Managing stakeholder \u27push back\u27, an exploratory investigation into dealing with negative cross cultural communication in a global environment

This paper addresses the issue of a current business phenomenon &ndash; &lsquo;push back&rsquo;. This phenomenon has been experienced by a number of transnational companies. It is embedded in the challenges of cross-cultural communication and involves the linkage of local culture activists with globalisation acitivists in an alliance to stop business growth. This exploratory investigation examines three multinational organisations using qualitative research. From the findings a model has been developed in an attempt to provide practitioners with a framework with which to understand &lsquo;push back&rsquo;. The complexity of combating alliances of this nature raises challenges for the current approaches to marketing and the need for a multi-stakeholder approach in cross-cultural communication is suggested.<br /

Survey and Mapping of the Fred Graves Site: Laying the Groundwork for Understanding a Rural Non-Plantation-Based Southern Community

This thesis is an investigation of the Fred Graves Site, an abandoned nineteenth century farmstead in Alamance County, North Carolina. A standing dwelling, and other structures that are interpreted to be related to agricultural and commercial pursuits, are all that physically remain of a once thriving family’s base of operations. Abandoned since 1928, the farmstead has become overgrown with trees and is unknown by most people outside the descendant community. Archival research was used to discover what activities took place at the farmstead as well as insight into the lives of a community’s past population. In addition to archival research, an archaeological survey was conducted to document structural remains and to enable mapping of the site. Archival evidence depicts this site as the scene of distilling, leather tanning, blacksmithing, agricultural production, and the center of several community events. Archaeological survey reveals structural remains that could represent the infrastructure needed to support and house those activities. Mapping presents a picture of how one family utilized the landscape at their disposal. Information acquired from this project will hopefully become the basis for a more in depth examination of a past community’s adaptation to cultural, societal, and technological changes over time.Bachelor of Art

Cognitive impairment and preferences for current health

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We assessed preferences for current health using the visual analogue scale (VAS), standard gamble (SG), time trade-off (TTO), and willingness to pay (WTP) in patients with cerebral aneurysms, a population vulnerable to cognitive deficits related to aneurysm bleeding or treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We measured VAS, SG, TTO, and WTP values for current health in 165 outpatients with cerebral aneurysms. We assessed cognitive impairment with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE; scores < 24 = cognitive impairment). We examined the distributions of preference responses stratified by cognitive status, and the relationship between preferences and cognitive impairment, patient characteristics, and aneurysm history.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eleven patients (7%) had MMSE scores < 24. The distribution of preferences responses from patients with cognitive impairment had greater variance (SG, 0.39 vs. 0.21, P = 0.001; TTO, 0.36 vs. 0.24, P = 0.017) and altered morphology (VAS, P = 0.012; SG, P = 0.023) compared to the responses of unimpaired patients. There was good correlation between most preference measures for unimpaired patients (VAS:TTO, rho = 0.19, P = 0.018; SG:TTO, rho = 0.36, P < 0.001; SG:WTP, rho = -0.33, P < 0.001) and a trend towards significance with another pairing (VAS:WTP, rho = 0.16, P = 0.054). In subjects with cognitive impairment, there was a significant correlation only between VAS and TTO scores (rho = 0.76, P = 0.023). Separate regression models showed that cognitive impairment was associated with lower preferences on the VAS (β = -0.12, P = 0.048), SG (β = -0.23, P = 0.002), and TTO (β = -0.17, P = 0.035).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cognitive impairment is associated with lower preferences for current health in patients with cerebral aneurysms. Cognitively impaired patients have poor inter-preference test correlations and different response distributions compared to unimpaired patients.</p

Face validity evaluation of screening tools for gaming disorder: Scope, language, and overpathologizing issues

Aim: Critics of gaming disorder (GD; i.e., Internet gaming disorder in the DSM-5; Gaming disorder in the ICD-11) have expressed concerns about the potential risks of misclassification (e.g., false positives). An important consideration of relevance to this discussion is the extent to which commonly used screening instruments contain appropriate, sensible, and relevant items. The aim of this review was to evaluate the face validity of items within current tools for GD. Methods: A systematic review of databases identified 29 instruments. An item bank (n5417 items) was independently evaluated by three professional raters (i.e., a senior academic in clinical psychology, a senior psychometrician, and an academic/clinical psychologist) according to guidelines for defining and measuring addiction and gaming disorder. Findings: Evaluation of the item bank identified issues related to: scope (i.e., “scope creep” or items of questionable relevance); language (i.e., confusing language, unusual wording or syntax); and overpathologizing (i.e., pathologizing typical and/or beneficial aspects or consequences of gaming). A total of 71 items across 23 tools had at least one face validity issue. Conclusions: Most items (83%) demonstrated satisfactory face validity and were consistent with either the DSM-5 or ICD-11 GD classification. However, many tests contain at least one item that may pathologize normal gaming behaviors. Such items refer to basic changes in mood when gaming, a desire to play or continue playing games, and experiencing immersion when gaming. This analysis highlights the challenges of screening for problematic behaviors that are thought to arise within the context of normal recreational activitie

