Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: A pilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan.

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

Neitzel, R.; Naeher, L., P.; Paulsen, M.

2009-04-01

Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest ServiceFSavannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribedburn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes inmore » urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters.« less

Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan.

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

Neitzel, R.; Naeher, L., P.; Paulsen, M.

2009-04-01

Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relatingmore » changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters.« less

Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: A pilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan.

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

Neitzel, R.; Naeher, L., P.; Paulsen, M.

2009-04-01

Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relatingmore » changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters.« less

Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan.

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

Neitzel, R.; Naeher, L., P.; Paulsen, M.

2009-04-01

Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest ServiceFSavannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changesmore » in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters.« less

Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan.

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

Neitzel, R.; Naeher, L., P.; Paulsen, M.

2008-04-01

Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relatingmore » changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters.« less

Sleep duration and sleep-related problems in different occupations in the Hordaland Health Study.

PubMed

Ursin, Reidun; Baste, Valborg; Moen, Bente E

2009-05-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between occupation and sleep duration, sleepiness, insufficient sleep, and insomnia in day and shift workers (including night work and watches). The study was population-based and cross-sectional, and relied on self-administered questionnaires. It was conducted as part of the 1997-1999 Hordaland Health Study in collaboration with the Norwegian National Health Screening Service. Aged 40-45 years, 7782 participants answered a sleep questionnaire, reporting their occupation and whether or not they were employed in shift work. Our study found differences in sleep duration during the working week between occupational groups; in both shift and day workers. Craft workers, plant operators, and drivers slept less than leaders, and non-personal and personal service workers. Within some occupations (leaders, personal service workers, and plant operators), shift workers slept less than day workers. The mean sleep duration of shift workers was 15 minutes shorter than that of day workers. Rise times, but not bedtimes, were earlier in craft-and construction workers, plant operators, and drivers than in leaders and non-personal and personal service workers, particularly day workers. When adjusted for shift work and working hours - compared to leaders - craft workers, plant operators, and drivers had an increased risk of daytime sleepiness (odds ratio 1.5, 1.8, and 1.8 respectively) and of falling asleep at work (odds ratio 1.6, 2.1 and 2.0 respectively). Shift workers had an increased risk of falling asleep at work and insomnia. Occupation has separate effects on sleep duration and sleep-related problems, independent of the effects of shift work.

Set shifting in anorexia nervosa: an examination before and after weight gain, in full recovery and relationship to childhood and adult OCPD traits.

PubMed

Tchanturia, K; Morris, R G; Anderluh, M Brecelj; Collier, D A; Nikolaou, V; Treasure, J

2004-01-01

Deficits in set shifting tasks are present in anorexia nervosa (AN), but it is not known whether these deficits are traits independent of current disease or nutritional status or merely a temporary consequence of starvation or psychopathology. The aims of the present study were to determine if set-shifting sub-optimal performance are state or trait-related by examining set shifting in patients with current or past AN, and the extent of association of these deficits with obsessive compulsive traits and behaviours. To achieve this we examined set shifting abilities in three groups of subjects: (a) AN patients with current illness, prior to receiving treatment (AN); (b) people with past AN currently in long term recovery (ANRec) and a healthy comparison group (HC). We also longitudinally followed up a subset for the AN group who showed weight recovery in response to in patient treatment (ANWR). We administered a group of set shifting tests, which included cognitive, perceptual and motor shifting tasks. A semi-structured interview was obtained to ascertain obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) traits as a child and adult. Set-shifting difficulties were observed in the AN group, but to a lesser extent in the ANRec group. In the AN group these difficulties did not show any improvement follow re-testing after weight recovery. Performance on set shifting tasks was associated with childhood rigidity and inflexibility. Some aspects of set shifting sub-optimal performance in AN appear to be a trait rather than a state marker.

Rotating night shift work and physical activity of nurses and midwives in the cross-sectional study in Łódź, Poland.

PubMed

Peplonska, Beata; Bukowska, Agnieszka; Sobala, Wojciech

2014-12-01

Shift work have been thought to restrict participation in leisure time activities, but the knowledge about physical activity in rotating night shift nurses has been limited so far. We investigated the associations between the rotating night shift work and physical activity using data from a cross-sectional study among nurses and midwives. This study included 354 nurses and midwives (aged 40-60) currently working rotating night shifts and 371 ones working days only. The information on the work characteristics and potential covariates was collected via a personal interview. Weight and height were measured and BMI was calculated. Physical activity was assessed according to the international questionnaire on physical activity - IPAQ, and four domains: leisure time, occupational, transport related and household were analyzed. Women who reported none leisure time activity were defined as recreationally "inactive". The associations were examined with multiple linear or logistic regression models adjusted for age, season of the year, number of full term births, marital status and BMI. Total and occupational physical activity was significantly higher among nurses working rotating night shifts. However, leisure time activity was significantly affected among rotating night shift nurses and midwives, compared to women working during the days only, with increased odds ratio for recreational "inactivity" (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.11-2.20). Rotating night shift work among nurses and midwives is associated with higher occupational physical activity but lower leisure time activity. Initiatives supporting exercising among night shift workers are recommended.

Shifting between self-governing and being governed: a qualitative study of older persons' self-determination.

PubMed

Ottenvall Hammar, Isabelle; Dahlin-Ivanoff, Synneve; Wilhelmson, Katarina; Eklund, Kajsa

2014-11-28

Older persons' right to exercise self-determination in daily life is supported by several laws. Research shows that older persons' self-determination is not fully respected within the healthcare sector. In order to enable and enhance older persons' self-determination, extensive knowledge of older persons' self-determination is needed. The aim of this study was to explore experiences of self-determination when developing dependence in daily activities among community-dwelling persons 80 years and older. Qualitative interviews were performed in accordance with a grounded theory method, with 11 persons aged 84-95 years who were beginning to develop dependence in daily activities. The data analysis revealed the core category, "Self-determination - shifting between self-governing and being governed". The core category comprised three categories: "Struggling against the aging body", "Decision-making is relational", and "Guarding one's own independence". Self-determination in daily activities was related to a shifting, which was two-fold, and varied between self-governing and being governed by the aging body, or by others. The findings imply a need to adopt a person-centered approach where the older persons' own preferences and needs are in focus, in order to enhance their possibilities to exercise self-determination.

Relationship Between Changes in Workplace Bullying Status and the Reporting of Personality Characteristics.

PubMed

Persson, Roger; Høgh, Annie; Grynderup, Matias Brødsgaard; Willert, Morten Vejs; Gullander, Maria; Hansen, Åse Marie; Kolstad, Henrik Albert; Mors, Ole; Mikkelsen, Eva Gemzøe; Kristensen, Ann Suhl; Kaerlev, Linda; Rugulies, Reiner; Bonde, Jens Peter Ellekilde

2016-09-01

To examine whether a shift in work-related bullying status, from being non-bullied to being bullied or vice versa, was associated with changes in reporting of personality characteristics. Data on bullying and personality (neuroticism, extraversion, and sense of coherence) were collected in three waves approximately 2 years apart (N = 4947). Using a within-subjects design, personality change scores that followed altered bullying status were evaluated with one-sample t tests. Sensitivity analyses targeted depressive symptoms. Shifts from non-bullied to frequently bullied were associated with increased neuroticism or decreased sense of coherence manageability scores. Shifts from bullied to non-bullied were associated with decreasing neuroticism and increasing extraversion scores, or increasing sense of coherence meaningfulness and comprehensibility scores. Excluding depressive cases had minor effects. Bullying seems to some extent to affect personality scale scores, which thus seem sensitive to environmental and social circumstances.

Coaching the Multiplicity of Mind: A Strengths-based Model

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Professional health and wellness coaches are passionate about helping people learn, change, and grow. We are lifelong students of what enables humans to perform at our best. The phrase coaching the whole person is common coaching parlance; full engagement in self-care often requires that clients shift a spectrum of beliefs, motives, and perspectives in order to make changes that are sustainable. Just as important is the need for coaches to fully engage in their own self-care in order to best serve their clients. PMID:24416685

The Role of Personal Choice in Individual Language Shift

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, Kira Gulko

2012-01-01

The existing literature views the phenomenon of language shift mostly on the societal, or macro, level, which takes the focus away from individual cases. This investigation provides an alternative perspective to the currently prevalent view. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to develop an understanding of the role of personal choice in…

Effects of holistic nursing course: a paradigm shift for holistic health practices.

PubMed

Downey, Marty

2007-06-01

A study of an undergraduate course in holistic nursing was conducted to determine its impact on personal and professional health care practices. A mixed method design was used to examine responses on a sample of 200 participants. Results indicated a positive personal impact with continued application of concepts into professional health practices. Personal and professional nursing practices were influenced from 1 to 7 years after completing the holistic nursing course. After introduction of the concepts of self-care and holistic approaches to health, students and graduates experienced a shift in values and beliefs related to their own health practices. Continued exposure to holistic practices creates a pattern of awareness toward health that affects future personal and professional nursing practice, creating a paradigm shift for emerging nursing students and graduates from the course. This affects the manner in which nurses meet the needs of their clients in a variety of settings.

Estimation of personal exposure to asbestos of brake repair workers.

PubMed

Cely-García, María Fernanda; Curriero, Frank C; Sánchez-Silva, Mauricio; Breysse, Patrick N; Giraldo, Margarita; Méndez, Lorena; Torres-Duque, Carlos; Durán, Mauricio; González-García, Mauricio; Parada, Patricia; Ramos-Bonilla, Juan Pablo

2017-07-01

Exposure assessments are key tools to conduct epidemiological studies. Since 2010, 28 riveters from 18 brake repair shops with different characteristics and workloads were sampled for asbestos exposure in Bogotá, Colombia. Short-term personal samples collected during manipulation activities of brake products, and personal samples collected during non-manipulation activities were used to calculate 103 8-h TWA PCM-equivalent personal asbestos concentrations. The aims of this study are to identify exposure determinant variables associated with the 8-h TWA personal asbestos concentrations among brake mechanics, and propose different models to estimate potential asbestos exposure of brake mechanics in an 8-h work-shift. Longitudinal-based multivariate linear regression models were used to determine the association between personal asbestos concentrations in a work-shift with different variables related to work tasks and workload of the mechanics, and some characteristics of the shops. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate the 8-h TWA PCM-Eq personal asbestos concentration in work-shifts that had manipulations of brake products or cleaning activities of the manipulation area, using the results of the sampling campaigns. The simulations proposed could be applied for both current and retrospective studies to determine personal asbestos exposures of brake mechanics, without the need of sampling campaigns or historical data of air asbestos concentrations.

Pressure Relief Behaviors and Weight Shifting Activities to Prevent Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-13-1-0387 TITLE: Pressure Relief Behaviors and Weight-Shifting Activities to Prevent Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI... Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-13-1-0387 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Stephen Sprigle, PhD...Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Pressure ulcers (PU) are the most costly secondary complication following an SCI. In addition to the

30 CFR 75.362 - On-shift examination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... shift. The certified person shall check for hazardous conditions, test for methane and oxygen deficiency... interruption in production on a section, the examination shall be made anytime within 1 hour of the shift change. In those instances when there is an interruption in production during the shift change, the...

30 CFR 75.362 - On-shift examination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... shift. The certified person shall check for hazardous conditions, test for methane and oxygen deficiency... interruption in production on a section, the examination shall be made anytime within 1 hour of the shift change. In those instances when there is an interruption in production during the shift change, the...

30 CFR 56.19067 - Trips during shift changes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Trips during shift changes. 56.19067 Section 56.19067 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Hoisting Procedures § 56.19067 Trips during shift changes. During shift changes, an authorized person shall...

Combined effects of noise and shift work on fatigue as a function of age.

PubMed

Saremi, Mahnaz; Rohmer, Odile; Burgmeier, André; Bonnefond, Anne; Muzet, Alain; Tassi, Patricia

2008-01-01

The study was conducted to analyse possible interactions between noise and shift work, and fatigue as a function of age. In a large questionnaire survey, we assessed personal and environmental risk factors related to fatigue. Noise exposure at work (L(Aeq, 8hr)) was measured with personal noise dosimetry. The sample included 254 day and shift workers, and was divided into 2 age groups (<40- and >40-year-olds). Noise exposure had a main effect on fatigue. The highest noise exposure resulted in an increase in the fatigue level of older shift workers. The quantity of sleep mainly depended on the type of shift and age. Our data suggest that the most important factor generating fatigue could be related to industrial noise exposure, a factor which seems to aggravate work-related fatigue generated in a synergic manner by shift work and ageing. Senior workers should be prevented from cumulating those occupational stressors.

[Comparative studies of personal and steady-state sampling for determining dust exposure in different job groups].

PubMed

Cherneva, P; Lukanova, R

1994-01-01

The variability of the dust concentration in time and space, as well as the change of worker's place during the working process, define the necessity of introducing personal sampling in the hygiene control practice. However, the laboratory equipment with personal devices is still not sufficient. The aim of this work is to assess the dust exposure of the basic professional groups from the ore- and coal production in Bulgaria by personal sampling in comparative studies of the static ambient sampling used up to now. 63 full-shift investigations of the dust factor were performed on professional groups of miners of the polymetal and coal pits by static ambient devices-[Hygitest production] and personal [from firms "Casella", "Strolein" and "Gilian"] devices, after standardized methods. The results are data processed-by means of logarithmic normal distribution of the relation of the respirable dust concentrations, determined personally and by static ambient sampling. The limits of variation of this correlation are from 0.5 to 4.1 at average geometric value -0.95 and standard geometric deviation-1.8 i.e. both types of sampling are intersubstitutional for the examined groups and sites, as in the underground ores the professional risk of respirable dust is underestimated up to 4 times at static ambient sampling.

Qualitative methods in environmental health research.

PubMed Central

Brown, Phil

2003-01-01

Public health researchers increasingly turn to qualitative methods either on their own or in combination with quantitative methods. Qualitative methods are especially important to community environmental health research, as they provide a way to produce community narratives that give voice to individuals and characterize the community in a full and complex fashion. This article first traces the legacy of qualitative research in environmental health, then uses a case study of the author's experiences studying the Woburn, Massachusetts, childhood leukemia cluster to provide personal and scholarly insights on qualitative approaches. That material then informs a discussion of important components of qualitative methods in environmental health research, including flexible study design, access, trust, empathy, and personal shifts in the researcher's worldview, bias, and the nature of the researcher's roles. A concluding discussion addresses issues in funding policy and research practices. PMID:14594634

Comparison between Phase-Shift Full-Bridge Converters with Noncoupled and Coupled Current-Doubler Rectifier

PubMed Central

Tsai, Cheng-Tao; Tseng, Sheng-Yu

2013-01-01

This paper presents comparison between phase-shift full-bridge converters with noncoupled and coupled current-doubler rectifier. In high current capability and high step-down voltage conversion, a phase-shift full-bridge converter with a conventional current-doubler rectifier has the common limitations of extremely low duty ratio and high component stresses. To overcome these limitations, a phase-shift full-bridge converter with a noncoupled current-doubler rectifier (NCDR) or a coupled current-doubler rectifier (CCDR) is, respectively, proposed and implemented. In this study, performance analysis and efficiency obtained from a 500 W phase-shift full-bridge converter with two improved current-doubler rectifiers are presented and compared. From their prototypes, experimental results have verified that the phase-shift full-bridge converter with NCDR has optimal duty ratio, lower component stresses, and output current ripple. In component count and efficiency comparison, CCDR has fewer components and higher efficiency at full load condition. For small size and high efficiency requirements, CCDR is relatively suitable for high step-down voltage and high efficiency applications. PMID:24381521

Comparison between phase-shift full-bridge converters with noncoupled and coupled current-doubler rectifier.

PubMed

Tsai, Cheng-Tao; Su, Jye-Chau; Tseng, Sheng-Yu

2013-01-01

This paper presents comparison between phase-shift full-bridge converters with noncoupled and coupled current-doubler rectifier. In high current capability and high step-down voltage conversion, a phase-shift full-bridge converter with a conventional current-doubler rectifier has the common limitations of extremely low duty ratio and high component stresses. To overcome these limitations, a phase-shift full-bridge converter with a noncoupled current-doubler rectifier (NCDR) or a coupled current-doubler rectifier (CCDR) is, respectively, proposed and implemented. In this study, performance analysis and efficiency obtained from a 500 W phase-shift full-bridge converter with two improved current-doubler rectifiers are presented and compared. From their prototypes, experimental results have verified that the phase-shift full-bridge converter with NCDR has optimal duty ratio, lower component stresses, and output current ripple. In component count and efficiency comparison, CCDR has fewer components and higher efficiency at full load condition. For small size and high efficiency requirements, CCDR is relatively suitable for high step-down voltage and high efficiency applications.

Predictive factors of life quality among packaging workers in Taiwan.

PubMed

Yang, Shang-Yu; Hsu, Der-Jen; Yen, Chun-Ming; Chang, Jer-Hao

2018-05-16

The semiconductor plants on the top of high-tech industrial chain hire many packaging workers to carry out miscellaneous packing tasks for various product orders from different companies and countries. Under tremendous workload the quality of life (QoL) of such packaging workers need to be concerned. The aim of this study was to explore factors influencing their QoL. This study recruited 247 packing workers (162 male and 85 female; mean age: 35.6 years old) in 2015 and 2016 from a semiconductor plant in Taiwan by convenience sampling. The questionnaire comprised four parts: demographics, the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), an occupational burnout inventory and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. The four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF were defined as outcome variables. Predictive factors included gender (reference: male), age (reference: ≤ 35), BMI (reference: ≤ 25), educational level (reference: below university), marital/partner status (reference: married/cohabiting), years of work (reference: ≤ 5), work shift (reference: day shift), personal burnout, work-related burnout, over-commitment to work and the number of body parts with discomfort (0-9). The findings showed that physical QoL was negatively correlated with night -shift work, personal burnout, and number of body parts with discomfort. Psychological QoL was negatively correlated with night shift work and personal burnout. Environment QoL was negatively correlated with being male, night shift work and personal burnout. The results showed that the QoL among the packaging workers could be improved by reducing musculoskeletal discomfort, personal burnout and by improving work schedules.

Plate tectonics in the classification of personality disorder: shifting to a dimensional model.

PubMed

Widiger, Thomas A; Trull, Timothy J

2007-01-01

The diagnostic categories of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders were developed in the spirit of a traditional medical model that considers mental disorders to be qualitatively distinct conditions (see, e.g., American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Work is now beginning on the fifth edition of this influential diagnostic manual. It is perhaps time to consider a fundamental shift in how psychopathology is conceptualized and diagnosed. More specifically, it may be time to consider a shift to a dimensional classification of personality disorder that would help address the failures of the existing diagnostic categories as well as contribute to an integration of the psychiatric diagnostic manual with psychology's research on general personality structure. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved

Fall concern about older persons shifts to carers as changing health policy focuses on family, home-based care.

PubMed

Ang, Seng Giap Marcus; O'Brien, Anthony Paul; Wilson, Amanda

2018-01-01

With the Singaporean population ageing at an exponential rate, home carers are increasingly becoming essential partners in fall prevention and care delivery for older persons living at home and in the community. Singapore, like other Asian countries, regards the family as the main support structure for the older person, and national policies have been implemented to support this cultural expectation. Family carers experience similar concerns as older persons with regard to fall risk, and identifying and addressing these concerns can potentially lower fall risk and improve fall prevention for older persons. It is timely to remind ourselves - as concern about falls in older persons begins to shift to carers - to incorporate the influence of Asian cultural values and unique family dynamics of outsourcing family caregiving, in the management of older persons' fall risk in the community. Copyright: © Singapore Medical Association.

30 CFR 72.800 - Single, full-shift measurement of respirable coal mine dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... coal mine dust. 72.800 Section 72.800 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH HEALTH STANDARDS FOR COAL MINES Miscellaneous § 72.800 Single, full-shift measurement of respirable coal mine dust. The Secretary will use a single, full-shift...

Early Heritage-Language Education and the Abrupt Shift to a Dominant-Language Classroom: Impact on the Personal and Collective Esteem of Inuit Children in Arctic Quebec

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bougie, Evelyne; Wright, Stephen C.; Taylor, Donald M.

2003-01-01

This research explored the impact of the abrupt shift from heritage-language to dominant-language education on Inuit children's personal and collective self-esteem. Specifically, the following question was addressed: will early heritage-language education serve as an inoculation against the potential negative impact of being submerged in a…

A retrospective cohort study of shift work and risk of cancer-specific mortality in German male chemical workers.

PubMed

Yong, Mei; Nasterlack, Michael; Messerer, Peter; Oberlinner, Christoph; Lang, Stefan

2014-02-01

Human evidence of carcinogenicity concerning shift work is inconsistent. In a previous study, we observed no elevated risk of total mortality in shift workers followed up until the end of 2006. The present study aimed to investigate cancer-specific mortality, relative to shift work. The cohort consisted of male production workers (14,038 shift work and 17,105 day work), employed at BASF Ludwigshafen for at least 1 year between 1995 and 2005. Vital status was followed from 2000 to 2009. Cause-specific mortality was obtained from death certificates. Exposure to shift work was measured both as a dichotomous and continuous variable. While lifetime job history was not available, job duration in the company was derived from personal data, which was then categorized at the quartiles. Cox proportional hazard model was used to adjust for potential confounders, in which job duration was treated as a time-dependent covariate. Between 2000 and 2009, there were 513 and 549 deaths among rotating shift and day work employees, respectively. Risks of total and cancer-specific mortalities were marginally lower among shift workers when taking age at entry and job level into consideration and were statistically significantly lower when cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, job duration, and chronic disease prevalence at entry to follow-up were included as explanatory factors. With respect to mortality risks in relation to exposure duration, no increased risks were found in any of the exposure groups after full adjustment and there was no apparent trend suggesting an exposure-response relation with duration of shift work. The present analysis extends and confirms our previous finding of no excess risk of mortality associated with work in the shift system employed at BASF Ludwigshafen. More specifically, there is also no indication of an increased risk of mortality due to cancer.

Visual imagery in autobiographical memory: The role of repeated retrieval in shifting perspective

PubMed Central

Butler, Andrew C.; Rice, Heather J.; Wooldridge, Cynthia L.; Rubin, David C.

2016-01-01

Recent memories are generally recalled from a first-person perspective whereas older memories are often recalled from a third-person perspective. We investigated how repeated retrieval affects the availability of visual information, and whether it could explain the observed shift in perspective with time. In Experiment 1, participants performed mini-events and nominated memories of recent autobiographical events in response to cue words. Next, they described their memory for each event and rated its phenomenological characteristics. Over the following three weeks, they repeatedly retrieved half of the mini-event and cue-word memories. No instructions were given about how to retrieve the memories. In Experiment 2, participants were asked to adopt either a first- or third-person perspective during retrieval. One month later, participants retrieved all of the memories and again provided phenomenology ratings. When first-person visual details from the event were repeatedly retrieved, this information was retained better and the shift in perspective was slowed. PMID:27064539

The diagnosis and neuropsychological assessment of adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Scientific study and practical guidelines.

PubMed

Gallagher, R; Blader, J

2001-06-01

The recognition of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults is a well documented, but relatively new development. Investigations of the disorder have indicated that disturbances in behavior and adjustment are common. These disturbances may be linked to poorly developed executive functions. This paper reviews the neuropsychological studies that have compared persons with ADHD to normal controls and to psychiatric controls. The review indicates that persons with ADHD share many neuropsychological characteristics with other persons with serious psychiatric conditions, although those with ADHD may have a particular profile of slowed performance in tasks of sustained attention and set shifting, and their use of working memory may be particularly impaired. The implications of research for clinical assessment are discussed. We contend that a neuropsychological orientation is necessary for making the diagnosis and gaining a full understanding of adult ADHD. A model for clinical assessment is proposed which utilizes a neuropsychological orientation and the targeted administration of neuropsychological instruments. The careful use of neuropsychological measures is warranted in providing an elaborate picture of a person's functioning, although the use of neuropsychological tests is not necessary to make the diagnosis.

Relationship Between Shift Work and Personality Traits of Nurses and Their Coping Strategies.

PubMed

Farzianpour, Fereshteh; Nosrati, Saeadeh Ansari; Foroushani, Abbas Rahimi; Hasanpour, Fateme; Jelodar, Zahra Khakdel; Keykale, Meysam Safi; Bakhtiari, Mohammad; Sadeghi, Niusha Shahidi

2015-09-28

Because of social progress, population growth, industrialization, and the requirements of some jobs, a significant percentage of employees are working in shifts. Shift work is considered a threat to health that could have unfavorable effects on various aspects of human life. This study investigated the relationship between shift work and the personality traits of nurses and their coping strategies in a selection of non-governmental hospitals in Tehran in 2014. This applied cross-sectional descriptive research employed the Standard Shift work Index and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) which, after confirmation of its validity and reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.73), were distributed among 305 nurses from 6 non-governmental hospitals in Tehran selected through cluster random sampling. Data was analyzed in two statistical levels: descriptive and inferential. Results revealed that 43.6% of the nurses participating in the study were introverted and 56.4% were extroverted. There are significant relationships between age and physical health (P=0.008), sex and physical health (P=0.015), educational level and physical health (P=0.014), sex and cognitive, somatic anxiety (P=0.006), age and social-family status (P=0.001), marital status and social-family status (P=0.001), having a second job and social-family status (P=0.001), educational level and sleep and fatigue (P=0.002), work experience and coping strategies (P=0.044), and sleep and fatigue and personality traits (P=0.032). Complying with the standards of working hours for nurses and avoiding overtime when scheduling, especially for nurses with more work experience, can prevent the severe complications of shift work, enhance health, and ultimately enhance the quality of care. By improving the physical, psychological, and social health of nurses, the quality of patient care can be expected to improve, too.

'From activating towards caring': shifts in care approaches at the end of life of people with intellectual disabilities; a qualitative study of the perspectives of relatives, care-staff and physicians.

PubMed

Bekkema, Nienke; de Veer, Anke J E; Hertogh, Cees M P M; Francke, Anneke L

2015-07-25

Professionals and relatives increasingly have to deal with people with intellectual disabilities (ID) who are in need of end-of-life care. This is a specific type of care that may require a different approach to the focus on participation that currently characterizes the care for people with ID. This paper describes the shifts in care approaches and attitudes that relatives and professionals perceive as the death of a person with ID approaches, as well as the values underlying these shifts. A qualitative design was used to reconstruct the cases of twelve recently deceased people with ID. Relatives and professionals who were closest to the person at the end of their life were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and data were analyzed inductively, using elements of thematic analysis. Five shifts were found: 1) adapting to a new strategy of comforting care, taking over tasks and symptom relief, 2) interweaving of emotional and professional involvement, 3) stronger reliance on the joint interpretation of signals expressing distress and pain, 4) magnified feeling of responsibility in medical decisions, 5) intensified caring relationship between 'two families': relatives and care staff. Six relational values were behind these shifts: 'being there' for the person with ID, 'being responsive' to the person's needs, 'reflection' on their own emotions and caring relationships, 'attentiveness' to the ID person's wishes and expressions of distress, 'responsibility' for taking joint decisions in the best interests of the person, and 'openness to cooperation and sharing' the care with others. End-of-life care for people with ID involves curtailing expectations of participation and skill acquirement, and an increase in teamwork featuring intensified comforting care, symptom management and medical decision making. Three caring relationships need to be fostered: the relationship with the person with ID, relationships among professionals and the relationship between relatives and professionals. ID care services should invest particularly in the emotional support and expertise level of care staff, and in the collaboration between relatives and professionals.

The Borderline Personality--An Adlerian Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rattner, Leo

The person with a borderline personality is considered to be neither neurotic nor psychotic, but to exist somewhere in between these two diagnostic categories. Psychoanalytic theorists who have researched the phenomenon of the borderline personality have shifted their emphasis away from Freud's instinct psychology and toward an ego psychology…

High Levels Of Capitation Payments Needed To Shift Primary Care Toward Proactive Team And Nonvisit Care.

PubMed

Basu, Sanjay; Phillips, Russell S; Song, Zirui; Bitton, Asaf; Landon, Bruce E

2017-09-01

Capitated payments in the form of fixed monthly payments to cover all of the costs associated with delivering primary care could encourage primary care practices to transform the way they deliver care. Using a microsimulation model incorporating data from 969 US practices, we sought to understand whether shifting to team- and non-visit-based care is financially sustainable for practices under traditional fee-for-service, capitated payment, or a mix of the two. Practice revenues and costs were computed for fee-for-service payments and a range of capitated payments, before and after the substitution of team- and non-visit-based services for low-complexity in-person physician visits. The substitution produced financial losses for simulated practices under fee-for-service payment of $42,398 per full-time-equivalent physician per year; however, substitution produced financial gains under capitated payment in 95 percent of cases, if more than 63 percent of annual payments were capitated. Shifting to capitated payment might create an incentive for practices to increase their delivery of team- and non-visit-based primary care, if capitated payment levels were sufficiently high. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Negotiating Academic Teacher Identity Shifts during Higher Education Contextual Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNaughton, Susan Maree; Billot, Jennie

2016-01-01

Higher education teachers' roles and identities are constantly shifting in response to contextual change. Pedagogy, values, and professional and personal narratives of self are all affected, particularly by technological change. This paper explores the role and identity shifts of academics during the introduction of large-class videoconferencing.…

Building on transformative learning and response shift theory to investigate health-related quality of life changes over time in individuals with chronic health conditions and disability.

PubMed

Barclay-Goddard, Ruth; King, Judy; Dubouloz, Claire-Jehanne; Schwartz, Carolyn E

2012-02-01

A major goal of treatment for people living with chronic illness or disability is self-management leading to optimized health-related quality of life. This change process has been described in the adult education literature as transformative learning, while in health-related quality of life research, response shift has emerged as a key concept. Response shift and transformative learning literature were reviewed, and the theoretical frameworks of the 2 concepts were compared and contrasted. Response shift is described as a change in internal standards, values, or definition of a construct (eg, health-related quality of life) over time, commonly seen in individuals with chronic illness. In the context of chronic illness, transformative learning is described as a complex process of personal change including beliefs, feelings, knowledge, and values. Transformative learning is often triggered by the diagnosis of a chronic illness. This results in a critical reflection of taken-for-granted assumptions and leads to new ways of thinking, influencing personal changes in daily living. Comparing the models of response shift and transformative learning in chronic illness, the catalyst in response shift appears comparable with the trigger in transformational learning; mechanisms to process of changing; and perceived quality of life to outcomes. Both transformative learning and response shift have much to offer health care providers in understanding the learning process for the person living with chronic illness or disability to optimize their quality of life. Suggestions for future research in response shift and transformative learning in individuals with chronic health conditions and disability are proposed. Copyright © 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2010 report from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR): current uses and outcomes of hematopoietic cell transplants for blood and bone marrow disorders.

PubMed

Pasquini, Marcelo C; Wang, Zhiwei; Horowitz, Mary M; Gale, Robert Peter

2010-01-01

These data indicate increasing use of HCT for persons with blood and bone marrow disorders. Recent trends include increasing use of alternative donors including HLA-matched unrelated persons and of HLA-matched umbilical cord blood cells, increasing use of blood cell rather than bone marrow grafts and increasing use of reduced-intensity pretransplant conditioning regimens. Many of these shifts are driven by logistical considerations like the need for donors in persons without an HLA-identical sibling or expanding access to allotransplants to older patients. In other instances, like the shift from bone marrow to blood cell grafts or from conventional to reduced-intensity pretransplant conditioning regimens few randomized clinical trials have been reported to justify these shifts. More data are needed to critically-assess the impact of these changes.

Exposure data from multi-application, multi-industry maintenance of surfaces and joints sealed with asbestos-containing gaskets and packing.

PubMed

Boelter, Fred; Simmons, Catherine; Hewett, Paul

2011-04-01

Fluid sealing devices (gaskets and packing) containing asbestos are manufactured and blended with binders such that the asbestos fibers are locked in a matrix that limits the potential for fiber release. Occasionally, fluid sealing devices fail and need to be replaced or are removed during preventive maintenance activities. This is the first study known to pool over a decade's worth of exposure assessments involving fluid sealing devices used in a variety of applications. Twenty-one assessments of work activities and air monitoring were performed under conditions with no mechanical ventilation and work scenarios described as "worst-case" conditions. Frequently, the work was conducted using aggressive techniques, along with dry removal practices. Personal and area samples were collected and analyzed in accordance with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Methods 7400 and 7402. A total of 782 samples were analyzed by phase contrast microscopy, and 499 samples were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. The statistical data analysis focused on the overall data sets which were personal full-shift time-weighted average (TWA) exposures, personal 30-min exposures, and area full-shift TWA values. Each data set contains three estimates of exposure: (1) total fibers; (2) asbestos fibers only but substituting a value of 0.0035 f/cc for censored data; and (3) asbestos fibers only but substituting the limit of quantification value for censored data. Censored data in the various data sets ranged from 7% to just over 95%. Because all the data sets were censored, the geometric mean and geometric standard deviation were estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Nonparametric, Kaplan-Meier, and lognormal statistics were applied and found to be consistent and reinforcing. All three sets of statistics suggest that the mean and median exposures were less than 25% of 0.1 f/cc 8-hr TWA sample or 1.0 f/cc 30-min samples, and that there is at least 95% confidence that the true 95th percentile exposures are less than 0.1 f/cc as an 8-hr TWA.

LSD-induced entropic brain activity predicts subsequent personality change.

PubMed

Lebedev, A V; Kaelen, M; Lövdén, M; Nilsson, J; Feilding, A; Nutt, D J; Carhart-Harris, R L

2016-09-01

Personality is known to be relatively stable throughout adulthood. Nevertheless, it has been shown that major life events with high personal significance, including experiences engendered by psychedelic drugs, can have an enduring impact on some core facets of personality. In the present, balanced-order, placebo-controlled study, we investigated biological predictors of post-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) changes in personality. Nineteen healthy adults underwent resting state functional MRI scans under LSD (75µg, I.V.) and placebo (saline I.V.). The Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) was completed at screening and 2 weeks after LSD/placebo. Scanning sessions consisted of three 7.5-min eyes-closed resting-state scans, one of which involved music listening. A standardized preprocessing pipeline was used to extract measures of sample entropy, which characterizes the predictability of an fMRI time-series. Mixed-effects models were used to evaluate drug-induced shifts in brain entropy and their relationship with the observed increases in the personality trait openness at the 2-week follow-up. Overall, LSD had a pronounced global effect on brain entropy, increasing it in both sensory and hierarchically higher networks across multiple time scales. These shifts predicted enduring increases in trait openness. Moreover, the predictive power of the entropy increases was greatest for the music-listening scans and when "ego-dissolution" was reported during the acute experience. These results shed new light on how LSD-induced shifts in brain dynamics and concomitant subjective experience can be predictive of lasting changes in personality. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3203-3213, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effect of cockpit noise on the temporary threshold shift of Cessna 172SP flight instructors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellini, Andrew Robert

The purpose of this thesis was to study the temporary threshold shift of general aviation flight instructors resulting from their working environment. Exposure to noise before a temporary threshold shift completely recovers can cause a permanent threshold shift with no possibility of recovery, resulting in permanent hearing loss. A result showing minimal to no temporary threshold shift would indicate that hearing personal protective equipment is working properly. This study used sound-level measurements, and audiometric testing, together with survey data to determine whether or not flight instructors were at risk for potential hearing impairment due to temporary threshold shift. Independent t-tests and descriptive statistics were used in analyzing the data. It was determined that there was a difference in temporary threshold shift based on the number of hours a flight instructor flies in a Cessna 172SP for only one frequency - 2000Hz in the left ear. All other frequencies tested in both ears showed no difference. Because there was a very low mean temporary threshold shift at 2000Hz in the left ear and no differences shown for all other frequencies in both ears, it was concluded that there was no need to improve or require additional hearing personal protective equipment, or to require decreased exposure times to aircraft noise.

Future perspectives of personalized medicine in traditional Chinese medicine: a systems biology approach.

PubMed

Zhang, Aihua; Sun, Hui; Wang, Ping; Han, Ying; Wang, Xijun

2012-01-01

Deconstruction of molecular pathways and advances in enabling technology platforms have opened new horizons for disease management, exploring therapeutic solutions to each individual patient beyond the one-size fits all practice. Application of personalized medicine paradigms aims to achieve the right diagnosis and right treatment for the right patient at the right time at the right cost. With the potential to transform medical practice across global communities, personalized medicine is emerging as the flagship of modern medicine. In recent years, the health care paradigm has shifted from a focus on diseases to a major hot of personalized traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with holistic approach. TCM focuses on health maintenance, emphasizes on enhancing the body's resistance to diseases and especially showes great advantages in early intervention, personalized and combination therapies, etc. Systems biology, a new science of the 21st century, becomes practically available and resembles TCM in many aspects such as study method and design, and is current key component technologies that serves as the major driving force for translation of the personalized medicine revolution of TCM principles into practice, will advance personalized therapy principles into healthcare management tools for individuals and populations. Such system approach concepts are transforming principles of TCM to modern therapeutic approaches, enable a predictive and preventive medicine and will lead to personalized medicine. To realise the full potential of personalized TCM, we describe the current status of principles and practice of TCM integrated with systems biology platform. Some characteristic examples are presented to highlight the application of this platform to personalized TCM research and development as well as some of the necessary milestones for moving TCM into mainstream health care. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unaware person recognition from the body when face identification fails.

PubMed

Rice, Allyson; Phillips, P Jonathon; Natu, Vaidehi; An, Xiaobo; O'Toole, Alice J

2013-11-01

How does one recognize a person when face identification fails? Here, we show that people rely on the body but are unaware of doing so. State-of-the-art face-recognition algorithms were used to select images of people with almost no useful identity information in the face. Recognition of the face alone in these cases was near chance level, but recognition of the person was accurate. Accuracy in identifying the person without the face was identical to that in identifying the whole person. Paradoxically, people reported relying heavily on facial features over noninternal face and body features in making their identity decisions. Eye movements indicated otherwise, with gaze duration and fixations shifting adaptively toward the body and away from the face when the body was a better indicator of identity than the face. This shift occurred with no cost to accuracy or response time. Human identity processing may be partially inaccessible to conscious awareness.

30 CFR 75.360 - Preshift examination at fixed intervals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... during the oncoming shift. (2) Belt conveyors that will be used to transport persons during the oncoming shift and the entries in which these belt conveyors are located. (3) Working sections and areas where...

From sedentary to active school commute: Multi-level factors associated with travel mode shifts.

PubMed

Lee, Chanam; Yoon, Jeongjae; Zhu, Xuemei

2017-02-01

Previous research has examined personal, social, and environmental correlates of active commuting to school, but most were cross-sectional and mode choice studies. This exploratory case study utilized a retrospective natural experiment opportunity, where a group of students transferred to a new school, and therefore experienced changes in their home-to-school travel environments. It examined whether such changes led to mode shifts from sedentary (car or school bus) to active (walking and bicycling) and what factors were associated with those shifts. Retrospective parental survey data (n=165, response rate=46%) were collected in 2011 from a new elementary school that opened in 2010 in Austin, Texas. The survey asked about the child's school travel mode and parental perceptions of home-to-school travel environments before and after the transfer, as well as personal and social factors. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to predict the odds of shifting from sedentary to active modes, using personal, social, and physical environmental variables. Sixty-eight (41.2%) respondents reported a sedentary-to-active mode shift for school commuting. Such shifts were associated with changes in school travel environments (e.g., shorter travel distance, improved safety, and decreased availability of bike lanes/paths) and relevant programs/services (e.g., increase in walking-promotion programs, and decrease in school bus service due to shortened distances). Targeting the current sedentary mode users is important to bring health benefits through increased physical activity and environmental benefits from reduced automobile use. Sedentary-to-active mode shifts may be encouraged by providing walking-promotion programs and by reducing travel distances and safety threats en route to school. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The relationship of blood- and urine-boron to boron exposure in borax-workers and usefulness of urine-boron as an exposure marker.

PubMed Central

Culver, B D; Shen, P T; Taylor, T H; Lee-Feldstein, A; Anton-Culver, H; Strong, P L

1994-01-01

Daily dietary-boron intake and on-the-job inspired boron were compared with blood- and urine-boron concentrations in workers engaged in packaging and shipping borax. Fourteen workers handling borax at jobs of low, medium, and high dust exposures were sampled throughout full shifts for 5 consecutive days each. Airborne borax concentrations ranged from means of 3.3 mg/m3 to 18 mg/m3, measured gravimetrically. End-of-shift mean blood-boron concentrations ranged from 0.11 to 0.26 microgram/g; end-of-shift mean urine concentrations ranged from 3.16 to 10.72 micrograms/mg creatinine. Creatinine measures were used to adjust for differences in urine-specific gravity such that 1 ml of urine contains approximately 1 mg creatinine. There was no progressive increase in end-of-shift blood- or urine-boron concentrations across the days of the week. Urine testing done at the end of the work shift gave a somewhat better estimate of borate exposure than did blood testing, was sampled more easily, and was analytically less difficult to perform. Personal air samplers of two types were used: one, the 37-mm closed-face, two-piece cassette to estimate total dust and the other, the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) sampler to estimate inspirable particulate mass. Under the conditions of this study, the IOM air sampler more nearly estimated human exposure as measured by blood- and urine-boron levels than did the sampler that measured total dust.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:7889874

Annual Research Review: Building a science of personalized intervention for youth mental health.

PubMed

Ng, Mei Yi; Weisz, John R

2016-03-01

Within the past decade, health care service and research priorities have shifted from evidence-based medicine to personalized medicine. In mental health care, a similar shift to personalized intervention may boost the effectiveness and clinical utility of empirically supported therapies (ESTs). The emerging science of personalized intervention will need to encompass evidence-based methods for determining which problems to target and in which order, selecting treatments and deciding whether and how to combine them, and informing ongoing clinical decision-making through monitoring of treatment response throughout episodes of care. We review efforts to develop these methods, drawing primarily from psychotherapy research with youths. Then we propose strategies for building a science of personalized intervention in youth mental health. The growing evidence base for personalizing interventions includes research on therapies adapted for specific subgroups; treatments targeting youths' environments; modular therapies; sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trials; measurement feedback systems; meta-analyses comparing treatments for specific patient characteristics; data-mining decision trees; and individualized metrics. The science of personalized intervention presents questions that can be addressed in several ways. First, to evaluate and organize personalized interventions, we propose modifying the system used to evaluate and organize ESTs. Second, to help personalizing research keep pace with practice needs, we propose exploiting existing randomized trial data to inform personalizing approaches, prioritizing the personalizing approaches likely to have the greatest impact, conducting more idiographic research, and studying tailoring strategies in usual care. Third, to encourage clinicians' use of personalized intervention research to inform their practice, we propose expanding outlets for research summaries and case studies, developing heuristic frameworks that incorporate personalizing approaches into practice, and integrating personalizing approaches into service delivery systems. Finally, to build a richer understanding of how and why treatments work for particular individuals, we propose accelerating research to identify mediators within and across RCTs, to isolate mechanisms of change, and to inform the shift from diagnoses to psychopathological processes. This ambitious agenda for personalized intervention science, although challenging, could markedly alter the nature of mental health care and the benefit provided to youths and families. © 2015 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Relationship Between Shift Work and Personality Traits of Nurses and Their Coping Strategies

PubMed Central

Farzianpour, Fereshteh; Nosrati, Saeadeh Ansari; Foroushani, Abbas Rahimi; Hasanpour, Fateme; Jelodar, Zahra Khakdel; Keykale, Meysam Safi; Bakhtiari, Mohammad; Sadeghi, Niusha Shahidi

2016-01-01

Background and Objective: Because of social progress, population growth, industrialization, and the requirements of some jobs, a significant percentage of employees are working in shifts. Shift work is considered a threat to health that could have unfavorable effects on various aspects of human life. This study investigated the relationship between shift work and the personality traits of nurses and their coping strategies in a selection of non-governmental hospitals in Tehran in 2014. Methods: This applied cross-sectional descriptive research employed the Standard Shift work Index and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) which, after confirmation of its validity and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha 0.73), were distributed among 305 nurses from 6 non-governmental hospitals in Tehran selected through cluster random sampling. Data was analyzed in two statistical levels: descriptive and inferential. Results: Results revealed that 43.6% of the nurses participating in the study were introverted and 56.4% were extroverted. There are significant relationships between age and physical health (P=0.008), sex and physical health (P=0.015), educational level and physical health (P=0.014), sex and cognitive, somatic anxiety (P=0.006), age and social-family status (P=0.001), marital status and social-family status (P=0.001), having a second job and social-family status (P=0.001), educational level and sleep and fatigue (P=0.002), work experience and coping strategies (P=0.044), and sleep and fatigue and personality traits (P=0.032). Conclusion: Complying with the standards of working hours for nurses and avoiding overtime when scheduling, especially for nurses with more work experience, can prevent the severe complications of shift work, enhance health, and ultimately enhance the quality of care. By improving the physical, psychological, and social health of nurses, the quality of patient care can be expected to improve, too. PMID:26652076

[Precision Nursing: Individual-Based Knowledge Translation].

PubMed

Chiang, Li-Chi; Yeh, Mei-Ling; Su, Sui-Lung

2016-12-01

U.S. President Obama announced a new era of precision medicine in the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI). This initiative aims to accelerate the progress of personalized medicine in light of individual requirements for prevention and treatment in order to improve the state of individual and public health. The recent and dramatic development of large-scale biologic databases (such as the human genome sequence), powerful methods for characterizing patients (such as genomics, microbiome, diverse biomarkers, and even pharmacogenomics), and computational tools for analyzing big data are maximizing the potential benefits of precision medicine. Nursing science should follow and keep pace with this trend in order to develop empirical knowledge and expertise in the area of personalized nursing care. Nursing scientists must encourage, examine, and put into practice innovative research on precision nursing in order to provide evidence-based guidance to clinical practice. The applications in personalized precision nursing care include: explanations of personalized information such as the results of genetic testing; patient advocacy and support; anticipation of results and treatment; ongoing chronic monitoring; and support for shared decision-making throughout the disease trajectory. Further, attention must focus on the family and the ethical implications of taking a personalized approach to care. Nurses will need to embrace the paradigm shift to precision nursing and work collaboratively across disciplines to provide the optimal personalized care to patients. If realized, the full potential of precision nursing will provide the best chance for good health for all.

Clinical application of the five-factor model.

PubMed

Widiger, Thomas A; Presnall, Jennifer Ruth

2013-12-01

The Five-Factor Model (FFM) has become the predominant dimensional model of general personality structure. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a clinical application. A substantial body of research indicates that the personality disorders included within the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) can be understood as extreme and/or maladaptive variants of the FFM (the acronym "DSM" refers to any particular edition of the APA DSM). In addition, the current proposal for the forthcoming fifth edition of the DSM (i.e., DSM-5) is shifting closely toward an FFM dimensional trait model of personality disorder. Advantages of this shifting conceptualization are discussed, including treatment planning. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Work-related symptoms and dose-response relationships for personal exposures and pulmonary function among woodworkers.

PubMed

Mandryk, J; Alwis, K U; Hocking, A D

1999-05-01

Four sawmills, a wood chipping mill, and five joineries in New South Wales, Australia, were studied for the effects of personal exposure to wood dust, endotoxins. (1-->3)-beta-D-glucans, Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi on lung function among woodworkers. Personal inhalable and respirable dust sampling was carried out. The lung function tests of workers were conducted before and after a workshift. The mean percentage cross-shift decrease in lung function was markedly high for woodworkers compared with the controls. Dose-response relationships among personal exposures and percentage cross-shift decrease in lung function and percentage predicted lung function were more pronounced among joinery workers compared with sawmill and chip mill workers. Woodworkers had markedly high prevalence of regular cough, phlegm, and chronic bronchitis compared with controls. Significant associations were found between percentage cross-shift decrease in FVC and regular phlegm and blocked nose among sawmill and chip mill workers. Both joinery workers and sawmill and chip mill workers showed significant relationships between percentage predicted lung function (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75%) and respiratory symptoms. Wood dust and biohazards associated with wood dust are potential health hazards and should be controlled.

Promoting personal safety of building service workers: issues and challenges.

PubMed

Chen, Shelley I; Skillen, D Lynn

2006-06-01

This exploratory, descriptive study conducted at a large western Canadian university solicited perceptions of personal safety among building service workers who perform night shift work alone. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted at approximately 10:00 p.m. or 7:00 a.m with a convenience sample of night building service workers in private or semi-private locations on the university campus. Transcribed interview data were subjected to inductive content analysis using descriptive, interpretive, and pattern coding (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Results suggest that building service night shift workers are exposed to personal safety hazards in their physical and psychosocial work environments. In addition, culturally and linguistically appropriate delivery of safety training and education about policies and procedures is required for culturally diverse building service workers. Promotion of personal safety in this heterogeneous worker population requires due diligence, assessment, and advocacy.

Discipline, Choice and the Educated Person: Reconstituting the University Student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Karen Jeong

2011-01-01

This project examines the social construction of the educated person. It describes and analyzes the different historical contexts and institutionalized views of persons and how these affect shifts in the relationships students are to have with knowledge. These changes in the curriculum are mediated by the broader cultural framework, which provides…

Judgment Research and the Dimensional Model of Personality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garb, Howard N.

2008-01-01

Comments on the original article "Plate tectonics in the classification of personality disorder: Shifting to a dimensional model," by T. A. Widiger and T. J. Trull. The purpose of this comment is to address (a) whether psychologists know how personality traits are currently assessed by clinicians and (b) the reliability and validity of those…

Deconstructing executive deficits among persons with autism: implications for cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Russo, Natalie; Flanagan, Tara; Iarocci, Grace; Berringer, Darlene; Zelazo, Philip David; Burack, Jacob A

2007-10-01

Individuals with autism demonstrate impairments on measures of executive function (EF) relative to typically developing comparison participants. EF is comprised of several processes including inhibition, working memory and set shifting that develop throughout the lifespan. Impairments in EF may appear early in development and persist, or may represent a more transient delay which resolves with time. Given the unevenness of the cognitive profile of persons with autism, understanding the development of EF poses methodological challenges. These issues include those related to matching measures and the choice of comparison participants to which the performance of persons with autism will be compared. In the current review, we attempt to break down the processes of inhibition, working memory and set shifting among persons with autism. We propose to do this within a developmental perspective that highlights how matching measures and comparison participants can affect the interpretation of research findings.

Two stage kickdown control system for a motor vehicle automatic transmission

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

Higashi, H.; Waki, K.; Fukuiri, M.

This patent describes a vehicle automatic transmission including a hydraulic torque converter and a transmission gear mechanism connected with the torque converter and having at least three gear stages of different gear ratios for forward drive. A principal feature of this system as described is a friction means for selecting one of the gear stages as well as a kickdown control means consisting of the first shift down circuit means for control of the friction means so that the transmission gear mechanism is shifted downward. A solenoid kick down means within the modality of the first shift down circuit andmore » a kick down switch means actuated by an engine control member when it is moved to a full power position provides control of the kick down solenoid and the effecting of a down shift. The shift down control means is composed of a second shift down circuit means for controlling the friction means so shift down occurs. The shift down solenoid contained in the second shift down circuit means in conjunction with a shift down switch actuated by engine control member movement to a position spaced a predetermined distance from the full power position control the shift down solenoid to effect a shift down. Thus this mechanism is actuated earlier than the kickdown switch means when the engine control member is moved toward the full power position. A time delay means from the time of actuation of the shift down switch means and controlling kickdown switch activation is also described.« less

Evaluating a Medical School's Climate for Women's Success: Outcomes for Faculty Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion

PubMed Central

Li, Yueju; Beckett, Laurel A.; Howell, Lydia Pleotis

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective: Women are under-represented in academia. Causative factors include challenges of career–family integration. We evaluated factors reflecting institutional culture (promotion, retention, hiring, and biasing language in promotion letters) as part of an intervention to help shift culture and raise awareness of flexibility policies at the University of California, Davis (UCD). Materials and Methods: Data on faculty use of family-friendly policies were obtained at baseline, and surveys for policy awareness were conducted pre(2010)/post(2013) an NIH-funded study educational intervention. Data on hires, separations, and promotions were obtained pre(2007–2009, 2234 person-year data points)/post(2010–2012, 2384 person-year data points) intervention and compared by logistic regression and for gender differences. Department promotion letters (53) were also analyzed for biasing language. Results: Policy use was overall low, highest for female assistant professors, and for maternity leave. Awareness significantly increased for all policies postintervention. Promotions decreased, likely because of increases in advancement deferrals or tenure clock extensions. Pre/postintervention, female and male hires were near parity for assistant professors, but female hires were substantially lower than males for associate (54% less likely, p = 0.03) and full professors (70% less likely, p = 0.002). Once hired, women were no more likely to separate than men. Fewer associate/full professors separated than assistant professors (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, respectively), regardless of gender. Language in promotion letters was not gender biased. Conclusions: We demonstrate a shift at UCD toward a culture of work–life flexibility, an environment in which letters of recommendation show very few biased descriptions, and in which assistant professor hiring is gender equitable. At the same time, a decrease in number of faculty members applying for promotion and an imbalance of men over women at senior hires independent of policy awareness may challenge the assumption that family-friendly policies, while promoting flexibility, also have a positive impact on professional advancement. PMID:28170291

Evaluating a Medical School's Climate for Women's Success: Outcomes for Faculty Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion.

PubMed

Villablanca, Amparo C; Li, Yueju; Beckett, Laurel A; Howell, Lydia Pleotis

2017-05-01

Women are under-represented in academia. Causative factors include challenges of career-family integration. We evaluated factors reflecting institutional culture (promotion, retention, hiring, and biasing language in promotion letters) as part of an intervention to help shift culture and raise awareness of flexibility policies at the University of California, Davis (UCD). Data on faculty use of family-friendly policies were obtained at baseline, and surveys for policy awareness were conducted pre(2010)/post(2013) an NIH-funded study educational intervention. Data on hires, separations, and promotions were obtained pre(2007-2009, 2234 person-year data points)/post(2010-2012, 2384 person-year data points) intervention and compared by logistic regression and for gender differences. Department promotion letters (53) were also analyzed for biasing language. Policy use was overall low, highest for female assistant professors, and for maternity leave. Awareness significantly increased for all policies postintervention. Promotions decreased, likely because of increases in advancement deferrals or tenure clock extensions. Pre/postintervention, female and male hires were near parity for assistant professors, but female hires were substantially lower than males for associate (54% less likely, p = 0.03) and full professors (70% less likely, p = 0.002). Once hired, women were no more likely to separate than men. Fewer associate/full professors separated than assistant professors (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, respectively), regardless of gender. Language in promotion letters was not gender biased. We demonstrate a shift at UCD toward a culture of work-life flexibility, an environment in which letters of recommendation show very few biased descriptions, and in which assistant professor hiring is gender equitable. At the same time, a decrease in number of faculty members applying for promotion and an imbalance of men over women at senior hires independent of policy awareness may challenge the assumption that family-friendly policies, while promoting flexibility, also have a positive impact on professional advancement.

