Factors influencing property selection for conservation revolving funds.

PubMed

Hardy, Mathew J; Fitzsimons, James A; Bekessy, Sarah A; Gordon, Ascelin

2018-04-01

Finding sustainable ways to increase the amount of private land protected for biodiversity is challenging for many conservation organizations. In some countries, organizations use revolving-fund programs, whereby land is purchased and then sold to conservation-minded owners under condition they enter into a conservation covenant or easement. The sale proceeds are used to purchase, protect, and sell additional properties, incrementally increasing the amount of protected private land. Because the effectiveness of this approach relies on selecting appropriate properties, we explored factors currently considered by practitioners and how these are integrated into decision making. We conducted exploratory, semistructured interviews with managers from each of the 5 major revolving funds in Australia. Responses indicated although conservation factors are important, financial and social factors are also highly influential. A major determinant was whether the property could be resold within a reasonable period at a price that replenishes the fund. To facilitate resale, often selected properties include the potential for the construction of a dwelling. Practitioners face with clear trade-offs between conservation, financial, amenity, and other factors in selecting properties and 3 main challenges: recovering the costs of acquisition, protection, and resale; reselling the property; and meeting conservation goals. Our findings suggest the complexity of these decisions may constrain revolving-fund effectiveness. Drawing from participant responses, we identified potential strategies to mitigate these risks, such as providing adequate recreational space without jeopardizing ecological assets. We suggest managers could benefit from a shared-learning and adaptive approach to property selection given the commonalities between programs. Understanding how practitioners deal with complex decisions in the implementation of revolving funds helps identify future research to improve the

Reboot: Revisiting Factors Influencing Female Selection of the CIS Major

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodges, Darin; Corley, Ken

2017-01-01

A concern among many universities, this study reflects and continues research on the changing attitude and intent of selecting a Computer Information Systems major. Focusing on the gender gap for selection of major for women in this field, studies indicate instrumental beliefs and subjective norms can influence behavior and indicate how selection…

Factors Influencing the Selection of Speech Pathology as a Career: A Qualitative Analysis Utilising the Systems Theory Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrne, Nicole

2007-01-01

Factors identified by 16 participants during in-depth interviews as influencing selection of speech pathology as a career were described using the Systems Theory Framework (STF, Patton & McMahon, 2006). Participants were highly likely to identify factors from the individual and social systems, but not the environmental-societal system, of the STF…

An Analysis of Selected Factors Influencing Enrollment Patterns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heck, James

This report presents an analysis of factors influencing enrollment patterns at Lake City Community College (LCCC; Florida) and recommends ways to increase enrollments at the college. Section I reviews the methods of collecting data for the report, which included interviews with key college personnel, an examination of social indicators such as…

Influence of age and selected environmental factors on reproductive performance of canvasbacks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Serie, Jerome R.; Trauger, David L.; Austin, Jane E.

1992-01-01

Age, productivity, and other factors affecting breeding performance of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) are poorly understood. Consequently, we tested whether reproductive performance of female canvasbacks varied with age and selected environmental factors in southwestern Manitoba from 1974 to 1980. Neither clutch size, nest parasitism, nest success, nor the number of ducklings/brood varied with age. Return rates, nest initiation dates, renesting, and hen success were age-related. Return rates averaged 21% for second-year (SY) and 69% for after-second-year (ASY) females (58% for third-year and 79% for after-third-year females). Additionally, water conditions and spring temperatures influenced chronology of arrival, timing of nesting, and reproductive success. Nest initiation by birds of all ages was affected by minimum April temperatures. Clutch size was higher in nests initiated earlier. Interspecific nest parasitism did not affect clutch size, nest success, hen success, or hatching success. Nest success was lower in dry years (17%) than in moderately wet (54%) or wet (60%) years. Nests per female were highest during wet years. No nests of SY females were found in dry years. In years of moderate to good wetland conditions, females of all ages nested. Predation was the primary factor influencing nest success. Hen success averaged 58% over all years. The number of ducklings surviving 20 days averaged 4.7/brood. Because SY females have lower return rates and hen success than ASY females, especially during drier years, management to increase canvasback populations might best be directed to increasing first year recruitment (no. of females returning to breed) and to increasing overall breeding success by reducing predation and enhancing local habitat conditions during nesting.

Selecting a provider: what factors influence patients' decision making?

PubMed

Abraham, Jean; Sick, Brian; Anderson, Joseph; Berg, Andrea; Dehmer, Chad; Tufano, Amanda

2011-01-01

Each year consumers make a variety of decisions relating to their healthcare. Some experts argue that stronger consumer engagement in decisions about where to obtain medical care is an important mechanism for improving efficiency in healthcare delivery and financing. Consumers' ability and motivation to become more active decision makers are affected by several factors, including financial incentives and access to information. This study investigates the set of factors that consumers consider when selecting a provider, including attributes of the provider and the care experience and the reputation of the provider. Additionally, the study evaluates consumers awareness and use of formal sources of provider selection information. Our results from analyzing data from a survey of 467 patients at four clinics in Minnesota suggest that the factors considered of greatest importance include reputation of the physician and reputation of the healthcare organization. Contractual and logistical factors also play a role, with respondents highlighting the importance of seeing a provider affiliated with their health plan and appointment availability. Few respondents indicated that advertisements or formal sources of quality information affected their decision making. The key implication for provider organizations is to carefully manage referral sources to ensure that they consistently meet the needs of referrers. Excellent service to existing patients and to the network of referring physicians yields patient and referrer satisfaction that is critical to attracting new patients. Finally, organizations more generally may want to explore the capabilities of new media and social networking sites for building reputation.

The influence of selected personal and environmental factors on leisure activities in adults with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Boucher, Normand; Dumas, Francine; Maltais, Désirée B; Richards, Carol L

2010-01-01

This study examined the influence of selected personal and environmental factors on leisure participation in adults with cerebral palsy (CP). A group of 145 adults with CP (18-41 years old, 51% male) responded to questionnaires regarding 1) socio-demographic and health factors, 2) life habits (Life-H: short version 3.1) and 3) the environment (Measure of the Quality of the Environment: version 2.0). A chi2 statistic (p<0.05) estimated the association between 1) socio-demographic and health factors and the environment and 2) the level of leisure activity participation. Most participants (mean age=28 years) lived with their parents. Leisure activities were their principal occupation. Mobility and participation were positively associated. The environment (e.g. accompanying services, adapted transport, cultural services and computers) facilitated leisure for those with a high or moderate participation level. Individuals with low participation perceived the environment as having no influence. Adults with CP who are more mobile participate more in leisure activities. A positive perception of the environment (facilitating leisure participation) likely reflects the individual's ability to benefit from the environment, whereas a neutral view of the environment may reflect the fact that other factors, such as mobility limitations, are of greater relevance to leisure participation.

A Flight Evaluation of the Factors which Influence the Selection of Landing Approach Speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drinkwater, Fred J., III; Cooper, George E.

1958-01-01

The factors which influence the selection of landing approach speeds are discussed from the pilot's point of view. Concepts were developed and data were obtained during a landing approach flight investigation of a large number of jet airplane configurations which included straight-wing, swept-wing, and delta-wing airplanes as well as several applications of boundary-layer control. Since the fundamental limitation to further reductions in approach speed on most configurations appeared to be associated with the reduction in the pilot's ability to control flight path angle and airspeed, this problem forms the basis of the report. A simplified equation is presented showing the basic parameters which govern the flight path angle and airspeed changes, and pilot control techniques are discussed in relation to this equation. Attention is given to several independent aerodynamic characteristics which do not affect the flight path angle or airspeed directly but which determine to a large extent the effort and attention required of the pilot in controlling these factors during the approach. These include stall characteristics, stability about all axes, and changes in trim due to thrust adjustments. The report considers the relationship between piloting technique and all of the factors previously mentioned. A piloting technique which was found to be highly desirable for control of high-performance airplanes is described and the pilot's attitudes toward low-speed flight which bear heavily on the selection of landing approach speeds under operational conditions are discussed.

A Combined Experimental and Molecular Simulation Study of Factors Influencing the Selection of Antioxidants in Butadiene Rubber.

PubMed

Zheng, Wei; Wu, Youping; Yang, Wei; Zhang, Zhuo; Zhang, Liqun; Wu, Sizhu

2017-02-16

For the selection of antioxidants, internal factors were proposed by analyzing the thermal-oxidative aging process, which consisted of the following two inseparable steps: (1) the physical process of oxygen (O 2 ) entering the rubber network and (2) the complex chemical process of O 2 reacting with the rubber network. Antioxidants 2246, 6PPD, and MB, examples of amines, phenols, and heterocycles, respectively, were chosen to study these factors influencing the selection of antioxidants for the thermal-oxidative aging of butadiene rubber (BR). Through thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and kinetic analysis by the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method, the dissociation reaction of BR was identified to be the rate-determining step for the thermal-oxidative aging of BR. Meanwhile, the decisive positions of the dissociation reactions for the three antioxidants in improving the thermal-oxidative stability of BR were also identified. Therefore, the internal factors were subdivided into five items (i.e., the free energy of reaction for the dissociation of antioxidant, the mole ratio of active radicals or hydroperoxides that could react with the same mass of antioxidant, the solubility and mobility of the antioxidant in BR, and the permeability of O 2 ). Combined with molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanics simulations, the five internal factors were clarified and quantified over the entire usable temperature range of BR. To clarify the relative importance of each factor in the selection of antioxidants, we identified the time-dependent tensile strength and elongation at break as the only responses for the first and second gray relational analyses. The relative importance of the five internal factors was evaluated and ranked in terms of gray relational grade. The two analyses were consistent and showed that, in the selection of antioxidants, we should give priority to the free energy of the dissociation reaction and the

Irrelevant reward and selection histories have different influences on task-relevant attentional selection.

PubMed

MacLean, Mary H; Giesbrecht, Barry

2015-07-01

Task-relevant and physically salient features influence visual selective attention. In the present study, we investigated the influence of task-irrelevant and physically nonsalient reward-associated features on visual selective attention. Two hypotheses were tested: One predicts that the effects of target-defining task-relevant and task-irrelevant features interact to modulate visual selection; the other predicts that visual selection is determined by the independent combination of relevant and irrelevant feature effects. These alternatives were tested using a visual search task that contained multiple targets, placing a high demand on the need for selectivity, and that was data-limited and required unspeeded responses, emphasizing early perceptual selection processes. One week prior to the visual search task, participants completed a training task in which they learned to associate particular colors with a specific reward value. In the search task, the reward-associated colors were presented surrounding targets and distractors, but were neither physically salient nor task-relevant. In two experiments, the irrelevant reward-associated features influenced performance, but only when they were presented in a task-relevant location. The costs induced by the irrelevant reward-associated features were greater when they oriented attention to a target than to a distractor. In a third experiment, we examined the effects of selection history in the absence of reward history and found that the interaction between task relevance and selection history differed, relative to when the features had previously been associated with reward. The results indicate that under conditions that demand highly efficient perceptual selection, physically nonsalient task-irrelevant and task-relevant factors interact to influence visual selective attention.

Food preferences and factors influencing food selectivity for children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Schreck, Kimberly A; Williams, Keith

2006-01-01

Although clinicians and parents widely accept that children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit more feeding problems than their typically developing peers, little information is available concerning the characteristic food items accepted by these children or the possible factors contributing to these feeding problems. This article used an informant-based questionnaire to survey parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (N=138) to determine: (a) the types of feeding problems their children typically exhibit, (b) the food items their children prefer, (c) the relationship of feeding problems to family eating preferences, and (d) the relationship of the diagnostic characteristics of autism to feeding behavior. Results indicated that the children preferred fewer types of food items within groups than their families; however, family food preferences appeared to influence food selection more than the diagnostic characteristics of autism.

Factors that influence utilisation of HIV/AIDS prevention methods among university students residing at a selected university campus.

PubMed

Ndabarora, Eléazar; Mchunu, Gugu

2014-01-01

Various studies have reported that university students, who are mostly young people, rarely use existing HIV/AIDS preventive methods. Although studies have shown that young university students have a high degree of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and HIV modes of transmission, they are still not utilising the existing HIV prevention methods and still engage in risky sexual practices favourable to HIV. Some variables, such as awareness of existing HIV/AIDS prevention methods, have been associated with utilisation of such methods. The study aimed to explore factors that influence use of existing HIV/AIDS prevention methods among university students residing in a selected campus, using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a theoretical framework. A quantitative research approach and an exploratory-descriptive design were used to describe perceived factors that influence utilisation by university students of HIV/AIDS prevention methods. A total of 335 students completed online and manual questionnaires. Study findings showed that the factors which influenced utilisation of HIV/AIDS prevention methods were mainly determined by awareness of the existing university-based HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. Most utilised prevention methods were voluntary counselling and testing services and free condoms. Perceived susceptibility and perceived threat of HIV/AIDS score was also found to correlate with HIV risk index score. Perceived susceptibility and perceived threat of HIV/AIDS showed correlation with self-efficacy on condoms and their utilisation. Most HBM variables were not predictors of utilisation of HIV/AIDS prevention methods among students. Intervention aiming to improve the utilisation of HIV/AIDS prevention methods among students at the selected university should focus on removing identified barriers, promoting HIV/AIDS prevention services and providing appropriate resources to implement such programmes.

Using a fuzzy DEMATEL method for analyzing the factors influencing subcontractors selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozik, Renata

2016-06-01

Subcontracting is a long-standing practice in the construction industry. This form of project organization, if manage properly, could provide the better quality, reduction in project time and costs. Subcontractors selection is a multi-criterion problem and can be determined by many factors. Identifying the importance of each of them as well as the direction of cause-effect relations between various types of factors can improve the management process. Their values could be evaluated on the basis of the available expert opinions with the application of a fuzzy multi-stage grading scale. In this paper it is recommended to use fuzzy DEMATEL method to analyze the relationship between factors affecting subcontractors selection.

Identification of landscape features influencing gene flow: How useful are habitat selection models?

Treesearch

Gretchen H. Roffler; Michael K. Schwartz; Kristine Pilgrim; Sandra L. Talbot; George K. Sage; Layne G. Adams; Gordon Luikart

2016-01-01

Understanding how dispersal patterns are influenced by landscape heterogeneity is critical for modeling species connectivity. Resource selection function (RSF) models are increasingly used in landscape genetics approaches. However, because the ecological factors that drive habitat selection may be different from those influencing dispersal and gene flow, it is...

Consideration of Real World Factors Influencing Greenhouse ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Discuss a variety of factors that influence the simulated fuel economy and GHG emissions that are often overlooked and updates made to ALPHA based on actual benchmarking data observed across a range of vehicles and transmissions. ALPHA model calibration is also examined, focusing on developing generic calibrations for driver behavior, transmission gear selection and torque converter lockup. In addition, show the derivation of correction factors needed to estimate cold start emission results. To provide an overview of the ALPHA tool with additional focus on recent updates by presenting the approach for validating and calibrating ALPHA to match particular vehicles in a general sense, then by looking at the individual losses, and calibration factors likely to influence fuel economy.

A Review of Factors Influencing Athletes' Food Choices.

PubMed

Birkenhead, Karen L; Slater, Gary

2015-11-01

Athletes make food choices on a daily basis that can affect both health and performance. A well planned nutrition strategy that includes the careful timing and selection of appropriate foods and fluids helps to maximize training adaptations and, thus, should be an integral part of the athlete's training programme. Factors that motivate food selection include taste, convenience, nutrition knowledge and beliefs. Food choice is also influenced by physiological, social, psychological and economic factors and varies both within and between individuals and populations. This review highlights the multidimensional nature of food choice and the depth of previous research investigating eating behaviours. Despite numerous studies with general populations, little exploration has been carried out with athletes, yet the energy demands of sport typically require individuals to make more frequent and/or appropriate food choices. While factors that are important to general populations also apply to athletes, it seems likely, given the competitive demands of sport, that performance would be an important factor influencing food choice. It is unclear if athletes place the same degree of importance on these factors or how food choice is influenced by involvement in sport. There is a clear need for further research exploring the food choice motives of athletes, preferably in conjunction with research investigating dietary intake to establish if intent translates into practice.

A Survey of Factors Influencing High School Start Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfson, Amy R.; Carskadon, Mary A.

2005-01-01

The present study surveyed high school personnel regarding high school start times, factors influencing school start times, and decision making around school schedules. Surveys were analyzed from 345 secondary schools selected at random from the National Center for Educational Statistics database. Factors affecting reported start times included…

Influence of Selected Factors on the Implementation of Information and Communication Technology Policy in Public Secondary Schools in Naivasha Sub-County, Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Njoroge Ngugi; Ngugi, Margaret; Kinzi, Joab

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of selected factors on implementation of Information and Communication Technology in public secondary schools in Naivasha sub-county, Kenya. The study investigated whether the ICT infrastructural cost, schools' visions, and teachers' ICT skills hinder effective implementation of ICT policy in…

Factors affecting orthopedic residency selection: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Strelzow, Jason; Petretta, Robert; Broekhuyse, Henry M

2017-06-01

Annually, orthopedic residency programs rank and recruit the best possible candidates. Little evidence exists identifying factors that potential candidates use to select their career paths. Recent literature from nonsurgical programs suggests hospital, social and program-based factors influence program selection. We sought to determine what factors influence the choice of an orthopedic career and a candidate's choice of orthopedic residency program. We surveyed medical student applicants to orthopedic programs and current Canadian orthopedic surgery residents (postgraduate year [PGY] 1-5). The confidential online survey focused on 3 broad categories of program selection: educational, program cohesion and noneducation factors. Questions were graded on a Likert Scale and tailed for mean scores. In total, 139 residents from 11 of 17 Canadian orthopedic programs (49% response rate) and 23 medical student applicants (88% response rate) completed our survey. Orthopedic electives and mandatory rotations were reported by 71% of participants as somewhat or very important to their career choice. Collegiality among residents (4.70 ± 0.6), program being the "right fit" (4.65 ± 0.53) and current resident satisfaction with their chosen program (4.63 ±0.66) were ranked with the highest mean scores on a 5-point Likert scale. There are several modifiable factors that residency programs may use to attract applicants, including early availability of clerkship rotations and a strong mentorship environment emphasizing both resident-resident and resident-staff cohesion. Desirable residency programs should develop early access to surgical and operative skills. These must be balanced with a continued emphasis on top-level orthopedic training.

Factors potentially influencing aminoglycoside use and expenditure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DiPiro, J.T.; Kilsdonk, G.F.; Amerson, A.B.

1982-07-01

Factors that may have influenced aminoglycoside use and expenditure in one hospital were examined. Factors that were evaluated as to their influence on aminoglycoside-use patterns were: (1) formulary status; (2) bacterial susceptibility patterns; (3) identified or perceived differences in toxicity; (4) changes in patient population; (5) price paid by the hospital for aminoglycosides; (6) distribution of newsletters or memoranda; (7) advertising and detailing; and (8) pharmacy policies. For FY 1976-77 to 1979-80, the largest proportion of aminoglycoside expense was for gentamicin. During FY 1980-81, the expenditure for gentamicin decreased and tobramycin accounted for the largest proportion of total expenditure. Monthlymore » gentamicin use decreased 20% during FY 1980-81 from the previous year. Tobramycin use increased from January 1979 to November 1980 and decreased from December 1980 to June 1981. Kanamycin use and amikacin use were fairly constant during the study period. Based on temporal relationships, the following factors appeared to influence aminoglycoside use and expenditure: (1) a study conducted at the institution from June 1977 to June 1979 comparing gentamicin and tobramycin nephrotoxicity; (2) a comparative nephrotoxicity study published in a widely circulated medical journal in May 1980; and (3) an intramural newsletter and memorandum distributed in March 1981 encouraging selective aminoglycoside use. The identification of factors that potentially influenced aminoglycoside use can be used to anticipate the future impact of similar events and to devise strategies to influence antimicrobial use.« less

Factors influencing health information system adoption in American hospitals.

PubMed

Wang, Bill B; Wan, Thomas T H; Burke, Darrell E; Bazzoli, Gloria J; Lin, Blossom Y J

2005-01-01

To study the number of health information systems (HISs), applicable to administrative, clinical, and executive decision support functionalities, adopted by acute care hospitals and to examine how hospital market, organizational, and financial factors influence HIS adoption. A cross-sectional analysis was performed with 1441 hospitals selected from metropolitan statistical areas in the United States. Multiple data sources were merged. Six hypotheses were empirically tested by multiple regression analysis. HIS adoption was influenced by the hospital market, organizational, and financial factors. Larger, system-affiliated, and for-profit hospitals with more preferred provider organization contracts are more likely to adopt managerial information systems than their counterparts. Operating revenue is positively associated with HIS adoption. The study concludes that hospital organizational and financial factors influence on hospitals' strategic adoption of clinical, administrative, and managerial information systems.

[Analysis of psychological factors influencing peritoneal dialysis selection].

PubMed

Ponz Clemente, E; Martínez Ocaña, J C; Marquina Parra, D; Blasco Cabañas, C; Grau Pueyo, G; Mañé Buixó, N; García García, M

2010-01-01

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is not frequently used in our setting. To analyze the psychological factors involved in the choice of renal replacement therapy (RRT). A prospective observational study of stable patients without cognitive or sensory deficits who were informed about RRT from January 2004 to July 2006 and agreed to participate. The patients were given and completed the Beck Depression Inventory and the Eysenck personality questionnaire. Clinical and sociodemographic data and RRT choice were recorded. End of follow-up: 2007/10/31. 44 patients were studied: age, 65.4 +/- 13.1 years, 48% male, 34% diabetic. When choosing RRT, 36% of patients had symptoms of depression. Neither depression symptoms nor personality traits were related to the choice of dialysis type. The youngest patients chose PD (41%). After a mean followup of 8 +/- 8 months, 70% of patients started RRT (68% haemodialysis [HD], 32% PD). None of the patients who chose HD changed their mind, but 3 of the 13 patients (23%) who chose PD finally commenced HD, usually in the context of a worsening of the disease. Half of the patients with depression symptoms when choosing PD and a third of the patients with higher levels of neuroticism changed their decision and finally opted for HD. When choosing RRT, the prevalence of depression symptoms is high. Neither depression nor personality traits influenced the initial choice of RRT, although these factors may be involved in subsequent changes to the decision.

Factors influencing anesthesia residency selection: impact of global health opportunities.

PubMed

Evans, Faye M; Mallepally, Niharika R; Dubowitz, Gerald; Vasilopoulos, Terrie; McClain, Craig D; Enneking, Kayser

2016-06-01

There is growing evidence to suggest that the current generation of medical students and young physicians is interested in global health. However, there are few data on the interest in global health by students pursuing a career in anesthesiology. The objective of this survey was to evaluate the importance of global health opportunities in regard to applicants' choice of anesthesiology residency programs. Anesthesiology residency program directors in the United States were invited to distribute an online survey to recently matched residents. To reduce study bias, the survey included a wide selection of reasons for program choices in addition to global health. Participants were asked to rate independently, on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = least important, 10 = most important), the importance that each factor had on their selection of an anesthesiology residency program. Of the 117 U.S. anesthesiology programs contacted, 87 (74%) distributed the survey. Completed surveys were obtained from 582 of 1,092 (53%) polled participants. All factors assessed were rated between 5 and 9 and the global health median [interquartile range] rating was 6 [3-7]. Nearly half of the survey respondents were interested in incorporating global health into future careers. More than three-quarters reported being interested in participating in, or reading about, global health activities during their residency. Responders with previous global health experience, or who were interested in an "in-country" experience, were more likely to choose programs that had global health opportunities available during residency. Anesthesia residency program applicants are interested in global health. Having a global health opportunity was an important reason for choosing a residency program, comparable to some more traditional factors. Regardless of previous global health experience, the majority of future anesthesia residents are either planning or considering participation in global health activities during or

Factors Influencing Patient Selection of a Foot and Ankle Surgeon.

PubMed

Manning, Blaine T; Bohl, Daniel D; Wang, Kevin C; Hamid, Kamran S; Holmes, George B; Lee, Simon

2017-09-01

An increasingly consumer-centric health insurance market has empowered patients to select the providers of their choice. There is a lack of studies investigating the rationale by which patients select a foot and ankle surgeon. In the present study, 824 consecutive new patients seeking treatment from 3 foot-ankle surgeons were consecutively administered an anonymous questionnaire prior to their first appointment. It included rating the importance of 15 factors regarding specialist selection on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 designated " Very important" and 1 designated " Not important at all." The remaining questions were multiple choice regarding patient perspectives on other surgeon aspects (appointment availability, waiting room times, clinic proximity, etc). Of 824 consecutive patients administered the survey, 305 (37%) responded. Patients rated board certification (9.24 ± 1.87) and on-site imaging availability (8.48 ± 2.37)-on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 designated "Very important- as the 2 most important criteria in choosing a foot and ankle surgeon. Patients rated advertisements as least important. Among the patients, 91% responded that a maximum of 30 minutes should elapse between clinic check-in and seeing their physician; 61% responded that a maximum of 20 minutes should elapse between clinic check-in and seeing their physician. In the context of an increasingly consumer-driven paradigm of health care delivery and reimbursement, it is important to understand patients' preferences in specialist selection. Level III: Prospective questionnaire.

Social Factors Influencing Child Health in Ghana

PubMed Central

Quansah, Emmanuel; Ohene, Lilian Akorfa; Norman, Linda; Mireku, Michael Osei; Karikari, Thomas K.

2016-01-01

Objectives Social factors have profound effects on health. Children are especially vulnerable to social influences, particularly in their early years. Adverse social exposures in childhood can lead to chronic disorders later in life. Here, we sought to identify and evaluate the impact of social factors on child health in Ghana. As Ghana is unlikely to achieve the Millennium Development Goals’ target of reducing child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015, we deemed it necessary to identify social determinants that might have contributed to the non-realisation of this goal. Methods ScienceDirect, PubMed, MEDLINE via EBSCO and Google Scholar were searched for published articles reporting on the influence of social factors on child health in Ghana. After screening the 98 articles identified, 34 of them that met our inclusion criteria were selected for qualitative review. Results Major social factors influencing child health in the country include maternal education, rural-urban disparities (place of residence), family income (wealth/poverty) and high dependency (multiparousity). These factors are associated with child mortality, nutritional status of children, completion of immunisation programmes, health-seeking behaviour and hygiene practices. Conclusions Several social factors influence child health outcomes in Ghana. Developing more effective responses to these social determinants would require sustainable efforts from all stakeholders including the Government, healthcare providers and families. We recommend the development of interventions that would support families through direct social support initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty and inequality, and indirect approaches targeted at eliminating the dependence of poor health outcomes on social factors. Importantly, the expansion of quality free education interventions to improve would-be-mother’s health knowledge is emphasised. PMID:26745277

Social Factors Influencing Child Health in Ghana.

PubMed

Quansah, Emmanuel; Ohene, Lilian Akorfa; Norman, Linda; Mireku, Michael Osei; Karikari, Thomas K

2016-01-01

Social factors have profound effects on health. Children are especially vulnerable to social influences, particularly in their early years. Adverse social exposures in childhood can lead to chronic disorders later in life. Here, we sought to identify and evaluate the impact of social factors on child health in Ghana. As Ghana is unlikely to achieve the Millennium Development Goals' target of reducing child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015, we deemed it necessary to identify social determinants that might have contributed to the non-realisation of this goal. ScienceDirect, PubMed, MEDLINE via EBSCO and Google Scholar were searched for published articles reporting on the influence of social factors on child health in Ghana. After screening the 98 articles identified, 34 of them that met our inclusion criteria were selected for qualitative review. Major social factors influencing child health in the country include maternal education, rural-urban disparities (place of residence), family income (wealth/poverty) and high dependency (multiparousity). These factors are associated with child mortality, nutritional status of children, completion of immunisation programmes, health-seeking behaviour and hygiene practices. Several social factors influence child health outcomes in Ghana. Developing more effective responses to these social determinants would require sustainable efforts from all stakeholders including the Government, healthcare providers and families. We recommend the development of interventions that would support families through direct social support initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty and inequality, and indirect approaches targeted at eliminating the dependence of poor health outcomes on social factors. Importantly, the expansion of quality free education interventions to improve would-be-mother's health knowledge is emphasised.

Factors influencing food choice of athletes at international competition events.

PubMed

Pelly, Fiona E; Burkhart, Sarah J; Dunn, Peter

2018-02-01

Although the nutrient requirements and dietary intake of athletes have been thoroughly investigated, little is known about the influences on their food choice, particularly prior to and during competition. This study sought to investigate factors that influence food selection of athletes at two similar international competition events: the Melbourne 2006 and Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games. A secondary aim was to explore differences in these factors between at each event given the culturally diverse locations. A survey developed for this study was distributed to athletes in the village dining hall at both events. Athletes scored a selection of factors influencing food choice on a scale of 1 (not important) to 5 (very important). A total of 769 individuals completed the questionnaire in total, with 351 (46%) from Delhi and 418 (54%) from Melbourne. Overall, athletes rated nutrient composition (M = 4.22), stage of competition (M = 4.09), time of day (M = 4.02) and familiarity of the food (M = 4.07) higher than sensory properties (smell M = 3.88; visual appearance M = 3.22) when making a food selection. Visual appearance (p = 0.01), stage of competition (p < 0.001) and time of day (p = 0.01) had greater influence in Delhi than Melbourne. Overall, a significantly higher proportion of female athletes rated smell (p < 0.001) and familiar food (p < 0.001) as important compared to males. The stage of competition and nutrition composition was rated as very important by the greatest proportion of athletes from weight category sports (61.9%) and endurance sports (57.9%) respectively. The influence of the coach and team mates was less of an influence than other factors, but more so for athletes from Non-Western regions. Further investigation of the various determinants and motives for food section of athletes from a range of sports and cultures is warranted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing seasonal influenza vaccination behaviour among elderly people: a systematic review.

PubMed

Kan, T; Zhang, J

2018-03-01

To explore the behaviour-related factors influencing influenza vaccination among elderly people using a framework derived from the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). Systematic review. Five databases were searched using predetermined strategies in March 2016, and 1927 citations were identified. Articles were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Key information was extracted from selected studies using a predesigned sheet. Both authors assessed study quality using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) or Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Thirty-six articles were selected. A new framework was proposed that contributes to shared understanding of factors influencing health behaviour. Possible determinants of influenza vaccination among elderly people were knowledge, health promotion factors, all constructs of the HBM, and some concepts of the TRA. Key factors were threat perception, behavioural beliefs, subjective norms, recommendations, past behaviour and perceived barriers. This is the first systematic review to analyse the factors influencing influenza vaccination behaviour of elderly people using a framework integrating the HBM and the TRA. The framework identified key factors of influenza vaccination and presented the inter-relation of behaviour-related variables. However, further well-designed studies are required to explore the inter-relationships accurately and comprehensively. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting orthopedic residency selection: a cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

Strelzow, Jason; Petretta, Robert; Broekhuyse, Henry M.

2017-01-01

Background Annually, orthopedic residency programs rank and recruit the best possible candidates. Little evidence exists identifying factors that potential candidates use to select their career paths. Recent literature from nonsurgical programs suggests hospital, social and program-based factors influence program selection. We sought to determine what factors influence the choice of an orthopedic career and a candidate’s choice of orthopedic residency program. Methods We surveyed medical student applicants to orthopedic programs and current Canadian orthopedic surgery residents (postgraduate year [PGY] 1–5). The confidential online survey focused on 3 broad categories of program selection: educational, program cohesion and noneducation factors. Questions were graded on a Likert Scale and tailed for mean scores. Results In total, 139 residents from 11 of 17 Canadian orthopedic programs (49% response rate) and 23 medical student applicants (88% response rate) completed our survey. Orthopedic electives and mandatory rotations were reported by 71% of participants as somewhat or very important to their career choice. Collegiality among residents (4.70 ± 0.6), program being the “right fit” (4.65 ± 0.53) and current resident satisfaction with their chosen program (4.63 ±0.66) were ranked with the highest mean scores on a 5-point Likert scale. Conclusion There are several modifiable factors that residency programs may use to attract applicants, including early availability of clerkship rotations and a strong mentorship environment emphasizing both resident–resident and resident–staff cohesion. Desirable residency programs should develop early access to surgical and operative skills. These must be balanced with a continued emphasis on top-level orthopedic training. PMID:28327273

Choosing a Surgeon: An Exploratory Study of Factors Influencing Selection of a Gender Affirmation Surgeon.

PubMed

Ettner, Randi; Ettner, Frederic; White, Tonya

2016-01-01

Purpose: Selecting a healthcare provider is often a complicated process. Many factors appear to govern the decision as to how to select the provider in the patient-provider relationship. While the possibility of changing primary care physicians or specialists exists, decisions regarding surgeons are immutable once surgery has been performed. This study is an attempt to assess the importance attached to various factors involved in selecting a surgeon to perform gender affirmation surgery (GAS). It was hypothesized that owing to the intimate nature of the surgery, the expense typically involved, the emotional meaning attached to the surgery, and other variables, decisions regarding choice of surgeon for this procedure would involve factors other than those that inform more typical healthcare provider selection or surgeon selection for other plastic/reconstructive procedures. Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to individuals who had undergone GAS and individuals who had undergone elective plastic surgery to assess decision-making. Results: The results generally confirm previous findings regarding how patients select providers. Conclusion: Choosing a surgeon to perform gender-affirming surgery is a challenging process, but patients are quite rational in their decision-making. Unlike prior studies, we did not find a preference for gender-concordant surgeons, even though the surgery involves the genital area. Providing strategies and resources for surgical selection can improve patient satisfaction.

Teaching Viewed through Student Performance and Selected Effectiveness Factors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papandreou, Andreas P.

The degree of influence of selected factors upon effective teaching is investigated, as perceived by students through the criterion of their academic performance. A 2-part questionnaire was developed and presented to 528 graduating high school students in Cyprus in 1994-95. Part 1 consisted of four questions on student gender, academic…

Does point-of-purchase nutrition labeling influence meal selections? A test in an Army cafeteria.

PubMed

Sproul, Allen D; Canter, Deborah D; Schmidt, Jeffrey B

2003-07-01

This study assessed the effectiveness of nutrition labeling on sales of targeted entrees and measured the perceived influence that factors such as taste, quality, appearance, fat content, calorie content, and price had on meal selection behavior within an Army cafeteria. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare targeted entrée sales between a 1-year baseline period and two 30-day postintervention periods, after the placement of entrée nutrition labels. A brief questionnaire, distributed to 149 patrons, measured the perceived influence of the aforementioned factors on selections. Analysis of variance detected no significant differences in sales between baseline and the two intervention periods; the factors of taste and quality were rated most influential to meal selection (p < 0.000). A marketing campaign focusing on the health attributes of targeted entrée items was not successful in boosting sales. Sensory attributes (i.e., taste, quality, and appearance) appear to be more influential to meal selection.

Influence of gender and other factors on medical student specialty interest.

PubMed

Boyle, Veronica; Shulruf, Boaz; Poole, Phillippa

2014-09-12

Medical schools must select and educate to meet anticipated health needs. Factors influencing career choice include those of the student and their background as well as subsequent experience. Women have comprised over 50% of medical classes for over 20 years. This study describes gender patterns of current specialty interest among medical students at the University of Auckland, and models the predictive effect of gender compared to other career influencing factors. The study analysed career intention survey data from 711 graduating medical students (response rate, 79%) from 2006 to 2011. Interest level was highest for medicine, followed by subspecialty surgery, general practice and paediatrics. There were differences by gender for most specialties, but not for general practice. Women were more likely than men to be interested in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Geriatrics, Public Health or General Medicine, and less interested in Surgery, Anaesthesia, Emergency Medicine or post graduate study. Each specialty had a different pattern of influencing factors with the most important factor being the experience on a clinical attachment. Factors in career choice are complex and vary by gender and specialty. General practice levels of interest are too low for workforce needs. Predictive models need to be validated in longer term studies but may help guide selection and curriculum design.

Waterbird nest-site selection is influenced by neighboring nests and island topography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hartman, Christopher; Ackerman, Joshua T.; Takekawa, John Y.; Herzog, Mark

2016-01-01

Avian nest-site selection is influenced by factors operating across multiple spatial scales. Identifying preferred physical characteristics (e.g., topography, vegetation structure) can inform managers to improve nesting habitat suitability. However, social factors (e.g., attraction, territoriality, competition) can complicate understanding physical characteristics preferred by nesting birds. We simultaneously evaluated the physical characteristics and social factors influencing selection of island nest sites by colonial-nesting American avocets (Recurvirostra americana) and Forster's terns (Sterna forsteri) at 2 spatial scales in San Francisco Bay, 2011–2012. At the larger island plot (1 m2) scale, we used real-time kinematics to produce detailed topographies of nesting islands and map the distribution of nests. Nesting probability was greatest in island plots between 0.5 m and 1.5 m above the water surface, at distances <10 m from the water's edge, and of moderately steep (avocets) or flat (terns) slopes. Further, avocet and tern nesting probability increased as the number of nests initiated in adjacent plots increased up to a peak of 11–12 tern nests, and then decreased thereafter. Yet, avocets were less likely to nest in plots adjacent to plots with nesting avocets, suggesting an influence of intra-specific territoriality. At the smaller microhabitat scale, or the area immediately surrounding the nest, we compared topography, vegetation, and distance to nearest nest between nest sites and paired random sites. Topography had little influence on selection of the nest microhabitat. Instead, nest sites were more likely to have vegetation present, and greater cover, than random sites. Finally, avocet, and to a lesser extent tern, nest sites were closer to other active conspecific or heterospecific nests than random sites, indicating that social attraction played a role in selection of nest microhabitat. Our results demonstrate key differences in nest

Factors That Influence the Understanding of Good Mathematics Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leong, Kwan Eu

2013-01-01

This study explored the factors that influenced the understanding of good mathematics teaching. A mixed methodology was used investigate the beliefs of beginning secondary teachers on good mathematics teaching. The two research instruments used in this study were the survey questionnaire and an interview. Beginning teachers selected Immediate…

The influence of occupational chronic lead exposure on the levels of selected pro-inflammatory cytokines and angiogenic factors.

PubMed

Machoń-Grecka, A; Dobrakowski, M; Boroń, M; Lisowska, G; Kasperczyk, A; Kasperczyk, S

2017-05-01

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of occupational exposure to lead on the blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and selected factors that influence angiogenesis. The study population was divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 56 male workers chronically exposed to lead. The second group (control) was comprised of 24 male administrative workers. The serum levels of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were significantly higher in the group of workers chronically exposed to lead compared to control values by 38%, 68%, and 57%, respectively. Similarly, the values of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1) and fibroblast growth factor-basic (FGF-basic) were higher by 19% and 63%, respectively. In the group of workers chronically exposed to lead, there were positive correlations between the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and angiogenic factors (VEGF, FGF-basic, sVEGFR-1, and soluble angiopoietin receptor). In the control group, there were no correlations between the levels of the abovementioned parameters. Results of the present study indicate that chronic occupational lead exposure promotes inflammatory processes via induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, modulates angiogenesis, and elicits interdependencies between the immune response and angiogenic factors.

Factors Influencing the Academic Progression of African American Male Students in Selected North Carolina Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Dorrance

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that African American males perceived as influencing their retention in higher education. The purpose was also to discover African American males' perceptions of their freshman year experiences and how the university's initiatives influenced their decision to return their sophomore year.…

Factors Influencing Renewable Energy Production & Supply - A Global Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Anika; Saqlawi, Juman Al

2016-04-01

Renewable energy is one of the key technologies through which the energy needs of the future can be met in a sustainable and carbon-neutral manner. Increasing the share of renewable energy in the total energy mix of each country is therefore a critical need. While different countries have approached this in different ways, there are some common aspects which influence the pace and effectiveness of renewable energy incorporation. This presentation looks at data and information from 34 selected countries, analyses the patterns, compares the different parameters and identifies the common factors which positively influence renewable energy incorporation. The most successful countries are analysed for their renewable energy performance against their GDP, policy/regulatory initiatives in the field of renewables, landmass, climatic conditions and population to identify the most influencing factors to bring about positive change in renewable energy share.

[Influence of selected endogenous and environmental factors on the course and complications of Grave's disease].

PubMed

Kurzynska, Anna; Przybylik-Mazurek, Elwira; Węgrzynowicz, Katarzyna; Morzywołek, Aleksandra; Wieczorek, Agata; Żarnowska, Maja; Hubalewska-Dydejczyk, Alicja

2014-01-01

Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune thyroid disease with complex and not fully established etiology. It occurs when environmental factors influence people genetically prone to this illness. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of selected factors (endogenous and environmental) on the course and complications of disease in patients with recurrent GD. Two hundred and four patients with relapsed GD, treated in the Clinical Department of Endocrinology in University Hospital in Cracow in years 2004-2006 and then in 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who agreed to participate in the study were sent questionnaire to complete. Demographic and clinical data were collected and entered into a database. Patient data included: gender, place of living, lifestyle (smoking), family history of autoimmune diseases, the course of the disease, its symptoms and the treatment strategy. Furthermore the medical documentation was analyzed. Descriptive statistical analyses were made. The study showed a significant difference in the frequency of appearance of ophthalmopathy between men and women (80% and 37.14%, respectively, p = 0.041), between smokers and nonsmokers (61.9% and 21.05%, respectively, p = 0.022) and between the age of patients with positive and negative family history of autoimmune diseases (37.6 years and 50.5 years respectively, p = 0.002). 1. Male gender is a risk factor for ophthalmopathy in GD. 2. Cigarette smoking affects the risk of Graves' ophthalmopathy. 3. A positive family history of thyroid diseases and/or autoimmune diseases promotes the development of GD at a younger age.

Multiple Factors Influence Glomerular Albumin Permeability in Rats

PubMed Central

Sandoval, Ruben M.; Wagner, Mark C.; Patel, Monica; Campos-Bilderback, Silvia B.; Rhodes, George J.; Wang, Exing; Wean, Sarah E.; Clendenon, Sherry S.

2012-01-01

Different laboratories recently reported incongruous results describing the quantification of albumin filtration using two-photon microscopy. We investigated the factors that influence the glomerular sieving coefficient for albumin (GSCA) in an effort to explain these discordant reports and to develop standard operating procedures for determining GSCA. Multiple factors influenced GSCA, including the kidney depth of image acquisition (10–20 μm was appropriate), the selection of fluorophore (probes emitting longer wavelengths were superior), the selection of plasma regions for fluorescence measurements, the size and molecular dispersion characteristics of dextran polymers if used, dietary status, and the genetic strain of rat. Fasting reduced the GSCA in Simonsen Munich Wistar rats from 0.035±0.005 to 0.016±0.004 (P<0.01). Frömter Munich Wistar rats had a much lower GSCA in both the fed and the fasted states. Finally, we documented extensive albumin transcytosis with vesicular and tubular delivery to and fusion with the basolateral membrane in S1 proximal tubule cells. In summary, these results help explain the previously conflicting microscopy and micropuncture data describing albumin filtration and highlight the dynamic nature of glomerular albumin permeability. PMID:22223875

Social Influence and Selection Processes as Predictors of Normative Perceptions and Alcohol Use across the Transition to College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abar, Caitlin C.; Maggs, Jennifer L.

2010-01-01

Research indicates that social influences impact college students' alcohol consumption; however, how selection processes may serve as an influential factor predicting alcohol use in this population has not been widely addressed. A model of influence and selection processes contributing to alcohol use across the transition to college was examined…

Influences on selection of assistive technology for young children in South Africa: perspectives from rehabilitation professionals.

PubMed

van Niekerk, Karin; Dada, Shakila; Tönsing, Kerstin

2017-12-20

Selection of assistive technology for young children is a complex process. Within a context with limited resources, such as South Africa, research is needed to determine the factors influencing the assistive technology selection process, as these could ultimately either facilitate or hinder the availability and accessibility of affordable, adaptable, acceptable, and high quality assistive technology for this age group. Two asynchronous online focus groups were conducted with 16 rehabilitation professionals to identify the factors they perceived to influence the selection and provision of assistive technology to young children within the South African context. A process of deductive thematic analysis was followed by inductive analysis of the data. Components of the Assistive Technology Device Selection Framework were used as themes to guide the deductive analysis, followed by inductive analysis to create subthemes. The important role of the professional was highlighted in negotiating all the factors to consider in the assistive technology selection and provision process. Adaptation of the Assistive Technology Device Selection Framework is suggested in order to facilitate application to low resourced contexts, such as South Africa. Implications for rehabilitation Assistive technology selection is a complex process with factors pertaining to the users (child and family) of the assistive technology, as well as the rehabilitation professional recommending the assistive technology influencing the process. Although it may be an important factor, the availability of financial resources to purchase assistive technology is not the only determining factor in providing appropriate assistive technology to young children in contexts with limited resources. Formalized support, such as reflective supervision or mentorship programs should be facilitated and utilized by recommending professionals. Home and school visits during assessment ensure a good match between assistive

Factors influencing US medical students' decision to pursue surgery.

PubMed

Schmidt, Lauren E; Cooper, Clairice A; Guo, Weidun Alan

2016-06-01

Interest and applications to surgery have steadily decreased over recent years in the United States. The goal of this review is to collect the current literature regarding US medical students' experience in surgery and factors influencing their intention to pursue surgery as a career. We hypothesize that multiple factors influence US medical students' career choice in surgery. Six electronic databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Education Resources Information Center, Embase, and PsycINFO) were searched. The inclusion criteria were studies published after the new century related to factors influencing surgical career choice among US medical students. Factors influencing US medical student surgical career decision-making were recorded. A quality index score was given to each article selected to minimize risk of bias. We identified 38 relevant articles of more than 1000 nonduplicated titles. The factors influencing medical student decision for a surgical career were categorized into five domains: mentorship and role model (n = 12), experience (clerkship n = 9, stereotype n = 4), timing of exposure (n = 9), personal (lifestyle n = 8, gender n = 6, finance n = 3), and others (n = 2). This comprehensive systemic review identifies mentorship, experience in surgery, stereotypes, timing of exposure, and personal factors to be major determinants in medical students' decisions to pursue surgery. These represent areas that can be improved to attract applicants to general surgery residencies. Surgical faculty and residents can have a positive influence on medical students' decisions to pursue surgery as a career. Early introduction to the field of surgery, as well as recruitment strategies during the preclinical and clinical years of medical school can increase students' interest in a surgical career. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Breeding site selection by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in relation to large wood additions and factors that influence reproductive success

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Steven M.; Dunham, Jason B.; McEnroe, Jeffery R.; Lightcap, Scott W.

2014-01-01

The fitness of female Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) with respect to breeding behavior can be partitioned into at least four fitness components: survival to reproduction, competition for breeding sites, success of egg incubation, and suitability of the local environment near breeding sites for early rearing of juveniles. We evaluated the relative influences of habitat features linked to these fitness components with respect to selection of breeding sites by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). We also evaluated associations between breeding site selection and additions of large wood, as the latter were introduced into the study system as a means of restoring habitat conditions to benefit coho salmon. We used a model selection approach to organize specific habitat features into groupings reflecting fitness components and influences of large wood. Results of this work suggest that female coho salmon likely select breeding sites based on a wide range of habitat features linked to all four hypothesized fitness components. More specifically, model parameter estimates indicated that breeding site selection was most strongly influenced by proximity to pool-tail crests and deeper water (mean and maximum depths). Linkages between large wood and breeding site selection were less clear. Overall, our findings suggest that breeding site selection by coho salmon is influenced by a suite of fitness components in addition to the egg incubation environment, which has been the emphasis of much work in the past.

Factors Influencing College Decision-Making for First-Generation Appalachian Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Kristy Lynn

2012-01-01

This investigation determined the degree of importance for selected personal-psychological, academic, peer, financial, and family factors influencing the decision to attend college by first-generation, Appalachian (FGA) sophomore students. Outcomes were further related to the degree of academic and social integration in college and the likelihood…

Influence of olfactory and visual cover on nest site selection and nest success for grassland-nesting birds.

