M.Tech. / The recent increase in demand for radiotherapy services has led to significant delays in commencement of radical radiation treatment in most centres. Radiobiological principles suggest that a delay in starting radiotherapy may have a negative impact on tumour local control. To cope with the growing demand for radiotherapy, modern improvement models need to be accepted and adapted in radiotherapy departments. The PLAN DO STUDY ACT (PDSA) model is an example of such an improvement model which explores new possibilities of improvement through experimentation. This study aimed to determine the causes of radiotherapy delays, and to develop and implement improvements for reducing radiotherapy delays from patients’ referral to a radiotherapy department to the start of radiotherapy at Gaborone Oncology in Botswana. The objectives were to determine the causes of radiotherapy delays, develop and implement improvements of reducing radiotherapy delays using the PDSA model for improvement, and evaluate the effectiveness of the model. Patients who had received radical radiotherapy for head and neck, breast and cervix tumours were analysed as they are the commonly treated cancers at Gaborone Oncology. A retrospective survey was conducted for one year to establish the causes of radiotherapy delays from patient referral to the department to the start of radiation treatment. The PDSA model for improvement was then implemented and monitored for evidence of improvement from May to December 2008. The PDSA model showed significant reduction in radiotherapy delays at Gaborone Oncology. The results showed a decrease in radiotherapy delays in head and neck, breast and cervix cancers from an average delay time of 18.5 days in May 2008 to 8.6 days by December 2008.

The Academic Vocabulary List (AVL) was produced by a rationale for word inclusion improved from the methodology used to generate Coxhead's AWL (Gardner & Davies, 2014). It offers a comprehensive view of high frequency academic vocabulary that could greatly benefit ELLs if implemented into ELL curricula (Gardner & Davies, 2014). However, because of the newness of the list, there are few learning resources currently utilizing the AVL. The major objective of this thesis project was to create digital flashcards for the first 500 words of the AVL to increase the list's accessibility to ELLs and teachers worldwide. These flashcards were made available through Quizlet's online interface. This paper describes the two types of flashcards developed: AVL words paired with simplified English (learner) definitions, and AVL words paired with L1 translations into seven languages. It further describes an evaluation of these flashcards by ESOL teachers working at a U.S. intensive English program, and concludes with suggestions for the future development of AVL learning resources.

Case-based reasoning is deemed an important technology to alleviate the bottleneck of knowledge acquisition in Artificial Intelligence (AI). In case-based reasoning, knowledge is represented in the form of particular cases with an appropriate similarity measure rather than any form of rules. The case-based reasoning paradigm adopts the view that an Al system is dynamically changing during its life-cycle which immediately leads to learning considerations. Within the present paper, we investigate the problem of case-based learning of indexable classes of formal languages. Prior to learning considerations, we study the problem of case-based representability and show that every indexable class is case-based representable with respect to a fixed similarity measure. Next, we investigate several models of case-based learning and systematically analyze their strengths as well as their limitations. Finally, the general approach to case-based learnability of indexable classes of formal languages is prototypically applied to so-called containmet decision lists, since they seem particularly tailored to case-based knowledge processing.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(人間・環境学) / 甲第23275号 / 人博第990号 / 新制||人||234(附属図書館) / 2020||人博||990(吉田南総合図書館) / 京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科共生人間学専攻 / (主査)准教授 金丸 敏幸, 教授 桂山 康司, 准教授 笹尾 洋介, 教授 田地野 彰 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Human and Environmental Studies / Kyoto University / DGAM

Vocabulary in a second language is an indispensable building block of all comprehension (Folse, 2006; Nation, 2006). Teachers in content area classes such as science, math, and social studies frequently teach content specific vocabulary, but are not aware of the obstacles that can occur when students do not know the basic words. Word lists such as the General Service List (GSL) were created to assist students and teachers (West, 1953). The GSL does not adequately take into account the high level of polysemy of many common English words, nor has it been updated by genre to reflect specific content domains encountered by secondary science students in today's high stakes classes such as chemistry. This study examines how many words of the first 1000 words of the GSL occurred in the secondary chemistry textbooks sampled, how often the first 1000 words of the GSL were polysemous, and specifically which multiple meanings occurred. A discussion of results includes word tables that list multiple meanings present, example phrases that illustrate the context surrounding the target words, suggestions for a GSL that is genre specific to secondary chemistry textbooks and that is ranked by meaning as well as type, and implications for both vocabulary materials and classroom instruction for ELLs in secondary chemistry classes. Findings are essential to second language (L2) researchers, materials developers, publishers, and teachers.

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The paper analyzes the impact that preferential voting has had on elections and the party system, particularly in the case of Peru. It presents, in the first place, the issue of preferential voting as an element of the electoral system. Then, it continues with the study of the particular case of Peru, in which it indicates its origin, the mechanics it follows, the impact on the Parliament and its evaluation. / El artículo busca analizar el impacto que tiene y ha tenido el voto preferencial sobre los procesos electorales y el sistema de partidos, de manera particular en el caso peruano. Presenta en primera instancia, el tema del voto preferencial como elemento del sistema electoral, para continuar con su estudio en el caso particular de Perú en donde señala su origen, la mecánica que sigue, el impacto en el parlamento y su evaluación.

