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Actual Experience (actual + experience)
Selected AbstractsDon't kill the messenger: writing history and warCRITICAL QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2005RICHARD TOBIAS This article explores the effort to invert Edmund Burke's Sublime and the Beautiful to talk about the Hell and the Ugly of warfare. Official histories fall into the 'rotted language' (Wallace Stevens) of ancient heroics. Since the actual experience of warfare is beyond language, irony - a dangerous and difficult force - is the recourse. Since no Thucydides can write our history of the thirty-one-year war between August of 1914 and August of 1945, a few participants have sufficient irony to find language to convey the actual horror of our inhumanity. The public, however, prefers to obliterate this message. [source] Sclerosing Foam in the Treatment of Varicose Veins and Telangiectases: History and Analysis of Safety and ComplicationsDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 1 2002Alessandro Frullini MD objective. To review the use of sclerosing foam in the treatment of varicose veins, to describe the different techniques of foam preparation, and to report the complications of our 3-year experience with this treatment. method. From November 1997 to the end of October 2000, 453 patients were treated with a sclerosing foam for large, medium, and minor varicosities with sodium tetradecylsulfate (STS) or polidocanol (POL). A first group of 257 patients (90 for minor varicosities and 167 for medium to large veins) received a sclerosing foam according to the Monfreux technique. From December 1999 to October 2000, 196 patients were treated with a sclerosing foam prepared according to Tessari's method (36 for minor size veins or teleangectasias and 170 for medium-large veins). Every patient was studied with (color-flow) duplex scanning before and after the treatment and large vein injections were administered under duplex guide. results. The immediate success rate was 88.1% in the first group for the medium-large veins. In the same districts we registered an early success rate in 93.3% for the patients treated with the Tessari's method. The complication rate (mostly minor complications) was 8.5% in the first group and 7.1% in the second group. conclusion. The use of sclerosing foam may become an established therapy in the treatment of varicose veins with a high success rate, low cost, and low major complication rate. According to our actual experience and knowledge, the safe amount of foam should not exceed the 3-ml limit, but further advancements could come from standardization of the foam preparation technique. [source] Stability of preferences with regard to adjuvant chemotherapy: impact of treatment decision, experience and the passing of timeEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 1 2008S.J.T. JANSEN phd Research has shown that patients' preferences for adjuvant chemotherapy do not change as a result of experience. However, the preferences of experienced patients are usually more favourable than those of inexperienced patients. These results indicate a shift in preferences after the decision to proceed with adjuvant chemotherapy has been made, but before actual experience. We tested this assumption in early-stage breast and colorectal cancer patients. We asked patients to provide their preferences for chemotherapy before surgery and thus before they knew whether chemotherapy would be advised (T1), after surgery but before the start of chemotherapy (T2) and about 1 month after chemotherapy (T3). Patients who did not undergo chemotherapy co-operated at similar points in time. Preferences were measured on a nine-point scale, ranging from (1) ,very strong preference for no chemotherapy' to (9) ,very strong preference for chemotherapy'. As hypothesized, the preferences of patients who would be treated with chemotherapy became more favourable after the treatment decision had been made (n = 7, P = 0.06). The preferences of patients for whom chemotherapy was not part of the treatment plan showed the opposite effect (n = 38, P = 0.03). We did not find any effect of experiencing treatment (n = 22, P = 0.62) or the passing of time (n = 81, P = 0.25) on the stability of preferences. We conclude that the frequently observed discrepancy in treatment preferences between experienced and inexperienced patients seems to be an effect of the treatment decision and not of experience of the treatment. [source] Predicting risk selection following major changes in medicareHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2008Steven D. Pizer Abstract The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 created several new types of private insurance plans within Medicare, starting in 2006. Some of these plan types previously did not exist in the commercial market and there was great uncertainty about their prospects. In this paper, we show that statistical models and historical data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey can be used to predict the experience of new plan types with reasonable accuracy. This lays the foundation for the analysis of program modifications currently under consideration. We predict market share, risk selection, and stability for the most prominent new plan type, the stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan (PDP). First, we estimate a model of consumer choice across Medicare insurance plans available in the data. Next, we modify the data to include PDPs and use the model to predict the probability of enrollment for each beneficiary in each plan type. Finally, we calculate mean-adjusted actual spending by plan type. We predict that adverse selection into PDPs will be substantial, but that enrollment and premiums will be stable. Our predictions correspond well to actual experience in 2006. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Experienced Traveller as a Professional Author: Friedrich Ludwig Langstedt, Georg Forster and Colonialism Discourse in Eighteenth-Century GermanyHISTORY, Issue 317 2010CHEN TZOREF-ASHKENAZI The aim of this article is to show the centrality of the concept of experience in the cultural industry of travel writing in eighteenth-century Germany as well as examining the influence of British colonial discourse on German interpretations of the non-European world. The first aim is achieved through analysing the literary career of Friedrich Ludwig Langstedt, who on the basis of a five-year stay in India, was able to claim the status of expert on the non-European world and become the author of many books on a variety of subjects related to travel. His case is compared to that of Georg Forster, whose career was similarly shaped by the experience of travel. Both of them represent relatively rare examples in the eighteenth century of literary agents with actual experience in travel outside Europe. The second aim is achieved through an analysis of Langstedt's interpretations of India, showing how his support for East India Company rule was based on uncritical borrowings from British sources. A comparison with Forster's more critical treatment of British colonialism in India shows that Forster was much influenced by British sources. [source] A new spin on losses looming larger than gains: asymmetric implicit associations from slot machine experienceJOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 4 2008Scott A. Akalis Abstract Kahneman and Tversky's prospect theory states, among other things, that losses loom larger than gains. As much research as this simple idea has generated, key questions remain. How fundamental is the losses-looming-larger effect: will it emerge under more minimal circumstances than previously tested and will it manifest in implicit associations? And how does the actual experience of predominant losses or gains affect the losses-looming-larger effect? In two experiments employing non-traditional methods, participants experienced slot machine spins in which symbols were paired with gain, loss, and neutral outcomes. After experiencing these pairings, participants took Implicit Association Tests (IATs). In Experiment 1, implicit associations formed by the minimal experience of the slot machine were lopsided: negative associations with the loss symbol were stronger than positive associations with the gain symbol. In addition, it was found that the extent to which losses loomed larger depended on the context of the slot machine experience, with losses looming implicitly larger than gains most when they were fewer in number (participants experienced a net-gain) and least when they were the predominant outcome (participants experienced a net-loss). Finally, in Experiment 2, a potential artifact was ruled out and a replication obtained by showing that slot machine losses implicitly loom larger whether conceptualized from the perspective of a casino player or a casino owner. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Incident Command Skills in the Management of an Oil Industry Drilling Incident: a Case StudyJOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2005M.T. Crichton The successful management of a complex, hazardous event in many domains demands a high level of incident command skills. In the oil and gas exploration and production industry, these skills were required by members of an Incident Management Team (IMT) established to respond the failure of a drilling riser in the Gulf of Mexico. When an incident occurs, members of an industrial IMT form an interdisciplinary, interdependent, but ad-hoc team. As actual experience of dealing with major incidents of this nature is relatively rare, IMT members have to rely on emergency exercises in training, along with existing domain-specific knowledge. Following a serious incident on an offshore drilling rig, semi-structured interviews with the on-shore strategic and tactical level IMT members (n=7) were conducted. These interviews have resulted in the identification and definition of incident command skills for members of an industrial IMT, namely decision making, situation awareness, communication, leadership, and teamwork, all of which can be affected by stress, as well as organisational factors that influenced the outcome of the incident. Limitations in current incident management training were identified, namely the need for specific incident command skills training. A framework is suggested around which specific incident command skills training can be structured. Key learnings from this case study are also presented which can provide guidance for the training and preparation of industrial incident management teams. [source] Medical students' perceptions of their educational environment: expected versus actual perceptionsMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2007Susan Miles Objective, To compare Year 1 medical students' perceptions of their educational environment at the end of Year 1, with their expectations at the beginning of the year using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). Methods, Year 1 