Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Study Findings (study + finding)
Kinds of Study Findings Selected AbstractsAnother Breed of "Service" Animals: STARS Study Findings About Pet Ownership and Recovery From Serious Mental IllnessAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2009Jennifer P. Wisdom PhD This study elucidates the role of pets in recovery processes among adults with serious mental illness. Data derive from interviews with 177 HMO members with serious mental illness (52.2% women, average age 48.8 years) in the Study of Transitions and Recovery Strategies (STARS). Interviews and questionnaires addressed factors affecting recovery processes and included questions about pet ownership. Data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory method to identify the roles pets play in the recovery process. Primary themes indicate pets assist individuals in recovery from serious mental illness by (a) providing empathy and "therapy"; (b) providing connections that can assist in redeveloping social avenues; (c) serving as "family" in the absence of or in addition to human family members; and (d) supporting self-efficacy and strengthening a sense of empowerment. Pets appear to provide more benefits than merely companionship. Participants' reports of pet-related contributions to their well-being provide impetus to conduct more formal research on the mechanisms by which pets contribute to recovery and to develop pet-based interventions. [source] Preventing growth in amphetamine use: long-term effects of the Midwestern Prevention Project (MPP) from early adolescence to early adulthoodADDICTION, Issue 10 2009Nathaniel R. Riggs ABSTRACT Aim The aim of the current study was to examine the long-term effect of an early adolescent substance abuse prevention program on trajectories and initiation of amphetamine use into early adulthood. Design Eight middle schools were assigned randomly to a program or control condition. The randomized controlled trial followed participants through 15 waves of data, from ages 11,28 years. This longitudinal study design includes four separate periods of development from early adolescence to early adulthood. Setting The intervention took place in middle schools. Participants A total of 1002 adolescents from one large mid-western US city were the participants in the study. Intervention The intervention was a multi-component community-based program delivered in early adolescence with a primary emphasis on tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use. Measures At each wave of data collection participants completed a self-report survey that included questions about life-time amphetamine use. Findings Compared to a control group, participants in the Midwestern Prevention Project (MPP) intervention condition had reduced growth (slope) in amphetamine use in emerging adulthood, a lower amphetamine use intercept at the commencement of the early adulthood and delayed amphetamine use initiation. Conclusions The pattern of results suggests that the program worked first to prevent amphetamine use, and then to maintain the preventive effect into adulthood. Study findings suggest that early adolescent substance use prevention programs that focus initially on the ,gateway' drugs have utility for long-term prevention of amphetamine use. [source] Monogenic diabetes: information seeking and genetic testing access via e-mailEUROPEAN DIABETES NURSING, Issue 2 2010M Shepherd RGN, PhD Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer Abstract Background: Confirmation of monogenic diabetes by molecular genetic testing has allowed many patients, often previously assumed to have type 1 diabetes, to transfer from insulin injections to sulphonylurea tablets, with improvements in glycaemic control and quality of life: www.diabetesgenes.org provides information about monogenic diabetes and genetic testing. Aim: To investigate key issues raised by individuals who e-mailed the monogenic diabetes team about genetic testing and monogenic diabetes management. Methods: Sixty e-mail enquiries, received over a six-month period from patients and professionals worldwide, were analysed using a qualitative thematic content approach. Results: Five themes emerged: 1. Accessing genetic technology: patients and professionals both enquired about access to testing; 2. Presentation of evidence: medical facts presented by patients and professionals included characteristics specifically relevant to diagnosing monogenic diabetes; 3. Experiences of healthcare: patients often researched their condition online and some felt dissatisfied with routine consultations; 4. Seeking specialist advice regarding treatment: specific information was sought relating to management of neonatal diabetes or monogenic diabetes and pregnancy; 5. Searching for a cure through genetic technology: patients questioned whether genetic advances would lead to a cure for diabetes. Conclusion: This project offers the first insights into use of e-mail as a means of gaining access to a specialist monogenic team and information about genetic testing. Although providing advice via e-mail can prove complicated, particularly when received from patients under the care of other clinicians, it is an efficient means of communicating specialist knowledge. Study findings will aid development of a ,frequently asked questions' section of www.diabetesgenes.org. Copyright © 2010 FEND [source] Barriers and strategies affecting the utilisation of primary preventive services for people with physical disabilities: a qualitative inquiryHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 4 2006Thilo Kroll PhD Abstract Individuals with physical disabilities are less likely to utilise primary preventive