aim of reducing HIV‐related stigma and improving HIV testing, treatment and care in medical settings.

Objectives To understand characteristics of older at-risk drinkers and reasons why they decide to change or maintain their alcohol consumption. Design Secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial to reduce drinking in at-risk drinkers. Setting Three primary care sites in southern California. Participants Six hundred thirty-one adults aged 55 and older who were at-risk drinkers at baseline, 521 of whom who completed a 12-month assessment. Measurements Sociodemographic and alcohol-related characteristics of 12-month assessment completers and noncompleters and among those completing the 12-month assessment by telephone or mail were compared using descriptive statistics. Reasons why respondents maintained or changed average alcohol consumption were asked of those who completed a 12-month assessment by telephone. Factors that might motivate at-risk drinkers to reduce drinking were asked about, and frequencies were calculated for these responses. Results Participants were primarily male, white, highly educated, and in good health. Those who responded to the 12-month assessment by mail were more likely to be working, to be in the intervention arm, and to drink more. Most who reduced alcohol consumption and heavy drinking did so because they thought it would benefit them. Those who did not thought that drinking was not a problem for them. Both groups cited their environment and circumstances as influencing their drinking. Remaining at-risk drinkers reported that medical evidence that alcohol was harming them would motivate them to reduce drinking. Conclusion Older adults report that they reduce their drinking when they recognize that their drinking habits may be causing them harm; one's environment can hinder or help one to reduce drinking. © Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Gender relations have increasingly changed throughout the past decades, and European gender politics have productively accompanied these improvements. Still Europe is far from being a gender-equal society. For a long period gender equality policies have been contextualised mainly as a 'women's issue' – as women have been the driving force behind gender equality strategies and have been seen as the only ones who benefit from a more equal society. Men as the 'other gender' have been taken less into account in the context of gender equality. In the last decade, however, men and masculinities have increasingly become subjects of studies and gender policies in the EU. Under EU presidency, conferences on men, masculinities and equality took place in Sweden (2001) and Finland (2006). The Roadmap for equality between women and men 2006-20101 specifically encouraged men to take up care responsibilities and to share leave entitlements with women. A horizontal priority on gender roles including the need for involvement of men in gender equality policies and addressing inequalities affecting men, such as early school leaving, literacy and occupational health, is present in the current European Commission's Strategy for Equality between Women and Men (2010-2015)2. Additionally, strategies like gender mainstreaming seem to have created an initial awareness of the issue of men in gender equality and the establishment of some pathways towards institutional practice. Therefore, contemporary gender equality strategies as well as scientific studies should involve both men and women and take into account analysis of the role of both genders in ; Prepared for European Commission, DG Justice - Unit D2 Gender equality, supported by the European Union Programme for Employment and SocialSolidarity - PROGRESS (2007-2013). Consortium led by L&R Social Research, with Dissens, abz*austria, INBAS. Elli Scambor, Katarzyna Wojnicka & Nadja Bergmann

Hot water scalds can be quite debilitating for a prolonged period of time. It has been previously determined that the severity of hot water scalds increases in a logarithmic trend with water temperature, which has led to legislations requiring changes to the physical environment to reduce the temperature of hot water. In September 2004, Ontario changed its Building Code, requiring all new or renovated residential buildings to lower the maximum setting of their hot water heaters to 49°C (120°F). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the legislation at reducing both the overall incidence and hospitalizations caused by hot tap water scalds. Hot tap water scald cases were identified from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System and Discharge Abstract Database databases provided by Canadian Institute for Health Information for April 2002 to March 2010. Annual incidences, hospitalizations, and outcomes were recorded. There were a total of 6952 hot tap water scald cases in Ontario, including 408 hospitalizations in the 8-year period. The average annual incidence rate for hot tap water scalds for the study period was 6.93 cases per 100,000 population and the average hospitalization rate was 0.4 cases per 100,000 population. The high-risk population group of children and elderly comprised the majority of hospitalization cases (60%); however, adults are responsible for the majority of the ambulatory cases (67%). There was a significant decrease in the age-standardized monthly ambulatory scald cases per 100,000 population after the intervention of 0.01055 (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.004, 0.017]; P = .0018) with a rate of change of 0.9455 (95% CI [0.90, 0.98]; P < .0001) and a long-term decrease of 0.19 per 100,000. There was no significant difference in length of stay of hospitalized cases after the intervention (rate ratio = 0.91; 95% CI (0.70, 1.18); P = .4624). Overall, the regulation of limiting the maximum hot water temperature in residential homes has had a positive impact on ...

