Study about upper limb on highly repetitive work in maquila operations

Industrial work is a very active sector in the economy of countries; an important part of people's work is done using the upper extremities. The purpose of this project is to characterize the effect of upper extremity work, analyze its relationship with the hand strength and the presence of fatigue and develop a model with the ability to estimate recovery times for the shoulder using variables different from the biomechanical variables.     

Sex drugs, peer connections, and HIV: Use and risk among African American, Latino, and Multiracial young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in Los Angeles and New York

African American and Latino young men who have sex with men are at high risk for HIV infection. We administered brief intercept surveys (N=416) at 18 Black and Latino gay pride events in Los Angeles and New York in 2006 and 2007. Ordinal logistic regressions were used to model the effects of substance use during sex, peer connectedness, relationship status, and homelessness on condom use. Alcohol use, crystal use, homelessness, and having a primary relationship partner were negatively associated with condom use, while peer connectedness and marijuana use during sex were positively associated with condom use. Implications for service providers and future research are discussed.     

Self-perceived health status,gender, and work status

ABSTRACT

This study analyzes the relationship between gender and self-perceived health status in Spanish retirees and housewives from a sample of 1,106 community-dwelling older adults. A multivariate linear regression model was used in which self-perceived health status was measured by the EQ-5D visual analogue scale and gender according to work status (retired men and women and housewives). Retired males reported a significantly better health status than housewives. Self-perceived health status was closely associated with physical, mental, and functional health and leisure activities. Finally, being a woman with complete dedication to domestic work is associated with a worse state of self-perceived health.     

A Comprehensive Review and a Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Internet-Based Psychotherapeutic Interventions

ABSTRACT

Internet-based psychotherapeutic interventions have been used for more than a decade, but no comprehensive review and no extensive meta-analysis of their effectiveness have been conducted. We have collected all of the empirical articles published up to March 2006 (n = 64) that examine the effectiveness of online therapy of different forms and performed a meta-analysis of all the studies reported in them (n = 92). These studies involved a total of 9,764 clients who were treated through various Internet-based psychological interventions for a variety of problems, whose effectiveness was assessed by different types of measures. The overall mean weighted effect size was found to be 0.53 (medium effect), which is quite similar to the average effect size of traditional, face-to-face therapy. Next, we examined interacting effects of various possible relevant moderators of the effects of online therapy, including type of therapy (self-help web-based therapy versus online communication-based etherapy), type of outcome measure, time of measurement of outcome (post-therapy or follow-up), type of problem treated, therapeutic approach, and communication modality, among others. A comparison between face-to-face and Internet intervention as reported on in 14 of the studies revealed no differences in effectiveness. The findings of this meta-analysis, and review of additional Internet therapy studies not included in the meta-analysis, provide strong support for the adoption of online psychological interventions as a legitimate therapeutic activity and suggest several insights in regard to its application. Limitations of the findings and recommendations concerning Internet-based therapy and future research are discussed.     

Adult attachment styles and their relationship to burnout: a preliminary, cross-cultural investigation

While many studies have addressed the relationship between adult attachment styles and stress, so far no studies have addressed the relationship between attachment styles and burnout, which is thought often to characterize highly motivated individuals. Based on a psychodynamic existential perspective it was predicted that adult attachment styles would correlate with burnout: that there would be a negative correlation between secure attachment style and burnout and a positive correlation between insecure attachment styles (avoidant or anxious/ambivalent) and burnout. A pilot study was conducted in a sample of Israeli MBA students (N=41), nearly all of whom were in full-time employment. A further four studies were then conducted on Hungarian social studies students (N=751), Israeli dialysis nurses (N=216) and national samples of Israeli Jews (N=511) and Arabs (N=505). These studies supported this hypothesis. Finally, a follow-up study involving Israeli students (N=160), who described the importance of various work features and their strategies for coping with burnout-causing situations, helps to explain the findings. These results have a theoretical and a practical implication: burnout research and intervention should include greater emphasis on personal factors in addition to contextual factors.     

Adult attachment styles and their relationship to burnout: a preliminary,cross-cultural investigation

While many studies have addressed the relationship between adult attachment styles and stress, so far no studies have addressed the relationship between attachment styles and burnout, which is thought often to characterize highly motivated individuals. Based on a psychodynamic existential perspective it was predicted that adult attachment styles would correlate with burnout: that there would be a negative correlation between secure attachment style and burnout and a positive correlation between insecure attachment styles (avoidant or anxious/ambivalent) and burnout. A pilot study was conducted in a sample of Israeli MBA students (N=41), nearly all of whom were in full-time employment. A further four studies were then conducted on Hungarian social studies students (N=751), Israeli dialysis nurses (N=216) and national samples of Israeli Jews (N=511) and Arabs (N=505). These studies supported this hypothesis. Finally, a follow-up study involving Israeli students (N=160), who described the importance of various work features and their strategies for coping with burnout-causing situations, helps to explain the findings. These results have a theoretical and a practical implication: burnout research and intervention should include greater emphasis on personal factors in addition to contextual factors.     

On the graphical display of the significant components in two-way contingency tables

Graphical methods have been previously proposed for studying the cell contributions to the chi-square statistics in two-way contingency tables. Clustering techniques are suggested for analyzing the differences among the frequency distributions of either the columns or the rows of the contingency cables. Modifications are proposed to the other methods: first, varying widths of bars according to the expected cell counts, then the gannria probability plot of the individual chi-square terms.     

Alone together: Public and private dimensions of a Tel-Aviv cafe

An illustrative case is presented which analyzes the temporal, physical, social and cultural borders of a Tel-Aviv cafe. The paper shows how the boundaries of a social setting change so that a private space becomes public, and vice versa, and how people themselves can feel they are in a private and public space at the same time. The findings are examined in view of the sociological discussion of public and private spaces. The conclusions point to the dynamic and elastic nature of social places as expressed in the specific cultural context of Israeli society, which is characterized by a unique blend of aloneness and togetherness. Finally, the study is related to the current theoretical debate between the interactionist and the structuralist approaches to everyday life.We would like to thank our colleagues, in particular Haim Hazan and Eviatar Zerubavel, for their valuable comments on earlier versions of this paper. We are also indebted to our friends at Afarcemon—owners and customers—for their cooperation.