Benefits of a Multi-Generational Workforce: Perceptions of Age-Friendly Work Environments

Age-friendly workplaces (1) emphasize mutual respect and inclusion at work and (2) provide comprehensive support for employees of all ages by utilizing a combination of policies, procedures, settings, and/or structures to (3) remove the barriers that segregate by age group and (4) encourages participation of all employees regardless of their age. The current study explored the idea of an age-friendly workplace by developing a measure of an age-friendly workplace and examining its influence on employees. The Age-Friendly Work Environment Scale was developed to assess the extent to which employees view their organizations to manage employees of different ages effectively. Using a working sample from a single organization, the study examined the relationship between an age-friendly work environment and employees\u27 job-related outcomes such as engagement, satisfaction, stress, and turnover intentions

Impacts of financial reporting standards for registered charities

Financial reporting standards for registered charities were introduced in the year 2015 in New Zealand. Certain charities were also required to have their financial statements audited and reviewed by independent auditors. These legislative changes brought about a paradigm shift in the accounting and reporting practices of charities. The intention behind these changes were to improve public trust in the functioning of charities. This report aims to examine the impact of these reporting legislations on charities in Waikato region. It also aims to analyse the need for improving public trust in charities and the perception of charities on the new auditing requirements. A literature review has been performed to understand the history of charities regulation in New Zealand, the need for new financial reporting standards and the tier system based on which the new reporting requirements have been implemented. A qualitative research was conducted among participating accountants in Hamilton. The results have been analysed and recommendations have provided with an aim to improve the legislative changes implementation process for charities sector, particularly for smaller charities

Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding respiratory symptoms among textile workers of Karachi, Pakistan: A cross-sectional survey

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and predictors of good knowledge, appropriate attitude and appropriate protective practices regarding respiratory symptoms among textile workers, and to determine the association of knowledge, attitude and practices with respiratory symptoms.Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009 and comprised male workers from 15 textile mills in and around Karachi. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used which included questions to explore the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding respiratory symptoms. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis.Results: The study had a sample size of 372 and found prevalence of good knowledge to be in 182 (48.9%) workers and appropriate attitude in 302 (81%), while only 80 (21%) were practising these measures appropriately. Being educated and older than 38 years of age, belonging to Sindhi ethnicity, and working in the weaving section were significant (p0.05).Conclusions: There was low prevalence of appropriate practices, high prevalence of good knowledge and attitude, indicating an interplay of several other social and environmental factors which need to be explored

An in vitro study to compare the effects of different colour changing orthodontic adhesives and different resin removal techniques on enamel colour

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: To find a combination of colour changing orthodontic adhesive and resin removal system which contribute to minimal enamel colour change following orthodontic treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 150 extracted human premolars were divided into 5 groups, one control and 4 experimental groups in which orthodontic brackets were bonded using 2 colour changing orthodontic adhesives, Greengloo and Transbond Plus. After subjected to artificial ageing the brackets were debonded and resin removal was done using 2 types of adhesive removal systems, 12 fluted tungsten carbide bur and coarse Soflex disc. An episode of artificial ageing was carried out again. The colour changes were noted at the baseline, after debonding and after second photoageing. CONCLUSION: There was insignificant amount of enamel colour change post orthodontically, when Grengloo and Transbond plus colour changing orthodontic adhesive were used. Tungsten carbide and soflex resin removal systems has similar effect on enamel colour immediately after debonding. Tungsten carbide bur group has shown to produce discolouration 30 days post treatment, when compared with the control. Grengloo and Transbond plus colour changing adhesives along with soflex disc may be used for better aesthetics after orthodontic treatment with minimal enamel colour change

