bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role Ambiguity in Family Caregiving
Authors: Usita Paula M. , Hall Scott S. , Davis Jonathan C.
Published: April 2004

Role ambiguity occurs when specifications for expected roles are incomplete. The dyadic relationship of primary and secondary caregivers, the dyadic relationship of each caregiver and the care recipient, life stage of caregivers, changes in the caregiving conditions, and the work of caregiving are among the factors that may affect caregiver role ambiguity. A primary caregiver and a secondary caregiver to a family member who had experienced a heart attack were interviewed formally and informally about family caregiving over a period of 10 months. Thematic analysis revealed caregivers held inconsistent expectations about the secondary caregiver’s support to the primary caregiver, caregivers held inconsistent beliefs about the independence level of the care recipient, and role ambiguity was heightened during the times that the care recipient’s health condition changed and the primary caregiver’s other role responsibilities were more demanding. The utility of the role ambiguity concept in studies of family caregiving is discussed.
Issues in Hospice Utilization by Mexicans
Authors: Gelfand Donald E. , Balcazar Hector , Parzuchowski Jeanne , Lenox Susana
Published: April 2004

The research examines the limited use of hospice programs byMexicans—the largest Latino population in the United States. Factors in the use of hospice services, the role of hospice staff in the provision of services, and the most effective means of communicating information and promoting hospice use among Mexicans were examined. Focus groups stratified by two age cohorts and length of residence in the United States were held with Mexicans in Arizona and Michigan. Eight groups were held with community residents and two groups with providers of services to theMexican community. Factors inhibiting use of hospice services by Mexicans include knowledge of hospice programs, fear of discrimination by agencies, possible cost of hospice services, and language issues. Factors encouraging hospice usage were also cited. Hospice staff needs to understandMexican culture, provide good care, and encourage the patient. A number of approaches to promoting hospice use, dispelling myths about hospices, and providing information about hospices were suggested. Structural factors as well as attitudes are thus crucial in determining hospice usage by this important group.
Psychotropic Drug Use in a Nursing Home: A 6-Year Retrospective
Authors: Taylor Leslie F. , Whittington Frank , Strasser Dale C. , Miller Susan W. , Hennessy Catherine Hagan , Archea Connie
Published: April 2004

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) was a public policy initiative intended to improve nursing home residents’quality of life by providing strict guidelines for the prescription of psychotropic drugs (PD) and physical restraints. This study documents and explains the use of PDs in one nursing home at three points in time: well before (1988), immediately before (1990), and well after (1994) OBRA implementation. In 1994, 64.5% of residents in the nursing home had prescriptions for PDs compared with 71% in 1988 and 1990, but those with a PD prescription had more than one (mean = 2.19). After OBRA implementation, antipsychotic and antidepressant use was higher than at earlier data collection points, whereas anti-anxiety medication prescription was at its lowest. In addition, diagnoses of depression and cognitive impairment had increased dramatically by 1994. Explanations for these findings are provided, including possible aging of residents, change in staffing levels, caregiver anomie, the impact of another legislative bill, and the introduction of the minimum data set.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Case Management Project for the Community-Dwelling Frail Elderly in Hong Kong
Authors: Leung Antony Chi-tat , Liu Chi-pun , Chow Nelson Wing-sun , Chi Iris
Published: April 2004

This randomized, controlled trial evaluates the cost-benefit of a case management project for older persons in HongKong. Case managers provided integrated care to participants in an intervention group while participants in a control group received conventional care only. Minimum Data Set–Home Care was used to assess health conditions, and hospital admissions were used as the basis to calculate health care costs. After the intervention, hospital admissions were reduced by 36.8% in the intervention group (p = .01) and 20.4% in the control group. The total number of acute hospital bed-days decreased by 53.1% in the intervention group (p < .05), compared to 4.4% in the control group. Compared with the control group, U.S.$170,448 was saved in acute hospital care and community health services in the intervention group. Well-planned case management interventions reduced hospital admissions and the length of stay in hospitals with corresponding savings in total health care costs.
Who is Being Served? Program Eligibility and Home- and Community-Based Services Use
Authors: Borrayo Evelinn A. , Salmon Jennifer R. , Polivka Larry , Dunlop Burton D.
Published: April 2004

Functional and economic eligibility criteria for publicly funded programs are causal factors in the use of home- and community-based services (HCBS). Thus, the study’s overall hypothesis was that the main program eligibility criteria would determine the particular characteristics of consumers in three of Florida’s HCBS programs: Aged and Disabled Adult Medicaid Waiver (ADW), Community Care for the Elderly, and Home Care for the Elderly (HCE). Data on 464 consumers who were 60 years and older and receiving services in one of the three programs support the overall hypothesis but revealed important exceptions. The ADW program is not serving a more functionally impaired population than the other programs. The HCE program is serving elders who are more cognitively impaired. Consumer-directed long-term care programs like HCE have the potential to better serve frail older adults and their caregivers if more public funding is allocated and other policy modifications are made nationwide.
Civil Service Reform in Florida State Government
Authors: Bowman James S. , Gertz Marc G. , Gertz Sally C. , Williams Russell L.
Published: April 2004

