Recruiting nurses through social media : effects on employer brand and attractiveness

Aim: To investigate whether and how nurses' exposure to a hospital's profile on social media affects their perceptions of the hospital's brand and attractiveness as an employer. Background: Since in many places across the globe hospitals are struggling with nursing shortages, competition is rising to be perceived as an attractive employer by this target group. Organizations are increasingly using social media for recruitment, however, little is known about its effects on potential applicants' perceptions of the organization as an employer. We thus examine whether these effects occur and rely on the media richness theory to explain the mechanisms at play. Design: A between-subjects experimental design was applied. Three conditions were used: a control group, one condition that required visiting the Facebook page of a hospital and one condition that required visiting the LinkedIn page. Method: The focal organization was an existing Belgian hospital which had a LinkedIn and a Facebook page. An online questionnaire was sent to nursing students and employed nurses over 5 months in 2015-2016. Results: Nurses' exposure to the hospital's Facebook or LinkedIn page had a significant positive effect on a majority of the employer brand dimensions, both instrumental and symbolic. In addition, nurses who visited the Facebook page felt more attracted to working at the hospital. Most of these effects were mediated by social presence. Conclusion: Nurses' perceptions of employers can be positively influenced by seeing a hospital's social media page. Hospitals can thus employ social media to improve their employer brand image and attractiveness

Salmonella Typhi, Paratyphi A, Enteritidis and Typhimurium core proteomes reveal differentially expressed proteins linked to the cell surface and pathogenicity

Background: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica contains more than 2,600 serovars of which four are of major medical relevance for humans. While the typhoidal serovars (Typhi and Paratyphi A) are human-restricted and cause enteric fever, non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars (Typhimurium and Enteritidis) have a broad host range and predominantly cause gastroenteritis. Methodology/Principle findings: We compared the core proteomes of Salmonella Typhi, Paratyphi A, Typhimurium and Enteritidis using contemporary proteomics. For each serovar, five clinical isolates (covering different geographical origins) and one reference strain were grown in vitro to the exponential phase. Levels of orthologous proteins quantified in all four serovars and within the typhoidal and non-typhoidal groups were compared and subjected to gene ontology term enrichment and inferred regulatory interactions. Differential expression of the core proteomes of the typhoidal serovars appears mainly related to cell surface components and, for the non-typhoidal serovars, to pathogenicity. Conclusions/Significance: Our comparative proteome analysis indicated differences in the expression of surface proteins between Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi A, and in pathogenesis-related proteins between Salmonella Typhimurium and Enteritidis. Our findings may guide future development of novel diagnostics and vaccines, as well as understanding of disease progression. Author summary: With an estimated 20 million typhoid cases and an even higher number of non-typhoid cases the health burden caused by salmonellosis is huge. Salmonellosis is caused by the bacterial species Salmonella enterica and over 2500 different serovars exist, of which four are of major medical relevance for humans: Typhi and Paratyphi A cause typhoid fever while Typhimurium and Enteritidis are the dominant cause of non-typhoidal Salmonella infections. The proteome is the entire set of proteins that is expressed by a genome and the core proteome are all orthologous proteins detected in a given sample set. In this study we have investigated differential expression of the core proteomes of the Salmonella serovars Typhi, Paratyphi A, Typhimurium and Enteritidis, as well as the regulating molecules. Our comparative proteome analysis indicated differences in the expression of surface proteins between the serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A, and in pathogenesis-related proteins between Typhimurium and Enteritidis. Our findings in proteome-wide expression may guide the development of novel diagnostics and vaccines for Salmonella, as well as understanding of disease

