Decision-making regarding total knee replacement surgery: a qualitative meta-synthesis

Knee osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent condition that can result in disability and reduced quality of life. The evidence suggests that total knee replacement surgery (TKR) is an effective intervention for patients with severe knee problems, but there is also an unmet need for this treatment in the UK. To help understand the reason for this unmet need, the aim of this study was to explore the factors that influence the decision-making process of TKR surgery by synthesising the available evidence from qualitative research on this topic

Group Algebras and Their Applications

Let RG be the group ring of the group G and the ring R. If R is a field, we usually refer to RG as a group algebra. We initially describe the unit group of the group algebra F2 kD8 where F2 k is a Galois Field of 2k elements and D8 is the dihedral group of order 8. We then describe the unitary unit group of F2 kD8. Furthermore, we show the connection between unitary units in group rings and self-dual codes. Finally, we construct certain self-dual codes from the unitary units of the group algebra F2 kD8

The dialectical and trinitarian structure of Paul Tillich's systematic theology: with reference to G. W. F. Hegel and F. W. J. Schelling

The first half of this thesis delineates two different dialectical approaches present in Paul Tillich's Systematic Theology, which help shape both the structure and the Trinitarian content of the system. The first is a polar form of dialectic, present largely in the first volume ofthe Systematic Theology, which helps shape Tillich's dialectical ontology of being and non-being, and which closely resembles the dialectical approach of F.W.J. Schelling. The second is a triadic form of dialectic, observable throughout all three volumes ofthe Systematic Theology, which helps shape Tillich's existential description of salvation and history in terms of essence and existence, and which suggests a heretofore unexplored resemblance to the distinctly triadic systematic approach of G.W.F. Hegel. This half of the thesis concludes that, taken as a whole, the dialectical structure of Tillich's system more closely resembles a Hegelian, triadic shape.The second halfof this thesis explores the Trinitarian structure of Tillich's Systematic Theology, as well as the concept of the Trinity as employed by Hegel and Schelling. As with the concept of dialectic, the concept of the Trinity is also significantly different in the Hegelian and Schellingian systems. This part of the thesis demonstrates that Tillich's systematic employment of a Trinitarian framework is significantly removed from Schelling's interpretation of the Trinity in his lectures on religion. It further demonstrates that Tillich's use of the Trinity more closely resembles Hegel's use of it in his lectures on religionIn addition to its demonstration of the presence of Hegelian concepts and content within the Systematic Theology, this examination is unique in its consultation of recent English language publications concerning German Idealism. In the case of Schelling, this includes recent translations and critical editions of some of his major works; in the case of Hegel, it includes recent critical editions of some of his major works, compiled from original manuscripts and early translations and editions

Design science research with focus groups - a pragmatic meta-model

Purpose – The purpose of this research paper is to present a pragmatic and systematic approach to conduct and document Design Science Research (DSR) activities with Focus Groups (FG), exploring its continuous usage and providing traceability between problem, requirements, solutions, and artifacts. Design/methodology/approach – To conduct the research and produce the meta-model for DSR with FG, a DSR approach was adopted using a conceptual model for Action Design Research already available. The artifact is the result from a specific literature review to define requirements, a careful design, and a refinement stage where it was widely used and tested in real IS implementation projects. Findings – The main outcome of this research is a specific meta-model for DSR with FG, that delivers new insights and practical guidelines for academics and professionals conducting and documenting real-world research and development initiatives deep-rooted in stakeholders’ participation. Rigorous and committed stakeholder engagement is a critical success factor in complex projects. The use of a meta-model enables to increase the process effectiveness, by framing debate and stimulating stakeholders’ participation. Research limitations/implications – The meta-model has been endorsed as a practical and useful artifact by the stakeholders participating in the IS projects where it was adopted. However, to fully demonstrate its capabilities and to become more robust, the model must be further used and tested in other application situations and environments. Originality/value – The usage of Focus Groups (FG) in Design Science Research (DSR) has already been proposed as an effective way, either to study artifacts, to propose improvements in its design, or to acknowledge the utility of those artifacts in field use. The paper provides a sound contribution to this line of research by presenting a meta-model that integrates process and data that may be used by researchers and practitioners to conduct their projects.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Topological Properties from Einstein's Equations?