Emerging as a “megastate” during the last generation, Florida now rivals California as a national trendsetter in popular culture and political importance. In 2001, it passed a civil service reform law known as Service First. Although government reform has been on the agenda in a number of states, seldom has it been as sweeping as Florida’s initiative abolishing job tenure for 16,300 career employees. This study reports the poll findings from employees recently transferred from the state’s tenured Career Service to unprotected Selected Exempt Service. The analysis provides background information, discusses the study methodology, presents the survey results, and examines implications for the future by reporting interview data from a variety of political actors.
The Determinants of State Employee Compensation
Authors: Kearney Richard C.
Published: April 2004

Benefits are growing in importance for state employees and capturing an increasing proportion of the total compensation package. This investigation attempts to identify factors that account for variations across the states in individual and family health insurance contributions, pension benefits, paid leave, child and elderly care, and average salary. State employee union density was found to be the most consistent and important determinant of compensation. Cost of living was also predictive of some compensation factors. These findings contribute insights into an important and underresearched area of human resource management, but improved comparativemeasures of benefits are needed to aid future research.
Commentary
Authors: Mankin Lawrence D. , Perry Ronald W.
Published: April 2004

“September 11, 2001, changed the world” has been repeated many times. The U.S. government, too, has changed immensely and will continue to evolve a security conscience and response capacity for years to come. This article addresses the situation from the standpoint of human resource management. We use public opinion poll data to document the changing opinions of individuals and changes in the environment in which public organizations operate. The literature on human response to natural and technological disasters is reviewed to glean information on how people respond to extreme levels of stress. This information is systematized and extrapolated to arrive at a series of behaviors that can be reasonably expected from employees exposed to terrorist incidents. Finally, the discussion closes with an examination of the Employee Assistance Program as locus of expertise for mitigating problematic employee reactions to terrorist incidents.
Mathematical Model of Smoldering Combustion in a Carbonaceous Porous Medium Part 1 – Development of Pyrolysis and Combustion Models for a Cylindrical Geometry
Authors: Yi Sung-Chul , Song Eun-Seok , Hajaligol Mohammad R.
Published: April 2004

In Part 1 of this two-part paper on the development of pyrolysis and combustion models for a carbonaceous porous medium, the methodology for elucidating the smoldering mechanism in a carbonaceous porous medium is described. The smoldering process was segregated into two major reaction zones – a pyrolysis zone and a combustion zone. Two independent models for a cylindrical geometry were developed: a steady-state two-dimensional model for the pyrolysis zone resulting in char formation, and a steady-state two-dimensional model for the combustion zone, i.e., char oxidation. The interface temperature between the two zones is defined as the temperature at which the pyrolysis is complete or the residual char ignites, which can be determined experimentally. In order to analyze the mechanism of smoldering combustion, the heat flux required for the smoldering to proceed in the pyrolysis zone (Qreq) and the heat flux (Qsup) fed from the combustion zone into the pyrolysis zone were obtained from the models developed for any linear burn rate (LBR). Like temperature, these heat fluxes must be balanced at the interface between the two zones. The LBR corresponding to the intersect of Qreq and Qsup can be used to determine the LBR, temperature and density profiles of the smoldering combustion of a cylindrical geometry.
Current Practice and Recent Commercial Developments in Flame Retardancy of Polyamides
Authors: Weil Edward D. , Levchik Sergei
Published: April 2004

This review presents the currently used or promising flame retardant systems for the aliphatic polyamides. The largest applications are in electrical parts, with smaller usage in automotive and textiles. A polycyclic chlorohydrocarbon, DECHLORANE PLUS, is employed in low smoke formulations. Decabromodiphenyl ether has major use in polyamide 6. Alternative brominated additives include decabromodiphenylethane, polybrominated phenylindane, polymeric dibromophenylene oxide, polybrominated polystyrene and oligomeric glycidyl ethers of tetrabromobisphenol A, and polypentabromobenzyl acrylate. In non-reinforced polyamide 6, melamine cyanurate is effective. With glass reinforcements, some melamine pyro-or polyphosphates are useful. Polyamide 6 can be flame retarded with high loadings of magnesium hydroxide. Stabilized and coated red phosphorus is used in Europe and the Far East. A recent development is the use of aluminum dialkylphosphinate. In textile fiber, there has been some development of a built-in phosphinate. Polyamide fabric can be flame retarded with a thioureaformaldehyde resin finish.
Directory of Recent Testing Methods for the Propensity of Coal to Spontaneous Combustion
Authors: Zhou Fubao , Wang Deming
Published: April 2004

