Current Readiness Research Articles

Evolution of Ionomer Coverage during Accelerated Stress Tests in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Despite the current readiness level and the market availability of the polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) durability is still a technical challenge that the technology, has to resolve to become competitive with internal combustion engines (ICE). In the automotive sector, the ICE engines typically reach lifetimes of more than a decade. In the nearest future PEFCs can become competitive in the medium to heavy-duty vehicles sector, where the space constraints and the power density requirements are more relaxed, but cell lifetime becomes of critical importance for such vehicles, that drive for up to 100,000 miles per year. Accelerated stress tests (ASTs) are used to assess the lifetime of a PEFC in a limited amount of time. the US Drive Fuel Cell Technical Team of the US DOE adopted several protocols targeting specific components of the cell or ageing phenomena (platinum dissolution or carbon corrosion).In the PEFC cathode electrode ionomer is added to enable proton transport to the electrocatalyst. Ionomer forms thin films around Pt/C agglomerates. The SO3 - groups (from the side chains of PFSA-based polymer ionomers) adsorb onto the platinum surface and reduce its overall specific activity. Additionally, when Nafion ionomer that has crystalline backbone aligns parallel to the catalyst surface it impedes local oxygen transport1 . Recent study did not show direct correlation between SO3 - group coverage and specific mass activity, when the coverage was varied from 0.16 to 0.262 . This may be because even with 0.16 coverage Pt has already been ‘poisoned’ and further addition of ionomer can actually have a positive effect enhancing proton accessibility. Understanding the behavior of the ionomer in the electrode and its evolution during the cell lifetime is of great importance, but at the present the literature does not show durability studies focused on this aspect.In this contribution, we aim to investigate and understand the coverage of the ionomer on Pt and carbon and SO3- groups adsorption in a PEFC during ASTs. CO stripping and displacement were used to probe the ionomer coverage as described by Garrick et al.3 Two types of cells were investigated using carbon corrosion AST: the first one with traditional carbon material and the second one with start/stop tolerant catalyst support. While the tolerant support led to small performance decrease and ECSA loss, the cell without start/stop tolerant support saw a sharp decrease in the ionomer coverage in the electrode between 100 and 500 cycles, that corresponded to a considerable loss in polarization. The ECSA was not changed between 100 to 500 cycles indicating that Pt loss was not a reason for polarization decrease and therefore we attribute the cause of the cell failure mainly to the loss of ionomer.Catalyst AST was also investigated, and the ionomer coverage was measured both in dry and wet conditions to separate the contribution of the interfaces between platinum/ionomer and platinum/water as in Iden and Ohma work4. By comparing the ECSA in dry and wet conditions, we see that while ECSA in wet condition decreases (that corresponds to the total ECSA reachable by protons) the dry ECSA (that considers only the Pt portion contacted by ionomer) remains constant. This behavior, coupled with an ionomer coverage that remains rather constant during the cycling, suggests that Pt dissolution is accelerated in the regions where Pt is not covered by ionomer. This work highlights the importance of the ionomer coverage and its evolution during aging. It suggests the role of ionomer is critical for catalyst stability in both carbon corrosion and catalyst ASTs.

PROFESSIONAL READINESS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN ADDRESSING AND PREVENTING RISK BEHAVIOR

The paper focuses on the personality of a teacher and his role in the primary prevention of the risk behavior. The article presents the partial results of a questionnaire survey that has been carried out in 2017 with 302 teachers at 12 elementary schools and multi-annual high schools as a partial output of the project RRC/08/2016 Professional readiness of primary school teachers for the risk behavior and its prevention in the Moravian-Silesian Region. The aim of the questionnaire survey was to find out about the relevant facts on the current readiness of elementary school teachers for the risk behavior and its prevention from the point of view of the actual teachers. The questionnaire has been designed by the authors of this paper (consisting of 46 scalable items and 7 open items). Only data from scalable items are included in the paper. The majority of teachers are ready to cooperate with their colleagues and other professionals in the field of solution and prevention of the risk behavior. Most of them find the prevention activities beneficial, they incorporate them into their lessons. When looking for a solution to a given problem as well as when practicing prevention activities, the teachers make use of the discussion with students. Although the obtained results might be region-specific, the authors are of the opinion that these can be regarded as relevant and inspiring for the professional and teaching public.

