7,828 research outputs found
An empirical investigation of the relationship between integration, dynamic capabilities and performance in supply chains
This research aimed to develop an empirical understanding of the relationships between integration,
dynamic capabilities and performance in the supply chain domain, based on which, two conceptual
frameworks were constructed to advance the field. The core motivation for the research was that, at
the stage of writing the thesis, the combined relationship between the three concepts had not yet
been examined, although their interrelationships have been studied individually.
To achieve this aim, deductive and inductive reasoning logics were utilised to guide the qualitative
study, which was undertaken via multiple case studies to investigate lines of enquiry that would
address the research questions formulated. This is consistent with the author’s philosophical
adoption of the ontology of relativism and the epistemology of constructionism, which was considered
appropriate to address the research questions. Empirical data and evidence were collected, and
various triangulation techniques were employed to ensure their credibility. Some key features of
grounded theory coding techniques were drawn upon for data coding and analysis, generating two
levels of findings. These revealed that whilst integration and dynamic capabilities were crucial in
improving performance, the performance also informed the former. This reflects a cyclical and
iterative approach rather than one purely based on linearity. Adopting a holistic approach towards
the relationship was key in producing complementary strategies that can deliver sustainable supply
chain performance.
The research makes theoretical, methodological and practical contributions to the field of supply
chain management. The theoretical contribution includes the development of two emerging
conceptual frameworks at the micro and macro levels. The former provides greater specificity, as it
allows meta-analytic evaluation of the three concepts and their dimensions, providing a detailed
insight into their correlations. The latter gives a holistic view of their relationships and how they are
connected, reflecting a middle-range theory that bridges theory and practice. The methodological
contribution lies in presenting models that address gaps associated with the inconsistent use of
terminologies in philosophical assumptions, and lack of rigor in deploying case study research
methods. In terms of its practical contribution, this research offers insights that practitioners could
adopt to enhance their performance. They can do so without necessarily having to forgo certain
desired outcomes using targeted integrative strategies and drawing on their dynamic capabilities
Exploring the Training Factors that Influence the Role of Teaching Assistants to Teach to Students With SEND in a Mainstream Classroom in England
With the implementation of inclusive education having become increasingly valued over the years, the training of Teaching Assistants (TAs) is now more important than ever, given that they work alongside pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (hereinafter SEND) in mainstream education classrooms. The current study explored the training factors that influence the role of TAs when it comes to teaching SEND students in mainstream classrooms in England during their one-year training period. This work aimed to increase understanding of how the training of TAs is seen to influence the development of their personal knowledge and professional skills. The study has significance for our comprehension of the connection between the TAs’ training and the quality of education in the classroom. In addition, this work investigated whether there existed a correlation between the teaching experience of TAs and their background information, such as their gender, age, grade level taught, years of teaching experience, and qualification level.
