WorldWideScience

Sample records for splinter group adopts

  1. Splinter hemorrhages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fingernail hemorrhage ... Splinter hemorrhages look like thin, red to reddish-brown lines of blood under the nails. They run in the direction of nail growth. They are named splinter hemorrhages because they look like a splinter under the ...

  2. Report of the submillimeter splinter group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, A. I.; Lequeux, J.

    1992-12-01

    The aim of the submillimeter splinter group of the LIST (Lunar Interferometry Study Team) was to examine the scientific and technical aspects of a submillimeter interferometer with an emphasis on heterodyne detection. The main elements of the scientific logic that lead to the conclusions that a heterodyne submillimeter array should have a collecting area of at order 1000 sq m are summarized. This conclusion is based on sensitivity constraints and the following points: anything that can be done from the ground, will be; an instrument as complex and expensive as a large submillimeter interferometer must be capable of significant extragalactic observations; and no matter what the future scientific trends are, looking at the main coolants will always be important. It is clear that an instrument of this size is several steps past the next generation of spaceborne observatories.

  3. [Grenade splinter injury simulating thrombophlebitis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaber, Y

    2003-02-01

    Two patients with a grenade-splinter injury with clinical symptoms of a thrombophlebitis and periphlebitis are presented. Unexpectedly, the supposed thrombus proved to be metallic fragments. Both patients recalled to be wounded in the second world war in 1944/1945 by grenades. The splinters were not extracted. Both patients experienced more than 5 decades without any symptoms. As an after-effect caused by movement of the splinters, significant superficial inflammation could be seen now.

  4. NCTM workshop splinter session, IR thermal measurement instruments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Herbert

    1989-06-01

    The splinter session dealing with commercial industrial thermal measurement state-of-the-hardware had a total attendance of 15. Two papers were presented in the splinter session as follows: (1) Development of an Infrared Imaging System for the Surface Tension Driven Convection Experiment, Alexander D. Pline, NASA LeRC; (2) A Space-qualified PtSi Thermal Imaging System, Robert W. Astheimer, Barnes Engineering Div., EDO Corp. In addition a brief description of SPRITE detector technology was presented by Richard F. Leftwich of Magnovox. As anticipated, the discussions were concerned mainly with thermal imaging figures of merit rather than those for point measurement instruments. The need for uniform guidelines whereby infrared thermal imaging instruments could be specified and evaluated was identified as most important, particularly where temperature measurements are required. Presently there are differences in the way different manufacturers present significant performance parameters in their instrument data sheets. Furthermore, the prospective user has difficulty relating these parameters to actual measurement needs, and procedures by which performance can be verified are poorly defined. The current availability of powerful thermal imaging diagnostic software was discussed.

  5. Group X

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fields, Susannah

    2007-08-16

    This project is currently under contract for research through the Department of Homeland Security until 2011. The group I was responsible for studying has to remain confidential so as not to affect the current project. All dates, reference links and authors, and other distinguishing characteristics of the original group have been removed from this report. All references to the name of this group or the individual splinter groups has been changed to 'Group X'. I have been collecting texts from a variety of sources intended for the use of recruiting and radicalizing members for Group X splinter groups for the purpose of researching the motivation and intent of leaders of those groups and their influence over the likelihood of group radicalization. This work included visiting many Group X websites to find information on splinter group leaders and finding their statements to new and old members. This proved difficult because the splinter groups of Group X are united in beliefs, but differ in public opinion. They are eager to tear each other down, prove their superiority, and yet remain anonymous. After a few weeks of intense searching, a list of eight recruiting texts and eight radicalizing texts from a variety of Group X leaders were compiled.

  6. EIA: A splintering, exploding discipline with a massive new constituency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, Eric P., E-mail: ejohnson@ecosite.co.uk

    2015-02-15

    After serving 18 years as Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Impact Assessment Review, the author observes that the period 1997–2014, the discipline of EIA: splintered, exploded and saw the rise of the developing-world authors. Publishing has also changed, with shifts from quantity to quality, the rise of open access, and an ever-increasing shortage of reviewers.

  7. Penetrating injury of the lungs and multiple injuries of lower extremities caused by aircraft bombs splinters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Golubović Zoran

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Injuries caused by aircraft bombs cause severe damages to the human body. They are characterized by massive destruction of injured tissues and organs, primary contamination by polymorph bacterial flora and modified reactivity of the body. Upon being wounded by aircraft bombs projectiles a victim simultaneously sustains severe damages of many organs and organ systems due to the fact that a large number of projectiles at the same time injure the chest, stomach, head and extremities. Case report. We presented a patient, 41 years of age, injured by aircraft bomb with hemo-pneumothorax and destruction of the bone and soft tissue structures of the foot, as well as the treatment result of such heavy injuries. After receiving thoracocentesis and short reanimation, the patient underwent surgical procedure. The team performed thoracotomy, primary treatment of the wound and atypical resection of the left lung. Thoracic drains were placed. The wounds on the lower leg and feet were treated primarily. Due to massive destruction of bone tissue of the right foot by cluster bomb splinters, and impossibility of reconstruction of the foot, guillotine amputation of the right lower leg was performed. Twelve days after the wounding caused by cluster bomb splinters, soft tissue of the left lower leg was covered by Tirsch free transplantant and the defect in the area of the left foot was covered by dorsalis pedis flap. The transplant and flap were accepted and the donor sites were epithelized. Twenty-six days following the wounding reamputation was performed and amputation stump of the right lower leg was closed. The patient was given a lower leg prosthesis with which he could move. Conclusion. Upon being wounded by aircraft bomb splinters, the injured person sustains severe wounds of multiple organs and organ systems due to simultaneous injuries caused by a large number of projectiles. It is necessary to take care of the vital organs first because they

  8. Splintering of tourism market: new appearing forms of cultural tourism as a consequence of changes in everyday lives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jelincić, Daniela Angelina

    2009-03-01

    Within the concept of cultural tourism, this article defines relatively new concepts of creative and hobby tourism, which are detected as recent niche markets. Cultural tourism is a narrow specialized market, while creative and hobby tourism relate to even more specialized segments. Even these specialized forms of tourism have their market whose growth is very probable taking into account changes in everyday work as well as changes in the values of human activity in general. These changes reflect also the sector of tourism, which is obvious in the ever growing splintering of tourism market as well as of tourism forms. The article reviews theoretical concepts of cultural, creative and hobby tourism as to prepare the basis for applied tourist programmes. It looks into the history of cultural tourism as to see what changes occurred and brought it to life. Changes that have taken place in everyday lives of people and the impact of everyday free time activities on tourism are also analysed. Further splintering of the cultural tourism sector is noticed and cultural tourism sub-forms are detected by analysing some of the leading home style and creativity magazines. The article also proposes possible application of push/pull factors to creative/hobby tourism.

  9. An establish attempt of reasons of machining splinter formation in AC44200 alloy high pressure die castings

    OpenAIRE

    J. Mutwil

    2008-01-01

    A problem of splinter formation during machining the AC44200 alloy high pressure die casting has been experimental investigated. Inorder to establish the reason of this occurrence a set of 200 high pressure die casting of the tensile strength samples have been prepared. The tensile tests were carried out using a Zwick Z050 universal testing machine. JM-SPC program has been used for statistical analysis of test results. A large variability of tensile strength results has been found. In order t...

  10. An establish attempt of reasons of machining splinter formation in AC44200 alloy high pressure die castings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Mutwil

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available A problem of splinter formation during machining the AC44200 alloy high pressure die casting has been experimental investigated. Inorder to establish the reason of this occurrence a set of 200 high pressure die casting of the tensile strength samples have been prepared. The tensile tests were carried out using a Zwick Z050 universal testing machine. JM-SPC program has been used for statistical analysis of test results. A large variability of tensile strength results has been found. In order to find the reason of this variability the fracture surface investigations (macrographs for all of samples and SEM micrographs for chosen samples have been carried out. It has been establish that in all cases a significant decrease of tensile strength was caused by presence of inclusions or porosity. In lot of cases the inclusions have a form of oxide film.

  11. Financial risk relationships and adoption of management strategies in physician groups for self-administered injectable drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agnew, Jonathan D; Stebbins, Marilyn R; Hickman, David E; Lipton, Helene Levins

    2003-01-01

    To consider the extent, nature, and range of risk arrangements between physician groups and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) for self-administered injectable (SAI) drugs; to examine types and frequencies of SAI drug-use management strategies adopted by physician groups; and to explore the relationship between locus and level of financial risk for SAIs and physician group strategy adoption. We used a multiple case-study design to select physician groups and their health maintenance organization (HMO) contractual partners in 4 markets in the United States (Northwest, Northeast, Midwest, Southwest). Physician groups in these markets were chosen based on size (e50 physicians) and experience with drug risk (e1 year). Physician groups were asked to identify their 3 major HMO contractual partners in each market. Telephone interviews were conducted from January 2000 to June 2001, with the resulting purposive sample of 37 individuals representing 20 physician groups. We found that the level and locus of SAI financial risk were related to the adoption of management strategies. Physician groups with higher financial risk for SAIs adopted more strategies than lower-risk groups. Groups with SAI financial risk in the medical services capitation (MSC) adopted 9.2 strategies per group. In contrast, groups with SAI financial risk in the pharmacy-risk budget (PRB) averaged 1.5 strategies per group. Groups with SAI financial risk in both the MSC and PRB fell in-between, averaging 4.5 strategies per group. The most frequently adopted strategy was designing evidenced-based therapeutic guidelines, i.e., protocols based on evidence from the peer-reviewed literature used to guide physicians in the treatment of typically chronic conditions (9 groups, 45% of sample). The second most common strategy involved adapting the existing utilization management system to process SAIs (7 groups, 35%) and the establishment of office procedures for internal authorization (5 groups, 25%). The

  12. Abrasion of Polymeric Composites on Basis of Machining Splinters from Hardfacing Alloys – Usable in Agrocomplex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petr Valášek

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A paper focuses on a description of two-body and three-body abrasion wear of polymeric particle composites with fillers on a basis of machining splinters from hardfacing alloys. The abrasive wear is typical for functional surfaces of agricultural machines processing the soil. One of possibilities of the functional surface renovation is an application of resistant layers in a form of composite systems. Just the inclusion of hard inorganic particles into a polymeric matrix significantly increases its wear resistance. So long as the primary filler is replaced by the waste – by particles from the material machining – the matrix in which the filler is dispersed is a bearer of a material recyclation. This way of the recyclation is inexpensive, economic and sensitive to environment. The paper focuses on the experimental description of the two-body and three-body abrasion and the composites hardness, it describes a production of a prototype for field tests with the functional surface on the basis of the investigated composite system at the same time.

  13. Adoption of Web-based Group Decision Support Systems: Conditions for Growth

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Hillegersberg, Jos; Koenen, Sebastiaan

    2014-01-01

    While organizations have massively adopted enterprise information systems to support business processes, business meetings in which key decisions are made about products, services and processes are usually held without much support of information systems. This is remarkable as group decision support

  14. Adopters and non-adopters of wood pellet heating in Norwegian households

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sopha, Bertha Maya; Hertwich, Edgar G.; Kloeckner, Christian A.

    2011-01-01

    The aim of the present paper is to understand the differences between adopters and non-adopters of wood pellet heating in Norwegian households by comparing the two groups with regard to key points of adoption. A mail survey of 669 adopters and 291 non-adopters of wood pellet heating was conducted in 2008. Results indicate that there are significant differences between groups with respect to socio-demographic factors, decision-related factors, heating systems adopted and reasons for shifting heating systems. The results also indicate that the adopter group shows characteristics of early adopters, whereas the non-adopter group has characteristics of late adopters. The results for levels of income and education contradict what would be predicted from theory, however. Both groups show no significant difference with respect to values, but the perception of which heating system is the most environmentally friendly differs significantly. The top three reasons cited by the adopter group for installing wood pellet heating are getting an environmentally friendly heating system, low operation costs and an anticipated increase in electricity prices. According to the non-adopter group, the main barriers to adoption are high installation costs, followed by the difficulties of refitting the house for wood pellet heating. A higher subsidy (i.e., an average of 64% of the total installation cost) rather than the current subsidy of up to 20% was required by the non-adopter group to switch to wood pellet heating. (author)

  15. Fenomena Kelompok Sempalan Islam di Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad Choirul Rofiq

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Understanding about religious splinter groups in Indonesian context is mainly identified through their theological difference from that of muslims majority. Their theological beliefs and practices are considered deviant from the majority’s “true” theology and practices. It at least can be concluded from the fatwa of MUI which then become formal reference to most muslims people in Indonesia. Though the fatwa face many critiques from some muslims groups, especially liberal muslims activists, but it remain assumed as truth by the majority of Indonesian muslims.There are many factors supporting the emergence of splinter groups in Indonesia. Beside the existence of some “advocates” such as liberal muslims activists and mass media, lack of law enforcement and the failure of religious leaders to educate their people to be more anticipative to the emergence of splinter groups. It is necessary to initiate open dialogues with followers of splinter groups, especially their leaders.

  16. Adoptive parenting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D; Lo, Albert Yh

    2017-06-01

    Challenges in adoptive parenting continue to emerge as adoption policies and practices evolve. We review three areas of research in adoptive parenting that reflect contemporary shifts in adoption. First, we highlight recent findings concerning openness in adoption contact arrangements, or contact between a child's families of birth and rearing. Second, we examine research regarding racial and cultural socialization in transracial and international adoptions. Finally, we review investigations of parenting experiences of lesbian and gay adoptive parents. Overall, parenting processes (e.g., supportive vs. problematic family interaction) are better predictors of child adjustment than are group differences (e.g., open vs. closed adoptions; adoption by heterosexual vs. same-sex parents). The distinctive needs of adopted children call for preparation of adoption-competent mental health, casework, education, and health care professionals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. The role of medical group practice administrators in the adoption and implementation of Medicare's physician quality reporting system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coulam, Robert; Kralewski, John; Dowd, Bryan; Gans, David

    2016-01-01

    Although there are numerous studies of the factors influencing the adoption of quality assurance (QA) programs by medical group practices, few have focused on the role of group practice administrators. To gain insights into the role these administrators play in QA programs, we analyzed how medical practices adopted and implemented the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the largest physician quality reporting system in the United States. We conducted focus group interviews in 2011 with a national convenience sample of 76 medical group practice administrators. Responses were organized and analyzed using the innovation decision framework of Van de Ven and colleagues. Administrators conducted due diligence on PQRS, influenced how the issue was presented to physicians for adoption, and managed implementation thereafter. Administrators' recommendations were heavily influenced by practice characteristics, financial incentives, and practice commitments to early adoption of quality improvement innovations. Virtually, all who attempted it agreed that PQRS was straightforward to implement. However, the complexities of Medicare's PQRS reports impeded use of the data by administrators to support quality management. Group practice administrators are playing a prominent role in activities related to the quality of patient care--they are not limited to the business side of the practice. Especially, as PQRS becomes more nearly universal after 2014, Medicare should take account of the role that administrators play, by more actively engaging administrators in shaping these programs and making it easier for administrators to use the results. More research is needed on the rapidly evolving role of nonphysician administration in medical group practices. Practice administrators have a larger role than commonly understood in how quality reporting initiatives are adopted and used and are in an exceptional position to influence the more appropriate use of these resources if

  18. Focus Group Research on the Implications of Adopting the Unified English Braille Code

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wetzel, Robin; Knowlton, Marie

    2006-01-01

    Five focus groups explored concerns about adopting the Unified English Braille Code. The consensus was that while the proposed changes to the literary braille code would be minor, those to the mathematics braille code would be much more extensive. The participants emphasized that "any code that reduces the number of individuals who can access…

  19. Genetic Patterns of Common-Bean Seed Acquisition and Early-Stage Adoption Among Farmer Groups in Western Uganda

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkus, Erin L.; Berny Mier y Teran, Jorge C.; Mukankusi, Clare M.; Gepts, Paul

    2018-01-01

    Widespread adoption of new varieties can be valuable, especially where improved agricultural production technologies are hard to access. However, as farmers adopt new varieties, in situ population structure and genetic diversity of their seed holdings can change drastically. Consequences of adoption are still poorly understood due to a lack of crop genetic diversity assessments and detailed surveys of farmers' seed management practices. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is an excellent model for these types of studies, as it has a long history of cultivation among smallholder farmers, exhibits eco-geographic patterns of diversity (e.g., Andean vs. Mesoamerican gene-pools), and has been subjected to post-Columbian dispersal and recent introduction of improved cultivars. The Hoima district of western Uganda additionally provides an excellent social setting for evaluating consequences of adoption because access to improved varieties has varied across farmer groups in this production region. This study establishes a baseline understanding of the common bean diversity found among household producers in Uganda and compares the crop population structure, diversity and consequences of adoption of household producers with different adoption practices. Molecular diversity analysis, based on 4,955 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, evaluated a total of 1,156 seed samples that included 196 household samples collected from household producers in the Hoima district, 19 breeder-selected varieties used in participatory breeding activities that had taken place prior to the study in the region, and a global bean germplasm collection. Households that had participated in regional participatory breeding efforts were more likely to adopt new varieties and, consequently, diversify their seed stocks than those that had not participated. Of the three farmer groups that participated in breeding efforts, households from the farmer group with the longest history of bean production

  20. Adoption of web-based group decision support systems: Experiences from the field and future developments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Hillegersberg, Jos; Koenen, Sebastiaan

    2016-01-01

    While organizations have massively adopted enterprise information systems to support business processes, business meetings in which key decisions are made about products, services and processes, are usually held without much support of information systems. This is remarkable as group decision

  1. Adoption of web-based group decision support systems: experiences from the field and future developments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jos van Hillegersberg

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available While organizations have massively adopted enterprise information systems to support business processes, business meetings in which key decisions are made about products, services and processes, are usually held without much support of information systems. This is remarkable as group decision support systems (GDSS seems to fit for this purpose. They have existed for decades and modern versions benefit of web-based technologies, enabling low cost any-place, any time and device independent meeting support. In this exploratory case research, we study nine organizations in four different adoption categories to learn more about the reasons for the relatively slow adoption of web-based GDSS. Using the Fit-Viability adoption framework we conduct interviews with organizations that have experience with using GDSS. We conclude that adopting GDSS requires considerable and carefully planned change of processes that are deeply grounded in the organization. Existing meeting routines need to be adapted. Introduction needs to be carefully planned and room for face-to-face meetings and creativity sessions away from the keyboard need to be built in depending on the type of meeting. Not all companies find the cost level affordable. Clear and convincing business cases are lacking. Still the added value is ranked highly and there are frequent and enthusiastic user organizations that may lead the way for others. Their success stories show others how to mitigate problems.

  2. Process of adoption communication openness in adoptive families: adopters’ perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Acciaiuoli Barbosa-Ducharne

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Communication about adoption is a family interaction process which is more than the simple exchange of information. Adoption communication can be characterized in terms of the level of openness of family conversations regarding the child’s past and the degree of the family’s adoption social disclosure. The objective of this study is to explore the process of adoption communication openness in Portuguese adoptive families by identifying the impact of variables related to the adoption process, the adoptive parenting and the adoptee. One hundred twenty five parents of children aged 3 to 15, who were adopted on average 4 years ago, participated in this study. Data was collected during home visits using the Parents Adoption Process Interview. A cluster analysis identified three different groups of families according to the level of adoption communication openness within the family and outside. The findings also showed that the process of the adoption communication openness started when parents decided to adopt, developed in parent-child interaction and was susceptible to change under professional intervention. The relevance of training given to prospective adopters and of professional practice based on scientific evidence is highlighted.

  3. Predicting Virtual Learning Environment Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Penjor, Sonam; Zander, Pär-Ola Mikael

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the significance of Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory with regard to the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) at the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB). The focus is on different adoption types and characteristics of users. Rogers’ DOI theory is applied...... to investigate the influence of five predictors (relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, trialability and observability) and their significance in the perception of academic staff at the RUB in relation to the probability of VLE adoption. These predictors are attributes of the VLE that determine the rate...... of adoption by various adopter group memberships (Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, Laggards). Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were deployed to analyse adopter group memberships and predictor significance in VLE adoption and use. The results revealed varying attitudes...

  4. Achieving 90% Adoption of Clinical Practice Guidelines Using the Delphi Consensus Method in a Large Orthopedic Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bini, Stefano A; Mahajan, John

    2016-11-01

    Little is known about the implementation rate of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Our purpose was to report on the adoption rate of CPGs created and implemented by a large orthopedic group using the Delphi consensus method. The draft CPGs were created before the group's annual meeting by 5 teams each assigned a subset of topics. The draft guidelines included a statement and a summary of the available evidence. Each guideline was debated in both small-group and plenary sessions. Voting was anonymous and a 75% supermajority was required for passage. A Likert scale was used to survey the patient's experience with the process at 1 week, and the Kirkpatrick evaluation model was used to gauge the efficacy of the process over a 6-month time frame. Eighty-five orthopedic surgeons attended the meeting. Fifteen guidelines grouped into 5 topics were created. All passed. Eighty-six percent of attendees found the process effective and 84% felt that participating in the process made it more likely that they would adopt the guidelines. At 1 week, an average of 62% of attendees stated they were practicing the guideline as written (range: 35%-72%), and at 6 months, 96% stated they were practicing them (range: 82%-100%). We have demonstrated that a modified Delphi method for reaching consensus can be very effective in both creating CPGs and leading to their adoption. Further we have shown that the process is well received by participants and that an inclusionary approach can be highly successful. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Cultural Tourism in Transnational Adoption: "Staged Authenticity" and Its Implications for Adopted Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quiroz, Pamela Anne

    2012-01-01

    The discursive practices of adoptive parents in two online transnational adoption forums (2006-2008) and observations of five international adoption workshops suggest that what Heather Jacobson described as "culture keeping", the cultural socialization of children that retains a sense of native group identity, is more aptly characterized as…

  6. [Adoptive parents' satisfaction with the adoption experience and with its impact on family life].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Sandoval, Yolanda

    2011-11-01

    In this study, we discuss the relevance of adoptive families' satisfaction in the assessment of adoption processes. The effects of adoption on a sample group of 272 adoptive families are analyzed. Most families show high levels of satisfaction as to: their decision to adopt, the features of their adopted children and how adoption has affected them as individuals and as a family. Statistical analyses show that these families can have different satisfaction levels depending on certain features of the adoptees, of the adoptive families or of their educational style. Life satisfaction of the adoptees is also related to how their adoptive parents evaluate the adoption.

  7. Successful Reach and Adoption of a workplace health promotion RCT targeting a group of high-risk workers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ekner Dorte

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cleaners are rarely introduced to workplace health promotion programs. The study's objective was to evaluate the reach and adoption of a workplace randomized controlled trial (RCT among cleaners in Denmark. Methods Cleaning businesses with at least 30 employees, that could offer a weekly 1-hour intervention during working hours, were invited to participate. Employees working at least 20 hours/week were invited to answer a screening questionnaire and consent to participate. Analyses determined the differences in health variables between responders and non-responders, consenters and non-consenters, participants and non-participants and between participants of the RCT's three groups: physical coordination training, cognitive-behavioural theory-based training and reference group. Results From 16 eligible workplaces, a representative sample of 50% adopted the trial. Of 758 eligible employees, 78% responded to the screening questionnaire and 49% consented to participate. Consenters and participants differed from non-consenters and non-participants by having higher BMI, more chronic diseases and poorer musculoskeletal health. Conclusions This study indicates that workplace health promotion programs directed at health risk factors among cleaners enable significant adoption and reach to a high-risk subgroup of the Danish workforce. Trial registration Trial registration ISRCTN96241850

  8. A Non-Modeling Exploration of Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Adoption and Non-Adoption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moezzi, Mithra [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States); Ingle, Aaron [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States); Lutzenhiser, Loren [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States); Sigrin, Benjamin O. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2017-09-01

    Although U.S. deployment of residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has accelerated in recent years, PV is still installed on less than 1 percent of single-family homes. Most research on household PV adoption focuses on scaling initial markets and modeling predicted growth rather than considering more broadly why adoption occurs. Among the studies that have investigated the characteristics of PV adoption, most collected data from adopters, sometimes with additional non-adopter data, and rarely from people who considered but did not adopt PV. Yet the vast majority of Americans are non-adopters, and they are a diverse group - understanding their ways of evaluating PV adoption is important. Similarly, PV is a unique consumer product, which makes it difficult to apply findings from studies of other technologies to PV. In addition, little research addresses the experience of households after they install PV. This report helps fill some of these gaps in the existing literature. The results inform a more detailed understanding of residential PV adoption, while helping ensure that adoption is sufficiently beneficial to adopters and even non-adopters.

  9. Adopt Your Watershed

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Adopt Your Watershed is a Website that encourages stewardship of the nation's water resources and serves as a national inventory of local watershed groups and...

  10. Personality disorders in adopted versus non-adopted adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westermeyer, Joseph; Yoon, Gihyun; Amundson, Carla; Warwick, Marion; Kuskowski, Michael A

    2015-04-30

    The goal of this epidemiological study was to investigate lifetime history and odds ratios of personality disorders in adopted and non-adopted adults using a nationally representative sample. Data, drawn from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), were compared in adopted (n=378) versus non-adopted (n=42,503) adults to estimate the odds of seven personality disorders using logistic regression analyses. The seven personality disorders were histrionic, antisocial, avoidant, paranoid, schizoid, obsessive-compulsive, and dependent personality disorder. Adoptees had a 1.81-fold increase in the odds of any personality disorder compared with non-adoptees. Adoptees had increased odds of histrionic, antisocial, avoidant, paranoid, schizoid, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder compared with non-adoptees. Two risk factors associated with lifetime history of a personality disorder in adoptees compared to non-adoptees were (1) being in the age cohort 18-29 years (but no difference in the age 30-44 cohort), using the age 45 or older cohort as the reference and (2) having 12 years of education (but no difference in higher education groups), using the 0-11 years of education as the reference. These findings support the higher rates of personality disorders among adoptees compared to non-adoptees. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  11. Racial and Ethnic Socialization as Moderators of Racial Discrimination and School Adjustment of Adopted and Non-adopted Korean American Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seol, Kyoung Ok; Yoo, Hyung Chol; Lee, Richard M.; Park, Ji Eun; Kyeong, Yena

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated roles of racial and ethnic socialization in the link between racial discrimination and school adjustment among a sample of 233 adopted Korean American adolescents from White adoptive families and 155 non-adopted Korean American adolescents from immigrant Korean families. Adopted Korean American adolescents reported lower levels of racial discrimination, racial socialization, and ethnic socialization than non-adopted Korean American adolescents. However, racial discrimination was negatively related to school belonging and school engagement, and ethnic socialization was positively related to school engagement for both groups. Racial socialization also had a curvilinear relationship with school engagement for both groups. Moderate level of racial socialization predicted positive school engagement, whereas low and high levels of racial socialization predicted negative school engagement. Finally, ethnic socialization moderated the link between racial discrimination and school belonging, which differed between groups. In particular, ethnic socialization exacerbated the relations between racial discrimination and school belonging for adopted Korean American adolescents, whereas, ethnic socialization buffered this link for non-adopted Korean American adolescents. Findings illustrate the complex relationship between racial and ethnic socialization, racial discrimination, and school adjustment. PMID:26479418

  12. Emotional and behavioral problems associated with attachment security and parenting style in adopted and non-adopted children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altınoğlu Dikmeer, Ilkiz; Erol, Neşe; Gençöz, Tülin

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate and compare emotional and behavioral problems in Turkish adoptees and non-adopted peers raised by their biological parents. The study included 61 adopted children (34 female and 27 male) aged 6-18 years and 62 age- and gender-matched non-adopted children (35 female and 27 male). Parents rated their children's problem behaviors using the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18, temperament characteristics using the School Age Temperament Inventory, their own personality traits using the Basic Personality Traits Inventory, and their parenting styles using the Measure of Child Rearing Styles. Children rated their parents' availability and reliability as attachment figures using the Kerns Security Scale and parenting styles using the Measure of Child Rearing Styles. Adolescents aged 11-18 years self-rated their problem behaviors using the Youth Self Report. Group differences and correlations were analyzed. There were non-significant differences in all scale scores between the adopted and non-adopted groups. In contrast to the literature, age of the children at the time of adoption was not associated with problem behaviors or attachment relationships. On the other hand, the findings indicate that as the age at which the children learned that they had been adopted increased emotional and behavioral problems increased. Adoption alone could not explain the problem behaviors observed in the adopted children; the observed problem behaviors should be considered within the context of the developmental process.

  13. A study of adopted children, their environment, and development:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christoffersen, Mogens

    2012-01-01

    The study explores the developmental consequences for children who have been adopted. The comparison group is comprised of their non- adopted siblings or children in foster homes or group care. A search in scientific databases resulted in more than 3,300 hits about adoption. Among these, 56...... fulfilled the selection criteria from 17 studies across more than 2,000 adoptees and controls. Adopted children scored higher on IQ, school-performance, and lack of behavioral problems than their non-adopted siblings or peers who stayed behind in orphanages or foster homes. The results from OECD countries...

  14. Adopted Adolescents' Preoccupation with Adoption: The Impact on Adoptive Family Relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohler, Julie K.; Grotevant, Harold D.; McRoy, Ruth G.