Factors affecting the work of a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic

In this paper, we draw attention to factors that influenced the work of a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic. We use special frameworks and discuss possible consequences and restrictions during the pandemic. Nurses are at the forefront because they provide care to patients in close physical proximity and are directly exposed to a high risk of infection. Regardless of the circumstances during the pandemic, the nurses perceived the risks of the pandemic as part of their role and professional responsibilities.However, they experienced increased rate of anxiety and fear for their own health when providing care to infected patients during the pandemic. Rapidly changing information and knowledge about the infection, working under pressure in dynamically changing conditions, regulated supplies of PPE and their use influenced the perception of the risk of infection during a pandemic and increased the manifestations of stress and anxiety.Evidence of the management of nurses, the impact of the physical and emotional environment, and the ability to systematically respond to a pandemic can provide information on the current readiness of the nurses’ workforce for future epidemics/pandemics. The importance of nurses and the nursing role during a pandemic and epidemic is multifaceted, and it is important that we capture the factors that influenced all aspects of it in real time.

Community Readiness for Increasing Older Adult Physical Activity Levels in Kazakhstan.

Introduction:Physical activity is proven to be a significant element of successful aging, but many seniors worldwide fail to achieve the recommended levels. This study aimed to assess the readiness of the community in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, to act on the issue of physical inactivity among older adults.Methods:In order to achieve this purpose, we conducted qualitative interviews with key informants in the community and applied a validated community readiness tool.Results:The results suggest that the local community is at early stages of readiness to act on the issue of older adult physical inactivity. We identified a number of barriers that prevented seniors from leading active lifestyles, which included community misconceptions about older adult physical activity, family centeredness in older adulthood, scarcity of resources, passive support from the leadership, and lack of efforts in the community. Research findings also highlighted the importance of conducting in-depth analysis of key informant responses in addition to calculating readiness scores, when using the community readiness tool.Conclusions:Community-specific strategies for enhancing the level of physical activity among seniors are required to offset the disease burden associated with aging and to prolong life expectancy in Kazakhstan, and it is of paramount importance to tailor potential efforts as to address the current readiness of the community and its needs.

A corporate sustainability maturity model for readiness assessment: a three-step development strategy

PurposeOne of the main challenges of organisations today is how to navigate their development into ideal sustainable organisations. However, each readiness level requires a different rubric of indicators. Therefore, this study develops a corporate sustainability maturity model (CSMM), which can be used by organisations to conduct self-assessments, identify their current sustainability maturity levels and transition into mature sustainable organisations.Design/methodology/approachThis CSMM comprises various maturity domains, sub-domains and levels as well as a rubric of indicators for assessing the maturity of corporate sustainability. In its development, a systematic literature review examined existing maturity models, after which a pilot study, based on the literature review, content analysis and expert interviews, was used to create a prototype of the CSSM. Finally, the model was refined and expanded by considering practitioners' feedback and the tendencies of other sustainability maturity models.FindingsOn the basis of the findings, some Indonesian organisations conducted sustainability activities, without having a strategic plan. Moreover, the factors driving organisations to conduct sustainability efforts included external and internal pressure. However, typical factors, such as awareness of sustainability and organisational reputation gained from conducting sustainability activities, were insignificant in the sample.Originality/valueThis CSMM is the first sustainability maturity model developed for readiness assessment in an Indonesian context. Through this CSMM, organisations can determine their current readiness level of sustainability maturity and choose the correct indicators to help improve each sustainability domain in the matrix.

