Critical thinking ability is imperative for nurse practitioners in the multidimensional unfolding health care arena. Consensus as to what critical thinking entails has yet to be articulated. This non-empirical study thus set out to clarify the concept "critical thinking. Walker and Avant's (1995) proposal for conducting a concept analysis was used within the qualitative research paradigm. Literature selected from the fields of education, philosophy, nursing and psychology was consulted as the main source of data. Thematic and theoretical sampling of literature were also embarked upon during the later stage of the research to add density to emergent categories and themes. Categories were organised according to the Strauss and Corbin (1995) paradigmatic model; indicating the antecedents, disposition of the thinker, attributes and critical attributes, and outcomes of critical thinking. The findings indicate that critical thinking is a complex, multidimensional, dynamic, existential and context dependent mental operation. The essence of critical thinking is further illuminated by the construction of a model case and additional cases. The concept critical thinking is finally succinctly defined. The implications that critical thinking holds for nursing education and practice are spelled out. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

This thesis is a contribution to Perry Scheme studies that have described and rated the intellectual and ethical development of students and others. The population of evangelical seminary students among three institutional types of seminaries is the unique contribution of this work. Seminary students are preparing for a career that requires critical thinking skills and the ability to discern solutions to complex problems. Developing thinking that is able to recognize and weigh divergent views is of the utmost concern. This qualitative research project was conducted through a semi-structured interview of seminary students, using open-ended questions and follow-up probes designed to elicit the students’ understanding of the nature and justification of knowledge. The Center for the Study of Intellectual Development rated these according to the scheme developed by William Perry. The interviews were also analyzed by the researcher according to John David Trentham’s categories of epistemological priorities and competencies.

No description available.

Orientador: David Dequech Filho / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Economia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T00:00:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Chafim_Fernando_M.pdf: 1383453 bytes, checksum: aaafe1236387548279f7252d7f99140d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: O objetivo desta dissertação é contribuir para uma abordagem pluralista que avance na compreensão da dinâmica entre as entidades sociais e os agentes na vida econômica. Em termos específicos, objetiva-se construir um modelo que forneça uma compreensão refinada da estrutura social, instituição e agência que contribua para o estudo das mudanças estruturais na economia. Para tal, inicialmente adotamos as contribuições ontológicas e metodológicas do Realismo Crítico em Economia para ampliar nossa compreensão de interdisciplinaridade, ciência econômica e das características gerais e abstratas da realidade social. Após discutir o conteúdo dessa abordagem, elaboramos uma ontologia científica, que explicita as propriedades relevantes e específicas de entidades sociais particulares, tais como estrutura social, instituição, convenção, modelo mental socialmente compartilhado, regra social e relação social. Essa mesma ontologia será complementada por uma análise das propriedades dos agentes visando a construção de um modelo teórico que considere simultaneamente as diversas formas existentes de influências sociais sobre as pessoas e vice-versa, sem confundi-las e evitando determinismos por ambas as partes. A seguir, apresentamos uma síntese das principais influências estruturais que incentivam a conformidade, bem como algumas condições sociais que motivam os agentes não só a se desviarem dessas influências, mas a tentar transformá-las através da mobilização de recursos e relativamente de acordo com seus interesses. Por fim, discutiremos as condições específicas de implementação desse tipo de mudança e usaremos o modelo teórico proposto para analisar a mudança empreendida pelos teóricos da agência ao introduzirem o modelo de gestão corporativa conhecido como maximização do valor do acionista / Abstract: The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to a pluralistic approach that adds to the understanding of the dynamics between social entities and agents in economic life. More specifically, we construct a model that provides a refined understanding of the social structure, institution and agency that contributes to the study of structural changes in the economy. In order to do so, we first adopt the ontological and methodological contributions of Critical Realism in Economics. This allows for enlarging our understanding of interdisciplinarity, economics and the general and abstract features of social reality. After discussing the contents of this approach, we developed a scientific ontology that spells out the relevant specific properties of certain social entities, such as social structure, institutions, conventions, socially shared mental models, social relations and social rules. This same ontology is then complemented by an analysis of the properties of agents. This aims at building a theoretical model that simultaneously considers various forms of social influences on persons and vice-versa, without confusing them and avoiding determinism from either side. The next section is a summary of the main structural influences that encourage compliance, as well as of some social conditions that motivate agents not only to deviate from those influences, but to also mobilise resources and try to transform them in a fashion somewhat akin to their interests. Finally, we discuss the specific conditions for implementing this kind of change and use the proposed model to analyse the modification agency theorists bring about as they introduce the corporate management model known as maximizing shareholder value / Mestrado / Teoria Economica / Mestre em Ciências Econômicas

D.Phil. (English) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Comm.

Optical techniques have been used to study the behaviour of ethylene and hydrogen near their liquid-vapour critical points. From measurements of the coexistence curve of ethylene over the reduced temperature range 1.5 x 10⁻⁶ < t < 4.5 x 10⁻², where t — (Tc — T)/Tc and Tc is the critical temperature, we find the critical exponent β = 0.327±.002 and the corrections-to-scaling exponent ∆ = 0.46±.02. Similar measurements for hydrogen over the range 3.2 x 10⁻⁵ < t < 7.0 x 10⁻² give β = 0.326 ± .002 and ∆ = 0.46 ± .02. Measurements of the compressibility of hydrogen give the critical exponent [Formula Omitted] = 1.19 ± .05 and the critical amplitude ratio [Formula Omitted] = 5.2 ± .4. With the exception of ∆, which is slightly lower than its predicted value of 0.5, the results for these universal quantities are in agreement with theoretical predictions. The leading coexistence curve amplitude for hydrogen, B₀ = 1.19±.03, is lower than the corresponding values for ethylene, B₀ = 1.56 ± .03, and for other room-temperature fluids. This decrease is in qualitative agreement with the predictions of a theory of quantum effects on critical behaviour. Measurements of the coexistence curve diameter for both fluids show an anomaly near the critical point having a form consistent with the predicted t¹⁻α temperature dependence. These results are in agreement with a recent theory of the effects of many-body forces on the diameter; the hydrogen data indicate that these forces are attractive in that fluid. This suggests that quantum mechanical exchange interactions are important near the critical point of hydrogen. / Science, Faculty of / Physics and Astronomy, Department of / Graduate

