Safety of lntensive In-Home Family Workers

Violence against social workers and other helping professionals has increased. Within this context, intensive in-home family workers were asked about their safety in working with clients. If family workers stated that that they felt only somewhat safe or not safe at all, they were asked to explain where they are likely to feel unsafe. Findings include concerns about safety. The author suggests comprehensive educational curriculum be integrated in agency training for new hires and seasoned employees; also, training should be implemented to increase worker awareness of potentially violent situations and how to de-escalate and defuse potentially violent clients

Experiences and Challenges in Taking A Print Journal On-Line

For a number of years, an annual publication of the Wall College of Business at Coastal Carolina University (The Coastal Business Review and later, Journal) was produced in standard print form. Because of increasing budgetary concerns experienced by the University and the State of South Carolina, the cost of printing the journal in the traditional fashion became increasingly prohibitive. When publishing deadlines were missed, several avenues were explored regarding how the College could deal with the problem. While unique for an institution of this size, the creation of a totally on-line journal began to assert itself as a viable option. This purpose of this paper is merely to attempt to describe a few of the concerns, problems, and successes encountered along the way, many of which may be helpful to any institutions contemplating a similar move

Nonideal Solution Behavior in Forward Osmosis Processes Using Magnetic Nanoparticles

Despite the tremendous progress made toward the realization of wider application for forward osmosis (FO) technologies, lack of suitable draw solutes that provide high water flux, low reverse solute flux, and facile recovery has hindered commercial development. An extensive variety of osmotic agents have been investigated during the past decade, and while simple inorganic salts remain the most widely used, organic-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) offer exploitable properties that hold great promise. In addition to size-mitigated reverse flux and low-cost recovery via magnetic separation, devitalized MNPs provide enhanced osmotic performance when compared to that of the ungrafted coating material at similar concentration levels, a consequence of greater nonideal solution behavior. This nonideality has been assessed using a simple, semiempirical model and is largely attributable to the increased solvent-accessible surface area and enhanced hydration. When attached to MNPs, polymers appear to behave osmotically as much smaller molecules, providing higher osmotic pressures and improved FO performance

Fatigue and Recovery Profiles of Unilateral Resistance Exercise in a Resistance Trained Population

Recent data shows that fatiguing unilateral isometric contractions affect the performance of the non-exercising, contralateral muscles (i.e., cross-over effect). However, there is limited data on the time-course of the contralateral response, whether the effects occur during resistance exercise, and the influence of resistance training experience. PURPOSE: To examine force and electromyographic (EMG) activity during and after a fatiguing unilateral resistance exercise protocol for the ipsilateral and contralateral elbow flexors in a resistance trained population. METHODS: Eight participants (7 right hand dominant; mean age=22yrs; 7 males; resistance trained with ≥ 2days/week upper body) visited the laboratory on two days separated by ≥ 48 hrs. On the first visit, maximal dynamic strength was determined for the ipsilateral arm and control procedures for maximal isometric strength of the contralateral arm was performed. On the second visit, participants completed 4 sets of unilateral dynamic bicep curls to failure with 50% 1RM with 2 min rest intervals between sets. Maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) and EMG activity of the elbow flexors were recorded immediately before exercise and after each set for both arms, except for set 1 and 3 where only the ipsilateral arm performed MVC’s. The responses during acute recovery were recorded at 2.5 min, 5 mins, and 10 mins post exercise. Separate repeated measures ANOVA tests were performed on the MVC and EMG responses for each arm. Alpha was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The results of the analysis show that for the ipsilateral arm, baseline MVC values declined to set 1 (p\u3c0.01; ~26%), with no significant differences in force loss thereafter for set 2 (~29%), set 3 (~28%), set 4 (~30%), recovery 1 (~28%), recovery 2 (~27%), or recovery 3 (~24%). There was no significant change in maximal EMG activity for the ipsilateral biceps brachii (p=0.189; ηp2 =0.177). For the contralateral biceps brachii, there was no significant difference across time in maximal EMG activity between the fatigue visit versus the control visit (p=0.732; ηp2=0.018). However, collapsed across visit, there was a significant decrease in maximal EMG amplitude (p\u3c0.01; ηp2=0.614) that appears to be explained by the fatigue visit (p=0.319; d=0.379). For the contralateral arm, there was no significant change in MVC across time for either visit (p=0.166; ηp2=0.211). CONCLUSION: These results show that following acute resistance exercise performed to failure, there is no change in maximal force of the contralateral elbow flexors. This finding brings into question whether the cross-over effect of fatigue occurs during resistance exercise or in resistance trained populations. The fatigability profile of the ipsilateral arm demonstrates there was no compounding effect on force loss with additional sets to failure. The lack of force recovery following acute resistance exercise emphasizes the importance of task dependency. The applications of these data suggests that relative fatigability may not be a useful metric to monitor training session outcomes

Understanding student evaluations : a black faculty perspective.

