bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Time spent by hospital personnel on drug changes: A time and motion study from an in-and outpatient hospital setting
Authors: Poulsen Joo Hanne , Nørgaard Lotte Stig , Dieckmann Peter , Clemmensen Marianne Hald
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Medicines used at Danish public hospitals are purchased through tendering. Together with drug shortage, tendering result in drug changes, known to compromise patient safety, increase medicine errors and to be resource demanding for healthcare personnel. Details on actual resources required in the clinic setting to manage drug changes are unknown. The aim of the study is to explore time spend by hospital personnel in a drug change situation when dispensing medicine to in- and outpatients in a hospital setting in the Capital Region of Denmark.

Method

A time and motion study, using direct observation combined with time-registration tools, such as eye-tracking, video recording and manual time tracking. Data were obtained from observing nurses and social and health care assistants with dispensing authority while dispensing or extraditing medicine before and after the implementation of drug changes in two clinical setting; a cardiology ward and a rheumatology outpatient clinic.

Results

Hospital personnel at the cardiology inpatient ward spent 20.5 seconds on dispensing a drug, which was increased up to 28.4 seconds by drug changes. At the rheumatology outpatient clinic, time to extradite medicine increased from 8 minutes and 6 seconds to 15 minutes and 36 seconds by drug changes due to tender. Similarly, drug changes due to drug shortage prolonged the extradition time to 16 minutes and 54 seconds. Statistical analysis reveal that drug changes impose a significant increase in time to dispense a drug for both in- and outpatients.

Conclusion

Clinical hospital personnel spent significantly longer time on drug change situations in the dispensing of medicine to in- and outpatients in a hospitals. This study emphasizes that implementing drug changes do require extra time, thus, the hospital management should encounter this and ensure that additional time is available for the hospital personnel to ensure a safe drug dispensing process.
Defining a positive work environment for hospital healthcare professionals: A Delphi study
Authors: Maassen Susanne M. , van Oostveen Catharina , Vermeulen Hester , Weggelaar Anne Marie
Published: February 2021

Introduction

The work environment of healthcare professionals is important for good patient care and is receiving increasing attention in scientific research. A clear and unambiguous understanding of a positive work environment, as perceived by healthcare professionals, is crucial for gaining systematic objective insights into the work environment. The aim of this study was to gain consensus on the concept of a positive work environment in the hospital.

Methods

This was a three-round Delphi study to establish consensus on what defines a positive work environment. A literature review and 17 semi-structured interviews with experts (transcribed and analyzed by open and thematic coding) were used to generate items for the Delphi study.

Results

The literature review revealed 228 aspects that were clustered into 48 work environment elements, 38 of which were mentioned in the interviews also. After three Delphi rounds, 36 elements were regarded as belonging to a positive work environment in the hospital.

Discussion

The work environment is a broad concept with several perspectives. Although all 36 elements are considered important for a positive work environment, they have different perspectives. Mapping the included elements revealed that no one work environment measurement tool includes all the elements.

Conclusion

We identified 36 elements that are important for a positive work environment. This knowledge can be used to select the right measurement tool or to develop interventions for improving the work environment. However, the different perspectives of the work environment should be considered.
Composition of nanoclay supported silver nanoparticles in furtherance of mitigating cytotoxicity and genotoxicity
Authors: Chang Chih-Hao , Lee Yu-Hsuan , Liao Zhen-Hao , Chen Mark Hung-Chih , Peng Fu-Chuo , Lin Jiang-Jen
Published: February 2021

Silver nanoparticle (Ag-NP) is well known for its high antibacterial efficacy. However, its toxicity toward mammalian cells is still a concern in clinical applications. The aim of our study was to evaluate the composition effects of Ag-NP supported by silicate nanoplatelet (NSP) with respect to the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, and was in reference to the poly (styrene-co-maleic anhydride)-supported Ag-NP (Ag-NP/SMA). The NSP at the geometric dimension of averaged 80 x 80 x 1 nm3 was prepared from the exfoliation of natural clays and used to support different weight ratio of Ag-NP. The supporting limitation of NSP on Ag-NP was below the weight ratio of 15/85 (Ag-NP to NSP), and the detached Ag-NP from the Ag-NP/NSP (30/70) and Ag-NP/SMA hybrids were observed by TEM. Ames test was performed to assess the mutagenic potential of different compositions of Ag-NP/NSP, only Ag-NP/NSP (30/70) and Ag-NP/SMA hybrids exhibited mutagenicity when the concentration was 1.09 ppm or higher. In viewing of cytotoxicity using MTT tests toward HaCaT cells, the IC30 of Ag-NP/NSP (1/99, 7/93 and 15/85) were 1416.7, 243.6, and 148.9 ppm respectively, while Ag-NP/SMA was 64.8 ppm. The IC30 of Ag-NP/NSP (1/99, 7/93 and 15/85) were at least 833, 78 and 7 folds higher than their corresponding minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) respectively, and whereas Ag-NP/SMA was 6.4 folds. The Ag-NP/NSP and Ag-NP/SMA hybrids had been further investigated for genotoxicity by chromosomal aberrations and in vivo micronucleus assay within the concentration at IC10 and IC30, only Ag-NP/SMA showed a higher frequency of chromosomal aberrations. Our findings indicated that the viability of utilizing the NSP to maintain Ag-NP for antimicrobial activity, and the high-surface area of NSP served as an excellent support for associating Ag-NP and consequently rendering the mitigation of the inherent toxicity of Ag-NP in clinical uses.
How clinician-patient communication affects trust in health information sources: Temporal trends from a national cross-sectional survey
Authors: Asan Onur , Yu Zhongyuan , Crotty Bradley H.
Published: February 2021

Background

Understanding patients’ trust in health information sources is critical to designing work systems in healthcare. Patient-centered communication during the visit might be a major factor in shaping patients’ trust in information sources.

