The impact of culturally acquired behavioral norms on workplace communication.

This study explored cultural diversity influences on the concepts of time and punctuality; allowable limits of expressiveness; kinesics and oculesic cues; request/response time; and ethnic and gender preferences for supervisors. The research was conducted using participant volunteer personnel in a large U.S. Army Medical.Using the theoretical background of Blumer's Symbolic Interactionalism, thirty-two volunteer participants were individually interviewed in a qualitative, grounded theory research design study. The study population consisted of active duty military personnel with equal representation of males and females and officers and enlisted personnel from African-American and Euro-American heritage. Analysis of the data revealed a central theme of interpersonal relationship expectations. The responses provided in four vignettes exploring time, punctuality, expressiveness, kinesics and oculesic characteristics, request/response time, and preference choices for supervisors revealed that the African-American participants communicated workplace relationship efforts with an orientation toward an interpersonal approach (collectivistic). The participants from Euro-American heritages approached most workplace relationships from a "business only" perspective (individualistic). The findings suggest that relationship expectations have a cultural basis in some of the miscues in work environment communication. Further research among other population and ethnic groups to corroborate this theory

Public Health Hazards Associated with the Consumption of Molluscan Shellfish in the State of Rhode Island

The principal objective of this thesis was to descriptively and empirically assess shellfish consumption hazards in the state of Rhode Island and to evaluate the use of a shellfish hazard warning label to modify unsafe consumptive behaviors. To accomplish this task, three research problems were examined using a survey instrument. The survey instrument was a questionnaire which included both closed and open-ended questions. The survey questions were designed to identify four primary research variables; shellfish consumptive behaviors, consumer knowledge of shellfish hazards and related government advisories, perceptions of risk regarding personal shellfish consumption, and response to warning label information. The first research problem involved determining whether the consumptive behaviors of Rhode Island shellfish consumers placed them at risk of contracting shellfish-related illnesses. Based on the survey results, it was concluded that the majority of respondents consumed shellfish in an unsafe manner. In addition, it was determined that nearly half of high-risk respondents, who suffered from pre-existing health conditions which increased susceptibility to food-borne illness, also practiced unsafe consumptive behaviors. The second research problem involved determining whether statistical relationships existed between respondents\u27 consumptive behaviors, their knowledge of risks and their perceptions of personal risk. It was determined that a statistically significant relationship existed between: 1) consumer knowledge levels and consumption of lightly steamed shellfish, and 2) consumer knowledge levels and perceptions of risk. The lack of a relationship between raw shellfish consumption and either consumer knowledge or risk perception indicated that consumers may be unaware of the serious nature of potential consumption hazards. The third research problem involved determining the potential influence of point-of-sale shellfish warning labels on consumer behaviors. It was found that nearly two thirds of the study population and over eighty-five percent of high-risk consumers would modify their unsafe behaviors after reading a sample warning label. However, only three to five percent of respondents stated that they would stop consuming shellfish altogether. The research results suggested that a potential public health problem existed within the state of Rhode Island. It was recommended that the RIDOH institute a pilot shellfish=hazard education program in an attempt to mitigate unsafe consumptive behaviors and to fulfill responsibilities towards public health. This program would also inform consumers that shellfish are a wholesome and nutritious food when properly cooked

Ex-nihilo: Obstacles Surrounding Teaching the Standard Model

The model of the Big Bang is an integral part of the national curriculum for England. Previous work (e.g. Baxter 1989) has shown that pupils often come into education with many and varied prior misconceptions emanating from both internal and external sources. Whilst virtually all of these misconceptions can be remedied, there will remain (by its very nature) the obstacle of ex-nihilo, as characterised by the question `how do you get something from nothing?' There are two origins of this obstacle: conceptual (i.e. knowledge-based) and cultural (e.g. deeply held religious viewpoints). The article shows how the citizenship section of the national curriculum, coming `online' in England from September 2002, presents a new opportunity for exploiting these.Comment: 6 pages. Accepted for publication in Physics E

An archaeology of borders: qualitative political theory as a tool in addressing moral distance

Interviews, field observations and other qualitative methods increasingly are being used to inform the construction of arguments in normative political theory. This article works to demonstrate the strong salience of some kinds of qualitative material for cosmopolitan arguments to extend distributive boundaries. The incorporation of interviews and related qualitative material can make the moral claims of excluded others more vivid and possibly more difficult to dismiss by advocates of strong priority to compatriots in distributions. Further, it may help to promote the kind of perspective taking that has been associated with actually motivating a willingness to aid by individuals. Illustrative findings are presented from field work conducted for a normative project on global citizenship, including interviews with unauthorized immigrants and the analysis of artifacts left behind on heavily used migrant trails