In the tumultuous political climate following Brexit, a new energy has been given to the idea of establishing transnational lists for the European elections. With the ever-increasing need for democratic legitimacy on the EU stage, the system of transnational lists is viewed by many as a salvation to the problem with democratic deficit within the European Union. The idea of transnational lists was voted in the European Parliament during the plenary session in Strasbourg on February 2018 but rejected after a debate on a clearly divided issue. By analysing the debate from 2018, this study aims to investigate what are the conditions, found in the debate, that could make transnational lists in the European Parliament possible.  When analysing the debate from 2018, five significant conditions for transnational lists were identified. These conditions were democracy, question of federal states, the aspect of spitzenkandidaten, solidarity and the size of Member States. Interestingly, the conditions were observed to be both obstacles and possibilities for transnational lists. Taken together, these results suggest that there is an association between the above-named conditions and the failure of the proposition for transnational lists, alternatively, to a future breakthrough.

A doença hepática terminal reduz de forma significativa a qualidade de vida de pacientes e com o transplante do órgão é possível melhorar as condições de saúde. A sexualidade é aspecto central do ser humano durante todo o ciclo vital. É área complexa do comportamento humano, assim a sexualidade de candidatos e receptores de transplante de fígado não deve ser menosprezada. O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar as evidências disponíveis na literatura sobre as alterações na sexualidade de candidatos e receptores de transplante de fígado. Trata-se de revisão integrativa da literatura: as bases de dados selecionadas para a busca dos estudos primários foram PubMed, CINAHL e LILACS. Os 16 estudos primários incluídos na revisão foram agrupados em três categorias: (1) sexualidade feminina (n=5); (2) sexualidade masculina (n=5) e; (3) sexualidade masculina e feminina (n=6). Na categoria 1, os principais temas de investigação foram contracepção, gravidez, disfunção sexual, presença de sintomas ginecológicos e doença sexualmente transmissível. Na categoria 2, o foco principal dos estudos primários agrupados foi a disfunção erétil e investigou-se também desejo/satisfação sexual e as consequências de homens que tiveram filhos, em regime imunossupressor com ácido mycofenólico. Na categoria 3, a avaliação da função sexual foi o principal tema abordado nas pesquisas analisadas. A sexualidade é problemática desafiadora, revestida por tabus e preconceitos, vivenciada de forma diferente pelos indivíduos. Assim, os pacientes podem apresentar dificuldades em relatar para os profissionais da saúde seus problemas, acarretando atraso do diagnóstico e tratamento, prolongando a sensação de desconforto e sentimento de angústia. A dificuldade em abordar sobre sexualidade também ocorre por parte dos profissionais de saúde que não recebem capacitação adequada. O conhecimento sobre as dúvidas e problemas vivenciados pelos candidatos e receptores de transplante de fígado pode proporcionar a implementação de intervenções direcionadas para prevenção, redução ou controle das complicações no período pré e pós-transplante. O presente estudo forneceu subsídios para encorajar os profissionais de saúde a incorporar a sexualidade na rotina de atendimento destes pacientes, bem como indicou lacunas no conhecimento para a condução de novas pesquisas com o propósito de implementar intervenções na pratica clínica para prevenir, minimizar e/ou controlar as alterações relacionadas à sexualidade do paciente, contribuindo para a melhoria da assistência de enfermagem e, consequentemente, para o sucesso do tratamento / The end-stage liver disease significantly reduces the quality of life of patients. However, with organ transplantation it is possible to improve health conditions. Sexuality is a central aspect of the human being throughout the life cycle. It is a complex area of the human behavior and therefore the sexuality of liver transplant candidates and recipients should not be overlooked. The present study aimed to analyze the evidence available in the literature on the changes in the sexuality of candidates and recipients of liver transplant. This is an integrative literature review, and the databases selected for the search of the primary studies were PubMed, CINAHL and LILACS. The 16 primary studies included in the review were grouped into three categories: (1) female sexuality (n = 5), (2) male sexuality (n = 5) and (3) male and female sexuality (n = 6). In category 1, the main research topics were contraception, pregnancy, sexual dysfunction, presence of gynecological symptoms and sexually transmitted disease. In category 2, the focus of the primary studies grouped was erectile dysfunction, it was also investigated the sexual desire/satisfaction, and the consequences of men who had children under immunosuppressive regimen with mycophenolic acid. In category 3, the evaluation of sexual function was the main topic addressed in the studies analyzed. Sexuality is a challenging problem, enrobed with taboos and prejudices, and experienced differently by individuals. Thus, patients may present difficulties in reporting their problems to health professionals, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment, prolonging feelings of discomfort and distress. The difficulty in addressing sexuality also occurs on the part of health professionals who do not receive adequate training. Knowledge about the doubts and problems experienced by candidates and recipients of liver transplant can facilitate the implementation of interventions aimed at prevention, reduction or control of complications in the pre- and post-transplantation period. The present study provided subsidies to encourage health professionals to incorporate sexuality in the care routine of these patients, it also indicated gaps in knowledge for the conduct of new research with the purpose of implementing interventions in clinical practice to prevent, minimize and/or to control the changes related to the patient\'s sexuality, contributing to the improvement of nursing care and, consequently, to the success of the treatment