Bright-light effects on cognitive performance in elderly persons working simulated night shifts: psychological well-being as a mediator?

PubMed

Kretschmer, Veronika; Schmidt, Klaus-Helmut; Griefahn, Barbara

2013-11-01

The present study examined whether the relationship between light exposure and cognitive functioning is mediated by psychological well-being in elderly persons working night shifts. The role of psychological well-being has been neglected so far in the relationship between bright light and cognitive performance. Sleepiness and mood were applied as indicators of psychological well-being. Cognitive functioning was examined in terms of concentration, working memory, and divided attention. A total of thirty-two test persons worked in three consecutive simulated night shifts, 16 under bright light (3,000 lux) and 16 under room light (300 lux). Concentration, working memory, and divided attention were measured by computerised tasks. The hypothesised mediators were recorded by questionnaires. Mediation analyses were conducted for estimating direct, total, and indirect effects in simple mediation models. Results indicate that sleepiness and mood did not function as mediators in the prediction of concentration, working memory, and/or divided attention by light exposure. Sleepiness led to an underestimation of the positive bright-light effect on concentration performance. Mood showed only a random effect due to the positive bright-light effect on working memory. Sleepiness and mood could completely be excluded as mediators in the relationship between light exposure and cognitive functioning. This study underlines that psychological well-being of elderly persons is not a critical component in the treatment of bright light on cognitive performance in the night shift workplace. In summary, it becomes evident that bright light has a strong direct and independent effect on cognitive performance, particularly on working memory and concentration.

Effective Discipline: A Positive Approach to Self-Direction and Personal Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schonberger, Vincent L.

1986-01-01

Teachers cannot expect to promote personal growth and responsible self-development by the use of coercive or manipulative power in the classroom. The need for shifting responsibility for discipline to the students themselves is discussed. (MT)

Compelled weightbearing in persons with hemiparesis following stroke: the effect of a lift insert and goal-directed balance exercise.

PubMed

Aruin, A S; Hanke, T; Chaudhuri, G; Harvey, R; Rao, N

2000-01-01

The hypotheses have been tested that 1) symmetry of weightbearing in persons who have sustained a stroke could be improved by the addition of a lift to the shoe on the non-paretic lower limb and 2) compelled weightbearing resulting from the addition of a lift in conjunction with targeted exercise helps to overcome the learned disuse of the paretic limb. Weightbearing on the paretic side was measured in eight persons with hemiparesis during quiet standing and in conditions of compelled weight shift. Compelled weight shifts were applied with special lifts to the shoe on the non-paretic limb of the subjects. An increase in symmetrical weightbearing was recorded in conditions of compelled weight shifts: 10-mm lift provided the best symmetry of bipedal standing. We suggest that improved symmetry of bipedal standing obtained with the lift of the non-paretic limb would help in overcoming the learned disuse of the affected limb. Pre- and post-test results of a person with hemiparesis who was wearing a shoe lift on the non-paretic limb during a 6-week physical therapy program showed statistically significant improvement of walking speed, stride length, and weightbearing. Such findings support the idea of using compelled weightbearing via lifting and targeted exercise during treatment.

Split-personality transmission: shifts like an automatic, saves fuel like a manual

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

Scott, D.

1981-11-01

The design, operation and performance of a British-invented automatic transmission which claims to result in fuel economy valves equal to those attained with manual shifts are described. Developed for both 4-speed and 6-speed transmissions, this transmission uses standard parts made for existing manual transmissions, rearranges the gear pairings, and relies on a microcomputer to pick the optimal shift points according to load requirements. (LCL)

Shifting Practices Toward Recovery-Oriented Care Through an E-Recovery Portal in Community Mental Health Care: A Mixed-Methods Exploratory Study

PubMed Central

Strand, Monica; Eng, Lillian Sofie; Børøsund, Elin; Varsi, Cecilie; Ruland, Cornelia

2017-01-01

Background Mental health care is shifting from a primary focus on symptom reduction toward personal recovery-oriented care, especially for persons with long-term mental health care needs. Web-based portals may facilitate this shift, but little is known about how such tools are used or the role they may play in personal recovery. Objective The aim was to illustrate uses and experiences with the secure e-recovery portal “ReConnect” as an adjunct to ongoing community mental health care and explore its potential role in shifting practices toward recovery. Methods ReConnect was introduced into two Norwegian mental health care communities and used for 6 months. The aim was to support personal recovery and collaboration between service users and health care providers. Among inclusion criteria for participation were long-term care needs and at least one provider willing to interact with service users through ReConnect. The portal was designed to support ongoing collaboration as each service user-provider dyad/team found appropriate and consisted of (1) a toolbox of resources for articulating and working with recovery processes, such as status/goals/activities relative to life domains (eg, employment, social network, health), medications, network map, and exercises (eg, sleep hygiene, mindfulness); (2) messaging with providers who had partial access to toolbox content; and (3) a peer support forum. Quantitative data (ie, system log, questionnaires) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data (eg, focus groups, forum postings) are presented relative to four recovery-oriented practice domains: personally defined recovery, promoting citizenship, working relationships, and organizational commitment. Results Fifty-six participants (29 service users and 27 providers) made up 29 service user-provider dyads. Service users reported having 11 different mental health diagnoses, with a median 2 (range 1-7) diagnoses each. The 27 providers represented nine different professional backgrounds. The forum was the most frequently used module with 1870 visits and 542 postings. Service users’ control over toolbox resources (eg, defining and working toward personal goals), coupled with peer support, activated service users in their personal recovery processes and in community engagement. Some providers (30%, 8/27) did not interact with service users through ReConnect. Dyads that used the portal resources did so in highly diverse ways, and participants reported needing more than 6 months to discover and adapt optimal uses relative to their individual and collaborative needs. Conclusions Regardless of providers’ portal use, service users’ control over toolbox resources, coupled with peer support, offered an empowering common frame of reference that represented a shift toward recovery-oriented practices within communities. Although service users’ autonomous use of the portal can eventually influence providers in the direction of recovery practices, a fundamental shift is unlikely without broader organizational commitments aligned with recovery principles (eg, quantified goals for service user involvement in care plans). PMID:28465277

Under Constant Attack: Personal Reflections of a Teacher Educator.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Elizabeth

1985-01-01

The personal reminiscences of a teacher educator ready to retire touch on changing attitudes toward education and the consequences of those attitudes: the shifting character of the bitter criticism teacher educators must endure whatever the current educational fashion. (PGD)

Caffeine for the prevention of injuries and errors in shift workers

PubMed Central

Ker, Katharine; Edwards, Philip James; Felix, Lambert M; Blackhall, Karen; Roberts, Ian

2014-01-01

Background Sleepiness leads to a deterioration in performance and attention, and is associated with an increased risk of injury. Jet lag and shift work disorder are circadian rhythm sleep disorders which result in sleepiness and can elevate injury risk. They create a need for individuals to operate at times which are different to those dictated by their circadian rhythms. Consequently there is also a need for interventions to help ensure that these persons can do so safely. Caffeine has a potential role in promoting alertness during times of desired wakefulness in persons with jet lag or shift work disorder, however its effects on injury and error are unclear. Objectives To assess the effects of caffeine for preventing injuries caused by impaired alertness in persons with jet lag or shift work disorder. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, TRANSPORT (to July 2008); and PubMed databases (to April 2010). We also searched the Internet and checked reference lists of relevant papers. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials investigating the effects of caffeine on injury, error or cognitive performance in people with jet lag or shift work disorder. Data collection and analysis Two authors independently screened search results and assessed full texts for inclusion. Data were extracted and risk of bias was assessed. Estimates of treatment effect (odds ratio and standardised mean difference (SMD)) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated and pooled using the fixed-effect model. Main results Thirteen trials were included. None measured an injury outcome. Two trials measured error, and the remaining trials used neuropsychological tests to assess cognitive performance. The trials assessing the impact on errors found that caffeine significantly reduced the number of errors compared to placebo. The pooled effect estimates on performance by cognitive domain suggest that, when compared to placebo, caffeine improved concept formation and reasoning (SMD −0.41; 95% CI −1.04 to 0.23), memory (SMD −1.08; 95% CI −2.07 to −0.09), orientation and attention (SMD −0.55; 95% CI −0.83 to −0.27) and perception (SMD −0.77; 95% CI −1.73 to 0.20); although there was no beneficial effect on verbal functioning and language skills (SMD 0.18; 95% CI −0.50 to 0.87). One trial comparing the effects of caffeine with a nap found that there were significantly less errors made in the caffeine group. Other trials comparing caffeine with other active interventions (for example nap, bright light, modafinil) found no significant differences. There is a high risk of bias for the adequacy of allocation concealment and presence of selective outcome reporting amongst the trials. Authors’ conclusions Caffeine may be an effective intervention for improving performance in shift workers however, there are no trials from which we can assess its effect on injuries. The results largely originate from studies involving young participants under simulated conditions, and the extent to which the findings are generalisable to older workers and real world shift work is unclear. Based on the current evidence, there is no reason for healthy individuals who already use caffeine within recommended levels to improve their alertness to stop doing so. The assessment of the relative effects of caffeine to other potential countermeasures should be a focus of future research. PMID:20464765

Caffeine for the prevention of injuries and errors in shift workers.

PubMed

Ker, Katharine; Edwards, Philip James; Felix, Lambert M; Blackhall, Karen; Roberts, Ian

2010-05-12

Sleepiness leads to a deterioration in performance and attention, and is associated with an increased risk of injury. Jet lag and shift work disorder are circadian rhythm sleep disorders which result in sleepiness and can elevate injury risk. They create a need for individuals to operate at times which are different to those dictated by their circadian rhythms. Consequently there is also a need for interventions to help ensure that these persons can do so safely. Caffeine has a potential role in promoting alertness during times of desired wakefulness in persons with jet lag or shift work disorder, however its effects on injury and error are unclear. To assess the effects of caffeine for preventing injuries caused by impaired alertness in persons with jet lag or shift work disorder. We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, TRANSPORT (to July 2008); and PubMed databases (to April 2010). We also searched the Internet and checked reference lists of relevant papers. Randomised controlled trials investigating the effects of caffeine on injury, error or cognitive performance in people with jet lag or shift work disorder. Two authors independently screened search results and assessed full texts for inclusion. Data were extracted and risk of bias was assessed. Estimates of treatment effect (odds ratio and standardised mean difference (SMD)) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated and pooled using the fixed-effect model. Thirteen trials were included. None measured an injury outcome. Two trials measured error, and the remaining trials used neuropsychological tests to assess cognitive performance. The trials assessing the impact on errors found that caffeine significantly reduced the number of errors compared to placebo. The pooled effect estimates on performance by cognitive domain suggest that, when compared to placebo, caffeine improved concept formation and reasoning (SMD -0.41; 95% CI -1.04 to 0.23), memory (SMD -1.08; 95% CI -2.07 to -0.09), orientation and attention (SMD -0.55; 95% CI -0.83 to -0.27) and perception (SMD -0.77; 95% CI -1.73 to 0.20); although there was no beneficial effect on verbal functioning and language skills (SMD 0.18; 95% CI -0.50 to 0.87). One trial comparing the effects of caffeine with a nap found that there were significantly less errors made in the caffeine group. Other trials comparing caffeine with other active interventions (for example nap, bright light, modafinil) found no significant differences. There is a high risk of bias for the adequacy of allocation concealment and presence of selective outcome reporting amongst the trials. Caffeine may be an effective intervention for improving performance in shift workers however, there are no trials from which we can assess its effect on injuries. The results largely originate from studies involving young participants under simulated conditions, and the extent to which the findings are generalisable to older workers and real world shift work is unclear. Based on the current evidence, there is no reason for healthy individuals who already use caffeine within recommended levels to improve their alertness to stop doing so. The assessment of the relative effects of caffeine to other potential countermeasures should be a focus of future research.

Smoking, health, risk, and perception.

PubMed

Carbone, Jared C; Kverndokk, Snorre; Røgeberg, Ole Jørgen

2005-07-01

We provide a description of health-related incentives faced by a rational smoker by considering the role of perception in both immediate quality-of-life effects of smoking and future risk of mortality. A person who adapts psychologically to a lowered health state, smokes more early in life and shifts demands for health investments and health-complementary activities later in life. He also smokes more in total. Someone aware of the full mortality consequences of smoking, smokes less and demands less medical care than someone who believes that these effects are highly reversible. The impacts of new information on mortality risk are most valuable early in life. Lastly, someone endowed with a longer life expectancy smokes more in the first part of life but conditional on access to medical care.

Legal capacity of persons with disabilities in Ethiopia: The need to reform existing legal frameworks.

PubMed

Marishet, Mohammed Hamza

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) prohibited deprivation legal capacity of persons with disability based on assessment of mental capacity. The assertion is that, persons with disabilities shall exercise their legal capacity in all aspects of life without any restrictions that are based on mental incapacity (such as, unsoundness of mind, deficit in mental capacity, dotage, etc. This approach signifies a shift from substituted decision making, where another person act on behalf of persons with mental disabilities, to supported decision making where the person with mental disability is assisted in decision making. The rationale for the move lies on the recognition that the right to legal capacity embodies the inherent meaning of what it meant to be human. Without legal capacity a person cannot exercise all other rights and entitlements. Accordingly, States parties to CRPD are required to reform domestic legislations that are based on substituted decision making model and recognize full legal capacity of persons with disabilities in line with supported decision making model. As a Sate party to CRPD, Ethiopia assumed the same obligation. Nonetheless, in its initial report to the Committee on CRPD, the country denies existence of legislation that restricts legal capacity on the grounds of mental incapacity. This research found out that there are restrictions imposed on legal capacity of persons with disabilities on the basis of mental incapacity/disability. The research analyzed the approach employed to restrict legal capacity under the existing legal frameworks of Ethiopia vis-à-vis supported decision-making regime under CRPD. The research is doctrinal and, as such, limited to content analysis of general and specific legal capacity laws of the country (such as, marriage, divorce, will, work and employment, political participation, access to justice and others). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bar workers' exposure to second-hand smoke: the effect of Scottish smoke-free legislation on occupational exposure.

PubMed

Semple, Sean; Maccalman, Laura; Naji, Audrey Atherton; Dempsey, Scott; Hilton, Shona; Miller, Brian G; Ayres, Jon G

2007-10-01

To examine changes in bar workers' exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) over a 12-month period before and after the introduction of Scottish smoke-free legislation on the 26 March 2006. A total of 371 bar workers were recruited from 72 bars in three cities: Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and small towns in two rural regions (Borders and Aberdeenshire). Prior to the introduction of the smoke-free legislation, we visited all participants in their place of work and collected saliva samples, for the measurement of cotinine, together with details on work patterns, self-reported exposure to SHS at work and non-work settings and smoking history. This was repeated 2 months post-legislation and again in the spring of 2007. In addition, we gathered full-shift personal exposure data from a small number of Aberdeen bar workers using a personal aerosol monitor for fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) at the baseline and 2 months post-legislation visits. Data were available for 371 participants at baseline, 266 (72%) at 2 months post-legislation and 191 (51%) at the 1-year follow-up. The salivary cotinine level recorded in non-smokers fell from a geometric mean of 2.94 ng ml(-1) prior to introduction of the legislation to 0.41 ng ml(-1) at 1-year follow-up. Paired data showed a reduction in non-smokers' cotinine levels of 89% [95% confidence interval (CI) 85-92%]. For the whole cohort, the duration of workplace exposure to SHS within the last 7 days fell from 28.5 to 0.83 h, though some bar workers continued to report substantial SHS exposures at work despite the legislation. Smokers also demonstrated reductions in their salivary cotinine levels of 12% (95% CI 3-20%). This may reflect both the reduction in SHS exposure at work and falls in active cigarette smoking in this group. In a small sub-sample of bar workers, full-shift personal exposure to PM(2.5), a marker of SHS concentrations, showed average reductions of 86% between baseline and 2 months after implementation of the legislation. Most bar workers have experienced very large reductions in their workplace exposure to SHS as a result of smoke-free legislation in Scotland. These reductions have been sustained over a period of 1 year.

Educational and intervention strategies for improving a shift system: an experience in a disabled persons' facility.

PubMed

Sakai, K; Watanabe, A; Kogi, K

1993-01-01

The improvement of an irregular three-shift system with anti-clockwise rotation of workers of a disabled persons' facility covering 42 h a week was a subject for management-labour debate. Workers were complaining of physical fatigue, high prevalence of low back pain, sleep shortages associated with short inter-shift intervals, and irregular holidays. With the co-operation of trade union members, an educational and intervention programme was designed to analyse, plan, and implement improved shift rotation schemes. The programme consisted of (a) a group study on the existing system and effects on health and working life; (b) joint planning of potential schemes; (c) communication and feedback (d) testing and evaluation; and (e) agreement on an improved system. The group study was undertaken by means of time study, questionnaire and physiological methods, and the results were jointly discussed. This led to the planning of alternative shift schemes incorporating more regular, clockwise rotation. It was agreed to stage a trial period with a view to shorter working hours. This experience indicated the importance of a stepwise intervention strategy with frequent dialogues and a participatory process focusing on the broad range of working life and health issues.

[THE INFLUENCE OF SHIFT WORK ON WORKER'S HEALTH STATUS (REVIEW)].

PubMed

Chernikova, E F

2015-01-01

The article provides an overview of domestic and foreign works on the impact of the replaceable labor on the efficiency, general state of health, the health and the dream of workers. Many hours shifts and overtime work were found to disturb likely familiar rhythms (sleep, wakefulness, performance), change the metabolic and hormonal metabolisms, reducing the recovery period between duties, contribute to more rapid development of fatigue. The consequence of circadian dyschrony may be the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system and cancer incidence. Studies have shown that sleep disorders are associated with metabolic changes, and particularly, obesity. In persons working in shifts, there are more often registered as individual features of the metabolic syndrome and the whole syndrome. It is noted that persons forming this group are at higher risk of developing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, the problem of shift work is presented to be very important. Knowledge of ways and mechanisms that explain the impact of shift work on health is necessary to evaluate the professional risk. In the system of health measures the attention should be given to the rationalization of work and rest regimens, prevention of fatigue, struggle with sleep disorders and obesity.

Work Shifts and Disability: A National View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Presser, Harriet B.; Altman, Barbara

2002-01-01

More than one-fifth of employed persons with disabilities work late or rotating shifts, about the same as nondisabled workers. Day workers with disabilities receive lower hourly wages than nondisabled workers. Except for men, nonday workers with disabilities receive wages similar to their nondisabled counterparts. (Contains 27 references.)…

Interventions for preventing injuries caused by impaired alertness in individuals with jet lag and shift work disorder

PubMed Central

Ker, Katharine; Edwards, Philip James; Roberts, Ian; Blackhall, Karen; Felix, Lambert M

2014-01-01

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of interventions for preventing injuries caused by impaired alertness in persons with jet lag or shift work disorder. PMID:25267894

The neuropsychology of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: a new analysis.

PubMed

Fineberg, Naomi A; Day, Grace A; de Koenigswarter, Nica; Reghunandanan, Samar; Kolli, Sangeetha; Jefferies-Sewell, Kiri; Hranov, Georgi; Laws, Keith R

2015-10-01

Obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is characterized by perfectionism, need for control, and cognitive rigidity. Currently, little neuropsychological data exist on this condition, though emerging evidence does suggest that disorders marked by compulsivity, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), are associated with impairment in cognitive flexibility and executive planning on neurocognitive tasks. The current study investigated the neurocognitive profile in a nonclinical community-based sample of people fulfilling diagnostic criteria for OCPD in the absence of major psychiatric comorbidity. Twenty-one nonclinical subjects who fulfilled Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for OCPD were compared with 15 healthy controls on selected clinical and neurocognitive tasks. OCPD was measured using the Compulsive Personality Assessment Scale (CPAS). Participants completed tests from the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery including tests of set shifting (Intra-Extra Dimensional [IED] Set Shifting) executive planning (Stockings of Cambridge [SOC]), and decision making (Cambridge Gamble Task [CGT]). The OCPD group made significantly more IED-ED shift errors and total shift errors, and also showed longer mean initial thinking time on the SOC at moderate levels of difficulty. No differences emerged on the CGT. Nonclinical cases of OCPD showed significant cognitive inflexibility coupled with executive planning deficits, whereas decision-making remained intact. This profile of impairment overlaps with that of OCD and implies that common neuropsychological changes affect individuals with these disorders.

Characterization of Urinary Phthalate Metabolites Among Custodians

PubMed Central

Cavallari, Jennifer M.; Simcox, Nancy J.; Wakai, Sara; Lu, Chensheng; Garza, Jennifer L.; Cherniack, Martin

2015-01-01

Phthalates, a ubiquitous class of chemicals found in consumer, personal care, and cleaning products, have been linked to adverse health effects. Our goal was to characterize urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and to identify work and nonwork sources among custodians using traditional cleaning chemicals and ‘green’ or environmentally preferable products (EPP). Sixty-eight custodians provided four urine samples on a workday (first void, before shift, end of shift, and before bedtime) and trained observers recorded cleaning tasks and types of products used (traditional, EPP, or disinfectant) hourly over the work shifts. Questionnaires were used to assess personal care product use. Four different phthalate metabolites [monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monomethyl phthalate (MMP), mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), and monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP)] were quantified using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Geometric means (GM) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for creatinine-adjusted urinary phthalate concentrations. Mixed effects univariate and multivariate modeling, using a random intercept for each individual, was performed to identify predictors of phthalate metabolites including demographics, workplace factors, and personal care product use. Creatinine-adjusted urinary concentrations [GM (95% CI)] of MEP, MMP, MEHP, and MBzP were 107 (91.0–126), 2.69 (2.18–3.30), 6.93 (6.00–7.99), 8.79 (7.84–9.86) µg g−1, respectively. An increasing trend in phthalate concentrations from before to after shift was not observed. Creatinine-adjusted urinary MEP was significantly associated with frequency of traditional cleaning chemical intensity in the multivariate model after adjusting for potential confounding by demographics, workplace factors, and personal care product use. While numerous demographics, workplace factors, and personal care products were statistically significant univariate predictors of MMP, MEHP, and MBzP, few associations persisted in multivariate models. In summary, among this population of custodians, we identified both occupational and nonoccupational predictors of phthalate exposures. Identification of phthalates as ingredients in cleaning chemicals and consumer products would allow workers and consumers to avoid phthalate exposure. PMID:26240196

Shifting between Third and First Person Points of View in EFL Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shokouhi, Hossein; Daram, Mahmood; Sabah, Somayeh

2011-01-01

This article reports on the difference between points of view in narrating a short story. The EFL learners taking part in the control group were required to recount the events from the third person perspective and the subjects in the experimental group from the first person perspective. The methodological frame of the study was based on Koven's…

Do Personality and Learning Climate Predict Competence for Learning? An Investigation in a Greek Academic Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntalianis, Filotheos

2010-01-01

The effects of personal characteristics (e.g. personality, aptitude, gender) on student performance, such as Grade Point Average (GPA) and course grades, have been systematically researched, with the emphasis being mainly on outcomes rather than the processes leading to them. The purpose of this paper is to shift the focus to students' perceived…

How personality became treatable: The mutual constitution of clinical knowledge and mental health law

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

In recent years, personality disorders – psychiatric constructs understood as enduring dysfunctions of personality – have come into ever-greater focus for British policymakers, mental health professionals and service-users. Disputes have focussed largely on highly controversial attempts by the UK Department of Health to introduce mental health law and policy (now enshrined within the 2007 Mental Health Act of England and Wales). At the same time, clinical framings of personality disorder have dramatically shifted: once regarded as untreatable conditions, severe personality disorders are today thought of by many clinicians to be responsive to psychiatric and psychological intervention. In this article, I chart this transformation by means of a diachronic analysis of debates and institutional shifts pertaining to both attempts to change the law, and understandings of personality disorder. In so doing, I show how mental health policy and practice have mutually constituted one another, such that the aims of clinicians and policymakers have come to be closely aligned. I argue that it is precisely through these reciprocally constitutive processes that the profound reconfiguration of personality disorder from being an obdurate to a plastic condition has occurred; this demonstrates the significance of interactions between law and the health professions in shaping not only the State’s management of pathology, but also perceptions of its very nature.

Urinary levoglucosan as a biomarker for woodsmoke exposure in wildland firefighters.

PubMed

Naeher, Luke P; Barr, Dana Boyd; Adetona, Olorunfemi; Simpson, Christopher D

2013-01-01

Levoglucosan, a sugar anhydride and a combustion breakdown product of cellulose is a dominant organic constituent of particles in woodsmoke. After exposure, levoglucosan is excreted unmetabolized in urine. Urinary levoglucosan was assessed as a biomarker of occupational woodsmoke exposure among wildland firefighters. Urine samples were collected from wildland firefighters before and after their work-shifts on days when they worked at prescribed burns. A total of 97 pairs of pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from 19 firefighters over 10 prescribed burn shifts. The urine samples were analyzed to determine whether there was an increase in the concentration of levoglucosan from pre- to post-shift after the firefighters had worked at the prescribed burns. Overall, there was an increase in both the urinary volume-based and creatinine corrected levoglucosan concentrations from pre- to post-shift (P < 0.05). However, the direction of change in the concentrations was not consistent. There were increases in urinary levoglucosan concentration from pre- to post-shift in 63% of the person-day samples, and in only 58% of the person-day samples for the creatinine corrected concentrations. Although there was an overall increase in urinary concentrations of levoglucosan, results suggest that other sources apart from woodsmoke affected the urinary levels of this biomarker in wildland firefighters. Therefore, urinary levoglucosan may not be effective as a biomarker of woodsmoke exposure in this setting.

Time Spent in Indirect Nursing Care

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-01

divisions of labor by nursing personnel: a) direct patient care (28-35%); b) indirect care (50-62%); and c) personal time (10-15%). In comparing the... personal time (13-18%) (Kuhn, 1983). It must be noted that, in the VA data, wait time (time waiting to render care) has been subsumed under personal time...interval during the entire eight-hour shift. The first task observed being performed by the monitored person was the activity documented. 5 U. ,. 1 -V

Exposure Assessment for Carbon Dioxide Gas: Full Shift Average and Short-Term Measurement Approaches.

PubMed

Hill, R Jedd; Smith, Philip A

2015-01-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) makes up a relatively small percentage of atmospheric gases, yet when used or produced in large quantities as a gas, a liquid, or a solid (dry ice), substantial airborne exposures may occur. Exposure to elevated CO2 concentrations may elicit toxicity, even with oxygen concentrations that are not considered dangerous per se. Full-shift sampling approaches to measure 8-hr time weighted average (TWA) CO2 exposures are used in many facilities where CO2 gas may be present. The need to assess rapidly fluctuating CO2 levels that may approach immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) conditions should also be a concern, and several methods for doing so using fast responding measurement tools are discussed in this paper. Colorimetric detector tubes, a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) detector, and a portable Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy instrument were evaluated in a laboratory environment using a flow-through standard generation system and were found to provide suitable accuracy and precision for assessing rapid fluctuations in CO2 concentration, with a possible effect related to humidity noted only for the detector tubes. These tools were used in the field to select locations and times for grab sampling and personal full-shift sampling, which provided laboratory analysis data to confirm IDLH conditions and 8-hr TWA exposure information. Fluctuating CO2 exposures are exemplified through field work results from several workplaces. In a brewery, brief CO2 exposures above the IDLH value occurred when large volumes of CO2-containing liquid were released for disposal, but 8-hr TWA exposures were not found to exceed the permissible level. In a frozen food production facility nearly constant exposure to CO2 concentrations above the permissible 8-hr TWA value were seen, as well as brief exposures above the IDLH concentration which were associated with specific tasks where liquid CO2 was used. In a poultry processing facility the use of dry ice to quickly freeze product produced a nearly constant CO2 concentration that caused exposures to approach the permissible 8-hr TWA exposure value.

Shift Verification and Validation

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

Pandya, Tara M.; Evans, Thomas M.; Davidson, Gregory G

2016-09-07

This documentation outlines the verification and validation of Shift for the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL). Five main types of problems were used for validation: small criticality benchmark problems; full-core reactor benchmarks for light water reactors; fixed-source coupled neutron-photon dosimetry benchmarks; depletion/burnup benchmarks; and full-core reactor performance benchmarks. We compared Shift results to measured data and other simulated Monte Carlo radiation transport code results, and found very good agreement in a variety of comparison measures. These include prediction of critical eigenvalue, radial and axial pin power distributions, rod worth, leakage spectra, and nuclide inventories over amore » burn cycle. Based on this validation of Shift, we are confident in Shift to provide reference results for CASL benchmarking.« less

World Bank Policy on Education: A Personal Account

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Psacharopoulos, George

2006-01-01

Based on the author's over two decades of association with the World Bank, this paper reviews the institution's policies and practice on education. It describes why education policy, as revealed by operations, shifted dramatically since the early Bank projects on education and identifies the reasons for such a shift. The paper argues that the…

Gender Shift through Adulthood: Educational Responses to Changing Lifespan Roles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Mary Alice

An interesting area of adult development is "gender shift": the transition from the traditional life patterns or ways of making meaning that are associated with stereotypically male or female roles. One may experience the wish to fulfill those parts of one's personality often associated with feminine or masculine constructs not yet explored.…

Negligible heat strain in armored vehicle officers wearing personal body armor

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Objectives This study evaluated the heat strain experienced by armored vehicle officers (AVOs) wearing personal body armor (PBA) in a sub-tropical climate. Methods Twelve male AVOs, aged 35-58 years, undertook an eight hour shift while wearing PBA. Heart rate and core temperature were monitored continuously. Urine specific gravity (USG) was measured before and after, and with any urination during the shift. Results Heart rate indicated an intermittent and low-intensity nature of the work. USG revealed six AVOs were dehydrated from pre through post shift, and two others became dehydrated. Core temperature averaged 37.4 ± 0.3°C, with maximum's of 37.7 ± 0.2°C. Conclusions Despite increased age, body mass, and poor hydration practices, and Wet-Bulb Globe Temperatures in excess of 30°C; the intermittent nature and low intensity of the work prevented excessive heat strain from developing. PMID:21801453

Extended workdays: Effects of 8-hour and 12-hour rotating shift schedules on test performance, subjective alertness, sleep patterns, and psychological variables

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

Rosa, R.R.; Colligan, M.J.; Lewis, P.

1986-06-01

A newly instituted 3 to 4 day/12-hr rotating shift schedule was compared to the previous 5 to 7 day/8-hr schedule using standard laboratory-type measures of performance and alertness, and a questionnaire on sleep patterns and other personal habits. After seven months adaptation to the new schedule, a preliminary analysis indicates that there were some decrements in alertness, reductions in sleep, and disruptions of other personal activities during 12-hr workdays. Gastro-intestinal state improved during night shift, however, and increases in self-reported stress were reduced by the shortened workweek. These results are discussed in terms of trade-offs between longer workdays and shortermore » workweeks. It is emphasized that at this time no determination can be made of the extent of risk associated with these changes in alertness.« less

Determinants of exposure to chemical pollutants in wet X-ray film processing in Iran.

PubMed

Kakooei, Hossein; Ardakani, Mehdi B; Sadighi, Alireza

2007-07-15

The aim of the current study was to measure glutaraldehyde, acetic acid and sulfur dioxide and levels inside wet x-ray processing areas in a developing country and comparing data with those in developed countries. Forty-five radiographers from 10 educational hospitals affiliated to the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) in Tehran, Iran participated in this descriptive-analytical study. Exposure to glutaraldehyde (a constituent of developer chemistry), acetic acid (a constituent of fixer chemistry) and sulfur dioxide (a byproduct of sulfites present in both developer and fixer solutions) was measured in all participants as well as area exposure. Average full-shift exposure to glutaraldehyde, acetic acid and sulfur dioxide were 0.0018, 2.65 and 1.64 mg m(-1), respectively. The results showed that the TUMS radiographers full-shift exposures are generally lower than the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommended levels. The concentration of glutaraldehyde collected by area sampling (darkroom) was almost five times (0.0104 mg m(-3)) greater than taken by personal sampling. Exposure to the chemical pollutants in the currents study were generally higher than in developed countries. Identification of these key exposure determinants is useful in targeting exposure evaluation and controls to reduce developer and fixer chemicals exposures in the radiology departments. Employing of a digital imaging system that do not involve wet x-ray processing of photographic film would be a useful device for radiographers protection.

The fluid events model: Predicting continuous task action change.

PubMed

Radvansky, Gabriel A; D'Mello, Sidney; Abbott, Robert G; Morgan, Brent; Fike, Karl; Tamplin, Andrea K

2015-01-01

The fluid events model is a behavioural model aimed at predicting the likelihood that people will change their actions in ongoing, interactive events. From this view, not only are people responding to aspects of the environment, but they are also basing responses on prior experiences. The fluid events model is an attempt to predict the likelihood that people will shift the type of actions taken within an event on a trial-by-trial basis, taking into account both event structure and experience-based factors. The event-structure factors are: (a) changes in event structure, (b) suitability of the current action to the event, and (c) time on task. The experience-based factors are: (a) whether a person has recently shifted actions, (b) how often a person has shifted actions, (c) whether there has been a dip in performance, and (d) a person's propensity to switch actions within the current task. The model was assessed using data from a series of tasks in which a person was producing responses to events. These were two stimulus-driven figure-drawing studies, a conceptually driven decision-making study, and a probability matching study using a standard laboratory task. This analysis predicted trial-by-trial action switching in a person-independent manner with an average accuracy of 70%, which reflects a 34% improvement above chance. In addition, correlations between overall switch rates and actual switch rates were remarkably high (mean r = .98). The experience-based factors played a more major role than the event-structure factors, but this might be attributable to the nature of the tasks.

Dimensional models of personality: the five-factor model and the DSM-5

PubMed Central

Trull, Timothy J.; Widiger, Thomas A.

2013-01-01

It is evident that the classification of personality disorder is shifting toward a dimensional trait model and, more specifically, the five-factor model (FFM). The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the FFM of personality disorder. It will begin with a description of this dimensional model of normal and abnormal personality functioning, followed by a comparison with a proposal for future revisions to DSM-5 and a discussion of its potential advantages as an integrative hierarchical model of normal and abnormal personality structure. PMID:24174888

Shift-invariant optical associative memories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Psaltis, Demetri; Hong, John

1987-01-01

Shift invariance in the context of associative memories is discussed. Two optical systems that exhibit shift invariance are described in detail with attention given to the analysis of storage capacities. It is shown that full shift invariance cannot be achieved with systems that employ only linear interconnections to store the associations.

Sociological Theory and Youth Aspiration Research: A Critical Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Picou, J. Steven; Wells, Richard H.

Reviewing sociological theories relative to youth aspiration research, the following thesis was presented: "pre-path analysis aspiration research was characterized by a person-centered, middle-range functionalist approach which eventually shifted to a person-centered, functionalist-system approach with the introduction of the path model…

30 CFR 57.5060 - Limit on exposure to diesel particulate matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... diesel particulate matter (DPM) in an underground mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent... particulate matter (DPM) in an underground mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent full shift... mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent full shift airborne concentration of 350...

30 CFR 57.5060 - Limit on exposure to diesel particulate matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... diesel particulate matter (DPM) in an underground mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent... particulate matter (DPM) in an underground mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent full shift... mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent full shift airborne concentration of 350...

30 CFR 57.5060 - Limit on exposure to diesel particulate matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... diesel particulate matter (DPM) in an underground mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent... particulate matter (DPM) in an underground mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent full shift... mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent full shift airborne concentration of 350...

30 CFR 57.5060 - Limit on exposure to diesel particulate matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... diesel particulate matter (DPM) in an underground mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent... particulate matter (DPM) in an underground mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent full shift... mine must not exceed an average eight-hour equivalent full shift airborne concentration of 350...

Shifting Practices Toward Recovery-Oriented Care Through an E-Recovery Portal in Community Mental Health Care: A Mixed-Methods Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Gammon, Deede; Strand, Monica; Eng, Lillian Sofie; Børøsund, Elin; Varsi, Cecilie; Ruland, Cornelia

2017-05-02

Mental health care is shifting from a primary focus on symptom reduction toward personal recovery-oriented care, especially for persons with long-term mental health care needs. Web-based portals may facilitate this shift, but little is known about how such tools are used or the role they may play in personal recovery. The aim was to illustrate uses and experiences with the secure e-recovery portal "ReConnect" as an adjunct to ongoing community mental health care and explore its potential role in shifting practices toward recovery. ReConnect was introduced into two Norwegian mental health care communities and used for 6 months. The aim was to support personal recovery and collaboration between service users and health care providers. Among inclusion criteria for participation were long-term care needs and at least one provider willing to interact with service users through ReConnect. The portal was designed to support ongoing collaboration as each service user-provider dyad/team found appropriate and consisted of (1) a toolbox of resources for articulating and working with recovery processes, such as status/goals/activities relative to life domains (eg, employment, social network, health), medications, network map, and exercises (eg, sleep hygiene, mindfulness); (2) messaging with providers who had partial access to toolbox content; and (3) a peer support forum. Quantitative data (ie, system log, questionnaires) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data (eg, focus groups, forum postings) are presented relative to four recovery-oriented practice domains: personally defined recovery, promoting citizenship, working relationships, and organizational commitment. Fifty-six participants (29 service users and 27 providers) made up 29 service user-provider dyads. Service users reported having 11 different mental health diagnoses, with a median 2 (range 1-7) diagnoses each. The 27 providers represented nine different professional backgrounds. The forum was the most frequently used module with 1870 visits and 542 postings. Service users' control over toolbox resources (eg, defining and working toward personal goals), coupled with peer support, activated service users in their personal recovery processes and in community engagement. Some providers (30%, 8/27) did not interact with service users through ReConnect. Dyads that used the portal resources did so in highly diverse ways, and participants reported needing more than 6 months to discover and adapt optimal uses relative to their individual and collaborative needs. Regardless of providers' portal use, service users' control over toolbox resources, coupled with peer support, offered an empowering common frame of reference that represented a shift toward recovery-oriented practices within communities. Although service users' autonomous use of the portal can eventually influence providers in the direction of recovery practices, a fundamental shift is unlikely without broader organizational commitments aligned with recovery principles (eg, quantified goals for service user involvement in care plans). ©Deede Gammon, Monica Strand, Lillian Sofie Eng, Elin Børøsund, Cecilie Varsi, Cornelia Ruland. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 02.05.2017.

The evolving potential of companion diagnostics.

PubMed

Khoury, Joseph D

2016-01-01

The scope of companion diagnostics in cancer has undergone significant shifts in the past few years, with increased development of targeted therapies and novel testing platforms. This has provided new opportunities to effect unprecedented paradigm shifts in the application of personalized medicine principles for patients with cancer. These shifts involve assay platforms, analytes, regulations, and therapeutic approaches. As opportunities involving each of these facets of companion diagnostics expand, close collaborations between key stakeholders should be enhanced to ensure optimal performance characteristics and patient outcomes.

Use of shift gradient in the second dimension to improve the separation space in comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Li, Duxin; Schmitz, Oliver J

2013-08-01

Comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC × LC) has received much attention because it offers much higher peak capacities than separation in a single dimension. The advantageous peak capacity makes it attractive for the separation of complex samples. Various gradient methods have been used in LC × LC systems. The use of continuous shift gradient is advantageous because it combines the peak compression effect of full gradient mode and the tailed gradient program in parallel gradient mode. Here, a comparison of LC × LC analysis of Chinese herbal medicine with full gradient mode and shift gradient mode in the second dimension was performed. A correlation between the first and second dimensions was found in full gradient mode, and this was significantly reduced with shift gradient mode. The orthogonality increased by 43.7%. The effective peak distribution area increased significantly, which produced better separation.

Short rest between shift intervals increases the risk of sick leave: a prospective registry study.

PubMed

Vedaa, Øystein; Pallesen, Ståle; Waage, Siri; Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Sivertsen, Børge; Erevik, Eilin; Svensen, Erling; Harris, Anette

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to use objective registry data to prospectively investigate the effects of quick returns (QR, <11 hours of rest between shifts) and night shifts on sick leave. A total of 1538 nurses (response rate =41.5%) answered questionnaires on demographics and personality and provided consent to link this information to registry data on shift work and sick leave from employers' records. A multilevel negative binomial model was used to investigate the predictive effect of exposure to night shifts and QR every month for 1 year, on sick leave the following month. Exposure to QR the previous month increased the risk for sick leave days (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=1.066, 95% CI 1.022 to 1.108, p<0.01) and sick leave spells (IRR=1.059, 95% CI 1.025 to 1.097, p<0.001) the following month, whereas night shifts did not. 83% per cent of the nurses experienced QR within a year, and on average they were exposed to 3.0 QR per month (SD=1.6). Personality characteristics associated with shift work tolerance (low on morningness, low on languidity and high on flexibility) were not associated with sick leave, and did not moderate the relationship between QR and sick leave. We found a positive linear relationship between QR and sick leave. Avoiding QR may help reduce workers' sick leave. The restricted recovery opportunity associated with QR may give little room for beneficial effects of individual characteristics usually associated with shift work tolerance. 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/.

Personal Development Plans: Insights from a Case Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenan, Peter

2016-01-01

Purpose: In light of contemporary shifts away from annual appraisals, this study aims to explore the implications of using a personal development plan (PDP) as a means of focussing on continuous feedback and development to improve individual performance and ultimately organisational performance. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected…

Beyond Physical Inclusion: Teaching Skills in the Community to Enhance Social Inclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Carmen L.

2017-01-01

Along with the deinstitutionalization movement, supports for persons with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) have shifted to promotion of person-centered supports inclusive in the community. Although successes have occurred regarding physical inclusion, skill building and social inclusion have not fared as well for those with more significant…

Professional Decision Making and Personal Ethics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Jay; Steele, Robert

1991-01-01

Discusses ethics regarding the journalism and mass communications professoriate. Suggests a schema or audit to positively address such issues as accountability and loyalty, values, and principles. Offers eight questions for a personal ethics audit which attempt to join good intentions with good decisions, and shift the enterprise to a positive…

Exploring the Discourses of Our Own Practice: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanguinetti, Jill

1994-01-01

Reflects on ideas of feminism and critical literacy and their significance in relation to the current policy environment. Topics explored include the dilemmas of personal development; issues of culture, power, and coercion; shifting the focus to teaching; personal and pedagogical influences; pedagogical praxis; and developing a collective…

Identity Development in Personal Branding Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Ann K.; Anumudu, Chinedu

2016-01-01

Increased technology, integration of the global economy, and the shift from investing in long-term employees to hiring temporary contract workers have spawned pervasive employment insecurity. This trend has led to a growing industry of career and marketing professionals, who have found a career niche in helping job seekers create personal brands…

Reclaiming the Gift: Indigenous Youth Counter-Narratives on Native Language Loss and Revitalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarty, Teresa L.; Romero, Mary Eunice; Zepeda, Ofelia

2006-01-01

In this article, the authors explore the personal, familial, and academic stakes of Native language loss for youth, drawing on narrative data from the Native Language Shift and Retention Project, a five year (2001-06), federally funded study of the nature and impacts of Native language shift and retention on American Indian students' language…

49 CFR 228.19 - Monthly reports of excess service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... period at an office where two or more shifts are employed. (2) A dispatching service employee is on duty for more than 12 hours in any 24-hour period at any office where one shift is employed. (e) For signal... organization shall verify the identity of the individual; (4) Persons using electronic signatures shall, prior...

Interactions between personality and institutions in cooperative behaviour in humans

PubMed Central

Schroeder, K. B.; Nettle, D.; McElreath, R.

2015-01-01

Laboratory attempts to identify relationships between personality and cooperative behaviour in humans have generated inconsistent results. This may partially stem from different practices in psychology and economics laboratories, with both hypothetical players and incentives typical only in the former. Another possible cause is insufficient consideration of the contexts within which social dilemmas occur. Real social dilemmas are often governed by institutions that change the payoff structure via rewards and punishments. However, such ‘strong situations’ will not necessarily suppress the effects of personality. On the contrary, they may affect some personalities differentially. Extraversion and neuroticism, reflecting variation in reward and punishment sensitivity, should predict modification of cooperative behaviour following changes to the payoff structure. We investigate interactions between personality and a punishment situation via two versions of a public goods game. We find that, even in a strong situation, personality matters and, moreover, it is related to strategic shifts in cooperation. Extraversion is associated with a shift from free-riding to cooperation in the presence of punishment, agreeableness is associated with initially higher contributions regardless of game, and, contrary to our predictions, neuroticism is associated with lower contributions regardless of game. Results should lead to new hypotheses that relate variation in biological functioning to individual differences in cooperative behaviour and that consider three-way interactions among personality, institutional context and sociocultural background. PMID:26503684

Fluid losses and hydration status of industrial workers under thermal stress working extended shifts

PubMed Central

Brake, D; Bates, G

2003-01-01

Aims: To assess whether workers under significant thermal stress necessarily dehydrated during their exposure and whether "involuntary dehydration" was inevitable, as supported by ISO 9866 and other authorities. Other objectives were to quantify sweat rates against recommended occupational limits, to develop a dehydration protocol to assist with managing heat exposures, and to understand the role of meal breaks on extended shifts in terms of fluid replacement. Methods: A field investigation to examine the fluid consumption, sweat rates, and changes in the hydration state of industrial workers on extended (10, 12, and 12.5 hour) shifts under significant levels of thermal stress (wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) >28°C) was conducted on 39 male underground miners. Urinary specific gravity was measured before, during, and at the completion of the working shift. Environmental conditions were measured hourly during the shift. Fluid replacement was measured during the working periods and during the meal breaks. Results: Average environmental conditions were severe (WBGT 30.9°C (SD 2.0°C), range 25.7–35.2°C). Fluid intake averaged 0.8 l/h during exposure (SD 0.3 l/h, range 0.3–1.5 l/h). Average urinary specific gravity at start, mid, and end of shift was 1.0251, 1.0248, and 1.0254 respectively; the differences between start and mid shift, mid and end shift, and start and end shift were not significant. However, a majority of workers were coming to work in a moderately hypohydrated state (average urinary specific gravity 1.024 (SD 0.0059)). A combined dehydration and heat illness protocol was developed. Urinary specific gravity limits of 1.022 for start of shift and 1.030 for end of shift were selected; workers exceeding these values were not allowed into the workplace (if the start of shift limit was exceeded) or were retested prior to their next working shift (if the end of shift limit was exceeded). A target of 1.015 as a euhydrated state for start of shift was adopted for workforce education. Conclusions: This study found that "involuntary dehydration" did not occur in well informed workers, which has implications for heat stress standards that do not make provision for full fluid replacement during heat exposure. Fluid replacement during meal breaks was not significantly increased above fluid replacement rates during work time, with implications for the duration and spacing of meal breaks on long shifts. Testing of urinary specific gravity was found to be a good indication of hydration status and a practical method of improving workforce awareness and understanding of this important risk factor. Approximately 10 000 dehydration tests have been conducted under the dehydration protocol in a workforce of 2000 persons exposed to thermal stress and has proved practical and reliable. PMID:12554834

Trends in Occupational Exposure to Styrene in the European Glass Fibre-Reinforced Plastics Industry

PubMed Central

Van Rooij, J. G. M.; Kasper, A.; Triebig, G.; Werner, P.; Kromhout, H.

2008-01-01

Aim: This study presents temporal trends of styrene exposure for workers in the European glass fibre-reinforced plastics (GRP) industry during the period 1966–2002. Methods: Data of personal styrene exposure measurements were retrieved from reports, databases and peer-reviewed papers. Only sources with descriptive statistics of personal measurements were accepted. The styrene exposure data cover personal air samples and biological monitoring data, that is, urinary styrene metabolites (mandelic acid and/or phenylglyoxylic acid) and styrene in blood. Means of series of measurements were categorized by year, country, production process, job and sampling strategy. Linear mixed models were used to identify temporal trends and factors affecting exposure levels. Results: Personal exposure measurements were available from 60 reports providing data on 24145 1–8-h time-weighted average shift personal air samples. Available data of biological exposure indicators included measurements of mandelic acid in post-shift urine (6361 urine samples being analysed). Trend analyses of the available styrene exposure data showed that the average styrene concentration in the breathing zone of open-mould workers in the European GRP industry has decreased on average by 5.3% per year during the period 1966–1990 and by only 0.4% annually in the period after 1990. The highest exposures were measured in Southern Europe and the lowest exposures in Northern Europe with Central Europe in between. Biological indicators of styrene (mandelic acid in post-shift urine) showed a somewhat steeper decline (8.9%), most likely because urine samples were collected in companies that showed a stronger decrease of styrene exposure in air than GRP companies where no biological measurements were carried out. PMID:18550625

Using Personal Water Footprints to Identify Consumer Food Choices that Influence the Conservation of Local Water Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marrin, D. L.

2015-12-01

As the global demand for water and food escalates, the emphasis is on supply side factors rather than demand side factors such as consumers, whose personal water footprints are dominated (>90%) by food. Personal footprints include the water embedded in foods that are produced locally as well as those imported, raising the question of whether local shifts in people's food choices and habits could assist in addressing local water shortages. The current situation in California is interesting in that drought has affected an agriculturally productive region where a substantial portion of its food products are consumed by the state's large population. Unlike most agricultural regions where green water is the primary source of water for crops, California's arid climate demands an enormous volume of blue water as irrigation from its dwindling surface and ground water resources. Although California exports many of its food products, enough is consumed in-state so that residents making relatively minor shifts their food choices could save as much local blue water as their implementing more drastic reductions in household water use (comprising <5% of their personal footprint). One of those shifts is reducing the intake of meat and dairy products that account for just under half of a Californian's blue-green water footprint and that require the most water of any food group on both a caloric and gravimetric basis. Another change is wasting less food, which is a shared responsibility among consumers, producers and retailers; however, consumers' actions and preferences ultimately drive much of the waste. Personal water footprints suggest a role for individuals in conserving local water resources that is neither readily obvious nor a major focus of most conservation programs.

Swimming against the mainstream: the early years from chilly tributary to transformative mainstream.

PubMed

Bandura, Albert

2004-06-01

This article traces the transformative paradigm shift in the theory and practice of personal change. Within a decade, new conceptual models, analytic methodologies and modes of treatment were created. Treatments were altered in the content, locus, and agents of change. This enterprising period also witnessed a sweeping shift in the public acceptance of behaviorally oriented treatments. The present article also analyzes the evolving theorizing and applications of social cognitive theory rooted in modeling, self-regulatory, and self-efficacy mechanisms of psychosocial change. This model of change is implemented from an agentic perspective to promote personal, institutional, and society-wide changes that address some of the most urgent global problems.

Shifting Lenses to Deepen Reflection and Connection in Human Sexuality Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichty, Lauren F.; Parks, Emily A.; Nelson, Amy

2018-01-01

Photovoice, a participatory action research method, supports deep, personal reflection through the use of photography, personal narrative development, and group discussion. This lesson plan describes the use of Photovoice as a pedagogical tool in an undergraduate human sexuality course. The goal of this activity is to encourage students to 1)…

30 CFR 77.1101 - Escape and evacuation; plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... where persons are required to work or travel including buildings and equipment and in areas where persons normally congregate during the work shift. (Pub. L. No. 96-511, 94 Stat. 2812 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et... HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS, SURFACE COAL MINES AND SURFACE WORK AREAS OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES...

Perceived Personal and Social Competence: Development of Valid and Reliable Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fetro, Joyce V.; Rhodes, Darson L.; Hey, David W.

2010-01-01

During the last 20 years, youth programming has shifted from risk reduction to youth development. While numerous instruments exist to measure selected individual characteristics/competencies among youth, a comprehensive instrument to measure four constructs of personal and social skills could not be identified. The purpose of this study was to…

Revising the personality disorder diagnostic criteria for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-V): consider the later life context.

PubMed

Balsis, Steve; Segal, Daniel L; Donahue, Cailin

2009-10-01

The categorical measurement approach implemented by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) personality disorder (PD) diagnostic system is theoretically and pragmatically limited. As a result, many prominent psychologists now advocate for a shift away from this approach in favor of more conceptually sound dimensional measurement. This shift is expected to improve the psychometric properties of the personality disorder (PD) diagnostic system and make it more useful for clinicians and researchers. The current article suggests that despite the probable benefits of such a change, several limitations will remain if the new diagnostic system does not closely consider the context of later life. A failure to address the unique challenges associated with the assessment of personality in older adults likely will result in the continued limited validity, reliability, and utility of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) system for this growing population. This article discusses these limitations and their possible implications. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Counterinsurgency and Strategic Public Health: Shifting Paradigms

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

government’s 3 effectiveness and, thus, its control. Another insight into this dynamic can be seen through the eyes of Abraham Maslow , a prominent...humanistic psychologist. Maslow defines a hierarchy of needs which builds a person toward self-actualization. He postulates the most basic of human...because if a person were deprived of all needs, the physiological ones would come first in the person’s search for satisfaction.”(emphasis added) Maslow

Pressure Relief Behaviors and Weight-Shifting Activities to Prevent Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

Prevent Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Stephen Sprigle, PhD CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: Georgia Tech Research...Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-13-1-0387 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Pressure ulcers (PU) are the most costly secondary complication following an SCI. In addition to the medical costs

Measurement of Area and Personal Breathing Zone Concentrations of Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) during Oil and Gas Extraction Operations, including Hydraulic Fracturing

PubMed Central

Esswein, Eric J.; Alexander-Scott, Marissa; Snawder, John; Breitenstein, Michael

2018-01-01

Diesel engines serve many purposes in modern oil and gas extraction activities. Diesel particulate matter (DPM) emitted from diesel engines is a complex aerosol that may cause adverse health effects depending on exposure dose and duration. This study reports on personal breathing zone (PBZ) and area measurements for DPM (expressed as elemental carbon) during oil and gas extraction operations including drilling, completions (which includes hydraulic fracturing) and servicing work. Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) collected 104 full-shift air samples (49 PBZ and 55 area) in Colorado, North Dakota, Texas, and New Mexico during a four year period from 2008-2012 The arithmetic mean (AM) of the full shift TWA PBZ samples was 10 μg/m3; measurements ranged from 0.1 to 52 μg/m3. The geometric mean (GM) for the PBZ samples was 7 μg/m3. The AM of the TWA area measurements was 17 μg/m3 and ranged from 0.1 to 68 μg/m3. The GM for the area measurements was 9.5 μg/m3. Differences between the GMs of the PBZ samples and area samples were not statistically different (P>0.05). Neither the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), NIOSH, nor the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) have established occupational exposure limits (OEL) for DPM. However, the State of California, Department of Health Services lists a time-weighted average (TWA) OEL for DPM as elemental carbon (EC) exposure of 20 μg/m3. Five of 49 (10.2%) PBZ TWA measurements exceeded the 20 μg/m3 EC criterion. These measurements were collected on Sandmover and Transfer Belt (T-belt) Operators, Blender and Chemical Truck Operators, and Water Transfer Operators during hydraulic fracturing operations. Recommendations to minimize DPM exposures include elimination (locating diesel-driven pumps away from well sites), substitution, (use of alternative fuels), engineering controls using advanced emissions controls technologies, administrative controls (configuration of well sites), hazard communication and worker training. PMID:29053946

Measurement of area and personal breathing zone concentrations of diesel particulate matter (DPM) during oil and gas extraction operations, including hydraulic fracturing.