healthcare services than the general population. At the same time they are at greater risk for secondary conditions and as likely as the general population to engage in health risk behaviours. This qualitative exploratory study had two principal objectives: (1) to investigate access barriers to obtaining preventive healthcare services for adults with physical disabilities and (2) to identify strategies to increase access to these services. We conducted five focus group interviews with adults (median age: 46) with various physically disabling conditions. Most participants were male Caucasians residing in Virginia, USA. Study participants reported a variety of barriers that prevented them from receiving the primary preventive services commonly recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force. We used a health services framework to distinguish structural,environmental (to include inaccessible facilities and examination equipment) or process barriers (to include a lack of disability-related provider knowledge, respect, and skilled assistance during office visits). Participants suggested a range of strategies to address these barriers including disability-specific continuing education for providers, the development of accessible prevention-focused information portals for people with physical disabilities, and consumer self-education, and assertiveness in requesting recommended services. Study findings point to the need for a more responsive healthcare system to effectively meet the primary prevention needs of people with physical disabilities. The authors propose the development of a consumer- and provider-focused resource and information kit that reflects the strategies that were suggested by study participants. [source] The relevance of organizational subculture for motivation to transfer learningHUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2008Toby Marshall Egan Although human resource development practitioners and researchers emphasize organizational culture as a major contributor to employee learning and development, results from this study suggest organizational subculture has greater influence on employee-related learning motivation. The relationships among organizational culture, organizational subculture, leadership style, and motivation to transfer learning are examined in this study of 354 randomly selected health care providers from a population of 1,255 employees of three of the largest health care organizations in the United States. Study findings indicate that organizational subculture was highly associated with employee motivation to transfer learning,far higher than organizational culture overall. Supportive and innovative subcultures have clear positive relationships, while bureaucratic subcultures negatively influenced motivation to transfer learning. Findings also support the differences between leadership style types and particular subculture types in relation to motivation to transfer learning. In terms of leadership style, a consideration style had a stronger relationship to motivation to transfer learning than did structuring style. Implications for HRD research and practice are explored. [source] Near misses: Paradoxical realities in everyday clinical practiceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 6 2008Lianne Jeffs RN PhD (c) This qualitative study was conducted to define and describe what constitutes and contributes to near miss occurrences in the health-care system and what is needed to ensure safer processes of care. Nine health-care organizations (13 sites total) including six academic health sciences centres (acute care, mental health and geriatric) and three community hospitals participated in this study. The final sample consisted of 37 focus groups (86 in the nursing staff only; 62 in the pharmacy staff only; and 99 in the mixed nursing and pharmacy focus groups respectively) and 120 interviews involving 144 health-care consumers. Data were collected using focus groups (health-care professionals) and key informant interviews (health-care consumers). A multi-level content analyses schema (transcription, coding, categorizing, internal consistency, thematic analysis and community validation) was used. Six themes emerged from the multi-level content analyses that combined focus group (health-care professionals) and key informant interview (health-care consumers) data. These themes are discussed under the three original research questions with supporting data derived from codes and categories. Study findings implicate changes for the health-care landscape relative to system, health policy, professional development and quality improvement. [source] Treatment of low turbidity water by sweep coagulation using bentoniteJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2005Yun-Hwei Shen Abstract A novel strategy of sweep coagulation to treat low turbidity water is presented herein. Study findings demonstrated that an Na+ -saturated bentonite with medium cation exchange capacity (CEC) resulted in significant turbidity removal at a bentonite dosage of 30 mg dm,3. Bentonite dispersion with fully delaminated platelets tended to undergo a more porous type of coagulation with intense face-to-face interactions of platelets and effectively entrapped TiO2 particles in band-type structures. This type of coagulation usually results in a large volume of settled flocs with a fluffy structure and excellent turbidity removal efficiency for sweep coagulation. The sign and magnitude of electrical charge on TiO2 particles has a minor effect on the efficiency of sweep coagulation. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Early parenthood in a community context: neighborhood conditions, race,ethnicity, and parenting stress,JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Lydia M. Franco Research has highlighted the role of intrapersonal and family characteristics on stress, but less attention has been paid to the potential influence of the community context and racial-ethnic differences in early parental experiences. Using an ecological model, this study examines the impact of neighborhood-level social disorder and social cohesion on parenting stress and whether this is universal across mothers of different race,ethnicities in a sample of mothers of young children in large U.S. cities. Study findings show that neighborhood context is significantly associated with parenting stress and minority parents experience less stress than White parents in higher-disordered neighborhoods. Findings highlight the need to improve community conditions, social support, and resources to reduce parenting stress. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Rules, Red Tape, and Paperwork: The Archeology of State Control over MigrantsJOURNAL OF HISTORICAL SOCIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008DAVID COOK MARTÍN How and with what consequences did state control over migration become acceptable and possible after the Great War? Existing studies have centered on core countries of immigration and thus underestimate the degree to which legitimate state capacities have developed in a political field spanning sending and receiving countries with similar designs on the same international migrants. Relying on archival research, and an examination of the migratory field constituted by two quintessential emigration countries (Italy and Spain), and a traditional immigration country (Argentina) since the mid-nineteenth century, this article argues that widespread acceptance of migration control as an administrative domain rightfully under states' purview, and the development of attendant capacities have derived from legal, organizational, and administrative mechanisms crafted by state actors in response to the challenges posed by mass migration. Concretely, these countries codified migration and nationality laws, built, took over, and revamped migration-related organizations, and administratively encaged mobile people through official paperwork. The nature of efforts to evade official checks on mobility implicitly signaled the acceptance of migration control as a bona fide administrative domain. In more routine migration management, states legitimate capacity has had unforeseen intermediate- and long-term consequences such as the subjection of migrants (and, because of ius sanguinis nationality laws, sometimes their descendants) to other states' administrative influence and the generation of conditions for dual citizenship. Study findings challenge scholarship that implicitly views states as constant factors conditioning migration flows, rather than as developing institutions with historically variable regulatory abilities and legitimacy. It extends current work by specifying mechanism used by state actors to establish migration as an accepted administrative domain. [source] Leading change through an international faculty development programmeJOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 8 2009LORA C. LACEY-HAUN PhD Aims, The purpose of the study was to evaluate the modification of an American model of academic leadership training for utilization in an African university and to pilot test the efficacy of the resulting model. Background, Traditionally many educators have moved into administrative positions without adequate training. Current world standards require leadership preparation for a wide array of persons. However, this opportunity did not yet exist in the study setting. Method, University leaders from the University of the Western Cape and the University of Missouri collaborated on revising and pilot testing a successful American academic leadership programme for use among African faculty. Cross-cultural adaptations, participant satisfaction and subsequent outcomes were assessed during the 2-year ,train-the-trainer' leadership development programme. Results, African faculty successfully modified the American training model, participated in training activities, and after 2 years, began to offer the service to other institutions in the region, which has increased the number of nurses in Africa who have had, and who will continue to have, the opportunity to move up the career ladder. Conclusion, The impact of the project extended further than originally expected, as the original plan to utilize the training materials at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) for the in-house faculty was expanded to allow UWC to utilize the modified materials to serve leadership development needs of faculty in other African universities. Implications for nursing management, Study findings will inform those interested in university policy and procedure on leadership training issues. The successful development of a self-sustaining leadership programme in which values of multiple cultures must be appropriately addressed has a significant impact for nursing administration. With the severe nursing shortage, health care institutions must develop cost effective yet quality development programmes to assure the succession of current staff into leadership positions. We no longer have the luxury of recruiting broadly and we must identify those talented nurses within our own institutions and prepare them for advanced leadership roles. This succession plan is especially important for the next generation of nurse leaders representing minority populations. In particular, nurse managers will find the overview of the literature for middle managers enlightening, and may find links to key resources