Images of pharmacy as a career: a survey among groups of year 12 students at school

To explore the images and perceptions of pharmacy with potential applicants to undergraduate pharmacy education. There is currently considerable interest in the UK in studying aspects of the pharmacy profession because of the changing pharmacy agenda and the need to understand the workforce and its motivations. Aim: To explore the images and perceptions of pharmacy with potential applicants to undergraduate pharmacy education. Design: Four interactive focus groups involving 40 volunteer year 12 students (age 17). The focus group theme plan was designed after a review of relevant literature. A novel approach was employed using photographic images of pharmacists and doctors in varied settings. Subjects and setting: The research was carried out in six schools in the West Midlands, UK. Results: The students presented a rather negative image of pharmacy as a boring occupation in a laboratory or the back of a shop. Most had little idea of what pharmacists actually do. Unlike nursing, they were unaware of positive role models in the media. The small number who did have a realistic idea of pharmacy based it on their previous work experience in pharmacy. Conclusions: The focus group technique is useful for exploring hitherto untapped perceptions of the profession. Undertaking research with year 12 students provided some useful insights into the ways in which pharmacy as a profession is perceived. Although no claims to generalisability are made here, the results were fed into the design of quantitative surveys. The somewhat negative image presented suggests that the profession has more work to do in marketing itself to young people as a potential career choice.

The atomisation of detergent slurries

A study was made to determine the conditions under which the optimum droplet size distribution (ie., narrowest size range with a minimum of fines and over-sized agglomerates), is generated in sprays from centrifugal pressure nozzles. A range of non-Newtonian detergent slurries were tested but the results are of wider application and parallel work was undertaken with water, ionic solutions and chalk slurries. Six centrifugal pressure nozzles were used and the drop-size distributions correlated as a function of fluid properties, pressure, fiowrate, feed temperature, and nozzle characteristics. Measurements were made using a Malvern Particle Size Anayser slung across a specially-designed transparent tower section of approximately 1.2m diameter in order to reduce obscuration caused by the spray and improve existing droplet sizing techniques. The results obtained were based upon the Rosin-Rammler distribution model and the Size Analyser provided a direct print-out of size distribution and the parameters characterising it. A Spraying System nozzle, AAASSTC8-8, produced the optimum spray distribution with the detergent slurry at a temperature of 60°C whilst operating at 1200 psi. With other fluids the Delevan 2.2SJ nozzle produced the optimum spray distribution operating at 1200 psi but with the Spraying Systems nozzles there was no clear-cut optimum set of conditions, ie. the nozzle and pressure varied depending upon the fluid being sprayed. The mechanisms of liquid sheet break-up and droplet dispersion were investigated in specially-constructed, scaled-up, transparent nozzles. A mathematical model of centrifugal pressure nozzle atomisation was developed based upon fundamental operating parameters rather than resorting to empirical correlations. This enabled theoretical predictions to be made over a wide range of operating conditions and nozzle types. The model predictions for volumetric fiowrate, liquid sheet length and air core diameter showed good agreement with the experimentally determined results. However, the model predicted smaller droplet sizes than were produced experimentally due to inaccuracies identified in the initial assumptions.

A multilevel investigation of the mediating role of trust in the relationships between leadership and follower outcomes

The following research project investigated the mediating effects of individual trust in the relationships between eight leadership dimensions and follower motivation and efficacy. The research comprised of a total of three studies of which two are individual level analyses investigating the above relationship for individual followers, while the final study established the relationship between the eight dimensions and collective efficacy and group cohesion. A new measure of trust — collective vertical trust — was developed and tested and formed the mediator for the final study. The findings showed that leadership is indeed mediated through trust on both individual and collective level in the majority of relationships. In addition it was shown that individual and collective vertical trust are significantly related. Finally, the final study showed an absence of a significant relationship between trust on both the individual and collective level and organizational performance. The findings contributed to existing research in various ways: 1) the mediating effect of individual trust was established for eight separate leadership dimensions; 2) the studies established that while the indirect effects of leadership on follower motivation are similar amongst all age groups and levels of work experience, more work experienced individuals draw their beliefs in their abilities (i.e., self-efficacy) from alternative sources than leadership or trust in the leader; 3) a new measure of collective trust —collective vertical trust was established; 4) the mediating effect of collective trust was shown to be crucial in leadership effects on collective efficacy and group cohesion; and finally 5) a leadership measure initially designed for executive leaders was refined and tested for non-executive leaders.