PubMed

Fogarty, Dillon T; Elmore, R Dwayne; Fuhlendorf, Samuel D; Loss, Scott R

2017-08-01

Habitat selection by animals is influenced by and mitigates the effects of predation and environmental extremes. For birds, nest site selection is crucial to offspring production because nests are exposed to extreme weather and predation pressure. Predators that forage using olfaction often dominate nest predator communities; therefore, factors that influence olfactory detection (e.g., airflow and weather variables, including turbulence and moisture) should influence nest site selection and survival. However, few studies have assessed the importance of olfactory cover for habitat selection and survival. We assessed whether ground-nesting birds select nest sites based on visual and/or olfactory cover. Additionally, we assessed the importance of visual cover and airflow and weather variables associated with olfactory cover in influencing nest survival. In managed grasslands in Oklahoma, USA, we monitored nests of Northern Bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus ), Eastern Meadowlark ( Sturnella magna ), and Grasshopper Sparrow ( Ammodramus savannarum ) during 2015 and 2016. To assess nest site selection, we compared cover variables between nests and random points. To assess factors influencing nest survival, we used visual cover and olfactory-related measurements (i.e., airflow and weather variables) to model daily nest survival. For nest site selection, nest sites had greater overhead visual cover than random points, but no other significant differences were found. Weather variables hypothesized to influence olfactory detection, specifically precipitation and relative humidity, were the best predictors of and were positively related to daily nest survival. Selection for overhead cover likely contributed to mitigation of thermal extremes and possibly reduced detectability of nests. For daily nest survival, we hypothesize that major nest predators focused on prey other than the monitored species' nests during high moisture conditions, thus increasing nest survival on these

Modelling crop land use change derived from influencing factors selected and ranked by farmers in North temperate agricultural regions.

PubMed

Mehdi, Bano; Lehner, Bernhard; Ludwig, Ralf

2018-08-01

To develop meaningful land use scenarios, drivers that affect changes in the landscape are required. In this study, driving factors that influence farmers to change crops on their farm were determined. A questionnaire was administered to four independent groups of farmers who identified and ranked influencing factors pertaining to their choices of crops. The farmers were located in two mid-latitude agricultural watersheds (in Germany and Canada). The ranked influencing factors were used to develop a "farmer driven" scenario to 2040 in both watersheds. Results showed that the most important influencing factors for farmers to change crops were the "economic return of the crop" and "market factors". Yet, when the drivers of crop land use change were grouped into two categories of "financial" and "indirectly-related financial" factors, the "financial" factors made up approximately half of the influencing factors. For some responses, the "indirectly-related financial" factors (i.e. "access to farm equipment", the "farm experience", and "climate") ranked higher than or just as high as the financial factors. Overall, in the four farmer groups the differences between the rankings of the influencing factors were minor, indicating that drivers may be transferable between farms if the farmers are full-time and the farming regions have comparable growing seasons, access to markets, similar technology, and government programs for farm income. In addition to the "farmer driven" scenario, a "policy driven" scenario was derived for each watershed based only on available information on the financial incentives provided to farmers (i.e. agricultural subsidies, income support, crop insurance). The influencing factors ranked by the farmers provided in-depth information that was not captured by the "policy driven" scenario and contributed to improving predictions for crop land use development. This straight-forward method to rank qualitative data provided by farmers can easily be

An Examination of Factors Influencing Students Selection of Business Majors Using TRA Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Anil; Kumar, Poonam

2013-01-01

Making decisions regarding the selection of a business major is both very important and challenging for students. An understanding of this decision-making process can be valuable for students, parents, and university programs. The current study applies the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) consumer decision-making model to examine factors that…

Factors Influencing the Reliability of the Glasgow Coma Scale: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Reith, Florence Cm; Synnot, Anneliese; van den Brande, Ruben; Gruen, Russell L; Maas, Andrew Ir

2017-06-01

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) characterizes patients with diminished consciousness. In a recent systematic review, we found overall adequate reliability across different clinical settings, but reliability estimates varied considerably between studies, and methodological quality of studies was overall poor. Identifying and understanding factors that can affect its reliability is important, in order to promote high standards for clinical use of the GCS. The aim of this systematic review was to identify factors that influence reliability and to provide an evidence base for promoting consistent and reliable application of the GCS. A comprehensive literature search was undertaken in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL from 1974 to July 2016. Studies assessing the reliability of the GCS in adults or describing any factor that influences reliability were included. Two reviewers independently screened citations, selected full texts, and undertook data extraction and critical appraisal. Methodological quality of studies was evaluated with the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments checklist. Data were synthesized narratively and presented in tables. Forty-one studies were included for analysis. Factors identified that may influence reliability are education and training, the level of consciousness, and type of stimuli used. Conflicting results were found for experience of the observer, the pathology causing the reduced consciousness, and intubation/sedation. No clear influence was found for the professional background of observers. Reliability of the GCS is influenced by multiple factors and as such is context dependent. This review points to the potential for improvement from training and education and standardization of assessment methods, for which recommendations are presented. Copyright © 2017 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

It Takes Three: Selection, Influence, and De-Selection Processes of Depression in Adolescent Friendship Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Zalk, Maarten Herman Walter; Kerr, Margaret; Branje, Susan J. T.; Stattin, Hakan; Meeus, Wim H. J.

2010-01-01

The authors of this study tested a selection-influence-de-selection model of depression. This model explains friendship influence processes (i.e., friends' depressive symptoms increase adolescents' depressive symptoms) while controlling for two processes: friendship selection (i.e., selection of friends with similar levels of depressive symptoms)…

Perceptual load corresponds with factors known to influence visual search.

PubMed

Roper, Zachary J J; Cosman, Joshua D; Vecera, Shaun P

2013-10-01

One account of the early versus late selection debate in attention proposes that perceptual load determines the locus of selection. Attention selects stimuli at a late processing level under low-load conditions but selects stimuli at an early level under high-load conditions. Despite the successes of perceptual load theory, a noncircular definition of perceptual load remains elusive. We investigated the factors that influence perceptual load by using manipulations that have been studied extensively in visual search, namely target-distractor similarity and distractor-distractor similarity. Consistent with previous work, search was most efficient when targets and distractors were dissimilar and the displays contained homogeneous distractors; search became less efficient when target-distractor similarity increased irrespective of display heterogeneity. Importantly, we used these same stimuli in a typical perceptual load task that measured attentional spillover to a task-irrelevant flanker. We found a strong correspondence between search efficiency and perceptual load; stimuli that generated efficient searches produced flanker interference effects, suggesting that such displays involved low perceptual load. Flanker interference effects were reduced in displays that produced less efficient searches. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that search difficulty, as measured by search intercept, has little bearing on perceptual load. We conclude that rather than be arbitrarily defined, perceptual load might be defined by well-characterized, continuous factors that influence visual search. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Perceptual load corresponds with factors known to influence visual search

PubMed Central

Roper, Zachary J. J.; Cosman, Joshua D.; Vecera, Shaun P.

2014-01-01

One account of the early versus late selection debate in attention proposes that perceptual load determines the locus of selection. Attention selects stimuli at a late processing level under low-load conditions but selects stimuli at an early level under high-load conditions. Despite the successes of perceptual load theory, a non-circular definition of perceptual load remains elusive. We investigated the factors that influence perceptual load by using manipulations that have been studied extensively in visual search, namely target-distractor similarity and distractor-distractor similarity. Consistent with previous work, search was most efficient when targets and distractors were dissimilar and the displays contained homogeneous distractors; search became less efficient when target-distractor similarity increased irrespective of display heterogeneity. Importantly, we used these same stimuli in a typical perceptual load task that measured attentional spill-over to a task-irrelevant flanker. We found a strong correspondence between search efficiency and perceptual load; stimuli that generated efficient searches produced flanker interference effects, suggesting that such displays involved low perceptual load. Flanker interference effects were reduced in displays that produced less efficient searches. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that search difficulty, as measured by search intercept, has little bearing on perceptual load. These results suggest that perceptual load might be defined in part by well-characterized, continuous factors that influence visual search. PMID:23398258

Relative importance of natural and anthropogenic factors influencing karst rocky desertification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Erqi; Zhang, Hongqi

2017-04-01

As the most severe ecological issue in southwest China, karst rocky desertification (KRD) has both threatened and constrained regional sustainable development. Comprehensively understanding the relationship between the evolution of KRD and relevant driving data would provide more information to combat KRD in such complex karst environments. Past studies have been limited in quantifying the relative importance of driving factors influencing fine-scale KRD evolution, and have also lacked insight into their interactive impacts. To address these issues, we have used geographical information system techniques and a geographical detector model to explore the spatial consistency of driving factors and their interactions in relation to the evolution of KRD. Changshun County in China was selected as a representative area for the study. Nine relevant driving factors, including both natural and anthropogenic factors, were studied in regard to their relationships with KRD transformation between 2000 and 2010. Our results demonstrate the relative importance of driving data in influencing the improvement and deterioration of KRD. Lithology, soil type and road influence are identified as the leading factors. Interestingly, to our study at least, there is no significant difference between the impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors influencing KRD improvement, and even natural factors have a higher impact on KRD deterioration. Factors were found to enhance the influence of each other for KRD transformation. In particular, the results show a non-linearly enhanced effect between driving factors, which significantly aggravates KRD. New information found in our study helps to effectively control and restore areas afflicted by KRD.

Profiling contextual factors which influence safety in heavy vehicle industries.

PubMed

Edwards, Jason R D; Davey, Jeremy; Armstrong, Kerry A

2014-12-01

A significant proportion of worker fatalities within Australia result from truck-related incidents. Truck drivers face a number of health and safety concerns. Safety culture, viewed here as the beliefs, attitudes and values shared by an organisation's workers, which interact with their surrounding context to influence behaviour, may provide a valuable lens for exploring safety-related behaviours in heavy vehicle operations. To date no major research has examined safety culture within heavy vehicle industries. As safety culture provides a means to interpret experiences and generate behaviour, safety culture research should be conducted with an awareness of the context surrounding safety. The current research sought to examine previous health and safety research regarding heavy vehicle operations to profile contextual factors which influence health and safety. A review of 104 peer-reviewed papers was conducted. Findings of these papers were then thematically analysed. A number of behaviours and scenarios linked with crashes and non-crash injuries were identified, along with a selection of health outcomes. Contextual factors which were found to influence these outcomes were explored. These factors were found to originate from government departments, transport organisations, customers and the road and work environment. The identified factors may provide points of interaction, whereby culture may influence health and safety outcomes. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Factors that influence career choice in primary care among medical students starting social service in Honduras.

PubMed

Puertas, E Benjamín; Rivera, Tamara Y

2016-11-01

To 1) describe patterns of specialty choice; 2) investigate relationships between career selection and selected demographic indicators; and 3) identify salary perception, factors that influence career choice in primary care, and factors that influence desired location of future medical practice. The study used a mixed-methods approach that included a cross-sectional questionnaire survey applied to 234 last-year medical students in Honduras (September 2014), and semi-structured interviews with eight key informants (October 2014). Statistical analysis included chi-square and factor analysis. An alpha level of 0.05 was used to determine significance. In the qualitative analysis, several codes were associated with each other, and five major themes emerged. Primary care careers were the preferred choice for 8.1% of students, who preferred urban settings for future practice location. The perceived salary of specialties other than primary care was significantly higher than those of general practitioners, family practitioners, and pediatricians (P < 0.001). Participants considered "making a difference," income, teaching, prestige, and challenging work the most important factors influencing career choice. Practice in ambulatory settings was significantly associated with a preference for primary care specialties (P = < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis found that factors related to patient-based care were statistically significant for selecting primary care (P = 0.006). The qualitative analysis further endorsed the survey findings, identifying additional factors that influence career choice (future work option; availability of residency positions; and social factors, including violence). Rationales behind preference of a specialty appeared to be based on a combination of ambition and prestige, and on personal and altruistic considerations. Most factors that influence primary care career choice are similar to those found in the literature. There are several factors

Perceptions of College Students on Social Factors That Influence Student Matriculation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Jeremy L.; LaVergne, Douglas D.; Boone, Harry N., Jr.; Boone, Deborah A.

2012-01-01

This study analyzed undergraduate students' (n = 280) attitudes toward selected social factors that would influence and discourage student persistence at a four-year research university. Using a modified Delphi technique to construct the questionnaire, the researchers discovered that family encouragement, positive relationships with professors,…

Factors influencing alternative splice site utilization in vivo.

PubMed Central

Fu, X Y; Manley, J L

1987-01-01

To study factors that influence the choice of alternative pre-mRNA splicing pathways, we introduced plasmids expressing either wild-type or mutated simian virus 40 (SV40) early regions into tissue culture cells and then measured the quantities of small-t and large-T RNAs produced. One important element controlling splice site selection was found to be the size of the intron removed in the production of small-t mRNA; expansion of this intron (from 66 to 77 or more nucleotides) resulted in a substantial increase in the amount of small-t mRNA produced relative to large-T mRNA. This suggests that in the normal course of SV40 early pre-mRNA processing, large-T splicing is at a competitive advantage relative to small-t splicing because of the small size of the latter intron. Several additional features of the pre-mRNA that can influence splice site selection were also identified by analyzing the effects of mutations containing splice site duplications. These include the strengths of competing 5' splice sites and the relative positions of splice sites in the pre-mRNA. Finally, we showed that the ratio of small-t to large-T mRNA was 10 to 15-fold greater in human 293 cells than in HeLa cells or other mammalian cell types. These results suggest the existence of cell-specific trans-acting factors that can dramatically alter the pattern of splice site selection in a pre-mRNA. Images PMID:3029566

Factors Influencing Consumers Intention for Online Grocery Shopping - A Proposed Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauzi, SFF; Thoo, AC; Tan, LC; Muharam, FM; Talib, NA

2017-06-01

Nowadays, Internet is one of the most popular platforms for people to do online shopping including grocery items. Many studies have been conducted to investigate the determinants of customer intentions for online grocery shopping. Till now, there is no consensus on what are the factors that actually influencing people to shop grocery items through Internet. This paper aims to explore the factors such as social influences, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivations, perceived risk and perceived trust that influence the consumer intention to purchase grocery online. Questionnaires will be the main instrument of the study and they will be distributed to target respondents using Internet survey. Respondents of the study will be selected using convenience sampling. After data collection, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) will be employed for data analysis. Overall, the result of the study is important to retailers to identify the important factors in increasing their customers’ intention to purchase grocery online.

Factors influencing training transfer in nursing profession: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Ma, Fang; Bai, Yangjing; Bai, Yangjuan; Ma, Weiguang; Yang, Xiangyu; Li, Jiping

2018-03-20

There is a growing recognition that training is not translated into performance and the 'transfer problem' exists in organization training today. Although factors contributing to training transfer have been identified in business and industry, the factors influencing training transfer in nursing profession remain less clear. A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken in two tertiary referral hospitals in China from February 2013 to September 2013. Purposeful sampling of 24 nursing staffs were interviewed about the factors influencing training transfer. Seven themes evolved from the analysis, categorized in 4 main domains, which described the factors influencing training transfer in nursing profession in trainee characteristics, training design, work environment and profession domain. The trainee characteristics domain included attitude and ability. The training design domain included training content and instruction method. The work environment domain included supports as facilitators and opposition as hindrance. The theme pertaining to the profession domain was professional development. Health care managers need to understand the factors influencing training transfer for maximizing the benefits of training. The right beliefs and values about training, the rigorous employee selection for training, the relevance of training content, training instructions facilitating learning and transfer, supports from peer, supervisors and the organization, organizational culture such as change, sharing, learning and support, and professional development are key to successful training transfer. Furthermore, managers should be aware of the opposition from co-workers and find ways to prevent it.

[Natural factors influencing sleep].

PubMed

Jurkowski, Marek K; Bobek-Billewicz, Barbara

2007-01-01

Sleep is a universal phenomenon of human and animal lives, although the importance of sleep for homeo-stasis is still unknown. Sleep disturbances influence many behavioral and physiologic processes, leading to health complications including death. On the other hand, sleep improvement can beneficially influence the course of healing of many disorders and can be a prognostic of health recovery. The factors influencing sleep have different biological and chemical origins. They are classical hormones, hypothalamic releasing and inhibitory hormones, neuropeptides, peptides and others as cytokines, prostaglandins, oleamid, adenosine, nitric oxide. These factors regulate most physiologic processes and are likely elements integrating sleep with physiology and physiology with sleep in health and disorders.

Factors Influencing the Selection of Standardized Tests for the Diagnosis of Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Betz, Stacy K.; Eickhoff, Jessica R.; Sullivan, Shanleigh F.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Standardized tests are one of the primary assessment tools used by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to diagnose child language impairment. Numerous child language tests are commercially available; however, it is unknown what factors lead clinicians to select particular tests to use in clinical practice. This study investigated whether…

Influences of Vehicle Size and Mass and Selected Driver Factors on Odds of Driver Fatality

PubMed Central

Padmanaban, Jeya

2003-01-01

Research was undertaken to determine vehicle size parameters influencing driver fatality odds, independent of mass, in two-vehicle collisions. Forty vehicle parameters were evaluated for 1,500 vehicle groupings. Logistic regression analyses show driver factors (belt use, age, drinking) collectively contribute more to fatality odds than vehicle factors, and that mass is the most important vehicular parameter influencing fatality odds for all crash configurations. In car crashes, other vehicle parameters with statistical significance had a second order effect compared to mass. In light truck-to-car crashes, “vehicle type-striking vehicle is light truck” was the most important parameter after mass, followed by vehicle height and bumper height, with second order effect. To understand the importance of “vehicle type” variable, further investigation of vehicle “stiffness” and other passenger car/light truck differentiating parameters is warranted. PMID:12941244

Factors influencing the effectiveness of research ethics committees.

PubMed

Schuppli, C A; Fraser, D

2007-05-01

Research ethics committees - animal ethics committees (AECs) for animal-based research and institutional research boards (IRBs) for human subjects - have a key role in research governance, but there has been little study of the factors influencing their effectiveness. The objectives of this study were to examine how the effectiveness of a research ethics committee is influenced by committee composition and dynamics, recruitment of members, workload, participation level and member turnover. As a model, 28 members of AECs at four universities in western Canada were interviewed. Committees were selected to represent variation in the number and type of protocols reviewed, and participants were selected to include different types of committee members. We found that a bias towards institutional or scientific interests may result from (1) a preponderance of institutional and scientist members, (2) an intimidating atmosphere for community members and other minority members, (3) recruitment of community members who are affiliated with the institution and (4) members joining for reasons other than to fulfil the committee mandate. Thoroughness of protocol review may be influenced by heavy workloads, type of review process and lack of full committee participation. These results, together with results from the literature on research ethics committees, suggested potential ways to improve the effectiveness of research ethics committees.

Influence of psychological factors on the acceptance of complete dentures.

PubMed

al Quran, F; Clifford, T; Cooper, C; Lamey, P J

2001-07-01

To assess the influence of psychological factors on the acceptance of complete dentures in a population wearing dentures judged to be clinically satisfactory. Subjects were asked to complete personality profiles and also to rate their dentures using a denture satisfaction questionnaire. The survey was conducted in the prosthetics clinic of a teaching hospital. Patients were selected from those who had new complete dentures constructed in the department within the previous two years. The personality inventory was a self-administered questionnaire comprising 240 items covering the five domains of personality. Denture satisfaction was scored on a nine item scale with four Likert type responses to each. A group of 16% consistently complained about their dentures. Statistical analysis showed that personality factors especially Neuroticism had a significant relationship with denture satisfaction. Psychological factors significantly influence denture satisfaction and profiles may provide useful in predicting potential difficult denture wearers.

Information acquisition for women facing surgical treatment for breast cancer: influencing factors and selected outcomes.

PubMed

O'Leary, Katherine A; Estabrooks, Carole A; Olson, Kärin; Cumming, Ceinwen

2007-12-01

To examine, summarize, and critically assess the literature focusing on information use by early-stage breast cancer patients. Empirical articles reporting the information needs, sources used/preferred, and intervention-related outcomes experienced by patients in the context of making a treatment choice were chosen. Several healthcare databases were searched. Articles were limited to those published in English between January 1, 1986 and March 31, 2006. A total of 25 articles met the inclusion criteria. Information needs were consistent, and highest rankings were for (in order): information about chances for a cure, stage of disease, and treatment options. Results were equivocal regarding the factors found to influence information need: age, time since diagnosis, and preferred role in decision-making. The highest ranked information sources accessed and preferred were physicians. Age, education, and type of treatment chosen influenced source choice. Patients using consumer decision aids (CDAs) had less decisional conflict, higher satisfaction with the decision made and the decision process, and higher knowledge levels. Information needs and source use were influenced by several personal and contextual factors. A better understanding of source use could provide more effective ways of disseminating information to patients.

Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Inventory Management in Manufacturing SMEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Shiau Wei; Tasmin, R.; Nor Aziati, A. H.; Zuraidah Rasi, Raja; Ismail, Fadillah Binti; Yaw, Li Ping

2017-08-01

Effectiveness of inventory management is a vital part in the manufacturing organization to be more competitive. The previous studies have indicated that there are several factors influencing the effectiveness of inventory management in the organization but there is lack of researchers who carried out the research in the manufacturing small medium enterprise in Johor. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the problem of inventory management faced by the manufacturing small medium enterprise and also to determine the factors that will influence the effectiveness of inventory management. In completing this research, 80 employees were selected randomly from the manufacturing small medium enterprise in Batu Pahat, Johor and they were requested to complete questionnaires. The result have shown that the problems of inventory management faced by manufacturing organization were underproduction, overproduction, stock out situation, delays in the delivery of raw materials and discrepancy of records. The factors, documentation/store records, planning, knowledge of employees/staff skill have shown to significantly influence the effectiveness of inventory management while the funds have shown slightly significant influence on the inventory management in manufacturing small medium enterprises. This quantitative study is important to the manufacturing organization in Malaysia because it provides the guidelines to the employers of manufacturing small medium enterprises in Batu Pahat, Johor.

Practice location factors influencing South Dakota School of Medicine graduates (1977-85).

PubMed

Jarratt, L G; Leonardson, G R; Nord, W J

1989-12-01

Physician numbers and placement continue to be major health delivery concerns in the rural state of South Dakota. This study of four-year graduates (1977-1985) of the South Dakota School of Medicine looks at current factors affecting physician placement and compares placement and location selection factors to a previous study of graduates of the medical school when it was a two-year program (1969-1973). Factors influencing physicians locating in South Dakota were: closeness to their home town and or spouses' home town, residency training in small towns, payment of educational loans, medical school clerkships, time of decision, etc. Factors influencing physicians locating in rural communities (less than 5,000) were: growing up in small communities, residency training in small communities, early location decisions, payment of loans, and high medical need.

Factors influencing patient compliance with therapeutic regimens in chronic heart failure: A critical incident technique analysis.

PubMed

Strömberg, A; Broström, A; Dahlström, U; Fridlund, B

1999-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing compliance with prescribed treatment in patients with chronic heart failure. A qualitative design with a critical incident technique was used. Incidents were collected through interviews with 25 patients with heart failure strategically selected from a primary health care clinic, a medical ward, and a specialist clinic. Two hundred sixty critical incidents were identified in the interviews and 2 main areas emerged in the analysis: inward factors and outward factors. The inward factors described how compliance was influenced by the personality of the patient, the disease, and the treatment. The outward factors described how compliance was influenced by social activities, social relationships, and health care professionals. By identifying the inward and outward factors influencing patients with chronic heart failure, health care professionals can assess whether intervention is needed to increase compliance.

Influence of selection versus lifestyle on risk of fatal cancer and cardiovascular disease among Seventh-day Adventists.

PubMed

Phillips, R L; Kuzma, J W; Beeson, W L; Lotz, T

1980-08-01

The authors examine the influence of selection versus life-style on mortality from various causes for a population of 23,000 California Seventh-Day Adventists. The data are compared with data from a control group of 112,726 other Californians. The selective factors considered include education, occupation, and marital status

The Influence of Free Space Environment in the Mission Life Cycle: Material Selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, David L.; Burns, Howard D.; de Groh, Kim K.

2014-01-01

The natural space environment has a great influence on the ability of space systems to perform according to mission design specification. Understanding the natural space environment and its influence on space system performance is critical to the concept formulation, design, development, and operation of space systems. Compatibility with the natural space environment is a primary factor in determining the functional lifetime of the space system. Space systems being designed and developed today are growing in complexity. In many instances, the increased complexity also increases its sensitivity to space environmental effects. Sensitivities to the natural space environment can be tempered through appropriate design measures, material selection, ground processing, mitigation strategies, and/or the acceptance of known risks. The design engineer must understand the effects of the natural space environment on the space system and its components. This paper will discuss the influence of the natural space environment in the mission life cycle with a specific focus on the role of material selection.

Critical incidents influencing students' selection of elective science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Essary, Danny Ray

Purpose of the study. The purpose of the study was to investigate the critical incidents that determined high school students' self selection into and out of elective science classes. The Critical Incident Technique was used to gather data. Procedure. Subjects for study were 436 students attending five high schools within the geographical boundaries of a Northeast Texas County. Each student was enrolled in a senior level government/economics course during the spring semester of 1997. Students enrolled and in attendance during data collection procedures were subjects of the study. The subjects recorded 712 usable critical incidents. Incidents were categorized by examiners and a total of eleven incident categories emerged for analysis purposes. Incident frequencies were categorized by sample population, selectors, and nonselectors; subdivided by gender. Findings. The following categories emerged for study; (A) Mentored, (B) Requirements, (C) Personal Interest(s), (D) Level of Difficulty, (E) Time Restraints, (F) Future Concerns, (G) Grades, (H) Teacher, (I) Peer Influence, (J) Challenge, (K) Other Academic Experiences. Data were analyzed qualitatively to answer research questions and quantitatively to test hypotheses. There was an emergence of ten incident categories for nonselectors and an emergence of eleven incident categories for selectors. Of the twelve hypotheses, four failed to be rejected and eight were rejected. Conclusions. Nonselectors and selectors of elective science were influenced by various external factors. Requirements were influential for nonselectors. Nonselectors chose to select the minimum number of science classes necessary for graduation. Selectors were influenced by curriculum requirements, future concerns and mentors. Special programs that required extra science classes were influential in students' decisions to enroll in elective science. Gender differences were not influential for selectors or nonselectors of elective science.

When elders choose: Which factors could influence the decision-making among elderly in the selection of health tourism services?

PubMed

Tomasović Mrčela, N; Borovac, J A; Vrdoljak, D; Grazio, S; Tikvica Luetić, A; Tomek-Roksandić, S

2015-12-01

Elderly beneficiaries (age 65+) exhibit specific characteristics that influence the distribution of health tourism market. High incidence of multiple morbidities and functional disability are hallmarks in this age group. For these reasons, elderly population requires different elements and diverse spectrum of services within health tourism, in comparison to younger beneficiaries. Thus, differences would occur within heterogeneous elderly population itself. A preliminary study that we conducted showed that the level of functional independence was one of the significant factors that guided decision-making among elderly beneficiaries when it came to their health tourism-related choices. Results suggested that beneficiaries recognized and appreciated the effect of the natural remedies and attractions available at the given destination. Maritime and continental health tourism are two different entities commonly selected by elderly beneficiaries for therapeutic purposes. We propose that the climate conditions, geographical location and availability of regional natural remedies are the key factors to why different services were elected by different groups of elderly. The model of Croatia, an established country in the field of health tourism was utilized for this purpose. Differences in the diagnostic categories of beneficiaries are expected due to effects of marine (sea, Mediterranean climate) and continental (thermal water, healing mud) health tourism. In addition, multitudes of mutually intertwined factors affect decision-making process among elderly regarding their health tourism choices. Such factors include the scale of preferences (with special emphasis on well-being and health), leisure opportunities, marketing influences, cost (price) and the availability/diversity of health tourism services within the particular region. Moreover, individual psychosocial and physical characteristics, disabilities and other debilitating conditions, examined in our preliminary

Factors influencing global antiretroviral procurement prices.

PubMed

Wirtz, Veronika J; Forsythe, Steven; Valencia-Mendoza, Atanacio; Bautista-Arredondo, Sergio

2009-11-18

Antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) are one of the most costly parts of HIV/AIDS treatment. Many countries are struggling to provide universal access to ARVs for all people living with HIV and AIDS. Although substantial price reductions of ARVs have occurred, especially between 2002 and 2008, achieving sustainable access for the next several decades remains a major challenge for most low- and middle-income countries. The objectives of the present study were twofold: first, to analyze global ARV prices between 2005 and 2008 and associated factors, particularly procurement methods and key donor policies on ARV procurement efficiency; second, to discuss the options of procurement processes and policies that should be considered when implementing or reforming access to ARV programs. An ARV-medicines price-analysis was carried out using the Global Price Reporting Mechanism from the World Health Organization. For a selection of 12 ARVs, global median prices and price variation were calculated. Linear regression models for each ARV were used to identify factors that were associated with lower procurement prices. Logistic regression models were used to identify the characteristics of those countries which procure below the highest and lowest direct manufactured costs. Three key factors appear to have an influence on a country's ARV prices: (a) whether the product is generic or not; (b) the socioeconomic status of the country; (c) whether the country is a member of the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative. Factors which did not influence procurement below the highest direct manufactured costs were HIV prevalence, procurement volume, whether the country belongs to the least developed countries or a focus country of the United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief. One of the principal mechanisms that can help to lower prices for ARV over the next several decades is increasing procurement efficiency. Benchmarking prices could be one useful tool to achieve this.

Factors influencing global antiretroviral procurement prices

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) are one of the most costly parts of HIV/AIDS treatment. Many countries are struggling to provide universal access to ARVs for all people living with HIV and AIDS. Although substantial price reductions of ARVs have occurred, especially between 2002 and 2008, achieving sustainable access for the next several decades remains a major challenge for most low- and middle-income countries. The objectives of the present study were twofold: first, to analyze global ARV prices between 2005 and 2008 and associated factors, particularly procurement methods and key donor policies on ARV procurement efficiency; second, to discuss the options of procurement processes and policies that should be considered when implementing or reforming access to ARV programs. Methods An ARV-medicines price-analysis was carried out using the Global Price Reporting Mechanism from the World Health Organization. For a selection of 12 ARVs, global median prices and price variation were calculated. Linear regression models for each ARV were used to identify factors that were associated with lower procurement prices. Logistic regression models were used to identify the characteristics of those countries which procure below the highest and lowest direct manufactured costs. Results Three key factors appear to have an influence on a country's ARV prices: (a) whether the product is generic or not; (b) the socioeconomic status of the country; (c) whether the country is a member of the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative. Factors which did not influence procurement below the highest direct manufactured costs were HIV prevalence, procurement volume, whether the country belongs to the least developed countries or a focus country of the United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief. Conclusion One of the principal mechanisms that can help to lower prices for ARV over the next several decades is increasing procurement efficiency. Benchmarking prices could be one useful

Factors considered by undergraduate medical students when selecting specialty of their future careers.

PubMed

Alawad, Awad Ali Mohamed Ahmed; Khan, Waleed Shabeer; Abdelrazig, Yousif Mohammed; Elzain, Yamin Ibrahim; Khalil, Hassan Osman; Ahmed, Omer Bakri Elsayed; Adam, Omeralfaroug Ahmed Ibrahim

2015-01-01

Medical students are the source of a country's physicians. Determining how medical students select their areas of specialization is the key to achieve a balanced distribution of doctors among all specialties. The objective is to identify the number of medical students who have decided their postgraduate specialty career, their career specialties preference, and factors that may influence their decision to select a particular specialty. A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2013 at Faculty of Medicine, University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan. A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire comprising demographic data and questions about future specialties preferences and factors influencing those preferences was distributed to 887 male and female students, (from first to fifth academic years) recruited in the study. Response rate was 73% with 647 questionnaires collected, out of 887 eligible medical students. Of the returned questionnaires, 604 were valid. The majority of students (541, 89.6%) have chosen a specialty. Surgery, medicine, paediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology were the most selected specialties. The least selected specialty was anaesthesiology. A significant association was found between gender and specialty choice using Chi-square test (p = 0.00). There was no association between undergraduate level and specialty choice (p = 0.633). The most common reason for choosing a specific specialty was "Personal Interest" (215, 39.7%) followed by being "Helpful to the community" (144, 26.6%). Surgery, medicine, paediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology were the most selected specialties.

Empirical research on the influencing factors of the occupational stress for construction workers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LV, Xing; WU, Xiang; CI, Huipeng; LIU, Qing; YAO, Yongzheng

2017-04-01

Employee’s occupational stress and safety performance are highly related, which has been generally recognized by the researchers. We did this research to understand the status of the stress for construction workers, and explore the influence factors of pressure source with characteristics of construction industry. Based on the results of previous studies, we designed questionnaire to collect the influence factors on occupational stressors. The study selected workers from certain construction units at the grass-roots level as sample source. According to the results of the questionnaire, we redesigned the interview outline, and did the semi-structured interviews on workers randomly selected. Finally, we developed a scale which combined the characteristics of construction projects in China. Using SPSS software for factor analysis, reliability analysis, and descriptive statistical analysis, the results show that there are six factors affecting the workers’ occupational stress, including The Work Itself, Family-Work, Career Development, Organization Style, Interpersonal Relationship and Role Management Style. The work itself is the main sources of occupational stress. The results can be used by the construction company to provide guidance for workers to control and manage occupational stress.

Factors influencing twins and zygosity.

PubMed

Hankins, Gary V D; Saade, George R

2005-01-01

Zygosity is influenced by many factors. Monozygotic twins occur spontaneously in approximately 1 in 250 births and are felt to increase twofold with ovulation induction techniques. Monozygotic twinning also increases in proportion to the number of blastocysts transferred during in vitro fertilisation. In contrast, dizygotic twinning appears to be influenced by race, genetic factors, maternal age, fertility enhancing drugs, folic acid supplementation, and maternal nutritional status.

Factors Influencing Candidates' Performance in English Language and Mathematics at West African Senior School Certificate Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alade, O. M.; Kuku, O. O.; Osoba, A.

2017-01-01

The study investigated influence of some factors on the performance of selected West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) candidates. It also examined the relationship between these factors and candidates' performance. Factors investigated include socio-economic background of the candidates (SEB), study hours (SH), attitude…

Perceived peer influence and peer selection on adolescent smoking.

PubMed

Hoffman, Beth R; Monge, Peter R; Chou, Chih-Ping; Valente, Thomas W

2007-08-01

Despite advances in tobacco control, adolescent smoking remains a problem. The smoking status of friends is one of the highest correlates with adolescent smoking. This homophily (commonality of friends based on a given attribute) may be due to either peer pressure, where adolescents adopt the smoking behaviors of their friends, or peer selection, where adolescents choose friends based on their smoking status. This study used structural equation modeling to test a model of peer influence and peer selection on ever smoking by adolescents. The primary analysis of the model did not reach significance, but post hoc analyses did result in a model with good fit. Results indicated that both peer influence and peer selection were occurring, and that peer influence was more salient in the population than was peer selection. Implications of these results for tobacco prevention programs are discussed.

Factors influencing the incidence of maxillofacial fractures.

PubMed

Chrcanovic, Bruno Ramos

2012-03-01

Maxillofacial injuries occur in a significant proportion of trauma patients. Trauma causes considerable economic expense due to procedural costs, the time a patient is off work, and the associated loss of income. For these reasons, it is an important health and economic issue. The aim of this study is to discuss the factors that may influence the incidence of maxillofacial fractures. As it is necessary to determine trends to help guide the development of new methods of injury prevention, preventative measures are also discussed. An electronic search was undertaken in March 2011, including articles published between 1980 and 2011 with the terms "facial fractures" and "maxillofacial fractures" in the title. The texts of epidemiological studies were reviewed in order to identify factors that may influence the incidence of maxillofacial fractures. From the selected articles, ten factors were identified: age, gender, geographic region and cultural aspects, socioeconomic status, temporal and climatic influence, use of alcohol and drugs, compliance with road traffic legislation, domestic violence, osteoporosis, and etiology of the maxillofacial trauma. Care of injured patients should include not only management of the acute phase, but also combine preventive programs and interventional programs aimed at reducing the incidence of maxillofacial fractures. Therefore, there is a need to ensure strict compliance of traffic rules and regulations, implement improvement in automotive safety devices, organize prevention programs to minimize assaults, implement school education in alcohol abuse and handling potentially hostile situations (especially for men), improve protection during sporting activities, and legislate wearing of protective headgear in workers. Preventive strategies remain the cheapest way to reduce direct and indirect costs of the sequelae of trauma. Societal attitudes and behaviors must be modified before a significant reduction in the incidence of maxillofacial

Shorebird roost-site selection at two temporal scales: Is human disturbance a factor?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, K.A.; Otis, D.L.

2007-01-01

1. Roost-site selection in shorebirds is governed by ambient factors, including environmental conditions and human disturbance. Determination of the extent to which these factors affect roost use and the associated implications for shorebird habitat protection is important for conservation strategies and informed management of human recreational use of these habitats. Shorebird conservation as a whole is a high priority world-wide because a large proportion of shorebird species is in decline. However, little is understood about the consistency of roost use by different species, what conditions affect species-specific roost-site selection, and at what spatial and temporal scales conditions influence selection. 2. We studied high-tide roost-site selection by eight species of non-breeding shorebirds on a critically important stopover and wintering refuge. We calculated spatial and temporal variability in roost use for each species based on counts and consistency of incidence. We then examined roost-site selection in relation to structural, environmental and human disturbance factors, and how this varied across spatial and temporal scales. 3. Most roosts were used less than 50% of the time, although larger roosts were used more consistently. This varied among species, with red knot Calidris canutus tending to concentrate at a few roosts and American oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus, dowitcher Limnodromus griseus and Limnodromus scolopaceus and ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres more diffusely distributed among roosts. 4. At an annual scale, the principal factors affecting shorebird presence at roosts were roost length (size), local region, substrate and aspect. The extent and direction of these effects varied among species. Among years, red knots avoided roosts that had high average boat activity within 1000 m, but disturbance did not appear to be a factor for other species. 5. Daily roost use was influenced primarily by wind speed and the ability of roosts to

Factors That Influence State or Private University Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kargic, Lejla; Poturak, Mersid

2014-01-01

Selection of the university is one of the most important life decisions among young people. With a continually rising assortment of educational options, future students look for institutions that will provide them a distinctive educational knowledge that they will keep in their minds for a lifetime. Also, students usually seek an educational…

Factors considered by undergraduate medical students when selecting specialty of their future careers

PubMed Central

Alawad, Awad Ali Mohamed Ahmed; Khan, Waleed Shabeer; Abdelrazig, Yousif Mohammed; Elzain, Yamin Ibrahim; khalil, Hassan Osman; Ahmed, Omer Bakri Elsayed; Adam, Omeralfaroug Ahmed Ibrahim

2015-01-01

Introduction Medical students are the source of a country's physicians. Determining how medical students select their areas of specialization is the key to achieve a balanced distribution of doctors among all specialties. The objective is to identify the number of medical students who have decided their postgraduate specialty career, their career specialties preference, and factors that may influence their decision to select a particular specialty. Methods A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2013 at Faculty of Medicine, University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan. A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire comprising demographic data and questions about future specialties preferences and factors influencing those preferences was distributed to 887 male and female students, (from first to fifth academic years) recruited in the study. Results Response rate was 73% with 647 questionnaires collected, out of 887 eligible medical students. Of the returned questionnaires, 604 were valid. The majority of students (541, 89.6%) have chosen a specialty. Surgery, medicine, paediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology were the most selected specialties. The least selected specialty was anaesthesiology. A significant association was found between gender and specialty choice using Chi-square test (p = 0.00). There was no association between undergraduate level and specialty choice (p = 0.633). The most common reason for choosing a specific specialty was “Personal Interest” (215, 39.7%) followed by being “Helpful to the community” (144, 26.6%). Conclusion Surgery, medicine, paediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology were the most selected specialties. PMID:26090050

[Factors influencing research activity of Andalusian nurses and improvement strategies].

PubMed

López Alonso, Sergio R; Gálvez González, María; Amezcua, Manuel

2013-04-01

To identify factors influencing research activity of Andalusian nurses and to find improvement strategies. Qualitative research using SWOT analysis (weaknesses, threats, strengths, opportunities). Nurses were selected deliberately in eight groups according to predetermined criteria. Analysis included categorization and relationship of factors and strategies. 81 participants were included in groups of 7-12 range. 45 categories were identified with 212 factors: 12 weaknesses (50 factors), 10 strengths (44 factors), 12 threats (68 factors) and 11 opportunities (50 factors). In addition, 32 categories were identified with 53 strategies: 14 categories of W-T strategies (42 strategies), 3 categories of S-T strategies (11 strategies), 5 categories of W-O strategies (13 strategies) and 10 categories of S-O strategies (41 strategies). Nurses identified numerous factors, mainly threats. The strategies are focused on W-T but they also suggest many but weak 5-0 strategies due to the low potential of the opportunities and strengths perceived.

Identification of landscape features influencing gene flow: How useful are habitat selection models?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roffler, Gretchen H.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Pilgrim, Kristy L.; Talbot, Sandra L.; Sage, Kevin; Adams, Layne G.; Luikart, Gordon

2016-01-01

Understanding how dispersal patterns are influenced by landscape heterogeneity is critical for modeling species connectivity. Resource selection function (RSF) models are increasingly used in landscape genetics approaches. However, because the ecological factors that drive habitat selection may be different from those influencing dispersal and gene flow, it is important to consider explicit assumptions and spatial scales of measurement. We calculated pairwise genetic distance among 301 Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) in southcentral Alaska using an intensive noninvasive sampling effort and 15 microsatellite loci. We used multiple regression of distance matrices to assess the correlation of pairwise genetic distance and landscape resistance derived from an RSF, and combinations of landscape features hypothesized to influence dispersal. Dall's sheep gene flow was positively correlated with steep slopes, moderate peak normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI), and open land cover. Whereas RSF covariates were significant in predicting genetic distance, the RSF model itself was not significantly correlated with Dall's sheep gene flow, suggesting that certain habitat features important during summer (rugged terrain, mid-range elevation) were not influential to effective dispersal. This work underscores that consideration of both habitat selection and landscape genetics models may be useful in developing management strategies to both meet the immediate survival of a species and allow for long-term genetic connectivity.

Bully Victimization: Selection and Influence Within Adolescent Friendship Networks and Cliques.

PubMed

Lodder, Gerine M A; Scholte, Ron H J; Cillessen, Antonius H N; Giletta, Matteo

2016-01-01

Adolescents tend to form friendships with similar peers and, in turn, their friends further influence adolescents' behaviors and attitudes. Emerging work has shown that these selection and influence processes also might extend to bully victimization. However, no prior work has examined selection and influence effects involved in bully victimization within cliques, despite theoretical account emphasizing the importance of cliques in this regard. This study examined selection and influence processes in adolescence regarding bully victimization both at the level of the entire friendship network and the level of cliques. We used a two-wave design (5-month interval). Participants were 543 adolescents (50.1% male, Mage = 15.8) in secondary education. Stochastic actor-based models indicated that at the level of the larger friendship network, adolescents tended to select friends with similar levels of bully victimization as they themselves. In addition, adolescent friends influenced each other in terms of bully victimization over time. Actor Parter Interdependence models showed that similarities in bully victimization between clique members were not due to selection of clique members. For boys, average clique bully victimization predicted individual bully victimization over time (influence), but not vice versa. No influence was found for girls, indicating that different mechanisms may underlie friend influence on bully victimization for girls and boys. The differences in results at the level of the larger friendship network versus the clique emphasize the importance of taking the type of friendship ties into account in research on selection and influence processes involved in bully victimization.

48 CFR 16.104 - Factors in selecting contract types.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Factors in selecting... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES TYPES OF CONTRACTS Selecting Contract Types 16.104 Factors in selecting contract types. There are many factors that the contracting officer should consider in selecting and...

48 CFR 16.104 - Factors in selecting contract types.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Factors in selecting... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES TYPES OF CONTRACTS Selecting Contract Types 16.104 Factors in selecting contract types. There are many factors that the contracting officer should consider in selecting and...

Some current factors influencing the prescribing and use of psychiatric drugs.

PubMed Central

Poulsen, R L

1992-01-01

A reprise of selected known factors about the influences affecting the prescribing and use of drugs, and some new developments in the drug marketplace, are the basis for this summary and observations about future expectations regarding psychotherapeutic agents. This information can be used to assist in formulating or updating, or both, conceptualizations and hypotheses for future policy and research planning in this area. PMID:1738808

Factors influencing elderly women's mammography screening decisions: implications for counseling.

PubMed

Schonberg, Mara A; McCarthy, Ellen P; York, Meghan; Davis, Roger B; Marcantonio, Edward R

2007-11-16

Although guidelines recommend that clinicians consider life expectancy before screening older women for breast cancer, many older women with limited life expectancies are screened. We aimed to identify factors important to mammography screening decisions among women aged 80 and older compared to women aged 65-79. Telephone surveys of 107 women aged 80+ and 93 women aged 65-79 randomly selected from one academic primary care practice who were able to communicate in English (60% response rate). The survey addressed the following factors in regards to older women's mammography screening decisions: perceived importance of a history of breast disease, family history of breast cancer, doctor's recommendations, habit, reassurance, previous experience, mailed reminder cards, family/friend's recommendations or experience with breast cancer, age, health, and media. The survey also assessed older women's preferred role in decision making around mammography screening. Of the 200 women, 65.5% were non-Hispanic white and 82.8% were in good to excellent health. Most (81.3%) had undergone mammography in the past 2 years. Regardless of age, older women ranked doctor's recommendations as the most important factor influencing their decision to get screened. Habit and reassurance were the next two highly ranked factors influencing older women to get screened. Among women who did not get screened, women aged 80 and older ranked age and doctor's counseling as the most influential factors and women aged 65-79 ranked a previous negative experience with mammography as the most important factor. There were no significant differences in preferred role in decision-making around mammography screening by age, however, most women in both age groups preferred to make the final decision on their own (46.6% of women aged 80+ and 50.5% of women aged 65-79). While a doctor's recommendation is the most important factor influencing elderly women's mammography screening decisions, habit and reassurance

Factor selection for service quality evaluation: a hospital case study.

PubMed

Ameryoun, Ahmad; Najafi, Seyedvahid; Nejati-Zarnaqi, Bayram; Khalilifar, Seyed Omid; Ajam, Mahdi; Ansarimoghadam, Ahmad

2017-02-13

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a systematic approach to predict service quality dimension's influence on service quality using a novel analysis based on data envelopment and SERVQUAL. Design/methodology/approach To assess hospital service quality in Tehran, expectation and perception of those who received the services were evaluated using SERVQUAL. The hospital service quality dimensions were found by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). To compare customer expectation and perception, perceived service quality index (PSQI) was measured using a new method based on common weights. A novel sensitivity approach was used to test the service quality factor's impact on the PSQI. Findings A new service quality dimension named "trust in services" was found using EFA, which is not an original SERVQUAL factor. The approach was applied to assess the hospital's service quality. Since the PSQI value was 0.76 it showed that improvements are needed to meet customer expectations. The results showed the factor order that affect PSQI. "Trust in services" has the strongest influence on PSQI followed by "tangibles," "assurance," "empathy," and "responsiveness," respectively. Practical implications This work gives managers insight into service quality by following a systematic method; i.e., measuring perceived service quality from the customer viewpoint and service factors' impact on customer perception. Originality/value The procedure helps managers to select the required service quality dimensions which need improvement and predict their effects on customer perception.

Behavioural cues surpass habitat factors in explaining prebreeding resource selection by a migratory diving duck

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Neil, Shawn T.; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Takekawa, John Y.; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Cutting, Kyle A.; Parker, Michael W.; Yee, Julie L.

2014-01-01

Prebreeding habitat selection in birds can often be explained in part by habitat characteristics. However, females may also select habitats on the basis of fidelity to areas of previous reproductive success or use by conspecifics. The relative influences of sociobehavioural attributes versus habitat characteristics in habitat selection has been primarily investigated in songbirds, while less is known about how these factors affect habitat selection processes in migratory waterfowl. Animal resource selection models often exhibit much unexplained variation; spatial patterns driven by social and behavioural characteristics may account for some of this. We radiomarked female lesser scaup, Aythya affinis, in the southwestern extent of their breeding range to explore hypotheses regarding relative roles of habitat quality, site fidelity and conspecific density in prebreeding habitat selection. We used linear mixed-effects models to relate intensity of use within female home ranges to habitat features, distance to areas of reproductive success during the previous breeding season and conspecific density. Home range habitats included shallow water (≤118 cm), moderate to high densities of flooded emergent vegetation/open water edge and open water areas with submerged aquatic vegetation. Compared with habitat features, conspecific female density and proximity to successful nesting habitats from the previous breeding season had greater influences on habitat use within home ranges. Fidelity and conspecific attraction are behavioural characteristics in some waterfowl species that may exert a greater influence than habitat features in influencing prebreeding space use and habitat selection within home ranges, particularly where quality habitat is abundant. These processes may be of critical importance to a better understanding of habitat selection in breeding birds.

