Understanding innovation adoption : effects of orientation, pressure and control on adoption

We develop and test a theoretically-based integrative framework of key proximal factors (orientation, pressure, and control) that helps to explain the effects of more general factors (the organisation's strategy, structure, and environment) on intentions to adopt an innovation one year later. Senior managers from 134 organizations were surveyed and confirmatory factor analyses showed that these hypothesized core factors provided a good fit to the data, indicating that our framework can provide a theoretical base to the previous, largely a theoretical, literature. Moreover, in a subgroup of 63 organizations, control mediated the effects of organizational strategy and centralisation on organizational innovation adoption intentions one year later. We suggest this model of core factors enables researchers to understand why certain variables are important to organisational innovation adoption and promotes identification of fertile research areas around orientation, pressure and control, and it enables managers to focus on the most proximal triggers for increasing innovation adoption.

A systematic review : the effects of orientation programs for cancer patients and their family/carers

Objectives To assess the effects of information interventions which orient patients and their carers/family to a cancer care facility and the services available within the facility. Design Systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cluster RCTs and quasi-RCTs. Data sources MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Methods We included studies evaluating the effect of an orientation intervention, compared with a control group which received usual care, or with trials comparing one orientation intervention with another orientation intervention. Results Four RCTs of 610 participants met the criteria for inclusion. Findings from two RCTs demonstrated significant benefits of the orientation intervention in relation to reduced levels of distress (mean difference (MD): −8.96, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): −11.79 to −6.13), but non-significant benefits in relation to the levels state anxiety levels (MD −9.77) (95%CI: −24.96 to 5.41). There are insufficient data on the other outcomes of interest. Conclusions This review has demonstrated the feasibility and some potential benefits of orientation interventions. There was a low level of evidence to suggest that orientation interventions can reduce distress in patients. However, other outcomes, including patient knowledge recall/satisfaction, remain inconclusive. The majority of trials were subjected to high risk of bias and were likely to be insufficiently powered. Further well conducted and powered RCTs are required to provide evidence for determining the most appropriate intensity, nature, mode and resources for such interventions. Patient and carer-focused outcomes should be included.

Examining spirituality and intrinsic religious orientation as a means of coping with exam anxiety

Spirituality and religiosity have traditionally had a troubled relationship with psychology. However, a new field of study has emerged that is examining the health benefits of spirituality and religion. The current study examined the relationship between spirituality, religiosity and coping among a group of university students facing exams. Participants completed the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Age Universal Religious Orientation Scale, Spiritual Transcendence Scale, Brief COPE, Test Anxiety Inventory, and State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Regression analyses found that existential well-being as measured by the Spiritual Well Being Scale was the best predictor of reduced anxiety. Maladaptive coping, however, was found to be inversely related to spirituality and religiosity, but highly predictive of elevated anxiety in this sample. Strengths and limitations of this study along with recommendations for further research are made.

Volume estimation from multiplanar 2D ultrasound images using a remote electromagnetic position and orientation sensor

A system is described for calculating volume from a sequence of multiplanar 2D ultrasound images. Ultrasound images are captured using a video digitising card (Hauppauge Win/TV card) installed in a personal computer, and regions of interest transformed into 3D space using position and orientation data obtained from an electromagnetic device (Polbemus, Fastrak). The accuracy of the system was assessed by scanning 10 water filled balloons (13-141 ml), 10 kidneys (147  200 ml) and 16 fetal livers (8  37 ml) in water using an Acuson 128XP/10 (5 MHz curvilinear probe). Volume was calculated using the ellipsoid, planimetry, tetrahedral and ray tracing methods and compared with the actual volume measured by weighing (balloons) and water displacement (kidneys and livers). The mean percentage error for the ray tracing method was 0.9 ± 2.4%, 2.7 ± 2.3%, 6.6 ± 5.4% for balloons, kidneys and livers, respectively. So far the system has been used clinically to scan fetal livers and lungs, neonate brain ventricles and adult prostate glands.