PubMed

Esswein, Eric J; Alexander-Scott, Marissa; Snawder, John; Breitenstein, Michael

2018-01-01

Diesel engines serve many purposes in modern oil and gas extraction activities. Diesel particulate matter (DPM) emitted from diesel engines is a complex aerosol that may cause adverse health effects depending on exposure dose and duration. This study reports on personal breathing zone (PBZ) and area measurements for DPM (expressed as elemental carbon) during oil and gas extraction operations including drilling, completions (which includes hydraulic fracturing), and servicing work. Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) collected 104 full-shift air samples (49 PBZ and 55 area) in Colorado, North Dakota, Texas, and New Mexico during a four-year period from 2008-2012. The arithmetic mean (AM) of the full shift TWA PBZ samples was 10 µg/m 3 ; measurements ranged from 0.1-52 µg/m 3 . The geometric mean (GM) for the PBZ samples was 7 µg/m 3 . The AM of the TWA area measurements was 17 µg/m 3 and ranged from 0.1-68 µg/m 3 . The GM for the area measurements was 9.5 µg/m 3 . Differences between the GMs of the PBZ samples and area samples were not statistically different (P > 0.05). Neither the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), NIOSH, nor the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) have established occupational exposure limits (OEL) for DPM. However, the State of California, Department of Health Services lists a time-weighted average (TWA) OEL for DPM as elemental carbon (EC) exposure of 20 µg/m 3 . Five of 49 (10.2%) PBZ TWA measurements exceeded the 20 µg/m 3 EC criterion. These measurements were collected on Sandmover and Transfer Belt (T-belt) Operators, Blender and Chemical Truck Operators, and Water Transfer Operators during hydraulic fracturing operations. Recommendations to minimize DPM exposures include elimination (locating diesel-driven pumps away from well sites), substitution, (use of alternative fuels), engineering controls using advanced emission control technologies, administrative controls (configuration of well sites), hazard communication, and worker training.

Can a Seasoned Teacher Do Her Best Work on a Shifting College Landscape? An Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Beverley A.

2013-01-01

Grounded in self study and personal and professional reflection, this is an inquiry into how seasoned, long time and close to retirement teachers can do their best work on a shifting college landscape in a changing world. Recognizing teaching and learning as the college's core business, the author explores mentorship, community among…

Toward a Molecular Understanding of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

cell, SAHA, Heat shock, sex differences 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON...threshold shift, Temporary threshold shift, Noise induced hearing loss, Ribotag, RNA-seq, Hair cell, Supporting cell, SAHA, Heat shock, Sex ...also sex -specific. TTS-inducing noise exposure: crosses, calibration, validation cytocochleograms, noise exposure, tissue harvesting, polysome IP

United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities: a roadmap for change.

PubMed

Stuart, Heather

2012-09-01

This study considers the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a tool for promoting the full social inclusion of people with a mental or intellectual disability. The United Nations Convention has ushered in a new era of discourse that moves beyond a consideration of individual impairments, to focus on the social and environmental barriers that prevent full and effective social participation of people with disabilities. It provides an important social justice framework to guide and integrate disability policy within and across countries. In order to realize its potential, the mental health community must now actively develop a new disability discourse - one that moves beyond the traditional focus on negative protections, such as against forced confinement or coercive treatment, to one that examines the services and supports that are needed to allow people who have a mental illness to become fully functioning members of society. To meet the monitoring requirements of the Convention, the mental health community must actively seek population data to assess the nature of prejudice and discrimination experienced by people with a mental illness. An approach used by Statistics Canada is provided as one such example. The United Nations Convention is an important roadmap for change, which can be used to shift current mental health discourse from a discussion emphasizing the protection of negative rights, such as from involuntary detention or coerced treatment, to one emphasizing social rights and civic participation.

Person-directed, non-pharmacological interventions for sleepiness at work and sleep disturbances caused by shift work.

PubMed

Slanger, Tracy E; Gross, J Valérie; Pinger, Andreas; Morfeld, Peter; Bellinger, Miriam; Duhme, Anna-Lena; Reichardt Ortega, Rosalinde Amancay; Costa, Giovanni; Driscoll, Tim R; Foster, Russell G; Fritschi, Lin; Sallinen, Mikael; Liira, Juha; Erren, Thomas C

2016-08-23

Shift work is often associated with sleepiness and sleep disorders. Person-directed, non-pharmacological interventions may positively influence the impact of shift work on sleep, thereby improving workers' well-being, safety, and health. To assess the effects of person-directed, non-pharmacological interventions for reducing sleepiness at work and improving the length and quality of sleep between shifts for shift workers. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE Ovid, Embase, Web of Knowledge, ProQuest, PsycINFO, OpenGrey, and OSH-UPDATE from inception to August 2015. We also screened reference lists and conference proceedings and searched the World Health Organization (WHO) Trial register. We contacted experts to obtain unpublished data. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (including cross-over designs) that investigated the effect of any person-directed, non-pharmacological intervention on sleepiness on-shift or sleep length and sleep quality off-shift in shift workers who also work nights. At least two authors screened titles and abstracts for relevant studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. We contacted authors to obtain missing information. We conducted meta-analyses when pooling of studies was possible. We included 17 relevant trials (with 556 review-relevant participants) which we categorised into three types of interventions: (1) various exposures to bright light (n = 10); (2) various opportunities for napping (n = 4); and (3) other interventions, such as physical exercise or sleep education (n = 3). In most instances, the studies were too heterogeneous to pool. Most of the comparisons yielded low to very low quality evidence. Only one comparison provided moderate quality evidence. Overall, the included studies' results were inconclusive. We present the results regarding sleepiness below. Bright light Combining two comparable studies (with 184 participants altogether) that investigated the effect of bright light during the night on sleepiness during a shift, revealed a mean reduction 0.83 score points of sleepiness (measured via the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) (95% confidence interval (CI) -1.3 to -0.36, very low quality evidence). Another trial did not find a significant difference in overall sleepiness on another sleepiness scale (16 participants, low quality evidence).Bright light during the night plus sunglasses at dawn did not significantly influence sleepiness compared to normal light (1 study, 17 participants, assessment via reaction time, very low quality evidence).Bright light during the day shift did not significantly reduce sleepiness during the day compared to normal light (1 trial, 61 participants, subjective assessment, low quality evidence) or compared to normal light plus placebo capsule (1 trial, 12 participants, assessment via reaction time, very low quality evidence). Napping during the night shiftA meta-analysis on a single nap opportunity and the effect on the mean reaction time as a surrogate for sleepiness, resulted in a 11.87 ms reduction (95% CI 31.94 to -8.2, very low quality evidence). Two other studies also reported statistically non-significant decreases in reaction time (1 study seven participants; 1 study 49 participants, very low quality evidence).A two-nap opportunity resulted in a statistically non-significant increase of sleepiness (subjective assessment) in one study (mean difference (MD) 2.32, 95% CI -24.74 to 29.38, 1 study, 15 participants, low quality evidence). Other interventionsPhysical exercise and sleep education interventions showed promise, but sufficient data to draw conclusions are lacking. Given the methodological diversity of the included studies, in terms of interventions, settings, and assessment tools, their limited reporting and the very low to low quality of the evidence they present, it is not possible to determine whether shift workers' sleepiness can be reduced or if their sleep length or quality can be improved with these interventions.We need better and adequately powered RCTs of the effect of bright light, and naps, either on their own or together and other non-pharmacological interventions that also consider shift workers' chronobiology on the investigated sleep parameters.

Elbow Room for Best Practice? Montgomery, Patients' values, and Balanced Decision-Making in Person-Centred Clinical Care.

PubMed

Herring, Jonathan; Fulford, Kmw; Dunn, Michael; Handa, Ashoki

2017-11-01

The UK Supreme Court Montgomery judgment marks a decisive shift in the legal test of duty of care in the context of consent to treatment, from the perspective of the clinician (as represented by Bolam rules) to that of the patient. A majority of commentators on Montgomery have focused on the implications of the judgment for disclosure of risk. In this article, we set risk disclosure in context with three further elements of the judgment: benefits, options, and dialogue. These elements, we argue, taken together with risk disclosure, reflect the origins of the Montgomery ruling in a model of consent based on autonomy of patient choice through shared decision-making with their doctor. This model reflects recent developments in both law and medicine and is widely regarded (by the General Medical Council and others) as representing best practice in contemporary person-centred medicine. So understood, we suggest, the shift marked by Montgomery in the basis of duty of care is a shift in underpinning values: it is a shift from the clinician's interpretation about what would be best for patients to the values of (to what is significant or matters from the perspective of) the particular patient concerned in the decision in question. But the values of the particular patient do not thereby become paramount. The Montgomery test of duty of care requires the values of the particular patient to be balanced alongside the values of a reasonable person in the patient's position. We illustrate some of the practical challenges arising from the balance of considerations required by Montgomery with examples from surgical care. These examples show the extent to which Montgomery, in mirroring the realities of clinical decision-making, provides elbowroom for best practice in person-centred clinical care. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A transactional framework for pediatric rehabilitation: shifting the focus to situated contexts, transactional processes, and adaptive developmental outcomes.

PubMed

King, Gillian; Imms, Christine; Stewart, Debra; Freeman, Matt; Nguyen, Tram

2018-07-01

A paradigm shift is taking place in pediatric rehabilitation research, practice, and policy - a shift towards the real-life contexts of clients rather than requiring clients to navigate the world of pediatric rehabilitation. This article proposes a conceptual framework to bring about a broader awareness of clients' lives and transactional processes of change over the life course. The framework draws attention to transactional processes by which individuals, situated in life contexts, change and adapt over the life course and, in turn, influence their contextual settings and broader environments. This framework is based on (a) basic tenets derived from foundational theories taking a life course perspective to change, and (b) transactional processes identified from relevant pediatric rehabilitation models that bring these foundational theories into the pediatric rehabilitation sphere. The framework identifies three types of transactional processes relevant to pediatric rehabilitation: facilitative, resiliency, and socialization processes. These processes describe how contexts and people mutually influence each other via opportunities and situated experiences, thus facilitating capacity, adaptation to adversity, and socialization to new roles and life transitions. The utility of the framework is considered for research, practice, service organizations, and policy. Implications for Rehabilitation The framework supports practitioners going beyond person and environment as separate entities, to provide services to the "situated person" in real-life contexts The framework shifts the focus from "body structures/functions" and "person in activity" to "person in changing and challenging life contexts" Working from a transactional perspective, practitioner-client conversations will change; practitioners will view client situations through a lens of opportunities and experiences, assess client experiences in real-life contexts, and strive to create context-based therapy opportunities The framework suggests the benefit of greater focus on resiliency processes to support client self-efficacy, self-determination, and autonomy, and socialization processes to enhance ability to enact new life roles at times of transition.

Anonymous body or first patient? A status report and needs assessment regarding the personalization of donors in dissection courses in German, Austrian, and Swiss Medical Schools.

PubMed

Hasselblatt, Friederike; Messerer, David A C; Keis, Oliver; Böckers, Tobias M; Böckers, Anja

2018-05-06

Many Anglo-American universities have undertaken a paradigm shift in how the dissection of human material is approached, such that students are encouraged to learn about the lives of body donors, and to respectfully "personalize" them as human beings, rather than treating the specimens as anonymous cadavers. For the purposes of this study, this provision of limited personal information regarding the life of a body donor will be referred to as "personalization" of body donors. At this time, it is unknown whether this paradigm shift in the personalization of body donors can be translated into the German-speaking world. A shift from donor anonymity to donor personalization could strengthen students' perception of the donor as a "first patient," and thereby reinforce their ability to empathize with their future patients. Therefore, this study aimed to collect data about the current status of donation practices at German-speaking anatomy departments (n = 44) and to describe the opinions of anatomy departments, students (n = 366), and donors (n = 227) about possible donor personalization in medical education. Anatomy departments in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were invited to participate in an online questionnaire. One-tenth of registered donors at Ulm University were randomly selected and received a questionnaire (20 items, yes-no questions) by mail. Students at the University of Ulm were also surveyed at the end of the dissection course (31 items, six-point Likert-scale). The majority of students were interested in receiving additional information about their donors (78.1%). A majority of donors also supported the anonymous disclosure of information about their medical history (92.5%). However, this information is only available in about 28% of the departments surveyed and is communicated to the students only irregularly. Overall, 78% of anatomy departments were not in favor of undertaking donor personalization. The results appear to reflect traditional attitudes among anatomy departments. However, since students clearly preferred receiving additional donor information, and most donors expressed a willingness to provide this information, one could argue that a change in attitudes is necessary. To do so, official recommendations for a limited, anonymous personalization of donated cadaveric specimens might be necessary. Anat Sci Educ 11: 282-293. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

Work-related stress and role of personality in a sample of Italian bus drivers.

PubMed

Bergomi, Margherita; Modenese, Alberto; Ferretti, Enrica; Ferrari, Angela; Licitra, Giuseppe; Vivoli, Roberto; Gobba, Fabriziomaria; Aggazzotti, Gabriella

2017-01-01

Several studies have shown that professional drivers are at risk of developing work-related stress. Stress may be responsible for a variety of adverse effects and may also be associated with an increased number of accidents. Perform an integrated, objective and subjective evaluation of work-related stress in bus drivers, that also considered the role of personality traits. Salivary α-amylase and cortisol were measured in 42 bus drivers. Subjective stress evaluation was performed with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Driver Stress Inventory (DSI). To evaluate personality traits, we administered the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R) and the Impulsivity Inventory (IVE). Salivary biomarkers showed no associations with PSS-10 and personality traits. Cortisol levels were positively correlated with fatigue (r = 0.44) at the middle of the work-shift and with aggression (r = 0.51) at the end of a day off. At the end of the work-shift, cortisol levels were negatively correlated with hazard monitoring (r = -0.37) and salivary α-amylase was positively correlated with thrill-seeking (r = 0.36). Neuroticism (β= 0.44) and impulsiveness (β= 0.38) were predictors of perceived stress by multiple regression. An integrated method, considering both objective and subjective indicators, seems adequate to evaluate work-related stress in professional drivers. Personality traits are relevant in determining perception of stress.

Executive functioning in people with obsessive-compulsive personality traits: evidence of modest impairment.

PubMed

García-Villamisar, Domingo; Dattilo, John

2015-06-01

Investigations of executive dysfunctions among people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorders (OCPD) have yielded inconsistent results. The authors speculate that obsessive-compulsive personality traits (OCPT) from a nonclinical population may be associated with specific executive dysfunctions relative to working memory, attentional set-shifting, and planning. A sample consisting of 79 adults (39 females, 40 males) was divided into high and low scorers on the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 (PDQ-4; Hyler, 1994). In addition, these participants were interviewed using the SCID-II (First, Spitzer, Gibbon & Williams, 1997) to confirm the presence of symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality. Participants completed a battery of executive tasks associated with the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), including Spatial Working Memory, Intradimensional/Extradimensional (ID/ED), Attentional Set-Shifting, and Stockings of Cambridge. Also, self-report measures of executive functions as well as of anxiety and depressive symptoms were administered. The analysis of covariance revealed significant differences between participants with OCPT and controls on the Spatial Working Memory tasks, ID/ED tasks, Stockings of Cambridge, and the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX). Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the number of problems solved in minimum movements. These results suggest that executive dysfunctions are present in people with prominent OCPT and that there is a high convergence between clinical and ecological measures of executive functions in people with obsessive personality traits.

Flexible Schedules and Shift Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beers, Thomas M.

2000-01-01

Flexible work hours have gained prominence, as more than 25 million workers (27.6% of all full-time workers) can now vary their schedules. However, there has been little change since the mid-1980s in the proportion who work a shift other than a regular daytime shift. (JOW)

40 CFR 60.1185 - What types of operator certification must the chief facility operator and shift supervisor obtain...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... (c) Each chief facility operator and shift supervisor must take one of three actions: (1) Obtain a... in your State. (2) Schedule a full certification exam with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (QRO-1-1994) (incorporated by reference in § 60.17(h)(1)). (3) Schedule a full certification exam...

An Integrative Literature Review on the Barriers Impacting Adult Learners' Return to College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osam, E. Kobena; Bergman, Matt; Cumberland, Denise M.

2017-01-01

The composition of the college population has shifted from a bastion of full-time 18- to 22-year-old students to a far more diverse population that typically works part-time or full-time, has greater family commitments, is over 24, and is juggling various competing responsibilities while attending college. This shift has prompted researchers to…

Use of Circadian Lighting System to improve night shift alertness and performance of NRC Headquarters Operations Officers

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

Baker, T.L.; Morisseau, D.; Murphy, N.M.

1995-04-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission`s (NRC) Headquarters Operations Officers (HOOs) receive and respond to events reported in the nuclear industry on a 24-hour basis. The HOOs have reported reduced alertness on the night shift, leading to a potential deterioration in their on-shift cognitive performance during the early morning hours. For some HOOs, maladaptation to the night shift was also reported to be the principal cause of: (a) reduced alertness during the commute to and from work, (b) poor sleep quality, and (c) personal lifestyle problems. ShiftWork Systems, Inc. (SWS) designed and installed a Circadian Lighting System (CLS) at both the Bethesdamore » and Rockville HOO stations with the goal of facilitating the HOOs physiological adjustment to their night shift schedules. The data indicate the following findings: less subjective fatigue on night shifts; improved night shift alertness and mental performance; higher HOO confidence in their ability to assess event reports; longer, deeper and more restorative day sleep after night duty shifts; swifter adaptation to night work; and a safer commute, particularly for those with extensive drives.« less

Beyond the Personal Learning Environment: Attachment and Control in the Classroom of the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Mark William; Sherlock, David

2014-01-01

The Personal Learning Environment (PLE) has been presented in a number of guises over a period of 10 years as an intervention which seeks the reorganisation of educational technology through shifting the "locus of control" of technology towards the learner. In the intervening period to the present, a number of initiatives have attempted…

Chugach School District: A Personalized, Performance-Based System. Insights from the Field. CompetencyWorks Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sturgis, Chris

2016-01-01

This paper explores how an Alaskan school district shifted from a traditional K-12 education system to a personalized, performance-based system, embedded in the culture of the community, which led to increased student achievement. Chugach School District (CSD) first implemented competency education over twenty years ago, paving the way in…

The power of theoretical knowledge.

PubMed

Alligood, Martha Raile

2011-10-01

Nursing theoretical knowledge has demonstrated powerful contributions to education, research, administration and professional practice for guiding nursing thought and action. That knowledge has shifted the primary focus of the nurse from nursing functions to the person. Theoretical views of the person raise new questions, create new approaches and instruments for nursing research, and expand nursing scholarship throughout the world.

Important Questions Remain to Be Addressed before Adopting a Dimensional Classification of Mental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruscio, Ayelet Meron

2008-01-01

Comments on the original article "Plate tectonics in the classification of personality disorder: Shifting to a dimensional model," by T. A. Widiger and T. J. Trull (2007). Widiger and Trull raised important nosological issues that warrant serious consideration not only for the personality disorders but for all mental disorders as the Diagnostic…

Further Comments toward a Dimensional Classification of Personality Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Widiger, Thomas A.; Trull, Timothy J.

2008-01-01

Responds to the comments by H. N. Garb (2007) and A. M. Ruscio (2007) on the current authors' original article "Plate tectonics in the classification of personality disorder: Shifting to a dimensional model" (2007). Unable to respond to all of Garb's and Ruscio's concerns given space limitations, the current authors attempt to respond to key…

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

Godby, M.; Ugolini, C.; Lyman, M.

In response to a request from the Allied Industrial Workers Union, an investigation was begun into possible hazardous working conditions at Bryan Custom Plastics (SIC-3089), Bryan, Ohio. The company manufactured plastic television cabinets and interior automotive door panels by an extrusion molding process. Full shift, personal breathing zone and area sampling revealed no excess levels of exposure to total paint mist, toluene, xylene, ethyl-benzene, methyl-methacrylate, methyl-ethyl-ketone, methyl-isobutyl-ketone, or n-butanol. Carbon-monoxide concentrations ranged up to 34 and 90 parts per million in the spray finishing areas and quality control areas, respectively. The author concludes that health hazards from exposure to airbornemore » particulates and organic solvents were not found at the time of the survey. There was a potential for overexposures to carbon-monoxide. The author recommends that carbon-monoxide levels be reduced, and work practices improved.« less

Conceptual Changes to the Definition of Borderline Personality Disorder Proposed for DSM-5

PubMed Central

Samuel, Douglas B.; Widiger, Thomas A.; Pilkonis, Paul A.; Miller, Joshua D.; Lynam, Donald R.; Ball, Samuel A.

2013-01-01

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group proposed the elimination of diagnostic criterion sets in favor of a prototype matching system that defines personality disorders using narrative descriptions. Although some research supports this general approach, no empirical studies have yet examined the specific definitions proposed for DSM–5. Given the wide interest in borderline personality disorder (BPD), it is crucial to determine how this methodological shift might affect the content and conceptualization of the diagnosis. Eighty-two experts on BPD provided ratings of the DSM–IV–TR or DSM–5 version of BPD in terms of 37 traits proposed for DSM–5. Analyses revealed significant and meaningful differences among the two constructs, with the DSM–5 version evincing increased interpersonal dependency but a decreased emphasis on antagonism and disinhibition. A second study within a clinical sample demonstrated that both antagonism and disinhibition mediated the relationships between DSM–IV BPD and impairment, suggesting that the proposed changes might have important consequences for BPD’s coverage, prevalence, and nomological network. More globally, our results illustrate that unanticipated shifts in diagnostic constructs can stem from seemingly minor revisions and suggest that research is needed to understand how these, or other changes, might affect our conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment of BPD. PMID:21875165

Discovery and analysis of time delay sources in the USGS personal computer data collection platform (PCDCP) system

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, Timothy C.; Sauter, Edward A.; Stewart, Duff C.

2014-01-01

Intermagnet is an international oversight group which exists to establish a global network for geomagnetic observatories. This group establishes data standards and standard operating procedures for members and prospective members. Intermagnet has proposed a new One-Second Data Standard, for that emerging geomagnetic product. The standard specifies that all data collected must have a time stamp accuracy of ±10 milliseconds of the top-of-the-second Coordinated Universal Time. Therefore, the U.S. Geological Survey Geomagnetism Program has designed and executed several tests on its current data collection system, the Personal Computer Data Collection Platform. Tests are designed to measure the time shifts introduced by individual components within the data collection system, as well as to measure the time shift introduced by the entire Personal Computer Data Collection Platform. Additional testing designed for Intermagnet will be used to validate further such measurements. Current results of the measurements showed a 5.0–19.9 millisecond lag for the vertical channel (Z) of the Personal Computer Data Collection Platform and a 13.0–25.8 millisecond lag for horizontal channels (H and D) of the collection system. These measurements represent a dynamically changing delay introduced within the U.S. Geological Survey Personal Computer Data Collection Platform.

Life-span perspective of personality in dementia.

PubMed

Kolanowski, A M; Whall, A L

1996-01-01

To propose an alternative view of personality change in dementia by presenting existing evidence for the continuity of personality. As the population continues to age, dementing illnesses will account for a greater proportion of morbidity and mortality; the care of these people will have a significant effect on the health care system. Life-span perspective of personality continuity. SCOPE METHOD: Review of current literature on personality in dementia using Medline, 1980-1994; CINAHL, 1990-1994; and Psych Lit., 1980-1994. Although there are systematic shifts in personality with dementia, individuals tend to maintain their unique pattern of premorbid personality traits. The personalities of dementia patients seem to reflect adaptive patterns that served them in the past. Use of a life-span perspective can enhance individualized care for demented patients and advance theory development.

Effect of changes in human ecology and behavior on patterns of sexually transmitted diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus infection.

PubMed Central

Wasserheit, J N

1994-01-01

The last 20 years have witnessed six striking changes in patterns of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): emergence of new STD organisms and etiologies, reemergence of old STDs, shifts in the populations in which STDs are concentrated, shifts in the etiological spectra of STD syndromes, alterations in the incidence of STD complications, and increases in antimicrobial resistance. For example, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) emerged to devastate the United States with a fatal pandemic involving at least 1 million people. The incidence of syphilis rose progressively after 1956 to reach a 40-year peak by 1990. In both cases, disease patterns shifted from homosexual men to include minority heterosexuals. Over the last decade, gonorrhea became increasingly concentrated among adolescents, and several new types of antimicrobial resistance appeared. Three interrelated types of environments affect STD patterns. The microbiologic, hormonal, and immunologic microenvironments most directly influence susceptibility, infectiousness, and development of sequelae. These microenvironments are shaped, in part, by the personal environments created by an individual's sexual, substance-use, and health-related behaviors. The personal environments are also important determinants of acquisition of infection and development of sequelae but, in addition, they mediate risk of exposure to infection. These are, therefore, the environments that most directly affect changing disease patterns. Finally, individuals' personal environments are, in turn, molded by powerful macroenvironmental forces, including socioeconomic, demographic, geographic, political, epidemiologic, and technological factors. Over the past 20 years, the profound changes that have occurred in many aspects of the personal environment and the macroenvironment have been reflected in new STD patterns. PMID:8146135

Exposure to organophosphate flame retardants in spray polyurethane foam applicators: Role of dermal exposure.

PubMed

Bello, Anila; Carignan, Courtney C; Xue, Yalong; Stapleton, Heather M; Bello, Dhimiter

2018-04-01

Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) is a highly effective thermal insulation material that has seen considerable market growth in the past decade. Organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) are added to SPF formulations to meet fire code requirements. A common flame retardant used in SPF formulations is tris 1-chloro 2-propyl phosphate (TCIPP), a suspected endocrine disruptor. Exposure monitoring efforts during SPF applications have focused primarily on the isocyanate component, a potent respiratory and dermal sensitizer. However, to our knowledge, there is no monitoring data for TCIPP. To characterize occupational exposures to TCIPP and other flame retardants during SPF insulation. Workers at four SPF insulation sites and one foam removal site (total n = 14) were recruited as part of this pilot study. Personal inhalation exposure to TCIPP was monitored with a CIP-10MI inhalable sampler and potential dermal exposure was assessed through the use of a glove dosimeter. Biomarkers of TCIPP and three other PFRs were measured in urine collected from workers pre-and post-shift. Linear mixed effect models were used to analyze associations of urinary biomarkers with inhalation and dermal exposures and paired t-tests were used to examine the difference on the means of urinary biomarkers pre-and post-shift. Chemical analysis of all species was performed with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Geometric mean (GM) concentrations of TCIPP in personal air monitors and glove dosimeters collected from SPF applicators, 294.7 μg/m 3 and 18.8 mg/pair respectively. Overall, GM concentrations of the two TCIPP urinary biomarkers BCIPP and BCIPHIPP and (6.2 and 88.8 μg/mL) were 26-35 times higher than reported in the general population. Post-shift levels of TCIPP biomarkers were higher than pre-shift even though workers at insulation sites wore supplied air respirators, gloves and coveralls. The urinary biomarkers for the other PFRs were not elevated post shift. Concentrations of TCIPP on glove dosimeters were positively associated with post-shift urinary TCIPP biomarkers (p < 0.05) whereas concentrations in personal air samples were not. High levels of urinary biomarkers for TCIPP among SPF applicators, including post-shift, points to absorption of TCIPP during the work shift, in spite of the use of best industry exposure control practices. Dermal exposure appears to be an important, if not the primary exposure pathway for TCIPP, although inhalation or incidental ingestion of foam particles post-SPF application cannot be ruled out in this pilot study. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inventory of Personal Factors Influencing Conditioned Pain Modulation in Healthy People: A Systematic Literature Review.

PubMed

Hermans, Linda; Van Oosterwijck, Jessica; Goubert, Dorien; Goudman, Lisa; Crombez, Geert; Calders, Patrick; Meeus, Mira

2016-07-01

Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) is believed to play an important role in the development and exacerbation of chronic pain, because dysfunction of CPM is associated with a shift in balance between pain facilitation and pain inhibition. In many patients with central sensitization, CPM is less efficacious. Besides that, efficacy of CPM is highly variable in healthy people. Consequently, it seems that several individual variables may influence CPM. A systematic review examining personal factors influencing CPM was conducted. This systematic review follows the PRISMA guidelines. "Pubmed" and "Web of Science" were searched using different synonyms of CPM. Full-text clinical reports addressing the influence of personal factors on CPM in healthy adults were included. Checklists for RCTs and case-control studies provided by the Dutch Institute for Healthcare Improvement (CBO) and the Dutch Cochrane Centre were utilized to assess methodological quality. Levels of evidence and strength of conclusion were assigned using the CBO guidelines. Forty-six articles were identified that reported the influence of personal factors on CPM. Quality assessment revealed 10 studies with a methodological quality less than 50% wherefore they were excluded (21.8%), resulting in a general total methodological quality score of 72.5%. Overall younger adult age, male gender, ovulatory phase, positive expectations, attention to the conditioning stimulus, and carrier of the 5-HTTLPR long allele result in better CPM. It is advised for future studies to take these factors into account. Further research regarding the influence of oral contraceptives, catastrophizing, information about conditioning stimulation, distraction, physical activity, and genetics on CPM magnitude is required. © 2015 World Institute of Pain.

'Futureless persons': shifting life expectancies and the vicissitudes of progressive illness.

PubMed

Gibson, Barbara E; Zitzelsberger, Hilde; McKeever, Patricia

2009-05-01

Medical technological advances can have profound effects on people's lives by extending the life course and creating uncertain futures. This is the case for a number of persons with 'diseases of childhood' who can now survive well into adulthood with technological support. This paper draws on a Canadian qualitative study of young men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)which examined the effects of a shifting life expectancy on personal identities. Engaging with Pierre Bourdieu's central concept of habitus, we discuss the temporal dimensions of social exclusion and marginalised identities. Participants' narrative accounts revealed how their dispositions were orientated to a shortened lifespan that exerted damaging effects regardless of actual lifespan. Compounding their material, social and symbolic isolation was a temporal isolation whereby the men had lived every day anticipating that it could be their last for as much as a decade. The findings suggest a need to re-orient medical and social discourses to serve and include adults with DMD and other conditions previously limited to childhood in their communities.

Know me - a journey in creating a personal electronic health record.

PubMed

Buckley, Amanda; Fox, Suzanne

2015-01-01

KnowMe is a patient created personal story of key life events both medical and non-medical that enables clinicians to understand what matters to the patient, not what's the matter with them. By shifting the Electronic Health Record (EHR) focus to knowing when a patient was at their best, what's important to them, their personal health goals, and care preferences, clinicians and patients can collaboratively work together in creating a treatment plan that aligns resources tailored to the their needs.

A faceoff with hazardous noise: Noise exposure and hearing threshold shifts of indoor hockey officials.

PubMed

Adams, Karin L; Brazile, William J

2017-02-01

Noise exposure and hearing thresholds of indoor hockey officials of the Western States Hockey League were measured to assess the impact of hockey game noise on hearing sensitivity. Twenty-nine hockey officials who officiated the league in an arena in southeastern Wyoming in October, November, and December 2014 participated in the study. Personal noise dosimetry was conducted to determine if officials were exposed to an equivalent sound pressure level greater than 85 dBA. Hearing thresholds were measured before and after hockey games to determine if a 10 dB or greater temporary threshold shift in hearing occurred. Pure-tone audiometry was conducted in both ears at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz. All noise exposures were greater than 85 dBA, with a mean personal noise exposure level of 93 dBA (SD = 2.2), providing 17.7% (SD = 6.3) of the officials' daily noise dose according to the OSHA criteria. Hearing threshold shifts of 10 dB or greater were observed in 86.2% (25/29) of officials, with 36% (9/25) of those threshold shifts equaling 15 dB or greater. The largest proportion of hearing threshold shifts occurred at 4000 Hz, comprising 35.7% of right ear shifts and 31.8% of left ear shifts. The threshold shifts between the pre- and post-game audiometry were statistically significant in the left ear at 500 (p=.019), 2000 (p=.0009), 3000 (p<.0001) and 4000 Hz (p=.0002), and in the right ear at 2000 (p=.0001), 3000 (p=.0001) and 4000 Hz (p<.0001), based on Wilcoxon-ranked sum analysis. Although not statistically significant at alpha = 0.05, logistic regression indicated that with each increase of one dB of equivalent sound pressure measured from personal noise dosimetry, the odds of a ≥ 10 dB TTS were increased in the left ear at 500 (OR=1.33, 95% CI 0.73-2.45), 3000 (OR=1.02, 95% CI 0.68-1.51), 4000 (OR=1.26, 95% CI 0.93-1.71) and 8000 Hz (OR=1.22, 95% CI 0.76-1.94) and in the right ear at 6000 (OR=1.03, 95% CI 0.14-7.84) and 8000 Hz (OR=1.29, 95% CI 0.12-13.83). These findings suggest that indoor hockey officials are exposed to hazardous levels of noise, experience temporary hearing loss after officiating games, and a hearing conservation program is warranted. Further temporary threshold shift research has the potential to identify officials of other sporting events that are at an increased risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

[Effect of the introduction of "on demand" nursing shifts on hours of absenteeism].

PubMed

Blanca Gutiérrez, Joaquín Jesús; del Rosal González, Antonio; González Ábalos, María de Los Ángeles; Aceituno Herrera, Ana; Martín Afán de Rivera, Juan Carlos; Arjona González, Ana

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of the introduction of a new system of rotating shifts on nursing absenteeism. The novelty of this system is that both the time distribution and the planning and allocation of shifts is carried out according to the wishes of the participating nurses. This study was performed in the Infanta Margarita Hospital (Cordoba, Spain) and the new shift system was introduced in the first quarter of 2011. The total number of absolute hours of absence decreased from 5551 to 3289 per semester. The implementation of this new "on demand" shift system seems to have significantly reduced hours of absence. This strategy aims to reconcile nurses' working hours with their personal and family lives. Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The "Interaction with Disabled Persons" Scale: Revisiting Its Internal Consistency and Factor Structure, and Examining Item-Level Properties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iacono, Teresa; Tracy, Jane; Keating, Jenny; Brown, Ted

2009-01-01

The "Interaction with Disabled Persons" scale (IDP) has been used in research into baseline attitudes and to evaluate whether a shift in attitudes towards people with developmental disabilities has occurred following some form of intervention. This research has been conducted on the assumption that the IDP measures attitudes as a…

Reviewing the Differences in Size, Composition and Structure between the Personal Networks of High-and Low-Performing Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casquero, Oskar; Ovelar, Ramón; Romo, Jesús; Benito, Manuel

2015-01-01

An interesting aspect in the current literature about learning networks is the shift of focus from the understanding of the "whole network" of a course to the examination of the "personal networks" of individual students. This line of research is relatively new, based on small-scale studies and diverse analysis techniques,…

Career Issues and Concerns for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahlbeck, David T.; Lease, Suzanne H.

2010-01-01

As the perception of HIV/AIDS continues to shift from a terminal illness to a manageable disease, persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) are able to re-enter the workforce or remain in their current jobs for a longer period of time. Although this change is positive, it also raises many career concerns for PLWHAs. Using an ecological approach and…

Using Metaphors to Investigate the Personal Frameworks of Pre-Service Science Teachers as They Experience a Science in Society Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Todd

2011-01-01

This research presents a multiple case study investigating the personal frameworks of pre-service science teachers as they experience a science in society course. Through examining the metaphors employed by the participants' student experiences were illuminated. These experiences revealed shifts in frameworks over time that were more consistent…

The inner witness.

PubMed

Amir, Dana

2012-08-01

The inner witness is a mechanism that develops in response to a reasonable experience of infantile helplessness, the resulting maternal impingement and the presence of a sufficient experience of a third. Being crucial to the subject's capacity to shift between the first person and the third person of experience, it also has an essential role in coping with trauma. Three types of testimonial narrative are differentiated in terms of the presence of the inner witness in their syntax. The first mode is one in which the inner witness is accessible, enabling the imaginary shift between the voice of the victim and the voice of the witness. The second mode, which remains a 'first-person' mode of report, preserves and enacts the traumatic memories and the traumatic features. The third, psychotic mode attacks both the first and the third person, separating the subject from both his memories and his sense of selfhood. This mode can evolve as a reaction to an adult massive trauma, but is more likely to emerge as a result of early traumatization. The above ideas and their implications for recovery are illustrated by a case study and through a reading of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. Copyright © 2012 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Survival through Adaptation: The Chinese Red Army and the Encirclement Campaigns, 1927-1936

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-08

the Soviet Union and communism shifted after his suppression of a communist 99For more information ...other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a ...period. The movement encompassed not only reforms, but also a fundamental shift from traditional Chinese culture and norms. For more information on the

Effectiveness evaluation of existing noise controls in a deep shaft underground mine.

PubMed

Lutz, Eric A; Reed, Rustin J; Turner, Dylan; Littau, Sally R; Lee, Vivien; Hu, Chengcheng

2015-01-01

Noise exposures and hearing loss in the mining industry continue to be a major problem, despite advances in noise control technologies. This study evaluated the effectiveness of engineering, administrative, and personal noise controls using both traditional and in-ear dosimetry by job task, work shift, and five types of earplug. The noise exposures of 22 miners performing deep shaft-sinking tasks were evaluated during 56 rotating shifts in an underground mine. Miners were earplug-insertion trained, earplug fit-tested, and monitored utilizing traditional and in-ear dosimetry. The mean TWA8 noise exposure via traditional dosimetry was 90.1 ± 8.2 dBA, while the mean in-ear TWA8 was 79.6 ± 13.8 dBA. The latter was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) personal exposure limit (PEL) of 90 dBA. Dosimetry mean TWA8 noise exposures for bench blowing (103.5 ± 0.9 dBA), jumbo drill operation (103.0 ± 0.8 dBA), and mucking tasks (99.6 ± 4.7 dBA) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than other tasks. For bench blowing, cable pulling, grinding, and jumbo drill operation tasks, the mean in-ear TWA8 was greater than 85 dBA. Those working swing shift had a significantly higher (p < 0.001) mean TWA8 noise exposure (95.4 ± 7.3 dBA) than those working day shift. For percent difference between traditional vs. in-ear dosimetry, there was no significant difference among types of earplug used. Reflective of occupational hearing loss rate trends across the mining industry, this study found that, despite existing engineering and administrative controls, noise exposure levels exceeded regulatory limits, while the addition of personal hearing protection limited excessive exposures.

Biological effect markers in exhaled breath condensate and biomonitoring in welders: impact of smoking and protection equipment.

PubMed

Gube, Monika; Ebel, Joachim; Brand, Peter; Göen, Thomas; Holzinger, Karl; Reisgen, Uwe; Kraus, Thomas

2010-10-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of welding as well as the impact of smoking and protection measures on biological effect markers in exhaled breath condensate. Additionally, biomonitoring of chromium, aluminium and nickel in urine was performed to quantify internal exposure. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and urine samples of 45 male welders and 24 male non-exposed control subjects were collected on Friday pre-shift and after 8 h of work post-shift. In EBC, biological effect markers such as malondialdehyde, nitrite, nitrate, 3-nitrotyrosine, tyrosine, hydroxyproline, proline, H(2)O(2) and pH-value were measured while aluminium, nickel, and chromium were measured in the urine samples. Although internal exposure to aluminium, nickel and chromium in this study was low, welders showed significantly increased concentrations of all these parameters at baseline compared to non-exposed controls. Moreover, welders had higher nitrate concentrations in EBC at baseline and after shift. Nitrate concentration was considerably lower after shift if personal protection equipment was used. H(2)O(2) was increased only when subjects smoked during shift. It has been shown that welding-associated long-term and short-term health effects could be detected in a population of welders. The results also showed that using personal protection equipment is of high importance and H(2)O(2) may be an effect marker associated with smoking rather than with welding fumes, while nitrate in EBC seems to be sensitive to welding fume exposure.

Acute respiratory effects on workers exposed to metalworking fluid aerosols in an automotive transmission plant.

PubMed

Robins, T; Seixas, N; Franzblau, A; Abrams, L; Minick, S; Burge, H; Schork, M A

1997-05-01

Exposure to metalworking fluids has been linked to modest cross-shift reductions in FEV1 and occupational asthma. To identify responsible agents, we measured personal exposures to thoracic particulate (TP), viable plus nonviable thoracic bacteria (BAC), and vapor phase nicotine (VPN) (as a surrogate for tobacco particulate) among 83 machinists exposed to soluble oils and 46 dry assemblers working in an automotive transmission machining plant using biocides infrequently. The participants completed interviews and performed pre- and postshift spirometry on Monday and Thursday of the same week in each of three rounds of data collection (June 1992, January 1993, June 1993). Generalized estimating equations were used to combine information across rounds in multiple regression models of cross-shift and cross-week changes in forced expiratory volume, I second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Mean seniority was 19 years among machinists. Mean personal TP levels were 0.41 mg/m3 in machinists and 0.13 mg/m3 in assemblers. Six of the 83 machinists and none of the 46 assemblers experienced a greater than 19% cross-shift decrement in FEV1 or FVC at least once (p = .07). In regression models using either TP or BAC, among subjects with lower baseline (Monday preshift) FEV1/FVC ratios, increasing exposure was significantly associated with increasing cross-shift decrements in FEV1 and FVC in linear models, and with increased likelihood of a 10% or greater cross-shift decrement in FEV1 or FVC in logistic models. Adjustment of TP for VPN did not affect models significantly. We conclude that clinically important cross-shift decrements in pulmonary function are associated with exposure to metalworking fluid aerosols within a high-seniority population.

[Fatigue symptoms and workplace related factors of long-term care workers employed in facilities].

PubMed

Kawamura, Sachiyo; Yamada, Kazuko; Morioka, Ikuharu

2015-01-01

"Regular visiting/on-demand response type long-term care" has recently been established. This will lead to a decrease in the burden on the family, but an increase in the burden of the care personnel who provide this kind of long-term care. The objectives of this study were to clarify the fatigue symptoms of long-term care workers in facilities that provide this kind of long-term care, and examine the related factors in the workplace. An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted with 96 workers engaged in long-term care in facilities. The questionnaire was composed of cumulative fatigue symptoms index, work situation, supports in the workplace, and the attributes. The subjects were divided into two groups: those who had night shift between PM 6 to AM 8 with or without day shift (night shift group), and those who had only day shift (day shift group). The relationships between the fatigue symptom levels and work situation etc. were compared between the two groups. The night shift group consisted of 47 workers, whose mean age was 42.3 years and whose mean working experience was 6.0 years. The median number of persons they had visited in the previous month was 9. The day shift group consisted of 49 workers, whose mean age was 44.6 years and whose mean working experience was 5.9 years. The median number of persons they visited in the previous month was 9.5. Age and sex distributions showed no difference between the two groups. There was no difference in the work situations and the supports in the workplace, except for working time and the details of care the subjects were providing. The fatigue symptom levels were high in both groups, but in the night shift group the level of physical disorders was higher than in the day shift group. Satisfaction with work, education and training for mental health and consideration for traffic safety when making home visits were negatively related to fatigue symptom levels in both groups. Learning care during the previous year, and the ease of receiving paid holiday were not related to the fatigue symptom levels in the night shift group. This was different in the day shift group. Measures of fatigue symptoms should be performed for both groups. It is desirable that supports, additional to that given in the workplace to the day shift group, be given to the night shift group, and its efficacy be researched.

Lifestyle physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis: the new kid on the MS block.

PubMed

Motl, Robert W

2014-07-01

Supervised exercise training has substantial benefits for persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet 80% of those with MS do not meet recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This same problem persisted for decades in the general population of adults and prompted a paradigm shift away from "exercise training for fitness" toward "physical activity for health." The paradigm shift reflects a public health approach of promoting lifestyle physical activity through behavioral interventions that teach people the skills, techniques, and strategies based on established theories for modifying and self-regulating health behaviors. This paper describes: (a) the definitions of and difference between structured exercise training and lifestyle physical activity; (b) the importance and potential impact of the paradigm shift; (c) consequences of lifestyle physical activity in MS; and (d) behavioral interventions for changing lifestyle physical activity in MS. The paper introduces the "new kid on the MS block" with the hope that lifestyle physical activity might become an accepted partner alongside exercise training for inclusion in comprehensive MS care. © The Author(s) 2014.

Georgy Gause's shift from ecology and evolutionary biology to antibiotics research: reasons, objectives, circumstances.

PubMed

Kodash, Nataliia; Fischer, Martin

2018-04-01

Georgy Gause (1910-1986) is best known for his contribution to ecology and evolutionary theory. His book "The Struggle for Existence" (1934) inspired generations of ecologists. Yet his scientific interests were diverse, embracing many aspects of the life sciences and medicine. The most notable shift in his research took place in the early 1940s when he began to study antibiotics and discovered Gramicidin S. Superficially, this shift looked like an attempt to switch from purely theoretical to applied research during the years of World War II, but Gause's decision may also have been seriously affected by the "Great Purge" and the growth of Lysenkoism. Personal factors played a significant role in his career too. In this article, we propose four factors which drove Gause to switch his focus from ecology to antibiotics: the inner logic of his scientific research, Stalin's science policy and the growth of Lysenkoism, the sociopolitical influence of World War II, and personal relationships. We will also show how all these factors are interdependent to some extent.

Personal exposure to particulate PAHs and anthraquinone and oxidative DNA damages in humans.

PubMed

Wei, Yongjie; Han, In-Kyu; Hu, Min; Shao, Min; Zhang, Junfeng Jim; Tang, Xiaoyan

2010-11-01

Recent studies suggest that DNA oxidative damage be related to the chemical constituents of ambient particles. The purpose of this study was to examine whether particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and quinone-structure chemicals increase body burden of oxidative stress in human exposed to heavy traffic volume. We recruited two nonsmoking security guards who worked at a university campus gate near a heavily trafficked road. Each subject wore a personal air sampler for 24h per day to estimate exposures to 24 PAHs and anthraquinone (AnQ) in PM(2.5). Daily pre- and post-work shift spot urines were collected for 29d from each subject. Urine samples were analyzed for 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). Additionally, using 19 organic tracers other than 24 PAHs and AnQ, a receptor source apportionment model of chemical mass balance was applied to determine the contributions of sources on the PM: gasoline vehicle, diesel vehicle, coal burning, vegetable debris, cooking, natural gas and biomass burning. The relationship among urinary 8-OHdG, individual PAH, and AnQ was demonstrated as follows: the average urinary concentration of 8-OHdG was increased more than three times after 8-h work-shift than those before the work shift. All the 24 PAH and AnQ levels were positively and significantly associated with the post-work urinary 8-OHdG. The results from source apportionment suggest vehicular emission to be the dominant source of personal exposure to PM(2.5). Our finding indicates that personal air exposures to 24 individual PAHs and AnQ originating from traffic emissions are important in increasing oxidative burdens in human body. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

25 CFR 542.21 - What are the minimum internal control standards for drop and count for Tier A gaming operations?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... locked table game drop boxes shall be removed from the tables by a person independent of the pit shift... boxes shall be performed by a minimum of two persons, at least one of whom is independent of the pit... count team shall be independent of transactions being reviewed and counted. The count team shall be...

25 CFR 542.41 - What are the minimum internal control standards for drop and count for Tier C gaming operations?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... locked table game drop boxes shall be removed from the tables by a person independent of the pit shift... boxes shall be performed by a minimum of two persons, at least one of whom is independent of the pit.... (4) The count team shall be independent of transactions being reviewed and counted. The count team...

Transfer Payments and Investment Income in the Nonmetro United States. Rural Development Research Report Number 71.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentley, Susan E.

Analysis of data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that during the 1970s and 1980s the composition of personal income in rural America shifted dramatically. Transfer payments and investment income accounted for almost 40% of total personal income in the nonmetro United States in 1983, up from just over 20% in 1969. This report examines…

Occupational Exposure to Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes During Commercial Production Synthesis and Handling

PubMed Central

Kuijpers, Eelco; Bekker, Cindy; Fransman, Wouter; Brouwer, Derk; Tromp, Peter; Vlaanderen, Jelle; Godderis, Lode; Hoet, Peter; Lan, Qing; Silverman, Debra; Vermeulen, Roel; Pronk, Anjoeka

2016-01-01

The world-wide production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has increased substantially in the last decade, leading to occupational exposures. There is a paucity of exposure data of workers involved in the commercial production of CNTs. The goals of this study were to assess personal exposure to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) during the synthesis and handling of MWCNTs in a commercial production facility and to link these exposure levels to specific activities. Personal full-shift filter-based samples were collected, during commercial production and handling of MWCNTs, R&D activities, and office work. The concentrations of MWCNT were evaluated on the basis of EC concentrations. Associations were studied between observed MWCNT exposure levels and location and activities. SEM analyses showed MWCNTs, present as agglomerates ranging between 200nm and 100 µm. Exposure levels of MWCNTs observed in the production area during the full scale synthesis of MWCNTs (N = 23) were comparable to levels observed during further handling of MWCNTs (N = 19): (GM (95% lower confidence limit–95% upper confidence limit)) 41 μg m−3 (20–88) versus 43 μg m−3 (22–86), respectively. In the R&D area (N = 11) and the office (N = 5), exposure levels of MWCNTs were significantly (P < 0.05) lower: 5 μg m−3 (2–11) and 7 μg m−3 (2–28), respectively. Bagging, maintenance of the reactor, and powder conditioning were associated with higher exposure levels in the production area, whereas increased exposure levels in the R&D area were related to handling of MWCNTs powder. PMID:26613611

Automatic processing of facial affects in patients with borderline personality disorder: associations with symptomatology and comorbid disorders.

PubMed

Donges, Uta-Susan; Dukalski, Bibiana; Kersting, Anette; Suslow, Thomas

2015-01-01

Instability of affects and interpersonal relations are important features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Interpersonal problems of individuals suffering from BPD might develop based on abnormalities in the processing of facial affects and high sensitivity to negative affective expressions. The aims of the present study were to examine automatic evaluative shifts and latencies as a function of masked facial affects in patients with BPD compared to healthy individuals. As BPD comorbidity rates for mental and personality disorders are high, we investigated also the relationships of affective processing characteristics with specific borderline symptoms and comorbidity. Twenty-nine women with BPD and 38 healthy women participated in the study. The majority of patients suffered from additional Axis I disorders and/or additional personality disorders. In the priming experiment, angry, happy, neutral, or no facial expression was briefly presented (for 33 ms) and masked by neutral faces that had to be evaluated. Evaluative decisions and response latencies were registered. Borderline-typical symptomatology was assessed with the Borderline Symptom List. In the total sample, valence-congruent evaluative shifts and delays of evaluative decision due to facial affect were observed. No between-group differences were obtained for evaluative decisions and latencies. The presence of comorbid anxiety disorders was found to be positively correlated with evaluative shifting owing to masked happy primes, regardless of baseline-neutral or no facial expression condition. The presence of comorbid depressive disorder, paranoid personality disorder, and symptoms of social isolation and self-aggression were significantly correlated with response delay due to masked angry faces, regardless of baseline. In the present affective priming study, no abnormalities in the automatic recognition and processing of facial affects were observed in BPD patients compared to healthy individuals. The presence of comorbid anxiety disorders could make patients more susceptible to the influence of a happy expression on judgment processes at an automatic processing level. Comorbid depressive disorder, paranoid personality disorder, and symptoms of social isolation and self-aggression may enhance automatic attention allocation to threatening facial expressions in BPD. Increased automatic vigilance for social threat stimuli might contribute to affective instability and interpersonal problems in specific patients with BPD.

A neurological evaluation of workers exposed to mixtures of organic solvents.

PubMed Central

Maizlish, N A; Fine, L J; Albers, J W; Whitehead, L; Langolf, G D

1987-01-01

Workers with long term exposure to mixtures of organic solvents below regulatory limits have been reported to experience mild, but clinically detectable, sensory or sensorimotor polyneuropathies. In conjuction with a cross sectional study of behavioural performance a clinical neurological evaluation was conducted among printers and spray painters to examine dose response relations. All 240 subjects completed an occupational history and symptom questionnaire and underwent a clinical neurological examination. On average, subjects had been employed on their current job for six years. Classification of solvent exposure for each subject was based on exposed versus non-exposed job titles and observations during an industrial hygiene walk-through or on the measured concentration of solvents in full shift personal air samples. The average full shift solvent concentration was 302 ppm for printing plant workers and 6-13 ppm for workers at other plants. Isopropanol and hexane were the major constituents. Neurological abnormalities consistent with mild polyneuropathy were found in 16% of subjects; none was clinically significant. Exposed/non-exposed comparisons showed slightly higher frequency of symptoms in the exposed subjects which was not related to solvent level. Subjects categorised as exposed during the walk- through survey also had poorer vibratory sensation measured at the foot and diminished ankle reflexes. In multiple linear regression models, however, controlling for age, sex, alcohol intake, and examiner, no significant (p less than 0.05) relation was found between solvent concentration and poor neurological function except for two point discrimination measured at the foot. This investigation has not provided evidence for dose related adverse neurological effects from exposure to moderately low levels of solvent mixtures for a relatively short duration, although this may be due to the shortness of exposure duration, the type of solvent exposure, or to selection factors. PMID:3814530

A history of the early days of personality testing in American industry: an obsession with adjustment.

