Separate Instruments Research Articles

Effects of employee engagement on customer responses: Examining the mediating role of customer engagement

Drawing on emotional contagion theory, this study offers an integrated framework showing the effects of employee engagement (EE) on customer engagement (CE), repeat purchase and word-of-mouth (WOM). The data were collected from 65 employees and 352 customers of 28 retail stores using 2 separate survey instruments. A dyadic data set was created by matching customer data with the employee data corresponding to each store. The findings reveal that two key facets of EE – dedication and absorption – positively influence CE, which eventually influences WOM and repeat purchase. In line with balance theory, CE is found to fully mediate the effects of absorption on WOM and repeat purchase. Furthermore, employee length of service (ELS) is found to moderate the absorption on CE effects. Thus, the findings extend emotional contagion theory and balance theory by providing empirical evidence supporting the differential effects of the facets of EE on CE en route to WOM and repeat purchase. JEL Classification: M31

Waiting for Immigration to Come. The Case of Lodz

The paper discusses the development and implementation of local policy measures towards stabilisation and facilitation of migrant settlement in Lodz at the time of a dynamic increase of immigration into Poland that has taken place in recent years. The narrative, institutional and practical dimensions of urban policy in this domain are under further analysis. The immigration, mainly from Ukraine, is presented by local authorities as a chance to mitigate the advanced depopulation processes affecting the city of Lodz, and they undertake various institutional initiatives to encourage Ukrainian immigrants to settle for good. However, in reality the inflow of immigrant is not considered to be a burning issue. It is seen as a one of many social challenges the city has to cope with and therefore no separate integration instruments have been offered to immigrants. Newcomers are seen as a (temporary) addition to labour force shortages rather than one of the pillars for longterm developments of the city of Lodz.

Opalescence Measurements: Improvements in Fundamental Knowledge, Identifying Sources of Analytical Biases, and Advanced Applications for the Development of Therapeutic Proteins.

Opalescence of biopharmaceutical solutions can indicate suboptimal colloidal stability and is therefore a generally undesirable attribute that requires investigation and potentially remediation. While there are numerous instrumentation options available for measuring opalescence, cross-instrument comparisons and detailed knowledge of analytical biases have been limited. Here, we highlight key findings from a multi-instrument investigation where differences in reported opalescence values are explained with particular emphasis on how the optical configuration and detector properties of each instrument affect the response of the sample and the primary formazin standards required for instrument calibration. In doing so, the particle size distribution, angular-dependent light scattering properties and refractive index of the primary formazin standard material are characterized and presented. Finally, the advanced application of a 90° angle light scattering instrument is presented as a suitable approach for making low volume, temperature controlled, nephelometric measurements of opalescence. Moreover, we demonstrate how this approach enables the simultaneous evaluation of key physical properties, such as hydrodynamic size, that are pertinent to investigations of opalescent biopharmaceuticals but have historically required the use of separate instrumentation. The findings reported here address key knowledge gaps and provide opportunities for improving the efficiency and inter-laboratory comparability of opalescence measurements for biopharmaceuticals.

Influence of operator expertise on glide path and root canal preparation of curved root canals with rotary and reciprocating motions.

This study intended to help practitioners selecting the appropriate motion according to their level of expertise for glide path and complete root canal preparation of curved canals in terms of instrument fracture and preparation time. A total of 160 curved root canals (angle >30°, radius <6 mm) were allocated randomly to 4 groups: A/B for expert operators and C/D for nonexpert operators. A/C were shaped with rotary and B/D with reciprocating instruments. Preparation time was registered and compared with Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test and Dunn's post hoc test. Instrument separation was also registered and compared with chi-square test. A fractographic analysis was performed with scanning electron microscopy. The use of reciprocation motions allowed nonexpert operators to avoid instrument breakage during glide path and to prepare root canals faster. Experts were equally effective in rotary/reciprocating root canal shaping and faster with rotary motions than nonexpert operators, who also fractured significantly more rotary instruments.

