Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the development of pressure ulcers (PUs) as a result of skin changes and reduced mobility (Knox, Anderson & Anderson, 1994; Russell et al., 2003). This is associated with diminished quality of life, longer hospitalisations and increased morbidity and mortality (Margolis et al., 2002).In view of the high incidence of PUs (grade 1-4) occurring in elderly patients in acute care, a systematic review of related studies was conducted in August 2011. The optimal frequency and methods of repositioning are described in the literature. With well-designed implementation and evaluation plans, the proposed repositioning guidelines are likely to reduce the incidence of PUs (grade 1-4), while in turn lessening the healthcare burden and preserving patients’ quality of life. Pilot testing, a trial run to test the feasibility of the innovation, will be carried out in the proposed medical ward, and training provided to all staff before the intervention. To proceed with the change, the intervention must be cost-effective and beneficial to all stakeholders. Outcome evaluation determines the number of goals achieved by the innovation and to what degree, and is very important (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2005).The PU incidence (grade 1-4) is expected to be different after the implementation of the innovation. / published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

This dissertation reports an eight-month case study of design, development and evaluation of a collaborative glossary plugin in an online learning environment (OLE) for a university postgraduate course. The research aims to identify the jobs of different roles during this pedagogical-integrated development by a qualitative analysis on the development documents and communications, and then find methods to evaluate the finished features effectively. The dissertation concludes that a design coordinator is necessary between the course instructor and the programmer in the development and test to summarize the pedagogical requirements, redesign features in a software perspective, etc. It also tested pedagogical efficacy of the plugin by reporting the result of four methods of test and evaluation. The research suggest more case studies of OLE features development in higher education to be conducted to better define different roles and borders of roles and their responsibilities. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

Single molecule wide-field polarization fluorescence imaging is an experimental method to determine the self-assembly of molecules dispersed in a thin film. Through a combination of wide-field imaging and confocal spectroscopy, the effect of synthetic structure of the oligomeric PPV-based materials was investigated to understand the effect of conjugation length, role of hydrogen bonding side chains, and influence of regioregularity on controlling chromophore folding. By studying alkoxy-linked and alkyl-linked bis(2-ethylhexyl)-p-phenylene vinylene (BEH-PPV) units of varying lengths (three, five, or seven), it was determined that conjugation length controlled the extent of molecular ordering and emission properties. Comparison of the experimental results to molecular dynamics simulations performed by collaborators confirmed that the materials became increasingly ordered as conjugation length increased. Further regulation of the assembly can be obtained through inclusion of hydrogen bonding side chains as seen in the altered amine and carboxylic acid alkoxy-linked trimer BEH-PPV in contrast to the bulky side chain tert-butyl trimer. The study of regio-regular (RR) and regio-random (RRa) alkoxy-linked pentamer poly(2-methoxy-5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV) illustrates the limited effect of regioregularity of the side chains on self-assembly. Through synthetic structure, it is possible to design highly ordered materials through control of conjugation length and selection of side chains. / text

Natural disasters can have a devastating impact on the social and emotional well-being of children and adolescents (Garrett et al., 2007; Kataoka, Rowan, & Hoagwood, 2009; Walsh, 2007). Exposure to disasters puts young people at risk for a number of stressors such as displacement from their homes, loss of friends, family, home and community (Abigail Gewirtz, Forgatch, & Wieling, 2008; La Greca & Silverman, 2010). They are also at a higher risk for future mental health issues related to the event including anxiety and depressive disorders (Jaycox; et al., 2010; Sapienza & Masten, 2011). While there are many interventions that address mental health symptoms, there is a gap in widely accessible prevention programming for mitigation of future mental health issues for young people affected by a disaster (Silverman et al., 2008). To address the gap in services this dissertation sought to examine the efficacy of an intervention, the Journey of Hope (JoH), an eight-session school based model designed to be delivered to the aggregate of children and adolescents affected by disasters. This three article dissertation presents the JoH through: (1) a conceptual description of the intervention; (2) a quasi-experimental waitlist control study and; (3) a qualitative case study. Findings from the quantitative and qualitative studies indicate that after participation in the JoH, participants had an increase in protective factors such as positive coping skills, pro-social behaviors, and affect regulation. The qualitative case study also indicated that children learned about disaster related issues such as grief, anger, and peer victimization. Future research should examine the longitudinal impact of the intervention through larger samples, different geographical and cultural contexts, and with sensitive measurement instruments. / text