Objective

The purpose of this paper is to explore relationships between patient ratings of clinician communication during the visit and patient trust in health information sources.

Methodology

We conducted a secondary analysis of the nationally-representative Health Information National Trends Surveys; HINTS4 Cycle1 (2011), HINTS4 Cycle4 (2014), and HINTS5 Cycle1 (2017), and HINTS5 Cycle2 (2018). We created a composite score of patient-centered communication from five questions and dichotomized at the median. We created multivariable logistic regression models to see how patient-centered communication influenced trust in different information sources across cycles. Consecutively, we used hierarchical analysis for aggregated data.

Results

We analyzed data from 14,425 individuals. In the adjusted logistic models for each cycle and the hierarchical model, clinicians’ perceived patient-centered communication skills were significantly associated with increased trust in the clinicians as an information source.

Conclusion

Clinicians still represent an essential source of trustworthy information reinforced by patient-centered communication skills. Given that trust helps build healing relationships that lead to better healthcare outcomes, communication sets an essential foundation to establish necessary trust. Interpreting information from the internet sources for patients is likely to remain a vital clinician function.
Clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia in patients with scrub typhus complicated by acute kidney injury
Authors: Oh Ju Hwan , Lim Ji Hye , Cho A. Young , Lee Kwang Young , Sun In O.
Published: February 2021

Background

This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia (HA) in patients with scrub typhus complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI).

Methods

From 2009 to 2018, 611 patients were diagnosed with scrub typhus. We divided the patients into two groups [normoalbuminemia (NA) vs. HA] based on the serum albumin level of 3.0 g/dL and compared the incidence, clinical characteristics, and severity of AKI based on the RIFLE classification between the two groups.

Results

Of the total 611 patients, 78 (12.8%) were categorized into the HA group. Compared to patients in the NA group, patients in the HA group were older (73 ± 9 vs. 62 ± 14 years, P<0.001). The HA group had a significantly longer hospital stay (9.6 ± 6.2 vs 6.2 ± 3.1 days, p<0.001) and a higher incidence of complications in respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Furthermore, AKI developed significantly more in patients in the HA group (58% vs. 18%, p<0.001) as compared to the NA group. The overall incidence of AKI was 23.1%; of which, 14.9%, 7.0%, and 1.2% of cases were classified as Risk, Injury, and Failure, respectively. The serum albumin level correlated with AKI severity (3.4 ± 0.5 vs 3.0 ± 0.5 vs 2.6 ± 0.3, p<0.05). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis for predicting AKI, age, presence of co-morbidities such as chronic kidney disease, total bilirubin, leukocytosis, and hypoalbuminemia were significant predictors for AKI.

Conclusion

Serum albumin level is helpful to predict the development and severity of scrub typhus-associated AKI.
Complementary feeding practices and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in Pakistan
Authors: Ali Muhammad , Arif Muhammad , Shah Ashfaq Ahmad
Published: February 2021

Premature mortality and undernutrition rates in Pakistan are among the highest in the world. Inadequate infant and young child feeding are the major causes of premature mortality and undernutrition. Yet, very little is known about the determinants of complementary feeding practices in Pakistan. Therefore, this study aims to identify the determinants of inadequate complementary feeding practices among children aged 6 to 23 months in Pakistan by using the latest nationally representative data from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (2017–18). The results show that only 12% of children consume a minimum acceptable diet, 21% achieve minimum dietary diversity, and 38% reach minimum meal frequency. Multivariate regression analysis shows that child age, child weight at birth, mother’s access to newspapers/magazines at the individual level, wealth at the household level, and prenatal visits at the community level are significant predictors of complementary feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months in Pakistan. These findings show that, in addition to poverty alleviation, raising awareness through health practitioners, increasing access to media, and expanding access to child and maternal healthcare can improve complementary feeding practices in Pakistan. This consequently reduces premature mortality and undernutrition.
Medical care needs for patients receiving home healthcare in Taiwan: Do gender and income matter?
Authors: Huang Fang-Yi , Ho Chung-Han , Liao Jung-Yu , Hsiung Chao A. , Yu Sang-Ju , Zhang Kai-Ping , Chen Ping-Jen
Published: February 2021