Influence of microbial antigen formulation and delivery route on the immune response

Recent technological advances have resulted in the production of safe subunit and synthetic small peptide vaccines. Unfortunately, these vaccines are weakly or non-immunogenic in the absence of an immunological adjuvant (agents that can induce strong immunity to antigens). In addition, in order to prevent and/or control infection at the mucosal surface, stimulation of the mucosal immune system is essential. This may be achieved via the common mucosal immune system by exposure to antigen at a mucosal surface remote from the area of infection. Initial studies investigated the potential of multiple emulsions in effecting oral absorption and the subsequent immune responses to a lipopolysaccharide vaccine (LPS) after immunisation. Nasal delivery of LPS was carried out in parallel work using either aqueous solution or gel formulations. Tetanus toxoid vaccine in simple solution was delivered to guinea pigs as free antigen or entrapped in DSPC liposomes. In addition, adsorbed tetanus toxoid vaccine was delivered nasally free or in an aerosil gel formulation. This work was extended to investigate guinea pigs immunised by various mucosal routes with a herpes simplex virus subunit vaccine prepared from virus infected cells and delivered in gels, multiple emulsions and liposomes. Comparable serum antibody responses resulted but failed to produce enhanced protection against vaginal challenge when compared to subcutaneous immunisation with alhydrogel adjuvanted vaccine. Thus, immunisation of the mucosal surface by these methods may have been inadequate. These studies were extended in an attempt to protect against HSV genital challenge by construction of an attenuated Salmonella typhimurium HWSH aroA mutant expressing a cloned glycoprotein D-l gene fused to the Es-cherichia coli lac z promoter. Preliminary work on the colonisation of guinea pigs with S. typhimurium HWSH aroA mutants were carried out, with the aim of using the guinea pig HSV vaginal model to investigate protection.

An evaluation of motivations for studying pharmacy, career commitment and future career plans

It has been predicted that there will be a full time pharmacist workforce shortage of over 15,000 by 2013. It is therefore necessary to recruit more students of a suitable calibre to undergraduate pharmacy degree courses. This study was designed to investigate the motivations of pre-university and MPharm students for studying pharmacy. A series of focus groups was conducted with Year 12 students and a national survey of Year 13, 1st year MPharm and 4th year MPharm students was undertaken. The study found that amongst Year 12 students, pharmacy is perceived as a background profession and was also perceived as being of a lower status than medicine and dentistry. It was concluded that there was a need for greater promotion of pharmacy as a career amongst pre-university students, including the provision of structured work experience placements. Analysis of UCAS applicant data for pharmacy shows that the applicant pool is buoyant and that the majority of applicants are female. Female respondents to the surveys were significantly more likely than males to wish to work part time if they had a family. This could lead to further shortages in the full time workforce. The largest ethnic group of applicants to pharmacy degree courses were Asian. Business ownership and self-employment were motivations for entering the procession of pharmacy and career aims for significantly more Asian than White respondents. Ownership of independent pharmacies is declining and this could be a barrier to future recruitment to pharmacy degree courses. A high degree of interest in locum working may present a problem for continuity in commissioned services within community pharmacy practice. Further work is needed to examine the motivations for working as a locum pharmacist.

Design and construction for traditional house building

This study is concerned with quality and productivity aspects of traditional house building. The research focuses on these issues by concentrating on the services and finishing stages of the building process. These are work stages which have not been fully investigated in previous productivity related studies. The primary objective of the research is to promote an integrated design and construction led approach to traditional house building based on an original concept of 'development cycles'. This process involves the following: site monitoring; the analysis of work operations; implementing design and construction changes founded on unique information collected during site monitoring; and subsequent re-monitoring to measure and assess Ihe effect of change. A volume house building firm has been involved in this applied research and has allowed access to its sites for production monitoring purposes. The firm also assisted in design detailing for a small group of 'experimental' production houses where various design and construction changes were implemented. Results from the collaborative research have shown certain quality and productivity improvements to be possible using this approach, albeit on a limited scale at this early experimental stage. The improvements have been possible because an improved activity sampling technique, developed for, and employed by the study, has been able to describe why many quality and productivity related problems occur during site building work. Experience derived from the research has shown the following attributes to be important: positive attitudes towards innovation; effective communication; careful planning and organisation; and good coordination and control at site level. These are all essential aspects of quality led management and determine to a large extent the overall success of this approach. Future work recommendations must include a more widespread use of innovative practices so that further design and construction modifications can be made. By doing this, productivity can be improved, cost savings made and better quality afforded.

