Employee participation in workplace wellness programmes in the Namibian public service: Motivational factors and barriers

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom (IPS)A typical workplace is likely to be non-existent in the absence of its human resources. Thus, human capital is generally an asset to most organisations. This is why it is important that employers play an active part in improving and maintaining the wellbeing of its most valued asset, its employees. The employee wellness programme is an intervention designed to serve a preventative and curative role concerning the wellbeing of employees and more organisations realises its value. However, employees and employers face various challenges when it comes to the participation of employees in these programmes. The objectives of this study was to determine the factors that motivates employees to participate in workplace wellness programmes as well as the barriers to employee participation in workplace wellness programmes in the Namibian public service. The researcher intended to uncover the personal views and experiences of public service employees pertaining to the motivational factors and barriers influencing their participation in workplace wellness programmes. The latter inspired the use of the qualitative research method as a suitable method to gather information

Kanten- und Oberflächenplasmonen in der Nahfeldmikroskopie mit der Tetraedersonde

Kanten- und Oberflächenplasmonen spielen als an Metallstrukturen konzentriert gebundene elektromagnetische Wellen mit optischer Bandbreite aufgrund der fortschreitenden Miniaturisierung zur Übertragung von Informationen und Energie eine zunehmende Rolle. Bei der Anregung der hier benutzten tetraederförmigen Nahfeldsonde zeigt sich, dass Fernfeldlicht mit Hilfe von Kantenplasmonen in Nahfelder am Ende der Sonde umgewandelt wird. Dies führt zur Approximation der Sonde durch einen Dipol mit komplexem Dipolmoment. Mit dieser Sonde können dann stehende Oberflächenplasmonen kurzer Wellenlänge in Golddisks nachgewiesen werden, die durch Reflexion an den Strukturrändern entstehen. Zusätzlich sind mit der Tetraedersonde Fluoreszenz-Nahfeld-Messungen an auf dünnen Goldfilmen präparierten Thylakoid-Membranen möglich, die eine Auflösung um die 20 nm zeigen, wodurch der Grundstein zur weiteren Aufklärung der optischen Eigenschaften photosynthetischer Membranen gelegt wird.Edge- and surface-plasmons combine spatial confinement with optical bandwidth at metallic structures. That makes them an important tool for transporting energy and information at the nanoscale. Furthermore, the edge-plasmon is an important link for transforming far field light into near fields at the apex of the here used near field probe of tetrahedral shape. This leads to an approximation of the electric fields of the Tetrahedral Tip by a dipole with a complex dipole moment. Using this near field probe standing wave pattern of surface plasmons of short wavelength are revealed inside of gold-disks. These patterns arise by reflection of the surface plasmons at the rim of the metallic structures. Additionally, fluorescence images with a resolution about 20 nm are measured at thylakoid-membranes, which are deposited on thin gold films. This gives the opportunity of further investigation of the optical properties of photosynthetic membranes

Die Transnationalisierung von Arbeitsmobilität: Entwicklungstrends und ausgewählte Herausforderungen ihrer Regulierung

In den letzten beiden Jahrzehnten haben sich Ausmaß und Qualität grenzüberschreitender Arbeitsmobilität stark verändert. Neben (individueller) Arbeitsmigration nimmt die organisational gesteuerte Mobilität zu. Immer mehr Beschäftigte von Profit- und Non-Profit-Organisationen arbeiten für eine Zeit und unter variierenden vertraglichen Bedingungen im Ausland. Dies bringt neue Herausforderungen für die kollektive Regulierung der Beschäftigungs-, Arbeits- und Partizipationsbedingungen insgesamt mit sich wie etwa hinsichtlich der Bemessungsgrundlagen von Vergütung transnationaler Beschäftigter oder in Bezug auf deren Interessenvertretung. Gleichzeitig stellen sich im Zusammenhang transnationaler Arbeitsmobilität neue Fragen der Gerechtigkeit wie etwa die nach vergleichbaren Berufsgruppen im Ankunfts- oder Herkunftsland oder nach den zu berücksichtigenden Normen. Der Beitrag beschreibt Tendenzen und Formen von grenzüberschreitender Arbeitsmobilität und diskutiert die entsprechenden Herausforderungen und Anforderungen für transnationale Erwerbsregulierung.During the last two decades the volume and quality of cross-border mobility of work changed substantially. Besides individual labour migration, the mobility inside profit- and non-profit-organisations extended and differentiated in its forms. Transnational organizational mobility is part of labour conditions for more and more employees. New challenges concerning the collective regulation of the conditions of employment, work and participation arise: what is the frame of reference for payment of transnational mobiles? Who is responsible for representing their interests? There are also new questions of justice like the employment and working criteria for people working in the same area but with different contract conditions. The article analyses patterns and recent trends of cross-border mobility of work and discusses the challenges and requests for transnational labour regulation