The previous 5–7 years have seen a significant revival of interest in laboratory-scale methods of assessing coals and carbons for propensity to spontaneous heating. Different methods are used in different countries to test the propensity of local coals to self-heat. This note comprises a compilation, for subsequent use by readers as a ‘first-stage reference’, of the state-of-the art in coal self-heating testing in countries including Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA, and Germany. This exercise has been part of a re-evaluation of the situation in this regard in the People’s Republic of China and of the possible adoption thereof one of the procedures in the compilation.
Planning and Urban Rivalry in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1930s
Authors: Rodriguez Joseph A.
Published: April 2004

Urban scholars have posited a shift in city planning from the city-beautiful ideals of the 1890s to the city-functional goals of the 1920s. In San Francisco, elite fears that the Bay Bridge would lead to the exodus of residents and businesses to Oakland and the East Bay spurred new planning proposals in the 1930s. However, conventional planning efforts that focused on improving transit efficiency failed to generate much public support. Instead, merchants and other elites demanded that planning be used to create a cityscape of fantasies that would distinguish San Francisco from its rivals. The planning of new fairs and festivals re-created the city’s history and drew public support for other planning efforts aimed at attracting tourists. As a result, the creation of fantasies became a mainstay of planning in San Francisco and throughout the nation.
Localizing a Global Discipline
Authors: van Horen Basil , Leaf Michael , Pinnawala Sisira
Published: April 2004

In order to be relevant and useful in a fragmented developing country context, community and regional planning needs to shift away from the use of rigid tools to more flexible, adaptive approaches. An international review of planning curricula indicated a widespread consensus with respect to key competencies required of planners. This understanding was used in the development of new teaching programs at three Sri Lankan universities. Complementing the technical core knowledge areas, strong emphases on problem structuring, critical and strategic thinking, and the understanding of the political and institutional contexts appear to be crucial to making the agenda of “planning for sustainable development” more than a fashionable cliché. In order for these core areas to have relevance in a developing country context, however, planning curricula need to achieve a balance between local priorities and a “global” perspective.
Wit, Style, and Substance
Authors: Carp Jana
Published: April 2004

This article compares the participatory methods and attitudes of four very different planners for whom public participation is central to practice. The comparison is based on Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space and so emphasizes the decisiveness of material outcomes in gauging the depth and effectiveness of participatory processes. The featured planners are public art experts, which lends the study an air of freedom of expression while remaining well within the planning realms of central area enhancement, community development, and professional commitment to realizing the public interest.
Is History Repeating Itself?
Authors: Zhang Yan , Fang Ke
Published: April 2004

This study compares urban renewal in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s with inner-city redevelopment in China since the late 1980s. It finds that both programs use government authority and subsidies to make large-scale private or quasi-private investment attractive in the name of ameliorating living conditions. Cautiously applying Logan and Molotch’s “growth coalition” concept to China, the authors assert that a “growth machine” has formed during China’s economic decentralization processes. Despite the similarities, America’s urban renewal was an ill-fated federal program in which the local government and downtown business interests cooperated to boost declining inner-cities that were competing with burgeoning suburbs. In contrast, China’s redevelopment has been propelled by emerging local elites using decentralized state power to pursue fast growth in rising real estate markets. Greater insights into urban redevelopment can be gleaned through this comparative analysis.
Optimized Synthesis and Characterization of N-Triethyl Chitosan
Authors: Avadi M. R. , Zohuriaan-Mehr M. J. , Younessi P. , Amini M. , Tehrani M. Rafiee , Shafiee A.
Published: April 2004

Chitosan exhibits poor solubility at pH values above 6 which prevents its enhancing effects at drugs absorption of sites. In the present work, N-triethylated chitosan (TEC) was prepared based on a modified one-step process via a 22 factorial design to optimize the preparative conditions. TEC polymer with different degree of quaternization for pharmacological and pharmaceutical experiments was achieved. Ethyl iodide and sodium hydroxide concentrations were chosen as independent variables. The degree of deacetylation of the starting chitosan was predetermined by pH-metric titration, infrared, and NMR methods. TEC chloride was fully characterized using FTIR and 1H-NMR spectroscopies. Based on NMR calculations, a high degree of quaternization was achieved through the optimized one-step process. These highly N-triethylated chitosan chlorides were soluble in water at room temperature.
Preparation and Characterization of Collagen/Chitosan Matrices As Potential Biomaterials
Authors: Wang X. H. , Cui F. Z. , Feng Q. L. , Li J. C. , Zhang Y. H.
Published: April 2004

Chitosan was covalently coupled to type I collagen by using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide in morpholinoethane sulfonic acid buffer. The physico-chemical characteristics of the collagen/chitosan matrices (CCM) were evaluated by electron spectroscopy and tensile mechanical strength. The platelet deposition and endothelial cell culture experiments showed that the CCM have good cell compatibility and excellent blood compatibility. The results suggest that the CCM creates an appropriate environment for the regeneration of endothelial cells and are promising candidates as biomaterials for the tissue regeneration scaffolds.
A Convenient Method for the Synthesis of (S)-Dolichol and (S)-Nordolichol
Authors: Bizzarri Ranieri , Cerbai Enedetta , Solaro Roberto , Chiellini Emo
Published: April 2004

