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Multidimensional Approach (multidimensional + approach)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	36%
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	27%
Humanities and Social Sciences	18%

Selected Abstracts

Organization Structure from a Loose Coupling Perspective: A Multidimensional Approach,

DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 2 2001
Rafik I. Beekun
Abstract Organizational theories frequently rely on notions of sharing and dependence among organizational participants, but researchers usually focus on characteristics of the actors themselves instead of the relational patterns among the actors. Loose coupling is one conceptual tool that emphasizes relational patterns. Loose coupling, however, is an abstract metaphor that is simultaneously fertile and ambiguous. This paper develops a rigorous and comprehensive framework that sharpens the theoretical contributions of loose coupling to our understanding of structural relationships. Characteristics of loose coupling capture some important and underexplored features of multidimensional fit and interdependence in organizations. The proposed framework clarifies these theoretical contributions of loose coupling with concepts and equations modified from network analysis. Testable hypotheses are proposed with respect to three key independent variables that may affect patterns of coupling: organization strategy, technology, and environmental turbulence. Additional hypotheses are advanced with respect to the use of the multidimensional approach to loose coupling in studying new organizational forms. Initial psychometric and empirical evidence are presented. [source]

Effective Strategies for Implementing a Multicenter International Clinical Trial

JOURNAL OF NURSING SCHOLARSHIP, Issue 2 2008
Leanne M. Aitken
Purpose:International collaboration in research is essential in order to improve worldwide health. The purpose of this paper is to describe strategies used to administer an international multicenter trial to assess the effectiveness of a nursing educational intervention. Design:The study design was a two-group randomized multicenter international clinical trial conducted to determine whether a brief education and counselling intervention delivered by a nurse could reduce prehospital delay in the event of symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients previously diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Method:A flexible but well-defined project structure showed intervention consistency in five sites among three countries and included experienced project coordinators, multidimensional communication methods, strategies to optimize intervention fidelity, site-specific recruitment and retention techniques, centralized data management, and consideration of ethical and budgetary requirements. Findings:Staff at five sites enrolled 3,522 participants from three countries and achieved 80% follow-up obtained at both 12 and 24 months. Conclusion:Multidimensional approaches to maintain consistency across study sites, while allowing flexibility to meet local expectations and needs, contributed to the success of this trial. Clinical Relevance:In order to support appropriate development of an evidence base for practice, nursing interventions should be tested in multiple settings. A range of strategies is described in this paper that proved effective in conducting a multicenter international trial. [source]

Organization Structure from a Loose Coupling Perspective: A Multidimensional Approach,

The phenomenology of bipolar disorder: what drives the high rate of medical burden and determines long-term prognosis?

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 1 2009
Isabella Soreca M.D.
Abstract Bipolar disorder (BD) has been classically described as one of episodic mood disturbances. New evidence suggests that a chronic course and multisystem involvement is the rule, rather than the exception, and that together with disturbances of circadian rhythms, mood instability, cognitive impairment, a high rate of medical burden is often observed. The current diagnostic approach for BD neither describes the multisystem involvement that the recent literature has highlighted nor points toward potential predictors of long- term outcome. In light of the new evidence that the long-term course of BD is associated with a high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity and an increased mortality from medical disease, we propose a multidimensional approach that includes several symptom domains, namely affective instability, circadian rhythm dysregulation, and cognitive and executive dysfunction, presenting in various combinations that give shape to each individual presentation, and offers potential indicators of overall long-term prognosis. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Mothers reduce egg provisioning with age

ECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 4 2003
David Giron
Abstract Precise and comprehensive data on resource allocation into individual eggs are rare and this empirical void in the literature of life history strategies contrasts with the large number of theoretical studies. We show a marked decrease in reproductive investment in eggs with mother's age for egg size, sugar, protein, lipid and energy contents of eggs for a parasitic wasp. Egg size is a good predictor of offspring fitness, measured as survival of starving neonate larvae, but does not reveal possible biochemical changes. Lipids stabilize quickly at a minimal threshold while proteins and sugars decrease smoothly down to about 30% of the amount invested in the first egg. Because proteins have the highest correlation with egg size, we predict that they should be better predictors of larval fitness than lipids and sugars. Assessing the adaptive value of the observed patterns will require a multidimensional approach to egg provisioning. [source]