Metabolic Comparison of Wild-Type and Transgenic Synechocystis PCC 6803 Cyanobacteria

The Calvin-Benson (CBB) cycle is an essential part of nature. This phenomenon allows carbon molecules in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to be converted into useful energy in the form of sugars. Cyanobacteria are single-celled organisms capable of utilizing energy from sunlight to drive this cycle and are also readily engineered. In hopes of improving this cycle, we compared a wild-type version of the Synechocystis PCC6803 cyanobacteria to an engineered version overexpressing the enzyme FBA (fructose-biphosphate aldolase), called 70 glpX, to deduce how the overexpressing strain is able to be more photosynthetically efficient. To do this, comparative metabolomics were done to compare metabolite concentrations in order to identify differences between the two. It was found that the FBA enzyme in the 70 glpX contained increased metabolite concentrations at certain points in the CBB cycle when compared to the wild-type, causing an increase in the rate of photosynthesis. We can see that the substrate was higher at certain points, which may suggest a higher metabolic rate, explaining how the engineered version is better at carrying out photosynthesis

Gaming disorder and stigma‐related judgements of gaming individuals: An online randomized controlled trial

The inclusion of gaming disorder (GD) in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) has generated scholarly debate, including claims about its potential stigmatizing effects on the wider gaming population. The present study aimed to estimate the effect of addiction-based and non-addiction-based conceptualizations of problem gaming on stigma of gamers. This preregistered experiment involved a 2 (health information: addiction-related or non-addiction-related) × 3 (vignette: problem, regular or casual gamer) randomized, between-subjects design. An international sample of participants was recruited via Prolific in June and July 2021. Participants were eligible (n = 1228) if they were aged 35 to 50 years, played video games for no more than 6 hours per week and did not endorse DSM-5 or ICD-11 criteria for GD. Participants were provided with an explanation of problem gaming as related to either an addictive disorder (i.e. 'addiction' explanation) or personal choice and lifestyle factors (i.e. 'non-addiction' explanation). The Attribution Questionnaire (AQ) and Universal Stigma Scale (USS) assessed stigma toward each gamer vignette. Vignettes described a problem gamer (with features of GD); a regular gamer (frequent gaming; some life interference); and a casual gamer (infrequent gaming; no life interference). Problem gamer vignettes (mean [M] = 113.3; 95% CI = 111.5-115.4) received higher AQ stigma ratings than regular (M = 94.0; 95% CI = 91.9-95.9) and casual gamers (M = 80.1; 95% CI = 78.2-82.1). Although significant, the effect of health information type on AQ stigma ratings was negligible (addiction group [M = 97.6; 95% CI = 95.9-99.1], non-addiction group [M = 94.1; 95% CI = 92.6-95.8]). However, the addiction information group scored lower on USS blame and responsibility than the non-addiction information group with at least a small effect (99.1% confidence). Framing of problem gaming as an addictive disorder or non-addictive activity appears to have a negligible effect on stigma of different gamers among middle-age adults with minimal gaming experience. The concept of 'gaming addiction' seems unlikely to be an important influence on public stigma of gaming

Soil Geographical Database of Eurasia and the Mediterranean: Instructions Guide for Elaboration at Scale 1:1,000,000

Abstract not availableJRC.H-Institute for environment and sustainability (Ispra

Radial Spoke Proteins of \u3cem\u3eChlamydomonas\u3c/em\u3e Flagella

The radial spoke is a ubiquitous component of `9+2\u27 cilia and flagella, and plays an essential role in the control of dynein arm activity by relaying signals from the central pair of microtubules to the arms. The Chlamydomonas reinhardtii radial spoke contains at least 23 proteins, only 8 of which have been characterized at the molecular level. Here, we use mass spectrometry to identify 10 additional radial spoke proteins. Many of the newly identified proteins in the spoke stalk are predicted to contain domains associated with signal transduction, including Ca2+-, AKAP- and nucleotide-binding domains. This suggests that the spoke stalk is both a scaffold for signaling molecules and itself a transducer of signals. Moreover, in addition to the recently described HSP40 family member, a second spoke stalk protein is predicted to be a molecular chaperone, implying that there is a sophisticated mechanism for the assembly of this large complex. Among the 18 spoke proteins identified to date, at least 12 have apparent homologs in humans, indicating that the radial spoke has been conserved throughout evolution. The human genes encoding these proteins are candidates for causing primary ciliary dyskinesia, a severe inherited disease involving missing or defective axonemal structures, including the radial spokes