Mechanisms and Factors that Influence High Frequency Retroviral Recombination

PubMed Central

Delviks-Frankenberry, Krista; Galli, Andrea; Nikolaitchik, Olga; Mens, Helene; Pathak, Vinay K.; Hu, Wei-Shau

2011-01-01

With constantly changing environmental selection pressures, retroviruses rely upon recombination to reassort polymorphisms in their genomes and increase genetic diversity, which improves the chances for the survival of their population. Recombination occurs during DNA synthesis, whereby reverse transcriptase undergoes template switching events between the two copackaged RNAs, resulting in a viral recombinant with portions of the genetic information from each parental RNA. This review summarizes our current understanding of the factors and mechanisms influencing retroviral recombination, fidelity of the recombination process, and evaluates the subsequent viral diversity and fitness of the progeny recombinant. Specifically, the high mutation rates and high recombination frequencies of HIV-1 will be analyzed for their roles in influencing HIV-1 global diversity, as well as HIV-1 diagnosis, drug treatment, and vaccine development. PMID:21994801

The transcription factor NRSF contributes to epileptogenesis by selective repression of a subset of target genes

PubMed Central

McClelland, Shawn; Brennan, Gary P; Dubé, Celine; Rajpara, Seeta; Iyer, Shruti; Richichi, Cristina; Bernard, Christophe; Baram, Tallie Z

2014-01-01

The mechanisms generating epileptic neuronal networks following insults such as severe seizures are unknown. We have previously shown that interfering with the function of the neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF/REST), an important transcription factor that influences neuronal phenotype, attenuated development of this disorder. In this study, we found that epilepsy-provoking seizures increased the low NRSF levels in mature hippocampus several fold yet surprisingly, provoked repression of only a subset (∼10%) of potential NRSF target genes. Accordingly, the repressed gene-set was rescued when NRSF binding to chromatin was blocked. Unexpectedly, genes selectively repressed by NRSF had mid-range binding frequencies to the repressor, a property that rendered them sensitive to moderate fluctuations of NRSF levels. Genes selectively regulated by NRSF during epileptogenesis coded for ion channels, receptors, and other crucial contributors to neuronal function. Thus, dynamic, selective regulation of NRSF target genes may play a role in influencing neuronal properties in pathological and physiological contexts. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01267.001 PMID:25117540

Factors influencing endometrial thickness in postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Hebbar, S; Chaya, V; Rai, L; Ramachandran, A

2014-07-01

Cut-off values for endometrial thickness (ET) in asymptomatic postmenopausal woman have been standardized. However, there are no comprehensive studies to document how various factors can influence the ET after the age of menopause. To study the various factors influencing the ET in postmenopausal women. This was a prospective observational study. A total of 110 postmenopausal women underwent detailed history taking, clinical examination, and transvaginal scan for uterine volume and ovarian volume. The volumes were calculated by using ellipsoid formula: Width × thickness × height × 0.523. The variation in ET with respect to the influencing factors such as age, duration of menopause, parity, body mass index (BMI), medical illness like diabetes/hypertension, drugs like tamoxifen, presence of myoma, uterine volume, ovarian volume, and serum estradiol (in selected patients) were measured. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 16, Chicago II, USA) to obtain mean, standard deviation (SD), 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and inter quartile ranges. Comparison of means was carried out using analysis of variance. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 55.4 (6.91) years (95% CI, 54.1, 56.7). The mean (SD) age at menopause was 47.95 (3.90) years (95% CI, 47.2, 48.7) and the mean (SD) duration of menopause was 7.27 (6.65) years (95% CI, 6.01, 8.53). The mean (SD) ET was 3.8 (2.3) mm (95% CI, 3.36, 4.23). Medical illness like diabetes and hypertension did not alter the ET. ET increased as BMI increased and it was statistically significant. The presence of myoma increased uterine volume significantly and was associated with thick endometrial stripe. Similarly, whenever the ovaries were visualized and as the ovarian volume increased, there was an increase in ET. When ET was > 4 mm (n = 37), they were offered endocel, of which 16 agreed to undergo the procedure. None were found to have endometrial cancer. This study suggests that parity, BMI, presence of

Phonological Awareness: Factors of Influence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frohlich, Linda Paulina; Petermann, Franz; Metz, Dorothee

2013-01-01

Early child development is influenced by various genetic and environmental factors. This study aims to identify factors that affect the phonological awareness of preschool and first grade children. Based on a sample of 330 German-speaking children (mean age = 6.2 years) the following domains were evaluated: Parent factors, birth and pregnancy,…

Causal Factors Influencing Adversity Quotient of Twelfth Grade and Third-Year Vocational Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pangma, Rachapoom; Tayraukham, Sombat; Nuangchalerm, Prasart

2009-01-01

Problem statement: The aim of this research was to study the causal factors influencing students' adversity between twelfth grade and third-year vocational students in Sisaket province, Thailand. Six hundred and seventy two of twelfth grade and 376 third-year vocational students were selected by multi-stage random sampling techniques. Approach:…

Selection for inpatient rehabilitation after severe stroke: what factors influence rehabilitation assessor decision-making?

PubMed

Hakkennes, Sharon; Hill, Keith D; Brock, Kim; Bernhardt, Julie; Churilov, Leonid

2013-01-01

This study aimed to identify factors that assessors considered important in decision-making regarding suitability for inpatient rehabilitation after acute severe stroke. Multi-site prospective observational cohort study. Consecutive acute, severe stroke patients and their assessors for inpatient rehabilitation. Rehabilitation assessors completed a questionnaire, rating the importance (10 point visual analogue scale) and direction (positive, negative or neutral) of 15 patient related and 2 organisational items potentially affecting their decision regarding patients' acceptance to rehabilitation. Of the 75 patients referred to rehabilitation and included in this study 61 (81.3%) were accepted for inpatient rehabilitation. The items considered to be most important in the decision to accept the patient for rehabilitation were pre-morbid cognition, pre-morbid mobility and pre-morbid communication. For those not accepted the most important items were current mobility, social support and current cognition. Factor analysis revealed 3 underlying factors, interpreted as post-stroke status, pre-morbid status, and social attributes, accounting for 61.8% of the total variance. All were independently associated with acceptance for rehabilitation (p < 0.05). This study highlights the importance of pre-morbid function and social factors in addition to post-stroke function in the decision making process for acceptance to rehabilitation following severe stroke. Future models for selection for rehabilitation should consider inclusion of these factors.

Analyzing factors that influence the folk use and phytonomy of 18 medicinal plants in Navarra

PubMed Central

Akerreta, Silvia; Cavero, Rita Yolanda; López, Víctor; Calvo, María Isabel

2007-01-01

Background This article analyzes whether the distribution or area of use of 18 medicinal plants is influenced by ecological and cultural factors which might account for their traditional use and/or phytonymy in Navarra. This discussion may be helpful for comparative studies, touching as it does on other ethnopharmacological issues: a) which cultural and ecological factors affect the selection of medicinal plants; b) substitutions of medicinal plants in popular medicine; c) the relation between local nomenclature and uses. To analyze these questions, this paper presents an example of a species used for digestive disorders (tea and camomile: Jasonia glutinosa, J. tuberosa, Sideritis hyssopifolia, Bidens aurea, Chamaemelum nobile, Santolina chamaecyparissus...), high blood pressure (Rhamnus alaternus, Olea europaea...) or skin diseases (Hylotelephium maximum, H. telephium, Anagallis arvensis, A. foemina). Methods Fieldwork began on January 2004 and continued until December 2006. During that time we interviewed 505 informants in 218 locations in Navarra. Information was collected using semi-structured ethnobotanical interviews, and we subsequently made maps using Arc-View 8.0 program to determine the area of use of each taxon. Each map was then compared with the bioclimatic and linguistic map of Navarra, using the soil and ethnographic data for the region, and with other ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies carried out in Europe. Results The results clearly show that ecological and cultural factors influence the selection of medicinal plants in this region. Climate and substrate are the most important ecological factors that influence the distribution and abundance of plants, which are the biological factors that affect medicinal plant selection. Conclusion The study of edaphological and climatological factors, on the one hand, and culture, on the other, can help us to understand why a plant is replaced by another one for the same purposes, either in the

A Review on influencing criteria for selecting supplier of information technology services in the hospital

PubMed Central

Ajami, Sima; Rajabzadeh, Ahmad; Ketabi, Saeedeh

2014-01-01

Organizations try to outsource their activities as much as possible in order to prevent the problems and use organizational capabilities in Information Technology (IT) field. The purpose of this paper was first, to express the effective criteria for selecting suppliers of IT services, second, to explain the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing IT in hospitals. This study was narrative review, which search was conducted with the help of libraries, books, conference proceedings, and databases of Science Direct, PubMed, Proquest, Springer, and SID (Scientific Information Database). In our searches, we employed the following keywords and their combinations: Outsourcing, information technology, hospital, decision making, and criteria. The preliminary search resulted in 120 articles, which were published between 2000 and 2013 during July 2013. After a careful analysis of the content of each paper, a total of 46 papers were selected based on their relevancy. The criteria and sub-criteria influencing outsourcing decisions in Iranian hospitals were identified in six major categories including administrative issues, issues related to the service/product, technology factors, environmental factors, risks, and economic factors associated with 15 sub-criteria containing business integration, dependence on suppliers, human resources, focus on core competencies, facilities and physical capital, innovation, quality, speed of service delivery, flexibility, market capabilities, geographical location, security, management control, cost, and financial capability. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and effective criteria in IT services supplier selection causes the managers be able to take the most appropriate decision to select supplier of IT services. This is a general review on influencing criteria for electing of supplier of information technology services in hospitals. PMID:25540781

A Review on influencing criteria for selecting supplier of information technology services in the hospital.

PubMed

Ajami, Sima; Rajabzadeh, Ahmad; Ketabi, Saeedeh

2014-01-01

Organizations try to outsource their activities as much as possible in order to prevent the problems and use organizational capabilities in Information Technology (IT) field. The purpose of this paper was first, to express the effective criteria for selecting suppliers of IT services, second, to explain the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing IT in hospitals. This study was narrative review, which search was conducted with the help of libraries, books, conference proceedings, and databases of Science Direct, PubMed, Proquest, Springer, and SID (Scientific Information Database). In our searches, we employed the following keywords and their combinations: Outsourcing, information technology, hospital, decision making, and criteria. The preliminary search resulted in 120 articles, which were published between 2000 and 2013 during July 2013. After a careful analysis of the content of each paper, a total of 46 papers were selected based on their relevancy. The criteria and sub-criteria influencing outsourcing decisions in Iranian hospitals were identified in six major categories including administrative issues, issues related to the service/product, technology factors, environmental factors, risks, and economic factors associated with 15 sub-criteria containing business integration, dependence on suppliers, human resources, focus on core competencies, facilities and physical capital, innovation, quality, speed of service delivery, flexibility, market capabilities, geographical location, security, management control, cost, and financial capability. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and effective criteria in IT services supplier selection causes the managers be able to take the most appropriate decision to select supplier of IT services. This is a general review on influencing criteria for electing of supplier of information technology services in hospitals.

Factors Influencing the Location of Rural General Practitioners

PubMed Central

Cordes, Sam M.

1978-01-01

Data on (1) personal background, (2) place of medical education and training, (3) reasons for selecting the present place of practice and (4) previous practice location were gathered and analyzed from 41 general practitioners in rural Washington state. The analysis was done to isolate factors influencing the choice of location by physicians. Results show that most of the physicians had spent at least some of their preadulthood years in small communities and that most had some exposure to the state of Washington before establishing their practices in the state. In addition to the apparent importance of previous exposure to small communities and Washington state, the physicians were also influenced in their locational choice by (1) the professional advantages or appeal of the community, (2) recruitment efforts by persons within the community and (3) economic reasons. The physicians were rather immobile. Most had never practiced in another community and only two of the 41 physicians planned to move to another community. PMID:625975

Popularity and adolescent friendship networks: selection and influence dynamics.

PubMed

Dijkstra, Jan Kornelis; Cillessen, Antonius H N; Borch, Casey

2013-07-01

This study examined the dynamics of popularity in adolescent friendship networks across 3 years in middle school. Longitudinal social network modeling was used to identify selection and influence in the similarity of popularity among friends. It was argued that lower status adolescents strive to enhance their status through befriending higher status adolescents, whereas higher status adolescents strive to maintain their status by keeping lower status adolescents at a distance. The results largely supported these expectations. Selection partially accounted for similarity in popularity among friends; adolescents preferred to affiliate with similar-status or higher status peers, reinforcing the attractiveness of popular adolescents and explaining stability of popularity at the individual level. Influence processes also accounted for similarity in popularity over time, showing that peers increase in popularity and become more similar to their friends. The results showed how selection and influence processes account for popularity dynamics in adolescent networks over time.

Demographic Factors Influencing Selection of an Ideal Graduate Institution: A Literature Review with Recommendations for Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lei, Simon A.; Chuang, Ning-Kuang

2010-01-01

Choosing a graduate (masters and doctoral) program of study at an ideal institution is probably one of the most important decisions students and their family will make. The graduate college selection involves identifying the most critical academic and non-academic factors, and weighing their importance against the large quantity of choices…

Evaluation of the factors influencing brain language laterality in presurgical planning.

PubMed

Batouli, Seyed Amir Hossein; Hasani, Nafiseh; Gheisari, Sara; Behzad, Ebrahim; Oghabian, Mohammad Ali

2016-10-01

Brain lesions cause functional deficits, and one treatment for this condition is lesion resection. In most cases, presurgical planning (PSP) and the information from laterality indices are necessary for maximum preservation of the critical functions after surgery. Language laterality index (LI) is reliably estimated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); however, this measure is under the influence of some external factors. In this study, we investigated the influence of a number of factors on language LI, using data from 120 patients (mean age=35.65 (±13.4) years) who underwent fMRI for PSP. Using two proposed language tasks from our previous works, brain left hemisphere was showed to be dominant for the language function, although a higher LI was obtained using the "Word Generation" task, compared to the "Reverse Word Reading". In addition, decline of LIs with age, and lower LI when the lesion invaded brain language area were observed. Meanwhile, gender, lesion side (affected hemisphere), LI calculation strategy, and fMRI analysis Z-values did not statistically show any influences on the LIs. Although fMRI is widely used to estimate language LI, it is shown here that in order to present a reliable language LI and to correctly select the dominant hemisphere of the brain, the influence of external factors should be carefully considered. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Momentary Conscious Pairing Eliminates Unconscious-Stimulus Influences on Task Selection

PubMed Central

Zhou, Fanzhi Anita; Davis, Greg

2012-01-01

Task selection, previously thought to operate only under conscious, voluntary control, can be activated by unconsciously-perceived stimuli. In most cases, such activation is observed for unconscious stimuli that closely resemble other conscious, task-relevant stimuli and hence may simply reflect perceptual activation of consciously established stimulus-task associations. However, other studies have reported ‘direct’ unconscious-stimulus influences on task selection in the absence of any conscious, voluntary association between that stimulus and task (e.g., Zhou and Davis, 2012). In new experiments, described here, these latter influences on cued- and free-choice task selection appear robust and long-lived, yet, paradoxically, are suppressed to undetectable levels following momentary conscious prime-task pairing. Assessing, and rejecting, three intuitive explanations for such suppressive effects, we conclude that conscious prime-task pairing minimizes non-strategic influences of unconscious stimuli on task selection, insulating endogenous choice mechanisms from maladaptive external control. PMID:23050012

Hunting influences the diel patterns in habitat selection by northern pintails Anas acuta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Casazza, Michael L.; Coates, Peter S.; Miller, Michael R.; Overton, Cory T.; Yparraguirre, Daniel R.

2012-01-01

Northern pintail Anas acuta (hereafter pintail) populations wintering within Suisun Marsh, a large estuarine managed wetland near San Francisco Bay, California,USA, have declined markedly over the last four decades. The reasons for this decline are unclear. Information on how hunting and other factors influence the selection of vegetation types and sanctuaries would be beneficial to manage pintail populations in SuisunMarsh. During 1991-1993, we radio-marked and relocated female pintails (individuals: N = 203, relocations: N = 7,688) within Suisun Marsh to investigate habitat selection during the non-breeding months (winter). We calculated selection ratios for different vegetation types and for sanctuaries, and examined differences in those ratios between hunting season (i.e. hunting and non-hunting), age (hatchyear and after-hatch-year), and time of day (daylight or night hours). We found that diel patterns in selection were influenced by hunting disturbance. For example, prior to the hunting season and during daylight hours, pintails selected areas dominated by brass buttons Cotula coronopifolia, a potentially important food source, usually outside of sanctuary boundaries. However, during the hunting season, pintails did not select brass buttons during daylight hours, but instead highly selected permanent pools, mostly within sanctuaries. Also, during the hunting season, pintails showed strong selection for brass buttons at night. Sanctuaries provided more area of permanent water pools than within hunting areas and appeared to function as important refugia during daylight hours of the hunting season. Wildlife managers should encourage large protected permanent pools adjacent to hunted wetlands to increase pintail numbers within wetland environments and responsibly benefit hunting opportunities while improving pintail conservation.

Factors that Influence Participation in Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vonderwell, Selma; Zachariah, Sajit

2005-01-01

This study explored what factors influenced learner participation in two sections of a graduate online course at a Midwestern university. Findings indicated that online learner participation and patterns of participation are influenced by the following factors: technology and interface characteristics, content area experience, student roles and…

Task frequency influences stimulus-driven effects on task selection during voluntary task switching.

PubMed

Arrington, Catherine M; Reiman, Kaitlin M

2015-08-01

Task selection during voluntary task switching involves both top-down (goal-directed) and bottom-up (stimulus-driven) mechanisms. The factors that shift the balance between these two mechanisms are not well characterized. In the present research, we studied the role that task frequency plays in determining the extent of stimulus-driven task selection. In two experiments, we used the basic paradigm adapted from Arrington (Memory & Cognition, 38, 991-997, 2008), in which the effect of stimulus availability serves as a marker of stimulus-driven task selection. A number and letter appeared on each trial with varying stimulus onset asynchronies, and participants performed either a consonant/vowel or an even/odd judgment. In Experiment 1, participants were instructed as to the relative frequency with which each task was to be performed (i.e., 50/50, 60/40, or 75/25) and were further instructed to make their transitions between tasks unpredictable. In Experiment 2, participants were given no instructions about how to select tasks, resulting in naturally occurring variation in task frequency. With both instructed (Exp. 1) and naturally occurring (Exp. 2) relative task frequencies, the less frequently performed task showed a greater effect of stimulus availability on task selection, suggestive of a larger influence of stimulus-driven mechanisms during task performance for the less frequent task. When goal-directed mechanisms of task choice are engaged less frequently, the relative influence of the stimulus environment increases.

Reading Strategies in Hypertexts and Factors Influencing Hyperlink Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Protopsaltis, Aristidis

2008-01-01

Previous work applying cognitive load theory has demonstrated the effect of various text/graphic/narration relations on learning using multimedia material. Other work has looked at how the degree of integration between the text and graphics influences their use. This study set out to look at how the degree of integration between text and graphics…

Factors influencing knowledge on completion of treatment among TB patients under directly observed treatment strategy, in selected health facilities in Embu County, Kenya.

PubMed

Ndwiga, Joshua Muriuki; Kikuvi, Gideon; Omolo, Jared Odhiambo

2016-01-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes the Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) strategy as the standard to increase adherence to Tuberculosis (TB) medication. However, cases of retreatment and Multi Drug Resistant continue to be reported in many parts of Kenya. This study sought to determine the factors influencing the completion of tuberculosis medication among TB patients in Embu County, Kenya. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a population of tuberculosis patients under DOT attending selected TB treatment clinics in Embu County, in Kenya. One hundred and forty TB patients interviewed within a period of 3 months. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.0 and included Bivariate and Multivariate Analysis. The level of significance was p≤ 0.05. The male and female participants were 61.4% and 38.6% respectively. The mean age of the respondents was 35±31.34-39.3 years. For the majority (52%) of the participants, the highest level of education was primary education. The unemployed participants formed the highest number of the respondent in the study (73%). The majorities (91.4%0) of the respondents were under the home-based DOT strategy (91.4%, 95% C.I: 85.5-95.5). Bivariate analysis using Chi-square showed that the level of education (p=0.003), patients feeling uncomfortable during supervision (p=0.01), and knowledge regarding the frequency of taking medication (p=0.004) were all significantly associated with knowledge regarding the importance of completion of medication. However, none of these factors was significant after multivariate analysis. Most participants did not know the importance of completion of medication. TB programs should come up with better ways to educate TB patients on the importance of supervision and treatment completion during the treatment of TB. The education programs should focus on influencing the attitudes of patients and creating awareness about the importance of treatment completion. The TB programs should be

A Study of Factors That Influence Job Satisfaction of Teachers at a Southeast Christian School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Churchwell, Mark S.

2016-01-01

This quantitative study investigated factors that influence the job satisfaction of teachers at a large K-12 Christian school. Selected demographic variables (gender, marital status, grade level taught, and years of teaching experience) were examined for their relationships with teacher job satisfaction. The following overarching question guided…

Factors influencing implementation of a preschool-based physical activity intervention

PubMed Central

Lau, Erica Y.; Saunders, Ruth P.; Beets, Michael W.; Cai, Bo; Pate, Russell R.

2017-01-01

Abstract Examining factors that influence implementation of key program components that underlie an intervention’s success provides important information to inform the development of effective dissemination strategies. We examined direct and indirect effects of preschool capacity, quality of prevention support system and teacher characteristics on implementation levels of a component, called Move Outside (i.e., preschool classroom teachers to provide at least 40 min of outdoor recess per day), that was fundamental to the success of a preschool-based physical activity intervention. Level of implementation, defined as the percent of daily goal met for the Move Outside component, was assessed via direct observation. Items assessing preschool capacity, quality of prevention support system and teacher characteristics were selected from surveys and an environmental checklist completed by preschool directors and teachers. Preschool classroom was used as the unit of analysis (Year 1: n = 19; Year 2: n = 17). Results from Bayesian path analyses showed that the three factors were not significantly associated with level of implementation in Year 1, but preschool capacity was directly associated with level of implementation in Year 2 (β= 0.528, 95% CI: 0.134, 0.827). The current findings suggest that factors that influence level of implementation appear to differ as an intervention evolved over time. PMID:28158420

Factors That Influence Language Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Dorothea, Ed.; And Others

This booklet contains four articles that discuss factors influencing language growth. The first, "The Child's Equipment for Language Growth" by Charlotte Wells, examines what the child needs for language learning, how the child uses his equipment for language growth, and what school factors facilitate the child's use of his equipment for language…

Exploring Factors Influencing International Students' Decision to Choose a Higher Education Institution: A Comparison between Chinese and Other Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James-MacEachern, Melissa; Yun, Dongkoo

2017-01-01

Purpose: There is little research into small higher education institutions and international students' choice in selecting these institutions. The purpose of this paper is to understand the factors that influence international student choices in selecting a small institution. In particular, this study compares the differences between Chinese…

Factors Influencing Orthopedic Surgery Residents' Choice of Subspecialty Fellowship.

PubMed

Kavolus, Joseph J; Matson, Andrew P; Byrd, William A; Brigman, Brian E

2017-09-01

In the setting of increasing student debt, a rapidly changing health care system, and growing transparency in the age of outcome reporting, residents have many factors to consider when determining which fellowship to pursue. An institutional review board-approved link to an online survey was emailed to orthopedic surgery trainees across the United States. Demographics were collected, and 14 fellowship influences were assessed using a Likert scale. A total of 360 responses were received. Of the respondents, 85.5% (n=308) were male and 14.5% (n=52) were female. Responses were received from every region of the United States and from every postgraduate year. Respondents represented the gamut of relationship status and indebtedness. Respondents were interested in all of the current major subspecialties. Pursuit of an intellectually stimulating subspecialty had the highest average Likert score (3.38), followed by variety of cases (3.26). The lowest scores were for residency program with a strong tradition of placing into a particular subspecialty (2.08) and potential to conduct research in that subspecialty (2.09). Marital status, number of children, and level of debt did not significantly affect the importance of factors in selecting a fellowship. Choice of subspecialty did influence the level of importance of various factors. Intellectual stimulation and a strong mentor were the most influential factors in the decision to pursue a given fellowship. Because fellowship is now the norm, it is important to understand the motives behind young orthopedic surgeons' career aspirations. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(5):e820-e824.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Factors influencing children's food choice.

PubMed

Koivisto Hursti, U K

1999-04-01

Although food habits are not stable and unchanging during a person's lifetime, a base for healthy food habits can be created in early childhood. Children's food habits can be assumed to be influenced by their parents' food habits and choices. The aim of this article is to review factors influencing food choice in children as well as in adults. The results demonstrate that the development of children's food habits is influenced by a multitude of factors. Parents play an important role in the formation of food habits and preferences of young children. They can influence their children's food choice by making specific foods available, by acting as models for their children and by their behaviour in specific situations. Children tend to be afraid of new foods and do not readily accept them. However, experience is known to enhance preference, and earlier experiences of a particular food are the major determinants of the development of children's food acceptance patterns. Thus, parents should be encouraged to make healthy foods easily available to the child and serve these foods in positive mealtime situations in order to help their child to develop healthy food habits.

Factors influencing children's food choice.

PubMed

Hursti, Ulla-Kaisa Koivisto

1999-01-01

Although food habits arc not stable and unchanging during a person's lifetime, a base for healthy food habits can be created in early childhood. Children's food habits can be assumed to be influenced by their parents' food habits and choices. The aim of this article is to review factors influencing food choice in children as well as in adults. The results demonstrate that the development of children's food habits is influenced by a multitude of factors. Parents play an important role in the formation of food habits and preferences of young children. They can influence their children's food choice by making specific foods available, by acting as models for their children and by their behaviour in specific situations. Children tend to be afraid of new foods and do not readily accept them. However, experience is known to enhance preference, and earlier experiences of a particular food are the major determinants of the development of children's food acceptance patterns. Thus, parents should be encouraged to make healthy foods easily available to the child and serve these foods in positive mealtime situations in order to help their child to develop healthy food habits.

Factors influencing students' decisions to choose healthy or unhealthy snacks at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

PubMed

Pei-Lin, Hsieh

2004-06-01

The aim of this study was to explore factors influencing selection of healthy and unhealthy snacks among students. Ten students who study at the University of Newcastle in Australia participated in semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings indicated that a variety of food was consumed by the students. Students classified snacks generally as unhealthy. Four major themes that emerged were: the perception of healthy and unhealthy snacks, the factors related to selection of healthy and unhealthy snacks, feelings related to consumption of snacks, and ways to avoid unhealthy snacks. Factors influencing choices about healthy or unhealthy snacks were environment, availability of the snacks, study pressure, health problems, habits, and social activity. The limitation of this study was the small size of the sample, resulting in the fact that no general conclusions could be drawn. The results however, could help school nurses to gain a deeper understanding of university students ' snacking patterns. It might also assist school nurses in the development of healthy eating guidance for university students.

Factors influencing the recruitment and retention of literacy learners in Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Barwani, Thuwayba; Kelly, Edward F.

1985-12-01

The study investigates factors influencing the recruitment and retention of learners in the national adult literacy programme in Oman. Personal interviews were conducted in the interior and Capital regions of Oman (N=102). Respondents included 46 randomly selected enrolled learners, 26 randomly selected dropouts and 30 unenrolled adults. Results of the interviews were content-analyzed and frequencies, cross tabulations and Chi-square were calculated. Findings indicated regional differences in the adults' motivation for enrolling, but the spiritual motive was over all the most significant. Men and women reported different patterns of conflict and obstacles in completing their literacy studies: Men indicated work demands as their biggest obstacle while women complained about family responsibilities. Programme attrition was mainly attributed to structural characteristics of the programme.

Selecting for memory? The influence of selective attention on the mnemonic binding of contextual information

PubMed Central

Uncapher, Melina R.; Rugg, Michael D.

2009-01-01

Not all of what is experienced is remembered later. Behavioral evidence suggests that the manner in which an event is processed influences which aspects of the event will later be remembered. The present experiment investigated the neural correlates of ‘selective encoding’, or the mechanisms that support the encoding of some elements of an event in preference to others. Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired while volunteers selectively attended to one of two different contextual features of study items (color or location). A surprise memory test for the items and both contextual features was subsequently administered to determine the influence of selective attention on the neural correlates of contextual encoding. Activity in several cortical regions indexed later memory success selectively for color or location information, and this encoding-related activity was enhanced by selective attention to the relevant feature. Critically, a region in the hippocampus responded selectively to attended source information (whether color or location), demonstrating encoding-related activity for attended but not for nonattended source features. Together, the findings suggest that selective attention modulates the magnitude of activity in cortical regions engaged by different aspects of an event, and hippocampal encoding mechanisms seem to be sensitive to this modulation. Thus, the information that is encoded into a memory representation is biased by selective attention, and this bias is mediated by cortico-hippocampal interactions. PMID:19553466

Selecting for memory? The influence of selective attention on the mnemonic binding of contextual information.

PubMed

Uncapher, Melina R; Rugg, Michael D

2009-06-24

Not all of what is experienced is remembered later. Behavioral evidence suggests that the manner in which an event is processed influences which aspects of the event will later be remembered. The present experiment investigated the neural correlates of "selective encoding," or the mechanisms that support the encoding of some elements of an event in preference to others. Event-related MRI data were acquired while volunteers selectively attended to one of two different contextual features of study items (color or location). A surprise memory test for the items and both contextual features was subsequently administered to determine the influence of selective attention on the neural correlates of contextual encoding. Activity in several cortical regions indexed later memory success selectively for color or location information, and this encoding-related activity was enhanced by selective attention to the relevant feature. Critically, a region in the hippocampus responded selectively to attended source information (whether color or location), demonstrating encoding-related activity for attended but not for nonattended source features. Together, the findings suggest that selective attention modulates the magnitude of activity in cortical regions engaged by different aspects of an event, and hippocampal encoding mechanisms seem to be sensitive to this modulation. Thus, the information that is encoded into a memory representation is biased by selective attention, and this bias is mediated by cortical-hippocampal interactions.

Program Characteristics Influencing Allopathic Students' Residency Selection.

PubMed

Stillman, Michael D; Miller, Karen Hughes; Ziegler, Craig H; Upadhyay, Ashish; Mitchell, Charlene K

2016-04-01

Medical students must consider many overt variables when entering the National Resident Matching Program. However, changes with the single graduate medical education accreditation system have caused a gap in knowledge about more subtle considerations, including what, if any, influence the presence of osteopathic physician (ie, DO) and international medical graduate (IMG) house officers has on allopathic students' residency program preferences. Program directors and selection committee members may assume students' implicit bias without substantiating evidence. To reexamine which program characteristics affect US-trained allopathic medical students' residency selection, and to determine whether the presence of DO and IMG house officers affects the program choices of allopathic medical students. Fourth-year medical students from 4 allopathic medical schools completed an online survey. The Pearson χ(2) statistic was used to compare demographic and program-specific traits that influence ranking decisions and to determine whether school type (private vs public), valuing a residency program's prestige, or interest in a competitive specialty dictated results. Qualitative data were analyzed using the Pandit variation of the Glaser and Strauss constant comparison. Surveys were completed by 323 of 577 students (56%). Students from private vs public institutions were more likely to value a program's prestige (160 [93%] vs 99 [72%]; P<.001) and research opportunities (114 [66%] vs 57 [42%]; P<.001), and they were less likely to consider their prospects of being accepted (98 [57%] vs 111 [81%]; P<.001). A total of 33 (10%) and 52 (16%) students reported that the presence of DO or IMG trainees, respectively, would influence their final residency selection, and these percentages were largely unchanged among students interested in programs' prestige or in entering a competitive specialty. Open-ended comments were generally optimistic about diversification of the physician

Social influence on selection behaviour: Distinguishing local- and global-driven preferential attachment.

PubMed

Pan, Xue; Hou, Lei; Liu, Kecheng

2017-01-01

Social influence drives human selection behaviours when numerous objects competing for limited attentions, which leads to the 'rich get richer' dynamics where popular objects tend to get more attentions. However, evidences have been found that, both the global information of the whole system and the local information among one's friends have significant influence over the one's selection. Consequently, a key question raises that, it is the local information or the global information more determinative for one's selection? Here we compare the local-based influence and global-based influence. We show that, the selection behaviour is mainly driven by the local popularity of the objects while the global popularity plays a supplementary role driving the behaviour only when there is little local information for the user to refer to. Thereby, we propose a network model to describe the mechanism of user-object interaction evolution with social influence, where the users perform either local-driven or global-driven preferential attachments to the objects, i.e., the probability of an objects to be selected by a target user is proportional to either its local popularity or global popularity. The simulation suggests that, about 75% of the attachments should be driven by the local popularity to reproduce the empirical observations. It means that, at least in the studied context where users chose businesses on Yelp, there is a probability of 75% for a user to make a selection according to the local popularity. The proposed model and the numerical findings may shed some light on the study of social influence and evolving social systems.

Factors Influencing Effective Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muccino, Mary Ann; And Others

Focusing on procedures and strategies suitable for teaching writing to students in grades 4, 6, and 8, this paper examines the factors that have been shown through research to influence effective writing. The paper divides the research examined into the categories of metacognition; socially-based writing strategies; theory-tested approaches to…

New influence factor inducing difficulty in selective flotation separation of Cu-Zn mixed sulfide minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Jiu-shuai; Mao, Ying-bo; Wen, Shu-ming; Liu, Jian; Xian, Yong-jun; Feng, Qi-cheng

2015-02-01

Selective flotation separation of Cu-Zn mixed sulfides has been proven to be difficult. Thus far, researchers have found no satisfactory way to separate Cu-Zn mixed sulfides by selective flotation, mainly because of the complex surface and interface interaction mechanisms in the flotation solution. Undesired activation occurs between copper ions and the sphalerite surfaces. In addition to recycled water and mineral dissolution, ancient fluids in the minerals are observed to be a new source of metal ions. In this study, significant amounts of ancient fluids were found to exist in Cu-Zn sulfide and gangue minerals, mostly as gas-liquid fluid inclusions. The concentration of copper ions released from the ancient fluids reached 1.02 × 10-6 mol/L, whereas, in the cases of sphalerite and quartz, this concentration was 0.62 × 10-6 mol/L and 0.44 × 10-6 mol/L, respectively. As a result, the ancient fluid is a significant source of copper ions compared to mineral dissolution under the same experimental conditions, which promotes the unwanted activation of sphalerite. Therefore, the ancient fluid is considered to be a new factor that affects the selective flotation separation of Cu-Zn mixed sulfide ores.

Adolescent Friendships, BMI, and Physical Activity: Untangling Selection and Influence Through Longitudinal Social Network Analysis

PubMed Central

Simpkins, Sandra D.; Schaefer, David R.; Price, Chara D.; Vest, Andrea E.

2012-01-01

Bioecological theory suggests that adolescents’ health is a result of selection and socialization processes occurring between adolescents and their microsettings. This study examines the association between adolescents’ friends and health using a social network model and data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 1,896, mean age = 15.97 years). Results indicated evidence of friend influence on BMI and physical activity. Friendships were more likely among adolescents who engaged in greater physical activity and who were similar to one another in BMI and physical activity. These effects emerged after controlling for alternative friend selection factors, such as endogenous social network processes and propinquity through courses and activities. Some selection effects were moderated by gender, popularity, and reciprocity. PMID:24222971

Factors influencing behavior guidance: a survey of practicing pediatric dentists.

PubMed

Juntgen, Laura M; Sanders, Brian J; Walker, Laquia A; Jones, James E; Weddell, James A; Tomlin, Angela M; Eckert, George; Maupome, Gerardo

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing behavior guidance technique utilization among practicing pediatric dentists and explore potential barriers to the incorporation of previously unused techniques. The data for this study were obtained from a web-based survey containing 15 multiple choice questions concerning the practitioners' past, current, and anticipated future behavior guidance technique utilization. Most respondents received hands-on training in 10 of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry behavior guidance techniques. The type of training was associated with the practitioners' level of comfort using a given technique upon graduation and with the current frequency of technique utilization. Residency type impacted hands-on behavior guidance training, with 39 percent of respondents reporting no intravenous sedation training. The type of practice was associated with the frequency of behavior guidance technique utilization, as was graduation decade. Currently practicing dentists cited legal concerns, parental acceptance to change, and limited resources as perceived obstacles in the incorporation of new techniques. Behavior guidance technique selection and utilization among practicing pediatric dentists was influenced by multiple factors, including advanced education training, residency type, graduation decade, and practice type. Obstacles to the incorporation of previously unused techniques appear to be multifactorial.

[Influencing factors of reproduction status of patients undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy].

PubMed

Song, Guang-hui; Zhang, Song-ying; Li, Bai-jia; Wei, Wei; Huang, Dong; Lin, Xiao-na; Lou, Hong-ying

2013-09-17

To explore the influencing factors of reproduction status in women undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy (LM). A total of 278 LM patients were recruited.We retrospectively reviewed the reproduction status of 87 pregnant cases after LM. The correlations of their pregnancy outcomes and such clinical profiles as age, operative techniques, biological characteristics of fibroids (number, type, size and location) were analyzed.No uterine rupture occurred during the gestation period. None of them switched to open surgery due to laparoscopic difficulties. However, one patient had a laparoscopic suture for secondary bleeding of uterine incision. At 3 months post-operation, sonography showed no heterogeneous echo, effusion and hematoma in uterine incision.Incision through uterine cavity occurred intraoperatively in 8 cases, but no intrauterine adhesion was found on hysteroscopy 3 months later. And 87 women became pregnant and the postoperative fertilization time was from 2 months to 5 years. Age influenced the postoperative pregnancy rate.Other factors such as location, number and size of fibroid had no impact on fertility. For achieving a high conception rate and guaranteeing the safety of pregnant women, a clinician should select reasonable surgical approaches, perform accurate anatomical restoration, apply strict hemostasis and choose a right time of conception.

[The measurement of factors influencing on complex needs of the inhibitants in geriatric nursing homes for cultural entertainment (author's transl)].

PubMed

Kuhlmey, J; Lautsch, E

1980-01-01

The paper investigates the question if the factors age, sex, kind of work and during of stay in the geriatric nursing home influence the indicators selected showing the development of the needs of cultural entertainments of the inhibitants of these home. The data have been obtained by way of interviews covering 60 inhibitants. For solving this problem we have used (1) the analysis of variance and (2) the H-Test, combined with the Dunn-Test. For none of the indicators selected to reflect the need for cultural entertainment have we been able to prove statistically on influence by the factors age, sex, kind of work and during of stay. This statement is not valid for the combination: during of stay and striving for special knowledge obtained from cultural entertainments (about problems of life in the geriatric nursing home). The special test (Dunn-test) explains the chance age-factor influencing the indicators striving for increasing the general knowledge and striving for special knowledge obtained from cultural entertainments. We can recognize a similar tendency in regard to the influence of the factor during of stay on the indicator striving on the part of inhibitants for been confronted with the problems of their environment.

First Selection, Then Influence: Developmental Differences in Friendship Dynamics Regarding Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gremmen, Mariola Claudia; Dijkstra, Jan Kornelis; Steglich, Christian; Veenstra, René

2017-01-01

This study concerns peer selection and influence dynamics in early adolescents' friendships regarding academic achievement. Using longitudinal social network analysis (RSiena), both selection and influence processes were investigated for students' average grades and their cluster-specific grades (i.e., language, exact, and social cluster). Data…

Analysis of factors that influencing the interest of Bali State Polytechnic’s students in entrepreneurship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayuni, N. W. D.; Sari, I. G. A. M. K. K.

2018-01-01

The high rate of unemployment results the economic growth to be hampered. To solve this situation, the government try to change the students’ mindset from becoming a job seeker to become a job creator or entrepreneur. One real action that usually been held in Bali State Polytechnic is Student Entrepreneurial Program. The purpose of this research is to identify and analyze the factors that influence the interest of Bali State Polytechnic’s Students in entrepreneurship, especially in the Entrepreneurial Student Program. Method used in this research is Factor Analysis including Bartlett Test, Kaiser-Mayer Olkin (KMO), Measure of Sampling Adequacy (MSA), factor extraction using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), factor selection using eigen value and scree plot, and factor rotation using orthogonal rotation varimax. Result shows that there are four factors that influencing the interest of Bali State Polytechnic’s Students in Entrepreneurship which are Contextual Factor (including Entrepreneurship Training, Academic Support, Perceived Confidence, and Economic Challenge), Self Efficacy Factor (including Leadership, Mental Maturity, Relation with Entrepreneur, and Authority), Subjective Norm Factor (including Support of Important Relative, Support of Friends, and Family Role), and Attitude Factor (including Self Realization).

Factors influencing perceived angular velocity.

PubMed

Kaiser, M K; Calderone, J B

1991-11-01

The assumption that humans are able to perceive and process angular kinematics is critical to many structure-from-motion and optical flow models. The current studies investigate this sensitivity, and examine several factors likely to influence angular velocity perception. In particular, three factors are considered: (1) the extent to which perceived angular velocity is determined by edge transitions of surface elements, (2) the extent to which angular velocity estimates are influenced by instantaneous linear velocities of surface elements, and (3) whether element-velocity effects are related to three-dimensional (3-D) tangential velocities or to two-dimensional (2-D) image velocities. Edge-transition rate biased angular velocity estimates only when edges were highly salient. Element velocities influenced perceived angular velocity; this bias was related to 2-D image velocity rather than 3-D tangential velocity. Despite these biases, however, judgments were most strongly determined by the true angular velocity. Sensitivity to this higher order motion parameter was surprisingly good, for rotations both in depth (y-axis) and parallel to the line of sight (z-axis).

Factors influencing the pattern of self-medication in an adult Nigerian population.

PubMed

Afolabi, A O

2008-09-01

Despite the growing research interest in self-medication, little information has been available about its major determinants especially in developing countries. This informed the conduct of this study to determine the major factors that influence the pattern of self medication in a population of market women in Ifako-Ijaiye area of Lagos, Nigeria. Interviewer administered pretested semistructured questionnaire was used to collect data from 205 market women selected by multistage sampling technique. The patent medicine dealers were the commonest source of information on medications (31.4%) and where they were obtained (52.2%). The exceptions were the educated (62.5%) respondents who obtained theirs from hospitals and pharmacies. Trade and generic names (61.1%) were common means of drug recognition especially among the educated respondents (P<.05). Education of the respondents was the major factor influencing the practice of self-medication though the pattern was descriptively associated with the marital status and educational level of the respondents (P<.05). Benefits of the practice includes in the order: curing of ailments (58.0%), saving time and money (32.0%) and independence of care (7.0%). Literacy and public health education were the major factors influencing the pattern of self-medication among market women. Recommendations on the role of education of market women, patent medicine dealers and the importance of community pharmacy were suggested.

Social influence on selection behaviour: Distinguishing local- and global-driven preferential attachment

PubMed Central

Pan, Xue; Liu, Kecheng

2017-01-01

Social influence drives human selection behaviours when numerous objects competing for limited attentions, which leads to the ‘rich get richer’ dynamics where popular objects tend to get more attentions. However, evidences have been found that, both the global information of the whole system and the local information among one’s friends have significant influence over the one’s selection. Consequently, a key question raises that, it is the local information or the global information more determinative for one’s selection? Here we compare the local-based influence and global-based influence. We show that, the selection behaviour is mainly driven by the local popularity of the objects while the global popularity plays a supplementary role driving the behaviour only when there is little local information for the user to refer to. Thereby, we propose a network model to describe the mechanism of user-object interaction evolution with social influence, where the users perform either local-driven or global-driven preferential attachments to the objects, i.e., the probability of an objects to be selected by a target user is proportional to either its local popularity or global popularity. The simulation suggests that, about 75% of the attachments should be driven by the local popularity to reproduce the empirical observations. It means that, at least in the studied context where users chose businesses on Yelp, there is a probability of 75% for a user to make a selection according to the local popularity. The proposed model and the numerical findings may shed some light on the study of social influence and evolving social systems. PMID:28406984

A Comparative Study of Factors Influencing Male and Female Lecturers' Job Satisfaction in Ghanaian Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amos, Patricia Mawusi; Acquah, Sakina; Antwi, Theresa; Adzifome, Nixon Saba

2015-01-01

The study sought to compare factors influencing male and female lecturers' job satisfaction. Cross-sectional survey designs employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted for the study. Simple random sampling was used to select 163 lecturers from the four oldest public universities in Ghana. Celep's (2000) Organisational…

[Estimation on the mortality and disease burden attributed to selected risk factors in Shandong province].

PubMed

Xu, Ai-qiang; Sun, Jian-dong; Lu, Zi-long; Ma, Ji-xiang; Fu, Zhen-tao; Guo, Xiao-lei

2008-10-01

To determine the major health related risk factors and provide evidence for policy-making, using health burden analysis on selected factors among general population from Shandong province. Based on data derived from the Third Death of Cause Sampling Survey in Shandong, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated according to the GBD methodology. Deaths and DALYs attributed to the selected risk factors were than estimated together with the PAF data from GBD 2001 study. The indirect method was employed to estimate the YLDs. 51.09% of the total deaths and 31.83% of the total DALYs from the Shandong population were resulted from the 19 selected risk factors. High blood pressure, smoking, low fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol consumption, indoor smoke from solid fuels, high cholesterol, urban air pollution, physical inactivity, overweight and obesity and unsafe injections in health care settings were identified as the top 10 risk factors for mortality which together caused 50.21% of the total deaths. Alcohol use, smoking, high blood pressure, low fruit and vegetable intake, indoor smoke from solid fuels, overweight and obesity, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, urban air pollution and iron-deficiency anemia were proved as the top 10 risk factors related to disease burden and were responsible for 29.04% of the total DALYs. Alcohol use, smoking and high blood pressure were determined as the major risk factors which influencing the health of residents in Shandong. The mortality and burden of disease could be reduced significantly if these major factors were effectively under control.

[Factors that influence the sexuality of the elderly: an integrative review].

PubMed

Alencar, Danielle Lopes de; Marques, Ana Paula de Oliveira; Leal, Márcia Carréra Campos; Vieira, Júlia de Cássia Miguel

2014-08-01

The scope of this article is to analyze the scientific evidence addressing the factors that influence the sexuality of the elderly. It involved an online search carried out in pairs, including original articles published between 2006 and October 2011 in Portuguese, English or Spanish, which fulfilled the requirements of the study. The MEDLINE, LILACS, CidSaúde and BDENF databases were used with the key words: sexualidade e idoso / sexuality and elderly / sexualidad y anciano. The articles selected were assessed for methodological quality using two instruments, namely CASP and the Hierarchical Classification of Evidence. After analysis, 15 articles were included in the review, which discuss the culture of asexuality of the elderly, whereby the experience of sexuality only prevails among younger people. The absence of the partner due to widowhood, attributing value to beauty standards of the young, the occurrence of disease, use of medication, and changes in sexual physiology were identified as important factors that influence the sexuality of the elderly. The conclusion drawn is that social and cultural factors, changes in body physiology, and the occurrence of disease interfere with the sexuality of the elderly, making it necessary for nursing professionals to be proactive in debunking myths and providing orientation.

Selected environmental risk factors and congenital heart defects.

PubMed

Kuciene, Renata; Dulskiene, Virginija

2008-01-01

The aim of the article is to review the published scientific literature and epidemiological studies about the effect of selected environmental risk factors on congenital heart defects in infants. According to recent reports, the prevalence of congenital heart defects is around 1% of live births. Congenital heart malformations are the leading cause of infant mortality. Unfortunately, the majority of the causes of heart defects remain unknown. These malformations are caused by interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The article reviews selected environmental risk factors: maternal illnesses and conditions associated with metabolic disorder (maternal diabetes, obesity, phenylketonuria), maternal lifestyle factors (alcohol use, smoking), which may increase the risk of congenital heart defects.

Factors Affecting Option Choices Relative to the Uptake of Design and Technology at a Selected Hong Kong International School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Marshall

2008-01-01

The purpose of the study described in this paper was to identify those factors which affect Year 9 students at Sha Tin College, Hong Kong, as they make option choices at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9: age 14). The main focus of the investigation was how these factors influence the selection or rejection of the four subjects offered under the…

Influence of organizational factors on safety

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haber, S.B.; Metlay, D.S.; Crouch, D.A.

There is a need for a better understanding of exactly how organizational management factors at a nuclear power plant (NPP) affect plant safety performance, either directly or indirectly, and how these factors might be observed, measured, and evaluated. The purpose of this research project is to respond to that need by developing a general methodology for characterizing these organizational and management factors, systematically collecting information on their status and integrating that information into various types of evaluative activities. Research to date has included the development of the Nuclear Organization and Management Analysis Concept (NOMAC) of a NPP, the identification ofmore » key organizational and management factors, and the identification of the methods for systematically measuring and analyzing the influence of these factors on performance. Most recently, two field studies, one at a fossil fuel plant and the other at a NPP, were conducted using the developed methodology. Results are presented from both studies highlighting the acceptability, practicality, and usefulness of the methods used to assess the influence of various organizational and management factors including culture, communication, decision-making, standardization, and oversight. 6 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.« less

Factors influencing happiness of the grandmothers raising grandchildren in rural areas of Northern Thailand.