Black and minority ethnic graduate entrepreneurs: motivations, characteristics and access to finance

This paper draws upon four case studies to examine characteristics, entrepreneurial motivations and access to finance of black and minority ethnic (BME) graduates in the UK. We find that BME graduates starting a business are motivated by a desire to “do better”, and rely heavily on personal savings and family sources for start-up capital. In addition: • There is no conclusive evidence that suggests in this study that BME graduates entered entrepreneurship because of unemployment; with the exception of a few, all had jobs prior to entering self employment. • “Glass ceilings” were often cited by participants of the case studies as a kind of barrier, but there was reluctance to specify exactly what that meant. • Also, lack of satisfaction from working for others is considered to be a strong motivator for entering self-employment but other reasons, to be one’s own boss and the prospect of higher earnings, are also strong motivators. There is, therefore, a need for support agencies and universities to recognise the distinctive nature of BME graduate enterprise in order to provide effective solutions for different groups. This might include a) work experience, b) advice on an adequate capital structure at start up, c) adequate funding and training, and d) appropriate training for all graduates in basic business education.

Measurement of implicit leadership theories and their effect on leadership processes and outcomes

The leadership categorisation theory suggests that followers rely on a hierarchical cognitive structure in perceiving leaders and the leadership process, which consists of three levels; superordinate, basic and subordinate. The predominant view is that followers rely on Implicit Leadership Theories (ILTs) at the basic level in making judgments about managers. The thesis examines whether this presumption is true by proposing and testing two competing conceptualisations; namely the congruence between the basic level ILTs (general leader) and actual manager perceptions, and subordinate level ILTs (job-specific leader) and actual manager. The conceptualisation at the job-specific level builds on context-related assertions of the ILT explanatory models: leadership categorisation, information processing and connectionist network theories. Further, the thesis addresses the effects of ILT congruence at the group level. The hypothesised model suggests that Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) will act as a mediator between ILT congruence and outcomes. Three studies examined the proposed model. The first was cross-sectional with 175 students reporting on work experience during a 1-year industrial placement. The second was longitudinal and had a sample of 343 students engaging in a business simulation in groups with formal leadership. The final study was a cross-sectional survey in several organisations with a sample of 178. A novel approach was taken to congruence analysis; the hypothesised models were tested using Latent Congruence Modelling (LCM), which accounts for measurement error and overcomes the majority of limitations of traditional approaches. The first two studies confirm the traditional theorised view that employees rely on basic-level ILTs in making judgments about their managers with important implications, and show that LMX mediates the relationship between ILT congruence and work-related outcomes (performance, job satisfaction, well-being, task satisfaction, intragroup conflict, group satisfaction, team realness, team-member exchange, group performance). The third study confirms this with conflict, well-being, self-rated performance and commitment as outcomes.

Learning to reflect through technology, to enhance employability

"Reflection, if managed in an ordered way, can provide great opportunities for learning, understanding and clarifying thought, both in one's personal life and in learning and professional development." Moon, J (1999). Aston Business School's (ABS) 12cmonth professional placement programme has a number of espoused learning objectives, including helping students: 1. To benefit from the integration of university study and work experience in ways which facilitate critical reflection on each ofthese aspects. 2. To build a personal awareness of their own interests, competencies, values and potential. These objectives focus students' development to self-reflect critically, to make sense of their experiences/learning whilst undertaking their placements. Students complete a placement year Reflective Learning Journal, supported by the workplace supervisor, through regular meetings where objectives are agreed and reviewed. As well as reflection providing opportunities for students to make sense of their learning, it is also challenging! ABS is undertaking a pilot in 2008/9 to encourage students to engage with reflective practice, but employer feedback indicates an ability to think and analyse is often missing from the skill sets of graduates. Business students are using the PebblePad e-portfolio system as a tool to record their learning, reflect on their experiences in the workplace and to create their journals.

Human capital:theoretical and empirical insights

There is nothing more difficult to plan, more Doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage Than the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would Profit by the preservation of the old system, and Merely lukewarm defenders in those who should gain By the new one. N. Machiavelli (1513) Abstract: The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we want to challenge the notion of "human capital" as "education, training and work experience" and suggest that it is the "quality of the workforce" that matters, here defined as the set of characteristics that allow workers to function in a specific institutional and historical context. Our main conclusion is that the quality of the workforce is affected by the institutional environment where the workers live and that therefore it can vary across countries and institutional contexts. Second, we want to show the empirical relevance of this last point by testing the extent to which the quality of institutions (here proxied by the governance indicators of Kaufmann etal. (2007)) can affect the quality of the workforce (proxied by the percentage of the working age population registered in a lifelong learning program). Our empirical analysis is conducted on a data-set of 11 European countries observed over the period 1996-2006. The results indicate that countries with better governance indicators are also endowed with a more qualified workforce. © 2011 American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Inc.

