Sample records for high involvement work

  1. Parents as Role Models: Parental Behavior Affects Adolescents' Plans for Work Involvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiese, Bettina S.; Freund, Alexandra M.

    2011-01-01

    This study (N = 520 high-school students) investigates the influence of parental work involvement on adolescents' own plans regarding their future work involvement. As expected, adolescents' perceptions of parental work behavior affected their plans for own work involvement. Same-sex parents served as main role models for the adolescents' own…

  2. High Involvement Work Teams [in HRD].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1995

    These five papers are from a symposium on high involvement work teams that was facilitated by Catherine M. Sleezer at the 1995 Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD) conference. "An Empirical Study of Employee Involvement in Designing and Managing Reward Systems" (William M. Kahnweiler) reports on a study of 300 organizations that…

  3. Work hours and work-family conflict: the double-edged sword of involvement in work and family.

    PubMed

    Matthews, Russell A; Swody, Cathleen A; Barnes-Farrell, Janet L

    2012-08-01

    In this study, we examine the role of work hours in a model that incorporates involvement in both work and family with experiences of work-family conflict and subjective well-being. Self-report data were collected from 383 full-time employees and analysed using structural equation modelling techniques. Results demonstrate that role salience was positively related to behavioural involvement with work and with family. In turn, behavioural family involvement was negatively related to work hours and family-to-work conflict, while behavioural work involvement was positively related to work hours. Behavioural family involvement was also positively related to life satisfaction. Finally, both family-to-work conflict and end-of-workday strain were negatively related to life satisfaction. Our results provide insight into unexpected problems that might arise when employees place overly high importance on work and work long hours. This study serves as a foundation for researchers to examine the interplay of time spent with work and family with other aspects of the work-family interface. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. When does incivility lead to counterproductive work behavior? Roles of job involvement, task interdependence, and gender.

    PubMed

    Welbourne, Jennifer L; Sariol, Ana M

    2017-04-01

    This research investigated the conditions under which exposure to incivility at work was associated with engaging in counterproductive work behavior (CWB). Drawing from stressor-strain and coping frameworks, we predicted that experienced incivility would be associated with engaging in production deviance and withdrawal behavior, and that these relationships would be strongest for employees who had high levels of job involvement and worked under task interdependent conditions. Gender differences in these effects were also investigated. A sample of 250 United States full-time employees from various occupations completed 2 waves (timed 6 weeks apart) of an online survey. Results indicate that employees with high job involvement were more likely to engage in production deviance and withdrawal behavior following exposure to incivility than were employees with low job involvement. The moderating effect of task interdependence varied by gender, such that the relationship between incivility and CWB was strengthened under high task interdependence for female employees, but weakened under high task interdependence for male employees. These findings highlight that certain work conditions can increase employees' susceptibility to the impacts of incivility, leading to harmful outcomes for organizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  5. Teacher Work Context and Parent Involvement in Urban High Schools of Choice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bauch, Patricia A.; Goldring, Ellen B.

    2000-01-01

    Uses findings from previous studies of teacher work context to hypothesize that some features of the school workplace may contribute to greater parent involvement in urban high schools, especially home-school communication and parent volunteering. Discusses the roles of communal school organization and a context of caring. (SLD)

  6. Contingent self-esteem, stressors and burnout in working women and men.

    PubMed

    Blom, Victoria

    2012-01-01

    A high work involvement is considered central in the burnout process. Yet, research investigating how high work involvement and psychosocial stressors relate to burnout is scarce. High involvement in terms of performance-based self-esteem (PBSE) refers to individuals' strivings to validate self-worth by achievements, a disposition linked to poor health. The aim of the present study was to examine longitudinally PBSE in relation to burnout while also taking into account work- and private life stressors. The sample consisted of 2121 working women and men. Main- and mediation effects were investigated using hierarchical regression analysis. The results showed performance-based self-esteem mediated partially between the stressors and burnout. Performance-based self-esteem was the strongest predictor of burnout over time, followed by private life stressors. Women experienced more work stress than did men. Men had stronger associations between work stressors and burnout, while women had stronger associations between performance-based self-esteem and burnout. Individual characteristics along with both private life and work stressors are important predictors of burnout. Factors associated with burnout differ somewhat between women and men.

  7. Nurse and resident satisfaction in magnet long-term care organizations: do high involvement approaches matter?

    PubMed

    Rondeau, Kent V; Wagar, Terry H

    2006-04-01

    This study examines the association of high involvement nursing work practices with employer-of-choice (magnet) status in a sample of Canadian nursing homes. In response to a severe shortage of registered nursing personnel, it is imperative for health care organizations to more effectively recruit and retain nursing personnel. Some long-term care organizations are developing employee-centred cultures that allow them to effectively enhance nurse and resident satisfaction. At the same time, many nursing homes have adopted progressive nursing workplace practices (high involvement work practices) that emphasize greater employee empowerment, participation and commitment. A mail survey was sent to the director of nursing in 300 nursing homes in western Canada. In total, 125 useable questionnaires were returned and constituted the data set for this study. Separate ordinary least squares regressions are performed with magnet strength, nurse satisfaction and resident satisfaction used as dependent variables. Nursing homes that demonstrate strong magnet (employer-of-choice) characteristics are more likely to have higher levels of nurse and patient satisfaction, even after controlling for a number of significant factors at the establishment level. Magnet nursing homes are more likely to have progressive participatory decision-making cultures and much more likely to spend considerable resources on job-related training for their nursing staff. The presence of high involvement work practices is not found to be a significant predictor in magnet strength, nurse or resident satisfaction. Merely adopting more high involvement nursing work practices may be insufficient for nursing homes, which desire to become 'employers-of-choice' in their marketplaces, especially if these practices are adopted without a concomitant investment in nurse training or an enhanced commitment to establishing a more democratic and participatory decision-making style involving all nursing staff.

  8. Involvement of Working Memory in College Students' Sequential Pattern Learning and Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kundey, Shannon M. A.; De Los Reyes, Andres; Rowan, James D.; Lee, Bern; Delise, Justin; Molina, Sabrina; Cogdill, Lindsay

    2013-01-01

    When learning highly organized sequential patterns of information, humans and nonhuman animals learn rules regarding the hierarchical structures of these sequences. In three experiments, we explored the role of working memory in college students' sequential pattern learning and performance in a computerized task involving a sequential…

  9. Working Memory Load and Automaticity in Relation to Mental Multiplication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ding, Yi; Liu, Ru-De; Xu, Le; Wang, Jia; Zhang, Dake

    2017-01-01

    The authors' aim was to examine the relations among mental multiplication, working memory load (WML), and automaticity by alternating the difficulty level of task characteristics. In Experiment 1, involving 30 fifth-grade students with mixed abilities, a 2 (WML) × 2 (automaticity) design was utilized. In Experiment 2, involving 21 high-achieving…

  10. Results of the 2015 National Certified Pharmacy Technician Workforce Survey.

    PubMed

    Desselle, Shane P; Holmes, Erin R

    2017-07-01

    The results of the 2015 National Certified Pharmacy Technician Workforce Survey are described. A survey was e-mailed to a randomized sample of 5,000 certified pharmacy technicians (CPhTs) throughout the United States, with response reminders employed. Survey items eliciting demographic and work characteristics and work life attitudes were generated from the literature and qualitative interviews. This study aimed to describe job satisfaction, sources of stress, profession and employer commitment, education and training, and reasons for entry into the profession among CPhTs and determine relationships between those variables and CPhTs' level of involvement in various work activities, with particular attention paid to differences in practice setting. Frequency statistics, correlation analysis, and means testing were used to meet study objectives and identify significant differences. A total of 516 CPhTs currently working as a pharmacy technician responded to the survey. The CPhTs reported high levels of involvement in more traditional activities but less involvement in those that involve greater cognitive load. Respondents reported moderate levels of job satisfaction and commitment and somewhat high levels of stress overall. Most CPhTs chose to be a pharmacy technician because they desired to enter a healthcare field and help people and were recruited. CPhTs derived benefit from all aspects of education and training evaluated and most from on-the-job training. Perceived value of education and training was associated with higher satisfaction and commitment and with lower stress. There were a number of differences in these work life attitudes across practice settings and by involvement in various job functions. The results of the survey indicated that job satisfaction and commitment were moderate and that stress levels were somewhat high among CPhTs. There were a number of differences in work life attitudes across practice settings and by involvement in various job activities. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Factors associated with sex work involvement among transgender women in Jamaica: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Logie, Carmen H; Wang, Ying; Lacombe-Duncan, Ashley; Jones, Nicolette; Ahmed, Uzma; Levermore, Kandasi; Neil, Ava; Ellis, Tyrone; Bryan, Nicolette; Marshall, Annecka; Newman, Peter A

    2017-04-06

    Transgender women are disproportionately impacted by HIV. Transgender women involved in sex work may experience exacerbated violence, social exclusion, and HIV vulnerabilities, in comparison with non-sex work-involved transgender women. Scant research has investigated sex work among transgender women in the Caribbean, including Jamaica, where transgender women report pervasive violence. The study objective was to examine factors associated with sex work involvement among transgender women in Jamaica. In 2015, we implemented a cross-sectional survey using modified peer-driven recruitment with transgender women in Kingston and Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in collaboration with a local community-based AIDS service organization. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with paid sex and transactional sex. Exchanging oral, anal or vaginal sex for money only was categorized as paid sex. Exchanging sex for survival needs (food, accommodation, transportation), drugs or alcohol, or for money along with survival needs and/or drugs/alcohol, was categorized as transactional sex. Among 137 transgender women (mean age: 24.0 [SD: 4.5]), two-thirds reported living in the Kingston area. Overall, 25.2% reported being HIV-positive. Approximately half (n = 71; 51.82%) reported any sex work involvement, this included sex in exchange for: money (n = 64; 47.06%); survival needs (n = 27; 19.85%); and drugs/alcohol (n = 6; 4.41%). In multivariable analyses, paid sex and transactional sex were both associated with: intrapersonal (depression), interpersonal (lower social support, forced sex, childhood sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, multiple partners/polyamory), and structural (transgender stigma, unemployment) factors. Participants reporting transactional sex also reported increased odds of incarceration perceived to be due to transgender identity, forced sex, homelessness, and lower resilience, in comparison with participants reporting no sex work involvement. Findings reveal high HIV infection rates among transgender women in Jamaica. Sex work-involved participants experience social and structural drivers of HIV, including violence, stigma, and unemployment. Transgender women involved in transactional sex also experience high rates of incarceration, forced sex and homelessness in comparison with non-sex workers. Taken together, these findings suggest that social ecological factors elevate HIV exposure among sex work-involved transgender women in Jamaica. Findings can inform interventions to advance human rights and HIV prevention and care cascades with transgender women in Jamaica.

  12. Factors associated with sex work involvement among transgender women in Jamaica: a cross-sectional study

    PubMed Central

    Logie, Carmen H; Wang, Ying; Lacombe-Duncan, Ashley; Jones, Nicolette; Ahmed, Uzma; Levermore, Kandasi; Neil, Ava; Ellis, Tyrone; Bryan, Nicolette; Marshall, Annecka; Newman, Peter A

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Introduction: Transgender women are disproportionately impacted by HIV. Transgender women involved in sex work may experience exacerbated violence, social exclusion, and HIV vulnerabilities, in comparison with non-sex work-involved transgender women. Scant research has investigated sex work among transgender women in the Caribbean, including Jamaica, where transgender women report pervasive violence. The study objective was to examine factors associated with sex work involvement among transgender women in Jamaica. Methods: In 2015, we implemented a cross-sectional survey using modified peer-driven recruitment with transgender women in Kingston and Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in collaboration with a local community-based AIDS service organization. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with paid sex and transactional sex. Exchanging oral, anal or vaginal sex for money only was categorized as paid sex. Exchanging sex for survival needs (food, accommodation, transportation), drugs or alcohol, or for money along with survival needs and/or drugs/alcohol, was categorized as transactional sex. Results: Among 137 transgender women (mean age: 24.0 [SD: 4.5]), two-thirds reported living in the Kingston area. Overall, 25.2% reported being HIV-positive. Approximately half (n = 71; 51.82%) reported any sex work involvement, this included sex in exchange for: money (n = 64; 47.06%); survival needs (n = 27; 19.85%); and drugs/alcohol (n = 6; 4.41%). In multivariable analyses, paid sex and transactional sex were both associated with: intrapersonal (depression), interpersonal (lower social support, forced sex, childhood sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, multiple partners/polyamory), and structural (transgender stigma, unemployment) factors. Participants reporting transactional sex also reported increased odds of incarceration perceived to be due to transgender identity, forced sex, homelessness, and lower resilience, in comparison with participants reporting no sex work involvement. Conclusions: Findings reveal high HIV infection rates among transgender women in Jamaica. Sex work-involved participants experience social and structural drivers of HIV, including violence, stigma, and unemployment. Transgender women involved in transactional sex also experience high rates of incarceration, forced sex and homelessness in comparison with non-sex workers. Taken together, these findings suggest that social ecological factors elevate HIV exposure among sex work-involved transgender women in Jamaica. Findings can inform interventions to advance human rights and HIV prevention and care cascades with transgender women in Jamaica. PMID:28406598

  13. Work-related injuries in drywall installation.

    PubMed

    Lipscomb, H J; Dement, J M; Gaal, J S; Cameron, W; McDougall, V

    2000-10-01

    Administrative data sources were used to describe the work-related injuries of drywall carpenters, to calculate rates of occurrence, and to explore high risk sub-groups. Health insurance eligibility files were used to identify a cohort of active union carpenters affiliated with a union local whose predominant work involved drywall installation in the state of Washington. These files contained the hours worked by each individual for each month between January 1989 and December 1995, providing person-hours at risk as a union carpenter. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) provided records of workers' compensation claims filed by these individuals. Over seven years 1773 drywall carpenters filed 2567 workers' compensation claims representing an overall rate of 53.3 per 200,000 hours worked. These claims were filed by 1046 different individuals, or 59.0 percent of the cohort. Claims resulting in paid lost time from work were filed at a rate of 12.5 per 200,000 hours worked (n = 609) by 445 (25.1%) different individuals. The most common mechanisms of injury involved being struck (38.3%), overexertion (28.1%), and falls (13.2%). Struck by injuries most commonly involved cuts to the upper extremity. Overexertion injuries were most commonly described as sprains or strains involving the back. Sheetrock was associated with over 40 percent of these injuries. Falls most commonly involved injuries to the knee followed by the back and multiple injuries. Struck by injuries decreased steadily with increasing age and increasing time in the union. There was a steady increase in the rate of falls with increasing age. Overexertion injuries were responsible for the greatest proportion of costs for medical care, permanent impairment, and paid lost days. The high rates of overexertion injuries among these workers is consistent with known ergonomic stresses on drywall jobs. However, these workers are also at high risk of acute traumatic injuries.

  14. Job involvement of primary healthcare employees: does a service provision model play a role?

    PubMed

    Koponen, Anne M; Laamanen, Ritva; Simonsen-Rehn, Nina; Sundell, Jari; Brommels, Mats; Suominen, Sakari

    2010-05-01

    To investigate whether the development of job involvement of primary healthcare (PHC) employees in Southern Municipality (SM), where PHC services were outsourced to an independent non-profit organisation, differed from that in the three comparison municipalities (M1, M2, M3) with municipal service providers. Also, the associations of job involvement with factors describing the psychosocial work environment were investigated. A panel mail survey 2000-02 in Finland (n=369, response rates 73% and 60%). The data were analysed by descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression analysis. Despite the favourable development in the psychosocial work environment, job involvement decreased most in SM, which faced the biggest organisational changes. Job involvement decreased also in M3, where the psychosocial work environment deteriorated most. Job involvement in 2002 was best predicted by high baseline level of interactional justice and work control, positive change in interactional justice, and higher age. Also other factors, such as organisational stability, seemed to play a role; after controlling for the effect of the psychosocial work characteristics, job involvement was higher in M3 than in SM. Outsourcing of PHC services may decrease job involvement at least during the first years. A particular service provision model is better than the others only if it is superior in providing a favourable and stable psychosocial work environment.

  15. Career involvement and family involvement as moderators of relationships between work-family conflict and withdrawal from a profession.

    PubMed

    Greenhaus, J H; Parasuraman, S; Collins, K M

    2001-04-01

    This study extended prior analyses by J. H. Greenhaus, K. M. Collins, R. Singh, and S. Parasuraman (1997) by examining relationships between 2 directions of work-family conflict (work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict) and withdrawal from public accounting. The sample consisted of 199 members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (135 men and 64 women) who were married or in a long-term relationship and who had 1 or more children. It was found that work-to-family conflict (but not family-to-work conflict) was positively related to withdrawal intentions. In addition, relationships of work-to-family conflict with withdrawal intentions and withdrawal behavior were stronger for individuals who were relatively uninvolved in their careers than for those who were highly involved in their careers. The implications of the findings for future research are discussed.

  16. The role of high-involvement work practices and professional self-image in nursing recruits' turnover: A three-year prospective study.

    PubMed

    Chênevert, Denis; Jourdain, Geneviève; Vandenberghe, Christian

    2016-01-01

    The retention of young graduate nurses has become a major management challenge among hospitals in Western countries, which is amplified in a context of aging of populations and an increasing demand for services from patients. Moreover, as it has been reported that 50% of experienced nurses do not recommend a career in nursing, it is likely that retention problems occur not only at the level of the organization, but also at the level of the nursing profession. Although research has identified some predictors of nurse turnover, it is unclear which factors influence nurses' turnover from the organization and from the profession and how these factors interrelate with one another over time. The present study extends previous research on nurse turnover by looking at the combined effects of nurses' pre-entry expectations, perceived high-involvement work practices, and professional self-image, on intended and actual turnover from the organization and the profession. A prospective, longitudinal study of a sample of 160 graduated nurses affiliated with the Quebec Nurses' Association, Canada, was conducted. Participants were surveyed at three points in time, spread over a 3-year period. Graduated nurses' pre-entry expectations and professional self-image were surveyed at graduation (Time 1), while perceived high-involvement work practices, professional self-image, and intention to leave the organization and the profession were captured six months following nurses' entry into the labor market (Time 2). Finally, participants were surveyed with respect to organizational and professional turnover three years after the Time 2 survey (Time 3). Structural equations modeling was used to examine the structure of the measures and the relationships among the constructs. Although pre-entry expectations had no effect, perceived high-involvement work practices were positively related to Time 2, professional self-image (controlling for pre-entry professional self-image). Moreover, high-involvement work practices exerted an indirect, negative effect on organizational and professional turnover through intention to leave the organization, and an indirect negative effect on intention to leave the profession through professional self-image. Nonetheless, professional self-image did not affect turnover. The current study indicates that hospitals and nurse directors can take advantage of developing high-involvement work practices as these practices foster a stronger professional self-image among nurses, thereby contributing to their sense of value as care providers, and indirectly reduce intended and actual turnover from the organization and the profession. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Predictors of Team Work Satisfaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamlyn-Harris, James H.; Hurst, Barbara J.; von Baggo, Karola; Bayley, Anthony J.

    2006-01-01

    The ability to work in teams is an attribute highly valued by employers of information technology (IT) graduates. For IT students to effectively engage in team work tasks, the process of working in teams should be satisfying for the students. This work explored whether university students who were involved in compulsory team work were satisfied…

  18. Working memory, math performance, and math anxiety.

    PubMed

    Ashcraft, Mark H; Krause, Jeremy A

    2007-04-01

    The cognitive literature now shows how critically math performance depends on working memory, for any form of arithmetic and math that involves processes beyond simple memory retrieval. The psychometric literature is also very clear on the global consequences of mathematics anxiety. People who are highly math anxious avoid math: They avoid elective coursework in math, both in high school and college, they avoid college majors that emphasize math, and they avoid career paths that involve math. We go beyond these psychometric relationships to examine the cognitive consequences of math anxiety. We show how performance on a standardized math achievement test varies as a function of math anxiety, and that math anxiety compromises the functioning of working memory. High math anxiety works much like a dual task setting: Preoccupation with one's math fears and anxieties functions like a resource-demanding secondary task. We comment on developmental and educational factors related to math and working memory, and on factors that may contribute to the development of math anxiety.

  19. Deterioration of Child Welfare Families under Conditions of Welfare Reform. JCPR Working Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wells, Kathleen; Guo, Shenyang; Shafran, Robert D.; Pearlmutter, Susan

    At the time the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P. L. 104-193) was being debated, some child welfare advocates raised the concern that its effect on families at high risk of involvement in the child welfare system or on families already involved in the child welfare system would be negative. As the debate…

  20. Leading a Successful Reading Program: Administrators and Reading Specialists Working Together to Make It Happen

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeVries Guth, Nancy; Pettengill, Stephanie

    2005-01-01

    What's involved in establishing a high-quality literacy program? This book outlines elements such as a schoolwide literacy vision, an involved staff, a strong sense of community, a top-notch resource collection, a plan for monitoring progress, and the right tools to work effectively with students and parents. Here the reader will find: suggestions…

  1. [Job satisfaction of sales people: a covariance structure analysis of the motivational process].

    PubMed

    Adachi, T

    1998-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among job satisfaction, job involvement, and work motivation. Two hundred thirty-nine sales people completed a questionnaire of job satisfaction (pay, interpersonal relationship, work environment, and job content), job involvement, and work motivation. The data were analyzed with covariance structure analysis, and the model, which was constructed beforehand, fitted well with relatively high GFI and AGFI. Results of the analysis showed that job satisfaction, in terms of pay and interpersonal relationship, influenced job content satisfaction, which in turn indirectly influenced work motivation, mediated through job involvement. In addition, the data indicated that satisfaction with customer relationship was strongly related to job content satisfaction in the sample of sales people.

  2. Hazards and Health Risks Encountered by Manual Sand Dredgers from Udupi, India: A Cross-sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Shaikh, Alfiya; Nayak, Priyanka; Navada, Rajesh

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Globalization and urbanization have resulted in an increased demand on sand dredging. Legal and environmental restrictions on automated dredging have led to a rise in manual technique. The working techniques and environment involved in manual sand dredging may expose the workers to multiple work related disorders. Aim To determine the health risks and occupational hazards involved in manual sand dredging. Materials and Methods An assessment schedule was developed and content was validated by five experts for the study. A cross-sectional study was then conducted using this assessment schedule. Thirty manual sand dredgers were recruited from three randomly selected docks on Swarna riverbed in Udupi district, Karnataka, India. A detailed work and worksite assessments were conducted using systematic observation and close-ended questions. Work-related health risk evaluation included onsite-evaluation and self-reported health complains. Results The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort was 93.34% with lower back (70%), shoulder (56.7%) and neck (46.7%) involvements being most common regions. Prevalence of sensory deficits at multiple site and ear pain was 66.6% and 76.6% respectively. All the workers recruited, complained of dermatological and ophthalmic involvements. Also, lack of health and safety measures like personal protective devices and security schemes were identified. Conclusion This study shows a high prevalence of multiple work-related disorders and hazards involved in manual sand dredging, a highly demanding job in coastal Karnataka. Lack of health and safety measures were also identified. PMID:28892936

  3. Walking a high beam: the balance between employment stability, workplace flexibility, and nonresident father involvement.

    PubMed

    Castillo, Jason T; Welch, Greg W; Sarver, Christian M

    2012-03-01

    Compared with resident fathers, nonresident fathers are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed and less likely, when they are employed, to have access to flexible work arrangements. Although lack of employment stability is associated with lower levels of father involvement, some research shows that increased stability at work without increased flexibility is negatively related to involvement. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 895), the authors examined the relationship between nonresident fathers' employment stability, workplace flexibility, and father involvement. Results indicate that workplace flexibility, but not employment stability, is associated with higher levels of involvement. Policy and practice implications are discussed.

  4. Insecurity and shiftwork as characteristics of negative work environment: psychosocial and behavioural mediators.

    PubMed

    Elovainio, Marko; Kuusio, Hannamaria; Aalto, Anna-Mari; Sinervo, Timo; Heponiemi, Tarja

    2010-05-01

    This paper is a report of an investigation into whether insecure work contract and shiftwork are associated with reduced wellbeing indicators, such as psychological distress, low job involvement and low work ability. Insecure work contracts and shiftwork have repeatedly been found to contribute to the development and continuation of negative outcomes among healthcare professionals. In particular, nurses are generally considered as being at high risk of work-related stress and reduced wellbeing. Cross-sectional survey data from the Finnish Health Care Professional Study collected in 2006 were used. The random sample of Finnish Registered Nurses comprised 2100 women and men aged 22-65 years. Information on the work contract and shiftwork were self-reported. The wellbeing indicators used were psychological distress (GHQ-12), work ability and job involvement. Psychosocial work characteristics were measured using the Job Content Questionnaire and an organizational justice scale. Variance and linear regression analyses showed that insecure work contract was associated with lower work ability and job involvement. Shiftwork was related to psychological distress, low job involvement and low work ability. Support for a mediating role of job demands and job control and a moderating role of relational justice was obtained. To reduce the negative effects of environmental stressors, such as insecure work contract and shiftwork, it may be better to focus on improving psychosocial work characteristics than on nurses' health-related behaviour.

  5. The Open Road Student Involvement Project. Technical Assistance Bulletin 29.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National School Resource Network, Washington, DC.

    Twelve junior and senior high schools in California and ten in New York City are working to mitigate violence and vandalism in their schools and reduce high droupout and absentee rates by addressing a problem central to these issues--student alienation. Through the Open Road Student Involvement Project, natural student leaders form a volunteer…

  6. Prefrontal electroencephalographic activity during the working memory processes involved in a sexually motivated task in male rats.

    PubMed

    Hernández-González, Marisela; Almanza-Sepúlveda, Mayra Linné; Olvera-Cortés, María Esther; Gutiérrez-Guzmán, Blanca Erika; Guevara, Miguel Angel

    2012-08-01

    The prefrontal cortex is involved in working memory functions, and several studies using food or drink as rewards have demonstrated that the rat is capable of performing tasks that involve working memory. Sexual activity is another highly-rewarding, motivated behaviour that has proven to be an efficient incentive in classical operant tasks. The objective of this study was to determine whether the functional activity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) changes in relation to the working memory processes involved in a sexually motivated task performed in male rats. Thus, male Wistar rats implanted in the mPFC were subjected to a nonmatching-to-sample task in a T-maze using sexual interaction as a reinforcer during a 4-day training period. On the basis of their performance during training, the rats were classified as 'good-learners' or 'bad-learners'. Only the good-learner rats showed an increase in the absolute power of the 8-13 Hz band during both the sample and test runs; a finding that could be related to learning of the working memory elements entailed in the task. During the maintenance phase only (i.e., once the rule had been learned well), the good-learner rats also showed an increased correlation of the 8-13 Hz band during the sample run, indicating that a high degree of coupling between the prefrontal cortices is necessary for the processing required to allow the rats to make correct decisions in the maintenance phase. Taken together, these data show that mPFC activity changes in relation to the working memory processes involved in a sexually motivated task in male rats.

  7. Relationship of nurses' intrapersonal characteristics with work performance and caring behaviors: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Geyer, Nelouise-Marié; Coetzee, Siedine K; Ellis, Suria M; Uys, Leana R

    2018-02-28

    This study aimed to describe intrapersonal characteristics (professional values, personality, empathy, and job involvement), work performance as perceived by nurses, and caring behaviors as perceived by patients, and to examine the relationships among these variables. A cross-sectional design was employed. A sample was recruited of 218 nurses and 116 patients in four private hospitals and four public hospitals. Data were collected using self-report measures. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, hierarchical linear modelling, correlations, and structural equation modeling. Nurses perceived their work performance to be of high quality. Among the intrapersonal characteristics, nurses had high scores for professional values, and moderately high scores for personality, empathy and job involvement. Patients perceived nurses' caring behaviors as moderately high. Professional values of nurses were the only selected intrapersonal characteristic with a statistically significant positive relationship, of practical importance, with work performance as perceived by nurses and with caring behaviors as perceived by patients at ward level. Managers can enhance nurses' work performance and caring behaviors through provision of in-service training that focuses on development of professional values. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  8. Modeling a High Explosive Cylinder Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zocher, Marvin A.

    2017-06-01

    Cylindrical assemblies constructed from high explosives encased in an inert confining material are often used in experiments aimed at calibrating and validating continuum level models for the so-called equation of state (constitutive model for the spherical part of the Cauchy tensor). Such is the case in the work to be discussed here. In particular, work will be described involving the modeling of a series of experiments involving PBX-9501 encased in a copper cylinder. The objective of the work is to test and perhaps refine a set of phenomenological parameters for the Wescott-Stewart-Davis reactive burn model. The focus of this talk will be on modeling the experiments, which turned out to be non-trivial. The modeling is conducted using ALE methodology.

  9. The Challenge and Opportunity of Parental Involvement in Juvenile Justice Services.

    PubMed

    Burke, Jeffrey D; Mulvey, Edward P; Schubert, Carol A; Garbin, Sara R

    2014-04-01

    The active involvement of parents - whether as recipients, extenders, or managers of services - during their youth's experience with the juvenile justice system is widely assumed to be crucial. Parents and family advocacy groups note persisting concerns with the degree to which successful parental involvement is achieved. Justice system providers are highly motivated and actively working to make improvements. These coalescing interests provide a strong motivation for innovation and improvement regarding family involvement, but the likely success of these efforts is severely limited by the absence of any detailed definition of parental involvement or validated measure of this construct. Determining whether and how parental involvement works in juvenile justice services depends on the development of clear models and sound measurement. Efforts in other child serving systems offer guidance to achieve this goal. A multidimensional working model developed with parents involved in child protective services is presented as a template for developing a model for parental involvement in juvenile justice. Features of the model requiring changes to make it more adaptable to juvenile justice are identified. A systematic research agenda for developing methods and measures to meet the present demands for enhanced parental involvement in juvenile justice services is presented.

  10. The Challenge and Opportunity of Parental Involvement in Juvenile Justice Services

    PubMed Central

    Burke, Jeffrey D.; Mulvey, Edward P.; Schubert, Carol A.; Garbin, Sara R.

    2014-01-01

    The active involvement of parents – whether as recipients, extenders, or managers of services - during their youth’s experience with the juvenile justice system is widely assumed to be crucial. Parents and family advocacy groups note persisting concerns with the degree to which successful parental involvement is achieved. Justice system providers are highly motivated and actively working to make improvements. These coalescing interests provide a strong motivation for innovation and improvement regarding family involvement, but the likely success of these efforts is severely limited by the absence of any detailed definition of parental involvement or validated measure of this construct. Determining whether and how parental involvement works in juvenile justice services depends on the development of clear models and sound measurement. Efforts in other child serving systems offer guidance to achieve this goal. A multidimensional working model developed with parents involved in child protective services is presented as a template for developing a model for parental involvement in juvenile justice. Features of the model requiring changes to make it more adaptable to juvenile justice are identified. A systematic research agenda for developing methods and measures to meet the present demands for enhanced parental involvement in juvenile justice services is presented. PMID:24748704

  11. Design of portable rumble strips.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2006-12-01

    "In 2003, the states involved in the Midwest Smart Work Zone Deployment Initiative identified : portable rumble strips (i.e., rumble strips that require no adhesive or fasteners, making them : applicable for very short term work zones) as a high prio...

  12. High School Physical Education Students and Experiential Learning in the Community: A Classroom Assignment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tapps, Tyler; Passmore, Tim; Lindenmeier, Donna; Kensinger, Weston

    2014-01-01

    The experiential learning model for students working with community groups was developed for specific experiential learning experiences involving 40 hours of actual experience for high school physical education students working with groups in the community. This article discusses the development and specific segments of the model, as well as how…

  13. Individual reactions to high involvement work processes: investigating the role of empowerment and perceived organizational support.

    PubMed

    Butts, Marcus M; Vandenberg, Robert J; DeJoy, David M; Schaffer, Bryan S; Wilson, Mark G

    2009-04-01

    This study sought to understand how high involvement work processes (HIWP) are processed at the employee level. Using structural equation modeling techniques, the authors tested and supported a model in which psychological empowerment mediated the effects of HIWP on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job performance, and job stress. Furthermore, perceived organizational support (POS) was hypothesized to moderate the relationships between empowerment and these outcomes. With exception for the empowerment-job satisfaction association, support was found for our predictions. Future directions for research and the practical implications of our findings for both employees and organizations are discussed.

  14. Effects of high-involvement work systems on employee satisfaction and service costs in veterans healthcare.

    PubMed

    Harmon, Joel; Scotti, Dennis J; Behson, Scott; Farias, Gerard; Petzel, Robert; Neuman, Joel H; Keashly, Loraleigh

    2003-01-01

    Two strong imperatives for healthcare managers are reducing costs of service and attracting and retaining highly dedicated and competent patient care and support employees. Is there a trade-off or are there organizational practices that can further both objectives at the same time? High-involvement work systems (HIWS) represent a holistic work design that includes interrelated core features such as involvement, empowerment, development, trust, openness, teamwork, and performance-based rewards. HIWS have been linked to higher productivity, quality, employee and customer satisfaction, and market and financial performance in Fortune 1000 firms. Apparently, few prior studies have looked at the impacts of this holistic design within the healthcare sector. This research found that HIWS were associated with both greater employee satisfaction and lower patient service costs in 146 Veterans Health Administration centers, indicating that such practices pay off in both humanistic and financial terms. This suggests that managers implementing HIWS will incur real expenses that are likely to be more than offset by more satisfied employees, less organizational turmoil, and lower service delivery costs, which, in this study, amounted to over $1.2 million in savings for an average VHA facility.

  15. Executive High School Internship Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duperrault, JoAnn Hunter

    1992-01-01

    The Executive High School Internship Program in Tampa, Florida, involves gifted and talented high school seniors working for a semester as nonpaid administrative assistants in public or private sector organizations. The program's history, recruitment policies, placement practices, and monitoring are reviewed. (DB)

  16. Welfare recipients’ involvement with child protective services after welfare reform

    PubMed Central

    Nam, Yunju; Meezan, William; Danziger, Sandra K.

    2007-01-01

    Objective This study identifies factors associated with child protective services (CPS) involvement among current and former welfare recipients after welfare reform legislation was passed in the US in 1996. Method Data come from the Women’s Employment Study, a longitudinal study of randomly selected welfare recipients living in a Michigan city in 1997 (N = 541). In order to identify risk factors for CPS involvement among current and former welfare recipients, multinomial logit analyses with 29 independent variables were employed on a trichotomous dependent variable: no CPS involvement, investigation only, and supervision by CPS after investigation. Results The relationship between work and involvement with CPS differs by work experience prior to welfare reform. As the percentage of months working after welfare reform increased, the risk of being investigated by CPS declined among those with prior work experience but the risk increased among those without prior work experience. However, work variables were not significant predictors of supervision by CPS after an initial investigation. Further, race, cohabitation, childhood welfare receipt, having a learning disability, having a large number of children, being newly divorced, living in a high problem neighborhood, and being convicted of a crime were associated with one’s probability of being either investigated or supervised by CPS. Conclusions These findings suggest that employment could have increased the stress levels of current or former welfare recipients without prior work experience to the point where they were prone to minor child rearing mistakes that resulted in a CPS investigation, but were not severe enough to warrant opening the case for supervision. Supports should be provided to welfare mothers who are prone to involvement with CPS; expansions in the childcare subsidy and a reduction or delay in work requirements might also help these families. PMID:17116329

  17. Welfare recipients' involvement with child protective services after welfare reform.

    PubMed

    Nam, Yunju; Meezan, William; Danziger, Sandra K

    2006-11-01

    This study identifies factors associated with child protective services (CPS) involvement among current and former welfare recipients after welfare reform legislation was passed in the US in 1996. Data come from the Women's Employment Study, a longitudinal study of randomly selected welfare recipients living in a Michigan city in 1997 (N=541). In order to identify risk factors for CPS involvement among current and former welfare recipients, multinomial logit analyses with 29 independent variables were employed on a trichotomous dependent variable: no CPS involvement, investigation only, and supervision by CPS after investigation. The relationship between work and involvement with CPS differs by work experience prior to welfare reform. As the percentage of months working after welfare reform increased, the risk of being investigated by CPS declined among those with prior work experience but the risk increased among those without prior work experience. However, work variables were not significant predictors of supervision by CPS after an initial investigation. Further, race, cohabitation, childhood welfare receipt, having a learning disability, having a large number of children, being newly divorced, living in a high problem neighborhood, and being convicted of a crime were associated with one's probability of being either investigated or supervised by CPS. These findings suggest that employment could have increased the stress levels of current or former welfare recipients without prior work experience to the point where they were prone to minor child rearing mistakes that resulted in a CPS investigation, but were not severe enough to warrant opening the case for supervision. Supports should be provided to welfare mothers who are prone to involvement with CPS; expansions in the childcare subsidy and a reduction or delay in work requirements might also help these families.

  18. Physical workload and thoughts of retirement.

    PubMed

    Perkiö-Mäkelä, Merja; Hirvonen, Maria

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to present Finnish employees' opinions on continuing work until retirement pension and after the age of 63, and to find out if physical workload is related to these opinions. Altogether 39% of men and 40% of women had never had thoughts of early retirement, and 59% claimed (both men and women) that they would consider working beyond the age of 63. Own health (20%); financial gain such as salary and better pension (19%); meaningful, interesting and challenging work (15%); flexible working hours or part-time work (13%); lighter work load (13%); good work community (8%); and good work environment (6%) were stated as factors affecting the decision to continue working after the age of 63. Employees whose work involved low physical workload had less thoughts of early retirement and had considered continuing work after the age of 63 more often than those whose work involved high physical loads. Own health in particular was stated as a reason to consider continuing work by employees whose work was physically demanding.

  19. Reading Comprehension and Working Memory's Executive Processes: An Intervention Study in Primary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garcia-Madruga, Juan A.; Elosua, Maria Rosa; Gil, Laura; Gomez-Veiga, Isabel; Vila, Jose Oscar; Orjales, Isabel; Contreras, Antonio; Rodriguez, Raquel; Melero, Maria Angeles; Duque, Gonzalo

    2013-01-01

    Reading comprehension is a highly demanding task that involves the simultaneous process of extracting and constructing meaning in which working memory's executive processes play a crucial role. In this article, a training program on working memory's executive processes to improve reading comprehension is presented and empirically tested in two…

  20. Effective Schools. What Makes a Public School Work Well?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Our Children, 1998

    1998-01-01

    Most effective schools share a number of key characteristics, including clear-cut goals and objectives, adequate funding and financial management, quality academic programs, valid assessment programs, parent and family involvement, teacher and staff development, high expectations for students, community involvement, comprehensive support services,…

  1. [Involvement of Turkish Immigrant Fathers Elevates Children's Well-Being].

    PubMed

    Leyendecker, Birgit; Agache, Alexandru

    2016-01-01

    This study examined paternal involvement in parenting, the association between parents' perception of mutual support, and the relation to their children's well-being before (t1) and after the transition to first grade (t2). Participants were first and second generation immigrant families from Turkey (n = 134). In addition, German families (n = 45) were included for the comparison of paternal involvement. The percentage of highly involved fathers was higher in the German sub-sample (54 %) than in the Turkish sub-sample (38 %), but we found no influence of parents' education, household income, employment status, or children's gender. First generation fathers were more likely to be highly involved than second generation fathers. Analyses of the longitudinal data revealed that mothers with highly involved fathers were more likely to report higher marital support. This pattern was less clear for fathers. Children with highly involved fathers reported significantly higher well-being at t1. For t2, a moderator analysis revealed a positive effect on children's well-being only for those fathers who were both highly involved and reported the highest fathering self-efficacy. Among other variables, we controlled for children's well-being at t1, their health status, fathers' work hours and mothers' marital satisfaction.

  2. The relationship between violence and engagement in drug dealing and sex work among street-involved youth.

    PubMed

    Hayashi, Kanna; Daly-Grafstein, Ben; Dong, Huiru; Wood, Evan; Kerr, Thomas; DeBeck, Kora

    2016-06-27

    Street-involved youth are highly vulnerable to violence. While involvement in income-generating activities within illicit drug scenes is recognized as shaping youths' vulnerability to violence, the relative contributions of different income-generating activities remain understudied. We sought to examine the independent effects of drug dealing and sex work on experiencing violence among street-involved youth. Data were derived from a prospective cohort of street-involved youth aged 14-26 who used drugs in Vancouver, British Columbia, between September 2005 and May 2014. Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used to examine the impact of involvement in drug dealing and sex work on experiencing violence. Among 1,152 participants, including 364 (31.6%) women, 740 (64.2%) reported having experienced violence at some point during the study period. In multivariable analysis, involvement in drug dealing but not sex work remained independently associated with experiencing violence among females (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.90) and males (AOR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.25-1.80), while involvement in sex work only was not associated with violence among females (AOR: 1.15; 95% CI: 0.76-1.74) or males (AOR: 1.42; 95% CI: 0.81-2.48). Findings indicate that involvement in drug dealing is a major factor associated with experiencing violence among our sample. In addition to conventional interventions, such as addiction treatment, novel approaches are needed to reduce the risk of violence for drug-using youth who are actively engaged in drug dealing. The potential for low-threshold employment and decriminalization of drug use to mitigate violence warrants further study.

  3. The relationship between violence and engagement in drug dealing and sex work among street-involved youth

    PubMed Central

    Hayashi, Kanna; Daly-Grafstein, Ben; Dong, Huiru; Wood, Evan; Kerr, Thomas; DeBeck, Kora

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVES Street-involved youth are highly vulnerable to violence. While involvement in income-generating activities within illicit drug scenes are recognized as shaping youths’ vulnerability to violence, the relative contributions of different income-generating activities remain understudied. We sought to examine the independent effects of drug dealing and sex work on experiencing violence among street-involved youth. METHODS Data were derived from a prospective cohort of street-involved youth aged 14–26 who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada, between September 2005 and May 2014. Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used to examine the impact of involvement in drug dealing and sex work on experiencing violence. RESULTS Among 1,152 participants, including 364 (31.6%) women, 740 (64.2%) reported having experienced violence at some point during the study period. In multivariable analysis, involvement in drug dealing but not sex work remained independently associated with experiencing violence among females (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08 – 1.90) and males (AOR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.25 – 1.80), while involvement in sex work only was not associated with violence among females (AOR: 1.15; 95% CI: 0.76 – 1.74) or males (AOR: 1.42; 95% CI: 0.81 – 2.48). CONCLUSION Findings indicate that involvement in drug dealing is a major factor associated with experiencing violence among our sample. In addition to conventional interventions, such as addiction treatment, novel approaches are needed to reduce the risk of violence for drug-using youth who are actively engaged in drug dealing. The potential for low-threshold employment and decriminalization of drug use to mitigate violence warrants further study. PMID:27348116

  4. Working under pressure: a pilot study of nurse work in a postoperative setting.

    PubMed

    Willis, Karen; Brown, Claire R; Sahlin, Ingrid; Svensson, Björn; Arnetz, Bengt B; Arnetz, Judith E

    2005-01-01

    Postoperative services provide an excellent setting to study nursing work due to the patients' needing highly technical, yet highly comforting, care. The current study examined nursing work in postoperative services in an attempt to discern how nursing work is structured. Observations of nursing interactions in a 14-bed postoperative unit of a large Swedish university hospital found that nursing work in this setting is highly intensive and multidimensional. The need to provide nursing interactions that are caring and respectful of patients, while at the same time ensuring a high level of technical capacity, was obvious throughout all stages of patient stays in this unit. Furthermore, although each interaction is necessarily time-limited there is a caring relationship sustained with each patient. There is a pattern of caring that emerges that can be encapsulated as a "contingent routine." Nursing work cannot be broken down into "dimensions of caring." The work is high-pressure and involves, by necessity, multitasking. There are many dimensions of nursing care, but, usually, these are supplied simultaneously.

  5. Associations between childhood maltreatment and sex work in a cohort of drug-using youth.

    PubMed

    Stoltz, Jo-Anne Madeleine; Shannon, Kate; Kerr, Thomas; Zhang, Ruth; Montaner, Julio S; Wood, Evan

    2007-09-01

    Although research has examined the impacts of childhood maltreatment among various marginalized populations, few studies have explored the relationship between child abuse and subsequent involvement in sex work among drug-using street-involved youth. In the present study, the relationships between the level of childhood maltreatment and involvement in sex work were examined using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) as part of an extensive interview protocol in an ongoing prospective cohort study of street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada. Between September 2005 and June 2006, 361 youth were recruited using extensive outreach methods and snowball sampling. The prevalence rates for abuse in the sample were 73% for physical abuse; 32.4% for sexual abuse; 86.8% for emotional abuse; 84.5% for physical neglect; and 93% for emotional neglect. Univariate and logistic regression analyses demonstrated that not only was sexual abuse independently associated with sex work, but emotional abuse was as well. These findings have implications for early intervention efforts aimed at vulnerable, high-risk youth populations as well as intervention strategies for active sex trade workers.

  6. The Effects of Cooperative Learning on Self-Esteem: A Literature Review.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tedesco, Lucyann M.

    Cooperative learning involves students working in small groups or teams to help each other learn academic material. Cooperative learning strategies are organized, highly structured methods that usually involve formal presentation of information, student practice and coaching in learning teams, individual assessment of mastery, and public…

  7. Job Grading Standard for Electrician (High Voltage) WG-2810.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Civil Service Commission, Washington, DC. Bureau of Policies and Standards.

    The standard covers nonsupervisory work involved in installation, test, repair, and maintenance of electric power plant and/or overhead and underground primary electrical distribution systems. These jobs require knowledge and application of electrical principles, procedures, materials, and safety standards governing work on electrical systems…

  8. Working memory and attentional bias on reinforcing efficacy of food.

    PubMed

    Carr, Katelyn A; Epstein, Leonard H

    2017-09-01

    Reinforcing efficacy of food, or the relationship between food prices and purchasing, is related to obesity status and energy intake in adults. Determining how to allocate resources for food is a decision making process influenced by executive functions. Attention to appetitive cues, as well as working memory capacity, or the ability to flexibly control attention while mentally retaining information, may be important executive functions involved in food purchasing decisions. In two studies, we examined how attention bias to food and working memory capacity are related to reinforcing efficacy of both high energy-dense and low energy-dense foods. The first study examined 48 women of varying body mass index (BMI) and found that the relationship between attentional processes and reinforcing efficacy was moderated by working memory capacity. Those who avoid food cues and had high working memory capacity had the lowest reinforcing efficacy, as compared to those with low working memory capacity. Study 2 systematically replicated the methods of study 1 with assessment of maintained attention in a sample of 48 overweight/obese adults. Results showed the relationship between maintained attention to food cues and reinforcing efficacy was moderated by working memory capacity. Those with a maintained attention to food and high working memory capacity had higher reinforcing efficacy than low working memory capacity individuals. These studies suggest working memory capacity moderated the relationship between different aspects of attention and food reinforcement. Understanding how decision making process are involved in reinforcing efficacy may help to identify future intervention targets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Work ability in nursing: relationship with psychological demands and control over the work.

    PubMed

    Prochnow, Andrea; Magnago, Tânia Solange Bosi de Souza; Urbanetto, Janete de Souza; Beck, Carmem Lúcia Colomé; Lima, Suzinara Beatriz Soares de; Greco, Patrícia Bitencourt Toscani

    2013-01-01

    to evaluate the association between psychological demands, control over the work and the reduction of work ability of nursing professionals. this cross-sectional study involved 498 nursing professionals of a university hospital in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data collection was carried out in 2009 using the Brazilian versions of the Work Ability Index and Job Stress Scale, with logistic regression models used for the data analysis. the prevalence of 43.3% for reduced work ability and 29.7% for high-strain in the job (high psychological demand and low control) were observed. The chances for professionals presenting reduced work ability under high-strain were higher and significant when compared to those classified as being under low-strain, even after adjusting for potential confounders, except for age and gender. a high prevalence of reduced work ability was observed. This evidence indicates the need for investigation and detailed analysis of the psychosocial aspects of the professionals with regard to the health/disease process of nursing professionals.

  10. Associations of work characteristics, employee strain and self-perceived quality of care in Emergency Departments: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Weigl, Matthias; Schneider, Anna

    2017-01-01

    The individual and shared effects of adverse work characteristics on patient care in Emergency Departments (ED) are yet not well understood. We investigated the associations of self-reported ED work characteristics, work-related strain, and perceived quality of care. Questionnaire-based survey with standardized measures among N=53 ED professionals (i.e., nurses, physicians, and administration staff). The study was conducted in the interdisciplinary ED of a German community hospital. A high prevalence of work-related strain was observed: 66.0% of ED professionals showed high levels of emotional exhaustion and 55.6% showed irritation scores above the cut-off value. ED staff reported high supervisor support and autonomy, paired with high time pressure and patient-related stressors. Multivariate analyses revealed that high time pressure and low supervisor support were associated with high work-related strain. Low staffing was related to inferior quality of ED care. ED work systems involve high competing demands for ED professionals with substantial risks for work-related strain. Moreover, adverse ED work characteristics comprise risks for high quality patient care. Our results suggest that promoting work characteristics might foster ED staff functioning on the job as well as improve ED patient care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The Attitude of Construction Workers toward the Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Widaningsih, L.; Susanti, I.; Chandra, T.

    2018-02-01

    Construction industry refers to one of the industries dealing with high accident rate. Besides its outdoor workplace involving many workers who usually work manually, the workers’ work culture and less awareness of occupational health and safety (OHS) are attributed to the high accident rate. This study explores some construction workers who are involved in some construction projects in big cities such as Bandung and Jakarta. The questionnaire-given to the construction workers focusing on stone construction, wood construction, and finishing session-reveals that the construction workers knowledge and understanding of nine Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) aspects reach above 50%. However, does not appear to reflect their knowledge and understanding of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). The results of Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and an in-depth interview show that the fallacious implementation of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is attributed to their traditional “work culture”.

  12. Teachers' Work, Food Policies, and Gender in Argentina

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robert, Sarah A.; McEntarfer, Heather Killelea

    2014-01-01

    Few studies explore teachers' involvement in school feeding, questioning gendered implications within a feminine and feminized profession. Ethnographic data from one public high school in Metropolitan Buenos Aires suggest that teachers' efforts to address student hunger added new work roles: food advocates/activists, food managers, and service…

  13. [South Carolina School-to-Work Brochures.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Partnership for Academic and Career Education, Pendleton, SC.

