Ethical Leadership and Ethical Voice: The Mediating Mechanisms of Value Internalization and Integrity Identity

Drawing upon self-concept and social-information processing perspectives, we theorize and test a model linking ethical leadership with ethical voice via ethical value internalization and integrity identity. In two field studies (N = 972 and N = 765, respectively) of police officers and staff in the United Kingdom and an online 3-wave study (N = 448), we investigate the mediating role of ethical value internalization and integrity identity in the relationship between ethical leadership and ethical voice. Study 1 uses time-lagged data and demonstrates ethical leadership to be positively related to followers’ ethical value internalization, which in turn enhances their integrity identity and ethical voice. The serial mediation effect of the relationship between ethical leadership and ethical voice via employees’ ethical value internalization and integrity identity is also significant. Further support for our hypotheses is provided using multi-source data (Study 2) and a 3-wave cross-lagged design (Study 3). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed

Young people's motivations to drive: expectations and realities

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd Fewer young adults are choosing to learn to drive and there is a safety argument for encouraging those who do learn to delay doing so. In this study we explore what motivates young people to learn to drive and we uncover their expectations – and the reality – of the difference driving makes to their short- and longer-term futures. We conducted 12 focus groups with 48 young people age 16–24. The discussions explored why they do or don't want to drive, the immediate life changes that driving brings as well as how driving might affect their life in the future. We analysed the data using thematic analysis using the question: what motivates young people to learn to drive? We identified five motivations in the data, organised into two themes. The first theme relates to the benefits of maturity. Young people believe driving provides independence and represents the first stage of becoming an adult. Most rely on their parents for lifts, and therefore parents control and scrutinise their social life. The car as a form of personal space was very important for young people, as they have complete control over this environment, which can be missing in other aspects of their lives. Driving also bestows kudos, particularly for those amongst the first in their peer group to pass their test. Novice drivers enjoy being able to offer lifts to friends and family, although described how this rapidly becomes an imposition. The second theme is about broadening horizons. Young people believe that driving expands their social world, enabling them to travel further afield with their friends for day trips because driving is faster, more convenient and cheaper than public transport. In practice, few of those who drive had used their car in this way, instead using it mainly for commuting and getting fast food. Participants talked about how driving opens up career opportunities, allowing them to travel to more distant cities for work and study. However, driving usually made accessing work and study opportunities more convenient rather than possible. Instead, the main benefit young people actually experienced was having more time to sleep in the morning. The qualitative nature of the study, together with the inclusion of pre-drivers, drivers and non-drivers, has provided insight into motivations for learning to drive and how the reality of driving often does not match expectations. The results could be used to inform the potential content of an intervention to encourage young people to delay learning to drive

mRNAs encoding aquaporins are present during murine preimplantation development.

The present study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms underlying fluid movement across the trophectoderm during blastocyst formation by determining whether aquaporins (AQPs) are expressed during early mammalian development. AQPs belong to a family of major intrinsic membrane proteins and function as molecular water channels that allow water to flow rapidly across plasma membranes in the direction of osmotic gradients. Ten different AQPs have been identified to date. Murine preimplantation stage embryos were flushed from the oviducts and uteri of superovulated CD1 mice. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods employing primer sets designed to amplify conserved sequences of AQPs (1-9) were applied to murine embryo cDNA samples. PCR reactions were conducted for up to 40 cycles involving denaturation of DNA hybrids at 95 degrees C, primer annealing at 52-60 degrees C and extension at 72 degrees C. PCR products were separated on 2% agarose gels and were stained with ethidium bromide. AQP PCR product identity was confirmed by sequence analysis. mRNAs encoding AQPs 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9 were detected in murine embryos from the one-cell stage up to the blastocyst stage. AQP 8 mRNAs were not detected in early cleavage stages but were present in morula and blastocyst stage embryos. The results were confirmed in experimental replicates applied to separate embryo pools of each embryo stage. These results demonstrate that transcripts encoding seven AQP gene products are detectable during murine preimplantation development. These findings predict that AQPs may function as conduits for trophectoderm fluid transport during blastocyst formation

Trophectoderm differentiation in the bovine embryo: characterization of a polarized epithelium.