PubMed

Gibby, Robert E; Zickar, Michael J

2008-08-01

Objective personality testing began with Woodworth's Personal Data Sheet in 1917. That test was developed to identify soldiers prone to nervous breakdowns during enemy bombardment in World War I (WWI). Soon after, many competing personality tests were developed for use in industry. Many of these tests, like Woodworth's, focused on the construct of employee maladjustment and were deemed important in screening out applicants who would create workplace disturbances. In this article, the authors review the history of these early personality tests, especially the Bernreuter Personality Inventory and the Humm-Wadsworth Temperament Scale, and discuss the implications of personality testers' obsession with the construct of employee maladjustment. In addition, the authors discuss the industry's obsession with emotional maladjustment and how this obsession coincided with a cultural shift in norms relating to cultural expression.

Shift work and its association with metabolic disorders.

PubMed

Brum, Maria Carlota Borba; Filho, Fábio Fernandes Dantas; Schnorr, Claudia Carolina; Bottega, Gustavo Borchardt; Rodrigues, Ticiana C

2015-01-01

Although the health burden of shift work has not been extensively studied, evidence suggests that it may affect the metabolic balance and cause obesity and other metabolic disorders. Sleep deprivation, circadian desynchronization and behavioral changes in diet and physical activity are among the most commonly mentioned factors in studies of the association between night work and metabolic disorders. Individual adaptation to night work depends greatly on personal factors such as family and social life, but occupational interventions may also make a positive contribution to the transition to shift work, such as exposure to bright lights during the night shift, melatonin use, shift regularity and clockwise rotation, and dietary adaptations for the metabolic needs of night workers. The evaluation of the impact of night work on health and of the mechanisms underlying this relationship can serve as a basis for intervention strategies to minimize the health burden of shift work. This review aimed to identify highlights regarding therapeutic implications following the association between night and shift work and metabolic disorders, as well as the mechanisms and pathways responsible for these relationships.

Integration of Personalized Healthcare Pathways in an ICT Platform for Diabetes Managements: A Small-Scale Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Fico, Giuseppe; Fioravanti, Alessio; Arredondo, Maria Teresa; Gorman, Joe; Diazzi, Chiara; Arcuri, Giovanni; Conti, Claudio; Pirini, Giampiero

2016-01-01

The availability of new tools able to support patient monitoring and personalized care may substantially improve the quality of chronic disease management. A personalized healthcare pathway (PHP) has been developed for diabetes disease management and integrated into an information and communication technology system to accomplish a shift from organization-centered care to patient-centered care. A small-scale exploratory study was conducted to test the platform. Preliminary results are presented that shed light on how the PHP influences system usage and performance outcomes.

A Theory of Social Integration as Quality of Life

PubMed Central

Hopper, Kim; Tugenberg, Toni; Dickey, Barbara; Fisher, Daniel

2009-01-01

Objective Quality of life, once a priority in caring for people with severe mental illness, has since been eclipsed by other concerns. This article returns attention to quality of life by offering a theory of social integration (as quality of life) for persons disabled by severe mental illness. Methods Data collection for this qualitative study consisted of 78 individual, unstructured interviews with 56 adults who have been psychiatrically disabled and field observations and interviews with staff and users that were made during eight ethnographic visits to service sites working to promote social integration. Data were analyzed with an inductive strategy based on grounded theory methodology and framed theoretically by the capabilities approach to human development. Goals were to identify personal capacities needed for integration, characterize occasions for capacity development in mental health care, and develop a working theory. Results Six personal capacities were identified: responsibility, accountability, imagination, empathy, judgment, and advocacy. Occasions were characterized in terms of their defining mechanisms: contradiction, reinterpretation, rehearsal, raising expectations, and confrontation. A working theory was constructed to characterize the process of capacity development for social integration through exposure to increasingly challenging occasions for growth in the context of mental health care. Conclusions Capacities for social integration can be effectively developed as part of the everyday routines of mental health care. Eventually, the process shifts from development to the exercise of capacities and to participation as full citizens in the social world beyond treatment. PMID:18182536

A prospective cohort study of shift work and the risk of death from pancreatic cancer in Japanese men.

PubMed

Lin, Yingsong; Ueda, Junko; Yagyu, Kiyoko; Kurosawa, Michiko; Tamakoshi, Akiko; Kikuchi, Shogo

2013-07-01

There is mounting evidence that shift work involving night work increases cancer risk. We examined the relationship between working rotating shifts and the risk of death from pancreatic cancer on the basis of data from the Japanese Collaborative Cohort Study (JACC Study). The present analysis was restricted to 22,224 men who were 40-65 years of age at baseline (1988-1990) and who reported working full time or were self-employed in the JACC Study. The subjects were followed through 31 December 2009. Information on occupation and lifestyle factors was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the risk of death from pancreatic cancer in relation to shift work. During the follow-up period, 127 pancreatic cancer deaths were observed. Overall, we found no statistically significant increase in the risk of death from pancreatic cancer associated with rotating shift work. As compared to day-shift workers, the RRs were 0.83 (95% CI 0.43-1.60) for rotating shift workers and 0.61 (95% CI 0.22-1.60) for fixed night-shift workers, after adjustment for potential confounding factors. The multivariable-adjusted RR was 1.34 (95% CI 0.66-2.75) among rotating shift workers in the analysis restricted to men who reported working full time at baseline. Our data did not support the hypothesis that shift work is significantly associated with the risk of death from pancreatic cancer in this cohort of Japanese men.

Full-Shift Trunk and Upper Arm Postures and Movements Among Aircraft Baggage Handlers.

PubMed

Wahlström, Jens; Bergsten, Eva; Trask, Catherine; Mathiassen, Svend Erik; Jackson, Jennie; Forsman, Mikael

2016-10-01

The present study assessed full-shift trunk and upper arm postural exposure amplitudes, frequencies, and durations among Swedish airport baggage handlers and aimed to determine whether exposures differ between workers at the ramp (loading and unloading aircraft) and baggage sorting areas. Trunk and upper arm postures were measured using inclinometers during three full work shifts on each of 27 male baggage handlers working at a large Swedish airport. Sixteen of the baggage handlers worked on the ramp and 11 in the sorting area. Variables summarizing postures and movements were calculated, and mean values and variance components between subjects and within subject (between days) were estimated using restricted maximum likelihood algorithms in a one-way random effect model. In total, data from 79 full shifts (651h) were collected with a mean recording time of 495min per shift (range 319-632). On average, baggage handlers worked with the right and left arm elevated >60° for 6.4% and 6.3% of the total workday, respectively. The 90th percentile trunk forward projection (FP) was 34.1°, and the 50th percentile trunk movement velocity was 8° s(-1). For most trunk (FP) and upper arm exposure variables, between-subject variability was considerable, suggesting that the flight baggage handlers were not a homogeneously exposed group. A notable between-days variability pointed to the contents of the job differing on different days. Peak exposures (>90°) were higher for ramp workers than for sorting area workers (trunk 0.6% ramp versus 0.3% sorting; right arm 1.3% ramp versus 0.7% sorting). Trunk and upper arm postures and movements among flight baggage handlers measured by inclinometry were similar to those found in other jobs comprising manual material handling, known to be associated with increased risks for musculoskeletal disorders. The results showed that full-shift trunk (FP) and, to some extent, peak arm exposures were higher for ramp workers compared with sorting workers. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Manganese in plasma: a promising biomarker of exposure to Mn in welders. A pilot study.

PubMed

Hoet, Perrine; Vanmarcke, Els; Geens, Tom; Deumer, Gladys; Haufroid, Vincent; Roels, Harry A

2012-08-13

There is raising concern about the potential neurotoxic effects of manganese (Mn) inhalation exposure in welders. Because most of the airborne particles in welding fume are in the respirable fraction, their bioavailability is likely to be higher than for coarser dust exposure. No well-validated biomarker for Mn exposure is available. To investigate the interest of measuring Mn in plasma (Mn-P) and urine (Mn-U) as biomarkers of exposure in a group of 28 welders whose tasks were only welding-related. Ambient air exposure to Mn (Mn-air) was determined by personal full-shift measurements on Monday and Tuesday. On the same days, blood and urine samples were collected before and after the shift. Mn-air varied from 1.3 to 729 μg/m(3) (GM 27.7). For Mn-U 65% of the values in welders were below the LOQ (0.20 μg/L). Compared to controls, the welders' Mn-P averaged 33% higher (1.5 vs 2.0 μg/L). In welders, the after-shift Mn-P values correlated well with Mn-air above 10 μg/m(3). In spite of similar Mn-air exposure on Monday and Tuesday, the relationships between Mn-air and after-shift Mn-P strikingly differed on Tuesday in that the inflection in the relationship was less obvious and the slope of the regression line (Mn-P after-shift/logMn-air) for a doubling of logMn-air was 2.3 times lower than on Monday. On Monday (the first day of the workweek), a Mn-P value of 2 μg/L could distinguish Mn-air exposure above or below 20 μg/m(3) with a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 82%. This preliminary study indicates that Mn-P is a promising biomarker of current exposure to Mn in welders and lends biological plausibility to the intended change for the Mn TLV-TWA of 20 μg/m(3) proposed by ACGIH for respirable Mn particulate. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Who is sleepier on the night shift? The influence of bio-psycho-social factors on subjective sleepiness of female nurses during the night shift.

PubMed

Zion, Nataly; Drach-Zahavy, Anat; Shochat, Tamar

2018-07-01

Sleepiness is a common complaint during the night shift and may impair performance. The current study aims to identify bio-psycho-social factors associated with subjective sleepiness during the night shift. Ninety-two female nurses working rotating shifts completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Munich ChronoType Questionaire for shift workers, the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, and the Pre-sleep Arousal Scale. Subjective sleepiness was measured hourly during two night shifts using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, and activity monitors assessed sleep duration 24-h before each shift. Findings showed that increased sleepiness was associated with increased age in nurses with early chronotypes and with more children. High cognitive pre-sleep arousal, but not sleep, was associated with increased sleepiness, especially in late chronotypes. The impact of bio-psycho-social factors on night shift sleepiness is complex, and depends on mutual interactions between these factors. Nurses most prone to increased sleepiness must develop personal strategies for maintaining vigilance on the night shift. Practitioner Summary: This study aims to identify bio-psycho-social factors associated with subjective sleepiness of female nurses during the night shift. Increasing sleepiness was associated with increased age in nurses with early chronotypes and with more children. Increased cognitive pre-sleep arousal, but not sleep, was associated with increased sleepiness, especially in late chronotypes.

Unraveling mysteries of personal performance style; biomechanics of left-hand position changes (shifting) in violin performance

PubMed Central

Visentin, Peter; Li, Shiming; Tardif, Guillaume

2015-01-01

Instrumental music performance ranks among the most complex of learned human behaviors, requiring development of highly nuanced powers of sensory and neural discrimination, intricate motor skills, and adaptive abilities in a temporal activity. Teaching, learning and performing on the violin generally occur within musico-cultural parameters most often transmitted through aural traditions that include both verbal instruction and performance modeling. In most parts of the world, violin is taught in a manner virtually indistinguishable from that used 200 years ago. The current study uses methods from movement science to examine the “how” and “what” of left-hand position changes (shifting), a movement skill essential during violin performance. In doing so, it begins a discussion of artistic individualization in terms of anthropometry, the performer-instrument interface, and the strategic use of motor behaviors. Results based on 540 shifting samples, a case series of 6 professional-level violinists, showed that some elements of the skill were individualized in surprising ways while others were explainable by anthropometry, ergonomics and entrainment. Remarkably, results demonstrated each violinist to have developed an individualized pacing for shifts, a feature that should influence timing effects and prove foundational to aesthetic outcomes during performance. Such results underpin the potential for scientific methodologies to unravel mysteries of performance that are associated with a performer’s personal artistic style. PMID:26557431

Unraveling mysteries of personal performance style; biomechanics of left-hand position changes (shifting) in violin performance.

PubMed

Visentin, Peter; Li, Shiming; Tardif, Guillaume; Shan, Gongbing

2015-01-01

Instrumental music performance ranks among the most complex of learned human behaviors, requiring development of highly nuanced powers of sensory and neural discrimination, intricate motor skills, and adaptive abilities in a temporal activity. Teaching, learning and performing on the violin generally occur within musico-cultural parameters most often transmitted through aural traditions that include both verbal instruction and performance modeling. In most parts of the world, violin is taught in a manner virtually indistinguishable from that used 200 years ago. The current study uses methods from movement science to examine the "how" and "what" of left-hand position changes (shifting), a movement skill essential during violin performance. In doing so, it begins a discussion of artistic individualization in terms of anthropometry, the performer-instrument interface, and the strategic use of motor behaviors. Results based on 540 shifting samples, a case series of 6 professional-level violinists, showed that some elements of the skill were individualized in surprising ways while others were explainable by anthropometry, ergonomics and entrainment. Remarkably, results demonstrated each violinist to have developed an individualized pacing for shifts, a feature that should influence timing effects and prove foundational to aesthetic outcomes during performance. Such results underpin the potential for scientific methodologies to unravel mysteries of performance that are associated with a performer's personal artistic style.

Evaluation of COSHH essentials: methylene chloride, isopropanol, and acetone exposures in a small printing plant.

PubMed

Lee, Eun Gyung; Harper, Martin; Bowen, Russell B; Slaven, James

2009-07-01

The current study evaluated the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Essentials model for short-term task-based exposures and full-shift exposures using measured concentrations of three volatile organic chemicals at a small printing plant. A total of 188 exposure measurements of isopropanol and 187 measurements of acetone were collected and each measurement took approximately 60 min. Historically, collected time-weighted average concentrations (seven results) were evaluated for methylene chloride. The COSHH Essentials model recommended general ventilation control for both isopropanol and acetone. There was good agreement between the task-based exposure measurements and the COSHH Essentials predicted exposure range (PER) for cleaning and print preparation with isopropanol and for cleaning with acetone. For the other tasks and for full-shift exposures, agreement between the exposure measurements and the PER was either moderate or poor. However, for both isopropanol and acetone, our findings suggested that the COSHH Essentials model worked reasonably well because the probabilities of short-term exposure measurements exceeding short-term occupational exposure limits (OELs) or full-shift exposures exceeding the corresponding full-shift OELs were <0.05 under the recommended control strategy. For methylene chloride, the COSHH Essentials recommended containment control but a follow-up study was not able to be performed because it had already been replaced with a less hazardous substance (acetone). This was considered a more acceptable alternative to increasing the level of control.

Estimating personal exposures from ambient air-pollution measures: Using meta-analysis to assess measurement error

PubMed Central

Holliday, Katelyn M; Avery, Christy L; Poole, Charles; McGraw, Kathleen; Williams, Ronald; Liao, Duanping; Smith, Richard L; Whitsel, Eric A

2014-01-01

Background Although ambient concentrations of particulate matter ≤10μm (PM10) are often used as proxies for total personal exposure, correlation (r) between ambient and personal PM10 concentrations varies. Factors underlying this variation and its effect on health outcome-PM exposure relationships remain poorly understood. Methods We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis to estimate effects of study, participant and environmental factors on r; used the estimates to impute personal exposure from ambient PM10 concentrations among 4,012 non-smoking, diabetic participants in the Women’s Health Initiative clinical trial; and then estimated the associations of ambient and imputed personal PM10 concentrations with electrocardiographic measures such as heart rate variability. Results We identified fifteen studies (in years 1990-2009) of 342 participants in five countries. The median r was 0.46 (range = 0.13 to 0.72). There was little evidence of funnel-plot asymmetry but substantial heterogeneity of r, which increased 0.05 (95% confidence interval [CI]= 0.01 to 0.09) per 10 μg/m3 increase in mean ambient PM10 concentration. Substituting imputed personal exposure for ambient PM10 concentrations shifted mean percent changes in electrocardiographic measures per 10μg/m3 increase in exposure away from the null and decreased their precision, e.g. −2.0% (95% CI= −4.6% to 0.7%) versus −7.9% (−15.9% to 0.9%) for the standard deviation of normal-to-normal RR interval duration. Conclusions Analogous distributions and heterogeneity of r in extant meta-analyses of ambient and personal PM2.5 concentrations suggest that observed shifts in mean percent change and decreases in precision may be generalizable across particle size. PMID:24220191

Marketing your skills outside the hospital walls.

PubMed

Waxman, K T

1998-08-01

As patient care shifts from acute care to outpatient and community home health care, nurses need to repackage their skills. A personal skill assessment on an ongoing basis helps nurses plan for the future.

Search 3.0: Present, Personal, Precise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spivack, Nova

The next generation of Web search is already beginning to emerge. With it we will see several shifts in the way people search, and the way major search engines provide search functionality to consumers.

30 CFR 77.1906 - Hoists; daily inspection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... wheels, etc.), connections, links and chains, and other facilities. (b) Prior to each working shift, and... shall be run by the hoist operator through one complete cycle of operation before any person is...

Moodle 2.0: Shifting from a Learning Toolkit to a Open Learning Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alier, Marc; Casañ, María José; Piguillem, Jordi

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have reached a plateau of maturity in features, application to teaching practices and wide adoption by learning institutions. But the Web 2.0 carries new kinds of tools, services and ways of using the web; personally and socially. Some educators and learners have started to advocate for a new approach to frame one's learning sources, from the LMS course space towards Personal Learning Environments (PLE). But PLE's are characterized by its absence of structure, just what is provided by open standards and mashup techniques. Based on 5 years of participative observation research, this article explains the changes in architecture performed on the second version of Moodle, why did these changes happen and what should be the next steps so Moodle can shift from being a learning tool to a true open learning platform.

25 CFR 542.31 - What are the minimum internal control standards for drop and count for Tier B gaming operations?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... locked table game drop boxes shall be removed from the tables by a person independent of the pit shift... boxes shall be performed by a minimum of two persons, at least one of whom is independent of the pit... digital record, within seven (7) days by an employee independent of the count. (ii) [Reserved] (2) Count...

Use of structured personality survey techniques to indicate operator response to stressful situations

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

Waller, M.A.

Under given circumstances, a person will tend to operate in one of four dominant orientations: (1) to perform tasks; (2) to achieve consensus; (3) to achieve understanding, or (4) to maintain structure. Historically, personality survey techniques, such as the Myers-Briggs type indicator, have been used to determine these tendencies. While these techniques can accurately reflect a person's orientation under normal social situations, under different sets of conditions, the same person may exhibit other tendencies, displaying a similar or entirely different orientation. While most do not exhibit extreme tendencies or changes of orientation, the shift in personality from normal to stressfulmore » conditions can be rather dramatic, depending on the individual. Structured personality survey techniques have been used to indicate operator response to stressful situations. These techniques have been extended to indicate the balance between orientations that the control room team has through the various levels of cognizance.« less

Making All People Full Members of the Society: New Direction of Lifelong Learning Policy and Practices in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makino, Atsushi

2017-01-01

Nowadays in Japan, people's social existence may become less well defined as changes are brought about by social shifting. Japan is simply shifting from a society model based on an industrial society to another model, so-called a consumer society. In terms of social structure, this means shifting from the idea of society and economy assuming the…

Eugenics: The Threat of the Feeble Minded.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winzer, Margaret; O'Connor, Anne

1982-01-01

The history of the eugenics movement is reviewed. The authors conclude that, despite changed terminology and a shifting emphasis, advocacy of eugenics and its discrimination against poor and mentally retarded persons still persists today. (MC)

Change without Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naro, Anthony; Gorski, Edair; Fernandes, Eulalia

1999-01-01

Discusses a shift in the distribution of first person plural pronouns, as well as changes in the patterns of use of the corresponding verb inflections, in spoken Brazilian Portuguese across four generations of speakers from Rio de Janeiro. (Author/VWL)

Reassessment of NRC`s dollar per person-rem conversion factor policy

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

NONE

1995-12-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed a review and analysis of its dollar per person-rem conversion factor policy. As a result of this review, the NRC has decided to adopt a $2000 per person-rem conversion factor, subject it to present worth considerations, and limit its scope solely to health effects. This is in contrast to the previous policy and staff practice of using an undiscounted $1000 per person-rem conversion factor that served as a surrogate for all offsite consequences (health and offsite property). The policy shift has been incorporated in ``Regulatory Analysis Guidelines of the US Nuclear Regulatorymore » Commission,`` NUREG/BR-0058, Revision 2, November 1995.« less

Familiarity and Within-Person Facial Variability: The Importance of the Internal and External Features.

PubMed

Kramer, Robin S S; Manesi, Zoi; Towler, Alice; Reynolds, Michael G; Burton, A Mike

2018-01-01

As faces become familiar, we come to rely more on their internal features for recognition and matching tasks. Here, we assess whether this same pattern is also observed for a card sorting task. Participants sorted photos showing either the full face, only the internal features, or only the external features into multiple piles, one pile per identity. In Experiments 1 and 2, we showed the standard advantage for familiar faces-sorting was more accurate and showed very few errors in comparison with unfamiliar faces. However, for both familiar and unfamiliar faces, sorting was less accurate for external features and equivalent for internal and full faces. In Experiment 3, we asked whether external features can ever be used to make an accurate sort. Using familiar faces and instructions on the number of identities present, we nevertheless found worse performance for the external in comparison with the internal features, suggesting that less identity information was available in the former. Taken together, we show that full faces and internal features are similarly informative with regard to identity. In comparison, external features contain less identity information and produce worse card sorting performance. This research extends current thinking on the shift in focus, both in attention and importance, toward the internal features and away from the external features as familiarity with a face increases.

Generations Apart: Xers and Boomers in the Officer Corps

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-01

in just 10 years. Notice how less than a quarter of Gen X officers (compared with nearly half of Baby Boomer officers) believe work / life balance is...compatible with an Army career. This is a significant attitudinal shift to take place in only 10 years. The shifting emphasis on work / life balance is a...Army career would allow/allows me to maintain the kind of balance I want between my work and personal life. 47.4 % 21.3 % Figure 4. Work / Life Balance of

Pendulum Shifts, Context, Error, and Personal Accountability

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

Harold Blackman; Oren Hester

This paper describes a series of tools that were developed to achieve a balance in under-standing LOWs and the human component of events (including accountability) as the INL continues its shift to a learning culture where people report, are accountable and interested in making a positive difference - and want to report because information is handled correctly and the result benefits both the reporting individual and the organization. We present our model for understanding these interrelationships; the initiatives that were undertaken to improve overall performance.

Pressure Relief Behaviors and Weight Shifting Activities to Prevent Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

pressures and increased blood flow. This level of off-loading is achieved by postural changes during sustained reaching, leaning and other...wheelchair cushions and pressure relief maneuvers on ischial interface pressure and blood flow in people with spinal cord injury”, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vol. 95 no.7, pp. 1350-1357, July 2014. ...0 AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-13-1-0387 TITLE: Pressure Relief Behaviors and Weight-Shifting Activities to Prevent Pressure Ulcers in

Comparing headphone and speaker effects on simulated driving.

PubMed

Nelson, T M; Nilsson, T H

1990-12-01

Twelve persons drove for three hours in an automobile simulator while listening to music at sound level 63dB over stereo headphones during one session and from a dashboard speaker during another session. They were required to steer a mountain highway, maintain a certain indicated speed, shift gears, and respond to occasional hazards. Steering and speed control were dependent on visual cues. The need to shift and the hazards were indicated by sound and vibration effects. With the headphones, the driver's average reaction time for the most complex task presented--shifting gears--was about one-third second longer than with the speaker. The use of headphones did not delay the development of subjective fatigue.

A Qualitative Study of the Change-of-Shift Report at the Patients' Bedside.

PubMed

Grimshaw, John; Hatch, Daniel; Willard, Melissa; Abraham, Sam

Concerns about patient bedside change-of-shift reporting at a community hospital in northern Indiana stimulated the development of this qualitative phenomenological study. A review of the literature revealed a research deficit in acute care nurses' perceptions of bedside reporting in relation to compliance. The research question addressed in this study was, "What are acute care nurses' perceptions of the change-of-shift report at the patients' bedside?" Personal interviews were conducted on 7 medical, surgical, and intensive care unit nurse participants at a community hospital in northern Indiana. Five themes were identified from the collected data, which included the time factor, continuity of care, visualization, and challenges in the communication of discreet information.

Shifting the balance: the contemporary narrative of obesity.

PubMed

Shugart, Helene A

2011-01-01

In this essay, I assess the narrative of obesity as articulated in representative contemporary mainstream media fare--namely, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Biggest Loser, and Big Medicine. I contend that the emergent narrative of obesity across these programs signals a shift from the historically received narrative in light of its intersection with the concurrent culturally resonant narratives of addiction and self-actualization. In particular, the proposed "problem" and "solution" to obesity, both historically attributed to personal responsibility, appear to be shifting in favor of cultural explanations that describe obesity as symptomatic of and secondary to broader issues related to community, emotionality, and agency. This suggests novel cultural understandings, practices, and policies regarding the mounting "obesity epidemic."

Activity-based prospective memory in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Kumar, Devvarta; Nizamie, S Haque; Jahan, Masroor

2008-05-01

The study reports activity-based prospective memory as well as its clinical and neuropsychological correlates in schizophrenia. A total of 42 persons diagnosed with schizophrenia and 42 healthy controls were administered prospective memory, set-shifting, and verbal working memory tasks. The schizophrenia group was additionally administered various psychopathology rating scales. Group differences, with poorer performances of the schizophrenia group, were observed on the measures of prospective memory, working memory, and set shifting. The performance on prospective memory tasks correlated with the performance levels on verbal working memory and set-shifting tasks but not with the clinical measures. This study demonstrated impaired activity-based prospective memory in schizophrenia. The impairment can be due to deficits in various neuropsychological domains.

Personal exposures to asbestos fibers during brake maintenance of passenger vehicles.

PubMed

Cely-García, María Fernanda; Sánchez, Mauricio; Breysse, Patrick N; Ramos-Bonilla, Juan P

2012-11-01

Brake linings and brake pads are among the asbestos-containing products that are readily available in Colombia. When sold separated from their support, brake linings require extensive manipulation involving several steps that include drilling, countersinking, riveting, bonding, cutting, beveling, and grinding. Without this manipulation, brake linings cannot be installed in a vehicle. The manipulation process may release asbestos fibers, which may expose brake mechanics to the fibers. Three brake repair shops located in Bogotá (Colombia) were sampled for 3 or 4 consecutive days using US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) methods 7400 and 7402. Standard procedures for quality control were followed during the sampling process, and asbestos samples were analyzed by an American Industrial Hygiene Association accredited laboratory. Personal samples were collected to assess full-shift and short-term exposures. Area samples were also collected close to the brake-lining manipulation equipment and within office facilities. Activities were documented during the sampling process. Using Phase Contrast Microscopy Equivalent counts to estimate air asbestos concentrations, all personal samples [i.e. 8-h time-weighted averages (TWAs) and 30-min personal samples] were in compliance with the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. Personal asbestos concentrations based on transmission electron microscopy counts were extremely high, ranging from 0.006 to 3.493 f cm(-3) for 8-h TWA and from 0.015 to 8.835 f cm(-3) for 30-min samples. All asbestos fibers detected were chrysotile. Cleaning facilities and grinding linings resulted in the highest asbestos exposures based on transmission electron microscopy counts. There were also some samples that did not comply with the NIOSH's recommended exposure limits. The results indicate that the brake mechanics sampled are exposed to extremely high asbestos concentrations (i.e. based on transmission electron microscopy counts), suggesting that this occupational group could be at excess risk of asbestos-related diseases.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Shifts Preference of Moral Judgments

PubMed Central

Kuehne, Maria; Heimrath, Kai; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Zaehle, Tino

2015-01-01

Attitude to morality, reflecting cultural norms and values, is considered unique to human social behavior. Resulting moral behavior in a social environment is controlled by a widespread neural network including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which plays an important role in decision making. In the present study we investigate the influence of neurophysiological modulation of DLPFC reactivity by means of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on moral reasoning. For that purpose we administered anodal, cathodal, and sham stimulation of the left DLPFC while subjects judged the appropriateness of hard moral personal dilemmas. In contrast to sham and cathodal stimulation, anodal stimulation induced a shift in judgment of personal moral dilemmas towards more non-utilitarian actions. Our results demonstrate that alterations of left DLPFC activity can change moral judgments and, in consequence, provide a causal link between left DLPFC activity and moral reasoning. Most important, the observed shift towards non-utilitarian actions suggests that moral decision making is not a permanent individual trait but can be manipulated; consequently individuals with boundless, uncontrollable, and maladaptive moral behavior, such as found in psychopathy, might benefit from neuromodulation-based approaches. PMID:25985442

Choosing the Discount Rate for Defense Decisionmaking.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-07-01

a weighted average of the after-personal-income-tax rate of return to savers and the pre- corporate - income - tax cost of capital. Stockfisch calcu].ates...occurs between the corporate and noncorporate sector. Many economists assume 100 percent shifting of the corporate income tax , so if the corporate ...capital is a weighted average of the after-personal-income-tax rate of return to savers and the pre- corporate - income - tax cost of capital. Stockfisch

Napping during night shift: practices, preferences, and perceptions of critical care and emergency department nurses.

PubMed

Fallis, Wendy M; McMillan, Diana E; Edwards, Marie P

2011-04-01

Nurses working night shifts are at risk for sleep deprivation, which threatens patient and nurse safety. Little nursing research has addressed napping, an effective strategy to improve performance, reduce fatigue, and increase vigilance. To explore nurses' perceptions, experiences, barriers, and safety issues related to napping/not napping during night shift. A convenience sample of critical care nurses working night shift were interviewed to explore demographics, work schedule and environment, and napping/ not napping experiences, perceptions, and barriers. Transcripts were constantly compared, and categories and themes were identified. Participants were 13 critical care nurses with an average of 17 years' experience. Ten nurses napped regularly; 2 avoided napping because of sleep inertia. The need for and benefits of napping or not during night shift break were linked to patient and nurse safety. Ability to nap was affected by the demands of patient care and safety, staffing needs, and organizational and environmental factors. Nurses identified personal health, safety, and patient care issues supporting the need for a restorative nap during night shift. Barriers to napping exist within the organization/work environment.

[ASSESSMENT OF EXTREME FACTORS OF SHIFT WORK IN ARCTIC CONDITIONS BY WORKERS WITH DIFFERENT REGULATORY PROCESSES].

PubMed

Korneeva, Ya A; Simonova, N N

2016-01-01

A man working on a shift basis in the Arctic, every day is under the influence of various extreme factors which are inevitable for oil and gas indudtry. To adapt to shift work employees use various resources of the individual. The purpose of research is the determination of personal resources of shift workers to overcome the adverse factors of the environment in the Arctic. The study involved 191 builder of main gas pipelines, working in shifts in the Tyumen region (the length of the shift 52 days of arrival) at the age of 23 to 59 (mean age 34.9 ± 8.1) years. Methods: psychological testing, questioning, observation, descriptive statistics, discriminant step by step analysis. There was revealed the correlation between the subjective assessment of the majority of adverse climatic factors in the regulatory process "assessment of results"; production factors--regulatory processes such as flexibility, autonomy, simulation, and the general level of self-regulation; social factors are more associated with the severity of such regulatory processes, flexibility and evaluation of results.

Ethical Issues Surrounding Personalized Medicine: A Literature Review.

PubMed

Salari, Pooneh; Larijani, Bagher

2017-03-01

More than a decade ago, personalized medicine was presented in modern medicine. Personalized medicine means that the right drug should be prescribed for the right patient based on genetic data. No doubt is developing medical sciences, and its shift into personalized medicine complicates ethical challenges more than before. In this review, we categorized all probable ethical considerations of personalized medicine in research and development and service provision. Based on our review, extensive changes in healthcare system including ethical changes are needed to overcome the ethical obstacles including knowledge gap and informed consent, privacy and confidentiality and availability of healthcare services. Furthermore social benefit versus science development and individual benefit should be balanced. Therefore guidelines and regulations should be compiled to represent the ethical framework; also ethical decision making should be day-to-day and individualized.

Heart-rate pulse-shift detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, M.

1974-01-01

Detector circuit accurately separates and counts phase-shift pulses over wide range of basic pulse-rate frequency, and also provides reasonable representation of full repetitive EKG waveform. Single telemeter implanted in small animal monitors not only body temperature but also animal movement and heart rate.

The interaction of pupil response with the vergence system.

PubMed

Feil, Moritz; Moser, Barbara; Abegg, Mathias

2017-11-01

A gaze shift from a target at distance to a target at near leads to pupillary constriction. The regulation of this pupillary near response is ill known. We investigated the impact of accommodation, convergence, and proximity on the pupillary diameter. We recorded pupil size and vergence eye movements with the use of an infrared eye tracker. We determined the pupillary response in four conditions: (1) after a gaze shift from far to near without accommodation, (2) after a gaze shift from far to near with neither accommodation nor convergence, (3) after accommodation alone, and (4) after accommodation with convergence without a gaze shift to near. These responses were compared to the pupil response of a full near response and to a gaze shift from one far target to another. We found a reliable pupillary near response. The removal of both accommodation and convergence in gaze shift from far to near abolished the pupillary near response. Accommodation alone did not induce pupillary constriction, while convergence and accommodation together induced a pupil response similar to the full near response. The main trigger for the pupillary response seems to be convergence. Neither accommodation nor proximity alone induce a significant pupillary constriction. This suggests that the miosis of the near triad is closely coupled to the vergence system rather than being independently regulated.

Intensity of interprofessional collaboration among intensive care nurses at a tertiary hospital.

PubMed

Serrano-Gemes, G; Rich-Ruiz, M

To measure the intensity of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in nurses of an intensive care unit (ICU) at a tertiary hospital, to check differences between the dimensions of the Intensity of Interprofessional Collaboration Questionnaire, and to identify the influence of personal variables. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 63 intensive care nurses selected by simple random sampling. Explanatory variables: age, sex, years of experience in nursing, years of experience in critical care, workday type and work shift type; variable of outcome: IPC. The IPC was measured by: Intensity of Interprofessional Collaboration Questionnaire. Descriptive and bivariate statistical analysis (IPC and its dimensions with explanatory variables). 73.8% were women, with a mean age of 46.54 (±6.076) years. The average years experience in nursing and critical care was 23.03 (±6.24) and 14.25 (±8.532), respectively. 77% had a full time and 95.1% had a rotating shift. 62.3% obtained average IPC values. Statistically significant differences were found (P<.05) between IPC (overall score) and overall assessment with years of experience in critical care. This study shows average levels of IPC; the nurses with less experience in critical care obtained higher IPC and overall assessment scores. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Enfermería Intensiva y Unidades Coronarias (SEEIUC). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Shifting closeness: interpersonal effects of personal goal progress.

PubMed

Fitzsimons, Gráinne M; Fishbach, Ayelet

2010-04-01

In this article, we examine how the shifting motivational priority of personal goals affects relationship closeness. We hypothesize that people will draw closer to significant others who are instrumental (vs. noninstrumental) for a goal that has not been progressing well-a goal that is thus high in motivational priority. Once the goal has progressed successfully, we predict that people will cease to draw closer to instrumental others. Five studies support these predictions by showing that the impact of goal progress on reduced preference for instrumental others (Experiment 1) depends on the framing of progress as partial attainment (vs. greater commitment, Experiment 2) and the intention to balance across goals (vs. focus on one goal; Experiments 3-4). We find that moving away from instrumental others post progress is functional, in that it allows for drawing closer to those who are instrumental for alternative goals (Experiment 5).

Personality, relationship conflict, and teamwork-related mental models.

PubMed

Vîrgă, Delia; Curşeu, Petru Lucian; CurŞeu, Petru Lucian; Maricuţoiu, Laurenţiu; Sava, Florin A; Macsinga, Irina; Măgurean, Silvia

2014-01-01

This study seeks to explore whether neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness moderate the influence of relationship conflict experienced in groups on changes in group members' evaluative cognitions related to teamwork quality (teamwork-related mental models). Data from 216 students, nested in 48 groups were analyzed using a multilevel modeling approach. Our results show that the experience of relationship conflict leads to a negative shift from the pre-task to the post-task teamwork-related mental models. Moreover, the results indicate that conscientiousness buffered the negative association between relationship conflict and the change in teamwork-related mental models. Our results did not support the hypothesized moderating effect of agreeableness and show that the detrimental effect of relationship conflict on the shift in teamwork-related mental models is accentuated for group members scoring low rather than high on neuroticism. These findings open new research venues for exploring the association between personality, coping styles and change in teamwork-related mental models.

Personality, Relationship Conflict, and Teamwork-Related Mental Models

PubMed Central

Vîrgă, Delia; CurŞeu, Petru Lucian; Maricuţoiu, Laurenţiu; Sava, Florin A.; Macsinga, Irina; Măgurean, Silvia

2014-01-01

This study seeks to explore whether neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness moderate the influence of relationship conflict experienced in groups on changes in group members' evaluative cognitions related to teamwork quality (teamwork-related mental models). Data from 216 students, nested in 48 groups were analyzed using a multilevel modeling approach. Our results show that the experience of relationship conflict leads to a negative shift from the pre-task to the post-task teamwork-related mental models. Moreover, the results indicate that conscientiousness buffered the negative association between relationship conflict and the change in teamwork-related mental models. Our results did not support the hypothesized moderating effect of agreeableness and show that the detrimental effect of relationship conflict on the shift in teamwork-related mental models is accentuated for group members scoring low rather than high on neuroticism. These findings open new research venues for exploring the association between personality, coping styles and change in teamwork-related mental models. PMID:25372143

Emerging adults' lived experience of formative family stress: the family's lasting influence.

PubMed

Valdez, Carmen R; Chavez, Tom; Woulfe, Julie

2013-08-01

In this article, we use a phenomenology framework to explore emerging adults' formative experiences of family stress. Fourteen college students participated in a qualitative interview about their experience of family stress. We analyzed the interviews using the empirical phenomenological psychology method. Participants described a variety of family stressors, including parental conflict and divorce, physical or mental illness, and emotional or sexual abuse by a family member. Two general types of parallel processes were essential to the experience of family stress for participants. First, the family stressor was experienced in shifts and progressions reflecting the young person's attempts to manage the stressor, and second, these shifts and progressions were interdependent with deeply personal psychological meanings of self, sociality, physical and emotional expression, agency, place, space, project, and discourse. We describe each of these parallel processes and their subprocesses, and conclude with implications for mental health practice and research.

Twilight spectral dynamics and the coral reef invertebrate spawning response.

PubMed

Sweeney, Alison M; Boch, Charles A; Johnsen, Sonke; Morse, Daniel E

2011-03-01

There are dramatic and physiologically relevant changes in both skylight color and intensity during evening twilight as the pathlength of direct sunlight through the atmosphere increases, ozone increasingly absorbs long wavelengths and skylight becomes increasingly blue shifted. The moon is above the horizon at sunset during the waxing phase of the lunar cycle, on the horizon at sunset on the night of the full moon and below the horizon during the waning phase. Moonlight is red shifted compared with daylight, so the presence, phase and position of the moon in the sky could modulate the blue shifts during twilight. Therefore, the influence of the moon on twilight color is likely to differ somewhat each night of the lunar cycle, and to vary especially rapidly around the full moon, as the moon transitions from above to below the horizon during twilight. Many important light-mediated biological processes occur during twilight, and this lunar effect may play a role. One particularly intriguing biological event tightly correlated with these twilight processes is the occurrence of mass spawning events on coral reefs. Therefore, we measured downwelling underwater hyperspectral irradiance on a coral reef during twilight for several nights before and after the full moon. We demonstrate that shifts in twilight color and intensity on nights both within and between evenings, immediately before and after the full moon, are correlated with the observed times of synchronized mass spawning, and that these optical phenomena are a biologically plausible cue for the synchronization of these mass spawning events.

Automatic attentional orienting to other people's gaze in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Langdon, Robyn; Seymour, Kiley; Williams, Tracey; Ward, Philip B

2017-08-01

Explicit tests of social cognition have revealed pervasive deficits in schizophrenia. Less is known of automatic social cognition in schizophrenia. We used a spatial orienting task to investigate automatic shifts of attention cued by another person's eye gaze in 29 patients and 28 controls. Central photographic images of a face with eyes shifted left or right, or looking straight ahead, preceded targets that appeared left or right of the cue. To examine automatic effects, cue direction was non-predictive of target location. Cue-target intervals were 100, 300, and 800 ms. In non-social control trials, arrows replaced eye-gaze cues. Both groups showed automatic attentional orienting indexed by faster reaction times (RTs) when arrows were congruent with target location across all cue-target intervals. Similar congruency effects were seen for eye-shift cues at 300 and 800 ms intervals, but patients showed significantly larger congruency effects at 800 ms, which were driven by delayed responses to incongruent target locations. At short 100-ms cue-target intervals, neither group showed faster RTs for congruent than for incongruent eye-shift cues, but patients were significantly slower to detect targets after direct-gaze cues. These findings conflict with previous studies using schematic line drawings of eye-shifts that have found automatic attentional orienting to be reduced in schizophrenia. Instead, our data indicate that patients display abnormalities in responding to gaze direction at various stages of gaze processing-reflected by a stronger preferential capture of attention by another person's direct eye contact at initial stages of gaze processing and difficulties disengaging from a gazed-at location once shared attention is established.

The New Nordic Diet is an effective tool in environmental protection: it reduces the associated socioeconomic cost of diets.

PubMed

Saxe, Henrik

2014-05-01

The New Nordic Diet (NND) was designed by gastronomic, nutritional, and environmental specialists to be a palatable, healthy, and sustainable diet containing 35% less meat than the Average Danish Diet (ADD); more whole-grain products, nuts, fruit, and vegetables; locally grown food in season; and >75% organic produce. The environmental impact of the 2 diets was compared based on 16 impact categories, which were monetized to evaluate the overall socioeconomic effect of a shift from an ADD to an NND. The objective was to determine whether this diet shift can be an effective tool in environmental protection. The 3 features by which this diet shift affects the environment-composition, transport (import), and type of production (organic/conventional)-were separately investigated by using life cycle assessment. When both diet composition and transport were taken into account, the NND reduced the environmental impact relative to the ADD measured by all 16 impact categories. The socioeconomic savings related to this diet shift was €266/person per year, or 32% of the overall environmental cost of the ADD. When the actual 8% content of organic produce in the ADD and the 84% content of organic produce in the investigated recipe-based NND were also taken into account, the NND reduced the environmental impact relative to the ADD measured by only 10 of the 16 impact categories whereas 6 were increased. The socioeconomic savings related to the diet shift were lowered to €42/person per year, or 5% of the overall environmental cost of the ADD. Reducing the content of meat and excluding most long-distance imports were of substantial environmental and socioeconomic advantage to the NND when compared with the ADD, whereas including high amounts of organic produce was a disadvantage.

Impact of Public Safety Policies on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission Dynamics in Tijuana, Mexico.

PubMed

Mehta, Sanjay R; Chaillon, Antoine; Gaines, Tommi L; Gonzalez-Zuniga, Patricia E; Stockman, Jamila K; Almanza-Reyes, Horatio; Chavez, Jose Roman; Vera, Alicia; Wagner, Karla D; Patterson, Thomas L; Scott, Brianna; Smith, Davey M; Strathdee, Steffanie A

2018-02-10

North Tijuana, Mexico is home to many individuals at high risk for transmitting and acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Recently, policy shifts by local government impacted how these individuals were handled by authorities. Here we examined how this affected regional HIV transmission dynamics. HIV pol sequences and associated demographic information were collected from 8 research studies enrolling persons in Tijuana and were used to infer viral transmission patterns. To evaluate the impact of recent policy changes on HIV transmission dynamics, qualitative interviews were performed on a subset of recently infected individuals. Between 2004 and 2016, 288 unique HIV pol sequences were obtained from individuals in Tijuana, including 46.4% from men who have sex with men, 42.1% from individuals reporting transactional sex, and 27.8% from persons who inject drugs (some individuals had >1 risk factor). Forty-two percent of sequences linked to at least 1 other sequence, forming 37 transmission clusters. Thirty-two individuals seroconverted during the observation period, including 8 between April and July 2016. Three of these individuals were putatively linked together. Qualitative interviews suggested changes in policing led individuals to shift locations of residence and injection drug use, leading to increased risk taking (eg, sharing needles). Near real-time molecular epidemiologic analyses identified a cluster of linked transmissions temporally associated with policy shifts. Interviews suggested these shifts may have led to increased risk taking among individuals at high risk for HIV acquisition. With all public policy shifts, downstream impacts need to be carefully considered, as even well-intentioned policies can have major public health consequences. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mass-stiffness substructuring of an elastic metasurface for full transmission beam steering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hyuk; Lee, Jun Kyu; Seung, Hong Min; Kim, Yoon Young

2018-03-01

The metasurface concept has a significant potential due to its novel wavefront-shaping functionalities that can be critically useful for ultrasonic and solid wave-based applications. To achieve the desired functionalities, elastic metasurfaces should cover full 2π phase shift and also acquire full transmission within subwavelength scale. However, they have not been explored much with respect to the elastic regime, because the intrinsic proportionality of mass-stiffness within the continuum elastic media causes an inevitable trade-off between abrupt phase shift and sufficient transmission. Our goal is to engineer an elastic metasurface that can realize an inverse relation between (amplified) effective mass and (weakened) stiffness in order to satisfy full 2π phase shift as well as full transmission. To achieve this goal, we propose a continuum elastic metasurface unit cell that is decomposed into two substructures, namely a mass-tuning substructure with a local dipolar resonator and a stiffness-tuning substructure composed of non-resonant multiply-perforated slits. We demonstrate analytically, numerically, and experimentally that this unique substructured unit cell can satisfy the required phase shift with high transmission. The substructuring enables independent tuning of the elastic properties over a wide range of values. We use a mass-spring model of the proposed continuum unit cell to investigate the working mechanism of the proposed metasurface. With the designed metasurface consisting of substructured unit cells embedded in an aluminum plate, we demonstrate that our metasurface can successfully realize anomalous steering and focusing of in-plane longitudinal ultrasonic beams. The proposed substructuring concept is expected to provide a new principle for the design of general elastic metasurfaces that can be used to efficiently engineer arbitrary wave profiles.

Health Care Finance Executive Personalities Revisited: A 10-Year Follow-up Study.

PubMed

Lieneck, Cristian; Nowicki, Michael

2015-01-01

A dynamic health care industry continues to call upon health care leaders to possess not one but multiple competencies. Inherent personality characteristics of leaders often play a major role in personal as well as organizational success to include those in health care finance positions of responsibility. A replication study was conducted to determine the Myers-Briggs personality-type differences between practicing health care finance professionals in 2014, as compared with a previous 2003 study. Results indicate a significant shift between both independent samples of health care finance professionals over the 10-year period from original high levels of introversion to that of extraversion, as well as higher sensing personality preferences, as compared with the original sample's high level of intuition preferences. Further investigation into the evolving role of the health care finance manager is suggested, while continued alignment of inherent, personal characteristics is suggested to meet ongoing changes in the industry.

Dietary habits among persons hired on shift work.

PubMed

Strzemecka, Joanna; Bojar, Iwona; Strzemecka, Ewa; Owoc, Alfred

2014-01-01

Shift-work determinates irregular nutrition habits. The quality as well as the quantity of meals consumed by shift-workers can significantly affects their health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary habits of people performing shift work in the Bogdanka mine. The study was carried out in the Bogdanka mine in Leczna. The questionnaire, which was designed by the author of this dissertation, was conducted among 700 shift-workers, working underground. The results were subjected to statistical analysis based on STATISTICA v. 7.1 (StatSoft, Poland) software. Nearly half of respondents reported regular consumption of meals (40.0%) Interviewees admitted having warm meals during the day (81.4%). The most frequently consumed meal during the day was the hot one (50.9%), three meals and more were consumed the least frequently (8.1%). Almost half of respondents considered their eating habits as inappropriate (46.3%). Among those, nearly half (68.2%) stated that shift - work is the reason for their nutrition habits. More than half of respondents (66.0%) admitted that shift work hampers regular consumption of meals. Shift work makes nourishment and regular consumption difficult. It contributes to the limited amount of warm meals eaten during the day. In order to maintain preventive health care and the improvement of quality of life, shift workers should be provided with an easier access to meals (including warm one) at specified times of the day.

Personality and intentional binding: an exploratory study using the narcissistic personality inventory

PubMed Central

Hascalovitz, Ann (Chen); Obhi, Sukhvinder S.

2015-01-01

When an individual estimates the temporal interval between a voluntary action and a consequent effect, their estimates are shorter than the real duration. This perceived shortening has been termed “intentional binding”, and is often due to a shift in the perception of a voluntary action forward towards the effect and a shift in the perception of the effect back towards the action. Despite much work on binding, there is virtually no consideration of individual/personality differences and how they affect it. Narcissism is a psychological trait associated with an inflated sense of self, and individuals higher in levels of subclinical narcissism tend to see themselves as highly effective agents. Conversely, lower levels of narcissism may be associated with a reduced sense of agency. In this exploratory study, to assess whether individuals with different scores on a narcissism scale are associated with differences in intentional binding, we compared perceived times of actions and effects (tones) between participants with high, middle, and low scores on the narcissistic personality inventory (NPI). We hypothesized that participants with higher scores would show increased binding compared to participants with lower scores. We found that participants in our middle and high groups showed a similar degree of binding, which was significantly greater than the level of binding shown by participants with the lowest scores. To our knowledge, these results are the first to demonstrate that different scores on a personality scale are associated with changes in the phenomenological experience of action, and therefore underscore the importance of considering individual/personality differences in the study of volition. Our results also reinforce the notion that intentional binding is related to agency experience. PMID:25698952

South Korea’s entry to the global food economy: Shifts in consumption of food between 1998 and 2009

PubMed Central

Lee, Haeng-Shin; Duffey, Kiyah J.; Popkin, Barry M.

2013-01-01

Korea has undergone a major opening of its food markets and economy in the past decade. Little is understood about the impact of these shifts on the diet of Koreans. This analysis studies the shifts in consumption of foods between 1998 and 2009 to provide a thorough understanding of the transition and insights into directions in the next decades in Korea. Data are from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), a nationally representative sample of individuals age ≥2 in 1998 and 2009 (n=10,267 and 9,264, respectively). The data are corrected for seasonality, and the original raw food data are regrouped into 53 food groups. SAS is used to adjust for design effects and weight the results. Despite a decade of efforts to increase whole grains intake and fruit and vegetable intake, the mean intake of whole grains increased only a small amount (+16 kcal/person/d); however, the proportion consuming any whole grains doubled from 24% to 46.3%. Rice declined significantly, and several important less healthful food trends emerged: total Alcohol intake increased from 39 kcal/person/d to 82 kcal/person/d. Also, energy from Sugar-Sweetened Beverages increased among teens and energy from Tea & Coffee increased among adults. Remarkably, compared to other Asian countries and a general worldwide trend, vegetable intake remained very high in South Korea during this last decade while fat energy increased modestly from very low levels. Dynamic causes of these trends and the government’s response are discussed. PMID:23017321

South Korea's entry to the global food economy: shifts in consumption of food between 1998 and 2009.

PubMed

Lee, Haeng-Shin; Duffey, Kiyah J; Popkin, Barry M

2012-01-01

Korea has undergone a major opening of its food markets and economy in the past decade. Little is understood about the impact of these shifts on the diet of Koreans. This analysis studies the shifts in consumption of foods between 1998 and 2009 to provide a thorough understanding of the transition and insights into directions in the next decades in Korea. Data are from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The sample used was a nationally representative sample of individuals age ≥2 in 1998 and 2009 (n=10,267 and 9,264, respectively). The data was corrected for seasonality, and the original raw food data was regrouped into 53 food groups. SAS was used to adjust for design effects and weight. Despite a decade of efforts to increase whole grains intake, and fruit and vegetable intake, the mean intake of whole grains increased only a small amount (16 kcal/person/day); however, the proportion consuming any whole grains doubled from 24% to 46.3%. Rice declined significantly, and several important less healthful food trends emerged: total alcohol intake increased from 39 kcal/person/day to 82 kcal/person/day. Also, energy from sugar-sweetened beverages increased among teens and energy from tea and coffee increased among adults. Remarkably, compared to other Asian countries and a general worldwide trend, vegetable intake remained relative high in South Korea during this last decade while fat energy increased modestly from relative low levels. Dynamic causes of these trends and the government's response are discussed.

Occupational Noise Exposure of Employees at Locally-Owned Restaurants in a College Town

PubMed Central

Green, Deirdre R.; Anthony, T. Renée

2016-01-01

While many restaurant employees work in loud environments, in both dining and food preparation areas, little is known about worker exposures to noise. The risk of hearing loss to millions of food service workers around the country is unknown. This study evaluated full-shift noise exposure to workers at six locally-owned restaurants to examine risk factors associated with noise exposures during the day shift. Participants included cooks, counter attendants, bartenders, and waiters at full-service restaurants with bar service and at limited-service restaurants that provided counter service only. Assessments were made on weekdays and weekends, both during the summer and the fall (with a local university in session) to examine whether the time of week or year affects noise exposures to this population in a college town. In addition, the relationships between noise exposures and the type of restaurant and job classification were assessed. One-hundred eighty full-shift time-weighted average (TWA) exposures were assessed, using both Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) criteria. No TWA measurements exceeded the 90 dBA OSHA 8 hr permissible exposure limit, although six projected TWAs exceeded the 85 dBA OSHA hearing conservation action limit. Using NIOSH criteria, TWAs ranged from 69–90 dBA with a mean of 80 dBA (SD = 4 dBA). Nearly 8% (14) of the exposures exceeded the NIOSH 8-hr 85 dBA. Full-shift exposures were larger for all workers in full-service restaurants (p < 0.001) and for cooks (p = 0.003), regardless of restaurant type. The fall semester (p = 0.003) and weekend (p = 0.048) exposures were louder than summer and weekdays. Multiple linear regression analysis suggested that the combination of restaurant type, job classification, and season had a significant effect on restaurant worker noise exposures (p < 0.001) in this college town. While evening/night shift exposures, where noise exposures may be anticipated to be louder, were not assessed, this study identified that restaurant type, job classification, time of week, and season significantly affected the noise exposures for day-shift workers. Intervention studies to prevent noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) should consider these variables. PMID:25738733

Occupational Noise Exposure of Employees at Locally-Owned Restaurants in a College Town.