Studies about medical care needs for home healthcare (HHC) previously focused on disease patterns but not gender and income differences. We used the Taiwan National Health Research Insurance Database from 1997 to 2013 to examine trends in medical care needs for patients who received HHC, and the gender and income gaps in medical care needs, which were represented by resource utilization groups (RUG). We aimed to clarify three questions: 1. Are women at a higher level of medical care needs for HHC than men, 2. Does income relate to medical care needs? 3. Is the interaction term (gender and income) related to the likelihood of medical care needs? Results showed that the highest level of medical care need in HHC was reducing whereas the basic levels of medical care need for HHC are climbing over time in Taiwan during 1998 and 2013. The percentages of women with income-dependent status in RUG1 to RUG4 are 26.43%, 26.24%, 30.68%, and 32.07%, respectively. Women were more likely to have higher medical care needs than men (RUG 3: odds ratio, OR = 1.17, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.10–1.25; RUG4: OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.06–1.22) in multivariates regression test. Compared to the patients with the high-income status, patients with the income-dependent status were more likely to receive RUG3 (OR = 2.34, 95% CI = 1.77–3.09) and RUG4 (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.44–2.71). The results are consistent with the perspectives of fundamental causes of disease and feminization of poverty theory, implying gender and income inequalities in medical care needs. Policymakers should increase public spending for delivering home-based integrated care resources, especially for women with lower income, to reduce the double burden of female poverty at the higher levels of medical care needs for HHC.
Adapting gait with asymmetric visual feedback affects deadaptation but not adaptation in healthy young adults
Authors: Brinkerhoff Sarah A. , Monaghan Patrick G. , Roper Jaimie A.
Published: February 2021

Split-belt treadmill walking allows researchers to understand how new gait patterns are acquired. Initially, the belts move at two different speeds, inducing asymmetric step lengths. As people adapt their gait on a split-belt treadmill, left and right step lengths become more symmetric over time. Upon returning to normal walking, step lengths become asymmetric in the opposite direction, indicating deadaptation. Then, upon re-exposure to the split belts, step length asymmetry is less than the asymmetry at the start of the initial exposure, indicating readaptation. Changes in step length symmetry are driven by changes in step timing and step position asymmetry. It is critical to understand what factors can promote step timing and position adaptation and therefore influence step length asymmetry. There is limited research regarding the role of visual feedback to improve gait adaptation. Using visual feedback to promote the adaptation of step timing or position may be useful of understanding temporal or spatial gait impairments. We measured gait adaptation, deadaptation, and readaptation in twenty-nine healthy young adults while they walked on a split-belt treadmill. One group received no feedback while adapting; one group received asymmetric real-time feedback about step timing while adapting; and the last group received asymmetric real-time feedback about step position while adapting. We measured step length difference (non-normalized asymmetry), step timing asymmetry, and step position asymmetry during adaptation, deadaptation, and readaptation on a split-belt treadmill. Regardless of feedback, participants adapted step length difference, indicating that walking with temporal or spatial visual feedback does not interfere with gait adaptation. Compared to the group that received no feedback, the group that received temporal feedback exhibited smaller early deadaptation step position asymmetry (p= 0.005). There was no effect of temporal or spatial feedback on step timing. The feedback groups adapted step timing and position similarly to walking without feedback. Future work should investigate whether asymmetric visual feedback also results in typical gait adaptation in populations with altered step timing or position control.
Global donkey and mule populations: Figures and trends
Authors: Norris Stuart L. , Little Holly A. , Ryding Joseph , Raw Zoe
Published: February 2021

Knowing how many donkeys there are in specific countries where welfare is compromised is a key concern for targeting efforts to improve donkey welfare. Additionally, accurate population estimates are vital for providing evidence and addressing the impact of population threats. The FAO annually report the number of donkeys and mules in each country. The last paper to investigate global and region trends dates back to 2000 and used FAO data from 1961 to 1997. This paper is an update focusing on global, regional and country level donkey and mule populations to understand if there have been any changes in the trends reported by the previous study between 1997 and 2018. Results show that the general trend identified between 1961 and 1997 is continuing with the number of donkeys globally increasing at a rate of ~1% per annum whilst mule populations are in decline at a rate of ~2% per annum. Results also suggest that the trend identified in the original paper are still evident today with the largest increases in donkey population seen in the sub-Saharan African region and greatest reduction noted in Eastern Europe with these two regions having different socio-economic drivers influencing these changes. These results highlight the multifaceted socio-economic drivers influence changes in donkey and mule populations demonstrating the complexity of designing targeted one-welfare approaches. Whilst the FAO donkey and mule datasets are the best available for understanding spatial-temporal distributions in populations there needs to be greater effort to promote the communication of information from the country level to the FAO. This can be directly supported by NGO’s by promoting the robustness of the FAO process for collating and disseminating this information. NGO’s should also seek to highlight the importance of this information for understanding global regional and country level drivers for equid population changes and potential threats to welfare as well as using this information to facilitate projects that support one-welfare approaches.
Higher SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in workers with lower socioeconomic status in Cape Town, South Africa
Authors: Shaw Jane Alexandra , Meiring Maynard , Cummins Tracy , Chegou Novel N. , Claassen Conita , Du Plessis Nelita , Flinn Marika , Hiemstra Andriette , Kleynhans Léanie , Leukes Vinzeigh , Loxton Andre G. , MacDonald Candice , Mtala Nosipho , Reuter Helmuth , Simon Donald , Stanley Kim , Tromp Gerard , Preiser Wolfgang , Malherbe Stephanus T. , Walzl Gerhard
Published: February 2021

Background

Inequality is rife throughout South Africa. The first wave of COVID-19 may have affected people in lower socioeconomic groups worse than the affluent. The SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and the specificity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests in South Africa is not known.

