Psychological Contracts, OCB and Customer Service: An Exploratory Examination

This paper examines the relationships among the psychological contract, fairness, OCB, and customer service. We report on two exploratory studies that provide insight into psychological contract violations and subsequent perceptions of fairness, as well as OCB activity. A linkage is made between psychological contracts and behavior directed internally and those directed externally (i.e., customer service). We extend the current theory to suggest implications for effectively managing customer service employee OCB. Finally, suggestions are made for both practice and future research to be conducted in a multidisciplinary design

Lessons learned in promoting evidence-based public health: Perspectives from managers in state public health departments

Evidence-based public health (EBPH) practice, also called evidence-informed public health, can improve population health and reduce disease burden in populations. Organizational structures and processes can facilitate capacity-building for EBPH in public health agencies. This study involved 51 structured interviews with leaders and program managers in 12 state health department chronic disease prevention units to identify factors that facilitate the implementation of EBPH. Verbatim transcripts of the de-identified interviews were consensus coded in NVIVO qualitative software. Content analyses of coded texts were used to identify themes and illustrative quotes. Facilitator themes included leadership support within the chronic disease prevention unit and division, unit processes to enhance information sharing across program areas and recruitment and retention of qualified personnel, training and technical assistance to build skills, and the ability to provide support to external partners. Chronic disease prevention leaders\u27 role modeling of EBPH processes and expectations for staff to justify proposed plans and approaches were key aspects of leadership support. Leaders protected staff time in order to identify and digest evidence to address the common barrier of lack of time for EBPH. Funding uncertainties or budget cuts, lack of political will for EBPH, and staff turnover remained challenges. In conclusion, leadership support is a key facilitator of EBPH capacity building and practice. Section and division leaders in public health agencies with authority and skills can institute management practices to help staff learn and apply EBPH processes and spread EBPH with partners

Digital technology to facilitate Proactive Assessment of Obesity Risk during Infancy (ProAsk): a feasibility study

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of using digital technology for Proactive Assessment of Obesity Risk during Infancy (ProAsk) with the UK health visitors (HVs) and parents. DESIGN: Multicentre, pre- and post-intervention feasibility study with process evaluation. SETTING: Rural and urban deprived settings, UK community care. PARTICIPANTS: 66 parents of infants and 22 HVs. INTERVENTION: ProAsk was delivered on a tablet device. It comprises a validated risk prediction tool to quantify overweight risk status and a therapeutic wheel detailing motivational strategies for preventive parental behaviour. Parents were encouraged to agree goals for behaviour change with HVs who received motivational interviewing training. OUTCOME MEASURES: We assessed recruitment, response and attrition rates. Demographic details were collected, and overweight risk status. The proposed primary outcome measure was weight-for-age z-score. The proposed secondary outcomes were parenting self-efficacy, maternal feeding style, infant diet and exposure to physical activity/sedentary behaviour. Qualitative interviews ascertained the acceptability of study processes and intervention fidelity. RESULTS: HVs screened 324/589 infants for inclusion in the study and 66/226 (29%) eligible infants were recruited. Assessment of overweight risk was completed on 53 infants and 40% of these were identified as above population risk. Weight-for-age z-score (SD) between the infants at population risk and those above population risk differed significantly at baseline (-0.67 SD vs 0.32 SD). HVs were able to collect data and calculate overweight risk for the infants. Protocol adherence and intervention fidelity was a challenge. HVs and parents found the information provided in the therapeutic wheel appropriate and acceptable. CONCLUSION: Study recruitment and protocol adherence were problematic. ProAsk was acceptable to most parents and HVs, but intervention fidelity was low. There was limited evidence to support the feasibility of implementing ProAsk without significant additional resources. A future study could evaluate ProAsk as a HV-supported, parent-led intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02314494 (Feasibility Study Results)

The Methods to Improve Quality of Service by Accounting Secure Parameters

A solution to the problem of ensuring quality of service, providing a greater number of services with higher efficiency taking into account network security is proposed. In this paper, experiments were conducted to analyze the effect of self-similarity and attacks on the quality of service parameters. Method of buffering and control of channel capacity and calculating of routing cost method in the network, which take into account the parameters of traffic multifractality and the probability of detecting attacks in telecommunications networks were proposed. The both proposed methods accounting the given restrictions on the delay time and the number of lost packets for every type quality of service traffic. During simulation the parameters of transmitted traffic (self-similarity, intensity) and the parameters of network (current channel load, node buffer size) were changed and the maximum allowable load of network was determined. The results of analysis show that occurrence of overload when transmitting traffic over a switched channel associated with multifractal traffic characteristics and presence of attack. It was shown that proposed methods can reduce the lost data and improve the efficiency of network resources.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, 1 equation, 1 table. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1904.0520