PubMed

Green, Deirdre R; Anthony, T Renée

2015-01-01

While many restaurant employees work in loud environments, in both dining and food preparation areas, little is known about worker exposures to noise. The risk of hearing loss to millions of food service workers around the country is unknown. This study evaluated full-shift noise exposure to workers at six locally-owned restaurants to examine risk factors associated with noise exposures during the day shift. Participants included cooks, counter attendants, bartenders, and waiters at full-service restaurants with bar service and at limited-service restaurants that provided counter service only. Assessments were made on weekdays and weekends, both during the summer and the fall (with a local university in session) to examine whether the time of week or year affects noise exposures to this population in a college town. In addition, the relationships between noise exposures and the type of restaurant and job classification were assessed. One-hundred eighty full-shift time-weighted average (TWA) exposures were assessed, using both Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) criteria. No TWA measurements exceeded the 90 dBA OSHA 8 hr permissible exposure limit, although six projected TWAs exceeded the 85 dBA OSHA hearing conservation action limit. Using NIOSH criteria, TWAs ranged from 69-90 dBA with a mean of 80 dBA (SD = 4 dBA). Nearly 8% (14) of the exposures exceeded the NIOSH 8-hr 85 dBA. Full-shift exposures were larger for all workers in full-service restaurants (p < 0.001) and for cooks (p = 0.003), regardless of restaurant type. The fall semester (p = 0.003) and weekend (p = 0.048) exposures were louder than summer and weekdays. Multiple linear regression analysis suggested that the combination of restaurant type, job classification, and season had a significant effect on restaurant worker noise exposures (p < 0.001) in this college town. While evening/night shift exposures, where noise exposures may be anticipated to be louder, were not assessed, this study identified that restaurant type, job classification, time of week, and season significantly affected the noise exposures for day-shift workers. Intervention studies to prevent noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) should consider these variables.

Work shift duration: a review comparing eight hour and 12 hour shift systems.

PubMed

Smith, L; Folkard, S; Tucker, P; Macdonald, I

1998-04-01

Shiftwork is now a major feature of working life across a broad range of industries. The features of the shift systems operated can impact on the wellbeing, performance, and sleep of shiftworkers. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on one major characteristic of shift rotas-namely, shift duration. Evidence comparing the relative effects of eight hour and 12 hour shifts on fatigue and job performance, safety, sleep, and physical and psychological health are considered. At the organisational level, factors such as the mode of system implementation, attitudes towards shift rotas, sickness absence and turnover, overtime, and moonlighting are discussed. Manual and electronic searches of the shiftwork research literature were conducted to obtain information on comparisons between eight hour and 12 hour shifts. The research findings are largely equivocal. The bulk of the evidence suggests few differences between eight and 12 hour shifts in the way they affect people. There may even be advantages to 12 hour shifts in terms of lower stress levels, better physical and psychological wellbeing, improved durations and quality of off duty sleep as well as improvements in family relations. On the negative side, the main concerns are fatigue and safety. It is noted that a 12 hour shift does not equate with being active for only 12 hours. There can be considerable extension of the person's time awake either side of the shift. However, the effects of longer term exposure to extended work days have been relatively uncharted in any systematic way. Longitudinal comparative research into the chronic impact of the compressed working week is needed.

The effect of the number of consecutive night shifts on diurnal rhythms in cortisol, melatonin and heart rate variability (HRV): a systematic review of field studies.

PubMed

Jensen, Marie Aarrebo; Garde, Anne Helene; Kristiansen, Jesper; Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Hansen, Åse Marie

2016-05-01

The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge from field studies on how many consecutive night shifts are required for adaptation of diurnal rhythms in cortisol, melatonin and heart rate variability (HRV) to night work. A systematic search of the databases PubMed and Web of Science resulted in 18 studies selected for review. Cortisol was measured in five studies, melatonin in 11 studies and HRV in four studies. Diurnal rhythms were assessed by use of several different measures based on three to eight samples per day for cortisol and melatonin and 24-h recordings for HRV. Most of the studies in the review were small studies with less than 30 participants, and most studies evaluated diurnal rhythms after only two consecutive night shifts whereas only six studies used seven or more consecutive night shifts. The majority of studies found that adaptation to night work had not occurred after two consecutive night shifts, whereas a small number found evidence for full adaptation after seven consecutive night shifts based on diurnal rhythms in cortisol and melatonin. There are methodological differences in the field studies analyzing diurnal rhythms and large diversity in the occupational fields studied. Nevertheless, we conclude that diurnal rhythms in cortisol, melatonin and HRV are not adapted to night work after 1-3 consecutive night shifts. Studies are needed to establish how many consecutive night shifts are needed for full adaptation of diurnal rhythms to night work.

The affective shift model of work engagement.

PubMed

Bledow, Ronald; Schmitt, Antje; Frese, Michael; Kühnel, Jana

2011-11-01

On the basis of self-regulation theories, the authors develop an affective shift model of work engagement according to which work engagement emerges from the dynamic interplay of positive and negative affect. The affective shift model posits that negative affect is positively related to work engagement if negative affect is followed by positive affect. The authors applied experience sampling methodology to test the model. Data on affective events, mood, and work engagement was collected twice a day over 9 working days among 55 software developers. In support of the affective shift model, negative mood and negative events experienced in the morning of a working day were positively related to work engagement in the afternoon if positive mood in the time interval between morning and afternoon was high. Individual differences in positive affectivity moderated within-person relationships. The authors discuss how work engagement can be fostered through affect regulation. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

[Current status of job burnout in clinical nurses in a grade A tertiary hospital and related influencing factors].

PubMed

Ye, L Y; Fan, C L; Wang, L G; Tao, T; Gao, W B; Li, Y H

2017-10-20

Objective: To investigate the current status of job burnout in clinical nurses in a grade A tertiary hospitalin Shaoxing,China and related influencing factors. Methods: In October 2016, the Nursing Burnout Scale (NBS)was used for the investigation of 304 clinical nurses in a grade A tertiary hospital.The contents of the investigation included general data(including age,education background,working years,marital status, frequency of night shifts,professional title, and way of employment), characteristics of working environment,burnout, personality characteristics,coping strategy,and psychosomatic symptoms.SPSS 18.0 was used to conduct Pearson correlation analysis of the scores of each dimension of NBS. A multivariate regression analysis was performed with the demographic features of clinical nurses as the independent variable and the scores of each dimension of NBS as the dependent variable. Results: Among the clinical nurses in this grade A tertiary hospital, the incidence rate of severe burnout was 74%.The Pearson correlation analysis showed that burnout,pessimistic personality,negative coping,and psychosomatic symptoms were positively correlated with working environment( r =0.530,0.316,0.116,and 0.502); pessimistic personality and psychosomatic symptoms were positively correlated with burnout( r =0.618 and 0.675); psychosomatic symptoms were positively correlated withpessimistic personality( r =0.540); negative coping was negatively correlated with pessimistic personality( r =-0.145).The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that department(Department of Internal Medicine or Department of Surgery, B =-0.364 and -0.428)and frequency of night shifts(<6 times/month and 6 - 10 times/month, B =0.199 and 0.256)were influencing factors for the score of working environment; department(Department of Internal Medicine or Department of Surgery, B =-0.350 and -0.360)was an influencing factor for the score of burnout; 1 - 3 working years( B =-0.238)was an influencing factor for the score of pessimistic personality; married state,1 - 3 working years,and department (Department of Internal Medicine or Department of Surgery)were influencing factors for the score of psychosomatic symptoms( B =0.263,-0.301,-0.322,and -0.391). Conclusion: There is a high incidence rate of job burnout among clinical nurses in this grade A tertiary hospital,which is associated with burnout,working environment, pessimistic personality,and psychosomatic symptoms.Marital status,working years,department,and frequency of night shifts are major influencing factors for job burnout.

A Rising China: Shifting the Economic Balance of Power Through Cyberspace

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

YouTube as outlets for personal expression, but their Beijing counterparts identify the websites as...levels not seen since the Great Depression (see additional information below).98 Despite weakening income growth, increasing trade deficits, and

Intermolecular shielding contributions studied by modeling the 13C chemical-shift tensors of organic single crystals with plane waves

PubMed Central

Johnston, Jessica C.; Iuliucci, Robbie J.; Facelli, Julio C.; Fitzgerald, George; Mueller, Karl T.

2009-01-01

In order to predict accurately the chemical shift of NMR-active nuclei in solid phase systems, magnetic shielding calculations must be capable of considering the complete lattice structure. Here we assess the accuracy of the density functional theory gauge-including projector augmented wave method, which uses pseudopotentials to approximate the nodal structure of the core electrons, to determine the magnetic properties of crystals by predicting the full chemical-shift tensors of all 13C nuclides in 14 organic single crystals from which experimental tensors have previously been reported. Plane-wave methods use periodic boundary conditions to incorporate the lattice structure, providing a substantial improvement for modeling the chemical shifts in hydrogen-bonded systems. Principal tensor components can now be predicted to an accuracy that approaches the typical experimental uncertainty. Moreover, methods that include the full solid-phase structure enable geometry optimizations to be performed on the input structures prior to calculation of the shielding. Improvement after optimization is noted here even when neutron diffraction data are used for determining the initial structures. After geometry optimization, the isotropic shift can be predicted to within 1 ppm. PMID:19831448

Coping strategies and social support needs of experienced and inexperienced nurses performing shiftwork.

PubMed

Gifkins, Jane; Loudoun, Rebecca; Johnston, Amy

2017-12-01

The aim of this investigation was to compare perceptions of nurses exposed to short or longer term shift work and their experiences working under this type of scheduling. Shift work is a crucial component of nurses' working lives, ensuring continuous care for patients. This study fills a research gap around the personal experiences of shift working nurses and the strategies used to manage the impacts of shift work. Qualitative case study design. Constructivist methodology, including in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in 2015, was used for the study. Iterative review and inductive analysis of transcripts from nine recently graduated nurses and twelve experienced nurses enabled identification and verification of key themes. Three main areas of difference between new and experienced nurses relating to shift work challenges in a nursing environment emerged: perceptions about the utility of working in shifts, coping strategies and social support at home and work. Most experienced nurses found shift work advantageous, especially those with dependents. Coping strategies included flexible shift arrangements in both groups. Experienced nurses detailed the importance of support from family and friends while inexperienced nurses described feeling disconnected from social supports. Experienced nurses cited a lack of support from nursing managers as problematic. Findings suggest shift selection mitigated challenges of shift work for both inexperienced and experienced nurses, indicating autonomous roster selection is critical. Similarly, social support at work from senior nurses and management and at home played an important role in nurses' coping. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Homogeneous illusion device exhibiting transformed and shifted scattering effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mei, Jin-Shuo; Wu, Qun; Zhang, Kuang; He, Xun-Jun; Wang, Yue

2016-06-01

Based on the theory of transformation optics, a type of homogeneous illusion device exhibiting transformed and shifted scattering effect is proposed in this paper. The constitutive parameters of the proposed device are derived, and full-wave simulations are performed to validate the electromagnetic properties of transformed and shifted scattering effect. The simulation results show that the proposed device not only can visually shift the image of target in two dimensions, but also can visually transform the shape of target. It is expected that such homogeneous illusion device could possess potential applications in military camouflage and other field of electromagnetic engineering.

On the characteristics of caloric nystagmus in healthy persons. [in response to caloric stimuli

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bodo, D.; Baranova, V. P.; Matsnev, E. I.; Yakovleva, M. Y.

1974-01-01

The asymmetry of reflex activity of labyrinths and directional preponderance of the reaction were studied on healthy persons subjected to caloric tests. Calorization with hot water was accompanied by less pronounced reactions in all parameters of nystagmus than analogous indices at cold water stimulation. The symmetry of labyrinth function shifted to the right in individuals with greater activity of the left central vestibular formations, analogous to right handedness behavior. It is concluded that asymmetry of reflex nystagmus in healthy persons can be due to a certain preponderance of functional activity in structures of the left hemisphere of the brain.

Bitumen workers handling mastic versus rolled asphalt in a tunnel: assessment of exposure and biomarkers of irritation and genotoxicity.

PubMed

Raulf-Heimsoth, Monika; Marczynski, Boleslaw; Spickenheuer, Anne; Pesch, Beate; Welge, Peter; Rühl, Reinhold; Bramer, Rainer; Kendzia, Benjamin; Heinze, Evelyn; Angerer, Jürgen; Brüning, Thomas

2011-06-01

Emission levels of vapours and aerosols of bitumen are different when processing rolled asphalt compared to mastic asphalt, with working temperatures up to 180 and 250°C, respectively. During the Human Bitumen Study, we examined six workers handling rolled asphalt and mastic asphalt in two consecutive weeks at the same construction site in a tunnel. In addition to the determination of exposure to bitumen and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during shift, we examined urinary PAH metabolites, irritative and genotoxic effects before and after shift. Median personal shift concentration of vapours and aerosols of bitumen was 1.8 (range 0.9-2.4) mg/m(3) during the application of rolled asphalt and 7.9 (range 4.9-11.9) mg/m(3) when mastic asphalt was applied. Area measurement of vapours and aerosols of bitumen revealed higher concentrations than the personal measurements for mastic asphalt (mastic asphalt: 34.9 mg/m(3); rolled asphalt: 1.8 mg/m(3)). Processing mastic asphalt was associated also with higher PAH concentrations. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene and the sum of 1-, 2+ 9-, 3- and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene increased slightly during shift without clear difference between mastic and rolled asphalt application. However, the post-shift urinary PAH-metabolite concentrations did not reflect the different PAH exposure during mastic and rolled asphalt application. Individual workers could be identified by their spirometry results indicating that these data reflect more chronic than acute effects. In most cases, an increase of 8-oxodGuo adducts was observed during shift that was independent of the asphalt application. 8-oxodGuo and (+)-anti-BPDE-DNA adducts were higher than in exposed workers of the Human Bitumen Study independent of the asphalt application. The DNA-strand breaks were considerably higher pre-shift and decreased during shift. In this study, mastic asphalt application led to significantly higher exposure to vapours and aerosols of bitumen, as well as to airborne PAH, compared to rolled asphalt application. Nevertheless, no differences in the excretion of urinary PAH metabolites, lung function impairment and genotoxic markers were detected. However, higher levels of genotoxicity markers on both examination days compared with the results of the Human Bitumen Study may indicate a possible influence of the specific tunnel setting.

MODELING THE INTERACTION THRESHOLD: THE BREAK-POINT BETWEEN ADDITIVITY AND NON-ADDITIVITY

EPA Science Inventory

Dose-dependent changes in toxicity mechanisms of single chemicals may take place along the full dose-response spectrum. At high doses, the possibility exists for some steps in the principle mechanism of toxicity to shift to other mechanisms. The possibility of mechanism shifts fo...

Proactive Interference and Its Release in Short-Term Memory of Mildly Retarded Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cody, William J.; Borkowski, John G.

1977-01-01

Release from proactive interference in mildly retarded adolescents due to taxonomic shifts and rest periods prior to the final, critical-word triad was investigated with 40 educable mentally handicapped persons 18 years old. (Author/MH)

A Critical Review of the Critical Period Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scovel, Thomas

2000-01-01

Discusses how perspectives on the critical period hypothesis (CPH) have shifted over the last 20-20 years, because of the work of applied linguistics and other disciplines. Advises caution into translating CPH research into personal practice or public policy. (Author/VWL)

Education Matters, October 2011

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beckner, Gary, Ed.

2011-01-01

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) The Big Shift: Changing Demographics in the…

Existential Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dana, Richard H.; Leech, Shirley

1974-01-01

Present psychological assessment stems from a philosophy of science that values objectivity but fails to comprehend the existence of the person being evaluated. A humanistic-existential model shifts the focus from omnipotence to encounter and encourages client responsibility. Some pertinent assessment issues are formulated and specific instruments…

Developing Effective Human Supervisory Control for Air and Missile Defense Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-02-01

human expertise, and (8) resist the temptation to place C2 emphasis on the “ gizmo ” (C2 technology) rather than on the person using the gizmo . A...followed by “surprise” and recriminations when these expectations are not met. 8. Resist placing C2 emphasis on the “ gizmo ” (the technology) rather than on...the person using the gizmo . Wallace (2005, p. 2) cautions that “the network-centric concept introduces a dangerous temptation to shift

Development and Testing of a Hybrid Wheg (trademark)-Mobile Platform for Autonomous Surf-Zone Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

7 Figure 2.1 Force body diagram of a wheel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Figure 2.2 Force body diagram of a person climbing stairs ...person climbing stairs . . . . . 10 Figure 2.4 Plot of the height of center above ground vs. rotation angle for a wheel and Wheg...tail was able to climb an obstacle six centimeters higher than a similar robot with six Whegs [6].The addition of a tail shifted the center of mass

Shift report: a ritual play on a residential adolescent psychiatric unit.

PubMed

Yonge, O

2008-01-01

The author conducted an ethnographic study of an adolescent residential psychiatric unit which revealed a category of behaviour--the shift report. A questionnaire was administered to staff to reveal further meanings. Reporting was found to schematize knowledge according to common referents, promote and validate insider roles through language, offer a means of personal reintegration and catharsis, and provide a forum for the symbolic enactment of democratic values which permeated every aspect of culture on the unit. Staff members were categorically in favour of their verbal and private shift report. There was little partitioning of informal and formal aspects of report in the interest of saving time. Instead, socializing and 'catching up' were important aspects of shift report and constituted a large part of team building. The informal nature of report, particularly in the use of language allowed staff to come to terms with frustrations rather than constituting patient stereotyping. As a ritual, the shift report fostered behavioural synchrony, individual empowerment and a democratic 'all-channel network' of communication. It is hoped that this account will encourage more practising nurses and managers to view their shift report as something more than a simple 'handover'; that is, a ritual play of core values, roles and relationships.

Animal-Free Chemical Safety Assessment

PubMed Central

Loizou, George D.

2016-01-01

The exponential growth of the Internet of Things and the global popularity and remarkable decline in cost of the mobile phone is driving the digital transformation of medical practice. The rapidly maturing digital, non-medical world of mobile (wireless) devices, cloud computing and social networking is coalescing with the emerging digital medical world of omics data, biosensors and advanced imaging which offers the increasingly realistic prospect of personalized medicine. Described as a potential “seismic” shift from the current “healthcare” model to a “wellness” paradigm that is predictive, preventative, personalized and participatory, this change is based on the development of increasingly sophisticated biosensors which can track and measure key biochemical variables in people. Additional key drivers in this shift are metabolomic and proteomic signatures, which are increasingly being reported as pre-symptomatic, diagnostic and prognostic of toxicity and disease. These advancements also have profound implications for toxicological evaluation and safety assessment of pharmaceuticals and environmental chemicals. An approach based primarily on human in vivo and high-throughput in vitro human cell-line data is a distinct possibility. This would transform current chemical safety assessment practice which operates in a human “data poor” to a human “data rich” environment. This could also lead to a seismic shift from the current animal-based to an animal-free chemical safety assessment paradigm. PMID:27493630

Sustainability and in situ monitoring in battery development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grey, C. P.; Tarascon, J. M.

2017-01-01

The development of improved rechargeable batteries represents a major technological challenge for this new century, as batteries constitute the limiting components in the shift from petrol (gasoline) powered to electric vehicles, while also enabling the use of more renewable energy on the grid. To minimize the ecological implications associated with their wider use, we must integrate sustainability of battery materials into our research endeavours, choosing chemistries that have a minimum footprint in nature and that are more readily recycled or integrated into a full circular economy. Sustainability and cost concerns require that we greatly increase the battery lifetime and consider second lives for batteries. As part of this, we must monitor the state of health of batteries continuously during operation to minimize their degradation. It is thus important to push the frontiers of operando techniques to monitor increasingly complex processes. In this Review, we will describe key advances in both more sustainable chemistries and operando techniques, along with some of the remaining challenges and possible solutions, as we personally perceive them.

Sustainability and in situ monitoring in battery development.

PubMed

Grey, C P; Tarascon, J M

2016-12-20

The development of improved rechargeable batteries represents a major technological challenge for this new century, as batteries constitute the limiting components in the shift from petrol (gasoline) powered to electric vehicles, while also enabling the use of more renewable energy on the grid. To minimize the ecological implications associated with their wider use, we must integrate sustainability of battery materials into our research endeavours, choosing chemistries that have a minimum footprint in nature and that are more readily recycled or integrated into a full circular economy. Sustainability and cost concerns require that we greatly increase the battery lifetime and consider second lives for batteries. As part of this, we must monitor the state of health of batteries continuously during operation to minimize their degradation. It is thus important to push the frontiers of operando techniques to monitor increasingly complex processes. In this Review, we will describe key advances in both more sustainable chemistries and operando techniques, along with some of the remaining challenges and possible solutions, as we personally perceive them.

A centroid model of species distribution with applications to the Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus and house finch Haemorhous mexicanus in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huang, Qiongyu; Sauer, John R.; Swatantran, Anu; Dubayah, Ralph

2016-01-01

Drastic shifts in species distributions are a cause of concern for ecologists. Such shifts pose great threat to biodiversity especially under unprecedented anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Many studies have documented recent shifts in species distributions. However, most of these studies are limited to regional scales, and do not consider the abundance structure within species ranges. Developing methods to detect systematic changes in species distributions over their full ranges is critical for understanding the impact of changing environments and for successful conservation planning. Here, we demonstrate a centroid model for range-wide analysis of distribution shifts using the North American Breeding Bird Survey. The centroid model is based on a hierarchical Bayesian framework which models population change within physiographic strata while accounting for several factors affecting species detectability. Yearly abundance-weighted range centroids are estimated. As case studies, we derive annual centroids for the Carolina wren and house finch in their ranges in the U.S. We further evaluate the first-difference correlation between species’ centroid movement and changes in winter severity, total population abundance. We also examined associations of change in centroids from sub-ranges. Change in full-range centroid movements of Carolina wren significantly correlate with snow cover days (r = −0.58). For both species, the full-range centroid shifts also have strong correlation with total abundance (r = 0.65, and 0.51 respectively). The movements of the full-range centroids of the two species are correlated strongly (up to r = 0.76) with that of the sub-ranges with more drastic population changes. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of centroids for analyzing distribution changes in a two-dimensional spatial context. Particularly it highlights applications that associate the centroid with factors such as environmental stressors, population characteristics, and progression of invasive species. Routine monitoring of changes in centroid will provide useful insights into long-term avian responses to environmental changes.

[Shift Work among Men and Women on the Threshold to Higher Working Age - Working Conditions and Health Status].

PubMed

Leser, C; Tisch, A; Tophoven, S

2016-11-01

Background: The number of older employees in shift and night work has increased significantly in recent years. Furthermore, the proportion of women in shift and night work has increased markedly. This is due to the aging workforce and the expansion of shift work in the tertiary sector. Previous research shows that shift work is often associated with health risks. Against this background, the aim of the present study is to examine the situation of working men and women on the threshold to higher working age with regard to the relationship between shift work and physical health. Methods: We employed data from the study "lidA - leben in der Arbeit" German Cohort Study on Work, Age and Health, a survey of the German baby boom cohorts born in 1959 and 1965 (n=5 637). Linear regression models are used to study the effect of shift work - with and without night work - and of further work exposures on the baby boomers' physical health status. The models control for sleep and health-related behaviour and are stratified by gender. Among women, also the scope of work was taken into account. Results: The results show that male shift workers are burdened by their on average lower occupational status and by physical exposure; female shift workers additionally suffer from high personal effort and low rewards and female part-time shift workers also from overcommitment. Conclusion: Working conditions of shift workers are strongly characterised by work stress. In order to preserve aging shift workers' work ability, some organisational measures seem necessary. In this context, occupational safety and health management as well as opportunities for recovery and encouraging leadership should be considered. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Work shift duration: a review comparing eight hour and 12 hour shift systems

PubMed Central

Smith, L.; Folkard, S.; Tucker, P.; Macdonald, I.

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Shiftwork is now a major feature of working life across a broad range of industries. The features of the shift systems operated can impact on the wellbeing, performance, and sleep of shiftworkers. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on one major characteristic of shift rotas-namely, shift duration. Evidence comparing the relative effects of eight hour and 12 hour shifts on fatigue and job performance, safety, sleep, and physical and psychological health are considered. At the organisational level, factors such as the mode of system implementation, attitudes towards shift rotas, sickness absence and turnover, overtime, and moonlighting are discussed. METHODS: Manual and electronic searches of the shiftwork research literature were conducted to obtain information on comparisons between eight hour and 12 hour shifts. RESULTS: The research findings are largely equivocal. The bulk of the evidence suggests few differences between eight and 12 hour shifts in the way they affect people. There may even be advantages to 12 hour shifts in terms of lower stress levels, better physical and psychological wellbeing, improved durations and quality of off duty sleep as well as improvements in family relations. On the negative side, the main concerns are fatigue and safety. It is noted that a 12 hour shift does not equate with being active for only 12 hours. CONCLUSIONS: There can be considerable extension of the person's time awake either side of the shift. However, the effects of longer term exposure to extended work days have been relatively uncharted in any systematic way. Longitudinal comparative research into the chronic impact of the compressed working week is needed.   PMID:9624275

Myth Understanding for Mid-Life Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holt, Margaret E.

1982-01-01

Discusses misinformation that women have about the experience of menopause, the midlife acquisition of opposite sex characteristics, and the midlife shift from a focus on significant others to a focus on more personal needs. Suggests potential educational programs for women on midlife topics. (SK)

Managing Crises.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eggen, Jerald D.; Mackenzie, R. Alec

1987-01-01

To avoid emergency-driven work environments, crises should be anticipated to the extent possible; steps should be taken to prevent them or limit their consequences. Crises have both internal (personal) and external causes based on poor performance, unreasonable demands, or shifting priorities. Administrators need to cushion deadlines, clarify…

30 CFR 77.1007 - Drilling; general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS, SURFACE COAL MINES AND SURFACE WORK AREAS OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Ground... each shift by a competent person. Equipment defects affecting safety shall be reported. (b) Equipment...

The New Engines of Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Negroponto, Nicholas

1995-01-01

According to the author's book "Being Digital," our world is shifting from atoms to bits. Digitally rendered information, combined with personal computing power and networks, will make computers active participants in our everyday lives. "Teaching-disabled" classrooms will move from passivity to active participation and…

An evaluation of school zone traffic control strategies : phase I.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

Throughout the past six decades, the predominant mode of student transport has shifted from walkingto riding in a school bus or personal vehicle which has impacted both the safety and efficiency of school zone traffic control strategies. In order to ...

Full-field swept-source optical coherence tomography with phase-shifting techniques for skin cancer detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauter, J.; Boettcher, T.; Körner, K.; Gronle, M.; Osten, W.; Passilly, N.; Froehly, L.; Perrin, S.; Gorecki, C.

2015-05-01

The EU-funded project VIAMOS1 proposes an optical coherence tomography system (OCT) for skin cancer detection, which combines full-field and full-range swept-source OCT in a multi-channel sensor for parallel detection. One of the project objectives is the development of new fabrication technologies for micro-optics, which makes it compatible to Micro-Opto-Electromechanical System technology (MOEMS). The basic system concept is a wafer-based Mirau interferometer array with an actuated reference mirror, which enables phase shifted interferogram detection and therefore reconstruction of the complex phase information, resulting in a higher measurement range with reduced image artifacts. This paper presents an experimental one-channel on-bench OCT system with bulk optics, which serves as a proof-of-concept setup for the final VIAMOS micro-system. It is based on a Linnik interferometer with a wavelength tuning light source and a camera for parallel A-Scan detection. Phase shifting interferometry techniques (PSI) are used for the suppression of the complex conjugate artifact, whose suppression reaches 36 dB. The sensitivity of the system is constant over the full-field with a mean value of 97 dB. OCT images are presented of a thin membrane microlens and a biological tissue (onion) as a preliminary demonstration.

Night Shift Work, Genetic Risk, and Type 2 Diabetes in the UK Biobank.

PubMed

Vetter, Céline; Dashti, Hassan S; Lane, Jacqueline M; Anderson, Simon G; Schernhammer, Eva S; Rutter, Martin K; Saxena, Richa; Scheer, Frank A J L

2018-04-01

To examine the effects of past and current night shift work and genetic type 2 diabetes vulnerability on type 2 diabetes odds. In the UK Biobank, we examined associations of current ( N = 272,214) and lifetime ( N = 70,480) night shift work exposure with type 2 diabetes risk (6,770 and 1,191 prevalent cases, respectively). For 180,704 and 44,141 unrelated participants of European ancestry (4,002 and 726 cases, respectively) with genetic data, we assessed whether shift work exposure modified the relationship between a genetic risk score (comprising 110 single-nucleotide polymorphisms) for type 2 diabetes and prevalent diabetes. Compared with day workers, all current night shift workers were at higher multivariable-adjusted odds for type 2 diabetes (none or rare night shifts: odds ratio [OR] 1.15 [95% CI 1.05-1.26]; some nights: OR 1.18 [95% CI 1.05-1.32]; and usual nights: OR 1.44 [95% CI 1.19-1.73]), except current permanent night shift workers (OR 1.09 [95% CI 0.93-1.27]). Considering a person's lifetime work schedule and compared with never shift workers, working more night shifts per month was associated with higher type 2 diabetes odds (<3/month: OR 1.24 [95% CI 0.90-1.68]; 3-8/month: OR 1.11 [95% CI 0.90-1.37]; and >8/month: OR 1.36 [95% CI 1.14-1.62]; P trend = 0.001). The association between genetic type 2 diabetes predisposition and type 2 diabetes odds was not modified by shift work exposure. Our findings show that night shift work, especially rotating shift work including night shifts, is associated with higher type 2 diabetes odds and that the number of night shifts worked per month appears most relevant for type 2 diabetes odds. Also, shift work exposure does not modify genetic risk for type 2 diabetes, a novel finding that warrants replication. © 2018 by the American Diabetes Association.

The Invisible Work of Closeting: A Qualitative Study About Strategies Used by Lesbian and Gay Persons to Conceal Their Sexual Orientation.

PubMed

Malterud, Kirsti; Bjorkman, Mari

2016-10-01

The last decades have offered substantial improvement regarding human rights for lesbian and gay (LG) persons. Yet LG persons are often in the closet, concealing their sexual orientation. We present a qualitative study based on 182 histories submitted from 161 LG individuals to a Web site. The aim was to explore experiences of closeting among LG persons in Norway. A broad range of strategies was used for closeting, even among individuals who generally considered themselves to be out of the closet. Concealment was enacted by blunt denial, clever avoidance, or subtle vagueness. Other strategies included changing or eliminating the pronoun or name of the partner in ongoing conversations. Context-dependent concealment, differentiating between persons, situations, or arenas, was repeatedly applied for security or convenience. We propose a shift from "being in the closet" to "situated concealment of sexual orientation."

Measuring Light at Night and Melatonin Levels in Shift Workers: A Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Hunter, Claudia M; Figueiro, Mariana G

2017-07-01

Shift work, especially that involving rotating and night shifts, is associated with an increased risk of diseases, including cancer. Attempts to explain the association between shift work and cancer in particular have focused on the processes of melatonin production and suppression. One hypothesis postulates that exposure to light at night (LAN) suppresses melatonin, whose production is known to slow the development of cancerous cells, while another proposes that circadian disruption associated with shift work, and not just LAN, increases health risks. This review focuses on six studies that employed quantitative measurement of LAN and melatonin levels to assess cancer risks in shift workers. These studies were identified via searching the PubMed database for peer-reviewed, English-language articles examining the links between shift work, LAN, and disease using the terms light at night, circadian disruption, health, risk, cancer, shift work, or rotating shift. While the results indicate a growing consensus on the relationship between disease risks (particularly cancer) and circadian disruption associated with shift work, the establishment of a direct link between LAN and disease has been impeded by contradictory studies and a lack of consistent, quantitative methods for measuring LAN in the research to date. Better protocols for assessing personal LAN exposure are required, particularly those employing calibrated devices that measure and sample exposure to workplace light conditions, to accurately assess LAN's effects on the circadian system and disease. Other methodologies, such as measuring circadian disruption and melatonin levels in the field, may also help to resolve discrepancies in the findings.

Elemental properties of copper slag and measured airborne exposures at a copper slag processing facility.

PubMed

Mugford, Christopher; Gibbs, Jenna L; Boylstein, Randy

2017-08-01

In 1974, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended a ban on the use of abrasives containing >1% silica, giving rise to abrasive substitutes like copper slag. We present results from a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health industrial hygiene survey at a copper slag processing facility that consisted of the collection of bulk samples for metals and silica; and full-shift area and personal air samples for dust, metals, and respirable silica. Carcinogens, suspect carcinogens, and other toxic elements were detected in all bulk samples, and area and personal air samples. Area air samples identified several areas with elevated levels of inhalable and respirable dust, and respirable silica: quality control check area (236 mg/m 3 inhalable; 10.3 mg/m 3 respirable; 0.430 mg/m 3 silica), inside the screen house (109 mg/m 3 inhalable; 13.8 mg/m 3 respirable; 0.686 mg/m 3 silica), under the conveyor belt leading to the screen house (19.8 mg/m 3 inhalable), and inside a conveyor access shack (11.4 mg/m 3 inhalable; 1.74 mg/m 3 respirable; 0.067 mg/m 3 silica). Overall, personal dust samples were lower than area dust samples and did not exceed published occupational exposure limits. Silica samples collected from a plant hand and a laborer exceeded the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist Threshold Limit Value of 0.025 µg/m 3 . All workers involved in copper slag processing (n = 5) approached or exceeded the Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limit of 10 µg/m 3 for arsenic (range: 9.12-18.0 µg/m 3 ). Personal total dust levels were moderately correlated with personal arsenic levels (R s = 0.70) and personal respirable dust levels were strongly correlated with respirable silica levels (R s = 0.89). We identified multiple areas with elevated levels of dust, respirable silica, and metals that may have implications for personal exposure at other facilities if preventive measures are not taken. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to characterize exposures associated with copper slag processing. More in-depth air monitoring and health surveillance is needed to understand occupational exposures and health outcomes in this industry.

7 CFR 4279.149 - Personal and corporate guarantee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Personal and corporate guarantee. 4279.149 Section... Industry Loans § 4279.149 Personal and corporate guarantee. (a) Unconditional personal and corporate... adequately secured for loanmaking purposes. Agency approved personal and corporate guarantees for the full...

7 CFR 4279.149 - Personal and corporate guarantee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Personal and corporate guarantee. 4279.149 Section... Industry Loans § 4279.149 Personal and corporate guarantee. (a) Unconditional personal and corporate... adequately secured for loanmaking purposes. Agency approved personal and corporate guarantees for the full...

7 CFR 4279.149 - Personal and corporate guarantee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Personal and corporate guarantee. 4279.149 Section... Industry Loans § 4279.149 Personal and corporate guarantee. (a) Unconditional personal and corporate... adequately secured for loanmaking purposes. Agency approved personal and corporate guarantees for the full...

7 CFR 4279.149 - Personal and corporate guarantee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Personal and corporate guarantee. 4279.149 Section... Industry Loans § 4279.149 Personal and corporate guarantee. (a) Unconditional personal and corporate... adequately secured for loanmaking purposes. Agency approved personal and corporate guarantees for the full...

7 CFR 4279.149 - Personal and corporate guarantee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Personal and corporate guarantee. 4279.149 Section... Industry Loans § 4279.149 Personal and corporate guarantee. (a) Unconditional personal and corporate... adequately secured for loanmaking purposes. Agency approved personal and corporate guarantees for the full...

Familial aggregation of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Chen, Qi; Brikell, Isabell; Lichtenstein, Paul; Serlachius, Eva; Kuja-Halkola, Ralf; Sandin, Sven; Larsson, Henrik

2017-03-01

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) aggregates in families. To date, the strength, pattern, and characteristics of the familial aggregation have not been thoroughly assessed in a population-based family sample. In this cohort study, we identified relative pairs of twins, full and half-siblings, and full and half cousins from 1,656,943 unique individuals born in Sweden between 1985 and 2006. The relatives of index persons were followed from their third birthday to 31 December 2009 for ADHD diagnosis. Birth year adjusted hazard ratio (HR), that is, the rate of ADHD in relatives of ADHD-affected index persons compared with the rate of ADHD in relatives of unaffected index persons, was estimated in the different types of relatives using Cox proportional hazards model. During the follow-up, 31,865 individuals were diagnosed with ADHD (male to female ratio was 3.7). The birth year adjusted HRs were as follows: 70.45 for monozygotic twins; 8.44 for dizygotic twins; 8.27 for full siblings; 2.86 for maternal half-siblings; 2.31 for paternal half-siblings; 2.24 for full cousins; 1.47 for half cousins. Maternal half-siblings had significantly higher HR than in paternal half-siblings. The HR did not seem to be affected by index person's sex. Full siblings of index persons with ADHD diagnosis present at age 18 or older had a higher rate of ADHD (HR: 11.49) than full siblings of index persons with ADHD diagnosis only before age 18 (HR: 4.68). Familial aggregation of ADHD increases with increasing genetic relatedness. The familial aggregation is driven by not only genetic factors but also a small amount of shared environmental factors. Persistence of ADHD into adulthood indexes stronger familial aggregation of ADHD. © 2016 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

What we have changed our minds about: Part 2. Borderline personality disorder, epistemic trust and the developmental significance of social communication.

PubMed

Fonagy, Peter; Luyten, Patrick; Allison, Elizabeth; Campbell, Chloe

2017-01-01

In Part 1 of this paper, we discussed emerging evidence suggesting that a general psychopathology or 'p' factor underlying the various forms of psychopathology should be conceptualized in terms of the absence of resilience, that is, the absence of positive reappraisal mechanisms when faced with adversity. These impairments in the capacity for positive reappraisal seem to provide a comprehensive explanation for the association between the p factor and comorbidity, future caseness, and the 'hard-to-reach' character of many patients with severe personality pathology, most notably borderline personality disorder (BPD). In this, the second part of the paper, we trace the development of the absence of resilience to disruptions in the emergence of human social communication, based on recent evolutionary and developmental psychopathology accounts. We argue that BPD and related disorders may be reconceptualized as a form of social understanding in which epistemic hypervigilance, distrust or outright epistemic freezing is an adaptive consequence of the social learning environment. Negative appraisal mechanisms become overriding, particularly in situations of attachment stress. This constitutes a shift towards a more socially oriented perspective on personality psychopathology in which the absence of psychological resilience is seen as a learned response to the transmission of social knowledge. This shift in our views has also forced us to reconsider the role of attachment in BPD. The implications for prevention and intervention of this novel approach are discussed.

What Happens to Therapists Who Work with Sex Offenders?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrenkopf, Toni

1992-01-01

Surveyed 24 experienced therapists working with sex offenders regarding personal impact of work. Most reported shift in perspective, becoming discouraged about client change. Several adjustment phases were reported. One-quarter experienced burnout. Alternative to burnout was adaptation: lowering of expectations, objective detachment, acceptance of…

Comparative Study of Job Burnout Among Critical Care Nurses With Fixed and Rotating Shift Schedules

PubMed Central

Shamali, Mahdi; Shahriari, Mohsen; Babaii, Atye; Abbasinia, Mohammad

2015-01-01

Background: Nurses, as health care providers, are insurmountably obliged to the practice of shift work. Literature has reported shift working as one of the inducing factors of burnout. Despite numerous studies in this area, there are inconsistencies on the relationship between shift working and burnout among nurses, especially in those who work in critical care settings. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the occupational burnout in critical care nurses with and without fixed shift schedules. Patients and Methods: In this comparative study, 130 nurses with rotating shift schedule and 130 nurses with fixed shift schedule from six university hospitals were selected using stratified random sampling. Maslach burnout inventory was used for data collection. Independent samples t-test, chi-square and one-way ANOVA tests were used to analyze the data. Results: Most of the participants were females (62.7%), aged between 22 - 29 years (38.5%), married (59.2%), and had a bachelor degree (86.9%). The mean score of emotional exhaustion was significantly higher in nurses with fixed shift schedules (P < 0.001). However, no significant difference was found between the mean scores of the two groups in the personal accomplishment and depersonalization subscales (P > 0.05). Moreover, no significant difference was found in burnout mean scores between nurses with fixed morning and fixed night shifts (P > 0.05). The means of the emotional exhaustion subscale were significantly different in nurses with different characteristics (P < 0.05) except the gender and working unit. Conclusions: As a result of this study, it was found that critical care nurses with fixed shift schedules display more burnout in emotional exhaustion dimension, compared to those working with rotating shift schedules. PMID:26576442

Control deprivation and styles of thinking.

PubMed

Zhou, Xinyue; He, Lingnan; Yang, Qing; Lao, Junpeng; Baumeister, Roy F

2012-03-01

Westerners habitually think in analytical ways, whereas East Asians tend to favor holistic styles of thinking. We replicated this difference but showed that it disappeared after control deprivation (Experiment 1). Brief experiences of control deprivation, which stimulate increased desire for control, caused Chinese participants to shift toward Western-style analytical thinking in multiple ways (Experiments 2-5). Western Caucasian participants also increased their use of analytical thinking after control deprivation (Experiment 6). Manipulations that required Chinese participants to think in Western, analytical ways caused their sense of personal control to increase (Experiments 7-9). Prolonged experiences of control deprivation, which past work suggested foster an attitude more akin to learned helplessness than striving for control, had the opposite effect of causing Chinese participants to shift back toward a strongly holistic style of thinking (Experiments 10-12). Taken together, the results support the reality of cultural differences in cognition but also the cross-cultural similarity of using analytical thinking when seeking to enhance personal control.

The Experience of Persons With Multiple Sclerosis Using MS INFoRm: An Interactive Fatigue Management Resource.

PubMed

Pétrin, Julie; Akbar, Nadine; Turpin, Karen; Smyth, Penelope; Finlayson, Marcia

2018-04-01

We aimed to understand participants' experiences with a self-guided fatigue management resource, Multiple Sclerosis: An Interactive Fatigue Management Resource ( MS INFoRm), and the extent to which they found its contents relevant and useful to their daily lives. We recruited 35 persons with MS experiencing mild to moderate fatigue, provided them with MS INFoRm, and then conducted semistructured interviews 3 weeks and 3 months after they received the resource. Interpretive description guided the analysis process. Findings indicate that participants' experience of using MS INFoRm could be understood as a process of change, influenced by their initial reactions to the resource. They reported experiencing a shift in knowledge, expectations, and behaviors with respect to fatigue self-management. These shifts led to multiple positive outcomes, including increased levels of self-confidence and improved quality of life. These findings suggest that MS INFoRm may have a place in the continuum of fatigue management interventions for people with MS.

The current approach to human error and blame in the NHS.

PubMed

Ottewill, Melanie

There is a large body of research to suggest that serious errors are widespread throughout medicine. The traditional response to these adverse events has been to adopt a 'person approach' - blaming the individual seen as 'responsible'. The culture of medicine is highly complicit in this response. Such an approach results in enormous personal costs to the individuals concerned and does little to address the root causes of errors and thus prevent their recurrence. Other industries, such as aviation, where safety is a paramount concern and which have similar structures to the medical profession, have, over the past decade or so, adopted a 'systems' approach to error, recognizing that human error is ubiquitous and inevitable and that systems need to be developed with this in mind. This approach has been highly successful, but has necessitated, first and foremost, a cultural shift. It is in the best interests of patients, and medical professionals alike, that such a shift is embraced in the NHS.

Air and blood lead levels in lead acid battery recycling and manufacturing plants in Kenya.

PubMed

Were, Faridah H; Kamau, Geoffrey N; Shiundu, Paul M; Wafula, Godfrey A; Moturi, Charles M

2012-01-01

The concentration of airborne and blood lead (Pb) was assessed in a Pb acid battery recycling plant and in a Pb acid battery manufacturing plant in Kenya. In the recycling plant, full-shift area samples taken across 5 days in several production sections showed a mean value ± standard deviation (SD) of 427 ± 124 μg/m(3), while area samples in the office area had a mean ± SD of 59.2 ± 22.7 μg/m(3). In the battery manufacturing plant, full-shift area samples taken across 5 days in several production areas showed a mean value ± SD of 349 ± 107 μg/m(3), while area samples in the office area had a mean ± SD of 55.2 ± 33.2 μg/m(3). All these mean values exceed the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's permissible exposure limit of 50 μg/m(3) as an 8-hr time-weighted average. In the battery recycling plant, production workers had a mean blood Pb level ± SD of 62.2 ± 12.7 μg/dL, and office workers had a mean blood Pb level ± SD of 43.4 ± 6.6 μg/dL. In the battery manufacturing plant, production workers had a mean blood Pb level ± SD of 59.5 ± 10.1 μg/dL, and office workers had a mean blood Pb level ± SD of 41.6 ± 7.4 μg/dL. All the measured blood Pb levels exceeded 30 μg/dL, which is the maximum blood Pb level recommended by the ACGIH(®). Observations made in these facilities revealed numerous sources of Pb exposure due to inadequacies in engineering controls, work practices, respirator use, and personal hygiene.

Green space, health and wellbeing: making space for individual agency.

PubMed

Bell, Sarah L; Phoenix, Cassandra; Lovell, Rebecca; Wheeler, Benedict W

2014-11-01

This essay examines the assumptions of green space use underpinning much existing green space and health research. It considers opportunities to move the field forward through exploring two often overlooked aspects of individual agency: the influence of shifting life circumstances on personal wellbeing priorities and place practices, and the role of personal orientations to nature in shaping how green space wellbeing opportunities are perceived and experienced. It suggests such efforts could provide more nuanced insights into the complex, personal factors that define and drive individual choices regarding the use of green spaces for wellbeing over time, thereby strengthening our understanding of the salutogenic potential (and limits) of green spaces. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health 2050: The Realization of Personalized Medicine through Crowdsourcing, the Quantified Self, and the Participatory Biocitizen

PubMed Central

Swan, Melanie

2012-01-01

The concepts of health and health care are moving towards the notion of personalized preventive health maintenance and away from an exclusive focus on the cure of disease. This is against the backdrop of contemporary public health challenges that include increasing costs, worsening outcomes, ‘diabesity’ epidemics, and anticipated physician shortages. Personalized preventive medicine could be critical to solving public health challenges at their causal root. This paper sets forth a vision and plan for the realization of preventive medicine by 2050 and examines efforts already underway such as participatory health initiatives, the era of big health data, and qualitative shifts in mindset. PMID:25562203

Measuring the Wealth of School Districts for the Apportionment of Aid to Public Schools in New York State: Full Valuation vs. Personal Income.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Div. of the Budget, Albany.

The purpose of this study was to assess the merit of using personal income in the determination of a school district's fiscal capacity for the apportionment of New York state aid. Both personal income and full valuation of real property suffer from technical weaknesses, but improvements in the data are possible if the state is willing to…

Unraveling Executive Functioning in Dual Diagnosis.

PubMed

Duijkers, Judith C L M; Vissers, Constance Th W M; Egger, Jos I M

2016-01-01

In mental health, the term dual-diagnosis is used for the co-occurrence of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) with another mental disorder. These co-occurring disorders can have a shared cause, and can cause/intensify each other's expression. Forming a threat to health and society, dual-diagnosis is associated with relapses in addiction-related behavior and a destructive lifestyle. This is due to a persistent failure to control impulses and the maintaining of inadequate self-regulatory behavior in daily life. Thus, several aspects of executive functioning like inhibitory, shifting and updating processes seem impaired in dual-diagnosis. Executive (dys-)function is currently even seen as a shared underlying key component of most mental disorders. However, the number of studies on diverse aspects of executive functioning in dual-diagnosis is limited. In the present review, a systematic overview of various aspects of executive functioning in dual-diagnosis is presented, striving for a prototypical profile of patients with dual-diagnosis. Looking at empirical results, inhibitory and shifting processes appear to be impaired for SUD combined with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or cluster B personality disorders. Studies involving updating process tasks for dual-diagnosis were limited. More research that zooms in to the full diversity of these executive functions is needed in order to strengthen these findings. Detailed insight in the profile of strengths and weaknesses that underlies one's behavior and is related to diagnostic classifications, can lead to tailor-made assessment and indications for treatment, pointing out which aspects need attention and/or training in one's self-regulative abilities.

Vaccines Meet Big Data: State-of-the-Art and Future Prospects. From the Classical 3Is (“Isolate–Inactivate–Inject”) Vaccinology 1.0 to Vaccinology 3.0, Vaccinomics, and Beyond: A Historical Overview

PubMed Central

Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Gianfredi, Vincenza; Villarini, Milena; Rosselli, Roberto; Nasr, Ahmed; Hussein, Amr; Martini, Mariano; Behzadifar, Masoud

2018-01-01

Vaccines are public health interventions aimed at preventing infections-related mortality, morbidity, and disability. While vaccines have been successfully designed for those infectious diseases preventable by preexisting neutralizing specific antibodies, for other communicable diseases, additional immunological mechanisms should be elicited to achieve a full protection. “New vaccines” are particularly urgent in the nowadays society, in which economic growth, globalization, and immigration are leading to the emergence/reemergence of old and new infectious agents at the animal–human interface. Conventional vaccinology (the so-called “vaccinology 1.0”) was officially born in 1796 thanks to the contribution of Edward Jenner. Entering the twenty-first century, vaccinology has shifted from a classical discipline in which serendipity and the Pasteurian principle of the three Is (isolate, inactivate, and inject) played a major role to a science, characterized by a rational design and plan (“vaccinology 3.0”). This shift has been possible thanks to Big Data, characterized by different dimensions, such as high volume, velocity, and variety of data. Big Data sources include new cutting-edge, high-throughput technologies, electronic registries, social media, and social networks, among others. The current mini-review aims at exploring the potential roles as well as pitfalls and challenges of Big Data in shaping the future vaccinology, moving toward a tailored and personalized vaccine design and administration. PMID:29556492

Vaccines Meet Big Data: State-of-the-Art and Future Prospects. From the Classical 3Is ("Isolate-Inactivate-Inject") Vaccinology 1.0 to Vaccinology 3.0, Vaccinomics, and Beyond: A Historical Overview.

PubMed

Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Gianfredi, Vincenza; Villarini, Milena; Rosselli, Roberto; Nasr, Ahmed; Hussein, Amr; Martini, Mariano; Behzadifar, Masoud

2018-01-01

Vaccines are public health interventions aimed at preventing infections-related mortality, morbidity, and disability. While vaccines have been successfully designed for those infectious diseases preventable by preexisting neutralizing specific antibodies, for other communicable diseases, additional immunological mechanisms should be elicited to achieve a full protection. "New vaccines" are particularly urgent in the nowadays society, in which economic growth, globalization, and immigration are leading to the emergence/reemergence of old and new infectious agents at the animal-human interface. Conventional vaccinology (the so-called "vaccinology 1.0") was officially born in 1796 thanks to the contribution of Edward Jenner. Entering the twenty-first century, vaccinology has shifted from a classical discipline in which serendipity and the Pasteurian principle of the three I s (isolate, inactivate, and inject) played a major role to a science, characterized by a rational design and plan ("vaccinology 3.0"). This shift has been possible thanks to Big Data, characterized by different dimensions, such as high volume, velocity, and variety of data. Big Data sources include new cutting-edge, high-throughput technologies, electronic registries, social media, and social networks, among others. The current mini-review aims at exploring the potential roles as well as pitfalls and challenges of Big Data in shaping the future vaccinology, moving toward a tailored and personalized vaccine design and administration.

Noise exposure and hearing loss among sand and gravel miners.

PubMed

Landen, Deborah; Wilkins, Steve; Stephenson, Mark; McWilliams, Linda

2004-08-01

The objectives of this study were to describe workplace noise exposures, risk factors for hearing loss, and hearing levels among sand and gravel miners, and to determine whether full shift noise exposures resulted in changes in hearing thresholds from baseline values. Sand and gravel miners (n = 317) were interviewed regarding medical history, leisure-time and occupational noise exposure, other occupational exposures, and use of hearing protection. Audiometric tests were performed both before the work shift (following a 12-hour noise-free interval) and immediately following the work shift. Full shift noise dosimetry was conducted. Miners' noise exposures exceeded the Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for 69% of workers, and exceeded the Mine Safety and Health Administration's action level for enrollment in a hearing conservation program for 41% of workers. Significantly higher noise exposures occurred among employees of small companies, among workers with a job classification of truck driver, among males, and among black workers. Hearing protection usage was low, with 48% of subjects reporting that they never used hearing protection. Hearing impairment, as defined by NIOSH, was present among 37% of 275 subjects with valid audiograms. Black male workers and white male workers had higher hearing thresholds than males from a comparison North Carolina population unexposed to industrial noise. Small but statistically significant changes in hearing thresholds occurred following full shift noise exposure among subjects who had good hearing sensitivity at baseline. In a logistic regression model, age and history of a past noisy job were significant predictors of hearing impairment. Overall, sand and gravel workers have excessive noise exposures and significant hearing loss, and demonstrate inadequate use of hearing protection. Well-designed hearing conservation programs, with reduction of noise exposure, are clearly needed.

Risk factors and prevalence of burnout syndrome in the nursing profession.

PubMed

Cañadas-De la Fuente, Guillermo A; Vargas, Cristina; San Luis, Concepción; García, Inmaculada; Cañadas, Gustavo R; De la Fuente, Emilia I

2015-01-01

The burnout syndrome is beginning to be regarded as an occupational illness of high prevalence among nursing in Spain. Individuals suffering from the syndrome manifest important health problems. More information about prevalence and risk factors for burnout is needed to prevent the syndrome and to determine the most appropriate clinical interventions when the disorder appears. Burnout levels were evaluated in a group of nurses. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of burnout, to identify the variables related to burnout and to propose a risk profile for this syndrome among the nursing personnel. The study was carried out in public health centers in Andalusia (Spain). The sample consisted of 676 nursing professionals from public health centers. Dependent variables were the three Burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Independent variables were socio-demographic, organizational, personality-related variables. The nurses manifested average to high burnout levels. There were statistically significant differences in burnout levels associated with the following variables: age, gender, marital status, having children, level of healthcare, type of work shift, healthcare service areas and conducting administrative tasks. Burnout was also associated with personality-related variables. The prevalence of burnout among nursing professionals is high. Gender, age, marital status, level of healthcare, work shift and healthcare service areas predicted at least one of the dimensions of the syndrome. Neuroticism, agreeability, extraversion and conscientiousness are personality traits that predict at least two of the dimensions of burnout syndrome in nurses. Therefore, personality factors should be considered in any theory of risk profiles for developing burnout syndrome in the nursing profession. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in working time arrangements over time as a consequence of work-family conflict.