A procedure for the preparation of (S)-dolichol and (S)-nor-dolichol starting from the polyprenyl fraction extracted from Gingko Biloba integer or extracted leaves is described. Two chiral isoprenoid compounds in good yields and high degree of enantiomeric excess were obtained. The (S)-nordolichol appears to be a good chiral precursor for the preparation of 14C-labeled (S)-dolichol which is to be used in investigations aimed at gaining further information with respect to the role of dolichol in the function of living cells.
Mitomycin-C-Loaded Alginate Carriers for Bladder Cancer Chemotherapy
Authors: Denkbas Emýr Baký , ÖZdemýr Nalan , Ö ztürk Eylem , Eroglu Muzaffer , Acar Abuzer
Published: April 2004

In this study Mitomycin-C-loaded alginate carriers were prepared as an alternative system in the postoperative chemotherapy in bladder cancer. Alginate was preferred because of its constructive properties and it was prepared in a cylindrical shape to facilitate the insertion of the carrier for in vivo studies. The alginate carriers were prepared as calcium alginate gel as well as crosslinking agents. In the preparation of the alginate carriers, precipitation medium concentration, cross-linker concentration, and Mitomycin-C/alginate ratio were changed to obtain drug attachment to the inner wall of bladder and/or optimum release rate of the agent. Due to the hydrogel structure of the alginate, the swelling behavior of the polymer was evaluated by gravimetric determinations in aqueous media periodically. Swelling ratios of the alginate carriers were changed from 30 to 65% based on precipitation medium, cross-linker concentration, and swelling medium pH. For prediction of the bioadhesion of the alginate carriers to the inner surface of bladder, in vitro bioadhesion tests were performed by using fresh bladders which were taken from New Zealand rabbits. It was observed that the in vitro Mitomycin-C release and bioadhesion values were significantly changed with changing swelling ratios.
Semi-interpenetrating Polymer Network Superporous Hydrogels Based on Poly(3-Sulfopropyl Acrylate, Potassium Salt) and Poly(Vinyl Alcohol): Synthesis and Characterization
Authors: Yang Shicheng , Park Kinam , Rocca Jose G.
Published: April 2004

Semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) superporous hydrogels (SPHs) based on poly(3-sulfopropyl acrylate, potassium salt) (PSPA) and linear polymers were synthesized using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) or N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) as a crosslinker. The swelling ratio of SPHs was determined by measuring the weight of absorbed water; and the mechanical strength of swollen SPHs was evaluated using texture analyzer. Taguchi orthogonal experimental design [L9(34)] was used to evaluate the influence of four factors, consisting of the ratios of 3-sulfopropyl acrylate (SPA) to PEGDA, to initiator, and to acrylic acid (AAc), and acidification of PSPASPHs, with each containing three levels on the swelling ratio and mechanical strength of semi-IPN PSPA-SPHs. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the experimental design results was carried out using a SAS program. The structure of SPHs was examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Among the polymers evaluated, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was the best linear polymer to improve the mechanical strength of swollen SPHs. ANOVA indicated that the ratio of SPA to PEGDA and to an initiator, as well as acidification had significant effects on the swelling ratios of PSPA-SPHs. The ratio of SPA to AAc and acidification had significant effects on the mechanical strength, which deceased with increased swelling ratio and time. The optimized semi-IPN PSPA-SPH containing 5% w/w PVA had a swelling ratio 20 times greater within minutes and then up to 40 times. The mechanical strength was over 200 g/cm2 for a fully swollen gel in a pH 1.2HCl medium. The optimal PSPA-SPH has swelling and mechanical properties suitable for development of gastro retentive drug delivery systems.
Osteoblasts Adherence and Migration through Three-dimensional Porous Mineralized Collagen Based Composite: nHAC/PLA
Authors: Liao S. S. , Cui F. Z. , Zhu Y.
Published: April 2004

Osteoblast cells were separated from the neonatal rat calvaria and co-cultured on a novel mineralized hydroxyapatite/collagen/poly(lactic acid) composite scaffold. By using this static cell culture, a three-dimensional osteoblasts/composite bone-like was constructed in vitro. The culture process was observed by scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and histological analysis. Cells were observed to spread and proliferate throughout the inner-pores of the scaffold material. After a 12-day culture, the cells had grown into the interior scaffold about 200–400 μm depth of the composite by histological section observation. This mobile behavior of osteoblasts appeared to be similar to the composition and hierarchical structure of bone tissue. The adherence and migration of osteoblast cells in this three-dimensional composite is clinically important for large bone defect repair based on tissue engineering.
Prenatal Care for Women Who Are Addicted: Implications for Gender-Sensitive Practice
Authors: Carter Carolyn S.
Published: April 2004

