Work History Research Articles

Church and State relations in Lesotho: A historical review locating the voice of the church in Lesotho’s political and mainstream history

The year 2024 sees Lesotho celebrate 200 years since the formation of Basotho as a nation. In these 200 years, the church has played a significant role in nation building and development. This article explores and seeks to locate the voice and presence of the church both as an ecumenical body and as a prophetic voice within the tumultuous history of Lesotho’s politics with a specific timeframe from 1833-2002. A literature review of relevant academic articles as well as historical works is used to ensure that the accounts recorded are factually correct. The formation of Basotho in the 18th century is a direct result of violence and war in the form of Lifaqane. King Moshoeshoe I, founder of the Basotho nation believed that peace could be procured via the presence of missionaries, therefore denoting the establishment of the church as an important factor. Within Lesotho’s mainstream history, the role played by the church has often been referred to in passing. Common sayings like “Baruti ba Moshoeshoe (Moshoeshoe’s pastors/ministers), and Lesotho ke naha ea Bokresete (Lesotho is a Christian nation)” are often quoted, and yet the actual role that the church has played and continues to play in Lesotho’s history and development has been an after-thought. In light of this, this article locates the role that the church has played in different eras of Lesotho’s history. From the establishment of the 1 st church (Protestant Church) in Morija, to the formation of ecumenical bodies such as The Heads of the Churches and Church Council of Lesotho to the current emerging coalition democracies under the constitutional monarchy.

ELEMENTS OF ANCIENT BELIEFS IN BASHKIR MATERNITY RITUALS

The article deals with some customs and rituals associated with childbirth. The relevance of the conducted research is conditioned by the growing interest in the role of ethno-cultural values in modern society and increasing attention to the previously underexplored phenomena of everyday life. The study of folk customs, rituals and representations related to childbirth will contribute to the understanding of the deep layers of Bashkir spiritual culture. Maternity rituals represent an important aspect of Bashkir cultural tradition. It encompasses prenatal, as well as birth and postnatal rituals, which to this day play an important role in the formation of family and social ties. The aim of the study is to identify elements of ancient beliefs in the Bashkirs' maternity rituals. An integrated approach, involving the analysis of ethnographic, historical, philosophical and folklore scientific works, was applied to achieve this goal. The research was based on a wide range of published and unpublished sources. The research revealed that the Bashkirs' maternity ritual is based on the ancient beliefs and ideas of the Bashkirs about man, nature and the world as a whole. It includes elements of animism, totemism, fetishism and magic. Important aspects of ritualism are connected with the protection of the child and the woman in labor, as well as with the first 40 days and the first year of the child's life. The elements of ancient beliefs revealed in the course of the research are manifested in the belief in the existence of spirits and souls, totem, in the ancestor worship, and are connected with beliefs in the protective properties of certain objects of the material world. The Bashkirs' maternity rituals include components of apotropaic, procreative and sympathetic magic. The study made it possible to study more deeply the mythology, ancient religious beliefs and traditional culture of the Bashkirs, to trace the evolution of the Bashkirs' maternity ritual and their transformation in modern conditions, to reveal the general regularities of the development of ritual culture, as well as the specific features characterizing particular nations. The preserved actions of magical rituals connected with childbirth refers to their stability and ability to adapt to new changing conditions of life.

Atypical Presentation of Hypothenar Hammer Syndrome.

Hypothenar hammer syndrome (HHS) is a rare vascular disease caused by repetitive trauma to the hypothenar eminence, leading to thrombi and sometimes aneurysm development in the ulnar artery. This case report presents an atypical presentation of HHS with pathology extending distally into the digital arteries, complicated by an unclear history and unique genetic contributions. The patient, a 58-year-old male with a distant history of jackhammer work, presented with progressive pain in his fourth and fifth digits. CT angiography revealed patchy vascular lesions in the palmar arch. He developed another thrombi despite being treated initially with heparin. Genetic analysis revealed that he was heterozygous for Factor V Leiden with decreased protein C levels. Following surgical intervention, he recovered well. The author report a case of HHS in which medical management was superior to surgical treatment due to combined occupational and genetic predisposition for vascular pathology with findings extending beyond the ulnar artery.