Polymer funcionalization of nano-graphene oxide by molecular layer deposition

Mestrado em Engenharia de MateriaisO presente trabalho aborda o processo de funcionalização por via seca de nanopartículas de óxido de grafeno (nano-GO) visando o estabelecimento de ligações a polietilenoglicol (PEG) na sua superfície. Atualmente utilizam-se métodos químicos de funcionalização por via húmida com esta finalidade, no entanto são demorados e resultam em perdas significativas de amostra. O trabalho foi realizado em duas fases: o GO foi primeiramente sintetizado em forma de filme e pó utilizando um método “Hummers” modificado, sendo caracterizado por FTIR, SEM e DLS; em seguida o GO foi exposto aos precursores do PEG num reator de deposição por camada molecular (MLD) sob condições de vácuo. Utilizaram-se temperaturas diversas de deposição, tendo-se observado uma adsorção ótima entre 90-100° C. Primeiramente, a deposição de PEG em pó de GO, com terminações de amina, confirmou por FTIR a presença dos picos característicos de PEG, aproximadamente aos 2925 cm-1 e 2850 cm-1, corroborando a funcionalização a seco do GO por um mecanismo de vaporização-condensação. A via MLD, usando TMA e EG como precursores foi então realizada no pó de GO, tendo proporcionado uma camada de passivação inicial rica em alumínio, na qual ciclos subsequentes de exposição ao monómero EG resultaram na sua adsorção e polimerização, tal como demonstrado por FTIR e análises EDS. O nano-GO-PEG é vantajoso para aplicações na área da biomedicina, incluindo sistemas de administração de fármacos, biossensores e terapia fototérmica. O PEG permite ao nano-GO ser reconhecido como biocompatível, estabelecendo uma superfície repelente e incrementando o transporte citoplasmático, permitindo assim características essenciais, tais como alta absorvância óptica, fluorescência e estabilidade em meio fisiológico, essenciais para os sistemas biológicos. O sucesso da produção do nano-GO funcionalizado com PEG pela via a seco aqui proposta poderá será favorável para outros tipos de funcionalização e copolimerização de nanopartículas.This research aims to achieve a dry functionalization approach for covalently attaching polyethylene glycol (PEG) onto the surface of nano-graphene oxide (GO). Currently, wet chemical methods are used to achieve this, being characteristically time consuming and resulting in significant loss of sample. This work is carried out in two stages; GO is first synthesized using a modified Hummers’ method, and then characterized by FTIR, SEM and DLS; it is then produced in film and powder form, for exposure to precursors in an MLD reactor under rough vacuum conditions. GO films were exposed to PEG at variable temperatures, determining that at 90oC and 100oC the optimal adsorption occurred. Deposition of amine-terminated PEG on GO powder confirmed the presence of characteristic PEG peaks around 2925cm-1 and 2850cm-1 via FTIR, substantiating the dry functionalization of GO via vaporization-condensation. An MLD route, using TMA and EG precursors was then performed on GO powder, delivering an initial passivation layer of Al, onto which subsequent cycles of EG adsorbs, demonstrated by FTIR and EDS analysis. PEGylated-nano-GO is advantageous for applications in the area of biomedicine; including drug delivery systems, biosensors and photothermal therapy. PEG permits nano-GO to be recognized as biocompatible; establishing on it a non-fouling surface and increasing its cytoplasmic transport, thereby allowing its inherent characteristics such as high optical absorbance, fluorescence, and stability in physiological media to be pertinent to biological systems. Successful production of PEG functionalized nano-GO via the proposed method will be favourable for other possibilities of nanoparticle surface functionalization and copolymerization

Comparative Study of Bacteriological Techniques, Cytology and Molecular Technique (PCR) using Fine Needle Aspirate in the Diagnosis of Tuberculous Lymphadenitis.

