scholarly journals Is It AIDS? Or Is It Kaliondeonde? Preliminary Assessment of an Indigenous AIDS-like Illness in Zambia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Feldman ◽  
Irene Ketonen-Keating ◽  
Ndashi W. Chitalu
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Healer ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Clinical Practices ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
The Public ◽  
South Central ◽  
Hiv Negative ◽  
Hiv Aids

Abstract Background: Kaliondeonde is an AIDS-like immunosuppressive illness of unknown etiology common in Zambia and Malawi. It has similar, but not identical, symptoms to HIV/AIDS, and appears to have been in south central Africa longer. It is often viewed by both the public and academics as being the same as HIV/AIDS. Method: Research was conducted in Zambia among seven kaliondeonde patients to determine the perceptions of the sickness, and the symptoms of the disease, in comparison with HIV/AIDS. A subset of four of the patients were examined by both a traditional healer and a physician, and tested for HIV. Results: Two of the four kaliondeonde patients were found to be HIV negative, suggesting the possibility that kaliondeonde is different from HIV/AIDS. Conclusions: If future research confirms that many kaliondeonde patients are in fact HIV-negative, it will become vitally urgent to clarify the distinctiveness of the two illnesses and alter perceptions and knowledge of kaliondeonde prevention, epidemiology, etiology, and clinical practices.

Early trade and raw materials in South Central Africa

1969 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian M. Fagan
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Regional Trade ◽  
Archaeological Evidence ◽  
South Central ◽  
Iron Copper

Three raw materials were essential to Iron Age peoples in South Central Africa: iron, copper and salt. This paper discusses some of the archaeological evidence for the development of regional and long-distance trade in these commodities during the earlier Iron Age. A distinction is drawn between regional trade in items for which there is local demand, and longer distance commerce in raw materials, which may have been conducted with the aid of some standardized units of monetary significance.The big question for future research is that of assessing the degree to which the more sophisticated centres of metallurgy and trade affected those societies, living outside the immediate area, whose technologies and economies were less highly developed.

INTERSTITIAL CARTOGRAPHER: DAVID LIVINGSTONE AND THE INVENTION OF SOUTH CENTRAL AFRICA

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian S. Wisnicki
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Civil Law ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Human Race ◽  
The Public ◽  
Geographical Society ◽  
Oxford University ◽  
South Central ◽  
Queen Victoria ◽  
Encyclopedic Narrative

Upon returning to England in December 1856 after sixteen years in the interior of southern Africa, David Livingstone, the celebrated missionary and explorer, received an enthusiastic welcome. Already a household name because of his well-publicized discoveries and travels, Livingstone now found himself a hero of national stature. The Royal Geographical Society and the London Missionary Society organized large receptions in his honor; he received the freedoms of several cities, including London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow; Oxford University awarded him an honorary D.C.L. (Doctor of Civil Law); and Queen Victoria invited him to a private audience (Schapera ix-x). Likewise, the encyclopedic narrative of his adventures, Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa (1857), garnered numerous favorable reviews, sold some 70,000 copies, and ultimately made the explorer a rich man. Livingstone's narrative, wrote one early reviewer, opened up “a mystic and inscrutable continent,” while the story of Livingstone's famous four-year transcontinental journey – the first such documented journey in history – inspired admiration for being “performed without the help of civilized associate, trusting only to the resources of his own gallant heart and to the protection of the missionary's God” (“Dr. Livingstone's African Researches” 107). In promoting the Zambesi River as a natural highway into the interior of Africa and in advocating for the three C's – Christianity, commerce, and civilization – as a means to ending the slave-trade and opening the continent's natural riches to the outside world, Missionary Travels also struck a resounding chord with the public. Reviewers welcomed Livingstone's pronouncements, while describing the missionary as “an instrument, divinely appointed by Providence for the amelioration of the human race and the furtherance of God's glory” (“Livingstone's Missionary Travels” 74).

Assessments of User Comments With “Alternative Views” as a Function of Media Trust

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Marlene Kunst
Keyword(s):  
Online Discussions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Argument Quality ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
User Comments ◽  
Media Trust ◽  
Heuristic Information Processing

Abstract. Comments sections under news articles have become popular spaces for audience members to oppose the mainstream media’s perspective on political issues by expressing alternative views. This kind of challenge to mainstream discourses is a necessary element of proper deliberation. However, due to heuristic information processing and the public concern about disinformation online, readers of comments sections may be inherently skeptical about user comments that counter the views of mainstream media. Consequently, commenters with alternative views may participate in discussions from a position of disadvantage because their contributions are scrutinized particularly critically. Nevertheless, this effect has hitherto not been empirically established. To address this gap, a multifactorial, between-subjects experimental study ( N = 166) was conducted that investigated how participants assess the credibility and argument quality of media-dissonant user comments relative to media-congruent user comments. The findings revealed that media-dissonant user comments are, indeed, disadvantaged in online discussions, as they are assessed as less credible and more poorly argued than media-congruent user comments. Moreover, the findings showed that the higher the participants’ level of media trust, the worse the assessment of media-dissonant user comments relative to media-congruent user comments. Normative implications and avenues for future research are discussed.