Life outcomes in adults living with FASD in a rural South African community: A follow-up study.

Even though adults with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are at risk of negative life outcomes, there is no published evidence of this in South Africa, which has the highest estimated FASD prevalence rate globally. The purpose of the study was to describe and compare the life outcomes of adults with FASD and adults without FASD in a South African rural community, 16 years after diagnosis. Participants were examined and interviewed regarding their biographical information, knowledge of FASD, information on their family, relationships, home circumstances, education, work and medical history. Adults with FASD were less likely to be in a relationship and more likely to have poor educational outcomes and to be exposed to violence as victim or perpetrator than their peers who did not have FASD. None of the participants with FASD completed secondary school successfully. No differences were found for independent living, employment, health, substance use and legal outcomes, between the foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or partial foetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS) and control group. While significant differences existed in certain aspects, differences are not as stark as one would expect between individuals with FASD and controls. This study highlights the importance of considering the social context in which a FASD diagnosis is made. The comparative negative impact of an FASD diagnosis and the associated challenges on life outcomes may be less pronounced in rural communities where everyone has fewer opportunities and resources. This can also make the unique needs of persons with disabilities less visible.

Japanese spotted fever in an area endemic to SFTS virus: Case report and review of the literature.

The geographic spread of Japanese spotted fever (JSF) in China is gradually expanding, particularly in regions where severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is highly prevalent, with both diseases sharing similarities in epidemiology and clinical presentation. The microbiological diagnosis of JSF is challenging, compounded by low awareness among healthcare professionals in newly affected areas. Moreover, primary healthcare facilities without polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing capabilities for SFTS often misdiagnose JSF as SFTS. All 3 patients had a history of working in the fields, with cold like symptoms in the early fever stages, but the fever did not improve after a few days. The accompanying symptoms were also very different. Physical examination revealed enlarged lymph nodes, different forms of rash, with or without eschar. Laboratory tests showed thrombocytopenia, eosinophilia, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, and transaminase, with 1 patient experiencing renal damage. It is worth noting that these 3 patients reside in an area where SFTS is endemic, and there have been no prior reports of JSF. They exhibited clinical symptoms and laboratory test results closely resembling those of SFTS. Therefore, they were initially misdiagnosed with SFTS in their local hospitals. The 3 patients who arrived at our hospital 7 days after symptom onset and were subsequently diagnosed with JSF by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). Doxycycline treatment for 1 week. The patients' symptoms quickly improved with no side effects, and the results of laboratory tests went back to normal. By comparing the clinical characteristics of JSF patients and SFTS patients comprehensively, we found that APTT and procalcitonin levels may be valuable in assisting in the identification of SFTS and JSF. In all areas where tick-borne diseases are endemic, include SFTS-epidemic areas, we recommend using the Weil-Felix test to screen for potential rickettsiosis in patients presenting with fever and thrombocytopenia with or without rash in primary healthcare settings, as well as simultaneous testing for the SFTS virus and spotted fever group rickettsioses sequence. Additionally, mNGS sequencing should be used to confirm the diagnosis and provide information for epidemiological investigations in patients who are suspected of having spotted fever group rickettsiosis.

Pandemic Times and Health Care Exclusion: Attitudes Toward Health Care Exclusion of Undocumented Immigrants.

Most of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States are excluded from government healthcare programs. Yet, healthcare inequities pose significant dangers to all members of society during a pandemic. This project explores to what extent undocumented immigrants, in the context of a pandemic, can be seen as deserving of access to government healthcare programs. The first survey experiment explores whether work ethic can affect perceptions of undocumented immigrants as deserving of government healthcare programs. The second survey experiment tests to what extent appeals to fairness and self-interest, during a pandemic, shape healthcare deservingness attitudes. The results show that respondents view undocumented immigrants as less deserving of healthcare than citizens, even when undocumented immigrants have a solid work history. The second survey experiment, however, shows that appeals to fairness and self-interest trigger substantial increases in support for undocumented immigrants, both among Republicans and Democrats. The results suggest that while undocumented immigrants are seen as less deserving of access, appeals to fairness and self-interest can trigger increased support.