Exporting the German Model: The Establishment of a New Automobile Industry Cluster in Shanghai

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2005
Heiner Depner
Abstract: Recent work has provided evidence that the establishment of new industry clusters cannot be jump-started through policy initiatives alone. This evidence does not imply, however, that the genesis of a new cluster cannot be planned at all. Especially in the context of a developing economy, it seems useful to reinvestigate the relation among economic development, the strategies of multinational firms, and state intervention in this respect. Drawing from the case of the automobile industry and its supplier system in Shanghai in which German firms play an important role, we provide empirical evidence of the evolution of a new cluster that is supported by the state in various forms and characterized by a focal, hierarchically structured production system. We use a multidimensional approach to clusters, which leads to a more nuanced understanding of the evolution and growth of a cluster than that provided by earlier accounts. This approach allows us to distinguish the development of the Shanghai automobile industry cluster along its vertical, horizontal, external, institutional, and power dimensions. We provide evidence that another dimension,"culture",plays an important role, especially in its relation to issues of power and institutions. The role of this dimension is demonstrated in the case of German firms, which tap into the Chinese innovation system. This system is characterized by particular business relations, institutions, norms, and various social practices that are new to German firms. We demonstrate how this difference creates problems in establishing local production and supplier relations and how these problems can be overcome. [source]

Combined effect of factors associated with burdens on primary caregiver

GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2009
Hyuma Makizako
Background: It is argued that a multidimensional approach is necessary for burden assessment. Reducing caregiver burden is a social problem in the ageing Japan society. We examined the combined effect of factors affecting the care burden among community-dwelling handicapped people and their caregivers. Methods: The participants were 49 handicapped people (aged 53,104 years) who received home-visit rehabilitation, and their 49 caregivers (age 42,85 years). Caregivers were provided questionnaires consisting of questions on social support, subjective well-being, self-efficacy with regard to care continuation, the Motor Fitness Scale and caregiver burden. Care recipients were assessed using the Bedside Mobility Scale and the Barthel Index. Results: We prepared the hypothesis model using structural equation modeling with the bootstrap method within outcome measures. The hypothesis model did not fit the data well. The impact of the Motor Fitness Scale was shifted from the caregiver burden to care self-efficacy and well-being, having a cooperator for care and variable of spouse caregiver or others associated with caregiver well-being in the revised model. The fit of the revised model was acceptable (goodness of fit index, 0.903; comparative fit index, 0.998; root mean square error of approximation, 0.017). In the revised model, the care recipients' disabled state was associated with caregiver burden. In addition, higher burden and poor motor fitness of caregivers might lead to lower care self-efficacy in providing continuous care and lower caregiver well-being. Conclusion: These findings suggested that the program to reduce caregiver burden should focus on aspects of the care recipients' disabled state, the caregivers' well-being, fitness, and care self-efficacy. [source]