students (n = 130) at the University of East Anglia Medical School were asked to complete the DREEM during their induction week at the beginning of Year 1, thinking about the educational environment they expected to encounter (Expected DREEM), and again as part of a compulsory evaluation at the end of Year 1, thinking about the educational environment they had actually experienced (Actual DREEM). A total of 87 students (66.92% of the starting cohort) completed the DREEM on both occasions and gave permission for their data to be published. Results, The Expected DREEM score was 153 out of a maximum of 200, and the Actual DREEM score was 143. Student's expected perceptions of learning and teachers, and their expected academic self- and social self-perceptions were all more positive than their actual perceptions. There was no difference between expected and actual perceptions of atmosphere. Specific aspects of the educational environment showing dissonance were identified. In some areas students' low expectations had been matched by their actual experience. Conclusions, Medical students had started Year 1 with expectations about the educational environment that had not been met. However, areas showing dissonance received low item scores on the Actual DREEM and as such would be picked up for remediation, even without information about student expectations. [source] Understanding Atrial Symptom Reports: Objective versus Subjective PredictorsPACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 8 2005SAMUEL F. SEARS Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with a variety of symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, and other signs of heart failure, which in turn impact quality of life (QOL). Implantable cardioverter defibrillators with atrial therapies (ICDs-ATs) have been shown to reduce AF symptoms and improve QOL in select AF samples. Method: This study examined the strength of relationships between objective (device-detected AF events) versus subjective (emotional symptoms) data and AF symptoms (number) reported as part of the Patient Atrial Shock Survey of Acceptance and Tolerance Study (N = 96, 72% men, M age = 65, SD = 12). Depression and anxiety were assessed via the Center for Epidemiological Studies,Depression Scale and the-State Trait Anxiety Inventory. AF disease burden was measured via a number of device-detected AF episodes and the Atrial Tachyarrhythmia Symptom Severity Scale. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that negative emotions accounted for a significant 13.2% of unique variance in AF symptom score (F change (1, 54) = 9.625, P = 0.003). On the other hand, the number of device-detected AF episodes accounted for non-significant 8.2% of unique variance in the AF symptom score (P = 0.167). The full model explained 25.7% of the variance in AF symptom score (F(6, 54) = 3.110, P = 0.011). Specifically, greater number of treated AF episodes (,= 0.251, P = 0.043) and higher levels of negative emotions (,= 0.369, P = 0.003) predicted greater number of reported AF symptoms. Conclusion: Therefore, psychological distress may be a significant confounding factor affecting patient's report of AF symptoms rather than the actual experience of recurrent AF episodes. [source] The Future of a Discipline: Considering the ontological/methodological future of the anthropology of consciousness, Part I,ANTHROPOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS, Issue 1 2010Toward a New Kind of Science, its Methods of Inquiry ABSTRACT Calling for an expanded framework of EuroAmerican science's methodology whose perspective acknowledges both quantitative/etic and qualitative/emic orientations is the broad focus of this article. More specifically this article argues that our understanding of shamanic and/or other related states of consciousness has been greatly enhanced through ethnographic methods, yet in their present form these methods fail to provide the means to fully comprehend these states. They fail, or are limited, because this approach is only a "cognitive interpretation" or "metanarrative" of the actual experience and not the experience itself. Consequently this perspective is also limited because the researcher continues to assess his or her data through the lens of their symbolic constructs, thereby preventing them from truly experiencing shamanic and psi/spirit approaches to knowing since the data collection process does not "in and of itself" affect the observer. We, therefore, need expanded ethnographic methods that include within their approaches an understanding of methods and techniques to experientially encounter these states of consciousness,and become transformed by them. Our becoming transformed and then recollecting our ethnoautobiographical experiences is the means toward a new kind of science and its methods of inquiry that this article seeks to encourage. [source] Regional Integration and the Co-ordination of Capital Income TaxationECONOMIC NOTES, Issue 1 2002Valeria De Bonis This paper addresses the question of the need for income tax harmonization in the context of regional integration. It analyses the international distortions and fiscal interdependence arising in the presence of tax rate differentials both under a theoretical and an empirical perspective, and with reference to actual experiences of harmonization attempts. Attention is also paid to the influence of the countries' size on the results, to the strategic behaviour of countries under different international taxations rules, and to the relationships