Age and leadership: comparisons of age groups in different kinds of work environment

Purpose – The purpose of this study is twofold. First, to compare the self-rated leadership behaviors, leadership-related competencies and results of the leadership of younger, mid-aged and older leaders; and second to compare these aspects among younger leaders in different kinds of the work environment and between men and women. Design/methodology/approach – Data was collected using the developmental leadership questionnaire from a sample of Swedish leadership course participants (N = 7,743). Findings – The results showed that the younger group of leaders (29 years old or younger n = 539), rated themselves more negatively than the mid-aged (30–50 years, n = 5,208) and older (51 years or older, n = 1,996) leaders. Analysis of the group of younger leaders showed that those working in the private sector scored most favorably. The gender comparison revealed that young male leaders scored higher on negative conventional (transactional) and destructive leadership behaviors. A logistic regression analysis of the younger group showed that social competence, developmental leadership and destructive leadership (negative) influenced self-rated results of leadership. Research limitations/implications – The study is based on leaders’ self-ratings only. Practical implications – The results can be used in leadership development contexts and in individualized coaching or mentoring programs. Originality/value – The results have new implications for leadership theory related to self-confidence, stereotypes, selection and organizational culture. Keywords Leadership, Work environment, Age, Theory-based measurement, Developmental Leadership Questionnaire (DLQ)publishedVersio

Tobacco smoking increases dramatically air concentrations of endotoxin.

We used a mass spectrometry-based assay for identifying the endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) marker (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid in cigarette smoke particles and found that smoking involved inhalation of 17.4 pmol of endotoxin per each smoked cigarette. Indoor exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) entailed inhalation of 12.1 pmol of LPS/m3 air, an amount that was 120 times higher than the levels found in smoke-free indoor air. Endotoxin is one of the most potent inflammatory agents known, hence our results may help to explain the high prevalence of respiratory disorders among smokers, and they may also draw attention to a hitherto unknown or neglected risk factor of ETS

Vanvård och misshandel inom hälso- och sjukvården samt äldreomsorgen - en reparativ rättvisa utan straffrättsligt ansvar?