    This packet includes three pamphlets from the South Carolina School-to-Work Initiative, which involves many components in ensuring for students high levels of academic and technical achievement; strong problem-solving, teamwork and technology skills; clear career goals; better access to postsecondary education and meaningful employment; and a…

  14. Commuter motorcycle crashes in Malaysia: An understanding of contributing factors

    PubMed Central

    Oxley, Jennifer; Yuen, Jeremy; Ravi, Mano Deepa; Hoareau, Effie; Mohammed, Mohammed Azman Aziz; Bakar, Harun; Venkataraman, Saraswathy; Nair, Prame Kumar

    2013-01-01

    In Malaysia, two-thirds of reported workplace-related fatal and serious injury incidents are the result of commuting crashes (especially those involving motorcyclists), however, little is known about the contributing factors to these collisions. A telephone survey of 1,750 motorcyclists (1,004 adults who had been involved in a motorcycle commuting crash in the last 2 years and 746 adult motorcyclists who had not been involved in a motorcycle crash in the last 2 years) was undertaken. The contributions of a range of behavioural, attitudinal, employment and travel pattern factors to collision involvement were examined. The findings revealed that the majority of participants were licensed riders, rode substantial distances (most often for work purposes), and reported adopting safe riding practices (helmet wearing and buckling). However, there were some concerning findings regarding speeding behaviour, use of mobile phones while riding, and engaging in other risky behaviours. Participants who had been involved in a collision were younger (aged 25–29 years), had higher exposure (measured by distances travelled, frequency of riding, and riding on high volume and higher speed roads), reported higher rates of riding for work purposes, worked more shift hours and had a higher likelihood of riding at relatively high speeds compared with participants who had not been involved in a collision. Collisions generally occurred during morning and early evening hours, striking another vehicles, and during normal traffic flow. The implications of these findings for policy decisions and development of evidence-based behavioural/training interventions addressing key contributing factors are discussed. PMID:24406945

  15. Filtrates & Residues: Experimental Work with Tin (II) Chloride in a High School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Manuela Martin

    1988-01-01

    Presents a high school chemistry lab experiment using tin (II) chloride to explore the concepts of hydrolysis, Le Chatelier's principle, and electrolysis. Presents methodology and the chemistry involved. Offers questions for the students. (MVL)

  16. High-Risk Indicators for Family Involvement in Social Work in Health Care: A Review of the Literature.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bergman, Ann; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Reviews empirical literature to highlight individual, family, and illness variables that alone and together may improve identification of patients and families in need of social work services. Notes that development of screening mechanisms may be useful vehicle for improved psychosocial care and for the planning of social work services. (Author/NB)

  17. Professional involvement is associated with increased job satisfaction among dietitians.

    PubMed

    Mortensen, Jenny K; Nyland, Nora K; Fullmer, Susan; Eggett, Dennis L

    2002-10-01

    This study explored a relationship between professional involvement and job satisfaction among dietitians. A random sample of 2,600 employed registered dietitians (RDs) received a 55-item questionnaire including a standardized measure of job satisfaction. The response rate was 67.3%; 50.8% were useable (n = 1,321). Ninety-two percent of RDs reported job satisfaction. The mean score was 68.8 +/- .28 (possible range: 18-90), with scores over 54 indicating job satisfaction. A positive relationship was found between job satisfaction and markers of professional involvement. Additionally, six characteristics related to professional involvement were: having had a mentor, being a mentor, self-assessed high professional involvement, full-time employment, high annual income, and increased hours worked per week. There was also a positive relationship between markers of professional involvement and employer support. We conclude that, overall, RDs are satisfied with their jobs and that greater professional involvement is related to greater job satisfaction.

  18. Employee Involvement, Attitudes, and Productivity in High Technology Manufacturing: A Two-Year, Experimental Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stinnett, William D.; And Others

    To investigate methods of improving both employees' productivity and the quality of their work life, workers from four businesses were surveyed before and after their organizations implemented a total employees involvement program. Survey questions covered employees' perceptions of (1) the quality of the product produced, (2) the leadership's…

  19. School Staff Perspectives on the Challenges and Solutions to Working with Court-Involved Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crosby, Shantel D.; Day, Angelique G.; Baroni, Beverly A.; Somers, Cheryl L.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Court-involved students, such as those in foster care and the juvenile justice system, generally experience high incidences of both acute and chronic trauma, adversely impacting their educational well-being and overall academic trajectory. Utilizing perceptions of teachers and other school staff, this study explores the challenges and…

  20. Tiger Parents or Sheep Parents?: Struggles of Parental Involvement in Working-Class Chinese Immigrant Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Qin, Desirée Baolian; Han, Eun-Jin

    2014-01-01

    Background/Context: Research on Chinese immigrant parents tends to focus on their high levels of educational involvement and its positive impact on their children's exceptional educational performances. Relatively little research has been conducted to understand the challenges Chinese immigrant parents face in helping their children with school…

  1. The Balancing of Parental Support and Pressure in Fostering Collegiate Athletes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coles, Jon

    2017-01-01

    Enrolling children in youth sport is an American tradition to keep children active while learning life lessons such as teamwork, commitment, and work ethic. However, youth sport is becoming extremely expensive and demanding, resulting in high parental involvement. Research shows over-involved parents cause stress, anxiety, and even burnout. The…

  2. Librarian contributions to clinical practice guidelines.

    PubMed

    Cruse, Peggy; Protzko, Shandra

    2014-01-01

    Librarians have become more involved in developing high quality systematic reviews. Evidence-based practice guidelines are an extension of systematic reviews and offer another significant area for librarian involvement. This column highlights opportunities and challenges for the librarian working on guideline panels and provides practical considerations for meaningful contributions to the guideline creation process.

  3. Student Outreach with Renewable Energy Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buffinger, D. R.; Fuller, C. W.; Gordon, E. M.; Kalu, A.; Hepp, Aloysius F. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    The Student Outreach with Renewable Energy Technology (SORET) program is an education program involving three Historically Black Colleges and Universities and NASA's John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field. These three universities; Central State University (CSU), Savannah State University (SSU) and Wilberforce University (WU) are working together with NASA Glenn to use the theme of renewable energy to improve the science, engineering and technology education of minority students and to attract minority students to these fields. In this vein, a renewable energy laboratory course is being offered at WU with the goal of giving the students of WU and CSU hands on experiences. As part of this course, the students are constructing solar light posts for a local high school with a high minority population. A Physics teacher from this school and some of his high school students are involved with this project. A lecture course on energy systems and sustainability is being developed by SSU to be delivered via distance reaming to the other institutions. Summer activities are being planned at all three institutions involving student projects in renewable energy. For example, WU students will work on a study of the synthesis and properties of photovoltaic materials. In addition, CSU will present a weeklong summer program to high school students with the assistance of WU. This presentation will focus on the student involvement and achievements in the educational area to date and plot the future course of this program.

  4. The Family Liaison Position in High-Poverty, Urban Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dretzke, Beverly J.; Rickers, Susan R.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the roles and responsibilities of family liaisons working in urban schools with enrollments characterized by high poverty, high mobility, and ethnic diversity. Results indicated that the major responsibilities of the liaisons were creating a trusting and welcoming environment, facilitating parent involvement in the school,…

  5. Computational technique for stepwise quantitative assessment of equation correctness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Othman, Nuru'l Izzah; Bakar, Zainab Abu

    2017-04-01

    Many of the computer-aided mathematics assessment systems that are available today possess the capability to implement stepwise correctness checking of a working scheme for solving equations. The computational technique for assessing the correctness of each response in the scheme mainly involves checking the mathematical equivalence and providing qualitative feedback. This paper presents a technique, known as the Stepwise Correctness Checking and Scoring (SCCS) technique that checks the correctness of each equation in terms of structural equivalence and provides quantitative feedback. The technique, which is based on the Multiset framework, adapts certain techniques from textual information retrieval involving tokenization, document modelling and similarity evaluation. The performance of the SCCS technique was tested using worked solutions on solving linear algebraic equations in one variable. 350 working schemes comprising of 1385 responses were collected using a marking engine prototype, which has been developed based on the technique. The results show that both the automated analytical scores and the automated overall scores generated by the marking engine exhibit high percent agreement, high correlation and high degree of agreement with manual scores with small average absolute and mixed errors.

  6. A Tale of Two Teachers: An Analytical Look at the Co-Teaching Theory Using a Case Study Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grant, Marquis

    2014-01-01

    Co-teaching involves a highly collaborative, mutually accountable relationship between a regular education and special education teacher in an inclusive environment. Effective co-teaching involves both teachers working together in the regular classroom setting in an effort to make learning accessible for all students regardless of ability or…

  7. High-Maintenance Parent or Parent Partner? Working with a Parent's Concern.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gonzalez-Mena, Janet; Stonehouse, Anne

    2003-01-01

    Discusses issues for child care professionals working in partnership with parents on a difficult issue. Considers establishing mutual trust and respect for each other's views, keeping in mind the needs of other students, and maintaining confidence in the program's goals. Includes example involving a parent's complaint about the admission of a…

  8. Opening the Box: Information Technology, Work Practices, and Wages.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunter, Larry W.; Lakfas, John J.

    2003-01-01

    Analysis of 1994-95 data on customer service representatives in 303 banks revealed a positive relationship between high-involvement work practices (quality circles) and extensive use of information technology (IT) to support sales. Use of IT to automate routine processes and no quality circles were associated with lower wages. (Contains 55…

  9. Exploratory Talk in the Early Years: Analysing Exploratory Talk in Collaborative Group Activities Involving Younger Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patterson, Eira Wyn

    2018-01-01

    Collaborative group work has the potential for providing rich opportunities for children to learn through talk with peers; however, in practice, little effective engagement in learning is observed within authentic learning contexts. Exploratory talk is associated with high levels of cognitive challenge within collaborative group work. Detailed…

  10. Just Working with the Cellular Machine: A High School Game for Teaching Molecular Biology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cardoso, Fernanda Serpa; Dumpel, Renata; Gomes da Silva, Luisa B.; Rodrigues, Carlos R.; Santos, Dilvani O.; Cabral, Lucio Mendes; Castro, Helena C.

    2008-01-01

    Molecular biology is a difficult comprehension subject due to its high complexity, thus requiring new teaching approaches. Herein, we developed an interdisciplinary board game involving the human immune system response against a bacterial infection for teaching molecular biology at high school. Initially, we created a database with several…

  11. Looking for High Quality Accreditation in Higher Education in Colombia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pérez Gama, Jesús Alfonso; Vega Vega, Anselmo

    2017-01-01

    We look for the High Quality Accreditation of tertiary education in two ways: one, involving large amount of information, including issues such as self-assessment, high quality, statistics, indicators, surveys, and field work (process engineering), during several periods of time; and the second, in relation to the information contained there about…

  12. Regrouping: Organized Activity Involvement and Social Adjustment across the Transition to High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bohnert, Amy M.; Aikins, Julie Wargo; Arola, Nicole T.

    2013-01-01

    Although organized activities (OAs) have been established as important contexts of development, limited work has examined the role of OAs across the high school transition in buffering adolescents' social adjustment by providing opportunities for visibility and peer affiliation. The transition to high school is characterized by numerous changes…

  13. Playground love: sex work, pleasure, and self-affirmation in the urban nightlife of Indonesian waria.

    PubMed

    Toomistu, Terje

    2018-04-16

    Indonesian transgender women, locally and internationally recognised as waria, share some lifestyle patterns that have emerged under conditions of limited social acceptance. These patterns include involvement in sex work. The high number of waria who are sex workers is usually explained in economic terms. However, their presence in certain locations around the city known for waria sex work is not only for work, and quite often not even for sex. Waria street nightlife fosters waria agency, which emerges from self-affirmation through pleasurable bodily practices involving intimate (sexual partners) and both proximate (other waria and men nearby) and distant others (structuring ideals). Drawing on fieldwork conducted between 2010 and 2015 in Java and West Papua, this paper describes the political and economic organisation of sex work among waria, then highlights the social and sensorial qualities of waria street nightlife.

  14. Links among high-performance work environment, service quality, and customer satisfaction: an extension to the healthcare sector.

    PubMed

    Scotti, Dennis J; Harmon, Joel; Behson, Scott J

    2007-01-01

    Healthcare managers must deliver high-quality patient services that generate highly satisfied and loyal customers. In this article, we examine how a high-involvement approach to the work environment of healthcare employees may lead to exceptional service quality, satisfied patients, and ultimately to loyal customers. Specifically, we investigate the chain of events through which high-performance work systems (HPWS) and customer orientation influence employee and customer perceptions of service quality and patient satisfaction in a national sample of 113 Veterans Health Administration ambulatory care centers. We present a conceptual model for linking work environment to customer satisfaction and test this model using structural equations modeling. The results suggest that (1) HPWS is linked to employee perceptions of their ability to deliver high-quality customer service, both directly and through their perceptions of customer orientation; (2) employee perceptions of customer service are linked to customer perceptions of high-quality service; and (3) perceived service quality is linked with customer satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings, including suggestions of how healthcare managers can implement changes to their work environments, are discussed.

  15. Regrouping: organized activity involvement and social adjustment across the transition to high school.

    PubMed

    Bohnert, Amy M; Aikins, Julie Wargo; Arola, Nicole T

    2013-01-01

    Although organized activities (OAs) have been established as important contexts of development, limited work has examined the role of OAs across the high school transition in buffering adolescents' social adjustment by providing opportunities for visibility and peer affiliation. The transition to high school is characterized by numerous changes and OAs may provide an important setting for establishing and maintaining peer relationships during this tumultuous time. This study included 151 8th grade U.S. students (58% male) who were assessed across the transition to high school (spring of 8th and 9th grade). Continuous involvement in academic activities across the transition and becoming involved (i.e., initiation) in community/service activities following the transition was associated with fewer depressive symptoms in the spring of 9th grade. Continuous involvement in sports and initiation of academic activities was associated with having more friendships. In addition, links between OAs and loneliness were only evident among females. There appear to be significant social benefits for OA involvement. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

  16. Orbit Stability of OSIRIS-REx in the Vicinity of Bennu Using a High-Fidelity Solar Radiation Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, Trevor; Hughes, Kyle; Mashiku, Alinda; Longuski, James

    2015-01-01

    The OSIRIS-REx mission (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith EXPlorer) is an asteroid sample return mission to Bennu (RQ36) that is scheduled to launch in 2016. The planned science operations precluding the small retrieval involve operations in terminator orbits (orbit plane is perpendicular to the sun). Over longer durations the solar radiation pressure (SRP) perturbs the orbit causing it to precess. Our work involves: modeling high fidelity SRP model to capture the perturbations during attitude changes; design a stable orbit from the high fidelity models to analyze the stability over time.

  17. Production practices affecting worker task demands in concrete operations: A case study.

    PubMed

    Memarian, Babak; Mitropoulos, Panagiotis

    2015-01-01

    Construction work involves significant physical, mental, and temporal task demands. Excessive task demands can have negative consequences for safety, errors and production. This exploratory study investigates the magnitude and sources of task demands on a concrete operation, and examines the effect of the production practices on the workers' task demands. The NASA Task Load Index was used to measure the perceived task demands of two work crews. The operation involved the construction of a cast-in-place concrete building under high schedule pressures. Interviews with each crew member were used to identify the main sources of the perceived demands. Extensive field observations and interviews with the supervisors and crews identified the production practices. The workers perceived different level of task demands depending on their role. The production practices influenced the task demands in two ways: (1) practices related to work organization, task design, resource management, and crew management mitigated the task demands; and (2) other practices related to work planning and crew management increased the crew's ability to cope with and adapt to high task demands. The findings identify production practices that regulate the workers' task demands. The effect of task demands on performance is mitigated by the ability to cope with high demands.

  18. Seminar on "MAGNETISM"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lander, Gerard H.

    1998-12-01

    During the course of this seminar we had 4 presentations by people who had participated in the earlier poster session. The speakers and titles were: (1) U. Gasser (PSI, Switzerland): "Dimer splitting in RxY1-xNi2B2C". High resolution inelastic work done on polycrystalline samples at the IRIS spectrometer at ISIS and determining the exchange interactions in these superconducting materials. (2) B. Roessli (PSI, Switzerland): "Enhancement of magnetic fluctuations in UPd2Al3 below Tc". High resolution work done on single crystals at the cold source IN14 triple axis spectrometer at the ILL and also involving polarisation analysis. (3) P. Wisniewski (Wroclaw, Poland): "Magnetic structures in U3X4-type uranium pnictides - neutron diffraction studies". Elastic scattering experiments done at Saclay on single crystals with both polarised and unpolarised neutrons. (4) A. Schneidewind (TU Dresden): "Investigation of magnetic structures of NdCu2 by synchrotron x-ray scattering". Work done at the ID20 diffractometer at the ESRF and involving resonant and non-resonant scattering, as well as polarisation analysis…

  19. Haemodialysis work environment contributors to job satisfaction and stress: a sequential mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    Hayes, Bronwyn; Bonner, Ann; Douglas, Clint

    2015-01-01

    Haemodialysis nurses form long term relationships with patients in a technologically complex work environment. Previous studies have highlighted that haemodialysis nurses face stressors related to the nature of their work and also their work environments leading to reported high levels of burnout. Using Kanters (1997) Structural Empowerment Theory as a guiding framework, the aim of this study was to explore the factors contributing to satisfaction with the work environment, job satisfaction, job stress and burnout in haemodialysis nurses. Using a sequential mixed-methods design, the first phase involved an on-line survey comprising demographic and work characteristics, Brisbane Practice Environment Measure (B-PEM), Index of Work Satisfaction (IWS), Nursing Stress Scale (NSS) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The second phase involved conducting eight semi-structured interviews with data thematically analyzed. From the 417 nurses surveyed the majority were female (90.9 %), aged over 41 years of age (74.3 %), and 47.4 % had worked in haemodialysis for more than 10 years. Overall the work environment was perceived positively and there was a moderate level of job satisfaction. However levels of stress and emotional exhaustion (burnout) were high. Two themes, ability to care and feeling successful as a nurse, provided clarity to the level of job satisfaction found in phase 1. While two further themes, patients as quasi-family and intense working teams, explained why working as a haemodialysis nurse was both satisfying and stressful. Nurse managers can use these results to identify issues being experienced by haemodialysis nurses working in the unit they are supervising.

  20. Constraints and Subsequent Limitations to Parental Involvement in Primary Schools in Abu Dhabi: Stakeholders' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hourani, Rida Blaik; Stringer, Patricia; Baker, Fiona

    2012-01-01

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is developing its public schools by initiating reform agendas for school improvement. High on the list of reforms is the call to increase parental involvement in schools. For this reform to work successfully, it is important to identify and examine the constraints and subsequent limitations that exist. Seven primary…

  1. Exploring a High School Community Relations and Parent Involvement Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sink, Robert Corey

    2010-01-01

    There are few issues in education that get as much attention as the need for improvement of parental and community involvement in and support for local schools. School faculties want to know how to improve the way they work with families and community members to better meet the needs of their students and parents want to find how to best…

  2. Eye Injuries at Work

    MedlinePlus

    ... This is particularly true of workers involved in welding, which poses a high risk of on-the- ... the types of filter lenses required for specific welding and cutting activities (PDF 181 KB), and cautions ...

  3. Repeated application of Modafinil and Levodopa reveals a drug-independent precise timing of spatial working memory modulation.

    PubMed

    Bezu, M; Shanmugasundaram, B; Lubec, G; Korz, V

    2016-10-01

    Cognition enhancing drugs often target the dopaminergic system, which is involved in learning and memory, including working memory that in turn involves mainly the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. In most animal models for modulations of working memory animals are pre-trained to a certain criterion and treated then acutely to test drugs effects on working memory. Thus, little is known regarding subchronic or chronic application of cognition enhancing drugs and working memory performance. Therefore we trained male rats over six days in a rewarded alternation test in a T-maze. Rats received daily injections of either modafinil or Levodopa (L-Dopa) at a lower and a higher dose 30min before training. Levodopa but not modafinil increased working memory performance during early training significantly at day 3 when compared to vehicle controls. Both drugs induced dose dependent differences in working memory with significantly better performance at low doses compared to high doses for modafinil, in contrast to L-Dopa where high dose treated rats performed better than low dose rats. Strikingly, these effects appeared only at day 3 for both drugs, followed by a decline in behavioral performance. Thus, a critical drug independent time window for dopaminergic effects upon working memory could be revealed. Evaluating the underlying mechanisms contributes to the understanding of temporal effects of dopamine on working memory performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Learning Responsibility: The Importance of the Home, School and Workplace. Ideas for Action in Education and Work, Issue 6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Northwest Regional Educational Lab., Portland, OR.

    The findings of a research project undertaken by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) on student responsibility as it relates to job performance are reported. Forty high school students, 15 teachers, and 18 employers involved in Cooperative Work Experience and Experience-Based Career Education programs were interviewed. The…

  5. Managing Diversity: A Key to Building a Quality Work Force. Research and Development Series No. 271.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maxson, Judith; Hair, Billy

    Economic changes create stress as U.S. businesses progress toward building a high quality work force for the year 2000. Skills such as critical literacy, communication, writing, math, and interpersonal competence are desired. Critical literacy involves the higher order thinking skills: the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize. In addition,…

  6. Interrelations between Principals' Risk of Burnout Profiles and Proactive Self-Regulation Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tikkanen, Lotta; Pyhältö, Kirsi; Pietarinen, Janne; Soini, Tiina

    2017-01-01

    School leadership is a demanding job. Those involved in school leadership have shown to experience high levels of work stress that may, if prolonged, result in burnout. The purpose of this study was to examine school leaders' risks of burnout in terms of work stress and burnout symptoms, and their relationship with proactive self-regulation…

  7. Urban School Formation: Identity Work and Constructing an Origin Story

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Silver, Lauren J.

    2015-01-01

    In this article, I analyze the formation of Shearwater High School in St. Louis, Missouri and I explore the identity work involved in building the school. Diverging from standardization trends in urban education, the school came to fruition through a creative process, which was in-flux and supported by diverse communities in St. Louis. This…

  8. Preparation for Work. Findings from "The Condition of Education, 1996," No. 8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Medrich, Elliott

    This report contains data from "The Condition of Education 1996" on issues that are central to the process of work preparation: course-taking patterns among high school and postsecondary students, student experience as it relates to preparation for entry into the labor force, and adult involvement in education and training while employed. Some of…

  9. Integrating Conceptions of Scaffolding and Co-Construction to Enhance Parental Involvement in the Pre-Nursery of a British International School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brinn, Michelle

    2016-01-01

    Whilst many practitioners value positive and effective working relationships with parents, enhancing home-school interactions can be complex, especially within highly diverse contexts. Within the UK, partnership working with parents is widely advocated. However, there may exist subtle, but crucial differences between interactions that…

  10. Issues Involved in Attempting to Develop Independent Learning in Pupils Working on Technological Projects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barak, Moshe

    2004-01-01

    This research addresses the impact of technological projects at high school on pupils' learning. The participants were sixty low-mid achieving pupils who worked for one year on final projects for matriculation exams. Data were collected through observations of laboratory lessons, interviews with pupils and teachers, and analysis of pupils'…

  11. High School Science Teachers' Views on Science Process Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gultepe, Nejla

    2016-01-01

    The current research is a descriptive study in which a survey model was used. The research involved chemistry (n = 26), physics (n = 27), and biology (n = 29) teachers working in Science High Schools and Anatolian High Schools in Turkey. An inventory that consisted of seven questions was designed to ascertain what teachers' think about the…

  12. The balancing act: Exploring stigma, economic need and disclosure among male sex workers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    PubMed Central

    Closson, Elizabeth F.; Colby, Donn J.; Nguyen, Thi; Cohen, Samuel S.; Biello, Katie; Mimiaga, Matthew J.

    2014-01-01

    In Vietnam, there is an emerging HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM). Male sex workers (MSWs) engage in high-risk sexual behaviours that make them particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. In 2010, 23 MSM in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) who recently received payment for sex with another man completed in-depth qualitative interviews exploring motivations for sex work, patterns of sex work disclosure and experiences of social stigma. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and translated into English and analysed using a qualitative descriptive approach. Low wages, unstable employment, and family remittances were motivating factors for MSM in HCMC to sell sex. Participants described experiences of enacted and felt social stigma related to their involvement in sex work. In response, they utilized stigma management techniques aimed at concealment of involvement in sex work. Such strategies restricted sexual communication with non-paying sex partners and potentially limited their ability to seek social support from family and friends. Departing from decontextualized depictions of sex work disclosure, our findings describe how decisions to reveal involvement in sex work are shaped by social and structural factors such as social stigma, techniques to minimize exposure to stigma, economic imperatives and familial responsibilities. PMID:25555192

  13. The balancing act: exploring stigma, economic need and disclosure among male sex workers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

    PubMed

    Closson, Elizabeth F; Colby, Donn J; Nguyen, Thi; Cohen, Samuel S; Biello, Katie; Mimiaga, Matthew J

    2015-01-01

    In Vietnam, there is an emerging HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM). Male sex workers engage in high-risk sexual behaviours that make them particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. In 2010, 23 MSM in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) who recently received payment for sex with another man completed in-depth qualitative interviews exploring motivations for sex work, patterns of sex work disclosure and experiences of social stigma. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and translated into English and analysed using a qualitative descriptive approach. Low wages, unstable employment and family remittances were motivating factors for MSM in HCMC to sell sex. Participants described experiences of enacted and felt social stigma related to their involvement in sex work. In response, they utilised stigma management techniques aimed at concealment of involvement in sex work. Such strategies restricted sexual communication with non-paying sex partners and potentially limited their ability to seek social support from family and friends. Departing from decontextualized depictions of sex work disclosure, our findings describe how decisions to reveal involvement in sex work are shaped by social and structural factors such as social stigma, techniques to minimise exposure to stigma, economic imperatives and familial responsibilities.

  14. If They'd Only Do Their Work!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Darling-Hammond, Linda; Ifill-Lynch, Olivia

    2006-01-01

    High school teachers often have difficulty motivating struggling students to complete homework--especially in inner-city schools in which many students are discouraged by stressful living conditions. The authors consulted with successful urban educators who were involved with innovative, small high schools in New York City, and asked what…

  15. Drivers of Successful Bond and Operating Levies...Q4C at the Foundation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lifto, Don E. Morris; Morris, William D.

    2000-01-01

    Improving a school's Q4C quotient (quality control, customer commitment, and communications) during election planning hinges on district mission, a culture of high expectations, basic skills mastery, commitment to customers, continuous feedback, healthy working relationships, broad community involvement, high- level strategic planning and…

  16. Electrochemical study of aluminum corrosion in boiling high purity water

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Draley, J. E.; Legault, R. A.

    1969-01-01

    Electrochemical study of aluminum corrosion in boiling high-purity water includes an equation relating current and electrochemical potential derived on the basis of a physical model of the corrosion process. The work involved an examination of the cathodic polarization behavior of 1100 aluminum during aqueous oxidation.

  17. College Summer Programs for High School Students: Outreach, Recruitment, Enrichment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nusbaum, Kenneth E.

    1998-01-01

    Describes an Auburn University (Alabama) summer program that brings high school students into the veterinary medicine and molecular biology programs, focusing on recruitment and selection of students, aspects of faculty participation, parent involvement, orientation, laboratory work, and student grouping and mentoring. Results of the program to…

  18. Fostering Student Engagement with the Flip

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, Amanda J.; Gillett, Matthew R.; Steele, Michael D.

    2014-01-01

    The Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice (CCSSI 2010) and NCTM's "Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making" (2009) present a vision of high school classrooms in which the majority of the activity involves students working on rich mathematical problems and engaging in mathematical discourse. This model…

  19. Summer Counseling. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2018

    2018-01-01

    "Summer counseling" is designed to help college-intending high school graduates complete the steps needed to enroll in college and start their college careers. These programs provide services during the months between high school graduation and college enrollment and involve outreach by college counselors or peer mentors via text…

  20. [Nikola Tesla in medicine, too].

    PubMed

    Hanzek, Branko; Jakobović, Zvonimir

    2007-12-01

    Using primary and secondary sources we have shown in this paper the influence of Nikola Tesla's work on the field of medicine. The description of his experiments conduced within secondary-school education programs aimed to present the popularization of his work in Croatia. Although Tesla was dedicated primarily to physics and was not directly involved in biomedical research, his work significantly contributed to paving the way of medical physics particularly radiology and high-frequency electrotherapy.

  1. Extracting the redox orbitals in Li battery materials with high-resolution x-ray compton scattering spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, K; Barbiellini, B; Orikasa, Y; Go, N; Sakurai, H; Kaprzyk, S; Itou, M; Yamamoto, K; Uchimoto, Y; Wang, Yung Jui; Hafiz, H; Bansil, A; Sakurai, Y

    2015-02-27

    We present an incisive spectroscopic technique for directly probing redox orbitals based on bulk electron momentum density measurements via high-resolution x-ray Compton scattering. Application of our method to spinel Li_{x}Mn_{2}O_{4}, a lithium ion battery cathode material, is discussed. The orbital involved in the lithium insertion and extraction process is shown to mainly be the oxygen 2p orbital. Moreover, the manganese 3d states are shown to experience spatial delocalization involving 0.16±0.05 electrons per Mn site during the battery operation. Our analysis provides a clear understanding of the fundamental redox process involved in the working of a lithium ion battery.

  2. 41 CFR 102-5.80 - What are some examples of positions that may involve field work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... of positions that may involve field work? 102-5.80 Section 102-5.80 Public Contracts and Property...-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.80 What are some examples of positions that may involve field work? Examples of positions that may involve field work include...

  3. 41 CFR 102-5.80 - What are some examples of positions that may involve field work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... of positions that may involve field work? 102-5.80 Section 102-5.80 Public Contracts and Property...-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.80 What are some examples of positions that may involve field work? Examples of positions that may involve field work include...

  4. 41 CFR 102-5.80 - What are some examples of positions that may involve field work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... of positions that may involve field work? 102-5.80 Section 102-5.80 Public Contracts and Property...-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.80 What are some examples of positions that may involve field work? Examples of positions that may involve field work include...

  5. 41 CFR 102-5.80 - What are some examples of positions that may involve field work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... of positions that may involve field work? 102-5.80 Section 102-5.80 Public Contracts and Property...-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.80 What are some examples of positions that may involve field work? Examples of positions that may involve field work include...

  6. 41 CFR 102-5.80 - What are some examples of positions that may involve field work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... of positions that may involve field work? 102-5.80 Section 102-5.80 Public Contracts and Property...-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.80 What are some examples of positions that may involve field work? Examples of positions that may involve field work include...

  7. Ray Grout | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    cross flow from peta-scale, high-fidelity simulations in collaboration with the gas turbine industry. A stratified combustion in the stabilization of flames above a jet in cross flow. Earlier work involved using

  8. Nuclear spectroscopic studies. Progress report

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

    Bingham, C.R.; Guidry, M.W.; Riedinger, L.L.

    1994-02-18

    The Nuclear Physics group at UTK is involved in heavy-ion physics including both nuclear structure and reaction mechanisms. During the last year experimental work has been in 3 broad areas: structure of nuclei at high angular momentum, structure of nuclei far from stability, and ultra-relativistic heavy-ion physics. Results in these areas are described in this document under: properties of high-spin states, study of low-energy levels of nuclei far from stability, and high-energy heavy-ion physics (PHENIX, etc.). Another important component of the work is theoretical interpretation of experimental results (Joint Institute for Heavy Ion Research).

  9. Equipment for Subpicosecond Extreme Ultraviolet Facility.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-02-05

    Excitation Induced by...................... 36 Coherent Motion of Outer-Shell Electrons" E. "A Theoretical Model of Inner-Shell...efficient production of x-rays are feasible. Our work involves a program of activities, involving both experimental -nd theoretical components, to...in addition to a theoretical effort con- itrating on the character of high order multiquantum coupling in the inten- I regime above 10 1 7 W cm2 . In

  10. Development and evaluation of superconducting circuit elements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haertling, Gene H.; Lee, Burtrand; Hsi, Dennis; Modi, Vibhakar; Marone, Matt

    1990-01-01

    An approach to the application of high Tc ceramic superconductors to practical circuit elements was developed and demonstrated. This method, known as the rigid-conductor process (RCP), involves the combination of a pre-formed, sintered, and tested superconductor material with an appropriate, rigid substrate via an epoxy adhesive which also serves to encapsulate the element from the ambient environment. Emphasis was on the practical means to achieve functional, reliable, and reproducible components. Although all of the work described in this report involved a YBa2Cu3Osub(7-x) high Tc superconductor material, the techniques developed and conclusions reached are equally applicable to other high Tc materials.

  11. Working parents: what factors are involved in their ability to take time off from work when their children are sick?

    PubMed

    Heymann, S J; Toomey, S; Furstenberg, F

    1999-08-01

    A series of studies has demonstrated that sick children fare better when their parents are present. To examine working conditions that determine whether parents can spend time with and become involved in the care of their children when they are sick. Survey with a multivariate analysis of factors influencing parental care of sick children. Mixed-income urban working parents aged 26 to 29 years participating in the Baltimore Parenthood Study. Only 42% of working parents in our sample cared for their young children when they became sick. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict which parents stayed at home when their children were sick. Those parents who had either paid sick or vacation leave were 5.2 times as likely to care for their children themselves when they were sick. Of parents with less than a high school education, 17% received paid leave, compared with 57% of parents with a general equivalency diploma, 76% of parents with a high school diploma, and 92% of parents with more than a high school education (P<.001). The finding that many parents were unable to care for their sick children themselves is important for pediatric care. While low-income children are more likely to face marked health problems and to be in need of parental care, they are more likely to live in households in which parents lack paid leave and cannot afford to take unpaid leave.

  12. A Study of Prevention and Retention Strategies for Successful Urban Secondary High School Hispanic Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopez, Roberto Ibarra

    2013-01-01

    Hispanic high school students have a dropout rate that ranges from 35 percent to 55 percent depending on what type of report you may be referencing. Add rates for all high school students. Hispanic youth endure the challenges of language barriers, single parent households, working to help their family, or fighting off gang involvement in their…

  13. Shakespeare in Circles: How a New Approach Enlivened My Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ratz, Matthew

    2008-01-01

    In the author's memories of high school, no unit was more frustrating for him as a student than the yearly Shakespearean text. From his own experience on the students' side of the desk, the author knows that no unit is as strenuous or exhausting as one involving Shakespeare's works. Despite his own negative experiences with Shakespeare's works,…

  14. Aspects of Vocational Pedagogy as Practice: Decolonizing Minds and Negotiating Local Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mjelde, Liv; Daly, Richard

    2012-01-01

    This work is based on the experience of the authors' involvement in the development of a Masters of Vocational Pedagogy program in Uganda and Southern Sudan between 2007 and 2011. This is also grounded in work with Vocational Education and Culture (VET) over many years. The terms VET and Culture are interdependent; both terms are highly contested…

  15. Catalysts of worker-to-worker violence and incivility in hospitals

    PubMed Central

    Hamblin, Lydia E; Essenmacher, Lynnette; Upfal, Mark J; Russell, Jim; Luborsky, Mark; Ager, Joel; Arnetz, Judith E

    2016-01-01

    Aims and objectives To identify common catalysts of worker-to-worker violence and incivility in hospital settings. Background Worker-to-worker violence and incivility are prevalent forms of mistreatment in healthcare workplaces. These are forms of counterproductive work behaviour that can lead to negative outcomes for employees, patients and the organisation overall. Identifying the factors that lead to co-worker mistreatment is a critical first step in the development of interventions targeting these behaviours. Design Retrospective descriptive study. Methods Qualitative content analysis was conducted on the total sample (n = 141) of employee incident reports of worker-to-worker violence and incivility that were documented in 2011 at a large American hospital system. Results More than 50% of the incidents involved nurses, and the majority of incidents did not involve physical violence. Two primary themes emerged from the analysis: Work Behaviour and Work Organisation. Incidents in the Work Behaviour category were often sparked by unprofessional behaviour, disagreement over responsibilities for work tasks or methods of patient care, and dissatisfaction with a co-worker’s performance. Incidents in the Work Organisation category involved conflicts or aggression arising from failure to following protocol, patient assignments, limited resources and high workload. Conclusion Incidents of worker-to-worker violence and incivility stemmed from dissatisfaction with employee behaviour or from organisational practices or work constraints. These incident descriptions reflect worker dissatisfaction and frustration, resulting from poor communication and collaboration between employees, all of which threaten work productivity. PMID:25852041

  16. Theoretical study of cathode surfaces and high-temperature superconductors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mueller, Wolfgang

    1994-01-01

    The surface-dipole properties of model cathode surfaces have been investigated with relativistic scattered-wave cluster calculations. Work-function/coverage curves have been derived from these data by employing the depolarization model of interacting surface dipoles. Accurate values have been obtained for the minimum work functions of several low-work-function surfaces. In the series BaO on bcc W, hcp Os, and fcc Pt, BaO/Os shows a lower and BaO/Pt a higher work function than BaO/W, which is attributed to the different substrate crystal structures involved. Results are also presented on the electronic structure of the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7, which has been investigated with fully relativistic calculations for the first time.

  17. Understanding Positive and Negative Communication Instances between Special Educators and Parents of High School Students with EBD

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mires, Carolyn B.

    2015-01-01

    Using a multiple case study methodology, interviews were conducted to examine current practices and perceptions of the communication practices of teachers working with high school students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). These interviews involved questions about general communication instances which occurred each week, communication…

  18. A Five-Year Evaluation of a Comprehensive High School Civic Engagement Initiative. CIRCLE Working Paper #70

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McIntosh, Hugh; Berman, Sheldon; Youniss, James

    2010-01-01

    In September 2003, Hudson High School in Hudson, Massachusetts, launched two new civic development efforts--clustering and schoolwide governance--that provide an opportunity to study the influence of schoolwide democratic deliberation on students' civic knowledge and participation. The intervention involved, in part, organizing the school into…

  19. High School to College Transition among Black Males: An Action Research Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jewett, Orval Albert

    2017-01-01

    A participatory action research project involving social workers as stakeholders from high schools and the local community college in Nassau County, New York, provided the basis for an inquiry that addressed the effectiveness and implementation of clinical social work practice with Black male students transitioning to community college from high…

  20. Fielding an After-School Mathematics Lab

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Punches-Guntsch, Christina M.; Kenney, Erin N.

    2012-01-01

    Many students will need remedial work in mathematics during their high school years. Some sort of help will be needed to fulfill the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM's) (2000) vision of a mathematics classroom that involves students having access to mathematically rich problems and being engaged in solving them. The high school…

  1. High-Resolution Computed Tomography and Pulmonary Function Findings of Occupational Arsenic Exposure in Workers.

    PubMed

    Ergün, Recai; Evcik, Ender; Ergün, Dilek; Ergan, Begüm; Özkan, Esin; Gündüz, Özge

    2017-05-05

    The number of studies where non-malignant pulmonary diseases are evaluated after occupational arsenic exposure is very few. To investigate the effects of occupational arsenic exposure on the lung by high-resolution computed tomography and pulmonary function tests. Retrospective cross-sectional study. In this study, 256 workers with suspected respiratory occupational arsenic exposure were included, with an average age of 32.9±7.8 years and an average of 3.5±2.7 working years. Hair and urinary arsenic levels were analysed. High-resolution computed tomography and pulmonary function tests were done. In workers with occupational arsenic exposure, high-resolution computed tomography showed 18.8% pulmonary involvement. In pulmonary involvement, pulmonary nodule was the most frequently seen lesion (64.5%). The other findings of pulmonary involvement were 18.8% diffuse interstitial lung disease, 12.5% bronchiectasis, and 27.1% bullae-emphysema. The mean age of patients with pulmonary involvement was higher and as they smoked more. The pulmonary involvement was 5.2 times higher in patients with skin lesions because of arsenic. Diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide was significantly lower in patients with pulmonary involvement. Besides lung cancer, chronic occupational inhalation of arsenic exposure may cause non-malignant pulmonary findings such as bronchiectasis, pulmonary nodules and diffuse interstitial lung disease. So, in order to detect pulmonary involvement in the early stages, workers who experience occupational arsenic exposure should be followed by diffusion test and high-resolution computed tomography.

  2. An Australian survey of parent involvement in intervention for childhood speech sound disorders.

    PubMed

    Sugden, Eleanor; Baker, Elise; Munro, Natalie; Williams, A Lynn; Trivette, Carol M

    2017-08-17

    To investigate how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) report involving parents in intervention for phonology-based speech sound disorders (SSDs), and to describe the home practice that they recommend. Further aims were to describe the training SLPs report providing to parents, to explore SLPs' beliefs and motivations for involving parents in intervention, and to determine whether SLPs' characteristics are associated with their self-reported practice. An online survey of 288 SLPs working with SSD in Australia was conducted. The majority of SLPs (96.4%) reported involving parents in intervention, most commonly in providing home practice. On average, these tasks were recommended to be completed five times per week for 10 min. SLPs reported training parents using a range of training methods, most commonly providing opportunities for parents to observe the SLP conduct the intervention. SLPs' place of work and years of experience were associated with how they involved and trained parents in intervention. Most (95.8%) SLPs agreed or strongly agreed that family involvement is essential for intervention to be effective. Parent involvement and home practice appear to be intricately linked within intervention for phonology-based SSDs in Australia. More high-quality research is needed to understand how to best involve parents within clinical practice.

  3. Work-related olfactory disorder: a case series and review.

    PubMed

    Park, Soon Woo; Kang, Young Joong; Eom, Huisu; Cho, Hyun-Jin; Ahn, Jungho; Lee, Sang-Gil

    2018-01-01

    The olfactory bulb is anatomically exposed and thus can be directly damaged by external stimulation. This can occur as an occupational injury owing to contact with organic solvents or other causes. We present cases of eight patients who sustained occupation-related exposure to potentially toxic substances and later presented with signs and symptoms of anosmia. We examined the occupational and medical characteristics of the patients and evaluated their work-relatedness. Case 1: A 50-year-old man performed high-frequency heat treatments for approximately 11 years. He experienced decreased senses for olfaction and taste during the later years culminating in the diagnosis of anosmia after 3 years (high work-relatedness). Case 2: A 54-year-old man whose work involved exposure to various organic solvents, such as spray painting and application of paint and thinners for approximately 4 years, was subsequently diagnosed with anosmia based on rhinorrhea, headache, and loss of olfaction (high work-relatedness). Case 3: A 44-year-old-man who performed spray painting for approximately 17 years developed anosmia (high work-relatedness). Case 4: A 44-year-old man was involved in ship engine cleaning once a month, for approximately 7 h per cleaning session; he was diagnosed with anosmia based on loss of olfaction (low work-relatedness). Case 5: A 41-year-old man worked in ship building block construction for approximately 13 years; anosmia diagnosis was based on loss of olfaction (low work-relatedness). Case 6: A 47-year-old woman performed product inspection and labeling at a plant manufacturing automobile parts; anosmia diagnosis was based on decreased olfaction and taste (low work-relatedness). Case 7: A 50-year-old woman performed epoxy coating in a plant manufacturing automobile parts; anosmia diagnosis was based on diminishing olfaction (low work-relatedness). Case 8: A 57-year-old woman performed cleaning of the area where mobile phone parts were manufactured; anosmia diagnosis was based on diminishing olfaction (low work-relatedness). The study results confirmed work-relatedness when the subject was young, and the duration of exposure was long without any other cause of anosmia. Regarding compensation for occupational diseases, work-relatedness can be recognized as a relative concept.

  4. Age differences in attitude change: influences of cognitive resources and motivation on responses to argument quantity.

    PubMed

    Wang, Mo; Chen, Yiwei

    2006-09-01

    This study examined the influences of cognitive resources and motivation on how young and older adults process different quantities of persuasive arguments. In the first experiment session, both young and older adults rated their attitudes toward marijuana legalization and capital punishment. After a week, they read either 3 or 9 similar-quality arguments supporting marijuana legalization and capital punishment. Half of participants were assigned to the high-involvement condition (i.e., told that they were going to discuss the arguments later with the experimenter) and the other half were assigned to the low-involvement condition (i.e., given no instructions). After reading the arguments, participants rated their attitudes toward those 2 social issues again. Highly involved young adults changed their attitudes regardless of the quantity of arguments, whereas lowly involved young adults' attitude change was influenced by the argument quantity. Older adults in both high-involvement and low-involvement conditions changed their attitudes according to the argument quantity. Working memory was found to mediate the age effects on attitude change. This finding demonstrated the importance of a cognitive mechanism in accounting for age differences in attitude change.

  5. Informational analysis involving application of complex information system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ciupak, Clébia; Vanti, Adolfo Alberto; Balloni, Antonio José; Espin, Rafael

    The aim of the present research is performing an informal analysis for internal audit involving the application of complex information system based on fuzzy logic. The same has been applied in internal audit involving the integration of the accounting field into the information systems field. The technological advancements can provide improvements to the work performed by the internal audit. Thus we aim to find, in the complex information systems, priorities for the work of internal audit of a high importance Private Institution of Higher Education. The applied method is quali-quantitative, as from the definition of strategic linguistic variables it was possible to transform them into quantitative with the matrix intersection. By means of a case study, where data were collected via interview with the Administrative Pro-Rector, who takes part at the elaboration of the strategic planning of the institution, it was possible to infer analysis concerning points which must be prioritized at the internal audit work. We emphasize that the priorities were identified when processed in a system (of academic use). From the study we can conclude that, starting from these information systems, audit can identify priorities on its work program. Along with plans and strategic objectives of the enterprise, the internal auditor can define operational procedures to work in favor of the attainment of the objectives of the organization.

  6. Coherent Extreme Ultraviolet Generation and Surface Studies Using Ultraviolet Excimer Lasers.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-02-10

    of Outer-Shell Electrons" 7. "A Theoretical Model of Inner-Shell ......................... 30 A Excitation by Outer-Snell Electrons" E. "Anomalous...rays are feasible. Our work involves a program of activities, involving both experimental and theoretical components, to explore the physical... theoretical effort con- centrating on the character of high order multiquantum coupling in the inten- sity regime above 1017 WcM2 . In addition

  7. Work, employment, and mental illness: expanding the domain of Canadian social work.

    PubMed

    Shankar, Janki; Barlow, Constance A; Khalema, Ernest

    2011-01-01

    Despite established evidence that work and employment are an important component of recovery for people who experience mental illness, social work education in Canada seldom offers graduate training or courses on the significance of work in peoples' lives or on the practices involved in helping to gain and retain employment for these individuals. In this article the authors argue that the high levels of unemployment among people who experience mental illness, and the rising incidence of mental health and addictions issues in workplaces, offer the opportunity, as well as the mandate, for social work educators to provide professional education in the area of employment support and assistance.

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

    Scaglione, John M; Montgomery, Rose; Bevard, Bruce Balkcom

    This test plan describes the experimental work to be implemented by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) to characterize high burnup (HBU) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in conjunction with the High Burnup Dry Storage Cask Research and Development Project and serves to coordinate and integrate the multi-year experimental program to collect and develop data regarding the continued storage and eventual transport of HBU (i.e., >45 GWd/MTU) SNF. The work scope involves the development, performance, technical integration, and oversight of measurements and collection of relevant data, guided by analyses and demonstration of need.

  9. Practical considerations for bicarbonate loading and sports performance.

    PubMed

    Burke, Louise M

    2013-01-01

    Consumption of sodium bicarbonate (300 mg/kg 1-2 h before exercise) can temporarily increase blood bicarbonate concentrations, enhancing extracellular buffering of hydrogen ions which accumulate and efflux from the working muscle. Such 'bicarbonate loading' provides an ergogenic strategy for sporting events involving high rates of anaerobic glycolysis which are otherwise limited by the body's capacity to manage the progressive increase in intracellular acidity. Studies show that bicarbonate loading strategies have a moderate positive effect on the performance of sports involving 1-7 min of sustained strenuous exercise, and may also be useful for prolonged sports involving intermittent or sustained periods of high-intensity work rates. This potential to enhance sports performance requires further investigation using appropriate research design, but may be limited by practical considerations such as gut discomfort or the logistics of the event. The effect of chronic use of bicarbonate supplementation prior to high-intensity workouts to promote better training performance and adaptations is worthy of further investigation. While this relatively simple dietary strategy has been studied and used by sports people for over 80 years, it is likely that there are still ways in which further benefits from bicarbonate supplementation can be developed and individualized for specific athletes or specific events. Copyright © 2013 Nestec Ltd., Vevey/S. Karger AG, Basel.

  10. Selective Spatial Working Memory Impairment in a Group of Children with Mathematics Learning Disabilities and Poor Problem-Solving Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Passolunghi, Maria Chiara; Mammarella, Irene Cristina

    2012-01-01

    This study examines visual and spatial working memory skills in 35 third to fifth graders with both mathematics learning disabilities (MLD) and poor problem-solving skills and 35 of their peers with typical development (TD) on tasks involving both low and high attentional control. Results revealed that children with MLD, relative to TD children,…

  11. Organizational Commitment and Nurses' Characteristics as Predictors of Job Involvement.

    PubMed

    Alammar, Kamila; Alamrani, Mashael; Alqahtani, Sara; Ahmad, Muayyad

    2016-01-01

    To predict nurses' job involvement on the basis of their organizational commitment and personal characteristics at a large tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected in 2015 from a convenience sample of 558 nurses working at a large tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional correlational design was used in this study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. All commitment scales had significant relationships. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the model predicted a sizeable proportion of variance in nurses' job involvement (p < 0.001). High organizational commitment enhances job involvement, which may lead to more organizational stability and effectiveness.

  12. University of the seas, 15 years of oceanographic schools on board of the Marion Dufresne

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malaize, Bruno; Deverchere, Jacques; Leau, Hélène; Graindorge, David

    2015-04-01

    Since the first University at Sea, proposed by two French Universities (Brest and Bordeaux) in 1999, the R/V Marion Dufresne, in collaboration with the French Polar institute (IPEV), has welcome 12 oceanographic schools. The main objective of this educational and scientific program is to stimulate the potential interest of highly graduated students in scientific fields dealing with oceanography, and to broaden exchanges with foreign universities, strengthening a pool of excellence at a high international scientific level. It is a unique opportunity for the students to discover and to be involved in the work in progress of collecting scientific data on board of a ship, and to attend international research courses given by scientists involved in the cruise program. They also experience the final task of the scientific work by presenting their own training results, making posters on board, and writing a cruise report. For some University at Sea, students had also updated a daily journal, available on internet, hosted by the main institutions involved (as IPEV or EPOC, Bordeaux University). All this work is done in English, a common language to all the participants. An overview of these 15 years background experience will be presented, underlying the financial supports used, the logistic on board, as well as all the benefits acquiered by all former students, now in permanent positions in different international institutions.

  13. Let's Drum Up Some Business: Developing Entrepreneurship through the Retail Florist Industry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gordon, Howard R. D.

