Employees' satisfaction with retention factors: Exploring the role of career adaptability

Given the rising concerns about staff retention and the increased importance attached to individuals' career adaptability, the present paper explored how career adaptability relates to employees' satisfaction with factors that organizations regard important for their retention. A canonical correlation analysis was conducted on a sample of 321 employees in a South African automotive industry. The results showed that career adaptability, especially career concern, significantly explained the participants' level of satisfaction with their experiences of the career opportunities, work–life balance, training and development opportunities and characteristics of the jobs offered by the company. The study findings suggest that employees' career concerns, goals and plans and how these relate to retention practices are important for retaining them. Black and white participants also differed significantly regarding the variables. This study extends prior research on career adaptability by adding insights about the usefulness of the construct in the retention context.     

Age-related differences in movement strategies and postural control during stooping and crouching tasks

While epidemiologic data suggests that one in four older adults have difficulty performing stooping and crouching (SC) tasks, little is known about how aging affects SC performance. This study investigated differences between young and older adults in lower limb kinematics and underfoot center of pressure (COP) measures when performing a series of SC tasks. Twelve healthy younger and twelve healthy older participants performed object-retrieval tasks varying in: (1) initial lift height, (2) precision demand, and (3) duration. Whole-body center of mass (COM), underfoot COP, and hip and knee angular kinematics (maximum angles and velocities) were analyzed. Compared to younger, older participants moved slower when transitioning into and out of pick-up postures that were characterized by less hip and knee flexion. Older participants also showed a diminished ability to adapt to the changing postural demands of each set of tasks. This was especially evident during longer tasks, whereby older individuals avoided high knee flexion crouching postures that were commonly used by younger participants. Older adults also tended to exhibit faster and more frequent COP trajectory adjustments in the anterior–posterior direction. It is likely that limitations in physical characteristics such as lower limb strength and range of motion contributed to these differences.     

Distance‐Based Measures of Specialization and Balance in Multi‐Criteria: A DEA‐Integrated Method

Decision makers pursuing several distinct goals may differ in their behaviour. Some try to achieve all goals simultaneously, whereas others concentrate on only certain ones and are therefore specialized. We present a new method of measuring the specialization degree with respect to a given standard balanced relation of the goals. The measurement is integrated into data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology, uses a non‐compensative distance measure, permits optional convex polyhedral cones as predefined balance sets and guarantees feasible solutions. Geometrically, it is based on the angle between the balance cone and the ray through the point of investigation. The proposed models can be used to support and complement the usual effectiveness and efficiency analysis in multi‐criteria decision analysis and DEA. They are motivated and illustrated by a simple numerical example, compared with an alternative method recently published and applied to real data from the literature. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

听力障碍者听阈及主观响度变异调查

用amplaid455型电子纯音听力计对100名听力障碍者及100名正常人进行纯音听阈测试并进行听阈水平级的ABLB测试。结果,听力障碍者临床所测听阈值与实际听阈值不一致,共误差程度与正常人相比差异显著（P＜0．05),且听力障碍者听阈水平的双耳主观响度变异非常显著（P＜0．01）。此现象的发现提示,在对有听力障碍的被试进行ABLB及纯音检测时应注意随机变化的感觉因素的作用。     

Reducing postural sway by concurrently performing challenging cognitive tasks

The present experiment varied cognitive complexity and sensory modality on postural control in young adults. Seventeen participants (23.71 ± 1.99 years) were instructed to stand feet together on a force platform while concurrently performing cognitive tasks of varying degrees of difficulty (easy, moderate and difficult). The cognitive tasks were presented both, auditorily and visually. Auditory tasks consisted of counting the occurrence of one or two letters and repeating a string of words. Visual tasks consisted of counting the occurrence of one or two numbers. With increasing cognitive demand, area of 95% confidence ellipse and ML sway variability was significantly reduced. The visual tasks reduced ML sway variability, whereas the auditory tasks increased COP irregularity. We suggest that these findings are primarily due to an increase in sensorimotor integration as a result of a shift in attentional focus.     

