WorldWideScience

Sample records for countries common themes

  1. Themes of Death and Violence in Lullabies of Different Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Achte, Kalle; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Lullabies are often divided into songs describing death or funeral of child and songs which threaten child with violence if he/she does not sleep. Survey of lullabies from 26 countries and various ethnic groups revealed that threat songs were more common than lullabies with death themes. Latter were frequent in Finno-Ugris and Slavic cultures, not…

  2. Canada: variations on a common theme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raisa B. Deber

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Canada faces health care challenges common to all industrialized countries – how to ensure timely access to high quality care, close to home, at an affordable cost. Addressing these challenges is complicated by interjurisdictional variation in both how health care is managed and delivered, and in health outcomes. Canada can be described as a non-system of 10 provincial and three territorial health insurance plans which mandate publicly-funded coverage for medically necessary hospital and physician services, based upon common principles and shaped by a federal governance structure that affords substantial power and autonomy to the provinces/territories over matters of health and health care. This article first examines the structural context of the health care system in Canada, including the range of services publicly funded, the public-private mix, and the complexities of current governance arrangements. It then discusses several issues affecting health policy reform: costs versus access; questions of sustainability, quality, and performance; human resources capacity; and the provision of public and population health services.

  3. Rehabilitation of torture survivors in five countries: common themes and challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background Torture continues to be a global problem and there is a need for prevention and rehabilitation efforts. There is little available data on torture survivors from studies designed and conducted by health professionals in low income countries. This study is a collaboration between five centres from Gaza, Egypt, Mexico, Honduras and South Africa who provide health, social and legal services to torture survivors, advocate for the prevention of torture and are part of the network of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT). Methods Socio-demographic, clinical and torture exposure data was collected on the torture survivors attending the five centres at presentation and then at three and six month follow-up periods. This sample of torture survivors is presented using a range of descriptive statistics. Change over time is demonstrated with repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Of the 306 torture survivors, 23% were asylum seekers or refugees, 24% were socially isolated, 11% in prison. A high level of traumatic events was experienced. 64% had suffered head injury whilst tortured and 24% had ongoing torture injury problems. There was high prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress as well as medically unexplained somatic symptoms. The analysis demonstrates a modest drop in symptoms over the six months of the study. Conclusions Data showed that the torture survivors seen in these five centres had high levels of exposure to torture events and high rates of clinical symptoms. In order to provide effective services to torture survivors, health professionals at torture rehabilitation centres in low income countries need to be supported to collect relevant data to document the needs of torture survivors and to evaluate the centres' interventions. PMID:20565852

  4. Rehabilitation of torture survivors in five countries: common themes and challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zuñiga Arely PA

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Torture continues to be a global problem and there is a need for prevention and rehabilitation efforts. There is little available data on torture survivors from studies designed and conducted by health professionals in low income countries. This study is a collaboration between five centres from Gaza, Egypt, Mexico, Honduras and South Africa who provide health, social and legal services to torture survivors, advocate for the prevention of torture and are part of the network of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT. Methods Socio-demographic, clinical and torture exposure data was collected on the torture survivors attending the five centres at presentation and then at three and six month follow-up periods. This sample of torture survivors is presented using a range of descriptive statistics. Change over time is demonstrated with repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Of the 306 torture survivors, 23% were asylum seekers or refugees, 24% were socially isolated, 11% in prison. A high level of traumatic events was experienced. 64% had suffered head injury whilst tortured and 24% had ongoing torture injury problems. There was high prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress as well as medically unexplained somatic symptoms. The analysis demonstrates a modest drop in symptoms over the six months of the study. Conclusions Data showed that the torture survivors seen in these five centres had high levels of exposure to torture events and high rates of clinical symptoms. In order to provide effective services to torture survivors, health professionals at torture rehabilitation centres in low income countries need to be supported to collect relevant data to document the needs of torture survivors and to evaluate the centres' interventions.

  5. Common themes and cell type specific variations of higher order chromatin arrangements in the mouse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cremer Thomas

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Similarities as well as differences in higher order chromatin arrangements of human cell types were previously reported. For an evolutionary comparison, we now studied the arrangements of chromosome territories and centromere regions in six mouse cell types (lymphocytes, embryonic stem cells, macrophages, fibroblasts, myoblasts and myotubes with fluorescence in situ hybridization and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Both species evolved pronounced differences in karyotypes after their last common ancestors lived about 87 million years ago and thus seem particularly suited to elucidate common and cell type specific themes of higher order chromatin arrangements in mammals. Results All mouse cell types showed non-random correlations of radial chromosome territory positions with gene density as well as with chromosome size. The distribution of chromosome territories and pericentromeric heterochromatin changed during differentiation, leading to distinct cell type specific distribution patterns. We exclude a strict dependence of these differences on nuclear shape. Positional differences in mouse cell nuclei were less pronounced compared to human cell nuclei in agreement with smaller differences in chromosome size and gene density. Notably, the position of chromosome territories relative to each other was very variable. Conclusion Chromosome territory arrangements according to chromosome size and gene density provide common, evolutionary conserved themes in both, human and mouse cell types. Our findings are incompatible with a previously reported model of parental genome separation.

  6. Conflict and the Common Good. Studies in Third World Societies, Publication Number Twenty-Four.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrill, Robert S., Ed.; Willner, Dorothy, Ed.

    The fundamental theme of these papers is what constitutes the common good and the issues and problems related to the understanding of that common good. Several anthropologists and a political scientist explore this theme in various geographic settings and from many theoretical and methodological perspectives. Among the countries and cultures…

  7. Societal acceptance of wind farms: Analysis of four common themes across Australian case studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hall, N.; Ashworth, P.; Devine-Wright, P.

    2013-01-01

    Australia's renewable energy target (RET) seeks to provide 20 per cent of Australia's electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2020. As wind power is relatively advanced, it was anticipated that wind power will contribute a major component of the early target. However, high levels of societal resistance to wind farms, combined with new regulatory policies, indicate the RET may not be dominated by wind power. This research involved an examination of seven case studies around wind farm deployment. Qualitative interviews were the primary data for the case studies and analysed using methods informed by grounded theory. Despite the diversity of stakeholder views, the qualitative analysis identified strong community support for wind farms but four common themes emerged that influence this societal acceptance of wind farms in Australia: trust, distributional justice, procedural justice and place attachment. Without addressing these factors through integration into policy development and engagement approaches, wind energy is unlikely to provide the early and majority of new renewable energy. Similar international experiences are incorporated in the discussion of the Australian wind industry's societal acceptance. - Highlights: ► Seven case studies of wind farms in Australia are described. ► Acceptance affects whether wind significantly contributes to the Aust. RE target. ► Four themes were identified regarding societal acceptance of Australian wind farms. ► Four themes are trust, distributional and procedural justice, and place attachment. ► International similarities to the Australian experience are provided

  8. Formation of common cultural competence in country studies ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... in country studies classes (based on Turkish language teaching practice) ... the acquisition of common cultural competence in foreign language education. ... analysis of methodological frameworks offered by Russian and foreign specialists.

  9. Plant cell surface receptor-mediated signaling - a common theme amid diversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Yunxia; Zhou, Jinggeng; Shan, Libo; Meng, Xiangzong

    2018-01-29

    Sessile plants employ a diverse array of plasma membrane-bound receptors to perceive endogenous and exogenous signals for regulation of plant growth, development and immunity. These cell surface receptors include receptor-like kinases (RLKs) and receptor-like proteins (RLPs) that harbor different extracellular domains for perception of distinct ligands. Several RLK and RLP signaling pathways converge at the somatic embryogenesis receptor kinases (SERKs), which function as shared co-receptors. A repertoire of receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs) associate with the receptor complexes to relay intracellular signaling. Downstream of the receptor complexes, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are among the key signaling modules at which the signals converge, and these cascades regulate diverse cellular and physiological responses through phosphorylation of different downstream substrates. In this Review, we summarize the emerging common theme that underlies cell surface receptor-mediated signaling pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana : the dynamic association of RLKs and RLPs with specific co-receptors and RLCKs for signal transduction. We further discuss how signaling specificities are maintained through modules at which signals converge, with a focus on SERK-mediated receptor signaling. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  10. Literature overview highlights lack of paediatric donation protocols but identifies common themes that could guide their development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vileito, A; Siebelink, M J; Verhagen, Aae

    2018-05-01

    Paediatric donation is a unique and extremely sensitive process that requires specific knowledge and competencies. Most countries use protocols for organ and tissue donation to ensure optimal care for the donor and family, but these mainly focus on adults. However, the donation process for children differs from adults in many ways. An overview of the literature was performed to identify protocols for the paediatric population. PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and the Internet were searched up to March 2016 for papers or other sources in English related to specific organ and tissue donation protocols for children and neonates. This comprised title, abstract and then full-text screening of relevant data. We included 12 papers and two electronic sources that were mainly from North America and Europe. Most discussed donations after cardiac death. The recurring themes included identifying potential donors, approaching parents, palliative care and collaboration with organ procurement organisations. Most papers called for paediatric donation policies to be standardised. Scientific publications in English on paediatric donation protocols are very scarce. No comprehensive paediatric donation protocol was found. We identified several recurring themes in the literature that could be used to develop such protocols. ©2018 The Authors. Acta Paediatrica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation Acta Paediatrica.

  11. Unity in Major Themes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Booss-Bavnbek, Bernhelm; Davis, Philip J.

    We describe and explain the desire, common among mathematicians, both for unity and independence in its major themes. In the dialogue that follows, we express our spontaneous and considered judgment and reservations; by contrasting the development of mathematics as a goal-driven process as opposed...

  12. Theming Asia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Erb, Maribeth; Ong, Chin Ee

    2017-01-01

    This paper introduces a special issue on Theme Parks in Asia with reflections on how the various theoretical ideas on theming and theme parks that are found in the social science literature can help us to understand the proliferation of theming and theme parks in contemporary Asia. How does theming

  13. Universal design characteristic on themed streets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harsritanto, Bangun IR; Indriastjario; Wijayanti

    2017-12-01

    People around the world can access the streets to fulfil their daily activities regardless of their gender, age, and abilities. The streetscape is an urban public space which is built to facilitate the basic needs of people as social being. The themed street is an urban streetscape designed and built in detail with a theme or special purpose in an of urban development process. Universal design facilitates the full range of human diversity as physical appearance, perception, cognitive abilities, sizes, and shapes. By designing for the diversity, the specialized streets become more functional and user-friendly. The purpose of this study is to examine several design characteristics of themed streets in several countries from three different continents using universal design principles for giving proper directions to develop more user-friendly streets. Literature review and case study were used as research methods. The literature review was extracted and compiled from manuscripts, streetscape design books, and from universal design principles. Furthermore, the constructed theory were used to examine the case studies of themed streets. The findings indicated that themed streets’ character design were strongly influenced by local cultural aspect even though the basic guidelines were universal design principles; the resumed design direction can be suggested universal along with the richness of local aspects.

  14. From gametogenesis and stem cells to cancer: common metabolic themes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Sandro L; Rodrigues, Ana Sofia; Sousa, Maria Inês; Correia, Marcelo; Perestrelo, Tânia; Ramalho-Santos, João

    2014-01-01

    Both pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) and cancer cells have been described as having similar metabolic pathways, most notably a penchant for favoring glycolysis even under aerobiosis, suggesting common themes that might be explored for both stem cell differentiation and anti-oncogenic purposes. A search of the scientific literature available in the PubMed/Medline was conducted for studies on metabolism and mitochondrial function related to gametogenesis, early development, stem cells and cancers in the reproductive system, notably breast, prostate, ovarian and testicular cancers. Both PSCs and some types of cancer cells, particularly reproductive cancers, were found to obtain energy mostly by glycolysis, often reducing mitochondrial activity and oxidative phosphorylation. This strategy links proliferating cells, allowing for the biosynthesis reactions necessary for cell division. Interventions that affect metabolic pathways, and force cells to change their preferences, can lead to shifts in cell status, increasing either pluripotency or differentiation of stem cells, and causing cancer cells to become more or less aggressive. Interestingly metabolic changes in many cases seemed to lead to cell transformation, not necessarily follow it, suggesting a direct role of metabolic choices in influencing the (epi)genetic program of different cell types. There are uncanny similarities between PSCs and cancer cells at the metabolic level. Furthermore, metabolism may also play a direct role in cell status and targeting metabolic pathways could therefore be a promising strategy for both the control of cancer cell proliferation and the regulation of stem cell physiology, in terms of manipulating stem cells toward relevant phenotypes that may be important for tissue engineering, or making cancer cells become less tumorigenic. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For

  15. A checklist for health research priority setting: nine common themes of good practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viergever, Roderik F; Olifson, Sylvie; Ghaffar, Abdul; Terry, Robert F

    2010-12-15

    Health research priority setting processes assist researchers and policymakers in effectively targeting research that has the greatest potential public health benefit. Many different approaches to health research prioritization exist, but there is no agreement on what might constitute best practice. Moreover, because of the many different contexts for which priorities can be set, attempting to produce one best practice is in fact not appropriate, as the optimal approach varies per exercise. Therefore, following a literature review and an analysis of health research priority setting exercises that were organized or coordinated by the World Health Organization since 2005, we propose a checklist for health research priority setting that allows for informed choices on different approaches and outlines nine common themes of good practice. It is intended to provide generic assistance for planning health research prioritization processes. The checklist explains what needs to be clarified in order to establish the context for which priorities are set; it reviews available approaches to health research priority setting; it offers discussions on stakeholder participation and information gathering; it sets out options for use of criteria and different methods for deciding upon priorities; and it emphasizes the importance of well-planned implementation, evaluation and transparency.

  16. Themes in Spirit Possession in Ugandan Christianity | James ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    . This paper discerns a number of common themes that run through many of these experiences. In particular, sex as a motif for deviance and evil is noted as a common feature of many of the possession stories and all contact with spirits is seen ...

  17. A checklist for health research priority setting: nine common themes of good practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Terry Robert F

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Health research priority setting processes assist researchers and policymakers in effectively targeting research that has the greatest potential public health benefit. Many different approaches to health research prioritization exist, but there is no agreement on what might constitute best practice. Moreover, because of the many different contexts for which priorities can be set, attempting to produce one best practice is in fact not appropriate, as the optimal approach varies per exercise. Therefore, following a literature review and an analysis of health research priority setting exercises that were organized or coordinated by the World Health Organization since 2005, we propose a checklist for health research priority setting that allows for informed choices on different approaches and outlines nine common themes of good practice. It is intended to provide generic assistance for planning health research prioritization processes. The checklist explains what needs to be clarified in order to establish the context for which priorities are set; it reviews available approaches to health research priority setting; it offers discussions on stakeholder participation and information gathering; it sets out options for use of criteria and different methods for deciding upon priorities; and it emphasizes the importance of well-planned implementation, evaluation and transparency.

  18. Pauses in Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons: What is Revealed by Their Common Themes and Variations?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-Feng Zhang

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Striatal cholinergic interneurons, the so-called tonically active neurons (TANs, pause their firing in response to sensory cues and rewards during classical conditioning and instrumental tasks. The respective pause responses observed can demonstrate many commonalities, such as constant latency and duration, synchronous occurrence in a population of cells, and coincidence with phasic activities of midbrain dopamine neurons (DANs that signal reward predictions and errors. Pauses can however also show divergent properties. Pause latencies and durations can differ in a given TAN between appetitive vs. aversive outcomes in classical conditioning, initial excitation can be present or absent, and a second pause can variably follow a rebound. Despite more than 20 years of study, the functions of these pause responses are still elusive. Our understanding of pause function is hindered by an incomplete understanding of how pauses are generated. In this mini-review article, we compare pause types, as well as current key hypotheses for inputs underlying pauses that include dopamine-induced inhibition through D2-receptors, a GABA input from ventral tegmental area, and a prolonged afterhyperpolarization induced by excitatory input from the cortex or from the thalamus. We review how each of these mechanisms alone explains some but not all aspects of pause responses. These mechanisms might need to operate in specific but variable sets of sequences to generate a full range of pause responses. Alternatively, these mechanisms might operate in conjunction with an underlying control mechanism within cholinergic interneurons which could potentially provide a framework to generate the common themes and variations seen amongst pause responses.

  19. Poverty and common mental disorders in developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Vikram; Kleinman, Arthur

    2003-01-01

    A review of English-language journals published since 1990 and three global mental health reports identified 11 community studies on the association between poverty and common mental disorders in six low- and middle-income countries. Most studies showed an association between indicators of poverty and the risk of mental disorders, the most consistent association being with low levels of education. A review of articles exploring the mechanism of the relationship suggested weak evidence to support a specific association with income levels. Factors such as the experience of insecurity and hopelessness, rapid social change and the risks of violence and physical ill-health may explain the greater vulnerability of the poor to common mental disorders. The direct and indirect costs of mental ill-health worsen the economic condition, setting up a vicious cycle of poverty and mental disorder. Common mental disorders need to be placed alongside other diseases associated with poverty by policy-makers and donors. Programmes such as investment in education and provision of microcredit may have unanticipated benefits in reducing the risk of mental disorders. Secondary prevention must focus on strengthening the ability of primary care services to provide effective treatment.

  20. The common objectives of the European Nordic countries and the role of space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehnert, Christopher; Giannopapa, Christina; Vaudo, Ersilia

    2016-11-01

    The European Space Agency (ESA) has twenty two Member States with common goals of engaging in European space activities. However, the various Member States have a variety of governance structures, strategic priorities regarding space and other sectorial areas depending on their cultural and geopolitical aspirations. The Nordic countries, namely Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, have similarities which result often in common geopolitical and cultural aspects. These in turn shape their respective priorities and interests in setting up their policies in a number of sectorial areas like shipping and fisheries, energy, immigration, agriculture, security and defence, infrastructures, climate change and the Arctic. Space technology, navigation, earth observation, telecommunication and integrated applications can assist the Nordic countries in developing, implementing and monitoring policies of common interest. This paper provides an in-depth overview and a comprehensive assessment of these common interests in policy areas where space can provide support in their realisation. The first part provides a synthesis of the Nordic countries respective priorities through analysing their government programmes and plans. The priorities are classified according to the six areas of sustainability: energy, environment and climate change, transport, knowledge and innovation, natural resources (fisheries, agriculture, forestry, mining, etc), and security and external relations. Although the national strategies present different national perspectives, at the same time, there are a number of similarities when it comes to overall policy objectives in a number of areas such as the Arctic and climate change. In other words, even though the Arctic plays a different role in each country's national context and there are clear differences as regards geography, access to resources and security policies, the strategies display common general interest in sustainable development and management of

  1. Panel Discussion: Common Themes Across ``Bringing Newcomers Into The Physics Community''

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Angela

    2014-03-01

    I will be facilitating a discussion between the audience and the four speakers in this session: Dimitri Dounas-Frazer, Catherine Good, Casey Miller, and Katie Hinko. They will all be speaking on the same general topic of supporting newcomers to the physics community at critical transition points but come from a set of diverse contexts and perspectives. Their work spans a wide age range of STEM students and they approach their work through many different lenses: as physics faculty, program directors, education and psychology researchers, and combinations thereof. Broad themes across these contexts and perspectives will be explored such as the role of growth mindset, community, and professional development.

  2. 29 CFR 780.707 - Establishments “commonly recognized” as country elevators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Establishments âcommonly recognizedâ as country elevators. 780.707 Section 780.707 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY OR INTERPRETATION NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO REGULATIONS EXEMPTIONS APPLICABLE TO AGRICULTURE, PROCESSING O...

  3. Common Acceptable Cuisine in Multicultural Countries: Towards Building the National Food Identity

    OpenAIRE

    Mohd Zulhilmi Suhaimi; Mohd Salehuddin Mohd Zahari

    2014-01-01

    Common acceptable cuisine usually discussed in the multicultural/ethnic nation as it represents the process of sharing it among the ethnic groups. The common acceptable cuisine is also considered as a precursor in the process of constructing the national food identity within ethnic groups in the multicultural countries. The adaptation of certain ethnic cuisines through its types of food, methods of cooking, ingredients and eating decorum by ethnic groups is believed creat...

  4. The use of negative themes in television food advertising.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettigrew, Simone; Roberts, Michele; Chapman, Kathy; Quester, Pascale; Miller, Caroline

    2012-04-01

    The ability of food advertising to trigger food consumption and influence social norms relating to food consumption has resulted in increasing attention being given to the prevalence and nature of food advertising. The present study investigated the use of negative themes in food advertisements aired on Australian television to determine the prevalence of depictions of violence/aggression, mocking, nagging, boredom, loneliness, food craving, mood enhancement, and the emotional use of food across 61 days of programming time. The results suggest that advertisers are using negative themes to capture attention and invoke an emotional response in the target audience. Sixteen percent (14,611) of the 93,284 food advertisements contained negative themes, with mood enhancement and food craving being the most commonly depicted negative themes. Advertisements with negative themes were more likely to be for non-core foods and to be aired during children's popular viewing times than at other times. The potential for negative themes in food advertising to promote unhealthy food consumption behaviors among children is likely to be of concern to policy makers. Building on this exploratory study, further research is needed to investigate how nutrition-related decision making is affected by exposure to food advertisements employing negative emotional themes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Resourcefulness, Desperation, Shame, Gratitude and Powerlessness: Common Themes Emerging from A Study of Food Bank Use in Northeast Scotland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douglas, Flora; Sapko, Jennifer; Kiezebrink, Kirsty; Kyle, Janet

    2015-01-01

    There is growing policy maker and public concern about current trends in food bank use in Scotland. Yet little is known about the experiences of those seeking help from food banks in this country. This research aimed to address this issue by studying the use and operation of a food bank situated in a rich northeast city during January and June 2014. The study aimed to establish who was seeking help from the food bank, their reasons for doing so, and what those who did thought of, and dealt with the food they received from it. Consequently, an audit of the food bank's client database, four months of participant observation based in the food bank, and seven face-to-face interviews with current and former food bank clients were conducted. The audit revealed that clients came from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, with men more likely to access it compared to women. Debt and social security benefit delays were cited as the main reasons for doing so. Qualitative data confirmed that sudden and unanticipated loss of income was a key driver of use. Resourcefulness in making donated food last as long as possible, keeping fuel costs low, and concern to minimise food waste were commonly described by participants. Desperation, gratitude, shame and powerlessness were also prevalent themes. Furthermore, clients were reluctant to ask for food they normally ate, as they were acutely aware that the food bank had little control over what it was able offer. Insights from this study suggest that recent UK policy proposals to address food poverty may have limited impact, without concomitant effort to address material disadvantage. Research is urgently required to determine the precise nature and extent of household level food insecurity in Scotland, and to consider monitoring for adverse physical and mental health outcomes for those affected by it.

  6. Resourcefulness, Desperation, Shame, Gratitude and Powerlessness: Common Themes Emerging from A Study of Food Bank Use in Northeast Scotland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flora Douglas

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available There is growing policy maker and public concern about current trends in food bank use in Scotland. Yet little is known about the experiences of those seeking help from food banks in this country. This research aimed to address this issue by studying the use and operation of a food bank situated in a rich northeast city during January and June 2014. The study aimed to establish who was seeking help from the food bank, their reasons for doing so, and what those who did thought of, and dealt with the food they received from it. Consequently, an audit of the food bank's client database, four months of participant observation based in the food bank, and seven face-to-face interviews with current and former food bank clients were conducted. The audit revealed that clients came from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, with men more likely to access it compared to women. Debt and social security benefit delays were cited as the main reasons for doing so. Qualitative data confirmed that sudden and unanticipated loss of income was a key driver of use. Resourcefulness in making donated food last as long as possible, keeping fuel costs low, and concern to minimise food waste were commonly described by participants. Desperation, gratitude, shame and powerlessness were also prevalent themes. Furthermore, clients were reluctant to ask for food they normally ate, as they were acutely aware that the food bank had little control over what it was able offer. Insights from this study suggest that recent UK policy proposals to address food poverty may have limited impact, without concomitant effort to address material disadvantage. Research is urgently required to determine the precise nature and extent of household level food insecurity in Scotland, and to consider monitoring for adverse physical and mental health outcomes for those affected by it.

  7. Drupal 7 Theming Cookbook

    CERN Document Server

    Kumar, Karthik

    2012-01-01

    Part of Packt's Cookbook series, this book offers solutions to common theme design problems in the form of recipes. Each recipe contains step-by-step instructions and screenshots. The book is designed so that you can read it chapter by chapter, or you can refer to each recipe in no particular order. This book is for Drupal developers and administrators who want to refresh the look and feel of their site. We assume that readers are familiar with basic PHP, CSS, and XHTML as well as the general use of Drupal.

  8. Calcitonin and calcitonin receptor-like receptors: common themes with family B GPCRs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barwell, James; Gingell, Joseph J; Watkins, Harriet A; Archbold, Julia K; Poyner, David R; Hay, Debbie L

    2012-05-01

    The calcitonin receptor (CTR) and calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLR) are two of the 15 human family B (or Secretin-like) GPCRs. CTR and CLR are of considerable biological interest as their pharmacology is moulded by interactions with receptor activity-modifying proteins. They also have therapeutic relevance for many conditions, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, lymphatic insufficiency, migraine and cardiovascular disease. In light of recent advances in understanding ligand docking and receptor activation in both the family as a whole and in CLR and CTR specifically, this review reflects how applicable general family B GPCR themes are to these two idiosyncratic receptors. We review the main functional domains of the receptors; the N-terminal extracellular domain, the juxtamembrane domain and ligand interface, the transmembrane domain and the intracellular C-terminal domain. Structural and functional findings from the CLR and CTR along with other family B GPCRs are critically appraised to gain insight into how these domains may function. The ability for CTR and CLR to interact with receptor activity-modifying proteins adds another level of sophistication to these receptor systems but means careful consideration is needed when trying to apply generic GPCR principles. This review encapsulates current thinking in the realm of family B GPCR research by highlighting both conflicting and recurring themes and how such findings relate to two unusual but important receptors, CTR and CLR. © 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

  9. The Most Common Feedback Themes in Communication Skills Training in an Internal Medicine Residency Program: Lessons from the Resident Audio-Recording Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Heeyoung; Papireddy, Muralidhar Reddy; Hingle, Susan T; Ferguson, Jacqueline Anne; Koschmann, Timothy; Sandstrom, Steve

    2018-07-01

    Individualized structured feedback is an integral part of a resident's learning in communication skills. However, it is not clear what feedback residents receive for their communication skills development in real patient care. We will identify the most common feedback topics given to residents regarding communication skills during Internal Medicine residency training. We analyzed Resident Audio-recording Project feedback data from 2008 to 2013 by using a content analysis approach. Using open coding and an iterative categorization process, we identified 15 emerging themes for both positive and negative feedback. The most recurrent feedback topics were Patient education, Thoroughness, Organization, Questioning strategy, and Management. The residents were guided to improve their communication skills regarding Patient education, Thoroughness, Management, and Holistic exploration of patient's problem. Thoroughness and Communication intelligibility were newly identified themes that were rarely discussed in existing frameworks. Assessment rubrics serve as a lens through which we assess the adequacy of the residents' communication skills. Rather than sticking to a specific rubric, we chose to let the rubric evolve through our experience.

  10. Assessment report on NRP sub-theme 'International instruments for climate change policy'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruggink, J.J.C.; Van Beek, P.; Folmer, H.; Zhang, Z.X.; Blok, K.; Phylipsen, D.; Worrell, E.; Gupta, J.; Junne, G.; Van der Wurff, R.

    1995-01-01

    The projects implemented in the Dutch National Research Programme on Global Air Pollution and Climate Change are organised in several themes and sub-themes. Within the theme on Sustainable Solutions five projects are grouped under the heading International Instruments for Climate Change Policy. These five projects deal primarily with issues concerning the position of developing countries in the debate on limiting global CO2-emissions. They cover a broad spectrum of topics: international negotiation strategies, tropical deforestation, industrial energy conservation, national energy scenarios, emission guidelines. This contribution presents an overview of the objectives, methodologies and results of the projects and includes a critical evaluation of the potential relevance of the work for policy makers. 1 tab., 36 refs

  11. Telomeres and viruses: common themes of genome maintenance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Zhong; Wang, Zhuo; Lieberman, Paul M.

    2012-01-01

    Genome maintenance mechanisms actively suppress genetic instability associated with cancer and aging. Some viruses provoke genetic instability by subverting the host’s control of genome maintenance. Viruses have their own specialized strategies for genome maintenance, which can mimic and modify host cell processes. Here, we review some of the common features of genome maintenance utilized by viruses and host chromosomes, with a particular focus on terminal repeat (TR) elements. The TRs of cellular chromosomes, better known as telomeres, have well-established roles in cellular chromosome stability. Cellular telomeres are themselves maintained by viral-like mechanisms, including self-propagation by reverse transcription, recombination, and retrotransposition. Viral TR elements, like cellular telomeres, are essential for viral genome stability and propagation. We review the structure and function of viral repeat elements and discuss how they may share telomere-like structures and genome protection functions. We consider how viral infections modulate telomere regulatory factors for viral repurposing and can alter normal host telomere structure and chromosome stability. Understanding the common strategies of viral and cellular genome maintenance may provide new insights into viral–host interactions and the mechanisms driving genetic instability in cancer. PMID:23293769

  12. Human Rights and the Environment: In Search of a New Relationship. Synergies and Common Themes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evadne Grant

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The 2012 Oñati Workshop on Human Rights and the Environment sought to begin the important task of developing a new framework that could contribute to re-imagining the relationship between human rights and the environment. Doing full justice to the vibrant and sustained discussion that took place in response to the papers delivered in the Workshop is near impossible in an ex post facto account that can only convey the merest flavour of the richness and complexity of what took place. Nonetheless, the following sections briefly recollect common themes and valuable insights that emerged during the workshop discussions and attempt to reflect the energy and creativity that accompanied them, with a view to setting out the general context within which the various individual papers in this volume should be considered. We have arranged the subsequent discussion to centre on the core discrete yet interrelated themes that emerged and developed during our workshop deliberations, namely: vulnerability; the limits of the law; the limits of rights; responsibility; interconnection; and thinking ecologically. El seminario sobre Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente celebrado en Oñati en 2012, buscó iniciar la importante tarea de desarrollar un nuevo marco que podría contribuir a re-imaginar la relación entre los derechos humanos y el medio ambiente. Haciendo justicia a la discusión vibrante y prolongada que tuvo lugar en respuesta a las ponencias presentadas en el taller, es casi imposible en un recuento ex post facto que sólo puede transmitir una mínima parte de la riqueza y complejidad de lo acontecido en Oñati. No obstante, las siguientes secciones recogen brevemente temas comunes y valiosas ideas que surgieron durante las discusiones del taller y tratan de reflejar la energía y creatividad que los acompañaba, con el fin de establecer el marco general dentro del cual las diversas ponencias individuales de este volumen deberían ser consideradas. Hemos

  13. The Theme of Risk Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chua, D. K. H.

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The papers in this issue of the Journal come from different industry sectors, yet there can be a common theme that ties them together. Two of the papers address explicitly the issue of risk management, while the other three may be related to it in different degrees. One of the critical factors for project success is risk identification, as determined by Chua et al. (1999. The importance of risk management cannot be overemphasized. Failure to identify crucial risk elements in a project can lead to significant project failures in terms of cost and schedule.

  14. Improvement of Theme Park Marketing Mode:A Case Study of Theme Parks in Chengdu

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Min; LI; Gaoli; XIONG

    2013-01-01

    Construction of theme park has been launched since the early 1990s in Chengdu City,but ended up as a losing proposition after its short-term prosperity because of similar scale and similarity with those in other cities.As more international well-known theme parks entering the market,theme parks in Chengdu have been faced with the transition,and novel concepts are also introduced into the operation of these parks.To adapt to the market,it is imperative to make marketing strategies and combine marketing elements.Through analyzing current development of local theme parks and introducing successful marketing modes of domestic and overseas theme parks,a favorable marketing mode for theme parks in Chengdu was defined on the basis of fully exploring Ba-Shu culture(Ba and Shu are two ancient kingdoms in the history of Sichuan).By defining a favorable theme,focusing more on visitors’experience,devoting more in developing new products,adopting flexible price strategies,and integrating advertisement marketing,internet marketing,and other marketing methods,outstanding brands will be formed,and tourism cultures with distinguished features of Chengdu will be created.

  15. The Future of FM in the Nordic Countries and a Possible Common Research Agenda

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Per Anker; Andersen, Per Dannemand; Rasmussen, Birgitte

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To identify trends and challenges in relation to the FM profession in the Nordic countries and to identify inputs to a common Nordic research agenda. Theory: The study is based on theory from innovation systems and strategic foresight. Based on a literature review an innovation systems...... that the main issues vary considerably between the four countries, both with regards to megatrends in the strategic environments, the current trends and challenges and the future needs for new competences and knowledge. Despite the large national differences the study is able to identify joint interest across...

  16. Analysis and Comparison of Naturalistic Themes in Iranian and Britain Modern Children's Poems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shayesteh Ebrahimi

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Today, children's literature given the concept of childhood, has gained a special status in the studies of humanities. Children's poetry is one of the branches of this type of literature. Naturalistic themes have the highest frequency among the themes of children poems in two countries. The population of this research consists of collections that have been published from 1921 to 2011. Children's literature was born in England in the eighteenth century and before that the first didactic books for children had come into existence in England. In addition, due to industrial growth, the emergence of the new middle class and expansion of formal education the UK was pioneering among Europe and the world countries. Therefore, to find the roots of the formation of children's literature should be referred to the UK. Therefore, in this paper Britain children’s poem has been selected to be compared with Iranian children’s poem so that by revealing the similarities and differences one can deal with the pathology of poems for children in Iran and to detect shortcomings and strengths and present some guidelines that be helpful for children and young poets as well as critics and researchers in this field. Keywords: Naturalistic themes, children literature, Iranian children's poems, Britain children's poems, comparative literature

  17. The Power of a Creative Theme: A Large-scale Study of the Implications of Working with a “Forced” Creative Theme in Strategic Partnerships

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmeltz, Line; Kjeldsen, Anna Karina

    the process of applying for and becoming Capital of Culture, to the subsequent processes of establishing strategic partnerships between the Aarhus 2017 Foundation (the commercial foundation in charge of planning and running the mega event) and the wide range of partners (e.g. public organizations, cultural......In 2017, Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus, holds the title as European Capital of Culture. From the initial project proposal, a significant part of the strategy for the mega event has been centered around the chosen theme; “Rethink”. The theme has thus been a continuous, common thread from......, a predetermined theme in strategic partnerships, vis-à-vis co-branding. Most often, the choice to enter into a co-branding process would be established by partners supporting one another in reaching a shared goal on the basis of shared values. But here, the value-base is already decided upon by the Aarhus 2017...

  18. Meso level influences on long term condition self-management: stakeholder accounts of commonalities and differences across six European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, Anne; Vassilev, Ivaylo; Pumar, Maria J Jesús; Todorova, Elka; Portillo, Mari Carmen; Foss, Christina; Koetsenruijter, Jan; Ratsika, Nikoleta; Serrano, Manuel; Knutsen, Ingrid A Ruud; Wensing, Michel; Roukova, Poli; Patelarou, Evridiki; Kennedy, Anne; Lionis, Christos

    2015-07-08

    European countries are increasingly adopting systems of self -care support (SMS) for long term conditions which focus on enhancing individual, competencies, skills, behaviour and lifestyle changes. To date the focus of policy for engendering greater self- management in the population has been focused in the main on the actions and motivations of individuals. Less attention has been paid to how the broader influences relevant to SMS policy and practice such as those related to food production, distribution and consumption and the structural aspects and economics relating to physical exercise and governance of health care delivery systems might be implicated in the populations ability to self- manage. This study aimed to identify key informants operating with knowledge of both policy and practice related to SMS in order to explore how these influences are seen to impact on the self-management support environment for diabetes type 2. Ninety semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholder informants in Bulgaria, Spain, Greece, Norway, Netherlands and UK. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic and textual analysis. Stakeholders in the six countries identified a range of influences which shaped diabetes self-management (SM). The infrastructure and culture for supporting self- management practice is viewed as driven by political decision-makers, the socio-economic and policy environment, and the ethos and delivery of chronic illness management in formal health care systems. Three key themes emerged during the analysis of data. These were 1) social environmental influences on diabetes self-management 2) reluctance or inability of policy makers to regulate processes and environments related to chronic illness management 3) the focus of healthcare system governance and gaps in provision of self-management support (SMS). Nuances in the salience and content of these themes between partner countries related to the presence and articulation of

  19. National climate change action plans: Interim report for developing and transition countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Benioff, R.; Ness, E.; Hirst, J. [eds.

    1997-10-01

    Under its Support for National Action Plans (SNAP) initiative, the U.S. Country Studies Program is providing financial and technical assistance to 18 countries for the development of climate change action plans. Although most of the countries have not yet completed their plans, the important lessons learned thus far are valuable and should be shared with other countries and international institutions that have an interest in the process of action plan development. This interim report describes the experience of 11 countries that are the furthest along in their planning activity and who have offered to share their results to date with the larger community of interested nations. These action plans delineate specific mitigation and adaptation measures that the countries will implement and integrate into their ongoing development programs. This report focuses on the measures the countries have selected and the methods they used to prepare their action plans. This executive summary presents key lessons and common themes using a structure similar to that used in the individual country chapters.

  20. Culture and end of life care: a scoping exercise in seven European countries.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marjolein Gysels

    Full Text Available AIM: Culture is becoming increasingly important in relation to end of life (EoL care in a context of globalization, migration and European integration. We explore and compare socio-cultural issues that shape EoL care in seven European countries and critically appraise the existing research evidence on cultural issues in EoL care generated in the different countries. METHODS: We scoped the literature for Germany, Norway, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Portugal, carrying out electronic searches in 16 international and country-specific databases and handsearches in 17 journals, bibliographies of relevant papers and webpages. We analysed the literature which was unearthed, in its entirety and by type (reviews, original studies, opinion pieces and conducted quantitative analyses for each country and across countries. Qualitative techniques generated themes and sub-themes. RESULTS: A total of 868 papers were reviewed. The following themes facilitated cross-country comparison: setting, caregivers, communication, medical EoL decisions, minority ethnic groups, and knowledge, attitudes and values of death and care. The frequencies of themes varied considerably between countries. Sub-themes reflected issues characteristic for specific countries (e.g. culture-specific disclosure in the southern European countries. The work from the seven European countries concentrates on cultural traditions and identities, and there was almost no evidence on ethnic minorities. CONCLUSION: This scoping review is the first comparative exploration of the cultural differences in the understanding of EoL care in these countries. The diverse body of evidence that was identified on socio-cultural issues in EoL care, reflects clearly distinguishable national cultures of EoL care, with differences in meaning, priorities, and expertise in each country. The diverse ways that EoL care is understood and practised forms a necessary part of what constitutes best evidence for

  1. Culture and End of Life Care: A Scoping Exercise in Seven European Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gysels, Marjolein; Evans, Natalie; Meñaca, Arantza; Andrew, Erin; Toscani, Franco; Finetti, Sylvia; Pasman, H. Roeline; Higginson, Irene; Harding, Richard; Pool, Robert

    2012-01-01

    Aim Culture is becoming increasingly important in relation to end of life (EoL) care in a context of globalization, migration and European integration. We explore and compare socio-cultural issues that shape EoL care in seven European countries and critically appraise the existing research evidence on cultural issues in EoL care generated in the different countries. Methods We scoped the literature for Germany, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Portugal, carrying out electronic searches in 16 international and country-specific databases and handsearches in 17 journals, bibliographies of relevant papers and webpages. We analysed the literature which was unearthed, in its entirety and by type (reviews, original studies, opinion pieces) and conducted quantitative analyses for each country and across countries. Qualitative techniques generated themes and sub-themes. Results A total of 868 papers were reviewed. The following themes facilitated cross-country comparison: setting, caregivers, communication, medical EoL decisions, minority ethnic groups, and knowledge, attitudes and values of death and care. The frequencies of themes varied considerably between countries. Sub-themes reflected issues characteristic for specific countries (e.g. culture-specific disclosure in the southern European countries). The work from the seven European countries concentrates on cultural traditions and identities, and there was almost no evidence on ethnic minorities. Conclusion This scoping review is the first comparative exploration of the cultural differences in the understanding of EoL care in these countries. The diverse body of evidence that was identified on socio-cultural issues in EoL care, reflects clearly distinguishable national cultures of EoL care, with differences in meaning, priorities, and expertise in each country. The diverse ways that EoL care is understood and practised forms a necessary part of what constitutes best evidence for the improvement of Eo

  2. Culture and end of life care: a scoping exercise in seven European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gysels, Marjolein; Evans, Natalie; Meñaca, Arantza; Andrew, Erin; Toscani, Franco; Finetti, Sylvia; Pasman, H Roeline; Higginson, Irene; Harding, Richard; Pool, Robert

    2012-01-01

    Culture is becoming increasingly important in relation to end of life (EoL) care in a context of globalization, migration and European integration. We explore and compare socio-cultural issues that shape EoL care in seven European countries and critically appraise the existing research evidence on cultural issues in EoL care generated in the different countries. We scoped the literature for Germany, Norway, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Portugal, carrying out electronic searches in 16 international and country-specific databases and handsearches in 17 journals, bibliographies of relevant papers and webpages. We analysed the literature which was unearthed, in its entirety and by type (reviews, original studies, opinion pieces) and conducted quantitative analyses for each country and across countries. Qualitative techniques generated themes and sub-themes. A total of 868 papers were reviewed. The following themes facilitated cross-country comparison: setting, caregivers, communication, medical EoL decisions, minority ethnic groups, and knowledge, attitudes and values of death and care. The frequencies of themes varied considerably between countries. Sub-themes reflected issues characteristic for specific countries (e.g. culture-specific disclosure in the southern European countries). The work from the seven European countries concentrates on cultural traditions and identities, and there was almost no evidence on ethnic minorities. This scoping review is the first comparative exploration of the cultural differences in the understanding of EoL care in these countries. The diverse body of evidence that was identified on socio-cultural issues in EoL care, reflects clearly distinguishable national cultures of EoL care, with differences in meaning, priorities, and expertise in each country. The diverse ways that EoL care is understood and practised forms a necessary part of what constitutes best evidence for the improvement of EoL care in the future.

  3. Byzantine Theme of Chios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anton S. Mokhov

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the study of the Byzantine theme system in the 10th - 11th centuries. The author believes that the reign of Basil II (976-1025 was marked by the mikra themata in Balkans and on Aegean Sea islands. They were in need of effective border defense. Theme of Chios was one of the mikra militaryadministrative districts, which were created in this period. The author detected five leaders of the theme in accordance with the historical sources: protospatharios and strategos Theodoros Beriboes; protospatharios, tagmatophylax and strategos Leon Karikes; protospatharios, tagmatophylax and strategos Bardas Mersiniotes; vestarches and strategos Ioannes Aristenos; vestes and strategos Michael Maurikas. The analysis of the sigillographic data led to the conclusion that the regular tagmata were the base of the military force of theme of Chios. Moreover, the fortress of Volissos was located in the northwest of Chios. The area around the fortress was inhabited by representatives of one ethnic group. They were under the leadership of doux, which was subordinate to the strategos of the theme. The famous officials of the civil administration of Chios included fiscal clerks – dioiketes, horreiarios and judicial clerks – krites of the velon. Theme of Chios had existed for about one hundred years. It was liquidated during the war between Byzantine and Tzachas, Turkish amir of Smyrna.

  4. Foster Youth Who Have Succeeded in Higher Education: Common Themes. Information Brief. Volume 7, Issue 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lovitt, Thomas; Emerson, John

    2008-01-01

    The publication is based on interviews conducted by Casey Family Programs with eight foster youth who graduated from college to learn their perspectives on going to college and obtaining a degree despite numerous barriers. This report presents fifteen major themes concerning college success and their general outlook on life. Their accomplishments…

  5. A pilot analysis of the psychological themes found during the CARING at Columbia--Music Therapy program with refugee adolescents from North Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Carolyn Mi Hwan

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the psychological themes found during the modified CARING at Columbia-Music Therapy (CAC-MT) program with refugee adolescents from North Korea. Nine students attending an alternative school participated in this study. Academically, students belong to an equivalent middle school level. Students participated in a music therapy program comprised of 25 sessions. A multiple case analysis was conducted to gather qualitative results. Students were found to be exposed to various psychosocially stressful life situations such as lack of social support system, family separation, academic difficulty, and economic hardship throughout their adaptation process to their new country. There were 5 common psychological themes--avoidance, distrust, loneliness, feelings of loss, and fear--found among the refugee students over the course of the CAC-MT treatment. For future research, studies with a larger sample size and differing types of session structure should be conducted to closely examine the effects of this program on refugee adolescents.

  6. On Harmonizing the External Economic Policy among the Countries of the Common Economic Space: Problems and Prospects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena S. Ratushnyak

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The article provides the tax systems of the countries of the customs union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, reveals the differences and identifies the need for harmonization and convergence of the structures and principles of taxation, the general tax reforms and harmonization of fiscal policies of member countries in order to increase the investment attractiveness and competitiveness of the national economies in the process of development and integration. The comparison of the existing tax systems of the three countries revealed differences affecting the implementation and development of the foreign economic activity of companies in terms of the common market, in particular, the main obstacles to doing business are high tax rates as well as different rates of value added tax (further - VAT regarding indirect taxation, because this tax is the major budget revenue generating tax involved in the pricing and resulted in decreasing in the export potential of the country. One of the major exporters' obstacles of CU, revealed in the paper, is a VAT refund in export transactions, preventing the development of export activity, which reduces the competitiveness of CU on the foreign markets. The harmonization success of fiscal policy depends on the government, and the institution body taking the harmonization, - this paper looks at the necessity of such harmonization among the three countries of customs union, which at present has interstate form while supranational regulation of Eurasian Economic Commission is absent, since it does not have such empowerment. The paper finds the main tax policy directions of harmonization of customs union countries focused on eliminating of the barriers and for easy the implementation of a process for foreign trade enterprises, the development of the participating countries investment attractiveness, the enhancing the products competitiveness, the development of the export activities efficiency on the whole for the

  7. Perspectives of policy and political decision makers on access to formal dementia care: expert interviews in eight European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broda, Anja; Bieber, Anja; Meyer, Gabriele; Hopper, Louise; Joyce, Rachael; Irving, Kate; Zanetti, Orazio; Portolani, Elisa; Kerpershoek, Liselot; Verhey, Frans; Vugt, Marjolein de; Wolfs, Claire; Eriksen, Siren; Røsvik, Janne; Marques, Maria J; Gonçalves-Pereira, Manuel; Sjölund, Britt-Marie; Woods, Bob; Jelley, Hannah; Orrell, Martin; Stephan, Astrid

    2017-08-03

    As part of the ActifCare (ACcess to Timely Formal Care) project, we conducted expert interviews in eight European countries with policy and political decision makers, or representatives of relevant institutions, to determine their perspectives on access to formal care for people with dementia and their carers. Each ActifCare country (Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, United Kingdom) conducted semi-structured interviews with 4-7 experts (total N = 38). The interview guide addressed the topics "Complexity and Continuity of Care", "Formal Services", and "Public Awareness". Country-specific analysis of interview transcripts used an inductive qualitative content analysis. Cross-national synthesis focused on similarities in themes across the ActifCare countries. The analysis revealed ten common themes and two additional sub-themes across countries. Among others, the experts highlighted the need for a coordinating role and the necessity of information to address issues of complexity and continuity of care, demanded person-centred, tailored, and multidisciplinary formal services, and referred to education, mass media and campaigns as means to raise public awareness. Policy and political decision makers appear well acquainted with current discussions among both researchers and practitioners of possible approaches to improve access to dementia care. Experts described pragmatic, realistic strategies to influence dementia care. Suggested innovations concerned how to achieve improved dementia care, rather than transforming the nature of the services provided. Knowledge gained in these expert interviews may be useful to national decision makers when they consider reshaping the organisation of dementia care, and may thus help to develop best-practice strategies and recommendations.

  8. Particle physics: Themes and challenges

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Quigg, C.

    1995-11-01

    I will devote this lecture to seven themes that express the essence of our understanding and our possibilities. These themes are: elementarity, symmetry, consistency, unity, identity, opportunity, and relevance.

  9. Particle physics: Themes and challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quigg, C.

    1995-11-01

    I will devote this lecture to seven themes that express the essence of our understanding and our possibilities. These themes are: elementarity, symmetry, consistency, unity, identity, opportunity, and relevance

  10. Common themes, methods, and applications in multiscale science

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baker, G.A. Jr.

    1997-10-01

    In 1993, under the leadership of Richard Slansky, the T-Division Director, an initiative was started to facilitate cross communications and interactions between a large number of different workers who were, from their own perspectives and with regard to their own challenges, in fact working on very difficult problems which involved multiple size and time scales. The realization of this common element had the potential for valuable mutual interaction. His initiative led initially to a competency development initiative and subsequently to a broadening recognition of the importance of multiscale science and a broadening application of it to problems and concerns inherent in significant fields of endeavor at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. One of the aspects of this effort was a series of meetings which emphasizes cross communication between the workers. It was realized early on that this cross communication would be fare more effective, considering the difficult technical nature and that the range of the material was well outside the area of specialization of individual members of the group, if notes were taken, written up, and disseminated. This report represents the collection of these notes.

  11. Model-Driven Theme/UML

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carton, Andrew; Driver, Cormac; Jackson, Andrew; Clarke, Siobhán

    Theme/UML is an existing approach to aspect-oriented modelling that supports the modularisation and composition of concerns, including crosscutting ones, in design. To date, its lack of integration with model-driven engineering (MDE) techniques has limited its benefits across the development lifecycle. Here, we describe our work on facilitating the use of Theme/UML as part of an MDE process. We have developed a transformation tool that adopts model-driven architecture (MDA) standards. It defines a concern composition mechanism, implemented as a model transformation, to support the enhanced modularisation features of Theme/UML. We evaluate our approach by applying it to the development of mobile, context-aware applications-an application area characterised by many non-functional requirements that manifest themselves as crosscutting concerns.

  12. Symposium: Narrative exploration of learning and career decisions across 7 EU countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mulvey, Rachel; Brown, Alan; Bimrose, Jenny

    meaning around learning and skills development in relation to work and employment. All participants were interviewed individually, then a full transcript of the interview was produced. Each country research team analysed these interviews to identify themes. Some themes were born out of the particular...... in continuing vocational education. Analysis across the whole project sample led to the articulation of major themes around learning and career decision-making. The learning themes incorporated complementary perspectives on how individuals make meaning of their experience including: engaging with learning...... was consideration of the ways in which learning contributed to positive labour market outcomes. There were many examples of participants in all seven countries who had previously or were currently in the process of restructuring careers - along with examples of promising practice in this regard....

  13. Refugee experiences of general practice in countries of resettlement: a literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, I-Hao; Drillich, Ann; Schattner, Peter

    2015-03-01

    Refugees and asylum seekers often struggle to use general practice services in resettlement countries. To describe and analyse the literature on the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers using general practice services in countries of resettlement. Literature review using systematic search and narrative data extraction and synthesis methodologies. International, peer-reviewed literature published in English language between 1990 and 2013. Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CSA Sociological Abstracts, and CINAHL databases were searched using the terms: refugee, asylum seeker, experience, perception, doctor, physician, and general practitioner. Titles, abstracts and full texts were reviewed and were critically appraised. Narrative themes describing the refugee or asylum seeker's personal experiences of general practice services were identified, coded, and analysed. From 8722 papers, 85 were fully reviewed and 23 included. These represented the experiences of approximately 864 individuals using general practice services across 11 countries. Common narrative themes that emerged were: difficulties accessing general practice services, language barriers, poor doctor-patient relationships, and problems with the cultural acceptability of medical care. The difficulties refugees and asylum seekers experience accessing and using general practice services could be addressed by providing practical support for patients to register, make appointments, and attend services, and through using interpreters. Clinicians should look beyond refugee stereotypes to focus on the needs and expectations of the individual. They should provide clear explanations about unfamiliar clinical processes and treatments while offering timely management. © British Journal of General Practice 2015.

  14. Attitudes toward Tobacco, Alcohol, and Non-Alcoholic Beverage Advertisement Themes among Adolescent Boys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Katherine L; Roberts, Megan E; Keller-Hamilton, Brittney; Yates, Katherine A; Paskett, Electra D; Berman, Micah L; Slater, Michael D; Lu, Bo; Ferketich, Amy K

    2018-02-13

    Previous studies have examined what adolescents find appealing in tobacco and alcohol advertisements and how different themes in advertisements are used to manipulate consumer behaviors. Yet, we know little about the relationship between the themes portrayed in advertisements and youth attitudes towards those themes. This study compared attitudes towards advertisements for different consumer products in a sample of urban and rural adolescent boys in order to examine how key marketing themes impact adolescent attitudes towards those advertisements. Participants were 11- to 16-year-old boys (N = 1220) residing in either urban or rural Ohio Appalachian counties. Each participant viewed five print advertisements (one each for cigarettes, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), smokeless tobacco (SLT), non-alcoholic beverages, and alcohol), presented in a random order, for eight seconds each. All advertisements had appeared in magazines that adolescent males commonly read. Attitudes towards each of the five advertisements were assessed. The advertisements were then coded for the presence of various themes, including social acceptance and masculinity. Analyses were conducted to determine associations between advertisement type and the attitude measure, and between the presence of a theme and the attitude measure. Overall, participants preferred non-tobacco advertisements to tobacco advertisements, rural participants had less positive attitudes and participants who had peers who used tobacco had more positive attitudes. Social acceptance and entertainment themes increased the appeal of SLT advertisements, and sex appeal increased the appeal of e-cigarette advertisements. Conclusions/Importance: Findings suggest that advertisements that promote the social nature of use in SLT advertisements may be of particular concern for their influence on adolescent boys.

