WorldWideScience

Sample records for institutional environment subjective

  1. Formal Institutions and Subjective Wellbeing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørnskov, Christian; Dreher, Axel; Fischer, Justina A.V.

    2010-01-01

    A long tradition in economics explores the association between the quality of formal institutions and economic performance. The literature on the relationship between such institutions and happiness is, however, rather limited, and inconclusive. In this paper, we revisit the findings from recent...... cross-country studies on the institution-happiness association. Our findings suggest that their conclusions are qualitatively rather insensitive to the specific measure of 'happiness' used, while the associations between formal institutions and subjective well-being differ among poor and rich countries....... Separating different types of institutional quality, we find that in low-income countries the effects of economic-judicial institutions on happiness dominate those of political institutions, while analyses restricted to middle- and high-income countries show strong support for an additional beneficial effect...

  2. CONTROL ENVIRONMENT IN KOSOVO PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaqir M. REXHEPI

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The study on how is Internal Control System developed in public institutions is of a special importance for modalities, forms and the manner of the application of relevant strategies for the functioning of internal control environment in public institutions. In this paper, there is treated the existing situation of internal control system environment of public finances and its implementation in public sector. For internal control system environment in public finances to function effectively, there should exist a coherent control environment which includes responsibilities for financial management from managers of Publicly Owned Enterprises and with complete functioning of internal audit, which exists in the function of development to add value. In Kosovo public institutions, this framework is offered by legislation and by institutional mechanism for the implementation of legislation according to these parameters.

  3. Strengthening Institutions to Legitimise Business Continuity in Weak Institutional Environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Taarup Esbensen, Jacob

    This paper investigates how weak institutional environments influence MNE decision making to be involved in creating public good facilities with the aim of reducing community risk, and to what extend these can be traced back to the MNE choose of a Head Quarter (HQ) or local embeddedness driven...... in their dealings with local communities. One strategy is based on rules provide by the HQ, which focuses on providing guidelines in compliance with normative global institutions, while another strategy focuses on embedding the subsidiary in the local institutional environment. Both of these strategies aim...... public good facilities in the absence or at best weak institutional environment. Secondly, serving as an effective risk mitigation tool that keeps aggressive actors from partnering with local communities against the company thereby presenting a risk to its continued operations....

  4. Annual report 90 Environment Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    This is the second annual report of the Environment Institute of the Joint Research Centre, Ispra Site, of the Commission of the European Communities. The report summarizes the progress accomplished in the course of 1990 in the various projects included in the multiannual (1988-91) Specific Research Programmes tackled by the Institute i.e. Environment Protection and Radioactive Waste Management, the former being focused on environmental chemicals, air pollution and pollutant transport, water pollution, chemical waste, food and drug analysis, the latter on safety assessment for waste disposal in geological formations. The scientific support given to the Commission Services for the implementation of EC directives dealing with chemicals, air pollution, water pollution, chemical waste and radioactive environmental monitoring (REM) is also described. Lastly the outcome of various activities related to work for third parties and to the participation of the Institute in EUREKA and COST projects is shortly outlined. The report includes data on the Institute Structure, human and budget resources and large installations operated by the Institute

  5. THE FORMATION OF INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LAND CONSOLIDATION IN UKRAINE

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    Andriy Popov

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Every theory requires an application tool. Land consolidation is the multidisciplinary tool for sustainable rural development with its dynamic structure that gives possibilities getting the best solutions for land management decision. That is why the main purpose of the article is a theoretical study and development of scientific and practical recommendations concerning the formation of institutional environment of agricultural land consolidation in Ukraine. The subject of study is the formation of agricultural land consolidation. Methodology. The study used the following methods: dialectical, logical and abstract, system analysis (theoretical and methodological generalizations, defining the essence of the content of institutional environment of agricultural land consolidation. This paper identifies the role of the institutions in economic development and characterised the regulatory, procedural, distributive, informational, development and accumulation functions of agricultural land consolidation institution. As a novelty items offered and provided the detailed description of the main components of the institutional environment of agricultural land consolidation such as: traditional and mental, legal, causal, organizational and structural, and procedural. The essence of institutions of each of these components and their meaning and relationships are presented. Theoretically investigated that the formation of institutional mechanism of consolidation should be a symbiosis of both traditional and market institutions based on democratic principles under community participation. The article focuses on the feasibility of the formation of mechanism for monitoring the effectiveness of institutions. As the result of the study the author proposed to consider the institutional environment of agricultural land consolidation as a regulatory system harmonizing relations of the agricultural production, social and natural resources, designed to optimize the

  6. Investment Analysis Of Environment Pollution In Educational Institutions

    OpenAIRE

    Mahbub Ullah Miyan; Abdus Salam; Md. Nuruzzaman; Sanjida Naznin

    2015-01-01

    Environment pollution has become one of the biggest concerns for the educational institutions in Bangladesh. Thinking not yet starts that environmental pollution has a connection with educational institutions which requires investment. Educational institutions are paying huge amount of money in order to clean the academic atmosphere. Due to unawareness and unconsciousness the environment of the institutions campus continuously polluting in many ways. This paper provides an outline of how diff...

  7. Whistleblowing Environment in Indonesian Financial Institutions

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    Jennifer Erwin

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates the whistleblowing environment in Indonesian financial institutions from Indonesian employees’ perspective. Using primary data extracted from questionnaires this study to address two issues: investigate and explore the factor that encourages and discourages Indonesian employees to whistleblower in the Indonesian financial industry; and investigate and explore the Indonesian financial company’s environment that affects whistleblowing activity. Results were consistent with previous research by Martens and Kelleher (2004, Curtis (2006, Hwang, Staley, Chen and Lan (2008, Dandekar (1991 and Worth (2013 in their relative domains. The Indonesian employees and financial institutions are less influenced by confusion culture (guanxi which provides some variations in findings from prior research. Generally in Indonesia Financial Institutions there is a positive sign towards whistleblowing activity, “where” companies create a positive environment to support the activity although more could be done by government to regulate and enforce compliance to encourage trust in protecting employees when whistleblowing.

  8. Annual report 1991. Environment Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    This is the annual report of the Environment Institute of the Joint Research Centre - Ispra Site - of the Commission of the European Communities. The report summarizes the progress accomplished in the course of 1991 - i.e. the last of the four year (1988-91) Specific Research Programme of the Joint Research Centre - in the projects tackled by the Institute. The activities were mainly focused on the areas of environmental chemicals, air pollution, water pollution, chemical waste and food and drug analysis, included in the programme Environmental Protection, and of safety assessment of nuclear waste disposal in geological formation as a part of the Radioactive Waste Management programme. The scientific support provided to different Commission Services is also described, proper emphasis being given to that provided to the Directorate General Xl (Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection) in the field of chemicals, air pollution, water pollution, chemical waste and radioactive environmental monitoring (REM). The above activities are aimed at the implementation of EC directives in the related fields. The work for third parties and the contribution of the Institute to various EUREKA and COST projects are also shortly described. Lastly the report provides essential data concerning the Institute structure and the human and financial resources

  9. Institutional factors as criteria for business environment identification

    OpenAIRE

    Klovienė, Lina

    2012-01-01

    The paper focuses on the analysis of business environment in the context of performance measurement. Performance measurement is useful for an organization when it fits into the external and internal environment of the organization. The first requirement is to identify the business environment in order to analyze performance measurement. Institutional theory identifies internal and external environmental factors as institutional factors, according to which the behaviour of an organization coul...

  10. Conceptual apparatus of analysis of the national economy institutional environment

    OpenAIRE

    Ляховець, О. О.

    2017-01-01

    In the paper the sense of the notions «institutional environment», «institutional framework», «institutional structure» is revealed. The difference between these notions is determined. The structural elements of institutional environment classified by the theoretical approaches criterion are considered. The origins of approaches are: 1) the scientific direction of economic theory (institutional economics, neoinstitutionsl economic theory, evolutionary economic theory, political economy); 2) t...

  11. DOES THE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT AFFECT CSR DISCLOSURE? THE ROLE OF GOVERNANCE

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    María del Mar Miras Rodríguez

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this article is to analyze whether the institutional environment has a direct effect on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR reporting practices or if this effect is explained by the influence of the institutional environment on Corporate Governance (CG mechanisms. To conduct our study, we focused on two countries that reflect different types of institutional environment: relation-based (Brazil and rule-based (Spain. Based on our results, we can affirm that the institutional environment influences CG mechanisms (Board Size and Reference Shareholder as well as companies’ CSR disclosure. Additionally, the CG mechanisms affected by the institutional environment also help to explain differences in CSR reporting practices. As relation-based societies evolve into rules-based environments, the information disclosed about CSR becomes more complex due to a strengthening of CG mechanisms.

  12. Commitment or Compliance? Institutional Logics of Work Environment Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Christian Uhrenholdt; Hasle, Peter

    2017-01-01

    and where it differs from the traditional organizational approach to work environment management. In this paper, we use the ‘institutional logics’ perspective to propose heuristic ideal types of two institutional logics of work environment management: The logic of compliance as the ideal type...... of the ‘traditional’ approach to work environment management and the logic of commitment as the human resource informed approach. Through a side-by-side comparison of key characteristics, we analyze the two ideal types as instantiations of institutional orders on the societal level with the compliance logic being...... rooted in the orders of the state and the corporation, and the commitment logic as based on the orders of the corporation. The paper ends with a discussion on the how the two logics can influence concrete work environment practices and approaches to management in organizations....

  13. The System-Supplementing Effect of the Interaction between Innovative Capacity and Institutional Environment Factors of a Region

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    Viktor Nikolayevich Ovchinnikov

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In the article, the effect of interaction between the development level of regional innovative capacity and its innovative and institutional infrastructure is traced. The research objective is to prove the hypothesis of the essential impact of the regional institutional and information environment on its innovative capacity, the identification of the effect of their systemsupplementing interaction. From the standpoint of the methodology of system-structural research its components are allocated within the innovative capacity of the regional innovative system (RIS, they are presented by a corporate sector, the structures of small and medium business, and also by the subjects of ethnic economy. The use of essential-analytical and functional approaches has revealed the leading role of intangible assets of the corporate sector of the economy in region’s innovative development. The correlation and regression analysis has confirmed the essential dependence of the innovative activity of the region on the systemic completeness of the development of its institutional and infrastructure environment. The results of the research have shown that to ensure the system-supplementing effect of the interaction between innovative capacity and the factors of its activation in the sphere of institutional infrastructure, it is necessary to consistently develop its operational base — the institutions of RIS. The recommendations reasoned in the article may be used for the development of regional innovation strategies, the formation of innovation clusters. The three-component structure of the innovation cluster of the region is offered; its integrating function in relation to the innovative components of the regional sectoral clusters is determined. The factors constraining the growth of innovation activity of the regional economic subjects are revealed and the recommendations on the development of the institutional and infrastructural environment of the Rostov

  14. Burnout and nursing work environment in public health institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nogueira, Lilia de Souza; Sousa, Regina Márcia Cardoso de; Guedes, Erika de Souza; Santos, Mariana Alvina Dos; Turrini, Ruth Natalia Teresa; Cruz, Diná de Almeida Lopes Monteiro da

    2018-01-01

    to identify associations between the Burnout domains and the characteristics of the work environment. cross-sectional study with 745 nurses from 40 public health institutions in São Paulo. Nursing Work Index-Revised (NWI-R) and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used. Similar institutions according to NWI-R were grouped by clustering and the Anova and Bonferroni tests were used in the comparative analyzes. there was significant and moderate correlation between emotional exhaustion and autonomy, control over the environment and organizational support; between reduced personal accomplishment, autonomy and organizational support; and between depersonalization and autonomy. The group that presented the worst conditions in the work environment differed on emotional exhaustion from the group with most favorable traits. emotional exhaustion was the trait of Burnout that was more consistently related to the group of institutions with more unfavorable working conditions regarding autonomy, organizational support and control over the environment.

  15. Petroleum privatization and institutional environment: the Russian example

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Locarelli, C.; Finon, D.

    2003-09-01

    This paper treats of the reform of the Russian hydrocarbons industry using an institutionalistic approach. The theoretical objective of the privatization is the installation of a growth scheme based on important productivity gains, through large scale re-structuration, investments for the reproduction of oil and gas reserves, and big infrastructures development. The choice of this sector is justified because it represents an extreme case of inadequateness of the measures preconized by the Washington consensus with respect to the institutional environment. Stress has been put on the modification of the property rights of companies. The introduction of market institutions in a transition economy has led to an opportunistic adaptation of the behaviour of private and government actors. There is a clear correlation between the insecurity of property rights in general and the abundance of exploitable and exportable natural resources. Then, the privatization and the limited performance of the hydrocarbons sector in Russia is analyzed in terms of efficiency and long-term strategy, essential for a resources industry to make reserves. The unexpected results of this privatization are explained using an analysis of the market institutions applied to the very specific institutional environment of the Russian economy. Finally, the inadequateness of these institutions with the initial informal institutions has led to adaptations fully dependent of the institutional path with the necessity of preserving a minimum inter-industrial consistency. (J.S.)

  16. Commitment or Compliance?—Institutional logics of work environment management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Christian Uhrenholdt; Hasle, Peter

    2017-01-01

    and where it differs from the traditional organizational approach to work environment management. In this paper, we use the ‘institutional logics’ perspective to propose heuristic ideal types of two institutional logics of work environment management: The logic of compliance as the ideal type...... of the ‘traditional’ approach to work environment management and the logic of commitment as the human resource informed approach. Through a side-by-side comparison of key characteristics, we analyze the two ideal types as instantiations of institutional orders on the societal level with the compliance logic being...... rooted in the orders of the state and the corporation, and the commitment logic as based on the orders of the corporation. The paper ends with a discussion on the how the two logics can influence concrete work environment practices and approaches to management in organizations....

  17. Scientists in a Changed Institutional Environment: Subjective Adaptation and Social Responsibility Norms in Russia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gerber, T P; Ball, D Y

    2008-06-05

    How do scientists react when the institutional setting in which they conduct their work changes radically? How do long-standing norms regarding the social responsibility of scientists fare? What factors influence whether scientists embrace or reject the new institutions and norms? We examine these questions using data from a unique survey of 602 scientists in Russia, whose science system experienced a sustained crisis and sweeping changes in science institutions following the collapse of the Soviet Union. We develop measures of how respondents view financing based on grants and other institutional changes in the Russian science system, as well as measures of two norms regarding scientists social responsibility. We find that the majority of scientists have adapted, in the sense that they hold positive views of the new institutions, but a diversity of orientations remains. Social responsibility norms are common among Russian scientists, but far from universal. The main correlates of adaptation are age and current success at negotiating the new institutions, though prospective success, work context, and ethnicity have some of the hypothesized associations. As for social responsibility norms, the main source of variation is age: younger scientists are more likely to embrace individualistic rather than socially-oriented norms.

  18. Institutional Quality of the Business Environment: Some European Practices in a Comparative Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cosmin Marinescu

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available In contemporary economic literature, we can find plenty of theoretical and empirical approaches which seek to highlight the most appropriate factorial variables that are associated with the institutional quality of the business environment. This study presents, in a summarised version, the institutional logic of transaction costs that was substantiated within a scientific research project. In essence, the economic performances of the business environment are circumscribed by the institutions that facilitate or constrain the entrepreneurial initiatives and the economic activity in general. In terms of empirical analysis, the comparative approach of the EU business environments illustrates various exemples of (good or bad practices with respect to the institutional quality of the business environment. By selecting certain relevant institutional variables, the original character of this research resides in developing an indicator – The Institutional Quality of the Business Environment (hereafter IQBE which offers a dynamic perspective upon the business environments that characterise both Romania and other EU countries.

  19. Information actions in science and technology: institutionalities, agencies and subjects

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    Rodrigo Rabello

    Full Text Available Considering the influence of new agency forms - intervention and interaction among subjects - in the context of information intermediation, we aim to approach information actions in Science and Technology (S&T taking into consideration the institutionalities involved. For such, we assume there is an influence of a theoretical model emerging in Information Science (IS regarding current inventive and interactive form propitiated by the Web. The text is structured in two central topics bringing: i theoretical and epistemic constructions of the "information action" concept; and ii a certain interpretation oriented by the "informational action in S&T" construct, taking as its object the actions performed by IBICT (Brazilian Institute for Information in Science and Technology, directed towards excellence in information. Finally, we discuss how limitations of the "systemic model" propitiate the construction of new study objects in the model emerging in IS from theoretical innovations and counterpoints thoughts facing the diverse forms of information action, considering, for instance, the action of subjects on what concerns the validation of information in the current scenery of institutional intermediation.

  20. Family control, institutional environment and cash dividend policy: Evidence from China

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    Zhihua Wei

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Using a sample of 1486 Chinese A-share listed companies for the period 2004–2008, this study empirically tests the impact of family control, institutional environment and their interaction on the cash dividend policy of listed companies. Our results indicate that (1 family firms have a lower cash dividend payout ratio and propensity to pay dividends than non-family firms; (2 a favorable regional institutional environment has a significant positive impact on the cash dividend payout ratio and propensity to pay dividends of listed companies; and (3 the impact of the regional institutional environment on cash dividends is stronger in family firms than in non-family firms. Somewhat surprisingly, we find that controlling family shareholders in China may intensify Agency Problem I (the owner–manager conflict rather than Agency Problem II (the controlling shareholder–minority shareholder conflict, and thus have a significant negative impact on cash dividend policy. In contrast, a favorable regional institutional environment plays a positive corporate governance role in mitigating Agency Problem I and encouraging family firms to pay cash dividends.

  1. Reconstruction of Nanoindustry Institutes in the Russian Federation in the Unfavorable Global Environment

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    Oleg Vasilyevich Inshakov

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Nanoindustry evolution is caused by the global extension of new technological mode, which requires the construction of effective institutes and mechanisms of regulating its subjects’ relations. In the conditions of unfavorable external environment and unsolved internal problems of Russian nanoindustry development, not only the role of basic nanoindustrialization institutes increases, but the problem of reconstructing their activity and prospective updating of institutions arises. Regardless of level and scale, forms and content, the institutional reconstruction will become a part of a rapid response to external changes and a component of strategic programming of Russian nanoindustry. The Russian government acted as a main institute of national nanoindustry development and support. New special-purpose/universal, financial/nonfinancial, formal/informal institutes, which make up the structure of target investment and resource supply of nanoindustry at various stages of its formation, become active agents of state policy in this sphere. This institutional system should reflect the level and type structure of nanoindustry, corresponding to its strategic perspective. An important role in overcoming negative trends in nanoindustry now belongs not to formal and corporate development institutes but to associative, initiative and complementary ones partially replacing the state as its substitutes. The authors describe the options of international financial funds and integration-type institutes’ reconstruction for Russian nanoindustry in current situation. The feasibility of orienting the construction of nanoindustry institutes to basic relationships of its subjects that ensures their relevance and effectiveness, is argued. The authors’ version of nanoindustry institutes classification is suggested for applying as a testing analyzer of institutes functioning in order to determine their reconstruction directions, identify and supplement missing links

  2. THE INTERACTION BETWEEN INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN UKRAINE

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    I. Prylutska

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper evaluates the interaction between institutional environment and innovative entrepreneurship in Ukraine. The factors which effect on its development are revealed. The study substantiates the most effective institutions on the development of the innovative entrepreneurship in Ukraine.

  3. INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL MARKET FORMATION PROCESS

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    S. Revenko

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available This article considers institutional aspects of the organized agricultural market formation process. Theoretical base to distinguish institute and institutes is given. In order to find out main influential institutes of the “organization” phenomenon author analyses Ukrainian institutional environment that is under construction process. Author considers main processes which are running during the organized market formation. Author researches theoretical approaches to the institutional staff. In order to structure the most common approaches and theoretical knowledge of this problem author proposes few schemes. Author’s points of view for many questions of the organized market formation process are proposed. Researcher analyzes effectiveness of the institutes and governmental regulation of the agricultural market. Readers can find strategically new approach to the agricultural market formation policy from the governmental point of view. Essence of the socioeconomic formation of agricultural market is considered. Main factors of agriculture market formation are outlined. Agricultural market structural parts consideration systematic approach is proposed. Ineffectiveness of the agriculture market relations without regulation process is proved. The most unfavorable reasons of the agricultural market formation are determined.

  4. The Configuration of Social Subjectivity in an Innovative Educational Institution in Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira Campolina, Luciana; Martínez, Albertina Mitjáns

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this article is to present a case study of an innovative school and illustrate how social aspects, in their subjective dimension, participate in educational innovation. According to the theoretical propositions from González Rey's cultural-historical theory of subjectivity, social aspects in the life of groups, institutions,…

  5. Language, subjectivity and participation in psychiatric institutions in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ringer, Agnes

    Although the field of health communication is growing, few studies of everyday communication between patients and professionals in the mental health sector have been conducted. This project studies the everyday interactions between multidisciplinary mental health professionals and patients at two...... for participation and involvement in psychiatry are negotiated for the patients? Finally, the project wishes to understand what the encounters with the professionals and the practices of the institution may mean for the patients’ self-understandings and subjectivity....

  6. An Empirical Study on Green Innovation Efficiency in the Green Institutional Environment

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    Yang Gao

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies have found that reverse technology spillover effects can promote industrial technology modernization in developing countries. However, it is still unknown whether reverse technology spillover effects can improve green innovation efficiency in developing countries. In particular, institutional uncertainties characteristic of transition economies have a significant impact on industrial modernization. Therefore, researching the impact of the institutional environment on the relationship between reverse technology spillover effects and green innovation efficiency is of great significance. In this paper, we use data from G20 countries as well as China’s foreign direct investment (FDI data to measure the effects of reverse technology spillovers and adopt the threshold effect model to explore the relationship between reverse technology spillover effects and green innovation efficiency as well as the influence of the institutional environment on this relationship, based on China’s provincial panel data from 2003 to 2015. The empirical results show that the reverse technology spillover effects can effectively improve green innovation efficiency. There is a threshold for the influence of the institutional environment on the relationship between reverse technology spillover effects and green innovation efficiency. When the institutional development level surpasses the threshold value, an acceleration effect is generated. In addition, we find that the legal system is the key bottleneck in terms of improving green innovation efficiency. How to improve and perfect the path of institutional construction in China and how to enable institutions to gain threshold speed-up effects have become the major problems the Chinese government faces in institutional construction. The research results of this paper offer a reference to developing countries in regard to improving their institutions and enhancing their green innovation efficiency.

  7. Gender differences in public office workers' satisfaction, subjective symptoms and musculoskeletal complaints in workplace and office environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sangbok; Park, Myoung Hwan; Jeong, Byung Yong

    2018-06-01

    This study investigates differences between male and female public office workers' satisfaction levels, sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms and musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) complaints in workplace and office environments. Questionnaire surveys were performed in 30 offices from 15 public institutions. Male and female workers of the same age were coupled and selected from each office, gathering a total of 120 male and 120 female subjects. The results show that differences exist between genders in noise and lighting satisfaction levels, SBS-related symptoms (eye, nose, skin) and MSD complaints of hand/wrist/finger, while there is no difference in overall satisfaction level of office environments. The study also suggests that office design for public office workers should take into account gender differences in preventing MSDs and also SBS. The findings of this study are expected to serve as basic data for designing effective public office environments.

  8. Institute for Environment, Health and Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loos, M.

    2007-01-01

    The article describes the key activities of the Institute for Environment, Health and Safety of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN. Through the performance of experiments, the development of models and the integration of human sciences in our R and D, propose new durable methods, computer codes and measuring instruments for radiation protection, management and disposal of radioactive waste and dismantling of nuclear installations. These developments belong to the disciplines environmental chemistry, radiobiology and radioecology and include the transfer of radio nuclides in the geosphere and biosphere, as also the behaviour of micro-organisms in space

  9. A Comparison of Subject and Institutional Repositories in Self-Archiving Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Jingfeng

    2008-01-01

    The disciplinary culture theory presumes that if a scholar has been familiar with self-archiving through an existing subject-based repository, this scholar will be more enthusiastic about contributing his/her research to an institutional repository than one who has not had the experience. To test the theory, this article examines self-archiving…

  10. Discrete Institutional Alternatives of Public Administration Reforms in Countries with Developed and Developing Institutional Environment

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    Evgeny A. Kapoguzov

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents an approach to evaluation the impact of the level of development of institutional environment on the success of the reforms of public administration. The indicators that characterize the degree of development of the institutional environment, in particular, the level of protection of property rights, the development of political competition, civil society, corruption, and trust in society are shown. Depending on the elements of the political-administrative system, socio-economic features, that determine the trajectories of reforms, showing alternative purposes and characterized some indicators, that characterizing the results of reforms for the OECD-counties. Showing institutional problems is implementing reforms in the transition countries, depending on the elements of the political and administrative systems, and socio-cultural factors that determine the path of reform, showing alternative purposes and characterized by individual indicators characterizing the results of the OECD reform. From the point of view of the classification results, the emphasis is made on quantitative results of the operational type, in particular, the dynamics of the general government expenditure and the level of employment of civil servants in relation to employment in the economy as a whole. Showing institutional problems in the implementation of reforms in the transition countries, in particular the gap of development of the bureaucratic ethos, the weakness of the market environment and the insufficient level of external pressure on the quality of public services. The significance for the success of reform and systemic cultural change within the state apparatus, which affects the quality of citizens' satisfaction with public services is observed. It is noted that the preliminary formalization of the public sector, the formation of Weberian bureaucracy type is essential for successful implementation of the New Public Management. The factors that

  11. Marketing of an Educational Institution

    OpenAIRE

    Šijan, Pavel

    2009-01-01

    The main subject of this thesis is the area of marketing for educational institutions. First part is focused on general theoretical aspects of marketing of services, specificity of marketing for educational institutions and marketing communication. The operative part attends to a selection of an educational institution, an execution of an analysis of internal and external environment of the school, an implementation of a marketing research recognizing image of the school and based on that des...

  12. Bright environments vision of the Intelligent Lighting Institute (ILI)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Özçelebi, T.

    2014-01-01

    The Bright Environments research program of the Eindhoven University of Technology Intelligent Lighting Institute aims to find new methods of intelligent lighting control and human interaction. We present a summary of the institute’s work on this research field and the research vision of the Bright

  13. Formal Institutions and Subjective Well-Being

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørnskov, Christian; Dreher, Axel; Fischer, Justina

    A long tradition in economics explores the association between the quality of formal institutions and economic performance. The literature on the relationship between such institutions and happiness is, however, rather limited. In this paper, we revisit the findings from recent cross-country stud......A long tradition in economics explores the association between the quality of formal institutions and economic performance. The literature on the relationship between such institutions and happiness is, however, rather limited. In this paper, we revisit the findings from recent cross...

  14. Youth Homelessness and Individualised Subjectivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrugia, David

    2011-01-01

    This article aims to contribute to understandings of youth homelessness and subjectivity by analysing identity construction in terms of young people's negotiation of the structural and institutional environment of youth homelessness. I suggest that while existing literature on this topic concentrates mainly on micro-social encounters, the…

  15. Writing for publication: institutional support provides an enabling environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kramer, Beverley; Libhaber, Elena

    2016-04-18

    Due to the excessive service delivery loads in public hospitals supported by academic institutions in developing environments, researchers at these institutions have little time to develop scientific writing skills or to write up their research. It is imperative to expand the writing skills of researchers and train the next generation of health sciences academics in order to disseminate research findings. This study reports on the implementation of approaches for writing and publication and the extent of support to staff suffering from the overload of service delivery and of heavy teaching duties. Workshops in scientific writing and writing retreats were initiated and were offered to all staff. Feedback from participants of the writing skills workshops indicated that the workshops provided an injection of confidence and proficiency. Protected writing time resulted in 132 papers submitted to journals and 95 in preparation from 230 participants of the writing retreats over a two year period. Staff commended the off-site, collegial environment, which also supported future collaboration with new-found colleagues. This enabling environment facilitates not only the development of writing skills per se, but also the dissemination of the generated scientific knowledge. In addition, the training in writing skills of this generation will be of value in the training of future cohorts in countries with similar health care deliverables.

  16. GSF Research Center for Environment and Health, Hydrological Institute. 1994 annual report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-06-01

    The 1994 annual report of the Institute of Hyrdology presents the findings of 12 current research projects on different subjects in hyrdology. It is supplemented by information on cooperation with other scientific institutions in the form of lists of publications and reports, lectures and posters, university teaching projects, and finished and current dissertations. (VHE) [de

  17. Features of state industrial policy under imperfect technological and institutional environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denisov Igor Vladimirovich

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available For all countries with imperfect technology and the institutional environment (low culture and organization of production, high levels of corruption, the small middle class, not necessarily the execution of laws, etc., even such strong measures to support the economy like a direct financing of firms and territories, protectionism, stimulation of demand, etc. does not give significant effect. For Russia, which objectively have to be attributed to such countries, extremely relevant management system development, capable of overcoming difficulties, starting with the knees and the resistance of the imperfect (bad technological and institutional environment. Several theoretical solutions recently obtained through the development of the theory of economic-technological development of civilization, can create the mechanism and conditions of such a system.

  18. An Empirical Study on Green Innovation Efficiency in the Green Institutional Environment

    OpenAIRE

    Yang Gao; Sang-Bing Tsai; Xingqun Xue; Tingzhen Ren; Xiaomin Du; Quan Chen; Jiangtao Wang

    2018-01-01

    Previous studies have found that reverse technology spillover effects can promote industrial technology modernization in developing countries. However, it is still unknown whether reverse technology spillover effects can improve green innovation efficiency in developing countries. In particular, institutional uncertainties characteristic of transition economies have a significant impact on industrial modernization. Therefore, researching the impact of the institutional environment on the rela...

  19. Engaging Institutional Review Boards in Developing a Brief, Community-Responsive Human Subjects Training for Community Partners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calzo, Jerel P.; Bogart, Laura M.; Francis, Evelyn; Kornetsky, Susan Z.; Winkler, Sabune J.; Kaberry, Julie M.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND Engaging community partners as co-investigators in community-based participatory research (CBPR) requires certification in the rules, ethics, and principles governing research. Despite developments in making human research protection trainings more convenient and standardized (e.g., self-paced Internet modules), time constraints and the structure of the content (which may favor academic audiences) may hinder the training of community partners. OBJECTIVES This paper is motivated by a case example in which academic and community partners, and stakeholders of a community-based organization actively engaged the leadership of a pediatric hospital-based Institutional Review Board (IRB) in implementing a brief, community-responsive human subjects training session. METHODS A two hour, discussion-based human subjects training was developed via collaborations between the IRB and the community and academic partners. Interviews with trainees and facilitators after the training were used to evaluate its acceptability and possible future applications. CONCLUSIONS Local Institutional Review Boards have the potential to assist community partners in building sufficient knowledge of human subjects research protections to engage in specific projects, thereby expediting the progress of vital research to address community needs. We propose the need for developing truncated human subjects education materials to train and certify community partners, and creating formally organized entities within academic and medical institutions that specialize in community-based research to guide the development and implementation of alternative human subjects training certification opportunities for community partners. PMID:28230554

  20. Temperature Response in Hardened Concrete Subjected to Tropical Rainforest Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. I. Egba

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to characterize concrete micro-environment temperature response to the natural climate of the tropical rainforest. The peculiar warmth, high humidity, and low pressure nature of the tropical rainforest necessitated the present study. Temperature probes were inserted into concrete specimens subjected to the sheltered and unsheltered environment to measure the micro-environment temperature of the concrete, and study the hysteresis characteristics in relation to the climate temperature. Some mathematical relationships for forecasting the internal temperature of concrete in the tropical rainforest environment were proposed and tested. The proposed relationships were found reliable. It was observed that the micro-environment temperature was lower at the crest, and higher at the trough than the climate environment temperature with a temperature difference of 1-3 oC. Also, temperature response in concrete for the unsheltered micro-environment was 1.85 times faster than the response in the sheltered micro-environment. The findings of the study may be used to assist the durability assessment of concrete.

  1. THE INFLUENCE OF FAMILY ENVIRONMENT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN'S SUBJECTIVITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. V. Suvorova

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents theoretical and experimental study of children's subjectivity in the age of transition from preschool to primary school age. Contains an analysis of the development of subjectivity of the child in the age of transition from preschool to primary school age. The process of personality development is seen as a movement from doobjective to presubject and resubjected levels. Presents the results of an empirical study of the development of subjectivity of the child under the influence of the family environment, personality traits and communication parents.

  2. The Woman Engineering Academic: An Investigation of Departmental and Institutional Environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKendall, Sherron Benson

    2000-01-01

    Interviewed women engineering faculty at two universities to determine their experiences and perceptions of departmental and institutional environments. Most participants had experienced some type of isolation or singling out due to gender. Some questioned whether they were overreacting. Many had difficulty balancing home and work lives.…

  3. Inter-relationships between objective and subjective measures of the residential environment among urban African American women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sealy-Jefferson, Shawnita; Messer, Lynne; Slaughter-Acey, Jaime; Misra, Dawn P

    2017-03-01

    The inter-relationships between objective (census based) and subjective (resident reported) measures of the residential environment is understudied in African American (AA) populations. Using data from the Life Influences on Fetal Environments Study (2009-2011; n = 1387) of AA women, we quantified the area-level variation in subjective reports of residential healthy food availability, walkability, safety, and disorder that can be accounted for with an objective neighborhood disadvantage index (NDI). Two-level generalized linear models estimated associations between objective and subjective measures of the residential environment, accounting for individual-level covariates. In unconditional models, intraclass correlation coefficients for block-group variance in subjective reports ranged from 11% (healthy food availability) to 30% (safety). Models accounting for the NDI (vs. both NDI and individual-level covariates) accounted for more variance in healthy food availability (23% vs. 8%) and social disorder (40% vs. 38%). The NDI and individual-level variables accounted for 39% and 51% of the area-level variation in walkability and safety, respectively. Associations between subjective and objective measures of the residential environment were significant and in the expected direction. Future studies on neighborhood effects on health, especially among AAs, should include a wide range of residential environment measures, including subjective, objective, and spatial contextual variables. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. DDC in DSpace: Integration of Multi-lingual Subject Access System in Institutional Digital Repositories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bijan Kumar Roy

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper discusses the nature of Knowledge Organization Systems (KOSs and shows how these can support digital library users. It demonstrates processes related to integration of KOS like the Dewey Decimal Classification, 22nd edition (DDC22 in DSpace software (http://www.dspace.org/ for organizing and retrieving (browsing and searching scholarly objects. An attempt has been made to use the DDC22 available in Bengali language and highlights the required mechanisms for system-level integration. It may help repository administrator to build IDR (Institutional Digital Repository integrated with SKOS-enabled multilingual subject access systems for supporting subject descriptors based indexing (DC.Subject metadata element, structured navigation (browsing and efficient searching.

  5. Quality of institution and the FEG (forest, energy intensity, and globalization) -environment relationships in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amuakwa-Mensah, Franklin; Adom, Philip Kofi

    2017-07-01

    The current share of sub-Saharan Africa in global carbon dioxide emissions is negligible compared to major contributors like Asia, Americas, and Europe. This trend is, however, likely to change given that both economic growth and rate of urbanization in the region are projected to be robust in the future. The current study contributes to the literature by examining both the direct and the indirect impacts of quality of institution on the environment. Specifically, we investigate whether the institutional setting in the region provides some sort of a complementary role in the environment-FEG relationships. We use the panel two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) technique to deal with the simultaneity problem. Data consists of 43 sub-Saharan African countries. The result shows that energy inefficiency compromises environmental standards. However, the quality of the institutional setting helps moderate this negative consequences; countries with good institutions show greater prospects than countries with poor institutions. On the other hand, globalization of the region and increased forest size generate positive environmental outcomes in the region. Their impacts are, however, independent of the quality of institution. Afforestation programs, promotion of other clean energy types, and investment in energy efficiency, basic city infrastructure, and regulatory and institutional structures, are desirable policies to pursue to safeguard the environment.

  6. MODELING OF INNOVATION EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF GENERAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION: THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES

    OpenAIRE

    Anzhelika D. Tsymbalaru

    2010-01-01

    In the paper the scientific approaches to modeling of innovation educational environment of a general educational institution – system (analysis of object, process and result of modeling as system objects), activity (organizational and psychological structure) and synergetic (aspects and principles).

  7. BUSINESS STRATEGIES IN UNSTABLE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT – CASE OF BRIC COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Branko Rakita,

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The visionary idea of BRIC1 countries and their leading position in the development of globaleconomy, conceived by the leading investment bank Goldman Sachs more than a decade ago, cameunder heavy skepticism. However, what many doubted came true. At the end of 2011 BRIC countriesgenerated approximately 26% of global GDP, and their share in the growth of global GDP was morethan 50%. The impressive growth of BRIC countries has been in large measure due to FDI inflow2.Intensive FDI inflow and economic development have not been followed by improved institutionalefficiency. This article will show that inefficient institutions in BRIC countries have not beendiscouraging to MNCs3, who were predominantly led by the extent and the growth dynamics of themarket. Modifications to business strategies applied in developed countries by MNCs, in order tomanage unstable institutional environment in BRIC countries, will be analyzed. The conclusion isthat the key modification is establishment of strong relationships with local stakeholders, in order forMNCs to gain necessary knowledge of the new business environment and create a sound basis forinstitutional efficiency improvement.

  8. Environment and Subjective Well-Being of Rural Chinese Elderly: A Multilevel Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Dale E. Yeatts; Cynthia M. Cready; Xiaomei Pei; Yuying Shen; Hao Luo

    2014-01-01

    Introduction. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of environment on the subjective well-being (SWB) of older Chinese villagers after controlling for personal and social characteristics.

  9. Engaging Institutional Review Boards in Developing a Brief, Community-Responsive Human Subjects Training for Community Partners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calzo, Jerel P; Bogart, Laura M; Francis, Evelyn; Kornetsky, Susan Z; Winkler, Sabune J; Kaberry, Julie

    2016-01-01

    Engaging community partners as co-investigators in community-based participatory research (CBPR) requires certification in the rules, ethics, and principles governing research. Despite developments in making human research protection trainings more convenient and standardized (eg, self-paced Internet modules), time constraints and the structure of the content (which may favor academic audiences) may hinder the training of community partners. This paper is motivated by a case example in which academic and community partners, and stakeholders of a community-based organization actively engaged the leadership of a pediatric hospital-based institutional review board (IRB) in implementing a brief, community-responsive human subjects training session. A 2-hour, discussion-based human subjects training was developed via collaborations between the IRB and the community and academic partners. Interviews with trainees and facilitators after the training were used to evaluate its acceptability and possible future applications. Local IRBs have the potential to assist community partners in building sufficient knowledge of human subjects research protections to engage in specific projects, thereby expediting the progress of vital research to address community needs. We propose the need for developing truncated human subjects education materials to train and certify community partners, and creating formally organized entities within academic and medical institutions that specialize in community-based research to guide the development and implementation of alternative human subjects training certification opportunities for community partners.

  10. Institutional and pedagogical criteria for productive open source learning environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svendsen, Brian Møller; Ryberg, Thomas; Semey, Ian Peter

    2004-01-01

    In this article we present some institutional and pedagogical criteria for making an informed decision in relation to identifying and choosing a productive open source learning environment. We argue that three concepts (implementation, maintainability and further development) are important when...... considering the sustainability and cost efficiency of an open source system, and we outline a set of key points for evaluating an open source software in terms of cost of system adoption. Furthermore we identify a range of pedagogical concepts and criteria to emphasize the importance of considering...... the relation between the local pedagogical practice and the pedagogical design of the open source learning environment. This we illustrate through an analysis of an open source system and our own pedagogical practice at Aalborg University, Denmark (POPP)....

  11. INTEGRATION OF AN INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY ON INFORMATION AND EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olessia R. Oleksyuk

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The authors of article analyze the concepts associated with the processes of integration of software for the learning. The article contains ways of the integration institutional repository into educational environment of the universities. Authors are describing the experience of integration of DSpace system with the popular learning tools such as CMS Joomla!, LMS Moodle, UFD «Library». Integration of the specified tools is possible at the level of content and unification of access for users. The article contains opportunities of the integration DSpace and documents flow systems (based on Microsoft SharePoint. It is provided effective use of DSpace system at scientific and research work of students.

  12. NEO-INSTITUTIONALISM AND ENDOGENOUS DEVELOPMENT AS REGIONAL ALTERNATIVE. MODERNITY AND SUBJECTIVITY, LINKING AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Mateo Bastidas-Morales

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The reconstruction of subjectivity involves overcoming criticism of individualism, utilitarianism and immediacy as the basis of society and consumer markets. Elemental is, with the addition of the individual as a subject of social action, the principal actor-oriented definition of welfare, community and local development. Obviously, the formation of human capital development. While it is imperative the state-society relationship in the context of the current modernization must also recover the principles of the community before the stressed relationship between the market-state. We intend here to link opposite the dichotomous thinking of Western rationalism, constitute an important element of social sustantivación. Along with this, the neo-institutionalism and institutional economics that questions the current neoliberal approves the participation of the state and, with new rules, can better confront the neoconservative positions. It is revalued, in the present work, interest in the new dynamics of social change in post-national or cosmopolitan side.

  13. The Workplace Environment for African-American Faculty Employed in Predominately White Institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitfield-Harris, Lisa; Lockhart, Joan Such

    2016-01-01

    Diversity in academia requires attention, especially with the expected increase in minority populations in the United States (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, (AACN) 2014). Despite theoretical papers that suggest that several challenges are encountered by minority faculty employed in predominately White institutions, a dearth of research on this topic has been published. The purpose of this literature review was to analyze the published research that addressed the workplace environment of African-American faculty employed in predominately White institutions. In utilizing the keywords in various combinations, 236 articles were retrieved through multiple databases. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 15 studies were reviewed with only three related to nursing. Two themes were extracted from the review: 1) the cultural climate of the workplace environment and, 2) underrepresentation of African-American faculty. It is apparent from this review that additional research is needed to understand the experiences of this group of faculty to target effective recruitment and retention strategies.

  14. Why institutional environments for agroforestry seed system matters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lillesø, Jens-Peter Barnekow; Harwood, C.; Derero, Abayneh

    2018-01-01

    Rethinking the logic of institutional environments aiming to facilitate agroforestry smallholders in economic development, this paper compares smallholder input supply systems for crop and tree seeds in Sub-Saharan Africa and reflects on two basic challenges: (i) how to develop a large number...... of relevant tree crops for different agroecologies; (ii) how to reach smallholders in rural areas. Policy options for improving agroforestry input supply systems are discussed, whereby our article concludes with suggestions how sectoral approaches for crop seed systems can be modified to agroforestry seed......-seedling systems. Biophysical differences have practical implications for how the logic of the ‘African green revolution’ would be translated into a corresponding revolution for agroforestry....

  15. Biofuels are (Not the Future! Legitimation Strategies of Sustainable Ventures in Complex Institutional Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neil A. Thompson

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Sustainable ventures often lack legitimacy (perceived to be desirable and appropriate because various stakeholder groups use contradictory institutions (rules and norms to make their judgements, which leads to there being fewer resources available and higher failure rates. Using an institutional theory framework and a multi-case research design with 15 biofuel ventures operating in the Netherlands, this study asks how sustainable entrepreneurs attempt to gain legitimacy in these circumstances. Analysis reveals that the entrepreneurs use a combination of rhetorical, reconciliatory and institutional change strategies to obtain legitimacy from different stakeholder groups. These findings further our understanding of sustainable entrepreneurial behavior by revealing how and why different legitimation strategies are used in complex institutional environments.

  16. NATO Advanced Study Institute on Laser Control & Monitoring in New Materials, Biomedicine, Environment, Security & Defense

    CERN Document Server

    Hall, Trevor J; Paredes, Sofia A; Extreme Photonics & Applications

    2010-01-01

    "Extreme Photonics & Applications" arises from the 2008 NATO Advanced Study Institute in Laser Control & Monitoring in New Materials, Biomedicine, Environment, Security and Defense. Leading experts in the manipulation of light offered by recent advances in laser physics and nanoscience were invited to give lectures in their fields of expertise and participate in discussions on current research, applications and new directions. The sum of their contributions to this book is a primer for the state of scientific knowledge and the issues within the subject of photonics taken to the extreme frontiers: molding light at the ultra-finest scales, which represents the beginning of the end to limitations in optical science for the benefit of 21st Century technological societies. Laser light is an exquisite tool for physical and chemical research. Physicists have recently developed pulsed lasers with such short durations that one laser shot takes the time of one molecular vibration or one electron rotation in an ...

  17. The General Picture of Supportive Health Environments for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities among 121 Disability Welfare Institutions in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, J.-D.; Yen, C.-F.; Loh, C.-H.; Chwo, M.-J.; Lee, J.-T.; Wu, J.-L.; Chu, C. M.; Tang, C.-C.

    2006-01-01

    Background: Little information is available on the provision of supportive health environments for persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) in institutions. The aim of this study was to present an overview of supportive environments for health in institutions in Taiwan. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the perceptions…

  18. The Work of the Prince's Teaching Institute--Insisting that Established Subjects Matter to All Pupils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Martin

    2012-01-01

    The Prince's Teaching Institute (PTI), which has evolved out of the Summer Schools for English Literature and History which The Prince of Wales inaugurated in 2002, now provides a variety of courses in the major subjects of the secondary curriculum. In partnership with Cambridge University it enables teachers to update and extend their subject…

  19. Energy, environment, and policy choices: Summer institutes for science and social studies educators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marek, E.A.; Chiodo, J.J.; Gerber, B.L.

    1997-06-01

    The Center for Energy Education (CEE) is a partnership linking the University of Oklahoma, Close Up Foundation and Department of Energy. Based upon the theme of energy, environment and public policy, the CEE`s main purposes are to: (1) educate teachers on energy sources, environmental issues and decisionmaking choices regarding public policy; (2) develop interdisciplinary curricula that are interactive in nature (see attachments); (3) disseminate energy education curricula; (4) serve as a resource center for a wide variety of energy education materials; (5) provide a national support system for teachers in energy education; and (6) conduct research in energy education. The CEE conducted its first two-week experimentially-based program for educators during the summer of 1993. Beginning at the University of Oklahoma, 57 teachers from across the country examined concepts and issues related to energy and environment, and how the interdependence of energy and environment significantly influences daily life. During the second week of the institute, participants went to Washington, D.C. to examine the processes used by government officials to make critical decisions involving interrelationships among energy, environment and public policy. Similar institutes were conducted during the summers of 1994 and 1995 resulting in nearly 160 science and social studies educators who had participated in the CEE programs. Collectively the participants represented 36 states, the Pacific Territories, Puerto Rico, and Japan.

  20. Getting reforms done in inhospitable institutional environments: untying a Gordian Knot in India's power distribution sector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tankha, Sunil; Misal, Annasahed B.; Fuller, Boyd W.

    2010-01-01

    When grand institutional reforms based on idealized models are stalled by the poor institutional environments and difficult politics which often surround large infrastructure systems in developing countries, partial reforms whose design and implementation take into account the different interests of the key stakeholders can provide valuable and immediate benefits while moving these systems from low- towards higher-level equilibria. Strategically negotiated, experimentally partial and purposefully hybrid, these reforms are based on careful stakeholder analysis and strategic coalition building that avoid rigid positions based on idealized models. Our findings are based on a study of power sector reforms in India, where we performed a micro-level and in-depth analysis of a partial and innovative experiment which has allowed private sector participation in electricity distribution within a hostile institutional environment.

  1. The drivers of corporate environment inputs: Based on neo-institution theory evidence from Chinese listed biological and other companies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Rui; Tao, Lan; Yan, Liang; Chen, Lianfang; Wang, Haijun

    2014-09-01

    From corporate internal governance structure and external institutional environment, this study uses a legitimacy perspective of intuitional theory to analyze the main influence factors on corporate environmental protection inputs and propose some hypotheses. With the establishment of empirical models, it analyzes the data of 2004-2009 listed biological and other companies in China to test the hypotheses. The findings are concluded that in internal institutional environment, the nature of the controlling shareholder, the proportion of the first shareholder in the ownership structure, the combination of chairman and general manager in board efficiency and the intensity of environmental laws and regulations of the industry in external institutional environment have an significant impact on the behaviors of corporate environmental protection inputs.