    The retail florist industry is composed of many small businesses. A flower shop is unique as a retail outlet because it sells a highly perishable agricultural product that involves customized work requiring a high degree of product knowledge and skill. Qualifications of a successful florist include being a good businessperson, able to design,…

  14. San Diego Met High School: Personalization as a Foundation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Principal Leadership, 2010

    2010-01-01

    The mission of San Diego Met High School is to prepare students for college and the workforce through active learning, academic rigor, and community involvement in a small school setting. Because personalization is a key component of the school culture, advisories of 20-25 students work with the same teachers for all four years. Advisers, parents,…

  15. Social Studies Education and Public Art: The Detroit Billboard Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Julie Anne; Iroha, Okezie

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this action-research project was to evaluate the impact of high school students' involvement in community-oriented, art-based work in the social studies. In Detroit, high school students engaged in persuasive writing and design while exploring community issues. The project culminated in the installation of student artwork on a billboard…

  16. Evaluation of a Commercial Tractor Safety Monitoring System Using a Reverse Engineering Procedure.

    PubMed

    Casazza, Camilla; Martelli, Roberta; Rondelli, Valda

    2016-10-17

    There is a high rate of work-related deaths in agriculture. In Italy, despite the obligato-ry installation of ROPS, fatal accidents involving tractors represent more than 40% of work-related deaths in agriculture. As death is often due to an overturn that the driver is incapable of predicting, driver assistance devices that can signal critical stability conditions have been studied and marketed to prevent accidents. These devices measure the working parameters of the tractor through sensors and elaborate the values using an algorithm that, taking into account the geometric characteristics of the tractor, pro-vides a risk index based on models elaborated on a theoretical basis. This research aimed to verify one of these stability indexes in the field, using a commercial driver as-sistance device to monitor five tractors on the University of Bologna experimental farm. The setup of the device involved determining the coordinates of the center of gravity of the tractor and the implement mounted on the tractor. The analysis of the stability in-dex, limited to events with a significant risk level, revealed a clear separation into two groups: events with high values of roll or pitch and low speeds, typical of a tractor when working, and events with low values of roll and pitch and high steering angle and forward speed, typical of travel on the road. The equation for calculating the critical speed when turning provided a significant contribution only for events that were typi-cal of travel rather than field work, suggesting a diversified calculation approach ac-cording to the work phase. Copyright© by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

  17. A cluster analysis investigation of workaholism as a syndrome.

    PubMed

    Aziz, Shahnaz; Zickar, Michael J

    2006-01-01

    Workaholism has been conceptualized as a syndrome although there have been few tests that explicitly consider its syndrome status. The authors analyzed a three-dimensional scale of workaholism developed by Spence and Robbins (1992) using cluster analysis. The authors identified three clusters of individuals, one of which corresponded to Spence and Robbins's profile of the workaholic (high work involvement, high drive to work, low work enjoyment). Consistent with previously conjectured relations with workaholism, individuals in the workaholic cluster were more likely to label themselves as workaholics, more likely to have acquaintances label them as workaholics, and more likely to have lower life satisfaction and higher work-life imbalance. The importance of considering workaholism as a syndrome and the implications for effective interventions are discussed. Copyright 2006 APA.

  18. Heterosexual Romantic Involvement and Depressive Symptoms in Black Adolescent Girls: Effects of Menarche and Perceived Social Support

    PubMed Central

    Caldwell, Cleopatra Howard; Matusko, Niki; Jackson, James S.

    2015-01-01

    Research has accumulated to demonstrate that depressive symptoms are associated with heterosexual romantic involvement during adolescence, but relatively little work has linked this body of literature to the existing literature on associations between early pubertal timing and adolescent depressive symptoms. This study extends prior research by examining whether early menarche and heterosexual romantic involvement interact to predict depressive symptoms in a national sample of Black adolescent girls (N = 607; M age = 15 years; 32 % Caribbean Black and 68 % African American). We further examined whether the adverse effects of heterosexual romantic involvement and early menarche would be mediated by perceived social support from mothers, fathers, and peers. Path analysis results indicated that girls who report current involvement in a heterosexual romantic relationship also reported high levels of perceived peer support than girls with no romantic involvement. High levels of perceived peer support, in turn, predicted low levels of depressive symptoms. Romantically involved girls with an early menarche also reported significantly less depressive symptoms than girls not romantically involved with an early menarche. Neither perceived maternal support nor perceived paternal support mediated associations between heterosexual romantic involvement, menarche, and depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that individual and social factors can impede heterosexual romantic involvement effects on depressive symptoms in Black adolescent girls. PMID:25678429

  19. Post-retirement voluntary work and psychological functioning among older Chinese in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    Wu, Anise M S; Tang, Catherine S K; Yan, Elsie C W

    2005-03-01

    This study examined demographic and psychosocial differences between older Chinese volunteers and non-volunteers. The influences of work-related factors on older Chinese volunteers' post-retirement psychological functioning and life satisfaction were also explored. A total of 501 older Chinese in Hong Kong were individually interviewed. About 65% of them were involved in community voluntary work since their retirement, with an average of four hours per week. Compared to those without voluntary work experiences, older Chinese volunteers had higher educational attainment and reported better physical health, higher self-efficacy, greater life satisfaction, and less psychological distress. Results from hierarchical regression analyses showed that salient correlates of a low level of psychological distress in older Chinese volunteers were high educational attainment, high self-efficacy, perceived good physical health, and high levels of perceived rewards and satisfaction from voluntary work. Self-efficacy and perceived rewards from voluntary work were also salient correlates of life satisfaction for older Chinese volunteers. As hypothesized, work-related factors of perceived rewards and work satisfaction remained significant correlates of older volunteers' psychological well-being, even after controlling for demographic and individual psychosocial factors. Limitations and implications of the study were also discussed.

  20. 32 CFR 537.15 - Statutory authority for maritime claims and claims involving civil works of a maritime nature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... claims involving civil works of a maritime nature. 537.15 Section 537.15 National Defense Department of....15 Statutory authority for maritime claims and claims involving civil works of a maritime nature. (a... affirmative claims involving civil works of a maritime nature is set out at 33 U.S.C. 408. ...

  1. 32 CFR 537.15 - Statutory authority for maritime claims and claims involving civil works of a maritime nature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... claims involving civil works of a maritime nature. 537.15 Section 537.15 National Defense Department of....15 Statutory authority for maritime claims and claims involving civil works of a maritime nature. (a... affirmative claims involving civil works of a maritime nature is set out at 33 U.S.C. 408. ...

  2. 32 CFR 537.15 - Statutory authority for maritime claims and claims involving civil works of a maritime nature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... claims involving civil works of a maritime nature. 537.15 Section 537.15 National Defense Department of....15 Statutory authority for maritime claims and claims involving civil works of a maritime nature. (a... affirmative claims involving civil works of a maritime nature is set out at 33 U.S.C. 408. ...

  3. 32 CFR 537.15 - Statutory authority for maritime claims and claims involving civil works of a maritime nature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... claims involving civil works of a maritime nature. 537.15 Section 537.15 National Defense Department of....15 Statutory authority for maritime claims and claims involving civil works of a maritime nature. (a... affirmative claims involving civil works of a maritime nature is set out at 33 U.S.C. 408. ...

  4. 32 CFR 537.15 - Statutory authority for maritime claims and claims involving civil works of a maritime nature.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... claims involving civil works of a maritime nature. 537.15 Section 537.15 National Defense Department of....15 Statutory authority for maritime claims and claims involving civil works of a maritime nature. (a... affirmative claims involving civil works of a maritime nature is set out at 33 U.S.C. 408. ...

  5. The Preferred Work Paradigm for Generation Y in the Hotel Industry: A Case Study of the International Tourism and Hospitality International Programme, Thailand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dhevabanchachai, Nate-tra; Muangasame, Kaewta

    2013-01-01

    It is well known that hospitality work is physically demanding and involves mental stress and, at times, an uncompetitive compensation package. This has resulted in a high employee turnover rate in recent years. Staff retention is thus a challenge, especially for employees belonging to Generation Y (Gen Y). The situation in Thailand is not…

  6. Palliative care nursing involvement in end-of-life decision-making: Qualitative secondary analysis.

    PubMed

    Hernández-Marrero, Pablo; Fradique, Emília; Pereira, Sandra Martins

    2018-01-01

    Nurses are the largest professional group in healthcare and those who make more decisions. In 2014, the Committee on Bioethics of the Council of Europe launched the "Guide on the decision-making process regarding medical treatment in end-of-life situations" (hereinafter, Guide), aiming at improving decision-making processes and empowering professionals in making end-of-life decisions. The Guide does not mention nurses explicitly. To analyze the ethical principles most valued by nurses working in palliative care when making end-of-life decisions and investigate if they are consistent with the framework and recommendations of the Guide; to identify what disputed/controversial issues are more frequent in these nurses' current end-of-life care practices. Qualitative secondary analysis. Participants/context: Three qualitative datasets including 32 interviews from previous studies with nurses working in palliative care in Portugal. Ethical consideration: Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Research Lab of the Instituto de Bioética (Ethics Research Lab of the Institute of Bioethics) (Ref.04.2015). Ethical procedures are thoroughly described. All participant nurses referred to autonomy as an ethical principle paramount in end-of-life decision-making. They were commonly involved in end-of-life decision-making. Palliative sedation and communication were the most mentioned disputed/controversial issues. Autonomy was highly valued in end-of-life care and decision-making. Nurses expressed major concerns in assessing patients' preferences, wishes, and promoting advance care planning. Nurses working in palliative care in Portugal were highly involved in end-of-life decision-making. These processes embraced a collective, inclusive approach. Palliative sedation was the most mentioned disputed issue, which is aligned with previous findings. Communication also emerged as a sensitive ethical issue; it is surprising, however, that only three nurses referred to it. While the Guide does not explicitly mention nurses in its content, this study shows that nurses working in palliative care in Portugal are involved in these processes. Further research is needed on nurses' involvement and practices in end-of-life decision-making.

  7. Free adrenaline and noradrenaline excretion related to occupational stress.

    PubMed Central

    Timio, M; Gentili, S; Pede, S

    1979-01-01

    Urinary levels of free adrenaline and noradrenaline were measured in two groups of healthy male industrial workers exposed to alternate four-day periods of working conditions with and without time stress, to test the hypothesis that the sympathetic nervous system is overactivated by occupational stress. Thirty confectionary workers alternated piece-work (payment by results) and work with a fixed daily wage while 30 metal workers alternated work on an assembly line with work off it. Under time stress urinary free adrenaline was 450 per cent and noradrenaline 230 per cent of the levels for similar work without time stress but involving equal oxygen consumption. These differences were statistically highly significant and they persisted on retesting after six months of alternating work regimens. They support the concept that occupational stress in industrial workers influences the adrenosympathetic system and they indicate a possible method for assessing the effects of high levels of sympathetic activity on the aetiology of ischaemic heart disease. PMID:508478

  8. Safety behavior: Job demands, job resources, and perceived management commitment to safety.

    PubMed

    Hansez, Isabelle; Chmiel, Nik

    2010-07-01

    The job demands-resources model posits that job demands and resources influence outcomes through job strain and work engagement processes. We test whether the model can be extended to effort-related "routine" safety violations and "situational" safety violations provoked by the organization. In addition we test more directly the involvement of job strain than previous studies which have used burnout measures. Structural equation modeling provided, for the first time, evidence of predicted relationships between job strain and "routine" violations and work engagement with "routine" and "situational" violations, thereby supporting the extension of the job demands-resources model to safety behaviors. In addition our results showed that a key safety-specific construct 'perceived management commitment to safety' added to the explanatory power of the job demands-resources model. A predicted path from job resources to perceived management commitment to safety was highly significant, supporting the view that job resources can influence safety behavior through both general motivational involvement in work (work engagement) and through safety-specific processes.

  9. Evaluation of work posture and quantification of fatigue by Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rizkya, I.; Syahputri, K.; Sari, R. M.; Anizar; Siregar, I.

    2018-02-01

    Work related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), poor body postures, and low back injuries are the most common problems occurring in many industries including small-medium industries. This study presents assessment and evaluation of ergonomic postures of material handling worker. That evaluation was carried out using REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment). REBA is a technique to quantize the fatigue experienced by the worker while manually lifting loads. Fatigue due to abnormal work posture leads to complaints of labor-perceived pain. REBA methods were used to an assessment of working postures for the existing process by a procedural analysis of body postures involved. This study shows that parts of the body have a high risk of work are the back, neck, and upper arms with REBA score 9, so action should be taken as soon as possible. Controlling actions were implemented to those process with high risk then substantial risk reduction was achieved.

  10. Differences in the association between psychosocial work conditions and physical work load in female- and male-dominated occupations. MUSIC-Norrtälje Study Group.

    PubMed

    Josephson, M; Pernold, G; Ahlberg-Hultén, G; Härenstam, A; Theorell, T; Vingård, E; Waldenström, M; Hjelm, E W

    1999-01-01

    This study investigated whether there is a relationship between high physical work load and adverse psychosocial work factors, and whether this relationship is different for women and men. Separate analyses for female registered nurses and assistant nurses were made because these are common occupations involving high physical and psychological demands. This study was part of the MUSIC-Norrtälje study, a population study with the overall aim of identifying risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders. The respondents, 1423 gainfully employed men and women, were randomly selected from the study population. The exposure assessments referred to a typical workday during the previous 12 months. Physical exposure was investigated by interview, psychosocial work factors by interview and questionnaire. For the women, but not the men, mainly routine work and a job strain situation, according to the model of Karasek and Theorell, increased the probability of having a high physical work load, assessed as a time-weighted average of energy expenditure in multiples of the resting metabolic rate. Results indicated that in female-dominated occupations, high physical work load might also imply adverse psychosocial conditions. A higher frequency of high physical work load and job strain was observed among assistant nurses compared with registered nurses. Covariance between physical and psychosocial demands makes it difficult to determine the relative influence of each in health problems. Results of the present study imply that this is a larger problem in studies of women than men.

  11. Architectural Heritage Education: A Summary Report. Local Architecture as a Teaching Resource for High School Courses.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hatch, Kathlyn; Engels, Nancy

    This report describes a 3-year project which used local architecture as a resource for teaching the arts and humanities at the secondary level. The project involved 24 Massachusetts high school teachers in art, social studies, industrial arts, and the language arts working with project staff. The teachers attended two week-long summer courses.…

  12. Comenius Project: Are e-Learning Collaborations of High School Students across Europe in Maths Possible?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simonovits, Reinhard; McElroy, Jim; O'Loughlin, James; Townsend, Colin

    2013-01-01

    The overall aim of the project is to allow for the collaboration of high school students of different European countries on small, selected maths topics. This involves the use of technology, student mobility and English language competency. Benefits are also expected to accrue to teachers of mathematics by providing the opportunity to work with…

  13. Uas for Archaeology - New Perspectives on Aerial Documentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fallavollita, P.; Balsi, M.; Esposito, S.; Melis, M. G.; Milanese, M.; Zappino, L.

    2013-08-01

    In this work some Unmanned Aerial Systems applications are discussed and applied to archaeological sites survey and 3D model reconstructions. Interesting results are shown for three important and different aged sites on north Sardinia (Italy). An easy and simplified procedure has proposed permitting the adoption of multi-rotor aircrafts for daily archaeological survey during excavation and documentation, involving state of art in UAS design, flight control systems, high definition sensor cameras and innovative photogrammetric software tools. Very high quality 3D models results are shown and discussed and how they have been simplified the archaeologist work and decisions.

  14. Sharing of home responsibilities between professionally employed women and their husbands.

    PubMed

    Biernat, M; Wortman, C B

    1991-06-01

    A sample of 139 married couples with young children and with relatively equal status careers (wives were university professors or businesswomen) were interviewed about work and home life. Considerable, traditional inequity in the distribution of child-care tasks and chore responsibility was noted, but women were generally satisfied with their husbands' home involvement. In the academic sample, the longer hours each spouse worked, the more child care the other performed; in the business sample, child-care involvement was largely determined by the husband's work hours, income, and education. Overall, women were more self-critical than were men about their performance in home roles, and women's role performance was rated more highly by husbands than by themselves. Women professionals' continued use of traditional sex role standards and the importance of attending to both partners' perspectives in studies of married life are discussed.

  15. Black youth's personal involvement in the HIV/AIDS issue: does the public service announcement still work?

    PubMed

    Keys, Truman R; Morant, Kesha M; Stroman, Carolyn A

    2009-03-01

    Recent public service announcements (PSAs) directed toward Black youth utilize various formats and appeals to stimulate a motivated cognitive process that engenders personal involvement in the HIV/AIDS issue. The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) by Petty and Cacioppo argues that engagement with messages that consist of substantive content causes the audience member to critically analyze the message, which can produce awareness and attitude change. An efficient way to add emphasis to the message and seize the attention of the target audience is to insert the message into an entertainment context. Our study attempted to analyze the impact of the peripheral cue, character appeal, on audience members' attitude change in response to analyzing high- and low-involvement message content. A2 x 4 factorial design was used, with message involvement (high/low) and character appeal (White/Black and celebrity/noncelebrity) as independent variables. The findings showed that celebrity status is the salient factor, with source perception inducing attitude change as a main effect or in an interaction effect with high- and low message content.

  16. High-pressure Injection Injuries of the Hand.

    PubMed

    Cannon, Tyler A

    2016-07-01

    High-pressure injection hand injuries are often overlooked, with severe complications owing to the acute inflammatory response. Prognosis for depends on the type of material injected, location of injection, involved pressure, and timing to surgical decompression and debridement. Acute management involves broad-spectrum antibiotics, tetanus prophylaxis, emergent decompression within 6 hours, and complete removal of the injected material. Most patients have residual sequelae of stiffness, pain, sensation loss, and difficulties in returning to work. The hand surgeon's role is prompt surgical intervention, early postoperative motion, and education of patient and staff regarding short- and long-term expectations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. PV source based high voltage gain current fed converter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saha, Soumya; Poddar, Sahityika; Chimonyo, Kudzai B.; Arunkumar, G.; Elangovan, D.

    2017-11-01

    This work involves designing and simulation of a PV source based high voltage gain, current fed converter. It deals with an isolated DC-DC converter which utilizes boost converter topology. The proposed converter is capable of high voltage gain and above all have very high efficiency levels as proved by the simulation results. The project intends to produce an output of 800 V dc from a 48 V dc input. The simulation results obtained from PSIM application interface were used to analyze the performance of the proposed converter. Transformer used in the circuit steps up the voltage as well as to provide electrical isolation between the low voltage and high voltage side. Since the converter involves high switching frequency of 100 kHz, ultrafast recovery diodes are employed in the circuitry. The major application of the project is for future modeling of solar powered electric hybrid cars.

  18. Polar Attraction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoff, David J.

    2001-01-01

    Describes the experiences of a high school science teacher who joined a 5-week National Science Foundation research excursion to Antarctica that involved him as a participating researcher. The paper explains challenges that he encountered related to the physical environment, working conditions, and relationships with his colleagues. (SM)

  19. Taking a Common-Sense Approach to Moral Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Myers, R. E.

    2001-01-01

    Outlines how one veteran high school teacher wrote up an everyday moral dilemma (obliquely involving drug trafficking) for his students to discuss and solve. Notes problem-solving steps and questions, and how the students worked their way to a solution through discussion. (SR)

  20. The Values of Negative Teaching.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bier, Jesse

    1983-01-01

    Advocates introducing high school literature classes by analyzing the serious flaws in an important work such as Edgar Alan Poe's poem, "The Raven," in order to increase student involvement in evaluating literature, strengthen student trust of the teacher's judgment, and motivate students for positive criticism. (MM)

  1. The relationships among work stress, strain and self-reported errors in UK community pharmacy.

    PubMed

    Johnson, S J; O'Connor, E M; Jacobs, S; Hassell, K; Ashcroft, D M

    2014-01-01

    Changes in the UK community pharmacy profession including new contractual frameworks, expansion of services, and increasing levels of workload have prompted concerns about rising levels of workplace stress and overload. This has implications for pharmacist health and well-being and the occurrence of errors that pose a risk to patient safety. Despite these concerns being voiced in the profession, few studies have explored work stress in the community pharmacy context. To investigate work-related stress among UK community pharmacists and to explore its relationships with pharmacists' psychological and physical well-being, and the occurrence of self-reported dispensing errors and detection of prescribing errors. A cross-sectional postal survey of a random sample of practicing community pharmacists (n = 903) used ASSET (A Shortened Stress Evaluation Tool) and questions relating to self-reported involvement in errors. Stress data were compared to general working population norms, and regressed on well-being and self-reported errors. Analysis of the data revealed that pharmacists reported significantly higher levels of workplace stressors than the general working population, with concerns about work-life balance, the nature of the job, and work relationships being the most influential on health and well-being. Despite this, pharmacists were not found to report worse health than the general working population. Self-reported error involvement was linked to both high dispensing volume and being troubled by perceived overload (dispensing errors), and resources and communication (detection of prescribing errors). This study contributes to the literature by benchmarking community pharmacists' health and well-being, and investigating sources of stress using a quantitative approach. A further important contribution to the literature is the identification of a quantitative link between high workload and self-reported dispensing errors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Perceived functional ability assessed with the spinal function sort: is it valid for European rehabilitation settings in patients with non-specific non-acute low back pain?

    PubMed Central

    Hilfiker, R.; Kool, J. P.; Bachmann, S.; Hagen, K. B.

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study involving 170 patients suffering from non-specific low back pain was to test the validity of the spinal function sort (SFS) in a European rehabilitation setting. The SFS, a picture-based questionnaire, assesses perceived functional ability of work tasks involving the spine. All measurements were taken by a blinded research assistant; work status was assessed with questionnaires. Our study demonstrated a high internal consistency shown by a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.98, reasonable evidence for unidimensionality, spearman correlations of >0.6 with work activities, and discriminating power for work status at 3 and 12 months by ROC curve analysis (area under curve = 0.760 (95% CI 0.689–0.822), respectively, 0.801 (95% CI 0.731–0.859). The standardised response mean within the two treatment groups was 0.18 and −0.31. As a result, we conclude that the perceived functional ability for work tasks can be validly assessed with the SFS in a European rehabilitation setting in patients with non-specific low back pain, and is predictive for future work status. PMID:20490874

  3. A work-based learning approach for clinical support workers on mental health inpatient wards.

    PubMed

    Kemp, Philip; Gilding, Moorene; Seewooruttun, Khooseal; Walsh, Hannah

    2016-09-14

    Background With a rise in the number of unqualified staff providing health and social care, and reports raising concerns about the quality of care provided, there is a need to address the learning needs of clinical support workers. This article describes a qualitative evaluation of a service improvement project that involved a work-based learning approach for clinical support workers on mental health inpatient wards. Aim To investigate and identify insights in relation to the content and process of learning using a work-based learning approach for clinical support workers. Method This was a qualitative evaluation of a service improvement project involving 25 clinical support workers at the seven mental health inpatient units in South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Three clinical skills tutors were appointed to develop, implement and evaluate the work-based learning approach. Four sources of data were used to evaluate this approach, including reflective journals, qualitative responses to questionnaires, three focus groups involving the clinical support workers and a group interview involving the clinical skills tutors. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings The work-based learning approach was highly valued by the clinical support workers and enhanced learning in practice. Face-to-face learning in practice helped the clinical support workers to develop practice skills and reflective learning skills. Insights relating to the role of clinical support workers were also identified, including the benefits of face-to-face supervision in practice, particularly in relation to the interpersonal aspects of care. Conclusion A work-based learning approach has the potential to enhance care delivery by meeting the learning needs of clinical support workers and enabling them to apply learning to practice. Care providers should consider how the work-based learning approach can be used on a systematic, organisation-wide basis in the context of budgetary restrictions.

  4. RN work engagement in generational cohorts: the view from rural US hospitals.

    PubMed

    Sullivan Havens, Donna; Warshawsky, Nora E; Vasey, Joseph

    2013-10-01

    To describe staff nurse work engagement, identify predictors by generational cohort, present implications for nurse managers and suggest future research. A global nurse shortage looms. While an adequate supply of nurses is needed to ensure access to care, access to quality care may be enhanced by an adequate supply of highly engaged nurses-those who are dedicated, energized, and absorbed. Nurses have long reported the presence of energy depleting practice environments. Nurses practicing in professional practice environments may be more engaged. A non-experimental survey design was executed. Direct care Registered Nurses (n = 747) working in five rural acute care hospitals completed questionnaires to assess work engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-9), decisional involvement (Decisional Involvement Scale), relational coordination (Relational Coordination Survey) and the nursing practice environment (Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index). Descriptive, correlational and regression analyses examined work engagement and predictors by generational cohort. With the exception of the absorption component, no statistically significant differences in engagement emerged across generational cohorts. Predictors of engagement differed by cohort, however across all cohorts, professional nursing practice environments predicted nurse work engagement. Professional nursing practice environments are significantly associated with nurse work engagement. Enhancing nurse work engagement is a complex challenge. Generational cohorts may respond to different strategies to enhance engagement. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. An evaluation of the benefits to a UK Health Care Trust working in a partnership with a hospital in Northern Uganda: International partnership working in mental health.

    PubMed

    Hague, Ben; Sills, Jenny; Thompson, Andrew R

    2015-12-22

    Despite the worthy intentions of international health partnerships between high-income countries and countries with developing economies, the tangible benefits are rarely evaluated, limiting the assessment of the achievements of such collaborations. The present study used longitudinal qualitative methods to examine the individual and organisational benefits of a partnership between a National Health Service (NHS) mental health Trust in the United Kingdom and a mental health referral hospital in Northern Uganda. Benefits to UK staff and organisational development were benchmarked against an existing framework of healthcare competencies. Partnership involvement was beneficial to UK staff, by increasing awareness of diversity, and in enhancing ability to work flexibly and as a team. There were clear benefits expressed with regards to the partnership having the potential to enhance organisational reputation and staff morale. The findings from this study demonstrate that international partnerships are experienced as being of tangible value for healthcare staff from high-income countries, providing opportunities for the development of recognised healthcare competencies. In this study there was also some evidence that staff involvement might also provide wider organisational benefits.

  6. Catalysts of worker-to-worker violence and incivility in hospitals.

    PubMed

    Hamblin, Lydia E; Essenmacher, Lynnette; Upfal, Mark J; Russell, Jim; Luborsky, Mark; Ager, Joel; Arnetz, Judith E

    2015-09-01

    To identify common catalysts of worker-to-worker violence and incivility in hospital settings. Worker-to-worker violence and incivility are prevalent forms of mistreatment in healthcare workplaces. These are forms of counterproductive work behaviour that can lead to negative outcomes for employees, patients and the organisation overall. Identifying the factors that lead to co-worker mistreatment is a critical first step in the development of interventions targeting these behaviours. Retrospective descriptive study. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on the total sample (n = 141) of employee incident reports of worker-to-worker violence and incivility that were documented in 2011 at a large American hospital system. More than 50% of the incidents involved nurses, and the majority of incidents did not involve physical violence. Two primary themes emerged from the analysis: Work Behaviour and Work Organisation. Incidents in the Work Behaviour category were often sparked by unprofessional behaviour, disagreement over responsibilities for work tasks or methods of patient care, and dissatisfaction with a co-worker's performance. Incidents in the Work Organisation category involved conflicts or aggression arising from failure to following protocol, patient assignments, limited resources and high workload. Incidents of worker-to-worker violence and incivility stemmed from dissatisfaction with employee behaviour or from organisational practices or work constraints. These incident descriptions reflect worker dissatisfaction and frustration, resulting from poor communication and collaboration between employees, all of which threaten work productivity. Violence and incivility between hospital employees can contribute to turnover of top performers, hinder effective teamwork and jeopardise the quality of patient care. Identification of common catalysts for worker-to-worker violence and incivility informs the development of mistreatment prevention programmes that can be used to educate hospital staff. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Knowledge Translation in Job Development: Strategies for Involving Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Allison; Bose, Jennifer; Winsor, Jean; Migliore, Alberto

    2014-01-01

    Background: Although United States employment policies have increased support for people with disabilities working in community settings, the unemployment rate for this population remains very high, particularly for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Research shows that job developers (direct support professionals who assist…

  8. Working with Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mizer, Linda; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Includes 12 articles that suggest activities to involve junior and senior high school students with their school libraries. Suggestions include a program to promote the reading of quality books; the use of questionnaires to improve individualized service; a checklist for book fairs; library clubs; student book reviewers; booktalks; research…

  9. The Recognition and Management of Burn-Out.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dawson, Rob

    Staff burnout is a major hazard in outdoor wilderness education programs. Most susceptible are younger, first-time, idealistic, highly educated, overcommitted individuals who find difficulty in separating work from their private lives. Symptoms of burnout include decreasing concern, commitment, and enthusiasm; minimizing physical involvement with…

  10. Don't Let Students "Overlook" Internet Plagiarism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bugeja, Michael

    2004-01-01

    Plagiarism involves stealing or closely imitating another's written, creative, electronic, photographed, taped, or promotional or research work, identifying it as your own without permission or authorization. In this article, the author presents a primer discussion of plagiarism prevention in middle school throughout high school. Among other…

  11. Risk of HIV infection among men having sex with men in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

    PubMed

    Deuba, Keshab; Karki, Deepak Kumar; Shrestha, Rachana; Aryal, Umesh Raj; Bhatta, Laxmi; Rai, Krishna Kumar

    2014-03-01

    Despite extensive distribution of free condoms and lubricants to prevent HIV transmission among men having sex with men (MSM) in Nepal, the prevalence of HIV and risky sexual behaviors remain high. The influence of individual-level, social-capital, and social-structural factors on HIV risk has been insufficiently explored in MSM. The authors assessed association of these factors with HIV risk among 150 MSM enrolled using snowball sampling in the Kathmandu Valley. HIV risk was calculated on the basis of number and type of sexual partners and condom use during anal sex. Multivariate analysis showed a high risk of HIV infection was significantly associated with being involved in sex work, having no knowledge of male sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptoms, and having a history of STI symptoms. HIV prevention could be made more effective by targeting MSM who are involved in sex work and by improving their knowledge of male STI symptoms and early diagnosis and treatment.

  12. Involvement and structure: A qualitative study of organizational change and sickness absence among women in the public sector in Sweden

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Organizational changes in modern corporate life have become increasingly common and there are indications that they often fail to achieve their ends. An earlier study of 24,036 employees showed that those who had repeatedly been exposed to large increases in staffing during 1991-1996 had an excess risk of both long-term sickness absence and hospital admission during 1997-1999, while moderate expansion appeared to be protective. The former was most salient among female public sector employees. We used qualitative interviews to explore work environment factors underlying the impact of organizational changes (moderate and large expansions in staffing) on sickness absence from an employee perspective. Method We interviewed 21 strategically selected women from the earlier study using semi-structured telephone interviews focusing on working conditions during the organizational changes. We identified 22 themes which could explain the association between organizational changes and sickness absence. We then used Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to reduce the number of themes and discover patterns of possible causation. Results The themes that most readily explained the outcomes were Well Planned Process of Change (a clear structure for involvement of the employees in the changes), Agent of Change (an active role in the implementation of the changes), Unregulated Work (a lack of clear limits and guidelines regarding work tasks from the management and among the employees), and Humiliating Position (feelings of low status or of not being wanted at the workplace), which had been salient throughout the analytic process, in combination with Multiple Contexts (working in several teams in parallel) and Already Ill (having already had a debilitating illness at the beginning of 1991), which may indicate degree of individual exposure and vulnerability. Well Planned Process of Change, Agent of Change and Multiple Contexts are themes that were associated with low sickness absence. Unregulated Work, Humiliating Position and Already Ill were associated with high sickness absence. Conclusions These findings suggest that promising areas for future research and improvement in change management could be the structured involvement of the employees in the planning of organizational changes, and the development of methods to avoid highly unregulated working conditions. PMID:21575180

  13. Involvement and structure: a qualitative study of organizational change and sickness absence among women in the public sector in Sweden.

    PubMed

    Baltzer, Maria; Westerlund, Hugo; Backhans, Mona; Melinder, Karin

    2011-05-16

    Organizational changes in modern corporate life have become increasingly common and there are indications that they often fail to achieve their ends. An earlier study of 24,036 employees showed that those who had repeatedly been exposed to large increases in staffing during 1991-1996 had an excess risk of both long-term sickness absence and hospital admission during 1997-1999, while moderate expansion appeared to be protective. The former was most salient among female public sector employees. We used qualitative interviews to explore work environment factors underlying the impact of organizational changes (moderate and large expansions in staffing) on sickness absence from an employee perspective. We interviewed 21 strategically selected women from the earlier study using semi-structured telephone interviews focusing on working conditions during the organizational changes. We identified 22 themes which could explain the association between organizational changes and sickness absence. We then used Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to reduce the number of themes and discover patterns of possible causation. The themes that most readily explained the outcomes were Well Planned Process of Change (a clear structure for involvement of the employees in the changes), Agent of Change (an active role in the implementation of the changes), Unregulated Work (a lack of clear limits and guidelines regarding work tasks from the management and among the employees), and Humiliating Position (feelings of low status or of not being wanted at the workplace), which had been salient throughout the analytic process, in combination with Multiple Contexts (working in several teams in parallel) and Already Ill (having already had a debilitating illness at the beginning of 1991), which may indicate degree of individual exposure and vulnerability. Well Planned Process of Change, Agent of Change and Multiple Contexts are themes that were associated with low sickness absence. Unregulated Work, Humiliating Position and Already Ill were associated with high sickness absence. These findings suggest that promising areas for future research and improvement in change management could be the structured involvement of the employees in the planning of organizational changes, and the development of methods to avoid highly unregulated working conditions.

  14. Is Working Memory Involved in the Transcribing and Editing of Texts?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hayes, John R.; Chenoweth, N. Ann

    2006-01-01

    Generally, researchers agree that verbal working memory plays an important role in cognitive processes involved in writing. However, there is disagreement about which cognitive processes make use of working memory. Kellogg has proposed that verbal working memory is involved in translating but not in editing or producing (i.e., typing) text. In…

  15. Involvement of Working Memory in Mental Multiplication in Chinese Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Ru-De; Ding, Yi; Xu, Le; Wang, Jia

    2017-01-01

    The authors' aim was to examine the relation between two-digit mental multiplication and working memory. In Study 1, involving 30 fifth-grade students, we used digit span backward as an abbreviated measure of working memory. In Study 2, involving 41 fourth-grade students, working memory comprised measures of phonological loop, visuospatial…

  16. A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of High School Counselors Involved in Determining Serious and Foreseeable Harm in Cases of Student Substance Abuse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Atanasov, Kathryn Goss

    2016-01-01

    This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of ten practiced American high school counselors and their work with student substance users. The results of this study provide a rich description and deeper understanding the school counselors' social and cultural worlds--Illuminating the circumstances under which the participants found…

  17. The Impact of Communication and Collaboration between Test Developers and Teachers on a High-Stakes ESL Exam: Aligning External Assessment and Classroom Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tan, May; Turner, Carolyn E.

    2015-01-01

    In Quebec the high-stakes Secondary Five ESL exit writing exam developed by the Education Ministry (MELS) is administered and corrected by classroom teachers. In this distinctive situation, the MELS works toward aligning classroom-based assessment (CBA) and the writing exam by making ongoing teacher involvement part of its development and…

  18. Is parents' work involvement responsive to the quality of relationships with adolescent offspring?

    PubMed

    Fortner, Melissa R; Crouter, Ann C; McHale, Susan M

    2004-09-01

    Researchers know relatively little about how family relationships influence work involvement, although individuals are concerned about how family life interferes with or enhances work experiences. This study examined change in parents' work involvement as a function of relationship quality with offspring (mean age = 15 years) with data from 191 families participating in a longitudinal study. Results suggested a compensatory association between parents' feelings of acceptance and warmth toward offspring and work involvement. Less positive acceptance predicted (a) increasing emotional job involvement for mothers with sons and fathers with daughters and (b) increasing work hours for fathers with daughters. Results highlight how parents may compensate for less positive relationships with adolescents and are discussed in terms of research and applied implications. Copyright 2004 American Psychological Association

  19. Dosimetry of Al2O3 optically stimulated luminescent dosimeter at high energy photons and electrons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yusof, M. F. Mohd; Joohari, N. A.; Abdullah, R.; Shukor, N. S. Abd; Kadir, A. B. Abd; Isa, N. Mohd

    2018-01-01

    The linearity of Al2O3 OSL dosimeters (OSLD) were evaluated for dosimetry works in clinical photons and electrons. The measurements were made at a reference depth of Zref according to IAEA TRS 398:2000 codes of practice at 6 and 10 MV photons and 6 and 9 MeV electrons. The measured dose was compared to the thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) and ionization chamber commonly used for dosimetry works for higher energy photons and electrons. The results showed that the measured dose in OSL dosimeters were in good agreement with the reported by the ionization chamber in both high energy photons and electrons. A reproducibility test also reported excellent consistency of readings with the OSL at similar energy levels. The overall results confirmed the suitability of OSL dosimeters for dosimetry works involving high energy photons and electrons in radiotherapy.

  20. Understanding the high pressure properties of molecular solids and molecular surfaces deposited on hetrogeneous substrates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Etters, R. D.

    1985-01-01

    Work directed toward understanding the high pressure properties of molecular solids and molecular surfaces deposited on hetrogeneous substrates is reported. The motivation, apart from expanding our basic knowledge about these systems, was to understand and predict the properties of new materials synthesized at high pressure, including pressure induced metallic and superconducting states. As a consequence, information about the states of matter of the Jovian planets and their satellites, which are natural high pressure laboratories was also provided. The work on molecular surfaces and finite two and three dimensional clusters of atoms and molecules was connected with the composition and behavior of planetary atmospheres and on the processes involved in forming surface layers, which is vital to the development of composite materials and microcircuitry.

  1. Core competencies in teaching and training for doctors in Scotland: a review of the literature and stakeholder survey.

    PubMed

    Ross, Michael T; Macrae, Claire; Scott, Jayne; Renwick, Lynne; Moffat, Mandy; Needham, Gillian; Scott, Hazel; Shippey, Ben; Jackson, Catherine; Edgar, Simon; Aitken, Debbie; Evans, Phillip; Irvine, Stewart

    2014-06-01

    The UK General Medical Council requires all registered doctors to be competent in all areas of their work, including teaching and training. The current research sought consensus on core competencies for all consultants and GPs involved in teaching and training in Scotland. A draft list of 80 competencies was developed from the literature and made available as a survey to all consultants and GPs with teaching roles and all final year speciality trainees working in Scotland. Respondents rated the importance of each competency and provided free text comments. There were 1026 responses. Eighteen competencies were rated as "high priority", and are recommended as a baseline for all doctors involved in teaching and training; 55 were rated as "medium priority", and are recommended in relation to specific teaching and training roles; and 7 were rated as "low priority". Free text responses suggested the topic was controversial and emotive, and emphasised the importance of further work to engage trainers. The findings appeared to have face validity, and it was felt these could be used as the basis for developing a "Scottish Trainer Framework" for doctors and others involved in teaching and training in Scotland.

  2. [Syncope and occupational risk survey: the role of continuing education and multidisciplinary approach].

    PubMed

    Barbic, F; Angaroni, L; Orlandi, M; Costantino, G; Dipaola, E; Borleri, D; Borchini, R; D'Adda, F; Perego, F; Borella, M; Galli, A; Solbiati, M; Casazza, G; Furlan, R; Seghizzi, P

    2011-01-01

    Syncope is a common disorder characterized most of the times by a positive clinical outcome. However, it may turn to a life threatening event even for working colleagues and third party when occurring during an high risk job. We have recently found that, out of 670 patients admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) for syncope, about 50% were potential workers, being their age between 18 and 65 years. Also, we found that in this group of patients syncope recurrence was as high as 11% at 6 months. It is unknown how physicians address the problem of the occupational risk in patients suffering from syncope and how occupational aspects are taken into account in the clinical judgment before work readmission. One hundred eighty five doctors (149 occupational physicians, OP), participating in a work-shop on syncope, were asked to fulfill a questionnaire about their clinical experience and their attention to the occupational aspects in patients after syncope. Despite long lasting clinical experience, 41% of OP did not scrutinize syncope as a relevant symptom in their daily activity. 65% of the other specialists were used to address the occupational risk aspects in their syncope patients. A multidisciplinary approach involving continuing education on safety at work might reduce work accidents due to syncope relapse and promote a safe and suitable re-employment of patients with syncope. scrutinize syncope as a relevant symptom in their daily activity. 65% of the other specialists were used to address the occupational risk aspects in their syncope patients. A multidisciplinary approach involving continuing education on safety at work might reduce work accidents due to syncope relapse and promote a safe and suitable re-employment of patients with syncope.

  3. Influence of Hot-Working Conditions on High-Temperature Properties of a Heat-Resistant Alloy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ewing, John F; Freeman, J W

    1957-01-01

    The relationships between conditions of hot-working and properties at high temperatures and the influence of the hot-working on response to heat treatment were investigated for an alloy containing nominally 20 percent molybdenum, 2 percent tungsten, and 1 percent columbium. Commercially produced bar stock was solution-treated at 2,200 degrees F. to minimize prior-history effects and then rolled at temperatures of 2,200 degrees, 2,100 degrees, 2,000 degrees, 1,800 degrees, and 1,600 degrees F. Working was carried out at constant temperature and with incremental decreases in temperature simulating a falling temperature during hot-working. In addition, a few special repeated cyclic conditions involving a small reduction at high temperature followed by a small reduction at a low temperature were used to study the possibility of inducing very low strengths by the extensive precipitation accompanying such properties. Most of the rolling was done in open passes with a few check tests being made with closed passes. Heat treatments at both 2,050 degrees and 2,200 degrees F. subsequent to working were used to study the influence on response to heat treatment.

  4. Defamation actions.

    PubMed

    Tapp, A

    1999-03-01

    Registered nurses working in today's fast paced, high-tech health care environments are aware of their professional accountability and that, at some point, they may be involved in legal proceedings related to their practice. A civil lawsuit alleging negligence is the predominant concern nurses have when they turn their minds to this issue.

  5. Formative Qualitative Evaluation for "Exploratory" ITS Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murray, Tom

    1993-01-01

    Discusses evaluation methods applicable to exploratory research areas, provides an overview of qualitative and formative methods for exploratory research on intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) and describes an exploratory study in ITS knowledge acquisition which involved working with three educators to build an ITS for high school physics.…

  6. Summary of Research

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-10-01

    Department .......................... .............................. 113 Language Studies Department...seventh year, in which the researcher has been reporting period, work was conducted in ihc design actively involved. This area i. ditinct from other study ...proposal concerns the study of oscillating wings without flaps demonstrate the hydrodynamic performance of a high aspect-ratio impotance of the

  7. Strategies for durable resistance to the grapevine powdery mildew fungus, Erysiphe necator

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Nearly all cultivars of Vitis vinifera are highly susceptible to the grapevine powdery mildew fungus, Erysiphe necator. Grape breeders around the world are working to introgress resistance from wild Vitis. Of the widely-used introgressions, most involve dominant, race-specific resistance phenotype...

  8. Energy Related Careers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas A and M Univ., College Station. Coll. of Education.

    This publication serves as an introduction for high school students to energy related careers. Descriptions of type of work, education and skills needed for engineering, communication, business, and science careers that have the most direct involvement with the nation's energy problems are given. The purpose of this document is to guide interested…

  9. The Elephant in the Room

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, David A.

    2011-01-01

    Practically all teenagers find pleasure in music, yet the majority are not involved in traditional school music ensembles. College requirements, the quest for high grade point averages, scheduling conflicts, uncooperative counselors, block schedules, students with too many competing interests, or the need to work may limit participation in music…

  10. Vocational and Academic Teachers Work Together.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beck, Robert H.; And Others

    1991-01-01

    In a recent project involving two midwestern high schools, vocational and academic teachers participated in a project promoting interaction and mutual reinforcement. Innovative matches were found in agriculture and biology exchange classes, a technology outreach program, a study of world protein distribution, and a furniture marketing project. The…

  11. Characterization of cellulolytic activity from digestive fluids of Dissosteira carolina (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Previous screening of head-derived and gut fluid extracts of Carolina grasshoppers, Dissosteira carolina (L.), revealed relatively high activity against cellulase substrates when compared to other insect groups. In this work we report on the characterization and identification of enzymes involved i...

  12. Sources of Occupational Stress and Prevalence of Burnout and Clinical Distress Among U.S. Air Force Cyber Warfare Operators

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    distress within the cyber warfare community. This study involved cyber warfare operators including active duty (n = 376) and civilian contractor and...revealed that when compared to civilian cyber warfare operators, active duty cyber warfare operators are more likely to suffer from the facets of...8217 write-in responses revealed cyber warfare operators attributed shift work, shift changes, and hours worked as the primary sources of high occupational

  13. Magnetic force and work: an accessible example

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gates, Joshua

    2014-05-01

    Despite their physics instructors’ arguments to the contrary, introductory students can observe situations in which there seems to be compelling evidence for magnetic force doing work. The counterarguments are often highly technical and require physics knowledge beyond the experience of novice students, however. A simple example is presented which can illustrate that all may not be what it seems when energy transfer and the magnetic force are involved. Excel and Python simulations of the process are also provided.

  14. The Impact of a Rigorous Multiple Work Shift Schedule and Day Versus Night Shift Work on Reaction Time and Balance Performance in Female Nurses: A Repeated Measures Study.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Brennan J; Stock, Matt S; Banuelas, Victoria K; Akalonu, Chibuzo C

    2016-07-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a demanding work schedule involving long, cumulative work shifts on response time and balance-related performance outcomes and to evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders between day and night shift working nurses. A questionnaire was used to identify the prevalence of past (12-month) and current (7-day) musculoskeletal disorders. Nurses worked three 12-hour work shifts in a 4-day period. Reaction time and balance tests were conducted before and after the work period. The work period induced impairments for reaction time, errors on reaction time tasks, and balance performance, independent of shift type. Musculoskeletal symptom prevalence was high in workers of both work shifts. Compressed work shifts caused performance-based fatigue in nurses. Reaction time and balance tests may be sensitive fatigue identification markers in nurses.

  15. Self-interest and other-orientation in organizational behavior: implications for job performance, prosocial behavior, and personal initiative.

    PubMed

    De Dreu, Carsten K W; Nauta, Aukje

    2009-07-01

    In this article, the authors develop the self-concern and other-orientation as moderators hypothesis. The authors argue that many theories on work behavior assume humans to be either self-interested or to be social in nature with strong other-orientation but that this assumption is empirically invalid and may lead to overly narrow models of work behavior. The authors instead propose that self-concern and other-orientation are independent. The authors also propose that job performance, prosocial behavior, and personal initiative are a function of (a) individual-level attributes, such as job characteristics when employees are high in self-concern, and (b) group-level attributes, such as justice climate when employees are high in other-orientation. Three studies involving 4 samples of employees from a variety of organizations support these propositions. Implications are discussed for theory on work behavior and interventions geared toward job enrichment and team-based working.

  16. Does Organizational Justice Modify the Association Between Job Involvement and Retirement Intentions of Nurses in Finland?

    PubMed

    Sulander, Juhani; Sinervo, Timo; Elovainio, Marko; Heponiemi, Tarja; Helkama, Klaus; Aalto, Anna-Mari

    2016-10-01

    Given the growing aging population in Finland, retaining health staff to care for them is important. In an exploration of predictors of quitting before the typical retirement age, which ranges from 63 to 68 years in Finland, we examined whether organizational justice moderated the association between job involvement and retirement intentions among nurses 50 years and over. The sample was 446 nurses (70% practical nurses) working in 134 assisted living facilities providing 24-hour care for older residents in Finland. Job involvement was measured with the Job Involvement Questionnaire, and organizational justice with a scale that tapped its three dimensions: distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice. In covariance analyses, low organizational justice and low job involvement were associated with a higher likelihood of retirement intention. Both interactional justice and procedural justice moderated the association of job involvement with retirement intentions. Among nurses with low job involvement, those who experienced unjust treatment, that is, low interactional justice, and evaluated organizational procedures as unjust had significantly stronger retirement intentions than nurses with high levels of interactional and procedural justice. Distributive justice was associated with retirement intentions in both high and low job-involved respondents. Organizational justice may act as a buffer against retirement intention as one consequence of nurses' low job involvement. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. High energy PIXE: A tool to characterize multi-layer thick samples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Subercaze, A.; Koumeir, C.; Métivier, V.; Servagent, N.; Guertin, A.; Haddad, F.

    2018-02-01

    High energy PIXE is a useful and non-destructive tool to characterize multi-layer thick samples such as cultural heritage objects. In a previous work, we demonstrated the possibility to perform quantitative analysis of simple multi-layer samples using high energy PIXE, without any assumption on their composition. In this work an in-depth study of the parameters involved in the method previously published is proposed. Its extension to more complex samples with a repeated layer is also presented. Experiments have been performed at the ARRONAX cyclotron using 68 MeV protons. The thicknesses and sequences of a multi-layer sample including two different layers of the same element have been determined. Performances and limits of this method are presented and discussed.

  18. Food safety in a nuclear crisis: The role of the veterinarian.

    PubMed

    Waltner-Toews, D

    1990-05-01

    Veterinarians are integrally involved in the maintenance of a safe and sufficient food supply; this involvement may be put to the test when a crisis - particularly a nuclear crisis - occurs. Few people can be said to be experts in how to ensure a safe food supply in a nuclear crisis. However, a working knowledge of radionuclides and how they behave in the food system, and the ability to identify high-risk foods and high-risk consumers in a crisis situation should be a part of the education of all veterinarians. In this paper I review those features of postdisaster radionuclide contamination of the food chain most relevant to veterinary activities in ensuring a safe food supply.

  19. Musculoskeletal symptoms and ergonomic hazards among material handlers in grocery retail industries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nasrull Abdol Rahman, Mohd; Zuhaidi, Muhammad Fareez Ahmad

    2017-08-01

    Grocery retail work can be physically demanding as material handler’s tasks involve manual lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing and pulling loads. The nature of this work puts them at a risk for serious low back pain, shoulder pain and other musculoskeletal injuries. This study was conducted by using two different types of tools which were Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) as a survey and Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA) Checklist as a direct observation method. Among 46 males and 14 females material handlers were involved throughout this study. For NMQ, the highest body part trouble in the last 12 months was low back pain (88.3%), followed by upper back (68.3%), neck (55.3%) and shoulder (36.7%). While for WISHA Checklist, most of them experienced hazard level involving awkward posture and high hand force. From the research conducted, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and ergonomic risk factors (ERFs) do related as it showed that musculoskeletal disorders may arise if the workers ignored the safety in ergonomic hazards.