L@s Desaparecid@s No Desaparecen: Testimonios de Familias Desgarradas

Since the beginning of time, migration has been a reality in our world. It is a phenomenon linked with the human race that has always existed and is always going to exist. There are a multitude of theories and reasons behind why people choose to migrate, whether it is in search of something different or to flee from something unsustainable, among other things. There are many reasons and each person has his or her own explanation and motive for migrating. Although there are different motives, migrants and their family members share a human experience, and this experience connects millions of people around the world. Behind their faces are millions of personal testimonies of pain, suffering, strength, bravery, perseverance, and happiness. Some bury their histories deep within themselves and their souls support the weight of their pasts. Others reflect their experiences in their faces and ways of being every day, revealing to the world their feelings. Nevertheless, they all recognize what it is to be a migrant or a family member of migrants. Here in Nicaragua, more than a million people leave the country each year. In 2008, 1,312,922 people migrated from the country.[1] The purpose of this investigation is to give a face to these statistics because they represent much more than numbers on a page. They are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. Specifically, the theme of my research is the people who have disappeared in the migratory route and their families that are left behind. What happens to the disappeared? This question does not have an easy or defined answer. Some are victims of human trafficking, which includes sexual exploitation, exploitation of labor, submissive marriages, the sale of drugs, the sale of organs, and more. Others lose contact with their families on account of money shortages or changing technology. Others are killed or die during the journey. Some are detained in jail for improper documentation or crimes. And others simply don’t want to have contact with their families, preferring to erase all of the vestiges of their pasts. What all the disappeared have in common is that when they disappear, they leave their families behind. To lose a mother, a sister, or a son without knowing anything about what happened to them is an unimaginable pain that never stops. It is a pain that lives in the hearts of their family members forever. Narciso Cruz Menjivar from the Jesuit Service for Migrants – one of my advisors – says that “I believe it creates a climate of eternal pain. A climate of insecurity in the mothers. Of eternal suffering in the mothers. If your family member is disappeared, you do not see him or her die. You do not see his or her body. You do not see if he or she is alive or dead. It is an issue without resolution.”[2] This project is a forum for the voices of these mothers and other family members that have disappeared loved ones. The purpose is to call attention to a problem that affects not only these families, but all of us as human beings. [1] Instituto Nacional de Información de Desarrollo. Anuario Estadístico 2008. “Saldos Migratorios por Condición de Nacionalidad y Sexo, Según Entradas, Salidas y Grupos de Edades Quinquenales.” [2] Narciso Cruz Menjivar. Personal Interview. Casa de Atención al Migrantes y sus Familiares, 21 November 2011

Multilevel predictors of cancer clinical trial enrollment among CCOP physicians

Despite the potential benefits, only 3-5% of American adults with cancer participate in cancer clinical trials. One intervention aimed at increasing participation in clinical trials is the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP), a cancer focused provider-based research network administered by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Although drivers of enrollment at the CCOP level are well understood, no research has exclusively examined enrollment among CCOP physicians. The objective of this dissertation was to understand the factors that predict enrollment of patients in NCI-sponsored cancer clinical trials among CCOP physicians. Data were obtained from the 2011 Annual CCOP Progress Reports, two surveys conducted in 2011 among CCOP administrators and physicians, and the 2012 American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. The sample consisted of 485 CCOP physicians. We used structural equation modeling to analyze three models that predicted physician enrollment. Our first analysis sought to determine the physician characteristics, attitudes, and CCOP factors associated with physician enrollment. Our results demonstrated that physicians' attitudes toward participating in CCOP, and CCOP policies and practices (e.g. trainings offered, expectations instituted, support provided) were both significant in directly predicting enrollment, although neither physician characteristics nor CCOP factors were indirectly associated with enrollment operating through physician attitudes. In the second analysis, we included physicians' perceptions of CCOP, and tested whether fit between CCOP and physicians' values moderated the effect of physicians' perceptions of implementation climate (i.e., a climate that supports, rewards, and expects implementation) on enrollment. Our results demonstrated that both constructs were significantly associated with enrollment and including the moderator improved overall fit of the model. Lastly, we included both CCOP factors and perceptions of context in a single model. Our results confirmed that implementation climate mediated the relationship between organizational policies and practices and enrollment Overall, the results have both theoretical and practice implications. This dissertation extends the setting and unit of analysis in which innovation implementation theories have been tested. In addition, the findings from this dissertation could be used to develop physician directed strategies aimed at increasing involvement in clinical research. These strategies will be increasingly important as the CCOP network continues to evolve.Doctor of Philosoph

