Absorptive Capacity at the Individual Level: Linking Creativity to Innovation in Academia

The absorptive capacity construct has been examined across various country, interorganization, and organizational level phenomena. This paper presents a framework that adopts the absorptive capacity framework to explain the relationship between creative and innovative performance at the individual level. The framework is illustrated by predicting research scholarship among university faculty

Blood sampled from existing peripheral IV cannulae yields results equivalent to venepuncture: a systematic review

Objectives: To establish whether blood samples taken from used peripheral intravenous cannulae are clinically interchangeable with venepuncture. Design: Systematic review. PubMed, Web of Science and Embase were searched for relevant trials. Setting: Trials which compared blood samples from used peripheral intravenous cannulae to venepuncture and provided limits of agreement or data which allowed calculation of limits of agreement. Participants: Seven trials with 746 participants. Blood tests included 13 commonly ordered biochemistry, haematology and blood gas measurements. Main outcome measures: 95% limits of agreement. Data were pooled using inverse variance weighting and compared to a clinically acceptable range estimated by expert opinion from previous trials. Results: Limits of agreement for blood samples from used peripheral intravenous cannulae were within the clinically acceptable range for sodium, chloride, urea, creatinine and haematology samples. Limits of agreement for potassium were 0.47 mmol/L which exceeded the clinically acceptable range. Peripheral intravenous cannula samples for blood gas analysis gave limits of agreement which far exceeded the clinically acceptable range. Conclusions: Blood sampling from used peripheral intravenous cannulae is a reasonable clinical practice for haematology and biochemistry samples. Potassium samples from used peripheral intravenous cannulae can be used in situations where error up to 0.47 mmol/L is acceptable. Peripheral intravenous cannula samples should not be used for blood gas analysis

The Einstein-Elko system -- Can dark matter drive inflation?

Recently, a spin one half matter field with mass dimension one was discovered, called Elko spinors. The present work shows how to introduce these fields into a curved spacetime by the standard covariantisation scheme. After formulating the coupled Einstein-Elko field equations, the spacetime is assumed to be homogeneous and isotropic in order to simplify the resulting field equations. Analytical ghost Elko solutions are constructed which have vanishing energy-momentum tensor without and with cosmological constant. The cosmological Elko theory is finally related to the standard scalar field theory with self interaction that gives rise to inflation and it is pointed out that the Elko spinors are not only prime dark matter candidates but also prime candidates for inflation.Comment: 24 page

Testosterone reactivity to competition and competitive endurance in men and women

Transient shifts in testosterone occur during competition and are thought to positively influence dominance behavior aimed at enhancing social status. However, individual differences in testosterone reactivity to status contests have not been well-studied in relation to real-time expressions of competitive behavior among men and women. This research tests the association between changes in endogenous testosterone levels during competition and performance in terms of competitive endurance. Participant sex, social presence, and relative status outcomes (e.g., winning vs. losing) are tested as moderators of this relationship. In two studies, men and women (total N = 398) competed in the competitive will task (timed weight-holding) either individually or in the presence of an opponent (Study 1) or as a team with and without the presence of a competitor team (Study 2). Results showed a positive relationship between testosterone reactivity and performance for men, particularly those who won or ranked highest among their group - with increasing testosterone predicting better performance and decreasing testosterone predicting worse performance. For women, the effect only emerged among individuals who competed in dyads and lost. In Study 2, an exploratory mediation analysis revealed that individual differences in trait dominance predicted both testosterone reactivity to competition and task performance, with testosterone reactivity (moderated by sex and status outcome) partially explaining the direct relationship between dominance-related traits and behavior. Our goal was to examine testosterone reactivity in relation to real-time competitive effort and highlight the potential role of this relationship in explaining how individual differences in trait dominance produce competitive behavior