Methods

We tested 405 volunteers representing all socioeconomic strata from the workforce of a popular shopping and tourist complex in central Cape Town with the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay. We assessed the association between antibody positivity and COVID-19 symptom status, medical history, and sociodemographic variables. We tested 137 serum samples from healthy controls collected in Cape Town prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, to confirm the specificity of the assay in the local population.

Results

Of the 405 volunteers tested one month after the first peak of the epidemic in Cape Town, 96(23.7%) were SARS-CoV-2 IgG positive. Of those who tested positive, 46(47.9%) reported no symptoms of COVID-19 in the previous 6 months. Seropositivity was significantly associated with living in informal housing, residing in a subdistrict with low income-per household, and having a low-earning occupation. The specificity of the assay was 98.54%(95%CI 94.82%-99.82%) in the pre-COVID controls.

Conclusions

There is a high background seroprevalence in Cape Town, particularly in people of lower socioeconomic status. Almost half of cases are asymptomatic, and therefore undiagnosed by local testing strategies. These results cannot be explained by low assay specificity.
Current understanding of the interplays between host hormones and plant viral infections
Authors: Zhao Shanshan , Li Yi
Published: February 2021

Phytohormones mediate plant development and responses to stresses caused by biotic agents or abiotic factors. The functions of phytohormones in responses to viral infection have been intensively studied, and the emerging picture of complex mechanisms provides insights into the roles that phytohormones play in defense regulation as a whole. These hormone signaling pathways are not simple linear or isolated cascades, but exhibit crosstalk with each other. Here, we summarized the current understanding of recent advances for the classical defense hormones salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and ethylene (ET) and also the roles of abscisic acid (ABA), auxin, gibberellic acid (GA), cytokinins (CKs), and brassinosteroids (BRs) in modulating plant–virus interactions.
Genomics and epigenomics of axolotl regeneration
Authors: Sámano Cynthia , González-Barrios Rodrigo , Castro-Azpíroz Mariana , Torres-García Daniela , Ocampo-Cervantes José A. , Otero-Negrete Jimena , Soto-Reyes Ernesto
Published: February 2021

The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) has been a widely studied organism due to its capacity to regenerate most of its cells, tissues and whole-body parts. Since its genome was sequenced, several molecular tools have been developed to study the mechanisms behind this outstanding and extraordinary ability. The complexity of its genome due to its sheer size and the disproportionate expansion of a large number of repetitive elements, may be a key factor at play during tissue remodeling and regeneration mechanisms. Transcriptomic analysis has provided information to identify candidate genes networks and pathways that might define successful or failed tissue regeneration. Nevertheless, the epigenetic machinery that may participate in this phenomenon has largely not been studied. In this review, we outline a broad overview of both genetic and epigenetic molecular processes related to regeneration in axolotl, from the macroscopic to the molecular level. We also explore the epigenetic mechanisms behind regenerative pathways, and its potential importance in future regeneration research. Altogether, understanding the genomics and global regulation in axolotl will be key for elucidating the special biology of this organism and the fantastic phenomenon that is regeneration.
Dietary effects of Garcinia kola seed meal on growth performance, hematology and serum biochemical parameters of weaned rabbits
Authors: Ilo Stanley Uzochukwu , Akuru Eunice Amaka , Egbo Jonathan Chinonso , Oyeagu Chika Ethelbert , Edeh Henry Oyeji
Published: February 2021

Background and Aim: Garcinia kola seed (GKS) is used to prevent and cure a number of gastric-related ailments. GKS contain a copious amount of polyphenols and can be utilized as a natural growth promoter in the nutrition of weaned rabbits. This study aimed to determine the dietary effects of GKS meal (GKSM) on the growth performance, hematology and serum biochemical parameters of weaned rabbits.

Materials and Methods: GKS were dried and ground into powder. Thirty-two 8-week-old crossbred rabbits with an average weight of 614 g were randomly divided into four dietary groups. The diets were designated as follows: Control (corn-soybean based diet with 0% GKSM) and the GKSM-supplemented diets with 1.5% GKSM, 3% GKSM, and 4.5% GKSM. On the 56th day of the feeding trial, blood was collected from the marginal ear vein of all rabbits and transferred into two separate labeled tubes. The first set of blood was used to determine the hematological indices. The second set of blood was transferred into plain bottles and allowed to coagulate. The coagulated blood was subjected to standard methods of serum separation, and the sera were harvested and used to evaluate serum biochemical parameters.

Results: Although the average final body weight was highest in rabbits fed with 1.5% GKSM; this value was similar to rabbits fed with 0% and 4.5% GKSM. The average daily weight gain was highest in rabbits fed with 1.5% GKSM, while the feed conversion ratio was improved in the 0% and 1.5% GKSM groups. The dietary treatments also had a significant effect on the red blood cell count (RBC) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, while other blood parameters did not differ significantly (p>0.05). Higher inclusion levels (3% and 4.5%) of GKSM led to a significant increase in RBC and Hb values (p<0.05). The total protein increased at all levels of GKSM inclusion (p<0.05). Bilirubin, sodium, and potassium levels significantly decreased at 4.5% GKSM inclusion (p<0.05). Urea levels were lowered at 1.5% and 4.5% GKSM inclusion, while cholesterol levels were decreased at 3% and 4.5% dietary levels.