  15. Converging cellular themes for the hereditary spastic paraplegias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackstone, Craig

    2018-05-10

    Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are neurologic disorders characterized by prominent lower-extremity spasticity, resulting from a length-dependent axonopathy of corticospinal upper motor neurons. They are among the most genetically-diverse neurologic disorders, with >80 distinct genetic loci and over 60 identified genes. Studies investigating the molecular pathogenesis underlying HSPs have emphasized the importance of converging cellular pathogenic themes in the most common forms of HSP, providing compelling targets for therapy. Most notably, these include organelle shaping and biogenesis as well as membrane and cargo trafficking. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader": The World at the Dawn of 2006-2011. Understanding societal themes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanchen Henning

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This article offers a snapshot of the societal dynamics of individual countries around the world, integrated into a global view to provide the tourism and hospitality industry insight into potential customer needs and perceptions. The OPUS Reports on the Global Dynamics at the Dawn of 20...are published annually since 2006 in the Journal of Organisational and Social Dynamics in London. The researchers were interested in a metaphoric tour of the world's social dynamics over time as perceived from both the Systems psychodynamics and Positive psychology theoretical paradigms. The research methodology was qualitative using a case study approach where each of the six (2006- 2011 years' integrated hypotheses was studied as a separate case study. The six cases were integrated into new hypotheses reflecting how global social dynamics changed over the years. The findings were presented as hypotheses per individual country followed by an integrated global hypothesis. The three main emerging themes were framed as Identity, Hope and Love. Identity contains the sub-theme of Facelessness, described as the fragmentation of cultures, a loss of cultural identity and a search for shared social meaning. Hope embodies the theme Knight/s in shining armour which describes youth as saviours and Obama as saviour. The loss of Hope is illustrated by the sub-themes of the impotence of the older generation, pessimism, fear and the death of a way of life. Love consists of human connection described as affiliation, support and trust. The lack of Love consists of human alienation described as loneliness, aggression and violence. The findings of the study identify societal themes that can be operationalized in the tourism and hospitality industry through targeted offerings to provide in the unmet needs of society. In addition, training interventions to improve customer service and return on investment can be based on the findings of this research.

  17. Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders in Professional Football (Soccer Across Five European Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincent Gouttebarge, Frank J.G. Backx, Haruhito Aoki, Gino M.M.J. Kerkhoffs

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Evidence on the prevalence of symptoms related to distress, anxiety/depression or substance abuse/dependence, – typically referred to as symptoms of common mental disorders (CMD – is lacking in European professional football (soccer. The aims of the present study were to investigate the prevalence of symptoms related to CMD (distress, anxiety/depression, sleeping disturbance, adverse alcohol behaviour, and adverse nutrition behaviour in professional footballers from five European countries, and to explore associations of the outcome measures under study with life events and career dissatisfaction. A cross-sectional design was used. Questionnaires were distributed among professional footballers by the national players’ unions in Finland, France, Norway, Spain and Sweden. The highest prevalence of symptoms related to common mental disorders were 18% for distress (Sweden, 43% for anxiety/depression (Norway, 33% for sleeping disturbance (Spain, 17% for adverse alcohol behaviour (Finland, and 74% for adverse nutrition behaviour (Norway. In Finland, France and Sweden, both life events and career dissatisfaction were associated with distress, anxiety/depression, adverse alcohol behaviour, and adverse nutrition behaviour. Results suggest the need for self-awareness in professional football about common mental disorders and a multidisciplinary approach by the medical team.

  18. Suicide note themes and suicide prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Tom

    2003-01-01

    The aim was to determine if suicide note themes might inform suicide prevention strategies. The themes of 42 suicide notes from the Northern Ireland Suicide Study (major psychological autopsy study) were examined. The commonest themes were "apology/shame" (74%), "love for those left behind" (60%), "life too much to bear" (48%), "instructions regarding practical affairs post-mortem" (36%), "hopelessness/nothing to live for" (21%) and "advice for those left behind" (21%). Notes of suicides with major unipolar depression were more likely than notes of suicides without major unipolar depression to contain the themes "instructions regarding practical affairs post-mortem" (67% versus 19%, p = 0.005) and "hopelessness/nothing to live for" (40% versus 11%, p = 0.049). Notes of suicides with a previous history of deliberate self-harm were less likely than notes of suicides without a history of deliberate self-harm to contain the theme "apology/shame" (58% versus 87%, p = 0.04). Notes of elderly suicides were more likely than non-elderly notes to contain the theme "burden to others" (40% versus 3%, p = 0.03). The fact that three quarters of suicide notes contained the theme "apology/shame" suggests that the deceased may have welcomed alternative solutions for their predicaments. Scrutiny of suicide note themes in the light of previous research findings suggests that cognitive therapy techniques, especially problem solving, may have an important role to play in suicide prevention and that potential major unipolar depressive (possibly less impulsive) suicides, in particular, may provide fertile ground for therapeutic intervention (physical and psychological). Ideally all primary care doctors and mental health professionals working with (potentially) suicidal people should be familiar with basic cognitive therapy techniques, especially problem solving skills training.

  19. Activities Using a Restaurant Theme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modlin, Ruth

    Designed for use with elementary students, 44 activities using a restaurant theme integrate creative thinking and decision-making skills with language arts, mathematics, and art. The activities, which can be used independently by the students, deal with types of restaurants, names and themes, floor plans, interior and exterior design, house…

  20. FY16 Strategic Themes.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leland, Robert W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-03-01

    I am pleased to present this summary of the Division 1000 Science and Technology Strategic Plan. This plan was created with considerable participation from all levels of management in Division 1000, and is intended to chart our course as we strive to contribute our very best in service of the greater Laboratory strategy. The plan is characterized by four strategic themes: Mission Engagement, Bold Outcomes, Collaborative Environment, and the Safety Imperative. Each theme is accompanied by a brief vision statement, several goals, and planned actions to support those goals throughout FY16. I want to be clear that this is not a strategy to be pursued in tension with the Laboratory strategic plan. Rather, it is intended to describe “how” we intend to show up for the “what” described in Sandia’s Strategic Plan. I welcome your feedback and look forward to our dialogue about these strategic themes. Please join me as we move forward to implement the plan in the coming year.

  1. Using the Nine Common Themes of Good Practice checklist as a tool for evaluating the research priority setting process of a provincial research and program evaluation program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mador, Rebecca L; Kornas, Kathy; Simard, Anne; Haroun, Vinita

    2016-03-23

    Given the context-specific nature of health research prioritization and the obligation to effectively allocate resources to initiatives that will achieve the greatest impact, evaluation of priority setting processes can refine and strengthen such exercises and their outcomes. However, guidance is needed on evaluation tools that can be applied to research priority setting. This paper describes the adaption and application of a conceptual framework to evaluate a research priority setting exercise operating within the public health sector in Ontario, Canada. The Nine Common Themes of Good Practice checklist, described by Viergever et al. (Health Res Policy Syst 8:36, 2010) was used as the conceptual framework to evaluate the research priority setting process developed for the Locally Driven Collaborative Projects (LDCP) program in Ontario, Canada. Multiple data sources were used to inform the evaluation, including a review of selected priority setting approaches, surveys with priority setting participants, document review, and consultation with the program advisory committee. The evaluation assisted in identifying improvements to six elements of the LDCP priority setting process. The modifications were aimed at improving inclusiveness, information gathering practices, planning for project implementation, and evaluation. In addition, the findings identified that the timing of priority setting activities and level of control over the process were key factors that influenced the ability to effectively implement changes. The findings demonstrate the novel adaptation and application of the 'Nine Common Themes of Good Practice checklist' as a tool for evaluating a research priority setting exercise. The tool can guide the development of evaluation questions and enables the assessment of key constructs related to the design and delivery of a research priority setting process.

  2. A Comparative Analysis of Insurance Business Development in Foreign Countries and Ukraine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serhij Reverchuk

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} This article studies the modern tendencies of insurance business development in foreign countries and Ukraine. It suggests estimating the level of insurance business development in the countries by using the calculation of indices with their integral index calculated. Analytical calculations enable one to rank the countries in compliance with the speed of insurance business development.

  3. The international aspects of the European common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) and their interaction with third countries

    OpenAIRE

    Ali, Eid Ashry Gaber

    2013-01-01

    This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. The thesis examines the international taxation rules of the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) and their interaction with third-country corporate tax practice. The aim is to assess the effectiveness of the CCCTB vis-à-vis third countries, with Egypt as a practical example. The CCCTB has the potential to reduce corporate tax obstacles faced by businesses in the EU in having to comp...

  4. Ethics and the European countries in transition--the past and the future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borovecki, Ana; ten Have, Henk; Oreskovic, Stiepan

    2006-01-01

    This paper surveys the situation regarding bioethical issues in the European transitional societies. It aims at exploring past, present and future characteristics of bioethics in the European countries in transitions, analysing similarities, differences and common themes together with the historical development of bioethics. By carefully studying articles published since the early 1990s, one can perceive a number of bioethical issues, varying from specificities for certain countries to similar problems for all transitional European societies. It seems that more than 15 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Central and Eastern European societies were able to achieve significant improvements in the development of bioethics. However, looking at the bioethical issues important for European transitional societies, it seems that the invisible wall between eastern and western European societies is still there and that it will take years to remove it.

  5. Looking to the Future: Themes from the Third National Conference for Counseling Psychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rude, Stephanie S.; And Others

    1988-01-01

    Presents summary of common themes from the Third National Conference for Counseling Psychology including strategies to enhance visibility and political strength, and ways to improve training of counseling psychologists by enhancing rigor, scientific thinking, professional identity, and ability to work in diverse and emerging settings. Discusses…

  6. Interaction themes in music therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holck, Ulla

    2004-01-01

    Based on a doctoral study, the author presents a type of music therapyinteraction called ?Interaction Themes.? These are developed fromsession to session and often appear in music therapy interventions withchildren with severe functional limitations, especially children withautism. Although...... whoseexpressions are often difficult to understand. The article describes thecharacteristics and functions of Interaction Themes, compares thephenomenon with music therapy case literature and delimits it in regardto other types of music therapy interaction with this client group. Theresults are described through...... the Interaction Themes are characterised by arelatively simple and self-generated content, they have an essentialfunction because they contain the child?s and music therapist?s jointinteraction history. They make up the context within which it ispossible to create meaningful interaction with a client group...

  7. A descriptive study of commonly used postoperative approaches to pediatric stoma care in a developing country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anyanwu, Lofty-John C; Mohammad, Aminu; Oyebanji, Tunde

    2013-12-01

    Construction of an enterostomy is a common procedure in pediatric surgery. However, caring for the child with a stoma is challenging for parents in developing countries. Modern devices such as colostomy bags and accessories are expensive and not readily available. The purpose of this study was to describe methods of effluent collection and peristomal skin protection used by the mothers of colostomy patients. A prospective, descriptive study was conducted between January and December 2011 during the first three postoperative outpatient clinic visits among mothers of children who had a colostomy constructed in the authors' hospital. The mothers of 44 children (27 males, 17 females, median age 3.3 months, range 2 days to 11 years) consented to participate. Demographic and clinical data were obtained from the records, and mothers were interviewed and asked to describe their preferred methods of colostomy effluent collection and peristomal skin protection. The stomas also were inspected at each clinic visit. Anorectal malformations were the most common indication for a colostomy (32, 72.73%), followed by Hirschsprung's disease (11, 25%). Forty-two (42) patients had a divided sigmoid colostomy (95.45%); two patients had a right loop transverse colostomy (4.55%). Nine mothers alternated between two different collection methods. The diaper collection method was described most frequently (22 out of 53; 41.51%), followed by wraparound waistbands (19; 35.85%) and improvised colostomy bags (12; 22.64%). Peristomal skin excoriations were commonly seen within the first 3 weeks postsurgery and had mostly disappeared by the week 6 postoperative visit. Petrolatum jelly was the most commonly used barrier ointment. These locally available, acceptable, and affordable collection methods may be useful for children in other developing countries.

  8. Interaction Themes in Music Therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holck, Ulla

    2006-01-01

    Based on a doctoral study, the author presents a type of music therapy interaction called ‘Interaction Themes.’ These are developed from session to session and often appear in music therapy interventions with children with severe functional limitations, especially children with autism. Although...... whose expressions are often difficult to understand. The presented article describes the characteristics and functions of Interaction Themes, compares the phenomenon with music therapy case literature and delimits it in regard to other types of music therapy interaction with this client group....... the Interaction Themes are characterised by a relatively simple and self-generated content, they have an essential function because they contain the child’s and music therapist’s joint interaction history. They make up the context within which it is possible to create meaningful interaction with a client group...

  9. On Themes of the Eagle by Alfred Tennyson

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    陈晓庆

    2009-01-01

    Theme is significant to poetry.Not only music but also theme is related to poetry since its birth.Usually great poems have more than one theme.Nowadays different approaches of literary analysis are on stage.The different approaches are employed to expound the rich themes of The Eagle-in memorial of Hallam,in praise of Britain's colonial expansion and in eulogy of nature.

  10. Types of centredness in health care: themes and concepts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Julian C; Bamford, Claire; May, Carl

    2008-12-01

    For a variety of sociological reasons, different types of centredness have become important in health and social care. In trying to characterize one type of centredness, we were led to consider, at a conceptual level, the importance of the notion of centredness in general and the reasons for there being different types of centeredness. We searched the literature for papers on client-, family-, patient-, person- and relationship- centred care. We identified reviews or papers that defined or discussed the notions at a conceptual level. The reviews and papers were analyzed as text transcripts. We identified 10 themes that were common to all the types of centredness. At a conceptual level we could not identify thematic differences between the types of centredness. These findings were subjected to a philosophical critique using ideas derived from Wittgenstein. Different types of centredness are required in different contexts. The differences are justified by their practical utility. The unifying themes of centredness, however, reflect a movement in favour of increasing the social, psychological, cultural and ethical sensitivity of our human encounters.

  11. Architectural heritage or theme park

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignasi Solà-Morales

    1998-04-01

    Full Text Available The growing parallelism between the perception and the consumer use of theme parks and architectural heritage gives rise to a reflection about the fact that the architectural object has been turned into a museum piece, stripped  of its original value and its initial cultural substance to become images exposed to multiple gazes, thus producing what the author calis the "Theme Park effect", with consequences on protected architecture.

  12. COMMON FISCAL POLICY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriel Mursa

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that a common fiscal policy, designed to support the euro currency, has some significant drawbacks. The greatest danger is the possibility of leveling the tax burden in all countries. This leveling of the tax is to the disadvantage of countries in Eastern Europe, in principle, countries poorly endowed with capital, that use a lax fiscal policy (Romania, Bulgaria, etc. to attract foreign investment from rich countries of the European Union. In addition, common fiscal policy can lead to a higher degree of centralization of budgetary expenditures in the European Union.

  13. Theme: Urban Agriculture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellibee, Margaret; And Others

    1990-01-01

    On the theme of secondary agricultural education in urban areas, this issue includes articles on opportunities, future directions, and implications for the profession; creative supervised experiences for horticulture students; floral marketing, multicultural education; and cultural diversity in urban agricultural education. (JOW)

  14. World market survey: Emerging industrial countries provide the sales opportunities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeffs, E.; Greenhalgh, G.

    1981-01-01

    The prospects for nuclear power around the world are reviewed. The sharp contrast in attitudes between the Western industrialised countries and developing countries is highlighted. In the West, political uncertainty and economic conditions have retarded implementation of nuclear programmes. The underdeveloped countries, with a desperate need to cut oil consumption and stimulate economic and social development, are persuing nuclear power energetically. Nuclear power programmes from selected countries are described to illustrate these themes. (U.K.)

  15. Research in auditing: main themes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Porte

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX was a turning point in auditing and in auditors practice for the academic world. Research concerning the characterization of academic production related to auditing is in its third decade. Its analysis is accomplished by means of definition of keywords, abstracts or title, and information on thematic association within the academic production itself in auditing is undisclosed. In order to revise this gap in auditing literature, this study identified the main themes in auditing and their association in post-SOX era by analyzing the content of objectives and hypothesis of 1,650 publications in Web of Science (2002-2014. The findings in this study extended those from the study by Lesage and Wechtler (2012 from 16 auditing thematic typologies to 22. The results demonstrate that the themes audit report & financial statement users, corporate governance, audit market, external audit, socio-economic data of the company, international regulation, and fraud risk & audit risk were the most addressed in the publications about auditing. Corporate governance has a broader association with the other themes in the area. Future researches may use these themes and relate them to the methodologies applied to audit studies.

  16. Exploring Multicultural Themes through Picture Books.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farris, Pamela J.

    1995-01-01

    Advocates inclusion of multicultural picture books in social studies instruction to offer different outlooks and visions in a short format. Describes selection of picture books with multicultural themes and those that represent various cultures, gender equity, and religious themes. Suggests that picture books may help students develop better…

  17. Common approach to common interests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-06-01

    In referring to issues confronting the energy field in this region and options to be exercised in the future, I would like to mention the fundamental condition of the utmost importance. That can be summed up as follows: any subject in energy area can never be solved by one country alone, given the geographical and geopolitical characteristics intrinsically possessed by energy. So, a regional approach is needed and it is especially necessary for the main players in the region to jointly address problems common to them. Though it may be a matter to be pursued in the distant future, I am personally dreaming a 'Common Energy Market for Northeast Asia,' in which member countries' interests are adjusted so that the market can be integrated and the region can become a most economically efficient market, thus formulating an effective power to encounter the outside. It should be noted that Europe needed forty years to integrate its market as the unified common market. It is necessary for us to follow a number of steps over the period to eventually materialize our common market concept, too. Now is the time for us to take a first step to lay the foundation for our descendants to enjoy prosperity from such a common market.

  18. Justifying group-specific common morality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strong, Carson

    2008-01-01

    Some defenders of the view that there is a common morality have conceived such morality as being universal, in the sense of extending across all cultures and times. Those who deny the existence of such a common morality often argue that the universality claim is implausible. Defense of common morality must take account of the distinction between descriptive and normative claims that there is a common morality. This essay considers these claims separately and identifies the nature of the arguments for each claim. It argues that the claim that there is a universal common morality in the descriptive sense has not been successfully defended to date. It maintains that the claim that there is a common morality in the normative sense need not be understood as universalist. This paper advocates the concept of group specific common morality, including country-specific versions. It suggests that both the descriptive and the normative claims that there are country-specific common moralities are plausible, and that a country-specific normative common morality could provide the basis for a country's bioethics.

  19. Theme 10: greenhouse effect transport policies and urban organization; Theme 10: effet de serre politiques de deplacements et organisation urbaine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2002-07-01

    This document describes the reference framework of the theme 10 ''greenhouse effect, transport policies and urban organization'' which is a part of the urban transports interface. It presents the specific actions realized by the theme 10 for a future integration in theme 1, 5 and 8. (A.L.B.)

  20. Japanese situations to emerging themes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubota, Ryuji

    2011-01-01

    Japanese regulatory body has audited more than ten cases of licensee's RCA since December 2007. We approve of opinions to emerging themes in 'CSNI Activity Plan', and based on achievements of these audits, Japanese situations to emerging themes are explained. As our conclusion, the more experience to identify HOF licensees have, the more problems may be solved. But as CA is difficult to measure for effectiveness, we propose to develop the outcome indicators such as the frequency of events. (author)

  1. Exploring the practical themes for medical education social accountability in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmady, Soleiman; Akbari Lakeh, Maryam

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to explore themes for enhancing socially accountability in medical education. Medical education in Iran experience new challenges due to the enormous influence of changes in technology, development of new methods of teaching and learning, student requirements, patient management, financial credit constraints, and social and economic developments. For responding to these, use of strategic thinking in order to make appropriate decisions is the only solution. Strategic plans need to formulate practical guides which can help accountable to people's reasonable expectations. For this qualitative study, along with the 14(th)national conference on Medical Education in Iran, the opinions of experts were obtained during seven expert panels' group discussions, each lasting four hours and including 10 participants. Data were collected by audiotapes, which were then transcribed. Data analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach. Peer and member checking during analysis and data triangulation from other recent studies were used to increase the findings' trustworthiness. Among more than hundred meaning units groups identified the following eight main themes as affecting the social accountable medical education in Iran: organization of responsive education councils; development of community based courses; development in field training; organization of educational processes; homogeneity in educational rules and regulations; budget management, educational outcomes; educational programs in departments and groups. This study have found the main themes that might affecting social accountable medical education in Iran, where Iranian policymakers should consider those when plan to make changes in medical education and could potentially adopt the proven useful policies and strategies of other countries.

  2. Issues with data and analyses: Errors, underlying themes, and potential solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Andrew W; Kaiser, Kathryn A; Allison, David B

    2018-03-13

    Some aspects of science, taken at the broadest level, are universal in empirical research. These include collecting, analyzing, and reporting data. In each of these aspects, errors can and do occur. In this work, we first discuss the importance of focusing on statistical and data errors to continually improve the practice of science. We then describe underlying themes of the types of errors and postulate contributing factors. To do so, we describe a case series of relatively severe data and statistical errors coupled with surveys of some types of errors to better characterize the magnitude, frequency, and trends. Having examined these errors, we then discuss the consequences of specific errors or classes of errors. Finally, given the extracted themes, we discuss methodological, cultural, and system-level approaches to reducing the frequency of commonly observed errors. These approaches will plausibly contribute to the self-critical, self-correcting, ever-evolving practice of science, and ultimately to furthering knowledge.

  3. Theme Enrichment Analysis: A Statistical Test for Identifying Significantly Enriched Themes in a List of Stories with an Application to the Star Trek Television Franchise

    OpenAIRE

    Onsjö, Mikael; Sheridan, Paul

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we describe how the hypergeometric test can be used to determine whether a given theme of interest occurs in a storyset at a frequency more than would be expected by chance. By a storyset we mean simply a list of stories defined according to a common attribute (e.g. author, movement, period). The test works roughly as follows: Given a background storyset (e.g. 19th century adventure novels), and a sub-storyset of interest (e.g. Jules Verne novels), the test determines whether a...

  4. Detecting Themed Streets Using a Location Based Service Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Byeongsuk Ji

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Various themed streets have recently been developed by local governments in order to stimulate local economies and to establish the identity of the corresponding places. However, the motivations behind the development of some of these themed street projects has been based on profit, without full considerations of people’s perceptions of their local areas, resulting in marginal effects on the local economies concerned. In response to this issue, this study proposed a themed street clustering method to detect the themed streets of a specific region, focusing on the commercial themed street, which is more prevalent than other types of themed streets using location based service data. This study especially uses “the street segment” as a basic unit for analysis. The Sillim and Gangnam areas of Seoul, South Korea were chosen for the evaluation of the adequacy of the proposed method. By comparing trade areas that were sourced from a market analysis report by a reliable agent with the themed streets detected in this study, the experiment results showed high proficiency of the proposed method.

  5. Life-style themes of unwed pregnant adolescents who chose to keep their babies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jorgensen, J A; Newlon, B J

    1988-12-01

    The authors point out that the largest increase in birthrate is accounted for by girls under age 15; the rise in teenage baby keeping is also a major source of alarm in America. The subjects interviewed for this study were currently enrolled in a Teenage Parent Program for girls aged 14-18 in a large southwestern city. All participants in the study were Anglos from middle to lower-middle income families. Participants included 2 15-year-olds, 2 16-year-olds, 3 17-year-olds, and 3 18-year-olds. All were unwed and kept their babies after birth. Each subject participated in a tape-recorded interview which lasted from 30 minutes to 1 hour and included early recollections and birth order information. Transcripts were analyzed and interpreted by 3 expert Adlerian therapists. Examination of these transcripts revealed themes common to the group as a whole. These themes centered around the desire for a close, idealized relationship with someone, the goal of excitement, and the expectation of being confused, unknowing, or afraid. The group also demonstrated a lack of themes centering on their own anger or victimization. They did, however, perceive themselves as being isolated from their parents. Those subjects who shared the same birth order position tended to have specific traits in common. The youngest in terms of birth order tended to use their confusion to keep others involved with them. The only and 1st borough tended to use their confusion and fear to deflect the burden of responsibility which was a strong component of their life-style. Lack of self-esteem was 1 commonly held characteristic. If society wishes to change the current increase in teenage pregnancies, a greater understanding of the importance of belonging and self-worth is needed by the significant adults in young people's lives. Increased understanding could lead to changes within the family and the educational institution. Self-esteem in young people would be encouraged and a sense of belonging developed

  6. FY16 Strategic Themes White Paper.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leland, Robert W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-03-01

    The Science and Technology (S&T) Division 1000 Strategic Plan includes the Themes, Goals, and Actions for FY16. S&T will continue to support the Labs Strategic plan, Mission Areas and Program Management Units by focusing on four strategic themes that align with the targeted needs of the Labs. The themes presented in this plan are Mission Engagement, Bold Outcomes, Collaborative Environment, and the Safety Imperative. Collectively they emphasize diverse, collaborative teams and a self-reliant culture of safety that will deliver on our promise of exceptional service in the national interest like never before. Mission Engagement focuses on increasing collaboration at all levels but with emphasis at the strategic level with mission efforts across the labs. Bold Outcomes seeks to increase the ability to take thoughtful risks with the goal of achieving transformative breakthroughs more frequently. Collaborative environment strives for a self-aware, collaborative working environment that bridges the many cultures of Sandia. Finally, Safety Imperative aims to minimize the risk of serious injury and to continuously strengthen the safety culture. Each of these themes is accompanied by a brief vision statement, several goals, and planned actions to support those goals throughout FY16 and leading into FY17.

  7. On the emergence theme of physics

    CERN Document Server

    Carroll, Robert

    2010-01-01

    The book surveys mathematical relations between classical and quantum mechanics, gravity, time and thermodynamics from various points of view and many sources (with appropriate attribution). The emergence theme is developed with an emphasis on the meaning via mathematics. A background theme of Bohemian mechanics and connections to the quantum equivalence principle of Matone et al. is also developed in great detail. Some original work relating the quantum potential and Ricci flow is also included.

  8. Effects of Instructions on Theme Grading: Grammatical vs. Holistic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Follman, John; And Others

    1971-01-01

    Twelve college seniors in an English methods course were assigned to three treatment groups, Grammatical, Holistic, and Both. Each group received different instructions but graded the same 10 themes. Themes graded for grammatical errors received lower grades than the same themes graded holistically. (NH)

  9. Themes of nanoscience for the introductory physics course

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Planinsic, Gorazd; Lindell, Anssi; Remskar, Maja

    2009-01-01

    We present three experimental themes and one discussion theme that proved to be suitable for introducing nanoscience through topics that can be integrated into the existing introductory physics or teacher training courses. The experimental themes include two teaching models of an atomic force microscope (AFM) and an experiment with an elastic optical grating. They are all based on simple experiments that give also quantitative results and can be explained using basic physics theory.

  10. Themes of nanoscience for the introductory physics course

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Planinsic, Gorazd [Faculty for Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia); Lindell, Anssi [Department of Teacher Education, University of Jyvaskyla (Finland); Remskar, Maja [Josef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia)

    2009-07-15

    We present three experimental themes and one discussion theme that proved to be suitable for introducing nanoscience through topics that can be integrated into the existing introductory physics or teacher training courses. The experimental themes include two teaching models of an atomic force microscope (AFM) and an experiment with an elastic optical grating. They are all based on simple experiments that give also quantitative results and can be explained using basic physics theory.

  11. Changes in themes over time from medical student journaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cayley, William; Schilling, Rae; Suechting, Ralph

    2007-12-01

    There has been little exploration of journaling in medical student education. To document the themes on which medical students reflect during training. We evaluated journals kept by primary care medical students to identify prominent themes and determine change or constancy in themes over time. We looked at third-year medical students participating in a required primary care clerkship in a university-affiliated, community-based family medicine residency program with a rural catchment area. During 1994-1996 and 2001-2003, students were asked to keep weekly journals reflecting on their thoughts and feelings regarding "topical content, course processes and methods, and personal reflections on becoming a doctor." Faculty evaluated journals to identify change or constancy in themes over time. Prominent themes included gender issues, professional identity emergence, career choice, and rural practice, the experience of learning, the experience of relating to patients, and the nature of medical practice. We found both constancy and change in student journal themes over time. Changes in journal themes appeared to correlate with outside events and educational trends, including increased attention to reflective practice, changing demographics in medicine and the increasing acceptance of female physicians, and personal life events.

  12. Globalisation of commercial theme parks: the walt Disney Company

    OpenAIRE

    DE GROOTE, Patrick

    2009-01-01

    The Economics Research Associates (ERA) defines a theme park as ‘A gated attraction that contains rides and/or shows in a themed environment, offers a pay-one-price ticket for its guests and attracts at least 500,000 annual visits’ (ERA, 2007). A more detailed description for theme parks is given by Philip L. Pearce (in Jafar Jafari, 2000, 124-5): ‘Theme parks are capital intensive, highly developed, self-contained recreational spaces which invariably charge admission. The entertainment, ride...

  13. Avoiding Sanctions at the E-Discovery Meet-And- Confer in Common Law Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milton Luoma

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The rules of civil procedure in common law countries have been amended to better deal with the requirements of electronic discovery. One of the key changes in case management is the scheduling of a meet-and-confer session where the parties to litigation must meet early in the case before any discovery procedures have begun to exchange information regarding the nature, location, formats, and pertinent facts regarding custody and control of a party’s electronically stored information (ESI. Failure to abide by the rules and participate in good faith at the meet-and-confer session can have dire consequences for the parties and lawyers involved. The authors discuss the importance of creating and maintaining an ESI data map as a means to demonstrate good faith and effectively comply with the requirements of the meet-and-confer.

  14. Theme 10: greenhouse effect transport policies and urban organization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-07-01

    This document describes the reference framework of the theme 10 ''greenhouse effect, transport policies and urban organization'' which is a part of the urban transports interface. It presents the specific actions realized by the theme 10 for a future integration in theme 1, 5 and 8. (A.L.B.)

  15. New Themes in Physics Teaching: A personal retrospective

    OpenAIRE

    Dykstra, Dewey

    2012-01-01

    For a little over 40 years, what we label now, physics education research, has been conducted.  As a result, new themes in the research in physics learning and in physics education have emerged.  Some of these themes are cognitivism, qualitative research, learning as construction of knowledge, epistemological underpinnings that are not realist, student understanding-driven pedagogies, and scholarship in fields outside physics.  These themes have arisen in minds of our colleagues, who focus th...

  16. Testing and Explaining Differences in Common and Residual Factors Across Many Countries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jak, S.

    2017-01-01

    To make valid comparisons across countries, a measurement instrument needs to be measurement invariant across countries. The present article provides a nontechnical exposition of a recently proposed multilevel factor analysis approach to test measurement invariance across countries. It is explained

  17. A Framework for Mobile User Experiences in Theme Parks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, Claus Møller

    2013-01-01

    This paper proposes a framework, which contributes to a better theoretical understanding of mobile user experience in theme parks that is not limited to (a) personal smartphones, (b) a specific theme park, or (c) specific mobile content. Thus, the paper contributes to the field of mobile user...... experience in theme parks within HCI. The identified aspects constituting the mobile user experience in theme parks are the environmental context, the social context, the functional context, the mobile interface, and of course the mobile content. The framework is developed based on five diverse case studies...

  18. Recent Themes in Social Networking Service Research.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John S Liu

    Full Text Available The body of literature addressing the phenomenon related to social networking services (SNSs has grown rather fast recently. Through a systematic and quantitative approach, this study identifies the recent SNS research themes, which are the issues discussed by a coherent and growing subset of this literature. A set of academic articles retrieved from the Web of Science database is used as the basis for uncovering the recent themes. We begin the analysis by constructing a citation network which is further separated into groups after applying a widely used clustering method. The resulting clusters all consist of articles coherent in citation relationships. This study suggests eight fast growing recent themes. They span widely encompassing politics, romantic relationships, public relations, journalism, and health. Among them, four focus their issues largely on Twitter, three on Facebook, and one generally on both. While discussions on traditional issues in SNSs such as personality, motivations, self-disclosure, narcissism, etc. continue to lead the pack, the proliferation of the highlighted recent themes in the near future is very likely to happen.

  19. Recent Themes in Social Networking Service Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, John S; Ho, Mei Hsiu-Ching; Lu, Louis Y Y

    2017-01-01

    The body of literature addressing the phenomenon related to social networking services (SNSs) has grown rather fast recently. Through a systematic and quantitative approach, this study identifies the recent SNS research themes, which are the issues discussed by a coherent and growing subset of this literature. A set of academic articles retrieved from the Web of Science database is used as the basis for uncovering the recent themes. We begin the analysis by constructing a citation network which is further separated into groups after applying a widely used clustering method. The resulting clusters all consist of articles coherent in citation relationships. This study suggests eight fast growing recent themes. They span widely encompassing politics, romantic relationships, public relations, journalism, and health. Among them, four focus their issues largely on Twitter, three on Facebook, and one generally on both. While discussions on traditional issues in SNSs such as personality, motivations, self-disclosure, narcissism, etc. continue to lead the pack, the proliferation of the highlighted recent themes in the near future is very likely to happen.

  20. Adults Contemplating University Study at a Distance: Issues, themes and concerns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris Morgan

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available This study identifies and explores a range of themes, issues and questions that commonly confront adults contemplating enrolment in university, and why they persist. The study focuses particularly on issues facing prospective adult distance education learners. From a range of interviews, six themes were identified including fears, motivation, support from home, academic preparedness, suitability of programs, and identity change.It is argued that the more effective we become at information provision, guidance and preparation of adult pre-entry open and distance learners, the more likely students will experience a smooth transition to study, thus improving both student satisfaction and retention rates. Successful intervention with prospective distance education learners at this early point should aim to assist the process of informed decision making, which could result equally in an individual deciding not to pursue university study. The findings in this study should be particularly useful for those academics, course advisors, student counsellors, teachers in preparatory programs, and university information and support officers, and others who provide adult distance students, with pre-enrolment information and advice.

  1. Google Earth Grand Tour Themes

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Paor, D. G.; Whitmeyer, S. J.; Bentley, C.; Dordevic, M. M.

    2014-12-01

    As part of an NSF TUES Type 3 project entitled "Google Earth for Onsite and Distance Education (GEODE)," we are assembling a "Grand Tour" of locations on Earth and other terrestrial bodies that every geoscience student should know about and visit at least in virtual reality. Based on feedback from colleagues at previous meetings, we have identified nine Grand Tour themes: "Plates and Plumes," "Rocks and Regions," "Geology Through Time," "The Mapping Challenge*," "U.S. National Parks*," "The Magical Mystery Tour*," "Resources and Hazards," "Planets and Moons," and "Top of the Pops." Themes marked with an asterisk are most developed at this stage and will be demonstrated in real time. The Mapping Challenge invites students to trace geological contacts, measure bedding strike and dip and the plunge, trend, and facing of a fold. There is an advanced tool for modeling periclinal folds. The challenge is presented in a game-like format with an emphasis on puzzle-solving that will appeal to students regardless of gender. For the tour of U.S. national parks, we divided the most geologically important parks into four groups—Western Pacific, West Coast, Rockies, and East Coast. We are combining our own team's GigaPan imagery with imagery already available on the Internet. There is a great deal of imagery just waiting to be annotated for geological education purposes. The Magical Mystery Tour takes students to Google Streetview locations selected by instructors. Students are presented with questions or tasks and are given automatic feedback. Other themes are under development. Within each theme, we are crowd-sourcing contributions from colleagues and inviting colleagues to vote for or against proposed locations and student interactions. The GEODE team includes the authors and: Heather Almquist, Stephen Burgin, Cinzia Cervato, Gene Cooper, Paul Karabinos, Terry Pavlis, Jen Piatek, Bill Richards, Jeff Ryan, Ron Schott, Kristen St. John, and Barb Tewksbury.

  2. Pensions at a glance 2011 retirement-income systems in OECD and G20 countries

    CERN Document Server

    Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Paris

    2011-01-01

    The theme of this fourth edition of Pensions at a Glance is pensions, retirement and life expectancy. Many countries have increased pension ages in the face of population ageing and longer lives. Some have introduced an automatic link between pensions and life expectancy. Improvements to the incentives to work rather than retire are also a common part of recent pension-reform packages. However, ensuring that there are enough jobs for older workers remains a challenge. An in-depth look at these important policy issues is provided by five special chapters on: pension ages, retirement behaviour, pension incentives to retire, the demand for older workers and linking pensions to life expectancy. This edition updates information on the key features of pension provision in OECD countries and provides projections of retirement income for today’s workers. It offers an expanded range of 34 indicators, covering the design of national retirement-income provision, pension entitlements, incomes of older people, the finan...

  3. Theme: Staying Current--Horticulture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shry, Carroll L., Jr.; And Others

    1986-01-01

    This theme issue on staying current in horticulture includes articles on sex equity in horticulture, Future Farmers of America, career opportunities in horticulture, staying current with your school district's needs, staying current in horticulture instruction, staying current with landscape trade associations, emphasizing the basics in vocational…

  4. Informational and Cultural Situation in Developing Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadirova, Goulnar

    Cultural development of modern countries in the East, including the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a complicated and contradictory process, where common cultural ways were shaped differently and specifically in the countries. Common historical fate has influenced this development and given these countries some common problems, but there is some…

  5. FY17 Strategic Themes.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leland, Robert W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-03-01

    I am pleased to present this summary of the FY17 Division 1000 Science and Technology Strategic Plan. As this plan represents a continuation of the work we started last year, the four strategic themes (Mission Engagement, Bold Outcomes, Collaborative Environment, and Safety Imperative) remain the same, along with many of the goals. You will see most of the changes in the actions listed for each goal: We completed some actions, modified others, and added a few new ones. As I’ve stated previously, this is not a strategy to be pursued in tension with the Laboratory strategic plan. The Division 1000 strategic plan is intended to chart our course as we strive to contribute our very best in service of the greater Laboratory strategy. I welcome your feedback and look forward to our dialogue about these strategic themes. Please join me as we move forward to implement the plan in the coming months.

  6. The impact of access to immunization information on vaccine acceptance in three countries.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lori K Handy

    Full Text Available Vaccine acceptance is a critical component of sustainable immunization programs, yet rates of vaccine hesitancy are rising. Increased access to misinformation through media and anti-vaccine advocacy is an important contributor to hesitancy in the United States and other high-income nations with robust immunization programs. Little is known about the content and effect of information sources on attitudes toward vaccination in settings with rapidly changing or unstable immunization programs.The objective of this study was to explore knowledge and attitudes regarding vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases among caregivers and immunization providers in Botswana, the Dominican Republic, and Greece and examine how access to information impacts reported vaccine acceptance.We conducted 37 focus groups and 14 semi-structured interviews with 96 providers and 153 caregivers in Botswana, the Dominican Republic, and Greece. Focus groups were conducted in Setswana, English, Spanish, or Greek; digitally recorded; and transcribed. Transcripts were translated into English, coded in qualitative data analysis software (NVivo 10, QSR International, Melbourne, Australia, and analyzed for common themes.Dominant themes in all three countries included identification of health care providers or medical literature as the primary source of vaccine information, yet participants reported insufficient communication about vaccines was available. Comments about level of trust in the health care system and government contrasted between sites, with the highest level of trust reported in Botswana but lower levels of trust in Greece.In Botswana, the Dominican Republic, and Greece, participants expressed reliance on health care providers for information and demonstrated a need for more communication about vaccines. Trust in the government and health care system influenced vaccine acceptance differently in each country, demonstrating the need for country-specific data that focus

  7. Teaching Public Administration: Key Themes 1996-2016

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenwick, John

    2018-01-01

    In this article, the aim is to explore some of the key themes to emerge in the journal during the past two decades. Each selected theme will be reviewed in the light of issues raised in particular papers. The aim of this approach is, first, to facilitate reflection upon the contribution of the journal as its subject matter has moved from a concern…

  8. BuddyPress theme development

    CERN Document Server

    Lister, Tammie

    2013-01-01

    This book is a hands-on tutorial guide to using BuddyPress.This book is great for designers and developers who are looking to learn how to develop BuddyPress themes. It's assumed that the reader has some understanding of Wordpress and is familiar with CSS and HTML.

  9. Theme: Parents and Reading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jund, Suzanne, Ed.

    1977-01-01

    This journal issue concentrates on the theme "Parents and Reading." It presents articles on sharing books with young children, using public relations in a reading program, guiding preschool learning, assessing language readiness, working with reading problems, and teaching reading readiness in Wisconsin kindergartens. Resources and a review of…

  10. The Dubbing of Gay-themed TV Series in Italy: Corpus-based Evidence of Manipulation and Censorship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annalisa Sandrelli

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The manipulation and censorship of taboo and sensitive references in AVT has attracted the interest of several scholars over the last few years, but systematic studies of the impact of such practices on different genres in different countries are still needed. The paper analyses the Italian dubbing of three gay-themed TV series, Queer as Folk, Queer as Folk (US remake, and The L Word. Gay-themed series are less mainstream on Italian TV channels than in the UK and the USA, and gayspeak as a linguistic phenomenon is not well-known to Italian audiences. Consequently, the Italian dubbed dialogues are the product of different degrees of manipulation and even censorship. The paper finds empirical evidence of such alterations in data from the DubTalk corpus and attempts a tentative evaluation of the impact of such practices on the Italian versions of the above-mentioned series.

  11. [Theme: Achieving Quality Laboratory Projects.[.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinn, Glen C.; And Others

    1983-01-01

    The theme articles present strategies for achieving quality laboratory projects in vocational agriculture. They describe fundamentals of the construction of quality projects and stress the importance of quality instruction. (JOW)

  12. Learning Commons in Academic Libraries: Discussing Themes in the Literature from 2001 to the Present

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blummer, Barbara; Kenton, Jeffrey M.

    2017-01-01

    Although the term lacks a standard definition, learning commons represent academic library spaces that provide computer and library resources as well as a range of academic services that support learners and learning. Learning commons have been equated to a laboratory for creating knowledge and staffed with librarians that serve as facilitators of…

  13. The effects of similarity of theme and instantiation in analogical reasoning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanowitz, K L

    2001-01-01

    The influence of 2 types of structural similarity on analogical reasoning was examined. The theme of a story is a structural component that constrains other relationships in the story. Another structural component is the way in which the theme is implemented. Participants received pairs of stories that varied in the similarity of these two components. Participants in Experiment 1 judged stories containing similar themes as more analogous than stories with dissimilar themes. Likewise, stories with similar implementations were judged as more analogous than stories with dissimilar implementations. Experiment 2 revealed a similar pattern when participants had the opportunity to transfer information from source to target stories. Greater transfer was seen for stories with similar themes than for stories with dissimilar themes. Greater transfer was also seen for stories with similar implementations of different themes than for stories with different implementations.

  14. Particle physics. Themes and challenges

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Quigg, C. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL (United States)

    1996-12-31

    It is an introductory talk to the Second Rencontres du Vietnam. This lecture is devoted to seven themes that express the essence of our understanding - and our possibilities on particle physics. (K.A.) 19 refs.

  15. Themes and challenges in making supply chains socially sustainable

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abbasi, Maisam

    2014-01-01

    Purpose Purpose of this paper is to explore and classify pattern of the currently discussed themes and challenges in making supply chains socially sustainable. Design/methodology/approach The methodology was based on a systematic review of the existing literature in order to explore what major...... themes and challenges have been discussed as well as the significant gaps where opportunities for further research can be found. Findings In total five categories of themes were identified, namely goods/service-centric, human-centric, organization-centric, corporate-centric, and management...... holistic view of the pattern of currently discussed themes and challenges may be beneficial in increasing the absorptive capacity of industrial and business practitioners when they design and operationalize innovative strategies in developing sustainable supply chains. Originality/value This paper may...

  16. HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plans of Sub-Saharan African countries: an analysis for gender equality and sex-disaggregated HIV targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherwood, Jennifer; Sharp, Alana; Cooper, Bergen; Roose-Snyder, Beirne; Blumenthal, Susan

    2017-12-01

    National Strategic Plans (NSPs) for HIV/AIDS are country planning documents that set priorities for programmes and services, including a set of targets to quantify progress toward national and international goals. The inclusion of sex-disaggregated targets and targets to combat gender inequality is important given the high disease burden among young women and adolescent girls in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet no comprehensive gender-focused analysis of NSP targets has been performed. This analysis quantitatively evaluates national HIV targets, included in NSPs from eighteen Sub-Saharan African countries, for sex-disaggregation. Additionally, NSP targets aimed at reducing gender-based inequality in health outcomes are compiled and inductively coded to report common themes. On average, in the eighteen countries included in this analysis, 31% of NSP targets include sex-disaggregation (range 0-92%). Three countries disaggregated a majority (>50%) of their targets by sex. Sex-disaggregation in data reporting was more common for targets related to the early phases of the HIV care continuum: 83% of countries included any sex-disaggregated targets for HIV prevention, 56% for testing and linkage to care, 22% for improving antiretroviral treatment coverage, and 11% for retention in treatment. The most common target to reduce gender inequality was to prevent gender-based violence (present in 50% of countries). Other commonly incorporated target areas related to improving women's access to family planning, human and legal rights, and decision-making power. The inclusion of sex-disaggregated targets in national planning is vital to ensure that programmes make progress for all population groups. Improving the availability and quality of indicators to measure gender inequality, as well as evaluating programme outcomes by sex, is critical to tracking this progress. This analysis reveals an urgent need to set specific and separate targets for men and women in order to achieve an equitable

  17. HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plans of Sub-Saharan African countries: an analysis for gender equality and sex-disaggregated HIV targets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherwood, Jennifer; Sharp, Alana; Cooper, Bergen; Roose-Snyder, Beirne; Blumenthal, Susan

    2017-01-01

    Abstract National Strategic Plans (NSPs) for HIV/AIDS are country planning documents that set priorities for programmes and services, including a set of targets to quantify progress toward national and international goals. The inclusion of sex-disaggregated targets and targets to combat gender inequality is important given the high disease burden among young women and adolescent girls in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet no comprehensive gender-focused analysis of NSP targets has been performed. This analysis quantitatively evaluates national HIV targets, included in NSPs from eighteen Sub-Saharan African countries, for sex-disaggregation. Additionally, NSP targets aimed at reducing gender-based inequality in health outcomes are compiled and inductively coded to report common themes. On average, in the eighteen countries included in this analysis, 31% of NSP targets include sex-disaggregation (range 0–92%). Three countries disaggregated a majority (>50%) of their targets by sex. Sex-disaggregation in data reporting was more common for targets related to the early phases of the HIV care continuum: 83% of countries included any sex-disaggregated targets for HIV prevention, 56% for testing and linkage to care, 22% for improving antiretroviral treatment coverage, and 11% for retention in treatment. The most common target to reduce gender inequality was to prevent gender-based violence (present in 50% of countries). Other commonly incorporated target areas related to improving women’s access to family planning, human and legal rights, and decision-making power. The inclusion of sex-disaggregated targets in national planning is vital to ensure that programmes make progress for all population groups. Improving the availability and quality of indicators to measure gender inequality, as well as evaluating programme outcomes by sex, is critical to tracking this progress. This analysis reveals an urgent need to set specific and separate targets for men and women in order to achieve

  18. Environmental Protection Theme at Discourses of Corporative Social Responsibility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfredo Rodrigues Leite da Silva

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper views and discusses discourses on social responsibility in organizations and their use of the environmental theme. We suppose that strategies are used to disseminate some discourses concerning these matters. The ambiguities of themes within organizations point to a fragmented discourse (Fineman, 1996, revealing practices of openness and dissimulation. The theoretical discussion starts with the theme of social responsibility, confronting it with an environmental theme and discusses discourses with ambiguities of organizational practice stemming from two themes. At the end, a case study of Antena completes the discussion. Data was collected with documental research and semi-structured interviews. We made use of Discourse Analysis methodology (Fiorin, 1989. In conclusion, the concern with social responsibility and its environmental thematic lie within the organization. It is found in the discourse and actions at a high administration level including managers and a high number of technical workers. The silence about the limits of this responsibility is fulfilled by a technical workers group that reveals dissimulation when openness menaces some objectives.

  19. Common measure of quality of life for people with systemic sclerosis across seven European countries: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ndosi, Mwidimi; Alcacer-Pitarch, Begonya; Allanore, Yannick; Del Galdo, Francesco; Frerix, Marc; García-Díaz, Sílvia; Hesselstrand, Roger; Kendall, Christine; Matucci-Cerinic, Marco; Mueller-Ladner, Ulf; Sandqvist, Gunnel; Torrente-Segarra, Vicenç; Schmeiser, Tim; Sierakowska, Matylda; Sierakowska, Justyna; Sierakowski, Stanslaw; Redmond, Anthony

    2018-02-20

    The aim of this study was to adapt the Systemic Sclerosis Quality of Life Questionnaire (SScQoL) into six European cultures and validate it as a common measure of quality of life in systemic sclerosis (SSc). This was a seven-country (Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and UK) cross-sectional study. A forward-backward translation process was used to adapt the English SScQoL into target languages. SScQoL was completed by patients with SSc, then data were validated against the Rasch model. To correct local response dependency, items were grouped into the following subscales: function, emotion, sleep, social and pain and reanalysed for fit to the model, unidimensionality and cross-cultural equivalence. The adaptation of the SScQoL was seamless in all countries except Germany. Cross-cultural validation included 1080 patients with a mean age 58.0 years (SD 13.9) and 87% were women. Local dependency was evident in individual country data. Grouping items into testlets corrected the local dependency in most country specific data. Fit to the model, reliability and unidimensionality was achieved in six-country data after cross-cultural adjustment for Italy in the social subscale. The SScQoL was then calibrated into an interval level scale. The individual SScQoL items have translated well into five languages and overall, the scale maintained its construct validity, working well as a five-subscale questionnaire. Measures of quality of life in SSc can be directly compared across five countries (France, Poland Spain, Sweden and UK). Data from Italy are also comparable with the other five countries although require an adjustment. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  20. The role of play themes in non-directive play therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, Virginia; Edge, Andrew

    2012-07-01

    Describing the processes underlying play therapy is important for evidence based practice in child therapy. Employing play themes to describe children's play session contents is in widespread use by practitioners, but an adequate classification of these themes for non-directive play therapy practice has not yet been established. This article sets out to fill this gap by first describing how themes can be distinguished and distilled from the contents of play therapy contents. Second, a classification of main themes and sub-themes with exemplars to illustrate these concepts which is compatible with non-directive play therapy practice is set out. Finally a pilot project with experienced play therapists to test this classification in practice is suggested, along with the research questions that will need to be investigated in the shorter and longer terms.

  1. New Themes in Physics Teaching: A Personal Retrospective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dykstra, Dewey I., Jr.

    2012-01-01

    For a little over 40 years, what we label now physics education research has been conducted. As a result, a new type of theme in the research and in physics education has emerged. Some of these themes are cognitivism, research as qualitative, learning as construction of knowledge, theoretical underpinnings that are not realist, student-centered…

  2. Museums as Theme Parks - A Possible Marketing Approach?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandra ZBUCHEA

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Museums compete increasingly more with very diverse entertainment providers, such as theme parks, despite the fact that their offer is mainly cultural. Museums have had to be more active and they have had to diversify their offer, in order to be more popular, therefore to better achieve their complex cultural missions. They should be more “market oriented” and aim to develop their programs according with their visitors’ needs and desires, as well as with the evolutions in the contemporary society.  One answer to this challenge would be the controversial theme parkisation of museums. The paper discusses in what extent the market approach of theme parks could be a viable marketing strategy for museums. It underlines several differences and similarities between the marketing approaches of museums and theme parks, in order to better understand how a museum could preserve its cultural functions, while obtaining economic success. Only the latter would allow it to better develop its cultural activity and thus to better serve its visitors and the community.

  3. Accessing Transgenerational Themes Through Dreamwork.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, Jennifer; And Others

    1988-01-01

    Proposes use of dreamwork to evoke historical patterns or transgenerational themes. Describes new variant of dreamwork which combines aspects of both gestalt and family systems therapies. Implications of therapeutic dramatization for couple therapy are suggested. Examples are included. (Author/NB)

  4. THE EGIPTIAN THEME IN THE WORK OF A. P. CHEKHOV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena L. Suzryukova

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The present article deals with the biblical themes of the escape to Egypt and the exodus from Egypt as depicted in the narrative and the epistolary fiction of the writer. In the letters of A. P. Chekhov Egypt is associated with favorable living conditions for those who suffer from lung diseases. Besides, the author was taken with the idea of visiting this country, but his dream did not come true. In the early Anton Chekhov’s short story “Holiday” [“Prazdnichnye”] the motif of the escape to Egypt is put in a humorous context. The same motif along with the motif of the Exodus from Egypt was used by the author in the story “Men” [“Muzhiki”]. Both in the letters and in the stories and novels of the writer, the motif of the escape to Egypt keeps the Christian semantics of Salvation. In the short story “Misery” [“Toska”] Egypt is implicitly present — it is linked with the epigraph to the text, the basis for which is a spiritual verse “Weeping of Joseph, when his brothers sold him in Egypt”. The motif of being in Egyptian slavery — another aspect of the theme in question — translates into a number of works and letters of A. P. Chekhov. This motif is associated with the meanings of freedom and grief. The article reveals and analyses the antinomic images of St. Mary of Egypt and Cleopatra of Egypt. Besides, it explores semantic realization of the set expression “plague of Egypt”.