The effect of mill orientation angle on bagasse moisture content

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES an experimental investigation to explore a concept designed to reduce the moisture content of bagasse. It takes advantage of gravity to separate juice from bagasse by feeding bagasse upwards into the nip of the mill while juice drains downwards under gravity. The investigation found that orienting the feed to a mill upwards does reduce bagasse moisture content and that the benefit is expected to be greater than two units of moisture. While an advantage was found in orienting the feed up to 50° above the horizontal, no extra benefit was found in increasing the angle higher (up to 60° was explored) and so a 50° orientation was identified as the preferred angle for this design concept.

Benign Epilepsy with Centro-temporal Spikes: Spike Triggered fMRI Shows Somato-sensory Cortex Activity

Summary:  Objective: We performed spike triggered functional MRI (fMRI) in a 12 year old girl with Benign Epilepsy with Centro-temporal Spikes (BECTS) and left-sided spikes. Our aim was to demonstrate the cerebral origin of her interictal spikes. Methods: EEG was recorded within the 3 Tesla MRI. Whole brain fMRI images were acquired, beginning 2–3 seconds after spikes. Baseline fMRI images were acquired when there were no spikes for 20 seconds. Image sets were compared with the Student's t-test. Results: Ten spike and 20 baseline brain volumes were analysed. Focal activiation was seen in the inferior left sensorimotor cortex near the face area. The anterior cingulate was more active during baseline than spikes. Conclusions: Left sided epileptiform activity in this patient with BECTS is associated with fMRI activation in the left face region of the somatosensory cortex, which would be consistent with the facial sensorimotor involvement in BECT seizures. The presence of BOLD signal change in other regions raises the possibility that the scalp recorded field of this patient with BECTs may reflect electrical change in more than one brain region.

Myoinositol Abnormalities in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Purpose: This study used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to examine metabolite abnormalities in the temporal and frontal lobe of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) of differing severity. Methods: We investigated myoinositol in TLE by using short-echo MRS in 34 TLE patients [26 late onset (LO-TLE), eight hippocampal sclerosis (HS-TLE)], and 16 controls. Single-voxel short-echo (35 ms) MR spectra of temporal and frontal lobes were acquired at 1.5 T and analyzed by using LCModel. Results: The temporal lobe ipsilateral to seizure origin in HS-TLE, but not LO-TLE, had reduced N-acetylaspartate (NA) and elevated myoinositol (MI; HS-TLE NA, 7.8 ± 1.9 mM, control NA, 9.2 ± 1.3 mM; p < 0.05; HS-TLE MI, 6.1 ± 1.6 mM, control mI 4.9 ± 0.8 mM, p< 0.05). Frontal lobe MI was low in both patient groups (LO-TLE, 4.3 ± 0.8 mM; p < 0.05; HS-TLE, 3.6 ±.05 mM; p < 0.001; controls, 4.8 ± 0.5 mM). Ipsilateral frontal lobes had lower MI (3.8 ± 0.7 mM; p < 0.01) than contralateral frontal lobes (4.3 ± 0.8 mM; p < 0.05). Conclusions: MI changes may distinguish between the seizure focus, where MI is increased, and areas of seizure spread where MI is decreased.

Environmental factors controlling temporal and spatial variability in the soil-atmosphere exchange of CO2, CH4 and N2O from an Australian subtropical rainforest