Sleep disturbance experiences among perimenopausal women in Taiwan

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 15 2009
Hsiu-Chin Hsu
Aim., To generate a descriptive theory framework regarding the experiences of sleep disturbances among perimenopausal women in Taiwan. Background., Although studies show that some perimenopausal women are troubled by sleep problems, little information was found about the subjective experiences of sleep disturbances among these women. Research is required to explore women's feelings or perceptions in dealing with their sleep problems. These understandings will be important to help alleviate perimenopausal women's sleep problems. Design., A grounded theory research design was applied. Method., Twenty-one Taiwanese sleep disturbed women, aged 46,57 years, participated in in-depth interviews. Results., ,Getting back a good night's sleep' was the core theme for describing and guiding the process of the women's sleep disturbance experiences. During the process, ,disturbed sleep' was identified as the antecedent condition that included subcategories: easy awakening, difficulty falling asleep, inner worries, physical discomfort and genetic and bodily constitution. Analyses showed five categories (some with subcategories) of the sleep disturbed women: (i) worsening health status , physical exhaustion, impaired social interactions, emotional swings and decreased work performance; (ii) living with lonely nights , self-help and endurance; (iii) a search for resources to relieve sleep difficulties , doctor shopping, trying alternative therapies, exercising and seeking support; (iv) vicious cycle and (v) acceptance of insomnia. Conclusions., Women expected to relieve their sleep disturbance by finding comprehensive counselling or by their body constitution responding to treatment. Healthcare providers need to value women's individual concerns and subjective voices. Providers must seek out sleep counselling instead of simply prescribing drugs for their sleep difficulties. Relevance to clinical practice., It is crucial to integrate perimenopausal sleep care by implementing a multidimensional approach such as sleep assessment laboratories, sleep counselling, complementary alternative medicine, sleep strategies and support groups. [source]

Capacity development for agricultural biotechnology in developing countries: an innovation systems view of what it is and how to develop it

JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2005
Andy Hall
There are divergent views on what capacity development might mean in relation to agricultural biotechnology. The core of this debate is whether this should involve the development of human capital and research infrastructure, or whether it should encompass a wider range of activities which also include developing the capacity to use knowledge productively. This paper uses the innovation systems concept to shed light on this discussion, arguing that it is innovation capacity rather than science and technology capacity that has to be developed. It then presents six examples of different capacity development approaches. It concludes by suggesting that policy needs to take a multidimensional approach to capacity development in line with innovation systems perspective. But it also argues that policy needs to recognise the need to develop the capacity of diversity of innovation systems and that a key part of the capacity development task is to bring about the integration of these different systems at strategic points in time. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

A multidimensional proteomic approach to identify hypertrophy-associated proteins

PROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 7 2006
Merry L. Lindsey Dr.
Abstract Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a leading cause of congestive heart failure. The exact mechanisms that control cardiac growth and regulate the transition to failure are not fully understood, in part due to the lack of a complete inventory of proteins associated with LVH. We investigated the proteomic basis of LVH using the transverse aortic constriction model of pressure overload in mice coupled with a multidimensional approach to identify known and novel proteins that may be relevant to the development and maintenance of LVH. We identified 123,proteins that were differentially expressed during LVH, including LIM proteins, thioredoxin, myoglobin, fatty acid binding protein,3, the abnormal spindle-like microcephaly protein (ASPM), and cytoskeletal proteins such as actin and myosin. In addition, proteins with unknown functions were identified, providing new directions for future research in this area. We also discuss common pitfalls and strategies to overcome the limitations of current proteomic technologies. Together, the multidimensional approach provides insight into the proteomic changes that occur in the LV during hypertrophy. [source]

Trusting souls: A segmentation of the voting public

PSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 12 2002
Leon G. Schiffman
When a 30-year decline in the American voters' trust of political office holders and the election process is contrasted to their enduring trust of the democratic form of government, there is strong confirmation of the need to take a multidimensional approach in measuring political trust. To this end, a segmentation scheme based on two well-established political trust measures (i.e., incumbent-based trust and regime-based trust) is proposed. In particular how two specific trust segments differ in terms of the time they spend on various political and election-related activities is examined. Among other things, the findings reveal that the dual-trusting segment (i.e., those who were both regime and incumbent trusting) were substantially more likely than the regime-only trusting segment (i.e., those who were regime trusting and incumbent untrusting) to watch television debates or speeches and have informal discussions with friends and co-workers on topics related to the election. There were no meaningful differences between the two segments when it came to giving or raising funds, or campaigning for a candidate or political party. However, when it came to voting-related decision making, the results suggest that dual-trusting individuals were significantly more likely to spend more than a little time considering how they were going to vote for President, U.S. Senate, and on particular political issues. The article ends with suggestions for future research, as well as some thoughts on how politicians and their advisers might more fully embrace the relational marketing paradigm, especially as it pertains to the connection between elected officials and the voting public. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source]