Assessment of online water-soluble brown carbon measuring systems for aircraft sampling

Abstract. Brown carbon (BrC) consists of particulate organic species that preferentially absorb light at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. Ambient studies show that as a component of aerosol particles, BrC affects photochemical reaction rates and regional to global climate. Some organic chromophores are especially toxic, linking BrC to adverse health effects. The lack of direct measurements of BrC has limited our understanding of its prevalence, sources, evolution, and impacts. We describe the first direct, online measurements of water-soluble BrC on research aircraft by three separate instruments. Each instrument measured light absorption over a broad wavelength range using a liquid waveguide capillary cell (LWCC) and grating spectrometer, with particles collected into water by a particle-into-liquid sampler (CSU PILS-LWCC and NOAA PILS-LWCC) or a mist chamber (MC-LWCC). The instruments were deployed on the NSF C-130 aircraft during WE-CAN 2018 as well as the NASA DC-8 and the NOAA Twin Otter aircraft during FIREX-AQ 2019, where they sampled fresh and moderately aged wildfire plumes. Here, we describe the instruments, calibrations, data analysis and corrections for baseline drift and hysteresis. Detection limits (3σ) at 365 nm were 1.53 Mm−1 (MC-LWCC; 2.5 min sampling time), 0.89 Mm−1 (CSU PILS-LWCC; 30 s sampling time), and 0.03 Mm−1 (NOAA PILS-LWCC; 30 s sampling time). Measurement uncertainties were 28 % (MC-LWCC), 12 % (CSU PILS-LWCC), and 11 % (NOAA PILS-LWCC). The MC-LWCC system agreed well with offline measurements from filter samples, with a slope of 0.91 and R2=0.89. Overall, these instruments provide soluble BrC measurements with specificity and geographical coverage that is unavailable by other methods, but their sensitivity and time resolution can be challenging for aircraft studies where large and rapid changes in BrC concentrations may be encountered.

Techniques for removal of intracanal separated instruments (Part 2)

Intracanal instrument separation thwarts the ongoing treatment process adding to woes of the dentist as well as the patient because it trammels the cleaning, shaping and filling of root canals. This captiously affect the outcome of endodontic treatment by building more impediments, thus compromising the prognosis. Therefore clinicians must be aware of the possibility of instrument fracture in endodontic practice to stave off this mishap. This article quotes narrative review accentuating the techniques for retrieval of intracanal separated instruments along with factors influencing its removal. (Different techniques for removal of Gutta Percha from root canal system has been discussed in detail in part 1 by the same author).

CLINICAL EFFICACY AND SAFETY BETWEEN CONTINUOUS ROTARY AND RECIPROCATING ROOT CANAL INSTRUMENTATION SYSTEMS

Background: The single file reciprocating system prepares the canal quickly with a better centric ability and has increased resistance to cyclic fatigue compared to the continuous rotary file system. However, the former file system was associated with more postoperative pain than the latter. The goal of the present study was to evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy and safety between continuous rotary and reciprocating instrumentation systems. Methods: Fifty patients who fulfilled specific inclusion criteria were assigned into 2 groups according to the root canal instrumentation technique used, ProTaper Gold and WaveOne Gold. Endodontic treatment was performed in a single visit. Patients were instructed to rate the intensity of postoperative pain on Visual Analog Scale and to record the quantity of prescribed analgesic medication taken after 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days. Time of root canal preparation, duration of pain, and incidence of procedural errors such as ledging, transportation, root perforation, and instrument separation were recorded. The data was collected from October 2018 to September 2019. SPSS version 24 was used for data analysis. Results: This study revealed no statistically significant difference between instrumentation groups with relevance to postoperative pain and analgesic medication intake (P &gt; 0.05). Canal preparation time was significantly shorter in reciprocating group compared to rotary group (P &lt; 0.001). Further, the incidence of procedural errors in both instrumentation group was found statistically insignificant (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: Continuous rotary and reciprocating systems were both found to have similar clinical efficacy and safety and hence can be used to instrument the root canals.

Comparison of Canal Transportation, Separation Rate, and Preparation Time between One Shape and Neoniti (Neolix): An In Vitro CBCT Study.

Purpose This in vitro study compared root canal preparation in curved mesiobuccal canals of molar teeth using either the One Shape™ or the Neoniti (Neolix) rotary NiTi single-file systems, assessing canal transportation, instrument separation and time required for preparation. Methods. Extracted maxillary and mandibular human molar teeth with mesiobuccal canals having apical angles of curvature between 25 and 35o were selected and embedded in acrylic resin blocks, and an initial CBCT was taken. The teeth were divided into two equal groups (n = 20), and the canals were cleaned and shaped using either Neoniti™ or One Shape™ engine-driven NiTi rotary files. Each individual instrument was used to prepare 5 canals. The time required for the preparation of each canal was recorded. Postpreparation CBCT scans were taken and used to determine the extent of canal transportation at levels of 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm from the apex. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test for normality was applied, and then, datasets were compared using independent t-tests, with a threshold of P < 0.05. Results Neoniti rotary files caused significantly less canal transportation of the curved canals (P=0.0001). On the other hand, the time required for canal preparation was significantly shorter for One Shape (P=0.0001). No instrument separation was recorded in both groups. Conclusion Based on these results, the Neoniti™ rotary file system is preferred because it maintains the original shape of curved root canals better than One Shape™; even though this benefit comes at the cost of an increase in preparation time in clinical practice, the better technical performance may be more important than a difference in procedural time.

