Individualism–collectivism and team member performance: Another look

This study revisits the commonplace research conclusion that greater team member collectivism, as opposed to individualism, is associated with higher levels of individual‐level performance in teams. Whereas this conclusion is based on the assumption that work in teams consists exclusively of tasks that are shared, typical teamwork also includes tasks that are individualized. Results of a laboratory study of 206 participants performing a mix of individualized and shared tasks in four‐person teams indicate that heterogeneous combinations of individualism and collectivism are associated with higher levels of team member performance, measured as quantity of output, when loose structural interdependence enables individual differences in individualism–collectivism to exert meaningful effects. These results support the modified conclusion that a combination of individualism and collectivism is associated with higher levels of member performance in teams under typical work conditions; that is, conditions in which the tasks of individual members are both individualized and shared. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cultural influences on workplace safety: An example of hospital workers’ adoption of patient lifting devices

Aims

A sociological and anthropological view of culture was used to investigate how work culture, independent of “safety culture”, may affect safety in the workplace. We explored how work cultures of nurses and physical/occupational therapists (PT/OTs) in two acute care hospitals are related to the adoption of patient lifting devices.

Methods

Focus groups were conducted between 2006 and 2009, seven with nurse staff (n = 39) and two with PT/OT staff (n = 17), to explore issues concerning a Minimal Manual Lift Environment policy, initiated in 2004, and subsequent use of patient lift equipment. Audio recordings of the sessions were transcribed; text data were analyzed using N6-QSR. Cultural facilitators and barriers to the adoption of patient lift equipment were examined.

Results

Data revealed cultural similarities and differences between these healthcare professions. Both displayed a “patient first” approach to care-giving which may promote lift device use for patients’ benefits, not necessarily for staff safety. Also, the implied purpose of patient lifting devices clashes with the nurses’ cultural emphasis on compassion, and with PT/OTs’ cultural emphasis on independence except when use increases patients’ independence.

Conclusions

Cultural expressions regarding the nature of care-giving among healthcare professionals may affect the propensity to adopt safety measures in complex ways. The workers’ understanding of the purpose of their work, and acceptable means of conducting it, should be understood before implementing safety interventions. The utilization of lift assist teams, who are not socialized into the cultures of nursing or PT/OT, may be one means of circumventing cultural barriers to lift equipment use.     

官能团和湿度对活性炭吸附二氯甲烷影响的分子模拟

利用分子模拟软件构建狭缝孔模型,通过调节官能团的种类、含量及湿度,了解在不同情况下活性炭吸附二氯甲烷时应选择的结构.结果表明,在1.0 nm的孔中加入适当数量的羰基、羟基或羧基,在低压下都有利于二氯甲烷的吸附,其中,羧基的吸附效果最好.在二氯甲烷分压为1 Pa条件下,孔径为1.0 nm、羧基含量为6.25%的活性炭和孔径为1.0 nm、羰基含量为3.13%的活性炭,其二氯甲烷的吸附量受湿度的影响较小,而其他吸附剂的吸附量都随湿度的增加而降低.     

煤矿不同群体间安全文化认知的比较研究

为探究煤矿企业不同群体员工对安全文化认知的差异,将企业员工划分为管理层、专业人员、班组长和一线员工4类群体。通过问卷和SCAP（safety culture analysis program）系统分析等方法,对南阳矿业公司下属3个煤矿中的150名员工进行了安全文化认知水平测评,并利用SPSS 18.0对所得数据进行处理。结果表明:不同群体间安全文化认知水平存在显著差异,样本群体对于企业理念理解、安全业绩、员工违章3个要素认知水平较低;管理层、专业人员、班组长和一线员工安全文化认知水平得分分别为74.4,75,76.4和73.2,其中,班组长的安全文化认知水平最高,一线员工的安全文化认知水平最低,且管理层人员的安全文化认知水平较国际上安全业绩最好企业的同类人员偏低,差值达19.2分。     

Enhancement of formaldehyde degradation by amine functionalized silica/titania films

Doping amine functional groups into SiO2/TiO2 films for enhancing the decomposition of formaldehyde has been investigated using the modified sol-gel method to prepare organic-inorganic hybrid photocatalysts via the co-condensation reaction of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMOS) and amine functional groups. n-(2-Aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (AEAPTMS) and 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (APTMS) were selected to study the e ect of amine functional groups on the enhancement of formaldehyde adsorption and degradation under a UV irradiation process. Physicochemical properties of prepared photocatalysts were characterized with nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms measurement, X-ray di raction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results indicated that the APTMS/SiO2/TiO2 film demonstrated a degradation e ciency of 79% superior to those of SiO2/TiO2 and AEAPTMS/SiO2/TiO2 films due to the synergetic e ect of adsorption and photocatalytic properties. The APTMS/SiO2/TiO2 film can be recycled with about 7% decreasing of degradation e ciency after seven cycles.     

