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MINDflex Training for Cognitive Flexibility in Chronic Pain: A Randomized, Controlled Cross-Over Trial
No full textImpairments in executive functioning are prevalent in chronic pain conditions, with cognitive inflexibility being the most frequently reported. The current randomized, cross-over trial, piloted a computerized cognitive training (CCT) program based on Relational Frame Theory, targeting improvement in cognitive flexibility. At baseline, 73 chronic pain patients completed testing on pre-selected outcomes of executive functioning, alongside IQ measures. When tested three times over the course of 5 months, there was a drop-out rate of 40% at the third time point, leaving 44 patients who had data at all time points. The results showed that there was a substantial learning effect from the MINDFLEX training and a substantial time-dependent improvement on the primary outcomes of increased flexibility, but that this could not be tied to active training. In conclusion, this small study indicated a learning effect as well as improvement on primary outcomes. Based on the current results, a larger trial with improved feasibility of training is warranted
Green innovation and environmental performance: The role of green transformational leadership and green human resource management
No full textDrawing upon the resource-based view and the ability-motivation-opportunity theory, we examined how green
human resource management interplays on to the linkages amongst green transformational leadership, green
innovation and environmental performance. Using a survey questionnaire, we collected triadic data from 309
manufacturing sector small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We used covariance-based structural equation
modeling (SEM) to examine hypotheses in this study. Results of the study suggest that green HRM practices
mediates the influence of green transformational leadership on green innovation. We also found that green HRM
indirectly through green innovation influences firm's environmental performance. Overall, the findings of our
study support all hypotheses of direct and indirect effects and have several theoretical and practical implications.
Finally, our study significantly advances theory and suggests that HRM-performance relationship neither depends upon the additive effect of green transformational leadership and green innovation as antecedent and
mediator, respectively, nor on their interactive effect but a mix of both combinational forms (ie., additive and
interactive) to affect firm environmental performance. Overall, our study contributes and advances the previous
studies wherein in leadership plays critical role to influence the HRM practices and that in turn to predict green
innovation in the organization
Unpacking autonomy for empirical comparative investigation
No full textTeacher autonomy has been a topic of growing interest over recent decades. However, what teacher autonomy means remains work in progress. Drawing from existing conceptualisations, which consider teacher autonomy as a multidimensional and context-dependent phenomenon this paper presents an analytical device applicable in international comparative studies. The conceptualisation is presented in the form of a matrix, which distinguishes different domains and levels of teacher autonomy. A sample of existing research is then
utilised to demonstrate how the matrix can assist in cumulative knowledge building. The article demonstrates how the matrix can be applied, in particular, to empirical comparative research
A new species of Drynaria (Polypodiaceae) from the late Miocene of Yunnan, Southwest China and implications on the genus evolution
No full textDrynarioid ferns comprise a large group in the Polypodiaceae family and are characterised by anastomosing venation and line of abscission between the pinna and the costa. In this paper, after morphological comparison with other ferns, we report and describe a new species, Drynaria diplosticha Y. Yu and S. P. Xie, sp. nov. from the upper Miocene sediments of the Bangmai Formation in Lincang City, Yunnan, China. This species is characterised by sori lining the midrib in two rows. The acute curvature of the midrib and the areolae at the base, as well as the slight decurrency, indicate that the fossil was connected to a costa. The occurrence of this fossil suggests that the climate in southwestern Yunnan during the late Miocene was humid and warm with clear seasonality influenced by monsoons which, based on other studies, were weaker than those experienced at present. Given that other Neogene drynarioid fossils (i.e. Drynaria cf. propinqua from the late Miocene and Drynaria callispora, Drynaria dimorpha, Drynaria lanpingensis from the late Pliocene) were reported exclusively from western Yunnan, that region might be a radiation centre of Drynaria in the Neogene where its extant species rapidly diversified and the distribution expanded. This may have been driven by the formerly proposed rapid topographic and climatic changes there. These Drynaria fossils may indicate that western Yunnan was one of the cradles of Drynarioid ferns during their early evolution
Zinc Chelators as Carbapenem Adjuvants for Metallo-β-Lactamase-Producing Bacteria: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation
No full textInfections caused by metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing bacteria are emerging and carry a significant impact on patients' outcome. MBL producers are spread worldwide, both in community and hospital setting, with increasingly reported epidemic clusters and the search for MBL inhibitors is an important topic for public health. MBLs are zinc-dependent enzymes whose functioning can be hampered by zinc chelators. We evaluated the potential of six zinc chelators (disulfiram, nitroxoline, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline, 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid [DOTA], cyclam, and N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis (2-pyridymethyl) ethylenediamine [TPEN]) in restoring carbapenem activity against MBL producers. Zinc chelators alone or in combination with meropenem against MBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, Chryseobacterium indologenes, Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolates were tested in vitro and in vivo (Galleria mellonella). In vitro experiments showed a synergistic activity between TPEN and meropenem toward all the strains. Nitroxoline alone retained activity against S. maltophilia, C. indologenes, and E. meningoseptica. In vivo experiments showed that TPEN or nitroxoline in combination with meropenem increased survival in larvae infected with E. meningoseptica, S. maltophilia, and K. pneumoniae. Based on our data, zinc chelators are potential carbapenem adjuvants molecules (restoring carbapenem activity) against MBL-sustained infections and could represent an interesting option for infections induced by these microorganisms