    2002-01-01

    Examines relationship between intensity of adopted adolescents' thinking about their adoptions and their adoptive family relationships in 135 adopted adolescents. Adolescents with extremely high levels of preoccupation reported significantly higher levels of alienation and significantly lower levels of trust for their adoptive mothers and fathers.…

  15. Properties, origin and nomenclature of rodlets of the inertinite maceral group in coals of the central Appalachian basin, U.S.A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyons, P.C.; Finkelman, R.B.; Thompson, C.L.; Brown, F.W.; Hatcher, P.G.

    1982-01-01

    cross sections and many are characterized by dense (probably oxidized) rims. The orientation and amounts of void space and mineralization of resin rodlets in coal have resulted in much confusion in their recognition and classification. The resin rodlets are petrographically recognized as sclerotinites of the inertinite maceral group. We here propose that resin rodlets be assigned to the maceral variety of sclerotinites termed "resino-sclerotinite" because of their presumable resinous origin. Other investigators have confused some fusinitized resin rodlets with fungal masses, which have different morphological properties and which probably have different chemical properties. We here propose that such fungal masses be assigned to the maceral variety of sclerotinites termed "fungo-sclerotinite.". The sclerenchyma strands examined in our study are cellular, thick-walled, and crescent-shaped in cross section. They exhibit high reflectance and high relief and belong to semifusinite and fusinite of the inertinite maceral group. Sclerenchyma strands are commonly associated with resin canals in Medullosa and related seed-fern genera, which are common in coal balls of the Illinois basin. We here propose adoption of the maceral varietal terms "sclerenchymo-fusinite" and "sclerenchymo-semifusinite" for these bodies. The woody splinters in the Pomeroy coal bed are cellular and thin-walled and have scattered pits as much as a few microns in diameter. They are dark brown to black in transmitted light and commonly have a lower reflectance than the resino-sclerotinite and sclerenchymo-fusinite of the Pomeroy coal. The woody splinters belong to semifusinite and fusinite of the inertinite maceral group. The maceral varietal terms "xylemo-semifusinite" and "xylemo-fusinite" are here proposed for these bodies. Elemental chemical data for the resin rodlets of the Pomeroy coal bed of the central Appalachian basin indicate that resin rodlets have significantly lower atomic H/C and O/C ratio

  16. "Sobre piris e guetes": análise morfológica das construções cunhadas a partir de splinters de "periguete"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wallace Bezerra de Carvalho

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Neste texto, abordamos as formações piri-X (piripobre, piricrente e X-guete (vovoguete, coroguete, ambas oriundas da palavra derivada recém-criada na língua periguete (“mulher vulgar, trajada com roupas extravagantes”. A análise toma por base a noção de splinter recentemente formulada na literatura morfológica contemporânea (BAUER, 2004; BOOIJ, 2004; GONÇALVES, 2013 e examina tanto os aspectos formais quanto os aspectos semânticos que aproximam e afastam essas formas da classe dos radicais e dos afixos mais prototípicos. Com isso, abordamos a interface da composição com a derivação, mostrando estar diante de dois elementos morfológicos que atuam nas fronteiras entre esses dois principais processos de formação de palavras. Os dados que embasam a análise foram retirados da Internet, sobretudo de blogs, tweets e postagens no Facebook, em decorrência de serem espaços virtuais com interação mais natural e espontânea. Os dados de fala provêm de entrevistas realizadas com informantes (homens e mulheres de diferentes faixas etárias e graus de escolaridade. Concluímos o estudo mostrando que as duas formas, piri- e -guete, possuem características tanto derivacionais quanto composicionais, encontrando-se em uma posição intermediária entre os dois processos. Assumimos, portanto, que as duas formas fornecem evidências empíricas sobre a existência de um continuum composição-derivação.

  17. Why farmers adopt best management practice in the United States: A meta-analysis of the adoption literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumgart-Getz, Adam; Stalker Prokopy, Linda; Floress, Kristin

    2012-01-01

    This meta-analysis of both published and unpublished studies assesses factors believed to influence adoption of agricultural Best Management Practices in the United States. Using an established statistical technique to summarize the adoption literature in the United States, we identified the following variables as having the largest impact on adoption: access to and quality of information, financial capacity, and being connected to agency or local networks of farmers or watershed groups. This study shows that various approaches to data collection affect the results and comparability of adoption studies. In particular, environmental awareness and farmer attitudes have been inconsistently used and measured across the literature. This meta-analysis concludes with suggestions regarding the future direction of adoption studies, along with guidelines for how data should be presented to enhance the adoption of conservation practices and guide research.

  18. ICT Adoption in Facilities Management Supply Chain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scupola, Ada

    2012-01-01

    This article involves a qualitative study of factors impacting the adoption of ICT solutions in the Danish facility management supply chain. The results show that there are a number of drivers and barriers that influence the adoption of ICT solutions in this service sector. These have been grouped...... concerned with ICT adoption, operations and service management (especially facilities management) as well as operation managers and ICT managers....

  19. Beyond the adoption/ non-adoption dichotomy: the impact of innovation characteristics on potential adopters' transition through adoption process stages

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Agarwal, M.K.; Frambach, R.T.

    2002-01-01

    Research on innovation adoption has suffered from a bias towards understanding the factors that affect the dichotomous adoption/non-adoption decision.Much less attention is devoted to the question why potential adopters fail to progress to the adoption stage from earlier stages in the decision

  20. INTERNET USE ADOPTION AMONG ACADEMICIANS: Comparing Innovative Adopters and Other Adopter Types

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norbayah BTE MOHD SUKI

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Online shopping represents an innovation to be adopted or rejected by online consumersglobally. Previous experiences and knowledge of innovation are the main factors affectingpeople’s willingness to adopt a new innovation. We explore how Internet use differsbetween academicians who are innovative adopters and other types of adopters.Academicians who are innovative adopters are hypothesized to: have more years of experience on online shopping, have greater frequency of purchase, and pay a higher price for items purchased online.Data were collected from 301 respondents. Results provide new perspective on innovativeadopters among Malaysian academicians; they have less experience than other adopters inshopping for products online, make fewer purchases online and pay small amount ofmoney in shopping for products online than other adopters. Directions for future research are also discussed.

  1. A comparative study of behaviour problems between adopted and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We found that adopted children had more behaviour problems on the PSQ. On SAICA, adopted children showed less social competence. The parenting practices as revealed by the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire did not differ between the two groups. The IQ of the children in both groups was within the normal range.

  2. Gay and Lesbian Adoptive Families: An Exploratory Study of Family Functioning, Adoptive Child's Behavior, and Familial Support Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erich, Stephen; Leung, Patrick; Kindle, Peter; Carter, Sharon

    2005-01-01

    Traditional legal and social forces have hindered the adoption of children by gay and lesbian individuals and couples. Using a convenience sample drawn from gay and lesbian support groups and Internet sites, this exploratory study examines adoptive families with gay and lesbian parents in terms of family functioning capabilities, child's behavior,…

  3. [The adopted child and his problems. Pedo-psychiatric point of view].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schachter, M

    1980-12-01

    After a survey of the recent pedopsychiatric literature concerning the difficulties exhibited by young adoptees, we describe our own experience with 35 adopted children. The subjects were divided in two groups: a) the first group of 26 cases (74%) concerning clinical disturbances with no evident relation to the situation derived by the adoption; b) the second group of 9 cases (26%) concerning: 1. four cases ou rebellious behaviour against the adopters et 2. fives cases of camouflaged rejection of the adoptees by their adopters. These 9 cases are given with details; the characteristics of the other 26 cases are summarized. Our pedopsychiatric experience has shown that adoption was a failure in 26% of the cases related in the present study.

  4. Open adoption: adoptive parents' reactions two decades later.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegel, Deborah H

    2013-01-01

    Unlike in the past, most adoption agencies today offer birth parents and adoptive parents the opportunity to share identifying information and have contact with each other. To understand the impacts of different open adoption arrangements, a qualitative descriptive study using a snowball sample of 44 adoptive parents throughout New England began in 1988. Every seven years these parents who adopted infants in open adoptions have participated in tape-recorded interviews to explore their evolving reactions to their open adoption experiences. This article reports the results of in-depth interviews with these parents now that their children have reached young adulthood. This longitudinal research illuminates how open adoptions change over the course of childhood and adolescence, parents' feelings about open adoption, challenges that emerge in their relationships with their children's birth families, how those challenges are managed and viewed, and parents' advice for others living with open adoption and for clinical social work practice and policy. Findings reveal that regardless of the type of openness, these adoptive parents generally feel positive about knowing the birth parents and having contact with them, are comfortable with open adoption, and see it serving the child's best interests.

  5. Strengthening Adoption Practice, Listening to Adoptive Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atkinson, Anne; Gonet, Patricia

    2007-01-01

    In-depth interviews with 500 adoptive families who received postadoption services through Virginia's Adoptive Family Preservation (AFP) program paint a richly detailed picture of the challenges adoptive families face and what they need to sustain adoption for many years after finalization. Findings document the need for support in a variety of…

  6. Why and how did Israel adopt activity-based hospital payment? The Procedure-Related Group incremental reform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brammli-Greenberg, Shuli; Waitzberg, Ruth; Perman, Vadim; Gamzu, Ronni

    2016-10-01

    Historically, Israel paid its non-profit hospitals on a perdiem (PD) basis. Recently, like other OECD countries, Israel has moved to activity-based payments. While most countries have adopted a diagnostic related group (DRG) payment system, Israel has chosen a Procedure-Related Group (PRG) system. This differs from the DRG system because it classifies patients by procedure rather than diagnosis. In Israel, the PRG system was found to be more feasible given the lack of data and information needed in the DRG classification system. The Ministry of Health (MoH) chose a payment scheme that depends only on inhouse creation of PRG codes and costing, thus avoiding dependence on hospital data. The PRG tariffs are priced by a joint Health and Finance Ministry commission and updated periodically. Moreover, PRGs are believed to achieve the same main efficiency objectives as DRGs: increasing the volume of activity, shortening unnecessary hospitalization days, and reducing the gaps between the costs and prices of activities. The PRG system is being adopted through an incremental reform that started in 2002 and was accelerated in 2010. The Israeli MoH involved the main players in the hospital market in the consolidation of this potentially controversial reform in order to avoid opposition. The reform was implemented incrementally in order to preserve the balance of resource allocation and overall expenditures of the system, thus becoming budget neutral. Yet, as long as gaps remain between marginal costs and prices of procedures, PRGs will not attain all their objectives. Moreover, it is still crucial to refine PRG rates to reflect the severity of cases, in order to tackle incentives for selection of patients within each procedure. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  7. The effects of training group exercise class instructors to adopt a motivationally adaptive communication style.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ntoumanis, N; Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C; Quested, E; Hancox, J

    2017-09-01

    Drawing from self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002), we developed and tested an intervention to train fitness instructors to adopt a motivationally adaptive communication style when interacting with exercisers. This was a parallel group, two-arm quasi-experimental design. Participants in the intervention arm were 29 indoor cycling instructors (n = 10 for the control arm) and 246 class members (n = 75 for the control arm). The intervention consisted of face-to-face workshops, education/information video clips, group discussions and activities, brainstorming, individual planning, and practical tasks in the cycling studio. Instructors and exercisers responded to validated questionnaires about instructors' use of motivational strategies and other motivation-related variables before the first workshop and at the end of the third and final workshop (4 months later). Time × arm interactions revealed no significant effects, possibly due to the large attrition of instructors and exercisers in the control arm. Within-group analyses in the intervention arm showed that exercisers' perceptions of instructor motivationally adaptive strategies, psychological need satisfaction, and intentions to remain in the class increased over time. Similarly, instructors in the intervention arm reported being less controlling and experiencing more need satisfaction over time. These results offer initial promising evidence for the positive impact of the training. © 2016 The Authors Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Comparative analysis on the adoption of innovation in furniture companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodolfo Reinaldo Hermes Petter

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to identify factors categorical adoption of innovation in three main groups: in products, processes and administrative procedures in a group of micro and small enterprises in the furniture sector, located in the middle western state of Santa Catarina. In particular, the study sought to compare the data of a survey conducted by SEBRAE (2009 observed the same factors present innovation in micro and small businesses scattered throughout the Brazilian territory, in order to compare the national stage for the adoption of innovation in relation the scenario presented by the companies studied in this research. Data collection took place by means of a questionnaire consisting of multiple choice closed questions related to the three aforementioned groups of innovation, which was answered by managers of the constituent companies of the group studied. As a result of this research, it was found that the adoption of innovation in product development is the most important aspect in the surveyed companies. It was also found that they seek to adopt the innovation with the objective of entering new markets. However, the main difficulty in adopting innovation were identified lack of skilled labor, shortage and / or lack of access to technology and financial difficulties. Compared to general adoption of innovation by micro and small enterprises studied by SEBRAE (2009, the studied firms have a tendency to develop in the same direction.

  9. Using Free Adoptions to Reduce Crowding and Euthanasia at Cat Shelters: An Australian Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crawford, Heather M; Fontaine, Joseph B; Calver, Michael C

    2017-12-04

    Many healthy adult cats are euthanised annually in shelters, and novel approaches are required to reduce euthanasia rates. Waiving adoption fees is one such approach. However, concerns that less responsible owners will be attracted to free events persist among welfare groups. We evaluated evidence for differences in cat fate, health, and adherence to husbandry legislation via a case-study of a free adoption-drive for cats ≥1 year at a Western Australian shelter. Post-adoption outcomes were compared between free adopters and a control group of normal-fee adopters. The free adoption-drive rehomed 137 cats, increasing average weekly adoptions by 533%. First-time adopters were a significantly larger portion of the free cohort, as a result of mixed-media promotions. Both adopter groups selected cats of similar age; sex and pelage. Post-adoption, both groups retained >90% cats, reporting near identical incidences of medical and behavioural problems. Adopters did not differ in legislative compliance regarding fitting collars, registering cats, or allowing cats to roam. The shelter reported satisfaction with the adoption-drive, because in addition to relieving crowding of healthy adults, adoption of full-fee kittens increased 381%. Overall, we found no evidence for adverse outcomes associated with free adoptions. Shelters should not be dissuaded from occasional free adoption-drives during overflow periods.

  10. Contraceptive practices adopted by women attending an urban ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    To estimate proportion of couples using contraceptive methods, identify reasons for their adoption & non adoption and to assess unmet needs for contraception. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study of four months duration was conducted among married women in reproductive age group (15 – 49 years) attending ...

  11. The Adoption Process: Knowing the Experience of Adopting Families.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Carolina Gravena Vanalli

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Adoption includes changes to both the child and the adoptive home. Seeking to know the experiences regarding adoption, the couple and the family's experiences, two adoptive mothers were interviewed. The results indicate that the integration of the adopted child was carried out in a positive way, filling an apparent empty spot, and the adopted child was considered responsible for family harmony.

  12. Bridging the Divide: Openness in Adoption and Post-adoption Psychosocial Adjustment among Birth and Adoptive Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Xiaojia; Natsuaki, Misaki N.; Martin, David; Leve, Leslie; Neiderhiser, Jenae; Shaw, Daniel S.; Villareal, Georgette; Scaramella, Laura; Reid, John; Reiss, David

    2008-01-01

    Using 323 matched parties of birth mothers and adoptive parents, this study examined the association between the degree of adoption openness (e.g., contact and knowledge between parties) and birth and adoptive parents’ post-adoption adjustment shortly after the adoption placement (6 to 9 months). Data from birth fathers (N=112), an understudied sample, also were explored. Openness was assessed by multiple informants. Results indicated that openness was significantly related to satisfaction with adoption process among adoptive parents and birth mothers. Increased openness was positively associated with birth mothers’ post-placement adjustment as indexed by birth mothers’ self reports and the interviewers’ impression of birth mothers’ adjustment. Birth fathers’ report of openness was associated with their greater satisfaction with the adoption process and better post-adoption adjustment. PMID:18729667

  13. Ghana Journal of Geography - Vol 8, No 1 (2016)

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Beyond poverty and criminalization: Splintering youth groups and 'conflict of governmentalities' in urban Ghana · EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. Martin Oteng-Ababio, 51-78 ...

  14. Using Free Adoptions to Reduce Crowding and Euthanasia at Cat Shelters: An Australian Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heather M. Crawford

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Many healthy adult cats are euthanised annually in shelters, and novel approaches are required to reduce euthanasia rates. Waiving adoption fees is one such approach. However, concerns that less responsible owners will be attracted to free events persist among welfare groups. We evaluated evidence for differences in cat fate, health, and adherence to husbandry legislation via a case-study of a free adoption-drive for cats ≥1 year at a Western Australian shelter. Post-adoption outcomes were compared between free adopters and a control group of normal-fee adopters. The free adoption-drive rehomed 137 cats, increasing average weekly adoptions by 533%. First-time adopters were a significantly larger portion of the free cohort, as a result of mixed-media promotions. Both adopter groups selected cats of similar age; sex and pelage. Post-adoption, both groups retained >90% cats, reporting near identical incidences of medical and behavioural problems. Adopters did not differ in legislative compliance regarding fitting collars, registering cats, or allowing cats to roam. The shelter reported satisfaction with the adoption-drive, because in addition to relieving crowding of healthy adults, adoption of full-fee kittens increased 381%. Overall, we found no evidence for adverse outcomes associated with free adoptions. Shelters should not be dissuaded from occasional free adoption-drives during overflow periods.

  15. Change-actors in the U.S. electric energy system: The role of environmental groups in utility adoption and diffusion of wind power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doblinger, Claudia; Soppe, Birthe

    2013-01-01

    We study the contribution of environmental groups to new technology adoption and diffusion by dominant incumbents. Building on institutional and social movement theory, we develop a theoretical framework that sheds light on environmental groups as change-actors. We theorize that by approaching embedded key constituents with various strategic actions, environmental groups affect taken-for-granted beliefs, build legitimacy for renewable energy technologies, and convince skeptical constituents to support the new technology. We verify our theoretical framework with a case study of wind power development in Colorado. We find that environmentalists educate constituents on the benefits of the new technology, engage in activities leading to regulatory and legislative decisions for wind, while also providing direct assistance to the utility. As a result, utilities are both pressured and encouraged to adopt and diffuse wind power on a large-scale. This research directs attention to the role of environmental groups as change-actors and the legitimating effects of their actions. It highlights their part in creating a more favorable institutional environment for new technologies while directly influencing the incumbent's technology choice. This paper contributes to an understanding of bottom-up, actor-initiated changes in energy systems taking into account both the systemic technological infrastructure and the institutional context. - Highlights: • We study environmentalists′ impact on utility-scale renewable technology diffusion. • Incumbent-dominated systems hinder the diffusion of new technologies. • Environmental groups′ strategic actions increase legitimacy for new technologies. • Environmental groups′ legitimating actions affect incumbent′s technology choice. • Environmental groups create a favorable institutional context for new technologies

  16. Economic and other barriers to adopting recommendations to prevent childhood obesity: results of a focus group study with parents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taveras Elsie M

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Parents are integral to the implementation of obesity prevention and management recommendations for children. Exploration of barriers to and facilitators of parental decisions to adopt obesity prevention recommendations will inform future efforts to reduce childhood obesity. Methods We conducted 4 focus groups (2 English, 2 Spanish among a total of 19 parents of overweight (BMI ≥ 85th percentile children aged 5-17 years. The main discussion focused on 7 common obesity prevention recommendations: reducing television (TV watching, removing TV from child's bedroom, increasing physically active games, participating in community or school-based athletics, walking to school, walking more in general, and eating less fast food. Parents were asked to discuss what factors would make each recommendation more difficult (barriers or easier (facilitators to follow. Participants were also asked about the relative importance of economic (time and dollar costs/savings barriers and facilitators if these were not brought into the discussion unprompted. Results Parents identified many barriers but few facilitators to adopting obesity prevention recommendations for their children. Members of all groups identified economic barriers (time and dollar costs among a variety of pertinent barriers, although the discussion of dollar costs often required prompting. Parents cited other barriers including child preference, difficulty with changing habits, lack of information, lack of transportation, difficulty with monitoring child behavior, need for assistance from family members, parity with other family members, and neighborhood walking safety. Facilitators identified included access to physical activity programs, availability of alternatives to fast food and TV which are acceptable to the child, enlisting outside support, dietary information, involving the child, setting limits, making behavior changes gradually, and parental change in shopping

  17. The Texas Adoption Project: adopted children and their intellectual resemblance to biological and adoptive parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horn, J M

    1983-04-01

    Intelligence test scores were obtained from parents and children in 300 adoptive families and compared with similar measures available for the biological mothers of the same adopted children. Results supported the hypothesis that genetic variability is an important influence in the development of individual differences for intelligence. The most salient finding was that adopted children resemble their biological mothers more than they resemble the adoptive parents who reared them from birth. A small subset of the oldest adopted children did not resemble their biological mothers. The suggestion that the influence of genes declines with age is treated with caution since other adoption studies report a trend in the opposite direction.

  18. Porencephaly and schizencephaly in adopted infants. Frequency ascertainment in a risk group

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Barth, P. G.; Gerver, J.; Valk, J.

    1987-01-01

    A formal inquiry on the health state of 1206 legally adopted children from Indonesia revealed cerebral palsy in 9 (0.9% of 1029 responses obtained), including two who had died. CT examination performed in 7 cases was abnormal in all. Four types of lesions were seen: 1. Bilateral full thickness

  19. Holistic BIM Adoption and Diffusion in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mamter Shahela

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Building Information Modeling is modeling technology and associated set of processes to produce, communicate and analyze digital information models for construction life cycle. Although many benefits can gain by the implementation of BIM, the pace adoption of BIM in Malaysia is still slow. There is an abundance of theories and models purporting to describe the drivers and mechanisms of how new technologies are adopted or diffused into a particular section of society or by individuals or stake players. In addition, many acceptance theories, which imply the adoption of new technologies and can be applied in every sector. This paper aims to present a review of the existing literature of BIM adoption and diffusion theory/model/framework in Malaysia. Researcher revealed the list of driven factors of Holistic BIM Adoption. In addition, it will deal with how to work effectively with groups that initially are relatively

  20. Adopted children in their adoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schechter, M D; Holter, F R

    1975-08-01

    The adoptive process can produce unusual stresses on the child, and biologic and adoptive parents, from prenatal to postnatal life, and through the various phases of physical and pscyhological development. Because of the possibility of these children and their families falling into the "at risk" category with greater potential for psychological and social problems, the pediatrician is of primary importance in diagnosis and counseling. The pediatrician can be of major help in properly diagnosing emotional, behavioral and/or learning problems occurring in adopted children. There must be a thorough evaluation of the child and his family to understand and properly treat symptomatic behavior. The pediatrician can give advice regarding developmental milestones, and especially help the adoptive parents in appreciating their conscious and unconscious attitudes so as to enhance attachment behaviors. Pediatricians are the consultants to whom parents turn for advice regarding the timing of telling about adoption. This advice needs to be individualized according to the specific child's needs. Using a developmental conceptual framework, the pediatrician is in the best position to help the parents and their adopted children with their feelings about societal attitudes and how these can most appropriately be handled. Along this line, the pediatrician can give help and advice when and if the adoptee decides to search for his biologic parents. There is a need to clarify laws which seal the original birth certificate permitting those adoptees who wish to attain a knowledge of potentially related disease processes and an identity with his own genealogical past to do so. This would also allow the adoptee to offer his own children information about their own genetic pool and an awareness of adoption as one of the most valuable and historically significant child rearing practices.

  1. 'Adoption' by maternal siblings in wild chimpanzees.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine Hobaiter

    Full Text Available The adoption of unrelated orphaned infants is something chimpanzees and humans have in common. Providing parental care has fitness implications for both the adopter and orphan, and cases of adoption have thus been cited as evidence for a shared origin of an altruistic behaviour. We provide new data on adoptions in the free-living Sonso chimpanzee community in Uganda, together with an analysis of published data from other long-term field sites. As a default pattern, we find that orphan chimpanzees do not become adopted by adult group members but wherever possible associate with each other, usually as maternal sibling pairs. This occurs even if both partners are still immature, with older individuals effectively becoming 'child household heads'. Adoption of orphans by unrelated individuals does occur but usually only if no maternal siblings or other relatives are present and only after significant delays. In conclusion, following the loss of their mother, orphaned chimpanzees preferentially associate along pre-existing social bonds, which are typically strongest amongst maternal siblings.

  2. Beyond adoption status: Post-adoptive parental involvement and children's reading and math performance from kindergarten to first grade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Tony Xing; Kim, Eun Sook; Baggerly, Jennifer; Mahoney, E Emily; Rice, Jessica

    2017-01-01

    In this study, we went beyond adoption status to examine the associations between postadoption parental involvement and children's reading and math performance from kindergarten to first grade. Secondary data on a sample of adopted children and nonadopted children were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998 to 1999 (ECLS-K). Weighted data on the children's reading performance were available for 13,900 children (181 were adopted); weighted data on the children's math performance were available for 14,128 children (184 were adopted). Descriptive data showed no group difference in reading scores at all 3 Waves but adopted children scored lower than nonadopted children in math at Wave 2 (Spring of kindergarten) and Wave 3 (Spring of first grade). However, controlling for 6 covariates, latent growth modeling showed that adoption status was unrelated to Wave 1 reading and math scores or subsequent growth rate. Rather, parents' beliefs on skills needed to succeed in kindergarten were a significant predictor of reading and math performance at Wave 1 and subsequent growth rates, and parents' educational expectation was a significant predictor of growth rate in reading and math. Our findings highlight the importance of parental involvement in adopted children's learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  3. Innovation adoption: a review of theories and constructs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wisdom, Jennifer P; Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Hoagwood, Kimberly E; Horwitz, Sarah M

    2014-07-01

    Many theoretical frameworks seek to describe the dynamic process of the implementation of innovations. Little is known, however, about factors related to decisions to adopt innovations and how the likelihood of adoption of innovations can be increased. Using a narrative synthesis approach, this paper compared constructs theorized to be related to adoption of innovations proposed in existing theoretical frameworks in order to identify characteristics likely to increase adoption of innovations. The overall goal was to identify elements across adoption frameworks that are potentially modifiable and, thus, might be employed to improve the adoption of evidence-based practices. The review identified 20 theoretical frameworks that could be grouped into two broad categories: theories that mainly address the adoption process (N = 10) and theories that address adoption within the context of implementation, diffusion, dissemination, and/or sustainability (N = 10). Constructs of leadership, operational size and structure, innovation fit with norms and values, and attitudes/motivation toward innovations each are mentioned in at least half of the theories, though there were no consistent definitions of measures for these constructs. A lack of precise definitions and measurement of constructs suggests further work is needed to increase our understanding of adoption of innovations.

  4. Depression and anxiety among postpartum and adoptive mothers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiller, Crystal Edler; Richards, Jenny Gringer; O’Hara, Michael W.; Stuart, Scott

    2012-01-01

    Similar to biological mothers during the postpartum period, women who adopt children experience increased stress and life changes that may put them at risk for developing depression and anxiety. The purpose of the current study was to compare levels of depression and anxiety symptoms between postpartum and adoptive women and, among adoptive women, to examine associations between specific stressors and depressive symptoms. Data from adoptive mothers (n=147), recruited from Holt International, were compared to existing data from postpartum women (n=147). Differences in the level of depression and anxiety symptoms as measured by the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms among postpartum and adoptive women were examined. Associations between specific stressors and depressive symptoms were examined among adoptive mothers. Postpartum and adoptive women had comparable levels of depressive symptoms, but adoptive women reported greater well-being and less anxiety than postpartum women. Stressors (e.g., sleep deprivation, history of infertility, past psychological disorder, and less marital satisfaction) were all significantly associated with depressive symptoms among adoptive women. The level of depressive symptoms was not significantly different between the two groups. In contrast, adoptive women experienced significantly fewer symptoms of anxiety and experienced greater well-being. Additionally, adoptive mothers experienced more depressive symptoms during the year following adoption when the stressors were present. Thus, women with these characteristics should be routinely screened for depression and anxiety. PMID:21725836

  5. Cultural identity and internationally adopted children: qualitative approach to parental representations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aurélie Harf

    Full Text Available Approximately 30 000 children are adopted across national borders each year. A review of the literature on the cultural belonging of these internationally adopted children shows substantial differences between the literature from English-speaking countries and that from France and Europe in general. The objective of this study is to start from the discourse of French adoptive parents to explore their representations of their child's cultural belonging and their positions (their thoughts and representations concerning connections with the child's country of birth and its culture. The study includes 51 French parents who adopted one or more children internationally. Each parent participated in a semi-structured interview, focused on the adoption procedure and their current associations with the child's birth country. The interviews were analyzed according to a qualitative phenomenological method, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The principal themes that emerged from our analysis of the interviews made it possible to classify the parents into three different groups. The first group maintained no association with the child's country of birth and refused any multiplicity of cultural identities. The second group actively maintained regular associations with the child's country of birth and culture and affirmed that their family was multicultural. Finally, the third group adapted their associations with the child's birth country and its culture according to the child's questions and interests. Exploring parental representations of the adopted child enables professionals involved in adoption to provide better support to these families and to do preventive work at the level of family interactions.