PubMed

Nanthamongkolchai, Sutham; Munsawaengsub, Chokchai; Taechaboonsermsak, Pimsurang; Powwattana, Arpaporn

2013-12-01

To study the factors influencing happiness of grandmothers raising grandchildren in the rural areas of Northern Thailand. Cross-sectional survey research was conducted among 400 grandmothers, aged 50-79 years, who raised their grandchildren in the rural areas of Northern Thailand. Participants were selected by cluster sampling. Data were collected through a structured interview from April to July 2009 and analyzed by frequency, percentage, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient, and Multiple regression analysis. Nearly half (46.8%) of grandmothers raising grandchildren had high level of happiness, followed by moderate level (40.4%) and low level (12.8%). The factors, which significantly influenced the happiness of the grandmothers, were self-esteem, social support, and family relationships (p-value < 0.05). In addition, self-esteem, social support, and family relationships could significantly predict happiness of the grandmothers by 48.1%. Self-esteem had the highest predictive power of happiness among grandmothers. The factors influencing happiness of grandmothers raising grandchildren were self-esteem, social support, and family relationships. To promote happiness of grandmothers, responsible organizations should establish activities that enhance the grandmother's self-esteem, provide sufficient social support, and promote good family relationships.

Factors Influencing Resident Choice of Prosthodontic Residency Program.

PubMed

Wojnarwsky, Pandora Keala Lee; Wang, Yan; Shah, Kumar; Koka, Sreenivas

2017-06-01

The decision by prosthodontic residency program directors to employ the Match process highlights the need to understand applicant priorities that influence their choice of which programs to rank highly. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that were most important to residents when choosing from among nonmilitary based prosthodontics dental residency programs in the United States. Following completion of a pilot study, all currently enrolled prosthodontic residents at nonmilitary residency programs were invited to participate via the internet. The study consisted of a survey instrument asking residents to rank 26 possible factors that might impact an applicant's choice of residency program. In addition, the instrument collected other possible influencing variables including gender and debt load. Mean rank scores were compared to determine the most and least important factors. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare specific factors between the possible influencing variables. Two hundred and thirty residents completed the survey instrument, representing a 54.1% response rate of possible participants. With regard to factors influencing program choice, reputation of the residency program was the factor ranked the highest by participants, followed in descending order by the program director's personality, curriculum content, access to use of the latest digital technology, and opportunities for dental implant placement. Quality of schools for children, community outreach opportunities, and the ability to moonlight were ranked as the least important factors. Male and female residents ranked factors such as tuition/stipend, curriculum content, and community outreach opportunities significantly differently. Depending on debt load, residents ranked the factors tuition/stipend, ability to moonlight, curriculum content, and safety of the area where the program is differently. Current prosthodontic residents valued the reputation of the program as the most

Two Case Studies of Beginning Teachers in State-Mandated Induction Programs: The Influence of Institutional Factors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulissen, Margaret O.; And Others

The Teacher Induction Study investigated 2 state-mandated beginning teacher programs and examined the translation of state policy by 4 school districts, 13 individual schools, and 32 classrooms. From the case histories of 16 teams, 2 case histories were selected for further study. One case illustrated how institutional factors influenced team…

Choosing child and adolescent psychiatry: factors influencing medical students.

PubMed

Volpe, Tiziana; Boydell, Katherine M; Pignatiello, Antonio

2013-11-01

To examine the factors influencing medical students to choose child and adolescent psychiatry as a career specialty. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. A web-based survey was distributed to child and adolescent psychiatrists at the University of Toronto. In-depth interviews were held with select child and adolescent psychiatrists as well as a focus group with psychiatry residents. Retrospective accounts of the factors that influenced their decision to choose psychiatry and/or child and adolescent psychiatry as a specialty were collected. Ninety-two percent of participants indicated that recruitment of child psychiatrists in Canada is a problem. The recent decision by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons to recognize child and adolescent psychiatry as a subspecialty and introduce an extra year of training was identified as a further challenge to recruitment efforts. Other deterrents included lower salary than other subspecialties, lack of exposure during training, stigma, and lack of interest in treating children. Recruitment into psychiatry was enhanced by good role modeling, early exposure in medical school, an interest in brain research, and career and lifestyle issues. A rebranding of the role and perception of psychiatry is needed to attract future psychiatrists. Early exposure to innovations in child and adolescent psychiatry and positive role models are critical in attracting medical students. Recruitment should begin in the first year of medical school and include an enriched paediatric curriculum.

Factors influencing pacing in triathlon

PubMed Central

Wu, Sam SX; Peiffer, Jeremiah J; Brisswalter, Jeanick; Nosaka, Kazunori; Abbiss, Chris R

2014-01-01

Triathlon is a multisport event consisting of sequential swim, cycle, and run disciplines performed over a variety of distances. This complex and unique sport requires athletes to appropriately distribute their speed or energy expenditure (ie, pacing) within each discipline as well as over the entire event. As with most physical activity, the regulation of pacing in triathlon may be influenced by a multitude of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The majority of current research focuses mainly on the Olympic distance, whilst much less literature is available on other triathlon distances such as the sprint, half-Ironman, and Ironman distances. Furthermore, little is understood regarding the specific physiological, environmental, and interdisciplinary effects on pacing. Therefore, this article discusses the pacing strategies observed in triathlon across different distances, and elucidates the possible factors influencing pacing within the three specific disciplines of a triathlon. PMID:25258562

Factors that influence rural African American males' aspirations to attend college

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuart, Alesia K.

This study was conducted to research factors which influence rural African American males in their college attendance decision. The study was an attempt to discover specific influences in the higher education pursuit from aspiration to enrollment. As African American males and low income students represent lower enrollment figures in higher education, this study attempts to provide research which may improve these numbers. The literature which provides the theoretical frame is related to Hossler (et al., 1999) and his research entitled Going to College. Hossler's study recommended additional research to study African American males. Hossler concluded this participant segment was influenced by different factors than the majority of study participants. This qualitative study includes student interviews. Three high schools in three counties in the Black Belt of rural Alabama were the sites selected for participants. Thirty African American male seniors' responses were transcribed and coded to identify themes related to influences stated by the participants. The students' voices provided insight into their college enrollment pursuit. The findings indicate rural students lack the resources and academic preparation significant for higher education admission. African American males in rural Alabama tend to be first generation students and lack information important to college enrollment. The rural high schools lack the personnel, college and career guidance to ensure participants are aware and prepared to traverse the process of college enrollment. This study identifies policy development needs to address inadequacies that African American males attending rural schools encounter during secondary enrollment. Research participants state college aspirations. Problems arise as participants move from the aspiration stage toward enrollment. Several factors will limit higher education opportunities for the participants. Inadequate knowledge on ACT scores, college cost financial

Factors that influence exercise activity among women post hip fracture participating in the Exercise Plus Program.

PubMed

Resnick, Barbara; Orwig, Denise; D'Adamo, Christopher; Yu-Yahiro, Janet; Hawkes, William; Shardell, Michelle; Golden, Justine; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Magaziner, Jay

2007-01-01

Using a social ecological model, this paper describes selected intra- and interpersonal factors that influence exercise behavior in women post hip fracture who participated in the Exercise Plus Program. Model testing of factors that influence exercise behavior at 2, 6 and 12 months post hip fracture was done. The full model hypothesized that demographic variables; cognitive, affective, physical and functional status; pain; fear of falling; social support for exercise, and exposure to the Exercise Plus Program would influence self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and stage of change both directly and indirectly influencing total time spent exercising. Two hundred and nine female hip fracture patients (age 81.0 +/- 6.9), the majority of whom were Caucasian (97%), participated in this study. The three predictive models tested across the 12 month recovery trajectory suggest that somewhat different factors may influence exercise over the recovery period and the models explained 8 to 21% of the variance in time spent exercising. To optimize exercise activity post hip fracture, older adults should be helped to realistically assess their self-efficacy and outcome expectations related to exercise, health care providers and friends/peers should be encouraged to reinforce the positive benefits of exercise post hip fracture, and fear of falling should be addressed throughout the entire hip fracture recovery trajectory.

Reimbursement and economic factors influencing dialysis modality choice around the world

PubMed Central

Just, Paul M.; de Charro, Frank Th.; Tschosik, Elizabeth A.; Noe, Les L.; Bhattacharyya, Samir K.; Riella, Miguel C.

2008-01-01

The worldwide incidence of kidney failure is on the rise and treatment is costly; thus, the global burden of illness is growing. Kidney failure patients require either a kidney transplant or dialysis to maintain life. This review focuses on the economics of dialysis. Alternative dialysis modalities are haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). Important economic factors influencing dialysis modality selection include financing, reimbursement and resource availability. In general, where there is little or no facility or physician reimbursement or payment for PD, the share of PD is very low. Regarding resource availability, when centre HD capacity is high, there is an incentive to use that capacity rather than place patients on home dialysis. In certain countries, there is interest in revising the reimbursement structure to favour home-based therapies, including PD and home HD. Modality selection is influenced by employment status, with an association between being employed and PD as the modality choice. Cost drivers differ for PD and HD. PD is driven mainly by variable costs such as solutions and tubing, while HD is driven mainly by fixed costs of facility space and staff. Many cost comparisons of dialysis modalities have been conducted. A key factor to consider in reviewing cost comparisons is the perspective of the analysis because different costs are relevant for different perspectives. In developed countries, HD is generally more expensive than PD to the payer. Additional research is needed in the developing world before conclusive statements may be made regarding the relative costs of HD and PD. PMID:18234844

Factors influencing GPs' decisions on the treatment of hypercholesterolaemic patients.

PubMed

Backlund, L; Danielsson, B; Bring, J; Strender, L E

2000-06-01

To study factors influencing GPs' decisions to prescribe lipid-lowering drugs and how their judgements agree with the Swedish guidelines on hyperlipidaemia. Postal questionnaire. Primary health care. Authentic written case descriptions of patients, all with a cholesterol value of at least 5.5 mmol/l and with variations in seven other variables (cues) in a Clinical Judgement Analysis (CJA) design. Sixty randomly selected primary health care doctors in the south-eastern Stockholm area. Thirty-eight doctors answered the questionnaire. Coronary heart disease had the highest influence on judgements, followed by cholesterol. The majority of doctors used two or three of the eight cues. Doctors differed markedly in their strategies. One in four did not use coronary heart disease in their judgements, even though all patients with this risk factor present (12/40) should receive pharmacological treatment, according to the guidelines. Doctors who adhered to the guidelines in this respect were younger than those who did not. The GPs' insights into their own strategies were good. The results indicate that doctors use very different judgement strategies for drug prescription concerning patients with hypercholesterolaemia. A fairly large subgroup of the doctors did not include coronary heart disease in their judgements, in contrast to the present guidelines.

Influence of prey body characteristics and performance on predator selection.

PubMed

Holmes, Thomas H; McCormick, Mark I

2009-03-01

At the time of settlement to the reef environment, coral reef fishes differ in a number of characteristics that may influence their survival during a predatory encounter. This study investigated the selective nature of predation by both a multi-species predator pool, and a single common predator (Pseudochromis fuscus), on the reef fish, Pomacentrus amboinensis. The study focused on the early post-settlement period of P. amboinensis, when mortality, and hence selection, is known to be highest. Correlations between nine different measures of body condition/performance were examined at the time of settlement, in order to elucidate the relationships between different traits. Single-predator (P. fuscus) choice trials were conducted in 57.4-l aquaria with respect to three different prey characteristics [standard length (SL), body weight and burst swimming speed], whilst multi-species trials were conducted on open patch reefs, manipulating prey body weight only. Relationships between the nine measures of condition/performance were generally poor, with the strongest correlations occurring between the morphological measures and within the performance measures. During aquaria trials, P. fuscus was found to be selective with respect to prey SL only, with larger individuals being selected significantly more often. Multi-species predator communities, however, were selective with respect to prey body weight, with heavier individuals being selected significantly more often than their lighter counterparts. Our results suggest that under controlled conditions, body length may be the most important prey characteristic influencing prey survival during predatory encounters with P. fuscus. In such cases, larger prey size may actually be a distinct disadvantage to survival. However, these relationships appear to be more complex under natural conditions, where the expression of prey characteristics, the selectivity fields of a number of different predators, their relative abundance, and

The Interrelationships of Preadolescents' Student Characteristics Influencing Selection of Career Exploration Courses [And Abstract]. Industrial Arts Education Monograph No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meehan, Merrill L.

The study investigated the interaction of personal and environmental factors influencing seventh graders' selection of career exploration courses for increased exploration in the eighth grade. A stratified random sample (496 students) was drawn from the Pittsburgh Public School's Occupational, Vocational, and Technical Exploratory Program.…

Factors influencing workplace health promotion intervention: a qualitative systematic review.

PubMed

Rojatz, Daniela; Merchant, Almas; Nitsch, Martina

2017-10-01

Although workplace health promotion (WHP) has evolved over the last 40 years, systematically collected knowledge on factors influencing the functioning of WHP is scarce. Therefore, a qualitative systematic literature review was carried out to systematically identify and synthesize factors influencing the phases of WHP interventions: needs assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. Research evidence was identified by searching electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, Social Sciences Citation Index, ASSIA, ERIC, IBBS and PsycINFO) from 1998 to 2013, as well as by cross-checking reference lists of included peer-reviewed articles. The inclusion criteria were: original empirical research, description of WHP, description of barriers to and/or facilitators of the planning, implementation and/or evaluation of WHP. Finally, 54 full texts were included. From these, influencing factors were extracted and summarized using thematic analysis. The majority of influencing factors referred to the implementation phase, few dealt with planning and/or evaluation and none with needs assessment. The influencing factors were condensed into topics with respect to factors at contextual level (e.g. economic crisis); factors at organizational level (e.g. management support); factors at intervention level (e.g. quality of intervention concept); factors at implementer level (e.g. resources); factors at participant level (e.g. commitment to intervention) and factors referring to methodological and data aspects (e.g. data-collection issues). Factors regarding contextual issues and organizational aspects were identified across three phases. Therefore, future research and practice should consider not only the influencing factors at different levels, but also at different phases of WHP interventions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Stormwater dissolved organic matter: influence of land cover and environmental factors.

PubMed

McElmurry, Shawn P; Long, David T; Voice, Thomas C

2014-01-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a major role in defining biological systems and it influences the fate and transport of many pollutants. Despite the importance of DOM, understanding of how environmental and anthropogenic factors influence its composition and characteristics is limited. This study focuses on DOM exported as stormwater from suburban and urban sources. Runoff was collected before entering surface waters and DOM was characterized using specific ultraviolet absorbance at 280 nm (a proxy for aromaticity), molecular weight, polydispersity and the fraction of DOM removed from solution via hydrophobic and H-bonding mechanisms. General linear models (GLMs) incorporating land cover, precipitation, solar radiation and selected aqueous chemical measurements explained variations in DOM properties. Results show (1) molecular characteristics of DOM differ as a function of land cover, (2) DOM produced by forested land is significantly different from other landscapes, particularly urban and suburban areas, and (3) DOM from land cover that contains paved surfaces and sewers is more hydrophobic than from other types of land cover. GLMs incorporating environmental factors and land cover accounted for up to 86% of the variability observed in DOM characteristics. Significant variables (p < 0.05) included solar radiation, water temperature and water conductivity.

Factors that influence nurses' customer orientation.

PubMed

Darby, D N; Daniel, K

1999-09-01

Hospital care mostly involves complex processes that are continuously adjusted to match individual client needs. As most patients cannot evaluate the technology used, they focus on personal interactions with care providers when making judgements about the care received. Nurses are the care team members that primarily provide ongoing care. This study aims to further understand factors that influence the way nursing staff relate to their patients. A model is presented of the contextual and self-perceptual factors that influence the level of customer/client orientation of nursing services in an Australian hospital setting along with details of a quantitative study. Nurses completed an anonymous questionnaire, which was then mailed directly to the researchers. Analysis of the data included factor analysis, regression and path analysis. The results show that contextual elements such as management commitment to service quality and self-perceptual factors such as role stress impact on the nurses' client service orientation. However, the variables being studied commonly have both direct and indirect effects with feelings about commitment to the organization having a notable mediating influence. The scales adapted from use in other industries are able to measure the perceptual and outcome variables in a health institutional setting. The managerial implications are that both a comprehensive programme of organizational culture and individual staff member development is needed if an enhanced customer orientation and the consequent improvement in client satisfaction with nursing care is to occur.

Which Master of Business Administration (MBA)? Factors Influencing Prospective Students' Choice of MBA Programme--An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackburn, Greg

2011-01-01

Factors which influence students' selection of a Master of Business Administration programme are identified and the variation in their relative importance across the student population investigated. This research also identifies the features of a university which attracts students, as well as examining the students' perceptions of the management…

Factors influencing medical students' motivation to practise in rural areas in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Zwanikken, Prisca A C; Pokharel, Paras K; Scherpbier, Albert J

2017-01-01

Objectives There is a shortage of doctors working in rural areas all over the world, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. The choice to practise medicine in a rural area is influenced by many factors. Motivation developed as a medical student is one key determinant of this choice. This study explores influences on medical students' motivation to practise in rural areas of low-income and middle-income countries following graduation. Design A systematic review was conducted to identify influences on medical students' motivation to work in rural areas in low-income and middle-income countries. Papers reporting influences on motivation were included, and content analysis was conducted to select the articles. Articles not published in English were excluded from this review. Results A rural background (ie, being brought up in a rural area), training in rural areas with a community-based curriculum, early exposure to the community during medical training and rural location of medical school motivate medical students to work in rural areas. Perceived lack of infrastructure, high workload, poor hospital management and isolation are among the health facility factors that demotivate medical students for medical practice in rural areas. Conclusions Medical school selection criteria focusing on a rural background factor and medical education curriculum focusing on rural area are more relevant factors in low-income and middle-income countries. The factors identified in this review may assist the planners, medical educators and policymakers in low-income and middle-income countries in designing relevant interventions to positively influence rural choices where the shortage of rural physicians is an ongoing and increasing concern. PMID:28232465

Factors influencing emergency nurses' ethical problems during the outbreak of MERS-CoV.

PubMed

Choi, Jeong-Sil; Kim, Ji-Soo

2018-05-01

Whenever there has been a worldwide contagious disease outbreak, there have been reports of infection and death of healthcare workers. Particularly because emergency nurses have contact with patients on the front line, they experience ethical problems in nursing while struggling with infectious diseases in an unfavorable environment. The objective of this study was to explore emergency nurses' ethical problems and to identify factors influencing these problems during the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus in Korea. For this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire survey was conducted with emergency nurses working in six hospitals selected through convenience sampling from the hospitals designated for Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus patients in the capital area. Data were collected from 169 emergency nurses in Korea during August 2015. Ethical considerations: This research was approved by the Institutional Review Board of G University in Korea. The findings of this study suggest that during the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus outbreak, emergency nurses experienced ethical problems tied to a mind-set of avoiding patients. Three factors were found to influence emergency nurses' ethical problems (in order of influence): cognition of social stigmatization, level of agreement with infection control measures, and perceived risk. Through this study, we obtained information on emergency nurses' ethical problems during the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus outbreak and identified the factors that influence them. As found in this study, nurses' ethical problems were influenced most by cognitions of social stigmatization. Accordingly, to support nurses confidently care for people during future health disasters, it is most urgent to promote appropriate public consciousness that encourages healthcare workers.

Factors influencing clinical trial site selection in Europe: the Survey of Attitudes towards Trial sites in Europe (the SAT-EU Study).

PubMed

Gehring, Marta; Taylor, Rod S; Mellody, Marie; Casteels, Brigitte; Piazzi, Angela; Gensini, Gianfranco; Ambrosio, Giuseppe

2013-11-15

Applications to run clinical trials in Europe fell 25% between 2007 and 2011. Costs, speed of approvals and shortcomings of European Clinical Trial Directive are commonly invoked to explain this unsatisfactory performance. However, no hard evidence is available on the actual weight of these factors or has it been previously investigated whether other criteria may also impact clinical trial site selection. The Survey of Attitudes towards Trial sites in Europe (SAT-EU Study) was an anonymous, cross-sectional web-based survey that systematically assessed factors impacting European clinical trial site selection. It explored 19 factors across investigator-driven, hospital-driven and environment-driven criteria, and costs. It also surveyed perceptions of the European trial environment. Clinical research organisations (CROs), academic clinical trial units (CTUs) and industry invited to respond. weight assigned to each factor hypothesised to impact trial site selection and trial incidence. Secondary outcome: desirability of European countries to run clinical trials. Responses were obtained from 485 professionals in 34 countries: 49% from BioPharma, 40% from CTUs or CROs. Investigator-dependent, environment-dependent and hospital-dependent factors were rated highly important, costs being less important (p<0.0001). Within environment-driven criteria, pool of eligible patients, speed of approvals and presence of disease-management networks were significantly more important than costs or government financial incentives (p<0.0001). The pattern of response was consistent across respondent groupings (CTU vs CRO vs industry). Considerable variability was demonstrated in the perceived receptivity of countries to undertake clinical trials, with Germany, the UK and the Netherlands rated the best trial markets (p<0.0001). Investigator-dependent factors and ease of approval dominate trial site selection, while costs appear less important. Fostering competitiveness of European clinical

Technical Factors Influencing Cone Packing Density Estimates in Adaptive Optics Flood Illuminated Retinal Images

PubMed Central

Lombardo, Marco; Serrao, Sebastiano; Lombardo, Giuseppe

2014-01-01

Purpose To investigate the influence of various technical factors on the variation of cone packing density estimates in adaptive optics flood illuminated retinal images. Methods Adaptive optics images of the photoreceptor mosaic were obtained in fifteen healthy subjects. The cone density and Voronoi diagrams were assessed in sampling windows of 320×320 µm, 160×160 µm and 64×64 µm at 1.5 degree temporal and superior eccentricity from the preferred locus of fixation (PRL). The technical factors that have been analyzed included the sampling window size, the corrected retinal magnification factor (RMFcorr), the conversion from radial to linear distance from the PRL, the displacement between the PRL and foveal center and the manual checking of cone identification algorithm. Bland-Altman analysis was used to assess the agreement between cone density estimated within the different sampling window conditions. Results The cone density declined with decreasing sampling area and data between areas of different size showed low agreement. A high agreement was found between sampling areas of the same size when comparing density calculated with or without using individual RMFcorr. The agreement between cone density measured at radial and linear distances from the PRL and between data referred to the PRL or the foveal center was moderate. The percentage of Voronoi tiles with hexagonal packing arrangement was comparable between sampling areas of different size. The boundary effect, presence of any retinal vessels, and the manual selection of cones missed by the automated identification algorithm were identified as the factors influencing variation of cone packing arrangements in Voronoi diagrams. Conclusions The sampling window size is the main technical factor that influences variation of cone density. Clear identification of each cone in the image and the use of a large buffer zone are necessary to minimize factors influencing variation of Voronoi diagrams of the cone

Technical factors influencing cone packing density estimates in adaptive optics flood illuminated retinal images.

PubMed

Lombardo, Marco; Serrao, Sebastiano; Lombardo, Giuseppe

2014-01-01

To investigate the influence of various technical factors on the variation of cone packing density estimates in adaptive optics flood illuminated retinal images. Adaptive optics images of the photoreceptor mosaic were obtained in fifteen healthy subjects. The cone density and Voronoi diagrams were assessed in sampling windows of 320×320 µm, 160×160 µm and 64×64 µm at 1.5 degree temporal and superior eccentricity from the preferred locus of fixation (PRL). The technical factors that have been analyzed included the sampling window size, the corrected retinal magnification factor (RMFcorr), the conversion from radial to linear distance from the PRL, the displacement between the PRL and foveal center and the manual checking of cone identification algorithm. Bland-Altman analysis was used to assess the agreement between cone density estimated within the different sampling window conditions. The cone density declined with decreasing sampling area and data between areas of different size showed low agreement. A high agreement was found between sampling areas of the same size when comparing density calculated with or without using individual RMFcorr. The agreement between cone density measured at radial and linear distances from the PRL and between data referred to the PRL or the foveal center was moderate. The percentage of Voronoi tiles with hexagonal packing arrangement was comparable between sampling areas of different size. The boundary effect, presence of any retinal vessels, and the manual selection of cones missed by the automated identification algorithm were identified as the factors influencing variation of cone packing arrangements in Voronoi diagrams. The sampling window size is the main technical factor that influences variation of cone density. Clear identification of each cone in the image and the use of a large buffer zone are necessary to minimize factors influencing variation of Voronoi diagrams of the cone mosaic.

Factors influencing and modifying the decision to pursue genetic testing for skin cancer risk.

PubMed

Fogel, Alexander L; Jaju, Prajakta D; Li, Shufeng; Halpern-Felsher, Bonnie; Tang, Jean Y; Sarin, Kavita Y

2017-05-01

Across cancers, the decision to pursue genetic testing is influenced more by subjective than objective factors. However, skin cancer, which is more prevalent, visual, and multifactorial than many other malignancies, may offer different motivations for pursuing such testing. The primary objective was to determine factors influencing the decision to receive genetic testing for skin cancer risk. A secondary objective was to assess the impact of priming with health questions on the decision to receive testing. We distributed anonymous online surveys through ResearchMatch.org to assess participant health, demographics, motivations, and interest in pursuing genetic testing for skin cancer risk. Two surveys with identical questions but different question ordering were used to assess the secondary objective. We received 3783 responses (64% response rate), and 85.8% desired testing. Subjective factors, including curiosity, perceptions of skin cancer, and anxiety, were the most statistically significant determinants of the decision to pursue testing (P < .001), followed by history of sun exposure (odds ratio 1.85, P < .01) and history of skin cancer (odds ratio 0.5, P = .01). Age and family history of skin cancer did not influence this decision. Participants increasingly chose testing if first queried about health behaviors (P < .0001). The decision to pursue hypothetical testing may differ from in-clinic decision-making. Self-selected, online participants may differ from the general population. Surveys may be subject to response bias. The decision to pursue genetic testing for skin cancer is primarily determined by subjective factors, such as anxiety and curiosity. Health factors, including skin cancer history, also influenced decision-making. Priming with consideration of objective health factors can increase the desire to pursue testing. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantifying the influences of various ecological factors on land surface temperature of urban forests.

PubMed

Ren, Yin; Deng, Lu-Ying; Zuo, Shu-Di; Song, Xiao-Dong; Liao, Yi-Lan; Xu, Cheng-Dong; Chen, Qi; Hua, Li-Zhong; Li, Zheng-Wei

2016-09-01

Identifying factors that influence the land surface temperature (LST) of urban forests can help improve simulations and predictions of spatial patterns of urban cool islands. This requires a quantitative analytical method that combines spatial statistical analysis with multi-source observational data. The purpose of this study was to reveal how human activities and ecological factors jointly influence LST in clustering regions (hot or cool spots) of urban forests. Using Xiamen City, China from 1996 to 2006 as a case study, we explored the interactions between human activities and ecological factors, as well as their influences on urban forest LST. Population density was selected as a proxy for human activity. We integrated multi-source data (forest inventory, digital elevation models (DEM), population, and remote sensing imagery) to develop a database on a unified urban scale. The driving mechanism of urban forest LST was revealed through a combination of multi-source spatial data and spatial statistical analysis of clustering regions. The results showed that the main factors contributing to urban forest LST were dominant tree species and elevation. The interactions between human activity and specific ecological factors linearly or nonlinearly increased LST in urban forests. Strong interactions between elevation and dominant species were generally observed and were prevalent in either hot or cold spots areas in different years. In conclusion, quantitative studies based on spatial statistics and GeogDetector models should be conducted in urban areas to reveal interactions between human activities, ecological factors, and LST. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What factors influence British medical students' career intentions?

PubMed

Ibrahim, Michael; Fanshawe, Angela; Patel, Vanash; Goswami, Karan; Chilvers, Geoffrey; Ting, Michelle; Pilavakis, Yiannis; Rao, Christopher; Athanasiou, Thanos

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence career choice in UK medical students. Students at seven institutions were invited to rate how important various factors were on influencing their career choices and how interested they were in pursuing different specialties. The influence of interpersonal relationship networks on career choice was also evaluated. 641 responses were collected. 44% (283) were male, 16% (105) were graduates and 41% (263) were final-year students. For Dermatology (p = 0.009), Paediatrics (p = 0.000), Radiology (p = 0.000), Emergency Medicine (p = 0.018) and Cardiothoracic Surgery (p = 0.000), there was a clear correlation between completing a clinical attachment and an interest in pursuing the specialty. Perceived characteristics of the speciality, individually and in clusters were considered important by specific subgroups of students, such as those interested in surgery. These students considered prestige (p = 0.0003), role models (p = 0.014), financial rewards after training (p = 0.0196) and technical challenge (p = 0.0011) as important factors. Demographics such as sex and age played a significant role in career choice. Interpersonal relationship networks do not have a significant influence on career intentions. This study shows that the career intentions of British medical students are influenced by their undergraduate experience and by the weight they place on different specialty-related factors.

Factors Influencing the Clinical Stratification of Suitability to Drive after Stroke: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Stapleton, Tadhg; Connolly, Deirdre; O'Neill, Desmond

2015-01-01

While a clinical pre-selection screening process for a stroke patient's suitability for driving has been acknowledged, little is known about the factors or processes influencing this screening typically conducted by clinicians practicing at a generalist level. This study explored this clinical stratification process through the use of semi-structured interviews with senior occupational therapists (n = 17) and stroke physicians (n = 7) using qualitative description methodology. The findings revealed a trichotomy stratification of stroke patients for driving in the clinical setting; those who are fit to drive, unfit to drive, and a "maybe" group who need more detailed assessment and observation. Factors that had a major influence on this clinical-based stratification of driving suitability were client's levels of awareness, insight, and impulsivity. A period of prolonged contact with the client was preferential to guide the stratification decision in order for clinicians to build a comprehensive picture of the person. A mix of assessment approaches including standardized assessment but with increased emphasis on naturalistic observation of functional performance underpinned the clinical stratification process. This study uncovers some of the factors and processes influencing the early clinical-based stratification of driving suitability after stroke, and highlights the contribution of the generalist practitioner in the assessment of fitness to drive continuum.

Environmental influences: factors influencing a woman's decision to use dietary supplements.

PubMed

Conner, Mark; Kirk, Sara F L; Cade, Janet E; Barrett, Jennifer H

2003-06-01

Use of dietary supplements by women, particularly those over 40 years of age may be widespread in the United Kingdom. However, from surveillance data, there appears to be a disparity between nutrition and health needs and the rationale for and actual use of dietary supplements by women. This apparent paradox forms the basis for an inverse supplement hypothesis (i.e., supplement use in women appears to be most prevalent among those with least need). Little research has been done to examine the factors underlying the decision to use dietary supplements. Reasons for consuming dietary supplements are often complex, combining social, psychological, knowledge and economic factors. The theory of planned behavior is a widely used model for assessing factors influencing behavioral motivation and action that may be useful for assessing specific diet- and nutrition-related practices. It provided the basis for the development of a questionnaire to explore overall dietary supplement use in a cohort of women in the United Kingdom. The analysis of factors related to beliefs underlying dietary supplement use revealed differences between supplement users and nonusers. Differences included a stronger belief by users than nonusers that taking dietary supplements ensures against possible ill health. Both users and nonusers of supplements also perceived the media (books and magazines) to be a powerful influence on a person's decision to use supplements. These findings highlight the potential of the theory of planned behavior in exploring supplement-taking behavior while throwing light on the factors influencing an individual's motivations to use dietary supplements.

Uncovering Factors Influencing Interpersonal Health Communication

PubMed Central

Donné, Lennie; Jansen, Carel; Hoeks, John

2017-01-01

Talking to friends, family, or peers about health issues might, among other things, increase knowledge of social norms and feelings of self-efficacy in adopting a healthier lifestyle. We often see interpersonal health communication as an important mediating factor in the effects of health campaigns on health behavior. No research has been done so far, however, on factors that influence whether and how people talk about health issues without being exposed to a health campaign first. In this exploratory study, we interviewed 12 participants about their communication behavior concerning six different health themes, like smoking and exercising. The results suggest that at least four types of interpersonal health communication can be distinguished, each influenced by different factors, like conversational partner and objective of the conversation. Future research should take this diversity of interpersonal health communication into account, and focus on designing health campaigns that aim to trigger dialogue within target populations. PMID:28660238

Choosing Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Factors Influencing Medical Students

PubMed Central

Volpe, Tiziana; Boydell, Katherine M.; Pignatiello, Antonio

2013-01-01

Objective: To examine the factors influencing medical students to choose child and adolescent psychiatry as a career specialty. Method: Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. A web-based survey was distributed to child and adolescent psychiatrists at the University of Toronto. In-depth interviews were held with select child and adolescent psychiatrists as well as a focus group with psychiatry residents. Retrospective accounts of the factors that influenced their decision to choose psychiatry and/or child and adolescent psychiatry as a specialty were collected. Results: Ninety-two percent of participants indicated that recruitment of child psychiatrists in Canada is a problem. The recent decision by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons to recognize child and adolescent psychiatry as a subspecialty and introduce an extra year of training was identified as a further challenge to recruitment efforts. Other deterrents included lower salary than other subspecialties, lack of exposure during training, stigma, and lack of interest in treating children. Recruitment into psychiatry was enhanced by good role modeling, early exposure in medical school, an interest in brain research, and career and lifestyle issues. Conclusions: A rebranding of the role and perception of psychiatry is needed to attract future psychiatrists. Early exposure to innovations in child and adolescent psychiatry and positive role models are critical in attracting medical students. Recruitment should begin in the first year of medical school and include an enriched paediatric curriculum. PMID:24223044

Perceptual load influences selective attention across development.

PubMed

Couperus, Jane W

2011-09-01

Research suggests that visual selective attention develops across childhood. However, there is relatively little understanding of the neurological changes that accompany this development, particularly in the context of adult theories of selective attention, such as N. Lavie's (1995) perceptual load theory of attention. This study examined visual selective attention across development from 7 years of age to adulthood. Specifically, the author examined if changes in processing as a function of selective attention are similarly influenced by perceptual load across development. Participants were asked to complete a task at either low or high perceptual load while processing of an unattended probe stimulus was examined using event related potentials. Similar to adults, children and teens showed reduced processing of the unattended stimulus as perceptual load increased at the P1 visual component. However, although there were no qualitative differences in changes in processing, there were quantitative differences, with shorter P1 latencies in teens and adults compared with children, suggesting increases in the speed of processing across development. In addition, younger children did not need as high a perceptual load to achieve the same difference in performance between low and high perceptual load as adults. Thus, this study demonstrates that although there are developmental changes in visual selective attention, the mechanisms by which visual selective attention is achieved in children may share similarities with adults.

Hierarchical and coupling model of factors influencing vessel traffic flow.

PubMed

Liu, Zhao; Liu, Jingxian; Li, Huanhuan; Li, Zongzhi; Tan, Zhirong; Liu, Ryan Wen; Liu, Yi

2017-01-01

Understanding the characteristics of vessel traffic flow is crucial in maintaining navigation safety, efficiency, and overall waterway transportation management. Factors influencing vessel traffic flow possess diverse features such as hierarchy, uncertainty, nonlinearity, complexity, and interdependency. To reveal the impact mechanism of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow, a hierarchical model and a coupling model are proposed in this study based on the interpretative structural modeling method. The hierarchical model explains the hierarchies and relationships of the factors using a graph. The coupling model provides a quantitative method that explores interaction effects of factors using a coupling coefficient. The coupling coefficient is obtained by determining the quantitative indicators of the factors and their weights. Thereafter, the data obtained from Port of Tianjin is used to verify the proposed coupling model. The results show that the hierarchical model of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow can explain the level, structure, and interaction effect of the factors; the coupling model is efficient in analyzing factors influencing traffic volumes. The proposed method can be used for analyzing increases in vessel traffic flow in waterway transportation system.

Factors Influencing College Science Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tai, Robert H.; Sadler, Philip M.; Mintzes, Joel J.

2006-01-01

In this paper, the authors report some of the salient findings of a large-scale, four-year national study, conducted at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, entitled "Factors Influencing College Science Success" (FICSS), which surveyed college students who enrolled in first-year biology, chemistry, and physics courses…

Assessment of Factors Influencing Communication in Clinical Pharmacy.

PubMed

Yao, Dongning; Jiang, Liang; Huang, Yuankai; Chen, Lei; Wang, Yitao; Xi, Xiaoyu

2018-01-01

This study aimed to identify and assess the factors that influence communication quality between clinical pharmacists and patients using a structural equation model based on the predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling constructs in educational/environmental diagnosis and evaluation-policy, regulatory, and organizational constructs in educational and ecological development model to identify the most effective path to increase their communication quality. A survey was conducted at 253 Class-A tertiary hospitals in China from March to December 2016. During on-site observations, verbal communications between clinical pharmacists ( n = 752) and patients were audio recorded, and communication quality was rated by an expert panel on an 8-item Quality of Communication Rating Scale. Clinical pharmacists completed questionnaires that examined the predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors that influenced communication quality. Finally, AMOS was employed to examine the relationships between the three factors and communication quality. The results indicated that all three factors positively affected communication quality, with correlation coefficients of .26, .13, and .17, respectively. The most influential predisposing factor was attitude (.77), the most influential enabling factors were self-efficacy (.71) and confidence (.72), and the most influential reinforcing factor was rewards (.74). The findings suggest that pharmacists' attitudes toward, perceived knowledge of, and skill and confidence in communication, and the rewards offered by pharmacy management are the most influential factors that influence communication quality.

Factors influencing the implementation of evidence in Chinese nursing practice.

PubMed

Cheng, Lei; Broome, Marion E; Feng, Sheng; Hu, Yan

2017-12-01

To explore the influencing factors from staff nurses, nurse managers, nursing directors and a physician involved in nursing evidence implementation in Mainland China. Although the need for evidence-based nursing is well recognised, continuous efforts are needed to strive for closing the gap from evidence to action. Previous studies have explored influencing factors from individual and organisational perspectives in Western countries. However, it remains unclear what the influences (i.e., context and culture) in the developing countries as China. A grounded theory design using in-depth individual interviews was conducted. Interviews with 56 participants from 24 evidence-based nursing implementation projects were conducted in Mainland China. Constant comparative analysis was used to discover the concepts describing the influencing factors during the implementation process. Factors that influenced implementation of evidence-based practice in the Chinese context were identified. These included the leaders of the projects, the nature of the evidence, practising nurses, patients involved in the projects, the system where the projects were implemented, as well as the influence from outside of the system. A variety of factors influencing evidence implementation in Chinese nursing context were identified and further explored from the perspective of different project leaders and culture influence. There is apparently a strong demand for a supportive system, targeted strategies to facilitate various evidence implementations and integrated core elements of evidence-based practice at the point care. The blurred boundaries and complexity of influencing factors call for a systematic and dynamic perspective during implementation. The competitive priorities emphasise the importance of integration between clinical nursing care and evidence-based practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Factors influencing the decision to pursue emergency medicine as a career among medical students in Singapore.

PubMed

Chew, Shi Hao; Ibrahim, Irwani; Yong, Yan Zhen; Shi, Lu Ming; Zheng, Qi Shi; Samarasekera, Dujeepa D; Ooi, Shirley Beng Suat

2018-03-01

The introduction of the residency programme in Singapore allows medical students to apply for residency in their graduating year. Our study aimed to determine the interest levels and motivating factors for pursuing emergency medicine (EM) as a career among medical students in Singapore. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to Year 1-5 medical students in 2012. Participants indicated their interest in pursuing EM as a career and the degree to which a series of variables influenced their choices. Influencing factors were analysed using multinomial logistic regression. A total of 800 completed questionnaires were collected. 21.0% of the participants expressed interest in pursuing EM. Perceived personality fit and having done an elective in EM were strongly positive influencing factors. Junior medical students were more likely to cite the wide diversity of medical conditions and the lack of a long-term doctor-patient relationship to be negative factors, while senior medical students were more likely to cite personality fit and perceived prestige of EM as negative factors. Careful selection of EM applicants is important to the future development of EM in Singapore. Our study showed that personality fit might be the most important influencing factor in choosing EM as a career. Therefore, greater effort should be made to help medical students explore their interest in and suitability for a particular specialty. These include giving medical students earlier exposure to EM, encouraging participation in student interest groups and using appropriate personality tests for career guidance. Copyright: © Singapore Medical Association.

Factors Influencing the Food Purchases of Early Care and Education Providers.

PubMed

Otten, Jennifer J; Hirsch, Tad; Lim, Catherine

2017-05-01

With the majority of US children enrolled in some form of early care and education, the settings for early care and education represent a valuable opportunity to positively impact young children's diets and their interactions with food. Little evidence exists on how early care and education providers make food purchasing and service decisions for this population of young children. Our aim was to explore the factors that influence early care and education providers' food purchasing and service decisions. A qualitative design consisting of individual, in-person, and semi-structured interviews with providers and on-site observations was used. Sixteen early care and education providers-selected across a variety of characteristics that might affect food selection (eg, size of site, participation in reimbursement programs, presence of staff assigned to foodservice) using maximum variation purposive sampling-based in the Puget Sound region, Washington, were interviewed from June to September 2014. Provider perspectives on food purchasing and service decisions. Inductive analysis of transcribed interviews using TAMS Analyzer software (GPL version 2, 2012) to identify themes. Ten main influencers emerged from the data. These were grouped into four categories based on an ecological framework: macro-level environments (ie, regulations; suppliers and vendors, including stores); physical environment and settings (ie, organizational mission, budget, and structure; the facility itself); social environments (ie, professional networks; peers; the site-specific parent and child community); and individual factors at both a provider and child-level (ie, providers' skills, behaviors, motivations, attitudes, knowledge, and values; child food preferences; and, child allergies). A model was then developed to identify potential pathways of intervention and underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to improve early care and education nutrition. This study suggests that a more

[Factors influencing nurses' organizational citizenship behavior].

PubMed

Park, Junhee; Yun, Eunkyung; Han, Sangsook

2009-08-01

This study was conducted to identify the factors that influence nurses' organizational citizenship behavior. A cross-sectional design was used, with a convenience sample of 547 nurses from four university hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey done from September 22 to October 10, 2008. The tools used for this study were scales on organizational citizenship behavior (14 items), self-leadership (14 items), empowerment (10 items), organizational commitment (7 items), job satisfaction (8 items) and transformational.transactional leadership (14 items). Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis were examined to test reliability and construct validity of the scale. The data collected were processed using SPSS Window 15.0 Program for actual numbers and percentages, differences in the dependent variable according to general characteristics, and means, standard deviations, correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. The factors influencing nurses' organizational citizenship behavior were identified as self-leadership(beta=.247), empowerment (beta=.233), job satisfaction (beta=.209), organizational commitment (beta=.158), and transactional leadership (beta=.142). Five factors explained 42.0% of nurses' organizational citizenship behavior. The results of this study can be used to develop further management strategies for enhancement of nurses' organizational citizenship behavior.

Factors Influencing Title VII Bilingual Program Institutionalization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Gerald R.; And Others

1985-01-01

This study of the primary restraining and driving forces that influence Title VII bilingual education programs found the external environment, the local community, to be the main factor influencing institutionalization and self-renewal. The internal environment--the local school, and the local school's organization or central office, school board,…

Factors influencing medical students' motivation to practise in rural areas in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

PubMed

Budhathoki, Shyam Sundar; Zwanikken, Prisca A C; Pokharel, Paras K; Scherpbier, Albert J

2017-02-22

There is a shortage of doctors working in rural areas all over the world, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. The choice to practise medicine in a rural area is influenced by many factors. Motivation developed as a medical student is one key determinant of this choice. This study explores influences on medical students' motivation to practise in rural areas of low-income and middle-income countries following graduation. A systematic review was conducted to identify influences on medical students' motivation to work in rural areas in low-income and middle-income countries. Papers reporting influences on motivation were included, and content analysis was conducted to select the articles. Articles not published in English were excluded from this review. A rural background (ie, being brought up in a rural area), training in rural areas with a community-based curriculum, early exposure to the community during medical training and rural location of medical school motivate medical students to work in rural areas. Perceived lack of infrastructure, high workload, poor hospital management and isolation are among the health facility factors that demotivate medical students for medical practice in rural areas. Medical school selection criteria focusing on a rural background factor and medical education curriculum focusing on rural area are more relevant factors in low-income and middle-income countries. The factors identified in this review may assist the planners, medical educators and policymakers in low-income and middle-income countries in designing relevant interventions to positively influence rural choices where the shortage of rural physicians is an ongoing and increasing concern. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Sleep disorder status of nurses in general hospitals and its influencing factors.

PubMed

Han, Yanjie; Yuan, Yingzi; Zhang, Li; Fu, Yanru

2016-06-01

This study aimed to evaluate the current sleep disorder status of nurses in general hospitals and analyze its influencing factors. A total of 2,033 nurses who have worked for 6 months in 3 general hospitals, namely, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, and The Third Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, were selected by random sampling from April 2015 to November 2015 and investigated. The Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERI) and Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) were applied to evaluate occupational stress. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate the sleep disorder status of the research subjects. Logistic regression analysis was adopted to determine the influencing factors of nurses' sleep disorders. The average PSQI score of 2,003 research subjects is 7.26±3.56, including 860 subjects with PSQI ≥8, accounting for 42.9%. The female research subjects in the department of gynecology and obstetrics, emergency department, and ICU show high risks of sleep disorders (i.e., many years of working; job title: registered nurse; many times of night shift per month; no frequent exercise; many efforts and few rewards; high decision-making autonomy). Educational background and marital status did not exhibit statistical relevance with sleep disorders. The sleep disorder status of nurses in general hospitals is closely related to occupational stress. As such, nurse managers should focus more attention to the influencing factors of nurses' sleep disorders and relieve their occupational stress to reduce the occurrence rate of sleep disorders.

Factors Influencing the Likelihood of Overeducation: A Bivariate Probit with Sample Selection Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubb, Stephen

2014-01-01

Contrary to expectations, the likelihood of overeducation is shown to be inversely related to unemployment rates when not control for selectivity. Furthermore, incidence data show that overeducation is more common among men than women and among Whites than Blacks. At issue is selectivity: employment must be selected for overeducation to occur.…

Hierarchical and coupling model of factors influencing vessel traffic flow

PubMed Central

Liu, Jingxian; Li, Huanhuan; Li, Zongzhi; Tan, Zhirong; Liu, Ryan Wen; Liu, Yi

2017-01-01

Understanding the characteristics of vessel traffic flow is crucial in maintaining navigation safety, efficiency, and overall waterway transportation management. Factors influencing vessel traffic flow possess diverse features such as hierarchy, uncertainty, nonlinearity, complexity, and interdependency. To reveal the impact mechanism of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow, a hierarchical model and a coupling model are proposed in this study based on the interpretative structural modeling method. The hierarchical model explains the hierarchies and relationships of the factors using a graph. The coupling model provides a quantitative method that explores interaction effects of factors using a coupling coefficient. The coupling coefficient is obtained by determining the quantitative indicators of the factors and their weights. Thereafter, the data obtained from Port of Tianjin is used to verify the proposed coupling model. The results show that the hierarchical model of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow can explain the level, structure, and interaction effect of the factors; the coupling model is efficient in analyzing factors influencing traffic volumes. The proposed method can be used for analyzing increases in vessel traffic flow in waterway transportation system. PMID:28414747

Quantitative influence of risk factors on blood glucose level.

PubMed

Chen, Songjing; Luo, Senlin; Pan, Limin; Zhang, Tiemei; Han, Longfei; Zhao, Haixiu

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to quantitatively analyze the influence of risk factors on the blood glucose level, and to provide theory basis for understanding the characteristics of blood glucose change and confirming the intervention index for type 2 diabetes. The quantitative method is proposed to analyze the influence of risk factors on blood glucose using back propagation (BP) neural network. Ten risk factors are screened first. Then the cohort is divided into nine groups by gender and age. According to the minimum error principle, nine BP models are trained respectively. The quantitative values of the influence of different risk factors on the blood glucose change can be obtained by sensitivity calculation. The experiment results indicate that weight is the leading cause of blood glucose change (0.2449). The second factors are cholesterol, age and triglyceride. The total ratio of these four factors reaches to 77% of the nine screened risk factors. And the sensitivity sequences can provide judgment method for individual intervention. This method can be applied to risk factors quantitative analysis of other diseases and potentially used for clinical practitioners to identify high risk populations for type 2 diabetes as well as other disease.

