731 research outputs found
Turystyka luksusowa i turystyka wysokiej klasy – kluczowe zagadnienia i trendy
The article aims to familiarise the reader with the concept of luxury tourism (high-end tourism), trace relevant global consumer trends and to look at the relationship between luxury tourism and sustainable development. The authors rely on the literature that refers to the concept of luxury or high-end tourism, strategic documents published by supranational and national tourism organizations, and a pilot comparative analysis of selected tourist products from the luxury tourism sector. The article is for illustrative purposes only.Artykuł ma na celu przybliżenie pojęcia „turystyka luksusowa”, prześledzenie trendów konsumenckich na świecie w odniesieniu do tego typu turystyki oraz pochylenie się nad związkiem turystyka luksusowa – zrównoważony rozwój. Autorzy opierają się na literaturze przedmiotu, dokumentach strategicznych publikowanych przez międzynarodowe i narodowe organizacje turystyczne oraz na pilotażowej analizie porównawczej ofert wybranych usługodawców z sektora turystyki luksusowej. Artykuł ma charakter poglądowy
Sticking and Making:Technology as glue for families separated by prison
Everydayness links the histories and crescendos of our lives. Once we lose this glue , many of our reference points for linking these histories are lost and the structure and patterns of our lives start to unravel. For families separated by prison, telephone calls and letters offer a form of glue, but punitive structures place many constraints on this type of communication. These constraints result in a transformation of technology, often resulting in re-configuration to the point where it plays a different role in the prison context. The analysis presented in this paper points to the need for developing both technologies that support the sharing of everyday experiences and that have functionality to help families re-establish and adjust family relationships and roles. In this analysis we consider how the punitive climate impacts on communication technology design and how to balance this climate with the objective of strengthening family ties
Purpose, Meaning, and Exploring Vocation in Honors Education
This paper examines the importance of cultivating a sense of vocation in honors education. Through examples of coursework, program initiatives, and advising strategies, authors from across five institutions align the scholarship of vocation with best practices and principles in contemporary honors discourse, defining vocation in the context of higher education and describing how this concept works within honors curricula to enrich student experience and cultivate individual understandings of purpose. By focusing on critical reflection processes, Ignatian pedagogy, and theories of moral development and reasoning, the authors offer different models to advance the thesis that honors educators can and should address personal fulfillment in addition to intellectual talent, and they posit vocational exploration and discernment as tools for extending and deepening their students’ personal sense of meaning in local and global communities
An evaluation of the business plan and web site of ECB, an E-commerce business
This research conducted a study of ECB's Web site, focusing on 1) whether this site functions as both a communication medium and a transaction medium for ECB's current business plan, and 2) the site's overall usability. Through interviews with ECB personnel, ECB's business plan, Web site users and tasks, and Web site organization were documented. The site organization and business plan were compared to determine the extent to which the site supports the business plan. Utilizing the user population and task data, a two-part usability text with eight participants was then developed and conducted to determine user satisfaction with the site and navigational efficiency. The results of the usability test were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively and recommendations for the improvement of ECB's site were made
Perceived Value & Usefulness of the Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone
The doctoral capstone is the culminating experiential learning component of the entry-level occupational therapy doctorate degree, however there is limited literature regarding its usefulness or value as perceived by graduates. This qualitative descriptive study used focus groups with a semi-structured interview guide to ask participants about the value and usefulness of their doctoral capstones. A total of 200 recent occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) graduates from three OTD programs in the Midwest and Southwest were contacted and 21 consented to participate. Researchers identified several themes that were relevant to both occupational therapy practitioners and occupational therapy programs. The four themes that emerged were (1) Becoming a Professional: Recognition of Professional Skill Development, (2) An Essential Skill to Be a Life-long Learner: Self-directed Learning, (3) Finding Employment: Impacts on Career Trajectory, and (4) Shifting from Student to Professional: Impacts of Mentorship. Barriers and disadvantages were also tracked and reported. Despite differences between occupational therapy programs, graduates reported many similar experiences indicating the value and usefulness of the doctoral capstone. Understanding perceptions held by recent graduates regarding the value and usefulness of the doctoral capstone may enhance program faculty members’ abilities to design capstone curriculum, support the need to develop mentors, and to continue education regarding the doctoral capstone to the profession at large
Characteristics of antidepressant medication users in a cohort of mid-age and older Australians
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate antidepressant use, including the class of antidepressant, in mid-age and older Australians according to sociodemographic, lifestyle and physical and mental health-related factors. METHODS: Baseline questionnaire data on 111,705 concession card holders aged ⩾45 years from the 45 and Up Study—a population-based cohort study from New South Wales, Australia—were linked to administrative pharmaceutical data. Current- and any-antidepressant users were those dispensed medications with Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification codes beginning N06A, within ⩽6 months and ⩽19 months before baseline, respectively; non-users had no antidepressants dispensed ⩽19 months before baseline. Multinomial logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted relative risk ratios (aRRRs) for predominantly self-reported factors in relation to antidepressant use. RESULTS: Some 19% of the study population (15% of males and 23% of females) were dispensed at least one antidepressant during the study period; 40% of participants used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) only and 32% used tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) only. Current antidepressant use was markedly higher in those reporting: severe versus no physical impairment (aRRR 3.86(95%CI 3.67–4.06)); fair/poor versus excellent/very good self-rated health (4.04(3.83–4.25)); high/very high versus low psychological distress (7.22(6.81–7.66)); ever- versus never-diagnosis of depression by a doctor (18.85(17.95–19.79)); low-dose antipsychotic use versus no antipsychotic use (12.26(9.85–15.27)); and dispensing of ⩾10 versus <5 other medications (5.97(5.62–6.34)). Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were also associated with use, although to a lesser extent. Females, older people, those with lower education and those with poorer health were more likely to be current antidepressant users than non-users and were also more likely to use TCAs-only versus SSRIs-only. CONCLUSIONS: Use of antidepressants is substantially higher in those with physical ill-health and in those reporting a range of adverse mental health measures. In addition, sociodemographic factors, including sex, age and education were also associated with antidepressant use and the class of antidepressant used.Emily Banks and Bryan Rodgers are supported by the NHMRC (Fellowship No. 1042717 and 471429, respectively). This project was supported by the Study of Economic and Environmental Factors in health project, funded by the National Health and
Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) (grant reference: 402810) and NHMRC project grant 1024450
Development, Implementation and Evaluation of Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones: A National Survey
Entry-level clinical doctorate degrees are becoming more prevalent in the United States for occupational therapy. As indicated by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® standards, the doctoral capstone is an essential component to the entry-level doctorate degree. Despite the importance of the doctoral capstone, there have been limited publications about doctoral capstone development, implementation, and evaluation. A retrospective review was completed on qualitative descriptive data from a national electronic survey of entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (EL-OTD) programs regarding implementation of the doctoral capstone experience and project. Fifteen EL-OTD programs responded to the survey. Based on results, there was not one universal framework used for development, implementation, or evaluation. Aggregate data is presented for the timeframe of the doctoral capstone, role of faculty advisors, professions of capstone site mentors, number of students completing the experience at more than one site, and methods used for evaluation of student performance. Of the eight possible focus areas for the doctoral capstone, advanced clinical skills was the focus most frequently selected followed by program and policy development. Understanding current methods used for development, implementation, and evaluation of the doctoral capstone allows mentors, community leaders, and occupational therapy educators to gain a greater understanding of the implications the doctoral capstone may have on student outcomes. Survey results indicate great variety in approaches to design, implementation, and evaluation of the doctoral capstone
Clinical consultations and investigations before and after discontinuation of endocrine therapy in women with primary breast cancer
Objective: Although clinical trials recommend that women with hormone-dependent primary breast cancer remain on endocrine therapy for at least 5 years, up to 60% discontinue treatment early. We determined whether these women had consulted with clinicians or had investigations for cancer recurrence or metastasis around the time they discontinued endocrine therapy, and whether clinical contact continued after discontinuation.
Methods: We performed case-control and cohort studies of women from the 45 and Up Study who were diagnosed with invasive primary breast cancer between January 2003 and December 2008, and who had ≥12 months of anastrozole, exemestane, letrozole or tamoxifen subsequently dispensed.
Results: Women who consulted general practitioners and surgeons/oncologists, and women who had breast ultrasound/mammogram were just as likely to discontinue endocrine therapy within 30 days as those who did not consult these clinicians or have this investigation. In the 6 months after early discontinuation, women who discontinued endocrine therapy were less likely to consult general practitioners (adjusted risk ratio [RRadj] 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75, 0.86) and surgeons/oncologists (RRadj 0.62; 95% CI 0.54, 0.72) than those who remained on therapy.
Conclusions: For most women, endocrine therapy discontinuation did not appear to follow consultation with doctors managing their breast cancer treatment or investigations for recurrence or metastasis. However, women who discontinued endocrine therapy were less likely to consult their general practitioner or surgeon/oncologist in the 6 months following discontinuation than those who remained on therapy. Of the clinician groups studied, general practitioners are best placed to engage and support women to continue pharmacotherapy. However, mechanisms are needed to prompt clinicians to do this at every visit
Human milk fortification strategies for improved in-hospital growth of preterm infants
Human milk is the preferred feed for preterm infants, yet it may need to be fortified for optimal growth and development.
Standard fortification of human milk seldom meets the recommended intake of protein, leading to inadequate post-natal
growth. This article aims to critically review different human milk fortification strategies with a focus on in-hospital growth of
premature infants in resource-limited settings. Super, adjustable and target fortification are compared to standard fortification.
Different growth outcome parameters limit comparability of findings, but super fortification and adjustable fortification present
opportunities to explore. More uniform growth outcome assessment is recommended. Practical implementation and costeffectiveness
in the local setting need to be investigated.http://www.sajcn.co.za/index.php/SAJCNam2017Human Nutritio
The Smoking MUMS (Maternal Use of Medication and Safety) Study: protocol for a population-based cohort study using linked administrative data
Introduction: Approximately 14% of Australian women smoke during pregnancy. Although the risk of adverse outcomes is reduced by smoking cessation, less than 35% of Australian women quit smoking spontaneously during pregnancy. Evidence for the efficacy of bupropion, varenicline or nicotine replacement therapy as smoking cessation aids in the non-pregnant population suggest that pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation is worth exploring in women of childbearing age. Currently, little is known about the utilisation, effectiveness and safety of pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation during pregnancy; neither the extent to which they are used prior to pregnancy nor whether their use has changed in response to related policy reforms. The Smoking MUMS (Maternal Use of Medications and Safety) Study will explore these issues using linked person-level data for a population-based cohort of Australian mothers. Methods and analysis: The cohort will be assembled by linking administrative health records for all women who gave birth in New South Wales or Western Australia since 2003 and their children, including records relating to childbirth, use of pharmaceuticals, hospital admissions, emergency department presentations and deaths. These longitudinal linked data will be used to identify utilisation of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies during and between pregnancies and to explore the associated smoking cessation rates and maternal and child health outcomes. Subgroup and temporal analyses will identify potential differences between population groups including indigenous mothers and social security recipients and track changes associated with policy reforms that have made alternative smoking cessation pharmacotherapies available.Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been obtained for this study. To enhance the translation of the project's findings into policy and practice, policy and clinical stakeholders will be engaged through a reference group and a policy forum will be held. Outputs from the project will include scientific papers and summary reports designed for policy audiences
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