Electrostatic interactions between viologens and a sulfated β-cyclodextrin; formation of insoluble aggregates with benzyl viologens
No full textViologens are important compounds and are used in several applications. The interactions between viologens and a negatively charged cyclodextrin, sulfated β-cyclodextrin (sβ-CD), were studied using electrochemistry, 1H NMR and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Weak electrostatic interactions were found between the dicationic viologens (V2+) and the anionic cyclodextrin. The diffusion coefficient of ethyl viologen (EV2+) was reduced from 5.33 × 10−6 to 1.98 × 10−6 cm2 s−1 with an excess of sβ-CD. More significant electrostatic interactions were found between benzyl viologen (BV2+) and sβ-CD. The H atoms in the benzyl substituent, which appear as a singlet in the NMR experiment, were split into a multiplet in the presence of the sβ-CD, while the chemical shift of the H in the β position to the quaternary nitrogen, was shifted by 0.17 ppm in the presence of sβ-CD. Greater electrostatic interactions were evident between the benzyl radical cation (BV·+) and sβ-CD. Using cyclic voltammetry, reduction of the radical cation to the neutral benzyl viologen (BV0) was shifted by 230 mV to a lower potential, indicating that the reduction of the radical cation becomes considerably more difficult in the presence of sβ-CD. This was attributed to the formation of an insoluble BV·+:sβ-CD aggregate, which was also evident in rotating disc voltammetry, where the typical diffusion-limited currents were not observed and in spectroelectrochemistry experiments, where the deposition of the aggregate at the ITO electrode increased the absorbance of the radical species
Progress and prospects for data-driven coordinated management and emergency response: the case of Ireland
No full textInternationally, there is a drive to make coordinated management and emergency response (CMER) more data-driven and centralized through shared data infrastructures and control centres. While there are a few well-known case examples of data-driven CMER, in general it has been partially implemented. In this paper, we highlight the importance of historical institutional and spatial context and path dependencies in shaping the development of CMERs within and across jurisdictions. We examine the progress and prospects of data-driven CMER in Ireland, with respect to the general landscape of inter-agency cooperation and with reference to a single key agency: An Garda Síochána (AGS), the Irish police force. To do so, we draw on 36 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and a critical discourse analysis of 15 key policy/guideline documents. Our analysis reveals the ways in which embedded institutional cultures, structures and working practices, which are relatively resistant to change, have thwarted data-sharing and data-driven analysis and decision-making. These factors act as barriers to the adoption of smart-city approaches more generally, not just in Ireland but globall
Geocomputation with R
No full textBook Review of:
Geocomputation with R.
Robin LovelaceJakub Nowosad & Jannes Muenchow . Geocomputation with R. Chapman and Hall/CRC Press: UK, 2019, 335 pp. ISBN: 9781138304512, £66.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9780203730058, £60.29 (eBook) Resources and code: https://geocompr.robinlovelace.net
Reviewed by: Chris Brunsdon, National Centre for Geocomputation, Maynooth University, Irelan
The Unorthodox Relationship between the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Secondary Rights in the Court of Justice Case Law on Disability Discrimination
No full textCourt of Justice – Discrimination on the basis of disability – Article 21 and 26 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights – UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Employment Equality Directive – Relationship between different sources of law protecting the right of persons with disabilities – Charter as interpretative aid – Charter as a parameter of validity – Scope of application of the Charter – Constitutionalisation of the UN Conventio
Pain-Free Versus Pain-Threshold Rehabilitation Following Acute Hamstring Strain Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial
No full textOBJECTIVE: The primary aim was to compare
time from acute hamstring strain injury (HSI) to
return-to-play (RTP) clearance following a standardized rehabilitation protocol performed within
either pain-free or pain-threshold limits. Secondary aims were to compare isometric knee flexor
strength, biceps femoris long head (BFLH) fascicle
length, fear of movement, and reinjury occurrence
at the 6-month follow-up between pain-free and
pain-threshold groups.
DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial.
METHODS: Forty-three men with acute HSIs were
randomly allocated to a pain-free (n = 22) or pain-threshold (n = 21) rehabilitation group. Days from
HSI to RTP clearance, isometric knee flexor strength,
BFLH fascicle length, fear of movement, and reinjury
occurrence at the 6-month follow-up were reported.
RESULTS: Median time from HSI to RTP clearance was 15 days (95% confidence interval [CI]:
13, 17) in the pain-free group and 17 days (95% CI:
11, 24) in the pain-threshold group, which was not
significantly different (P = .37). Isometric knee flex or strength recovery at 90° of hip and 90° of knee
flexion was greater in the pain-threshold group
at RTP clearance by 15% (95% CI: 1%, 28%) and
by 15% (95% CI: 1%, 29%) at 2-month follow-up,
respectively. Improvement in BFLH fascicle length
from baseline was 0.91 cm (95% CI: 0.34, 1.48)
greater at 2-month follow-up in the pain-threshold
group. Two reinjuries occurred in both the pain-free
and pain-threshold groups between RTP clearance
and the 6-month follow-up.
CONCLUSION: Pain-threshold rehabilitation
did not accelerate RTP clearance, but resulted in
greater recovery of isometric knee flexor strength
and better maintenance of BFLH fascicle length,
compared to pain-free rehabilitation