that could be revised to be more culturally relevant for use in a wide array of settings. [source] Use of Computer Technology to Enhance Immigrant Families' AdaptationJOURNAL OF NURSING SCHOLARSHIP, Issue 1 2006Jenny Hsin-Chun Tsai Purpose: To summarize how computer technology influenced immigrant families' adaptation to life in the United States. Design: Critical ethnography. Methods: Data were collected from 1998 to 2000 from 13 parents and 16 children from nine Taiwanese immigrant families using semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. Narrative analysis was used with interview data. Findings: Participants faced the demands of language proficiency, economic survival, loss of social networks, and social disconnection during resettlement. Computer technology provided participants with new occupational opportunities and strategies to overcome the barriers and stress created by resettlement. Internet and E-mail access greatly facilitated these participant families' adaptation. Conclusions: Study findings warrant further exploration to assess how new computer technology promotes immigrant families' adaptation and alleviates stress associated with resettlement, including information about their health and health care. [source] Women's Decision Making About the Use of Hormonal and Nonhormonal Remedies for the Menopausal TransitionJOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 6 2003Rosemary Theroux Objective: To critically review qualitative research on women's decision making about the use of hormonal and nonhormonal remedies for the menopausal transition. Data Sources: Computerized searches in CINAHL, MEDLINE, Medscape, and PsychINFO databases, using the keywords decision making, hormone therapy, herbal remedies, attitude toward hormone therapy, and qualitative research; and ancestral bibliographies. Study Selection: Articles from indexed journals from 1982 to 2001 in the English language relevant to the keywords were evaluated. Sixteen studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Data Extraction: Study findings were organized into several categories and compared and contrasted across publications and categories. Data Synthesis: Half of the researchers described decision making as a weighing of benefits and risks. Women's considerations, beliefs, and values, as well as interaction with the environment, were primary influences on the process. Conclusions: Major gaps in care for midlife women were identified. Women need information about the process of menopause and the range of available options for menopause management. Nurses can play a major role in providing information, counseling, and developing decision aids. Women's values and beliefs, cultures, life contexts, and desire for involvement in the decision should guide interventions. [source] USE OF SOIL AND WATER PROTECTION PRACTICES AMONG FARMERS IN THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION OF THE UNITED STATES,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 4 2000Ted L. Napier ABSTRACT: Data were collected in the fall of 1998 and the winter of 1999 from 1,011 land owner-operators within three watersheds in the North Central Region of the United States to assess adoption of soil and water protection practices. Farm owner-operators were asked to indicate how frequently they used 18 different agricultural production practices. Many farmers within the three watersheds had adopted conservation protection practices. However, they also employed production practices that could negate many of the environmental benefits associated with conservation practices in use. Comparison of adoption behaviors used in the three watersheds revealed significant differences among the study groups. Respondents in the Iowa and Ohio watersheds reported greater use of conservation production systems than did farmers in Minnesota. However, there were no significant differences between Ohio and Iowa farmers in terms of use of conservation production practices. This was surprising, since farmers in the Ohio watershed had received massive amounts of public and private investments to motivate them to adopt and to continue using conservation production systems. These findings bring into serious question the use of traditional voluntary conservation programs such as those employed in the Ohio watershed. Study findings suggest that new policy approaches should be considered. It is argued that "whole farm planning" should be a significant component of new agricultural conservation policy. [source] Actualizing Gadow's moral framework for nursing through research,NURSING PHILOSOPHY, Issue 2 2003Daryl Sharp Minicucci PhD RN CS NPP Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe how Sally Gadow's perspectives on existential advocacy as the moral framework for the nurse,patient relationship were synthesized with a general theory of motivation, self-determination theory (SDT), to inform the design of a study in which the influence of interpersonal care on the process of tobacco dependence treatment was explored. Consistent with the tenets of existential advocacy, participants who perceived their care providers as interpersonally sensitive and bringing more of their whole selves to the care encounter reported more autonomous motivation and felt competence for stopping smoking. The integration of existential advocacy with SDT, which led to the empirical work in which Gadow's ideas were actualized and her model supported, is described. Study findings are discussed in light of Gadow's philosophical views, and implications for nursing highlighted. [source] Developing a Caregiving Tradition in Opposition to One's Past: Lessons from a Longitudinal Study of Teenage MothersPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 