  20. On-call work and physicians' turnover intention: the moderating effect of job strain.

    PubMed

    Heponiemi, Tarja; Presseau, Justin; Elovainio, Marko

    2016-01-01

    Physician shortage and turnover are major problems worldwide. On-call duties may be among the risk factors of high turnover rates among physicians. We investigated whether having on-call duties is associated with physicians' turnover intention and whether job strain variables moderate this association. The present study was a cross-sectional questionnaire study among 3324 (61.6% women) Finnish physicians. The analyses were conducted using analyses of covariance adjusted for age, gender, response format, specialization status and employment sector. The results showed that job strain moderated the association between being on-call and turnover intention. The highest levels of turnover intention were among those who had on-call duties and high level of job strain characterized by high demands and low control opportunities. The lowest levels of turnover intention were among those who were not on-call and who had low strain involving low demands and high control. Also, job demands moderated the association between being on-call and turnover intention; turnover intention levels were higher among those with on-call duties and high demands than those being on-call and low demands. To conclude, working on-call was related to physicians' turnover intention particularly in those with high job strain. Health care organizations should focus more attention on working arrangements and scheduling of on-call work, provide a suitable working pace and implement means to increase physicians' participation and control over their job.

  1. Patterns of Work and Family Involvement among Single and Dual Earner Couples: Two Competing Analytical Approaches.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yogev, Sara; Brett, Jeanne

    This paper offers a conceptual framework for the intersection of work and family roles based on the constructs of work involvement and family involvement. The theoretical and empirical literature on the intersection of work and family roles is reviewed from two analytical approaches. From the individual level of analysis, the literature reviewed…

  2. Effect of condensed tannins addition on the astringency of red wines.

    PubMed

    Soares, Susana; Sousa, André; Mateus, Nuno; de Freitas, Victor

    2012-02-01

    Astringency has been defined as a group of sensations involving dryness, tightening, and shrinking of the oral surface. It has been accepted that astringency is due to the tannin-induced interaction and/or precipitation of the salivary proline-rich proteins (PRPs) in the oral cavity, as a result of the ingestion of food products rich in tannins, for example, red wine. The sensory evaluation of astringency is difficult, and the existence of fast and reliable methods to its study in vitro is scarce. So, in this work, the astringency of red wine supplemented with oligomeric procyanidins (condensed tannins), and the salivary proteins (SP) involved in its development were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of human saliva after its interaction with red wine and by sensorial evaluation. The results show that for low concentration of tannins, the decrease of acidic PRPs and statherin is correlated with astringency intensity, with these families having a high relative complexation and precipitation toward condensed tannins comparatively to the other SP. However, for higher concentrations of tannins, the relative astringency between wines seems to correlate's to the glycosylated PRPs changes. This work shows for the first time that the several families of SP could be involved in different stages of the astringency development.

  3. UNIVERSITY RESEARCH PROGRAMS IN ROBOTICS, TECHNOLOGIES FOR MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS IN DIRECTED STOCKPILE WORK RADIATION AND ENGINEERING CAMPAIGNS - 2005-06 FINAL ANNUAL REPORT

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

    James S. Tulenko; Dean Schoenfeld; David Hintenlang

    The research performed by the University of Florida (UF) is directed to the development of technologies that can be utilized at a micro-scale in varied environments. Work is focused on micro-scale energy systems, visualization, and mechanical devices. This work will impact the NNSA need related to micro-assembly operations. The URPR activities are executed in a University environment, yet many applications of the resulting technologies may be classified or highly restrictive in nature. The NNSA robotics technologists apply an NNSA needs focus to the URPR research, and actively work to transition relevant research into the deployment projects in which they aremore » involved. This provides a “Research to Development to Application” structure within which innovative research has maximum opportunity for impact without requiring URPR researchers to be involved in specific NNSA projects. URPR researchers need to be aware of the NNSA applications in order to ensure the research being conducted has relevance, the URPR shall rely upon the NNSA sites for direction.« less

  4. Photoproduction of Multiply-Strange Hyperons at CLAS

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

    Price, John

    The activities of the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) Hadronic Structure Laboratory, undertaken with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science under grant DE-FG02-07ER41525, are described. This grant was originally awarded in 2007, and then renewed in 2009 and 2012, before it expired in 2015. The work was performed primarily at the home institution on the CSUDH campus in Carson, CA. A significant portion of the work was carried out at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) in Newport News, VA. The work covered in this award involves the study of the structure ofmore » the proton, which is done indirectly by looking at the Ξ particle. This is a particle with a spin and spatial structure similar to that of the proton, but with a different quark structure. Their properties are expected to be related due to SU(3) F symmetry. Additional work performed under this grant involved the construction of the High Threshold Cherenkov Counter, which was done by CSUDH undergraduate students in collaboration with JLab staff scientists.« less

  5. Roles for Agent Assistants in Field Science: Understanding Personal Projects and Collaboration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clancey, William J.

    2003-01-01

    A human-centered approach to computer systems design involves reframing analysis in terms of the people interacting with each other. The primary concern is not how people can interact with computers, but how shall we design work systems (facilities, tools, roles, and procedures) to help people pursue their personal projects, as they work independently and collaboratively? Two case studies provide empirical requirements. First, an analysis of astronaut interactions with CapCom on Earth during one traverse of Apollo 17 shows what kind of information was conveyed and what might be automated today. A variety of agent and robotic technologies are proposed that deal with recurrent problems in communication and coordination during the analyzed traverse. Second, an analysis of biologists and a geologist working at Haughton Crater in the High Canadian Arctic reveals how work interactions between people involve independent personal projects, sensitively coordinated for mutual benefit. In both cases, an agent or robotic system's role would be to assist people, rather than collaborating, because today's computer systems lack the identity and purpose that consciousness provides.

  6. Ageing, working hours and work ability.

    PubMed

    Costa, G; Sartori, S

    2007-11-01

    The current paper reports the main results of several studies carried out on Italian workers using the work ability index as a complementary tool for workers' periodical health surveillance. The work ability index shows a general decreasing trend over the years, but it changes differently according to working conditions and personal health status. In jobs with higher mental involvement and autonomy, but lower physical constraint, it remains quite constant and high over the years, while it significantly decreases with a steeper trend the higher the physical work load and the lower the job control are. Sex and working hours appear to act concurrently in influencing work ability, particularly in association with more physically demanding jobs. It is therefore necessary to adopt flexible interventions, able to give ageing shift workers a proper support for maintaining a satisfactory work ability, by means of actions addressed both to work organization and psycho-physical conditions.

  7. Method can improve efficiency of heli-portable seismic operations

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

    Kingsbury, O.J.

    1995-11-13

    There are regions of the world where the only viable means of conducting a seismic survey on land must involve helicopters as a primary means of transport. The high operating cost of helicopters means that such heliportable work is expensive compared with the more common land and marine surveys. This article is addressed to exploration companies contemplating heliportable seismic surveys. Its aim is to show how these operations work and to enable a dramatic reduction in the cost and timescale of future operations compared with numerous operations this writer has witnessed and been involved with in recent years. The coremore » of this article concerns distinct designs of drilling machinery used in these activities and the most efficient ways of configuring this machinery in the field.« less

  8. [Analisys of work-related accidents and incidents in an oil refinery in Rio de Janeiro].

    PubMed

    de Souza, Carlos Augusto Vaz; de Freitas, Carlos Machado

    2003-01-01

    Accidents in the chemical industry can have serious consequences for workers, communities, and the environment and are thus highly relevant to public health. This article is the result of an occupational surveillance project involving several public institutions. We analyze 800 work-related accidents that resulted in injuries, environmental damage, or loss of production in 1997 in an oil refinery located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The methodology was based on managerial and organizational approaches to accident investigation, with the European Union reporting system as the reference. The results highlight various limitations in the process of reporting and investigating accidents, as well as a certain hierarchy of accidents, with more attention given to accidents involving loss of production and less to those resulting in injuries, particularly among outsourced workers.

  9. Climate negotiators' and scientists' assessments of the climate negotiations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dannenberg, Astrid; Zitzelsberger, Sonja; Tavoni, Alessandro

    2017-06-01

    Climate negotiation outcomes are difficult to evaluate objectively because there are no clear reference scenarios. Subjective assessments from those directly involved in the negotiations are particularly important, as this may influence strategy and future negotiation participation. Here we analyse the perceived success of the climate negotiations in a sample of 656 experts involved in international climate policy. Respondents were pessimistic when asked for specific assessments of the current approach centred on voluntary pledges, but were more optimistic when asked for general assessments of the outcomes and usefulness of the climate negotiations. Individuals who were more involved in the negotiation process tended to be more optimistic, especially in terms of general assessments. Our results indicate that two reinforcing effects are at work: a high degree of involvement changes individuals' perceptions and more optimistic individuals are more inclined to remain involved in the negotiations.

  10. A Sky-High Classroom Provides a New Perspective for Earth Science Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kolb, Albert C.

    1969-01-01

    Describes an earth science program conducted from an airplane for 8th grade students of Carmel Middle School, Carmel, California. The steps involved in getting the program started, the classroom work and the preparatory field trips, as well as the airborne lesson itself, are described. (LC)

  11. Immigration and Inequality. NBER Working Paper No. 14683

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Card, David

    2009-01-01

    Immigration is often viewed as a proximate cause of the rising wage gap between high- and low-skilled workers. Nevertheless, there is controversy over the appropriate framework for measuring he presumed effect, and over the magnitudes involved. This paper offers an overview and synthesis of existing knowledge on the relationship between…

  12. Involving Students in Natural Resource Decision-Making Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellsworth, Peter; Ellsworth, Judith

    2001-01-01

    Describes the Coordinated Resource Management (CRM) in the Classroom project, in which Wyoming high school students work on an authentic natural resource problem, using a decision-making process based on consensus to reach agreement on solutions to the problem. Notes implementation issues of professional development and support, and considers…

  13. Influences of Prerequisite Knowledge on Inferencing in Literature.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stander, Aaron C.

    New information about reading comprehension (specifically schema theory) was applied to the teaching of literature in a study involving 33 high school students enrolled in two American literature classes. In particular, the study examined the ways in which knowledge of background information about a work could influence students' comprehension of…

  14. Utah's First Joint Effort in Vocational Health

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sprague, Richard F.

    1976-01-01

    Describes a tri-district program (in Utah's Granite, Jordan, and Murray school districts) to expand the health career program, which involved 62 field trips scouring the area's hospitals and health care centers, and student work experience opportunities, to expose students from 13 high schools to occupations beyond the traditional doctor and…

  15. Public-Private Partnership Program Evaluation. 1988-89.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bland, June

    This evaluation of the 1988-89 Public Private Partnership (PPP) program in Washington (District of Columbia) was seriously limited by the unavailability of statistical data on student progress and internship performance. PPP was designed to improve the preparation of high school students for the world of work by involving community businesses in…

  16. Preventing Schizophrenia and Severe Mental Illness: A Grand Challenge for Social Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeVylder, Jordan E.

    2016-01-01

    Schizophrenia is a leading cause of disability and health expenditure worldwide and is associated with homelessness, substance use, familial and social isolation, unemployment, involvement with the criminal justice system, stigma, and excess mortality. Prevention may be feasible through intervention with help-seeking "clinical high-risk"…

  17. Is There a Safe Level of Exposure to a Carcinogen?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hrudey, Steve E.; Krewski, Daniel

    1995-01-01

    Presents an approach to estimating the "safe" levels of low-dose exposure to carcinogens that involves working upward from the smallest conceivable chronic dose instead of extrapolating downward from high exposures. Discusses expert and public opinion and other issues related to quantitative cancer risk assessment. (LZ)

  18. Introduction to Media.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riler, Robert

    Designed for senior high school students, this one semester course focuses on four aspects of modern media: television, film, radio, and advertising. Each topic is worked into a weekly lesson plan format that stresses the active involvement of students in the learning process. The course outline contains lists of objectives and media materials…

  19. A Fresh Look at the Crystal Violet Lab with Handheld Camera Colorimetry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knutson, Theodore R.; Knutson, Cassandra M.; Mozzetti, Abbie R.; Campos, Antonio R.; Haynes, Christy L.; Penn, R. Lee

    2015-01-01

    Chemical kinetic experiments to determine rate laws are common in high school and college chemistry courses. For reactions involving a color change, rate laws can be determined experimentally using spectrophotometric or colorimetric equipment though this equipment can be cost prohibitive. Previous work demonstrated that inexpensive handheld camera…

  20. Using Technology to Build Solar-Powered Drag Racers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fireman, Jerry

    2012-01-01

    The Colfax High School (Colfax, California) Design Tech program incorporates both academic instruction and practical use of advanced technology to prepare students for the wide range of occupations that involve working with metal, wood, computers, and electronics. In this article, the author describes how Colfax students applied academic learning,…

  1. Toward High-Performance Communications Interfaces for Science Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oviatt, Sharon L.; Cohen, Adrienne O.

    2010-01-01

    From a theoretical viewpoint, educational interfaces that facilitate communicative actions involving representations central to a domain can maximize students' effort associated with constructing new schemas. In addition, interfaces that minimize working memory demands due to the interface per se, for example by mimicking existing non-digital work…

  2. Working with Youth on LGBT Issues: Why Gay-Straight Alliance Advisors Become Involved

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valenti, Maria; Campbell, Rebecca

    2009-01-01

    This phenomenological qualitative study explores motivation for citizen participation in a local context by exploring the experiences of Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club advisors from public high schools. Fourteen advisors from one midwestern state were randomly recruited for participation. Inductive and deductive qualitative analyses elucidated…

  3. Assessing and Managing Violence Risk in Juveniles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Borum, Randy; Verhaagen, David

    2006-01-01

    Highly practical and accessible, this is an indispensable resource for any mental health practitioner working with adolescents at risk for violent behavior. Presented is a comprehensive framework for evaluating justice-involved youth or those whose behavior in school, therapy sessions, or other contexts raises concern about violence. Detailed case…

  4. Reading Recovery--German Style. Short Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chambers, Gary N.

    1995-01-01

    This paper describes the Reading Recovery program implemented at a special needs school in Kiel, Germany. The program is intended to offer primary-grade pupils a second chance to obtain reading and writing skills. The highly structured reading program involves isolation of difficulties, work on word structure, learning consonant-vowel combinations…

  5. Inquiry in the Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanes, Jena; Sadler, Troy D.

    2005-01-01

    Projects based in the community give students the opportunity to engage in investigation as scientists and apply their work to make a difference at home. Community-based projects allow for easy implementation of high-end inquiry in the science classroom. When students become involved in research based in authentic community problems they gain a…

  6. Teaching the Young Child: Goals for Illinois.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Lilian G.

    This paper, outlining the present goals, purposes and future role of the Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children (ILLAEYC), discusses what is involved in providing high quality programs for young children everywhere, not only in Illinois. Among ILLAEYC's objectives: (1) to provide a channel of information for people working with…

  7. Load Theory of Selective Attention and Cognitive Control

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lavie, Nilli; Hirst, Aleksandra; de Fockert, Jan W.; Viding, Essi

    2004-01-01

    A load theory of attention in which distractor rejection depends on the level and type of load involved in current processing was tested. A series of experiments demonstrates that whereas high perceptual load reduces distractor interference, working memory load or dual-task coordination load increases distractor interference. These findings…

  8. Nonlinear optical properties of rigid-rod polymers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trimmer, Mark S.; Wang, Ying

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of this research project was to integrate enhanced third order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, especially high x(exp (3)) (greater than 10(exp -8) esu), into Maxdem's novel conjugated rigid-rod polymers while retaining their desirable processing, mechanical, and thermal properties. This work primarily involved synthetic approaches to optimized materials.

  9. HOLONET: a network for training holography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pombo, Pedro; Santos, Emanuel

    2014-07-01

    Holography is an optics technique based on wave physics and lasers with several applications at our day life. The production of holograms involves experimental work based on hands-on activities and creativity. All these elements can contribute to the promotion of experimental teaching of optics and training on holography. The hologram itself acting as a final result from a long process of research and study can enable the engagement of high school students on physics and promote the stimulus on optics learning. Taking these assumptions into account a network of schools working on holography was built involving thirty schools from all country. Holography systems were developed and several hands-on activities were constructed. During last sixteen years students are working on laser optics and holography producing different kinds of holograms. This study presents all holography labs implemented at schools and it will analyzed the holography systems and materials developed for students. Training strategy will be discussed and holograms obtained by students will be presented. Results obtained show us that holography can be implemented as a strategy for promoting the learning of optics and it is a particular way to involve students on experimental work and lab research. Results obtained during this study will be presented in detail and analyzed with focus on students performance. Educational results, teachers training, prizes and other positive outcomes will be discussed and compared.

  10. Preparing skilled labor in industry through production-based curriculum approach in vocational high school

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoto

    2017-09-01

    Vocational high school (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan / SMK) aims to prepare mid-level skilled labors to work in the industry and are able to create self-employment opportunities. For those reasons, the curriculum in SMK should be based on meeting the needs of the industries and is able to prepare learners to master the competence in accordance with the skills program of their choice. Production based curriculum is the curriculum which the learning process is designed together with the production process or using production process as a learning medium. This approach with the primary intention to introduce students with the real working environment and not merely simulations. In the production-based curriculum implementation model, students are directly involved in the industry through the implementation of industrial working practices, do work on production units in school, and do practical work in school by doing the job as done in the industry by using industry standards machines.

  11. [Occupational complexity and late-life memory and reasoning abilities].

    PubMed

    Ishioka, Yoshiko; Gondo, Yasuyuki; Masui, Yukie; Nakagawa, Takeshi; Tabuchi, Megumi; Ogawa, Madoka; Kamide, Kei; Ikebe, Kazunori; Arai, Yasumichi; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Takahashi, Ryutaro

    2015-08-01

    This study examined the associations between the complexity of an individual's primary lifetime occupation and his or her late-life memory and reasoning performance, using data from 824 community-dwelling participants aged 69-72 years. The complexity of work with data, people, and things was evaluated based on the Japanese job complexity score. The associations between occupational complexity and participant's memory and reasoning abilities were examined in multiple regression analyses. An association was found between more comple work with people and higher memory performance, as well as between more complex work with data and higher reasoning performance, after having controlled for gender, school records, and education. Further, an interaction effect was observed between gender and complexity of work with data in relation to reasoning performance: work involving a high degree of complexity with data was associated with high reasoning performance in men. These findings suggest the need to consider late-life cognitive functioning within the context of adulthood experiences, specifically those related to occupation and gender.

  12. Alternative Refrigerant Evaluation for High-Ambient Temperature Environments: R-22 and R-410A Alternatives for Mini-Split Air Conditioners

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

    Abdelaziz, Omar; Munk, Jeffrey D.; Shrestha, Som S.

    The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) High-Ambient Temperature Testing Program for Low-GWP Refrigerants aims to develop an understanding of the performance of low-Global Warming Potential (low-GWP) alternatives to Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) and Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants in mini-split air conditioners under high ambient temperature conditions. This interim working paper describes the parties involved, the alternative refrigerants selection process, the test procedures, and the preliminary results.

  13. Practicing Professional Values: Factors Influencing Involvement in Social Work Student Organizations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martindale, Dorothy; Olate, René; Anderson, Keith A.

    2017-01-01

    One of the most promising avenues for the development of professional values is involvement in professional student organizations. A convenience sample of baccalaureate social work students (n = 482) was drawn from 15 institutions. Regression analyses revealed several predictors of involvement in social work student organizations, including…

  14. A comparative study on the direct deposition of μc-Si:H and plasma-induced recrystallization of a-Si:H: Insight into Si crystallization in a high-density plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, H. P.; Xu, M.; Xu, S.; Feng, Y. Y.; Xu, L. X.; Wei, D. Y.; Xiao, S. Q.

    2018-03-01

    Deep insight into the crystallization mechanism of amorphous silicon is of theoretical and technological significance for the preparation of high-quality microcrystalline/polycrystalline silicon. In this work, we intensively compare the present two plasma-involved routes, i.e., the direct deposition and recrystallization of precursor amorphous silicon (a-Si) films, to fabricate microcrystalline silicon. Both the directly deposited and recrystallized samples show multi-layered structures as revealed by electronic microscopy. High-density hydrogen plasma involved recrystallization process, which is mediated by the hydrogen diffusion into the deep region of the precursor a-Si film, displays significantly different nucleation configuration, interface properties, and crystallite shape. The underlying mechanisms are analyzed in combination with the interplay of high-density plasma and growing or treated surface.

  15. Concepts and application of dynamic separation for agility and super-maneuverability of aircraft: An assessment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Freymuth, Peter

    1992-01-01

    Aims for improvement of fighter aircraft pursued by the unsteady flow community are high agility (the ability of the aircraft to make close turns in a low-speed regime) and super maneuverability (the ability of the aircraft to operate at high angles of attack in a post stall regime during quick maneuvers in a more extended speed range). High agility requires high lift coefficients at low speeds in a dynamic situation and this requirement can be met by dynamically forced separation or by quasistatic stall control. The competing methods will be assessed based on the known physics. Maneuvering into the post stall regime also involves dynamic separation but because even fast maneuvers involving the entire aircraft are 'aerodynamically slow' the resulting dynamic vortex structures should be considered 'elicited' rather than 'forced.' More work seems to be needed in this area of elicited dynamic separation.

  16. [Prevention in the building sites of the District of Sondrio].

    PubMed

    Pellei, B; Pattarin, R

    2006-01-01

    Building is one of the most important activities inside the local productive reality; the PSAL Service has therefore had to face the sector intervention prearranging a specific methodology, which would aim at involving all the people in charge of roles and authority in this field, finding out a way that, starting from the epidemiological evaluation of accidents, would become positive making the shared preventive standards, into which the watch activity, the training of the employers, workers and professionals, the effective involvement of public contract giving stations would be concentrated, well-grounded. The first results of such an important engagement are ripening: there are still some mortal accidents but as far as the other cases are concerned we point out that all the points on which the watch activity has been concentrated (fall of people and of gravel from high points, contact with working elements of the installations, etc.) are constantly decreasing. The estimation of the risk priority has been carried out under mandate from the Procura della Repubblica resulting in the establishment of a table in which all the main working conditions with a high risk of people and gravel fall from high points, transformed into a special Criminal Investigation Department Directive on the cases on which to concentrate the intervention and in the presence of which to distrain upon/to operate sequestration. The involvement of various people in charge of prevention in the yard has occurred during the District Commission of Coordination ex art. 27 DLgs626/94 (ex article 27 Law626/94) which, thanks to a proper Building Working Team, has divided the above mentioned Directive of the Procura della Repubblica into guidelines addressed to each component and consequently into the training of the categories involved. Therefore, a guideline for the building constructors has been produced in 2000; such guideline has been adapted to professionals in 2001; a series of enterprises concerning capillary agreement with the Local administration in order to point out the essential problems regarding prevention inside the administrative procedures concerning the management of the public contracts in the field of security are being carried out since 2002.

  17. Weapon Involvement in the Victimization of Children.

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Kimberly J; Hamby, Sherry L; Turner, Heather A; Shattuck, Anne; Jones, Lisa M

    2015-07-01

    To report the prevalence of weapons involved in the victimization of youth with particular emphasis on weapons with a "high lethality risk" and how such exposure fits into the broader victimization and life experiences of children and adolescents. Data were collected as part of the Second National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence, a nationally representative telephone survey of youth ages 2 to 17 years and caregivers (N = 4114) conducted in 2011. Estimates from the Second National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence indicate that almost 14 million youth, ages 2–17, in the United States have been exposed to violence involving a weapon in their lifetimes as witnesses or victims,or .1 in 5 children in this age group [corrected]. More than 2 million youth in the United States (1 in 33) have been directly assaulted in incidents where the high lethality risk weapons of guns and knives were used. Differences were noted between victimizations involving higher and lower lethality risk weapons as well as between any weapon involvement versus none. Poly-victims, youth with 7 or more victimization types, were particularly likely to experience victimization with any weapon, as well as victimization with a highly lethal weapon compared with nonpoly-victims. Findings add to the field's broadening conceptualization of youth victimization highlighting the potentially highly consequential risk factor of weapon exposure as a component of victimization experiences on the mental health of youth. Further work on improving gun safety practices and taking steps to reduce children's exposure to weapon-involved violence is warranted to reduce this problem. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  18. Level of Work Related Stress among Teachers in Elementary Schools.

    PubMed

    Agai-Demjaha, Teuta; Bislimovska, Jovanka Karadzinska; Mijakoski, Dragan

    2015-09-15

    Teaching is considered a highly stressful occupation, with work-related stress levels among teachers being among the highest compared to other professions. Unfortunately there are very few studies regarding the levels of work-related stress among teachers in the Republic of Macedonia. To identify the level of self-perceived work-related stress among teachers in elementary schools and its relationship to gender, age, position in the workplace, the level of education and working experience. We performed a descriptive-analytical model of a cross-sectional study that involved 300 teachers employed in nine elementary schools. Evaluation of examined subjects included completion of a specially designed questionnaire. We found that the majority of interviewed teachers perceive their work-related stress as moderate. The level of work-related stress was significantly high related to the gender, age, position in workplace, as well as working experience (p < 0.01), while it was significant related to level of education (p < 0.05). Significantly greater number of lower-grade teachers perceives the workplace as extremely stressful as compared to the upper-grade teachers (18.5% vs. 5.45%), while the same is true for female respondents as compared to the male ones (15.38% vs. 3.8%). In addition, our results show that teachers with university education significantly more often associate their workplace with stronger stress than their colleagues with high education (13.48% vs. 9.4%). We also found that there is no significant difference of stress levels between new and more experienced teachers. Our findings confirm that the majority of interviewed teachers perceived their work-related stress as high or very high. In terms of the relationship between the level of teachers' stress and certain demographic and job characteristics, according to our results, the level of work-related stress has shown significantly high relation to gender, age, levels of grades taught as well as working experience, and significant relation to the level of education.

  19. Level of Work Related Stress among Teachers in Elementary Schools

    PubMed Central

    Agai–Demjaha, Teuta; Bislimovska, Jovanka Karadzinska; Mijakoski, Dragan

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Teaching is considered a highly stressful occupation, with work-related stress levels among teachers being among the highest compared to other professions. Unfortunately there are very few studies regarding the levels of work-related stress among teachers in the Republic of Macedonia. AIM: To identify the level of self-perceived work-related stress among teachers in elementary schools and its relationship to gender, age, position in the workplace, the level of education and working experience. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a descriptive-analytical model of a cross-sectional study that involved 300 teachers employed in nine elementary schools. Evaluation of examined subjects included completion of a specially designed questionnaire. RESULTS: We found that the majority of interviewed teachers perceive their work-related stress as moderate. The level of work-related stress was significantly high related to the gender, age, position in workplace, as well as working experience (p < 0.01), while it was significant related to level of education (p < 0.05). Significantly greater number of lower-grade teachers perceives the workplace as extremely stressful as compared to the upper-grade teachers (18.5% vs. 5.45%), while the same is true for female respondents as compared to the male ones (15.38% vs. 3.8%). In addition, our results show that teachers with university education significantly more often associate their workplace with stronger stress than their colleagues with high education (13.48% vs. 9.4%). We also found that there is no significant difference of stress levels between new and more experienced teachers. CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm that the majority of interviewed teachers perceived their work-related stress as high or very high. In terms of the relationship between the level of teachers’ stress and certain demographic and job characteristics, according to our results, the level of work-related stress has shown significantly high relation to gender, age, levels of grades taught as well as working experience, and significant relation to the level of education. PMID:27275275

  20. Effect of herd cues and product involvement on bidder online choices.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yi-Fen; Wang, Ya-Ju

    2010-08-01

    Previous works have shown that consumers are influenced by others in decision making. Herd behavior is common in situations in which consumers infer product quality from other consumer choices and incorporate that information into their own decision making. This research presents two studies examining herd effect and the moderating role of product involvement on bidder choices in online auctions. The two studies addressed the influence on bidder online choices of herd cues frequently found in online auctions, including feedback ratings and number of questions and answers. The experimental results demonstrated that bidders use online herd cues when making decisions in online auctions. Additionally, the effects of herd cues on bidder online choices were stronger in high-involvement than low-involvement participants. Results and implications are discussed.

  1. Item-location binding in working memory: is it hippocampus-dependent?

    PubMed

    Allen, Richard J; Vargha-Khadem, Faraneh; Baddeley, Alan D

    2014-07-01

    A general consensus is emerging that the hippocampus has an important and active role in the creation of new long-term memory representations of associations or bindings between elements. However, it is less clear whether this contribution can be extended to the creation of temporary bound representations in working memory, involving the retention of small numbers of items over short delays. We examined this by administering a series of recognition and recall tests of working memory for colour-location binding and object-location binding to a patient with highly selective hippocampal damage (Jon), and groups of control participants. Jon achieved high levels of accuracy in all working memory tests of recognition and recall binding across retention intervals of up to 10s. In contrast, Jon performed at chance on an unexpected delayed test of the same object-location binding information. These findings indicate a clear dissociation between working memory and long-term memory, with no evidence for a critical hippocampal contribution to item-location binding in working memory. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Comparison between low-cost marker-less and high-end marker-based motion capture systems for the computer-aided assessment of working ergonomics.

    PubMed

    Patrizi, Alfredo; Pennestrì, Ettore; Valentini, Pier Paolo

    2016-01-01

    The paper deals with the comparison between a high-end marker-based acquisition system and a low-cost marker-less methodology for the assessment of the human posture during working tasks. The low-cost methodology is based on the use of a single Microsoft Kinect V1 device. The high-end acquisition system is the BTS SMART that requires the use of reflective markers to be placed on the subject's body. Three practical working activities involving object lifting and displacement have been investigated. The operational risk has been evaluated according to the lifting equation proposed by the American National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The results of the study show that the risk multipliers computed from the two acquisition methodologies are very close for all the analysed activities. In agreement to this outcome, the marker-less methodology based on the Microsoft Kinect V1 device seems very promising to promote the dissemination of computer-aided assessment of ergonomics while maintaining good accuracy and affordable costs. PRACTITIONER’S SUMMARY: The study is motivated by the increasing interest for on-site working ergonomics assessment. We compared a low-cost marker-less methodology with a high-end marker-based system. We tested them on three different working tasks, assessing the working risk of lifting loads. The two methodologies showed comparable precision in all the investigations.

  3. The relationship between physical activity and work ability - A cross-sectional study of teachers.

    PubMed

    Grabara, Małgorzata; Nawrocka, Agnieszka; Powerska-Didkowska, Aneta

    2018-01-01

    To assess relationship between physical activity (PA) and perceived work ability amongst teachers from the Upper Silesia, Poland. The study involved 171 teachers (129 women, 42 men) of primary and secondary schools of the Upper Silesia, Poland. Physical education teachers were excluded from the study. The level of PA was estimated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short version, and perceived work ability was estimated using Work Ability Index (WAI). Male teachers had significantly higher levels of vigorous-intensity PA, moderateintensity PA, and total weekly PA than female teachers. The recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) met 46% of studied women and 74% of men. Work ability did not differ between male and female teachers. Work ability was related to age, body mass index (BMI), and PA (vigorous-intensity PA, moderate-intensity PA, total weekly PA). The female teachers with excellent or good WAI had significantly higher levels of vigorous-intensity PA, moderate-intensity PA and total weekly PA than female teachers with moderate or poor WAI. The teachers involving in high or moderate intensity PA could improve their work ability. Further studies should focus on relation between physical activity and work ability among teachers of various age and seniority, from both, urban and rural schools. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(1):1-9. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

  4. 48 CFR 250.104-3-70 - Indemnification under contracts involving both research and development and other work.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... contracts involving both research and development and other work. 250.104-3-70 Section 250.104-3-70 Federal... MANAGEMENT EXTRAORDINARY CONTRACTUAL ACTIONS AND THE SAFETY ACT Extraordinary Contractual Actions 250.104-3-70 Indemnification under contracts involving both research and development and other work. When...

  5. Performance of High-Flow-Rate Samplers for Respirable Crystalline Silica Measurement Under Field Conditions: Preliminary Study.

    PubMed

    Coggins, Marie A; Healy, Catherine B; Lee, Taekhee; Harper, Martin

    2014-01-01

    Restoration stone work regularly involves work with high-silica-content materials (e.g., sandstone), but low-silica-content materials (<2 % quartz) such as limestone and lime mortar are also used. A combination of short sample duration and low silica content makes the quantification of worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) difficult. This problem will be further compounded by the introduction of lower occupational exposure standards for RCS. The objective of this work was to determine whether higher-flow samplers might be an effective tool in characterizing lower RCS concentrations. A short study was performed to evaluate the performance of three high-flow samplers (FSP10, CIP10-R, and GK2.69) using side-by-side sampling with low-flow samplers (SIMPEDS and 10-mm nylon cyclones) for RCS exposure measurement at a restoration stonemasonry field site. A total of 19 side-by-side sample replicates for each high-flow and low-flow sampler pair were collected from work tasks involving limestone and sandstone. Most of the RCS (quartz) masses collected with the high-flow-rate samplers were above the limit of detection (62 % to 84 %) relative to the low-flow-rate samplers (58 % to 78 %). The average of the respirable mass concentration ratios for CIP10-R/SIMPEDS, GK2.69/10-mm nylon, FSP10/SIMPEDS, and FSP10/10-mm nylon pairs and the range of the quartz concentration ratios for the CIP10-R/SIMPEDS, CIP10-R/10-mm nylon, GK2.69/10-mm nylon, FSP10/SIMPEDS, and FSP10/10-mm nylon pairs included unity with an average close to unity, indicating no likely difference between the reported values for each sampler. Workers reported problems related to the weight of the sampling pumps for the high-flow-rate samplers. Respirable mass concentration data suggest that the high-flow-rate samplers evaluated would be appropriate for sampling respirable dust concentrations during restoration stone work. Results from the comparison of average quartz concentration ratios between high-and low-flow samplers suggest that the higher mass collected by the high-flow-rate samplers did not interfere with the quartz measurement. A sig-nificant portion of the data collected with the high-flow-rate samplers (>82 %) were greater than the limit of detection, which indicates that these samplers are suitable for quantifying exposures, even with low-quartz materials.

  6. Circadian rhythms as a basis for work organization: a study with live line electricians.

    PubMed

    Guimarães, Lia Buarque de Macedo; Ribeiro, Jose Luis Duarte; Saurin, Tarcísio Abreu; de Bittencourt Júnior, Paulo Ivo Homem

    2013-02-01

    With the assumption that circadian rhythms influence human performance, the work of live line electricians was reorganized and evaluated. The hypothesis was that in highly physical and attention-demanding work, the organization of tasks, according to the ideal period of day and day of week, should diminish stress and consequent work risks. There are only a few studies reporting the work of electricians and even fewer approaching work organization. Moreover, these investigations often do not consider human physiological limitations and capabilities as well as task demands. A new work system was proposed with consideration of (a) the circadian cycles and homeostatic processes; (b) the effect of heat, which is a zeitgeber (synchronizer) for the biological clocks; and (c) the degree of physical and mental demands of the different performed tasks, which was assessed on the basis of opinions of the electricians and physiological markers of stress that are controlled by circadian rhythms. The traditional and new systems were compared on the basis of two cognitive indices (the arrangement of matchsticks and the perception of a minute) and three physiological markers of mental-to-physical loads (heart frequency and the level of adrenaline and noradrenaline). Both physical and mental loads were reduced in the new system. Work organization should include consideration of human circadian rhythms, mainly when stressful and high-risk tasks are involved. The findings can be applied in any work design, but they are especially suited for highly demanding work carried out outdoors.

  7. Successful Working Memory Processes and Cerebellum in an Elderly Sample: A Neuropsychological and fMRI Study

    PubMed Central

    Luis, Elkin O.; Arrondo, Gonzalo; Vidorreta, Marta; Martínez, Martin; Loayza, Francis; Fernández-Seara, María A.; Pastor, María A.

    2015-01-01

    Background Imaging studies help to understand the evolution of key cognitive processes related to aging, such as working memory (WM). This study aimed to test three hypotheses in older adults. First, that the brain activation pattern associated to WM processes in elderly during successful low load tasks is located in posterior sensory and associative areas; second, that the prefrontal and parietal cortex and basal ganglia should be more active during high-demand tasks; third, that cerebellar activations are related to high-demand cognitive tasks and have a specific lateralization depending on the condition. Methods We used a neuropsychological assessment with functional magnetic resonance imaging and a core N-back paradigm design that was maintained across the combination of four conditions of stimuli and two memory loads in a sample of twenty elderly subjects. Results During low-loads, activations were located in the visual ventral network. In high loads, there was an involvement of the basal ganglia and cerebellum in addition to the frontal and parietal cortices. Moreover, we detected an executive control role of the cerebellum in a relatively symmetric fronto-parietal network. Nevertheless, this network showed a predominantly left lateralization in parietal regions associated presumably with an overuse of verbal storage strategies. The differential activations between conditions were stimuli-dependent and were located in sensory areas. Conclusion Successful WM processes in the elderly population are accompanied by an activation pattern that involves cerebellar regions working together with a fronto-parietal network. PMID:26132286

  8. (Almost) a slam dunk: Assessing the experiences and opinions of participants in a National Basketball Association (NBA)-funded dropout prevention program.

    PubMed

    Geiger, Tray J; Amrein-Beardsley, Audrey

    2017-10-01

    Researchers conducted an evaluation of participants' perceptions of a dropout prevention program - the NBA High School program - involving a National Basketball Association (NBA) team, a high school located in downtown [City], and the College of Education (COE) at the local State University (SU). The program targeted "at-risk" high school students while utilizing student-teachers as tutors and mentors. Researchers utilized mixed methods to assess student, student-teacher, and high school teacher participants' experiences with and opinions of the program. Researchers found (1) students enjoyed the program, especially given the involvement of the student-teachers; (2) students believed the program helped improve their grades; (3) student-teachers enjoyed working with their students, although student-teachers found some of the expectations surrounding their positions and roles as tutors/mentors within the high school to be unclear and frustrating; (4) high school teachers felt significantly better about the program than the student-teachers; and (5) overall, all sets of respondents categorically supported the program and its benefits. Findings indicated that the involvement of mentors or role models matters to students, and clear and organized logistics, planning, and communication are integral for program success. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Twinning-mediated work hardening and texture evolution in CrCoFeMnNi high entropy alloys at cryogenic temperature

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

    Liu, T. K.; Wu, Z.; Stoica, A. D.

    The cryogenic plastic deformation of CrCoFeMnNi high entropy alloy is characterized by three distinct stages based on the change of the work hardening rate. Microstructure and bulk texture at different strain levels were studied by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and neutron diffraction. Our findings indicate that the deformation twins led to the constant work hardening rate at Stage II and resulted in the appearance of <115 >//TA texture component, while the dislocation slip was involved all though the entire plastic deformation. As a result, the twinning-mediated tensile plastic deformation at cryogenic temperature finally induced the strong {111}- < 112 >more » texture component and minor {001} < 110 > texture component accompanied with twinning-induced {115}< 552 > texture component.« less

  10. Twinning-mediated work hardening and texture evolution in CrCoFeMnNi high entropy alloys at cryogenic temperature

    DOE PAGES

    Liu, T. K.; Wu, Z.; Stoica, A. D.; ...

    2017-06-17

    The cryogenic plastic deformation of CrCoFeMnNi high entropy alloy is characterized by three distinct stages based on the change of the work hardening rate. Microstructure and bulk texture at different strain levels were studied by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and neutron diffraction. Our findings indicate that the deformation twins led to the constant work hardening rate at Stage II and resulted in the appearance of <115 >//TA texture component, while the dislocation slip was involved all though the entire plastic deformation. As a result, the twinning-mediated tensile plastic deformation at cryogenic temperature finally induced the strong {111}- < 112 >more » texture component and minor {001} < 110 > texture component accompanied with twinning-induced {115}< 552 > texture component.« less

  11. Climate negotiators’ and scientists’ assessments of the climate negotiations

    PubMed Central

    Dannenberg, Astrid; Zitzelsberger, Sonja; Tavoni, Alessandro

    2017-01-01

    Climate negotiation outcomes are difficult to evaluate objectively because there are no clear reference scenarios. Subjective assessments from those directly involved in the negotiations are particularly important, as this may influence strategy and future negotiation participation. Here we analyze the perceived success of the climate negotiations in a sample of more than 600 experts involved in international climate policy. Respondents were pessimistic when asked for specific assessments of the current approach centered on voluntary pledges, but were more optimistic when asked for general assessments of the outcomes and usefulness of the climate negotiations. Individuals who are more involved in the negotiation process tended to be more optimistic, especially in terms of general assessments. Our results indicate that two reinforcing effects are at work: a high degree of involvement changes individuals’ perceptions and more optimistic individuals are more inclined to remain involved in the negotiations. PMID:28603558

  12. When women lead.

    PubMed

    Davidhizar, R

    1991-09-01

    In participative management, it is the leader's role to involve employees and to create situations that contribute to positive feelings among employees about work. These techniques are based on the premise that individuals perform best when they feel good about themselves and their work. Women are more likely than men to motivate employees to turn self-interest into the goals of the organization. "Feminine" management characteristics include encouraging participation, sharing power and information, promoting selfworth of others, and energizing others. The feminine leadership style is especially relevant to and useful in nursing because it is a high-stress occupation. An interactive approach provides the necessary support that employees and colleagues need to survive in high-stress environments.

  13. Words Their Way[TM]. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2013

    2013-01-01

    "Words Their Way"[TM] is an approach to phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction for students in kindergarten through high school. The program can be implemented as a core or supplemental curriculum and aims to provide a practical way to study words with students. The purpose of word study (which involves examining, manipulating,…

  14. Giving Troubled Students the Brushoff

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Brunt, Brian

    2012-01-01

    In this article, the author makes an unpopular argument that involves the necessity for college counselors and psychologists to work harder with a high-risk group of students. He argues that an ideal, successful, well-functioning college counseling center must serve a wide range of clients. He wants to push back on the latest trend in the…

  15. Around the Fishing Net: Leadership Dynamics for Change in an American International School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murakami-Ramalho, Elizabeth; Benham, Maenette

    2010-01-01

    This study explored the active involvement of school and community members investing in leadership dynamics for change, especially considering the increasingly globalized world and the importance of preparing globally minded citizens. To explore how educators and leaders work to foster dynamic learning experiences in a highly mobile global…

  16. Playing the Private College Admissions Game.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moll, Richard

    Truths and myths involved with student admission to Ivy League colleges are revealed by a director of admissions whose experience includes admission work at Vassar, Bowdoin, Harvard and Yale. Several basic concepts are offered as fact: most private colleges in America today are not highly selective; many colleges pose as being more selective than…

  17. Building the Capacity of School Leaders and Teachers to Implement Reform at All Levels

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2010

    2010-01-01

    Leaders of successful high schools, middle grades schools and technology centers are strengthening their skills and involving the entire school in plans to raise student achievement. The best school leaders establish an environment of continuous progress in which teachers and leaders work together to upgrade curriculum and instruction, examine…

  18. Education Provision to Nomadic Pastoralists: A Literature Review. IDS Working Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kratli, Saverio

    Educationally, pastoralists appear to be a paradox. From the perspective of official education, they are a complete failure, scoring badly in terms of enrollment, achievement, attainment, and gender balance. However, pastoralists are far from being unskilled. Their daily lives require them to perform tasks involving high levels of individual and…

  19. Bullying Children with Disabilities: A Global Epic

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ervin, Dana

    2011-01-01

    Bullying is an issue in all schools, colleges and work places throughout the world. It is in the national news constantly. The media typically reports on bullying and harassment when it involves non-disabled children, mostly high school and college aged students. Very little attention is given to bullying and harassment of children with…

  20. Teaching Scholar Partnerships: A Fresh Approach to College/School Collaborations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bearce, W. Hutchinson

    2004-01-01

    This document is intended to be a handbook for independent college and university leaders interested in learning about a fresh approach to cooperation with local elementary, middle, and high schools. It draws from the Teaching Scholar Partnerships (TSP) program, a successful demonstration project that involved ten private institutions working in…

  1. Maintaining saproxylic insects in Canada's extensively managed boreal forests: a review

    Treesearch

    David W. Langor; John R. Spence; H.E. James Hammond; Joshua Jacobs; Tyler P. Cobb

    2006-01-01

    Recent work on saproxylic insect assemblages in western Canadian boreal forests has demonstrated high faunal diversity and variability, and that adequate assessment of these insects involves significant sampling and taxonomic challenges. Some major determinants of assemblage structure include tree species, degree of decay, stand age and cause of tree death. Experiments...

  2. Becoming a School of Character: What It Takes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lickona, Thomas

    1997-01-01

    Character education is a deliberate, whole-school effort to create a community of virtue, where moral behaviors such as respect, honesty, kindness, hard work, and self-control are modeled, taught, experienced, and practiced in everyday operations. High schools can mobilize the peer culture by involving students and parents in setting personal,…

  3. Ace: Action-Communication-Expression. IMPACT II: Houston's Teacher-to-Teacher Network.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McIntyre, Margie

    The Action-Communication-Expression program, an extension of a speech communication class in a Houston (Texas) high school, involves visual and concrete communication, such as photography, script writing, and filmmaking. Students in two speech classes work in small groups of four or five, independently of the teacher, after receiving initial…

  4. How High Is the Tramping Track? Mathematising and Applying in a Calculus Model-Eliciting Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yoon, Caroline; Dreyfus, Tommy; Thomas, Michael O. J.

    2010-01-01

    Two complementary processes involved in mathematical modelling are mathematising a realistic situation and applying a mathematical technique to a given realistic situation. We present and analyse work from two undergraduate students and two secondary school teachers who engaged in both processes during a mathematical modelling task that required…

  5. Using Structured Debate to Achieve Autonomous Student Discussion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Musselman, Elizabeth Green

    2004-01-01

    In this article, the author describes a technique she uses to achieve an autonomous student discussion. The technique involves setting up highly structured debates, whose content is informed by coherent sets of primary sources and whose form models one aspect of how professional historians work. Students are required to read about twenty to…

  6. Working from the Inside Out: A Case Study of Mackay Safe Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanson, Dale; Gunning, Colleen; Rose, Judy; McFarlane, Kathryn; Franklin, Richard C.

    2015-01-01

    Mackay Whitsunday Safe Community (MWSC) was established in 2000 in response to high rates of injury observed in the region. MWSC assumed an ecological perspective, incorporating targeted safety promotion campaigns reinforced by supportive environments and policy. By involving the community in finding its own solutions, MWSC attempted to catalyze…

  7. Parental Trust and Parent-School Relationships in Turkey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beycioglu, Kadir; Ozer, Niyazi; Sahin, Semiha

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the degree and levels of parent trust and involvement in lower secondary and high schools in Turkey. Survey data were obtained from 429 participants working for state schools during the 2012-2013 education years. We used zero-order correlation coefficient, independent samples t test, and, when significant differences were…

  8. Student Query Trend Assessment with Semantical Annotation and Artificial Intelligent Multi-Agents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malik, Kaleem Razzaq; Mir, Rizwan Riaz; Farhan, Muhammad; Rafiq, Tariq; Aslam, Muhammad

    2017-01-01

    Research in era of data representation to contribute and improve key data policy involving the assessment of learning, training and English language competency. Students are required to communicate in English with high level impact using language and influence. The electronic technology works to assess students' questions positively enabling…

  9. Sports That Work for Gifted Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lutostanski, Scott

    2018-01-01

    Finding an enjoyable, exciting, and engaging activity for gifted students can be a challenging balancing act. While parents want their children to become active and involved, they may face setbacks as they try to find the right fit, with some gifted children grappling with poor fine and gross motor abilities. While a high percentage of gifted…

  10. Development of German-English Machine Translation System. Final Technical Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lehmann, Winfred P.; Stachowitz, Rolf A.

    This report describes work on a pilot system for a fully automatic, high-quality translation of German scientific and technical text into English and gives the results of an experiment designed to show the system's capability to produce quality mechanical translation. The areas considered were: (1) grammar formalism, mainly involving the addition…

  11. Double Take

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Educational Leadership, 2011

    2011-01-01

    This paper begins by discussing the results of two studies recently conducted in Australia. According to the two studies, taking a gap year between high school and college may help students complete a degree once they return to school. The gap year can involve such activities as travel, service learning, or work. Then, the paper presents links to…

  12. THERMALLY STABLE PERFLUORINATED POLYMERS

    DTIC Science & Technology

    this system has been found which involves addition of perfluoroalkyl - dihydrazides to perfluoroalkyldinitriles in a highly polar solvent. Inactivation...formation of an intermediate poly( perfluorodiacyl hydrazine) from the reaction of perfluorodiacyl chlorides with perfluoroalkyldihydrazides ....Work on the poly( perfluoroalkylene -1,2,4,4H-triazole system has been continued with the objectives of increasing the polymer molecular weights

  13. Planning Guide for Career Academies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dayton, Charles

    2010-01-01

    A career academy is a small learning community within a high school, which selects a subset of students and teachers for a two-, three-, or four-year period. Students enter through a voluntary process; they must apply and be accepted, with parental knowledge and support. A career academy involves teachers from different subjects working together…

  14. Questioning the Validity of Inquiry Assessment in a High Stakes Physical Sciences Examination

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramnarain, Umesh

    2014-01-01

    The South African science curriculum advocates an inquiry-based approach to practical work. Inquiry is a complex and multifaceted activity involving both cognitive and physical activity; thus, paper-and-pencil items do not provide the authentic context for this assessment. This study investigates the construct validity of inquiry-related questions…

  15. Audiovisual Physics Reports: Students' Video Production as a Strategy for the Didactic Laboratory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pereira, Marcus Vinicius; de Souza Barros, Susana; de Rezende Filho, Luiz Augusto C.; de A. Fauth, Leduc Hermeto

    2012-01-01

    Constant technological advancement has facilitated access to digital cameras and cell phones. Involving students in a video production project can work as a motivating aspect to make them active and reflective in their learning, intellectually engaged in a recursive process. This project was implemented in high school level physics laboratory…

  16. Indian Summer: A "Hands-On, Feet-Wet" Approach to Science Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Galindo, Ed; Barta, Jim

    2001-01-01

    A summer fish recovery program along the Salmon River (Idaho) involves Native American high school students in science, technology, and research within a cultural and environmental context. The positive attitudes and work ethic of Native students and the research and study skills they acquired demonstrate that Native students succeed when their…

  17. ATM Technology Demonstration 1 (ATD-1): EcoDemonstrator ASTAR Guided Arrival Research (EAGAR)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roper, Roy

    2015-01-01

    In Spring 2013, high level NASA and Boeing management were seeking opportunities to collaborate on a flight test activity involving the ecoDemonstrator. The Airspace Systems Program Office identified FIM as a viable candidate. ATD-1 accepted the challenge. Work began in July for a December 2013 flight test.

  18. Collaboration between Elementary Schools and Community Agencies to Reduce Violence: Can It Work?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Kimberly

    2006-01-01

    School personnel at seven urban elementary schools in a high poverty area were surveyed to determine if a multi-faceted approach to school violence prevention (including a major emphasis on collaboration between community human service agencies and schools) was successful in reducing indicators of violence (bullying, fighting, gang involvement,…

  19. Human engineering analysis for the high speed civil transport flight deck

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Regal, David M.; Alter, Keith W.