  6. Cultural identity and internationally adopted children: qualitative approach to parental representations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harf, Aurélie; Skandrani, Sara; Sibeoni, Jordan; Pontvert, Caroline; Revah-Levy, Anne; Moro, Marie Rose

    2015-01-01

    Approximately 30 000 children are adopted across national borders each year. A review of the literature on the cultural belonging of these internationally adopted children shows substantial differences between the literature from English-speaking countries and that from France and Europe in general. The objective of this study is to start from the discourse of French adoptive parents to explore their representations of their child's cultural belonging and their positions (their thoughts and representations) concerning connections with the child's country of birth and its culture. The study includes 51 French parents who adopted one or more children internationally. Each parent participated in a semi-structured interview, focused on the adoption procedure and their current associations with the child's birth country. The interviews were analyzed according to a qualitative phenomenological method, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The principal themes that emerged from our analysis of the interviews made it possible to classify the parents into three different groups. The first group maintained no association with the child's country of birth and refused any multiplicity of cultural identities. The second group actively maintained regular associations with the child's country of birth and culture and affirmed that their family was multicultural. Finally, the third group adapted their associations with the child's birth country and its culture according to the child's questions and interests. Exploring parental representations of the adopted child enables professionals involved in adoption to provide better support to these families and to do preventive work at the level of family interactions.

  7. Cultural Identity and Internationally Adopted Children: Qualitative Approach to Parental Representations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harf, Aurélie; Skandrani, Sara; Sibeoni, Jordan; Pontvert, Caroline; Revah-Levy, Anne; Moro, Marie Rose

    2015-01-01

    Approximately 30 000 children are adopted across national borders each year. A review of the literature on the cultural belonging of these internationally adopted children shows substantial differences between the literature from English-speaking countries and that from France and Europe in general. The objective of this study is to start from the discourse of French adoptive parents to explore their representations of their child's cultural belonging and their positions (their thoughts and representations) concerning connections with the child's country of birth and its culture. The study includes 51 French parents who adopted one or more children internationally. Each parent participated in a semi-structured interview, focused on the adoption procedure and their current associations with the child's birth country. The interviews were analyzed according to a qualitative phenomenological method, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The principal themes that emerged from our analysis of the interviews made it possible to classify the parents into three different groups. The first group maintained no association with the child's country of birth and refused any multiplicity of cultural identities. The second group actively maintained regular associations with the child's country of birth and culture and affirmed that their family was multicultural. Finally, the third group adapted their associations with the child's birth country and its culture according to the child's questions and interests. Exploring parental representations of the adopted child enables professionals involved in adoption to provide better support to these families and to do preventive work at the level of family interactions. PMID:25775255

  8. Open adoption of infants: adoptive parents' feelings seven years later.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegel, Deborah H

    2003-07-01

    Adoptions today increasingly include contact between adoptive and birth families. What do these "open adoptions" look like? How do the participants feel about them? This article, based on part of a longitudinal study that first examined adoptive parents' perceptions of their infants' open adoptions seven years ago, explores the parents' reactions now that their children are school age. This qualitative descriptive research revealed changes in the openness in the adoptions over time and identified four dimensions along which open adoptions vary. Findings showed parents' enthusiasm for the openness in their adoptions, regardless of the type and extent of openness. Implications for social work practice, education, and policy are explored.

  9. Hospitious Adoption: How Hospitality Empowers Children and Transforms Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gritter, James L.

    2009-01-01

    Building on previous books by the author, "Hospitious Adoption: How Hospitality Empowers Children and Transforms Adoption" examines the next step after open adoption. Gritter takes the approach that practicing goodwill, respect, and courage within the realm of adoption makes the process move smoother and enriches children's lives. Following a…

  10. Thinking About Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... asked questions. Q: I think I want to adopt. Where do I begin?​ A: Thinking about adoption ... through adoption. Learn more about their How-to-Adopt and Adoption Parenting Network . Q: What are the ...

  11. Cloud Computing Adoption Business Model Factors: Does Enterprise Size Matter?

    OpenAIRE

    Bogataj Habjan, Kristina; Pucihar, Andreja

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents the results of research investigating the impact of business model factors on cloud computing adoption. The introduced research model consists of 40 cloud computing business model factors, grouped into eight factor groups. Their impact and importance for cloud computing adoption were investigated among enterpirses in Slovenia. Furthermore, differences in opinion according to enterprise size were investigated. Research results show no statistically significant impacts of in...

  12. Innovation Adoption: A Review of Theories and Constructs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Horwitz, Sarah M.

    2013-01-01

    Many theoretical frameworks seek to describe the dynamic process of the implementation of innovations. Little is known, however, about factors related to decisions to adopt innovations and how the likelihood of adoption of innovations can be increased. Using a narrative synthesis approach, this paper compared constructs theorized to be related to adoption of innovations proposed in existing theoretical frameworks in order to identify characteristics likely to increase adoption of innovations. The overall goal was to identify elements across adoption frameworks that are potentially modifiable and, thus, might be employed to improve the adoption of evidence-based practices. The review identified 20 theoretical frameworks that could be grouped into two broad categories: theories that mainly address the adoption process (N = 10) and theories that address adoption within the context of implementation, diffusion, dissemination, and/or sustainability (N = 10). Constructs of leadership, operational size and structure, innovation fit with norms and values, and attitudes/motivation toward innovations each are mentioned in at least half of the theories, though there were no consistent definitions of measures for these constructs. A lack of precise definitions and measurement of constructs suggests further work is needed to increase our understanding of adoption of innovations. PMID:23549911

  13. Social Networks and Technology Adoption

    OpenAIRE

    Hogset, Heidi

    2005-01-01

    This study analyzes social network effects on Kenyan smallholders' decision to adopt improved natural resource management techniques. These effects are decomposed into effects from social influence and learning through networks (strong ties), group effects, weak ties effects, informal finance, and conflicts arising from technological externalities, controlling for non-network effects.

  14. Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... a relative, foster parent, or a completely new family. An adoptive family might be a single parent, a couple, or ... doesn't mean they don't love their adoptive family or feel close to them. This curiosity, which ...

  15. "School Adopts an Experiment": The Magnetic Levitation of Superconductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallitto, Aurelio Agliolo

    2010-01-01

    The event "School adopts an experiment" is an event targeted at high schools and secondary schools. It is based on a tight and direct collaboration between researchers and school students and teachers. Several schools were involved in the event by "adopting" an experiment in physics research laboratories. Groups of selected students were first…

  16. Adopters and non-adopters of Internet banking: A segmentation study

    OpenAIRE

    Patsiotis, A.; Hughes, T.; Webber, D. J.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose – This study examines Internet banking adoption and resistance behaviour in Greece in order to develop profiles of adopters and non-adopters of the service. The aim is to illustrate customers’ resistance behaviour towards Internet banking. Existing research does not explain resistance behaviour, since it does not clearly distinguish non-adoption from resistance. Consequently, it has not recognized the different types of non-adoption.\\ud Design/methodology/approach – A measuring instru...

  17. Healthy depictions? Depicting adoption and adoption news events on broadcast news.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kline, Susan L; Chatterjee, Karishma; Karel, Amanda I

    2009-01-01

    Given that the public uses the media to learn about adoption as a family form, this study analyzes U.S. television news coverage of adoption between 2001 and 2005 (N = 309 stories), to identify the types of news events covered about adoption. A majority of news stories covered fraud, crime, legal disputes, and negative international adoption cases. Adoptees as defective or unhealthy were depicted more in negative news event stories, birth parents appeared less overall, and adoptive parents were most likely to have healthy depictions in positively oriented adoption experience, big family, and reunion stories. Although three quarters of the stories used primary adoption participants as news sources, one-third of the negative event stories did not contain healthy depictions of adoption participants. The authors discuss ways journalists and researchers might improve adoption news coverage.

  18. Early results of pediatric appendicitis after adoption of diagnosis-related group-based payment system in South Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moon SB

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Suk-Bae MoonDepartment of Surgery, Kangwon National University Hospital, Kangwon National School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South KoreaPurpose: As an alternative to the existing fee-for-service (FFS system, a diagnosis-related group (DRG-based payment system has been suggested. The aim of this study was to investigate the early results of pediatric appendicitis treatment under the DRG system, focusing on health care expenditure and quality of health care services.Patients and methods: The medical records of 60 patients, 30 patients before (FFS group, and 30 patients after adoption of the DRG system (DRG, were reviewed retrospectively.Results: Mean hospital stay was shortened, but the complication and readmission rates did not worsen in the DRG. Overall health care expenditure and self-payment decreased from Korean Won (KRW 2,499,935 and KRW 985,540, respectively, in the FFS group to KRW 2,386,552 and KRW 492,920, respectively, in the DRG. The insurer’s payment increased from KRW 1,514,395 in the FFS group to KRW 1,893,632 in the DRG. For patients in the DRG, calculation by the DRG system yielded greater overall expenditure (KRW 2,020,209 vs KRW 2,386,552 but lower self-payment (KRW 577,803 vs KRW 492,920 than calculation by the FFS system.Conclusion: The DRG system worked well in pediatric patients with acute appendicitis in terms of cost-effectiveness over the short term. The gradual burden on the national health insurance fund should be taken into consideration.Keywords: appendicitis, child, fee-for-service plans, diagnosis-related groups, quality of health care, health care expenditures

  19. Age at placement, adoption experience and adult adopted people's contact with their adoptive and birth mothers: an attachment perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howe, D

    2001-09-01

    Adoption holds particular interest for attachment researchers. Although children adopted as babies experience almost continuous care by their adoptive parents, older placed children experience at least one major change of caregiver when they join their adoptive family. Moreover, in the majority of cases, older placed children have generally suffered a pre-adoption history of abuse, neglect and/or rejection. It is now being recognized that older placed children's attachment histories and internal working models (IWMs) established in relationship with their initial carers remain active in relationship with their new carers. Transactional models have helped both researchers and practitioners to understand the dynamics of parent-child relationships in cases where insecure children with histories of neglect, abuse and rejection find themselves in new caregiving environments. The present study examines the childhood experiences of adult adopted people and their current levels of contact with their adoptive mothers, and in cases where people had searched for and found a birth relative, current levels of contact with their birth mother. Although no information was collected on the adopted adult's pre-placement history, age at placement was used as a proxy measure to examine whether older placed children reported different adoption experiences and what their current levels of contact were with their adoptive and birth mothers. The findings show that age at placement was associated with adopted people's reported experiences of being adopted and current rates of contact with their adoptive and birth mothers, with those placed at older ages most likely to report that they (1) did not feel they belonged in their adoptive families while growing up, (2) did not feel loved by their adoptive mother, (3) were least likely to remain in high-frequency contact with their adoptive mother, and (4) were least likely to remain in high-frequency contact with their birth mother. An

  20. Adopted Koreans and the development of identity in the "third space"

    OpenAIRE

    Hübinette, Tobias

    2004-01-01

    Since 1953, 150,000 Korean children have been adopted to 15 main host countries in the West. They constitute the largest international adoptee group worldwide. An adopted Korean movement has existed on an international level since the 1990s and is today trying to formulate an identity and community of its own beyond Western adoption ideology and Korean nationalism. Tobias Hübinette outlines the history of international adoption from Korea, Western and Korean perspectives on international adop...

  1. [Perception of parental socialization strategies in adoptive and non-adoptive families].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernedo Muñoz, Isabel María; Fuentes Rebollo, María Jesús; Fernández-Molina, M; Bersabé Morán, Rosa

    2007-11-01

    Although parental socialization styles have been investigated in recent years, little research has been carried out on the issue of parental styles in adoptive families. The aim of this research is to analyse parental styles both from the point of view of the parents and of adopted and non-adopted adolescents, taking as covariables the adolescents' sex and age. The sample was made up of 55 adopted adolescents (20 boys and 35 girls with an age range of 11-17 years) and their 55 adoptive parents, and 402 non-adopted adolescents (200 boys and 202 girls with an age range of 11-17 years), and their 258 parents. Two scales evaluated parental styles: the Affect Scale and the Rules and Demands Scale. The results showed that, both from the point of view of the parents and of the adolescents, adoptive families are more affective, communicative and inductive, and less critical and indulgent than non-adoptive families. No differences were found between adopted and non-adopted adolescents on the Parents' Rigidity Scale.

  2. Motives to adopt renewable electricity technologies: Evidence from Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergek, Anna; Mignon, Ingrid

    2017-01-01

    The diffusion of renewable electricity technologies (RETs) has to speed up for countries to reach their, often ambitious, targets for renewable energy generation. This requires a large number of actors – including individuals, companies and other organizations – to adopt RETs. Policies will most likely be needed to induce adoption, but there is limited knowledge about what motivates RET adoption. The purpose of this paper is to complement and expand the available empirical evidence regarding motives to adopt RETs through a survey to over 600 RET adopters in Sweden. The main finding of the study is that there are many different motives to adopt RETs and that RET adopters are a heterogeneous group with regard to motives. Although environmental concerns, interest in the technology, access to an RE resource and prospects to generate economic revenues are important motives in general, adopters differ with regard to how large importance they attach to the same motive and each adopter can also have several different motives to adopt. There are also differences in motives between adopter categories (especially independent power producers vs. individuals and diversified companies) and between RETs (especially wind power vs. solar power). This implies that a variety of policy instruments might be needed to induce further adoption of a variety of RETs by a variety of adopter categories. - Highlights: • There are many different motives to adopt renewable electricity technologies (RETs). • Adopters attach different levels of importance to the same motive. • Adopters can have several different motives to adopt a particular RET. • Motives to adopt RETs differ between wind power, solar PV and small-scale hydro. • Motives to adopt RETs differ between IPPs, individuals and diversified companies.

  3. Exploring the role of marketing as a tool\\ud to aid smart meter adoption amongst fuel poverty\\ud and vulnerable groups

    OpenAIRE

    Lewis, J; Rosborough, J

    2013-01-01

    This study is concerned with exploring the role of marketing as a tool to improve smart meter adoption amongst different fuel poverty groups. The traditional view of marketing is that it is a process by which people and firms get what they require and desire by generating and trading value with others (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). Nonetheless, a more recent view of marketing is that it provides a vehicle to aid the achievement of a wide range of social goals. In this instance, fuel poverty an...

  4. Adoptive parenting and attachment: association of the internal working models between adoptive mothers and their late-adopted children during adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pace, Cecilia S; Di Folco, Simona; Guerriero, Viviana; Santona, Alessandra; Terrone, Grazia

    2015-01-01

    Recent literature has shown that the good outcome of adoption would mostly depend on the quality of adoptive parenting, which is strongly associated with the security of parental internal working models (IWMs) of attachment. Specifically, attachment states-of-mind of adoptive mothers classified as free and autonomous and without lack of resolution of loss or trauma could represent a good protective factor for adopted children, previously maltreated and neglected. While most research on adoptive families focused on pre-school and school-aged children, the aim of this study was to assess the concordance of IWMs of attachment in adoptive dyads during adolescence. Our pilot-study involved 76 participants: 30 adoptive mothers (mean age = 51.5 ± 4.3), and their 46 late-adopted adolescents (mean age = 13.9 ± 1.6), who were all aged 4-9 years old at time of adoption (mean age = 6.3 ± 1.5). Attachment representations of adopted adolescents were assessed by the Friend and Family Interview (FFI), while adoptive mothers' state-of-mind with respect to attachment was classified by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Adolescents' verbal intelligence was controlled for. Late-adopted adolescents were classified as follows: 67% secure, 26% dismissing, and 7% preoccupied in the FFI, while their adoptive mothers' AAI classifications were 70% free-autonomous, 7% dismissing, and 23% unresolved. We found a significant concordance of 70% (32 dyads) between the secure-insecure FFI and AAI classifications. Specifically adoptive mothers with high coherence of transcript and low unresolved loss tend to have late-adopted children with high secure attachment, even if the adolescents' verbal intelligence made a significant contribution to this prediction. Our results provides an empirical contribution to the literature concerning the concordance of attachment in adoptive dyads, highlighting the beneficial impact of highly coherent states-of-mind of adoptive mothers on the attachment

  5. Adoptive parenting and attachment: association of the Internal Working Models between adoptive mothers and their late-adopted children during adolescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cecilia Serena ePace

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Recent literature has shown that the good outcome of adoption would mostly depend on the quality of adoptive parenting, which is strongly associated with the security of parental internal working models (IWMs of attachment. Specifically, attachment states-of-mind of adoptive mothers classified as free and autonomous and without lack of resolution of loss or trauma could represent a good protective factor for adopted children previously maltreated and neglected. While most research on adoptive families has focused on pre-school and school-aged children, the aim of this study was to assess the concordance of IWMs of attachment in adoptive dyads during adolescence.Method. Our pilot-study involved 76 participants: 30 adoptive mothers (mean age=51.5±4.3, and their 46 late-adopted adolescents (mean age = 13.9 ± 1.6, who were all aged four to nine years old at time of adoption (M = 6.3 ± 1.5. Attachment representations of adopted adolescents were assessed by the Friend and Family Interview (FFI, while adoptive mothers’ state-of-mind with respect to attachment was classified by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI. Adolescents’ verbal intelligence was controlled.Results. Late-adopted adolescents were classified as follows: 67% secure, 26% dismissing and 7% preoccupied in the FFI, while their adoptive mothers’ AAI classifications were 70% free-autonomous, 7% dismissing, and 23% unresolved. We found a significant concordance of 70% (32 dyads between the secure-insecure FFI and AAI classifications. Specifically adoptive mothers with high coherence of transcript and low unresolved loss tend to have late-adopted children with high secure attachment, even if the adolescents’ verbal intelligence made a significant contribution to this prediction.Discussion. Our results provides an empirical contribution to the literature concerning the concordance of attachment in adoptive dyads, highlighting the beneficial impact of highly coherent

  6. Determinants of Cat Choice and Outcomes for Adult Cats and Kittens Adopted from an Australian Animal Shelter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zito, Sarah; Paterson, Mandy; Vankan, Dianne; Morton, John; Bennett, Pauleen; Phillips, Clive

    2015-01-01

    Simple Summary Commonly, more adult cats than kittens are euthanized in animal shelters. We surveyed 382 cat adopters to assess adoption outcomes and potential determinants of adopters’ choice of cat age group and price. Most adopters had benevolent motivations for adopting from the shelter and had put considerable thought into the adoption and responsible ownership requirements. However, adult cat adopters were more likely to have been influenced by price than kitten adopters. Adoption outcomes were generally positive in all age and adoption price groups. This study provides evidence to inform the design of strategies to encourage adult cat adoptions. Abstract The percentage of adult cats euthanized in animal shelters is greater than that of kittens because adult cats are less likely to be adopted. This study aimed to provide evidence to inform the design of strategies to encourage adult cat adoptions. One such strategy is to discount adoption prices, but there are concerns that this may result in poor adoption outcomes. We surveyed 382 cat adopters at the time of adoption, to assess potential determinants of adopters’ cat age group choice (adult or kitten) and, for adult cat adopters, the price they are willing to pay. The same respondents were surveyed again 6–12 months after the adoption to compare outcomes between cat age groups and between adult cats in two price categories. Most adopters had benevolent motivations for adopting from the shelter and had put considerable thought into the adoption and requirements for responsible ownership. However, adult cat adopters were more likely to have been influenced by price than kitten adopters. Adoption outcomes were generally positive for both adult cats and kittens and for adult cats adopted at low prices. The latter finding alleviates concerns about the outcomes of “low-cost” adoptions in populations, such as the study population, and lends support for the use of “low-cost” adoptions as an option for

  7. 'Adoption and attachment theory' the attachment models of adoptive mothers and the revision of attachment patterns of their late-adopted children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pace, C S; Zavattini, G C

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the attachment patterns of late-adopted children (aged 4-7) and their adoptive mothers during the first 7- to 8-month period after adoption and aimed to evaluate the effect of adoptive mothers' attachment security on the revision of the attachment patterns of their late-adopted children. We assessed attachment patterns in 20 adoptive dyads and 12 genetically related dyads at two different times: T1 (time 1) within 2 months of adoption and T2 (time 2) 6 months after T1. The children's behavioural attachment patterns were assessed using the Separation-Reunion Procedure and the children's representational (verbal) attachment patterns using the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task. The attachment models of the adoptive mothers were classified using the Adult Attachment Interview. We found that there was a significant enhancement of the late-adopted children's attachment security across the time period considered (P= 0.008). Moreover, all the late-adopted children who showed a change from insecurity to security had adoptive mothers with secure attachment models (P= 0.044). However, the matching between maternal attachment models and late-adopted children's attachment patterns (behaviours and representations) was not significant. Our data suggest that revision of the attachment patterns in the late-adopted children is possible but gradual, and that the adoptive mothers' attachment security makes it more likely to occur. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. Differences in influence patterns between groups predicting the adoption of a solar disinfection technology for drinking water in Bolivia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moser, Stephanie; Mosler, Hans-Joachim

    2008-08-01

    The lack of safe drinking water is one of the major problems faced by developing countries. The consequences of contaminated water are diseases such as diarrhea, one of the main causes of infant mortality. Because of its simplicity, solar water-disinfection technology provides a good way of treating water at the household level. Despite its obvious advantages and considerable promotional activities, this innovation has had rather a slow uptake. We conducted a field survey in which 644 households in Bolivia were interviewed in order to gain insights on motivations that resulted in adopting the technology. The aim was to examine possible differences in the predictors for adopting this technology during the diffusion process using the theory of innovation diffusion. Our findings indicate that early adoption was predicted by increased involvement in the topic of drinking water and that adoption in the middle of the diffusion process was predicted by increased involvement by opinion leaders and by recognition of a majority who supported the technology. Finally, late adoption was predicted by recognition that a majority had already adopted. Suggestions for future promotional strategies are outlined.

  9. Mitigating effects of the home environment on inattention and overactivity in children adopted from Romanian orphanages: a longitudinal study

    OpenAIRE

    Audet, Karyn Nicole

    2008-01-01

    This longitudinal study examined the potential mitigating effects of the adoptive home environment on inattention and overactivity (I/O) in children adopted from Romanian orphanages. Three groups were studied: (1) Children who experienced at least 8 months of deprivation in an orphanage prior to being adopted to British Columbia (RO group), (2) Children adopted to British Columbia from Romanian orphanages prior to 4-months-of-age (EA group), and (3) Canadian born non-adopted children (CB grou...

  10. Adoption of a High-Impact Innovation in a Homogeneous Population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Curtis H.; Poncela-Casasnovas, Julia; Glaser, Joshua I.; Pah, Adam R.; Persell, Stephen D.; Baker, David W.; Wunderink, Richard G.; Nunes Amaral, Luís A.

    2014-10-01

    Adoption of innovations, whether new ideas, technologies, or products, is crucially important to knowledge societies. The landmark studies of adoption dealt with innovations having great societal impact (such as antibiotics or hybrid crops) but where determining the utility of the innovation was straightforward (such as fewer side effects or greater yield). Recent large-scale studies of adoption were conducted within heterogeneous populations and focused on products with little societal impact. Here, we focus on a case with great practical significance: adoption by small groups of highly trained individuals of innovations with large societal impact but for which it is impractical to determine the true utility of the innovation. Specifically, we study experimentally the adoption by critical care physicians of a diagnostic assay that complements current protocols for the diagnosis of life-threatening bacterial infections and for which a physician cannot estimate the true accuracy of the assay based on personal experience. We show through computational modeling of the experiment that infection-spreading models—which have been formalized as generalized contagion processes—are not consistent with the experimental data, while a model inspired by opinion models is able to reproduce the empirical data. Our modeling approach enables us to investigate the efficacy of different intervention schemes on the rate and robustness of innovation adoption in the real world. While our study is focused on critical care physicians, our findings have implications for other settings in education, research, and business, where small groups of highly qualified peers make decisions about the adoption of innovations whose utility is difficult if not impossible to gauge.

  11. Implementing DDR in Settings of Ongoing Conflict: The Organization and Fragmentation of Armed Groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanne Richards

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Although it is common for armed groups to splinter (or “fragment” during contexts of multi-party civil war, current guidance on Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR does not address the challenges that arise when recalcitrant fighters, unwilling to report to DDR, break ranks and form new armed groups. This Practice Note addresses this issue, drawing lessons from the multi-party context of the DRC and from the experiences of former members of three armed groups: the Rally for Congolese Democracy-Goma (RCD-Goma, the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP, and the DRC national army (FARDC. While the findings indicate that the fragmentation of armed groups may encourage desertion and subsequent participation in DDR, they also show that active armed groups may monitor DDR programs and track those who demobilize. Remobilization may follow, either as active armed groups target ex-combatants for forced re-recruitment or as ex-combatants remobilize in armed groups of their own choice. Given these dynamics, practitioners in settings of partial peace may find it useful to consider non-traditional methods of DDR such as the use of mobile patrols and mobile disarmament units. The temporary relocation of ex-combatants to safe areas free from armed groups, or to protected transitional assistance camps, may also help to minimize remobilization during the reintegration phase.

  12. International Adoption: Issues of Acknowledgement of Adoption and Birth Culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trolley, Barbara C.; And Others

    1995-01-01

    Families who adopt children internationally are faced with not only the acknowledgement of the adoption but also the recognition of the child's birth culture. Thirty-four families were surveyed to assess issues regarding the relevance, frequency, and means of acknowledgement of the adoption and of the birth culture. Findings suggest ways adoption…

  13. Creating grander families: older adults adopting younger kin and nonkin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinterlong, James; Ryan, Scott

    2008-08-01

    There is a dearth of research on older adoptive parents caring for minor children, despite a growing number of such adoptions finalized each year. This study offers a large-scale investigation of adoptive families headed by older parents. We describe these families and explore how preadoptive kinship between the adoptive parent and the child impacts adoption outcomes. We analyze data from kin (n = 98) and nonkin (n = 310) adoptive families headed by adults aged 60 years and older. We find that older kin adoptive families are smaller, report lower income, and include adoptive mothers with less formal education. Children in these families had less severe needs for special care at the time of placement. Although kin and nonkin older parents offer similar assessments of their parent-child relationships, kin adopters indicate a greater willingness to adopt the same child again and yet report less positive current family functioning. Multivariate regression analyses reveal that preadoptive kinship predicts more negative parental assessment of the adoption's impact on the family and less positive family functioning net of other parent, family, and child characteristics. Externalizing behavior by the child (e.g., delinquency or aggression) is the strongest predictor of deleterious outcomes for both groups. Kin adoption by older adults creates new families under strain but does not reduce parental commitment to the child. We conclude that older adults serve as effective adoptive parents but would benefit from preadoption and postadoption services to assist them in preparing for and positively addressing the challenging behaviors exhibited by adopted children.

  14. Adoption of a High-Impact Innovation in a Homogeneous Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Curtis H. Weiss

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Adoption of innovations, whether new ideas, technologies, or products, is crucially important to knowledge societies. The landmark studies of adoption dealt with innovations having great societal impact (such as antibiotics or hybrid crops but where determining the utility of the innovation was straightforward (such as fewer side effects or greater yield. Recent large-scale studies of adoption were conducted within heterogeneous populations and focused on products with little societal impact. Here, we focus on a case with great practical significance: adoption by small groups of highly trained individuals of innovations with large societal impact but for which it is impractical to determine the true utility of the innovation. Specifically, we study experimentally the adoption by critical care physicians of a diagnostic assay that complements current protocols for the diagnosis of life-threatening bacterial infections and for which a physician cannot estimate the true accuracy of the assay based on personal experience. We show through computational modeling of the experiment that infection-spreading models—which have been formalized as generalized contagion processes—are not consistent with the experimental data, while a model inspired by opinion models is able to reproduce the empirical data. Our modeling approach enables us to investigate the efficacy of different intervention schemes on the rate and robustness of innovation adoption in the real world. While our study is focused on critical care physicians, our findings have implications for other settings in education, research, and business, where small groups of highly qualified peers make decisions about the adoption of innovations whose utility is difficult if not impossible to gauge.

  15. Author Details

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... Vol 8, No 1 (2016): Special Issue - Articles Poverty and crime: Uncovering the hidden face of sexual crimes in urban low-income communities in Ghana Abstract PDF · Vol 8, No 1 (2016): Special Issue - Articles Beyond poverty and criminalization: Splintering youth groups and 'conflict of governmentalities' in urban Ghana

  16. To Adopt Or Not To Adopt? The Transnational Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Africa

    OpenAIRE

    Zori, S.

    2015-01-01

    The idea that policy diffusion can occur via two different mechanisms has gained attention in the realm of international accounting since the European Union’s adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) in 2005. Proponents of classical economic approaches to policy adoption argue that countries adopting IFRS are motivated solely by the economic consequences of the standards from which they anticipate an improvement in information quality. Neo-institutional scholars argue, ...

  17. Contact in Adoption and Adoptive Identity Formation: The Mediating Role of Family Conversation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korff, Lynn Von; Grotevant, Harold D.

