The relationship between job insecurity, shock, and turnover intention, amongst survivors of organizational downsizing

It is often thought that survivors of a downsized organization should be thankful for remaining in their jobs, and that they should respond positively by helping the organization to achieve its goals. However, these individuals often have the intention of leaving the organization. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence the turnover intention of survivors of downsized organizations. We hypothesized that survivors were more likely to think about leaving their organization when they perceived insecurity in their jobs and considered the downsizing decision taken by top management as a "shock." We tested this hypothesis on 187 surviving employees of downsized organizations in Malaysia. The important findings of this study are that the survivors' turnover intention is significantly related to shock, job insecurity, and organizational level. Hence, organization leaders need to plan carefully before implementing their organization's downsizing, as shocks do influence survivors' turnover intention

Blue and white phosphorescent organic light emitting diode performance improvement by confining electrons and holes inside double emitting layers

AbstractIn this research, complex emitting layers (EML) were fabricated using TCTA doping hole-transport material in the front half of a bipolar 26DCzPPy as well as PPT doping electron-transport material in the back half of 26DCzPPy. Blue dopant FIrpic was also mixed inside the complex emitting layer to produce a highly efficient blue phosphorescent organic light emitting diode (OLED). The hole and electron injection and carrier recombination rate were effectively increased. The fabricated complex emitting layers exhibited current efficiency of 42cd/A and power efficiency of 30lm/W when the luminance was 1000cd/m2, driving voltage was 4.4V, and current density was 2.4mA/cm2. A white OLED component was then manufactured by doping red dopant [Os(bpftz)2(PPh2Me)2] (Os) in proper locations. When the Os dopant was doped in between the complex emitting layers, excitons were effectively confined within, increasing the recombination rate and therefore reducing the color shift. The resulting Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates shifted from 4 to 10V is (Δx=−0.04, Δy=+0.01). The component had a current efficiency of 35.7cd/A, a power efficiency of 24lm/W, driving voltage of 4.6V and a CIEx,y of (0.31,0.35) at a luminance of 1000cd/m2, with a maximum luminance of 15,600cd/m2 at 10V. Attaching an outcoupling enhancement film was applied to increase the luminance efficiency to 30lm/W

Old Ways for New Days

This Open Access book provides a critical reflection into how indigenous cultures are attempting to adapt to climate change. Through detailed first-hand accounts, the book describes the unique challenges facing indigenous peoples in the context of climate change adaptation, governance, communication strategies, and institutional pressures. The book shows how current climate change terminologies and communication strategies often perpetuate the marginalisation of indigenous peoples and suggests that new approaches that prioritise Indigenous voices, agency and survival are required. The book first introduces readers to Indigenous peoples and their struggles related to climate change, describing the impacts of climate change on their everyday lives and the adaptation strategies currently undertaken to address them. These strategies are then detailed through case studies which focus on how Indigenous knowledge and practices have been used to respond to and cope with climate change in a variety of environments, including urban settings. The book discusses specific governance challenges facing Indigenous peoples, and presents new methods for engagement that will bridge existing communication gaps to ensure Indigenous peoples are central to the implementation of climate change adaptation measures. This book is intended for an audience of Indigenous peoples, adaptation practitioners, academics, students, policy makers and government workers. ; Documents for the first time how some of the world's oldest living indigenous cultures are attempting to adapt to climate change Summarizes key issues facing indigenous peoples in the context of adaptation to climate change impacts Offers critical reflection on specific governance challenges faced by indigenous people

Old Ways for New Days

This Open Access book provides a critical reflection into how indigenous cultures are attempting to adapt to climate change. Through detailed first-hand accounts, the book describes the unique challenges facing indigenous peoples in the context of climate change adaptation, governance, communication strategies, and institutional pressures. The book shows how current climate change terminologies and communication strategies often perpetuate the marginalisation of indigenous peoples and suggests that new approaches that prioritise Indigenous voices, agency and survival are required. The book first introduces readers to Indigenous peoples and their struggles related to climate change, describing the impacts of climate change on their everyday lives and the adaptation strategies currently undertaken to address them. These strategies are then detailed through case studies which focus on how Indigenous knowledge and practices have been used to respond to and cope with climate change in a variety of environments, including urban settings. The book discusses specific governance challenges facing Indigenous peoples, and presents new methods for engagement that will bridge existing communication gaps to ensure Indigenous peoples are central to the implementation of climate change adaptation measures. This book is intended for an audience of Indigenous peoples, adaptation practitioners, academics, students, policy makers and government workers. ; Documents for the first time how some of the world's oldest living indigenous cultures are attempting to adapt to climate change Summarizes key issues facing indigenous peoples in the context of adaptation to climate change impacts Offers critical reflection on specific governance challenges faced by indigenous people

