bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A hybrid framework to model factors affecting construction labour productivity
Authors: Parchami Jalal Majid , Shoar Shahab
Published: October 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to model different causal relations among factors interacting with labour productivity in order to recognize the most important factors influencing and influenced by it.

Design/methodology/approach

Top 60 factors affecting labour productivity were determined and grouped into 5 major groups by reviewing previous research and interviewing relevant experts. The interactions of factors were modelled using system dynamics (SD) approach. The resulting causal loop diagrams obtained from SD were then applied for identifying the most crucial factors influencing and influenced by labour productivity through the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The impact of factors on each other was finally determined based on the opinions of 63 experts selected from the Iranian construction industry.

Findings

The results indicated that factors such as fatigue, lack of labour motivation and lack of skill are the most influencing, and factors such as schedule delay and inflation in the cost of execution are the most influenced by labour productivity. In the end, a set of recommendations to improve construction labour productivity was also presented.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the study is proposing a novel method which is capable of providing insights into how causes and effects of construction labour productivity are interrelated. Furthermore, the proposed method makes this study distinct from previous research in the light of prioritizing factors and offering recommendations according to the interrelationships among factors.
Reintegrating prâxis, practices, phrónêsis and sustainable action for the relationship between business and society
Authors: Kuepers Wendelin
Published: October 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to propose to rehabilitate prâxis and revive possibilities of practical wisdom (phrónêsis) and a reinterpret excellence as an ethically committed way for responsible and sustainable form of living, while operating in the midst of a systematically constrained world of neoliberal regimes.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a literature review, this essay first presents some basic understandings of prâxis, practices and its architecture as well as phrónêsis and its interconnection. Further, possibilities for integrating excellence in prâxis and success in poiêtic practice are suggested in form of a critical poiêtic phrónêsis, and some implications are outlined in conclusions.

Findings

Considering the systemic constrains of contemporary neoliberal regimes, this paper has shown the significance of a reviving the inter-relational nexus between prâxis, embodied practices, phrónêsis and sustainable action. An integral holonic approach of constrained prâxis was discussed, by which the macro-level is holonically connected to meso-level of likewise constrained practices to micro-level of action and vice versa. In particular, constrained excellence-oriented practical wisdom was connected with constraining result- and success- poiesis in a critical poietic phrónêsis and creative actions in inter-practices as part of inter-prâxis discussed.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is a meta-reflective paper and view point, but links to “prâxis-related research” are offered.

Practical implications

Some practical and political implications are provided.

Social implications

Some links to social and societal implications are discussed.

Originality/value

The proposed integration of prâxis, embodied practices, sustainable actions and practical wisdom for organisation and in relation to society is genuine and critical. It is orginal in that it provides possibilities to re-assess, re-vive and further investigate the relevance of embodied forms of an integral prâxis, practicing, phronesis and action in and through organizations as well as stakeholder towards a flourishing unfoldment.
Birth synchrony and postnatal growth inRhinolophus ferrumequinum(Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) in two successive dry (2015) and wet year (2016) in a nursing colony in Kerend cave, western Iran
Authors: Eghbali Hojjat , Sharifi Mozafar
Published: October 2019

Seasonality and synchrony of parturition and postnatal growth inRhinolophus ferrumequinumhave been studied in two consecutive years representing a typical dry (2015) and an extremely wet climatic event (2016) in Kerend cave, western Iran. In 2015, first pup was born on 20 May and by 10 days 85% of neonates were born. In the wet year, first pup was born on 26 May and by 10 days 56% of neonates were born. Synchrony of birth as defined by the clustering of births assessed by circular statistics showed that the angular variance in 2015 (S2= 0.003) was significantly (p< .05) lower than in 2016 (S2= 0.006). Multiple regression and generalized estimating equation indicate that the initial (y‐intercepts) forearm length and body mass were not significantly (p> .05) different between the 2 years, but the tests for parallelism shows a significant decrease in growth rates of body mass and forearm length in the wet year (p< .05). In 2016, juvenile bats began their first foraging flights at 24–28 days of age with higher but nonsignificant (p> .05) wing loading (7.71 ± 0.48 N/m2) compared with 2015 (7.65 ± 0.57 N/m2). Similarly, aspect ratio of 1‐day old neonates and juvenile bats in 2015 and 2016 did not show any significant difference (p> .05). Results of the present study suggest thatR. ferrumequinumresponded to prolonged precipitations and lower temperatures by delaying parturition, reducing birth synchrony and lowering postnatal growths.
Roy Jenkins and the Politics of Radical Moderation
Authors: NUTTALL JEREMY
Published: October 2019

