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1 – 10 of 231Peng‐Kong Wong, Salmah Yusof, H.M. Ghazali and Y.B. Che Man
The physico‐chemical characteristics of roselle from Malaysia were studied. The parameters analysed included size, weight, pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, anthocyanin…
Abstract
The physico‐chemical characteristics of roselle from Malaysia were studied. The parameters analysed included size, weight, pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, anthocyanin contents, organic acids and sugars. Succinic and oxalic acids were the predominant organic acids found in roselle while glucose was the major sugar present. The present study was also conducted to determine and quantify the most biologically effective natural antioxidants present in roselle. Ascorbic acid, β‐carotene and lycopene, were separated, identified and quantified by HPLC. The amounts of ascorbic acid, β‐carotene and lycopene contents were 141.09mg/100g, 1.88mg/100g and 164.34μg/100g, respectively. The individual anthocyanin in roselle was characterised by TLC and HPLC. Delphinidin‐3‐sambubioside and cyanidin‐3‐sambubioside were the main anthocyanin present in roselle.
Large ohm film resistors that guard sensitive telecommunication devices against the hazards of lightning require a set of exacting characteristics for tolerance, endurance, and…
Abstract
Large ohm film resistors that guard sensitive telecommunication devices against the hazards of lightning require a set of exacting characteristics for tolerance, endurance, and productivity. These characteristics largely depend on how the resistor is trimmed. Conventional laser trimming is unable to provide all the requirements for this important resistor application. A new technique developed by Teradyne Inc. called Algorithmic Trimming employs an algorithm and data base to calculate real‐time trim vectors that are used in a trimming hardware processor to overcome the drawbacks of conventional trimming. With this new technique 50‐ohm film resistors were trimmed to specification with 0·1% tolerance while attaining high resistor stability and a trim time of 300 milliseconds.
Didier Jourdan, Carine Simar, Christine Deasy, Graça S. Carvalho and Patricia Mannix McNamara
Health and education are inextricably linked. Health promotion sits somewhat uncomfortably within schools, often remaining a marginal aspect of teachers’ work. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Health and education are inextricably linked. Health promotion sits somewhat uncomfortably within schools, often remaining a marginal aspect of teachers’ work. The purpose of this paper is to examine the compatibility of an HP-initiative with teacher professional identity.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research design was adopted consisting of semi-structured interviews. In total, 49 teachers in two school districts in the Auvergne region in central France were interviewed in depth post having completed three years’ involvement in a health promoting schools initiative called “Learning to Live Better Together” (“Apprendre a Mieux Vivre Ensemble”).
Findings
Teachers in the study had a broad conceptualisation of their role in health promotion. In keeping with international trends, there was more success at classroom than at whole school level. While generally teachers can be reluctant to engage with health promotion, the teachers in this study identified having little difficulty in understanding their professional identity as health promoters and identified strong compatibility with the HP-initiative.
Practical implications
Teachers generally viewed professional development in health promotion in a positive light when its underlying values were commensurate with their own and when the context was seen as compatible with the school mission. The promotion of health in schools needs to be sensitive to professional identity and be tailored specifically to blend more successfully with current teacher identity and practice.
Originality/value
The promotion of health in schools needs to be sensitive to professional identity and be tailored specifically to blend more successfully with current teacher identity and practice.
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Maria Andersson, Bodil Wilde-Larsson and Mona Persenius
The purpose of this paper is to describe and compare nurses’ and healthcare assistants’ oral care quality perceptions, including perceived reality (PR) and subjective importance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe and compare nurses’ and healthcare assistants’ oral care quality perceptions, including perceived reality (PR) and subjective importance (SI), to identify improvement areas in intensive care and short-term care, and to explore potential nursing satisfaction predictors regarding oral care.
Design/methodology/approach
Swedish staff, 154 within intensive care and 278 within short-term care responded to a modified quality of care from a patient perspective questionnaire. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used.
Findings
Staff scored oral care quality both high and low in relation to PR and SI. Improvement areas were identified, despite high satisfaction values regarding oral care. Setting, SI and PR explained 51.5 percent of the variance in staff satisfaction regarding oral care quality.
Practical implications
Quality improvements could guide oral care development.
Originality/value
This study describes oral care by comparing nurse perceptions of how important they perceive different oral care aspects and to what extent these oral care aspects are performed.
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Dorota Dobija, Anna Maria Górska and Anna Pikos
The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of how internal organisational processes change in response to external demands, by investigating the changes undertaken…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of how internal organisational processes change in response to external demands, by investigating the changes undertaken by two Polish business schools (b-schools) in anticipation of and in response to the demands of accreditation agencies (AAs) and other powerful stakeholders. Specifically, it examines the internal research-related performance measurement (PM) system and changes in the use of performance information (PI).
Design/methodology/approach
The case study method is adopted, using data from publicly available documents and interviews with the faculty and management at the two schools. The data are interpreted and analysed using the neo-institutional theory.
Findings
Powerful stakeholders are the primary reason for changes in PM systems and the manner in which PI is used. Specifically, AAs reflect an additional layer in the PM system, allowing for a downward cascading PI effect. This also leads to a wider use of PI across different organisational levels.
Research limitations/implications
This study focusses on two case studies in a region still undergoing transition. Thus, this analysis could be reinforced through additional cases, different data collection methods and cross-country and between-country comparative analyses.
Originality/value
The changes in PM systems and particularly the use of PI are discussed in the context of Polish higher education (HE) and, more broadly, the entire Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region. Moreover, the consideration of two b-school cases facilitates a comparative analysis of the differences in PM systems and the use of PI in the context of stakeholders’ PI needs.