Conclusion: From the results of the present study, the supplementation of up to 4.5% GKSM revealed no harmful effect on the hematological and serum biochemical parameters of weaned rabbits, while their growth performance improved at a 1.5% inclusion level of GKSM.
Carbon emissions displacement effect of Finnish mechanical wood products by dominant tree species in a set of wood use scenarios
Authors: Poljatschenko Victoria , Valsta Lauri
Published: February 2021

The carbon emissions displacement effect of Finnish logs for mechanical wood products by dominant tree species (Scots pine, L.; Norway spruce, (L.) H. Karst.; Birch, spp.) was assessed by combining information from previous studies of current consumption patterns with displacement factors (DF) for structural construction, non-structural construction, and energy usage. We did not conduct additional life cycle analyses compared to the current literature. Our aim was to identify the factors that most extensively influence the displacement effect and to estimate the overall climate effect of Finnish logs in light of current production levels of mechanical forest industry. The analyses were based on information from both statistics and proprietary sources. Contrary to previous studies, we provide DFs by main tree species in Finland, which has been an unidentified area of research to date. Additionally, we apply a more detailed classification of structural and non-structural wood products. This study did not include effects on the forest carbon sink, as they depend case-wise on forest resources and forest management. According to our results, with current production and consumption trends, the average displacement effects for domestic Scots pine, Norway spruce, and birch logs were 1.28, 1.16, and 1.43 Mg C/Mg C, respectively. The corresponding overall annual displacement effect caused by the current production of sawn wood and wood-based panels was 12.3 Tg CO for Finland for the BAU scenario and varied between 8.6 and 16.3 Tg CO depending on the wood use scenario.Pinus sylvestrisPicea abiesBetula22
Dinamikus következetlenségek és az érzelmek szerepe a szerencsejátékokban
Authors: Tessényi Judit
Published: February 2021

A napjainkban leginkább elfogadott definíció szerint az olyan magatartásváltozást nevezzük kóros játékfüggőségnek, amikor az egyén olyan viselkedési zavarban szenved, mely állandó és visszatérő problémát okoz az illető szerencsejátékokkal összefüggő viselkedésében, és ezzel negatívan befolyásolja személyes kapcsolatait és hivatásbeli céljait (Demetrovics és tsai, 2009). A szerző munkája elején röviden utal a kapcsolódó gazdaságpszichológiai elméletekre, majd néhány friss kutatási eredményt mutat be, amelyek lényegesek a korlátozottan racionális emberi viselkedés megértésében, illetve a fogyasztási preferenciák és az időinkonzisztens döntések előrejelzésében (Andrade – Iyer, 2007; Rabin, 2008; Barkan – Busemeyer, 2005). A hivatkozott kutatási eredményeken felül az addiktív fogyasztói magatartás vizsgálatára további két kísérletsorozatot elemez. Végül saját kutatási eredményét mutatja be, amely rávilágít a szerencsejátékosok – dinamikusan inkonzisztens – döntéseinek hátterére: ma már szinte közismert, hogy a szerencsejátékos emberek önnön korábbi terveiket szegik meg, és azután többet tesznek fel a játékra, mint azt kezdetben megtervezték.
A természettudományos tárgyak és a kutatói pálya iránti érdeklődés vizsgálata a 14-18 éves korosztály körében
Authors: Vida Adrienn
Published: February 2021

Annak ellenére, hogy a lisszaboni szerződés tekinthető a humánerőforrás-fejlesztésen keresztül megvalósuló komplex gazdaságfejlesztés első hivatalos okmányának, számos ország már a kilencvenes évek közepén reagált az egyre fokozódó globalizációs versenyképességi kihívásokra. Felismerve a reáltudományokon alapuló kutatás-fejlesztés-innováció (K+F+I) kulcsszerepét, jelentős változásokat indítottak nemzeti szinten. Napjainkban ezek az uniós tagországok (kiemelhető Finnország és Svédország) nem csupán gazdasági fejlettségükkel, de a kutatás-fejlesztés eredményességében is kiemelkedően teljesítenek. Az elmúlt évek során számos hazai statisztikai kimutatás támasztotta alá azt a tényt, hogy a középiskolás korosztály körében a természettudományok egyre népszerűtlenebbek, ami végeredményben a felsőoktatási jelentkezések arányát is befolyásolja. Aggodalomra adhat okot, hogy a fizika és matematika – akár természettudományi, akár tanárképző – szakokon rendkívül csekély a felsőoktatási jelentkezési arány, amelynek beláthatatlan következménye lehet a jövő oktatási színvonalára. A Nemzeti Kutatási és Technológiai Hivatal (NKTH) által finanszírozott Csodafa Projekt keretein belül kérdőíves felmérés segítségével a diákok természettudományos tárgyak (biológia, kémia, fizika, matematika, informatika), valamint a kutatói pálya iránti attitűdjét vizsgálta a szerző.
A lean termelési rendszer munkásokra gyakorolt hatása (Effects of lean production on quality of working life from workers’ point of view)
Authors: Losonci Dávid
Published: February 2021

