744 research outputs found
On the manufacture of coal-gas
by Samuel CleggRückentitel: Clegg. On the manufacture of coal-ga
Letter from Roger Clegg, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division to Dorothy Nakamura, April 12, 1991
Correspondence from Roger Clegg to Dorothy Nakamura regarding the status of Nakamura's appeal for redress payments.The Japanese American Archival Collection documents the people, places, and daily life of Japanese Americans, primarily those who lived in the once thriving community of pre-war Florin in the Sacramento region, as well as the conditions in American incarceration camps during World War II. The approximately 7,000 original items include personal and official letters, photographs, diaries, arts and crafts, newsletters, textiles, camps artifacts, yearbooks and other publications
The quantum age: how the physics of the very small has transformed our lives
Acclaimed popular science author Brian Clegg demonstrates how quantum physics underpins everyday life
Appendix C. to Tredgold's new edition of the work on the steam engine and on steam navigation : gorgon engines, as fitted on board H.M.S. Cyclops
by Samuel Cleg
The Language of Power and the Power of Language
In this paper earlier research by the author (Clegg 1975) is used as an occasion for reflecting more generally on the adequacy of approaches to the study of language and power in organization analysis. Three approaches, the ethnographic, conversation analysis and a materialist approach, are discussed. The limitations, both in practical and analytic terms, of a language approach to power are drawn from a discussion of the inclemency rule and other data
Measuring the effect of highway design features on cyclist behavior using an instrumented bicycle
Cycling is a travel mode that offers great advantages in terms of space consumption, health and environmental sustainability, and this makes it particularly popular in cities. However, it is also plagued by a poor road safety record, which has yet to be properly addressed due to a prevailing lack of understanding of the behavioral traits of cyclists that would enable the design of suitable interventions. The aim of this study is to offer some insight into cyclist behavior by investigating its relation with the road environment, as expressed by real-world cyclist trajectories in urban areas. Using an instrumented bicycle, quantitative measurements in terms of speed, steering angle and roll angle in response to different highway features were taken from cyclists riding along a pre-determined route in the city of Southampton, UK. The data were analyzed using neural networks and multiple linear regression and the findings highlighted a number of significant positive and negative effects for policy-makers and stakeholders to consider in the design of cyclist facilities and road infrastructure in general, as well as in road user education.</p
The effectiveness of interventions to treat severe acute malnutrition in young children: a systematic review
Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) arises as a consequence of a sudden period of food shortage and is associated with loss of a person’s body fat and wasting of their skeletal muscle. Many of those affected are already undernourished and are often susceptible to disease. Infants and young children are the most vulnerable as they require extra nutrition for growth and development, have comparatively limited energy reserves and depend on others. Undernutrition can have drastic and wide-ranging consequences for the child’s development and survival in the short and long term. Despite efforts made to treat SAM through different interventions and programmes, it continues to cause unacceptably high levels of mortality and morbidity. Uncertainty remains as to the most effective methods to treat severe acute malnutrition in young children.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to treat infants and children aged < 5 years who have SAM.Data sourcesEight databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, CAB Abstracts Ovid, Bioline, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, EconLit EBSCO and The Cochrane Library) were searched to 2010. Bibliographies of included articles and grey literature sources were also searched. The project expert advisory group was asked to identify additional published and unpublished references.Review methodsPrior to the systematic review, a Delphi process involving international experts prioritised the research questions. Searches were conducted and two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts for eligibility. Inclusion criteria were applied to the full texts of retrieved papers by one reviewer and checked independently by a second. Included studies were mapped to the research questions. Data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer. Differences in opinion were resolved through discussion at each stage. Studies were synthesised through a narrative review with tabulation of the results.ResultsA total of 8954 records were screened, 224 full-text articles were retrieved, and 74 articles (describing 68 studies) met the inclusion criteria and were mapped. No evidence focused on treatment of children with SAM who were human immunodeficiency virus sero-positive, and no good-quality or adequately reported studies assessed treatments for SAM among infants < 6 months old. One randomised controlled trial investigated fluid resuscitation solutions for shock, with none adequately treating shock. Children with acute diarrhoea benefited from the use of hypo-osmolar oral rehydration solution (H-ORS) compared with the standard World Health Organization-oral rehydration solution (WHO-ORS). WHO-ORS was not significantly different from rehydration solution for malnutrition (ReSoMal), but the safety of ReSoMal was uncertain. A rice-based ORS was more beneficial than glucose-based ORSs, and provision of zinc plus a WHO-ORS had a favourable impact on diarrhoea and need for ORS. Comparisons of different diets in children with persistent diarrhoea produced conflicting findings. For treating infection, comparison of amoxicillin with ceftriaxone during inpatient therapy, and routine provision of antibiotics for 7 days versus no antibiotics during outpatient therapy of uncomplicated SAM, found that neither had a significant effect on recovery at the end of follow-up. No evidence mapped to the next three questions on factors that affect sustainability of programmes, long-term survival and readmission rates, the clinical effectiveness of management strategies for treating children with comorbidities such as tuberculosis and Helicobacter pylori infection and the factors that limit the full implementation of treatment programmes. Comparison of treatment for SAM in different settings showed that children