The myth of patient centrality

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the extent of patient centrality within integrated chronic back pain management services and compare policy rhetoric with practice reality. Context: Integrated chronic back pain management services. Data sources: We have drawn on theories of integration and context specific journals related to integration and pain management between 1966 and 2006 to identify evidence of patient centrality within integrated chronic pain management services. Discussions: Despite policy rhetoric and guidelines which promote patient centrality within multidisciplinary services, we argue that evaluations of these services are scant. Many papers have focused on the assessment of pain in multidisciplinary services as opposed to the patient’s experience of these services. Conclusions: A latent measure of the reality of its magnitude needs to be captured through analysis of the patient perspectives. Capturing patient’s thoughts about integrated services will promote patient centrality and support the reality rather than endorse the rhetoric

Iron-regulatory proteins: molecular biology and pathophysiological implications

Iron is required for key cellular functions, and there is a strong link between iron metabolism and important metabolic processes, such as cell growth, apoptosis and inflammation. Diseases that are directly or indirectly related to iron metabolism represent major health problems. Iron-regulatory proteins (IRPs) 1 and 2 are key controllers of vertebrate iron metabolism and post-transcriptionally regulate expression of the major iron homeostasis genes. Here we discuss how dysregulation of the IRP system can result from both iron-related and unrelated effectors and explain how this can have important pathological consequences in several human disorders

Christendom’s Narratives and the Stained Glass Designs of Yusuf Cameron Adebayo Grillo

Stained glass paintings, the most distinctive accessory in the interior repertoire of Christian ecclesiastic spaces, is the subject matter of this study. This paper attempts a recast of Christendom’s narratives in the stained glass designs of Yusuf Cameron Adebayo Grillo as the distinctive overarching mechanism of the evangelisation paradigm of the post Vatican II Church. It, therefore, draws attention to the delimitation of time frames in the history of the art form. Using the Grillo genre as the cipher that under girds the new evangelisation, the study narrates a new sense of time in the story of the development and growth of stained glass in the constellation of Church art. Yusuf Grillo’s images of the post Vatican II Church, albeit Nigerian independence era, with its unique modern representation imageries is the kernel of this study. For in spite of their peculiar imageries, they recite the same Bible and Christos story that the earlier European ones served. Utilising the adage “God lies in the details”, the iconographical details in the new images crafted by Grillo are employed as a distinctive typology that defines the style of the new evangelisation. This study presents a story of the emergence of a new art form. It, however, points to a set of new imageries that reflect the place of Christ as a central magnet that holds the entire Bible and Christos story together. That story-line emphasises the liturgical transmission of a new experience of time. It is a theological history in which the past, present and future make contact in the presence of the living Christ.Key Words: ecclesiastic, evangelization, cipher; representation, iconographic, centralmagne

AN APPROACH FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER BASED BEST PRACTICE DELIVERY MECHANISMS FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES

Changes in the competitive environment have strongly influenced manufacturing companies to adopt and develop best practice. Best practice is usually imported into companies using the services of consultancy organisations. The use of consultancy services does not guarantee success however, and inadequate results have been obtained by practitioners who have engaged in client-consultant relationships. The inadequacy of these results may be explained by the installation of pre-defined solutions by consultants as opposed to the adaptation and implementation of solutions to meet the specific requirements of practitioners. Tills may in part be explained by a lack of understanding of 'best practice'. Tills work presented in this thesis investigated the feasibility of computer based mechanisms for intervention in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) for the delivery of best practice. The research was undertaken using a prototyping approach. Three prototype computer based tools (CBTs) were developed by the author and tested by practitioners. The prototypes were designed based on a set of objectives and a framework of features which was developed. These frameworks were constructed from a synthesis of the research findings which included a study of best practice, the identification of characteristics of types of intervention, the identification of SME characteristics, and inhibitors of change in SMEs. The research has indicated that an approach using computer based tools is appropriate for intervention in SMEs and for adapting best practice to meet specific requirements. A structured project management approach is required with identifiable goals and benefits. An exploratory learning environment should be used to deliver complex best practice concepts and to support the goal oriented approach. Tools and techniques provided by the CBT enable the achievement of methodological tasks and facilitate experimentation and learning. The approach should not prescribe solutions, but should provide information through computer generated analyses to support decision making. The research suggests that the proposed approach may support a workbook based methodology, or may encapsulate a process methodology. The originality of this work is in the provision of a definition of best practice, an explanation of the deficiencies of existing mechanisms for the transfer of best practice to SMEs, and the specification of the features required by a new computer-based approach. Tills provides new knowledge for the field of production and operations management