2 2000D.N.Sc., Lee SmithBattle R.N. Although teenage mothering has been exhaustively studied, the cross-sectional designs and the deficit-finding focus of empirical-rational studies have exaggerated the negative consequences of an early pregnancy and have obscured how teenage mothering is often a rite of passage to adulthood, particularly in the absence of middle-class resources and aspirations. In examining the experiences of young mothers, an 8-year longitudinal study sought to understand how teenage mothers extend and develop family caregiving traditions. The original sample included 16 families and 39 subjects. Multiple individual and family interviews were conducted once the teen's first-born infant reached 8 to 10 months of age, and then 4 and 8 years later. Data from all three study periods were analyzed using the interpretive method. The following analysis provides an in-depth account of how young mothers with an oppressive past strive to become the parents they want to be. In addition, the teen mother's difficulties and struggles of creating a more positive maternal legacy and the role that positive and negative examples of parenting play in fostering or hindering the development of a new caregiving tradition are described. Study findings have implications for how clinical practice and social policy can better assist mothers to become the mothers they want to be. [source] Cannabis Withdrawal Among Non-Treatment-Seeking Adult Cannabis Users,THE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS, Issue 1 2006Marc L. Copersino PhD This study investigates the clinical significance of a cannabis withdrawal syndrome in 104 adult, non-treatment-seeking, primarily cannabis users who reported at least one serious attempt to stop using cannabis. Retrospective self-report data were obtained on eighteen potential cannabis withdrawal symptoms derived from the literature, including co-occurrence, time course, and any actions taken to relieve the symptom. Study findings provide evidence for the clinical significance of a cannabis withdrawal syndrome, based on the high prevalence and co-occurrence of multiple symptoms that follow a consistent time course and that prompt action by the subjects to obtain relief, including serving as negative reinforcement for cannabis use. [source] Psychosocial Differences Between Whites and African Americans Living With HIV/AIDS in Rural Areas of 13 US StatesTHE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2006Bernadette Davantes Heckman PhD ABSTRACT:,Context: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevalence rates are increasing rapidly in rural areas of the United States. As rural African Americans are increasingly affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), it is important to identify psychosocial factors unique to this group so that AIDS mental health interventions can be culturally contextualized to meet their unique needs. Purpose: The current study characterized psychosocial functioning in 43 rural African Americans living with HIV/AIDS and compared their levels of functioning to those of 196 HIV-infected rural white persons. Methods: All participants were recruited through AIDS service organizations in 13 US states. Surveys were completed as part of a preintervention phase of a randomized clinical trial evaluating 2 mental health interventions for HIV-infected rural persons. Findings: Compared to their white counterparts, fewer African Americans had progressed to AIDS. African American participants also reported higher levels of coping self-efficacy, more support from family members, and marginally fewer depressive symptoms, and they engaged in more active coping. African Americans who had greater HIV disease severity also received less support from family members and experienced more loneliness. Conclusions: Study findings caution that rural African Americans and whites living with HIV disease should not be considered a homogeneous group. [source] The application of neural networks to predict abnormal stock returns using insider trading dataAPPLIED STOCHASTIC MODELS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, Issue 4 2002Alan M. Safer Abstract Until now, data mining statistical techniques have not been used to improve the prediction of abnormal stock returns using insider trading data. Consequently, an investigation using neural network analysis was initiated. The research covered 343 companies for a period of 4½ years. Study findings revealed that the prediction of abnormal returns could be enhanced in the following ways: (1) extending the time of the future forecast up to 1 year; (2) increasing the period of back aggregated data; (3) narrowing the assessment to certain industries such as electronic equipment and business services and (4) focusing on small and midsize rather than large companies. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Scope of practice of occupational therapists working in Victorian community health settingsAUSTRALIAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010Lynne Quick Background/aim:,Current health policy places emphasis on community-based health care and it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of people receiving care in community settings. This study aimed to examine the profile and scope of practice of occupational therapists working in Victorian community health settings and the amount and type of health promotion activity incorporated into their role. Method:,An anonymous postal questionnaire was sent to 205 community-based Victorian occupational therapists. One hundred and one (49.3% response rate) questionnaires were returned, with 72 respondents (35.1%) meeting study inclusion criteria. A descriptive