Challenges and benefits of working in teams – Interpersonal interactions in health care

Teamwork has become the accepted way of doing one’s job. This is so true even profession’s that were considered an exception are shifting towards teamwork. Apart from the well-known benefits, there seems to be a downside of the enforcement of this work strategy. Conflicts, frictions, frustration in working groups can affect the dignity, psychological or physical integrity of team members, generally referred to as psychological harassment, workplace bullying or mobbing. The outcomes of the phenomenon are various negative organizational responses. Health care is somewhat lagging behind in this shift towards working in teams, but with increasing specialization greater coordination is needed between health care professionals. Above all, the patient wishes to be more involved in the health care process. Research suggests that patient involvement and working in teams have a positive impact on effectiveness and patient mortality, respectively. One of the challenges for health care is to include the patient in the teamwork process as an equal member of the group and at the same time overcome the drawbacks mentioned above, in a setting where a traditional, paternalistic approach is still present and the vulnerability of the patient (and his/her dignity) is evident

Application of the non-extensive statistical approach to high energy particle collisions

In high-energy collisions the number of the created particles is far less than the thermodynamic limit, especially in small colliding systems (e.g. proton-proton). Therefore final-state effects and fluctuations in the one-particle energy distribution are appreciable. As a consequence the characterization of identified hadron spectra with the Boltzmann\,--\,Gibbs thermodynamical approach is insufficient. Instead particle spectra measured in high-energy collisions can be described very well with Tsallis\,--\,Pareto distributions, derived from non-extensive thermodynamics. Using the Tsallis q-entropy formula, a generalization of the Boltzmann\,--\,Gibbs entropy, we interpret the microscopical physics by analysing the Tsallis $q$ and $T$ parameters. In this paper we give a quick overview on these parameters, analyzing identified hadron spectra from recent years in a wide center of mass energy range. We demonstrate that the fitted Tsallis-parameters show dependency on this energy and on the particle species. Our findings are described well by a QCD inspired evolution ansatz

Systematic analysis of the non-extensive statistical approach in high energy particle collisions-experiment vs. theory

The analysis of high-energy particle collisions is an excellent testbed for the non-extensive statistical approach. In these reactions we are far from the thermodynamical limit. In small colliding systems, such as electron-positron or nuclear collisions, the number of particles is several orders of magnitude smaller than the Avogadro number; therefore, finite-size and fluctuation effects strongly influence the final-state one-particle energy distributions. Due to the simple characterization, the description of the identified hadron spectra with the Boltzmann-Gibbs thermodynamical approach is insufficient. These spectra can be described very well with Tsallis-Pareto distributions instead, derived from non-extensive thermodynamics. Using the $q$-entropy formula, we interpret the microscopic physics in terms of the Tsallis $q$ and $T$ parameters. In this paper we give a view on these parameters, analyzing identified hadron spectra from recent years in a wide center-of-mass energy range. We demonstrate that the fitted Tsallis-parameters show dependency on the center-of-mass energy and particle species (mass). Our findings are described well by a QCD (Quantum Chromodynamics) inspired parton evolution ansatz. Based on this comprehensive study, apart from the evolution, both mesonic and baryonic components found to be non-extensive ($q>1$), besides the mass ordered hierarchy observed in the parameter $T$. We also study and compare in details the theory-obtained parameters for the case of PYTHIA8 Monte Carlo Generator, perturbative QCD and quark coalescence models.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures. This is an extended version of our paper at the 36th International Workshop on Bayesian Inference and Maximum Entropy Methods in Science and Engineering (MaxEnt 2016), 10-15 July 2016, Ghent, Belgiu

Multiphysical computations of the electrical machines using FEM

In this paper three problems representing the multiphysical aspect of electrical machine computation are addressed. The interaction between magnetic and structural mechanical systems is demonstrated by the finite element method (FEM) structural investigation of the turbo-generator end-winding deformations. Multiphysical simulation of the acoustical problem is presented by weakly coupled electromagnetic, structural dynamic and acoustic simulations. And finally, a procedure based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation for acquiring the convective heat transfer coefficients is proposed in order to improve the accuracy of the coupled electro-thermal FEM simulations

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Lingual Validation of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ)-Specific for Cholesterol Lowering Drugs in the Visegrad Countries

