bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nursing Care of the Chronically Critically ill: An Exploratory Descriptive Study
Authors:   , Butt Anne Rosamond 
Published: November 2021

<p>Background:There is an emerging group of intensive care unit (ICU) patients known as the chronically critically ill (CCI). This patient group is steadily increasing worldwide (Nelson et al., 2004).No published literature was located that focused on the nursing experience of caring for CCI patients, however studies alluded to CCI patients as frustrating to look after.This is pertinent because these patients are costly to care for and considered burdensome to nurses and physicians. (Daly, Rudy, Thompson & Happ, 1991). In a working environment where turnover and shortage of nursing staff is evident and predicted to worsen, this is cause for real concern about future resourcing for this patient group (Carasa & Nespoli, 2002). Research Aims: The aim of this study was to explore and describe nurses' experiences of caring for CCI patients. ICU nurses are the key providers of bedside care to all ICU patients. They have valuable contributions concerning the planning and implementation of patient-focused care, including that of long-stay and CCI patients. Method: A qualitative approach was used with an exploratory descriptive design. Semistructured interviews were conducted which generated in-depth description of participant experiences. Findings: Six key themes are identified: 1. Nursing autonomy and control 2. Work-related stress, compassion fatigue and staff allocation 3. The CCI patient in the ICU environment 4. Teamwork, nursing practice and continuity of care 5. The culture of ICU 6. Withdrawal of care and palliation. Summary: Six nurses from two tertiary level ICUs within New Zealand were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. Participants were encouraged to comment on several issues including access to training and resources, cultural issues within ICU and any suggestions for how CCI patient care might be improved.The interviews were transcribed to allow a thorough content analysis. These topics were explored and generated recommendations for changing practice.</p>
How Adult Fiction Readers Select Fiction Books in Public Libraries: a Study of Information-Seeking in Context
Authors:   , Ooi Kamy 
Published: November 2021

<p>This study examines from the viewpoint of twelve adult fiction readers, who are members of book clubs, how they go about selecting fiction books to borrow from the public library. The methodological approach taken was a qualitative one in that each participant took part in an individual, semi-structured, face-to-face interview. The central premise of the study was that information seeking occurs in a context and must therefore be understood as influenced by context. In attempting to understand how adult fiction readers select their books then, the study examined a variety of contextual factors that influenced book choice. Personal characteristics such as mood and lifestyle were found to have an impact on book selections. Family and friends, and peers from book clubs, also played important roles in participants' book choices. The mass media, including the Internet, radio, television and the printed press also impacted participants' choice of books. Radio, in particular, was a popular source among participants. The study also examined the role that the public library played in fiction readers' book choices. It was found that while the public library provided a range of readers' advisory tools to assist fiction readers in their book selections, not all the tools were helpful to the study's participants. Library staff also played a largely invisible role in participants' book choices. Implications for public library services are discussed in the study.</p>
Education of Secondary Samoan Students in New Zealand: The Road to Success
Authors:   , Lipine Tavita 
Published: November 2021

<p>This research was undertaken under the framework by Bronfenbrenner (1990). This study was carried out in six secondary in New Zealand to identify the factors that successful Samoans students believe have contributed to their educational success. A phenomenological approach was adopted for the research and a constructivist-hermeneutic-interpretivist-qualitative paradigm was used for data collection. There were four phases used in the data collection. In phase 1, the researcher identified low decile schools that could be part of the research. Phase 2 consisted of pilot interviews. In phase 3, focus group interviews enabled the identification of 49 significant factors related to the respondents' successful achievement in education. All factors identified in phase 3 were discussed and verified in the individual interviews, which made up phase 4 of the research. The respondents gave detailed descriptions of the factors they believed to have influenced their schooling achievement and success. All factors identified in the interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis procedure, and this was significant in the identification of three important themes - the passion to achieve, the capacity to deal with inconsistency and a holistic orientation to fa'asamoa as perceived by the students' aiga. The key finding related to the students' aiga, which played a significant role in their lives and impacted positively on their educational achievement. The influences of culture, church, community and change were important to the students and these were central to the development of the themes in the context of New Zealand. This research has identified the complexity of the factors which contribute to the understanding of how best to meet the needs of Samoan students in the New Zealand context. The factors by the students are perceived by the researcher as important factors and direction for future educational development for Samoan students. This research has also provided another dimension to Bronfenbrener's (1990) theory, which is important in the understanding of educational development of other ethnic groups such as the Pasifika students.</p>
Intra-Labour Strategic Commitment
Authors:   , Nolan Matthew 
Published: November 2021