This article examines legal and gender-sensitive interventions for prenatal drug abuse and the greater benefits that accrue to women when gender-sensitive approaches are used. It also discusses the disparate use of legal proceedings against poor women and women of color, pejorative attitudes and behaviors of prenatal health workers that compromise their relationship with women who are addicted, and sexist practices that place mothers who use drugs more at risk of legal interventions in health care settings than fathers who are addicted. Attention is given to the 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision that makes it unlawful for health care providers to conduct involuntary drug tests of pregnant women who are suspected of drug use.
Racial and Ethnic Identity Development in White Mothers of Biracial, Black-White Children
Authors: O’Donoghue Margaret
Published: April 2004

This article reports on a qualitative research study of the racial and ethnic identity of 11 White mothers who were married to Black (specifically African American) men and were raising biracial children. The uniqueness of these women’s lives, as Whites with an intimate knowledge of the Black experience, makes it difficult to place them within the levels described by current models of racial identity. Through their parenting of biracial children, the mothers had come to a greater sense of their own racial identity and to recognize White privilege and their own White identity. Their specific ethnic identity, as ethnic Whites, has not been passed on to their children.
Motherhood in a Time of Terror: Subjective Experiences and Responses of Israeli Mothers
Authors: Dekel Rachel
Published: April 2004

The aim of the study was to explore the subjective experience of being a mother in an extreme period of terror and uncertainty. Eleven Israeli mothers who had one to three children, ranging in age from 8 months to 12 years, participated in a focus group. A content analysis revealed five main concerns: physical protection, emotional protection, transmission of ideology, creation of normalcy and routine, and the question of what will happen to the children if the mothers are killed in a terror attack. The discussion examines the uniqueness and similarities of the findings to other theoretical and empirical works on motherhood.
Campus-Based Women’s Centers: A Review of Problems and Practices
Authors: Kasper Barbara
Published: April 2004

Campus-based women’s centers can provide a wealth of resources to feminist social workers, yet little has been written about their structure and practices. This article reports on a study of 75 campus-based women’s centers in the United States during academic year 1999-2000. Responses to the portions of the survey that were devotedto the programs of these centers are summarized, with particular attention to the various means of fostering the participation of specific populations on campus. Barriers to the successful operation of women’s centers that were identified by the respondents are also discussed.
Mentoring in the Careers of African American Women in Social Work Education
Authors: Simon Cassandra E. , Bowles Dorcas D. , King Shirley W. , Roff Lucinda L.
Published: April 2004

This article reports the findings of a study that examined the role of mentoring in thecareers of African American women in the administration of social work education.A focus of the study was the ways in which race and gender influence mentoringexperiences. The findings suggest that although the participants were successful intheir careers, mentoring opportunities were not a part of their early careerexperiences. They also indicate that race and gender play important roles in the type ofmentoring experienced by African American women in social work academia.
Relationship Constellations and Dynamics of Low-Income Rural Mothers
Authors: Kohler Julie K. , Anderson Elaine A. , Oravecz Linda , Braun Bonnie
Published: April 2004

To address the policy debate surrounding the use of funds from TemporaryAssistance to Needy Families for marriage-promotion activities, this article profiles thenature of low-income rural mothers’ relationships with their partners and thenonresidential fathers of their children. It presents the results of interviews with 35lowincome mothers from two rural Maryland counties. Although the analyses revealedthat the presence of a male partner was not related to a mother’s economic oremotional well-being, other sources of social support buffered mothers against theireconomic challenges. The authors conclude that social workers should integrateinformal family support into their service delivery plans and that policy makers need toconsider alternatives to fostering economic self-sufficiency among rural low-incomepopulations.
Security in Retirement: New Annuity Plan Options
Authors: Stevenson Elaine , Vaino Sharon
Published: April 2004

With a looming retirement crisis and many baby boomers concerned about outliving their assets, it is important to recognize the role that employers can—and perhaps should—play in educating workers on ‘living in retirement.’ But education, although important, may not be enough. Employees also need new options to complete their 401(k) plans, particularly options that provide guaranteed income in retirement. Annuities are one such option, enabling employees to invest a portion of their 401(k) assets in a product that provides a guaranteed stream of income in retirement. However, until recently many companies were unsure how existing guidelines on the selection of an annuity provider applied to defined contribution plans. The Department of Labor’s recent Advisory Opinion has made it easier for plan sponsors to offer annuities as a 401(k) plan distribution option. The inclusion of an annuitization incentive provision in a significant piece of pension legislation introduced this year further underscores the importance of encouraging today’s workers to focus on guaranteed income in retirement.
Workers’Compensation Reformin California: AB749 of 2002 and AB227 of 2003
Authors: Kilgour John G.
Published: April 2004