  5. Franchising Theme Parks : Disneyland Paris inFocus

    OpenAIRE

    Kocsis, Kinga

    2014-01-01

    The report consisted of the analysis of theoretical frameworks of franchise and using franchising as a promotional method of theme parks. The definition of franchise and the use, right and regulations of it are essential knowledge to understand the base of franchise based theme parks. Also it was analyzed how franchising affects tourism in specific fields of existing franchises. The role of a franchise in our society and its values was also taken into consideration. The values and the role of...

  6. Future Research Themes in Supply Chain Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wieland, Andreas

    2016-01-01

    Guest post on research results published in the article "Mapping the Landscape of Future Research Themes in Supply Chain Management" by Andreas Wieland, Robert Handfield and Christian Durach ( Journal of Business Logistics (2016). Vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 205-212).......Guest post on research results published in the article "Mapping the Landscape of Future Research Themes in Supply Chain Management" by Andreas Wieland, Robert Handfield and Christian Durach ( Journal of Business Logistics (2016). Vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 205-212)....

  7. [Evaluation standards and application for photography of schistosomiasis control theme].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chun-Li, Cao; Qing-Biao, Hong; Jing-Ping, Guo; Fang, Liu; Tian-Ping, Wang; Jian-Bin, Liu; Lin, Chen; Hao, Wang; You-Sheng, Liang; Jia-Gang, Guo

    2018-02-26

    To set up and apply the evaluation standards for photography of schistosomiasis control theme, so as to offer the scientific advice for enriching the health information carrier of schistosomiasis control. Through the literature review and expert consultation, the evaluation standard for photography of schistosomiasis control theme was formulated. The themes were divided into 4 projects, such as new construction, natural scenery, working scene, and control achievements. The evaluation criteria of the theme photography were divided into the theme (60%), photographic composition (15%), focus exposure (15%), and color saturation (10%) . A total of 495 pictures (sets) from 59 units with 77 authors were collected from schistosomiasis epidemic areas national wide. After the first-step screening and second-step evaluation, the prizes of 3 themes of control achievements and new construction, working scene, and natural scenery were selected, such as 6 pictures of first prize, 12 pictures of second prize, 18 pictures of third prize, and 20 pictures of honorable prize. The evaluation standards of theme photography should be taken into the consideration of the technical elements of photography and the work specification of schistosomiasis prevention and control. In order to improve the ability of records for propaganda purpose of schistosomiasis control and better play a role of guiding correct propaganda, the training and guidance of photography of professionals should be carried out.

  8. A Foundation for Mobile User Experiences in Theme Parks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, Claus Møller

    2013-01-01

    Based on case studies, this paper proposes a theoretical understanding of three essential aspects, which affect mobile user experiences in theme parks. The aspect are (a) the controllability of the mobile content, (b) the balance in the hybrid space of proximate physical place and remote digital...... space, and (c) the social space. Furthermore, the social space is exceptionally important in understanding mobile user experiences in theme parks. Thus, this paper proposes to extract the social space from the physical place. This means, that mobile user experiences in theme parks can be understood...

  9. Promising Themes for Antismoking Campaigns Targeting Youth and Young Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan, Emily; Gibson, Laura A; Kybert-Momjian, Ani; Liu, Jiaying; Hornik, Robert C

    2017-01-01

    Behavior change campaigns typically try to change beliefs that influence behaviors, with targeted beliefs comprising the campaign theme. We present an empirical approach for choosing among a large number of potential themes, and results from the implementation of this approach for campaigns aimed at 4 behavioral targets: (1) preventing smoking initiation among youth, and (2) preventing initiation, (3) stopping progression to daily smoking and (4) encouraging cessation among young adults. An online survey of 13- to 17-year-olds and 18- to 25-year-olds in the United States (US), in which 20 potential campaign themes were represented by 154 beliefs. For each behavioral target, themes were ranked based on the strength of belief-intention and belief-behavior associations and size of the population not already endorsing the beliefs. The most promising themes varied across behavioral targets but 3 were consistently promising: consequences of smoking for mood, social acceptance and social popularity. Using a robust and systematic approach, this study provides campaign developers with empirical data to inform their selection of promising themes. Findings related to the campaign to prevent initiation among youth informed the development of the US Food and Drug Administration's "The Real Cost" campaign.

  10. The association between ownership of common household devices and obesity and diabetes in high, middle and low income countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lear, Scott A; Teo, Koon; Gasevic, Danijela; Zhang, Xiaohe; Poirier, Paul P; Rangarajan, Sumathy; Seron, Pamela; Kelishadi, Roya; Tamil, Azmi Mohd; Kruger, Annamarie; Iqbal, Romaina; Swidan, Hani; Gómez-Arbeláez, Diego; Yusuf, Rita; Chifamba, Jephat; Kutty, V Raman; Karsıdag, Kubilay; Kumar, Rajesh; Li, Wei; Szuba, Andrzej; Avezum, Alvaro; Diaz, Rafael; Anand, Sonia S; Rosengren, Annika; Yusuf, Salim

    2014-03-04

    Household devices (e.g., television, car, computer) are common in high income countries, and their use has been linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. We hypothesized that device ownership is associated with obesity and diabetes and that these effects are explained through reduced physical activity, increased sitting time and increased energy intake. We performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study involving 153,996 adults from high, upper-middle, lower-middle and low income countries. We used multilevel regression models to account for clustering at the community and country levels. Ownership of a household device increased from low to high income countries (4% to 83% for all 3 devices) and was associated with decreased physical activity and increased sitting, dietary energy intake, body mass index and waist circumference. There was an increased odds of obesity and diabetes with the ownership of any 1 household device compared to no device ownership (obesity: odds ratio [OR] 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-1.55; diabetes: OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.28-1.50). Ownership of a second device increased the odds further but ownership of a third device did not. Subsequent adjustment for lifestyle factors modestly attenuated these associations. Of the 3 devices, ownership of a television had the strongest association with obesity (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.29-1.49) and diabetes (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.23-1.44). When stratified by country income level, the odds of obesity and diabetes when owning all 3 devices was greatest in low income countries (obesity: OR 3.15, 95% CI 2.33-4.25; diabetes: OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.53-2.53) and decreased through country income levels such that we did not detect an association in high income countries. The ownership of household devices increased the likelihood of obesity and diabetes, and this was mediated in part by effects on physical activity, sitting time and dietary energy intake. With

  11. Tourism Multiplicator Effect for the National Economy of the Country

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Platon Nicolae

    2017-01-01

    This article addresses a rather complex theme, chosen from the desire to analyze and interpret the current dimensions of the tourism industry of the Republic of Moldova as a branch of interference, motivating the necessity of its estimation, as a multiplier for the national economy of the country.

  12. Common Threads: Teaching Immigration in Elementary Classrooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McBee, Robin Haskell; Bone, Kristine; Mossop, Gail; Owens, Carrie

    1998-01-01

    Brings together ideas on teaching about immigration from a number of elementary-school teachers in New Jersey and summarizes common themes. Outlines three specific projects based on the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, family history, and children's fiction. Includes a brief list of children's literature and other teaching resources. (DSK)

  13. Death Related Themes in Anorexia Nervosa: A Practical Exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Janice; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Explored death-related themes in psychodynamic etiology of anorexia nervosa by comparing anorexic adolescent patients (n=28) to age-matched controls (n=238). Results suggest that death-related themes are of significance in the understanding and management of anorexia nervosa. (Author/ABL)

  14. Chaotic Careers: A Narrative Analysis of Career Transition Themes and Outcomes Using Chaos Theory as a Guiding Metaphor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peake, Sharon; McDowall, Almuth

    2012-01-01

    In a rapidly changing world of work, little research exists on mid-career transitions. We investigated these using the open-systems approach of chaos theory as a guiding metaphor and conducted interviews with seven mid-career individuals chosen for their experience of a significant mid-career transition. Four common themes were identified through…

  15. Common micronutrient deficiencies among food aid beneficiaries ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    admin

    Abstract. Background: Ethiopia is amongst the African countries that have received significant food aid. Nonetheless, the common micronutrient deficiencies among food aid beneficiaries are not well documented. Objective: To find out the common micronutrient deficiencies among food aid beneficiaries in the country based ...

  16. Commonly asked questions by critically ill patients relatives in Arabic countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tayseer Zaytoun

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Relatives often lack important information about intensive care unit patients. Research on ways to improve family satisfaction in the ICU has become a crucial point in ICU quality improvement research. Objective: The aim of this study is to develop and analyze a list of commonly asked questions from relatives of patients in the intensive care unit in Arabic countries. This list might help families to determine which questions they want to ask and help them in decision-making process in emergency situations of their critically ill relatives. Methods: This study was a prospective double center study. It took place in the ICUs of two hospitals in Arabic countries: Egypt and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Alexandria University Main Hospital in Egypt and the ICU of King Fahad specialist Hospital in Dammam in Saudi Arabia. Data collection was done by reporting of Questions asked by the relatives of ICU patients during daily interview. The list of questions generated was checked to identify questions that could be eliminated. The remaining questions were categorized into 9 different groups: diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, comfort, patient interaction, family, mortality, post-ICU management and other questions. WE ranked the questions in the preliminary list through ICU staff, patients families and the patient themselves. Results: 115 Health care professional (34 physicians and 81 nurses participated in the data collection, the questions recorded were 2240 questions. It was found that about 1750 questions (78.12% were duplicated or not clear. The remaining 490 questions were classified into different categories. The same 115 Health care professional (34 physicians and 81 nurses who shared in the collection of data also shared in the ranking of the questions. 128 first degree relatives shared in the evaluation of the relevance of questions as well as 62 patients after they have been cured and before their discharge from ICU.A list was created

  17. Reinventing spatial planning in a borderless Europe : Emergent themes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Waterhout, B.; Faludi, A.K.F.; Stead, D.; Zonneveld, W.; Milder, J.; Nadin, V.

    2009-01-01

    This paper is a follow-up to the Chicago Round Table ‘Emergent Research Themes on European Territorial Governance’ in 2008 questioning the view of EU territory as the sum of mutually exclusive territories under nation-state control and pointing out the existence of overlapping jurisdictions. Themes

  18. Chameleon Changes: An Exploration of Racial Identity Themes of Multiracial People

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miville, Marie L.; Constantine, Madonna G.; Baysden, Matthew F.; So-Lloyd, Gloria

    2005-01-01

    The current study explored essential themes of racial identity development among 10 self-identified multiracial adults from a variety of racial backgrounds. Participants were interviewed using a semistructured protocol, and the interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then coded for themes by research team members. Four primary themes were…

  19. The Barriers to Achieve Financial Protection in Iranian Health System: A Qualitative Study in a Developing Country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naghdi, Seyran; Moradi, Tayebeh; Tavangar, Fateh; Bahrami, Giti; Shahboulaghi, Mohammadi; Ghiasvand, Hesam

    2017-09-01

    The move to universal health coverage and consequently health promotion is influenced by political, socio-economic and other contextual factors in a country. Iran, as a developing country with an upper-middle national income, has developed policies to achieve universal health coverage through financial protection. This study aims to investigate barriers to develop financial protection as a requirement to achieve universal health coverage. This qualitative study was conducted using 20 in-depth interviews with experts in social welfare, health insurance and financing. The framework analysis method was used to analyze the data. The results have been categorized in three major themes that were extracted from ten sub-themes. The major themes included the political, social and economic context of the country, the context and structure of healthcare system and dimensions of UHC. Achieving financial protection as a long-term objective should be considered as a priority among Iranian policy makers that requires an inter-sectoral collaboration with a defined in-charge body. Health policy makers in Iran should develop a more comprehensive benefits package for diseases and health conditions with catastrophic consequences. They also should develop a plan to cover the poor people.

  20. Handling adaptation governance choices in Sweden, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands. Workpackage 6, Deliverable 6A. Knowledge for Climate, Theme 7 "The governance of Adaptation"

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huitema, D.; Mees, H.L.P.; Termeer, K.; Storbjork, S.; Garrelts, H.; Grecksch, K.; Winges, M.; Rayner, T.

    2012-01-01

    This document presents an overview of climate adaptation policies in four countries: Sweden, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands. The present report presents a collection of the papers that were discussed during a workshop with the international partners under KfC theme 7 Governance. To

  1. Building the common

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Agustin, Oscar Garcia

    document, A Common Immigration Policy for Europe: Principles, actions and tools (2008) as a part of Hague Programme (2004) on actions against terrorism, organised crime and migration and asylum management and influenced by the renewed Lisbon Strategy (2005-2010) for growth and jobs. My aim is to explore...... policy in the European Union is constructed and the categories and themes that are discussed. I will look also at the discourse strategies to show the linguistic representations of the social actors, who are excluded from or include in such representations. I will analysis a European Commission’s policy...

  2. Proceedings of third Indo-German workshop and theme meeting on seismic safety of structures, risk assessment and disaster mitigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reddy, G.R.; Parulekar, Y.M.

    2007-01-01

    This Indo-German workshop focuses and emphasises the current research and development activities in both the countries. Themes of this meeting are Earthquake Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment, Risk Assessment Techniques, Seismic Risk to Mega Cities, Testing and Evaluation of Structures and Components, Base Isolation and other Control Techniques, Seismic Strengthening of Structures, Design Practices and Specifications, Remote Sensing and GIS Applications, Structural Materials and Composites, Containment and Other Special Structures. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

  3. Absolute purchasing power parity in industrial countries

    OpenAIRE

    Zhang, Zhibai; Bian, Zhicun

    2015-01-01

    Different from popular studies that focus on relative purchasing power parity, we study absolute purchasing power parity (APPP) in 21 main industrial countries. Three databases are used. Both the whole period and the sub-period are analyzed. The empirical proof shows that the phenomenon that APPP holds is common, and the phenomenon that APPP does not hold is also common. In addition, some country pairs and the pooled country data indicate that the nearer the GDPPs of two countries are, the mo...

  4. International Cooperation for the Training of Water Managers from Developing Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aswathanarayana, U.

    2007-12-01

    Water is the key to the well being of a community. On one hand, water security is linked to food security, as food cannot be grown without water. On the other hand, water security is linked to environmental security, as water is needed to maintain the health of a community. International cooperation is proposed for the training in Hyderabad, India, with international faculty, of ~ 300 water managers from the developing countries at an estimated cost of ~USD 3300/- per candidate (including ~ USD 1800/- for international travel), through ten interactive and customized training programmes during the period of five years, to enable them to address two crucial issues affecting the poor in the developing countries, namely, access to affordable water and coping with water scarcity. Ways of Good governance and geographical targeting of poverty alleviation programmes are built into each training programme. Each training programme will be for about three weeks (inclusive of field work). Each course will have a component common to all, plus a component customized to the biophysical and socioeconomic situation in a candidate's country. Ten course manuals will be produced. which can later be published commercially as low-cost volumes, for the benefit of the readership in the Developing countries . Each candidate will be provided his own computer, and software, and individual faculty adviser. On the basis of the training received, a candidate should be able to carry with him at the end of the course a draft outline of techno-socio-economic action plan for his country/area in respect of the theme of the course, prepared by himself/herself. A copy of this outline would be provided to the World Bank, and relevant organizations for follow- up activity

  5. Concluding Comments about Student Transition to Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, James S.

    2017-01-01

    This special issue of Transition to Higher Education contained studies from nine countries across the globe. The following provides a brief review of all nine studies, identifying common themes. These common themes include the importance of student expectations regarding their first-year experiences, as well as the importance of student academic…

  6. Literature overview highlights lack of paediatric donation protocols but identifies common themes that could guide their development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vileito, A; Siebelink, M J; Verhagen, A A E

    Aim: Paediatric donation is a unique and extremely sensitive process that requires specific knowledge and competencies. Most countries use protocols for organ and tissue donation to ensure optimal care for the donor and family, but these mainly focus on adults. However, the donation process for

  7. Composing the theme of city to be diverse and sustainable

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiranegara, H. W.

    2018-01-01

    To give a path for developing a city needs a theme. City’s goal stated in a document of a spatial plan were too broad and insufficient detail in giving a direction. To make more detail and precise, every city has to compose a city theme. It is developed based on the potential, the uniqueness, the excellence, and the sustainability of its human resources, natural resources, and man-made resources. An integration among the three of resources which have the highest score become a theme of the city. The aim of this research was to formulate the conceptual framework to compose a city theme. The research design was the interview survey in Banda Aceh, Banjarmasin, and Kupang. Informants were the government officials, academics, figures, the private sector and public who considered related to the intended information being collected. Having set the conceptual framework, the interview directed to check the implementation in realities. The result was that the conceptual framework could accommodate the phenomenon of composing the theme of the city. Yet, it was a preliminary in nature and needed more research to get a complete result.

  8. Themes of Lust and Love in Popular Music Lyrics From 1971 to 2011

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasaman Madanikia

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available We explored themes related to sexual desire (lust and romantic desire (love in the lyrics of popular music over the past 40 years. We examined whether there have been changes in the prevalence of lust and love themes and changes in how these themes inter-relate in music lyrics over time. The study sample consisted of the top 40 songs of Billboard Year End Hot 100 single songs for every 5 years from 1971 to 2011 (N = 360. There was a linear decrease over time in the proportion of songs with a love theme and in the proportion of songs with a combination of lust and love themes. In contrast, there was a significant increase in the proportion of songs with a theme focusing on lust in the absence of love. Themes of lust in the absence of love were especially prevalent in hip-hop/rap music, although music genre did not account for the changing themes over time. These shifts in themes found in popular music may both influence cultural norms and reflect a cultural shift toward acceptance of sexuality outside of love relationships.

  9. Did pandemic preparedness aid the response to pandemic (H1N1) 2009? A qualitative analysis in seven countries within the WHO European Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashim, Ahmed; Jean-Gilles, Lucie; Hegermann-Lindencrone, Michala; Shaw, Ian; Brown, Caroline; Nguyen-Van-Tam, Jonathan

    2012-08-01

    Although the 2009-2010 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic was of low severity compared with other pandemics of the 20th century, this pandemic was the first opportunity for countries to implement a real-life pandemic response. The aim of the project was to review the extent to which these plans and planning activities proved useful and to identify areas of pandemic planning that require further strengthening. We randomly selected seven countries within the WHO European Region to participate in a comprehensive, qualitative study to evaluate the pandemic preparedness activities undertaken prior to March 2009 compared with the subsequent pandemic responses mounted from May 2009 onwards. Research teams visited each country and interviewed stakeholders from health and civil response ministries, national public health authorities, regional authorities and family and hospital doctors. The following six consistent themes were identified as essential elements of successful pandemic preparedness activities: communication, coordination, capacity building, adaptability/flexibility, leadership and mutual support. Regarding future pandemic preparedness activities, an emphasis on these areas should be retained and planning for the following activities should be improved: communication (i.e., with the public and health professionals); coordination of vaccine procurement and logistics; flexibility of response and hospital surveillance. Pandemic preparedness activities were successfully undertaken in the WHO European Region prior to the 2009 pandemic. These activities proved to be effective and were generally appropriate for the response provided in 2009. Nevertheless, consistent themes also emerged regarding specific areas of under planning that were common to most of the surveyed countries. Copyright © 2012 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Pedagogical workshops as a teaching and learning strategy: the hydrographic basic as a theme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valéria Brumato Regina Fornazari

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Current research investigates the ideas and practices of a team of teachers of the Natural Sciences working in schools in the state of Paraná, Brazil, with regard to pedagogical workshops as teaching and learning strategies on Hydrographic Basin as theme. A continuous formation course was conducted on the theme, with data retrieved by a questionnaire applied prior to the course and after the development of workshops by the teachers. Films, recordings and descriptive memorials were analyzed according to content analysis. Results showed that teachers endeavored to problematize in the pedagogical workshops, coupled to teachers´ mediation to go beyond common sense. Students´ participation was the great progress mediated by workshops. On the other hand, interdisciplinarity and the problematization of teaching were the limiting presuppositions for their execution. The undertaking enhanced a better understanding of pedagogical workshops in the teaching of the sciences, with the need for greater investments in teachers´ continuous formation to enhance the development of teaching practices that attend to current demands in science teaching.

  11. Living in imaginary places: on the creation and consumption of themed residential architecture

    OpenAIRE

    Meier, S.O.

    2013-01-01

    This study deals with theming of residential space and architecture. In theoretical terms, theming is defined as the application of a narrative to places and the built environment to make them more appealing than they otherwise would be. In a broader sense it is argued that theming is related to an intensified commodification of places through which, in turn, the number of hyperspaces has been increased. While theming primarily has been applied to restaurants, shopping malls or theme parks, t...

  12. Current research in transcultural psychiatry in the Nordic countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekblad, Solvig; Kastrup, Marianne Carisius

    2013-12-01

    This article discusses major themes in recent transcultural psychiatric research in the Nordic countries from 2008 to 2011: (a) epidemiological studies of migration, (b) indigenous populations, and (c) quality of psychiatric care for migrants. Over the past several decades, the populations of the Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, which were relatively homogeneous, have become increasingly culturally diverse. Many migrants to Nordic countries have been exposed to extreme stress, such as threats of death and/or torture and other severe social adversities before, during, and after migration, with potential effects on their physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. Growing interest in transcultural issues is reflected in the level of scientific research and clinical activity in the field by Nordic physicians, psychologists, social scientists, demographers, medical anthropologists, as well as other clinicians and policy planners. Research includes work with migrants and indigenous minorities in the Nordic countries, as well as comparisons with mental health in postconflict countries. We conclude by suggesting future directions for transcultural psychiatry research and providing guidelines for the education and training of future clinicians in the Nordic countries.

  13. Underdeveloped Themes in Qualitative Research: Relationship With Interviews and Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connelly, Lynne M; Peltzer, Jill N

    2016-01-01

    In this methodological article, the authors address the problem of underdeveloped themes in qualitative studies they have reviewed. Various possible reasons for underdeveloped themes are examined, and suggestions offered. Each problem area is explored, and literature support is provided. The suggestions that are offered are supported by the literature as well. The problem with underdeveloped themes in certain articles is related to 3 interconnected issues: (a) lack of clear relationship to the underlying research method, (b) an apparent lack of depth in interviewing techniques, and (c) lack of depth in the analysis. Underdeveloped themes in a qualitative study can lead to a lack of substantive findings that have meaningful implications for practice, research, and the nursing profession, as well as the rejection of articles for publication. Fully developed themes require knowledge about the paradigm of qualitative research, the methodology that is proposed, the effective techniques of interviewing that can produce rich data with examples and experiences, and analysis that goes beyond superficial reporting of what the participants have said. Analytic problem areas include premature closure, anxiety about how to analyze, and confusion about categories and themes. Effective qualitative research takes time and effort and is not as easy as is sometimes presumed. The usefulness of findings depends on researchers improving their research skills and practices. Increasingly researchers are using qualitative research to explore clinically important issues. As consumers of research or members of a research team, clinical nurse specialists need to understand the nature of this research that can provide in-depth insight and meaning.

  14. The New Nuffield Combined Science Themes for the Middle Years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bingham, C. D.

    1976-01-01

    Described are the development, materials, and use of English developed science activities for junior high schools, the Nuffield Combined Science Themes for the Middle Years. The program, when completed will present 24 themes including: color, water, air, plastics, metals, insects, food, light, and electricity. (SL)

  15. Barriers to antiretroviral therapy adherence in developed countries: a qualitative synthesis to develop a conceptual framework for a new patient-reported outcome measure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engler, Kim; Lènàrt, Andras; Lessard, David; Toupin, Isabelle; Lebouché, Bertrand

    2018-05-02

    Suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains common. Patient-centered tools are needed to comprehensively assess adherence barriers in HIV clinical practice. Thus, we conducted a research synthesis to produce a conceptual framework for a new patient-reported outcome measure (PRO) for use in routine HIV care in Canada and France. A PRO's conceptual framework graphically represents the concepts to be measured and the potential relationships between them. Towards ensuring the framework's relevance to the target populations' concerns, qualitative studies with HIV-positive adults on barriers to ART adherence in developed countries were synthesized with thematic analysis, attending to the cross-study prevalence and interrelationships of barrier themes. In March 2016, searches within Medline, PsychINFO, and Embase produced 5,284 records. Two reviewers determined the final sample (n = 41). Analysis generated three levels of ART adherence barrier themes. Twenty Level 2 themes and their component subthemes (Level 3) were organized into 6 higher-order themes (Level 1): Cognitive and emotional aspects (100% of studies contributing content -prevalence), Lifestyle factors (95%), Social and material context (95%), Characteristics of ART (90%), Health experience and state (73%), and Healthcare services and system (66%). As to interrelationships, study authors articulated relationships between all higher-order themes (Level 3). Linkages between Level 2 barrier themes showed great variability, from 21% to 95%. Overall, this synthesis contributes an exceptionally detailed conceptual framework and report of ART adherence barriers, applicable to a wide range of PLHIV. It suggests that a key to understanding many barriers is through their interconnections. It also identifies gaps in barrier research. Concerning the new PRO's development, comprehensiveness will need to be weighed against other concerns (e.g., respondent burden) and the provision of barrier

  16. The emerging use of social media for health-related purposes in low and middle-income countries: A scoping review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagg, Emily; Dahinten, V Susan; Currie, Leanne M

    2018-07-01

    Social media allows for instant access to, and dissemination of, information around the globe. Access to social media in low- and middle-income countries has increased exponentially in recent years due to technological advances. Despite this growth, the use of social media in low- and middle-income countries is less well-researched than in high-income countries. To identify, explore and summarize the current state of the literature on the use of social media for health in low- and middle-income countries. A scoping review was conducted on literature available to December 2017. Six databases were searched, and grey literature was identified through the Google and Google Scholar search engines. Literature was considered for inclusion if it (1) was published in English, (2) was conducted in or in relation to a low or middle-income country, (3) reported on as least one type of social media or social media use generally for health purposes, and (4) reported on at least one aspect of human health. Content analysis was performed to identify themes. Forty articles met the inclusion criteria. Thirty-one were research articles, and nine were review/discussion/descriptive and evaluative reports. Since 2010, when the first article was published, most of the literature has focused on Asian (n = 15) and African (n = 12) countries. Twitter (n = 11) and Facebook (n = 10) were the most frequently discussed individual social media platforms. Four themes were identified: (1) use for health education and influence (sub-themes were health behaviour and health education); (2) use within infectious disease and outbreak situations; (3) use within natural disaster, terrorism, crisis and emergency response situations; and (4) producers and consumers of social media for health (sub-themes were misinformation, organizational challenges, users' expectations, and challenges of unique sub-populations). Most studies addressed more than one theme. Social media has the ability to

  17. Complex, Dynamic Systems: A New Transdisciplinary Theme for Applied Linguistics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen-Freeman, Diane

    2012-01-01

    In this plenary address, I suggest that Complexity Theory has the potential to contribute a transdisciplinary theme to applied linguistics. Transdisciplinary themes supersede disciplines and spur new kinds of creative activity (Halliday 2001 [1990]). Investigating complex systems requires researchers to pay attention to system dynamics. Since…

  18. School Leadership in the Twenty-First Century: Different Approaches to Common Problems?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Townsend, Tony

    2011-01-01

    This article identifies the major themes that emerge from the five selected articles in this special issue. Collectively, they demonstrate some trends occurring in the area of school leadership, but also show that individual countries are looking at these trends in different ways. It is an example of what might be called thinking globally but…

  19. Spring Framework 5: Themes & Trends

    CERN Document Server

    CERN. Geneva

    2017-01-01

    Spring Framework 5.0/5.1, scheduled for release in early/late 2017, focuses on several key themes: reactive web applications based on Reactive Streams, comprehensive support for JDK 9 and HTTP/2, as well as the latest API generations in the Enterprise Java ecosystem. This talk presents the overall story in the context of wider industry trends, highlighting Spring’s unique programming model strategy.

  20. Common Psycholinguistic Themes in Mass Murderer Manifestos

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamlett, Laura E.

    2017-01-01

    Mass murder in the United States is increasing, yet understanding of mass murderers is still relatively limited. Many perpetrators compose manifestos, which include journals, blogs, letters, videos, and other writings. Previous research has indicated that personal messages are of great social and psychological importance; however, there remains an…

  1. China-Russia Alliance - a common choice of the two countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ma Hang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Compared with Sino-Soviet Alliance and NATO countries alliance, China -Russia Alliance should have its own characteristics. China-Russia Alliance can further enhance strategic mutual trust betweeneach other, enhance cooperation quality and space, to promote the mutualprogress and prosperity, achieve national revival of China and Russia as soon as possible, which is the ultimate goal of theChina-Russia Alliance.

  2. The Future of Organization Design: An Interpretative Synthesis in Three Themes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard M. Burton

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available In the inaugural issue of the Journal of Organization Design (Vol. 1, #1, 2012, noted scholars and experienced practitioners presented their views on the future of organization design. The seven wise and provocative statements were subsequently discussed by members of the Organizational Design Community at a conference held at Harvard University on August 3, 2012. I was asked by JOD to monitor the discussion and identify the broad organization design themes that emerged. Although the discussion was wide ranging, three themes were noticeable. The first theme is that there are fundamentals of organization design, and all agreed that design involves creating a cohesive socio-technical system from a number of constituent elements. The second theme is that the boundaries of many newer organizational forms extend beyond that of the single firm, so the scope of organization design needs to expand to include ecosystems, collaborative communities, industries, and other supra-firm architectures. The third theme involves time and change, requiring a shift in focus from how organizations become stable and predictable to how they can become more agile.

  3. Themes of Suicide in the Kalevala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Achte, Kalle; And Others

    1988-01-01

    The Kalevala, Finland's national epic, is a crucial element of Finnish cultural identity and important to Finnish culture. Violence, death, and suicide are often repeated themes in Finnish folklore. The Kalevala provides insight into past attitudes toward death. Traditions passed through generations have influenced people's attitudes toward…

  4. Ten themes of viscous liquid dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dyre, J. C.

    2007-01-01

    Ten ‘themes' of viscous liquid physics are discussed with a focus on how they point to a general description of equilibrium viscous liquid dynamics (i.e., fluctuations) at a given temperature. This description is based on standard time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations for the density fields...

  5. OCCUPATION COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH CONTACT DERMATITIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elice Wijaya

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Occupational skin diseases are a widespread problem. Despite numerous protective mechanisms, the skin remains vulnerable to new irritants found in the workplace. As a result, many workers in different occupations suffer from occupational skin diseases. From the data at Sanglah Hospital in Dermatology Department, it should be noted that there is increasing number of new cases of contact dermatitis in period of January 2000 until December 2005, from 10,16% until 13,36% in the next year and relatively stable in the next four years. Occupations commonly associated with contact dermatitis are agriculture workers, construction workers, dental workers, electronic workers, florists, food workers, hairdressers, haousekeeping personnel, machinist, mechanics, medical workers, office workers, photographers, printers, textile workers. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

  6. Tourism and Water: Themes of the Alpine Convention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imhof, R.

    2012-04-01

    environment. This needs to be accomplished by balancing the local population's interests with environmental needs. Water is considered as a crucial element for different uses such as hydroelectricity production, irrigation or drinking water as well as in biotopes, especially forests, environmental regeneration and diversity and in natural and cultural landscapes features. Aspects of water protection can be found in the protocols on Energy, Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection, Soil Protection, Tourism, Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, Mountain Agriculture, Mountain Forests and Transport. However a specific protocol on water is not in place. The Reports on the state of the Alps are published regularly by the Alpine Conference. In November 2006 water was chosen as the topic for the second Report on the State of the Alps. The report compiles information from the Alpine Countries on monitoring programmes, chemical quality of water (point sources, diffuse sources and the chemical status of surface and groundwater in the Alps), water abstraction, residual water and hydro-peaking, droughts and water scarcity, reservoirs and regulated lakes as well on river morphology and continuity. Finally, it summarizes information on property rights and provisions for access to water in the different countries, charges regarding the use of water, different management systems for water supply (public or private), hydro power generation in the Alps and water use management conflicts. The Report was adopted by the Ministers during the Xth Alpine Conference in Evian (France) in 2009. This Conference additionally set up a platform on Water management in the Alpine area in order to deal continually with the theme of water in the Alps. Within this platform, objectives that were identified in the second Report on the State of the Alps should be pursued and examples of good practices exchanged. The platform developed inter alia common guidelines for the use of small hydropower in the

  7. Meaning and Theme in Indian Style

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mojahed Gholami

    2016-12-01

    With a glimpse on what was said and a pause on the poems of Saeb Tabrizi, as one of the most seasoned poets in Indian style, it demonstrates part of his art and also illuminates the relation among word, meaning and theme in his poetry and viewpoint. He established multiple proportions among the concepts in his poem: sometimes he expressed a semantic unit as a content with diversities in word, or in some occasions, he expressed a semantic unit by different contents, with similar or dissimilar content maker elements, or even sometimes he use content maker elements for expressing multiple meanings and so on. Also it is necessary to be noted that when Saeb and the other poets of Indian style, measure the meaning by words, their meant is subjective matter and if the meaning comes with adjectives such as unfamiliar, narrow, distant, and so on, these words have used mainly in order to replace theme.

  8. Supernatural Themes in Selected Children's Stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlessinger, June H.; Vanderryst, June D.

    1989-01-01

    Discusses the impact of the traditional folklore theme of good versus evil on children's development and analyzes the development of this theme using magical and supernatural situations in the work of Isaac Bashevis Singer. A selected bibliography of work by and literary criticisms of Singer's writings is provided. (five references) (CLB)

  9. Hukum Lingkungan dan Pertanggungjawaban Strict Liability dalam Sistem Hukum Common Law (Studi Kasus Cambridge Water Co. Ltd v. Eastern Countries Leather Plc

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahfud Mahfud

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The possibilities for pollution control still offered today Blackburn J.’s celebrated rule of strict liability, now almost 130 years old, has ensured its continuing popularity. There can be few tort lawyers, however, who have not increasingly wondered how much time should be devoted to a case which has received little judicial attention in recent years, and which was last subjected to detailed consideration by the House of Lords nearly 50 years ago, until, that is, the much-published decision of the House of Lords in Cambridge Water Co. Ltd v. Eastern Countries Leather Plc.   (Environmental Law and The Strict Liability Application In the Common Law System (The Case Study of Cambridge Water Co. Ltd V. Eastern Countries Leather Plc

  10. 'A major lobbying effort to change and unify the excise structure in six Central American countries': How British American Tobacco influenced tax and tariff rates in the Central American Common Market.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holden, Chris; Lee, Kelley

    2011-05-19

    Transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) may respond to processes of regional trade integration both by acting politically to influence policy and by reorganising their own operations. The Central American Common Market (CACM) was reinvigorated in the 1990s, reflecting processes of regional trade liberalisation in Latin America and globally. This study aimed to ascertain how British American Tobacco (BAT), which dominated the markets of the CACM, sought to influence policy towards it by member country governments and how the CACM process impacted upon BAT's operations. The study analysed internal tobacco industry documents released as a result of litigation in the US and available from the online Legacy Tobacco Documents Library at http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/. Documents were retrieved by searching the BAT collection using key terms in an iterative process. Analysis was based on an interpretive approach involving a process of attempting to understand the meanings of individual documents and relating these to other documents in the set, identifying the central themes of documents and clusters of documents, contextualising the documentary data, and choosing representative material in order to present findings. Utilising its multinational character, BAT was able to act in a coordinated way across the member countries of the CACM to influence tariffs and taxes to its advantage. Documents demonstrate a high degree of access to governments and officials. The company conducted a coordinated, and largely successful, attempt to keep external tariff rates for cigarettes high and to reduce external tariffs for key inputs, whilst also influencing the harmonisation of excise taxes between countries. Protected by these high external tariffs, it reorganised its own operations to take advantage of regional economies of scale. In direct contradiction to arguments presented to CACM governments that affording the tobacco industry protection via high cigarette tariffs would safeguard

  11. 'A major lobbying effort to change and unify the excise structure in six Central American countries': How British American Tobacco influenced tax and tariff rates in the Central American Common Market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holden Chris

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Transnational tobacco companies (TTCs may respond to processes of regional trade integration both by acting politically to influence policy and by reorganising their own operations. The Central American Common Market (CACM was reinvigorated in the 1990s, reflecting processes of regional trade liberalisation in Latin America and globally. This study aimed to ascertain how British American Tobacco (BAT, which dominated the markets of the CACM, sought to influence policy towards it by member country governments and how the CACM process impacted upon BAT's operations. Methods The study analysed internal tobacco industry documents released as a result of litigation in the US and available from the online Legacy Tobacco Documents Library at http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/. Documents were retrieved by searching the BAT collection using key terms in an iterative process. Analysis was based on an interpretive approach involving a process of attempting to understand the meanings of individual documents and relating these to other documents in the set, identifying the central themes of documents and clusters of documents, contextualising the documentary data, and choosing representative material in order to present findings. Results Utilising its multinational character, BAT was able to act in a coordinated way across the member countries of the CACM to influence tariffs and taxes to its advantage. Documents demonstrate a high degree of access to governments and officials. The company conducted a coordinated, and largely successful, attempt to keep external tariff rates for cigarettes high and to reduce external tariffs for key inputs, whilst also influencing the harmonisation of excise taxes between countries. Protected by these high external tariffs, it reorganised its own operations to take advantage of regional economies of scale. In direct contradiction to arguments presented to CACM governments that affording the tobacco industry

  12. Creative choices and fan practices in the transformation of theme park space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carissa Ann Baker

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This article describes and interprets fan activities within the theme park space related to a particular fan object. It examines an evolving paradigm wherein the role of theme park visitors is changed. Rather than being perceived as observers of spectacles, they can participate and interact with the environment in new ways. An example of this is Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (2012, an interactive role-playing quest and collector card game at Disney's Magic Kingdom Park in Florida. Fans participate in a variety of practices that have dynamically redefined theme park activities. Together, management, designers, and fans have cocreated and reconstructed the theme park experience as one of exploration and participation. Despite multiple levels of control, fans will likewise persist in engagement with activities (in park and online that help shape and interrogate the theme park space.

  13. Generativity and Themes of Agency and Communion in Adult Autobiography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansfield, Elizabeth D.; McAdams, Dan P.

    1996-01-01

    Examines differences between 70 more- and less-generative adults through a new coding system for analyzing themes of agency and communion in significant life-story scenes. The study revealed that highly generative adults express greater levels of the communion themes of dialog and care/help and greater levels of agency/communion integration. (LSR)

  14. Guidelines for the management of common hazardous wastes in developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, J.E. Jr; Helmick, J.; Ozolins, G.

    1991-01-01

    Several United Nations organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank (WB), and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), are cooperating in the development and implementation of a technology transfer and training program for management of hazardous wastes. A number of other organizations, including the International Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Association (ISWA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are assisting in this effort. Waste-specific guidelines are being written for administrators and technical staff in developing countries who are responsible for waste management and for public health and environmental protection in general. Guidance documents are being developed for wastes based on requests from personnel in developing countries, including: metal finishing (e.g., electroplating) wastes, pesticides, chlorinated solvents (including PCBs), petrochemicals, waste oils, tannery/fellmongering/slaughterhouse wastes, clinical wastes, lead acid batteries, asbestos, and textile industry wastes. (au)

  15. Commonalities and differences in infant feeding attitudes and practices in the context of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a metasynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuthill, Emily; McGrath, Jacqueline; Young, Sera

    2014-02-01

    Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has been identified as a key intervention to promote infant health and to reduce the vertical transmission of HIV. Despite this knowledge and increased resources to promote EBF, the practice in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains low among HIV+ women. Although a number of qualitative studies have been conducted throughout SSA, the influences on and consequences of infant feeding choices of HIV+ mothers' findings have not been regarded systematically. Therefore, our objective was to identify overarching themes, commonalities, and differences in infant feeding choices among qualitative studies with HIV+ mothers in SSA. Sixteen qualitative studies of infant feeding practices in the context of HIV were identified. Noblit and Hare's seven-step metasynthesis methodology was used to analyze the experiences of HIV+ women and those who provide infant feeding services/counseling. Data were available from approximately 920 participants (i.e., 750 HIV+ mothers, 109 health-care providers, and 62 family members) across 13 SSA countries from 2000 to 2011. From these data, five themes emerged within which 3-4 overarching key metaphors were identified. The consistency of key metaphors across a variety of geographic, economic, and cultural settings suggest the importance of approaching infant feeding holistically, within the context of maternal knowledge, health-care support, family resources, and cultural expectations. EBF campaigns in SSA are more likely to successfully support optimal health for infants and a safe supportive environment for their mothers when the impact of infant feeding decisions are evaluated across these themes.

  16. Instant premium Drupal themes

    CERN Document Server

    Sharma, Pankaj

    2013-01-01

    Filled with practical, step-by-step instructions and clear explanations for the most important and useful tasks. A step-by-step guide filled with recipes that will show you how to create your very own Drupal themes using HTML.This book is great for developers who are new to Drupal. It is assumed that you have some experience in HTML, PHP, and CSS. You'll need a PHP (LAMP/WAMP) environment to install Drupal. It is also assumed that you know how to install Drupal. Some familiarity with CMS will be useful but is not essential.

  17. Mapping the Landscape of Future Research Themes in Supply Chain Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wieland, Andreas; Handfield, Robert; Durach, Christian F.

    2016-01-01

    Supply chain researchers are confronted with a dizzying array of research questions, many of which are not mutually independent. This research was motivated by the need to map the landscape of research themes, identify potential overlapping areas and interactions, and provide guidelines on areas...... of focus for researchers to pursue. We conducted a three-phase research study, beginning with an open-ended collection of opinions on research themes collected from 102 supply chain management (SCM) researchers, followed by an evaluation of a consolidated list of themes by 141 SCM researchers...

  18. Essential themes in Personnel economics

    OpenAIRE

    Josheski, Dushko

    2014-01-01

    In this paper are presented essential themes in the subject of personnel economics. In the first part analysis has been conducted on the impact of peer pressure on workplace behaviour. Then again models for compensation structures within firms, and their influence on the utility of work by employees. In the final section of the paper the productivity spillover effect has been analyzed, and the causes of existence of spillovers and their impact on workers’ productivity

  19. MDEP Common Position No EPR-01 - Common positions on the EPR instrumentation and controls design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of the EPR Working Group (EPRWG) of the Multinational Design Evaluation Program (MDEP) is to identify common positions among the regulators reviewing the EPR Instrumentation and Controls (I and C) Systems in order to: 1. Promote understanding of each country 's regulatory decisions and basis for the decisions, 2. Enhance communication among the members and with external stakeholders, 3. Identify areas where harmonization and convergence of regulations, standards, and guidance can be achieved or improved, and 4. Supports standardization of new reactor designs. Since January 2008, the EPR I and C Technical Expert Subgroup (TESG) members met five times to exchange information regarding their country 's review of the EPR I and C design. The EPR I and C TESG consists of regulators from China, Canada, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The information exchange includes presentation of each country 's review status and technical issues, sharing of guidance documents, and sharing of regulatory decision documents. The TESG focused on the following four core areas of the EPR I and C design: 1. I and C System Independence (particularly for data communications), 2. Level of Defense and Diversity (back-up systems), 3. Qualification/quality of digital platforms, 4. Categorization/classification of systems and functions. As meetings were conducted, some areas were emphasized more depending on the significance of the issues for each country. During the TESG interactions, it became apparent that there were aspects of the EPR design where the countries had common agreement. On November 2, 2009, three of the subgroup countries, France, Finland and the United Kingdom, issued a joint regulatory position on the EPR I and C design as result of the 'Groupe Permanent' meeting in France. This statement of common positions expands upon that joint regulatory position

  20. Content Themes of Alcohol Advertising in U.S. Television-Latent Class Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgenstern, Matthis; Schoeppe, Franziska; Campbell, Julie; Braam, Marloes W G; Stoolmiller, Michael; Sargent, James D

    2015-09-01

    There is little alcohol research that reports on the thematic contents of contemporary alcohol advertisements in U.S. television. Studies of alcohol ads from 2 decades ago did not identify "Partying" as a social theme. Aim of this study was to describe and classify alcohol advertisements aired in national television in terms of contents, airing times, and channel placements and to identify different marketing strategies of alcohol brands. Content analysis of all ads from the top 20 U.S. beer and spirit brands aired between July 2009 and June 2011. These were 581 unique alcohol ads accounting for 272,828 (78%) national television airings. Ads were coded according to predefined definitions of 13 content areas. A latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to define content cluster themes and determine alcoholic brands that were more likely to exploit these themes. About half of the advertisements (46%) were aired between 3 am and 8 pm, and the majority were placed either in Entertainment (40%) and Sports (38%) channels. Beer ads comprised 64% of the sample, with significant variation in airing times and channels between types of products and brands. LCA revealed 5 content classes that exploited the "Partying," "Quality," "Sports," "Manly," and "Relax" themes. The partying class, indicative of ad messages surrounding partying, love, and sex, was the dominant theme comprising 42% of all advertisements. Ads for alcopops, flavored spirits, and liqueur were more likely to belong to the party class, but there were also some beer brands (Corona, Heineken) where more than 67% of ads exploited this theme. This is the first analysis to identify a partying theme to contemporary alcohol advertising. Future analyses can now determine whether exposure to that or other themes predicts alcohol misuse among youth audiences. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

  1. Content Themes of Alcohol Advertising in US Television — Latent Class Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgenstern, Matthis; Schoeppe, Franziska; Campbell, Julie; Braam, Marloes W.G.; Stoolmiller, Michael; Sargent, James D.

    2015-01-01

    Background There is little alcohol research that reports on the thematic contents of contemporary alcohol advertisements in US television. Studies of alcohol ads from two decades ago did not identify “partying” as a social theme. Aim of the present study was to describe and classify alcohol advertisements aired in national television in terms of contents, airing times, and channel placements and to identify different marketing strategies of alcohol brands. Methods Content analysis of all ads from the top 20 US beer and spirit brands aired between July 2009 and June 2011. These were 581 unique alcohol ads accounting for 272,828 (78%) national television airings. Ads were coded according to predefined definitions of 13 content areas. A latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to define content cluster themes and determine alcoholic brands that were more likely to exploit these themes. Results About half of the advertisements (46%) were aired between 3am and 8pm, and the majority were placed either in Entertainment (40%) and Sports (38%) channels. Beer ads comprised 64% of the sample, with significant variation in airing times and channels between types of products and brands. LCA revealed five content classes that exploited the “Partying”, “Quality”, “Sports”, “Manly”, and “Relax” themes. The partying class, indicative of ad messages surrounding partying, love and sex, was the dominant theme, comprising 42% of all advertisements. Ads for alcopops, flavored spirits, and liqueur were more likely to belong to the party class, but there were also some beer brands (Corona, Heineken) where more than 67% of ads exploited this theme. Conclusions This is the first analysis to identify a partying theme to contemporary alcohol advertising. Future analyses can now determine whether exposure to that or other themes predicts alcohol misuse among youth audiences. PMID:26207317

  2. Smashing WordPress Themes Making WordPress Beautiful

    CERN Document Server

    Hedengren, Thord Daniel

    2011-01-01

    The ultimate guide to WordPress Themes - one of the hottest topics on the web today WordPress is so much more than a blogging platform, and Smashing WordPress Themes teaches readers how to make it look any way they like - from a corporate site, to a photography gallery and moreWordPress is one of the hottest tools on the web today and is used by sites including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, flickr, CNN, NASA and of course Smashing MagazineBeautiful full colour throughout - web designers expect nothing lessSmashing Magazine will fully support this book by by promoting it through their webs

  3. Factors Contributing to the Implementation of Inclusive Education in Pacific Island Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Umesh; Loreman, Tim; Macanawai, Setareki

    2016-01-01

    This study reports the outcomes of focus group discussions reflected in presentations of concept maps relating to the implementation of inclusive education in the Pacific based on the views of 39 stakeholders from four countries (Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu). Five themes emerged, with one of the strongest being that of culture,…

  4. Hispanic Graduate Students' Mentoring Themes: Gender Roles in a Bicultural Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudolph, Bonnie A.; Castillo, Carlos P.; Garcia, Vanessa G.; Martinez, Alina; Navarro, Fernando

    2015-01-01

    Male and female focus groups at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) discussed mentoring of Hispanic graduate students. Using Thematic Analysis, investigators identified three main themes: Relationship Initiation and Development, Valued Relationship Qualities, and Context and Barriers. Relationship themes included mentor openness, trust,…

  5. Conference | The Big Bang and the interfaces of knowledge: towards a common understanding? | 11 November

    CERN Multimedia

    2015-01-01

    The third in a series of conferences organised by CERN and Wilton Park, this event will once again bring together scientists, theologians and philosophers to discuss the themes of the nature and understanding of a common language, truth and logic.   Wednesday, 11 November at 4 p.m. in the Main Auditorium For more information and to register, click here. In 2012, CERN and Wilton Park hosted the pioneering international conference “The Big Bang and the interfaces of knowledge: towards a common language?”. The event was very successful and a follow-up conference was organised in June 2014 with the purpose of widening the spectrum of scientists, theologians and philosophers involved, continuing the dialogue on one of the key themes that emerged during the first meeting: the nature and the understanding of “truth”. A key theme emerging from the 2014 event was the nature and understanding of logic, and this third meeting will focu...

  6. Living in imaginary places: on the creation and consumption of themed residential architecture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meier, S.O.

    2013-01-01

    This study deals with theming of residential space and architecture. In theoretical terms, theming is defined as the application of a narrative to places and the built environment to make them more appealing than they otherwise would be. In a broader sense it is argued that theming is related to an

  7. Do Economic Growth, Human Development and Political Stability favour sovereign Creditworthiness of a Country? A Cross Country Survey on Developed and Developing Countries

    OpenAIRE

    Bundala, Ntogwa

    2012-01-01

    One of the challenges face a country or firm when deciding to lend a foreign country or firm is how to appraise the creditworthiness of that firm or country? It is experienced and commonly use of credit ratings established by Credit Rating Agencies (Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s and Pitch) as the yardstick for sovereign creditworthiness appraisal, these will be the secondary or an appeal instrument for appraising creditworthiness. This study established local based factors that will ...

  8. The themes, institutions, and people of medical education research 1988-2010: content analysis of abstracts from six journals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rotgans, Jerome I

    2012-10-01

    The present study aimed at providing an overview of the most common themes of research into medical education. Changes in frequency of occurrence of these themes over time and differences between US and European journals were studied. The most productive institutions and researchers in the field were examined. A content analysis was carried out on 10,168 abstracts extracted from the six most influential journals in medical education published since 1988. Twenty-nine major themes were identified, of which student assessment, clinical and communication skills, clinical clerkships, and problem-based learning were the most prominent ones. Some of these themes, such as multiple-choice examinations or computer-assisted instruction seemed to have had their day, whereas other topics, such as the study of clinical clerkships, clinical reasoning, and scholarship in education were on their way up. Medical education research turned out to be a thoroughly international affair to which both US and European research centers contribute. The medical education literature shows an overwhelming emphasis on the preparation of medical students for professional practice. Moreover, the emphasis is very much on the individual student; most research seems to have been conducted with a psychological perspective in mind. It is argued that medical education research would profit from broadening its scope, including sociological, economical, ecological, and system perspectives. These perspectives might bring answers to new questions relevant to the quality of medical education. It is suggested that medical education is in need of moving beyond the conventional effectiveness-driven research approach to a more theory- and discovery-driven approach.

  9. Gendered Citizenship and the Individualization of Environmental Responsibility: Evaluating a Campus Common Reading Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Emily Huddart; Boyd, Amanda

    2018-01-01

    Campus common reading programs are intended to stimulate critical thinking and dialogue across disciplines yet scarce evidence exists to evaluate the success of such programs. We assess the extent to which engagement in an environmentally-themed common reading program is related to (1) concern for waste-related issues, (2) beliefs that addressing…

  10. MDEP Common Position CP-VICWG-01. Common Position: Establishment of Common QA/QM Criteria for the Multinational Vendor Inspection CP-VICWG-01

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2015-01-01

    This document provides a set of common positions for harmonizing inspection criteria called 'Common QA/QM Criteria' which will be used in Multinational Vendor Inspections. This document was prepared by the Vendor Inspection Co-operation Working Group (VICWG) of the Multinational Design Evaluation Program (MDEP). The 'Common QA/QM Criteria' provides the basic areas for consideration when performing Vendor Inspections. The criteria have been developed in conformity with International Codes and Standards such as IAEA, ISO, etc. that MDEP member countries have adopted

  11. Understanding and Accommodating Online Social Communities: A Common Sense Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lennon, Sean M.

