Effects of Employee Satisfaction on the Relationship between IT Capability and Firm Performance

It has been widely accepted that Information Technology (IT) within an organization plays a determinant role of positively influencing the firm’s market performance. As technology becomes cheaper and more standardized, entry barriers to adopting advanced technology have been reduced. The adoption of such standardized and homogenous IT systems has lowered expectations of the competitive benefits resulting from the adopted IT. Thus, previous studies have shown mixed results in assessing the relationship between the adoption of IT and a firm’s market performance.Regarding the process of the adoption and use of IT, the skill level of employees has been argued as one of the key inputs to determine the relationship between IT and a firm’s market performance. Employees may resist the changes resulting from modification of current IT or the adoption of new IT. In order to lower such resistance, firms should provide organizational environments which allow associated employees to be comfortable when changing IT systems.Regarding the relationship between the IT resource and employees, previous studies have primarily focused on IT users. However, non-IT users are often affected by the use of IT. In this present study, we argue that all employees including both IT-users and non-IT users must be simultaneously considered in order to fully understand the relationship between IT capability and a firm’s performance. Such a relationship is the result of a comfortable and cooperative environment, which is linked to employee satisfaction. Thus, we propose in this study that employee satisfaction including non-IT-users within the firm’s environment positively affects the relationship between IT capability and firm market performance

Assessment and non-pharmacological management among adults with a dementia diagnosis in a residential care setting: a best practice implementation project

Background This evidence implementation project reports on a project conducted in the 17 bed special care unit of Symes Thorpe Residential Facility in Queensland that focused on improving assessment and management of elderly residents diagnosed with dementia. The motivation for the project, and its value, should be understood in the context of a lack of validated tool or standardized documentation being used to assess behaviors of residents diagnosed with dementia as well as little targeted education being provided to staff on behaviour management strategies. Objectives To promote evidence based assessment and non-pharmacological management of challenging behavior in elderly adults living with dementia in a residential setting in Queensland. Methods The project design was based on the Joanna Briggs Institute's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice audit and feedback tool. A baseline audit of care documentation in the 17 residents in the special care unit was conducted. Meetings were held with the project team to reflect on the findings of the baseline audit and plan strategies to improve practice. A validated tool, the 'Cohen-Mansfield Agitation inventory', was introduced to improve assessment of patients together with a program of staff education to inform the use of the Inventory. A staff education program was introduced to improve staff awareness and use of strategies for behaviour management of residents in the special care unit. Two follow up audits were conducted. The second audit was undertaken 3 months post introduction of the Cohen Mansfield Agitation Inventory and staff education program. Results The follow up audits demonstrated 100% compliance of usage of the Cohen Mansfield agitation inventory and 100% staff attendance at education sessions. The audit also showed significant increase and improvement in quality of related resident care documentation e.g. documenting outcomes of use of non-pharmacological therapy such as music, exercise, pets etc. Conclusions The findings show that a comprehensive education program can make an effective contribution to the understanding of challenging behaviours in dementia residents, and the associated documentation required to monitor them effectively

Mapping of Modifiable Factors with Interdisciplinary Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Guidelines Adherence to the Theoretical Domains Framework: A Systematic Review

Background: COPD guidelines non-concordance is a challenge frequently highlighted by respiratory experts. Despite the provision of comprehensive evidence-based national and international guidelines, the COPD burden to frontline healthcare services has increased in the last decade. Suboptimal guidelines concordance can be disruptive to health-related quality of life (HRQoL), hastening pulmonary function decline and surging overall morbidity and mortality. A lack of concordance with guidelines has created an escalating economic burden on health-care systems. Identifying interdisciplinary interventions to facilitate improved adherence to guidelines may significantly reduce re-admissions, enhance HRQoL amongst patients and their families, and facilitate economic efficiency. Materials and Methods: This review adhered to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for mixed methods systematic reviews and the PRISMA ScR reporting guidelines. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full text articles in consonance with inclusion criteria. The convergent integrative JBI method collated quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies from nine databases. JBI critical appraisal tools were utilised to assess the quality of research papers. The theoretical domains framework (TDF) along with a specifically developed COPD data extraction tool were adopted as a priori to collect and collate data. Identified barriers and corresponding clinical behavioural change solutions were categorised using TDF domains and behavior change wheel (BCW) to provide future research and implementation recommendations. Results: Searches returned 1068 studies from which 37 studies were included (see Figure 1). COPD recommendations identified to be discordant with clinical practice included initiating non-invasive ventilation, over-or under-prescription of corticosteroids and antibiotics, and a lack of discharging patients with a smoking cessation plan or pulmonary rehabilitation. TDF domains with highest frequency scores were knowledge, environmental resources, and clinical behaviour regulation. Electronic order sets/digital proforma with guideline resources at point of care and easily accessible digital community referrals to target both pharmacological and non-pharmacological management appear to be a solution to improve concordance. Conclusion: Implementation of consistent quality improvement intervention within hospitals for patients with COPD may exclude any implementation gap and prevent readmissions. Electronic proformas with digital referrals will assist with future evaluation audits to prioritise and target interventions to improve guidelines concordance