Decades of monitoring plastic pollution in seabirds in Canada: Spatial, temporal, and methodological insights

Plastic ingestion by seabirds is an increasing issue worldwide, yet species can vary in ingestion based on ecological and morphological differences. This provokes the ecological question of which species are better suited to monitor plastic ingestion across regions and time. In Canada, we examined plastic ingestion in sympatric northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis), black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia), and black guillemots (Cepphus grylle). Here, we present new data and compare to historical work to inform plastic pollution monitoring in Canada. In 2021, 51 % of fulmars, 7 % of kittiwakes and 7 % of murres contained plastic, whereas guillemots had no pieces >1 mm. Regardless of the methods used to collect and process samples, fulmars continue to have low levels of ingestion compared to the European Arctic, but high levels compared to other species in the Canadian Arctic, emphasizing their continued utility as a monitoring tool for plastic pollution in Canada.

ASTM International Subcommittee E07.02 on Reference Radiological Images: A brief history and update of recent work

Radiographic interpretation is a combination of art and science. The radiograph interpreter must be well versed in x-ray physics, conditions of the exposure, characteristics of the source and image detector, the design of the part, its specifications, and potential flaws. But there is also an art to interpretation that is gained over years of looking at many radiographs taken in many different conditions. As an aid to interpretation, reference radiographs have been developed and well accepted as means of identifying different types of indications and grading those indications for accept/reject decisions. Industrial radiography began in 1922 under the direction of HH Lester at the US Army Watertown Arsenal. The first radiography standards and reference radiographs appeared in the 1930s. ASTM International Committee E07 on Nondestructive Testing was formed out of Committee E04 on Metallography X-ray Methods subcommittee in 1938 when ASTM was the American Society for Testing Materials. An ASTM Subcommittee on Reference Radiographs was formed in 1950 and immediately adopted some of these first reference films as consensus standards. Since those first reference radiograph standards ASTM has developed both film and digital radiograph standards for 11 types of castings and 3 types of welds, several radiographic parameter demonstration films, a standard film for measuring film digitization performance, and films for evaluating visual acuity of radiograph interpreters. This paper discusses the history of reference films and the recent development of digital reference images, film digitizer performance film, and the visual acuity standard. The just-approved ASTM E3168 Standard Practice for Determining Low-Contrast Visual Acuity of Radiographic Interpreters is the first standard containing actual radiographic images of varying sharpness, contrast, and noise that can be used to evaluate interpreters and/or interpretation environments. This paper documents the initial statistical study performed on the visual acuity standard films.

Prisoner Health and Well-Being in Historical Perspective, 1850–1900: Exploring Experiences of Illness and Disability in the Victorian Convict System

Using historical and archival methodological approaches, this article provides an interdisciplinary empirical study of health experiences of prisoners in the Victorian convict prison in England and Wales. It explores the challenges of doing historical criminological work on prisoner health and disability. The article examines the health of long-term prisoners, those serving sentences of penal servitude and their interactions and treatment by the Prison Medical Officers in the system. Reflecting society outside, the prison population was drawn from populations that had experienced childhood illness, workplace accidents and war and therefore had to accommodate those suffering from both short- and long-term health issues. Using historical documentation and case studies of individual prisoners, this article highlights not only the deep scepticism the system had for those they saw as ‘malingerers’, but also the recognition that some people could not endure the full force of the prison labour regime.

Resisting racial police warfare through radical history

This piece foregrounds the critical role of historical knowledge in animating and determining contemporary strategies to resist institutional racism and militarised policing. Modern (neo)liberal myths about the post-racial and non-martial character of policing in Britain rely heavily on historical erasure. This is evidenced by recent policy‐based drives to enforce ‘impartiality’ and ‘inclusion’ when teaching history in schools. A resulting politics of forgetting renders invisible the routinised and normalised status of racially determined forms of militarised policing, thus enabling contemporary expression of racial police warfare to be downplayed as exceptional, marginal and aberrational. Southall Resists 40 (SR40), a community-led project in Southall, West London, challenged such forgetting by publicly narrating Southall’s history of racism and resistance in a way that showed how it speaks to the now. The historical work of SR40 unsettles hegemonic myths about the police as an ‘impartial service’.

