Ever Thought About Strikes? Development of a Scale to Assess Attitudes and Behavioral Reactions to Strikes

Strikes are a recurrent phenomenon in many countries. However, research on strikes from a psychological perspective has been limited. By developing a sound measure to assess attitudes and behavioral reactions to strikes, we will be in a better position to evaluate these constructs in individuals and compare across studies. Therefore, we developed a scale to assess attitudes and behavioral reactions to strikes following classic scale development guidelines using four samples (total N=1369; N1=304, N2=209, N3=443, N4=413). In Study 1, we used exploratory factor analysis to reduce the generated items to a scale and showed that the strike attitude and behavioral reactions scale consists of one afective factor (negative reactions towards strikes), one cognitive factor (legitimacy of strikes), and three behavioral factors (informing oneself about strikes, strike-related social network behavior, and support of strikers). Study 2 confrmed these fve factors and showed acceptable psychometric properties. Study 3 supported the construct validity of the developed scale: the fve factors were correlated with willingness to strike and attitudes towards unions, among other variables. Study 4 further showed that the scale can also capture attitudes and behavioral reactions towards specifc strikes. Overall, these studies indicate that the strike attitude and behavioral reactions scale is a psychometrically sound measure consisting of fve factors

Comparison of Methods for Estimating Carbon Evasion and Export Associated with a Coal Mine Discharge

The evasion of CO2 from terrestrial waters plays a role in the global cycling of carbon but there are few datasets that have an accurate accounting of the flux. It has been shown that discharges from coal mines can have elevated concentrations of CO2 due to sulfuric acid-driven dissolution of carbonate rock. In this study, we compared three methods for calculating the export dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and the evaluation of CO2 from an abandoned-mine discharge in West Virginia. In Method #1, the source flux is calculated from the discharge and the concentrations at the portal. In Method #2, the stream flux is calculated over a stream reach and considers both upstream and downstream chemistries. In Method #3, the diffusive-flux model estimates evasion based on transport of CO2 through the water column. Methods #2 and 3 can be compared compared by knowing the area of the stream surface between the two measurement points. In general, the methods based on direct measurement of DIC and CO2 (Methods #1 and 2) were greater than the estimates the diffusive-flux model (Method #3). This comparison demonstrates the need for more direct measurements of CO2 if we are to account for carbon export from streams and mine waters

Initial design principles for establishing a learning community for public health professionals through authentic e-learning

The storage, transportation and distribution of time and temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products (TTSPPs) such as vaccines within the appropriate temperature conditions are important public health concerns. The personnel who handle pharmaceutical products must have high levels of expertise so they can take actions to ensure that the TTSPPs are not negatively affected by sub-standard practices. This paper describes the first phase of a multi-year educational design research project designed to enhance expertise in the field of pharmaceutical cold chain management. The paper describes the process of developing design principles to guide the conceptualisation and prototyping of authentic e-learning capable of enabling public health personnel to develop the skills required for effective pharmaceutical cold chain management and to establish a learning community extending beyond the course. Five design principles are shared along with examples of how they were instantiated in the prototype e-learning

Is use of the general system justification scale across countries justified? Testing its measurement equivalence

System justification is a widely researched topic in social and political psychology. One major measurement instrument in system justification research is the General System Justification Scale (G-SJS). This scale has been used, among others, for comparisons across social groups in different countries. Such comparisons rely on the assumption that the scale is measurement equivalent. However, this assumption has never been comprehensively tested. Thus, the present two studies assessed the measurement equivalence of the G-SJS following classic measurement equivalence guidelines (i.e., multigroup confirmatory factor analyses) in Study 1 and using a new method for comparing larger numbers of groups in Study 2 (i.e., alignment optimization). In Study 1, we analysed the measurement equivalence in Great Britain (n = 444), Germany (n = 454), and France (n = 463). In Study 2, we used a publicly available dataset consisting of 66 samples from 30 countries (N = 13,495) to again assess the measurement equivalence of the scale. Results indicated (partial) metric equivalence, but not scalar equivalence in both studies. Overall, the studies indicate that mean comparisons across the examined countries are not warranted with the current form of the G-SJS. The scale needs to be revised for valid cross-country comparisons of means

Decreased Pulmonary Function Measured in Children Exposed to High Environmental Relative Moldiness Index Homes