AI for Interpretable Chemistry: Predicting Radical Mechanistic Pathways via Contrastive Learning

Deep learning-based reaction predictors have undergone significant architectural evolution. However, their reliance on reactions from the US Patent Office results in a lack of interpretable predictions and limited generalization capability to other chemistry domains, such as radical and atmospheric chemistry. To address these challenges, we introduce a new reaction predictor system, RMechRP, that leverages contrastive learning in conjunction with mechanistic pathways, the most interpretable representation of chemical reactions. Specifically designed for radical reactions, RMechRP provides different levels of interpretation of chemical reactions. We develop and train multiple deep-learning models using RMechDB, a public database of radical reactions, to establish the first benchmark for predicting radical reactions. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of RMechRP in providing accurate and interpretable predictions of radical reactions, and its potential for various applications in atmospheric chemistry

Mental health of African asylum-seekers and refugees in Hong Kong: using the social determinants of health framework

Background: Hong Kong is non-signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, and has no systematic domestic policies committed to the rights of asylum-seekers and refugees (ASRs). This creates a tenuous setting for African ASRs there. This study explored how mapped social determinates of health has impacted the mental health and wellbeing of African ASR’s in Hong Kong. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 374 African ASRs. The survey comprised of: (a) sociodemographics; (b) health status; (c) health behaviours; and, (d) social experiences. Associations between social determinants of health and depression screen were explored and multivariable regression analysis was conducted. Results: Majority of participants were 18–37 years old (79.7%), male (77.2%), single (66.4%) and educated (60.9% high school and above). Over a third (36.1%) screened positive for depression. Analyses revealed that living with family reduced the odds of a positive depression screen (OR = 0.25, 95%CI = 0.07–0.88). Those perceiving their health to be “Poor” were 5.78 times as likely to be screened for depression. Additionally, those with higher scores on the discrimination scale were more likely to have positive depression screen (OR = 1.17, 95%CI = 1.10–1.24). Conclusion: A significant proportion of African ASRs in Hong Kong exhibits depressive symptoms. A complex interaction combining both social and perceptions of health and discrimination in the host society is likely exacerbated by their ASR status. The use of community support groups or even re-examination of the family reunification laws could improve the mental health and wellbeing of African ASRs in Hong Kong

Investigating Capacities to Change Soil and Irrigation Practices in Vegetable Production in Two Provinces in Cambodia

Improving vegetable production in Cambodia offers a pathway to grow domestic consumption and exports, and improve nutrition, profits, and livelihoods. Interviews with 120 growers and 5 focus group discussions within 5 villages investigated growers’ capacity to change soil and irrigation management in their Chinese cabbage, Petsai, Cucumber, Cauliflower, Lettuce and other vegetable crops. Low or no profitability (34% participants), insect pests (59%) and dry periods (18%) were growers’ major limitations, with small farm size (0.08 ha) and limited schooling (21–36% had no schooling) contributing to the scenario. High cost of inputs is a limitation to making farming system changes, with most growers using their own funds and less than 10% borrowing funds to pay for crop inputs. Communication and planning for vegetable growing occurred almost exclusively within families (93%), with 7.5% of participants discussing with other farmers. Lack of time (43%) and knowledge about farmer group activities (30%) limited ongoing group learning opportunities. Although very traditional, 28% of participants had tried new practices; 42% of participants indicated they will try new practices after exposure to a soil and irrigation research trial. The participants were keen learners, and after exposure to the research, 58% believed that liming improves yields and 18% prefer to evaluate this on their farms. Information sources about vegetable growing are limited, and growers had complex information needs. Facilitating and mentoring ongoing local support and technical information networks, and enhancing capacity and communication are seen as key strategies for empowering long term ability to change

Central Neuroplasticity and Decreased Heart Rate Variability after Particulate Matter Exposure in Mice