In light of the frequent contention, amidst Brexit and associated populism, that British politics needs to become both ideologically ‘bolder’, and better connected with a neglected public, the seemingly archetypally elitist centrist Roy Jenkins may seem a curiously outmoded subject. This assumption appears shared by historians, who have neglected him. However, this article suggests that if Jenkins was indeed a self‐described ‘moderate’, like many British so‐called moderates, he saw that very moderation as underpinning a progressive, and indeed in its way radical, vision. In particular, Jenkins argued that by synthesizing objectives sometimes seen as conflicting – social equality with individual freedom, the relief of poverty with the fostering of affluence – one achieved more socially transformative outcomes than through pronounced ideological conflict. He illuminates the achievements of this ‘radical centre’ in British politics, and the unresolved, yet still pertinent, dilemmas of the ideological balances it sought. The article also challenges Jenkins's status as the epitome of a disconnected British elite. He had, in fact, much to say about the importance of ordinary people in shaping political and social progress. He was also often sophisticated in perceiving the citizenry's complex mix of progressivism and conservatism, engagement and drift, a mix he displayed himself. Instead, then, of the presently fashionable narrative of elite politicians betraying a virtuous, disillusioned mass, Jenkins's case points to a more connected relationship between leaders and led, in their often shared collection of national vices, yet also virtues. Here, the country's problems, and the means to their solution, then as now, lie in a complex, collective ‘us’, not in a singular malign ‘Other’.
The Role of Boys as Domestic Servants, 1760–1830
Authors: DYER JENNY
Published: October 2019

This article focuses on a neglected cohort of the Georgian domestic labour force, boy servants. It considers the extent to which their presence and significance has been underestimated in wider studies of the servant world. Boys in household work were a minority within the small army of child servants but, during the second half of the eighteenth century, were found in all levels of servant‐employing households. The boys were invariably from poor or institutional backgrounds but the variety of households in which they served provides the historian with evidence of a remarkable range of experience and circumstance. They emerge as a distinct group within the wider servant body thanks to their versatility, the gendered nature of their role, and the public nature of their work which privileged their position in various ways.
The Remonstrance of the Army and the Execution of Charles I
Authors: HOLMES CLIVE
Published: October 2019

Henry Ireton's Remonstrance of the Army has an assured place in the rich historiography of the English Civil War as a text that promises insights into the most revolutionary months of England's history. The document savagely criticizes the prospective settlement that the majority in Parliament, conservative in their constitutional and religious preferences, were discussing with Charles at Newport, and provides a justification for the army's subsequent interruption of those negotiations with Pride's Purge. It provides some outlines of a new republican constitution, which became the focus of subsequent debates between the army and the Levellers at Whitehall. Traditionally it has been read as requiring the trial and execution of the king. Recent studies have challenged such arguments: the Remonstrance suggested a route by which the king might be reintegrated into the government with a limited, figure‐head, role. This article argues that the army, inspired by the Remonstrance and by Ireton's emphasis within it on the need for the expiation of blood guilt, intended the trial to end with the capital punishment of the king.
Enzymatic Synthesis of Glucosyl Rebaudioside A and its Characterization as a Sweetener
Authors: Lee So‐Hyeon , Ko Jin‐A , Kim Hae‐Soo , Jo Min‐Ho , Kim Joong‐Su , Kim Doman , Cho Jeong‐Yong , Wee Young‐Jung , Kim Young‐Min
Published: October 2019

Rebaudioside A was modified via glucosylation by recombinant dextransucrase of Leuconostoc lactis EG001 in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), forming single O‐α‐D‐glucosyl‐(1″→6′) rebaudioside A with yield of 86%. O‐α‐D‐glucosyl‐(1″→6′) rebaudioside A was purified using HPLC and Diaion HP‐20 and its properties were characterized for possible use as a food ingredient. Almost 98% of O‐α‐D‐glucosyl‐(1″→6′) rebaudioside A was dissolved after 15 days of storage at room temperature, compared to only 11% for rebaudioside A. Compared to rebaudioside A, O‐α‐D‐glucosyl‐(1″→6′) rebaudioside A showed similar or improved acidic or thermal stability in commercial drinks. Thus, O‐α‐D‐glucosyl‐(1″→6′) rebaudioside A could be used as a highly pure and improved sweetener with high stability in commercial drinks.

Practical Application

The proposed method can be used to generate glucosyl rebaudioside A by enzymatic glucosylation. Simple glucosyl rebaudioside A exhibited high acid/thermal stability and improved sweetener in commercialized drinks. This method can be applied to obtain high value‐added bioactive compounds by enzymatic modification.
Time Course of Blood and Brain Cytokine/Chemokine Levels Following Adolescent Alcohol Exposure and Withdrawal in Rats
Authors: Sanchez‐Alavez Manuel , Nguyen William , Mori Simone , Wills Derek N. , Otero Dennis , Aguirre Carlos A. , Singh Mona , Ehlers Cindy L. , Conti Bruno
Published: October 2019

Background

Adolescence is a critical period for neural development, and alcohol exposure during adolescence can lead to an elevated risk for health consequences as well as alcohol use disorders. Clinical and experimental data suggest that chronic alcohol exposure may produce immunomodulatory effects that can lead to the activation of pro‐inflammatory cytokine pathways as well as microglial markers. The present study evaluated, in brain and blood, the effects of adolescent alcohol exposure and withdrawal on microglia and on the most representative pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines and major chemokines that can contribute to the establishing of a neuroinflammatory environment.