    1993-01-01

    The Boeing Company is investigating the feasibility of building a second generation supersonic transport. If current studies support its viability, this airplane, known as the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT), could be launched early in the next century. The HSCT will cruise at Mach 2.4, be over 300 feet long, have an initial range of between 5000 and 6000 NM, and carry approximately 300 passengers. We are presently involved in developing an advanced flight deck for the HSCT. As part of this effort we are undertaking a human engineering analysis that involves a top-down, mission driven approach that will allow a systematic determination of flight deck functional and information requirements. The present paper describes this work.

  20. Patient Involvement: A New Source of Stress in Health Care Work?

    PubMed

    Arnetz, Judith E; Zhdanova, Ludmila; Arnetz, Bengt B

    2016-12-01

    Patients have become increasingly well informed with higher expectations to be involved in decision-making processes regarding their care and treatment. However, few studies have examined the impact of patient involvement on health care providers' partnership-building communication. The aim of this study was to measure and explore the self-reported effects of patient involvement on the work of physicians and nurses. A questionnaire survey was distributed among cardiology staff in 12 Swedish hospitals (N = 488, response rate 67%). The sample was comprised of registered nurses (RNs, n = 303), licensed practical nurses (LPNs, n = 132), and physicians (MDs, n = 53). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine seven questionnaire statements concerning implications of patient involvement for one's clinical work. Regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with staff's partnership-building communication. Analysis confirmed two distinct factors accounting for 57% of the total variance, representing both negative-"Hassles"-and positive-"Uplifts"-aspects of patient involvement. Regression analyses revealed that only positive aspects (i.e., uplifts) of patient involvement predicted staff behavior aimed at involving patients. Working with actively involved patients may be a source of stress, both negative and positive, for health care professionals. By developing work routines for involving patients in their care, health care workplaces may help health care professionals to buffer the negative effects, and enhance the positive effects, of that stress.

  1. Patient involvement: A new source of stress in healthcare work?

    PubMed Central

    Arnetz, Judith E.; Zhdanova, Ludmila; Arnetz, Bengt B.

    2016-01-01

    Patients have become increasingly well-informed with higher expectations to be involved in decision-making processes regarding their care and treatment. However, few studies have examined the impact of patient involvement on health care providers’ partnership-building communication. The aim of this study was to measure and explore the self-reported effects of patient involvement on the work of physicians and nurses. A questionnaire survey was distributed among cardiology staff in 12 Swedish hospitals (N=488, response rate 67%). The sample was comprised of registered nurses (RNs, n=303), licensed practical nurses (LPNs, n=132) and physicians (MDs, n=53). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine 7 questionnaire statements concerning implications of patient involvement for one’s clinical work. Regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with staff’s partnership-building communication. Analysis confirmed two distinct factors accounting for 57% of the total variance, representing both negative – “Hassles”– and positive –“Uplifts” – aspects of patient involvement. Regression analyses revealed that only positive aspects (i.e., uplifts) of patient involvement predicted staff behavior aimed at involving patients. Working with actively involved patients may be a source of stress, both negative and positive, for health care professionals. By developing work routines for involving patients in their care, health care workplaces may help health care professionals to buffer the negative effects, and enhance the positive effects, of that stress. PMID:27054396

  2. HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in a cohort of women involved in high-risk sexual behavior in Kampala, Uganda.

    PubMed

    Vandepitte, Judith; Bukenya, Justine; Weiss, Helen A; Nakubulwa, Susan; Francis, Suzanna C; Hughes, Peter; Hayes, Richard; Grosskurth, Heiner

    2011-04-01

    Uganda has long been successful in controlling the HIV epidemic; however, there is evidence that HIV prevalence and incidence are increasing again. Data on the HIV/STI epidemic among sex workers are so far lacking from Uganda. This paper describes the baseline epidemiology of HIV/STI in a newly established cohort of women involved in high-risk sexual behavior in Kampala, Uganda. Women were recruited from red-light areas in Kampala. Between April 2008 and May 2009, 1027 eligible women were enrolled. Sociodemographic and behavioral information were collected; blood and genital samples were tested for HIV/STI. Risk factors for HIV infection were examined using multivariate logistic regression. HIV seroprevalence was 37%. The prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was 13%, Chlamydia trachomatis, 9%; Trichomonas vaginalis, 17%; bacterial vaginosis, 56% and candida infection, 11%. Eighty percent had herpes simplex virus 2 antibodies (HSV-2), 21% were TPHA-positive and 10% had active syphilis (RPR+TPHA+). In 3% of the genital ulcers, Treponema pallidum (TP) was identified, Haemophilus ducreyi in 6%, and HSV-2 in 35%. Prevalent HIV was independently associated with older age, being widowed, lack of education, sex work as sole income, street-based sex work, not knowing HIV-status, using alcohol, and intravaginal cleansing with soap. HIV infection was associated with N. gonorrhoeae, T. vaginalis, bacterial vaginosis, HSV-2 seropositivity and active syphilis. Prevalence of HIV/STI is high among women involved in high-risk sexual behavior in Kampala. Targeted HIV prevention interventions including regular STI screening, voluntary HIV testing and counseling, condom promotion, and counseling for reducing alcohol use are urgently needed in this population.

  3. Life Histories and Survival Strategies amongst Sexually Trafficked Girls in Nepal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simkhada, Padam

    2008-01-01

    Many girls involved in sex work in Asia do so because they are compelled by economic circumstances and social inequality. Some enter sex work voluntarily, others do so by force or deception, sometimes involving migration across international borders. Nepalese girls involved in sex work via trafficking are the focus of this article, which aims at…

  4. Differences in Work, Levels of Involvement, and Academic Performance between Residential and Commuter Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alfano, Halley J.; Eduljee, Nina B.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between work, levels of involvement and academic performance between residential and commuter students. One hundred and eight undergraduate students at a private college in the Northeast were surveyed. Surveys aimed at examining work and levels of involvement were administered to the…

  5. Antecedents of Employees' Involvement in Work-Related Learning: A Systematic Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kyndt, Eva; Baert, Herman

    2013-01-01

    Involvement in work-related learning seems to be more complex than a simple supply-demand fit. An interplay of several factors can influence this involvement at different stages of the decision-making process of the employee. The aim of this systematic review is to examine which antecedents of work-related learning have been identified in previous…

  6. Upgrade of the TITAN EBIT High Voltage Operation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foster, Matt; Titan Collaboration

    2016-09-01

    TRIUMF's Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science (TITAN) is a setup dedicated to highly precise mass measurements of short-lived isotopes down to 10ms. TITAN's Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) is a charge breeder integrated into the setup to perform in-trap decay spectroscopy of highly charged ions and increase the precision of mass measurements. In its previous configuration TITAN's EBIT could not fulfil its maximum design specification due to high voltage safety restrictions, limiting its obtainable charge states. A recently completed upgrade of the high voltage operation that will allow the EBIT to fulfil its design specification and achieve higher charge states for heavier species is undergoing preliminary tests with stable beam. Simulations were performed to optimise the injection and extraction efficiency at high voltage and initial tests have involved using a Ge detector to identify x-rays produced by charge breeding stable ions. Future work comprises exploring electron capture rates of Ne-, He- and H-like charge states of 64Cu and higher masses, which were not previously accessible. The function of the EBIT within the TITAN setup, the work carried out on the upgrade thus far and its scope for future work will be presented.

  7. The Impact of Work-Family Supportive Supervisors on Job Involvement and Job Satisfaction with Career Competencies as an Intervening Variable

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suharnomo; Johnpray, Paguh Raja

    2018-02-01

    This study was conducted to explore the relationship between work-family supportive supervisor, career competencies, job involvement, and job satisfaction. Data were collected from a sample of 162 respondents who worked as a nurse at hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. This study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine and estimate the relationship between the constructs. The study results indicate that work-family supportive supervisor has a positive and significant impact on career competencies, career competencies have a positive and significant impact on job involvement, and on job satisfaction. Work-family supportive supervisor has a positive and significant impact on job involvement and on job satisfaction. A total of 162 respondents with a percentage of 96.30% women showed that women need good support and policies in achieving a balance between work and family. Finally, this study highlights the importance of work-family supportive supervisor and career competencies for improving job involvement and job satisfaction. This study provides insights on how the human resources department can retain qualified staff and develop employee satisfaction.

  8. Burnout and Job Engagement in Emergency and Intensive Care Nurses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Argentero, Piergiorgio; Dell'Olivo, Bianca

    Burnout phenomenon emerges from a constellation of factors which cannot be described in terms of cause-effect relationships. This study investigated levels of burnout in nurses working in Critical Care Units with a systemic approach, giving evidence of relation between nurses staff burnout and psychosocial workplace factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between job burnout in emergency and intensive care nurse with specific areas of work life in their organizations, using Maslach and Leiter work life model [23]. A cross-sectional survey was designed using the Italian version of the "Organizational Checkup System" in a sample of 180 Italian nurses. Results showed that high burnout levels were strongly related to high demands, low control, low fairness, lack of social support, and individual disagreement on values in the workplace. High professional efficacy levels were instead correlated to professional reward and leadership involvement. The article concludes by suggesting the possible areas for intervention in order to prevent job burnout and building job engagement.

  9. Recurrent High-Flow Arterio-Venous Malformation of the Thyroid Gland.

    PubMed

    Borchert, D H; Massmann, A; Kim, Y J; Bader, C A; Wolf, G; Eisele, R; Minko, P; Bücker, A; Glanemann, M

    2015-09-01

    Vascular malformations and hemangiomas of the thyroid gland are rare disorders. The first case of a patient with recurrent high-flow arterio-venous malformation of the right thyroid gland involving the right endolarynx is presented. In June 2013, a 42-year-old female patient presented to the surgical department with recurrent hoarseness and a soft, vibrating mass on the right side of her neck. In 1993, she underwent right subtotal hemithyroidectomy with embolization on the day before surgery for a high-flow arterio-venous malformation of the thyroid gland. Diagnostic work-up in 2013 demonstrated a complex recurrent high-flow arterio-venous malformation on the right side of her neck involving the endolarynx. Full function of the right vocal fold could not be ascertained. The lesion was embolized again and excised the following day. Intraoperative gross bleeding and scar tissue prevented visualization and monitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Gross bleeding was also noted on hemithyroidectomy after embolization in 1993. No therapy was needed for the endolaryngeal part of the lesion. Histology showed large arterio-venous malformations with thyroid tissue. She remains well without signs of recurrence 18 month later but with a definitive voice handicap. This is the first report of a recurrent high-flow arterio-venous malformation originally developing from the right thyroid gland involving the right endolarynx. Counseling, diagnostic, and therapeutic work-up of the patient was possible only with an interdisciplinary team. The endolaryngeal part of the hemangioma dried out after embolization and completion hemithyroidectomy. Her hoarseness has greatly improved but a definitive voice handicap remains. High-flow arterio-venous malformations of the thyroid gland are a rare disease, and recurrent lesions have not been reported. Interdisciplinary management of these patients is mandatory due to the complex nature of the underlying pathology. Recurrence might develop after long free intervals.

  10. [Parent participation in the treatment of dyslexic children - the results of a paper-pencil questionnaire].

    PubMed

    Multhauf, Bettina; Buschmann, Anke

    2014-07-01

    This study examined the degree and manner of involving parents in the treatment of dyslexic children. The study also identified therapeutic variables predicting the extent of parent involvement and the reasons for any instances of failed involvement. A sample of 53 out of 120 randomly selected German dyslexia therapists (response rate: 44 %) filled out a paper-pencil questionnaire assessing the degree and manner of parent involvement in the treatment of dyslexic children. Furthermore, therapists' attitudes toward parent involvement and their subjective competence when working with parents were assessed. The most common forms of parent involvement occurred during anamnesis and when drawing up recommendations for home exercises. The therapists' attitudes toward working with parents predicted the extent of parent involvement (β = .58). There was a significant correlation between working with parents and the subjective competence of the therapist (r = .28), which was mediated by therapists' attitudes toward parent involvement. Disinterest on the part of parents and therapists' lack of time proved to be reasons for less parent involvement. Despite declared positive attitudes toward working with parents, the involvement of parents in the therapeutic process by therapists was limited.

  11. [Evaluation of work-related stress in call-center workers: application of a methodology].

    PubMed

    Ansaloni, Gianluca; Cichella, Patrizia; Morelli, Carla; Alberghini, Villiam; Finardi, Elisabetta; Guglielmin, Antonia Maria; Nini, Donatella; Sacenti, Elisabetta; Stagni, Cristina

    2014-01-01

    Several studies highlighting a correlation between call-center working conditions and psychosocial and ergonomic hazards. The aim of this study is to provide an operating methodology for the risk assessment of work-related stress. The study involved 554 call-centre workers employed in three insurance organizations and a mixed work group (worker, company and public health representative) for the study management was defined. We experimented an objective self-made checklist and then we administered a modified version of the OSI (Occupational Stress Indicator) questionnaire. We obtained complementary information from the two different data collection methods. The findings highlight a low level of perceived stress and health complaints compared with other studies previously carried out mainly in 'outsourcing' call centres: workers don't show stress symptoms without adopting coping strategies. Moreover the study underlines an acceptable level of work satisfaction, although there are low career opportunities. These results are probable due to the low job seniority associated to the high job security--the large majority of respondents, 87%, consisted of permanent workers--and the working time mainly consisted of daily shifts five days a week. Our methodology seems to be able to detect the level of work-related stress with a good degree of coherence. Furthermore the presence of a mixed work group determined a good level of involvement among the workers: 464 out of 554 operators completed and returned the questionnaire, representing a response rate of about 84%.

  12. Preliminary observations on high energy phosphates and metabolic pathway and transporter potentials in extensor carpi radialis brevis and trapezius muscles of women with work-related myalgia.

    PubMed

    Green, Howard J; Ranney, Don; Burnett, Margaret; Galvin, Patti; Kyle, Natasha; Lounsbury, David; Ouyang, Jing; Smith, Ian C; Stewart, Riley; Tick, Heather; Tupling, A Russell

    2014-11-01

    This study compared both the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) and the trapezius (TRAP) muscles of women with work-related myalgia (WRM) with healthy controls (CON) to determine whether abnormalities existed in cellular energy status and the potentials of the various metabolic pathways and segments involved in energy production and substrate transport. For both the ECRB (CON, n = 6-9; WRM, n = 13) and the TRAP (CON, n = 6-7; WRM, n = 10), no differences (P > 0.05) were found for the concentrations (in millimoles per kilogram of dry mass) of ATP, PCr, lactate, and glycogen. Similarly, with one exception, the maximal activities (in moles per milligram of protein per hour) of mitochondrial enzymes representative of the citric acid cycle (CAC), the electron transport chain (ETC), and β-oxidation, as well as the cytosolic enzymes involved in high energy phosphate transfer, glycogenolysis, glycolysis, lactate oxidation, and glucose phosphorylation were not different (P > 0.05). The glucose transporters GLUT1 and GLUT4, and the monocarboxylate transporters MCT1 and MCT4, were also normal in WRM. It is concluded that, in general, abnormalities in the resting energy and substrate state, the potential of the different metabolic pathways and segments, as well as the glucose and monocarboxylate transporters do not appear to be involved in the cellular pathophysiology of WRM.

  13. Quantum computation in the analysis of hyperspectral data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gomez, Richard B.; Ghoshal, Debabrata; Jayanna, Anil

    2004-08-01

    Recent research on the topic of quantum computation provides us with some quantum algorithms with higher efficiency and speedup compared to their classical counterparts. In this paper, it is our intent to provide the results of our investigation of several applications of such quantum algorithms - especially the Grover's Search algorithm - in the analysis of Hyperspectral Data. We found many parallels with Grover's method in existing data processing work that make use of classical spectral matching algorithms. Our efforts also included the study of several methods dealing with hyperspectral image analysis work where classical computation methods involving large data sets could be replaced with quantum computation methods. The crux of the problem in computation involving a hyperspectral image data cube is to convert the large amount of data in high dimensional space to real information. Currently, using the classical model, different time consuming methods and steps are necessary to analyze these data including: Animation, Minimum Noise Fraction Transform, Pixel Purity Index algorithm, N-dimensional scatter plot, Identification of Endmember spectra - are such steps. If a quantum model of computation involving hyperspectral image data can be developed and formalized - it is highly likely that information retrieval from hyperspectral image data cubes would be a much easier process and the final information content would be much more meaningful and timely. In this case, dimensionality would not be a curse, but a blessing.

  14. New ways of understanding and accomplishing leadership in academic medicine.

    PubMed

    Souba, Wiley W

    2004-04-01

    Understanding leadership as being about a person in charge is not wrong, but it is no longer adequate. The challenges and problems confronting medicine today are so complex and unpredictable that it is practically impossible for one person to accomplish the work of leadership alone. More leadership requires more shared work, but as hospitals and medical centers begin to break down departmental barriers, people have to learn to work with individuals and groups who may have different work ethics, dissimilar styles of solving problems, or even contrasting values. Successful academic medical centers will make use of a broader repertoire of leadership strategies--besides developing leaders, they will develop leadership as a property of the system, as an organizational capacity. While leader development involves enhancing human (individual) capital, the emphasis in leadership development is on social capital and building more productive relationships that enhance networking, collaboration, and resource exchange. Leadership is created in and emerges from the relational space that connects people--accordingly, leadership development involves building high-quality connections between people. To make leadership happen more effectively, academic medical centers will have to identify and study the ingredients that catalyze and enhance human connectivity, augment social capital and activate leadership. Leadership is a uniquely human activity--studying it and how it works is core to the learning organization.

  15. Do mood and the receipt of work-based support influence nurse perceived quality of care delivery? A behavioural diary study.

    PubMed

    Jones, Martyn C; Johnston, Derek

    2013-03-01

    To examine the effect of nurse mood in the worst event of shift (negative affect, positive affect), receipt of work-based support from managers and colleagues, colleague and patient involvement on perceived quality of care delivery. While the effect of the work environment on nurse mood is well documented, little is known about the effects of the worst event of shift on the quality of care delivered by nurses. This behavioural diary study employed a within-subject and between-subject designs incorporating both cross-sectional and longitudinal elements. One hundred and seventy-one nurses in four large district general hospitals in England completed end-of-shift computerised behavioural diaries over three shifts to explore the effects of the worst clinical incident of shift. Diaries measured negative affect, positive affect, colleague involvement, receipt of work-based support and perceived quality of care delivery. Analysis used multilevel modelling (MLWIN 2.19; Centre for Multi-level Modelling, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK). High levels of negative affect and low levels of positive affect reported in the worst clinical incident of shift were associated with reduced perceived quality of care delivery. Receipt of managerial support and its interaction with negative affect had no relationship with perceived quality of care delivery. Perceived quality of care delivery deteriorated the most when the nurse reported a combination of high negative affect and no receipt of colleague support in the worst clinical incident of shift. Perceived quality of care delivery was also particularly influenced when the nurse reported low positive affect and colleague actions contributed to the problem. Receipt of colleague support is particularly salient in protecting perceived quality of care delivery, especially if the nurse also reports high levels of negative affect in the worst event of shift. The effect of work-based support on care delivery is complex and requires further investigation. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  16. Text mining and network analysis to find functional associations of genes in high altitude diseases.

    PubMed

    Bhasuran, Balu; Subramanian, Devika; Natarajan, Jeyakumar

    2018-05-02

    Travel to elevations above 2500 m is associated with the risk of developing one or more forms of acute altitude illness such as acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) or high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Our work aims to identify the functional association of genes involved in high altitude diseases. In this work we identified the gene networks responsible for high altitude diseases by using the principle of gene co-occurrence statistics from literature and network analysis. First, we mined the literature data from PubMed on high-altitude diseases, and extracted the co-occurring gene pairs. Next, based on their co-occurrence frequency, gene pairs were ranked. Finally, a gene association network was created using statistical measures to explore potential relationships. Network analysis results revealed that EPO, ACE, IL6 and TNF are the top five genes that were found to co-occur with 20 or more genes, while the association between EPAS1 and EGLN1 genes is strongly substantiated. The network constructed from this study proposes a large number of genes that work in-toto in high altitude conditions. Overall, the result provides a good reference for further study of the genetic relationships in high altitude diseases. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. [Pleural mesothelioma in women in the Veneto Region who used to work as rag sorters for textile recycling and paper production].

    PubMed

    Merler, E; Gioffrè, F; Rozio, L; Bizzotto, R; Mion, M; Sarto, F

    2001-01-01

    The paper reports 9 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed by means of histology or cytology that were observed among women resident in the Veneto Region, Northern Italy, whose only activity that could involve exposure to asbestos was as rag sorter. These cases are part of a group of about 260 subjects with mesothelioma whose entire working and residential history has been collected. The women worked as rag sorters between the 1940's and 1960's in textile recycling (8 cases) or (one case) at a paper mill where cotton was used for paper production. The work as rag sorter helps to explain the high proportion of mesotheliomas among women with an occupational exposure to asbestos.

  18. Efficiency at rest: magnetoencephalographic resting-state connectivity and individual differences in verbal working memory.

    PubMed

    del Río, David; Cuesta, Pablo; Bajo, Ricardo; García-Pacios, Javier; López-Higes, Ramón; del-Pozo, Francisco; Maestú, Fernando

    2012-11-01

    Inter-individual differences in cognitive performance are based on an efficient use of task-related brain resources. However, little is known yet on how these differences might be reflected on resting-state brain networks. Here we used Magnetoencephalography resting-state recordings to assess the relationship between a behavioral measurement of verbal working memory and functional connectivity as measured through Mutual Information. We studied theta (4-8 Hz), low alpha (8-10 Hz), high alpha (10-13 Hz), low beta (13-18 Hz) and high beta (18-30 Hz) frequency bands. A higher verbal working memory capacity was associated with a lower mutual information in the low alpha band, prominently among right-anterior and left-lateral sensors. The results suggest that an efficient brain organization in the domain of verbal working memory might be related to a lower resting-state functional connectivity across large-scale brain networks possibly involving right prefrontal and left perisylvian areas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Degenerative lumbosacral stenosis in working dogs: current concepts and review.

    PubMed

    Worth, A J; Thompson, D J; Hartman, A C

    2009-12-01

    Degenerative lumbosacral stenosis (DLSS) is characterised by intervertebral disc degeneration, with secondary bony and soft-tissue changes leading to compression of the cauda equina. Large-breed, active and working dogs are the most commonly affected by DLSS. Specific manipulative tests allow the clinician to form a high suspicion of DLSS, and initiate investigation. Changes seen using conventional radiography are unreliable, and although contrast radiography represents an improvement, advanced imaging is accepted as the diagnostic method of choice. Treatment involves decompression and/or stabilisation procedures in working dogs, although conservative management may be acceptable in pet dogs with mild signs. Prognosis for return to work is only fair, and there is a high rate of recurrence following conventional surgery. Stabilisation procedures are associated with the potential for failure of the implant, and their use has not gained universal acceptance. A new surgical procedure, dorsolateral foramenotomy, offers a potential advance in the management of DLSS. everal aspects of the pathogenesis, heritability and optimal treatment approach remain uncertain.

  20. Domain-specific and domain-general constraints on word and sequence learning.

    PubMed

    Archibald, Lisa M D; Joanisse, Marc F

    2013-02-01

    The relative influences of language-related and memory-related constraints on the learning of novel words and sequences were examined by comparing individual differences in performance of children with and without specific deficits in either language or working memory. Children recalled lists of words in a Hebbian learning protocol in which occasional lists repeated, yielding improved recall over the course of the task on the repeated lists. The task involved presentation of pictures of common nouns followed immediately by equivalent presentations of the spoken names. The same participants also completed a paired-associate learning task involving word-picture and nonword-picture pairs. Hebbian learning was observed for all groups. Domain-general working memory constrained immediate recall, whereas language abilities impacted recall in the auditory modality only. In addition, working memory constrained paired-associate learning generally, whereas language abilities disproportionately impacted novel word learning. Overall, all of the learning tasks were highly correlated with domain-general working memory. The learning of nonwords was additionally related to general intelligence, phonological short-term memory, language abilities, and implicit learning. The results suggest that distinct associations between language- and memory-related mechanisms support learning of familiar and unfamiliar phonological forms and sequences.

  1. Strategic threat management: an exploration of nursing strategies in the pediatric intensive care unit.

    PubMed

    Durso, Francis T; Ferguson, Ashley N; Kazi, Sadaf; Cunningham, Charlene; Ryan, Christina

    2015-03-01

    Part of the work of a critical care nurse is to manage the threats that arise that could impede efficient and effective job performance. Nurses manage threats by employing various strategies to keep performance high and workload manageable. We investigated strategic threat management by using the Threat-Strategy Interview. Threats frequently involved technology, staff, or organizational components. The threats were managed by a toolbox of multifaceted strategies, the most frequent of which involved staff-, treatment- (patient + technology), examination- (patient + clinician), and patient-oriented strategies. The profile of strategies for a particular threat often leveraged work facets similar to the work facet that characterized the threat. In such cases, the nurse's strategy was directed at eliminating the threat (not working around it). A description at both a domain invariant level - useful for understanding strategic threat management generally - and a description at an operational, specific level - useful for guiding interventions-- are presented. A structural description of the relationship among threats, strategies, and the cues that trigger them is presented in the form of an evidence accumulation framework of strategic threat management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  2. Environmental Technology Verification Coatings and Coating Equipment Program (ETV CCEP). High Transfer Efficiency Spray Equipment - Generic Verification Protocol (Revision 0)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-09-30

    High-Pressure Waterjet • CO2 Pellet/Turbine Wheel • Ultrahigh-Pressure Waterjet 5 Process Water Reuse/Recycle • Cross-Flow Microfiltration ...documented on a process or laboratory form. Corrective action will involve taking all necessary steps to restore a measuring system to proper working order...In all cases, a nonconformance will be rectified before sample processing and analysis continues. If corrective action does not restore the

  3. Nutritional status and physical abuse among the children involved in domestic labour in Karachi Pakistan: a cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Zainab, Saima; Kadir, Masood

    2016-10-01

    To determine the prevalence of physical abuse among domestic child labours and to assess the nutritional status by calculating the Body Mass Index of children involved in domestic labour in Karachi. A cross sectional study was conducted in the squatter settlements of Karachi. Questionnaire based interviews were conducted to capture physical abuse with 385 children who worked as domestic labour in the household of their employer. The ages of the children were between 10 to 14 years belonging to both genders. The children were enrolled in study by snow-ball sampling technique. The overall prevalence of physical abuse among domestic child labour in Karachi was found to be 8.3 %. Over 9 % had low weight and about 90% were stunted. This study also highlighted that 95% of the children involved in domestic labour perform overtime work in their employer's home, more than once per week. There is high burden of physical abuse among the domestic child labour and these children are malnourished. There is a need to recognize and regulate this form of labour in Pakistan.

  4. Chitin biosynthesis: does it involve a lipid-bound intermediate

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

    Bade, M.L.

    1983-01-01

    In plants and animals, mechanical support is provided by insoluble extracellular fibers of high molecular weight which, in many invertebrates and fungi, consist in part of the nitrogen-containing carbohydrate chitin. At least in animals, chitin may be covalently bonded to protein. This possibility has given rise to the persistent search for a lipid-bound intermediate in chitin biosynthesis, since for certain glycoproteins such involvement is well established. Cell-free chitin synthetase systems from yeasts have been prepared, purified, and to some extent characterized. For such systems, in the cases where the product has been unequivocally identified as chitin, involvement of a lipid-boundmore » intermediate is most unlikely. Chitin synthesis by particulate cell-free preparations has been claimed for both crustaceans and insects. Careful inspection of the evidence in the latter instances reveals either that the synthetase is probably of microorganismic origin, or that the available results do not convincingly support the conclusions drawn from them. Semi-in vitro work involving short- or longer-term culture of epithelial cells synthesizing chitin has been done successfully in a number of laboratories. In cases where the question of lipid-bound intermediates has been addressed, the evidence has tended to militate against such involvement in insects and for it in crustaceans, but the evidence is as yet inconclusive. Further work is needed.« less

  5. Identity, culture and shared experiences: The power of cogenerative dialogues in urban science classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bayne, Gillian Ursula

    2007-05-01

    The research presented in this dissertation details four major examples of work that took place during a three-year longitudinal study in a small urban New York City public high school for high achieving youth. It aims to play a role in contributing to the understanding of the breakdown between and amongst those parties involved in urban science education. The work outlined herein responds to the calls for improvement within urban education, utilizing the experiences, knowledge and practices of its students, in order to help inform and improve science teaching and learning. Theoretical lenses upon which this critical ethnographic research is grounded primarily involve those that are socio-cultural in nature and examine the sociology of emotions. In this research, I address how urban students, who have been historically alienated by science, develop forms of culture, enact them in science classes and then make transitions from participating marginally toward participating more centrally, demonstrating increasing science and science-like practices with higher levels of expertise. This work involves investigating human agency and its expansion as it becomes increasingly incorporated and internalized into individual and collective habitus. The protocol utilized in this critical ethnography (videotapes of cogenerative dialogues, classroom practices and interviews; journal entries, field notes, student and teacher generated artifacts) facilitates the exploration and understanding of the ways by which aligning culture and expanding student roles, both inside and outside of the classroom can occur. The results of this study include concrete examples and interpretations of these expansions and, provide suggestions by which more adaptable forms of teaching and learning can be enacted. These practices ultimately benefit a wider variety of students who as result will become better at creating their own structures to succeed.

  6. Metaproteomics and ultrastructure characterization of Komagataeibacter spp. involved in high-acid spirit vinegar production.

    PubMed

    Andrés-Barrao, Cristina; Saad, Maged M; Cabello Ferrete, Elena; Bravo, Daniel; Chappuis, Marie-Luise; Ortega Pérez, Ruben; Junier, Pilar; Perret, Xavier; Barja, François

    2016-05-01

    Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are widespread microorganisms in nature, extensively used in food industry to transform alcohols and sugar alcohols into their corresponding organic acids. Specialized strains are used in the production of vinegar through the oxidative transformation of ethanol into acetic acid. The main AAB involved in the production of high-acid vinegars using the submerged fermentation method belong to the genus Komagataeibacter, characterized by their higher ADH stability and activity, and higher acetic acid resistance (15-20%), compared to other AAB. In this work, the bacteria involved in the production of high-acid spirit vinegar through a spontaneous acetic acid fermentation process was studied. The analysis using a culture-independent approach revealed a homogeneous bacterial population involved in the process, identified as Komagataeibacter spp. Differentially expressed proteins during acetic acid fermentation were investigated by using 2D-DIGE and mass spectrometry. Most of these proteins were functionally related to stress response, the TCA cycle and different metabolic processes. In addition, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and specific staining of polysaccharide SDS-PAGE gels confirmed that Komagataeibacter spp. lacked the characteristic polysaccharide layer surrounding the outer membrane that has been previously reported to have an important role in acetic acid resistance in the genus Acetobacter. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Devising work schedules for a collective: favouring intergenerational collaboration among counsellors in a shelter for female victims of conjugal violence.

    PubMed

    Chatigny, Céline

    2011-01-01

    The work activity of counsellors in shelters for female victims of conjugal violence is explored. The consortium of shelters requested the study because of complaints of worker stress, difficulties in management and high employee turnover. This qualitative and participatory community study involved a team of specialists in ergonomics and social work from the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur la biologie, la santé, la sociélté et l'environnement (CINBIOSE), brought together by the Community Outreach Service of Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). Presented here are the study findings pertaining to training. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews and 80 hours of observation of work and training were conducted with counsellors from two contrasting shelters. Observations revealed an intense collaborative activity involving communication by many means. Nonetheless, young counsellors interviewed complained of having few opportunities to develop their counselling skills because they were isolated on evening, night and weekend shifts. In collaboration with the ergonomists, one shelter experimented with new ways of devising the work schedule to favour learning and training. By transforming the training mechanism, job status and work schedules, the shelter made the conditions more conducive to the development of counsellors' skills and health, while eliminating turnover for at least the two following years.

  8. The validity and reliability of diagnoses of work-related mental ill-health.

    PubMed

    O'Neill, E; McNamee, R; Agius, R; Gittins, M; Hussey, L; Turner, S

    2008-11-01

    To establish the reliability and validity of work-related mental ill-health diagnoses. A UK-based surveillance scheme for work-related ill-health involving occupational physicians (OPs) reporting suggests that mental ill-health incidence is increasing by around 13% per year, with anxiety, depression and "other work-related stress" being the most common diagnoses. There have been no studies of the validity and reliability of such diagnoses. Given the existence of a large network of psychiatrists (PSYs) also involved in surveillance of work-related ill-health, an opportunity arose to measure the concurrent validity and reliability of work-related mental ill-health diagnoses. 100 anonymised summaries of cases previously reported by OPs or PSYs were collected; each was sent to 5 PSYs and 5 OPs, who assigned a diagnosis and judged whether the case was work-related. Concurrent validity of the ill-health aspect of the diagnoses, and of the opinion as to work-relatedness, was assessed by comparing the overall classifications of cases by OPs and PSYs. Reliability of the diagnostic classification was measured by kappa matrices. Diagnostic proportions for PSYs and OPs demonstrated good agreement for anxiety, depression, anxiety plus depression and "stress" (11%, 34%, 27%, 14%) and (14%, 30%, 27%, 17%), respectively. In both groups, kappa coefficients were high for a psychotic diagnosis (0.78, 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.83), but not as high for anxiety (0.27, 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.32), depression (0.34, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.38) and "stress" (0.15, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.19). The odds ratio of classifying a case as work-related among PSYs compared to OPs was 2.39 (95% CI: 1.68 to 3.38), p<0.001. The overall agreement between OPs and PSYs on mental ill-health diagnoses suggests that OP diagnoses are valid for epidemiological purposes. However, the within-group reliability of the diagnosis "stress" is low. Given differences in judgements about work-relatedness, further research is needed to investigate this aspect of a diagnosis.

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

    Catterall, Simon

    This final report summarizes the work carried out by the Syracuse component of a multi-institutional SciDAC grant led by USQCD. This grant supported software development for theoretical high energy physics. The Syracuse component specifically targeted the development of code for the numerical simulation of N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. The work described in the final report includes this and a summary of results achieve in exploring the structure of this theory. It also describes the personnel - students and a postdoc who were directly or indirectly involved in this project. A list of publication is also described.

  10. Steady State Thermal Analyses of SCEPTOR X-57 Wingtip Propulsion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schnulo, Sydney L.; Chin, Jeffrey C.; Smith, Andrew D.; Dubois, Arthur

    2017-01-01

    Electric aircraft concepts enable advanced propulsion airframe integration approaches that promise increased efficiency as well as reduced emissions and noise. NASA's fully electric Maxwell X-57, developed under the SCEPTOR program, features distributed propulsion across a high aspect ratio wing. There are 14 propulsors in all: 12 high lift motor that are only active during take off and climb, and 2 larger motors positioned on the wingtips that operate over the entire mission. The power electronics involved in the wingtip propulsion are temperature sensitive and therefore require thermal management. This work focuses on the high and low fidelity heat transfer analysis methods performed to ensure that the wingtip motor inverters do not reach their temperature limits. It also explores different geometry configurations involved in the X-57 development and any thermal concerns. All analyses presented are performed at steady state under stressful operating conditions, therefore predicting temperatures which are considered the worst-case scenario to remain conservative.

  11. The research and development of damage tolerant carbon fiber composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miranda, John Armando

    This record of study takes a first hand look at corporate research and development efforts to improve the damage tolerance of two unique composite materials used in high performance aerospace applications. The professional internship with The Dow Chemical Company---Dow/United Technologies joint venture describes the intern's involvement in developing patentable process technologies for interleave toughening of high temperature resins and their composites. The subsequent internship with Hexcel Corporation describes the intern's involvement in developing the damage tolerance of novel and existing honeycomb sandwich structure technologies. Through the Doctor of Engineering professional internship experience this student exercised fundamental academic understanding and methods toward accomplishing the corporate objectives of the internship sponsors in a resource efficient and cost-effective manner. Also, the student gained tremendous autonomy through exceptional training in working in focused team environments with highly trained engineers and scientists in achieving important corporate objectives.

  12. [Work-related stress risk assessment in a home care agency].

    PubMed

    Latocca, R; Riva, M A; D'Orso, M; Ploia, P; Rocca, S; De Vito, G; Cesana, G

    2012-01-01

    The workload, the quality of professional relationships and emotional involvement have a significant impact on distress and burnout in health care-workers; this impact has an hight variability among the different environments and different care facilities (hospital, erderly nursing homes, home care). The risk assessment of work-related stress performed in 2010 in a homecare agency highlighted organizational problems related to the content/context of work and risk factors for health and safety. High turn-over is evidenced as critical among the "sentinel events". The level of job-strain was moderate, even if some critical issues were evidenced especially in the group of physiotherapists; nurses were configured as a homogeneous group with a low level of job-strain. In informative meetings the workers identified the discomfort related to the time for transferring patients from their homes in a high-traffic metropolitan area was identified as the most critical aspect.

  13. Evaluation of a Participatory Ergonomics Intervention in Small Commercial Construction Firms

    PubMed Central

    Dale, Ann Marie; Jaegers, Lisa; Welch, Laura; Gardner, Bethany T.; Buchholz, Bryan; Weaver, Nancy; Evanoff, Bradley A.

    2017-01-01

    Background Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) among construction workers remain high. Participatory ergonomics (PE) interventions that engage workers and employers in reducing work injury risks have shown mixed results. Methods Eight-six workers from seven contractors participated in a PE program. A logic model guided the process evaluation and summative evaluation of short term and intermediate impacts and long term outcomes from surveys and field records. Results Process measures showed good delivery of training, high worker engagement, and low contractor participation. Workers’ knowledge improved and workers reported changes to work practices and tools used; contractor provision of appropriate equipment was low (33%). No changes were seen in symptoms or reported physical effort. Conclusions The PE program produced many worker-identified ergonomic solutions, but lacked needed support from contractors. Future interventions should engage higher levels of the construction organizational system to improve contractor involvement for reducing WMSD. PMID:27094450

  14. (Experimental studies of elementary particle interactions at high energies)

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

    Khuri, N.N.

    1990-01-01

    This report includes descriptions of the combined work of both Tasks B and B{sub 1} at Rockefeller University. Some highlights are worth stressing in this brief introduction. First, one should note the active involvement of two members of our group, Ren and Callaway, in understanding the problem of superconductivity, both high and low {Tc}. This reflects the broad reach of many, but perhaps not all, particle physicists. Second, spurred by the Rockefeller environment, some in our group are also looking at problems in biology. As for our main purpose, I would like to single out the results of Sanda andmore » Morozumi on the {Delta}I = {1/2} rule, the work of Bitar, Ren and myself on a new approach to the path integral, S.Y. Pi's results on Chern-Simons non-relativistic quantum mechanics, and finally the work by Lee and collaborators on the origin of Fermion masses and mixing.« less

  15. Collaborating with cardiac sonographers to develop work-related musculoskeletal disorder interventions

    PubMed Central

    Sommerich, Carolyn M.; Lavender, Steven A.; Evans, Kevin; Sanders, Elizabeth; Joines, Sharon; Lamar, Sabrina; Umar, Radin Zaid Radin; Yen, Wei-Ting; Li, Jing; Nagavarapu, Shasank; Dickerson, Jennifer A.

    2016-01-01

    For more than two decades, surveys of imaging technologists, including cardiac sonographers, diagnostic medical sonographers, and vascular technologists, have consistently reported high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal discomfort (WRMSD). Yet, intervention research involving sonographers is limited. In this study, we used a participatory approach to identifying needs and opportunities for developing interventions to reduce sonographers’ exposures to WMSD risk factors. In this paper, we present some of those needs. We include descriptions of two interventions, targeted for cardiac sonographers, that were developed, through an iterative process, into functional prototypes that were evaluated in pilot tests by practicing sonographers. One of these interventions is now in daily use. We would like other engineers and ergonomists to recognize this area of opportunity to apply their knowledge of biomechanics and design in order to begin to address the high prevalence of WRMSDs in sonographers, by working with sonographers to develop useful and usable interventions. PMID:26642863

  16. Work and the Perceived Quality of Life. A Final Report.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-12-01

    The experience of work has the potential to substantially influence the perceived quality of life (pQL). The goal of this research program was to...Job satisfaction, life satisfaction, quality of life , quality of work life, unemployment, work-family conflict, job involvement, family involvement, job importance.

  17. Memory Retrieval and Interference: Working Memory Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Radvansky, Gabriel A.; Copeland, David E.

    2006-01-01

    Working memory capacity has been suggested as a factor that is involved in long-term memory retrieval, particularly when that retrieval involves a need to overcome some sort of interference (Bunting, Conway, & Heitz, 2004; Cantor & Engle, 1993). Previous work has suggested that working memory is related to the acquisition of information during…

  18. Theories of Change: What Works in Improving Health in Mid-Life?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Secker, Jenny; Bowers, Helen; Webb, Dale; Llanes, Marlen

    2005-01-01

    The need to promote healthy active ageing in order to offset the impact of an ageing population on national resources and ensure a high quality of life in older age is well recognized. In 2001, the English Department of Health established a national pre-retirement health initiative involving the development of eight pilot projects. A national…

  19. Signifying the Accumulation Graph in a Dynamic and Multi-Representation Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yerushalmy, Michal; Swidan, Osama

    2012-01-01

    The present study focuses on the accumulation process involved in the integration of a single-variable function. Observing the work of two high-school calculus students who had not yet learned any other integral-related ideas, we analyze the emergence of the semiotic relationship between personal and mathematical meanings, as expressed through the…

  20. "But Haven't You Got Enough to Do?" Getting Involved in Action Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kowalczyk, Sheetal

    2017-01-01

    In this article, Sheetal Kowalczyk, a science coordinator and specialist science teacher at Bromley High Junior School in Bromley, Kent, reflects upon her teaching experiences and the importance of research in supporting and developing her practice. Kowalczyk works for the Girl's Day School Trust (GDST), which embarked on a project in…

  1. Through Mathematical Eyes: Exploring Functional Relationships in Math and Science. Moving Middle Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ritchhart, Ron, Ed.

    In six sites across the United States teams of teachers began creating "portfolio cultures"--classrooms where growth towards high common standards and reflection was emphasized for both students and teachers. Working groups of teachers became involved in a 2-year process to develop curriculum. This book is a part of this series…

  2. Score Calculation in Informatics Contests Using Multiple Criteria Decision Methods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skupiene, Jurate

    2011-01-01

    The Lithuanian Informatics Olympiad is a problem solving contest for high school students. The work of each contestant is evaluated in terms of several criteria, where each criterion is measured according to its own scale (but the same scale for each contestant). Several jury members are involved in the evaluation. This paper analyses the problem…

  3. Solid State Technology Branch of NASA Lewis Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    Reprints of one year's production of research publications (June 1990 to June 1991) are presented. These are organized into three major sections: microwave circuits, both hybrid and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs); materials and device work; and superconductivity. The included papers also cover more specific topics involving waveguides, phase array antennas, dielectrics, and high temperature superconductors.

  4. A Survey of New Zealand Academic Reference Librarians: Current and Future Skills and Competencies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chawner, Brenda; Oliver, Gillian

    2013-01-01

    A survey of New Zealand academic subject/reference librarians was conducted in mid-2011 to identify the most highly valued knowledge, skills and competencies of reference librarians working in libraries in the tertiary sector. The project was part of an international collaborative project involving 13 countries. The results from New Zealand show…

  5. Video-Based Intervention in Teaching Fraction Problem-Solving to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yakubova, Gulnoza; Hughes, Elizabeth M.; Hornberger, Erin

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a point-of-view video modeling intervention to teach mathematics problem-solving when working on word problems involving subtracting mixed fractions with uncommon denominators. Using a multiple-probe across students design of single-case methodology, three high school students with…

  6. The Effects of Federal Support on Allocation of Campus Resources.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benson, Charles S.

    In its involvement with higher education, the federal government has followed a policy of building on strength. As late as 1964, 85% of federal funds for higher education were allocated for organized research. In 1962, 95% of research funds were devoted to work in the physical and life sciences. Federal monies are also highly concentrated…

  7. A Validation of Cognitive Evaluation Theory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDonald, Charles H.

    The role of money and other types of feedback on motivation to do a task or job has long been of interest to managers in business. To examine Deci's hypothesis concerning the effects of contingent rewards on intrinsic task interest, 42 high school students worked puzzles involving the solution of mazes and anagrams. Competence in task was made…

  8. State Efforts to Promote Social and Emotional Learning in Students. A Status Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dusenbury, Linda; Weissberg, Roger P.

    2017-01-01

    Momentum has been growing across the country to support statewide implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL) in preschool through high school. In this brief we present an update on states' involvement in articulating goals and developing guidelines for student SEL. [Additional support for this work was provided by Pure Edge, Inc.

  9. Interinstitutional Collaboration Practices between Virginia Community Colleges and High Schools Involved in Dual Enrollment Articulation Agreements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caradona, Sally Lynn

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to build on the previous work of articulation practices of Virginia's public school divisions and community colleges participating in dual enrollment partnerships, and to understand the role of the community college in initiating, developing, and implementing dual enrollment programs. The primary focus involved…

  10. Encouraging Girls into Science and Technology with Feminine Role Model: Does This Work?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bamberger, Yael M.

    2014-01-01

    This study examines the effect of a program that aimed to encourage girls to choose a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career in Israel. The program involved school visits to a high-tech company and meeting with role model female scientists. Sixty ninth-grade female students from a Jewish modern-orthodox single-sex…

  11. MDRC's Current and Recent Projects for Disconnected and Disadvantaged Youth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MDRC, 2013

    2013-01-01

    MDRC develops and studies programs to help young people who face major barriers in finding a path to stable adult life. Their recent roster of youth-related projects mainly targets three groups: at-risk high school students; dropouts disconnected from school and work; and system-involved youth at risk of disconnection, including youth exiting…

  12. The Effects of Cognitive Capacity and Gaming Expertise on Attention and Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Y.-H.; Heeter, C.

    2017-01-01

    Educational video games can impose high cognitive demands on its users. Two studies were conducted to examine the cognitive process involved in playing an educational digital game. Study 1 examined the effects of users' working memory capacity and gaming expertise on attention and comprehension of the educational messages. The results showed that…

  13. One Size Fits All? The Social Construction of Dis-Employ-Abled Women

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vandekinderen, Caroline; Roets, Griet; Vandenbroeck, Michel; Vanderplasschen, Wouter; Van Hove, Geert

    2012-01-01

    This article is based on an evaluation of a labour-market training programme for women with "mental health problems" in a social workplace in Belgium. The research team explored the retrospective insider perspectives on the work aspirations of the women involved in the programme to identify critical dynamics in their high drop-out from…

  14. Visibility, Availability, Credibility: School Personnel and Community Involvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wendt, David A.

    2012-01-01

    In these days of high stakes testing, it is imperative that a sense of trust and mutual respect be developed for all stakeholders--students, parents, and school personnel--as they work together for optimal student achievement. A simple conversation can often open the doors of understanding. If parents and guardians feel at ease with their child's…

  15. Differences in Work-Related Adverse Events by Sex and Industry in Cases Involving Compensation for Mental Disorders and Suicide in Japan From 2010 to 2014.

    PubMed

    Yamauchi, Takashi; Sasaki, Takeshi; Yoshikawa, Toru; Matsumoto, Shun; Takahashi, Masaya; Suka, Machi; Yanagisawa, Hiroyuki

    2018-04-01

    This study aimed to clarify whether work-related adverse events in cases involving compensation for mental disorders and suicide differ by sex and industry using a database containing all relevant cases reported from 2010 to 2014 in Japan. A total of 1362 eligible cases involving compensation for mental disorders (422 females and 940 males) were analyzed. Among males, 55.7% of cases were attributed to "long working hours." In both sexes, the frequencies of cases attributed to "long working hours" and other events differed significantly by industry. Among cases involving compensation for suicide, 71.4% were attributed to "long working hours." The frequency distribution of work-related adverse events differed significantly by sex and industry. These differences should be taken into consideration in the development of industry-specific preventive measures for occupational mental disorders.

  16. Work ability of Dutch employees with rheumatoid arthritis.

    PubMed

    de Croon, E M; Sluiter, J K; Nijssen, T F; Kammeijer, M; Dijkmans, B A C; Lankhorst, G J; Frings-Dresen, M H W

    2005-01-01

    To (i) examine the association between fatigue, psychosocial work characteristics (job control, support, participation in decision making, psychological job demands), and physical work requirements on the one hand and work ability of employees with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on the other, and (ii) determine the advice that health care professionals give to employees with RA on how to maintain their work ability. Data were gathered from 78 employees with early RA (response = 99%) by telephone interviews and self-report questionnaires. Fatigue, lack of autonomy, low coworker/supervisor support, low participation in decision making, and high physical work requirements (i.e. using manual force) predicted low work ability. High psychological job demands, however, did not predict low work ability. The rheumatologist, occupational physician, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, and psychologist gave advice on how to cope with RA at work to 36, 30, 27, 26, and 17% of the employees, respectively. Advice was directed mainly at factors intrinsic to the employee. Employees expressed a positive attitude towards this advice. Fatigue, lack of support, lack of autonomy, lack of participation in decision making, and using manual force at work (e.g. pushing and pulling) threaten the work ability of employees with RA. According to the employees with RA, involvement of health care professionals from different disciplines and the implementation of organizational and technical interventions would help them to tackle these threats.

  17. Relationship between leadership styles of hospital pharmacists and perceptions of work-unit effectiveness.

    PubMed

    Bennett, C R; Grussing, P G; Hutchinson, R A; Stewart, J E

    1988-08-01

    Relationships between hospital pharmacists' perceptions of their own and their immediate supervisors' leadership styles and their perceptions of the effectiveness of their work units were examined. Pharmacists practicing in 12 large Chicago-area hospitals were asked to complete a four-part questionnaire that consisted of demographic questions, the LEADSelf instrument, the LEADOther instrument, and a measure of perceived work unit effectiveness. Respondents' primary, secondary, and combination leadership styles and their degree of style adaptability were determined and compared with the primary, secondary, and combination leadership styles and style adaptability of their immediate supervisors and with their perceptions of the effectiveness of their work units. Pharmacists involved in providing clinical or drug information services and pharmacists responsible for purchasing activities perceived their work units to be most and least effective, respectively. Most respondents perceived their primary leadership style to be high task-high relationship, but only 32% perceived their immediate supervisors to exhibit this style. Pharmacists who perceived their immediate supervisors to have high relationship leadership styles (based on primary and combination style classifications) had significantly more favorable perceptions of the effectiveness of their work units than did pharmacists who perceived their supervisors to exhibit low relationship styles. Respondents' perceptions of their supervisors' style adaptability were positively and significantly correlated with their perceptions of work-unit effectiveness. Respondents who thought their supervisors' leadership styles were more adaptable than their own had the most favorable perceptions of work-unit effectiveness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  18. A Foray into Fungal Ecology: Understanding Fungi and Their Functions Across Ecosystems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Francis, N.; Dunkirk, N. C.; Peay, K.