Uppsatsen behandlar äldres rättigheter, rättighetsskydd och rättsskydd, utifrån ett viktimologiskt och ett straffrättsligt perspektiv. Den utgår ifrån äldre som blivit vanvårdade eller utsatta för andra missgärningar inom hälso- och sjukvården samt äldreomsorgen. Upptäckten av vad vissa äldre blir och blivit utsatta för väckte en del frågor. Ett fall som tilldrog sig mycket uppmärksamhet handlade om en äldre kvinna som blev utsatt för misshandel. Kvinnans son reagerade på de blåmärken som fanns på hans mammas armar, varpå han lade en bandspelare i hennes rum på ett äldreboende. Vi fick höra på nyheterna hur hans mamma blev utsatt för en minst sagt kränkande behandling och mest troligt även fysisk misshandel (dock ej bevisat). Domstolarna friade personalen ifråga eftersom bandinspelningen inte kunde användas som bevis i målet. Detta väckte intresset för att ta reda på äldres rättigheter och hur rättsskyddet för äldre fungerar inom hälso- och sjukvården samt äldreomsorgen och när ett straffrättsligt ansvar kan bli aktuellt Viktimologin, som är en disciplin inom kriminologin, har påverkat den straffrättsliga utvecklingen genom olika teorier om brottsoffer och gärningsmän. Genom viktimologin har brottsofferrörelser växt fram, vilka i sin tur har påverkat bland annat FN: s mänskliga fri och rättigheter. Äldres rättigheter finns deklarerade i en FN resolution och denna resolution ligger till grund för införandet av äldres rättigheter. Dessa finns idag implemeterade i SoL (socialtjänstlagen). En anledning till att regeringen bestämde sig för att implementera dessa rättigheter var naturligtvis för att FN uppmanade sina medlemsländer att faktiskt göra så. En annan var för att det krävdes en förändring då undersökningar påvisade att äldre vanvårdades och utsattes för andra missgärningar utan att veta sina rättigheter. Tyvärr finns det senare rapporter som konstaterar att många av problemen kvarstår även efter införandet av de mänskliga fri- och rättigheterna för äldre. Inom hälso- och sjukvården och äldreomsorgen finns det en anmälningsskyldighet som skall skydda äldre som har blivit utsatta för missgärningar av diverse slag. Denna anmälningsskyldighet kallas för Lex Maria inom hälso- och sjukvården och Lex Sarah inom äldreomsorgen. Det finns dock vissa skillnader mellan Lex Maria och Lex Sarah. För att nämna några är kriterierna för vad som skall anmälas olika. Det finns inga disciplinpåföljder eller andra skyddsåtgärder att vidta inom äldreomsorgens verksamhet. Det finns vidare inget krav på eventuell åtalsanmälan inom äldreomsorgen. Meningen med anmälningsskyldigheten är att man skall komma till rätta med brister och annat inom verksamheterna, samt skydda patienter och äldre. Information om vad som gått fel skall återinföras till verksamheterna och eventuella samtal med berörda parter skall genomföras. Många gånger verkar det dock som om man glömmer den äldre som blivit utsatt och enbart inriktar sig på personalen ifråga eller avfärdar ''bristen'' som ett organisationsfel. Man kan säga att det handlar om en relativ rättvisa eller en reparativ rättvisa. Den reparativa rättvisan är en viktimologisk rättvisa som är på framväxt enligt den kritiska viktimologin. Den reparativa rättvisan består av olika former av alternativa konfliktlösningar, vilken bygger på att brottet härrör från en konflikt mellan gärningsmannen och brottsoffret. Anhängare till den kritiska viktimologin tror att denna rättvisa kommer att sudda ut gränserna mellan det straffrättsliga och civilrättsliga. Vissa svårigheter kan dock uppstå då allmänheten inte verkar vara benägen att överge det straffrättsliga systemet som vi har idag. Om man lyssnar på vad som framkommer i media är allmänheten snarare benägna att kräva högre straffpåföljder än vad som idag utdöms i domstolarna. När det gäller det straffrättsliga ansvaret så krävs det naturligtvis först och främst att en åtalsanmälan skett. De brottsrubriceringar som används mest i sådana här fall är misshandel, vållande till kroppsskada eller vållande till annans död. Dock finns det bevissvårigheter med kausalsambandet mellan handling och resultat i den straffrättsliga processen. Ett förslag är att antingen införa en ny brottsrubricering inom hälso- och sjukvården samt äldreomsorgen eller sänka beviskraven i fall med äldre. Dels på grund av att det finns äldre som kan anses vara i större behov till följd av sin ålder, demens, nedsatt syn och hörsel m.m. Barn anses vara i större behov och många gånger regredierar en äldre till barnstadiet igen. Dels till följd av att äldre inte kan vittna i domstolen om vad som skett, då de ofta avlidit innan målet tagits upp i domstolen. I andra fall kan de inte vittna till följd av demens eller liknande. Vidare finns det inga rättsfall där man åberopat arbetsgivaransvar fast ett sådant kan aktualiseras. En annan sak som är intressant är att HSAN Hälso- och sjukvårdsansvarsnämnden, vilken har hand om ärenden inom hälso- och sjukvården. inte har dessa bevissvårigheter, trots att det är samma kriterier, uppsåt eller oaktsamhet samt kausalsamband mellan handling och resultat, som måste vara uppfyllda för att man skall kunna utdöma ansvar. HSAN utdömer förvisso icke straffrättsliga påföljder såsom disciplinpåföljder. Det är dock regeringsrätten som fastslagit hur stark bevisningen måste vara för att disciplinpåföljder och andra skyddsåtgärder skall få utdömas. HSAN och regeringsrätten har utdömt ansvar i flera fall till skillnad från vad som skett i straffrättsliga mål. Kriterierna är alltså samma men bedöms olika beroende på vilken instans ärendet befinner sig inom, då det gäller personal inom hälso- och sjukvården eller äldreomsorgen. En annan intressant sak är att om HSAN åtalsanmäler och åtalet nedläggs till följd av bristande bevisning, så kan ärendet inte returneras till HSAN. Då uteblir eventuella disciplinpåföljder m.m. trots att det finns fog för att så bör ske till följd av patientsäkerheten. Socialstyrelsen har dock lagt in om ett lagförslag om att detta borde ändras så att HSAN får en möjlighet att utdöma ansvar i fall med bristande bevisning

