Workplace design

Purpose: Although both the job and its broader context are likely to drive motivation, little is known about the specific workplace characteristics that are important for motivation. We present the Workplace Characteristics Model, which describes the workplace characteristics that can foster motivation, and the corresponding multilevel Workplace Design Questionnaire. Design/methodology/approach: The model is configured as nine workplace attributes describing climate for motivation at two levels, psychological and organizational. The multilevel multi-time questionnaire was validated with data from 4287 individuals and 212 workplaces and integrated regulation as the criterion outcome. Findings: Multilevel factor analysis and regression indicated good internal reliability, construct validity, and stability over time, and excellent concurrent and predictive validity of the questionnaire. Research/Practical implications: The model could help to optimize job and workplace design by contextualizing motivation. The questionnaire offers advancement over single-level climate measures as it is validated simultaneously at two levels. Further research should focus on overcoming the low response rate typical for online surveys, on need fulfillment as the mediating variable, and on the joint influence of job and workplace characteristics on organizational behavior. Originality/value: This work responds to calls to incorporate context in research into organizational behavior and job design. An understanding of the workplace is a first step in this direction. The questionnaire is the first to be validated at multiple levels of analysis. Ultimately, workplace design could support job design and the development of inherently motivating workplaces

The Cone Dysfunction Syndromes

The cone dysfunction syndromes are a heterogeneous group of inherited, predominantly stationary retinal disorders characterised by reduced central vision, and varying degrees of colour vision abnormalities, nystagmus and photophobia. This review details the following conditions: complete and incomplete achromatopsia, blue-cone monochromatism, oligocone trichromacy, bradyopsia, and Bornholm eye disease. We describe the clinical, psychophysical, electrophysiological and imaging findings that are characteristic to each condition, in order to aid their accurate diagnosis, as well as highlight some classically held notions about these diseases that have come to be challenged over recent years. The latest data regarding the genetic aetiology and pathological changes observed in the cone dysfunction syndromes are discussed, and, where relevant, translational avenues of research, including completed and anticipated interventional clinical trials, for some of the diseases described herein will be presented. Finally, we briefly review the current management of these disorders

New and emerging technologies for the treatment of inherited retinal diseases: a horizon scanning review.

The horizon scanning review aimed to identify new and emerging technologies in development that have the potential to slow or stop disease progression and/or reverse sight loss in people with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). Potential treatments were identified using recognized horizon scanning methods. These included a combination of online searches using predetermined search terms, suggestions from clinical experts and patient and carer focus groups, and contact with commercial developers. Twenty-nine relevant technologies were identified. These included 9 gene therapeutic approaches, 10 medical devices, 5 pharmacological agents, and 5 regenerative and cell therapies. A further 11 technologies were identified in very early phases of development (typically phase I or pre-clinical) and were included in the final report to give a complete picture of developments 'on the horizon'. Clinical experts and patient and carer focus groups provided helpful information and insights, such as the availability of specialised services for patients, the potential impacts of individual technologies on people with IRDs and their families, and helped to identify additional relevant technologies. This engagement ensured that important areas of innovation were not missed. Most of the health technologies identified are still at an early stage of development and it is difficult to estimate when treatments might be available. Further, well designed trials that generate data on efficacy, applicability, acceptability, and costs of the technologies, as well as the long-term impacts for various conditions are required before these can be considered for adoption into routine clinical practice

Quantum effects in the diffusion of hydrogen on Ru(0001)

An understanding of hydrogen diffusion on metal surfaces is important, not just for its role in heterogeneous catalysis and hydrogen fuel cell technology, but also because it provides model systems where tunneling can be studied under well-defined conditions. Here we report helium spin-echo measurements of the atomic-scale motion of hydrogen on the Ru(0001) surface between 75 and 250 K. Quantum effects are evident at temperatures as high as 200 K, while below 120 K we observe a tunneling-dominated temperature independent jump rate of 1.9$\times$10$^9$ s$^{-1}$, many orders of magnitude faster than previously seen. Quantum transition state theory calculations based on ab initio path-integral simulations reproduce the temperature dependence of the rate at higher temperatures and predict a crossover to tunneling-dominated diffusion at low temperatures, although the tunneling rate is under-estimated, highlighting the need for future experimental and theoretical studies of hydrogen diffusion on well-defined surfaces.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

