4,290 research outputs found
Ethnicity and politics in Africa
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General practitioners' and nurses' experiences of using computerised decision support in screening for diabetic foot disease:implementing Scottish Clinical Information - Diabetes Care in routine clinical practice
<strong>Objective</strong> The Scottish Care Information - Diabetes Collaboration (SCI-DC) developed a computer- based information system to create a shared electronic record for use by all involved in the care of patients with diabetes mellitus. The objectives of this study were to understand primary care practitioners' views towards screening for diabetic foot disease and their experience of the SCI-DC system.
<strong>Method</strong> We conducted an exploratory study using qualitativemethods. Semi-structured interviews were audiotape-recorded, transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis. Seven practice nurses and six general practitioners (GPs) with special responsibility for diabetes care inNHS Lothian participated.
<strong>Results</strong> Primary care clinicians reported good systems in place to screen for diabetes-related complications and to refer their patients to specialist care. Foot ulceration was rarely observed; other diabetesrelated conditions were seen as a higher priority. Most had heard of the SCI-DC foot assessment tool, but its failure to integrate with other primary care information technology (IT) systems meant it was not used in these general practices.
<strong>Conclusions</strong> Adoption of the SCI-DC foot assessment tool in primary care is not perceived as clinically necessary. Although information recorded by specialist services on SCI-DC is helpful, important structural barriers to its implementation mean the potential benefits associated with its use are unlikely to be realised; greater engagement with primary care priorities for diabetes management is needed to assist its successful implementation and adoption
The Credit Crunch: The Roller Coaster Ride Continues
Borrowers face tight credit markets after years of easy credit. This study examines the events that led to the credit crunch and its impact on global economies
Hands Across The Atlantic?
The war in Iraq created a division between the United States and some members of the European Union.Ā The war also split the EU, with France and Germany leading the anti-war camp and Britain, Italy, Portugal, and Spain supporting Washington.Ā With organized warfare over, the United States has shifted its attention from the military campaign to the installation of a legitimate and stable government in Iraq.Ā However, the administration of post-war Iraq has caused the division between the US and Europe to widen.Ā The multilateralists, France and Germany, are demanding a central role for the UN in rebuilding Iraq.Ā France, in particular, believes that the task should be left to the UN alone.Ā They suggest this would help legitimize what they consider to be an illegal war.Ā On the other hand, the US, which accepted a great burden with the pre-emptive attack on Iraq, wants the UN to have a āvitalā but limited role in post-war Iraq.Ā The US believes that the UN needs serious repair before any responsibilities can be handed to it.This study examines the economic, political, and security implications of the division between these old allies.Ā The relationship between the US and EU is based on years of cooperation.Ā Both sides know that they must mend fences sooner rather than later.Ā We contend that pragmatism will triumph over geo-politics
At A Crossroad: The U.S. Economy
The U.S. economy stands at a crossroad.Ā Which path will it take ā the one that leads to sustainable growth, recession or inflation?Ā This paper will examine market imbalances which may indicate the future economic direction
Sub-Prime Mortgages And The Big Bang
Delinquencies and failures of sub-prime mortgages provide evidence that the housing bubble has burst. This study traces the creation of the housing bubble and examines the impact of the sub-prime debacle on world financial markets
he Global Impact Of Chinas Currency Policy: U.S. And Beyond
Since the yuan is pegged to the dollar, the U.S. and Chinese economies have become inter-connected in a myriad of ways. This study examines the global implications of this relationship
The optical variability of the narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 13224-3809
We report on a short optical monitoring programme of the narrow-line Seyfert
1 Galaxy IRAS 13224-3809. Previous X-ray observations of this object have shown
persistent giant variability. The degree of variability at other wavelengths
may then be used to constrain the conditions and emission processes within the
nucleus. Optical variability is expected if the electron population responsible
for the soft X-ray emission is changing rapidly and Compton-upscattering
infrared photons in the nucleus, or if the mechanism responsible for X-ray
emission causes all the emission processes to vary together. We find that there
is no significant optical variability with a firm upper limit of 2 per cent and
conclude that the primary soft X-ray emission region produces little of the
observed optical emission. The X-ray and optical emission regions must be
physically distinct and any reprocessing of X-rays into the optical waveband
occurs some distance from the nucleus. The lack of optical variability
indicates that the energy density of infrared radiation in the nucleus is at
most equal to that of the ultraviolet radiation since little is upscattered
into the optical waveband. The extremely large X-ray variability of IRAS
13224-3809 may be explained by relativistic boosting of more modest variations.
Although such boosting enhances X-ray variability over optical variability,
this only partially explains the lack of optical variability.Comment: 5 pages with 8 postscript figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
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