research design was used to address study aims. Results:,Results indicate that the majority of community health occupational therapists are experienced practitioners, have a varied scope of practice and report a high level of job satisfaction. Compared with previous studies, there is an increase in new graduate occupational therapists starting their career in community health settings, a greater number of part-time workers and a diversification of clinical and non-clinical roles. Barriers to practice that exist include high demand for service, limited funding and time spent on administrative tasks. Although health promotion was regarded as an important role of community health workers, a large number of therapists were not involved in this activity because of limited knowledge and clinical work taking priority. Conclusion:,Study findings have implications for occupational therapy training, and there is a clear need for input at policy level to address the significant resource allocation issues raised. [source] Myocardial Perfusion As Assessed by Positron Emission Tomography During Long-Term Mechanical Circulatory SupportCONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 2 2006George V. Letsou MD Although mechanical circulatory support (MCS) can improve myocardial function in patients with advanced heart failure, its effects on relative myocardial perfusion are unclear. Using positron emission tomographic imaging techniques, the authors assessed relative myocardial perfusion in patients with ischemic or idiopathic cardiomyopathy who were receiving chronic MCS with a left ventricular assist device (pulsatile HeartMate [n=2] [Thoratec Corporation, Pleasanton, CA] or nonpulsatile Jarvik 2000 [n=4] [Jarvik Heart, Inc., New York, NY]). Relative myocardial perfusion was compared at lower and higher levels of MCS (50 vs. 100,110 ejections/min for the HeartMate and 8000 vs. 12,000 rpm for the Jarvik 2000). The size and severity of perfusion defects at rest and after dipyridamole stress were measured objectively and subjectively by computer algorithms and visual inspection, respectively. Relative myocardial perfusion increased >5% from baseline in only one of six patients when MCS was increased. No change in relative myocardial perfusion of >5% was seen in any of the other five patients, even after subsequent dipyridamole stress positron emission tomographic imaging. These pilot study findings suggest that the decreased metabolic requirements induced by ventricular unloading correspondingly decreased blood flow requirements to physiologically inactive myocardium. [source] Contesting the Curriculum: An Examination of Professionalism as Defined and Enacted by Australian History TeachersCURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 3 2007FIONA HILFERTY ABSTRACT In this article, I present an analysis of professionalism as defined and enacted by the History Teachers' Association of New South Wales (HTANSW). This analysis was part of a larger doctoral project (2000,2005) in which I employed critical qualitative inquiry to compare and contrast the contribution that two subject teaching associations (science and history) make to the project of teacher professionalism in Australia. My aim for this project was to explore what professionalism means in practice for a unique group of teachers: those who have made an active and fundamental commitment to their subject community by voluntarily serving on the executive committee of their subject-based professional association. In this article, I present findings from the case account of the HTANSW,an organization that operates locally as a professional teacher community and a representative organization for school-based history teachers. This case account details the manoeuvrings of an association that powerfully asserts an expansive role for history teachers as both contributors to, and critical commentators on, curriculum policy. In this article, I conceptualise the actions of this association as an enacted form of teacher professionalism. Drawing on study findings, I explicate my conception of professionalism as an enacted discourse of power and I show how this discourse is enacted in subject-specific ways. [source] Capability, Quality, and Performance of Offshore IS Vendors: A Theoretical Framework and Empirical InvestigationDECISION SCIENCES, Issue 2 2010Prashant C. Palvia ABSTRACT Information systems (IS) offshoring has become a widespread practice and a strategic sourcing choice for many firms. While much has been written by researchers about the factors that lead to successful offshoring arrangements from the client's viewpoint, the vendor's perspective has been largely scarce. The vendor perspective is equally important as offshore IS vendors need to make important decisions in terms of delivering operational and strategic performance and aligning their resources and processes in order to meet or exceed targeted outcomes. In this article, we propose and test a three-level capability,quality,performance (CQP) theoretical framework to understand vendor outcomes and their antecedents. The first level of the framework represents three vendor capabilities: relationship management, contract management, and information technology management. The second level has three mediating variables representing process quality: partnership, service, and deliverable quality. The third level has three dependent variables representing vendor outcomes: operational performance, strategic performance, and satisfaction. The model was tested with 188 vendor firms from India and China, the two most popular destinations for IS offshoring. Results support the CQP framework; vendor capabilities are significant predictors of intermediate quality measures, which