117,438 research outputs found
Towards more effective testing of communications-critical large scale systems
No full textThis thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.A publication based on the research from this thesis has been published and can be cited as Nabulsi, MA and Hierons, RM (2014), A new test framework for communications-critical large scale systems, IEEE Software, In press. The published version can be accessed via the link below.None of today’s large scale systems could function without the reliable availability of a varied range of network communications capabilities. Whilst software, hardware and communications technologies have been advancing throughout the past two decades, the methods commonly used by industry for testing large scale systems which incorporate critical communications interfaces have not kept pace. This thesis argues for the need for a specifically tailored framework to achieve effective testing of communications-critical large scale systems (CCLSS). The thesis initially discusses how generic test approaches are leading to inefficient and costly test activities in industry. The thesis then presents the form and features of an alternative CCLSS domain-specific test framework, develops its ideas further into a detailed and structured test approach for one of its layers, and then provides a detailed example of how this framework can be applied using a real-life case study. The thesis concludes with a qualitative as well a simulation-based evaluation of the framework’s benefits observed during the case study and an evaluation by expert external participants considering whether similar benefits can be realised if the framework is adopted for the testing of other comparable systems. Requirements data from a second CCLSS is included in the evaluation by external participants as a second smaller case study
A complex breastfeeding promotion and support intervention in a developing country: Study protocol for a randomized clinical trial
No full textBackground: Breastfeeding has countless benefits to mothers, children and community at large, especially in developing countries. Studies from Lebanon report disappointingly low breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation rates. Evidence reveals that antenatal breastfeeding education, professional lactation support, and peer lay support are individually effective at increasing breastfeeding duration and exclusivity, particularly in low-income settings. Given the complex nature of the breastfeeding ecosystem and its barriers in Lebanon, we hypothesize that a complex breastfeeding support intervention, which is centered on the three components mentioned above, would significantly increase breastfeeding rates. Methods-Design. A multi-center randomized controlled trial. Study population: 443 healthy pregnant women in their first trimester will be randomized to control or intervention group. Intervention: A prenatal-postnatal professional and peer breastfeeding support package continuing till 6 months postpartum, guided by the Social Network and Social Support Theory. Control group will receive standard prenatal and postnatal care. Mothers will be followed up from early pregnancy till five years after delivery. Outcome measures: Total and exclusive breastfeeding rates, quality of life at 1, 3 and 6 months postpartum, maternal breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes at 6 months postpartum, maternal exclusive breastfeeding rates of future infants up to five years from baseline, cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses of the intervention. Statistical analysis: Descriptive and regression analysis will be conducted under the intention to treat basis using the most recent version of SPSS. Discussion. Exclusive breastfeeding is a cost-effective public health measure that has a significant impact on infant morbidity and mortality. In a country with limited healthcare resources like Lebanon, developing an effective breastfeeding promotion and support intervention that is easily replicated across various settings becomes a priority. If positive, the results of this study would provide a generalizable model to bolster breastfeeding promotion efforts and contribute to improved child health in Lebanon and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Trial registration. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN17875591. © 2014 Nabulsi et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.Al-Sahab B, 2008, PUBLIC HEALTH NUTR, V11, P1350, DOI 10.1017-S1368980008003005; Batal Malek, 2005, J Pediatr Nurs, V20, P53, DOI 10.1016-j.pedn.2004.09.004; Batal M, 2006, PUBLIC HEALTH NUTR, V9, P313, DOI 10.1079-PHN2006860; Britton C, 2007, COCHRANE DB SYST REV, DOI 10.1002-14651858.CD001141.pub3; Chakar Rabay H, 1997, LMJ, V45, P84; Chung M, 2008, REPORT NO 09 05126 E, V66; D'Entremont K, 2007, MOTHER TO MOTHER CRE; De la Mora A, 1999, J APPL SOC PSYCHOL, V29, P2362; Dyson L, 2005, COCHRANE DB SYST REV, DOI 10.1002-14651858.CD001688.pub2; GROSSMAN LK, 1990, AM J DIS CHILD, V144, P471; Hall J, 2011, MIDWIFERY, V27, P497, DOI 10.1016-j.midw.2010.03.011; Heany CA, 1997, HEALTH BEHAVIOR AND; Hill Pamela D, 2006, J Nurs Meas, V14, P205, DOI 10.1891-jnm-v14i3a005; Ip S, 2007, EVID REP TECHNOL ASS, V153, P1; Jolly K, 2012, BMJ-BRIT MED J, V344, pd82; Jones G, 2003, LANCET, V362, P65, DOI 10.1016-S0140-6736(03)13811-1; Kramer MS, 2001, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V285, P413, DOI 10.1001-jama.285.4.413; Kramer MS, 2010, EARLY HUM DEV, V86, P729, DOI 10.1016-j.earlhumdev.2010.08.005; Libbus M K, 2000, J Hum Lact, V16, P216, DOI 10.1177-089033440001600306; Libbus M K, 1992, J Hum Lact, V8, P199, DOI 10.1177-089033449200800419; Ministry of Social Affairs, 1996, PAP CHILD SURVEY; MOLBAK K, 1994, BRIT MED J, V308, P1403; Nabulsi Mona, 2011, BMC Pediatr, V11, P75, DOI 10.1186-1471-2431-11-75; Nommsen-Rivers LA, 2009, MATERN CHILD HLTH J, V13, P334, DOI 10.1007-s10995-008-0356-y; Renfrew M. J., 2012, COCHRANE DB SYST REV, V5; UNICEF Central Administration of Statistics Beirut Lebanon, 2009, INDICATOR CLUSTER SU; UNICEF Ministry of Public Health Lebanese Republic, 1999, NATIONAL PERINATAL S, P10; Wade Deborah, 2009, Community Pract, V82, P30; WHO Collaborative Study Team on the Role of Breastfeeding on the Prevention of Infant Mortality, 2001, LANCET, V355, P451; World Health Organization (WHO), GLOBAL DATA BANK ON0
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Square Dancing with the Stars to Enhance Dynamic Hirschman Linkages?
No full textIn this Presidential Address, the author takes the reader on a reconnaissance of his life and time as a regional scientist. He points out scenery he found scintillating along the way, hoping that some may pick up the banner and chew on a few of the ideas for a while. He suggests a revisit to Albert O. Hirschman’s notion of key sectors and more empirical analysis related to Marcus Berliant’s and Masahisa Fujita’s notion of knowledge creation and transfer.Presidential Address, San Antonio, Texas, March 29, 2014 (53rd Meetings of the Southern Regional Science Association
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
No full textWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Letter from unknown writer to Jesse L. Boyce
No full textLetter to Jesse L. Boyce from unknown author (possibly Jack) about the investigation into the powder magazine located in the Grand Canyon. Some personal news is included in the letter such as the writer's marriage to the daughter of C.A. Taylor, former Supervisor of Cochise County
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Sarah L. Blum Author Visit - Warrior Nurse: PTSD and Healing
No full textHear Sarah L. Blum, author of Women Under Fire: Abuse in the Military, discuss her newest book, Warrior Nurse: PTSD and Healing followed by a Q&A and book signing.
Sarah L. Blum is a decorated Vietnam veteran who served as an operating room nurse during the intense fighting of 1967. In recognition of her service, she was awarded the Army Commendation Medal.
Sponsored by CWU Veterans Center and CWU Libraries.https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/libraryevents/1252/thumbnail.jp
Lillian L. Lambert, Author, Speaker, and Entrepreneur
No full textLillian L. Lambert, Author, Speaker, and Entrepreneu
Letter to Alfred L. Shoemaker, February 10, 1948
No full textA handwritten letter from an unknown author addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated February 10, 1948. Within, the author discusses the Pennsylvania Dutch word for Ash Wednesday, along with traditions associated with this day.https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/shoemaker_documents/1118/thumbnail.jp
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