The goal of this study was to translate the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire—Specific (BMQ-Specific) for cholesterol-lowering drugs, into the Hungarian, Slovak, Czech and Polish languages and test their reliability with statistical methods. For this purpose, Cronbach’s alpha, confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were conducted. The analyses included 235 Czech, 205 Hungarian, 200 Polish, and 200 Slovak respondents, all of whom were taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. The translations from English into the target languages were always done by two independent translators. As part of the validation process these translations were pilot tested and after the necessary alterations, they were translated back into English by a third translator. After the approval by the creator of the questionnaire, nationwide surveys were conducted in all four countries. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis were exceptionally good for the Czech and Slovak translations, while the Polish and Hungarian translations marginally crossed the predetermined thresholds. With the exception of a single Polish question, the results of the exploratory factor analysis were deemed acceptable. The translated versions of BMQ-Specific are reliable and valid tools to assess patients’ beliefs about medication, especially medication adherence among patients taking cholesterol-lowering medication. A comparison between the four countries with this questionnaire is now possible

Differences in Beliefs About Cholesterol-Lowering Medications Among the Visegrad Group Countries: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: New cholesterol guidelines highlight more personalized risk assessments and new cholesterol-lowering drugs for people at the highest risk for cardiovascular disease. Adherence due to fear of and lack of trust in medications prevents treatment to provide better health outcomes. / Objectives: The aim of our study was to investigate the possible differences in the beliefs about the necessity and concerns regarding lipid-lowering drugs among the Visegrad Group countries. / Methods: The Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ-Specific) was used in our research. The responses of 205 Hungarian, 200 Slovak, 235 Czech, and 200 Polish participants, all taking cholesterol-lowering medications, were compared to each other. / Results: Hungarian participants' belief in the necessity of cholesterol-lowering drugs was significantly lower compared to the Slovak (P = 0.001), Czech (P = 0.037), and Polish (P < 0.001) participants. While no difference was observed between the Czech and Slovak responses (P = 0.154), both the Czech (P < 0.001) and Slovak (P = 0.006) respondents' belief regarding necessity was lower than that of the Polish. Regarding concerns, the only significant difference was observed between the Czech and the Polish respondents (P = 0.011). / Conclusions: While the beliefs about benefits (necessity) are most prominent among the Polish participants, except in comparison to Czech responses, the Visegrad Group countries do not differ considerably regarding their beliefs about the fear (concerns) of the treatment

Solution Equilibrium Studies of Anticancer Ruthenium(II)-η6-p-cymene Complexes of Pyridinecarboxylic Acids

Stoichiometry and stability of antitumor ruthenium(II)-η6-p-cymene complexes of picolinic acid and its 6-methyl and 6-carboxylic acid derivatives were determined by pH-potentiometry, 1H NMR spectroscopy and UV–Vis spectrophotometry in aqueous solution in the presence or absence of coordinating chloride ions. The picolinates form exclusively mono-ligand complexes in which they can coordinate via the bidentate (O,N) mode and a chloride or a water molecule is found at the third binding site of the ruthenium(II)-η6-p-cymene moiety depending on the conditions. [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(L)(H2O/Cl)] species are predominant at physiological pH in all studied cases. Hydrolysis of the aqua complex or the chlorido/hydroxido co-ligand exchange results in the formation of the mixed-hydroxido species [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(L)(OH)] in the basic pH range. There is no indication for the decomposition of the mono-ligand complexes during 24 h in the ruthenium(II)-η6-p-cymene-picolinic acid system between pH 3 and 11; however, a slight dissociation with a low reaction rate was found in the other two systems leading to the appearance of the dinuclear trihydroxido-bridged species [Ru2(η6-p-cymene)2(OH)3]+ and free ligands at pH > 10. The replacement of the chlorido by an aqua ligand in [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(L)Cl] was also monitored and equilibrium constants for the exchange process were determined

Development and validation of two self-reported tools for insulin resistance and hypertension risk assessment in a European cohort : the Feel4Diabetes-study

Early identification of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension (HTN) risk may improve prevention and promote public health. Implementation of self-reported scores for risk assessment provides an alternative cost-effective tool. The study aimed to develop and validate two easy-to-apply screening tools identifying high-risk individuals for insulin resistance (IR) and HTN in a European cohort. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, anthropometric and clinical data obtained from 1581 and 1350 adults (baseline data from the Feel4Diabetes-study) were used for the European IR and the European HTN risk assessment index respectively. Body mass index, waist circumference, sex, age, breakfast consumption, alcohol, legumes and sugary drinks intake, physical activity and sedentary behavior were significantly correlated with Homeostatic Model Assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) and/or HTN and incorporated in the two models. For the IR index, the Area Under the Curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity for identifying individuals above the 75th and 95th of HOMA-IR percentiles were 0.768 (95%CI: 0.721–0.815), 0.720 and 0.691 and 0.828 (95%CI: 0.766–0.890), 0.696 and 0.778 respectively. For the HTN index, the AUC, sensitivity and specificity were 0.778 (95%CI: 0.680–0.876), 0.667 and 0.797. The developed risk assessment tools are easy-to-apply, valid, and low-cost, identifying European adults at high risk for developing T2DM or having HTN