Scaling Readiness: Science and practice of an approach to enhance impact of research for development

Scaling of innovations is a key requirement for addressing societal challenges in sectors such as health, agriculture, and the environment. Research for development (R4D) programs, projects and other interventions struggle to make particular innovations go to scale. Current conceptualizations of scaling are often too simplistic; more systemic and multidimensional perspectives, frameworks and measures are needed. There is a gap between new complexity-aware theories and perspectives on innovation, and tools and approaches that can improve strategic and operational decision-making in R4D interventions that aim to scale innovations. This paper aims to bridge that gap by developing the key concepts and measures of Scaling Readiness. Scaling Readiness is an approach that encourages critical reflection on how ready innovations are for scaling and what appropriate actions could accelerate or enhance scaling. Scaling Readiness provides action-oriented support for (1) characterizing the innovation and innovation system; (2) diagnosing the current readiness and use of innovations as a proxy for their readiness to scale; (3) developing strategy to overcome bottlenecks for scaling; (4) facilitating and negotiating multi-stakeholder innovation and scaling processes; and (5) navigating and monitoring the implementation process to allow for adaptive management. Scaling Readiness has the potential to support evidence-based scaling strategy design, implementation and monitoring, and – if applied across multiple interventions – can be used to manage a portfolio of innovation and scaling investments.

Assessing the Readiness Level of Healthcare for Implementing Agility Using Fuzzy Logic Approach

An agile strategy in healthcare would authorize organizations to provide efficient, customized and standard service on time at an optimized cost. To implement agility, the management of the healthcare organization needs to know the mechanisms and how to make the whole organization ready for change process. Thus, the current study assesses the readiness level of healthcare utilizing fuzzy logic approach to implement agility. The conceptual readiness model is framed with five enablers, twenty criteria and fifty-six attributes. The proposed model is applied in to a case hospital to assess the readiness level. The Fuzzy readiness for the implementation of agility index (FRAI) and fuzzy performance importance index (FPII) are computed to determine the readiness level of the case hospital and its weaker attributes in the implementation of agility. FRAI is computed as average ready with (3.00, 4.78, 6.56), and FPII identifies 15 weaker attributes from 56 attributes. It constructs the conceptual model which analyses the current readiness of healthcare and weaker attributes are denoted and required corrective actions should be carried by the management of healthcare organization to improve the readiness. The continuation of assessment readiness model over a period of time would help to improve the readiness level of healthcare for agile implementation.

Readiness of Healthcare Providers for e-Hospitals: Cross-sectional Analysis in China

The growth and development of smartphone and e-health technologies has enabled the employment of extended care hospitals such as e-hospitals in China in order to facilitate the success of a primary healthcare center (PHC) based integrated delivery model. Although the adoption of this innovation in healthcare delivery is essential, few studies have directed their research towards understanding the perspectives of healthcare providers. This study aims to identify the current readiness of healthcare providers to adopt e-hospital technologies, determine factors influencing their adoption, and describe perceived facilitators and barriers in regards to e-hospital use. A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to September of 2019 in Western China. This study included a self-administered questionnaire that was used to assess participants socio-demographic characteristics, online medical practice, willingness to use e-hospitals, and perceived facilitators/barriers to using e-hospitals. Multivariate regression analysis was performed in order to evaluate independent factors associated with e-hospital use. The survey population consisted of 2,298 medical professionals from a tertiary hospital, secondary hospital, PHC, and private hospital. Overall, 86.3% had a positive response toward the usage of e-hospitals. Age (P<0.05), familiarity with e-hospitals (P<0.001), and prior work experience in online healthcare settings (P<0.001) were associated with participants' readiness to use e-hospitals. Gender, education level, professional level, the tier of the affiliated hospital, and workload were not statistically associated. Healthcare providers who had positive attitudes towards e-hospitals considered improved efficiency, patient satisfaction, communication among physicians, increased reputation, and alleviated workload to be advantages of adoption. The participants who were unwilling to use e-hospitals perceived lack of time, insufficient authenticity/reliability, and underdeveloped policies as potential challenges. Improving operative proficiency in electronic devices, accommodating to work schedules, increasing familiarity, and regulating practices will improve the readiness of healthcare providers to use e-hospitals.