Biosystematics studies on medicinal plant Urginea indica Kunth. liliaceae - A review

Indian squill, Urginea spp. is a very important and rare medicinal plant endemic to India, Africa and Meditteranian Regions. It has magical potential to heal many human diseases with cardiatonic, anticarcinomic, anti jaundice, anti dropsy, anti asthmatic, anti epileptic, dermatological and diuretic properties. Besides it has abortifacient effects and affects on menstrual cycle. It also finds its use as pesticides against fungus, insects and rats. Wide genetic and chromosomal variations were also still being researched to differentiate the different populations of Urginea. The biodiversity and germplasm collection is also a major area of emphasis to protect the rare genus. The basic taxonomic work to higher molecular developmental studies are still being explored in this genus. It is also a great source for many organic compounds yet to be characterized and discovered for its extensive possibility as potential bioactive molecule. The genetic variability and genomic studies are still being a hot topic in research

Crystal structure of 2-benzylamino-4-(4-bromo-phenyl)-6,7-dihydro-5H-cyclopenta[b]pyridine-3-carbonitrile

JS and RAN thank the management of The Madura College (Autonomous), Madurai, for their encouragement and support. RRK thanks the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, for funds through Major Research Project F. No. 42–242/2013 (SR).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Women's perceptions of their healthcare experience when they choose not to breastfeed

Research Question How do women who choose not to breastfeed perceive their healthcare experience? Method This qualitative research study used a phenomenographic approach to explore the healthcare experience of women who do not breastfeed. Seven women were interviewed about their healthcare experience relating to their choice of feeding, approximately four weeks after giving birth. Six conceptions were identified and an outcome space was developed to demonstrate the relationships and meaning of the conceptions in a visual format. Findings There were five unmet needs identified by the participants during this study. These needs included equity, self sufficiency, support, education and the need not to feel pressured. Conclusion Women in this study who chose not to breastfeed identified important areas where they felt that their needs were not met. In keeping with the Code of Ethics for Nurses and Midwives, the identified needs of women who do not breastfeed must be addressed in a caring, compassionate and just manner. The care and education of women who formula feed should be of the highest standard possible, even if the choice not to breastfeed is not the preferred choice of healthcare professionals

Revisit Sparse Polynomial Interpolation based on Randomized Kronecker Substitution

In this paper, a new reduction based interpolation algorithm for black-box multivariate polynomials over finite fields is given. The method is based on two main ingredients. A new Monte Carlo method is given to reduce black-box multivariate polynomial interpolation to black-box univariate polynomial interpolation over any ring. The reduction algorithm leads to multivariate interpolation algorithms with better or the same complexities most cases when combining with various univariate interpolation algorithms. We also propose a modified univariate Ben-or and Tiwarri algorithm over the finite field, which has better total complexity than the Lagrange interpolation algorithm. Combining our reduction method and the modified univariate Ben-or and Tiwarri algorithm, we give a Monte Carlo multivariate interpolation algorithm, which has better total complexity in most cases for sparse interpolation of black-box polynomial over finite fields

Premenopausal abnormal uterine bleeding and risk of endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial biopsies are undertaken in premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding but the risk of endometrial cancer or atypical hyperplasia is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic literature review to establish the risk of endometrial cancer and atypical hyperplasia in premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding. SEARCH STRATEGY: Search of PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library from database inception to August 2015. SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies reporting rates of endometrial cancer and/or atypical hyperplasia in women with premenopausal abnormal uterine bleeding. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were independently extracted by two reviewers and cross-checked. For each outcome, the risk and a 95% CI were estimated using logistic regression with robust standard errors to account for clustering by study. MAIN RESULTS: Sixty-five articles contributed to the analysis. Risk of endometrial cancer was 0.33% (95% CI 0.23-0.48%, n = 29 059; 97 cases) and risk of endometrial cancer or atypical hyperplasia was 1.31% (95% CI 0.96-1.80, n = 15 772; 207 cases). Risk of endometrial cancer was lower in women with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) (0.11%, 95% CI 0.04-0.32%, n = 8352; 9 cases) compared with inter-menstrual bleeding (IMB) (0.52%, 95% CI 0.23-1.16%, n = 3109; 14 cases). Of five studies reporting the rate of atypical hyperplasia in women with HMB, none identified any cases. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of endometrial cancer or atypical hyperplasia in premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding is low. Premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding should first undergo conventional medical management. Where this fails, the presence of IMB and older age may be indicators for further investigation. Further research into the risks associated with age and the cumulative risk of co-morbidities is needed. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Contrary to practice, premenopausal women with heavy periods or inter-menstrual bleeding rarely require biopsy.The work was undertaken under the auspices of the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence which is funded by the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Wellcome Trust