    2013-01-01

    Online social networks such as Facebook have changed the context and definitions of socialization. Focusing on teacher use, this article considers the size and impact of these forums and the importance many young professionals feel toward them. Themed as a common sense approach, the author uses anecdotal points and discussions with…

  12. The use of biblical themes in the debate concerning the xenophobic attacks in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zorodzai Dube

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The study draws from the ideas of J�rgen Habermas, Daniel Trotter and Christian Fuchs, Zizi Papacharissis, Yochai Benkler and Christian Fuchs to investigate the use of social media as a platform to express ideas against xenophobic-related attacks in South Africa (April 2015�May 2015. The data was collected from twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Most views came from the Facebook platform called �Stop xenophobia�. Using ATLAS.ti, software for qualitative research, the data was coded into interpretive variables or categories. The results show that themes such as hospitality, morality, creation and ethics received highest frequency as reasons to condemn xenophobia. The research further reveals that the social media data is much candid in comparison to state controlled media, where views and ideas were censored to protect the economic and public image of the country. Unlike the controlled government outlets which focus on the possible correlation between xenophobic attacks to economic outlook, the social media focuses on moral and ethical issues � issues that define our collective as human beings and tackles xenophobia from the perspective of ethics and shared human values.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This study is interdisciplinary in nature due to the use of theories in media studies and social sciences to investigate the use of biblical themes in the fight against xenophobia.

  13. Common QA/QM Criteria for Multinational Vendor Inspection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    This VICWG document provides the 'Common QA/QM Criteria' which will be used in Multinational Vendor Inspection. The 'Common QA/QM Criteria' provides the basic consideration when performing the Vendor Inspection. These criteria has been developed in conformity with International Codes and Standards such as IAEA, ISO and so on that MDEP member countries adopted. The purpose of the VICWG is to establish areas of co-operation in the Vendor Inspection practices among MDEP member countries as described in the MDEP issue-specific Terms of Reference (ToR). As part of this, from the beginning, a survey was performed to understand and to identify areas of commonality and differences between regulatory practices of member countries in the area of vendor inspection. The VICWG also collaborated by performing Witnessed Inspections and Joint Inspections. Through these activities, it was recognized that member countries commonly apply the IAEA safety standard (GS-R-3) to the vendor inspection criteria, and almost ail European member countries apply the ISO standard (ISO9001). In the US, the NRC regulatory requirement in 10 CFR, Part 50, Appendix B is used. South Korea uses the same criteria as in the US. As a result of the information obtained, a comparison table between codes and standards (IAEAGS-R-3, ISO 9001:2008.10CFR50 Appendix Band ASME NQA-1) has been developed in order to inform the development of 'Common QA/QM Criteria'. The result is documented in Table 1, 'MDEP CORE QA/QM Requirement and Comparison between Codes and Standards'. In addition, each country's criteria were compared with the US 10CFR50 Appendix B as a template. Table 2 shows VICWG Survey on Quality Assurance Program Requirements. Through these activities above, we considered that the core requirements should be consistent with both IAEA safety standard and ISO standard, and considered that the common requirements in the US 10CFR50 Appendix B used to the survey

  14. Research for food and health in Europe: themes, needs and proposals

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McCarthy, Mark

    2011-09-29

    Abstract Background Diet, in addition to tobacco, alcohol and physical exercise, is a major factor contributing to chronic diseases in Europe. There is a pressing need for multidisciplinary research to promote healthier food choices and better diets. Food and Health Research in Europe (FAHRE) is a collaborative project commissioned by the European Union. Among its tasks is the description of national research systems for food and health and, in work reported here, the identification of strengths and gaps in the European research base. Methods A typology of nine research themes was developed, spanning food, society, health and research structures. Experts were selected through the FAHRE partners, with balance for individual characteristics, and reported using a standardised template. Results Countries usually commission research on food, and on health, separately: few countries have combined research strategies or programmes. Food and health are also strongly independent fields within the European Commission\\'s research programmes. Research programmes have supported food and bio-technology, food safety, epidemiological research, and nutritional surveillance; but there has been less research into personal behaviour and very little on environmental influences on food choices - in the retail and marketing industries, policy, and regulation. The research is mainly sited within universities and research institutes: there is relatively little published research contribution from industry. Discussion National food policies, based on epidemiological evidence and endorsed by the World Health Organisation, recommend major changes in food intake to meet the challenge of chronic diseases. Biomedical and biotechnology research, in areas such as \\'nutrio-genomics\\

  15. Matching Up to the Information Society: An Evaluation of the EU, the EU Accession Countries, Switzerland and the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graafland-Essers, Irma; Cremonini, Leon; Ettedgui, Emile; Botterman, Maarten

    2003-01-01

    This report presents the current understanding of the advancement of the Information Society within the European Union and countries that are up for accession in 2004, and is based on the SIBIS (Statistical Indicators Benchmarking the Information Society) surveys and analyses per SIBIS theme and country. The report is unique in its coherent and…

  16. Strategies for public health research in European Union countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimaud, Olivier; McCarthy, Mark; Conceição, Claudia

    2013-11-01

    'Health' is an identifiable theme within the European Union multi-annual research programmes. Public Health Innovation and Research in Europe (PHIRE), led by the European Public Health Association, sought to identify public health research strategies in EU member states. Within PHIRE, national public health associations reviewed structures for health research, held stakeholder workshops and produced reports. This information, supplemented by further web searches, including using assisted translation, was analysed for national research strategies and health research strategies. All countries described general research strategies, outlining organizational and capacity objectives. Thematic fields, including health, are mentioned in some strategies. A health research strategy was identified for 15 EU countries and not for 12. Ministries of health led research strategies for nine countries. Public health research was identified in only three strategies. National research strategies did not refer to the European Union's health research programme. Public health research strategies of European countries need to be developed by ministries of health, working with the research community to achieve the European Research Area.

  17. Teaching Spiritual Themes to African American Children: A Picture Book Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Demetrius B.

    2017-01-01

    "Teaching Spiritual Themes to African American Children: A Picture Book Approach" is a research project that used picture books to teach the four spiritual themes, 1.) love, 2.) forgiveness, 3.) kindness, and 4.) perseverance. This project was conducted in an after school program at Fifth Baptist Church, on Cary St. in Richmond, VA. The…

  18. THE FIVE-COLOR THEME IN DONGBA SCRIPTURES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu Duoduo 许多多

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available I compared the two translated versions of The Advent of Dragons collected during fieldwork with a Ruke Dongba priest and found many inconsistencies in the same scripture and even within single verses. These inconsistencies may derive from oral composition mechanisms, for example, the aim to adapt the content to metric patterns. These complexities are mainly attested in verses related to the five-color theme, in which the five colors correspond to the mythical creatures and landscape in the five spatial directions. In the formulaic tradition of Dongba Culture, this color-related theme is delivered as a whole message produced by mentioning several keywords. However, the various details involving the keywords do not affect the meaning of the message. Consequently, the flexibilities of the content, highlighted as inconsistencies in the word-by-word translation, leave space for variants in the development of the oral culture and become formularized in various branches of Dongbaism.

  19. Age-Graded Themes in White American Middle-Class Slang: A Hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donahue, Thomas S.

    It is proposed that middle- and upper-middle-class slang used among white young people in modern America shows age-related themes. For youngsters between the ages of eight and early adolescence, the major theme in slang use is to establish in-group and out-group membership, with standards of judgment based on clothes, manners, and physical appeal.…

  20. Bibliography of Papers Published in the Journal Migration Themes / Migration and Ethnic Themes (1985 – 2014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanja Klempić Bogadi

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available To mark the 30th anniversary of the publication of the journal Migracijske i etničke teme / Migration and Ethnic Themes (up to 2000 it was issued under the title Migration Themes: a Journal for Migration and Ethic Studies, we consider it important and necessary to provide an overview in one place of the papers published in the journal from its first issue in 1985 to the last one in 2014. The most important aim of this bibliography is to introduce the scientific and professional public, especially new researchers, to the topics covered by this journal as well as to enable easier access to the journal and its more convenient use. The bibliography is selective. It includes scientific papers (the original scientific paper, preliminary communication and review paper professional papers, conference papers, panel discussions, discussions, reviews and bibliographies, while reviews of books and periodicals (i.e. papers from the sections Books, Reviews, From Foreign Periodicals and Movie as well as Introductions, Memories, In Memoriam and Conference Reviews (from the sections Reviews and Conferences are not included. All the papers are available at Hrčak – Portal of Scientific Journals of Croatia. Given that all kinds of papers are not included, but primarily in order to provide its better examination and insight into published papers according to specific topics and dealing with various issues, as well as to provide easier and faster access, we have decided to make a subject bibliography, and not a chronological one. (On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Migration Themes journal, the chronological bibliography prepared by Josip Kumper was published in the 3-4/1994 issue. From the very first issue, migration and ethnicity have been the main themes represented in the journal, but the emphasis on the basic issues in previous papers, which involved external migration, internal migration, emigration and minorities/nationalities, have gradually

  1. Characteristics and critical success factors for implementing problem-based learning in a human resource-constrained country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giva, Karen R N; Duma, Sinegugu E

    2015-08-31

    Problem-based learning (PBL) was introduced in Malawi in 2002 in order to improve the nursing education system and respond to the acute nursing human resources shortage. However, its implementation has been very slow throughout the country. The objectives of the study were to explore and describe the goals that were identified by the college to facilitate the implementation of PBL, the resources of the organisation that facilitated the implementation of PBL, the factors related to sources of students that facilitated the implementation of PBL, and the influence of the external system of the organisation on facilitating the implementation of PBL, and to identify critical success factors that could guide the implementation of PBL in nursing education in Malawi. This is an ethnographic, exploratory and descriptive qualitative case study. Purposive sampling was employed to select the nursing college, participants and documents for review.Three data collection methods, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation and document reviews, were used to collect data. The four steps of thematic analysis were used to analyse data from all three sources. Four themes and related subthemes emerged from the triangulated data sources. The first three themes and their subthemes are related to the characteristics related to successful implementation of PBL in a human resource-constrained nursing college, whilst the last theme is related to critical success factors that contribute to successful implementation of PBL in a human resource-constrained country like Malawi. This article shows that implementation of PBL is possible in a human resource-constrained country if there is political commitment and support.

  2. Matching Up to the Information Society: An Evaluation of the EU, the EU Accession Countries, Switzerland and the United States. Summary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graafland-Essers, Irma; Cremonini, Leon; Ettedgui, Emile; Botterman, Maarten

    2003-01-01

    This report presents the current understanding of the advancement of the Information Society within the European Union and countries that are up for accession in 2004, and is based on the SIBIS (Statistical Indicators Benchmarking the Information Society) surveys and analyses per SIBIS theme and country. The report is unique in its coherent and…

  3. Using Multiple Sources of Data to Gauge Outcome Differences between Academic-Themed and Transition-Themed First-Year Seminars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zerr, Ryan J.; Bjerke, Elizabeth

    2016-01-01

    Students in two different types of first-year experience seminar courses at a moderately sized public university were compared using a large variety of measures--both direct and indirect. One of these first-year experience types was a three-credit academic-themed course offered in sections with variable content; the other was a two-credit…

  4. Endangered Species & Biodiversity: A Classroom Project & Theme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauro, Brook

    2012-01-01

    Students discover the factors contributing to species losses worldwide by conducting a project about endangered species as a component of a larger classroom theme of biodiversity. Groups conduct research using online endangered- species databases and present results to the class using PowerPoint. Students will improve computer research abilities…

  5. Experience of International Education of East Asian Students in English-Speaking Countries: A Four-Dimensional Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Maria L.; Colaner, Kevin T.

    2017-01-01

    Global participation in international education in the last two decades has increased exponentially. International students face difficulties in adjusting to the culture of their host country due to their unique needs (Bertram, Poulakis, Elsasser & Kumar, 2014). This article presents themes comprising the international education phenomenon…

  6. Current research in transcultural psychiatry in the Nordic countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ekblad, Solvig; Kastrup, Marianne Carisius

    2013-01-01

    This article discusses major themes in recent transcultural psychiatric research in the Nordic countries from 2008 to 2011: (a) epidemiological studies of migration, (b) indigenous populations, and (c) quality of psychiatric care for migrants. Over the past several decades, the populations......, and after migration, with potential effects on their physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. Growing interest in transcultural issues is reflected in the level of scientific research and clinical activity in the field by Nordic physicians, psychologists, social scientists, demographers, medical...

  7. The historical theme in the poetry of Esenin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hunarikova P. H.

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available the article examines the historical theme in the poetry of Esenin. The author explores in his work historical problems in poetry Esenin, shows the role of the poet in contemporary Russia.

  8. Learning for Life: The People’s Free University and the Civil Commons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Howard Woodhouse

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} This article stems from the author’s experience as one of the organizers of an alternative form of higher education, which drew its inspiration from the civil commons.  In the early years of the new millennium, the People’s Free University of Saskatchewan (PFU offered a wide variety of courses to members of the public without charge, adopting as its founding principle the belief that “Everyone can learn, Everyone can teach.”  As a form of community-based education, the PFU accommodated the needs and aspirations of a diversity of individuals and groups too often denied by “research-intensive” universities.  The civil commons itself is a web of interlocking institutions based on the life-code of value, which strengthens the public interest and enhances the growth of organic life.  Unlike the money-code of value, whose goods are only available to those who can pay, the goods of the civil commons are accessible to all.  This inner logic enables a full realization of life value as exemplified in the living tradition of popular university education.

  9. A Literature Analysis of Themes in Paediatric Cochlear Implant Research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hendar, Nils Ola Ebbe; Dammeyer, Jesper Herup

    2015-01-01

    with typical hearing and children with hearing impairment without CI. Published research in the period 1990-2013 on language development was analysed with respect to frequency of selected search terms reflecting different language acquisition themes among children with typical hearing, children with hearing...... impairment without CI, and children with CI, respectively. Results showed a relatively lower number of articles which included themes such as pre-verbal language (imitation, joint attention and gestures), extra lingual abilities (social interaction), and later language skills (semantic, syntactic, grammar...

  10. Common-but-differentiated-Responsibilities for adaptation financing. An assessment of the contributions of countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dellink, R. [Wageningen University, Wageningen (Netherlands); Den Elzen, M. [Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency NMP, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Aikinga, H.; Bergsm, E.; Berkhout, F.; Dekker, T.; Gupta, J. [Institute for Environmental Studies IVM, VU University, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2009-03-15

    Climate change may cause most harm to countries that have historically contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions and land-use change. This paper identifies deontology, solidarity and consequentialism as the principles that can serve as a basis for a fair international burden sharing scheme of climate change adaptation costs. We translate these principles into criteria that can be applied in assigning a share of the financial burden to individual countries, namely historical responsibility, equality and capacity to pay. Specific political and scientific choices are discussed, highlighting implications for international burden-sharing schemes. A hybrid approach, combining historical responsibility and capacity to pay seems a promising starting point for international negotiations on the design of burden-sharing schemes. From the numerical assessment, it is clear that UNFCCC Annex I countries carry the greatest burden under most scenarios, but contributions differ substantially subject to the choice of an indicator for capacity to pay. The contributions are less sensitive to choices related to responsibility calculations, apart from those associated with land-use related emissions. Assuming the costs of climate adaptation are USD100 billion per year, the total financial contribution by the Annex I countries would be in the range of USD 55-68 billion per year.

  11. ENTAILMENT ENTERPRISE STATE UNIVERSITY, SOME EXPERIENCES IN AMERICA AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN EUROPE AND ASIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Máximo Andrés Rodríguez Pérez

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Entailment theories linking University enterprise state, give us guidelines for what knowledge societies must do to obtain a sustainable development, experiences accumulated in different countries of the world bring us the way that countries and universities that do not have developed this theme should follow. The core activities of any higher education institution are teaching, research and extension. To accomplish these activities with the greatest success it must be done in association with the above institutions and society as a whole

  12. Emerging themes in international business research

    OpenAIRE

    David A Griffith; Salih Tamer Cavusgil; Shichun Xu

    2008-01-01

    This study is motivated by two research questions: (1) Which recent contributions have been driving the research agenda in international business? (2) Which emerging themes in the literature are likely to set the stage for future work? To examine these questions, the study examined scholarly work in international business over the time period 1996–2006 in six leading international business journals (Journal of International Business Studies, Management International Review, Journal of World B...

  13. Using the Five Themes of Geography To Teach about Venezuela and Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sunal, Cynthia Szymanski; Christensen, Lois

    Activities that employ the five themes of geography--location, place, relationships within places, movement, and regions--to teach about Venezuela and Mexico are described in this document. Each theme has objectives, a list of materials, and three types of activities--exploration, invention, and expansion. Background information on Venezuela and…

  14. Introducing the JMBE Themed Issue on Scientific Citizenship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jack A. Gilbert

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this Editorial, the three Guest Editors for JMBE's first standalone themed issue introduce the topic of scientific citizenship and provide an overview of the current ideas and best practices contained within the issue. 

  15. The Tourism Experience Offered by Religious Theme Parks: Taman Tamadun Islam (TTI) in Malaysia

    OpenAIRE

    Moal - Ulvoas, Gaëlle M

    2016-01-01

    Theme parks are major drivers of tourism development and experience is a central concept in tourism research. This study investigates the experience potential associated with religious theme parks which offer a combination of religious and secular activities. The experiences of visitors to Taman Tamadun Islam (TTI), a Muslim theme park based in Malaysia, are identified through the analysis of visitors’ feedback on Tripadvisor.

  16. Market design : Common Nordic end-user market

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2009-07-01

    No later than 2015, suppliers in the Nordic countries should be able to offer electricity to consumers in any Nordic country on equal terms. In this report NordREG has analyzed the present situation in the Nordic countries and identified the issues that should be harmonised in order to establish a common Nordic end-user market. In this report NordREG also suggests an indicative road map for the implementation process. (Author)

  17. Sex Differences and/in the Self: Classic Themes, Feminist Variations, Postmodern Challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohan, Janis S.

    2002-01-01

    This article examines perspectives on and intersections between two recurrent themes in the history of American psychology: sex differences and theories of self. These themes and certain connections between them are considered in three eras: early American psychology, feminist psychology coincident with the second wave of feminism, and the recent…

  18. Simulacra and simulation: double simulation at a North Song Dynasty theme park

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ong, C.E.; Jin, Ge

    2017-01-01

    This paper examines an unusual type of ‘cultural theme park’, one that is not based on simulating existing cultural diversity or historical places, but based in some senses on a ‘double simulation’. The theme park is based on an historical painting assumed to represent the North Song Dynasty period

  19. [The theme of disaster in health care: profile of technical and scientific production in the specialized database on disasters of the Virtual Health Library - VHL].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocha, Vania; Ximenes, Elisa Francioli; Carvalho, Mauren Lopes de; Alpino, Tais de Moura Ariza; Freitas, Carlos Machado de

    2014-09-01

    In the specialized database of the Virtual Health Library (VHL), the DISASTER database highlights the importance of the theme for the health sector. The scope of this article is to identify the profiles of technical and scientific publications in the specialized database. Based on systematic searches and the analysis of results it is possible to determine: the type of publication; the main topics addressed; the most common type of disasters mentioned in published materials, countries and regions as subjects, historic periods with the most publications and the current trend of publications. When examining the specialized data in detail, it soon becomes clear that the number of major topics is very high, making a specific search process in this database a challenging exercise. On the other hand, it is encouraging that the disaster topic is discussed and assessed in a broad and diversified manner, associated with different aspects of the natural and social sciences. The disaster issue requires the production of interdisciplinary knowledge development to reduce the impacts of disasters and for risk management. In this way, since the health sector is a interdisciplinary area, it can contribute to knowledge production.

  20. Theme issue on e-mental health: a growing field in internet research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riper, Heleen; Andersson, Gerhard; Christensen, Helen; Cuijpers, Pim; Lange, Alfred; Eysenbach, Gunther

    2010-12-19

    This theme issue on e-mental health presents 16 articles from leading researchers working on systems and theories related to supporting and improving mental health conditions and mental health care using information and communication technologies. In this editorial, we present the background of this theme issue, and highlight the content of this issue.

  1. A cross-media content analysis of motivational themes in direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumpradit, Nithima; Ascione, Frank J; Bagozzi, Richard P

    2004-01-01

    Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs is a widely discussed issue in health care. However, little is known about the characteristics of the motivational themes used in this type of advertising. The aim of this study was to investigate the concurrent presentation of motivational themes in DTC print and television advertisements. The content analyses focused on advertisements of 2 targeted drug classes (cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme inhibitors and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) in magazines and on television. Targeted print advertisements (for celecoxib, rofecoxib, atorvastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin) from September to December 2001 and targeted television advertisements (for celecoxib, rofecoxib, and simvastatin) from November 2001 were investigated. The motivational themes were assessed using a theoretical framework based on self-regulatory focus theory and cultural orientation. Self-regulatory focus was examined in terms of goal orientation (promotion vs prevention) and emotional aspects, (e.g., cheerfulness, dejection, quiescence, agitation). The cultural orientation was examined in terms of individualism versus collectivism. The visual-verbal match was categorized as direct if the audio and visual information was semantically redundant, as partial if it was partially related, and as no match at all if it was different or conflicting. Twelve print advertisements in 10 magazines and 4 television advertisements on 4 television networks were examined; the interrater reliability scores from 3 independent, trained judges ranged from 0.93 to 0.99. The score was low (0.57) in the visual-verbal match measurement for television advertisements. Products in the same category appeared to be promoted using different self-regulatory foci. For example, celecoxib and atorvastatin advertisements tended to be promotion oriented, whereas pravastatin advertisements tended to be prevention oriented. Motivational themes were found

  2. Mathematical Communication Ability by Grade VII Students Using a Themed Problem Based Learning with Scaffolding on Rectangle Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Didik Adi Saputro

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The aim of research to test students' mathematical communication used themed of PBL with scaffolding, themed of PBL and PBL achieve mastery learning;to test students' mathematical communication that used the themed of PBL with scaffolding, themed of PBL and PBL; and to test students' mathematical communication for the low, medium group, and a high-group themed of PBL with scaffolding, themed of PBL and PBL. This type of research is quantitative research. The Population is seventh grade students of SMPN 22 Semarang and the sample class VII E, F and VII VII G. Used normality test, homogenity test, equality test on average, the proportion of one-party test, one way anova test, and scheffe test. The results showed that (1 Student’s mathematical communication ability using themed of PBLwith Scaffolding strategy,themed of PBL, and PBL achieve the completeness of learning, (2 there is a difference in the classroom using the themed of PBL with scaffolding, themed of PBL, as well as PBL, (3 For the low, medium, high and there is a difference in the classroom using the themed of PBL with scaffolding, themed of PBL and PBL.

  3. Energy statistics and balances of non-OECD countries 1993-1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    Contains a compilation of energy supply and consumption statistics for more than 100 non-OECD countries and regions, including developing countries Central and Eastern European countries and the former USSR. Data are expressed in original units and in common units for coal, oil, gas, electricity, heat and combustible renewable and waste. Historical tables for both individual countries and regions summarize data on coal, oil, gas and electricity production, trade and consumption as well as main energy and economic indicators since 1971. Each issue includes definitions of products and flows and notes on the individual countries as well as conversion factors from original units to common energy units. Similar data for OECD are available in the IEA Energy Statistics and Energy Balances of OECD Countries. (author)

  4. Teachers Working Cooperatively with Parents and Caregivers when Implementing LGBT Themes in the Elementary Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flores, Gabriel

    2014-01-01

    Many teachers are interested in having a more inclusive multicultural education that includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) themes and gay-themed children's literature; unfortunately, research has found that many teachers do not implement gay themes in their multicultural education curriculum because of fear of criticism from…

  5. Aligning Theme and Information Structure to Improve the Readability of Technical Writing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, N. A. J.

    2006-01-01

    The readability of technical writing, and technical manuals in particular, especially for second language readers, can be noticeably improved by pairing Theme with Given and Rheme with New. This allows for faster processing of text and easier access to the "method of development" of the text. Typical Theme-Rheme patterns are described, and the…

  6. The moral theme in Zulu literature: a progression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Marggraff

    1998-04-01

    Full Text Available A moral theme in literature is not only unique to Zulu literature. Despite the relative youth of the modern branch of Zulu literature, any observer can make the interesting and important discovery that the moral theme is predominantly conveyed by the following three literary types: the folktale, the moral story, the detective story. The folktale, belonging to traditional literature, is a very well-developed form, that formed the principal means of teaching both children and adults about good and evil. The birth of modern Zulu literature in 1930 brought with it the emergence of the moral story, a literary type in which good triumphs over evil and in which justice prevails. Further development and changes have led to the appearance of the detective story in which crimes are solved and bad people are punished. This progression has developed due to ever-changing circumstances and a need for relevance.

  7. Towards a Science of Community Stakeholder Engagement in Biomedical HIV Prevention Trials: An Embedded Four-Country Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Peter A; Rubincam, Clara; Slack, Catherine; Essack, Zaynab; Chakrapani, Venkatesan; Chuang, Deng-Min; Tepjan, Suchon; Shunmugam, Murali; Roungprakhon, Surachet; Logie, Carmen; Koen, Jennifer; Lindegger, Graham

    2015-01-01

    Broad international guidelines and studies in the context of individual clinical trials highlight the centrality of community stakeholder engagement in conducting ethically rigorous HIV prevention trials. We explored and identified challenges and facilitators for community stakeholder engagement in biomedical HIV prevention trials in diverse global settings. Our aim was to assess and deepen the empirical foundation for priorities included in the GPP guidelines and to highlight challenges in implementation that may merit further attention in subsequent GPP iterations. From 2008-2012 we conducted an embedded, multiple case study centered in Thailand, India, South Africa and Canada. We conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with respondents from different trial-related subsystems: civil society organization representatives, community advocates, service providers, clinical trialists/researchers, former trial participants, and key HIV risk populations. Interviews/focus groups were recorded, and coded using thematic content analysis. After intra-case analyses, we conducted cross-case analysis to contrast and synthesize themes and sub-themes across cases. Lastly, we applied the case study findings to explore and assess UNAIDS/AVAC GPP guidelines and the GPP Blueprint for Stakeholder Engagement. Across settings, we identified three cross-cutting themes as essential to community stakeholder engagement: trial literacy, including lexicon challenges and misconceptions that imperil sound communication; mistrust due to historical exploitation; and participatory processes: engaging early; considering the breadth of "community"; and, developing appropriate stakeholder roles. Site-specific challenges arose in resource-limited settings and settings where trials were halted. This multiple case study revealed common themes underlying community stakeholder engagement across four country settings that largely mirror GPP goals and the GPP Blueprint, as well as highlighting

  8. Towards a Science of Community Stakeholder Engagement in Biomedical HIV Prevention Trials: An Embedded Four-Country Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Peter A.; Rubincam, Clara; Slack, Catherine; Essack, Zaynab; Chakrapani, Venkatesan; Chuang, Deng-Min; Tepjan, Suchon; Shunmugam, Murali; Roungprakhon, Surachet; Logie, Carmen; Koen, Jennifer; Lindegger, Graham

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Broad international guidelines and studies in the context of individual clinical trials highlight the centrality of community stakeholder engagement in conducting ethically rigorous HIV prevention trials. We explored and identified challenges and facilitators for community stakeholder engagement in biomedical HIV prevention trials in diverse global settings. Our aim was to assess and deepen the empirical foundation for priorities included in the GPP guidelines and to highlight challenges in implementation that may merit further attention in subsequent GPP iterations. Methods From 2008–2012 we conducted an embedded, multiple case study centered in Thailand, India, South Africa and Canada. We conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with respondents from different trial-related subsystems: civil society organization representatives, community advocates, service providers, clinical trialists/researchers, former trial participants, and key HIV risk populations. Interviews/focus groups were recorded, and coded using thematic content analysis. After intra-case analyses, we conducted cross-case analysis to contrast and synthesize themes and sub-themes across cases. Lastly, we applied the case study findings to explore and assess UNAIDS/AVAC GPP guidelines and the GPP Blueprint for Stakeholder Engagement. Results Across settings, we identified three cross-cutting themes as essential to community stakeholder engagement: trial literacy, including lexicon challenges and misconceptions that imperil sound communication; mistrust due to historical exploitation; and participatory processes: engaging early; considering the breadth of “community”; and, developing appropriate stakeholder roles. Site-specific challenges arose in resource-limited settings and settings where trials were halted. Conclusions This multiple case study revealed common themes underlying community stakeholder engagement across four country settings that largely mirror GPP goals and the

  9. Towards a Science of Community Stakeholder Engagement in Biomedical HIV Prevention Trials: An Embedded Four-Country Case Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter A Newman

    Full Text Available Broad international guidelines and studies in the context of individual clinical trials highlight the centrality of community stakeholder engagement in conducting ethically rigorous HIV prevention trials. We explored and identified challenges and facilitators for community stakeholder engagement in biomedical HIV prevention trials in diverse global settings. Our aim was to assess and deepen the empirical foundation for priorities included in the GPP guidelines and to highlight challenges in implementation that may merit further attention in subsequent GPP iterations.From 2008-2012 we conducted an embedded, multiple case study centered in Thailand, India, South Africa and Canada. We conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with respondents from different trial-related subsystems: civil society organization representatives, community advocates, service providers, clinical trialists/researchers, former trial participants, and key HIV risk populations. Interviews/focus groups were recorded, and coded using thematic content analysis. After intra-case analyses, we conducted cross-case analysis to contrast and synthesize themes and sub-themes across cases. Lastly, we applied the case study findings to explore and assess UNAIDS/AVAC GPP guidelines and the GPP Blueprint for Stakeholder Engagement.Across settings, we identified three cross-cutting themes as essential to community stakeholder engagement: trial literacy, including lexicon challenges and misconceptions that imperil sound communication; mistrust due to historical exploitation; and participatory processes: engaging early; considering the breadth of "community"; and, developing appropriate stakeholder roles. Site-specific challenges arose in resource-limited settings and settings where trials were halted.This multiple case study revealed common themes underlying community stakeholder engagement across four country settings that largely mirror GPP goals and the GPP Blueprint, as well as

  10. The European Research Elite: A Cross-National Study of Highly Productive Academics in 11 Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwiek, Marek

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we focus on a rare scholarly theme of highly productive academics, statistically confirming their pivotal role in knowledge production across 11 systems studied. The upper 10% of highly productive academics in 11 European countries studied (N = 17,211) provide on average almost half of all academic knowledge production. In contrast…

  11. From themes to hypotheses: following up with quantitative methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, David L

    2015-06-01

    One important category of mixed-methods research designs consists of quantitative studies that follow up on qualitative research. In this case, the themes that serve as the results from the qualitative methods generate hypotheses for testing through the quantitative methods. That process requires operationalization to translate the concepts from the qualitative themes into quantitative variables. This article illustrates these procedures with examples that range from simple operationalization to the evaluation of complex models. It concludes with an argument for not only following up qualitative work with quantitative studies but also the reverse, and doing so by going beyond integrating methods within single projects to include broader mutual attention from qualitative and quantitative researchers who work in the same field. © The Author(s) 2015.

  12. Mathematical Communication Ability by Grade VII Students Using a Themed Problem Based Learning with Scaffolding on Rectangle Materials

    OpenAIRE

    Didik Adi Saputro; Masrukan Masrukan; Arief Agoestanto

    2017-01-01

    The aim of research to test students' mathematical communication used themed of PBL with scaffolding, themed of PBL and PBL achieve mastery learning;to test students' mathematical communication that used the themed of PBL with scaffolding, themed of PBL and PBL; and to test students' mathematical communication for the low, medium group, and a high-group themed of PBL with scaffolding, themed of PBL and PBL. This type of research is quantitative research. The Population is seventh grade studen...

  13. Emotional Self-Disclosure in Online Breast Cancer Support Groups: Examining Theme, Reciprocity, and Linguistic Style Matching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malloch, Yining Z; Taylor, Laramie D

    2018-02-05

    The present study investigated emotional self-disclosure (ESD) patterns and their effects in online support groups specific to different stages of breast cancer. Linguistic features of messages posted to an online breast cancer support group were analyzed. ESD was common, and was consistent across four stage forums. Emotional talk was linked to a variety of themes, but most prominently in the context of discussions about social connections rather than health or death. Linguistic style matching mediated the relationship between ESD in posts and reciprocal ESD in comments, suggesting a key role for mutual understanding and engagement between posters and commenters. Implications for health communication theory and practice were discussed.

  14. Systematic reviews addressing identified health policy priorities in Eastern Mediterranean countries: a situational analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Jardali, Fadi; Akl, Elie A; Karroum, Lama Bou; Kdouh, Ola; Akik, Chaza; Fadlallah, Racha; Hammoud, Rawan

    2014-08-20

    Systematic reviews can offer policymakers and stakeholders concise, transparent, and relevant evidence pertaining to pressing policy priorities to help inform the decision-making process. The production and the use of systematic reviews are specifically limited in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The extent to which published systematic reviews address policy priorities in the region is still unknown. This situational analysis exercise aims at assessing the extent to which published systematic reviews address policy priorities identified by policymakers and stakeholders in Eastern Mediterranean region countries. It also provides an overview about the state of systematic review production in the region and identifies knowledge gaps. We conducted a systematic search of the Health System Evidence database to identify published systematic reviews on policy-relevant priorities pertaining to the following themes: human resources for health, health financing, the role of the non-state sector, and access to medicine. Priorities were identified from two priority-setting exercises conducted in the region. We described the distribution of these systematic reviews across themes, sub-themes, authors' affiliations, and countries where included primary studies were conducted. Out of the 1,045 systematic reviews identified in Health System Evidence on selected themes, a total of 200 systematic reviews (19.1%) addressed the priorities from the Eastern Mediterranean region. The theme with the largest number of systematic reviews included was human resources for health (115) followed by health financing (33), access to medicine (27), and role of the non-state sector (25). Authors based in the region produced only three systematic reviews addressing regional priorities (1.5%). Furthermore, no systematic review focused on the Eastern Mediterranean region. Primary studies from the region had limited contribution to systematic reviews; 17 systematic reviews (8.5%) included primary

  15. Systematic reviews addressing identified health policy priorities in Eastern Mediterranean countries: a situational analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Systematic reviews can offer policymakers and stakeholders concise, transparent, and relevant evidence pertaining to pressing policy priorities to help inform the decision-making process. The production and the use of systematic reviews are specifically limited in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The extent to which published systematic reviews address policy priorities in the region is still unknown. This situational analysis exercise aims at assessing the extent to which published systematic reviews address policy priorities identified by policymakers and stakeholders in Eastern Mediterranean region countries. It also provides an overview about the state of systematic review production in the region and identifies knowledge gaps. Methods We conducted a systematic search of the Health System Evidence database to identify published systematic reviews on policy-relevant priorities pertaining to the following themes: human resources for health, health financing, the role of the non-state sector, and access to medicine. Priorities were identified from two priority-setting exercises conducted in the region. We described the distribution of these systematic reviews across themes, sub-themes, authors’ affiliations, and countries where included primary studies were conducted. Results Out of the 1,045 systematic reviews identified in Health System Evidence on selected themes, a total of 200 systematic reviews (19.1%) addressed the priorities from the Eastern Mediterranean region. The theme with the largest number of systematic reviews included was human resources for health (115) followed by health financing (33), access to medicine (27), and role of the non-state sector (25). Authors based in the region produced only three systematic reviews addressing regional priorities (1.5%). Furthermore, no systematic review focused on the Eastern Mediterranean region. Primary studies from the region had limited contribution to systematic reviews; 17 systematic reviews

  16. Characterization of Fashion Themes Using Fuzzy Techniques for Designing New Human Centered Products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Zhu

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Fabric selection plays an important role in fashion garment design. Designers often use both physical and normalized linguistic criteria for fabric selection. Perception and preference of consumers in their specific sociocultural context, expressed by fashion themes or emotional linguistic criteria, affect greatly new fashion product design. Modeling the relationship between linguistic design criteria and fashion themes of a brand image perceived by consumers becomes thus significant. For setting up this model, we first use fuzzy relations and correlation techniques to select the most relevant linguistic design criteria of fabric hand for each specific fashion theme. The selected criteria can then effectively reduce the complexity of the model and interpret consumer perception of fabrics. Finally, we use a weighted aggregation operator to predict the similarity degree between any new product and fashion themes. Compared with other models, the proposed method is more robust and easier to be interpreted with real data collected for design of senior T-shirt fabrics.

  17. Ruling the Commons. Introducing a new methodology for the analysis of historical commons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tine de Moor

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Despite significant progress in recent years, the evolution of commons over the long run remains an under-explored area within commons studies. During the last years an international team of historians have worked under the umbrella of the Common Rules Project in order to design and test a new methodology aimed at advancing our knowledge on the dynamics of institutions for collective action – in particular commons. This project aims to contribute to the current debate on commons on three different fronts. Theoretically, it explicitly draws our attention to issues of change and adaptation in the commons – contrasting with more static analyses. Empirically, it highlights the value of historical records as a rich source of information for longitudinal analysis of the functioning of commons. Methodologically, it develops a systematic way of analyzing and comparing commons’ regulations across regions and time, setting a number of variables that have been defined on the basis of the “most common denominators” in commons regulation across countries and time periods. In this paper we introduce the project, describe our sources and methodology, and present the preliminary results of our analysis.

  18. Tales From Two Countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ooi, Can-Seng

    2006-01-01

    Place branding has become popular. Places brand themselves to attract tourists, talented foreign workers, investments and businesses. The brand accentuates the positive characteristics of the place; it frames the society and sells its cultures. In the context of tourism, this paper examines...... to present a prevailing reality. To the Danes, the brand is descriptive and should portray the country in a positive and accurate manner. To the Singaporeans, the brand is normative and a vision of what Singaporean society ought to become. These countries share common goals when branding themselves...

  19. Head and Neck Cancers in Developing Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Poonam Joshi

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Head and neck cancers are the most common cancers in developing countries, especially in Southeast Asia. Head and neck cancers are more common in males compared to females. This is mainly attributed to tobacco, areca nut, alcohol, etc. Oral cancers are most common amongst all head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC. HNSCC in the developing world differ from those in the Western world in terms of age, site of disease, etiology, and molecular biology. Poverty, illiteracy, advanced stage at presentation, lack of access to health care, and poor treatment infrastructure pose a major challenge in management of these cancers. The annual GDP (gross domestic product spent on health care is very low in developing countries compared to the developed countries. Cancer treatment leads to a significant financial burden on the cancer patients and their families. Several health programs have been implemented to curb this rising burden of disease. The main aims of these health programs are to increase awareness among people regarding tobacco and to improve access to health care facilities, early diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care.

  20. How to Mitigate Theme Park Crowding? A Prospective Coordination Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuguo Yuan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Crowding is a key factor in tourists’ experience in theme parks, and mitigating crowding makes parks more competitive. This study examines how to effectively mitigate crowding in theme parks. First, a Markov-based method is developed to predict the spatial-temporal distribution of tourists in the park. Then, a prospective coordination approach based on the tourist distribution prediction is proposed. To evaluate the performance of this approach, an experiment is constructed using an agent-based simulation platform. The results indicate that the proposed method significantly outperforms existing methods. Furthermore, we conduct two experiments and, based on the results, offer several recommendations for crowd management.

  1. Neurology training in sub-Saharan Africa: A survey of people in training from 19 countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mateen, Farrah J; Clark, Sarah J; Borzello, Mia; Kabore, Jean; Seidi, Osheik

    2016-06-01

    To provide a comprehensive understanding of neurology training from the sub-Saharan African perspective. A 40-question survey was distributed to attendees of the 7th annual sub-Saharan African neurology teaching course in Khartoum, Sudan (2015). Themes included the student body, faculty, curriculum, assessment and examinations, technology, and work hours and compensation. Of 19 responding countries, 10 had no formal neurology training programs; Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique had an adult neurology program; Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa had adult and pediatric neurology programs (training duration range = 3-6 years). There was a median of 2.5 full-time neurologists on the teaching faculty at the respondents' training institutions (neurologists on-faculty:in-country ratio = 0.48), with the lowest ratios in Sudan and Nigeria. Neurology was perceived to be a competitive specialty for entrance in 57% of countries, with 78% of respondents reporting a requisite entrance examination. Ninety-five percent had access to a personal smartphone, 62% used the Internet more than occasionally, and 60% had access to online neurology journals. The average number of weekly work hours was 51 (range = 40-75), and average monthly salary among those earning income was 1,191 USD (range = 285-3,560). Twenty percent of respondents reported paying for training. The most common barriers to neurology postgraduate education were few training programs and lack of training in neurodiagnostic tests. Among 17 reporting countries, there is an estimated average of 0.6 neurologists per million people. Neurology training programs in sub-Saharan Africa are relatively limited in number and have several unmet needs including a small cadre of faculty and an opportunity to standardize curricula and financing of programs. Ann Neurol 2016;79:871-881. © 2016 American Neurological Association.

  2. Normative study of theme identifiability: Instructions with and without explanation of the false memory effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beato, Maria Soledad; Cadavid, Sara

    2016-12-01

    False-memory illusions have been widely studied using the Deese/Roediger-McDermott paradigm (DRM). In this paradigm, words semantically related to a single nonpresented critical word are studied. In a later memory test, critical words are often falsely recalled and recognized. The present normative study was conducted to measure the theme identifiability of 60 associative word lists in Spanish that include six words (e.g., stove, coat, blanket, scarf, chill, and bonnet) that are simultaneously associated with three critical words (e.g., HEAT, COLD, and WINTER; Beato & Díez, Psicothema, 26, 457-463, 2011). Different levels of backward associative strength were used in the construction of the DRM lists. In addition, we used two types of instructions to obtain theme identifiability. In the without-explanation condition, traditional instructions were used, requesting participants to write the theme list. In the with-explanation condition, the false-memory effect and how the lists were built were explained, and an example of a DRM list and critical words was shown. Participants then had to discover the critical words. The results showed that all lists produced theme identifiability. Moreover, some lists had a higher theme identifiability rate (e.g., 61 % for the critical words LOVE, BOYFRIEND, COUPLE) than others (e.g., 24 % for CITY, PLACE, VILLAGE). After comparing the theme identifiabilities in the different conditions, the results indicated higher theme identifiability when the false-memory effect was explained than without such an explanation. Overall, these new normative data provide a useful tool for those experiments that, for example, aim to analyze the wide differences observed in false memory with DRM lists and the role of theme identifiability.

  3. What works for human papillomavirus vaccine introduction in low and middle-income countries?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natasha Howard

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Since 2007, low and middle-income countries (LMICs have gained experience delivering HPV vaccines through HPV vaccination pilots, demonstration projects and national programmes. This commentary summarises lessons from HPV vaccination experiences in 45 LMICs and what works for HPV vaccination introduction. Methods included a systematic literature review, unpublished document review, and key informant interviews. Data were extracted from 61 peer-reviewed articles, 11 conference abstracts, 188 technical reports, and 56 interviews, with quantitative data analysed descriptively and qualitative data analysed thematically. Key lessons are described under five themes of preparation, communications, delivery, coverage achievements, and sustainability. Lessons learnt were generally consistent across countries and projects and sufficient lessons have been learnt for countries to deliver HPV vaccine through phased national rollout rather than demonstration projects. However, challenges remain in securing the political will and financial resources necessary to implement successful national programmes. Keywords: Cervical cancer prevention, Human papillomavirus, Vaccination, Low and middle-income countries, Demonstration projects

  4. Integrating Environmental and Human Health Databases in the Great Lakes Basin: Themes, Challenges and Future Directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kate L. Bassil

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Many government, academic and research institutions collect environmental data that are relevant to understanding the relationship between environmental exposures and human health. Integrating these data with health outcome data presents new challenges that are important to consider to improve our effective use of environmental health information. Our objective was to identify the common themes related to the integration of environmental and health data, and suggest ways to address the challenges and make progress toward more effective use of data already collected, to further our understanding of environmental health associations in the Great Lakes region. Environmental and human health databases were identified and reviewed using literature searches and a series of one-on-one and group expert consultations. Databases identified were predominantly environmental stressors databases, with fewer found for health outcomes and human exposure. Nine themes or factors that impact integration were identified: data availability, accessibility, harmonization, stakeholder collaboration, policy and strategic alignment, resource adequacy, environmental health indicators, and data exchange networks. The use and cost effectiveness of data currently collected could be improved by strategic changes to data collection and access systems to provide better opportunities to identify and study environmental exposures that may impact human health.

  5. Themes and Interplay of Beliefs in Mathematical Reasoning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumpter, Lovisa

    2013-01-01

    Upper secondary students' task solving reasoning was analysed with a focus on arguments for strategy choices and conclusions. Passages in their arguments for reasoning that indicated the students' beliefs were identified and, by using a thematic analysis, categorized. The results stress three themes of beliefs used as arguments for…

  6. The Impacts of Theme-Based Language Instruction: A Case Study of an Advanced Chinese Intensive Program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Song Jiang

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Theme-based language teaching under Content-Based Instruction (CBI is a pedagogical approach that emphasizes learning professional content along with language skills. This paper reports a case study on the impacts of a theme-based advanced Chinese intensive program in a university setting. It begins with a review of CBI and its theme-based approach and then discusses the program design, curriculum development, and instructional practice of the program. The impacts of the theme-based approach are examined based on the pre- and post-proficiency test results, learners’ self-reported surveys on the themes and topics, and the reading strategies covered in the program. Qualitative analysis of learners’ self-reflections and program evaluations is also presented. Based on the evidence collected, this paper argues that the theme-based model has positive impacts on improving language proficiency, preparing for academic and professional language use, cultivating strategic language learners, and revitalizing Chinese teaching at the superior level.

  7. Traffic Accident Investigation: A Suitable Theme for Teaching Mechanics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, P. K.

    1987-01-01

    Suggests the development of curriculum materials on the applications of physics to traffic accident investigations as a theme for teaching mechanics. Describes several standard investigation techniques and the physics principles involved, along with some sample exercises. (TW)

  8. Food safety in Thailand 2: Pesticide residues found in Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea), a commonly consumed vegetable in Asian countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wanwimolruk, Sompon; Kanchanamayoon, Onnicha; Phopin, Kamonrat; Prachayasittikul, Virapong

    2015-01-01

    There is increasing public concern over human health risks associated with extensive use of pesticides in agriculture. Regulation of pesticide maximum residue limits (MRLs) in food commodities is established in many developed countries. For Thailand, this regulation exists in law but is not fully enforced. Therefore, pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits have not been well monitored. This study investigated the pesticide residues in Chinese kale, a commonly eaten vegetable among Asians. The Chinese kale samples (N = 117) were purchased from markets in Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand, and analyzed for the content of 28 pesticides. Analysis was performed by the multiresidual extraction followed by GC–MS/MS. Of pesticides investigated, 12 pesticides were detected in 85% of the Chinese kale samples. Although carbaryl, deltamethrin, diazinon, fenvalerate and malathion were found in some samples, their levels were lower than their MRLs. However, in 34 samples tested, either carbofuran, chlorpyrifos, chlorothalonil, cypermethrin, dimethoate, metalaxyl or profenofos was detected exceeding their MRLs. This represents a 29% rate of pesticide detection above the MRL; a rate much higher than in developed countries. Washing vegetables under running water significantly reduced (p < 0.05) profenofos residues by 55%. The running water method did not significantly decrease cypermethrin residues in the samples but washing with vinegar did. Our research suggests that routine monitoring of pesticide residues is necessary to reduce the public health risks associated with eating contaminated vegetables. Washing vegetables before consumption is advisable as this helps to reduce the level of pesticide residues in our daily intake. - Highlights: • Significant pesticide residues were detected in Chinese kale sold in Thailand. • MRL exceedance was found and this was higher than that seen in developed countries. • Washing vegetables under running water can remove pesticide

  9. Food safety in Thailand 2: Pesticide residues found in Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea), a commonly consumed vegetable in Asian countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wanwimolruk, Sompon, E-mail: sompon-999@hotmail.com [Center for Innovation Development and Technology Transfer, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700 (Thailand); Kanchanamayoon, Onnicha [Center for Innovation Development and Technology Transfer, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700 (Thailand); Phopin, Kamonrat [Center for Innovation Development and Technology Transfer, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700 (Thailand); Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700 (Thailand); Prachayasittikul, Virapong [Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700 (Thailand)

    2015-11-01

    There is increasing public concern over human health risks associated with extensive use of pesticides in agriculture. Regulation of pesticide maximum residue limits (MRLs) in food commodities is established in many developed countries. For Thailand, this regulation exists in law but is not fully enforced. Therefore, pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits have not been well monitored. This study investigated the pesticide residues in Chinese kale, a commonly eaten vegetable among Asians. The Chinese kale samples (N = 117) were purchased from markets in Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand, and analyzed for the content of 28 pesticides. Analysis was performed by the multiresidual extraction followed by GC–MS/MS. Of pesticides investigated, 12 pesticides were detected in 85% of the Chinese kale samples. Although carbaryl, deltamethrin, diazinon, fenvalerate and malathion were found in some samples, their levels were lower than their MRLs. However, in 34 samples tested, either carbofuran, chlorpyrifos, chlorothalonil, cypermethrin, dimethoate, metalaxyl or profenofos was detected exceeding their MRLs. This represents a 29% rate of pesticide detection above the MRL; a rate much higher than in developed countries. Washing vegetables under running water significantly reduced (p < 0.05) profenofos residues by 55%. The running water method did not significantly decrease cypermethrin residues in the samples but washing with vinegar did. Our research suggests that routine monitoring of pesticide residues is necessary to reduce the public health risks associated with eating contaminated vegetables. Washing vegetables before consumption is advisable as this helps to reduce the level of pesticide residues in our daily intake. - Highlights: • Significant pesticide residues were detected in Chinese kale sold in Thailand. • MRL exceedance was found and this was higher than that seen in developed countries. • Washing vegetables under running water can remove pesticide

  10. Discourse Analysis and the teaching of Biochemistry: contextualized learning based on "alcoholic beverages" as generative theme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. M.; A. S. Lima; Conceição

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The World Health Organization classifies alcohol as a psychoactive substance capable of producing addiction, associated to various diseases and social problems. However, it is largely consumed in the various social strata by youngster which ultimately leads to its common practice. These individuals know little about the harms posed by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. In this scenario, education is a major promoter of change in this longstanding social behavior. This study aimed at promoting the consolidation of the teaching of Biology by using alcohol as generative themes for the development of contents in Biochemistry, as well as elaborating a methodology that will stimulate learning about ethanol metabolism. A research was carried out with 316 individuals in the age group 13-19, enrolled in four public High Schools in the Municipality of Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ. Prevalence of alcoholic beverages was identified among 72%, and beginning of such habit was found in the 13-15 age group motivated by curiosity or peer influence. Considering these data, an educational methodology was developed based on the concept of generative themes by Paulo Freire and structured by Delizoicov (2007. To verify the value of such methodology in Biochemistry classroom, data was collected by applying a questionnaire and images with texts produced by students. Several didactic resources designed by the authors were used, such as slide presentation and a roulette game named “Bioquimicados”. Critical analysis of texts written by students were carried out before and after the class using DTA. Students developed more grounded scientific concepts, making use of terms common in scientific language. This suggests that the use of the Generating Issue in a lesson based on problematization, and supported by a ludic activity, provided a meaningful contribution to improve the students' understanding of the scientific content. A non-traditional class promotes

  11. Science in the Press in Nine Latin American Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luisa Massarani

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this article is to present a panorama of the journalistic coverage of science and technology themes in Latin America, taking as a case study 12 newspapers of signifcant impact in the region, involving nine countries. We collected the stories published in the science section from January to April 2006, and analyzed them based on the constructed week methodology and using quantitative tools. In total, our sample amounted to 681 stories. Among our fndings, we observed an important presence of medicine and health issues as main topics of the stories. National science has space in the newspapers, although less than scientifc results from developed countries. Benefts are stressed in the stories, while a low level of controversies is observed. Scientists are the main source for the journalists, with a low representation of the former in stereotyped images in most of the newspapers.

  12. Behavior as a common focus of toxicology and nutrition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weiss, B.

    1980-01-01

    Behavior as an index of toxicity parallels its role as an index of nutritional impairment, just as toxicology and nutrition share other common themes. Intersections among the three disciplines arise because foodstuffs serve as one of the major routes of toxic exposure and also because food elements modify toxicity. With this perspective, the safety of our food supply is examined in the contexts of essential nutrients, toxins, toxic metals, manufactured contaminants, self-administered toxicants, and food additives.

  13. A Qualitative Analysis of Stress and Relaxation Themes Contributing to Burnout in First-Year Psychiatry and Medicine Residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Nicole M; Chaukos, Deanna; Vestal, Heather; Chad-Friedman, Emma F; Denninger, John W; Borba, Christina P C

    2018-05-14

    Qualitative research on trainee well-being can add nuance to the understanding of propagators of burnout, and the role for interventions aimed at supporting well-being. This qualitative study was conducted to identify (i) situations and environments that cause stress for trainees, (ii) stress-reducing activities that trainees utilize, and (iii) whether trainees who report distress (high burnout and depression scores) describe different stressors and relaxation factors than those who do not. The study was conducted with a convenience sample of first-year medicine and psychiatry residents at a large urban teaching hospital. Participants were asked to complete electronic stress and relaxation diaries daily for 1 week. Diary entries were coded for recurrent themes. Participants were screened for burnout and depression. Codes were compared by subgroup based on baseline burnout and depression status to elucidate if specific themes emerged in these subgroups. Study sample included 51 interns. Sixteen (16/50, 32%) screened positive for burnout and three (3/50, 14%) had a positive depression screen. The most common stressors related to aspects of the learning environment, compounded by feeling under-equipped, overwhelmed, or out of time. The majority of relaxation activities involved social connection, food, other comforts, and occurred outside of the hospital environment. This study reveals that interns (regardless of burnout or depression screen) identify stressors that derive primarily from organizational, interpersonal, and cultural experiences of the learning environment; whereas relaxation themes are diversely represented across realms (home, leisure, social, health), though emphasize activities that occur outside of the work place.