in turn affect vendor outcomes. Implications of the study findings to both theory development and IS offshore vendor strategic decision making are discussed. [source] Customization Strategies in Electronic Retailing: Implications of Customer Purchase Behavior,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 1 2009Sriram Thirumalai ABSTRACT In this article, we assess the implications of customer purchase behavior on customization in electronic retailing. We develop a classification scheme for customization strategies in electronic retailing. The classification scheme comprises three customization strategies: (i) transaction customization, (ii) decision customization, and (iii) product customization. We develop scales to measure each of the three customization strategies using a systematic four-stage scale development process. Building on the extant literature on customer purchase behavior, we design an experiment to examine the alignment of the customization strategies with three well-established product types: (i) convenience goods, (ii) shopping goods, and (iii) specialty goods, and its implications for customer value. The findings of the experiment indicate that there are significant differences in the customer value for the three customization strategies across the three product types. The contributions of the study, the managerial implications of the study findings, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. [source] A systematic review of studies validating the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in antepartum and postpartum womenACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2009J. Gibson Objective:, The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the most widely used screening tool for postpartum depression (PPD). We systematically reviewed the published evidence on its validity in detecting PPD and antepartum depression (APD) up to July 2008. Method:, Systematic review of validation studies of the EPDS included 1987,2008. Cut-off points of 9/10 for possible PPD, 12/13 for probable PPD and 14/15 for APD were used. Results:, Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Sensitivity and specificity of cut-off points showed marked heterogeneity between different studies. Sensitivity results ranged from 34 to 100% and specificity from 44 to 100%. Positive likelihood ratios ranged from 1.61 to 78. Conclusion:, Heterogeneity among study findings may be due to differences in study methodology, language and diagnostic interview/criteria used. Therefore, the results of different studies may not be directly comparable and the EPDS may not be an equally valid screening tool across all settings and contexts. [source] Cancer incidence in patients with schizophrenia and their first-degree relatives , a meta-analysisACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2008V. S. Catts Objective:, Controversy concerning cancer incidence in schizophrenia exists because of heterogeneous study findings. Method:, A meta-analysis was performed on standardized incidence ratios (SIR) of cancer in patients with schizophrenia and first-degree relatives and compared with general population samples. Results:, The pooled overall cancer incidence in patients was not significantly increased (SIR = 1.05, CI 0.95,1.15). Lung cancer incidence was slightly increased (SIR = 1.31, CI 1.01,1.71), but was reduced after adjusting for smoking prevalence. The incidence of several cancers unrelated to smoking was reduced in patients. Breast cancer rates were significantly increased in female patients. The pooled overall cancer incidence in siblings (SIR = 0.89, CI 0.84,0.94) and parents (SIR = 0.90, CI 0.88,0.93) was significantly reduced. A meta-regression detected a significant relationship between cancer risk in the general population and relative risk in patients. Conclusion:, The meta-analysis aided exploration of inconsistent study findings. There is a discrepancy between cancer risk exposure and cancer incidence in schizophrenia consistent with a protective effect. [source] Democratic Republic of the Congo: undoing government by predationDISASTERS, Issue 4 2006Edward B. Rackley Abstract This paper draws on two periods of field research, conducted in 2004, to consider the state of governance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The first measures the paralysing impact of illegal taxation on riverine trade in the western provinces; the second documents civilian attempts to seek safety from violence in the troubled east, and evaluates third-party efforts to provide protection and security. Analysis of study findings suggests that the DRC's current governance crisis is neither historically novel nor driven exclusively by mineral resources, extraction rights or trafficking. Rather, government by predation is an endemic and systematic feature of the civil and military administration, ensuring the daily economic survival of soldiers and officials, who are able to wield their authority in a ,riskfree' environment, without oversight or accountability. The paper's conclusion tries to make sense of the persistence of corruption in social and political life, and assess the capacity of ordinary citizens to reverse their predicament. [source] A meta-analysis of marijuana, cocaine and opiate toxicology study findings among homicide victimsADDICTION, Issue 7 2009Joseph B. Kuhns ABSTRACT Aim To synthesize the results of marijuana, cocaine and opiate drug toxicology studies of homicide victims and examine variation in results across person and setting characteristics. Methods A meta-analysis of 18 independent studies identified from an extensive review of 239 published articles that met the inclusion criteria of reporting marijuana, cocaine