Methods

Wistar rats (males, n = 96) were exposed to ethanol (EtOH) vapors, or air control, for 5 weeks over adolescence (PD22‐PD58). Brains and blood samples were collected at 3 time points: (i) after 35 days of vapor/air exposure (PD58); (ii) after 1 day of withdrawal (PD59), and (iii) 28 days after withdrawal (PD86). The ionized calcium‐binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba‐1) was used to index microglial activation, and cytokine/chemokine responses were analyzed using magnetic bead panels.

Results

After 35 days of adolescent vapor exposure, a significant increase in Iba‐1 immunoreactivity was seen in amygdala, frontal cortex, hippocampus, and substantia nigra. However, Iba‐1 density returned to control levels at both 1 day and 28 days of withdrawal except in the hippocampus where Iba‐1 density was significantly lower than controls. In serum, adolescent EtOH exposure induced a reduction in IL‐13 and an increase in fractalkine at day 35. After 1 day of withdrawal, IL‐18 was reduced, and IP‐10 was elevated, whereas both IP‐10 and IL‐10 were elevated at 28 days following withdrawal. In the frontal cortex, adolescent EtOH exposure induced an increase in IL‐1β at day 35, and 28 days of withdrawal, and IL‐10 was increased after 28 days of withdrawal.

Conclusion

These data demonstrate that EtOH exposure during adolescence produces significant microglial activation; however, inflammatory markers seen in the blood appear to differ from those observed in the brain.
Fine‐scale geographical distribution and ecological risk factors for Crohn's disease in France (2007‐2014)
Authors: Genin Michaël , Fumery Mathurin , Occelli Florent , Savoye Guillaume , Pariente Benjamin , Dauchet Luc , Giovannelli Jonathan , Vignal Cécile , Body‐Malapel Mathilde , Sarter Hélène , Gower‐Rousseau Corinne , Ficheur Grégoire
Published: October 2019

Background

Geographical variations in Crohn's disease (CD) suggest that the environment has a role in the pathogenesis of this condition.

Aims

To describe the spatial distribution and the clustering of CD cases in France, and to assess the relationship between the prevalence of CD and environmental risk factors.

Methods

We identified all patients with CD included in the French hospital discharge database from 2007 to 2014. Age‐ and gender‐smoothed standardised prevalence ratios over this period were computed for 5610 spatial units. An ecological regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between the risk of CD and ecological variables (health care, latitude, socio‐economic deprivation, urbanisation, proportion of agricultural surfaces and density of industries). Local spatial clusters of high‐CD prevalence were searched for using elliptic spatial scan statistics and characterised in a hierarchical ascendant classification based on the same ecological variables.

Results

About 129 089 patients with CD were identified, yielding a crude prevalence of 203 per 100 000 inhabitants. The overall spatial heterogeneity was statistically significant (P < .001). An elevated risk of CD was found to be significantly associated with high‐social deprivation (relative risk [95% confidence interval] = 1.05 [1.02‐1.08]) and high urbanisation (1.09 [1.04‐1.14]). Sixteen significant spatial clusters of high‐CD prevalence were identified; there were no common ecological variables.

Conclusions

The geographical distribution of CD prevalence in France is not uniform, and is associated with high levels of social deprivation and urbanisation. Larger ecological databases integrating more detailed environmental and clinical information are needed.
Examining Governance in Hospital Operations: The Effects of Trust and Physician Employment in Achieving Efficiency and Patient Satisfaction
Authors: Dobrzykowski David D. , McFadden Kathleen L.
Published: October 2019

Governance can be challenging in healthcare operations, particularity when attending physicians lack financial relationships with the hospital. In the absence of formal incentive system mechanisms, it may be possible to use informal relational governance to synchronize activities. We use Relational Resource Based View and Agency theory to conceptualize trust (an informal governance mechanism) and physician employment (a formal governance mechanism) as moderators of key operational phenomena in hospitals. Specifically, we test the moderated effects of trust and physician employment on the relationships among lean strategy, process integration, operational efficiency, and patient satisfaction. Analysis of 583 data points from 302 acute care U.S. hospitals reveals that lean strategy impacts process integration, and process integration impacts operational efficiency and patient satisfaction. Trust enhances the positive relationship between lean strategy and process integration such that the relationship is stronger when physicians are employed by the hospital and weaker when physicians are not employed by the hospital. A post hoc analysis reveals that physician employment also influences how process integration affects patient satisfaction. Our results explain the key roles of trust, physician employment, and integration in linking strategy and outcomes. Practitioner interviews validate and help to tease out the implications of our findings. This study contributes important insights for researchers, executives, and policy makers interested in governance and improvements in healthcare delivery.
Organizational Design that Really Works
Authors: Connor Adam
Published: October 2019

Organization design is more than “reorg,” more than just taking the deck and reshuffling it. Done correctly, the process of organizational change can be designed and managed as beautifully as a new toaster or a customer loyalty campaign.