    2015-12-01

    Despite their incredible diversity and importance to terrestrial ecosystems, fungi are not included in a standard high school science curriculum. This past summer, however, my work for the Stanford EARTH High School Internship program introduced me to fungal ecology through experiments involving culturing, genomics and root dissections. The two fungal experiments I worked on had very different foci, both searching for answers to broad ecological questions of fungal function and physiology. The first, a symbiosis experiment, sought to determine if the partners of the nutrient exchange between pine trees and their fungal symbionts could choose one another. The second experiment, a dung fungal succession project, compared the genetic sequencing results of fungal extractions from dung versus fungal cultures from dung. My part in the symbiosis experiment involved dissection, weighing and encapsulation of root tissue samples characterized based on the root thickness and presence of ectomycorrhizal fungi. The dung fungi succession project required that I not only learn how to culture various genera of dung fungi but also learn how to extract DNA and RNA for sequencing from the fungal tissue. Although I primarily worked with dung fungi cultures and thereby learned about their unique physiologies, I also learned about the different types of genetic sequencing since the project compared sequences of cultured fungi versus Next Generation sequencing of all fungi present within a dung pellet. Through working on distinct fungal projects that reassess how information about fungi is known within the field of fungal ecology, I learned not only about the two experiments I worked on but also many past related experiments and inquiries through reading scientific papers. Thanks to my foray into fungal research, I now know not only the broader significance of fungi in ecological research but also how to design and conduct ecological experiments.

  19. A New Statistics-Based Online Baseline Restorer for a High Count-Rate Fully Digital System.

    PubMed

    Li, Hongdi; Wang, Chao; Baghaei, Hossain; Zhang, Yuxuan; Ramirez, Rocio; Liu, Shitao; An, Shaohui; Wong, Wai-Hoi

    2010-04-01

    The goal of this work is to develop a novel, accurate, real-time digital baseline restorer using online statistical processing for a high count-rate digital system such as positron emission tomography (PET). In high count-rate nuclear instrumentation applications, analog signals are DC-coupled for better performance. However, the detectors, pre-amplifiers and other front-end electronics would cause a signal baseline drift in a DC-coupling system, which will degrade the performance of energy resolution and positioning accuracy. Event pileups normally exist in a high-count rate system and the baseline drift will create errors in the event pileup-correction. Hence, a baseline restorer (BLR) is required in a high count-rate system to remove the DC drift ahead of the pileup correction. Many methods have been reported for BLR from classic analog methods to digital filter solutions. However a single channel BLR with analog method can only work under 500 kcps count-rate, and normally an analog front-end application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) is required for the application involved hundreds BLR such as a PET camera. We have developed a simple statistics-based online baseline restorer (SOBLR) for a high count-rate fully digital system. In this method, we acquire additional samples, excluding the real gamma pulses, from the existing free-running ADC in the digital system, and perform online statistical processing to generate a baseline value. This baseline value will be subtracted from the digitized waveform to retrieve its original pulse with zero-baseline drift. This method can self-track the baseline without a micro-controller involved. The circuit consists of two digital counter/timers, one comparator, one register and one subtraction unit. Simulation shows a single channel works at 30 Mcps count-rate with pileup condition. 336 baseline restorer circuits have been implemented into 12 field-programmable-gate-arrays (FPGA) for our new fully digital PET system.

  20. Improvement of pump tubes for gas guns and shock tube drivers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bogdanoff, D. W.

    1990-01-01

    In a pump tube, a gas is mechanically compressed, producing very high pressures and sound speeds. The intensely heated gas produced in such a tube can be used to drive light gas guns and shock tubes. Three concepts are presented that have the potential to allow substantial reductions in the size and mass of the pump tube to be achieved. The first concept involves the use of one or more diaphragms in the pump tube, thus replacing a single compression process by multiple, successive compressions. The second concept involves a radical reduction in the length-to-diameter ratio of the pump tube and the pump tube piston. The third concept involves shock heating of the working gas by high explosives in a cyclindrical geometry reusable device. Preliminary design analyses are performed on all three concepts and they appear to be quite feasible. Reductions in the length and mass of the pump tube by factors up to about 11 and about 7, respectively, are predicted, relative to a benchmark conventional pump tube.

  1. Do work ability and job involvement channel later personal goals in retirement? An 11-year follow-up study.

    PubMed

    Feldt, Taru; Hyvönen, Katriina; Oja-Lipasti, Terhi; Kinnunen, Ulla; Salmela-Aro, Katariina

    2012-07-01

    The present study investigates the role of work ability and job involvement in personal life goals later in retirement. The study is based on longitudinal research on Finnish employees working in managerial positions. At the study baseline (in 1996), 120 employed managers responded to a questionnaire regarding their work ability and job involvement, and 11 years later (in 2007) when they were retired, they responded to an open-ended question regarding their personal goals. The retired participants were 58-76 years old (M = 66 years), and they had been retired for 1-10 years (M = 4.3 years, SD = 2.9). On the basis of the participants' responses to the open-ended question, six main content categories of personal goals were formed. According to these categories, the personal goals in retirement focused on (1) hobbies and leisure time, (2) social relationships, (3) health and well-being, (4) housing and finance, (5) self-development and ideology, and (6) other activities. The managers with better work ability and job involvement at the baseline of the study had fewer personal goals related to health and well-being later in retirement. In addition, better work ability predicted more personal goals related to self-development and ideology views. The preceding work ability and job involvement seem to channel personal goal pursuit in retirement. Thus, sustaining employees' work ability and job involvement are not only essential for developing employees' ability to cope with work demands but also for their functional capacity in their later stages of life, such as in retirement.

  2. Multiphysics Simulation of Welding-Arc and Nozzle-Arc System: Mathematical-Model, Solution-Methodology and Validation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pawar, Sumedh; Sharma, Atul

    2018-01-01

    This work presents mathematical model and solution methodology for a multiphysics engineering problem on arc formation during welding and inside a nozzle. A general-purpose commercial CFD solver ANSYS FLUENT 13.0.0 is used in this work. Arc formation involves strongly coupled gas dynamics and electro-dynamics, simulated by solution of coupled Navier-Stoke equations, Maxwell's equations and radiation heat-transfer equation. Validation of the present numerical methodology is demonstrated with an excellent agreement with the published results. The developed mathematical model and the user defined functions (UDFs) are independent of the geometry and are applicable to any system that involves arc-formation, in 2D axisymmetric coordinates system. The high-pressure flow of SF6 gas in the nozzle-arc system resembles arc chamber of SF6 gas circuit breaker; thus, this methodology can be extended to simulate arcing phenomenon during current interruption.

  3. When planning results in loss of control: intention-based reflexivity and working-memory

    PubMed Central

    Meiran, Nachshon; Cole, Michael W.; Braver, Todd S.

    2012-01-01

    In this review, the authors discuss the seemingly paradoxical loss of control associated with states of high readiness to execute a plan, termed “intention-based reflexivity.” The review suggests that the neuro-cognitive systems involved in the preparation of novel plans are different than those involved in preparation of practiced plans (i.e., those that have been executed beforehand). When the plans are practiced, intention-based reflexivity depends on the prior availability of response codes in long-term memory (LTM). When the plans are novel, reflexivity is observed when the plan is pending and the goal has not yet been achieved. Intention-based reflexivity also depends on the availability of working-memory (WM) limited resources and the motivation to prepare. Reflexivity is probably related to the fact that, unlike reactive control (once a plan is prepared), proactive control tends to be relatively rigid. PMID:22586382

  4. Safe handling of cytotoxic compounds in a biopharmaceutical environment.

    PubMed

    Hensgen, Miriam I; Stump, Bernhard

    2013-01-01

    Handling cytotoxic drugs such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in a biopharmaceutical environment represents a challenge based on the potency of the compounds. These derivatives are dangerous to humans if they accidentally get in contact with the skin, are inhaled, or are ingested, either as pure compounds in their solid state or as a solution dissolved in a co-solvent. Any contamination of people involved in the manufacturing process has to be avoided. On the other hand, biopharmaceuticals need to be protected simultaneously against any contamination from the manufacturing personnel. Therefore, a tailor-made work environment is mandatory in order to manufacture ADCs. This asks for appropriate technical equipment to keep potential hazardous substances contained. In addition, clearly defined working procedures based on risk assessments as well as proper training for all personnel involved in the manufacturing process are needed to safely handle these highly potent pharmaceuticals.

  5. Molecular biology of testicular germ cell tumors.

    PubMed

    Gonzalez-Exposito, R; Merino, M; Aguayo, C

    2016-06-01

    Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the most common solid tumors in young adult men. They constitute a unique pathology because of their embryonic and germ origin and their special behavior. Genetic predisposition, environmental factors involved in their development and genetic aberrations have been under study in many works throughout the last years trying to explain the susceptibility and the transformation mechanism of TGCTs. Despite the high rate of cure in this type of tumors because its particular sensitivity to cisplatin, there are tumors resistant to chemotherapy for which it is needed to find new therapies. In the present work, it has been carried out a literature review on the most important molecular aspects involved in the onset and development of such tumors, as well as a review of the major developments regarding prognostic factors, new prognostic biomarkers and the possibility of new targeted therapies.

  6. Aeropropulsion 1987. Session 6: High-Speed Propulsion Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1987-01-01

    NASA is conducting aeronautical research over a broad range of Mach numbers. In addition to the advanced CTOL propulsion research described in a separate session, the Lewis Research Center has intensified its efforts towards propulsion technology for selected high-speed flight applications. In a companion program, the Langley Research Center has also accomplished excellent research in Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (SCRAM) propulsion. What is presented in this session is an unclassified review of some of the propulsion research results that are applicable for supersonic to hypersonic vehicles. Not only is a review provided for several key work areas, it also presents a viewpoint on future research directions by calling attention to cycles, components, and facilities involved in this rapidly expanding field of work.

  7. Numerical Investigations of High Pressure Acoustic Waves in Resonators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Athavale, Mahesh; Pindera, Maciej; Daniels, Christopher C.; Steinetz, Bruce M.

    2004-01-01

    This presentation presents work on numerical investigations of nonlinear acoustic phenomena in resonators that can generate high-pressure waves using acoustic forcing of the flow. Time-accurate simulations of the flow in a closed cone resonator were performed at different oscillation frequencies and amplitudes, and the numerical results for the resonance frequency and fluid pressure increase match the GRC experimental data well. Work on cone resonator assembly simulations has started and will involve calculations of the flow through the resonator assembly with and without acoustic excitation. A new technique for direct calculation of resonance frequency of complex shaped resonators is also being investigated. Script-driven command procedures will also be developed for optimization of the resonator shape for maximum pressure increase.

  8. Cross-Modal Decoding of Neural Patterns Associated with Working Memory: Evidence for Attention-Based Accounts of Working Memory.

    PubMed

    Majerus, Steve; Cowan, Nelson; Péters, Frédéric; Van Calster, Laurens; Phillips, Christophe; Schrouff, Jessica

    2016-01-01

    Recent studies suggest common neural substrates involved in verbal and visual working memory (WM), interpreted as reflecting shared attention-based, short-term retention mechanisms. We used a machine-learning approach to determine more directly the extent to which common neural patterns characterize retention in verbal WM and visual WM. Verbal WM was assessed via a standard delayed probe recognition task for letter sequences of variable length. Visual WM was assessed via a visual array WM task involving the maintenance of variable amounts of visual information in the focus of attention. We trained a classifier to distinguish neural activation patterns associated with high- and low-visual WM load and tested the ability of this classifier to predict verbal WM load (high-low) from their associated neural activation patterns, and vice versa. We observed significant between-task prediction of load effects during WM maintenance, in posterior parietal and superior frontal regions of the dorsal attention network; in contrast, between-task prediction in sensory processing cortices was restricted to the encoding stage. Furthermore, between-task prediction of load effects was strongest in those participants presenting the highest capacity for the visual WM task. This study provides novel evidence for common, attention-based neural patterns supporting verbal and visual WM. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Fast learning of simple perceptual discriminations reduces brain activation in working memory and in high-level auditory regions.

    PubMed

    Daikhin, Luba; Ahissar, Merav

    2015-07-01

    Introducing simple stimulus regularities facilitates learning of both simple and complex tasks. This facilitation may reflect an implicit change in the strategies used to solve the task when successful predictions regarding incoming stimuli can be formed. We studied the modifications in brain activity associated with fast perceptual learning based on regularity detection. We administered a two-tone frequency discrimination task and measured brain activation (fMRI) under two conditions: with and without a repeated reference tone. Although participants could not explicitly tell the difference between these two conditions, the introduced regularity affected both performance and the pattern of brain activation. The "No-Reference" condition induced a larger activation in frontoparietal areas known to be part of the working memory network. However, only the condition with a reference showed fast learning, which was accompanied by a reduction of activity in two regions: the left intraparietal area, involved in stimulus retention, and the posterior superior-temporal area, involved in representing auditory regularities. We propose that this joint reduction reflects a reduction in the need for online storage of the compared tones. We further suggest that this change reflects an implicit strategic shift "backwards" from reliance mainly on working memory networks in the "No-Reference" condition to increased reliance on detected regularities stored in high-level auditory networks.

  10. The Role of Jahoda's Latent and Financial Benefits for Work Involvement: A Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stiglbauer, Barbara; Batinic, Bernad

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the role of the latent and financial benefits of work as defined by Marie Jahoda (1982) in explaining a person's work involvement. Drawing upon theoretical frameworks on work commitment and work motivation, the latent benefits were expected to have a positive, whereas the financial benefits were expected to have a negative…

  11. Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of porcine muscle within 24 h postmortem.

    PubMed

    Huang, Honggang; Larsen, Martin R; Palmisano, Giuseppe; Dai, Jie; Lametsch, René

    2014-06-25

    Protein phosphorylation can regulate most of the important processes in muscle, such as metabolism and contraction. The postmortem (PM) metabolism and rigor mortis have essential effects on meat quality. In order to identify and characterize the protein phosphorylation events involved in meat quality development, a quantitative mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomic study was performed to analyze the porcine muscle within 24h PM using dimethyl labeling combined with the TiSH phosphopeptide enrichment strategy. In total 305 unique proteins were identified, including 160 phosphoproteins with 784 phosphorylation sites. Among these, 184 phosphorylation sites on 93 proteins had their phosphorylation levels significantly changed. The proteins involved in glucose metabolism and muscle contraction were the two largest clusters of phosphoproteins with significantly changed phosphorylation levels in muscle within 24 h PM. The high phosphorylation level of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in early PM may be an adaptive response to slaughter stress and protect muscle cell from apoptosis, as observed in the serine 84 of HSP27. This work indicated that PM muscle proteins underwent significant changes at the phosphorylation level but were relatively stable at the total protein level, suggesting that protein phosphorylation may have important roles in meat quality development through the regulation of proteins involved in glucose metabolism and muscle contraction, thereby affecting glycolysis and rigor mortis development in PM muscle. The manuscript describes the characterization of postmortem (PM) porcine muscle within 24 h postmortem from the perspective of protein phosphorylation using advanced phosphoproteomic techniques. In the study, the authors employed the dimethyl labeling combined with the TiSH phosphopeptide enrichment and LC-MS/MS strategy. This was the first high-throughput quantitative phosphoproteomic study in PM muscle of farm animals. In the work, both the proteome and phosphoproteome were analyzed, and the large number of identified peptides, phosphopeptides and phosphorylation sites can greatly enrich the current farm animal protein database. The proteins involved in glycometabolism, muscle contraction and heat shock proteins (HSPs) showed significantly changed phosphorylation levels during PM meat development. This work indicated that PM muscle proteins underwent significant changes at phosphorylation level but were relatively stable at the total protein level, suggesting that protein phosphorylation may have important roles in meat development through the regulation of proteins involved in metabolism and muscle contraction, thereby affecting glycolysis and rigor mortis development in PM muscle. The work can promote the understanding of PM muscle metabolism and meat quality development, and be helpful for future meat quality control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Targeting health visitor care: lessons from Starting Well.

    PubMed

    Wright, C M; Jeffrey, S K; Ross, M K; Wallis, L; Wood, R

    2009-01-01

    UK child health promotion guidelines expect health visitors to assess family needs before new babies are aged 4 months and offer targeted care on that basis thereafter. Data from an intensive family support programme were used to assess how accurately family needs can be predicted at this stage. A population based cohort of 1202 families with new babies receiving an intensive health visiting programme. Analysis of routinely recorded data. Starting Well project, Glasgow, UK. Health visitor rating of family needs. Families receiving high visiting rates or referred to social work services. Of 302 families rated high need, only 143 (47%) were identified by age 4 months. Visiting rates in the first year for those initially rated high need were nearly double those for the remainder, but around two thirds of those with high contact rates/referred to social work were not initially rated high need. Six family characteristics (no income, baby born preterm, multiple pregnancy, South Asian, prior social work/criminal justice involvement, either parent in care as a child) were identified as the commonest/strongest predictors of contact rates; 1003 (83%) families had one such characteristics and/or lived in a highly deprived area, including 228 (93%) of those with high contact rates and 157 (96%) of those referred to social work. Most families at risk will not be identified on an individual basis in the early weeks. Most families in deprived areas need continued input if the most vulnerable families are to be reliably identified.

  13. The Hippocampus Supports High-Resolution Binding in the Service of Perception, Working Memory and Long-Term Memory

    PubMed Central

    Yonelinas, Andrew P.

    2013-01-01

    It is well established that the hippocampus plays a critical role in our ability to recollect past events. A number of recent studies have indicated that the hippocampus may also play a critical role in working memory and perception, but these results have been highly controversial because other similar studies have failed to find evidence for hippocampal involvement. Thus, the precise role that the hippocampus plays in cognition is still debated. In the current paper, I propose that the hippocampus supports the generation and utilization of complex high-resolution bindings that link together the qualitative aspects that make up an event; these bindings are essential for recollection, and they can also contribute to performance across a variety of tasks including perception and working memory. An examination of the existing patient literature provides support for this proposal by showing that hippocampal damage leads to impairments on perception and working memory tasks that require complex high-resolution bindings. Conversely, hippocampal damage is much less likely to lead to impairments on tasks that require only low-resolution or simple associations/relations. The current proposal can be distinguished from earlier accounts of hippocampal function, and it generates a number of novel predictions that can be tested in future studies. PMID:23721964

  14. Work environment investments: outcomes from three cases.

    PubMed

    Rydell, Alexis; Andersson, Ing-Marie

    2017-09-27

    Work environment investments are important in order to create a healthy and safe workplace. This article presents findings from a seven-step interventions process aimed at examining and following-up work environment investments in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a particular focus on air contaminants. Three different cases were analyzed and included in the study: (a) an educational center for welding; (b) a paint station in furniture manufacturing; (c) a joinery in furniture manufacturing. The results show that the work environment investments were highly appreciated by the employees and managers, but at the same time the investment could be optimized through markedly decreased exposure levels for the worker. Factors such as follow-ups of the investment, education and training in how to use the equipment, worker involvement in the process and leadership engagement are important in order to optimize work environment investments.

  15. Experiences from the Merger of Clinics in the Swedish Public Dental Service - the Employee Perspective

    PubMed Central

    Gustafsson, Christina Hassel; Östberg, Anna-Lena

    2017-01-01

    Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of employees regarding the merger of clinics within the Public Dental Service (PDS), Västra Götaland Region, Sweden. Methods: Employees (dentists, dental hygienists, dental nurses) affected by both administrative and geographical mergers of dental clinics answered a web-based survey about experiences and effects of the merger process (n = 99, 47%). The Swedish short-form version of “The Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work” (QPSNordic), the QPSNordic-34+ was used. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression analyses were used. Results: Two thirds of the participants were aged ≥ 50 years. The respondents stated that the reasons for the merger were often made clear (78%). Satisfaction with and involvement in the merger process received lower scores (45%). Work was often perceived as stressful, irrespective of the merger. Job demands and engagement scored positively, but control at work was given a low score (one fifth stated fairly high or high control). Dentists (OR 5.9; 95%, CI 1.1-32.3), but not dental hygienists (OR 2.8; 95%, CI 0.9-9.0), indicated stress significantly more often than dental nurses (reference) (adjusted for age and gender). Conclusion: Employees in the Public Dental Service (PDS) in a Swedish region had mainly positive experiences after the merger of clinics; however, their involvement in the process was low. Work demands were perceived as high. These findings should be considered when planning mergers in dental organizations. PMID:29151991

  16. The CHOICE pilot project: Challenges of implementing a combined peer work and shared decision-making programme in an early intervention service.

    PubMed

    Simmons, Magenta B; Coates, Dominiek; Batchelor, Samantha; Dimopoulos-Bick, Tara; Howe, Deborah

    2017-12-12

    Youth participation is central to early intervention policy and quality frameworks. There is good evidence for peer support (individuals with lived experience helping other consumers) and shared decision making (involving consumers in making decisions about their own care) in adult settings. However, youth programs are rarely tested or described in detail. This report aims to fill this gap by describing a consumer focused intervention in an early intervention service. This paper describes the development process, intervention content and implementation challenges of the Choices about Healthcare Options Informed by Client Experiences and Expectations (CHOICE) Pilot Project. This highly novel and innovative project combined both youth peer work and youth shared decision making. Eight peer workers were employed to deliver an online shared decision-making tool at a youth mental health service in New South Wales, Australia. The intervention development involved best practice principles, including international standards and elements of co-design. The implementation of the peer workforce in the service involved a number of targeted strategies designed to support this new service model. However, several implementation challenges were experienced which resulted in critical learning about how best to deliver these types of interventions. Delivering peer work and shared decision making within an early intervention service is feasible, but not without challenges. Providing adequate detail about interventions and implementation strategies fills a critical gap in the literature. Understanding optimal youth involvement strategies assists others to deliver acceptable and effective services to young people who experience mental ill health. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  17. Work demands and health consequences of organizational and technological measures introduced to enhance the quality of home care services--A subgroup analysis.

    PubMed

    Andersen, Gunn Robstad; Bendal, Synne; Westgaard, Rolf H

    2015-11-01

    This study of home care workers in a Norwegian municipality aimed to examine the effect of two measures involving organizational (job checklists) and technological (personal digital assistants) job aids on perceived work demands and musculoskeletal health. Questionnaire data was collected in 2009 (n = 138, response rate 76.2%) and 2011 (n = 80, response rate 54%). Forty-six home care workers responded at both waves. Respondents were assigned into 'high', 'moderate' and 'low' strain groups based on their responses to open and closed survey questions regarding impact of the two measures. One-way ANOVA with post-hoc t-tests and regression analyses investigated group differences and examined development in variables. Perceived work demands and health effects over the two-year study period were unchanged overall, yet significant differences between subgroups were highlighted. Work demands and shoulder-neck pain remained high for high-strain workers, but were reduced for low and moderate strain workers. Management should be aware of diversity in worker responses to rationalizations and give priority to supplementary, targeted measures to counteract adverse effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  18. Electrocution by arcing: a nonfatal case study.

    PubMed

    Solarino, Biagio; Di Vella, Giancarlo

    2011-12-01

    Accidental electrocution during working activities account for a considerable amount of morbidity and mortality. Workers often misjudge the danger of electric wires or high-tension power cables, thereby exposing themselves to electrocution hazard. This article describes a nonfatal case of injuries by arcing from high-tension power-line cables involving a young farmer who was thrashing an olive tree by means of aluminum ladder. The circumstances surrounding the manner of electrocution and the features of electric injuries are presented and discussed.

  19. Thermodynamics of relation-based systems with applications in econophysics, sociophysics, and music

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gündüz, Güngör

    2012-10-01

    A methodology was developed to analyze relation-based systems evolving in time by using the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics. The behavior of such systems can be tracked from the scattering matrix which is actually a network of directed vectors (or pathways) connecting subsequent values, which characterize an event, such as the index values in stock markets. A system behaves in a rigid (elastic) way to an external effect and resists permanent deformation, or it behaves in a viscous (or soft) way and deforms in an irreversible way. It was shown in the past that a formula derived using the slope of paths gives a measure about the extent of viscoelastic behavior of relation-based systems Gündüz (2009) [5] Gündüz and Gündüz (2010) [6]. In this research the ‘work’ associated with ‘elastic’ component, and ‘heat’ associated with ‘viscous’ component were discussed and elaborated. In a simple two subsequent pathway system in a scattering diagram the first vector represents ‘the cause’ and the second ‘the effect’. By using work and heat energy relations that involve force and also storage and loss modulus terms, respectively, one can calculate the energy involved in relation-based systems. The modulus values can be found from the parallel and vertical components of the second vector with respect to the first vector. Once work-like and heat-like terms were determined the internal energy is also easily found from their summation. The parallel and vertical components can also be used to calculate the magnitude of torque and torque energy in the system. Three cases, (i) the behavior of the NASDAQ-100 index, (ii) a social revolt, and (iii) the structure of a melody were analyzed for their ‘work-like’, ‘heat-like’, and ‘torque-like’ energies in the course of their evolution. NASDAQ-100 exhibits highly dissipative behavior, and its work terms are very small but heat terms are of large magnitude. Its internal energy highly fluctuates in time. In the social revolt studied work and heat terms are of comparable magnitude. The melody depicts highly organized structure, and usually has larger work terms than heat terms, but at some intervals heat terms burst out and attain very large magnitudes. Torque terms reach high values when the system is recovering from a minimum value.

  20. An investigation of the effects of time and involvement in the relationship between stressors and work-family conflict.

    PubMed

    Fox, M L; Dwyer, D J

    1999-04-01

    Previous researchers have proposed that the time and energy involved in family and paid work should affect the relationship between stressors and conflict in both the work and family domains. Using a sample of 113 registered nurses, the authors hypothesized that the amount of time and involvement in both domains would moderate the stressor-conflict relationships. Results supported many of the interactions in predicting conflict in each domain, and implications for the health of working women with family responsibilities were discussed.

  1. 23 CFR 630.1104 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ...-aid highway funding. Exposure Control Measures means traffic management strategies to avoid work zone crashes involving workers and motorized traffic by eliminating or reducing traffic through the work zone... including uniformed law enforcement officers, used to reduce the risk of work zone crashes involving...

  2. 23 CFR 630.1104 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...-aid highway funding. Exposure Control Measures means traffic management strategies to avoid work zone crashes involving workers and motorized traffic by eliminating or reducing traffic through the work zone... including uniformed law enforcement officers, used to reduce the risk of work zone crashes involving...

  3. 23 CFR 630.1104 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ...-aid highway funding. Exposure Control Measures means traffic management strategies to avoid work zone crashes involving workers and motorized traffic by eliminating or reducing traffic through the work zone... including uniformed law enforcement officers, used to reduce the risk of work zone crashes involving...

  4. 23 CFR 630.1104 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ...-aid highway funding. Exposure Control Measures means traffic management strategies to avoid work zone crashes involving workers and motorized traffic by eliminating or reducing traffic through the work zone... including uniformed law enforcement officers, used to reduce the risk of work zone crashes involving...

  5. 23 CFR 630.1104 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ...-aid highway funding. Exposure Control Measures means traffic management strategies to avoid work zone crashes involving workers and motorized traffic by eliminating or reducing traffic through the work zone... including uniformed law enforcement officers, used to reduce the risk of work zone crashes involving...

  6. Occupational accident and disease claims, work-related stress and job satisfaction of physiotherapists.

    PubMed

    Brattig, Birte; Schablon, Anja; Nienhaus, Albert; Peters, Claudia

    2014-01-01

    Physiotherapists are exposed to diverse occupational demands. Until now, little has been known about the interaction between occupational stress and the job satisfaction of physiotherapists. This paper aims to examine their work-related stress and job satisfaction. It will analyse accidents at work and occupational diseases of physiotherapists along with work-related physical and psychosocial stress and job satisfaction. We analysed routine data of the German Institute for Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Health and Welfare Services (BGW) on accidents at work and occurring en route to/from work as well as occupational diseases of physiotherapists. Work-related stress and job satisfaction were examined in a cross-sectional survey using a standard questionnaire to be completed by subjects themselves. Between 2007 and 2011, 1,229 cases of occupational disease were reported to the BGW. The majority of reports involved skin diseases (73%). Stumbles and falls were the most frequent causes of accidents at work (42.9%). Eighty-five physiotherapists all over Germany took part in the survey. They experience high quantitative demands at work. The main physical demands consist of a torso posture between 45° and 90° and high hand activity. Of the 85 subjects, 51% suffer from complaints of the musculoskeletal system in the neck and thoracic spine area and 24% have skin diseases. Most physiotherapists (88%) are satisfied with their work overall. This is aided by a high degree of influence on their work and breaks, by practical application of skills and expert knowledge, high regard for their profession, varied work and a good atmosphere at work. Reservations tend to be about statutory regulations and the social benefits provided by the German healthcare system. Overall, despite high demands and stress relating to the adequacy of resources, the majority of physiotherapists surveyed seem to be satisfied with their job. The main focus of action to promote the health of physiotherapists should be on preventing skin disease, problems of the musculoskeletal system and accidents caused by stumbles and falls.

  7. Does smoking cannabis affect work commitment?

    PubMed

    Hyggen, Christer

    2012-07-01

      This study aimed to examine the associations between cannabis use and work commitment.   We used a 25-year panel survey initiated in 1985 with follow-ups in 1987, 1989, 1993, 2003 and 2010. Registered data from a range of public registers were matched with individual responses for the entire period.   The panel survey was a nation-wide study set in Norway.   A total of 1997 respondents born between 1965 and 1968 were included in the panel.   Work involvement scale (WIS) was used to assess work commitment. Involvement with cannabis was based on self-reported smoking of cannabis within the last 12 months and exposure to cannabis through friends. This information was categorized into 'abstaining', 'exposed', 'experimented' and 'involved'. Control measures included socio-economic background, mental health (HSCL-10), education, work satisfaction, unemployment, receipt of social assistance, consumption of alcohol, alcohol-related problems and use of other illicit drugs.   The level of work commitment was associated with involvement with cannabis. In 1993, when the respondents were in their mid-20s, those who were involved or had experimented with cannabis displayed lower levels of work commitment than those who were abstaining or merely exposed to cannabis through friends (P < 0.05). Work commitment among those who experimented with cannabis converged towards the levels reported by abstainers and the exposed as they grew older, whereas those involved reported decreasing work commitment into adulthood (P < 0.001). Using linear regression models for panel data, an association with continued use of cannabis across the life-course and a lowering of work commitment was established. Results remained significant even when controlling for a range of other factors known to be related to work commitment, such as socio-economic background, education, labour market experiences, mental health and family characteristics (P < 0.05).   In Norway the use of cannabis is associated with a reduction in work commitment among adults. © 2012 The Author, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  8. [Wet work].

    PubMed

    Kieć-Swierczyńska, Marta; Chomiczewska, Dorota; Krecisz, Beata

    2010-01-01

    Wet work is one of the most important risk factors of occupational skin diseases. Exposure of hands to the wet environment for more than 2 hours daily, wearing moisture-proof protective gloves for a corresponding period of time or necessity to wash hands frequently lead to the disruption of epidermal stratum corneum, damage to skin barrier function and induction of irritant contact dermatitis. It may also promote penetration of allergens into the skin and increase the risk of sensitization to occupational allergens. Exposure to wet work plays a significant role in occupations, such as hairdressers and barbers, nurses and other health care workers, cleaning staff, food handlers and metalworkers. It is more common among women because many occupations involving wet work are female-dominated. The incidence of wet-work-induced occupational skin diseases can be reduced by taking appropriate preventive measures. These include identification of high-risk groups, education of workers, organization of work enabling to minimize the exposure to wet work, use of personal protective equipment and skin care after work.

  9. Examining maintenance responsibilities.

    PubMed

    Lam, K C

    2001-06-01

    This paper has examined the important responsibilities of the two organisations involved in the provision of maintenance service for the vital building services in many of our highly serviced buildings. The issues raised could be put to beneficial use in both clients and maintenance providers. All in all, the clients should work closely with their maintenance providers. Engineering services in buildings will not perform satisfactorily and efficiently if both parties do not work together and understand the maintenance tasks based on a business partnering mode. Put forward is the view that the management of the activities involved in the operation and maintenance process is a "shared commitment/involvement" between the client and the maintenance provider. It is obvious that many factors can influence the continued effectiveness of a quality maintenance scheme set up by client and provider. Some of these factors are: Change in key personnel Updates in technology Amendments to engineering practice Implementation of legislative requirements Changes in operation by client or provider Change of use of building Passage of time These factors must be fully reviewed by both parties from time to time, and necessary actions taken. A cooperative team working relationship and improved communication should be fostered by the client and his provider for the best management of services maintenance. This arrangement will contribute to better building services systems with continuous improvement; improved value for clients and higher return for the maintenance provider.

  10. Tick-borne encephalitis carries a high risk of incomplete recovery in children.

    PubMed

    Fowler, Åsa; Forsman, Lea; Eriksson, Margareta; Wickström, Ronny

    2013-08-01

    To examine long-term outcome after tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in children. In this population-based cohort, 55 children with TBE with central nervous system involvement infected during 2004-2008 were evaluated 2-7 years later using the Rivermead post-concussion symptoms questionnaire (n = 42) and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning for parents and teachers (n = 32, n = 22, respectively). General cognitive ability was investigated in a subgroup (n = 20) using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition. At long-term follow-up, two-thirds of the children experienced residual problems, the main complaints being cognitive problems, headache, fatigue, and irritability. More than one-third of the children were reported by parents or teachers to have problems with executive functioning on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning, mainly in areas involving initiating and organizing activities and working memory. Children who underwent Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition testing had a significantly lower working memory index compared with reference norms. A large proportion of children experience an incomplete recovery after TBE with central nervous system involvement. Cognitive problems in areas of executive function and working memory are the most prevalent. Even if mortality and severe sequelae are low in children after TBE, all children should be followed after TBE to detect cognitive deficits. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. ACOEM practice guidelines: opioids and safety-sensitive work.

    PubMed

    Hegmann, Kurt T; Weiss, Michael S; Bowden, Kirk; Branco, Fernando; DuBrueler, Kimberly; Els, Charl; Mandel, Steven; McKinney, David W; Miguel, Rafael; Mueller, Kathryn L; Nadig, Robert J; Schaffer, Michael I; Studt, Larry; Talmage, James B; Travis, Russell L; Winters, Thomas; Thiese, Matthew S; Harris, Jeffrey S

    2014-07-01

    ACOEM has updated the treatment guidelines concerning opioids. This report highlights the safety-sensitive work recommendation that has been developed. Comprehensive literature reviews were accomplished with article abstraction, critiquing, grading, evidence table compilation, and guideline finalization by a multidisciplinary expert panel to develop evidence-based guidance. A total of 12 moderate-quality studies were identified to address motor vehicle crash risk, and none regarding other work among opioid-using patients. Acute or chronic opioid use is not recommended for patients who perform safety-sensitive jobs. These jobs include operating motor vehicles, other modes of transportation, forklift driving, overhead crane operation, heavy equipment operation and tasks involving high levels of cognitive function and judgment. Quality evidence consistently demonstrates increased risk of vehicle crashes and is recommended as the surrogate for other safety-sensitive work tasks.

  12. Psychosocial factors at work and perceived health among agricultural meat industry workers in France.

    PubMed

    Cohidon, Christine; Morisseau, Patrick; Derriennic, Francis; Goldberg, Marcel; Imbernon, Ellen

    2009-07-01

    The objective of this study was to describe the perceived health status of the meat industry employees--i.e., working in the slaughtering, cutting, and boning of large animals and poultry--and its relation to their organisational and psychosocial constraints at work. This postal survey included all 3,000 employees of the meat industry (beef, pork and poultry) in four districts in Brittany, France, whose companies were affiliated with the agricultural branch of the national health insurance fund. The questionnaire asked for social and demographic data and information describing their job and the organisation of their work. The psychosocial factors at work were described according to Karasek's questionnaire (demand, latitude and social support at work). Perceived health was measured with the Nottingham Health Profile perceived health indicator. This study shows the high prevalence of poor health reported by the workers in this industry. This poor perceived health was worse in women and increased regularly with age. Among the psychosocial factors studied, high quantitative and qualitative demand at work, inadequate resources for good work and to a lesser extent, inadequate prospects for promotion appear especially associated with poor perceived health. Other factors often associated with poor perceived health included young age at the first job and work hours that disrupt sleep rhythms (especially for women). Our results show that this population of workers is especially vulnerable from the point of view of perceived physical and psychological health and is exposed to strong physical, organisational and psychosocial constraints at work. They also demonstrate that poor perceived health is associated with some psychosocial (such as high psychological demand and insufficient resources) and organisational factors at work. These results, in conjunction with those from other disciplines involved in studying this industry, may help the companies to develop preventive activities.

  13. Interactions among stakehoklders involved in return to work after sick leave due to mental disorders: a meta-ethnography.

    PubMed

    Neves, Robson da Fonseca; Nunes, Mônica de Oliveira; Magalhães, Lilian

    2015-11-01

    Mental disorders cause impact in the work environment. Investigations of interaction among stakeholders who are involved in the return to work are scarce. Meta-ethnography serves to synthesize qualitative studies by means of ongoing interpretation and comparison of the ideas presented in the articles. The goal of this study is to present a meta-ethnography of the interactions among the stakeholders involved in the return to work process after leave of absence due to mental disorders. It aims: (1) to investigate the interactions among stakeholders involved in return to work; (2) to identify enablers or obstacles for the return to work. The database search found 619 articles, 16 of which met the inclusion criteria. Analysis of the articles revealed six second-order concepts that resulted in two syntheses. The first is about performance ethos in the return to work, and the second shows return to work as a catalyst of new life styles. Models that favor the worker's performance ethos, as well as a perspective oriented by psychosocial aspects may enable return to work practices after leave of absence due to mental disorders.

  14. Gradient twinned 304 stainless steels for high strength and high ductility

    DOE PAGES

    Chen, Aiying; Liu, Jiabin; Wang, Hongtao; ...

    2016-04-23

    Gradient materials often have attractive mechanical properties that outperform uniform microstructure counterparts. It remains a difficult task to investigate and compare the performance of various gradient microstructures due to the difficulty of fabrication, the wide range of length scales involved, and their respective volume percentage variations. We have investigated four types of gradient microstructures in 304 stainless steels that utilize submicrotwins, nanotwins, nanocrystalline-, ultrafine- and coarse-grains as building blocks. Tensile tests reveal that the gradient microstructure consisting of submicrotwins and nanotwins has a persistent and stable work hardening rate and yields an impressive combination of high strength and high ductility,more » leading to a toughness that is nearly 50% higher than that of the coarse-grained counterpart. Ex- and in-situ transmission electron microscopy indicates that nanoscale and submicroscale twins help to suppress and limit martensitic phase transformation via the confinement of martensite within the twin lamellar. Twinning and detwinning remain active during tensile deformation and contribute to the work hardening behavior. We discuss the advantageous properties of using submicrotwins as the main load carrier and nanotwins as the strengthening layers over those coarse and nanocrystalline grains. Furthermore, our work uncovers a new gradient design strategy to help metals and alloys achieve high strength and high ductility.« less

  15. Employee Involvement White Collar Work Force (Phase 1)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-07-01

    TITLE AND SUBTITLE Employee Involvement White Collar Work Force (Phase 1) 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S...N COMMITTEE August 1991 NSRP 0337 AL EFFECTS TRANSFER Employee Involvement White Collar Work Force (Phase 1) UNITED STATES NAVY David Taylor Research...report. AS used In the above, “Persons acting on behalf of the United States Navy” includes any employee , contractor, or subcontractor to the

  16. Engineered Zircaloy Cladding Modifications for Improved Accident Tolerance of LWR Nuclear Fuel

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

    Heuser, Brent; Stubbins, James; Kozlowski, Tomasz

    The DOE NEUP sponsored IRP on accident tolerant fuel (ATF) entitled Engineered Zircaloy Cladding Modifications for Improved Accident Tolerance of LWR Nuclear Fuel involved three academic institutions, Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and ATI Materials (ATI). Detailed descriptions of the work at the University of Illinois (UIUC, prime), the University of Florida (UF), the University of Michigan (UMich), and INL are included in this document as separate sections. This summary provides a synopsis of the work performed across the IRP team. Two ATF solution pathways were initially proposed, coatings on monolithic Zr-based LWR cladding material and selfhealing modifications of Zr-based alloys.more » The coating pathway was extensively investigated, both experimentally and in computations. Experimental activities related to ATF coatings were centered at UIUC, UF, and UMich and involved coating development and testing, and ion irradiation. Neutronic and thermal hydraulic aspects of ATF coatings were the focus of computational work at UIUC and UMich, while materials science aspects were the focus of computational work at UF and INL. ATI provided monolithic Zircaloy 2 and 4 material and a binary Zr-Y alloy material. The selfhealing pathway was investigated with advanced computations only. Beryllium was identified as a valid self-healing additive early in this work. However, all attempts to fabricate a Zr-Be alloy failed. Several avenues of fabrication were explored. ATI ultimately declined our fabrication request over health concerns associated with Be (we note that Be was not part of the original work scope and the ATI SOW). Likewise, Ames Laboratory declined our fabrication request, citing known litigation dating to the 1980s and 1990s involving the U.S. Federal government and U.S. National Laboratory employees involving the use of Be. Materion (formerly, Brush Wellman) also declined our fabrication request, citing the difficulty in working with a highly reactive Zr and Be. International fabrication options were explored in Europe and Asia, but this proved to be impractical, if not impossible. Consequently, experimental investigation of the Zr-Be binary system was dropped and exploration binary Zr-Y binary system was initiated. The motivation behind the Zr-Y system is the known thermodynamic stability of yttria over zirconia.« less

  17. The Work-Life Conundrum: Will HRD Become More Involved?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahnweiler, William M.

    2008-01-01

    Although the scholarly and popular literature on work-life has grown tremendously in the past several decades, and as more and more individuals and organizations grapple with work-life issues, it appears that HRD's involvement in work-life has been modest. It is hoped that this article will serve as a catalyst for discussion and debate among HRD…

  18. Should Students Have a Gap Year? Motivation and Performance Factors Relevant to Time Out after Completing School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Andrew J.

    2010-01-01

    Increasingly, school leavers are taking time out from study or formal work after completing high school--often referred to as a "gap year" (involving structured activities such as "volunteer tourism" and unstructured activities such as leisure). Although much opinion exists about the merits--or otherwise--of taking time out after completing…

  19. Saving Fish and Teaching Economics: An Interview with Colorado High School Teacher Marc Johnson.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    PERC Reports, 2002

    2002-01-01

    Interviews a teacher in Colorado about his role as teacher-advisor to a group of students who presented a problem and a solution in a 15-minute presentation that involved some drama. The students' piece was entitled "Saving the Fish in the World's Ocean". Students worked through three approaches to the problem: (1) moral suasion; (2)…

  20. Investigating the Integration of Everyday Phenomena and Practical Work in Physics Teaching in Vietnamese High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ng, Wan; Nguyen, Van Thanh

    2006-01-01

    Making science relevant in students' learning is an important aspect of science education. This involves the ability to draw in examples from daily contexts to begin with the learning or to apply concepts learnt into familiar everyday phenomena that students observe and experience around them. Another important aspect of science education is the…

  1. The Effect of Teacher's Invitations to Parental Involvement on Children's Externalizing Problem Behaviors: An Examination of a CBC Intervention. CYFS Working Paper No. 2012-3

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coutts, Michael J.; Sheridan, Susan M.; Kwon, Kyongboon; Semke, Carrie A.

    2012-01-01

    Behavioral problems in childhood are associated with academic difficulties including in-school suspensions, high school dropout, and low academic grades and achievement scores. Students with disruptive behavior problems demonstrate higher rates of social risk factors than their nondisruptive peers, including school maladjustment, antisocial…

  2. Early Stages in Building Hybrid Activity between School and Work: The Case of PénArt

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barma, Sylvie; Laferrière, Thérèse; Lemieux, Bruno; Massé-Morneau, Julie; Vincent, Marie-Caroline

    2017-01-01

    This formative intervention documents the emergence of a hybrid activity aiming at student engagement and academic achievement. In this context-bound study, early stages of this activity consisted in establishing PénArt meant to enable high school students with difficulties to start up their own business at school. It involved reaching agreements…

  3. "It Was Fine, if You Wanted to Leave": Educational Ambivalence in a Nova Scotian Coastal Community, 1963-1998

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corbett, Michael

    2004-01-01

    This article reports on a study of schooling in southwest Nova Scotia. Using Bourdieu's concepts of cultural capital and habitus, I analyze rural men's relationships involving identity, work, place, and schooling to explain continuing high male dropout rates and local traditions of ambivalence and resistance to schooling. I conclude that the…

  4. Take the S.M.I.L.E. Challenge: Indoor Air Quality and Your High School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deira, Maria-Isabel; Bloomfield, Molly

    1998-01-01

    The S.M.I.L.E. (Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences) Program is a partnership between Oregon State University and eight rural Oregon school districts to provide science and math opportunities for disadvantaged students. Students in this program work on a problem that involves them in a real-world environmental issue. Describes an…

  5. Knowledge/Democracy: Notes on the Political Economy of Academic Publishing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biesta, Gert

    2012-01-01

    The question as to who controls academics' knowledge is an important and increasingly urgent question. From the perspective of the good old ivory tower, it does indeed seem that corporate business has gained a high degree of control over the work of academics. The amount of money that is involved in publisher take-over deals not only shows how big…

  6. Crisis Management/Death and Dying: Coping with Terminal Illness in the International Student Community.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eichenfield, Gregg A.; Audas, Millie

    The success of crisis intervention work with international students is highly dependent not only on the skill of the professional staff involved, but also the availability and use of other student services that may be provided to the International Student Services (ISS) Office. There are many cultural issues that must be considered when counseling…

  7. Formative Research and Teen SMART: Try, Try Again. Reports and Papers in Progress. Report No. 90-3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Jan

    "Teen SMART" is the working title of the high school age component of Operation SMART, a larger curriculum development project initiated by Girls Clubs of America, Inc. (GCA) to promote the participation of girls and young women in science, mathematics, and technology. Operation SMART seeks not only to attract and involve those girls who…

  8. A Longitudinal Study of Impression Management Strategies and Leadership Emergence: The Moderating Roles of Gender and Virtualness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lim, Yong-Kwan

    2011-01-01

    This study used a longitudinal study spanning a twelve-week time period and involving 165 undergraduate students to examine the combined impact of gender and impression management strategies on leader emergence by members relying on low versus high virtualness. The subjects were formed into 44 self-managed work groups and charged with completing…

  9. Community Service during the First Year of College: What Is the Role of Past Behavior?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cruce, Ty M.; Moore, John V., III

    2012-01-01

    This longitudinal multi-institution study examines the effects of students' involvement in high school service clubs and their level of civic-mindedness when entering college on their propensity and intentions to volunteer during college. The level of civic-mindedness was measured by a self-rating of their ability to work effectively with others…

  10. Evaluation of a shared-work program for reducing assistance provided to supported workers with severe multiple disabilities.

    PubMed

    Parsons, Marsha B; Reid, Dennis H; Green, Carolyn W; Browning, Leah B; Hensley, Mary B

    2002-01-01

    Concern has been expressed recently regarding the need to enhance the performance of individuals with highly significant disabilities in community-based, supported jobs. We evaluated a shared-work program for reducing job coach assistance provided to three workers with severe multiple disabilities in a publishing company. Following systematic observations of the assistance provided as each worker worked on entire job tasks, steps comprising the tasks were then re-assigned across workers. The re-assignment involved assigning each worker only those task steps for which the respective worker received the least amount of assistance (e.g., re-assigning steps that a worker could not complete due to physical disabilities), and ensuring the entire tasks were still completed by combining steps performed by all three workers. The shared-work program was accompanied by reductions in job coach assistance provided to each worker. Work productivity of the supported workers initially decreased but then increased to a level equivalent to the higher ranges of baseline productivity. These results suggested that the shared-work program appears to represent a viable means of enhancing supported work performance of people with severe multiple disabilities in some types of community jobs. Future research needs discussed focus on evaluating shared-work approaches with other jobs, and developing additional community work models specifically for people with highly significant disabilities.

  11. [Relationships amongst work values, job characteristics and job involvement in "net generation" nurses].

    PubMed

    Chen, Sue-Hui; Chiou, Chii-Jun

    2010-04-01

    Children of the so-called "net generation" began joining the nurse workforce from the mid-1990s. Studies on the characteristics of this generation have been done primarily outside of Taiwan, and results may not adequately reflect conditions in Taiwan due to cultural differences. This study aimed to investigate the relationships amongst work values, job characteristics and job involvement in "net generation" nurses. This study employed a cross-sectional design. A randomized sample of 370 nurses born between 1977 and 1985 working in a medical center or a community hospital in Southern Taiwan accepted our invitation to join this study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. (1) Variables including work values, job characteristics, head nurse leadership qualities, job structure and opportunities for in-service education all correlated significantly with job involvement. (2) Regression analysis showed work values, job characteristics, head nurse leadership and religious belief to be significant predictors of job involvement, explaining 22.6% of the variance. This study provides insights that may be of potential value to nursing administrators. We suggest that administrators adopt democratic management practices, build diverse learning methods, strengthen autonomy, completeness, and feedback, and provide appropriate work guidance for nurses to increase job involvement.

  12. Does visuo-spatial working memory generally contribute to immediate serial letter recall?

    PubMed

    Fürstenberg, A; Rummer, R; Schweppe, J

    2013-01-01

    This work contributes to the understanding of the visual similarity effect in verbal working memory, a finding that suggests that the visuo-spatial sketch pad-the system in Baddeley's working memory model specialised in retaining nonverbal visual information-might be involved in the retention of visually presented verbal materials. Crucially this effect is implicitly interpreted by the most influential theory of multimedia learning as evidence for an obligatory involvement of the visuo-spatial sketch pad. We claim that it is only involved when the functioning of the working memory component normally used for processing verbal material is impaired. In this article we review the studies that give rise to the idea of obligatory involvement of the visuo-spatial sketch pad and suggest that some findings can be understood with reference to orthographic rather than visual similarity. We then test an alternative explanation of the finding that is most apt to serve as evidence for obligatory involvement of the visuo-spatial sketch pad. We conclude that, in healthy adults and under normal learning conditions, the visual similarity effect can be explained within the framework of verbal working memory proposed by Baddeley (e.g., 1986, 2000) without additional premises regarding the visuo-spatial sketch.

  13. A Reasoned Action Model of Male Client Involvement in Commercial Sex Work in Kibera, A Large Informal Settlement in Nairobi, Kenya.