  14. EMERGING COMMON LAW DECISIONS IN GOODWILL ACCOUNTING REGULATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radu-Daniel LOGHIN

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available In respect to financial reporting, statutory accounting standards and regulations form only a part of the normative landscape. Considering the case of common law countries, besides these classic sources of norms and practices there is an alternative base for exercising the professional judgement of the accountant, the case law precedents which drive and supplement in cases accounting regulations. For the purpose of this paper, goodwill accounting is explored from a normative perspective which draws from case law precedents in Zimbabwe and South Africa, two emerging common law countries which share a rich common law heritage, resulting in a set of findings relevant to the understanding of the nature of goodwill as well as an understanding of the factors which lead to early adoption of International Accounting Standards.

  15. 77 FR 43117 - Meeting of the Cold War Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-23

    ... the Cold War Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior... Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix, that the Cold War Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study will... National Park Service (NPS) concerning the Cold War Theme Study. DATES: The teleconference meeting will be...

  16. Ecological and Social Dimensions of Ecosystem Restoration in the Nordic Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dagmar Hagen

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available An international overview of the extent and type of ecological restoration can offer new perspectives for understanding, planning, and implementation. The Nordic countries, with a great range of natural conditions but historically similar social and political structures, provide an opportunity to compare restoration approaches and efforts across borders. The aim of this study was to explore variation in ecological restoration using the Nordic countries as an example. We used recent national assessments and expert evaluations of ecological restoration. Restoration efforts differed among countries: forest and peatland restoration was most common in Finland, freshwater restoration was most common in Sweden, restoration of natural heathlands and grasslands was most common in Iceland, restoration of natural and semi-cultural heathlands was most common in Norway, and restoration of cultural ecosystems, mainly abandoned agricultural land, was most common in Denmark. Ecological restoration currently does not occur on the Faroe Islands. Economic incentives influence ecological restoration and depend on laws and policies in each country. Our analyses suggest that habitat types determine the methods of ecological restoration, whereas socio-economic drivers are more important for the decisions concerning the timing and location of restoration. To improve the understanding, planning, and implementation of ecological restoration, we advocate increased cooperation and knowledge sharing across disciplines and among countries, both in the Nordic countries and internationally. An obvious advantage of such cooperation is that a wider range of experiences from different habitats and different socio-economic conditions becomes available and thus provides a more solid basis for developing practical solutions for restoration methods and policies.

  17. Wearout Effects of Different Advertising Themes: A Dynamic Bayesian Model of the Advertising-Sales Relationship

    OpenAIRE

    Frank M. Bass; Norris Bruce; Sumit Majumdar; B. P. S. Murthi

    2007-01-01

    Models of advertising response implicitly assume that the entire advertising budget is spent on disseminating one message. In practice, managers use different themes of advertising (for example, price advertisements versus product advertisements) and within each theme they employ different versions of an advertisement. In this study, we evaluate the dynamic effects of different themes of advertising that have been employed in a campaign. We develop a model that jointly considers the effects o...

  18. Features of information policy in the Nordic countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. A. Strunin

    2014-06-01

    A result of research features implementation of information policy in the Nordic countries it is possible to identify common characteristics of all the countries: access to information; create a national information potential; use of information resources in the national interest; create a common health information; promote international cooperation in the field of communication and information; warranty information sovereignty of the state; development of information infrastructure; development of e­government; enhance information literacy; use of ICT in all spheres of society – the economy, education, medicine and so on.

  19. Themes in human work interaction design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ørngreen, Rikke; Mark Pejtersen, Annelise; Clemmensen, Torkil

    2008-01-01

    Design (name HWID) through the last two and half years since the commencement of this Working Group. The paper thus provides an introduction to the theory and empirical evidence that lie behind the combination of empirical work studies and interaction design. It also recommends key topics for future......Abstract. This paper raises themes that are seen as some of the challenges facing the emerging practice and research field of Human Work Interaction Design. The paper has its offset in the discussions and writings that have been dominant within the IFIP Working Group on Human Work Interaction...

  20. Global Credit Risk: World, Country and Industry Factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schwaab, B.; Koopman, S.J.; Lucas, A.

    2017-01-01

    We investigate the dynamic properties of systematic default risk conditions for firms in different countries, industries and rating groups. We use a high-dimensional nonlinear non-Gaussian state-space model to estimate common components in corporate defaults in a 41 country samples between 1980:Q1

  1. Seeking Help in Domestic Violence Among Muslim Women in Muslim-Majority and Non-Muslim-Majority Countries: A Literature Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afrouz, Rojan; Crisp, Beth R; Taket, Ann

    2018-01-01

    Women from different backgrounds and cultures are at risk of domestic violence. Disclosing the abusive experience and seeking help is not straightforward and easy and might be a complicated and long-term process. Muslim women, like other groups of women, may face various barriers to disclose abusive relationships and for seeking help. Some of the barriers may be common for the majority of Muslim women in different contexts, while others might be related to women's situations and the wider society they live. To identify these barriers and make recommendations for future studies, this article reviews related papers conducted in both Muslim-majority and non-Muslim-majority countries. A critical systematic review of the literature was conducted for identifying Muslim women's barriers in disclosing abuse and seeking help. Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. The main identified barriers are discussed into under four themes: social context, family context, individual factors, and expectations of service providers. Although the researchers tried to investigate various barriers in seeking help, many of them have not focused on structural obstacles. Besides, in many Muslim-majority countries, the issue has not been explored. Therefore, the results of the current article will not apply to those countries. Recommendation for future research comprises more qualitative research compatible with the women's cultures and backgrounds in different societies, focusing more on structural and cultural factors to explore and find women's barriers to seek help.

  2. Child injury control: trends, themes, and controversies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Brian D; Ebel, Beth E

    2013-01-01

    Injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among US children, and an important driver of health status globally. Despite its enormous burden, injury is preventable. Over the last 10 years, significant progress has been made in the reduction of unintentional injury among US children. However, aggregate trends mask important disparities by age group, region, and injury mechanism. Basic and translation research is needed to develop and test prevention strategies to address these new or recalcitrant problems. Motor vehicle occupant injury has fallen to historic lows, but challenges remain in protecting novice drivers and managing the distraction of new technologies. Injury to pedestrians has also declined, but likely as a result of decreased exposure as fewer children walk. This calls for a broader public health perspective to promote activity while enhancing safety. Deaths due to drowning are common and illustrate the difficulty in measuring and promoting appropriate supervision. Environmental modification and use of protective products may be a more appropriate response. Concussion in sport is another challenging issue: public health laws promote identification and appropriate management of concussed athletes, but less progress has been made on primary prevention of these injuries. Unintentional poisoning is on the rise, attributable to misuse of, and overdose with, prescription opioids. Injury deaths to infants are also increasing. This trend is driven in part by better death investigation that classifies more sleep-related deaths as suffocation events. Finally, we examine a sample of cross-cutting themes and controversies in injury control that might be amenable to empiric evaluation. Copyright © 2013 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Preparedness against power crises in the Nordic countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abelsen, Atle

    2004-01-01

    In the so-called Akureyri declaration the Nordic energy ministers presented their requests and claims to the system operators about supply security and exchange capacity between the countries. Some special issues are grid strengthening, common principles for how to deal with export and import, and a common transmission system operator. The ministers want to make international lines a priority. A common, Nordic grid company is probably not of current interest. Of the transmission system operators, only Statnett (Norway) is ready to consider a supranational perspective. Although the Nordic energy market is the most well-functioning energy market in the world, the ministers are not entirely satisfied and want further improvement. The first step will be to work out organizational models for how the grid operation and system responsibility can be managed by the countries jointly and thus improve the preparedness. The major power customers fear that a power crisis in one country may cause a cascade outage to spread in the neighbouring countries without the authorities being prepared. Experts disagree about the likelihood of a power crisis the next years. However, consumption is increasing much faster than production. After the liberalization of the energy market in 1991, the investments in the physical power system have decreased dramatically

  4. COMMON APPROACH ON WASTE MANAGEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ANDREESCU Nicoleta Alina

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The world population has doubled since the 60’s, now reaching 7 billion – it is estimated it will continue growing. If in more advanced economies, the population is starting to grow old and even reduce in numbers, in less developed countries, population numbers are registering a fast growth. Across the world, the ecosystems are exposed to critical levels of pollution in more and more complex combinations. Human activities, population growth and shifting patterns in consumer nature are the main factors that are at the base of thin ever-growing burden on our environment. Globalization means that the consumer and production patterns from a country or a region contribute to the pressures on the environment in totally different parts of the world. With the rise of environmental problems, the search for solutions also begun, such as methods and actions aimed to protect the environment and to lead to a better correlation between economic growth and the environment. The common goals of these endeavors from participating states was to come up with medium and long term regulations that would lead to successfully solving environmental issues. In this paper, we have analyzed the way in which countries started collaborating in the 1970’s at an international level in order to come up with a common policy that would have a positive impact on the environment. The European Union has come up with its own common policy, a policy that each member state must implement. In this context, Romania has developed its National Strategy for Waste Management, a program that Romania wishes to use to reduce the quantity of waste and better dispose of it.

  5. Influence of memory theme and posttraumatic stress disorder on memory specificity in British and Iranian trauma survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jobson, Laura; Cheraghi, Sepideh

    2016-09-01

    This study investigated the influence of culture, memory theme and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on autobiographical memory specificity in Iranian and British trauma survivors. Participants completed the Autobiographical Memory Test and PTSD Diagnostic Scale. The results indicated that the British group provided significantly more personal-themed memories than the Iranian group, while the Iranian group provided significantly more social-themed memories than the British group. The British group also provided a significantly greater proportion of specific personal-themed and social-themed memories than the Iranian group. Overall, in both cultural groups memory specificity was found to be significantly correlated with PTSD symptoms. These findings provide further evidence that regardless of memory theme, specificity of autobiographical memories function to differentiate the self from others and reaffirm the independent self. They also further highlight that pan-culturally an overgeneral retrieval style may be employed by those with PTSD symptoms.

  6. STI Services for Adolescents and Youth in Low and Middle Income Countries: Perceived and Experienced Barriers to Accessing Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newton-Levinson, Anna; Leichliter, Jami S.; Chandra-Mouli, Venkatraman

    2017-01-01

    Access to sexual and reproductive health services (SRH) is vital for sexually active adolescents; yet, their SRH care needs are often unmet. We conducted a qualitative systematic review of mixed methods studies to assess adolescent and provider views of barriers to seeking appropriate medical care for sexually transmitted infection (STI) services for adolescents. We searched peer-reviewed literature for studies published between 2001–2014 with a study population of youth (aged 10–24 years) and/or health service providers. Nineteen studies were identified for inclusion from fifteen countries. Thematic analyses identified key themes across the studies. Findings suggest that youth lacked knowledge about STIs and services. Additionally, youth experienced barriers related to service availability and a lack of integration of services. The most reported barriers were related to acceptability of services. Youth reported avoiding services or having confidentiality concerns based on provider demographics and some behaviors. Finally, experiences of shame and stigma were common barriers to seeking care. Adolescents in low and middle income countries experience significant barriers in obtaining STI and SRH services. Improving uptake may require efforts to address clinic systems and provider attitudes, including confidentiality issues. Moreover, addressing barriers to STI services may require addressing cultural norms related to adolescent sexuality. PMID:27338664

  7. Trading electricity in the Nordic countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    An open market for electric power in the Nordic countries will require extensive common solutions of a range of economic, technical and political problems as a consequence of the natural monopoly of the transmission and distribution grid, and the need for supply reliability. The main objective is to establish and effective framework for competition in buying and selling electricity, both nationally and in a Nordic context, and to secure optimal resource allocation. The key participants are owners of the high-voltage grid and of the international grid connections. The objective should be to develop a 'point-tariff' system, a system for effective handling of bottlenecks, and an optimisation of further developments in the common high-voltage grid. Effective routines for measurement of the trade across the borders should be established. Institutions for power-trading should be developed, such as organised spot markets which should be established in Sweden and Finland. Transaction costs for trade between the spot markets in the different countries should be low. Until spot markets are established in Sweden and Finland, Statnett Marked should be made available for Sweden and Finish consumers and producers. Abuse of a domimant market position in a common market should be firmly discouraged. Different competition policies in the Nordic countries may give participants unequal possibilities to compete. (AB)

  8. Picking up the Pieces: Themes in Macedonian Midcareer Transitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sudnik, Paul

    2012-01-01

    Addressing midcareer transition in post-socialist Macedonia, this work sought to provide practical help to participants through a range of techniques. Four themes are identified as important options for transitioners. Enthusiasm for "entrepreneurship" is tempered by a lack of funds and "portfolio careers" are also viewed with…

  9. Violence and family bounds in Phaedra's theme

    OpenAIRE

    Soares, Filipe

    2016-01-01

    UID/HIS/04666/2013 In World Culture love is presented as one the major topics explored by its intervenients. Concerning our study, it presents love and sexuality in terms of its disruptiveness: they are characterized as a force that destabilizes the status quo of human communities, leading to situations of Love/ Violence and Love/ Death. From this point of view, the Theme of Phaedra (after Thompson‟s Motif-Index) can be analysed in this perspective. Its variations allow him to adapt to dif...

  10. Usability Evaluation in a Digitally Emerging Country

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lizano, Fulvio; Sandoval, Maria Marta; Bruun, Anders

    2013-01-01

    Several emerging countries experience increasing software development activities. With the purpose of provide useful feedback on possible courses of action for increasing application of usability evaluation in such countries, this paper explores the status of usability evaluation in a digitally...... emerging country. Our aim is to identifying common characteristics or behavioral patterns that could be compared with digitally advanced countries. We used an online survey answered by 26 software development organizations, which gave a snapshot of the application of usability evaluation...... in these organizations. We found many similarities with advanced countries, several completely new obstacles more connected with software development matters and a relatively positive improvement in the lack of “usability culture”. These findings suggest good conditions to improve conduction of usability evaluations...

  11. Global National Qualifications Framework Inventory: Country Cases from EU and ETF Partner Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2013

    2013-01-01

    Certificates, diplomas and titles are commonly known as qualifications. Their purpose is to show employers, training providers, and individuals what the person holding the qualification has learned and can do. Every country issues many different qualifications, but for the European labor market to work as intended--that is for European citizens to…

  12. What is shared, what is different? Core relational themes and expressive displays of eight positive emotions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campos, Belinda; Shiota, Michelle N; Keltner, Dacher; Gonzaga, Gian C; Goetz, Jennifer L

    2013-01-01

    Understanding positive emotions' shared and differentiating features can yield valuable insight into the structure of positive emotion space and identify emotion states, or aspects of emotion states, that are most relevant for particular psychological processes and outcomes. We report two studies that examined core relational themes (Study 1) and expressive displays (Study 2) for eight positive emotion constructs--amusement, awe, contentment, gratitude, interest, joy, love, and pride. Across studies, all eight emotions shared one quality: high positive valence. Distinctive core relational theme and expressive display patterns were found for four emotions--amusement, awe, interest, and pride. Gratitude was associated with a distinct core relational theme but not an expressive display. Joy and love were each associated with a distinct expressive display but their core relational themes also characterised pride and gratitude, respectively. Contentment was associated with a distinct expressive display but not a core relational theme. The implications of this work for the study of positive emotion are discussed.

  13. Play It Again, Sam! Adapting Common Games into Multimedia Models Used for Student Reviews.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metcalf, Karen K.; Barlow, Amy; Hudson, Lisa; Jones, Elizabeth; Lyons, Dennis; Piersall, James; Munfus, Laureen

    1998-01-01

    Provides guidelines on how to adapt common games such as checkers, tic tac toe, obstacle courses, and memory joggers into interactive games in multimedia courseware. Emphasizes creating generic games that can be recycled and used for multiple topics to save development time and keep costs low. Discusses topic themes, game structure, and…

  14. The Balkan Theme in The Secret of Chimneys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graham St. John Stott

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In The Secret of Chimneys (1925 Agatha Christie uses the all too familiar Balkan stereotypes of backwardness and brigandage, but not – as was usually the case at the time – as an Other to illustrate British virtue, but as a mirror to British vice. It is Britain, not the fictional Herzoslovakia, that is a nation of brigands. Herzoslovakia remains relatively unknown, as none of the novel’s scenes take place there, but it is described by disinterested observers as democratic and prosperous. In London, however, the Foreign Office plans to overthrow its government to secure oil rights promised by a royal heir-in-exile to a London-based financial consortium. Keywords: Christie, Balkans, Romania, oil, brigandsAgatha Christie’s The Secret of Chimneys (1925 has been faulted for being on the one hand a frothy mix of Anthony Hope and P. G. Wodehouse (Thompson 143 and on the other a mishmash of popular ethnic, national and regional stereotypes – including those of the Balkans (Todorova 122. It is, however, a far more subtle work than such accounts suggest. Though the influence of Hope and Wodehouse can certainly be seen in the novel’s story of princes in disguise (reminiscent of The Prisoner of Zenda and a country house setting that would have reminded readers of Blandings, its main plot addresses an important theme –and in exploring it Christie takes the Balkans very seriously. Oil has been found in the Republic of Herzoslovakia and the Foreign Office, represented by George Lomax, has secured the pledge of the exiled Prince Michael Obolovitch “to grant certain oil concessions” to a consortium led by Herman Isaacstein if the Obolovitchs are restored to power. In other words: to secure those concessions the British Government has committed itself to the overthrow of Herzoslovakia’s government. The Foreign Office’s interest in the Balkans might not have surprised Christie’s readers. The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company had held a monopoly on

  15. The Euro: Future Prospects and Consideration for Non-Euro Countries

    OpenAIRE

    Farhad Ghannadian; Irina Penovska

    2011-01-01

    Problem statement: Many more Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) have decided to adopt the euro. Given the attraction and uncertainties associated with moving into a common currency, the potential gains and losses of a currency adoption was of academic and political interest. The economic impact of implementing a common currency was examined by studying the before and after of those countries that have joined the currency union utilizing data from Eurostat. ...

  16. 全球教育的重要主題及其課程設計On Key Themes of Global Education and Their

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    林永豐 Yung-Feng Lin

    2012-09-01

    project between or among different countries. This paper went on to analyze the curriculum guideline for 1-9-year education and the indicators for 1-9 year international education. In general, ‘diversity and identity’ and ‘environment and sustainable development’ are commonly to be included in the current curriculum. On the contrary, ‘conflict and peace’ and ‘human right and social justice’ are less emphasized than others. It is recommended that different themes are all key aspects of global education and, therefore, should all be included into the curriculum for students to build up a more well-balanced global perspective.

  17. [Anthropology and oral health projects in developing countries].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grasveld, A E

    2016-01-01

    The mouth and teeth play an important role in social interactions around the world. The way people deal with their teeth and mouth, however, is determined culturally. When oral healthcare projects are being carried out in developing countries, differing cultural worldviews can cause misunderstandings between oral healthcare providers and their patients. The oral healthcare volunteer often has to try to understand the local assumptions about teeth and oral hygiene first, before he or she can bring about a change of behaviour, increase therapy compliance and make the oral healthcare project sustainable. Anthropology can be helpful in this respect. In 2014, in a pilot project commissioned by the Dutch Dental Care Foundation, in which oral healthcare was provided in combination with anthropological research, an oral healthcare project in Kwale (Kenia) was evaluated. The study identified 6 primary themes that indicate the most important factors influencing the oral health of school children in Kwale. Research into the local culture by oral healthcare providers would appear to be an important prerequisite to meaningful work in developing countries.

  18. Authorship, plagiarism and conflict of interest: views and practices from low/middle-income country health researchers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Taryn; Garner, Paul

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To document low/middle-income country (LMIC) health researchers’ views about authorship, redundant publication, plagiarism and conflicts of interest and how common poor practice was in their institutions. Design We developed a questionnaire based on scenarios about authorship, redundant publication, plagiarism and conflicts of interest. We asked participants whether the described practices were acceptable and whether these behaviours were common at their institutions. We conducted in-depth interviews with respondents who agreed to be interviewed. Participants We invited 607 corresponding authors of Cochrane reviews working in LMICs. From the 583 emails delivered, we obtained 199 responses (34%). We carried out in-depth interviews with 15 respondents. Results Seventy-seven per cent reported that guest authorship occurred at their institution, 60% reported text recycling. For plagiarism, 12% of respondents reported that this occurred ‘occasionally’, and 24% ‘rarely’. Forty per cent indicated that their colleagues had not declared conflicts of interest in the past. Respondents generally recognised poor practice in scenarios but reported that they occurred at their institutions. Themes identified from in-depth interviews were (1) authorship rules are simple in theory, but not consistently applied; (2) academic status and power underpin behaviours; (3) institutions and culture fuel bad practices and (4) researchers are uncertain about what conflict of interests means and how this may influence research. Conclusions LMIC researchers report that guest authorship is widely accepted and common. While respondents report that plagiarism and undeclared conflicts of interest are unacceptable in practice, they appear common. Determinants of poor practice relate to academic status and power, fuelled by institutional norms and culture. PMID:29170291

  19. The Underlying Theme of Shakespeare's Tragedy Tempest

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    谢倩

    2014-01-01

    The Tempest is one of William Shakespeare's famous play, which mainly focused on the magic and the Postcolonial oppression. The work exposed the crucial harm and inhumanity in those years. In order to demonstrate the deep meaning of this great work and everlasting influence it has made, this essay picks out two parts of its significant themes and gives them a detailed explanation. By demonstrate those profound meanings,the real value of The Tempest may be clearer and the readers can have a better understanding of it.

  20. Theme E: Forest Biomass and Bioenergy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bentsen, Niclas Scott; Stupak, Inge; Smith, C

    2014-01-01

    Several countries in the world have policies for increased use of biomass for energy and biomaterials. It is likely that such policies will lead to increased international demand for wood and increased pressure on the world’s forests. Concerns for forest sustainability have been expressed, especi...... challenges in the different regions for consideration by institutions developing energy biomass sourcing polices and biomass sustainability criteria in the public and private sector......., especially in the EU and its biomass importing countries. As countries and companies search worldwide for new biomass sourcing areas, there is a need to review and compare the biomass potentials in different regions and the associated forest sustainability challenges. We reviewed the literature to assess...

  1. Inuit Social Studies: A Variant on a Common Theme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolforth, John

    1998-01-01

    A social studies methods course for preservice Inuit student teachers in Canada mediated between the knowledge and professional skills required of social studies teachers as presented in the textbook and the knowledge brought by the Inuit students. Using genealogy, concept webs, and timelines, the instructor gave Inuit knowledge as much weight as…

  2. GREEK DEBT CRISIS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ROMANIAN ECONOMY: A STUDY REGARDING POVERTY ISSUES IN BOTH COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Maria Tuluc

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In Europe, Greece represents one of the most affected countries by the economic crisis.Greece officials are keenly aware of their debt situation and promise austerity measures tocut costs and boost their productivity growth. However, Greek debt crisis is rapidlyexpanding over other European countries, threatening international prospects for economicrecovery. This paper addresses some major aspects of Greece’s economic crisis whilediscussing the impact generated on Romanian economy. Based on the 2010 Eurobarometerreport, the article presents Greek consumers’ perceptions regarding the effects of the crisison their every day life. To explain the situation in Romania, the author organizes a surveyamong Romanian consumers on the same theme. Comparing the results, the author presentssimilar effects in both countries and proposes new directions of economic improvement.

  3. Trends in Literacy Software Publication and Marketing: Multicultural Themes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balajthy, Ernest

    This article provides data and discussion of multicultural theme-related issues arising from analysis of a detailed database of commercial software products targeted to reading and literacy education. The database consisted of 1152 titles, representing the offerings of 104 publishers and distributors. Of the titles, 62 were identified as having…

  4. New Themes and Approaches in Second Language Motivation Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dornyei, Zoltan

    2001-01-01

    Provides an overview of the current themes and research directions in second language motivation research. Argues that the initial research inspiration and standard-setting empirical work on second language motivation originating from Canada has borne fruit by educating a new generation of international scholars who have created a colorful mixture…

  5. The PAGES 2k Network, Phase 3: Themes and Call for Participation

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Gunten, L.; Mcgregor, H. V.; Martrat, B.; St George, S.; Neukom, R.; Bothe, O.; Linderholm, H. W.; Phipps, S. J.; Abram, N.

    2017-12-01

    The past 2000 years (the "2k" interval) provides critical context for understanding recent anthropogenic forcing of the climate and provides baseline information about the characteristics of natural climate variability. It also presents opportunities to improve the interpretation of proxy observations and to evaluate the climate models used to make future projections. Phases 1 and 2 of the PAGES 2k Network focussed on building regional and global surface temperature reconstructions for terrestrial regions and the oceans, and comparing these with model simulations to identify mechanisms of climate variation on interannual to bicentennial time scales. Phase 3 was launched in May 2017 and aims to address major questions around past hydroclimate, climate processes and proxy uncertainties. Its scientific themes are: Theme 1: "Climate Variability, Modes and Mechanisms"Further understand the mechanisms driving regional climate variability and change on interannual to centennial time scales; Theme 2: "Methods and Uncertainties"Reduce uncertainties in the interpretation of observations imprinted in paleoclimatic archives by environmental sensors; Theme 3: "Proxy and Model Understanding"Identify and analyse the extent of agreement between reconstructions and climate model simulations. Research is organized as a linked network of well-defined projects, identified and led by 2k community members. The 2k projects focus on specific scientific questions aligned with Phase 3 themes, rather than being defined along regional boundaries. New 2k projects can be proposed at any time at http://www.pastglobalchanges.org/ini/wg/2k-network/projects An enduring element of PAGES 2k is a culture of collegiality, transparency, and reciprocity. Phase 3 seeks to stimulate community based projects and facilitate collaboration between researchers from different regions and career stages, drawing on the breadth and depth of the global PAGES 2k community. All PAGES 2k projects also promote best

  6. Visit ALEPH experiment on the LEP collider by twenty-eight young scientists chosen to represent their respective countries

    CERN Multimedia

    Laurent Guiraud

    1998-01-01

    Following an international meeting of secondary school pupils on the theme of "Future Scientists: Women and Men" in Paris on 23 and 24 April. The aim of this meeting, which was organised by UNESCO, was to encourage young people, and girls in particular, to choose scientific studies and careers. Twenty-eight young scientists chosen to represent their respective countries visited the CERN site this week following an international meeting of secondary school pupils on the theme of "Future Scientists: Women and Men" in Paris on 23 and 24 April. The aim of this meeting, which was organised by UNESCO, was to encourage young people, and girls in particular, to choose scientific studies and careers.

  7. Human rights conflicts experienced by nurses migrating between developed countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palese, Alvisa; Dobrowolska, Beata; Squin, Anna; Lupieri, Giulia; Bulfone, Giampiera; Vecchiato, Sara

    2017-11-01

    Some developed countries have recently changed their role in the context of international recruitment, becoming donors due to socio-economical and political factors such as recessions. This is also the case in Italy, where there has been a flow of immigrant nurses out of the country that has been documented over the past several years. In a short time, it has become a donor country to other developed European countries, such as the United Kingdom. To advance knowledge in the context of human rights conflicts and ethical implications of the decision-making process of nurses who migrate between developed countries, such as from Italy to the United Kingdom, during times of recession. A case study based on the descriptive phenomenological approach was undertaken in 2014. Participants and research context: A total of 26 Italian newly graduated nurses finding a job in the United Kingdom were interviewed via Skype and telephone. Ethical considerations: The Internal Review Board of the University approved the project. In accordance with the descriptive phenomenological approach undertaken, three main themes emerged: (1) escaping from the feeling of being refused/rejected in order to be desired, (2) perceiving themselves respected, as a person and as a nurse, in a growth project and (3) returning if the country changes its strategy regarding nurses. Ethical implications in the context of human rights, such as autonomy of the decision, social justice and reciprocal obligation, non-maleficence and double effect, have been discussed. The call for investing in nurses and nurses' care in developed countries facing recession is urgent. Investing in nurses means respecting individuals and citizens who are at risk of developing health problems during the recession.

  8. Thirty years of artificial intelligence in medicine (AIME) conferences: A review of research themes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peek, Niels; Combi, Carlo; Marin, Roque; Bellazzi, Riccardo

    2015-09-01

    Over the past 30 years, the international conference on Artificial Intelligence in MEdicine (AIME) has been organized at different venues across Europe every 2 years, establishing a forum for scientific exchange and creating an active research community. The Artificial Intelligence in Medicine journal has published theme issues with extended versions of selected AIME papers since 1998. To review the history of AIME conferences, investigate its impact on the wider research field, and identify challenges for its future. We analyzed a total of 122 session titles to create a taxonomy of research themes and topics. We classified all 734 AIME conference papers published between 1985 and 2013 with this taxonomy. We also analyzed the citations to these conference papers and to 55 special issue papers. We identified 30 research topics across 12 themes. AIME was dominated by knowledge engineering research in its first decade, while machine learning and data mining prevailed thereafter. Together these two themes have contributed about 51% of all papers. There have been eight AIME papers that were cited at least 10 times per year since their publication. There has been a major shift from knowledge-based to data-driven methods while the interest for other research themes such as uncertainty management, image and signal processing, and natural language processing has been stable since the early 1990s. AIME papers relating to guidelines and protocols are among the most highly cited. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Individual, country, and journal self-citation in soil science

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Minasny, B.; Hartemink, A.E.; McBratney, A.

    2010-01-01

    Self-citation is common practice in most sciences but it differs between disciplines, countries and journals. Here we report on self-citation in soil science. We investigated citations in the major soil science journals and conducted an analysis on a country basis and for the subdiscipline of

  10. Non-EEA-doctors in EEA-countries: doctors or cleaners?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Herfs, Paul; Kater, L.; Haalboom, J.R.E.

    2007-01-01

    Background: Migration of non-EEA doctors to EEA-countries has become a common phenomenon. As coordination within the EEA has not yet been established, every EEA-country is re-inventing the wheel of assessment of foreign medical degrees and developing additional programmes for non-EEA doctors. There

  11. Differentiation vs. common targets in the climate change debate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dillon, J.

    1997-01-01

    A question of whether to impose common greenhouse gas emission targets and timetables on all nations was discussed. An examination of how different targets for different countries, based on national circumstances, might be implemented was presented, including a list of some of the factors that countries have put forward as criteria for differentiation. The advantages and disadvantages of a differentiated system of targets were described. It was argued that since the economic structures and the makeup of industries in any particular country are determining factors in the country's ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, not taking them into account is a certain invitation to failure. Developing countries, in particular, would benefit from a differentiated system of targets

  12. Reading LGBT-Themed Literature with Young People: What's Possible?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Caroline T.; Blackburn, Mollie V.

    2009-01-01

    The authors' belief that using LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender)-themed literature in schools is possible and necessary, coupled with students' sense that either it cannot or is not being done, prompted them to write this article. While the authors are sympathetic with students' perspectives, and agree that examples are limited, such…

  13. Suffering Daughters and Wives. Sentimental Themes in Finnish and Nordic Realism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saija Isomaa

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available This article examines sentimental themes and scenarios in Nordic nineteenthcentury literature, focusing on Finnish realism. The main claim of the article is that the treatment of the Woman Question in Nordic literature is thematically connected to French sentimentalism that depicted upper-class women caught in the conflict between personal freedom and familial duties. Typical scenarios were family barrier to marriage and love triangle, in which an unhappily married woman fell in love with another man. French sentimental social novels took a stance on the position of women. Similar themes and scenarios can be found in Nordic nineteenth-century novels and plays. The ‘daughter novel’ tradition from Fredrika Bremer’s The President’s Daughters (1834 to Minna Canth’s Hanna (1886 depict the sufferings of upper-class girls in patriarchal family and society. A Doll’s House (1879 by Henrik Ibsen centers on the theme of conflicting duties, depicting the moral awakening of a doll-like wife, and Papin rouva (1893, ‘The Wife of a Clergyman’ by Juhani Aho concentrates on the sufferings and moral considerations of the unhappily married Elli. The article suggests that the sentimentalist legacy informs the Nordic nineteenth-century literature and should be taken into account in the scholarship.

  14. A Political Campaign Strategy and Campaign Theme : How to Win a Political Campaign

    OpenAIRE

    河村, 直幸; Kawamura, Naoyuki

    2004-01-01

    The aim of this research paper is to introduce a political campaign strategy. A political campaign should do on a scientific system and needs effective strategy. Before political campaign begin, a candidate and its campaigner needs to analyze election district and sample voter opinion. An election campaign needs campaign theme. The creation of campaign theme needs careful and elaborate planning. A style of campaign varies according to incumbent or challenger. The developing of an effective po...

  15. Energy statistics and balances of non-OECD countries 1991-1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    Contains a compilation of energy production and consumption statistics for 85 non-OECD countries and regions, including developing countries, Central and Eastern European countries and the former Soviet Union. Data are expressed in original units and in common units for coal, oil, gas, electricity and heat. Historical tables for both individual countries and regions summarize data on coal, gas and electricity production and consumption since 1971. Similar data for OECD are available in the IEA publications Energy Statistics and Energy Balances of OECD Countries

  16. IEA countries energy policy. Report 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    The International Energy Agency is interested by the energy policy of its 23 members countries. This book sums up the evolution of energy policy in 1991 and 1992, sticking particularly to energy proposal and demand, to energy efficiency, to interaction between energy and environment, to the energy technology and to research and development activities. The 23 countries are examined regularly. The elaborate examinations refer to the energy policy of each member country to dictate the common orientation of their policy. Ministers meetings of IEA take place regularly. The latest took place in PARIS on the fourth of June 1993 where the ministers confirmed that there were essential elements of the energy policy and that they recommended to all countries to take that in account in the formulation of their strategies. Beyond the examinations by country, this book contains a whole report which throws into relief the main new acts which were happened in the IEA members countries and a glimpse on the evolution of the energy situation in the no members countries. It gives specific data and informations on the governmental budgets allocated to research and development energy activities. 6 annexes, 12 graphs., 5 tabs

  17. HIV/AIDS-related social anxieties in adolescents in three African countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venier, J L; Ross, M W; Akande, A

    1998-02-01

    This study examines the social anxieties associated with HIV prevention in adolescents in three African countries (Nigeria, Kenya, and Zimbabwe). The subjects used in this study were black Africans in form 2 or grade 10 in public high schools (Nigeria, n = 387; Kenya, n = 274; Zimbabwe n = 313). Subjects responded to the 33 item AIDS Social Assertiveness Scale (ASAS). Data indicated similar factor structures for each of the three countries and included five factors. The combined sample factor intercorrelations were modestly but significantly correlated. The mean scores for each factor were compared, and ANOVA of the factors by country, by gender, and by interaction between country and gender were performed. The factor structures were very similar between countries, each including five factors that had similar themes: condom interactions, refusal of risk, confiding in significant others, contact with people with HIV/AIDS, and general assertiveness. These factor structures were also very similar to one found in previous studies of Australian adolescents on the ASAS. The Kenyan means for four of the five factors were significantly lower than those for Nigeria, and were also significantly lower than the Zimbabwean means for two of the five factors, suggesting that Kenyan students are less anxious about social situations related to HIV/AIDS than others. Significant variance was found for several factors due to gender, country, and the interaction between gender and country. These results have important implications for designing education programs. The similarities of anxieties regarding HIV/AIDS social situations suggest that these clusters of social barriers to reduction of HIV infection risk might form the basis of educational interventions, and that dimensions of HIV social anxieties are similar across countries.

  18. Theme: The Role of Science in the Agricultural Education Curriculum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agricultural Education Magazine, 2002

    2002-01-01

    Thirteen theme articles discuss integration of science and agriculture, the role of science in agricultural education, biotechnology, agriscience in Tennessee and West Virginia, agriscience and program survival, modernization of agricultural education curriculum, agriscience and service learning, and biotechnology websites. (SK)

  19. Themes of Idealism and Nostalgia in Negritude Poetry | Okune ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The central thrust of this paper is on the themes of idealism and nostalgia in Negritude poetry. Some critics regard negritude poetry as being sentimental and idealistic. Though true, this observation may be explained by the fact that the historical antecedence that gave rise to this literacy art form, in the first place, ...

  20. Evolving a common surgical curriculum for ASEAN nations with a public health approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lum, Siew Kheong

    2013-03-01

    The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on medical practitioners' agreement will become a reality in the year 2015. Doctors registered in one ASEAN country will be given reciprocal recognition in another country under this agreement. Rapid and excessive movement of human resources between countries in a short span of time is undesirable and can be destabilizing. The surgical fraternity in the ASEAN countries should plan for a common surgical curriculum, a common examination and an ASEAN Board of Surgery so that standards of future trainees in different countries are comparable. The curriculum should take into consideration the diversity of the countries in socio-economic development. Ideally, it should be based on a public health approach to bring affordable quality surgical care to the masses in an efficient and effective manner. © 2013 The Author. ANZ Journal of Surgery © 2013 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  1. The Scandinavian countries and CERN's large 300 GeV accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steine, A.O.

    1977-01-01

    Following introductory chapters on the theme, the source material, the history, organisation and functioning of CERN and the place of nuclear research in the scientific research political landscape of the Scandinavian countries, the preliminary basis for the new 300 GeV synchroton, that it be sited elsewhere than in Switzerland is presented. The discussion as to whether Norway should offer a site is presented, and the reasons for the governments decision to do so given. The Swedish offer is also discussed. The discussions and attitudes in Sweden, Norway and Denmark to the first project are presented in turn, and their reasons for following the British rejection are given. The revised project is also described, and the discussions on this in the three countries are treated in turn. A chapter also describes Finland's relationship to CERN. In the final chapter certain aspects in e.g. the motivation of participants in the discussions are treated. (JIW)

  2. Management of Radioactive Wastes in Developing Countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdel Ghani, A.H.

    1999-01-01

    The management of radioactive wastes is one area of increasing interest especially in developing countries having more and more activities in the application of radioisotopes in medicine, research and industry. For a better understanding of radioactive waste management in developing countries this work will discuss the following items:Classification of countries with respect to waste management programs. Principal Radionuclides used in medicine, biological research and others and the range of radioactivity commonly used. Estimation of radioactive waste volumes and activities. Management of liquid wastes Collection. Treatment. Management of small volumes of organic liquid waste. Collection Treatment. Packaging and storage of radioactive wastes

  3. Currency Policy Coordination оf Asean Countries: Foreign Trade Effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yana Valeryevna Dyomina

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The study estimates foreign trade effects of currency policy measures in ASEAN countries. On the base of exchange rate dynamics the author concludes that during the period of 2000-2014 ASEAN countries in general used competitive devaluation policy of national currencies to CNY, JPY, KRW and EUR and revaluation to USD. To eliminate negative effects of competitive devaluation policy the paper proposes currency policy coordination of ASEAN countries that could be done by pegging of national currencies to a common basket. Employing the SAC (Stable Aggregate Currency method the author suggests 4 options for a common currency basket. The researcher estimates foreign trade effects of currency policy coordination in ASEAN countries for every option of a currency basket in three following cases: ASEAN as a whole, ASEAN-6 and ASEAN-4. The author concludes that the optimal form of currency policy coordination in ASEAN is pegging of exchange rates of national currencies to a common basket composed of 13 East Asian currencies. This currency basket option has maximum foreign trade effects for the Association as a whole and by sub-groups of ASEAN-6 and ASEAN-4 when it devaluates to the U.S. dollar

  4. TWHY CCCTB DISADVANTAGES LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela PÎRVU

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available From its appearance, the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base generated numerous de-bates and controversies since its effects cannot be precisely measured. Two of the factors in the formula for allocating common consolidated corporate tax base are susceptible to disadvantage some Member States. This paper demonstrates, by a case study in Romania, that the tax sharing mechanism, through the payroll factor, disadvantages less developed countries of the European Union. These countries will record losses of corporate income tax revenues.

  5. 29 CFR 780.709 - Size and equipment of a country elevator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Size and equipment of a country elevator. 780.709 Section... Employment by Small Country Elevators Within Area of Production; Exemption From Overtime Pay Requirements Under Section 13(b)(14) Establishment Commonly Recognized As A Country Elevator § 780.709 Size and...

  6. Interpreting hegemonic themes in the electronic forró

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean Henrique Costa

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Current investigation analyzes hegemonic themes in the music of electronic forró (Brazilian dance. The critical theory of Theodor W. Adorno and Cultural Studies revealed: a the main thematic patterns and clichés of the genre; b the meanings of these thematic patterns; c and some hypothetical implications for the consumer. The above implies certain relations of domination reinforced in and by the consumption of the electronic forró.

  7. Comparison of Radiation Protection Training in European Countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozelj, M.

    2001-01-01

    Full text: Practice and implementation of radiation protection in European countries and in majority of other countries all over the world relies on common principles and recommendations established by international organisations. These principles and recommendations were incorporated in national legislation ensuring similar and compatible standards of protection for occupationally exposed workers and members of the public. One of the basic requirements derived from international recommendations is also formal request for training of occupationally exposed workers. The final goals of the training are defined only indirectly through standards of safety and protection. Therefore national regulation regarding radiation protection training in particular country is a result of general approach to education and training, historical circumstances, influence and importance of nuclear technology and other factors influencing health protection and national well-being in general. The result is variety of national regulations ranging from very stringent and detailed to rather general and flexible. Nevertheless, results of implemented training do not differ sufficiently to significantly affect achieved standards of radiation protection. According to available information European countries implement radiation protection training in dissimilar ways. Institutions and organisations involved, as well as form and duration of training varies from country to country. Therefore, it is not possible to determine common rules just by reviewing radiation protection training in different countries. It is the intention of this contribution to analyse and discuss available information regarding radiation protection training and point out the necessity of international co-operation in this field, especially in the sense of the future trends. (author)

  8. Country variations in depressive symptoms profile in Asian countries: Findings of the Research on Asia Psychotropic Prescription (REAP) studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chee, Kok-Yoon; Tripathi, Adarsh; Avasthi, Ajit; Chong, Mian-Yoon; Xiang, Yu-Tao; Sim, Kang; Si, Tian-Mei; Kanba, Shigenobu; He, Yan-Ling; Lee, Min-Soo; Fung-Kum Chiu, Helen; Yang, Shu-Yu; Kuga, Hironori; Udormatn, Pichet; Kallivayalil, Roy A; Tanra, Andi J; Maramis, Margarita; Grover, Sandeep; Chin, Loi-Fei; Dahlan, Rahima; Mohamad Isa, Mohd Fadzli; Ebenezer, Esther Gunaseli M; Nordin, Norhayati; Shen, Winston W; Shinfuku, Naotaka; Tan, Chay-Hoon; Sartorius, Norman

    2015-09-01

    This study was to assess differences in the symptom profile of depressive illness across various countries/territories in Asia. The study was a part of the Research on Asia Psychotropic Prescription project. The participating countries/territories include China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. The pattern of depressive symptoms in 1,400 subjects with depressive disorder from 42 psychiatric centers in 10 Asian countries/territories was assessed. We collected information on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics with a standardized protocol and data collection procedure. The most common presentations of depressive symptoms were persistent sadness, loss of interest, and insomnia. Similar findings were found regardless of the region, country, or its income level. Patients with depressive disorder from high-income countries presented significantly more with vegetative symptom cluster (P countries had significantly more with both mood (P countries, patients with depressive symptoms had significantly less mood symptom cluster (P countries/territories, core depressive symptoms remain the same. Variations have been found in presentation of depressive symptoms with regards to the level of income of countries. Physical or vegetative symptoms were reported more by centers in higher income countries, while depressive cognition and suicidal thoughts/acts were more frequently reported from lower income countries. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  9. Giving structure to the biofilm matrix: an overview of individual strategies and emerging common themes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hobley, Laura; Harkins, Catriona; MacPhee, Cait E; Stanley-Wall, Nicola R

    2015-09-01

    Biofilms are communities of microbial cells that underpin diverse processes including sewage bioremediation, plant growth promotion, chronic infections and industrial biofouling. The cells resident in the biofilm are encased within a self-produced exopolymeric matrix that commonly comprises lipids, proteins that frequently exhibit amyloid-like properties, eDNA and exopolysaccharides. This matrix fulfils a variety of functions for the community, from providing structural rigidity and protection from the external environment to controlling gene regulation and nutrient adsorption. Critical to the development of novel strategies to control biofilm infections, or the capability to capitalize on the power of biofilm formation for industrial and biotechnological uses, is an in-depth knowledge of the biofilm matrix. This is with respect to the structure of the individual components, the nature of the interactions between the molecules and the three-dimensional spatial organization. We highlight recent advances in the understanding of the structural and functional role that carbohydrates and proteins play within the biofilm matrix to provide three-dimensional architectural integrity and functionality to the biofilm community. We highlight, where relevant, experimental techniques that are allowing the boundaries of our understanding of the biofilm matrix to be extended using Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, and Bacillus subtilis as exemplars. © FEMS 2015.

  10. Weaving the health and pharmaceutical care agenda through the themes of the commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM), London 2018.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutter, Victoria; Chan, Amy Hai Yan; Tuck, Chloe; Bader, Lina; Babar, Zaheer-Ud-Din; Bates, Ian

    2018-01-01

    The biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this year is based around four key themes: prosperity, fairness, sustainability and security. This is an opportune time to consider the role of pharmacists in healthcare delivery, and particularly their contribution to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a member of the Commonwealth Health Professions Alliance (CHPA), the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) has been working to ensure that pharmacy-related aspects of health are represented in the advocacy papers submitted by Civil Society. Echoing the CHPA's priorities around SDG 3 (health) and the attainment of sustainable universal health coverage (UHC), the CPA has been raising the profile of key priorities for our members, including: addressing the shortage of healthcare workers (with an emphasis on pharmacists); need for access to quality medicines and medicines information; tackling anti-microbial resistance and substandard/falsified medicines; and championing the role of digitalisation and partnerships. This editorial discusses how the work of the CPA links with the themes of CHOGM, the CPA's input into this meeting and the direction of travel 'Towards a Common Future' for health and pharmacy in the Commonwealth.

  11. Exploratory Analysis of Marketing and Non-marketing E-cigarette Themes on Twitter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Sifei; Kavuluru, Ramakanth

    2016-11-01

    Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) have been gaining popularity and have emerged as a controversial tobacco product since their introduction in 2007 in the U.S. The smoke-free aspect of e-cigs renders them less harmful than conventional cigarettes and is one of the main reasons for their use by people who plan to quit smoking. The US food and drug administration (FDA) has introduced new regulations early May 2016 that went into effect on August 8, 2016. Given this important context, in this paper, we report results of a project to identify current themes in e-cig tweets in terms of semantic interpretations of topics generated with topic modeling. Given marketing/advertising tweets constitute almost half of all e-cig tweets, we first build a classifier that identifies marketing and non-marketing tweets based on a hand-built dataset of 1000 tweets. After applying the classifier to a dataset of over a million tweets (collected during 4/2015 - 6/2016), we conduct a preliminary content analysis and run topic models on the two sets of tweets separately after identifying the appropriate numbers of topics using topic coherence. We interpret the results of the topic modeling process by relating topics generated to specific e-cig themes. We also report on themes identified from e-cig tweets generated at particular places (such as schools and churches) for geo-tagged tweets found in our dataset using the GeoNames API. To our knowledge, this is the first effort that employs topic modeling to identify e-cig themes in general and in the context of geo-tagged tweets tied to specific places of interest.

  12. Economic regulation of electricity grids in Nordic countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Robles, H.B.; EK, G. (Energy Markets Inspectorate, Eskilstuna (Sweden)); Ilonen, M.; Nurmi, S. (Energy Market Authority, Helsinki (Finland)); Moelgaard Jakobsen, N. (Danish Energy Regulatory Authority, Copenhagen (Denmark)); Syvertsen, S.C.; Steinnes, S.H. (Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, Oslo (Norway))

    2011-12-15

    This report is about the design of economic regulation of electricity companies in the Nordic countries. The purpose is to inform the interested reader on how the regulation of tariffs is designed. The intention is to give a short overview on the current economic regulation with an ambition to focus on differences and similarities. A common feature of the electricity distribution sector is that the industry structure consists of many independent companies with great differences in size and density of customers. This is contrary to what is common in other countries. The regulatory task can be more challenging with many separate utilities to regulate, especially if the industry is very heterogenous. In the appendices, the economic regulation of each country is presented in more detail. In the main text the focus is on differences and similarities. When comparing the regulations one can make two observations. On a superior level there are great similarities. All Nordic countries regulate the network companies by setting revenue caps. The legislation, the goals given to the regulators and the regulators general interpretation of the rules are to a great extent the same. The primary purposes are to prevent the monopolist to overcharge customers and to create a rational network industry. The regulation shall stimulate an effective management resulting in productivity development and optimal quality of the services. The differences in the Nordic economic regulations are in the details - in the setup of the regulatory models and choice of parameters. For instance; the assessment of a reasonable rate-of-return is done in all the regulations. When deciding this rate-of-return some countries use the method of weighted cost of capital (WACC) and capital asset pricing model (CAPM), other do not. Even when using the same method, the inputs in the model are not the same. Common for the regulatory models are the division of costs related to capital costs and operating costs. The

  13. Psychologists' study on how to communicate on the theme of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guilloux, Christine

    2000-01-01

    In 1998, EDF organized a study on how to communicate on the theme of nuclear waste to help understand why communication on this theme seems to be stuck. This study has involved many psychotherapists, psychologists and physicians from different schools of thought. Afterwards a team of internal and external consultants continued the work in 1999 and explored 'the hidden aspects' of the communication that is made on nuclear waste. What are those aspects? What has to be taken into account in such a communication on a theme that is 'absorbing', 'strong', 'invisible'? How to build a more efficient and relevant communication towards the public and the ecologists? How to build a communication which opens up a dialogue and mutual understanding? The first part of this qualitative study has been devoted to interviewing the psychotherapists in a non directive way on what are the representations and beliefs about waste in general, then about nuclear waste. The second part was centered on their reactions to a pamphlet 'Nuclear waste in questions' and a video document (of a presentation of a paper given on the subject). This presentation describes the findings of this study

  14. Psychologists' study on how to communicate on the theme of nuclear waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guilloux, Christine

    2000-07-01

    In 1998, EDF organized a study on how to communicate on the theme of nuclear waste to help understand why communication on this theme seems to be stuck. This study has involved many psychotherapists, psychologists and physicians from different schools of thought. Afterwards a team of internal and external consultants continued the work in 1999 and explored 'the hidden aspects' of the communication that is made on nuclear waste. What are those aspects? What has to be taken into account in such a communication on a theme that is 'absorbing', 'strong', 'invisible'? How to build a more efficient and relevant communication towards the public and the ecologists? How to build a communication which opens up a dialogue and mutual understanding? The first part of this qualitative study has been devoted to interviewing the psychotherapists in a non directive way on what are the representations and beliefs about waste in general, then about nuclear waste. The second part was centered on their reactions to a pamphlet 'Nuclear waste in questions' and a video document (of a presentation of a paper given on the subject). This presentation describes the findings of this study.

  15. Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Common Gram-negative ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: The resistance of bacteria causing urinary tract infection (UTI) to commonly prescribed antibiotics is increasing both in developing and developed countries. Resistance has emerged even to more potent antimicrobial agents. This study was undertaken to determine the current antibiotic resistance pattern ...

  16. Treatment of the Theme Islam in German Geographical Education: Case Study of Bavarian Geographical Curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zecha, Stefanie; Popp, Stephan

    2014-01-01

    Several previous studies have looked at the treatment of Islam and Muslim culture in western curricula. However in Germany, especially in Bavaria where Muslim immigration has been growing since the 1990s, no recent research has covered this theme. As a first step, an exploratory study of Islamic themes in the curricula of Bavarian secondary…

  17. The prevalence of toxic hotspots in former Soviet countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharov, Petr; Dowling, Russell; Gogishvili, Megi; Jones, Barbara; Caravanos, Jack; McCartor, Andrew; Kashdan, Zachary; Fuller, Richard

    2016-01-01

    Using a global database of contaminated sites, toxic hotspots in eight former Soviet countries were analyzed to identify the prevalence, types and sources of toxic pollution, as well as their associated potential public health impacts. For this analysis, polluted sites in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan were compiled and analyzed. The levels of contamination of seven key pollutants were assessed in each country. 424 contaminated sites were identified using data from Blacksmith Institute. Pesticides, lead (Pb), radioactive metals, arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), and cadmium (Cd) were the most commonly identified key pollutants. Collectively, these sites pose health risks to an estimated 6.2 million residents. The existing data on toxic hotspots in former Soviet countries likely captures only a small percentage of actual contaminated sites, but suggests potentially severe public health consequences. Additional assessments are needed to understand the risks posed by toxic pollution in the region. - Highlights: • Pollution in 8 former Soviet countries poses a health risk to 6.2 million residents. • The most commonly found key pollutants are pesticides, lead, arsenic, and cadmium. • The majority of sites can be traced to Soviet legacy pollution. - 424 sites were identified in the analysis. Pesticides, Pb, radioactive metals, As, Hg, Cr, and Cd were the most common key pollutants, collectively affecting 6.2 million people.