For readers new to the idea of organization design, here's a primer on what it is and how to use it most effectively.
Tentative evidence for inequity aversion to unequal work‐effort but not to unequal reward distribution in Goffin's cockatoos
Authors: Laumer Isabelle B. , Massen Jorg J.M. , Wakonig Birgit , Lorck‐Tympner Melina , Carminito Chelsea , Auersperg Alice M.I.
Published: October 2019

One hallmark in the evolution of cooperation is the ability to evaluate one's own payoff for a task against that of another person. To trace its evolutionary history, there has recently been a surge in comparative studies across different species. In non‐human animals, evidence of inequity aversion has so far been identified in several primate species, dogs, and rats. Research in birds revealed mixed findings so far: among corvids, crows and ravens did react sensitively to unequal payoffs and work‐effort, while New Caledonian crows did not. Among psittacids, kea were studied so far: Yet, despite the fact that they live in large, hierarchically organized social groups that show complex interactions, they did not show a significant reaction to inequitable payoffs. Here we tested for the first time a Cacatua, the Goffin's cockatoo, using a standardized token exchange paradigm in which first the partner and then the subject could exchange a token for a food reward. Our results show that subjects did not react to unequal reward distributions. However, in comparison to the Equity Condition, the likelihood to exchange was lower in the condition in which the partner received the same reward as a gift (without having to work for it) whereas the subject had to perform a task involving substantial work‐effort, suggesting that the Goffin's cockatoos do react aversively to work‐effort inequity. In a follow‐up experiment, subjects never received a reward but observed a conspecific receive a high‐quality reward depending on condition. We found again no evidence for an aversion for the unequal reward distribution, but only that, independent of condition, subjects quickly lost their motivation to participate due to not receiving a reward. In summary, Goffins showed some sensitivity to increased unequal work‐effort, but did not react to unequal reward distribution.
In conversation with Greg Winter
Authors: Dhillon Paraminder , Winter Gregory
Published: October 2019

Sir Gregory Winter, Research Leader Emeritus at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, UK is best known for his pioneering work on humanised and human therapeutic antibodies. Greg's research career has been entirely based in Cambridge. After studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, he undertook his PhD, focused on determining the amino acid sequence of bacterial tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase, at the LMB, where he remained for postdoctoral research and the ensuing establishment of his own research group. His long‐standing interest in protein and nucleic acid sequencing led to the development of techniques to ‘humanise’ mouse monoclonal antibodies and to make human antibodies directly, resulting in promising antibody‐based therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Greg has founded three biotech companies, including Cambridge Antibody Technology and Bicycle Therapeutics. He has also received numerous awards and honours in recognition of his revolutionary work in the antibody engineering field, most notably the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in October 2018. One year on, he discusses the impact of this award on his life and future career outlook in an interview with The FEBS Journal.
Long‐term within‐basin isolation patterns, different conservation units, and interspecific mitochondrial DNA introgression in an amphipod endemic to the ancient Lake Skadar system, Balkan Peninsula
Authors: Jabłońska Aleksandra , Wrzesińska Weronika , Zawal Andrzej , Pešić Vladimir , Grabowski Michał
Published: October 2019

Investigation of biodiversity, including genetic diversity within species, is crucial for rational planning of nature conservation and species protection. Endemics or narrow‐ranged taxa, sensitive to alteration of physical and chemical conditions, may serve as local bioindicators.

Homoeogammarus scutarensis is an endemic, cold‐adapted amphipod crustacean, inhabiting fragmented spring habitats, within a relatively small area of the Lake Skadar basin. The basin is recently under heavy anthropogenic influence leading to habitat deterioration.

Genetic diversity within H. scutarensis was investigated using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and the nuclear 28S ribosomal RNA markers. Genetic diversity within the mitochondrial (mt)DNA appeared to be surprisingly high as for the limited spatial scale. The history of within‐species divergence dates back at least to the Pliocene.

A case of interspecific mtDNA introgression from the endemic H. scutarensis to the widespread and partly sympatric Homoeogammarus thoni was observed in one of the studied populations.

Demographic analysis showed that the demography of H. scutarensis population has been stable, without evidence of expansion. Thus, we believe that H. scutarensis, responsive to environmental changes, is a proper model mirroring the conditions in sensitive habitats of the Lake Skadar basin. To protect ongoing evolutionary processes, the conservation measures for this species should take into account the complex fine‐scale lineage endemism patterns. This case study may also provide a hint for planning conservation strategies in other geologically old spring systems.

Most of the localities where H. scutarensis occurs provide refugia for divergent mtDNA lineages, suggesting prolonged isolation between sites and independent evolutionary histories. We conclude that H. scutarensis is composed of two or three conservation units. One of them occupies the headwaters of the Crnojevića River and spring in its valley. The other is widespread throughout the sub‐lacustrine springs and the Zeta Plain; however, a group of unique haplotypes is found in springs in the Podhum Bay. Their presence and distribution should be considered while planning any investments or conservation strategies.
Understanding policy change through bricolage: The case of Chile's renewable energy policy
Authors: Allain Mathilde , Madariaga Aldo
Published: October 2019

Chile is a country where path dependency made energy policy change extremely difficult by international standards. However, the country has recently become a renewable energy poster child thanks to a gradual process of policy change. How was this possible? This article contributes to discussions about policy change driven by ideas and to explaining the puzzling case of Chilean energy policy change. It does so by discussing the mechanism of bricolage—the recombination of old and new ideas by policy entrepreneurs—and its capacity to produce policy change in contexts of high path dependency. The article develops the political manifestations and consequences of bricolage and problematizes how actors continue to contest and change ideas' meaning after they have been institutionalized, a key question when analyzing processes of bricolage. The analysis is based on an array of data sources including interviews with key actors, newspaper notes, and legislative proceedings.
Does interview anxiety predict job performance and does it influence the predictive validity of interviews?
Authors: Schneider Leann , Powell Deborah M. , Bonaccio Silvia
Published: October 2019