and/or opiate toxicology test results for homicide victims. A total of 28 868 toxicology test results derived from 30 482 homicide victims across five countries were examined. Results On average, 6% of homicide victims tested positive for marijuana, 11% tested positive for cocaine, and 5% tested positive for opiates. The proportion of homicide victims testing positive for illicit drugs has increased over time. Age had a strong curvilinear relationship with toxicology test results, but gender differences were not apparent. Hispanic and African American homicide victims were more likely to test positive for cocaine; Caucasians were most likely to test positive for opiates. Cocaine use appeared to be related to increased risk of death from a firearm and was a greater risk factor for violent victimization in the United States than in Newfoundland and Scandinavia. Conclusion There are relatively few studies of illicit drug toxicology reports from homicide victims that allow for cross-cultural comparisons. This study provides a basis for comparing future local toxicology test results to estimates from existing research. [source] Advanced Undergraduate French Composition: Problems and SolutionsFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 1 2000Daniel J. Calvez ABSTRACT, This article presents the results of a study undertaken to determine the number and nature of the problems encountered by advanced undergraduate students in a French composition course. It was hoped that, after identifying the problems, explanations could be found for the frequency and repetition of students' errors. The primary objective was to use the study findings to modify the approach or content of the course. A secondary and broader objective was to further the development of the methodology used at the beginning and intermediate levels of the study of French. This report explains why the study was undertaken, how it was conducted, what the quantitative results were, and what conclusions were reached. [source] Employee perceptions and their influence on training effectivenessHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2003Amalia Santos Studies of the benefits of human resource development (HRD) for organisations have assumed a direct connection between training strategy and a hierarchy of performance outcomes: learning, behavioural change and performance improvement. The influence of workplace practices and employees' experiences on training effectiveness has received little attention. This study investigates evaluation strategies designed to elicit greater training effectiveness, and explores the influence of trainees' perceptions and work environment factors on this. Drawing on detailed case study findings, the authors highlight the importance of management practices, trainees' perceptions of the work environment and systems of reward in explaining behaviour change after training. [source] The clinical effectiveness of nurse practitioners' management of minor injuries in an adult emergency department: a systematic reviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE BASED HEALTHCARE, Issue 1 2009Anne Wilson PhD, FRCNA Abstract Background, The increasing cost of healthcare in Australia demands changes in the way healthcare is delivered. Nurse practitioners have been introduced into specialty areas including emergency departments. Specific interventions are known to include the treatment and management of minor injuries, but little has been reported on their work. Objectives, Examine the best available evidence to determine the clinical effectiveness of emergency department nurse practitioners in the assessment, treatment and management of minor injuries in adults. Inclusion criteria, For inclusion studies had to include adult patients treated for minor injuries by nurse practitioners in emergency departments. All study designs were included. Search strategy, English language articles from 1986 onwards were sought using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and Science Citation Index. Methodological quality, Two independent reviewers critically appraised the quality of the studies and extracted data using standardised tools. Data collection, Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of each study for inclusion into the review and the study design used. Where any disagreement occurred, consensus was reached by discussion with an independent researcher. Data synthesis, Studies were assessed for homogeneity by considering populations, interventions and outcomes. Where heterogeneity was present, synthesis was undertaken in a narrative format; otherwise a meta-analysis was conducted. For each outcome measure, results were tabulated by intervention type and discussed in a narrative summary. Results from randomised controlled trials were pooled in meta-analyses where appropriate. Results, Nine studies from a total of 55 participants met the inclusion criteria. Two were randomised controlled trials. Metasynthesis of research findings generated five synthesised findings derived from 16 study findings aggregated into seven categories. Evidence comparing the clinical effectiveness of nurse practitioners to mainstream management of minor injuries was fair to poor methodological quality. When comparable data were pooled, there were no significant differences (P < 0.05) between nurse practitioners and junior doctors. Conclusions, The results emphasise the need for more high-quality research using appropriate outcome measures in the area of clinical effectiveness of nurse practitioners, particularly interventions that improve outcomes for presentations to emergency departments and address issues of waiting and congestion. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||