An estimate of \Omega_m without priors

Using mean relative peculiar velocity measurements for pairs of galaxies, we estimate the cosmological density parameter $\Omega_m$ and the amplitude of density fluctuations $\sigma_8$. Our results suggest that our statistic is a robust and reproducible measure of the mean pairwise velocity and thereby the $\Omega_m$ parameter. We get $\Omega_m = 0.30^{+0.17}_{-0.07}$ and $\sigma_8 = 1.13^{+0.22}_{-0.23}$. These estimates do not depend on prior assumptions on the adiabaticity of the initial density fluctuations, the ionization history, or the values of other cosmological parameters.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, slight changes to reflect published versio

A review on the applicability of remanufacturing in extending the life cycle of marine or offshore components and structures

One of the most significant and value-added End of Life (EoL) recovery strategies in the Circular Economy is remanufacturing in which the functionality and performance of products are retained. In the marine industry, the intensity of remanufacturing is low compared to other transportation industries such as aerospace, automotive and rail. This paper discusses current issues on Design for Remanufacturing (DfRem) in the marine industry and provides insights into how remanufacturing plays a significant role in enhancing reliability and safety during the extended life of marine products and structures. Today, with the large number of ships approaching EoL, remanufacturing should be the way forward due to its positive impact on the environment and socio-economy. While marine components such as engines, propeller shafts, compressors and pumps have been successfully remanufactured in many parts of the world, remanufacturing of large structures such as hull and vessels have not been reported thus far. As in all other industries, remanufacturing has to be initiated with a paradigm shift in the business models, designing parts and structures for efficient remanufacturing, and the establishment of relevant policies and standards in order to pave the way towards a more sustainable marine industry in the future

Reconstructing Cosmic Peculiar Velocities from the Mildly Nonlinear Density Field

We present a numerical study of the cosmic density vs. velocity divergence relation (DVDR) in the mildly non-linear regime. We approximate the dark matter as a non-relativistic pressureless fluid, and solve its equations of motion on a grid fixed in comoving coordinates. Unlike N-body schemes, this method yields directly the volume-averaged velocity field. The results of our simulations are compared with the predictions of the third-order perturbation theory (3PT) for the DVDR. We investigate both the mean `forward' relation (density in terms of velocity divergence) and the mean `inverse' relation (velocity divergence in terms of density), with emphasis on the latter. On scales larger than about 20 megaparsecs, our code recovers the predictions of 3PT remarkably well, significantly better than recent N-body simulations. On scales of a few megaparsecs, the DVDR predicted by 3PT differs slightly from the simulated one. In particular, approximating the inverse DVDR by a third-order polynomial turns out to be a poor fit. We propose a simple analytical description of the inverse relation, which works well for mildly non-linear scales.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures (9 ps files), mn.st

Comparison of a thermopile broadband detector and a photon detector for the measurement of solar radiation

March 1976.Includes bibliographical references (page 45).Part I. Analysis of simutaneous data -- part II. Cosine response functions

Increasing the satisfaction of general practitioners with continuing medical education programs: A method for quality improvement through increasing teacher-learner interaction

BACKGROUND: Continuing medical education (CME) for general practitioners relies on specialist-based teaching methods in many settings. Formal lectures by specialists may not meet the learning needs of practitioners and may cause dissatisfaction with traditional CME. Increasing learner involvement in teaching programs may improve learner satisfaction. METHODS: A quality improvement program for CME for 18 general practitioners in the Tel Aviv region was designed as a result of dissatisfaction with traditional CME activities. A two-step strategy for change was developed. The CME participants first selected the study topics relevant to them from a needs assessment and prepared background material on the topics. In the second step, specialist teachers were invited to answer questions arising from the preparation of selected topics. Satisfaction with the traditional lecture program and the new participatory program were assessed by a questionnaire. The quality criteria included the relevance, importance and applicability of the CME topic chosen to the participant's practice, the clarity of the presentation and the effective use of teaching aids by the lecturer and the potential of the lecturer to serve as a consultant to the participant. RESULTS: The participatory model of CME significantly increased satisfaction with relevance, applicability and interest in CME topics compared to the traditional lecture format. CONCLUSIONS: Increased learner participation in the selection and preparation of CME topics, and increased interaction between CME teachers and learners results in increased satisfaction with teaching programs. Future study of the effect of this model on physician performance is required