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Migrant farm workers recruited under Canada's temporary employment programs work in difficult environments, under poor working conditions, and live in unsafe housing in remote rural communities. Fearful of repatriation or replacement, many accept their working and living conditions as part of a necessary sacrifice to improve their living conditions and those of their families in the countries of origin. At the same time, some migrant farm workers assert their agency by escaping from farms, subverting regulations, or challenging various forms of discipline used to control their bodies and activities. Following Isin and Nielsen (2008), we refer to these actions as "acts of citizenship." Drawing on research conducted among migrant farm workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the province of Quebec, Canada, we situate these acts, particularly the tendency to escape from abusive and exploitative working relationships, in a particular space and time shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, we demonstrate the link between these acts and certain conditions and opportunities that arose at that time, such as increased support for migrant farmworkers by a non-governmental organization and the facilitation of movement of migrant farmworkers across the Canada-U.S.-border by the "migration industry."
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Many China observers have commented that Beijing is harsh and assertive on diplomatic occasions. By publicizing the nationalistic rhetoric and moves in internal propaganda, the PRC aims to please domestic audiences. This article examines China's practices of 'wolf-warrior diplomacy', explicates the rationale behind it, and provides three plausible explanations. Firstly, the individualist explanation highlights the personal motives of 'wolf-warrior' diplomats. However, wolf-warrior diplomacy is not the common practice of Chinese diplomats, as most Chinese diplomats, unlike these wolf-warriors, remain conservative, taking an orthodox approach to their duties. Secondly, the institutional explanation presents a potential conflict between propaganda and diplomacy agencies in conducting waixuan (external propaganda, overseas-targeted propaganda: (sic)(sic)). I elaborate on how the changing working doctrines of waixuan have encouraged wolf-warrior diplomacy. Finally, the strategic explanation highlights how Beijing diverts the popular attention away from its domestic issues and towards 'external threats' and rallies popular support at home by 'talking tough' and 'blaming others'. The diversionary use of assertive diplomacy also allows Beijing to avoid publicizing its policy failures, buy more time and room for manoeuvre, and plan tactical reforms while preserving its fundamental political system. I also argue that the wolf-warrior diplomacy is more of ad hoc response to perceived geopolitical risk in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic than a well-crafted strategy.
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Circular economy is a model of economic, social and environmental production and consumption, aimed to build a sustainable society in tune with the available resources. In the Brundtland Report, (1987, United Nations) sustainability it is defined as an approach focused on "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The European Medical Association (EMA), that has currently more than 50 000 members, is involved in the advancement of health, pursuing educational and professional goals addressed to the quality of environment, lifestyle and civil society through a circular medicine approach. This is a comprehensive strategy, integrating best medical practice, bioinformatics and molecular biology with economy, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Circular Medicine is the resilient framework linking all these topics with circular economy methods. Innovative possibilities of circular medicine are many: it is a comprehensive paradigm shift, countering a non-medicine based on simplistic algorithms with guidelines of insufficient effectiveness, reliability and generalizability, often passed off as innovative Artificial-Intelligence approaches. We launched in 2020 a still ongoing survey aimed at the dissemination of information and at a greater sensitivity of all our members and followers on these topics, striving to build circular medicine in the real-world. This position document is based on its preliminary results: 1. Studying and investigating the links among health, climate change, biodiversity, circular economy, robust Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning support are goals and needed practice suitable to be pursued by EMA and other medical and scientific associations. Circular economy will be fruitfully used in health facilities, including hospitals, with health professionals and life science researchers acting also in the role of influencers and opinion leaders. 2. The interventions based on epidemiology, environmental sciences, best practice in medicine, sustainable technologies and molecular biology, the pillars of a potential framework of circular medicine, need a robust bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence support. 3. Academic curricula and health professionals CME courses should provide stronger digital knowledge, reliable procedures trainings and expertise along these lines. Daily routine of clinical observation and participatory dialogue are key elements for the progress toward a culture, practice and accomplishments of circular economy and medicine. 4. Molecular biology, still the most innovative field of medical and life science, has a role for strengthening the pathways of the circular economy, as a reliable and resilient basis of "circular medicine." 5. The lessons of COVID19, the ongoing battles for healthier lifestyles dealing with nutrition, exercise and against alcohol and cigarette smoking, and the concept of smart cities are some of the cornerstones of the proposed strategy for a real-world circular medicine. Debunking interventions against the misuse of scientific and medical are means for the development of circular economy and medicine. Effective roadmaps, guidelines and grids for recognizing and counteracting the overlap of bullying, imposter's fear, insufficient expertise and knowledge, fake assertions and evaluations are actively developed by EMA's ad-hoc workshops. AI knowledge and skills should be implemented within innovative molecular biology and medical best-practice academic-CME curricula.Copyright © 2023 The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
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Introduction: The emerging adult stage of life is a time of many positive changes, as well as stress and uncertainty. Certain psychological characteristics - such as emotional regulation, attachment style, or assertiveness – could help these adults thrive and maintain positive mental health. This study aimed to explore the influence of these variables on the well-being of emerging adults. Methods: The sample included 360 French emerging adults, with a mean age of 21.3 years. Well-being was assessed with the Mental Health Continuum, emotional regulation with the Emotional Regulation Difficulties Scale, assertiveness with the Assertiveness Scale, and attachment styles with the Relationship Scales Questionnaire. Results: Results showed that judgment toward one's own emotional experience and shyness (as part of assertiveness) predicted emerging adults' well-being. This study also highlighted the role of substance use and experiences of violence on emerging adults' emotional regulation and well-being. Discussion: Results support the importance of in-person and distance education and prevention to support emerging adults' well-being, especially in higher education institutions and in times of the COVID pandemic. Copyright © 2023 Plantade-Gipch, Bruno, Strub, Bouvard and Martin-Krumm.