PubMed

Jansen, Nicole W H; Mohren, Danielle C L; van Amelsvoort, Ludovic G P M; Janssen, Nathalie; Kant, Ijmert

2010-07-01

Existing longitudinal studies on the relationship between working time arrangements (WTA) and work-family conflict have mainly focused on the normal causal relationship, that is, the impact of WTA on work-family conflict over time. So far, however, the reversed relationship, that is, the effect of work-family conflict on adjustments in WTA over time, has hardly been studied. Because work-family conflict is highly prevalent in the working population, further insight in this reverse relationship is invaluable to gain insight into secondary selection processes. The aim of this study is to investigate whether work-family conflict is prospectively related to adjustments in work schedules, working hours, and overtime work, and to explore sex differences and different time lags in this relation. Data of the prospective Maastricht Cohort Study were used. To study the effect of work-family conflict on a change from shift- to day work over 32 months of follow-up, male three-shift (n = 727), five-shift (n = 932), and irregular-shift (n = 451) workers were selected. To study effects of work-family conflict on reduction of working hours over 12 and 24 months of follow-up, respectively, only day workers (males and females) were selected, capturing 5809 full-time workers (> or =36 h/wk) and 1387 part-time workers (<36 h/wk) at baseline. To examine effects of work-family conflict on refraining from overtime work over 12 months of follow-up, only day workers reporting frequent overtime work at baseline were selected (3145 full-time and 492 part-time workers). Cox regression analyses were performed with adjustments for age, educational level, and presence of a long-term illness. Work-family conflict was associated with a significantly increased risk of changing from shift- to day work over 32 months of follow-up in three-shift workers (relative risk [RR] = 1.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-2.63) but not in five-shift workers (RR = 1.32, 95% CI 0.78-2.24) and irregular-shift workers (RR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.50-1.31). Within day workers, work-family conflict among full-time workers was associated with a significantly increased risk of reducing working hours during 1 yr of follow-up in women (RR = 2.80, 95% CI 1.42-5.54) but not men (RR = 1.34, 95% CI 0.81-2.22). In part-time workers, work-family conflict was associated with a significantly increased risk of reducing working hours during 1 yr of follow-up both in women (RR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.04-3.82) and men (RR = 4.03, 95% CI 1.28-12.68). Whereas the effects of work-family conflict on a reduction of working hours somewhat decreased among female full-time workers after 2 yr of follow-up (RR = 2.13, 95% CI 1.24-3.66), among male full-time workers the effects increased and reached statistical significance (RR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.05-2.21). Work-family conflict was not significantly associated with refraining from overtime work over 1 yr of follow-up. This study shows that work-family conflict has important consequences in terms of adjustments in work schedules and working hours over time, with considerable sex differences. The study thereby clearly illustrates secondary selection processes both in shift- and day workers, with significant implications for labor force participation, emphasizing the need for prevention of work-family conflict.

Work-related fatigue and recovery: the contribution of age, domestic responsibilities and shiftwork.

PubMed

Winwood, Peter C; Winefield, Antony H; Lushington, Kurt

2006-11-01

This paper reports a study of the relationship between age, domestic responsibilities (being partnered and having dependents), recovery from shiftwork-related fatigue and the evolution of maladaptive health outcomes among full-time working female nurses. Several studies have suggested that full-time working women with family responsibilities are at greater risk of developing work-related fatigue problems than single women without these responsibilities. A questionnaire was distributed in 2004 to 2400 nurses at two hospitals in Australia, and 1280 responses were obtained (response rate 54%). The data from a purposive sample of 846 full-time working nurses are reported here. Domestic responsibilities were not related to differences in fatigue and recovery. Our results suggested that for full-time shiftworking nurses, being part of a family structure, may actually be protective against the development of maladaptive fatigue. The most important factor determining maladaptive fatigue outcome was shift pattern worked, particularly rotation including night duty. The effect of age was equivocal. The youngest age group reported the highest fatigue and poorest recovery compared to the oldest group, who reported the best characteristics. However, this latter group may represent a particularly well-adapted 'survivor cohort'. The relationship between age and fatigue was partly confounded by older, experienced, nurses with greater job responsibilities, working fewer multiple shifts including night duty. In general, increasing age was not associated with poorer recovery or higher maladaptive fatigue. Unpredictable internal shift rotations, including night duty, which are traditional and typical in nursing, are inimical to maintaining nurses' health. More creative approaches to rostering for nurses working multiple shifts are a necessary step towards reducing wastage from the profession due to chronic work-related fatigue. Younger nurses in particular, may need more support than is currently recognized if they are to be retained within the profession.

Volatile Organic Compounds in Blood as Biomarkers of Exposure to JP-8 Jet Fuel Among US Air Force Personnel.

PubMed

Maule, Alexis L; Proctor, Susan P; Blount, Benjamin C; Chambers, David M; McClean, Michael D

2016-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate blood volatile organic compound (VOC) levels as biomarkers of occupational jet propulsion fuel 8 (JP-8) exposure while controlling for smoking. Among 69 Air Force personnel, post-shift blood samples were analyzed for components of JP-8, including ethylbenzene, toluene, o-xylene, and m/p-xylene, and for the smoking biomarker, 2,5-dimethylfuran. JP-8 exposure was characterized based on self-report and measured work shift levels of total hydrocarbons in personal air. Multivariate regression was used to evaluate the relationship between JP-8 exposure and post-shift blood VOCs while controlling for potential confounding from smoking. Blood VOC concentrations were higher among US Air Force personnel who reported JP-8 exposure and work shift smoking. Breathing zone total hydrocarbons was a significant predictor of VOC blood levels, after controlling for smoking. These findings support the use of blood VOCs as a biomarker of occupational JP-8 exposure.

Negative impacts of shiftwork and long work hours.

PubMed

Caruso, Claire C

2014-01-01

Healthcare organizations often have to provide patient care around the clock. Shift work (any shift outside of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m) and long work hours increase the risk for short sleep duration and sleep disturbances. Thirty-two percent of healthcare workers report they do not get enough sleep. The purpose of the article is to give an overview of the wide range of risks to nurses, patients, and employers that are linked to shift work, long work hours, and poor sleep from other sources. Shift work and long work hours increase the risk for reduced performance on the job, obesity, injuries, and a wide range of chronic diseases. In addition, fatigue-related errors could harm patients. Fatigued nurses also endanger others during their commute to and from work. The key strategy to reduce these risks is making sleep a priority in the employer's systems for organizing work and in the nurse's personal life. © 2013 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

Trail making task performance in inpatients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

PubMed

Vall, Eva; Wade, Tracey D

2015-07-01

Set-shifting inefficiencies have been consistently identified in adults with anorexia nervosa (AN). It is less clear to what degree similar inefficiencies are present in those with bulimia nervosa (BN). It is also unknown whether perfectionism is related to set-shifting performance. We employed a commonly used set-shifting measure, the Trail Making Test (TMT), to compare the performance of inpatients with AN and BN with a healthy control sample. We also investigated whether perfectionism predicted TMT scores. Only the BN sample showed significantly suboptimal performance, while the AN sample was indistinguishable from controls on all measures. There were no differences between the AN subtypes (restrictive or binge/purge), but group sizes were small. Higher personal standards perfectionism was associated with better TMT scores across groups. Higher concern over mistakes perfectionism predicted better accuracy in the BN sample. Further research into the set-shifting profile of individuals with BN or binge/purge behaviours is needed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

An analysis of automatic human detection and tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demuth, Philipe R.; Cosmo, Daniel L.; Ciarelli, Patrick M.

2015-12-01

This paper presents an automatic method to detect and follow people on video streams. This method uses two techniques to determine the initial position of the person at the beginning of the video file: one based on optical flow and the other one based on Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG). After defining the initial bounding box, tracking is done using four different trackers: Median Flow tracker, TLD tracker, Mean Shift tracker and a modified version of the Mean Shift tracker using HSV color space. The results of the methods presented in this paper are then compared at the end of the paper.

Size-selective pulmonary dose indices for metal-working fluid aerosols in machining and grinding operations in the automobile manufacturing industry.

PubMed

Woskie, S R; Smith, T J; Hallock, M F; Hammond, S K; Rosenthal, F; Eisen, E A; Kriebel, D; Greaves, I A

1994-01-01

The current metal-working fluid exposures at three locations that manufacture automotive parts were assessed in conjunction with epidemiological studies of the mortality and respiratory morbidity experiences of workers at these plants. A rationale is presented for selecting and characterizing epidemiologic exposure groups in this environment. More than 475 full-shift personal aerosol samples were taken using a two-stage personal cascade impactor with median size cut-offs of 9.8 microns and 3.5 microns, plus a backup filter. For a sample of 403 workers exposed to aerosols of machining or grinding fluids, the mean total exposure was 706 micrograms/m3 (standard error (SE) = 21 micrograms/m3). Among 72 assemblers unexposed to machining fluids, the mean total exposure was 187 +/- 10 (SE) micrograms/m3. An analysis of variance model identified factors significantly associated with exposure level and permitted estimates of exposure for workers in the unsampled machine type/metal-working fluid groups. Comparison of the results obtained from personal impactor samples with predictions from an aerosol-deposition model for the human respiratory tract showed high correlation. However, the amount collected on the impactor stage underestimates extrathoracic deposition and overestimates tracheobronchial and alveolar deposition, as calculated by the deposition model. When both the impactor concentration and the deposition-model concentration were used to estimate cumulative thoracic concentrations for the worklives of a subset of auto workers, there was no significant difference in the rank order of the subjects' cumulative concentration. However, the cumulative impactor concentration values were significantly higher than the cumulative deposition-model concentration values for the subjects.

Occupational exposure to acrylamide in closed system production plants: air levels and biomonitoring.

PubMed

Moorman, William J; Reutman, Susan S; Shaw, Peter B; Blade, Leo Michael; Marlow, David; Vesper, Hubert; Clark, John C; Schrader, Steven M

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate biomarkers of acrylamide exposure, including hemoglobin adducts and urinary metabolites in acrylamide production workers. Biomarkers are integrated measures of the internal dose, and it is total acrylamide dose from all routes and sources that may present health risks. Workers from three companies were studied. Workers potentially exposed to acrylamide monomer wore personal breathing-zone air samplers. Air samples and surface-wipe samples were collected and analyzed for acrylamide. General-area air samples were collected in chemical processing units and control rooms. Hemoglobin adducts were isolated from ethylenediamine teraacetic acid (EDTA)-whole blood, and adducts of acrylamide and glycidamide, at the N-terminal valines of hemoglobin, were cleaved from the protein chain by use of a modified Edman reaction. Full work-shift, personal breathing zone, and general-area air samples were collected and analyzed for particulate and acrylamide monomer vapor. The highest general-area concentration of acrylamide vapor was 350 μg/cm(3) in monomer production. Personal breathing zone and general-area concentrations of acrylamide vapor were found to be highest in monomer production operations, and lower levels were in the polymer production operations. Adduct levels varied widely among workers, with the highest in workers in the monomer and polymer production areas. The acrylamide adduct range was 15-1884 pmol/g; glycidamide adducts ranged from 17.8 to 1376 p/mol/g. The highest acrylamide and glycidamide adduct levels were found among monomer production process operators. The primary urinary metabolite N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl) cysteine (NACEC) ranged from the limit of detection to 15.4 μg/ml. Correlation of workplace exposure and sentinel health effects is needed to determine and control safe levels of exposure for regulatory standards.

Environment-dependence of behavioural consistency in adult male European green lizards (Lacerta viridis).

PubMed

Horváth, Gergely; Mészáros, Boglárka; Urszán, Tamás János; Bajer, Katalin; Molnár, Orsolya; Garamszegi, László Zsolt; Herczeg, Gábor

2017-01-01

Understanding the background mechanisms affecting the emergence and maintenance of consistent between-individual variation within population in single (animal personality) or across multiple (behavioural syndrome) behaviours has key importance. State-dependence theory suggests that behaviour is 'anchored' to individual state (e.g. body condition, gender, age) and behavioural consistency emerges through behavioural-state feedbacks. A number of relevant state variables are labile (e.g. body condition, physiological performance) and expected to be affected by short-term environmental change. Yet, whether short-term environmental shifts affect behavioural consistency during adulthood remains questionable. Here, by employing a full-factorial laboratory experiment, we explored if quantity of food (low vs. high) and time available for thermoregulation (3h vs. 10h per day) had an effect on activity and risk-taking of reproductive adult male European green lizards (Lacerta viridis). We focussed on different components of behavioural variation: (i) strength of behavioural consistency (repeatability for animal personality; between-individual correlation for behavioural syndrome), (ii) behavioural type (individual mean behaviour) and (iii) behavioural predictability (within-individual behavioural variation). Activity was repeatable in all treatments. Risk-taking was repeatable only in the low basking treatments. We found significant between-individual correlation only in the low food × long basking time group. The treatments did not affect behavioural type, but affected behavioural predictability. Activity predictability was higher in the short basking treatment, where it also decreased with size (≈ age). Risk-taking predictability in the short basking treatment increased with size under food limitation, but decreased when food supply was high. We conclude that short-term environmental change can alter various components of behavioural consistency. The effect could be detected in the presence/absence patterns of animal personality and behavioural syndrome and the level of individual behavioural predictability, but not in behavioural type.

An HMO-based prospective pilot study of energy medicine for chronic headaches: whole-person outcomes point to the need for new instrumentation.

PubMed

Sutherland, Elizabeth G; Ritenbaugh, Cheryl; Kiley, Susan J; Vuckovic, Nancy; Elder, Charles

2009-08-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate an energy healing treatment for possible inclusion as a Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) Pain Clinic provided therapy, and to identify the appropriate number of treatment sessions for a Pain Clinic protocol, should the intervention prove successful. In addition, our intent was to document the full range of outcomes experienced by patients undergoing energy healing, including whole-person and transformative outcomes should they occur. The setting for this study was Kaiser Permanente Northwest Pain Clinic. Thirteen (13) patients with chronic headache who were members of the KPNW Health Plan were recruited through flyers or mailings. Thirteen (13) participants received at least three energy healing sessions at approximately weekly intervals. Assessments were based on pre- and post-treatment qualitative interviews. The treatment consisted of three Healing Touch sessions provided by a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner. Treatments contained elements common to all sessions, and elements that were tailored to the individual subject. Twelve (12) of 13 participants experienced improvement in frequency, intensity, or duration of pain after three treatments. In addition, 11 of 13 participants experienced profound shifts in their view of themselves, their lives, and their potential for healing and transformation. These changes lasted from 24 hours to more than 6 months at follow-up. Energy healing can be an important addition to pain management services. More in-depth qualitative research is needed to explore the diversity of outcomes facilitated by energy healing treatments. Furthermore, the development of new instrumentation is warranted to capture outcomes that reflect transformative change and changes at the level of the whole person.

An HMO-Based Prospective Pilot Study of Energy Medicine for Chronic Headaches: Whole-Person Outcomes Point to the Need for New Instrumentation

PubMed Central

Ritenbaugh, Cheryl; Kiley, Susan J.; Vuckovic, Nancy; Elder, Charles

2009-01-01

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate an energy healing treatment for possible inclusion as a Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) Pain Clinic provided therapy, and to identify the appropriate number of treatment sessions for a Pain Clinic protocol, should the intervention prove successful. In addition, our intent was to document the full range of outcomes experienced by patients undergoing energy healing, including whole-person and transformative outcomes should they occur. Setting The setting for this study was Kaiser Permanente Northwest Pain Clinic. Participants Thirteen (13) patients with chronic headache who were members of the KPNW Health Plan were recruited through flyers or mailings. Methods Thirteen (13) participants received at least three energy healing sessions at approximately weekly intervals. Assessments were based on pre- and post-treatment qualitative interviews. Intervention The treatment consisted of three Healing Touch sessions provided by a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner. Treatments contained elements common to all sessions, and elements that were tailored to the individual subject. Results Twelve (12) of 13 participants experienced improvement in frequency, intensity, or duration of pain after three treatments. In addition, 11 of 13 participants experienced profound shifts in their view of themselves, their lives, and their potential for healing and transformation. These changes lasted from 24 hours to more than 6 months at follow-up. Conclusions Energy healing can be an important addition to pain management services. More in-depth qualitative research is needed to explore the diversity of outcomes facilitated by energy healing treatments. Furthermore, the development of new instrumentation is warranted to capture outcomes that reflect transformative change and changes at the level of the whole person. PMID:19678772

Exploring the Full-Information Bifactor Model in Vertical Scaling with Construct Shift

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Ying; Lissitz, Robert W.

2012-01-01

To address the lack of attention to construct shift in item response theory (IRT) vertical scaling, a multigroup, bifactor model was proposed to model the common dimension for all grades and the grade-specific dimensions. Bifactor model estimation accuracy was evaluated through a simulation study with manipulated factors of percentage of common…

Supporting the Academic Majority: Policies and Practices Related to Part-Time Faculty's Job Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eagan, M. Kevin, Jr.; Jaeger, Audrey J.; Grantham, Ashley

2015-01-01

The academic workforce in higher education has shifted in the last several decades from consisting of mostly full-time, tenure-track faculty to one comprised predominantly of contingent, non-tenure-track faculty. This substantial shift toward part-time academic labor has not corresponded with institutions implementing more supportive policies and…

Night shift work and other determinants of estradiol, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate among middle-aged nurses and midwives.

PubMed

Peplonska, Beata; Bukowska, Agnieszka; Lie, Jenny Anne; Gromadzinska, Jolanta; Zienolddiny, Shanbeh

2016-09-01

The aims of our study were to (i) investigate the association between rotating night shift work and blood concentrations of estradiol, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and (2) evaluate the role of their non-occupational determinants. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 345 premenopausal and 187 postmenopausal nurses and midwives (263 women working rotating night shifts and 269 women working during days). Data from in-person interviews were used, anthropometric measurements were performed, and body mass index (BMI) and waist- to-hip ratio were calculated. Morning blood and spot urine samples were collected. Multiple linear regression models were fitted with hormone concentrations as dependent variables, and night shift work characteristics and demographic, reproductive, lifestyle and anthropometric determinants as independent variables. Modification of the effect by chronotype was examined. Among postmenopausal women, we observed a statistically significant positive association between the total duration of night shift work >15 years and estradiol level (P<0.05 when compared to night work duration <5 years). Night shift work characteristics were significantly associated with estradiol among morning-type postmenopausal women. The well-established associations between hormones and their major determinants, such as age and BMI, were confirmed. The findings of our study imply that prolonged night shift work may be associated with increased estradiol levels among postmenopausal women, especially among the morning-type postmenopausal women.

Clinical investigation of set-shifting subtypes in anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Abbate-Daga, Giovanni; Buzzichelli, Sara; Marzola, Enrica; Amianto, Federico; Fassino, Secondo

2014-11-30

While evidence continues to accumulate on the relevance of cognitive inflexibility in anorexia nervosa (AN), its clinical correlates remain unclear. We aimed at examining the relationship between set-shifting and clinical variables (i.e., eating psychopathology, depression, and personality) in AN. Ninety-four individuals affected by AN and 59 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. All participants were assessed using: Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The AN group scored worse than HCs on set-shifting. According to their neuropsychological performances, AN patients were split into two groups corresponding to poor (N=30) and intact (N=64) set-shifting subtypes. Interoceptive awareness, impulse regulation, and maturity fears on the EDI-2 and depression on the BDI differed across all groups (HC, intact, and poor set-shifting subtype). Self-directedness on the TCI differed significantly among all groups. Cooperativeness and reward dependence differed instead only between HC and AN poor set-shifting subtype. After controlling for depression, only interoceptive awareness remained significant with reward dependence showing a trend towards statistical significance. These findings suggest that multiple clinical variables may be correlated with set-shifting performances in AN. The factors contributing to impaired cognitive inflexibility could be more complex than heretofore generally considered. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

29 CFR 1926.753 - Hoisting and rigging.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION Steel Erection § 1926.753 Hoisting and rigging. (a... used in steel erection activities shall be visually inspected prior to each shift by a competent person... and latches for deformation, chemical damage, cracks, or wear; (F) Wire rope reeving for compliance...

Lessons from Personal Photography: The Digital Disruption of Selectivity and Reflection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fawns, Tim

2015-01-01

Recent technological, cultural and economic factors have shifted the balance between recalling and reconstructing internalised information and accessing externalised information. While digital artefacts constitute an enormous and valuable set of resources, human engagement and reflection are important to the meaningful synthesis and application of…

Involvement, Collaboration and Engagement: Social Networks through a Pedagogical Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seifert, Tami

2016-01-01

Social networks facilitate activities that promote involvement, collaboration and engagement. Modelling of best practices using social networks enhances its usage by participants, increases participants confidence as to its implementation and creates a paradigm shift to a more personalized, participatory and collaborative learning and a more…

Reliability and convergence of three concepts of narcissistic personality.

PubMed

Perry, J D; Perry, J C

1996-01-01

UNTIL recent years, the personality disorders have been relatively unexplored compared to other psychiatric diagnoses. Over 15 years ago, there was little agreement on the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (Perry and Klerman 1978), but efforts to specify the constructs and respective criteria for the borderline diagnosis spurred a plethora of systematic research. The result is that, next to antisocial personality disorder, borderline has become one of the best-documented and validated personality disorders (Perry and Vaillant 1989). One important shift has been that good descriptive studies have gradually led to studies of etiological factors, such as childhood physical and sexual abuse, and severe neglect (Herman et al. 1989; Perry and Herman 1992), which in turn have led to empirically based treatment approaches (Herman 1992; Perry et al. 1990). Despite inclusion in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III and DSM-III-R), narcissistic personality is still at the beginning of this process of description, empirical testing, and validation (Gunderson et al. 1991). This study empirically examines three descriptions of narcissistic personality in order to look for common underlying dimensions that may have etiological and treatment significance.

Randomized placebo-controlled field study of the effects of bright light and melatonin in adaptation to night work.

PubMed

Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Stangenes, Kristine; Oyane, Nicolas; Forberg, Knut; Lowden, Arne; Holsten, Fred; Akerstedt, Torbjørn

2007-06-01

This study evaluated the effects of bright light and melatonin on adaptation to night work on an oil rig in the North Sea. Seventeen persons working a schedule of 2 weeks on a 12-hour shift, with the first week on night shift and the second week on day shift (ie, the swing shift schedule) participated. In a randomized controlled crossover design, the shift workers received a placebo, melatonin (3 mg, 1 hour before bedtime), or bright light (30-minute exposure, individually scheduled) during the first 4 days on the night shift and during the first 4 days on the day shift. Subjective and objective measures of sleepiness (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale and a simple serial reaction-time test) and sleep (diary and actigraphy) were recorded. Subjective measures indicated that melatonin modestly reduced sleepiness at work during the day shift and increased sleep by 15-20 minutes per day. Bright light gave values in between those of melatonin and the placebo, but with few significant results. According to the objective measures, bright light improved sleep to a minor degree during the night shift. Hardly any side-effects were reported. Melatonin and bright light modestly improved sleep and sleepiness in this field study. In well-controlled simulated nightwork studies, both melatonin and bright light are more effective in alleviating sleepiness and sleep problems. The less effect in this field study may be due to competing or conflicting factors present in real life or to an inoptimal timing and duration of the treatments.

[Justifying measures to correct functional state of operators varying in personal anxiety].

PubMed

2012-01-01

Workers of operating and dispatching occupations are exposed to high nervous and emotional exertion that result in increased personal anxiety, working stress and overstrain. That requires physiologically justified correction of hazardous psycho-physiologic states via various prophylactic measures (stay in schungite room, autogenous training, central electric analgesia, electric acupuncture). Attempted relaxation sessions in schungite room revealed in highly anxious individuals an increased velocity of visual signals perception, of attention concentration and shifting. Autogenous training sessions improve memory and have significant hypotensive effect in highly anxious individuals.

Daily Interpersonal and Affective Dynamics in Personality Disorder

PubMed Central

Wright, Aidan G.C.; Hopwood, Christopher J.; Simms, Leonard J.

2015-01-01

In this naturalistic study we adopt the lens of interpersonal theory to examine between-and within-person differences in dynamic processes of daily affect and interpersonal behaviors among individuals (N = 101) previously diagnosed with personality disorders who completed daily diaries over the course of 100 days. Dispositional ratings of interpersonal problems and measures of daily stress were used as predictors of daily shifts in interpersonal behavior and affect in multilevel models. Results indicate that ~40%–50% of the variance in interpersonal behavior and affect is due to daily fluctuations, which are modestly related to dispositional measures of interpersonal problems but strongly related to daily stress. The findings support conceptions of personality disorders as a dynamic form of psychopathology involving the individuals interacting with and regulating in response to the contextual features of their environment. PMID:26200849

The impact of shift work on nurses' job stress, sleep quality and self-perceived health status.

PubMed

Lin, Shu-Hui; Liao, Wen-Chun; Chen, Mei-Yen; Fan, Jun-Yu

2014-07-01

The aim of this study was to describe the current state of nurses' shift work in Taiwan and how it affects nurses' stress, sleep quality and self-perceived health status. To enable the provision of 24-hour patient care, nurses need to work various shifts. Long-term shift work significantly affects nurses' overall physical and mental health. Nurses from four Chiayi County district hospitals in Taiwan (n = 266) participated in this cross-sectional study from August to September 2010. Demographics, work schedule forms, a stress checklist, a sleep-quality measure and a health-status measure were used to collect data. Independent t-test, one-way anova, Pearson's r, and hierarchical regression were applied for analysis. The results showed that regardless of the amount of shift work they performed, nurses reported moderate job stress, poor sleep quality and moderate self-perceived health. The following significant relationships were observed: job stress was inversely related to sleep quality, which was directly related to self-perceived health status. Hospital managers need to ensure more healthy shift work scheduling in order to improve nurses' clinical performance and personal health status, thereby also improving the quality of patient care. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nightshift work job exposure matrices and urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels among healthy Chinese women.

PubMed

Ji, Bu-Tian; Gao, Yu-Tang; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Yang, Gong; Yu, Kai; Xue, Shou-Zheng; Li, Hong-Lan; Liao, Linda M; Blair, Aaron; Rothman, Nathaniel; Zheng, Wei; Chow, Wong-Ho

2012-11-01

Six-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) is a primary urinary metabolite of melatonin. We examined the association between aMT6s levels and shift work estimated by a job exposure matrix (JEM) among healthy participants of the Shanghai Women's Health Study. Creatinine-adjusted aMT6s levels were measured in the urine samples of 300 women and related to JEM shift work categories. Adjusted geometric means of aMT6s levels from urine samples collected before 08:00 hours were lower among persons holding nighttime shift work jobs. The adjusted aMT6s levels (ng/mg creatinine) were 8.36 [95% confidence intervals (95% CI) 4.47-15.6], 6.37 (95% CI 3.53-11.5), 6.20 (95% CI 3.33-11.5), 3.81 (95% CI 2.02-7.19), and 3.70 (95% CI 1.92-7.11) from the lowest (never held a shift work job) to the highest (current job likely involved all-night shift work) shift work JEM scores (P=0.05). Our results indicate that nightshift work JEM scores were significantly and inversely associated with aMT6s levels in early morning spot urine samples collected between 07:00-08:00 hours.

Night Work and the Risk of Depression.

PubMed

Angerer, Peter; Schmook, Renate; Elfantel, Irina; Li, Jian

2017-07-16

Working the night shift interferes with the circadian chronobiological rhythm, causing sleep disturbances, fatigue, and diminished wellbeing, and increases the risk of serious disease. The question whether night work increases the risk of depression has not been adequately studied to date. We carried out a systematic, broadly conceived literature search in the PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and PSYNDEX databases and the Medpilot search portal on the topic of nighttime shift work and mental illness. The search yielded 5682 hits, which were narrowed down by predefined selection criteria to 11 high-quality longitudinal studies on the relationship between nighttime shift work and depressive illness. Only these 11 studies were subjected to further analysis. 3 of 4 studies on nighttime shift work in the health professions (almost exclusively nursing) revealed no association with depression over an observation period of two years. On the other hand, 5 studies on nighttime shift work in occupations outside the health sector, with observation periods of two or more years, yielded evidence of an elevated risk of depression after several years of nighttime shift work, but not in any uniform pattern. A supplementary meta-analysis of 5 of the studies revealed a 42% increase of the risk of depression among persons working the night shift (95% confidence interval [0.92; 2.19]). Psychosocial working conditions that have a negative influence on health partially account for these associations. Although there is evidence that nighttime shift work (at least, in occupations outside the health sector) does increase the risk of depression, this evidence is not strong enough to sustain a general medical recommendation against shift work for employees with depressive conditions. It would seem appropriate to address this question on an individual basis, with strong support from physicians and close attention to the deleterious psychosocial factors associated with shift work.

Full-field stress determination in photoelasticity with phase shifting technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Enhai; Liu, Yonggang; Han, Yongsheng; Arola, Dwayne; Zhang, Dongsheng

2018-04-01

Photoelasticity is an effective method for evaluating the stress and its spatial variations within a stressed body. In the present study, a method to determine the stress distribution by means of phase shifting and a modified shear-difference is proposed. First, the orientation of the first principal stress and the retardation between the principal stresses are determined in the full-field through phase shifting. Then, through bicubic interpolation and derivation of a modified shear-difference method, the internal stress is calculated from the point with a free boundary along its normal direction. A method to reduce integration error in the shear difference scheme is proposed and compared to the existing methods; the integration error is reduced when using theoretical photoelastic parameters to calculate the stress component with the same points. Results show that when the value of Δx/Δy approaches one, the error is minimum, and although the interpolation error is inevitable, it has limited influence on the accuracy of the result. Finally, examples are presented for determining the stresses in a circular plate and ring subjected to diametric loading. Results show that the proposed approach provides a complete solution for determining the full-field stresses in photoelastic models.

Surgical culture in transition: gender matters and generation counts

PubMed Central

Brown, Judith Belle; Fluit, Meghan; Lent, Barbara; Herbert, Carol

2013-01-01

Background We sought to study the impact of the change in gender balance and the shift in generational beliefs on the practice of surgery. Methods We used in-depth, individual, semistructured interviews to explore the ideas, perceptions and experiences of recently recruited academic surgeons regarding the role of gender and the influence of the changing attitudes of this generation on the work environment. All the interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The data analysis was both iterative and interpretative. Results Nine women and 8 men participated in the study. All participants stated that departmental expectations regarding their performance as clinicians and as academics were not influenced by gender. However, further exploration revealed how gender did influence the way they sought to balance their personal and professional lives. Women in particular struggled with attaining this balance. While maternity leave was endorsed by both men and women, the challenging logistics associated with such leave were noted. Our data also revealed a generational shift among men and women in terms of the importance of the balance between their personal and professional lives. Participants saw this priority as radically different from that of their senior colleagues. Conclusion Gender and the shift in generational attitudes are changing the culture of academic surgery, often described as the prototypical male-dominated medical environment. These changes may reflect the changing face of medicine. PMID:23484466

Business structure, ethnic shifts in labor markets, and violence: the link between company size, local labor markets, and non-Latino homicide.

PubMed

Barranco, Raymond E; Shihadeh, Edward S

2015-01-01

Combining several schools of thought, including the civic engagement thesis, we extend current research by linking three things at the county level; firm size, the ethnic composition of labor markets, and violent crime. Our results suggest that larger businesses (based on the average number of persons employed) are more likely to have an external orientation and long recruitment reach, and this is linked to ethnic shifts in labor markets toward Latino workers. Such shifts are in turn associated with high rates of homicide among non-Latinos. Through indirect effects modeling, we find that increases in Black homicide are linked to rises in concentrated poverty, while increases in White homicide are linked to changes in unemployment. We discuss the implications of our findings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning from Student Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pruitt, Kobie

2016-01-01

Just as adults' personal lives and data are increasingly inhabiting online spaces, so are students. While this shift brings many benefits and the possibility of learning tailored to individual students' needs, it is also brings new challenges. Students create an electronic trail of information that creates an obvious concern: How can they enjoy…

Keeping Current: Feng Shui and the School Library Media Specialist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barron, Daniel D.

2000-01-01

Discusses the changing shift in education, including learning resources centers, from a production to a consumer mind-set, focusing on the activity of learning rather than teaching. Highlights include learning communities; personal mastery; developing a vision; the interconnectedness of organizations; harmony and balance, similar to feng shui; and…

Personality, Gender, and the Northern Cities Shift

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Steve Leonard, III

2012-01-01

Studies of sound changes in sociolinguistics have shown a consistent trend that women tend to be linguistically innovative and lead most of the major sound changes. Additionally, women have been shown to use more standard variants than men in stable sociolinguistic variables, giving rise to the "gender paradox" where women are both…

Why Students Lose When "Tougher Standards" Win: A Conversation with Alfie Kohn.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neil, John; Tell, Carol

1999-01-01

Kohn believes the "tougher standards" movement is incompatible with personalized learning, excellence, and marginalized kids' interests. Horizontal standards that shift how teaching and learning happen in classrooms are terrific, but vertical standards using traditional pedagogy are macho and mindless. Kids need freedom to design their…

Staffing Smaller Police Agencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivero, David A.; Colombo, Michael

2010-01-01

All aspects of police work are challenging both professionally and personally. Police officers are accustomed to shift work, mandatory overtime, schedule adjustments for training, holidays and disasters, recalls and required off-duty court appearances. Police officers traditionally work eight hours per day, five day weeks (otherwise known as a 5/8…

Adolescent Attractiveness Standards for Self and Significant Other.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papini, Dennis R.

Previous research investigating the relationship between body build and personality stereotypes found that the mesomorphic build was attributed positive qualities while the endomorph and ectomorph were assigned negative qualities by both males and females. More recent research has revealed a potential shift in body build preferences as standards…

Multilinguals' Perceptions of Feeling Different When Switching Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dewaele, Jean-Marc; Nakano, Seiji

2013-01-01

Research into multilingualism and personality has shown that a majority of multilinguals report feeling different when they switch from one language to another. The present study looks at perceived shifts on five scales of feelings (feeling logical, serious, emotional, fake and different) in pair-wise comparisons between languages following the…

Men and Relationships in the '80's.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canter, Mathilda B.

As a result of an effective feminist movement and effective technological developments, men are faceing drastic and dramatic changes in their personal and work lives. Consequently, more men, and specifically more older men, are entering psychotherapy than ever before. Men in their 50's are facing problems associated with shifts away from…

Refugees and Forced Migration: Need for New Definition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogge, John R.

A significant component of modern migrants are refugees or displaced persons. Historically, most involuntary migrants readily found permanent asylum in the traditional immigrant receiving countries of the New World. This situation is changing. Source areas of refugees have shifted from the European arena to the Third World, and the causes of…

Overview of Constitutional Challenges to NSA Collection Activities and Recent Developments

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

acquisition of foreign intelligence information went “well beyond garden -variety law enforcement” purposes.106 Furthermore, the court found a high degree of...the affected person may challenge the lawfulness of the acquisition.”). 127 See Charlie Savage , Federal Prosecutors, in a Policy Shift, Cite

Innovation Zones: Creating Policy Flexibility for Personalized Learning. Issue Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patrick, Susan; Gentz, Susan

2016-01-01

There is a new state education policy concept termed either innovation zones or districts of innovation. State education agencies interested in shifting their role from enforcing compliance to one of supporting innovation and building capacity in districts are working to spur new innovative instructional models and create space for…

Financial Literacy: An Essential Component of Mathematics Literacy and Numeracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sole, Marla A.

2014-01-01

With rising personal and public debt, public and private employers increasingly shifting financial responsibility to individuals, and an increase in both the number of financial investment options and predatory lending practices, today's students need to be financially literate. This paper defines financial literacy and justifies its place in the…

Bipolar Disorder.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spearing, Melissa

Bipolar disorder, a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, affects approximately one percent of the population. It commonly occurs in late adolescence and is often unrecognized. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder is made on the basis of symptoms, course of illness, and when possible, family history. Thoughts of suicide are…

Shifting Sands: A Resilient Asian Teacher's Identity Work in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kong, Melinda

2014-01-01

Many TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) programmes focus on providing professional knowledge to Asian teachers who are pursuing their degrees in English-speaking countries. However, not much attention is given to their expectations, personal lived experiences and identity construction while studying in these countries. These…

Academic Odyssey: The Training of an African Sociologist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woldemikael, Tekle M.

1988-01-01

Traces the author's experiences in a Eurocentric graduate training program relative to institutional pressures, cultural conflict, interactionism, and U.S. racism. Concludes that experiences caused an intellectual shift to viewpoint of a marginal Black sociologist who focuses upon the experiences and history of persons of African descent in the…

14 CFR 1214.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Space Shuttle Flights of Payloads for Non-U.S. Government, Reimbursable Customers § 1214.102 Definitions. (a) Customer. Any non-U.S. government person or entity who, by virtue of a contract or other... in § 1214.115 for 1 day of single-shift, on-orbit mission operations. (d) Jettison. To physically...

14 CFR 1214.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Space Shuttle Flights of Payloads for Non-U.S. Government, Reimbursable Customers § 1214.102 Definitions. (a) Customer. Any non-U.S. government person or entity who, by virtue of a contract or other... in § 1214.115 for 1 day of single-shift, on-orbit mission operations. (d) Jettison. To physically...

14 CFR 1214.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Space Shuttle Flights of Payloads for Non-U.S. Government, Reimbursable Customers § 1214.102 Definitions. (a) Customer. Any non-U.S. government person or entity who, by virtue of a contract or other... in § 1214.115 for 1 day of single-shift, on-orbit mission operations. (d) Jettison. To physically...

14 CFR 1214.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Space Shuttle Flights of Payloads for Non-U.S. Government, Reimbursable Customers § 1214.102 Definitions. (a) Customer. Any non-U.S. government person or entity who, by virtue of a contract or other... in § 1214.115 for 1 day of single-shift, on-orbit mission operations. (d) Jettison. To physically...

Listening: Implications for Qualitative Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enos, Anya Dozier

Pueblo communities want local research to be linked to community needs. To address this requirement, university research must shift from a set agenda that addresses personal or professional goals to a flexible design that moves toward a community-based goal. This can be achieved through collaboration with the Pueblo community. Key to developing…

Changing Society Requires New Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Groningen, Tom

1982-01-01

Recent cultural and technological changes suggest a pattern of increased emphasis on personal needs and aspirations and a shift away from traditional values. Educational leaders must develop new strategies to deliver services to a public not willing to support them. Available from California Higher Education, P.O. Box 26541, Sacramento, CA 95826,…

Discovering History in a Digital World: The Texas Story Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munns, David

2016-01-01

New digital tools and technologies create an opportunity for history museums to personalize visitor experiences, reach new audiences, and increase their relevancy by including visitors' historical narratives in museum content and programming. By adapting to the shift in social narrative prompted by digital media advancements, museums are…

School Counselor Involvement in Partnerships with Families of Color: A Social Cognitive Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Pamela Nadine

2016-01-01

School-family partnerships facilitate the academic and personal success of all students. Whereas forming these partnerships are a component of school counselor identity, school counselors are commonly unprepared to form and maintain such relationships. Additionally, shifting racial demographics within K-12 schools call for culturally responsive…

Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System: the TISS-28 items--results from a multicenter study.

PubMed

Miranda, D R; de Rijk, A; Schaufeli, W

1996-01-01

To validate a simplified version of the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System, the TISS-28, and to determine the association of TISS-28 with the time spent on scored and nonscored nursing activities. Prospective, multicenter study. Twenty-two adult medical, surgical, and general Dutch intensive care units (ICUs). A total of 903 patients consecutively admitted to the ICUs. TISS-28 was constructed from a random sample of 10,000 records of TISS-76 items. The respective weights were calculated using multivariable regression analysis through the origin; TISS-76 scores were used as predicted values. Cross validation was performed in another random sample of 10,000 records and the scores of TISS-76 were compared with those scores obtained with TISS-28 (r = .96, r2 = .93). Nursing activities in the ICU were inventoried and divided into six categories: a) activities in TISS-28; b) patient care activities not in TISS-28; c) indirect patient care (activities related to but not in direct contact with the patient, such as contact with family, maintaining supplies); d) organizational activities (e.g., meetings, trainee supervision, research); e) personal activities (for the nurse him/herself, such as taking a break, going to the bathroom); f) other. During a 1-month period, TISS-76 and TISS-28 scores were determined daily from the patient's records by independent raters. During a 1-wk period, all of the nurses on duty scored their activities using a method called "work sampling." The analysis of validation included 1,820 valid pairs of TISS-76 and TISS-28 records. The mean value of TISS-28 (28.8 +/- 11.1) was higher (p < .00) than that value of TISS-76 (24.2 +/- 10.2). TISS-28 explained 86% of the variation in TISS-76 (r = .93, r2 = .86). "Work sampling" generated 10,079 registrations of nursing activities, of which 5,530 could be matched with TISS-28 records. Samples were taken from medical (19.3%), surgical (19.1%), and general (61.6%) ICUs. Of these samples, 51.1% originated from university hospitals, 35.8% from hospitals with > 500 beds, 7.1% from hospitals with 300 to 500 beds, and 5.8% from hospitals with < 300 beds. Samples were scored in the morning (43.0%), evening (32.9%), and night shifts (24.1%). This sample of work activities was divided into four groups, according to their matched TISS scores (0 to 20, 20 to 35, 35 to 60, and > 60 points). In the successive groups of TISS scores, there was a significant increase in the proportion of time spent on the activities scored with TISS-28. In the lower TISS score group (0 to 20 points), there was a significantly larger proportion of time allocated to patient care activities not in TISS-28. There was no significant difference in the proportion of the time spent when associating indirect patient care and organizational activities with the level of TISS score. There was a significant decrease in the proportion of time spent on personal activities in the successive groups of TISS scores. The mean time spent per shift with personal activities varied between 1 hr and 40 mins (group 0 to 20 points TISS), and 1 hr and 16 mins (group > 60 points TISS). Significantly more time was used for patient care activities during the evening shift than during the day or the night shift. Conversely, nurses spent significantly less time on activities regarding their personal care during the evening shift. The time consumed for the activities of indirect patient care did not differ significantly among the three shifts. A typical nurse was capable of delivering work equal to 46.35 TISS-28 points per shift (one TISS-28 point equals 10.6 mins of each nurse's shift). The simplified TISS-28 explains 86% of the variation in TISS-76 and can therefore replace the original version in the clinical practice in the ICU. Per shift, a typical nurse is capable of delivering nursing activities equal to 46 TISS-28 points.

The daily relationships between staffing, safety perceptions and personality in hospital nursing: A longitudinal on-line diary study.

PubMed

Louch, Gemma; O'Hara, Jane; Gardner, Peter; O'Connor, Daryl B

2016-07-01

The association between poor staffing conditions and negative patient safety consequences is well established within hospital nursing. However, many studies have been limited to nurse population level associations, and have used routine data to examine relationships. As a result, it is less clear how these relationships might be manifested at the individual nurse level on a day-to-day basis. Furthermore, personality may have direct and moderating roles in terms of work environment and patient safety associations, but limited research has explored personality in this context. To further our understanding of these associations, this paper takes a within-person approach to examine nurses' daily perceptions of staffing and patient safety. In addition, we explore the potential role of personality factors as moderators of daily level associations. We recruited eighty-three hospital nurses from three acute NHS Trusts in the UK between March and July 2013. Nurses completed online end-of-shift diaries over three-five shifts which collected information on perceptions of staffing, patient-nurse ratio and patient safety (perceptions of patient safety, ability to act as a safe practitioner, and workplace cognitive failure). Personality was also assessed within a baseline questionnaire. Data were analysed using hierarchical linear modelling, and moderation effects of personality factors were examined using simple slopes analyses, which decomposed relationships at high and low levels of the moderator. On days when lower patient-nurse ratios were indicated, nurses reported being more able to act as a safe practitioner (p=.011) and more favourable perceptions of patient safety (p=<.001). Additionally, when staffing was perceived more favourably, nurses reported being more able to act as a safe practitioner (p=<.001), more favourable perceptions of patient safety (p=<.001) and experienced less workplace cognitive failure (p=<.001). Conscientiousness and emotional stability emerged as key moderators of daily level associations between staffing and patient safety variables, with many relationships differing at high and low levels of these personality factors. The findings elucidate the potential mechanisms by which patient safety risks arise within hospital nursing, and suggest that nurses may not respond to staffing conditions in the same way, dependent upon personality. Further understanding of these relationships will enable staff to be supported in terms of work environment conditions on an individual basis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using queuing theory and simulation model to optimize hospital pharmacy performance.

PubMed

Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Mohammadnejhad, Seyed Mohsen; Ravangard, Ramin; Teymourzadeh, Ehsan

2014-03-01

Hospital pharmacy is responsible for controlling and monitoring the medication use process and ensures the timely access to safe, effective and economical use of drugs and medicines for patients and hospital staff. This study aimed to optimize the management of studied outpatient pharmacy by developing suitable queuing theory and simulation technique. A descriptive-analytical study conducted in a military hospital in Iran, Tehran in 2013. A sample of 220 patients referred to the outpatient pharmacy of the hospital in two shifts, morning and evening, was selected to collect the necessary data to determine the arrival rate, service rate, and other data needed to calculate the patients flow and queuing network performance variables. After the initial analysis of collected data using the software SPSS 18, the pharmacy queuing network performance indicators were calculated for both shifts. Then, based on collected data and to provide appropriate solutions, the queuing system of current situation for both shifts was modeled and simulated using the software ARENA 12 and 4 scenarios were explored. Results showed that the queue characteristics of the studied pharmacy during the situation analysis were very undesirable in both morning and evening shifts. The average numbers of patients in the pharmacy were 19.21 and 14.66 in the morning and evening, respectively. The average times spent in the system by clients were 39 minutes in the morning and 35 minutes in the evening. The system utilization in the morning and evening were, respectively, 25% and 21%. The simulation results showed that reducing the staff in the morning from 2 to 1 in the receiving prescriptions stage didn't change the queue performance indicators. Increasing one staff in filling prescription drugs could cause a decrease of 10 persons in the average queue length and 18 minutes and 14 seconds in the average waiting time. On the other hand, simulation results showed that in the evening, decreasing the staff from 2 to 1 in the delivery of prescription drugs, changed the queue performance indicators very little. Increasing a staff to fill prescription drugs could cause a decrease of 5 persons in the average queue length and 8 minutes and 44 seconds in the average waiting time. The patients' waiting times and the number of patients waiting to receive services in both shifts could be reduced by using multitasking persons and reallocating them to the time-consuming stage of filling prescriptions, using queuing theory and simulation techniques.

Using Queuing Theory and Simulation Model to Optimize Hospital Pharmacy Performance

PubMed Central

Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Mohammadnejhad, Seyed Mohsen; Ravangard, Ramin; Teymourzadeh, Ehsan

2014-01-01

Background: Hospital pharmacy is responsible for controlling and monitoring the medication use process and ensures the timely access to safe, effective and economical use of drugs and medicines for patients and hospital staff. Objectives: This study aimed to optimize the management of studied outpatient pharmacy by developing suitable queuing theory and simulation technique. Patients and Methods: A descriptive-analytical study conducted in a military hospital in Iran, Tehran in 2013. A sample of 220 patients referred to the outpatient pharmacy of the hospital in two shifts, morning and evening, was selected to collect the necessary data to determine the arrival rate, service rate, and other data needed to calculate the patients flow and queuing network performance variables. After the initial analysis of collected data using the software SPSS 18, the pharmacy queuing network performance indicators were calculated for both shifts. Then, based on collected data and to provide appropriate solutions, the queuing system of current situation for both shifts was modeled and simulated using the software ARENA 12 and 4 scenarios were explored. Results: Results showed that the queue characteristics of the studied pharmacy during the situation analysis were very undesirable in both morning and evening shifts. The average numbers of patients in the pharmacy were 19.21 and 14.66 in the morning and evening, respectively. The average times spent in the system by clients were 39 minutes in the morning and 35 minutes in the evening. The system utilization in the morning and evening were, respectively, 25% and 21%. The simulation results showed that reducing the staff in the morning from 2 to 1 in the receiving prescriptions stage didn't change the queue performance indicators. Increasing one staff in filling prescription drugs could cause a decrease of 10 persons in the average queue length and 18 minutes and 14 seconds in the average waiting time. On the other hand, simulation results showed that in the evening, decreasing the staff from 2 to 1 in the delivery of prescription drugs, changed the queue performance indicators very little. Increasing a staff to fill prescription drugs could cause a decrease of 5 persons in the average queue length and 8 minutes and 44 seconds in the average waiting time. Conclusions: The patients' waiting times and the number of patients waiting to receive services in both shifts could be reduced by using multitasking persons and reallocating them to the time-consuming stage of filling prescriptions, using queuing theory and simulation techniques. PMID:24829791

The RAMANITA © method for non-destructive and in situ semi-quantitative chemical analysis of mineral solid-solutions by multidimensional calibration of Raman wavenumber shifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, David C.

2005-08-01

The "RAMANITA ©" method, for semi-quantitative chemical analysis of mineral solid-solutions by multidimensional calibration of Raman wavenumber shifts and mathematical calculation by simultaneous equations, is published here in detail in English for the first time. It was conceived by the present writer 20 years ago for binary and ternary pyroxene and garnet systems. The mathematical description was set out in 1989, but in an abstract in an obscure French special publication. Detailed "step-by-step" calibration of two garnet ternaries, followed by their linking, by M. Pinet and D.C. Smith in the early 1990s provided a hexary garnet database. Much later, using this garnet database, which forms part of his personal database called RAMANITA ©, the present writer began to develop the method by improving the terminology, automating the calculations, discussing problems and experimenting with different real chemical problems in archaeometry. Although this RAMANITA © method has been very briefly mentioned in two recent books, the necessary full mathematical explanation is given only here. The method will find application in any study which requires obtaining a non-destructive semi-quantitative chemical analysis from mineral solid solutions that cannot be analysed by any destructive analytical method, in particular for archaeological, geological or extraterrestrial research projects, e.g. from gemstones or other crystalline artworks of the cultural heritage (especially by Mobile Raman Microscopy (MRM)) in situ in museums or at archaeological sites, including under water for subaquatic archaeometry; from scientifically precious mineral microinclusions (such as garnet or pyroxene within diamond); from minerals in rocks analysed in situ on planetary bodies by a rover (especially "at distance" by telescopy). Recently some other workers have begun deducing chemical compositions from Raman wavenumber shifts in multivariate chemical space, but the philosophical approach is quite different.

Shift and Day Work: A Comparison of Sickness Absence, Lateness, and other Absence Behaviour at an Oil Refinery from 1962 to 1965

PubMed Central

Taylor, P. J.

1967-01-01

Despite the increasing use of continuous process shift work in modern industry, few studies on the medical aspects of shift work can be found in recent literature of occupational health. Physiologists have shown that the ability of the body to adjust its circadian rhythms to alteration in hours of work or sleep can take up to a month. The usual type of shift work in industry involves weekly changes of hours, and thus on theoretical grounds at least this may not be the most suitable frequency for shift changes. Sickness absence of male refinery workers has been studied over a four-year period. The figures show that continuous three-cycle shift workers have consistently and significantly lower rates of sickness than day workers in similar occupations. The annual inception rate (spells) standardized for age was 108% for shift workers and 182% for day workers, and the average annual duration per man was 11 days for shift workers and 18 days for day workers, although the average length of spell was slightly longer among shift workers. As far as is known, such a difference has not been described before in detail. Age-related lateness and absenteeism have been measured and show similar wide differences between the two groups. Although both types of worker are largely self-selected, the difference is not due to medical selection or to an excess of any one type of disease in day workers. Over three-quarters of 150 shift workers interviewed stated that they preferred shift work hours and that sleeping difficulties were not common. It is suggested that the main reasons for the difference between shift and day workers' sickness absence lie in the degree of personal involvement in the work and in the social structure of the working group. PMID:6023084

Constructing a short form of the hierarchical personality inventory for children (HiPIC): the HiPIC-30.

PubMed

Vollrath, Margarete E; Hampson, Sarah E; Torgersen, Svenn

2016-05-01

Children's personality traits are invaluable predictors of concurrent and later mental and physical health. Several validated longer inventories for assessing the widely recognized Five-Factor Model of personality in children are available, but short forms are scarce. This study aimed at constructing a 30-item form of the 144-item Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children (HiPIC) (Mervielde & De Fruyt, ). Participants were 1543 children aged 6-12 years (sample 1) and 3895 children aged 8 years (sample 2). Sample 1 completed the full HiPIC, from which we constructed the HiPIC-30, and the Child Behaviour Checklist (Achenbach, ). Sample 2 completed the HiPIC-30. The HiPIC-30 personality domains correlated over r = .90 with the full HiPIC domains, had good Cronbach's alphas and correlated similarly with CBCL behaviour problems and gender as the full HiPIC. The factor structures of the HiPIC-30 were convergent across samples, but the imagination factor was not clear-cut. We conclude that the HiPIC-30 is a reliable and valid questionnaire for the Five-Factor personality traits in children. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Preferences of content of psychological reports for community placement programs.

PubMed

VandeCreek, L; Smith, B E

1983-01-01

With the shift toward community-based care for mentally retarded persons has come a change in programming goals aimed more at habilitation. The information from psychological reports is frequently used as one type of information for decision making about clients although such reports have frequently been criticized for not providing relevant data. Staff members of community programs in Pennsylvania were surveyed to elicit their preferences for various types of report data. Of the categories of information included in this survey, personality dynamics information and descriptions of general emotional and personality factors were rated as less useful than was information regarding academic achievement, vocational achievement, adaptive skills, and client-examiner interaction. Implications of these findings for psychologists who assess mentally retarded clients are discussed.