Designed to Fail? Revisiting Uganda's Maternal Health Policies to Understand Policy Design Issues Underpinning Missed Targets for Reduction of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR): 2000-2015.

Despite Uganda and other sub-Saharan African countries missing their maternal mortality ratio (MMR) targets for Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5, limited attention has been paid to policy design in the literature examining the persistence of preventable maternal mortality. This study examined the specific policy interventions designed to reduce maternal deaths in Uganda and identified particular policy design issues that underpinned MDG 5 performance. We suggest a novel prescriptive and analytical (re)conceptualization of policy in terms of its fidelity to '3Cs' (coherence of design, comprehensiveness of coverage and consistency in application) that could have implications for future healthcare programming. We conducted a retrospective study. Sixteen Ugandan maternal health policy documents and 21 national programme performance reports were examined, and six key informant interviews conducted with national stakeholders managing maternal health programmes during the reference period 2000-2015. We applied the analytical framework of the 'three delay model' combined with a broader literature on 'policy mixing.' Despite introducing fourteen separate policy instruments over 15 years with the goal of reducing maternal mortality, by the end of the MDG period in 2015, only 87.5% of the interventions for the three delays were covered with a notable lack of coherence and consistency evident among the instruments. The three delays persisted at the frontline with 70% of deaths by 2014 attributed to failures in referral policies while 67% of maternal deaths were due to inadequacies in healthcare facilities and trained personnel in the same period. By 2015, 37.3% of deaths were due to transportation issues. The piecemeal introduction of additional policy instruments frequently distorted existing synergies among policies resulting in persistence of the three delays and missed MDG 5 target. Future policy reforms should address the 'three delays' but also ensure fidelity of policy design to coherence, comprehensiveness and consistency.

A Novel Surgical Approach for the Successful Removal of Overextruded Separated Endodontic Instruments

Endodontic procedures can result in various complications. Separation of the endodontic instrument is a common complication of incorrect use or overuse of the instrument. However, a separated endodontic instrument may hinder cleaning and shaping during endodontic treatment procedures, which can potentially impact prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to manage this complication by removal of the separated instruments from inside the root canal. Although several devices are used, nonsurgical removal for retreatment remains difficult. We report the case of a failed attempt to manage a separated endodontic instrument nonsurgically by a private dentist, which resulted in extrusion of the instrument beyond the root apex and its migration into the mandible. We describe a novel surgical approach involving intentional tooth replantation combined with alveolar osteotomy. There have been few reports on the management of separated endodontic instruments that were pushed out beyond the root apex. Our novel surgical approach suggests a technique for the potential removal of a separated endodontic instrument extruded beyond the root apex.

Bypassing a Separated Instrument in Mandibular First Premolar with Two Canals – A Case Report

Fracture of an endodontic instrument will impair the debridement procedure and thus affects the endodontic outcome. This case report focuses on the management of separated instrument and highlights the anatomical variation of mandibular first premolar. An in-depth knowledge on the internal anatomy of this particular tooth as well as following a proven and safe technique as a guideline is important in preventing these endodontic mishaps.

A-169 Remote Cognitive Screening: A Preliminary Study of Location Administration of the Boston Cognitive Assessment (BoCA)

