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A qualitative analysis of stressors affecting 999 ambulance call handlers' mental health and well-being
No full textYesPurpose
The 999 ambulance call handler is critical in responding to emergency patient treatment; however, the call handlers are often a hidden component of the healthcare workforce and an under-researched group. The objective of this study is to understand stress triggers experienced by 999 ambulance call handlers that could lead to burnout and examine personal and organisational mechanisms and strategies which reduced the risk of burnout.
Design/methodology/approach
A single interview case study approach applying qualitative methods was undertaken. Participants were identified through a purposive sample of 999 ambulance call handlers with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust (UK). Participants were interviewed via telephone between July 2019 and September 2019.
Findings
In total, 18 staff participated in this study. Societal factors including public incivility and media representation and organisational factors, such as a demanding environment, lack of appreciation and career progression, training issues and protocols were key stressors. Organisational well-being services were helpful for some, but for others lacked accessibility and appropriateness. Positive public feedback and speaking with peers bolstered well-being. 999 ambulance call handlers suggested that sufficient breaks, co-design or feeding back on training and protocols and creating more informal opportunities to discuss ongoing everyday stressors as methods to reduce stress and burnout.
Originality/value
This paper explores a previously under researched area on stressors and potential burnout in 999 call handlers. This paper highlights the need for improved organisational support services and appropriate public and sector peer recognition of the role of ambulance 999 ambulance call handlers.University of Bradford Research Development Fund; Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre (NIHR Yorkshire and Humber PSTRC)
Detection and Diagnosis of Stator and Rotor Electrical Faults for Three-Phase Induction Motor via Wavelet Energy Approach
No full textYesThis paper presents a fault detection method in three-phase induction motors using Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT). The proposed algorithm takes a frame of samples from the three-phase supply current of an induction motor. The three phase current samples are then combined to generate a single current signal by computing the Root Mean Square (RMS) value of the three phase current samples at each time stamp. The resulting current samples are then divided into windows of 64 samples. Each resulting window of samples is then processed separately. The proposed algorithm uses two methods to create window samples, which are called non-overlapping window samples and moving/overlapping window samples. Non-overlapping window samples are created by simply dividing the current samples into windows of 64 sam-ples, while the moving window samples are generated by taking the first 64 current samples, and then the consequent moving window samples are generated by moving the window across the current samples by one sample each time. The new window of samples consists of the last 63 samples of the previous window and one new sample. The overlapping method reduces the fault detection time to a single sample accuracy. However, it is computationally more expensive than the non-overlapping method and requires more computer memory. The resulting window sam-ples are separately processed as follows: The proposed algorithm performs two level WPT on each resulting window samples, dividing its coefficients into its four wavelet subbands. Infor-mation in wavelet high frequency subbands is then used for fault detection and activating the trip signal to disconnect the motor from the power supply. The proposed algorithm was first implemented in the MATLAB platform, and the Entropy power Energy (EE) of the high frequen-cy WPT subbands' coefficients was used to determine the condition of the motor. If the induction motor is faulty, the algorithm proceeds to identify the type of the fault. An empirical setup of the proposed system was then implemented, and the proposed algorithm condition was tested under real, where different faults were practically induced to the induction motor. Experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed technique. To generalize the proposed meth-od, the experiment was repeated on different types of induction motors with different working ages and with different power ratings. Experimental results show that the capability of the pro-posed method is independent of the types of motors used and their ages
Unveiling Employee Crisis Communication on Social Media: Influences and Insights from Experimental Qualitative Research