A lean termelési rendszer munkásokra gyakorolt hatásaival foglalkozó irodalomban nincsen egyetértés annak megítélésében, hogy a hatásokban a negatív vagy pozitív hatások dominálnak-e. A szerző tanulmánya ehhez a vitához a pszichológiai, egészségügyi, munkahelyi jellemzőkre és a dolgozói elégedettségre vonatkozó eredmények áttekintésével kapcsolódik. A munkások elégedettségének vizsgálata arra utal, hogy a lean termelési rendszer egyszerre növeli és csökkenti is az elégedettséget, így az összességében nem változik más termelési rendszerekhez képest. A lean termelés kritikusai azt hangsúlyozzák, hogy a többi tényező negatívan hat a munkásokra. Megállapításaik megalapozottsága a nagyon kevés empirikus munka miatt megkérdőjelezhető. Ugyanakkor a tevékenységmenedzsment kutatói érdemben nem tudják cáfolni a stressz, a sérülések és betegségek kockázatának növekedését és a munka intenzívebbé válását. A negatív hatások és a várt pozitív hatások hiányának kiemelése felveti, hogy a munkavállalók bevonásán alapuló lean termelési rendszer nehezen ültethető át a gyakorlatba, illetve hogy a lean termelés intenzifikáción alapuló modellje is elterjedt. _____________ This literature review contributes to the debate related to the effects of lean production on workers. The study reviews different dimensions of the debate and focuses on issues like worker’s satisfaction, psychological effects, health and safety aspects, and workplace characteristics. Findings of researches reviewed in this paper cannot confirm that from workers’ point of view lean production is better than other production initiatives. Lean production enhances and decreases worker’s satisfaction at the same time, altogether, the satisfaction of workers does not change significantly compared to other systems. The negative impact of the other factors (psychological etc.) on workers is usually emphasized in the critique of lean production. Although, the limited number of (empirical) studies doubts these critical voices. However, Operations Management can not reject negative effects like increasing level of stress, increased risks of health and safety problems or intensification of work. The emphasis of the negative effects and the lack of positive effects can refer to the difficult employment of lean involvement system, or simply reflect that the model of lean intensification system is widely spread.
Túl a kritikus ponton…- Logisztikai képességek Magyarországon (Beyond the critical point … – Logistics capabilities at Hungarian firms)
Authors: Gelei Andrea
Published: February 2021

A szerző kutatási célja, hogy megvizsgálja, vajon a hazai vállalatok mai gyakorlatában a fejlettebb logisztikai képességek együtt járnak-e magasabb teljesítménnyel. Az elemzés a Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem Vállalat-gazdaságtan Intézete mellett működő Versenyképesség Kutató Központ vállalati versenyképességet vizsgáló kérdőíves felmérés immár 4. fordulójának adatbázisát használja, melyet 2009 folyamán összesen 300 vállalat vezetőinek megkérdezésével hoztak létre. Ennek az adatbázisnak a felhasználásával a cikk két kérdésre keresi a választ. A szerző egyrészt megvizsgálja, vajon a mintában kimutatható-e egy fejlettebb logisztikai képességekkel rendelkező vállalatcsoport. Másrészt arra is kíváncsi, vajon ezek a fejlettebb logisztikai képességek együtt járnak-e a vállalatok magasabb teljesítményével. A 2009-es adatok elemzése igazolta, hogy logisztikai képességekben két szignifikánsan eltérő fejlettségű vállalatcsoport létét. Az eredményekből az is kiolvasható, hogy a magasabb logisztikai képességek a mintában együtt jártak a magasabb működési teljesítménnyel is. _________________ The overall objective of the paper is to investigate the relationship between logistics capabilities and company’s performance. Empirical analysis is carried out based on an extensive questionnaire developed and conducted at the Competitive Research Center at the Corvinus University of Budapest in 2009. Using this database the author had two separate research questions: Can she detect companies in their sample with significantly different logistics capabilities. If yes, does more developed logistics lead to higher level performance at the company level? After carrying out their empirical analysis they could state, that they could prove the existence of two clusters, one with less and another with more developed logistics capabilities. They also were able to show that firms with more developed logistics can achieve significantly higher operational performance and can be characterized with a more developed customer orientation.
Electron Induced Emission of Nitrous Oxide in the UV-VIS Spectral Range
Authors: Országh Juraj , Danko Marián , Matejčík Štefan
Published: February 2021

The electron impact excitation of N2O was studied using the crossed electron-molecular beams method. Optical emission spectrum initiated by 50 eV electron impact was recorded within the range 200-700 nm. Main emission bands arise from excited ion state N2O+(A2Σ) and dissociative excitation into N2+(B2Σ+u). The rotationally un-resolved excitation-emission cross sections for selected ion transitions were scaled to absolute values and their dependence on electron energy was determined. Several of them were determined for the first time.
Digitalizing the Energy System in a Sustainable Way
Authors: Gährs Swantje , Aretz Astrid , Rohde Friederike , Zimmermann Hendrik
Published: February 2021

The energy transition requires a restructuring of the energy system and, as a result of decentralisation, also increasing digitalisation to integrate all actors and make them more flexible. However, digitalisation can be shaped and should happen under ecological and social premises.
The role of satisfaction as a mediating variable on the effects of novelty seeking and familiarity on tourist revisit intention
Authors: Agustina Regina Priya , Artanti Yessy
Published: February 2021

