University of Salford

About: University of Salford is a education organization based out in Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Thin film. The organization has 13049 authors who have published 22957 publications receiving 537330 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Salford Manchester & The University of Salford Manchester.

Tubulin and microtubules as targets for anticancer drugs.

Abstract: Microtubules are intracellular organelles formed from the protein tubulin. These organelles have a number of essential cellular functions including chromosome segregation, the maintenance of cell shape, transport, motility, and organelle distribution. Drugs that affect the tubulin-microtubule equilibrium (taxol, vinca alkaloids) are effective anticancer drugs. This review describes the molecular target, methods used in screening, the structures of compounds known to interact with tubulin, and the clinical use of these agents. In addition the ability of these agents to destroy tumour vasculature is described. This represents an exciting new molecular target in the design of anticancer drugs.

Nursing record systems: effects on nursing practice and healthcare outcomes.

Abstract: Background - a nursing record system is the record of care that was planned or given to individual patients and clients by qualified nurses or other caregivers under the direction of a qualified nurse. Nursing record systems may be an effective way of influencing nurse practice. Objectives - to assess the effects of nursing record systems on nursing practice and patient outcomes. Search strategy - for the original version of this review in 2000, and updates in 2003 and 2008, we searched: the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group Specialised Register; MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, BNI, ISI Web of Knowledge, and ASLIB Index of Theses. We also handsearched: Computers, Informatics, Nursing (Computers in Nursing); Information Technology in Nursing; and the Journal of Nursing Administration. For this update, searches can be considered complete until the end of 2007. We checked reference lists of retrieved articles and other related reviews. Selection criteria - randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled before and after studies, and interrupted time series comparing one kind of nursing record system with another in hospital, community or primary care settings. The participants were qualified nurses, students or healthcare assistants working under the direction of a qualified nurse, and patients receiving care recorded or planned using nursing record systems. Data collection and analysis - two review authors (in two pairs) independently assessed trial quality and extracted data.

A framework for managing maintenance using performance measurement systems

Abstract: The role of maintenance in modern manufacturing is becoming ever more important, with companies adopting maintenance as a profit-generating business element. As a result, traditional terms used to describe maintenance such as “necessary evil” seem to be obsolete. It would appear that the aim of the maintenance function is to contribute towards an organisation’s profit, clearly bringing the need for maintenance operations to be in harmony with corporate business objectives. As the measurement activity provides the link between the actual output and the desired results, performance measurement systems are crucial to those who have a stake in maintenance, to ensure that they are not in conflict with the overall business needs. This paper looks at the role of performance measurement systems (PMS) in maintenance, with particular reference to developing a new PMS using the quality function deployment (QFD) technique. First, a literature review on performance measurement is presented, in which the key factors for an effective PMS are identified. Second, common PMSs for maintenance are examined. Then, based on the principles of an effective PMS a discussion on PMSs is presented, when applied to the maintenance function. Next, a framework is developed to embrace these key facets, which is followed by a discussion of its practical implications, in the light of its application within a SME.

EU border security and migration into the European Union: FRONTEX and securitisation through practices

Abstract: This article examines the contribution of the activities of FRONTEX, the Agency in charge of managing operational cooperation at the external borders of the European Union (EU), to the securitisation of asylum and migration in the EU. It does so by applying a sociological approach to the study of securitisation processes, which, it argues, is particularly well-suited to the study of securitisation processes in the EU. Such an approach privileges the study of securitising practices over securitising ‘speech acts’ in securitisation processes. After identifying two main types of securitising practices in general, the article systematically examines the activities of FRONTEX and the extent to which they can be seen as securitising practices on the basis of these two (non-mutually exclusive) criteria. The article shows that all the main activities of FRONTEX can be considered to be securitising practices. The article therefore concludes that the activities of FRONTEX contribute to a significant extent...