    2012-01-01

    The present study examined adoption-related family conversation as a mediator of the association between adoptive parents’ facilitation of contact with birth relatives and adolescent adoptive identity formation. The sample consisted of 184 adoptive families. Data were collected in two waves from adoptive mothers and fathers, and adoptees (M = 15.68 years at adolescence; M = 24.95 years at emerging adulthood) using semistructured interviews and questionnaires. Structural equation models showed a good fit to sample data, and analyses supported the hypothesized mediation model. Contact with birth relatives is associated with more frequent adoption-related family conversation, which in turn is associated with the development of adoptive identity. These results highlight the importance of supporting activities such as contact that lead to adoption-related family conversation. PMID:21517175

  18. Depression in adoptive parents: a model of understanding through grounded theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foli, Karen J

    2010-04-01

    A limited number of studies have explored parental depression in the postadoption time periods and these studies frequently lack a social context of the adoptive parent experience. The objective of this study is to form a midrange theoretical interpretation of parental postadoption depression as shared by adoptive parents and experts through a grounded theory approach. Semistructured interviews of adoptive parents, who acknowledge being depressed after the child is placed in the home, and adoption experts are audiotaped, transcribed, and coded to reveal themes. In total, 30 interviews are conducted. Researchers are also participant-observers during an adoptive parent support group meeting. Data reveal recurrent themes in relation to postadoption depression. These themes take into account the various contexts of adoption (international and domestic, public and private, etc.). Parents express unfulfilled and unrealistic expectations in the domains of self, child, family or friends, and society or others. A theoretical model is presented to facilitate the understanding of depression reported by adoptive parents.

  19. Adoption of Children with Disabilities: An Exploration of the Issues for Adoptive Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Good, Gretchen A.

    2016-01-01

    This systematic literature review is an exploration of issues for adoptive families throughout the adoption process and into the various phases of the life of the adoptive family. Although there has been much recent research related to adoption, in general, very little adoption literature addresses the often unspoken needs of families who want to…

  20. The Danish Adoption Register.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Liselotte; Sørensen, Thorkild I A

    2011-07-01

    The Danish Adoption Register was established in 1963-1964 to explore the genetic and environmental contribution to familial aggregation of schizophrenia. The register encompass information on all 14,425 non-familial adoptions of Danish children legally granted in Denmark 1924-1947. It includes name and date of birth of each adoptee and his or her biological and adoptive parents, date of transfer to adoptive parents and date of formal adoption. The linkage to biological and adoptive parents is close to complete, even biological fathers are registered for 91.4% of the adoptees. Adoption registers are a unique source allowing disentangling of genetic and familial environmental influences on traits, risk of diseases, and mortality.

  1. Inhibitors of e-Government adoption: Determinants of habit and adoption intentions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Rey-Moreno

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Explanatory models of e-Government adoption are based on the premise that user behavior results from users’ intentions, which derive from users’ beliefs and attitudes. According to such models, citizens’ high intentions to use e-Government tools should have led to the widespread adoption of these tools. Yet this has not occurred. Therefore, existing models fail to explain the adoption of e-Government. These models must be complemented to explain the cause of citizens’ failure to adopt e-Government. Attempts to build a satisfactory model include the design of dual models (jointly analyzing facilitators and inhibitors and integrating models (jointly analyzing the interaction between intention and habit in prompting behavior. This study identified several inhibitors of e-Government adoption. Organizational support, self-efficacy, benefits, loss aversion, regret aversion, control, transition costs, sunk costs/switching costs, uncertainty, habit, resistance, and inertia were found to inhibit citizens’ adoption of e-Government.

  2. Contact in adoption and adoptive identity formation: the mediating role of family conversation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Von Korff, Lynn; Grotevant, Harold D

    2011-06-01

    The present study examined adoption-related family conversation as a mediator of the association between adoptive parents' facilitation of contact with birth relatives and adolescent adoptive identity formation. The sample consisted of 184 adoptive families. Data were collected in two waves from adoptive mothers and fathers, and adoptees (M = 15.68 years at adolescence; M = 24.95 years at emerging adulthood) using semistructured interviews and questionnaires. Structural equation models showed a good fit to sample data, and analyses supported the hypothesized mediation model. Contact with birth relatives is associated with more frequent adoption-related family conversation, which in turn is associated with the development of adoptive identity. These results highlight the importance of supporting activities such as contact that lead to adoption-related family conversation. 2011 APA, all rights reserved

  3. Transitions of Adoptive Parents: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foli, Karen J; Hebdon, Megan; Lim, Eunjung; South, Susan C

    2017-10-01

    As adoptive parents create a new family, they face myriad changes both pre-and post-placement of their child. The aim of this study was to describe parent perceptions and depressive symptoms during this transition via reports collected with an online survey. Using content analysis, we analyzed a total of 110 responses from 64 parents at three time points: 4-6weeks pre-placement, and 4-6weeks and 5-6months post-placement. Five main themes were revealed: Transition from uncertainty to a new normal; unique experiences related to adoption; rest/fatigue: out of balance; life stressors; and faith/spirituality. Two subthemes were also identified: previous losses (pre-placement) and joy and love (post-placement). During the transition from pre-to post-placement, adoptive parents experience a unique passage, with both challenges and strengths exclusive to this group of parents. While acknowledging the commonalities of some parenting experiences, healthcare and adoption professionals should recognize the unique dynamics that adoption brings to families. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Factors Affecting Adoption of Recommended Cauliflower Production Technology in Nepal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pankaj Raj Dhital

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Binary logit regression model of econometrics was used to identify the factors affecting adoption of recommended agricultural technology by the commercial farmers of Nepal. A survey was carried out in 2012 in 120 households from Kavre district, Nepal. The objective was to appraise factors affecting adoption of recommended technology of cauliflower, finding out the level of adoption, identifying the constraints of cauliflower cultivation, assessing the perceived level of satisfaction and studying the relationship of certain selected variables on the adoption. Education, Occupation, contact with Personal Localite sources of information, Group membership and Experience were the most influencing factors for adoption of recommended technology. Though, other factors were not strong enough to contribute significantly but indirectly influence the adoption decision of farmers as combined effects. Occupation was found as negatively associated. Landholding size was strongly and positively influencing among the non significant factors. The level of satisfaction and the constraints of cauliflower production were also identified. Transfer of technology will be effective if and only if the client adopts the technology. For an effective transfer of technology, it is better to go for activities for the welfare of the socioeconomic factors of the farmers.

  5. Emotional attachment and emotional availability tele-intervention for adoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Megan; Biringen, Zeynep; Meyer-Parsons, Beatrice; Schneider, Abby

    2015-01-01

    This study evaluated the new online Emotional Attachment and Emotional Availability (EA2) Intervention for use with adoptive families in enhancing parent-child EA, parental perceptions of EA, child attachment behaviors, parent-child emotional attachment, and reducing parent-reported child behavioral problems and parenting-related stress. Participants in this study were adoptive parents and their adopted children ages 1.5 to 5 years old (N = 15 dyads). Participants were placed in an immediate intervention group (IG) or a delayed intervention group (DG) that would receive the 6-week EA2 Tele-Intervention after the IG. Results revealed significant differences in the IG in child behavioral problems, parent-child EA, parental perceptions of EA, and parent-child emotional attachment, improvements not seen in the DG. Analysis of effects of the DG after receiving the EA2 Tele-Intervention revealed significant differences over time also in most of these qualities. © 2015 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  6. Contact in Adoption and Adoptive Identity Formation: The Mediating Role of Family Conversation

    OpenAIRE

    Korff, Lynn Von; Grotevant, Harold D.

    2011-01-01

    The present study examined adoption-related family conversation as a mediator of the association between adoptive parents’ facilitation of contact with birth relatives and adolescent adoptive identity formation. The sample consisted of 184 adoptive families. Data were collected in two waves from adoptive mothers and fathers, and adoptees (M = 15.68 years at adolescence; M = 24.95 years at emerging adulthood) using semistructured interviews and questionnaires. Structural equation models showed...

  7. Becoming an Adoptive Parent

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McIlvenny, Paul; Raudaskoski, Pirkko Liisa

    Our research approaches transnational adoption as a nexus of local and global practices which are mediated in talk, text and other modalities of discourse. We use mediated discourse analysis combined with virtual ethnography to understand the cross-cultural similarities and differences in transna......Our research approaches transnational adoption as a nexus of local and global practices which are mediated in talk, text and other modalities of discourse. We use mediated discourse analysis combined with virtual ethnography to understand the cross-cultural similarities and differences...... in transnational adoption practice and representation. We present the results of our analysis of how the experiences of adoptive parents are (re)mediated in a Danish television documentary series following five prospective adoptive couples, not all of whom succeed in their 'quest' to adopt from abroad. Furthermore......, we trace how adopters publicly narrate their own experiences and problems with fertility and with adoption, as well as how they construct their personal websites, network with others locally and internationally, orient to other ‘sites’ or sources of information, share advice and create 'public goods...

  8. Adoption of new drugs by physicians: a survival analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garjón Francisco

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background New drugs often substitute others cheaper and with a risk-benefit balance better established. Our aim was to analyse the diffusion of new drugs during the first months of use, examining the differences between family physicians and specialists. Methods Prescription data were obtained of cefditoren, duloxetine, etoricoxib, ezetimibe, levocetirizine, olmesartan, pregabalin and tiotropium 36 months after their launching. We obtained the monthly number of prescriptions per doctor and the number prescribers of each drug by specialty. After discarding those with less than 10 prescriptions during this period, physicians were defined as adopters if the number of prescriptions was over the 25th percentile for each drug and level (primary or secondary care. The diffusion of each drug was studied by determining the number of adopter family physicians throughout the study period. Among the group of adopters, we compared the month of the first prescription by family physicians to that of other specialists using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results The adoption of the drugs in primary care follows an exponential diffusion curve that reaches a plateau at month 6 to 23. Tiotropium was the most rapidly and widely adopted drug. Cefditoren spread at a slower rate and was the least adopted. The diffusion of etoricoxib was initially slowed down due to administrative requirements for its prescription. The median time of adoption in the case of family physicians was 4-6 months. For each of the drugs, physicians of a specialty other than family physicians adopted it first. Conclusions The number of adopters of a new drug increases quickly in the first months and reaches a plateau. The number of adopter family physicians varies considerably for different drugs. The adoption of new drugs is faster in specialists. The time of adoption should be considered to promote rational prescribing by providing timely information about new drugs and independent

  9. Adopted Children and Discipline

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Family Dynamics > Adoption & Foster Care > Adopted Children & Discipline Family Life ... are the reasons for these patterns of parental inaction? Some adoptive parents are afraid their youngster might stop loving ...

  10. Health information technology adoption in U.S. acute care hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ning Jackie; Seblega, Binyam; Wan, Thomas; Unruh, Lynn; Agiro, Abiy; Miao, Li

    2013-04-01

    Previous studies show that the healthcare industry lags behind many other economic sectors in the adoption of information technology. The purpose of this study is to understand differences in structural characteristics between providers that do and that do not adopt Health Information Technology (HIT) applications. Publicly available secondary data were used from three sources: American Hospital Association (AHA) annual survey, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) analytics annual survey, and Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) databases. Fifty-two information technologies were grouped into three clusters: clinical, administrative, and strategic decision making ITs. Negative binomial regression was applied with adoption of technology as the dependent variables and eight organizational and contextual factors as the independent variables. Hospitals adopt a relatively larger proportion of administrative information technology as compared to clinical and strategic IT. Large size, urban location and HMO penetration were found to be the most influential hospital characteristics that positively affect information technology adoption. There are still considerable variations in the adoption of information technology across hospitals and in the type of technology adopted. Organizational factors appear to be more influential than market factors when it comes to information technology adoption. The future research may examine whether the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program in 2011 would increase the information technology uses in hospitals as it provides financial incentives for HER adoptions and uses among providers.

  11. Assessing the level of healthcare information technology adoption in the United States: a snapshot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Middleton Blackford

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Comprehensive knowledge about the level of healthcare information technology (HIT adoption in the United States remains limited. We therefore performed a baseline assessment to address this knowledge gap. Methods We segmented HIT into eight major stakeholder groups and identified major functionalities that should ideally exist for each, focusing on applications most likely to improve patient safety, quality of care and organizational efficiency. We then conducted a multi-site qualitative study in Boston and Denver by interviewing key informants from each stakeholder group. Interview transcripts were analyzed to assess the level of adoption and to document the major barriers to further adoption. Findings for Boston and Denver were then presented to an expert panel, which was then asked to estimate the national level of adoption using the modified Delphi approach. We measured adoption level in Boston and Denver was graded on Rogers' technology adoption curve by co-investigators. National estimates from our expert panel were expressed as percentages. Results Adoption of functionalities with financial benefits far exceeds adoption of those with safety and quality benefits. Despite growing interest to adopt HIT to improve safety and quality, adoption remains limited, especially in the area of ambulatory electronic health records and physician-patient communication. Organizations, particularly physicians' practices, face enormous financial challenges in adopting HIT, and concerns remain about its impact on productivity. Conclusion Adoption of HIT is limited and will likely remain slow unless significant financial resources are made available. Policy changes, such as financial incentivesto clinicians to use HIT or pay-for-performance reimbursement, may help health care providers defray upfront investment costs and initial productivity loss.

  12. Contact Between Adoptive and Birth Families: Perspectives from the Minnesota Texas Adoption Research Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D; McRoy, Ruth G; Wrobel, Gretchen M; Ayers-Lopez, Susan

    2013-09-01

    A growing number of adoptive families have contact with their children's birth relatives. The Minnesota Texas Adoption Research Project is examining longitudinally the consequences of variations in contact arrangements for birth mothers, adoptive parents, and adopted children in domestic infant adoptions, and is studying the dynamics of relationships within these family systems. Individuals who had contact were more satisfied with their arrangements than those who did not have contact. Satisfaction with contact predicted more optimal adjustment among adopted adolescents and emerging adults. Adoption-related communication predicted identity development among adopted adolescents and emerging adults. Birth mothers who were more satisfied with their contact arrangements, regardless of level of contact, had less unresolved grief 12 to 20 years after placement. Adoptive and birth relatives who engage in contact need flexibility, strong interpersonal skills, and commitment to the relationship. These skills can be learned, and they can be supported by others, through informal, psychoeducational, and therapeutic means.

  13. Adoption consideration and concerns among young adult female cancer survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorman, Jessica R; Whitcomb, Brian W; Standridge, Daniel; Malcarne, Vanessa L; Romero, Sally A D; Roberts, Samantha A; Su, H Irene

    2017-02-01

    We compared adoption consideration between female young adult cancer survivors and women of the same age in the general US population, hypothesizing that cancer survivors who desired children would report greater interest in adoption than an age-adjusted general population sample who desired children. After age-standardizing the cancer survivor cohort to match the age distribution of the 2006-2010 National Survey for Family Growth (NSFG), we estimated adoption consideration among women age 18-35 years who wanted a (another) child in the two cohorts overall and within age groups. We assessed characteristics and concerns related to adoption consideration among cancer survivors. Among cancer survivors, 81.6 % (95 % CI 75.7-87.6) reported that they would consider adoption compared to 40.3 % (95 % CI 40.3-40.3) of women in the general population. While over 80 % of the cancer survivor sample reported that they would consider adoption, only 15 % of cancer survivors reported no concerns about adoption. The most common concerns were desire for a biological child (48 %), expense (45 %), adoption agency candidacy (41 %), and needing more information (39 %). We observed a twofold higher interest in adoption when comparing the cancer survivor with the general population, suggesting that adoption is a consideration for many young women who have survived cancer. Adoption is an important family-building option for those who want to have a child but are unable to or choose not to have a biological child. However, young adult survivors may need more support to understand and navigate this process.

  14. Adoption and Assisted Reproduction. Adoption and Ethics, Volume 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freundlich, Madelyn

    The controversies in adoption have extended across a spectrum of policy and practice issues, and although the issues have become clear, resolution has not been achieved nor has consensus developed regarding a framework on which to improve the quality of adoption policy and practice. This book is the fourth in a series to use an ethics-based…

  15. Financial incentives, quality improvement programs, and the adoption of clinical information technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, James C; Casalino, Lawrence P; Gillies, Robin R; Rittenhouse, Diane R; Shortell, Stephen S; Fernandes-Taylor, Sara

    2009-04-01

    Physician use of clinical information technology (CIT) is important for the management of chronic illness, but has lagged behind expectations. We studied the role of health insurers' financial incentives (including pay-for-performance) and quality improvement initiatives in accelerating adoption of CIT in large physician practices. National survey of all medical groups and independent practice association (IPA) physician organizations with 20 or more physicians in the United States in 2006 to 2007. The response rate was 60.3%. Use of 19 CIT capabilities was measured. Multivariate statistical analysis of financial and organizational factors associated with adoption and use of CIT. Use of information technology varied across physician organizations, including electronic access to laboratory test results (medical groups, 49.3%; IPAs, 19.6%), alerts for potential drug interactions (medical groups, 33.9%; IPAs, 9.5%), electronic drug prescribing (medical groups, 41.9%; IPAs, 25.1%), and physician use of e-mail with patients (medical groups, 34.2%; IPAs, 29.1%). Adoption of CIT was stronger for physician organizations evaluated by external entities for pay-for-performance and public reporting purposes (P = 0.042) and for those participating in quality improvement initiatives (P < 0.001). External incentives and participation in quality improvement initiatives are associated with greater use of CIT by large physician practices.

  16. EXPLORING THE FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEES’ ADOPTION AND USE OF INNOVATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majharul Talukder

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the factors affecting innovation adoption by individual employees within an organization in Australia. Following a qualitative research approach, this paper uses a series of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions involving academic and administrative employees at a tertiary educational institution in Australia. The qualitative approach is adopted to have a deeper insight into the complexities and dynamism associated with the factors influencing innovation adoption process in organizational settings. The findings of this research highlight the need for broadening an understanding of the key factors affecting employee’s decisions to uptake the adoption of innovation. The results provide important clues for comprehending the factors influencing and determining the employee’s adoption and continued use of innovation in the work environment. In the face of the current trend towards end-user applications of technological innovation, the results suggest some guidelines for management toward effective and efficient adoption and use of innovation in organizational settings. This paper has highlighted the above findings and their implications for management practices related to innovation management in an Australian organizational setting. This paper also identifies possible limitations and future research potential in the relevant field.

  17. Determinants of Cat Choice and Outcomes for Adult Cats and Kittens Adopted from an Australian Animal Shelter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zito, Sarah; Paterson, Mandy; Vankan, Dianne; Morton, John; Bennett, Pauleen; Phillips, Clive

    2015-04-29

    The percentage of adult cats euthanized in animal shelters is greater than that of kittens because adult cats are less likely to be adopted. This study aimed to provide evidence to inform the design of strategies to encourage adult cat adoptions. One such strategy is to discount adoption prices, but there are concerns that this may result in poor adoption outcomes. We surveyed 382 cat adopters at the time of adoption, to assess potential determinants of adopters' cat age group choice (adult or kitten) and, for adult cat adopters, the price they are willing to pay. The same respondents were surveyed again 6-12 months after the adoption to compare outcomes between cat age groups and between adult cats in two price categories. Most adopters had benevolent motivations for adopting from the shelter and had put considerable thought into the adoption and requirements for responsible ownership. However, adult cat adopters were more likely to have been influenced by price than kitten adopters. Adoption outcomes were generally positive for both adult cats and kittens and for adult cats adopted at low prices. The latter finding alleviates concerns about the outcomes of "low-cost" adoptions in populations, such as the study population, and lends support for the use of "low-cost" adoptions as an option for attempting to increase adoption rates. In addition, the results provide information that can be used to inform future campaigns aimed at increasing the number of adult cat adoptions, particularly in devising marketing strategies for adult cats.

  18. This paper describes farmer's perception towards potential adoption

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ademola

    2013-12-23

    Dec 23, 2013 ... We assessed the perception of farmers towards potential adoption of genetic modification (GM) technology for improving health, food security and agricultural productivity using a semi-structured interview. A total sample of 54 small-scale farmers participated in 6 focus group meetings (FGMs) and.

  19. Effect Of Biofortified Beans Adoption On Socio-Economic Welfare Of Farmers In Eastern Rwanda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nsengiyumva

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Common bean has emerged to be an important staple food as well as cash crop for the majority of farmers in Rwanda. Productivity is a function of the usage of improved inputs like seeds fertilizers combined with farm management practices. Although biofertified beans have been introduced as improved varieties their adoption is disappointing. This study was initiated with the objective to assess the effect of adoption of biofortified beans on social economic welfare of farmers in Nyagatare district Eastern province of Rwanda. Stratified survey was used with 197 households heads selected by multi stage random sampling and cluster sampling. Qualitative and quantitative methods were then used for data collection. Propensity Score Match was performed to determine the effect of adoption on bean yield and income between adopters and non-adopters groups. The results showed that in four agriculture seasons considered 2016 A 2015 B 2015 A and 2014 B Average Total Effect ATE between the yield of adopters and non-adopters were 334.0625 499.3531 185.4956 and 241.575 respectively and were significantly different p 0.05. Application of propensity score matching on income between two groups of farmers overlapped due to backyard farmers. Biofertified beans proved potential for high production and income than local bean varieties.

  20. Korean Adoptee Identity: Adoptive and Ethnic Identity Profiles of Adopted Korean Americans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaupre, Adam J.; Reichwald, Reed; Zhou, Xiang; Raleigh, Elizabeth; Lee, Richard M.

    2015-01-01

    Adopted Korean adolescents face the task of grappling with their identity as Koreans and coming to terms with their adoptive status. In order to explore these dual identities, the authors conducted a person-centered study of the identity profiles of 189 adopted Korean American adolescents. Using cluster analytic procedures, the study examined…

  1. Frequency of adoption of practice management guidelines at trauma centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobrino, Justin; Barnes, Sunni A.; Dahr, Nadine; Kudyakov, Rustam; Berryman, Candice; Nathens, Avery B.; Hemmila, Mark R.; Neal, Melanie

    2013-01-01

    Evidence-based management guidelines have been shown to improve patient outcomes, yet their utilization by trauma centers remains unknown. This study measured adoption of practice management guidelines or protocols by trauma centers. A survey of 228 trauma centers was conducted over 1 year; 55 completed the survey. Centers were classified into three groups: noncompliant, partially compliant, and compliant with adoption of management protocols. Characteristics of compliant centers were compared with those of the other two groups. Most centers were Level I (58%) not-for-profit (67%) teaching hospitals (84%) with a surgical residency (74%). One-third of centers had an accredited fellowship in surgical critical care (37%). Only one center was compliant with all 32 management protocols. Half of the centers were compliant with 14 of 32 protocols studied (range, 4 to 32). Of the 21 trauma center characteristics studied, only two were independently associated with compliant centers: use of physician extenders and daily attending rounds (both P < .0001). Adoption of management guidelines by trauma centers is inconsistent, with wide variations in practices across centers. PMID:23814383

  2. Determinants of Cat Choice and Outcomes for Adult Cats and Kittens Adopted from an Australian Animal Shelter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Zito

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The percentage of adult cats euthanized in animal shelters is greater than that of kittens because adult cats are less likely to be adopted. This study aimed to provide evidence to inform the design of strategies to encourage adult cat adoptions. One such strategy is to discount adoption prices, but there are concerns that this may result in poor adoption outcomes. We surveyed 382 cat adopters at the time of adoption, to assess potential determinants of adopters’ cat age group choice (adult or kitten and, for adult cat adopters, the price they are willing to pay. The same respondents were surveyed again 6–12 months after the adoption to compare outcomes between cat age groups and between adult cats in two price categories. Most adopters had benevolent motivations for adopting from the shelter and had put considerable thought into the adoption and requirements for responsible ownership. However, adult cat adopters were more likely to have been influenced by price than kitten adopters. Adoption outcomes were generally positive for both adult cats and kittens and for adult cats adopted at low prices. The latter finding alleviates concerns about the outcomes of “low-cost” adoptions in populations, such as the study population, and lends support for the use of “low-cost” adoptions as an option for attempting to increase adoption rates. In addition, the results provide information that can be used to inform future campaigns aimed at increasing the number of adult cat adoptions, particularly in devising marketing strategies for adult cats.

  3. The effect of policy incentives on electric vehicle adoption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langbroek, Joram H.M.; Franklin, Joel P.; Susilo, Yusak O.

    2016-01-01

    In order to increase the attractiveness of electric vehicles (EVs), packages of policy incentives are provided in many countries. However, it is still unclear how effective different policy incentives are. Also, it is questionable that they have the same impact on different groups of people. In this study, based on a stated-choice experiment, the effect of several potential policy incentives on EV-adoption, as well as the influence of socio-psychological determinants are investigated, using constructs of the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) and the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). The probability of stated EV-adoption increases if policy incentives are offered in the choice experiment, which is expected because of the decrease of the generalized cost of EV-use. The high stated valuation of free parking or access to bus lanes makes those incentives an efficient alternative to expensive subsidies. EV-adoption probability increases for people that are further in the process of behavioural change. However, the responsiveness to subsidies decreases for people in more advanced stages-of-change. People that believe EVs to be effective in decreasing the negative externalities of the current transport system and people whose travel patterns can cope with the use of EVs also have a higher probability to choose the EV. - Highlights: •Policy incentives have a positive influence on electric vehicle adoption. •Being in advanced stages-of-change to EV-adoption increases likelihood to adopt EVs. •People in more advanced stages-of-change to EV-adoption are less price-sensitive. •People with a high self-efficacy and response efficacy are more likely to adopt EVs.

  4. Effects of the history of adoption in the emotional adjustment of adopted adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reppold, Caroline Tozzi; Hutz, Claudio Simon

    2009-11-01

    Since the decade of 1980, the model of stress and coping proposed for the assessment of vulnerability of adoptive families emphasizes that the emotional adjustment of those adopted is moderated by variables such as institutionalization, the manner and age at which the adoption was revealed, the change of first name, and the contact with the biological family. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of these variables to the perceived parenting style, mood, and self-esteem of the adopted adolescents. Participants in the study were 68 adolescents, between the ages of 14 and 15, adopted during infancy through judicial channels. The adolescents responded to a questionnaire about the history of adoption and to scales of Parenting Styles, Depression and Self-esteem. The main results indicated that the late revelation of adoption and the change of the first name are connected to higher levels of depression and low self-esteem and to more frequent perceptions of negligent or authoritarian parenting style. The contact with the biological family was frequently mentioned among those who perceived their parents as authoritative and presented the best indicator of mood and self-esteem. These findings were discussed in light of the necessity for multidisciplinary actions which can improve the psychological adaptation of the adopting families.

  5. Technical attributes, health attribute, consumer attributes and their roles in adoption intention of healthcare wearable technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Min; Luo, Meifen; Nie, Rui; Zhang, Yan

    2017-12-01

    This paper aims to explore factors influencing the healthcare wearable technology adoption intention from perspectives of technical attributes (perceived convenience, perceived irreplaceability, perceived credibility and perceived usefulness), health attribute (health belief) and consumer attributes (consumer innovativeness, conspicuous consumption, informational reference group influence and gender difference). By integrating technology acceptance model, health belief model, snob effect and conformity and reference group theory, hypotheses and research model are proposed. The empirical investigation (N=436) collects research data through questionnaire. Results show that the adoption intention of healthcare wearable technology is influenced by technical attributes, health attribute and consumer attributes simultaneously. For technical attributes, perceived convenience and perceived credibility both positively affect perceived usefulness, and perceived usefulness influences adoption intention. The relation between perceived irreplaceability and perceived usefulness is only supported by males. For health attribute, health belief affects perceived usefulness for females. For consumer attributes, conspicuous consumption and informational reference group influence can significantly moderate the relation between perceived usefulness and adoption intention and the relation between consumer innovativeness and adoption intention respectively. What's more, consumer innovativeness significantly affects adoption intention for males. This paper aims to discuss technical attributes, health attribute and consumer attributes and their roles in the adoption intention of healthcare wearable technology. Findings may provide enlightenment to differentiate product developing and marketing strategies and provide some implications for clinical medicine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. External determinants for the adoption of stationary fuel cells-Infrastructure and policy issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karger, Cornelia R.; Bongartz, Richard

    2008-01-01

    This paper investigates the relevance of external determinants for the adoption of stationary fuel cells (FCs) by different user groups with respect to the marketability of this innovative technology. FCs allow electricity and heat to be decentrally generated in an energy-efficient and potentially environmentally friendly manner. European energy policy is undertaking efforts to increase the proportion of combined heat and power (CHP) plants. A series of studies have spoken of their considerable market potential. A qualitative study was conducted with six focus groups consisting of 49 commercial users and six focus groups with 54 private consumers. The results of the study show that the specific infrastructure required for decentralisation and policy issues are highly relevant for the user adoption of FCs. Security of supply when energy generation is more strongly decentralised, reliable maintenance of the system, and clear political objectives are examples of factors that are considered essential prerequisites for the adoption of this technology

  7. The International Adoption Project: population-based surveillance of Minnesota parents who adopted children internationally.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hellerstedt, Wendy L; Madsen, Nikki J; Gunnar, Megan R; Grotevant, Harold D; Lee, Richard M; Johnson, Dana E

    2008-03-01

    To conduct the first population-based surveillance in the United States of parents who adopted children from countries outside of the United States. A 556-item survey was mailed to 2,977 parents who finalized an international adoption in Minnesota between January 1990 and December 1998; 1,834 (62%) parents returned a survey. Eighty-eight percent of the parents reported transracial adoptions (97% of the parents were white); 57% of the adopted children were Asian; 60% were female; and on average, the children were 18 months-old at the time of placement. Only 15% of the parents reported household annual incomes less than $50,000 and 71% reported they had college educations. Sixty-one percent traveled to their child's country of birth prior to the adoption. Almost three-quarters involved their children in experiences related to their birth countries and 98% would recommend international adoption. Three-quarters of the parents believe that parental leave was an issue for them as they adopted. This is the first population-based survey of U.S. parents who have adopted internationally. The adoptive parents were socioeconomically different than birth parents in Minnesota and their families are most likely to be transracial. Because international adoption has become more prevalent, it is important to understand the strengths and needs of families that are created through this unique form of migration.