Blastocytst formation is dependent on the differentiation of a transporting epithelium, the trophectoderm, which is coordinated by the embryonic expression and cell adhesive properties of E-cadherin. The trophectoderm shares differentiative characteristics with all epithelial tissues, including E-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion, tight junction formation, and polarized distribution of intramembrane proteins, including the Na-K ATPase. The present study was conducted to characterize the mRNA expression and distribution of polypeptides encoding E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and the tight junction associated protein, zonula occludens protein 1, in pre-attachment bovine embryos, in vitro. Immunocytochemistry and gene specific reverse transcription--polymerase chain reaction methods were used. Transcripts for E-cadherin and beta-catenin were detected in embryos of all stages throughout pre-attachment development. Immunocytochemistry revealed E-cadherin and beta-catenin polypeptides evenly distributed around the cell margins of one-cell zygotes and cleavage stage embryos. In the morula, detection of these proteins diminished in the free apical surface of outer blastomeres. E-cadherin and beta-catenin became restricted to the basolateral membranes of trophectoderm cells of the blastocyst, while maintaining apolar distributions in the inner cell mass. Zonula occludens protein 1 immunoreactivity was undetectable until the morula stage and first appeared as punctate points between the outer cells. In the blastocyst, zonula occludens protein 1 was localized as a continuous ring at the apical points of trophectoderm cell contact and was undetectable in the inner cell mass. These results illustrate that the gene products encoding E-cadherin, beta-catenin and zonula occludens protein 1 are expressed and maintain cellular distribution patterns consistent with their predicted roles in mediating trophectoderm differentiation in in vitro produced bovine embryos

Impact of bovine oocyte maturation media on oocyte transcript levels, blastocyst development, cell number, and apoptosis.

The objectives were 1) to investigate the effects of oocyte maturation in serum-free and amino acid-supplemented defined media on oocyte transcript levels, blastocyst cell number, and apoptosis; 2) to investigate the influence of oocyte maturation culture atmosphere on blastocyst development, total cell number, and apoptosis; and 3) to examine the influence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) during oocyte maturation on blastocyst cell number and apoptosis. The results demonstrate that blastocysts derived from in vitro maturation, fertilization, and embryo culture protocols undergo apoptosis but that apoptotic levels are not greatly influenced by the oocyte maturation environment. Amino acid supplementation of oocyte maturation media was associated with enhanced developmental frequencies, increased blastocyst cell number, and elevated oocyte maternal mRNA levels. Oocyte maturation with supplemented synthetic oviduct fluid medium (cSOFMaa) resulted in blastocyst cell numbers comparable to those observed with Tissue Culture Medium 199 + newborn calf serum. Blastocyst development was reduced following oocyte maturation under a 5% CO(2), 7% O(2), 88% N(2) culture atmosphere. EGF supplementation of oocyte maturation medium resulted in a concentration-dependent increase in blastocyst development but did not influence blastocyst total cell number or apoptosis. Our findings indicate that cSOFMaa medium is an effective base medium for bovine oocyte maturation