  2. Institutional Factors in the Evaluation by the Entrepreneur of Municipality Investment Climate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandr Yuryevich Kokovikhin

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The article presents the results of the survey assessing the satisfaction level of small and medium businesses of the Sverdlovsk region with the factors of the institutional environment created in the area. Modern economics identifies four economic benefits of entrepreneurship development: job generation; productivity growth; innovation and economic growth. Governments, however, can exert either a positive or a negative influence on the extent to which in practice these benefits materialize. The positive result of Government policy is the investment appeal of the territory. We suppose, that the investment appeal of the territory depends on the correlation of the indicator of satisfaction and objective parameters of the institutional environment. Data for the subjective view was the survey of the satisfaction level of small and medium businesses of the Sverdlovsk region with the factors of the institutional environment at the year 2015 (more than 1000 respondents in 72 territories. Data for the objective view was Reports of the Heads of Sverdlovsk region municipalities about the efficiency in the municipal management, made public in 2015. The results of the research allow to develop a series of recommendations to improve the institutional environment for small and medium businesses. The basis for the selection of priority measures to improve the satisfaction of entrepreneurs is the correlation of the indicator of satisfaction and objective parameters of the institutional environment. The recommendations of the paper can be used by State and Municipal Governments in the policy of the increase of territory investment appeal. The scientific results of the research can become the base for further investigations of the correlation between subjective and objective factors of territorial development.

  3. Subjective evaluation of restaurant acoustics in a virtual sound environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Nicolaj Østergaard; Marschall, Marton; Santurette, Sébastien

    2016-01-01

    Many restaurants have smooth rigid surfaces made of wood, steel, glass, and concrete. This often results in a lack of sound absorption. Such restaurants are notorious for high sound noise levels during service that most owners actually desire for representing vibrant eating environments, although...... surveys report that noise complaints are on par with poor service. This study investigated the relation between objective acoustic parameters and subjective evaluation of acoustic comfort at five restaurants in terms of three parameters: noise annoyance, speech intelligibility, and privacy. At each...... location, customers filled out questionnaire surveys, acoustic parameters were measured, and recordings of restaurant acoustic scenes were obtained with a 64-channel spherical array. The acoustic scenes were reproduced in a virtual sound environment (VSE) with 64 loudspeakers placed in an anechoic room...

  4. A research on indoor environments of an office building by occupants' subjective evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moon, S.W.; Kim, T.W.; Hong, W.H.

    2008-01-01

    Since modern workers spend more than 80 per cent of their time in indoor environments, it is important to make a comfortable indoor environment in order to maintain occupational health and to improve work efficiency and productivity. Not only are new offices bigger than ever before, the internal heat and air are controlled by a central air conditioning system, which do not allow occupant control. This study evaluated indoor environments of office buildings in an effort to understand how the indoor environment influences work efficiency. The study involved the use of a survey questionnaire to obtain occupants' subjective evaluation of indoor working environments of an office building in terms of thermal comfort, lighting, noise and air quality. The survey results indicated that the indoor environment interrupts the work of many workers. Neck, eye, skin and nasal symptoms were found to be the symptoms most related to the indoor environment, with temperature and humidity posing the greatest challenge. 9 refs., 9 tabs., 7 figs

  5. The impact of the institutional environment on the development of the rural economy in the Belgorod region of Russia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dorofeev, A.; Sazonov, S.; Heijman, W.J.M.

    2014-01-01

    This article deals with the problems in the development of agriculture in Russia caused by an imperfect institutional environment. The characteristics of institutional conditions and their influence on the development of agriculture is discussed. The main institutional changes which have taken place

  6. How to do human-subjects research if you do not have an institutional review board.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, Todd W

    2008-10-01

    Biomedical research with human subjects has expanded outside of traditional medical centers and hospitals into other health care entities, such as rehabilitation facilities, free-standing out-patient treatment centers, and even home-health agencies. Regardless of the location, federal regulations mandate that all human-subjects research must be overseen by an institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee to ensure the research abide by the Code of Federal Regulations. Consequently, all human-subjects research must be reviewed and approved by an IRB prior to initiation of any research procedures. Unfortunately, many of these nontraditional research facilities do not have easy access to an IRB. This does not render such research exempt from federal oversight. Clinicians at these facilities have viable options for obtaining IRB approval and legally conducting such research. This paper outlines the available options and their pros and cons.

  7. Development and application of knowledge-based subject group integration platforms:A case study of Shanghai Institute of Ceramics,CAS

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yu; LIU; Jian; FU; Huijun; ZHENG; Hao; CHEN; Zhiping; YANG

    2014-01-01

    Purpose:According to the different requirements of research group users,we established the knowledge-based subject group integration platforms of Shanghai Institute of Ceramics,the Chinese Academy of Sciences(abbreviated as SIC CAS hereinafter),which were designed and constructed to better meet the needs of CAS research groups for their development,collaboration and communication.Design/methodology/approach:We first identified the requirements of users via preliminary investigation,and then chose CASI1 P,iLibrary and XKE technology,respectively as the building tools compatible with the major demands of users.These steps helped us complete the layout design of SIC CAS integration platforms,as well as its knowledge organization and integration.Findings:According to the need of users,we applied three types of platform construction technologies to five SIC integration platforms,and formulated standard norms for the further construction process,which could provide useful reference for a sustainable development for the extensive construction in CAS institutes.Research limitations:In order to make the SIC integration platforms more intelligent and have more functions,we need to enlarge the scale of the Platforms and upgrade the building tools for the platform construction.Practical implications:The nature of SIC sub-project integration platforms is to construct a content-sensitive environment which can embed knowledge services and knowledge applications seamlessly into scientific activities,so the Platform is expected to be a useful tool to help researchers better understand the recent development of the research field and form collaborations with their peers.Originality/value:SIC integration platforms are the only pilot construction that used 3different platform technologies in the first batch of knowledge-based subject group integration platforms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.The construction is user-centered throughout the whole process,namely,from the technology

  8. Keeping patients safe: Institute of Medicine looks at transforming nurses' work environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    In November 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, which brought to the public's attention the serious--and sometimes deadly--dangers posed by medical errors occurring in healthcare organizations. Exactly 4 years later, an IOM committee released a new report that focuses on the need to reinforce patient safety defenses in the nurses' working environments.

  9. Subjective usability of speech, touch and gesture in a heterogeneous multi-display environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jong, A.P.J. de; Tak, S.; Toet, A.; Schultz, S.; Wijbenga, J.P.; Erp, J.B.F. van

    2013-01-01

    Several interaction techniques have been proposed to enable transfer of information between different displays in heterogeneous multi-display environments. However, it is not clear whether subjective user preference for these different techniques depends on the nature of the displays between which

  10. The Merging of the Higher Educational Institutions: Institutional and Organizational Change

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vyacheslav V. Volchik

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Higher education reforms in Russia had been initiated in response to the challenge of time, such as new technologies development, optimization of government expenditures, commercialization of higher education and its “mass” character. Currently implemented reforms rely upon the ideas of neo-liberal thinking, which is operationalized in the methods of regulation within the New Public Management approach. Institutional and organizational change in the higher education are the subject of research in Neo-institutional economics and Original Institutional economics. This paper deals primarily with the Original Institutionalist approach, with its focus on the institutional context of reforms: embedded working rules and social values, corporate culture and organizational specificities. For the recent decades, many Western countries have implemented, and are implementing nowadays, higher education reforms. Related change not only affects proportions of public and private expenditures on higher education, universities’ funding sources, but issues of academic freedom, social value of higher education and its role in the modern society as well. In terms of direction, higher education in Russia is convergent with the world-wide trends: integration into the global market of educational services and rethinking the role of the university as a business organization. However the paradox occurs that performance of the university under the ideas of New Public Management implies market or quasi-market environment. This environment should be much about decentralization of administrative hierarchies and growing autonomy of the universities. But in reality these processes are much about reduced academic freedom and tightened control over the universities’ performance through a system of the objectives and targets.

  11. Petroleum privatization and institutional environment: the Russian example; Privatisation petroliere et environnement institutionnel: l'exemple russe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Locarelli, C.; Finon, D

    2003-09-01

    This paper treats of the reform of the Russian hydrocarbons industry using an institutionalistic approach. The theoretical objective of the privatization is the installation of a growth scheme based on important productivity gains, through large scale re-structuration, investments for the reproduction of oil and gas reserves, and big infrastructures development. The choice of this sector is justified because it represents an extreme case of inadequateness of the measures preconized by the Washington consensus with respect to the institutional environment. Stress has been put on the modification of the property rights of companies. The introduction of market institutions in a transition economy has led to an opportunistic adaptation of the behaviour of private and government actors. There is a clear correlation between the insecurity of property rights in general and the abundance of exploitable and exportable natural resources. Then, the privatization and the limited performance of the hydrocarbons sector in Russia is analyzed in terms of efficiency and long-term strategy, essential for a resources industry to make reserves. The unexpected results of this privatization are explained using an analysis of the market institutions applied to the very specific institutional environment of the Russian economy. Finally, the inadequateness of these institutions with the initial informal institutions has led to adaptations fully dependent of the institutional path with the necessity of preserving a minimum inter-industrial consistency. (J.S.)

  12. Evaluation of subjective thermal strain in different kitchen working environments using subjective judgment scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haruyama, Yasuo; Muto, Takashi; Matsuzuki, Hiroe; Ito, Akiyoshi; Tomita, Shigeru; Muto, Shigeki; Haratani, Takashi; Seo, Akihiko; Ayabe, Makoto; Katamoto, Shizuo

    2010-01-01

    To elucidate the subjective thermal strain of workers in kitchen working environments, we performed a cross-sectional study involving 991 workers in 126 kitchen facilities in Japan, using a self-reporting questionnaire survey and subjective judgment scales (SJS). The ambient temperature, mean radiant temperature (MRT), and wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index were measured in 10 kitchen facilities of the 126 kitchens. The association of SJS with the types of kitchen was estimated by multiple logistic regression models. Of the 991 kitchen workers, 809 (81%) responded to the questionnaire survey. Compared with the electric kitchens, the proportion of workers who perceived the room temperature as hot to very hot was significantly higher, and the ambient temperature, MRT, and WBGT were significantly higher in the gas kitchens. Compared with the electric kitchens, workers in gas kitchens had a more than fivefold (males) and tenfold (females) higher SJS adjusted for confounding factors (male odds ratio (OR), 5.13; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.65-15.9; and female OR, 10.9; 95%CI, 3.89-30.5). Although SJS was affected by some confounding factors, our results suggest that workers in gas kitchens might be exposed to a higher heat strains than those in electric kitchens.

  13. Subject-Oriented Approach in the Professional Formation of the Future Music Teacher

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svetlana V. Karkina

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the possibilities of introducing a subject-oriented approach into the practice of professional education of the future music teacher. Particular attention is paid to the forms and methods used in this field, as well as to the conditions of the modern cultural environment, which allows for the free self-realization of the individual in accordance with his subject needs. Subject-oriented approach is the practice-oriented research. The study identified a number of the most significant components in the preparation of a music teacher, such as individual forms of studies and a number of special methods, which include the method of artistic associations, verbal "allegories", metaphors, the method of heuristic tasks for mastering creative activities. The openness of the musical and pedagogical system has great importance in its ability to respond to changes in the music and educational environment, which includes educational institutions and various cultural institutions: theaters, concert halls, orchestral and choir groups. All that conditions are necessary to ensure the possibility of creative self-realization and self-actualization of future music teachers.

  14. Evaluation of Several Learning Environment Variables at Secondary Institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murat Tuncer

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Health is an issue whose importance needs to be focused in the learning environment and learning activities in education. The level of teaching and learning is known to effect health of learners. Learning environments are teeming with many variables. Ambient temperature, noise, humidity and illumination are a few of them. If these variables are outside the specified limits for ambient levels this may need to a loss of learning and adversely affect the health of learners. This research was conducted to evaluate this aspect at institutions of secondary education in Turkey. The literature discusses the findings of various measurements that were taken with a variety of devices such as the Environment Meter-DT 8820, GMI PN 66094 and AARONIA AG SPECTRAN at randomly selected schools and classes. The temperature and carbon dioxide values in the classrooms were outside the defined limits according to research findings. In addition, many classrooms had noise levels above limits which could impair human health and some color selections in classrooms were made incorrectly. When the results of the findings are analyzed, we find the learner’s metabolism is negatively affected; attention loss and serious health problems may be experienced in the long run. It is highly recommended that laws and regulations regarding school construction and settlement be enacted and that precise limits be defined in those laws. In addition, it is thought establishing electromechanical systems to measure indoor and outdoor air quality in classrooms would bring benefits

  15. The Role of Institutional Environment in International Trade. The Case of Spanish Regions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Márquez-Ramos

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available We move beyond the nation-state as the unit of analysis and use subnational spatial variation to study the effect of the institutional environment on international trade. Additionally, we address the heterogeneous effect of trade agreements on different regions within a country. Employing a gravity model approach, we use a region-to-country dataset to estimate the determinants of Spanish regional exports and we apply quantile regressions for panel data. We find that better institutional quality of trade agreements leads to an increase in both the intensive and the extensive margins of trade. The institutional quality of trade agreements exerts a differential effect on regional exports at different locations within a country, although differences across Spanish regions seem to be larger for the intensive margin than for the extensive margin. We do, however, find a common trend: for the relatively more important exporting regions, the institutional quality of TAs is less relevant for trade margins. Therefore, our results posit that subnational spatial variation should be added to the analysis of the determinants of international trade flows.

  16. Taxation, business environment and FDI location in OECD countries

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hájková, Dana; Nicoletti, G.; Vartia, L.; Yoo, K.-Y.

    Č. 502 (2006), s. 1-33 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : taxation * business environment * foreign direct investment Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.oecd.org/eco/working_papers

  17. Human subjects research handbook: Protecting human research subjects. Second edition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-01-30

    This handbook serves as a guide to understanding and implementing the Federal regulations and US DOE Orders established to protect human research subjects. Material in this handbook is directed towards new and continuing institutional review board (IRB) members, researchers, institutional administrators, DOE officials, and others who may be involved or interested in human subjects research. It offers comprehensive overview of the various requirements, procedures, and issues relating to human subject research today.

  18. A study on subjective preference to daylit residential indoor environment using conjoint analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cheung, H.D.; Chung, T.M. [Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China)

    2008-12-15

    This paper reports a study of the subjective preference to daylit indoor environment of a residential room using conjoint analysis, which is a highly reputable method used to analyze the mutual relationships among different attributes. Seven influential attributes were selected in the view of daylight performance assessment. They include 'general brightness', 'desktop brightness', 'perceived glare', 'sunlight penetration', 'quality of view', 'user friendliness of shading control' and 'impact on energy'. Each of them has two levels. A total of eight combinations (profiles) of attributes with various levels were established by adopting fractional factorial design. Subjects were asked to rank-order the eight profiles according to their preference in terms of daylit environment of a residential room. The study aims at finding out the relative impact of the seven selected attributes to the overall daylight performance and seeking an organized assessment method for a residential daylit environment. Conjoint analysis found that the seven attributes have importance level in the order of 'quality of view', 'general brightness', 'impact on energy', 'user friendliness of shading control', 'perceived glare', 'desktop brightness' and 'sunlight penetration'. (author)

  19. Radioactivity and its impact on the environment in the subject of study at FCHPT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hola, O.; Foeldesova, M.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper a review of teaching of radioactivity and its impact on the environment in the subject of study at the Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology of the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava is reviewed.

  20. Dispositive – as an methodological tool – in the historical understanding of total institutions and the forming of subjects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hamre, Bjørn

    . The presentation argues that such an analysis can be made by using Michel Foucault's term dispositive. The dispositive offers an analysis of how the function of the total institution changes over time and how social rationales affects the institutions internal power technologies and the construction of the subject....... Based on three dispositives, the dispositive of discipline, the dispositive of security and the dispositive of governmentality, the presentation demonstrates how such an analysis can be approached. The presentation provides examples of how different dispositive analysis have been approached...... framing. The presentation aims at generalizing new insights in the questioning of how power functions both in what we may call institutions of discipline, but likewise on modern total institutions in which power works through values as being self-responsible for being a loyal and ethical citizen....

  1. Critical success factor (CSF) service delivery for tahfiz institution teaching & learning environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridza, B. H.; Jalil, R. A.; Sipan, I.; Nukman, Y.

    2017-11-01

    The exceptional existence of tahfiz institutions (TI) by a government and the private sector in Malaysia indicates that tahfiz education at par to fill mainstream education. Nevertheless, the level of TI facilities management (FM) provided is unstandardized since its infrastructure and establishment is initiated by the varied background of TI organizer. Thus, the effectiveness of TI education system is immeasurable. The significance of this research is to explore the critical success factor (CSF) of service delivery for TI teaching and learning environment. This research adopts both qualitative and quantitative method through survey instrument in order to review and analyze to achieve the research goal. The findings showed several important criteria for a transformation of TI education teaching and learning environment such top management of TI needs to be more responsible in providing better FM practice to achieve efficiency of manpower in providing a conducive learning environment for students for producing excellent huffaz. Thus, TI education system needs to have clear standard guidelines in operating their activities in producing huffaz that capable implement Islamic knowledge to the development of the country.

  2. Perceived health and work-environment related problems and associated subjective production loss in an academic population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohela-Karlsson, Malin; Nybergh, Lotta; Jensen, Irene

    2018-02-14

    The aim was to investigate the prevalence of health problems and work environment problems and how these are associated with subjective production loss among women and men at an academic workplace. An additional aim was to investigate whether there were differences between women and men according to age group, years at current workplace, academic rank or managerial position. A questionnaire was sent in 2011 to all employees at a Swedish university (n = 5144). Only researchers and teachers were included in the study (n = 3207). Spearman correlations were performed to investigate differences in health and work environment problems. Employees who reported having experienced work environment or health problems in the previous seven days (n = 1475) were included in the analyses in order to investigate differences in subjective production loss. This was done using Student's t-test, One-way Anova and generalized linear models. The response rate was 63% (n = 2022). A total of 819 academic staff (40% of the population) reported experiencing either health problems, work environment problems or both during the previous seven days. The prevalence of health problems only or a combination of work environment and health problems was higher among women than men (p-value ˂0.05). This was especially the case for younger women, those in lower academic positions and those who had worked for fewer years at their current workplace. No difference was found for work environment problems. The majority of the employees who reported problems said that these problems affected their ability to perform at work (84-99%). The average production loss varied between 31 and 42% depending on the type of problem. Production loss due to health-related and work-environment related problems was highest among junior researchers and managers. No significant difference between men and women was found in the level of production loss. Subjective production loss in academia can be associated

  3. A tale of one city: intra-institutional variations in migrating VLE platform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Toner

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available City University London committed in 2009 to make Moodle the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE at the core of a new Strategic Learning Environment (SLE comprised of VLE, externally facing website and related systems such as video streaming and virtual classrooms. Previously, the WebCT VLE had been separate from most of the other systems at the institution with very limited connections to other tools. Each of the schools within the institution was able to pursue their own strategy and timeframe for the migration and embedding of Moodle within their subject areas, within an absolute limit of 2 years. This paper outlines the approaches taken by the various schools, highlighting similarities and differences, and draws out common aspects from the project to make recommendations for institutions seeking to undertake similar migrations.

  4. Subject-Environment Interactions with Television and the Internet in the Context of Traditional and Modern Gender Representations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidskaya E.V.,

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The article focuses on the identification of the relationship between gender representations and subject-environment interactions using the example of TV and the Internet. Among the considered interactions are object, subject and quasi-subject types. The survey involved 400 respondents, 40% male and 60% female, aged 18 to 65 years. The respondents filled out two online questionnaires. One questionnaire (GRBS was aimed at assessing the respondents’ propensity to traditional or modern gender-role representations. The other questionnaire was a technique developed on the basis of eco-psychological types of interaction with the information environment. The study revealed a correlation between gender representations and the types of interaction with TV and the Internet. Interactions with TV most often refer to the object type, and least often to the quasi-subject one. The indicators for all three types of interactions were higher in the respondents with traditional gender beliefs as compared to the respondents with modern gender beliefs. The correlation between gender stereotypes and the Internet was found only in women and only in the case of quasi-subject type of interactions.

  5. The Therapeutic Environment Screening Survey for Nursing Homes (TESS-NH): an observational instrument for assessing the physical environment of institutional settings for persons with dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sloane, Philip D; Mitchell, C Madeline; Weisman, Gerald; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Foley, Kristie M Long; Lynn, Mary; Calkins, Margaret; Lawton, M Powell; Teresi, Jeanne; Grant, Leslie; Lindeman, David; Montgomery, Rhonda

    2002-03-01

    To develop an observational instrument that describes the ability of physical environments of institutional settings to address therapeutic goals for persons with dementia. A National Institute on Aging workgroup identified and subsequently revised items that evaluated exit control, maintenance, cleanliness, safety, orientation/cueing, privacy, unit autonomy, outdoor access, lighting, noise, visual/tactile stimulation, space/seating, and familiarity/homelikeness. The final instrument contains 84 discrete items and one global rating. A summary scale, the Special Care Unit Environmental Quality Scale (SCUEQS), consists of 18 items. Lighting items were validated using portable light meters. Concurrent criterion validation compared SCUEQS scores with the Professional Environmental Assessment Protocol (PEAP). Interrater kappa statistics for 74% of items were above.60. For another 10% of items, kappas could not be calculated due to empty cells, but interrater agreement was above 80%. The SCUEQS demonstrated an interrater reliability of.93, a test--retest reliability of.88, and an internal consistency of.81--.83. Light meter ratings correlated significantly with the Therapeutic Environment Screening Survey for Nursing Homes (TESS-NH) lighting items (r =.29--.38, p =.01--.04), and the SCUEQS correlated significantly with global PEAP ratings (r =.52, p TESS-NH efficiently assesses discrete elements of the physical environment and has strong reliability and validity. The SCUEQS provides a quantitative measure of environmental quality in institutional settings.

  6. Urban Environment in European Big Cities

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vaishar, Antonín; Cetkovský, Stanislav; Kallabová, Eva; Klusáček, Petr; Kolibová, Barbora; Lacina, Jan; Mikulík, Oldřich; Zapletalová, Jana

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 14, č. 1 (2006), s. 46-62 ISSN 1210-8812 Grant - others:EU(XE) EVK4-CT-2002-00086 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z3086906 Keywords : European big cities * urban environment * reurbanisation * životní prostředí * Bologna * Ljubljana * León * Brno * Leipzig Subject RIV: DE - Earth Magnetism, Geodesy, Geography

  7. PROSPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS' LEARNING AND RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT: TO THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND LEARNING TOOLS OF NAPS OF UKRAINE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. P. Shyshkina

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available During 15 years the Institute of Information technology and training of NAPS of Ukraine carries out research work aimed at solving actual problems of the creation, implementation and use of ICT in education, construction and development of computer-based learning environment of open education and e-learning, electronic educational resources, managing and supporting of the researches, technologies of cloud computing. The article considers the main activities of the Institute of Information Technologies and Learning Tools of NAPS of Ukraine. The experience of actual pedagogical issues developing, cooperation among research institutions and universities within activities of joint research laboratories, are reflected. The prospective research directions that will contribute to the modernization and further development of modern learning and scientific environment of educational institutions of Ukraine, in particular, the introduction of cloud oriented tools and technologies, the learning e-resources quality assurance, are outlined. The aim of the paper is to outline the main activities of the Institute of Information technology and training of NAPS of Ukraine during last 15 years and reflect the experience and perspectives of scientific and pedagogical cooperation of national research institutions and universities.

  8. Frequency of Acentric Fragments Are Associated with Cancer Risk in Subjects Exposed to Ionizing Radiation.

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Fucic, A.; Bonassi, S.; Gundy, S.; Šrám, Radim; Ceppi, M.; Lucas, J.N.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 36, č. 5 (2016), s. 2451-2457 ISSN 0250-7005 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : ionizing radiation * cancer risk * acentric fragments * chromosomal aberrations Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 1.937, year: 2016

  9. Empowering Nurses to Lead Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Environments Through a Nurse Leadership Institute.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Embree, Jennifer L; Wagnes, Lisa; Hendricks, Susan; LaMothe, Julie; Halstead, Judith; Wright, Lauren

    2018-02-01

    A year-long Nurse Leadership Institute (NLI) for emerging leaders in primary care clinics and acute care environments was developed, implemented, and evaluated. The NLI's goal was to foster empowerment in interprofessional collaborative practice environments for nurses in the three cohorts of NLIs. The NLI was framed around the Five Leadership Practices of modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart. To create a professional learning environment, foster community, and enhance leadership skills, the Lean In Circle materials developed by Sandberg were adapted for content reorganization and discussion. Minimal literature exists specifically addressing nursing leadership professionals' development based on Sandberg's Circle materials. The findings of the three NLI cohorts reported in this article begin to fill this existing knowledge gap. Participants reported a significant increase in leadership skills. Recommendations for refinement of future NLI offerings are provided. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2018;49(2):61-71. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  10. The context of discrimination: workplace conditions, institutional environments, and sex and race discrimination charges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirsh, C Elizabeth; Kornrich, Sabino

    2008-03-01

    This article explores the organizational conditions under which discrimination charges occur. Drawing on structural and organizational theories of the workplace, the authors demonstrate how organizational conditions affect workers' and regulatory agents' understandings of unlawful discrimination. Using a national sample of work establishments, matched to discrimination-charge data obtained from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the authors examine how characteristics of the workplace and institutional environment affect variation in the incidence of workers' charges of sex and race discrimination and in the subset of discrimination claims that are verified by EEOC investigators. The findings indicate that workplace conditions, including size, composition, and minority management, affect workers' charges as well as verified claims; the latter are also affected by institutional factors, such as affirmative action requirements, subsidiary status, and industrial sector. These results suggest that internal workplace conditions affect both workers' and regulatory agents' interpretations of potentially discriminatory experiences, while institutional conditions matter only for regulatory agents' interpretations of those events.

  11. AN INSTITUTIONAL AND NETWORK PERSPECTIVE OF ORGANISATIONAL LEGITIMACY: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM CHINA′S TELECOMMUNICATIONS MARKET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian Low

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available This perspective paper combines institutional and industrial network theory to develop a framework for analysing organisational legitimacy. The main subject, Nokia China, is found to be sensitive to network-legitimating initiatives, with consequences that accommodate multiple, conflicting stakeholders′ interests in China′s politically sensitive and protective telecommunications market. This paper offers new insights into institutional isomorphism that is manifested empirically as incremental conformity to regulative processes, institutional norms and cognitive knowledge and meanings within the environment, thereby extending commonly held views of institutional theory to include organisational legitimacy in industrial networks.

  12. Institutional Framework of Income Inequality in Modern Economy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malkina Marina, Yu.

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The subject of this paper is interpersonal income inequality in Russia and in the world and its institutional framework. On the basis of in-depth analysis of the literature we explore the causes and consequences of inequality and its relationship with economic development. We distinguish four basic causes of income inequality: natural and acquired features of people; status differences and their limitations; differences in productivity and development peculiarities in various industries; uneven distribution of accumulated property, as well as the return on assets in dynamics and assets assessment characteristics. By means of the calculation of a number of generalizing measures (coefficient of variation, Gini, Hoover, Theil, Theil-Bernoulli and Atkinson indexes for the Russian economy we revealed a positive relationship between the average level of wages in industries and its intra-differentiation, which is more typical for the private sector of the economy. At the same time it has been found convergence in salaries differentiation in the public sector of the Russian economy to salaries differentiation in the private sector, while there is not confirmed any correlation between wage level and intra-wage differences in the public sector industries. It enabled us to conclude about the deterioration of the institutional environment in the public sector. In the second part of our paper we compared two approaches to the role of institutional environment in inequality: the approach of T. Piketty (according to which rising inequality is the result of market laws and market institutions in general, and the approach of D. Acemoglu and others (inequality is due to the bad quality of institutions, which is formed largely endogenously in a particular environment. Bending over to the second point of view, we analyzed the relationship between inequality and interdependence of political and economic institutions. In particular, we examined the impact of the

  13. In search of the comfortable indoor environment: A comparison of the utility of objective and subjective indicators of indoor comfort

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fransson, Niklas; Skoog, Jennie [Building Services Engineering, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg (Sweden); Vaestfjaell, Daniel [Department of Psychology, Goeteborg University (Sweden)

    2007-05-15

    Today, many procedures for assessing the indoor environment rely on both subjective and objective indicators (e.g. ANSI/ASHRAE 55-2004; ISO 10551). It is however unclear how these two types of measurements are related to perceived comfort. This article aims at assessing the relative utility of subjective (rating scale measures) and objective indicators of perceived comfort of indoor environments. In a hospital setting, physical environmental variables (e.g. temperature, relative humidity and noise level) were simultaneously measured as respondents (both patients and staff) rated their perception of the indoor environment. Regression analyses indicated that the subjective sensory ratings were significantly better than objective indicators at predicting overall rated indoor comfort. These results are discussed in relation to existing measurement procedures and standards. (author)

  14. FEATURES OF FORMATION AND TRENDS OF USING OF COMPUTER-ORIENTED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT OF AN INSTITUTE OF POSTGRADUATE PEDAGOGICAL EDUCATION IN UKRAINE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kateryna Kolos

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, characterized quick reforms makes identifying promising new educational trends in the training of teaching staff, which take account of the organization and implementation of teaching and educational process in institutions of postgraduate education will intensify the development of pre-school, secondary, higher and non-formal education systems. Research findings of Ukrainian scientists point to the reasonability of ICT and e-learning resources during the training courses and the need for up to date ICT training of teaching staff as an important part of their professional competence. System effective implementation of this is the implementation of computer-oriented learning environment of an Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education and building effective methods of its use in courses of teaching staff training. As a result of the analysis of practices on the use of advanced information and communication technologies in the institutions of postgraduate education in Ukraine article highlighted the features of formation and development trends of computer-oriented learning environment of an Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education, for example: publication on official websites of institutions of information of the results of their activities; establishing electronic communication via email and forum; implementation of electronic registration and diagnosing students before the courses begin; construction and implementation of practical realization of individual educational trajectories of training teaching staff; publication of electronic timetable; accumulation of professional experience teaching staff in the region by means of web-technologies; publication of the results of applied research on problems of education in educational electronic media or duplicate free publications in electronic versions and more. According to this in the design contributes to the formulation of advanced theoretical and methodological principles

  15. Risks generated by tourism in an environment with cultural heritage assets

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Drdácký, Miloš; Drdácký, Tomáš

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 41, č. 52 (2010), s. 12-17 ISSN 0890-4960 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20710524 Keywords : cultural heritage * mass tourism in historic environments * environmental impacts Subject RIV: AL - Art, Architecture, Cultural Heritage

  16. Bulky DNA adducts in white blood cells: a pooled analysis of 3600 subjects

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ricceri, F.; Godschalk, R. W.; Peluso, M.; Philips, D. H.; Agudo, A.; Georgiadis, P.; Loft, S.; Tjonneland, A.; Raaschau-Nielsen, O.; Palli, D.; Perera, F.; Vermeulen, R.; Taioli, E.; Šrám, Radim; Munnia, A.; Rosa, F.; Allione, A.; Matullo, G.; Vineis, P.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 19, č. 12 (2010), s. 3174-3181 ISSN 1055-9965 Grant - others:European Union ECNIS(XE) FOOD-CT-2005-513943 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390512 Keywords : DNA adducts * biomarkers of exposure * air pollution Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 4.190, year: 2010

  17. Do financial variables help predict the macroeconomic environment?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Havránek, T.; Horváth, R.; Matějů, Jakub

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 9, č. 2 (2011), s. 14-17 ISSN 1803-7089 Institutional research plan: CEZ:MSM0021620846 Keywords : macroeconomic environment * monetary restriction * financial system Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cnb.cz/miranda2/export/sites/www.cnb.cz/en/research/research_publications/erb/download/ERB_No2_2011.pdf

  18. Problems of European inner cities and their residential environments

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vaishar, Antonín; Zapletalová, Jana

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 11, č. 2 (2003), s. 24-35 ISSN 1210-8812 Grant - others:Evropská unie(XE) EVK4-CT-2002-00086 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z3086906 Keywords : inner city, residential environment, sustainibility, re- urbanization , Brno Subject RIV: DE - Earth Magnetism, Geodesy, Geography

  19. A green method of graphene preparation in an alkaline environment

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Štengl, Václav; Henych, Jiří; Bludská, Jana; Ecorchard, Petra; Kormunda, M.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 24, MAY (2015), s. 65-71 ISSN 1350-4177 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-05146S Institutional support: RVO:61388980 Keywords : Alkaline environment * Exfoliation * Graphene * Ultrasound Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 4.556, year: 2015

  20. Evaluation of Occupational Cold Environments: Field Measurements and Subjective Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    OLIVEIRA, A. Virgílio M.; GASPAR, Adélio R.; RAIMUNDO, António M.; QUINTELA, Divo A.

    2014-01-01

    The present work is dedicated to the study of occupational cold environments in food distribution industrial units. Field measurements and a subjective assessment based on an individual questionnaire were considered. The survey was carried out in 5 Portuguese companies. The field measurements include 26 workplaces, while a sample of 160 responses was considered for the subjective assessment. In order to characterize the level of cold exposure, the Required Clothing Insulation Index (IREQ) was adopted. The IREQ index highlights that in the majority of the workplaces the clothing ensembles worn are inadequate, namely in the freezing chambers where the protection provided by clothing is always insufficient. The questionnaires results show that the food distribution sector is characterized by a female population (70.6%), by a young work force (60.7% are less than 35 yr old) and by a population with a medium-length professional career (80.1% in this occupation for less than 10 yr). The incidence of health effects which is higher among women, the distribution of protective clothing (50.0% of the workers indicate one garment) and the significant percentage of workers (>75%) that has more difficulties in performing the activity during the winter represent other important results of the present study. PMID:24583510

  1. Evaluation of occupational cold environments: field measurements and subjective analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, A Virgílio M; Gaspar, Adélio R; Raimundo, António M; Quintela, Divo A

    2014-01-01

    The present work is dedicated to the study of occupational cold environments in food distribution industrial units. Field measurements and a subjective assessment based on an individual questionnaire were considered. The survey was carried out in 5 Portuguese companies. The field measurements include 26 workplaces, while a sample of 160 responses was considered for the subjective assessment. In order to characterize the level of cold exposure, the Required Clothing Insulation Index (IREQ) was adopted. The IREQ index highlights that in the majority of the workplaces the clothing ensembles worn are inadequate, namely in the freezing chambers where the protection provided by clothing is always insufficient. The questionnaires results show that the food distribution sector is characterized by a female population (70.6%), by a young work force (60.7% are less than 35 yr old) and by a population with a medium-length professional career (80.1% in this occupation for less than 10 yr). The incidence of health effects which is higher among women, the distribution of protective clothing (50.0% of the workers indicate one garment) and the significant percentage of workers (>75%) that has more difficulties in performing the activity during the winter represent other important results of the present study.

  2. The Role of the Institutional Environment in the Relationship between CSR and Operational Performance: An Empirical Study in Korean Manufacturing Industries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio K. W. Lau

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Few studies have been conducted to explore the role of the institutional environment on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR and operational performance in Korea’s manufacturing industry. Therefore, this study investigates the moderating effects of four institutional uncertainties—law enforcement, regulatory uncertainty, market turbulence and competition intensity—on the relationship between CSR and operational performance. Empirical survey data from 209 Korean manufacturers was collected online and then analyzed through moderated multiple regression analyses. The results show that CSR can significantly affect operational performance, positively moderated by law enforcement and competition intensity, but not by regulatory uncertainty and market turbulence. These results advise that the different institutional environments in which CSR is implemented are particularly important to consider for optimal business operations.

  3. On the Concept of Fundamental Human Right to Favourable Environment

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Blahož, Josef

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 150/1, č. 12/3 TLQ (2011), s. 170-180 ISSN 0231-6625 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70680506 Keywords : European Court of Human Right * the human rights idea and the right to environment * constitutional law Subject RIV: AG - Legal Sciences

  4. Negotiating Worlds, Managing Subjectivities, and Redefining Selves: The Lived Experiences of African American Undergraduate Females at Predominately White Institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Ayana Ma-el

    2010-01-01

    A narrative analysis of the lived experiences of seven undergraduate African American females at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) is presented in this study. The purpose of the study was to explore the ways the seven women constructed their identity and self-concept in the context of their PWI environment. Other key purposes of the study…

  5. Institutional Support : African Institute for Applied Economics (AIAE ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    The African Institute for Applied Economics (AIAE), Nigeria, is an independent policy research organization created in 2000. The Institute's mission is to promote evidence-based decision-making in the area of economic and social development. AIAE's strength is research and advocacy in the area of business environment, ...

  6. Investigation of Subject perceptions of the Environment in Commercial kitchens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simone, Angela; Olesen, Bjarne W.

    2012-01-01

    In a country such as the United States, the largest employee sector is in the restaurant industry. This makes the commercial kitchens an important space that needs to be evaluated and consequently improved in terms of thermal comfort and indoor air quality conditions, for the wellbeing of the emp......In a country such as the United States, the largest employee sector is in the restaurant industry. This makes the commercial kitchens an important space that needs to be evaluated and consequently improved in terms of thermal comfort and indoor air quality conditions, for the wellbeing....... Today, no study on subjective feedback from kitchen employees has been reported. In the present paper, two types of survey were developed and tested in the field. The questions are based on the ISO 10551 standard and adapted to the kitchen environment. Answers dealing with the working conditions...

  7. Specification and Generation of Environment for Model Checking of Software Components

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pařízek, P.; Plášil, František

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 176, - (2007), s. 143-154 ISSN 1571-0661 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR 1ET400300504 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : software components * behavior protocols * model checking * automated generation of environment Subject RIV: JC - Computer Hardware ; Software

  8. HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION AS A SUBJECT OF ADAPTATION OF RURAL STUDENTS TO THE TERMS OF THE CITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alyona Aleksandrovna Antipova

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the difficulties of adaptation of rural students to the various spheres of life of the modern city. These difficulties are considered as a field of activity of higher educational institution, acting as the subject of adaptation of students coming to study from rural areas to the terms of the city. The authors ' point of view on this issue is substantiated by the analysis of data of several sociological surveys conducted in various regions of theRussian Federation. Also the experience of assistance in adaptation of the Mordovia state University named after N. P. Ogarev of the city ofSaransk, which is the largest in the Republic of Mordovia University and which accommodates a large number of rural youth. The relevance and scientific novelty of research consists in allocation of areas of adaptation support of students from rural areas by the higher educational institution.

  9. Organizing Special Operations Forces: Navigating the Paradoxical Requirements of Institutional-Bureaucratic and operational Environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalgaard-Nielsen, Anja

    2017-01-01

    Increased focus on the potential of special operations has lead several countries to establish dedicated special operations organizations. Analysts have warned against bureaucratization, yet little research has explored the effect of organizational formalization or asked how best to organize....... This article draws from research into high-reliability organizations and interviews in Denmark’s Special Operations Command. It contrasts the demands of the command’s institutional-bureaucratic and operational environments and argues that the ability to straddle them is key to success. The high...

  10. 40 CFR 63.7491 - Are any boilers or process heaters not subject to this subpart?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 13 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Are any boilers or process heaters not..., and Institutional Boilers and Process Heaters What This Subpart Covers § 63.7491 Are any boilers or process heaters not subject to this subpart? The types of boilers and process heaters listed in paragraphs...

  11. MODERNIZATION OF MODERN RUSSIA: INSTITUTIONAL ASPECT (PRINCIPLE OF «EXCHANGE»

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. P. Shitov

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Basic directions of the institutional change in the process of modernization of Russia’s post-industrial society are discussed on the basis of macroand microeconomics. Institutions set a system of incentives and direct activities of the subjects to respective channel, which reduces uncertaintyand makes the socio-economic environment more predictable. «Exchange» means a balance of interests of different society groups and sectors that manifests social acceptance of the distribution of resources and social products. System achievement of this goal in Russia consists in transition of its economy from the raw material export pattern to the innovative social-oriented type of development.

  12. Emergent Subjectivity in Caring Institutions for Teenagers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Severinsson, Susanne; Nord, Catharina

    2015-01-01

    We investigate how different mealtime situations help shape teenager and staff subjectivities in two Swedish residential care homes and a special school for girls and boys, 12-15 years old, with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Three mealtime networks are analysed using concepts from actor-network theory, treating architectural…

  13. Prerequisites for Forming the Institutional Concept of the National Economy Competitiveness under Conditions of Globalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaremenko Oleh L.

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The article attempts to prove that under conditions of globalization there have developed objective and subjective prerequisites for forming the institutional concept of the national economy. The objective prerequisites are the newest information and communication technologies, post-industrial trends and market transformation of civilization intensified by globalization. Under such conditions instability and volatility of the institutional environment both within national economies and at the international level are observed. The aggravation of the global competition between national economies actualizes the role of such institutional factors as political system, property, public administration, economic organization, culture, etc. The subjective prerequisites are related to the fact that the institutional economic theory is currently one of the leading trends in the modern world and Ukrainian economic thought. Interest in it is explained not only by the fact that it overcomes the limitations of a number of prerequisites for the mainstream, but also because it allows considering the modern economic processes in complex

  14. Subject-3: Study on migration of radionuclides released into terrestrial and aquatic environment after nuclear accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amano, H.; Matsunaga, T.; Ueno, T.; Nagao, S.; Yanase, N.; Tkachenko, Yu.

    2001-01-01

    Subject-3 has been focused on the migration behavior of long-lived radionuclides in the terrestrial surface environment, especially in connection with their chemical and physical forms. Migration behavior of radionuclides is strongly affected with their chemical and physical forms (for example; Gunten and Benes 1995). One of the two categories in Subject-3 consists of migration from surface soils including aging effects of hot particles, plant uptake from contaminated soils, and resuspension of radionuclides. The other is run off by river system, considering the role of organic materials. (author)

  15. Subject-3: Study on migration of radionuclides released into terrestrial and aquatic environment after nuclear accident

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amano, H.; Matsunaga, T.; Ueno, T.; Nagao, S.; Yanase, N. [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Arkhipov, A.N. [Chernobyl Scientific and Technical Center for International Research (Ukraine); Tkachenko, Yu. [The State Enterprise Regional Monitoring and Domestic Control (RADEC) (Unknown)

    2001-03-01

    Subject-3 has been focused on the migration behavior of long-lived radionuclides in the terrestrial surface environment, especially in connection with their chemical and physical forms. Migration behavior of radionuclides is strongly affected with their chemical and physical forms (for example; Gunten and Benes 1995). One of the two categories in Subject-3 consists of migration from surface soils including aging effects of hot particles, plant uptake from contaminated soils, and resuspension of radionuclides. The other is run off by river system, considering the role of organic materials. (author)

  16. Effect of habitat characteristics on mesocarnivore occurrence in urban environment in the Central Europe

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Červinka, J.; Drahníková, L.; Kreisinger, J.; Šálek, Martin

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 17, č. 4 (2014), s. 893-909 ISSN 1083-8155 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : Carnivores * occurrence * Habitat characteristics * GIS * Urban environment * Central Europe Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 2.685, year: 2014

  17. Institutional failures and transaction costs of Bulgarian private research institutes

    OpenAIRE

    Nozharov, Shteryo

    2016-01-01

    The paper analyses the reasons for poor performance of private research institutes in Bulgaria. In this regard the Institutional Economics methods are used. A connection between smart growth policy goals and Bulgarian membership in EU is made. The gaps in the institutional environment are identified as well as measures for their elimination are proposed. The main accent of the study is put on the identification of transaction costs, arisen as a result of the failures of the institutional envi...

  18. Distribution of Invasive Plants in Urban Environment Is Strongly Spatially Structured

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Štajerová, Kateřina; Šmilauer, P.; Brůna, Josef; Pyšek, Petr

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 32, č. 3 (2017), s. 681-692 ISSN 0921-2973 R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36079G Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : invasive plant s * urban environment * species richness Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour OBOR OECD: Ecology Impact factor: 3.615, year: 2016

  19. Influence of PAHs in ambient air on chromosomal aberrations in exposed subjects: International study - EXPAH

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Židzik, J.; Kalina, I.; Šalagovič, J.; Šrám, Radim; Rössner st., Pavel; Popov, T.; Farmer, P. B.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 620, - (2007), s. 41-48 ISSN 0027-5107 Grant - others:EU(GB) 2000 -00091 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390512 Source of funding: R - rámcový projekt EK Keywords : air pollution * DNA damage * occupational exposure Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 4.159, year: 2007

  20. ELECTRONIC TEXTBOOK — SUBJECT INFORMATIONEDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF INDEPENDENT WORK OF STUDENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena O. Ivanova

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to consider the characteristics of the electronic textbook as the subject of the information-educational environment, which ensures the unity both of the procedural and substantive aspects of training.Results. The evolution of views on the electronic textbook in the course of the expansion and awareness of the didactic potential of information and communication technologies is shown. The structure of the electronic textbook is presented in the paper. It includes the following modules: information (invariant content of education and the expansion of its variability; organizational and procedural (variable-based assignments aimed at acquiring information, as well as a means of reflection and evaluation of results; personal (information and telecommunication means of organizing own knowledge; communicative (the field of information and assessment of interaction; and pedagogical (monitoring cognitive activity of students. The structure has been developed with due regard to the need of independent work of a student with the content of education in information and educational environment.Scientific novelty. The features of the independent work of the student in terms of abundance of information through information and communication technologies are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the development of independent cognitive activity of students, their subject position in education. On this bases, the key position that should be considered during the development of the electronic textbook are specified: cognitive activity is considered as an active process of constructing students’ new knowledge based on earlier formed personal experience; personal experience arises as a result of intellectual and cognitive activity of the student; cognition of something new requires an activity in the field of social communication; the efficiency of absorption of the content of education depends on the conditions of implementation of each

  1. ELECTRONIC TEXTBOOK — SUBJECT INFORMATIONEDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF INDEPENDENT WORK OF STUDENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena O. Ivanova

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to consider the characteristics of the electronic textbook as the subject of the information-educational environment, which ensures the unity both of the procedural and substantive aspects of training.Results. The evolution of views on the electronic textbook in the course of the expansion and awareness of the didactic potential of information and communication technologies is shown. The structure of the electronic textbook is presented in the paper. It includes the following modules: information (invariant content of education and the expansion of its variability; organizational and procedural (variable-based assignments aimed at acquiring information, as well as a means of reflection and evaluation of results; personal (information and telecommunication means of organizing own knowledge; communicative (the field of information and assessment of interaction; and pedagogical (monitoring cognitive activity of students. The structure has been developed with due regard to the need of independent work of a student with the content of education in information and educational environment.Scientific novelty. The features of the independent work of the student in terms of abundance of information through information and communication technologies are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the development of independent cognitive activity of students, their subject position in education. On this bases, the key position that should be considered during the development of the electronic textbook are specified: cognitive activity is considered as an active process of constructing students’ new knowledge based on earlier formed personal experience; personal experience arises as a result of intellectual and cognitive activity of the student; cognition of something new requires an activity in the field of social communication; the efficiency of absorption of the content of education depends on the conditions of implementation of each

  2. Design and management of sustainable built environments

    CERN Document Server

    2013-01-01

    Climate change is believed to be a great challenge to built environment professionals in design and management. An integrated approach in delivering a sustainable built environment is desired by the built environment professional institutions. The aim of this book is to provide an advanced understanding of the key subjects required for the design and management of modern built environments to meet carbon emission reduction targets. In Design and Management of Sustainable Built Environments, an international group of experts provide comprehensive and the most up-to-date knowledge, covering sustainable urban and building design, management and assessment. The best practice case studies of the implementation of sustainable technology and management from the BRE Innovation Park are included. Design and Management of Sustainable Built Environments will be of interest to urban and building designers, environmental engineers, and building performance assessors.  It will be particularly useful as a reference book ...

  3. Subjective versus objective measures of tic severity in Tourette syndrome - The influence of environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnea, Meirav; Benaroya-Milshtein, Noa; Gilboa-Sechtman, Eva; Woods, Douglas W; Piacentini, John; Fennig, Silvana; Apter, Alan; Steinberg, Tamar

    2016-08-30

    The objective of this study was to examine the influence of environmental challenges on tic expression by subjective and objective measures. The study group consisted of 41 children aged 6-18 years (M=10.15, SD=2.73) with a primary diagnosis of Tourette syndrome. Subjective measures included the Functional Assessment Interview developed for this study and three standard validated instruments. The objective measure was a video-recording of the patients in five daily-life situations: watching television, doing homework, being alone, receiving attention when ticcing, and talking to a stranger. In addition, the effect of premonitory urges on assessment of tic expression was evaluated. The associations between the subjective and objective measures of tic expression were moderate to low. A significantly higher number of tics were observed in the television situation, and a significantly lower number in the alone situation, compared to the other situations. Higher levels of premonitory urge were associated with greater awareness of objectively measured tic expression. In conclusion, tic expression is significantly influenced by the environment. Subjective measures of tic expression may be misleading. These results have implications for refining the clinical assessment of tics, improving research methodology, and developing new therapeutic strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. John Searle on Institutional Facts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    m Abdullahi

    2010-09-01

    Here we argue that the essence of institutional facts is status functions. Humans recognize these functions which contain a set of deontic powers through collective intentionality. Therefore, institutional facts are ontologically subjective and epistemologically objective. Nevertheless, objectivity of institutional facts totally depends on language which itself is a fundamental institution for other institutions.