<p>This thesis explores a strategic investment motive for the choice of skilled labour (management). Using the case study of department store competition, we argue that management is an observable and irreversible input. This allows firms to use it to obtain a first-mover advantage in oligopolistic interactions. We find that, given complementarities of labour inputs, firms will hire excess management relative to the cost-minimising input bundle. This idea is first illustrated with a simple two-stage example. We then show that over-management also holds in a more realistic setting with infinitely-lived firms facing finite adjustment costs.</p>
Accounting Conservatism
Authors:   , Wang Zhe 
Published: November 2021

<p>This thesis provides an in-depth examination of accounting conservatism, which is one of the oldest and most important principles of accounting (Sterling, 1967;Watts, 2003a). Two main questions relating to accounting conservatism are extensively studied in this thesis: (1) How to measure accounting conservatism? (2) Why do firms adopt accounting conservatism? This thesis consists of three main chapters that answer these two questions from three different perspectives. The first chapter studies the existing empirical measures of accounting conservatism from a construct validity perspective and concludes that construct validity of the existing measures is mixed to low. The second chapter examines the validity and bias in the Basu (1997) measure of accounting conservatism - one of the most widely used measure of conservatism in the accounting literature. The second chapter shows, analytically and empirically, that the Basu (1997) measure is biased upwards by the default risk of a firm, and proposes a new measure of conservatism that is free from this bias. This new measure of conservatism is called the "Default-Adjusted-Basu" measure. The third chapter investigates the economic rationale for accounting conservatism, and proposes a signalling theory for accounting conservatism. In a debt market characterized by information asymmetry, a borrower firm's degree of conservatism can serve as a credible signal about that borrower firm's level of operating risk to the lenders in the debt market. Thus, one potential benefit of accounting conservatism is that it can reduce the degree of information asymmetry in the debt market.</p>
Large Number of Rare Events: Diversity Analysis in Multiple Choice Questionnaires and Related Topics
Authors:   , Kvizhinadze Giorgi 
Published: November 2021

<p>The statistical analysis of a large number of rare events, (LNRE), which can also be called statistical theory of diversity, is the subject of acute interest both in statistical theory and in numerous applications. A careful eye will quickly see the presence of a large number of very rare objects almost everywhere: large numbers of rare species in ecosystems, large numbers of rare opinions in any opinion pool, large numbers of small admixtures in any solution and large numbers of rare words in any text are only few examples. In studying such objects, the interest for mathematical statisticians lies in the fact that most of the frequencies are small and, therefore, difficult to deal with. It is not immediately clear how one should be able to derive consistent and reliable inference from a large number of such frequencies. In this thesis we study the diversity of questionnaires with multiple answers. It has been demonstrated that this is a particular model of LNRE theory. In our analysis, the theories of large deviation, contiguity and Edgeworth expansion were employed, and limit theorems have been established.</p>
Are Libraries Utilising the Full Potential of Weblogs? - the Blog Experience in New Zealand and Australia
Authors:   , Kercher Judi 
Published: November 2021

<p>Weblogs (widely known as blogs) are widely promoted as a potentially useful tool of promotion and information dissemination for libraries. They are also advocated as an easy way for libraries to get involved in Web 2.0 applications. As a result, in the past year alone, the number of weblogs established in New Zealand and Australian libraries has grown substantially but little was known about how library blogs were being used or whether they were being used successfully. This study aimed to discover how blogs were being used in New Zealand and Australia and whether they were being utilised to their full potential. Content analysis of 73 blogs was carried out in combination with a survey of 46 people involved with library blogs and five interviews. The results indicate that blogs are being used for a variety of reasons and differing purposes recommended in the literature. Most blogs are being updated regularly and are regarded as successful for disseminating information in a timely manner. The majority of blogs provide links to useful information within the blog posts which readers can also access at a later time through archives. Few library blogs, however, provided categories or a search function to make this access easier. It appears the conversational aspect of the blog is not being realised. Comments are still rare. The potential for marketing and promotion of library resources through the blog and of the blog itself does not appear to be fully utilised in most cases. Nevertheless, library bloggers enjoy the medium and feel it is worthwhile continuing with the development and establishment of blogs. Blog numbers are growing rapidly, therefore many blogs are still in their infancy and have not yet utilised the full potential of this interactive medium.</p>
How Lawyers Search When No-One Is Looking: A Transaction Log Analysis to Evaluate the Educational Needs of the Legal Profession
Authors:   , Robinson Karlene Michelle 
Published: November 2021

