Multiple Strategy Approach Research Articles

Effects of a prothioconazole- and tebuconazole-based fungicide on Aspergillus flavus development under laboratory and field conditions

Aspergillus flavus is a fungal pathogen of crops including maize and is frequently associated with the accumulation of aflatoxin, which presents a concern for human and animal health. In maize, good agricultural practices can only partially reduce Aspergillus occurrence, and biological control through atoxigenic strains decreases aflatoxin content, but increasing mold decreases kernel quality. The control of Aspergillus infections by chemicals is not authorized in maize, but recently in Italy, some sterol-biosynthesis inhibitors obtained an emergency authorization for use against Fusarium infections. Therefore, it could be interesting to determine if these inhibitors could also be useful against A. flavus. A mixture of prothioconazole and tebuconazole was tested in vitro on toxigenic and atoxigenic strains and on populations with respect to conidial germination, germinal potential and fungal growth. The fungicide mixture inhibited fungal growth, with a higher effect on toxigenic strains than on atoxigenic strains. All considered parameters were significantly reduced for monoconidial strains at doses lower than those recommended for field application for straw cereals; however, under-dosing should be avoided since it increases aflatoxin production. Field trials under natural infection conditions revealed the efficacy of the fungicide treatment on the reduction of both Aspergillus occurrence and aflatoxin accumulation in maize. In a context in which the sustainable use of pesticides can be guaranteed, our findings support the inclusion of azole-based fungicides in a multiple-strategy approach to control Aspergillus infections in maize.

The importance of the working alliance between parent and professional

Introducation: Quality of relationships between professionals and clients in the form of Working Alliance is relevant for psychotherapeutic success Del Re et al., 2012. We tested whether Working Alliance also predicts outcome when professionals provide a short-term early intervention program for parents with a child with a visual or visual-and-intellectual disability. Methods: For parents of young children age: 9 months to 5 years with a visual or visual-and-intellectual disability the Intervention: ‘Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting in parents of children with Visual or visual-and-intellectual disabilities’ VIPP-V; Van den Broek et al., 2016 was developed. The intervention aimed at increasing parental sensitivity and parent-child interaction quality. From the development of the VIPP-V program on, experts by experience parents and stakeholder groups were involved to promote implementation. A survey assessed parents’ support needs. Participants: Each parent-child dyad N=40 participated in seven 1,5Hr-VIPP-V sessions. Design: Pre-test, post-test and follow-up design. Instruments: The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Scales NICHD-scales; Egeland & Heister, 1993 were used for coding parental sensitivity and quality of parent-child interaction. The Dutch translation of the short version of the Working Alliance Inventory WAI; Horvath & Greenberg, 1989 was used to assess working alliance. Results: For working alliance a quadratic interaction with parental sensitivity F1,34 = 4.14, p = .050, η2 = .011 was present, as well as for parent-child interaction F1,34 = 6.14, p = .018, η2 = .15. The median split for the level of working alliance indicated that for the parents reporting the highest working alliance at posttest, parental sensitivity and parent-child interaction improved more strongly compared to the parents reporting lower levels of working alliance. No differences were found at follow-up. Discussions: Parents who had a positive working alliance with their VIPP-V worker benefited more. Conclusions: Working Alliance may be related to short-term benefits in parenting intervention. For implementation a multiple strategy approach is used: the intervention is embedded in patient registrations and standard protocols; parents of a young child with a visual impairment are informed about the intervention; and several training and education materials are developed. Lessons learned: These results show that the quality of the working alliance may contribute to intervention effects. Research should elucidate whether working alliance is an indicator or a mediating factor. Limitations: The quality of the working alliance was only examined by a questionnaire and not observed. Future research: A factorial trial design may tease apart the independent and synergetic contributions of working alliance and intervention protocol. Also, the effect of the quality of the working alliance should be studied in other short-term interventions also for caregivers providing care for persons with an Intellectual Disability, in psychiatry or elderly. Furthermore, the outcomes of implementation into practice should be examined.