Background: Exposures to water-damaged homes/buildings has been linked to deficits in respiratory health. However, accurately quantifying this linkage has been difficult because of the methods used to assess water damage and respiratory health. Purpose: The goal of this analysis was to determine the correlation between the water-damage, as defined by the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) value in an asthmatic child’s home, and the child’s pulmonary function measured by spirometry, “forced expiratory volume in one second, percent predicted” or FEV1%. Methods: This analysis utilized data obtained from the “Heads-off Environmental Asthma in Louisiana” (HEAL) study. The children (n= 109), 6 to 12 years of age, who had completed at least one spirometry evaluation and a dust sample collected for ERMI analysis from the home at approximately the same time as the spirometry testing, were included in the analysis. Statistical evaluation of the correlation between ERMI values and FEV1% was performed using the Spearman’s Rank Correlation analysis. The relationship between ERMI values and FEV1% was performed using B-spline regression. Results: The average ERMI value in the HEAL study homes was 7.3. For homes with ERMI values between 2.5 and 15, there was a significant inverse correlation with the child’s lung function or FEV1% measurement (Spearman’s rho -0.23; p= 0.03), i.e. as the ERMI value increased, the FEV1% value decreased. Conclusions: Measures of water-damage (the ERMI) and clinical assessments of lung function (FEV1%) provided a quantitative assessment of the impact of water-damaged home exposures on children’s respiratory health

Mold Species in Dust from the International Space Station Identified and Quantified by Mold Specific Quantitative PCR

Dust was collected over a period of several weeks in 2007 from various HEPA filters in the U.S. Laboratory Module of the International Space Station (ISS). The dust was returned on the Space Shuttle Atlantis, mixed, sieved, and the DNA was extracted. Using a DNA-based method called mold specific quantitative PCR (MSQPCR), 39 molds were measured in the dust. Opportunistic pathogens Aspergillus flavus and A. niger and toxin producers Penicillium chrysogenum and P. brevicompactum were found at relatively high concentrations (compared to U.S. homes). No cells of the opportunistic pathogens A. fumigatus, A. terreus, Fusarium solani or Candida albicans were detected

Association Among Acrylamide, Blood Insulin, and Insulin Resistance in Adults

OBJECTIVE - Exposure to acrylamide in foodstuffs and smoking has become a worldwide concern. The effect of acrylamide on glucose homeostasis is not known. The goal of the present study Was to test the hypothesis that trace acrylamide exposure might be independently associated With both reduced blood insulin and reduced insulin resistance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - We examined 1,356 participants with reliable measures of glucose homeostasis and Hb adducts of acrylamide (HbAA) and glycidamide from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003-2004. Glucose homeostasis was assessed by the measurement of plasma glucose, serum insulin, and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA- IR). RESULTS - in a linear regression model, a 1-unit increase in log HbAA was associated with a decrease in serum insulin (beta coefficient = -0.20 +/- 0.05, P = 0.001) and HOMA-IR (beta coefficient = -0.23 +/- 0.05, P < 0.001). After HbAA concentrations were divided into quartiles in the fully adjusted models, the adjusted serum insulin level and HOMA- IR significantly decreased across quartiles of HbAA (P-trend < 0.001 for both ). In subgroup analysis, the association of HbAA levels with HOMA-IR and insulin levels was stronger in subjects who were white or had ever smoked or in subjects With a lower education level or a BMI <25 or >30 kg/m(2). CONCLUSIONS - Acrylamide is associated with reduced serum insulin levels in adults. Further clinical and animal studies are warranted to clarify the putative causal relationship

Directional deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease: results of an international crossover study with randomized, double-blind primary endpoint

Objective: Published reports on directional deep brain stimulation (DBS) have been limited to small, single-center investigations. Therapeutic window (TW) is used to describe the range of stimulation amplitudes achieving symptom relief without side effects. This crossover study performed a randomized double-blind assessment of TW for directional and omnidirectional DBS in a large cohort of patients implanted with a DBS system in the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson’s disease. Materials and Methods: Participants received omnidirectional stimulation for the first three months after initial study pro gramming, followed by directional DBS for the following three months. The primary endpoint was a double-blind, randomized evaluation of TW for directional vs omnidirectional stimulation at three months after initial study programming. Additional data recorded at three- and six-month follow-ups included stimulation preference, therapeutic current strength, Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III motor score, and quality of life. Results: The study enrolled 234 subjects (62 ± 8 years, 33% female). TW was wider using directional stimulation in 183 of 202 subjects (90.6%). The mean increase in TW with directional stimulation was 41% (2.98 ± 1.38 mA, compared to 2.11 ± 1.33 mA for omnidirectional). UPDRS part III motor score on medication improved 42.4% at three months (after three months of omnidi rectional stimulation) and 43.3% at six months (after three months of directional stimulation) with stimulation on, compared to stimulation off. After six months, 52.8% of subjects blinded to stimulation type (102/193) preferred the period with directional stimulation, and 25.9% (50/193) preferred the omnidirectional period. The directional period was preferred by 58.5% of clinicians (113/193) vs 21.2% (41/193) who preferred the omnidirectional period. Conclusion: Directional stimulation yielded a wider TW compared to omnidirectional stimulation and was preferred by blinded subjects and clinicians