326 research outputs found

    Exploring the influence of core-self evaluations, situational factors, and coping on nurse burnout : a cross-sectional survey study

    Get PDF
    Stress has become an inherent aspect of the nursing profession. Chronically experienced work stress can lead to burnout. Although situational stressors show a significant influence on burnout, their power to predict the complete syndrome is rather limited. After all, stressors only exist "in the eye of the beholder". This study aimed to explore how individual vulnerability factors such as core-self evaluations and coping, contribute to burnout in relation to situational stressors within a population of hospital nurses. Cross-sectional data was collected in 2014, using five validated self-report instruments: Dutch Core Self Evaluations Scale, Nursing Work Index Revised, Utrecht Coping List, Ruminative Response Scale, and Utrecht Burnout Scale. 219 of the 250 questionnaires were returned. Core-self evaluations, situational factors and coping each contributed significantly to the predictive capacity of the models of the separate burnout dimensions. Core-self evaluations was significantly related to emotional exhaustion. It was suggested that Core-self evaluations might be placed at the initiation of the loss cycle. However, further research is warranted

    Low power all-digital radio-over-fiber transmission for 28-GHz band using parallel electro-absorption modulators

    Get PDF
    We present a low-power all-digital radio-over-fiber transmitter for beyond 28-GHz using sigma-delta modulation, a 140mW NRZ driver and parallel electro-absorption modulators. 5.25Gb/s (2.625Gb/s) 64-QAM is transported over 10-km SSMF at 1560nm with 7.6% (5.2%) EVM

    SiGe EAM-based transceivers for datacenter interconnects and radio over fiber

    Get PDF
    Silicon photonics is a key-enabling technology leveraging decades of effort and infrastructure of the microelectronics CMOS industry resulting in high yield, low cost and potential high volume manufacturing. Furthermore, due to the high index contrast of the platform, very compact, high-complexity photonic integrated circuits can be devised. To benefit from these advantages, high-speed modulators should also be compatible with silicon technology. In this respect, SiGe electro-absorption modulators (EAM) are considered as a promising candidate since they are CMOS-compatible and offer high-speed, compact, low-loss and low-power modulation. In this paper, we discuss SiGe EAM-based transceivers for next-generation datacenter interconnects (DCI) and radio-over-fiber (RoF) fronthaul in next-generation cellular networks

    Waarnemingen.be : non-native plant and animal occurrences in Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region, Belgium

    Get PDF
    Citizen scientists make important contributions to the collection of occurrence data of non-native species. We present two datasets comprising more than 520,000 records of 1,771 non-native species from Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region in Belgium, Western Europe, collected through the website http://www.waamemingen.be hosted by Stichting Natuurinformatie and managed by the nature conservation NGO Natuurpunt. Most records were collected by citizen scientists, mainly since 2008. Waarnemingen.be aims at recording all species, native and non-native, and it is shown here that this kind of biodiversity portals are also particularly well suited to collect large amounts of data on non-native species. Both datasets presented here are also discoverable through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

    Development of a toolkit to improve interprofessional collaboration and integration in primary care using qualitative interviews and co-design workshops

