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Expatriate voice: the effects of nationality and social status
Get PDFThe expression of voice is valuable for organizations and individuals but most of what we know about voice is drawn from western contexts. This paper focuses on why, how and on what issues expatriates speak up. Examining voice in the multinational context of the United Arab Emirates allows us to develop a more in-depth understanding of national, organizational, and individual factors that influence voice. Interviews with 71 expatriates and 29 host country nationals show that expatriates’ social status influences their attitude and behaviour towards voice and that informal structures and social networks in organizations are important in understanding expatriates’ voice behaviours. The overlapping categories of expatriates from non-western countries and expatriates in low-status jobs take a wider view of their situation and are as a result less likely to use voice in the workplace
Assessing the influence of observations in ensemble-based data assimilation systems
Get PDFThe skill of numerical weather forecasts strongly depends on the quality of the initial conditions (analyses), which are created by assimilating observations into previous short-range model forecasts. Therefore, it is important to carefully assess the influence of different observations on the analysis. The degrees of freedom for signal (DFS) is a useful metric for quantifying this influence. While DFS has long been used in variational data assimilation (DA) systems, its application in ensemble-based DA systems remains limited. In this study, we propose two novel approaches for estimating the DFS in ensemble-based systems. One approach uses the weighting vector calculated in ensemble transform Kalman filters, while the other uses the innovation vector and observation-space increment vector. We also propose a new strategy for implementing the DFS approaches in the presence of domain localization, which first estimates DFS locally and then aggregates the results to derive a global DFS value for each observation. Our numerical results show that the DFS per observation decreases as the localization radius increases. More generally, the proposed DFS approaches and implementation strategy have the potential to be used in practice to inform the optimization of observation networks and DA systems
Adult pain scores in the emergency department: a scoping review protocol
No full textIntroduction Pain is a common complaint in patients presenting to an Emergency Department (ED). Data show that timely delivery of pain relief in this setting remains a challenge. Adequate treatment of pain requires recognition and assessment. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine advocates for early pain assessment and reassessment post-analgesia; however, it does not specify how best to do this. Therefore, a review of existing literature is needed to identify which pain assessment tools have been shown to be useful in the ED.
Methods and analysis This scoping review will use the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. A search of PubMed, Embase, Cumulated Index in Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, Scopus and the Cochrane Library will identify relevant studies published in English since January 2004. Studies will be included that recruit adults (aged 18 years and over) presenting to an ED with acute pain (duration under 3 months). Publications must assess or compare tools for measuring pain in an ED setting. Full-text articles published internationally will be considered. After duplicate removal, abstract screening and full-text analysis by two independent reviewers will identify relevant papers, using the inclusion criteria. Discrepancy resolution will be via a third reviewer. Pain measurement tools and their evidence will be extracted, collated and described. The findings will be reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews.
Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for this review. Published results will be shared with relevant parties interested in ED pain management. Potential next steps include patient involvement in the evaluation of pain assessment tools identified in this review and implementation into practice. The insights of patients with relevant lived experience in assessing these tools would be invaluable to the objective of improving pain management in the emergency setting.
Trial registration number This project is registered with the Open Science Framework accessible at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ENVPY
Green SN2: a novel ionic liquid-mediated finkelstein reaction for safer, superior alkyl halide synthesis in undergraduate organic chemistry
Get PDFWe present the development of a novel, environmentally friendly Finkelstein reaction conducted in ionic liquids, which provides a safer and more efficient alternative to the conventional halide exchange reaction employing sodium bromide in sulfuric acid. By leveraging the unique properties of ionic liquids—including high thermal stability, negligible vapor pressure, and tunable solvation characteristics—this new methodology enables an SN2 mechanism under significantly milder conditions, while achieving superior yields and selectivity. Comparative studies demonstrate that the ionic liquid-mediated process not only minimizes the generation of hazardous byproducts and corrosive waste but also enhances reaction reproducibility and efficiency. The improved safety profile and operational simplicity of this approach render it particularly suitable for incorporation into undergraduate organic chemistry curricula, where it serves as an effective pedagogical tool for illustrating SN2 kinetics, stereochemical inversion, and the principles of green chemistry. The reaction provides excellent yields (up to 93%) with high product purity, as confirmed by NMR and mass spectrometry. Additionally, the method is cost-effective due to the recyclability of ionic liquids and is scalable, offering advantages for both small-scale academic laboratories and larger-scale synthesis. Consequently, this synthetic strategy holds significant promise for broader adoption within the synthetic organic community
Opinion: the role of AerChemMIP in advancing climate and air quality research
