Probabilistic Modeling of the Fate of Listeria Monocytogenes in Diced Bacon During the Manufacturing Process

To assess the impact of the manufacturing process on the fate of Listeria monocytogenes, we built a generic probabilistic model intended to simulate the successive steps in the process. Contamination evolution was modeled in the appropriate units (breasts, dice, and then packaging units through the successive steps in the process). To calibrate the model, parameter values were estimated from industrial data, from the literature, and based on expert opinion. By means of simulations, the model was explored using a baseline calibration and alternative scenarios, in order to assess the impact of changes in the process and of accidental events. The results are reported as contamination distributions and as the probability that the product will be acceptable with regards to the European regulatory safety criterion. Our results are consistent with data provided by industrial partners and highlight that tumbling is a key step for the distribution of the contamination at the end of the process. Process chain models could provide an important added value for risk assessment models that basically consider only the outputs of the process in their risk mitigation strategies. Moreover, a model calibrated to correspond to a specific plant could be used to optimize surveillance.     

Perceived inequity, communal orientation and burnout: The role of helping models

A large amount of empirical evidence has shown that professional helpers who perceive inequity in their relationships with their clients experience burnout. However, in such a situation, communal orientation (a desire to give benefits in response to the perceived needs of others), has been found to buffer burnout. In the present study, this buffering effect was investigated from the perspective of helping models. French nurses ( n =60) and social workers ( n =68) completed a questionnaire designed to evaluate perceived inequity, communal orientation and burnout. The results showed that, as expected, the buffering effect of communal orientation greatly depends on the helping model. Among professionals who endorsed a medical model of helping (wherein recipients are expected to be relatively passive to get better), those high on communal orientation experienced a low level of burnout when they perceived inequity. However, among professionals with a compensatory helping model (wherein recipients are expected to be active to get better), not only had perceived imbalance no buffering effect but also it reduced personal accomplishment. It was speculated that with a medical model, a perceived imbalance in the relationships does not hinder the desire to respond to the perceived needs of others. However, within a compensatory model, a perceived imbalance probably impedes the self efficacy of professionals high in communal orientation, that is who desire to respond to the perceived needs of others.     

Clinical Profiles as a Function of Level and Type of Impulsivity in a Sample Group of At-risk and Pathological Gamblers Seeking Treatment

Level and type of impulsivity are essential variables to be taken into consideration during the initial evaluation of a pathological gambler. The aim of this study was to measure the score for 4 impulsivity-related traits (Urgency, (lack of) Premeditation, (lack of) Perseverance and Sensation seeking) in a sample group of at-risk and pathological gamblers, and to highlight any links with certain elements of clinical data. The UPPS Impulsive Behaviour Scale was administered to 84 problem gamblers seeking treatment. The severity of gambling disorders was evaluated using the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-IV. Psychiatric and addictive comorbidities were also explored. The results indicated that the score for the Urgency facet had a positive correlation with the severity of gambling disorders. It appeared that participants displayed different clinical profiles according to the level and type of impulsivity. Several of the UPPS scales were identified as risk factors for mood disorders, risk of suicide, alcohol use disorders, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The results confirm both the complexity of the multi-dimensional concept of impulsivity and the reason why the UPPS is of interest for a more in-depth study of the subject.     

Sex Role Variations in Occupational Prestige Ratings

Abstract

Studies of the prestige accorded to differing occupations by the general public, such as the NORC 1947 and 1963 ratings of 88 different occupations, have had a major shortcoming: they have focused on male-dominated occupations, and presented them to respondents in a context suggesting that male incumbents were to be given the prestige ratings. Analysis of the ratings by sex of respondent showed little systematic difference. In order to estimate the current public evaluation of occupations in which females have largely been segregated in the recent past, and to examine the sex role variations in these prestige ratings, data were collected as part of a larger study on ten occupations in the human service field, four currently male-dominated, three female-dominated, and four with a mixed sex ratio. Women were found to rate female occupations higher, but the ratings of men and women with respect to male dominated occupations were virtually identical. These findings persisted when race and social class of respondents were controlled. It is suggested that researchers who utilize the prestige of occupations as an explanatory variable in studies of occupational aspirations of youth, career choice job mobility and the like need to consider the different images of the work world held by men and women if their findings are to be valid.     

Truth,partial truth,and irreconcilable truths: Reflections on the prospects for truth recovery in Northern Ireland

The issues facing truth recovery work in Northern Ireland arise in the context of a peace process in which there has been no clear winner, where several key issues, such as policing and criminal justice remain unresolved, and where there is a lack of trust between the parties to the conflict. Yet there is a demand for processes that have the potential to uncover the truth about unresolved killings and disappearances. The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission is often cited in Northern Ireland as a model for truth recovery processes, in spite of its shortcomings and the contextual differences between South Africa and Northern Ireland. While there remains a demand for truth about human rights violations and contested killings, the compromised nature of the Northern Ireland settlement and the culture of silence that prevails within Northern Ireland institutions are obstacles to the progress of truth recovery work there. Nor is Northern Ireland ready for the rewriting of its history, although some argue that truth recovery work could provide an important disincentive to those who would return to violence. The assumption that truth recovery is always a prerequisite for healing is challenged, and painful effects of truth processes in reopening the wounds of the past are pointed out. Yet the role of truth recovery in improving public awareness of the wrongs of the past, and in providing new opportunities for forgiveness and reconciliation is acknowledged. However, truth recovery can inadvertently reinforce a dis‐empowered and unhealthy “victim culture” and may also prejudice future judicial processes. The paper concludes by summarizing the recommendations for truth recovery in Northern Ireland of the Healing Through Remembering Project. They suggest that a range of mechanisms, including some community‐based self‐help processes, are the preferred paths for this work in Northern Ireland.     

Power,poets and the people: Mozambican voices interpreting history

This article analyses the relationship between the state and the nascent African trade unions in South Africa between 1918 and 1948. It shows how the government's attempts to deal with African workers separately from white workers became increasingly difficult during this period. Pressures from African unions themselves, from liberal groups and from the increasingly important role played by Africans in the economy, forced the state to seek a coherent way of handling African trade unions. The paper shows how the state was divided over this issue, with Native Affairs and Labour Department officials conflicting with each other and with government ministers. Although the cabinet held ultimate power within the state, civil servants played a significant role in shaping government policy and determining how it was implemented. The paper concludes that, although circumstances have changed greatly since 1948, the pre‐apartheid era has important lessons for state/organised labour relations in the post‐apartheid South Africa which is currently taking shape.     

Getting Active in the Gulf: Environmental Attitudes and Action Following Two Mississippi Coastal Disasters

The current study examined the impact of the Gulf Oil Spill and Hurricane Katrina, environmental attitudes, and environmental action among residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The authors sought to determine if disaster impact, worry about the environment, or connection to nature was associated with environmental action following the oil spill and in general. We hypothesized that disaster impact and environmental attitudes would be significantly associated with environmental action. Surveys were administered to 1,108 individuals receiving mental health services in connection with the Gulf Oil Spill. Results indicated that disaster impact was correlated with environmental worry, connection to nature, and action. Additionally, environmental worry and connection to nature were significantly associated with action, as were the effects of Hurricane Katrina to a lesser degree. This study supplements the existing literature by examining environmental attitudes, disaster impact, and their association with environmental action following two disasters.