Checkpoints to Progression: Qualitative Analysis of the Personal and Contextual Factors That Influence Selection of Upper Extremity Reconstruction Among Patients With Tetraplegia.

PubMed

Harris, Chelsea A; Muller, John-Michael; Shauver, Melissa J; Chung, Kevin C

2017-07-01

Patients with tetraplegia consistently rank better use of the upper extremity as their top functional priority. Multiple case series have demonstrated that upper extremity reconstruction (UER) is well-tolerated and can produce substantial functional improvements for appropriate candidates; however, UER remains critically underutilized. The mechanisms that drive differences in provider practice and referral patterns have been studied, but comprehensive examination of the patient factors that influence UER decisions has not been performed for American patients. Nineteen patients with C4-8 cervical spinal injuries were selected using purposive sampling: 9 patients had undergone UER, 10 had not undergone UER. Semistructured interviews were conducted and transcripts evaluated using grounded theory methodology. Our study yielded a conceptual model that describes the characteristics common to all patients who undergo UER. Patients who selected reconstruction proceeded stepwise through a shared sequence of steps: (1) functional dissatisfaction, (2) awareness of UER, and (3) acceptance of surgery. Patients' ability to meet these criteria was determined by 3 checkpoints: how well they coped, their access to information, and the acceptability of surgery. Extremely positive or negative coping prevented patients from moving from the Coping to the Information Checkpoint; thus, they remained unaware of UER and did not undergo surgery. A lack of knowledge regarding reconstruction was the strongest barrier to surgery among our participants. We built a conceptual model that outlines how patients' personal and contextual factors drive their progression to UER. Moving from functional dissatisfaction to understanding that they were candidates for UER was a substantial barrier for participants, particularly those with very high and very low coping skills. To improve utilization for all patients, interventions are needed to increase UER awareness. Standardizing introduction to UER during

Factors influencing healthcare service quality

PubMed Central

Mosadeghrad, Ali Mohammad

2014-01-01

Background: The main purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence healthcare quality in the Iranian context. Methods: Exploratory in-depth individual and focus group interviews were conducted with 222 healthcare stakeholders including healthcare providers, managers, policy-makers, and payers to identify factors affecting the quality of healthcare services provided in Iranian healthcare organisations. Results: Quality in healthcare is a production of cooperation between the patient and the healthcare provider in a supportive environment. Personal factors of the provider and the patient, and factors pertaining to the healthcare organisation, healthcare system, and the broader environment affect healthcare service quality. Healthcare quality can be improved by supportive visionary leadership, proper planning, education and training, availability of resources, effective management of resources, employees and processes, and collaboration and cooperation among providers. Conclusion: This article contributes to healthcare theory and practice by developing a conceptual framework that provides policy-makers and managers a practical understanding of factors that affect healthcare service quality. PMID:25114946

Factors influencing bird foraging preferences among conspecific fruit trees

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foster, M.S.

1990-01-01

The rates at which birds visit fruiting individuals of Allophylus edulis (Sapindaceae) differ substantially among trees. Such avian feeding preferences are well-known, but usually involve fruits and trees of different species. Factors controlling avian preferences for particular trees in a population of conspecifics are generally undocumented. To address this issue, I attempted to correlate rates at which individual birds and species fed in trees of Allophylus with 27 fruit or plant characteristics. Birds that swallow fruits whole were considered separately from those that feed in other ways. Plant characters were selected on the basis of their potential influence on feeding efficiency or predation risk, assuming that birds would select feeding trees so as to maximize the net rate of energy or nutrient intake and to minimize predation. Correlations were found between feeding visits by some groups of birds and percent water in the pulp, milligrams of mineral ash in the pulp, and crop size. No character was correlated with feeding visits by all groups of birds in both years of the study. The correlations with water and mineral ash are unexplained and may be artifacts. The correlation with crop size may represent a tactic to minimize predation.

Factors influencing intent to get pregnant in HIV-infected women living in the southern USA.

PubMed

Sowell, R L; Murdaugh, C L; Addy, C L; Moneyham, L; Tavokoli, A

2002-04-01

This descriptive study sought to identify factors that influence HIV-infected women's intent to get pregnant. Interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of n = 322 HIV-infected women at risk for pregnancy. Participants were predominantly African-American (84.4%), single (57.9%), and ranged in age from 17 to 48 years. Forty per cent (n = 128) of the women had been pregnant since becoming HIV-positive. Potential factors influencing intent to get pregnant that were examined included demographic characteristics, HIV-related factors and personal beliefs and attitudes. In simple logistic regression models, younger age, increased motivation for child bearing, decreased perceived threat of HIV, decreased HIV symptomatology, higher traditional gender role orientation, and greater avoidance coping were all associated with greater intent to get pregnant. Following a model selection procedure, motivation for child bearing (OR = 16.05, 95% CI 7.95, 30.41) and traditional sex roles (OR = 4.49, 95% CI 1.44, 13.55) were significantly associated with greater intent to get pregnant. Traditional gender role orientation and motivation for childbearing are significant factors in predicting intent to get pregnant among HIV-infected women. These factors, as well as other non HIV-related factors, need to be routinely assessed by health care providers in developing plans of care for HIV-infected women.

Soft Factors Influence College Enrollment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogg, Neeta P.; Harrington, Paul E.

2010-01-01

Evidence about the role that "soft factors" like student engagement and school environment play in influencing whether high school students go on to enroll in college is hard to come by. Over the past two years, the Center for Labor Market Studies (CLMS) of Northeastern University, with support from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation…

Factors influencing sustainability of communally-managed water facilities in rural areas of Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kativhu, T.; Mazvimavi, D.; Tevera, D.; Nhapi, I.

2017-08-01

Sustainability of point water facilities is a major development challenge in many rural settings of developing countries not sparing those in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. This study was done in Zimbabwe to investigate the factors influencing sustainability of rural water supply systems. A total of 399 water points were studied in Nyanga, Chivi and Gwanda districts. Data was collected using a questionnaire, observation checklist and key informant interview guide. Multi-Criteria analysis was used to assess the sustainability of water points and inferential statistical analysis such as Chi square tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to determine if there were significant differences on selected variables across districts and types of lifting devices used in the study area. The thematic approach was used to analyze qualitative data. Results show that most water points were not functional and only 17% across the districts were found to be sustainable. A fusion of social, technical, financial, environmental and institutional factors was found to be influencing sustainability. On technical factors the ANOVA results show that the type of lifting device fitted at a water point significantly influences sustainability (F = 37.4, p < 0.01). Availability of spare parts at community level was found to be determining the downtime period of different lifting devices in the studied wards. Absence of user committees was found to be central in influencing sustainability as water points that did not have user committees were not sustainable and most of them were not functional during the time of the survey. Active participation by communities at the planning stage of water projects was also found to be critical for sustainability although field results showed passive participation by communities at this critical project stage. Financial factors of adequacy of financial contributions and establishment of operation and maintenance funds were also found to be of great

[Prevalence of myopia and influencing factors among primary and middle school students in 6 provinces of China].

PubMed

Zhou, Jia; Ma, Yinghua; Ma, Jun; Zou, Zhiyong; Meng, Xiangkun; Tao, Fangbiao; Luo, Chunyan; Jing, Jin; Pan, Dehong; Luo, Jiayou; Zhang, Xin; Wang, Hong; Zhao, Haiping

2016-01-01

To understand the prevalence of myopia in primary and middle school students in 6 provinces and the possible influencing factors. Primary and middle school students were selected through multistage cluster sampling in 60 primary and middle schools in 6 provinces in China. The questionnaire survey and eyesight test were conducted among all the students selected according to the national student's physique and health survey protocol. Pearson chi-square test and binary multivariate logistic regression analysis were done to identify the influencing factors for myopia in students. The prevalence of myopia among primary and middle school students surveyed was 55.7%, the gender specific difference was statistically significant (59.7% for girls, 51.9% for boys) (P<0.01). The prevalence of myopia increased with age obviously. The prevalence was 35.8% in age group 6-8 years, 58.9% in age group 10-12 years, 73.4% in age group 13-15 years and 81.2% in age group 16-18 years, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.001). Single factor and multivariate analysis showed that parents' myopia, distance between computer screen and eyes, distance less than 30 cm between eyes and book while reading, distance less than 10 cm between chest and the table edge while studying, distance less than 3 cm between fingers and pen tip, sleep time, average outdoor activity time during last week, school sport activities in the afternoon, the size of television set at home, time spent on watching TV and playing computer were the influencing factors for myopia. The prevalence of myopia is till high in primary and middle school students. Myopia is associated with both genetic factors and individual eye health related behaviors.

Factors Influencing Physical Therapists' Use of Standardized Measures of Walking Capacity Poststroke Across the Care Continuum

PubMed Central

Pattison, Kira M.; Brooks, Dina; Cameron, Jill I.

2015-01-01

Background The use of standardized assessment tools is an element of evidence-informed rehabilitation, but physical therapists report administering these tools inconsistently poststroke. An in-depth understanding of physical therapists' approaches to walking assessment is needed to develop strategies to advance assessment practice. Objectives The objective of this study was to explore the methods physical therapists use to evaluate walking poststroke, reasons for selecting these methods, and the use of assessment results in clinical practice. Design A qualitative descriptive study involving semistructured telephone interviews was conducted. Methods Registered physical therapists assessing a minimum of 10 people with stroke per year in Ontario, Canada, were purposively recruited from acute care, rehabilitation, and outpatient settings. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded line by line by the interviewer. Credibility was optimized through triangulation of analysts, audit trail, and collection of field notes. Results Study participants worked in acute care (n=8), rehabilitation (n=11), or outpatient (n=9) settings and reported using movement observation and standardized assessment tools to evaluate walking. When selecting methods to evaluate walking, physical therapists described being influenced by a hierarchy of factors. Factors included characteristics of the assessment tool, the therapist, the workplace, and patients, as well as influential individuals or organizations. Familiarity exerted the primary influence on adoption of a tool into a therapist's assessment repertoire, whereas patient factors commonly determined daily use. Participants reported using the results from walking assessments to communicate progress to the patient and health care professionals. Conclusions Multilevel factors influence physical therapists' adoption and daily administration of standardized tools to assess walking. Findings will inform knowledge

Factors Motivating Medical Students in Selecting a Career Specialty: Relevance for a Robust Orthopaedic Pipeline.

PubMed

Rao, Raj D; Khatib, Omar N; Agarwal, Arnav

2017-07-01

Selection of a career specialty by medical students is a complex and individualized decision. Our goals were to understand the factors that influenced medical students in selecting their career specialty, identify the stage at which this decision was made, and understand the role of demographics, mentors, and curricula in this process. Medical students from 10 institutions participated in a web-based survey. Results were stratified by sex, race/ethnicity, and level of interest in orthopaedic surgery. A total of 657 students responded to the survey. Specialty content (mean rating, 8.4/10) and quality of life/lifestyle/stress level (7.5/10) were the primary motivating factors in selecting a specialty. Interest in orthopaedic surgery was lower in women than in men (2.7 versus 3.9; P < 0.01) and was equivalent among race/ethnicity groups. Although 27% of students reported moderate or extensive medical school curriculum exposure to orthopaedics, this education did not sway them toward the specialty. Levels of interest in orthopaedics among medical students may be lower than generally assumed. Increasing the attractiveness of the specialty will require a multifaceted approach, including recognition of lifestyle factors, adjustments in the orthopaedic clerkship to make the specialty more appealing, mentorship by orthopaedic faculty, and conversion of high levels of interest in the specialty among minority medical students into successful residency applications. IV.

International employment in clinical practice: influencing factors for the dental hygienist.

PubMed

Abbott, A; Barrow, S-Y; Lopresti, F; Hittelman, E

2005-02-01

To assess demographics, job characteristics, geographical regions, resources and commitment, which influence dental hygienists seeking international clinical practice employment opportunities. Questionnaires were mailed to a convenience sample of members of the Dental Hygienists' Association of the City of New York. Statistical analyses were conducted and frequency distributions and relationships between variables were calculated. Seventy-two percent of respondents reported that they are or may be interested in working overseas. Italy and Spain (67%) were the regions of most interest. Salary (65%) was cited as the most influencing factor in selection, whereas non-compliance with the equivalency to Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards (74%) was the most frequently perceived barrier. Multiple language fluency was statistically significant (0.003) regarding interest in overseas employment. Policy makers, employers and educators need to be aware of these findings should recruitment be a possibility to render urgently needed oral hygiene care in regions where there is a perceived shortage of dental hygienists.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor discontinuation: side effects and other factors that influence medication adherence.

PubMed

Goethe, John W; Woolley, Stephen B; Cardoni, Alex A; Woznicki, Brenda A; Piez, Deborah A

2007-10-01

Patients with major depression discontinue taking their antidepressants for many reasons. Although side effects are often cited as the reason for discontinuation, few prospective studies have addressed this question, and none has specifically examined discontinuation in patients with severe depression. Inpatients and outpatients treated with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for major depressive disorder were identified after admission. Three months later, patients were contacted and interviewed to determine antidepressant usage and the side effects experienced, including when these were experienced and their severity. Between October 2001 and April 2003, 406 English- or Spanish-speaking patients aged 18 to 75 years were followed up. One in 4 patients discontinued the index antidepressant. Among specific side effects noted, only "change in weight" and "anxiety" were significant predictors of discontinuation after controlling for confounders. Experiencing 1 or more "extremely" bothersome side effects was associated with more than a doubling of the risk of discontinuation, but the presence of side effects and side effects less severe than "extremely" bothersome were not significant predictors. There were no differences among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants in either the presence/absence of side effects or in the discontinuation rates. The results suggest that the contribution of side effects to antidepressant discontinuation is more complex than previously suggested. Disparate findings from earlier studies may reflect aspects of study design, such as examining populations whose severity of depression varied widely or not controlling for important confounding factors. Future research should separately examine high-risk groups (or control for severity of depression) and carefully rule out other potential contributors to discontinuation.

Staying cool in a changing landscape: the influence of maximum daily ambient temperature on grizzly bear habitat selection.

PubMed

Pigeon, Karine E; Cardinal, Etienne; Stenhouse, Gordon B; Côté, Steeve D

2016-08-01

To fulfill their needs, animals are constantly making trade-offs among limiting factors. Although there is growing evidence about the impact of ambient temperature on habitat selection in mammals, the role of environmental conditions and thermoregulation on apex predators is poorly understood. Our objective was to investigate the influence of ambient temperature on habitat selection patterns of grizzly bears in the managed landscape of Alberta, Canada. Grizzly bear habitat selection followed a daily and seasonal pattern that was influenced by ambient temperature, with adult males showing stronger responses than females to warm temperatures. Cutblocks aged 0-20 years provided an abundance of forage but were on average 6 °C warmer than mature conifer stands and 21- to 40-year-old cutblocks. When ambient temperatures increased, the relative change (odds ratio) in the probability of selection for 0- to 20-year-old cutblocks decreased during the hottest part of the day and increased during cooler periods, especially for males. Concurrently, the probability of selection for 21- to 40-year-old cutblocks increased on warmer days. Following plant phenology, the odds of selecting 0- to 20-year-old cutblocks also increased from early to late summer while the odds of selecting 21- to 40-year-old cutblocks decreased. Our results demonstrate that ambient temperatures, and therefore thermal requirements, play a significant role in habitat selection patterns and behaviour of grizzly bears. In a changing climate, large mammals may increasingly need to adjust spatial and temporal selection patterns in response to thermal constraints.

The factors that influence job satisfaction among royal Malaysian customs department employee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammar Shafi, Muhammad; Saifullah Rusiman, Mohd; Nor, Maria Elena; Khamis, Azme; Nabilah Syuhada Abdullah, Siti; Syafiq Azmi, Mohd; Sakinah Zainal Abidin, Munirah; Ali, Maselan

2018-04-01

This research aims to spot the factors that influence job satisfaction among Royal Malaysian Customs Department employees. Primary data was used in this research and it was collected from the employees who work in five different departments at Royal Malaysian Customs Department Tower Johor. Those departments were customs department, Internal Taxes, Technical Services, Management and Prevention. The research used stratified random sampling to collect the sample and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to measure the relationship between variables using AMOS software. About 127 employees are selected as the respondents from five departments to represent the sample. The result showed that ‘Organizational Commitment’ (p-value = 0.001) has significant and direct effect toward job satisfaction compared to the ‘Stress Condition’ (p-value = 0.819) and ‘Motivation’ factor (p-value = 0.978). It was also concluded that ‘Organizational Commitment’ was the most influential factor toward job satisfaction among Royal Malaysian Customs Department employees at Tower Custom Johor, Johor Bahru.

Factors parents use in selecting play spaces for young children.

PubMed

Sallis, J F; McKenzie, T L; Elder, J P; Broyles, S L; Nader, P R

1997-04-01

The amount of time children spend in play spaces (ie, physical locations that are appropriate for children's physical activity) near their homes is correlated with their level of physical activity. To examine factors used in parents' decisions about the selection of play spaces for their children. Parents (primarily mothers) of 178 Mexican American and 122 white children who were a mean age of 4.9 years old at the first measurement. In individual interviews, parents rated 24 factors on their importance in selecting for their children a play space that is away from their home or yard. Decision factors were rated from 1 (ie, not important at all) to 5 (ie, very important). The most important factors, with ratings ranging from 4.8 to 4.2, were safety and availability of toilets, drinking water, lighting, and shade. Mexican American parents rated 8 of 24 items significantly higher than did white parents, including lighted at night, organized activities, play supplies, and drinking water. White parents rated 5 of 24 items significantly higher than did Mexican American parents, including distance from home, cost of admission, and child's friends go there. The rated importance of 7 of 24 items increased during 1 year, including play supplies, drinking water, distance from home, and parents' friends or relatives go there. These results indicate that parents can identify factors they use in selecting places for their young children to play, and selection factors differ somewhat by ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Further studies are needed to determine whether improvements on the most important selection factors might be effective in increasing the use of play spaces by children and their parents. Clinicians may be able to use the most highly rated decision factors to help parents assess the acceptability of play spaces in their areas.

Determinant factors for Brebes shallot farmers in selecting shallot varieties (Case study in Brebes, Central Java Indonesia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembiring, A.

2017-03-01

The using of a high quality seed is very important for a successfully cultivation and an increasing of vegetable production. The vegetable productions, including for shallot are much more affected by seed varieties. Previous studies showed that production rate, shape, colour, resistant to pest and disease, number of bulbs and demanding by market were factors that influence farmers to choose shallot variety. The aim of the study is to observe determinant factors that influence shallot farmers to change their shallot varieties and persist to use certain varieties. The study was conducted in June to December 2014 in Wanasari, Tanjung, Kemukten and Limbangan villages, Brebes District. Brebes was selected as it is the biggest shallot production in Indonesia. Data were collected from 35 shallot farmers through survey by using the structural questionnaire. The data then analysed with the descriptive statistic.

Factors that influence the childbearing intentions of Canadian men.

PubMed

Roberts, E; Metcalfe, A; Jack, M; Tough, S C

2011-05-01

The role of men in the childbearing decision process and the factors that influence men's childbearing intentions have been relatively unexplored in the literature. This study aimed to describe the factors that strongly influence the childbearing intentions of men and to describe differences in these factors according to men's age group. A telephone survey (response rate 84%) was conducted with 495 men between the ages of 20 and 45 living in an urban setting who, at the time of contact, did not have biological children. Men were asked about what factors strongly influence their intention to have children. Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to determine if these factors were significantly associated with age. Of those sampled, 86% of men reported that at some point in the future they planned to become a parent. The factors that men considered to be most influential in their childbearing intentions were: the need to be financially secure, their partner's interest/desire to have children, their partner's suitability to be a parent and their personal interest/desire to have children. Men who were 35-45 years old had lower odds of stating that financial security (crude OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.18-0.54) and partner's interest in having children (crude OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.33-0.99) were very influential, but had higher odds of stating that their biological clock (crude OR: 4.37, 95% CI: 1.78-10.76) was very influential in their childbearing intentions than men in the 20-24 year age group. The factors that influence men's intentions about when to become a parent may change with age. Understanding what influences men to have children, and what they understand about reproductive health is important for education, program and policy development.

Human Occipital and Parietal GABA Selectively Influence Visual Perception of Orientation and Size.

PubMed

Song, Chen; Sandberg, Kristian; Andersen, Lau Møller; Blicher, Jakob Udby; Rees, Geraint

2017-09-13

GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in human brain. The level of GABA varies substantially across individuals, and this variability is associated with interindividual differences in visual perception. However, it remains unclear whether the association between GABA level and visual perception reflects a general influence of visual inhibition or whether the GABA levels of different cortical regions selectively influence perception of different visual features. To address this, we studied how the GABA levels of parietal and occipital cortices related to interindividual differences in size, orientation, and brightness perception. We used visual contextual illusion as a perceptual assay since the illusion dissociates perceptual content from stimulus content and the magnitude of the illusion reflects the effect of visual inhibition. Across individuals, we observed selective correlations between the level of GABA and the magnitude of contextual illusion. Specifically, parietal GABA level correlated with size illusion magnitude but not with orientation or brightness illusion magnitude; in contrast, occipital GABA level correlated with orientation illusion magnitude but not with size or brightness illusion magnitude. Our findings reveal a region- and feature-dependent influence of GABA level on human visual perception. Parietal and occipital cortices contain, respectively, topographic maps of size and orientation preference in which neural responses to stimulus sizes and stimulus orientations are modulated by intraregional lateral connections. We propose that these lateral connections may underlie the selective influence of GABA on visual perception. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in human visual system, varies substantially across individuals. This interindividual variability in GABA level is linked to interindividual differences in many aspects of visual perception. However, the widespread influence of GABA raises the

Factors influencing alcohol safety action project police officers' DWI arrests

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-04-29

This report summarizes the results of a study to determine the factors influencing ASAP police officers' DWI arrests and the formulation of approaches to minimize the influence of those factors which might tend to constrain the arrest of persons who ...

Marketing Factors Influencing the Overall Satisfaction of Marriage Education Participants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Michael Lane; Cooper, Catherine; Gross, Kevin H.

1999-01-01

Seventy-one married couples attending marriage education workshops were surveyed regarding price, product, place, people, and promotional marketing factors influencing their overall satisfaction as workshop participants. Findings suggest both similar and unique marketing factors influenced husbands' and wives' satisfaction. Recommendations for…

Factors Influencing Efficacy of Bilayered Cell Therapy

PubMed Central

Allam, Reynald C.; Van Driessche, Freya; Zhu, Yiliang

2014-01-01

Objective: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) that fail to heal with standard care should be treated with advanced wound care products. Efficacy of advanced therapies is dependent on many factors. A secondary analysis of pivotal trial data for a bilayered cellular construct used in the treatment of DFU was undertaken to determine if glycemic control and other factors had an effect on time to healing. Approach: We analyzed the effect of age, gender, diabetes type, insulin usage, body mass index, smoking, initial and ending glycohemoglobin (HgbA1c), Charcot deformity, and wound area, duration, and location on likelihood of healing for wounds treated with bilayered cellular construct (BLCC). Results: In those treated with BLCC, initial wound area (cm2), age, and history of Charcot deformity were found to significantly affect healing. Neither initial HgbA1c nor change in HgbA1c was associated with healing. The bilayered product was found to be equally effective regardless of initial or change in HgbA1c levels (p-values 0.94 and 0.44, respectively). In the control group, initial HgbA1c, insulin usage, female gender, and wound location at the toes significantly influenced healing. Innovation: BLCC subgroup analysis to elucidate selection criteria allowing for targeted use of advanced products on those more likely to respond as well as direct further research into prognostic indicators for BLCC-treated patients. Conclusion: The bilayered cellular construct product remains equally effective regardless of initial or change in HgbA1c levels. Further specific research into the effect of glucose control and other factors on the effectiveness of different advanced DFU treatment products is recommended. PMID:24940555

Patterns of Positive Selection of the Myogenic Regulatory Factor Gene Family in Vertebrates

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xiao; Yu, Qi; Huang, Ling; Liu, Qing-Xin

2014-01-01

The functional divergence of transcriptional factors is critical in the evolution of transcriptional regulation. However, the mechanism of functional divergence among these factors remains unclear. Here, we performed an evolutionary analysis for positive selection in members of the myogenic regulatory factor (MRF) gene family of vertebrates. We selected 153 complete vertebrate MRF nucleotide sequences from our analyses, which revealed substantial evidence of positive selection. Here, we show that sites under positive selection were more frequently detected and identified from the genes encoding the myogenic differentiation factors (MyoG and Myf6) than the genes encoding myogenic determination factors (Myf5 and MyoD). Additionally, the functional divergence within the myogenic determination factors or differentiation factors was also under positive selection pressure. The positive selection sites were more frequently detected from MyoG and MyoD than Myf6 and Myf5, respectively. Amino acid residues under positive selection were identified mainly in their transcription activation domains and on the surface of protein three-dimensional structures. These data suggest that the functional gain and divergence of myogenic regulatory factors were driven by distinct positive selection of their transcription activation domains, whereas the function of the DNA binding domains was conserved in evolution. Our study evaluated the mechanism of functional divergence of the transcriptional regulation factors within a family, whereby the functions of their transcription activation domains diverged under positive selection during evolution. PMID:24651579

The Stability of Factors Influencing the Choice of Medical Specialty Among Medical Students and Postgraduate Radiology Trainees.

PubMed

Yen, Adam J; Webb, Emily M; Jordan, Eric J; Kallianos, Kimberly; Naeger, David M

2018-06-01

To investigate whether general psychological motivating factors that guide career selection of a medical specialty differ over the course of medical school and to compare differences in motivating factors among students choosing "controllable" lifestyle specialties, students choosing "uncontrollable" lifestyle specialties, and a cohort of radiology residents. An anonymous survey was distributed to first- through fourth-year medical students and radiology residents at a single institution. Participants were asked to select their top three of seven factors that most influenced their choice of medical specialty. Fourth-year students were asked to designate the specialty to which they had applied. The survey was distributed to 259 students and 47 radiology residents with a response rate of 93.8% (243 of 259) and 95.7% (45 of 47), respectively. The top three factors indicated by medical students were finding the daily work fulfilling, work-life balance, and interest in the subject. These top three factors were common to all medical student classes and did not differ between students choosing "controllable" versus "uncontrollable" fields. The factors uncommonly selected were similar personality to others in the field, attending income, competitiveness or prestige, and job market conditions. For radiology residents, the top three motivating factors were the same as for medical students. Three out of seven motivating factors were universally important to trainees, regardless of their stage of medical training or their selection of a controllable versus uncontrollable lifestyle specialty. These data suggest the variety of career choices made by students may not derive from differing underlying values. Copyright © 2018 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Demographic characteristics of Ghanaian optometry students and factors influencing their career choice and institution of learning.

PubMed

Boadi-Kusi, Samuel Bert; Kyei, Samuel; Mashige, Khathutshelo Percy; Abu, Emmanuel Kwasi; Antwi-Boasiako, Daniel; Carl Halladay, Abraham

2015-03-01

Optometry is only provided at tertiary level in two institutions in Ghana, with an average of 50 students graduating each year for a population of approximately 24.6 million. No information on the demography of optometry students and factors that influence their choice of optometry as a career and institution of learning is available. This information is important as it will assist optometry institutions to formulate effective student recruitment strategies. To assess the demographic characteristics of Ghanaian optometry students, the factors that influence their selection of optometry as a career and institution of learning. We conducted a cross sectional study among Ghanaian optometry students using a structured questionnaire to collect data on the demographic characteristics and factors that might influence their choice of optometry as a career as well as choice of institution of learning. Two hundred and eighty students from the two optometry training institutions in Ghana; University of Cape Coast (48.2%) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (51.8%) responded to the questionnaire. Their ages ranged from 17 to 28 years with most being males (72.5%), and the majority (79%) being from urban areas. The main factors that influenced their career choice were job availability after graduation (90%) and desire to help other people (89.2%). Factors that influenced their institution choice were preference for an institution (36.8%) and proximity to home (24.4%). In the absence of adequate optometry jobs in the public health sector, women will remain marginalised specifically those in rural areas. This marginalisation is however, a reflection of a broader societal disadvantage for women. Greater effort needs to be made to recruit high school students from rural areas to study optometry and more institutions need to provide optometry instruction throughout the country.

Factors Influencing Rural Women Cassava Processors' Intention to Participate in an Agricultural Extension Education Program. Summary of Research 80.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojomo, Christian O.; McCaslin, N. L.

A study examined factors influencing female cassava processors' intentions regarding participation in an extension education program on cassava processing in rural Nigeria. Interviews were conducted with 224 women who were purposely selected from areas of zone 3 of Ondo State, Nigeria, which has large concentrations of cassava processors.…

Model of medicines sales forecasting taking into account factors of influence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kravets, A. G.; Al-Gunaid, M. A.; Loshmanov, V. I.; Rasulov, S. S.; Lempert, L. B.

2018-05-01

The article describes a method for forecasting sales of medicines in conditions of data sampling, which is insufficient for building a model based on historical data alone. The developed method is applicable mainly to new drugs that are already licensed and released for sale but do not yet have stable sales performance in the market. The purpose of this study is to prove the effectiveness of the suggested method forecasting drug sales, taking into account the selected factors of influence, revealed during the review of existing solutions and analysis of the specificity of the area under study. Three experiments were performed on samples of different volumes, which showed an improvement in the accuracy of forecasting sales in small samples.

Factors influencing arrests for alcohol-related traffic violations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-09-01

This report describes factors that were found to influence police officers' arrests of persons suspected of alcohol-related (A/R) traffic violations, and presents recommendations for treating these factors so that a higher level of enforcement might ...

Perturbation Selection and Local Influence Analysis for Nonlinear Structural Equation Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Fei; Zhu, Hong-Tu; Lee, Sik-Yum

2009-01-01

Local influence analysis is an important statistical method for studying the sensitivity of a proposed model to model inputs. One of its important issues is related to the appropriate choice of a perturbation vector. In this paper, we develop a general method to select an appropriate perturbation vector and a second-order local influence measure…

Selection Strategies for Social Influence in the Threshold Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karampourniotis, Panagiotis; Szymanski, Boleslaw; Korniss, Gyorgy

The ubiquity of online social networks makes the study of social influence extremely significant for its applications to marketing, politics and security. Maximizing the spread of influence by strategically selecting nodes as initiators of a new opinion or trend is a challenging problem. We study the performance of various strategies for selection of large fractions of initiators on a classical social influence model, the Threshold model (TM). Under the TM, a node adopts a new opinion only when the fraction of its first neighbors possessing that opinion exceeds a pre-assigned threshold. The strategies we study are of two kinds: strategies based solely on the initial network structure (Degree-rank, Dominating Sets, PageRank etc.) and strategies that take into account the change of the states of the nodes during the evolution of the cascade, e.g. the greedy algorithm. We find that the performance of these strategies depends largely on both the network structure properties, e.g. the assortativity, and the distribution of the thresholds assigned to the nodes. We conclude that the optimal strategy needs to combine the network specifics and the model specific parameters to identify the most influential spreaders. Supported in part by ARL NS-CTA, ARO, and ONR.

Research on the influencing factors of financing efficiency of big data industry based on panel data model--Empirical evidence from Guizhou province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chenggang; Feng, Yujia

2018-03-01

This paper mainly studies the influence factors of financing efficiency of Guizhou big data industry, and selects the financial and macro data of 20 Guizhou big data enterprises from 2010 to 2016. Using the DEA model to obtain the financing efficiency of Guizhou big data enterprises. A panel data model is constructed to select the six macro and micro influencing factors for panel data analysis. The results show that the external economic environment, the turnover rate of the total assets of the enterprises, the increase of operating income, the increase of the revenue per share of each share of the business income have positive impact on the financing efficiency of of the big data industry in Guizhou. The key to improve the financing efficiency of Guizhou big data enterprises is to improve.

[Case-control study on influence factors of birth defects].

PubMed

Xiu, Xin-hong; Yuan, Li; Wang, Xiao-ming; Chen, Yu-hua; Wan, Ai-hua; Fu, Ping

2011-07-01

To investigate the influence factors of birth defects. The congenital malformational fetuses born from 13 week of gestation to 7 days after birth were selected as the study group between April 1st, 2009 and March 31st, 2010. The health born fetuses were set as control in the same period. Case-control and the three-level of monitor network of birth defects were used in the study in the participating 75 hospitals (Qingdao Women and Children's Medical Center, Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, etc.). The study and control group's parents were interviewed by an uniformed questionnaire which was designed specially with influence factors of birth defects. (1) There are 466 congenital malformational fetuses in the total of 77 231 fetuses collected in 75 hospitals. The congenital malformational rate accounts for about 6.034‰. The top six defect diseases were congenital heart disease (112 cases), total harelip (cleft lip; cleft lip with palate: 85 cases), polydactyly (53 cases), neural tube defects (38 cases), congenital hydrocephalus (37 cases) and limb reduction defect (27 cases) in turn, which amounts to 353 cases (54.48%, 353/648). (2) Their mother education level in the birth-defect group (25.6%) were significantly lower than that in control group (30.0%, P<0.05). (3) The rate of passive smoking, drinking, raising pets of the parents in birth-defect group were significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05). (4) The rate of exposure to harmful chemical and physical factors of mothers in birth defects group (13.9% and 20.5%, respectively) was higher than that in control group (1.1% and 11.7%, respectively), the difference between which were significant (P<0.01). The rate of disease (34.3%), fever (13.1%), taking drugs (33.8%) in pregnancy period in birth defect group were higher than that in control group (13.5%, 1.5% and 9.9%, respectively), the difference between which were significant (P<0.01). The rate

Maturity of hospital information systems: Most important influencing factors.

PubMed

Vidal Carvalho, João; Rocha, Álvaro; Abreu, António

2017-07-01

Maturity models facilitate organizational management, including information systems management, with hospital organizations no exception. This article puts forth a study carried out with a group of experts in the field of hospital information systems management with a view to identifying the main influencing factors to be included in an encompassing maturity model for hospital information systems management. This study is based on the results of a literature review, which identified maturity models in the health field and relevant influencing factors. The development of this model is justified to the extent that the available maturity models for the hospital information systems management field reveal multiple limitations, including lack of detail, absence of tools to determine their maturity and lack of characterization for stages of maturity structured by different influencing factors.

Soil type and species diversity influence selection on physiology in Panicum virgatum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Species diversity influences the productivity and stability of plant communities, but its effect on the evolution of species within those communities is poorly understood. In this study, we tested whether species diversity and soil type influence selection on physiology in switchgrass (Panicum virga...

Personnel Selection Influences on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Human-System Integration.

PubMed

Carretta, Thomas R; King, Raymond E

2015-08-01

Human-system integration (HSI) is a complex process used to design and develop systems that integrate human capabilities and limitations in an effective and affordable manner. Effective HSI incorporates several domains, including manpower, personnel and training, human factors, environment, safety, occupational health, habitability, survivability, logistics, intelligence, mobility, and command and control. To achieve effective HSI, the relationships among these domains must be considered. Although this integrated approach is well documented, there are many instances where it is not followed. Human factors engineers typically focus on system design with little attention to the skills, abilities, and other characteristics needed by human operators. When problems with fielded systems occur, additional training of personnel is developed and conducted. Personnel selection is seldom considered during the HSI process. Complex systems such as aviation require careful selection of the individuals who will interact with the system. Personnel selection is a two-stage process involving select-in and select-out procedures. Select-in procedures determine which candidates have the aptitude to profit from training and represent the best investment. Select-out procedures focus on medical qualification and determine who should not enter training for medical reasons. The current paper discusses the role of personnel selection in the HSI process in the context of remotely piloted aircraft systems.

Popularity and Adolescent Friendship Networks: Selection and Influence Dynamics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dijkstra, Jan Kornelis; Cillessen, Antonius H. N.; Borch, Casey

2013-01-01

This study examined the dynamics of popularity in adolescent friendship networks across 3 years in middle school. Longitudinal social network modeling was used to identify selection and influence in the similarity of popularity among friends. It was argued that lower status adolescents strive to enhance their status through befriending higher…

Teen Alcohol Use and Social Networks: The Contributions of Friend Influence and Friendship Selection

PubMed Central

Cheadle, Jacob E; Walsemann, Katrina M; Goosby, Bridget J

2015-01-01

Background We evaluated the contributions of teen alcohol use to the formation and continuation of new and existing friendships while in turn estimating the influence of friend drinking on individuals’ regular use and heavy drinking. Method Longitudinal network analysis was used to assess the mutual influences between teen drinking and social networks among adolescents in two large Add Health schools where full network data was collected three times. Friendship processes were disaggregated into the formation of new friendships and the continuation of existing friendships in a joint model isolating friendship selection and friend influences. Results Friends have a modest influence on one another when selection is controlled. Selection is more complicated than prior studies suggest, and is only related to new friendships and not their duration in the largest school. Alcohol use predicts decreasing popularity in some cases, and popularity does not predict alcohol consumption. Conclusion Intervention efforts should continue pursuing strategies that mitigate negative peer influences. The development of socializing opportunities that facilitate relationship opportunities to select on healthy behaviors also appears promising. Future work preventing teen substance use should incorporate longitudinal network assessments to determine whether programs promote protective peer relationships in addition to how treatment effects diffuse through social networks. PMID:26692436

Factors Influencing Teaching Choice in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilinc, Ahmet; Watt, Helen M. G.; Richardson, Paul W.

2012-01-01

Why choose to become a teacher in Turkey? The authors examined motivations and perceptions among preservice teachers (N = 1577) encompassing early childhood, primary and secondary education. The Factors Influencing Teaching Choice (FIT-Choice) instrument was translated into Turkish and its construct validity and reliability assessed. Altruistic…

Factors Influencing Part-time Faculty Engagement With Online Nursing Programs.

PubMed

Reneau, Margaret; Wallace, Cara; Claywell, Lora; Price, Jill; Burdi, Melissa; Trybulski, Joanne

2018-03-28

This research investigated factors that influenced the engagement of part-time faculty teaching in online nursing programs with their institutions. Of the 257 part-time faculty surveyed, the most significant factor was being supported in decisions regarding student issues, followed by institutional commitment to quality online education. Compensation was moderately influential; a negative factor was requiring too frequent meetings. Understanding factors that influence the engagement of part-time faculty teaching in online nursing programs can help leaders of online programs attract and retain experienced, highly skilled faculty.

Factors influencing contraceptive use and non-use among women of advanced reproductive age in Nigeria.

PubMed

Solanke, Bola Lukman

2017-01-07

Factors influencing contraceptive use and non-use among women of advanced reproductive age have been insufficiently researched in Nigeria. This study examines factors influencing contraceptive use and non-use among women of advanced reproductive age in Nigeria. Secondary data were pooled and extracted from 2008 and 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS). The weighted sample size was 14,450 women of advanced reproductive age. The dependent variable was current contraceptive use. The explanatory variables were selected socio-demographic characteristics and three control variables. Analyses were performed using Stata version 12. Multinomial logistic regression was applied in four models. Majority of the respondents are not using any method of contraceptive; the expected risk of using modern contraceptive relative to traditional method reduces by a factor of 0.676 for multiparous women (rrr = 0.676; CI: 0.464-0.985); the expected risk of using modern contraceptive relative to traditional method reduces by a factor of 0.611 for women who want more children (rrr = 0.611; CI: 0.493-0.757); the relative risk for using modern contraceptive relative to traditional method increases by a factor of 1.637 as maternal education reaches secondary education (rrr = 1.637; CI: 1.173-2.285); the relative risk for using modern contraceptive relative to traditional method increases by a factor of 1.726 for women in richest households (rrr = 1.726; CI: 1.038-2.871); and the expected risk of using modern contraceptive relative to traditional method increases by a factor of 1.250 for southern women (rrr = 1.250; CI: 1.200-1.818). Socio-demographic characteristics exert more influence on non-use than modern contraceptive use. The scope, content and coverage of existing BCC messages should be extended to cover the contraceptive needs and challenges of women of advanced reproductive age in the country.

Factors That Influence the Practice of Elective Induction of Labor

PubMed Central

Moore, Jennifer; Low, Lisa Kane

2012-01-01

Elective induction of labor has been linked to increased rates of prematurity and rising rates of cesarean birth. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate current trends in induction of labor scholarship focusing on evidence-based factors that influence the practice of elective induction. A key word search was conducted to identify studies on the practice of elective induction of labor. Analysis of the findings included clustering and identification of recurrent themes among the articles with 3 categories being identified. Under each category, the words/phrases were further clustered until a construct could be named. A total of 49 articles met inclusion criteria: 7 patient, 6 maternity care provider, and 4 organization factors emerged. Only 4 of the articles identified were evidence based. Patient factors were divided into preferences/convenience, communication, fear, pressure/influence, trust, external influences, and technology. Provider factors were then divided into practice preferences/convenience, lack of information, financial incentives, fear, patient desire/demand, and technology. Organization factors were divided into lack of enforcement/accountability, hospital culture, scheduling of staff, and market share issues. Currently, there is limited data-based information focused on factors that influence elective induction of labor. Despite patient and provider convenience/preferences being cited in the literature, the evidence does not support this practice. PMID:22843006

[Carbon density distribution characteristics and influencing factors in aerially seeded Pinus massoniana plantations].

PubMed

Pan, Ping; Han, Tian Yi; OuYang, Xun Zhi; Liu, Yuan Qiu; Zang, Hao; Ning, Jin Kui; Yang, Yang

2017-12-01

The distribution characteristics of carbon density under aerially seeded Pinus massoniana plantations in Ganzhou City of Jiangxi Province were studied. Total 15 factors, including site, stand, understory vegetation, litter and so on were selected to establish a relationship model between stand carbon density and influencing factors, and the main influencing factors were also screened. The results showed that the average carbon density was 98.29 t·hm -2 at stand level with soil layer (49.58 t·hm -2 ) > tree layer (45.25 t·hm -2 ) > understory vegetation layer (2.23 t·hm -2 ) > litter layer (1.23 t·hm -2 ). Significantly positive correlations were found among the tree, litter and soil layers, but not among the other layers. The main factors were tree density, avera-ge diameter at breast height (DBH), soil thickness, slope position, stand age and canopy density to affect carbon density in aerially seeded P. massoniana plantations. The partial correlation coefficients of the six main factors ranged from 0.331 to 0.434 with significance by t test. The multiple correlation coefficient of quantitative model I reached 0.796 with significance by F test (F=9.28). For stand density, the best tree density and canopy density were 1500-2100 plants·hm -2 and 0.4-0.7, respectively. The moderate density was helpful to improve ecosystem carbon sequestration. The carbon density increased with increasing stand age, DBH and soil thickness, and was higher in lower than middle and upper slope positions.

An Examination of Influences and Factors on the Institutional Selection Processes of Freshmen Student-Athletes at Small Colleges and Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goss, Benjamin D.; Jubenville, Colby B.; Orejan, Jaime

2006-01-01

This study sought to identify institutional selection factors most influential upon small-college student-athletes. Mean scores for 229 freshman student-athletes from six institutions were analyzed using a modified Student-Athlete College Choice Profile Scale. The sample was also stratified by gender and sports-program categories. Overall, four of…

Factors which influence necropsy requests: a psychological approach.

PubMed Central

Start, R. D.; Hector-Taylor, M. J.; Cotton, D. W.; Startup, M.; Parsons, M. A.; Kennedy, A.

1992-01-01

AIMS: To determine which factors influence a clinician's decision to request a necropsy. METHODS: Patient age, confidence in premortem diagnosis, relatives' attitudes, and conditions of necropsy practice were combined factorially (two levels each) in separate medical and surgical questionnaires based on clinical case histories. The interactions between the factors were measured by a repeated measures factorial analysis of variance for each of the two clinical groups. The influence of the clinician's interest in necropsies on these interactions was also examined by a similar method. RESULTS: Necropsies were more likely to be requested on young patients, when diagnostic confidence was low, and when relatives' attitudes were favourable. Conditions of necropsy practice did not affect the likelihood of a request and there was no apparent overall difference in necropsy requests between the two groups of clinicians. The "patient age" and "relatives" factors had less influence on the decision of the surgical group to request necropsy. This was attributed to the opportunity to "see for themselves" at operation and was supported by the finding that surgeons were very likely to request necropsies in the absence of surgical intervention. Clinicians from both groups with a high pre-existing interest in the necropsy were consistently more likely to request necropsies. CONCLUSIONS: The "case history" based questionnaires successfully measured the relative influence of multiple factors in relation to the decision of clinicians to request a necropsy. These findings suggest that any attempt to reverse the decline in necropsy rates should focus on changing the clinician's perception of the value of the modern necropsy. PMID:1556237

Factors influencing women's decisions about timing of motherhood.

PubMed

Benzies, Karen; Tough, Suzanne; Tofflemire, Karen; Frick, Corine; Faber, Alexandra; Newburn-Cook, Christine

2006-01-01

To examine the factors that influence women's decisions about the timing of motherhood from a life span perspective. Qualitative. Large Western Canadian city with a high rate of infants born to women aged 35 years and older. 45 Canadian women aged 20 to 48 years. Independence, a stable relationship, and declining fertility influenced women's decisions about the timing of motherhood. Women integrated child developmental transitions into a projected life plan as they considered the timing of motherhood. Partner readiness and family of origin influences played a lesser role. Delayed childbearing has become more socially acceptable, with subsequent negative connotations associated with younger motherhood. Parental benefits have limited influence on the timing of motherhood. Recognition by nurses of the various and complex factors that influence women's decisions about the timing of motherhood may flag the importance of pregnancy-related counseling for woman across the fertility life span. Policy decision makers must be cognizant of the need for additional high-risk obstetric and neonatal health services when societal norms encourage women to delay childbearing in favor of completing education and establishing a career. (c) 2006, AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses

Factors influencing household participation in solid waste management (Case study: Waste Bank Malang)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maryati, S.; Arifiani, N. F.; Humaira, A. N. S.; Putri, H. T.

2018-03-01

Solid waste management is very important measure in order to reduce the amount of waste. One of solid waste management form in Indonesia is waste banks. This kind of solid waste management required high level of participation of the community. The objective of this study is to explore factors influencing household participation in waste banks. Waste bank in Malang City (WBM) was selected as case study. Questionnaires distribution and investigation in WBM were conducted to identify problems of participation. Quantitative analysis was used to analyze the data. The research reveals that education, income, and knowledge about WBM have relationship with participation in WBM.

Factors influencing internal color of cooked meats.

PubMed

Suman, Surendranath P; Nair, Mahesh N; Joseph, Poulson; Hunt, Melvin C

2016-10-01

This manuscript overviews the pertinent research on internal color of uncured cooked meats, biochemical processes involved in meat cookery, and fundamental mechanisms governing myoglobin thermal stability. Heat-induced denaturation of myoglobin, responsible for the characteristic dull-brown color of cooked meats, is influenced by a multitude of endogenous (i.e., pH, muscle source, species, redox state) and exogenous (i.e., packaging, ingredients, storage) factors. The interactions between these factors critically influence the internal cooked color and can confuse the consumers, who often perceive cooked color to be a reliable indicator for doneness and safety. While certain phenomena in cooked meat color are cosmetic in nature, others can mislead consumers and result in foodborne illnesses. Research in meat color suggests that processing technologies and cooking practices in industry as well as households influence the internal cooked color. Additionally, the guidelines of many international public health and regulatory authorities recommend using meat thermometers to determine safe cooking endpoint temperature and to ensure product safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing warfarin control in Australia and Singapore.

PubMed

Bernaitis, Nijole; Ching, Chi Keong; Teo, Siew Chong; Chen, Liping; Badrick, Tony; Davey, Andrew K; Crilly, Julia; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra

2017-09-01

Warfarin is widely used for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Variations in warfarin control, as measured by time in therapeutic range (TTR), have been reported across different regions and ethnicities, particularly between Western and Asian countries. However, there is limited data on comparative factors influencing warfarin control in Caucasian and Asian patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine warfarin control and potential factors influencing this in patients with NVAF in Australia and Singapore. Retrospective data was collected for patients receiving warfarin for January to June 2014 in Australia and Singapore. TTR was calculated for individuals with mean patient TTR used for analysis. Possible influential factors on TTR were analysed including age, gender, concurrent co-morbidities, and concurrent medication. The mean TTR was significantly higher in Australia (82%) than Singapore (58%). At both sites, chronic kidney disease significantly lowered this TTR. Further factors influencing control were anaemia and age<60years in Australia, and vascular disease, CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score of 6, and concurrent platelet inhibitor therapy in Singapore. Warfarin control was significantly higher in Australia compared to Singapore, however chronic kidney disease reduced control at both sites. The different levels of control in these two countries, together with patient factors further reducing control may impact on anticoagulant choice in these countries with better outcomes from warfarin in Australia compared to Singapore. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing selection of internal medicine residency--a prospective study.