Get PDFThe Aerosol Chemistry Model Intercomparison Project (AerChemMIP) was endorsed by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) and was designed to quantify the climate and air quality impacts of aerosols and chemically reactive gases. AerChemMIP provided the first consistent calculation of effective radiative forcing (ERF) for a wide range of forcing agents, which was a vital contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It supported the quantification of composition–climate feedback parameters and the climate response to short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs), as well as enabled the future impacts of air pollution mitigation to be identified, and the study of interactions between climate and air quality in a transient simulations. Here we review AerChemMIP in detail and assess the project against its stated objectives, its contribution to the CMIP6 project, and the wider scientific efforts designed to understand the role of aerosols and chemistry in the Earth system. We assess the successes of the project and the remaining challenges and gaps. We conclude with some recommendations that we hope will provide input to planning for future MIPs in this area. In particular, we highlight the necessity of sufficient ensemble size for the attribution of regional climate responses and the need for coordination across projects to ensure key science questions are addressed. Summary data for CMIP6 and AerChemMIP models such as model components, model configurations, and emergent quantities are included
An investigation of learner types and their unique preferences on the work-based learning (WBL) model: a case of quantity surveying apprenticeship
No full textDegree Apprenticeships (DA) have grown rapidly as a policy-driven response to skills shortages, particularly in Quantity Surveying (QS), where apprentices integrate occupational skills with academic learning through Work-Based Learning (WBL). However, completion rates remain lower than expected, potentially due to challenges in developing apprentices' professional identity. This study examines different apprentice profiles and their impact on identity formation and WBL preferences. A descriptive review of literature was conducted to explore debates on DA and WBL pedagogies, followed by semi-structured interviews and Q-methodology to capture and analyse diverse apprentice perspectives and categorise them based on their characteristics. The findings suggest four distinct apprentice profiles: (i) proactive careerists, (ii) studious workers, (iii) resilient strivers, and (iv) university enthusiasts. Alongside these learner types, the study identified key successes such as employer involvement and professional recognition, as well as challenges linked to workload, delivery models, and identity. This identification provides a foundation for optimising WBL through curriculum adjustments, stronger university–industry collaboration, and diversified assessment methods tailored to different learner strengths. This research contributes to ongoing efforts on enhancing DA programmes to promote social mobility and widen participation. The findings highlight the need for apprentice trailblazer groups to consider various delivery modes for DA, offering a more adaptable approach to target different categories of apprentices, leading to improved completion rates and enhanced graduate outcomes. By adopting adaptable and inclusive WBL frameworks that integrate both structured and adaptable learning pathways, institutions can better align with apprentice needs and support professional identity development, engagement, and long-term success
Cost-effective and rapid detection of tetrodotoxin using indium tin oxide electrodes via in vitro electrophysiology and electrochemistry
Get PDFThe real-time, cost-effective detection of marine toxins like tetrodotoxin (TTX) remains a significant challenge for the scientific community. Traditional methods, including cell-based assays (CBAs), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and automated patch clamp (APC), are time-consuming, requiring expensive lab-based equipment and highly trained personnel. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), lateral flow assays (LFAs), and immunosensors may not be suitable for toxin analogues. Thus, a simplified approach has been developed in this study, which involves the electrophysiological and electrochemical interrogation of N2a cells grown on ITO-coated glass electrodes by measuring extracellular field potentials (EFP) in conjunction with whole-cell patch clamp recordings and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements both before and after incubation with TTX. The ITO substrate proved biocompatible and non-toxic for N2a cells. TTX exposure caused 102% inhibition in EFP values at 300 nM, confirmed by sodium current inhibition of 93% at 300 nM and 22% at 1 nM in patch clamp studies (IC50 = 6.7 nM). EIS measurements indicated concentration-dependent impedance changes in the range of 6–300 nM. This research aims to provide a proof-of-concept for integration of electrophysiological and electrochemical approaches to simplify toxin detection systems
Determinants of adoption of organic conservation agriculture in rainfed Nimar region of Central India
Get PDFIn India, Conservation Agriculture (CA) is predominantly practiced in the irrigated Indo-Gangetic Plains and typically involves the use of agrochemicals. This study explores the unique context of the Nimar region in Central India, comprising rainfed, diverse, and organic farms. Utilizing primary data and a PROBIT model, we identify factors that influence the adoption of CA. Variables including farmers’ age, household size (a proxy for labour), extension frequency, farmer’s initiative-taking ability, farming experience, and market accessibility, were found to be significant. The study finds widespread recognition of the ecological and economic benefits and challenges as perceived by the sampled farmers. Over 90% of adopter farmers perceive improvements in soil health, reduction in water consumption, and increase in yield quality and quantity. More than 80% express that CA practices lead to cost savings and higher incomes. Despite its benefits, the biomass shortage hinders mulching a fundamental principle of CA. Farmers reported that biomass scarcity stems from declining cattle feed resources, which has heightened competition for available feed. To scale CA and produce food sustainably in rainfed areas, it is necessary to initiate supporting policy and institutional interventions that would improve extension, biomass production, and availability within the farming system