107 research outputs found

    Is Hamlet Scandinavian Crime Fiction?

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    This paper combines two of the suggested topics: “law as an instrument of ideology” and “ideological interpellation through law” as it explores whether or not it is possible to use literary fiction as part of an argument in legal argumentation. The use of such an argument is strongly connected with an attitude of state to art, culture and values included both in art and law. Art as a part of a socio-cultural system is one of the material sources of law so it would be natural to admit it in just judicial decision. Unfortunately it is not typical for law to use such relationships between art and law to make judicial decisions better or at least more persuasive. It may be caused by the fact that the choice of what literary fiction is suitable for legal argumentation and which is not can be seen as a kind of ideology. Therefore the state determines which art is “good enough” to be a part of legal reasoning. Usually it differs between “high art” and “mass culture.” It results in a form of “labelling” of art. Unfortunately, by evaluating art in such a manner each state manifests itself as almost a totalitarian one. Socialist realism was a very expressive example. So it is not a matter for the democratic state to decide which piece of art is capable to influence law, is it? In this contribution I will emphasize Žižek’s critique of ideology in order to deal with ideology in argumentation by literary fiction in law. Besides that I will draw inspiration from Law and Literature movements. The aim of my paper is to explain how literary fiction can be used as a legal argument in a proper way as a necessary social appeal through law.This paper combines two of the suggested topics: “law as an instrument of ideology” and “ideological interpellation through law” as it explores whether or not it is possible to use literary fiction as part of an argument in legal argumentation. The use of such an argument is strongly connected with an attitude of state to art, culture and values included both in art and law. Art as a part of a socio-cultural system is one of the material sources of law so it would be natural to admit it in just judicial decision. Unfortunately it is not typical for law to use such relationships between art and law to make judicial decisions better or at least more persuasive. It may be caused by the fact that the choice of what literary fiction is suitable for legal argumentation and which is not can be seen as a kind of ideology. Therefore the state determines which art is “good enough” to be a part of legal reasoning. Usually it differs between “high art” and “mass culture.” It results in a form of “labelling” of art. Unfortunately, by evaluating art in such a manner each state manifests itself as almost a totalitarian one. Socialist realism was a very expressive example. So it is not a matter for the democratic state to decide which piece of art is capable to influence law, is it? In this contribution I will emphasize Žižek’s critique of ideology in order to deal with ideology in argumentation by literary fiction in law. Besides that I will draw inspiration from Law and Literature movements. The aim of my paper is to explain how literary fiction can be used as a legal argument in a proper way as a necessary social appeal through law

    ReseArch with Patient and Public invOlvement: a RealisT evaluation - the RAPPORT study

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    Background Patient and public involvement (PPI) is a prerequisite for many funding bodies and NHS research ethics approval. PPI in research is defined as research carried out with or by the public rather than to, about or for them. While the benefits of PPI have been widely discussed, there is a lack of evidence on the impact and outcomes of PPI in research. Objectives To determine the types of PPI in funded research, describe key processes, analyse the contextual and temporal dynamics of PPI and explore the experience of PPI in research for all those involved. Mechanisms contributing to the routine incorporation of PPI in the research process were assessed, the impact of PPI on research processes and outcomes evaluated, and barriers and enablers to effective PPI identified. Design A three-staged realist evaluation drawing on Normalisation Process Theory to understand how far PPI was embedded within health-care research in six areas: diabetes mellitus, arthritis, cystic fibrosis, dementia, public health and learning disabilities. The first two stages comprised a scoping exercise and online survey to chief investigators to assess current PPI activity. The third stage consisted of case studies tracked over 18 months through interviews and document analysis. The research was conducted in four regions of England. Participants Non-commercial studies currently running or completed within the previous 2 years eligible for adoption on the UK Clinical Research Network portfolio. A total of 129 case study participants included researchers and PPI representatives from 22 research studies, and representatives from funding bodies and PPI networks

    Barriers and supports to implementation of MDI/spacer use in nine Canadian pediatric emergency departments: a qualitative study

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite recent research supporting the use of metered dose inhalers with spacer devices (MDI/spacers) in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) for acute exacerbations of asthma, uptake of this practice has been slow. The objectives of this study were to determine the barriers and supports to implementing MDI/spacer research and to identify factors associated with early and late adoption of MDI/spacers in Canadian PEDs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using a comparative case study design, we classified nine tertiary care pediatric hospital PEDs based on their stage of implementation. Data were collected using focus group interviews with physicians, registered nurses (RNs), and respiratory therapists (RTs), and individual interviews with both patient care and medical directors at each site. Initial coding was based on the Ottawa Model of Research Use (OMRU) categories of elements known to influence the uptake of innovations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One hundred and fifty healthcare professionals from nine different healthcare institutions participated in this study. Lack of leadership in the form of a research champion, a lack of consensus about the benefits of MDI/spacers among staff, perceived resistance from patients/parents, and perceived increased cost and workload associated with MDI/spacer use were the most prevalent barriers to the adoption of the MDI/spacer. Common strategies used by early-adopting sites included the active participation of all professional groups in the adoption process in addition to a well-planned and executed educational component for staff, patients, and families. Early adopter sites were also more likely to have the MDI/spacer included in a clinical protocol/pathway.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Potential barriers and supports to implementation have been identified that will help EDs adopt MDI/spacer use. Future interventions intended to increase MDI/spacer use in PEDs will need to be sensitive to the barriers identified in this study.</p

    Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

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    BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

    Dectin-1 Positive Dendritic Cells Expand after Infection with Leishmania major Parasites and Represent Promising Targets for Vaccine Development

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    Acknowledgments This work was supported by the Priority Program of the German Research Foundation (DFG) (RI 1849/2-1 and 4-1) and the Wellcome Trust (102705). We gratefully acknowledge our Ethiopian partners at the Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa. Rawleigh Howe for excellent supervision of flow cytometry analysis performed at the Armauer Hansen Research Institute and Selfu Girma, Birtukan Endale, Genet Amare and Hareg Yetesh for technical support during the field trips and laboratory work. Supplementary Material The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at http://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.00263/full#supplementary-material.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
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