Host and network optimizations for performance enhancement and energy efficiency in data center networks

Modern data centers host hundreds of thousands of servers to achieve economies of scale. Such a huge number of servers create challenges for the data center network (DCN) to provide proportionally large bandwidth. In addition, the deployment of virtual machines (VMs) in data centers raises the requirements for efficient resource allocation and find-grained resource sharing. Further, the large number of servers and switches in the data center consume significant amounts of energy. Even though servers become more energy efficient with various energy saving techniques, DCN still accounts for 20% to 50% of the energy consumed by the entire data center. The objective of this dissertation is to enhance DCN performance as well as its energy efficiency by conducting optimizations on both host and network sides. First, as the DCN demands huge bisection bandwidth to interconnect all the servers, we propose a parallel packet switch (PPS) architecture that directly processes variable length packets without segmentation-and-reassembly (SAR). The proposed PPS achieves large bandwidth by combining switching capacities of multiple fabrics, and it further improves the switch throughput by avoiding padding bits in SAR. Second, since certain resource demands of the VM are bursty and demonstrate stochastic nature, to satisfy both deterministic and stochastic demands in VM placement, we propose the Max-Min Multidimensional Stochastic Bin Packing (M3SBP) algorithm. M3SBP calculates an equivalent deterministic value for the stochastic demands, and maximizes the minimum resource utilization ratio of each server. Third, to provide necessary traffic isolation for VMs that share the same physical network adapter, we propose the Flow-level Bandwidth Provisioning (FBP) algorithm. By reducing the flow scheduling problem to multiple stages of packet queuing problems, FBP guarantees the provisioned bandwidth and delay performance for each flow. Finally, while DCNs are typically provisioned with full bisection bandwidth, DCN traffic demonstrates fluctuating patterns, we propose a joint host-network optimization scheme to enhance the energy efficiency of DCNs during off-peak traffic hours. The proposed scheme utilizes a unified representation method that converts the VM placement problem to a routing problem and employs depth-first and best-fit search to find efficient paths for flows.

Test of a smock system on CPR primary emergency measures and medical errors during simulated emergencies

Rates of survival of victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) using cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have shown little improvement over the past three decades. Since registered nurses (RNs) comprise the largest group of healthcare providers in U.S. hospitals, it is essential that they are competent in performing the four primary measures (compression, ventilation, medication administration, and defibrillation) of CPR in order to improve survival rates of SCA patients. The purpose of this experimental study was to test a color-coded SMOCK system on: 1) time to implement emergency patient care measures 2) technical skills performance 3) number of medical errors, and 4) team performance during simulated CPR exercises. The study sample was 260 RNs (M 40 years, SD=11.6) with work experience as an RN (M 7.25 years, SD=9.42).Nurses were allocated to a control or intervention arm consisting of 20 groups of 5-8 RNs per arm for a total of 130 RNs in each arm. Nurses in each study arm were given clinical scenarios requiring emergency CPR. Nurses in the intervention group wore different color labeled aprons (smocks) indicating their role assignment (medications, ventilation, compression, defibrillation, etc) on the code team during CPR. Findings indicated that the intervention using color-labeled smocks for pre-assigned roles had a significant effect on the time nurses started compressions (t=3.03, p=0.005), ventilations (t=2.86, p=0.004) and defibrillations (t=2.00, p=.05) when compared to the controls using the standard of care. In performing technical skills, nurses in the intervention groups performed compressions and ventilations significantly better than those in the control groups. The control groups made significantly (t=-2.61, p=0.013) more total errors (7.55 SD 1.54) than the intervention group (5.60, SD 1.90). There were no significant differences in team performance measures between the groups. Study findings indicate use of colored labeled smocks during CPR emergencies resulted in: shorter times to start emergency CPR; reduced errors; more technical skills completed successfully; and no differences in team performance.