Rodent Biology and Management; Abstracts of papers presented at the International Conference on Rodent Biology and Management, held at Beijing, China, 5-9 October 1998

Farm Management,

The application of intelligent agents in libraries: a survey

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive literature review on the utilisation of intelligent agent technology in the library environment. Design/methodology/approach - Research papers since 1990 on the use of various intelligent agent technologies in libraries are divided into two main application areas: digital library (DL), including agent-based DL projects, multi-agent architecture for DLs, intelligent agents for distributed heterogeneous information retrieval and agent support to information search process in DLs; and services in traditional libraries, including user interface for library information systems, automatic reference services and multi-agent architecture for library services. For each paper on the topic, its new ideas or models, referred work, analyses, experiments, findings and conclusions are addressed. Findings - The majority of the literature covers DLs and there have been fewer studies about services in traditional libraries. A variety of architecture, framework and models integrating agent technology in library systems or services are proposed, but only a few have been implemented in the practical environment. The application of agent technology is still at the research and experimentation stage. Agent technology has great potential in many areas in the library context; however it presents challenges to libraries that want to be involved in its adoption. Practical implications - The survey has practical implications for libraries, librarians and computer professionals in developing projects that employ intelligent agent technology to meet end-users\u27 expectations as well as to improve information services within limited resources in library settings. Originality/value - The paper provides a comprehensive survey on the development and research of intelligent agents in libraries in literature

Retrievability in an Integrated Retrieval System: An Extended Study

Retrievability measures the influence a retrieval system has on the access to information in a given collection of items. This measure can help in making an evaluation of the search system based on which insights can be drawn. In this paper, we investigate the retrievability in an integrated search system consisting of items from various categories, particularly focussing on datasets, publications \ijdl{and variables} in a real-life Digital Library (DL). The traditional metrics, that is, the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient, are employed to visualize the diversity in retrievability scores of the \ijdl{three} retrievable document types (specifically datasets, publications, and variables). Our results show a significant popularity bias with certain items being retrieved more often than others. Particularly, it has been shown that certain datasets are more likely to be retrieved than other datasets in the same category. In contrast, the retrievability scores of items from the variable or publication category are more evenly distributed. We have observed that the distribution of document retrievability is more diverse for datasets as compared to publications and variables.Comment: To appear in International Journal on Digital Libraries (IJDL). arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2205.0093

An analysis of contemporary issues for leaders in healthcare education: achieving praxis and closing the theory practice divide

In his executive summary of the Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry, Frances (2013) insists that "a list should be drawn up of all the qualities generally considered necessary for a good and effective leader. This in turn could inform a list of competencies a leader would be expected to have" (Frances, 2013, p108). While Frances does not specify educational leaders in his report, they are fundamental in the development of the future workforce through role modelling of the much hailed '6 C's' and therefore impact the patient experience (AACN, 2012; Frances, 2013). In this paper I will address the dilemmas faced by educational leaders engaged in healthcare education. One such dilemma is academic drift or the valuing and greater uptake of academic practices at the expense of vocational qualifications and practices (Edwards and Miller, 2008 p36). Another dilemma is the move from vocational to academic training, and then forward to a degree threshold profession due to various political drivers, in professions such as operating department practice (ODP). Other dilemmas that will be addressed include the paradigm shift created by change management strategies that employ the vocationally trained clinical assessors to support students enrolled in degree level study (Hauxwell, 2010)