Sliding doors: Did drama-based inter-professional education improve the tensions round person-centred nursing and social care delivery for people with dementia: A mixed method exploratory study.

PubMed

Dingwall, Lindsay; Fenton, Jane; Kelly, Timothy B; Lee, John

2017-04-01

This educational intervention takes place when the population of older people with dementia is increasing. Health and Social care professionals must work jointly in increasingly complex contexts. Negative attitudes towards older people are cited as a contributor to poor care delivery, including the use of dismissive and/or patronising language, failing to meet fundamental needs and afford choice. 'Sliding Doors to Personal Futures' is a joint, drama-based, educational initiative between NHS Education Scotland and the Scottish Social Services Council, delivered using interprofessional education (IPE) towards encouraging person-centred health and social care. This paper considers whether 'Sliding Doors' had an impact on social work and nursing students' attitudes to older people, person-centred care and interprofessional collaboration. Two groups of third year students were studied; one from nursing and one from social work. A mixed methods approach was taken and attitudes and attitudinal shifts measured and discussed. Quantitative results demonstrated that social work students made positive attitudinal shifts in some questionnaire items and collectively the social work students were more person-centred than nursing students in their care approaches. The qualitative data however, drawn from focus groups, illuminated these results and highlighted the link between the ability for a professional to be person-centred and the conceptual view of risk within the particular profession. Risk acceptance, the theoretical position of social work, may facilitate person-centred care, whereas the perceived risk-averse nature of the nursing profession may inhibit it. Students' attempts to understand the quantitative results, without understanding the restrictions and parameters of each other's profession, led them to revert to stereotypes and negative views of each other as practitioners. The paper concludes that there is an important difference between nurses' and social workers' frames of reference. It is suggested that IPE in its current form will not impact positively on outcomes for older people, unless both professions can openly acknowledge the reality of their professional contexts and develop an understanding of each other's professional restrictions, opportunities and aspirations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Particle swarm optimization using multi-information characteristics of all personal-best information.

PubMed

Huang, Song; Tian, Na; Wang, Yan; Ji, Zhicheng

2016-01-01

Convergence stagnation is the chief difficulty to solve hard optimization problems for most particle swarm optimization variants. To address this issue, a novel particle swarm optimization using multi-information characteristics of all personal-best information is developed in our research. In the modified algorithm, two positions are defined by personal-best positions and an improved cognition term with three positions of all personal-best information is used in velocity update equation to enhance the search capability. This strategy could make particles fly to a better direction by discovering useful information from all the personal-best positions. The validity of the proposed algorithm is assessed on twenty benchmark problems including unimodal, multimodal, rotated and shifted functions, and the results are compared with that obtained by some published variants of particle swarm optimization in the literature. Computational results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm finds several global optimum and high-quality solutions in most case with a fast convergence speed.

Can sleep quality and burnout affect the job performance of shift-work nurses? A hospital cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Giorgi, Fabio; Mattei, Antonella; Notarnicola, Ippolito; Petrucci, Cristina; Lancia, Loreto

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to investigate any possible relationship between sleep disorders, burnout and job performance in a shift-work population of nurses. Sleep disorders and burnout can affect the job performance of nurses in terms of efficiency, productivity, task execution speed and supervision, which can be compromised when work shifts are organized on a 24-hour schedule and when the shift itself is irregular. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from August 2014 - January 2015 on a sample of 315 shift-work nurses across 39 wards in seven central Italian hospitals. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to detect the presence of sleep disorders, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used to detect the presence of any possible type of burnout and the Job Performance Scale was used to measure job performance. Data analysis was mainly based on a multivariate logistic regression to identify variables significantly associated with investigated outcomes. On shift-work nurses' sleep quality and burnout correlated positively. The female gender and personal burnout were significantly associated with impaired sleep quality, while working in the psychiatric setting, working a long cycle shift pattern and experiencing daytime dysfunction were significantly associated with burnout. A significant negative association between patient-related burnout and job performance was observed. Specific characteristics of shift-work nurses can directly affect sleep quality and burnout and indirectly job performance. This evidence offers healthcare administrators opportunities to intervene with measures to promote nurse's health, well-being and safety. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Shift climate profiles and correlates in acute psychiatric inpatient units.

PubMed

Lewin, Terry J; Carr, Vaughan J; Conrad, Agatha M; Sly, Ketrina A; Tirupati, Srinivasan; Cohen, Martin; Ward, Philip B; Coombs, Tim

2012-09-01

Inpatient psychiatric units are dynamic in nature, potentially creating a different treatment experience for each person, which may be difficult to quantify. Among the goals of this multi-centre service evaluation project was an assessment of shift-to-shift changes in unit-level events and their impact on the social-emotional environment. Over 1 year, various nurse-completed logs were used within the 11 participating Australian psychiatric units (n = 5,546 admissions) to record patient- and unit-level events per shift, including ratings of the overall social-emotional climate using a novel shift climate ratings (SCR) scale (n = 8,176 shifts). These were combined with admission-level patient characteristics to investigate shift climate profiles and correlates. Occupancy rates averaged 88% and two-thirds of admissions were involuntary. The psychometric performance of the SCR scale was considered to be satisfactory (e.g., high internal consistency, unidimensional factor structure, and evidence of discriminant and predictive validity). A series of hierarchical regressions revealed considerable variation in SCR total scores, with poorer climates being significantly associated with: day/afternoon shifts; higher occupancy levels; higher proportions of experienced staff, and male, older, or involuntary patients; higher rates of less serious aggressive incidents; reporting of additional staffing demands; and unit location in a stand-alone psychiatric hospital. The day-to-day social-emotional climate can have important consequences for patient engagement and recovery. Improved understanding of the role played by unit, staff and patient characteristics, together with routine monitoring, should facilitate the development and evaluation of targeted interventions to reduce adverse incidents and improve the overall social-emotional climate.

Personality disorder and violence: understand violence risk: an introduction to the special section personality disorder and violence.

PubMed

Cooke, David J

2010-10-01

This paper introduces the Special Section on personality disorder and violence. The first paper evaluates the impact of removing the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) as a mandatory element of a major approach to the assessment of violence risk-the HCR-20. The second paper considers violence to self as well as violence to others; it examines the influence of dysfunctional personality traits in a sample of female offenders. The third paper provides a systematic framework for risk formulation, discussing how to bridge the gap between nomothetic research and the individual case. This paper concludes by arguing that there is a need to shift perspective from asking "what?" dysfunctional traits are relevant to future violence to "why?" are particular traits relevant. The "why?" question is particularly germane in the forensic arena where expert testimony must endeavor to provide a causal explanation of risk processes at the level of the individual.

Memory for incidentally perceived social cues: Effects on person judgment.

PubMed

Pawling, Ralph; Kirkham, Alexander J; Tipper, Steven P; Over, Harriet

2017-02-01

Dynamic face cues can be very salient, as when observing sudden shifts of gaze to a new location, or a change of expression from happy to angry. These highly salient social cues influence judgments of another person during the course of an interaction. However, other dynamic cues, such as pupil dilation, are much more subtle, affecting judgments of another person even without awareness. We asked whether such subtle, incidentally perceived, dynamic cues could be encoded in to memory and retrieved at a later time. The current study demonstrates that in some circumstances changes in pupil size in another person are indeed encoded into memory and influence judgments of that individual at a later time. Furthermore, these judgments interact with the perceived trustworthiness of the individual and the nature of the social context. The effect is somewhat variable, however, possibly reflecting individual differences and the inherent ambiguity of pupil dilation/constriction. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Association of Rotating Night Shift Work with BMI and Abdominal Obesity among Nurses and Midwives.

PubMed

Peplonska, Beata; Bukowska, Agnieszka; Sobala, Wojciech

2015-01-01

Mounting epidemiological evidence suggests that night shift work may contribute to the etiology of increased body weight. The present study aimed to examine association between rotating night shift work and body mass index (BMI), and abdominal adiposity respectively among nurses and midwives. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 724 female nurses and midwives, aged 40-60 years (354 rotating night shift and 370 daytime workers) in Łódź, Poland, between 2008 and 2011. Information about occupational history and potential confounders was collected during personal interviews. Anthropometric measurements of body weight, height, waist (WC) and hip (HC) circumference were made, and body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. GLM regression models and multinomial logit regression models were fitted to explore the association between night shift work and anthropometric parameters, with adjustment for age, body silhouette at age 20, current smoking status, packyears, marital status, and menopausal hormone therapy use. Cumulative night shift work showed significant associations with BMI, WC, HC and WHtR, with BMI increasing by 0.477 kg/m2 per 1000 night duties and by 0.432 kg/m2 per 10000 night shift hours, WC increasing respectively by 1.089 cm and 0.99 cm, and HC by 0.72 cm and WHtR by 0.007 cm for both metrics. Both current and cumulative night work was associated with obesity (BMI≥30kg/m2), with OR=3.9 (95%CI:1.5-9.9), in women reporting eight or more night shifts per month. The results of the study support the previously reported relations between night shift work and development of obesity.

Association of Rotating Night Shift Work with BMI and Abdominal Obesity among Nurses and Midwives

PubMed Central

Peplonska, Beata; Bukowska, Agnieszka; Sobala, Wojciech

2015-01-01

Background Mounting epidemiological evidence suggests that night shift work may contribute to the etiology of increased body weight. The present study aimed to examine association between rotating night shift work and body mass index (BMI), and abdominal adiposity respectively among nurses and midwives. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 724 female nurses and midwives, aged 40-60 years (354 rotating night shift and 370 daytime workers) in Łódź, Poland, between 2008 and 2011. Information about occupational history and potential confounders was collected during personal interviews. Anthropometric measurements of body weight, height, waist (WC) and hip (HC) circumference were made, and body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. GLM regression models and multinomial logit regression models were fitted to explore the association between night shift work and anthropometric parameters, with adjustment for age, body silhouette at age 20, current smoking status, packyears, marital status, and menopausal hormone therapy use. Results Cumulative night shift work showed significant associations with BMI, WC, HC and WHtR, with BMI increasing by 0.477 kg/m2 per 1000 night duties and by 0.432 kg/m2 per 10000 night shift hours, WC increasing respectively by 1.089 cm and 0.99 cm, and HC by 0.72 cm and WHtR by 0.007 cm for both metrics. Both current and cumulative night work was associated with obesity (BMI≥30kg/m2), with OR=3.9 (95%CI:1.5-9.9), in women reporting eight or more night shifts per month. Conclusion The results of the study support the previously reported relations between night shift work and development of obesity. PMID:26196859

A 15-year prospective study of shift work and disability pension

PubMed Central

Tüchsen, F; Christensen, K B; Lund, T; Feveile, H

2008-01-01

Objective: To estimate the hazard ratio for disability pension associated with shift work. Methods: Cohorts of shift and day workers were identified in three waves of the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study and followed up for incidence of disability pension in a national register of social transfer payment. A total of 3980 female and 4025 male employees were included in the cohorts. Information about shift work status, age, smoking habits, body mass index and ergonomic work environment were updated according to responses in subsequent waves of the survey when possible. Respondents reporting shift work were classified as shift workers in the following waves as well. Respondents were followed in the register from the time of first interview and were censored at the time of their 60th birthday, emigration, death or end of follow-up (18 June 2006). The authors used the Cox proportional hazards model to estimate hazard ratios for incidence of disability pension and 95% confidence intervals. Results: The authors observed 253 new disability pensions among women and 173 among men during 56 903 and 57 886 person-years at risk respectively, Among women, shift work predicted disability after adjustment for age, general health and socioeconomic status HR 1.39 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.82). After further adjustment for body mass index, smoking habits, socioeconomic status and ergonomic exposures the association remained statistically significant HR 1.34 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.75). Shift work was not associated with disability among men. Conclusion: Shift work might be moderately associated with disability pension among women; however, more powerful studies are needed to establish the possible association. PMID:18198201

Group-Oriented Services: A Shift towards Consumer-Managed Relationships in the Telecom Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vrdoljak, Luka; Bojic, Iva; Podobnik, Vedran; Jezic, Gordan; Kusek, Mario

Today, telecom operators face a threefold challenge: a social challenge dealing with the evolution of the consumer lifestyle, a technological challenge dealing with ever changing ICT trends and a business challenge dealing with the need for innovative business models. This paper introduces an idea of group-oriented services, a special type of personalized telecom services, as a possible solution for all three of these challenges. A proof-of-concept service, called Agent-Based Mobile Content Brokerage, is presented and elaborated with the aim to demonstrate a shift towards consumer-managed relationships, a novel provisioning paradigm within the telecom industry.

A Psychometric Review of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5): Current Status and Future Directions.

PubMed

Al-Dajani, Nadia; Gralnick, Tara M; Bagby, R Michael

2016-01-01

The paradigm of personality psychopathology is shifting from one that is purely categorical in nature to one grounded in dimensional individual differences. Section III (Emerging Measures and Models) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed. [DSM-5]; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), for example, includes a hybrid categorical/dimensional model of personality disorder classification. To inform the hybrid model, the DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group developed a self-report instrument to assess pathological personality traits-the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 (PID-5). Since its recent introduction, 30 papers (39 samples) have been published examining various aspects of its psychometric properties. In this article, we review the psychometric characteristics of the PID-5 using the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing as our framework. The PID-5 demonstrates adequate psychometric properties, including a replicable factor structure, convergence with existing personality instruments, and expected associations with broadly conceptualized clinical constructs. More research is needed with specific consideration to clinical utility, additional forms of reliability and validity, relations with psychopathological personality traits using clinical samples, alternative methods of criterion validation, effective employment of cut scores, and the inclusion of validity scales to propel this movement forward.

Biomonitoring of N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone in automobile varnishers.

PubMed

Koslitz, Stephan; Meier, Swetlana; Schindler, Birgit Karin; Weiss, Tobias; Koch, Holger Martin; Brüning, Thomas; Käfferlein, Heiko Udo

2014-12-01

N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidones are important organic solvents for varnishes in industry. This study investigates exposure to N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP) in varnishing of hard plastic components in an automobile plant. Two specific biomarkers of exposure, 5-hydroxy-N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (5-HNEP) and 2-hydroxy-N-ethylsuccinimide (2-HESI), were analyzed in urine samples of 14 workers. For this purpose, pre-shift, post-shift and next day pre-shift urine samples were collected midweek. Twelve workers performed regular work tasks (loading, wiping and packing), whereas two workers performed special work tasks including cleaning the sprayer system with organic solvents containing N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidones. Spot urine samples of nine non-exposed persons of the same plant served as controls. Median post-shift urinary levels of workers with regular work tasks (5-HNEP: 0.15 mg/L; 2-HESI: 0.19 mg/L) were ∼5-fold higher compared to the controls (0.03 mg/L each). Continuously increasing metabolite levels, from pre-shift via post-shift to pre-shift samples of the following day, were observed in particular for the two workers with the special working tasks. Maximum levels were 31.01 mg/L (5-HNEP) and 8.45 mg/L (2-HESI). No clear trend was evident for workers with regular working tasks. In summary, we were able to show that workers can be exposed to NEP during varnishing tasks in the automobile industry. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Personalized Regenerative Medicine.

PubMed

Arjmand, Babak; Goodarzi, Parisa; Mohamadi-Jahani, Fereshteh; Falahzadeh, Khadijeh; Larijani, Bagher

2017-03-01

Personalized medicine as a novel field of medicine refers to the prescription of specific therapeutics procedure for an individual. This approach has established based on pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic information and data. The terms precision and personalized medicines are sometimes applied interchangeably. However, there has been a shift from "personalized medicine" towards "precision medicine". Although personalized medicine emerged from pharmacogenetics, nowadays it covers many fields of healthcare. Accordingly, regenerative medicine and cellular therapy as the new fields of medicine use cell-based products in order to develop personalized treatments. Different sources of stem cells including mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been considered in targeted therapies which could give many advantages. iPSCs as the novel and individual pluripotent stem cells have been introduced as the appropriate candidates for personalized cell therapies. Cellular therapies can provide a personalized approach. Because of person-to-person and population differences in the result of stem cell therapy, individualized cellular therapy must be adjusted according to the patient specific profile, in order to achieve best therapeutic results and outcomes. Several factors should be considered to achieve personalized stem cells therapy such as, recipient factors, donor factors, and the overall body environment in which the stem cells could be active and functional. In addition to these factors, the source of stem cells must be carefully chosen based on functional and physical criteria that lead to optimal outcomes.

Intelligence, creativity, and cognitive control: The common and differential involvement of executive functions in intelligence and creativity

PubMed Central

Benedek, Mathias; Jauk, Emanuel; Sommer, Markus; Arendasy, Martin; Neubauer, Aljoscha C.

2014-01-01

Intelligence and creativity are known to be correlated constructs suggesting that they share a common cognitive basis. The present study assessed three specific executive abilities – updating, shifting, and inhibition – and examined their common and differential relations to fluid intelligence and creativity (i.e., divergent thinking ability) within a latent variable model approach. Additionally, it was tested whether the correlation of fluid intelligence and creativity can be explained by a common executive involvement. As expected, fluid intelligence was strongly predicted by updating, but not by shifting or inhibition. Creativity was predicted by updating and inhibition, but not by shifting. Moreover, updating (and the personality factor openness) was found to explain a relevant part of the shared variance between intelligence and creativity. The findings provide direct support for the executive involvement in creative thought and shed further light on the functional relationship between intelligence and creativity. PMID:25278640

Respiratory effects among rubberwood furniture factory workers in Thailand.

PubMed

Sriproed, Salakjit; Osiri, Pramuk; Sujirarat, Dusit; Chantanakul, Suttinun; Harncharoen, Kitiphong; Ong-artborirak, Parichat; Woskie, Susan R

2013-01-01

Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function were examined among 89 rubberwood furniture factory workers. Acute and chronic irritant symptoms were assessed, lung function was measured both pre- and post-shift and personal inhalable dust exposure determined. The only symptoms with a significant increase among high dust level-exposed workers (>1 mg/m(3)) were those related to nasal irritation. High dust level-exposed workers had a significant cross-shift decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV(1)/FVC) compared with low dust level-exposed workers and increases in inhalable dust concentration levels (mg/m(3)) were significantly associated with decreases in the peak expiratory flow (PEF) across the work shift. For percent predicted pulmonary function levels, a significant decrement in PEF was found for high versus low rubberwood dust level-exposed workers, after controlling for confounders. These findings suggest the need for an occupational standard for rubberwood dust in Thailand.

The project shift: a form of participative management and staffing.

PubMed

Puckett, F

1991-11-01

North Colorado Medical Center is a 326 bed primary and tertiary care medical center serving northeastern Colorado and southwestern Nebraska. The pharmacy department provides 24-hour-a-day clinical and distributive services to both inpatients and outpatients with a staff of 1 clinical pharmacy coordinator, 10 pharmacists (excluding pharmacy manager), and 11 technicians. Rather than rely on one assistant manager, the pharmacy manager involves all interested staff pharmacists in various administrative, clinical, and distributive projects. These project (P) shifts are scheduled 8-hour shifts with minimal or no drug distribution duties. This staffing system and form of participative management has been used since 1983 and has been successful in achieving three objectives: it provides assistance to the manager in achieving certain departmental objectives; it provides job variety and professional growth/satisfaction for staff pharmacists; and it provides flexible and readily available source of pharmacists to meet personal leave days (vacation, illness, time off) needs.

RATIONal Food: A Media-Rich Cross-Curricular Topic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Lorna; Bird, Sue

2007-01-01

Recent curriculum changes in Scotland and England have provided teachers and children with an exciting opportunity. The focus is shifting from a content-led curriculum to one that has a greater emphasis on skills and personal capability. In Scotland this is particularly evident with the emphasis on the development of children as successful…

The Five Shifts: Ensuring an Environment for Healing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longhurst, James E.; Brown, Juanita Capri

2013-01-01

James E. Longhurst and Juanita Capri Brown introduce us to the Five habits of mind practiced in the Glasswing Healing Racism, program, which is designed to foster personal transformation, interpersonal understanding, and racial equity. Longhurst and Brown note that the topic of racism is not typically brought up in mixed company. It can elicit a…

At Issue: Online Education and the New Community College Student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castillo, Marco

2013-01-01

Community colleges are facing a demographic shift in their student bodies with significant consequences for how they can utilize instructional innovations such as online education. On the one hand, community colleges are educating an increasing number of adult learners, with a set of psychological, academic, and personal characteristics that make…

A Co-Creation Shift in Learning Management: Work Design for Institutional Commitment and Personal Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wardley, Leslie J.; Bélanger, Charles H.; Nadeau, John

2017-01-01

Some higher education management departments have started to implement customer service orientation strategies in their marketing activities in order to solidify value exchange perceptions, differentiate themselves, and improve retention rates. However, if students are to get the most out of their academic experiences, they need to become…

Using Holland's Theory To Analyze Labor Market Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Corey

Some career theorists and other professionals have warned about dramatic shifts in the economy and implications for changes needed in career services and theory. This paper proposes that Hollands person-environment model (1997) is a valuable frame of reference for career counselors and instructors to use with clients and students in interpreting…

Metaphor Clusters: Characterizing Instructor Metaphorical Reasoning on Limit Concepts in College Calculus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patel, Rita Manubhai; McCombs, Paul; Zollman, Alan

2014-01-01

Novice students have difficulty with the topic of limits in calculus. We believe this is in part because of the multiple perspectives and shifting metaphors available to solve items correctly. We investigated college calculus instructors' personal concepts of limits. Based upon previous research investigating introductory calculus student…

Shifting Gears: The Mentee in the Driver's Seat

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischler, Lory A.; Zachary, Lois J.

2009-01-01

Good mentoring depends on effective learning. Effective learning depends on the readiness, willingness, and openness of mentoring partners. The concept of mentoring as a partnership does not come easy to many who experience mentoring through the lens of the traditional paradigm that focused on an older, more experienced person passing on knowledge…

On Keeping Public Visual Fieldnotes as Reflexive Ethnographic Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkholder, Casey

2016-01-01

These "Notes from the Field" describe one doctoral student's public visual fieldnotes practice during her data collection for her dissertation. In the creation of a public digital space for participants and the public to engage with the fieldnotes through online comments and in-person conversations, this shifts the practice of keeping…

Deterioration in Teachers' Performance: Causes and Some Remedies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yariv, Eliezer

2011-01-01

Why do teachers become poor performers? In semi-structured interviews, forty elementary school principals in Israel described the personal story of one poor-performing staff member. Half of the problematic teachers were veteran teachers who faced a marked internal and external shift in mid-career. The seeds of their problems were probably planted…

Mighty Metaphors: Behavioral and ERP Evidence that Power Shifts Attention on a Vertical Dimension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zanolie, Kiki; van Dantzig, Saskia; Boot, Inge; Wijnen, Jasper; Schubert, Thomas W.; Giessner, Steffen R.; Pecher, Diane

2012-01-01

Thinking about the abstract concept power may automatically activate the spatial up-down image schema ("powerful up"; "powerless down") and consequently direct spatial attention to the image schema-congruent location. Participants indicated whether a word represented a powerful or powerless person (e.g. "king" or "servant"). Following each…

Small Business in America: The Year 2000 and Beyond.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Institute for Enterprise Advancement, Washington, DC.

Small businesses are meeting the challenges of a changing economy and leading the way in production and job creation. Small businesses especially will continue to benefit from demographic and societal shifts, in particular the emergence of the two-career family that fuels the service industry. Women and minority persons are the newest…

Teaching Tu Fu on the Night Shift.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brady, Philip

1995-01-01

Describes a teacher's unsuccessful attempt to introduce the poetry of Tu Fu, a wayward bureaucrat of the T'ang dynasty, to a class of part-time students. Uses his students' resistance to this poetry as an occasion to discuss the importance of personal responses to poetry, as opposed to "correct" academic responses. (TB)

Delivering Human Services to the Rural Elderly: Implications From Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerckhoff, Richard K.; Coward, Raymond T.

Consistent with the national population growth pattern for nonmetropolitan areas, demographers have identified a significant shift in the residence of persons 65 years or older. In conjunction with an increased awareness of the discrepancy between the availability of human services for the elderly in urban and rural communities, establishment of a…

Dynamic Sustainability: Practitioners' Perspectives on Housing First Implementation Challenges and Model Fidelity Over Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stergiopoulos, Vicky; Zerger, Suzanne; Jeyaratnam, Jeyagobi; Connelly, Jolynn; Kruk, Katherine; O'Campo, Patricia; Hwang, Stephen

2016-01-01

Objectives: Although Housing First (HF) is a popular evidence-based intervention for persons experiencing homelessness and mental illness, research exploring its sustainability over time is scant. This mixed methods study captures practitioners' perspectives on key shifts in implementation of Housing First in a large urban center, and factors…

Internal versus External Control of Reinforcement: A Review of the Locus of Control Construct

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kormanik, Martin B.; Rocco, Tonette S.

2009-01-01

One aspect of personality, perceptions of internal versus external control of reinforcement, shifts under conditions of change. This review of the literature examines the relationship between planned organizational change and locus of control. The review includes literature from the disciplines of clinical and social psychology, adult development,…

A Model Curriculum for Training Biotechnicians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Ron

Biotechnology is the name given to a group of technologies that use organisms to make or modify various products or to provide services. Emphasis by companies in the biotechnology field has been on research; therefore, they have preferred to employ four-year college graduates or graduate-degreed persons. Now, however, emphasis is shifting from…

29 CFR 1926.1413 - Wire rope-inspection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Wire rope-inspection. 1926.1413 Section 1926.1413 Labor... Wire rope—inspection. (a) Shift inspection. (1) A competent person must begin a visual inspection prior... inspection must consist of observation of wire ropes (running and standing) that are likely to be in use...

Suicide in Detroit 1975: Changes and Continuities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stack, Steven

1982-01-01

Analyzed data on 193 cases of suicide in Detroit to assess changes and continuities in the etiology of suicide. Results showed the highest rate of suicide has shifted from the elderly to the relatively young age cohorts. Males, persons in manual occupations, Whites, and immigrants continued to have relatively high rates of suicide. (JAC)

Stress Management: A Handbook for Air Force Managers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

or physiological/psychological needs which become internal demands. 3-4 Stage 2. Imbalance is the person’s perception of both the demand and his...worker a sense of having more control over his worklife . It isn’t always possible to accomodate everyone’s shift desires and still meet production

Plate Tectonics in the Classification of Personality Disorder: Shifting to a Dimensional Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Widiger, Thomas A.; Trull, Timothy J.

2007-01-01

The diagnostic categories of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders were developed in the spirit of a traditional medical model that considers mental disorders to be qualitatively distinct conditions (see, e.g., American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Work is now beginning on the fifth edition…

College-Adult Reading--Past, Present and Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spache, George D.

College-adult reading research trends are discussed. The reading process; the influence of vision, perception, and personality; and program outcomes are noted as major trends of past studies, and a list of mistaken assumptions in these earlier studies is given. Present research shifts to the study of the role of both teacher and student…

Changes in Time-Related Academic Behaviour Are Associated with Contextual Motivational Shifts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strunk, Kamden K.; Lane, Forrest C.; Mwavita, Mwarumba

2018-01-01

Research in the field of time-related academic behaviour (i.e., procrastination and timely engagement) has traditionally been focused on more stable factors, such as personality. Recent research suggests there may be a motivational component to these behaviours. The present study examines whether time-related academic behaviour is stable across…

Reflective Blogfolios in the Language Classroom: Impact on EFL Tertiary Students' Argumentative Writing Skills and Ways of Knowing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ammar, Abdullah Mahmoud Ismial

2016-01-01

The emerging paradigm shift in educational contexts from walled classroom environments to virtual, hybrid, blended, and lately personal learning environments has brought about vast changes in the foreign language classroom practices. Numerous calls for experimenting with new instructional treatments to enhance students' language performance in…

Impact of Student Leadership Engagement on Early Adolescents' Self-Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollar, Christine Lynn

2014-01-01

This study represents a paradigm shift in an attempt to examine early adolescent self-concept while in a student leadership role. Positive Youth Development intertwined with Personal Construct Theory and Social Learning Theory framed the study. Students from a rural Wisconsin high school participated in a two-day leadership retreat. The…

The Impact of Subjective Age and Stigma on Older Persons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Russell A.

1977-01-01

This study investigated the impact of shifts in age identification by older people (N=323) from "middle-aged" to "elderly" within the context of the labeling theory of deviance. Age identification was unrelated to attitudes toward old people and the label "elderly" did not affect self-esteem through any "gate-keeping" process. (Author)

Why Historical Fiction Writing? Helping Students Think Rigorously and Creatively

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Ryan

2013-01-01

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) lays out "a vision of what it means to be a literate person in the twenty-first century." Among educators, conversations about reading and writing have shifted to reflect the CCSS emphasis on informational, technical, opinion, and other non-narrative forms. Yet, these standards also demand that…

14 CFR § 1214.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Provisions Regarding Space Shuttle Flights of Payloads for Non-U.S. Government, Reimbursable Customers § 1214.102 Definitions. (a) Customer. Any non-U.S. government person or entity who, by virtue of a contract... services listed in § 1214.115 for 1 day of single-shift, on-orbit mission operations. (d) Jettison. To...

FCS Leadership in Financial Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delgadillo, Lucy

2014-01-01

This paper presents an idea that will encourage American families and individuals to take charge of their own finances in a holistic manner. A change is proposed in the paradigm that the profession of family and consumer sciences (FCS) has been using to teach family and personal finances in our academic institutions, and a shift is suggested in…

Using Personalized Education to Take the Place of Standardized Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Pengyu

2014-01-01

Economic model has been greatly shifted from labor demanding to innovation demanding, which requires education system has to produce creative people. This paper illustrates how traditional education model accrued and developed based on satisfying the old economic model for labor demanding but did not meet the new social requirement for innovation…

Day Service Provision for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Case Study Mapping 15-Year Trends in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleming, Padraic; McGilloway, Sinead; Barry, Sarah

2017-01-01

Background: Day services for people with intellectual disabilities are experiencing a global paradigm shift towards innovative person-centred models of care. This study maps changing trends in day service utilization to highlight how policy, emergent patterns and demographic trends influence service delivery. Methods: National intellectual…

Evaluating Values-Centred Pedagogies in Education for Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Paul; Douglas-Dunbar, Andrew; Murray, Sheran

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report an attempt to quantitatively evaluate pedagogies designed to help learners clarify their personal values systems in a sustainability context. Design/methodology/approach A pre-test/post-test survey was used to assess shifts in values orientations among 113 undergraduates from the same discipline,…

Cultural Differences in the Development of Cognitive Shifting: East-West Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moriguchi, Yusuke; Evans, Angela D.; Hiraki, Kazuo; Itakura, Shoji; Lee, Kang

2012-01-01

Prior research has documented that Japanese children's performance on the Dimensional Change Card Sorting (DCCS) task can be influenced by their observation of another person completing the task, which is referred to as social transmission of disinhibition. The current study explored whether Canadian children would also show a social transmission…

Kairos, Resilience, and Serendipity: An Interview with Elizabeth Flynn

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourelle, Tiffany

2017-01-01

This interview with Elizabeth Flynn began over lunch at the 2014 Conference on College Composition and Communication. Bourelle and Flynn originally met to talk about a collaborative research project, but the conversation shifted to their personal lives. Bourelle and Flynn talked about how their lives and their research were intertwined, and…

Portraits of the Postmodern Person in "Taxi Driver,""Raging Bull," and "The King of Comedy."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mortimer, Barbara

1997-01-01

Argues that a postmodern theory of identity (i.e., the subject as coherent, integrated, discoverable self is a fiction of modernity) links Martin Scorsese's major films. Examines "Taxi Driver,""Raging Bull," and "King of Comedy." Concludes that these films articulate a major cultural shift and chronicle a…

Why the Shift? Taking a Closer Look at the Growing Interest in Niche Markets and Personalized Medicine.

PubMed

Gibson, Shannon; Raziee, Hamid R; Lemmens, Trudo

2015-03-01

Pharmaceutical research and development is increasingly focused on niche markets, most notably treatments for rare diseases and "personalized" medicine. Drawing on the results of a qualitative study of 34 key Canadian stakeholders (including drug regulators, funders, scientists, policy experts, pharmaceutical industry representatives, and patient advocates), we explore the major trends that are reportedly contributing to the growing interest of the pharmaceutical industry in niche markets. Informed by both these key informant interviews and a review of the relevant literature, our paper provides a critical analysis of the many different-and sometimes conflicting-views on the reasons for and extent of the shift toward niche markets. We consider some of the potential advantages to industry, as well the important implications and risks that arise from the increasing pursuit of niche markets and pharmacogenomics. While there are many potential benefits associated with targeted therapies and drug development for historically neglected rare diseases, niche market therapies also present evidentiary challenges (e.g., smaller clinical trials and enrichment strategies) that can make approval decisions difficult, and uncertainties remain around the true benefits of many therapies.

The Notion of Truth and Our Evolving Understanding of Sexual Harassment.

PubMed

Recupero, Patricia R

2018-03-01

The notion of truth and its determination in legal proceedings is contingent on the cultural setting in which a claim is argued or disputed. Recent years have demonstrated a dramatic shift in the public dialogue concerning sexual harassment. This shift reflects changing cultural mores and standards in the workplace and society as a whole, particularly with respect to the validity of women's voices. The subjective reality experienced by victims of sexual harassment is inherently tied to the legal system's treatment of women throughout history. In determinations of truth, our understanding of which information and perspectives are relevant, and our expectations regarding the credibility of complainants and the accused, are undergoing a period of rapid change. The discourse surrounding the #MeToo movement suggests that the "reasonable-person" standard so often applied by courts is poorly suited to sexual-harassment litigation. As our understanding of what constitutes "severe," "pervasive," and "unwelcome" conduct continues to evolve, forensic psychiatrists must strive to uphold the values of respect for persons in the search for the truth. © 2018 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Adaptive data rate SSMA system for personal and mobile satellite communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ikegami, Tetsushi; Takahashi, Takashi; Arakaki, Yoshiya; Wakana, Hiromitsu

1995-01-01

An adaptive data rate SSMA (spread spectrum multiple access) system is proposed for mobile and personal multimedia satellite communications without the aid of system control earth stations. This system has a constant occupied bandwidth and has variable data rates and processing gains to mitigate communication link impairments such as fading, rain attenuation and interference as well as to handle variable data rate on demand. Proof of concept hardware for 6MHz bandwidth transponder is developed, that uses offset-QPSK (quadrature phase shift keying) and MSK (minimum shift keying) for direct sequence spread spectrum modulation and handle data rates of 4k to 64kbps. The RS422 data interface, low rate voice and H.261 video codecs are installed. The receiver is designed with coherent matched filter technique to achieve fast code acquisition, AFC (automatic frequency control) and coherent detection with minimum hardware losses in a single matched filter circuit. This receiver structure facilitates variable data rate on demand during a call. This paper shows the outline of the proposed system and the performance of the prototype equipment.

Peer-to-peer and mass communication effect on opinion shifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kindler, A.; Solomon, S.; Stauffer, D.

2013-02-01

Opinion dynamics is studied through a minimal Ising model with three main influences (fields): personal conservatism (power-law distributed), inter-personal and group pressure, and a global field incorporating peer-to-peer and mass communications, which is generated bottom-up from the faction supporting the new opinion. A rich phase diagram appears separating possible terminal stages of the opinion diffusion, characterizing failure phases by the features of the individuals who had changed their opinion. An exhaustive solution of the model is produced, allowing predictions to be made on the opinion’s assimilation in the society.

Stress and the medical technologist: I. A general overview.

PubMed

Matteson, M T; Ivancevich, J M

1982-03-01

Up to 682 medical technologists were surveyed twice at a six month interval regarding a number of factors dealing with job-related stress, nonjob-related stress, personality factors and general health conditions and behaviors. This report summarizes the first data collection period. Overall work stress was found to be associated with a number of specific job and organizational stress sources. Additionally, those high in work stress differed from those low in work stress on a number of personality and health characteristics. Some additional differences were found in comparisons of supervisory and non-supervisory employees, and among those working different shifts.

Perspectives on the Meaning of "Disability".

PubMed

Francis, Leslie; Silvers, Anita

2016-10-01

The meaning of "disability" has shifted with changes in public policy. Half a century ago, Congress was convinced that narrow determinations of disability are easy for physicians to make. But with the advent of universal civil rights protection against disability discrimination in the US, deciding whether particular individuals are disabled became increasingly contentious, until Congress intervened. What should now be addressed in each case is not whether the functionally compromised person is severely disabled enough to exercise a right, but whether mitigating interventions and reasonable accommodations can together achieve equitable access for that person. © 2016 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

The Great Whoosh: Connecting an Online Personal Health Narrative and Communication Privacy Management.

PubMed

Smith, Stephanie A; Brunner, Steven R

2016-01-01

This research study examined Bud Goodall's online health narrative as a case study through the use of a thematic analysis to investigate the presence of communication privacy management (CPM) theory. Emergent themes of humor as a privacy management strategy, legitimization of co-owners, shifting privacy rules at end of life, and metaphors as privacy protection were used to recount Goodall's cancer experience on his personal blog, connecting to the components of CPM. The themes the authors analyzed represent the push-pull dialectical tension experienced to reveal and conceal information, conceptualization of private information, shared boundaries, and boundary linkages.

Split-shift work in relation to stress, health and psychosocial work factors among bus drivers.

PubMed

Ihlström, Jonas; Kecklund, Göran; Anund, Anna

2017-01-01

Shift work has been associated with poor health, sleep and fatigue problems and low satisfaction with working hours. However, one type of shift working, namely split shifts, have received little attention. This study examined stress, health and psychosocial aspects of split-shift schedules among bus drivers in urban transport. A questionnaire was distributed to drivers working more than 70% of full time which 235 drivers in total answered. In general, drivers working split-shift schedules (n = 146) did not differ from drivers not working such shifts (n = 83) as regards any of the outcome variables that were studied. However, when individual perceptions towards split-shift schedules were taken into account, a different picture appeared. Bus drivers who reported problems working split shifts (36%) reported poorer health, higher perceived stress, working hours interfering with social life, lower sleep quality, more persistent fatigue and lower general work satisfaction than those who did not view split shifts as a problem. Moreover, drivers who reported problems with split shifts also perceived lower possibilities to influence working hours, indicating lower work time control. This study indicates that split shifts were not associated with increased stress, poorer health and adverse psychosocial work factors for the entire study sample. However, the results showed that individual differences were important and approximately one third of the drivers reported problems with split shifts, which in turn was associated with stress, poor health and negative psychosocial work conditions. More research is needed to understand the individual and organizational determinants of tolerance to split shifts.

Kickdown control for a motor vehicle automatic transmission with two stage kickdown

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

Higashi, H.; Waki, K.; Fukuiri, M.

This patent describes a vehicle automatic transmission. This transmission consists of a hydraulic torque converter, a transmission gear mechanism connected with the torque converter and has at least three gear stages of different gear ratios for foward drive, friction for selecting one of the gear stages. A kick down control which consists of a first shift down circuit for controlling the friction so that the transmission gear mechanism is shifted down from a high gear stage to a lower gear stage. A kick down solenoid is provided in the first shift down circuit for controlling the first shift down circuitmore » and a kick down switch is adapted to be actuated by an engine control member. When the engine control member is moved substantially to a full power position to thereby control the kick down solenoid effects a shift down from a high gear stage to a lower gear stage.« less

The Establishment of a New Friction Stir Welding Process Development Facility at NASA/MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaughn, Timothy P.

2012-01-01

The primary objective of full scale development is to mitigate scale-up issues before the vehicle ever reaches production and verify assembly design models. Only at full scale can the true challenges associated with production be identified and dealt with. Also, only at full scale can the delta shift between lab and subscale hardware manufacture and assembly be assessed.

Jobs for the Disadvantaged: Local Programs That Work. A First Friday Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutenberg, Taly

In the absence of Federal job initiatives, over 14 million people cannot find full or part-time work. According to a report issued by the Full Employment Action Council and the National Committee for Full Employment, they are casualties of shifts in the economy and of deficit spending that favors the affluent and the military over the poor and the…

Urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (OH-PAH) Metabolite Concentrations and the Effect of GST Polymorphisms Among US Air Force Personnel Exposed to Jet Fuel

PubMed Central

Rodrigues, Ema G.; Smith, Kristen; Maule, Alexis L.; Sjodin, Andreas; Li, Zheng; Romanoff, Lovisa; Kelsey, Karl; Proctor, Susan; McClean, Michael D.

2016-01-01

Objective To evaluate the association between inhalation exposure to jet propulsion fuel 8 (JP-8) and urinary metabolites among US Air Force (USAF) personnel, and investigate the role of glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms. Methods Personal air samples were collected from 37 full-time USAF personnel during 4 consecutive workdays and analyzed for JP-8 constituents and total hydrocarbons. Pre- and postshift urine samples were collected each day and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon urinary metabolites. Results Work shift exposure to total hydrocarbons was significantly associated with postshift urinary 1-naphthol (β = 0.17; P = <0.0001), 2-naphthol (β = 0.09; P = 0.005), and 2-hydroxyfluorene concentrations (β = 0.08; P = 0.006), and a significant gene-environment interaction was observed with glutathione S-transferase mu-1. Conclusions USAF personnel experience inhalation exposure to JP-8, which is associated with absorption of JP-8 constituents while performing typical job-related tasks, and in our data the glutathione S-transferase mu-1 polymorphism was associated with differential metabolism of naphthalene. PMID:24806557

Fighting 'personhood' initiatives in the United States.

PubMed

Collins, Lee Rubin; Crockin, Susan L

2012-06-01

'Personhood' initiatives filed in many states within the United States threaten to impose potentially significant restrictions on infertility treatment, embryo disposition, pre-natal care, abortion, contraception, and stem-cell research, all through attempts to redefine a 'person' or 'human being' as existing from the moment of fertilization or conception, and endowed with the full legal and Constitutional rights of personhood. Virginia's recent, unsuccessful attempt to pass such legislation provides both a dramatic example of these efforts and valuable lessons in the fight against them by infertility advocates and others. Arguments over loss of infertility treatment seemed more persuasive to legislatures than did restrictions on abortion or stem cell research. Indeed, persuading legislators or voters that they could be 'pro-life' and still anti-personhood initiatives was a key strategy, and consumer efforts and media attention were instrumental. The most central lessons, however, may be the degree of intensity and coordinated strategy to shift public perception that lie behind these numerous state efforts, regardless of whether the actual initiatives are won or lost. Copyright © 2012 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using the WEIS-SR to evaluate employee perceptions of their college work environment.

PubMed

Dorsey, Julie; Kaye, Miranda; Barratt, Jennifer; Biondi, Jennifer; Habrial, Amanda; Lane, Amanda; Marinelli, Victoria; Paulino, Tiffany; Singletary, Amanda

2016-04-06

Colleges have been experiencing reduced resource allocations, shifting student expectations, and organizational change. These changes increase employee stress at all levels. Ensuring that employee needs are being met and promoting a healthy and productive workforce has never been more important. To investigate employees' current perceptions of their work environments using the Work Environment Impact Scale-Self Rating (WEIS-SR). Full and part time employees on a small college campus in the United States were surveyed using the WEIS-SR through an online survey program to protect their anonymity. Perception of staffing levels, workplace support for a healthy lifestyle, number of supervisors, and personal health ratings contributed to employee perceptions of their work environment. There were also differences between staff, administration, and tenured and non-tenured faculty. From an occupational performance perspective, valuable information on employees' levels of volition, performance capacity and habituation, and perceptions of their physical and social environment in relation to their work environments was obtained. Further support for the use of the WEIS-SR and psychometric properties of the instrument (reliability and validity) was obtained.

Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (OH-PAH) metabolite concentrations and the effect of GST polymorphisms among US Air Force personnel exposed to jet fuel.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Ema G; Smith, Kristen; Maule, Alexis L; Sjodin, Andreas; Li, Zheng; Romanoff, Lovisa; Kelsey, Karl; Proctor, Susan; McClean, Michael D

2014-05-01

To evaluate the association between inhalation exposure to jet propulsion fuel 8 (JP-8) and urinary metabolites among US Air Force (USAF) personnel, and investigate the role of glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms. Personal air samples were collected from 37 full-time USAF personnel during 4 consecutive workdays and analyzed for JP-8 constituents and total hydrocarbons. Pre- and postshift urine samples were collected each day and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon urinary metabolites. Work shift exposure to total hydrocarbons was significantly associated with postshift urinary 1-naphthol (β = 0.17; P = <0.0001), 2-naphthol (β = 0.09; P = 0.005), and 2-hydroxyfluorene concentrations (β = 0.08; P = 0.006), and a significant gene-environment interaction was observed with glutathione S-transferase mu-1. USAF personnel experience inhalation exposure to JP-8, which is associated with absorption of JP-8 constituents while performing typical job-related tasks, and in our data the glutathione S-transferase mu-1 polymorphism was associated with differential metabolism of naphthalene.

Communicative challenges in the home care of older persons - a qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Sundler, Annelie J; Eide, Hilde; van Dulmen, Sandra; Holmström, Inger K

2016-10-01

To explore communicative challenges in encounters between nurse assistants and older persons during home care visits. The older population is increasing worldwide. Currently, there is a shift in care for older people from institutional care to home care. Providing home care in a person's home involves several challenges, including the complexity of communication. A descriptive observational design with a qualitative approach was used. The data consisted of audio recordings of real-life encounters during home care visits between nurse assistants and older persons, collected in 2014. A hermeneutic phenomenological analysis was conducted. Communicative challenges were identified: (a) in situations where the older persons had a different view than the nurse assistants on the care task and its content; and (b) when unexpected actions or turns occurred in the communication. Challenges included older person's existential issues, fragility and worries and concerns, which often appeared to be only vaguely expressed and difficult to verbally detect and tackle. This engendered a risk of misinterpretation or ignorance of these challenges. The findings point to the importance of communication as the key to facilitate person-centred home care. Communication training should focus more on addressing needs and existential issues in older persons. Person-centred home care for older persons needs to be addressed at both an individual and an organizational level. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reducing Risks to Women Linked to Shift Work, Long Work Hours, and Related Workplace Sleep and Fatigue Issues.

PubMed

Caruso, Claire C

2015-10-01

In the United States, an estimated 12% to 28% of working women are on shift work schedules, and 12% work more than 48 hours per week. Shift work and long work hours are associated with many health and safety risks, including obesity, injuries, and negative reproductive outcomes. Over time, the worker is at risk for developing a wide range of chronic diseases. These work schedules can also strain personal relationships, owing to fatigue and poor mood from sleep deprivation and reduced quality time to spend with family and friends. Worker errors from fatigue can lead to reduced quality of goods and services, negatively impacting the employer. In addition, mistakes by fatigued workers can have far-reaching negative effects on the community, ranging from medical care errors to motor vehicle crashes and industrial disasters that endanger others. To reduce the many risks that are linked to these demanding work hours, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research, develops guidance and authoritative recommendations, and translates and disseminates scientific information to protect workers, their families, employers, and the community. The key message to reduce these risks is making sleep a priority in the employer's systems for organizing work and in the worker's personal life. The NIOSH website has freely available online training programs with suggestions for workers and their managers to help them better cope with this workplace hazard.

Shifting and Sharing: Academic Physicians' Strategies for Navigating Underperformance and Failure.

PubMed

LaDonna, Kori A; Ginsburg, Shiphra; Watling, Christopher

2018-05-22

Medical practice is uncertain and complex. Consequently, even outstanding performers will inevitably experience moments of underperformance and failure. Coping relies on insight and resilience. However, how physicians develop and use these skills to navigate struggle remains underexplored. A better understanding may reveal strategies to support both struggling learners and stressed practitioners. In 2015, 28 academic physicians were interviewed about their experiences with underperformance or failure. Constructivist grounded theory informed data collection and analysis. Participants' experiences with struggle ranged from patient errors and academic failures to frequent, smaller moments of interpersonal conflict and work-life imbalance. To buffer impact, participants sometimes shifted their focus to an aspect of their identity where they felt successful. Additionally, while participants perceived that insight develops by acknowledging and reflecting on error, they sometimes deflected blame for performance gaps. More often, participants seemed to accept personal responsibility while simultaneously sharing accountability for underperformance or failure with external forces. Paradoxically, participants perceived learners who used these strategies as lacking in insight. Participants demonstrated the protective and functional value of distributing responsibility for underperformance and failure. Shifting and sharing may be an element of reflection and resilience; recognizing external factors may provide a way to gain perspective and to preserve the self. However, this strategy challenges educators' assumptions that learners who deflect are avoiding personal responsibility. The authors' findings raise questions about what it means to be resilient, and how assumptions about learners' responses to failure may affect strategies to support underperforming learners.

Policies and Consequences: How America and Psychiatry Took the Detour to Erewhon.

PubMed

Becker, Robert E

2015-10-01

In the mid-1960s, federal legislation provided psychiatry with funds for construction and initial staffing of local community mental health programs and funded university psychiatry departments to support research, innovations, and education in social-community psychiatry. Psychiatry gained resources for treating diseases and for addressing the disabilities that accompany mental illnesses. Abrupt losses of federal funding in the following decades, combined with restrictive insurance reimbursements and the expanding influence of the pharmaceutical industry, undermined psychiatry's abilities to address the needs of persons with severe mental illness. The author describes the perverse shift in social priorities that has occurred-with persons who have chronic mental illness housed in jails and heightened public perceptions that mass murders are the acts of persons with mental illness.

Building a good initial model for full-waveform inversion using frequency shift filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guanchao; Wang, Shangxu; Yuan, Sanyi; Lian, Shijie

2018-05-01

Accurate initial model or available low-frequency data is an important factor in the success of full waveform inversion (FWI). The low-frequency helps determine the kinematical relevant components, low-wavenumber of the velocity model, which are in turn needed to avoid FWI trap in local minima or cycle-skipping. However, in the field, acquiring data that <5 Hz is a challenging and expensive task. We attempt to find the common point of low- and high-frequency signal, then utilize the high-frequency data to obtain the low-wavenumber velocity model. It is well known that the instantaneous amplitude envelope of a wavelet is invariant under frequency shift. This means that resolution is constant for a given frequency bandwidth, and independent of the actual values of the frequencies. Based on this property, we develop a frequency shift filter (FSF) to build the relationship between low- and high-frequency information with a constant frequency bandwidth. After that, we can use the high-frequency information to get a plausible recovery of the low-wavenumber velocity model. Numerical results using synthetic data from the Marmousi and layer model demonstrate that our proposed envelope misfit function based on the frequency shift filter can build an initial model with more accurate long-wavelength components, when low-frequency signals are absent in recorded data.

Effect of single vision soft contact lenses on peripheral refraction.

PubMed

Kang, Pauline; Fan, Yvonne; Oh, Kelly; Trac, Kevin; Zhang, Frank; Swarbrick, Helen

2012-07-01

To investigate changes in peripheral refraction with under-, full, and over-correction of central refraction with commercially available single vision soft contact lenses (SCLs) in young myopic adults. Thirty-four myopic adult subjects were fitted with Proclear Sphere SCLs to under-correct (+0.75 DS), fully correct, and over-correct (-0.75 DS) their manifest central refractive error. Central and peripheral refraction were measured with no lens wear and subsequently with different levels of SCL central refractive error correction. The uncorrected refractive error was myopic at all locations along the horizontal meridian. Peripheral refraction was relatively hyperopic compared to center at 30 and 35° in the temporal visual field (VF) in low myopes and at 30 and 35° in the temporal VF and 10, 30, and 35° in the nasal VF in moderate myopes. All levels of SCL correction caused a hyperopic shift in refraction at all locations in the horizontal VF. The smallest hyperopic shift was demonstrated with under-correction followed by full correction and then by over-correction of central refractive error. An increase in relative peripheral hyperopia was measured with full correction SCLs compared with no correction in both low and moderate myopes. However, no difference in relative peripheral refraction profiles were found between under-, full, and over-correction. Under-, full, and over-correction of central refractive error with single vision SCLs caused a hyperopic shift in both central and peripheral refraction at all positions in the horizontal meridian. All levels of SCL correction caused the peripheral retina, which initially experienced absolute myopic defocus at baseline with no correction, to experience absolute hyperopic defocus. This peripheral hyperopia may be a possible cause of myopia progression reported with different types and levels of myopia correction.

Scientist Spotlight Homework Assignments Shift Students’ Stereotypes of Scientists and Enhance Science Identity in a Diverse Introductory Science Class

PubMed Central

Schinske, Jeffrey N.; Perkins, Heather; Snyder, Amanda; Wyer, Mary

2016-01-01

Research into science identity, stereotype threat, and possible selves suggests a lack of diverse representations of scientists could impede traditionally underserved students from persisting and succeeding in science. We evaluated a series of metacognitive homework assignments (“Scientist Spotlights”) that featured counterstereotypical examples of scientists in an introductory biology class at a diverse community college. Scientist Spotlights additionally served as tools for content coverage, as scientists were selected to match topics covered each week. We analyzed beginning- and end-of-course essays completed by students during each of five courses with Scientist Spotlights and two courses with equivalent homework assignments that lacked connections to the stories of diverse scientists. Students completing Scientist Spotlights shifted toward counterstereotypical descriptions of scientists and conveyed an enhanced ability to personally relate to scientists following the intervention. Longitudinal data suggested these shifts were maintained 6 months after the completion of the course. Analyses further uncovered correlations between these shifts, interest in science, and course grades. As Scientist Spotlights require very little class time and complement existing curricula, they represent a promising tool for enhancing science identity, shifting stereotypes, and connecting content to issues of equity and diversity in a broad range of STEM classrooms. PMID:27587856

Early and Late Retirement Exits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brougham, Ruby R.; Walsh, David A.

2009-01-01

The current study proposes that personal need fulfillment (relatedness, generativity, identity, growth, and finances) predicts early and late retirement intentions. The personal needs of 160 full-time older employees were measured by personal goals, job satisfactions, job characteristics, and intrinsic motivation. Results suggest that the personal…

Improvement of VMAT plan quality for head and neck cancer with high resolution fluences generated by couch shift between arcs.