PubMed

Pereg, David; Gronich, Naomi; Lishner, Michael

2006-08-01

Recently, the popularity of internal medicine residency has been decreasing. We studied the effect of an improved working environment and a decrease in residents' workload on the selection of internal medicine residency. An organizational diagnosis team joined our department and identified several causes for residents' heavy workload. These findings were subsequently discussed in a workshop and led to a modification of the daily routine and a parallel decrease in workload and rise in residents' satisfaction. Following these changes, the demand for residency in our department rose. We conclude that an improvement in the working environment and workload during residency increases the residents' satisfaction and the demand for residency in internal medicine.

Factors Influencing Career Aspirations of Primary and Secondary Grade Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canale, Joseph R.; Dunlap, Linda L.

Many studies have examined factors influencing the career aspirations of high school students, but little has been done to explore this issue with primary school students. This study investigated factors that might influence the career aspirations of children across a broad age spectrum. Students (N=150) from grades 2, 5, 8, and 12 completed…

Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure: Revisiting Factors Influencing Optic Nerve Head Biomechanics

PubMed Central

Hua, Yi; Voorhees, Andrew P.; Sigal, Ian A.

2018-01-01

Purpose To model the sensitivity of the optic nerve head (ONH) biomechanical environment to acute variations in IOP, cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP), and central retinal artery blood pressure (BP). Methods We extended a previously published numerical model of the ONH to include 24 factors representing tissue anatomy and mechanical properties, all three pressures, and constraints on the optic nerve (CON). A total of 8340 models were studied to predict factor influences on 98 responses in a two-step process: a fractional factorial screening analysis to identify the 16 most influential factors, followed by a response surface methodology to predict factor effects in detail. Results The six most influential factors were, in order: IOP, CON, moduli of the sclera, lamina cribrosa (LC) and dura, and CSFP. IOP and CSFP affected different aspects of ONH biomechanics. The strongest influence of CSFP, more than twice that of IOP, was on the rotation of the peripapillary sclera. CSFP had similar influence on LC stretch and compression to moduli of sclera and LC. On some ONHs, CSFP caused large retrolamina deformations and subarachnoid expansion. CON had a strong influence on LC displacement. BP overall influence was 633 times smaller than that of IOP. Conclusions Models predict that IOP and CSFP are the top and sixth most influential factors on ONH biomechanics. Different IOP and CSFP effects suggest that translaminar pressure difference may not be a good parameter to predict biomechanics-related glaucomatous neuropathy. CON may drastically affect the responses relating to gross ONH geometry and should be determined experimentally. PMID:29332130

Factors Influencing Choice of Medical Specialty of Preresidency Medical Graduates in Southeastern Nigeria

PubMed Central

Eze, Boniface Ikenna; Okoye, Onochie Ike; Maduka-Okafor, Ferdinand Chinedu; Aguwa, Emmanuel Nwabueze

2011-01-01

Background This study examined the determinants of specialty choice of preresidency medical graduates in southeastern Nigeria. Methods We used a comparative cross-sectional survey of preresidency medical graduates who took the Basic Sciences Examination of the Postgraduate Medical College in Enugu, southeastern Nigeria, in March 2007. Data on participants' demographics and specialty selected, the timing of the decision, and factors in specialty selection were collected using a questionnaire. Data were examined using descriptive and analytical statistics. P < .05 was considered significant. Results The survey response rate was 90.8% (287 of 316). The sample included 219 men and 68 women, ranging in age from 24 to 53 years and with a mean age of 33.5 ± 1.1 (SD) years. Career choice was more frequently influenced by personal interest (66.6%), career prospects (9.1%), and appraisal of own skills/aptitudes (5.6%), and it was least affected by altruistic motives (1.7%) and influence of parents/relations (1.7%). The respondents selected specialties at different rates: obstetrics and gynecology (22.6%), surgery (19.6%), pediatrics (16.0%), anesthesiology (3.1%), psychiatry (0.3%), and dentistry (0.0%). Most (97.2%) participants had decided on specialty choice by the end of their fifth (of a total 16 years) postgraduate year. The participants significantly more frequently preferred surgery and pediatrics to other disciplines (P < .002, after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons). Conclusions Preresidency medical graduates in southeastern Nigeria were influenced by personal interest, career prospects, and personal skills/aptitude in deciding which specialty training to pursue. The most frequently chosen specialties were surgery and pediatrics. These findings have implications for Nigeria's education and health care policy makers. PMID:22942964

Factors That Influence Technology Integration in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery, Maureen C.

2017-01-01

Education is one area where the use of technology has had great impact on student learning. The integration of technology in teaching and learning can significantly influence the outcome of education in the classroom. However, there are a myriad of factors that influence technology integration in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to…

I control therefore I do: judgments of agency influence action selection.

PubMed

Karsh, N; Eitam, B

2015-05-01

Our sense of being agents, that is of willingly controlling both our own bodies and the external environment is ubiquitous if thin. Empirical and theoretical work on this 'sense of agency' has documented motivational, cognitive and neural influences on implicit (out of awareness) and explicit (conscious) judgments of agency. For example, fluency of action selection processes has been recently shown to affect judgments of one's degree of control over an external event. However, it is an open question whether and how such judgments of agency act as input to other processes. In this study we demonstrate that the opposite relationship between action selection and judgment of agency also exists. Specifically, we show that manipulating one's objective control over the environment influences both the speed and the frequency of performing an action associated with that control. This pattern bears a striking resemblance to the effect that tangible rewards have on action selection and suggests that positive control feedback is rewarding to the organism, consequently affecting action selection. If further corroborated this 'reward from control' may explain everyday addictions such as prolonged engagement in arcade games and pathological behaviors, such as stereotypy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Review: can diet influence the selective advantage of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes?

PubMed

Ballard, J William O; Youngson, Neil A

2015-11-05

This review explores the potential for changes in dietary macronutrients to differentially influence mitochondrial bioenergetics and thereby the frequency of mtDNA haplotypes in natural populations. Such dietary modification may be seasonal or result from biogeographic or demographic shifts. Mechanistically, mtDNA haplotypes may influence the activity of the electron transport system (ETS), retrograde signalling to the nuclear genome and affect epigenetic modifications. Thus, differential provisioning by macronutrients may lead to selection through changes in the levels of ATP production, modulation of metabolites (including AMP, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the NAD(+)/NADH ratio) and potentially complex epigenetic effects. The exquisite complexity of dietary influence on haplotype frequency is further illustrated by the fact that macronutrients may differentially influence the selective advantage of specific mutations in different life-history stages. In Drosophila, complex I mutations may affect larval growth because dietary nutrients are fed through this complex in immaturity. In contrast, the majority of electrons are provided to complex III in adult flies. We conclude the review with a case study that considers specific interactions between diet and complex I of the ETS. Complex I is the first enzyme of the mitochondrial ETS and co-ordinates in the oxidation of NADH and transfer of electrons to ubiquinone. Although the supposition that mtDNA variants may be selected upon by dietary macronutrients could be intuitively consistent to some and counter intuitive to others, it must face a multitude of scientific hurdles before it can be recognized. © 2015 Authors.

Factors that influence women's health in Tanzania.

PubMed

Lugina, H I

1994-01-01

A descriptive account of factors that influence women's health in Tanzania is given. The social and cultural processes that enhance or undermine women's health are emphasized. Recommendations for changes to improve women's health are made.

Psychosocial factors for influencing healthy aging in adults in Korea.

PubMed

Han, KyungHun; Lee, YunJung; Gu, JaSung; Oh, Hee; Han, JongHee; Kim, KwuyBun

2015-03-07

Healthy aging includes physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being in later years. The purpose of this study is to identify the psychosocial factors influencing healthy aging and examining their socio-demographic characteristics. Perceived health status, depression, self-esteem, self-achievement, ego-integrity, participation in leisure activities, and loneliness were identified as influential factors in healthy aging. 171 Korean adults aged between 45 and 77 years-old participated in the study. Self-reporting questionnaires were used, followed by descriptive statistics and multiple regressions as inferential statistical analyses. There were significant differences between participants' general characteristics: age, education, religion, housing, hobby, and economic status. The factors related to healthy aging had positive correlation with perceived health status, self-esteem, self-achievements, and leisure activities, and negative correlation with depression and loneliness. The factors influencing healthy aging were depression, leisure activities, perceived health status, ego integrity, and self-achievements. These factors were able to explain 51.9%. According to the results, depression is the factor with the greatest influence on healthy aging. Perceived health status, ego integrity, self-achievement, self-esteem, participation of leisure activities were also influential on healthy aging as beneficial factors.

A brief review of salient factors influencing adult eating behaviour.

PubMed

Emilien, Christine; Hollis, James H

2017-12-01

A better understanding of the factors that influence eating behaviour is of importance as our food choices are associated with the risk of developing chronic diseases such as obesity, CVD, type 2 diabetes or some forms of cancer. In addition, accumulating evidence suggests that the industrial food production system is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emission and may be unsustainable. Therefore, our food choices may also contribute to climate change. By identifying the factors that influence eating behaviour new interventions may be developed, at the individual or population level, to modify eating behaviour and contribute to society's health and environmental goals. Research indicates that eating behaviour is dictated by a complex interaction between physiology, environment, psychology, culture, socio-economics and genetics that is not fully understood. While a growing body of research has identified how several single factors influence eating behaviour, a better understanding of how these factors interact is required to facilitate the developing new models of eating behaviour. Due to the diversity of influences on eating behaviour this would probably necessitate a greater focus on multi-disciplinary research. In the present review, the influence of several salient physiological and environmental factors (largely related to food characteristics) on meal initiation, satiation (meal size) and satiety (inter-meal interval) are briefly discussed. Due to the large literature this review is not exhaustive but illustrates the complexity of eating behaviour. The present review will also highlight several limitations that apply to eating behaviour research.

Alternative Administrative Certification: Socializing Factors Influencing Program Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bickmore, Dana L.; Bickmore, Steven T.; Raines, Sarah

2013-01-01

This study used an organizational socialization lens to examine factors influencing participants' decision to pursue the principalship and choice to engage in an alternate administration certification program. Through an analysis of participant focus groups and interviews, factors emerged from the codes that were compared with dimensions of…

Factors Influencing the Fatigue Strength of Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bollenrath, F

1941-01-01

A number of factors are considered which influence the static and fatigue strength of materials under practical operating conditions as contrasted with the relations obtaining under conditions of the usual testing procedure. Such factors are interruptions in operation, periodically fluctuating stress limits and mean stresses with periodic succession of several groups and stress states, statistical changes and succession of stress limits and mean stresses, frictional corrosion at junctures, and notch effects.

How modifiable factors influence parental decision-making about organ donation.

PubMed

Luberda, Kamila; Cleaver, Karen

2017-11-07

A global shortage of organs from children and adults available for transplantation is compounded by the failure of next of kin to consent for organs to be donated after death. Non-modifiable and modifiable factors influence decision-making in this area. Modifiable factors are of interest when examining families' decision-making about the donation of organs from their deceased child. A scoping review was undertaken to determine how modifiable factors influence parental decision-making about organ donation. Thematic analysis identified two themes: interactions with healthcare professionals and pre-disposition to organ donation. Satisfaction with experiences of hospital care, the information provided and the way it was communicated, as well as interactions pertaining to emotional support were all found to be modifiable factors that influenced decision making. Likewise, a predisposition to organ donation and knowing the deceased's wishes were associated with the consent decision. Nurses working in critical care environments need to be able to support parents during this difficult time. This article aims to raise awareness of modifiable factors that influence parental decision-making, highlighting their relevance for children's nursing practice. ©2017 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Influence of Psychosocial Factors on Aging among the Aged in Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojukwu, M. O.

2016-01-01

The major aim of this study was to examine influence of psychosocial factors on aging among the aged in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Ex-post facto or casual comparative research design was adopted for the study. Two hundred and twenty-five (225) old people were selected through random sampling for the study.…

Remembering childhood atopic dermatitis as an adult: factors that influence recollection.

PubMed

Moberg, C; Meding, B; Stenberg, B; Svensson, A; Lindberg, M

2006-09-01

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is common in the population, and studies have shown that the disease is on the increase. Studies based on hospital records reflect selected populations and may miss less severe cases of AD, and the use of self-reported questionnaires has the drawback of recall bias. To investigate some possible factors influencing recall bias when questionnaires are used to establish the prevalence of childhood eczema in an adult population. A questionnaire regarding past and present eczema was sent to 557 cases (with signs suggesting the diagnosis AD) and 554 matched controls (subjects lacking signs of AD) born during 1960-1969 and identified in school health medical records. Cases and controls were aged 31-42 years at the time of the study and 70.5% returned the questionnaire. Of 403 cases, 29% did not report childhood eczema in the questionnaire. There was a difference between those who did recall their childhood AD (remembering group, RG), and those who did not (forgetful group, FG) in who had documented the diagnostic signs in the school health records. In the RG the signs were reported by both parents and school health personnel in 51% of cases, and in the FG this was true of only 16%. The RG had a higher prevalence of eczema after 15 years of age and of hand eczema. The RG also reported more visits to physicians after the age of 15 years and more time taken as sick leave due to eczema. Several factors influence how well people remember their AD in childhood. These factors include disease activity in adult life, disease severity, and who noticed the eczema in childhood.

Factors influencing laser cutting of wood

Treesearch

V.G. Barnekov; C.W. McMillin; H.A. Huber

1986-01-01

Factors influencing the ability of lasers to cut wood may be generally classified into these three areas: 1) characteristics of the laser beam; 2) equipment and processing variables; and 3) properties of the workpiece. Effects of beam power, mode, polarization, and stability are discussed as are aspects of optics, location of focal point, feed speed, gas-jet assist...

Selective factors governing in vitro β-carotene bioaccessibility: negative influence of low filtration cutoffs and alterations by emulsifiers and food matrices.

PubMed

Corte-Real, Joana; Richling, Elke; Hoffmann, Lucien; Bohn, Torsten

2014-12-01

Because of their putative health benefits, the biological fate of carotenoids after digestion has been met with much interest, and ex vivo methods using carotenoid standards to study their digestion and further metabolism have been developed. In the absence of a complex food matrix, that is, when studying isolated carotenoids, protocol conditions of gastrointestinal digestion models have to be adjusted. In this investigation, we hypothesized that certain selected factors would significantly influence the bioaccessibility of β-carotene in vitro. The factors considered included (i) type of lipid matrix employed (milk, cream, or oil), (ii) presence/absence of emulsifiers (e.g. lecithin and taurocholate), (iii) addition of a gastric lipase, and (iv) final filtration (20 or 200 nm) of the digesta. Adding an emulsifier mixture (10 mg lecithin + 50 mg monoolein + 5 mg oleic acid) enhanced β-carotene bioaccessibility 3 times (P < 0.001), whereas additional taurocholate and the presence/absence of gastric lipase added before intestinal digestion had no significant effect. β-Carotene bioaccessibility was superior with oil than with milk (18.8% ± 0.7% and 6.1% ± 0.7%, respectively; P = 0.03), especially after filtration, thus suggesting incomplete micelle formation after addition of milk. Filtration through 20 nm filters reduced carotenoid concentration in the aqueous fraction (from 7.1% ± 0.2% to 5.5% ± 0.2% in samples digested with canola oil, P < 0.001), indicating that not all formed micelles compared in size with those normally formed in vivo. When studying carotenoid standards during in vitro digestion, care should be taken to separate mixed micelles by filtration, and the choice of emulsifier and matrix should be considered. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review on Factors Influencing Physician Guideline Adherence in Cardiology.

PubMed

Hoorn, C J G M; Crijns, H J G M; Dierick-van Daele, A T M; Dekker, L R C

2018-04-09

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in Western countries. Physician adherence to guidelines is often suboptimal, resulting in impaired patient outcome and prognosis. Multiple studies have been conducted to evaluate patterns and the influencing factors of patient adherence, but little is known about factors influencing physician guideline adherence. This review aims to identify factors influencing physician guideline adherence relevant to cardiology and to provide insights and suggestions for future improvement. Physician adherence was measured as adherence to standard local medical practice and applicable guidelines. Female gender and older age had a negative effect on physician guideline adherence. In addition, independent of the type of heart disease, physicians without cardiologic specialization were linked to physician noncompliance. Also, guideline adherence in primary care centers was at a lower level compared to secondary or tertiary care centers. The importance of guideline adherence increases as patients age, and complex diseases and comorbidity arise. Appropriate resources and interventions, taking important factors for nonadherence in account, are necessary to improve guideline adoption and adherence in every level of the chain. This in turn should improve patient outcome.

Selective Influences of Precision and Power Grips on Speech Categorization.

PubMed

Tiainen, Mikko; Tiippana, Kaisa; Vainio, Martti; Peromaa, Tarja; Komeilipoor, Naeem; Vainio, Lari

2016-01-01

Recent studies have shown that articulatory gestures are systematically associated with specific manual grip actions. Here we show that executing such actions can influence performance on a speech-categorization task. Participants watched and/or listened to speech stimuli while executing either a power or a precision grip. Grip performance influenced the syllable categorization by increasing the proportion of responses of the syllable congruent with the executed grip (power grip-[ke] and precision grip-[te]). Two follow-up experiments indicated that the effect was based on action-induced bias in selecting the syllable.

Endogenously- and Exogenously-Driven Selective Sustained Attention: Contributions to Learning in Kindergarten Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Lucy C.; Thiessen, Erik D.; Godwin, Karrie E.; Dickerson, John P.; Fisher, Anna V.

2015-01-01

Selective sustained attention is vital for higher order cognition. Although endogenous and exogenous factors influence selective sustained attention, assessment of the degree to which these factors influence performance and learning is often challenging. We report findings from the Track-It task, a paradigm that aims to assess the contribution of…

Librarians' Perspectives on the Factors Influencing Research Data Management Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faniel, Ixchel M.; Connaway, Lynn Silipigni

2018-01-01

This qualitative research study examines librarians' research data management (RDM) experiences, specifically the factors that influence their ability to support researchers' needs. Findings from interviews with 36 academic library professionals in the United States identify 5 factors of influence: (1) technical resources; (2) human resources; (3)…

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R. H.; van der Lans, Ivo A.; Frewer, Lynn J.

2012-05-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public.

[Influencing factors in preparation of brucine liposomes by ammonium sulfate transmembrane gradients].

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Chen, Jun; Cai, Bao-Chang; Fang, Yun

2008-09-01

To study the influencing factors in preparation of brucine liposomes by ammonium sulfate transmembrane gradients. The brucine liposomes were separated by Sephadex G-50, and the influence of various factors on the entrapment efficiencies were investigated. The entrapment efficiency was enhanced by increased ammonium sulfate concentration, ethanol volume and PC concentration. Burcine liposomes prepared by ammonium sulfate transmembrance gradients can get a high entrapment efficiency, the main influencing factors were ammonium sulfate concentration, ethanol volume and PC concentration.

Factors influencing return to work after illness in France.

PubMed

Pélissier, C; Fontana, L; Chauvin, F

2014-01-01

Few studies have been published about the factors influencing return to work after sickness absence. To identify medical and occupational factors influencing the type of fitness certificate given by occupational physicians before employees return to work after sickness absence. A cross-sectional study was undertaken over 3 months in several health services in France. Workers undergoing a medical examination before returning to work after a period of sickness absence of at least 3 weeks were included. Medical and occupational factors were collected using a questionnaire. The relationship between different factors and certification of fitness was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Among the 402 workers included, 64% were considered fit to return to work. Being older, strenuous work, prolonged sick leave and fear of returning to work appeared to be negative factors influencing the return to a previous job. In contrast, having an education level higher than secondary school, being satisfied at work, perception of very good health and benefitting from satisfactory professional relationships appeared to favour return to work. We developed a predictive score of not being fit to return to work after illness. Our study highlighted the relationship between medical and occupational factors with problems returning to work. The predictive score may be used by occupational physicians as a screening tool to identify those who are likely to have difficulties returning to work after illness, so that their working conditions can be modified to take this into consideration.

Stakeholder Perceptions of Governance: Factors Influencing Presidential Perceptions of Board Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proper, Eve; Willmer, Wesley K.; Hartley, Harold V., III; Caboni, Timothy C.

2009-01-01

This article examines the factors that influence presidents' perceptions of board effectiveness in relation to their boards' fundraising role. Data from a survey of small college presidents are used to see what factors influence each of four areas of satisfaction: deciding policy, making financial contributions, referring donor prospects and…

Factors influencing the food choices of Irish children and adolescents: a qualitative investigation.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, Amanda; Heary, Caroline; Nixon, Elizabeth; Kelly, Colette

2010-09-01

Food choices established during childhood and adolescence tend to persist into adulthood with consequences for long-term health. Yet, to date, relatively little research has examined factors that influence the food choices of children and adolescents from their perspectives. In this article, previous research is extended by examining developmental differences between children's and adolescents' perceptions of factors influencing their food choices. Focus group discussions were conducted with 29 young people from three age groups (9-10, 13-14 and 16-18 years). An inductive thematic analysis identified three key factors as influencing food choices. These factors included intra-individual factors: the link between food preferences and awareness of healthy eating; intra-familial factors: the role of the home food environment; and extra-familial factors: eating away from the home. Findings indicate that there were developmental differences between children's and adolescents' perceptions of factors influencing food choice. Among adolescents, parental control began to diminish and adolescents exercised increased autonomy over their food choices compared with children. To develop effective nutrition interventions, it is important to gather child and adolescent input regarding factors perceived as influencing their food choices.

Intrinsic factors influencing help-seeking behaviour in an acute stroke situation.

PubMed

Zock, Elles; Kerkhoff, Henk; Kleyweg, Ruud Peter; van de Beek, Diederik

2016-09-01

The proportion of stroke patients eligible for intravenous or intra-arterial treatment is still limited because many patients do not seek medical help immediately after stroke onset. The aim of our study was to explore which intrinsic factors and considerations influence help-seeking behaviour of relatively healthy participants, confronted with stroke situations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 non-stroke participants aged 50 years or older. We presented 5 clinical stroke situations as if experienced by the participants themselves. Recognition and interpretation of symptoms were evaluated and various factors influencing help-seeking behaviour were explored in-depth. We used the thematic synthesis method for data analysis. Five themes influencing help-seeking behaviour in a stroke situation were identified: influence of knowledge, views about seriousness, ideas about illness and health, attitudes towards others and beliefs about the emergency medical system. A correct recognition of stroke symptoms or a correct interpretation of the stroke situations did not automatically result in seeking medical help. Interestingly, similar factors could lead to different types of actions between participants. Many intrinsic, as well as social and environmental factors are of influence on help-seeking behaviour in an acute stroke situation. All these factors seem to play a complex role in help-seeking behaviour with considerable inter-individual variations. Accomplishing more patients eligible for acute stroke treatment, future research should focus on better understanding of all factors at various levels grounded in a theory of help-seeking behaviour.

From Hospital to Nursing Facility: Factors Influencing Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Susan E.; Auerbach, Charles; LaPorte, Heidi Heft

2009-01-01

This study addresses the factors influencing decisions to send medicine-surgical (med-surg) patients home or to nursing facilities (NFs). The sample (n = 7,852) was taken from a large, urban, teaching, med-surg unit where discharges were documented and data collected over a two-and-a-half-year period. Using logistical regression, the factors found…

Professional Identity Development in Higher Education: Influencing Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbarà-i-Molinero, Alba; Cascón-Pereira, Rosalía; Hernández-Lara, Ana beatriz

2017-01-01

Purpose: In the last few years, the interest on professional identity development (PID) and the factors that influence PID has become central in higher education (HE) literature. However, the knowledge developed in this domain has focussed on a factor at a time and on a degree or discipline, thus being difficult to have a general picture of all…

Computer Self-Efficacy and Factors Influencing E-Learning Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Tien-Chen

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of system and instructor factors on e-learning effectiveness under the interactions of computer self-efficacy. In this study, the factors of the e-learning system are functionality, interaction, and response. The factors of the e-learning instructor are attitude, technical skills,…

Factors Influencing Intrinsic Motivation towards Physical Activity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutherford, William J.; And Others

1992-01-01

Study examined factors that influenced intrinsic motivation toward physical activity in 60 adult males who completed questionnaires and physical fitness tests. Results showed that performance information given immediately after task performance increased perceived competence and intrinsic motivation levels toward exercise of individuals with…

Factors influencing woodlands of southwestern North Dakota

Treesearch

Michele M. Girard; Harold Goetz; Ardell J. Bjugstad

1987-01-01

Literature pertaining to woodlands of southwestern North Dakota is reviewed. Woodland species composition and distribution, and factors influencing woodland ecosystems such as climate, logging, fire, and grazing are described. Potential management and improvement techniques using vegetation and livestock manipulation have been suggested.

What Motivational Factors Influence African American Males to Enter a Doctorial Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphreys, Phillip

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the motivational factors that influence African American men to enter a doctoral program by identifying the motivational factors that influenced them to enter a doctorial program. The findings were compared to Dr. Gloria J. Hill's dissertation study (2005), "What Motivational Factors Influence…

Factors influencing the intention to watch online video advertising.

PubMed

Lee, Joonghwa; Lee, Mira

2011-10-01

This study examines the factors influencing consumer intention to watch online video ads, by applying the theory of reasoned action. The attitude toward watching online video ads, the subjective norm, and prior frequency of watching online video ads positively influence the intention to watch online video ads. Further, beliefs held about entertainment and information outcomes from watching online video ads and subjective norm influence attitude toward watching these ads.

Decision Making on the Labor and Delivery Unit: An Investigation of Influencing Factors.

PubMed

Gregory, Megan E; Sonesh, Shirley C; Feitosa, Jennifer; Benishek, Lauren E; Hughes, Ashley M; Salas, Eduardo

2017-09-01

Objective The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between negative affect (NA), decision-making style, time stress, and decision quality in health care. Background Health care providers must often make swift, high-stakes decisions. Influencing factors of the decision-making process in this context have been understudied. Method Within a sample of labor and delivery nurses, physicians, and allied personnel, we used self-report measures to examine the impact of trait factors, including NA, decision-making style, and perceived time stress, on decision quality in a situational judgment test (Study 1). In Study 2, we observed the influence of state NA, state decision-making style, state time stress, and their relationship with decision quality on real clinical decisions. Results In Study 1, we found that trait NA significantly predicted avoidant decision-making style. Furthermore, those who were higher on trait time stress and trait avoidant decision-making style exhibited poorer decisions. In Study 2, we observed associations between state NA with state avoidant and analytical decision-making styles. We also observed that these decision-making styles, when considered in tandem with time stress, were influential in predicting clinical decision quality. Conclusion NA predicts some decision-making styles, and decision-making style can affect decision quality under time stress. This is particularly true for state factors. Application Individual differences, such as affect and decision-making style, should be considered during selection. Training to reduce time stress perceptions should be provided.

A qualitative study of the factors that influence mothers when choosing drinks for their young children.

PubMed

Hoare, Alexandria; Virgo-Milton, Monica; Boak, Rachel; Gold, Lisa; Waters, Elizabeth; Gussy, Mark; Calache, Hanny; Smith, Michael; de Silva, Andrea M

2014-07-05

The consumption of sweetened beverages is a known common risk factor for the development of obesity and dental caries in children and children consume sweet drinks frequently and in large volumes from an early age. The aim of this study was to examine factors that influence mothers when choosing drinks for their children. Semi-structured interviews (n = 32) were conducted with a purposive sample of mothers of young children from Victoria's Barwon South Western Region (selected from a larger cohort study to include families consuming different types of water, and different socioeconomic status and size). Inductive thematic analysis was conducted on transcribed interviews. Several themes emerged as influencing child drink choice. Child age: Water was the main beverage for the youngest child however it was seen as more acceptable to give older children sweetened beverages. Child preference and temperament: influencing when and if sweet drinks were given; Family influences such as grandparents increased children's consumption of sweet drinks, often providing children drinks such as fruit juice and soft drinks regardless of maternal disapproval. The Setting: children were more likely to be offered sweetened drinks either as a reward or treat for good behaviour or when out shopping, out for dinner or at parties. Limiting intake of sweet drinks is considered an important step for child general and oral health. However, the choice of drinks for children has influences from social, environmental and behavioural domains, indicating that a multi-strategy approach is required to bring about this change.

An Analysis of Factors Influencing Low Enrolment and Retention of Girls with Disabilities in Integrated Primary Schools in Embu County, Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muthoni, Njeru Idah; Otube, Nelly; Ondigi, Samson Rosana

2016-01-01

This study investigated the factors that influenced low enrolment and retention rates of girls with disabilities in integrated primary schools. It further explored possible intervention measures that may be employed to mitigate the situation. The study was conducted in selected schools in Runyenjes (Embu East) and Manyatta (Embu North)…

The influence of factors of work environment and burnout syndrome on self-efficacy of medical staff.

PubMed

Nowakowska, Iwona; Rasińska, Renata; Głowacka, Maria Danuta

2016-06-02

Conditions of a healthy, friendly and safe work environment and proper work organisation increase self-efficacy and decrease or eliminate the factors causing the occurrence of burnout symptoms, all of which have a decisive impact on increasing the quality of work. The aim of the study was to analyse and assess the influence of factors of work environment and burnout syndrome on the self-efficacy of medical staff. The study comprised randomly selected professionally-active nurses working on hospital wards (N=405) on the area of two provinces in Poland. The study used the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and a questionnaire concerning the factors that influence the process of work organisation at nursing positions in hospitals. Lower scores for self-efficacy resulted in a worse assessment of development opportunities and promotion prospects (r=-0.11), participation in the decision-making process (r=-0.11) and teamwork (r=-0.10). Lower self-efficacy contributed to the occurrence of burnout symptoms r∈[-0.19 - -0.17]. Properly shaped and used organisational factors are stimulating for professional efficiency and effectiveness, and consequently, for the quality of nursing work. Negative assessment of the factors in the work environment contributes to the occurrence of burnout symptoms and decrease in self-efficacy. Nurses with lower self-efficacy more often experienced symptoms of burnout.

Political and economic factors influencing contraceptive uptake.

PubMed

Sai, F T

1993-01-01

International, national and local level politics influence the uptake of contraception through consensuses, laws, financial and moral support or the creation of an enabling atmosphere. Opposition to contraception generally comes from some churches and groups opposed to particular technologies. Socio-economic factors, particularly education, the health care system and the perceived or actual cost of fertility regulation as compared to benefits expected from children also powerfully influence contraceptive use. For many poor women in developing countries their powerlessness in relation to their male partners is an important obstacle.

Factors Influencing Professional Help-Seeking for Suicidality.

PubMed

Han, Jin; Batterham, Philip J; Calear, Alison L; Randall, Rebecca

2018-05-01

Evidence suggests that the majority of people with suicidality do not seek help. Little systematic evaluation of factors influencing professional help-seeking has been done. To systematically evaluate the factors that influence professional help-seeking for suicidality. Published quantitative and qualitative studies in Medline and PsycInfo databases were reviewed following PRISMA. In all, 55 relevant studies were identified. Of these, 15 studies examined professional help-seeking intentions for perceived suicidal ideation, among people with or without suicidality; 21 studies examined professional help-seeking behavior among people with suicidality; and 19 studies examined suicidal decedents' health services use. Several potential important barriers were identified including high self-reliance, lack of perceived need for treatment, and stigmatizing attitudes toward suicide, toward mental health issues, and toward seeking professional treatment. The presence of suicidality and mental health issues was found to generally decrease help-seeking intentions for perceived suicidal ideation while facilitating actual service use. Social support and informal support from family and friends also played an important role in professional help-seeking. Although the majority of the included studies were of sound quality, some of the factors identified in the review were assessed in relatively few studies, and most of the included studies were conducted in industrialized countries. Further quantitative and qualitative studies examining the potential important factors in broader community samples, especially in developing countries, are needed.

The Influence of Selected Parameters on Evaluation of the Geometrical Shape Deviation - Cylindricity in 3D Measuring Machine Workspace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drbúl, Mário; Šajgalík, Michal; Litvaj, lvan; Babík, Ondrej

2016-12-01

Each part as a final product and its surface is composed of various geometric elements, although at first glance seem as smooth and shiny. During the manufacturing process, there is a number of influences (e.g. selected manufacturing technology, production process, human factors, the strategy of measurement, scanning speed, shape of the measurement contact tip, temperature, or the surface tension and the like), which hinder the production of component with ideally shaped elements. From the economic and design point of view (in accordance with determined GPS standards), there is necessary fast and accurate analyze and evaluate these elements. Presented article deals with the influence of scanning speed and measuring strategy for assessment of shape deviations.

Factors influencing acceptance of technology for aging in place: a systematic review.

PubMed

Peek, Sebastiaan T M; Wouters, Eveline J M; van Hoof, Joost; Luijkx, Katrien G; Boeije, Hennie R; Vrijhoef, Hubertus J M

2014-04-01

To provide an overview of factors influencing the acceptance of electronic technologies that support aging in place by community-dwelling older adults. Since technology acceptance factors fluctuate over time, a distinction was made between factors in the pre-implementation stage and factors in the post-implementation stage. A systematic review of mixed studies. Seven major scientific databases (including MEDLINE, Scopus and CINAHL) were searched. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) original and peer-reviewed research, (2) qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research, (3) research in which participants are community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older, and (4) research aimed at investigating factors that influence the intention to use or the actual use of electronic technology for aging in place. Three researchers each read the articles and extracted factors. Sixteen out of 2841 articles were included. Most articles investigated acceptance of technology that enhances safety or provides social interaction. The majority of data was based on qualitative research investigating factors in the pre-implementation stage. Acceptance in this stage is influenced by 27 factors, divided into six themes: concerns regarding technology (e.g., high cost, privacy implications and usability factors); expected benefits of technology (e.g., increased safety and perceived usefulness); need for technology (e.g., perceived need and subjective health status); alternatives to technology (e.g., help by family or spouse), social influence (e.g., influence of family, friends and professional caregivers); and characteristics of older adults (e.g., desire to age in place). When comparing these results to qualitative results on post-implementation acceptance, our analysis showed that some factors are persistent while new factors also emerge. Quantitative results showed that a small number of variables have a significant influence in the pre-implementation stage. Fourteen out of

Factors in Client–Clinician Interaction That Influence Hearing Aid Adoption

PubMed Central

Jennings, Mary Beth; Shaw, Lynn; Meston, Christine N.; Cheesman, Margaret F.

2011-01-01

The influence of client–clinician interactions has not been emphasized in hearing health care, despite the extensive evidence of the impact of the provider–patient interaction on health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify factors in the client–clinician interaction that may influence hearing aid adoption. Thirteen adults who had received a hearing aid recommendation within the previous 3 months and 10 audiologists participated in a study to generate, sort, and rate the importance of factors in client–clinician interaction that may influence the hearing aid purchase decision. A concept mapping approach was used to define meaningful clusters of factors. Quantitative analysis and qualitative interpretation of the statements resulted in eight concepts. The concepts in order of their importance are (a) Ensuring client comfort, (b) Understanding and meeting client needs, (c) Client-centered traits and actions, (d) Acknowledging client as an individual, (e) Imposing undue pressure and discomfort, (f) Conveying device information by clinician, (g) Supporting choices and shared decision making, and (h) Factors in client readiness. Two overarching themes of client-centered interaction and client empowerment were identified. Results highlight the influence of the client–clinician interaction in hearing aid adoption and suggest the possibility of improving hearing aid adoption by empowering clients through a client-centered interaction. PMID:22155784

Immediate movement history influences reach-to-grasp action selection in children and adults.

PubMed

Kent, Samuel W; Wilson, Andrew D; Plumb, Mandy S; Williams, Justin H G; Mon-Williams, Mark

2009-01-01

Action selection is subject to many biases. Immediate movement history is one such bias seen in young infants. Is this bias strong enough to affect adult behavior? Adult participants reached and grasped a cylinder positioned to require either pronation or supination of the hand. Successive cylinder positions changed either randomly or systematically between trials. Random positioning led to optimized economy of movement. In contrast, systematic changes in position biased action selection toward previously selected actions at the expense of movement economy. Thus, one switches to a new movement only when the savings outweigh the costs of the switch. Immediate movement history had an even larger influence on children aged 7-15 years. This suggests that switching costs are greater in children, which is consistent with their reduced grasping experience. The presence of this effect in adults suggests that immediate movement history exerts a more widespread and pervasive influence on patterns of action selection than researchers had previously recognized.

Analysis of factors influencing organic fruit and vegetable purchasing in Istanbul, Turkey.

PubMed

Oraman, Yasemin; Unakitan, Gökhan

2010-01-01

This article examines the influences on the purchasing decisions of fruit and vegetable consumers and presents findings from a survey conducted with 385 respondents living in urban areas in Istanbul, Turkey. It uses a binary logistic model to estimate factor effects in organic fruit and vegetable purchasing in Turkey. The results indicate that concern for human health and safety is a key factor that influences consumer preferences for organic food. Findings will help organic product suppliers understand the key factors influencing consumer purchasing and consumption behaviors.

Factors influencing patients' continuing attendance at a given dentist.

PubMed

Lucarotti, P S K; Burke, F J T

2015-03-01

It is the aim of this paper to consider the factors associated with a patient's continuing attendance at a particular dentist's surgery. A data set was established consisting of General Dental Services' (GDS) patients whose birthdays were included within a set of randomly selected dates, 20 in each possible year of birth. The data set was restricted to those patients aged 18 or older in 2003 who attended only one dentist in only one postcode area in 2003, and who also attended only one dentist in the same postcode area in 2005, and where the dentist attended in 2003 was also practising in the same postcode area in 2005. The patients were classified by age, gender and charge-paying status, and by whether they had attended a GDS dentist in 2002, and the dentists attended in 2003 were classified by age and gender. The proportion of patients changing dentists between 2003 and 2005 was calculated, together with standard error (se), for each combination of these factors. This was then replicated for each year from 1993-2002. Data for 323,382 patients were included in the analysis for 2003, these patients having not changed address during a two-year period, nor had their dentist changed location. The proportion of patients changing dentist over the period 2003 and 2005 was 15.5% (se 0.06 PCT). This has increased steadily since 1993, when the proportion was 12.4%. Factors influencing whether a patient changes dentist include patient age and charge paying status, dentist age and gender, and the patient's previous attendance pattern.

Influencing factors for port-site hernias after single-incision laparoscopy.

PubMed

Buckley, F P; Vassaur, H E; Jupiter, D C; Crosby, J H; Wheeless, C J; Vassaur, J L

2016-10-01

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has been demonstrated to be a feasible alternative to multiport laparoscopy, but concerns over port-site incisional hernias have not been well addressed. A retrospective study was performed to determine the rate of port-site hernias as well as influencing risk factors for developing this complication. A review of all consecutive patients who underwent SILS over 4 years was conducted using electronic medical records in a multi-specialty integrated healthcare system. Statistical evaluation included descriptive analysis of demographics in addition to bivariate and multivariate analyses of potential risk factors, which were age, gender, BMI, procedure, existing insertion-site hernia, wound infection, tobacco use, steroid use, and diabetes. 787 patients who underwent SILS without conversion to open were reviewed. There were 454 cholecystectomies, 189 appendectomies, 72 colectomies, 21 fundoplications, 15 transabdominal inguinal herniorrhaphies, and 36 other surgeries. Cases included 532 (67.6 %) women, and among all patients mean age was 44.65 (±19.05) years and mean BMI of 28.04 (±6). Of these, 50 (6.35 %) patients were documented as developing port-site incisional hernias by a health care provider or by incidental imaging. Of the risk factors analyzed, insertion-site hernia, age, and BMI were significant. Multivariate analysis indicated that both preexisting hernia and BMI were significant risk factors (p value = 0.00212; p value = 0.0307). Morbidly obese patients had the highest incidence of incisional hernias at 18.18 % (p value = 0.02). When selecting patients for SILS, surgeons should consider the presence of an umbilical hernia, increased age and obesity as risk factors for developing a port-site hernia.

Social influence and obesity.

PubMed

Hammond, Ross A

2010-10-01

To review a selection of research published in the last 12 months on the role of social influence in the obesity epidemic. Recent papers add evidence to previous work linking social network structures and obesity. Social norms, both eating norms and body image norms, are identified as one major source of social influence through networks. Social capital and social stress are additional types of social influence. There is increasing evidence that social influence and social network structures are significant factors in obesity. Deeper understanding of the mechanisms of action and dynamics of social influence, and its link with other factors involved in the obesity epidemic, is an important goal for further research.

Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction of New Graduate Nurses Participating in Nurse Residency Programs: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Lin, Patrice S.; Viscardi, Molly Kreider; McHugh, Matthew D.

2016-01-01

Nurse residency programs are designed to increase competence and skill, and ease the transition from student to new graduate nurse. These programs also offer the possibility to positively influence the job satisfaction of new graduate nurses, which could decrease poor nursing outcomes. However, little is known about the impact of participation in a nurse residency program on new graduate nurses’ satisfaction. This review examines factors that influence job satisfaction of nurse residency program participants. Eleven studies were selected for inclusion, and seven domains influencing new graduate nurses’ satisfaction during participation in nurse residency programs were identified: extrinsic rewards, scheduling, interactions and support, praise and recognition, professional opportunities, work environment, and hospital system. Within these domains, the evidence for improved satisfaction with nurse residency program participation was mixed. Further research is necessary to understand how nurse residency programs can be designed to improve satisfaction and increase positive nurse outcomes. PMID:25280192

Pakistani medical students' specialty preference and the influencing factors.

PubMed

Rehman, Anis; Rehman, Tariq; Shaikh, Muhammad Ateeb; Yasmin, Haleema; Asif, Ammara; Kafil, Hina

2011-07-01

To elucidate the specialty preferences of Pakistani medical students and the factors which influence medical students to make the decision regarding which specialty to pursue. Both basic sciences and clinical students from four medical colleges of Pakistan, i.e., Dow Medical College, Sindh Medical College, Liaquat National Medical College and Muhammad Medical College, were included in the cross-sectional survey during the period of July 2008 to Jan' 2009. After ethical acceptance, data was collected using convenient sampling technique. The questionnaire covered the following demographic details: 13 common specialties and 15 influencing factors. Questionnaires included in the analysis were 771. Most students gave preference to surgery and its associated sub-specialties (50.3%) followed by internal medicine (26.8%), paediatrics (23.2%), dermatology (16.7%), gynaecology and obstetrics (16.7%), psychiatry (13.1%), radiology (10.8%), ENT (8.8%), anaesthesiology (8.7%), administrative medicine (8.6%), orthopaedics (8.2%), ophthalmology (7.5%), and laboratory medicine (6.1%). The highly considered factors (regarding specialties) chosen by 70% of the medical students were: applicable to respective personalities of the individuals, prestige and respect, international opportunities, and time commitment. Surgical-skills, job availability, financial rating, academic performance, and a role model were moderately influencing factors. Hospital environment, parents, general practice, peer-pressure and personal health were the least influential. This trend suggests competition in surgery and its sub-specialties along with internal medicine, paediatrics, dermatology, gynaecology and obstetrics. Specialty suited to personality, time commitment, prestige/respect and international opportunity, influenced more than 70% of the students.

Factors influencing antibiotic prescribing in long-term care facilities: a qualitative in-depth study.

PubMed

van Buul, Laura W; van der Steen, Jenny T; Doncker, Sarah M M M; Achterberg, Wilco P; Schellevis, François G; Veenhuizen, Ruth B; Hertogh, Cees M P M

2014-12-16

Insight into factors that influence antibiotic prescribing is crucial when developing interventions aimed at a more rational use of antibiotics. We examined factors that influence antibiotic prescribing in long-term care facilities, and present a conceptual model that integrates these factors. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with physicians (n = 13) and nursing staff (n = 13) in five nursing homes and two residential care homes in the central-west region of the Netherlands. An iterative analysis was applied to interviews with physicians to identify and categorize factors that influence antibiotic prescribing, and to integrate these into a conceptual model. This conceptual model was triangulated with the perspectives of nursing staff. The analysis resulted in the identification of six categories of factors that can influence the antibiotic prescribing decision: the clinical situation, advance care plans, utilization of diagnostic resources, physicians' perceived risks, influence of others, and influence of the environment. Each category comprises several factors that may influence the decision to prescribe or not prescribe antibiotics directly (e.g. pressure of patients' family leading to antibiotic prescribing) or indirectly via influence on other factors (e.g. unfamiliarity with patients resulting in a higher physician perceived risk of non-treatment, in turn resulting in a higher tendency to prescribe antibiotics). Our interview study shows that several non-rational factors may affect antibiotic prescribing decision making in long-term care facilities, suggesting opportunities to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use. We developed a conceptual model that integrates the identified categories of influencing factors and shows the relationships between those categories. This model may be used as a practical tool in long-term care facilities to identify local factors potentially leading to inappropriate prescribing, and to subsequently

The Influence of Institutional Culture on Presidential Selection. ASHE 1987 Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolman, Eileen M.; And Others

The influence of institutional culture on the selection of college presidents was investigated at three Catholic colleges sponsored by women's religious communities. The concepts of institutional saga and culture were used to describe the dynamics at work in presidential selection. The constant comparative method and triangulation (i.e., using…

Factors that influence women's dispositions toward science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atria, Catherine Graczyk

Females have been underrepresented in the study of science and science careers for decades although advancements have been made in closing this gender gap, the gap persists particularly in the physical sciences. Variables which influence a woman's desire to pursue and maintain a science course of study and career must be discovered. The United States lags behind other industrialized countries in the fields of science, math, and engineering. Females comprise an estimated half of the population; their potential contributions cannot be ignored or overlooked. This retrospective research study explores the personal experiences of ten women enrolled in science majors, with science related career plans. The goal of this study is to describe the factors that influence the participants' interest in science. The findings, the effect of science coursework, science teachers' personality and manner, other influential educational personnel, role models and mentors, external influences exclusive of school, parental influence, locus of control and positive attitudes toward science confirm what other researchers have found.

Examining Factors Influencing Attrition at a Small, Private, Selective Liberal Arts College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gansemer-Topf, Ann M.; Zhang, Yi; Beatty, Cameron C.; Paja, Scott

2014-01-01

Despite a diverse body of literature on college student retention, studies focusing on small, private, selective liberal arts colleges are limited. This study utilized a mixed methodology beginning with logistic regression analyses and followed with a qualitative inquiry that included interviews with students who had not persisted. While variables…

A global study on the influence of neighborhood contextual factors on adolescent health.

PubMed

Mmari, Kristin; Lantos, Hannah; Blum, Robert W; Brahmbhatt, Heena; Sangowawa, Adesola; Yu, Chunyan; Delany-Moretlwe, Sinead

2014-12-01

This study uses data collected as part of the Well-Being of Adolescents in Vulnerable Environments study to (1) compare the perceptions of neighborhood-level factors among adolescents across five different urban sites; (2) examine the associations between factors within the physical and social environments; and (3) examine the influence of neighborhood-level factors on two different health outcomes-violence victimization in the past 12 months and ever smoked. Across five urban sites (Baltimore, New Delhi, Johannesburg, Ibadan, and Shanghai), 2,320 adolescents aged 15-19 years completed a survey using audio computer-assisted self-interview technology. To recruit adolescents, each site used a respondent-driven sampling method, which consisted of selecting adolescents as "seeds" to serve as the initial contacts for recruiting the entire adolescent sample. All analyses were conducted with Stata 13.1 statistical software, using complex survey design procedures. To examine associations between neighborhood-level factors and among our two outcomes, violence victimization and ever smoked, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Across sites, there was great variability in how adolescents perceived their neighborhoods. Overall, adolescents from Ibadan and Shanghai held the most positive perceptions about their neighborhoods, whereas adolescents from Baltimore and Johannesburg held the poorest. In New Delhi, despite females having positive perceptions about their safety and sense of social cohesion, they had the highest sense of fear and the poorest perceptions about their physical environment. The study also found that one of the most consistent neighborhood-level factors across sites and outcomes was witnessing community violence, which was significantly associated with smoking among adolescents in New Delhi and Johannesburg and with violence victimization across nearly every site except Baltimore. No other neighborhood-level factor exerted greater influence

Factors influencing post-traumatic stress in Korean forensic science investigators.

PubMed

Yoo, Yang-Sook; Cho, Ok-Hee; Cha, Kyeong-Sook; Boo, Yun-Jeong

2013-09-01

The aim of this study was to understand factors that influence post-traumatic stress (PTS) in Korean forensic science investigators. A total of 111 forensic science investigators were recruited in Korea. PTS was measured using the tool modified by Choi (2001) from the original developed by Foa, Riggs, Dancu, and Rothbaum (1993) based on DSM-IV. Factors influencing PTS included demographic and job-related characteristics, emotional intelligence, and death anxiety. PTS scores were positively correlated with personality type, fatigue from work, and death anxiety. PTS scores were negatively correlated with length of career as a forensic science investigator and emotional intelligence. The factors that had the greatest influence on PTS were death anxiety, years spent as a forensic science investigator, personality type, emotional intelligence, fatigue, and homicide experience. The explanatory power of these six factors was 44.0%. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly evaluate the mental health of those who are vulnerable to PTS. Based on these results, various interventions could be implemented for promoting overall health of the forensic science investigators. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Factors Potentially Influencing Student Acceptance of Biological Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiles, Jason R.