Why do drivers continue driving while fatigued? An application of the theory of planned behaviour

Fatigued driving is one of the major contributors to road crashes around the world. To explore factors affecting fatigued driving behaviour from the perspective of social psychology, a questionnaire was designed based on the theory of planned behaviour.A sample of 214 drivers was examined. Drivers with poor sleep quality or a history of fatigue all showed a greater tendency to continue driving while fatigued, to have a more positive attitude towards driving while fatigued, and to perceive a higher level of control while driving fatigued. Furthermore, hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed overall support for the predictive utility of the theory of planned behaviour, accounting for 30.4% of the variance of fatigued driving behaviour after controlling for demographic variables. Overall, the results suggest that subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and intention have significant effects on self-reported continued driving while fatigued. Hence, a multiple-strategy approach should be utilized in addressing this issue.

Results of a venous thromboembolism prophylaxis program for hospitalized patients.

IntroductionVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is the leading cause of preventable death in hospitalized patients. However, existing prophylaxis guidelines are rarely followed.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to present and discuss implementation strategies and the results of a VTE prophylaxis program for medical and surgical patients admitted to a large general hospital.Patients and methodsThis prospective observational study was conducted to describe the strategy used to implement a VTE prophylaxis program in hospitalized medical and surgical patients and to analyze the results in terms of the risk assessment rate within the first 24 hours after admission, adequacy of the prophylaxis prescription, and prevalence of VTE in the discharge records before and after program implementation. We used the Mantel–Haenszel chi-square test for the linear trend of the data analysis and set the significance level to P<0.05.ResultsWith the support of an institutional VTE prophylaxis committee, a multiple-strategy approach was used in the implementation of the protocol, which included continuing education, complete data recording using computerized systems, and continuous auditing of and feedback to the medical staff and multidisciplinary teams. Approximately 90% of patients were evaluated within the first 24 hours after admission, and no significant difference in this percentage was observed among the years analyzed. A progressive increase in adherence to protocol recommendations, from 63.8% in 2010 to 75.0% in 2014 (P<0.001), was noted. The prevalence of symptomatic VTE in the discharge records of patients decreased from 2.03% in 2009 to 1.69% in 2014 (P=0.033).ConclusionThe implementation of a VTE prophylaxis program targeting adult patients admitted to a large hospital employing a multiple-strategy approach achieved high rates of risk assessment within 24 hours of admission, improved the adherence to prophylaxis recommendations in high-risk patients, and reduced the rate of VTE events in the discharge records.

Developing Critical Reading of Argumentative Text: Effects of a Comprehension Strategy Intervention

This article reports a single-group intervention study designed to improve critical reading proficiency among adolescents. Critical reading in the study is defined as 1) being able to identify written argumentative structure; 2) being able to analyze arguments in terms of relevance and sustainability; and 3) being able to evaluate argumentation through written, critical response. A multiple strategy approach for critical reading instruction was implemented over the course of six weeks (15 lessons) in four classes in Swedish 9th grade (N=74). Classroom activities included reading of argumentative texts, teacher modeling of three strategies (identifying, analyzing, and evaluating), frequent discussions, and response writing to argumentative texts. Results indicated that low and middle achievers made significant and large improvements from pretest to posttest, while for high achievers the intervention seemed to have no effect at all. Closer analysis also revealed that the ability to analyze arguments accounted for the largest proportion of improvement.

A Community “Hub” Network Intervention for HIV Stigma Reduction: A Case Study

We describe the implementation of a community "hub" network intervention to reduce HIV stigma in the Tlokwe Municipality, North West Province, South Africa. A holistic case study design was used, focusing on community members with no differentiation by HIV status. Participants were recruited through accessibility sampling. Data analyses used open coding and document analysis. Findings showed that the HIV stigma-reduction community hub network intervention successfully activated mobilizers to initiate change; lessened the stigma experience for people living with HIV; and addressed HIV stigma in a whole community using a combination of strategies including individual and interpersonal levels, social networks, and the public. Further research is recommended to replicate and enhance the intervention. In particular, the hub network system should be extended, the intervention period should be longer, there should be a stronger support system for mobilizers, and the multiple strategy approach should be continued on individual and social levels.

Improving students’ narrative comprehension through a multiple strategy approach. Effects of Dialogic Strategy Instruction in secondary school.

