Useful Lessons (useful + lesson)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Design and implementation of training to improve management of pediatric overweight

THE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 4 2005
Continuing Medical Education, Luke Beno MD Chief
Abstract Introduction: Clinicians report a low proficiency in treating overweight children and using behavioral management strategies. This paper documents the design and implementation of a training program to improve clinicians' skills in the assessment and behavioral management of pediatric overweight. Methods: Two one-hour CME trainings were designed using published guidelines, research findings, and expert committee recommendations. The trainings were provided to clinicians of a managed care pediatric department, utilizing novel screening and counseling tools, and interactive exercises. Surveys and focus groups were conducted 3 and 6 months post intervention to examine clinician attitudes and practices regarding the screening and counseling tools. Results: Post intervention, the majority of clinicians agreed that the clinical practice guidelines (Pediatric Obesity Practice Resource) and BMI-for-age percentile provided useful information for clinical practice. Clinicians reported an increased utilization of the recommended screening tools and changes in office practices to implement these tools. They offered suggestions to improve the ease of use of the tools and to overcome perceived clinician and/or patient barriers. Discussion: A brief, cost effective, multi-faceted training and provision of counseling tools were perceived as helpful to clinical practice. Useful lessons were learned about tool design and ways to fit tools into practice. Training the entire health care team is advantageous to the adoption of new tools and practices. [source]


Gravitational lensing by cosmic strings: what we learn from the CSL-1 case

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2007
M. V. Sazhin
ABSTRACT Cosmic strings were postulated by Kibble in 1976 and, from a theoretical point of view, their existence finds support in modern superstring theories, both in compactification models and in theories with extended additional dimensions. Their eventual discovery would lead to significant advances in both cosmology and fundamental physics. One of the most effective ways to detect cosmic strings is through their lensing signatures which appear to be significantly different from those introduced by standard lenses (i.e. compact clumps of matter). In 2003, the discovery of the peculiar object CSL-1 raised the interest of the physics community since its morphology and spectral features strongly argued in favour of it being the first case of gravitational lensing by a cosmic string. In this paper we provide a detailed description of the expected observational effects of a cosmic string and show, by means of simulations, the lensing signatures produced on background galaxies. While high angular resolution images obtained with Hubble Space Telescope, revealed that CSL-1 is a pair of interacting ellipticals at redshift 0.46, it represents a useful lesson to plan future surveys. [source]


Vertical or holistic decentralization of the health sector?

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2000
Experiences from Zambia, Uganda
Abstract Many countries in Africa have embarked on health sector reforms. The design of the reforms differs considerably. A key feature of the reforms is decentralization, of which Uganda and Zambia are implementing two different models. This paper analyses the two models of health sector reform, and their implications for ultimate development goals. In Uganda, the whole government has been decentralized, with a wide range of powers and resources transferred to the districts. The health care system is part of the political set up of the country. In Zambia, only the health sector has been decentralized. Power and resources for health care have been divested to new parallel organizations. While useful lessons can be drawn from the managerial and administrative experience in the two countries, not least concerning donor coordination, it seems that neither form of decentralization has so far led to a clear and appreciable improvement of health services and, ultimately, to a clear focus on development goals, such as poverty alleviation. The conditions for this to happen are discussed in this paper. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The Transitional Impacts of Municipal Consolidations

JOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 4 2000
Igor Vojnovic
This article examines the transition and short-term effects of municipal consolidation on five recently amalgamated municipalities in Canada. The data for this study were collected from provincial and municipal legislations, tax-rate by-laws and finance reports, as well as surveys and interviews with a variety of municipal officials and mayors. The analysis shows that municipal consolidation involves a complex reorganization of intricate administrative and political structures. Many of the problems encountered, and successes achieved, were particular to the circumstances of the municipalities that amalgamated. Ultimately, the success of consolidation in achieving greater efficiency and effectiveness in governance and service delivery will depend on the distinct history, as well as the spatial and economic circumstances, of the region considering reform. The five case studies, however, provide some useful lessons on how to improve the success of consolidations. [source]


Diabetes service redesign: useful lessons

PRACTICAL DIABETES INTERNATIONAL (INCORPORATING CARDIABETES), Issue 1 2009
G Hawthorne, et al.
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Suzanne MacKenzie Memorial LectureConceptually unclad: feminist geography and Aboriginal peoples,

THE CANADIAN GEOGRAPHER/LE GEOGRAPHE CANADIEN, Issue 3 2004
Evelyn J. Peters
This paper argues that feminist geography can provide some useful lessons in an attempt to increase Aboriginal peoples' representation in geography. It asks the question: How can we use the example of feminist geography to think about a geography that is more inclusive of Aboriginal people? The paper focuses on the issues of content in teaching, drawing on examples from urban and social geography, and on methodological challenges, especially the issue of reflexivity. Feminist geographer Suzanne Mackenzie argued that an emerging feminist geography left the discipline ,conceptually unclad', challenging scholars to consider new theoretical frameworks and new perspectives. I argue that emphasising the geographies of Aboriginal people also enriches geography, including feminist geography. Cet article témoigne en faveur de la géographie féministe qui peut nous donner quelques leçons utiles pour augmenter la représentation du peuple aborigène en géographie. L'article pose la question suivante: comment peut-on utiliser l'exemple de la géographie féministe pour penser à une géographie qui est plus inclusive du peuple aborigène? Cet article insiste sur les questions du contenu d'enseignement, tirant les exemples de la géographie urbaine et sociale, et des défis de méthodologie, particulièrement au sujet de la réflexivité. La géographe féministe, Suzanne Mackenzie, a disputé qu'une géographie féministe émergeante était partie du discipline d'un façon «conceptuellement nu», qui invitent aux érudits à considérer des nouveaux plans de théorie et des nouvelles perspectives. Je dispute que l'emphasis sur les géographies du peuple aborigène peut aussi enrichir la géographie, y compris la géographie féministe. [source]


Lessons from primary succession for restoration of severely damaged habitats

APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 1 2009
Lawrence R. Walker
Abstract Questions: How can studies of primary plant succession increase the effectiveness of restoration activities? Can restoration methods be improved to contribute to our understanding of succession? Results: Successional studies benefit restoration in six areas: site amelioration, development of community structure, nutrient dynamics, species life history traits, species interactions, and modeling of transitions and trajectories. Primary succession provides valuable lessons for understanding temporal dynamics through direct, long-term observations on severely disturbed habitats. These lessons assist restoration efforts on infertile or even toxic substrates. Restoration that uses scientific protocols (e.g., control treatments and peer-reviewed publications) can offer insights into successional processes. Conclusions: A century of studying successional dynamics has provided modern restoration activities with many useful lessons that are not being fully utilized. [source]