Digital habits of PR service-users: Implications for home-based interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Remote models of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) are vital with suspension of face-to-face activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed digital access and behaviours and PR delivery preferences of current PR service users. There was significant heterogeneity in access to and confidence in using the Internet with 31% having never previously accessed the Internet, 48% confident using the Internet and 29% reporting no interest in accessing any component of PR through a Web-based app. These data have implications for the remote delivery of PR during the COVID-19 pandemic and raise questions about the current readiness of service users to adopt Web-based delivered models of PR.

METHODS OF ASSESSMENT THE LEVEL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECT DUE TO THE USING OF LOW-SPEED INDIVIDUAL VEHICLES, BY THE EXAMPLE OF THE TOWN OF SERPUKHOV

For more than half a century bicycle transport demonstrates its effectiveness as one of the elements of the transport network of the city. Currently, vehicles with low-power motors such as electric bicycle, electric scooter, gyrometer, segway, wheelbarrow, scooter motor and others are gaining people's attention. These vehicles can be combined into a group of low-speed individual vehicles (hereinafter - NITS) with similar re-quirements for the operational parameters of urban infrastructure. From the urban point of view, the interest in NITC is that the number of its users has increased significantly in recent years. The article presents the results of a sociological survey of residents of Serpukhov, allowing to assess the current and potential readi-ness of the population to use NITC. The growing popularity of NITC has led to an increase in the environmen-tal and economic effect, which is manifested at a particular level of development of the movement on NITC. The ecological and economic effect of the use of NITC has an extremely positive impact on the improvement of the urban environment. This article provides a list of indicators that reflect the growth in the standards of living of society from movement by the NITC, and the calculation of one of them - the increase in entrepre-neurial activity on the streets with increased traffic to the NITC. Indicators are necessary for calculation of complex criterion of efficiency and safety of street network due to development of the movement by NITC. The result will allow public authorities authorized to make decisions on the strategy of transport policy of cities to quantify the ratio of economic benefits from the development of infrastructure of the NITC with the cost of its construction and operation.

The Future of Smart Parking Systems with Parking 4.0

Parking is important for mobility, access, and the economic development of cities. Evolving technology, new business opportunities, and a growing awareness are expanding the role of smart parking in sustainable city-scale mobility. The benefits from smart parking can get amplified manyfold as part of a cohesive, collaborative ecosystem. In this article, we present our vision of Parking 4.0 as a digital reimagination of the end-to-end value parking chain as part of a collaborative eco-system. We discuss the key market drivers and barriers in smart parking; assess the current readiness levels; and outline a path to Parking 4.0 while identifying opportunities and open research challenges.

Pharmacogenomic considerations for medications in the perioperative setting.

Several high-profile examples of adverse outcomes from medications used in the perioperative setting are well known (e.g., malignant hyperthermia, prolonged apnea, respiratory depression, inadequate analgesia), leading to an increased understanding of genetic susceptibilities underlying these risks. Pharmacogenomic information is increasingly being utilized in certain areas of medicine. Despite this, routine preoperative genetic screening to inform medication risk is not yet standard practice. In this review, we assess the current readiness of pharmacogenomic information for clinical consideration for several common perioperative medications, including description of key pharmacogenes, pharmacokinetic implications and potential clinical outcomes. The goal is to highlight medications for which emerging or considerable pharmacogenomic information exists and identify areas for future potential research.

Company readiness for digital transformations: problems and diagnosis

Digital transformation is one of the current trends of business development in modern economies. This article discusses the main problems faced by Russian companies in the course of digital transformations of their activities, and the tools for preliminary diagnosis of the company’s readiness for such transformations. Based on the analysis and synthesis of information from reports of Russian and international research and consulting companies, and relying on the results of scientific research by Russian and foreign experts, the authors identified seven key typical problems that most Russian companies may encounter in the initial stages of implementing digital transformation. The problems identified are ranked in order of their importance for the successful implementation of digital transformations. For the effective implementation of digital transformation, the authors propose to use the architectural approach in accordance with the recommendations of the TOGAF standard, which allows managing changes in a comprehensive manner, taking into account the needs, opportunities and constraints of both the business system and the IT infrastructure. The work substantiates the need for conducting the diagnosis of the company’s readiness at the initial stage of digital transformations. Such diagnosis can reveal the existing internal constraints that may become an obstacle to achieving the desired result of digital transformation. To identify the main adverse events, causes and problems of organizations with low levels of digital maturity, a method for constructing a tree of current reality has been implemented - an analytical toolkit for studying cause-effect relationships with undesirable features. Practical recommendations on the classification of causes and problems are provided to assess current readiness and plan for transition to the desired state of business system and IT infrastructure. The proposed approach will allow organizations to identify their problem areas, drawing on the consolidated experience of other companies, as well as to determine the possibility of their adjustment in order to create favorable conditions for digital transformations.