Effective 1995, California workers’ compensation moved from administered to competitive pricing as part of a reform program directed primarily at lowering employer costs. Premium rates fell drastically under legislative and administrative fiat and a destructive price war followed. Although this proved a boon to employers, by 1999 insurers were going out of business or withdrawing from the market. Meanwhile, benefits had again fallen behind. Against this backdrop, Assembly Bill 749 was enacted, effective 2003. It increased benefits and employer costs while making a number of changes to offset those costs. This approach cannot work. Employer costs will continue to increase as insurers struggle to regain solvency and grapple with increased benefit costs. Additional reform is needed. However, given the State’s $38 billion budgetary shortfall and the gubernatorial recall election, it is unlikely that effective measures will be adopted and implemented before the problem becomes worse.
New Privacy Concern for Employee Benefit Plans: Combating Identity Theft
Authors: Bernstein Susan E.
Published: April 2004

Identity theft has become one of the nation’s fastest growing white-collar crimes. In response to the proliferation of identity theft cases and the severity of the cost of the crimes, several bills have been introduced in Congress that would set new boundaries for the use of Social Security numbers. California was the first state to enact a law that restricts employers and employee benefit plans from using or disclosing an individual’s Social Security number in any written material or communications unless certain conditions are met. Because the Social Security number is a unique identifier, employee benefit plans often use Social Security numbers for administrative purposes. There is no legal requirement for employee benefit plans to take any action at this time, but plan sponsors should consider taking steps to remove the Social Security number from circulation. By implementing policies and controls that abandon the use of Social Security numbers as participant identifiers, plan sponsors can help individuals manage and protect their personal information.
Restricted Stock: Regulations, Trends and Technologies
Authors: Besner Gregory
Published: April 2004

Restricted stock is front-page news. Microsoft, considered a leader in employee compensation, recently announced that it is discontinuing the use of stock options and switching to restricted stock for 50,000 employees. Why have major companies switched to restricted stock for employee compensation? The answer is complex, but it is an outgrowth of market conditions, regulation and public anger directed at executive compensation in the midst of corporate scandals. This article provides an overview of restricted stock as an asset class and a framework for companies that are considering changing their employee and executive compensation plans to include restricted stock. As the trend toward restricted stock instead of stock options accelerates, all of the parties involved with this asset class will need to upgrade their systems and augment business processes with technology solutions to keep pace with volume and with shareholder expectations for swift and accurate service.
The Backlash Against Work/Family Benefits: Evidence from New Zealand
Authors: Haar Jarrod M. , Spell Chester S. , O’Driscoll Michael P.
Published: April 2004

This study examines the phenomenon of work/family backlash by comparing attitudes between employees who have used and those who have not used an organization’s work/family benefits. Exploring this phenomenon is important because organizations do not want to offer benefits that create negative reactions in those excluded from using them or those choosing not to use them. Findings indicate no significant differences in attitudes between users and nonusers toward turnover intention, affective, continuance and normative commitment, recruitment and retention benefits, work/family fairness and attitudes toward male and female users of work/family benefits. Nonusers were more likely to be younger and without children, indicating they might have little use for work/family benefits. The findings suggest work/family backlash might be more a case of media hype and provide support for a needs-based allocation perspective being used by nonusers of work/family benefits.
Rewards and Organizational Performance in Japan and the United States: A Comparison
Authors: Allen Richard S. , Takeda Margaret B. , White Charles S. , Helms Marilyn M.
Published: April 2004

The effectiveness of reward practices in a variety of national cultures is not often studied. Based on an earlier study of reward practices and performance in the United States, this article extends that research to compare U.S. reward practices’ effectiveness with the effectiveness of practices in Japanese organizations. The findings suggest that although some reward practices may be universally effective regardless of national culture, others appear to be effective based on a fit with the prevailing national cultural norms. It is important for managers and human resource professionals to carefully consider national cultural values when designing a rewards system to fit their organizations. Some reward practices may be universally effective regardless of culture; others may be culturally sensitive.
Willingness to Offer Match: Identifying the Counteroffer Payceiling
Authors: Weinberger Theodore E.
Published: April 2004

Compensation professionals often face a conflict when the retention of an employee depends upon matching the offer of a competitor firm. While managers may wish to avoid the turnover of given employees, the authorization of exceptional pay packages to outbid raiders could adversely impact the company’s compensation practice. Offer matching is likely to escalate compensation costs and create individual equity problems within the workforce. In planning for employee retention, managers should consider and declare, prior to any external recruitment event, the maximum amount of pay that would, reflective of the company’s overall business interests, be allotted to preempt an employee departure. This article introduces the willingness to offer match concept. It also presents a preparatory exercise to elicit information from a manager on the counteroffer pay ceiling for an employee. The use of this information, as an input for various incentive arrangements, in formulating employee retention tactics is discussed.
Emerging Trends in Board Total Compensation
Authors: Zong Linda
Published: April 2004