BackgroundEpidemiologic studies show that exposure to fine particulate matter [aerodynamic diameter < or = 2.5 microm (PM(2.5))] increases the total daily cardiovascular mortality. Impaired cardiac autonomic function, which manifests as reduced heart rate variability (HRV), may be one of the underlying causes. However, the cellular mechanism(s) by which PM(2.5) exposure induces decreased HRV is not known.ObjectivesWe tested the hypothesis that exposure to PM(2.5) impairs HRV by decreasing the excitability of the cardiac vagal neurons in the nucleus ambiguus. We also determined the effect of iron on PM-exposure-induced decrease in HRV.MethodsWe measured 24-hr HRV in time domains from electrocardiogram telemetry recordings obtained in conscious, freely moving mice after 3 days of exposure to PM(2.5) in the form of soot only or iron-soot. In parallel studies, we determined the intrinsic properties of identified cardiac vagal neurons, retrogradely labeled with a fluorescent dye applied to the sinoatrial node.ResultsSoot-only exposure decreased short-term HRV (root mean square of successive difference). With the addition of iron, all HRV parameters were significantly reduced. In nonexposed mice, vagal blockade significantly reduced all HRV parameters, suggesting that HRV is, in part, under vagal regulation in mice. Iron-soot exposure had no significant effect on resting membrane potential but decreased spiking responses of the identified cardiac vagal neurons to depolarizations (p < 0.05). The decreased spiking response was accompanied with a higher minimal depolarizing current required to evoke spikes and a lower peak discharge frequency.ConclusionsThe data suggest that PM-induced neuroplasticity of cardiac vagal neurons may be one mechanism contributing to the cardiovascular consequences associated with PM(2.5) exposure seen in humans

Microfluidic label-free selection of mesenchymal stem cell subpopulation during culture expansion extends the chondrogenic potential

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown as potential candidates for cell-based therapies for a diverse range of tissue regenerative applications. Therapeutic use of MSCs usually requires culture expansion, which increases the heterogeneity of MSCs in vitro, thus affecting the potency of the MSCs for more specific indications. The capacity for identifying and isolating special subsets of MSCs for treatment of specific diseases therefore holds great clinical significance. An important therapeutic application of MSC is for the regeneration of cartilage tissue. We and others have previously developed label-free microfluidic means to isolate subpopulations of culture expanded MSCs based on distinct biophysical characteristics. Here we utilize a spiral micro-channel device to separate culture expanded MSCs into five subgroups according to cell size, and study their proliferation and chondrogenesis at early, middle and late passages. Results show that in all passages, the medium-size subpopulation (cell size of 17-21 μm), compared to other subpopulations, displays significantly higher proliferation rate and chondrogenic capacity in terms of cartilage extracellular matrix formation. Also, the small cell subpopulation (average cell size of 11-12 μm) shows lower viability, and large cell subpopulation (average cell size 23-25 μm) expresses higher level of senescence-associated β-galactosidase. Finally, we show that repeated microfluidic exclusion of MSCs larger than 21 μm and smaller than 17 μm at every passage during continuous culture expansion result in selected MSCs with faster proliferation and better chondrogenic potential as compared to MSC derived from conventional expansion approach. This study demonstrates the significant merit and utility of size-based cell selection for the application of MSCs in cartilage regeneration

Scenario Analysis of Peak Demand Savings for Commercial Buildings with Thermal Mass in California

This paper reports on the potential impact of demand response (DR) strategies in commercial buildings in California based on the Demand Response Quick Assessment Tool (DRQAT), which uses EnergyPlus simulation prototypes for office and retail buildings. The study describes the potential impact of building size, thermal mass, climate, and DR strategies on demand savings in commercial buildings. Sensitivity analyses are performed to evaluate how these factors influence the demand shift and shed during the peak period. The whole-building peak demand of a commercial building with high thermal mass in a hot climate zone can be reduced by 30percent using an optimized demand response strategy. Results are summarized for various simulation scenarios designed to help owners and managers understand the potential savings for demand response deployment. Simulated demand savings under various scenarios were compared to field-measured data in numerous climate zones, allowing calibration of the prototype models. The simulation results are compared to the peak demand data from the Commercial End-Use Survey for commercial buildings in California. On the economic side, a set of electricity rates are used to evaluate the impact of the DR strategies on economic savings for different thermal mass and climate conditions. Our comparison of recent simulation to field test results provides an understanding of the DR potential in commercial buildings