Interview anxiety is negatively related to interview performance; however, its relation to job performance is unknown. It could correlate negatively with job performance, and it could moderate the interview performance–job performance relation. In a sample of applicants for Residence Assistant positions, interview anxiety had near‐zero correlations with job performance, rated by supervisors and supervisees. It moderated the relation between interview performance and supervisor‐rated facilitating peer and team performance, such that interview performance did not predict this job performance component for anxious applicants. The moderation was not found for supervisor‐rated task proficiency, or for supervisee ratings of either job performance component, suggesting that the impact of interview anxiety depends on rater source and which job performance component is rated.
Les tâches de l'OIT à l'heure de son centenaire
Authors: SUPIOT Alain
Published: October 2019

Les principes – énoncés dans sa Constitution et dans la Déclaration de Philadelphie – qui définissent les missions de l'OIT n'ont rien perdu de leur valeur ni de leur actualité. En revanche, les conditions dans lesquelles ces missions s'exercent ont profondément changé. Le monde du travail est aujourd'hui le théâtre de bouleversements écologiques, technologiques et institutionnels, qui sont autant de défis à relever. La contribution de l'OIT à cette tâche devrait s'ordonner autour de trois principes, dont la mise en œuvre correspond à ses missions constitutionnelles: les principes de solidarité, de démocratie économique et de responsabilité socio‐écologique.
The effect of the still‐face paradigm on infant behavior: A cross‐cultural comparison between mothers and fathers
Authors: Li Wei , Woudstra Mi‐lan J. , Branger Marjolein C. E. , Wang Lamei , Alink Lenneke R. A. , Mesman Judi , Emmen Rosanneke A. G.
Published: October 2019

Most still‐face paradigm (SFP) studies have been done in Western families with infant–mother dyads. The present study investigated the SFP pattern in 123 Dutch and 63 Chinese 4‐month‐old infants with mothers and fathers. The classic SFP effect was found for positive affect and gaze in both countries. For negative affect, Chinese infants showed a different SFP pattern than Dutch infants. With fathers, infants displayed a less pronounced SFP pattern for positive affect and an increase from the still face to the reunion for negative affect. Only a minority of infants showed the expected SFP pattern across episodes. Our findings support that infant emotion expression is influenced by parent gender and cultural context. An interesting avenue for further study is the exploration of the origins of within‐ and between‐gender and culture differences in affective communication between parents and infants.
Partnering with new mothers to develop a smart phone app to prevent maternal mortality after hospital discharge: A pilot study
Authors: Logsdon M. Cynthia , Lauf Adrian , Stikes Reetta , Revels Ashely , Vickers‐Smith Rachel
Published: October 2019

Background

In the United States, approximately 700 women die annually from pregnancy‐related complications in the first year after birth; a significant number of the deaths occur after hospital discharge. Although postpartum monitoring is important, the standard practice is for one healthcare evaluation at 6 weeks post‐birth. Most women are not aware of signs of postpartum complications.

Aim

The aim of the pilot study was to develop a prototype of a mobile app aimed at increasing a new mother's ability to monitor her own health after childbirth.

Design

The design used mixed methods and procedures from human‐centred design in an iterative process.

Methods

Data were collected by the researchers from January ‐ May 2019 in a hospital that serves primarily low income and underserved women in the southern US. Three groups of women provided data related to health education preferences or their reaction to a mock‐up or prototype mobile app. Several women completed the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS; N = 22).

Results

Themes from interviews indicated that women (N = 5) preferred electronic health education and that they used apps to monitor their pregnancies. Other new mothers (n‐5) described their overall reaction to the proposed features of the app which was incorporated into the design of the app that was tested by the third group of new mothers (N = 22) who were positive about interactions with the app. The MARS scores for the app were positive.

Conclusions

New mothers indicated that they would be willing to use an app to monitor their own postpartum health.

Impact

Data from the pilot study informed the development of a prototype mobile app that can now be used in a clinical trial with new mothers to monitor their own health and report concerns to healthcare providers.
Academic self‐efficacy in Bachelor‐level nursing students: Development and validation of a new instrument
Authors: Bulfone Giampiera , Vellone Ercole , Maurici Massimo , Macale Loreana , Alvaro Rosaria
Published: October 2019

Aims

An available strategy to counteract academic failure is the development and implementation of student academic self‐efficacy; however, to date, there are no instruments measuring it. The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically test an academic nurse self‐efficacy scale.

Design

A longitudinal study design was used in accordance with Consensus‐based Standards for the Selection of health status Measurement Instruments guidelines.

