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Point Map (point + map)
Selected AbstractsSources of knowledge in clinical practice in postgraduate medical students and faculty members: a conceptual mapJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 4 2007Reza Yousefi-Nooraie MD Abstract Objectives, To determine the most important knowledge sources that can influence clinical practice and to cluster them in conceptual groups based on their relative importance. Methods, Faculty members, fellows and residents of a large teaching tertiary care hospital were asked to rate the importance of different resources in their daily clinical practice and their understanding of some common terms from evidence-based medicine. The knowledge sources were distributed in a two-dimensional map using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. Results, A total of 250 of 320 recruited hospital staff returned the questionnaires. The most important resources in daily practice were English journals, text books and literature searching for faculty members, experience, text books and English journals for fellows and text books, experience and peers for residents. Regional journals were the least important resources for all study groups. About 62.7% of residents did not know the meaning of ,number needed to treat', 36.8%,confidence interval', 54.9%,confounding factor' and 44.6%,meta-analysis'. The percentages for faculty members were 41.3%, 37%, 42.2% and 39.1%. The knowledge sources were placed in four clusters in a point map derived from the multidimensional scaling process. Conclusion, The dominance of the traditional information resources and experience-based medicine debate which is the consequence of traditional approaches to medical education may be one of the considerable barriers to the dissemination of evidence-based medicine in developing countries. The evidence-based clinical practice guidelines could be used as a useful passive-predigested source for busy clinicians to make informed decisions. A considerable Western bias may undermine the local research in developing world. [source] Detection of explosives on human nail using confocal Raman microscopyJOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 2 2009Esam M. A. Ali Abstract Trace amounts of explosives were detected on human nail using confocal Raman microscopy. Contamination of the nail can result from the manual handling, packaging or transportation of explosive substances. Raman spectra were obtained from pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), trinitrotoluene (TNT), ammonium nitrate and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) particles on the surface of the nail with dimensions in the range 5,10 µm. An added difficulty in an analytical procedure is the presence of a nail varnish coating that has been applied, which traps the particulate matter between the coating and nail. Using confocal Raman microscopy, interference-free spectra could be acquired from particles of explosives visually masked by the nail varnish. Spectra of the explosives could be readily obtained in situ within 90 s without alteration of the evidential material. Acquisition of a Raman point map of a PETN particle under the nail varnish coating is also reported. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] On the development and application of a self,organizing feature map,based patent mapR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2002Byung, Un Yoon Recently, the range of R&D management has expanded to include management of technological assets such as technology information, product/process data, and patents. Among others, patent map (PM) has been paid increasing attention by both practitioners and researchers alike in R&D management. However, the limitation of conventional PM has been recognized, as the size of patent database becomes voluminous and the relationship among attributes becomes complex. Thus, more sophisticated data,mining tools are required to make full use of potential information from patent databases. In this paper, we propose an exploratory process of developing a self,organizing feature map (SOFM),based PM that visualizes the complex relationship among patents and the dynamic pattern of technological advancement. The utility of SOFM, vis,à,vis other tools, is highlighted as the size and complexity of the database increase since it can reduce the amount of data by clustering and visualize the reduced data onto a lower,dimensional display simultaneously. Specifically, three types of PM, technology vacuum map, claim point map, technology portfolio map, are suggested. The proposed maps may be used in monitoring technological change, developing new products, and managing intellectual property. [source] Community-based Participatory Research: Development of an Emergency Department,based Youth Violence Intervention Using Concept MappingACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 8 2010Carolyn E. Snider MD, FRCPC ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:1,9 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Objectives:, Emergency departments (EDs) see a high number of youths injured by violence. In Ontario, the most common cause of injury for youths visiting EDs is assault. Secondary prevention strategies using the teachable moment (i.e., events that can lead individuals to make positive changes in their lives) are ideal for use by clinicians. An opportunity exists to take advantage of the teachable moment in the ED in an effort to prevent future occurrences of injury in at-risk youths. However, little is known about perceptions of youths, parents, and community organizations about such interventions in EDs. The aims of this study were to engage youths, parents, and frontline community workers in conceptualizing a hospital-based violence prevention intervention and to identify outcomes relevant to the community. Methods:, Concept mapping is an innovative, mixed-method research approach. It combines structured qualitative processes such as brainstorming and group sorting, with various statistical analyses such as multidimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering, to develop a conceptual framework, and allows for an objective presentation of qualitative data. Concept mapping involves multiple structured steps: 1) brainstorming, 2) sorting, 3) rating, and 4) interpretation. For this study, the first three steps occurred online, and the fourth step occurred during a community meeting. Results:, Over 90 participants were involved, including youths, parents, and community youth workers. A two-dimensional point map was created and clusters formed to create a visual display of participant ideas on an ED-based youth violence prevention intervention. Issues related to youth violence prevention that were rated of highest importance and most realistic for hospital involvement included mentorship, the development of youth support groups in the hospital, training doctors and nurses to ask questions about the violent event, and treating youth with respect. Small-group discussions on the various clusters developed job descriptions, a list of essential services, and suggestions on ways to create a more youth-friendly environment in the hospital. A large-group discussion revealed outcomes that participants felt should be measured to determine the success of an intervention program. Conclusions:, This study has been the springboard for the development of an ED-based youth violence intervention that is supported by the community and affected youth. Using information generated by youth that is grounded in their experience through participatory research methods is feasible for the development of successful and meaningful youth violence prevention interventions. [source] | ||||||||||