Retirement preparedness: A study of gender, marital status, and motivation factors by using a theory of planned behavior model

Although working men and women share common retirement concerns, women encounter unique challenges in securing their retirement. These challenges arise from factors such as part-time work, intermittent work histories, and potential wealth disparities. Marital status also exerts a profound influence on retirement decisions. Marital status significantly impacts their financial security as they approach retirement. This study investigates the intricate relationship between gender, marital status, and theory of planned behavior factors that influence retirement planning among older adults. Utilizing data from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and RAND, the research analyzed 2,657 participants aged 50 to 62, all of whom reported full or part-time employment. Also, the research leveraged the theory of planned behavior to examine motivational factors affecting retirement planning. The study’s findings highlight the significant association of gender with expected retirement timing, revealing that married women typically anticipate retiring earlier than both unmarried women and men. In addition, older adults who secure retirement resources tend to retire earlier. It is important to develop tailored policies and initiatives to address the specific retirement challenges women face. It is imperative to develop retirement support systems that consider the gender, marital statuses, and retirement resources of older adults, and to give special attention to those who are vulnerable. This study provides valuable insights into the intricate interplay of gender, marital status, retirement motivation factors and retirement planning among older adults.

Loneliness Trajectories and Chronic Loneliness Around the World.

We examine cross-national variation in (a) loneliness trajectories and (b) the association between common social risk factors and chronic loneliness in middle and older adulthood. Using longitudinal data, we assess the country-level prevalence of loneliness trajectories (chronic, transitory, and no loneliness) and the extent of common social risk factors for loneliness (living alone, widowhood, divorce, no grandchildren, having chronic conditions, and never working) among adults 50 and older in 20 countries covering 47% of the global population in this age bracket. Additionally, we compare how the associations between social risk factors and chronic loneliness vary across countries. We find considerable variation in the prevalence of chronic loneliness cross-nationally, ranging between 4% (Denmark) and 15% (Greece) of adults 50 and older. Living arrangements have the most consistent association with the likelihood of chronic loneliness across countries, with those ever living alone having an 8% higher likelihood of chronic loneliness on average across countries, with a range of 2%-25%. Additionally, those who never report working and those with chronic conditions have a higher likelihood of chronic loneliness across more than a third of the countries. These results suggest that policies and interventions targeted to middle age and older adults living alone and with limited work histories or with chronic conditions are critical in reducing the public health challenges of chronic loneliness.

Emotion regulation reduces victim blaming of vulnerable sex trafficking survivors.

This research applied emotion regulation to negative emotions felt toward a sex trafficking victim so that judgments were made to offer her services rather than to favor her arrest for prostitution. We predicted that participants would favor police not arresting a trafficking survivor for prostitution when she was vulnerable (Hypothesis 1) or she showed no sex work history (Hypothesis 2). We predicted a moderated mediation model (Hypothesis 3), in which emotion regulation training to reduce feelings of contempt, anger, and disgust (CAD) toward the survivor interacted with vulnerability and prior sex work such that the effects of the latter two manipulations were the strongest in the successful emotion regulation conditions (i.e., cognitive reappraisal and cognitive reappraisal with motivation), with CAD emotions mediating those relationships. Participants (N = 421, 54% women, Mage = 42.63 years, 75% White) read a modified version of a sex trafficking case and decided whether the police should arrest the survivor for prostitution. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of 16 conditions in a 4 (emotion regulation: control vs. cognitive reappraisal vs. motivation vs. cognitive reappraisal plus motivation) × 2 (vulnerability: vulnerable background vs. nonvulnerable background) × 2 (prior prostitution history: engaged in prostitution before the trafficking incident vs. not engaged in prostitution before the incident) factorial design. Participants with cognitive reappraisal training, but not controls, who read about a vulnerable survivor were less likely to favor arrest. Moreover, those who trained with cognitive reappraisal plus motivation to decrease their CAD emotions, compared with the controls, showed weaker CAD feelings toward the vulnerable survivor, which in turn predicted a lower probability of favoring arrest. Reducing CAD emotions through emotion regulation supported the impact of emotions on culpability judgments and showed how emotion regulation can be used to support a victim-centered approach to fighting sex trafficking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Almost Happiness, But Not Quite: Reluctant Rule by Law and Thai Legal History in Seni Pramoj’s Legal Autobiography