The collapse of several large US companies and evidence of weak corporate governance have awakened government, regulators, stock exchanges and leading executives to respond to the crisis proactively, transparently and comprehensively to regain investor and shareholder trust. Board reform has become the driving force behind the increase in board total compensation, especially the cash retainers and stock awards; the establishment of differentiated premiums for committee chairs; the growing support for creating lead director positions and increase in number of outsiders; as well as the establishment of share ownership guidelines, board charters, evaluations and performance reviews. Facing the emerging trends in board total compensation, companies need to evaluate and overhaul their current board structures and compensation programs to strike a proper balance between equity and cash payments. By doing so, organizations will be better poised to attract and retain qualified and independent directors with sufficient financial and technical expertise who are expected to take on a larger role in improving corporate governance.
A Description of the Relationship between Breastfeeding Experiences, Breastfeeding Satisfaction, and Weaning in the First 3 Months after Birth
Authors: Cooke Margaret , Sheehan Athena , Schmied Virginia
Published: April 2004

This longitudinal study describes the relationships among breastfeeding experiences, maternal breastfeeding satisfaction (measured by the Maternal Breastfeeding Evaluation Scale [MBFES]), and weaning in the first 3 months postpartum. Postal surveys were used to collect data antenatally and at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months postpartum from 365 women recruited from 3 public hospitals in Australia. Breastfeeding problems were associated with a reduction in MBFES subscale scores ( P < .05) but not with weaning. Infant breastfeeding satisfaction subscale score was negatively associated with perceived inadequate milk supply ( P < .05) and positively associated with engorgement ( P < .05). Significant predictors of weaning at all points were total MBFES score in the lowest tertile (adjusted odds ratios [ORs]: 2 weeks, 21.9; > 2-6 weeks, 14.6; > 6 weeks to 3 months, 6.4) and leaking milk (adjusted ORs: ≤ 2 weeks, 0.23;>2-6 weeks, 0.19;>6 weeks to 3 months, 0.15). Perceived inadequate milk was a significant predictor only for weaning > 2 to 6 weeks (adjusted OR=4.2). J Hum Lact. 19(2):145-156.
Response of Breasts to Different Stimulation Patterns of an Electric Breast Pump
Authors: Kent Jacqueline C. , Ramsay Donna T. , Doherty Dorota , Larsson Michael , Hartmann Peter E.
Published: April 2004

To test the effect on milk ejection, an electric breast pump was programmed to provide pumping patterns with frequencies of 45 to 125 cycles/min and vacuums of -45 to -273 mm Hg. The time taken for milk ejection to occur (measured using ultrasound to detect a dilation of a lactiferous duct in the opposite breast) in response to the current Medela electric breast pump pattern (45 cycles/min) was 147 ± 13 s. For patterns that more closely resemble the sucking frequency of an infant when it first attaches to the breast, milk ejection occurred between 136 ± 12 and 104 ± 10 s, although this difference was not statistically significant. Milk ejection in response to breastfeeding occurred after 56 ± 4 s. The applied vacuum affected the amount of milk that was removed up to 50 to 70 s after milk ejection but not the time for milk ejection. J Hum Lact. 19(2):179- 186.
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Increases Breastfeeding Rates in a US Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Merewood Anne , Philipp Barbara L. , Chawla Neetu , Cimo Sabrina
Published: April 2004

This study evaluated the impact of a Baby-Friendly designation on breastfeeding rates in a US neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The medical records of all surviving infants directly admitted to the Boston Medical Center's level III, 15-bed NICU in 1995 (before Baby-Friendly policies were implemented) and 1999 (when Baby-Friendly status was granted) were reviewed. Infants receiving any breast milk by any means during the first week of enteral feeds were considered to have initiated breastfeeding. Maternal and infant demographics for 1995 and 1999 were comparable. The NICU breastfeeding initiation rate increased from 34.6% (1995) to 74.4% (1999) ( P <.001). Among 2-week-old infants, the proportion receiving any breast milk rose from 27.9% (1995) to 65.9% (1999) ( P <.001), and the proportion receiving breast milk exclusively rose from 9.3% (1995) to 39% (1999) ( P = .002). The implementation of Baby-Friendly policies leading to a Baby-Friendly designation was associated with increased breastfeeding initiation and duration rates. J Hum Lact. 19(2):166-171.
Breast Milk Donors in France: A Portrait of the Typical Donor and the Utility of Milk Banking in the French Breastfeeding Context
Authors: Azema Emilie , Callahan Stacey
Published: April 2004

Although information regarding attitudes and characteristics of human blood donors has been researched, little is known about the motivations and demographic and personality characteristics of women who choose to donate their breast milk. Eight milk banks in France participated in a study examining donor characteristics, providing data on 103 women. The results showed that the donors were women of average childbearing age with strong support at home. Almost half did not work outside of the home, compared to the national average of 80% of women in this age group; similarly, a large number (currently working or not) were from the health and social services fields. Reasons for donation were largely altruistic, and a general optimistic attitude prevailed within the participants. The results of this study provide useful information for the recruitment of potential donors as well as information on how to facilitate and provide optimal service through milk donation. J Hum Lact. 19(2):199-202.
Couples’ Relationships and Breastfeeding: is There an Association?
Authors: Falceto Olga Garcia , Giugliani Elsa R. J. , Fernandes Carmen Luiza C.
Published: April 2004

