1,354,712 research outputs found
A Qualitative Evaluation of Volunteers' Experiences in a Phase I/II HIV Vaccine Trial in Tanzania.
No full textEvaluating experiences of volunteers in an HIV vaccine trial will be useful for the conduct of future trials. The purpose of this study among volunteers who participated in a phase I/II HIV vaccine trial in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was to assess what characterized their experiences during the trial. We conducted four focus group discussions with 35 out of the 60 individuals (women and men) after the five scheduled vaccinations. An interpretive description approach was applied to data analysis. As a result of the trial interventions, both men and women gained confidence in their own abilities to have safer, less risky sexual behaviour. The participants experienced the trial as a way of accessing free [insured] medical services. Most of the men said they had gone from self-medication to professional medical consultation. Despite these benefits, the participants faced various challenges during the trial. Such challenges included mistrust of the trial shown by health care providers who were not connected to the trial and discouragement from friends, colleagues and family members who questioned the safety of the trial. However, they managed to cope with these doubts by using both personal and trial related interventions. We found that during the phase I/II HIV vaccine trial, participants had both the opportunities and the ability to cope with the doubts from the surrounding community. Follow up visits enhanced the opportunities and individuals' abilities to cope with the doubts during the trial. Understanding this discourse may be useful for the trial implementers when designing future trials.\ud
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Vaikų taikomos žodžių tarimo paprastinimo strategijos. Eksperimentinis tyrimas
No full textThe aim of this study is to determine the strategies of pronunciation simplification. The sample of the study consisted of 288 Lithuanian children: 96 preschool age children (4;00–4;11), 95 pre-primary school age children (6;00–6;11) and 97 junior primary school age children (8;00–8;11). The data were collected using a non-word repetition task in Lithuanian.The results of the research have shown that Lithuanian children apply universal strategies of pronunciation simplification, mostly substitution and omission; other strategies such as consonant assimilation, metathesis, sound migration to another syllable and sound addition were much less frequent. Also the results show that children possibly apply associations with real Lithuanian words or their derivational forms.The research has demonstrated that the ability to repeat different structure words is related to the rules of Lithuanian phonotactics. Consonant clusters which are typical of Lithuanian words were pronounced accurately, whereas clusters which are rare in Lithuanian words were simplified in their pronunciation. Age was an important factor in the present study: older children repeated non-words more accurately. Older children have a larger lexicon and eventually develop it further; they learn new consonant clusters, which they are capable to pronounce more accurately.Šiame straipsnyje apžvelgiamos universalios vaikų taikomos žodžių tarimo paprastinimo strategijos bei pristatoma, kokias strategijas taiko skirtingo amžiaus grupių lietuvių vaikai bandydami pakartoti pirmą kartą išgirstą žodį. Tyrimo imtį sudaro 288 vaikų kalbos duomenys: 96 ikimokyklinio amžiaus (ketverių metų), 95 priešmokyklinio amžiaus (šešerių metų) ir 97 jaunesnio mokyklinio amžiaus (aštuonerių metų). Tyrimo medžiagai rinkti taikytas lietuvių kalbos išgalvotų žodžių pakartojimo testas.Gauti tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad lietuviai vaikai taiko universalias žodžių tarimo paprastinimo strategijas: vyrauja garsų keitimas, šiek tiek mažiau rasta garsų ar jų junginių praleidimo pavyzdžių. Kitos žodžių tarimo paprastinimo strategijos (metatezė, tolimoji asimiliacija, garsų iš vieno skiemens perkėlimas į kitą) taikytos kur kas rečiau.Tyrimas atskleidė, kad gebėjimas pakartoti skirtingos struktūros žodžius yra susijęs su lietuvių kalbos fonotaktika, nes kartodami pirmą kartą išgirstą žodį, vaikai tiksliau ištaria tuos garsų junginius, kurie būdingi lietuvių kalbos žodžiams ir dažniau klysta tardami retai kalboje pasitaikančius junginius. Amžiaus veiksnys taip pat svarbus aspektas analizuojant gautus duomenis: vyresni vaikai geba tiksliau ištarti skirtingos struktūros žodžius, taip pat juos sudarančius garsus ir jų junginius. Vaikai augdami plečia leksikos, gramatikos ir fonologijos žinias: išmoksta vis kitokių garsų kombinacijų, kurias pastebi ir atpažįsta kalboje ir geba jas tiksliau ištarti patys
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
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Motivations and deterrents to take part in an HIV vaccine trial : experiences from study participants in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
No full textBackground: As HIV infection continues to be a public health problem, development of an effective preventive HIV vaccine is a priority. For the ultimate development of an AIDS vaccine, clinical trials are being conducted throughout the world. However, the process of developing the vaccine does not only depend on identification of suitable trial candidates, but also requires knowledge of incentives to participate in the community where the trial is being conducted. Therefore, the studies presented in this thesis are components of a HIV/AIDS and HIV vaccine trial project in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to address motivations and deterrents of participating in an HIV vaccine trial.Aim: To examine the motivations and deterrents for participating in preventive HIV vaccine trials.Methods: Data were collected from participants and volunteers who were considered for participation or participated in a phase I/II HIV vaccine trial. Four studies with different designs were conducted. In Study I, a semi-structured interview administered questionnaire was used to assess willingness to volunteer for a phase I/II HIV vaccine trial. A convenience sample of 329 individuals from the police force cohort was recruited for the study in 2005-2006. In Study II, focus group discussions were conducted to explore factors that would influence participation in an HIV vaccine trial among members of the police force in 2006-2007. In Study III, face-to-face interviews were used to identify reasons for declining to enrol in an HIV vaccine trial among those who agreed to enrol at the start and were randomized for the trial in 2007-2009. In Study IV, we used focus group discussions to evaluate the experiences of those who participated in the phase I/II trial in 2009.Results: Willingness to volunteer for an HIV vaccine trial was associated with intention to tell others, positive outcome of the trial, personal decision and expectation of obtaining protection against HIV infection. Participation in an HIV vaccine