This article engages with Thongchai Winichakul’s intellectual history of “Rule by Law” by using Greta Olson’s law and affect approach as a departure from the traditional field of law and literature, which focuses solely on discursive practices. It foregrounds the non-cathartic affect of reluctance, a less canonized emotion in Seni Pramoj’s autobiography as a meta-feeling that underpins all emotions such as pride, happiness, and shame in the meta-narrative of conservative Thai legal history. Introducing the concept of “Reluctant Rule by Law” and applying Sianne Ngai’s concept of ugly feelings, Lorianne York’s notion of reluctant celebrity, and postcolonial studies as a main framework, this article argues that Seni’s Janus-faced characteristic, navigating between Western legal modernity and Thai tradition, infused a reluctant tone into his historical works. This autobiographical reluctance reveals how the conservative Thai jurist upheld royalist nationalism while addressing semi-colonial ambiguities, perpetuating a semi-colonial reluctance that shapes the meta-narrative of conservative Thai legal history and constitutionalism based on royalist nationalism.

The Influence of African Heritage on Afro-American Literary Expression

This research paper explores the profound influence of African heritage on Afro-American literary expression. It begins by examining the historical context, emphasizing the impact of the transatlantic slave trade and early Afro-American literature's retention of African cultural elements. The Harlem Renaissance is highlighted as a pivotal moment that celebrated African roots and set the stage for future literary developments. Central themes derived from African heritage, such as resistance, resilience, and connection to ancestry, are analyzed, illustrating their prominence in both historical and contemporary works. The paper deal with storytelling techniques and narrative structures influenced by African oral traditions, folktales, and myths, highlighting how these elements enrich Afro-American literature. The use of rhythmic language, communal narration, and the call- and-response pattern are discussed as significant aspects that enhance narrative depth and cultural authenticity. The integration of African symbols, music, and communal values as cultural motifs is explored, showcasing how these elements infuse literary works with layers of meaning and cultural resonance. The reclamation of African identity is a key focus, with discussions on Afrocentric perspectives in modern literature, the impact of the Black Arts Movement, and contemporary literary movements. The challenges and opportunities of navigating dual heritage and cultural hybridity are addressed, emphasizing the complexities of identity formation and cultural expression.

OGAHIYNING “RIYOZU-D-DAVLA” ASARIDA SHER MA’NOLI SOʻZLAR LINGVOPOETIKASI

This article provides an overview of the historical works of Ogahi, in particular the role of zoonyms in the creation of the artistic representation in “Riyozu-d-davla”, the expression and use of words with the meaning of lion in different languages in the work, and the poetic means created with the help of these words.

Further revisions to the Palaearctic Andrena fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)