Уровень жизни населения является одной из важнейших характеристик социально-экономической системы региона. Уровень жизни – сложная комплексная категория, состоящая из многих компонентов. Это и размер реальных доходов, и уровень потребления населением материальных благ и услуг, и обеспеченность населения благоустроенным жильем, и, наконец, рост образованности, степень развития медицинского и культурно-бытового обслуживания граждан, политическая структура, экологические особенности, состояние природной среды. Анализ статистических данных, характеризующих развитие процессов в экономике, социальной сфере, изменения, происходящие в состоянии окружающей природной среды в регионе, показывает, что в результате реализации мероприятий по выполнению принятых экологических программ на фоне социально-экономического роста наблюдается ухудшение экологической ситуации и состояния здоровья населения. Одним из важнейших путей решения данной задачи является осуществление комплексного эколого-географического анализа уровня жизни населения с учетом социально-экономических особенностей, природных ресурсов и состояния окружающей среды. ; The people's living standards is one of the most important characteristics of social and economic system of the region. The people's living standards – the difficult complex category consisting of many components. It and size of the real income, and consumption level population of material benefits and services, and security of the population with well-planned housing, and, at last, education growth, extent of development of medical and cultural and community care of citizens, political structure, ecological features, condition of environment. The analysis of the statistical data characterizing development of processes in economy, the social sphere, the changes happening in a condition of surrounding environment in the region, shows that as a result of realization of actions for implementation of the accepted ecological programs, against social and economic growth, deterioration of an ecological situation and a population state of health is observed. One of the most important solutions of this task is implementation of the complex ekologo-geographical analysis of a standard of living of the population taking into account social and economic features, natural resources and a state of environment.

PurposeThe present study aims to analyze the role of the appraisal of stressors as harmful and threatening (distress) and/or as opportunities and challenges (eustress) in inducing negative (burnout) and positive (engagement) effects. It compares appraisal of occupational stressors in Poland and Spain and looks for differences between these countries in the associations between different types of appraisals and their positive and negative outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study analyzes the equivalence of relations across cultures by constraining structural equation models to be equivalent across the Spanish (n=603) and Polish (n=147) data sets of social care services employees. Multigroup analysis was used to test the invariance of the model for the two samples.FindingsThe results showed that the constrained model is robust, stable and invariant across the Spanish and Polish samples, which means that the structural properties of the model do not differ between the two countries. Also, Spanish and Polish workers obtain similar average results on the levels of the appraisals of distress and eustress. Polish social workers have a significantly higher level of burnout and a significantly lower level of work engagement than Spanish employees.Practical implicationsThe confirmation that in both countries eustress has beneficial outcomes on psychological health in the form of work engagement suggests that employees should be taught to perceive work in a more positive way to increase work engagement. The roles that leadership and cultural factors play in this process need to be taken into consideration. Cross‐cultural comparisons of stress are especially relevant for expatriates and for managers in charge of multicultural teams.Originality/valueThe study goes beyond a mere comparison of general stress levels across countries or the relationship between the appraisal of distress and burnout, and it takes into account both negative and positive appraisals of stressors, as well as the strength of their relationships with their outcomes.

Multiple birth remains prevalent, with prematurity and subsequent disability being common complications. However, little is known of the experiences of mothers living with the combined circumstances of multiple birth, prematurity, and special needs. This paper reports an exploratory study using the qualitative technique of thematic analysis, to describe and interpret the experiences of 10 mothers of prematurely born multiple birth children with diverse special needs. Mothers were shocked to learn they were carrying multiple fetuses, including those who underwent in vitro fertilization with dual embryo transfer. Most experienced protracted concern over one or more babies' survival during pregnancy, and prescribed bed rest was frequently associated with increased anxiety and other adverse psychological effects. Some experienced disenfranchised grief, such as those grieving the opportunity to bear a single child. The contrast with experiences of mothers of healthy, term singletons caused considerable distress. Feelings of detachment and unreality were common in the immediate postpartum period, possibly due to transient depersonalization. Having more than one newborn created practical and psychological problems during the neonatal period, particularly when infants were separated due to differences in medical status. The extent to which hospitals accommodated the multiple birth relationship varied and significantly affected mothers' postnatal experiences. Mothers often felt guilty, particularly regarding inequality of care and attention they were able to provide to each child. This was especially problematic for multiples discordant for special needs status. The presence of one normally developing child complicated adjustment to the other's difficulties, and several experienced chronic sorrow. Serious maternal mental health difficulties were common but not universal. Available formal supports were generally perceived as inadequate, addressing some, but not all, of the mothers' needs. Further work is needed to advance understanding of the relationships between mothers and their multiples, and to explore the implications of special needs within multiple birth families.