  8. Transmission of infectious diseases from internationally adopted children to their adoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sciauvaud, J; Rigal, E; Pascal, J; Nourrisson, C; Poirier, P; Poirier, V; Vidal, M; Mrozek, N; Laurichesse, H; Beytout, J; Labbe, A; Lesens, O

    2014-08-01

    Internationally adopted children may suffer from different pathologies, including infectious diseases contracted in the country of origin. We evaluated the frequency of infectious diseases that may disseminate from adoptees to adoptive families on their arrival in France. All children who attended the clinic for international adoption in Clermont-Ferrand from January 2009 through to December 2011 were eligible for inclusion in the study. Standardized medical records dedicated to international adoption were retrospectively reviewed for demographic data, clinical diagnosis, and biological and radiological results. Data were completed by phone interviews with adoptive families after informed consent. One hundred and forty-two medical records were retrospectively reviewed and 86% of families agreed to be interviewed. One hundred and seventy-one potentially transmissible infections were diagnosed in 142 children, 12% (n = 20) of which were transmitted to adoptive families. Most of these infections were benign and transmission was restricted to the close family. Tinea was diagnosed in 44 adoptees and transmitted in 15 cases. Panton Valentine leukocidin producing methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) was transmitted to an adoptive father who required hospitalization for bursitis. Transmission also occurred for CMV (n = 1), hepatitis A (n = 1), giardiasis (n = 1), scabies (n = 1), Moluscum (n = 2) and pediculosis (n = 2). Two cases of chronic hepatitis B and latent tuberculosis were diagnosed without subsequent transmission. In conclusion, infectious diseases are common in internationally adopted children and should be detected shortly after arrival to avoid transmission. © 2013 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2013 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

  9. Predictors of race, adoption, and sexual orientation related socialization of adoptive parents of young children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Abbie E; Smith, JuliAnna Z

    2016-04-01

    Using a sample of 125 lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parent couples with young children (M = 6.32 years), this study examined predictors of direct socialization (preparation for adoptism, racism, and heterosexism) and indirect socialization (modeling interactions by responding to outsiders' inquiries about their child's adoptive status, racial background, or family structure). In terms of direct socialization, parents of older children tended to engage in more socialization around adoptism and heterosexism, and parents of daughters tended to engage in more socialization around racism and heterosexism. Greater perceived child interest in adoption was related to more direct socialization around adoptism. Parents of color reported more direct socialization around racism. Having a child of color was related to more direct socialization around heterosexism. Regarding indirect socialization, sexual minority parents reported more socialization around adoption and race. Greater perceived child interest in adoption was related to more indirect adoption socialization. Being more "out" was related to more indirect socialization around parent sexual orientation. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Critical Factors Influencing Decision to Adopt Human Resource Information System (HRIS in Hospitals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md Golam Rabiul Alam

    Full Text Available The aim of this research is to explore factors influencing the management decisions to adopt human resource information system (HRIS in the hospital industry of Bangladesh-an emerging developing country. To understand this issue, this paper integrates two prominent adoption theories-Human-Organization-Technology fit (HOT-fit model and Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE framework. Thirteen factors under four dimensions were investigated to explore their influence on HRIS adoption decisions in hospitals. Employing non-probability sampling method, a total of 550 copies of structured questionnaires were distributed among HR executives of 92 private hospitals in Bangladesh. Among the respondents, usable questionnaires were 383 that suggesting a valid response rate of 69.63%. We classify the sample into 3 core groups based on the HRIS initial implementation, namely adopters, prospectors, and laggards. The obtained results specify 5 most critical factors i.e. IT infrastructure, top management support, IT capabilities of staff, perceived cost, and competitive pressure. Moreover, the most significant dimension is technological dimension followed by organisational, human, and environmental among the proposed 4 dimensions. Lastly, the study found existence of significant differences in all factors across different adopting groups. The study results also expose constructive proposals to researchers, hospitals, and the government to enhance the likelihood of adopting HRIS. The present study has important implications in understanding HRIS implementation in developing countries.

  11. Critical Factors Influencing Decision to Adopt Human Resource Information System (HRIS) in Hospitals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, Md Golam Rabiul; Masum, Abdul Kadar Muhammad; Beh, Loo-See; Hong, Choong Seon

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this research is to explore factors influencing the management decisions to adopt human resource information system (HRIS) in the hospital industry of Bangladesh—an emerging developing country. To understand this issue, this paper integrates two prominent adoption theories—Human-Organization-Technology fit (HOT-fit) model and Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework. Thirteen factors under four dimensions were investigated to explore their influence on HRIS adoption decisions in hospitals. Employing non-probability sampling method, a total of 550 copies of structured questionnaires were distributed among HR executives of 92 private hospitals in Bangladesh. Among the respondents, usable questionnaires were 383 that suggesting a valid response rate of 69.63%. We classify the sample into 3 core groups based on the HRIS initial implementation, namely adopters, prospectors, and laggards. The obtained results specify 5 most critical factors i.e. IT infrastructure, top management support, IT capabilities of staff, perceived cost, and competitive pressure. Moreover, the most significant dimension is technological dimension followed by organisational, human, and environmental among the proposed 4 dimensions. Lastly, the study found existence of significant differences in all factors across different adopting groups. The study results also expose constructive proposals to researchers, hospitals, and the government to enhance the likelihood of adopting HRIS. The present study has important implications in understanding HRIS implementation in developing countries. PMID:27494334

  12. Critical Factors Influencing Decision to Adopt Human Resource Information System (HRIS) in Hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, Md Golam Rabiul; Masum, Abdul Kadar Muhammad; Beh, Loo-See; Hong, Choong Seon

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this research is to explore factors influencing the management decisions to adopt human resource information system (HRIS) in the hospital industry of Bangladesh-an emerging developing country. To understand this issue, this paper integrates two prominent adoption theories-Human-Organization-Technology fit (HOT-fit) model and Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework. Thirteen factors under four dimensions were investigated to explore their influence on HRIS adoption decisions in hospitals. Employing non-probability sampling method, a total of 550 copies of structured questionnaires were distributed among HR executives of 92 private hospitals in Bangladesh. Among the respondents, usable questionnaires were 383 that suggesting a valid response rate of 69.63%. We classify the sample into 3 core groups based on the HRIS initial implementation, namely adopters, prospectors, and laggards. The obtained results specify 5 most critical factors i.e. IT infrastructure, top management support, IT capabilities of staff, perceived cost, and competitive pressure. Moreover, the most significant dimension is technological dimension followed by organisational, human, and environmental among the proposed 4 dimensions. Lastly, the study found existence of significant differences in all factors across different adopting groups. The study results also expose constructive proposals to researchers, hospitals, and the government to enhance the likelihood of adopting HRIS. The present study has important implications in understanding HRIS implementation in developing countries.

  13. A comparison of adoptive parents' perceptions of their child's behavior among Indian children adopted to Norway, the United States, and within country: implications for adoption policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Suzanne; Groza, Victor

    2013-01-01

    The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children suggests that intercountry adoption be considered as a permanent care option only after other solutions within the child's country of origin have been exhausted. Data from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were examined for 478 Indian children ages 4-18 adopted domestically, adopted to Norway, and adopted to the United States. The CBCL has a reported reliability of .9 (Achenbach, 1991; Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983) and contains five subscales assessing internalizing problems plus a summative Internalizing Scale, and three subscales assessing externalizing problems plus a summative Externalizing Scale. Perceptions of Norwegian, American, and Indian adoptive parents regarding their child's functioning were compared. Children adopted to Norway and the United States were perceived by their parents to be functioning significantly better behaviorally than children adopted within country, while controlling for age of child and gender of adoptive parent completing the CBCL. Policymakers should examine the evidence prioritizing within country adoption over intercountry adoption.

  14. Beyond preadoptive risk: The impact of adoptive family environment on adopted youth's psychosocial adjustment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Juye; Brooks, Devon; Barth, Richard P; Kim, Hansung

    2010-07-01

    Adopted children often are exposed to preadoptive stressors--such as prenatal substance exposure, child maltreatment, and out-of-home placements--that increase their risks for psychosocial maladjustment. Psychosocial adjustment of adopted children emerges as the product of pre- and postadoptive factors. This study builds on previous research, which fails to simultaneously assess the influences of pre- and postadoptive factors, by examining the impact of adoptive family sense of coherence on adoptee's psychosocial adjustment beyond the effects of preadoptive risks. Using a sample of adoptive families (n = 385) taking part in the California Long Range Adoption Study, structural equation modeling analyses were performed. Results indicate a significant impact of family sense of coherence on adoptees' psychosocial adjustment and a considerably less significant role of preadoptive risks. The findings suggest the importance of assessing adoptive family's ability to respond to stress and of helping families to build and maintain their capacity to cope with stress despite the sometimes fractious pressures of adoption.

  15. A Study of Consumer Innovativeness and Motivations behind Adoption of Innovation

    OpenAIRE

    Rashid Saeed; Hashim Zameer; Idrees Awan; Imdad Ullah

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to study consumer innovativeness and to explore various consumer motivations behind adoption of innovation. Consumers may have different motivations behind adoption of an innovation. Most of the researchers researched different categories of consumer needs which are categorized into three or four main groups: (1) functional needs, the motivations to get functional benefits from the new product and to create more utility, (2) hedonic needs, the motivations to hav...

  16. The Moderating Roles of Relationship Quality and Dependency in Retailers’ New Product Adoption Decisions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Y.M. van Everdingen (Yvonne); L.M. Sloot (Laurens); P.C. Verhoef (Peter)

    2008-01-01

    textabstractThis study contributes to the retail adoption literature by explicitly focusing on the role of both profit-related and relationship variables in explaining new product adoption decisions by retailers, instead of considering either one of these groups of variables in isolation as has been

  17. Bridging the divide: openness in adoption and postadoption psychosocial adjustment among birth and adoptive parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Xiaojia; Natsuaki, Misaki N; Martin, David M; Leve, Leslie D; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Shaw, Daniel S; Villareal, Georgette; Scaramella, Laura; Reid, John B; Reiss, David

    2008-08-01

    Using 323 matched parties of birth mothers and adoptive parents, this study examined the association between the degree of adoption openness (e.g., contact and knowledge between parties) and birth and adoptive parents' postadoption adjustment shortly after the adoption placement (6 to 9 months). Data from birth fathers (N = 112), an understudied sample, were also explored. Openness was assessed by multiple informants. Results indicated that openness was significantly related to satisfaction with adoption process among adoptive parents and birth mothers. Increased openness was positively associated with birth mothers' postplacement adjustment, as indexed by birth mothers' self-reports and the interviewers' impression of birth mothers' adjustment. Birth fathers' report of openness was associated with their greater satisfaction with the adoption process and better postadoption adjustment.

  18. Profits or preferences? Assessing the adoption of residential solar thermal technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mills, Bradford F.; Schleich, Joachim

    2009-01-01

    Solar thermal technologies offer the potential to meet a substantial share of residential water and space heating needs in the EU, but current levels of adoption are low. This paper uses data from a large sample of German households to assess the effects of geographic, residence, and household characteristics on the adoption of solar thermal water and space heating technologies. In addition, the impact of solar thermal technology adoption on household energy expenditures is estimated after controlling for observed household heterogeneity in geographic, residential, and household characteristics. While evidence is found of moderate household energy expenditure savings from combined solar water and space heating systems, the findings generally confirm that low in-home energy cost savings and fixed housing stocks limit the diffusion of residential solar thermal technologies. Little evidence is found of differential adoption by distinct socio-economic groups.

  19. Inheritance and legal status of an adoptee and adopter in the example of Vranje

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Crnobrnja-Đorđević Jadranka

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Inheritance and legal status of an adoptee and adopter is frequently identical to the relationship that exists between parents and their biological children. In this sense, it is especially interesting to inquire the inheritance rights of adoptee towards his/hers biological parents and kindred, and on the other hand, adopters and civic kin. From an ethnological standpoint, an adoption is interesting, among other things, because it addresses questions between blood/kin and civic relatedness, expressed fully in inheritance rights. The inheritance law, in practice since 2005 recognizes two types of adoption - total and partial. From an ethnological/anthropological standpoint, the following facts, found at the course of my fieldwork, are indicative- a married couple adopts a male child, usually from the closest husband's blood relatives (an uncle adopts a niece. Female children are rarely adopted, that is, only in cases when the closest blood relatives (through male and female lines have no male descendants. An adoptee inherits an entire family holding property of an adopter. An analysis of the inheritance rights of an adoptee and adopter allows an insight into the understanding of blood relatedness which exists in a consciousness of individuals. It turned out that being childless in a patriarchal social environment, such as Vranje, represents a crisis situation for couples, individuals but also for the whole patrilineal group of relatives. By adoption of a male relative belonging to an agnatic affiliation, the question of inheritance is solved, but also a problem of social and material reproduction of a patrilineal group and continuity of agnatic identity. This, of course, does not mean that an adoption of unrelated male child, especially in a case of total adoption, the same would not be possible. But it appears that the answer is in the fact that in the case of an adoption of unrelated child, there is a weakening of substantial sameness. In the

  20. The experience of adoptive parents in adoption reunion relationships: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petta, Gabrielle A; Steed, Lyndall G

    2005-04-01

    The issues experienced by adoptive parents when faced with an adult child's searching or reunion relationship with his or her birth family, how adoptive parents place themselves within this process, and the factors that influence their experience at this time were explored in a qualitative study of 21 adoptive parents. Themes derived from semistructured interviews are discussed, and implications for clinical practice and future research are suggested. Copyright (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

  1. Effects of health information exchange adoption on ambulatory testing rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Stephen E; Radcliff, Tiffany A; Leblanc, William G; Dickinson, L Miriam; Libby, Anne M; Nease, Donald E

    2013-01-01

    To determine the effects of the adoption of ambulatory electronic health information exchange (HIE) on rates of laboratory and radiology testing and allowable charges. Claims data from the dominant health plan in Mesa County, Colorado, from 1 April 2005 to 31 December 2010 were matched to HIE adoption data on the provider level. Using mixed effects regression models with the quarter as the unit of analysis, the effect of HIE adoption on testing rates and associated charges was assessed. Claims submitted by 306 providers in 69 practices for 34 818 patients were analyzed. The rate of testing per provider was expressed as tests per 1000 patients per quarter. For primary care providers, the rate of laboratory testing increased over the time span (baseline 1041 tests/1000 patients/quarter, increasing by 13.9 each quarter) and shifted downward with HIE adoption (downward shift of 83, prates or imputed charges in either provider group. Ambulatory HIE adoption is unlikely to produce significant direct savings through reductions in rates of testing. The economic benefits of HIE may reside instead in other downstream outcomes of better informed, higher quality care.

  2. Motivations for enterprise system adoption in transition economies: insights from Poland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soja, Piotr; Weistroffer, Heinz Roland

    2016-06-01

    Enterprise system (ES) adoption can bring many benefits, but may also put tremendous strain on an organisation or business, sometimes with disastrous outcomes. The specific motivations and expectations that lead to ES adoption may impact the success or failure of these endeavours, and understanding these motivations may be useful in predicting the success of ES projects. Most of the published research on ES adoption motivation has been in the context of highly developed countries. The social, cultural, economic and political conditions in developing, emerging and transition economies make for a different business environment, and insights obtained from developed countries may not always transfer to these settings. This study seeks to identify and help understand the motivations for ES adoption specifically in transition economies, as these economies play a significant role in the global market, but have not been receiving adequate research attention. Drawing on the experience of 129 ES adopters in Poland, a transition economy, this study categorises motivations into coherent groups of issues and evaluates the influence of discovered motivations on ES adoption success. Further, motivations revealed by this study are compared with motivations reported by prior research conducted in developed countries.

  3. Language development of internationally adopted children: Adverse early experiences outweigh the age of acquisition effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakhlin, Natalia; Hein, Sascha; Doyle, Niamh; Hart, Lesley; Macomber, Donna; Ruchkin, Vladislav; Tan, Mei; Grigorenko, Elena L

    2015-01-01

    We compared English language and cognitive skills between internationally adopted children (IA; mean age at adoption=2.24, SD=1.8) and their non-adopted peers from the US reared in biological families (BF) at two time points. We also examined the relationships between outcome measures and age at initial institutionalization, length of institutionalization, and age at adoption. On measures of general language, early literacy, and non-verbal IQ, the IA group performed significantly below their age-peers reared in biological families at both time points, but the group differences disappeared on receptive vocabulary and kindergarten concept knowledge at the second time point. Furthermore, the majority of children reached normative age expectations between 1 and 2 years post-adoption on all standardized measures. Although the age at adoption, age of institutionalization, length of institutionalization, and time in the adoptive family all demonstrated significant correlations with one or more outcome measures, the negative relationship between length of institutionalization and child outcomes remained most robust after controlling for the other variables. Results point to much flexibility and resilience in children's capacity for language acquisition as well as the potential primacy of length of institutionalization in explaining individual variation in IA children's outcomes. (1) Readers will be able to understand the importance of pre-adoption environment on language and early literacy development in internationally adopted children. (2) Readers will be able to compare the strength of the association between the length of institutionalization and language outcomes with the strength of the association between the latter and the age at adoption. (3) Readers will be able to understand that internationally adopted children are able to reach age expectations on expressive and receptive language measures despite adverse early experiences and a replacement of their first

  4. Project JOINTS: what factors affect bundle adoption in a voluntary quality improvement campaign?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khodyakov, Dmitry; Ridgely, M Susan; Huang, Christina; DeBartolo, Katherine O; Sorbero, Melony E; Schneider, Eric C

    2015-01-01

    Diffusion and adoption of effective evidence-based clinical practices can be slow, especially if complex changes are required to implement new practices. To examine how hospital adherence to quality improvement (QI) methods and hospital engagement with a large-scale QI campaign could facilitate the adoption of an enhanced prevention bundle designed to reduce surgical site infection (SSI) rates after orthopaedic surgery (hip and knee arthroplasty). We conducted telephone interviews with hospital QI leaders from 73 of the 109 hospitals (67% response rate) in five states that participated in Project JOINTS (Joining Organizations IN Tackling SSIs), a QI campaign run by Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Using QI methods grounded in the IHI Model for Improvement, this campaign encouraged hospitals to implement an enhanced SSI prevention bundle. Hospital QI leaders reported on their hospital's adherence to the Project JOINTS QI methods; their level of engagement with Project JOINTS activities; and adoption of the SSI prevention bundle components. Interview data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Both adherence to the QI methods and hospital engagement were positively associated with complete bundle adoption. Hospital engagement, especially the use of project materials and tools, was also positively associated with the initiation of and improved adherence to individual bundle components. Our findings suggest that greater adherence to the QI methods and active hospital engagement in a QI campaign facilitate adoption of evidence-based patient safety bundles in orthopaedic practice. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  5. Comparative morality judgments about lesbians and gay men teaching and adopting children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirby, Brenda J; Michaelson, Christina

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare morality judgments of American Catholics and the general public about lesbians and gay men adopting and teaching children. The general sample endorsed higher agreement that lesbians and gay men should be allowed to adopt and to teach children compared to the Catholic only sample. Older participants were less accepting than all other age groups, and there was an interaction effect between education and political ideology such that those with less education and with more politically conservative beliefs were generally less accepting of lesbians and gay men adopting and teaching children.

  6. 33 CFR 230.21 - Adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.21 Adoption. See 40 CFR 1506.3. A district commander will normally adopt... recirculated as provided in 40 CFR 1506.3 (b) or (c), the adopted EIS with the supplement, if any, will be processed in accordance with this regulation. A district commander may also adopt another agency's EA/FONSI. ...

  7. Risk and opportunities connected to the adoption of internet banking in an emerging market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mavetera Nehemiah

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This research investigate the adoption of Internet banking among Gaborone`s working class and university students. Internet banking comes with convenience and lower costs, which encourage customers to adopt it. Hindering factors to Internet banking adoption include lack of trust and awareness. The study is based on a quantitative research approach. The results suggest that Internet banking adoption is almost the same between the working class and university students. The main factors that support Internet banking adoption are perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and compatibility. The study findings are consistent with previous studies done in other countries, which show same factors that promote and hinder internet banking adoption. The study therefore contributes to our understanding about factors that promote and hinder internet banking by customers. Furthermore studies may focus on the rate of internet adoption among age groups, income and social status

  8. The adoption of domestic solar-power systems: Do consumers assess product attributes in a stepwise process?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faiers, Adam; Neame, Charles; Cook, Matt

    2007-01-01

    The adoption of an innovation is partly dependent on the consumers' perception of the product attributes, starting with the 'relative advantage' a product may have over another existing product, and also include issues of compatibility, complexity, observability and trialability. Using diffusion of innovations theory as a conceptual framework, this paper describes a case study that investigated the innovation adoption process that a group of identified potential adopters of domestic solar thermal systems stated they would follow. Data was generated from the results of a postal survey to a group of 43 defined innovators and a group of 350 assumed 'early majority', pragmatic consumers. The survey results showed that while the pragmatic customers did follow the process as theorised in diffusion theory, the innovators disregarded the observability attributes of the innovation and went ahead with implementation without having seen the products beforehand. The group of innovators was also split in their opinion that 'complexity' may be a limiting factor. There were differences in the pragmatic group between certain demographic sub groups. Conclusions are drawn on how the findings may impact marketing activities

  9. Foreign Adoption in Ireland: A Case Study of the Irish-American Adoptions, 1947–1952

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O'Keeffe, Brian

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The Irish-American adoptions were a revolutionary way of dealing with Ireland’s ‘problem of the illegitimate child’. Ireland had long been promoted as a Catholic, and thus, a morally pure country. Having a child out of wedlock often resulted in the mother and child being shunned by their family and community and having little choice but to seek the help of church-run institutions. These institutions began facilitating illegal extraterritorial adoptions in 1947 to relieve the mounting pressures as those seeking their help continued to grow annually. These adoptions were heavily concerned with protecting the religious faith of the child, and this often took prominence over the quality of home. The adoptions were facilitated exclusively by these church-run institutions, allowing for complete control over the selection of prospective parents. The standards of these adoptions fell well below what was expected on the U.S. domestic scale, with no visits to the homes of prospective parents occurring, and crucially, there was no way to facilitate the reversal of an adoption. During the early life of the Irish-American adoptions, the Department of External Affairs had little involvement, only issuing passports for children that had been adopted. This changed however in 1951, as the ‘Jane Russell Case’ attracted front page media attention. The Russell case highlighted the lackadaisical approach of many of those within the Department to the exporting of some of Ireland’s youngest citizens. Undue publicity continued in the early 1950s, notably with the German newspaper, 8 Uhr Blatt. It is this media attention that forced the Department to finally address the glaring issues that severely hindered the success of the Irish-American adoptions. The Department was powerless to do anything once the child had been passed into the care of the adoptive parents. The Adoption Act 1952, marked a major turning point in the care of illegitimate children in

  10. Stakeholder analysis for adopting a personal health record standard in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Min-Jeoung; Jung, Chai Young; Kim, Soyoun; Boo, Yookyung; Lee, Yuri; Kim, Sundo

    Interest in health information exchanges (HIEs) is increasing. Several countries have adopted core health data standards with appropriate strategies. This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of a continuity of care record (CCR) as the standard for an electronic version of the official transfer note and the HIE in Korean healthcare. A technical review of the CCR standard and analysis of stakeholders' views were undertaken. Transfer notes were reviewed and matched with CCR standard categories. The standard for the Korean coding system was selected. Stakeholder analysis included an online survey of members of the Korean Society of Medical Informatics, a public hearing to derive opinions of consumers, doctors, vendors, academic societies and policy makers about the policy process, and a focus group meeting with EMR vendors to determine which HIE objects were technically applicable. Data objects in the official transfer note form matched CCR standards. Korean Classification of Diseases, Korean Standard Terminology of Medicine, Electronic Data Interchange code (EDI code), Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes, and Korean drug codes (KD code) were recommended as the Korean coding standard.'Social history', 'payers', and 'encounters' were mostly marked as optional or unnecessary sections, and 'allergies', 'alerts', 'medication list', 'problems/diagnoses', 'results',and 'procedures' as mandatory. Unlike the US, 'social history' was considered optional and 'advance directives' mandatory.At the public hearing there was some objection from the Korean Medical Association to the HIE on legal grounds in termsof intellectual property and patients' personal information. Other groups showed positive or neutral responses. Focus group members divided CCR data objects into three phases based onpredicted adoption time in CCR: (i) immediate adoption; (ii) short-term adoption ('alerts', 'family history'); and (iii) long-term adoption ('results', 'advanced directives

  11. Cost effectiveness of adopted quality requirements in hospital laboratories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamza, Alneil; Ahmed-Abakur, Eltayib; Abugroun, Elsir; Bakhit, Siham; Holi, Mohamed

    2013-01-01

    The present study was designed in quasi-experiment to assess adoption of the essential clauses of particular clinical laboratory quality management requirements based on international organization for standardization (ISO 15189) in hospital laboratories and to evaluate the cost effectiveness of compliance to ISO 15189. The quality management intervention based on ISO 15189 was conceded through three phases; pre - intervention phase, Intervention phase and Post-intervention phase. In pre-intervention phase the compliance to ISO 15189 was 49% for study group vs. 47% for control group with P value 0.48, while the post intervention results displayed 54% vs. 79% for study group and control group respectively in compliance to ISO 15189 and statistically significant difference (P value 0.00) with effect size (Cohen's d) of (0.00) in pre-intervention phase and (0.99) in post - intervention phase. The annual average cost per-test for the study group and control group was 1.80 ± 0.25 vs. 1.97 ± 0.39, respectively with P value 0.39 whereas the post-intervention results showed that the annual average total costs per-test for study group and control group was 1.57 ± 0.23 vs 2.08 ± 0.38, P value 0.019 respectively, with cost-effectiveness ratio of (0.88) in pre -intervention phase and (0.52) in post-intervention phase. The planned adoption of quality management requirements (QMS) in clinical laboratories had great effect to increase the compliance percent with quality management system requirement, raise the average total cost effectiveness, and improve the analytical process capability of the testing procedure.

  12. Internationally adopted children with cleft lip and/or palate: A retrospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werker, C L; de Wilde, H; Mink van der Molen, A B; Breugem, C C

    2017-12-01

    The treatment approach for internationally adopted children with cleft lip and/or palate differs from locally born children with cleft lip and/or palate. They are older at initial presentation, may have had treatment abroad of different quality, and are establishing new and still fragile relationships with their adoptive parents. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and initial care and treatment of this group. A retrospective cohort study was performed including all internationally adopted children with cleft lip and/or palate presenting to the cleft team outpatient clinic in the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital between January 1994 and December 2014. Medical records of all patients were reviewed; information concerning demographic characteristics, characteristics at initial presentation, and treatment were obtained. A total number of 132 adopted patients were included: 15% had cleft lip, 7% had cleft palate, and 78% had cleft lip and palate. The average age at the time of adoption was 26.5 months. In most cases, China was the country of origin. Seventy-eight percent had surgery in their country of origin, primarily lip repair. Fistulae in need of revision surgery were found in 8% of the patients. Pharyngoplasty was needed in 48% of the patients. No significant differences were found for mean age at adoption, gender, cleft type, and one- or two-stage palatal closure. Internationally adopted children with cleft lip and/or palate are a very diverse group of patients with challenging treatment. These children undergo surgery late and frequently need additional surgery. Copyright © 2017 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Confirmatory evidence for a multidimensional model of racial-ethnic socialization for transracially adoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langrehr, Kimberly J; Thomas, Anita Jones; Morgan, Sydney K

    2016-07-01

    The purpose of the current study is to test a recently established model of racial-ethnic socialization (Langrehr, 2014) among 2 samples of White transracially adoptive parents and to assess whether the proposed model functions similarly after accounting for adopted child race. Based on a modified version of the Racial Bias Preparation Scale (Fisher, Wallace, & Fenton, 2000), confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the 3-factor model (i.e., Prejudice Awareness, Racial-Ethnic Pride, and Egalitarianism) among 172 White transracially adoptive parents with Asian children (Mage = 45.72) and 140 White transracially adoptive parents with Black children (Mage = 42.62). In addition, multigroup invariance testing was used to assess whether the proposed model functioned similarly across the 2 groups of parents. Results indicate that the proposed 3-factor model demonstrated partial measurement invariance such that the subconstruct of Egalitarianism functioned similarly across groups, whereas Racial-Ethnic Pride and Prejudice Awareness were deemed noninvariant. Findings are intended to help expand the concept of racial-ethnic socialization for transracially adoptive families and address the degree to which current research on racial-ethnic socialization can be applied to different transracially adoptive families. Results are intended to highlight ways that various social-cultural dimensions of family can culminate into different socialization experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. Smart Grid Adoption Likeliness Framework: Comparing Idaho and National Residential Consumers' Perceptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baiya, Evanson G.