This article reports on an intervention study using a multiple strategy approach—called Dialogic Strategy Instruction (DSI)—to improve seventh grade students' narrative comprehension in terms of students' ability to generate inferences and develop interpretations of characters and events. DSI combines strategy instruction with dialogical principles for classroom discussion and response writing. After a 13-week intervention period, students in the intervention condition demonstrated significant improvement in generating inferences and interpretations compared to pre-test results. However, the average effect was small and the improvement was not significantly different relative to controls. An analysis of students with low pre-test scores showed that the intervention group had made significant and strong improvement relative to controls. Results for middle- and high-achievers were non-significant in this respect. Therefore, although DSI appears valuable for low-achievers, results indicate that the instructional principles implemented may not offer instructional support for all children. Possible reasons for the absence of a general effect are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.

What makes the difference? An analysis of a reading intervention programme implemented in rural schools in Cambodia

This article compares the existing single-strategy approach towards the teaching of early literacy in schools in rural Cambodia with a multiple-strategy approach introduced as part of a reading intervention programme. Classroom observations, questionnaires and in-depth interviews with teachers were used to explore teachers’ practices and attitudes. Research was also conducted into the nature of the Khmer language. These preparations informed the design of the programme implemented in 127 rural schools. The success of the intervention was evaluated through classroom observations and a survey of teachers. Pupils’ reading was assessed in a sample of the intervention schools and compared with a sample of pupils in schools without the intervention. Results showed that most teachers in Cambodia use a one-strategy approach to teaching reading but that reading competence remains poor. In comparison, the assessment of pupils following the training of teachers in a multiple-strategy approach showed a marked improvement in their reading.

Strategies for superior performance under adverse conditions: A focus on small and medium-sized high-growth firms

This article explores the strategies pursued by small and medium-sized firms to actively sustain growth within declining markets. A critical analysis of relevant growth theories informs the development of a semi-structured interview schedule; findings drawn from 20 case studies indicate that firms adopt a multiple-strategy approach in which they simultaneously pursue an innovative differentiation and product or service-customisation strategy. Following this strategy, it was found that firms make an intentional search for high-margin products, avoid aggressive price competition and maintain tight control of costs. The article demonstrates that an adverse environment does not necessarily inhibit firm growth and that individual firm-specific strategies can be invoked to overcome volatile market conditions.

Adolescents risky MP3-player listening and its psychosocial correlates

Analogue to occupational noise-induced hearing loss, MP3-induced hearing loss may be evolving into a significant social and public health problem. To inform prevention strategies and interventions, this study investigated correlates of adolescents' risky MP3-player listening behavior primarily informed by protection motivation theory. We invited 1687 adolescents (12- to 19-year old) of Dutch secondary schools to complete questionnaires about their MP3-player listening, sociodemographic characteristics and presumed psychosocial determinants of MP3-player listening. Of all participants, 90% reported listening to music through earphones on MP3 players; 28.6% were categorized as listeners at risk for hearing loss due to estimated exposure of 89 dBA for ≥1 hour per day. Compared with listeners not at risk for hearing loss, listeners at risk were more likely not to live with both parents, to experience rewards of listening to high-volume levels, to report a high habit strength related to risky MP3 listening, and were less likely to be motivated to protect their hearing. Habit strength was the strongest correlate of risky listening behavior, suggesting that voluntary behavior change among adolescents might be difficult to achieve and that a multiple strategy approach may be needed to prevent MP3-induced hearing loss.

Strategies for Superior Performance under Adverse Conditions: A Focus on Small and Medium Sized High-Growth Firms

In this paper we study how small and medium sized firms successfully decouple themselves from declining markets. Based on detailed interviews with 20 small business top managers, we observe that most firms employ a multiple-strategy approach, simultaneously pursuing a differentiation and a product-service customization strategy. Most aimed to serve the entire market spectrum but aimed to differentiate themselves through aggressive innovative and product customization. Following this strategy, firms actively search for the high-margin products, avoid aggressive price competition, while at the same time keeping a very tight tab on costs. Most surprisingly, there is agreement that operating in such a market environment is rather ‘exciting’, pointing to the special role the manager plays in identifying the strategies that can alleviate the negative effects of the environment and grow irrespectively.