Benzo-fused Tri[8]annulenes as Molecular Models of Cubic Graphite

Cyclotrimerization of 9,10‐dibromo‐9,10‐dihydrodibenzo[3,4:7,8]cycloocta[1,2‐l]phenanthrene with potassium tert‐butoxide in the presence of a transition‐metal catalyst afforded two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon stereoisomers consisting of three cyclooctatetraene (COT) moieties connected via a central benzene ring. Both isomeric tri[8]annulenes were obtained selectively through the choice of the catalyst: The α,α,α‐form (Ru catalyst) displayed a threefold symmetrywith the COT subunits forming the side walls of a (chiral) molecular cup. In the thermodynamically more stable α,α,β‐isomer (Pd catalyst), one of the three boat‐shaped COTs was flipped over and faced the opposite molecular hemisphere with respect to the central benzene ring as evidenced by crystal structure analysis. Both title compounds are small segments of “cubic graphite”, an elusive carbon allotrope

Linguistic incompetence: giving an account of researching multilingually

This paper considers the place of linguistic competence and incompetence in the context of researching multilingually. It offers a critique of the concept of competence and explores the performative dimensions of multilingual research and its narration, through the philosophy of Judith Butler, and in particular her study Giving an account of oneself. It explores aspects of risk, justice, narrative limit and a morality of multilingualism in emergent multilingual research frameworks. These theoretical dimensions are explored through consideration of ‘linguistically incompetent’ ethnographic work with refugees and asylum seekers, in contexts of hospitality and in life long learning research in the Gaza Strip, and of early attempts to learn new languages. The paper offers a prospect of a relational approach to researching multilingually and affirms the vulnerability at the heart of linguistic hospitality

Noninvasive Ventilation in Preterm Infants: Factors Influencing Weaning Decisions and the Role of the Silverman-Andersen Score

The factors influencing weaning of preterm infants from noninvasive ventilation (NIV) are poorly defined and the weaning decisions are often driven by subjective judgement rather than objective measures. To standardize quantification of respiratory effort, the Silverman-Andersen Score (SAS) was included in our nursing routine. We investigated the factors that steer the weaning process and whether the inclusion of the SAS would lead to more stringent weaning. Following SAS implementation, we prospectively evaluated 33 neonates born <= 32 + 0 weeks gestational age. Age-, weight- and sex-matched infants born before routine SAS evaluation served as historic control. In 173 of 575 patient days, NIV was not weaned despite little respiratory distress (SAS <= 2), mainly due to bradycardias (60% of days without weaning), occurring alone (40%) or in combination with other factors such as apnea/desaturations. In addition, soft factors that are harder to grasp impact on weaning decisions, whereas the SAS overall played a minor role. Consequently, ventilation times did not differ between the groups. In conclusion, NIV weaning is influenced by various factors that override the absence of respiratory distress limiting the predictive value of the SAS. An awareness of the factors that influence weaning decisions is important as prolonged use of NIV has been associated with adverse outcome. Guidelines are necessary to standardize NIV weaning practice

Coherently averaged dual-comb spectroscopy with a low-noise and high-power free-running gigahertz dual-comb laser

We present a new type of dual optical frequency comb source capable of scaling applications to high measurement speeds while combining high average power, ultra-low noise operation, and a compact setup. Our approach is based on a diode-pumped solid-state laser cavity which includes an intracavity biprism operated at Brewster angle to generate two spatially-separated modes with highly correlated properties. The 15-cm-long cavity uses an Yb:CALGO crystal and a SESAM as an end mirror to generate more than 3 W average power per comb, below 80 fs pulse duration, a repetition rate of 1.03 GHz, and a continuously tunable repetition rate difference up to 27 kHz. We carefully investigate the coherence properties of the dual-comb by a series of heterodyne measurements, revealing several important features: (1) ultra-low jitter on the uncorrelated part of the timing noise; (2) the radio frequency comb lines of the interferograms are fully resolved in free-running operation; (3) we validate that through a simple measurement of the interferograms we can determine the fluctuations of the phase of all the radio frequency comb lines; (4) this phase information is used in a post-processing routine to perform coherently averaged dual-comb spectroscopy of acetylene (C2H2) over long timescales. Our results represent a powerful and general approach to dual-comb applications by combining low noise and high power operation directly from a highly compact laser oscillator