This investigation explored scientific, religious, and otherwise nonscientific factors that may influence student acceptance of biological evolution and related concepts, how students perceived these factors to have influenced their levels of acceptance of evolution and changes therein, and what patterns arose among students' articulations of how their levels of acceptance of evolution may have changed. This exploration also measured the extent to which students' levels of acceptance changed following a treatment designed to address factors identified as potentially affecting student acceptance of evolution. Acceptance of evolution was measured using the MATE instrument (Rutledge and Warden, 1999; Rutledge and Sadler, 2007) among participants enrolled in a secondary-level academic program during the summer prior to their final year of high school and as they transitioned to the post-secondary level. Student acceptance of evolution was measured to be significantly higher than pre-treatment levels both immediately following and slightly over one year after treatment. Qualitative data from informal questionnaires, from formal course evaluations, and from semi-structured interviews of students engaged in secondary level education and former students at various stages of post-secondary education confirmed that the suspected factors were perceived by participants to have influenced their levels of acceptance of evolution. Furthermore, participant reports provided insight regarding the relative effects they perceived these factors to have had on their evolution acceptance levels. Additionally, many participants reported that their science teachers in public schools had avoided, omitted, or denigrated evolution during instruction, and several of these students expressed frustration regarding what they perceived to have been a lack of education of an important scientific principle. Finally, no students expressed feelings of being offended by having been taught about

Factors influencing worker use of personal protective eyewear.

PubMed

Lombardi, David A; Verma, Santosh K; Brennan, Melanye J; Perry, Melissa J

2009-07-01

To identify and describe the array of factors that influence a workers' decision to wear personal protective eyewear (PPE) and the barriers that exist in preventing their use. A series of focus groups enrolled workers and supervisors primarily from manufacturing, construction, or service/retail industries that had potential exposure to eye injury hazards in their job tasks. Focus group sessions were facilitated to collect qualitative and quantitative data in two categories, "sought information" and "emergent themes", related to the factors influencing use of PPE. We conducted a series of 7 groups with 51 participants, 36 (71%) males and 15 (29%) females ranging in age from 19 to 64 years old, from a variety of occupations including construction (24%), production (22%), installation, repair and maintenance (14%), and healthcare (10%). Most were highly experienced in their occupation (>10 years); males (86%) and females (53%), and had received some safety training in the past (82%). The majority of workers in this study were required to wear PPE on their worksite (78%), however only 55% had a dedicated safety officer. A conceptual model that summarizes the "sought information" and "emergent themes" is presented that depicts the decision making process for the factors influencing use of PPE and consists of three primary branches; perceptions of hazards and risks, "barriers" to PPE usage, and enforcement and reinforcement. Lack of comfort/fit, and fogging and scratching of the eyewear were suggested as the most important barriers to PPE usage. Younger age and lack of safety training were other important factors affecting use of PPE. Several potentially modifiable factors identified would lead to an increase in workers' PPE use and encourage supervisors to provide ongoing positive feedback on the continuous use of PPE by workers at risk for an eye injury.

Endogenously and exogenously driven selective sustained attention: Contributions to learning in kindergarten children.

PubMed

Erickson, Lucy C; Thiessen, Erik D; Godwin, Karrie E; Dickerson, John P; Fisher, Anna V

2015-10-01

Selective sustained attention is vital for higher order cognition. Although endogenous and exogenous factors influence selective sustained attention, assessment of the degree to which these factors influence performance and learning is often challenging. We report findings from the Track-It task, a paradigm that aims to assess the contribution of endogenous and exogenous factors to selective sustained attention within the same task. Behavioral accuracy and eye-tracking data on the Track-It task were correlated with performance on an explicit learning task. Behavioral accuracy and fixations to distractors during the Track-It task did not predict learning when exogenous factors supported selective sustained attention. In contrast, when endogenous factors supported selective sustained attention, fixations to distractors were negatively correlated with learning. Similarly, when endogenous factors supported selective sustained attention, higher behavioral accuracy was correlated with greater learning. These findings suggest that endogenously and exogenously driven selective sustained attention, as measured through different conditions of the Track-It task, may support different kinds of learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Why neurology? Factors which influence career choice in neurology.

PubMed

Albert, Dara V; Hoyle, Chad; Yin, Han; McCoyd, Matthew; Lukas, Rimas V

2016-01-01

To evaluate the factors which influence the decision to pursue a career in neurology. An anonymous survey was developed using a Likert scale to rate responses. The survey was sent to adult and child neurology faculty, residents and fellows, as well as medical students applying for neurology. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the factors of influence. Respondents were subsequently categorized into pre-neurology trainees, neurology trainees, child neurologists and adult neurologists, and differences between the groups were analysed using Pearson's chi-square test. One hundred and thirty-three anonymous responses were received. The respondents were neurologists across all levels of training and practice. Across all respondents, the most common factor of high importance was intellectual content of specialty, challenging diagnostic problems, type of patient encountered and interest in helping people. Responses were similar across the groups; however, the earliest trainees cited interest in helping people as most important, while those in neurology training and beyond cite intellectual content of the specialty as most important. As trainees transition from their earliest levels of clinical experience into working as residents and faculty, there is a shift in the cited important factors. Lifestyle and financial factors seem to be the least motivating across all groups. Encouragement from peers, mentors, faculty and practicing physicians is considered high influences in a smaller number of neurologists. This may present an opportunity for practicing neurologists to make connections with medical students early in their education in an effort to encourage and mentor candidates.

Multiple environmental factors regulate the expression of the carbohydrate-selective OprB porin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

PubMed

Adewoye, L O; Worobec, E A

1999-12-01

In response to low extracellular glucose concentration, Pseudomonas aeruginosa induces the expression of the outer membrane carbohydrate-selective OprB porin. The promoter region of the oprB gene was cloned into a lacZ transcriptional fusion vector, and the construct was mobilized into P. aeruginosa OprB-deficient strain, WW100, to evaluate additional environmental factors that influence OprB porin gene expression. Growth temperature, pH of the growth medium, salicylate concentration, and carbohydrate source were found to differentially influence porin expression. This expression pattern was compared to those of whole-cell [14C]glucose uptake under conditions of high osmolarity, ionicity, variable pH, growth temperatures, and carbohydrate source. These studies revealed that the high-affinity glucose transport genes are down-regulated by salicylic acid, differentially regulated by pH and temperature, and are specifically responsive to exogenous glucose induction.

Factors influencing nurse-assessed quality nursing care: A cross-sectional study in hospitals.

PubMed

Liu, Ying; Aungsuroch, Yupin

2018-04-01

To propose a hypothesized theoretical model and apply it to examine the structural relationships among work environment, patient-to-nurse ratio, job satisfaction, burnout, intention to leave and quality nursing care. Improving quality nursing care is a first consideration in nursing management globally. A better understanding of factors influencing quality nursing care can help hospital administrators implement effective programmes to improve quality of services. Although certain bivariate correlations have been found between selected factors and quality nursing care in different study models, no studies have examined the relationships among work environment, patient-to-nurse ratio, job satisfaction, burnout, intention to leave and quality nursing care in a more comprehensive theoretical model. A cross-sectional survey. The questionnaires were collected from 510 Chinese nurses in four Chinese tertiary hospitals in January 2015. The validity and internal consistency reliability of research instruments were evaluated. Structural equation modelling was used to test a theoretical model. The findings revealed that the data supported the theoretical model. Work environment had a large total effect size on quality nursing care. Burnout largely and directly influenced quality nursing care, which was followed by work environment and patient-to-nurse ratio. Job satisfaction indirectly affected quality nursing care through burnout. This study shows how work environment past burnout and job satisfaction influences quality nursing care. Apart from nurses' work conditions of work environment and patient-to-nurse ratio, hospital administrators should pay more attention to nurse outcomes of job satisfaction and burnout when designing intervention programmes to improve quality nursing care. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Consumer's Online Shopping Influence Factors and Decision-Making Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Xiangbin; Dai, Shiliang

Previous research on online consumer behavior has mostly been confined to the perceived risk which is used to explain those barriers for purchasing online. However, perceived benefit is another important factor which influences consumers’ decision when shopping online. As a result, an integrated consumer online shopping decision-making model is developed which contains three elements—Consumer, Product, and Web Site. This model proposed relative factors which influence the consumers’ intention during the online shopping progress, and divided them into two different dimensions—mentally level and material level. We tested those factors with surveys, from both online volunteers and offline paper surveys with more than 200 samples. With the help of SEM, the experimental results show that the proposed model and method can be used to analyze consumer’s online shopping decision-making process effectively.

[Analysis of influencing factors of snow hyperspectral polarized reflections].

PubMed

Sun, Zhong-Qiu; Zhao, Yun-Sheng; Yan, Guo-Qian; Ning, Yan-Ling; Zhong, Gui-Xin

2010-02-01

Due to the need of snow monitoring and the impact of the global change on the snow, on the basis of the traditional research on snow, starting from the perspective of multi-angle polarized reflectance, we analyzed the influencing factors of snow from the incidence zenith angles, the detection zenith angles, the detection azimuth angles, polarized angles, the density of snow, the degree of pollution, and the background of the undersurface. It was found that these factors affected the spectral reflectance values of the snow, and the effect of some factors on the polarization hyperspectral reflectance observation is more evident than in the vertical observation. Among these influencing factors, the pollution of snow leads to an obvious change in the snow reflectance spectrum curve, while other factors have little effect on the shape of the snow reflectance spectrum curve and mainly impact the reflection ratio of the snow. Snow reflectance polarization information has not only important theoretical significance, but also wide application prospect, and provides new ideas and methods for the quantitative research on snow using the remote sensing technology.

The Influence Factors and Mechanism of Societal Risk Perception

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Rui; Shi, Kan; Li, Shu

Risk perception is one of important subjects in management psychology and cognitive psychology. It is of great value in the theory and practice to investigate the societal hazards that the public cares a lot especially in Socio-economic transition period. A survey including 30 hazards and 6 risk attributes was designed and distributed to about 2, 485 residents of 8 districts, Beijing. The major findings are listed as following: Firstly, a scale of societal risk perception was designed and 2 factors were identified (Dread Risk & Unknown Risk). Secondly, structural equation model was used to analyze the influence factors and mechanism of societal risk perception. Risk preference, government support and social justice could influence societal risk perception directly. Government support fully moderated the relationship between government trust and societal risk perception. Societal risk perception influenced life satisfaction, public policy preferences and social development belief.

Factors influencing the flavour of game meat: A review.

PubMed

Neethling, J; Hoffman, L C; Muller, M

2016-03-01

Flavour is a very important attribute contributing to the sensory quality of meat and meat products. Although the sensory quality of meat includes orthonasal and retronasal aroma, taste, as well as appearance, juiciness and other textural attributes, the focus of this review is primarily on flavour. The influence of species, age, gender, muscle anatomical location, diet, harvesting conditions, ageing of meat, packaging and storage, as well as cooking method on the flavour of game meat are discussed. Very little research is available on the factors influencing the flavour of the meat derived from wild and free-living game species. The aim of this literature review is thus to discuss the key ante- and post-mortem factors that influence the flavour of game meat, with specific focus on wild and free-living South African game species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of the season of birth and of selected maternal factors on linear enamel thickness in modern human deciduous incisors.

PubMed

Żądzińska, E; Kurek, M; Borowska-Strugińska, B; Lorkiewicz, W; Rosset, I; Sitek, A

2013-08-01

Development of human tooth enamel is a part of a foetus's development; its correctness is the outcome of genetic and maternal factors shaping its prenatal environment. Many authors reported that individuals born in different seasons experience different early developmental conditions during pregnancy. In this study, we investigated the effects of season of birth and selected maternal factors on enamel thickness of deciduous incisors. Dental sample comprises 60 deciduous incisors. The parents who handed over their children's teeth for research fill in questionnaires containing questions about the course of pregnancy. All teeth were sectioned in the labio-linqual plane using diamond blade (Buechler IsoMet 1000). The final specimens were observed by way of scanning electron microscopy at magnifications 80× and 320×. The thickness of total enamel (TE), prenatally (PE) and postnatally (PSE) formed enamel was measured. Children born in summer and in spring (whose first and second foetal life fall on autumn and winter) have the thinnest enamel. Season of birth, number of children in family, diseases and spasmolytic medicines using by mother during pregnancy explained almost 13% of the variability of TE. Regression analysis proved a significant influence of the season of birth and selected maternal factors on the PE thickness - these factors explained over 17% of its variability. Neither of analysed variables had influenced PSE. Our findings suggests that the thickness of enamel of deciduous incisors depends on the season of birth and some maternal factors. The differences were observed only in the prenatally formed enamel. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing Employee Learning in Small Businesses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coetzer, Alan; Perry, Martin

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify key factors influencing employee learning from the perspective of owners/managers. Design/methodology/research: Data were gathered from owners/managers in a total of 27 small manufacturing and services firms through interviews and analysed using content analytic procedures. Findings: The…

Exploring Factors That Influence Quality Literature Circles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Chase; Mohr, Kathleen A. J.

2018-01-01

Research indicates that literature circles are an authentic means for literacy development that students typically enjoy. To better understand the potential value and to add to the research base regarding literature circles, this study, involving 17 fourth graders, explores factors that may influence the quality of literature discussions,…

Influencing factors on the visibility of surface distresses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smęt, Wojciech; Skakuj, Marek

2018-05-01

A systematic and future-oriented maintenance management requires quality-assured data regarding the condition of the roadway. An important characteristic for assessing the condition of the road surface are cracks [1]. Experience has proven that the road surface temperature and residual humidity can influence the visibility of cracks. To investigate and quantify these influencing factors in more detail, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure has implemented a comprehensive research project [2], during which several measurement campaigns were carried out at different seasons and at different temperatures and humidity degrees of the road surface. The visibility of the cracks was assessed using the German approach ZTV ZEB-StB [3]. After evaluating the cracks, the data was synchronized and the network allocation of the geo-referenced raw data was realized. The relevant condition performance indicators were calculated subsequently. For each evaluation section of 100 meters length, the mean road surface temperature was calculated and, if available, the type and year of construction of the surface course was determined. The evaluated data was visualized to establish correlations between the data and the influencing factors. For the statistical analysis of the results, a total of six comparative scenarios were defined in which the influencing factors of road surface temperature and residual humidity were assessed. This paper documents the results of the research project. In order to obtain a uniform and comparable picture of the condition of the road surface over the years and thus to be able to observe the aging process of the road surface, the measurement campaigns are to be carried out under defined conditions. The research project included proposals for defining and further specifying the measurement conditions.

Attitudes, norms and controls influencing lifestyle risk factor management in general practice.

PubMed

Ampt, Amanda J; Amoroso, Cheryl; Harris, Mark F; McKenzie, Suzanne H; Rose, Vanessa K; Taggart, Jane R

2009-08-26

With increasing rates of chronic disease associated with lifestyle behavioural risk factors, there is urgent need for intervention strategies in primary health care. Currently there is a gap in the knowledge of factors that influence the delivery of preventive strategies by General Practitioners (GPs) around interventions for smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption and physical activity (SNAP). This qualitative study explores the delivery of lifestyle behavioural risk factor screening and management by GPs within a 45-49 year old health check consultation. The aims of this research are to identify the influences affecting GPs' choosing to screen and choosing to manage SNAP lifestyle risk factors, as well as identify influences on screening and management when multiple SNAP factors exist. A total of 29 audio-taped interviews were conducted with 15 GPs and one practice nurse over two stages. Transcripts from the interviews were thematically analysed, and a model of influencing factors on preventive care behaviour was developed using the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a structural framework. GPs felt that assessing smoking status was straightforward, however some found assessing alcohol intake only possible during a formal health check. Diet and physical activity were often inferred from appearance, only being assessed if the patient was overweight. The frequency and thoroughness of assessment were influenced by the GPs' personal interests and perceived congruence with their role, the level of risk to the patient, the capacity of the practice and availability of time. All GPs considered advising and educating patients part of their professional responsibility. However their attempts to motivate patients were influenced by perceptions of their own effectiveness, with smoking causing the most frustration. Active follow-up and referral of patients appeared to depend on the GPs' orientation to preventive care, the patient's motivation, and cost and accessibility of

Assessment of factors influencing hygiene behaviour among school children in Mereb-Leke District, Northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Assefa, Mulubirhan; Kumie, Abera

2014-09-26

Poor school sanitation and hygiene is a major problem in developing countries and remains high risk behaviour among primary school going children. Many outbreaks of gastrointestinal infections have been associated with primary schools. This research paper was designed to assess the factors influencing hygiene behaviour among school children. A cross sectional study was conducted in Mereb-Leke District, Tigray National Regional State among school children. The study population consisted of those who are in the second cycle as they are more mature and most senior in primary schools. A multi-stage probability sampling procedure with three stages was used to select participated schools. A total of 528 school children were randomly selected from students networking list of selected schools. Structured questionnaire and observational checklist at home and school setting were used to collect data. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS Version 17.0 after the data has been entered using Epi-Info version 3.5.3. Primarily variables that had p-value <0.2 at bivariate analysis were used to develop logistic model to identify factors influencing hygiene behaviour via crude and adjusted odds ratio. Children were grouped according to whether positive or negative hygiene behaviour outcome which permitted identifying factor affecting hygiene behaviour. Out of these, 326 (61.7%) had positive hygiene behaviour. The study found that knowledge s on water handling (AOR, 2.24; 95% CI 1.54, 3.26), hand washing (AOR, 1.70; 95% CI 1.12, 2.57) and awareness on water handling matters (AOR, 2.0; 95% CI 1.37, 2.90), hand washing practice (AOR, 2.36; 95% CI 1.62, 3.45) were significantly associated to hygiene behaviour status. Being a member of hygiene and sanitation club (COR 0.42; 95% CI 0.26, 0.68), parent's health package status (COR 0.62; 95% CI 0.43, 0.90), training on hygiene and sanitation and experience of visiting model school (COR 1.99; 95% CI 1.37, 2.88) had significance difference

Motivational factors influencing nurses to undertake postgraduate hospital-based education.

PubMed

Kinsella, Danny; Fry, Margaret; Zecchin, Alison

2018-05-01

Specialist postgraduate education improves patient health outcomes, and assists in meeting the emerging specialisation of nursing practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the motivational factors that influence nurses' engagement with hospital-based postgraduate education. The research design was descriptive and exploratory, using a survey method. The survey consisted of demographic details, the Participation Reasons Scale (PRS) and open-ended questions. Thirty-four participants (100%) completed the survey. Of the PRS extrinsic and intrinsic factors, Professional Improvement and Development (Factor 1) and Professional Service (Factor 2), both intrinsic factors, ranked the highest. Therefore, this study identified that intrinsic motivation factors influenced engagement with postgraduate specialty programs for early career nurses. These results highlight the importance of intrinsic motivation factors for a nursing workforce and how this can potentially drive behaviour and decision making. A better understanding of motivation factors across a nurse's career could lead to educational strategies that optimise postgraduate program engagement to better support healthcare delivery and a culture of lifelong learning. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Nurturing Sport Expertise: Factors Influencing the Development of Elite Athlete

PubMed Central

Baker, Joseph; Horton, Sean; Robertson-Wilson, Jennifer; Wall, Michael

2003-01-01

The development of expertise in sport is the result of successful interaction of biological, psychological, and sociological constraints. This review examines the training and environmental factors that influence the acquisition of sport expertise. Research examining the quality and quantity of training indicate that these two elements are crucial predictors of attainment. In addition, the possession of resources such as parental support and adequate coaching are essential. Social factors such as cultural influences and the relative age effect are also considered as determinants of sport expertise. Although it is evident that environmental factors are essential to the acquisition of high levels of sport development, further research is clearly required. PMID:24616603

Analysis of the influencing factors of global energy interconnection development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yi; He, Yongxiu; Ge, Sifan; Liu, Lin

2018-04-01

Under the background of building global energy interconnection and achieving green and low-carbon development, this paper grasps a new round of energy restructuring and the trend of energy technology change, based on the present situation of global and China's global energy interconnection development, established the index system of the impact of global energy interconnection development factors. A subjective and objective weight analysis of the factors affecting the development of the global energy interconnection was conducted separately by network level analysis and entropy method, and the weights are summed up by the method of additive integration, which gives the comprehensive weight of the influencing factors and the ranking of their influence.

Factors influencing cancer treatment decision-making by indigenous peoples: a systematic review.

PubMed

Tranberg, Rona; Alexander, Susan; Hatcher, Deborah; Mackey, Sandra; Shahid, Shaouli; Holden, Lynda; Kwok, Cannas

2016-02-01

We aim to systematically review studies that identify factors influencing cancer treatment decision-making among indigenous peoples. Following the outline suggested by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, a rigorous systematic review and meta-synthesis were conducted of factors that influence cancer treatment decision-making by indigenous peoples. A total of 733 articles were retrieved from eight databases and a manual search. After screening the titles and abstracts, the full text of 26 articles were critically appraised, resulting in five articles that met inclusion criteria for the review. Because the five articles to be reviewed were qualitative studies, the Critical Appraisal Skills Program toolkit was used to evaluate the methodological quality. A thematic synthesis was employed to identify common themes across the studies. Multiple socio-economic and cultural factors were identified that all had the potential to influence cancer treatment decision-making by indigenous people. These factors were distilled into four themes: spiritual beliefs, cultural influences, communication and existing healthcare systems and structures. Although existing research identified multiple factors influencing decision-making, this review identified that quality studies in this domain are scarce. There is scope for further investigation, both into decision-making factors and into the subsequent design of culturally appropriate programmes and services that meet the needs of indigenous peoples. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Hull Method for Selecting the Number of Common Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorenzo-Seva, Urbano; Timmerman, Marieke E.; Kiers, Henk A. L.

2011-01-01

A common problem in exploratory factor analysis is how many factors need to be extracted from a particular data set. We propose a new method for selecting the number of major common factors: the Hull method, which aims to find a model with an optimal balance between model fit and number of parameters. We examine the performance of the method in an…

Reported Influences on Restaurant-Type Food Selection Decision Making in a Grocery Store Chain.

PubMed

Bachman, Jessica Lynne; Arigo, Danielle

2018-06-01

To examine food decision-making priorities for restaurant-type foods at grocery stores and determine whether adding calorie information, as required by federal menu labeling laws, affected decision-making priorities. Natural experiment: intervention and control groups with baseline and follow-up. Regional grocery store chain with 9 locations. Participants (n = 393; mean age, 54.8 ± 15.1 years) were primarily women (71%) and Caucasian (95%). Data were collected before and after calorie information was added to restaurant-type foods at 4 intervention locations. Primary influencers of food selection decision making for restaurant-type foods and frequency of use of nutrition information. Quantitative analysis examined the top 3 influencers of food selections and chi-square goodness of fit test determined whether the calorie labeling intervention changed food decision-making priorities. Qualitative data were used to describe responses. Taste, cost, and convenience were the most frequently reported influencers of restaurant-type food selections; 20% of participants rated calories as influential. Calorie labeling did not affect food selection decision making; 16% of participants in intervention stores noticed calorie labels. Qualitative explanations confirmed these findings. Menu labeling laws increase access to calorie information; however, use of this information is limited. Additional interventions are needed to encourage healthier restaurant-type food selections in grocery stores. Copyright © 2018 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing Pursuit of Higher Education: Validating a Questionnaire.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Sandra M.

This paper explains the process used to validate the construct validity of the Factors Influencing Pursuit of Higher Education Questionnaire. This questionnaire is a literature-based, researcher-developed instrument which gathers information on the factors thought to affect a person's decision to pursue higher education. The questionnaire includes…

Concrete pavement mixture design and analysis (MDA) : factors influencing drying shrinkage.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

This literature review focuses on factors influencing drying shrinkage of concrete. Although the factors are normally interrelated, they : can be categorized into three groups: paste quantity, paste quality, and other factors.

An Analysis of Factors that Influence Enlistment Decisions in the U.S. Army

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California CM THESIS AN ANALYSIS OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ENLISTMENT DECISIONS IN THE U.S. ARMY by Young...TITLE AND SUBTITLE : AN ANALYSIS OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ENLISTMENT DECISIONS IN THE U.S. ARMY 6. AUTHOR(S) Oh, Young Yeol 7...200 words) The purpose of this thesis is to analyze factors that influence decisions to enlist in the U.S. Army. This thesis uses 1997 New Recruit

36 CFR 51.17 - What are the selection factors?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., without limitation, energy conservation, waste reduction, and recycling. A prospectus may exclude this... area; and (2) Any other selection factors the Director may adopt in furtherance of the purposes of this...

36 CFR 51.17 - What are the selection factors?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., without limitation, energy conservation, waste reduction, and recycling. A prospectus may exclude this... area; and (2) Any other selection factors the Director may adopt in furtherance of the purposes of this...

36 CFR 51.17 - What are the selection factors?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., without limitation, energy conservation, waste reduction, and recycling. A prospectus may exclude this... area; and (2) Any other selection factors the Director may adopt in furtherance of the purposes of this...

36 CFR 51.17 - What are the selection factors?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., without limitation, energy conservation, waste reduction, and recycling. A prospectus may exclude this... area; and (2) Any other selection factors the Director may adopt in furtherance of the purposes of this...

36 CFR 51.17 - What are the selection factors?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., without limitation, energy conservation, waste reduction, and recycling. A prospectus may exclude this... area; and (2) Any other selection factors the Director may adopt in furtherance of the purposes of this...

Factors Influencing the Selection of the Systems Integration Organizational Model Type for Planning and Implementing Government High-Technology Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Leann; Utley, Dawn

2006-01-01

While there has been extensive research in defining project organizational structures for traditional projects, little research exists to support high technology government project s organizational structure definition. High-Technology Government projects differ from traditional projects in that they are non-profit, span across Government-Industry organizations, typically require significant integration effort, and are strongly susceptible to a volatile external environment. Systems Integration implementation has been identified as a major contributor to both project success and failure. The literature research bridges program management organizational planning, systems integration, organizational theory, and independent project reports, in order to assess Systems Integration (SI) organizational structure selection for improving the high-technology government project s probability of success. This paper will describe the methodology used to 1) Identify and assess SI organizational structures and their success rate, and 2) Identify key factors to be used in the selection of these SI organizational structures during the acquisition strategy process.

Factors Influencing Food Choices of 4-H Club Members in Williamson County, Tennessee. A Research Summary of a Graduate Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geary, Virginia Ruth; And Others

A study was conducted to identify some of the eating habits and factors influencing food choices of selected junior (9 to 13 years old) and senior (14 to 19 years old) 4-H club members enrolled in Williamson County, Tennessee, in 1968. Data were collected through group interviews with 200 juniors and 70 seniors--116 boys and 154 girls.…

Cryogenics - Its influence on the selection of the ASTROMAG superconducting magnet coils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, M. A.

1990-01-01

ASTROMAG, a particle astrophysics experimental facility proposed for running alongside a Space Station, has a large superconducting magnet to analyze particles coming from deep space. Several types of magnets were investigated for use in the ASTROMAG central facility. The factors which influence the selection of the magnet coil design include: (1) the upper limit of particle momentum resolved (proportional to the integrated field) as a function of solid angle; (2)cryogenic design and its effect on cryogen lifetime for a given central facility mass; and (3) the overall cost of the magnet coils and cryostat. Four magnet types are analyzed in this paper. These include a simple two-coil solenoid (the baseline design),two disk coils at the ends of the helium tank, a two-coil toroid and a thin solenoid plus bucking coil. A balance must be struck between cryostat lifetime, total mass and the integrated field through the detectors. This balance tends to favor coils which are in the same vacuum vessel as the cryogen.

From shared care to disease management: key-influencing factors

PubMed Central

Eijkelberg, Irmgard M.J.G.; Spreeuwenberg, Cor; Mur-Veeman, Ingrid M.; Wolffenbuttel, Bruce H.R.

2001-01-01

Abstract Background In order to improve the quality of care of chronically ill patients the traditional boundaries between primary and secondary care are questioned. To demolish these boundaries so-called ‘shared care’ projects have been initiated in which different ways of substitution of care are applied. When these projects end, disease management may offer a solution to expand the achieved co-operation between primary and secondary care. Objective Answering the question: What key factors influence the development and implementation of shared care projects from a management perspective and how are they linked? Theory The theoretical framework is based on the concept of the learning organisation. Design Reference point is a multiple case study that finally becomes a single case study. Data are collected by means of triangulation. The studied cases concern two interrelated Dutch shared care projects for type 2 diabetic patients, that in the end proceed as one disease management project. Results In these cases the predominant key-influencing factors appear to be the project management, commitment and local context, respectively. The factor project management directly links the latter two, albeit managing both appear prerequisites to its success. In practice this implies managing the factors' interdependency by the application of change strategies and tactics in a committed and skilful way. Conclusion Project management, as the most important and active key factor, is advised to cope with the interrelationships of the influencing factors in a gradually more fundamental way by using strategies and tactics that enable learning processes. Then small-scale shared care projects may change into a disease management network at a large scale, which may yield the future blueprint to proceed. PMID:16896415

From shared care to disease management: key-influencing factors.

PubMed

Eijkelberg, I M; Spreeuwenberg, C; Mur-Veeman, I M; Wolffenbuttel, B H

2001-01-01

In order to improve the quality of care of chronically ill patients the traditional boundaries between primary and secondary care are questioned. To demolish these boundaries so-called 'shared care' projects have been initiated in which different ways of substitution of care are applied. When these projects end, disease management may offer a solution to expand the achieved co-operation between primary and secondary care. Answering the question: What key factors influence the development and implementation of shared care projects from a management perspective and how are they linked? The theoretical framework is based on the concept of the learning organisation. Reference point is a multiple case study that finally becomes a single case study. Data are collected by means of triangulation. The studied cases concern two interrelated Dutch shared care projects for type 2 diabetic patients, that in the end proceed as one disease management project. In these cases the predominant key-influencing factors appear to be the project management, commitment and local context, respectively. The factor project management directly links the latter two, albeit managing both appear prerequisites to its success. In practice this implies managing the factors' interdependency by the application of change strategies and tactics in a committed and skillful way. Project management, as the most important and active key factor, is advised to cope with the interrelationships of the influencing factors in a gradually more fundamental way by using strategies and tactics that enable learning processes. Then small-scale shared care projects may change into a disease management network at a large scale, which may yield the future blueprint to proceed.

Factors influencing residents' acceptance (support) of remediation technologies.

PubMed

Prior, Jason

2018-05-15

An increasing diversity of technologies are being used to remediate contaminated sites, yet there remains little understanding of the level of acceptance that residents living near these sites hold for these technologies, and what factors influence their level of acceptance. This lack of understanding hinders the remediation industry's ability to effectively engage with these residents about remediation technology selection, at a time when such engagement is become part and parcel of remediation policy and practice. The study develops on wider research into public acceptance of technologies, using data from a telephone survey of 2009 residents living near thirteen contaminated sites across Australia. Within the survey acceptance is measured through residents' level of support for the application of remediation technologies in their local area. Firstly, a regression analysis of closed-ended questions, and coding of open-ended questions are combined to identify the main predictors of residents' support for remediation technologies. Secondly, coding of open-ended questions was analysed using Crawford and Ostrom's Institutional Grammar Tool to identify norms and sanctions guiding residents' willingness to negotiate their support. The research identifies factors associated with the residents' personal and demographic characteristics, their physical context and engagement with institution during remediation processes, and the technologies themselves which predict residents' level of support for the application of remediation technologies. Bioremediation technologies had higher levels of support than chemical, thermal and physical technologies. Furthermore, the paper identifies a core set of norms and sanctions residents use to negotiate their level of support for remediation technologies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Auditory development in early amplified children: factors influencing auditory-based communication outcomes in children with hearing loss.

PubMed

Sininger, Yvonne S; Grimes, Alison; Christensen, Elizabeth

2010-04-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected predictive factors, primarily age at fitting of amplification and degree of hearing loss, on auditory-based outcomes in young children with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Forty-four infants and toddlers, first identified with mild to profound bilateral hearing loss, who were being fitted with amplification were enrolled in the study and followed longitudinally. Subjects were otherwise typically developing with no evidence of cognitive, motor, or visual impairment. A variety of subject factors were measured or documented and used as predictor variables, including age at fitting of amplification, degree of hearing loss in the better hearing ear, cochlear implant status, intensity of oral education, parent-child interaction, and the number of languages spoken in the home. These factors were used in a linear multiple regression analysis to assess their contribution to auditory-based communication outcomes. Five outcome measures, evaluated at regular intervals in children starting at age 3, included measures of speech perception (Pediatric Speech Intelligibility and Online Imitative Test of Speech Pattern Contrast Perception), speech production (Arizona-3), and spoken language (Reynell Expressive and Receptive Language). The age at fitting of amplification ranged from 1 to 72 mo, and the degree of hearing loss ranged from mild to profound. Age at fitting of amplification showed the largest influence and was a significant factor in all outcome models. The degree of hearing loss was an important factor in the modeling of speech production and spoken language outcomes. Cochlear implant use was the other factor that contributed significantly to speech perception, speech production, and language outcomes. Other factors contributed sparsely to the models. Prospective longitudinal studies of children are important to establish relationships between subject factors and outcomes. This study clearly

Critical factors and paths influencing construction workers' safety risk tolerances.

PubMed

Wang, Jiayuan; Zou, Patrick X W; Li, Penny P

2016-08-01

While workers' safety risk tolerances have been regarded as a main reason for their unsafe behaviors, little is known about why different people have different risk tolerances even when confronting the same situation. The aim of this research is to identify the critical factors and paths that influence workers' safety risk tolerance and to explore how they contribute to accident causal model from a system thinking perceptive. A number of methods were carried out to analyze the data collected through interviews and questionnaire surveys. In the first and second steps of the research, factor identification, factor ranking and factor analysis were carried out, and the results show that workers' safety risk tolerance can be influenced by four groups of factors, namely: (1) personal subjective perception; (2) work knowledge and experiences; (3) work characteristics; and (4) safety management. In the third step of the research, hypothetical influencing path model was developed and tested by using structural equation modeling (SEM). It is found that the effects of external factors (safety management and work characteristics) on risk tolerance are larger than that of internal factors (personal subjective perception and work knowledge & experiences). Specifically, safety management contributes the most to workers' safety risk tolerance through its direct effect and indirect effect; while personal subjective perception comes the second and can act as an intermedia for work characteristics. This research provides an in-depth insight of workers' unsafe behaviors by depicting the contributing factors as shown in the accident causal model developed in this research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prediction and Informative Risk Factor Selection of Bone Diseases.

PubMed

Li, Hui; Li, Xiaoyi; Ramanathan, Murali; Zhang, Aidong

2015-01-01

With the booming of healthcare industry and the overwhelming amount of electronic health records (EHRs) shared by healthcare institutions and practitioners, we take advantage of EHR data to develop an effective disease risk management model that not only models the progression of the disease, but also predicts the risk of the disease for early disease control or prevention. Existing models for answering these questions usually fall into two categories: the expert knowledge based model or the handcrafted feature set based model. To fully utilize the whole EHR data, we will build a framework to construct an integrated representation of features from all available risk factors in the EHR data and use these integrated features to effectively predict osteoporosis and bone fractures. We will also develop a framework for informative risk factor selection of bone diseases. A pair of models for two contrast cohorts (e.g., diseased patients versus non-diseased patients) will be established to discriminate their characteristics and find the most informative risk factors. Several empirical results on a real bone disease data set show that the proposed framework can successfully predict bone diseases and select informative risk factors that are beneficial and useful to guide clinical decisions.

The CogBIAS longitudinal study protocol: cognitive and genetic factors influencing psychological functioning in adolescence.

PubMed

Booth, Charlotte; Songco, Annabel; Parsons, Sam; Heathcote, Lauren; Vincent, John; Keers, Robert; Fox, Elaine

2017-12-29

Optimal psychological development is dependent upon a complex interplay between individual and situational factors. Investigating the development of these factors in adolescence will help to improve understanding of emotional vulnerability and resilience. The CogBIAS longitudinal study (CogBIAS-L-S) aims to combine cognitive and genetic approaches to investigate risk and protective factors associated with the development of mood and impulsivity-related outcomes in an adolescent sample. CogBIAS-L-S is a three-wave longitudinal study of typically developing adolescents conducted over 4 years, with data collection at age 12, 14 and 16. At each wave participants will undergo multiple assessments including a range of selective cognitive processing tasks (e.g. attention bias, interpretation bias, memory bias) and psychological self-report measures (e.g. anxiety, depression, resilience). Saliva samples will also be collected at the baseline assessment for genetic analyses. Multilevel statistical analyses will be performed to investigate the developmental trajectory of cognitive biases on psychological functioning, as well as the influence of genetic moderation on these relationships. CogBIAS-L-S represents the first longitudinal study to assess multiple cognitive biases across adolescent development and the largest study of its kind to collect genetic data. It therefore provides a unique opportunity to understand how genes and the environment influence the development and maintenance of cognitive biases and provide insight into risk and protective factors that may be key targets for intervention.

Clinico-pathological factors influencing surgical outcome in drug resistant epilepsy secondary to mesial temporal sclerosis.

PubMed

Savitr Sastri, B V; Arivazhagan, A; Sinha, Sanjib; Mahadevan, Anita; Bharath, R D; Saini, J; Jamuna, R; Kumar, J Keshav; Rao, S L; Chandramouli, B A; Shankar, S K; Satishchandra, P

2014-05-15

Mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) is the most common cause of drug resistant epilepsy amenable for surgical treatment and seizure control. This study analyzed the outcome of patients with MTS following anterior temporal lobectomy and amygdalohippocampectomy (ATL-AH) over 10 years and correlated the electrophysiological and radiological factors with the post operative seizure outcome. Eighty seven patients were included in the study. Sixty seven (77.2%) patients had an Engel Class 1 outcome, 9 (11.4%) had Class 2 outcome. Engel's class 1 outcome was achieved in 89.9% at 1 year, while it reduced slightly to 81.9% at 2 years and 76.2% at 5 year follow up. Seventy seven (88.5%) patients had evidence of hippocampal sclerosis on histopathology. Dual pathology was observed in 19 of 77 specimens with hippocampal sclerosis, but did not influence the outcome. Factors associated with an unfavorable outcome included male gender (p=0.04), and a higher frequency of pre-operative seizures (p=0.005), whereas the presence of febrile seizures (p=0.048) and loss of hippocampal neurons in CA4 region on histopathology (p=0.040) were associated with favorable outcome. The effect of CA4 loss on outcome is probably influenced by neuronal loss in other subfields as well since isolated CA4 loss was rare. Abnormal post operative EEG at the end of 1 week was found to be a significant factor predicting unfavorable outcome (p=0.005). On multivariate analysis, the pre-operative seizure frequency was the only significant factor affecting outcome. The present study observed excellent seizure free outcome in a carefully selected cohort of patients with MTS with refractory epilepsy. The presence of dual pathology did not influence the outcome. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A qualitative study of the factors that influence mothers when choosing drinks for their young children

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The consumption of sweetened beverages is a known common risk factor for the development of obesity and dental caries in children and children consume sweet drinks frequently and in large volumes from an early age. The aim of this study was to examine factors that influence mothers when choosing drinks for their children. Method Semi-structured interviews (n = 32) were conducted with a purposive sample of mothers of young children from Victoria’s Barwon South Western Region (selected from a larger cohort study to include families consuming different types of water, and different socioeconomic status and size). Inductive thematic analysis was conducted on transcribed interviews. Results Several themes emerged as influencing child drink choice. Child age: Water was the main beverage for the youngest child however it was seen as more acceptable to give older children sweetened beverages. Child preference and temperament: influencing when and if sweet drinks were given; Family influences such as grandparents increased children’s consumption of sweet drinks, often providing children drinks such as fruit juice and soft drinks regardless of maternal disapproval. The Setting: children were more likely to be offered sweetened drinks either as a reward or treat for good behaviour or when out shopping, out for dinner or at parties. Conclusions Limiting intake of sweet drinks is considered an important step for child general and oral health. However, the choice of drinks for children has influences from social, environmental and behavioural domains, indicating that a multi-strategy approach is required to bring about this change. PMID:24997015

Factors influencing behavior in the forced swim test

PubMed Central

Bogdanova, Olena V.; Kanekar, Shami; D’Anci, Kristen E.; Renshaw, Perry F.

2017-01-01

The forced swim test (FST) is a behavioral test in rodents which was developed in 1978 by Porsolt and colleagues as a model for predicting the clinical efficacy of antidepressant drugs. A modified version of the FST added the classification of active behaviors into swimming and climbing, in order to facilitate the differentiation between serotonergic and noradrenergic classes of antidepressant drugs. The FST is now widely used in basic research and the pharmaceutical screening of potential antidepressant treatments. It is also one of the most commonly used tests to assess depressive-like behavior in animal models. Despite the simplicity and sensitivity of the FST procedure, important differences even in baseline immobility rates have been reported between different groups, which complicate the comparison of results across studies. In spite of several methodological papers and reviews published on the FST, the need still exists for clarification of factors which can influence the procedure. While most recent reviews have focused on antidepressant effects observed with the FST, this one considers the methodological aspects of the procedure, aiming to summarize issues beyond antidepressant action in the FST. The previously published literature is analyzed for factors which are known to influence animal behavior in the FST. These include biological factors, such as strain, age, body weight, gender and individual differences between animals; influence of preconditioning before the FST: handling, social isolation or enriched environment, food manipulations, various kinds of stress, endocrine manipulations and surgery; schedule and routes of treatment, dosage and type of the drugs as well as experimental design and laboratory environmental effects. Consideration of these factors in planning experiments may result in more consistent FST results. PMID:23685235

The good, the bad, and the timely: how temporal order and moral judgment influence causal selection

PubMed Central

Reuter, Kevin; Kirfel, Lara; van Riel, Raphael; Barlassina, Luca

2014-01-01

Causal selection is the cognitive process through which one or more elements in a complex causal structure are singled out as actual causes of a certain effect. In this paper, we report on an experiment in which we investigated the role of moral and temporal factors in causal selection. Our results are as follows. First, when presented with a temporal chain in which two human agents perform the same action one after the other, subjects tend to judge the later agent to be the actual cause. Second, the impact of temporal location on causal selection is almost canceled out if the later agent did not violate a norm while the former did. We argue that this is due to the impact that judgments of norm violation have on causal selection—even if the violated norm has nothing to do with the obtaining effect. Third, moral judgments about the effect influence causal selection even in the case in which agents could not have foreseen the effect and did not intend to bring it about. We discuss our findings in connection to recent theories of the role of moral judgment in causal reasoning, on the one hand, and to probabilistic models of temporal location, on the other. PMID:25477851

Motivating Factors Influencing College Students' Choice of Academic Major

PubMed Central

Brocavich, Joseph M.; Boone, R. Thomas; Pal, Somnath

2010-01-01

Objectives To assess the factors, motivations, and nonacademic influences that affected the choice of major among pharmacy and nonpharmacy undergraduate students. Methods A survey was administered to 618 pharmacy and nonpharmacy majors to assess background and motivational factors that may have influenced their choice of major. The sample consisted of freshman and sophomore students enrolled in a required speech course. Results African-American and Hispanic students were less likely to choose pharmacy as a major than Caucasians, whereas Asian-Americans were more likely to choose pharmacy as a major. Pharmacy students were more likely to be interested in science and math than nonpharmacy students. Conclusion Students' self-reported racial/ethnic backgrounds influence their decision of whether to choose pharmacy as their academic major. Results of this survey provide further insight into developing effective recruiting strategies and enhancing the marketing efforts of academic institutions. PMID:20498739

Factors influencing tinnitus loudness and annoyance.

PubMed

Hiller, Wolfgang; Goebel, Gerhard

2006-12-01

To evaluate the 2 major components of tinnitus severity, loudness and annoyance, and their degree of dependence on characteristics of tinnitus manifestation, history, and etiology. Cross-sectional survey performed during the first months of 2004. Nonclinical population. A total of 4995 members of the German Tinnitus League. Comprehensive screening questionnaire, including the Klockhoff and Lindblom loudness grading system and the miniversion of the Tinnitus Questionnaire. A moderate correlation of 0.45 was found between tinnitus loudness and annoyance. Both factors were generally higher in men, those older than 50 years, those with binaural and centrally perceived tinnitus, those with increased noise sensitivity, and those who had continuous tinnitus without interruptions. Tinnitus that lasted 12 months or less had a stronger influence on annoyance (odds ratio [OR], 1.96) than on loudness (OR, 0.45), whereas the contrary was found for tinnitus of more than 5 years' duration (ORs, 0.72 and 2.11, respectively). Loudness and annoyance were increased in subjects with coexisting hearing loss, vertigo, and hyperacusis. The impact of hyperacusis on annoyance was clearly stronger than on loudness (ORs, 21.91 vs 9.47). Several clinical factors of tinnitus influence perceived loudness and annoyance. Both are distinguishable components of tinnitus severity.

Factors influencing job satisfaction of new graduate nurses participating in nurse residency programs: a systematic review.

PubMed

Lin, Patrice S; Viscardi, Molly Kreider; McHugh, Matthew D

2014-10-01

Nurse residency programs are designed to increase competence and skill, and ease the transition from student to new graduate nurse. These programs also offer the possibility to positively influence the job satisfaction of new graduate nurses, which could decrease poor nursing outcomes. However, little is known about the impact of participation in a nurse residency program on new graduate nurses' satisfaction. This review examines factors that influence job satisfaction of nurse residency program participants. Eleven studies were selected for inclusion, and seven domains influencing new graduate nurses' satisfaction during participation in nurse residency programs were identified: extrinsic rewards, scheduling, interactions and support, praise and recognition, professional opportunities, work environment, and hospital system. Within these domains, the evidence for improved satisfaction with nurse residency program participation was mixed. Further research is necessary to understand how nurse residency programs can be designed to improve satisfaction and increase positive nurse outcomes. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

29 CFR 98.860 - What factors may influence the debarring official's decision?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... your present responsibility. In making a debarment decision, the debarring official may consider the... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true What factors may influence the debarring official's decision... (NONPROCUREMENT) Debarment § 98.860 What factors may influence the debarring official's decision? This section...

Influence of selected physicochemical parameters on microbiological activity of mucks.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Całka, A.; Sokołowska, Z.; Warchulska, P.; Dąbek-Szreniawska, M.

2009-04-01

One of the basic factor decided about soil fertility are microorganisms that together with flora, determine trend and character of biochemical processes as well totality of fundamental transformations connected with biogeochemistry and physicochemical properties of soil. Determination of general bacteria number, quantity of selected groups of microorganisms and investigation of respiration intensity let estimate microbiological activity of soil. Intensity of microbiological processes is directly connected with physicochemical soil parameters. In that case, such structural parameters as bulk density, porosity, surface or carbon content play significant role. Microbiological activity also changes within the bounds of mucks with different stage of humification and secondary transformation. Knowledge of relations between structural properties, microorganism activity and degree of transformation and humification can lead to better understanding microbiological processes as well enable to estimate microbiological activity at given physicochemical conditions and at progressing process of soil transformation. The study was carried out on two peaty-moorsh (muck) soils at different state of secondary transformation and humification degree. Soil samples were collected from Polesie Lubelskie (layer depth: 5 - 25 cm). Investigated mucks originated from soils formed from low peatbogs. Soil sample marked as I belonged to muck group weakly secondary transformed. Second sample (II) represented soil group with middle stage of secondary transformation. The main purpose of the research was to examine the relations between some physicochemical and surface properties and their biological activity. Total number and respiration activity of microorganisms were determined. The effectiveness of utilizing the carbon substances from the soil by the bacteria increased simultaneously with the transformation state of the peat-muck soils. Quantity of organic carbon decreased distinctly in the soil

Soil and plant factors influencing the accumulation of heavy metals by plants.