医患关系的利益冲突与平衡

医患之间存在理想的期待与医疗现实水平的冲突 ,公益福利性与市场企业性的冲突 ,医患信息不对称产生的冲突等。医患之间相互需要 ,有平衡的可能。在法律设定医患之间的权利与义务时 ,要防止医患冲突 ,使之趋向平衡     

Investigating Leader Role Congruity and Counterproductive Work Behavior

The present study sought to examine the role of fulfilled vs. unfulfilled expectations in work-related and non-work domains. Specifically, we examined how congruence and incongruence between implicit leadership theories across multiple categories of leaders (typical, ideal, and effective leaders) and characteristics recognized on one’s supervisor affect leader-member exchange (LMX), work-family conflict, and subsequent counter-productive work behavior. We tested our hypotheses using polynomial regression and response surface modeling. The results of this study showed that congruence between implicit leadership theories (ILT’s) of typical, ideal, and effective leaders and supervisor recognition, as well as incongruity between ILT’s of ideal leaders and characteristics recognized in one’s supervisor, significantly impacts perceived LMX quality with supervisors. Incongruity between ILT’s of typical and ideal leaders and supervisor recognition was also associated with higher ratings of work-family conflict (WFC). Finally, the results showed support for a significant indirect effect of congruence between ILTs of typical and ideal leaders and characteristics recognized in one’s supervisor on CWB through WFC. These results add meaningful depth to literature on congruent implicit theories in two ways: (a) we add to existing knowledge of outcomes associated with congruence on ILT’s, and, (b) we examine these associations using ILT’s across multiple categories of leaders. Implications are also discussed.     

抗生素应用与细菌耐药性产生的辩证关系

临床上抗生素的不适当使用,造成了细菌耐药性问题日益严重,已成为目前医学上一个难题。从微生态平衡的角度,辩证地对抗生素使用和细菌耐药性产生的关系进行了分析,并提出了控制细菌耐药性产生的策略。为有效合理使用抗生素,预防和控制细菌耐药性产生提供了思路和方法。     

Unilateral Stability and Visual Feedback Body Control Improves After Three-Month Resistance Training in Overweight Individuals

The authors evaluated the effect of 3 months of resistance and aerobic training (3 sessions/week) on body balance in a group of 25 overweight and obese individuals. Prior to and after the training, they performed static and task-oriented balance tests under various conditions. Mean center of pressure (CoP) velocity and mean trace length of the CoP in the y-axis registered during a one-legged stance significantly decreased after the resistance training (19.1%, p = .024; 29.3%, p = .009). Mean trace length of the CoP in the y-axis decreased significantly also during a bipedal stance on a foam surface with eyes open and closed (10.9%, p = .040; 18.2%, p = .027). In addition, mean CoP distance and mean squared CoP distance in the anteroposterior direction during a visually guided center of mass (CoM) tracking task significantly improved (14.7%, p = .033; 28.2%, p = .016). However, only mean trace length of the CoP in the y-axis during a bipedal stance on a foam surface with eyes open and closed significantly decreased after the aerobic training (10.3%, p = .047; 16.5%, p = .029). It may be concluded that resistance training is more efficient for the improvement of the anteroposterior unilateral stability and the accuracy of the regulation of the CoM anteroposterior position than aerobic training in overweight and obese individuals.     

Influence of Different Sitting Positions on Healthy Infants' Reaching Movements

The authors analyze the influence of different sitting positions (ring and flexion) on the reaching performance (spatiotemporal variables) of full-term infants 6 and 7 months old. In addition, they correlated level of trunk control, measured by the Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control, with performance during reaching. The different sitting positions only influenced the reaching movements of 6-month-old infants, who showed the best performance in the ring position. However, this influence was observed only for the trunk displacement, deceleration time, movement units, straightness index and mean velocity. In contrast, there was no influence of positions on 7-month-old infants’ reaching performance. Regarding the correlations, it was observed that infants with more level of trunk control showed a better performance when reaching, regardless of position and the age assessed.