A critical realist theoretical approach was adopted for this two-phased study, which involved the mixing of adaptive and grounded theories respectively. The multi-method project featured 13 case studies, each of which involved a trainee TA, his/her college tutor, and the classroom teacher who was supervising the trainee TA. The analysis was based on using semi-structured interviews, various questionnaires, and non-participant observation methods for each of these case studies during the TA’s one-year training period. The primary analysis of the research was completed by comparing the various kinds of data collected from the participants in the first and second data collection stages of each case. Further analysis involved cross-case analysis using a grounded theory approach, which made it possible to draw conclusions and put forth several core propositions. Compared with previous research, the findings of the current study reveal many implications for the training and deployment conditions of TAs, while they also challenge the prevailing approaches in many aspects, in addition to offering more diversified, enriched, and comprehensive explanations of the critical pedagogical issues
Anuário científico da Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa - 2021
É com grande prazer que apresentamos a mais recente edição (a 11.ª) do Anuário Científico da Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa. Como instituição de ensino superior, temos o compromisso de promover e incentivar a pesquisa científica em todas as áreas do conhecimento que contemplam a nossa missão. Esta publicação tem como objetivo divulgar toda a produção científica desenvolvida pelos Professores, Investigadores, Estudantes e Pessoal não Docente da ESTeSL durante 2021. Este Anuário é, assim, o reflexo do trabalho árduo e dedicado da nossa comunidade, que se empenhou na produção de conteúdo científico de elevada qualidade e partilhada com a Sociedade na forma de livros, capítulos de livros, artigos publicados em revistas nacionais e internacionais, resumos de comunicações orais e pósteres, bem como resultado dos trabalhos de 1º e 2º ciclo. Com isto, o conteúdo desta publicação abrange uma ampla variedade de tópicos, desde temas mais fundamentais até estudos de aplicação prática em contextos específicos de Saúde, refletindo desta forma a pluralidade e diversidade de áreas que definem, e tornam única, a ESTeSL. Acreditamos que a investigação e pesquisa científica é um eixo fundamental para o desenvolvimento da sociedade e é por isso que incentivamos os nossos estudantes a envolverem-se em atividades de pesquisa e prática baseada na evidência desde o início dos seus estudos na ESTeSL. Esta publicação é um exemplo do sucesso desses esforços, sendo a maior de sempre, o que faz com que estejamos muito orgulhosos em partilhar os resultados e descobertas dos nossos investigadores com a comunidade científica e o público em geral. Esperamos que este Anuário inspire e motive outros estudantes, profissionais de saúde, professores e outros colaboradores a continuarem a explorar novas ideias e contribuir para o avanço da ciência e da tecnologia no corpo de conhecimento próprio das áreas que compõe a ESTeSL. Agradecemos a todos os envolvidos na produção deste anuário e desejamos uma leitura inspiradora e agradável.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The Characterisation and Treatment of Resistant Hypertension
Hypertension is a highly prevalent condition and, as a risk factor for vascular disease in particular, a leading contributory cause of death worldwide. Recent consensus guidelines suggest that moderate and severe (grade II and III) hypertension should be treated rapidly to achieve targets though, prior to the inception of this thesis, the evidence for the safety and efficacy of this approach, together with the physiological consequences of rapid hypertension treatment in moderate and severe disease, was limited.
This thesis explores the clinical consequences of an 18-week treatment programme for individuals with grade II and III hypertension, using guideline- recommended pharmacological treatment, delivered over an accelerated timeframe. The blood pressure response to treatment is reported, together with the tolerance and safety of the protocol, as defined by the protocol completion rate, frequency of medication side effects and clinically significant adverse events. The programme also provided an opportunity to study health-rated quality of life in patients with moderate and severe hypertension and the effect of rapid treatment on health-related quality of life. This allowed for the first validation (according to modern standards) of an English language disease-specific instrument for measuring health-related quality of life in hypertension, following translation of the original MINICHAL disease-specific instrument from the original Spanish.
In addition, the clinical treatment programme provided an opportunity to study the microvascular response to rapid treatment of moderate and severe hypertension, particularly with relevance to the rarefaction of hypertension and its reversal with treatment. Moreover, the morphological and functional myocardial consequences of treatment were determined, using cardiac MR imaging.