    PubMed

    Roth, Eric Abella; Ngugi, Elizabeth; Benoit, Cecilia; Jansson, Mikael; Hallgrimsdottir, Helga

    2014-01-01

    Male clients of female sex workers (FSWs) are epidemiologically important because they can form bridge groups linking high- and low-risk subpopulations. However, because male clients are hard to locate, they are not frequently studied. Recent research emphasizes searching for high-risk behavior groups in locales where new sexual partnerships form and the threat of HIV transmission is high. Sub-Saharan Africa public drinking venues satisfy these criteria. Accordingly, this study developed and implemented a rapid assessment methodology to survey men in bars throughout the large informal settlement of Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, with the goal of delineating cultural and economic rationales associated with male participation in commercial sex. The study sample consisted of 220 male patrons of 110 bars located throughout Kibera's 11 communities. Logistic regression analysis incorporating a modified Reasoned Action Model indicated that a social norm condoning commercial sex among male peers and the cultural belief that men should practice sex before marriage support commercial sex involvement. Conversely, lacking money to drink and/or pay for sexual services were barriers to male commercial sex involvement. Results are interpreted in light of possible harm reduction programs focusing on FSWs' male clients.

  14. Academic dishonesty in higher education: students' perceptions and involvement in an African institution.

    PubMed

    Saana, Sixtus Bieranye Bayaa Martin; Ablordeppey, Ephraim; Mensah, Napoleon Jackson; Karikari, Thomas K

    2016-04-25

    Integrity in academic work is a critical benchmark of every profession. For this reason, special attention should be devoted to addressing academic dishonesty (AD) in higher education to prevent the potential transfer of these practices to the workplace. In order to effectively address AD in Africa, further information about correlates of, and barriers to, the effectiveness of existing AD-controlling measures is needed. In Ghana, little is known about AD from the perspective of students. Here, we present a first report of Ghanaian undergraduate students' self-reported understanding of, and support for, institutional AD regulations, their involvement in specific dishonest behaviours, as well as their motivation factors. Approximately 92% of respondents said they were aware of institutional regulations on AD. However, only 31% rated their understanding as high. Respondents believed that their lecturers had better understanding of, and support for, these regulations than the students (p < 0.001 and p < 0.0001 respectively). Approximately 40% of respondents had witnessed their colleagues engage in AD before, but the majority (94%) had never reported these acts. The pursuit of good grades, high academic load and pressure to please family and guardians were the leading causes of AD. Cheating during examinations and inappropriately sharing answers in the preparation of assignments were some of the highly-occurring forms of AD. Respondents believed that copying colleagues' work without their permission was a serious offense but doing so with their permission was not. Our findings suggest that the sampled students consent to cheating-they believed that they committed no misconduct once the parties involved had agreed on the act. Considering these misconceptions, institutions should do more to help their students better understand the different forms of AD and how to avoid them.

  15. Public and private schoolteachers' differences in terms of job attitudes in Albania.

    PubMed

    Buka, Migena; Bilgiç, Reyhan

    2010-06-01

    In the present study, the attitudinal differences between public and private schoolteachers in Albania were investigated. Since the type of the organization varies, one would expect different climates for the emergence of job attitudes--mainly job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational commitment, the most frequently studied job attitudes in the industrial and organizational psychology literature. It was hypothesized that the private schoolteachers would be more satisfied than public schoolteachers, especially due to high levels of payment and other desirable conditions. However, the public schoolteachers will be more involved than the private schoolteachers since they have to justify their continued work under the undesirable conditions. The commitment level of the private schoolteachers will be higher than the public schoolteachers since there is usually high correlation between job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Data were gathered from a total of 429 teachers working in public (n = 254) and private (n = 175) schools in Albania, in high and middle schools. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance with age as a covariate. The results indicated that the private schoolteachers were more satisfied, as expected, revealed a weaker job involvement and were more committed to their school than their colleagues in the public sector. The results were found to be in line with previous studies conducted in the west. However, this study is believed to have a potential contribution to the literature in general, and to the Albanian local literature in particular. To the knowledge of the authors, there has been no similar study in Albania. Discussion is provided along with the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research.

  16. Low Melt Viscosity Resins for Resin Transfer Molding

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, Frank W.

    2002-01-01

    In recent years, resin transfer molding (RTM) has become one of the methods of choice for high performance composites. Its cost effectiveness and ease of fabrication are major advantages of RTM. RTM process usually requires resins with very low melt viscosity (less than 10 Poise). The optimum RTM resins also need to display high thennal-oxidative stability, high glass transition temperature (T(sub g)), and good toughness. The traditional PMR-type polyimides (e.g. PMR-15) do not fit this requirement, because the viscosities are too high and the nadic endcap cures too fast. High T(sub g), low-melt viscosity resins are highly desirable for aerospace applications and NASA s Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) program. The objective of this work is to prepare low-melt viscosity polyimide resins for RTM or resin film infusion (RFI) processes. The approach involves the synthesis of phenylethynyl-terminated imide oligomers. These materials have been designed to minimize their melt viscosity so that they can be readily processed. During the cure, the oligomers undergo both chain extension and crosslinking via the thermal polymerization of the phenylethynyl groups. The Phenylethynyl endcap is preferred over the nadic group due to its high curing temperature, which provides broader processing windows. This work involved the synthesis and polymerization of oligomers containing zig-zag backbones and twisted biphenyl structures. Some A-B type precursors which possessed both nitro and anhydride functionality, or both nitro and amine functionality, were also synthesized in order to obtain the well defined oligomers. The resulting zig-zag structured oligomers were then end-capped with 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride (PEPA) for further cure. The properties of these novel imide oligomers are evaluated.

  17. Refractory materials for high-temperature thermoelectric energy conversion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wood, C.; Emin, D.

    1983-01-01

    Theoretical work of two decades ago adequately explained the transport behavior and effectively guided the development of thermoelectric materials of high conversion efficiencies of conventional semiconductors (e.g., SiGe alloys). The more significant contributions involved the estimation of optimum doping concentrations, the reduction of thermal conductivity by solid solution doping and the development of a variety of materials with ZT approx. 1 in the temperature range 300 K to 1200 K. ZT approx. 1 is not a theoretical limitation although, experimentally, values in excess of one were not achieved. Work has continued with emphasis on higher temperature energy conversion. A number of promising materials have been discovered in which it appears that ZT 1 is realizable. These materials are divided into two classes: (1) the rare-earth chalcogenides which behave as itinerant highly-degenerate n-type semiconductors at room-temperature, and (2) the boron-rich borides, which exhibit p-type small-polaronic hopping conductivity.

  18. High pressure as a probe of the solid state

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruoff, Arthur L.

    1994-07-01

    It is a great pleasure and honor to receive the Percy Williams Bridgman Award. Henry Eyring, my Ph.D. advisor, instilled in me a desire to unravel the secrets of nature in the chemical and physical world. He continued what my mother had begun. From my father I learned the virtue and satisfaction of hard work. In reading Percy Bridgman's The Physics of High Pressure [1] after I came to Cornell, I became intrigued by the high-pressure variable, so I owe much to him. I received valuable assistance and encouragement from George Kennedy and Harry Drickamer (the first winner of the Bridgman Award) and later from Alvin Van Valkenburg (a co-inventor with three others of the diamond anvil cell). Most importantly, I received encouragement from my wife, Enid Seaton Ruoff, to carry out what is sometimes the arduous pursuit of science—a pursuit that involves long working hours—and I want especially to thank her.

  19. Braving the attitude of altitude: Caragana jubata at work in cold desert of Himalaya

    PubMed Central

    Bhardwaj, Pardeep Kumar; Kapoor, Ritu; Mala, Deep; Bhagwat, Geetika; Acharya, Vishal; Singh, Anil Kumar; Vats, Surender Kumar; Ahuja, Paramvir Singh; Kumar, Sanjay

    2013-01-01

    The present work was conducted to understand the basis of adaptation in Caragana jubata in its niche environment at high altitude cold desert of Himalaya. Molecular data showed predominance of genes encoding chaperones and those involved in growth and development at low temperature (LT), a major cue operative at high altitude. Importantly, these genes expressed in C. jubata in its natural habitat. Their homologues in Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, and Glycine max did not exhibit similar trend of gene expression at LT. Constitutive expression and a quick up-regulation of the above genes suggested the ability of C. jubata to adjust its cellular machinery to maintain growth and development in its niche. This was reflected in LT50 (the temperature at which 50% injury occurred) and LT mediated photosynthetic acclimatory response. Such molecular and physiological plasticity enables C. jubata to thrive in the high altitude cold desert of Himalayas. PMID:23289064

  20. Just working with the cellular machine: A high school game for teaching molecular biology.

    PubMed

    Cardoso, Fernanda Serpa; Dumpel, Renata; da Silva, Luisa B Gomes; Rodrigues, Carlos R; Santos, Dilvani O; Cabral, Lucio Mendes; Castro, Helena C

    2008-03-01

    Molecular biology is a difficult comprehension subject due to its high complexity, thus requiring new teaching approaches. Herein, we developed an interdisciplinary board game involving the human immune system response against a bacterial infection for teaching molecular biology at high school. Initially, we created a database with several questions and a game story that invites the students for helping the human immunological system to produce antibodies (IgG) and fight back a pathogenic bacterium second-time invasion. The game involves answering questions completing the game board in which the antibodies "are synthesized" through the molecular biology process. At the end, a problem-based learning approach is used, and a last question is raised about proteins. Biology teachers and high school students evaluated the game and considered it an easy and interesting tool for teaching the theme. An increase of about 5-30% in answering molecular biology questions revealed that the game improves learning and induced a more engaged and proactive learning profile in the high school students. Copyright © 2008 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  1. Effects of Steady-State Noise on Verbal Working Memory in Young Adults

    PubMed Central

    Alt, Mary; DeDe, Gayle; Olson, Sarah; Shehorn, James

    2015-01-01

    Purpose We set out to examine the impact of perceptual, linguistic, and capacity demands on performance of verbal working-memory tasks. The Ease of Language Understanding model (Rönnberg et al., 2013) provides a framework for testing the dynamics of these interactions within the auditory-cognitive system. Methods Adult native speakers of English (n = 45) participated in verbal working-memory tasks requiring processing and storage of words involving different linguistic demands (closed/open set). Capacity demand ranged from 2 to 7 words per trial. Participants performed the tasks in quiet and in speech-spectrum-shaped noise. Separate groups of participants were tested at different signal-to-noise ratios. Word-recognition measures were obtained to determine effects of noise on intelligibility. Results Contrary to predictions, steady-state noise did not have an adverse effect on working-memory performance in every situation. Noise negatively influenced performance for the task with high linguistic demand. Of particular importance is the finding that the adverse effects of background noise were not confined to conditions involving declines in recognition. Conclusions Perceptual, linguistic, and cognitive demands can dynamically affect verbal working-memory performance even in a population of healthy young adults. Results suggest that researchers and clinicians need to carefully analyze task demands to understand the independent and combined auditory-cognitive factors governing performance in everyday listening situations. PMID:26384291

  2. Working memory involvement in stuttering: exploring the evidence and research implications.

    PubMed

    Bajaj, Amit

    2007-01-01

    Several studies of utterance planning and attention processes in stuttering have raised the prospect of working memory involvement in the disorder. In this paper, potential connections between stuttering and two elements of Baddeley's [Baddeley, A. D. (2003). Working memory: Looking back and looking forward. Neuroscience, 4, 829-839] working memory model, phonological memory and central executive, are posited. Empirical evidence is drawn from studies on phonological memory and dual-task performance among children and adults who stutter to examine support for the posited connections. Implications for research to examine working memory as one of the psycholinguistic bases of stuttering are presented. The reader will learn about and be able to: (1) appraise potential relationships between working memory and stuttering; (2) evaluate empirical evidence that suggests the possibility of working memory involvement in stuttering; and (3) identify research directions to explore the role of working memory in stuttering.

  3. Burnout syndrome in nurses working in palliative care units: An analysis of associated factors.

    PubMed

    Rizo-Baeza, Mercedes; Mendiola-Infante, Susana Virginia; Sepehri, Armina; Palazón-Bru, Antonio; Gil-Guillén, Vicente Francisco; Cortés-Castell, Ernesto

    2018-01-01

    To analyse the association between psychological, labour and demographic factors and burnout in palliative care nursing. There is a lack of published research evaluating burnout in palliative care nursing. This observational cross-sectional study involved 185 palliative care nurses in Mexico. The primary variables were burnout defined by its three dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment). As secondary variables, psychological, labour and demographic factors were considered. A binary logistic regression model was constructed to determine factors associated with burnout. A total of 69 nurses experienced high emotional exhaustion (37.3%), 65 had high depersonalization (35.1%) and 70 had low personal performance (37.8%). A higher proportion of burnout was found in the participants who were single parents, working >8 hr per day, with a medium/high workload, a lack of a high professional quality of life and a self-care deficit. Our multivariate models were very accurate in explaining burnout in palliative care nurses. These models must be externally validated to predict burnout and prevent future complications of the syndrome accurately. Nurses who present the factors found should be the focus of interventions to reduce work stress. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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

    Chen, Aiying; Liu, Jiabin; Wang, Hongtao

    Gradient materials often have attractive mechanical properties that outperform uniform microstructure counterparts. It remains a difficult task to investigate and compare the performance of various gradient microstructures due to the difficulty of fabrication, the wide range of length scales involved, and their respective volume percentage variations. We have investigated four types of gradient microstructures in 304 stainless steels that utilize submicrotwins, nanotwins, nanocrystalline-, ultrafine- and coarse-grains as building blocks. Tensile tests reveal that the gradient microstructure consisting of submicrotwins and nanotwins has a persistent and stable work hardening rate and yields an impressive combination of high strength and high ductility,more » leading to a toughness that is nearly 50% higher than that of the coarse-grained counterpart. Ex- and in-situ transmission electron microscopy indicates that nanoscale and submicroscale twins help to suppress and limit martensitic phase transformation via the confinement of martensite within the twin lamellar. Twinning and detwinning remain active during tensile deformation and contribute to the work hardening behavior. We discuss the advantageous properties of using submicrotwins as the main load carrier and nanotwins as the strengthening layers over those coarse and nanocrystalline grains. Furthermore, our work uncovers a new gradient design strategy to help metals and alloys achieve high strength and high ductility.« less

  5. Work-related burns.

    PubMed

    Pruitt, Valerie M

    2006-01-01

    Work-related upper extremity burns often occur. The cause directs the course of action. Thermal burns should be assessed for system alterations, and depth of burn should be determined. Deep partial-thickness burns and more severe burns require a specialist evaluation. Chemical burns must be irrigated and the agent identified. Some chemical burns, such as those that involve phenols and metal fragments, require specific topical applications before water lavage. Hydrofluoric acid burns can cause life-threatening electrolyte abnormalities with a small, highly concentrated acid burn. The goal with any extremity burn is to provide the patient with a multidisciplinary team approach to achieve a functional, usable extremity.

  6. Women and retirement.

    PubMed

    Richardson, V E

    1999-01-01

    A feminist analysis of retirement is presented by questioning the applicability of traditional definitions and theories of retirement to retired women. The effects of marriage, caregiving and other family obligations on women's retirement are examined within the context of salient social, psychological and economic factors. An empowerment-oriented perspective that considers interactions and connections between family and work roles, public and private and personal and political levels are recommended to alleviate the high poverty rates among older women, to promote parity among men and women during retirement and to emancipate women from substantial involvement in unpaid work, specifically, caregiving and home labor.

  7. Combining Work and School: The Dynamics of Girls' Involvement in Agricultural Work in Andhra Pradesh, India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrow, Virginia; Vennam, Uma

    2010-01-01

    Child labour in India has long been the focus of research, policy concern and intervention. This article presents an analysis of children's involvement in agricultural work, particularly cottonseed production, drawing on evidence gathered for Young Lives in 2007 and 2008. In parts of Andhra Pradesh, children work in cotton fields for two or three…

  8. Who Can Help Working Students? The Impact of Graduate School Involvement and Social Support on School-Work Facilitation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyland, Rebecca L.; Winkel, Doan E.; Lester, Scott W.; Hanson-Rasmussen, Nancy

    2015-01-01

    A significant number of employees attend graduate school, and the impact of the student role may be substantial and valuable to the work-life literature. In this study the authors examine whether psychological involvement in graduate school increases school-work facilitation. Further, they suggest that employers and graduate schools can provide…

  9. Aging and Work Ability: The Moderating Role of Job and Personal Resources

    PubMed Central

    Converso, Daniela; Sottimano, Ilaria; Guidetti, Gloria; Loera, Barbara; Cortini, Michela; Viotti, Sara

    2018-01-01

    Objective: Demographic changes involving western countries and later retirements due to the recent pension reforms induce a gradual aging of the workforce. This imply an increasing number of workers with health problems and a decreasing of ability to work. In this direction, the present study aims at examining the role of job and personal resources between age and work ability within nurses. Method: The study was cross-sectional and not randomized; data were collected by a self-report questionnaire during a multi-center survey conducted in two Italian hospitals in 2016. In this way, 333 nurses were reached. Results: Multiple linear regression showed that age is significantly and negatively associated to work ability, and that job resources (e.g., decision authority and meaning of work) and personal resources (e.g., hope and resilience) moderate the relationship between age and work ability. Discussion: These results highlight that investing in work and personal resources to support WA is even more relevant for those professions where high physical effort is required. PMID:29367848

  10. Visual working memory buffers information retrieved from visual long-term memory.

    PubMed

    Fukuda, Keisuke; Woodman, Geoffrey F

    2017-05-16

    Human memory is thought to consist of long-term storage and short-term storage mechanisms, the latter known as working memory. Although it has long been assumed that information retrieved from long-term memory is represented in working memory, we lack neural evidence for this and need neural measures that allow us to watch this retrieval into working memory unfold with high temporal resolution. Here, we show that human electrophysiology can be used to track information as it is brought back into working memory during retrieval from long-term memory. Specifically, we found that the retrieval of information from long-term memory was limited to just a few simple objects' worth of information at once, and elicited a pattern of neurophysiological activity similar to that observed when people encode new information into working memory. Our findings suggest that working memory is where information is buffered when being retrieved from long-term memory and reconcile current theories of memory retrieval with classic notions about the memory mechanisms involved.

  11. Visual working memory buffers information retrieved from visual long-term memory

    PubMed Central

    Fukuda, Keisuke; Woodman, Geoffrey F.

    2017-01-01

    Human memory is thought to consist of long-term storage and short-term storage mechanisms, the latter known as working memory. Although it has long been assumed that information retrieved from long-term memory is represented in working memory, we lack neural evidence for this and need neural measures that allow us to watch this retrieval into working memory unfold with high temporal resolution. Here, we show that human electrophysiology can be used to track information as it is brought back into working memory during retrieval from long-term memory. Specifically, we found that the retrieval of information from long-term memory was limited to just a few simple objects’ worth of information at once, and elicited a pattern of neurophysiological activity similar to that observed when people encode new information into working memory. Our findings suggest that working memory is where information is buffered when being retrieved from long-term memory and reconcile current theories of memory retrieval with classic notions about the memory mechanisms involved. PMID:28461479

  12. Love, power, resilience and vulnerability: relationship dynamics between female sex workers in Ghana and their intimate partners.

    PubMed

    Onyango, Monica Adhiambo; Adu-Sarkodie, Yaw; Adjei, Rose Odotei; Agyarko-Poku, Thomas; Kopelman, Carol Hunsberger; Green, Kimberly; Wambugu, Samuel; Clement, Nana Fosua; Wondergem, Peter; Beard, Jennifer

    2018-04-19

    Little is known about female sex workers' daily lives or emotional relationships. Using relational-cultural theory, this study explored the relationship dynamics between sex workers and their intimate partners in Kumasi, Ghana. We collected qualitative data from 37 male intimate partners through 24 in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions (FGDs) with 13 male partners. We also conducted three FGDs with 20 women involved in sex work. Relationships between sex workers and their intimate partners were mutual, reciprocal and transactional. Male partners provided protection for financial support, a place to sleep and intimacy. Both men and women described their relationships in terms of friendship, love and a hopeful future. Women were reluctant to quit sex work because they depended on it for income. Most respondents did not use condoms in these romantic relationships, citing trust, love, faithfulness and commitment. Both men and women described high levels of violence in their relationships. The context of sex work heightens vulnerability but also appears to facilitate resilience and creative coping strategies. The relational dynamics between sex workers and their intimate partners in Ghana merit further exploration to examine the extent to which women involved in sex work hold and exert power within these relationships.

  13. Factors associated with a positive attitude towards change among employees during the early phase of a downsizing process.

    PubMed

    Svensen, Erling; Neset, Gunnar; Eriksen, Hege R

    2007-04-01

    Most research on organizational changes in working life, including downsizing, focuses on the negative attitudes and negative consequences of the change. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the employee's previous learning experience and characteristics of the working environment were associated with positive attitudes towards organizational change. The 467 employees (73.5% males) working in a global oil company in the early phases of a downsizing process were asked to answer a questionnaire with demographic variables, perception of the working environment, and attitude to change (93% response rate). Corporate social responsibility (CSR), involvement and participation, team leadership and team effectiveness were important factors related to positive attitudes towards organizational change. Non-leaders and older employees were positive to change. We conclude that employees' perceptions of their psychosocial working environment, in particular the CSR, were highly related to their attitude to organizational change.

  14. [Necessary changes for advancing nursing as caring science].

    PubMed

    de Pires, Denise Elvira Pires

    2013-09-01

    The article aimed to reflect upon the challenges involved in strengthening Nursing as a caring science. It is founded on the sociological theory, connecting three approaches: the historical-dialectic materialism perspective about the working process in health care and nursing; the sociology of professions from a critical perspective; and the philosophy of science. The discussion is organized considering the aspects of Nursing as a discipline, work and health care profession. It sustains that knowledge production should be driven both by the purpose of Nursing work which is providing care to human beings with health needs and to advocate for the indispensable work conditions to a safe and responsible practice. It concludes that to strengthening Nursing it is necessary to produce knowledge to support nursing care and the political actions defending safe work conditions, the universal right to health as well safe and high quality care.

  15. Mother Involvement as an Influence on Father Involvement with Early Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Pleck, Joseph H.; Hofferth, Sandra L.

    2009-01-01

    This study hypothesized that father involvement is influenced by mothers' level of involvement as well as by marital conflict, mothers' work hours, and fathers' status as biological or step father. The analysis also tested hypotheses about mother involvement as a potential mediator of the effects of marital conflict and maternal work hours on father involvement, and hypotheses about factors influencing mother involvement. Children aged 10-14 from the NLSY79 who resided with their biological or step father and with their mother reported on each parent's involvement with them. As hypothesized, father involvement was predicted by mother involvement, and the reciprocal influence was not significant. Father involvement was associated with low marital conflict and being a biological father. Mothers' involvement partially mediated the effects of marital conflict on father involvement. If the mediating role of maternal involvement is not taken into account, the effect of marital conflict on father involvement is overestimated. PMID:21776195

  16. Psychosocial Work Conditions and Burnout Among Brazilian Bank Employees: A Cross-Sectional Study.

    PubMed

    Valente, Maria do Socorro da Silva; Lopes, Cláudia S; Pastor-Valero, Maria; Menezes, Paulo Rossi

    2016-06-01

    Changes in the modern economy have affected the financial sector. Time pressures, excessive work demands, and job stress are frequent concerns among bank employees, which might predispose them to burnout symptoms. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association between burnout symptoms and exposure to psychosocial work conditions in bank employees. A cross-sectional study of 1046 bank employees was carried out in Pará and Amapá, northern Brazil. We applied a self-administered questionnaire evaluating socio-demographic characteristics, burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and two job stress models (Demand-Control-Support and Effort-Reward Imbalance). Two levels of burnout symptoms were analysed: moderate level of burnout (MLB) and high level of burnout (HLB). Logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between the two levels of burnout and the two stress models, controlling for relevant covariates. The overall prevalence of burnout was 71.8% (31.1% for HLB; 40.7% for MLB), regardless of gender. Exposure to adverse psychosocial conditions in the workplace, such as high strain, low social support at work, high effort/low reward, and over commitment showed strong association with HLB and MLB, and these associations were independent of age, gender, and other occupational characteristics. We found that psychosocial conditions in the financial sector involving high strain, low social support at work, high effort/low reward, and over commitment represent possible risk factors for moderate and HLB symptoms in bank employees. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

  17. The biology of environmental stress: molecular biomarkers in Sydney rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata).

    PubMed

    Raftos, D A; Melwani, A R; Haynes, P A; Muralidharan, S; Birch, G F; Amaral, V; Thompson, E L; Taylor, D A

    2016-09-14

    This review describes our recent work on environmental stress in Sydney rock oysters, focusing on the identification of molecular biomarkers for ecotoxicological analysis. We begin by describing the environmental pressures facing coastal estuaries in Australia, with particular reference to Sydney Harbour. After providing that context, we summarise our transcriptional and proteomic analyses of Sydney rock oysters responding to chemical contamination and other forms of environmental stress. This work has shown that the intracellular processes of oysters are highly responsive to environmental threats. Our data agree with the broader literature, which suggests that there is a highly conserved intracellular stress response in oysters involving a limited number of biological processes. We conclude that many effective molecular markers for environmental biomonitoring are likely to lie within these biological pathways.

  18. Crew collaboration in space: a naturalistic decision-making perspective

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Orasanu, Judith

    2005-01-01

    Successful long-duration space missions will depend on the ability of crewmembers to respond promptly and effectively to unanticipated problems that arise under highly stressful conditions. Naturalistic decision making (NDM) exploits the knowledge and experience of decision makers in meaningful work domains, especially complex sociotechnical systems, including aviation and space. Decision making in these ambiguous, dynamic, high-risk environments is a complex task that involves defining the nature of the problem and crafting a response to achieve one's goals. Goal conflicts, time pressures, and uncertain outcomes may further complicate the process. This paper reviews theory and research pertaining to the NDM model and traces some of the implications for space crews and other groups that perform meaningful work in extreme environments. It concludes with specific recommendations for preparing exploration crews to use NDM effectively.

  19. SINGLE AND AGGREGATE SALIVARY CORTISOL MEASURES IN WORKING WOMEN LIVING IN HIGH AND LOW STATUS NEIGHBORHOODS IN SWEDEN.

    PubMed

    Lindfors, Petra; Riva, Roberto; Lundberg, Ulf

    2015-10-01

    Contextual factors including neighborhood status have consistently been associated with health disparities. This may relate to a poorer neighborhood status involving an exposure to chronic stressors, which dysregulates cortisol secretion. This study investigated single and aggregate cortisol measures in 88 working women living in high and low status neighborhoods. Results showed significantly lower waking cortisol among women in low status neighborhoods. However, there were no group differences in aggregate cortisol measures. The lower morning cortisol among women in the low status neighborhoods follows previous research suggesting hypocortisolism as a pathway linking neighborhood status and health disparities, albeit a less consistent finding across cortisol measures in this sample. This may relate to the Swedish welfare state and its fostering of equality.

  20. Reactions of police officers to body-handling after a major disaster. A before-and-after comparison.

    PubMed

    Alexander, D A; Wells, A

    1991-10-01

    This study reports the results of an unusual opportunity to follow up a group of police officers who were involved in body-handling duties following the Piper Alpha disaster, and for whom there were available data from pre-disaster assessments. In addition, after these duties, the officers were compared with a matched control group of officers who had not been involved in such work. The comparisons failed to demonstrate high levels of post-traumatic distress or psychiatric morbidity. The results are interpreted in terms of issues such as the officers' own coping strategies, and major organisational and managerial factors.

  1. Working and Environmental Factors on Job Burnout: A Cross-sectional Study Among Nurses

    PubMed Central

    Galletta, Maura; Portoghese, Igor; Ciuffi, Marta; Sancassiani, Federica; Aloja, Ernesto D'; Campagna, Marcello

    2016-01-01

    Background: Burnout is a problem that impacts on the staff management costs and on the patient care quality. Objective: This work aimed to investigate some psychosocial factors related to burnout. Specifically, we explored the sample characteristics for moderate/high emotional exhaustion, cynicism and professional inefficacy, as well as the relationship between both working and environmental variables and burnout. Method: A cross-sectional study involving 307 nurses from one Italian hospital was carried out. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data. Data analysis was performed by using SPSS 19.0. Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between nurses with low and moderate/high burnout in all the three components in almost all the examined organizational variables. In addition, we found that the aspects of working life had a significant impact on the three dimensions of burnout. Conclusions: The findings of this study not only can provide useful basis for future research in the field, but also can offer practical suggestions for improving nursing practice and promote effective workplace, thus reducing the risk burnout among nurses. PMID:27990173

  2. Rates of and circumstances surrounding work-related falls from height among union drywall carpenters in Washington State, 1989-2008.

    PubMed

    Schoenfisch, Ashley; Lipscomb, Hester; Cameron, Wilfrid; Adams, Darrin; Silverstein, Barbara

    2014-12-01

    Drywall installers are at high risk for work-related falls from height (FFH). We defined a 20-year (1989-2008) cohort of 5,073 union drywall carpenters in Washington State, their worker-hours, and FFH. FFH rate patterns were examined using Poisson regression. Drywall installers' FFH rates declined over time and varied little by worker age and time in the union. However, among FFH involving drywall sheets, workers with <10 union years were at high risk. Narratives consistently described the surface from which workers fell, commonly scaffolds (33%), ladders (21%), and stilts (13%). Work task, height fallen, protective equipment use, work speed, weather, influence of other workers/workgroups, and tool/equipment specifics were not often reported. In addition to continued efforts to prevent falls from scaffolds and ladders, efforts should address stilt use and less experienced workers who may have greater exposure. Consistency in reported narrative elements may improve FFH risk factor identification and prevention effort evaluation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Career Commitment: A Reexamination and an Extension.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goulet, Laurel R.; Singh, Parbudyal

    2002-01-01

    A model investigating effects on career commitment of job involvement, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction added the variables achievement need, work ethic, and extra-work factors (family involvement, number of dependents). Tested with 228 subjects, the model supported the effects of achievement need and work ethic but not extra-work…

  4. Work Environment and Japanese Fathers' Involvement in Child Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ishii-Kuntz, Masako

    2013-01-01

    Previous studies mainly examined individual and family factors affecting Japanese fathers' involvement in child care. Along with these factors, we examine how work-related factors such as father-friendly environment at work, workplace's accommodation of parental needs, job stress, and autonomy are associated with Japanese men's participation in…

  5. Knowledge translation in job development: strategies for involving families.

    PubMed

    Hall, Allison; Bose, Jennifer; Winsor, Jean; Migliore, Alberto

    2014-09-01

    Although United States employment policies have increased support for people with disabilities working in community settings, the unemployment rate for this population remains very high, particularly for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Research shows that job developers (direct support professionals who assist people with disabilities to secure, maintain, and advance in employment) are critical to achieving quality employment outcomes. However, the extent to which job developers use practices that are considered promising in their field (such as engaging families) is not well known. This brief report summarizes findings from a qualitative study about the extent to which job developers use the recommended promising practices when working with individuals and family members. Qualitative analysis identified the following themes among job developers: factors affecting family involvement, perceptions of family involvement, and the influence of expectation on strategies. The field of job development faces a challenge common to many professions: translating research on best practices to those who need this knowledge the most and can use it to greatest effect. Future research should address how community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) communicate about and instill best practices, including effective family engagement, within their organizations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Case Outcomes in a Communication-and-Resolution Program in New York Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Mello, Michelle M; Greenberg, Yelena; Senecal, Susan K; Cohn, Janet S

    2016-12-01

    To determine case outcomes in a communication-and-resolution program (CRP) implemented to respond to adverse events in general surgery. Five acute-care hospitals in New York City. Following CRP implementation, hospitals recorded information about each CRP event for 22 months. Risk managers prospectively collected data in collaboration with representatives from the hospital's insurer. External researchers administered an online satisfaction survey to clinicians involved in CRP events. Among 125 CRP cases, disclosure conversations were carried out in 92 percent, explanations were conveyed in 88 percent, and apologies were offered in 72.8 percent. Three quarters of events did not involve substandard care. Compensation offers beyond bill waivers were deemed appropriate in 9 of 30 of cases in which substandard care caused harm and communicated in six such cases. In 44 percent of cases, hospitals identified steps that could be taken to improve safety. Clinicians had low awareness of the workings of the CRP, but high satisfaction with their experiences. The bulk of CRPs' work is in investigating and communicating about events not caused by substandard care. These CRPs were quite successful in handling such events, but less consistent in offering compensation in cases involving substandard care. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  7. The characteristics of oncology social work in Australia: Implications for workforce planning in integrated cancer care.

    PubMed

    Pockett, Rosalie; Peate, Michelle; Hobbs, Kim; Dzidowska, Monika; L Bell, Melanie; Baylock, Brandi; Epstein, Irwin

    2016-12-01

    To describe the demographics, professional characteristics, self-reported professional development needs and research involvement of oncology social workers in Australia and to describe perceived barriers to provision of quality psychosocial care. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to social workers working in the oncology field who were contacted through three professional organizations; the Australian Association of Social Workers, Oncology Social Work Australia and the Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group, the University of Sydney. A snowball recruitment method was adopted to maximize the sample size. Two thirds of respondents had over 10 years professional practice experience but with lesser experience in oncology settings. Twenty-eight percent had post-graduate qualifications. Professional development needs were reported as moderate or high by 68% of respondents. No association between professional needs and work setting was found. Years of experience in oncology practice and living in an urban area increased the likelihood of involvement in research. Barriers to psychosocial care included poor understandings of the social work role, time constraints and an inadequate number of social work positions. In this first Australian study of the social work oncology workforce, the results demonstrated active, well-qualified and experienced social workers providing frontline services to people with cancer and their caregivers in geographically diverse locations across Australia. Inadequate resources and a lack of integrated psychosocial care were identified as barriers to comprehensive cancer care. The need for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social workers was identified as an urgent workforce priority. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  8. Analysis of Biological Interactions by Affinity Chromatography: Clinical and Pharmaceutical Applications

    PubMed Central

    Hage, David S.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND The interactions between biochemical and chemical agents in the body are important in many clinical processes. Affinity chromatography and high-performance affinity chromatography (HPAC), in which a column contains an immobilized biologically-related binding agent, are two methods that can be used to study these interactions. CONTENT This review looks at various approaches that can be used in affinity chromatography and HPAC to characterize the strength or rate of a biological interaction, the number and types of sites that are involved in this process, and the interactions between multiple solutes for the same binding agent. A number of applications for these methods are examined, with an emphasis on recent developments and high-performance affinity methods. These applications include the use of these techniques for fundamental studies of biological interactions, high-throughput screening of drugs, work with modified proteins, tools for personalized medicine, and studies of drug-drug competition for a common binding agent. SUMMARY The wide range of formats and detection methods that can be used with affinity chromatography and HPAC for examining biological interactions makes these tools attractive for various clinical and pharmaceutical applications. Future directions in the development of small-scale columns and the coupling of these methods with other techniques, such as mass spectrometry or other separation methods, should continue to increase the flexibility and ease with which these approaches can be used in work involving clinical or pharmaceutical samples. PMID:28396561

  9. Multiple Roles, Balance between Work and Leisure, and Satisfaction with Level of Living.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Danes, Sharon M.

    1998-01-01

    A study of 513 farm women found that self-esteem, locus of control (LOC), and age predicted role involvement; LOC, age, and role involvement predicted discrepancy in the work-leisure balance. Life satisfaction was predicted by the interaction of self-esteem, LOC, role involvement, and discrepancy. (SK)

  10. Pressure-Volume Work Exercises Illustrating the First and Second Laws.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoover, William G.; Moran, Bill

    1979-01-01

    Presented are two problem exercises involving rapid compression and expansion of ideal gases which illustrate the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The first problem involves the conversion of gravitational energy into heat through mechanical work. The second involves the mutual interaction of two gases through an adiabatic piston. (BT)

  11. Can High Altitude Influence Cytokines and Sleep?

    PubMed Central

    de Aquino Lemos, Valdir; dos Santos, Ronaldo Vagner Thomatieli; Lira, Fabio Santos; Rodrigues, Bruno; Tufik, Sergio; de Mello, Marco Tulio

    2013-01-01

    The number of persons who relocate to regions of high altitude for work, pleasure, sport, or residence increases every year. It is known that the reduced supply of oxygen (O2) induced by acute or chronic increases in altitude stimulates the body to adapt to new metabolic challenges imposed by hypoxia. Sleep can suffer partial fragmentation because of the exposure to high altitudes, and these changes have been described as one of the responsible factors for the many consequences at high altitudes. We conducted a review of the literature during the period from 1987 to 2012. This work explored the relationships among inflammation, hypoxia and sleep in the period of adaptation and examined a novel mechanism that might explain the harmful effects of altitude on sleep, involving increased Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) production from several tissues and cells, such as leukocytes and cells from skeletal muscle and brain. PMID:23690660

  12. Long-term memory-based control of attention in multi-step tasks requires working memory: evidence from domain-specific interference

    PubMed Central

    Foerster, Rebecca M.; Carbone, Elena; Schneider, Werner X.

    2014-01-01

    Evidence for long-term memory (LTM)-based control of attention has been found during the execution of highly practiced multi-step tasks. However, does LTM directly control for attention or are working memory (WM) processes involved? In the present study, this question was investigated with a dual-task paradigm. Participants executed either a highly practiced visuospatial sensorimotor task (speed stacking) or a verbal task (high-speed poem reciting), while maintaining visuospatial or verbal information in WM. Results revealed unidirectional and domain-specific interference. Neither speed stacking nor high-speed poem reciting was influenced by WM retention. Stacking disrupted the retention of visuospatial locations, but did not modify memory performance of verbal material (letters). Reciting reduced the retention of verbal material substantially whereas it affected the memory performance of visuospatial locations to a smaller degree. We suggest that the selection of task-relevant information from LTM for the execution of overlearned multi-step tasks recruits domain-specific WM. PMID:24847304

  13. High resolution ultrasonic spectroscopy system for nondestructive evaluation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, C. H.

    1991-01-01

    With increased demand for high resolution ultrasonic evaluation, computer based systems or work stations become essential. The ultrasonic spectroscopy method of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) was used to develop a high resolution ultrasonic inspection system supported by modern signal processing, pattern recognition, and neural network technologies. The basic system which was completed consists of a 386/20 MHz PC (IBM AT compatible), a pulser/receiver, a digital oscilloscope with serial and parallel communications to the computer, an immersion tank with motor control of X-Y axis movement, and the supporting software package, IUNDE, for interactive ultrasonic evaluation. Although the hardware components are commercially available, the software development is entirely original. By integrating signal processing, pattern recognition, maximum entropy spectral analysis, and artificial neural network functions into the system, many NDE tasks can be performed. The high resolution graphics capability provides visualization of complex NDE problems. The phase 3 efforts involve intensive marketing of the software package and collaborative work with industrial sectors.

  14. Family support and exclusive breastfeeding among Yogyakarta mothers in employment.

    PubMed

    Ratnasari, Dewi; Paramashanti, Bunga Astria; Hadi, Hamam; Yugistyowati, Anafrin; Astiti, Dewi; Nurhayati, Eka

    2017-06-01

    Exclusive breastfeeding provides many benefits to both infants and mothers. Despite the introduction of laws aimed at protecting the practice of exclusive breastfeeding, the coverage of exclusive breastfeeding remains low, particularly for working mothers. This crosssectional study recruited working mothers employed in medium and large companies in Bantul District, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The study participants were 158 working mothers whose children were aged 6- 12 months, and they were selected using the probability proportional to size technique. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regression. Adequate family support for breastfeeding (OR: 2.86; 95% CI: 1.25-6.53) and a high paternal education level (OR: 2.68; 95% CI: 1.11- 6.48) were significantly associated with the practice of exclusive breastfeeding among working mothers. However, the infant's sex and age, parity, and the mother's age and education level were unassociated with exclusive breastfeeding. Family support and a high paternal education level are crucial in enabling working mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding. Interventions that promote exclusive breastfeeding should focus on involving the husband and other family members in health care programs related to breastfeeding.

  15. Collaborating with cardiac sonographers to develop work-related musculoskeletal disorder interventions.

    PubMed

    Sommerich, Carolyn M; Lavender, Steven A; Evans, Kevin; Sanders, Elizabeth; Joines, Sharon; Lamar, Sabrina; Radin Umar, Radin Zaid; Yen, Wei-Ting; Li, Jing; Nagavarapu, Shasank; Dickerson, Jennifer A

    2016-09-01

    For more than two decades, surveys of imaging technologists, including cardiac sonographers, diagnostic medical sonographers and vascular technologists, have consistently reported high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal discomfort (WRMSD). Yet, intervention research involving sonographers is limited. In this study, we used a participatory approach to identifying needs and opportunities for developing interventions to reduce sonographers' exposures to WRMSD risk factors. In this paper, we present some of those needs. We include descriptions of two interventions, targeted for cardiac sonographers, that were developed, through an iterative process, into functional prototypes that were evaluated in pilot tests by practicing sonographers. One of these interventions is now in daily use. We would like other engineers and ergonomists to recognise this area of opportunity to apply their knowledge of biomechanics and design in order to begin to address the high prevalence of WRMSDs in sonographers, by working with sonographers to develop useful and usable interventions. Practitioner Summary: This paper discusses needs, opportunities and methods for working with sonographers in order to develop interventions to reduce their exposure to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal discomfort. Results from field tests of two novel interventions targeting cardiac sonographers are also presented.

  16. A New Class of Macrocyclic Chiral Selectors for Stereochemical Analysis

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

    NONE

    1999-03-11

    This report summarizes the work accomplished in the authors laboratories over the previous three years. During the funding period they have had 23 monographs published or in press, 1 book chapter, 1 patent issued and have delivered 28 invited seminars or plenary lectures on DOE sponsored research. This report covers the work that has been published (or accepted). The most notable aspect of this work involves the successful development and understanding of a new class of fused macrocyclic compounds as pseudophases and selectors in high performance separations (including high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC; capillary electrophoresis, CE; and thin layer chromatography,more » TLC). They have considerably extended their chiral biomarker work from amber to crude oil and coal. In the process of doing this we've developed several novel separation approaches. They finished their work on the new GSC-PLOT column which is now being used by researchers world-wide for the analysis of gases, light hydrocarbons and halocarbons. Finally, we completed basic studies on immobilizing a cyclodextrin/oligosiloxane hybrid on the wall of fused silica, as well as a basic study on the separation behavior of buckminster fullerene and higher fullerenes.« less

  17. Taking a Gamble for High Rewards? Management Perspectives on the Value of Mental Health Peer Workers

    PubMed Central

    Roennfeldt, Helena; O’Shea, Peri

    2018-01-01

    Mental health peer work is attracting growing interest and provides a potentially impactful method of service user involvement in mental health design and delivery, contributing to mental health reform. The need to effectively support this emerging workforce is consequently increasing. This study aimed to better understand the views of management in relation to peer work and specifically explores the value of peer work from the perspective of management. This qualitative research employed grounded theory methods. There were 29 participants in total, employed in both peer designated and non-peer designated management roles, in not for profit and public health organisations in Queensland, Australia. The value of peer work as described by participants is found to be partially dependent on practical supports and strategies from the organisation. There were high benefits for all facets of the organisation when effective recruitment and ongoing support for peer workers was prioritised and a higher perception of limitations when they were not. Due to some parallels, it may be useful to explore the potential for peer work to be conceptually and/or practically considered as a form of diversity and inclusion employment. PMID:29652822

  18. Taking a Gamble for High Rewards? Management Perspectives on the Value of Mental Health Peer Workers.

    PubMed

    Byrne, Louise; Roennfeldt, Helena; O'Shea, Peri; Macdonald, Fiona

    2018-04-13

    Mental health peer work is attracting growing interest and provides a potentially impactful method of service user involvement in mental health design and delivery, contributing to mental health reform. The need to effectively support this emerging workforce is consequently increasing. This study aimed to better understand the views of management in relation to peer work and specifically explores the value of peer work from the perspective of management. This qualitative research employed grounded theory methods. There were 29 participants in total, employed in both peer designated and non-peer designated management roles, in not for profit and public health organisations in Queensland, Australia. The value of peer work as described by participants is found to be partially dependent on practical supports and strategies from the organisation. There were high benefits for all facets of the organisation when effective recruitment and ongoing support for peer workers was prioritised and a higher perception of limitations when they were not. Due to some parallels, it may be useful to explore the potential for peer work to be conceptually and/or practically considered as a form of diversity and inclusion employment.

  19. A framework for public involvement at the design stage of NHS health and social care research: time to develop ethically conscious standards.

    PubMed

    Pandya-Wood, Raksha; Barron, Duncan S; Elliott, Jim

    2017-01-01

    Researchers who conduct studies in health and social care are encouraged to involve the public as early as possible in the process of designing their studies. Before their studies are allowed to start researchers must seek approval from a Research Ethics Committee, which will assess whether the study is going to be safe and ethical for patients or healthy volunteers to take part in. The process of ethical review does not consider how researchers work with patients and the public early on to design their studies. Furthermore, there is no requirement for researchers to seek ethical approval for public involvement. However, in our work advising researchers about public involvement we have found that the ways in which researchers involve the public in the design of their studies are sometimes unintentionally unethical, and this is the focus of our paper. We have observed ten areas where ethical issues may arise because of the actions researchers may or may not take and which might consequently have a negative impact. Therefore, we have used these observations to develop a "framework" to help researchers and the public work together at the early design stage in ways that are ethical. Our intention for the framework is to help researchers be mindful of these ten areas and how easily ethical issues can arise. The framework suggests some ways to overcome the potential issues in each of the ten areas. The ten areas are: 1) Allocating sufficient time for public involvement; 2) Avoiding tokenism; 3) Registering research design stage public involvement work with NHS Research & Development Trust Office at earliest opportunity; 4) Communicating clearly from the outset; 5) Entitling public contributors to stop their involvement for any unstated reasons; 6) Operating fairness of opportunity; 7) Differentiating qualitative research methods and public involvement activities; 8) Working sensitively; 9) Being conscious of confidentiality and 10) Valuing, acknowledging and rewarding public involvement. We looked to see whether any other similar approaches to helping researchers address potential ethical issues when working with the public on designing studies have been published and to our knowledge none exist. Our framework is presented as a draft and believe that it would now benefit from input from researchers and the public to gauge how useful it is and whether there are any other possible situations that it might need to cover. The current paper highlights real life examples of how ethical issues can arise during public involvement activities at the research design stage. We refer to "the research design stage" as the time between the generation of the research ideas and when formal permissions to start the work including ethical approval are granted. We argue that although most researchers work ethically at this early stage, some may still benefit from being informed about ethically conscious approaches to involving the public. The paper highlights 10 ethical issues that we have observed with involving the public at the research design stage. We provide examples of these observed scenarios to illustrate the issues and make suggestions for how they can be avoided to help researchers become more ethically conscious when involving the public at the research design stage. Currently the draft framework comprises: 1) Allocating sufficient time for public involvement; 2) Avoiding tokenism; 3) Registering research design stage public involvement work with NHS Research & Development Trust Office at earliest opportunity; 4) Communicating clearly from the outset; 5) Entitling public contributors to stop their involvement for any unstated reasons; 6) Operating fairness of opportunity; 7) Differentiating qualitative research methods and public involvement activities; 8) Working sensitively; 9) Being conscious of confidentiality and 10) Valuing, acknowledging and rewarding public involvement. The draft framework will help researchers to recognise the ethical issues when involving the public and is intended to be used voluntarily in a self-regulatory way. We believe that the draft framework requires further consultation and input from the wider research community and the public before endorsement by national UK bodies such as INVOLVE and the Health Research Authority (HRA).

  20. The Social ecology of Madrid: Stratification in comparative perspective.

    PubMed

    Abrahamson, M; Johnson, P

    1974-08-01

    This paper examines the characteristics of residential zones in Madrid, Spain. The primary difference between zones is found to lie in a new bourgeoisie life-style dimension. Working women are found to be the best indicator of this dimension, which also involves servants, natives of Madrid and high degrees of literacy. Fertility-related considerations, however, are unrelated to working women, and this is explained as due to the availability of domestic help and "women-oriented" working arrangements. Fertility and socioeconomic status are found to be interrelated and constitute a second dimension of residential segregation. In conclusion, Madrid is examined in relation to both more and less industrialized cities, leading to a further modification of social area theory contentions concerning the ecology of stratification in developing cities.

  1. Global pathways to men's caregiving: mixed methods findings from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey and the Men Who Care study.

    PubMed

    Kato-Wallace, Jane; Barker, Gary; Eads, Marci; Levtov, Ruti

    2014-01-01

    Promoting men's participation in unpaid care work is part of the Programme of Action for the International Conference on Population and Development. However, men's involvement in care work does not mirror the advances women have made in paid work outside the home. This mixed method study explores which men are more involved in caregiving, and what childhood and adulthood factors influence their level of involvement. Quantitative research presents findings from 1169 men across six countries with children aged 0-4, and a qualitative study presents findings from in-depth interviews with 83 men engaged in atypical caregiving practices. Survey research finds that being taught to care for children, witnessing one's father take care of one's siblings, respondents' present attitudes about gender equality and having outside help (or none, in some cases) were all also associated with men's higher level of involvement. Qualitative research reveals that men's experiences of violence, the normalisation of domestic work as children and life circumstances rather than greater-than-average beliefs in gender equality all propelled them into care work. Findings suggest that engaging more men into care work implies changes to policies and structural realities in the workplace coupled with changing gender attitudes. These insights inform policy and practice aimed at promoting greater involvement in care work by men.