INTRODUCTION : Tuberculosis has co-existed with humanity since the days before recorded history and evidence of tuberculosis has been found in the skeletal remains of mummies. Hippocrates not only described the disease but also named it ‘phthisis’ which means to mart or waste away. It is one of the most important diseases in the history of humanity and remains even today as an extraordinary burden to mankind. In the past tuberculosis was the greatest killer and earned the term, ‘The captain of all the men of death’ from John Bunyan and the ‘white plaque’ from Rene and Jean Dubars. Tuberculosis is one of the most serious health problems in India and accounts for 30% of the global burden. About 40% of Indian population is infected with Tubercle bacilli. Every year 1.8 million people developed TB of which nearly 8 lakhs are infectious smear positive cases. Every day, more than 20,000 people become infectious with tuberculosis and about 5000 develop disease. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : Isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from the fine needle aspirate samples by employing conventional bacteriological methods in patients clinically diagnosed as tuberculous lymphadenitis. Sputum smear examination by Ziehl- Neelsen technique and culture isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patients with pulmonary symptoms. Identification of Mycobacterium species employing standard phenotypic methods. Performing drug susceptibility tests on the isolates identified as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Detection of M. tuberculosis specific gene by performing PCR on fine needle aspirate samples. Screening the study patients for the presence of HIV infection. Correlation of the conventional techniques, such as smear & bacteriological isolation, cytomorphologic features with molecular technique in the laboratory diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Study Population - One hundred and twenty five Patients who were clinically suspected as tuberculous lymphadenitis cases were included in this study. Study size : 125 clinically suspected tuberculous lymphadenitis cases Study Period : 2 years from December 2003 to January 2006. The present study was conducted in Stanley Medical College for a period of two years. Seventy five patients with strong clinical features suggestive of Tuberculous lymphadenitis from both out patient and in-patient, Department of Medicine and surgery of Government Stanley Hospital and 50 patients from Govt. Hospital of Thoracic Medicine, Tambaram Sanatorium, Chennai were included in the study. CONCLUSION : Diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis based on clinical finding alone gives false positive results. Single diagnostic parameter alone is not sufficient for correct diagnosis. Fluorescent staining found to be more sensitive than Ziehl Neelsen staining for the demonstration of AFB in direct smear. Cytological positivity (p < 0.001) and demonstration of AFB in direct smear (P < 0.034) of the fine needle aspirate has significant statistical association with culture. FNAC is more significantly associated. Among FNAC, Direct smear and PCR, PCR (P < 0.001) is most significantly associated with culture. PCR is the most sensitive technique. 20% of tuberculous lymphadenitis patients were co-infected with HIV

Quantifying Health Inequalities Induced by Data and AI Models

AI technologies are being increasingly tested and applied in critical environments including healthcare. Without an effective way to detect and mitigate AI induced inequalities, AI might do more harm than good, potentially leading to the widening of underlying inequalities. This paper proposes a generic allocation-deterioration framework for detecting and quantifying AI induced inequality. Specifically, AI induced inequalities are quantified as the area between two allocation-deterioration curves. To assess the framework’s performance, experiments were conducted on ten synthetic datasets (N>33,000) generated from HiRID - a real-world Intensive Care Unit (ICU) dataset, showing its ability to accurately detect and quantify inequality proportionally to controlled inequalities. Extensive analyses were carried out to quantify health inequalities (a) embedded in two real-world ICU datasets; (b) induced by AI models trained for two resource allocation scenarios. Results showed that compared to men, women had up to 33% poorer deterioration in markers of prognosis when admitted to HiRID ICUs. All four AI models assessed were shown to induce significant inequalities (2.45% to 43.2%) for non-White compared to White patients. The models exacerbated data embedded inequalities significantly in 3 out of 8 assessments, one of which was >9 times worse

An investigation of the intention to leave or stay of health care professionals at St. Andrews Hospital