Methods

A convenience sample of 1,129 nursing students attending the first year of the course were involved. The data collection began in 2014 and went on for 3 years. Data were collected at the beginning of the first (T0), at the end of the first (T1), at the end of the second (T2), and at the end of the third (T3) year. The academic nurse self‐efficacy scale was evaluated for content and face validity, for construct validity with explorative, confirmative factor analysis and hypothesis testing and for reliability. The standard error and the smallest detectable difference were also evaluated.

Results

Scree plot analysis suggested a four‐factor solution and confirmative factor analysis model reached a good fit. We verified the first hypothesis, partially the second and not the third. The dimensions show a Cronbach's α 0.72–0.83. The smallest detectable difference was 26%.

Conclusions

The academic nurse self‐efficacy scale had good validity and reliability and should be considered for nursing students.

Impact

These findings may have an impact on universities, mainly in nursing degree programmes because nurse educators can identify nursing students with low academic self‐efficacy and help them in their academic duties. Indirectly, academic self‐efficacy monitoring can be used for evaluating the effect of different teaching strategies or mentorship support over time.
Prevention of serious air embolism during cryoballoon ablation; risk assessment of air intrusion into the sheath by catheter selection and change in intrathoracic pressure: An ex vivo study
Authors: Tsukahara Keita , Oginosawa Yasushi , Fujino Yoshihisa , Ohe Hisaharu , Yamagishi Yasunobu , Iwataki Mai , Sonoda Shinjo , Kohno Ritsuko , Otsuji Yutaka , Abe Haruhiko
Published: October 2019

Introduction

One cause of cerebral infarction during cryoballoon ablation is the entry of air into a sheath due to the use of inappropriate catheters. It is known that the left atrial pressure of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can be negative. However, the effects of catheter selection and negative pressure changes in the sheath on air intrusion are not yet well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate how catheter selection and negative pressure changes affect air intrusion and to perform countermeasures for air intrusion.

Methods and Results

This experiment used siphon principle to create negative pressure in the sheath. Noncryoablation catheters (not designed exclusively for cryoballoon ablation) and cryoballoon catheters were investigated. Catheters were inserted into the sheath and then removed. Thereafter, the amount of air in the sheath was measured. For catheters producing significantly larger amounts of air intrusion, the catheters were inserted via a long sheath in the sheath (sheath‐in‐sheath technique) and the same procedures were repeated. We found that the amount of air intrusion through most of the noncryoablation catheters was significantly larger than that through cryoablation catheters. An increase in the magnitude of negative pressure in the sheath resulted in a proportional increase in air intrusion, but the sheath‐in‐sheath technique significantly reduced air intrusion.

Conclusion

The amount of air intrusion increased when using catheters with complicated tip shapes and thin outer diameters and when the magnitude of negative pressure in the sheath increased. The sheath‐in‐sheath technique may be an effective countermeasure.
Sudden cardiac arrest and ventricular arrhythmias following first type I myocardial infarction in the contemporary era
Authors: Amin Mustapha , Kella Danesh , Killu Ammar M. , Padmanabhan Deepak , Hodge David O. , Golafshar Michael A. , Chamberlain Alanna M. , Lee Justin Z. , Shen Win‐Kuang , Friedman Paul A. , Asirvatham Samuel J. , Roger Véronique L. , Gersh Bernard J. , Mulpuru Siva K.
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with an increase in subsequent heart failure (HF), recurrent ischemic events, sudden cardiac arrest, and ventricular arrhythmias (SCA‐VA). The primary objective of the study to determine the role of intercurrent HF and ischemic events on the development of SCA‐VA following first type I MI.

Methods and results

A retrospective cohort study of patients experiencing first type 1 MI in Olmsted County, Minnesota (2002‐2012) was conducted by identifying patients using the medical records linkage system (Rochester epidemiology project). Patients aged ≥18 years were followed from the time of MI till death or 31 July, 2017. Intercurrent HF and ischemic events were the primary exposures following MI and their association with outcome SCA‐VA was assessed. Eight hundred and sixty‐seven patients (mean age was 63 ± 14.5 years; 69% male; 49.8% ST‐elevation myocardial infarction) who had their first type I MI during the study period were included. Majority of acute MI patients were revascularized using percutaneous coronary intervention and bypass surgery (628 [72.43%] and 87 [10.03%] respectively). During a mean follow‐up of 7.69 ± 4.17 years, HF, recurrent ischemic events and SCA‐VA occurred in 155 (17.9%), 245 (28.3%), and 40 (4.61%) patients respectively. Low ejection fraction (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93‐0.98; P < .001), intercurrent HF (adjusted HR 3.11; 95% CI, 1.39‐6.95; P = .006) and recurrent ischemic events (adjusted HR 3.47; 95% CI, 1.68‐7.18; P < .001) were associated with subsequent SCA‐VA.

Conclusion

SCA‐VA occurred in a small proportion of patients after MI and is associated with intercurrent HF and recurrent ischemic events.
Efficacy and safety of cryoballoon ablation for Chinese patients over 75 years old: A comparison with a younger cohort
Authors: Zhang Jun , Ren Zhongyuan , Wang Songyun , Zhang Jingying , Yang Haotian , Zheng Yixing , Meng Weilun , Zhao Dongdong , Xu Yawei
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) results in satisfactory outcomes for drug‐resistant atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. However, the efficacy and safety of CBA have not yet been tested in the Chinese elderly population. Therefore, this study compared the recurrence of AF and complications of CBA in patients ≥75 years and <75 years.