  5. Work environment and well-being of academic faculty in Czech universities: A pilot study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zábrodská, Kateřina; Mudrák, Jiří; Květon, Petr; Blatný, Marek; Machovcová, Kateřina; Šolcová, Iva

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 19, č. 4 (2014), s. 121-144 ISSN 1803-7437 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA14-02098S Institutional support: RVO:68081740 Keywords : work environment * universities * organizational climate * job satisfaction * academic governance Subject RIV: AN - Psychology

  6. Institutional actorhood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Christian Uhrenholdt

    In this paper I describe the changing role of intra-organizational experts in the face of institutional complexity of their field. I do this through a qualitative investigation of the institutional and organizational roles of actors in Danish organizations who are responsible for the efforts...... to comply with the Danish work environment regulation. And by doing so I also describe how institutional complexity and organizational responses to this complexity are particular important for the changing modes of governance that characterizes contemporary welfare states....

  7. Human subjects and experimental irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosen, R.

    1985-01-01

    In recent years the public has expressed concern about the use of human subjects in scientific research. Some professional institutions have adopted codes of practice to guide them in this matter. At the University of New South Wales, where human subjects are used in teaching and research programmes, a committee ensures that high ethical standards are maintained. As the volunteer subjects do not gain any benefit themselves from the procedures, their level of risk is kept low. One type of procedure in which risk is becoming quantifiable, is the irradiation of human subjects. To assist peer review groups, the ICRP, WHO and the National Health and Medical Research Council have enunciated principles which should be followed in the irradiation of human volunteer subjects. In general the role of the Committee is advisory to protect the rights of the investigator, the subject, and the institution. Some of the inherent problems are discussed

  8. Effect of cluster environment on the electron attachment to 2-nitrophenol

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kočišek, Jaroslav; Grygoryeva, Kateřina; Lengyel, Jozef; Fárník, Michal; Fedor, Juraj

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 70, č. 4 (2016), s. 98-105 ISSN 1434-6060 R&D Projects: GA ČR GJ16-10995Y; GA ČR GA14-14082S Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : electron attachment * cluster environment * 2-nitrophenol Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.288, year: 2016

  9. Man - Environment - Knowledge. 2. ed.

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fritsch, B.

    1991-01-01

    The book brings together certain facts which were collated and processed on the subject of ''Man-Environment-Knowledge'' within the scope of a tutorial function of the same name organised and held by the ''ETH'' (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich). Starting off from certain important fundamental facts which reproduce the current state of our planet in the form of data, it goes on to illustrate those interconnections and processes that are important for the understanding of the world in which we live. figs., tabs., [800 refs.

  10. Weak Subjectivity, Trans-Subjectivity and the Power of Event

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kouba, Petr

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 43, č. 3 (2010), s. 391-406 ISSN 1387-2842 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP401/10/1164 Institutional support: RVO:67985955 Keywords : Heidegger * Nietschean model of thought Subject RIV: AA - Philosophy ; Religion

  11. Social Institutions as Tools in Normative Cognition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jeppe Sinding

    Social institutions are normative cognitive tools, the functions of which should be an important subject in cognitive anthropology......Social institutions are normative cognitive tools, the functions of which should be an important subject in cognitive anthropology...

  12. Factsheets for the (eco)toxicological risk assessment strategy of the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Luttik R; Raaij MTM van; CSR

    2001-01-01

    Eight fact sheets describing risk assessment methods used at the Centre of Substances and Risk assessment (CSR) of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) are presented here with the main aim of promoting greater transparency in the risk assessment methods used at the

  13. KfK Institute for Hot Atom Chemistry. Results report on research and development activities 1989

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-03-01

    The Institute for Hot Atom Chemistry is concerned with R and D tasks in nuclear fuel reprocessing. The aim is to optimize reprocessing technology with a view to safety and economic efficiency. Work is carried out within the framework of the projects reprocessing and waste management, and fast breeder in contact with WAK. The Institute increasingly carries out work within the framework of the project pollution abatement in the environment; the emphasis lies on dioxin chemistry. After the Wackersdorf task, subjects of waste management, in particular special wastes, have been added. (orig.) [de

  14. Institutional Level Identity Control Strategies in the Distance Education Environment: A Survey of Administrative Staff

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Amigud

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Physical separation of students and instructors creates the gap of anonymity and limited control over the remote learning environment. The ability of academic institutions to authenticate students and validate authorship of academic work at various points during a course is necessary for preserving not only perceived credibility but also public safety. With the growing scope of distance education programs that permeate critical areas such as healthcare, airspace, water management, and food solutions, universities have a moral obligation to employ secure measures to verify learning outcomes. This study examines the measures universities with large distance education programs employ to align identity of learners with the academic work they do, as well as the effectiveness of and challenges and barriers to their implementation. The research was undertaken using a multiple case approach and examined survey responses from five academic administrators at five officially accredited post secondary institutions in three countries. The cases examined in the study include: Athabasca University, Open University UK, Penn State University World Campus, University of Maryland University College, and eConcordia, Concordia University’s distance learning facility. This study is not an exhaustive attempt to examine all aspects of academic integrity, but rather to create awareness about various learner authentication strategies. This study confirms that secure learner authentication in the distance education environment is possible. However, with greater pressure to enhance security of learner authentication, the openness of open learning is challenged and may change as we know it.

  15. Strategic Renewal in Regulatory Environments. How inter- and intra-organisational institutional forces influence European incumbent energy firms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stienstra, M.

    2008-01-01

    How do incumbent firms strategically renew in regulatory environments? Assuming that regulation can both constrain and enable a firm's strategic renewal opportunities, we investigate how and to what extent incumbent firms undertake exploitative and explorative strategic renewal actions in order to remain competitive. Exploitative strategic renewal involves those actions that strengthen or optimise a firm's current resource deployments, whereas explorative strategic renewal relates to actions that generate new sources of value creation for the firm. Based on old institutional theory, new institutional theory, neo-institutional theory and institutional entrepreneurship literature, a multi-level framework that combines selection and adaptation arguments has been developed and applied to investigate strategic renewal behaviour of a sample of European energy incumbents. At industry level of analysis, results show how inter-organisational institutional forces significantly impact firms' choices of exploitative and explorative strategic renewal actions through regulative, normative and cognitive forces. At organisational unit level of analysis, we find that the extent of intra-organisational regulative forces is positively related to exploitative strategic renewal actions. In addition, entrepreneurial proclivity appears to be a catalyst of both exploitative and explorative strategic renewal actions. Finally, our results provide insights how environmental selection and firm level adaptation are interrelated in the context of regulation. The extent of inter-organisational regulative forces positively moderates the relationship between intra-organisational regulative forces and exploitative strategic renewal actions.

  16. The Nitrogen Footprint Tool for Institutions: Comparing Results for a Diverse Group of Institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castner, E.; Leach, A. M.; Galloway, J. N.; Hastings, M. G.; Lantz-Trissel, J.; Leary, N.; Kimiecik, J.; de la Reguera, E.

    2015-12-01

    Anthropogenic production of reactive nitrogen (Nr) has drastically altered the nitrogen cycle over the past few decades by causing it to accumulate in the environment. A nitrogen footprint (NF) estimates the amount of Nr released to the environment as a result of an entity's activities. The Nitrogen Footprint Tool (NFT) for universities and institutions provides a standardized method for quantifying the NF for the activities and operations of these entities. The NFT translates data on energy use, food purchasing, sewage treatment, and fertilizer use to the amount of Nr lost to the environment using NOx and N2O emission factors, virtual nitrogen factors (VNFs) for food production, N reduction rates from wastewater treatment, and nitrogen uptake factors for fertilizer. As part of the Nitrogen Footprint Project supported by the EPA, seven institutions (colleges, universities, and research institutions) have completed NFT assessments: University of Virginia, University of New Hampshire, Brown University, Dickinson College, Colorado State University, Eastern Mennonite University, and the Marine Biological Laboratory. The results of these assessments reveal the magnitude of impacts on the global nitrogen cycle by different activities and sectors, and will allow these institutions to set NF reduction goals along with management decisions based on scenarios and projections in the NFT. The trends revealed in early analysis of the results include geographic differences based on regional energy sources and local sewage treatment, as well as operational differences that stem from institution type and management. As an example of the impact of management, the amount and type of food served directly impacts the food production NF, which is a large percentage of the total NF for all institutions (35-75%). Comparison of these first NF results will shed light on the primary activities of institutions that add Nr to the environment and examine the differences between them.

  17. Impact of phase I or phase II enzyme polymorphisms on lymphocyte DNA adducts in subjects exposed to urban air pollution and environmental tobacco smoke

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Georgiadis, P.; Demopoulos, N. A.; Topinka, Jan; Stephanou, G.; Stoikidou, M.; Bekyrou, M.; Katsouyianni, K.; Šrám, Radim; Autrup, H.; Kyrtopoulos, S. A.

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 149, 1-3 (2004), s. 269-280 ISSN 0378-4274 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5039906 Keywords : DNA adducts Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 2.571, year: 2004

  18. Mechanisms for Creating a Psychologically Safe Learning Environment in an Educational Institution of General Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonova O.I.,

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available At the moment the question of how to create and maintain the psychological safety of the educational environment of the school is not sufficiently studied. Meanwhile, there has been proved its positive effect on the psychological health of students, their emotional and personal well-being, the formation of a meta-subjective and personal educational outcomes. This paper describes a study the purpose of which was to examine and verify empiricaly the features of management activities in the educational organization to create a psychologically safe learning environment. We studied personality traits of the Head of an educational organization by the procedure "Troubleshooting leadership abilities" (E. Zharikova, E. Krushelnytsky, techniques "Diagnosis of the level of burnout" (V.V. Boyko, methods of self-management style assessment (A.V. Agrashenkova, modified by E.P. Ilyin, and methods for rapid assessment of health, activity, mood (SAN. We proposed mechanisms to solve the problem of creating a comfortable and safe learning environment in the educational organization of general education

  19. Work programe of the Institute 1986/1987. Arbeitsprogramm des Instituts 1986/1987

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1986-02-01

    The Institute tries to make suitably processed research results available to the Land of Hesse, as aids in decision making on questions of dwelling and town planning policies, energy and environmental policies, land planning, traffic and social policies. The project work is concentrated on the following main points of the work: A. Flat market and support policy; B. Legal and organisational problems of flat dwellers, C. Living accommodation problems of disadvantaged groups; D. Living environment; E. Town development and F. Energy use. Within the subject of energy use, one assumes that the achievement of careful and rational, environmentally and socially acceptable energy strategies and concepts is opposed more by obstacles in the process of realisation rather than gaps in basic knowledge, so that it is most important that users should be better informed on the current state of systems of rational energy use and the conditions of use of these systems and that these users should be advised whether they are individual households or investors, for which purpose consultancy institutions should be created by the Land, or whether they are local companies, who take the principles of rational use of energy into account and must convert them into energy concepts.

  20. Factsheets for the (eco)toxicological risk assessment strategy of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Part VI

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janssen PJCM; Burg W ter; Pelgrom SMGJ; Fleuren R; SIR; SEC

    2007-01-01

    This report contains four factsheets describing risk assessment methods used at the Centre for Substances and Integral Risk Assessment (SIR) and the Expert Centre for Substances (SEC) of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The first three factsheets concern human

  1. Political institutions since 1820

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Foldvari, Peter; Buzasi, Katalin

    2014-01-01

    Political institutions determine the degree of freedom people enjoy and their capacity to influence their social and political environment. This chapter provides historical evidence on the evolution of political institutions drawing upon two major research projects: the PolityIV dataset and the

  2. CosmoQuest: Supporting Subject Matter Experts in Broadening the Impacts of their Work beyond their Institutional Walls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noel-Storr, J.; Buxner, S.; Grier, J.; Gay, P.

    2016-12-01

    CosmoQuest is a virtual research facility, which, like its physical counterparts, provides tools for scientists to acquire reduced data products (thanks to our cadre of citizen scientists working to analyze images and produce results online), and also to participate in education and outreach activities either directly through CosmoQuest activities (such as CosmoAcademy and the Educators' Zone) or with the support of CosmoQuest. Here, we present our strategies to inspire, engage and support Subject Matter Experts (SMEs - Scientists, Engineers, Technologists and Mathematicians) in activities outside of their institutions, and beyond college classroom teaching. We provide support for SMEs who are interested in increasing the impacts of their science knowledge and expertise by interacting with people online, or in other venues outside of their normal work environment. This includes a broad spectrum of opportunities for those interested in hosting webinars; running short courses for the public; using Facebook, Twitter or other social media to communicate science; or other diverse activities such as supporting an open house, science fair, or star party. As noted by Katheryn Woods-Townsend and colleagues, "...face-to-face interactions with scientists allowed students to view scientists as approachable and normal people, and to begin to understand the range of scientific areas and careers that exist. Scientists viewed the scientist-student interactions as a vehicle for science communication" (2015). As CosmoQuest fosters these relationships, it We present a framework for SMEs which combine opportunities for continuing professional development (virtually and in person at conferences) with ongoing online support, creating a dynamic professional learning network. The goal of this is to deepen SME capacity-knowledge, attitudes and behaviors-both encouraging and empowering them to connect to broader audiences in new ways.

  3. Creating a Suitable Physical Environment at the Institutions of Higher Education Considering the Needs of Students with Disabilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dalė Pilipavičiūtė

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The main purpose of this work is to develop a model for meas­uring the suitability of a physical environment at the institu­tions of higher education considering the needs of students with disabilities. The article examines the progress in this field under regulations made by the system of indicators and carried out expert survey employing the ranking method. To establish the significance of the developed programs, the importance of calculated indicators and their groups has been determined thus making a model for evaluating the physical environment suitable for the needs of students with disabilities at any institution of higher education in Lithuania.Article in Lithuanian

  4. Effects of metabolic genotypes on intermediary biomarkers in subjects exposed to carcinogenic-PAHs. Results from the EXPAH study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Garte, S.; Taioli, E.; Raimondi, S.; Paracchini, V.; Binková, Blanka; Šrám, Radim; Kalina, I.; Popov, T. A.; Singh, R.; Farmer, P. B.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 620, - (2007), s. 7-15 ISSN 0027-5107 Grant - others:EU(GB) 2000-00091 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390512 Source of funding: R - rámcový projekt EK Keywords : genetic polymorfism * air pollution * population study Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 4.159, year: 2007

  5. Institutional Investors as Minority Shareholders

    OpenAIRE

    Assaf Hamdani; Yishay Yafeh

    2013-01-01

    We examine the link between minority shareholders' rights and corporate governance by studying institutional investors' voting patterns in a concentrated ownership environment. Institutions rarely vote against insider-sponsored proposals even when the law empowers the minority. Institutions vote against compensation-related proposals more often than against related party transactions even when minority shareholders cannot influence outcomes. Potentially conflicted institutions are more likely...

  6. Comparison of grasping movements made by healthy subjects in a 3-dimensional immersive virtual versus physical environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magdalon, Eliane C; Michaelsen, Stella M; Quevedo, Antonio A; Levin, Mindy F

    2011-09-01

    Virtual reality (VR) technology is being used with increasing frequency as a training medium for motor rehabilitation. However, before addressing training effectiveness in virtual environments (VEs), it is necessary to identify if movements made in such environments are kinematically similar to those made in physical environments (PEs) and the effect of provision of haptic feedback on these movement patterns. These questions are important since reach-to-grasp movements may be inaccurate when visual or haptic feedback is altered or absent. Our goal was to compare kinematics of reaching and grasping movements to three objects performed in an immersive three-dimensional (3D) VE with haptic feedback (cyberglove/grasp system) viewed through a head-mounted display to those made in an equivalent physical environment (PE). We also compared movements in PE made with and without wearing the cyberglove/grasp haptic feedback system. Ten healthy subjects (8 women, 62.1±8.8years) reached and grasped objects requiring 3 different grasp types (can, diameter 65.6mm, cylindrical grasp; screwdriver, diameter 31.6mm, power grasp; pen, diameter 7.5mm, precision grasp) in PE and visually similar virtual objects in VE. Temporal and spatial arm and trunk kinematics were analyzed. Movements were slower and grip apertures were wider when wearing the glove in both the PE and the VE compared to movements made in the PE without the glove. When wearing the glove, subjects used similar reaching trajectories in both environments, preserved the coordination between reaching and grasping and scaled grip aperture to object size for the larger object (cylindrical grasp). However, in VE compared to PE, movements were slower and had longer deceleration times, elbow extension was greater when reaching to the smallest object and apertures were wider for the power and precision grip tasks. Overall, the differences in spatial and temporal kinematics of movements between environments were greater than

  7. Strategic Renewal in Regulatory Environments. How inter- and intra-organisational institutional forces influence European incumbent energy firms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stienstra, M.

    2008-11-20

    How do incumbent firms strategically renew in regulatory environments? Assuming that regulation can both constrain and enable a firm's strategic renewal opportunities, we investigate how and to what extent incumbent firms undertake exploitative and explorative strategic renewal actions in order to remain competitive. Exploitative strategic renewal involves those actions that strengthen or optimise a firm's current resource deployments, whereas explorative strategic renewal relates to actions that generate new sources of value creation for the firm. Based on old institutional theory, new institutional theory, neo-institutional theory and institutional entrepreneurship literature, a multi-level framework that combines selection and adaptation arguments has been developed and applied to investigate strategic renewal behaviour of a sample of European energy incumbents. At industry level of analysis, results show how inter-organisational institutional forces significantly impact firms' choices of exploitative and explorative strategic renewal actions through regulative, normative and cognitive forces. At organisational unit level of analysis, we find that the extent of intra-organisational regulative forces is positively related to exploitative strategic renewal actions. In addition, entrepreneurial proclivity appears to be a catalyst of both exploitative and explorative strategic renewal actions. Finally, our results provide insights how environmental selection and firm level adaptation are interrelated in the context of regulation. The extent of inter-organisational regulative forces positively moderates the relationship between intra-organisational regulative forces and exploitative strategic renewal actions.

  8. Pengaruh Dimensi Pengungkapan Corporate Social Responsibility Terhadap Future Institutional Ownership

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rizky Eriandani

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Corporate social responsibility practice becomes important subject in company`s activity, because it will affect the company's reputation. Besides, institutional investors likely prefer to invest in companies that have a social responsibility as it is considered to increase the legitimacy and future performance. This study aims to investigate the effect of CSR disclosure on institutional ownership. We use percentages ownership to measure institutional ownership. CSR measurement instrument used in this study adopted a previous research. The instrument comes from research Hackston and Milne, which was adjusted with Bapepam regulation in Indonesia. We also divided CSR disclosures in four sub-dimensions. The samples used in this research were 115 listed agriculture, mining, and manufacturing companies in indonesian Stock Exchange which studied during the years of 2010. Using SPSS 20, The analysis methods of this research used multiple regression analysis. Studies shows that not all dimensions of CSR disclosure effect on institutional ownership. Only product dimensions of CSR disclosures has a significant positive impact on institutional ownership. However, this paper fail to find any significant impact of another CSR dimensions. Thus, our study suggests that the dimensions of the product can affect investment decisions. In contrast, institutional investors have not focused on environment, employee relation, and community activities in investment decisions.

  9. From Institutional Change to Experimentalist Institutions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hull Kristensen, Peer; Morgan, Glenn

    2012-01-01

    Institutionalist theory has shown how work and employment relations are shaped by national contexts. Recent developments in these theories have been increasingly concerned with the issue of institutional change. This reflects a shift in the nature of the competitive environment of firms from...... and institutions. In this paper, we emphasize that in the current context of globalization, firms and actors within firms are continuously developing the way in which they organize work and employment to produce goods and services that are competitive in global markets. The paper argues that new market conditions...... lead firms to constant experimentation in work organization as they seek to position themselves within systems of production and innovation that are global in nature. This creates a pressure for institutional change to facilitate the process of firm-level experimentation; it also tends to create...

  10. INTEGRATIVE PROPERTIES OF LIBRARY FUNCTIONS: IMPLEMENTATION IN THE EDUCATIONAL ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Т. Л. Бірюкова

    2017-02-01

    In our opinion, the use of distance education programs primarily to build interaction of educational and library establishments in the electronic environment. To achieve this goal, through the interaction of the system Library Education created and signed to the practice of teaching subjects at the Documentation and information activities department Odessa National Polytechnic University methodological development, there are student groups whose work promotes the assimilation of theoretical material in practice, just in the information institution, adapting to the professional environment, provided the possibility of passing the full production and pre-diploma practice.

  11. 40 CFR 26.1112 - Review by institution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Review by institution. 26.1112 Section 26.1112 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GENERAL PROTECTION OF HUMAN... Exposure of Non-pregnant, Non-nursing Adults § 26.1112 Review by institution. Research covered by this...

  12. Health, Wealth, and the Role of Institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurd, Michael; Kapteyn, Arie

    2003-01-01

    A positive relationship between socioeconomic status and health has been observed over many populations and many time periods. One of the factors mediating this relation is the institutional environment in which people function. We consider longitudinal data from two countries with very different institutional environments, the United States and…

  13. Subjectivity of embodiment

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Novotný, Karel

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 4, č. 1 (2014), s. 187-195 ISSN 1804-624X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP401/10/1164 Institutional support: RVO:67985955 Keywords : Levinas * phenomenology * factivity * body * experience Subject RIV: AA - Philosophy ; Religion

  14. General characteristics of the institute of bringing senior officials of the subjects of the Russian Federation to justice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chepus A.V.

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The theoretical and practical aspects of the problem of bringing senior officials of the RF subjects to criminal liability are analyzed. Legal immunity as the most important feature of their legal status is considered. General characteristic of the liability of such senior officials in the context of the institute of state and law enforcement is provided. The current Russian legislation and judicial practice in this area are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the history of the issue of bringing senior officials to justice, on the example of the Federation Council member status. Basing on the other authors’ researches, the author proposes his own view on the issues of senior officials’ immunity. It’s suggested that in modern legal science the problems of the liability of senior officials of the RF regions aren’t given due attention. There’s no clear understanding of what should be the grounds of such liability, its procedures and application, the legal nature of its sanctions. The author substantiates the position that it’s not necessary to include the regional leaders or heads of executive authorities of the RF subjects in the list of persons having immunity from criminal or administrative prosecution. The arguments are the federal practice – the ministers of the RF Government don’t possess the immunity, and the recent practice – dismissal as a result of loss of confidence. The need to control the activities of the senior officials of the RF subjects and other persons holding the highest positions in the authorities of the RF subjects is substantiated.

  15. Institutional Awareness

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahlvik, Carina; Boxenbaum, Eva

    Drawing on dual-process theory and mindfulness research this article sets out to shed light on the conditions that need to be met to create “a reflexive shift in consciousness” argued to be a key foundational mechanism for agency in institutional theory. Although past research has identified...... in consciousness to emerge and argue for how the varying levels of mindfulness in the form of internal and external awareness may manifest as distinct responses to the institutional environment the actor is embedded in....

  16. Newborns health in the Danube Region: Environment, biomonitoring, interventions and economic benefits in a large prospective birth cohort study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Andersen, Z.J.; Šrám, Radim; Ščasný, M.; Gurzau, E.S.; Fucic, A.; Gribaldo, L.; Rössner ml., Pavel; Rössnerová, Andrea; Kohlová, M.B.; Máca, V.; Zvěřinová, I.; Gajdošová, D.; Moshammer, H.; Rudnai, P.; Knudsen, L. E.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 88, mar. (2016), s. 112-122 ISSN 0160-4120 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : birth cohort * environment * biomonitoring * air pollution * danube region * childhood health Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 7.088, year: 2016

  17. The effect of social environment on alternative mating tactics in male Endler’s guppy, Poecilia wingei

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Řežucha, Radomil; Reichard, Martin

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 88, č. 2 (2014), s. 195-202 ISSN 0003-3472 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/09/1163 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : alternative mating tactics * courtship * experience * Poecilia wingei * sneaking * social environment Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 3.137, year: 2014

  18. The Influence of Teaching Methods and Learning Environment to the Student's Learning Achievement of Craft and Entrepreneurship Subjects at Vocational High School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munawaroh

    2017-01-01

    This research aims to explain the influence of teacher's teaching methods and learning environment to the learning achievement in class XI with the competency of accounting expertise to the subjects of craft and entrepreneurship, according to the students, the subject was very heavy and dull. The population in this research are students in class…

  19. Effects of the atomic environment on the electron binding energies in samarium

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Inoyatov, A. K.; Kovalík, Alojz; Filosofov, D. V.; Ryšavý, Miloš; Vénos, Drahoslav; Yushkevich, Y. V.; Perevoshchikov, L. L.; Zhdanov, V. S.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 207, FEB (2016), s. 38-49 ISSN 0368-2048 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP203/12/1896; GA MŠk LG14004 Institutional support: RVO:61389005 Keywords : Sm-149 * atomic environment * electron ginding energy * intermediate-valence state * chemical shift * natural atomic level width Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 1.661, year: 2016

  20. [Ethical foundations of institutional psychotherapy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cano, N

    2006-01-01

    principle of autonomy lies always at care's horizon, made concrete in practice by notions of habitability, orientation to place and time, references, by activities and by meetings. The principle of beneficence was the basis for round-the-clock intakes, the use of an established theoretical model and clinical practice centred on the patient's words. Institutional analysis attempts not to repeat the alienation felt by the patient, alienation being associated with the treatment environment, and draws from the principle of non-malfeasance. It therefore appears that the approach of institutional psychotherapy conforms with ethical requirements, given its major interest in the subject who aspires to find meaning in life. The third part discusses current orientations in care related to the explosion in neuroscience and technology, the promotion of the citizen as an individual, and legal doctrine, budgetary constraints, and new demands made on psychiatry from the social and political domains. The widespread trend towards simplification, swollen with hypotheses from neuroscientific research, is progressively reducing mental illness to target symptoms. The recovery of the notion of citizenship through technological capture and ideological strains in contemporary culture have also affected a suspension of the subject as a thinking and desiring being, and exempted caregivers from considering transferral phenomena, indicated with the appearance of new signifiers: user, stress, plague, network. The new medical-technical jargon of scales, tables, and management participates in the same process of patient objectification and care compartmentalization. In this context, under the cover of science and generally good actions, psychiatry has become biologisized, whilst being diluted from its social aspect, even as it becomes more repressive for patients. This observation leads to the conclusion, in the fourth part, that there is a need for psychiatry, which within its own discipline has a hard

  1. Overcoming the Subject-Object Dichotomy in Urban Modeling: Axial Maps as Geometric Representations of Affordances in the Built Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lars Marcus

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The world is witnessing unprecedented urbanization, bringing extreme challenges to contemporary practices in urban planning and design. This calls for improved urban models that can generate new knowledge and enhance practical skill. Importantly, any urban model embodies a conception of the relation between humans and the physical environment. In urban modeling this is typically conceived of as a relation between human subjects and an environmental object, thereby reproducing a humans-environment dichotomy. Alternative modeling traditions, such as space syntax that originates in architecture rather than geography, have tried to overcome this dichotomy. Central in this effort is the development of new representations of urban space, such as in the case of space syntax, the axial map. This form of representation aims to integrate both human behavior and the physical environment into one and the same description. Interestingly, models based on these representations have proved to better capture pedestrian movement than regular models. Pedestrian movement, as well as other kinds of human flows in urban space, is essential for urban modeling, since increasingly flows of this kind are understood as the driver in urban processes. Critical for a full understanding of space syntax modeling is the ontology of its' representations, such as the axial map. Space syntax theory here often refers to James Gibson's “Theory of affordances,” where the concept of affordances, in a manner similar to axial maps, aims to bridge the subject-object dichotomy by neither constituting physical properties of the environment or human behavior, but rather what emerges in the meeting between the two. In extension of this, the axial map can be interpreted as a representation of how the physical form of the environment affords human accessibility and visibility in urban space. This paper presents a close examination of the form of representations developed in space syntax

  2. One Health in food safety and security education: Subject matter outline for a curricular framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angelos, John A; Arens, Amanda L; Johnson, Heather A; Cadriel, Jessica L; Osburn, Bennie I

    2017-06-01

    Educating students in the range of subjects encompassing food safety and security as approached from a One Health perspective requires consideration of a variety of different disciplines and the interrelationships among disciplines. The Western Institute for Food Safety and Security developed a subject matter outline to accompany a previously published One Health in food safety and security curricular framework. The subject matter covered in this outline encompasses a variety of topics and disciplines related to food safety and security including effects of food production on the environment. This subject matter outline should help guide curriculum development and education in One Health in food safety and security and provides useful information for educators, researchers, students, and public policy-makers facing the inherent challenges of maintaining and/or developing safe and secure food supplies without destroying Earth's natural resources.

  3. One Health in food safety and security education: Subject matter outline for a curricular framework

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John A. Angelos

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Educating students in the range of subjects encompassing food safety and security as approached from a One Health perspective requires consideration of a variety of different disciplines and the interrelationships among disciplines. The Western Institute for Food Safety and Security developed a subject matter outline to accompany a previously published One Health in food safety and security curricular framework. The subject matter covered in this outline encompasses a variety of topics and disciplines related to food safety and security including effects of food production on the environment. This subject matter outline should help guide curriculum development and education in One Health in food safety and security and provides useful information for educators, researchers, students, and public policy-makers facing the inherent challenges of maintaining and/or developing safe and secure food supplies without destroying Earth's natural resources.

  4. Joint physical custody and adolescents' subjective well-being: a personality × environment interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sodermans, An Katrien; Matthijs, Koen

    2014-06-01

    Shared residence after divorce is rising in most Western countries and legally recommended by law in Belgium since 2006. Living with both parents after divorce is assumed to increase children's well-being, through a better parent-child relationship, but may also be stressful, as children live in 2 different family settings. In this study, we investigate whether the association between the residential arrangement of adolescents and 3 measures of subjective well-being (depressive feelings, life satisfaction, and self-esteem) is moderated by the Big Five personality factors. The sample is selected from the national representative Divorce in Flanders study and contains information about 506 children from divorced parents between 14- and 21-years-old. Our findings indicated a consistent pattern of interactions between conscientiousness and joint physical custody for 2 of the 3 subjective well-being indicators. The specific demands of this residential arrangement (making frequent transitions, living at 2 places, adjustment to 2 different lifestyles, etc.) may interfere with the nature of conscientious adolescents: being organized, ordered, and planful. Our results showed support for a Person × Environment interaction, and demonstrate the need for considering the individual characteristics of the child when settling postdivorce residential arrangements. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  5. Institutional plan -- Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    The US nuclear electric utility industry established the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) in 1979 to promote the highest levels of safety and reliability -- to promote excellence -- in the operation of its nuclear plants. After its formation, the Institute grew from a handful of on-loan personnel in late 1979 to an established work force of more than 400 permanent and on-loan personnel. INPO's early years were marked by growth and evolution of its programs and organization. The Institute now focuses primarily on the effectiveness and enhancement of established programs and activities. For INPO to carry out its role, it must have the support of its members and participants and a cooperative but independent relationship with the NRC. A basis for that support and cooperation is an understanding of INPO's role. This Institutional Plan is intended to provide that understanding by defining the Institute's role and its major programs. This plan considers the existing and projected needs of the industry and the overall environment in which INPO and its members and participants operate

  6. The Marketing Concept in an Academic Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rešetová, Kvetoslava

    2013-01-01

    Universities, as subjects of the academic environment, are institutions with the priority of education and research. The task of the marketing concept in the academic field is to communicate with all important target groups to support a stronger position and their perception of the school. The aim of the intervention is to increase the prestige, improve awareness, support positive attitudes, and present successful results in all areas of activity. This means creation and protection of a positive image, which enables higher interest of all target groups and secures better awareness about it.

  7. FORMATION OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE IN THE INFORMATION TRAINING ENVIRONMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION AND THE PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alla B. Nisilevich

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work timeliness of use of information and computer technologies is emphasized when forming communicative competence in a foreign language in higher education institution. Besides, as a methodological basis of the information training environment the principles of social constructivism are analyzed. The training Moodle shell program entirely meets requirements of educational process and the virtual educational environment as well, and it is also the most sensible modern system of distance learning as a whole and to foreign languages in particular.

  8. A Meta-Analysis of Institutional Theories

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-06-01

    GPOUP SUBGROUP Institutional Theory , Isomorphism, Administrative Difterpntiation, Diffusion of Change, Rational, Unit Of Analysis 19 ABSTRACT (Continue on... institutional theory may lead to better decision making and evaluation criteria on the part of managers in the non-profit sector. C. SCOPE This paper... institutional theory : I) Organizations evolving in environments with elabora- ted institutional rules create structure that conform to those rules. 2

  9. 31 CFR 210.8 - Financial institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Financial institutions. 210.8 Section... CLEARING HOUSE General § 210.8 Financial institutions. (a) Status as a Treasury depositary. The origination or receipt of an entry subject to this part does not render a financial institution a Treasury...

  10. Facebook – Public Communication Media for the Romanian Institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Farcaş

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available For the public institutions, social networks represent a communication channel completing what represents the professional public communication, so the role of the professional communicator does not end or diminish and neither does the role of traditional mass-media. It is about an evolution, a modification, an adaptation of public communication and not a replacement of the way of achieving such communication. By this study, I proposed myself to identify the way in which the public institutions in Romania have adapted to the new trends imposed to public communication. To this end, I conducted an analysis of the structure, content, presentation and visibility in the online media of the Facebook pages of the 21 ministries composing the Romanian Government. I chose ministries as a subject of this study because, as institutions representing the central public administration of Romania, they exercise their competence at the level of the entire national territory and, generating public policies, have a major impact on the socio-economic environment, addressing a large number of beneficiaries. I noticed that all the ministries have an official Facebook page, these pages are updated and, by the published information, they are constituted as key elements in all representation media for these institutions.

  11. Effect of duration of exposure to polluted air environment on lung function in subjects exposed to crude oil spill into sea water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meo, Sultan Ayoub; Al-Drees, Abdul Majeed; Rasheed, Shahzad; Meo, Imran Mu; Khan, Muhammad Mujahid; Al-Saadi, Muslim M; Alkandari, Jasem Ramadan

    2009-01-01

    Oil spill in sea water represents a huge environmental disaster for marine life and humans in the vicinity. The aim was to investigate the effect of duration of exposure to polluted air environment on lung function in subjects exposed to crude oil spill into sea water. The present study was conducted under the supervision of Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the period July 2003 - December 2004. This was a comparative study of spirometry in 31 apparently healthy, non smoking, male workers, exposed to crude oil spill environment during the oil cleaning operation. The exposed group was matched with similar number of male, non smoking control subjects. Pulmonary function test was performed by using an electronic spirometer. Subjects exposed to polluted air for periods longer than 15 days showed a significant reduction in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in First Second (FEV1), Forced Expiratory Flow in 25-25% (FEF25-75%) and Maximal Voluntary Ventilation (MVV). Air environment polluted due to crude oil spill into sea water caused impaired lung function and this impairment was associated with dose response effect of duration of exposure to air polluted by crude oil spill into sea water.

  12. Leadership in Islamic Education Institution

    OpenAIRE

    Supriadi Supriadi

    2014-01-01

    Education institution may not be separated by social system. It can be formal and informal education. A formal education institution such as school, Islamic school or Islamic boarding school is in social environment and bringing a basic value and law from its institution. Meanwhile, Islamic education institution is believed as tool to reach the aim of education. The aim of education is hard to reach if there is no leadership in it. Copyright © 2014 by Al-Ta'lim All right reserved

  13. Assessment of Accrued Damage and Remaining Useful Life in Leadfree Electronics Subjected to Multiple Thermal Environments of Thermal Aging and Thermal Cycling

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A method has been developed for prognostication of accrued prior damage in electronics subjected to overlapping sequential environments of thermal aging and thermal...

  14. Strategic exploitation of fluctuating asymmetry in male Endler’s guppy courtship displays is modulated by social environment

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Řežucha, Radomil; Reichard, Martin

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 28, č. 2 (2015), s. 356-367 ISSN 1010-061X R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : behavioural laterality * experience * Poecilia wingei * sidedness * sigmoid display * social environment Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 2.747, year: 2015

  15. Adaptive institutions? Peasant institutions and natural models facing climatic and economic changes in the Colombian Andes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feola, Giuseppe

    2017-01-01

    In the Colombian Andes, peasants have co-evolved with their environment for centuries, but it is uncertain whether traditional informal institutions and natural models are adapting to current and possibly unprecedented economic and climatic disturbances. This study investigated institutional

  16. Subjective Happiness of Lebanese College Youth in Lebanon: Factorial Structure and Invariance of the Arabic Subjective Happiness Scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moghnie, Lamia; Kazarian, Shahe S.

    2012-01-01

    The present study evaluated the subjective happiness of Lebanese college youth using a multi-item rather than a single-item subjective happiness measure. An Arabic translation of the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) was administered to 273 Lebanese college youth from state- and private-run higher institutions of learning, as was the Arabic Adult…

  17. Unsteady-state human-body exergy consumption rate and its relation to subjective assessment of dynamic thermal environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schweiker, Marcel; Kolarik, Jakub; Dovjak, Mateja

    2016-01-01

    of the present study confirmed previously indicated trends that lowest human body exergy consumption rate is associated with thermal sensation close to neutrality. Moreover, higher acceptability was in general associated with lower human body exergy consumption rate. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.......Few examples studied applicability of exergy analysis on human thermal comfort. These examples relate the human-body exergy consumption rate with subjectively obtained thermal sensation votes and had been based on steady-state calculation methods. However, humans are rarely exposed to steady...... between the human-body exergy consumption rate and subjective assessment of thermal environment represented by thermal sensation as well as to extend the investigation towards thermal acceptability votes. Comparison of steady-state and unsteady-state model showed that results from both models were...

  18. Leadership in Islamic Education Institution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Supriadi Supriadi

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Education institution may not be separated by social system. It can be formal and informal education. A formal education institution such as school, Islamic school or Islamic boarding school is in social environment and bringing a basic value and law from its institution. Meanwhile, Islamic education institution is believed as tool to reach the aim of education. The aim of education is hard to reach if there is no leadership in it. Copyright © 2014 by Al-Ta'lim All right reserved

  19. System of Indicators of the Level of Costs of Financing an Economic Subject

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laktionova Aleksandra A.

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The article offers a system of indicators of the level of costs of financing economic subjects, in the basis of which there is a function of formation of recommendations or identification of directions and priorities in the part of selection of one or another source of financing, its urgency and specific features of attraction of resources, on the basis of information on the level of agent’s costs, information asymmetry costs, financial instability, transaction and market indicators of cost of financial resources. The article pays a special attention to a significant structure forming factor of the ownership structure, which identifies the volume and logic of interconnection of all costs of financing and determining incentives and risks in the system of management of financial activity of an economic subject from the point of view of all participants. It exerts especially big influence upon formation of such implicit costs of financing as agent’s costs and information asymmetry costs. The system of factors of stimulants and de-stimulants of costs of financing includes factors of external environment (macro-economic and market indicators of cost and institutional provision and internal environment (ownership structure, characteristic of investment activity and financing an economic subject, organisation of business and corporate management.

  20. Fatigue life determination by damage measuring in SAE 8620 specimens steel subjected to multiaxial experiments in neutral and corrosive environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Luiz L. da; Filho, Nelson do N.A.; Gomes, Paulo de T.V.; Rabello, Emerson G.; Mansur, Tanius R.

    2013-01-01

    Fatigue is the fail phenomenon of a material subjected to cyclic loads. This phenomenon affects any component under loads (forces, temperatures, etc.) that changes in time. When there is a combined load, originating multiaxial fatigue, which is the most of the real loads, worst is the situation. Before the component fail, the fatigue phenomenon produces damages to its material and this is a cumulative process that could not be reduced. In the continuum mechanic context, material damage is defined as a parameter that reduces the component resistance and this could cause its fail. The process of damage measuring by changes in electrical resistance is used in this work, and from experimental results of SAE 8620 steel specimens subjected to multiaxial fatigue in corrosive and neutral environment, the remaining specimen time life could be determined. Each specimen has its initial electrical resistance measured and after a certain number of fatigue cycles stopping points, its electrical resistance was measured again. In order to study multiaxial fatigue in specimens, a machine that induces simultaneously bending and torsional loads in the specimen was developed. Air at the temperature range of 18 deg C and 20 deg C was considered neutral environment. The corrosive environment was a NaCl solution with a concentration of 3,5% in weigh. The experimental results showed that the measuring fatigue damage using the changes in electrical resistance is efficient and that is possible to estimate the effect of a corrosive environment in the fatigue damage. (author)

  1. Subjective Quality Assessment of H.264/AVC Video Streaming with Packet Losses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naccari Matteo

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Research in the field of video quality assessment relies on the availability of subjective scores, collected by means of experiments in which groups of people are asked to rate the quality of video sequences. The availability of subjective scores is fundamental to enable validation and comparative benchmarking of the objective algorithms that try to predict human perception of video quality by automatically analyzing the video sequences, in a way to support reproducible and reliable research results. In this paper, a publicly available database of subjective quality scores and corrupted video sequences is described. The scores refer to 156 sequences at CIF and 4CIF spatial resolutions, encoded with H.264/AVC and corrupted by simulating the transmission over an error-prone network. The subjective evaluation has been performed by 40 subjects at the premises of two academic institutions, in standard-compliant controlled environments. In order to support reproducible research in the field of full-reference, reduced-reference, and no-reference video quality assessment algorithms, both the uncompressed files and the H.264/AVC bitstreams, as well as the packet loss patterns, have been made available to the research community.

  2. Building Trust in a Guarantee Fund in a Challenging Institutional Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciano Quinto Lanz

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Difficult access to credit is a major obstacle to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs survival, especially in emerging countries, affecting their competitiveness. Lack of guarantees is a main reason why banks do not lend to MSMEs. Guarantee schemes provide partial credit guarantees, but often fail to win trust of banks and enterprises. This study analyzes the process of building trust between the Fundo Garantidor para Investimentos (Investment Guarantee Fund, FGI, created in 2009, and banks in Brazil. This trust was hampered by the failure of public guarantee funds created in the 1990’s. This created a challenging institutional environment to the new fund. The methodology employed was a case study, based on a qualitative approach with document analysis, semi-structured interviews and descriptive statistics. The analysis used models for building and repairing trust in inter-organizational relations and international benchmark for governance and effectiveness of guarantee schemes. The analysis showed that the FGI used other emerging countries and developed countries experience to construct adequate governance and succeeded in establishing trust with the banks. The results show that by 2017, 26 banks contract more than 32,000 operations worth 1.9 billion dollars, with additionalities comparable to the international benchmark.

  3. Distinct Immunoregulatory Mechanisms in Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Role of the Cytokine Environment

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Holáň, Vladimír; Heřmánková, Barbora; Boháčová, Pavla; Kössl, Jan; Chudíčková, Milada; Hájková, Michaela; Krulová, Magdaléna; Zajícová, Alena; Javorková, Eliška

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 12, č. 6 (2016), s. 654-663 ISSN 1550-8943 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-12580S; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1508; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1309 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : mesenchymal stem cells * regulatory B cells * cytokine environment Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.967, year: 2016

  4. Student-Teachers' Verbal Communication Patterns during Their Teaching Practice in "Studies for the Environment" Subject in Early Greek Primary Classes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malandrakis, George; Karagianni, Aggeliki; Pani, Dimitra

    2016-01-01

    This study explores the quality of student-teachers' (STs') verbal communication during their teaching practice on the "Studies for the Environment" subject, and identifies potential factors affecting it. Forty-one teaching sessions were analysed revealing that STs dominate classroom talking by having almost an equal number of utterances…

  5. The Language Environments of Exchange Students at some Scandinavian Universities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Caudery, Tim; Petersen, Margrethe; Shaw, Philip

    Language Environments of Exchange Students at Scandinavian Universities One aspect of, and one reason for, the internationalisation of Scandinavian universities is the increasing number of exchange students and postgraduates from outside Scandinavia attending courses here. Few of these students...... are primarily motivated by a desire to learn the local language. In fact it is widely believed that many of them live in a lingua-franca English-speaking environment, so that Erasmus contributes to linguistic homogenisation rather than plurilingualism. This paper reports results of an ongoing study...... of the language environment and language learning experiences of some hundred (so far) Erasmus exchange students in two institutions in Sweden and two in Denmark. Subjects had French, German and Spanish as mother tongues. This design is intended to enable the identification of language/culturespecific factors...

  6. Adaptation strategies of endolithic chlorophototrophs to survive the hyperarid and extreme solar radiation environment of the Atacama Desert

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Wierzchos, J.; DiRuggiero, J.; Vítek, Petr; Artieda, O.; Souza-Egipsy, V.; Škaloud, P.; Tisza, M.; Davilla, A. F.; Vilchez, C.; Garbayo, I.; Ascaso, C.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 934 (2015), s. 1-17 ISSN 1664-302X R&D Projects: GA MŠk EE2.3.20.0246 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : Atacama Desert * carotenoids * endolithic chlorophototrophs * extreme environment * gypsum * scytonemin Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 4.165, year: 2015

  7. Geophysical Institute. Biennial report, 1993-1994

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-01-01

    The 1993-1994 Geophysical Institute Biennial Report was published in November 1995 by the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. It contains an overview of the Geophysical Institute, the Director`s Note, and research presentations concerning the following subjects: Scientific Predictions, Space Physics, Atmospheric Sciences, Snow, Ice and Permafrost, Tectonics and Sedimentation, Seismology, Volcanology, Remote Sensing, and other projects.

  8. Organizational climate survey: management model tool on continuous improvement promotion in Finantial Institutional Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alex Amancio da Silva

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The organizational climate survey has been an important tool in the corporate world, the way in which the institutions can assess and ascertain through the results, the degree of satisfaction of its employees and look through plan of action, achieve better results in both performance and production. Through an empirical research, exploratory qualitative research, with collection of secondary data, it was found that the implementation of the organizational climate survey, "Speak Frankly" from Itaú Unibanco, it could analyze data and make a plan of effective action aiming at continuous improvement in the organizational environment, serving as personnel management model. The results were favorable in the period from year 2012 to 2014 with an increase of the degree of satisfaction in four 4% and maintained excellent adherence to answer questions reaching 90% the number of employees.

  9. Expression of XRCC5 in peripheral blood lymphocytes is upregulated in subjects from a heavily polluted region in the Czech Republic

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Rössner ml., Pavel; Uhlířová, Kateřina; Beskid, Olena; Rössnerová, Andrea; Švecová, Vlasta; Šrám, Radim

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 713, 1-2 (2011), s. 76-82 ISSN 0027-5107 R&D Projects: GA MŽP(CZ) SP/1B3/8/08; GA MŠk 2B08005 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390512 Keywords : oxidative stress * chromosomal aberrations * gene expression Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 2.850, year: 2011

  10. Regional Cultures and the Psychological Geography of Switzerland: Person-Environment-Fit in Personality Predicts Subjective Wellbeing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Götz, Friedrich M; Ebert, Tobias; Rentfrow, Peter J

    2018-01-01

    The present study extended traditional nation-based research on person-culture-fit to the regional level. First, we examined the geographical distribution of Big Five personality traits in Switzerland. Across the 26 Swiss cantons, unique patterns were observed for all traits. For Extraversion and Neuroticism clear language divides emerged between the French- and Italian-speaking South-West vs. the German-speaking North-East. Second, multilevel modeling demonstrated that person-environment-fit in Big Five, composed of elevation (i.e., mean differences between individual profile and cantonal profile), scatter (differences in mean variances) and shape (Pearson correlations between individual and cantonal profiles across all traits; Furr, 2008, 2010), predicted the development of subjective wellbeing (i.e., life satisfaction, satisfaction with personal relationships, positive affect, negative affect) over a period of 4 years. Unexpectedly, while the effects of shape were in line with the person-environment-fit hypothesis (better fit predicted higher subjective wellbeing), the effects of scatter showed the opposite pattern, while null findings were observed for elevation. Across a series of robustness checks, the patterns for shape and elevation were consistently replicated. While that was mostly the case for scatter as well, the effects of scatter appeared to be somewhat less robust and more sensitive to the specific way fit was modeled when predicting certain outcomes (negative affect, positive affect). Distinguishing between supplementary and complementary fit may help to reconcile these findings and future research should explore whether and if so under which conditions these concepts may be applicable to the respective facets of person-culture-fit.