    New energy technologies that provide real-time visibility of the electricity grid's performance, along with the ability to address unusual events in the grid and allow consumers to manage their energy use, are being developed in the United States. Primary drivers for the new technologies include the growing energy demand, tightening environmental regulations, aging electricity infrastructure, and rising consumer demand to become more involved in managing individual energy usage. In the literature and in practice, it is unclear if, and to what extent, residential consumers will adopt smart grid technologies. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationships between demographic characteristics, perceptions, and the likelihood of adopting smart grid technologies among residential energy consumers. The results of a 31-item survey were analyzed for differences within the Idaho consumers and compared against national consumers. Analysis of variance was used to examine possible differences between the dependent variable of likeliness to adopt smart grid technologies and the independent variables of age, gender, residential ownership, and residential location. No differences were found among Idaho consumers in their likeliness to adopt smart grid technologies. An independent sample t-test was used to examine possible differences between the two groups of Idaho consumers and national consumers in their level of interest in receiving detailed feedback information on energy usage, the added convenience of the smart grid, renewable energy, the willingness to pay for infrastructure costs, and the likeliness to adopt smart grid technologies. The level of interest in receiving detailed feedback information on energy usage was significantly different between the two groups (t = 3.11, p = .0023), while the other variables were similar. The study contributes to technology adoption research regarding specific consumer perceptions and provides a framework that

  15. Openness in Adoption: Exploring Family Connections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D.; McRoy, Ruth G.

    Noting social and demographic changes provoking a trend toward openness in adoption practice, this book presents the findings from a nationwide study examining the impact of variations in openness in adoption on participants in the adoptive kinship network: adopted children, adoptive parents, and the children's birth parents. The first chapter of…

  16. Characterization of Early and Late Adopters of ATM Card in Indian Banking Industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamalpreet Kaur

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The present study deals with affect of adoption pattern of the ATMs by banks on its characteristics. With the exploration of various characteristics of the banks like Size, Profi tability, Efficiency, Cost of Operations, Asset quality and Credit risk, Financing Pattern, Diversifi cation and Age etc.; the study has tried to differentiate between the early and late adopter category of the banks regarding ATM cards. The banks have been categorized into early and late adopters on the basis of their adoption period. For this purpose, 50 scheduled commercial banks consisting of 27 Public Sector Banks and 23 Private Sector Banks have been taken as sample to investigate the various aspects of and early adopter banks in comparison to late adopter banks. The time period of the study is 20 years i.e. from 1991 to 2010. It can be concluded that the initiators and fi rst movers take advantage over the late adopters and laggards. They have found to perform better in terms of various parameters. Overall, the early adopter banks are larger in size, more diversifi ed, having lesser branches, more market share and wide ATM network as compared to late adopter ones. Thus, the empirical results evidently reveal that the both the groups have their own different characteristics.

  17. Juridical aspects of post mortem adoption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Rodrigo Martinez

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The legislature, with the enactment of the Statute of Children and Adolescents, now provides the named posthumous adoption, allowing the death of the adopter, in the course of the procedure does not generate the extinction pleaded adoption. Has the purpose to show that, notwithstanding the absence of such law, the construction of new adopters and adopted by families are recognized, since permeated the socially demonstrated affection, even in passing the death of the person occurs before you have to start legal formalization of the adoption petition, thus characterizing the figure of posthumous adoption without prior judicial manifestation.

  18. Adoption of nuclear power generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sommers, P.

    1980-01-01

    This article develops a model of the innovation-adoption decision. The model allows the economic situation of a utility and its perception of uncertainty associated with an innovation to affect the probability of adopting it. This model is useful when uncertainties affecting decisions about adoption persist throughout the diffusion process, thereby making the usual adoption model implicit in rate-of-diffusion studies inappropriate. An empirical test of the model finds that firm size, power pool size, and selected aspects of uncertainty about the innovation are significant predictors of US utility companies' decisions on whether or not to adopt nuclear power generation. 17 references, 2 tables

  19. Key Points to Facilitate the Adoption of Computer-Based Assessments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burr, S A; Chatterjee, A; Gibson, S; Coombes, L; Wilkinson, S

    2016-01-01

    There are strong pedagogical arguments in favor of adopting computer-based assessment. The risks of technical failure can be managed and are offset by improvements in cost-effectiveness and quality assurance capability. Academic, administrative, and technical leads at an appropriately senior level within an institution need to be identified, so that they can act as effective advocates. All stakeholder groups need to be represented in undertaking a detailed appraisal of requirements and shortlisting software based on core functionality, summative assessment life cycle needs, external compatibility, security, and usability. Any software that is a candidate for adoption should be trialed under simulated summative conditions, with all stakeholders having a voice in agreeing the optimum solution. Transfer to a new system should be carefully planned and communicated, with a programme of training established to maximize the success of adoption.

  20. Key Points to Facilitate the Adoption of Computer-Based Assessments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.A. Burr

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available There are strong pedagogical arguments in favor of adopting computer-based assessment. The risks of technical failure can be managed and are offset by improvements in cost-effectiveness and quality assurance capability. Academic, administrative, and technical leads at an appropriately senior level within an institution need to be identified, so that they can act as effective advocates. All stakeholder groups need to be represented in undertaking a detailed appraisal of requirements and shortlisting software based on core functionality, summative assessment life cycle needs, external compatibility, security, and usability. Any software that is a candidate for adoption should be trialed under simulated summative conditions, with all stakeholders having a voice in agreeing the optimum solution. Transfer to a new system should be carefully planned and communicated, with a programme of training established to maximize the success of adoption.

  1. Cheating experience: Guiding novices to adopt the gaze strategies of experts expedites the learning of technical laparoscopic skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vine, Samuel J; Masters, Rich S W; McGrath, John S; Bright, Elizabeth; Wilson, Mark R

    2012-07-01

    Previous research has demonstrated that trainees can be taught (via explicit verbal instruction) to adopt the gaze strategies of expert laparoscopic surgeons. The current study examined a software template designed to guide trainees to adopt expert gaze control strategies passively, without being provided with explicit instructions. We examined 27 novices (who had no laparoscopic training) performing 50 learning trials of a laparoscopic training task in either a discovery-learning (DL) group or a gaze-training (GT) group while wearing an eye tracker to assess gaze control. The GT group performed trials using a surgery-training template (STT); software that is designed to guide expert-like gaze strategies by highlighting the key locations on the monitor screen. The DL group had a normal, unrestricted view of the scene on the monitor screen. Both groups then took part in a nondelayed retention test (to assess learning) and a stress test (under social evaluative threat) with a normal view of the scene. The STT was successful in guiding the GT group to adopt an expert-like gaze strategy (displaying more target-locking fixations). Adopting expert gaze strategies led to an improvement in performance for the GT group, which outperformed the DL group in both retention and stress tests (faster completion time and fewer errors). The STT is a practical and cost-effective training interface that automatically promotes an optimal gaze strategy. Trainees who are trained to adopt the efficient target-locking gaze strategy of experts gain a performance advantage over trainees left to discover their own strategies for task completion. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Adoption Applicants Screening: Characteristics and Challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    رضا رزاقی

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Recently an increasing interest in studying and exploring the Iranian adoptive families has been evolved. Nevertheless, there are still frequent unknown factors about adoption in Iran. This study proceed to survey on characteristics of adoptive applicants due to programming and interventional needs in adoption counselling area. In this study, the descriptive survey method has been used and it involved all clients who referred to adoption counseling from March 2014 to March 2016. The clients were 411 adoptive applicants who ate-nded in semi-structured interview. Among the clients, 78% of them aimed at the adoption institutionally and 22% have followed the process illegally. Nearly half of the marriage life of infertile couples were spent to seek for infertility services. The findings indicated that nearly 27 percent of applicants are ready for adoption and other applicants require more preparation or canceling adoption process. Adoptive applicant screening process is critical and sensitive and consulting services facilitate this process; but the important point is the use of standard instrument and check-lists according to local and cultural conditions.

  3. Non-financial reporting, CSR frameworks and groups of undertakings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Szabó, Dániel Gergely; Sørensen, Karsten Engsig

    2017-01-01

    The recently adopted Directive on non-financial reporting (Directive 2014/95/EU) and several CSR frameworks are based on the assumption that groups of undertakings adopt, report and implement one group policy. This is a very important but also rather unique approach to groups. This article first...... shows how the Directive as well as a few CSR frameworks intend to be implemented in groups and next it discusses potential barriers to do so. Even though company law does not always facilitate the adoption, communication and implementation of a group CSR policy, it may not in practice be a problem to do...... so. However, it is shown that doing so may have unforeseen consequences for the parent undertaking. To avoid them, it is recommended to make adjustments to the implementation of the group policy....

  4. To adopt or not to adopt? The RFID adoption consideration by entrepreneurs in a purchasing cooperative in Dutch book retailing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Sijde, P.C.; van Reekum, R.; Jeurissen, W; Rosendaal, B.W.

    2015-01-01

    Our focus is on the agenda-setting of a purchasing cooperative aiming to have their members consider the adoption of a new logistics information system based on RFID. Adding "technology trust", we used the UTAUT model to determine the adoption intention of associated book retailers. Using structural

  5. THE ADOPTION STAGES OF MOBILE NAVIGATION TECHNOLOGY WAZE APP AS JAKARTA TRAFFIC JAM SOLUTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    NONI NOERKAISAR

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This study analyzes the adoption stages of Waze mobile navigation by using a hierarchy of effects models AIDA. Data were obtained through the survey method by means of direct interview using questionnaire instrument assistance. The results showed that there were two groups, one who have already used the Waze application and the other who have not yet used Waze application. The two groups were analyzed to see a series of Waze application adoption process. It can be seen that each stage in the adoption process affects each other. The interest of respondents to the Waze app is affected by the strengthening of awareness regarding the benefits offered by mobile navigation app Waze. The high interest of resondents continues to stage where the respondents are interested in using Waze application. At the final stage it is known that the majority of respondents who were exposed to information on uses and functions of the application Waze are willing to immediately adopt the Waze app as a mobile navigation application while driving

  6. 40 CFR 1506.3 - Adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...) An agency may adopt a Federal draft or final environmental impact statement or portion thereof... are substantially the same, the agency adopting another agency's statement is not required to recirculate it except as a final statement. Otherwise the adopting agency shall treat the statement as a draft...

  7. Developing a strategy to speed up large-scale adoption of compressed-natural-gas-driven (CNG) cars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Egmond, Cees; Houtman, Simone; Jonkers, R.; Gelissen, R. [SenterNovem (Netherlands)

    2007-07-01

    Large-scale adoption of environmentally friendly, clean, silent and CO{sub 2}-neutral technological innovations into the market is necessary to reduce the human causes of the greenhouse effect and global warming. In theory, an innovation diffuses smoothly into the market following an S-shaped curve when the number of adopters is plotted against time. In practice, diffusion of innovation does not move smoothly from left to right on the S-shaped curve. Fundamental differences in the adoption characteristics between the visionary early adopters and the pragmatic mainstream cause diffusion to stop before reaching the mainstream market segment. This 'chasm' in the diffusion process is not the result of bad technology or bad products, but rather the result of 'incomplete' products that do not meet the needs of the pragmatic mainstream. In this paper, we report on a case study, conducted in the Netherlands, aimed at speeding up the adoption of the CNG car. This study contains an analysis of the market segments within a target group of local fleet owners. We used survey data covering about 200 local fleet owners. Through structured interviews and a questionnaire, we identified a niche group of the mainstream that would be most likely to adopt the CNG car. This niche is the group to target in a marketing strategy aimed at crossing the chasm. A focus-group discussion held with members of the niche identified the conditions under which the niche actors would consider buying CNG cars. Based on the results of this focus group and the niche market analysis, we concluded that the marketing of the CNG car is still in its beginning phase and has to focus on the early market. Following our recommendations, car dealers and the municipality of Leeuwarden are now developing a plan for marketing the CNG car. The marketing will focus on the early market as the first step into the mainstream.

  8. Banking on the equator. Are banks that adopted the equator principles different from non-adopters?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scholtens, B.; Dam, L.

    We analyze the performance of banks that adopted the Equator Principles. The Equator Principles are designed to assure sustainable development in project finance. The social, ethical, and environmental policies of the adopters differ significantly from those of banks that did not adopt the Equator

  9. Impact of Euro Adoption on Emerging European Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irena Vodenska

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We study the impact of the euro on emerging European countriesby investigating three country groups: (1 seventeen Eurozonecountries, (2 seven EU Eastern and Central European (ECEmembers using local currencies, and (3 six EU Candidates. Weanalyze macroeconomic indicators and propose models to investigatewhether similar or different indicators influence sovereigndebt for each group. We find that exports and unemployment arepositively related to sovereign debt while market capitalizationshows negative relation with sovereign debt. We argue that the recentEuropean sovereign debt crisis has raised serious challengesfor the Eurozone, and propose that EU ECE members and eu candidatesdelay the adoption of the euro.

  10. Adoption of E-Commerce in Small and Medium Enterprises in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hugger, Ada Scupola

    2005-01-01

    are the environmental, organizational and technological. Five case companies located in the area of Copenhagen have been interviewed. The preliminary results are partially in line with similar studies on e-commerce adoption. However many differences are also found. For example this study found that the external......This paper presents the preliminary results of a study on factors influencing adoption of electronic commerce in small and medium enterprises in Denmark. The Tornatsky and Fleischer (1990) model is used in the investigation, therefore the main group of factors taken into consideration...

  11. Matrix analysis of the digital divide in eHealth services using awareness, want, and adoption gap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Te-Hsin

    2012-02-13

    The digital divide usually refers to access or usage, but some studies have identified two other divides: awareness and demand (want). Given that the hierarchical stages of the innovation adoption process of a customer are interrelated, it is necessary and meaningful to analyze the digital divide in eHealth services through three main stages, namely, awareness, want, and adoption. By following the three main integrated stages of the innovation diffusion theory, from the customer segment viewpoint, this study aimed to propose a new matrix analysis of the digital divide using the awareness, want, and adoption gap ratio (AWAG). I compared the digital divide among different groups. Furthermore, I conducted an empirical study on eHealth services to present the practicability of the proposed methodology. Through a review and discussion of the literature, I proposed hypotheses and a new matrix analysis. To test the proposed method, 3074 Taiwanese respondents, aged 15 years and older, were surveyed by telephone. I used the stratified simple random sampling method, with sample size allocation proportioned by the population distribution of 23 cities and counties (strata). This study proposed the AWAG segment matrix to analyze the digital divide in eHealth services. First, awareness and want rates were divided into two levels at the middle point of 50%, and then the 2-dimensional cross of the awareness and want segment matrix was divided into four categories: opened group, desire-deficiency group, perception-deficiency group, and closed group. Second, according to the degrees of awareness and want, each category was further divided into four subcategories. I also defined four possible strategies, namely, hold, improve, evaluate, and leave, for different regions in the proposed matrix. An empirical test on two recently promoted eHealth services, the digital medical service (DMS) and the digital home care service (DHCS), was conducted. Results showed that for both e

  12. A Comparative Study of the Effects of Cultural Differences on the Adoption of Mobile Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arpaci, Ibrahim

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to understand the impact of cultural differences on mobile learning adoption through identifying key adoption characteristics in Canada and Turkey, which have markedly different cultural backgrounds. A multi-group analysis was employed to test the hypothesised relationships based on the data collected by means of…

  13. International adoption among families in the United States: considerations of social justice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollingsworth, Leslie Doty

    2003-04-01

    The practice of international adoption of children is critiqued, using Rawls' egalitarian concept of a distributive method of social justice. From this perspective, international adoption may be perceived as contradictory to principles of social justice by ignoring the social context within which it occurs. Social contexts that frequently surround international adoption are severe poverty and the disenfranchisement of the adopted child's biological family; the disenfranchisement of certain children because of their lower social status; gender oppression and discrimination against female children; risk to children's rights to the knowledge of their birth history and parentage; risk to children's rights to identification with their ethnic, cultural, and national group; and practices that may involve abduction, deceit, and trafficking in children. The article presents alternate views, including libertarian and utilitarian perspectives. Solutions from two international conventions are critiqued and implications are discussed for social work policy advocacy, practice, and research.

  14. Volunteer Delivery of a Community-Based Strength Training Program: Comparison of Adopting and Nonadopting Extension Educator Perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa T. Washburn

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Volunteer leaders are increasingly being utilized to deliver community strength training classes, but the factors affecting adoption of volunteer delivery approaches by educators or program managers have not been well explored. This study sought to identify these factors by comparing perspectives of adopting and nonadopting county Extension educators for a group strength training program delivered through county Cooperative Extension offices. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of adopting (n=6 and nonadopting (n=13 educators. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using thematic content analysis. Review of codes related to adoption or nonadoption of volunteer delivery approaches produced common themes. Both groups acknowledged role differences between educators and volunteers and expressed concerns about maintaining program quality. Adopters expressed greater comfort with volunteer-led program approaches and understanding of the educator-volunteer role. Nonadopters were hesitant to request program participants serve as leaders but felt participants were capable. Both groups were motivated to offer the program for dual personal and community benefit, but nonadopters expressed reliance on the program to maintain physical activity habits and for social support. Findings can inform others seeking to adapt community programs for volunteer delivery or engage volunteers in existing program delivery.

  15. Barriers to adopting and implementing local-level tobacco control policies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satterlund, Travis D; Cassady, Diana; Treiber, Jeanette; Lemp, Cathy

    2011-08-01

    Although California communities have been relatively successful in adopting and implementing a wide range of local tobacco control policies, the process has not been without its setbacks and barriers. Little is known about local policy adoption, and this paper examines these processes related to adopting and implementing outdoor smoke-free policies, focusing on the major barriers faced by local-level tobacco control organizations in this process. Ninety-six projects funded by the California Tobacco Control Program submitted final evaluation reports pertaining to an outdoor smoking objective, and the reports from these projects were analyzed. The barriers were grouped in three primary areas: politically polarizing barriers, organizational barriers, and local political orientation. The barriers identified in this study underscore the need for an organized action plan in adopting local tobacco policy. The authors also suggest potential strategies to offset the barriers, including: (1) having a "champion" who helps to carry an objective forward; (2) tapping into a pool of youth volunteers; (3) collecting and using local data as a persuasive tool; (4) educating the community in smoke-free policy efforts; (5) working strategically within the local political climate; and (6) demonstrating to policymakers the constituent support for proposed policy.

  16. The Danish Adoption Register

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Liselotte; Sørensen, Thorkild I A

    2011-01-01

    The Danish Adoption Register was established in 1963-1964 to explore the genetic and environmental contribution to familial aggregation of schizophrenia.......The Danish Adoption Register was established in 1963-1964 to explore the genetic and environmental contribution to familial aggregation of schizophrenia....

  17. Forced Adoption of IFRS by Czech Non-Listed Companies: An Assessment of Benefits and Costs

    OpenAIRE

    David Procházka

    2016-01-01

    The paper deals with the effects of IFRS adoption by a specific group of companies. It focuses on the so-called forced IFRS adopters, which are such private (non-listed) companies that (a) are forced to adopt the IFRS (because their parent prepares IFRS consolidated statements) and simultaneously (b) are not permitted by the regulatory framework of a given jurisdiction to apply the IFRS in their individual financial statements on a  voluntary basis. In particular, benefits and costs connected...

  18. Structural diversity effect on hashtag adoption in Twitter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Aihua; Zheng, Mingxing; Pang, Bowen

    2018-03-01

    With online social network developing rapidly these years, user' behavior in online social network has attracted a lot of attentions to it. In this paper, we study Twitter user's behavior of hashtag adoption from the perspective of social contagion and focus on "structure diversity" effect on individual's behavior in Twitter. We achieve data through Twitter's API by crawling and build a users' network to carry on empirical research. The Girvan-Newman (G-N) algorithm is used to analyze the structural diversity of user's ego network, and Logistic regression model is adopted to examine the hypothesis. The findings of our empirical study indicate that user' behavior in online social network is indeed influenced by his friends and his decision is significantly affected by the number of groups that these friends belong to, which we call structural diversity.

  19. Characterisation of adopters and non-adopters of dairy technologies in Ethiopia and Kenya

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kebebe, E.G.; Oosting, S.J.; Baltenweck, I.; Duncan, A.J.

    2017-01-01

    While there is a general consensus that using dairy technologies, such as improved breeds of dairy cows, can substantially increase farm productivity and income, adoption of such technologies has been generally low in developing countries. The underlying reasons for non-adoption of beneficial

  20. Heterogeneity in earnings quality between different classes of companies after IFRS adoption: evidence from Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto Black

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This paper aims to investigate the existence of heterogeneity in earnings quality between different classes of companies after the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS. IFRS adoption is generally associated with an increase in the quality of financial statements. However, companies within the same country are likely to have different economic incentives regarding the disclosure of information. Thus, treating companies equally, without considering the related economic incentives, could contaminate earnings quality investigations. The case of Brazil is analyzed, which is a country classified as code-law, in which tax laws determined accounting practice and in which IFRS adoption is mandatory. First, Brazilian companies listed on the São Paulo Stock, Commodities, and Futures Exchange (BM&FBOVESPA were separated into two classes: companies issuing American Depositary Receipts (ADRs before IFRS adoption and companies that did not issue ADRs until the adoption of IFRS. Then, this second class of companies was grouped, using cluster analysis, into two different subclasses according to economic incentives. Based on the groups identified, the quality of accounting earnings is tested for each class of the companies before and after IFRS adoption. This paper uses timely recognition of economic events, value relevance of net income, and earnings management as proxies for the quality of accounting earnings. The results indicate that a particular class of companies began showing conditional conservatism, value relevance of net income, and lower earnings management after IFRS adoption. On the other hand, these results were not found for the two other classes of companies.

  1. E-learning adoption in hospitality education: An analysis with special focus on Singapore

    OpenAIRE

    Nair, Revi; George, Babu P.

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores issues and challenges in the adoption of e-learning in hospitality education, with special reference to Singapore. Hospitality being a ‘high-touch’ profession and many hospitality related skills being largely intangible, there has been significant industry resistance in technology adoption. There has been concerns from multiple stakeholder groups as to how effectively can technologies compensate for the loss of social context of traditional hands-on learning. However, in S...

  2. The digital divide in adoption and use of a personal health record.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamin, Cyrus K; Emani, Srinivas; Williams, Deborah H; Lipsitz, Stuart R; Karson, Andrew S; Wald, Jonathan S; Bates, David W

    2011-03-28

    Personal health records (PHRs) offer the potential to improve the patient experience and the quality of patient care. However, the "digital divide," the population-level gap in Internet and computer access, may prevent certain groups from accessing the PHR. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a PHR within a northeastern health system. We compared adopters (ie, those activating a PHR account online) with nonadopters (ie, those who see a physician offering the PHR but do not activate an account). We further categorized adopters by intensity of PHR use, measured by number of log-ins and number of messages sent to physicians' practices. As of September 30, 2009, among 75,056 patients, 43% had adopted the PHR since 2002. Blacks and Hispanics were less likely to adopt the PHR compared with whites (odds ratio [OR], 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-0.55; and 0.64; 0.57-0.73, respectively), and those with lower annual income were less likely to adopt the PHR than were those with higher income. Compared with nonadopters, adopters were more likely to have more than 2 comorbidities (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.17-1.30). Use of an aggressive marketing strategy for PHR enrollment increased adoption nearly 3-fold (OR, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.58-5.40). Intensity of use was best predicted by increasing number of comorbidities, followed by race/ethnicity (whites more than blacks and Hispanics) and insurance status. We found no association between income and log-in frequency or secure messages sent. Despite increasing Internet availability, racial/ethnic minority patients adopted a PHR less frequently than white patients, and patients with the lowest annual income adopted a PHR less often than those with higher incomes. Among adopters, however, income did not have an effect on PHR use.

  3. Australian SMES' And E-Commerce adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scupola, Ada

    2010-01-01

    This chapter presents the results of a study on factors affecting adoption of e-commerce in small and medium size enterprises in Australia. The Tornatsky and Fleischer (1990) model is used in the investigation therefore the main group of factors taken into consideration are environmental...... that the external environment has an influence mainly through customers' requirements and pressure and availability of IT services, contrary to other studies that found that government and public administration have a big role. The organizational and technological contexts have also much relevance and include...... factors such as employees and CEO attitude....

  4. Internationally Adopted Children from Non-European Countries: General Development during the First Two Years in the Adoptive Family

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica Dalen

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Internationally adopted children are often delayed in their development and demonstrate more behaviour problems than nonadopted children due to adverse preadoption circumstances. This is especially true for children adopted from Eastern European countries. Few studies have focused on children adopted from non-European countries. This paper presents results from an ongoing longitudinal study of 119 internationally adopted children from non-European countries during their first two years in Norway. Several scales measuring different aspects of the children’s development are included in the study: communication and gross motor development, temperamental characteristics, and behaviour problems. The results show that internationally adopted children are delayed in their general development when they first arrive in their adoptive families. After two years the children have made significant progress in development. However, they still lag behind in communication and motor skills compared to non-adopted children. The temperamental characteristics seem very stable from time of adoption until two years after adoption. The children demonstrate a low frequency of behaviour problems. However, the behaviour problems have changed during the two years. At time of adoption they show more nonphysically challenging behaviour while after two years their physically challenging behaviour has increased.

  5. Internationally adopted children from non-European countries: general development during the first two years in the adoptive family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalen, Monica; Theie, Steinar

    2012-01-01

    Internationally adopted children are often delayed in their development and demonstrate more behaviour problems than nonadopted children due to adverse preadoption circumstances. This is especially true for children adopted from Eastern European countries. Few studies have focused on children adopted from non-European countries. This paper presents results from an ongoing longitudinal study of 119 internationally adopted children from non-European countries during their first two years in Norway. Several scales measuring different aspects of the children's development are included in the study: communication and gross motor development, temperamental characteristics, and behaviour problems. The results show that internationally adopted children are delayed in their general development when they first arrive in their adoptive families. After two years the children have made significant progress in development. However, they still lag behind in communication and motor skills compared to non-adopted children. The temperamental characteristics seem very stable from time of adoption until two years after adoption. The children demonstrate a low frequency of behaviour problems. However, the behaviour problems have changed during the two years. At time of adoption they show more nonphysically challenging behaviour while after two years their physically challenging behaviour has increased.

  6. A social cognitive perspective on mobile communication technology use and adoption

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peters, O.

    2009-01-01

    This study examined the triadic relationship between expected outcomes, habit strength, and mobile communication technology use and adoption within the model of media attendance (LaRose & Eastin, 2004). Mobile phone users (N = 644) were divided into two groups using a stratified random sampling

  7. Institutional care and iron deficiency increase ADHD symptomology and lower IQ 2.5-5 years post-adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doom, Jenalee R; Georgieff, Michael K; Gunnar, Megan R

    2015-05-01

    Increased ADHD symptomology and lower IQ have been reported in internationally adopted (IA) children compared to non-adopted peers (Hostinar, Stellern, Schaefer, Carlson & Gunnar, 2012; Kreppner, O'Connor & Rutter, 2001). However, it is unclear whether these outcomes are due to institutional deprivation specifically or to co-occurring micronutrient deficiencies that disrupt brain development (Fuglestad, Rao & Georgieff, 2008b). In this study, IA children were compared to children raised in their biological families to examine differences in ADHD symptomology and IQ 2.5-5 years post-adoption and to assess the contributions of iron deficiency (ID) and duration of deprivation to these cognitive outcomes. ADHD symptoms (parent- and experimenter-reported) and IQ were evaluated in 88 IA (M = 62.1 months, SD = 2.4) and 35 non-adopted children (M = 61.4 months, SD = 1.6). IA children were assessed 29-64 months post-adoption (M = 41.9 months, SD = 10.2). ID was assessed during the initial post-adoption medical visit in 69 children, and children were classified into four groups by iron status, ranging from normal to ID anemia (most severe). IA children had greater ADHD symptomology, p IQ, p = .001, than non-adopted children. Within the IA group, children with more severe ID at adoption had greater ADHD symptomology, r(69) = 0.40, p = .001, and lower IQ, r(68) = -0.28, p IQ, r(85) = -.08, p = .52. Longitudinal results indicate improvement in IQ from 12 months post-adoption to age 5 for children with greater ID severity at adoption and longer duration of institutional care but no improvement in ADHD symptoms. These results signify continuing effects of early deprivation and ID on ADHD symptoms and IQ years after adoption. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUFDAS3DD1c. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Inducing Lactation: Breastfeeding for Adoptive Moms

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Dynamics > Adoption & Foster Care > Inducing Lactation: Breastfeeding for Adoptive Moms Family Life Listen Español Text Size Email Print Share Inducing Lactation: Breastfeeding for Adoptive Moms Page Content Article Body A growing number ...