<p>Lawyers are increasingly responsible for conducting research using legal databases and are looking to law librarians for training. As there is little information regarding law practitioner training, and even less which provides information about the actual search behaviour of the legal profession, much of this training has had to be based upon experience and best guesses of individual librarians. This study was undertaken to investigate the actual search behaviour of practitioners using the Auckland District Law Society Library. Its purpose is to provide the training personnel in that library with information about the search habits of their potential trainees to improve current training initiatives. It is based on data from transaction logs gathered from the public terminals in the Auckland District Law Society Library which are used by practitioners. An analysis of the logs collected revealed that: (1) the case summary databases, LINX and BRIEFCASE, were the databases most commonly used by practitioners; (2) the most common type of search conducted during the study was for commentary or case law on a particular subject; (3) the majority of search sessions comprised only a single query, but there were some instances where practitioner sessions would involve more than 10 queries; and (4) there was limited use of any of the advanced search features offered on FolioVIEWS. Based upon these findings the following recommendations were made in relation to the existing training programme offered by the Library: 1. All training sessions include information regarding database concepts; 2. The library initiate additional lunch-time training sessions to inform practitioners of the databases currently available in the library and their content; 3. The library continue to teach advanced search techniques, particularly search construction, the use of synonyms and truncation, to help increase the levels of recall and therefore search success in practitioner searches; 4. The library continue to include information on Field and Phrase searching in both the beginners and advanced courses. Although the purpose of the study was not to investigate the level of search 'failure' or 'success' attained by practitioners, this paper contains a discussion of the different measurement techniques which could be used to measure search effectiveness. It is argued that recall would be the most appropriate measure of search success and that, based upon a visual examination of the transaction logs, this is not being achieved in the majority of cases. Given this alarming observation it is argued that more attention should be paid to issues surrounding database and interface design and that the library become involved in a general education programme to help users recognise situations in which end-user searches may be inappropriate.</p>
Teachers' Perceptions of Outcomes-Based Science Curriculum: A Case Study from Solomon Islands
Authors:   , Daudau Patrick 
Published: November 2021

<p>The purpose of this study is to contribute to the debate about the appropriateness of an outcomes - based education (OBE) model for curriculum reform in Solomon Islands. A shift from a curriculum defined by subject content to a curriculum defined by what learners are expected to know, understand, be able to do and appreciate has been promoted. This belief has been highlighted in the Solomon Islands National Education Strategic Plans (2004 -2006 & 2007 -2009), Education Strategic Framework (2007 - 2015) and the approved National Curriculum Statement. Taking an interpretive-constructivist approach, the study employed a qualitative case study research methodology. The study used a purposeful sample of key curriculum stakeholders, including science teachers, science lecturers, school principal, education officials and public servants who were participating in the reform. Focus group conversation and one-on-one interviews were conducted using semi-structured questions. Interviews were conducted in Solomon Islands Pijin, recorded and transcribed for analysis. Data was collected in Honiara, Solomon Islands, from June to July 2009. This study explores the conceptualisation of outcomes-based education in a Solomon Islands context and its implication in the development of outcomes-based science curriculum. It examines the relevance and appropriateness of outcomes-based science curriculum to post-school real life situations. The research also explores the extent to which Outcomes-Based Science Curriculum could be effectively taught, learnt and assessed, and how students' performance, progress and achievements could be efficiently monitored, recorded and reported. The study also discusses potential problems, issues and challenges that might impede the implementation process and concludes with how these obstacles could be solved or mitigated.</p>
Timing of Intravenous Therapy, Venepuncture and Cannulation Education for Nurses
Authors:   , Anderson Bronwynne Lesley 
Published: November 2021