One hundred fifty-three Brazilian families with 4-month-old infants—51 cases (breastfeeding had ceased) and 102 controls (breastfeeding maintained)—were recruited to verify if a problematic couple relationship is associated with early breastfeeding termination. The relationships of the 118 cohabiting couples were assessed by clinical interviews and the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning and Beavers-Timberlawn scales, examining marital and parental functions, parents’ satisfaction with the quality of care each partnerprovided to their infants, mothers’ opinions of paternal breastfeeding support, and interviewers’ assessments of paternal breastfeeding support and involvement in the infants’ care. The quality of a couple relationship was not associated with the interruption of breastfeeding before 4 months postpartum. However, a good couple relationship was associated with more paternal breastfeeding support ( P < .01) and involvement in the infant’s care ( P < .0001). J Hum Lact. 20(1):46-55.
Stories of Success: The Use of Donor Milk is Increasing in North America
Authors: Tully Mary Rose , Lockhart-Borman Larainea , Updegrove Kim
Published: April 2004

Donor milk has been used to successfully treat a number of medical conditions in infants. This article highlights 3 such success stories describing the use of human milk in cases of velocardiofacial syndrome, very-low-birth weight, and failure to thrive. In 2002, more than 300 infants and young children and 15 adults received donor milk from 6 milk banks in the United States and 1 milk bank in Canada. Donor milk is often used to ensure optimal outcomes in full term or preterm infants until their own mother’s milk volume is sufficient to meet their needs. However, human milk may be a lifesaving therapy for infants and young children with unusual medical conditions. J Hum Lact. 20(1):75-77.
Social Capital, Acculturation, and Breastfeeding Initiation Among Puerto Rican Women in the United States
Authors: Anderson Alex K. , Damio Grace , Himmelgreen David A. , Peng Yu-Kuei , Segura-Pérez Sofia , Pérez-Escamilla Rafael
Published: April 2004

To examine reasons for not breastfeeding, and to identify factors associated with ever breastfeeding among Puerto Rican women, a retrospective study was done using a convenience sample of 161 low-income Latino women with children younger than 6 years. Women were recruited from the Hispanic Health Council (43.5%), the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (29.8%), and other places (26.7%). Participants were interviewed using a pretested questionnaire specific to the target community. Most (73%) of the respondents chose to be interviewed in Spanish. Chi-square analyses were used to examine the bivariate association between ever breastfeeding and the independent variables. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to estimate the independent association between acculturation, social capital, and breastfeeding. Women with more social capital were more likely (odds ratio = 2.25, 95% confidence interval, 1.02-4.95) to have breastfed the index child, suggesting that social capital is an important predictor of breastfeeding initiation in this community. J Hum Lact. 20(1):39-45.
Breast Milk Expression in the Workplace: A Look at Frequency and Time
Authors: Slusser Wendelin M. , Lange Linda , Dickson Victoria , Hawkes Catherine , Cohen Rona
Published: April 2004

The objective of this article is to study a barrier for breastfeeding women working full-time outside the home: breast milk expression in the workplace. Data are from a large corporation that provides employee benefits. Mothers express breast milk about twice a day when infants are 4 months old ( x = 2.2 ± 0.8) and 6 months old ( x = 1.9 ± 0.6), with a significant decline in frequency ( P < .05) comparing the 2 age groups. Most mothers spend 1 hour or less expressing breast milk when infants are 3 (82%) or 6 months old (96%), with a significant difference ( P < .05) between the 2 age groups. Mothers of younger infants were no more likely to work fewer days per week than were mothers of older infants. Most women can express breast milk for 3- and 6-month-old infants in less than an hour, distributed in about 2 separate portions, in an employment environment supportive of breastfeeding.
Family Characteristics Associated With Duration of Breastfeeding During Early Infancy Among Primiparas
Authors: Sullivan Myrtis L. , Leathers Sonya J. , Kelley Michele A.
Published: April 2004

This investigation examined the association of relationship characteristics and parental gender roles with duration of breastfeeding among primiparous women during the early postpartum period. An ethnically diverse group of urban middle-class women (n = 115) who initiated breastfeeding were individually surveyed by telephone along with their male partners. Results of the Cox regression analyses confirmed earlier findings reported in the literature. Reporting higher relationship distress was predictive of early breastfeeding cessation at a marginal level of significance. However, levels of maternal responsibility for household tasks and infant care were highly significant predictors of breastfeeding cessation but in opposite directions. These results suggest that the effects of paternal gender roles on breastfeeding success may vary depending on the area of involvement. Findings have implications for further research examining breastfeeding duration, gender roles, and relationship quality and for clinical practice that facilitates adaptive roles and relationships among new parents.