  9. Adoption, nation, migration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Müller, Anders Riel

    2013-01-01

    Som transnationalt adopteret vokser man ofte op med en fortælling om, at man er født i et fattigt land. Og at ens første forældre var fattige eller oplevede så store problemer, at de ikke så andre muligheder end at afgive en til adoption. Det er en historie, man bliver fortalt igen og igen. Og som...... man ender med at fortælle sig selv. Fattigdom er problemet. Adoption er løsningen. Eller er det?...

  10. The importance of instrumental, symbolic, and environmental attributes for the adoption of smart energy systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noppers, Ernst H.; Keizer, Kees; Milovanovic, Marko; Steg, Linda

    2016-01-01

    The conceptual model on motivations to adopt sustainable innovations (Noppers et al., 2014) proved to be successful in explaining proxies of the adoption of sustainable innovations: positive evaluations of the utility (instrumental attributes), environmental impact (environmental attributes), and specifically the extent to which the innovation says something about a person (symbolic attributes) increased interest in and intention to adopt sustainable innovations. In this paper, we examined to what extent the evaluations of these three attributes can also explain the actual adoption of smart energy systems that facilitate sustainable energy use. Results showed that adopters of smart energy systems (who agreed to participate in a project in which these systems were tested) evaluated the symbolic attributes of these systems more positively than non-adopters (who did not participate in this project), while both groups did not differ in their evaluation of the instrumental and environmental attributes of smart energy systems. A logistic regression analysis indicated that only evaluations of the symbolic attributes explained actual adoption of smart energy systems. Policy could stress and enhance the symbolic attributes of sustainable innovations to encourage adoption. - Highlights: • What drives consumer adoption of a sustainable innovation? • Evaluation of its symbolic attributes explained adoption of smart energy systems. • Evaluations of its instrumental and environmental attributes did not explain adoption. • Policy could stress and enhance symbolic attributes of smart energy systems.

  11. The pediatrician's role in supporting adoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Veronnie F; Schulte, Elaine E

    2012-10-01

    Each year, more children join families through adoption. Pediatricians have an important role in assisting adoptive families in the various challenges they may face with respect to adoption. The acceptance of the differences between families formed through birth and those formed through adoption is essential in promoting positive emotional growth within the family. It is important for pediatricians to be aware of the adoptive parents' need to be supported in their communication with their adopted children.

  12. East Meets West: Adopted Chinese Girls' Nighttime Sleep Problems and Adoptive Parents' Self-Judgment About Parenting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Tony; Mahoney, Emily; Jackson, Andrea; Rice, Jessica

    2017-01-01

    We investigated the association between adopted Chinese girls' nighttime sleep problems and adoptive parents' self-judgment about their parenting. The girls were 1.7-6.9 years old (M = 4.6 years, SD = 1.0) and were adopted at 7-56 months (M = 13.9 months, SD = 6.6) by families in North America. At Wave 2 of a longitudinal study on adopted Chinese children's development, the adoptive parents provided survey data on bedtime resistance or anxiety and parasomnias in their daughters and their own parental sense of entitlement and parenting competence. Results showed that controlling for child and family demographics, parasomnias, but not bedtime resistance or anxiety, negatively predicted parental sense of entitlement (B = -.13, p parenting competence (B = -.14, p < .01).

  13. Personality Profile Investigation of Adoption Applicant Couples in Arak, 2014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamid Reza Jamilian

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: Adoption has a significant role for strengthening families without children and also resolution of psychological confilicts of unsupervised children. The goal of this study is to assess the psychological status of adoption applicant couples. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive- analytic study that is done with cooperation of welfare organization and Arak University of Medical Sciences in 2014. All adoption applicant couples referred to welfare organization for 1 year participated in the study. Data were gathered by using demographic questionnaire and MMPI-II. Data were showed by descriptive statistic and were analyzed by using mean, average and covariance analysis indices. Results: Mean and standard deviation of all clinical scales and reliability of MMPI-II in all samples and also different subgroups of statistical population were under 65. All applicants had good mental health and psychologically were eligible for adoption. A group of applicants have pretended themselves better than what they are because of the fear of rejection that led to significant difference in k scale(p=0.019. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, applicants had good mental health and didn’t have any psychopathologic damage, but sometimes they have pretended themselves better than what they are. Investigation of other diagnostic tools in future studies is recommended.

  14. The Role of Birth/Previously Adopted Children in Families Choosing to Adopt Children with Special Needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullin, Ellen Steele; Johnson, LeAnne

    1999-01-01

    Notes that successful child placement depends on engaging birth or previously adopted children during the adoption process, yet other children are often overlooked when parents are adopting a special-needs child. Presents a model which recognizes dynamics of strength and vulnerability and applies that model to preparing and supporting the adoptive…

  15. Adult birth mothers who made open infant adoption placements after adolescent unplanned pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clutter, Lynn B

    2014-01-01

    To summarize birth mothers' descriptions of how their adolescent or young adult unplanned pregnancies and decision for open infant adoption placement influenced their lives. Naturalistic inquiry using unstructured interviews. One to 2-hour telephone interviews with participants in their home settings were recorded and transcribed. Deidentified transcripts were analyzed for qualitative content themes. Fifteen women who had experienced unplanned adolescent or young adult pregnancy and relinquished their infants through open adoption were interviewed. Birth mothers who had been members of an agency support group were identified by an agency representative as having been typical of open adoption and were purposively recruited for study participation. Participants described the open adoption decision as "one of the most difficult but best" choices of their lives. Themes were summarized using the acronym AFRESH: A--adoption accomplishments, F--fresh start, R--relationship changes, E--emotions, S--support, H--healing. Findings indicated that benefits of open adoption outweighed challenges of pregnancy, birth, and emotional transitions. Birth children were perceived as thriving with adoptive families who were cherished like extended family. Birth mothers perceived themselves as being better people with better lives than before the unintended pregnancy. Growth with improved life direction was seen as a result of personal maturation from the experience. Open adoption is reinforced as a positive resolution of adolescent unintended pregnancy. Birth mothers believed teens who feel "stuck" with a pregnancy should consider open adoption; nurses should provide support and uphold the process. © 2014 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

  16. Dealer Group or Financial Planning Group? A Brief Technical Note

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lujer Santacruz

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available This technical note examines whether the industry practice of using the term dealer group when referring to afinancial planning group contributes to the general perception that financial advisers are not objective whenmaking financial product recommendations. An experimental design carried out through an online survey isused. This is supplemented by a direct comparison survey on the two terminologies. The results provide acase for the industry to adopt a new terminology.

  17. Political Economy and Irrigation Technology Adoption Implications of Water Pricing under Asymmetric Information

    OpenAIRE

    Dridi, Chokri; Khanna, Madhu

    2005-01-01

    We analyze the design of water pricing rules emerging from farmers' lobbying and their implications for the size of the lobby, water use, profits and social welfare. The lobbying groups are the adopters of modern irrigation technology and the non-adopters. The pricing rules are designed to meet budget balance of water provision; we considered (i) a two-part tariff composed of a mandatory per-acre fee plus a volumetric charge and (ii) a nonlinear pricing schedule. Our results show that under e...

  18. Depth in Cultural Socialization in Families with Children Adopted from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xian; Pinderhughes, Ellen E

    2018-03-13

    Parents raising children adopted from a different racial/ethnic group usually engage in cultural socialization-providing activities in adoptees' birth culture-hoping to instill pride and help adoptees develop a positive identity. Adoptive parents engage in a wide variety of socialization activities, yet adult adoptees have reported not having deep enough exposure from their parents. The present study explored the depth of cultural socialization in transracial adoptive families. Informed by Pinderhughes' Ethnic-Racial Socialization model, this study developed a continuum examining the depth in cultural socialization with three indicators: (1) the depth of cultural activities, (2) parents' motivation for cultural socialization, and (3) parental cultural attitudes. Qualitative analyses of 41 White parents raising children adopted from China found that parents' motivation and acknowledgement of cultural differences reflected deep appreciation of adoptees' birth culture, however, activities they provided were not as deep. Activities that facilitated close relationships with people who shared adoptees' background in a natural context appeared to provide the deepest cultural connection. Despite limitations, the study demonstrated that the depth continuum was able to capture variations and nuances in cultural socialization. Suggestions for future research and recommendation for practice were also included. © 2018 Family Process Institute.

  19. The Radio-X-ray Relation in Cool Stars: Are We Headed Toward a Divorce?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forbrich, J.; Wolk, S. J.; Güdel, M.; Benz, A.; Osten, R.; Linsky, J. L.; McLean, M.; Loinard, L.; Berger, E.

    2011-12-01

    This splinter session was devoted to reviewing our current knowledge of correlated X-ray and radio emission from cool stars in order to prepare for new large radio observatories such as the EVLA. A key interest was to discuss why the X-ray and radio luminosities of some cool stars are in clear breach of a correlation that holds for other active stars, the so-called Güdel-Benz relation. This article summarizes the contributions whereas the actual presentations can be accessed on the splinter website.

  20. Macro influencers of electronic health records adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raghavan, Vijay V; Chinta, Ravi; Zhirkin, Nikita

    2015-01-01

    While adoption rates for electronic health records (EHRs) have improved, the reasons for significant geographical differences in EHR adoption within the USA have remained unclear. To understand the reasons for these variations across states, we have compiled from secondary sources a profile of different states within the USA, based on macroeconomic and macro health-environment factors. Regression analyses were performed using these indicator factors on EHR adoption. The results showed that internet usage and literacy are significantly associated with certain measures of EHR adoption. Income level was not significantly associated with EHR adoption. Per capita patient days (a proxy for healthcare need intensity within a state) is negatively correlated with EHR adoption rate. Health insurance coverage is positively correlated with EHR adoption rate. Older physicians (>60 years) tend to adopt EHR systems less than their younger counterparts. These findings have policy implications on formulating regionally focused incentive programs.

  1. Healthy Travel for International Adoptions

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    The number of international adoptions, many from developing countries, has doubled in the last 10 years. This podcast discusses ways adoptive families can protect their own health and the health of their new children.

  2. The transition into adoptive parenthood: Adoption as a process of continued unsafe uncertainty when family scripts collide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasker, Fiona; Wood, Sally

    2016-10-01

    Our prospective study investigated couples' expectations of adoptive parenthood and explored how these changed with their actual experience of parenthood. Six heterosexual couples were interviewed just before placement began and 6 months after the children had arrived. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse both sets of interview data. Expectations of adoptive parenthood mostly transformed smoothly into adoption experience for couples, but challenges were experienced when family scripts collided and a continued feeling of unsafe uncertainty then prevailed within these newly formed family systems. Family script collision seemed a particular problem for couples adopting sibling pairs. To further professional practice in working with families over the transition to adoptive parenting, we suggest that professionals keep in mind a framework that includes the following: Internal and external world influences on family members, Intergenerational issues, Family scripts and the Structural challenges of adoption (IIFS). © The Author(s) 2016.

  3. Improvisation during Process-Technology Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tjørnehøj, Gitte; Mathiassen, Lars

    2010-01-01

    SPI technology adoption and events that causes the process to drift in unpredictable directions. To further understand how management's attempt to control the process is complemented by drifting, this article investigates the role of improvisation in adoption of SPI technology in a Danish software......Most software firms struggle to take advantage of the potential benefits of software process improvement (SPI) as they adopt this technology into the complex and dynamic realities of their day-to-day operation. Such efforts are therefore typically fluctuating between management's attempt to control...... firm, SmallSoft, over a 10-year period (1996–2005). We found that micro-level and macro-level improvisations interacted, often in uncoordinated ways, to shape SPI technology adoption at SmallSoft. The improvisations enhanced employee creativity, motivation and empowerment, created momentum...

  4. Developing a strategy to speed up large-scale adoption of compressed-natural-gas-driven (CNG) cars. Volume 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egmond, Cees; Houtman, Simone; Jonkers, R.; Gelissen, R.

    2007-01-01

    Large-scale adoption of environmentally friendly, clean, silent and CO 2 -neutral technological innovations into the market is necessary to reduce the human causes of the greenhouse effect and global warming. In theory, an innovation diffuses smoothly into the market following an S-shaped curve when the number of adopters is plotted against time. In practice, diffusion of innovation does not move smoothly from left to right on the S-shaped curve. Fundamental differences in the adoption characteristics between the visionary early adopters and the pragmatic mainstream cause diffusion to stop before reaching the mainstream market segment. This 'chasm' in the diffusion process is not the result of bad technology or bad products, but rather the result of 'incomplete' products that do not meet the needs of the pragmatic mainstream. In this paper, we report on a case study, conducted in the Netherlands, aimed at speeding up the adoption of the CNG car. This study contains an analysis of the market segments within a target group of local fleet owners. We used survey data covering about 200 local fleet owners. Through structured interviews and a questionnaire, we identified a niche group of the mainstream that would be most likely to adopt the CNG car. This niche is the group to target in a marketing strategy aimed at crossing the chasm. A focus-group discussion held with members of the niche identified the conditions under which the niche actors would consider buying CNG cars. Based on the results of this focus group and the niche market analysis, we concluded that the marketing of the CNG car is still in its beginning phase and has to focus on the early market. Following our recommendations, car dealers and the municipality of Leeuwarden are now developing a plan for marketing the CNG car. The marketing will focus on the early market as the first step into the mainstream

  5. Developing a strategy to speed up large-scale adoption of compressed-natural-gas-driven (CNG) cars. Volume 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Egmond, Cees; Houtman, Simone; Jonkers, R.; Gelissen, R. [SenterNovem (Netherlands)

    2007-07-01

    Large-scale adoption of environmentally friendly, clean, silent and CO{sub 2}-neutral technological innovations into the market is necessary to reduce the human causes of the greenhouse effect and global warming. In theory, an innovation diffuses smoothly into the market following an S-shaped curve when the number of adopters is plotted against time. In practice, diffusion of innovation does not move smoothly from left to right on the S-shaped curve. Fundamental differences in the adoption characteristics between the visionary early adopters and the pragmatic mainstream cause diffusion to stop before reaching the mainstream market segment. This 'chasm' in the diffusion process is not the result of bad technology or bad products, but rather the result of 'incomplete' products that do not meet the needs of the pragmatic mainstream. In this paper, we report on a case study, conducted in the Netherlands, aimed at speeding up the adoption of the CNG car. This study contains an analysis of the market segments within a target group of local fleet owners. We used survey data covering about 200 local fleet owners. Through structured interviews and a questionnaire, we identified a niche group of the mainstream that would be most likely to adopt the CNG car. This niche is the group to target in a marketing strategy aimed at crossing the chasm. A focus-group discussion held with members of the niche identified the conditions under which the niche actors would consider buying CNG cars. Based on the results of this focus group and the niche market analysis, we concluded that the marketing of the CNG car is still in its beginning phase and has to focus on the early market. Following our recommendations, car dealers and the municipality of Leeuwarden are now developing a plan for marketing the CNG car. The marketing will focus on the early market as the first step into the mainstream.

  6. Prevention Starts With Awareness: Adoptive Adolescents at High Risk for Suicidal Behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Leslie

    2017-09-01

    Adolescents are at higher risk for suicide attempts than other age groups. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death in the United States for ages 12 to 18; moreover, the risk of suicide is significantly higher for adoptive teens. In fact, adoptive teenagers have a four times higher rate of suicide attempts than biological children, perhaps due to the underlying nature of adoption, which can involve a pervasive sense of grief and loss for the adoptee. Unresolved anger and sadness from feelings of abandonment-especially when transitioning to adolescence-can cause a seemingly functional child to dissociate through self-harm and eventually demonstrate suicidal behavior. Little evidence-based research exists on the risk factors for adoptive teens who resort to suicidal behavior. Thus, it is vitally important for school nurses to understand the emotional stressors that adolescent adoptees face throughout life to help identify teens at risk for suicide. School districts and registered nurses are well positioned to address this critical health issue through education, assessment, and intervention.

  7. Machine Replacement, Technology Adoption and Convergence.

    OpenAIRE

    Boucekkine, Raouf; Martinez, Blanca

    1999-01-01

    In this paper, we introduce adoption costs in a canonical vintage capital model. Adoption costs take the form of a direct loss in production during a fixed period of time. We explicitly characterize the optimal machine replacement policy as a function of the adoption period. Using an explicit numerical method, we study the dynamics of the model. In particular, we find that while an increase in the adoption costs lowers the long run level of output, it also rises the magnitude of short run flu...

  8. Why Did You Choose This Pet?: Adopters and Pet Selection Preferences in Five Animal Shelters in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla Vela

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Responses from an adopter survey (n = 1,491 determined reasons for pet selection, type of information received by the adopter, and the context in which the animal’s behavior was observed. Appearance of the animal, social behavior with adopter, and personality were the top reasons for adoption across species and age groups. Most adopters stated that information about the animal from a staff member or volunteer was more important than information on cage cards, and health and behavior information was particularly important. Adopters found greater importance in interacting with the animal rather than viewing it in its kennel. The results of this study can be used by shelters to create better adoption matches, prioritize shelter resources and staff training, and potentially increase adoptions. Additionally, some simple training techniques are suggested to facilitate adopter-friendly behaviors from sheltered dogs and cats.

  9. Running continuous academic adoption programmes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Tobias Alsted

    Running successful academic adoption programmes requires executive support, clear strategies, tactical resources and organisational agility. These two presentations will discuss the implementation of strategic academic adoption programs down to very concrete tool customisations to meet specific...

  10. Foster and Adoptive Parent Perspectives on Needs and Services: a Mixed Methods Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnett, Erin R; Jankowski, Mary K; Butcher, Rebecca L; Meister, Catherine; Parton, Rebecca R; Drake, Robert E

    2018-01-01

    Caring for children with complex needs severely stresses foster and adoptive parents, but few studies have examined their perspectives on needs and services. To examine parental views, the authors analyzed four focus groups (n = 27 participants) and one state-wide survey (n = 512 respondents, 42% of 1206 contacted) of foster and adoptive parents in one state. Results highlighted inadequate communication between providers and families, cultural and legal barriers, needs for parent training and preparation, the importance of several types of parent supports, and needs for specialized mental health treatment for the children. Surveyed parents identified children's behavior problems as their top challenge, and over half rated the availability of mental health providers who treat attachment and family as insufficient. The findings suggest specific areas in which state leaders could enhance training and supports for child welfare staff and foster and adoptive parents and improve mental health services for children in foster and adoptive care.

  11. 75 FR 68166 - National Adoption Month, 2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-04

    ... potential, and spread their wings when given the loving and firm foundation of family. Adoptive families... to ensure that all qualified caregivers have the ability to serve as adoptive families. This year, on... care adoptions as part of my Administration's support for this important day. Adoptive families are...

  12. An empirical examination of factors contributing to the adoption of IFRS in developing countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aria Farah Mita

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This research aims to analyze factors that influence the likelihood of IFRS adoption in developing countries. Research that focuses on the IFRS adoption in developing countries is limited. Developing countries are supposed to get many benefits from the adoption of IFRS as it is a cheap shortcut to improve the quality of financial reporting to attract foreign capital and to finance its development. In addition to macroeconomic factors, this research also examines the influence of institutional factors and the development of local accounting standards. Using the binomial logit regression, the result shows that the regulatory quality of a country positively af-fects the possibility of IFRS adoption in developing countries. It means that the better quality of the regulator in those countries, the higher possibility to fully adopt the IFRS. Furthermore, there is a tendency that the countries will fully adopt the IFRS when they already have local accounting standards that previously referred to international standards. The results imply that the IASB strategy should focus more on cooperation with local regulators or groups of regional cooperation to reach its objective to develop single set of high quality international standard.

  13. Family interactions in adoptive compared to nonadoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rueter, Martha A; Keyes, Margaret A; Iacono, William G; McGue, Matt

    2009-02-01

    Despite the large and growing numbers of adoptive families, little research describes interactions in families with adopted adolescents. Yet, adopted adolescents' increased risk for adjustment problems, combined with the association between family interactions and adolescent adjustment in nonadoptive families, raises questions about differences in adoptive and nonadoptive family interactions. We compared observed and self-reported family interactions between 284 adoptive and 208 nonadoptive families and within 123 families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent. Adolescents averaged 14.9 years of age. Comparisons were made using analysis of variance incorporating hierarchical linear methods in SAS PROC MIXED to control family-related correlations in the data. Parents and children reported more conflict in adoptive families when compared with nonadoptive families. Families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent reported more conflict between parents and adopted adolescents. Observed parental behavior was similar across adoptive and nonadoptive children although adopted adolescents were less warm and, in families with 2 adopted children, more conflictual than nonadopted adolescents. These findings suggest a need for further investigation of the association between family interactions and adopted adolescent problem behavior. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  14. Representative Incidents in the Adoption Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrington, Jay A.; And Others

    This paper presents three case studies of innovation, based on interviews with six adoption agents. Key episodes and incidents which illustrate important principles are drawn from the experiences of these adoption agents. The case studies offer examples of both success and failure--by both internal and external adoption agents. They also emphasize…

  15. Policy Issues in Gay and Lesbian Adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sullivan, Ann

    1995-01-01

    Notes that adoption agencies have developed few specific policies on the issue of lesbian and gay adoption. Provides an overview of key considerations about homosexual adopters, including beliefs and values of agency professionals, the legal and social ramifications of adoption into a relationship not based on marriage, and possible consequences…

  16. ROMANIA’S FISCAL STRUCTURE IN VIEW OF EURO ADOPTION. A MULTIDIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria-Isadora Lazar

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to conclude whether the adoption of the single currency induced a trend of structural resemblance, and if so, to determine groups of countries with similar fiscal structures inside the Euro Area. Taking into consideration total revenues, indirect taxation, direct taxation and social contributions, we analyzed primary data and completed it with multidimensional classification. Having in view Romania’s objective of adopting Euro currency we aim to establish to which subgroup is Romania more similar in terms of fiscal structure and whether this resemblance enhanced since the accession to the European Union.

  17. Children adopted from Poland display a high risk of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders and some may go undiagnosed

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Knuiman, S.; Rijk, C.H.A.M.; Hoksbergen, R.A.C.; van Baar, A.L.

    2015-01-01

    Aim: Children adopted from Central and Eastern Europe often have negative early experiences, including prenatal exposure to alcohol. We examined a group of Polish children, adopted by Dutch parents, to see how many were diagnosed with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and to what extent

  18. Organizational adoption of preemployment drug testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spell, C S; Blum, T C

    2001-04-01

    This study explored the adoption of preemployment drug testing by 360 organizations. Survival models were developed that included internal organizational and labor market factors hypothesized to affect the likelihood of adoption of drug testing. Also considered was another set of variables that included social and political variables based on institutional theory. An event history analysis using Cox regressions indicated that both internal organizational and environmental variables predicted adoption of drug testing. Results indicate that the higher the proportion of drug testers in the worksite's industry, the more likely it would be to adopt drug testing. Also, the extent to which an organization uses an internal labor market, voluntary turnover rate, and the extent to which management perceives drugs to be a problem were related to likelihood of adoption of drug testing.

  19. Executive function and mental health in adopted children with a history of recreational drug exposures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian J Piper

    Full Text Available Adoptive children are at increased risk for problematic behaviors but the origin of these individual differences in neurobehavioral function is unclear. This investigation examined whether adopted children with prenatal exposure to a wide variety of recreational drugs exhibited higher scores (i.e. more problems with executive function and psychiatric symptomology. Caregivers of children ages 5 to 18 completed an online survey with items about use of alcohol, nicotine, or methamphetamine during pregnancy followed by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF, N = 437 including 59 adoptive parents or the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL, N = 549 including 54 adoptive parents. Relative to a comparison group of children raised by their biological parents, adoptive children that were polysubstance exposed during prenatal development exhibited higher rates of academic difficulties and were behind their classmates in math and reading. Adoptive children had statistically and clinically significant higher BRIEF ratings and this pattern was similar for boys and girls. CBCL ratings were significantly increased in adoptive children, particularly for Externalizing and Attention problems. Adoptive children with a history of polysubstance exposures including alcohol, nicotine, and methamphetamine are at heightened risk for difficulties with executive function as well as various psychopathologies. These findings suggest that increased monitoring to identify and implement remediation strategies may be warranted for adopted children with a history of in utero drug exposures.

  20. 32 CFR 584.4 - Adoption proceedings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... CUSTODY, AND PATERNITY § 584.4 Adoption proceedings. (a) General. This chapter does not apply to those... soldier for leave to attend an adoption hearing on (date) has been granted. (ii) A request by the soldier for leave to attend an adoption hearing on (date), if made, would be approved. (iii) Due to military...

  1. Inter-Organizational Information Systems Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lyytinen, Kalle; Damsgaard, Jan

    2011-01-01

    consisting of dyadic, hub and spoke, industry and community configurations. Specific forms or adoption analysis are suggested for each type of configuration. Overall, configuration analysis redirects IOIS adoption studies both at the theoretical and the methodological level, and a corresponding research...

  2. (SAGE): Adopt, adapt, or contextualise?

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    and time-consuming and requires CPG knowledge ... Step 4. Consider whether to adopt, adapt or contextualise. Step 4.1 Adopt. Decide to .... review. PLoS One 2013;8:e82915. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082915. 14. AGREE ...

  3. Economics of household technology adoption in developing countries: evidence from solar technology adoption in rural India

    OpenAIRE

    Aklin, M.; Bayer, P.; Harish, S.P.; Urpelainen, J.

    2018-01-01

    Innovation is one of the most important drivers of economic development. Even in developing countries, households have access to a wide array of new technologies. However, factors affecting households’ technology adoption decisions remain poorly understood. Using data on solar microgrid adoption from rural India, we investigate the determinants of household technology adoption. We offer all households identical solar products to avoid bias from product differentiation. Households pay a monthl...

  4. THE IMPACT OF BASEL III ADOPTION BY G20 MEMBERS ON THEIR CREDIT RATINGS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Kalloub

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to analyze the effect of Basel III standards adoption made by 27 countries included in Basel III adoption reports (including G20 group members on their credit rating. In addition, the study tests the impact of some macroeconomic variables on sovereign credit rating. The data are obtained from BCBS semi-annual adoption reports, along with other macroeconomic indicators published by IMF and World Bank; however, the basic indicator for credit rating is Standard &Poor’s credit rating. The period under the study is between 2011 and 2016. The results of the analysis show that there is a strong statistical significant positive effect of Basel III standards on 27 countries’ credit rating.

  5. Renewable energy adoption in an ageing population: Heterogeneity in preferences for micro-generation technology adoption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Willis, Ken, E-mail: Ken.Willis@ncl.ac.uk [School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Scarpa, Riccardo [Department of Economics, Waikato School of Management, University of Waikato, Hamilton (New Zealand); Gilroy, Rose; Hamza, Neveen [School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom)

    2011-10-15

    Many countries are endeavouring to supply more of their energy from renewable resources. Such countries are also experiencing an aging population with a greater proportion of people aged {>=}65 years. This demographic shift may reduce the uptake of renewable energy, if older person households are less inclined to accept change and adopt new technologies. This paper assesses whether such households have different behavioural responses to energy efficiency compared to the rest of society and investigates whether micro-generation renewable energy technologies are less likely to be adopted by these households. It uses conditional logit and mixed logit models to investigate the impact of age of household on primary heating adoption, and also to assess the impact of older households on the installation of discretionary micro-generation technologies (solar thermal, solar voltaic, and wind power) to supplement existing heating and lighting systems. Results indicate that primary heating choice is not affected but that older person households are less inclined to adopt micro-generation technologies. - Highlights: > Heterogeneity exists in decisions on micro-generation technology installation. > Older person households are less inclined to adopt micro-generation technologies. > Micro-generation technologies fail a social cost-benefit analysis test.

  6. Renewable energy adoption in an ageing population: Heterogeneity in preferences for micro-generation technology adoption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willis, Ken; Scarpa, Riccardo; Gilroy, Rose; Hamza, Neveen

    2011-01-01

    Many countries are endeavouring to supply more of their energy from renewable resources. Such countries are also experiencing an aging population with a greater proportion of people aged ≥65 years. This demographic shift may reduce the uptake of renewable energy, if older person households are less inclined to accept change and adopt new technologies. This paper assesses whether such households have different behavioural responses to energy efficiency compared to the rest of society and investigates whether micro-generation renewable energy technologies are less likely to be adopted by these households. It uses conditional logit and mixed logit models to investigate the impact of age of household on primary heating adoption, and also to assess the impact of older households on the installation of discretionary micro-generation technologies (solar thermal, solar voltaic, and wind power) to supplement existing heating and lighting systems. Results indicate that primary heating choice is not affected but that older person households are less inclined to adopt micro-generation technologies. - Highlights: → Heterogeneity exists in decisions on micro-generation technology installation. → Older person households are less inclined to adopt micro-generation technologies. → Micro-generation technologies fail a social cost-benefit analysis test.