Profiling The Campus Recruiter At A Four-Year Hospitality Program

Profiling the Campus Recruiter At a Four-Year Hospitality Program, is a written profile, supported by anecdotal rather than stridently empirical evidence, by Al lzzolo, Assistant Professor, College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “Each year major chain corporations as well as single unit companies interview hospitality students throughout the country. A study conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was designed to profile the hospitality industry campus recruiter and to provide meaningful data to college students who would be interviewing with these recruiters,” the author initially proffers. “Recruiting at the four-year hospitality program, by its nature, is not a science, nor is it highly quantifiable. The interviewing and selection processes are highly subjective and vary from company to company,” says Izzolo to preface his essay. “Data were collected via a questionnaire specifically designed to answer questions about the recruiters and/or the companies that sent interviewers to the placement office of the university's hospitality program,” our author says to explain the process used to gather information for the piece. Findings of the study indicate that the typical recruiter is male, college educated – but not necessarily in a Hospitality’ curriculum – and almost 80 percent of respondents said they had the authority to hire management trainees. Few campuses are visited by hospitality industry recruitment staff as evidenced by Izzolo’s observations/data. Table 3 analyzes the desirable traits a recruiter deems appropriate for the potential employee candidate. Personal appearance, work experience, grade point average, and verbal communication rank high on the list of distinguishable attributes. The most striking finding in this portion of the study is that a student’s GPA is virtually ignored. “Recruiting for the hospitality industry appears to be very subjective,” Izzolo says. “Recruiters are basing decisions to hire not on knowledge levels as determined by an academic grade point average but rather on criteria much less definitive, such as verbal skills and personal appearance,” our author opines. In closing, Izzolo concedes this is not a definitive study, but is merely a launching pad to a more comprehensive investigation on the recruitment subject.

Faculty Hiring Criteria in Hospitality Education Programs

This study examined criteria used in selecting faculty at I-CHRIE hospitality-management education programs in the United States. Results provide a baseline for consideration of faculty at all ranks. The three most important hiring criteria for assistant professors were a PhD or equivalent terminal degree, publication/research, and hospitality-industry work experience. For associate and full professors, the three most important factors were a PhD or equivalent terminal degree, publication/research, and college teaching experience. Results indicated that most programs use similar criteria in evaluating faculty applicants. This study also found that leadership ability is the most important factor in hiring department heads/directors. Results are useful to administrators and faculty evaluating applicants and to faculty interested in applying to hospitality-management education programs.

A preceptoria na estratégia saúde da família: o olhar dos profissionais de saúde

The proposal of teaching-service integration from work experience brings a challenge to the professionals involved in health services: to combine their healthcare practice to the preparation of new professionals in accordance with the national health model. In Recife, the assistance network is known as school network, since it provides all its health equipment for Higher Education Institutions, in special for professionals who work as preceptors, making this activity an important component of the services network. The objective of the present study was to analyze preceptorship experience herein Multidisciplinary Residences in Health in the look of health professionals. This is a qualitative descriptive study, involving physicians, dentists, and nurses that have worked as preceptors for at least two years in multidisciplinary residency linked to two Higher Education Institutions. A semistructured interview was used as research instrument and data were processed by using the software Alceste 4.9. Results indicated four semantic classes which were divided into two axis. Axis 1, composed of class 4, and Axis 2, composed of classes 3, 2 and 1. Categorization considered the relation between classes. It was observed that in class 4 work overload is a dilemma for professional participation in preceptorship. This is noted by the words manage, time, patient, give, and complicated. However, it is also observed that the preceptorship involves positive learning and teaching actions, reinforced by the words say, explain, and discuss. Class 2 shows the preceptorship as an experience exchange, a positive moment that provides theoretical upgrade to the preceptor, associated to the professional practices performed by the binominal preceptor-student in health services and communities. In this perspective, everyone is benefited since preceptorship is structured according to dynamic aspects of knowledge, experienced in settings permeated by people´s health necessities. In class 3, potentialities of this practice are shown, and personal compromise is the main reason of acting as a preceptor in this network of education/attention, demonstrated in the words reason, formation, to like and professionals. Last, but not the least, class 1 suggests the importance of preceptorship and one of the strategies to create the National Politics of Humanization, from the teachingservice-community integration, observed in the words: arrives, university, fundamental, manner, partnership, service, and student. Besides, it rates perspectives and challenges for the improvement of the preceptorship in health services. Integrating teaching and service can enhance the proposals of changes concerning the healthcare model practiced in services, but this relation is still superficial. The preceptor is an actor in action, playing real life roles, and that is when he becomes essential to seek training with the profile defended in the proposed training of a professional who is capable of learning to learn