  2. Child Involvement in Interparental Conflict and Child Adjustment Problems: A Longitudinal Study of Violent Families

    PubMed Central

    Jouriles, Ernest N.; Rosenfield, David; McDonald, Renee; Mueller, Victoria

    2014-01-01

    This study examined whether child involvement in interparental conflict predicts child externalizing and internalizing problems in violent families. Participants were 119 families (mothers and children) recruited from domestic violence shelters. One child between the ages of 7 and 10 years in each family (50 female, 69 male) completed measures of involvement in their parents’ conflicts, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems. Mothers completed measures of child externalizing and internalizing problems, and physical intimate partner violence. Measures were completed at three assessments, spaced 6 months apart. Results indicated that children’s involvement in their parents’ conflicts was positively associated with child adjustment problems. These associations emerged in between-subjects and within-subjects analyses, and for child externalizing as well as internalizing problems, even after controlling for the influence of physical intimate partner violence. In addition, child involvement in parental conflicts predicted later child reports of externalizing problems, but child reports of externalizing problems did not predict later involvement in parental conflicts. These findings highlight the importance of considering children’s involvement in their parents’ conflicts in theory and clinical work pertaining to high-conflict families. PMID:24249486

  3. Therapist strategies early in therapy associated with good or poor outcomes among clients with low proactive agency.

    PubMed

    von der Lippe, Anna Louise; Oddli, Hanne Weie; Halvorsen, Margrethe Seeger

    2017-09-10

    Within a mixed methods program of research the present study aimed at expanding knowledge about interactions in the initial therapeutic collaboration by combining focus on client interpersonal style and therapist contribution. The study involves in-depth analyses of therapist-client interactions in the initial two sessions of good and poor outcome therapies. Based on interpersonal theory and previous research, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-64-C) was used to define poor outcome cases, that is, low proactive agency cases. To compare good and poor outcome cases matched on this interpersonal pattern, cases were drawn from two different samples; nine poor outcome cases from a large multi-site outpatient clinic study and nine good outcome cases from a process-outcome study of highly experienced therapists. Qualitative analysis of therapist behaviors resulted in 2 main categories, fostering client's proactive agentic involvement in change work and discouraging client's proactive agentic involvement in change work, 8 categories and 22 sub-categories. The findings revealed distinct and cohesive differences in therapist behaviors between the two outcome groups, and point to the particular therapist role of fostering client agency through engagement in a shared work on change when clients display strong unassertiveness and low readiness for change. Clinical or Methodological Significance Summary: The present analysis combines focus on client interpersonal style, therapist strategies/process and outcome. The categories generated from the present grounded theory analysis may serve as a foundation for identifying interactions that are associated with agentic involvement in future process research and practice, and hence we have formulated principles/strategies that were identified by the analysis.

  4. 100 Days of Learning in Place: How a Small School Utilized "Place-Based" Learning To Master State Academic Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewicki, James

    This report describes the development and implementation of a place-based curriculum for a small charter high school of 25 students in Wisconsin. The curriculum involved 100 days of field studies in local places such as historical archives, a restored wetland, a river valley, and a senior citizen community center. The students worked with 60…

  5. AHPCRC - Army High Performance Computing Research Center

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    shielding fabrics. Contact with a projectile induces electromagnetic forces on the fabric that can cause the projectile to rotate , making it less...other AHPCRC projects in need of optimization techniques. A major focus of this research addresses solving partial differential equation ( PDE ...plat- forms. One such problem is the determination of optimal wing shapes and motions. Work in progress involves coupling the PDE -solver AERO-F and

  6. Understanding the Idea of Chemical Elements and Their Periodic Classification in Spanish Students Aged 16-18 Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Franco-Mariscal, Antonio-Joaquín; Oliva-Martínez, José María; Almoraima Gil, M. L.

    2016-01-01

    The work reported here involved a comparative study regarding the understanding that high school students (16-18 years) have of the concept of chemical elements and their periodic classification. More specifically, the level of knowledge on this topic was compared before and after the completion of baccalaureate studies in a sample of Spanish…

  7. Processing of Mixed Oxide Superconductors

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-07-01

    rapid changes world wide a major research centre on high Tc superconductors was awarded to Cambridge which involved moving the work and people to a...reports and paper is in the appendices. Separation Ceramic superconductors tend to be mixtures of phases, especially when first discovered. It would...properties of the superconducting state will in principle allow superconducting material to be levitated from the non superconductor and several designs

  8. Increasing the Cultural Competence & Responsiveness of Family Nurse Practitioners Preparing to Work with Children with Behavioral Challenges from High-Minority Low-Income Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Tyrone; Clark, Christine

    2017-01-01

    While discussions involving multicultural education have typically concerned advocating for equity and social justice within the K-12 public schools and higher education institutions across the United States, similar advocacy and initiatives can and should be applied to the preparation of other professionals who serve the needs of the American…

  9. Establishing and Maintaining High Expectations for Deaf/Blind Students Using a Team Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mockler, Kimberly

    2014-01-01

    As a teacher of the deaf as well as the classroom teacher, Kimberly Mockler works very closely with the teacher of the visually impaired. This involves sharing ideas, resources, and lesson plans for the deaf/blind students. Their lessons and goals are very similar and overlap in several areas. A major challenge for both of them is maintaining high…

  10. RETRACTED: Effect of flux jump on temperature distributions in high temperature superconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Yu-Feng; He, Tian-Hu; Wang, Ping-Bo

    2010-10-01

    This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article is retracted at the request of the authors, due to admitted plagiarism of unpublished work of Tian-Hu He. He wishes to state that he was not involved in the publication process and his name was used on the paper without his knowledge.

  11. Airbreathing hypersonic vehicle design and analysis methods

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lockwood, Mary Kae; Petley, Dennis H.; Hunt, James L.; Martin, John G.

    1996-01-01

    The design, analysis, and optimization of airbreathing hypersonic vehicles requires analyses involving many highly coupled disciplines at levels of accuracy exceeding those traditionally considered in a conceptual or preliminary-level design. Discipline analysis methods including propulsion, structures, thermal management, geometry, aerodynamics, performance, synthesis, sizing, closure, and cost are discussed. Also, the on-going integration of these methods into a working environment, known as HOLIST, is described.

  12. Monitoring Trends in Educational Growth: A Partnership Service to Monitor the Educational Growth of Students in the Early to Middle Years of Schooling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Australian Council for Educational Research, 2015

    2015-01-01

    Monitoring Trends in Educational Growth (MTEG) offers a flexible, collaborative approach to developing and implementing an assessment of learning outcomes that yields high-quality, nationally relevant data. MTEG is a service that involves ACER staff working closely with each country to develop an assessment program that meets the country's…

  13. Stunt Barbie--A Laboratory Practicum Combining Constant Velocity and Constant Acceleration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hertting, Scott

    2011-01-01

    In preparing to teach the advanced physics course at my high school, I found it useful to work through the end of chapter problems in the book used by the advanced class. A problem on motion in one dimension involved a stunt woman in free fall from a tree limb onto a horse running beneath her. The problem presents a connected learning opportunity…

  14. Outcomes of a scientific nonformal educational initiative for youth in Rio de Janeiro

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cabral Félix de Sousa, Isabela

    2013-03-01

    The aim of this research is to understand how former students view their professional and academic paths after taking part in a specific scientific nonformal educational initiative during high school. This program is called Vocational Scientific Program (Provoc) and is carried out in the Oswald Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This institution has for over 100 years played a pioneer role in public health research in the country. This institution has many graduate programs and a high school dedicated to training students in health issues. Provoc was originated in this school and has been part of it for the last 25 years. Since its beginning, this program has been characterized by a significant predominance of women which relates to the female predominance of professionals in this institution working in the traditional areas of Fiocruz, which are Biology, Medicine, Public Health, Humanities and Social Sciences. This study was qualitative in nature and involved observations and 34 individual interviews, which followed a semi structured questionnaire, designed for this research. The results indicate that the majority of participants see their program participation experiences as an asset in their academic and professional careers. Many describe feeling empowered by presenting their work in seminars and a few by writing a research article. Many former students also testified to the establishment of social long lasting relationships in the research work environment. And finally, the interviews reveal a few moments and the factors involved in the selection of a profession by youth.

  15. Changes in movement symmetry over the stages of the shoeing process in military working horses.

    PubMed

    Pfau, T; Daly, K; Davison, J; Bould, A; Housby, N; Weller, R

    2016-08-20

    Military working horses perform a high proportion of work on road surfaces and are shod frequently to deal with high attrition rates. The authors investigate the influence of shoeing on movement symmetry as an indirect indicator of mechanical differences affecting force production between contralateral limbs. In this quantitative observational study, inertial sensor gait analysis was performed in 23 Irish sport type horses (4-21 years, 1.58-1.85 m) in full ceremonial work at the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery. Changes in two movement symmetry measures (SI: symmetry index; MinDiff: difference between displacement minima) for head and pelvic movement were assessed at four stages of routine shoeing: 'old shoes', 'shoes removed', 'trimmed', 'reshod'. Horses were assessed applying shoes to the front limbs (N=10), to the hindlimbs (N=10) or both (N=3). Changes in head movement symmetry between conditions were small and inconsistent. Changes in pelvic movement symmetry were small and showed significant differences between shoeing stages (SI: P=0.013, MinDiff: P=0.04) with most symmetrical pelvic movement after trimming. In military working horses with high frequency shoeing small changes in movement symmetry were measured. All significant changes involved trimming, which indicates that future studies should in particular assess changes before/after trimming and investigate longer shoeing intervals. British Veterinary Association.

  16. Work-related suicide in Victoria, Australia: a broad perspective.

    PubMed

    Routley, Virginia Hazel; Ozanne-Smith, Joan E

    2012-01-01

    While unintentional work-related injury is increasingly recognised as important and preventable, population studies of the full range of work related suicides have received less attention. The objective of this study is to investigate the epidemiology of work-related suicide in Victoria, July 2000-December 2007. The study draws on a database of all work-related deaths reported to the Victorian Coroner, inclusive of broadly defined work-relatedness. Inclusion criteria for work-related suicide were at least one of: suicide means was work related, work stressors were identified in police reports to the Coroners or the Coroner's finding, the suicide method involved another person's work (e.g. rail suicide, heavy vehicle) or the suicide location was a workplace. Cases still open for investigation were excluded. Of 642 work-related suicides, 55% had an association with work stressors; 32% jumped or lay in front of a train or heavy vehicle; 7% involved a work location and 6% involved work agents. Work stressor cases identified included business difficulties, recent or previous work injury, unemployment/redundancy or conflict with supervisors/colleagues (including workplace bullying). Work-related suicide is a substantial problem, for which few detailed population wide studies are available. Further research is required to understand the contribution of work stressors and effective interventions.

  17. How high-performance work systems drive health care value: an examination of leading process improvement strategies.

    PubMed

    Robbins, Julie; Garman, Andrew N; Song, Paula H; McAlearney, Ann Scheck

    2012-01-01

    As hospitals focus on increasing health care value, process improvement strategies have proliferated, seemingly faster than the evidence base supporting them. Yet, most process improvement strategies are associated with work practices for which solid evidence does exist. Evaluating improvement strategies in the context of evidence-based work practices can provide guidance about which strategies would work best for a given health care organization. We combined a literature review with analysis of key informant interview data collected from 5 case studies of high-performance work practices (HPWPs) in health care organizations. We explored the link between an evidence-based framework for HPWP use and 3 process improvement strategies: Hardwiring Excellence, Lean/Six Sigma, and Baldrige. We found that each of these process improvement strategies has not only strengths but also important gaps with respect to incorporating HPWPs involving engaging staff, aligning leaders, acquiring and developing talent, and empowering the front line. Given differences among these strategies, our analyses suggest that some may work better than others for individual health care organizations, depending on the organizations' current management systems. In practice, most organizations implementing improvement strategies would benefit from including evidence-based HPWPs to maximize the potential for process improvement strategies to increase value in health care.

  18. Sex work involvement among women with long-term opioid injection drug dependence who enter opioid agonist treatment.

    PubMed

    Marchand, Kirsten; Oviedo-Joekes, Eugenia; Guh, Daphne; Marsh, David C; Brissette, Suzanne; Schechter, Martin T

    2012-01-25

    Substitution with opioid-agonists (e.g., methadone) has shown to be an effective treatment for chronic long-term opioid dependency. Survival sex work, very common among injection drug users, has been associated with poor Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) engagement, retention and response. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine factors associated with engaging in sex work among long-term opioid dependent women receiving OAT. Data from a randomized controlled trial, the North American Opiate Medication Initiative (NAOMI), conducted in Vancouver and Montreal (Canada) between 2005-2008, was analyzed. The NAOMI study compared the effectiveness of oral methadone to injectable diacetylmorphine or injectable hydromorphone, the last two on a double blind basis, over 12 months. A research team, independent of the clinic services, obtained outcome evaluations at baseline and follow-up (3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months). A total 53.6% of women reported engaging in sex work in at least one of the research visits. At treatment initiation, women who were younger and had fewer years of education were more likely to be engaged in sex work. The multivariate logistic generalized estimating equation regression analysis determined that psychological symptoms, and high illicit heroin and cocaine use correlated with women's involvement in sex work during the study period. After entering OAT, women using injection drugs and engaging in sex work represent a particularly vulnerable group showing poorer psychological health and a higher use of heroin and cocaine compared to women not engaging in sex work. These factors must be taken into consideration in the planning and provision of OAT in order to improve treatment outcomes. NCT00175357.

  19. Differential changes in hippocampal CaMKII and GluA1 activity after memory training involving different levels of adaptive forgetting

    PubMed Central

    Fraize, Nicolas; Hamieh, Al Mahdy; Joseph, Mickaël Antoine; Touret, Monique; Parmentier, Régis; Salin, Paul Antoine; Malleret, Gaël

    2017-01-01

    Phosphorylation of CaMKII and AMPA receptor GluA1 subunit has been shown to play a major role in hippocampal-dependent long-term/reference memory (RM) and in the expression of long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP). In contrast, it has been proposed that dephosphorylation of these proteins could be involved in the opposite phenomenon of hippocampal long-term synaptic depression (LTD) and in adaptive forgetting. Adaptive forgetting allows interfering old memories to be forgotten to give new ones the opportunity to be stored in memory, and in particular in short-term/working memory (WM) that was shown to be very sensitive to proactive interference. To determine the role of CaMKII and GluA1 in adaptive forgetting, we adopted a comparative approach to assess the relative quantity and phosphorylation state of these proteins in the brain of rats trained in one of three radial maze paradigms: a RM task, a WM task involving a high level of adaptive forgetting, or a WM involving a low level of adaptive forgetting. Surprisingly, Western blot analyses revealed that training in a WM task involving a high level of adaptive forgetting specifically increased the expression of AMPA receptor GluA1 subunit and the activity of CaMKII in the dentate gyrus. These results highlight that WM with proactive interference involves mechanisms of synaptic plasticity selectively in the dentate gyrus. PMID:28096498

  20. Differential changes in hippocampal CaMKII and GluA1 activity after memory training involving different levels of adaptive forgetting.

    PubMed

    Fraize, Nicolas; Hamieh, Al Mahdy; Joseph, Mickaël Antoine; Touret, Monique; Parmentier, Régis; Salin, Paul Antoine; Malleret, Gaël

    2017-02-01

    Phosphorylation of CaMKII and AMPA receptor GluA1 subunit has been shown to play a major role in hippocampal-dependent long-term/reference memory (RM) and in the expression of long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP). In contrast, it has been proposed that dephosphorylation of these proteins could be involved in the opposite phenomenon of hippocampal long-term synaptic depression (LTD) and in adaptive forgetting. Adaptive forgetting allows interfering old memories to be forgotten to give new ones the opportunity to be stored in memory, and in particular in short-term/working memory (WM) that was shown to be very sensitive to proactive interference. To determine the role of CaMKII and GluA1 in adaptive forgetting, we adopted a comparative approach to assess the relative quantity and phosphorylation state of these proteins in the brain of rats trained in one of three radial maze paradigms: a RM task, a WM task involving a high level of adaptive forgetting, or a WM involving a low level of adaptive forgetting. Surprisingly, Western blot analyses revealed that training in a WM task involving a high level of adaptive forgetting specifically increased the expression of AMPA receptor GluA1 subunit and the activity of CaMKII in the dentate gyrus. These results highlight that WM with proactive interference involves mechanisms of synaptic plasticity selectively in the dentate gyrus. © 2017 Fraize et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  1. The interactions of high-energy, highly-charged ions with fullerenes

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

    Ali, R.; Berry, H.G.; Cheng, S.

    1996-03-01

    In 1985, Robert Curl and Richard Smalley discovered a new form of carbon, the fullerene, C{sub 60}, which consists of 60 carbon atoms in a closed cage resembling a soccer ball. In 1990, Kritschmer et al. were able to make macroscopic quantities of fullerenes. This has generated intense activity to study the properties of fullerenes. One area of research involves collisions between fullerenes and atoms, ions or electrons. In this paper we describe experiments involving interactions between fullerenes and highly charged ions in which the center-of-mass energies exceed those used in other work by several orders of magnitude. The highmore » values of projectile velocity and charge state result in excitation and decay processes differing significantly from those seen in studies 3 at lower energies. Our results are discussed in terms of theoretical models analogous to those used in nuclear physics and this provides an interesting demonstration of the unity of physics.« less

  2. Examining the sources of occupational stress in an emergency department.

    PubMed

    Basu, S; Yap, C; Mason, S

    2016-12-01

    Previous work has established that health care staff, in particular emergency department (ED) personnel, experience significant occupational stress but the underlying stressors have not been well quantified. Such data inform interventions that can reduce cases of occupational mental illness, burnout, staff turnover and early retirement associated with cumulative stress. To develop, implement and evaluate a questionnaire examining the origins of occupational stress in the ED. A questionnaire co-designed by an occupational health practitioner and ED management administered to nursing, medical and support staff in the ED of a large English teaching hospital in 2015. The questionnaire assessed participants' demographic characteristics and perceptions of stress across three dimensions (demand-control-support, effort-reward and organizational justice). Work-related stressors in ED staff were compared with those of an unmatched control group from the acute ear, nose and throat (ENT) and neurology directorate. A total of 104 (59%) ED staff returned questionnaires compared to 72 staff (67%) from the acute ENT/neurology directorate. The ED respondents indicated lower levels of job autonomy, management support and involvement in organizational change, but not work demand. High levels of effort-reward imbalance and organizational injustice were reported by both groups. Our findings suggest that internal ED interventions to improve workers' job control, increase support from management and involvement in organizational change may reduce work stress. The high levels of effort-reward imbalance and organizational injustice reported by both groups may indicate that wider interventions beyond the ED are also needed to address these issues. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Pro-Am Collaborations with research grade robotic instruments and their contribution to outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howes, N.

    2014-04-01

    Robotic telescopes in both the commercial sector and outreach area have increasingly provided both professional and amateur astronomers with high quality data. Projects like the Faulkes Telescope, which is an educational and research arm of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGTN) with their network of 1 and 2-metre robotic telescopes, have been directly involved in support for missions such as the European Space Agency Rosetta and Gaia missions, as well as involvement in a variety of NASA Comet missions such as the EPOXI/Comet 103P encounter. These telescope networks are unique in that they provide school students and high end amateur astronomers, with access to research grade instrumentation and equipment which may not have been affordable to them in many instances. With social media collaboration and dedicated websites, increasingly bridging the gap between the professional and amateur community, more and more amateurs are working as collaborators with scientists in not only providing data, but also in data reduction. Amateur astronomers have increasingly also been working with schools suggesting projects which have provided valuable scientific input to professional astronomers, whilst also giving young scientists in secondary education, an opportunity to work with professional instrumentation and methods, albeit at an entry level. We aim to demonstrate the long term value of these collaborations, and propose better working methodologies to help the professional community get more from amateur input. We will cite some examples of research paper collaborations, and scientifically valuable data sharing between professional and amateur astronomers, • Observations and results from the global campaign on Comet C/2007 Q3; Ref.[1] • Observations of the fragmentation of Comet 168P; Ref.[2] • Observations relating to the evolution of Comet C/2012 S1; Ref.[3

  4. What Is a Pediatric Heart Surgeon?

    MedlinePlus

    ... Life Family Life Family Life Medical Home Family Dynamics Media Work & Play Getting Involved in Your Community ... Life Medical Home Health Insurance Pediatric Specialists Family Dynamics Media Work & Play Getting Involved in Your Community ...

  5. Evaluation of a participatory ergonomics intervention in small commercial construction firms.

    PubMed

    Dale, Ann Marie; Jaegers, Lisa; Welch, Laura; Gardner, Bethany T; Buchholz, Bryan; Weaver, Nancy; Evanoff, Bradley A

    2016-06-01

    Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) among construction workers remain high. Participatory ergonomics (PE) interventions that engage workers and employers in reducing work injury risks have shown mixed results. Eight-six workers from seven contractors participated in a PE program. A logic model guided the process evaluation and summative evaluation of short-term and intermediate impacts and long-term outcomes from surveys and field records. Process measures showed good delivery of training, high worker engagement, and low contractor participation. Workers' knowledge improved and workers reported changes to work practices and tools used; contractor provision of appropriate equipment was low (33%). No changes were seen in symptoms or reported physical effort. The PE program produced many worker-identified ergonomic solutions, but lacked needed support from contractors. Future interventions should engage higher levels of the construction organizational system to improve contractor involvement for reducing WMSD. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:465-475, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Perceptions of academic administrators of the effect of involvement in doctoral programs on faculty members' research and work-life balance.

    PubMed

    Smeltzer, Suzanne C; Sharts-Hopko, Nancy C; Cantrell, Mary Ann; Heverly, Mary Ann; Wise, Nancy; Jenkinson, Amanda

    Support for research strongly predicts doctoral program faculty members' research productivity. Although academic administrators affect such support, their views of faculty members' use of support are unknown. We examined academic administrators' perceptions of institutional support and their perceptions of the effects of teaching doctoral students on faculty members' scholarship productivity and work-life balance. An online survey was completed by a random sample of 180 deans/directors of schools of nursing and doctoral programs directors. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and analysis of variance. Deans and doctoral program directors viewed the level of productivity of program faculty as high to moderately high and unchanged since faculty started teaching doctoral students. Deans perceived better administrative research supports, productivity, and work-life balance of doctoral program faculty than did program directors. Findings indicate the need for greater administrative support for scholarship and mentoring given the changes in the composition of doctoral program faculty. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Team Teaching in Social Work: Sharing Power with Bachelor of Social Work Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zapf, Michael Kim; Jerome, Les; Williams, Margaret

    2011-01-01

    Team teaching in social work education usually involves sequential lectures delivered by different instructors--relay or tag-team teaching. Truly collaborative or collegial team teaching involves a committed group of diverse instructors interacting together as equals in the classroom. Having more than one teacher in the classroom confounds…

  8. Positive and Negative Effects of Family Involvement on Work-Related Burnout

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    ten Brummelhuis, Lieke L.; van der Lippe, Tanja; Kluwer, Esther S.; Flap, Henk

    2008-01-01

    We aimed to explain the influence of family involvement on feelings of burnout among employees who combine work and family tasks. As proxies for family involvement, we used the family structure (partner, number and age of children) and family tasks (e.g. hours spent on household chores). We compared conflict theory and enrichment theory, and…

  9. Effects of Sex Work on the Prevalence of Syphilis Among Injection Drug Users in 3 Russian Cities

    PubMed Central

    Platt, Lucy; Rhodes, Tim; Judd, Ali; Koshkina, Evgeniya; Maksimova, Svetlana; Latishevskaya, Natalia; Renton, Adrian; McDonald, Tamara; Parry, John V.

    2007-01-01

    Objectives. We examined risk factors for syphilis infection among injection drug users in 3 Russian Federation cities, focusing particular attention on the potential roles of gender and sex work. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of injection drug users in Moscow, Volgograd, and Barnaul, collecting behavioral data and testing for antibodies to Treponema pallidum. Associations between presence of antibodies to T pallidum and covariates were explored. Results. Overall, the prevalence of antibodies to T pallidum was 11% (95% confidence interval=9.7%, 13.1%). Syphilis was associated with involvement in sex work and with gender in Moscow and Barnaul but not in Volgograd. Female injection drug users not involved in sex work were more likely than men to be younger and to have recently begun to inject; female injection drug users involved in sex work were more likely than those not involved in sex work to inject daily. Conclusions. Syphilis transmission dynamics varied by region. Sex work can increase syphilis risk among injection drug users, potentially feeding the momentum of sexually transmitted HIV and syphilis among noninjectors. Targeted interventions are needed to reduce both sexual and injection risk behaviors among injection drug users. PMID:17018827

  10. Electronic materials high-T(sub c) superconductivity polymers and composites structural materials surface science and catalysts industry participation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1988-01-01

    The fifth year of the Center for Advanced Materials was marked primarily by the significant scientific accomplishments of the research programs. The Electronics Materials program continued its work on the growth and characterization of gallium arsenide crystals, and the development of theories to understand the nature and distribution of defects in the crystals. The High Tc Superconductivity Program continued to make significant contributions to the field in theoretical and experimental work on both bulk materials and thin films and devices. The Ceramic Processing group developed a new technique for cladding YBCO superconductors for high current applications in work with the Electric Power Research Institute. The Polymers and Composites program published a number of important studies involving atomistic simulations of polymer surfaces with excellent correlations to experimental results. The new Enzymatic Synthesis of Materials project produced its first fluorinated polymers and successfully began engineering enzymes designed for materials synthesis. The structural Materials Program continued work on novel alloys, development of processing methods for advanced ceramics, and characterization of mechanical properties of these materials, including the newly documented characterization of cyclic fatigue crack propagation behavior in toughened ceramics. Finally, the Surface Science and Catalysis program made significant contributions to the understanding of microporous catalysts and the nature of surface structures and interface compounds.

  11. Perceptions and characteristics of registered nurses' involvement in decision making.

    PubMed

    Mangold, Kara L; Pearson, Kristina K; Schmitz, Julie R; Scherb, Cindy A; Specht, Janet P; Loes, Jean L

    2006-01-01

    This study aimed to determine the level of actual and preferred decisional involvement and ascertain whether there is decisional dissonance among registered nurses (RNs). A convenience sample of 196 RNs completed a demographic form and the Decisional Involvement Scale, a tool that measures actual and preferred decisional involvement for RNs in 6 categories: unit staffing, quality of professional practice, professional recruitment, unit governance and leadership, quality of support staff practice, and collaboration/liaison activities. From these data, the level of and difference between RN's actual and preferred decisional involvement was analyzed. In addition, the impact of level of education, years of experience, hours worked per pay period, and work setting on actual and preferred decisional involvement were measured. A statistically significant difference was found between RNs' actual and preferred decisional involvement, with RNs preferring more decisional involvement than they actually experienced. Work setting was the only variable to which a difference could be attributed. Further study is warranted to find causes of decisional dissonance and interventions that could help alleviate the problem and potentially increase job satisfaction.

  12. Mothers' and fathers' involvement with school-age children's care and academic activities in Navajo Indian families.

    PubMed

    Hossain, Ziarat; Anziano, Michael C

    2008-04-01

    This exploratory study examined mothers' and fathers' reports of time involvement in their school-age children's care and academic activities. The study also explored the relationship between parents' socioeconomic status (SES) variables (age, education, income, work hours, and length of marriage) and their relative involvement with children. Mother and father dyads from 34 two-parent Navajo (Diné) Indian families with a second- or third-grade child participated in the study. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that mothers invested significantly more time in children's care on demand and academic activities than fathers, but the differences in maternal and paternal perceptions of time involvement in routine care were not significant. The gender of the child did not influence the amount of time parents invested in children's care and academic activities. Mothers' involvement with children was not related to any of the SES variables. Fathers' involvement was significantly associated with work hours and length of marriage, and work hours produced significant interaction with fathers' involvement with children. Findings are discussed in light of gender role differences in parental involvement with children within Navajo families.

  13. Organizational influence on the occurrence of work accidents involving exposure to biological material.

    PubMed

    Marziale, Maria Helena Palucci; Rocha, Fernanda Ludmilla Rossi; Robazzi, Maria Lúcia do Carmo Cruz; Cenzi, Camila Maria; dos Santos, Heloisa Ehmke Cardoso; Trovó, Marli Elisa Mendes

    2013-01-01

    to analyze work accidents involving exposure to biological materials which took place among personnel working in nursing and to evaluate the influence of the organizational culture on the occurrence of these accidents. a retrospective, analytical study, carried out in two stages in a hospital that was part of the Network for the Prevention of Work Accidents. The first stage involved the analysis of the characteristics of the work accidents involving exposure to biological materials as recorded over a seven-year period by the nursing staff in the hospital studied, and registered in the Network databank. The second stage involved the analysis of 122 nursing staff members' perception of the institutional culture, who were allocated to the control group (workers who had not had an accident) and the case group (workers who had had an accident). 386 accidents had been recorded: percutaneous lesions occurred in 79% of the cases, needles were the materials involved in 69.7% of the accidents, and in 81.9% of the accident there was contact with blood. Regarding the influence of the organizational culture on the occurrence of accidents, the results obtained through the analysis of the two groups did not demonstrate significant differences between the average scores attributed by the workers in each organizational value or practice category. It is concluded that accidents involving exposure to biological material need to be avoided, however, it was not possible to confirm the influence of organizational values or practices on workers' behavior concerning the occurrence of these accidents.

  14. Investigation of Body-involved Lift Enhancement in Bio-inspired Flapping Flight

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Junshi; Liu, Geng; Ren, Yan; Dong, Haibo

    2016-11-01

    Previous studies found that insects and birds are capable of using many unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms to augment the lift production. These include leading edge vortices, delayed stall, wake capture, clap-and-fling, etc. Yet the body-involved lift augmentation has not been paid enough attention. In this work, the aerodynamic effects of the wing-body interaction on the lift production in cicada and hummingbird forward flight are computationally investigated. 3D wing-body systems and wing flapping kinematics are reconstructed from the high-speed videos or literatures to keep their complexity. Vortex structures and associated aerodynamic performance are numerically studied by an in-house immersed-boundary-method-based flow solver. The results show that the wing-body interaction enhances the overall lift production by about 20% in the cicada flight and about 28% in the hummingbird flight, respectively. Further investigation on the vortex dynamics has shown that this enhancement is attributed to the interactions between the body-generated vortices and the flapping wings. The output from this work has revealed a new lift enhancement mechanism in the flapping flight. This work is supported by NSF CBET-1313217 and AFOSR FA9550-12-1-0071.

  15. Partnering with migrant friendly organizations: a case example from a Canadian school of nursing.

    PubMed

    Hickey, Jason; Gagnon, Anita J; Merry, Lisa

    2010-01-01

    Worldwide immigration to many high-income countries suggests that these countries' health care systems must become responsive to a more diverse population. Experiences working with newly arrived populations can provide healthcare students, professionals, and teachers, with valuable insight into the health and social conditions these newcomers face in both source and receiving countries. One way to gain this experience may be by developing partnerships between schools of nursing in receiving countries and international health organizations working in areas that are major migrant source regions for these countries. In this paper, we use a case example to describe, the process of identifying international, migrant-focused organizations, and the steps involved in developing partnerships with these organizations, for the implementation of a migrant health component in health professional curricula. After creating a set of criteria to evaluate partnership potential, we identified a list of international health organizations with whom we thought a partnership might be possible. Following application of our criteria, future work is being pursued with two organizations. Potential implications of this partnership include benefits to all parties involved that may help us move towards increased population and public health capacity.

  16. Redesigning nursing work in long-term care environments.

    PubMed

    Hall, L M; O'Brien-Pallas, L

    2000-01-01

    The authors present a highly statistically oriented argument for examining work attitudes and activities among three groups of caregivers [RNs, RPNs, and HCAs] working in long-term care. The investigators used both work sampling, written surveys, and interviews with a sample of 46 caregivers in a large university-affiliated LTC facility in Toronto, Canada. While RNs stated their strong affinity for direct patient care activities, they perform the lowest percentage of direct care, chiefly due to their accountability for planning and coordinating the care provided by others. The HCAs who provided the bulk of direct patient care "valued it the least," apparently finding little gratification with this aspect of their role. This study suggests that there is a need to examine and clarify work roles and perceptions for all caregivers as part of any work redesign process. A higher level of RN involvement in direct patient care activities, along with "attention to enhancing the importance" of these activities for staff employed in the HCA role, could be beneficial.

  17. Social Work's Role in Medicaid Reform: A Qualitative Study.

    PubMed

    Bachman, Sara S; Wachman, Madeline; Manning, Leticia; Cohen, Alexander M; Seifert, Robert W; Jones, David K; Fitzgerald, Therese; Nuzum, Rachel; Riley, Patricia

    2017-12-01

    To critically analyze social work's role in Medicaid reform. We conducted semistructured interviews with 46 stakeholders from 10 US states that use a range of Medicaid reform approaches. We identified participants using snowball and purposive sampling. We gathered data in 2016 and analyzed them using qualitative methods. Multiple themes emerged: (1) social work participates in Medicaid reform through clinical practice, including care coordination and case management; (2) there is a gap between social work's practice-level and systems-level involvement in Medicaid innovations; (3) factors hindering social work's involvement in systems-level practice include lack of visibility, insufficient clarity on social work's role and impact, and too few resources within professional organizations; and (4) social workers need more training in health transformation payment models and policy. Social workers have unique skills that are valuable to building health systems that promote population health and reduce health inequities. Although there is considerable opportunity for social work to increase its role in Medicaid reform, there is little social work involvement at the systems level.

  18. The work of negotiating HIV as a chronic condition: a qualitative analysis.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Lee; Abel, Gillian

    2016-12-01

    Living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the industrialised world has for over a decade been conceptualised as living with a chronic illness. People living with HIV now are amongst the first to live and age with the virus. Drawing on a qualitative longitudinal study in a low-incidence area in a low-incidence country, this paper investigates the nuanced ways that people negotiate this condition. While it has been argued that HIV is a condition like any other chronic disease, our thematic analysis reveals some similarities and particularities around living with the condition. In comparing themselves to others with the condition, high levels of diversity of experience were identified that extended well beyond length of time from diagnosis. In comparing their illness with other illnesses, the location, for example, of their specialist service within a clinic for those with acute sexually transmitted diseases was identified as problematic. The work involved in maintaining a coherent sense of self in the face of existing and shifting challenges as a result of their infection was a second strong theme. The final theme involved flux and flex work in the ways people sought to gain and maintain control over various aspects of their lives. All of these experiences are mediated by place; that is the experience is not the same as that of those who live where there is a much higher incidence of infection. The work involved in negotiating this condition in low-incidence environments deserves more attention, but aspects of these findings are significant in higher incidence contexts as well; in particular, passivity in face of infection as one ages and the potential for medication refusal as a means of maintaining control over life and death.

  19. [Eye and cat scratch disease: A case series].

    PubMed

    Deschasse, C; Bielefeld, P; Muselier, A; Bour, J B; Besancenot, J F; Garcher, C C; Bron, A M

    2016-02-01

    Cat scratch disease is a pleiomorphic condition, sometimes with isolated ophthalmic involvement. We report the clinical observations of seven cases with ophthalmologic manifestations of cat scratch disease. There were seven patients, with a median age of 52 years, of whom five were women and three had unilateral involvement. Six exhibited Leber's stellate neuroretinitis, an incomplete syndrome in two cases, and one associated with chorioretinal foci. One patient had isolated retinal infiltrates. The diagnosis of cat scratch disease was confirmed by Bartonella henselae serology, positive in all cases. All patients received treatment with doxycycline. Ocular complications (with optic atrophy and macular retinal pigment epithelial changes) were noted in five cases. Ocular bartonellosis is an atypical clinical form. It requires a directed ancillary work-up with serology or PCR, which has the peculiarity of being highly specific if not very sensitive. Treatment is above all preventive. Antibiotics may be initiated. Cat scratch disease must be excluded in the work-up of posterior uveitis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Involving Members of the Public in Health Economics Research: Insights from Selecting Health States for Valuation to Estimate Quality-Adjusted Life-Year (QALY) Weights.

    PubMed

    Goodwin, Elizabeth; Boddy, Kate; Tatnell, Lynn; Hawton, Annie

    2018-04-01

    Over recent years, public involvement in health research has expanded considerably. However, public involvement in designing and conducting health economics research is seldom reported. Here we describe the development, delivery and assessment of an approach for involving people in a clearly defined piece of health economics research: selecting health states for valuation in estimating quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). This involvement formed part of a study to develop a condition-specific preference-based measure of health-related quality of life, the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-8D), and the work reported here relates to the identification of plausible, or realistic, health states for valuation. An Expert Panel of three people with multiple sclerosis (MS) was recruited from a local involvement network, and two health economists designed an interactive task that enabled the Panel to identify health states that were implausible, or unlikely to be experienced. Following some initial confusion over terminology, which was resolved by discussion with the Panel, the task worked well and can be adapted to select health states for valuation in the development of any preference-based measure. As part of the involvement process, five themes were identified by the Panel members and the researchers which summarised our experiences of public involvement in this health economics research example: proportionality, task design, prior involvement, protectiveness and partnerships. These are described in the paper, along with their practical implications for involving members of the public in health economics research. Our experience demonstrates how members of the public and health economists can work together to improve the validity of health economics research. Plain Language Summary It has become commonplace to involve members of the public in health service research. However, published reports of involving people in designing health economics research are rare. We describe how we designed a way of involving people in a particular piece of health economics research.The aim of the work was to produce descriptions of different states of health experienced by people with multiple sclerosis (MS). These descriptions have since been rated in terms of how good or bad they are in a way that can be used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to make decisions about what services to fund on the NHS.We formed a panel of three people with MS, and designed a task to help the group produce health descriptions likely to be experienced by people with MS. After discussion about jargon, and working together to find more layman's terms, the task worked well, and can be adapted to produce health descriptions for any condition.We identified some key themes about working together that give insights into how members of the public can be involved in health economics research, and show the importance of their involvement in improving the relevance of this research.

  1. Perceived risks and benefits of sex work among transgender women of color in San Francisco.

    PubMed

    Sausa, Lydia A; Keatley, JoAnne; Operario, Don

    2007-12-01

    Prior research has shown that male-to-female (MTF) transgender women of color in the United States have a high rate of HIV infection and often engage in sex work for economic survival. With the exception of studies on HIV prevalence and behavioral risk, little research exists to elucidate the social context and determinants of sex work and related health risks among these women. Through a qualitative analysis of seven focus groups with 48 transgender women of color, we examined why and how participants became involved in sex work, documented risks associated with sex work, and explored what motivated participants to remain in sex work. Participants reported on how social networks and cultural norms, immigration issues, and experiences of racism, sexism, and transphobia influenced their decisions to enter and the risks encountered in sex work. Findings revealed that transgender women of color who engage in sex work have unique needs and experiences that must be addressed through structural and social network-based interventions to minimize their vulnerability to social and public health harms.

  2. A report on the Oregon Experiment: A grassroots approach to meaningful public involvement

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

    Blazek, M.L.; Dunning, D.A.; Gentry, R.

    In September and October 1995, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) and the Oregon Hanford Waste Board (the Board) carried out an ambitious public involvement process. They set out to explore new ways to better involve the public in technical issues involving the US Department of Energy (USDOE). They selected the draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials as the subject for the public involvement effort. They selected this EIS because of its high degree of technical complexity, its potential for impacting Hanford cleanup and Oregon, its broad reach of issues involvingmore » all USDOE sites and the long lead time it allowed for preparation. The traditional process used by USDOE for public involvement seldom allows external agencies sufficient lead time to develop good public involvement processes. For this EIS, USDOE began the public involvement process very early in the development of the EIS, which allowed them the lead time they needed. ODOE and the Board have a great deal of experience in working with the public on a wide range of nuclear issues. This project was larger and more complex than anything they had attempted before. They used several different forums and a common format. The public response was very positive and encouraging.« less

  3. Helpful Components Involved in the Cognitive-Experiential Model of Dream Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tien, Hsiu-Lan Shelley; Chen, Shuh-Chi; Lin, Chia-Huei

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to examine the helpful components involved in the Hill's cognitive-experiential dream work model. Participants were 27 volunteer clients from colleges and universities in northern and central parts of Taiwan. Each of the clients received 1-2 sessions of dream interpretations. The cognitive-experiential dream work model…

  4. Service User Involvement in UK Social Service Agencies and Social Work Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goossen, Carolyn; Austin, Michael J.

    2017-01-01

    Forming partnerships with service users became a requirement for social work education programs in the United Kingdom as of 2003, leading to the development of innovative approaches to social work education that involve service users as experts who are helping to teach the future generation of social workers. This article examines the perceptions…

  5. Teachers' and Students' Perception of Work Ethics: A Look at Pennsylvania's Community Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dincher, Michael A.

    2010-01-01

    The volume of literature for research on work ethics is extensive but most involves workers on the job or looking for employment (Petty & Hill, 2005). A gap in the literature exists for research of work ethics among students and instructors involved in Career and Technical Education. Using the Employability Skills Assessment (ESA) authored by…

  6. Working with Teams and Organizations to Help Them Involve Family Members

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orford, Jim; Templeton, Lorna; Copello, Alex; Velleman, Richard; Ibanga, Akanidomo

    2010-01-01

    In this article we describe our work in trying to influence whole service teams to move their practice towards greater involvement of affected family members. Work with five teams is described. The process varied but in all cases it included recruitment of the team, training, continued support and evaluation of results. Use of a standard…

  7. A Collaborative Approach to Defining the Usefulness of Impact: Lessons from a Knowledge Exchange Project Involving Academics and Social Work Practitioners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkinson, Heather; Gallagher, Michael; Smith, Mark

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports on a knowledge exchange project involving academics and practitioners in six local authority social work departments. It contributes to recent debates about the coproduction of knowledge, presenting findings in three key areas: the importance of relationships for knowledge exchange; "what works" for practitioners…

  8. Niobium-bearing arsenides and germanides from elemental mixtures not involving niobium: a new twist to an old problem in solid-state synthesis.

    PubMed

    Baranets, Sviatoslav; He, Hua; Bobev, Svilen

    2018-05-01

    Three isostructural transition-metal arsenides and germanides, namely niobium nickel arsenide, Nb 0.92(1) NiAs, niobium cobalt arsenide, NbCoAs, and niobium nickel germanide, NbNiGe, were obtained as inadvertent side products of high-temperature reactions in sealed niobium containers. In addition to reporting for the very first time the structures of the title compounds, refined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, this article also serves as a reminder that niobium containers may not be suitable for the synthesis of ternary arsenides and germanides by traditional high-temperature reactions. Synthetic work involving alkali or alkaline-earth metals, transition or early post-transition metals, and elements from groups 14 or 15 under such conditions may yield Nb-containing products, which at times could be the major products of such reactions.

  9. Association of individual and work-related risk factors with musculoskeletal symptoms among Iranian sewing machine operators.

    PubMed

    Dianat, Iman; Kord, Madeh; Yahyazade, Parvin; Karimi, Mohammad Ali; Stedmon, Alex W

    2015-11-01

    This cross-sectional study evaluated working conditions and the occurrence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among 251 Iranian sewing machine operators. A questionnaire and direct observations of working postures using the rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) method were used. A high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms, particularly in the neck/shoulders, back and hands/wrists were found. The mean RULA grand score of 5.7 highlighted a poor sewing workstation design and indicated that most operators (with posture assessed at action level 3) needed an investigation and changes in their working habits soon. Work-related factors (including number of years worked as an operator, prolonged working hours per shift, long duration of sitting work without a break, feeling pressure due to work and working postures) and individual factors (including age, gender, BMI and regular sport/physical activities) were associated with musculoskeletal symptoms in multiple logistic regression models. The findings add to the understanding of working conditions of those jobs involving sewing activities and emphasise the need for ergonomic interventions to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  10. Involving patients in clinical research: the Telescot Patient Panel.

    PubMed

    Fairbrother, Peter; McCloughan, Lucy; Adam, Geraldine; Brand, Richard; Brown, Cecil; Watson, Mary; Cotter, Nicola; Mackellaig, Juliet; McKinstry, Brian

    2016-06-01

    To date, patient involvement in the development of clinical research work has been limited. In 2011, the Telescot research team commenced work on a feasibility trial to investigate home telemonitoring of blood pressure for people who have experienced stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). The team decided to involve patients in the development of the research. To improve research design through patient involvement. A modified form of the 'Scrutiny Panel' approach was used to involve people who had stroke in the research project. The Patient Panel supported the research in three key ways: it informed patient communication; it presented patient perspectives on the applicability and usability of the intervention; and it guided the development of the qualitative study. The initiative was considered a positive experience for all. However, challenges were identified in terms of the time and cost implications of undertaking patient involvement. Importance is attached to adequate project planning and development, partnership working with community-based organizations and the necessity for clear role delineation between patients and professionals to enable effective collaborative working. The Telescot Patient Panel was beneficial in supporting the development of the feasibility trial. The Panel approach was considered transferable to other clinical research contexts. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Basic Modeling of the Solar Atmosphere and Spectrum

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Avrett, Eugene H.; Wagner, William J. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    During the last three years we have continued the development of extensive computer programs for constructing realistic models of the solar atmosphere and for calculating detailed spectra to use in the interpretation of solar observations. This research involves two major interrelated efforts: work by Avrett and Loeser on the Pandora computer program for optically thick non-LTE modeling of the solar atmosphere including a wide range of physical processes, and work by Kurucz on the detailed high-resolution synthesis of the solar spectrum using data for over 58 million atomic and molecular lines. Our objective is to construct atmospheric models from which the calculated spectra agree as well as possible with high-and low-resolution observations over a wide wavelength range. Such modeling leads to an improved understanding of the physical processes responsible for the structure and behavior of the atmosphere.

  12. Between school and university: The study of the historical scientific instruments collection of the Liceo Maffei in Verona

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marcon, F.

    2017-03-01

    Since 2014 the Museum of the History of Physics of the University of Padua has been working on the study and valorisation of the collection of historical scientific instruments kept at the high school "Scipione Maffei" in Verona, one of the oldest high schools in Italy. The Cabinet of Physics of "Liceo Maffei", founded in 1802, currently consists of about 550 instruments, acquired until the 1960s. Besides the Museum's staff, the project has involved two physics teachers and a group of students, who participated in different phases of the work on the collection. This article intends to present the collection, the project, and the results achieved so far. We also aim at highlighting the potentialities and possible future developments of the project, a project which can become a model for other schools.

  13. Machining and grinding: High rate deformation in practice

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

    Follansbee, P.S.

    1993-04-01

    Machining and grinding are well-established material-working operations involving highly non-uniform deformation and failure processes. A typical machining operation is characterized by uncertain boundary conditions (e.g.,surface interactions), three-dimensional stress states, large strains, high strain rates, non-uniform temperatures, highly localized deformations, and failure by both nominally ductile and brittle mechanisms. While machining and grinding are thought to be dominated by empiricism, even a cursory inspection leads one to the conclusion that this results more from necessity arising out of the complicated and highly interdisciplinary nature of the processes than from the lack thereof. With these conditions in mind, the purpose of thismore » paper is to outline the current understanding of strain rate effects in metals.« less

  14. Machining and grinding: High rate deformation in practice

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

    Follansbee, P.S.

    1993-01-01

    Machining and grinding are well-established material-working operations involving highly non-uniform deformation and failure processes. A typical machining operation is characterized by uncertain boundary conditions (e.g.,surface interactions), three-dimensional stress states, large strains, high strain rates, non-uniform temperatures, highly localized deformations, and failure by both nominally ductile and brittle mechanisms. While machining and grinding are thought to be dominated by empiricism, even a cursory inspection leads one to the conclusion that this results more from necessity arising out of the complicated and highly interdisciplinary nature of the processes than from the lack thereof. With these conditions in mind, the purpose of thismore » paper is to outline the current understanding of strain rate effects in metals.« less

  15. Do cooperative learning and family involvement improve variables linked to academic performance?

    PubMed

    Santos Rego, Miguel A; Ferraces Otero, María J; Godas Otero, Agustín; Lorenzo Moledo, María M

    2018-05-01

    One of the most serious problems in the Spanish education system is the high percentage of school failure in Compulsory Secondary Education. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of a socio-educational program based on cooperative learning and family involvement on a series of variables related to academic performance, paying particular attention to the differences between retained and non-retained students. A two-group quasi-experimental design incorporating pre-testing and post-testing was used. The study involved 146 students in the experimental group and 123 in the control group, 8 teachers, and 89 parents or other family members. The program was observed to have a positive effect on self-image, study habits, satisfaction with the subject, maternal support and control, and opinions about the school. In addition, the results for non-retained students are better. Cooperative work and family involvement in education affect the variables which research links to improving school performance.

  16. How policy on employee involvement in work reintegration can yield its opposite: employee experiences in a Canadian setting.

    PubMed

    Maiwald, Karin; Meershoek, Agnes; de Rijk, Angelique; Nijhuis, Frans

    2013-04-01

    Canada has a long tradition of involving employee representatives in developing work reintegration policies and expects this to positively affect employee involvement to improve work reintegration success. The purpose of this study was to examine employee involvement in reintegration in a Canadian province as experienced by employees. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were held with employees in a healthcare organization. The interview topic list was based on a review of local reintegration policy documents and literature. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using ethnographic methodology. Employees do not feel in control of their reintegration trajectory. In the phase of reporting sickness absence, they wrestle with a lack of understanding on how to report in sick. In the phase of reintegration planning and coordination, they hesitate to get involved in the organization of reintegration. In the phase of reintegration plan execution, employees encounter unfulfilled expectations on interventions. Employee involvement in the organization of reintegration makes them responsible for the development of reintegration trajectories. However, they consider themselves often incapable of completing this in practice. Moreover, employees experience that their contribution can boomerang on them. • It is not that employees are not able to think along or decide on their reintegration trajectory but rather they are expected to do so at times when they cannot oversee their illness and/or recovery trajectory. • Settings out reintegration procedures that are inflexible in practice do not recognize that employee involvement in work reintegration trajectories can develop over time. • The disability management professional has a central role in organizing and supporting employee involvement in work reintegration, however, the employees do not experience this is indeed happening.

  17. “Popcorn worker’s lung” in Britain in a man making potato crisp flavouring

    PubMed Central

    Hendrick, D J

    2009-01-01

    This case involves a 36 year old non-smoker who worked in a factory producing food flavourings for potato crisps. He developed exertional breathlessness associated with fixed airway obstruction shortly after an uncharacteristically high exposure to the food flavouring chemical diacetyl. Unfortunately, even though he was removed from further exposure to this agent, his symptoms and spirometry did not improve. PMID:21686520

  18. A comprehensive model to determine the effects of temperature and species fluctuations on reaction rates in turbulent reacting flows

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chinitz, W.

    1986-01-01

    A computationally-viable model describing the interaction between fluid-mechanical turbulence and finite-rate combustion reactions, principally in high-speed flows was developed. Chemical kinetic mechanisms, complete and global, were developed describing the finite rate reaction of fuels of interest to NASA. These fuels included principally hydrogen and silane, although a limited amount of work involved hydrocarbon fuels as well.

  19. The Family and Child Welfare System in Poland: Family Assistantship as a New Solution in Social Work with Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ciczkowska-Giedziun, Malgorzata; Zmyslowska, Magdalena

    2018-01-01

    Poland is a post-communist country rooted in the idea of a nanny state. Although the state is still highly involved in social policy, the social and constitutional transformation that began in 1989 led to many changes which in turn influenced the functioning of an individual and family life. Numerous reforms have gradually changed the shape of the…

  20. Close-Spaced High Temperature Knudsen Flow.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-07-15

    work~was a study of discharge processes in Knudsen mode (collisionless), thermionic energy converters. Areas of research involve’mechanisms for reducing ...power densities. The mechanisms/we have chosen to study are: reduction of space-charge through a very close interelectrode gap (less than 10 microns...In order to operate at practical current densities, the effect of electron space charge must be reduced . This can be done through very close

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