Matching Sourcing Destination with Fashion Brands’ Business Model: Comparative Advantages of Bangladesh and Vietnam Apparel Industries

This study investigated the comparative advantages of the Bangladeshi and Vietnamese apparel industries using Global Value Chain (GVC) framework. In this study, the GVC framework was expanded to include social and environmental sustainability issues. Secondary data, for the 2012 - 2013 period, were collected and analyzed for each component of the apparel GVC. The findings indicated that while both countries have unique comparative advantages, Vietnam clearly emerged as a leader on many GVC components. Bangladesh’s comparative advantage lies in lower wages, producing high volume orders, and lean manufacturing. In spite of Vietnam’s higher labor costs, it has comparative advantages in higher productivity, skilled and trained workers, manufacturing of intricate styles of high quality, agility and flexible manufacturing, more developed infrastructure and logistic services as well as greater social and environmental compliances. This study contributes towards insight into best sourcing fit for fashion brand business models. Based on the findings, fashion driven companies offering more complex styles at a faster rate will benefit from choosing Vietnam. In contrast, Bangladesh might be a better choice for high volume driven companies that offer basic apparel and better value for their consumers. From theoretical perspective, the research makes an important contribution by expanding the GVC framework

Contemporary outcomes of complete atrioventricular septal defect repair: Analysis of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database

ObjectiveContemporary outcomes data for complete atrioventricular septal defect (CAVSD) repair are limited. We sought to describe early outcomes of CAVSD repair across a large multicenter cohort, and explore potential associations with patient characteristics, including age, weight, and genetic syndromes.MethodsPatients in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database having repair of CAVSD (2008-2011) were included. Preoperative, operative, and outcomes data were described. Univariate associations between patient factors and outcomes were described.ResultsOf 2399 patients (101 centers), 78.4% had Down syndrome. Median age at surgery was 4.6 months (interquartile range, 3.5-6.1 months), with 11.8% (n = 284) aged ≤2.5 months. Median weight at surgery was 5.0 kg (interquartile range, 4.3-5.8 kg) with 6.3% (n = 151) < 3.5 kg. Pulmonary artery band removal at CAVSD repair was performed in 122 patients (4.6%). Major complications occurred in 9.8%, including permanent pacemaker implantation in 2.7%. Median postoperative length of stay (PLOS) was 8 days (interquartile range, 5-14 days). Overall hospital mortality was 3.0%. Weight < 3.5 kg and age ≤ 2.5 months were associated with higher mortality, longer PLOS, and increased frequency of major complications. Patients with Down syndrome had lower rates of mortality and morbidities than other patients; PLOS was similar.ConclusionsIn a contemporary multicenter cohort, most patients with CAVSD have repair early in the first year of life. Prior pulmonary artery band is rare. Hospital mortality is generally low, although patients at extremes of low weight and younger age have worse outcomes. Mortality and major complication rates are lower in patients with Down syndrome

Pathogen reduction in human plasma using an ultrashort pulsed laser

Pathogen reduction is a viable approach to ensure the continued safety of the blood supply against emerging pathogens. However, the currently licensed pathogen reduction techniques are ineffective against non-enveloped viruses such as hepatitis A virus, and they introduce chemicals with concerns of side effects which prevent their widespread use. In this report, we demonstrate the inactivation of both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses in human plasma using a novel chemical-free method, a visible ultrashort pulsed laser. We found that laser treatment resulted in 2-log, 1-log, and 3-log reductions in human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis A virus, and murine cytomegalovirus in human plasma, respectively. Laser-treated plasma showed ≥70% retention for most coagulation factors tested. Furthermore, laser treatment did not alter the structure of a model coagulation factor, fibrinogen. Ultrashort pulsed lasers are a promising new method for chemical-free, broad-spectrum pathogen reduction in human plasma

Effect of ACE1 polymorphism rs1799752 on protein levels of ACE2, the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor, in alveolar lung epithelium

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