1,738 research outputs found
A Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles
This is the online edition of A Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles, produced by the Dictionary Unit for South African English (DSAE) and published in print in 1996 by Oxford University Press (UK). The original edition has been out of print since 2004, so this is the first time in a decade that the wealth of information on South African English that the dictionary contains has been made widely available. We are very grateful to Rhodes University for its support in enabling us to launch this project. A Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles is now available online as a pilot edition with free access until the end of 2014
Tracing Spasmodic Dysphonia: the source of Ludwig Traube’s priority
Objectives: Since the mid-20th century, one citation is given historical priority as the first description of Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD): Ludwig Traube’s 1871 case of the “spastic form of nervous hoarseness”. Our objective is to understand how this case serves as the foundation of understanding laryngeal movement disorders.
Methods: The original German paper was located and translated. Bibliographical and bibliometric methods are used to determine the citation history of this original source over the past 140 years.
Results: Although secondary citations in contemporary publications typically credit Traube for establishing the clinical entity SD, his case does not conform to currently accepted diagnostic features. Citation patterns indicate the source of Traube’s priority is publications by Arnold and Luchsinger, mid-20th century ENT clinician, particularly their influential 1965 textbook used to train US and UK clinicians on voice disorders for several generations.
Conclusions: Sometimes secondary citations in medical literature lead to the inadvertent perpetuation of factual misrepresentation. The clinical picture of Traube’s original case does not represent what clinicians would recognize as SD today. The rich 19th century literature on voice disorders is a valuable resource for present day clinicians
A concept analysis of befriending
Aim. To report an analysis of the concept of Befriending.
Background. Befriending is an intervention used in a range of nursing, health and
social care settings to provide support for individuals who are socially isolated or
lack social support. However, in many cases befriending and its impact remains
poorly understood and under researched. Concept analysis provides clarification
of the concept and basis for further research and development.
Design. Concept analysis.
Data sources. AMED, Psyc Articles, Psych Info, Medline, MedlinePlus, Social
Science Index and CINHAL databases were searched for literature published
between 1993–2013 using the search term Befriending.
Methods. Walker and Avant’s method of concept analysis was chosen. This
combined with insights from Risjord’s work produced a theoretical concept
analysis which focused on the concept in peer reviewed academic literature.
Results. There are currently several ways the mechanisms of befriending and its
effects on individuals and communities are understood. It is possible however to
identify key attributes which define the concept and differentiate it from related
concepts, such as peer support and mentoring. Key attributes are that it is an
organised intervention, involving the creation of an emotionally connected friendlike
relationship, where there is a negotiation of power.
Conclusion. This concept analysis has clarified current understandings and uses
of befriending. It provides the basis for widening the focus of research into the
effectiveness and impact of befriending on those who are befriended, those who
befriend and the communities where befriending takes place
The measurement of guanxi: Introducing the GRX scale
This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Industrial Marketing Management. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2010 Elsevier B.V.This study posits and examines a measurement scale for measuring guanxi based on three Chinese relational constructs – ganqing, renqing and xinren. Focusing on Anglo-Chinese buyer–seller relationships, the research reports the findings from six qualitative in-depth interviews and survey data obtained from over 200 Taiwanese trading companies. Based on exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses the findings from the final second-order confirmatory factor analysis of the guanxi model identified 11 items for measuring ganqing, renqing, xinren and guanxi respectively. The results offer a useful starting point in order for business practitioners to assess their guanxi and at the same time provide academics with a scale for operationalizing the measurement of guanxi
Political strategies of external support for democratization
Political strategies of external support to democratization are contrasted and critically examined in respect of the United States and European Union. The analysis begins by defining its terms of reference and addresses the question of what it means to have a strategy. The account briefly notes the goals lying behind democratization support and their relationship with the wider foreign policy process, before considering what a successful strategy would look like and how that relates to the selection of candidates. The literature's attempts to identify strategy and its recommendations for better strategies are compared and assessed. Overall, the article argues that the question of political strategies of external support for democratization raises several distinct but related issues including the who?, what?, why?, and how? On one level, strategic choices can be expected to echo the comparative advantage of the "supporter." On a different level, the strategies cannot be divorced from the larger foreign policy framework. While it is correct to say that any sound strategy for support should be grounded in a theoretical understanding of democratization, the literature on strategies reveals something even more fundamental: divergent views about the nature of politics itself. The recommendations there certainly pinpoint weaknesses in the actual strategies of the United States and Europe but they have their own limitations too. In particular, in a world of increasing multi-level governance strategies for supporting democratization should go beyond preoccupation with just an "outside-in" approach
The Hanging/hanged Patient and Relevance to Pre-hospital Care
Death and injury from hanging is a complex situation, which requires careful and appropriate assessment and management in the pre-hospital environment. It is arguably an area of limited understanding and therefore may not be assessed and managed in the most effective manner. Most hanged/hanging patients will be found in their homes, rather than in institutions. It could be argued that due to prevalence as a suicide method, the majority of pre-hospital ambulance service staff will be responded to at least one hanged or hanging patient within their careers, thus a greater understanding will benefit both clinician and patient. Patients who attempt or achieve suicide will rarely achieve fracturing the spine and severing the spinal cord, bringing into question the requirement for the traditional cervical collar and spinal immobilisation techniques. Death from asphyxiation and carotid/vagal reflex require consideration and management as does raised ICP, which is likely to occur
Defining goal terms in development and health
YesMost academic literature uses ‘goal’, ‘aim’, ‘objective’ and ‘target’ as synonymous terms, but development and healthcare sectors define them as distinct etymological entities with varied and confusing interpretations. This review sought to constructively harmonise and differentiate each definition using a thematic framework. An inductive synthesis of definitions of the goal terms collected from 22 literature sources selected through a systematic internet search. Thirty-three specific definitions were reduced through serial category-building to single general definitions, and a set of theoretical themes generated as characteristic framework of each goal. Seven conceptual themes evolved from the synthesis, including the object, scope, hierarchy, timeframe, measurability, significance and expression of each goal term. Two terms, ‘goal’ and ‘aim’ are thematically similar as broad objects of immeasurable terminal impact, with a long-term timeframe. They signify organisational success, expressed as general purpose statements. ‘Objective’ is differentiated as a specific object of measurable intermediate outcome, with short-term timeframe. It signifies intervention effectiveness, expressed as a SMART statement. ‘Target’ is simply a specific quantifiable level of an indicator. Goal, aim, objective and target are conceptually different. New frameworks for writing complete goal statements are proposed, including impact and timeframe; and outcome, indicator and timeframe frameworks for aim and objective respectivel
Finite Element Analysis to model ischemia experienced in the development of device related pressure ulcers.
Pressure ulcers are a common occurrence of damage to skin. Severity ranges from slightly
discoloured skin to full thickness tissue damage which can be fatal in some cases. Engineering effort,
typically developing computational models had made significant progress in the understanding and
demonstration of the formation mechanism of pressure ulcers with the aetiology of excessive stress
however relatively limited attempts had been made to develop relevant models for pressure ulcers
caused by ischemia. The aim of this paper is to present evidence of a computational model
developed to simulate ischemic pressure ulcer formation and demonstrate the established
relationship between the computational data and the acquired clinically relevant experimental data
by utilising laser Doppler velocimetry. The application of the presented computational model and
the established relationship allows the evaluation of the effect of a mechanical loading to the
cutaneous blood flow velocity which is a step closing to understand and evaluate a mechanical load
to the formation of pressure ulcers caused by ischemia
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