Does Recent Academic Research Support Changes to Audit Reporting Standards?

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Bédard ◽  
Paul Coram ◽  
Reza Espahbodi ◽  
Theodore J. Mock
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Support ◽  
The Public ◽  
Market Participants ◽  
Information Gap ◽  
Public Company ◽  
Reporting Process

SYNOPSIS The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), and the U.K. Financial Reporting Council (FRC) have proposed or approved standards that significantly change the independent auditor's report. These initiatives require the auditor to make additional disclosures intended to close the information gap; that is, the gap between the information users desire and the information available through the audited financial statements, other corporate disclosures, and the auditor's report. They are also intended to improve the relevancy of the auditor's report. We augment prior academic research by providing standard setters with an updated synthesis of relevant research. More importantly, we provide an assessment of whether the changes are likely to close the information gap, which is important to financial market participants and other stakeholders in the audit reporting process. Also, we identify areas where there seems to be a lack of sufficient research. These results are of interest to all stakeholders in the audit reporting process, as the changes to the auditor's report are fundamental. Additionally, our summaries of research on the auditor's report highlight where there is limited research or inconsistent results, which will help academics identify important opportunities for future research.

A Theoretical Framework of the Relationship between Public Accounting Firms and Their Auditors

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dreike Almer ◽  
Julia L. Higgs ◽  
Karen L. Hooks
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sociology Of Professions ◽  
Rich Description ◽  
Public Accounting Firms ◽  
Current Article ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Significant Attention

The behavior of auditors in the context of their employment by public accounting firms has received significant attention in the accounting literature. The current article extends this literature by providing a framework that identifies what auditing professionals contribute and receive as a result of their work efforts, as well as related influences. Using agency theory modified with fundamental ideas from the sociology of professions literature, we develop a model of the auditor-public accounting firm employment relationship. This framework is grounded in a timely, contextually rich description of the public accounting work environment, and the pressures and incentives faced by auditors. Propositions for future research are suggested that arise from understanding the auditor-firm relationship.

A benchmarking study of Indian seaports

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-102
Author(s):  
Sajeev Abraham George ◽  
Anurag C. Tumma
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Port Authorities ◽  
Financial Performance Measures ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to benchmark the operational and financial performances of the major Indian seaports to help derive useful insights to improve their performance. Design/methodology/approach A two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology has been used with the help of data collected on the 13 major seaports of India. The first stage of the DEA captured the operational efficiencies, while the second stage the financial performance. Findings A window analysis over a period of three years revealed that no port was able to score an overall average efficiency of 100 per cent. The study identified the better performing units among their peers in both the stages. The contrasting results of the study with the traditional operational and financial performance measures used by the ports helped to derive useful insights. Research limitations/implications The data used in the study were majorly limited to the available sources in the public domain. Also, the study was limited to the major seaports which are under the Government of India and no comparisons were carried out with other local or international ports. Practical implications There is a need to prioritize investments and improvement efforts where they are most needed, instead of following a generalized approach. Once the benchmark ports are identified, the port authorities and other relevant stakeholders should work in detail on the factors causing inefficiencies, for possible improvements in performance. Originality/value This paper carried out a two-stage DEA that helped to derive useful insights on operational efficiency and financial performance of the India seaports. A combination of the financial and operational parameters, along with a comparison of the DEA results with the traditional measures, provided a different perspective on the Indian seaport performance. Considering the scarcity of research papers reported in the literature on DEA-based benchmarking studies of seaports in the Indian context, it has the potential to attract future research in this field.

scholarly journals Advances in Forest Robotics: A State-of-the-Art Survey

Robotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Luiz F. P. Oliveira ◽  
António P. Moreira ◽  
Manuel F. Silva
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Navigation Systems ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Environmental Preservation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Forest Exploitation ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Scientific Papers ◽  
Great Relevance ◽  
Robotic Applications

