The mid-career crisis in relation to Super's career and Erikson's adult development theory.

There is a need to integrate career development theory with adult development theory and a need to include females in the research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mid-career crisis from the perspective of Erikson's and Super's theory, and to determine whether there are sex differences distinguishing mid-career changers. The sample consisted of 134 males and females who faced a mid-career crisis. They were categorized into three groups: changed, changing, and persisters representing different points on a decision-making continuum. All participants were given a structured interview, the Ego Identity Scale, the Tennessee Self Concept Scale, the Personality Research Form, and the Career Development Inventory. The results of the data analyses revealed that individuals who changed careers scored significantly higher on identity achievement and affiliation, and there was a significant positive correlation between identity achievement and self-concept. In terms of their vocational development, persisters were concerned with exploration tasks, whereas those who had changed careers described these tasks as declining in importance. In addition, five patterns of transition were identified. No sex differences emerged on the variables, indicating that career change as a pathway to identity achievement is similar for both sexes.

[Diagnostic value of urography in the study of arterial hypertension]. / Utilità diagnostica dell'urografia nello studio dell'ipertensione arteriosa.

In spite of the widespread use of intravenous urography and its extensive employment in the study of hypertension, there is still no unanimity of views as to its application in such pathology. 147 urographies belonging to 330 hypertense patients admitted to the Bari Medical Pathology Department between 1-1-1975 and 30-9-1977 have therefore been examined so as to assess its diagnostic value. Thereafter, the percentage of abnormalities found with urography were evaluated and compared with those in the population at large. Results stress on the one hand the higher incidence of renal ptosis and poly-cystic kidneys in the hypertense, and also highlight the possibility of revealing clinically silent diseases with this technique; on the other hand, many urographies (more than 50%) were useless and it is not always possible to diagnose certainly the presence of stenosis of the renal artery owing to the presence of false positives and negatives.