Development and validation of a tool to assess the readiness of a clinical teaching site for interprofessional education (InSITE)

ABSTRACT Interprofessional education within clinical teaching sites is a key part of training for pre-professional students. However, the necessary characteristics of these interprofessional clinical teaching sites is unclear. We developed a tool, the Interprofessional Education Site Readiness, or InSITE, tool, for individuals at a site to use as a self-assessment of the site’s current readiness for providing interprofessional education. The tool progressed through six stages of development, collecting evidence for validity and reliability, resulting in a final tool with 23 questions distributed across five domains. Data from 94 respondents from a variety of national sites were used for the item analysis showing acceptable item-to-total correlations. Internal reliability testing gave a Cronbach’s coefficient alpha of more than 0.70 for each group level comparison. Known groups validity testing provides strong evidence for its responsiveness in detecting differences in sites where IPE is implemented. The results of the testing lead us to conclude that the InSITE tool has acceptable psychometric properties. Additionally, we discovered that the process in which the InSITE tool was used demonstrated that it can facilitate learning in practice for the health professionals and can help make implicit, informal workplace learning and the hidden curriculum explicit.

Elastocaloric cooling: roadmap towards successful implementation in the built environment

In the pursuit of ever more efficient built environments, able to resiliently respond to the many implications of climate change, near room-temperature caloric cooling could be a game changer from multiple standpoints. In this paper, perspectives and challenges of successful implementation of elastocaloric devices in the built environment are explored by contrasting the current readiness level with the envisaged potentiality. Material-level and device-level criticalities are identified and potential solutions are discussed. The roadmap towards an informed and efficient use of this environmentally friendly technology is eventually proposed aiming at an increase of building’s energy efficiency, but also at counteracting the urban heat island effect.

Digital Transformation Readiness in Higher Education Institutions (HEI): The Case of Kosovo

This research investigates the current readiness of Higher Education Institutions for the digital transformation of their processes. The purpose of the study is to investigate the implemented comparative measures and the challenges faced by higher education institutions dealing with the digital transformation of their processes. The specific importance of this study relates to the level of use of digital technologies during the teaching process as well as administrative activities that enable advanced communication between institutions, students, academic and administrative staff, as well as other internal and external networking processes. The research results show a significant change in the particular interest in the use of digital technologies at HEIs. The major digital transformation technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Technologies, Internet of Things, undergone comparison and ranking based on the findings from the best practices derived from literature. The same ranking has been conducted at the HEI of Kosovo. The synthesis of two evaluations delivers the final results of this research.

Food Allergy Readiness and Anaphylaxis Management in Early Childhood Education and Care in Western Australia

WITH THE INCREASE IN prevalence of food allergy (FA) in young children, early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers are likely to have more enrolments of children who are at risk of anaphylaxis. This study examines the status of FA management in ECEC, and assesses the services’ current readiness to prevent and manage FA. A cross-sectional study comprising an online survey with multiple-choice and open-ended questions was conducted with 53 long day care services in Western Australia. Among the respondents, 83 per cent of services had at least one child enrolled with FA, 96 per cent had an FA policy, and 91 per cent required staff to undertake anaphylaxis training. A high level of self-reported confidence and skills were demonstrated; however, gaps were identified in risk-minimisation knowledge, use of adrenaline (epinephrine) autoinjectors and available resources. Extensive promotion of available resources will help improve compliance with anaphylaxis guidelines.

Identifying Effective Behavior Change Techniques for Alcohol and Illicit Substance Use During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review.

BackgroundDuring pregnancy, consuming alcohol and using illicit drugs can have serious health implications for both mother and child. Behavioral change interventions, especially those underpinned by theoretical constructs, can be effective in reducing harmful substance use among pregnant women.PurposeTo understand what type of behavior change mechanisms could be useful in reducing alcohol consumption or achieving abstinence from illicit drug use during pregnancy, this review aimed to identify behavior change techniques (BCTs), the smallest, active components of interventions that may be effective. It also aimed to establish the extent that psychosocial-based theories were used to inform intervention design.MethodsTo identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs), five databases were searched electronically from the end search dates of the most recent Cochrane systematic reviews on behavioral interventions for each behavior, until March 2018. Within the RCTs, intervention descriptions were analyzed for BCT content and extent of theory use in the intervention design process and outcome measurements, in each trial, was established. “Effectiveness percentages,” the number of times a BCT had been a component of an effective intervention divided by the total number of interventions it had been used in, were calculated for BCTs used in two or more trials.ResultsIncluding all RCTs from the Cochrane reviews, and those published subsequently, nine alcohol and six illicit drug trials were identified. Interventions tested in four alcohol RCTs and no illicit drugs RCTs showed positive results. Subsequent data were extracted for alcohol consumption trials only. Thirteen BCTs showed “potential effectiveness” for alcohol consumption. Six of nine included alcohol trials reported using theory but not extensively.ConclusionsAction planning, behavioral contract, prompts/cues, self-talk, offer/direct toward written material, problem solving, feedback on behavior, social support (unspecified), information about health consequences, behavior substitution, assess current readiness and ability to reduce excess alcohol consumption, goal setting (behavior), and tailor interactions appropriately are BCTs that could be useful in helping reduce alcohol consumption among pregnant women.

Eliminating the Weakest Link Approach to Army Unit Readiness

One of the most difficult measurements to obtain with some level of accuracy is military readiness. While a multitude of factors exist that affect the ability of a unit to achieve success in mission, an accurate assessment of readiness is crucial and drives federal funding, defense policy, and deployment decisions. The current readiness metric for the U.S. Army statically assesses units on personnel, equipment on hand, equipment readiness/serviceability, and unit training proficiency using a weakest-link approach. This leads to reporting challenges and the tendency for commanders to subjectively upgrade their units’ assessments. This research proposes a metric that evaluates units with greater precision, flexibility, and robustness. By taking a decision analysis approach and using desirability functions, we are able to measure readiness based on a set of priorities, adapting for type of mission and unit. We test our metric using notional case studies and discuss extensions to other branches of the U.S. military and beyond.

Assessing Climate Finance Readiness in the Asia-Pacific Region

Readiness is the current mantra in the climate finance discourse and is a key determinant for accessing climate finance. This study develops and applies an analytical 3-dimensional framework to appraise climate finance readiness in selected Asia-Pacific countries. Three dimensions of readiness are identified: (1) Policies and Institutions, (2) Knowledge Management and Learning, and (3) Fiscal Policy Environment. Using the Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review as the basis for such framework, the study uncovers a massive readiness gap between countries in the Asian sub-region and those in the Pacific sub-region. The study also found that readiness has a predictable, yet small, impact on the magnitude of climate finance accessed. This suggests that improving readiness alone is not sufficient to unlock climate finance, as access to climate finance is to a larger extent determined by other factors; this is critical to shaping readiness endeavors for the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), as well as for donors. This study argues for a re-think in the PSIDS current readiness approach, reducing emphasis on multilateral and private flows and diversifying through practical and uncomplicated bilateral and remittance sources. These two sources of finances have a good track record of consistently mobilizing external finance to PSIDS despite their climate finance readiness status. Broadening readiness efforts towards these two alternative funding sources extends the feasibility of the current readiness approach. The present direction of climate finance readiness offers a continuing access dilemma to many of the PSIDS, especially the poorest and most vulnerable.