International audience ; Metropolitan growth is a powerful geographical-economic phenomenon, that transforms both conditions and forms of governance at different scales, especially local scales: inter-urban competition for the attraction of people and activities, importance of public-private action, rise of the claims from organized civil society. Places of cultivated nature in the city are crossed by these mutations of governance. The article aims to show that the multifunctional character of these places of nature (ecological health, food resource, hub of social interactions and individual attachment) produces some "spaces issues" for those involved in urban planning. Indeed, objectives of urban institutions come into tension with the expression of the demands of inhabitants, because there are different views about the lived and practiced spaces. From the example of the city of Rennes, in western France, we can question the ability of urban institutions to provide local democracy from residents participation, and to effectively integrate all forms of productive activities in a shared metropolitan project. ; Phénomène géoéconomique puissant, la métropolisation transforme également les conditions et les modes de la gouvernance aux différentes échelles, notamment locales : concurrence interurbaine pour l'attraction des personnes et des activités, hybridation des modes d'intervention public-privé, montée en puissance des revendications d'une société civile de mieux en mieux organisée. Les lieux de nature cultivée dans la ville sont traversés par ces mutations de la gouvernance. L'article vise ainsi à montrer que le caractère multifonctionnel de ces lieux de nature (bien écologique, ressource alimentaire, creuset d'interactions sociales et d'attachement individuel) en fait des " espaces enjeux " pour les acteurs de l'aménagement urbain. En effet, les objectifs des institutions urbaines et la manifestation des demandes habitantes y entrent en tension, car ils ne relèvent pas des mêmes points de vue sur les espaces ...

International audience ; Metropolitan growth is a powerful geographical-economic phenomenon, that transforms both conditions and forms of governance at different scales, especially local scales: inter-urban competition for the attraction of people and activities, importance of public-private action, rise of the claims from organized civil society. Places of cultivated nature in the city are crossed by these mutations of governance. The article aims to show that the multifunctional character of these places of nature (ecological health, food resource, hub of social interactions and individual attachment) produces some "spaces issues" for those involved in urban planning. Indeed, objectives of urban institutions come into tension with the expression of the demands of inhabitants, because there are different views about the lived and practiced spaces. From the example of the city of Rennes, in western France, we can question the ability of urban institutions to provide local democracy from residents participation, and to effectively integrate all forms of productive activities in a shared metropolitan project. ; Phénomène géoéconomique puissant, la métropolisation transforme également les conditions et les modes de la gouvernance aux différentes échelles, notamment locales : concurrence interurbaine pour l'attraction des personnes et des activités, hybridation des modes d'intervention public-privé, montée en puissance des revendications d'une société civile de mieux en mieux organisée. Les lieux de nature cultivée dans la ville sont traversés par ces mutations de la gouvernance. L'article vise ainsi à montrer que le caractère multifonctionnel de ces lieux de nature (bien écologique, ressource alimentaire, creuset d'interactions sociales et d'attachement individuel) en fait des " espaces enjeux " pour les acteurs de l'aménagement urbain. En effet, les objectifs des institutions urbaines et la manifestation des demandes habitantes y entrent en tension, car ils ne relèvent pas des mêmes points de vue sur les espaces ...

Background The healthcare system of mainland China is undergoing drastic reform and the optimal models for healthcare financing for provision of primary care will need to be identified. This study compared the performance indicators of the community health centres (CHCs) under different healthcare financing systems in the six cities of the Pearl River Delta region. Methods Approximately 300 hypertensive patients were randomly recruited from the computerized chronic disease management records provided by one CHC in each of the six cities in 2011 using a multi-stage cluster random sampling method. The major outcome measures included the treatment rate of hypertension, defined as prescription of ≥ one antihypertensive agent; and the control rate of hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure levels <140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure levels <90 mmHg in patients without diabetes mellitus, or <130/80 mmHg among patients with concomitant diabetes. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted with these two measures as outcome variables, respectively, controlling for patients' socio-demographic variables. The financing system (Hospital- vs. Government- vs. private-funded) was the independent variable tested for association with the outcomes. Results From 1,830 patients with an average age of 65.9 years (SD 12.8), the overall treatment and control rates were 75.4% and 20.2%, respectively. When compared with hospital-funded CHCs, patients seen in the Government-funded (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.462, 95% C.I. 0.325–0.656) and private-funded CHCs (AOR 0.031, 95% C.I. 0.019–0.052) were significantly less likely to be prescribed antihypertensive medication. However, the Government-funded CHC was more likely to have optimal BP control (AOR 1.628, 95% C.I. 1.157–2.291) whilst the privately-funded CHC was less likely to achieve BP control (AOR 0.146, 95% C.I. 0.069–0.310), irrespective of whether antihypertensive drugs were prescribed. Conclusions Privately-funded CHCs had the lowest rates of BP treatment and control due to a variety of potential factors as discussed.

