Lifestyle Options and Economic Strategies: Subsistence Activities in the Mississippi Delta1

Abstract "Subsistence" and "informal economy" are contrasted in their utility as sociological concepts and their ability to explain a variety of activities in two rural Mississippi Delta communities. Literature on subsistence stresses that the desired outcome of participation is not an increase in income but the social rewards of participation itself. Two underlying dimensions of participation in these activities are documented through the literature and through a confirmatory factor analysis of empirical data: life-style choice and economic strategy. These were constructed into indexes and examined individually and in combination as dependent variables using regressors at the community, household, and individual levels. Community ties were weakly associated with participation in such activities. Whites and those with higher incomes participated more in lifestyle choice oriented activities. Participation in general was statistically related to households needing less weekly income and being of larger size. Potential connections with persistent rural poverty are discussed.     

Public relations master's education deliverables: How practitioners and educators view strategic practice curriculum

A national sample of practitioners (PRSA members) and academics provided their perceptions of what graduate students of public relations should study (N = 463). Despite expectations of difference between practitioners and educators, they agreed that a master's program graduate should have knowledge of business and understand how globalization shapes public relations. Still, a master's of public relations program graduate should also write well, speak well, and have had some “capstone” experience.     

Reducing waiting times in the Italian NHS: The case of Emilia-Romagna

In 2015, the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government implemented a plan to reduce waiting times for elective outpatient procedures. The objective set by the regional government establishes that at least 90 per cent of specialist services are to be provided within the following maximum waiting times: 30 days for the first specialist consultation, and 60 days for diagnostic tests. The plan adopted by the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government is of particular interest because it encompasses a combined strategy. Some of the interventions envisaged in the plan aim at increasing the supply of specialist services. Others address the demand side, seeking to reduce inadequate requests and discourage no-shows by patients. And others focus on combining supply and demand and neutralizing the effects of some perverse incentives. The Emilia-Romagna plan appears to have had a successful outcome. In the first 4 years of implementation, the 90 per cent target has not only been achieved but also widely exceeded.     

Promises and Possibilities: The Application of Research in the Area of Child Maltreatment to Policies and Practices

In this closing commentary, we discuss the policy implications of research concerning child maltreatment. We describe the links between the topics reviewed in this special issue and interventions for child victims as well as the state of research concerning consequences of maltreatment more broadly. We further discuss the implications of current research for policy and practice. We close by describing important directions not only for future research, but also for interventions to reduce adverse effects of maltreatment on children. Throughout our commentary, we highlight limitations in the application of empirical findings to actual child victims and we offer concrete suggestions for ways of improving this applicability.     

Effects of wearing a pressure redistribution belt while lying in a hospital bed

Bedsores (ulcers) are caused by multiple factors which include, but are not limited to; pressure, shear force, friction, temperature, age and medication. Specialised support services, such as specialised mattresses, sheepskin coverings etc., are thought to decrease or relieve pressure, resulting in a lowering of pressure ulcer incidence [3]. The primary aim of this study was to compare the upper/central body pressure distribution between normal lying in a hospital bed versus the use of a pressure redistribution belt. The study involved 16 healthy voluntary subjects lying on a hospital bed with and without wearing the belt. Results showed that the use of a pressure redistribution belt results in reduced pressure peaks and prevents the pressure from increasing over time.     

Resilient food systems: a qualitative tool for measuring food resilience

This paper is dedicated to the topic of food resilience in the context of urban environments and aims at developing a qualitative tool for measuring it. The emphasis is laid on urban food security with a significant global relevance due to the interconnectedness of our urban and global food systems. We argue that food and agriculture have to be understood as integral components of contemporary urban and peri-urban landscapes as urban agriculture supports in many cases also ecosystems, biodiversity, urban ecology and urban landscape architecture. The topic is introduced through contemporary urban food system models and definitions followed by characteristics of a resilient urban food system, including consumer, producer, food processing, distribution and market resilience. Based on the review of food system models and assessment tools, a new food system model for resilience analysis has been developed. This is then applied to worked examples and further developed on the Christchurch case study, where the tool is applied to existing intra-urban and peri-urban landscape components of Christchurch, New Zealand.     

Maltreatment and Internal Representations of Relationships: Core Relationship Themes in the Narratives of Abused and Neglected Preschoolers

This study examined whether the predominance of particular themes in maltreated pre-schoolers' stories about relationships is related to type of maltreatment they experienced. The MacArthur Story Stem Battery was administered to 49 maltreated and 22 non-maltreated children. Children's representations of self and other were extracted from the resulting stories using the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme Method. Significant differences were found among the physically abused, sexually abused, neglected, and comparison subgroups with respect to the predominance of specific relationship themes in their stories. Both physically abused and neglected children represented the self as angry and opposing others more frequently than non-maltreated children. Neglected children represented others as hurt, sad, or anxious more frequently than both abused and non-maltreated children. Compared with all other children, sexually abused children represented others more frequently as liking them, and compared with physically abused children, expressed more frequent wishes to be close to others. This study supports the hypothesis that maltreated children's internal representations of relationships are related to their experiences of specific types of maltreatment.     

An ideal public relations master's curriculum: Expectations and status Quo

This study provides further endorsement for a cross-disciplinary graduate public relations curriculum based on in-depth interviews with leaders in industry and education and qualitative content analysis of university Web sites. It summarizes prior research studies that have tracked master's curricula since 1985 and concludes that although there is little curriculum consistency in place, there is more vision and expectation on the part of leaders in the field for an ideal public relations master's curriculum.