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Pekar et al. (2022) propose that SARS-CoV-2 was a zoonotic spillover that first infected humans in the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China. They propose that there were two separate spillovers of the closely related lineages A and lineage B in a short period of time. The two lineages are differentiated by two SNVs;hence, a single-SNV A-B intermediate must have occurred in an unsampled animal host if the two-spillover hypothesis is correct. Consequently, confirmation of the existence of an intermediate A-B genome from humans would falsify their hypothesis of two spillovers. Pekar et al. identified and excluded 20 A-B intermediate genomes from their analysis. A variety of exclusion criteria were applied, including low read depth and the assertion of repeated erroneous base calls at lineage-defining positions 8782 and 28144. However, data from GISAID show that most of the genomes were sequenced to high average sequencing depth, appearing inconsistent with these criteria. The decision to exclude the majority of genomes was based on personal communications, with raw data unavailable for inspection. Multiple errors, biases, and inconsistencies were observed in the exclusion process. For example, 12 intermediate genomes from one study were excluded;however, 54 other genomes from the same study were included, indicating selection bias. Puzzlingly, two intermediate genomes from Beijing were discarded despite an average sequencing depth of 2175X;however, four genomes from the same sequencing study were included in the analysis. Lastly, we discuss 14 additional possible intermediate genomes not discussed by Pekar et al. and note that genome sequence filtration is inappropriate when considering the presence or absence of a specific SNV pair in an outbreak. Consequently, we find that the exclusion of many of the intermediate genomes is unfounded, leaving the conclusion of two natural zoonoses unsupported.Copyright © 2023 by the authors.
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BACKGROUND: The learning system carried out online during the COVID-19 pandemic increasingly supports students to delay working on assignments. AIM: The purpose of this study was to explore the academic procrastination of students during a pandemic. METHOD(S): This research using a cross-sectional study research method with 399 nursing students as respondents, data were collected using Google Forms which was circulated online, data were processed using descriptive, Pearson, and linear regression methods. RESULT(S): Pearson's results show that there is a positive correlation for age, fear of failure, aversiveness of task, difficulty making decisions, dependency, lack of assertion, risk taking, and rebellion against control. The results of the linear regression test showed that aversiveness of task, dependency, and lack of assertion were the strongest predictors of students' reasons for procrastinating. CONCLUSION(S): Academic procrastination by students, if carried out continuously and repeatedly, will have an impact on academic performance, grades, and mental health.Copyright © 2022 Syiddatul Budury, Diah Jerita Eka Sari, Widiharti Widiharti, Theresia Anita Pramesti, Siti Nur Hasina.
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Burnout in hospice and palliative care nurses is a growing issue, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies have focused specifically on burnout in this population. A scoping review was undertaken to identify what is known about burnout among hospice and palliative care nurses, and to unify disparate findings. Analysis of eight articles revealed three overarching categories: personal factors, organizational/workplace factors, and nursing professional development factors. Each category was then divided into three cross-cutting subcategories: contributory and noncontributory factors, mitigating factors, and workplace issues. Recommendations for individuals include self-care as well as self-awareness of intrinsic characteristics that can predispose one to burnout. Within the workplace, leaders are challenged to support evidence-based practice and ongoing education. Role modeling positive communication skills, effective conflict mitigation, responsiveness, promotion of equity, and workplace commitment also help to create a culture of wellness. Nursing professional development may aid in resilience-building, and promotion of self-efficacy, self-confidence, and assertiveness. Although all identified recommendations were derived from the literature, no interventional studies have been conducted to test the effects of suggested interventions. Future research should include interventional studies as well as qualitative research to capture nuanced experiences of burnout in hospice and palliative care nurses.