Get PDFBusinesses are increasingly using social media for crisis communication messages, and so do employees. Given the special relationship with employees, organisations should pay attention to understanding employee communication behaviour (ECB) during an organisational crisis. Drawing from the Situation Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and the perspective of employees as active participants in crisis communication, this study proposes an evidence-based employee-focused conceptual framework of the anticipated ECBs on social media during an organisational crisis and in response to crisis type and the crisis response strategy utilized by organisations. This research aims to examine the impact of crisis types and crisis response strategies on employee communication behaviour outcomes in social media. The research employs a 2 (crisis type: victim crisis or preventable crisis) * 2 (crisis response strategy: accommodative or defensive) qualitative experimental design. 36 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in Kuwait with employees working in different industries in the private sector to investigate: 1) ECB on social media in response to defensive and accommodative crisis response strategies in a preventable crisis type, 2) ECB on social media in response to defensive and accommodative crisis response strategies in a victim crisis type, and 3)Employee-organisation relationship (EOR) influence on ECB on social media during an organisational crisis. This research argues that the anticipated ECB is within four classifications 1) Proactive advocacy ECB, 2) Reactive advocacy ECB, 3) neutral ECB, and 4) Adversary ECB. The findings show that employees are more likely to engage in advocacy ECB if the crisis response is informative, regardless of the crisis type. An adversary ECB is expected when the organisation faces a preventable crisis type and utilizes a defensive response strategy. Additionally, a positive EOR encourages a more advocacy ECB
Is the World a Just Place? The Italian Adaptation of the Personal and General Belief in a Just World Scales
Get PDFYesThe study presents the Italian adaptation of the Personal and General Belief in a Just World (P-BJW and G-BJW) Scales. Dalbert and colleagues developed these scales to capture the belief in a just world for oneself and a just world in general. After the translation and back-translation, the P-BJW and G-BJW scales were administered first to a pilot sample of 213 university students and then to a national sample of 2683 Italian people. Results showed that it was necessary to make some revisions to the predicted two correlated factor structure. These changes entailed correlating the error terms for some manifest variables and removing the first item of the P-BJW factor. The final structure of the P-BJW and G-BJW scales presented satisfactory indexes of model fit as well as high reliability and moderate validity values. Additionally, this structure proved to fit the data better than an alternative one-factor or a bi-factor model with two orthogonal-specific factors. As predicted, well-being strongly predicted scores on the BJW, but age and gender did not. Multigroup comparisons among Northern, Central, and Southern Italy respondents indicated that Italian people interpret scale items equivalently, regardless of their geographical location. Introducing the P-BJW and G-BJW scales to the Italian justice scholarship is very useful to unpack the reasons why Italy reports lower levels of social justice than other European countries and also to investigate the link between justice, well-being, and other socio-psychological variables.Open access funding provided by Università di Foggia within the CRUI-CARE Agreement
Simulating the Misting of Lubricant in the Piston Assembly of an Automotive Gasoline Engine: The Effect of Viscosity Modifiers and Other Key Lubricant Components
Get PDFYesThe presence of lubricant droplets in the gas that flows through the piston assembly and crankcase of an internal combustion engine (generically termed oil misting) has important implications for performance, particularly lubricant supply to the upper piston assembly, oil consumption and lubricant degradation. A significant source of these droplets is thought to be oil shearing and blow-through by blow-by gas flows in the piston assembly. An
experimental rig was developed to simulate the high velocity gas and lubricant film interactions at a top piston
ring gap where the flow conditions are most severe. Flows of lubricant droplets were produced and characterised
in terms of the proportion of the oil flow that formed droplets in the gas flow and the size distribution of the droplets produced. Considering various aspects of a commercial automotive crankcase formulation, the effect of lubricant viscosity was found to be particularly important. Of the lubricant additives evaluated, viscosity modifiers were found to have the greatest effect on the tendency to form droplets: Detailed study on a range of viscosity
modifiers identified that the influence of their molecular architectures on viscoelasticity was the key mechanism
Semi-Synthetic Analogues of Cryptolepine as a Potential Source of Sustainable Drugs for the Treatment of Malaria, Human African Trypanosomiasis and Cancer
Get PDFYesThe prospect of eradicating malaria continues to be challenging in the face of increasing
parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs so that novel antimalarials active against asexual,
sexual, and liver-stage malaria parasites are urgently needed. In addition, new antimalarials
need to be affordable and available to those most in need and, bearing in mind climate
change, should ideally be sustainable. The West African climbing shrub Cryptolepis
sanguinolenta is used traditionally for the treatment of malaria; its principal alkaloid,
cryptolepine (1), has been shown to have antimalarial properties, and the synthetic
analogue 2,7-dibromocryptolepine (2) is of interest as a lead toward new antimalarial
agents. Cryptolepine (1) was isolated using a two-step Soxhlet extraction of C.