The development of robotic systems to operate in forest environments is of great relevance for the public and private sectors. In this sense, this article reviews several scientific papers, research projects and commercial products related to robotic applications for environmental preservation, monitoring, wildfire firefighting, inventory operations, planting, pruning and harvesting. After conducting critical analysis, the main characteristics observed were: (a) the locomotion system is directly affected by the type of environmental monitoring to be performed; (b) different reasons for pruning result in different locomotion and cutting systems; (c) each type of forest, in each season and each type of soil can directly interfere with the navigation technique used; and (d) the integration of the concept of swarm of robots with robots of different types of locomotion systems (land, air or sea) can compensate for the time of executing tasks in unstructured environments. Two major areas are proposed for future research works: Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart forest and navigation systems. It is expected that, with the various characteristics exposed in this paper, the current robotic forest systems will be improved, so that forest exploitation becomes more efficient and sustainable.

scholarly journals Living Labs for Public Sector Innovation: An Integrative Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Lars Fuglsang ◽  
Anne Vorre Hansen ◽  
Ines Mergel ◽  
Maria Taivalsaari Røhnebæk
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Innovation ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Living Labs ◽  
Elusive Concept

The public administration literature and adjacent fields have devoted increasing attention to living labs as environments and structures enabling the co-creation of public sector innovation. However, living labs remain a somewhat elusive concept and phenomenon, and there is a lack of understanding of its versatile nature. To gain a deeper understanding of the multiple dimensions of living labs, this article provides a review assessing how the environments, methods and outcomes of living labs are addressed in the extant research literature. The findings are drawn together in a model synthesizing how living labs link to public sector innovation, followed by an outline of knowledge gaps and future research avenues.

scholarly journals AB0862 CONSENSUS STATEMENT ON INTRA-ARTICULAR INJECTIONS OF PLATELET-RICH PLASMA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1738.3-1738
Author(s):  
F. Eymard ◽  
P. Ornetti ◽  
J. Maillet ◽  
E. Noel ◽  
P. Adam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knee Osteoarthritis ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Platelet Rich Plasma ◽  
Symptomatic Treatment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
List Type ◽  
Clinical Practices ◽  
Efficient Treatment ◽  
Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis ◽  
Symptomatic Knee

Background:There has been much debate regarding the use of intra-articular injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as symptomatic treatment for knee osteoarthritis. The heterogeneity of the preparation and injection protocols limits the extrapolation of data from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses.Objectives:The objective of this expert consensus was to develop the first clinical practice recommendations for PRP injections in knee osteoarthritis.Methods:Fifteen physicians (10 rheumatologists, 4 specialists in rehabilitation and sport medicine and 1 interventional radiologist) from different countries were selected given to their expertise in the fields of PRP and osteoarthritis. Twenty-five recommendations were finally retained after several meetings using the modified Delphi method to establish clinical consensus. All experts voted their agreement or not for each recommendation using a score between 1 (totally inappropriate) and 9 (totally appropriate). Depending on the median value and extreme scores, recommendations were judged as appropriated or unappropriated with a strong or relative agreement but could also be judged as uncertain due to indecision or absence of consensus.Results:The main recommendations are listed below:- Intra-articular injections of PRP constitute an efficient treatment of early or moderate symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Median = 8 [6-9] – Appropriate. Relative agreement.- Intra-articular injections of PRP may be useful in severe knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grade IV). Median = 7 [6-7] – Appropriate. Relative agreement.- Intra-articular injections of PRP in knee osteoarthritis should be proposed as second-line therapy, after failure of non-pharmacological and pharmacological (oral and topic) symptomatic treatment. Median = 9 [5-9] – Appropriate. Relative agreement.- Intra-articular injections of PRP should not be performed in osteoarthritis flare-up with significant effusion. Median = 7 [5-9] – Appropriate. Relative agreement.- Intra-articular PRP treatment may include 1 to 3 consecutive injections. Median = 9 [7-9] – Appropriate. Strong agreement.- Leukocyte-poor PRP should be preferred for knee OA treatment. Median = 8 [5-9] – Appropriate. Relative agreement.- PRP injections should be performed under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance. Median = 8 [3-9] – Uncertain. No consensus.- PRP should not be mixed with injectable anesthetic or corticosteroid. Median = 9 [6-9] – Appropriate. Relative agreement.Conclusion:Twenty-five recommendations were discussed by an international multidisciplinary task force group in order to provide a basis for standardization of clinical practices and future research protocols.Disclosure of Interests:Florent Eymard Consultant of: Regenlab, Paul Ornetti: None declared, Jérémy Maillet Consultant of: Regenlab, Eric Noel Consultant of: Regenlab, Philippe Adam Consultant of: Regenlab, Virginie Legré Boyer Consultant of: Regenlab, Thierry Boyer Consultant of: Regenlab, Fadoua Allali: None declared, Vincent Grémeaux Bader: None declared, Jean-François Kaux: None declared, Karine Louati: None declared, Martin Lamontagne Consultant of: Pendopharm, Fabrice Michel: None declared, Pascal Richette: None declared, Hervé Bard Consultant of: Regenlab

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