Background: The demand for and retention of talent worldwide is aggravated by revolutionary trends that include global competition, demographic changes and technological advances. In South Africa this phenomenon according to Frost (2002) is further challenged by the emigration of skilled people; the relative scarcity of specialist and managerial employees; employment equity and affirmative action procedures. But the development of strategies first requires an understanding of the factors which influence decisions to leave or stay particularly in rural and remote areas. St. Andrews Hospital is a rural district hospital in Ugu District, KZN. Its remoteness from urban areas and the lack of resources contributes towards challenges of attracting and retaining health care professionals to the area. It is the aim of this study to identify the ten most prevalent turnover and retention factors in a rural district hospital with the intention of making recommendations towards strategies to mitigate turnover and improve retention of health care professionals. This study will not only serve the local Human Resource Department but may also be used to inform district and provincial policies as well as departments’ decisions in the design or the review of current retention strategies aimed at reducing turnover. Method: The survey method was used to collect the primary data by distribution of self-administered questionnaires to Health Care Professionals at St. Andrews Hospital. Of the one hundred and fifty questionnaires distributed, one hundred and seven were returned (71% response rate) and formed the basis of the study. Results: Based on the impact scores, the top three turnover factors identified were, the way the organisation is led by top management (0.934); the size of the workload (0.862); and the way problems are dealt with by managers in the organisation (0.817). No statistically significant relationships were found between turnover factors and biographical variable. Availability of quality health services was ranked as the external factor that had the highest influence (78%) on turnover, while geographical location was ranked the lowest. The main reason given by respondents for leaving their previous employment was promotion, followed by distance and personal/family reasons. The top three retention factors identified from the impact scores were the quality of relationships with colleagues (1.698); the amount of support received from managers and colleagues (1.484); and the level of engagement and involvement with the job (1.390). This demonstrates that the salary package often thought to be a first priority factor Mobley, Horner and Hollingsworth (1978); Mobley (1982) and Herzberg (2003) is far less of a determining factor at St. Andrews Hospital than management support, job involvement and person-organisation fit as well as the social relationships formed in the workplace. A positive relationship was found between leadership and job dimension factors at the 1% level of significance. This supports the strong social bond (person-organisation fit) formed in the work environment between management and colleagues that supports retention and increases level of commitment. An important result of the study was that 46% of the respondents were thinking of leaving the town within the year while 29% were considering resigning from St. Andrews Hospital within the year. Conclusion: The results reveal a complex interaction of factors impacting on turnover and retention. The Human Resource Management function has a pivotal role to play in improving its ability to attract and retain professionals through developing comprehensive strategies based on external and internal and environmental factors. The study conveys to the St. Andrews Hospital management that turnover and retention factors are unique to the location and the working environment and differs amongst Health Care Professionals – this should be deliberated on when formulating Hospital Human Resource retention policies

Not Such a Complainer Anymore: Confrontation That Signals a Growth Mindset Can Attenuate Backlash

We report the first investigation of whether observers draw information about mindsets from behavior, specifically prejudice confrontation. We tested two questions across 10 studies (N = 3,168). First, would people who observe someone confront a biased comment (vs. remain silent) see them as endorsing more growth (vs. fixed) mindsets about prejudice and bias? If so, would the growth mindset perceptions that arise from confrontation (vs. remaining silent) attenuate the backlash that observers exhibit against confronters? We investigated these questions using scenarios (Studies 1, 2a–b, 4, 5a–d), naturalistic confrontations of national, race, and gender stereotypes reported retrospectively (Study 3), and an in-person laboratory experiment of actual confrontations of racial bias (Study 6). Correlational and experimental methods yielded support for our core hypotheses: People spontaneously imbue someone who confronts a biased comment with more growth mindset beliefs about prejudice and bias (Studies 1, 2a–b, 4, 6), regardless of whether participants observe the confrontation (Studies 1, 2a–b, 5a–d) or are being confronted themselves (Studies 2a–4, 6). The growth mindset perceptions arising from these confrontations suppress backlash, assessed by classic interpersonal perceptions (Studies 4–5) and judgments of interpersonal warmth and willingness to interact again in the future (Study 6), both when the confronter was a target of the biased behavior (Studies 1–5), and when they were an ally (Study 6), in both correlational studies (Study 3–4) and when growth mindset (about personality, Study 5; about prejudice, Study 6) was manipulated, confirming causality. We discuss implications for the study of mindsets, confrontation, and intergroup relation