金庸自一九五五年在新晚報開始連載第一篇武俠小說《書劍恩仇錄》，至一 九七○年封筆作《鹿鼎記》，共創作了十五部小說。這十五部小說在華人世界中 歷久不衰，更引起不少討論。一九八四年，台灣遠景出版社出版了一系列「金 學研究叢書」，「金學」一詞正式出現。最初，討論金庸作品都以短小的筆記型 文章為主，集中在閱讀金著的感受、討論書中情節和人物等。一九八○年代末 開始，「金學」己成為學術界的熱門研究課題，有大學更主辦「金庸小說學術研 討會」，與會者多為享負盛名的學者，最近更出現了所謂「金庸學」(Jinyonology) 一詞。「金學研究集」發行人王榮文認為金庸「極有可能在有生之年看到其作品 「經典化」的完成，這真是古今中外作家們少有的幸運」。王德威在《金庸小說 國際學術研討會論文集》的序言中亦提到：「本書的出版，無疑為金庸作品經典 化發展，再下一城。」 這情況在當代華文創作圈中非常罕有，實在是一個值得深思的文化現象。 金庸小說能發展到現在成為「經典」，內在原因當然是其小說本身的確是不可多 得的好作品。然而，這並不是唯一，甚至不是最重要的原因，外在的文化脈絡 因素發揮的作用更大。作為作者，金庸花了很大心力把自己的小說包裝成「經 典文學」呈現在讀者面前；另外，經過中國大陸、香港和台灣的學術界和文化 界不斷討論，金庸小說終於成為「經典」。然而，由於三地的政治文化環境不同， 金庸小說的經典化在中港台所經歷的道路也有很大差異。本論文的研究目的， 首先是分析金庸如何為其小說製造出一個「經典」形象，再進一步對金庸小說 不同的經典化過程作一疏理，從而探討其間三地在金學研究現象中所包涵的文 化政治意義。

Background: Critically ill abdominal surgery patients are at risk of developing a paralytic ileus. Multidisciplinary interventions aim to prevent post-operative complications in the intensive care unit; including interventions to prevent the development of a paralytic ileus. However, the implementation of preventative interventions occurs ad hoc and these high risk patients still develop a post-operative paralytic ileus. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the implementation of post-operative interventions used in the critical care unit to prevent a paralytic ileus in patients following major open abdominal surgery. Research design and methods: A quantitative, exploratory retrospective research design was used to answer the research question. Patient medical records were retrieved from a specialised intensive care unit situated in a private hospital in Gauteng. A unit of analysis represented the study population and a sample frame was used for choosing patient medical files in the study. Data was collected using a data collection sheet developed from literature. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency tables, odds ratio, relative risks, Pearson Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test). Results and Conclusions: After data analysis, the results of the study were documented. Conclusions deducted from this study highlighted three significant interventions associated with the incidence of a post-operative paralytic ileus. Further research on these three interventions may possibly prevent a paralytic ileus in critically ill abdominal surgery patients in the future. Implementation of specific evidence-based post-operative interventions has been recommended to critical care providers of the private hospital group. / Dissertation (MCur)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Nursing Science / MCur (Nursing Sciences) / Unrestricted

Background: Acute kidney injury occurs in one out of ten cardiac surgery patients. Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury not only increases patients’ mortality rate but the length of stay in intensive care unit and hospital. Cardiac surgery patients’ long- term risk for chronic kidney disease and heart failure increases with the incidence of acute kidney injury. Various preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative risk factors are associated with the development of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury. Aim: The aim of the study was to identify the risk factors associated with acute kidney injury in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. The identified risk factors were categorized into modifiable, partially modifiable and non-modifiable risks. The frequency of acute kidney injury among cardiac surgery patients was also assessed. Research design: The researcher chose a quantitative correlational retrospective design and conducted a retrospective chart review to assess the risk factors associated with AKI in patients that had undergone cardiac surgery. Methods: Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select the records of patients that underwent cardiac surgery between January 2014 and December 2018. Data collection was done using a self-developed audit tool. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Significance: The study enabled the researcher to identify and categorize the risk factors into modifiable, partially modifiable and non-modifiable categories. Early recognition and mitigation of risk factors could prevent patients from developing cardiac surgery- associated acute kidney injury. Research findings: The study found a 22.7% frequency of CSA-AKI. Anaemia, hypoalbuminemia, hyperglycaemia, use of N-acetylcysteine and fluid overload were identified as modifiable risk factors. Bicarbonate level <22mmol/L, use of diuretics, use of antibiotics, longer duration of surgery, fresh frozen plasma use >500ml on the day of surgery, red blood cell transfusion >1L on the day of surgery and prolonged use of mechanical ventilation were partially modifiable risk factors. No non-modifiable risk factors were identified. Keywords: Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury; risk factors; modifiable, partially modifiable and non-modifiable. / Dissertation (MCur (Critical Care Nursing))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Nursing Science / MCur (Critical Care Nursing) / Unrestricted