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Giulio Pugliese & Andrea Fischetti
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WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has recently said that 'The end of the pandemic is near. We are not there yet, but the end is in sight'. And U.S. President Joe Biden, with about 400 deaths per day in the U.S., has repeated that assertion. From what we can read in the literature, we are not there yet and there may be a long way to go. Although more is known about the virus and its ability to transform into variants and subvariants in order to enter the host more easily, some of these transformations are cause for concern. We make a brief review of what we have learned about morbidity and mortality due to SARS-CoV-2, how women's health has worsened, some alterations in sperm, defenses against the virus, reinfections, its unhealthy action on the pregnant woman, the fetus and the newborn, vaccines and boosters, and a vision of what lies ahead. Copyright © The Author(s) 2022.
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Background: Promoting adherence to preventative inhaled therapy in cystic fibrosis (CF) is challenging despite a clear association with better outcomes. Motivation to maintain adherence is one aspect of the complex process required for sustained behavior change. Fear is recognized as an acute motivator, and the COVID-19 pandemic created a significant fear stimulus, especially in people with underlying respiratory disease. The objective of this study was to explore changes in nebulizer use in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): This 16-center cohort study involved more than 60% of adult CF centers in England through the CFHealthHub learning health system. CFHealthHub was established in 2015 to help promote adherence to nebulized therapy. It provides people with CF and their clinicians objective usage information through nebulizers with real-time electronic data capture capability. We explored the association between the first U.K. national lockdown (March 23, 2020, to May 28, 2020) and nebulizer use, using the mixed-effect multilevel model adjusted for potential confounders including age (fitted as a nonlinear term), sex, and deprivation index. Result(s): We included 581 adults with CF participating in CFHealthHub between September 1, 2019, and August 21, 2020. Mean age was 34;49% participants were female. The range of mean weekly nebulizations per patient increased from 9 to 12 to 12 to 14 in the week after the first U.K. national lockdown before decreasing to 11 to 12 throughout the rest of the study period (Figure 1). The association between lockdown and nebulizer Figure 1: Mean weekly nebulizations in 581 adults with cystic fibrosis at 16 U.K. centers between September 2019 and August 2020.(Figure Presented) use was attenuated after adjusting for age, sex, and deprivation index (adjusted odds ratio = 0.96, 95% CI, 0.89-1.07). Conclusion(s): We did not find a sustained change in nebulizer use in response to the firstU.K. national lockdown. This may support the assertion that behavior change with respect to sustained increased nebulizer use may not be achieved when focusing on motivational aspects, especially fear, alone Copyright © 2022, European Cystic Fibrosis Society. All rights reserved
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Feedback in the evaluation process has become more important in teaching practice since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of the present study is to analyse the construct validity and reliability of the Sociofor-mative Analytical Rubric for the Assessment of Assertive Feedback (RASERA). This instrument was applied to a sample of 525 students from normal schools in Mexico. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to analyse its construct validity. Its reliability was analysed using Cronbach’s alpha. The results of the first analysis revealed the formation of two factors;the first, we called execution of assertive feedback and the second, representativeness of assertive feedback. These two factors explained more than 65% of nificant factor loadings were found in them (FL > 0.50). For its part, the CFA revealed a good fit of this model (Ratio χ2 /df: 2.284;GFI: 0.909;RMSEA: 0.068;RMR: 0.035;CFI: 0.966;TLI: 0.955). For each factor, the average variance extracted, and the composite reliability were pertinent (AVE > 0.50 and CR > 0.70) and each item showed an adequate standardised factor load (SFL > 0.50). The reliability analysis gave optimal factor values (Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega > 0.85). We conclude that the RASERA instrument has adequate psychometric properties. © 2022, Universidad Internacional de la Rioja. All rights reserved.