Semantic annotation in ubiquitous healthcare skills-based learning environments

This paper describes initial work on developing a semantic annotation system for the augmentation of skills-based learning for Healthcare. Scenario driven skills-based learning takes place in an augmented hospital ward simulation involving a patient simulator known as SimMan. The semantic annotation software enables real-time annotations of these simulations for debriefing of the students, student self study and better analysis of the learning approaches of mentors. A description of the developed system is provided with initial findings and future directions for the work.<br/

Who Receives Unemployment Insurance?

This paper uses Unemployment Insurance (UI) administrative data combined with Current Population Survey data in 2003 to examine socioeconomic patterns in UI receipt for new job losers. We find that key socioeconomic groups – women, nonwhites, youth, and workers with no high school diploma – were much less likely than average to start collecting UI benefits once they lost their jobs. These differences are partly attributable to differences in part-time employment and unionization; workers in groups with low part-time employment and high unionization rates had higher than average UI receipt rates. We also find that certain groups of job losers – women, youth, workers with no college education, and blue collar workers – collected much lower benefits once they entered the program. These differences are mainly attributed to variation in benefit entitlements and other factors. Our findings enhance our understanding of the effectiveness of the UI program to serve the diverse population of new job losers in the modern US economy

Inherited retinal diseases: Therapeutics, clinical trials and end points—A review

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders characterised by photoreceptor degeneration or dysfunction. These disorders typically present with severe vision loss that can be progressive, with disease onset ranging from congenital to late adulthood. The advances in genetics, retinal imaging and molecular biology, have conspired to create the ideal environment for establishing treatments for IRDs, with the first approved gene therapy and the commencement of multiple clinical trials. The scope of this review is to familiarise clinicians and scientists with the current management and the prospects for novel therapies for: (1) macular dystrophies, (2) cone and cone‐rod dystrophies, (3) cone dysfunction syndromes, (4) Leber congenital amaurosis, (5) rod‐cone dystrophies, (6) rod dysfunction syndromes and (7) chorioretinal dystrophies. We also briefly summarise the investigated end points for the ongoing trials

Term admissions to neonatal units in England: a role for transitional care? A retrospective cohort study

Objective To identify the primary reasons for term admissions to neonatal units in England, to determine risk factors for admissions for jaundice and to estimate the proportion who can be cared for in a transitional setting without separation of mother and baby. Design Retrospective observational study using neonatal unit admission data from the National Neonatal Research Database and data of live births in England from the Office for National Statistics. Setting All 163 neonatal units in England 2011–2013. Participants 133 691 term babies born ≥37 weeks gestational age and admitted to neonatal units in England. Primary and secondary outcomes Primary reasons for admission, term babies admitted for the primary reason of jaundice, patient characteristics, postnatal age at admission, total length of stay, phototherapy, intravenous fluids, exchange transfusion and kernicterus. Results Respiratory disease was the most common reason for admission overall, although jaundice was the most common reason for admission from home (22% home vs 5% hospital). Risk factors for admission for jaundice include male, born at 37 weeks gestation, Asian ethnicity and multiple birth. The majority of babies received only a brief period of phototherapy, and only a third received intravenous fluids, suggesting that some may be appropriately managed without separation of mother and baby. Admission from home was significantly later (3.9 days) compared with those admitted from elsewhere in the hospital (1.7 days) (p<0.001). Conclusion Around two-thirds of term admissions for jaundice may be appropriately managed in a transitional care setting, avoiding separation of mother and baby. Babies with risk factors may benefit from a community midwife postnatal visit around the third day of life to enable early referral if necessary. We recommend further work at the national level to examine provision and barriers to transitional care, referral pathways between primary and secondary care, and community postnatal care