  11. Ensuring the Security of the Educational Environment: Cases of US, Russia and Europe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vitaly V. Kabernik

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with security, including informational, educational environment. The article considers experience of the United States and Europe, including specific examples. Given a classification of the major threats and they are allocated on the basis of foreign and domestic experience. The article also determines the range of problems actually facing educational institutions and regularly described in special reports on the subject. Provides an overview of a set of measures designed to regulate access to inappropriate content, with special attention given to the phenomenon of social networks that put new challenges in ensuring security of the educational environment.

  12. Formation of Human Subjectivity in Psychological Interactions with Nature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S A Mudrak

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The article outlines the current trends in the environmental psychological research of the peculiarities of developing the subject-subjective human relationship with nature: considering human habitat environment as a set of natural objects; studying certain natural sites as psychologically attributive elements of the environment; determining the psychological meaning of the «Human Habitat Environment»; giving the analysis of the problem of the subjectivity development in human interaction with the natural objects.

  13. Foreign Entry Modes Under Institutional Pressures: The Impact of Strategic Resource Seeking and Market Seeking Strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Portugal Ferreira

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Multinational corporations (MNCs are subject to the various dimensions of the external institutional environments. Institutional theory suggests that MNCs need to conform to the prevailing rules, norms and procedures of the locations where they operate in order to survive and grow. This means that MNCs need to develop the best possible configuration of strategy-structure for their worldwide operations. Previous research has noted that in these conditions firms may simply seek to follow a referent other. However, MNCs’ specific strategy for a focal foreign operation is likely to determine the entry mode for each host country. In certain circumstances it may be whether MNCs are pursuing a market-seeking strategy or a strategic resource seeking strategy that shapes the entry mode in face of the prevailing institutional pressures. We contribute to the understanding of entry modes into foreign markets as a reflection of a strategic choice that is bound by institutional constraints.

  14. A qualitative report on the subjective experience of intravenous psilocybin administered in an FMRI environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turton, S; Nutt, D J; Carhart-Harris, R L

    2014-01-01

    This report documents the phenomenology of the subjective experiences of 15 healthy psychedelic experienced volunteers who were involved in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study that was designed to image the brain effects of intravenous psilocybin. The participants underwent a semi-structured interview exploring the effects of psilocybin in the MRI scanner. These interviews were analysed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The resultant data is ordered in a detailed matrix, and presented in this paper. Nine broad categories of phenomenology were identified in the phenomenological analysis of the experience; perceptual changes including visual, auditory and somatosensory distortions, cognitive changes, changes in mood, effects of memory, spiritual or mystical type experiences, aspects relating to the scanner and research environment, comparisons with other experiences, the intensity and onset of effects, and individual interpretation of the experience. This article documents the phenomenology of psilocybin when given in a novel manner (intravenous injection) and setting (an MRI scanner). The findings of the analysis are consistent with previous published work regarding the subjective effects of psilocybin. There is much scope for further research investigating the phenomena identified in this paper.

  15. Making Time for Nature: Visual Exposure to Natural Environments Lengthens Subjective Time Perception and Reduces Impulsivity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meredith S Berry

    Full Text Available Impulsivity in delay discounting is associated with maladaptive behaviors such as overeating and drug and alcohol abuse. Researchers have recently noted that delay discounting, even when measured by a brief laboratory task, may be the best predictor of human health related behaviors (e.g., exercise currently available. Identifying techniques to decrease impulsivity in delay discounting, therefore, could help improve decision-making on a global scale. Visual exposure to natural environments is one recent approach shown to decrease impulsive decision-making in a delay discounting task, although the mechanism driving this result is currently unknown. The present experiment was thus designed to evaluate not only whether visual exposure to natural (mountains, lakes relative to built (buildings, cities environments resulted in less impulsivity, but also whether this exposure influenced time perception. Participants were randomly assigned to either a natural environment condition or a built environment condition. Participants viewed photographs of either natural scenes or built scenes before and during a delay discounting task in which they made choices about receiving immediate or delayed hypothetical monetary outcomes. Participants also completed an interval bisection task in which natural or built stimuli were judged as relatively longer or shorter presentation durations. Following the delay discounting and interval bisection tasks, additional measures of time perception were administered, including how many minutes participants thought had passed during the session and a scale measurement of whether time "flew" or "dragged" during the session. Participants exposed to natural as opposed to built scenes were less impulsive and also reported longer subjective session times, although no differences across groups were revealed with the interval bisection task. These results are the first to suggest that decreased impulsivity from exposure to natural as

  16. Features of the Institutional Structure of the Polish Stock Market under Conditions of Transformational Changes in the Global Financial Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goncharenko Nataliia I.

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Under modern conditions of transformational changes in the global financial environment, the international stock market acquires stable features of activization of investment activity, formation of a large network of professional participants in the stock market and its multi-level institutional structure, expansion of the range of trade in securities, access of economic entities of different countries to financial resources and diversification of mechanisms of concentration, etc. There conducted a study of peculiarities of the institutional structure of the Polish stock market in the context of transformational changes in the global economic system. The factors influencing the volume of capitalization of the Warsaw Stock Exchange are analyzed; the dependence of the capitalization of the Exchange on foreign portfolio investments in shares of Polish issuers is revealed. Based on the results of own calculations of multiple correlation coefficients, the level of dependence between capital stock market indicators and assets of such financial institutions in Poland as investment and open pension funds, insurance companies is determined, and a significant interconnection of assets of investment and open pension funds and insurance companies is revealed. The obtained results can become a basis for institutional investors in the process of making effective decisions on expanding the range of trading in securities.

  17. KfK, Institute for Radiochemistry. Report on the results of research and development performances 1989

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-03-01

    In 1989 the Institute for Radiochemistry became involved with research and development tasks in the context of the following projects: 'Reprocessing and Waste Treatment' (PWA), 'Fast Breeder' (PSB), 'Nuclear Fusion' (PKF) and 'Terminal Storage' (ELA). Environmental analysis and water technology within the Institute were amongst the programmes collected together in the project 'Environment and Safety'. Problems to do with surface chemistry and analysis were dealt with under 'Microtechnology'. Within the 'Reprocessing and Waste Treatment Project', the studies carried out in the Institute concentrated chiefly on investigating ways of simplifying the reprocessing process, especially in the reprocessing of fast-breeder fuels and waste reduction and treatment. In the 'Fast Breeder' project, further investigations were carried out on oxide fuel rods. In the 'Nuclear Fusion' project, the subject of investigation was chemical problems in the field of tritium technology as they arise during the recovery of tritium from tritium compounds in the internal or external fuel cycle of a fusion reactor. To this end, studies were carried out on the physical-chemical analysis of ceramic breeder materials. Research were carried out on the analysis and description of surfaces and on the reactions occurring on these surfaces and on the reactions occurring on these surfaces with regard to the application of knowledge gained from this programme to problems within environmental research, nuclear technology and microtechnology. The Water Chemistry Department working mainly on 'Environment and Safety' carried out chemical research and method development in the following subject areas: New technologies for the removal of problem constituents from water, the production of useable water and sewage recycling and the analysis and description of water pollutants. (orig./HK) [de

  18. Dolní Věstonice IIa: Gravettian microstratigraphy, environment, and the origin of baked clay production in Moravia

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Svoboda, Jiří; Hladilová, Š.; Horáček, I.; Kaiser, J.; Králík, M.; Novák, J.; Novák, Martin; Pokorný, P.; Sázelová, S.; Smolíková, L.; Zikmund, T.

    359-360, 2 March 2015 (2015), s. 195-210 ISSN 1040-6182 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.20.0181 Institutional support: RVO:68081758 Keywords : Dolní Věstonice * Early Gravettian * Microstratigraphy * Environment * Burnt clay * Czech Republic Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology OBOR OECD: Archaeology Impact factor: 2.067, year: 2015

  19. Use of biocides for the control of fungal outbreaks in subterranean environments: The case of the Lascaux Cave in France

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Martín-Sánchez, P.M.; Nováková, Alena; Bastian, F.; Alabouvette, C.; Saiz-Jimenez, C.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 46, č. 7 (2012), s. 3762-3770 ISSN 0013-936X Grant - others:Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (ES) TCP CSD2007-00058 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : fungal outbreaks * subterranean environments * Lascaux Cave Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 5.257, year: 2012

  20. Hospital acquisitions, parenting styles and management accounting change: An institutional perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dossi, Andrea; Lecci, Francesca; Longo, Francesco; Morelli, Marco

    2017-02-01

    Many healthcare scholars have applied institutional theories to the study of management accounting systems (MAS) change. However, little attention has been devoted to MAS change within groups. Kostova et al. highlight the limitations of traditional institutional frameworks in studying groups since they are characterised not only by the existence of external institutional environments but also by intra-organisational (meso-level) ones. Given this background, the research question is: how does the meso-level institutional environment affect MAS change in healthcare groups? We use a longitudinal multiple-case study design to understand the role of headquarters in shaping local MAS change. We would expect companies to adopt similar MAS. However, we argue that the relationship between external institutions and MAS change cannot be wholly understood without taking into consideration the role of headquarters. Our analysis shows how hospitals facing the same external institutional environment implement different MAS as a consequence of different parenting styles. From a scientific perspective, our article contributes to broaden traditional institutional theoretical frameworks.

  1. Institutional change and corporate governance reform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harilaos Mertzanis

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The global financial crisis has posed challenges to financial institutions governance. Meeting these challenges requires an understanding of governance dynamics in relation to institutions’ performance within a changing environment. The nature and scope of institutional response to a changing environment depends upon inherited governance structures, including socioeconomic conventions and rules of behavior at the macro level and time, expertise and common commitment of directors at the micro level. Innovation and learning-by-doing in governance can be an effective reform strategy. Innovation in governance may include the establishment of new norms of economic behavior and the transformation of decision-making process and the reallocation of responsibilities to directors and senior management. This may also inform regulatory approaches in strengthening financial institutions governance, based on improved disclosure, independent and competent boards

  2. Institutional difference affects and migrant entrepreneurs' innovation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ashourizadeh, Shayegheh; Jensen, Kent Wickstrøm

    Entrepreneurs who migrate may deal with new environments. This may trigger their minds for invention and innovation. On the other hand, the novel environment may also impose unknown challenges that the migrant entrepreneur needs to learn how to overcome. In this article we investigate how differe...... model analyses revealed that institutional difference in form of cultural and economic difference is marginally significant, as we hypothesized. We discuss the implications of our findings for theory of institutional impacts on migrants’ innovation....

  3. Assessment on the “institutional economics” of corruption. Business and development in Romania, between formal and informal practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cosmin Marinescu

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper intends to draw the attention on the very subtle consequences of the corruption in the operational field, the deviation from the institutional arrangement in use. We will not insist for example on the subject according to which “the public domain”, as expression of the “joint property”, but also of the “tragedy of the commons” may be considered in a meta-institutional sense as corrupt. Anyhow, many enough differences of operational corruption require the use of institutional compared opinions about “corruption on a background of corrupt institutions” vs. „corruption on a background of healthy institutions”. The first part of the study will present briefly an institutional perspective a priori the corruption and its impact on the economic climate, drawing the attention on the distortions this one causes to the durability of the overall economic performance. The second part will present a synopsis of the “tense relationship” existing in Romania between the actually productive business environment and the legal, political and administrative environment which tolerates / temps perverse practices, either for the eviction or capture of the relevant political decision, underlining the relationship between the phenomenon of corruption and the economic performance in our country.

  4. Subjective or objective? What matters?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sunega, Petr

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 1, č. 1 (2014), s. 35-43 ISSN 2336-2839 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP404/12/1446 Institutional support: RVO:68378025 Keywords : comparative housing policy * globalisation Subject RIV: AO - Sociology, Demography

  5. Dehydration of Older Patients in Institutional Care and the Home Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lešnik, Amadeus; Piko, Nejc; Železnik, Danica; Bevc, Sebastjan

    2017-11-01

    Dehydration in older adults is an important clinical problem associated with more comorbidities, longer hospital stays, and higher mortality rates. However, in daily clinical practice, no single gold standard marker of hydration status in older adults is available. The aim of the current study was to define the fluid balance status in older adults residing in institutional care or the home. Four hundred ten patients (192 from institutional care and 218 from home care) 65 and older from the region of lower Styria (Slovenia) were included in the study. Serum osmolality, electrolytes, and blood urea nitrogen to creatinine (BUN:Cr) ratio were used to identify dehydration. Statistically significant differences were found between groups in serum osmolality and BUN:Cr ratio. Moreover, dehydration (defined as increased serum osmolality) was significantly more common in patients in institutional care than home care (51% versus 41.3%, respectively). The results confirm that dehydration is a common clinical problem in older adults, especially in those from institutional care. Although many methods of determining hydration status in older adults have been proposed, no gold standard exists, making hydration evaluation difficult in this population. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2017; 10(6):260-266.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  6. Institutional Design and the Internationalization of U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruce, Gonzalo Raul

    2009-01-01

    Postsecondary education institutions are increasingly affected by their external environment and more specifically, global forces. Among such forces is the acknowledged global labor market of education, fierce competition between educational systems, and the need for colleges and universities to expand their resource base.In response to such…

  7. Аsymmetry of Structural Institutional and Technological Changes in Economy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katkovа Marina Andreevna

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the research on interrelation between institutional and technological changes. The authors provide the convincing argument in favor of the thesis on asymmetry of structural, institutional and technological changes. The complex of analytic methods is used in the work – comparative statics, static analysis, dynamic analysis. The analysis results in the conclusion on strengthening the heterogeneity, instability and uncertainty of the social and economic phenomena and processes. The authors comprehend structural changes as the changes in ratios and proportions of economic structure. They point to the emergence of new integrated characteristics and describe the synergetic effect of the general development. The use of the theory of technological modes allowed allocating radical and local shifts. The particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of reversible and irreversible structural and technological shifts as a special form of structural and technological changes. The application of the method of institutional statics and dynamics is effective in the analysis of technological and institutional symmetry / asymmetry. The emergence of negative institutional changes is explained by insufficient, inadequate or fragmentary assimilation of market institutes. The institutes interfering the innovative development stand against the institutes of innovative development. The institutional traps of structural and technological transformations are subdivided by authors into the traps of micro- and macrolevel. The authors point to the difficulty of assessing the institutes of microlevel by means of statistical data. They suggest using the phenomena which are under the control of authorities and subject to regulation as indicators. To define the opportunities of institutional management and the borders of government intervention the authors investigate in detail the institutional traps. They include moral and psychological unreadiness

  8. Subjectivity and embodiment of the event of appearing

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Novotný, Karel

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 26, č. 3 (2016), s. 169-181 ISSN 1234-5792 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-10832S Institutional support: RVO:67985955 Keywords : body * lived body * lived experience * kinesthesis * ego * subjectivity Subject RIV: AA - Philosophy ; Religion

  9. The state of Europe's environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavoux, Th.; Desaunay, C.

    2007-01-01

    The deterioration of the world's environment, and in particular the ever greater likelihood of global warming, is the subject of an increasing number of studies. But what is known about the environmental situation in Europe? Despite the political impasse that the European Union is currently in, what are the individual member states doing about the environment? The EU's policy on the environment dates back to 1973, and is remarkable as one of the few areas where the member states appear to accept restrictive agreements unanimously and try afterwards to respect them. Furthermore, the activities of the European Environment Agency seem not to attract the criticisms levelled at most other EU institutions. As Thierry Lavoux explains in this article, the EU's measures have made it possible to stop using both lead in petroleum products and chlorofluorocarbons. The latest challenge for the member states is to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases (especially by meeting the Kyoto criteria) at the same time that emissions generated by the transport and construction sectors are growing steadily. In addition, he stresses, the member states need to be concerned by threats to their ecosystems from urban sprawl, massive use of pesticides and irrigation, and over-fishing... Lastly, says Thierry Lavoux, the EU members must quickly apply their minds to ways of making their agriculture more sustainable and limiting their production of toxic chemicals. (author)

  10. Social-pedagogical accompaniment of foreign students’ socialization: the experience of practical realization in educational-cultural environment of a higher educational institution

    OpenAIRE

    Bilyk, Olena

    2017-01-01

    The analysis of the features of introduction of the social-pedagogical accompaniment of foreign students’ socialization in educational-cultural environment of a higher educational institution is realized in this article. There is offered to consider the social-pedagogical accompaniment of foreign students’ socialization as a type of social-pedagogical activity, directed on their protection, help and support in the process of acculturation by interaction of accompanied person (foreign student)...

  11. Marketing activities of higher education institutions

    OpenAIRE

    Varađanin Vladimir

    2017-01-01

    Public sector marketing is a modern-day scientific discipline which is getting more and more attention. Institutions of higher education provide a specific kind of services to their users, which makes these institutions a part of the public sector. Due to dynamic changes in the environment, the demands and needs of higher education institution's users change, which makes it necessary to monitor these changes through certain marketing activities and adjust to them in order to satisfy the users...

  12. Committees for Ethics in Research involving human subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hossne, William Saad; Vieira, Sonia; De Freitas, Corina Bontempo Duca

    2008-01-01

    In Brazil since October 1996 there have been guidelines for research involving human subjects. Now human subjects know when their treatment is part of research. Deceit is no longer tolerated. But is not enough to say we offer an explanation to the potential subject and we offer a choice before he or she is confronted with an informed consent form. As in all professional activity, scientific investigation needs social controls. In Brazil, the ultimate responsibility of an investigation lies on the investigator, but in every institution where research is carried out there is a Committee for Ethics in Research. All Committees are subordinated to the National Commission of Ethics in Research, which is submitted to the Brazilian Institute of Health. During 2005 around 17,000 protocols involving 700,000 human subjects were revised by 475 Committees distributed all over the country. Approximately 7,000 people are now working in these Committees.

  13. Evaluation of the Fracture Toughness of a SMSS Subjected to Common Heat Treatment Cycles in an Aggressive Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pieta, G.; Leite, R.; Kwietniewski, C.; Clarke, T.; Strohaecker, T.

    2010-12-01

    Supermartensitic stainless steels (SMSS) are an alternative to corrosion-prone carbon steels and expensive duplex stainless steels in offshore tubing applications for the oil and gas industry. Due to their differentiated alloying, SMSS exhibit superior toughness, corrosion resistance, and weldability properties when compared with another viable option, conventional martensitic stainless steels. However, when cathodically protected in a seawater environment they can be susceptible to embrittlement due to hydrogen charging. In the present study, SMSS samples were removed from deep water pipelines and their fracture toughness in the as-received condition and with different heat treatments was evaluated. Tests were carried out in air and in harsh environmental and loading conditions, which were ensured by subjecting specimens to cathodic overprotection, simulating effects seen in structures with complex geometries, and to incremental step loads in a synthetic seawater environment, thus favoring hydrogen diffusion to the precrack tip. The fracture surfaces of the specimens were analyzed in order to identify hydrogen-induced embrittlement and fracture toughness values of specimens tested in air were compared to values obtained in environment-assisted experiments. The influence of microstructure was evaluated by control of the retained austenite and δ-ferrite contents of the specimens. The results show a significant drop in the fracture toughness of steel in the studied environment, with a fracture mode which is clearly more brittle and dependent on microstructural characteristics of the samples.

  14. Three-dimensional free vibration of functionally graded truncated conical shells subjected to thermal environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malekzadeh, P., E-mail: p_malekz@yahoo.com [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr 75168 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Fiouz, A.R.; Sobhrouyan, M. [Department of Civil Engineering, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr 75168 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2012-01-15

    A three-dimensional (3D) free vibration analysis of the functionally graded (FG) truncated conical shells subjected to thermal environment is presented. The material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent and graded in the radius direction, which can vary according to a simple power law distribution. The initial thermal stresses are obtained accurately by solving the thermoelastic equilibrium equations and by considering the two-dimensional axisymmetric temperature distribution in the shell. The differential quadrature method (DQM) as an efficient and accurate numerical tool is adopted to solve the thermal and thermo-mechanical governing equations. For this purpose, a mapping technique is employed to transform the cross section of the shell into the computational domain of DQM. The convergence behavior of the method is numerically demonstrated and comparison studies with the available solutions in the literature are performed. The effects of temperature dependence of material properties, geometrical parameters, material graded index, thermal and mechanical boundary conditions on the frequency parameters of the FG truncated conical shells are carried out. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 3D free vibration analysis of the functionally graded truncated conical shells is presented. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Two-dimensional axisymmetric temperature distribution in the shell is assumed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Initial thermal stresses due to thermal environment are evaluated accurately and included. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Representing the effects of different parameters on the non-dimensional frequencies.

  15. 'You'll See That Everywhere': Institutional Isomorphism in Secondary School Subject Departments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puttick, Steven

    2017-01-01

    This paper asks why spatially separated school departments might exhibit, in different ways, very similar practices. Data from an ethnographic study of three secondary school geography departments in England are discussed through a concept of "isomorphism" (homogenising forces), drawn from neo-institutional theory. Similarities across…

  16. 32 CFR 37.1305 - Institution of higher education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Institution of higher education. 37.1305 Section... Institution of higher education. An educational institution that: (a) Meets the criteria in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); and (b) Is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular A-110...

  17. Preconditioner Updates for Solving Sequences of Linear Systems in Matrix-Free Environment

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Duintjer Tebbens, Jurjen; Tůma, Miroslav

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 17, č. 6 (2010), s. 997-1019 ISSN 1070-5325 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100300802; GA AV ČR KJB100300703 Grant - others:GA AV ČR(CZ) M100300902 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Source of funding: I - inštitucionálna podpora na rozvoj VO Keywords : preconditioned iterative methods * matrix-free environment * factorization updates * inexact Newton-Krylov methods * incomplete factorizations Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.163, year: 2010

  18. The Institutional Investors and Corporate Governance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niculae Feleaga

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available The years between 1990-2000 represented the rising power period for the institutional investors, especially within the developed countries. In the Anglo-Saxon environment, such a growth significantly modified the structure of companies’ shareholder frameworks. The development and the institutionalization of the stock exchange market determined the companies’ bonds to be more concentrated within the hands of the financial institutions, which have a superior economic expertise, rather than do the natural persons when saving. In order to diminish the informational lack of symmetry, between the company’s leaders and its shareholders, and for influencing the leaders in managing the enterprise – with the purpose of maximizing value – some institutional investors tried to implement an external control system. Therefore, they formulated new corporate governance procedures. The development of the institutional investors is part of a reform movement targeted towards the macro-financial environment. That is why, two important elements deserve to be mentioned: the households’ financial patrimonies and the structure of the financing frameworks. The institutional investors are essentially the mutual funds, the insurance companies and the pension funds, and therefore they manage considerable amounts of capital (in thousands of billions of dollars within the assembly of OCDE countries.

  19. The Institutional Investors and Corporate Governance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niculae Feleaga

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available The years between 1990-2000 represented the rising power period for the institutional investors, especially within the developed countries. In the Anglo-Saxon environment, such a growth significantly modified the structure of companies’ shareholder frameworks. The development and the institutionalization of the stock exchange market determined the companies’ bonds to be more concentrated within the hands of the financial institutions, which have a superior economic expertise, rather than do the natural persons when saving. In order to diminish the informational lack of symmetry, between the company’s leaders and its shareholders, and for influencing the leaders in managing the enterprise – with the purpose of maximizing value – some institutional investors tried to implement an external control system. Therefore, they formulated new corporate governance procedures. The development of the institutional investors is part of a reform movement targeted towards the macro-financial environment. That is why, two important elements deserve to be mentioned: the households’ financial patrimonies and the structure of the financing frameworks. The institutional investors are essentially the mutual funds, the insurance companies and the pension funds, and therefore they manage considerable amounts of capital (in thousands of billions of dollars within the assembly of OCDE countries.

  20. The institutional cooperation of probation officers for adults as a part of supervision of the condemned

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrzej Świerczek

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This text is the observation of the adult’s probation officer about institutional cooperation done as pa part of actions he made. The author presents the subject and the object of the actions of probation officers. He also discusses the actions that are necessary for the rehabilitation process to be effective. Presents duties of the probation officers. Shows the current legal instruments and routines established according to the civil code.By means of duties such as inspection, education, motivation and also diagnostical, verifying, disciplinary and penal actions, the author points at subjects that are necessary for the help to be effective. The tasks, that are done during rehabilitation process and social readaptation of the supervised, are conscious and intentional actions of the probation officers. They are done by means of attaining the subjectivity and individuality of the supervised. They are also adequate to their perceptual, intellectual and mental abilities. The author emphasized the fact that rehabilitation process would not be possible without the cooperation with other institutions as it would contradict the general and fundamental rules of the probation process. The cooperation, that is done in an open environment, is inseparable and integral aspect of educational-rehabilitation work.

  1. Netherlands Interuniversity Reactor Institut

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-01-01

    This is the annual report of the Interuniversity Reactor Institute in the Netherlands for the Academic Year 1977-78. Activities of the general committee, the daily committee and the scientific advice board are presented. Detailed reports of the scientific studies performed are given under five subjects - radiation physics, reactor physics, radiation chemistry, radiochemistry and radiation hygiene and dosimetry. Summarised reports of the various industrial groups are also presented. Training and education, publications and reports, courses, visits and cooperation with other institutes in the area of scientific research are mentioned. (C.F.)

  2. Environment Playing Short-handed: Margin of Appreciation in Environmental Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Müllerová, Hana

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 24, č. 1 (2015), s. 83-92 ISSN 2050-0394 Grant - others:Rada Programu interní podpory projektů mezinárodní spolupráce AV ČR(CZ) M300681201 Program:M Institutional support: RVO:68378122 Keywords : European Court of Human Rights * margin of appreciation * environment Subject RIV: AG - Legal Sciences http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/reel.12101/epdf

  3. Is there a chilly climate? An educational environmental mixed method study in a chiropractic training institution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmgren, Per J; Chandratilake, Madawa; Nilsson, Gunnar H; Laksov, Klara Bolander

    2013-01-01

    The attitude towards gender in an educational environment has a significant impact on a student's behavior, sense of well-being, and academic performance. Our study aimed to explore the presence and extent of gender-related issues in a chiropractic undergraduate learning environment, which has been a scarcely researched topic in the literature. The Perceived Chilly Climate Scale (PCCS) was used as the initial tool for screening the gender issues among undergraduates. The issues identified were explored further with a series of focus group interviews. The PCCS had an 83% response rate. The PCCS score (105/196) indicated the nonexistence of alarming gender-related issues. However, the PCCS score was significantly higher among female than male subjects, immigrants than nonimmigrants, and minorities than majority ethnic groups. Despite high ratings on the questionnaire quantitative findings, the focus groups indicated a good sense of equality, oppression-free environment, and no obvious signs of discrimination. The educational environment of the institution concerned was conducive to equality. However, subtle but important gender-, ethnic-, and minority-related issues could be addressed to provide an enhanced educational environment to learners.

  4. The Anatomy of Subjective Well-being

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Praag, van B.M.S.; Frijters, P.; Ferrer-i-Carbonell, A.

    2002-01-01

    This paper contributes to the literature on Subjective Well-Being by taking into account different aspects of life, called domains, such as health, financial situation, job, leisure, housing, and environment. We postulate a two-Iayer model where individual total Subjective Well-Being depends on the

  5. Can Human Subject Pool Participation Benefit Sociology Students?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chin, Lynn Gencianeo; Gibbs Stayte, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    Instructors at non-research institutions are less able to expose their students to research firsthand. Utilizing human subject pools (HSPs) in class may be a solution. Given that HSPs tend to be used in introduction to psychology classes at research institutions, we examine a community college HSP to answer three questions: (1) Do community…

  6. Efficiency of flexible budgetary institutions

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bowen, R. T.; Chen, Y.; Eraslan, H.; Zápal, Jan

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 167, January (2017), s. 148-176 ISSN 0022-0531 Institutional support: RVO:67985998 Keywords : budget negotiations * mandatory spending * discretionary spending Subject RIV: AH - Economic s OBOR OECD: Economic Theory Impact factor: 1.147, year: 2016

  7. Safety-related subject fields, institutions, associations, inspection boards and authorities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cebulla, E.

    1986-01-01

    The chapter outlines the various branches of industry where safety plays an important role, adapting the scheme applied by the Federal German Labour Office. The various sections of this chapter deal with legal provisions and relevant institutions, with natural and man-made hazards, with industrial systems requiring inspection and surveillance, with agriculture and forestry including animal husbandry, with manufacturing branches, the building industry, traffic and transport, with the services sector, househoulds, leisure and sports, and with establishments and activities where the handling of radioactive substances is a major source of hazards (e.g. in the medical field, for which a particularly extensive literature index is given). Aspects of power supply industries and water pollution prevention are discussed where appropriate. (DG) [de

  8. Efficiency of flexible budgetary institutions

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bowen, R. T.; Chen, Y.; Eraslan, H.; Zápal, Jan

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 167, January (2017), s. 148-176 ISSN 0022-0531 Institutional support: Progres-Q24 Keywords : budget negotiations * mandatory spending * discretionary spending Subject RIV: AH - Economic s OBOR OECD: Economic Theory Impact factor: 1.147, year: 2016

  9. Institutions and Outward Foreign Direct Investment2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klimek Artur

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the influence of the quality of a host country’s institutional environment on outflows from that country of foreign direct investment. The main finding of this paper is that such quality does play an important role, particularly with respect to governance quality and political stability. This implies that better institutional conditions may reduce undesirable outflows of capital, and the quality of those institutions may impact FDI effectiveness in host countries.

  10. Influence of living environment and subjective economic hardship on new-onset of low back pain for survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yabe, Yutaka; Hagiwara, Yoshihiro; Sekiguchi, Takuya; Sugawara, Yumi; Sato, Mari; Kanazawa, Kenji; Koide, Masashi; Itaya, Nobuyuki; Tsuchiya, Masahiro; Tsuji, Ichiro; Itoi, Eiji

    2017-01-01

    The Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami devastated the northeastern part of Japan. Low back pain is thought to increase after a natural disaster and is related to various factors. The aim of this study was to examine the influencing factors of "Living environment" and "Subjective economic hardship" on new-onset of low back pain in the chronic phase for the survivors of the earthquake evaluated by a self-report questionnaire. A panel study was conducted with the Great East Japan Earthquake survivors at 2 and 3 years after the disaster. New-onset of low back pain was defined as low back pain absent at the 1st period (2 years after the earthquake) and present at the 2nd period (3 years after the earthquake). Living environment was divided into 4 categories (1. Living in the same house as before the earthquake, 2. Living in a prefabricated house, 3. Living in a new house, 4. Others: Living in an apartment, house of relatives or acquaintance). Subjective economic hardship was obtained using the following self-report question: "How do you feel about the current economic situation of your household?" The response alternatives were "Normal", "A little bit hard", "Hard", and "Very hard". A univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used. 1357 survivors consented to join this study. There was no significant association between new-onset of low back pain and living environment. There was significant association between new-onset of low back pain and "A little hard" (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.07-2.40), "Hard" (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.56-3.74), and "Very hard" (OR = 3.19, 95% CI = 1.84-5.53) in subjective economic hardship. Subjective economic hardship was significantly associated with new-onset of low back pain in the chronic phase for survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Creating Institutional Space for Business Model Innovation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheets, Robert; Crawford, Stephen

    2013-01-01

    From college campuses to the halls of Congress, there is broad agreement that higher education is experiencing a major wave of innovation. This article holds that the changes are significant, but that the resulting threats to existing institutions are manageable if key leaders understand them and if institutions adapt to the new environment. The…

  12. Green energy. Biomass fuels and the environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    maximizing their positive ones. The study was undertaken for UNEP by the Beijer Institute in Stockholm (now the Stockholm Environment Institute) during 1988-90. The results have been published as a joint UNEP/Stockholm Environment Institute publication, Bioenergy and the Environment, by Westview Press. This volume is intended for professionals in the field, such as those working in environmental management and energy planning, and to aid decision makers charged with assessing the impacts of alternative energy systems. This booklet - Green Energy: biomass and the environment - is a popular version of the technical study and is based largely, though not exclusively, on it. It is intended primarily for those who have a special interest in the subject but who do not have any professional background in the area. It is hoped that members of the general public, and of schools and universities, will also find it timely and useful

  13. Factors affecting the 27K DNA methylation pattern in asthmatic and healthy children from locations with various environments

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Rössnerová, Andrea; Tulupová, Elena; Tabashidze, Nana; Schmuczerová, Jana; Dostál, Miroslav; Rössner ml., Pavel; Gmuender, H.; Šrám, Radim

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 741-742, January (2013), s. 18-26 ISSN 0027-5107 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP503/11/0084; GA ČR GA13-13458S; GA MŽP(CZ) SP/1B3/8/08 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : 27K BeadChip * air pollution * bronchial asthma Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 4.440, year: 2013

  14. Marketing activities of higher education institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Varađanin Vladimir

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Public sector marketing is a modern-day scientific discipline which is getting more and more attention. Institutions of higher education provide a specific kind of services to their users, which makes these institutions a part of the public sector. Due to dynamic changes in the environment, the demands and needs of higher education institution's users change, which makes it necessary to monitor these changes through certain marketing activities and adjust to them in order to satisfy the users' needs. Each higher education institution sets its own goals which, broadly speaking, are to meet their own needs, the needs of students and the society as a whole. Therefore, when formulating a strategy for achieving the objectives of higher education institutions, it is necessary to have timely information from the environment. The modern approach to business puts forward the service users' needs. When it comes to institutions of higher education, the users are primarily students, who thus get the most attention. Keeping this in mind, we have conducted a research among students in order to identify the choice factors influencing their higher education institution selection process. The results obtained should provide guidelines for creating an adequate marketing mix in order to gain competitive advantage on the market for higher education. In the research descriptive and comparative methods were used. In the practical part of the research, survey technique was applied by means of a non-standardized questionnaire. The research results imply that the analysis of the factors influencing the process of selecting the higher education institution enables the creation of an adequate combination of instruments in a marketing mix which can then be used as an instrument for gaining competitive advantage.

  15. LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES FOR STUDENTS IN THE CLOUD ORIENTED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svitlana G. Lytvynova

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper analyzes the «flipped» learning and «Web Quest» technologies. The features of the «flipped» learning technology are generalized, as well as compared with traditional learning, clarified the benefits of the technology for teachers and students, described the features of the technology used by teacher and students, developed a teacher’s and student’s flow chart for preparation to the lesson, generalized control and motivation components for activating learning activities of students, found out that a component of cloud oriented learning environment (COLE – Lync (Skype Pro can be used to develop video clips and support «flipped» learning technology. The author defines the concept of «Web Quest» technology, generalizes the «Web Quest» structure components. In the article the functions, features of this technology, the types of problems that can be solved with the help of this technology, as well as «Web Quest» classification are presented. It has been found out that the cloud oriented learning environment gives all the possibilities for «Web Quest» technology implementation in teaching of different subjects of all branches of science. With the help of «flipped» technology training and «Web Quest» a number of important problems of education can be solved – providing the continuous communication intensive training beyond general educational establishment and activation of learning activities of students.

  16. Institutional Change and Firm Adaptation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. Carney (Michael); E.R. Gedajlovic (Eric)

    2001-01-01

    textabstractWe develop a typology of organizational forms found in Southeast Asia that contains four major archetypes, Colonial Business Groups, Family Business Groups, Government Linked Enterprises, and New Managers. We explain how the institutional environment prevailing at their founding

  17. Institutional discourses and ascribed disability identities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mukta Kulkarni

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available In the present study we asked: how do institutional discourses, as represented in mass media such as newspapers, confer identities upon a traditionally marginalised collective such as those with a disability? To answer our question, we examined Indian newspaper discourse from 2001 to 2010, the time period between two census counts. We observed that disability identities—that of a welfare recipient, a collective with human rights, a collective that is vulnerable, and that engages in miscreancy—were ascribed through selective highlighting of certain aspects of the collective, thereby socially positioning the collective, and through the associated signalling of institutional subject positions. Present observations indicate that identities of a collective can be governed by institutional discourse, that those “labelled” can themselves reinforce institutionally ascribed identities, and that as institutional discourses confer identities onto the marginalised, they simultaneously also signal who the relatively more powerful institutional actors are.

  18. Forming a positive image of a scientific institution in the social environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roman M. Kachalov

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective to determine study and systematize methods of forming and maintaining an attractive brand of a Humanities research organizations under the present conditions in Russia. Methods abstractlogical. Results the article analyzes the value of information on scientific research results and the mechanisms of its propagation under the conditions of reducing the financing of scientific organizations. The problem is establishing relationships of Humanities research organizations with potential users. It is shown that the solution to this problem may be found in the formation of a positive image of a research organization in the form of a brand that can ensure effective dissemination of information about the achievements of the research organizations and possible ways of their commercial applications in the practical work of production and educational institutions. The article studies the approaches to definition of a research organization brand including the notions of authority and reputation based on them the authorrsquos approach to this term is formulated. It is shown that a significant role in the formation of the brand is played by infocommunicational environment which is a necessary condition for the formation of the positive image of a research organization. The concept of target audience of a research organization is defined its segmentation is carried out into several groups according to types of interaction types of cooperation and the expected results of partnership. The ways are identified to attract attention of the target audience as well as the principles of interaction with other research organizations and potential consumers of research results. Recommendations on brand development of a research organization are formulated on the basis of temporal and spatial approach. Scientific novelty the paper for the first time presents the structure of the target audience of the brand of a research organization in sociological and

  19. A Reinterpretation of Institutional Transformations in European Higher Education: Strategising Pluralistic Organisations in Multiplex Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frolich, Nicoline; Huisman, Jeroen; Slipersaeter, Stig; Stensaker, Bjorn; Botas, Paulo Charles Pimentel

    2013-01-01

    The paper draws on institutional theory with special attention to recent contributions that aim at developing its micro-foundations. We address the question of how individual higher education institutions deal with institutional pluralism. We develop an analytical framework inspired by institutional theory, the sensemaking perspective in…

  20. The Use Of Social Networking Sites For Learning In Institutions Of Higher Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mange Gladys Nkatha

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Institutions of higher learning are facing greater challenges to change and subjected to various transformations in the surrounding environment including technology. These challenge and motivate them to explore new ways to improve their teaching approaches. This study sought to investigate the use of social networking site in institutions of higher learning. To this end two objectives were formulated 1 to investigate the current state of the use of social networking sites by the students 2 investigate how social networking sites can be used to promote authentic learning in institutions of higher learning. The study adopted exploratory approach using descriptive survey design where a sample of 10 67 students were picked from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology JKUAT main campus. The findings indicate the use of social networking sites is a viable option as the students are not only members of social networking sites but also that majority have access to the requisite technological devices. Additionally recommendations for ensuring authentic learning were presented. The researcher recommends the exploration of the leveraging of the existing social networking sites for learning in conjunction with key stakeholders.

  1. List of U.S. Army Research Institute Research and Technical Publications for Public Release/Unlimited Distribution. Fiscal Year 2007 (October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007) With Author Index and Report Titles and Subject Terms Index

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-04-01

    Year 2007 October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007 With Author Index and Report Titles and Subject Terms Index United States Army Research Institute for...Fiscal Year 2007 October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007 With Author Index and Report Titles and Subject Terms Index CONTENTS Page Introduction...39 Author Index .................................................................................................................. 39

  2. Differences between the spectra of respiratory illnesses in children living in urban and rural environments

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dostál, Miroslav; Průcha, M.; Rychlíková, E.; Pastorková, Anna; Šrám, Radim

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 22, č. 1 (2014), s. 3-11 ISSN 1210-7778 R&D Projects: GA MŽP SL/5/160/05; GA MŽP SL/740/5/03; GA MŽP 1C/5/6/04; GA MŽP(CZ) SP/1B3/8/08; GA MŽP SI/340/2/00 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : allergic rhinitis * children * respiratory morbidity Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 0.533, year: 2014

  3. Beneficial effects of multisensory and cognitive stimulation on age-related cognitive decline in long-term-care institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliveira TCG

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Thaís Cristina Galdino De Oliveira,1 Fernanda Cabral Soares,1 Liliane Dias E Dias De Macedo,1 Domingos Luiz Wanderley Picanço Diniz,1 Natáli Valim Oliver Bento-Torres,1,2 Cristovam Wanderley Picanço-Diniz1 1Laboratory of Investigations in Neurodgeneration and Infection, Biological Sciences Institute, University Hospital João de Barros Barreto, 2College of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil Abstract: The aim of the present report was to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of multisensory and cognitive stimulation on improving cognition in elderly persons living in long-term-care institutions (institutionalized [I] or in communities with their families (noninstitutionalized [NI]. We compared neuropsychological performance using language and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE test scores before and after 24 and 48 stimulation sessions. The two groups were matched by age and years of schooling. Small groups of ten or fewer volunteers underwent the stimulation program, twice a week, over 6 months (48 sessions in total. Sessions were based on language and memory exercises, as well as visual, olfactory, auditory, and ludic stimulation, including music, singing, and dance. Both groups were assessed at the beginning (before stimulation, in the middle (after 24 sessions, and at the end (after 48 sessions of the stimulation program. Although the NI group showed higher performance in all tasks in all time windows compared with I subjects, both groups improved their performance after stimulation. In addition, the improvement was significantly higher in the I group than the NI group. Language tests seem to be more efficient than the MMSE to detect early changes in cognitive status. The results suggest the impoverished environment of long-term-care institutions may contribute to lower cognitive scores before stimulation and the higher improvement rate of this group after stimulation. In conclusion

  4. Quantifying the Workload of Subject Bibliographers in Collection Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metz, Paul

    1991-01-01

    Discussion of the role of subject bibliographers in collection development activities focuses on an approach developed at Virginia Polytechnic and State Institute to provide a formula for estimating the collection development workload of subject bibliographers. Workload standards and matrix models of organizational structures are discussed, and…

  5. The Lived Environment Life Quality Model for institutionalized people with dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Wendy; Lampe, Jenna L; Logan, Christina A; Metcalfe, Amy R; Hoesly, Beth E

    2017-02-01

    There is a need for a conceptual practice model that explicates ecological complexities involved in using occupation to optimize the quality of life of institutionalized people with dementia. This study aimed to prepare the Lived Environment Life Quality Model, a dementia-specific conceptual practice model of occupational therapy in institutional facilities, for publication and application to practice. Interviews and focus groups with six expert occupational therapists were subjected to qualitative content analysis to confirm, disconfirm, and further develop the model. The model's lived-environment domain as the focus of assessment and intervention was extensively confirmed, and its quality-of-life domain as the focus of intervention goals and outcomes was both confirmed and further developed. As confirmed in this study, the Lived Environment Life Quality Model is a client-centred, ecologically valid, and occupation-focused guide to optimizing quality of life of institutionalized adults with dementia in present moments and progressively over time.

  6. Radioactivity of marine environment: pr occupations of the Romanian Institute of Marine Research at Constanta (1977-1995)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bologa, Al.A.; Patrascu, V.

    1996-01-01

    A nuclear laboratory installed in the frame of Romanian Institute of Marine Research has been initially charged with the study of primary plankton productivity as a basic element of bio-productivity using the C-14 method. The results contributed with significant data to complete the ecological picture of the marine environment regarding particularly the nutrient basis of living resources. The laboratory developed its activities by a systematic space-time monitoring of the marine radioactivity making use of a large network of measuring stations extended from Danube mouths through the southern limit of Romanian seashore and occasionally offshore up to 90 miles. Currently, global beta measurements, radiochemical determinations (for Sr-90 for instance) and high resolution gamma spectroscopic measurements (especially on K-40, Cs-134, and Cs-137) are carried out. At the end of 199 a tritium determination chain has been installed to monitor continuously the environment from around Cernavoda NPP across the Dobrogea up to the sea shore. These measurements and studies were made under technical co-operation contracts with IAEA and other national or international organisations while the results were incorporated in two important documents: 'Global Inventory of Radioactivity of Mediterranean Sea (CIESEM/GIRMED)' and 'A Global Data Base of Marine Radioactivity (IAEA/GLOMARD)'

  7. Paradigms for Assessment of Organizational Climate in a Public Research Institute

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Luiz Knupp Rodrigues

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to identify the factors relevant to assessment of organizational climate of a Public Institute for Research in the area of C&T, with headquarters located in Vale do Paraiba Paulista considering their specific characteristics and the perception of its employers for the characteristics of this work environment. This is a quantitative, exploratory descriptive, taking the form of survey. The Institution research participant has 1.075 active employers and the sample used in data collection were 149 respondents in which a questionnaire was administered, whose data were statistically analyzed. It was found the stability of the instrument through Cronbach's Alpha Test, which indicated the reliability of the survey responses and the tests Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin – KMO and Bartlett’s Sphericity indicated that the factor analysis could be used in this mass data. The technique of factor analysis was applied and the results showed that 10 clusters of issues/indicators are suitable for this study. After analyzing the clusters were identified the following factors as relevant for climate study: Identity and Security, Autonomy, Achievement and Satisfaction with Work, Professional Development, Commitment and Teamwork, Leadership, Salary, Interaction, and Satisfaction with Institution Organizational Structure. This work reached its goal and its outcome encourages further studies on the subject, and provides subsidies for the development of a tool to search appropriate to the specific organizational climate of the institution concerned.

  8. THE EVOLUTION OF FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT THEORIES: HOW CAN INSTITUTIONS RELATE?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zsuzsanna Bényei

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Theories of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI have evolved over the past few decades. There are theories which try to explain the motivation behind investments, and there are others to explain why companies go abroad. To understand the motivations of firms in today’s economic environment, we have to trace the evolution of these theories. At first, researchers tried to explain capital movements with trade theories. However, because of the strict conditionality, they only explained a small part of FDI. To extend the validity of the models, researchers started to examine investments from the firms’ point of view. The models evolved from Vernon’s product life cycle model, through Hymer’s monopolistic advantage model, to Dunning’s eclectic theory. These firm-based theories highlighted the importance of entrepreneurs. Dunning’s theory includes the statements which featured in previous models. We can find monopolistic advantage, localization and internalization models in this argument. This study is an attempt to relate the issue of FDI to institutions. There is a rapidly growing literature on the subject of new institutional economics, which indicates that the effect of institutions can appear in any economic situation. These effects can be shown in Dunning’s theory, too. The consensus view seems to be that institutions play a significant role in ownership, in localization and in internalization advantages. Consequently, we can find them in the other models, too. The purpose of this paper is to ident

  9. A middle evaluation report on R and D subjects in fiscal year 2000. Evaluation subject: 'investigation on actualization strategy of fast breeder reactor cycle'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-08-01

    The Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) consulted the titled middle evaluation to the Subject Evaluation Committee (SEC) according to the Schematic indication on practice procedure of evaluation common to the generalized national R and D' and so on. By receiving the consult, SEC on wastes treatment and disposal carried out evaluation of this subject on basis of documents proposed from JNC and discussions at SEC according to an evaluation procedure determined by SEC. This subject was already investigated at the third group on establishment of long term program on new nuclear energy and concluded its promotion, it can be said that aim and meaning of its R and D is clear. And, at a viewpoint of middle- and long-term business program of JNC, it can also be positioned to be at an important mission. In order to carry out flexible response to versatile needs in future for giving a meaning of development strategy of fast breeder reactor (FBR) cycle, under full understanding of variability of a promise condition for the aim and meaning of this research such as environment around development of FBR cycle development, R nad D of the program must be promoted. In this program picking-out of every subject and research program are adequately promoted to be enough evaluated for the middle results. Here was summarized by the evaluation results with documents proposed by JNC. As a result of the evaluation, it was shown that as general directionality of this program was judged to be valid. (G.K.)

  10. Reflexivity, mediations and education. The subject and the interaction with audiovisual screens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan David Zabala Sandoval

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Thinking about massive media is a task that should opt for a complex conception of its effects. Also, the importance in the process of constitution of the subject in their social environment. Specially, television that is a source of particular and group ways of seeing in the world and being part of it. Which at the same time, allows us to look back on it, giving rise to processes of identification and construction of social and daily realities. As well as, deal with the world from basic socialization processes in the education of subjects and subjectivities. Thus, it is interesting to understand, the interaction between the subject and the television screen from the critical approach of reception that proposes to understand the interaction of diverse institutional, situational and contextual mediations that make possible to understand the reception as a changing process. Process in which the subject is active, who negotiates senses, positions, values, and perceptions with the massive media of communication. Therefore, it is a way to study educational processes, reflection, and social construction of realities, which purpose is not only to prohibit the media consumption or think of massive media as products sections while alienating reality; but also, the intention is to perceive that television, as massive media, is a fundamental part of the current socializing process; thus, it is necessary, to propose alternative forms in order to understand the structure/production of the subject, as well as other forms of reading and interact with these commercial and educational contents.

