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Clear Focus (clear + focus)
Selected AbstractsTwo Key Proteins of the Vitamin D Endocrine System Come Into Crystal Clear Focus: Comparison of the X-ray Structures of the Nuclear Receptor for 1,,25(OH)2 Vitamin D3, the Plasma Vitamin D Binding Protein, and Their Ligands,JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 5 2003Mathew T Mizwicki First page of article [source] ,Clarity' Begins at Home: An Examination of the Conceptual Underpinnings of the IAASB's Clarity ProjectINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 3 2010Ian Dennis This paper examines the IAASB's policy proposals arising out of their review of the drafting conventions in auditing standards that has become known as the Clarity Project. The objectives of the Project and how they changed during its evolution are reviewed. One motivation for the Project was to ensure that auditing standards drafted by the IAASB are ,principles-based'. The failure to adequately consider the meaning of ,principles-based standards' was responsible for a lack of clear focus on what was wanted from the Project. This resulted in two main objectives for the Project. The first was a search for fundamental principles of auditing that was incompletely realized, officially abandoned and subsequently covertly pursued in the revisions made to ISA 200. The second was a desire to promulgate standards that were ,objectives-based' or ,principles-based'. Unfortunately, there was inadequate enquiry into the idea of an objective and the related idea of ,objectives-based' standards. The paper clarifies their nature. It examines the idea of a conceptual framework for auditing and the explanations of objectives and ,objectives-based' standards that emerged during the evolution of the Project. It considers the ideas objectives in ISAs, requirements and explanatory material in order to throw light on the nature of auditing standards that contain them. The question of whether an important distinction between ,requirements' and ,presumptive requirements' has been lost between the first and the second Exposure Draft is examined. This distinction can be explained and justified in terms of a distinction between different concepts of rules. It is suggested that the Clarity Project was a missed opportunity. The results are uncertain because there was a failure to undertake adequate conceptual enquiry into some of the concepts that directed its development. A start is made in rectifying this omission in the paper. [source] Vertical or holistic decentralization of the health sector?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2000Experiences 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 influence of authentic leadership behaviors on trust and work outcomes of health care staffJOURNAL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES, Issue 2 2009Carol A. Wong A key element of a healthy work environment is trust: trust between staff and their leaders. Authentic leadership is proposed as the core of effective leadership needed to build trust because of its clear focus on the positive role modeling of honesty, integrity, and high ethical standards in the development of leader-follower relationships. A model linking authentic leadership behaviors with trust in management, perceptions of supportive groups and work outcomes (including voice or speaking-up behavior, self-rated job performance, and burnout) using secondary analysis procedures was examined. The hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling in two samples of health care employees from a western Canadian cancer care agency: clinical care providers including nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and other professionals (N = 147) and nonclinical employees including administrative, support, and research staff (N = 188). Findings suggest that supportive leader behavior and trust in management are necessary for staff to be willing to voice concerns and offer suggestions to improve the workplace and patient care. [source] Towards Finding the Person in the Data of PersonalityJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2003Stephen G. West This article is based on an address given on the occasion of receiving the 2000 Henry A. Murray award. The article presents a glimpse of my life story in personality and contributions to the field. These are placed in the context of observations about the recent history and sociology of the field. I outline some perspectives on the data that are collected and missing in personality research as well as the analyses that are conducted and those that are not conducted. These considerations identify both some persisting limitations in personality research and alternative analytic approaches that may prove useful in framing and answering new questions. Of particular promise are intensive studies that allow researchers to maintain a clear focus on the individual person. [source] Outcome Effectiveness of Community Health Workers: An Integrative Literature ReviewPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 1 2002Susan M. Swider Ph.D. Community health workers (CHWs) are promoted as a mechanism to increase community involvement in health promotion efforts, despite little consensus about the role and its effectiveness. This article reviews the databased literature on CHW effectiveness, which indicates preliminary support for CHWs in increasing access to care, particularly in underserved populations. There are a smaller number of studies documenting outcomes in the areas of increased health knowledge, improved health status outcomes, and behavioral changes, with inconclusive results. Although CHWs show some promise as an intervention, the role can be doomed by overly high expectations, lack of a clear focus, and lack of documentation. Further research is required with an emphasis on stronger study design, documentation of CHW activities, and carefully defined target populations. [source] Nationwide study of recurrent invasive pneumococcal infections in a population with a low prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infectionCLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 9 2005H. M. Einarsdóttir Abstract Recurrent invasive infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae are rare, and often considered to be indicative of serious underlying illness. However, the prevalence of this problem, and the relevance of specific predisposing conditions, can be hard to assess, since many of the studies are based on specific risk groups. A population-based study of recurrent invasive pneumococcal disease in Iceland during the 30-year period 1975,2004 was performed. Clinical information, including mortality and vaccine use, was analysed retrospectively. Invasive pneumococcal isolates were serotyped and susceptibility testing was performed. During this period, 36 (4.4%) of 819 patients who survived an initial infection experienced recurrence, with a median time between episodes of 9.7 months. Pneumonia with bacteraemia was the most common clinical diagnosis (48% of cases), followed by bacteraemia without a clear focus (21%) and meningitis (13%). Most (94%) of the patients had identifiable predisposing conditions, most commonly, multiple myeloma in adults, and antibody deficiencies in children. Compared with children, adults were more likely to present with pneumonia (65% vs. 18%; p 0.0001). No significant change in the 30-day mortality rate was observed during the three decades of the study. Only 26% of eligible patients received pneumococcal vaccination. Patients with recurrent invasive pneumococcal disease should be investigated thoroughly for underlying diseases. Greater use of pneumococcal vaccines should be encouraged among high-risk patients. More effective preventive and therapeutic measures are needed to improve outcomes. [source] | |||||||||||||