Methods

A total of 677 patients (<75 years, n = 550; ≥ 75 years, n = 127) with paroxysmal (n = 603) or persistent (n = 74) non‐valvular drug‐resistant AF were included. The efficacy was assessed by the recurrence of AF, and the safety was evaluated by peri‐ and post‐procedural complications.

Results

The CHA2DS2‐VASc (2.6 ± 1.7 vs 4.8 ± 1.6, P < .01) and HAS‐BLED (1.8 ± 0.8 vs 2.0 ± 0.8, P = .01) scores were significantly higher in the elderly group. The instant pulmonary vein isolation success rate was comparable (99.11% younger vs 98.98% older, P = .99). After a mean follow‐up time of 12.8 ± 9.6 months, the 1‐year freedom from AF rate was 80.6% vs 85.8% in the older and younger groups, respectively, while the survival analysis showed a nonsignificant difference in the rate of freedom from AF (log‐rank P = .46). Cox regression showed that age was not a predictive factor for AF recurrence and was not dichotomized (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.868, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.509‐1.481; P = .6046) or continuous (HR = 0.990, 95% CI, 0.968‐1.012, P = .3642). Similar complications rates were observed, including stroke (1.0% younger vs 0.93% older, P = .95) and major hemorrhagic events (1.2% younger vs 0% elder, P = .25).

Conclusions

The efficacy and safety profiles of CBA in patients older than 75 years are comparable with those in younger patients.
Long non‐coding RNA GAPLINC promotes angiogenesis by regulating miR‐211 under hypoxia in human umbilical vein endothelial cells
Authors: He Yangyan , Wu Ziheng , Qiu Chenyang , Wang Xiaohui , Xiang Yilang , Lu Tian , He Yunjun , Shang Tao , Zhu Qianqian , Wang Xun , Zeng Qinglong , Zhang Hongkun , Li Donglin
Published: October 2019

In this study, we investigated the role of a long non‐coding RNA GAPLINC in angiogenesis using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). We found that hypoxia and hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF‐1α) increased the expression of GAPLINC in HUVEC cells. Moreover, GAPLINC overexpression down‐regulated miR‐211 and up‐regulated Bcl2 protein expression. Further rescue experiments confirmed that hypoxia directly increased GAPLINC expression. GAPLINC overexpression also increased cell migration and vessel formation which promoted angiogenesis, and these changes were attributed to the increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR) and delta‐like canonical notch ligand 4 (DLL4) receptors. Finally, we demonstrated that GAPLINC promotes vessel formation and migration by regulating MAPK and NF‐kB signalling pathways. Taken together, these findings comprehensively demonstrate that overexpression of GAPLINC increases HUVEC cells angiogenesis under hypoxia condition suggesting that GAPLINC can be a potential target for critical limb ischaemia (CLI) treatment.
Optimizing isolation process of kaempferitrin from leaves of Prunus cerasifera
Authors: Wu Bo , Peng Lijuan , Yang Guoyan
Published: October 2019

Kaempferitrin was extracted from leaves of Prunus cerasifera with an average yield of 1.3 ± 0.18% (n = 20). The purity of the product was over 98.5% as determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Dried and smashed leaves of P. cerasifera were subjected to extraction with 70% ethanol (vol/vol) at room temperature and the extract was concentrated by vacuum evaporation. The extract was separated using nonpolar and medium polar macroporous resin in series. The post‐column collecting solution was concentrated under reduced pressure and its product was obtained through secondary crystallization. Kaempferitrin obtained was structurally analyzed and characterized. The absorption of kaempferitrin to macroporous resin was analyzed thermodynamically and kinetically to determine its melting and turbidity point. After purification of mother liquor, the recovery rate was over 70%.

Practical Applications

Prunus cerasifera is a plant resource that has yet to be tapped. Kaempferitrin in its leaves, with a content of 1.8–2.2%, is an important bioactive substance. Pharmacologically, kaempferitrin induces immune reactions in vitro, stimulates the secretion of adiponectin in adipocytes, elicits apoptosis, and possess antitumor effects. Separation of kaempferitrin from P. cerasifera leaves using the macroporous resin double‐column system is cost‐effective and simple. Moreover, the method can achieve high extraction efficiency. After crystallization, the purity was higher than 98.5%. The technology can be widely used in the preparation processes of medical agents. In addition, the results showed that the optimized parameters can be applied to the parameter prediction of related designs.
Optimal antibribery policy when bribery type is endogenous
Authors: Hong Fuhai , Yin Zhendong
Published: October 2019