  11. Developing and implementing institutional controls for ground water remediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ulland, L.M.; Cooper, M.G.

    1995-01-01

    The US DOE has initiated its Ground Water Project as the second phase of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project authorized under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA). In the Ground Water Project, the DOE must reduce risk from ground water contaminated by uranium mill processing activities at 24 inactive processing sites by meeting the US EPA standards. The UMTRCA also requires consistency with federal statutes such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The use of institutional controls to reduce risk from contaminated ground water is one element of compliance with standards and the protection of public health and the environment. Institutional controls are active or passive measures that reduce exposure to risks by preventing intrusion or restricting direct access to an area, or restricting access to the contamination through secondary means. Because of inconsistent regulations and multi-party authorities for ground water management, the key to selecting and implementing effective institutional controls lies with developing a consensus between the parties responsible for ground water remediation; those with authority to implement, monitor, and maintain institutional controls; and those facing the risks from contaminated ground water. These parties must develop a consensus for an institutional control program that meets minimum regulatory requirements and protects public health and the environment. Developing consensus and implementing a successful institutional controls program was achieved by the DOE during the cleanup of uranium mill tailings. An effective institutional controls program can also be developed to protect against risks from contaminated ground water. Consensus building and information transmission are the critical elements of an institutional control program that protects human health and the environment from risks associated with ground water contamination

  12. A study of institutional environment and household food security at ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study looked into the current scenario of food security in Rwanda. After analysing the national level institutional and food security scenarios by using available secondary data, the researchers used primary data that have been collected from a random sample of 200 households spreading over six sectors of the Huye ...

  13. Hahn-Meitner-Institute. Annual report 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The institute's activities comprised a wide range of different fields of research in the recent years. This annual report gives a survey of the diverse research results of 1991. The targets of the 14 research programs (nuclear physics, photochemical energy conversion, structure research, information technology) are briefly described. Lists are given of the subjects treated and of the relevant publications and lectures. Some selected subjects are discussed. (orig./BBR) [de

  14. Local cases of institutional entrepreneurship:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gretzinger, Susanne; Leick, Birgit

    2018-01-01

    Population ageing and population decline are two contemporary phenomena that imply a tremendous transformation of local markets across many European regions and challenge their economic growth and development in the longer run. In such contexts of market change and, perhaps, crisis, institutional...... agendas and frameworks (including the institutionalised practices used in the local economy) can be stabilising anchors for the strategic planning of firms and public organisations. However, demographic challenges will also put a strain on these institutions that become subject to change themselves...... to support the local economy in coping with demographic challenges....

  15. Resource area environment/energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    The document comprises a detailed analysis of the business economics of resources related to energy and the environment. Non-domestic and domestic conditions influencing the business economics of this subject area, its infrastructure, problems and future perspectives are dealt with. Tables (amongst other forms of information) indicate the turnover, exports, and numbers of involved employees, workplaces and firms involved in supply, general production, consultancy and production connected with the building sector. The energy sector is the most significant in this respect, giving 30,000 employed (18% in state institutions), a turnover of 63 billion Danish kroner, and with an export of 16 billion Danish kroner. The environmental sector employs 15,000 (29% in the public sector), the total turnover is 20 billion Danish kroner and of this 3 billion Danish kroner is related to export. Many firms are relatively small. A number of firms could compete internationally and this number is growing. (AB) (79 refs.)

  16. Cluster Policy in the Light of Institutional Context—A Comparative Study of Transition Countries

    OpenAIRE

    Tine Lehmann; Maximilian Benner

    2015-01-01

    The business environment in transition countries is often extraordinarily challenging for companies. The transition process these countries find themselves in leads to constant changes in the institutional environment. Hence, institutional voids prevail. These institutional voids cause competitive disadvantages for small and medium enterprises. Cluster policy can address these competitive disadvantages. As cluster policy generally aims at supporting companies’ competitive advantage by spurrin...

  17. Guidelines for an environmental code of ethics for research institutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gardusi, Claudia; Aquino, Afonso Rodrigues de

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to reflect about actions that may contribute to the creation of mechanisms to protect the environment in the development of research projects at research institutions, specifically the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute - IPEN. A brief review of part of the ethical values applied to the process of scientific development during the old, medieval and modern periods is presented, showing the split of the nature ethical principles. It is also reported an overview of the creation of codes of ethics applied to research institutions. Moreover, criteria are presented to settle guidelines to protect the environment during the development of research projects. (author)

  18. Limits to the introduction of market institutions in a sector of income; Les limites a l'introduction des institutions de marche dans un secteur de rente

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Locatelli, C.; Finon, D. [Laboratoire d' Economie de la Production et de l' Integration Internationale, Departement Energie et Politiques de l' Environnement (LEPII/EPE), UPMF, 38 - Grenoble (France)

    2003-07-01

    This article uses an empirical study to test the validity of the liberal approach of market transition. The example chosen is the reform (privatization) of the Russian hydrocarbons industry. This case has been chosen because it represents an extreme case of inadequateness of the measures preconized by the Washington consensus with respect to the institutional environment. It represents also a typical case of opportunistic adaptation of the behaviour of private and government actors to the rough enforcement of market institutions to a very specific institutional environment. The inadequateness of these institutions with the initial informal institutions has led to adaptations totally dependent of the institutional path with the necessity of preserving a minimum inter-industrial consistency. On the other hand, it seems that the uncertainty about the property rights in general is tightly correlated with the abundance of exploitable and exportable natural resources. (J.S.)

  19. Institutional ethnography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, Rebecca; Tienari, Janne

    2016-01-01

    The study of M&As is dominated by positivist and functionalist world views and the use of quantitative methods. Although extant research also uses qualitative and mixed methods, it can be criticized for viewing its subject matter through an abstract and external lens. The researcher is placed in ......, and point to some of the problems in M&A studies identified through this lens. Finally, we argue why institutional ethnography, in comparison with other methods of inquiry, is particularly fruitful in the study of mergers and acquisitions....

  20. The Influence of Functional Fitness and Cognitive Training of Physical Disabilities of Institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I-Chen Yeh

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available According to an investigation done by Taiwan Ministry of the Interior in 2013, there was more than 90% of the disability care institutions mainly based on life care. Previous studies have shown that individuals can effectively improve physical and cognitive training, improved in independent living and everyday competence. The purpose of the study was to investigate influence of the intervention program applying functional fitness and cognitive training to disabled residents in the institution. The subjects were disabled persons of a care institution in southern Taiwan and were randomly divided into training and control groups, both having 17 subjects. The age of the subjects was between 56 and 98 years with a mean age of 79.08 ± 10.04 years; the subjects of training group implemented 12 weeks of training on physical and cognitive training, while the control group subjects did not have any training program. The results revealed that subjects of the training group have significantly improved their functional shoulder rotation flexibility of left and right anterior hip muscle group flexibility of right, sitting functional balance of left and right, naming, attention, delayed recall, orientation, and Montreal cognitive assessment (MOCA. The study suggested developing physical fitness programs and physical and cognitive prescriptions for the disabled people of the institutions.

  1. Psychology's dilemma: An institutional neurosis?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Katzko, M.W.

    2004-01-01

    The term psychology refers both to an institutional discipline and to a subject matter. Henriques, in his article "Psychology Defined" (this issue) , emphasizes the second reference, and its focus can be sharpened by taking into account the first reference. On the one hand, epistemic progress in

  2. The Role of Physical Therapists in Living Environment Maintenance of the Home-bound Elderly Disabled.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takemasa, Seiichi; Abe, Yoko; Nagao, Toru; Murakami, Masahito; Koeda, Hideki; Naruse, Susumu; Gotou, Makoto; Uesugi, Masayuki; Inoue, Yuri; Nanba, Yoshihumi

    2013-07-01

    [Purpose] This study explored the roles of physical therapists (PTs) in living environment maintenance, which is essential for living securely and stably at home, and examines how physical therapists can fulfill these roles more efficiently and effectively. [Subjects and Methods] A questionnaire on living environment maintenance was given to PTs working at randomly selected hospitals, health care facilities for the elderly requiring long-term care, home-visit nursing stations, and other such facilities and directly providing physical therapy to the home-bound elderly disabled. The subjects of the study were 77 PTs who returned valid responses. [Results] For awareness of systems for living environment maintenance, PTs were more aware of the system based on the Long-Term Care (LTC) Insurance Act than the system based on the Act on Welfare for the Home-Bound Elderly Disabled. PTs who have worked at two or more types of medical, welfare, and intermediate institutions were more aware of such systems than PTs who have worked at only one type. For PTs handling living environment maintenance for the home-bound elderly disabled, approximately 80% of respondents answered that they have handled some living environment maintenance, and PTs with longer clinical experience have handled more living environment maintenance cases. [Conclusion] The results demonstrated that PTs understand their living environment maintenance work well and handle the work. The results, however, also suggested that educational and operational improvements are urgently required for PTs handling living environment maintenance essential for the lives of the home-bound elderly disabled.

  3. Institutional pressures and marketing ethics initiatives: the focal role of organizational identity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Martin, K.D.; Johnson, J.L.; French, J.J.

    2011-01-01

    Institutional theory implies that normative societal expectations create pressures for organizations to respond acceptably to important institutional constituents. Although the role of the institutional environment on marketing has been studied, the organizational mechanisms by which firms respond

  4. Examining The Relationships between Attitude Towards Behaviour, Subjective Norms and Entrepreneurial Intention among Engineering Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saraih Ummi Naiemah

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationships between attitude towards behaviour, subjective norm and entrepreneurial intention among engineering students from Public Higher Educational Institution (PHEI in Malaysia. This research is carried out by using the quantitative method (questionnaire. Data are gathered from 345 respondents which consisted of the final year students from one PHEI in Malaysia. Results presented that entrepreneurial intention are positively associated with attitude towards behaviour (β=.62, p<.01 and subjective norm (β=.25, p<.01. Thus, it is confirmed that both factors of Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB, namely attitude towards behaviour and subjective norm are significantly related to entrepreneurial intention among the engineering students in this institution. Elevating the degree of attitude towards behaviour and subjective norm are the best strategies to enhance the level of entrepreneurial intention among the engineering students in this institution. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed. In this line, recommendations for the institution management are provided

  5. Subjective performance evaluations and employee careers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frederiksen, Anders; Lange, Fabian; Kriechell, Ben

    Firms commonly use supervisor evaluations to assess the performance of employees who work in complex environments. Doubts persist whether their subjective nature invalidates using these performance measures to learn about careers of individuals and to inform theory in personnel economics. We...... examine personnel data from six large companies and establish how subjective ratings, interpreted as ordinal rankings of employee performances within narrowly defined peer-groups, correlate with objective career outcomes. We find many similarities across firms in how subjective ratings correlate with base...

  6. Rationality, institutions and environmental policy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vatn, Arild [Department of Economics and Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas (Norway)

    2005-11-01

    This paper is about how institutions determine choices and the importance of this for environmental policy. The model of individual rational choice from neoclassical economics is compared with the model of socially determined behavior. While in the first case, institutions are either exempted from or understood as mere economizing constraints on behavior, the latter perspective views institutions as basic structures necessary also to enable people to act. The paper develops a way to integrate the individualistic model into the wider perspective of social constructivism by viewing it as a special form of such construction. On the basis of this synthesis three issues with relevance for environmental economics are discussed. First, the role of institutional factors in the process of preference formation is emphasized. Next, the role of institutions for the choice of desired states of the environment is analyzed. Finally, the effect of various policy instruments to motivate people to produce these states is discussed. It is concluded that the core policy issue is to determine which institutional frameworks are most reasonable to apply to which kind of problem. Issues, which from the perspective of neoclassical economics are pure technical, become serious value questions if understood from an institutional perspective.

  7. Environmental monitoring program of a nuclear research institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peixoto, Claudia Marques; Jacomino, Vanusa Maria Feliciano; Dias, Fabiana F.

    2009-01-01

    The main activities of the CDTN Research Institute are concentrated in the areas of reactors, materials, process engineering, the environment, health, radioprotection, radioactive waste, and applied physics. Its Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) began in 1985 with the objective of evaluating and controlling its installations' operating conditions as well as the impact on the neighboring environment caused by release of stable and radioactive elements. EMP's adequate planning and management resulted in obtaining an unique database that has generated information which have contributed to improving the credibility of nuclear and non-nuclear activities developed by the Center with the local community. Besides this, the data collection, study and continuous and systematic follow-up processes of environmental variables allowed the Center to be one of the Nation's pioneering research institutions in obtaining an Environmental Operating License from the Brazilian Environment and Natural Resources Institute (IBAMA). The objective of the present work is to present the experience acquired during the years, including a discussion about methodologies employed as well as the importance of using statistical evaluation tools in evaluating, interpreting, and controlling the quality of the results. Liquid effluent control and surface water monitoring results are also presented. (author)

  8. [The placement courses and the subjective quality of life of 6- to 11-year-old children living in child welfare institutions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacro, F; Rambaud, A; Humbert, C; Sellenet, C

    2015-10-01

    Besides diseases, the concept of quality of life is increasingly used to account for the consequences of other vulnerability situations that may be encountered by individuals, including young children. However, very few studies have examined children's perception of their quality of life in the context of child welfare and protection, and they yielded mixed results. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare the subjective quality of life of children placed in institution with that of children living in their families, by controlling for child sex, age, socioeconomic and familial status, and (2) to examine its relations with their placement course in the child welfare system. The sample of this study was composed of 56 children aged 6 to 11, 28 of which were placed in a child welfare institution. Information about the placement course of institutionalized children was given by their social workers and the quality of life of all participants was assessed with the AUQUEI questionnaire. This self-report, which is based on children's conception of their quality of life, allows assessment of four distinct dimensions in addition to the overall score: leisure, performances, relations and family life, and separation. According to the results, the quality of life of children placed in institutions did not differ from that of children living in their families. However, its perception was closely related to the placement course of institutionalized children in the child welfare system. Whereas maltreated children obtained lower overall and performance scores than their neglected peers, children placed in foster families before institution had a poorer perception of their quality of life in the domains of family life and separations. These results are interpreted in light of attachment research and theory. Indeed, the relations between children's quality of life and their placement course could be explained by their high level of attachment disorganization. Finally, the

  9. Modeling higher education attractiveness to stand global environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonel Cezar Rodrigues

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Inabilities to deal with the changing environment may lead Higher Education Institutions (HEI to loose institutional attractiveness. Digital transformation requires global insertion as essential feature to institutional attractiveness. Processes for international education seem to lack the links between real environmental trends and the internal capabilities to global education. HEI managers may approach endeavors to internationalize education combining ambidextrous strategy supported by consolidated resilience capabilities. The latest ones refer to building internal value attributes to increase institutional attractiveness assuring solid standing in the global environment. In this article, a theoretical essay, we approach the problem of creating resilience as a way of backing up ambidexterity to generate institutional attractiveness. The set of value attributes, on the other hand, may originate strategic routes to strengthen internal competences and to make the institution more attractive, as a dynamic capability.

  10. An Exploratory Approach of the Current Public Relations Framework in the Romanian University Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicoleta CRISTACHE

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The opportunity to study such a subject is granted by the need identified in Romanian universities to align to the standards of the international academic environment. As far as the Romanian university environment is concerned, public relations can be a valid strategic option since the communication resource exploitation processes are supported by university management by means of initiating and carrying out actions in which the interests of the institution and the principles of university ethics are harmoniously combined. The causal configurations presented in the results of the present study may represent a decision-making support for the public relations/communication managers who have the chance to understand how they can exploit the social media interactions in their strategies regarding university reputation development

  11. Students’ digital learning environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Caviglia, Francesco; Dalsgaard, Christian; Davidsen, Jacob

    2018-01-01

    The objective of the paper is to examine the nature of students’ digital learning environments to understand the interplay of institutional systems and tools that are managed by the students themselves. The paper is based on a study of 128 students’ digital learning environments. The objectives...... used tools in the students’ digital learning environments are Facebook, Google Drive, tools for taking notes, and institutional systems. Additionally, the study shows that the tools meet some very basic demands of the students in relation to collaboration, communication, and feedback. Finally...... of the study are 1) to provide an overview of tools for students’ study activities, 2) to identify the most used and most important tools for students and 3) to discover which activities the tools are used for. The empirical study reveals that the students have a varied use of digital media. Some of the most...

  12. Integrated Financial Supervision: an Institutional Perspective for the Philippines

    OpenAIRE

    Milo, Melanie S.

    2007-01-01

    This paper looks at the issue of reforming financial regulatory structures from the New Institutional Economics perspective. In particular, it examines how the broader institutional environment prevailing in developing countries like the Philippines may affect the institutional arrangements for financial regulation, and how these might be taken into consideration when designing or reforming financial regulatory structures. The paper argues that the state of financial conglomerates in the Phil...

  13. Institutional failures and transaction costs of Bulgarian "private research institutes". Kiel und Hamburg : ZBW – Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft.

    OpenAIRE

    Nozharov, Shteryo

    2016-01-01

    Abstract: The paper analyses the reasons for poor performance of private research institutes in Bulgaria. In this regard the Institutional Economics methods are used. A connection between smart growth policy goals and Bulgarian membership in EU is made. The gaps in the institutional environment are identified as well as measures for their elimination are proposed. The main accent of the study is put on the identification of transaction costs, arisen as a result of the failures of the institut...

  14. Subjective health complaints and psychosocial work environment among university personnel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moen, B E; Wieslander, G; Bakke, J V; Norbäck, D

    2013-01-01

    Questionnaires are often used to study health problems in working populations. An association between self-reported symptoms and psychosocial strain has been suggested, but results from such studies are difficult to interpret, as a gender difference might be present. The knowledge in this area is not clear. To compare the prevalence of subjective health symptoms and their relation to psychosocial work strain among men and women in different age groups, all working as university staff. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among university personnel. The questionnaire included a subjective health complaint inventory consisting of 29 items about subjective somatic and psychological symptoms experienced during the last 30 days and psychosocial work factors. Regression analyses were performed. In total, 172 (86%) of 201 eligible employees participated. Women had a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms than men. Significant differences were found between the genders for headaches, neck pain and arm pain. There was a significant relationship between musculoskeletal symptoms and work strain for both genders. This was found for both men and women below 40 years and among men above the age of 40. No significant difference was found between genders regarding pseudoneurological, gastrointestinal, allergic and flu-like symptoms. More female than male university personnel reported musculoskeletal symptoms. The musculoskeletal symptoms were associated with high work strain in both genders, but, for women, this was limited to employees under the age of 40. The cause of this gender difference is unknown.

  15. Students’ digital learning environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Caviglia, Francesco; Dalsgaard, Christian; Davidsen, Jacob

    2018-01-01

    of the study are 1) to provide an overview of tools for students’ study activities, 2) to identify the most used and most important tools for students and 3) to discover which activities the tools are used for. The empirical study reveals that the students have a varied use of digital media. Some of the most......, the study shows that most of the important tools are not related to the systems provided by the educational institutions. Based on the study, the paper concludes with a discussion of how institutional systems connect to the other tools in the students’ practices, and how we can qualify students’ digital......The objective of the paper is to examine the nature of students’ digital learning environments to understand the interplay of institutional systems and tools that are managed by the students themselves. The paper is based on a study of 128 students’ digital learning environments. The objectives...

  16. Scientific and technological activity in the National Institute of Nuclear Research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Escobar A, L.; Monroy G, F.; Morales R, P.; Romero H, S.

    2008-01-01

    The present book was published on the occasion of the 50 years of the existence of the Institute, from its creation in 1956 like National Commission of Nuclear Energy to 1979 that arises like National Institute of Nuclear Research. The objective of this publication is the one to leave a writing testimony of all the activities that are realized in the National Institute of Nuclear Research and an accessible language within the diverse subjects boarded. Referring subjects to the activities of nuclear physics, radiochemistry, research and development of materials, dosimetry, plasma physics, production of radiopharmaceuticals, tissue sterilization by radiation, food irradiation and other included. (Author)

  17. Medical students as human subjects in educational research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adina L. Kalet

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Special concerns often arise when medical students are themselves the subjects of education research. A recently completed large, multi-center randomized controlled trial of computer-assisted learning modules for surgical clerks provided the opportunity to explore the perceived level of risk of studies where medical students serve as human subjects by reporting on: 1 the response of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs at seven institutions to the same study protocol; and 2 the thoughts and feelings of students across study sites about being research subjects. Methods: From July 2009 to August 2010, all third-year medical students at seven collaborating institutions were eligible to participate. Patterns of IRB review of the same protocol were compared. Participation burden was calculated in terms of the time spent interacting with the modules. Focus groups were conducted with medical students at each site. Transcripts were coded by three independent reviewers and analyzed using Atlas.ti. Results: The IRBs at the seven participating institutions granted full (n=1, expedited (n=4, or exempt (n=2 review of the WISE Trial protocol. 995 (73% of those eligible consented to participate, and 207 (20% of these students completed all outcome measures. The average time to complete the computer modules and associated measures was 175 min. Common themes in focus groups with participant students included the desire to contribute to medical education research, the absence of coercion to consent, and the low-risk nature of the research. Discussion: Our findings demonstrate that risk assessment and the extent of review utilized for medical education research vary among IRBs. Despite variability in the perception of risk implied by differing IRB requirements, students themselves felt education research was low risk and did not consider themselves to be vulnerable. The vast majority of eligible medical students were willing to participate as research

  18. Investment Process in Romania and Institutional

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Marius VOICILAŞ

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The concepts set out and the macroeconomic policies implemented during the past twenty years have been different and controversial. They have aimed at creating an economic environment conducive to the infusion of foreign capital and development of sectors considered as a priority at that time, which can ensure a sound macro-economic stability, taking into account the fact that there is not enough domestic capital to participate in achieving these objectives. In this paper we will focus on foreign direct investment (FDI policies designed to promote them, their effects on national economy in general terms and features of investment in rural and agricultural sector, which we consider key elements of success in economic growth. Also, the institutional framework in which the investment process took place is thoroughly addressed given that most times the general investment climate of a certain market is influenced both by legislation and the institutions involved in economic life. The experience of transition and the experiences of other countries have shown how important are institutions created to coordinate, support and control of investment activity. We included in this analysis institutions and organizations in Romania with responsibilities in the investment field. Based on this analysis, and on the contributions of institutions to create the proper economic development, but also by investors' direct contribution to the creation of this framework by policy makers recommendations, it is obtained a profile of the business environment in Romania, including what is best but what is missing and it needs to be implemented. We consider that this approach is an important step in addressing the institutional investment process and it creates prerequisites of disseminating essential information and remedial implications to stakeholders.

  19. Foreign direct investment, institutional development, and environmental externalities: evidence from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Danny T; Chen, Wendy Y

    2014-03-15

    The question of how foreign direct investment (FDI) affects a host country's natural environment has generated much debate but little consensus. Building on an institution-based theory, this article examines how the institutional development of a host setting affects the degree of FDI-related environmental externalities in China (specifically, industrial sulfur dioxide emissions). With a panel data set of 287 Chinese cities, over the period 2002-2009, this study reveals that FDI in general induces negative environmental externalities. Investments from OECD countries increase sulfur dioxide emissions, whereas FDI from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan shows no significant effect. Institutional development reduces the impacts of FDI across the board. By focusing on the moderating role of institutions, this study sheds new light on the long-debated relationships among FDI, institutions, and the environments of the host countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Limits to the introduction of market institutions in a sector of income

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Locatelli, C.; Finon, D.

    2003-01-01

    This article uses an empirical study to test the validity of the liberal approach of market transition. The example chosen is the reform (privatization) of the Russian hydrocarbons industry. This case has been chosen because it represents an extreme case of inadequateness of the measures preconized by the Washington consensus with respect to the institutional environment. It represents also a typical case of opportunistic adaptation of the behaviour of private and government actors to the rough enforcement of market institutions to a very specific institutional environment. The inadequateness of these institutions with the initial informal institutions has led to adaptations totally dependent of the institutional path with the necessity of preserving a minimum inter-industrial consistency. On the other hand, it seems that the uncertainty about the property rights in general is tightly correlated with the abundance of exploitable and exportable natural resources. (J.S.)

  1. The Petascale Data Storage Institute

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gibson, Garth [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Long, Darrell [The Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States); Honeyman, Peter [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Grider, Gary [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Kramer, William [National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, Berkeley, CA (United States); Shalf, John [National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, Berkeley, CA (United States); Roth, Philip [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Felix, Evan [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Ward, Lee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2013-07-01

    Petascale computing infrastructures for scientific discovery make petascale demands on information storage capacity, performance, concurrency, reliability, availability, and manageability.The Petascale Data Storage Institute focuses on the data storage problems found in petascale scientific computing environments, with special attention to community issues such as interoperability, community buy-in, and shared tools.The Petascale Data Storage Institute is a collaboration between researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Michigan, and the University of California at Santa Cruz.

  2. Neo-Institutional Approach to the Study of Electronic Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan I. Vaslavskiy

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the neo-institutional approach as a methodological basis in the study of electronic government. In this article substantiates the choice of neo-institutional approach to the study of the processes of implementation of information and communication technologies in the activity of state institutions, analyzes the differences of neoinstitutionalism from traditional institutional approach, considers the features of the different directions of neo-institutionalism, namely sociological, historical and rational choice theory. Attention is paid to the reasons for the renewed interest in political institutions in political science. The article emphasizes the importance of considering the electronic government as an institution, and the conditions for its implementation in the Russian political system as the institutional environment. The authors pay special attention to the variety of sociological neo-institutionalism, used, in addition to political science in sociology of organizations. The article substantiates the value of using sociological institutionalism to explore the electronic government based on a comparative analysis of e-government projects in Russia and abroad and explores its heuristic capabilities. It examines the impact of the system of norms and values of the institutional environment on the processes of formation and development of electronic government in Russia. The research capacity of this theory is due to the fact that it allows us to trace the reasons for copying and replication of inefficient practices and organizational and management schemes, to identify the factors impeding innovation use by the state of electronic interaction technologies. It is emphasized that the use of the theory of institutional isomorphism is useful in the sphere of implementation of electronic technologies, in which a key role play pluralism, horizontal managerial communication, inter-agency coordination.

  3. How to Calculate Your Institution's Nitrogen Footprint ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Nitrogen Footprint Tool (NFT) allows institutions to estimate and manage their nitrogen footprint, and EPA’s Sustainable and Healthy Communities program is supporting an effort to test and expand this approach at multiple colleges, universities and institutions across the US. The growing awareness of sustainability has prompted many institutions of higher education to assess and manage their environmental impact. Many universities have programs to decrease their carbon footprint, but carbon represents just one facet of an institution’s environmental impact. Nitrogen is also important because a university’s nitrogen loss to the environment contributes to smog, soil acidification, eutrophication, biodiversity loss, the enhanced greenhouse effect, stratospheric ozone depletion, and more. The attached data template and user’s manual was based on the first NFT created for a university (University of Virginia), and tested in 6 additional institutions (including University of New Hampshire, Brown University, Eastern Mennonite University, Colorado State University). The footprint includes nitrogen released to the environment due to: 1) food consumption; 2) food production, reported by specific food categories (vegetable products, seafood, dairy and eggs, meat); 3) research animals; 4) transportation, including fleet vehicles and commuter vehicles; 5) fertilizer application; and 6) utilities, separated into electricity and heating. The data template and

  4. INNOVATIVE TEACHING IN ACCOUNTING SUBJECTS: ANALYSIS OF THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Lubbe

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Accounting students often have a negative attitude towards the subject andstruggle to understand core concepts of accounting standards. A large percentageof accounting students do not prepare for class and homework is either not doneor neglected. Many factors contributed to students struggling to prepare for classand complete homework assignments. The flipped classroom approach has grownat a rapid pace and was perceived very successful in many subjects. Little researchhas been done on the effectiveness of this approach for accounting students.Videos was created whereby accounting theory was explained and questions withexamples were given and explained. All contact sessions were transformed into anactive learning environment. During contact sessions, students were provided withquestions. Guidance was given with regards to the interpretation of a practicalcase study. Students had to analyze questions before feedback was provided tothem. Contact sessions commenced with easy questions, and progressedto moredifficult questions.Research was conducted in order to determine whether a flipped classroommethod could improve the learning experience of accounting students at a highereducation institution. The study indicated that students watched the videos beforecontact sessions, they felt more positive about their performance in accountingand improved their time management. The majority of students that completed thesurvey preferred the flipped classroom method. It enables students to learn fromtheir own mistakes in class.

  5. Deviant subculture of student’s audience of the ural higher education institution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boris Sergeyevich Pavlov

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available In the article, relevant problems of social and professional health of teachers of the Ural higher education institutions are analyzed. The author recognizes that the higher education is created as an interaction between participants of educational process, each of which at the same time acts both as the subject pursuing the valid aims, and as object of orientation for other individuals of the environment of the immediate environment. On the basis of statistical data, the author shows that in socio-economic behavior of the vast majority of students of the Ural higher education institutions are inherent as common features of deviant subculture of youth (addiction to alcohol and drugs, violence manifestations, prostitution etc., and special, connected with educational process (admissions of occupations, use of cribs, plagiarism when performing term papers, diplomas, roughness and tactlessness in relation to teachers, etc.. According to the author, the dominating deviant feautre of modern students — insufficiently developed diligence and unavailability to overcoming difficulties. Development of professional and personal qualities and competences of the expert assumes updating of motivation of students, their active adaptation to educational process, increase of their responsibility for assimilation of the training program and the social behavior accompanying it. The author assume that developen negative social well-being of professional group of teachers of the higher school is determined by low prestige of this profession in society, sharp differentiation of compensation on regions, an ambiguity of the purposes of reforming of the higher school, complication and ambiguity of their professional roles. Conclusions and offers of the article are based on results of a number of the complex sociological researche, which have been carried out in 2010-2013 in higher education institutions and comprehensive schools of Ural under the scientific management

  6. 2.1 Man: subject of protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    This second chapter 'Man and environment' of the 7th state of the environment report of Austria describes the current situation of the protection of human health in terms of the European environmental policy and the main subjects of high relevance to it, such as air pollutants, water pollution, noise pollution, dangerous chemicals, food contamination, radiation protection, effects of climate change, plants, animal and habitats. (nevyjel)

  7. The effect of micro and macro stressors in the work environment on computer professionals' subjective health status and productive behavior in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tominaga, Maki; Asakura, Takashi; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi

    2007-06-01

    To investigate the effect of micro and macro stressors in the work environment on the subjective health status and productive behavior of computer professionals, we conducted a web-based investigation with Japanese IT-related company employees in 53 company unions. The questionnaire consisted of individual attributes, employment characteristics, working hour characteristics, company size and profitability, personal characteristics (i.e., Growth Need Strength), micro and macro stressors scale, and four outcome scales concerning the subjective health status and productive behavior. We obtained 1,049 Japanese IT-related company employees' data (response rate: 66%), and analyzed the data of computer engineers (80%; n=871). The results of hierarchical multiple regressions showed that each full model explained 23% in psychological distress, 20% in cumulative fatigue, 44% in job dissatisfaction, and 35% in intentions to leave, respectively. In micro stressors, "quantitative and qualitative work overload" had the strongest influence on both the subjective health status and intentions to leave. Furthermore, in macro stressors, "career and future ambiguity" was the most important predictor of the subjective health status, and "insufficient evaluation systems" and "poor supervisor's support" were important predictors of productive behavior as well. These findings suggest that improving not only micro stressors but also macro stressors will enhance the subjective health status and increase the productive behavior of computer professionals in Japan.

  8. Facilitating Geoscience Education in Higher-Education Institutes Worldwide With GeoBrain -- An Online Learning and Research Environment for Classroom Innovations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, M.; di, L.

    2006-12-01

    Higher education in geosciences has imminent goals to prepare students with modern geoscience knowledge and skills to meet the increased demand on trained professionals for working on the big challenges faced by geoscience disciplines, such as the global environmental change, world energy supplies, sustainable development, etc. In order to reach the goal, the geoscience education in post-secondary institutes worldwide has to attract and retain enough students and to train students with knowledge and skills needed by the society. The classroom innovations that can encourage and support student investigations and research activities are key motivation mechanisms that help to reach the goal. This presentation describes the use of GeoBrain, an innovative geospatial knowledge system, as a powerful educating tool for motivating and facilitating innovative undergraduate and graduate teaching and research in geosciences. Developed in a NASA funded project, the GeoBrain system has adopted and implemented the latest Web services and knowledge management technologies for providing innovative methods in publishing, accessing, visualizing, and analyzing geospatial data and in building/sharing geoscience knowledge. It provides a data-rich online learning and research environment enabled by wealthy data and information available at NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Students, faculty members, and researchers from institutes worldwide can easily access, analyze, and model with the huge amount of NASA EOS data just like they possess such vast resources locally at their desktops. The online environment provided by GeoBrain has brought significant positive changes to geosciences education in higher-education institutes because of its new concepts and technologies, motivation mechanisms, free exploration resources, and advanced geo- processing capabilities. With the system, the used-to-be very challenging or even impossible teaching tasks has

  9. Social Responsibility in Intra-organisational Procedures of Higher Education Institutions with AACSB Accreditation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andżelika Dzięgiel

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to identify the core elements of social responsibility which have been applied in intraorganisational procedures of higher education institutions with AACSB Accreditation. The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR in entrepreneurial strategies means taking into account their social interests and environmental protection, as well as, relationships with different groups of stakeholders. In contemporary business, CSR activities are very important. Therefore, universities, especially those with prestigious accreditations, should also act in accordance with the rules prevailing in the business market. The Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business (AACSB is a global, nonprofit membership organisation of educational institutions, businesses, and other entities. Higher education institutions with certificates represent the highest standard of achievement for business schools all over the world. For the research and analysis, there have been selected six universities from three countries: the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. According to the international standard ISO 26000 dated as of 2010, social responsibility involves seven core subjects: organisational governance, human rights, labour practices, environment, fair operating practices, customer issues, community involvement and development. All these aspects were researched in intraorganisational procedures of selected higher education institutions with AACSB Accreditation. It is a comprehensive and objective comparison of several educational institutions in the world in terms of their implemented CSR activities. The results of the research show that the institutions under the study established a wide range of procedures for respecting CSR. They took into account transparency, respect to the law, human rights, labour practices and organisational governance. While they pay less attention to the environmental issues, fair operating practices and

  10. Reshaping institutions : bricolage processes in smallholder forestry in the Amazon

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koning, de J.

    2011-01-01

    This thesis aims at identifying the different kinds of institutional influences on forest practices of small farmers in the Amazon region of Ecuador and Bolivia and how small farmers respond to them. It departs from the perspective that institutions affecting forest practices are subject to

  11. Institutional Forecasting: The Performance of Thin Virtual Stock Markets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    G.H. van Bruggen (Gerrit); M. Spann (Martin); G.L. Lilien (Gary); B. Skiera (Bernd)

    2006-01-01

    textabstractWe study the performance of Virtual Stock Markets (VSMs) in an institutional forecasting environment. We compare VSMs to the Combined Judgmental Forecast (CJF) and the Key Informant (KI) approach. We find that VSMs can be effectively applied in an environment with a small number of

  12. External Environment and Upper Echelons Theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Escribá-Esteve, Alejandro; Nielsen, Sabina; Yamak, Sibel

    This work reviews empirical research on TMTs with a specific emphasis on the role of the external environment. We extend the existing research on upper echelons theory, which has largely focused on the team and firm level of analyses of top management teams (TMT). Considering institutional...... and industrial organization theories, we elaborate a cross-level conceptual model outlining the direct, mediating and moderating effects of the external environment on TMTs and their impact. Our review distinguishes between industry and institutional level of analyses and three types of environmental...

  13. THE INSTITUTIONAL CONTENT OF THE HUMAN CAPITAL OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viktoriia Kolomiiets

    2017-12-01

    certain economy of the country. The institutional content of the human capital of the national economy depends directly on the established institutional system of a particular country, its development. Human capital is the embodiment of the individual’s ability to generate income, the amount of abilities, knowledge, qualifications, and skills of an individual employee. Human capital can be defined as a synthesis of components of human capital in the manufacturing sector, the research sector, in the education sector. Human capital is limited in its actions by the institutional structure of society. The institutional environment of the human capital of the national economy is made of determined rules, norms, and institutions. The close interaction of components of institutional environment must not only occur for the development and efficient functioning of the human capital of the national economy, but its existence is determined by the natural existence of the institutional environment. For the national economy of the country, institutional influence manifests itself as a result of the action of a certain institutional system of human capital and its actual ability to produce a gross product. The unpredictability of human behaviour and actions, which is primarily related to its psychology, causes considerable difficulties in the process of institutionalization of human capital. Therefore, the institutionalization of the environment threatens opportunism on the part of human capital. Practical implications. The theoretical research should be the basis for the formation of the state policy in the field of human capital management of the national economy, development of a strategy for human capital development, the basis for further research. Value/originality. The theoretical study is performed personally by the authors of the scientific article.

  14. Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, Mainz University. Annual report 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Denschlag, H.O.

    1992-03-01

    Brief reports summarise the 1991 achievements of the four departments of the Institute relating to the subject areas: chemistry of most heavy elements, fast separation methods, equipment development, decay properties and structures of nuclei, heavy ion reactions, environmental analytics. The list of publications and lectures of Institute members is given in an annex. (orig.) [de

  15. Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, Mainz University. Annual report 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Denschlag, H.O.

    1993-03-01

    Brief reports summarise the 1992 achievements of the four departments of the Institute relating to the subject areas: Chemistry of most heavy elements, fast separation methods, equipment development, decay properties and structures of nuclei, heavy ion reactions, environmental analytics. The list of publications and lectures of Institute members is given in an annex. (orig.) [de

  16. From institutional segmentation to market fragmentation: Institutional transformation and the shifting stratification order in urban China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Wei; Zhou, Xueguang

    2017-03-01

    Focusing on the changing roles of organizations, this study develops an institutional framework to examine the shifting stratification order since the mid-1990s in urban China. We argue that, after the mid-1990s, the Chinese state led a dual process of institutional transformation. On the one hand, the state dismantled the socialist redistributive system and broke down institutional segmentation based on organizational ownership and bureaucratic rank. On the other hand, the state developed different markets with various paces and strategies, resulting in fragmented market environments. In this context, reformed organizations interacted with heterogeneous market conditions to exert different impacts on multiple dimensions of social inequality. We draw empirical evidence from two national survey data collected in 1994 and 2003 during a critical period. Our findings show that the foundation of the stratification order has shifted from institutional segmentation to market fragmentation in urban China. This study calls for substantive institutional analysis to better understand the intricate landscape of social inequality in transitional economies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. A within-subject analysis of other-regarding preferences

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Blanco, M.; Engelmann, Dirk; Normann, H.-T.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 72, č. 2 (2011), s. 321-338 ISSN 0899-8256 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : behavioral economics * experimental economics * inequality aversion Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 0.829, year: 2011

  18. Benign or malignant? The effects of institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortimore, J; Mortimore, P

    1985-01-01

    The institutions discussed in this paper are those which most children attend for some (and in a few cases, most) of their time. It is argued that, not only are there differences in institutions ostensibly performing the same function, but that, with rare exceptions, differences in organization, philosophy and ethos can exert an influence on inmates in both the long and the short term. The question of what attempts have been made to alter the influence of institutions is then addressed in terms of changing structure, organization and attitudes. The agents of change include government committees, a local education authority, researchers, pressure groups and/or staff of the institutions. Whilst the enduring nature of institutions is recognized, some suggestions for strategies of change are made. These draw on research evidence indicating the kinds of institutional environments most suitable for children's development, the need for a coherent unified policy on child care, and for effective parent involvement, all of which could make the influence of institutions more positive--benign rather than malignant.

  19. Environment and sustainability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paavola, Jouni; Røpke, Inge

    2015-01-01

    This chapter reviews socio-economic research on the environment and sustainability. The chapter first explores core aspects of socio-economics, examines how socio-economics has related to the agenda of research on the environment, and assesses how socio-economic research on the environment became...... institutionalized. We consider that the environment has not been high on the agenda of the socio-economic research community but that there is a substantial amount of socio-economic research on the environment in the ecological economics and other research communities. The chapter then examines the research...... on institutional sources of environmental problems on monetary valuation and environmental decision-making as two areas where socio-economics has had a particularly strong influence. The chapter concludes that the acknowledgement in these areas of research of ecological and social embeddedness has given rise...

  20. Open Economy, Institutional Quality, and Environmental Performance: A Macroeconomic Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amaryllis Mavragani

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available As the subject of how economic development affects the quality of the natural environment has gained great momentum, this paper focuses on examining the extent to which the openness of a market economy and the quality of the institution affect environmental performance. The majority of the current studies focus on the Environmental Kuznets Curve and the level of economic growth. This paper addresses this question by relating environmental (“Environmental Performance Index” to macroeconomic (Gross Domestic Product per capita, “Open Markets Index” and governance indicators (“Worldwide Governance Indicators”. The sample consists of 75 countries, including all G20 and EU members, comprising “more than 90% of global trade and investment”. Findings show that the Environmental Performance Index is positively correlated to each of the (institutional indicators, so as to confirm that the selected indices are consistent with previous studies, suggesting that environmental performance increases in line with economic development and that good governance increases a country’s levels of environmental protection. By applying factor analysis, an empirical model of the Environmental Performance Index is estimated, suggesting that there is a significant positive correlation between a country’s economic growth, the openness of an economy, high levels of effective governance, and its environmental performance.

  1. 76 FR 31620 - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Notice of Closed Meetings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    ... Health Sciences Special Emphasis Panel, Research on Ethics and Integrity of Human and or Animal Subjects... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Institute of..., DVM, Chief, Scientific Review Branch, Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute...

  2. Multiple environments: South Indian children’s environmental subjectivities in formation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Hoop, E.

    2017-01-01

    This article explores the formation of South Indian children’s (11–15 years old) environmental subjectivities based on five months of qualitative fieldwork with children in their school and non-school lives. By doing so, this paper aims to widen the scope of the existing literature on children’s

  3. Colon cancer modulation by a diabetic environment: A single institutional experience

    OpenAIRE

    Prieto, Isabel; del Puerto-Nevado, Laura; Gonzalez, Nieves; Portal-Nu?ez, Sergio; Zazo, Sandra; Corton, Marta; Minguez, Pablo; Gomez-Guerrero, Carmen; Arce, Jose Miguel; Sanz, Ana Belen; Mas, Sebastian; Aguilera, Oscar; Alvarez-Llamas, Gloria; Esbrit, Pedro; Ortiz, Alberto

    2017-01-01

    Background Multiple observational studies suggest an increased risk of colon cancer in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). This can theoretically be the result of an influence of the diabetic environment on carcinogenesis or the tumor biologic behavior. Aim To gain insight into the influence of a diabetic environment on colon cancer characteristics and outcomes. Material and methods Retrospective analysis of clinical records in an academic tertiary care hospital with detailed analysis of 81...

  4. Instituting interaction: normative transformations in human communicative practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elias, John Z; Tylén, Kristian

    2014-01-01

    Recent experiments in semiotics and linguistics demonstrate that groups tend to converge on a common set of signs or terms in response to presented problems, experiments which potentially bear on the emergence and establishment of institutional interactions. Taken together, these studies indicate a spectrum, ranging from the spontaneous convergence of communicative practices to their eventual conventionalization, a process which might be described as an implicit institutionalization of those practices. However, the emergence of such convergence and conventionalization does not in itself constitute an institution, in the strict sense of a social organization partly created and governed by explicit rules. A further step toward institutions proper may occur when others are instructed about a task. That is, given task situations which select for successful practices, instructions about such situations make explicit what was tacit practice, instructions which can then be followed correctly or incorrectly. This transition gives rise to the normative distinction between conditions of success versus conditions of correctness, a distinction which will be explored and complicated in the course of this paper. Using these experiments as a basis, then, the emergence of institutions will be characterized in evolutionary and normative terms, beginning with our adaptive responses to the selective pressures of certain situational environments, and continuing with our capacity to then shape, constrain, and institute those environments to further refine and streamline our problem-solving activity.

  5. Subjective evaluation of HEVC in mobile devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Ray; Kalva, Hari

    2013-03-01

    Mobile compute environments provide a unique set of user needs and expectations that designers must consider. With increased multimedia use in mobile environments, video encoding methods within the smart phone market segment are key factors that contribute to positive user experience. Currently available display resolutions and expected cellular bandwidth are major factors the designer must consider when determining which encoding methods should be supported. The desired goal is to maximize the consumer experience, reduce cost, and reduce time to market. This paper presents a comparative evaluation of the quality of user experience when HEVC and AVC/H.264 video coding standards were used. The goal of the study was to evaluate any improvements in user experience when using HEVC. Subjective comparisons were made between H.264/AVC and HEVC encoding standards in accordance with Doublestimulus impairment scale (DSIS) as defined by ITU-R BT.500-13. Test environments are based on smart phone LCD resolutions and expected cellular bit rates, such as 200kbps and 400kbps. Subjective feedback shows both encoding methods are adequate at 400kbps constant bit rate. However, a noticeable consumer experience gap was observed for 200 kbps. Significantly less H.264 subjective quality is noticed with video sequences that have multiple objects moving and no single point of visual attraction. Video sequences with single points of visual attraction or few moving objects tended to have higher H.264 subjective quality.

  6. Facilities at Indian Institute of Astrophysics and New Initiatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatt, Bhuwan Chandra

    2018-04-01

    The Indian Institute of Astrophysics is a premier national institute of India for the study of and research into topics pertaining to astronomy, astrophysics and related subjects. The Institute's main campus in Bangalore city in southern India houses the main administrative set up, library and computer center, photonics lab and state of art mechanical workshop. IIA has a network of laboratories and observatories located in various places in India, including Kodaikanal (Tamilnadu), Kavalur (Tamilnadu), Gauribidanur (Karnataka), Leh & Hanle (Jammu & Kashmir) and Hosakote (Karnataka).

  7. How Ego-threats Facilitate Contracts Based on Subjective Evaluations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sebald, Alexander; Walzl, Markus

    We show that individuals' desire to protect their self-esteem against ego-threatening feedback can mitigate moral hazard in environments with purely subjective performance evaluations. In line with evidence from social psychology we assume that agents' react aggressively to evaluations by the pri......We show that individuals' desire to protect their self-esteem against ego-threatening feedback can mitigate moral hazard in environments with purely subjective performance evaluations. In line with evidence from social psychology we assume that agents' react aggressively to evaluations...

  8. A distributed model: redefining a robust research subject advocacy program at the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winkler, Sabune J; Cagliero, Enrico; Witte, Elizabeth; Bierer, Barbara E

    2014-08-01

    The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center ("Harvard Catalyst") Research Subject Advocacy (RSA) Program has reengineered subject advocacy, distributing the delivery of advocacy functions through a multi-institutional, central platform rather than vesting these roles and responsibilities in a single individual functioning as a subject advocate. The program is process-oriented and output-driven, drawing on the strengths of participating institutions to engage local stakeholders both in the protection of research subjects and in advocacy for subjects' rights. The program engages stakeholder communities in the collaborative development and distributed delivery of accessible and applicable educational programming and resources. The Harvard Catalyst RSA Program identifies, develops, and supports the sharing and distribution of expertise, education, and resources for the benefit of all institutions, with a particular focus on the frontline: research subjects, researchers, research coordinators, and research nurses. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Patching the Leaky STEM Pipeline: Identifying Institutional Factors That Influence a STEM Qualified Female Undergraduate s Choice of Institution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurlock, Ashley J.