International audience ; Metropolitan growth is a powerful geographical-economic phenomenon, that transforms both conditions and forms of governance at different scales, especially local scales: inter-urban competition for the attraction of people and activities, importance of public-private action, rise of the claims from organized civil society. Places of cultivated nature in the city are crossed by these mutations of governance. The article aims to show that the multifunctional character of these places of nature (ecological health, food resource, hub of social interactions and individual attachment) produces some "spaces issues" for those involved in urban planning. Indeed, objectives of urban institutions come into tension with the expression of the demands of inhabitants, because there are different views about the lived and practiced spaces. From the example of the city of Rennes, in western France, we can question the ability of urban institutions to provide local democracy from residents participation, and to effectively integrate all forms of productive activities in a shared metropolitan project. ; Phénomène géoéconomique puissant, la métropolisation transforme également les conditions et les modes de la gouvernance aux différentes échelles, notamment locales : concurrence interurbaine pour l'attraction des personnes et des activités, hybridation des modes d'intervention public-privé, montée en puissance des revendications d'une société civile de mieux en mieux organisée. Les lieux de nature cultivée dans la ville sont traversés par ces mutations de la gouvernance. L'article vise ainsi à montrer que le caractère multifonctionnel de ces lieux de nature (bien écologique, ressource alimentaire, creuset d'interactions sociales et d'attachement individuel) en fait des " espaces enjeux " pour les acteurs de l'aménagement urbain. En effet, les objectifs des institutions urbaines et la manifestation des demandes habitantes y entrent en tension, car ils ne relèvent pas des mêmes points de vue sur les espaces ...

The study of model-based fault detection for mass production Diesel engines is the aim of this thesis. The necessity of continuous vehicles health monitoring is now enforced by the Euro VI pollutant legislation, which will probably be tightened in its future revisions. In this context developing a robust strategy that could be easily calibrated and work with different systems (due to production variability) would be a tremendous advantage for car manufacturers. The study developed here tries to answer to those necessities by proposing a generic methodology based on local adaptive observers for scalar nonlinear state-affine systems. The fault detection, isolation and estimation problems are thus solved in a compact way. Moreover, the uncertainties due to measurement or model biases and time drifts lead to the necessity of improving the detection methodology by the use of robust thresholds that could avoid undesired false alarms. In this thesis a variable threshold is proposed based on the observability condition and the sensitivity analysis of the parameter impacted by the fault with respect to input or model uncertainties. This approach allows, among other things, to be used as an analysis tool for the individuation of the system operating points for which the diagnosis is more reliable and more robust to inputs uncertainties. The discussed approach has been successfully implemented and experimentally tested on a real Diesel engine for the intake leak detection and for the turbine efficiency loss drift detection in a co-simulation environment showing its advantages in term of detection reliability, calibration effort and engines diagnosis operating condition analysis. ; Cette thèse a pour but l'étude de la détection basée sur modèle de défauts pour les moteurs Diesel produits en grande série. La nécessité d'une surveillance continue de l'état de santé des véhicules est maintenant renforcée par la législation Euro VI sur les émissions polluantes, qui sera probablement rendue encore plus contraignante dans ses ...

This study is the final part of a larger project with an action research approach focusing on food distribution (FD) within municipal service and care for elderly persons, living at home (≥65 years), from various perspectives. The aim was to describe the decision-makers' the politicians and top level administrative manager's views on the FD service, and to give feedback from the results of earlier studies based on information given by FD receivers, the perspectives of involved professionals, and the results of an intervention study and further to report the decision-makers suggestions for which areas should be taken into consideration as starting points to improve the FD process and practice. Data was gathered in two steps: step 1, through individual interviews (n=12) with the decision-makers during the spring of 2009, step 2a through feedback from previous studies, received during the autumn of 2011 and step 2b from discussions based on the feedback. The interview data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings indicated a discrepancy between the reality and the political visions. It was shown that decision-maker's needed to make decisions despite their uncertain knowledge of the complexity of the FD programme. They considered what has been, what is, and will be, when setting goals. Their goal was that elderly person's rights and needs should be fulfilled. This included freedom of choice and individual consideration. In addition, it meant, meeting elderly people's medical and social needs. Three areas were found to require facilitation for change related to FD: 1) the monitoring of the elderly's health and wellbeing while providing FD, 2) the increasing of professional competence, and 3) the creation of a forum for inter-professional communication. The findings in this study have implications for nursing, gerontology and public administration.