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There are a very limited number of sport-specific mental health and sport performance interventions available for athletes of color. This study examined The Optimum Performance Program in Sports (TOPPS) in a biracial adolescent athlete who was diagnosed with Agoraphobia and Social Anxiety Disorder. A multiple-baseline across behaviors case trial design was used to evaluate outcomes. A battery of psychological measures specific to mental health and sport performance was administered at baseline, post-intervention, and a 3-month follow-up. Social skill sets (i.e., positive assertion and negative assertion) were systematically targeted sequentially in a virtual format using HIPAA compliant video-conferencing technology to safeguard against contracting COVID-19. Results demonstrated improvement in negative and positive assertion skills when targeted by the intervention. Severity of concurrent symptoms associated with Social Anxiety Disorder and Agoraphobia Symptoms, general psychiatric functioning, relationships with coaches, teammates and family, and factors interfering with sports performance improved from pre- to post-intervention. These improvements were maintained at the 3-month follow-up. Athlete ratings indicated their satisfaction with TOPPS was high, and intervention components were implemented with high integrity. Copyright © The Author(s) 2022.
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SESSION TITLE: Long COVID: It Can Take Your Breath Away SESSION TYPE: Original Investigations PRESENTED ON: 10/16/2022 10:30 am - 11:30 am PURPOSE: The World Health Organization has defined post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or Long-COVID, as prolonged symptomatology after initial recovery lasting more than 2 months. Changes in respiratory function associated with this syndrome are not fully understood. Therefore, we performed a retrospective analysis of patients with pulmonary function tests (PFT) after COVID-19. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed records of 2,234 patients with a history of COVID-19 diagnosed by RT-PCR who followed up in pulmonary clinics in Hartford, Connecticut from March 2020 to December 2021. Data included the patients’ age, sex, comorbidities, PFT results, and the maximum oxygen requirement during acute illness: room air (RA), low-flow oxygen (LF), high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), non-invasive ventilation (NIV) or mechanical ventilation (MV). We performed an adjusted logistic regression analysis to evaluate if the disease severity (defined by oxygen requirement) was associated with the presence of obstructive and restrictive disease during follow-up. SPSS 26.0 was used with an alpha level of 0.05. RESULTS: Of the 2,234 records, 471 (21.1%) had available PFTs. Only PFTs done between 2 and 12 months post COVID-19 were included. The mean age (± SD) of the sample was 56 ± 15 years;62.6% were female. Twenty three (4.9%) patients required MV, 17 (3.6%) NIV, 45 (9.5%) HFNC, 111 (23.6%) LF and 275 (58.4%) remained on RA. Obstructive disease was seen in 106 (22.5%), and bronchodilator response was seen in 34 (9.1%). Restrictive disease was seen in 129 (27.4%) and was associated with use of HFNC, NIV and MV (OR: 2.44, 3.67, 3.26;p<0.01). The presence of obstruction did not correlate with disease severity, however use of HFNC did correlate with the absence of obstruction (OR: 0.24;p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show a significant association between disease severity and restrictive disease during follow up. This is compatible with smaller studies and is likely related to the fibrotic stage of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. There was an association of HFNC use with the absence of obstruction. Perhaps, patients with the pre-existing obstruction and severe COVID were less likely to tolerate HFNC and required higher support for recovery. Bronchodilator responsiveness was only present in a small portion of patients. Severe disease did not appear to predispose patients to the development of obstructive disease during the follow up period. Studies including pre- and post-COVID PFTs would further strengthen this assertion. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: We did find an association between severity of COVID-19 and restrictive disease during follow up. Conversely, disease severity did not correlate with obstruction. These data will help to define the typical course of progression in patients suffering from Long-COVID and may imply that management should mirror strategies employed in other pulmonary conditions that cause restriction. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Brian Bustos No relevant relationships by Christopher Dipollina No relevant relationships by David O'Sullivan No relevant relationships by Eduardo Padrao No relevant relationships by Ravneet Randhawa No relevant relationships by Tejal Shah No relevant relationships by Pooja Shekar
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According to a national study on US youth children in 2021, cyberbullying peaks between the ages of 14 and 15. Cyberbullying is defined as a wilful and repetitive injury caused by computers, mobile phones, and other electronic devices. Bullying's psychological consequences have been proven to be more harmful among children in their early teens. This might be concerning because adolescent growth is critical to developing a healthy personality in maturity. The presence of an Om syllable throughout the Upanishads, Bhagwat Gita, and Vedas elevates it to Hinduism's most significant sacred symbol. Om mediation has been practically proven form to reduce stress and anxiety. Assertiveness training is a sort of behaviour therapy that focuses on strengthening individuals' assertive, self-assured conduct and teaching them a more confident, successful communication style. The present study is conducted with the objective to examine the effect of Multimodal therapy on Cyberbullying and Psychological distress among adolescent students. A total number of 50 adolescent students were identified with the age range of 12-15 years, based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria from the Coimbatore district. The tools used for the study were Kessler's Scale by Kessler KC and Cyberbullying scale by Cigdem Topcu. Paired t-test was conducted for finding the statistical analysis and the result revealed that there is a significant change in the level of Cyberbullying and Psychological distress before and after the intervention. The multimodal therapy intervention is effective in reducing the levels of cyberbullying and psychological distress.