Short and long term effects of caesarean section and vaginal delivery

The aim of this thesis was to study short and long term effects after caesarean section (CS) and vaginal delivery. We also studied the difficulty in estimating blood loss at delivery and birth experience estimated nine months after delivery. In Study I blood loss during delivery was measured in two ways, visually, according to the routine of the hospital, and with a laboratory method, the alkaline hematin method. The visual estimation tended to over-estimate the bleeding. In vaginal deliveries there was no correlation between the two ways of measuring. Using blood loss after delivery as a quality indicator or for comparison in studies may lead to false conclusions, since visual estimation has low validity. In Study II the Swedish Hospital Discharge Registry was used to identify women with a diagnosis of pelvic organ prolapse. The data were linked to the Swedish Medical Birth Registry (MBR). 16,605 women who were diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse (ICD9: n = 618, ICD10: n = N81) and who had deliveries during 1973-2004 were identified. Stratification was made by the women's year of birth (2 year intervals), the year of the last delivery (1 year interval), and the parity at the last delivery. Among women who had only had vaginal deliveries, a strong and almost linear association between parity and the risk of surgery/in hospital care of pelvic organ prolapse was found. Women delivered by CS only, had a five-fold lower risk of being admitted to hospital for pelvic organ prolapse. In Study III healthy primiparae with planned CS were investigated in a prospective cohort study. The indication for planned CS was breech presentation or maternal request. For every woman scheduled for a planned CS, one to two women from the same antenatal clinic planning a vaginal birth were asked to participate. Questionnaires were answered at inclusion (gestational week 37-39), two days, three and nine months after delivery. Details about the delivery were retrieved from the medical records. The outcome of delivery and complications were investigated and data were analysed as intended mode of delivery. In this group of healthy Swedish primiparae collected prospectively, we could not show any difference in short term medical complications like blood loss and infections. There was a longer in hospital stay in the planned CS group Study IV: The Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (W-DEQ A), and Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ B) were added to the data in Study III. The experience of delivery was measured with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in order to get a global rating of the delivery. The logistic regression analysis yielded odds ratios for those variables that were independently related to the experience of delivery. There was no correlation to planned mode of delivery. Confidence in the midwife as well as adequate pain relief seems to be more important than mode of delivery for a positive birth experience. W-DEQ B was correlated to VAS at nine months after delivery, and even though the correlation was moderate, VAS could be a simple method to estimate birth experience. These studies on healthy Swedish primiparae show that improving outcome in planned vaginal deliveries by support and coping with pain are important issues, but also that risks with one planned CS are few

Robotics versus laparoscopy - an experimental study of the transfer effect in maiden users

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted laparoscopy (RL) is used in a wide range of operative interventions, but the advantage of this technique over conventional laparoscopy (CL) remains unclear. Studies comparing RL and CL are scarce. The present study was performed to test the hypothesis that maiden users master surgical tasks quicker with the robot-assisted laparoscopy technique than with the conventional laparoscopy technique. METHODS: 20 subjects, with no prior surgical experience, performed three different surgical tasks in a standardized experimental setting, repeated four times with each of the RL and CL techniques. Speed and accuracy were measured. A cross-over technique was used to eliminate gender bias and the experience gained by carrying out the first part of the study. RESULTS: The task "tie a knot" was performed faster with the RL technique than with CL. Furthermore, shorter operating times were observed when changing from CL to RL. There were no time differences for the tasks of grabbing the needle and continuous suturing between the two operating techniques. Gender did not influence the results. CONCLUSION: The more advanced task of tying a knot was performed faster using the RL technique than with CL. Simpler surgical interventions were performed equally fast with either technique. Technical skills acquired during the use of CL were transferred to the RL technique. The lack of tactile feedback in RL seemed to matter. There were no differences between males and females

Microbiological Components in Mainstream and Sidestream Cigarette Smoke

Research has shown that tobacco smoke contains substances of microbiological origin such as ergosterol (a fungal membrane lipid) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria). The aim of the present study was to compare the amounts of ergosterol and LPS in the tobacco and mainstream (MS) and sidestream (SS) smoke of some popular US cigarettes. We measured LPS 3-hydroxy fatty acids and fungal biomass biomarker ergosterol in the tobacco and smoke from cigarettes of 11 popular brands purchased in the US. University of Kentucky reference cigarettes were also included for comparison

Leadership through the subordinates' eye: perceptions of leader behaviors in relation to age and gender

