62 research outputs found

    Evaluation of the Workplace Environment in the UK, and the Impact on Users’ Levels of Stimulation

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    The purpose of this study is to evaluate a number of recently completed workplaces in the UK. The first aim is to assess the impact of various aspects of the workplace environment on users’ levels of stimulation. The body of previous research undertaken into the workplace environment, identified the aspects to be investigated. Samples of employees from the sixteen businesses were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the workplaces. The results were entered into a regression analysis, and the most significant predictors of perceived stimulation identified. The data also revealed a dramatic reduction in staff arousal levels from mornings to afternoons. Thus, there is a second aim to determine whether changes to significant aspects of the workplace environment during the day can counteract the reduction in users’ stimulation. Two further workplaces were studied to enable changes to be made over a 12-week period. A sample of employees completed questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews revealed the reasons behind the results. It was found that provision of artwork, personal control of temperature and ventilation and regular breaks were the most significant contributions to increasing stimulation after lunch; while user choice of layout, and design and décor of workspaces and break areas, were the most significant aspects at design stage

    Does Al4H14— cluster anion exist? High-level ab initio study

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    A comprehensive ab initio investigation using coupled cluster theory with the aug-cc-pVnZ, n = D,T basis sets is carried out to identify distinct structures of the Al4H14— cluster anion and to evaluate its fragmentation stability. Both thermodynamic and mechanistic aspects of the fragmentation reactions are studied. The observation of this so far the most hydrogenated aluminum tetramer was reported in the recent mass spectrometry study of Li et al. (2010) J Chem Phys 132:241103–241104. The four Al4H14— anion structures found are chain-like with the multiple-coordinate Al center and can be viewed approximately as comprising Al2H7— and Al2H7 moieties. Locating computationally some of the Al4H14— minima on the correlated ab initio potential energy surfaces required the triple-zeta quality basis set to describe adequately the Al multi-coordinate bonding. For the two most stable Al4H14— isomers, the mechanism of their low-barrier interconversion is described. The dissociation of Al4H14— into the Al2H7— and Al2H7 units is predicted to require 20-22 (10-13) kcal mol-1 in terms of ΔH (ΔG) estimated at T = 298.15 K and p = 1 atm. However, Al4H14— is found to be a metastable species in the gas phase: the H2 loss from the radical moiety of its most favorable isomer is exothermic by 18 kcal mol-1 in terms of ΔH (298.15 K) and by 25 kcal mol-1 in terms of ΔG(298.15 K), with the enthalpic/free energy barrier involved being less than 1 kcal mol-1. By contrast with alane Al4H14—, only a weakly bound complex between Ga4H12— and H2 has been identified for the gallium analogue using the relativistic effective core potential

    Anticipation in entrepreneurship

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    Entrepreneurship is a forward looking activity that embodies implicit imaginaries. If we remove the notion of a future from the field of entrepreneurship, field would cease to exist as its whole rationale is prospective. Entrepreneurship creates future value (Schumpeter 1934) through creative destruction; in uncertain contexts (Knight 1923) and with ‘alertness’ to opportunity (Kirzner 1982). Entrepreneurial opportunity em-braces anticipation as imaginative reason, strategically employed and motivated by aspiration. Entrepreneurial effectuation is concerned with the controllable aspects of an unpredictable future. Entrepreneuring is a process (Steyaert 2007) producing ontological emergence. Entrepreneurship is expressed in action and produces change. Nadin observes that anticipation relates to the perception of change (Nadin 2010) and is always expressed in action (Nadin 2015). Entrepreneurial identity is sig-nificant and the models embodied in an anticipatory system are what comprise its individuality; what distinguish it uniquely from other sys-tems. A change in these models is a change of identity (Rosen et al. 2012, p370). Entrepreneurship is relational and is coupled with other ac-tors in the environment, generating a sense of shared anticipation, or anticipatory coupling. Anticipatory coupling as a social phenomenon seems ripe for further research. Being emplaced, entrepreneuring practice involve sensing and anticipation (Antonacopoulou and Fuller 2019). Although anticipation is a natural activity, the effectiveness of anticipation can be improved through greater awareness in each of these sets of processes, among others. We suggest that the dynamics of emergence require anticipations of multiple forms of value. Seeing entrepreneurship from an anticipatory standpoint brings more to the fore the nature of values in practice. Further research can help reveal the anticipatory work is done in entrepreneurship to maintain the anticipatory capacity of the enterprise and of the interdependent relationships that maintain the enterprise

    Symptomatic cardiac metastases of breast cancer 27 years after mastectomy: a case report with literature review - pathophysiology of molecular mechanisms and metastatic pathways, clinical aspects, diagnostic procedures and treatment modalities.

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    Metastases to the heart and pericardium are rare but more common than primary cardiac tumours and are generally associated with a rather poor prognosis. Most cases are clinically silent and are undiagnosed in vivo until the autopsy. We present a female patient with a 27-year-old history of an operated primary breast cancer who was presented with dyspnoea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea and orthopnoea. The clinical signs and symptoms aroused suspicion of congestive heart failure. However, the cardiac metastases were detected during a routine cardiologic evaluation and confirmed with computed tomography imaging. Additionally, this paper outlines the pathophysiology of molecular and clinical mechanisms involved in the metastatic spreading, clinical presentation, diagnostic procedures and treatment of heart metastases. The present case demonstrates that a complete surgical resection and systemic chemotherapy may result in a favourable outcome for many years. However, a lifelong medical follow-up, with the purpose of a detection of metastases, is highly recommended. We strongly call the attention of clinicians to the fact that during the follow-up of all cancer patients, such heart failure may be a harbinger of the secondary heart involvement
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