  18. Analysis of human resources for health strategies and policies in 5 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, in response to GFATM and PEPFAR-funded HIV-activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cailhol, Johann; Craveiro, Isabel; Madede, Tavares; Makoa, Elsie; Mathole, Thubelihle; Parsons, Ann Neo; Van Leemput, Luc; Biesma, Regien; Brugha, Ruairi; Chilundo, Baltazar; Lehmann, Uta; Dussault, Gilles; Van Damme, Wim; Sanders, David

    2013-10-25

    Global Health Initiatives (GHIs), aiming at reducing the impact of specific diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), have flourished since 2000. Amongst these, PEPFAR and GFATM have provided a substantial amount of funding to countries affected by HIV, predominantly for delivery of antiretroviral therapy (ARV) and prevention strategies. Since the need for additional human resources for health (HRH) was not initially considered by GHIs, countries, to allow ARV scale-up, implemented short-term HRH strategies, adapted to GHI-funding conditionality. Such strategies differed from one country to another and slowly evolved to long-term HRH policies. The processes and content of HRH policy shifts in 5 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa were examined. A multi-country study was conducted from 2007 to 2011 in 5 countries (Angola, Burundi, Lesotho, Mozambique and South Africa), to assess the impact of GHIs on the health system, using a mixed methods design. This paper focuses on the impact of GFATM and PEPFAR on HRH policies. Qualitative data consisted of semi-structured interviews undertaken at national and sub-national levels and analysis of secondary data from national reports. Data were analysed in order to extract countries' responses to HRH challenges posed by implementation of HIV-related activities. Common themes across the 5 countries were selected and compared in light of each country context. In all countries successful ARV roll-out was observed, despite HRH shortages. This was a result of mostly short-term emergency response by GHI-funded Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and to a lesser extent by governments, consisting of using and increasing available HRH for HIV tasks. As challenges and limits of short-term HRH strategies were revealed and HIV became a chronic disease, the 5 countries slowly implemented mid to long-term HRH strategies, such as formalisation of pilot initiatives, increase in HRH production and mitigation of internal migration of HRH

  19. Further themes in Christian drama in Nigeria | Agoro | EJOTMAS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We have used the following plays to illustrate the themes we are going to discuss in this paper: Cold Wings of Darkness and The Living Dead by A.E Anigala, Trial of the Beautiful Ones by Catherine Acholonu,The Secrets of the Devil, The beginning of the End and The Last Generation by Mike Bamiloye,The Church is the ...

  20. Identifying and Addressing Themes of Job Dissatisfaction for Secondary Principals

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Jong, David; Grundmeyer, Trent; Yankey, Julie

    2017-01-01

    Secondary principals serve in important roles that are complex, high-stress, and include demanding job responsibilities. Key stakeholders such as superintendents, school board members, and legislators must understand the challenges facing secondary principals in order to address the current themes of job dissatisfaction. Using new survey data…

  1. Using Sustainability Themes and Multidisciplinary Approaches to Enhance STEM Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, Michael; Pfaff, Thomas; Hamilton, Jason; Erkan, Ali

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on the Multidisciplinary Sustainability Education Project (MSEP) as a framework using sustainability-themed education modules to introduce students to the need for multidisciplinary approaches to solving twenty-first-century problems while retaining traditional course strengths and content.…

  2. Predictors of patients' satisfaction with health care services in three balkan countries (macedonia, bulgaria and serbia): a cross country survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazarevik, Vladimir; Kasapinov, Blasko

    2015-02-01

    Patients' satisfaction with provided healthcare services is one of the factors to measure the overall quality of the delivered health care. Main objective of our study was to determine the common predictors associated with patients 'satisfaction in three Balkan countries. We conducted web based survey among population in Macedonia, Serbia and Bulgaria using paid campaign over the social network Facebook. A questionnaire consisted of 31 questions was developed following studies on patients' satisfaction conducted elsewhere. Descriptive analysis was performed to assess the predictors associated with patients' satisfaction. In addition we performed content analysis to all open-ended responses. In total 4118 respondents participated in the survey. Main predictors associated with low users satisfaction with the health care services in three surveyed countries are waiting time to appointments, huge administrative procedures, and attitudes of the medical personnel towards the patients. The analysis showed that there are many similarities in user experiences in three countries, but also there are some differences. The health care systems in these three counties are organized around centralized and monopolistic position of one health insurance fund that serves as main purchaser of health care services. Top three indicators of patients' satisfaction across three countries are trust and overall satisfaction with the attention of the doctors, as well as satisfaction with the outcome of the treatment. Long waiting time and huge administrative procedures are determined as common predictor for lower patients' satisfaction across these Balkan countries. Patients' privacy protection is issue for concern in all three countries.

  3. Drug addict deaths in the Nordic countries: a study based on medicolegally examined cases in the five Nordic countries in 1991

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steentoft, Anni; Teige, Brita; Holmgren, Per

    1996-01-01

    The study includes medicolegally examined deaths among drug addicts in 1991 in the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. A common definition of ‘drug addict’ was applied by the participating countries. The greatest number of drug addict deaths per 105 inhabitants...... was observed in Denmark followed, in descending order by Norway, Sweden, Finland and finally Iceland with only four deaths. The main difference between the countries was found in the number of fatal poisonings. The distribution according to geographical regions showed that about half of all drug addict deaths...

  4. Exploring themes and challenges in developing sustainable supply chains – A complexity theory perspective

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abbasi, Maisam

    identify, classify, and tackle the challenges that can hinder the execution of such strategies. To develop innovative strategies, the patterns of current trends and themes need to be learned and the missing ones need to be identified. The purpose of this research was to explore themes and challenges......To develop sustainable supply chains in a way that their negative environmental and social effects are minimized, shortand long-term targets should be set. The transformation of supply chains towards these targets calls for the development of innovative strategies and the need to continuously...... in developing sustainable supply chain activities from theoretical and empirical perspectives. Six research studies (RS) were designed and carried out. Two explored the patterns of the themes and challenges in making supply chains environmentally and socially sustainable in general (RS1, RS2). One explored...

  5. Enhancing Students’ Local Knowledge Through Themed Garden Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esa Norizan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Traditional or local knowledge is a major issue to be focused on, particularly since the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the Aichi Targets “Living in Harmony with Nature”. According to the strategic goals, by 2020, conservation of biodiversity and its sustainable use incorporate what local and indigenous communities have within their traditional knowledge, innovation and practice and their customary use of biological resources are respected at all relevant levels. The older generation among the local people usually use medicinal herbs for various ailments, health care and other cultural purposes. However, encroaching industrialization and the changes in today’s life styles are responsible for the decreasing practice in the local use of herbs especially for healing purposes. It is, therefore, felt worthwhile to encourage young generations such as school children to gain knowledge about these local herbs and record the native uses of these herbs before the information is lost. One biodiversity education program was conducted to facilitate secondary school students to set up a themed garden and find out the local knowledge of the plants they grew in their garden from their family members or communities. The findings revealed that students’ local knowledge on healing improved after they joined the program. Therefore, it is proposed that the themed garden project can enhance students’ local knowledge.

  6. Authorship, plagiarism and conflict of interest: views and practices from low/middle-income country health researchers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohwer, Anke; Young, Taryn; Wager, Elizabeth; Garner, Paul

    2017-11-22

    To document low/middle-income country (LMIC) health researchers' views about authorship, redundant publication, plagiarism and conflicts of interest and how common poor practice was in their institutions. We developed a questionnaire based on scenarios about authorship, redundant publication, plagiarism and conflicts of interest. We asked participants whether the described practices were acceptable and whether these behaviours were common at their institutions. We conducted in-depth interviews with respondents who agreed to be interviewed. We invited 607 corresponding authors of Cochrane reviews working in LMICs. From the 583 emails delivered, we obtained 199 responses (34%). We carried out in-depth interviews with 15 respondents. Seventy-seven per cent reported that guest authorship occurred at their institution, 60% reported text recycling. For plagiarism, 12% of respondents reported that this occurred 'occasionally', and 24% 'rarely'. Forty per cent indicated that their colleagues had not declared conflicts of interest in the past. Respondents generally recognised poor practice in scenarios but reported that they occurred at their institutions. Themes identified from in-depth interviews were (1) authorship rules are simple in theory, but not consistently applied; (2) academic status and power underpin behaviours; (3) institutions and culture fuel bad practices and (4) researchers are uncertain about what conflict of interests means and how this may influence research. LMIC researchers report that guest authorship is widely accepted and common. While respondents report that plagiarism and undeclared conflicts of interest are unacceptable in practice, they appear common. Determinants of poor practice relate to academic status and power, fuelled by institutional norms and culture. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  7. An exploration of the alcohol policy environment in post-conflict countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, Karen; Roberts, Bayard

    2014-01-01

    Populations in countries emerging from armed conflict may have elevated levels of harmful alcohol use due to risk factors such as trauma exposure, increased daily stressors, elevated levels of mental health disorders, urbanization, and weak alcohol control policies and institutions. This study explores the challenges and opportunities for strengthening alcohol control policies in post-conflict countries. Exploratory qualitative approach: experts (from United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and independent consultants) selected on the basis of their experience were interviewed. Thematic analysis identified key emergent themes. Perceived challenges to addressing harmful alcohol use in post-conflict countries included: lack of priority and recognition among key actors; limited resources and capacity, including in policy enforcement; and the role of the alcohol industry. Perceived opportunities included: increasing recognition of the harmful health and social effects of alcohol globally; sharing information, experience, and expertise to more effectively strengthen alcohol control policies; and collecting better data to advocate and inform stronger alcohol policies. This exploratory study provides a starting point to better understand the alcohol policy environment in post-conflict settings but considerably more research is required.

  8. ‘Feeling of despair’ as the leading cluster theme of conceptual descriptive analyses in participatory assessment: Russia Oxfam GB case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venera Zakirova

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This article provides a case study on participatory assessment based on experience gained from an EU–Oxfam GB project entitled “Empowering Municipalities to Effectively Address Poverty” conducted in five small towns in Russia. Participatory assessment through focus group discussions (FGDs was the main approach used in the implementation of the project. A participatory assessment was performed through 25 FGDs in five remote areas in central Russia. More than 200 participants representing people living in poverty, such as single mothers, people with disabilities, families with many children, families with disabled children, and pensioners, voluntarily participated in the meetings. Most of the participants were women (75% aged between 25 and 70 years. We consider that the participants’ representation is relevant in accordance with the official poverty studies. Through identification of patterns of recurrent ideas and opinions, a qualitative method helps us understand social phenomena from the views of and on the basis of the opinions of the participants. The FGDs’ narratives underwent pattern analysis, resulting in the framing of the cluster themes and narrative conceptualization. Cluster analysis of the FGDs’ narratives led to the framing of 10 cluster themes of importance, followed by conceptual descriptions and related narratives. The conceptual description of the leading theme, feeling of despair (theme 1, was described by respondents’ expressions/narratives, such as “Nobody needs us and there is no future for us and our children in this town,” the narrative idea that crosscuts the subsequent themes. The following nine themes are of equal importance, are interlinked, and for the major part constitute the leading theme, feeling of despair (theme 1: state social and family support (theme 2; health care (theme 3; who are those living in poverty? (theme 4; housing (theme 5; living costs (theme 6; employment (theme 7; children

  9. A case study of polypharmacy management in nine European countries: Implications for change management and implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McIntosh, Jennifer; Alonso, Albert; MacLure, Katie; Stewart, Derek; Kempen, Thomas; Mair, Alpana; Castel-Branco, Margarida; Codina, Carles; Fernandez-Llimos, Fernando; Fleming, Glenda; Gennimata, Dimitra; Gillespie, Ulrika; Harrison, Cathy; Illario, Maddalena; Junius-Walker, Ulrike; Kampolis, Christos F; Kardas, Przemyslaw; Lewek, Pawel; Malva, João; Menditto, Enrica; Scullin, Claire; Wiese, Birgitt

    2018-01-01

    Multimorbidity and its associated polypharmacy contribute to an increase in adverse drug events, hospitalizations, and healthcare spending. This study aimed to address: what exists regarding polypharmacy management in the European Union (EU); why programs were, or were not, developed; and, how identified initiatives were developed, implemented, and sustained. Change management principles (Kotter) and normalization process theory (NPT) informed data collection and analysis. Nine case studies were conducted in eight EU countries: Germany (Lower Saxony), Greece, Italy (Campania), Poland, Portugal, Spain (Catalonia), Sweden (Uppsala), and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland and Scotland). The workflow included a review of country/region specific polypharmacy policies, key informant interviews with stakeholders involved in policy development and implementation and, focus groups of clinicians and managers. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis of individual cases and framework analysis across cases. Polypharmacy initiatives were identified in five regions (Catalonia, Lower Saxony, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Uppsala) and included all care settings. There was agreement, even in cases without initiatives, that polypharmacy is a significant issue to address. Common themes regarding the development and implementation of polypharmacy management initiatives were: locally adapted solutions, organizational culture supporting innovation and teamwork, adequate workforce training, multidisciplinary teams, changes in workflow, redefinition of roles and responsibilities of professionals, policies and legislation supporting the initiative, and data management and information and communication systems to assist development and implementation. Depending on the setting, these were considered either facilitators or barriers to implementation. Within the studied EU countries, polypharmacy management was not widely addressed. These results highlight the importance of change

  10. Rendezvous with the World: Missouri Southern State University's Themed Semesters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stebbins, Chad

    2011-01-01

    Although most universities emphasize study abroad as the primary vehicle to internationalize the campus, in reality only a small percentage of students actually participate in this endeavor. The internationally themed semesters at Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) reach virtually every student, and provide a global perspective and cultural…

  11. The Great Pyramid Builders: An Integrated Theme on Ancient Egypt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stone, Brian

    2008-01-01

    This article describes a themed classroom project designed to teach about the culture and civilization of ancient Egypt. In preparing the project, it is noted that teachers should remember that different learning styles, including activities that provide meaningful experiences, are appropriate in accommodating the various ways children learn.…

  12. Terror Park: A future theme park in 2100

    OpenAIRE

    Wright, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    In the future, tourism and entertainment could be displayed as spectacles of horror, where consumers are offered and opportunity to revisit the tragedies of the past. Current displays of death where the past is exhibited and consumed as fun, scary and as entertainment productions are widespread. The movie industry provides horror to all ages, children can be exposed to the goulash past in various forms, such as the popular book series ‘Horrible Histories’. Theme parks, rides and roller-coaste...

  13. Museums as Theme Parks - A Possible Marketing Approach?

    OpenAIRE

    Alexandra ZBUCHEA

    2015-01-01

    Museums compete increasingly more with very diverse entertainment providers, such as theme parks, despite the fact that their offer is mainly cultural. Museums have had to be more active and they have had to diversify their offer, in order to be more popular, therefore to better achieve their complex cultural missions. They should be more “market oriented” and aim to develop their programs according with their visitors’ needs and desires, as well as with the evolutions in the contemporary soc...

  14. Dementia in Eastern Mediterranean countries: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaghmour, Sara Mahmoud; Bartlett, Ruth; Brannelly, Tula

    2018-01-01

    Globally, there is an increase in the older population, whose lives are affected by local cultural norms. In Eastern Mediterranean countries, dementia is conventionally hidden from view with few dedicated services or recognition for diagnosis. The aim of this systematic review is to explore the limited literature on dementia and cognitive impairment among older people in Eastern Mediterranean countries to present an evaluation of current practices and to consolidate knowledge for future planning. Thirty-three studies were identified for inclusion in the review, and four themes were apparent. Firstly, prevalence, comorbidity and gender: In Eastern Mediterranean countries, many studies identify that the prevalence of dementia is high. As is the case elsewhere, many older adults in Eastern Mediterranean countries have at least one coexisting long-term condition, and some experience low life-satisfaction. Secondly, culture: In Eastern Mediterranean countries, the older adult is highly respected, and placement outside of the family home is considered an abandonment of family duty. The term dementia carries stigma, and it is widely believed that dementia is caused by 'fate'. Thirdly, recognition and tools: There is a lack of verified assessment instruments to assess for dementia. Despite concerns about the cultural appropriateness of the Mini-Mental State Exam, particularly for people who have low literacy levels, and low literacy being the norm in Eastern Mediterranean countries, the Mini-Mental State Examination is the main assessment instrument. Translation and transition of non-Arabic assessment instruments and tools with psychometric properties presents a challenge for clinicians. Finally, workforce issues: health care workers lack knowledge about dementia, as dementia care is a relatively recent addition to the nursing and medical syllabi. While there were some inconsistencies in the papers published, many of the articles call for increasing educational programmes

  15. Research for food and health in Europe: themes, needs and proposals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCarthy, Mark; Aitsi-Selmi, Amina; Bánáti, Diána; Frewer, Lynn; Hirani, Vasant; Lobstein, Tim; McKenna, Brian; Mulla, Zenab; Rabozzi, Giulia; Sfetcu, Raluca; Newton, Rachel

    2011-09-29

    Diet, in addition to tobacco, alcohol and physical exercise, is a major factor contributing to chronic diseases in Europe. There is a pressing need for multidisciplinary research to promote healthier food choices and better diets. Food and Health Research in Europe (FAHRE) is a collaborative project commissioned by the European Union. Among its tasks is the description of national research systems for food and health and, in work reported here, the identification of strengths and gaps in the European research base. A typology of nine research themes was developed, spanning food, society, health and research structures. Experts were selected through the FAHRE partners, with balance for individual characteristics, and reported using a standardised template. Countries usually commission research on food, and on health, separately: few countries have combined research strategies or programmes. Food and health are also strongly independent fields within the European Commission's research programmes. Research programmes have supported food and bio-technology, food safety, epidemiological research, and nutritional surveillance; but there has been less research into personal behaviour and very little on environmental influences on food choices - in the retail and marketing industries, policy, and regulation. The research is mainly sited within universities and research institutes: there is relatively little published research contribution from industry. National food policies, based on epidemiological evidence and endorsed by the World Health Organisation, recommend major changes in food intake to meet the challenge of chronic diseases. Biomedical and biotechnology research, in areas such as 'nutrio-genomics', 'individualised' diets, 'functional' foods and 'nutri-pharmaceuticals' appear likely to yield less health benefit, and less return on public investment, than research on population-level interventions to influence dietary patterns: for example policies to reduce

  16. On Harmonizing the External Economic Policy among the Countries of the Common Economic Space: Problems and Prospects

    OpenAIRE

    Elena S. Ratushnyak

    2014-01-01

    The article provides the tax systems of the countries of the customs union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, reveals the differences and identifies the need for harmonization and convergence of the structures and principles of taxation, the general tax reforms and harmonization of fiscal policies of member countries in order to increase the investment attractiveness and competitiveness of the national economies in the process of development and integration. The comparison of the existing tax...

  17. Social security reform in Central and Eastern Europe: variations on a Latin American theme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kritzer, B E

    After Chile reformed its social security system in 1981, several other Latin American countries and certain Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries implemented the Chilean model, with some variations: either a single- or multitier system, or with a period of transition to take care of those in the labor force at the time of the change. The single-tier version consists of individual accounts in pension fund management companies. Multi-tier systems retain some form of public program and add mandatory individual accounts. Most of the CEE countries did not want to incur the high transition costs associated with the Chilean model. The switch to a market economy had already strained their economies. Also, the countries' desire to adopt the European Union's Euro as their currency--a move that required a specific debt ceiling--limited the amount of additional debt they could incur. This article describes the CEE reforms and makes some comparisons with the Latin American experience. Most of the CEE countries have chosen a mixed system and have restructured the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) tier, while the Latin American countries have both single- and multi-tier systems. Some CEE countries have set up notional defined contribution (NDC) schemes for the PAYGO tier in which each insured person has a hypothetical account made up of all contributions during his or her working life. Survivors and disability programs in CEE have remained in the public tier, but in most of the Latin American programs the insured must purchase a separate insurance policy. Issues common to both regions include: Administrative costs are high and competition is keen, which has led to consolidation and mergers among the companies and a large market share controlled by a few companies. Benefits are proportionately lower for women than for men. A large, informal sector is not covered by social security. This sector is apparently much larger in Latin America than in the CEE countries. Issues that are unique

  18. Rotating swings—a theme with variations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pendrill, Ann-Marie

    2016-01-01

    Rotating swing rides can be found in many amusement parks, in many different versions. The ‘wave swinger’ ride, which introduces a wave motion by tilting the roof, is among the classical amusement rides that are found in many different parks, in different sizes, from a number of different makes and names, and varying thematization. The ‘StarFlyer’ is a more recent version, adding the thrill of lifting the riders 60 m or more over the ground. These rotating swing rides involve beautiful physics, often surprising, but easily observed, when brought to attention. The rides can be used for student worksheet tasks and assignments of different degrees of difficulty, across many math and physics topics. This paper presents a number of variations of student tasks relating to the theme of rotating swing rides.

  19. I. L. Caragiale. Theme and Variations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adela Drăucean

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Analyzing Caragiale’s work, a so called “unity in variety” can be noticed and his entire creation may be named after one of his sketches, Plot and variations. Since the fire on Dealul Spirii, a real story, had been given five different interpretations by the local media, so must we understand Caragiale’s literary pieces: they have a “plot”, i.e. the society, and several “variants” (forms, i.e. the events or happenings of all kinds. As an urban writer, Caragiale was preoccupied with the town and its very life, but also with folk themes and motifs. He also described the countryside with its scenery, inns and innkeepers, the places where people used to meet and talk. Trades and their professions were presented in his sketches and stories, too

  20. The Internet Marketing of Disney Theme Parks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carol J. Auster

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to analyze the portrayal of gender and race in the images on the official Disney websites used to market five theme parks: the Disneyland Parks in California, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and the Magic Kingdom in Florida. This is important because of the growth of e-commerce, Disney’s global influence, and the potential impact on those who view the images. The 452 images that had Disney human characters, human-like characters, animals, cast members, or guests were coded for gender. The main gender hypothesis, that the percentage of male-dominated images would exceed the percentage of female-dominated images, was tested using gender disparity values, which measured the gap between the percentage of male-dominated and female-dominated images. The hypothesis tended to be supported overall, and for most of the resorts (e.g., Florida, lands (e.g., Adventureland, and activities (attractions, entertainment, dining for human characters, human-like characters, animals, and cast members, but not for guests. Furthermore, the hypotheses that gender disparity values would be highest for images of animals and lowest for images of guests was supported for all five resorts, six of eight lands, and all three activities. Additional analysis also revealed the preponderance of same-sex pairings in parent–child combinations in the images. With regard to race, while the images of some theme parks displayed more racial diversity among their guests than others, in some images, individuals of different races were shown interacting whereas in others they were not. Explanations for these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

  1. Experienced Harm from Other People's Drinking: A Comparison of Northern European Countries

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    Inger Synnøve Moan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective This study addresses how experienced harm from other people's drinking varies between six Northern European countries by comparing 1 the prevalence of experienced harm and 2 the correlates of harm. Method The data comprise 18ȓ69-year olds who participated in general population surveys in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Scotland during the period 2008–2013. Comparative data were available on five types of harm: physical abuse, damage of clothes/belongings, verbal abuse, being afraid, and being kept awake at night. Results This study shows that harms from other's drinking are commonly experienced in all six countries. Being kept awake at night is the most common harm, while being physically harmed is the least common. The proportions that reported at least one of the five problems were highest in Finland and Iceland and lowest in Norway, but also relatively low in Sweden. Across countries, the level of harm was highest among young, single, urban residents, and for some countries among women and those who frequently drank to intoxication themselves. Conclusions The study revealed large differences in the prevalence of harm in countries with fairly similar drinking cultures. However, the correlates of such experiences were similar across countries. Possible explanations of the findings are discussed, including differences in study design.

  2. Classification of EU Countries in the Context of Corporate Income Tax

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alena Andrejovská

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Taxes are an integral part of human society, regardless of the economic, cultural and political disparities between the countries. Income taxes of legal entities represent significant part of the budget, what is the reason for their timeliness and public discussion. The aim of the paper is a classification of the EU countries into economic groups and an assessment of the grouping these EU member states based on common characteristics in the area of corporate income taxes. Common features are determined by the structure of selected macroeconomic indicators: public debt, government budget balance, the overall tax burden, economic performance, nominal and effective tax rate. The analysis compares a range of methodological approaches of hierarchical (Ward linkage and median linkage, and non‑hierarchical clustering (k-means clustering and fuzzy cluster analysis. The results of cluster analysis grouped the monitored countries into five clusters based on common characteristics as the corporate income tax rate, economics performance and the level of public debt. The result of the analysis shows that despite of ongoing there are still differences present, which are present in the ratios of countries’ development as well as in the economic policies of the particular countries.

  3. Integrating themes, evidence gaps, and research needs identified by workshop on iron screening and supplementation in iron-replete pregnant women and young children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brannon, Patsy M; Stover, Patrick J; Taylor, Christine L

    2017-12-01

    This report addresses the evidence and the uncertainties, knowledge gaps, and research needs identified by participants at the NIH workshop related to iron screening and routine iron supplementation of largely iron-replete pregnant women and young children (6-24 mo) in developed countries. The workshop presentations and panel discussions focused on current understanding and knowledge gaps related to iron homeostasis, measurement of and evidence for iron status, and emerging concerns about supplementing iron-replete members of these vulnerable populations. Four integrating themes emerged across workshop presentations and discussion and centered on 1 ) physiologic or developmental adaptations of iron homeostasis to pregnancy and early infancy, respectively, and their implications, 2 ) improvement of the assessment of iron status across the full continuum from iron deficiency anemia to iron deficiency to iron replete to iron excess, 3 ) the linkage of iron status with health outcomes beyond hematologic outcomes, and 4 ) the balance of benefit and harm of iron supplementation of iron-replete pregnant women and young children. Research that addresses these themes in the context of the full continuum of iron status is needed to inform approaches to the balancing of benefits and harms of screening and routine supplementation. © 2017 American Society for Nutrition.

  4. Celebrating Love in All Shades: YA Books with LGBTQ Themes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Letcher, Mark, Ed.

    2009-01-01

    In this article, the author highlights outstanding literature written for young adults that contains LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning) themes, or contains LGBTQ characters. One of the most critically hailed books with LGBTQ characters from 2007 was Perry Moore's debut novel, "Hero" (Hyperion). This book won the Lambda…

  5. "Community" as a Guiding Theme for the Public Speaking Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swenson-Lepper, Tammy

    2012-01-01

    First-year students at many universities find themselves in new communities, with little understanding of how their new university, city, academic, or career communities function. Developing a student's sense of community can have long-term benefits. Using the theme of "Community" in the basic public speaking course provides students with…

  6. Pedagogical workshops as a teaching and learning strategy: the hydrographic basic as a theme

    OpenAIRE

    Valéria Brumato Regina Fornazari; Ana Tiyomi Obara

    2017-01-01

    Current research investigates the ideas and practices of a team of teachers of the Natural Sciences working in schools in the state of Paraná, Brazil, with regard to pedagogical workshops as teaching and learning strategies on Hydrographic Basin as theme. A continuous formation course was conducted on the theme, with data retrieved by a questionnaire applied prior to the course and after the development of workshops by the teachers. Films, recordings and descriptive memorials were analyzed ac...

  7. The characteristics of a good clinical teacher as perceived by resident physicians in Japan: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikukawa, Makoto; Nabeta, Hiromi; Ono, Maiko; Emura, Sei; Oda, Yasutomo; Koizumi, Shunzo; Sakemi, Takanobu

    2013-07-25

    It is not known whether the characteristics of a good clinical teacher as perceived by resident physicians are the same in Western countries as in non-Western countries including Japan. The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of a good clinical teacher as perceived by resident physicians in Japan, a non-Western country, and to compare the results with those obtained in Western countries. Data for this qualitative research were collected using semi-structured focus group interviews. Focus group transcripts were independently analyzed and coded by three authors. Residents were recruited by maximum variation sampling until thematic saturation was achieved. Twenty-three residents participated in five focus group interviews regarding the perceived characteristics of a good clinical teacher in Japan. The 197 descriptions of characteristics that were identified were grouped into 30 themes. The most commonly identified theme was "provided sufficient support", followed by "presented residents with chances to think", "provided feedback", and "provided specific indications of areas needing improvement". Using Sutkin's main categories (teacher, physician, and human characteristics), 24 of the 30 themes were categorized as teacher characteristics, 6 as physician characteristics, and none as human characteristics. "Medical knowledge" of teachers was not identified as a concern of residents, and "clinical competence of teachers" was not emphasized, whereas these were the two most commonly recorded themes in Sutkin's study. Our results suggest that Japanese and Western resident physicians place emphasis on different characteristics of their teachers. We speculate that such perceptions are influenced by educational systems, educational settings, and culture. Globalization of medical education is important, but it is also important to consider differences in educational systems, local settings, and culture when evaluating clinical teachers.

  8. A Critical Analysis of Global Competition in Higher Education: Synthesizing Themes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portnoi, Laura M.; Bagley, Sylvia S.

    2014-01-01

    In this final chapter of the volume, the editors synthesize key themes that emerge from the preceding chapters. They also highlight the contributions the authors make through emphasizing critical perspectives and the tension between global and local forces.

  9. Contribution of Arab countries to breast cancer research: comparison with non-Arab Middle Eastern countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweileh, Waleed M; Zyoud, Sa'ed H; Al-Jabi, Samah W; Sawalha, Ansam F

    2015-01-01

    Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancers affecting women worldwide. The main objective of this study was to assess and compare research activity in breast cancer in Arab countries with non-Arab Middle Eastern countries. Publications about "breast cancer" as a research topic were retrieved using the ISI Web of Science database. Analysis was confined to original research and review articles. Research productivity was assessed by assessing number of publications and time trend of these publications, names of journals, citation analysis, top 10 active institutions as well as country contribution to breast cancer research. The quantity and quality of publications from Arab countries in addition to 3 other Middle East countries (Turkey, Iran and Israel) were assessed and compared using the h-index tool. A total of 1658 original research and review articles about "breast cancer" were published from Arab countries. Annual research productivity from Arab countries in the field of "breast cancer" was negligible but showed a significant increase in the last decade. Retrieved documents had relatively high citation parameters as measured by h-index of 61 and average citations of 17.46 per document. The highest research productivity was from Egypt with a total publication of 582 (35.10%). Cairo University with a total of 149 (8.99%) publications had the highest research productivity among institutions in Arab world. Forty four documents (2.65%) of breast cancer documents were published in Saudi Medical Journal. Arab researchers collaborated mostly with researchers from the United States of America (305; 18.40%) in breast cancer research. Compared with other non-Arab Middle Eastern countries, Arab countries had higher research productivity than some countries and lower than others, particularly Israel. The present data reveals a good contribution of some Arab countries to the field of "breast cancer" research. There is a gap between Arab countries and Israel in

  10. Qualitative data analysis for health services research: developing taxonomy, themes, and theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradley, Elizabeth H; Curry, Leslie A; Devers, Kelly J

    2007-08-01

    To provide practical strategies for conducting and evaluating analyses of qualitative data applicable for health services researchers. DATA SOURCES AND DESIGN: We draw on extant qualitative methodological literature to describe practical approaches to qualitative data analysis. Approaches to data analysis vary by discipline and analytic tradition; however, we focus on qualitative data analysis that has as a goal the generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory germane to health services research. We describe an approach to qualitative data analysis that applies the principles of inductive reasoning while also employing predetermined code types to guide data analysis and interpretation. These code types (conceptual, relationship, perspective, participant characteristics, and setting codes) define a structure that is appropriate for generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory. Conceptual codes and subcodes facilitate the development of taxonomies. Relationship and perspective codes facilitate the development of themes and theory. Intersectional analyses with data coded for participant characteristics and setting codes can facilitate comparative analyses. Qualitative inquiry can improve the description and explanation of complex, real-world phenomena pertinent to health services research. Greater understanding of the processes of qualitative data analysis can be helpful for health services researchers as they use these methods themselves or collaborate with qualitative researchers from a wide range of disciplines.

  11. Study on the standard architecture for geoinformation common services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zha, Z.; Zhang, L.; Wang, C.; Jiang, J.; Huang, W.

    2014-04-01

    The construction of platform for geoinformation common services was completed or on going in in most provinces and cities in these years in China, and the platforms plays an important role in the economic and social activities. Geoinfromation and geoinfromation based services are the key issues in the platform. The standards on geoinormation common services play as bridges among the users, systems and designers of the platform. The standard architecture for geoinformation common services is the guideline for designing and using the standard system in which the standards integrated to each other to promote the development, sharing and services of geoinformation resources. To establish the standard architecture for geoinformation common services is one of the tasks of "Study on important standards for geonformation common services and management of public facilities in city". The scope of the standard architecture is defined, such as data or information model, interoperability interface or service, information management. Some Research work on the status of international standards of geoinormation common services in organization and countries, like ISO/TC 211, OGC and other countries or unions like USA, EU, Japan have done. Some principles are set up to evaluate the standard, such as availability, suitability and extensible ability. Then the development requirement and practical situation are analyzed, and a framework of the standard architecture for geoinformation common services are proposed. Finally, a summary and prospects of the geoinformation standards are made.

  12. Simple webs of natural environment theme as a result of sharing in science teacher training

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tapilouw, M. C.; Firman, H.; Redjeki, S.; Chandra, D. T.

    2018-03-01

    Thematic learning is one type of integrated science (Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Science) in Science Education. This study is concerning about simple webs of natural environment theme in science learning, as one of training material in science teacher training program. Making simple web is a goal of first step in teacher training program. Every group explain their web illustration to other group. Twenty Junior High School science teacher above one education foundation participate in science teacher training program. In order to gather simple webs, sharing method was used in this first step of science teacher training. The result of this study is five different simple web of natural environment themes. These webs represent science learning in class VII/Semester I, class VII/Semester II, Class VIII, Class IX/Semester I, Class IX/Semester II based on basic competency in National Curriculum 2013. Each group discussed web of natural environment theme based on their learning experience in real class which basic competency and subject matters are linked with natural environment theme. As a conclusion, simple webs are potential to develop in the next step of science teacher training program and to be implemented in real class.

  13. Light in Architecture as an Inspired Theme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dębowska, Danuta

    2017-10-01

    The theme of the article is to highlight the important role of natural light in architecture. Natural light, or solar radiation absorbed by our sense of sight was a strong inspiration from ancient times. Originally constituted as a link between heaven and earth. It played a major role in shaping the places of worship, such as even Stonehenge. In the church architecture it was and still is the guiding element, the main matrix around builds an architecture narrative. Over the centuries, the study of the role of light in architecture, and in fact chiaroscuro, led to the culmination of solutions full of fantasy and “quirks” in the Baroque era (Baroque with Italian barocco: strange, exaggerated). Enamored of carved body and the use of multipurpose ornament topped was the discovery of a concave-convex façade parete ondulata created by Francesca Borrromini. Conscious manipulation of light developed, at the time, to a maximum of the art illusion and optical illusions in architectural buildings. Changing the perception of privilege in detail and introduce the principle of “beauty comes from functionality” in times of modernism meant that architects started to look for the most extreme simplicity. Sincerity of forms, and thus the lack of ornamentation, however, did not result in a lack of interest in light. On the contrary, the light became detail, eye-catching element against a smooth surface of the wall. The continuation of this concept of creating a strong password exposing Mies van der Rohe’s „less is more” took over the architecture created in the current minimalism. To minimize the detail with the introduction of large glazing resulted in strengthening the effect of opening the flow of light and penetrating the interior to the exterior. The principle of deep reflection on the light is certainly used in the design of monumental buildings, such as galleries, museums. It could be used more widely in the common architecture, noting the heritage and

  14. Refugee-Themed Picture Books for Ethical Understanding in Curriculum English

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dooley, Karen; Tait, Gordon; Zabarjadi Sar, Hora

    2016-01-01

    This study looked at the curricular resource potential of refugee-themed picture books for embedding an ethics of responsibility for linguistic diversity into the subject of English studied by all students in English-dominant western societies. Selected picture books were analysed in terms of a Levinasean ethics of responsibility for alterity in…

  15. Language and Theme Symbiosis: A Stylistic Analysis of use of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... parallelism, balanced construction, figures of speech, idioms, and proverbs to reinforce the themes. The enormous use of titles and aliases and the undue emphasis on their use before people's name not only speak volumes about vainglory but also give the work a touch of humour. The language is etched with meticulous ...

  16. IMF and economic reform in developing countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abbott, Philip; Andersen, Thomas Barnebeck; Tarp, Finn

    2010-01-01

    approach is in order. However, the cross-country approach is unlikely to provide a sound basis for drawing clear conclusions, so we review IMF programs from a different perspective, involving a broader literature on development strategy. In particular, it is widely accepted that a common characteristic......In this paper we assess the IMF approach to economic reform in developing countries. The impact of IMF program participation on economic growth has been evaluated empirically in a cross-country literature, with little evidence of IMF programs having been successful. This suggests that a fresh...... of IMF programs is a high degree of policy rigidity. This is in contrast with studies which hold that unleashing an economy's growth potential hinges on a set of well-targeted policy interventions aimed at removing country-specific binding constraints. The process of locating constraints that bind...

  17. Ecological Economics: Themes, Approaches, and Differences with Environmental Economics

    OpenAIRE

    Jeroen C.J.M. van den Bergh

    2000-01-01

    This provides a short overview of the main themes of ecological economics (EE). It isargued that EE provides a platform that fosters multidisciplinary environmental research bybringing together the core contributing disciplines economics and ecology. In addition, EE isregarded as a pluralistic approach to environmental research that can be set opposite to, and hasindeed developed as a response to, traditional environmental and resource economics. Acomparison of the two fields is presented to ...

  18. Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber / Jonathan Swain

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Swain, Jonathan

    1990-01-01

    Uuest heliplaadist "Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber, Mathis der Maler - Symphony, Nobilissima visione - suite. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Yoel Levi" Telarc/ Conifer CD 80 195

  19. Surgical audit in the developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bankole, J O; Lawal, O O; Adejuyigbe, O

    2003-01-01

    Audit assures provision of good quality health service at affordable cost. To be complete therefore, surgical practice in the young developing countries, as elsewhere, must incorporate auditing. Peculiarities of the developing countries and insufficient understanding of auditing may be, however, responsible for its been little practised. This article, therefore, reviews the objectives, the commonly evaluated aspects, and the method of audit, and includes a simple model of audit cycle. It is hoped that it will kindle the idea of regular practice of quality assurance by surgeons working in the young developing nations and engender a sustainable interest.

  20. The Role and Tasks of Education in the Politic of Evolution of the Modern World (with Especial Regard to the Developing Countries).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podoski, Kazimierz

    This paper, one of several on the theme of economy and culture in the politics of nation building, was written for the Ninth World Congress of the International Political Science Association. The author's aim is to indicate the role of modern education policy in the world's socio-economic development, especially in developing countries. Access to…

  1. Monitoring VET Systems of Major EU Competitor Countries - The Cases of China, India, Russia and Korea

    OpenAIRE

    Ruth, Klaus

    2009-01-01

    The study on VET systems of major EU competitor countries is based on the objective of the (revised) Lisbon agenda to become the most competitive region of the world based on a knowledge driven production and social cohesion. Building on experts opinion and literature research this study aims at monitoring VET policies in China, India, Russia and Korea. The study analyses five themes which are assumed to be of outstanding importance for understanding the current performance and the developing...

  2. Creation of meanings on the theme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eveline Borges

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Investments in policies for science teachers, as well as their adaptation to new realities and technologies are essential, since the teacher is the key to changing mindsets and attitudes of their students. Thus, conceptual discussions are proposed between chemistry teachers in a virtual environment on the Moodle platform on topics previously chosen by the education teacher. The objective is to analyze the process of creating meanings of participants of the forum on the theme "nature of science." It was noticed that new media can help building students' knowledge and motivate them to expand their research and scientific readings; however, rules must be preestablished so that a real interaction and mediation could occur. Initiatives like these are useful for the understanding of scientific and technical fields, and may also facilitate communication and interaction between teachers and students.

  3. [Suicide -- an essay trying to reveal the theme].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sampaio, M A; Boemer, M R

    2000-12-01

    This essay proposes to reveal facets of the suicide through the discourse of different authors treating this theme as well as through contacts that I was able to have in my nursing training, through my academic trajectory. This trajectory includes an incursion by phenomenological ideas, mainly by the ideas of Heidegger and his existential analysis of the man as being-there. In this way, the understanding of a person who decides to finalize his/her existence, can be, by the existential analysis perspective, a way to reconstruct and redimension his/her existential perspectives.

  4. Limits to modern contraceptive use among young women in developing countries: a systematic review of qualitative research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wight Daniel

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Improving the reproductive health of young women in developing countries requires access to safe and effective methods of fertility control, but most rely on traditional rather than modern contraceptives such as condoms or oral/injectable hormonal methods. We conducted a systematic review of qualitative research to examine the limits to modern contraceptive use identified by young women in developing countries. Focusing on qualitative research allows the assessment of complex processes often missed in quantitative analyses. Methods Literature searches of 23 databases, including Medline, Embase and POPLINE®, were conducted. Literature from 1970–2006 concerning the 11–24 years age group was included. Studies were critically appraised and meta-ethnography was used to synthesise the data. Results Of the 12 studies which met the inclusion criteria, seven met the quality criteria and are included in the synthesis (six from sub-Saharan Africa; one from South-East Asia. Sample sizes ranged from 16 to 149 young women (age range 13–19 years. Four of the studies were urban based, one was rural, one semi-rural, and one mixed (predominantly rural. Use of hormonal methods was limited by lack of knowledge, obstacles to access and concern over side effects, especially fear of infertility. Although often more accessible, and sometimes more attractive than hormonal methods, condom use was limited by association with disease and promiscuity, together with greater male control. As a result young women often relied on traditional methods or abortion. Although the review was limited to five countries and conditions are not homogenous for all young women in all developing countries, the overarching themes were common across different settings and contexts, supporting the potential transferability of interventions to improve reproductive health. Conclusion Increasing modern contraceptive method use requires community-wide, multifaceted

  5. Sexually Transmitted Infection Services for Adolescents and Youth in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Perceived and Experienced Barriers to Accessing Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newton-Levinson, Anna; Leichliter, Jami S; Chandra-Mouli, Venkatraman

    2016-07-01

    Access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is vital for sexually active adolescents; yet, their SRH care needs are often unmet. We conducted a qualitative systematic review of mixed methods studies to assess adolescent and provider views of barriers to seeking appropriate medical care for sexually transmitted infection (STI) services for adolescents. We searched peer-reviewed literature for studies published between 2001 and 2014 with a study population of youth (aged 10-24 years) and/or health service providers. Nineteen studies were identified for inclusion from 15 countries. Thematic analyses identified key themes across the studies. Findings suggest that youth lacked knowledge about STIs and services. In addition, youth experienced barriers related to service availability and a lack of integration of services. The most reported barriers were related to acceptability of services. Youth reported avoiding services or having confidentiality concerns based on provider demographics and some behaviors. Finally, experiences of shame and stigma were common barriers to seeking care. Adolescents in low- and middle-income countries experience significant barriers in obtaining STI and SRH services. Improving uptake may require efforts to address clinic systems and provider attitudes, including confidentiality issues. Moreover, addressing barriers to STI services may require addressing cultural norms related to adolescent sexuality. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.

  6. Implementation literacy strategies on health technology theme Learning to enhance Indonesian Junior High School Student's Physics Literacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feranie, Selly; Efendi, Ridwan; Karim, Saeful; Sasmita, Dedi

    2016-08-01

    The PISA results for Indonesian Students are lowest among Asian countries in the past two successive results. Therefore various Innovations in science learning process and its effectiveness enhancing student's science literacy is needed to enrich middle school science teachers. Literacy strategies have been implemented on health technologies theme learning to enhance Indonesian Junior high school Student's Physics literacy in three different health technologies e.g. Lasik surgery that associated with application of Light and Optics concepts, Ultra Sonographer (USG) associated with application of Sound wave concepts and Work out with stationary bike and walking associated with application of motion concepts. Science learning process involves at least teacher instruction, student learning and a science curriculum. We design two main part of literacy strategies in each theme based learning. First part is Integrated Reading Writing Task (IRWT) is given to the students before learning process, the second part is scientific investigation learning process design packed in Problem Based Learning. The first part is to enhance student's science knowledge and reading comprehension and the second part is to enhance student's science competencies. We design a transformation from complexity of physics language to Middle school physics language and from an expensive and complex science investigation to a local material and simply hands on activities. In this paper, we provide briefly how literacy strategies proposed by previous works is redesigned and applied in classroom science learning. Data were analysed using t- test. The increasing value of mean scores in each learning design (with a significance level of p = 0.01) shows that the implementation of this literacy strategy revealed a significant increase in students’ physics literacy achievement. Addition analysis of Avarage normalized gain show that each learning design is in medium-g courses effectiveness category

  7. Cross-country analysis of strategies for achieving progress towards global goals for women's and children's health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Syed Masud; Rawal, Lal B; Chowdhury, Sadia A; Murray, John; Arscott-Mills, Sharon; Jack, Susan; Hinton, Rachael; Alam, Prima M; Kuruvilla, Shyama

    2016-05-01

    To identify how 10 low- and middle-income countries achieved accelerated progress, ahead of comparable countries, towards meeting millennium development goals 4 and 5A to reduce child and maternal mortality. We synthesized findings from multistakeholder dialogues and country policy reports conducted previously for the Success Factors studies in 10 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda and Viet Nam. A framework approach was used to analyse and synthesize the data from the country reports, resulting in descriptive or explanatory conclusions by theme. Successful policy and programme approaches were categorized in four strategic areas: leadership and multistakeholder partnerships; health sector; sectors outside health; and accountability for resources and results. Consistent and coordinated inputs across sectors, based on high-impact interventions, were assessed. Within the health sector, key policy and programme strategies included defining standards, collecting and using data, improving financial protection, and improving the availability and quality of services. Outside the health sector, strategies included investing in girls' education, water, sanitation and hygiene, poverty reduction, nutrition and food security, and infrastructure development. Countries improved accountability by strengthening and using data systems for planning and evaluating progress. Reducing maternal and child mortality in the 10 fast-track countries can be linked to consistent and coordinated policy and programme inputs across health and other sectors. The approaches used by successful countries have relevance to other countries looking to scale-up or accelerate progress towards the sustainable development goals.

  8. Ethics of physiotherapy practice in terminally ill patients in a developing country, Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chigbo, N N; Ezeome, E R; Onyeka, T C; Amah, C C

    2015-12-01

    Physiotherapy has been widely defined as a healthcare profession that assesses, diagnoses, treats, and works to prevent disease and disability through physical means. The World Confederation for Physical Therapy describes physiotherapy as providing services to people and populations to develop, maintain, and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout the lifespan. Physiotherapists working with terminally ill patients face a myriad of ethical issues which have not been substantially discussed in bioethics especially in the African perspective. In the face of resource limitation in developing countries, physiotherapy seems to be a cost-effective means of alleviating pain and distressing symptoms at the end-of-life, ensuring a more dignified passage from life to death, yet referrals to physiotherapy are not timely. Following extensive literature search using appropriate keywords, six core ethical themes related to physiotherapy in terminally ill patients were identified and using the four principles of bioethics (patient's autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice), an ethical analysis of these themes was done to highlight the ethical challenges of physiotherapists working in a typical African setting such as Nigeria.

  9. "Teachosaurus" and "Learnoceratops": Dinosaurs as a Motivating Cross-Curricular Theme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duggan, Denis

    2011-01-01

    The author takes a look into the benefits that dinosaurs may bring to the classroom. He discusses how he used dinosaurs as a cross-curricular theme to improve children's understanding and knowledge of science concepts. To investigate what a child might learn from dinosaurs, he started by comparing the many non-fiction dinosaur books using the…

  10. Themes addressed by couples with advanced cancer during a communication skills training intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Laura S; Fish, Laura; Steinhauser, Karen

    2018-04-25

    Couple-based communication interventions have beneficial effects for patients with cancer and their partners. However, few studies have targeted patients with advanced stages of disease and little is known about how best to assist couples in discussing issues related to life-limiting illness. The purpose of the present study was to identify themes couples addressed during a couple communication skills intervention, and the frequency with which they discussed issues related to end-of-life. Content analyses were conducted on recordings of 72 sessions from 12 couples facing advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. Coding was based six themes identified a priori from the framework for understanding what patients and family value at end of life. The percent of couples addressing each theme was calculated to gauge level of importance and acceptability of these topics. The majority of couples addressed topics previously identified as salient at end-of-life, including clear decision making, affirmation of the whole person, pain and symptom management, contributing to others, and preparation for death. In addition, novel aspects to these themes emerged in the context of couples' conversations, illustrating the importance of the couple relationship in adjusting to life with a life-limiting illness and anticipating the transition to end-of-life. Findings suggest that couples likely would be receptive to an intervention that combines training in communication skills with guidance in focusing on issues related to life completion to assist with transitions at end of life. Such interventions might enhance both individuals' abilities to cope with illness-related symptoms and demands, enjoy the time they have together, and derive meaning from the experience. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  11. The effects of common medical interventions on pain, back function, and work resumption in patients with chronic low back pain: A prospective 2-year cohort study in six countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansson, T H; Hansson, E K

    2000-12-01

    A prospective cohort study with identical questionnaires and inclusion criteria was performed. To compare in six different countries the frequencies and effects of the common medical interventions used for patients with low back pain who are work incapacitated. Low back pain is a huge problem with increasing costs for health care, industry, and society. Cohorts of employed men and women ages 18 to 59 years who had been sick-listed (100%) for a minimum of 90 days because of low back pain were recruited in Denmark, Germany, Israel, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United States. The subjects received three separate questionnaires with identical questions after 90 days, 1 year, and 2 years. The questionnaires included separate questions about background factors, treatment, and the like, as well as validated scales such as the Hannover Activities of Daily Living, von Korff pain score, Short Form-36, and Karasek-Theorell. Working status was obtained from registers. Main outcome measures were working/not working, back function, and pain. All three questionnaires were completed by 2080 subjects in the six countries. With few exceptions, there were great similarities in the appointments, examinations, and treatments in the different countries. Considerable differences were found between the back surgery rates, which ranged from 6% in Sweden to 32% in the United States during the first 90 days of the study. Very few of the interventions had any noticeable positive effects on work resumption, pain, or back function. Back surgery in Sweden was a striking exception, positively affecting all three outcome measures. The frequencies of work resumption within the first year ranged from 73% in the Netherlands to 32% in Denmark. Almost none of the commonly occurring and frequently practiced medical interventions for patients who are sick-listed because of low back pain had any positive effects on either the recorded health measures or work resumption.

  12. Cohort Fertility Patterns in the Nordic Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gunnar Andersson

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Previous analyses of period fertility suggest that the trends of the Nordic countries are sufficiently similar to speak of a common "Nordic fertility regime". We investigate whether this assumption can be corroborated by comparing cohort fertility patterns in the Nordic countries. We study cumulated and completed fertility of Nordic birth cohorts based on the childbearing histories of women born in 1935 and later derived from the population registers of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. We further explore childbearing behaviour by women's educational attainment. The results show remarkable similarities in postponement and recuperation between the countries and very small differences in completed fertility across educational groups. Median childbearing age is about 2-3 years higher in the 1960-64 cohort than in the 1950-54 cohort, but the younger cohort recuperates the fertility level of the older cohort at ages 30 and above. A similar pattern of recuperation can be observed for highly educated women as compared to women with less education. An interesting finding is that of a positive relationship between educational level and the final number of children when women who become mothers at similar ages are compared. Country differences in fertility outcome are generally rather low. Childlessness is highest in Finland and lowest in Norway, and the educational differentials are largest in Norway. Despite such differences, the cohort analyses in many ways support the notion of a common Nordic fertility regime.

  13. Use of building typologies for energy performance assessment of national building stocks. Existent experiences in European Countries and common approach. First TABULA synthesis report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loga, Tobias; Diefenbach, Nikolaus (eds.)

    2010-06-15

    The present study examines the experiences with building typologies in the European countries. The objective is to learn how to structure the variety of energy-related features of existing build-ings. As a result of the enquiry it can be stated that there are a lot of different activities which are based on typological criteria. Some of them are concentrating on providing information material and conducting energy advice. On the other hand, building types are used for a better understand-ing of the energy performance of building portfolios on different levels: from the strategic planning of housing companies up to the evaluation of national policies and measures in the building sector. On the basis of these experiences a common approach for building typologies has been devel-oped. The core elements of this harmonised approach are a classification systematic, a structure for building and supply system data and a coherent energy balance method. Furthermore a uni-form classification of statistical data enables a concerted approach for designing national building stock models. Finally, a concise itinerary is described which allows experts to develop step by step a national or regional building typology which are compatible with the common TABULA approach. (orig.)

  14. Preparedness against power crises in the Nordic countries; Aapner for Norden

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abelsen, Atle

    2004-07-01

    In the so-called Akureyri declaration the Nordic energy ministers presented their requests and claims to the system operators about supply security and exchange capacity between the countries. Some special issues are grid strengthening, common principles for how to deal with export and import, and a common transmission system operator. The ministers want to make international lines a priority. A common, Nordic grid company is probably not of current interest. Of the transmission system operators, only Statnett (Norway) is ready to consider a supranational perspective. Although the Nordic energy market is the most well-functioning energy market in the world, the ministers are not entirely satisfied and want further improvement. The first step will be to work out organizational models for how the grid operation and system responsibility can be managed by the countries jointly and thus improve the preparedness. The major power customers fear that a power crisis in one country may cause a cascade outage to spread in the neighbouring countries without the authorities being prepared. Experts disagree about the likelihood of a power crisis the next years. However, consumption is increasing much faster than production. After the liberalization of the energy market in 1991, the investments in the physical power system have decreased dramatically.