In this work we propose a new procedure for to extract global information of a space-time. We considered a space-time immersed in a higher dimensional space and we formulate the equations of Einstein through of the Frobenius conditions to immersion. Through of an algorithm and the implementation into algebraic computing system we calculate normal vectors from the immersion to find out the second fundamental form. We make a application for space-time with spherical symmetry and static. We solve the equations of Einstein to the vacuum and we obtain space-times with different topologies.Comment: 7 pages, accepted for publication in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Demography and disorders of the French Bulldog population under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013

Abstract Background Despite its Gallic name, the French Bulldog is a breed of both British and French origin that was first recognised by The Kennel Club in 1906. The French Bulldog has demonstrated recent rapid rises in Kennel Club registrations and is now (2017) the second most commonly registered pedigree breed in the UK. However, the breed has been reported to be predisposed to several disorders including ocular, respiratory, neurological and dermatological problems. The VetCompass™ Programme collates de-identified clinical data from primary-care veterinary practices in the UK for epidemiological research. Using VetCompass™ clinical data, this study aimed to characterise the demography and common disorders of the general population of French Bulldogs under veterinary care in the UK. Results French Bulldogs comprised 2228 (0.49%) of 445,557 study dogs under veterinary care during 2013. Annual proportional birth rates showed that the proportional ownership of French Bulldog puppies rose steeply from 0.02% of the annual birth cohort attending VetCompass™ practices in 2003 to 1.46% in 2013. The median age of the French Bulldogs overall was 1.3 years (IQR 0.6–2.5, range 0.0–13.0). The most common colours of French Bulldogs were brindle (solid or main) (32.36%) and fawn (solid or main) (29.9%). Of the 2228 French Bulldogs under veterinary care during 2013, 1612 (72.4%) had at least one disorder recorded. The most prevalent fine-level precision disorders recorded were otitis externa (14.0%, 95% CI: 12.6–15.5), diarrhoea (7.5%, 95% CI: 6.4–8.7), conjunctivitis (3.2%, 95% CI: 2.5–4.0), nails overlong (3.1%, 95% CI% 2.4–3.9) and skin fold dermatitis (3.0%, 95% CI% 2.3–3.8). The most prevalent disorder groups were cutaneous (17.9%, 95% CI: 16.3–19.6), enteropathy (16.7%, 95% CI: 15.2–18.3), aural (16.3%, 95% CI: 14.8–17.9), upper respiratory tract (12.7%, 95% CI: 11.3–14.1) and ophthalmological (10.5%, 95% CI: 9.3–11.9). Conclusions Ownership of French Bulldogs in the UK is rising steeply. This means that the disorder profiles reported in this study reflect a current young UK population and are likely to shift as this cohort ages. Otitis externa, diarrhoea and conjunctivitis were the most common disorders in French Bulldogs. Identification of health priorities based on VetCompass™ data can support evidence–based reforms to improve health and welfare within the breed

The Energy-Momentum tensor on SpincSpin^c manifolds

On $Spin^c$ manifolds, we study the Energy-Momentum tensor associated with a spinor field. First, we give a spinorial Gauss type formula for oriented hypersurfaces of a $Spin^c$ manifold. Using the notion of generalized cylinders, we derive the variationnal formula for the Dirac operator under metric deformation and point out that the Energy-Momentum tensor appears naturally as the second fundamental form of an isometric immersion. Finally, we show that generalized $Spin^c$ Killing spinors for Codazzi Energy-Momentum tensor are restrictions of parallel spinors.Comment: To appear in IJGMMP (International Journal of Geometric Methods in Modern Physics), 22 page

Microwave oven fabricated hybrid memristor devices for non-volatile memory storage

© 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd. Novel hybrid non-volatile memories made using an ultra-fast microwave heating method are reported for the first time. The devices, consisting of aligned ZnO nanorods embedded in poly (methyl methacrylate), require no forming step and exhibit reliable and reproducible bipolar resistive switching at low voltages and with low power usage. We attribute these properties to a combination of the high aspect ratio of the nanorods and the polymeric hybrid structure of the device. The extremely easy, fast and low-cost solution based method of fabrication makes possible the simple and quick production of cheap memory cells