Resource utilization and outcome at a university versus a community teaching hospital in tPA treated stroke patients: a retrospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Comparing patterns of resource utilization between hospitals is often complicated by biases in community and patient populations. Stroke patients treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) provide a particularly homogenous population for comparison because of strict eligibility criteria for treatment. We tested whether resource utilization would be similar in this homogenous population between two hospitals located in a single Midwestern US community by comparing use of diagnostic testing and associated outcomes following treatment with t-PA.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Medical records from 206 consecutive intravenous t-PA-treated stroke patients from two teaching hospitals (one university, one community-based) were reviewed. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics and outcome were analyzed, as were the frequency of use of CT, MRI, MRA, echocardiography, angiography, and EEG.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seventy-nine and 127 stroke patients received t-PA at the university and community hospitals, respectively. The two patient populations were demographically similar. There were no differences in stroke severity. All outcomes were similar at both hospitals. Utilization of CT scans, and non-invasive carotid and cardiac imaging studies were similar at both hospitals; however, brain MR, TEE, and catheter angiography were used more frequently at the university hospital. EEG was obtained more often at the community hospital.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Utilization of advanced brain imaging and invasive diagnostic testing was greater at the university hospital, but was not associated with improved clinical outcomes. This could not be explained on the basis of stroke severity or patient characteristics. This variation of practice suggests substantial opportunities exist to reduce costs and improve efficiency of diagnostic resource use as well as reduce patient exposure to risk from diagnostic procedures.</p

Mineral-PET: Kimberlite sorting by nuclear-medical technology

A revolutionary new technology for diamond bearing rock sorting which has its roots in medical-nuclear physics has been taken through a substantial part of the R&D phase. This has led to the construction of the technology demonstrator. Experiments using the technology demonstrator and experiments at a hospital have established the scientific and technological viability of the project

Circularly polarized colour reflection from helicoidal structures in the beetle Plusiotis boucardi

Copyright © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. This is the published version of an article published in New Journal of Physics Vol. 9, article 99. DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/9/4/099A detailed optical study of the iridescent outer-shell of the beetle Plusiotis boucardi has revealed a novel microstructure which controls both the polarization and wavelength of reflected light. A previously unreported hexagonal array across the integument of the beetle exhibits highly localized regions of reflection of only red and green left-handed circularly-polarized light. Optical and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging reveals the origin of this effect as an array of 'bowl-shaped' recesses on the elytra that are formed from a dual-pitch helicoidal layer. Reflectivity spectra collected from the beetle are compared to theoretical data produced using a multi-layer optics model for modelling chiral, optically anisotropic media such as cholesteric liquid crystals. Excellent agreement is obtained between data and theory produced using a model that incorporates an upper isotropic layer (of cuticular wax), followed by a short pitch (310 (± 1) nm) overlying a longer pitch (370 (±1) nm) helicoidal layer of optically anisotropic material. These layers are backed by an absorbing underlayer. Synthetic replication of this form of structure may provide a route to the fabrication of tuneable micro-mirrors for optical applications

Making it work for me: beliefs about making a personal health record relevant and useable.

BACKGROUND: A Personal Health Record (PHR) is an electronic record that individuals use to manage and share their health information, e.g. data from their medical records and data collected by apps. However, engagement with their record can be low if people do not find it beneficial to their health, wellbeing or interactions with health and other services. We have explored the beliefs potential users have about a PHR, how it could be made personally relevant, and barriers to its use. METHODS: A qualitative design comprising eight focus groups, each with 6-8 participants. Groups included adults with long-term health conditions, young people, physically active adults, data experts, and members of the voluntary sector. Each group lasted 60-90 min, was audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. We analysed the data using thematic analysis to address the question "What are people's beliefs about making a Personal Health Record have relevance and impact?" RESULTS: We found four themes. Making it work for me is about how to encourage individuals to actively engage with their PHR. I control my information is about individuals deciding what to share and who to share it with. My concerns is about individuals' concerns about information security and if and how their information will be acted upon. Potential impact shows the potential benefits of a PHR such as increasing self-efficacy, uptake of health-protective behaviours, and professionals taking a more holistic approach to providing care and facilitating behaviour change. CONCLUSIONS: Our research shows the functionality that a PHR requires in order for people to engage with it. Interactive functions and integration with lifestyle and health apps are particularly important. A PHR could increase the effectiveness of behaviour change apps by specifying evidence-based behaviour change techniques that apps should incorporate. A PHR has the potential to increase health-protective behaviours and facilitate a more person-driven health and social care system. It could support patients to take responsibility for self-managing their health and treatment regimens, as well as helping patients to play a more active role when care transfers across boundaries of responsibility