PubMed Central

Cataldo, D A; Wildung, R E

1978-01-01

The use of plants to monitor heavy metal pollution in the terrestrial environment must be based on a cognizance of the complicated, integrated effects of pollutant source and soil-plant variables. To be detectable in plants, pollutant sources must significantly increase the plant available metal concentration in soil. The major factor governing metal availability to plants in soils is the solubility of the metal associated with the solid phase, since in order for root uptake to occur, a soluble species must exist adjacent to the root membrane for some finite period. The rate of release and form of this soluble species will have a strong influence on the rate and extent of uptake and, perhaps, mobility and toxicity in the plant and consuming animals. The factors influencing solubility and form of available metal species in soil vary widely geographically and include the concentration and chemical form of the element entering soil, soil properties (endogenous metal concentration, mineralogy, particle size distribution), and soil processes (e.g., mineral weathering, microbial activity), as these influence the kinetics of sorption reactions, metal concentration in solution and the form of soluble and insoluble chemical species. The plant root represents the first barrier to the selective accumulation of ions present in soil solution. Uptake and kinetic data for nutrient ions and chemically related nonnutrient analogs suggest that metabolic processes associated with root absorption of nutrients regulate both the affinity and rate of absorption of specific nonnutrient ions. Detailed kinetic studies of Ni, Cd, and Tl uptake by intact plants demonstrate multiphasic root absorption processes over a broad concentration range, and the use of transport mechanisms in place for the nutrient ions Cu, Zn, and K. Advantages and limitations of higher plants as indicators of increased levels of metal pollution are discussed in terms of these soil and plant phenomena. PMID:367766

Factors influencing the decision of surgery residency graduates to pursue general surgery practice versus fellowship.

PubMed

Klingensmith, Mary E; Cogbill, Thomas H; Luchette, Frederick; Biester, Thomas; Samonte, Kelli; Jones, Andrew; Lewis, Frank R; Malangoni, Mark A

2015-09-01

Surgery residency serves 2 purposes-prepare graduates for general surgery (GS) practice or postresidency surgical fellowship, leading to specialty surgical practice (SS). This study was undertaken to elucidate factors influencing career choice for these 2 groups. All US allopathic surgery residency graduates from 2009 to 2013 (n = 5512) were surveyed by the American Board of Surgery regarding confidence, autonomy, and reasons for career selection between GS and SS. Surveys were distributed by mail in November 2013, with follow-up mailings to initial nonrespondents. Sixty-one percent (3354) of graduates completed the survey; 26% pursued GS, and 74% SS. GS expressed greater levels of confidence than SS across the common surgical procedures queried. Confidence increased with each year after completion of residency for GS but not SS. The decision to pursue GS or SS was made during residency by 77% and 74%, respectively. Fifty-seven percent of those who chose GS indicated that a GS mentor significantly influenced their decision. GS rated procedural variety, opportunity for practice autonomy, choice of practice location, and influence of a mentor as reasons to pursue GS practice. SS listed control over scope of practice, prestige, salary, and specialty interest as reasons to pursue SF. Both groups expressed a high degree of satisfaction with their career choice (GS, 94%; SS, 90%). Most graduates who pursue GS practice are confident and content. The decision to pursue GS is strongly influenced by a GS mentor. Lack of confidence may be a more significant factor for choosing SS. These findings suggest opportunities for improvements in confidence and mentorship during residency.

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis.

PubMed

Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R H; van der Lans, Ivo A; Frewer, Lynn J

2012-05-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11051-012-0857-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cassava as an energy source: a selected bibliography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sherman, C.

1980-01-01

This selected bibliography includes 250 articles on cassava as a potential energy source. Factors included are things which influence cassava growth; such as weeding, fertilizer, diseases and genetic selection, as well as the conversion of cassava to ethanol. (DP)

Influence of selected factors on browning of Camembert cheese.

PubMed

Carreira, Alexandra; Dillinger, Klaus; Eliskases-Lechner, Frieda; Loureiro, Virgílio; Ginzinger, Wolfgang; Rohm, Harald

2002-05-01

Experimental Camembert cheeses were made to investigate the effects on browning of the following factors: inoculation with Yarrowia lipolytica, the use of Penicillium candidum strains with different proteolytic activity, the addition of tyrosine, and the addition of Mn2+ thus leading to 16 different variants of cheese. Two physical colour parameters were used to describe browning, depending on the location in the cheeses: a whiteness index for the outside browning (mould mycelium), and a brownness index for the inside browning (surface of the cheese body). Mn2+ promoted a significant increase of browning at both locations, whereas Yar. lipolytica had the opposite effect. Outside browning was significantly more intense when using the Pen. candidum strain with higher proteolytic activity. A significant interaction was found between Yar. lipolytica and Pen. candidum. The yeast had no effect in combination with a low proteolytic strain of Pen. candidum, but significantly reduced proteolysis and browning in combination with a high proteolytic strain of Pen. candidum. We further confirmed that both strains of Pen. candidum were able to produce brown pigments from tyrosine and thus both are presumably responsible for the browning activity in this type of cheese.

Factors influencing the pathways in response to complaints.

PubMed

Hsieh, Sophie Yahui

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore hospital staff response to patient complaints and the factors influencing the response pathway. The paper uses an exploratory study in a large Taiwanese hospital purposefully chosen as a case study site. The critical incident technique (CIT) is implemented, using a questionnaire along with non-participant observations in which the results have been triangulated. A total of 59 cases were collected. The study found when facing "humaneness" complaints, hospital staff attempted to investigate the event and then explain the facts to the complainant or empathise with him/her and then refer the problem to the relevant unit. In response to complaints combining "communication" and "care/treatment and humaneness", staff tended to investigate the event's details and then directly explain them to the complainant. When complaints involved "care/treatment", staff tended to empathise with the complainant, investigate the facts and explain them to the complainant. Additionally, the organisational response to complaints was influenced by who made complaints; its type, severity, complaining method and patient status. The literature revealed that the case study is the most common organisational study method. However, this approach is criticised for not offering findings that can be generalised. Complaint nature is the major factor influencing the response pathway. If healthcare managers intend to reduce complaint rates then they need to carefully classify the complaint's nature. Different complaints have different handling procedures and guidelines to help managers resolve complaints in the first place. There are extensive studies focusing on investigating complaints and their resolution. These studies tend not to demonstrate various means of handling patient complaints. Neither do they describe how different complaints might lead to different outcomes. Therefore, this paper explores hospital staff response to patient complaints and the factors

Structural Deterministic Safety Factors Selection Criteria and Verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verderaime, V.

1992-01-01

Though current deterministic safety factors are arbitrarily and unaccountably specified, its ratio is rooted in resistive and applied stress probability distributions. This study approached the deterministic method from a probabilistic concept leading to a more systematic and coherent philosophy and criterion for designing more uniform and reliable high-performance structures. The deterministic method was noted to consist of three safety factors: a standard deviation multiplier of the applied stress distribution; a K-factor for the A- or B-basis material ultimate stress; and the conventional safety factor to ensure that the applied stress does not operate in the inelastic zone of metallic materials. The conventional safety factor is specifically defined as the ratio of ultimate-to-yield stresses. A deterministic safety index of the combined safety factors was derived from which the corresponding reliability proved the deterministic method is not reliability sensitive. The bases for selecting safety factors are presented and verification requirements are discussed. The suggested deterministic approach is applicable to all NASA, DOD, and commercial high-performance structures under static stresses.

Systematic mapping review of the factors influencing dietary behaviour in ethnic minority groups living in Europe: a DEDIPAC study.

PubMed

Osei-Kwasi, Hibbah Araba; Nicolaou, Mary; Powell, Katie; Terragni, Laura; Maes, Lea; Stronks, Karien; Lien, Nanna; Holdsworth, Michelle

2016-07-28

Europe has a growing population of ethnic minority groups whose dietary behaviours are potentially of public health concern. To promote healthier diets, the factors driving dietary behaviours need to be understood. This review mapped the broad range of factors influencing dietary behaviour among ethnic minority groups living in Europe, in order to identify research gaps in the literature to guide future research. A systematic mapping review was conducted (protocol registered with PROSPERO 2014: CRD42014013549). Nine databases were searched for quantitative and qualitative primary research published between 1999 and 2014. Ethnic minority groups were defined as immigrants/populations of immigrant background from low and middle income countries, population groups from former Eastern Bloc countries and minority indigenous populations. In synthesizing the findings, all factors were sorted and structured into emerging clusters according to how they were seen to relate to each other. Thirty-seven of 2965 studies met the inclusion criteria (n = 18 quantitative; n = 19 qualitative). Most studies were conducted in Northern Europe and were limited to specific European countries, and focused on a selected number of ethnic minority groups, predominantly among populations of South Asian origin. The 63 factors influencing dietary behaviour that emerged were sorted into seven clusters: social and cultural environment (16 factors), food beliefs and perceptions (11 factors), psychosocial (9 factors), social and material resources (5 factors), accessibility of food (10 factors), migration context (7 factors), and the body (5 factors). This review identified a broad range of factors and clusters influencing dietary behaviour among ethnic minority groups. Gaps in the literature identified a need for researchers to explore the underlying mechanisms that shape dietary behaviours, which can be gleaned from more holistic, systems-based studies exploring relationships between

Organizational factors influencing successful primary care and public health collaboration.

PubMed

Valaitis, Ruta; Meagher-Stewart, Donna; Martin-Misener, Ruth; Wong, Sabrina T; MacDonald, Marjorie; O'Mara, Linda

2018-06-07

Public health and primary care are distinct sectors within western health care systems. Within each sector, work is carried out in the context of organizations, for example, public health units and primary care clinics. Building on a scoping literature review, our study aimed to identify the influencing factors within these organizations that affect the ability of these health care sectors to collaborate with one another in the Canadian context. Relationships between these factors were also explored. We conducted an interpretive descriptive qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 74 key informants from three provinces, one each in western, central and eastern Canada, and others representing national organizations, government, or associations. The sample included policy makers, managers, and direct service providers in public health and primary care. Seven major organizational influencing factors on collaboration were identified: 1) Clear Mandates, Vision, and Goals; 2) Strategic Coordination and Communication Mechanisms between Partners; 3) Formal Organizational Leaders as Collaborative Champions; 4) Collaborative Organizational Culture; 5) Optimal Use of Resources; 6) Optimal Use of Human Resources; and 7) Collaborative Approaches to Programs and Services Delivery. While each influencing factor was distinct, the many interactions among these influences are indicative of the complex nature of public health and primary care collaboration. These results can be useful for those working to set up new or maintain existing collaborations with public health and primary care which may or may not include other organizations.

Friendship selection and influence in bullying and defending: effects of moral disengagement.

PubMed

Sijtsema, Jelle J; Rambaran, J Ashwin; Caravita, Simona C S; Gini, Gianluca

2014-08-01

The current study examined the development of bullying and defending over a 1-year period as related to friends' influence and individual and friends' moral disengagement (i.e., self-justification mechanisms that allow one to avoid moral self-censure of transgressive actions) in children and young adolescents. Via longitudinal social network analysis (RSiena), it was tested whether similarity between friends in bullying and defending developed over time due to friends' influence, while controlling for friendship selection processes, and whether there were differences in these processes between children (age 9-10 years; n = 133; 42.9% girls) and young adolescents (age 11-14 years; n = 236; 40.6% girls). Results showed that individuals selected peers as friends who were similar in bullying and became more similar to friends in bullying over time, but only in early adolescence. Moreover, there was marginal support that friends' influence was stronger in young adolescents with higher moral disengagement. In early adolescence, bullying was also indirectly influenced through friends' moral disengagement, with different effects for boys and girls. With regard to defending, young adolescents maintained friendships with peers who were similar in defending, and became more similar to friends in terms of defending over time. These findings suggest important differences between late childhood and early adolescence in socialization processes and indicate that in early adolescence, friends' influence on the development of bullying is partially affected by moral disengagement. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Finite element techniques applied to cracks interacting with selected singularities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conway, J. C.

1975-01-01

The finite-element method for computing the extensional stress-intensity factor for cracks approaching selected singularities of varied geometry is described. Stress-intensity factors are generated using both displacement and J-integral techniques, and numerical results are compared to those obtained experimentally in a photoelastic investigation. The selected singularities considered are a colinear crack, a circular penetration, and a notched circular penetration. Results indicate that singularities greatly influence the crack-tip stress-intensity factor as the crack approaches the singularity. In addition, the degree of influence can be regulated by varying the overall geometry of the singularity. Local changes in singularity geometry have little effect on the stress-intensity factor for the cases investigated.

Research on Influencing Factors of Salespeople's Empowerment Readiness in Green Energy Enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Yuan; Liu, Xiaohui

As market competition in green energy enterprises continues to intensify, marketing activities are enlarging and customer demand is increasingly growing and diversifying. More and more green energy enterprises have empowered their own salespeople. And managers in green energy enterprises are more concerned with the issues which employees suit to be empowered and which factors will influence employee empowerment readiness. This paper proposes the definition of salespeople's empowerment readiness, analyzes influencing factors of salespeople's empowerment readiness, discusses the effect mechanism of influencing factors of salespeople's empowerment readiness, finally, and puts forward some suggestions to enhance salespeople's empowerment readiness from the perspective of human resource management practice.

Factors Which Influence The Fish Purchasing Decision: A study on Traditional Market in Riau Mainland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siswati, Latifa; Putri, Asgami

2018-05-01

The purposes of the research are to analyze and assess the factors which influence fish purchasing by the community at Tenayan Raya district Pekanbaru.Research methodology which used is survey method, especially interview and observation technique or direct supervision on the market which located at Tenayan Raya district. Determination technique of sampling location/region is done by purposive sampling. The sampling method is done by accidental sampling. Technique analysis of factors which used using the data that derived from the respondent opinion to various fish variable. The result of this research are the factors which influence fish purchasing decision done in a traditional market which located at Tenayan Raya district are product factor, price factors, social factor and individual factor. Product factor which influences fish purchasing decision as follows: the eyelets condition, the nutrition of fresh fish, the diversity of sold fish. Price factors influence the fish purchasing decision, such as: the price of fresh fish, the convincing price and the suitability price and benefits of the fresh fish. Individual factors which influence a fish purchasing decision, such as education and income levels. Social factors which influence a fish purchasing decision, such as family, colleagues and feeding habits of fish.

Factors influencing job satisfaction in post-transition economies: the case of the Czech Republic.

PubMed

Čábelková, Inna; Abrhám, Josef; Strielkowski, Wadim

2015-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of factors influencing job satisfaction in post-transition economies on the example of the Czech Republic. Our research shows that women reported higher levels of job satisfaction compared to men. Education proved to be statistically significant in one of three indicators of job satisfaction. Personal income and workplace relationships proved to be positively and significantly related to all the three indicators of job satisfaction. Most of the occupational dummies were significantly related to two out of three indicators of job satisfaction. In addition, we found that Czech entrepreneurs enjoy and value their job, which indicates strong self-selection for doing business in post-transition economies. However, human capital expressed by the level of education was significant factor for job satisfaction, meaning that well-educated people might not be satisfied with their jobs or feel that their education and experience are wasted in the market economy.

Factors Influencing Student Selection of Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hertlein, Katherine M.; Lambert-Shute, Jennifer

2007-01-01

To understand which factors students consider most important in choosing a marriage and family therapy (MFT) graduate program and how programs met or did not meet these expectations of students over the course of graduate study, we conducted an online mixed-method investigation. One hundred twelve graduate students in Commission on Accreditation…

Factors Influencing Dietary Fat Intake among Black Emerging Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horton, Shalonda E. B.; Timmerman, Gayle M.; Brown, Adama

2018-01-01

Objective: To determine what factors influenced dietary fat intake (DFI) among black emerging adults. Participants: Sample included 251 black emerging adults, ages 18-25 years, living in the US. Methods: This was a nonexperimental cross-sectional study based on self-report data. Results: The sample had high DFI. Factors related to DFI were gender…

Factors influencing exacerbation-related self-management in patients with COPD: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Korpershoek, Yjg; Vervoort, Scjm; Nijssen, Lit; Trappenburg, Jca; Schuurmans, M J

2016-01-01

In patients with COPD, self-management skills are important to reduce the impact of exacerbations. However, both detection and adequate response to exacerbations appear to be difficult for some patients. Little is known about the underlying process of exacerbation-related self-management. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify and explain the underlying process of exacerbation-related self-management behavior. A qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews was performed according to the grounded theory approach, following a cyclic process in which data collection and data analysis alternated. Fifteen patients (male n=8; age range 59-88 years) with mild to very severe COPD were recruited from primary and secondary care settings in the Netherlands, in 2015. Several patterns in exacerbation-related self-management behavior were identified, and a conceptual model describing factors influencing exacerbation-related self-management was developed. Acceptance, knowledge, experiences with exacerbations, perceived severity of symptoms and social support were important factors influencing exacerbation-related self-management. Specific factors influencing recognition of exacerbations were heterogeneity of exacerbations and habituation to symptoms. Feelings of fear, perceived influence on exacerbation course, patient beliefs, ambivalence toward treatment, trust in health care providers and self-empowerment were identified as specific factors influencing self-management actions. This study provided insight into factors influencing exacerbation-related self-management behavior in COPD patients. The conceptual model can be used as a framework for health care professionals providing self-management support. In the development of future self-management interventions, factors influencing the process of exacerbation-related self-management should be taken into account.

Major factors influencing breastfeeding rates: Mother's perception of father's attitude and milk supply.

PubMed

Arora, S; McJunkin, C; Wehrer, J; Kuhn, P

2000-11-01

To determine factors influencing feeding decisions, breastfeeding and/or bottle initiation rates, as well as breastfeeding duration. A family medicine practice of a 530-bed community-based hospital in northwestern Pennsylvania. All mothers whose infants received well-child care from birth to 1 year of age. A survey of 28 simple questions was developed and mailed to 245 mothers. The survey assessed: 1) demographics, 2) prenatal and postnatal care, 3) sources of breastfeeding information, 4) timing of decision, 5) preference, 6) type of feeding selected, 7) duration of breastfeeding, 8) factors influencing decisions to breastfeed and/or to bottle-feed, and 9) factors that would have encouraged bottle-feeding mothers to breastfeed. The breastfeeding initiation rate was 44.3%. By the time the infant was 6 months old, only 13% of these were still breastfeeding. The decision to breastfeed or to bottle-feed was most often made before pregnancy or during the first trimester. The most common reasons mothers chose breastfeeding included: 1) benefits the infant's health, 2) naturalness, and 3) emotional bonding with the infant. The most common reasons bottle-feeding was chosen included: 1) mother's perception of father's attitude, 2) uncertainty regarding the quantity of breast milk, and 3) return to work. By self-report, factors that would have encouraged bottle-feeding mothers to breastfeed included: 1) more information in prenatal class; 2) more information from TV, magazines, and books; and 3) family support. To overcome obstacles, issues surrounding perceived barriers, such as father's attitude, quantity of milk, and time constraints, need to be discussed with each parent. To achieve the goal of 75% of breastfeeding mothers, extensive education regarding the benefits must be provided for both parents and optimally the grandmother by physicians, nurses, and the media before pregnancy or within the first trimester.

Factors Influencing Adjustment to Late-Life Divorce.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Keren Brown; DeShane, Michael R.

Although the rate of divorce among older Americans has increased steadily, little attention has been paid to late life divorce. To describe the role of age and other factors which might influence adjustment to divorce in later life, data from a larger pilot study were used: 81 divorced persons over the age of 60 completed in-depth, structured…

The influence of natural factors on the spatio-temporal distribution of Oncomelania hupensis.

PubMed

Cheng, Gong; Li, Dan; Zhuang, Dafang; Wang, Yong

2016-12-01

We analyzed the influence of natural factors, such as temperature, rainfall, vegetation and hydrology, on the spatio-temporal distribution of Oncomelania hupensis and explored the leading factors influencing these parameters. The results will provide reference methods and theoretical a basis for the schistosomiasis control. GIS (Geographic Information System) spatial display and analysis were used to describe the spatio-temporal distribution of Oncomelania hupensis in the study area (Dongting Lake in Hunan Province) from 2004 to 2011. Correlation analysis was used to detect the natural factors associated with the spatio-temporal distribution of O. hupensis. Spatial regression analysis was used to quantitatively analyze the effects of related natural factors on the spatio-temporal distribution of snails and explore the dominant factors influencing this parameter. (1) Overall, the spatio-temporal distribution of O. hupensis was governed by the comprehensive effects of natural factors. In the study area, the average density of living snails showed a downward trend, with the exception of a slight rebound in 2009. The density of living snails showed significant spatial clustering, and the degree of aggregation was initially weak but enhanced later. Regions with high snail density and towns with an HH distribution pattern were mostly distributed in the plain areas in the northwestern and inlet and outlet of the lake. (2) There were space-time differences in the influence of natural factors on the spatio-temporal distribution of O. hupensis. Temporally, the comprehensive influence of natural factors on snail distribution increased first and then decreased. Natural factors played an important role in snail distribution in 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2011. Spatially, it decreased from the northeast to the southwest. Snail distributions in more than 20 towns located along the Yuanshui River and on the west side of the Lishui River were less affected by natural factors, whereas

Factors influencing the occupational trajectory of patients with systemic sclerosis: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Decuman, Saskia; Smith, Vanessa; Grypdonck, Maria; De Keyser, Filip; Verhaeghe, Sofie

2015-01-01

To describe, from the patient's point of view, the factors influencing the occupational trajectory of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). This was a qualitative study designed using grounded theory with constant comparison. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 patients who fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology or Leroy-Medsger criteria for SSc. Based on our interviews, we found that the occupational trajectory of patients with SSc is influenced by the continuous interplay between four groups of factors. The first group concerns the values patients attribute to work, including identity, normality, financial value, social contact, and structure. The meaning of these values and how they relate to each other underlies the desire to work. A second group of factors is those influencing the balance between daily life, work participation, and medical condition (e.g. job content, flexibility in organising work, and the willingness to ask for accommodations at work). The occupational trajectory is also influenced by external factors, including availability of support, know-ledge of the disease, pressure to work, contact with medical professionals, and existing regulations and the patient's knowledge about them. Finally, the occupational trajectory is influenced by personal factors, including socio-demographics, psychological assets, and disease- and work-related personal factors. The decisions patients with SSc take concerning work depend on an interplay between many factors and, especially, on the patients' personal interpretation of these factors. These need to be taken into account when helping patients with SSc determine their occupational trajectory.

Factors Influencing New RNs' Supervisory Performance in Long-Term Care Facilities.

PubMed

Prentice, Dawn; Boscart, Veronique; McGilton, Katherine S; Escrig, Astrid

2017-12-01

In long-term care facilities (LTCF), registered nurses (RNs) perform both clinical and supervisory roles as part of a team aiming to provide high-quality care to residents. The residents have several co-morbidities and complex care needs. Unfortunately, new RNs receive minimal preparation in gerontology and supervisory experience during their program, leading to low retention rates and affecting resident outcomes. This qualitative study explored factors that influence supervisory performance of new RNs in LTCF from the perspective of 24 participants from Ontario, Canada. Data were collected through individual interviews, followed by a directed content analysis. Three levels of influences were identified: personal influences, organizational influences, and external influences. Each level presented with sub-elements, further describing the factors that impact the supervisory performance of the new RN. To retain new RNs in LTC, organizations must provide additional gerontological education and mentoring for new RNs to flourish in their supervisory roles.

Factors that influence a career choice in primary care among medical students from high-, middle-, and low-income countries: a systematic review.

PubMed

Puertas, E Benjamín; Arósquipa, Carlos; Gutiérrez, Daniela

2013-11-01

To determine which factors influence a medical student's decision to choose a career in primary care; and to establish if these factors are similar or different among students in high-, middle- and low-income countries. An extensive search was done of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Virtual Library of Health for articles on primary care careers published in 2003-2013 in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese. Initially, 600 records were identified; 74 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 55 were selected (42 from high-income countries; 13 from middle- and low-income). These were assessed to identify intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence career choice among medical students from high-, middle-, and low-income countries. A comparison framework with common and specific factors that influence career choice in primary care among medical students from high-, middle- and low-income was developed. Factors were classified as extrinsic or intrinsic, and as facilitators or barriers. Several factors common to all countries were identified: facilitators were exposure to rural location, role models, working conditions; barriers were low income, prestige, and medical school environment. Some factors specific to middle- and low-income countries were: understanding of rural needs and intellectual challenge. Other factors specific to high-income countries were: attitude towards social problems, voluntary work, influence of family, and length of residency. Further studies on the subject are needed, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Identifying factors as barriers or facilitators for career choice will promote a better understanding of the reasons behind the shortage of primary care professionals and will contribute to policy building, improved training, and recruitment and retention of these professionals.

An Investigation of Factors That Influence the Hypothesis Generation Ability of Students in School- Based Agricultural Education Programs When Troubleshooting Small Gasoline Engines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackburn, J. Joey; Robinson, J. Shane

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if selected factors influenced the ability of students in school-based agricultural education programs to generate a correct hypothesis when troubleshooting small gasoline engines. Variables of interest included students' cognitive style, age, GPA, and content knowledge in small gasoline engines. Kirton's…

Factors influencing deprescribing habits among geriatricians.

PubMed

Ní Chróinín, Danielle; Ní Chróinín, Chantelle; Beveridge, Alexander

2015-07-01

deprescribing habits among physicians managing older, frailer, cognitively impaired patients have not been well investigated. an anonymised electronic survey was disseminated to all members of an international geriatric society/local advanced trainee network (N = 930). This comprised a Likert-scale analysis of factors influencing desprescribing, and five case vignettes, detailing a patient with progressive cognitive impairment and dependency, on a background of ischaemic heart disease and hypertension. among 134 respondents (response rate 14.4%), 47.4% were female, 48.9% aged 36-50 years and 84.1% specialists (15.9% trainees). Respondents commonly rated limited life expectancy (96.2%) and cognitive impairment (84.1%) as very/extremely important to deprescribing practices. On multivariable analysis, older respondents less commonly rated functional dependency (odds ratio [OR] 0.22 per change in age category; P < 0.001) and limited life expectancy (OR 0.09, P = 0.04) important when deprescribing, while female participants (OR 3.03, P < 0.001) and trainees (versus specialists OR 14.29, P < 0.001) more often rated adherence to evidence-based guidelines important. As vignettes described increasing dependency and cognitive impairment, physicians were more likely to stop donepezil, aspirin, atorvastatin and antihypertensives (all P < 0.001 for trend). Aspirin (93.6%) and ramipril (94.1%) were most commonly deprescribed. Commonest reasons cited for deprescribing medications were 'dementia severity', followed by pill burden. in this exploratory analysis, geriatricians rated limited life expectancy and cognitive impairment very important in driving deprescribing practices. Geriatricians more often deprescribed multiple medications in the setting of advancing dependency and cognitive impairment, driven by dementia severity and pill burden concerns. Physician characteristics also influence deprescribing practices. Further exploration of factors influencing deprescribing

The Influence of Self-Esteem on the Mate Selection Process of African American Females: Implications for Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson-Bilton, Joya

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, this study examined the influence of African American females' level of self-esteem on the mate-selection process. Secondly, this study was concerned with the influence of the level of self-esteem of African American females on valuing the mate-selection characteristics of interpersonal skills,…

Influencing Factors of the Initiation Point in the Parachute-Bomb Dynamic Detonation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qizhong, Li; Ye, Wang; Zhongqi, Wang; Chunhua, Bai

2017-12-01

The parachute system has been widely applied in modern armament design, especially for the fuel-air explosives. Because detonation of fuel-air explosives occurs during flight, it is necessary to investigate the influences of the initiation point to ensure successful dynamic detonation. In fact, the initiating position exist the falling area in the fuels, due to the error of influencing factors. In this paper, the major influencing factors of initiation point were explored with airdrop and the regularity between initiation point area and factors were obtained. Based on the regularity, the volume equation of initiation point area was established to predict the range of initiation point in the fuel. The analysis results showed that the initiation point appeared area, scattered on account of the error of attitude angle, secondary initiation charge velocity, and delay time. The attitude angle was the major influencing factors on a horizontal axis. On the contrary, secondary initiation charge velocity and delay time were the major influencing factors on a horizontal axis. Overall, the geometries of initiation point area were sector coupled with the errors of the attitude angle, secondary initiation charge velocity, and delay time.

[Prevalence and influence factors of hypertension among mechanic factory workers].

PubMed

Pang, Li-Juan; Chen, Li-Zhang; Fu, Ben-Yan

2005-06-01

To determine the status and influence factors of hypertension on mechanic factory workers and to provide reference for further hypertension prevention and control. A cross-sectional study on 1205 workers (exposed to different noise levels) in Hunan was carried out by using questionaire and measuring the blood pressure of the workers and the noise exposure level in the workplace. The prevalence and the influence factors of hypertension among mechanic factory workers were analysed. The hypertension prevalence was 12.1%. Logistic regression analysis showed the body weight index (BMI), age, and history of hypertension in parents and accumulative noise dose levels influenced the hypertension prevalence. Controlling the body weight, reducing alcohol consumption, decreasing the sound pressure level in workshops and advocating healthy diet may reduce the prevalence rate of hypertension among mechanic factory workers.

Factors Influencing New Entrant Dairy Farmer's Decision-Making Process around Technology Adoption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Roberta; Heanue, Kevin; Pierce, Karina; Horan, Brendan

2016-01-01

Purpose: The aims of this paper are to (1) evaluate the main factors influencing grazing system technology adoption among new entrant (NE) dairy farmers within Europe and the Irish pasture-based dairy industry, and (2) to determine the extent to which economic factors influence decision-making around technology adoption and use among NEs to the…

The need and its influence factors for community-based rehabilitation services for disabled persons in one district in Beijing.

PubMed

Dai, Hong; Xue, Hui; Yin, Zong-Jie; Xiao, Zhong-Xin

2006-12-01

To explore the needs for basic community-based rehabilitation services for disabled persons in Xuanwu District, Beijing, China, and to identify factors which influence disabled persons to accept rehabilitation services. One hundred and eight disabled persons were selected by systematic sampling and simple random sampling to assess their needs for community-based rehabilitation services. Of the interviewees, 57.4% needed the community-based rehabilitation services, but only 13.9% took advantage of it. The main factors influencing the interviewees to accept these services were cost (P < 0.05), knowledge about rehabilitation medicine (P < 0.05); and the belief in the therapeutic benefit of the community-based rehabilitation service (P < 0.05). A considerable gap exists between the supply of community-based rehabilitation services in Beijing and the needs for these services by disabled residents underscoring the need for improved availability, and for additional research.

Factors Influencing Cancer Patients' Choice of End-of-Life Care Place.

PubMed

Natsume, Maika; Watanabe, Kiyotaka; Matsumoto, Satoko; Naruge, Daisuke; Hayashi, Kazuhiko; Furuse, Junji; Kawamura, Masafumi; Jinno, Hiromitsu; Sano, Keiji; Fukushima, Ryoji; Osawa, Gakuji; Aruga, Etsuko; Hashiguchi, Yojiro; Tanaka, Atsushi; Takikawa, Hajime; Seki, Nobuhiko

2018-06-01

It is important for cancer patients to receive end-of-life care at the desired place. To identify issues in selection of place for end-of-life care of cancer patients to realize their optimal survivorship. Between September 2015 and January 2016, a questionnaire consisting of 33 items, including end-of-life care place preferences, was administered to cancer patients who attended three university hospitals in Japan. A total of 971 questionnaires were collected (response rate, 88.4%). Fifty-eight percent of patients preferred to stay at home to receive end-of-life care. In contrast, more than 80% of patients did not know the details of healthcare services. The factors significantly associated with patients' choice for place of end-of-life care at home were "male gender" (odds ratio [OR] = 1.43, p = 0.030), "living in a one-person household" (OR = 0.21, p < 0.001), "feeling close to friends" (OR = 0.94, p = 0.049), "thinking that the family is burdened" (OR = 0.55, p < 0.001), "thinking that pain is controllable at home" (OR = 1.39, p < 0.001), and "thinking that society should establish a system of home palliative care" (OR = 1.93, p < 0.001). This study identified six factors influencing the selection of a place for end-of-life care. Most patients have a desire for a social system that allows end-of-life care at home where they can live with their family, but have anxiety about treatment to deal with symptom change, with concern about burden on their family. These issues should be addressed in the future.

Correction factors for self-selection when evaluating screening programmes.

PubMed

Spix, Claudia; Berthold, Frank; Hero, Barbara; Michaelis, Jörg; Schilling, Freimut H

2016-03-01

In screening programmes there is recognized bias introduced through participant self-selection (the healthy screenee bias). Methods used to evaluate screening programmes include Intention-to-screen, per-protocol, and the "post hoc" approach in which, after introducing screening for everyone, the only evaluation option is participants versus non-participants. All methods are prone to bias through self-selection. We present an overview of approaches to correct for this bias. We considered four methods to quantify and correct for self-selection bias. Simple calculations revealed that these corrections are actually all identical, and can be converted into each other. Based on this, correction factors for further situations and measures were derived. The application of these correction factors requires a number of assumptions. Using as an example the German Neuroblastoma Screening Study, no relevant reduction in mortality or stage 4 incidence due to screening was observed. The largest bias (in favour of screening) was observed when comparing participants with non-participants. Correcting for bias is particularly necessary when using the post hoc evaluation approach, however, in this situation not all required data are available. External data or further assumptions may be required for estimation. © The Author(s) 2015.

Logistic Regression and Path Analysis Method to Analyze Factors influencing Students’ Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noeryanti, N.; Suryowati, K.; Setyawan, Y.; Aulia, R. R.

2018-04-01

Students' academic achievement cannot be separated from the influence of two factors namely internal and external factors. The first factors of the student (internal factors) consist of intelligence (X1), health (X2), interest (X3), and motivation of students (X4). The external factors consist of family environment (X5), school environment (X6), and society environment (X7). The objects of this research are eighth grade students of the school year 2016/2017 at SMPN 1 Jiwan Madiun sampled by using simple random sampling. Primary data are obtained by distributing questionnaires. The method used in this study is binary logistic regression analysis that aims to identify internal and external factors that affect student’s achievement and how the trends of them. Path Analysis was used to determine the factors that influence directly, indirectly or totally on student’s achievement. Based on the results of binary logistic regression, variables that affect student’s achievement are interest and motivation. And based on the results obtained by path analysis, factors that have a direct impact on student’s achievement are students’ interest (59%) and students’ motivation (27%). While the factors that have indirect influences on students’ achievement, are family environment (97%) and school environment (37).

Searching Online for Information About Vaccination: Assessing the Influence of User-Specific Cognitive Factors Using Eye-Tracking.

PubMed

Kessler, Sabrina Heike; Zillich, Arne Freya

2018-04-20

In Germany, the Internet is gaining increasing importance for laypeople as a source of health information, including information about vaccination. While previous research has focused on the characteristics of online information about vaccination, this study investigated the influence of relevant user-specific cognitive factors on users' search behavior for online information about vaccination. Additionally, it examined how searching online for information about vaccination influences users' attitudes toward vaccination. We conducted an experimental study with 56 undergraduate students from a German university that consisted of a survey and eye-tracking while browsing the Internet, followed by a content analysis of the eye-tracking data. The results show that the users exposed themselves to balanced and diverse online information about vaccination. However, none of the examined cognitive factors (attitude toward vaccination, attitude salience, prior knowledge about vaccination, need for cognition, and cognitive involvement) influenced the amount of time users spent searching the Internet for information about vaccination. Our study was not able to document any effects of attitude-consistent selective exposure to online information about vaccination. In addition, we found no effect on attitude change after having searched the Internet for vaccine-related information. Thus, users' search behavior regarding vaccination seems to be relatively stable.

Factors concerned with sanitary landfill site selection: General discussion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, W. J.; Stone, L. J.

1972-01-01

A general view of factors affecting site selection for sanitary landfill sites is presented. Examinations were made of operational methods, possible environment pollution, types of waste to be disposed, base and cover materials, and the economics involved in the operation.

Analysis of Criteria Influencing Contractor Selection Using TOPSIS Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alptekin, Orkun; Alptekin, Nesrin

2017-10-01

Selection of the most suitable contractor is an important process in public construction projects. This process is a major decision which may influence the progress and success of a construction project. Improper selection of contractors may lead to problems such as bad quality of work and delay in project duration. Especially in the construction projects of public buildings, the proper choice of contractor is beneficial to the public institution. Public procurement processes have different characteristics in respect to dissimilarities in political, social and economic features of every country. In Turkey, Turkish Public Procurement Law PPL 4734 is the main regulatory law for the procurement of the public buildings. According to the PPL 4734, public construction administrators have to contract with the lowest bidder who has the minimum requirements according to the criteria in prequalification process. Public administrators are not sufficient for selection of the proper contractor because of the restrictive provisions of the PPL 4734. The lowest bid method does not enable public construction administrators to select the most qualified contractor and they have realised the fact that the selection of a contractor based on lowest bid alone is inadequate and may lead to the failure of the project in terms of time delay Eand poor quality standards. In order to evaluate the overall efficiency of a project, it is necessary to identify selection criteria. This study aims to focus on identify importance of other criteria besides lowest bid criterion in contractor selection process of PPL 4734. In this study, a survey was conducted to staff of Department of Construction Works of Eskisehir Osmangazi University. According to TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution) for analysis results, termination of construction work in previous tenders is the most important criterion of 12 determined criteria. The lowest bid criterion is ranked in rank 5.

Differences in Learning Characteristics Between Students With High, Average, and Low Levels of Academic Procrastination: Students’ Views on Factors Influencing Their Learning

PubMed Central

Visser, Lennart; Korthagen, Fred A. J.; Schoonenboom, Judith

2018-01-01

Within the field of procrastination, much research has been conducted on factors that have an influence on academic procrastination. Less is known about how such factors may differ for various students. In addition, not much is known about differences in the process of how factors influence students’ learning and what creates differences in procrastination behavior between students with different levels of academic procrastination. In this study learning characteristics and the self-regulation behavior of three groups of students with different levels of academic procrastination were compared. The rationale behind this was that certain learning characteristics and self-regulation behaviors may play out differently in students with different levels of academic procrastination. Participants were first-year students (N = 22) with different levels of academic procrastination enrolled in an elementary teacher education program. The selection of the participants into three groups of students (low procrastination, n = 8; average procrastination, n = 8; high procrastination, n = 6) was based on their scores on a questionnaire measuring the students’ levels of academic procrastination. From semi-structured interviews, six themes emerged that describe how students in the three groups deal with factors that influence the students’ learning: degree program choice, getting started with study activities, engagement in study activities, ways of reacting to failure, view of oneself, and study results. This study shows the importance of looking at differences in how students deal with certain factors possibly negatively influencing their learning. Within the group of students with average and high levels of academic procrastination, factors influencing their learning are regularly present. These factors lead to procrastination behavior among students with high levels of academic procrastination, but this seems not the case among students with an average level of academic

Differences in Learning Characteristics Between Students With High, Average, and Low Levels of Academic Procrastination: Students' Views on Factors Influencing Their Learning.

PubMed

Visser, Lennart; Korthagen, Fred A J; Schoonenboom, Judith

2018-01-01

Within the field of procrastination, much research has been conducted on factors that have an influence on academic procrastination. Less is known about how such factors may differ for various students. In addition, not much is known about differences in the process of how factors influence students' learning and what creates differences in procrastination behavior between students with different levels of academic procrastination. In this study learning characteristics and the self-regulation behavior of three groups of students with different levels of academic procrastination were compared. The rationale behind this was that certain learning characteristics and self-regulation behaviors may play out differently in students with different levels of academic procrastination. Participants were first-year students ( N = 22) with different levels of academic procrastination enrolled in an elementary teacher education program. The selection of the participants into three groups of students (low procrastination, n = 8; average procrastination, n = 8; high procrastination, n = 6) was based on their scores on a questionnaire measuring the students' levels of academic procrastination. From semi-structured interviews, six themes emerged that describe how students in the three groups deal with factors that influence the students' learning: degree program choice, getting started with study activities, engagement in study activities, ways of reacting to failure, view of oneself, and study results. This study shows the importance of looking at differences in how students deal with certain factors possibly negatively influencing their learning. Within the group of students with average and high levels of academic procrastination, factors influencing their learning are regularly present. These factors lead to procrastination behavior among students with high levels of academic procrastination, but this seems not the case among students with an average level of academic

[Coagulation factor VII levels in uremic patients and theirs influence factors].

PubMed

Fang, Jun; Xia, Ling-Hui; Wei, Wen-Ning; Song, Shan-Jun

2004-12-01

This study was aimed to investigate coagulation factor VII level in uremic patients with chronic renal failure and to explore theirs influence factors. The plasma levels of coagulation factor VII were detected in 30 uremic patients with chronic renal failure before and after hemodialysis for 1 month, the factor VII activity (FVII:C) was determined by one-stage coagulation method, while activated factor VII (FVIIa) was measured by one-stage coagulation method using recombinant soluble tissue factor, and factor VII antigen was detected by ELISA. The results showed that: (1) The FVIIa, FVII:C and FVIIAg levels in chronic uremic patients before hemodialysis were 4.00 +/- 0.86 microg/L, (148.5 +/- 40.4)% and (99.8 +/- 21.1)% respectively, which were significantly increased, as compared with healthy controls [2.77 +/- 1.02 microg/L, (113.1 +/- 33.0)% and (73.7 +/- 18.3)% respectively, P < 0.05]. (2) After hemodialysis the FVIIa, FVII:C and FVIIAg levels in uremic patients significantly enhanced to 5.56 +/- 1.45 microg/L, (200.8 +/- 68.7)% and (124.1 +/- 19.3)% respectively (P < 0.05). (3) The abnormal increase of coagulation factor VII was positively correlated with levels of blood uria nitrogen and serum creatinine before hemodialysis but not after hemodialysis. It is concluded that the enhanced levels of coagulation factor VII in chronic uremic patients suggested abnormal activated state, herperactivity and elevated production of factor VII which correlated with renal functional injury. The abnormality of factor VII in uremia may be aggravated by hemodialysis. Coagulation factor (FVII) may be a risk factor for cardiovascular events in uremic patients who especially had been accepted long-term hemodialysis.

The Influence of Birth Country on Selection of Conference Destination--Employing Natural Language Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidovitch, Nitza; Eckhaus, Eyal

2018-01-01

This study deals with immigrant scientists integrated in academia in Israel. Studies on the subject indicate the contribution of immigrant scientists to research. The current study focuses on the influence of scientists' birth country on selecting destinations for academic conferences, as well as on the influence of one's native language on the…

Development and validation of a questionnaire to evaluate the factors influencing training transfer among nursing professionals.

PubMed

Bai, Yangjing; Li, Jiping; Bai, Yangjuan; Ma, Weiguang; Yang, Xiangyu; Ma, Fang

2018-02-13

Most organizations invest in people for training to improve human capital and maximize profitability. Yet it is reported in industry and nursing as well that training effectiveness is constrained because of inadequate transfer of training and the underlying reasons for the transfer problem remain unknown. And there is lack of tool to measure transfer problem. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to evaluate the scores of factors influencing training transfer (FITT) among nursing professionals. The questionnaire was developed by item generation through interview with nurses and literature review. The FITT was validated in terms of content validity through expert reviews. Psychometric properties of the final instrument were assessed in a sample of 960 nurses with training experiences. The content validity of the instrument were as follows: the IR was 0.8095. 51 items on the 63-item scale had I-CVIs of 1.0 and the remaining 12 items had I-CVIs of 0.88. The S-CVI/UA was 0.976 and the S-CVI/Ave was 0.977. For the exploratory step, principal axis factoring (PAF) was selected for this study. Parallel analysis was used to decide the number of factors to extract and oblimin rotation method was used. Exploratory factor analysis identified a five-factor solution including 53 items, accounting for 68.23% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis showed some support for this five-factor model. The findings demonstrate high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .965). This study indicates that the FITT is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the factors influencing training transfer among nursing professionals. The FITT can be used to assess individual perceptions of catalysts and barriers to the transfer of training among nursing professionals, which can help promote training transfer and training effectiveness in the workplace.

Automation bias: empirical results assessing influencing factors.

PubMed

Goddard, Kate; Roudsari, Abdul; Wyatt, Jeremy C

2014-05-01

To investigate the rate of automation bias - the propensity of people to over rely on automated advice and the factors associated with it. Tested factors were attitudinal - trust and confidence, non-attitudinal - decision support experience and clinical experience, and environmental - task difficulty. The paradigm of simulated decision support advice within a prescribing context was used. The study employed within participant before-after design, whereby 26 UK NHS General Practitioners were shown 20 hypothetical prescribing scenarios with prevalidated correct and incorrect answers - advice was incorrect in 6 scenarios. They were asked to prescribe for each case, followed by being shown simulated advice. Participants were then asked whether they wished to change their prescription, and the post-advice prescription was recorded. Rate of overall decision switching was captured. Automation bias was measured by negative consultations - correct to incorrect prescription switching. Participants changed prescriptions in 22.5% of scenarios. The pre-advice accuracy rate of the clinicians was 50.38%, which improved to 58.27% post-advice. The CDSS improved the decision accuracy in 13.1% of prescribing cases. The rate of automation bias, as measured by decision switches from correct pre-advice, to incorrect post-advice was 5.2% of all cases - a net improvement of 8%. More immediate factors such as trust in the specific CDSS, decision confidence, and task difficulty influenced rate of decision switching. Lower clinical experience was associated with more decision switching. Age, DSS experience and trust in CDSS generally were not significantly associated with decision switching. This study adds to the literature surrounding automation bias in terms of its potential frequency and influencing factors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing a problem-based learning implementation: A case study of IT courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darus, Norida Muhd; Mohd, Haslina; Baharom, Fauziah; Saip, Mohamed Ali; Puteh, Nurnasran; Marzuki @ Matt, Zaharin; Husain, Mohd Zabidin; Yasin, Azman

2016-08-01

IT students must be trained to work efficiently as teamwork. One of the techniques that can be used to train them is through Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach. The PBL implementation can be influenced by various factors depending on the ultimate goal of the study. This study is focusing on the IT students' perception of the PBL implementation. The student's perception is important to ensure the successfulness of the PBL implementation. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors that might influence the implementation of PBL of IT courses. This study aims to identify some catalyst factors that may influence the PBL implementation of IT courses. The study involved three (3) main phases: identifying PBL implementation factors, constructing a PBL model, and PBL model validation using statistical analysis. Four main factors are identified: PBL Characteristics, PBL Course Assessment, PBL Practices, and PBL Perception. Based on these four factors, a PBL model is constructed. Then, based on the proposed PBL model, four hypotheses are formulated and analyzed to validate the model. All hypotheses are significantly acceptable. The result shows that the PBL Characteristics and PBL Course Assessment factors are significantly influenced the PBL Practices and indirectly influenced the Students' Perception of the PBL Implementation for IT courses. This PBL model can assist decision makers in enhancing the PBL teaching and learning strategy for IT courses. It is also can be tested to other courses in the future.

A Survey of the Influencing Factors for International Academic Mobility of Chinese University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cao, Chun; Zhu, Chang; Meng, Qian

2016-01-01

This research aims to understand the factors influencing international academic mobility within the Chinese higher education context. The inventory of University Students' Perceptions of Influencing Factors for International Academic Mobility was developed and tested to enquire about Chinese university students' perceptions of factors influencing…

The influence of ergonomic factors and perceptual-motor abilities on handwriting performance.

PubMed

Tseng, M H; Cermak, S A

1993-10-01

Difficulty with handwriting is one of the most frequent reasons that children in the public schools are referred to occupational therapy. Current research on the influence of ergonomic factors, such as pencil grip and pressure, and perceptual-motor factors traditionally believed to affect handwriting, is reviewed. Factors such as visual perception show little relationship to handwriting, whereas tactile-kinesthetic, visual-motor, and motor planning appear to be more closely related to handwriting. By better understanding the ergonomic and perceptual-motor factors that contribute to and influence handwriting, therapists will be better able to design rationally based intervention programs.

What factors influence cataract waiting list time?

PubMed Central

Churchill, A.; Vize, C.; Stewart, O.; Backhouse, O.

2000-01-01

AIMS—To determine whether there were any specific factors that influenced waiting list time (WLT) for patients undergoing cataract surgery.
METHODS—70 preoperative cataract patients were interviewed by one of the authors using a questionnaire to score visual acuity, coexisting ocular pathology and disabilities, threat to independent living/employment, and perceived visual handicap for detailed, gross, and driving vision. Individuals were analysed separately according to whether it was their first or second cataract operation.
RESULTS—The median WLT for first eye surgery was 9 months (n = 31) and 13 months for second eye surgery (n = 36). The WLT ranged from 2 to 25 months for first eyes and 0.25-18 months for second eyes. Where there was a perceived threat to independent living or employment the WLT was found to be significantly shorter than the median. A high overall score correlated with a shorter WLT. Surgical priority was also given to individuals with anisometropia >3 dioptres.
CONCLUSION—This study has demonstrated that there are specific factors that influence clinicians when prioritising patients for cataract surgery.

 PMID:10729304

22 CFR 1006.880 - What factors may influence the debarring official during reconsideration?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR