Greater Effort Research Articles

ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ ІНСТИТУЦІЙНОГО РОЗВИТКУ НЕУРЯДОВОГО СЕКТОРУ: АНАЛІЗ ПРОЄКТУ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ СТРАТЕГІЇ РОЗВИТКУ ІГС

Дане дослідження присвячене аналізу проєкту Національної стратегії розвитку інститутів громадянського суспільства в Україні на 2021-2025 роки. Наразі розроблений документ вже представлений громадськості та тривають його обговорення по регіонах країни. Позитивною тенденцією в даному аспекті є вже сама процедура розробки та узгодження змісту Стратегії із залученням широкого кола стейкхолдерів. За результатами аналізу ми встановили, що стратегічні напрямки розвитку громадянського суспільства в країні не змінились із 2016 року, хоча в новій Стратегії завдання поставлені чіткіше. Розподіливши завдання Стратегії за характером їх реалізації, ми встановили, що найбільше зусились протягом наступних п’яти років спрямують на вдосконалення нормативно-правового забезпечення діяльності ІГС (37,9% завдань). Наскрізною темою всього документу відмітили розбудову підвалин для кристалізації сектору НУО у повноправного економічного гравця та виведення діяльності у неурядовому секторі у професійну площину. Встановили, що на практиці, неурядовий сектор протягом останніх чотирьох років підвищує свій потенціал як надавача послуг державі на ринкових умовах. Хоча й зафіксували невисоку активність серед регіональних НУО під час обговорення основоположного для них документу. Це своєю чергою актуалізує питання комунікаційного супроводу реалізації Стратегії, а також підіймає питання якісної системи її моніторингу та оцінки.

Seed production of semi‐natural grasslands: Amount and variability in an unfertilized upright brome and a fertilized tall oat‐grass meadow

AbstractSeed production is an important grassland feature, as it affects its persistence and botanical composition, and plays an essential role in complex plant–animal interactions. Species‐rich seed mixtures from grasslands can be utilized for ecological restoration. Previous studies used different methods to characterize seed production and did not consider all the main aspects involved; hence, they did not allow the complete understanding of the seed production. In this study the seed yield of an unfertilized Mesobromion and a fertilized Arrhenatherion meadow were investigated by considering all main reproductive traits and grassland species. In Arrhenatherion, the viable seed production was 24,000 seeds m−2 year−1, with a viable seed set of 21% (ovule number 115,000 m−2). These values were three times higher than those in Mesobromion. This difference was mainly attributed to different fertile shoot densities (758 vs. 358 m−2 for Arrhenatherion and Mesobromion respectively). Grasses transformed ovules to seeds (38%) more efficiently than forbs (11%). The standing seed yield at the first mowing was 35% and 45% of the produced seeds for Mesobromion and Arrhenatherion respectively. Because of late mowing, which is typical for Mesobromion meadows, the proportion of species found as seed at the first mowing was higher than that in Arrhenatherion. However, because many Mesobromion species were found to be poorly seed‐producing forbs with high spatial and temporal variabilities of seed yield, harvesting of seeds of all species would be more difficult, and a greater effort would be necessary if the collected seeds are to be used in ecological restoration.

Adaptation planning in large cities is unlikely to be effective

The assessment of public adaptation policies, strategies and plans to evaluate progress, effectiveness and long-term sustainability is challenging. The potential to develop an ex-post evaluation linked to outcomes is limited given the lack of policy implementation globally and the uncertainty related to when and how impacts will happen. Ex-ante evaluations, by contrast, seem more feasible when they focus on policy processes, contents and outputs. Yet, proxies that indicate credible outcomes need to be carefully selected. In both cases, how adaptation is integrated in local planning processes, and previous experience by governments seem to be crucial. In this paper we perform an ex-ante evaluation of adaptation planning in 59 cities, identified across a set of 136 coastal cities of over 1 million inhabitants located in developed and developing world regions. We assess 3 major areas: policy and economic credibility, science and technical credibility, and legitimacy. Overall, 53 metrics are used to assess how likely local adaptation policies are to be effective, implemented and sustained in the long-term. This global assessment reveals that current adaptation planning in big global cities has a significant space for improvement and is, overall, unlikely to be effective unless greater effort is invested in financing, regulatory context, monitoring and evaluation, and legitimacy aspects. We also discuss challenges and needs, assuming this sample is representative of current progress of adaptation planning in large cities.

"Cultural Security Is an On-Going Journey…" Exploring Views from Staff Members on the Quality and Cultural Security of Services for Aboriginal Families in Western Australia.

Cultural security is a key element of accessible services for Indigenous peoples globally, although few studies have examined this empirically. We explored the scope, reach, quality, and cultural security of health and social services available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families in Western Australia (WA), from the point of view of staff from the services. We recruited staff from health and social services for Aboriginal people in the Perth, Kalgoorlie, Great Southern, and South West regions of WA between December 2015 and September 2017 to complete online surveys. We examined the proportions of participants that responded saying the service was culturally secure, the reasons for the response, and perceived factors related to a high-quality service. Sixty participants from 21 services responded to the survey. Seventy-three percent stated the service was culturally secure; however, only 36% stated that the staff employed at the service had sufficient knowledge on cultural security. Participants suggested having Aboriginal staff and better cultural awareness training as methods to improve cultural security within the service. Participants highlighted that staffing, funding for resources, and patient financial difficulties in accessing care as key areas for quality improvement. Much greater effort is required in improving knowledge through on-going training of staff in the practice of culturally safe care. Organisations must also be required to meet specific standards in cultural safety.

New Procedure for the Kinematic and Power Analysis of Cyclists in Indoor Training.

In this research, the performance and movements of amateur and professional cyclists were analyzed. For this, reflective markers have been used on different parts of the body of the participants in conjunction with sports cameras and a mobile power meter. The trajectories of the markers have been obtained with the software Kinovea and subsequently analyzed using error ellipses. It is demonstrated that the error ellipses help determine movement patterns in the knees, back, and hip. The covariance of the error ellipses can be indicative of the alignment and symmetry of the frontal movement of the knees. In addition, it allows verifying the alignment of the spine and the symmetry of the hip. Finally, it is shown that it is necessary to consider the uncertainty of the power devices since it considerably affects the evaluation of the cyclists’ performance. Devices with high uncertainty will demand a greater effort from the cyclist to meet the power required in the endurance test developed. The statistical magnitudes considered help to analyze power and evaluate the cyclists’ performance.

Coping strategies and perceived productivity in open-plan offices with noise problems

PurposeTo study effects of different sources of noise in office environments on perceived productivity, how different types of employees cope with different noise sources, and the perceived effect of different coping strategies on individual productivity.Design/methodology/approachData on coping behavior and noise perception was collected through a survey among 150 employees of 3 organizations with an office in the Netherlands. These were analyzed with X2-tests and the lift-ratio.FindingsWhen coping with noise, people are most inclined to either “Make even a greater effort” or “Discuss the noise problem with colleagues,” despite the expectation that this does not have a major positive effect on their productivity. Overall, approach coping strategies were chosen less often than the avoidance coping strategies. There are clear preferences for specific coping strategies when exposed to specific noise sources. Personal differences did not appear to relate to the perception of noise sources but did show differences in coping behavior as well.Originality/valueThis study adds insights about preferred coping strategies for specific noise sources, differences in these preferences related to specific personal characteristics, and how successful these strategies are perceived to be with regard to support of individual productivity.

“If only I Could Decide”: Opinions of Food Category Managers on in-Store Food Waste

Retail food waste represents a minor fraction of the total amount of food waste produced along the food supply chain (tenfold lower than the quantity of food disposed of by consumers at home). However, the role of retailers is crucial in shaping both the behavior of upstream food chain actors and the preferences of consumers. This paper studies the causes of food waste in retail stores and discusses potential mitigating actions based on the results of nine focus groups held in 2017 with 67 foods category managers. Participants used sticky notes to outline both the causes of in-store food waste and potential actions to address it. Sticky notes reporting 228 causes and 124 actions were collected during the study. Data were analyzed across thematic macro-categories and linked to the responsibility of supply chain actors, including managers at all store management levels. Results revealed that food category managers consider in-store operations (which include their actions and those of their subordinates) to be most responsible for retail food waste. However, when it comes to proposing actions against food waste, they believe that store managers are mainly responsible for the implementation of waste reduction actions. This study suggests that food category managers are key actors to involve in the fight against retail food waste. Greater effort should also be put towards informing and encouraging store managers to take action against food waste in supermarkets.

Do Emotions Affect Audit Practice? Terrorist Attacks and Accounting Misstatements

Psychology and neuroscience research shows that individuals with negative emotions (e.g., fear) are more sensitive to negative signals and exhibit a higher degree of risk aversion. Using local terrorist attacks as exogenous shocks that cause auditors to experience more negative emotions in the audit period, I empirically study the impact of negative emotions on audit practice. I find that accounting misstatements are less likely to occur for firms when there is a local terrorist attack in the audit period. The reduction in misstatements is stronger for auditors who are located closer to the terrorist attacks. Further evidence suggests that affected auditors are more likely to issue going concern opinions, spend more time on the audit, and charge higher audit fees. I obtain a similar set of results using airplane crashes as an alternative source of emotional shocks. Overall, the evidence is consistent with the idea that auditors with more negative emotions exert greater effort to lower misstatement risks. My findings provide large-scale archival causal evidence that emotions can affect audit outcomes.

Unicorn Poo and Blessed Waters: COVID-19 Quackery and FDA Warning Letters.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has created a global setting of clinical crisis and human anxiety. Without available safe and effective vaccines and cures, an unscrupulous marketplace has emerged selling COVID-19 quackery (fraudulent misrepresentation of preventions and treatments).MethodsUS Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Warning Letters issued from March 2020 to July 2020 were analyzed for themes pertaining to unapproved, adulterated, and misbranded COVID-19 products.ResultsDuring this period, the FDA issued 3,139 Warning Letters of which 98 (3.14%) of these were focused on COVID-19-related drugs, devices, biologics, and dietary supplements (products and ingredients). Specifically, these Warning Letters revealed regulatory nonconformities involving 40 identified herbs, 22 minerals/compounds, 6 devices and biologicals, and 3 vitamins. Products included hand sanitizers; COVID-19 antibody test kits; herbal teas and tinctures; nasal gel; toothpaste; and 1 vaccine. Nine Warning Letters were issued for products being sold via the Amazon online shopping platform.ConclusionA small percentage of FDA Warning Letters recently have been focused on COVID-19. These Letters expose the blatant and potentially harmful quackery of vendors across the world who prioritize financial gain over clinical beneficence. Patient history-taking should include queries about non-traditional and unapproved products to identify, document, and report potentially harmful quackery. FDA Warning Letters are a component of meaningful corrective action; however, greater effort in spreading awareness of such misrepresented, unapproved, and adulterated products is needed to deter purchases of such products.

Gustatory Dysfunction: A Highly Specific and Smell-Independent Symptom of COVID-19.

Chemosensitive dysfunctions are now considered as frequent and early symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the last few weeks, researchers' greatest efforts have been focusing mainly on the analysis of olfactory disorders, neglecting taste dysfunctions. According to our psychophysical evaluations, it can be inferred that the pathogenesis of taste disorders in COVID-19 patients is largely smell-independent. Moreover, isolated gustatory disorders are highly specific of SARS-CoV-2 infection. For these reasons, it is essential that gustatory dysfunctions, like olfactory disorders, are included in the COVID-19 guidelines.

LE RÔLE DE L’INTERDISCIPLINARITÉ DES TRADUCTIONS PÉDAGOGIQUES DANS LA FORMATION LINGUISTIQUE DES ÉTUDIANTS EN PHILOLOGIE ROMANE

Despite the growing number of academic publications discussing the advantages of translation for language learning, school teachers of French rarely use such exercises in their work with students, complaining mainly about lack of time and suitable teaching materials. Academic centres which educate future linguists offer more opportunities to use translation in practical French language classes. This article presents the opinions of students of Romance studies on the subject of translation in language learning after a semester of work with Janina Radej’s publication entitled “Francuski w tłumaczeniach. Gramatyka 1-4” [French in translation. Grammar 1-4]. It was found that for students, translation is a new and attractive exercise that diversifies the language learning process. Despite the greater effort needed, students unanimously declared that they want to do this type of exercise. They recognised not only benefits in terms of linguistic improvement, but also the interdisciplinary value, since translation exercises in the language course also offer students preparation for classes in translation studies, and serve as a prelude for doing translations in the future.

Gender achievement gaps: the role of social costs to trying hard in high school

In American high schools female students put greater effort into school and outperform boys on indicators of academic success. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, we found female students’ greater academic effort and achievement was partly explained by different social incentives to trying hard in school experienced by male and female students. Males were 1.75 times as likely to report they would be unpopular for trying hard in school and 1.50 times as likely to report they would be made fun of for trying hard in school. Social costs to trying hard in school were directly associated with less rigorous mathematics course-taking and indirectly associated with lower GPA in STEM courses through lower academic effort.

Effects of Low Audit Quality Revelation on Audit Effort, Audit Quality, and Auditor Tenure

We provide evidence that the revelation of low-quality audits is associated with auditors exerting greater effort on clients, which received low-quality audits as well as other clients of the low-quality audit office. In a sample of 15,934 public firm-years over the period 2004−2016, we find client restatements (a proxy for low audit quality) in an audit office are positively associated with concurrent audit lag, audit fees, and a common factor of two audit effort proxies on both restating and non-restating clients. We also find that, in spite of greater auditor effort, clients which previously received a low-quality audit are subject to additional increased misstatement risk. Unsurprisingly, auditors have a higher likelihood of subsequently being dismissed by these clients. Surprisingly, auditors also have a higher likelihood of subsequently being dismissed by clients with low underlying financial reporting quality, even if those clients are not subject to additional increased misstatement risk. Our results suggest that, in contrast to prior literature demonstrating poor audit quality being contagious among clients of the same audit office, low audit quality disclosure (in the form of restatements) results in an audit effort benefit across all clients of the low-quality audit office. However, clients with low financial reporting quality appear to take advantage of public revelations of low auditor quality to shift focus away from themselves, regardless of the auditors’ subsequent effort.

Financial forecasting and risky decisions: an experimental study grounded in Prospect theory

This study employed prospect theory to examine relationships between effort invested in developing financial forecasts and risk taking. Results of an experimental study indicated that the more effort subjects invested in developing forecasts, the more likely they were to use those forecasts as their reference points when evaluating venture performance. Results also indicated that subjects who used forecasts as their reference points and exerted greater effort developing those forecasts were more likely to take risky actions when performance fell below their reference points. This study is the first to link effort to the type of reference point used and the first to link effort and the use of financial forecasts to risky decisions. In addition, it is one of only a few studies to employ prospect theory to examine risk taking decisions subsequent to start-up. Its results enhance our understanding of risk taking, prospect theory and reference points.

Safety of child passengers who ride to school on a motorcycle: An observational study in two Argentine cities

In low- and middle-income countries, the motorcycle has increasingly become a means of family transportation due to its low cost and the poor quality of public transportation. Consequently, many child motorcycle passengers are at an elevated risk of serious injury in the event of a traffic crash. The available research on child safety devices is scarce and focused mainly on helmet use, while other devices (e.g. high-visibility clothing) have received little attention. This observational study documented the safety conditions and related factors of primary schoolchildren who rode to school as motorcycle passengers in two cities of Argentina.Data was obtained in the vicinity of 27 public primary schools in two cities of Argentina (one mid-sized city and the other a small city by the country's standards) between May 2018 and September 2019. A total of 1440 motorcycle occupants (656 drivers and 784 child passengers) were observed.The use of an adequate helmet was lower among children (vs. drivers). Most of the children were unable to reach the motorcycle's footrests, did not use high-visibility clothing or a fastening device, carried a backpack, and mounted and dismounted the motorcycle in an unsafe place. Some children rode in front of the driver or in a motorcycle with three or four occupants. Use of helmet by drivers and driver sex (woman) were related with an increase in safety in children. The indicators were worse in the larger city.The results revealed a low level of adoption of safety measures in children as well as in adults in both cities. This suggests that motorcycle travel is unsafe. Greater effort is needed to improve motorcycle safety, especially for children. It is important to debate regulatory details such as a minimum age for passengers, a limit on the number of passengers, and other safety criteria. It is also important to conduct educational campaigns that include the distribution of safety devices.

Naqd-i Khayāl: Barrasī-i Dīdgāhʹhā-yi Naqd-i Adabī Dar Sabk-i Hindī

Naqd-i Khayāl: Barrasī-i Dīdgāhʹhā-yi Naqd-i Adabī Dar Sabk-i Hindī

Effect of Chitosan Microparticles on the Uterine Microbiome of Dairy Cows with Metritis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of chitosan microparticles on the uterine microbiome of cows with metritis. Dairy cows with metritis (n = 89) were assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: chitosan microparticles (n = 21), in which the cows received an intrauterine infusion of chitosan microparticles at metritis diagnosis (day 0), day 2, and day 4; ceftiofur (n = 25), in which the cows received a subcutaneous injection of ceftiofur on day 0 and day 3; and no intrauterine or subcutaneous treatment (n = 23). Nonmetritic cows (n = 20) were healthy cows matched with cows with metritis by the number of days postpartum at metritis diagnosis. Uterine swab samples collected on days 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 were used for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and 16S RNA gene copy number quantification by quantitative PCR. Principal-coordinate analysis showed that the microbiome of the ceftiofur-treated and metritic untreated groups progressed toward that of the nonmetritic group by day 3, whereas that of the chitosan microparticle-treated group remained unchanged. The differences on day 3 were mainly due to a greater relative abundance of Fusobacteria, particularly Fusobacterium, in the chitosan microparticle-treated group than in the ceftiofur-treated and metritic untreated groups. Furthermore, the microbiome of the ceftiofur-treated group became similar to that of the nonmetritic group by day 9, whereas the microbiome of the chitosan microparticle-treated and metritic untreated groups became similar to that of the nonmetritic group only by day 12. The total bacterial 16S rRNA gene counts in the chitosan microparticle-treated group were greater than those in the metritic untreated controls on days 6 and 9, whereas the ceftiofur treatment group was the only group in which the total bacterial 16S rRNA gene count became similar to that in the nonmetritic group by day 12. In summary, chitosan microparticles slowed the progression of the uterine microbiome toward a healthy state, whereas ceftiofur hastened the progression toward a healthy state.IMPORTANCE Third-generation cephalosporins, such as ceftiofur, are commonly used to treat metritis in dairy cows. Chitosan microparticles has been shown to have a broad spectrum of activity in vitro and to be effective against uterine pathogens in vivo; therefore, they have been hailed as a possible alternative to traditional antibiotics. Nonetheless, in the present study, we saw that chitosan microparticle treatment slowed the progression of the uterine microbiome of cows with metritis toward a healthy state, whereas ceftiofur treatment hastened the progression toward a healthy state. Given the lack of an effective alternative to traditional antibiotics and an increased concern about antimicrobial resistance, a greater effort should be devoted to the prevention of metritis in dairy cows.

Unintended consequences of performance incentives: impacts of framing and structure on performance and cheating

ABSTRACT Setting specific, challenging goals motivates employees to exert greater effort in their jobs. However, goal-setting may have unintended consequences of also motivating unethical behavior. The present study explores these consequences in the context of other features of goal-setting in organizations, how goals are framed and rewarded, to determine the tradeoff between performance and ethical behavior. Undergraduate students were incentivized to complete math problems using different outcome frames and incentive structures and were also provided an opportunity to cheat. Findings demonstrate that when goals rewarded with piece-rate incentives are framed as a loss, performance increased, though cheating behavior increased as well.

Using candidacy theory to explore unemployed over-50s perceptions of suitability of a welfare to work programme: A longitudinal qualitative study.

Welfare to work interventions seek to move out-of-work individuals from claiming unemployment benefits towards paid work. However, previous research has highlighted that for over-50s, particularly those with chronic health conditions, participation in such activities are less likely to result in a return to work. Using longitudinal semi-structured interviews, we followed 26 over-50s during their experience of a mandated welfare to work intervention (the Work Programme) in the United Kingdom. Focusing on their perception of suitability, we utilise and adapt Candidacy Theory to explore how previous experiences of work, health, and interaction with staff (both in the intervention, and with healthcare practitioners) influence these perceptions. Despite many participants acknowledging the benefit of work, many described a pessimism regarding their own ability to return to work in the future, and therefore their lack of suitability for this intervention. This was particularly felt by those with chronic health conditions, who reflected on difficulties with managing their conditions (e.g., attending appointments, adhering to treatment regimens). By adapting Candidacy Theory, we highlighted the ways that mandatory intervention was navigated by all the participants, and how some discussed attempts to remove themselves from this intervention. We also discuss the role played by decision makers such as employment-support staff and healthcare practitioners in supporting or contesting these feelings. Findings suggest that greater effort is required by policy makers to understand the lived experience of chronic illness in terms of ability to RTW, and the importance of inter-agency work in shaping perceptions of those involved.

Profile of retired employees of civil service attending pension management office in Nepal

The retirement decision can significantly affect an individual's well‐being for many years. There are many reasons and issues for retirement decision for a government official. Financial and health concerns are a major part of the retirement decision but there are other issues that bring about the retirement decision that are unrelated to an individual's financial and health status. In Nepal, majority of government workers have compulsory retirement due to age concern. To study the profile of the retired employees and their perception toward retirement. A descriptive cross‐sectional research methodology was used in this study. About 85% (out of 105) of the retired employees attending Pension Management Office were male, which was due to the absence of female inclusiveness in employment before 2006. There were several reasons for retirement. The most common reason for being retired was the compulsory retirement, which was followed by the reasons of poor health and family problems, each counting about 14.2%. Most of the retired employees, that is, 48.5% (51) rated the retirement program as fair and about 42% (44) rated it as poor. Preserving the skilled and productive manpower in civil service is equally important as the nation has greater effort in building them up in terms of career and capacity.