The temporal variations in CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes were measured over two consecutive years from February 2007 to March 2009 from a subtropical rainforest in south-eastern Queensland, Australia, using an automated sampling system. A concurrent study using an additional 30 manual chambers examined the spatial variability of emissions distributed across three nearby remnant rainforest sites with similar vegetation and climatic conditions. Interannual variation in fluxes of all gases over the 2 years was minimal, despite large discrepancies in rainfall, whereas a pronounced seasonal variation could only be observed for CO2 fluxes. High infiltration, drainage and subsequent high soil aeration under the rainforest limited N2O loss while promoting substantial CH4 uptake. The average annual N2O loss of 0.5 ± 0.1 kg N2O-N ha−1 over the 2-year measurement period was at the lower end of reported fluxes from rainforest soils. The rainforest soil functioned as a sink for atmospheric CH4 throughout the entire 2-year period, despite periods of substantial rainfall. A clear linear correlation between soil moisture and CH4 uptake was found. Rates of uptake ranged from greater than 15 g CH4-C ha−1 day−1 during extended dry periods to less than 2–5 g CH4-C ha−1 day−1 when soil water content was high. The calculated annual CH4 uptake at the site was 3.65 kg CH4-C ha−1 yr−1. This is amongst the highest reported for rainforest systems, reiterating the ability of aerated subtropical rainforests to act as substantial sinks of CH4. The spatial study showed N2O fluxes almost eight times higher, and CH4 uptake reduced by over one-third, as clay content of the rainforest soil increased from 12% to more than 23%. This demonstrates that for some rainforest ecosystems, soil texture and related water infiltration and drainage capacity constraints may play a more important role in controlling fluxes than either vegetation or seasonal variability

Spatial and temporal clusters of Barmah Forest virus disease in Queensland, Australia

Objective To identify the spatial and temporal clusters of Barmah Forest virus (BFV) disease in Queensland in Australia, using geographical information systems (GIS) and spatial scan statistic (SaTScan). Methods We obtained BFV disease cases, population and statistical local areas boundary data from Queensland Health and Australian Bureau of Statistics respectively during 1992-2008 for Queensland. A retrospective Poisson-based analysis using SaTScan software and method was conducted in order to identify both purely spatial and space-time BFV disease high-rate clusters. A spatial cluster size of a proportion of the population and a 200km circle radius and varying time windows from 1 month to 12 months were chosen (for the space-time analysis). Results The spatial scan statistic detected a most likely significant purely spatial cluster (including 23 SLAs) and a most likely significant space-time cluster (including 24 SLAs) in approximately the same location. Significant secondary clusters were also identified from both the analyses in several locations. Conclusions This study provides evidence of the existence of statistically significant BFV disease clusters in Queensland, Australia. The study also demonstrated the relevance and applicability of SaTScan in analysing on-going surveillance data to identify clusters to facilitate the development of effective BFV disease prevention and control strategies in Queensland, Australia.

Spatio-temporal patterns of Barmah Forest virus disease in Queensland, Australia

Background Barmah Forest virus (BFV) disease is a common and wide-spread mosquito-borne disease in Australia. This study investigated the spatio-temporal patterns of BFV disease in Queensland, Australia using geographical information system (GIS) tools and geostatistical analysis. Methods/Principal Findings We calculated the incidence rates and standardised incidence rates of BFV disease. Moran's I statistic was used to assess the spatial autocorrelation of BFV incidences. Spatial dynamics of BFV disease was examined using semi-variogram analysis. Interpolation techniques were applied to visualise and display the spatial distribution of BFV disease in statistical local areas (SLAs) throughout Queensland. Mapping of BFV disease by SLAs reveals the presence of substantial spatio-temporal variation over time. Statistically significant differences in BFV incidence rates were identified among age groups (χ2 = 7587, df = 7327,p<0.01). There was a significant positive spatial autocorrelation of BFV incidence for all four periods, with the Moran's I statistic ranging from 0.1506 to 0.2901 (p<0.01). Semi-variogram analysis and smoothed maps created from interpolation techniques indicate that the pattern of spatial autocorrelation was not homogeneous across the state. Conclusions/Significance This is the first study to examine spatial and temporal variation in the incidence rates of BFV disease across Queensland using GIS and geostatistics. The BFV transmission varied with age and gender, which may be due to exposure rates or behavioural risk factors. There are differences in the spatio-temporal patterns of BFV disease which may be related to local socio-ecological and environmental factors. These research findings may have implications in the BFV disease control and prevention programs in Queensland.