Estimating losses in an entanglement concentration scheme using the phenomenological operator approach to dissipation in cavity quantum electrodynamics

In a previous paper, we developed a phenomenological-operator technique aiming to simplify the estimate of losses due to dissipation in cavity quantum electrodynamics. In this paper, we apply that technique to estimate losses during an entanglement concentration process in the context of dissipative cavities. In addition, some results, previously used without proof to justify our phenomenological-operator approach, are now formally derived, including an equivalent way to formulate the Wigner-Weisskopf approximation.

Orbital-polarization terms: From a phenomenological to a first-principles description of orbital magnetism in density-functional theory

Phenomenological orbital-polarizition (OP) terms have been repeatedly introduced in the single-particle equations of spin-density-functional theory, in order to improve the description of orbital magnetic moments in systems containing transition metal ions. Here we show that these ad hoc corrections can be interpreted as approximations to the exchange-correlation vector potential A(xc) of current-density functional theory (CDFT). This connection provides additional information on both approaches: phenomenological OP terms are connected to first-principles theory, leading to a rationale for their empirical success and a reassessment of their limitations and the approximations made in their derivation. Conversely, the connection of OP terms with CDFT leads to a set of simple approximations to the CDFT potential A(xc), with a number of desirable features that are absent from electron-gas-based functionals. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Manoeuvring between anxiety and control : Patients experience of learning to live with diabetes: a lifeworld phenomenological study

Research shows that people with diabetes want their lives to proceed as normally as possible, but some patients experience difficulty in reaching their desired goals with treatment. The learning process is a complex phenomenon interwoven into every facet of life. Patients and healthcare providers often have different perspectives in care which gives different expectations on what the patients need to learn and cope with. The aim of this study, therefore, is to describe the experience of learning to live with diabetes. Interviews were conducted with 12 patients afflicted with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The interviews were then analysed with reference to the reflective lifeworld research approach. The analysis shows that when the afflicted realize that their bodies undergo changes and that blood sugar levels are not always balanced as earlier in life, they can adjust to their new conditions early. The afflicted must take responsibility for balancing their blood sugar levels and incorporating the illness into their lives. Achieving such goals necessitates knowledge. The search for knowledge and sensitivity to changes are constant requirements for people with diabetes. Learning is driven by the tension caused by the need for and dependence on safe blood sugar control, the fear of losing such control, and the fear of future complications. The most important responsibilities for these patients are aspiring to understand their bodies as lived bodies, ensuring safety and security, and acquiring the knowledge essential to making conscious choices.

Phenomenological analysis of experimentally induced visual mental imagery associated with shamanic journeying to the lower world

This study explored ostensibly shamanic journeying imagery by (a) assessing visual images across induction techniques (i.e., sonic driving, Ganzfeld, relaxation, and sitting with eyes open); (b) determining combination(s) of induction technique and instructions most associated with religious imagery; and (c) investigating the origins of visual imagery. Six participants were randomly assigned to factorial combinations of a 3 x 4 mixed design (levels of instruction x levels of induction) and were administered the Modified Affect Bridge to explore the origins of mental imagery reported during the experimental conditions. Phenomenological analysis yielded comprehensive constituent themes. Harner’s (1990) shamanic journeying, coupled with religious, instructions were associated with the highest religious imagery, while visual images associated with shamanic journeying were derived primarily from autobiographical memories.

Experimental study of ostensibly shamanic journeying imagery in naďve participants II: phenomenological mapping and modified affect bridge

This study develops the methodological framework advanced in Rock, Baynes, and Casey's (2005) experimental study of ostensibly shamanic journeying imagery in naïve participants. Specifically, the present study experimentally investigates the impact of the word landscape, featured in Harner's (1990) shamanic journeying to the Lower World instructions, on the number of landscape-related images reported; examines the origins of ostensibly shamanic journeying images; and maps the phenomenological state effects of shamanic journeying to the Lower World. Sixtyeight naïve participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: either the original or a revised version of Harner's (1990) instructions coupled with monotonous percussion drumming at 8 beats-per-second for 15 minutes, or sitting quietly with eyes open for 15 minutes. Each participant's subjective experience was retrospectively assessed using the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI) (Pekala 1991) and a mental imagery checklist. Subsequently, participants were administered the Modified Affect Bridge for the purpose of exploring the origins of mental imagery experienced during the experimental conditions. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between conditions with regard to the number of ostensibly shamanic journeying images reported, but not between treatment conditions with regard to the number of landscaperelated images reported. There were no significant relationships between condition and mental imagery derived from autobiographical memories. There were statistically significant differences between conditions with regard to the PCI dimensions of fear, altered state of awareness, and arousal.

