Job Satisfaction Among Staff Nurses in Mental Health Units in a VA facility

Studies have indicated that work environment in mental health is stressful, however, few studies have focused on staff working in acute mental health settings (Jenkins & Elliott, 2004). The purpose of this study was to describe job satisfaction among a sample of mental health staff nurses who were caring for patients with acute psychiatric disorders in a federal hospital. The second purpose was to determine if there were relationships between global job satisfaction and ethnicity, years in the organization, current unit, field of nursing, working with patients with mental disorders and age of staff nurses. An anonymous survey was distributed to a convenience sample of 69 registered nurses who worked on the four mental health units using the McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale (MMSS). The scale is a 31-item questionnaire that identifies eight types of satisfaction. Thirty two responses were received out of 69 surveys distributed, a response rate of 46%. The findings revealed that mental health staff nurses were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the current jobs (mean score 3.4). Nurses were most happy about flexibility in work schedules and were most unhappy with balance and work. The demographic findings indicated that over 70% of the nurses were concerned about their personal safety while on duty. A Pearson correlations test revealed that there is no significant relationship between global job satisfaction and the seven variables mentioned. A chi-square test found no correlation between ethnicity and global job satisfaction. The study used a small, convenience non random sample, therefore findings cannot be generalized to all nurses at the VA or general nursing population. To determine the levels of nurses\u27 job satisfaction with a larger random sample, a repeat study is recommended to include mental health nurses in different facilities in California and other states. This research may guide future research in examining job satisfaction as a measure to the delivery of quality patient care and patient outcomes

CO2_2 Infrared Phonon Modes in Interstellar Ice Mixtures

CO$_2$ ice is an important reservoir of carbon and oxygen in star and planet forming regions. Together with water and CO, CO$_2$ sets the physical and chemical characteristics of interstellar icy grain mantles, including desorption and diffusion energies for other ice constituents. A detailed understanding of CO$_2$ ice spectroscopy is a prerequisite to characterize CO$_2$ interactions with other volatiles both in interstellar ices and in laboratory experiments of interstellar ice analogs. We report laboratory spectra of the CO$_2$ longitudinal optical (LO) phonon mode in pure CO$_2$ ice and in CO$_2$ ice mixtures with H$_2$O, CO, O$_2$ components. We show that the LO phonon mode position is sensitive to the mixing ratio of various ice components of astronomical interest. In the era of JWST, this characteristic could be used to constrain interstellar ice compositions and morphologies. More immediately, LO phonon mode spectroscopy provides a sensitive probe of ice mixing in the laboratory and should thus enable diffusion measurements with higher precision than has been previously possible

A microbiological assay method for p-aminobenzoic acid

Since the establishment of p-aminobenzoic acid as a member of the B vitamin group, a considerable interest has been shown in methods of determination in natural materials. Since known chemical methods are not sufficiently sensitive, it became evident that microbiological tests should be the most practicable. The organism Clostridium acetobutylicum has been used (1) but no general assay procedure has been presented. Several bacterial strains which respond to p-aminobenzoic acid have been investigated in this laboratory, but satisfactory assay procedures with these organisms have not yet been devised. For the discovery of the test organism used in the procedure described in this paper, we are indebted to Dr. Beadle and Dr. Tatum who kindly furnished us with a culture of their p-aminobenzoic acid requiring a mutant strain of Neurospora crassa, designated by them as Neurospora crassa p-aminobenzoicless No. 1633 (2). This mold will grow optimally on a medium consisting of inorganic salts, ammonium tartrate, sucrose, biotin, and p-aminobenzoic acid. For purposes of assay, however, it has proved advantageous to supplement this basal medium with natural extracts which are either naturally low in p-aminobenzoic acid or have been treated to remove it. With such a complex medium, the possibility of interference by toxic substances or stimulatory substances other than p-aminobenzoic acid which might be present in samples to be assayed is reduced to a minimum. Since the completion of a considerable part of the experimental work described in this paper, microbiological assay methods for p-aminobenzoic acid have been published by Landy and Dicken (3) utilizing the organism Acetobacter suboxydans and by Lewis (4) using Lactobacillus arabinosus 17-5

The Effect of a Reduced-Calorie Diet on alpha-2 Adrenergic Receptor Responsiveness in Abdominal Adipose Tissue in Obese Men During Exercise

There is at present an imperfect understanding of the effect of diet on availability of inhibitory receptors in fat cells during exercise among obese men. 