  15. Making Sense of the Brutality of the Holocaust: Critical Themes and New Perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Eric D

    2017-01-02

    This article offers an analytic, integrative review of select themes associated with one of history's greatest atrocities: the Holocaust. Much of this review considers general and Holocaust-specific themes as they pertain to the nature of senseless violence and evil. The importance of having a greater understanding of the sheer brutality of violence perpetuated in the Holocaust is emphasized. As part of this discussion, considerable attention is given to how Internet-based photographs and videos from the Holocaust era can provide greater insight into understanding the evil associated with this genocide. Some consideration of the larger meaning of the Holocaust, particularly for Jews, is also examined.

  16. Simulations, Imaging, and Modeling: A Unique Theme for an Undergraduate Research Program in Biomechanics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    George, Stephanie M; Domire, Zachary J

    2017-07-01

    As the reliance on computational models to inform experiments and evaluate medical devices grows, the demand for students with modeling experience will grow. In this paper, we report on the 3-yr experience of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) based on the theme simulations, imaging, and modeling in biomechanics. While directly applicable to REU sites, our findings also apply to those creating other types of summer undergraduate research programs. The objective of the paper is to examine if a theme of simulations, imaging, and modeling will improve students' understanding of the important topic of modeling, provide an overall positive research experience, and provide an interdisciplinary experience. The structure of the program and the evaluation plan are described. We report on the results from 25 students over three summers from 2014 to 2016. Overall, students reported significant gains in the knowledge of modeling, research process, and graduate school based on self-reported mastery levels and open-ended qualitative responses. This theme provides students with a skill set that is adaptable to other applications illustrating the interdisciplinary nature of modeling in biomechanics. Another advantage is that students may also be able to continue working on their project following the summer experience through network connections. In conclusion, we have described the successful implementation of the theme simulation, imaging, and modeling for an REU site and the overall positive response of the student participants.

  17. Changing health inequalities in the Nordic countries?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lahelma, E; Lundberg, O; Manderbacka, K; Roos, E

    2001-01-01

    The Nordic countries, referring here to Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, have often been viewed as a group of countries with many features in common, such as geographical location, history, culture, religion, language, and economic and political structures. It has also been habitual to refer to a "Nordic model" of welfare states comprising a large public sector, active labour market policies, high costs for social welfare as well as high taxes, and a general commitment to social equality. Recent research suggests that much of this "Nordicness" appears to remain despite the fact that the Nordic countries have experienced quite different changes during the 1980s and 1990s. How this relates to changes in health inequalities is in the focus of this supplement.

  18. FY 1999 project report on the invitation program for developing countries. International researcher exchange project - Researcher exchange/technical guidance project; 1999 nendo kenkyu koryu gijutsu shido jigyo / kokusai kenkyu koryu jigyo kaigai kenkyusha shohei jigyo hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-03-01

    For the promotion of research exchanges on global environmental preservation with developing countries, Ms. Malee Santikunaporn, lecturer of Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University, Bankok, Thailand was invited. Desulfurization/denitrification facilities, which are being widely spread in developed countries, have marked effects, but high prices are an obstacle to the spread in developing countries. To make them spread in developing countries, it is needed to develop the technology which is low in price and meets the actual state in developing countries. As a technology with high viability, a system to simultaneously remove SOx and NOx was cited in which Cu is used as catalyst and adsorbent and into which the catalyst regeneration process is integrated. Considering it, technical exchanges on Cu-SiO{sub 2} catalyst as the basic theme were made during September 26 - December 23, 1999. Through visits on and exchanges with Tokyo Institute of Technology, ICEET, University of Kyoto, etc., understanding was deepened about how each country is tackling environmental problems. The theme 'Oxidative sorption of SO2 by Cu-SiO{sub 2} catalyst: characteristics of catalyst' could deepen knowledge/information of the developmental research as a system for simultaneous removal of SOx/NOx. The data obtained indicated great practicality of Cu-SiO{sub 2}. (NEDO)

  19. Evidence on Common Feature and Business Cycle Synchronization in Mercosur

    OpenAIRE

    Carrasco-Gutierrez, Carlos Enrique; Reis Gomes, Fábio Augusto

    2007-01-01

    The aim of this work is to analyze the business cycles of Mercosur member countries in order to investigate their degree of synchronization. The econometric model uses the Beveridge-Nelson-Stock-Watson multivariate trend-cycle decomposition, taking into account the presence of common features such as common trend and common cycle. Once the business cycles are estimated, their degree of synchronization is analyzed by means of linear correlation in time domain and coherence and phase in f...

  20. Themes and situations that cause embarrassment among participants in research in which questionnaires or interviews are used

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Dias Reis Pessalacia

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To recognize the themes and situations that could make research participants feel embarrassed when questionnaires or interviews are used. Methodology. Quantitative and descriptive study, developed in 2008, involving a stratified sample of 1,1149 subjects who qualified the degree of shame in view of potentially embarrassing themes and situations. Results. For the research participants, it is embarrassing to answer questions related to the following themes: betrayal (50%, physical violence (42%, sexual harassment (42%, psychological violence (40% and death of loved ones (38%. The situations that most frequently causes embarrassment were: start of the survey or interview without requesting informed consent (83%; lack of information about the type of questions that would be addressed (79%, lack of guaranteed anonymity (78%, or use of images (66% or a recorder (58%. Conclusion. Themes and situations were identified that caused embarrassment among participants in research in which questionnaires or interviews were used, which should be considered in the ethical evaluation of studies.

  1. Japanese men's success in altered fatherhood role in a foreign country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taniguchi, Hatsumi; Shimada, Mieki; McIntyre, Meredith

    2015-01-01

    This study explores the meaning of the lived experience of childbirth and parenting of Japanese men who became fathers in a foreign country. Japanese men have been raised to maintain very strict gender roles, excluding them from sharing with their wives the experience of childbirth and the day-to-day parenting of young children. The study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach with in-depth interviews. Participants included nine Japanese men born and raised in Japan who were living in Honolulu. Three theme categories emerged from the data: "making active efforts in preparation for childbirth in a foreign country"; "challenges in pregnancy, childbirth, child care, and as husbands or partners"; and "challenges in transition to parenthood." Japanese men successfully altered their transitional and authoritarian gender role to a family orientated social structure, under the influence of Western values, when living in foreign country. By spending more time with their new family, they acknowledged the processes of becoming a father. The ability to adapt their expectations of fatherhood in line with Western values was enhanced by the support of coworkers, their mature age, rich educational background, and the personal financial resources of the male participants in the study. © The Author(s) 2014.

  2. Occupational radiation exposure in Central and Eastern European countries - ESOREX EAST -. Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frasch, G.; Anatschkowa, E.

    1999-02-01

    On behalf of the European Commission, the BfS is currently executing a project entitled 'European Study of Occupational Radiation Exposure - ESOREX'. The project consists of several surveys executed in the Member States of the European Union, furthermore in Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. In each of these countries the - 1. administrative systems used to register individual occupational radiation exposure, - 2. numbers and dose distributions of occupationally radiation exposed persons in 1995 are surveyed. The aim is to describe and compare the administrative structures of the various national registration systems and the distributions of the workers and their doses. It shall identify the differences between the states and analyse the possibilities for a European harmonization. Because of the intention of numerous Central and Eastern European countries to join the European Community, the harmonization theme is also of considerable importance for these countries. The workshop served the preparing works to execute the ESOREX study also in ten Central and Eastern European countries. In order to establish the necessary contacts and to prepare the co-operation with the respective institutions of these states, the BfS organised, together with the State Office for Nuclear Safety of the Czech Republic, an international introductory workshop in Prague in September 1998. The proceedings reflect the presentations of the participants and the results of the discussions. (orig.) [de

  3. Assessment report on NRP sub-theme 'National instruments for climate change policy'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verbruggen, H.; Nentjes, A.; Backhaus, J.G.; Jansen, H.M.A.

    1995-01-01

    Economic instruments for environmental protection feature in textbooks for their superior performance in terms of effectiveness and both static and dynamic efficiency, especially in cases characterized by a large number of polluters with large differences in abatement cost. These instruments are thus pre-eminently suited to be included in climate change policies. However, this proves to be very difficult as yet. The projects under this research sub-theme share a common interest in the complexities of implementing various types of economic instruments. The first project deals with the design of a European system of tradable emission rights. The second project is on the feasibility of ecological tax reform, with special reference to The Netherlands. The Climate Fund project, the third project, aims at investigating whether an international fund for side payments is an effective and efficient tool to reduce CO2 emissions. To that purpose, the world is divided into 9 regions. Finally, the fourth project uses an applied general equilibrium model to analyze the effectiveness and especially the income distributional effects of differently designed CO2 charges. The projects yield interesting results from which policy makers can benefit. There still are, however, blind spots. These and further research questions are identified. 4 refs

  4. COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY POST-2013 IN THE VIEW OF ROMANIA AND FRANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niculescu Oana-Marilena

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The paper belongs to the field of research “International Business and European Integration”. Entitled “Common Agricultural Policy Post-2013 in the View of Romania and France”, the paper aims to analyze the positions of both countries in the context of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP reform. The objectives of this paper are to emphasize the need for a strong CAP, based on two pillars, the position of different countries or groups of states regarding CAP reform and the allocation of European funds on four axis within Rural Development policy. The paper is related to the research aiming to analyze some issues of the most debated, controversial and reformed European policy. In the same time, it continues my previous research consisting in different papers concerning CAP reforms, food security, agricultural market stability, Romanian agriculture with a view to the future reform and follows the theme of the doctoral thesis entitled “CAP Reform and its Implications for the Romanian Agriculture” (coordinator prof. dr. Gheorghe Hurduzeu, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, Faculty of International Business, doctoral studies within 2009-2012. The research method consists in collecting and analyzing data from internal and international publications, the use of statistical data in order to realize a comparative analysis between Romania and France regarding the agricultural output volume variation within a period of ten years and the distribution of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD on four axis in the period 2007-2013. This paper tries to reflect the similarities and differences between one of the oldest Member States of the European Union (EU - France which has a modern agriculture and belongs to the conservative group and a New Member State - Romania, whose agriculture has a deep dual character and where the medium size farm is not developed enough. The results of the research consist

  5. Complexity: Outline of the NWO strategic theme Dynamics of complex systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burgers, G.; Doelman, A.; Frenken, K.; Hogeweg, P.; Hommes, C.; van der Maas, H.; Mulder, B.; Stam, K.; van Steen, M.; Zandee, L.

    2008-01-01

    Dynamics of complex systems is one of the program 5 themes in the NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) strategy for the years 2007-2011. The ambition of the current proposal is to initiate integrated activities in the field of complex systems within the Netherlands, to provide

  6. Complexity : outline of the NWO strategic theme dynamics of complex systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burgers, G.; Doelman, A.; Frenken, K.; Hogeweg, P.; Hommes, C.; Maas, van der H.; Mulder, B.; Stam, K.; Steen, van M.; Zandee, L.

    2008-01-01

    Dynamics of complex systems is one of the program 5 themes in the NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) strategy for the years 2007-2011. The ambition of the current proposal is to initiate integrated activities in the field of complex systems within the Netherlands, to provide

  7. Sound insulation requirements in the Nordic countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Birgit

    All Nordic countries have sound insulation requirements for housing and sound classification schemes originating from a common INSTA‐proposal in the mid 90’s, but unfortunately being increasingly diversified since then. The present situation impedes development and create barriers for trade and e...

  8. The re-production of homosexually-themed discourse in educationally-based organised sport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCormack, Mark; Anderson, Eric

    2010-11-01

    In this study, we draw on findings from one year of participant observation and 12 in-depth interviews with men in a highly-ranked English university rugby team in order to nuance theoretical understandings concerning the re-production of homosexually-themed discourse in organised sport. We use ethnographic data to theorise the complex relationship between language, homosocial masculine relationships and organised sport. In examining the political, intentional and inadvertent effects of these men's discourses, we define and discuss the notion of gay discourse as a form of heteronormativity that is dissimilar to the traditional use of homophobic discourse. Highlighting that homosexually-themed discourse is best understood as a continuum, we stress the importance of context in interpreting the meaning and explicating the effects of this kind of discourse.

  9. Prevalence and determinants of common mental illness among ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Introduction: Common mental disorders include depression, anxiety and somatoform disorders are a public health problem in developed as well as developing countries. It represents a psychiatric morbidity with significant prevalence, affecting all stages of life and cause suffering to the individuals, their family and ...

  10. Foster Youth Who Have Succeeded in Higher Education: Common Themes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lovitt, Thomas; Emerson, John

    2009-01-01

    All young people, including foster youth and youth with disabilities, can succeed academically given adequate support and advocacy from educators, professionals, and their caregivers. Casey Family Programs (www.casey.org), a Seattle-based national operating foundation that has served children, youth, and families in the child welfare system since…

  11. Particel substructure. A common theme of discovery in this century

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panofsky, W.K.H.

    1984-02-01

    Some example of modern developments in particel physics are given which demonstrate that the fundamental rules of quantum mechanics, applied to all forces in nature as they became understood, have retained their validity. The well-established laws of electricity and magnetism, reformulated in terms of quantum mechanics, have exhibited a truly remarkable numerical agreement between theory and experiment over an enormous range of observation. As experimental techniques have grown from the top of a laboratory bench to the large accelerators of today, the basic components of experimentation have changed vastly in scale but only little in basic function. More important, the motivation of those engaged in this type of experimentation has hardly changed at all

  12. Ethical Dilemmas of Swedish School Leaders: Contrasts and Common Themes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norberg, Katarina; Johansson, Olof

    2007-01-01

    Being a skillful school leader presumes the competence to judge the ethical consequences of actions. This implies a need for all school agents to discover and analyze what values are at stake and, in turn, reconcile didactic rationality with ethical rationality. This article aims to explore ethical dilemmas in daily school practice, experienced…

  13. Survey of system responsibility in the Nordic countries. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-02-01

    In September 2004 the Nordic Council of Ministers asked Nordel to perform some tasks and present the results to the Council on 1 March 2005. One of the tasks is to survey how system responsibility is defined and executed in the different Nordic countries. According to the Nordic Council of Ministers, the survey shall illuminate similarities and differences between the countries and assess the reasons for the differences. Nordel is asked to present a joint view system responsibility in the Nordic countries. Among other things, the responsibility for the system operators and the participants in the market shall be defined. The definition shall also include the distribution of costs between costs for network business and costs for business in competition. This shall be done in a way that creates a common platform for the further harmonisation work and continuous positive development of the Nordic electricity market. It is also important to identify the need for changes in e.g. legislation and guidelines in the different countries as a consequence of an implementation of a common definition in the Nordic countries. Areas to be included in the task are among others, balance settlement, security of supply, congestion management and system services. (BA)

  14. HIV/AIDS health care challenges for cross-country migrants in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suphanchaimat, Rapeepong; Sommanustweechai, Angkana; Khitdee, Chiraporn; Thaichinda, Chompoonut; Kantamaturapoj, Kanang; Leelahavarong, Pattara; Jumriangrit, Pensom; Topothai, Thitikorn; Wisaijohn, Thunthita; Putthasri, Weerasak

    2014-01-01

    Introduction HIV/AIDS has been one of the world’s most important health challenges in recent history. The global solidarity in responding to HIV/AIDS through the provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and encouraging early screening has been proved successful in saving lives of infected populations in past decades. However, there remain several challenges, one of which is how HIV/AIDS policies keep pace with the growing speed and diversity of migration flows. This study therefore aimed to examine the nature and the extent of HIV/AIDS health services, barriers to care, and epidemic burdens among cross-country migrants in low-and middle-income countries. Methods A scoping review was undertaken by gathering evidence from electronic databases and gray literature from the websites of relevant international initiatives. The articles were reviewed according to the defined themes: epidemic burdens of HIV/AIDS, barriers to health services and HIV/AIDS risks, and the operational management of the current health systems for HIV/AIDS. Results Of the 437 articles selected for an initial screening, 35 were read in full and mapped with the defined research questions. A high HIV/AIDS infection rate was a major concern among cross-country migrants in many regions, in particular sub-Saharan Africa. Despite a large number of studies reported in Africa, fewer studies were found in Asia and Latin America. Barriers of access to HIV/AIDS services comprised inadequate management of guidelines and referral systems, discriminatory attitudes, language differences, unstable legal status, and financial hardship. Though health systems management varied across countries, international partners consistently played a critical role in providing support for HIV/AIDS services to uninsured migrants and refugees. Conclusion It was evident that HIV/AIDS health care problems for migrants were a major concern in many developing nations. However, there was little evidence suggesting if the current

  15. Vocational education in the Nordic countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    a common heritage in education policy. This volume will help strengthen the knowledge base required for transnational policy learning, and for developing vocational education internationally for the future. As a result, the book will be of interest to researchers, academics and postgraduate students......Vocational Education in the Nordic Countries: Learning from Diversity is the second of two books that disseminates new and systematic knowledge on the strengths and weaknesses of the different models of vocational education and training (VET) in four Nordic countries. Vocational education in Europe...... involved in the study of vocational education, educational studies and educational policy, as well as policy makers....

  16. Household Water Treatments in Developing Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smieja, Joanne A.

    2011-01-01

    Household water treatments (HWT) can help provide clean water to millions of people worldwide who do not have access to safe water. This article describes four common HWT used in developing countries and the pertinent chemistry involved. The intent of this article is to inform both high school and college chemical educators and chemistry students…

  17. Impacts of neighboring countries on military expenditures : A dynamic spatial panel approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yesilyurt, M. Ensar; Elhorst, J. Paul

    Using the latest spatial econometric techniques and data pertaining to 144 countries over the period 1993-2007, this article tests and compares four frequently used spatial econometric models and eight matrices describing the mutual relationships among the countries, all within a common framework,

  18. Impacts of neighboring countries on military expenditures : A dynamic spatial panel approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yesilyurt, M. Ensar; Elhorst, J. Paul

    2017-01-01

    Using the latest spatial econometric techniques and data pertaining to 144 countries over the period 1993-2007, this article tests and compares four frequently used spatial econometric models and eight matrices describing the mutual relationships among the countries, all within a common framework,

  19. Allocation Problems and Market Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smilgins, Aleksandrs

    The thesis contains six independent papers with a common theme: Allocation problems and market design. The first paper is concerned with fair allocation of risk capital where independent autonomous subunits have risky activities and together constitute the entity's total risk, whose associated risk...... at a certain point in time involves countries that have excess demand and countries that have surplus of green energy. The problem addressed here is how the gains from trade ought to influence the way that members of the grid share common costs. The fifth paper extends the classical two-sided one...

  20. What is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries? A scoping review

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background Medical tourism involves patients intentionally leaving their home country to access non-emergency health care services abroad. Growth in the popularity of this practice has resulted in a significant amount of attention being given to it from researchers, policy-makers, and the media. Yet, there has been little effort to systematically synthesize what is known about the effects of this phenomenon. This article presents the findings of a scoping review examining what is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries. Methods Drawing on academic articles, grey literature, and media sources extracted from18 databases, we follow a widely used scoping review protocol to synthesize what is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries. The review design has three main stages: (1) identifying the question and relevant literature; (2) selecting the literature; and (3) charting, collating, and summarizing the data. Results The large majority of the 203 sources accepted into the review offer a perspective of medical tourism from the Global North, focusing on the flow of patients from high income nations to lower and middle income countries. This greatly shapes any discussion of the effects of medical tourism on destination and departure countries. Five interrelated themes that characterize existing discussion of the effects of this practice were extracted from the reviewed sources. These themes frame medical tourism as a: (1) user of public resources; (2) solution to health system problems; (3) revenue generating industry; (4) standard of care; and (5) source of inequity. It is observed that what is currently known about the effects of medical tourism is minimal, unreliable, geographically restricted and mostly based on speculation. Conclusions Given its positive and negative effects on the health care systems of departure and destination countries, medical tourism is a highly significant and

  1. What is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries? A scoping review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Snyder Jeremy

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Medical tourism involves patients intentionally leaving their home country to access non-emergency health care services abroad. Growth in the popularity of this practice has resulted in a significant amount of attention being given to it from researchers, policy-makers, and the media. Yet, there has been little effort to systematically synthesize what is known about the effects of this phenomenon. This article presents the findings of a scoping review examining what is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries. Methods Drawing on academic articles, grey literature, and media sources extracted from18 databases, we follow a widely used scoping review protocol to synthesize what is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries. The review design has three main stages: (1 identifying the question and relevant literature; (2 selecting the literature; and (3 charting, collating, and summarizing the data. Results The large majority of the 203 sources accepted into the review offer a perspective of medical tourism from the Global North, focusing on the flow of patients from high income nations to lower and middle income countries. This greatly shapes any discussion of the effects of medical tourism on destination and departure countries. Five interrelated themes that characterize existing discussion of the effects of this practice were extracted from the reviewed sources. These themes frame medical tourism as a: (1 user of public resources; (2 solution to health system problems; (3 revenue generating industry; (4 standard of care; and (5 source of inequity. It is observed that what is currently known about the effects of medical tourism is minimal, unreliable, geographically restricted and mostly based on speculation. Conclusions Given its positive and negative effects on the health care systems of departure and destination countries, medical tourism is a

  2. What is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries? A scoping review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Rory; Crooks, Valorie A; Snyder, Jeremy; Kingsbury, Paul

    2010-11-03

    Medical tourism involves patients intentionally leaving their home country to access non-emergency health care services abroad. Growth in the popularity of this practice has resulted in a significant amount of attention being given to it from researchers, policy-makers, and the media. Yet, there has been little effort to systematically synthesize what is known about the effects of this phenomenon. This article presents the findings of a scoping review examining what is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries. Drawing on academic articles, grey literature, and media sources extracted from18 databases, we follow a widely used scoping review protocol to synthesize what is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries. The review design has three main stages: (1) identifying the question and relevant literature; (2) selecting the literature; and (3) charting, collating, and summarizing the data. The large majority of the 203 sources accepted into the review offer a perspective of medical tourism from the Global North, focusing on the flow of patients from high income nations to lower and middle income countries. This greatly shapes any discussion of the effects of medical tourism on destination and departure countries. Five interrelated themes that characterize existing discussion of the effects of this practice were extracted from the reviewed sources. These themes frame medical tourism as a: (1) user of public resources; (2) solution to health system problems; (3) revenue generating industry; (4) standard of care; and (5) source of inequity. It is observed that what is currently known about the effects of medical tourism is minimal, unreliable, geographically restricted and mostly based on speculation. Given its positive and negative effects on the health care systems of departure and destination countries, medical tourism is a highly significant and contested phenomenon. This is especially

  3. Being in Community: A Food Security Themed Approach to Public Scholarship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Barbara; Nelson, Connie; Stroink, Mirella

    2013-01-01

    For six years the Food Security Research Network at Lakehead University, Canada, has been engaged in an interdisciplinary theme-based service-learning initiative focusing on food security. Informed by complexity theory, the contextual fluidity partnership model brings community partners, students, and faculty into a nexus through which new…

  4. Theme-Based Project Learning: Design and Application of Convergent Science Experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chun, Man-Seog; Kang, Kwang Il; Kim, Young H.; Kim, Young Mee

    2015-01-01

    This case study aims to verify the benefits of theme-based project learning for convergent science experiments. The study explores the possibilities of enhancing creative, integrated and collaborative teaching and learning abilities in science-gifted education. A convergent project-based science experiment program of physics, chemistry and biology…

  5. Mercosur's regional health agenda: architecture and themes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luisa Guimaraes Queiroz

    Full Text Available This article describes the shaping of institutional health spaces in the Mercosur, with analysis of themes and results and considerations on the construction of the regional agenda and on the effects of regional economic integration processes on health policies and systems. We discuss the organization, operation, focus topics, and results achieved in specific health forums (Meeting of Ministers of Health and Sub-Working Group 11, seeking to analyze the architecture and issues addressed by the regional agenda and drawing parallels with the European experience. The aim of this reflection is to identify how the work done by Mercosur structures contributes to building a regional agenda, with the expectation that the integration can contribute to reducing inequalities in access to health care in the region.

  6. Layperson trauma training in low- and middle-income countries: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callese, Tyler E; Richards, Christopher T; Shaw, Pamela; Schuetz, Steven J; Issa, Nabil; Paladino, Lorenzo; Swaroop, Mamta

    2014-07-01

    Prehospital trauma systems are rudimentary in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and require laypersons to stabilize and transport injured patients. The World Health Organization recommends educating layperson first responders as an essential step in the development of Emergency Medical Services systems in LMICs. This systematic review examines trauma educational initiatives for layperson first responders in resource-poor settings. Layperson first-responder training and education program publications were identified using PubMed MEDLINE and Scopus databases. Articles addressing physicians, professional Emergency Medical Services training, or epidemiologic descriptions were excluded. Publications were assessed by independent reviewers, and those included underwent thematic analysis. Thirteen publications met inclusion criteria. Four themes emerged regarding the development of layperson first-responder training programs: (1) An initial needs assessment of a region's existing trauma system of care and laypersons' baseline emergency care knowledge focuses subsequent educational interventions; (2) effective programs adapt to and leverage existing resources; (3) training methods should anticipate participants with low levels of education and literacy; and (4) postimplementation evaluation allows for curriculum improvement. Technology, such as online and remote learning platforms, can be used to operationalize each theme. Successful training programs for layperson first responders in LMICs identify and maximize existing resources are adaptable to learners with little formal education and are responsive to postimplementation evaluation. Educational platforms that leverage technology to deliver content may facilitate first-responder trauma education in underresourced areas. Themes identified can inform the development of trauma systems of care to decrease mortality and physiological severity scores in trauma patients in LMICs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All

  7. Strangers in strange lands: a metasynthesis of lived experiences of immigrant asian nurses working in Western countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yu

    2007-01-01

    Nurses from Asian countries make up the majority of immigrant nurses globally. Although there are a limited number of studies on the lived experiences of Asian nurses working in Western countries, the development of nursing science will be impeded if the rich understanding gleaned from these studies is not synthesized. Using Noblit and Hare's (Meta-ethnography: Synthesizing Qualitative Studies. Newbury Park, Calif: Sage; 1988) procedures, a metasynthesis was conducted on 14 studies that met preset selection criteria. Four overarching themes emerged: (a) communication as a daunting challenge; (b) differences in nursing practice; (c) marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation; and (d) cultural differences. Based on the metasynthesis, a large narrative and expanded interpretation was constructed and implications for nursing knowledge development, clinical practice, and policy making are elaborated.

  8. General practice in the Nordic countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Rose Olsen

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: General practice systems in the Nordic countries share certain common features. The sector is based on the Nordic model of a tax-financed supply of services with a political objective of equal access for all. The countries also share the challenges of increased political expectations to deliver primary prevention and increased workload as patients from hospital care are discharged earlier. However, within this common framework, primary care is organized differently. This is particularly in relation to the private-public mix, remuneration systems and the use of financial and non-financial incentives. Objective: The objective of this paper is to compare the differences and similarities in primary care among the Nordic countries, to create a mapping of the future plans and reforms linked to remuneration and incentives schemes, and to discuss the pros and cons for these plans with reference to the literature. An additional objective is to identify gaps in the literature and future research opportunities. Results/Conclusions: Despite the many similarities within the Nordic health care systems, the primary care sectors function under highly different arrangements. Most important are the differences in the gate-keeping function, private versus salaried practices, possibilities for corporate ownership, skill-mix and the organisational structure. Current reforms and political agendas appear to focus on the side effects of the individual countries’ specific systems. For example, countries with salaried systems with geographical responsibility are introducing incentives for private practice and more choices for patients. Countries with systems largely based on private practice are introducing more monitoring and public regulation to control budgets. We also see that new governments tends to bring different views on the future organisation of primary care, which provide considerable political tension but few actual changes. Interestingly

  9. Rethinking Social Justice and Adult Education for Welcoming, Inclusive Communities: Synthesis of Themes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lange, Elizabeth; Baillie Abidi, Catherine

    2015-01-01

    This chapter summarizes the key themes across the articles on transnational migration, social inclusion, and adult education, using Nancy Fraser's framework of redistributive, recognitive, and representational justice.

  10. The key issues facing the electricity systems of developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, A. de

    1991-01-01

    This report covers a common project designed to investigate the major issues and possible future direction in the electricity systems of developing countries in AFRICA, ASIA and LATIN AMERICA. Individual centres each had responsibility for preparing a detailed report on the experiences and issues in their own country plus a regional report, in less detail, to cover neighbouring countries. In this disaggregated way, a picture of the whole of the developing world (with the exception of the Middle East, the problems of which are in some ways distinct from those of other developing countries) has been built up. 30 Refs.; 14 Figs.; 33 Tabs

  11. Research for food and health in Europe: themes, needs and proposals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McKenna Brian

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Diet, in addition to tobacco, alcohol and physical exercise, is a major factor contributing to chronic diseases in Europe. There is a pressing need for multidisciplinary research to promote healthier food choices and better diets. Food and Health Research in Europe (FAHRE is a collaborative project commissioned by the European Union. Among its tasks is the description of national research systems for food and health and, in work reported here, the identification of strengths and gaps in the European research base. Methods A typology of nine research themes was developed, spanning food, society, health and research structures. Experts were selected through the FAHRE partners, with balance for individual characteristics, and reported using a standardised template. Results Countries usually commission research on food, and on health, separately: few countries have combined research strategies or programmes. Food and health are also strongly independent fields within the European Commission's research programmes. Research programmes have supported food and bio-technology, food safety, epidemiological research, and nutritional surveillance; but there has been less research into personal behaviour and very little on environmental influences on food choices - in the retail and marketing industries, policy, and regulation. The research is mainly sited within universities and research institutes: there is relatively little published research contribution from industry. Discussion National food policies, based on epidemiological evidence and endorsed by the World Health Organisation, recommend major changes in food intake to meet the challenge of chronic diseases. Biomedical and biotechnology research, in areas such as 'nutrio-genomics', 'individualised' diets, 'functional' foods and 'nutri-pharmaceuticals' appear likely to yield less health benefit, and less return on public investment, than research on population-level interventions

  12. Research for food and health in Europe: themes, needs and proposals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Diet, in addition to tobacco, alcohol and physical exercise, is a major factor contributing to chronic diseases in Europe. There is a pressing need for multidisciplinary research to promote healthier food choices and better diets. Food and Health Research in Europe (FAHRE) is a collaborative project commissioned by the European Union. Among its tasks is the description of national research systems for food and health and, in work reported here, the identification of strengths and gaps in the European research base. Methods A typology of nine research themes was developed, spanning food, society, health and research structures. Experts were selected through the FAHRE partners, with balance for individual characteristics, and reported using a standardised template. Results Countries usually commission research on food, and on health, separately: few countries have combined research strategies or programmes. Food and health are also strongly independent fields within the European Commission's research programmes. Research programmes have supported food and bio-technology, food safety, epidemiological research, and nutritional surveillance; but there has been less research into personal behaviour and very little on environmental influences on food choices - in the retail and marketing industries, policy, and regulation. The research is mainly sited within universities and research institutes: there is relatively little published research contribution from industry. Discussion National food policies, based on epidemiological evidence and endorsed by the World Health Organisation, recommend major changes in food intake to meet the challenge of chronic diseases. Biomedical and biotechnology research, in areas such as 'nutrio-genomics', 'individualised' diets, 'functional' foods and 'nutri-pharmaceuticals' appear likely to yield less health benefit, and less return on public investment, than research on population-level interventions to influence dietary

  13. Identification of Ppd-B1 alleles in common wheat cultivars by CAPS marker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okoń, S; Kowalczyk, K; Miazga, D

    2012-05-01

    Photoperiod response is a major determinant of the duration of growth stages in common wheat. In common wheat, many genes play a role in determining flowering time, but the Ppd genes located on the homoeologous group 2 play a major role. Of these Ppd-B1 is located on the short arm of 2B. In 107 common wheat cultivars grown in Poland and neighboring countries, the identification of Ppd-B1 alleles using in-del analysis by using a CAPS markers was investigated. 87 cultivars were shown to carry dominant Ppd-B1 alleles. This shows that Ppd-B1 alleles is have been widely used in common wheat breeding programme in these countries. Recessive ppd-B1 alleles were found only in 20 cultivars (12 Polish, 5 former Soviet Union, 2 German, 1 Swedish).

  14. Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders in Professional Football (Soccer) Across Five European Countries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gouttebarge, Vincent; Backx, Frank J. G.; Aoki, Haruhito; Kerkhoffs, Gino M. M. J.

    2015-01-01

    Evidence on the prevalence of symptoms related to distress, anxiety/depression or substance abuse/dependence, - typically referred to as symptoms of common mental disorders (CMD) - is lacking in European professional football (soccer). The aims of the present study were to investigate the prevalence

  15. Migrations of theory, method and practice: a reflection on themes in migration studies (Review article)

    OpenAIRE

    Palmary, Ingrid

    2009-01-01

    In this review article, I offer some reflection on three themes in migration research, namely, the categorisation and quantification of migration, the role of trauma and distress in such categorisation, and the feminisation of migration. I was prompted to explore these three themes after reading a recent publication on migration in southern Africa (edited by Kok, Gelderblom, Oucho and Van Zyl, 2006). In this paper I raise these as three areas that appear to be determining the boundaries of th...

  16. Themes, scenes, and taste in the history of Japanese garden art

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuitert, W.

    1988-01-01

    The present study deals - in its three parts - with three fragments of the garden history of Japan. It reveals how the meaning a garden had to the people of its time was significantly different in all of these periods.

    Part one, titled "Themes", deals with the later Heian period,

  17. The Relationship between Kolb's Learning Styles and StrengthsFinder's Talent Themes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldwell, Adonna B.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate if there were relationships between college students' talent themes as defined by the Clifton StrengthsFinder(TM) Instrument and their learning style as defined by Kolb Learning Styles Inventory. Logistical regression methodology was utilized to assess the relationship between learning styles and talent…

  18. Generation of Variations on Theme Music Based on Impressions of Story Scenes Considering Human's Feeling of Music and Stories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenkichi Ishizuka

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a system which generates variations on theme music fitting to story scenes represented by texts and/or pictures. Inputs to the present system are original theme music and numerical information on given story scenes. The present system varies melodies, tempos, tones, tonalities, and accompaniments of given theme music based on impressions of story scenes. Genetic algorithms (GAs using modular neural network (MNN models as fitness functions are applied to music generation in order to reflect user's feeling of music and stories. The present system adjusts MNN models for each user on line. This paper also describes the evaluation experiments to confirm whether the generated variations on theme music reflect impressions of story scenes appropriately or not.

  19. Human rights: common meaning and differences in positioning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Willem Doise

    Full Text Available Human rights are defined as normative social representations embedded in institutional juridical definitions. Research findings show that human rights can be studied as normative social representations implying a degree of common understanding across cultures together with organized differences within and between cultures. Important factors in modulating individual positioning in the realm of human rights are experiences of social conflict and injustice, beliefs about the efficiency of various social actors to have rights enforced and attitudes of liberalism or collectivism. On the other hand, an ethnocentric use of human rights is well documented and has been experimentally studied. Generally, concerns about these rights expressed by citizens of Western countries become much stronger when non-Western countries are involved, whereas violations of these rights in their own country are often not severely condemned.

  20. The District Health Information System (DHIS2): A literature review and meta-synthesis of its strengths and operational challenges based on the experiences of 11 countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehnavieh, Reza; Haghdoost, AliAkbar; Khosravi, Ardeshir; Hoseinabadi, Fahime; Rahimi, Hamed; Poursheikhali, Atousa; Khajehpour, Nahid; Khajeh, Zahra; Mirshekari, Nadia; Hasani, Marziyeh; Radmerikhi, Samera; Haghighi, Hajar; Mehrolhassani, Mohammad Hossain; Kazemi, Elaheh; Aghamohamadi, Saeide

    2018-01-01

    Health information systems offer many potential benefits for healthcare, including financial benefits and for improving the quality of patient care. The purpose of District Health Information Systems (DHIS) is to document data that are routinely collected in all public health facilities in a country using the system. The aim of this study was to examine the strengths and operational challenges of DHIS2, with a goal to enable decision makers in different counties to more accurately evaluate the outcomes of introducing DHIS2 into their particular country. A review of the literature combined with the method of meta-synthesis was used to source information and interpret results relating to the strengths and operational challenges of DHIS2. Databases (Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar) were searched for documents related to strengths and operational challenges of DHIS2, with no time limit up to 8 April 2017. The review and evaluation of selected studies was conducted in three stages: title, abstract and full text. Each of the selected studies was reviewed carefully and key concepts extracted. These key concepts were divided into two categories of strengths and operational challenges of DHIS2. Then, each category was grouped based on conceptual similarity to achieve the main themes and sub-themes. Content analysis was used to analyse extracted data. Of 766 identified citations, 20 studies from 11 countries were included and analysed in this study. Identified strengths in the DHIS were represented in seven themes (with 21 categories): technical features of software, proper management of data, application flexibility, networking and increasing the satisfaction of stakeholders, development of data management, increasing access to information and economic benefits. Operational challenges were identified and captured in 11 themes (with 18 categories): funds; appropriate communication infrastructure; the need for the existence of appropriate data; political, cultural

  1. Technical Meeting on Establishing Networks for Countries Introducing Nuclear Power. Presentations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-01-01

    The objectives of the meeting were to: • Learn about existing networking opportunities that may be of interest for embarking countries; • Discuss common challenges among Member States that could be addressed through better networking opportunities; • Determine appropriate sub-networks, such as future owner/operator organizations, heads of nuclear energy programme implementing organizations (NEPIOs), embarking countries and countries with current civil nuclear programmes; and • Discuss effective strategies for creating networks using existing social media platforms

  2. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ)-Themed Literature for Teens: Are School Libraries Providing Adequate Collections?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes-Hassell, Sandra; Overberg, Elizabeth; Harris, Shannon

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if young adults have access through school libraries to LGBTQ-themed literature. The library collections in 125 high schools in one Southern U.S. state were examined for the inclusion of LGBTQ-themed fiction, nonfiction, and biographies, including a core collection of 21 recommended titles. Results showed…

  3. Mapping of Themes Pertaining to Operations Management: a Refined Analysis Based on the Perceptions of Researchers, Lecturers and Practitioners

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jurandir Peinado

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available An article published at Revista de Gestão (REGE, an academic journal by the University of Sao Paulo, in 2013, proposed the mapping of Operations Management themes based on the editorial space provided in major journals and conf erence proceedings in the area. Based on such proposal, the current study conducted a survey to capture the importance assigned to those themes by researchers, lecturers and practitioners and how they categorized the themes into broader groupings. A factor analysis was performed with the data collected by means of the survey and several statistical tests were also carried out in order to assess the strength of the constructs and to confirm the dimensions proposed in the referred mapping of Operations Manage ment themes, allowing for its refinement. The factor analysis resulted in nine factors, seven of which very closely resemble the constructs presented in the previous paper. Thus, the results obtained herein confirm most of the previously obtained mapping, providing a further step in the discussion of the themes that are relevant to the area of Operations Management

  4. Energy balances of OECD countries 1970/1982

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1984-01-01

    The present volume provides standardized energy balance sheets expressed in a common unit of tons of oil equivalent for all OECD Countries. It covers the years 1970 to 1982 year by year and includes many revisions and additions to data previously published. The balances in the present volume are based on data published in OECD Energy Statistics 1971-1981 and OECD Energy Statistics 1981-1982. Tables for each OECD Country include production, import, export, consumption by the different industries, transportation, agriculture, residential sector of the different energies: solid fuels, petroleum, gas, nuclear power and hydroelectricity [fr

  5. Value Premium and Country Risk as Dimensions to Estimate Conditional Returns: a Study of the Brazilian Market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lilian de Castro Medeiros

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Asset pricing is a widely explored theme in the financial literature. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of value premium is still controversial, since although easily detected in developed and emerging markets, little is know about the economic forces that explain its existence. In this context, this article examines value premium in the Brazilian market and investigates the influence of the country risk variable as an additional risk factor for estimating conditional returns in this market not captured by value premium. For that, we employ a five-factor model, formulated by adding the country risk factor to the model of Carhart (1997. We apply the statistical procedure adopted by Fama & French (1993 to the period between 1994 and 2012, with data on nonfinancial companies listed on the BM&FBovespa. The results confirm the existence of value premium in the Brazilian market, and country risk and value premium together are significant factors to explain conditional returns.

  6. Regional Themes and Global Means in Supra-National Higher Education Policy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Pam

    2009-01-01

    The supra-national level has become increasingly important in educational policy formulation. This paper describes and compares two settings in which growth in these supra-national policies is evident--in Europe and in Africa. Key themes arising in policy documents in each context are examined. A distinction is drawn in analysis between themes…

  7. A Cross-Cultural Study on Behaviors When Death Is Approaching in East Asian Countries: What Are the Physician-Perceived Common Beliefs and Practices?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Shao-Yi; Suh, Sang-Yeon; Morita, Tatsuya; Oyama, Yasuhiro; Chiu, Tai-Yuan; Koh, Su Jin; Kim, Hyun Sook; Hwang, Shinn-Jang; Yoshie, Taeko; Tsuneto, Satoru

    2015-09-01

    The primary aim of this study was to explore common beliefs and practices when death is approaching in East-Asian countries. A cross-sectional survey was performed involving palliative care physicians in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Measurement outcomes were physician-perceived frequencies of the following when patient death was approaching: (1) reluctance to take part in end-of-life discussions, (2) role of family members, (3) home death, and (4) circumstances surrounding death. A total of 505, 211, and 207 responses were obtained from Japanese, Korea, and Taiwan physicians, respectively. While 50% of the Japanese physicians reported that they often or very often experienced families as being reluctant to discuss end-of-life issues, the corresponding figures were 59% in Korea and 70% in Taiwan. Two specific reasons to avoid end-of-life discussion, "bad things happen after you say them out loud" and "a bad life is better than a good death" were significantly more frequently observed in Taiwan. Prioritizing the oldest of the family in breaking bad news and having all family members present at the time of death were significantly more frequently observed in Korea and Taiwan. Half of Taiwanese physicians reported they often or very often experienced the patients/family wanted to go back home to die because the soul would not be able to return from the hospital. In all countries, more than 70% of the physicians reported certain family members were expected to care for the patient at home. At the time of death, while no Japanese physicians stated that they often experienced patients wanted a religious person to visit, the corresponding figure in Korean and Taiwan was about 40%. Uncovered expression of emotion was significantly frequently observed in Korean and Taiwan, and 42% of the Japanese physicians reported family members cleaned the dead body of the patient themselves. There seem to be significant intercountry differences in beliefs and practices when death is

  8. Psychological Treatments for the World: Lessons from Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singla, Daisy R; Kohrt, Brandon A; Murray, Laura K; Anand, Arpita; Chorpita, Bruce F; Patel, Vikram

    2017-05-08

    Common mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress, are leading causes of disability worldwide. Treatment for these disorders is limited in low- and middle-income countries. This systematic review synthesizes the implementation processes and examines the effectiveness of psychological treatments for common mental disorders in adults delivered by nonspecialist providers in low- and middle-income countries. In total, 27 trials met the eligibility criteria; most treatments targeted depression or posttraumatic stress. Treatments were commonly delivered by community health workers or peers in primary care or community settings; they usually were delivered with fewer than 10 sessions over 2-3 months in an individual, face-to-face format. Treatments included common elements, such as nonspecific engagement and specific domains of behavioral, interpersonal, emotional, and cognitive elements. The pooled effect size was 0.49 (95% confidence interval = 0.36-0.62), favoring intervention conditions. Our review demonstrates that psychological treatments-comprising a parsimonious set of common elements and delivered by a low-cost, widely available human resource-have moderate to strong effects in reducing the burden of common mental disorders.

  9. Radiation protection and atomic energy legislation in the Nordic countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Persson, L.

    1987-01-01

    The radiation protection and atomic energy laws of the Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are presented in this report in their status of March 1, 1984. As a background to this legislation the Nordic co-operation is briefly reviewed and the common basis for the legal texts is given. Some historical remarks for the legislation of each country are included. (orig./HP)

  10. Health care for immigrants in Europe: is there still consensus among country experts about principles of good practice? A Delphi study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Devillé, Walter; Greacen, Tim; Bogic, Marija

    2011-01-01

    Background: European Member States are facing a challenge to provide accessible and effective health care services for immigrants. It remains unclear how best to achieve this and what characterises good practice in increasingly multicultural societies across Europe. This study assessed the views...... to 16 factors being identified as the most important for each participating country. All 186 factors were aggregated into 9 themes: (1) easy and equal access to health care, (2) empowerment of migrants, (3) culturally sensitive health care services, (4) quality of care, (5) patient/health care provider...... disagreement both within and between countries on specific issues that require further research and debate....

  11. Nuclear waste disposal technology for Pacific Basin countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langley, R.A. Jr.; Brothers, G.W.

    1981-01-01

    Safe long-term disposal of nuclear wastes is technically feasible. Further technological development offers the promise of reduced costs through elimination of unnecessary conservatism and redundance in waste disposal systems. The principal deterrents to waste disposal are social and political. The issues of nuclear waste storage and disposal are being confronted by many nuclear power countries including some of the Pacific Basin nuclear countries. Both mined geologic and subseabed disposal schemes are being developed actively. The countries of the Pacific Basin, because of their geographic proximity, could benefit by jointly planning their waste disposal activities. A single repository, of a design currently being considered, could hold all the estimated reprocessing waste from all the Pacific Basin countries past the year 2010. As a start, multinational review of alterntive disposal schemes would be beneficial. This review should include the subseabed disposal of radwastes. A multinational review of radwaste packaging is also suggested. Packages destined for a common repository, even though they may come from several countries, should be standardized to maximize repository efficiency and minimize operator exposure. Since package designs may be developed before finalization of a repository scheme and design, the packages should not have characteristics that would preclude or adversely affect operation of desirable repository options. The sociopolitical problems of waste disposal are a major deterrent to a multinational approach to waste disposal. The elected representatives of a given political entity have generally been reluctant to accept the waste from another political entity. Initial studies would, nevertheless, be beneficial either to a common solution to the problem, or to aid in separate solutions

  12. A Theme-Based Course: Hydrogen as the Fuel of the Future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shultz, Mary Jane; Kelly, Matthew; Paritsky, Leonid; Wagner, Julia

    2009-01-01

    A theme-based course focusing on the potential role of hydrogen as a future fuel is described. Numerous topics included in typical introductory courses can be directly related to the issue of hydrogen energy. Beginning topics include Avogadro's number, the mole, atomic mass, gas laws, and the role of electrons in chemical transformations. Reaction…

  13. Ethical concerns as a methodological proposal to approach cross-cutting themes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sansao Albino Timbane

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The present study highlight how the investment in ethical concerns can contribute as a learning shuttle in a virtual ambient directed to the learning, more than to the teaching. Face-to-face meetings, in a classroom, and distance meetings, on Forchat online space were made. The students proactively participated on the discussions with freedom to decide about the paper’s assumption and thematic propositions according to the personal interest on the studies topics, sometimes as a moderator, other times as contributor, without the teacher interference.  The reality problematization through the ethical concerns presented as relevant effect the proactively engagement on the discussions about the proposed topics, with gains to the conceptual construction and to the methodological positions in the research.  Instigated by the challenge of cross-cutting themes discussed, on a virtual learning ambient, themes related with: docent practice, learning, professional formation, evaluation, theory- practice relation, refreshing debates and reflections about ethical concerns, making a collective text which at same time respected the individual contributions heterogeneity and the produced senses.

  14. Elements of Social Security in 6 European Countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Hans

    Elements of Social Security in 6 European Countries contains an overview of important benefit schemes in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Great Britain and the Nether-lands. The schemes are categorized according to common sets of criteria and compared. Stylized cases illustrate the impact...

  15. Overview of harm reduction in prisons in seven European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sander, Gen; Scandurra, Alessio; Kamenska, Anhelita; MacNamara, Catherine; Kalpaki, Christina; Bessa, Cristina Fernandez; Laso, Gemma Nicolás; Parisi, Grazia; Varley, Lorraine; Wolny, Marcin; Moudatsou, Maria; Pontes, Nuno Henrique; Mannix-McNamara, Patricia; Libianchi, Sandro; Antypas, Tzanetos

    2016-10-07

    While the last decade has seen a growth of support for harm reduction around the world, the availability and accessibility of quality harm reduction services in prison settings is uneven and continues to be inadequate compared to the progress achieved in the broader community. This article provides a brief overview of harm reduction in prisons in Catalonia (Spain), Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, and Portugal. While each country provides a wide range of harm reduction services in the broader community, the majority fail to provide these same services or the same quality of these services, in prison settings, in clear violation of international human rights law and minimum standards on the treatment of prisoners. Where harm reduction services have been available and easily accessible in prison settings for some time, better health outcomes have been observed, including significantly reduced rates of HIV and HCV incidence. While the provision of harm reduction in each of these countries' prisons varies considerably, certain key themes and lessons can be distilled, including around features of an enabling environment for harm reduction, resource allocation, collection of disaggregated data, and accessibility of services.

  16. The vector of the tobacco epidemic: tobacco industry practices in low and middle-income countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sungkyu; Ling, Pamela M; Glantz, Stanton A

    2012-03-01

    To understand transnational tobacco companies' (TTCs) practices in low and middle-income countries which serve to block tobacco-control policies and promote tobacco use. Systematic review of published research on tobacco industry activities to promote tobacco use and oppose tobacco-control policies in low and middle-income countries. TTCs' strategies used in low and middle-income countries followed four main themes-economic activity; marketing/promotion; political activity; and deceptive/manipulative activity. Economic activity, including foreign investment and smuggling, was used to enter new markets. Political activities included lobbying, offering voluntary self-regulatory codes, and mounting corporate social responsibility campaigns. Deceptive activities included manipulation of science and use of third-party allies to oppose smoke-free policies, delay other tobacco-control policies, and maintain support of policymakers and the public for a pro-tobacco industry policy environment. TTCs used tactics for marketing, advertising, and promoting their brands that were tailored to specific market environments. These activities included direct and indirect tactis, targeting particular populations, and introducing new tobacco products designed to limit marketing restrictions and taxes, maintain the social acceptability of tobacco use, and counter tobacco-control efforts. TTCs have used similar strategies in high-income countries as these being described in low and middle-income countries. As required by FCTC Article 5.3, to counter tobacco industry pressures and to implement effective tobacco-control policies, governments and health professionals in low and middle-income countries should fully understand TTCs practices and counter them.

  17. Fatal poisoning in drug addicts in the Nordic countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steentoft, Anni; Teige, Brita; Ceder, Gunnel

    2001-01-01

    The study includes medicolegally examined fatal poisonings among drug addicts in 1997 in the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and the results are compared to a similar investigation from 1991. A common definition of ‘‘drug addict’’ was applied...... by the participating countries. The highest death rate by poisoning in drug addicts was observed in Denmark, where it was 6.54 per 105 inhabitants, followed by Norway with 6.35, Sweden with 2.21, Finland with 1.63 and Iceland with 1.20 per 105 inhabitants. All countries showed a higher death rate in 1997 than in 1991...

  18. Self-management Following a Cardiac Event in People of Chinese Ethnicity Living in Western Countries: A Scoping Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ling; Gallagher, Robyn; Ding, Ding; Neubeck, Lis

    2018-06-01

    Health outcomes and impact of cardiovascular disease vary between populations, where ethnic minorities and immigrant groups are more likely to be disadvantaged. Compared with the majority residents, health outcomes, especially short-term mortality from coronary heart disease event are worse in people of Chinese ethnicity, potentially due to poor self-management and experiences with the healthcare system in host countries. A scoping review was conducted. Four overarching themes were found: (1) understanding of heart disease, risk factors and symptom recognition, (2) adherence to medication and lifestyle modification, (3) health service/information choice, and (4) family role in disease self-management and decision making. All themes were greatly influenced by English language proficiency and cultural practices. English language proficiency and cultural practices should be taken into consideration when providing healthcare services for people of Chinese ethnicity, as it plays an important role in self-management and experiences with the healthcare system.

  19. Vocational education and training in the Nordic countries:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Christian Helms

    2018-01-01

    countries and the historical development of each of the four VET systems. This is followed by an examination of the role of VET in relation to the Nordic model of education and the Nordic labour market model. Finally, the position of VET in the Nordic transition systems is considered.......The chapter examines the systems of vocational education and training (VET) in four Nordic countries, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark. First, it identifies the common political challenges for VET, which the following chapters of the book examine. Next, it outlines shared qualities of the Nordic...