Learning to be a teacher - examining the role of self-as-researcher in a phenomenological study

Many qualitative studies position the researcher as either an impartial observer or as an active participant in any given gathering of humanistic data. This paper presents the researcher in a different paradigm and emphasises the importance of the researcher's story being told as well as those of the participants. The paper presents the research of a doctoral study that used a phenomenological framework and adopted a narrative inquiry approach. Narrative inquiry was used as it recognised that particular research interests often have their genesis in the researcher’s own experience and background. This study focused on how you can explore the role of self-as-researcher in order to be open to listen and report on the findings of those who we study.

Evaluation of phenomenological findings in IS research : a study in developing web-based IS

This paper presents a phenomenological investigation of project managers’ experiences with the implementation of web-based employee service systems (ESS), a domain that has witnessed sharp growth in Australia in recent times. The rich, multidimensional account of project managers’ experiences with the implementation of ESS revealed the social obstacles and fragility of intraorganizational relationships that demanded a cautious and tactful approach. While arriving at such findings usually concludes the cyclical process of phenomenological study, Information Systems (IS) research usually demands some independent assessment of the empirical discovery, which led us to conducting a further study focusing on the evaluation of the collected and packaged project managers’ experience. This phenomenological evaluation is in the focus of this paper. By means of a small case study, this project engaged a number of professional teams to reflect upon the previously captured problem-solving experience and determine its applicability, usefulness and relevance in developing new web-based ESS products and services.

Investigation of the value chain for creative products : a phenomenological study of the perceptions of music intermediaries

During the past decade, innovative digital technology and Internet marketplaces have created a variety of 'phenomena' of businesses, media and institutions considered to be important interaction channels in the music industry, along with an influx of Peer-to-Peer services such as Napster, and Kazaa shifting the business models of major music labels and distributors. Considering the Australian Music Association reported an annual retail turnover of approximately $300 million in 1992 and later in 1999, an increase in figures reported at $396.8 million with the inclusion of music DVD sales, the notion of value-adding to a music product emerges as a profitable venture at each length of the music industry's value chain. In spite of this, Australian studies have often overlooked the underlying perceptions, fears and ideas of those working within the value chain, especially regarding the impact of new technology on their roles. This paper identifies the perceptions of various intermediaries within the Australian Music Industry, identifying common themes and viewpoints amongst the study's participants. Consequently, the paper concluded that the perception of value in the music industry is somewhat influenced by a variety of factors, including music knowledge, communication and dependence on intermediaries to name a few. Common themes were revealed throughout the study include the perception of competitive advantage, new opportunities from new technology and the notion of defining a gimmick versus Value-Adding emerged as indicative of adding value from the study participants.

"Your job no longer exists!" from experiences of alienation to expectations of resilience - a phenomenological study

We have entered the age of the contingent or temporary worker, the consultant and the subcontractor. Workers are expected to be pliable and tractable; to “fit in.” Being made redundant is also an area where modern workers are expected to be flexible and resilient. However, when these so-called “flexible” workers are told their job no longer exists, the accompanying sense of rejection and alienation can be excruciating. Stories of being made redundant were collected during an exploratory, qualitative study, using Heideggerian phenomenology as the methodological vehicle to capture the lived experiences of those affected. Focused, in-depth interviews were conducted with the ten respondents; nine men and one woman. The stories shared suggest that being made redundant is an alienating experience with respondents sharing feelings of powerlessness, shock, betrayal, shame and social isolation. Unfortunately, those having experienced redundancy were also not as resilient as is routinely assumed. They did not “bounce back” unchanged, but reported significant negative outcomes including fear for the future, underemployment, family disruptions and an erosion of trust. Recommendations are made orienting organisations towards a more human process of redundancy.

Registered nurses` lived experience of advocacy within a critical care nuit: a phenomenological study

Anecdotally, it has often been expressed by registered nurses (RNs) working within critical care environments that they are patient advocates. However, to date, little systematic research has been undertaken to validate this assertion. Thus this project, which explored the lived experience of RNs working within a critical care unit in a country area of Australia, was conceived.