<p>Internationally it is becoming more acceptable for nurses to carry out intravenous (IV) therapy, venepuncture and cannulation. There does not appear to be consensus about when nurses should undergo this education either nationally or internationally. The aim of this research project was to try and identify when IV therapy, venepuncture and cannulation education should take place and also to identify what different District Health Boards (DHBs) and nursing schools in New Zealand consider should be included in undergraduate nursing curricula related to IV therapy, venepuncture and cannulation. An email survey method was employed, which returned 36 responses. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse these responses. This research project has utilised an exploratory descriptive approach to examine perceptions of registered nurses, who are employed in hospitals and schools of nursing, about whether nurses in New Zealand should be prepared to administer intravenous therapy, undertake venepuncture and cannulation prior to, or following, registration. Participants were asked to share their personal beliefs, thoughts and understanding about the topic. Benner's framework of Novice to Expert was used as a theoretical framework for this study. The major findings that emerged from this study were that IV therapy should be a core component of undergraduate study and that there should be a national education and training programme. There was however, no agreement about the timing of venepuncture and cannulation education and training. The findings of this study indicated that education and competency are an issue which needs to be addressed by the different health providers and associated educators. This would lead to the development of a nationally agreed framework, with agreed standards.</p>
The Low Frequency Electrical Properties of Sea Ice
Authors:   , Buchanan Sean Thomas 
Published: November 2021

<p>This thesis summarises an experimental and theoretical study of the low frequency electrical properties of sea ice. The aim of the research was to first demonstrate, and then gain a physical understanding of, the microstructural dependence of a sea ice impedance measurement. In particular, we sought to realise how the effective electrical properties of the medium depended on the volume fraction, orientation, dimensions, and connectivity of the dispersed brine phase. The experimental portion of the project was performed on laboratory grown, artificial sea ice. We monitored the variation with time, and temperature, of the broadband sea ice impedance using four-electrode measurement cells embedded within the ice. The four-electrode measurement allowed us to realise and eliminate the contribution of electrode polarization to the measured impedance. By representing the electrical response of sea ice as a complex conductivity, we formulated a broadband physical model to describe the medium. The model distinguished bulk conduction, bulk polarization, and interfacial polarization. A complex non-linear least squares fitting procedure revealed the individual contribution of these physical processes and we studied their variation with temperature. We found that the bulk material underwent a dielectric relaxation with activation energy Ea = 0.20 + and - 0.04eV. We linked the bulk material properties with a two phase microstructural model, with realistic input parameters.</p>
Agri-Food Globalisation and Rural Transformation in Chile: Smallholder Livelihoods in the Global Value Chain for Raspberries
Authors:   , Challies Edward R. T. 
Published: November 2021

<p>As transnational capital continues to penetrate the agricultural sectors of developing countries, agri-food production-consumption is increasingly organised at the global scale. This has profound implications for small-scale farmers in the global South, who are being integrated into a globalising agri-food system geared towards the provision of agricultural commodities to meet the demands of wealthy consumers in Northern markets. Chile is one country that has purposefully inserted itself into the world trading system as an agri-exporter - a strategy that has fundamentally transformed Chilean agriculture. Framed within an examination of agrarian transformations in Chile and a world-historical account of agri-food globalisation, this thesis critically examines local-global linkages engendered by agri-food globalisation through a case study of export-oriented Chilean smallholder raspberry growers. The study aims to understand the structure and dynamics of the global value chain for raspberries, and to determine the livelihood implications of smallholder growers' participation in it. A detailed, locality case study was conducted in Yerbas Buenas - an important site of raspberry production within Chile - combining analysis of the raspberry value chain, and an in-depth survey of grower livelihoods. The value chain component focuses on key chain actors and functions within Chile, examining the role of public and private sector organisations governing and coordinating activities along the chain. The livelihoods component examines the significance of raspberry production within diversified household livelihood strategies, considering key assets, capabilities and mediating factors shaping smallholders' access to the value chain. Additionally, the research seeks to explore synergies and tensions between global value chain and sustainable rural livelihoods approaches, and to consider their integrative potential. The thesis finds that increasing competitive pressures, particularly arising from the evolving quality requirements of key overseas buyers, are seriously undermining the capacity of smallholder growers to participate in the chain. While existing private and public sector support is necessary for the participation of the smallest growers, it is not sufficient to secure their survival. It is argued that the neoliberal macroeconomic model represents a major barrier to smallholder participation, as the modernising agri-export-led growth strategy that it underpins can not accommodate the degree of intervention or the redistribution of resources required to address socio-economic inequality in the Chilean countryside.</p>