sanguinolenta roots, followed by crystallization (yield 0.8% calculated as a base with
respect to the dried roots). Semi-synthetic 7-bromo- (3), 7, 9-dibromo- (4), 7-iodo- (5), and
7, 9-dibromocryptolepine (6) were obtained in excellent yields by reaction of 1 with
N-bromo- or N-iodosuccinimide in trifluoroacetic acid as a solvent. All compounds
were active against Plasmodia in vitro, but 6 showed the most selective profile with
respect to Hep G2 cells: P. falciparum (chloroquine-resistant strain K1), IC50 = 0.25 µM, SI
= 113; late stage, gametocytes, IC50 = 2.2 µM, SI = 13; liver stage, P. berghei sporozoites
IC50 = 6.13 µM, SI = 4.6. Compounds 3–6 were also active against the emerging zoonotic species P. knowlesi with 5 being the most potent (IC50 = 0.11 µM). In addition, 3–6 potently
inhibited T. brucei in vitro at nM concentrations and good selectivity with 6 again being the
most selective (IC50 = 59 nM, SI = 478). These compounds were also cytotoxic to wild-type
ovarian cancer cells as well as adriamycin-resistant and, except for 5, cisplatin-resistant
ovarian cancer cells. In an acute oral toxicity test in mice, 3–6 did not exhibit toxic effects at
doses of up to 100 mg/kg/dose × 3 consecutive days. This study demonstrates that C.
sanguinolenta may be utilized as a sustainable source of novel compounds that may lead
to the development of novel agents for the treatment of malaria, African trypanosomiasis,
and cancer
Error Bred in the Bone
Get PDFYesThis chapter describes a collaborative project funded by Grants for All, Arts Council England, led by artist Karina Thompson, together with researchers from the Biological Anthropology Research Centre (BARC), School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford. The artworks took digitised historic clinical radiographs and digitised human skeletal pathological data from the landmark Digitised Diseases, and From Cemetery to Clinic digital bioarchaeology resources developed by colleagues from Visualising Heritage as a starting point. In addition to a series of small-scale installations displayed alongside the Biological Anthropology Research Centre teaching collection, large-scale exhibition pieces were displayed as part of national and international exhibitions. Collectively these works draw attention to the potential of digital bioarchaeology, whilst ensuring the importance of humanising the documentation of disease through time
Caves of Wonder: A Preliminary Analysis of the Faunal Assemblages from the Covesea Caves, NE Scotland
Get PDFYesThe Covesea Caves are a series of later prehistoric sites located on the Moray Firth in north-east Scotland. Human remains have been recovered from several of these caves: the Sculptor’s Cave, Covesea Cave 1 and Covesea Cave 2 (Benton 1931; Shepherd and Shepherd 1979; Büster and Armit 2016), and display unusual characteristics that may indicate complex ritual and funerary practices (Shepherd 2007; Armit et al. 2011). However, there has been less attention given to the significant number of faunal remains from the Covesea Caves. These faunal assemblages are now the subject of research at the University of Bradford. Focused analysis of the taphonomic and processing characteristics observed on the faunal bones will examine the role of animals in the overarching narrative of the Covesea Caves, as well as further investigate the complex funerary treatments to which the human remains were subject. This paper outlines a method-driven pilot study undertaken on unstratified faunal remains from the ‘Wolf Chamber’ in Covesea Cave 2. Results from this study will be discussed and compared to select stratified remains from the main chamber of Covesea Cave 2; this will be accompanied by data collected from assessments undertaken on the main chamber faunal assemblage. Through this, the taphonomic nature of the cave environment and the role of caves in later prehistoric cosmology will be explored
Predictors of awareness of functional ability in people with dementia: the contribution of personality, cognition, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Findings from the IDEAL programme
Get PDFYesDiscrepancy scores reflecting the difference between parallel ratings made by people living with dementia (PwD) in the mild-to-moderate stages and by their informants provide a way to investigate awareness of functional ability in relation to activities of daily living (ADL). Methods: Two measures of ADL (Functional Activities Questionnaire; Dependence Scale) were completed by 1,227 PwD and their informants in the IDEAL cohort study baseline assessment. Self-rated and informant-rated scores were used to calculate discrepancies, which were used as an indicator of awareness of functional ability. Smaller discrepancy scores were considered to reflect greater awareness on the part of PwD. PwD completed questionnaires on depression, personality, comorbidities, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and completed a measure of cognition. Informants provided ratings of stress. Univariable and multiple regressions were used to investigate factors related to ADL discrepancy. Results: A similar pattern of associations were found for both ADL discrepancy scores. Smaller discrepancy scores were associated with higher levels of depression, higher neuroticism, fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms, higher comorbidity, lower carer stress, and receipt of less than 1 hour of care per day from the informant. Discussion/Conclusion: There was a clear pattern of factors that were associated with greater awareness for both measures of functional ability. These factors associated with smaller discrepancy scores could be used to identify PwD who might benefit from targeted interventions to support their independence.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) grant ES/L001853/2; Alzheimer’s Society as a Centre of Excellence, grant number 348, AS-PR2-16-00