    Despite increased female participation in the workforce and females earning more undergraduate degrees than men over the past decade, women are still awarded fewer undergraduate degrees than men and hold less than 25% of jobs in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM (Beede, et al., 2011). Research shows that females may be leaking from the STEM pipeline because they are not choosing to attend institutions that fulfill their interdisciplinary and non-academic interests or have learning environments that are supportive of their needs. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional survey study, conducted at one non-research intensive university, was to identify institutional factors most pertinent to the decision to attend a non-research intensive university by a "STEM qualified" female undergraduate student. 23 of 45 factors were reported as positively influencing their decision regardless of major. The top six factors for both groups were: average class size, campus environment, a visit to campus, university population size, and major/department offered. The seven factors ranked statistically significantly different between STEM and non-STEM majors were undergraduate research opportunities, faculty reputation, graduate/professional school admission, academic support/tutoring, graduate program available, intramural sports, and off-campus housing. Only two of 17 factors negatively influenced STEM majors who were accepted to a research intensive university: the research intensive university's size and average class sizes were undesirable compared to their current institution. STEM qualified females weighed the importance of non-academic factors as high, or higher, than critical academic factors. STEM qualified females are also choosing to attend the non-research intensive university for a variety of reasons and not simply because another institution did not offer certain academic factors. Future studies should expanded to include other non

  10. SOCIAL INSTITUTION OF EDUCATION AND COMPUTER VIRTUAL REALITY: POINTS OF INFLUENCE

    OpenAIRE

    Tarakanov Sergey Anatolevich

    2012-01-01

    This article discusses the impact of computer virtual reality to education as a social institution. Author gives a description of education as a social institution. Outlines the main changes of the institute of education under the influence of a virtual online-environment. Author makes the following conclusions: 1. Computer virtual reality expands sphere of activity of social institution of education. 2. Computer virtual reality deletes status and role differences. It influences on the system...

  11. Intermediacy between political control and institutional autonomy: A transformative approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nirmala Dorasamy

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The public sector is about providing services, managing resources efficiently and securing a return on investment. Producing results and managing performance depends on adaptation, flexibility and creativity. While one may argue for greater control to achieve performance indicators, this has to be underpinned by managerial control systems both internally and externally. Post NPM reforms have tried to respond to the problem of single purpose organisations that have distanced political control. While post NPM reforms tipped the scale toward more political control, it did not restore the balance between control and autonomy. In view of the NPM and post NPM reforms and the accompanying challenges, the paper argues that it is not possible to device a “one size fits all” response to these challenges. In trying to analyse the dilemma of balancing political control and institutional autonomy an institutional theoretical perspective is used by analysing structural and instrumental features (national political environment, cultural features (historical administrative traditions and external constraints (technical and institutional environments. It needs to be recognised that the aforementioned features have constraints. The structural and instrumental features specify the formal constraints on leaderships decisions. These constraints may give political leaders strong hierarchical control or may not give them much direction, but a lot of potential discretionary influence. The cultural features specify that public organisations develop informal norms and values which lead to a distinct institutional culture. While these informal norms and values are infused in formal structures and decision making, it may be inconsistent with the sub-culture, thereby giving it less systemic influence. The technical and institutional environment which focuses on efficiency production and internal culture may develop beliefs over time that cannot be ignored. Christensen

  12. 40 CFR 144.64 - Incapacity of owners or operators, guarantors, or financial institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., guarantors, or financial institutions. 144.64 Section 144.64 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL..., or financial institutions. (a) An owner or operator must notify the Regional Administrator by... institution. The owner or operator must establish other financial assurance or liability coverage within 60...

  13. What Is the Impact of Subject Benchmarking?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pidcock, Steve

    2006-01-01

    The introduction of subject benchmarking led to fears of increased external intervention in the activities of universities and a more restrictive view of institutional autonomy, accompanied by an undermining of the academic profession, particularly through the perceived threat of the introduction of a national curriculum for higher education. For…

  14. RESPONSABILIDADE CIVIL DO EMPREGADOR NOS DANOS AO MEIO AMBIENTE LABORAL / EMPLOYER’S LIABILITY IN THE DAMAGE TO THE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caren Silva Machado

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The work environment consists of a fundamental human right of third dimension, and can be conceptualized as any place where work activities are performed, which must be free of harmful agents in worker’s physical or mental health. It highlights the importance of studying this subject by the fact that labor accidents commonly arise from improper work environments. Brazil is the fourth in the world ranking regarding the greatest number of accidents. This study has the general objective of analyzing if the liability of the employer in the damage to the work environment is objective or subjective. As for specific goals, this research will verify the concept of the working environment as a kind of environment in the light of the principle of human dignity; and study the institute of civil liability of the employer to see if it is possible to admit that it is objective from a systematic and harmonic analysis of the article 1, III; caput of Article 7, caput and Part III of article 170 and §3 of article 225 of the Federal Constitution and sole paragraph of article 927 of the Civil Code. The research method is deductive and hermeneutic. The methodology is bibliographic and documentary.

  15. An Attempt to Assess the Quantitative Impact of Institutions on Economic Growth and Economic Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Próchniak Mariusz

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available This study aims at assessing to what extent institutional environment is responsible for worldwide differences in economic growth and economic development. To answer this question, we use an innovative approach based on a new concept of the institutions-augmented Solow model which is then estimated empirically using regression equations. The analysis covers 180 countries during the 1993-2012 period. The empirical analysis confirms a large positive impact of the quality of institutional environment on the level of economic development. The positive link has been evidenced for all five institutional indicators: two indices of economic freedom (Heritage Foundation and Fraser Institute, the governance indicator (World Bank, the democracy index (Freedom House, and the EBRD transition indicator for post-socialist countries. Differences in physical capital, human capital, and institutional environment explain about 70-75% of the worldwide differences in economic development. The institutions-augmented Solow model, however, performs slightly poorer in explaining differences in the rates of economic growth: only one institutional variable (index of economic freedom has a statistically significant impact on economic growth. In terms of originality, this paper extends the theoretical analysis of the Solow model by including institutions, on the one hand, and shows a comprehensive empirical analysis of the impact of various institutional indicators on both the level of development and the pace of economic growth, on the other. The results bring important policy implications.

  16. Universal service in Vietnam: An institutional approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Do Manh, Thai; Falch, Morten

    2018-01-01

    Applying institutional theory to look at the Program 74 (a universal service policy) in Vietnam, this paper concludes that the Vietnamese universal service policy was strongly affected by formal institutional factors (the international agreements and the directives of the Communist Party of Vietnam...... - CPV), in which the international agreements played a leading role and the CPV’s directives played a guarantee role. The formulation and implementation of the universal service policy in Vietnam were mainly concentrated on action at levels 2 and 3 (formal and informal institutional arrangement......, and formal institutional environment). The paper recommends that nations favouring a top-down approach not based on a market-oriented regime should deregulate and emphasize the role of provincial governments as well as encourage private sectors/social organizations and rural users to be more involved...

  17. Precision in harsh environments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    French, P.; Krijnen, G.; Roozeboom, F.

    2016-01-01

    Microsystems are increasingly being applied in harsh and/or inaccessible environments, but many markets expect the same level of functionality for long periods of time. Harsh environments cover areas that can be subjected to high temperature, (bio)-chemical and mechanical disturbances,

  18. The Francis Crick Institute.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Keith; Smith, Jim

    2017-04-01

    The Francis Crick Institute Laboratory, opened in 2016, is supported by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust, and University College London, King's College London and Imperial College London. The emphasis on research training and early independence of gifted scientists in a multidisciplinary environment provides unique opportunities for UK medical science, including clinical and translational research. © Royal College of Physicians 2017. All rights reserved.

  19. Children in Institutional Care: Delayed Development and Resilience

    Science.gov (United States)

    van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.; Palacios, Jesus; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J. S.; Gunnar, Megan R.; Vorria, Panayiota; McCall, Robert B.; LeMare, Lucy; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.; Dobrova-Krol, Natasha A.; Juffer, Femmie

    2010-01-01

    Children exposed to institutional care often suffer from “structural neglect” which may include minimum physical resources, unfavorable and unstable staffing patterns, and social-emotionally inadequate caregiver-child interactions. This chapter is devoted to the analysis of the ill effects of early institutional experiences on resident children’s development. Delays in the important areas of physical, hormonal, cognitive, and emotional development are discussed. The evidence for and against the existence of a distinctive set of co-occurring developmental problems in institutionalized children is weighed and found to not yet convincingly demonstrate a “post-institutional syndrome”. Finally, shared and non-shared features of the institutional environment and specific genetic, temperamental, and physical characteristics of the individual child are examined that might make a crucial difference in whether early institutional rearing leaves irreversible scars. PMID:25125707

  20. Context-aware Cloud Computing for Personal Learning Environment

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, Feng; Al-Bayatti, Ali Hilal; Siewe, Francois

    2016-01-01

    Virtual learning means to learn from social interactions in a virtual platform that enables people to study anywhere and at any time. Current Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are a range of integrated web based applications to support and enhance the education. Normally, VLEs are institution centric; are owned by the institutions and are designed to support formal learning, which do not support lifelong learning. These limitations led to the research of Personal Learning Environments (PLE...

  1. Coping with the African Business Environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Michael W.; Langevang, Thilde; Rutashobya, Lettice

    2018-01-01

    Weak institutions, endemic market failures and low trust permeate the Tanzanian business environment. Nevertheless, some local enterprises overcome these challenges. Based on case studies of Tanzanian food processing enterprises, this paper identifies a number of coping strategies that contrasts...... markedly with the strategies traditionally emphasized by the strategic management literature: Instead of focus strategies, Tanzanian enterprises diversify; Instead of competitive strategies, Tanzanian enterprises adopt network strategies; And instead of internationalizing based on strengths, Tanzanian...... enterprises internationalize to overcome weaknesses. The paper traces these strategies back to specificities of the Tanzanian institutional environment and discusses implications for the strategic management literature....

  2. 40 CFR 261.148 - Incapacity of owners or operators, guarantors, or financial institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., guarantors, or financial institutions. 261.148 Section 261.148 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... owners or operators, guarantors, or financial institutions. (a) An owner or operator must notify the... financial assurance or liability coverage in the event of bankruptcy of the trustee or issuing institution...

  3. Nuclear power plants and environment-Legal and institutional aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faria, N.M. de

    1986-01-01

    Some legal aspects about nuclear power plants siting in face of environment legislation and policy in the Brazilian law are discussed. The public participation in the process of site selection in face of actual constitutional precepts and the decision given by Supreme Court which determined to private competence of the Union, given by Constitutional rules and by the law number 6803 in 1980. (M.C.K.) [pt

  4. [Architecture and design of mental health institutions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richter, Dirk; Hoffmann, Holger

    2014-04-01

    The physical environment of mental health institutions is regarded as a therapeutic agent within the treatment. There is only little scientific evidence on the consequences of architecture and design on psychiatric patients available. A systematic review was conducted on studies from adult mental health institutions. 25 studies were included into the review. Pre-post-studies and control group conditions were predominant study designs. Randomized controlled trials were not available. Interventions reached from art installations up to entire ward renovations. Outcome indicators were rather heterogeneous, including psychopathology, behavioural observations and aggression incidents. Overwhelmingly, the studies revealed positive results of interventions into the physical environment. We found positive outcomes independent from the intervention in detail. This result should be interpreted in the light of the generally low study quality and further methodological problems. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  5. Entrepreneurship in a Finnish public institution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marin Burcea

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available During the last decades the idea of entrepreneurship in public institutions has been the subject of intense debates, activities and academic research. The scopes of our article are to briefly underline the importance of developing an entrepreneurial spirit by presenting a case study from a Finnish local public administration and making aware the proactive aspect in the process of managing public institutions in Romania. Our hypotheses have been mainly of an interrogative nature. Hypothesis testing was achieved through the analysis of statistical data and conducting a set of sociological interviews with key people from Finnish institutions which were used in the survey. The results of the research emphasize that where there is an entrepreneurial behaviour with the local administration management, the community undergoes a process of conservation and development. The way in which they relate to community partners (such as entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, citizens is essential to the entrepreneurial spirit within the local public institution.

  6. How academic career and habits related to the school environment influence on academic performance in the physical education subject

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vizuete Carrizosa, Manuel

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this study was to analyze the degree of influence of some school habits and scholar trayectory on academic achievement in physical education (PE students in secondary education (ESO in the city of Badajoz. A total sample of 1197 students in compulsory secondary education 49.9% men, and 50.1% women, participated in the study. They spent a questionnaire filled out by the river questions about major school habits, of which eight variables were analyzed also included the final course in the subject of EF as a variable for analysis of academic performance. Through statistical analysis with ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal Wallis H, there are significant differences in PE scores in all variables analyzed (p d».001, among which being repetitive, being truant, the time to read and study daily. In the variable environment perceived in class, there is a degree of significance (p d».05. Pupils who were repeaters, missing more classes or were delayed more times than read and studied less and earned a worse environment in their classes, are those who obtained poorer performance on EF.

  7. Institutional Embeddedness of Search Strategies and the Implications for Innovation Performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grimpe, Christoph; Sofka, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    to experience the negative performance effects of oversearch. Based on a comprehensive sample of almost 8,000 firms from ten European countries, we find that institutions matter considerably for firms’ search activity. Higher market orientation of institutions increases the effectiveness of firms’ search...... ignored the institutional context that provides or denies access to external knowledge at the country level. Combining institutional and knowledge search theory, we suggest that the market orientation of the institutional environment and the magnitude of institutional change influence when firms begin...... for external knowledge while higher magnitudes of institutional change decrease it. Our results provide important insights for management on how to adapt search strategies to the institutional context....

  8. Radiation monitoring network of the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melicherova, T.

    2005-01-01

    In 2000 Centre of Partial monitoring system 'Radioactivity of environment' was established on Slovak Hydrometeorology Institute (SHMI). Radiation monitoring network is one part of Radiation monitoring network of the Slovak Republic. At present SHMI operates in its monitoring network 23 detectors GammaTracer fy Genitron, one mobile detector and one stan by detector. All active detectors are placed in the professional meteorological stations in the selected parts of Slovakia. First one of these detectors was installed in 1999 and they replaced former type of detector (FAG). Last two detectors were installed in 2002. Detector GammaTracer has range of measurement from 20 nSv/h to 10 Sv/h. The detectors are calibrated every 2 years in the Slovak Institute of Metrology in compliance with the calibration plan. SHMI operates 4 aerosol monitors in Hurbanovo, Lucenec, Stropkov and Liesek. Filter 8 from these monitors are analysed in the Institute of Public Health (Cs-137, Be-7). On the base of bilateral agreement between the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water-Management and the Slovak Ministry of Environment Austrian side gave into the ownership of the Slovak side an automatic aerosol monitor AMS-02 including container and weather station. This monitor was installed in meteorological station Jaslovske Bohunice on 4-th October 2001. The Slovak Ministry of Environment provides the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water-Management with the readings of this monitor, free of charge, for at least 3 years and vice versa, the Austrian side gives the readings of the Austrian aerosol monitors to the Slovak Ministry of Environment free of charge. At present national monitoring center in Bratislava-Koliba is connected via ISDN line with Jaslovske Bohunice and Austrian center providing the data exchange. Radiation data (dose rate in the unit nSv/h) are collected via the Institute network to the MSS (message switch system) in the

  9. Guidelines to Avoid Biocontamination of Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments: Forward Contamination Concerns, Environmental Management and Scientific Stewardship of Icy analogue environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Race, M. S.; Hobbie, J.; et al.

    2007-12-01

    For more than a decade, scientists and space mission planners have recognized the importance of collaborative information exchange with the Antarctic research community to address their many shared exploration challenges, from drilling methods, remote sample collection, and data interpretation, to concerns about cross contamination that could adversely impact both the environment and interpretation of scientific data. Another shared concern exists in the regulatory realm; both the Antarctic and outer space environments are subject to separate international treaties that impose regulatory controls and oversight with serious implications for exploration planning. In recent years, both communities have faced the need to adjust their regulatory controls in light of fast-paced advances in scientific understanding of extreme environments, particularly related to potential microbial life. Both communities have sought and received advice from the National Research Council (NRC) through studies that suggested ways to update their respective oversight and regulatory systems while allowing for continued scientific exploration. A recently completed NRC study "Exploration of Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments: Environmental and Scientific Stewardship" provided a suite of recommendations to address1) 'cleanliness' levels necessary for equipment and devices used in exploration of subglacial aquatic environments, as well as 2) the scientific basis for contamination standards, and 3) the steps for defining an overall exploration strategy conducive to sound environmental management and scientific stewardship. This talk will present the findings of the recent multinational NRC study, which is likely to translate into useful information for analogue studies that proceed to test techniques and capabilities for exploring an Europan ocean, other icy celestial locations, and related science targets on Earth. As the science and exploration of subglacial environments grows beyond its

  10. The exceptional ethics of the investigator-subject relationship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sachs, Benjamin

    2010-02-01

    This article concerns the validity of six canonical rules that institutional review boards use to constrain the behavior of investigators. These rules require investigators to design their studies in a scientifically valid way, not pay their subjects to take risks, minimize risks to their subjects, secure for their subjects access to effective interventions post-trial, not pay their subjects too much and allow their subjects to withdraw from the study unconditionally. Enforcement of these rules is problematic because there are other relationships that seem to be like the investigator-subject relationship in all ethically relevant respects, such as the employer-employee and volunteer organizer-volunteer relationships, to which we would not dream of applying these same rules. Applying these rules in one context but not the others is a violation of ethical consistency I label "exceptionalism." We should conclude that it is time to reexamine the validity of the six rules.

  11. Instituting Interaction: Normative Transformations in Human Communicative Practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Z. Elias

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Recent experiments in semiotics and linguistics demonstrate that groups tend to converge on a common set of signs or terms in response to presented problems. This process might be described as an implicit institutionalization of communicative practices, particularly when conventionalized to the point of overriding alternatives more functionally conducive to the current situation. However, the emergence of such convergence and conventionalization does not in itself constitute an institution, in the strict sense of a social organization partly created and governed by explicit rules. A further step towards institutions proper may occur when others are instructed about a task. That is, given task situations which select for successful practices, instructions about such situations make explicit what was tacit practice, instructions which can then be followed correctly or incorrectly. This transition gives rise to the normative distinction between conditions of success versus conditions of correctness, a distinction which will be explored and complicated in the course of this paper. Using these experiments as a basis, then, the emergence of institutions will be characterized in evolutionary and normative terms, beginning with our adaptive responses to the selective pressures of certain situational environments, and continuing with our capacity to then shape, constrain, and institute those environments to further refine and streamline our problem-solving activity.

  12. Heading assessment by "tunnel vision" patients and control subjects standing or walking in a virtual reality environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apfelbaum, Henry; Pelah, Adar; Peli, Eli

    2007-01-01

    Virtual reality locomotion simulators are a promising tool for evaluating the effectiveness of vision aids to mobility for people with low vision. This study examined two factors to gain insight into the verisimilitude requirements of the test environment: the effects of treadmill walking and the suitability of using controls as surrogate patients. Ten "tunnel vision" patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) were tasked with identifying which side of a clearly visible obstacle their heading through the virtual environment would lead them, and were scored both on accuracy and on their distance from the obstacle when they responded. They were tested both while walking on a treadmill and while standing, as they viewed a scene representing progress through a shopping mall. Control subjects, each wearing a head-mounted field restriction to simulate the vision of a paired patient, were also tested. At wide angles of approach, controls and patients performed with a comparably high degree of accuracy, and made their choices at comparable distances from the obstacle. At narrow angles of approach, patients' accuracy increased when walking, while controls' accuracy decreased. When walking, both patients and controls delayed their decisions until closer to the obstacle. We conclude that a head-mounted field restriction is not sufficient for simulating tunnel vision, but that the improved performance observed for walking compared to standing suggests that a walking interface (such as a treadmill) may be essential for eliciting natural perceptually-guided behavior in virtual reality locomotion simulators.

  13. The Institutional System of Economic Agents’ Social Responsibility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frolova Elena, A.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper it was made an attempt to analyse the main characteristics of the institutional system of economic agents social responsibility. The institutional system can be described as a complex of norms, rules, regulations and enforcement mechanisms in the context of interactions and communications of economic agents. The institutional nature of social responsibility allow to solve social dilemmas through the internalization of social responsibility norms and creating social value orientations, which are determine the prosocial behaviour of economic agents. The institutional system of social responsibility was described from the methodological institutionalism point of view. Analysing this phenomenon we are required to develop research on the objects of this system (norms, regulations, behaviour, on the subjects of this system (persons, business, government and on the institutional mechanisms (internalization of social responsibility norms, promoting prosocial behaviour, adaptation and transformation of the social responsibility norms aimed to ensure the understanding of origin and significance of social responsibility for modern society.

  14. The significance of psychosocial factors of the working environment in the development of sick building syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maja Miškulin

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Sick building syndrome (SBS is a medical condition in which people in a certain buildings suffer from symptoms of illness or feeling unwell. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of exposure of the employees of public institutions from the city of Osijek to harmful psychosocial factors of the working environment, to assess whether there is a connection between the exposure to these factors and the incidence of SBS symptoms and to clarify the nature of this connection.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during May 2013 among 178 employees of public institutions in the city of Osijek. An anonymous questionnaire which contained questions relating to demographic data and working status of the participants, their exposure to various harmful psychosocial factors of the working environment and occurrence of certain symptoms of SBS among them was used as a research tool.Results: 96.1 % (171/178 of participants were exposed to harmful psychosocial factors of the working environment. Employees exposed to those factors more frequently expressed symptoms of SBS. The incidence and the number of symptoms of SBS among employees simultaneously grew with the increase of the number of harmful psychosocial factors of the working environment to which they were exposed.Conclusion: The study showed positive connection between the exposure to harmful psychosocial factors of the working environment and the incidence of SBS symptoms, highlighting this issue as a very important subject in the field of occupational medicine and health protection in the workplace.

  15. Women's Trouble: Women, Gender, and the Learning Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collard, Susan; Stalker, Joyce

    1991-01-01

    Defines "gender" and considers the social context of women and educational institutions. Explores politics, work, violence, and the ways in which gender relationships are experienced in the institutional environment, curricula, classroom conduct, and teacher-learner relationships. (SK)

  16. The irradiation of human volunteer subjects in research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosen, R.

    1980-01-01

    In medical research radiation is sometimes used to obtain data from healthy individuals. These subjects gain no specific benefit from the research. To safeguard their welfare, constraints are imposed on the dose to be received, on the selection of volunteer subjects, on ensuring their understanding of the procedures and risks, and on obtaining their free consent to participate. The research proposals are assessed by peer review prior to being approved by the host institution. The first example presented describes the use of diagnostic radiography to obtain in vivo data on the femur bone. Conservative dosimetry indicates an expected dose-equivalent per film of 0.5 mSv in bone and 0.18 mSv in bone marrow and gonad tissue. The critical organ total dose-equivalent is estimated to be 7% of the dose-equivalent limit for a volunteer. The second example involves the internal administration of radioactive tracers. Dosimetric calculations indicate an expected whole-body dose-equivalent of 0.5 mSv in the case of C-14 and 0.37 mSv in the case of H-3, these values bejng 10% and 7% of the relevant dose-equivalent limit. Both proposals were given conditional approval. In the generalized research use of volunteer human subjects the rights of the subject, the investigator and the institution need to be protected. At the University of New South Wales procedures have been introduced to govern all experjmental procedures involving human subjects. Some interesting problems which have arisen are discussed. (author)

  17. managing tertiary institutions for the promotion of lifelong learning

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Global Journal

    KEYWORDS: Managing, tertiary institutions, promotion, lifelong learning. INTRODUCTION ... science, medicine and technology towards the ... different environments, whether formal, informal ... schools considering that each day gives birth to.

  18. Market power and the sale of Ontario residential natural gas: An institutional analysis and a laboratory experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloemhof, Barbara Lynn

    2005-11-01

    The Ontario residential natural gas market underwent a significant institutional change in 1986, after the federal government decontrolled natural gas prices. Currently, consumers may sign up for fixed-cost natural gas from a broker, or they may continue to be served by the regulated distribution company. This thesis examines the economic effects on consumers of the institutional change, and particularly whether or not market power was enhanced by the change. In the thesis, I first present the industrial organization of the residential natural gas sector, and explain the institutional evolution using an institutional economic approach. I then construct a model of the market environment, with sellers acting as middlemen in a well-defined Bertrand oligopoly setting with no production constraints and single-unit consumer demands. In this model, the only Nash equilibrium in the one-period game is the joint profit maximizing price, and its likelihood of obtaining depends on the nature of the cost of signing up new customers. I then take a version of this model into the laboratory with human subject sellers and simulated buyers and run six replications each of a balanced treatment design under a unique information mechanism that parallels individual customer canvassing used by sellers in the naturally-occurring market. Treatment variables are: number of sellers, number of simulated at-cost sellers present, and presence of input cost uncertainty for sellers. I find that adding any seller to the market has about the same impact on market price, irrespective of whether it is a human subject or a simulated at-cost seller. Although increasing the number of sellers does decrease the market price somewhat, it does not bring about the competitive outcome predicted by the benchmark microeconomic model. This research contributes to the literature on policy making and energy market design, as well as to experimental methodology aimed at policy evaluation.

  19. Biomarkers of genotoxicity of air pollution (the AULIS project): bulky DNA adducts in subjects with moderate to low exposures to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their relationship to environmental tobycco smoke and other parameters

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Georgiadis, P.; Topinka, Jan; Stoikidou, M.; Kaila, S.; Gioka, M.; Katsouyanni, K.; Šrám, Radim; Autrup, H.; Kyrtopoulos, S. A.

    2001-01-01

    Roč. 22, č. 9 (2001), s. 1447-1457 ISSN 0143-3334 R&D Projects: GA MŽP SI/340/2/00 Grant - others:EU(XC) ENV4V-CT96-0203; EU(XC) IC20CT960063 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5039906 Keywords : biomarkers * air pollution Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 4.543, year: 2001

  20. Labor Market Institutions and Their Impact on Shadow Economies in Europe

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Fialová, Kamila; Schneider, O.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 5, č. 1 (2014), s. 1-40 ISSN 2038-1379 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-15008S Institutional support: RVO:68378025 Keywords : labour market institutions * shadow economy * shadow employment Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.rei.unipg.it/rei/article/view/146/137

  1. An Irish Cross-Institutional User Needs Analysis of Undergraduate Programming

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eileen Mary Costelloe

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Research literature and practical experience of subject experts indicate that teaching programming to novices has proven challenging for both learner and lecturer. A number of difficulties arise when teaching novices to program. These ranges from the inadequacy of the undergraduate students’ problem-solving skills, problems with understanding programming constructs, to the complexity of the environments in which the students develop their solutions. This paper outlines a project which aims to address some of the challenges faced by novice programmers by providing them with an innovative learning tool, incorporating a set of Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs, based on sound pedagogical principles and encapsulated in a Constructivist Learning Environment (CLE. The Learning Objects will focus on the common areas of weaknesses that are determined by an Irish cross-institutional User Needs Analysis. The initial research activity was to conduct a User Needs Analysis, which was carried out in the three third level academic partner institutions and which will inform and direct the remainder of the research project. The User Needs Analysis confirmed that first year undergraduate students find programming the most challenging module they study. Programming constructs such as Arrays, Looping and Selection were shown to be the most problematic in semester one, and Methods and Polymorphism posing difficulties in semester two. Interestingly the students’ actual and perceived difficulties with the concepts were not in-line, with the students perceiving their difficulties to be less than they actually were. The students acknowledge that problem-solving abilities impacted on their performance but only 20% of students in one college admitted to thinking about their approach in designing programming solutions. The results of the User Needs Analysis directs the design and development of the RLOs and the learning tool.

  2. Hospital acquisitions, parenting styles and management accounting change: an institutional perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Dossi, Andrea; Longo, Francesco; Lecci, Francesca; Morelli, Marco

    2017-01-01

    Many healthcare scholars have applied institutional theories to the study of MAS change. However little attention has been devoted to Management Accounting Systems (MAS) change within groups. Kostova et al. (2008) highlight the limitations of traditional institutional frameworks in studying groups since they are characterised not only by the existence of external institutional environments but also by intra-organisational (meso-level) ones. Given this background, the research question is: how...

  3. JARINGAN SOSIAL ORGANISASI LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, DAN TRANSGENDER: STUDI KASUS ORGANISASI ARDHANARY INSTITUTE DI JAKARTA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sri Setiawati

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses the social networks that is done by Ardhanary Institute LBT Women (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender organization in Jakarta. With the thesis that the environment in Indonesia are not permissive and cons with the presence of LGBT / LBT this organization even dare to "coming out", if it is not supported by an enabling environment through social networks. This discussion describes the social networks that made this organization, from building social relationships between actors / individuals up with foreign institutions (international and domestic, as well as with the mass media.As the study of anthropology, then more emphasis on the social network that is descriptive, not at the level of analytics. Data collection technique was not  through measurement but more in the process of intensive observations, in-depth interviews and participatory observation. Using an ethnographic feminist approach, where the relationships globally can only be understood in the " real materials interlocked closely in the everyday encounter", namely action and everyday practicewhich became  the subject of ethnography research.Conclusions: 1. The social  network that is done  by Ardhanary Institute  organization through a relationship between actors and LBT/LGBT organizations in these areas. Externally also through multiple agencies (domestic and foreign. The actor, who is in this organization as a motivator, facilitator, and inspirator as well as the implications effect "struggling" for the movement of other LBT organizations in Indonesia 2. This organization is actively building a broader network through cooperation with other women's organizations, crisis centers, health care providers, safe houses, legal aid organizations and the National Commission for Women. And build working relationships with law enforcement agencies in providing assistance to victims of LBT violence.

  4. Institutes of regional development and competitiveness in the conditions of modernization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadezhda Yakovlevna Kalyuzhnova

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses the problem of identifying the institutions that influence the development of regions. A systematization of regional development institutions is implemented. Institutions of macro-, meso-, micro- and nano-levels of the economy affecting regional development are highlighted; at each level of the economy the institutions functioning properly and development institutions are also highlighted. The institutions are also systematically divided by type of adjustable rules. The role of institutions in the concept of regional competitiveness is examined. The indexes of regional competitiveness indicators, excluding the institutional environment of regions, are criticized. It is noted that the concept of regional competitiveness considers the region as an economic entity, which can and must prove its right to income with its economic performance, rather than capital status or informal practices of receiving transfers. Formation of the region and the competitiveness of a business entity depends on the maturity of the regional elites and their consolidation, as well as the institutional environment that encourages regional development and prevents monopoly of certain regions. The results of the quantitative analysis of the impact of institutions on the performance of regional development are presented. In particular, the influence of institutions such as corruption, small business and institutional trust is reviewed. The level of corruption is measured by the CPI index, its impact on economic growth in the sample of 12 countries that are close to Russia in terms of development, as well as at the level of Russian regions is considered. According to 2009-2010, the impact on regional development of the newly created development institutions such as foundations to promote small and medium enterprises, regional mortgage funds, special economic zones and regional venture capital funds is analyzed.

  5. Developing teachers' subject didactic competence through problem posing

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Tichá, Marie; Hošpesová, A.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 83, č. 1 (2013), s. 133-143 ISSN 0013-1954 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : professional development * primary school teachers * problem posing Subject RIV: AM - Education Impact factor: 0.639, year: 2013 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10649-012-9455-1

  6. Joining the un global compact in spain : an institutional Aproach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ainhoa garayar erro

    2012-07-01

    On the other hand, it can be asserted that the respondent organisations do not perceive major threats from the institutional environment that might undermine the legitimacy gained by joining the GC. Nonetheless, the Spanish organisations participating in the GC highlight the fact that the main institutional factor that might undermine the organization's legitimacy is weak governance and corruption.

  7. Personal Learning Environment – a Conceptual Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herbert Mühlburger

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The influence of digital technologies as well as the World Wide Web on education rises dramatically. In former years Learning Management Systems (LMS were introduced on educational institutes to address the needs both their institutions and their lecturers. Nowadays a shift from an institution-centered approach to a learner-centered one becomes necessary to allow individuality through the learning process and to think about learning strategies in general. In this paper a first approach of a Personal Learning Environment (PLE is described. The technological concept is pointed out as well as a study about the graphical user-interface done at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz. It can be concluded that PLEs are the next generation environments, which help to improve the learning and teaching behavior

  8. Institutional environment and job well-being on the governance of the tourism industry: a European study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deybbi Cuéllar\\u2011Molina

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The distribution of wealth generated in the tourism industry among the labor force should be considered one out of the facets of the social tourism sustainability. Literature highlights that tourism firms’ practices have an impact on labor well - being. However, it also warns that national institutions may condition the adoption of these practices by firms, and so institutions might become a challenge for well - being. This study analyzes the effect of institutions on well - being, and particularly it differentiates between employees and entrepreneurs as human resources in the tourism industry. The empirical analysis carried out on a sample of 1,352 employees and 302 entrepreneurs located in 27 European countries, confirms the direct effect of national institutions on well - being at work. Because institutions would have affect human resources’ well - being, the tourism authorities should pay attention to the governance of this industry.

  9. Forms of Political Participation and Subjective Well-being: A World Survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamín Temkin

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Subjective well-being has been described as perhaps “the ultimate dependent variable” of the social sciences. Thus, it is understandable that much of the empirical research on the subject has focused on the identification of its correlates. In this paper we utilize the sixth wave of the World Value Survey carried out in sixty countries between 2010 and 2014, to evaluate the relationship between different types of political participation and the subjective well-being of citizens, Our research partially confirms the hypothesis that, when controlling for the democratic or undemocratic character of political institutions, conventional political participation is positively and significantly associated with life satisfaction, while unconventional conflictive political activities show the opposite relationship to well-being. On the other hand, the democratic nature of state institutions is universally and consistently related to higher levels of personal well-being among individuals.

  10. Reproducibility of Radial Pulse Wave Analysis in Healthy Subjects

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Filipovský, J.; Svoboda, V.; Pecen, Ladislav

    2000-01-01

    Roč. 18, č. 8 (2000), s. 1033-1040 ISSN 0263-6352 Institutional research plan: AV0Z1030915 Keywords : blood pressure * heart - rate * predictor * risk Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 3.640, year: 2000

  11. Institutional dynamics and the negotiation process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kumar, Rajesh; Worm, Verner

    2004-01-01

    The paper develops the argument for analyzing negotiations from an institutional perspective. A major theme of the argument being advanced in the paper is that the institutional perspective provides a more comprehensive understanding of the negotiation process in its entirety. The negotiation...... process can be broken down into three distinct components, namely (a) the pre negotiation phase; (b) the negotiating phase; and (c) the post negotiation evaluation. Each of these phases is critically influenced by a specific component or components of the institutional environment. Scott's distinction...... and their implications for negotiating processes in these countries. Choosing India and China to illustrate the utility of this framework is justified by the fact that India and China are both in the process of transforming their economies and although confronted with similar challenges they have dealt with them in very...

  12. Nursing work environment in Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aboshaiqah, Ahmad E

    2015-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the work environment as perceived by nurses in a large tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. The quality of patient care services has been associated with the quality of work environment of nurses. It is therefore important to assess the work environment in order to acquire baseline data and enable the institution to benchmark their status from established quality standards. This study used a descriptive survey with 1007 staff nurses across service units of a 1000-bed government-operated hospital. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Healthy Work Environment Assessment Questionnaire was used for data collection. Scores were aggregated and interpreted. Effective decision making, authentic leadership, appropriate staffing, true collaboration, skilled communication and meaningful recognition were rated as good (mean range 3.53-3.76). Healthy work environments mutually benefit patients, nurses, nurse managers, health care providers, the health team, administration, the institution and the community at large. Valuable baseline data on the status of the work environment in this setting were generated. This should allow administrators and staff to work together in improving weaknesses and strengthening further whatever gains that are attained to ensure consistent provision of safe and quality patient care. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Italy-Japan international project-based learning for developing human resources using design of welfare equipment as a subject.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanafusa, A; Komeda, T; Ito, K; Zobel, P Beomonte

    2015-08-01

    Project-based learning (PBL) is effective for developing human resources of young students. The design of welfare equipment, such as wheelchairs and gait assistive devices, is taken as the subject in this study because these devices must be fit to their environment, users, and method of use; students must consider the circumstances of each country concerned. The program commenced in 2012 at L'Aquila, Italy, and the Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan and has been continuing for three years. Students were divided into four groups and discussions were held on how to adapt the equipment to the user and environment. After discussion, they designed and simulated a model of the equipment using CAD. Finally, they presented their designs to each other. Through the program, students had fruitful discussions, exchanged ideas from different cultures, and learned from each other. Furthermore, friendships among the students were nurtured. It is believed that the objective of the program was satisfactorily accomplished.

  14. Piloting a deceased subject integrated data repository and protecting privacy of relatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huser, Vojtech; Kayaalp, Mehmet; Dodd, Zeyno A; Cimino, James J

    2014-01-01

    Use of deceased subject Electronic Health Records can be an important piloting platform for informatics or biomedical research. Existing legal framework allows such research under less strict de-identification criteria; however, privacy of non-decedent must be protected. We report on creation of the decease subject Integrated Data Repository (dsIDR) at National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center and a pilot methodology to remove secondary protected health information or identifiable information (secondary PxI; information about persons other than the primary patient). We characterize available structured coded data in dsIDR and report the estimated frequencies of secondary PxI, ranging from 12.9% (sensitive token presence) to 1.1% (using stricter criteria). Federating decedent EHR data from multiple institutions can address sample size limitations and our pilot study provides lessons learned and methodology that can be adopted by other institutions.

  15. Achieving and sustaining profound institutional change in healthcare: case study using neo-institutional theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macfarlane, Fraser; Barton-Sweeney, Cathy; Woodard, Fran; Greenhalgh, Trisha

    2013-03-01

    Change efforts in healthcare sometimes have an ambitious, whole-system remit and seek to achieve fundamental changes in norms and organisational culture rather than (or as well as) restructuring the service. Long-term evaluation of such initiatives is rarely undertaken. We report a secondary analysis of data from an evaluation of a profound institutional change effort in London, England, using a mixed-method longitudinal case study design. The service had received £15 million modernisation funding in 2004, covering multiple organisations and sectors and overseen by a bespoke management and governance infrastructure that was dismantled in 2008. In 2010-11, we gathered data (activity statistics, documents, interviews, questionnaires, site visits) and compared these with data from 2003 to 2008. Data analysis was informed by neo-institutional theory, which considers organisational change as resulting from the material-resource environment and three 'institutional pillars' (regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive), enacted and reproduced via the identities, values and activities of human actors. Explaining the long-term fortunes of the different components of the original programme and their continuing adaptation to a changing context required attention to all three of Scott's pillars and to the interplay between macro institutional structures and embedded human agency. The paper illustrates how neo-institutional theory (which is typically used by academics to theorise macro-level changes in institutional structures over time) can also be applied at a more meso level to inform an empirical analysis of how healthcare organisations achieve change and what helps or hinders efforts to sustain those changes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Forschungszentrum Rossendorf, Institute of Safety Research. Annual report 1999

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, F.P.; Rindelhardt, U.

    2000-02-01

    The work of the institute is directed to the assessment and enhancement of the safety of large technical plants and to the increase of the effectiveness and environmental sustainability of those facilities. Subjects of investigations are equally nuclear plants and installations of process industries. To achieve the above mentioned goals, the institute is engaged in two scientific fields, i.e. thermo-fluiddynamics including magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) and materials/components safety. (orig.)

  17. Research document no. 30. Introducing competition in the French electricity supply industry: the destabilization of a public hierarchy in an open institutional environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Finon, D

    2002-07-01

    The introduction of market rules in a electricity supply industry characterized by a vertically integrated monopoly and public ownership is not inherently doomed to failure if characteristics of the reform or other elements of industrial structures give room for enforcing market-rules. The organisation of the French ESI in a public monopoly was deeply rooted in French institutional peculiarities. The paper analyses how the governmental goal of preserving the national champion EDF have had two paradoxical effects in favour of competition development and the building of safeguards for the entrants: the creation of a credible regulatory governance structure with effective power of control on the network access, and which promoted market-rules and the creation of a power exchange for balancing the incumbent dominant position; and the enforcement of the credibility of the regulatory framework by the self control of the incumbent on the use of its dominant position and on the capture of the regulator. This two effects results from the influence of the European institutional environment which is superposed to the national one, in particular under the intensive scrutiny of the European Commission, on a model far behind the competitive model. The paper concludes to the originality of such an institutional model: a permanent regulatory threat on the incumbent for balancing the effects of public property and integration of industrial structures. (author)

  18. Research document no. 30. Introducing competition in the French electricity supply industry: the destabilization of a public hierarchy in an open institutional environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Finon, D.

    2002-01-01

    The introduction of market rules in a electricity supply industry characterized by a vertically integrated monopoly and public ownership is not inherently doomed to failure if characteristics of the reform or other elements of industrial structures give room for enforcing market-rules. The organisation of the French ESI in a public monopoly was deeply rooted in French institutional peculiarities. The paper analyses how the governmental goal of preserving the national champion EDF have had two paradoxical effects in favour of competition development and the building of safeguards for the entrants: the creation of a credible regulatory governance structure with effective power of control on the network access, and which promoted market-rules and the creation of a power exchange for balancing the incumbent dominant position; and the enforcement of the credibility of the regulatory framework by the self control of the incumbent on the use of its dominant position and on the capture of the regulator. This two effects results from the influence of the European institutional environment which is superposed to the national one, in particular under the intensive scrutiny of the European Commission, on a model far behind the competitive model. The paper concludes to the originality of such an institutional model: a permanent regulatory threat on the incumbent for balancing the effects of public property and integration of industrial structures. (author)

  19. Role of institutional controls in selection of remedial measures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakr, A.A.; Agoston, E.N.; McLeod, R.V.; Hicks, H.T.

    1992-01-01

    This paper explores the regulatory intent of CERCLA's definition and applicability of institutional controls at hazardous substance release sites undergoing remedial action and institutional controls that have been defined and implemented at selected CERCLA (Superfund) sites in the United States. Under provisions of CERCLA, institutional controls can be components of, or supplements to, interim or final remedial measures for hazardous substance [as defined under CERCLA 101(14)] releases. The use of institutional controls has been proposed in a number of RODs for large Superfund sites (e.g., Times Beach, Missouri; the Clothier Disposal Site in Oswego County, New York; and the Wildcat Landfill in Kent County, Delaware). In these cases, the selected remedial actions combine active response measures with institutional controls to protect human health and the environment. These RODs provide insight to how widely the concept of institutional controls is used and under what conditions. The use of institutional controls at large federal facilities is also discussed

  20. [Penal institutions in Porto Azzuro].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciccotti, R

    1976-01-01

    Prior to describing the environmental and human situation of the Porto Azzurro penal Institutions, the Author devotes a chapter to the historical part and gives an outline of the most important events that, in 1600 or thereabouts, led to the construction of the Fort S. Giacoma (where the penitentiary is presently sited), which, after a number of vicissitudes and transfers of title, was finally destined for use, in 1900, as a prison establishment. The subsequent and, in particular, the recent building re-structurations, have radically changed the penitentiary in order to make it more in line with the functions required by the present prison policy. After describing the establishment's setup, which includes many institutes, the Author passes on to consider the problems of personnel and, in particular, of the military staff. In the central chapter on intramural life, he makes an in-depth review of the methods and means of treatment, some of which are proper of this particular environment. In illustrating such convicts' activities, as working, leisure time, education, relationship with the extramural world, the Author lays stress on the always present objective: that directed at helping convicts re-enter social life. In conjunction with health services and religious services, the Author deals at length with the delicate moment of the "audience", viewed as a therapeutic means indispensiable for establishing a valid re-educational contribution. The discipline and discharges conclude the description of the Porto Azzurro penal Institutions, whose environment and various treatment methods in use before the implementation of the new penitentiary System, are dealt with in detail by the Author.

  1. Fairness in risky environments: theory and evidence

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Babický, V.; Ortmann, Andreas; van Koten, Silvester

    -, č. 419 (2010), s. 1-32 ISSN 1211-3298 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC542 Institutional research plan: CEZ:MSM0021620846 Keywords : fairness * risk aversion * subject pool effects * economics experiments Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp419.pdf

  2. New institutional analysis of European electric power reforms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez, Yannick

    2002-01-01

    This research thesis reports a comparative analysis of reforms of the electric power sector implemented in European countries. In the first part, the authors proposes a presentation of the theoretical framework adopted for this analysis which is notably based on the New Institutional Economy approach. He also proposes an approach to the electric power industry based on the Transaction Cost Theory, and presents an overview of the various European reforms in the field of electricity, and of still unresolved problems which emerged after the creation of different power markets. The next part addresses an assessment of the attractive and desirable characters of reforms which have been implemented in the United Kingdom, in Germany and in Spain, with an attempt to identify winners and losers, and to classify these reforms. In the third part, the author defines a framework for the analysis of the feasibility of reforms which combine institutional and industrial dimensions, notably by reference to Noll and Williamson works. In the last part, the author sheds a new light on the concept of credibility. He introduces the conventional arbitrage of the Transaction Cost Theory between commitment stability and flexibility to generate uncertainty. He notably shows that the main problem in centralised institutional environments, is to guarantee the stability of commitments in front of opportunism, whereas in decentralised institutional environments, the main problem is to produce flexibility to manage uncertainty [fr

  3. Strategies for successful academic writing - institutional and non-institutional support for students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gopee, Neil; Deane, Mary

    2013-12-01

    Students develop better academic writing skills as they progress through their higher education programme, but despite recent continuing monitoring of student satisfaction with their education in UK, there has been relatively little research into students' perceptions of the active support that they need and receive to succeed as academic writers. To examine the strategies that university students on health or social care courses utilise to develop as writers in the face of many pressures and demands from different sources. Qualitative research conducted at a British University into undergraduates' writing practices in the field of healthcare. Ten participants took part in semi-structured interviews, half of whom were international students. The data was analysed by the researchers from the field of writing development using thematic analysis. The main findings are that certain students struggle as academic writers if they do not receive tuition on appropriate and effective academic writing through institutional provisions, or through non-institutional strategies, that can promote success with the writing process. There is also uncertainty over the extent to which nurse educators are expected to teach academic writing skills, alongside their discipline-specific subject areas. Both institutional provisions for academic writing development, such as a dedicated writing support department, and non-institutional factors such as peer-collaboration should be fully recognised, supported and resourced in tertiary education at a time when students' satisfaction and performance are high on the agenda. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Higher Education Institutions: A Strategy towards Sustainability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casarejos, Fabricio; Frota, Mauricio Nogueira; Gustavson, Laura Morten

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to guide higher education institutions (HEIs) in accomplishing sustainability goals while strengthening their associated systems and processes. Pursuing this goal, this study proposes a conceptual framework for modeling the HEI organizational environment; a set of strategic sustainability actions to drive…

  5. Technological capabilities, institutions and firm productivity: a multilevel study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Goedhuys, M.; Srholec, Martin

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 27, č. 1 (2015), s. 122-139 ISSN 0957-8811 Institutional support: PRVOUK-P23 Keywords : productivity * innovation * technological capability Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 0.720, year: 2015

  6. Topical subjects of nuclear energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baumgaertel, G.; Borsch, P.; Halaszovich, S.; Laser, M.; Paschke, M.; Richter, B.; Stein, G.; Stippler, R.; Wagner, H.J.

    1990-01-01

    The report supplements and extends basic information contained in the seminar report 'Use and risk of nuclear energy' (Juel-Conf-17). The contributions deal with nuclear waste management, measures to avoid the misuse of nuclear fuels, and the properties and use of plutonium. As against the last edition, the subject 'Energy and environment' has been added. (orig.) [de

  7. Forschungszentrum Rossendorf, Institute of Safety Research. Annual report 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, F.P.; Rindelhardt, U.

    2005-01-01

    The Institute of Safety Research (ISR) is one of the six Research Institutes of Forschungszentrum Rossendorf e.V. (FZR e.V.) which is a member institution of the Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (Leibniz Association). Together with the Institute of Radiochemistry, ISR constitutes the research programme ''Safety and Environment'' which is one from three scientific programmes of FZR. In the framework of this research programme, the institute is responsible for the two subprogrammes ''Plant and Reactor Safety'' and ''Thermal Fluid Dynamics'', respectively. We also provide minor contributions to the sub-programme ''Radio-Ecology''. Moreover, with the development of a pulsed photo-neutron source at the radiation source ELBE (Electron linear accelerator for beams of high brilliance and low emittance), we are involved in a networking project carried out by the FZR Institute of Nuclear and Hadron Physics, the Physics Department of TU Dresden, and ISR. (orig.)

  8. Institut čistých technologií

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Šňupárek, Richard

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 2014, č. 6 (2014), s. 28-29 ISSN 1210-9525 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ED2.1.00/03.0082 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : clean technologies * research project * energetical materials Subject RIV: JQ - Machines ; Tools http://abicko.avcr.cz/2014/06/09/index.html

  9. Students’ digital learning environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Caviglia, Francesco; Dalsgaard, Christian; Davidsen, Jacob

    2018-01-01

    used tools in the students’ digital learning environments are Facebook, Google Drive, tools for taking notes, and institutional systems. Additionally, the study shows that the tools meet some very basic demands of the students in relation to collaboration, communication, and feedback. Finally...