with the countries excluded by the integration process. International tax uniformity does not appear to be the preferable solution, even if some form of concerted agreements might help in reducing inefficiencies deriving from taxation differentials. For instance, in the case of highly mobile factors, like financial capital, if the integrating countries apply the source principle and the interest rate is the same across them, the source-based tax rate on non residents must equal the residence country tax rate on residents. Such a rule would allow the countries to set autonomously their tax rate and, at the same time, eliminate cross-border effects. If there are more than two integrating countries, the tax rates on non residents should discriminate according to the internal tax rate of the residence country. (J.E.L.: H87, F20, H20). [source] Training Civil Servants for Crisis ManagementJOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2000Laurent F. Carrel This article describes and reflects upon actual experiences in training leaders in the Swiss government. Five thematic areas that are fundamental to preparing a government for leadership in a crisis are presented. Additionally, planning the training, the use of expertise and factors which facilitate or hinder strategic learning are discussed. The author recommends the development of a model learning strategy for governments, with the assistance of the European Academy for Crisis Management. [source] Does fertilizer use respond to rainfall variability?AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2010Panel data evidence from Ethiopia Fertilizer use; Rainfall; Highlands of Ethiopia; Panel data Abstract In this article, we use farmers' actual experiences with changes in rainfall levels and their responses to these changes to assess whether patterns of fertilizer use are responsive to changes in rainfall patterns. Using panel data from the Central Highlands of Ethiopia matched with corresponding village-level rainfall data, the results show that the intensity of current year's fertilizer use is positively associated with higher rainfall levels experienced in the previous year. Rainfall variability, on the other hand, impacts fertilizer use decisions negatively, implying that variability raises the risks and uncertainty associated with fertilizer use. Abundant rainfall in the previous year could depict relaxed liquidity constraints and increased affordability of fertilizer, which makes rainfall availability critical in severely credit-constrained environments. In light of similar existing literature, the major contribution of the study is that it uses panel data to explicitly examine farmers' responses to actual weather changes and variability. [source] Thinking Ahead: Complexity of Expectations and the Transition to ParenthoodJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 2 2000S. Mark Pancer This study examined the integrative complexity of thinking in individuals making the transition to parenthood, and the relationship between complexity and adjustment during this period. Sixty-nine couples were interviewed 3 months before their babies were born, and 6 months after the birth. The prenatal interview focused on individuals' expectations about what it would be like being a parent; the postnatal interview focused on individuals' actual experiences as parents. In addition, participants completed measures of depression, self-esteem, and marital satisfaction after each interview, and a measure of stress after the 6-month postnatal interview. Both men and women demonstrated a significant increase in the complexity of their thinking from the prenatal to the postnatal interview, with women demonstrating higher levels of complexity at both times. In addition, women with more complex expectations demonstrated better adjustment after their babies were born than did women with simpler expectations; these results were not obtained for men. Results are discussed with regard to the way in which thinking about the self changes as one negotiates major life transitions, and the way in which complex thinking can help counter some of the stresses that individuals may experience at these times. [source] Attachment and spousal caregivingPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 1 2001JUDITH A. FEENEY A community sample of 362 married couples participated in a study of attachment and spousal caregiving, which combined qualitative and quantitative components. The qualitative component focused on actual experiences of caregiving, assessed by participants' semi-structured accounts of a situation involving their role as caregiver for their spouse. Attachment styles and their underlying dimensions (comfort with closeness, anxiety over relationships) were related to the type of support provided, the coping strategies used in the situation, caregivers' feelings about the quality of their care, perceived effects on the couple bond, and the emotional tone of the accounts. The quantitative component tested a theoretical model of factors predicting willingness to provide care for the spouse if he or she should become dependent in later life. Measures of attachment and caregiving styles, attachment to spouse, and anticipated burden provided reliable prediction of willingness to care. The results support the conceptualization of attachment and caregiving as interrelated features of marital bonds, and they have important implications for patterns of family caregiving. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||