Intuition in Judgment and Decision Making: Extensive Thinking Without Effort

We claim that intuition is capable of quickly processing multiple pieces of information without noticeable cognitive effort. We advocate a component view stating that intuitive processes in judgment and decision making are responsible for information integration and output formation (e.g., preference, choice), whereas analytic thinking mainly guides input formation such as search, generation, and change of information. We present empirical evidence corroborating this notion and show that integration of information and preference formation works without cognitive control and is unconstrained by the amount of encoded information and cognitive capacity. We discuss the implications of our findings for the bounded rationality perspective and the multiple strategy approach to judgment and decision making. Finally we outline a connectionist framework for integrating intuitive and analytic thought processes.

Measuring Identity Theft (Version 2.0)

There is no reliable way for consumers, regulators, and businesses to assess the relative rates of identity fraud at major financial institutions. This lack of information prevents a consumer market for bank safety from emerging. As part of a multiple strategy approach to obtaining more actionable data on identity theft, the Freedom of Information Act was used to obtain complaint data submitted by victims in 2006 and 2007 to the Federal Trade Commission. This complaint data identifies the institution where impostors established fraudulent accounts or affected existing accounts in the name of the victim. The data were aggregated and used to create comparative fraud ranks at leading banks. This analysis faces several challenges that are described in the methods section. This version incorporates and is substantially improved by comments provided on versions 1.0 and 1.5 of this report, incorporates new data from 2007, and shifts focus from identity theft at top banks to events at all types of companies. In 2007, fraud events where the victim could identify the institution associated with the incident, were concentrated among a relatively small number of companies. Just ten companies accounted for 30% of events. Verizon was identified by victims more than any other company as being targeted by impostors to commit fraud. AFNI, a collections agency, was next in total number of events. Bank of America improved dramatically over its 2006 numbers, while ING Bank and American Express remained top performers among large institutions.

Measuring Identity Theft at Top Banks (Version 1.5)

There is no reliable way for consumers, regulators, and businesses to assess the relative rates of identity fraud at major financial institutions. This lack of information prevents a consumer market for bank safety from emerging. As part of a multiple strategy approach to obtaining more actionable data on identity theft, the Freedom of Information Act was used to obtain complaint data submitted by victims in 2006 to the Federal Trade Commission. This complaint data identifies the institution where impostors established fraudulent accounts or affected existing accounts in the name of the victim. The data were aggregated and used to create comparative fraud ranks at leading banks. This analysis faces several challenges that are described in the methods section. This version incorporates and is substantially improved by comments provided on version 1.0, released in February 2008 and downloaded over 7,000 times. Unlike version 1.0, this version provides actionable information to consumers on relative rates of identity theft in 2006. According to the measures in this report, American Express, USAA, and Citibank have the lowest rate of identity theft events among top credit card issuers. Among consumer banks, ING Bank and World Savings Bank performed well under every measure. Correlations were calculated for all the statistics the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation maintains on top banks; generally the number of identity theft events correlates most strongly with measures of institutions size.

Modeling option and strategy choices with connectionist networks: Towards an integrative model of automatic and deliberate decision making

AbstractWe claim that understanding human decisions requires that both automatic and deliberate processes be considered. First, we sketch the qualitative differences between two hypothetical processing systems, an automatic and a deliberate system. Second, we show the potential that connectionism offers for modeling processes of decision making and discuss some empirical evidence. Specifically, we posit that the integration of information and the application of a selection rule are governed by the automatic system. The deliberate system is assumed to be responsible for information search, inferences and the modification of the network that the automatic processes act on. Third, we critically evaluate the multiple-strategy approach to decision making. We introduce the basic assumption of an integrative approach stating that individuals apply an all-purpose rule for decisions but use different strategies for information search. Fourth, we develop a connectionist framework that explains the interaction between automatic and deliberate processes and is able to account for choices both at the option and at the strategy level.

Modeling Option and Strategy Choices with Connectionist Networks: Towards an Integrative Model of Automatic and Deliberate Decision Making

We claim that understanding human decisions requires that both automatic and deliberate processes be considered. First, we sketch the qualitative differences between two hypothetical processing systems, an automatic and a deliberate system. Second, we show the potential that connectionism offers for modeling processes of decision making and discuss some empirical evidence. Specifically, we posit that the integration of information and the application of a selection rule are governed by the automatic system. The deliberate system is assumed to be responsible for information search, inferences and the modification of the network that the automatic processes act on. Third, we critically evaluate the multiple-strategy approach to decision making. We introduce the basic assumption of an integrative approach stating that individuals apply an all-purpose rule for decisions but use different strategies for information search. Fourth, we develop a connectionist framework that explains the interaction between automatic and deliberate processes and is able to account for choices both at the option and at the strategy level.