Introduction The innovation systems literature has provided a useful framework to analyse the linkages of firms and other organisations with both domestic and foreign actors. Although the concept of innovation systems was originally developed at the national level (Freeman, 1982; Nelson & Winter, 1982; Lundvall, 1985; Nelson, 1988, etc), the literature has expanded rapidly over the years. Since its origins innovation systems have been defined at different levels. National, regional, local, sectoral and technological systems of innovation now constituted alternative units of analysis to better understand the processes of creation, diffusion and use of knowledge. These different views, rather than conflicting, tend to complement each other and depend on the attributed boundaries to the system subject of analysis. This paper proposes that the reciprocal interaction between regional economic poles within the developing regions can be studied by employing systems of innovation perspective. The application of the systems of innovation perspective serves as a window to explore the quality of interactions in economic, education, productive activities and institutions. The importance of the regional dimension in stimulating the innovation capability and competitiveness of firms and regions has been examined by many authors (Asheim et al., 2003: Cooke, 2003, Wolfe, 2003, Isaksen, 2002, Malmberg and Maskell, 2002). The regional dimension is acquiring more relevance as the interactions between actors within the region become more intense. In the context of Africa, for example, the emergence of South Africa as an economic outlier in the region has created new challenges both opportunities and dangers for the rest of Africa. This paper suggests that a systems‟ of innovation perspective might be useful to examine how South Africa, as a regional pole in Africa, interacts with the region by sharing knowledge, learning and capacity building.

Abstract The intellectual assets underpinning the modern knowledge economy are not normally associated with activities in the primary sector. This raises the question whether resourcebased developing countries are eternally relegated to the Also-Runs in global competition or at least whether they need to disassociate themselves from their economic mainstay in order for catch-up to materialise. The answer to this question is of paramount importance to many developing countries, especially in Latin America and Africa. This analysis contributes to the discussion in two novel ways. The first is the focus on technological trajectories that start in or around resource-based activities and subsequently become more knowledge intensive. Hence the study shows the direct contribution resource-based activities make towards the development of a knowledge economy. The second is the attempt systematically to compare technological trajectories in Africa’s most sophisticated economy with those in three Latin American countries at different stages of development. By contrast, this study concentrates on countries from continents that are customarily lumped together in the failure category. It analyses examples of technological learning and focuses on what works (not), and why, and whether insights from a collection of case studies can inform a broader policy discussion about how best to reconcile the demands of the knowledge economy with intensive resource endowments.

This report will review some of the current and past literature on case-based learning and instruction, while also providing the reader with a background on the development of this particular learning strategy with implications for future research. The first two chapters will review case-based learning/instruction by examining its background and history, current uses, and benefits associated with its current uses in educational settings, as well as how these benefits may apply to younger learners. In chapter three, I have discussed some of the more well established discussion-based methods in K-12 education, specifically those most similar to case-based learning. This section is followed by suggestions for implementing case-based learning and instruction with younger learners. The report concludes with limitations associated with case-based learning and its implementation with younger learners. / text

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / This pilot project explores medical student preference regarding simulation education in case based instruction (CBI) compared with the traditional Power Point lecture CBI. The study population consisted of volunteer first, second, third, and fourth year medical students. The subjects were randomized into control (traditional CBI) and intervention (simulation CBI) groups and preference data was collected via pre‐ and post‐survey administered before and after the activity. Preference was limited to enjoyment of learning activity and opinion of benefit on exams of the learning activity. T‐tests were applied to the data in order to determine statistical significance. Enjoyment of the simulation activity was determined to be higher post‐simulation activity in the intervention group compared to the control group. While opinion that simulation CBI may be beneficial in regard to exam scores and knowledge retention was above neutral for the two groups, this study did not determine a significance in opinion between the control and intervention groups. The study results suggest that students who have experienced a simulation CBI enjoy them more compared to the traditional CBI and are more in favor of changing the current model of case‐based instruction.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2000.

Many actors claim results to be at the heart of their operations and to apply the Result-Based Management (RBM) approach in delivering humanitarian assistance, yet few are capable of clearly defining what it means and the long-term effects of this approach. Although seemingly simple from an outsider's perspective, the long-going debate on how to best measure and handle results demonstrate the complexity of the issue. This research examines how the RBM approach can be used by a humanitarian donor and looks specifically at the humanitarian unit (HUM) at Sida's methods for measuring results. It demonstrates that the difficulty in operationalizing ambitious goals and the lack of clarity of objectives hinder HUM from using results management to its full potential, especially when it comes to using the learning component to inform decision-making. The kind of results obtained depended on the reporting mechanisms and the partnership approach used at HUM facilitates the assessment of results; HUM's extensive knowledge of their partner's work is a comparative advantage which is not part of the RBM approach.