Mapping of modifiable barriers and facilitators with interdisciplinary chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) guidelines concordance within hospitals to the Theoretical Domains Framework: a mixed methods systematic review protocol

Introduction Multifarious chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) guidelines have been published by local, national and global respiratory societies. These guidelines subsume holistic evidence based on recommendations to diagnose, treat, prevent and manage acute exacerbation with COPD. Despite the existing comprehensive recommendations, readmission rates and hospitalisations have increased in the last decade. Evidence to date has reported suboptimal clinical guidelines concordance. Acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) is a common hospital presentation due to varied causes such as infective exacerbations, worsening disease condition, medication non-adherence, lack of education and incomprehensive discharge planning. AECOPD directly and indirectly causes economic burden, disrupts health-related quality of life (HRQol), hasten lung function decline and increases overall morbidity and mortality. COPD being a multimodal chronic disease, consistent interdisciplinary interventions from the time of admission to discharge may reduce readmissions and enhance HRQol among these patients and their families. Methods and analysis This protocol adheres to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for mixed methods systematic reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews reporting guidelines. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies will append this study to explore determinants of COPD guidelines concordance. Comprehensive three-tier search strategies will be used to search nine databases (COCHRANE, EBSCO HOST, MEDLINE, SCIENCE DIRECT, JBI, SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE, WILEY and DARE) in May 2020. Two independent reviewers will screen abstracts and full-text articles in consonance with inclusion criteria. The convergent integrative method narrative review will contribute a deeper understanding of any discrepancies found in the existing evidence. Quality of the studies will be reported and Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) will be used as a priori to synthesis data. Identified barriers, facilitators and corresponding clinical behavioural change solutions will be categorised using TDF indicators to provide future research and implementation recommendations

Employing Modular Polyketide Synthase Ketoreductases as Biocatalysts in the Preparative Chemoenzymatic Syntheses of Diketide Chiral Building Blocks

SummaryChiral building blocks are valuable intermediates in the syntheses of natural products and pharmaceuticals. A scalable chemoenzymatic route to chiral diketides has been developed that includes the general synthesis of α-substituted, β-ketoacyl N-acetylcysteamine thioesters followed by a biocatalytic cycle in which a glucose-fueled NADPH-regeneration system drives reductions catalyzed by isolated modular polyketide synthase (PKS) ketoreductases (KRs). To identify KRs that operate as active, stereospecific biocatalysts, 11 isolated KRs were incubated with 5 diketides and their products were analyzed by chiral chromatography. KRs that naturally reduce small polyketide intermediates were the most active and stereospecific toward the panel of diketides. Several biocatalytic reactions were scaled up to yield more than 100 mg of product. These syntheses demonstrate the ability of PKS enzymes to economically and greenly generate diverse chiral building blocks on a preparative scale

The Grizzly, November 14, 1980

Campus Life Committee Discusses Greek Societies • McDonald\u27s Opening Soon • Field Hockey Heading For Nationals • Frats Get Together for Clean-up • Ursinus News In Brief: Honors for Ursinus faculty member; College presents Rafferty art exhibit • Policy Unveiled for Gym • Elephant Man Seen As Statement On Human Behavior • Talented Student Performances • ProTheatre Opens • Aging Is Topic At College Forum • Coffeehouse Sings The Right Tune • En Garde, Ursinus! • Delta Pi Defeats Marines In Football • Disappointing Weekend For Volleyball • Harriers Take MAC Title • Demas, Rho To Meet In Hockey Finals • Grizzlies Win Behind Solid Offense Efforthttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1047/thumbnail.jp

Considering the Influence of Coronary Motion on Artery‑Specific Biomechanics Using Fluid–Structure Interaction Simulation

The endothelium in the coronary arteries is subject to wall shear stress and vessel wall strain, which influences the biology of the arterial wall. This study presents vessel-specific fluid–structure interaction (FSI) models of three coronary arteries, using directly measured experimental geometries and boundary conditions. FSI models are used to provide a more physiologically complete representation of vessel biomechanics, and have been extended to include coronary bending to investigate its effect on shear and strain. FSI both without- and with-bending resulted in significant changes in all computed shear stress metrics compared to CFD (p = 0.0001). Inclusion of bending within the FSI model produced highly significant changes in Time Averaged Wall Shear Stress (TAWSS) + 9.8% LAD, + 8.8% LCx, − 2.0% RCA; Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI) + 208% LAD, 0% LCx, + 2600% RCA; and transverse wall Shear Stress (tSS) + 180% LAD, + 150% LCx and + 200% RCA (all p \u3c 0.0001). Vessel wall strain was homogenous in all directions without-bending but became highly anisotropic under bending. Changes in median cyclic strain magnitude were seen for all three vessels in every direction. Changes shown in the magnitude and distribution of shear stress and wall strain suggest that bending should be considered on a vessel-specific basis in analyses of coronary artery biomechanics

The Joe Williams Scholarship Fund Concert

List of performers, performances, and scholarship recipients