trial would be negatively influenced by sexual partners, friends, family members, relatives or parents (significant others) and fear of vaccine side-effects. Personal fears and negative influences from significant others were the main reasons for declining to enrol in an HIV vaccine trial. Despite the negative comments from significant others, volunteers in the HIV vaccine trial managed to stay on until the end of the trial as a result of personal decision and trial-related interventions.Conclusion: Personal decision is both a motivation to participate in an HIV vaccine trial and a reason to stay on until the end of trial. On the contrary, significant others are the deterrents to participation in the HIV vaccine trial and the reason for declining to enrol in the HIV vaccine trial. Awareness of these issues before trial implementation may help to maximize resource use and enhance retention of those who volunteer in the HIV vaccine trials.List of scientific papersI. Tarimo, EAM., Thorson, A., Bakari, M., Mwami, J., Sandstrom, E., and Kulane, A. Willingness to volunteer in a phase I/II HIV vaccine trial: a study among police officers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Global Health Action. 2009, 2. https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v2i0.1953 II. Tarimo, EAM., Thorson, A., Kohi, TW., Mwami, J., Bakari, M., Sandstrom, E., and Kulane, A. Balancing collective responsibility, individual opportunities and risks: A qualitative study on how police officers reason around volunteering in an HIV vaccine trial in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. BMC Public Health. 2010.10: 292. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-292 III. Tarimo, EAM., Thorson, A., Kohi, TW., Bakari, M., Mhalu, F., and Kulane, A. Reasons for declining to enrol in a phase I and II HIV vaccine trial after randomization among eligible volunteers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. PLoS One. 2011.6(2): e14619. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0014619 IV. Tarimo, EAM., Thorson, A., Kohi, TW., Bakari, M., Mhalu, F., Sandstrom, E., and Kulane, A. A qualitative evaluation of volunteers' experiences in a phase I/II HIV vaccine trial in Tanzania. [Manuscript]</p
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
Delay in Seeking Care Among Tuberculosis Patients Attending Tuberculosis Clinics in Rungwe District, Tanzania.
No full textTuberculosis is one of the major public health problems in Tanzania. The main control strategy in the country is passive case finding whereby people with symptoms are expected to go to health facilities for further investigation. Still there is delay in seeking care in the population. Delay in case detection and treatment may worsen the prognosis of the disease and spread of infection. It is therefore important to determine factors responsible for delay in seeking care in order to develop strategies to address them. The main objective of this study was to asses social and cultural factors that contribute to delay in seeking care among tuberculosis patients attending DOTS clinics in Rungwe District Materials and methods: The study was a cross sectional analytical in nature conducted in Rungwe district involved 232 TB patients .Exit interview were used to collect data and data were analyzed computer software, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 15. Convenience sampling was used to select study participants. Results were presented in frequencies, percentages and Chi-square test was applied to show the association between dependent and independent variables. Ethical issues were observed. The study revealed majority of the patients (71%) delayed to seek care. Older (above 44 years) patients were at a significant elevated risk (OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 1.7, 8.5), to delay in seeking for health care. Similarly, although not significant, females were twice as likely as males to delay to seek for health care (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 0.9, 4.5). Social and traditional practices had significant contribution to delay in seeking medical care. Factors associated with delay in seeking health care for more than 30 days after development of symptoms included age, gender, place of first resort and perceived severity of the disease. Community should be sensitized on seeking appropriate health care, sensitization programs should take into consideration different groups in a society such as women, elders, illiterate and poor by using culturally convenient media of communication to ensure that the whole community is reached.\u
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
Author, publisher and bookseller : a tripartite synergy in Nigerian book industry
No full textThis work is about the roles of Author, Publisher and Bookseller in Book development in
Nigeria. The paper started by delving into the history of Book Publishing in Nigeria after
which it proceeded by defining who an author, a publisher, and a bookseller is and
expatiated on the indispensable roles of these key actors in Nigerian Book Industry and in
the emerging Information Society. Furthermore, the various constraints to book
development were identified while the paper advised on how the Book Industry can be
further promoted in Nigeria. However, the paper concluded and made recommendations
on how the Book sector can help in enhancing scholarship in the country
The Thursday Murder Club: Launching a megabrand author - a publishing case study
No full textIn 2020, the Christmas book charts in the UK made headlines: Barack Obama’s eagerly awaited autobiography, The Promised Land, was beaten to the top spot by The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, a debut cosy crime novel set in a retirement village. Not only did Osman’s book beat the former US president’s expected bestseller, it also broke records, becoming the fastest-selling debut crime novel of all time. Although Osman has a certain level of fame in the UK from his TV appearances on shows such as Pointless, his celebrity status does not entirely explain the novel’s huge sales. This article tracks the acquisition, publication, and promotion journey of The Thursday Murder Club in order to understand the industry and cultural context of its success and to interrogate the role of celebrity in the creation of author brands. The findings suggest that the unexpected scale of the success of the book owed to a number of factors, including in-depth editing by the novel’s agent, editor, and author to tighten up the plot, an extensive and strategic promotional campaign, the pandemic (which drove interest in the book’s genre and themes), and the quality of the writing. We find that the book’s success was accentuated by Osman’s celebrity status rather than being entirely reliant on it. This research adds to the growing scholarship on celebrity authorship by means of an in-depth case study and provides insight into the processes behind publishing a ‘celebrity’ book and launching a megabrand author
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