receiving inpatient care appear to do as well as those in ambulatory or home settings on anthropometric measures and response time to treatment. Longer-term follow-up showed limited differences between the different settings. The majority of evidence on methods for correcting micronutrient deficiencies considered zinc supplements; however, trials were heterogeneous and a firm conclusion about zinc was not reached. There was limited evidence on either supplementary potassium or nicotinic acid (each produced some benefits), and nucleotides (not associated with benefits). Evidence was identified for four of the five remaining questions, but not assessed because of resource limitation.LimitationsThe systematic review focused on key questions prioritised through a Delphi study and, as a consequence, did not encompass all elements in the management of SAM. In focusing on evidence from controlled studies with the most rigorous designs that were published in the English language, the systematic review may have excluded other forms of evidence. The systematic review identified several limitations in the evidence base for assessing the effectiveness of interventions for treating young children with severe acute malnutrition, including a lack of studies assessing the different interventions; limited details of study methods used; short follow-up post intervention or discharge; and heterogeneity in participants, interventions, settings, and outcome measures affecting generalisability.ConclusionsFor many of the most highly ranked questions evidence was lacking or inconclusive. More research is needed on a range of topic areas concerning the treatment of infants and children with SAM. Further research is required on most aspects of the management of SAM in children < 5 years, including intravenous resuscitation regimens for shock, management of subgroups (e.g. infants < 6 months old, infants and children with SAM who are human immunodeficiency virus sero-positive) and on the use of antibiotics.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Technology Assessment programme.<br/
The clinical effectiveness of diabetes education models for Type 2 diabetes: a systematic review
Objective: To examine the clinical effectiveness of patient education models for adults with Type 2 diabetes.Data sources: Electronic databases were searched from 2002 to January 2007.Review methods: A systematic review of the literature on educational interventions in diabetes was undertaken. This was an update of a previous systematic review.Results: Including studies identified in the previous systematic review, there were 13 published studies. Eight studies of education on multiple aspects of diabetes self-management were identified that provided education that was focused on a particular aspect of self-management. The quality of reporting and methodology of the studies was variable. Studies of multi-component educational interventions yielded mixed results. Some trials reported significant improvements on measures of diabetic control but others did not. Positive effects may be attributable to longer-term interventions with a shorter duration between the end of the intervention and the follow-up evaluation point. There may also be an effect of having a multi-professional team delivering the educational programme. Studies of focused educational interventions did not yield consistent results. Some effects were shown on measures of diabetic control in studies that focused on diet or exercise alone. Although the effects shown were generally small, those that were present did appear to be relatively long-lasting. This update review does not substantially alter the conclusions of the previous systematic review; for each outcome, the proportion of studies that demonstrated significant effects of education was similar.Conclusions: Based on the evidence, it would seem that education delivered by a team of educators, with some degree of reinforcement of that education made at additional points of contact, may provide the best opportunity for improvements in patient outcomes. Educators need to have time and resources to fulfil the needs of any structured educational programme. There is also a need for education to have a clear programme at the outset. From the evidence reported it is unclear what resources would need to be directed at the educators themselves to ensure that they can deliver programmes successfully. Any future research should consider patient education within the context of overall diabetes care and as such follow guidelines for the development and evaluation of complex interventions. Good-quality, longer-term studies would be desirable, but these would require careful consideration around the nature of any control group. Information is needed to clarify the sensitivity of diabetes education programmes to the performance of the diabetes educators, in order to ensure success and cost-effectiveness of education programmes.<br/
The safety and effectiveness of different methods of ear wax removal: a systematic review and economic evaluation
Ear wax (cerumen) is a natural secretion produced to protect the inner ear from dirt and other fragments by moving these particles towards the outer ear. If this process does not happen properly, wax may build up causing blockage in the ear canal and the possibility of impaction. People with a build up of ear wax may suffer from hearing loss, discomfort and, on occasions, infection. It may present problems in assessing hearing, blocking the view of the ear drum during medical examination and interfering with the fitting or function of hearing aids. Although it is thought to affect between 2% and 6% of the population in the England and Wales, some groups may be at a higher risk, such as those using hearing aids or with small ear canals and/or skin conditions. Recurrence is thought to be high among some of these groups. The consequences of the build up of ear wax in the ear canal are thought to be a common reason for consultation and cost in general practice with over 2 million consultations per year in the NHS.Methods of removal of ear wax include drops, flushing with water in general practice, and removal with suction or probes in specialist clinics. The relative safety and benefits of these different methods of removal remains uncertain. This research will systematically review published and unpublished evidence on the clinical and cost effectiveness of different methods for the removal of ear wax. Where appropriate, it will develop an economic model using data from this systematic review and other relevant sources to estimate the relative costs and benefits of different methods. In addition, the project will provide recommendations for future research to try to help answer any remaining areas of uncertainty
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