A Rule Learning Mechanism for Integration of Concept Hierarchies

With the rapid advance of information technology, we are able to easily and quickly obtain a great deal of information on almost any topic. One method by which to managing such large amounts of information is to utilize catalogs which organize information within concept hierarchies. However, the concept hierarchy for each catalog is different because one concept hierarchy is not sufficient for all purposes. In the present paper, we address the problem of integrating multiple catalogs for ease of use. The primary problem lies in finding a suitable category in a catalog for each information instance in another catalog. Three approaches can be used to solve this problem: ontology integration approach, instance classification approach and category alignment approach based on categorization similarity. The main idea of this paper is a multiple strategy approach to combine the instance classification approach and the category alignment approach. In order to evaluate the proposed method, we conducted experiments using two actual Internet directories, Yahoo! and Google. The obtained results show that the proposed method improves upon or is competitive with the integration method based only on category alignment or instance classification. Therefore, the proposed catalog integration method is shown to be an effective combination of the instance classification approach and the category alignment approach.

An Exploration of the Value of Education in Recruiting and Retaining Staff

AbstractRecruitment and retention within specialist areas of nursing has been consistently difficult to achieve. This research explores the value of providing education and how this may enhance the ability to recruit and retain staff within the perioperative environment. This an area where nurses are perceived as not essential to the provision of quality care due to the technical nature of the nurses′ role detracting from the patient centred care delivered.A multiple strategy approach was used with data collected via two questionnaires from ten Trusts within the South East of England. Findings demonstrated that while the provision of education may enhance the recruitment and retention of staff, prior to this occurring operating theatres needed to address the issues of motivation and morale within their departments. Many staff were found to be demotivated their views and opinions supporting the work of Herzberg (1959) on job satisfaction. Conclusions were that only once ‘satisfiers’ were increased and ‘dissatisfiers’ addressed could the provision of education supported by an educationalist benefit recruitment and retention of staff.

Central venous catheter use. Part 2: infectious complications.

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are used with increasing frequency in the intensive care unit and in general medical wards. Catheter infection, the most frequent complication of CVC use, is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and duration of hospital stay. Risk factors in the development of catheter colonisation and bloodstream infection include patient factors (increased risk associated with malignancy, neutropenia, and shock) and treatment-related factors (increased risk associated with total parenteral nutrition, ICU admission for any reason, and endotracheal intubation). Other risk factors are prolonged catheter indwelling time, lack of asepsis during CVC insertion, and frequent manipulation of the catheter. The most important factor is catheter care after placement. Effects of CVC tunnelling on infection rates depend to a large extent on indwelling time and the quality of catheter care. Use of polyurethane dressings can increase the risk of colonisation compared to regular gauze dressing. Thrombus formation around the CVC tip increases the risk of infection; low-dose anticoagulants may decrease this risk. New developments such as CVC impregnation with antibiotics may reduce the risk of infection. Reducing catheter infection rates requires a multiple-strategy approach. Therefore, ICUs and other locations where CVCs are used should implement strict guidelines and protocols for catheter insertion, care, and maintenance.

A Comparative Study of Turkish and Belgian Youth

In a comparative study of Belgian and Turkish youth and Turkish migrant youth in Belgium, the psychological relevance of individualistic-collectivistic value orientations for personal motivation was studied. A new Motives Questionnaire with cross-culturally equivalent scales for general motivational dimensions is presented. A multiple-strategy approach is proposed to establish equivalence, combining factor analysis and individual difference scaling (INDSCAL) with a measure of external validity in each group. Our findings support partial equivalence and allow a refinement of the individualism collectivism opposition, revealing motivational conflicts of individualistic Self-Realization and Autonomy poles with respectively collectivist Social Contact and Group Loyalty poles. Effects of social and cultural change on motivation are discussed. Preference for individualistic Self-Realization together with collectivist Group Loyalty in modern Turkish youth integrates individualistic-collectivist values into a group-oriented achievement motive.