    Get PDF
    BackgroundDespite numerous attempts to improve interprofessional collaboration and integration (IPCI) in primary care, patients, care providers, researchers, and governments are still looking for tools and guidance to do this more efficiently. To address these issues, we decided to develop a generic toolkit, based on sociocracy and psychological safety principles, to guide care providers in their collaboration within and outside their practice. Finally, we reasoned that, in order to obtain integrated primary care, different strategies should be combined.MethodsDevelopment of the toolkit consisted of a multiyear co-development process. Data originating from 65 care providers, through 13 in-depth interviews and five focus groups were analysed and subsequently evaluated in eight co-design workshop sessions, organised with a total of 40 academics, lecturers, care providers and members of the Flemish patient association. Findings from the qualitative interviews and co-design workshops were gradually, and inductively adapted and transformed into the content for the IPCI toolkit.ResultsTen themes were identified: (i) awareness of the importance of interprofessional collaboration, (ii) the need for a self-assessment tool to measure team performance, (iii) preparing a team to use the toolkit, (iv) enhancing psychological safety, (v) developing and determining consultation techniques, (vi) shared decision making, (vii) developing workgroups to tackle specific (neighbourhood) problems, (viii) how to work patient-centred, (ix) how to integrate a new team member, and (x) getting ready to implement the IPCI toolkit. From these themes, we developed a generic toolkit, consisting of eight modules.ConclusionIn this paper, we describe the multiyear co-development process of a generic toolkit for the improvement of interprofessional collaboration. Inspired by a mix of interventions from in and outside healthcare, a modular open toolkit was produced that includes aspects of Sociocracy, concepts as psychological safety, a self-assessment tool and other modules concerned with meetings, decision-making, integrating new team members and population health. Upon implementation, evaluation and further development and improvement, this compounded intervention should have a beneficial effect on the complex problem of interprofessional collaboration in primary care

    Low power all-digital radio-over-fiber transmission for 28-GHz band using parallel electro-absorption modulators

    Get PDF
    We present a low-power all-digital radio-over-fiber (RoF) transmitter for the 28 GHz band using sigma-delta modulation. Using a parallel electro-absorption modulator (EAM) structure, the radio signal upconversion is split between the electrical and the optical domains. This halves the maximum bandwidth requirement of the driver circuit with respect to conventional implementations. Furthermore, the effect of chromatic dispersion can be mitigated by tuning the optical phase and amplitude applied to the individual modulators, such that transmission notches are partially removed. The modulator structure is described using simplified models and verified in VPI TransmissionMaker. Experimental results using a 140 mW non-return-to-zero (NRZ) driver and parallel EAMs are provided and yield an error vector magnitude (EVM) of 7.6% (5.2%) when transporting a radio signal modulated at 28 GHz with 5.25 Gb/s (2.625 Gb/s) 64-QAM over 10 km standard single mode fiber (SSMF) at 1560 nm

    Nasopharyngeal Microbiota Profiles in Rural Venezuelan Children Are Associated With Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Infections

    Get PDF
    BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that the microbiota affects susceptibility to both respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and gastrointestinal infections (GIIs). In order to optimize global treatment options, it is important to characterize microbiota profiles across different niches and geographic/socioeconomic areas where RTI and GII prevalences are high. METHODS: We performed 16S sequencing of nasopharyngeal swabs from 209 Venezuelan Amerindian children aged 6 weeks-59 months who were participating in a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) study. Using random forest models, differential abundance testing, and regression analysis, we determined whether specific bacteria were associated with RTIs or GIIs and variation in PCV13 response. RESULTS: Microbiota compositions differed between children with or without RTIs (P = .018) or GIIs (P = .001). Several species were associated with the absence of infections. Some of these health-associated bacteria are also observed in developed regions, such as Corynebacterium (log2(fold change [FC]) = 3.30 for RTIs and log2(FC) = 1.71 for GIIs), while others are not commonly observed in developed regions, such as Acinetobacter (log2(FC) = 2.82 and log2(FC) = 5.06, respectively). Klebsiella spp. presence was associated with both RTIs (log2(FC) = 5.48) and GIIs (log2(FC) = 7.20). CONCLUSIONS: The nasopharyngeal microbiota of rural Venezuelan children included several bacteria that thrive in tropical humid climates. Interestingly, nasopharyngeal microbiota composition not only differed in children with an RTI but also in those with a GII, which suggests a reciprocal interplay between the 2 environments. Knowledge of region-specific microbiota patterns enables tailoring of preventive and therapeutic approaches

    Method and apparatus for spectrum management for communication channels with crosstalk

    Get PDF
    The present invention relates to a method for determining at least one operation transmti power over a communication channel coupled to a disturbance causing transceiver, for at least one tone, said communication channel degrading one or more victim communication channels by crosstalk interferences
    corecore