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Daniella Fjellström, Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury, Sohail Ahmad and Bolortuya Batkhuu
This study aims to understand the role of drivers, underlying challenges and, consequently, the implications of the reverse knowledge transfer (RKT) process for the multinational…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the role of drivers, underlying challenges and, consequently, the implications of the reverse knowledge transfer (RKT) process for the multinational enterprises (MNE)s.
Design/methodology/approach
A dyadic qualitative research design was used with a cross-country design covering perspectives from both the headquarters and subsidiaries from the USA, Denmark, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. In-depth interviews were conducted with managers in multiple sectors such as information technology, telecommunications, project management and engineering.
Findings
The study reveals the constraints and drivers of the RKT process, and furthermore elaborates on the implications for MNEs. RKT can lead to the development of new processes, subsidiary independence and intra-organizational knowledge transfer. Besides, it can entail challenges such as position insecurity for subsidiaries and a blurring of the MNE market vision. The findings demonstrate several implications for the MNEs.
Practical implications
The study highlights the direct implications of RKT for the multinational enterprises. The findings serve as a practical guide for global managers seeking to improve their competitive edge.
Originality/value
The study presents a framework of the RKT process from emerging market subsidiaries to parent companies, that demonstrates the role of drivers, underlying challenges and implications of the RKT process for the MNEs.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) level of participation in human resource development activities during a labor shortage. Drawing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) level of participation in human resource development activities during a labor shortage. Drawing on human capital theory, it examines whether SMEs’ profiles, determined according to their participation in different types of training activities, relate to perceived benefits of training, barriers to participation in training and learning culture.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applies latent profile analysis (LPA) to 10 training practices of 427 SMEs in Quebec, Canada.
Findings
The LPA distinguished four profiles of SMEs, reflecting differing capacities for mobilizing training resources during a labor shortage. These four profiles show differences with regard to perceived training benefits, barriers to participation in training and learning culture.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to focus on the specific ability of SMEs to invest in their human capital in the unique and recent context of a labor shortage.
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Guillaume Boutard and François-Xavier Féron
Extending documentation and analysis frameworks for acousmatic music to performance/interpretation, from an information science point of view, will benefit the transmission and…
Abstract
Purpose
Extending documentation and analysis frameworks for acousmatic music to performance/interpretation, from an information science point of view, will benefit the transmission and preservation of a repertoire with an idiosyncratic relation to performance and technology. The purpose of this paper is to present the outcome of a qualitative research aiming at providing a conceptual model theorizing the intricate relationships between the multiple dimensions of acousmatic music interpretation.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology relies on the grounded theory. A total of 12 Interviews were conducted over a period of three years in France, Québec and Belgium, grounded in theoretical sampling.
Findings
The analysis outcome describes eight dimensions in acousmatic performance, namely, musical, technical, anthropological, psychological, social, cultural, linguistic and ontological. Discourse profiles are provided in relation to each participant. Theory development led to the distinction between documentation of interpretation as an expertise and as a profession.
Research limitations/implications
Data collection is limited to French-speaking experts, for historical and methodological reasons.
Practical implications
The model stemming from the analysis provides a framework for documentation which will benefit practitioners and organizations dedicated to the dissemination of acousmatic music. The model also provides this community with a tool for characterizing expert discourses about acousmatic performance and identifying content areas to further investigate. From a research point of view, the theorization leads to the specification of new directions and the identification of relevant epistemological frameworks.
Originality/value
This research brings a new vision of acousmatic interpretation, extending the literature on this repertoire’s performance with a more holistic perspective.
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Marie‐Pascale Pomey, André‐Pierre Contandriopoulos, Patrice François and Dominique Bertrand
Examines the dynamics of change that operated following preparations for accreditation. The study was conducted from May 1995 to October 2001 in a university hospital center in…
Abstract
Examines the dynamics of change that operated following preparations for accreditation. The study was conducted from May 1995 to October 2001 in a university hospital center in France after the introduction in 1996 of mandatory accreditation. An embedded explanatory case study sought to explore the organizational changes: a theoretical framework for analyzing change was developed; semi‐structured interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires addressed to the hospital's professionals were used and documents were collected; and qualitative and quantitative analyses were carried out. Professionals from clinical and medico‐technical departments participated most. Preparations for accreditation provided an opportunity to reflect non‐hierarchically on the treatment of patients and on the hospital's operational modalities by creating a locus for exchanges and collegial decision making. These preparations also led to giving greater consideration to results of exit surveys and to committing procedures to paper, and were a key opportunity for introducing a continuous quality program.
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This paper seeks to provide a distillation of key research on the health and social care needs arising in the lives of people with sight loss and aims to inform the development of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to provide a distillation of key research on the health and social care needs arising in the lives of people with sight loss and aims to inform the development of appropriate and integrated services and strategies that effectively meet those needs.
Design/methodology/approach
The body of research examined in this paper constitutes a purposeful review of the most recently published and relevant non‐clinical studies in respect of the needs and aspirations of people with sight loss.
Findings
Research highlights the emotional and psychological consequences of sight loss and reveals a range of factors that affect their independence and self esteem, household and family responsibilities, employment and financial status, housing options and neighbourhood access, and how these factors impact on social inclusion.
Social implications
Implications of the studies are discussed, particularly in relation to ways in which relevant service providers may cooperate and engage in creative partnerships that promote greater equality and social inclusion of people with visual impairment.
Originality/value
The paper provides a strong and timely argument for greater public policy attention to the demographic context and cost implications of an increasing population of people with sight loss, and in so doing is of value to professionals working across independent, state and third sector agencies, and their efforts to engage in collaborative and strategic working relationships as well as fruitful partnerships with service users themselves.
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