This paper analyzes the optimal allocation of antibribery resources when bribery type is endogenously determined by corrupt bureaucrats. A firm is supposed to invest to get licenses for production from bureaucrats. The bureaucrat commits to a bribes schedule that specifies bribes demanded from compliant firms (therefore, engaging in extortion) and noncompliant firms (engaging in collusion) as a precondition of granting the license. The allocation of antibribery resources determines the probability that each type of bribery is detected and prosecuted and thus affects the bureaucrat's choice of bribes schedule and the equilibrium bribery type. We find that the government should prioritize combating collusion when the resources are sufficiently scarce, should abstain from combating extortion after it wipes out collusion when the resources are less scarce, and should eradicate both types of bribery when the resources are sufficiently abundant. When there are multiple investment dimensions, however, there exists a special case where the government targets both types of bribery when the resources are at some intermediate level.
Hyperspectral imaging of drill core from the Steen River impact structure, Canada: Implications for hydrothermal activity and formation of suevite‐like breccias
Authors: MacLagan E. A. , Walton E. L. , Herd C. D. K. , Rivard B.
Published: October 2019

Hyperspectral imaging can be used to rapidly identify and map the spatial distributions of many minerals. Here, hyperspectral mapping in three wavelength regions (visible and near‐infrared, shortwave infrared, and thermal infrared) was applied to drill cores (ST001, ST002, and ST003) penetrating a continuous sequence of crater‐fill breccias from the Steen River impact structure in Alberta, Canada. The combined data sets reveal distinct mineralogical layering, with breccias derived predominantly from sedimentary rocks overlying those derived from granitic basement. This stratigraphy demonstrates that the breccias were not appreciably disturbed following deposition, which is inconsistent with formation models of similar breccias (suevites) by explosive impact melt–fluid interaction. At Steen River, volatiles from sedimentary target rocks were an inherent part of forming these enigmatic breccias. Approximately three quarters of terrestrial impact structures contain sedimentary target rocks; therefore, the role of volatiles in producing so‐called suevitic breccias may be more widespread than previously realized. The hyperspectral maps, specifically within the SWIR wavelength region, also delineate minerals associated with postimpact hydrothermal activity, including ammoniated clay and feldspar minerals not detectable using traditional techniques. These nitrogen‐bearing minerals may have originated from microbial processes, associated with oil‐ and gas‐producing units in the crater vicinity. Such minerals may have important implications for the production of habitable environments by impact‐induced hydrothermal activity on Earth and Mars.
Sedimentological analysis of two drill cores through the crater moat‐filling breccia, Flynn Creek impact structure, Tennessee
Authors: De Marchi L. , Ormö J. , King D. T. , Adrian D. R. , Hagerty J. J. , Gaither T. A.
Published: October 2019

Sedimentological (line‐logging) analysis of two drill cores, FC77‐3 and FC67‐3, situated, respectively, in the northwestern and southeastern quadrants of the Flynn Creek impact structure's crater‐moat area reveals that the ~27 m thick crater moat‐filling breccia consists of three subequal parts. These parts, which were deposited during early modification stage of this marine‐target impact structure, are distinguished on the basis of vertical trends in sorting, grain size, and counts of clasts per meter in comparison with other well‐known marine‐target impact structures, namely Lockne, Tvären, and Chesapeake Bay. The lower part is interpreted to represent mainly slump deposits, and the middle part is interpreted to represent a stage intermediate between slump and marine resurge, that is, a traction flow driven by overriding suspension flow. The upper part (size graded, and relatively well sorted and fine grained) is interpreted to represent marine resurge flow only. The upper part is capped by a relatively thin and relatively fine‐grained calcarenite to calcisiltite deposit.
Certified nursing assistants as agents of creative caregiving in long‐term care
Authors: Eaton Jacqueline , Cloyes Kristin , Paulsen Brooke , Madden Connie , Ellington Lee
Published: October 2019

Aim

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide most of the direct care for long‐term care (LTC) residents, yet there are few CNA‐led interventions aimed at improving quality of care. In our preliminary work developing a CNA art‐based intervention, we describe CNA definitions and perceptions of creativity in relation to care of LTC residents.

Methods

Data from six sequential focus groups with CNAs (n = 14) in two LTC facilities were analysed to describe the concept of creativity in relation to LTC caregiving and its meaning to CNAs working in LTC.

Results

Certified nursing assistants defined creativity as formal art‐making, yet they also described creative approaches to engaging residents in order to build relationships and reduce challenging behaviour. While most linked creativity with discerning and responding to resident needs, creativity was also foundational to time management, teamwork and navigating challenges.

Conclusion

Developing CNA‐centred interventions to promote creative caregiving may enhance both person‐centred LTC and CNA empowerment, improving resident care.

Implications for practice

CNA creativity should be viewed as a skill with the potential to enhance care and increase CNA empowerment. Interventions should be developed, in partnership with CNAs, to promote creative caregiving.
The Fiscal Impacts of Urban Sprawl: Evidence From U.S. County Areas
Authors: Goodman Christopher B.
Published: October 2019

This paper examines the fiscal impacts of urban development patterns in the United States. Previous studies have indicated that it is costly to provide public services in areas with low‐density, spatially expansive development, leading to higher per capita expenditures. However, theory would suggest alternate outcomes. This paper examines this question using a panel dataset of U.S. urban county areas and a specification allowing for potential nonlinearity between development patterns and per capita expenditures. Estimates indicate that the spatial extent of development is the most important factor in expenditures; it is less costly to provide public services when development is more compact. Higher density increases per capita expenditures; however, the effects are small.