Positive practices : solution-focused and narrative therapeutic techniques with children with sexually harmful behaviours

This article explores the use of solution-focused and Narrative Therapeutic approaches with a boy who had sexually harmful behaviours. The paper will highlight the practical challenges of working with someone who is 'problem-saturated' through institutionalisation and who is also subjected to powerful discourses claiming the 'truth' about him. The use of solution-focused and Narrative Therapeutic principles and approaches will be demonstrated in the work described, in a way that allows the reader to reflect on how these may differ from modernist understandings and responses to this behaviour

Epilepsy, Antiepileptic Drugs, and Aggression: An Evidence-Based Review.

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have many benefits but also many side effects, including aggression, agitation, and irritability, in some patients with epilepsy. This article offers a comprehensive summary of current understanding of aggressive behaviors in patients with epilepsy, including an evidence-based review of aggression during AED treatment. Aggression is seen in a minority of people with epilepsy. It is rarely seizure related but is interictal, sometimes occurring as part of complex psychiatric and behavioral comorbidities, and it is sometimes associated with AED treatment. We review the common neurotransmitter systems and brain regions implicated in both epilepsy and aggression, including the GABA, glutamate, serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline systems and the hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and temporal lobes. Few controlled clinical studies have used behavioral measures to specifically examine aggression with AEDs, and most evidence comes from adverse event reporting from clinical and observational studies. A systematic approach was used to identify relevant publications, and we present a comprehensive, evidence-based summary of available data surrounding aggression-related behaviors with each of the currently available AEDs in both adults and in children/adolescents with epilepsy. A psychiatric history and history of a propensity toward aggression/anger should routinely be sought from patients, family members, and carers; its presence does not preclude the use of any specific AEDs, but those most likely to be implicated in these behaviors should be used with caution in such cases

Association between CMD signs and symptoms, oral parafunctions, race and sex, in 4–6-year-old African-American and Caucasian children

The associations between oral parafunctions, signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders (CMD), race, and sex were analysed in recordings from 203 4-6-year-old African-American and Caucasian children. Significant correlations were found between bruxism, nail biting, thumb sucking and most of the CMD signs and symptoms. There were also significant associations between most of the signs and symptoms and race, while significant association with sex was found only regarding headache, TMJ sounds and chewing pain. Significant associations were found between most CMD signs and TMJ sounds supporting the view that joint sound recordings have diagnostic value. There were also significant associations between the pain variables recorded by questionnaire and those recorded by palpation, which indicates that reliable data can be obtained by interviewing children as young as five. The results of this study support the concept that oral parafunctions have a significant role in the aetiology of CMD. The results also show that race and sex need to be considered when analysing the possible aetiological role of oral parafunctions in CMD. Longitudinal studies, beginning with low age groups are needed to better determine the role of childhood oral parafunctions in CMD aetiology.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75673/1/j.1365-2842.1995.tb00241.x.pd

Utilization of single-chamber microbial fuel cells as renewable power sources for electrochemical degradation of nitrogen-containing organic compounds

By employing promising single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as renewable power sources, an aerated electrochemical system is proposed and for nitrogen-containing organic compounds (pyridine and methyl orange) removals. Carbon felt performed the best as electrode material while lower initial contaminant concentration and lower initial pH value could improve the performance. A degradation efficiency of 82.9% for pyridine was achieved after 360 min electrolysis with its initial concentration of 200 mg/L, initial pH of 3.0 and applied voltage of 700 mV. Mechanisms study implied that indirect electrochemical oxidation by generated hydrogen peroxide was responsible for their degradation. This study provides an alternative utilization form of low bioelectricity from MFCs and reveals that applying it to electrochemical process is highly-efficient as well as cost-effective for degradation of nitrogen-containing organic compounds. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [21307117, 41440025]; Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China [20120022120005]; Beijing Excellent Talent Training Project [2013D009015000003]; Beijing Higher Education Young Elite Teacher Project [YETP0657]; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [2652015226, 2652015131]SCI(E)[email protected]