The development of tourism is important for people's lives because it is related to impact on economic, social, cultural and educational developments both nationally and internationally. Therefore, businessman in the tourism sector are expected to be able to maintain good relations with tourists who visit in order to have the revisit intention in the future. The purpose of this study was to analyze and discuss the novelty seeking and familiarity on revisit intention with satisfaction as mediating variable in the city of Surabaya. Data collection method is done by online questionnaire. The sampling technique of this study was nonprobability sampling with judgmental sampling method. Respondents used were 200 respondents who had visited artificial tourist destinations in the city of Surabaya in the last 2 years. Analysis of the data used is path analysis. The results showed that novelty seeking had no significant effect on revisit intention, while familiarity and satisfaction had a significant effect on revisit intention. Likewise, both novelty seeking and familiarity significantly influence satisfaction.
COCO – Ein Versuchsaufbau zur Erprobung von Methoden der vernetzten Regelung
Authors: Schenk Kai , Lunze Jan
Published: February 2021

Dieser Beitrag beschreibt einen neuen Versuchsstand zur experimentellen Erprobung von Steuerungsmethoden für vernetzte Systeme. Der Aufbau besteht aus fünfzig Linearantrieben, die unter einer Latexfolie montiert sind. Über das Ein- und Ausfahren des Zylinders kann der Folie eine beliebige Form aufgeprägt werden. Für die Ansteuerung der Antriebe werden synchronisierende Regler, kooperative Vorsteuerungen sowie PI-Regler verwendet. Es wird ein Experiment vorgestellt, bei dem die Oberfläche eine Wanderwelle ausbildet, die gewünschte Form also zeitveränderlich ist. Die gezeigten Versuche demonstrieren die Leistungsfähigkeit des neuen Laboraufbaus.
Fast distributed model predictive control combining ADMM, IPM and Riccati iteration
Authors: Costantini Giuliano , Görges Daniel
Published: February 2021

In model predictive control, the control action is found at each sampling time by solving an online optimization problem. Computationally, this step is very demanding, especially if compared to the evaluation of traditional control laws. This has limited the application of model predictive control to systems with slow dynamics for many years. Recently, several methods have been proposed in the literature which promise a substantial reduction of the computation time by either running the computation in parallel (distributed model predictive control) or exploiting the problem structure (fast model predictive control). A combination of these methods has not yet been considered in the literature. To achieve this goal, different optimization techniques need to be employed at once. The order of how these methods are applied matters. This paper considers fast distributed model predictive control combining the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), the interior point method (IPM) and the Riccati iteration for a particular class of multi-agent systems for which the order of the methods can be arbitrarily changed. This leads to two different solver schemes where a trade-off arises between computation time and number of communications required to reach consensus. A simplified problem involving the formation control of a fleet of vehicles is considered at the end.
Der Sonntag – Orientierungspunkt im »Flickenteppich« gesellschaftlicher Zeitmuster?
Authors: Jähnichen Traugott
Published: February 2021

Gesellschaftliche Zeitrhythmen lassen sich bis in die Gegenwart weitgehend auf religiöse Deutungen und Prägungen von Zeit zurückführen. Dies gilt exemplarisch für den Sonntag mit der sonntäglichen Arbeitsruhe, der gegenwärtig auf Grund technischer und ökonomischer Entwicklungen, speziell angesichts der Globalisierung und des digitalen Wandels, schleichend unterminiert wird. Zwar ist der Schutz der Sonntagsruhe in Deutschland verfassungsrechtlich garantiert, dies steht jedoch in einem deutlichen Spannungsverhältnis zu lebensweltlichen Entwicklungen. Theologisch ist die Bewertung des Sonntags als eines qualitativ anderen Tages, wie die Kirchen in Stellungnahmen erklärt haben, gar nicht so eindeutig zu begründen, zumindest nicht in protestantischer Perspektive. Vor diesem Hintergrund argumentiert der Beitrag für eine neue Ausbalancierung des wöchentlichen Zeitrhythmus mit gewissen Öffnungen, um gerade so den Sonntag als besonderen Tag in der Woche zu schützen. Gemeinsam erlebte Arbeitsunterbrechungen ermöglichen eine Kultur gemeinschaftlichen Zusammenlebens und eröffnen die Perspektive, dass »Zeit« mehr ist als eine ökonomisch verwertbare Ressource.
Visible light-responsive photocatalyst of SnO2/rGO prepared usingPometia pinnataleaf extract
Authors: Sujatmiko Febrian , Sahroni Imam , Fadillah Ganjar , Fatimah Is
Published: February 2021