Abstract Objective Digital, remote, cognitive assessment has become crucial for efficient screening of patients cognitive concerns. The Boston Cognitive Assessment (BoCA) is a brief, digital, global screening instrument that can be administered both in-office on a laptop, or remotely from patients’ homes. Potential differences in performance from completing the BoCA in-office versus completing it at home remain uninvestigated. As such, this study aimed to compared performances across these settings among demographically and cognitively matched patient samples. Method Data from 35 cognitively healthy participants who completed the BoCA (18 administered in-office; 17 remotely administered) were retroactively collected; groups were matched by age, education, gender, ethnicity, and global cognitive functioning based on their scores on a separate screening instrument. Overall BoCA scores (total = 30) as well as performance on the eight BoCA subscales (Immediate Recall, Delayed Recall, Verbal Reasoning, Visuospatial Reasoning, Executive Functions, Attention, Mental Math, and Orientation) were compared using nonparametric testing. Results A Contingency analysis and an independent samples Mann–Whitney U test confirmed the demographic and cognitive similarities between the two groups. Comparisons of BoCA scores revealed no differences in total scores or any of the BoCA subscales between those who completed the BoCA in-office and those who completed it remotely. Conclusion Results from the present study suggest that performance on the BoCA is not influenced by one’s environment at the time of administration. This further adds to the utility of the BoCA as a remote, self-administered, global screening instrument, and may support its adoption in settings where serial screening is indicated.

이미지 보정을 이용한 제한된 환경에서의 디지털 이미지 상관법

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is a new method of measuring material properties. DIC requires a fixed camera and a separate instrument to acquire images. The measurement position and orientation for the DIC measurement of a workpiece are severely constrained. Therefore, additional devices are required. In this study, only a marker with a grid pattern was attached, and a photograph of a specimen surface was captured without additional equipment. Specimen images were moved and tilted because the camera would shake during the experiment and the camera and specimen were not parallel. The acquired specimen images might be shifted or deformed. Sample images were acquired form various angles and then calibrated with perspective transformation by a developed algorithm and software. Surface strain (or deformation) field data were obtained using the calibrated specimen images and DIC. Therefore, the developed algorithm was verified by comparing the strain field data of the corrected DIC images.

Management of calcified canal in the traumatised maxillary central incisor using magnification

The primary objective of root canal treatment is complete cleaning and shaping of all root canals so that microorganism and debris are removed from the root canal that result in hermetic seal of root canal space. The endodontic treatment of every tooth poses some endodontic challenges which have to be carefully managed by proper clinical and radiographic evaluation before treatment. The teeth with partial or complete obliteration of pulp canal results in endodontic challenge due to difficulty in negotiation of canal orifice. It is always important to take necessary precautions while locating canal orifice to apex, otherwise it will result in iatrogenic errors including perforation and separation of instrument. This present case describes the successful location and management of calcified canal in maxillary central incisor with proper knowledge of internal anatomy, thorough radiographic assessment and canal orifice locating instrument such as c+ files under microscope.

Retrieval of Separated Nickel-Titanium Instrument from Mandibular Molar Using a Modified 18-Gauge Needle

During biomechanical preparation of root canal, the most common mishap is instrument separation within the canal. When instrument separation occurs, it causes hindrance in proper cleaning and shaping of the canal. Therefore, retrieval of separated instrument can always be attempted, and if retrieval is not possible, bypassing of the fractured instrument is another option. Due to the increase in use of nickel-titanium instruments in the recent years, incidences of instrument separation have increased. Successful retrieval of separated instrument depends on a number of factors. Various retrieval kits are also available for this purpose. This paper illustrates a case report of retrieval of a fractured instrument from mesiobuccal canal of a mandibular molar using a modified 18-gauge needle, which was separated during chemomechanical preparation of the canal.

Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance: Evidence from the Banking Sector of Istanbul

Purpose:&#x0D; This research seeks to explain the association between Job Satisfaction facets and Employee Performance in the banking sector of Istanbul.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methodology:&#x0D; To measure job satisfaction, we used 6 variables, these include Compensation, Coworkers’ Attitude, Nature of Work, Supervisor’s Support, Promotional Opportunities, and Communication. Whereas, Employee Performance has been used as the dependent variable in this research study. Two separate instruments were used for measuring the variables used in the study. In this regard, 350 sets of questionnaires were distributed to the employees of Istanbul’s banking sector and their supervisors. 306 useable sets of questionnaires were received and were used for the study. The statistical techniques that were used are the Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis.&#x0D; &#x0D; Findings: &#x0D; Results indicate that job satisfaction facets namely promotional opportunities, nature of work, co-workers’ attitude, compensation, supervisor’s support, and communication have a significant association with employee performance.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion:&#x0D; This study concludes that job satisfaction is a multi-facet construct. Furthermore, these facets are found to be related to employee performance. Hence, managers in the banking sector of Istanbul should focus on enhancing the level of job satisfaction for increasing employee performance.