PubMed

Park, Jong Min; Park, So-Yeon; Wu, Hong-Gyun; Kim, Jung-In

2018-02-01

To investigate the changes in quality of the volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans with couch-shift between arcs by half of a multi-leaf collimator (MLC) leaf width. A total of 22 patients with head-and-neck cancer were retrospectively selected. Since the smallest MLC leaf width was 5 mm in this study, the couch was shifted by 2.5 mm in the longitudinal-direction between arcs to increase the resolution of fluence map. A total of three types of VMAT plans were generated for each patient; the three types of plans were a two-full-arc plan without couch-shift (NS plan), a two-half-arc-pair plan with couch-shift (HAS plan), and a two-full-arc pair plan with couch-shift (FAS plan). Changes in the dose-volumetric parameters were investigated. The FAS plan showed the best plan quality for the target volumes and organs at risk compared to the NS and HAS plans. However, the magnitudes of differences among the three types of plans were minimal, and every plan was clinically acceptable. The average integral doses of the NS, HAS, and FAS plans were 160,549 ± 37,600 Gy-cc, 147,828 ± 33,343 Gy-cc, and 156,030 ± 36,263 Gy-cc, respectively. The average monitor unit of the NS, HAS, and FAS plans were 717 ± 120 MU, 648 ± 100 MU, and 763 ± 158 MU, respectively. The HAS plan was better than the others in terms of normal tissue sparing and plan efficiency. By shifting the couch by half of the MLC leaf width in the longitudinal direction between arcs, the VMAT plan quality could be improved. Copyright © 2018 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regarding zygotes as persons: implications for public policy.

PubMed

Wall, L Lewis; Brown, Douglas

2006-01-01

In this paper, we examine the notion put forward by certain groups (largely as a consequence of their opposition to elective abortion) that the immediate post-fertilization cellular entity - the zygote - is a person and should be given full moral status. Because the zygote has none of the inherent characteristics necessary to be regarded as a person in the traditional philosophical sense (e.g., John Locke or Immanuel Kant), some advocates of this position attempt to advance their case with arguments based on the genetic potential of the human zygote to develop into a person. We argue that this position represents a flawed use of human genetics and ignores the extraordinarily inefficient and wasteful nature of human reproduction. We then explore the public policy consequences that would follow from granting the zygote full moral status. We conclude that the logical consequences of granting the zygote full moral status would require a revolutionary restructuring of many basic social institutions, especially the health care system. The social, political, and economic changes that would be required if the zygote is enshrined as a person in law constitute a convincing reductio ad absurdum that demonstrates the danger in taking this position seriously.

Culture, universals, and the personal.

PubMed

Nucci, L

1997-01-01

This chapter summarizes a part of the case that can be made that the individual construction of a personal domain of choice and privacy generalizes across cultures and is not restricted to persons who live within Western or so-called modern societies. The research findings reported here are consistent with the view that persons seek to establish such areas of control in order to maintain a differentiated personal identity and a sense of personal agency. Children, adolescents, and adults from the United States and traditional cultures have been found to identify a class of behaviors and issues as being outside the legitimate sphere of social or moral regulation. Mothers from Western and traditional cultural settings recognize and foster their children's claims to areas of personal choice and privacy. Across cultures, as children mature and move toward adulthood, they lay claim to a broader range of issues and actions as personal matters. Research on adolescent-parent conflict with U.S. and Chinese samples has indicated that these shifts associated with adolescent claims to freedom are the source of most family conflicts. Anthropological accounts of adolescent-parent conflicts in 160 cultures have provided evidence that such conflicts are widespread (Schlegel and Barry, 1991). Finally, we are beginning to obtain evidence that parental overcontrol of personal issues is associated with symptoms of psychological problems in their adolescent children. These research findings are consistent with the proposal (Nucci, 1996) that establishment of a personal domain is an intrinsic feature of normal human development, resulting from the inevitable attempt by individuals to account for and differentiate between their own motives, values, and experiences and those of others. The evidence also points to the fact that such personal issues are coexistent with concerns for interpersonal harmony and social integration. Thus, it is not surprising that the work summarized here also suggests considerable social-class and cultural variation in how the personal is expressed. Such variation is consistent with the assumption that the personal is constructed out of social interactions (Nucci, 1996) that entail reciprocal interchange between individual and societal structures (Turiel, 1996). In Spiro's analysis (1984), the results of such reciprocal structural interaction cannot be accounted for by reducing the analysis of psychological structures in terms of cultural structures and vice versa. Thus, any accurate interpretation of the impact of culture on psychological development must be constrained by features that are peculiar to psychological systems. Extending this to the cross-cultural study of the personal domain, a case can be made for the need to explore such issues at the level of the individual, rather than at the level of the cultural shared-symbol system. On the other hand, this nonreductionist approach and the available evidence rule out the reification of the personal as a culturally empty set of psychological issues. As illustrated in studies of the distribution of rights in relation to gender and social hierarchy among Druze Arabs (Wainryb and Turiel, 1994), the interplay between the personal and the cultural system of roles and obligations provides a rich and contradictory portrait that can be understood only by shifting perspective from the social to the individual and back again without favor.

Student Musicians' Experiences of Reflexivity during Internships: Personal Narratives and Complex Modalities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Dawn; Reid, Anna; Rowley, Jennifer

2017-01-01

A presumption behind work-integrated learning activities such as internship programmes is that student thinking will shift as a result of exposure to industry practice. We wondered if all students experience this change in the positive sense that teachers expect. To examine this presumption we asked to what extent and in what ways students…

Sexuality and Personal Relationships for People with an Intellectual Disability. Part I: Service-User Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Healy, E.; McGuire, B. E.; Evans, D. S.; Carley, S. N.

2009-01-01

Background: Despite a recent ideological shift towards the recognition of sexual autonomy for people with an intellectual disability (ID), there are continuing social and cultural barriers to sexual expression. Part I of the current two-part study assessed the sexual knowledge, experiences and aspirations of service users through focus groups and…

Presenting and Mispresenting Students: Constructing an Ethic of Representation in Composition Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Lulu C. H.

In the last few years, the focus has evolved from considering an "ethic of research" in composition studies to an "ethic of representation" in person-based research. One of the dominant questions that emerged from this shift is how researchers represent their students and their writings in composition research. What does the…

My Journey of Learning and Teaching Mathematics from Traditionalism to Constructivism: A Portrayal of Pedagogic Metamorphosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belbase, Shashidhar

2006-01-01

This dissertation depicts my paradigmatic shift from traditionalist approach to constructivist approach of teaching and learning of mathematics. I have used autoethnography as the genre of writing and research that connects the personal to the cultural placing the self within a social context (Reed-Danahay, 1997). Employing autoethnography, I have…

Social Media in Higher Education: A Literature Review of Facebook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chugh, Ritesh; Ruhi, Umar

2018-01-01

The rapid adoption of social media technologies has resulted in a fundamental shift in the way communication and collaboration take place. As staff and students use social media technologies in their personal lives, it is important to explore how social media technologies are being used as an educational tool. The aim of this paper is to analyse…

Beginning Teachers' Conceptual Understandings of Effective History Teaching: Examining the Change from "Subject Knowers" to "Subject Teachers"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reitano, Paul; Green, Nicole C.

2013-01-01

This article reports the investigation of change in preservice teachers' conceptions of effective history teaching across a secondary history methods course in a postgraduate diploma of education program. Using concept mapping to plot shifts in their expressed reflections, data were obtained that indicate personal constructs of effective history…

The 12 Steps of Addiction Recovery Programs as an Influence on Leadership Development: A Personal Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Mitchell

2016-01-01

My participation in a 12-step addiction program based on the principles and traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been critical for my leadership development. As I worked to refrain from addictive behaviors and practiced 12-step principles, I experienced a shift from individualistic, self-centered leadership towards a servant leader…

14 CFR 61.63 - Additional aircraft ratings (other than for ratings at the airline transport pilot certification...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... airship rating at that pilot certificate level. (c) Additional aircraft class rating. A person who applies...-than-air category rating with a balloon class rating and is seeking an airship class rating, then that..., rotorcraft, powered-lift, weight-shift-control aircraft, powered parachute, or airship rating at that pilot...

14 CFR 61.63 - Additional aircraft ratings (other than for ratings at the airline transport pilot certification...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... airship rating at that pilot certificate level. (c) Additional aircraft class rating. A person who applies...-than-air category rating with a balloon class rating and is seeking an airship class rating, then that..., rotorcraft, powered-lift, weight-shift-control aircraft, powered parachute, or airship rating at that pilot...

14 CFR 61.63 - Additional aircraft ratings (other than for ratings at the airline transport pilot certification...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... airship rating at that pilot certificate level. (c) Additional aircraft class rating. A person who applies...-than-air category rating with a balloon class rating and is seeking an airship class rating, then that..., rotorcraft, powered-lift, weight-shift-control aircraft, powered parachute, or airship rating at that pilot...

14 CFR 61.63 - Additional aircraft ratings (other than for ratings at the airline transport pilot certification...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... airship rating at that pilot certificate level. (c) Additional aircraft class rating. A person who applies...-than-air category rating with a balloon class rating and is seeking an airship class rating, then that..., rotorcraft, powered-lift, weight-shift-control aircraft, powered parachute, or airship rating at that pilot...

The CLEAR[TM] Problem-Solving Model: Discovering Strengths and Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koehler, Nancy; Seger, Vikki

2011-01-01

This article introduces a unique team approach to planning and positive behavior support. The young person becomes a key participant in solving problems and setting goals for growth. The CLEAR Team Problem Solving model shifts the focus from deficits to strengths and solutions. The goal is to identify how a child's private logic and interpersonal…

Assessing Learning in a Learning Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanford, George H.

Set in the context of shifting economic and social demands, the educational scene during the last part of the 20th century is discussed. Increasing numbers of people of all ages will be involved in different kinds of learning for varying purposes. Some will want to learn for personal satisfaction and improvement, others will need to learn to meet…

Learning (Not) to become a Teacher: A Qualitative Analysis of the Job Entrance Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rots, Isabel; Kelchtermans, Geert; Aelterman, Antonia

2012-01-01

Reporting on 12 case studies of student teachers, this paper examines how experiences during teacher education affect graduates' decision on job entrance. Interpretative data-analysis reveals that powerful sources of the shift in motivation to enter teaching concern interactions in which the person of the teacher is at stake. These mainly involve…

Clinging to the Managerial Approach in Implementing Teacher Education "Reform" Tasks in Ethiopia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tessema, Kedir Assefa

2007-01-01

In this paper, the author argues that the pre-service secondary teacher education "paradigm shift" or "system overhaul" that has been implemented during the 2003-2005 time period in Ethiopia reflects the pursuit of pathways which the author refers to as a managerial approach. Grounded mainly on personal narratives of a key…

Aphasia Centers and the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia: A Paradigm Shift

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elman, Roberta J.

2016-01-01

The Aphasia Center is a service delivery model that provides an interactive community for persons with aphasia. This model has been increasing in popularity over the last 20 years. Aphasia Centers are consistent with a social model of health care and disability. They offer the potential for linguistic, communicative, and psychosocial benefits. The…

The Influence of Typologies of School Leaders on Teacher Retention: A Multilevel Latent Class Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urick, Angela

2016-01-01

Purpose: While school leadership literature has searched for practices with the largest effect on outcomes, we know little about how these behaviors vary by context. Further, recent shifts to include teachers in leadership have prompted a need for purposeful distinction between teacher and principal perceptions and roles. Person-centered…

Planning Amid Forces for Institutional Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harman, Willis W.

If man is to have a future which is desirable, it requires a drastic and prompt shift in the values and institutions of his society. The industrial-state paradigm of the last few hundred years was useful for that time, but for the future it has several crucial failings. These include failures: 1) to provide each person with an opportunity to…

Understanding the Shift in Personal Identity: A Phenomenological Analysis of Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Kelli

2011-01-01

At the 1978 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization conference, literacy was determined as a right as expressed in the foundation of learning and the vital first step to the achievement of other human rights. However, in the state of Georgia, many high school students enter the working environment without minimum literacy…

Changing Adult Learning in Japan: The Shift from Traditional Singing to Karaoke

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watanabe, Hideo

2005-01-01

Lifelong learning in Japan involves various cultural and/or sporting activities for personal enjoyment rather than for individual or national economic benefit. Currently the study of karaoke at a variety of public and private organizations is very popular among older Japanese and housewives. This article explores the emergence of karaoke as a…

Resilient Principals in Challenging Schools: The Courage and Costs of Conviction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, Christopher

2014-01-01

The work of leaders in schools takes place in shifting and sometimes conflicting reform contexts which tend to increase and intensify their professional work and personal lives as they seek to influence a range of stakeholder groups and individuals in processes of school improvement. Such diverse and sometimes competing demands of policy, local…

Screens of Disorder: English Cinema's Representation of Teachers' Responses to Challenges to Their Authority in the 1960s

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coman, Paul Edmund

2013-01-01

Change across wider English society in the 1960s was characterised by a managed and relatively consensual social liberalism. There was a discernible cultural shift toward greater personal and sexual freedom. Within education in England, a revisionist approach sought to extend traditional education to a wider constituency, in particular…

Faculty Reward Systems and Academic Capitalism: Business Faculty Income inside and outside the Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Shan

2010-01-01

Market forces have driven American higher education from a public good regime to an academic capitalist regime. To examine how this regime shift influences the quality of business education in the US, we use field of specialty, institutional characteristics, demographics, and personal achievements to predict faculty income from inside and outside…

26 CFR 1.665(a)-0 - Excess distributions by trusts; scope of subpart D.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... generally to prevent a shift of tax burden to a trust from a beneficiary or beneficiaries. In the case of a foreign trust created by a U.S. person, subpart D is designed to prevent certain other tax avoidance... TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Treatment of Excess Distributions of Trusts...

A's for Everyone: The Effect of Student Consumerism in the Post-Secondary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plunkett, Anthony D.

2014-01-01

With millennial students as the primary population in many higher education institutions today, many instructors are experiencing a paradigm shift of behaviors they are observing in their classroom. Many educators are observing today's students failing to take personal responsibility for their educational endeavors and in turn viewing their…

Learning from Listservs: Collaboration, Knowledge Exchange, and the Formation of Distributed Leadership for Farmers' Markets and the Food Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quintana, Maclovia; Morales, Alfonso

2015-01-01

Computer-mediated communications, in particular listservs, can be powerful tools for creating social change--namely, shifting our food system to a more healthy, just, and localised model. They do this by creating the conditions--collaborations, interaction, self-reflection, and personal empowerment--that cultivate distributed leadership. In this…

The Shifting Supply of Men and Women to Occupations: Feminization in Veterinary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lincoln, Anne E.

2010-01-01

A confining limitation for the occupational sex segregation literature has been the inability to determine how many persons of one sex "would" have entered an occupation had the other sex not successfully entered instead. Using panel data from all American colleges of veterinary medicine (1976-1995), a fixed-effects model with lagged independent…

14 CFR 61.52 - Use of aeronautical experience obtained in ultralight vehicles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... ratings issued under this part: (1) A sport pilot certificate. (2) A flight instructor certificate with a sport pilot rating; (3) A private pilot certificate with a weight-shift-control or powered parachute... provisions of §§ 61.69 and 61.415(e). (c) A person using aeronautical experience obtained in an ultralight...

Supporting Students in Higher Education: Results and Recommendations Following a Paradigm Shift within a Scottish Ancient

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lusk, Chris; Fearfull, Anne

2015-01-01

The model of emotional support to students in Higher Education for over 40 years has been one of "person-centred therapy". Factors now challenge the supremacy of this approach, including its delivery format in an environment of extra-curricular demands, academic timetabling, students' financial restrictions (often requiring them to take…

Inculcation Method of Character Education Based on Personality Types Classification in Realizing Indonesia Golden Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunarto, M. J. Dewiyani; Sagirani, Tri

2014-01-01

"The rise of Indonesia Golden Generation" is the theme of National Education Day in 2012. In an effort to create a golden generation; education must be interpreted as a complex problem, in particular the cultivation of character education that was originally using indoctrination method. Given the shifting of the changing times,…

Coaching for Career Development and Leadership Development: An Intelligent Career Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Polly; Arthur, Michael B.

2004-01-01

Change, ambiguity and shifting relationships are recurrent themes in contemporary career development. In turn, personal success in the unfolding knowledge economy calls for self-awareness, adaptability and the ability to work with others. A challenge in career coaching is to help people better develop these kinds of skills, and in turn to help…

My Daughter the Scientist? Mothers' Perceptions of the Shift in Their Daughter's Personal Science Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farland-Smith, Donna

2016-01-01

This study reports on the perspective of mothers whose daughters underwent an extensive inquiry-focused interactive one-week science camp, which involved female middle school students and university scientists. This study focused on nine mother's perceptions of the impact the camp had on their daughter's science identities. Following the camp,…

Interviewing Baltimore Older Adults about Food System Change: Oral History as a Teaching Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neff, Roni A.; Laestadius, Linnea I.; DiMauro, Susan; Palmer, Anne M.

2017-01-01

Urban food systems have changed considerably over the past half century. Older adults' descriptions of place-based, personal food system history can help inform student learning and may contribute to expert understanding of food system change. Structural and social shifts in food purchasing and consumption contribute to diet-related disease and…

Using YA Literature to Help Preservice Teachers Deal with Bullying and Suicide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pytash, Kristine E.

2013-01-01

An incident of bullying, violence in the classroom, or suicide can unsettle teachers' views of their teaching, their role as a teacher, and their relationships with students. Unfortunately, there is a high probability that many educators will teach a young person who has been bullied or considered suicide. This article explores the shifts in…

Autonomous Learning for English Acquisition in Blended e-Studies for Adults within the Context of Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bojare, Inara

2016-01-01

Personality integration and self-realisation in the global economy and coevolution with multilingual cultural environment of sustainable learning society by means of technologies actualise the paradigm shift in science, and create the necessity for transdisciplinary research to resolve the problem of transformation of the system of values in the…

The Full and True Value of Campus Heritage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elefante, Carl

2011-01-01

To gain a full and true understanding of the value of campus heritage requires shifting perspective. On many campuses, heritage resources are perceived to have no relevance whatsoever to the challenges of sustainability. This results largely from a profound misconception about what may constitute a sustainable future and what steps may be needed…

Photometry in the dark: time dependent visibility of low intensity light sources.

PubMed

Poelman, Dirk; Smet, Philippe F

2010-12-06

This paper aims at describing the perceived brightness of persistent luminescent materials for emergency signage. In case of emergency, typically, a fully light adapted person is left in the dark, except for the emergency sign. The available photometric models cannot describe visibility of such light source, as they do not consider the slow dark adaptation of the human eye. The model proposed here fully takes into account the shift from photopic to scotopic vision, the related shift in spectral sensitivity and the dark adaptation. The resulting metric is a 'visibility index' and preliminary tests show that it more realistically describes the perceived brightness of persistent luminescent materials than the common photometric standards.

Alternatives to project-specific consent for access to personal information for health research: Insights from a public dialogue

PubMed Central

Willison, Donald J; Swinton, Marilyn; Schwartz, Lisa; Abelson, Julia; Charles, Cathy; Northrup, David; Cheng, Ji; Thabane, Lehana

2008-01-01

Background The role of consent for research use of health information is contentious. Most discussion has focused on when project-specific consent may be waived but, recently, a broader range of consent options has been entertained, including broad opt-in for multiple studies with restrictions and notification with opt-out. We sought to elicit public values in this matter and to work toward an agreement about a common approach to consent for use of personal information for health research through deliberative public dialogues. Methods We conducted seven day-long public dialogues, involving 98 participants across Canada. Immediately before and after each dialogue, participants completed a fixed-response questionnaire rating individuals' support for 3 approaches to consent in the abstract and their consent choices for 5 health research scenarios using personal information. They also rated how confident different safeguards made them feel that their information was being used responsibly. Results Broad opt-in consent for use of personal information garnered the greatest support in the abstract. When presented with specific research scenarios, no one approach to consent predominated. When profit was introduced into the scenarios, consent choices shifted toward greater control over use. Despite lively and constructive dialogues, and considerable shifting in opinion at the individual level, at the end of the day, there was no substantive aggregate movement in opinion. Personal controls were among the most commonly cited approaches to improving people's confidence in the responsible use of their information for research. Conclusion Because no one approach to consent satisfied even a simple majority of dialogue participants and the importance placed on personal controls, a mechanism should be developed for documenting consent choice for different types of research, including ways for individuals to check who has accessed their medical record for purposes other than clinical care. This could be done, for example, through a web-based patient portal to their electronic health record. Researchers and policy makers should continue to engage the public to promote greater public understanding of the research process and to look for feasible alternatives to existing approaches to project-specific consent for observational research. PMID:19019239

Translating change: the development of a person-centred triage training programme for emergency nurses.

PubMed

McBrien, Barry

2009-01-01

Within health care, there has been a change in practice from an illness-orientated service to one that is more health-focused and person-centred. The concept of person-centredness is frequently espoused by practitioners as being not only a desirable, but a necessary element of health care provision. Indeed, nationally and internationally, person-centred care has underpinned many healthcare documents and policies. Person-centred practice focuses on providing care, utilising a variety of processes that operationalise person-centred nursing and include working with patients' beliefs and values, engagement, presence, sharing decision-making and providing for physical needs. In the field of emergency nursing, the incorporation of person-centred care and its holistic foundation may require a significant shift in practice. There is evidence to suggest that emergency nurses view their role as one, which is predominantly concerned with providing urgent physical care, rather than one, which espouses the theories of holistic healthcare. To this extent, being person-centred in the context of emergency care, requires the nurse to move beyond the traditional notions of his/her role and to embrace the more holistic aspects of patient care. The aim of this article is to critically analyse how a change in nurse-led triage training in one Irish Emergency Department facilitated an improved person-centred approach in practice.

Psychometric Adequacy and Comparability of the Short and Full forms of the Personality Assessment Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frazier, Thomas W.; Naugle, Richard I.; Haggerty, Kathryn A.

2006-01-01

The 160-item short form of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) was developed for situations in which respondents complete only the 1st half of the test. The present study evaluates the adequacy and comparability of the full and short forms of the PAI in terms of a wide range of psychometric characteristics. In all, 421 participants…

The Polarization Orientation Shift Estimation and Compensation of PolSAR Data in Forest Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Lei; Chen, Erxue; Li, Zengyuan; Li, Lan; Gu, Xinzhi

2016-08-01

Polarization orientation angle (POA) is a major parameter of electromagnetic wave. This angle will be shift due to azimuth slopes, which will affect the radiometric quality of PolSAR data. Under the assumption of reflection symmetrical medium, the shift value of polarization orientation angle (POAs) can be estimated by Circular Polarization Method (CPM). Then, the shift angle can be used to compensate PolSAR data or extract DEM information. However, it is less effective when using high-frequency SAR (L-, C-band) in the forest area. The main reason is that the polarization orientation angle shift of forest area not only influenced by topography, but also affected by the forest canopy. Among them, the influence of the former belongs to the interference information should be removed, but the impact of the latter belongs to the polarization feature information needs to be retained. The ALOS2 PALSAR2 L-band full polarimetric SAR data was used in this study. Base on the Circular Polarization and DEM-based method, we analyzed the variation of shift value of polarization orientation angle and developed the polarization orientation shift estimation and compensation of PolSAR data in forest.

Toxoplasmosis-associated difference in intelligence and personality in men depends on their Rhesus blood group but not ABO blood group.

PubMed

Flegr, Jaroslav; Preiss, Marek; Klose, Jiří

2013-01-01

The parasite Toxoplasma gondii influences the behaviour of infected animals and probably also personality of infected humans. Subjects with a Rhesus-positive blood group are protected against certain behavioural effects associated with Toxoplasma infection, including the deterioration of reaction times and personality factor shift. Here, we searched for differences in the toxoplasmosis-associated effects between RhD-positive and RhD-negative subjects by testing 502 soldiers with two personality tests and two intelligence tests. The infected subjects expressed lower levels of all potentially pathognomic factors measured with the N-70 questionnaire and in neurasthenia measured with NEO-PI-R. The RhD-positive, Toxoplasma-infected subjects expressed lower while RhD-negative, Toxoplasma-infected subjects expressed higher intelligence than their Toxoplasma-free peers. The observed Toxoplasma-associated differences were always larger in RhD-negative than in RhD-positive subjects. RhD phenotype plays an important role in the strength and direction of association between latent toxoplasmosis and not only psychomotor performance, but also personality and intelligence.

European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness initiatives on person-centred care.

PubMed

Steffen, Sigrid

2011-04-01

European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness is working towards the goal of shifting the emphasis of care for people with metal illness from the treatment of the symptoms to a more holistic approach of treating the whole person - in other words 'person-centred care'. It is also working with the Geneva conference on person-centred medicine and various interested groupings and organizations to ensure that the role of the family is fully recognized and supported. By engaging primarily with the medical community in bringing to fruition certain initiatives which European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness considers as important to the success of person-centred care. To date, no formal reviews have taken place and feedback from the initiatives has been informal and anecdotal. Early reports from the various initiatives are positive. But they also indicate that there is still much work to be done in order for the concept to become a reality across the majority of European countries. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

[Personal genomics: are we debating the right Issues?].

PubMed

Vayena, E; Mauch, F

2012-07-25

The debate about personal genomics and their role in personalized medicine has been, to some extent, hijacked by the controversy about commercially available genomic tests sold directly to consumers. The clinical validity and utility of such tests are currently limited and most medical associations recommend that consumers refrain from testing. Conversely, DTC genomics proponents and particularly the DTC industry argue that there is personal utility in acquiring genomic information. While it is necessary to debate risks and benefits of DTC genomics, we should not lose sight of the increasingly important role that genomics will play in medical practice and public health. Therefore, and in anticipation of this shift we also need to focus on important implications from the use of genomics information such as genetic discrimination, privacy protection and equitable access to health care. Undoubtedly, personal genomics will challenge our social norms maybe more than our medicine. Sticking to the polarization of «to have or not to have DTC genomics» risks to takes us away from the critical issues we need to be debating.

Toxoplasmosis-Associated Difference in Intelligence and Personality in Men Depends on Their Rhesus Blood Group but Not ABO Blood Group

PubMed Central

Flegr, Jaroslav; Preiss, Marek; Klose, Jiří

2013-01-01

Background The parasite Toxoplasma gondii influences the behaviour of infected animals and probably also personality of infected humans. Subjects with a Rhesus-positive blood group are protected against certain behavioural effects associated with Toxoplasma infection, including the deterioration of reaction times and personality factor shift. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we searched for differences in the toxoplasmosis-associated effects between RhD-positive and RhD-negative subjects by testing 502 soldiers with two personality tests and two intelligence tests. The infected subjects expressed lower levels of all potentially pathognomic factors measured with the N-70 questionnaire and in neurasthenia measured with NEO-PI-R. The RhD-positive, Toxoplasma-infected subjects expressed lower while RhD-negative, Toxoplasma-infected subjects expressed higher intelligence than their Toxoplasma-free peers. The observed Toxoplasma-associated differences were always larger in RhD-negative than in RhD-positive subjects. Conclusions RhD phenotype plays an important role in the strength and direction of association between latent toxoplasmosis and not only psychomotor performance, but also personality and intelligence. PMID:23593448

How visualization layout relates to locus of control and other personality factors.

PubMed

Ziemkiewicz, Caroline; Ottley, Alvitta; Crouser, R Jordan; Yauilla, Ashley Rye; Su, Sara L; Ribarsky, William; Chang, Remco

2013-07-01

Existing research suggests that individual personality differences are correlated with a user's speed and accuracy in solving problems with different types of complex visualization systems. We extend this research by isolating factors in personality traits as well as in the visualizations that could have contributed to the observed correlation. We focus on a personality trait known as "locus of control” (LOC), which represents a person's tendency to see themselves as controlled by or in control of external events. To isolate variables of the visualization design, we control extraneous factors such as color, interaction, and labeling. We conduct a user study with four visualizations that gradually shift from a list metaphor to a containment metaphor and compare the participants' speed, accuracy, and preference with their locus of control and other personality factors. Our findings demonstrate that there is indeed a correlation between the two: participants with an internal locus of control perform more poorly with visualizations that employ a containment metaphor, while those with an external locus of control perform well with such visualizations. These results provide evidence for the externalization theory of visualization. Finally, we propose applications of these findings to adaptive visual analytics and visualization evaluation.

Adaptation to abrupt time shifts of the oscillator(s) controlling human circadian rhythms.

PubMed Central

Mills, J N; Minors, D S; Waterhouse, J M

1978-01-01

1. Thirty-six subjects in an isolation unit were subjected to time shifts of 12 hr, or of 8 hr in either direction. 2. The rhythms of body temperature and excretion of eight urinary constituents were studied before and after the shift, both on a usual nychthemeral routine and during 24 hr when they remained under constant conditions, awake, engaged in light, mainly sedentary activity, and consuming identical food and fluid every hour. 3. The rhythms on nychthemeral routine were defined by fitting cosine curves. On constant routine the rhythm after the shift was cross-correlated with the original rhythm, either with variable delay (or advance) or with an additive mixture between this variably shifted rhythm and the unshifted or a fully shifted rhythm. The process yielding the highest correlation coefficient was accepted as the best descriptor of the nature of adaptation. 4. A combination of two rhythms was observed more often for urinary sodium, chloride and phosphate than for other variables. 5. Adaptation appeared to have proceeded further after westward than eastward shifts, and this difference was particularly noticeable for urinary potassium, sodium and chloride. 6. Partial adaptation usually involved a phase delay, even after an eastward shift when a cumulative delay of 16 hr would be needed to achieve full adaptation and re-entrainment. 7. Observations under nychthemeral conditions often gave a false idea of the degree of adaptation. In particular, after an eastward shift the phase of the rhythms appeared to shift in the appropriate direction when studied under nychthemeral conditions whereas the endogenous oscillator either showed no consistent behaviour or, in the control of urate excretion, a shift in the wrong direction. 8. The implications for people undergoing time shifts, in the course of shift work or transmeridional flights, are indicated. PMID:745108

Bringing Person- and Family-Centred Care Alive in Home, Community and Long-Term Care Organizations.

PubMed

Bender, Danielle; Holyoke, Paul

2016-01-01

It is now more important than ever for person- and family-centred care (PFCC) to be at the forefront of program and service design and delivery; yet, to date, very little guidance is available to assist home, community and long-term care (LTC) organizations to operationalize this concept and overcome inherent challenges. This article provides a list of practical strategies for healthcare leaders to promote and support a culture shift towards PFCC in their organizations and identifies and addresses five common concerns. The unique opportunities and challenges for practicing PFCC in home, community and LTC settings are also discussed.

Respirable Crystalline Silica Exposures During Asphalt Pavement Milling at Eleven Highway Construction Sites

PubMed Central

Hammond, Duane R.; Shulman, Stanley A.; Echt, Alan S.

2016-01-01

Asphalt pavement milling machines use a rotating cutter drum to remove the deteriorated road surface for recycling. The removal of the road surface has the potential to release respirable crystalline silica, to which workers can be exposed. This paper describes an evaluation of respirable crystalline silica exposures to the operator and ground worker from two different half-lane and larger asphalt pavement milling machines that had ventilation dust controls and water-sprays designed and installed by the manufacturers. Manufacturer A completed milling for eleven days at four highway construction sites in Wisconsin, while Manufacturer B completed milling for ten days at seven highway construction sites in Indiana. To evaluate the dust controls, full-shift personal breathing zone air samples were collected from an operator and ground worker during the course of normal employee work activities of asphalt pavement milling at eleven different sites. Forty-two personal breathing zone air samples were collected over 21 days (sampling on an operator and ground worker each day). All samples were below 50 µg/m3 for respirable crystalline silica, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended exposure limit. The geometric mean personal breathing zone air sample was 6.2 µg/m3 for the operator and 6.1 µg/m3 for the ground worker for the Manufacturer A milling machine. The geometric mean personal breathing zone air sample was 4.2 µg/m3 for the operator and 9.0 µg/m3 for the ground worker for the Manufacturer B milling machine. In addition, upper 95% confidence limits for the mean exposure for each occupation were well below 50 µg/m3 for both studies. The silica content in the bulk asphalt material being milled ranged from 7% to 23% silica for roads milled by Manufacturer A and from 5% to 12% silica for roads milled by Manufacturer B. The results indicate that engineering controls consisting of ventilation controls in combination with water-sprays are capable of controlling occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica generated by asphalt pavement milling machines on highway construction sites. PMID:26913983

Respirable crystalline silica exposures during asphalt pavement milling at eleven highway construction sites.

PubMed

Hammond, Duane R; Shulman, Stanley A; Echt, Alan S

2016-07-01

Asphalt pavement milling machines use a rotating cutter drum to remove the deteriorated road surface for recycling. The removal of the road surface has the potential to release respirable crystalline silica, to which workers can be exposed. This article describes an evaluation of respirable crystalline silica exposures to the operator and ground worker from two different half-lane and larger asphalt pavement milling machines that had ventilation dust controls and water-sprays designed and installed by the manufacturers. Manufacturer A completed milling for 11 days at 4 highway construction sites in Wisconsin, and Manufacturer B completed milling for 10 days at 7 highway construction sites in Indiana. To evaluate the dust controls, full-shift personal breathing zone air samples were collected from an operator and ground worker during the course of normal employee work activities of asphalt pavement milling at 11 different sites. Forty-two personal breathing zone air samples were collected over 21 days (sampling on an operator and ground worker each day). All samples were below 50 µg/m(3) for respirable crystalline silica, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended exposure limit. The geometric mean personal breathing zone air sample was 6.2 µg/m(3) for the operator and 6.1 µg/m(3) for the ground worker for the Manufacturer A milling machine. The geometric mean personal breathing zone air sample was 4.2 µg/m(3) for the operator and 9.0 µg/m(3) for the ground worker for the Manufacturer B milling machine. In addition, upper 95% confidence limits for the mean exposure for each occupation were well below 50 µg/m(3) for both studies. The silica content in the bulk asphalt material being milled ranged from 7-23% silica for roads milled by Manufacturer A and from 5-12% silica for roads milled by Manufacturer B. The results indicate that engineering controls consisting of ventilation controls in combination with water-sprays are capable of controlling occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica generated by asphalt pavement milling machines on highway construction sites.

Alternating phase-shifted mask for logic gate levels, design, and mask manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liebmann, Lars W.; Graur, Ioana C.; Leipold, William C.; Oberschmidt, James M.; O'Grady, David S.; Regaill, Denis

1999-07-01

While the benefits of alternating phase shifted masks in improving lithographic process windows at increased resolution are well known throughout the lithography community, broad implementation of this potentially powerful technique has been slow due to the inherent complexity of the layout design and mask manufacturing process. This paper will review a project undertaken at IBM's Semiconductor Research and Development Center and Mask Manufacturing and Development facility to understand the technical and logistical issues associated with the application of alternating phase shifted mask technology to the gate level of a full microprocessor chip. The work presented here depicts an important milestone toward integration of alternating phase shifted masks into the manufacturing process by demonstrating an automated design solution and yielding a functional alternating phase shifted mask. The design conversion of the microprocessor gate level to a conjugate twin shifter alternating phase shift layout was accomplished with IBM's internal design system that automatically scaled the design, added required phase regions, and resolved phase conflicts. The subsequent fabrication of a nearly defect free phase shifted mask, as verified by SEM based die to die inspection, highlights the maturity of the alternating phase shifted mask manufacturing process in IBM's internal mask facility. Well defined and recognized challenges in mask inspection and repair remain and the layout of alternating phase shifted masks present a design and data preparation overhead, but the data presented here demonstrate the feasibility of designing and building manufacturing quality alternating phase shifted masks for the gate level of a microprocessor.

The experiences of support persons of people newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis: an interpretative phenomenological study.

PubMed

Strickland, Karen; Worth, Allison; Kennedy, Catriona

2015-12-01

This study explores the experience of the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis for the support person and identifies the impact on their lives. At the time of diagnosis, the support person may not be readily identified in a traditional caring role; however, the diagnosis itself brings with it the possibility of changes to the roles in the relationship and possible consequences for biographical construction. A hermeneutic phenomenological study. A convenience sample of nine support persons was interviewed between December 2008-March 2010. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The participants in this study were often not readily identifiable as 'carers'; however, the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis implied a shift towards a caring role at some point in the future. The uncertainty surrounding the nature and progression of the condition left this identity hanging, incomplete and as such contributed to a liminal way of being. This paper reveals that biographical disruption is not limited to the person diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis but that the support person also undergoes a transition to their sense of self to that of 'anticipatory carer'. The findings provide insight into the biographical and emotional impact of Multiple Sclerosis on the support persons early in the development of the condition. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Is laboratory medicine ready for the era of personalized medicine? A survey addressed to laboratory directors of hospitals/academic schools of medicine in Europe.

PubMed

Malentacchi, Francesca; Mancini, Irene; Brandslund, Ivan; Vermeersch, Pieter; Schwab, Matthias; Marc, Janja; van Schaik, Ron H N; Siest, Gerard; Theodorsson, Elvar; Pazzagli, Mario; Di Resta, Chiara

2015-06-01

Developments in "-omics" are creating a paradigm shift in laboratory medicine leading to personalized medicine. This allows the increase in diagnostics and therapeutics focused on individuals rather than populations. In order to investigate whether laboratory medicine is ready to play a key role in the integration of personalized medicine in routine health care and set the state-of-the-art knowledge about personalized medicine and laboratory medicine in Europe, a questionnaire was constructed under the auspices of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) and the European Society of Pharmacogenomics and Personalised Therapy (ESPT). The answers of the participating laboratory medicine professionals indicate that they are aware that personalized medicine can represent a new and promising health model, and that laboratory medicine should play a key role in supporting the implementation of personalized medicine in the clinical setting. Participants think that the current organization of laboratory medicine needs additional/relevant implementations such as (i) new technological facilities in -omics; (ii) additional training for the current personnel focused on the new methodologies; (iii) incorporation in the laboratory of new competencies in data interpretation and counseling; and (iv) cooperation and collaboration among professionals of different disciplines to integrate information according to a personalized medicine approach.

Manganese and welding fume exposure and control in construction.

PubMed

Meeker, John D; Susi, Pam; Flynn, Michael R

2007-12-01

Overexposure to welding fume constituents, particularly manganese, is of concern in the construction industry due to the prevalence of welding and the scarcity of engineering controls. The control effectiveness of a commercially available portable local exhaust ventilation (LEV) unit was assessed. It consisted of a portable vacuum and a small bell-shaped hood connected by a flexible 2 inch (50.8 mm) diameter hose, in both experimental and field settings. The experimental testing was done in a semienclosed booth at a pipefitter training facility. Five paired trials of LEV control vs. no control, each approximately 1 hr in duration and conducted during two successive welds of 6 inch (152.4 mm) diameter carbon steel pipe were run in random order. Breathing zone samples were collected outside the welding hood during each trial. In the field scenario, full-shift breathing zone samples were collected from two pipefitters welding carbon steel pipe for a chiller installation on a commercial construction project. Eight days of full-shift sampling were conducted on both workers (n = 16), and the LEV was used by one of the two workers on an alternating basis for 7 of the days. All samples were collected with personal sample pumps calibrated at 2 L/min. Filter cassettes were analyzed for total particulate and manganese concentration by a certified laboratory. In the experimental setting, use of the portable LEV resulted in a 75% reduction in manganese exposure (mean 13 microg/m(3) vs. 51 microg/m(3); p < 0.05) and a 60% reduction in total particulate (mean 0.74 mg/m(3) vs. 1.83 mg/m(3); p < 0.05). In the field setting, LEV use resulted in a 53% reduction in manganese exposure (geometric mean 46 microg/m(3) vs. 97 microg/m(3); p < 0.05) but only a 10% reduction in total particulate (geometric mean 4.5 mg/m(3) vs. 5.0 mg/m(3); p > 0.05). These results demonstrate that LEV use can reduce manganese exposure associated with welding tasks in construction.

Tobacco industry use of personal responsibility rhetoric in public relations and litigation: disguising freedom to blame as freedom of choice.

PubMed

Friedman, Lissy C; Cheyne, Andrew; Givelber, Daniel; Gottlieb, Mark A; Daynard, Richard A

2015-02-01

We examined the tobacco industry's rhetoric to frame personal responsibility arguments. The industry rarely uses the phrase "personal responsibility" explicitly, but rather "freedom of choice." When freedom of choice is used in the context of litigation, the industry means that those who choose to smoke are solely to blame for their injuries. When used in the industry's public relations messages, it grounds its meaning in the concept of liberty and the right to smoke. The courtroom "blame rhetoric" has influenced the industry's larger public relations message to shift responsibility away from the tobacco companies and onto their customers. Understanding the rhetoric and framing that the industry employs is essential to combating this tactic, and we apply this comprehension to other industries that act as disease vectors.

Changing health care worker behavior in relation to respiratory disease transmission with a novel training approach that uses biosimulation.

PubMed

Carrico, Ruth M; Coty, Mary B; Goss, Linda K; Lajoie, Andrew S

2007-02-01

This pilot study was conducted to determine whether supplementing standard classroom training methods regarding respiratory disease transmission with a visual demonstration could improve the use of personal protective equipment among emergency department nurses. Participants included 20 emergency department registered nurses randomized into 2 groups: control and intervention. The intervention group received supplemental training using the visual demonstration of respiratory particle dispersion. Both groups were then observed throughout their work shifts as they provided care during January-March 2005. Participants who received supplemental visual training correctly utilized personal protective equipment statistically more often than did participants who received only the standard classroom training. Supplementing the standard training methods with a visual demonstration can improve the use of personal protective equipment during care of patients exhibiting respiratory symptoms.

PGTandMe: social networking-based genetic testing and the evolving research model.

PubMed

Koch, Valerie Gutmann

2012-01-01

The opportunity to use extensive genetic data, personal information, and family medical history for research purposes may be naturally appealing to the personal genetic testing (PGT) industry, which is already coupling direct-to-consumer (DTC) products with social networking technologies, as well as to potential industry or institutional partners. This article evaluates the transformation in research that the hybrid of PGT and social networking will bring about, and--highlighting the challenges associated with a new paradigm of "patient-driven" genomic research--focuses on the consequences of shifting the structure, locus, timing, and scope of research through genetic crowd-sourcing. This article also explores potential ethical, legal, and regulatory issues that arise from the hybrid between personal genomic research and online social networking, particularly regarding informed consent, institutional review board (IRB) oversight, and ownership/intellectual property (IP) considerations.

Towards precision prevention: Technologies for identifying healthy individuals with high risk of disease.

PubMed

Nagel, Zachary D; Engelward, Bevin P; Brenner, David J; Begley, Thomas J; Sobol, Robert W; Bielas, Jason H; Stambrook, Peter J; Wei, Qingyi; Hu, Jennifer J; Terry, Mary Beth; Dilworth, Caroline; McAllister, Kimberly A; Reinlib, Les; Worth, Leroy; Shaughnessy, Daniel T

2017-08-01

The rise of advanced technologies for characterizing human populations at the molecular level, from sequence to function, is shifting disease prevention paradigms toward personalized strategies. Because minimization of adverse outcomes is a key driver for treatment decisions for diseased populations, developing personalized therapy strategies represent an important dimension of both precision medicine and personalized prevention. In this commentary, we highlight recently developed enabling technologies in the field of DNA damage, DNA repair, and mutagenesis. We propose that omics approaches and functional assays can be integrated into population studies that fuse basic, translational and clinical research with commercial expertise in order to accelerate personalized prevention and treatment of cancer and other diseases linked to aberrant responses to DNA damage. This collaborative approach is generally applicable to efforts to develop data-driven, individualized prevention and treatment strategies for other diseases. We also recommend strategies for maximizing the use of biological samples for epidemiological studies, and for applying emerging technologies to clinical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Psychotherapy integration in the treatment of personality disorders: a commentary.

PubMed

Nelson, Dana L; Beutler, Larry E; Castonguay, Louis G

2012-02-01

Whereas research on the treatment of personality disorders over the past several decades has focused primarily on comparing the efficacy of various treatment packages associated with different theoretical models, there is increasing evidence that the field would benefit from focusing more attention on developing integrative treatments that are both informed by research and capable of scientific verification. The articles assembled for this special section each propose a different approach to integrative treatment for personality disorders. In this commentary, we outline a number of reasons for making such a shift to more integrative treatments, consider some of the potential challenges to integration, and discuss the different approaches to integration illustrated in these articles. We highlight some of the difficult tradeoffs that must be made in developing an integrative approach and discuss similarities and differences in the response to such challenges by the contributors to this special section. Finally, we point to several areas for future research that we believe will contribute to the development of increasingly effective treatments for individuals with personality disorders.

Sex differences and sexual orientation differences in personality: findings from the BBC Internet survey.

PubMed

Lippa, Richard A

2008-02-01

Analyzing a large international data set generated by a BBC Internet survey, I examined sex differences and sexual orientation differences in six personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, disagreeable assertiveness, masculine versus feminine occupational preferences (MF-Occ), and self-ascribed masculinity-femininity (Self-MF). Consistent with previous research, sex differences and sexual orientation differences were largest for MF-Occ and for Self-MF. In general, heterosexual-homosexual differences mirrored sex differences in personality, with gay men shifted in female-typical and lesbians in male-typical directions. Bisexual men scored intermediate between heterosexual and gay men on MF-Occ; however, they were slightly more feminine than gay men on Self-MF. Bisexual women scored intermediate between heterosexual women and lesbians on both MF-Occ and Self-MF. Sex differences and sexual orientation differences in MF-Occ, Self-MF, and other personality traits were consistent across five nations/world regions (the UK, USA, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, and Western Europe), thereby suggesting a biological component to these differences.

Consumption symbols as carriers of culture: a study of Japanese and Spanish brand personality constructs.

PubMed

Aaker, J L; Benet-Martínez, V; Garolera, J

2001-09-01

This research argues that the meaning embedded in consumption symbols, such as commercial brands, can serve to represent and institutionalize the values and beliefs of a culture. Relying on a combined emic-etic approach, the authors conducted 4 studies to examine how symbolic and expressive attributes associated with commercial brands are structured and how this structure varies across 3 cultures. Studies 1 and 2 revealed a set of "brand personality" dimensions common to both Japan and the United States (Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, and Sophistication), as well as culture-specific Japanese (Peacefulness) and American (Ruggedness) dimensions. Studied 3 and 4, which extended this set of findings to Spain, yielded brand personality dimensions common to both Spain and the United States (Sincerity, Excitement, and Sophistication), plus nonshared Spanish (Passion) and American (Competence and Ruggedness) dimensions. The meaning of these brand personality dimensions is discussed in the context of cross-cultural research on values and affect, globalization issues, and cultural frame shifting.

"If you can't do it now, you're out the door:" employees with traumatic brain injury - a case study.

PubMed

Sabatello, Maya

2014-01-01

This study considers the employment of persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a disability-rights perspective. This approach calls for a shift from a focus on one's (in)capacity towards one's capability, incorporating both factors of impairment and of appropriate accommodation and supports to create inclusion. To give a voice to persons with TBI, the discussion is based on interviews with Tracey (pseudonym), a woman who incurred the injury at a young age and carried its implications as she entered the workforce. It illustrates the discrimination and prejudice encountered by such individuals in procuring employment and gaining acceptance in workplaces and the accommodation-related challenges. The case study discusses the complexities involved as a way for developing a better understanding what must be considered, from a disability-rights perspective, regarding employment and workplace of persons with TBI. The 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) provides a legal reference for the discussion.

The Effect of a Supreme Court Decision Regarding Gay Marriage on Social Norms and Personal Attitudes.

PubMed

Tankard, Margaret E; Paluck, Elizabeth Levy

2017-09-01

We propose that institutions such as the U.S. Supreme Court can lead individuals to update their perceptions of social norms, in contrast to the mixed evidence on whether institutions shape individuals' personal opinions. We studied reactions to the June 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. In a controlled experimental setting, we found that a favorable ruling, when presented as likely, shifted perceived norms and personal attitudes toward increased support for gay marriage and gay people. Next, a five-wave longitudinal time-series study using a sample of 1,063 people found an increase in perceived social norms supporting gay marriage after the ruling but no change in personal attitudes. This pattern was replicated in a separate between-subjects data set. These findings provide the first experimental evidence that an institutional decision can change perceptions of social norms, which have been shown to guide behavior, even when individual opinions are unchanged.

Workplace discrimination and cumulative trauma disorders: the national EEOC ADA research project.

PubMed

Armstrong, Amy J; McMahon, Brian T; West, Steven L; Lewis, Allen

2005-01-01

Employment discrimination of persons with cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) was explored using the Integrated Mission System dataset of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Demographic characteristics and merit resolutions of the Charging Parties (persons with CTD) were compared to individuals experiencing other physical, sensory and neurological impairments. Factors compared also included industry designation, geographic region, and size of Respondents against which allegations were filed. Persons with CTD had proportionately greater allegations among large Respondents (greater than 500 workers) engaged in manufacturing, utilities, transportation, finance insurance and real estate. The types of discrimination Issues that were proportionately greater in the CTD group included layoff, failure to reinstate, and failure to provide reasonable accommodation. The CTD group was significantly less likely than the comparison group to be involved in discrimination Issues such as assignment to less desirable duty, shift or work location; demotion; termination, or failure to hire or provide training. Persons with CTD had higher proportions of merit Resolutions where allegations were voluntarily withdrawn by the Charging Party with benefits.

Towards precision prevention: Technologies for identifying healthy individuals with high risk of disease

PubMed Central

Nagel, Zachary D.; Engelward, Bevin P.; Brenner, David J.; Begley, Thomas J.; Sobol, Robert W.; Bielas, Jason H.; Stambrook, Peter J.; Wei, Qingyi; Hu, Jennifer J.; Terry, Mary Beth; Dilworth, Caroline; McAllister, Kimberly A.; Reinlib, Les; Worth, Leroy; Shaughnessy, Daniel T.

2018-01-01

The rise of advanced technologies for characterizing human populations at the molecular level, from sequence to function, is shifting disease prevention paradigms toward personalized strategies. Because minimization of adverse outcomes is a key driver for treatment decisions for diseased populations, developing personalized therapy strategies represent an important dimension of both precision medicine and personalized prevention. In this commentary, we highlight recently developed enabling technologies in the field of DNA damage, DNA repair, and mutagenesis. We propose that omics approaches and functional assays can be integrated into population studies that fuse basic, translational and clinical research with commercial expertise in order to accelerate personalized prevention and treatment of cancer and other diseases linked to aberrant responses to DNA damage. This collaborative approach is generally applicable to efforts to develop data-driven, individualized prevention and treatment strategies for other diseases. We also recommend strategies for maximizing the use of biological samples for epidemiological studies, and for applying emerging technologies to clinical applications. PMID:28458064

[CHANGES OF THE HEMOSTASIS SYSTEM IN THE INJURED PERSONS IN FRACTURES OF LONG BONES OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES].

PubMed

Tarabrin, O O; Grichushenko, I S

2015-09-01

The changes of hemostasis in the injured persons, in the lower extremities long bones fracture were analyzed. Complex dynamic investigation of the hemostasis system was conducted preoperatively in 76 injured persons, in whom long bones of the lower extremities fracture have occurred, and in 31--with injury of meniscus. Instrumental diagnostic method--a low-frequency piezoelectric thromboelastography--was applied for investigation of the blood coagulation system. The shift in a system of hemostasis towards hypercoagulation, fibrinolytic and the thrombine activity inhibition, the thrombocytes spontaneous aggregation intensity, duration of formation of a clot fibrinthrombocytic structure; the blood fibrinthrombocytic constanta enhancement, a summary index of the clot retraction and spontaneous lysis reduction were revealed in a hemostasis system before start of the treatment. The hemostasis system disorders in the injured persons may cause thrombohemorrhagic complications, what trusts a necessity for rational choice of preoperative methods of prophylaxis and intensive therapy in a system of hemostasis.

Job satisfaction amongst aged care staff: exploring the influence of person-centered care provision.

PubMed

Edvardsson, David; Fetherstonhaugh, Deirdre; McAuliffe, Linda; Nay, Rhonda; Chenco, Carol

2011-10-01

There are challenges in attracting and sustaining a competent and stable workforce in aged care, and key issues of concern such as low staff job satisfaction and feelings of not being able to provide high quality care have been described. This study aimed to explore the association between person-centered care provision and job satisfaction in aged care staff. Residential aged care staff (n = 297) in Australia completed the measure of job satisfaction and the person-centered care assessment tool. Univariate analyses examined relationships between variables, and multiple linear regression analysis explored the extent to whichperceived person-centredness could predict job satisfaction of staff. Perceived person-centred care provision was significantly associated with job satisfaction, and person-centred care provision could explain nearly half of the variation in job satisfaction. The regression model with the three person-centered care subscales as predictor variables accounted for 40% of the variance in job satisfaction. Personalizing care had the largest independent influence on job satisfaction, followed by amount of organizational support and degree of environmental accessibility. Personalizing care and amount of organizational support had a statistically significant unique influence. As person-centered care positively correlated with staff job satisfaction, supporting staff in providing person-centered care can enhance job satisfaction and might facilitate attracting and retaining staff in residential aged care. The findings reiterate a need to shift focus from merely completing care tasks and following organizational routines to providing high quality person-centered care that promotes the good life of residents in aged care.

Sitting Time, Physical Activity and Sleep by Work Type and Pattern—The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

PubMed Central

Clark, Bronwyn K.; Kolbe-Alexander, Tracy L.; Duncan, Mitch J.; Brown, Wendy

2017-01-01

Data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health were used to examine how work was associated with time spent sleeping, sitting and in physical activity (PA), in working women. Young (31–36 years; 2009) and mid-aged (59–64 years; 2010) women reported sleep (categorised as shorter ≤6 h/day and longer ≥8 h/day) and sitting time (work, transport, television, non-work computer, and other; summed for total sitting time) on the most recent work and non-work day; and moderate and vigorous PA (categorised as meeting/not meeting guidelines) in the previous week. Participants reported occupation (manager/professional; clerical/sales; trades/transport/labourer), work hours (part-time; full-time) and work pattern (shift/night; not shift/night). The odds of shorter sleep on work days was higher in both cohorts for women who worked shift or night hours. Longer sitting time on work days, made up primarily of sitting for work, was found for managers/professionals, clerical/sales and full-time workers. In the young cohort, clerical/sales workers and in the mid-aged cohort, full-time workers were less likely to meet PA guidelines. These results suggest multiple behaviour interventions tailored to work patterns and occupational category may be useful to improve the sleep, sitting and activity of working women. PMID:28287446