Accordingly, this thesis presents evidence supporting the rapid treatment of moderate and severe hypertension, providing an opportunity for this to be studied in future investigations, with the aim of exploring whether this approach is prognostically advantageous for patients
Technologies and Applications for Big Data Value
This open access book explores cutting-edge solutions and best practices for big data and data-driven AI applications for the data-driven economy. It provides the reader with a basis for understanding how technical issues can be overcome to offer real-world solutions to major industrial areas. The book starts with an introductory chapter that provides an overview of the book by positioning the following chapters in terms of their contributions to technology frameworks which are key elements of the Big Data Value Public-Private Partnership and the upcoming Partnership on AI, Data and Robotics. The remainder of the book is then arranged in two parts. The first part “Technologies and Methods” contains horizontal contributions of technologies and methods that enable data value chains to be applied in any sector. The second part “Processes and Applications” details experience reports and lessons from using big data and data-driven approaches in processes and applications. Its chapters are co-authored with industry experts and cover domains including health, law, finance, retail, manufacturing, mobility, and smart cities. Contributions emanate from the Big Data Value Public-Private Partnership and the Big Data Value Association, which have acted as the European data community's nucleus to bring together businesses with leading researchers to harness the value of data to benefit society, business, science, and industry. The book is of interest to two primary audiences, first, undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers in various fields, including big data, data science, data engineering, and machine learning and AI. Second, practitioners and industry experts engaged in data-driven systems, software design and deployment projects who are interested in employing these advanced methods to address real-world problems
The Adirondack Chronology
The Adirondack Chronology is intended to be a useful resource for researchers and others interested in the Adirondacks and Adirondack history.https://digitalworks.union.edu/arlpublications/1000/thumbnail.jp
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Abstinence from compulsive sexual behavior and problematic pornography use: phenomenological experiences and short-term effects
The investigation of abstinence from compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) and problematic pornography use (PPU) is important for filling gaps in current knowledge about their assessment and intervention. These gaps include: (i) abstinence-based interventions for CSB and PPU being common yet little understood, and (ii) uncertainty about whether withdrawal-related symptomatology manifest when regular pornography users with varying levels of self-reported PPU attempt to abstain from pornography.
The first part of the present thesis comprised two systematic reviews that were conducted to review the state of the evidence in the following two areas: the theoretical conceptualization and psychometric assessment of PPU (Systematic Review 1) and short-term abstinence effects across multiple potential behavioral addictions (Systematic Review 2). Findings of Systematic Review 1 indicated a lack of consensus in the field about the theoretical conceptualization and operationalization of CSB and PPU and highlighted a need for further empirical research into less agreed-upon components of addiction (e.g., withdrawal). Findings of Systematic Review 2 showed that negative abstinence effects (potentially reflective of withdrawal-related symptoms) and/or positive abstinence effects (potentially reflective of benefits of abstinence as an intervention) manifested to varying extents across six potential behavioral addictions (exercise, gambling, gaming, mobile phone use, pornography use and social media use). Importantly, the review highlighted that no prospective study had examined the effects of short-term abstinence from pornography specifically on the manifestation of withdrawal-related symptoms.
The second part of the present thesis comprised three empirical studies that contributed to filling the aforementioned gaps in the literature by achieving two aims. First, qualitative analyses of phenomenological experiences of abstinence-based recovery were conducted on abstinence journals of members of a pornography 'rebooting' forum (Empirical Study 1; N = 104) and in-depth semi-structured interviews with members of a 12-step group for CSB (Empirical Study 2; N = 14). Descriptions and sense-making of abstinence-based recovery experiences across both communities revealed commonalities (e.g., the importance of lifestyle changes and social support from the group in achieving successful abstinence), but also notable dissimilarities (e.g., nuances in etiological conceptualization of the problematic behavior leading to differences in sense-making about the meaning of abstinence). Second, a randomized controlled design was used to examine whether there were any effects of a seven-day pornography abstinence period on withdrawal-related symptoms (and whether abstinence effects were moderated by self-reported PPU) in a sample of regular pornography users (Empirical Study 3; N = 176). Contrary to confirmatory hypotheses, no evidence of abstinence effects on withdrawal-related symptoms was found, and this was not dependent on level of PPU (but with the caveat that the sample was 64.2% female and had relatively low levels of PPU). However, because exploratory analyses found an abstinence effect on craving when PPU was high and past four-week frequency of pornography use (FPU) crossed the threshold of daily use, the possibility that withdrawal-related symptoms may manifest only at high levels of FPU and PPU needs to be investigated in future prospective studies. Overall, the present thesis provides novel insights into abstinence-based interventions for CSB and PPU and contributes to current theorizing about whether withdrawal-related symptomatology manifests in relation to PPU
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