The five participants of this study were all Division 1 RNs possessing a critical care certificate and a minimum of 4 years' nursing experience. Through their participation in an in-depth audiotaped interview they revealed a wealth of experiences and ideas about their involvement as patient advocates. The results of this research indicate that the phenomenon of nurse advocacy is a multi-faceted process and embraces many kinds of activities that nurses engage in on behalf of their clients.

The findings of this study indicate that some of the participants' experiences are congruent with elements of advocacy contained within the nursing literature and statements of professional nursing bodies. However, there are some findings in this study that are not consistent with available literature. For instance, these participants markedly reject the notion that advocacy is an inappropriate concept for nurses, despite suggestions in the literature that this is an inappropriate role. Instead they wholeheartedly embrace this role, asserting it as central to their practice. Further, although the literature identifies potential controversies regarding enactment of the role of advocacy, the participants of this study are silent on these matters. It is not known what this silence implies and, in light of the study findings, it is recommended that nursing organisations, theorists and clinicians consider whether it is worthwhile to more clearly confirm the nature and role of advocacy within Australian nursing.

Phenomenological inquiry into the experience of web project managers

The advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web has been instrumental in bringing about the growth in the implementation of web-based information systems (WBIS). Such systems are designed with the aim of improving productivity, data accuracy, and the reduction of paperwork and administrative overheads. Moreover, unlike their conventional non-web-based predecessors, the WBIS are commonly aimed at users who are casual and untrained, geographically distributed and non-homogenous. The dissemination of WBIS necessitates additional infrastructure support in the form of a security system, workflow and transaction management, and web administration. WBIS are commonly developed using an evolutionary approach, whereby the version of the application, acquired from the vendor, is first deployed as a pilot, in order to gather feedback from the target users before the evolutionary cycles commence. While a number of web development methodologies have been proposed by existing research, there is a dearth of empirical evidence that elucidates the experiences of project initiators in pursuing the evolution of web services, a process that undoubtedly involves dealing with stakeholder issues. This research project presents a phenomenological investigation of the experiences of project managers with the implementation of web-based employee service systems (ESS), a domain that has witnessed a sharp growth in Australia in recent times. However, the project managers’ rich, multidimensional account of their experiences with the implementation of ESS revealed the social obstacles and fragility of intra-organizational relationships that demanded a cautious and tactful approach. Thus, the study provides a socio-organizational perspective to web projects in contrast to the functionalist paradigm of current web development methodologies. The research also confirms that consideration of the concerns of stakeholders by project managers is crucial to the successive cycles of ESS evolution. Project managers address stakeholder concerns by pursuing actions that are aimed at encouraging ESS usage, but at the same time, such actions can have consequences necessitating subsequent iterations of system enhancement and improvement. Finally, the research also discovered that despite the different socio-political climate prevalent in various organizations, in which ESS are being implemented, the experiences of project managers in dealing with stakeholder concerns can be captured and independently confirmed in terms of their perceived relevance and usefulness in problem-solving within the application domain.

Phenomenological investigation of e-value chains from Australian music stakeholders perceptions

This thesis establishes that the way music consumers perceive value has been significantly altered because of their virtual 'inclusion' in information systems processes. The results identified factors influencing the value perception and value-adding processes, providing industry stakeholders with an understanding of customers' judgements, perceptions and their sense of value.

Conquering and coping with the "Big C" : a phenomenological study of exceptional cancer survivorship

A study of the healing journeys of cancer survivors. The research questions were: "Do cancer survivors have anything in common?" "Is there such a phenomenon as cancer survivorship?" Ten exceptional survivors were interviewed in depth and their stories were analysed for themes. These themes were Overcoming issues of commitment, challenge, control, caring and confidence. The thesis also explores the issues of obstacles to survivorship. These were couses, costs and controversies. The conclusion is that healing journeys will never be prescriptive but that they will always be possible.

A phenomenological study of the lived experiences of registered nurses seconded to perform clinical teaching

This phenomenological study explores the clinical teaching experiences of registered nurses seconded from a large metropolitan hospital. The study is based on a conceptual framework encompassing the notion of role, learning and teaching.