  20. Theme issue on e-mental health: a growing field in internet research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Riper, H.; Andersson, G.; Christensen, H.; Cuijpers, P.; Lange, A; Eysenbach, G

    2010-01-01

    This theme issue on e-mental health presents 16 articles from leading researchers working on systems and theories related to supporting and improving mental health conditions and mental health care using information and communication technologies. In this editorial, we present the background of this

  1. Genes2WordCloud: a quick way to identify biological themes from gene lists and free text.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baroukh, Caroline; Jenkins, Sherry L; Dannenfelser, Ruth; Ma'ayan, Avi

    2011-10-13

    Word-clouds recently emerged on the web as a solution for quickly summarizing text by maximizing the display of most relevant terms about a specific topic in the minimum amount of space. As biologists are faced with the daunting amount of new research data commonly presented in textual formats, word-clouds can be used to summarize and represent biological and/or biomedical content for various applications. Genes2WordCloud is a web application that enables users to quickly identify biological themes from gene lists and research relevant text by constructing and displaying word-clouds. It provides users with several different options and ideas for the sources that can be used to generate a word-cloud. Different options for rendering and coloring the word-clouds give users the flexibility to quickly generate customized word-clouds of their choice. Genes2WordCloud is a word-cloud generator and a word-cloud viewer that is based on WordCram implemented using Java, Processing, AJAX, mySQL, and PHP. Text is fetched from several sources and then processed to extract the most relevant terms with their computed weights based on word frequencies. Genes2WordCloud is freely available for use online; it is open source software and is available for installation on any web-site along with supporting documentation at http://www.maayanlab.net/G2W. Genes2WordCloud provides a useful way to summarize and visualize large amounts of textual biological data or to find biological themes from several different sources. The open source availability of the software enables users to implement customized word-clouds on their own web-sites and desktop applications.

  2. Comparison of interventional cardiology in two European countries: a nationwide Internet based registry study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gudnason, T; Gudnadottir, G S; Lagerqvist, B; Eyjolfsson, K; Nilsson, T; Thorgeirsson, G; Thorgeirsson, G; Andersen, K; James, S

    2013-09-30

    The practice of interventional cardiology differs between countries and regions. In this study we report the results of the first nation-wide long-term comparison of interventional cardiology in two countries using a common web-based registry. The Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry (SCAAR) was used to prospectively and continuously collect background-, quality-, and outcome parameters for all coronary angiographies (CA) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) performed in Iceland and Sweden during one year. The rate of CA per million inhabitants was higher in Iceland than in Sweden. A higher proportion of patients had CA for stable angina in Iceland than in Sweden, while the opposite was true for ST elevation myocardial infarction. Left main stem stenosis was more commonly found in Iceland than in Sweden. The PCI rate was similar in the two countries as was the general success rate of PCI, achievement of complete revascularisation and the overall stent use. Drug eluting stents were more commonly used in Iceland (23% vs. 19%). The use of fractional flow reserve (0.2% vs. 10%) and the radial approach (0.6% vs. 33%) was more frequent in Sweden than in Iceland. Serious complications and death were very rare in both countries. By prospectively comparing interventional cardiology in two countries, using a common web based registry online, we have discovered important differences in technique and indications. A discovery such as this can lead to a change in clinical practice and inspire prospective multinational randomised registry trials in unselected, real world populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions Regarding the Inclusion of LGBTQ Themed Literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grasso, Dominic

    2016-01-01

    This critical explanatory mixed methods study examined elementary teachers' perceptions regarding the inclusion of LGBTQ-themed literature in the curriculum. An electronic survey questionnaire and focus group sessions were used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data that described the perceived benefits and barriers of LGBTQ-themed…

  4. Recent insights from the international common-cause failure data exchange project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kreuser, Albert [Gesellschaft fur Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH, Cologne (Germany); Johanson, Gunner [AF Industry, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2017-03-15

    Common-cause failure (CCF) events can significantly impact the availability of safety systems of nuclear power plants. For this reason, the International Common Cause Data Exchange (ICDE) project was initiated by several countries in 1994. Since 1997 it has been operated within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) framework and has successfully been operated over six consecutive terms (the current term being 2015–2017). The ICDE project allows multiple countries to collaborate and exchange CCF data to enhance the quality of risk analyses, which include CCF modeling. As CCF events are typically rare, most countries do not experience enough CCF events to perform meaningful analyses. Data combined from several countries, however, have yielded sufficient data for more rigorous analyses. The ICDE project has meanwhile published 11 reports on the collection and analysis of CCF events of specific component types (centrifugal pumps, emergency diesel generators, motor operated valves, safety and relief valves, check valves, circuit breakers, level measurement, control rod drive assemblies, and heat exchangers) and two topical reports. This paper presents recent activities and lessons learnt from the data collection and the results of topical analysis on emergency diesel generator CCF impacting entire exposed population.

  5. Recent Insights from the International Common-Cause Failure Data Exchange Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Albert Kreuser

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Common-cause failure (CCF events can significantly impact the availability of safety systems of nuclear power plants. For this reason, the International Common Cause Data Exchange (ICDE project was initiated by several countries in 1994. Since 1997 it has been operated within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD/Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA framework and has successfully been operated over six consecutive terms (the current term being 2015–2017. The ICDE project allows multiple countries to collaborate and exchange CCF data to enhance the quality of risk analyses, which include CCF modeling. As CCF events are typically rare, most countries do not experience enough CCF events to perform meaningful analyses. Data combined from several countries, however, have yielded sufficient data for more rigorous analyses. The ICDE project has meanwhile published 11 reports on the collection and analysis of CCF events of specific component types (centrifugal pumps, emergency diesel generators, motor operated valves, safety and relief valves, check valves, circuit breakers, level measurement, control rod drive assemblies, and heat exchangers and two topical reports. This paper presents recent activities and lessons learnt from the data collection and the results of topical analysis on emergency diesel generator CCF impacting entire exposed population.

  6. Monitoring VET Systems of Major EU Competitor Countries - The Cases of Australia, Canada, U.S.A. and Japan

    OpenAIRE

    Ruth, Klaus

    2009-01-01

    The study on VET systems of major EU competitor countries is based on the objective of the (revised) Lisbon agenda to become the most competitive region of the world based on a knowledge driven production and social cohesion. Building on experts opinion and literature research this study aims at monitoring VET policies in Australia, Canada, the U.S. and Japan. The study analyses five themes which are assumed to be of outstanding importance for understanding the current performance and the dev...

  7. Activities of research-reactor-technology project in FNCA from FY2005 to FY2007. Sharing neutronics calculation technique for core management and utilization of research reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-07-01

    RRT project (Research-Reactor-Technology Project) was carried out with the theme of 'sharing neutronics calculation technique for core management and utilization of research reactors' in the framework of FNCA (Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia) from FY2005 to FY2007. The objective of the project was to improve and equalize the level of neutronics calculation technique for the reactor core management among participating countries to assure the safe and stable operation of research reactors and the promotion of the effective utilization. Neutronics calculation codes, namely SRAC code system and MVP code, were adopted as common codes. Participating countries succeeded in applying the common codes to analyzing the core of each domestic research reactor. Some participating countries succeeded in applying the common codes to analyzing for utilization of own research reactors. Activities of RRT project have improved and equalized the level of neutronics calculation technique among participating countries. (author)

  8. The role of tobacco advertising and promotion: themes employed in litigation by tobacco industry witnesses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Marvin E; Davis, Ronald M; O'Keefe, Anne Marie

    2006-12-01

    To identify key themes related to tobacco advertising and promotion in testimony provided by tobacco industry-affiliated witnesses in tobacco litigation, and to present countervailing evidence and arguments. Themes in industry testimony were identified by review of transcripts of testimony in the Tobacco Deposition and Trial Testimony Archive (http://tobaccodocuments.org/datta) from a sample of defence witnesses, including three academic expert witnesses, six senior executives of tobacco companies, and one industry advertising consultant. Counterarguments to the themes embodied in defence testimony were based on information from peer-reviewed literature, advertising trade publications, government reports, tobacco industry documents, and testimony provided by expert witnesses testifying for plaintiffs. Five major themes employed by defence witnesses were identified: (1) tobacco advertising has a relatively weak "share of voice" in the marketing environment and is a weak force in affecting smoking behaviour; (2) tobacco advertising and promotion do not create new smokers, expand markets, or increase total tobacco consumption; (3) the tobacco industry does not target, study, or track youth smoking; (4) tobacco advertising and promotion do not cause smoking initiation by youth; and (5) tobacco companies and the industry adhere closely to relevant laws, regulations, and industry voluntary codes. Substantial evidence exists in rebuttal to these arguments. Tobacco industry-affiliated witnesses have marshalled many arguments to deny the adverse effects of tobacco marketing activities and to portray tobacco companies as responsible corporate citizens. Effective rebuttals to these arguments exist, and plaintiffs' attorneys have, with varying degrees of success, presented them to judges and juries.

  9. The Influence of University Coursework on Pre-service Middle and High School Teachers' Experiences with Multicultural Themes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Geeta

    2009-08-01

    The study explored the influence of university-based teacher education courses on pre-service middle and high school teachers’ experiences with multicultural themes in a secondary science alternative certification program. Eight participants ( N = 8), six women and two men, volunteered to be a part of the study that took place over a period of four semesters. Qualitative data was collected, coded and analyzed to make meaning of the participants’ experiences. Data comprised of participants’ reflective journals, personal and group interviews, and classroom observations done in middle school practicum and high school student teaching placements. The findings indicated that while the participants became more familiar with the themes of multicultural education, many did not demonstrate fluency with these themes and struggled with balancing their responsibilities as a science teacher and a culturally competent teacher.

  10. Country branding: an imperative for developing countries | Akotia ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Clarifying what a country brand and country branding encompasses, this paper examines the competitive advantage a country brand engenders for developing countries. Furthermore, emphasising country branding as a social construction, this paper argues that for developing countries entrenched in the poverty cycle there ...

  11. Introducing E-Government in Developing Countries Analysis of Egyptian e-Government Services

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elaswad, Othoman; Jensen, Christian D.

    2016-01-01

    identification and remote authentication in developing countries, such as the North Africa Countries (NAC), where a relatively large proportion of citizens are illiterate. Therefore, the design of a national IDM system in a NAC must explicitly consider illiteracy to allow this group of citizens to benefit from...... services that guarantee equal access to online services and an inclusive society. The study identifies strengths and weaknesses of the Egyptian e-Government and IDM services, which we believe are common to most NAC, since the NAC are quite similar in terms of social culture, citizen's education level...... and skills, citizen's behaviours, digital infrastructure and legislation, but also common to many other developing countries. Our analysis of the Egyptian e-Government services indicates that the security requirements and principle of equal access are not fully met, which illustrates the difficulty...

  12. Application of food irradiation processes to developing countries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Langerak, D.Is.; Cramwinckel, A.B.; Hollman, P.C.; Jong, de W.J.H.J.; Labrijn, J.F.; Slangen, H.J.; Stegeman, H.; Veen, van der N.G.; Wolters, Th.C.; Oortwijn, H.

    1986-01-01

    Sprouting of- and fungal attack on tuber, bulb and foot products is a common problem to most countries. Sprouting can be delayed by storage at low temperature, and partly prevented by a proper use of chemical sprout inhibitors. Cooling is, however, energy consuming, expensive and not practicabie

  13. Common project energy change. The schedule to the success

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartosch, Ulrich; Hennicke, Peter; Weiger, Hubert

    2014-01-01

    The energy change is the most important common work of the German after-war history. And it offers a unique collective field of learning, how the socio-ecological transformation can be converted in practice. If the energy change succeeds in an industrial country like Germany, many other countries can follow this example. The Bund fuer Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) and the Vereinigung Deutscher Wissenschaftler (VDW) show as editors, what now must be done in order that the energy change becomes a success. Because currently threatens the energy change to be slowed down by the policy and talked to death by many stakeholders in the industry. This book demonstrates why the energy change is necessary and how it can succeed. It shows what has to be done and wants to use the existing enthusiasm in order to lead the common project energy change jointly to success. What is needed is a long-term policy that finally takes the reduction of energy consumption in attack.

  14. A Year of Hands-on Science: Exciting Theme Units with More Than 100 Activities, Projects, and Experiments To Make Science Come Alive.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kepler, Lynne; Novelli, Joan, Ed.

    This book contains 18 themed teaching units with 2 themes per chapter, organized seasonally around the traditional school year. Each theme includes natural connections and hands-on science activities that correspond to what children are already observing in their world. Each chapter begins with highlights of the month and a reproducible "Science…

  15. Determinants of debt rescheduling in Eastern European countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laušev Jelena

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This study utilizes Panel Logit Models applied to a set of macroeconomic, financial, and political variables to estimate the debt rescheduling probabilities of 15 Eastern European countries during the transition period from 1990-2005. These transition economies became a very attractive region for foreign investment. Specifically, the region became the largest recipient of net non-FDI flows among all emerging market regions in 2005. Therefore, it is relevant for policy makers and institutional and private foreign investors to investigate factors that influence debt rescheduling probabilities, as these may directly affect the size of and return on investments in these countries. Our findings suggest that policy efforts focused on reducing government expenditure, attracting foreign direct investment, increasing export revenues, and keeping a good repayment record result in low debt rescheduling probabilities and, in turn, decrease the cost of debt for these countries. This is a common finding for all countries in the sample, including those that have become EU members.

  16. Assessing the energy vulnerability: Case of industrialised countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gnansounou, Edgard

    2008-01-01

    The emergence of new big consumer countries on the energy markets and the perspective of oil and gas depletion at the end of the current century raise the concerns about fair distribution of the remaining resources for the common and sustainable well-being of the mankind. High volatility of energy prices discourages the investment and delays the energy technology transition. Voluntary measures are needed mainly in industrialised countries in order to develop alternative and sustainable energy sources, to enable technology transfer towards emerging and developing countries and to avoid struggle for energy procurement. In this paper, a composite index of energy demand/supply weaknesses is defined as a proxy of energy vulnerability. The proposed index is based on several indicators such as energy intensity, oil and gas import dependency, CO 2 content of primary energy supply, electricity supply weaknesses and non-diversity in transport fuels. The assessment of this composite index for selected industrialised countries is discussed as well as the sensitivity to various factors

  17. Finnish Archaeologists’ Contacts with the Baltic Countries during the Second World War

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timo Salminen

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Finnish archaeologists, especially Aarne Michaël Tallgren, had established contacts with their colleagues in the Baltic countries before the Second World War. In the summer of 1939, the world situation became a dominant theme in letters between archaeologists. The outbreak of war in Europe and the military base negotiations in Moscow evoked increasing concern. After the Soviet attack on Finland, only a few Finnish and Baltic archaeologists stayed in contact, but communications revived quickly after the Finnish-Soviet peace treaty of 1940. Estonian archaeologist Harri Moora saw the trials of war as a punishment for forgetting all spiritual values in previous years. The Soviet occupation of the Baltic countries in 1940 broke all contacts for longer than a year. After Germany had occupied the Baltic countries in 1941 and was allied with Finland in war against the Soviet Union, connections could be resumed to some extent. Tallgren, together with the Swedish State Antiquarian Sigurd Curman, now started planning the evacuation of children from Estonia to Sweden. In 1942, scholarly discussion returned to the correspondence, although only on a practical level, but already in early 1943 all correspondence became impossible. At the same time, Finnish archaeologists were in contact with Baltic refugees, especially Francis Balodis from Latvia. There were also Scandinavian and British archaeologists with whom Finnish researchers exchanged information about colleagues in the Baltic countries. The communications mainly focused on three things: getting and spreading information regarding the current situation, offering both practical help and psychological support to colleagues in the Baltic countries, and attempting to re-establish the exchange of ideas within the scholarly community.

  18. Common safety approach for future pressurized water reactors in France and Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Queniart, D.; Gros, G.

    1994-01-01

    In France and Germany all major activities related to future pressurized water reactors are now proceeding in a coordinated way among the two countries. This holds for utilities and industry in the development of a joint PWR project, the ''European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR)'' by Electricite de France (EDF), German utilities, Nuclear Power International (NPI), Framatome and Siemens as well as for the technical safety objectives for future evolutionary reactors on the basis of a common safety approach adopted by the safety authorities of both countries for plants to operate form the beginning of the next century. The proposed paper covers this common development of a safety approach and particular technical safety objectives. (authors). 5 refs. 1 fig

  19. Ordinary Themes Presented with an Extra-ordinary Talent: An Overview of Emily Dickinson’s Notable Poems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yousef. A.N. Aldalabeeh

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available As a poet with varied writing styles and extra-ordinary talent, Emily Dickinson occupied a very prestigious position in the field of American literature. Her poetry deals with a unique and large number of thematic expressions. This paper aims at introducing the unfolded, underlying and amazing thematic expressions of Emily Dickinson’s notable poetry. To unveil these themes of death, love, nature, immortality, pain and suffering from her widely recognized poetry, secondary source of data has been used. In this study, an effort also has been made to trace, examine, and explore the various themes with outstanding style of presentation of her poetry and their impact on readers and critics. Many researchers and critics have spent their great exertion to trace out these themes and they became successful in this regard. It is hoped that this study will also be a part in this line of contribution and serve the purpose for which it is designed.

  20. Using films and television shows with a medical theme as a medium to accelerate the spread of medical humanities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wenting; Qian, Haihong

    2017-05-23

    People have more visual experiences than ever before, and the same is true for situations in medicine. More mature films and television shows with a medical theme have been available over the past 20 years. In mainland China, the TV series "Angel Heart" has generated a wave of universal concern since it truly depicts the work of health care workers and it reflects the sharp distinction between doctors and patients to a certain extent. Riding this wave, many medical documentaries like The Human World have also been launched in China and have garnered sizable audiences. Such films and television shows with a medical theme strive to depict the lives of ordinary people. When watching these medical documentaries, audiences are able to better comprehend the work of health care workers in light of their life experiences and feelings towards current society. Audiences can gain a profound understanding of the medical humanities through films and television shows with a medical theme. We look forward to more such films and television shows with a medical theme that depict "hospitals-the realest place" on camera. Films and television shows with a medical theme can serve as a storytelling medium to accelerate the spread of medical humanities and to promote harmony among doctors, patients, and the public.

  1. Teacher labor markets in developed countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ladd, Helen F

    2007-01-01

    Helen Ladd takes a comparative look at policies that the world's industrialized countries are using to assure a supply of high-quality teachers. Her survey puts U.S. educational policies and practices into international perspective. Ladd begins by examining teacher salaries-an obvious, but costly, policy tool. She finds, perhaps surprisingly, that students in countries with high teacher salaries do not in general perform better on international tests than those in countries with lower salaries. Ladd does find, however, that the share of underqualified teachers in a country is closely related to salary. In high-salary countries like Germany, Japan, and Korea, for example, only 4 percent of teachers are underqualified, as against more than 10 percent in the United States, where teacher salaries, Ladd notes, are low relative to those in other industrialized countries. Teacher shortages also appear to stem from policies that make salaries uniform across academic subject areas and across geographic regions. Shortages are especially common in math and science, in large cities, and in rural areas. Among the policy strategies proposed to deal with such shortages is to pay teachers different salaries according to their subject area. Many countries are also experimenting with financial incentive packages, including bonuses and loans, for teachers in specific subjects or geographic areas. Ladd notes that many developed countries are trying to attract teachers by providing alternative routes into teaching, often through special programs in traditional teacher training institutions and through adult education or distance learning programs. To reduce attrition among new teachers, many developed countries have also been using formal induction or mentoring programs as a way to improve new teachers' chances of success. Ladd highlights the need to look beyond a single policy, such as higher salaries, in favor of broad packages that address teacher preparation and certification

  2. Exposures Resulting in Safety and Health Concerns for Child Laborers in Less Developed Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derek G. Shendell

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. Worldwide, over 200 million children are involved in child labor, with another 20 million children subjected to forced labor, leading to acute and chronic exposures resulting in safety and health (S&H risks, plus removal from formal education and play. This review summarized S&H issues in child labor, including forced or indentured domestic labor as other sectors of child labor. Specifically, we focused on exposures leading to S&H risks. Methods. We used PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. References were in English, published in 1990–2015, and included data focused on exposures and S&H concerns of child labor. Results. Seventy-six journal articles were identified, 67 met criteria, 57 focused on individual countries, and 10 focused on data from multiple countries (comparing 3–83 countries. Major themes of concern were physical exposures including ergonomic hazards, chemical exposure hazards, and missed education. Childhood labor, especially forced, exploitative labor, created a significant burden on child development, welfare, and S&H. Conclusions. More field researche data emphasizing longitudinal quantitative effects of exposures and S&H risks are needed. Findings warranted developing policies and educational interventions with proper monitoring and evaluation data collection, plus multiple governmental, international organization and global economic reform efforts, particularly in lower-income, less developed countries.

  3. Toward a common identity for relationally oriented clinicians: a place to hang one's hat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markin, Rayna D

    2014-09-01

    The goal of this special section is to work toward establishing a common identity for relationally inclined clinicians across proscribed theoretical orientations, facilitating a shared identity among diverse psychotherapists while placing a spotlight on relationship research. This article discusses the need for a more coherent and less polarizing professional identity for psychotherapists and why a more universal relational orientation to psychotherapy is timely given the current state of psychotherapy practice and research. Lastly, common relational themes that run throughout the diverse treatment paradigms presented in this special section are discussed, framing what it means to be a relational psychotherapist while hopefully providing some direction for future research and clinical training. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  4. New players in the same old game: a system level in silico study to predict type III secretion system and effector proteins in bacterial genomes reveals common themes in T3SS mediated pathogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadarangani, Vineet; Datta, Sunando; Arunachalam, Manonmani

    2013-07-26

    Type III secretion system (T3SS) plays an important role in virulence or symbiosis of many pathogenic or symbiotic bacteria [CHM 2:291-294, 2007; Physiology (Bethesda) 20:326-339, 2005]. T3SS acts like a tunnel between a bacterium and its host through which the bacterium injects 'effector' proteins into the latter [Nature 444:567-573, 2006; COSB 18:258-266, 2008]. The effectors spatially and temporally modify the host signalling pathways [FEMS Microbiol Rev 35:1100-1125, 2011; Cell Host Microbe5:571-579, 2009]. In spite its crucial role in host-pathogen interaction, the study of T3SS and the associated effectors has been limited to a few bacteria [Cell Microbiol 13:1858-1869, 2011; Nat Rev Microbiol 6:11-16, 2008; Mol Microbiol 80:1420-1438, 2011]. Before one set out to perform systematic experimental studies on an unknown set of bacteria it would be beneficial to identify the potential candidates by developing an in silico screening algorithm. A system level study would also be advantageous over traditional laboratory methods to extract an overriding theme for host-pathogen interaction, if any, from the vast resources of data generated by sequencing multiple bacterial genomes. We have developed an in silico protocol in which the most conserved set of T3SS proteins was used as the query against the entire bacterial database with increasingly stringent search parameters. It enabled us to identify several uncharacterized T3SS positive bacteria. We adopted a similar strategy to predict the presence of the already known effectors in the newly identified T3SS positive bacteria. The huge resources of biochemical data [FEMS Microbiol Rev 35:1100-1125, 2011; Cell Host Microbe 5:571-579, 2009; BMC Bioinformatics 7(11):S4, 2010] on the T3SS effectors enabled us to search for the common theme in T3SS mediated pathogenesis. We identified few cellular signalling networks in the host, which are manipulated by most of the T3SS containing pathogens. We went on to look for

  5. Public attitudes toward stuttering in Europe: Within-country and between-country comparisons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    St Louis, Kenneth O; Sønsterud, Hilda; Junuzović-Žunić, Lejla; Tomaiuoli, Donatella; Del Gado, Francesca; Caparelli, Emilia; Theiling, Mareen; Flobakk, Cecilie; Helmen, Lise Nesbakken; Heitmann, Ragnhild R; Kvenseth, Helene; Nilsson, Sofia; Wetterling, Tobias; Lundström, Cecilia; Daly, Ciara; Leahy, Margaret; Tyrrell, Laila; Ward, David; Węsierska, Marta

    2016-01-01

    Epidemiological research methods have been shown to be useful in determining factors that might predict commonly reported negative public attitudes toward stuttering. Previous research has suggested that stuttering attitudes of respondents from North America and Europe (i.e., "The West"), though characterized by stereotypes and potential stigma, are more positive than those from several other regions of the world. This inference assumes that public attitudes within various regions characterized by "The West" are similar. This study aimed to determine the extent to which public stuttering attitudes are similar or different both within regions of three different European countries and between or among five different European countries or similar geographic areas. It also aimed to compare these European attitudes to attitudes from 135 samples around the world using a standard measure. Using convenience sampling, 1111 adult respondents from eight different investigations completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) in the dominant language of each country or area. In Study I, the authors compared attitudes within three different regions of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway. In Study II, the authors compared attitudes between combined samples from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway (with additional respondents from Sweden), and two other samples, one from Germany and the other from Ireland and England. Attitudes of adults from the three samples within Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway were remarkably similar. By contrast, attitudes between the five different countries or area were quite dramatically different. Demographic variables on the POSHA-S did not predict the rank order of these between-country/area differences. Compared to the POSHA-S worldwide database, European attitudes ranged from less positive than average (i.e., Italians) to more positive than average (i.e., Norwegians and Swedes). Factors related to

  6. A semiparametric hazard model of activity timing and sequencing decisions during visits to theme parks using experimental design data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kemperman, A.D.A.M.; Borgers, A.W.J.; Timmermans, H.J.P.

    2002-01-01

    In this study we introduce a semi parametric hazard-based duration model to predict the timing and sequence of theme park visitors' activity choice behavior. The model is estimated on the basis of observations of consumer choices in various hypothetical theme parks. These parks are constructed by

  7. Global History. A Curriculum Guide. Second Semester. Theme V: The Industrial Revolution Had Global Impact. Teacher Strategies. Experimental Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

    Designed to assist teachers and supervisors in the implementation of the global history course, this bulletin presents learning activities which include the rationale, performance objectives, and teaching strategies related to Theme V entitled, "The Industrial Revolution Had Global Impact." This theme has seven subthemes: (1)…

  8. Dumb Dorky Girls and Wimpy Boys: Gendered Themes in Diary Cartoon Novels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taber, Nancy; Woloshyn, Vera

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we focus on gendered themes promulgated in three books written in diary cartoon form. Although written for different audiences, each of these books constructs gender norms in similar ways. They promote heteronormative gender roles for boys and girls by endorsing traditional femininities and hegemonic masculinities through the…

  9. Children's Violently Themed Play and Adult Imaginaries of Childhood: A Bakhtinian Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosen, Rachel

    2015-01-01

    Children's violently themed play has long been contentious within educational policy, parenting literature, and the academe, with conflicting views as to its immediate and long-term consequences. Yet, little attention has been given to the way in which the meanings and values attributed to childhood influence these debates. Drawing on an…

  10. The effects of gender, ethnicity, and a close relationship theme on perceptions of persons introducing a condom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castaneda, D M; Collins, B E

    1998-09-01

    Perceptions of persons who introduce condoms in an ongoing sexual interaction, and the effects of gender and ethnicity on these perceptions, were explored in a study involving 243 students at a large, urban university in the western US. 133 of these students identified themselves as Mexican American; the remaining students indicated they were White. A vignette methodology was used to elicit perceptions of condom introducers on six scales (Nice, Exciting, Sexually Attractive, Promiscuous, Good Relationship Partner, Unpersonable/Personable). Data were analyzed in a 2 (gender of participant) x 2 (gender of condom introducer) x 3 (low acculturated Mexican American, high acculturated Mexican American, White) x 2 (presence/absence of close relationship theme) analysis of variance and covariance. In terms of the Nice Scale, women rated condom introducers significantly higher than men, female condom introducers were rated significantly higher than male introducers, and condom introducers who expressed a care and responsibility theme while introducing a condom were rated significantly higher than those who expressed no theme. On the Exciting Scale, women condom introducers were rated significantly higher than men. Condom introducers who expressed a care and responsibility theme were rated significantly higher than those who expressed no theme on the Good Relationship Partner scale. Men rated the female condom introducer significantly higher than women on the Promiscuous scale. Low acculturated Mexicans rated the female condom introducer significantly higher than the male introducer on the Promiscuous scale and rated the condom introducer significantly higher than Whites on the Sexually Attractive scale. These findings attest that many often contradictory interpersonal gender- and ethnicity-related perceptions operate in sexual encounters.

  11. Methodology for a mixed-methods multi-country study to assess recognition of and response to maternal and newborn illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moran, Allisyn C; Charlet, Danielle; Madhavan, Supriya; Aruldas, Kumudha; Donaldson, Marie; Manzi, Fatuma; Okuga, Monica; Rosales, Alfonso; Sharma, Vandana; Celone, Michael; Brandes, Neal; Sherry, James M

    2017-12-21

    Although maternal and newborn mortality have decreased 44 and 46% respectively between 1990 and 2015, achievement of ambitious Sustainable Development Goal targets requires accelerated progress. Mortality reduction requires a renewed focus on the continuum of maternal and newborn care from the household to the health facility. Although barriers to accessing skilled care are documented for specific contexts, there is a lack of systematic evidence on how women and families identify maternal and newborn illness and make decisions and subsequent care-seeking patterns. The focus of this multi-country study was to identify and describe illness recognition, decision-making, and care-seeking patterns across various contexts among women and newborns who survived and died to ultimately inform programmatic priorities moving forward. This study was conducted in seven countries-Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, India, Indonesia, and Nepal. Mixed-methods were utilized including event narratives (group interviews), in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FDGs), rapid facility assessments, and secondary analyses of existing program data. A common protocol and tools were developed in collaboration with study teams and adapted for each site, as needed. Sample size was a minimum of five cases of each type (e.g., perceived postpartum hemorrhage, maternal death, newborn illness, and newborn death) for each study site, with a total of 84 perceived PPH, 45 maternal deaths, 83 newborn illness, 55 newborn deaths, 64 IDIs/FGDs, and 99 health facility assessments across all sites. Analysis included coding within and across cases, identifying broad themes on recognition of illness, decision-making, and patterns of care seeking, and corresponding contextual factors. Technical support was provided throughout the process for capacity building, quality assurance, and consistency across sites. This study provides rigorous evidence on how women and families recognize and respond to

  12. MECHANISM TRANSFER PRICING AND THE NEED INTRODUCTION COMMON CONSOLIDATED CORPORATE INCOME TAX TRANSNATIONAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gheorghe Grigorescu

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Transfer pricing mechanism is a tool commonly used to transfer the tax base in countries with high tax countries with lower taxation. In the European Union the financial operations generate tax revenue losses. In an attempt to limit manipulation by corporate tax systems, many public authorities have introduced transfer pricing rules, but these rules has shown limited efficacy, however, contribute to the increasing complexity of tax laws and the emergence of additional costs for companies. This paper deals with the concrete examples, the solution to solving the problem of transfer pricing in the European Union by the introduction of common consolidated corporate income tax.

  13. Impact of EU agricultural policy on developing countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boysen, Ole; Jensen, Hans Grinsted; Matthews, Alan

    2016-01-01

    Despite substantial reforms, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is still criticised for its detrimental effects on developing countries. This paper provides updated evidence on the impact of the CAP on one developing country, Uganda. It goes beyond estimating macro-level economic effects...... by analysing the impacts on poverty. The policy simulation results show that eliminating EU agricultural support would have marginal but nonetheless positive impacts on the Ugandan economy and its poverty indicators. From the perspective of the EU’s commitment to policy coherence for development, this supports...... the view that further reducing EU Agricultural support would be positive for development....

  14. Memorial sites in countries in transition to democracy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paolo Rondelli

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available This work is inspired and originated from an experience of cooperation with the Council of Europe, lasted from summer 2005 to the end of 2009, as a member of various delegations that have made observation missions in different countries, mainly belonging to the former Soviet bloc and the former Yugoslavia. In that capacity the author was able to witness firsthand the effects of a policy change on society, which was very rapid after the fall of the Berlin Wall, an event that is a symbol, in those areas, the watershed between two opposed eras. On the one hand, the domain of socialcommunist ideology and on the other that freedom so much dreamed, which later led to considerable social dislocation, very much evident today. The search for memorial sites and their significance is the theme that unites this trip, with the discovery of "intangible areas" but place over the places.

  15. Conflict or cooperation over global warming policy? An analysis based on the interaction of countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ihara, D.M.

    1991-01-01

    Response to climatic change due to global warming, rather than being the common response of humankind to a common problem, may well be the product of decisions made by countries with diverse and possibly divergent interests. This study analyzes the interactions of countries with diverse interests. The analysis begins with a one period, two-country case with a single fossil fuel and without binding agreements, without side payments between countries, and without prior history of fossil fuel use. The cases implied by relaxing restrictions are then analyzed. The study shows explicitly how countries' global warming policy decisions could define a prisoners dilemma game. It characterizes cooperative outcomes such as the Nash bargaining solution and Coasean bargaining. It compares non-side-payment outcomes with the side-payment outcomes implied by tradeable carbon-emission quotas. The small estimated elasticities suggest that economic growth may not be greatly reduced by restricting fossil fuel use and that economic growth may depend primarily on non-fossil fuel factors

  16. Cross-country analysis of strategies for achieving progress towards global goals for women’s and children’s health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Syed Masud; Rawal, Lal B; Chowdhury, Sadia A; Murray, John; Arscott-Mills, Sharon; Jack, Susan; Hinton, Rachael; Alam, Prima M

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Objective To identify how 10 low- and middle-income countries achieved accelerated progress, ahead of comparable countries, towards meeting millennium development goals 4 and 5A to reduce child and maternal mortality. Methods We synthesized findings from multistakeholder dialogues and country policy reports conducted previously for the Success Factors studies in 10 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda and Viet Nam. A framework approach was used to analyse and synthesize the data from the country reports, resulting in descriptive or explanatory conclusions by theme. Findings Successful policy and programme approaches were categorized in four strategic areas: leadership and multistakeholder partnerships; health sector; sectors outside health; and accountability for resources and results. Consistent and coordinated inputs across sectors, based on high-impact interventions, were assessed. Within the health sector, key policy and programme strategies included defining standards, collecting and using data, improving financial protection, and improving the availability and quality of services. Outside the health sector, strategies included investing in girls’ education, water, sanitation and hygiene, poverty reduction, nutrition and food security, and infrastructure development. Countries improved accountability by strengthening and using data systems for planning and evaluating progress. Conclusion Reducing maternal and child mortality in the 10 fast-track countries can be linked to consistent and coordinated policy and programme inputs across health and other sectors. The approaches used by successful countries have relevance to other countries looking to scale-up or accelerate progress towards the sustainable development goals. PMID:27147765

  17. Practical guidance material for the development, energy and climate country studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Halsnaes, K.; Garg, A.; Olhoff, A.; Denton, F.

    2006-10-15

    The document is developed as part of the Development, Energy and Climate project in order to facilitate methodological consistency and the use of common assumptions in national case studies in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Senegal and South Africa that are conducted as part of the project. In addition to this document the project and country studies are also based on in depth thematic work in three areas namely; 1) Development pathways and climate change; 2) Assessment of Policy Instruments in the Context of Current Market Structure, Institutional Capacities and Risks in Developing Countries; 3) Climate change impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation in the energy sector with a special emphasis given to linkages between adaptation and mitigation policies. The Development, Energy, and Climate project will identify promising energy policy options in the participating countries that are consistent with their national sustainable development objectives. The project teams from Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Senegal will examine how energy sector policies can be evaluated using specific sustainable development indicators and existing analytical approaches and tools relevant to the countries. The country studies will address energy sector issues, adaptation policies, and alternative scenarios for technology penetration processes. The policy options and the sustainable development impacts of implementing these will be discussed in national stakeholder dialogues with broad participation of government, private sector and NGOs. Cross-country interactions about conceptual and common methodological issues will be covered in three thematic papers. The project will produce a synthesis of the country case studies as an input to various international processes in order to build support for approaches that integrate sustainable development, energy and climate policies. (au)

  18. Opening Doors: Teaching LGBTQ-Themed Young Adult Literature for an Inclusive Curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batchelor, Katherine E.; Ramos, Maria; Neiswander, Samantha

    2018-01-01

    LGBTQ themes are often neglected in many schools' curriculum. Currently, an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum framework is not required in most school districts across the county. Therefore, it is important to understand how teachers regard LGBTQ issues; how they address the needs of students in the middle school and high school English classroom who…

  19. Institutions and service employment: a panel study for OECD countries

    OpenAIRE

    Messina, Julián

    2004-01-01

    We live in a service economy, but the extent of development of service employment differs across developed countries. This paper assesses the role of structural factors and institutions in explaining the common patterns and main di?erences in the recent expansion of service employment in OECD countries. It finds that GDP per capita, the size of the government sector and the extent of urbanization are positively associated with the service employment share. However, the evidence suggests that ...

  20. Genes2WordCloud: a quick way to identify biological themes from gene lists and free text

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ma'ayan Avi

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Word-clouds recently emerged on the web as a solution for quickly summarizing text by maximizing the display of most relevant terms about a specific topic in the minimum amount of space. As biologists are faced with the daunting amount of new research data commonly presented in textual formats, word-clouds can be used to summarize and represent biological and/or biomedical content for various applications. Results Genes2WordCloud is a web application that enables users to quickly identify biological themes from gene lists and research relevant text by constructing and displaying word-clouds. It provides users with several different options and ideas for the sources that can be used to generate a word-cloud. Different options for rendering and coloring the word-clouds give users the flexibility to quickly generate customized word-clouds of their choice. Methods Genes2WordCloud is a word-cloud generator and a word-cloud viewer that is based on WordCram implemented using Java, Processing, AJAX, mySQL, and PHP. Text is fetched from several sources and then processed to extract the most relevant terms with their computed weights based on word frequencies. Genes2WordCloud is freely available for use online; it is open source software and is available for installation on any web-site along with supporting documentation at http://www.maayanlab.net/G2W. Conclusions Genes2WordCloud provides a useful way to summarize and visualize large amounts of textual biological data or to find biological themes from several different sources. The open source availability of the software enables users to implement customized word-clouds on their own web-sites and desktop applications.

  1. Towards universal health coverage: the role of within-country wealth-related inequality in 28 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Victora, Cesar G; Bergen, Nicole; Barros, Aluisio J D; Boerma, Ties

    2011-12-01

    To measure within-country wealth-related inequality in the health service coverage gap of maternal and child health indicators in sub-Saharan Africa and quantify its contribution to the national health service coverage gap. Coverage data for child and maternal health services in 28 sub-Saharan African countries were obtained from the 2000-2008 Demographic Health Survey. For each country, the national coverage gap was determined for an overall health service coverage index and select individual health service indicators. The data were then additively broken down into the coverage gap in the wealthiest quintile (i.e. the proportion of the quintile lacking a required health service) and the population attributable risk (an absolute measure of within-country wealth-related inequality). In 26 countries, within-country wealth-related inequality accounted for more than one quarter of the national overall coverage gap. Reducing such inequality could lower this gap by 16% to 56%, depending on the country. Regarding select individual health service indicators, wealth-related inequality was more common in services such as skilled birth attendance and antenatal care, and less so in family planning, measles immunization, receipt of a third dose of vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus and treatment of acute respiratory infections in children under 5 years of age. The contribution of wealth-related inequality to the child and maternal health service coverage gap differs by country and type of health service, warranting case-specific interventions. Targeted policies are most appropriate where high within-country wealth-related inequality exists, and whole-population approaches, where the health-service coverage gap is high in all quintiles.

  2. A view from inside Arizona and New Mexico Indian country: pursuing a health career path.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overman, Barbara A; Petri, Linda; Knoki-Wilson, Ursula

    2007-01-01

    The stories of individuals working within the health system in Arizona and New Mexico Indian Country were examined to discover interests and needs related to their health career goals and advancement. The aims were: to identify what would be helpful to support educational and career progress; and to determine the barriers to advancement. Community action research methodology was used. A semi-structured interview schedule administered by two of the investigators made up the qualitative interview portion of a two-part survey research design. This qualitative portion of the larger study is reported. Interviewees were chosen from health workers in Arizona and New Mexico Indian country who returned workplace-distributed questionnaires that indicated they were interested in career advancement. The interviewees were selected to be representative of the occupational background, work site, age, and cultural identity of those who returned the questionnaire. Investigators took notes by hand independently during interviews and reviewed both sets of notes simultaneously; the agreed on responses were entered as text data within 2 hours of the interviews. QRS Nudist software (QRS Software; Melbourne, VIC, Australia) was used to sort interview responses to each question in a successive fashion using a constant comparative method to identify key themes within and across questions. Twenty-five personal interviews were conducted in community locations convenient to the interviewee between February and April 2003. The duration of the interviews was 30 min and 60 min. Eighty percent of interviewees were American Indian and 80% percent were women. Themes within interviewees' stories regarding barriers to advancement included: 'making ends meet', dealing with the educational system, uncertainty and inflexibility in the current work setting, and not wanting to disadvantage children by their career decision. Themes related to what participants said they needed included 'making sure the

  3. Hopping into Economics: First Graders Learn about Economics through an Easter Theme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Gaylene

    A 3-month study unit introducing first grade students to economics through an Easter theme is outlined in five sections. Sections 1 and 2 describe rationale, goals, and learning objectives. Section 3 provides learning activities. A wide range of instructional strategies is used to teach the basic economic concepts of want, need, scarcity,…

  4. Incidence rates and trends of hip/femur fractures in five European countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Requena, G; Abbing-Karahagopian, V; Huerta, C

    2014-01-01

    Hip fractures represent a major public health challenge worldwide. Multinational studies using a common methodology are scarce. We aimed to estimate the incidence rates (IRs) and trends of hip/femur fractures over the period 2003-2009 in five European countries. The study was performed using seven......, P European countries. With the exception of Denmark, no decreasing trend was observed over the study period....

  5. The periodic safety review of nuclear power plants. Practices in OECD countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    This report gives an overview of the regulatory concepts and practices for the periodic safety review of nuclear power plants in OECD countries with nuclear power programmes. The statutory bases for such reviews, their objectives and the processes adopted are summarised against the background of each country's regulatory practices. Although periodic safety reviews are now, or will soon be, part of the regulatory process in the majority of countries, the national approaches to these reviews still differ considerably. This report includes numerous examples of the different concepts and practices in OECD countries, thereby illustrating the variety of ways adopted to reach the common goal of maintaining and improving nuclear safety

  6. Performance-based contracting in public procurement of developing countries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ambaw, Baynesagn Asfaw

    2017-01-01

    This research is focused on the application of Performance-based Contracting (PBC) in public procurement system of developing countries. We define five research objectives (ROs) that focus on this common issue. The first objective (RO1) mainly deals with the theory behind and the theoretical

  7. The deficit of current account balances and budgetary deficit in countries in transition

    OpenAIRE

    Sandra Krtalic; Ines Kersan

    1998-01-01

    In restructuring process of their own economies, countries in transition deal with many common problems. One of the problems that transition brought to those countries is deficit in current account, as well as budget deficit. Deficits represent limit to a healthy and fast economic development and progress. Balance in balance of payments, as well as balanced budget are components of macroeconomic system. The authors will give an review of activities on deficits in countries in transition, and ...

  8. Using game theory approach to interpret stable policies for Iran's oil and gas common resources conflicts with Iraq and Qatar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esmaeili, Maryam; Bahrini, Aram; Shayanrad, Sepideh

    2015-12-01

    Oil and gas as the non-renewable resources are considered very valuable for the countries with petroleum economics. These resources are not only diffused equally around the world, but also they are common in some places which their neighbors often come into conflicts. Consequently, it is vital for those countries to manage their resource utilization. Lately, game theory was applied in conflict resolution of common resources, such as water, which is a proof of its efficacy and capability. This paper models the conflicts between Iran and its neighbors namely Qatar and Iraq between their oil and gas common resources using game theory approach. In other words, the future of these countries will be introduced and analyzed by some well-known 2 × 2 games to achieve a better perspective of their conflicts. Because of information inadequacy of the players, in addition to Nash Stability, various solution concepts are used based on the foresight, disimprovements, and knowledge of preferences. The results of mathematical models show how the countries could take a reasonable strategy to exploit their common resources.

  9. Sovereign Credit Risk in Latin America and Global Common Factors

    OpenAIRE

    Manuel Agosin Trumper; Juan Díaz Maureira

    2012-01-01

    This paper studies the importance of global common factors in the evolution of sovereign credit risk in a group of emerging economies (15 countries in Latin America for which daily data are available on sovereign credit spreads and CDS quotations from the beginning of 2007 until February 2012). We arrive at three principal results. First, there is robust evidence for the existence of a common factor in the evolution of the two measurements of sovereign credit risk that we use. Second, the com...

  10. Theme issue on e-Mental health: a growing field in internet research: Editorial.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Riper, H.; Andersson, G.; Christensen, H.; Cuijpers, P.; Lange, A.; Eysenbach, G.

    2010-01-01

    This theme issue on e-mental health presents 16 articles from leading researchers working on systems and theories related to supporting and improving mental health conditions and mental health care using information and communication technologies. In this editorial, we present the background of this

  11. Views of People With High and Low Levels of Health Literacy About a Digital Intervention to Promote Physical Activity for Diabetes: A Qualitative Study in Five Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowsell, Alison; Muller, Ingrid; Murray, Elizabeth; Little, Paul; Byrne, Christopher D; Ganahl, Kristin; Müller, Gabriele; Gibney, Sarah; Lyles, Courtney R; Lucas, Antonia; Nutbeam, Don; Yardley, Lucy

    2015-10-12

    Low health literacy is associated with poor health-related knowledge, illness self-management, health service use, health, and survival, and thus addressing issues related to low health literacy has been highlighted as a pressing international priority. To explore views of a digital health promotion intervention designed to be accessible to people with lower levels of health literacy, in particular examining reactions to the interactive and audiovisual elements of the intervention. Qualitative think-aloud interviews were carried out with 65 adults with type 2 diabetes in the UK, Ireland, USA, Germany, and Austria, with purposive sampling to ensure representation of people with lower levels of health literacy. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify common themes. We then systematically compared views in subgroups based on country, health literacy level, age, gender, and time since diagnosis. Most participants from the chosen countries expressed positive views of most elements and features of the intervention. Some interactive and audiovisual elements required modification to increase their usability and perceived credibility and relevance. There were some differences in views based on age and gender, but very few differences relating to health literacy level or time since diagnosis. In general, participants found the intervention content and format accessible, appropriate, engaging, and motivating. Digital interventions can and should be designed to be accessible and engaging for people with a wide range of health literacy levels.

  12. Using Philosophical Liberalism and Philosophical Conservatism as an Organizing Theme in the First Half of the American History Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Richard J.

    2009-01-01

    Since approximately 1970, many historians have been seeking a unifying theme for the American History Survey. Early in the twentieth century, Progressive historians identified class conflict as the main theme in American History, but during the 1950s and 1960s, this view was challenged by the Consensus Schools' assertion that Americans have always…

  13. Examining Kindergarteners' Drawings for Their Perspectives on Picture Books' Themes and Characters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsiao, Ching-Yuan; Chen, Chi-Mei

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to identify and characterize children's perspectives on a picture book's themes and characters by examining their drawings. The study was conducted over a five-month period in a public kindergarten in southern Taiwan, with six children aged 5-6 years. Picture book appreciation activities focused on eight picture books.…

  14. Waiting as Part of the Fun: Interactive Gaming in Theme Park Queues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heger, Chris; Offermans, S.A.M.; Frens, J.W.; Wouters, I.H.C.; Kimman, F.P.F.; Tieben, R.; Offermans, S.A.M.; Nagtzaam, H.A.H.

    2009-01-01

    People visiting theme parks intend to have a day of fun. Yet a larger part of the time is spent queuing for rides rather than in the actual rides, which does not contribute to the intended fun experience. Current efforts therefore either make the queue as bearable as possible or try to get rid of it

  15. Communication and Health - themes, issues and Latin American perspectives

    OpenAIRE

    Araujo, Inesita Soares de; Cabrera, Jesús Arroyave

    2012-01-01

    Editorial Reciis Vol 6, No. 4 -. Communication and Health - themes, issues and Latin American perspectives Editorial Vol Reciis 6, No. 4 -. De Comunicación y Salud - temas, problemas y perspectivas de América Latina A Comunicação e Saúde vem conhecendo nas duas últimas décadas uma grande expansão. Formada na interface de dois campos solidamente constituídos – o da Comunicação e o da Saúde – e frequentemente articulada com os da Ciência &Tecnologia e da Educação, a Comunicação e Saúd...

  16. Comparison of real development levels of countries: Genesis and perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prekajac Zora

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Comparison of levels of development among countries is usually done by reducing values in national currencies with a common denominator, using the official exchange rate. Because of its unreality, the values calculated in this way do not illustrate real relations between compared countries. That brings about the launching of the UN International Comparison Project (latter Programme with two fold aims: developing a method for international comparison of real domestic product which could be applied to a number of very heterogeneous countries, and the comparison of growing number of very different countries. Until now six phases of comparisons are finished. Taking into consideration problems that appeared in the realization of the VI ICP phase as well as quality improvement proposals, a decision has been made to launch a new, global round for 2003-2006. Comparison will cover 150 countries (the widest coverage ever. This will give global character to the comparison, which was the end cause of the ICP.

  17. Test development and use in five Iberian Latin American countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wechsler, Solange M; Oakland, Thomas; León, Carmem; Vivas, Eleonora; de Almeida, Leandro; Franco, Amanda; Pérez-Solís, María; Contini, Norma

    2014-08-01

    The abundance of scholarship on test development and use generally is higher in English-speaking than in Iberian Latin American countries. The purpose of this article is to help overcome this imbalance by describing and identifying similarities and differences in test development and use in two Iberian (Portugal and Spain) and three of the largest Latin American (Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela) countries. The stages of test development in each country, roles of professional associations, presence of standards for test use, professionals' educational training, commonly used tests, together with prominent challenges to continued progress are discussed. Test development and use in these five countries are transitioning from a dependence on the use of translated tests to greater reliance on adapted and finally nationally constructed tests. Continued growth requires adherence to international standards guiding test development and use. Stronger alliance among professional associations in the Iberian Latin American countries could serve as a catalyst to promote test development in these regions. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

  18. Waste site characterization and remediation: Problems in developing countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kalavapudi, M. [ENVIROSYS, Gaithersburg, MD (United States); Iyengar, V. [Biomineral Sciences International Inc., Bethesda, MD (United States)

    1996-12-31

    Increased industrial activities in developing countries have degraded the environment, and the impact on the environment is further magnified because of an ever-increasing population, the prime receptors. Independent of the geographical location, it is possible to adopt effective strategies to solve environmental problems. In the United States, waste characterization and remediation practices are commonly used for quantifying toxic contaminants in air, water, and soil. Previously, such procedures were extraneous, ineffective, and cost-intensive. Reconciliation between the government and stakeholders, reinforced by valid data analysis and environmental exposure assessments, has allowed the {open_quotes}Brownfields{close_quotes} to be a successful approach. Certified reference materials and standard reference materials from the National Institute of Standards (NIST) are indispensable tools for solving environmental problems and help to validate data quality and the demands of legal metrology. Certified reference materials are commonly available, essential tools for developing good quality secondary and in-house reference materials that also enhance analytical quality. This paper cites examples of environmental conditions in developing countries, i.e., industrial pollution problems in India, polluted beaches in Brazil, and deteriorating air quality in countries, such as Korea, China, and Japan. The paper also highlights practical and effective approaches for remediating these problems. 23 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

  19. What are the themes in young children’s stories? An analysis of the content of children’s written productions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gómez Paz María

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The authors examined themes in written narratives of second grade students including gender and ethnic differences. Eighty-seven stories were considered for this research, six general themes were found, and content and comparative analyses were performed among themes. Children tended to write more frequently about personal experiences and activities, and about settings that involved nature and animals; however, interactivity and social context was almost always present in children’s stories. Boys and girls tended to write about almost the same topics, with a higher tendency of girls to write about family including female characters performing gender-oriented tasks. Finally, the researchers found some ethnic differences in children’s stories, especially fantasy stories, nature, and family.

  20. EMSL Geochemistry, Biogeochemistry and Subsurface Science-Science Theme Advisory Panel Meeting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, Gordon E.; Chaka, Anne; Shuh, David K.; Roden, Eric E.; Werth, Charles J.; Hess, Nancy J.; Felmy, Andrew R.; Rosso, Kevin M.; Baer, Donald R.; Bailey, Vanessa L.; Bowden, Mark E.; Grate, Jay W.; Hoyt, David W.; Kuprat, Laura R.; Lea, Alan S.; Mueller, Karl T.; Oostrom, Martinus; Orr, Galya; Pasa-Tolic, Ljiljana; Plata, Charity; Robinson, E. W.; Teller, Raymond G.; Thevuthasan, Suntharampillai; Wang, Hongfei; Wiley, H. S.; Wilkins, Michael J.

    2011-08-01

    This report covers the topics of discussion and the recommendations of the panel members. On December 8 and 9, 2010, the Geochemistry, Biogeochemistry, and Subsurface Science (GBSS) Science Theme Advisory Panel (STAP) convened for a more in-depth exploration of the five Science Theme focus areas developed at a similar meeting held in 2009. The goal for the fiscal year (FY) 2011 meeting was to identify potential topical areas for science campaigns, necessary experimental development needs, and scientific members for potential research teams. After a review of the current science in each of the five focus areas, the 2010 STAP discussions successfully led to the identification of one well focused campaign idea in pore-scale modeling and five longer-term potential research campaign ideas that would likely require additional workshops to identify specific research thrusts. These five campaign areas can be grouped into two categories: (1) the application of advanced high-resolution, high mass accuracy experimental techniques to elucidate the interplay between geochemistry and microbial communities in terrestrial ecosystems and (2) coupled computation/experimental investigations of the electron transfer reactions either between mineral surfaces and outer membranes of microbial cells or between the outer and inner membranes of microbial cells.