Purpose The study represents a theory-based leadership approach in exploring the subordinate's perceptions of leadership behaviors in relation to age, gender and type of work environment. The aim was (1) to compare subordinates' ratings of their respective leaders' leadership behaviors based on of the leaders' age and gender, controlling for type of work environment and (2) to analyze the relationship between the subordinates' ratings of their leaders' leadership behaviors and their ratings of the outcome of these leadership behaviors. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using the Developmental Leadership Questionnaire (DLQ) from a sample of Swedish leadership course participants (n = 10,869) and their respective subordinates (n = 97,943). The DLQ measures leadership behaviors designed to reflect the following leadership styles: developmental leadership, conventional-positive leadership, conventional-negative leadership and destructive leadership. Findings Results showed that older leaders (51 years or older) were rated less favorably than younger (29 years or younger) and mid-aged leaders. Female leaders received more positive ratings than male leaders. A 3-way analysis-of-variance showed strong main effects for age, gender, and type of work environment and no significant interaction effects. A significant model with high equivalents of R2 coefficients (Cox and Snell, 1989; Nagelkerke, 1991) was obtained in a logistic regression analysis. Developmental leadership and conventional-positive leadership made significant positive contributions to the subordinates' ratings of the outcome of their leaders' leadership behaviors. Destructive leadership behaviors contributed negatively to the outcome ratings. Research limitations/implications Weaknesses include the cross-sectional study design. The large sample size is a strength, and the results have novel implications for leadership theory related to subordinates' view on leadership. Practical implications Counter-stereotype age and gender findings may have implications for organizational decisions and processes regarding selection of managers. Development programs are suggested for all categories but for older, male leaders with a focus on reducing their use of leadership behaviors perceived negatively by their subordinates, whereas younger female leaders should be encouraged to continue to develop their positive leadership behaviors. Originality/value The theory-based approach on subordinates' perceptions of leadership behaviors with a simultaneous focus on age, gender and type of work environment, based on a large-scale data set, is new.publishedVersio

Target MRNA Abundance Dilutes MicroRNA and SiRNA Activity

Post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs and siRNAs depends not only on characteristics of individual binding sites in target mRNA molecules, but also on system-level properties such as overall molecular concentrations. We hypothesize that an intracellular pool of microRNAs/siRNAs faced with a larger number of available predicted target transcripts will downregulate each individual target gene to a lesser extent. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed mRNA expression change from 178 microRNA and siRNA transfection experiments in two cell lines. We find that downregulation of particular genes mediated by microRNAs and siRNAs indeed varies with the total concentration of available target transcripts. We conclude that to interpret and design experiments involving gene regulation by small RNAs, global properties, such as target mRNA abundance, need to be considered in addition to local determinants. We propose that analysis of microRNA/siRNA targeting would benefit from a more quantitative definition, rather than simple categorization of genes as ‘target’ or ‘not a target.’ Our results are important for understanding microRNA regulation and may also have implications for siRNA design and small RNA therapeutics

Personal Exposure to Dust and Endotoxin in Robusta and Arabica Coffee Processing Factories in Tanzania

Introduction: Endotoxin exposure associated with organic dust exposure has been studied in several industries. Coffee cherries that are dried directly after harvest may differ in dust and endotoxin emissions to those that are peeled and washed before drying. The aim of this study was to measure personal total dust and endotoxin levels and to evaluate their determinants of exposure in coffee processing factories. Methods: Using Sidekick Casella pumps at a flow rate of 2l/min, total dust levels were measured in the workers’ breathing zone throughout the shift. Endotoxin was analyzed using the kinetic chromogenic Limulus amebocyte lysate assay. Separate linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate exposure determinants for dust and endotoxin. Results: Total dust and endotoxin exposure were significantly higher in Robusta than in Arabica coffee factories (geometric mean 3.41 mg/m³ and 10 800 EU/m3 versus 2.10 mg/m³ and 1400 EU/m³, respectively). Dry pre-processed coffee and differences in work tasks explained 30% of the total variance for total dust and 71% of the variance for endotoxin exposure. High exposure in Robusta processing is associated with the dry pre-processing method used after harvest. Conclusions: Dust and endotoxin exposure is high, in particular when processing dry preprocessed coffee. Minimization of dust emissions and use of efficient dust exhaust systems are important to prevent the development of respiratory system impairment in workers

Identification of bacterial and fungal components in tobacco and tobacco smoke

The microbiological composition of tobacco products was studied using culture and chemical analysis (of tobacco leaves) or chemical analysis only (tobacco and tobacco smoke). The chemical analyses utilized gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determining 3-hydroxy fatty acids, muramic acid, and ergosterol as markers of respectively lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan, and fungal biomass. Mesophilic bacteria dominated in both fresh and cured tobacco leaves; a range of additional bacteria and fungi were also found albeit in minor amounts. The peptidoglycan and LPS concentrations were approximately the same in tobacco leaves as in cigarette tobacco. The concentrations of the measured microbial components were much lower in some cigarettes locally produced in China, Korea, and Vietnam than in cigarettes of international brands purchased in the same countries, and the concentrations in the smoke were in general agreement with the concentrations in cigarette tobacco. No differences in microbial load in tobacco of "light" and "full flavor" cigarettes were seen. Storing cigarettes at high humidity resulted in elevated levels of fungi in the cigarette tobacco leading to increased ergosterol concentrations in the smoke. The fact that tobacco smoke is a bioaerosol may help to explain the high prevalence of respiratory disorders among smokers and non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke since the same symptoms are also commonly associated with exposure to bioaerosols