不同官能团微塑料对斑马鱼胚胎菌群和代谢功能的胁迫效应

为探究官能团修饰对微塑料生物效应的影响规律和机制,分析了3种聚苯乙烯微塑料（PS、PS—NH₂和PS—COOH）在斑马鱼（Danio rerio）胚胎内的累积特征,并利用微生物组学和代谢组学相结合的分析技术,解析了斑马鱼幼鱼体内代谢功能及微生物群落的响应规律.结果显示,3种微塑料都可以在斑马鱼体内产生累积,其含量范围为143~175 μg·g^-1,且不存在明显差异性.斑马鱼胚胎绒毛膜是微塑料早期暴露的主要累积场所,但不能有效阻止小粒径微塑料的穿透.未修饰的PS明显影响了斑马鱼幼鱼体内氨基糖苷类的代谢能力,PS—NH₂主要对氨基酸的代谢过程产生了影响,而PS—COOH则主要作用于三羧酸循环、氨基酸及糖酵解等代谢通路.3种微塑料均导致了斑马鱼幼鱼体内代谢功能的变化,从而对斑马鱼产生了毒性效应,而微塑料的官能团修饰则加强了这一影响程度.与对照组相比,PS—NH₂明显降低了斑马鱼幼鱼体内的微生物群落的多样性,显著增加了变形菌门（Proteobacteria）的占比,导致斑马鱼幼鱼体内的菌群失衡,从而引起鱼体代谢功能的紊乱.微塑料的官能团修饰可能会明显改变其对生物体的胁迫效应,导致难以预测的生态风险.     

Surface characteristics of shales and implication on metal sorption

Differences in surface characteristics between alkaline and acidic shales are demonstrated in the present study. The alkaline shales are characterized by convex surface titration profiles, while the acidic shale exhibits a concave titration profile. Analysis of surface functional groups reveal that carboxylic acids predominate in alkaline shales and the acidic shale is characterized by C=S, C=N (pyridine derivative) and urea (C=O) functional groups, while it lacks –COOH group. The close proximity between pH and point of zero charge for the most acidic and alkaline shales indicate that surface complexation may not play a dominant role in sorption when the system pH is controlled by these sediments.     

Detecting general plant functional type responses in fragmented landscapes using spatially-explicit simulations

Habitat loss and increasing landscape fragmentation are known to be key forces driving the ongoing loss of plant species diversity. While the combined effects of increasing isolation and decreasing population size have been studied intensively; it is less understood how plant population performance in heterogeneous landscapes is affected by changes in fragmentation alone.     

环境DNA宏条形码监测水生态系统变化与健康状态

开展快速可靠的水生态监测并预测其变化趋势,对保护水生态环境具有重要的价值。近年来,环境DNA宏条形码技术(简称环境DNA技术)的快速发展弥补了传统形态学生物监测的缺陷,显著提升了水生生物群落的监测能力。与机器学习、遥感和云服务等技术结合,环境DNA技术不仅能大尺度、高频率、高灵敏度、自动化地获取生态监测信息,而且能准确地识别水生态系统的变化趋势,进而改变对水生态系统的认识与管理方式。因此,研究着重总结了环境DNA技术在水生态监测中的应用,分析了环境DNA技术与机器学习、卫星遥感等跨学科合作的潜在机遇,基于环境DNA技术简单、便捷的优势,提出了社会公民参与水环境保护的生态监测新思路。     

Effect of heavy metals on soil nematode communities in the vicinity of a metallurgical factory

The influence of Cu and Zn on soil nematode communities was examined along a pollution gradient with increasing distance from a metallurgical factory. Total and available heavy metal contents were used to study the effects of heavy metals on nematode abundance, trophic groups and ecological indices. The results demonstrated significant correlations between the number of total nematodes, bacterivores, plant-parasites and the total and available heavy metals. Bacterivores and plant-parasites were the dominant trophic groups. Significant differences in different sampling sites were found only in the number of bacterivores（P〈0.01）. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index（W）, trophic diversity index（TD）, evenness index（J＇） and dominance index（λ） were found to be sensitive to soil pH and C/N ratios. Significant correlations were found between the total nematodes （TNEM）, some genera （A crobeloides, Aphelenchoides, Cephalobus, Ditylenchus, Mesorhabditis, Tetylenchus and Tylenchus） and distance from the factory.