The composite of tin oxide-reduced graphene oxide (SnO2/rGO) was prepared via a green synthesis of rGO usingPometia pinnataleaf extract followed by the dispersion of the SnO2precursor. The composite was employed as a photocatalyst for the removal of methylene blue (MB) under UV and visible light. A variety of spectroscopic and analytical techniques, consisting of X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared, scanning transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and a transmission electron microscope, was used to characterize the physical properties of the photocatalyst. The characterizations represent the dispersed SnO2nanoparticles in the rutile phase with the mean particle size of 72 nm. The photocatalytic activity experiments revealed the superiority of the composite for photodegradation application under the visible light source compared to UV light. This visible light-responsive property is fit with photoluminescence intensity in the visible light range. It was found that SnO2/rGO yields the degradation efficiency of ca. 98.28% within 90 min.
Antihyperglycemic activity of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. leaf ethanol extract SNEDDS in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Hayati Farida , Chabib Lutfi , Sekarraras Faiza Dea , Faizah Wan Syarifah
Published: February 2021

This study aimed to identify the effectiveness of SNEDDS of Pegagan Leaf Ethanol Extract (PLE) to reduce fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in zebrafish. Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. or pegagan is among the medicinal plants widely used to treat diabetes in Indonesia. Maceration was employed with 70% ethanol to obtain a viscous extract for the formulation of SNEDDS with Capryol 90, Tween 80, and PEG 400 (1:6:3). Antihyperglycemic testing was conducted on five groups, consisting of normal, positive control, negative control, P I treatment, and P II treatment. On Day 1, all except the normal group was induced with 300 mg alloxan and soaked in 2% glucose solution for 7 days. On day 8, the treatment consisted of 25 mg/2 L metformin for the positive control, 100 mg/2 L SNEDDS for P I, 200 mg/2 L SNEDDS for P II, and no treatment for the negative control. The SNEDDS characterization obtained 100.6 ± 3.12 nm particle size and −7.93 ± 0.66 mV zeta potential, indicating that the SNEDDS had fulfilled the requirements of good preparation. The antidiabetic activity test found a 69.90% decline in FBG levels in 100 mg/2 L SNEDDS and 72.20% in 200 mg/2 L SNEDDS.
Frequency Effect of Formulaic Sequences on CAF in Academic Writing: Examples from L2 Master’s Theses
Authors: Ma Rong
Published: February 2021

This study was conducted to explore the individual uses of formulaic sequence (FS) frequency and their effects on complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) in academic writing. Data was collected from the conclusion sections of a self-compiled corpus of 30 L2 master’s theses. Statistical analysis revealed several notable conclusions. 1) Student writers tend to make repetitive use of particular FSs in single texts. 2）FS use has a significant frequency effect on fluency, and the high-frequency group slightly outperforms the low-frequency group. 3) FS use has a certain frequency effect on accuracy, and the high-frequency group demonstrates the strongest correlation between FS frequency and accuracy. 4) FS use has a significant frequency effect on lexical complexity, and the low-frequency group slightly outperforms the high-frequency group. In the low-frequency group, FS use has a significant frequency effect on syntactic complexity as well. Finally, 5) The results support Skehan’s trade-off effect, a competition between CAF, which, to a certain degree, is affected by individual uses of FS frequency. The low-frequency group displays a greater trade-off effect than the high-frequency group.
Exploring young learners’ L2 development and perceptions of mixed-age and same-age peer interactions in EFL mixed-age classrooms
Authors: Kos Tomas
Published: February 2021

Although foreign language instruction in mixed-age (M-A) is gaining popularity (Heizmann and Ries and Wicki 2015; Lau and Juby-Smith and Desbiens, 2017; Shahid Kazi and Moghal and Aziz 2018; Thurn 2011), the research is scarce. Drawing from multiple data sources, this study investigated to what extent do peer interactions among M-A and same-age (S-A) pairs aid L2 development and how students perceive their interactions. In this study, the same learners (N=24) aged between 10 and 12 interacted with the same and different age partners during common classroom lessons in two EFL classrooms. The results suggest that both S-A and M-A peer interactions aided L2 development. Although S-A pairs outperformed M-A pairs on the post-test, the results are not statistically significant. The analysis of students’ perceptions revealed that the majority of students prefer working in S-A to M-A pairs. In addition to age/proficiency differences, factors such as students’ relationships and perceptions of one’s own and partner’s proficiency greatly impact how they interact with one another.
Motivational strategies in Chinese language classrooms: A comparative study of novice and experienced teachers
Authors: Shi Hongyang , Wang Tianmiao
Published: February 2021

Plenty of research in applied linguistics has confirmed that language teachers’ motivational strategies are playing a crucial role in relation to the learning motivation of their students. While previous research on motivational strategies has focused almost exclusively on teaching English as an international language (TESOL), this paper seeks to explore what motivational strategies are used by teachers of Chinese as a second language (CSL), and how their use differs between novice and experienced teachers in the Chinese cultural context in mainland China. The study was carried out in four Beijing universities with 90 novice and 85 experienced CSL teachers. The research instrument was adapted from the classical model developed by Dörnyei, Zoltán, & Kata Csizér. 1998. Ten Commandments for motivating language learners: Results of an empirical study. Language Teaching Research 2(3). 203–229. Participants were asked to rate the motivational strategies in terms of their perceived importance and the frequency by which they implemented them in their teaching practices. Following this, six participants also took part in semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study reveal a significant relationship between teachers’ preferences of motivational strategies and their cultural background, teaching objectives and the teaching contexts. Results also show a remarkable difference in motivational strategies between novice and experienced teachers at both macro and individual levels. The study suggests a few interpretations of the results and several implications for CSL teacher’s professional development based on its findings.