Student evaluations of faculty teaching are critical components to the evaluation of faculty performance. These evaluations are used to determine teaching effectiveness and they influence tenure and promotion decisions. Although they are designed as objective assessments of teaching performance, extraneous factors, including the instructors’ race, can affect the composition and educational atmosphere at colleges and universities. In this reflection, we briefly review some literature on the use and utility of student evaluations and present narratives from social work faculty in which students’ evaluation contained perceived racial bias

Flight nurse turnover: where they go, why, and what they do

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/29462/1/0000545.pd

Determinants of Physicians’ Job Satisfaction: A national multi-centre study from the Sultanate of Oman

Objectives: Physician satisfaction with their job can lead to a better quality of care, fewer chances of making errors, and better patient outcomes. The purpose of the study was to examine physician satisfaction; and to assess job satisfaction across several factors, such as quality of care, ease of practice, relationship with leadership, and inter-professional collaboration. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Data were collected between July 2019 and January 2020. Participants provided demographic information and completed surveys related to physician satisfaction (13-item Likert type items on a scale from 1 to 5), and inter-professional collaboration (15-item, 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 for “strongly disagree” to 4 for “strongly agree”). Multiple linear regressions were used to determine the relationship between overall job satisfaction and demographic features and inter-professional collaboration. Results: Out of 396 physicians who were contacted, 354 responded (response rate = 89.4%). The median age was 40 years, and there were 208 male and 124 female physicians. The vast majority (238/354 = 62%) were expatriates. Seventy percent had a post-graduate degree. The vast majority (308 = 87%) worked in government hospitals. Results showed that 15 (5%) of the physicians were not satisfied with their job (<3.00), 179 (40%) expressed a moderate level of satisfaction (3.00 – 3.75), and 129 (55%) were highly satisfied (>3.76). There was no difference in mean job satisfaction score among different groups of study participants, except for gender, and the working grade (p < 0.05). The overall job satisfaction rates were higher for the quality of care (M = 3.93, SD = 0.61), and for ease of practice (M = 3.89, SD = 0.55) and lower for the relationship with leadership (M = 3.67, SD = 0.86). Having a clinical postgraduate degree together with a PhD, a senior level of responsibility and good inter-professional relationship were associated with higher job satisfaction rates (p = 0.003 and 0.007, respectively). Conclusion: Overall, the job satisfaction rate was high. There was no difference among different groups of study participants, except for the working grade. Having a clinical postgraduate degree, a senior level of responsibility, and good inter-professional relationship were associated with higher job satisfaction rates. The overall job satisfaction rates were higher for the quality of care, and for ease of practice, and lower for relationship with the leadership. Relationship with the leadership is a modifiable factor and efforts at enhancing the physician-leadership relationship may lead to even higher satisfaction rates. Keywords: Interprofessional relations; Job Satisfaction; Leadership; Oman; Physician; Quality of health car

Direct and Moderating Effects of Work Environment and Structural Empowerment on Job Stress and Job Satisfaction Among Nurses in the Sultanate of Oman

Objective: This paper seeks to explore the relationships between nurses’ work environment, job stress, and job satisfaction, as well as the moderating effects of work environment and empowerment on the job stress–job satisfaction relationship. Methods: A descriptive correlational design was utilized. The study encompassed a convenience sample of 1,796 hospital nurses from the 11 governorates in Oman. A self-report questionnaire that included a set of instruments was used to collect data. Results: The results showed that nurses who perceived higher levels of job stress reported lower levels of satisfaction and empowerment, and perceived their work environment as less favorable and supportive. The findings only confirmed the direct effects of work environment and empowerment on satisfaction; there was no support for indirect or moderating effects. The hierarchical regression model showed that 46.5% of the variation in the level of job satisfaction was explained by the study variables. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the importance of implementing strategies that empower staff, provide a supportive and positive work environment, and tackle job stress to enhance levels of job satisfaction. Keywords: Work Environment; Empowerment; Job Stress; Job Satisfaction; Nurses; Oman

Catalysts for long-life closed-cycle CO2 lasers

Long-life, closed-cycle operation of pulsed CO2 lasers requires catalytic CO-O2 recombination both to remove O2, which is formed by discharge-induced CO2 decomposition, and to regenerate CO2. Platinum metal on a tin (IV) oxide substrate (Pt/SnO2) has been found to be an effective catalyst for such recombination in the desired temperature range of 25 to 100 C. This paper presents a description of ongoing research at NASA-LaRC on Pt/SnO2 catalyzed CO-O2 recombination. Included are studies with rare-isotope gases since rare-isotope CO2 is desirable as a laser gas for enhanced atmospheric transmission. Results presented include: (1) achievement of 98% to 100% conversion of a stoichiometric mixture of CO and O2 to CO2 for 318 hours (greater than 1 x 10 to the 6th power seconds), continuous, at a catalyst temperature of 60 C, and (2) development of a technique verified in a 30-hour test, to prevent isotopic scrambling when CO-18 and O-18(2) are reacted in the presence of a common-isotope Pt/Sn O-16(2) catalyst

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014: implications for sex workers and their clients

© 2015 Taylor & Francis. The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 introduced new powers to deal with behaviour deemed to be ‘anti-social’. In this paper we consider how the new law could be used against sex workers and their clients and the impact this may have. Although the new powers were not intentionally designed to respond to prostitution, we suggest that they will be utilised to tackle it. We argue that the law will be used inconsistently in a way which will go directly against policy which seeks to ‘tackle demand’ and take a less punitive approach to dealing with sex workers. Despite a policy shift to see sex workers more as victims and less as offenders, we draw on existing evidence to demonstrate that the new anti-social behaviour order law will be utilised to exclude street sex workers from public spaces. We claim that a degree of ‘policy re-fraction’ will occur when the new laws are implemented by practitioners