  10. Academic Entrepreneurship and Institutional Change in Historical Perspective

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wadhwani, R. Daniel; Galvez-Behar, Gabriel; Mercelis, Joris

    2017-01-01

    This article provides a historical perspective on academic entrepreneurship and its role in institutional change, and serves as an introduction to a special issue devoted to the subject. Unlike approaches that define academic entrepreneurship narrowly as the commercialization of academic research...

  11. The challenge to reposition three divergent higher education institutions as a new comprehensive institution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nerine Bresler

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This study was designed to assist three higher education institutions that were forced into a merger to develop an identity, based on the unknown. A new type of organisation needs to be constructed in a changing environment. The paper presents the results of a survey of 654 stakeholders who were asked to indicate whether they associate any of the institutions with a list of 19 statements.The results are presented in a perceptual map to facilitate decision making. It depicts the merger partners as very different. This was confirmed by what the respective names triggered in respondents’ minds. The findings suggest issues management needs to address during the post-merger procedural integration to create and communicate value, through combined synergies, and to avoid some of the possible negative consequences of mergers.

  12. The role of institutional entrepreneurs in reforming healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockett, Andy; Currie, Graeme; Waring, Justin; Finn, Rachael; Martin, Graham

    2012-02-01

    We draw on institutional entrepreneurship theory to analyse the dynamics of institutional change in a healthcare context. The focus of our interest is in the relationship between an institutional entrepreneur's 'subject position', defined in terms of their structural and normative legitimacy within the existing institutional landscape, and the nature of the change enacted. We develop this approach through an examination of the implementation of new pathways for cancer genetic services within the English National Health Service. Employing comparative case analysis we show that those who have limited structural legitimacy under prevailing conditions are most willing to engender change, but also least able; whereas those who have strong structural legitimacy are most able, but often least willing. However, those who are able rhetorically to combine a balance of structural and normative legitimacy are most able to produce change. In doing so, we demonstrate the importance of the concept of institutional entrepreneurship to understand healthcare reform. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the ASCR: Expectation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Punčochář, Miroslav

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 62, 5-6 (2013), s. 214-215 ISSN 0022-9830 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : laboratory investigation * large-scale applications * novel instrumentation and technology . Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering

  14. G. A. Ostrogorskij i Archeologičeskij institut im. N. P. Kondakova v Prage

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Jančárková, Julie

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 70, 1/2 (2012), s. 53-75 ISSN 0007-7712 Institutional support: RVO:68378017 Keywords : Ostrogorsky, G. A. * Archaeological Institute in Prague * N. P. Kondakov * history * Byzantium Subject RIV: AB - History

  15. STEPS OF THE DESIGN OF CLOUD ORIENTED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN THE STUDY OF DATABASES FOR FUTURE TEACHERS OF INFORMATICS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oleksandr M. Kryvonos

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The article describes the introduction of cloud services in the educational process of the discipline «Databases» of future teachers of informatics and the design of the cloud oriented learning environment on their basis. An analysis of the domestic experience of forming a cloud oriented learning environment of educational institutions is carried out, given interpretation of concepts «cloud oriented distance learning system», «cloud oriented learning environment in the study of databases», «the design of the cloud oriented learning environment in the study of databases for future teachers of informatics». The following stages of designing COLE are selected and described: targeted, conceptual, meaningful, component, introductory, appraisal-generalization. The structure of the educational interaction of subjects in the study of databases in the conditions of the COLE is developed by the means of the cloud oriented distance learning system Canvas, consisting of communication tools, joint work, and planning of educational events, cloud storages.

  16. Discussion of the enabling environments for decentralised water systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moglia, M; Alexander, K S; Sharma, A

    2011-01-01

    Decentralised water supply systems are becoming increasingly affordable and commonplace in Australia and have the potential to alleviate urban water shortages and reduce pollution into natural receiving marine and freshwater streams. Learning processes are necessary to support the efficient implementation of decentralised systems. These processes reveal the complex socio-technical and institutional factors to be considered when developing an enabling environment supporting decentralised water and wastewater servicing solutions. Critical to the technological transition towards established decentralised systems is the ability to create strategic and adaptive capacity to promote learning and dialogue. Learning processes require institutional mechanisms to ensure the lessons are incorporated into the formulation of policy and regulation, through constructive involvement of key government institutions. Engagement of stakeholders is essential to the enabling environment. Collaborative learning environments using systems analysis with communities (social learning) and adaptive management techniques are useful in refining and applying scientists' and managers' knowledge (knowledge management).

  17. Tasks of institutional support to increase innovation activity of small business in the region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor Aleksandrovich Bayev

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The reasons for the low innovation activity of Russian small enterprises are presented in the article from the standpoint of institutional theory. According to the authors, today the degree of influence of the institutional environment on meso- and mini-levels, as well as informal rules for the development of small forms of entrepreneurship, including their innovative activity are underestimated. The influence of informal component of mini-level institutional environment on the implementation of formal institutions in the examples of the phenomenon of «Old Believers» Entrepreneurship and institutions of the shadow economy is shown. The authors suggest that the shadow nature existing in Russia on mini-level informal institutions to be explained not only by the low level of trust in society (including trust in authority and leadership and the differences between the national mentality, but also inadequate distribution of transaction costs of doing business (including innovation between economic agents. Features of the institutional system of Russia  as well as transaction costs of the domestic system of patenting inventions  are investigated as the key causes of the problem. Methodological principles of institutional support of small innovative businesses are presented.

  18. Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education Tata Institute of ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (A Deemed University) ... level • Innovative curricula, laboratories, teaching and assessment methods • Development ... subject), M Tech or a Master's degree (MA/MSW) in any of the social/ behavioural.

  19. Observing Literacy Practices in Neighbor Institutions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reusch, Charlotte

    ’procedures on language and literacy. Based on this material, we developed an observation scheme and a guide for preschool teachers to follow, inspired by an action learning concept.During fall 2015, a pilot project is carried out. Preschool teachers from one institution visit a neighbor institution one by one during...... work hours, in order to observe and register how language and literacy events look like there. Afterwards, they share their registrations at a team meeting, and discuss and decide which procedures to test in their own institution. Thus, they form a professional learning network. In the pilot project......The Danish National Centre for Reading and a municipality in southern Denmark cooperate to develop a program to improve preschool children’s early literacy skills. The project aims to support preschool teachers’ ability to create a rich literacy environment for children age 3‒6. Recent research...

  20. Bureaucracy, institutional theory and institutionaucracy: applications to the hospital industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolon, D S

    1998-01-01

    The health care industry is experiencing rapid change and uncertainty. Hospitals, in particular, are redesigning structures and processes in order to maximize efficiencies and remain economically viable. This article uses two organizational theory perspectives (bureaucracy and institutional theory) to examine many of the trends and transitions which are occurring throughout the hospital industry. It suggests that many of the key tenets of bureaucracy (rationality, efficiency, productivity, control, etc.) have been incorporated into the institutional environment as normative expectations. This synthesis or blending of these two perspectives is labeled institutionaucracy, implying that, as productivity and efficiency considerations become institutionalized, hospitals conforming to such operational standards will gain legitimacy and additional resources from their environment.

  1. Information Science Research Institute quarterly progress report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nartker, T.A.

    1995-09-30

    Subjects studied include optical character recognition (OCR), text retrieval, and document analysis. This report discusses the OCR test system and the text retrieval program. Staff and institute activities are given. Appendices give the ISRI methodology for preparing ground-truth test data and the test of OCR systems using DOE documents.

  2. Population growth and the environment in Africa : local informal institutions, the missing link

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mazzucato, V.; Niemeijer, D.

    2002-01-01

    Population and environment debates regarding Africa, whether Malthusian or Boserupian in nature, focus on population levels as the driving force behind the relationship between environment and society. This article argues, instead, that how people adjust to their rise in numbers is more important

  3. 40 CFR 264.148 - Incapacity of owners or operators, guarantors, or financial institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., guarantors, or financial institutions. 264.148 Section 264.148 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... TREATMENT, STORAGE, AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES Financial Requirements § 264.148 Incapacity of owners or operators, guarantors, or financial institutions. (a) An owner or operator must notify the Regional...

  4. Heading assessment by “tunnel vision” patients and control subjects standing or walking in a virtual reality environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    APFELBAUM, HENRY; PELAH, ADAR; PELI, ELI

    2007-01-01

    Virtual reality locomotion simulators are a promising tool for evaluating the effectiveness of vision aids to mobility for people with low vision. This study examined two factors to gain insight into the verisimilitude requirements of the test environment: the effects of treadmill walking and the suitability of using controls as surrogate patients. Ten “tunnel vision” patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) were tasked with identifying which side of a clearly visible obstacle their heading through the virtual environment would lead them, and were scored both on accuracy and on their distance from the obstacle when they responded. They were tested both while walking on a treadmill and while standing, as they viewed a scene representing progress through a shopping mall. Control subjects, each wearing a head-mounted field restriction to simulate the vision of a paired patient, were also tested. At wide angles of approach, controls and patients performed with a comparably high degree of accuracy, and made their choices at comparable distances from the obstacle. At narrow angles of approach, patients’ accuracy increased when walking, while controls’ accuracy decreased. When walking, both patients and controls delayed their decisions until closer to the obstacle. We conclude that a head-mounted field restriction is not sufficient for simulating tunnel vision, but that the improved performance observed for walking compared to standing suggests that a walking interface (such as a treadmill) may be essential for eliciting natural perceptually-guided behavior in virtual reality locomotion simulators. PMID:18167511

  5. Forschungszentrum Rossendorf, Institute of Safety Research. Annual report 2004

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weiss, F.P.; Rindelhardt, U. (eds.)

    2005-07-01

    The Institute of Safety Research (ISR) is one of the six Research Institutes of Forschungszentrum Rossendorf e.V. (FZR e.V.) which is a member institution of the Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (Leibniz Association). Together with the Institute of Radiochemistry, ISR constitutes the research programme ''Safety and Environment'' which is one from three scientific programmes of FZR. In the framework of this research programme, the institute is responsible for the two subprogrammes ''Plant and Reactor Safety'' and ''Thermal Fluid Dynamics'', respectively. We also provide minor contributions to the sub-programme ''Radio-Ecology''. Moreover, with the development of a pulsed photo-neutron source at the radiation source ELBE (Electron linear accelerator for beams of high brilliance and low emittance), we are involved in a networking project carried out by the FZR Institute of Nuclear and Hadron Physics, the Physics Department of TU Dresden, and ISR. (orig.)

  6. Race Making in a Penal Institution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Michael L

    2016-01-01

    This article provides a ground-level investigation into the lives of penal inmates, linking the literature on race making and penal management to provide an understanding of racial formation processes in a modern penal institution. Drawing on 135 days of ethnographic data collected as an inmate in a Southern California county jail system, the author argues that inmates are subjected to two mutually constitutive racial projects--one institutional and the other microinteractional. Operating in symbiosis within a narrative of risk management, these racial projects increase (rather than decrease) incidents of intraracial violence and the potential for interracial violence. These findings have implications for understanding the process of racialization and evaluating the effectiveness of penal management strategies.

  7. Cluster Policy in the Light of Institutional Context—A Comparative Study of Transition Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tine Lehmann

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The business environment in transition countries is often extraordinarily challenging for companies. The transition process these countries find themselves in leads to constant changes in the institutional environment. Hence, institutional voids prevail. These institutional voids cause competitive disadvantages for small and medium enterprises. Cluster policy can address these competitive disadvantages. As cluster policy generally aims at supporting companies’ competitive advantage by spurring innovation and productivity, it can help to bridge institutional voids. This article’s research question aims at analyzing and comparing cluster policies in the institutional context of two transition countries (Serbia and Tunisia and analyzes to what extent cluster policies in these two countries are adapted to institutional voids prevailing there. The case studies offer insights into apparent difficulties of clusters in bridging formal institutional voids, as well as, notably, into the informal void of skill mismatches in the labor market. Still, for some specific voids, clusters do at least implicitly assume a bridging role. While the cluster policies examined do not explicitly target the institutional voids identified, cluster management can—in the course of time—align its service offering more closely with these voids. Bottom-up designed cluster policies can play an especially important role in such an evolution towards bridging institutional voids.

  8. State Geological Institute of Dionyz Stur. Annual report 2006

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    In this main part of the Report following activities carried out by the State Geological Institute of Dionyz Stur (SGUDS) in 2006 year are presented: (1) Identification of institute; (2) Mission and vision; (3) SGUDS contract with the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic and its implementation; (4) Activities and products of the SGUDS and their costs; (5) Budget of the SGUDS; (6) Personnel action; (7) Objectives and review their performance; (8) Evaluation and analysis of developments of the SGUDS in 2006; (9) The main users of outputs of the SGUDS; Annex 1: Tasks in 2005; Annex 2: Partial monitoring system - geological factors; Annex 3: Evaluation of the activities of the Department of Informatics of the SGUDS under the contract between the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic and the SGUDS.

  9. Institutional Problems and Development Perspectives Innovative Entrepreneurship in Resource Economics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rutskiy Vladislav, N.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper justifies the necessity to transit towards the mobilization model "triple helix" (strategic partnership of science and education organizations, business and government, the public. Innovation as a product of entrepreneurship permeate the system of relations from top to bottom – from more efficient ways of doing home Ho households, and to design mechanisms of state regulation of the economy. However, at the theoretical level, the relationship remains poorly studied in-novations as a function of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship as social phenomenon in the system of institutional relations "business-authorities-society". Modern Russian economy has features of "dual enclave economy" with isolated more productive export-oriented resource sector. Innovative entrepreneurs do not become actors of change because of weak protection of property rights, manipulated state, weak sanctions for rent-seeking. The transition from innovative system "technology push" (fundamental knowledge on demand of state towards innovation system "market pull" (innovations on demand of business is complicated within Y-matrix of competitive institutional environment. It could turn out to be more effective to transit to the mobilization model "triple helix" (strategic partnership of science and education organizations, business and government, the public in compliance with X-matrix of cooperative institutional environment of redistribution. This will allow to create the necessary mechanisms for the exchange of missing codified knowledge (for those who imitate innovations and tacit knowledge (for pure innovators in the cross-sectoral technological chains. The design of institutional change in compliance with real needs of participants of innovative processes requires formal analysis of the region economic development type through assessing its key spheres, revealing and modeling prevailing type of entrepreneurship as well as identifying the relationship between

  10. Beneficial effects of multisensory and cognitive stimulation on age-related cognitive decline in long-term-care institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Oliveira, Thaís Cristina Galdino; Soares, Fernanda Cabral; De Macedo, Liliane Dias E Dias; Diniz, Domingos Luiz Wanderley Picanço; Bento-Torres, Natáli Valim Oliver; Picanço-Diniz, Cristovam Wanderley

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the present report was to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of multisensory and cognitive stimulation on improving cognition in elderly persons living in long-term-care institutions (institutionalized [I]) or in communities with their families (noninstitutionalized [NI]). We compared neuropsychological performance using language and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test scores before and after 24 and 48 stimulation sessions. The two groups were matched by age and years of schooling. Small groups of ten or fewer volunteers underwent the stimulation program, twice a week, over 6 months (48 sessions in total). Sessions were based on language and memory exercises, as well as visual, olfactory, auditory, and ludic stimulation, including music, singing, and dance. Both groups were assessed at the beginning (before stimulation), in the middle (after 24 sessions), and at the end (after 48 sessions) of the stimulation program. Although the NI group showed higher performance in all tasks in all time windows compared with I subjects, both groups improved their performance after stimulation. In addition, the improvement was significantly higher in the I group than the NI group. Language tests seem to be more efficient than the MMSE to detect early changes in cognitive status. The results suggest the impoverished environment of long-term-care institutions may contribute to lower cognitive scores before stimulation and the higher improvement rate of this group after stimulation. In conclusion, language tests should be routinely adopted in the neuropsychological assessment of elderly subjects, and long-term-care institutions need to include regular sensorimotor, social, and cognitive stimulation as a public health policy for elderly persons. PMID:24600211

  11. Beneficial effects of multisensory and cognitive stimulation on age-related cognitive decline in long-term-care institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Oliveira, Thaís Cristina Galdino; Soares, Fernanda Cabral; De Macedo, Liliane Dias E Dias; Diniz, Domingos Luiz Wanderley Picanço; Bento-Torres, Natáli Valim Oliver; Picanço-Diniz, Cristovam Wanderley

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the present report was to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of multisensory and cognitive stimulation on improving cognition in elderly persons living in long-term-care institutions (institutionalized [I]) or in communities with their families (noninstitutionalized [NI]). We compared neuropsychological performance using language and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test scores before and after 24 and 48 stimulation sessions. The two groups were matched by age and years of schooling. Small groups of ten or fewer volunteers underwent the stimulation program, twice a week, over 6 months (48 sessions in total). Sessions were based on language and memory exercises, as well as visual, olfactory, auditory, and ludic stimulation, including music, singing, and dance. Both groups were assessed at the beginning (before stimulation), in the middle (after 24 sessions), and at the end (after 48 sessions) of the stimulation program. Although the NI group showed higher performance in all tasks in all time windows compared with I subjects, both groups improved their performance after stimulation. In addition, the improvement was significantly higher in the I group than the NI group. Language tests seem to be more efficient than the MMSE to detect early changes in cognitive status. The results suggest the impoverished environment of long-term-care institutions may contribute to lower cognitive scores before stimulation and the higher improvement rate of this group after stimulation. In conclusion, language tests should be routinely adopted in the neuropsychological assessment of elderly subjects, and long-term-care institutions need to include regular sensorimotor, social, and cognitive stimulation as a public health policy for elderly persons.

  12. Moral Responsibility for Environmental Problems : Individual or Institutional?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fahlquist, J.N.

    2008-01-01

    The actions performed by individuals, as consumers and citizens, have aggregate negative consequences for the environment. The question asked in this paper is to what extent it is reasonable to hold individuals and institutions responsible for environmental problems. A distinction is made between

  13. Energy investments and the environment: Selected topics. A collection of papers prepared for a workshop organized by the economic development Institute of the World Bank in October 1990

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siddayao, C.M.; Griffin, L.A.

    1993-01-01

    Energy systems, like all other economic activities, consume resources, disturb the environment, and create waste. Each activity in an energy system fuel cycle has an associated set of environmental impacts and resultant effect on society. In developing countries, in addition to the environmental impacts associated with modern technological developments in the energy system, there are serious environmental problems associated with heavy dependence on fuelwood and other biomass. In Africa, for example, understanding the economic and environmental issues associated with the demand and supply of fuels for the household sector is a priority issue. Hence, energy policy and planning issues need to be addressed within the framework of a country's economic development goals. They also need to incorporate the microeconomic foundations of macro policies, the interaction of the energy system with the rest of the economy and the environment, and the role of the institutional framework in implementing energy and environment policies

  14. 40 CFR 267.148 - Incapacity of owners or operators, guarantors, or financial institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., guarantors, or financial institutions. 267.148 Section 267.148 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... FACILITIES OPERATING UNDER A STANDARDIZED PERMIT Financial Requirements § 267.148 Incapacity of owners or operators, guarantors, or financial institutions. (a) An owner or operator must notify the Regional...

  15. 40 CFR 265.148 - Incapacity of owners or operators, guarantors, or financial institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., guarantors, or financial institutions. 265.148 Section 265.148 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT, STORAGE, AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES Financial Requirements § 265.148 Incapacity of owners or operators, guarantors, or financial institutions. (a) An owner or operator must notify the...

  16. Environment and energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wirkner, H.; Kneller, P.

    1981-01-01

    FACIT is a periodical intended to provide the reader with a survey of outstanding publications on topical subjects. At the same time, it offers a first insight into the subject field, enabling the reader to select among the literature cited the publications he may need to enhance his knowledge and information. The periodical is aimed at serving as a guide to the complex variety of publications in a subject field, and to offer information in brief. Vol. 1, Environment and Energy, cites representative statements and samples from the German-language literature in this field and gives hints for further reading. (orig./HSCH) [de

  17. Cognitive dissonance and the perception of natural environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balcetis, Emily; Dunning, David

    2007-10-01

    Two studies demonstrated that the motivation to resolve cognitive dissonance affects the visual perception of physical environments. In Study 1, subjects crossed a campus quadrangle wearing a costume reminiscent of Carmen Miranda. In Study 2, subjects pushed themselves up a hill while kneeling on a skateboard. Subjects performed either task under a high-choice, low-choice, or control condition. Subjects in the high-choice conditions, presumably to resolve dissonance, perceived the environment to be less aversive than did subjects in the low-choice and control conditions, seeing a shorter distance to travel (Study 1) and a shallower slope to climb (Study 2). These studies suggest that the impact of motivational states extends from social judgment down into perceptual processes.

  18. On Preparing for More Subjective Judgements: RAE2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Ron

    2005-01-01

    Ever since the first UK Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) was held in the mid-1980s panels of academics have had to make subjective judgements about the quality of work submitted by institutions. In preparation for the 2008 RAE, the four Funding Councils (Higher Education Funding Council for England, Scottish Higher Education Funding Council,…

  19. Managing Multiple Sources of Competitive Advantage in a Complex Competitive Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Howard Henry Lapersonne

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this article is to review the literature on the topic of sustained and temporary competitive advantage creation, specifically in dynamic markets, and to propose further research possibilities. After having analyzed the main trends and scholars’ works on the subject, it was concluded that a firm which has been experiencing erosion of its core sources of economic rent generation, should have diversified its strategy portfolio in a search for new sources of competitive advantage, ones that could compensate for the decline of profits provoked by intensive competitive environments. This review concludes with the hypothesis that firms, who have decided to enter and manage multiple competitive environments, should have developed a multiple strategies framework approach. The management of this source of competitive advantage portfolio should have allowed persistence of a firm’s superior economic performance through the management of diverse temporary advantages lifecycle and through a resilient effect, where a very successful source of competitive advantage compensates the ones that have been eroded. Additionally, the review indicates that economies of emerging countries, such as the ones from the BRIC block, should present a more complex competitive environment due to their historical nature of cultural diversity, social contrasts and frequent economic disruption, and also because of recent institutional normalization that has turned the market into hypercompetition. Consequently, the study of complex competition should be appropriate in such environments.

  20. Objective and subjective factors of efficiency and performance of medical audit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. S. Biryukov

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The work is devoted to analysis factors affecting the effective operation of quality management systems in health care institutions. It is shown important role of quality of carrying out audits, internal and external, in elimination of various kinds of risks and discrepancies in activity of medical institutions. Two main factors were revealed which influencing the quality of audit: 1. Subjective or "human" factor, consisting in sufficient motivation of the top management and internal auditors of medical institutions. 2. Objective or technological factor, consisting in sufficient training of internal auditors, adequacy selected audit methodology, etc.

  1. The Discussion of Subjective Quality of Working Life Indicators

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vinopal, Jiří

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 44, č. 3 (2012), s. 385-401 ISSN 0049-1225 Institutional support: RVO:68378025 Keywords : Job Satisfaction * Quality of Working Life * Work Satisfaction Subject RIV: AO - Sociology, Demography Impact factor: 0.240, year: 2012 http://www.sav.sk/journals/uploads/06251222Vinopal%203-2012.pdf

  2. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Institutional Plan FY 1994--1999

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-09-01

    The Institutional Plan provides an overview of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory mission, strategic plan, scientific initiatives, research programs, environment and safety program plans, educational and technology transfer efforts, human resources, and facilities needs. For FY 1994-1999 the Institutional Plan reflects significant revisions based on the Laboratory`s strategic planning process. The Strategic Plan section identifies long-range conditions that will influence the Laboratory, as well as potential research trends and management implications. The Initiatives section identifies potential new research programs that represent major long-term opportunities for the Laboratory, and the resources required for their implementation. The Scientific and Technical Programs section summarizes current programs and potential changes in research program activity. The Environment, Safety, and Health section describes the management systems and programs underway at the Laboratory to protect the environment, the public, and the employees. The Technology Transfer and Education programs section describes current and planned programs to enhance the nation`s scientific literacy and human infrastructure and to improve economic competitiveness. The Human Resources section identifies LBL staff diversity and development program. The section on Site and Facilities discusses resources required to sustain and improve the physical plant and its equipment. The new section on Information Resources reflects the importance of computing and communication resources to the Laboratory. The Resource Projections are estimates of required budgetary authority for the Laboratory`s ongoing research programs. The Institutional Plan is a management report for integration with the Department of Energy`s strategic planning activities, developed through an annual planning process.

  3. Creating a flexible learning environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, B A; Jones, S; Winters, P

    1990-01-01

    Lack of classroom space is a common problem for many hospital-based nurse educators. This article describes how nursing educators in one institution redesigned fixed classroom space into a flexible learning center that accommodates their various programs. Using the nursing process, the educators assessed their needs, planned the learning environment, implemented changes in the interior design, and evaluated the outcome of the project. The result was a learning environment conducive to teaching and learning.

  4. Institutional arrangements in the emerging biodiesel industry: Case studies from Minas Gerais—Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Kassia; Bijman, Jos; Slingerland, Maja

    2012-01-01

    Connecting (small) family farmers to the emerging biodiesel industry requires careful design of the institutional arrangements between the producers of oil crops and the processing companies. According to institutional economics theory, the design of effective and efficient arrangements depends on production and transaction characteristics, the institutional environment, and the organizational environment supporting the transaction between producers and the industry. This paper presents a comparative study on two cases in the feedstock-for-biodiesel industry in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The two case studies represent the production and transaction system of soybeans (Glycine max L. Merrill) and castor beans (Ricinus communis L.). Important elements of effective and efficient institutional arrangements are farmer collective action, availability of technical and financial support, and farmer experience with particular crops. - Highlights: ► We study institutional arrangements for feedstock transactions between family farmers and the biodiesel industry. ► We focussed on soybean and castor bean production and transaction systems. ► Institutional arrangements are affected by product and production characteristics. ► They are also affected by collective actions organizations such as cooperatives. ► Soybean involves lower transaction costs and therefore more simple arrangement than castor bean.

  5. The Environmental Trilogy project: Balancing technical, institutional, and cultural perspectives to environmental management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurstedt, Pamela S.; Jim, Russell; Wadsworth, Bonnie C.W.; Burke, William H.; Kurstedt, Harold A. Jr.

    1992-01-01

    'The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.' Albert Einstein. I've identified an initial set of three perspectives important to building an integrated, comprehensive approach to managing the environment - technical, institutional, and cultural. I've constructed an holistic model (called the Environmental Trilogy) for environmental management, encompassing at least these three perspectives and their interrelationships. In this paper, I outline the model and report the results of a working session facilitated at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, in October 1991, involving three representatives from each of the technical, institutional, and cultural perspectives. The institutional members of this group were people who understand institutional effects, rather than those who represent institutions. The working group discussed and analyzed the technical-institutional, technical-cultural, and institutional-cultural inter- relationships of the environmental trilogy. The goals of the working group were to put structure on the environmental trilogy model, to facilitate the definition of variables, and explore relationships between and among variables. The working group members are to continue studying issues and components, perspectives, connections, and cause-and-effect in the models and report back to interested parties. The outcome is projected to be a more holistic, integrated view of the environment. (author)

  6. THE FACTORS INFLUENCING COLLEGE STUDENTS’ CHOICE OF ELECTIVE SUBJECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kolářová Eva

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The rate of employment of any country is affected not just by the business cycle, but also by the education level of population. People between 20 and 34 years old represent the first generation of grown-ups in the world of on-line technologies; more than half of them expect to work long after reaching the age of 65. The Faculty of Management and Economics of Tomas Bata University in Zlín is an educational and research institution providing modern environment and dynamic atmosphere to its students. One of the practical subjects for which the student can opt is called Accounting and Tax Office. In the course of the study, the students build their profiles and clarify their idea of their future occupation. This research examined the graduates’ views of the subject Accounting and Tax Office, whether after graduating from this course, they are better prepared for practice and if it increases their competitiveness in the labour market. The research also dealt with issues related to the ability to work in a large team, using their own creativity and responsibility for their work. Several statistical procedures have been used. The normal distribution was tested by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, but as the file is on the edge of number of 50, a Shapiro-Wilk test was executed to test whether the data come from a normal distribution. The results show that training based on practical situations from real life sufficiently prepares students for the upcoming practice and independent activities of the tax and accounting advisor.

  7. Stakeholder Analisys of Higher Education Institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivana Maric

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, knowledge, the human capital, and learning organizations have become the key determinants of current global progress. Higher educational sector has been faced with globalization and strong competition. Therefore, the need has arisen for professional management structures and more entrepreneurial style of leadership. Organizations have been transformed to learning organizations by the life long learning concept, while the knowledge management has become the leading tool in building competitive advantages. High education organizations are being pushed forward by competitiveness. That pressure requires continuous improvement emphasizing the need for measuring outcomes and building excellence. The paradigm of stakeholder analysis, applied to specific determinations of the system of higher education institutions, could be a good way for comprehending and predicting interests, needs and requirements of all key players in the environment. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the possibility of understanding the connection between higher education institutions and its environment in context of stakeholder analysis. The paper uses literature as a basis in identifying critical parameters for stakeholder analysis and its implementation to higher education sector. The findings of the paper reveal that the concept of stakeholders is critical and difficult to implement everywhere and to everything. There is a clear attempt of all organizations, especially those that create and encourage knowledge, to understand the actions of all participants and predictions of interests and requirements of the changing environment.

  8. CRIS and Institutional Repositories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A Asserson

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available CRIS (Current Research Information Systems provide researchers, research managers, innovators, and others with a view over the research activity of a domain. IRs (institutional repositories provide a mechanism for an organisation to showcase through OA (open access its intellectual property. Increasingly, organizations are mandating that their employed researchers deposit peer-reviewed published material in the IR. Research funders are increasingly mandating that publications be deposited in an open access repository: some mandate a central (or subject-based repository, some an IR. In parallel, publishers are offering OA but replacing subscription-based access with author (or author institution payment for publishing. However, many OA repositories have metadata based on DC (Dublin Core which is inadequate; a CERIF (Common-European Research Information Format CRIS provides metadata describing publications with formal syntax and declared semantics thus facilitating interoperation or homogeneous access over heterogeneous sources. The formality is essential for research output metrics, which are increasingly being used to determine future funding for research organizations.

  9. Workforce diversity and community-responsive health-care institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nivet, Marc A; Berlin, Anne

    2014-01-01

    While the levers for the social determinants of health reside largely outside institutional walls, this does not absolve health professional schools from exercising their influence to improve the communities in which they are located. Fulfilling this charge will require a departure from conventional thinking, particularly when it comes to educating future health professionals. We describe efforts within medical education to transform recruitment, admissions, and classroom environments to emphasize diversity and inclusion. The aim is to cultivate a workforce with the perspectives, aptitudes, and skills needed to fuel community-responsive health-care institutions.

  10. The Role of External Environment in Upper Echelons Theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yamak, Sibel; Nielsen, Sabina; Escribá-Esteve, Alejandro

    2014-01-01

    and industrial organization theories, a cross-level conceptual model outlining the direct, mediating, and moderating effects of the external environment on upper echelons is developed. This review distinguishes between industry and institutional levels of analysis and three types of environmental characteristics......Upper echelons research has largely focused on the antecedents and consequences of top management teams (TMTs) from the team and firm levels of analysis. This paper reviews empirical research on TMTs with a specific emphasis on the role of the external environment. Applying institutional...

  11. Integration of health and environment through health impact assessment: cases from three continents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Negev, Maya; Levine, Hagai; Davidovitch, Nadav; Bhatia, Rajiv; Mindell, Jennifer

    2012-04-01

    Despite the strong linkage between environment and health, institutions responsible for these fields operate in largely fragmented ways with limited interaction. As illustrated in the recent engagement between health and urban planning institutions, inter-institutional cooperation could support more effective and politically acceptable solutions for both local and global problems. Analysis of three case-studies, from three different continents, shows that HIA might serve to promote synergies among health and environmental disciplines in different local contexts, and could lead to institutional and procedural changes that promote health. Case examples provided supportive evidence for these effects, despite differences in approaches to HIA and governance levels. Obstacles to the use of HIA for inter-institutional integration also differed between countries. Lessons learned could support cooperation in other common interests of health and environment disciplines such as research, training and preparedness, and mitigation of public health emergencies related to the environment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Der grüne Weg zu Open Access: institutionelle und fachliche Repositorien / The Green Road to Open access: institutional and subject repositories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bauer, Bruno

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available The recent issue 1/2009 of GMS Medizin – Bibliothek – Information has a focus on „The green road to open Access: institutional and subject repositories“. Self-archiving and storing scholarly publications on a print server were also central topics in many presentations at the 9th International Bielefeld Conference in February 2009. The authors in this issue are Birgit Schmidt and Karin Ilg-Hartecke (Open Access in Deutschland – erweiterte Perspektiven für die Wissenschaft, Christoph Bruch and Anja Lengenfelder (Unterstützung des Grünen Weges zu Open Access an der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Ulrich Herb and Matthias Müller (Nuancen in Grün: Betrieb eines institutionellen und disziplinären Repositoriums – Erfahrungen und Entwicklungen an der Saarländischen Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, Timo Borst and Jan B. Weiland (EconStor: ein fachliches Repositorium für die Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Antonella de Robbio and Michael Katzmayr (The management of an international open access repository: the case of E-LIS and Christian Gumpenberger (The EPrints story: Southampton as the cradle of institutional self-archiving.Furthermore this focus issue features an interview of a representative of a research funding organisation (Repositorien: Der grüne Weg zu Open Access Publishing aus der Perspektive einer Forschungsförderungsorganisation. 10 Fragen von Bruno Bauer an Falk Reckling, Mitarbeiter des FWF Der Wissenschaftsfonds and an interview of a publisher (Repositorien: Der grüne Weg zu Open Access Publishing aus der Perspektive der International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers (STM: 10 Fragen von Bruno Bauer an Barbara Kalumenos, Director of Public Affairs bei STM.

  13. Colon cancer modulation by a diabetic environment: A single institutional experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prieto, Isabel; Del Puerto-Nevado, Laura; Gonzalez, Nieves; Portal-Nuñez, Sergio; Zazo, Sandra; Corton, Marta; Minguez, Pablo; Gomez-Guerrero, Carmen; Arce, Jose Miguel; Sanz, Ana Belen; Mas, Sebastian; Aguilera, Oscar; Alvarez-Llamas, Gloria; Esbrit, Pedro; Ortiz, Alberto; Ayuso, Carmen; Egido, Jesus; Rojo, Federico; Garcia-Foncillas, Jesus

    2017-01-01

    Multiple observational studies suggest an increased risk of colon cancer in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). This can theoretically be the result of an influence of the diabetic environment on carcinogenesis or the tumor biologic behavior. To gain insight into the influence of a diabetic environment on colon cancer characteristics and outcomes. Retrospective analysis of clinical records in an academic tertiary care hospital with detailed analysis of 81 diabetic patients diagnosed of colon cancer matched with 79 non-diabetic colon cancer patients. The impact of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on the growth of colon cancer xenografts was studied in mice. The incidence of DM in 1,137 patients with colorectal cancer was 16%. The diabetic colon cancer cases and non-diabetic colon cancer controls were well matched for demographic and clinical variables. The ECOG Scale Performance Status was higher (worse) in diabetics (ECOG ≥1, 29.1% of controls vs 46.9% of diabetics, p = 0.02), but no significant differences were observed in tumor grade, adjuvant therapy, tumor site, lymphovascular invasion, stage, recurrence, death or cancer-related death. Moreover, no differences in tumor variables were observed between patients treated or not with metformin. In the xenograft model, tumor growth and histopathological characteristics did not differ between diabetic and nondiabetic animals. Our findings point towards a mild or negligible effect of the diabetes environment on colon cancer behavior, once cancer has already developed.

  14. Impact of demographic changes on higher education institutions : Llithuania in a global context

    OpenAIRE

    Grebliauskas, Artūras; Leskauskaitė, Aušra

    2012-01-01

    The present article raises the following problematic questions: how have higher education institutions prepared themselves for facing challenges coming from the environment modified by demographic changes? What new strategic directions in higher education institutions operation are determined by a steadily-decreasing number of students? This research purposes: firstly, to inquire into the impact of demographic changes on higher education institutions activities, and, secondly, to determine ho...

  15. Psychotherapeutic training in an institutional setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bettschart, W

    1990-01-01

    Many child and adolescent psychotherapists are asked to work in specialized institutions (where the children are either interns or externs), with children presenting behaviour problems, learning difficulties, mental handicap or important psychosocial problems. They learn through diverse treatment forms, or parent accompaniment during the child's treatment (bifocal or conjoint treatment more or less regular therapeutic sessions with both parents and children, etc.). The treatment of children within an institution makes the treatment modalities and technique more complicated. The psychotherapist must have a perfect knowledge of the specific environment of the child, and keep in mind the desires and requests of the direction and the people who work directly with the child (teachers, specialized teachers, etc.). How can the problems brought up by the rivalry between the institution and the psychotherapist be canalized: length of therapy, merits (how did the pedagogical intervention help, recognition of a specific action or of work done in conjunction with the educative action)? If these facts are not recognized, the treatment will often be interrupted and the psychotherapist may be excluded from the institution. This will be avoided by ensuring further training of the therapist.

  16. Adaptive Rationality, Adaptive Behavior and Institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Volchik Vyacheslav, V.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The economic literature focused on understanding decision-making and choice processes reveals a vast collection of approaches to human rationality. Theorists’ attention has moved from absolutely rational, utility-maximizing individuals to boundedly rational and adaptive ones. A number of economists have criticized the concepts of adaptive rationality and adaptive behavior. One of the recent trends in the economic literature is to consider humans irrational. This paper offers an approach which examines adaptive behavior in the context of existing institutions and constantly changing institutional environment. It is assumed that adaptive behavior is a process of evolutionary adjustment to fundamental uncertainty. We emphasize the importance of actors’ engagement in trial and error learning, since if they are involved in this process, they obtain experience and are able to adapt to existing and new institutions. The paper aims at identifying relevant institutions, adaptive mechanisms, informal working rules and practices that influence actors’ behavior in the field of Higher Education in Russia (Rostov Region education services market has been taken as an example. The paper emphasizes the application of qualitative interpretative methods (interviews and discourse analysis in examining actors’ behavior.

  17. Teacher Perspectives in the Face of Institutional Press.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeichner, Kenneth M.; Tabachnick, B. Robert

    A longitudinal study of four beginning teachers examined the process of socialization during the induction period and the extent to which behavioral conformity to institutional norms reflected inner value commitments and perspectives. During their student teaching experience, the subjects participated in a study which measured their perspectives…

  18. Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin. Annual report 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This report describes the activities of the Hahn-Meitner-Institute (HMI) on four special subjects: 1. Nuclear physics (nuclear reactions, nuclear structure, VICKSI accelerator development), 2. photochemical energy conversion (basic and material research, radiation chemistry), 3. structure research (theory of many-body systems, solid-state physics, neutron scattering, highly stressed metallic materials, trace nutrients in health and nutrition), and 4. information technics (software, real time systems, semiconductor subassembly). The following is presented for every special subject: a) The topics worked on in 1993, b) selected results and c) publications, lectures, theses submitted for diplomas and doctoral theses. (orig.) [de

  19. The effect of teacher interpersonal behaviour on students' subject-specific motivation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    den Brok, P.; Levy, J.; Brekelmans, M.; Wubbels, Th.

    2006-01-01

    This study brings together insights from research on teaching and learning in specific subjects, learning environments research and effectiveness research by linking teacher interpersonal behaviour to students’ subject-related attitudes. Teaching was studied in terms of a model originating from

  20. Investigation and technical reviews on the long term stability of buffer. Document prepared by other institute, based on the contract

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takasu, Aki

    2003-03-01

    The main objectives of future research and development of geological disposal are to confirm that previous investigation and assessment method which have been arranged for generic geological environment will apply to real geological disposal environment, and the margin of system performance, which was assessed under simple and conservative viewpoint in the past, with assessment and recognition long term behavior of realistic system. Under present condition, we organized clay science specialist committee in Nuclear Safety Research Association and considered following themes comprehensively. To confirm the assessment methods for log term stability of the buffer in H12: Project to establish the scientific and technical basis for HLW disposal in Japan' and in other performance assessment reports, and to pick up subjects from them. Review on the research for long term stability assessment in Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute and in other researchers. This report is summarized the result of investigation. (author)

  1. Institute annual report 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    The mission of the ITU (Institute for Transuranium Elements) is to protect the European citizen against risk associated with the handling and storage of highly radioactive elements. The JRC (Joint Research Center) provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. In this framework this annual report presents the TU actions in: basic actinide research, spent fuel characterization, safety of nuclear fuels, partitioning and transmutation, alpha-immunotherapy/radiobiology, measurement of radioactivity in the environment, safeguards research and development. (A.L.B.)

  2. Institute annual report 2004

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    The mission of the ITU (Institute for Transuranium Elements) is to protect the European citizen against risk associated with the handling and storage of highly radioactive elements. The JRC (Joint Research Center) provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. In this framework this annual report presents the TU actions in: basic actinide research, spent fuel characterization, safety of nuclear fuels, partitioning and transmutation, alpha-immunotherapy/radiobiology, measurement of radioactivity in the environment, safeguards research and development. (A.L.B.)

  3. Preferensi Mahasiswa terhadap Kajian Keislaman di IAIN Surakarta (Analisis Konjoin terhadap Mata Kuliah Keislaman pada Mata Kuliah Wajib Institut IAIN Surakarta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Supandi

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This study focuses on student preference for Islamic Subjects contained in the Compulsory Courses Institute at IAIN Surakarta. By using conjoint analysis maps the research institute of the compulsory subjects of the most favored by students and the dominant factor underlying these preferences. The study was conducted on 584 students were selected by stratified random sampling of 8377 active students IAIN Surakarta. Collecting data using the card preference which is based on combination approach full profile attributes of subjects and reasons for choosing subjects. The study concluded that students assume Subjects Sejarah Peradaban Islam as a compulsory subject institute the most preferred with the attribute values of 26.71% and Metodologi Studi Islam became the most disliked by the attribute value 19.18%. While the dominant factor influencing the preference of students to institute compulsory subjects are used instructional media lecturer and desirability level of 22.01%, the quality factor of teaching faculty is the second reason of 21.50%, the lecture method used lecturer at 20.69% , materials and teaching materials are delivered to 18.56%, while 17.24% of the lecture time.

  4. How to Apply Feedback to Improve Subjective Wellbeing of Government Servants Engaged in Environmental Protection in China?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xinmeng; Zhang, Na; Li, Miaomiao

    2018-01-01

    Background In order to improve subjective wellbeing of government servants engaged in environmental protection who work in high power distance in China, it is important to understand the impact mechanism of feedback. This study aims to analyze how feedback environment influences subjective wellbeing through basic psychological needs satisfaction and analyzing the moderating role of power distance. Method The study was designed as a cross-sectional study of 492 government servants engaged in environment protection in Shandong, China. Government servants who agreed to participate answered self-report questionnaires concerning demographic conditions, supervisor feedback environment, basic psychological need satisfaction, and power distance as well as subjective wellbeing. Results Employees in higher levels of supervisor feedback environment were more likely to experience subjective wellbeing. Full mediating effects were found for basic psychological needs satisfaction. Specifically, supervisor feedback environment firstly led to increased basic psychological needs satisfaction, which in turn resulted in increased subjective wellbeing. Additional analysis showed that the mediating effect of basic psychological needs satisfaction was stronger for employees who work in high power distance than in low power distance. Conclusion The results from the study indicate that supervisor feedback environment plays a vital role in improving subjective wellbeing of government servants engaged in environmental protection through basic psychological needs satisfaction, especially in high power distance. PMID:29662901

  5. 76 FR 8372 - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development; Notice of Closed...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-14

    ... National Institute of Child Health & Human Development; Notice of Closed Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d... Institute of Child Health and Human Development Special Emphasis Panel; Risk Genes and Environment... Scientific Review, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, 6100...

  6. Institutional Continuity and Distance Learning: A Symbiotic Relationship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bates, Rodger

    2013-01-01

    Universities and colleges have been developing institutional continuity plans to protect their ability to function within an environment of increasing uncertainties caused by natural and man-made disasters and events. Within the academic context, distance learning strategies have emerged as critical components for program continuity. This research…

  7. Subjective burden on spouses of schizophrenia patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Surekha Kumari

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background : There is limited information from India on subjective burden on spouses of schizophrenia patients. The aim of the present study was to assess and compare patterns of subjective burden on spouses of schizophrenia patients. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted at the OPD level, and follow-up was done at the Ranchi Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Sciences (RINPAS during the period May 2008 to November 2008. Tools utilized were sociodemographic data sheet, Family Burden Interview Schedule developed by Pai and R. L. Kapur (1981. The sample comprised of 50 samples of spouses (25 male and 25 female spouses of schizophrenia patients. Results: The findings suggest that both the groups, viz., male and female spouses of schizophrenia patients, showed moderate level of subjective burden, i.e., 13 (52% and 15 (60% male and female spouses, respectively, which was statistically found to be insignificant. Conclusion : No significant difference was found between male and female spouses of schizophrenia patients with regard to the level of subjective burden.

  8. Legal and institutional impediments to geothermal energy resource development: a bibliography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1978-01-01

    This bibliography contains 485 references to literature on the subject of legal and institutional constraints to the development and use of geothermal resources. In addition to government-sponsored reports, journal articles, and books, the bibliography includes specific state and Federal laws and regulations, court cases of interest, and conference proceedings. For each reference, abstract or a listing of subject descriptors is given along with the complete bibliographic citation. Corporate, author, subject, and report number indexes are included. (LS)

  9. Subjective perception versus objective indicators of overcrowding and housing affordability

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sunega, Petr; Lux, Martin

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 31, č. 4 (2016), s. 695-717 ISSN 1566-4910 R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36154G Institutional support: RVO:68378025 Keywords : Housing * Indicators * Overcrowding * Housing affordability Subject RIV: AO - Sociology, Demography Impact factor: 1.178, year: 2016

  10. Temperature processes at two sliding surfaces subjected to dry friction

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Půst, Ladislav; Pešek, Luděk; Cibulka, Jan; Bula, Vítězslav

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 63, 5/6 (2012), s. 277-292 ISSN 0039-2472 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA101/09/1166 Institutional support: RVO:61388998 Keywords : dry friction * vibration damping * experimental set * increase of temperature * lost energy Subject RIV: BI - Acoustics

  11. Research Groups & Research Subjects - RED | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available rch Groups & Research Subjects Data detail Data name Research Groups & Research Sub... Number of data entries 174 entries Data item Description Research ID Research ID (Subject number) Institute...tion Download License Update History of This Database Site Policy | Contact Us Research Groups & Research Subjects - RED | LSDB Archive ... ...switchLanguage; BLAST Search Image Search Home About Archive Update History Data List Contact us RED Resea... Organization Section Section (Department) User name User name Experimental title Experimental title (Rese

  12. [The subject repositories of strategy of the Open Access initiative].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soares Guimarães, M C; da Silva, C H; Horsth Noronha, I

    2012-11-01

    The subject repositories are defined as a set of digital objects resulting from the research related to a specific disciplinary field and occupy a still restricted space in the discussion agenda of the Free Access Movement when compared to amplitude reached in the discussion of Institutional Repositories. Although the Subject Repository comes to prominence in the field, especially for the success of initiatives such as the arXiv, PubMed and E-prints, the literature on the subject is recognized as very limited. Despite its roots in the Library and Information Science, and focus on the management of disciplinary collections (subject area literature), there is little information available about the development and management of subject repositories. The following text seeks to make a brief summary on the topic as a way to present the potential to develop subject repositories in order to strengthen the initiative of open access.

  13. Forschungszentrum Rossendorf. Institute of Safety Research. Annual report 1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, F.P.; Rindelhardt, U.

    1999-07-01

    The Institute of Safety Research is one of the five scientific institutes of Forschungszentrum Rossendorf e.V. The Forschungszentrum Rossendorf is a member of the 'Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz' und is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and by the Saxon Ministry of Science and Arts with 50% each. The research work of the institute aims at the assessment and increase of the safety and environmental sustainability of technical plants. The emphasis is put on the development and validation of mathematical and physical models for process and plant analysis, and of techniques for process and components monitoring. Subject of investigations are equally nuclear plants and installations of process industries. (orig.)