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Objective: The present manuscript discusses our journey of providing safe BTS during this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: It was a single-center, retrospective type of study conducted over a period of 1 year (January 2020-December 2020) in the department of transfusion medicine. The number of donations (replacement and voluntary) was compared during the pre-COVID months with that during the COVID outbreak. The measures included but were not limited to various aspects of staff management, environmental factors, guidelines implementation, and innovative assertions for implementing COVID-19 appropriate behavior. Gradually, provisions were also made for the collection of the COVID convalescent plasma from the recovered donors as a part of the management guidelines issue by the Indian Council of Medical Research. Results: COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic negative impact on the blood donation but it has also highlighted the potential and the ability of the BTS to withstand such testing times. Conclusion: COVID-19 has left a profound impact on the blood transfusion services. It has highlighted the importance of having a coping strategy in place to withstand such times without compromising the health and the needs of the patients.
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Background: According to the Institute of Medicine, interprofessional teams offer the most effective way to assure the safe delivery of patient-centered care. Nurses need to possess the ability to speak up as members of interprofessional teams. Nurses who believe in their abilities to perform and who possess assertive communication skills are more successful, resulting in better patient outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine newly practicing registered nurses' perceived level of self-efficacy, perceived level of assertiveness, and perceived interprofessional collaboration. Participants: Former members of the National Student Nurses Association who graduated in 2017 and 2018 and are now working as registered professional nurses. Methods: The quantitative survey was comprised of three tools, demographic questions, and one additional qualitative open-ended question. The three tools used were: General Self-Efficacy Scale, Simplified Rathus Assertiveness Scale-Short Form, and Interprofessional Collaboration Scale. An electronic survey was sent to 3,793 graduates with a follow-up reminder two weeks later. Of the responses, 410 met inclusion criteria for analysis. Statistical methods employed for analysis with the use of SPSS included descriptive analysis, point-biserial and Pearson's product-moment correlations, ANOVA, and t-tests. An additional open-ended qualitative question was included to inquire about perceived current interprofessional collaborative practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Key findings demonstrated statistically significant correlations between the variables of perceived self-efficacy, perceived assertiveness, and interprofessional collaboration. Additional findings related to demographic characteristics showed that there were positive significant correlations between both age and assertiveness as well as age and self-efficacy. In addition, the sample was then divided into two groups: RNs with less than two years of working experience and RNs with more than two years of working experience. The years of RN working experience did yield significant differences. No differences between groups were noted for nursing degree type or prior healthcare employment. Responses to an open-ended question inquiring about the RNs' current practice, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, were reviewed for common themes and showed that almost 43% of the participants expressed that the pandemic had a negative impact on interprofessional collaborative practice. Conclusion and Implications: The information obtained from this study will add to the body of knowledge about newly practicing nurses' perceived self-efficacy, perceived assertiveness, and perceived interprofessional collaborative practice. The results obtained may guide future curriculum development;healthcare systems policies, workplace education, and training programs for all professional staff;and research in interprofessional education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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Background: The fact that SAARS-Cov2 virus enters cells through ACE2 receptors and the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibitors (RAASi) upregulate the ACE2 receptors, there was speculation that use of RAASi may lead increased cellular entry of the virus. There was a pause for a brief period of the use of RAASi in COVID 19 patients. But clinically the speculation has been found to be incorrect. Different professional societies come up with the assertion to continue to use RAASi. As the hesitancy among the clinicians appears to continue and there is no first hand data regarding the safety of the use of RAASi in Bangladeshi population, the study was undertaken to evaluate the safety of RAASi in COVID 19 patients. Aims & Methods This study was a prospective, observational multi-center study to evaluate the outcome of COVID-19 patients receiving RAAS inhibitors. Adult Hypertensive patients (age ≥18 years) with diagnosed COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR test who have a history of taking either ACE inhibitor/ARB or any other anti-hypertensive medication. Evaluation of outcome was assessed by rate of hospitalization, requirement of oxygen therapy, requirement of high flow nasal cannula, admission to ICU and mortality between two groups. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS for Windows, version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: We collected data from 147 Covid-19 positive patients confirmed by RT-PCR. Among them, 117 (79.6%) had a history of taking RAAS inhibitor and 30 had history of taking other antihypertensive medications. Of them, two-third patients had more than 50 years of age and more than half of the patients had overweight or obesity. Other than hypertension they had several comorbidities such as Diabetes Mellitus (45.4%), Ischemic Heart Diseases (35.4%), Asthma or COPD (15%) etc. Rate of hospitalization had no statistical difference between RAAS inhibitor group and other hypertensive group (48.7% vs 46.70% respectively;p-value-0.841). There was no statistical difference between two groups in terms of requirement of oxygen therapy (p-value-0.297), High Flow Nasal Cannula (p-value-0.430), intensive care unit (p-value-0.194) and death (p-value-0.383) also. Almost half and one-third of the patients had persistence of symptoms even after 14 days and 28 days respectively. Fatigue, cough, breathlessness, loss of appetite and taste were the most common symptoms among those. Conclusion: In our study we found that RAAS inhibitor treatment had no adverse effect on the outcome of COVID-19 patients compared with other antihypertensive drugs. Patients may continue receiving ACEIs and ARBs for the treatment of any indication for RAASi without an increased risk of worse outcomes.
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Continuing the trendline of 2020, North Korea’s key priorities in 2021 were to tighten its belt economically and control the COVID-19 pandemic. Those two goals were related. With its healthcare system no match for such a public health crisis, the government continued its utmost effort to prevent a COVID-19 disaster through the near-complete closure of its borders, severely hampering vital trade with China. As seen in the 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, however, chairman Kim Jong-un also prioritized maintaining an assertive stance toward the United States, even to the point of abjuring negotiations with Washington that might have unlocked vaccines or medical assistance. Instead, North Korea frequently criticized the US’s “hostile position” and carried out a variety of missile tests, which seemed more provocative and capable throughout the year. Pyongyang also restarted the Yongbyon nuclear facilities for producing fissile materials. This assertive and provocative behavior was emboldened by steadily closer ties with traditional allies, notably China and Russia. Meanwhile, North Korea largely showed a cold, dismissive attitude to its southern counterpart.
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PurposeThe medium negotiators choose for communication will influence both process and outcome. To understand how medium influences power expression, this paper aims to compare value claiming by asymmetrically powerful negotiators, using face-to-face and computer-mediated messaging across two studies. Following up on long-standing conjectures from prominent coalition researchers, the authors also directly tested the role of the apex negotiator's personality in coalition formation and value expropriation.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted two laboratory experiments which manipulated communication medium (computer-mediated vs face-to-face) in three- and four-person bargaining. They also varied asymmetry of power so the apex negotiator either could not be left out of a winning coalition (Study 1) or could be (Study 2). The authors measured trait assertiveness along with multiple indicators of hard bargaining behavior.FindingsCommunicating using instant messages via a computer interface facilitated value claiming for powerful negotiators across both studies. Trait assertiveness correlated with hard bargaining behavior in both studies. An index of hard bargaining behavior mediated the effect of assertiveness on value expropriation but only in the context where the powerful negotiator held a genuine monopoly over coalitions.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to the literature on multiparty negotiations by demonstrating persistent media effects on power utilization and by finally confirming the conjectures of prominent coalition researchers regarding personality. Though personality traits generate consistent effects on behavior, their influence on negotiation outcomes depends on the power structure. Negotiation theory needs to incorporate structural and situational factors in modelling effects of enduring traits. Negotiation research should move beyond a rigid focus on dyads.
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The changes taking place in the education system along with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic make it compulsory to use distance education methods. For evaluating whether the assertiveness training which was offered through a hybrid education model had any effect on assertiveness and self-esteem, this study was conducted as an experimental study with the control group. In the study, the Rathus assertiveness inventory, Coopersmith self-esteem inventory, and personal information form were utilized. The participant nursing students were assigned to experimental and control groups. The measurement tools were applied to both groups while the assertiveness training was later given solely to the experimental group. At the end of the training given to the experimental group, the measurement tools were applied once again to both groups. According to the results of the study, while the assertiveness and self-esteem of the students in the experimental group increased significantly from the pre-test to the posttest measurements, no statistically significant difference was found in the measurements made in the same periods in the control group. This situation demonstrates that the technology-based hybrid assertiveness training was effective in enhancing assertiveness and self-esteem.