*Objective:* The purpose of this study was to determine whether diet results in downregulation of alpha-2 adrenergic receptor ([alpha]~2-AR~) messenger RNA (mRNA), improving metabolism in exercise in obese men. 

*Design:* One group, pre-test, post-test design.

*Measurements:* Subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue was tested for physiologic response, such as changes in catecholamines and other markers of lipolysis measured during periods of exercise, before and after a 12-week diet. Plasma markers of lipolysis/antilipolytic activity (catecholamines [adrenaline and noradrenaline], NEFA, lactate, glucose, hematocrit, or insulin levels) were analyzed at four points in time in order to determine the effect of exercise on [alpha]~2-AR~ and [beta]-AR responsiveness to sympathetic stimulation.

*Subjects:* Otherwise healthy 18 to 45 year old obese men (defined as a body mass index (BMI) over 33 kg/m^2^).

*Results:* The 12-week reduced calorie diet did not result in improved metabolism. Instead, upregulation of alpha-2 adrenergic receptor ([alpha]~2-AR~) messenger RNA (mRNA) was observed. On average, [alpha]~2-AR~ mRNA levels (ratio of [alpha]~2-AR~ to cyclophilin) in subjects increased by 0.022-0.023 after the diet. The average differences in of [alpha]~2-AR~ mRNA and [beta]-AR mRNA measured before and after diet were both insignificant (M = 0.015) t(4) = -0.911; _P_ > 0.05; (M = 0.0139; t(4) = 0.077; _P_ > 0.05). 

*Conclusion:* The observed direction of change in [alpha]~2-AR~ mRNA levels, when viewed together with the stability of [beta]-AR mRNA levels, suggests that upregulation of [alpha]~2-AR~ rather than downregulation occurred. Downregulation would account for decreased lipolytic activity during exercise, future study is needed

An Analysis of Learning Styles Among Young-Old Adults (Age 65-74) and Old-Old Adults (Age 75-99) and the Affect on Aging

This dominant/less dominant design uses two methods (phenomenological and quantitative) to study, describe, examine, and analyze the learning style of two groups of older adults. The first group consists of Young-Old adults, who are between the ages of 65 and 74. The second group consists of Old-Old adults, who are between the ages of 75 and 99. The researcher used the Kolb Learning Style Inventory Version 3 to determine the preferred learning style of each participant within each group. The results of the inventory for each participant was analyzed and compared between the two age groups. The analysis includes a within-case analysis and a cross-case analysis identifying differences and similarities among the members of each group and between the two groups. The researcher used an audio-recorded interview of each participant. Each participant was asked 12 questions about how stages of maturity affected perceived learning styles. Each participant described awareness and perceived problems of aging applicable to learning. The responses to questions of perceived problems of learning of new information were compared with the results of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI-3). The predominant learning styles among older adults are assimilating and diverging and five of ten participants demonstrated use of more than one learning style. There was corroboration between the LSI-3 and self-perceived learning style. There were no differences between age groups and learning style, and learning style appeared stable. Because learning new knowledge, information, and skills can occur after 65, it is important that studies be conducted that contribute to the understanding of learning in older adults

Beyond Unconscionability: The Case for Using Knowing Assent as the Basis for Analyzing Unbargained-for Terms in Standard Form Contracts

Much scholarship questioning the enforcement of standard form contract terms offers interesting insights into possible approaches a court can take in analyzing the issue, but the literature largely fails to examine what courts actually do in these cases. This Article identifies the gap between what scholars are saying about standard form contracts and what courts are doing about them. It notes that courts have not accepted the scholarship that urges a nontraditional approach to analyzing assent. Rather-with but a few exceptions—what has emerged is a case-by-case unconscionability analysis in which courts focus narrowly on particular terms and conditions in standard form contract cases, and refuse to enforce only a limited number of provisions in a limited number of cases

Beyond Unconscionability: The Case for Using Knowing Assent as the Basis for Analyzing Unbargained-for Terms in Standard Form Contracts

Much scholarship questioning the enforcement of standard form contract terms offers interesting insights into possible approaches a court can take in analyzing the issue, but the literature largely fails to examine what courts actually do in these cases. This Article identifies the gap between what scholars are saying about standard form contracts and what courts are doing about them. It notes that courts have not accepted the scholarship that urges a nontraditional approach to analyzing assent. Rather-with but a few exceptions—what has emerged is a case-by-case unconscionability analysis in which courts focus narrowly on particular terms and conditions in standard form contract cases, and refuse to enforce only a limited number of provisions in a limited number of cases