A Rare Dirhamnosyl Flavonoid and Other Radical-Scavenging Metabolites from Cynophalla mollis (Kunth) J. Presl and Colicodendron scabridum (Kunt) Seem. (Capparaceae) of Ecuador.

The phytochemistry of Cynophalla mollis (Kunth) J. Presl and Colicodendron scabridum (Kunth), both belonging to the family Capparaceae, were investigated in this study for the first time. Lupeol, betulin, lutein, stachydrine and quercetin-3,4'-di-O-rhamnoside were isolated from C. mollis, whereas C. scabridum afforded lupeol, lutein, stachydrine, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, betonicine and narcissoside. All these compounds were purified by preparative liquid chromatography, in both open column and instrumental (MPLC) separation systems. Preparative TLC was also applied. They were all identified by 1 H- and 13 C-NMR experiments. The complete structure of the very rare flavonoid quercetin-3,4'-di-O-rhamnoside was fully elucidated through DEPT-135, COSY, HMQC and HMBC experiments, together with UV/VIS and FT-IR spectrophotometry. Complete NMR data for quercetin-3,4'-di-O-rhamnoside in deuterated methanol were presented here for the first time. All the extracts did not exert antioxidant activity at the maximum tested dose of 1 mg/mL. Three out of the nine isolated compounds exerted a good spectrum of antioxidant capacity, being narcissoside the most active against ABTS radicals, with SC50 =12.43 μM. It was followed by lutein and quercetin-3,4'-di-O-rhamnoside, with 40.92 μM and 46.10 μM, respectively.

Religious Orientation, Academic Stress and Religious Coping among First Year Undergraduate Students

The study aimed to assess the prevalence of religious orientation, academic stress, and the use religion as a means to cope with academic stress among first-year undergraduates. The sample consisted of 321 first year students from five faculties of a religiously oriented public university in Malaysia. The data were collected using three separated instruments: a Religious Coping Questionnaire, an Academic Stress Scale, and an Orientation Scale. Frequency analysis was used to examine the prevalence of stress, and religious orientation, while Pearson moment correlation was used to analyze the relationship among the three main constructs: religious coping, religious orientation and academic stress. The analysis ran an independent sample t-test to check for gender-differences in academic stress, religious coping and academic stress. The results showed high incidences of the religious orientation and religious coping among the sample of undergraduates, but no significant gender differences. The study substantiated that one of the means by which the first year students reduced their academic stress is through religious coping and religious orientation.

Application of mycogenic silver/silver oxide nanoparticles in electrochemical glucose sensing; alongside their catalytic and antimicrobial activity.

The present work describes the biofabrication of highly stable, water-dispersible mycogenic silver/silver (I) oxide nanoparticles (Ag/Ag2O NPs) alongside its potential applications in non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensing and catalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in presence of reducing agent NaBH4. These Ag/Ag2O NPs were fabricated from silver oxide micro powder using endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum based environmentally friendly, bio-inspired, top-down approach which is highly reproducible, reliable, and cheap. Bacterial and plant-mediated bottom-up approaches have been previously reported for the production of Ag/Ag2O NPs. Bacterial methods are not economical as they require expensive sophisticated instruments for separation and purification. Similarly, plant-based means of synthesis are not reliable and reproducible due to geographical and seasonal variability's. UV-Visible spectroscopy, TEM, SAED, FTIR, XRD, TGA, and DSC were used for the characterization and investigation of thermal properties of mycogenic nanoparticles and their antimicrobial activity was evaluated by filter- paper bioassay technique.

Critical thinking skills assessment instrument in physics subjects: how to develop a four tier diagnostic test?

Critical thinking is a thinking skills that involves a process of reasoning and reflective thinking that cannot be directly observed, so it requires a separate assessment instrument. This research is a development research that aims to produce an instrument for assessing critical thinking skills that can measure students’ critical thinking skills and ilustrate the interconnectedness between aspects of critical thinking skills. The sample was selected using random sampling technique of 109 students in the trial stages and 136 students in the implementation stages. Data analysis was performed through several test that is content validity, construct validity, reliability, the level of students’ critical thinking skills, and analysis of variance. The validity test shows that the instrument contains 4 factors that match theorized and the content validity score shows that can be used. While the reliability test shows that the Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0,820. The tier of critical thinking skills of high school students in Banyumas Regency is less. Analysis of the relationship aspects of critical thinking skills shows that each aspect of critical thinking skills are interconnected with the analysis aspect as the basic and the conclusion and evaluation aspects as the culmination of being mutually sustainable in producing solutions.