  14. Partial monitoring system Radioactivity of the Environment, 2006

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melicherova, T.

    2007-01-01

    In this report the Partial monitoring system 'Radioactivity of the Environment' for the year 2006 is presented. International co-operation of the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute in the Partial monitoring system 'Radioactivity of the Environment' of the Slovak Republic, international co-operation as well as financial data are reviewed

  15. Evaluating Robotic Surgical Skills Performance Under Distractive Environment Using Objective and Subjective Measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suh, Irene H; LaGrange, Chad A; Oleynikov, Dmitry; Siu, Ka-Chun

    2016-02-01

    Distractions are recognized as a significant factor affecting performance in safety critical domains. Although operating rooms are generally full of distractions, the effect of distractions on robot-assisted surgical (RAS) performance is unclear. Our aim was to investigate the effect of distractions on RAS performance using both objective and subjective measures. Fifteen participants performed a knot-tying task using the da Vinci Surgical System and were exposed to 3 distractions: (1) passive distraction entailed listening to noise with a constant heart rate, (2) active distraction included listening to noise and acknowledging a change of random heart rate from 60 to 120 bpm, and (3) interactive distraction consisted of answering math questions. The objective kinematics of the surgical instrument tips were used to evaluate performance. Electromyography (EMG) of the forearm and hand muscles of the participants were collected. The median EMG frequency (EMG(fmed)) and the EMG envelope (EMG(env)) were analyzed. NASA Task Load Index and Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery score were used to evaluate the subjective performance. One-way repeated analysis of variance was applied to examine the effects of distraction on skills performance. Spearman's correlations were conducted to compare objective and subjective measures. Significant distraction effect was found for all objective kinematics measures (P < .05). There were significant distraction effects for EMG measures (EMG(env), P < .004; EMG(fmed), P = .031). Significant distraction effects were also found for subjective measurements. Distraction impairs surgical skills performance and increases muscle work. Understanding how the surgeons cope with distractions is important in developing surgical education. © The Author(s) 2015.

  16. The Devaluation of the Subject in Popper's Theory of World 3

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Parusniková, Zuzana

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 46, č. 3 (2016), s. 304-317 ISSN 0048-3931 Institutional support: RVO:67985955 Keywords : Karl Popper * World 3 * objective knowledge * criticism * creativity Subject RIV: AA - Philosophy ; Religion Impact factor: 0.392, year: 2016

  17. Isomorphic pressures, institutional strategies, and knowledge creation in the health care sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chen-Wei; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Huang, Wei-Min

    2007-01-01

    Health care organizations are facing surprisingly complex challenges, including new treatment and diagnostic technologies, ongoing pressures for health care institutional reform, the emergence of new organizational governance structures, and knowledge creation for the health care system. To maintain legitimacy in demanding environments, organizations tend to copy practices of similar organizations, which lead to isomorphism, and to use internal strategies to accommodate changes. A concern is that a poor fit between isomorphic pressures and internal strategies can interfere with developmental processes, such as knowledge creation. The purposes of this article are to, first, develop a set of propositions, based on institutional theory, as a theoretical framework that might explain the influence of isomorphic pressures on institutional processes through which knowledge is created within the health care sector and, second, propose that a good fit between isomorphic pressures factors and health care organizations' institutional strategic choices will enhance the health care organizations' ability to create knowledge. To develop a theoretical framework, we developed a set of propositions based on literature pertaining to the institutional theory perspective of isomorphic pressures and the response of health care organizations to isomorphic pressures. Institutional theory perspectives of isomorphic pressures and institutional strategies may provide a new understanding for health care organizations seeking effective knowledge creation strategies within institutional environment of health care sector. First, the ability to identify three forces for isomorphic change is critical for managers. Second, the importance of a contingency approach by health care managers can lead to strategies tailoring to cope with uncertainties facing their organizations.

  18. Institutions in the Mexican coffee sector : changes and responses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rodriguez Padron, B.

    2012-01-01

    Keywords: Cooperation, contract arrangements, traders´ performance, market uncertainty, diversification, coffee, Mexico.

    The main aim of this thesis is to investigate the institutional environment prevailing in the Mexican coffee sector and its effect on the producers, traders and

  19. Organizational support and institutional environment for entrepreneurship development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anđelić Slavica

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Enterprise and Entrepreneurship are naturally connected and linked to the man, his individuality and dynamism. A man develops his entrepreneurial skills in the company is organized so that it represents a healthy environment for the development ambitions. The only reliable sources of progress and prosperity are the work and entrepreneurship. It has long been in the world economic literature of special importance in the process of restructuring the economy in economic growth and development of countries in transition is given to the establishment of new enterprises and entrepreneurship development. I do not believe that it is a new form of paradigm, however, the fact remains that a large shift in the literature devoted to the economy of transition. Entrepreneurship means a special kind of work which aims to emphasize the great importance of possessing human creative, organizational and management capacity. The term enterprise wants to emphasize the importance of possessing an exceptional human creative ability. It appears as a combination of dynamic development of ideas, talent, capital, knowledge and risk.

  20. Sexual Harassment of Newcomers in Elder Care. An Institutional Practice?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jo Krøjer

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Sexual harassment is illegal and may have very damaging effects on the people exposed to it. One would expect organizations, employers, and institutions to take very good care to prevent employees from exposure to sexual harassment from anyone in their workplace. And yet, many people, mostly women, are exposed to sexual harassment at work. In care work, such behaviour is often directed toward their female caregiver by elderly citizens in need of care. Contemporary Nordic studies of working life and work environment have primarily investigated the interpersonal dimensions of sexual harassment, thus focusing on the relation between elderly citizens in need of care and their professional caregivers. In this article, we argue that sexual harassment from the elderly toward newcomers in elder care should also be seen as an effect of institutional practices. Based upon a Foucauldianinspired notion of practice-making, the article carries out a secondary analysis of three different empirical studies in order to explore how sexual harassment is produced and maintained through institutional practices in elder care. The term institution in this perspective includes three dimensions; a political, an educational (educational institutions in health and elder care, and a work organizational dimension. By examining elder care in these different dimensions, we identify how sexual harassment of professional caregivers is produced and maintained through institutional practice-making in elder care. The article thus contributes to our knowledge on working life by expanding and qualifying the understanding of the problematic working environment in care work, and by offering an alternative theoretical and analytical approach to the study of sexual harassment. Together, these insights suggest how elder care institutions might act to prevent sexual harassment toward caregivers.

  1. Technological capabilities, institutions and firm productivity: a multilevel study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Goedhuys, M.; Srholec, Martin

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 27, č. 1 (2015), s. 122-139 ISSN 0957-8811 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP402/10/2310 Institutional support: RVO:67985998 Keywords : productivity * innovation * technological capability Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 0.720, year: 2015

  2. Profiling medical school learning environments in Malaysia: a validation study of the Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sean Tackett

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: While a strong learning environment is critical to medical student education, the assessment of medical school learning environments has confounded researchers. Our goal was to assess the validity and utility of the Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale (JHLES for preclinical students at three Malaysian medical schools with distinct educational and institutional models. Two schools were new international partnerships, and the third was school leaver program established without international partnership. Methods: First- and second-year students responded anonymously to surveys at the end of the academic year. The surveys included the JHLES, a 28-item survey using five-point Likert scale response options, the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM, the most widely used method to assess learning environments internationally, a personal growth scale, and single-item global learning environment assessment variables. Results: The overall response rate was 369/429 (86%. After adjusting for the medical school year, gender, and ethnicity of the respondents, the JHLES detected differences across institutions in four out of seven domains (57%, with each school having a unique domain profile. The DREEM detected differences in one out of five categories (20%. The JHLES was more strongly correlated than the DREEM to two thirds of the single-item variables and the personal growth scale. The JHLES showed high internal reliability for the total score (α=0.92 and the seven domains (α, 0.56-0.85. Conclusion: The JHLES detected variation between learning environment domains across three educational settings, thereby creating unique learning environment profiles. Interpretation of these profiles may allow schools to understand how they are currently supporting trainees and identify areas needing attention.

  3. Annual report of the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, for fiscal 1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    This annual report describes the abstracts of researches and oral presentations and papers reported as the results for fiscal 1998 in each laboratory of RIKEN (the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research). Moreover, the themes of special project funding for basic science, grant research, contract research, industrial properties, research subjects of special postdoctoral researchers and junior research associate and technology research subjects of technology research fellow are inserted. The abstract of researches, oral presentations and publications reported by Frontier Research Program, Brain Science Institute, Riken and Riken Genomic Science Center are contained. Riken Symposia and Symposia Sponsored by Riken are explained. (S.Y.)

  4. Relevance of Donation to Special Federal Tertiary Institution ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    While structured and open-ended interview and relevant documents, including gift and donation files, acquisition records and library accession registers were used to collect data for the study. The population of the study consisted of the Special Federal Tertiary Institution Libraries under study while the subjects of the study ...

  5. Preferences and beliefs in a sequential social dilemma: a within-subjects analysis

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Blanco, M.; Engelmann, Dirk; Koch, A. K.; Normann, H.-T.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 87, September (2014), s. 122-135 ISSN 0899-8256 Institutional support: RVO:67985998 Keywords : beliefs * consensus effect * social dilemma Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 1.067, year: 2014

  6. University Libraries and Digital Learning Environments

    OpenAIRE

    2011-01-01

    University libraries around the world have embraced the possibilities of the digital learning environment, facilitating its use and proactively seeking to develop the provision of electronic resources and services. The digital environment offers opportunities and challenges for librarians in all aspects of their work – in information literacy, virtual reference, institutional repositories, e-learning, managing digital resources and social media. The authors in this timely book are leading exp...

  7. 40 CFR 63.4881 - Am I subject to this subpart?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... themselves: household, office, institutional, laboratory, hospital, public building, restaurant, barber and... conducted in an operation that is subject to the wood furniture manufacturing NESHAP in subpart JJ of this... janitorial, building, and facility maintenance operations. (4) Surface coating of only small items such as...

  8. Bond-Slip Behavior of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer Bar in Concrete Subjected to Simulated Marine Environment: Effects of BFRP Bar Size, Corrosion Age, and Concrete Strength

    OpenAIRE

    Yongmin Yang; Zhaoheng Li; Tongsheng Zhang; Jiangxiong Wei; Qijun Yu

    2017-01-01

    Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) bars have bright potential application in concrete structures subjected to marine environment due to their superior corrosion resistance. Available literatures mainly focused on the mechanical properties of BFRP concrete structures, while the bond-slip behavior of BFRP bars, which is a key factor influencing the safety and service life of ocean concrete structures, has not been clarified yet. In this paper, effects of BFRP bars size, corrosion age, and c...

  9. Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Amendment Act 1987 - No 17 of 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    This Act amends the Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978. The amendments mainly concern definition of general mining operations and specification of the functions of the Supervisory Scientist and the Research Institute in relation to general mining in an environment conservation zone (parts of the Alligator Rivers Region). The 1978 Act provided for the appointment of a Supervising Scientist responsible for supervising protection of the environment against the effects of uranium mining in the Region, and for the creation of a Research Institute under his management. (NEA) [fr

  10. The greening of higher education: A case study in three institutions in Medellin, Colombia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gomez, Catherine; Botero, Camilo M

    2012-01-01

    Incorporation of environmental variable (greening) in the daily routine of universities has taken force from the ends of the 20th century and nowadays its implementation in Colombia is a fact. This research project evaluated the grade of incorporation of such a variable in mission purposes of three higher education institutions in Medellin (Colombia). It included two different education levels (professional and technical) and used qualitative techniques (interviews to two teachers in each institution, one hour visits to two courses in each institution, and checklists for every visit as well as for the institutional analysis). In all the three study cases the environment is part of the institutional commitments, including their education, research, management processes, as well as activities with the society. This was reflected in the integration of greening in the curricula, the promotion of the research in environmental topics, the interdisciplinary cooperation and the adoption of internal policies. This work identifies some elements to develop the environmental education as a tool to comprehend the society and its environment as a whole; it constitutes a base for discussions, shows the advance of the three studied institutions, and discovers that shortcomings, that should be addressed, still exist.

  11. 31 CFR 586.518 - Authorization of release of certain blocked transfers by U.S. financial institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... blocked transfers by U.S. financial institutions. 586.518 Section 586.518 Money and Finance: Treasury... transfers by U.S. financial institutions. (a) Subject to the limitation set forth in this paragraph, U.S. financial institutions are authorized to unblock and return to the remitting party funds blocked pursuant to...

  12. How "Doing Business" jeopardizes institutional reform

    OpenAIRE

    Arruñada, Benito

    2008-01-01

    Simplifying business formalization and eliminating outdated formalities is often a good way of improving the institutional environment for firms. Unfortunately, the World Bank’s "Doing Business" project is harming such policies by promoting a reform agenda that gives them priority even in countries lacking functional business registers, so that the reformed registers keep producing valueless information, but faster. Its methodology also promotes biased measurements that impede proper consider...

  13. Addressing security issues related to virtual institute distributed activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stytz, Martin R.; Banks, Sheila B.

    2008-03-01

    One issue confounding the development and experimentation of distributed modeling and simulation environments is the inability of the project team to identify and collaborate with resources, both human and technical, from outside the United States. This limitation is especially significant within the human behavior representation area where areas such as cultural effects research and joint command team behavior modeling require the participation of various cultural and national representatives. To address this limitation, as well as other human behavior representation research issues, NATO Research and Technology Organization initiated a project to develop a NATO virtual institute that enables more effective and more collaborative research into human behavior representation. However, in building and operating a virtual institute one of the chief concerns must be the cyber security of the institute. Because the institute "exists" in cyberspace, all of its activities are susceptible to cyberattacks, subterfuge, denial of service and all of the vulnerabilities that networked computers must face. In our opinion, for the concept of virtual institutes to be successful and useful, their operations and services must be protected from the threats in the cyber environment. A key to developing the required protection is the development and promulgation of standards for cyber security. In this paper, we discuss the types of cyber standards that are required, how new internet technologies can be exploited and can benefit the promulgation, development, maintenance, and robustness of the standards. This paper is organized as follows. Section One introduces the concept of the virtual institutes, the expected benefits, and the motivation for our research and for research in this area. Section Two presents background material and a discussion of topics related to VIs, uman behavior and cultural modeling, and network-centric warfare. Section Three contains a discussion of the

  14. SELF ASSESSMENT AND INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dumara Coutinho Tokunaga Sameshima

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Institutional Assessment is a comprehensive action, radical mobilizing and engaging the institution as a whole. Process is not indifferent or neutral. Instead, take advantage reaffirms values considered positive, the judge denies negative, their social relationships and work involved in all aspects of academic life and institutional (Newton Balzan and José Dias Sobrinho. As pointed out by the authors of the text, the institutional assessment is a challenge for managers in the field. In this sense this study addresses the understanding of Institutional Assessment and investigation procedure, that explicitly and reveal the subject institution's social reality prevailing in its various dimensions, identifying their points of excellence, their focus create obstacles, pointing paths and prospects for institutional development. The process of self-assessment meets the desire of institutions to maintain the provision of quality services and meet legislation on Institutional Assessment, specifically the Law. 10861/2004 which regulates the National Assessment of Higher Education - SINAES. The author's desire to emphasize that institutions of higher learning, being recognized as educational institutions, research and extension to provide excellence in education, training people competent, ethical and socially committed to the real exercise of citizenship.

  15. Public Relations in the State Institutions from Galati

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Aurelia Tanase Popa

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper aims at identifying and analyzing specific public relations activities in various state institutions from Galati in order to shape a PR typological profile in this geographic area. From the methodological point of view, the paper is based on in-depth interview technique for data collection and content analysis as a method of interpretation. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate the professional activity of the specialist in public relations in state institutions in Galati and achieving it was made possible through a structured interview guide on three indicators: professional environment, typological profile, professional responsibility.

  16. Precision in harsh environments

    OpenAIRE

    French, P.; Krijnen, G.; Roozeboom, F.

    2016-01-01

    Microsystems are increasingly being applied in harsh and/or inaccessible environments, but many markets expect the same level of functionality for long periods of time. Harsh environments cover areas that can be subjected to high temperature, (bio)-chemical and mechanical disturbances, electromagnetic noise, radiation, or high vacuum. In the field of actuators, the devices must maintain stringent accuracy specifications for displacement, force, and response times, among others. These new requ...

  17. Do institutions, ownership, exporting and competition explain firm performance?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Commander, S.; Švejnar, Jan

    -, č. 65 (2008), s. 1-73 ISSN N Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : firm performance * ownership * competition * export Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/60636/4/IPC-working%20paper-065-CommanderSvejnar.pdf

  18. The AIR's policy on research involving the irradiation of human subjects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, A.N.

    1995-01-01

    The policy of the Australian Institute of Radiography with regards to the human subject irradiation is outlined. It is stated that members will not irradiate another individual, nor themselves, solely for the purposes of experimentation or research without gaining the prior approval of an institutional ethics committee. Where possible, researchers should consider the use of patient equivalent or human tissue equivalent phantoms. A short list of references has been compiled to assist members in designing research protocols which comply with the stated policy

  19. Energy and the Environment: Volume 24

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Socolow, R.H.

    1999-01-01

    The 24 papers in this volume are entitled: The art of energy efficiency--Protecting the environment with better technology; On the road to global ecology; Best practices for renewable energy implementation--Integrating end-user and commercial-sector opportunities and constraints; Biomass conversion to fuels; Changing trends in greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide; Economic growth, liberalization, and the environment--A review of the evidence; Harmful algal blooms--A model for emergence of pathogenic microorganisms under conditions of ecological stress; Enhancing the performance of nuclear power reactors--Issues and opportunities; Environmental issues along the US-Mexico border--Drivers of change and the response of citizens and institutions; Ethics and international business; Fuel cells; High-level nuclear waste--The status of Yucca Mountain; Hydrogen production, transmission, and distribution; It's not easy being green--Innovative environmental technologies enhance hydropower's role in sustainable development; Megacities and the atmosphere; Methods for attributing ambient air pollutants to emission sources; Nuclear energy in the twenty-first century--Examination of a contentious subject; Pollution and human health in the St. Lawrence estuary; Southern perspectives in technology transfer; The post-Kyoto regime on climate change--Southern perspectives; Flexibility in the timing and mechanisms of greenhouse gas controls--A review of economic arguments; How much is energy R and D worth as insurance; A review of technical change in assessments of climate policy; and Energy technology and global change--Modeling techniques developed at NASA

  20. Protection of the environment from ionising radiation. The development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. Proceedings of the third international symposium on the protection of the environment from ionising radiation (SPEIR 3). Unedited papers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2003-05-01

    In recent years, awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased, as evidenced by new and developing international policies for environmental protection, starting with the Rio Declaration of 1992. In the context of ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is largely based on providing for the protection of humans, but this is being critically reviewed in several international fora. It is in this context that the Third International Symposium on Protection of the Environment from Ionising Radiation (SPEIR 3) was held between 22 and 26 July 2002, in Darwin, Australia. The symposium focused on issues related to the development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. The symposium programme included sessions dedicated to: ongoing research on the effects, responses and mechanisms of the interactions of ionizing radiation with biota; policy and ethical dimensions of the development of a framework for environmental radiation protection; and the development and use of methods and models for evaluating radiation as a stressor to the environment. Three workshops were held to allow for detailed discussion of each of these subjects. This symposium was the third in a series. The first International Symposium on Ionising Radiation: Protection of the Natural Environment, was held in Stockholm, Sweden, 20-24 May 1996. This symposium was organized jointly by the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI) and the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) of Canada, and the proceedings were published by the Akademitryck AB, Edsbruk, Sweden in 1996. The second International Symposium on Ionizing Radiation: Environmental Protection Approaches for Nuclear Facilities, was held in Ottawa, Canada, 10-14 May 1999, and was organized by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), the Supervising Scientists Group of Environment Australia, and the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI). The proceedings were published in April

  1. Protection of the environment from ionising radiation. The development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. Proceedings of the third international symposium on the protection of the environment from ionising radiation (SPEIR 3). Unedited papers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-01-01

    In recent years, awareness of the vulnerability of the environment has increased, as evidenced by new and developing international policies for environmental protection, starting with the Rio Declaration of 1992. In the context of ionizing radiation, the existing international approach is largely based on providing for the protection of humans, but this is being critically reviewed in several international fora. It is in this context that the Third International Symposium on Protection of the Environment from Ionising Radiation (SPEIR 3) was held between 22 and 26 July 2002, in Darwin, Australia. The symposium focused on issues related to the development and application of a system of radiation protection for the environment. The symposium programme included sessions dedicated to: ongoing research on the effects, responses and mechanisms of the interactions of ionizing radiation with biota; policy and ethical dimensions of the development of a framework for environmental radiation protection; and the development and use of methods and models for evaluating radiation as a stressor to the environment. Three workshops were held to allow for detailed discussion of each of these subjects. This symposium was the third in a series. The first International Symposium on Ionising Radiation: Protection of the Natural Environment, was held in Stockholm, Sweden, 20-24 May 1996. This symposium was organized jointly by the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI) and the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) of Canada, and the proceedings were published by the Akademitryck AB, Edsbruk, Sweden in 1996. The second International Symposium on Ionizing Radiation: Environmental Protection Approaches for Nuclear Facilities, was held in Ottawa, Canada, 10-14 May 1999, and was organized by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), the Supervising Scientists Group of Environment Australia, and the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute (SSI). The proceedings were published in April

  2. Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Science

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stamenov, J.

    2004-01-01

    The Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (INRNE) of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the leading Bulgarian Institute for scientific investigations and applications of nuclear science. The main Institute's activities in the field of elementary particles and nuclear physics, high energy physics and nuclear energy, radiochemistry, radioecology, radioactive wastes treatment, monitoring of the environment, nuclear instruments development ect. are briefly described. Several examples for: environmental radiation monitoring; monitoring of the radioactivity and heavy metals in aerosols, 99m Tc clinical use, Boron Neutron Capture Therapy application of IRT-2000 Research Reactor, neutron fluence for reactor vessel embrittlement, NPP safety analysis, nuclear fuel modelling are also presented

  3. The importance of the instructional guide in the design of virtual learning environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aida Mercedes Gomez-Suarez

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The appropriation of information and communication technologies (ICTs in the processes of teaching and learning is one of the main challenges of educational institutions and teachers in the current society of knowledge, as responsible for a use Rational and meaningful use of its digital educational resources (RED. This involves developing competencies in the implementation of ICT in the classroom to enrich the learning environments. This article presents a reflection on the instructional guide as a didactic tool in the elaboration of RED that facilitates the design of these resources to support the activities of the classroom in these processes. This reflection is the result of a research on the subject carried out in a context of university teaching

  4. Pressure sound level measurements at an educational environment in Goiania, Goias, Brazil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Costa, Jhonatha J.L.; Nascimento, Eriberto O. do; Oliveira, Lucas N. de [Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Goiás (IFG), Goiânia, GO (Brazil); Caldas, Linda V. E., E-mail: lcaldas@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2017-07-01

    In this work, twenty five points located on the ground floor of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Goias - IFG - Campus Goiania, were analyzed in morning periods of two Saturdays. The pressure sound levels were measured at internal and external environments during routine activities seeking to perform an environmental monitoring at this institution. The initial hypothesis was that an amusement park (Mutirama Park) was responsible for originating noise pollution in the institution, but the results showed, within the campus environment, sound pressure levels in accordance with the Municipal legislation of Goiania for all points. (author)

  5. Pressure sound level measurements at an educational environment in Goiania, Goias, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, Jhonatha J.L.; Nascimento, Eriberto O. do; Oliveira, Lucas N. de; Caldas, Linda V. E.

    2017-01-01

    In this work, twenty five points located on the ground floor of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Goias - IFG - Campus Goiania, were analyzed in morning periods of two Saturdays. The pressure sound levels were measured at internal and external environments during routine activities seeking to perform an environmental monitoring at this institution. The initial hypothesis was that an amusement park (Mutirama Park) was responsible for originating noise pollution in the institution, but the results showed, within the campus environment, sound pressure levels in accordance with the Municipal legislation of Goiania for all points. (author)

  6. The nitrogen footprint tool network: a multi-institution program ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthropogenic sources of reactive nitrogen have local and global impacts on air and water quality and detrimental effects on human and ecosystem health. This paper uses the nitrogen footprint tool (NFT) to determine the amount of nitrogen (N) released as a result of institutional consumption. The sectors accounted for include food (consumption and the upstream production), energy, transportation, fertilizer, research animals, and agricultural research. The NFT is then used for scenario analysis to manage and track reductions to institution N footprints, which are driven by the consumption behaviors of both the institution itself and its constituent individuals. In this paper, the first seven institution N footprint results are presented. The institution NFT network aims to develop footprints for many institutions to encourage widespread upper-level management strategies that will create significant reductions in reactive N released to the environment. Energy use and food purchases are the two largest contributors to institution N footprints. Ongoing efforts by institutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions also help to reduce the N footprint, but the impact of food production on N pollution has not been directly addressed by the higher-ed sustainability community. The NFT Network found that institutions could reduce their N footprints by optimizing food purchasing to reduce consumption of animal products and minimize food waste, as well as reducing dependence o

  7. IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM ACTIVITIES OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. M. Sultalieva

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract. The aim of the article is the improvement of quality assessment system of higher education institutions in the aspect of management. The problems of quality improvement are revealed and classified. The analysis of criteria assessment sets used to define the efficiency of higher education institutions activity is carried out. The components of quality of higher education institutions activity are specified. The structural model of quality assessment system of higher education institutions activity is offered. The analysis of macro environment of a university based on the method of strategic management is carried out, i.e. PEST analysis. As a result of the research a new model of macro criteria model of quality assessment system of higher education institutions, characterizing quality management as an approach to university efficiency is offered, moreover, this system can define the level of its competitiveness in the aspect of quality management. 

  8. Stock index adjustments, analyst coverage and institutional holdings: Evidence from China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Song Zhu

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Using 231 pairs of matched firms from 2009 to 2012 in Chinese stock market, we find that the stock index adjustment significantly affects the analyst coverage, which in addition to the stock index leads to more analyst coverage, while deletion from the stock index has no significant effect, indicating that stock index adjustment can significantly change the information environments of firms that are added to the index. An index adjustment also affects institutional holdings in consideration of new information (e.g., changes in fundamentals and information environments. Changes in institutional holdings are partially due to changes in analyst coverage, and both index funds and other types can change their portfolios in response to changes in the target firms’ informativeness.

  9. Sensemaking, institutions and crises of legitimacy: the case of Nike's sweatshop

    OpenAIRE

    Zheng, Xiaolan

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study is to explore the phenomenon of the legitimacy crisis. This is a variant of organizational crises which, although increasingly common and managerially relevant, is still under-explored. A legitimacy crisis signals a problematic relationship between the focal organization and its socio-institutional environment which calls for repairing of meaning. Having considered this, the study has developed a theoretical framework that integrates the sensemaking and institutional per...

  10. Institutional educational projects in Colombia facing school integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lilian Caicedo Obando

    2004-02-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, more than before people talks about the importance to pay attention to the particularity, and this concept has had different conceptions: starting with the incapacity, concept understood like the feature which make a subject different from the others. Other concept is vulnerability which require special attention by the same society that has produced this. Education is one of the most important aspects in the attention. And what is happening inside the educative institutions is not the result of only one way to face and understand the situation that imply the subjects integration since the particularity many senses are assumed in relation with the conception of: subject, school, integration. For this reason, in this article the instrumental, strategic and complex senses are analysed. 

  11. Subject related teaching in udeskole (outdoor school)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barfod, Karen Seierøe

    Subject related teaching in udeskole In this symposium, subject related teaching on a regular basis in the outdoors, known as udeskole will be described and discussed. Based on recent and ongoing research and development, the education taking the place of teaching into account of the learning...... will identify the necessity of doing research into the field, as 18,4% of all Danish schools is shown to have one or more classes working with udeskole (Barfod et al, 2016). Secondly, the subject related teaching in the outdoors will be exemplified by four research projects. First, the subject ‘Danish...... teaching in the outdoors will be supplemented with recent research upon barriers for using external learning environments ‘the open school’ in Skive Muncipiality. Closing the seminar will be a presentation of the national Danish Network UdeskoleNet and its application. Sources: Barfod, K., Ejbye-Ernst, N...

  12. Report on a survey in fiscal 1999. The survey on structuring institutions for energy environment policies. Part 2. Collection of information about policies in major countries for prevention of global warming; 1999 nendo energy kankyo seisaku no seido kochiku ni kansuru chosa. 2. Kakkoku ondanka boshi seisaku johoshu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-03-01

    The present survey is intended to collect and put in order the literatures and items of information related to: the current status and future directionality in the policies in advanced nations related to achieving the targets of the Kyoto Protocol, and trends of improving national institutions to respond to the Kyoto mechanisms, and the background of the conceptions thereof (including the conceptions on designing the international institutions). The survey gives considerations at the same time on possibilities of realization of the policies being implement and/or discussed. The report consists of two parts. Part 1 puts in order the trends until the most recent date in the summary of warming prevention policies in the major European and North American countries, placing the importance on the policies and measures that use economic methods (environment taxation system, national discharge quantity transaction, voluntary action plans and agreements). Part 2 (the present paper) introduces the contents of the major literatures and administrative materials in the policy trends in each nation, and puts in order the basic items of information that are considered useful for performing in the future the surveys related to the subject areas. (NEDO)

  13. Entrepreneurs’ Responses to Illegitimate Institutional Pressures in Monterrey, Mexico

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ramirez, Jacobo

    2014-01-01

    The mass media can play an important role in capturing the dynamic between social groups and the institutional environment. To investigate entrepreneurs’ responses to the impact of organized crime and violence on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Monterrey, Mexico, a deductive Content ...

  14. Adjustment problems and residential care environment

    OpenAIRE

    Jan Sebastian Novotný

    2015-01-01

    Problem: Residential care environment represents a specific social space that is associated with a number of negative consequences, covering most aspects of children and youth functioning. The paper analyzes of the presence of adjustment problems among adolescents from institutional care environment and compares this results with a population of adolescents who grew up in a family. Methods: The sample consisted of two groups of adolescents. The first group included 285 adolescents currently g...

  15. Neural Network Based Reactive Navigation for Mobile Robot in Dynamic Environment

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Krejsa, Jiří; Věchet, S.; Ripel, T.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 198, č. 2013 (2013), s. 108-113 ISSN 1012-0394 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20760514 Institutional support: RVO:61388998 Keywords : mobile robot * reactive navigation * artificial neural networks Subject RIV: JD - Computer Applications, Robotics

  16. Cooling tower and environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, J.; Ederhof, A.; Gosdowski, J.; Harms, A.; Ide, G.; Klotz, B.; Kowalczyk, R.; Necker, P.; Tesche, W.

    The influence of a cooling tower on the environment, or rather the influence of the environment on the cooling tower stands presently -along with the cooling water supply - in the middle of much discussion. The literature on these questions can hardly be overlooked by the experts concerned, especially not by the power station designers and operators. The document 'Cooling Tower and Environment' is intented to give a general idea of the important publications in this field, and to inform of the present state of technology. In this, the explanations on every section make it easier to get to know the specific subject area. In addition to older standard literature, this publication contains the best-known literature of recent years up to spring 1975, including some articles written in English. Further English literature has been collected by the ZAED (KFK) and is available at the VGB-Geschaefsstelle. Furthermore, The Bundesumweltamt compiles the literature on the subject of 'Environmental protection'. On top of that, further documentation centres are listed at the end of this text. (orig.) [de

  17. A New Institutionalism? The English School as International Sociological Theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schouenborg, Laust

    2011-01-01

    In this article I engage with the theoretical opening provided by Barry Buzan’s From International to World Society? I present an argument for five functional categories, which should be able to encompass all the institutions identified by English School scholars throughout history. Their introdu......In this article I engage with the theoretical opening provided by Barry Buzan’s From International to World Society? I present an argument for five functional categories, which should be able to encompass all the institutions identified by English School scholars throughout history....... Their introduction should point the way towards a sounder analytical framework for the study of what Buzan believes should be the new subject of the discipline of International Relations (IR). This subject is defined as second-order societies, meaning societies ‘where the members are not individual human beings...

  18. Vulnerable children in Ukraine : impact of institutional care and HIV on the development of preschoolers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dobrova-Krol, Natasha

    2009-01-01

    Although institutional care jeopardizes children’s development, some studies suggest that well-functioning child-care institutions may offer children a better environment than their own dysfunctional families. For the growing number of HIV-infected children who often live in underprivileged families

  19. State Geological Institute of Dionyz Stur. Annual report 2007

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-01-01

    In this main part of the Report following activities carried out by the State Geological Institute of Dionyz Stur (SGUDS) in 2007 year are presented: (1) Identification of institute; (2) Mission and vision; (3) SGUDS contract with the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic and its implementation; (4) Activities and products of the SGUDS and their costs; (5) Budget of the SGUDS; (6) Personnel action; (7) Objectives and review their performance; (8) Evaluation and analysis of developments of the SGUDS in 2007; (9) The main users of outputs of the SGUDS.

  20. Improving readability of informed consents for research at an academic medical institution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadden, Kristie B; Prince, Latrina Y; Moore, Tina D; James, Laura P; Holland, Jennifer R; Trudeau, Christopher R

    2017-12-01

    The final rule for the protection of human subjects requires that informed consent be "in language understandable to the subject" and mandates that "the informed consent must be organized in such a way that facilitates comprehension." This study assessed the readability of Institutional Review Board-approved informed consent forms at our institution, implemented an intervention to improve the readability of consent forms, and measured the first year impact of the intervention. Readability assessment was conducted on a sample of 217 Institutional Review Board-approved informed consents from 2013 to 2015. A plain language informed consent template was developed and implemented and readability was assessed again after 1 year. The mean readability of the baseline sample was 10th grade. The mean readability of the post-intervention sample (n=82) was seventh grade. Providing investigators with a plain language informed consent template and training can promote improved readability of informed consents for research.

  1. Ethical dilemma of mandated contraception in pharmaceutical research at catholic medical institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casey, Murray Joseph; O'Brien, Richard; Rendell, Marc; Salzman, Todd

    2012-01-01

    The Catholic Church proscribes methods of birth control other than sexual abstinence. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes abstinence as an acceptable method of birth control in research studies, some pharmaceutical companies mandate the use of artificial contraceptive techniques to avoid pregnancy as a condition for participation in their studies. These requirements are unacceptable at Catholic health care institutions, leading to conflicts among institutional review boards, clinical investigators, and sponsors. Subjects may feel coerced by such mandates to adopt contraceptive techniques inconsistent with their personal situation and beliefs; women committed to celibacy or who engage exclusively in non-heterosexual activities are negatively impacted. We propose principles to insure informed consent to safeguard the rights of research subjects at Catholic institutions while mitigating this ethical conflict. At the same time, our proposal respects the interests of pharmaceutical research agencies and Catholic moral precepts, and fully abides by regulatory guidance.

  2. Subjectivity as a play of territorialization: Exploring affective attachments to place through collective biography

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zábrodská, Kateřina; Ellwood, C.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 21, č. 2 (2011), s. 180-191 ISSN 1210-3055 R&D Projects: GA ČR GPP407/10/P146 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70250504 Keywords : collective biography * subjectivity * territorialization Subject RIV: AN - Psychology http://www.springerlink.com/content/27584v651qm45w41/

  3. 7 CFR 2.59 - Deputy Under Secretaries for Natural Resources and Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Environment. 2.59 Section 2.59 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY BY... Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment § 2.59 Deputy Under Secretaries for Natural Resources and Environment. Pursuant to § 2.20(a), subject to reservations in § 2.20(b), and subject to...

  4. Electric sector and environment: the institutionalization of the environmental question; Setor eletrico e meio ambiente: a institucionalizacao da questao ambiental

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barbosa, Nair Palhano

    2001-08-01

    The purpose of this research is to study the trajectory of the environmental question in the planning of government policies. For this, the historic process of the emergence and institutionalization of the debate over the environment in the electric sector was redeemed, mainly observing the changes that occurred in the organizational and planning structure of projects. The electric sector is understood to be comprised of the network of interests and social relationships that sustain the set of policies whose principle axis is the generation, transmission and distribution of energy; this network may or may not be extrapolated beyond the design of its institutional structure. During the course of the studies carried out to prepare this thesis, the environmental question was understood, at least in a preliminary fashion, to consist of a general set of problems, diagnoses, situations, plans, programs and actions, as are institutional forms that explicitly refer to the environment as their subject, cause or objective for being or their justification. The research that the work presented here was based upon was oriented by methodological procedures that are characteristic of institutional analyses and representation studies, and used documentation available about and produced by the Electric Sector as a source of information as well as interviews and questionnaires with people directly or indirectly involved with the topic. This procedure allowed for the observation that the treatment of the environmental question in the electric sector underwent moments that varied according to the level of internalization during the different stages of the sector's projects, as well as during the formulation of its institutional policy. (author)

  5. Assessment of groundwater quality at the Nigerian Institute for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study was carried out to ascertain the suitability of the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research's groundwater resources for aquaculture purposes. The samples were subjected to physico-chemical analyses and the parameters analyzed are Iron, pH, Sulphide ion Total Ammonia, Dissolved Oxygen, ...

  6. Spotlight on Ethics: Institutional Review Boards as Systemic Bullies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, Caleb T.

    2015-01-01

    Bullying, often considered an interpersonal or intergroup behaviour, has not been explored as an unintended artefact of organisational structure. Institutional review boards (IRBs), the 'human research ethics committees' at US universities, help oversee the protection of human research subjects, particularly in the social sciences within…

  7. GSF-Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit, Institut fuer Hydrologie. Annual report 1995; GSF-Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit, Institut fuer Hydrologie. Jahresbericht 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-09-01

    The 1995 annual report of the Institute of Hydrology presents the findings of 19 current research projects on different subjects in hydrology. It is supplemented by information on cooperation with other scientific institutions in the form of lists of publications and reports, lectures and posters, university teaching projects, and finished and current dissertations. (VHE) [Deutsch] Der Jahresbericht 1995 des Institutes fuer Hydrologie im GSF-Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit stellt die Ergebnisse von derzeit 19 laufenden Untersuchungen zu unterschiedlichen hydrologischen Themen vor. Ergaenzt werden die Ausfuehrungen durch einen Ueberblick ueber die Zusammenarbeit mit anderen wissenschaftlichen Institutionen in Form von Verzeichnissen der Veroeffentlichungen und Berichte, der Vortraege und Poster, der Beitraege zur Lehre an Hochschulen sowie der abgeschlossenen und laufenden Dissertationen. (VHE)

  8. Dielectric properties of plasma sprayed silicates subjected to additional annealing

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ctibor, Pavel; Sedláček, J.; Nevrlá, Barbara; Neufuss, Karel

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 10, č. 2 (2017), s. 105-114 ISSN 2008-2134 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : Annealing * Dielectric properties * Plasma spraying * Silicates * Electrical properties * Insulators Subject RIV: JK - Corrosion ; Surface Treatment of Materials OBOR OECD: Coating and films http://pccc.icrc.ac.ir/Articles/1/18/990/

  9. Optimal Release Time and Sensitivity Analysis Using a New NHPP Software Reliability Model with Probability of Fault Removal Subject to Operating Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kwang Yoon Song

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available With the latest technological developments, the software industry is at the center of the fourth industrial revolution. In today’s complex and rapidly changing environment, where software applications must be developed quickly and easily, software must be focused on rapidly changing information technology. The basic goal of software engineering is to produce high-quality software at low cost. However, because of the complexity of software systems, software development can be time consuming and expensive. Software reliability models (SRMs are used to estimate and predict the reliability, number of remaining faults, failure intensity, total and development cost, etc., of software. Additionally, it is very important to decide when, how, and at what cost to release the software to users. In this study, we propose a new nonhomogeneous Poisson process (NHPP SRM with a fault detection rate function affected by the probability of fault removal on failure subject to operating environments and discuss the optimal release time and software reliability with the new NHPP SRM. The example results show a good fit to the proposed model, and we propose an optimal release time for a given change in the proposed model.

  10. ANALYSIS OF VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT BENEFIT IN E-LEARNING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    NOVÁK, Martin

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The analysis of the virtual environment assets towards the e-learning process improvements is mentioned in this article. The virtual environment was created within the solution of the project ‘Virtualization’ at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Pardubice. The aim of this project was to eliminate the disproportion of free access to licensed software between groups of part-time and full-time students. The research was realized within selected subjects of the study program System Engineering and Informatics. The subjects were connected to the informatics, applied informatics, control and decision making. Student subject results, student feedback based on electronic questionnaire and data from log file of virtual server usage were compared and analysed. Based on analysis of virtualization possibilities the solution of virtual environment was implemented through Microsoft Terminal Server.

  11. Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Institutions of Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Office of Safe and Healthy Students, US Department of Education, 2013

    2013-01-01

    Our nation's postsecondary institutions are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for students, faculty, and staff who live, work, and study on campus. Many of these emergencies occur with little to no warning; therefore, it is critical for institutions of higher education (IHEs) to plan ahead to help ensure the safety and…

  12. Internet website as a tool of communication in scientific institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marzena Feldy

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the article is to analyze the use of websites in communication activities and image building of national scientific institutions. One of the reasons for undertaking this subject is the greater attention paid to scientific communication and its link to the need for society involvement in research, that was expressed in the “Rome Declaration on Responsible Research and Innovation in Europe” in 2014. Apart from that, there is an enhanced science mediatization that requires from PR specialists an extra effort to ensure that their messages are not distorted. The subject seems to be vital as there is a growing emphasis on commercialization of scientific research that creates the need to undertake deliberate efforts to popularize scientific discoveries. Moreover, a demographic decline, which more and more touches higher education institutions and forces them to strive for creating well-known brands, contributes to the subject’s importance. In order to realize the objective, in July 2015, 605 websites of national research institutions were reviewed to determine whether their operators shared contact details to the employee responsible for communication, posted messages informing about current events as well as visual content, used such tools as newsletters, RSS feeds and social media, utilized solutions that facilitate contacts with experts and reprinted materials about themselves published by other medias. The analyzes were performed taking into account the type of each scientific institution (i.e.: a public university, a private university, a research institute or the PAS institute, its size and the empowerment to award scientific degrees. The results show that relatively few scientific institutions fully exploit the potential of websites in public relations activities. According to anticipation, scientific institutions with a department or at least a single position responsible for communication are more active in this field

  13. Perennial Environment Observatory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plas, Frederic

    2014-07-01

    The Perennial Environment Observatory [Observatoire Perenne de l'Environnement - OPE] is a unique approach and infrastructure developed and implemented by ANDRA, the French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency, as part of its overall project of deep geological disposal for radioactive waste. Its current mission is to assess the initial state of the rural (forest, pasture, open-field and aquatic) environment, prior to repository construction. This will be followed in 2017 (pending construction authorizations) and for a period exceeding a century, by monitoring of any impact the repository may have on the environment. In addition to serving its own industrial purpose of environmental monitoring, ANDRA also opens the OPE approach, infrastructure and acquired knowledge (database...) to the scientific community to support further research on long term evolution of the environment subjected to natural and anthropogenic stresses, and to contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between the various compartments of the environment

  14. Approaches to Identification of Institutions in Institutional Economics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor M. Shiriaev

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with the methodology for identification of institutions from institutional economics perspective. The differences between the perspectives provided by old and new institutional economics are highlighted. These differences are interpreted in the context of compared pragmatist and postpositivist methodologies. This paper applies to the post-positivist approach to the identification of institutions. One example of institution is provided by power-property institution. Identification of this institution in the historical and economic research is based on several theoretical generalizations and supported by array of historical facts. Another example is provided by identification of institution and institutional change in higher education based on discourse analysis and interviews with the main actors. In this paper, the regulatory institutions of higher education are analyzed as well. The concept of power-property institution is extended to the higher education by proposing hypotheses on the functioning of state governing-regulating institution in this sphere. This institution prescribes the actors to behave in accordance with the objectives of public policy, which can only be implemented in the form of bureaucratization of higher education. The paper describes the behavioral regularity generated by an identified institution. Functioning of the governing-regulating institution in higher education is illustrated by examples of behavioral regularities emerging from activities in accordance with this institution. The paper also shows the possibility of falsification of proposed hypothesis.

  15. Measuring the Subjective Well-being of Teachers

    OpenAIRE

    Rosa Isela Gluyas Fitch; Yutzil Tania Cadena Pedraza; María del Carmen Romero Sánchez; Monica Georgina Cinco Basurto

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents an instrument, designed using scientific methods, to measure the subjective well-being of teachers in relation to their work and to variables from life experience. Participant teachers work at the basic educational level in private institutions created by the civil society that attend to the needs of the socio-economically vulnerable populations outside the state’s system. The Cronbach Alfa index and exploratory factor analysis were used to establish the reliability and va...

  16. The Environment as Information--An Examination of the Mechanism of Environmental Effect on Behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biggers, Thompson; Walker, Barbara

    1984-01-01

    Exposed subjects (N=96) to environments pretested to elicit feelings of pleasure or displeasure while hearing or reading a message. Results showed attitude change was significantly higher in pleasant environments than in unpleasant environments. The environmental effect was only found when subjects were allowed time to soak in the environment. (BH)

  17. (Un)happy transition? Subjective Well-being in European Countries in 1991-2008 and Beyond

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Večerník, Jiří; Mysíková, Martina

    -, č. 467 (2014), s. 1-24 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP404/11/1521 Institutional support: RVO:68378025 Keywords : subjective well-being * life satisfaction * transition Subject RIV: AO - Sociology, Demography http://www.wifo.ac.at/jart/prj3/wifo/resources/person_dokument/person_dokument.jart?publikationsid=47205&mime_type=application/pdf

  18. Alligator Rivers Regions Research Institute research report 1983-84

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-01-01

    The Institute undertakes and coordinates research required to ensure the protection of the environment in the Alligator Rivers Region from any consequences resulting from the mining and processing of uranium ore. Research projects outlined are in aquatic biology, terrestrial ecology, analytical chemistry, environmental radioactivity and geomorphology

  19. Key factors influencing the intention of telecare adoption: an institutional perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chung-Feng

    2011-05-01

    The objective of this study was to explore key factors of influence on the adoption of telecare by care institutions. This investigation was based on an extensive Technology-Organization-Environment framework comprising the four constructs of technology, organization, environment, and the project planning as well as corresponding variables. This study utilized a self-administered questionnaire for data collection, focusing on the managers of all 339 nursing homes in Taiwan for the census survey. A total of 70 valid questionnaires yielded a response rate of 20.65%. After analyzing the responses through the Partial Least Squares approach, government support, technological knowledge, supplier support, team skills, and compatibility were found to be the five key factors that positively impact intention to adopt telecare from an institutional perspective. The results of this study indicated that care institutions, for the most part, are willing to develop telecare and are already incorporating preliminary applications of telecare, such as distance learning and resident positioning. Solutions to potential issues related to implementing telecare in practice are also proposed in this study.

  20. Learning Environment, Preparedness and Satisfaction in Osteopathy in Europe: The PreSS Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emanuele Luciani

    Full Text Available 1 to assess the preparedness to practice and satisfaction in learning environment amongst new graduates from European osteopathic institutions; 2 to compare the results of preparedness to practice and satisfaction in learning environment between and within countries where osteopathy is regulated and where regulation is still to be achieved; 3 to identify possible correlations between learning environment and preparedness to practice.Osteopathic education providers of full-time education located in Europe were enrolled, and their final year students were contacted to complete a survey. Measures used were: Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC and a demographic questionnaire. Scores were compared across institutions using one-way ANOVA and generalised linear model.Nine European osteopathic education institutions participated in the study (4 located in Italy, 2 in the UK, 1 in France, 1 in Belgium and 1 in the Netherlands and 243 (77% of their final-year students completed the survey. The DREEM total score mean was 121.4 (SEM: 1.66 whilst the AAMC was 17.58 (SEM:0.35. A generalised linear model found a significant association between not-regulated countries and total score as well as subscales DREEM scores (p<0.001. Learning environment and preparedness to practice were significantly positively correlated (r=0.76; p<0.01.A perceived higher level of preparedness and satisfaction was found amongst students from osteopathic institutions located in countries without regulation compared to those located in countries where osteopathy is regulated; however, all institutions obtained a 'more positive than negative' result. Moreover, in general, cohorts with fewer than 20 students scored significantly higher compared to larger student cohorts. Finally, an overall positive correlation between students' preparedness and satisfaction were found across all institutions recruited.