Andrena is the second largest genus of bees, with around 1,700 species known globally following recent revisions (e.g. Wood & Monfared 2022; Pisanty et al. 2022a; Wood 2023a; b; c; d). The genus is relatively young at approximately 25 million years old, and is known for its explosive radiation as one of if not the most rapidly speciating bee lineages (Bossert et al. 2022; Pisanty et al. 2022b). This rapid rate of speciation combined with a preference for Mediterranean and xeric environments means that a large number of Andrena species remain undetected and undescribed, most clearly in difficult-to-access parts of the Middle East and Central Asia. The genus has a long history of study, particularly in the West Palaearctic (Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002), and there are consequently a large number of original works describing taxa from across the Old World (e.g. Christ 1791; Panzer 1799; Erichson 1835; Smith 1853; Dours 1873; Morawitz 1876; Schmiedeknecht 1882–1884; Radoszkowski 1891; Nurse 1904; Cameron 1908; Friese 1914; Perkins 1914; Cockerell 1917; Strand 1921; Stöckhert 1935; Noskiewicz 1939; Warncke 1965; Osytshnjuk 1995; Xu et al. 2000; Grünwaldt et al. 2005; Tadauchi et al. 2005). Though workers often corresponded, the huge diversity of species and the often subtle characters separating them means that many taxa are synonymous or present other nomenclatural challenges, but this still remains to be established for many taxa despite historical and contemporary revisionary works (e.g. Warncke 1967; Tadauchi & Xu 1999; 2003; Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002; Xu et al. 2000; Xu & Tadauchi 2002; 2005; 2009; 2012; Gusenleitner et al. 2005; Pisanty et al. 2018; Astafurova et al. 2022a; 2023; Praz et al. 2022; Wood & Monfared 2022; Wood 2023a; b; c). Against this context, revisionary works on Old World Andrena must balance i) the long history of species description and subsequent use, often with unclear or inconsistent species concepts; ii) the rapid speciation rate of Andrena combined with their often sporadic appearance and highly local distributions leading to enormous species diversity, and iii) the ongoing and incomplete treatment of older names, some of which have not been revised due to inability to locate types or inability to visit specific collections. The present work represents an additional contribution to this ongoing work through resolving existing nomenclatural problems and describing or elevating distinct Old World Andrena species.

A Review of Digital Pathology and AI Applications for Urine Cytology

The aims of this article are to review the historical perspective, current utilization, challenges, and ongoing research in digital pathology and artificial intelligence (AI) applications for urine cytology. A combination of expert opinions as well as current published literature were used to find all relevant information. The expert opinions are mostly based on the author’s research and professional experience as a practicing and board-certified cytopathologist and clinical informaticist. The Curation of literature is based on searchable publications available through Google Scholar and PubMed. The findings revealed relevant historical work as well as how the diversity of cytopathology practice can create significant challenges moving forward with digital pathology and AI. Twenty-six relevant peer reviewed publications collaborated historical and ongoing research efforts in both academic and commercial arenas. The ongoing research and commercial efforts will advance the applications of digital pathology and AI for urine cytology despite many challenges

Predictors of return to work in people with major depression: Results from a supported employment program in Germany

BackgroundDepression is a common mental disorder and is associated with work disability. For the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for people with depression in Germany, the aim of this study was to investigate client variables that predict return to work. MethodsThe sample consisted of 129 participants, initially treated in a psychiatric hospital due to major depression, who participated in IPS as part of a German clinical trial. Baseline demographic (age, sex, education, sickness absence days, employment status), psychiatric (symptom severity, comorbidity, general physical and mental health, disability), and neuropsychological (self-rated deficits, test performance) variables were included. Return to work within one year was predicted using separate and overall binary logistic regression analyses. ResultsA total of 70 participants (56 %) returned to work within the one-year follow-up period. >100 days of sick leave in the year prior to study entry (vs. <100 days) and higher self-rated cognitive deficits were significantly associated with reduced odds of return to work within one year of IPS. LimitationsThe sample consisted of participants with a relatively good work history who were assigned to IPS by the treatment team, thus, the generalizability of the results is limited. ConclusionsPeople with depression who participate in IPS interventions might benefit from specifically targeting perceived cognitive deficits. Factors associated with prolonged sick leave due to depression and their role in return to work with IPS need further investigation.

Northern mexican cinema. A historical perspective

Over time, the relationship between film and history has evolved to be mutually considered an indispensable tool in their respective disciplines. This essay focuses on exploring these connections and analyzing how contemporary northern Mexican cinema has employed historical tools and resources to understand and reflect upon the region's development. This environment possesses unique characteristics that have been addressed both explicitly in historical works and implicitly in films that contemplate memory and the passage of time. The foundation of this proposal is a directory of contemporary works of northern Mexican cinema. It has allowed for the examination of various perspectives in film proposals spanning from 2006 to 2022, with the historical approach being one of the highlighted aspects.