  7. Associations between Discussions of Racial and Ethnic Differences in Internationally Adoptive Families and Delinquent Behavior among Korean Adopted Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Kayla N; Lee, Richard M; Rueter, Martha A; Kim, Oh Myo

    2015-04-01

    Internationally adopted adolescents may have more delinquent behavior than non-adopted adolescents. One explanation is these adolescents experience discrimination and loss of culture, and adoptive parents are not adequately addressing these experiences. However, studies have not examined the effects of family discussions of racial and ethnic differences within adoptive families on adopted adolescents' delinquent behavior. To test this relationship, this study utilized data from 111 U.S. internationally adoptive families with 185 South Korean adopted adolescents (55% female, M age = 17.75). During an observational assessment, families discussed the importance of their racial and ethnic differences, and adolescents completed a delinquent behavior questionnaire. Analysis of covariance showed differences in adolescent delinquent behavior across three ways adoptive families discussed racial and ethnic differences; adolescents whose families acknowledged differences had the fewest mean delinquent behaviors. There were no significant differences in delinquent behavior between adolescents whose families acknowledged or rejected the importance of racial and ethnic differences. However, adopted adolescents whose families held discrepant views of differences had significantly more problem behavior than adolescents whose families either acknowledged or rejected the importance of racial and ethnic differences. Clinicians, adoption professionals, and other parenting specialists should focus on building cohesive family identities about racial and ethnic differences, as discrepant views of differences are associated with the most adoptee delinquent behavior.

  8. Adoption: biological and social processes linked to adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D; McDermott, Jennifer M

    2014-01-01

    Children join adoptive families through domestic adoption from the public child welfare system, infant adoption through private agencies, and international adoption. Each pathway presents distinctive developmental opportunities and challenges. Adopted children are at higher risk than the general population for problems with adaptation, especially externalizing, internalizing, and attention problems. This review moves beyond the field's emphasis on adoptee-nonadoptee differences to highlight biological and social processes that affect adaptation of adoptees across time. The experience of stress, whether prenatal, postnatal/preadoption, or during the adoption transition, can have significant impacts on the developing neuroendocrine system. These effects can contribute to problems with physical growth, brain development, and sleep, activating cascading effects on social, emotional, and cognitive development. Family processes involving contact between adoptive and birth family members, co-parenting in gay and lesbian adoptive families, and racial socialization in transracially adoptive families affect social development of adopted children into adulthood.

  9. Adoption of Mobile Commerce in the Air Travel Sector: A Qualitative Survey of Attitudes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evangelos Christou

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The study presented in this paper examines the case of the customer adoption of an air travel innovation, namely delivering through mobile telephones electronic tickets as well as boarding passes and other related services for air travel, which may be viewed as an innovation in service delivery. The qualitative study reported here adopted Rogers’ model of perceived innovation attributes and was augmented by Bauer’s framework of perceived risk. Participants in focus groups were categorized according to their attitudes towards buying electronic tickets for air travel through mobile phones. The perceived innovation attributes were identified to be significant determinants of travelers’ adoption decisions and practices. In addition, two more dimensions (compatibility with a person’s values and previous experience with the product category were found to influence travelers’ adoption decisions, stressing the high complexity of the adoption decisions for mobile phone-based air travel service innovations. The findings have practical value for organizations in the air travel sector as well as for Global Distribution Systems (GDSs and traditional travel agents.

  10. Designing for sustained adoption: A model of developing educational innovations for successful propagation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khatri, Raina; Henderson, Charles; Cole, Renée; Froyd, Jeffrey E.; Friedrichsen, Debra; Stanford, Courtney

    2016-06-01

    [This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Preparing and Supporting University Physics Educators.] The physics education research community has produced a wealth of knowledge about effective teaching and learning of college level physics. Based on this knowledge, many research-proven instructional strategies and teaching materials have been developed and are currently available to instructors. Unfortunately, these intensive research and development activities have failed to influence the teaching practices of many physics instructors. This paper describes interim results of a larger study to develop a model of designing materials for successful propagation. The larger study includes three phases, the first two of which are reported here. The goal of the first phase was to characterize typical propagation practices of education developers, using data from a survey of 1284 National Science Foundation (NSF) principal investigators and focus group data from eight disciplinary groups of NSF program directors. The goal of the second phase was to develop an understanding of successful practice by studying three instructional strategies that have been well propagated. The result of the first two phases is a tentative model of designing for successful propagation, which will be further validated in the third phase through purposeful sampling of additional well-propagated instructional strategies along with typical education development projects. We found that interaction with potential adopters was one of the key missing ingredients in typical education development activities. Education developers often develop a polished product before getting feedback, rely on mass-market communication channels for dissemination, and do not plan for supporting adopters during implementation. The tentative model resulting from this study identifies three key propagation activities: interactive development, interactive dissemination, and support of adopters. Interactive development

  11. Post-adoption contact, adoption communicative openness, and satisfaction with contact as predictors of externalizing behavior in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D; Rueter, Martha; Von Korff, Lynn; Gonzalez, Christopher

    2011-05-01

    This study examined the relation between three variables related to adoptive family relationships (post-adoption contact between adoptive and birth family members, adoption communicative openness, and satisfaction with contact) and adoptee externalizing behavior in adolescence and emerging adulthood. The study included 190 families of infant-placed, domestic adoptees during childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze predictors of externalizing behavior from contact (adoptive parents and adolescent reports), adoption communicative openness (adoptive mothers), and satisfaction with contact (adoptive parents and adolescent). Externalizing behavior showed moderate stability across childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Contact and adoption communicative openness were related to each other, but not to externalizing behaviors in adolescence or emerging adulthood. Controlling for the effect of Childhood Externalizing, adoptive families most satisfied with contact reported relative declines in adoptee externalizing behavior during adolescence compared to those in less satisfied families. Satisfaction was also indirectly associated with Emerging Adult Externalizing, through its effect on Adolescent Externalizing. Although contact and adoption communicative openness were highly correlated with each other, neither was related to adoptees' externalizing behavior in adolescence or emerging adulthood. Family-level satisfaction with contact was more predictive of externalizing outcomes. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2010 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  12. Adoption and Cognitive Development: A Meta-Analytic Comparison of Adopted and Nonadopted Children's IQ and School Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H.; Juffer, Femmie; Poelhuis, Caroline W. Klein

    2005-01-01

    This meta-analysis of 62 studies (N=17,767 adopted children) examined whether the cognitive development of adopted children differed from that of (a) children who remained in institutional care or in the birth family and (b) their current (environmental) nonadopted siblings or peers. Adopted children scored higher on IQ tests than their nonadopted…

  13. The adoption of sustainable innovations: The role of instrumental, environmental, and symbolic attributes for earlier and later adopters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    H. Noppers, E.; Keizer, K.; Bockarjova, M.; Steg, L.

    2015-01-01

    We investigated motivations of potential earlier and later adopters for adopting sustainable innovations. A large questionnaire study revealed that potential earlier adopters of innovative cars evaluated the symbolic attributes of electric cars, but not the instrumental and environmental attributes,

  14. Facilitators and barriers to adopting robotic-assisted surgery: contextualizing the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine Benmessaoud

    Full Text Available Robotic-assisted surgical techniques are not yet well established among surgeon practice groups beyond a few surgical subspecialties. To help identify the facilitators and barriers to their adoption, this belief-elicitation study contextualized and supplemented constructs of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT in robotic-assisted surgery. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 21 surgeons comprising two groups: users and nonusers. The main facilitators to adoption were Perceived Usefulness and Facilitating Conditions among both users and nonusers, followed by Attitude Toward Using Technology among users and Extrinsic Motivation among nonusers. The three main barriers to adoption for both users and nonusers were Perceived Ease of Use and Complexity, Perceived Usefulness, and Perceived Behavioral Control. This study's findings can assist surgeons, hospital and medical school administrators, and other policy makers on the proper adoption of robotic-assisted surgery and can guide future research on the development of theories and framing of hypotheses.

  15. Facilitators and Barriers to Adopting Robotic-Assisted Surgery: Contextualizing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    BenMessaoud, Christine; Kharrazi, Hadi; MacDorman, Karl F.

    2011-01-01

    Robotic-assisted surgical techniques are not yet well established among surgeon practice groups beyond a few surgical subspecialties. To help identify the facilitators and barriers to their adoption, this belief-elicitation study contextualized and supplemented constructs of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) in robotic-assisted surgery. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 21 surgeons comprising two groups: users and nonusers. The main facilitators to adoption were Perceived Usefulness and Facilitating Conditions among both users and nonusers, followed by Attitude Toward Using Technology among users and Extrinsic Motivation among nonusers. The three main barriers to adoption for both users and nonusers were Perceived Ease of Use and Complexity, Perceived Usefulness, and Perceived Behavioral Control. This study's findings can assist surgeons, hospital and medical school administrators, and other policy makers on the proper adoption of robotic-assisted surgery and can guide future research on the development of theories and framing of hypotheses. PMID:21283719

  16. E-learning adoption in hospitality education: An analysis with special focus on Singapore

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Revi Nair

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores issues and challenges in the adoption of e-learning in hospitality education, with special reference to Singapore. Hospitality being a ‘high-touch’ profession and many hospitality related skills being largely intangible, there has been significant industry resistance in technology adoption. There has been concerns from multiple stakeholder groups as to how effectively can technologies compensate for the loss of social context of traditional hands-on learning. However, in Singapore, some polytechnic based schools have practically demonstrated the ways by which technology could be meaningfully integrated into hospitality education.

  17. Perception and adoption of an electronic medication record three years after deployment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hertzum, Morten; Granlien, Maren Fich

    2007-01-01

    Region Zealand's electronic medication record is generally perceived by hospital staff as useful but not that easy to use. Neither perceived usefulness nor perceived ease of use is more than weakly correlated with actual adoption. The complex work domain with interdependent staff groups and many...

  18. The Role of Institutional Leaderships in the SAPO Campus' Adoption Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pais, Fátima; Pedro, Luís; Santos, Carlos

    2016-01-01

    SAPO Campus (SC) is a web 2.0 service platform, whose aim is to promote collaboration, communication and sharing practices in institutional settings, specifically in educational contexts. Since 2012, a group of schools has promoted the institutional adoption of SC. Taking into account the fact that this is an intentional process as institutions…

  19. Electronic Health Record Portal Adoption: a cross country analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tavares, Jorge; Oliveira, Tiago

    2017-07-05

    This study's goal is to understand the factors that drive individuals to adopt Electronic Health Record (EHR) portals and to estimate if there are differences between countries with different healthcare models. We applied a new adoption model using as a starting point the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) by incorporating the Concern for Information Privacy (CFIP) framework. To evaluate the research model we used the partial least squares (PLS) - structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. An online questionnaire was administrated in the United States (US) and Europe (Portugal). We collected 597 valid responses. The statistically significant factors of behavioural intention are performance expectancy ([Formula: see text] total  = 0.285; P expectancy ([Formula: see text] total  = 0.160; P value ([Formula: see text] total  = 0.152; P value are only predictors in the US group. The model explained 53% of the variance in behavioural intention and 36% of the variance in use behaviour. Our study identified critical factors for the adoption of EHR portals and significant differences between the countries. Confidentiality issues do not seem to influence acceptance. The EHR portals usage patterns are significantly higher in US compared to Portugal.

  20. Effective Online Group Discovery in Trajectory Databases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xiaohui; Ceikute, Vaida; Jensen, Christian S.

    2013-01-01

    GPS-enabled devices are pervasive nowadays. Finding movement patterns in trajectory data stream is gaining in importance. We propose a group discovery framework that aims to efficiently support the online discovery of moving objects that travel together. The framework adopts a sampling-independen......GPS-enabled devices are pervasive nowadays. Finding movement patterns in trajectory data stream is gaining in importance. We propose a group discovery framework that aims to efficiently support the online discovery of moving objects that travel together. The framework adopts a sampling......-independent approach that makes no assumptions about when positions are sampled, gives no special importance to sampling points, and naturally supports the use of approximate trajectories. The framework's algorithms exploit state-of-the-art, density-based clustering (DBScan) to identify groups. The groups are scored...

  1. Late-adoptions in adolescence: Can attachment and emotion regulation influence behaviour problems? A controlled study using a moderation approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pace, Cecilia Serena; Di Folco, Simona; Guerriero, Viviana

    2018-03-01

    A growing body of research suggests that, compared to normative adolescence, adoptive adolescence could be considered a specific risk condition characterized by more psychiatric problems, attachment insecurity, and emotional regulation difficulties as consequences of negative experiences in preadoption relationships. The current study explores (a) a moderation model of adoption status on the association between attachment representations (secure, dismissing, preoccupied, and disorganized) and behavioural problems and (b) a moderation model of adoption status on the association between emotion regulation processes (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) and behavioural problems. Both the moderation models were controlled for verbal skills. Forty-six adopted adolescents and a control group of 34 nonadopted peers (12-16 years old) living with both their biological parents were assessed using the Friends and Family Interview, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, the Child Behaviour Check List 6-18, and the verbal subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, the latter as control measure. Results showed that adoption status (but not attachment) positively predicted externalizing and total behaviour problems, whereas attachment disorganization (but not adoption status) positively predicted internalizing problems in both group. Moreover, low cognitive reappraisal had a negative impact on externalizing problems only for adopted adolescents, but not for nonadopted youths. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed in order to enhance effective intervention with adopted adolescents and their parents. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Modeling of customer adoption of distributed energy resources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marnay, Chris; Chard, Joseph S.; Hamachi, Kristina S.; Lipman, Timothy; Moezzi, Mithra M.; Ouaglal, Boubekeur; Siddiqui, Afzal S.

    2001-08-01

    This report describes work completed for the California Energy Commission (CEC) on the continued development and application of the Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM). This work was performed at Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) between July 2000 and June 2001 under the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS) Distributed Energy Resources Integration (DERI) project. Our research on distributed energy resources (DER) builds on the concept of the microgrid ({mu}Grid), a semiautonomous grouping of electricity-generating sources and end-use sinks that are placed and operated for the benefit of its members. Although a {mu}Grid can operate independent of the macrogrid (the utility power network), the {mu}Grid is usually interconnected, purchasing energy and ancillary services from the macrogrid. Groups of customers can be aggregated into {mu}Grids by pooling their electrical and other loads, and the most cost-effective combination of generation resources for a particular {mu}Grid can be found. In this study, DER-CAM, an economic model of customer DER adoption implemented in the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) optimization software is used, to find the cost-minimizing combination of on-site generation customers (individual businesses and a {mu}Grid) in a specified test year. DER-CAM's objective is to minimize the cost of supplying electricity to a specific customer by optimizing the installation of distributed generation and the self-generation of part or all of its electricity. Currently, the model only considers electrical loads, but combined heat and power (CHP) analysis capability is being developed under the second year of CEC funding. The key accomplishments of this year's work were the acquisition of increasingly accurate data on DER technologies, including the development of methods for forecasting cost reductions for these technologies, and the creation of a

  3. Mandatory IFRS adoption and accounting comparability

    OpenAIRE

    Cascino, Stefano; Gassen, Joachim

    2010-01-01

    The adoption of IFRS by many countries worldwide fuels the expectation that financial accounting might become more comparable across countries. This expectation is opposed to an alternative view that stresses the importance of incentives in shaping accounting information. We provide early evidence on this debate by investigating the effects of mandatory IFRS adoption on the comparability of financial accounting information around the world. Our results suggest that while mandatory adoption of...

  4. Modelling farmers’ decisions on adoption and intensification of improved cowpea seeds in Niger

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O.H. Issoufou

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In Niger, global change leads farmers increasingly to intensify their agricultural production. That is one of the reason improved seeds have been diffused among farmers since decades. The study uses Logit and Tobit software for modeling farmers’ decision on adoption and intensification of improved cowpea seeds. The sample consisted of 612 agricultural households selected by random sampling without replacement in 16 villages. Data was collected in 2015 to 2016 through individual survey and focus group. The results show that the rate of improved cowpea seed adoption is 39.7% after three years of introduction. The accessibility of village, age and availability, accessibility of seeds determine at the same time decisions of adoption and intensification of improved cowpea seeds. The probability of improved seeds adoption is determined by education, access to agricultural extension and adaptability, productivity of seeds. Crops Risk perception and preference, precocity of seeds only affect the intensification probability. The analysis of marginal effects shows that adoption probability increases for accessibility of village, education, access to agricultural extension and adaptability, availability and productivity of improved seeds. On the other hand, the probability decreases for age and the availability of seed. Looking at also the marginal effects on seed intensification, it was observed that the probability increases for accessibility of village, perception of production risk and preference, availability and precocity of improved seeds. However, this probability decreases for age and seeds accessibility. These determinants of adoption and intensification are essential for improved seeds dissemination action to enhance the rate of adoption, intensity of seeds use, impact and sustainability for producers.

  5. Describing the Process of Adopting Nutrition and Fitness Apps: Behavior Stage Model Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    König, Laura M; Sproesser, Gudrun; Schupp, Harald T; Renner, Britta

    2018-03-13

    Although mobile technologies such as smartphone apps are promising means for motivating people to adopt a healthier lifestyle (mHealth apps), previous studies have shown low adoption and continued use rates. Developing the means to address this issue requires further understanding of mHealth app nonusers and adoption processes. This study utilized a stage model approach based on the Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM), which proposes that people pass through qualitatively different motivational stages when adopting a behavior. To establish a better understanding of between-stage transitions during app adoption, this study aimed to investigate the adoption process of nutrition and fitness app usage, and the sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics and decision-making style preferences of people at different adoption stages. Participants (N=1236) were recruited onsite within the cohort study Konstanz Life Study. Use of mobile devices and nutrition and fitness apps, 5 behavior adoption stages of using nutrition and fitness apps, preference for intuition and deliberation in eating decision-making (E-PID), healthy eating style, sociodemographic variables, and body mass index (BMI) were assessed. Analysis of the 5 behavior adoption stages showed that stage 1 ("unengaged") was the most prevalent motivational stage for both nutrition and fitness app use, with half of the participants stating that they had never thought about using a nutrition app (52.41%, 533/1017), whereas less than one-third stated they had never thought about using a fitness app (29.25%, 301/1029). "Unengaged" nonusers (stage 1) showed a higher preference for an intuitive decision-making style when making eating decisions, whereas those who were already "acting" (stage 4) showed a greater preference for a deliberative decision-making style (F 4,1012 =21.83, Pdigital interventions. This study highlights that new user groups might be better reached by apps designed to address a more intuitive

  6. Out of the shadows: ‘new’ Peruvian cinema, national identity and political violence

    OpenAIRE

    Barrow, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    In May 1980, just as the Peruvian nation returned officially to democracy after twelve years of military rule, a splinter group of the national pro-Chinese Communist Party, Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), broke into a polling station in the region of Ayacucho and destroyed the ballot boxes there. This subversive act marked the onset of two decades of violent struggle, a ‘dirty war’ that persisted through three presidencies (Belaúnde, García, Fujimori), including the capture...

  7. Privacy and senior willingness to adopt smart home information technology in residential care facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Courtney, K L

    2008-01-01

    With large predicted increases of the older adult (65 years and older) population, researchers have been exploring the use of smart home information technologies (IT) in residential care (RC) facilities to enhance resident quality of life and safety. Older adults' perceptions of privacy can inhibit their acceptance and subsequent adoption of smart home IT. This qualitative study, guided by principles of grounded theory research, investigated the relationship between privacy, living environment and willingness of older adults living in residential care facilities to adopt smart home IT through focus groups and individual interviews. The findings from this study indicate that privacy can be a barrier for older adults' adoption of smart home IT; however their own perception of their need for the technology may override their privacy concerns. Privacy concerns, as a barrier to technology adoption, can be influenced by both individual-level and community-level factors. Further exploration of the factors influencing older adults' perceptions of smart home IT need is necessary.

  8. 20 CFR 222.53 - When a legally adopted child is dependent-child adopted after entitlement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false When a legally adopted child is dependent-child adopted after entitlement. 222.53 Section 222.53 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS Child Support and Dependency § 222.53 When...

  9. Target group segmentation makes sense: If one sheep leaps over the ditch, all the rest will follow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egmond, C.; Jonkers, R.; Kok, G.

    2006-01-01

    To meet the Dutch governmental goals of reducing CO 2 emission, target groups must increase their rates of adoption of energy conserving innovations. SenterNovem, in commission of the Dutch Ministry of Environmental Affairs, developed a strategy to effectively change the adoption behaviour of target groups. To develop strategies that take different rates of adoption into account, this study answers the questions: (1) How can different segments of the adopter market be categorized; (2) What are the characteristics of adopters in the different categories; (3) How do the determinants of behaviour of the adopter categories differ; and (4) What policy instruments can be used to change them? We conducted a secondary analysis of the data from a previous survey of housing associations. Based on the so-called self-designating method we constructed a scale of adoption rate and we measured the rate of adoption of housing associations. Segments of this target group with different adoption rates and correspondingly different characteristics were found: first adopters in a target group have a more visionary attitude, whereas the later adopters have a less visionary and more pragmatic attitude. We conclude that the self-designating method used in a survey provides explanation for the adoption speeds of different market segments. This explanation, in turn, can lead to more effective interventions

  10. Causal Factors for The Adoption Innovation Teacher’s Tv for Teachersand Educational Personnel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thanadol Phuseerit

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The purposes of this research were: to 1 study factors for the adoption of the innovation teacher’s TV for Teachers and educational personnel 2 develop and examine consideration of the causal factors for the adoption of the innovation teacher’s TV for teachers and educational personnel model, 3 evaluate and approve causal factors for the adoption of the innovation teacher’s TV for Teachers and educational personnel by the specialists. The method: Step Were 1 Review the literature of the principles, theories and research on the causal factors for the adoption of innovation in education, also study teachers’ adoption of innovation teacher’s TV and causal factors for adoption of innovation teacher’s TV. Further were, analysis and content to collect data on the volume of queries. Collected which was from in-depth interviews. through focus groups, teachers and educational personnel. Identify factors that are associated with the adoption of innovation teacher’s TV. 2 to develop causal factors for the adoption of the innovation teacher’s TV for teachers and educational personnel model. 3 Check the consistency of the causal factors for the adoption of the innovation teacher’s TV for teachers and educational personnel model by experts 4 evaluate and approve causal factors to the adoption innovation teacher’s TV for teachers and educational personnel model from the specialists. The sample were 11 experts in innovation and educational technology. The sample were 450 people whith were Analyzed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis: CFA of Structural Equation Modeling: SEM of causal factor for the adoption of the innovation teacher’s TV for teachers and education personnel model. The instrument used in this study were: 1 a questionnaire causal factor for the adoption of the innovation teacher’s TV for teachers and education personnel, 2 semi-structured questionnaire for interviewing teachers and education personnel, 3 open ended question

  11. The Impact of Hybrid Electric Vehicles Incentives on Demand and the Determinants of Hybrid-Vehicle Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riggieri, Alison

    incentives. Overall, these results suggest automobile manufacturing did not impact whether these policies were implemented, nor were they implemented to address air quality issues or gas price increases. Rather these policies were responses to popular support for hybrid vehicles. In addition, this dissertation identifies the average treatment effect of these incentives on state-level demand for hybrid vehicles. These effects are estimated using traditional parametric techniques, difference-in-difference regression, and fixed effects on two comparison groups: (1) the natural control group, states that did not adopt subsidies, and (2) a constructed control group, states that proposed subsidies during this same time period but did not adopt them. In addition to these parametric models, propensity score matching was used to construct a third comparison group using the models that identified determinants of the policy adoption. These findings were supplemented by exploratory analyses using the individual-level National Household Travel Survey. This multitude of evaluative analyses shows that overall, monetary hybrid incentives are not overwhelming effective in promoting the diffusion of this technology, but that HOV lane exemptions, however, if implemented in places with high traffic congestion, were found to impact aggregate demand and an individual's propensity to adopt a hybrid. The other two types of incentives, sales tax exemptions and income tax credits, were not found to be effective at the aggregate or the individual level. In addition, travel behavior was found to strongly predict adoption, more so than socioeconomic variables, stated attitudes, or characteristics of the built environment. The number of walking trips per month and the number of times a person used public transportation were found to be significant predictors of hybrid adoption, implying the decision to adopt a hybrid includes factors other than purely economic ones, such as environmental attitudes. These

  12. Why Do Smallholder Farmers Dis-adopt Conservation Agriculture? Insights from Malawi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chinseu, Edna; Dougill, Andrew; Stringer, Lindsay

    2017-04-01

    International donors and advisory bodies, national governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are all actively promoting conservation agriculture (CA) as a route to sustainable agricultural development, recognising the importance of agriculture to the national economy and livelihoods of rural communities. CA is anchored in 3 principles: i) minimum soil disturbance, ii) continuous soil cover and iii) crop associations. It is advocated on the basis of improving crop yields, income and/or profits; reducing production costs; and conserving soil and water. Despite huge investments made by CA proponents, many farmers only practice CA for a short time. They subsequently dis-adopt (abandon) the seemingly appropriate innovation and revert back to conventional tillage practices. While factors affecting the (initial) adoption of agricultural technologies have been studied extensively, dis-adoption has rarely been investigated. Improving our understanding of dis-adoption of seemingly appropriate and sustainable interventions is vital for long-term sustainable land management, food security and for ensuring sustained impacts of agricultural development project interventions more broadly. This research investigates why smallholder farmers abandon CA practices in Malawi by exploring farmers' experiences of CA and their implications in dis-adoption. A mixed methods approach was used, involving household questionnaire survey and focus group discussions with smallholder farmers. Findings reveal that reasons for dis-adoption are multi-dimensional and multi-layered. While CA proponents are marketing CA as a time saving, labour saving and yield improving technology, many farmers report contrary experiences. Findings also showed that farmers lacked ownership of CA projects and encountered various social challenges, which coupled with unfulfilled expectations, led to dis-adoption. In sub-Saharan Africa, this suggests that there is a need to: (1) market CA as a climate

  13. Social Media Adoption in Adult Education ‒ Administrators' Experience

    OpenAIRE

    Šliogerienė, Jolita.; Valūnaitė Oleškevičienė, Giedrė.; Fotheringham, Julia.; Palfreyman, Kirsty J..

    2015-01-01

    The rapid development of social media poses a multitude of considerations on this technology adoption. The emphasis in literature is put mainly on student or teacher perspective and less emphasis is dedicated upon administrators who also represent an important group of stakeholders. The aim of the study is to examine the phenomenon of potential educational use of social media at the public institutions of adult education based on administrators’ lived experience, taking into account how admin...

  14. Measures for Predictors of Innovation Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Wisdom, Jennifer P.; Olin, Su-Chin Serene; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Horwitz, Sarah M.

    2014-01-01

    Building on a narrative synthesis of adoption theories by Wisdom et al. (2013), this review identifies 118 measures associated with the 27 adoption predictors in the synthesis. The distribution of measures is uneven across the predictors and predictors vary in modifiability. Multiple dimensions and definitions of predictors further complicate measurement efforts. For state policymakers and researchers, more effective and integrated measurement can advance the adoption of complex innovations such as evidence-based practices. PMID:24740175

  15. KNOWLEDGE, TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AND FINANCIAL INNOVATION

    OpenAIRE

    Ana Fernandes

    2004-01-01

    Why are new financial instruments created? This paper proposes the view that financial development arises as a response to the contractual needs of emerging technologies. Exogenous technological progress generates a demand for new financial instruments in order to share risk or overcome private information, for example. A model of the dynamics of technology adoption and the evolution of financial instruments that support such adoption is presented. Early adoption may be required for financial...

  16. Subsocial behaviour and brood adoption in mixed-species colonies of two theridiid spiders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grinsted, Lena; Agnarsson, Ingi; Bilde, Trine

    2012-12-01

    Cooperation and group living often evolves through kin selection. However, associations between unrelated organisms, such as different species, can evolve if both parties benefit from the interaction. Group living is rare in spiders, but occurs in cooperative, permanently social spiders, as well as in territorial, colonial spiders. Mixed species spider colonies, involving closely related species, have rarely been documented. We examined social interactions in newly discovered mixed-species colonies of theridiid spiders on Bali, Indonesia. Our aim was to test the degree of intra- and interspecific tolerance, aggression and cooperation through behavioural experiments and examine the potential for adoption of foreign brood. Morphological and genetic analyses confirmed that colonies consisted of two related species Chikunia nigra (O.P. Cambridge, 1880) new combination (previously Chrysso nigra) and a yet undescribed Chikunia sp. Females defended territories and did not engage in cooperative prey capture, but interestingly, both species seemed to provide extended maternal care of young and indiscriminate care for foreign brood. Future studies may reveal whether these species adopt only intra-specific young, or also inter-specifically. We classify both Chikunia species subsocial and intra- and interspecifically colonial, and discuss the evolutionary significance of a system where one or both species may potentially benefit from mutual tolerance and brood adoption.

  17. Adoption of innovations with contrarian agents and repentance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Mirta B.; Laguna, M. F.; Gonçalves, S.; Iglesias, J. R.

    2017-11-01

    The dynamics of adoption of innovations is an important subject in many fields and areas, like technological development, industrial processes, social behavior, fashion or marketing. The number of adopters of a new technology generally increases following a kind of logistic function. However, empirical data provide evidences that this behavior may be more complex, as many factors influence the decision to adopt an innovation. On the one hand, although some individuals are inclined to adopt an innovation if many people do the same, there are others who act in the opposite direction, trying to differentiate from the ;herd;. People who prefer to behave like the others are called mimetic, whereas individuals who resist adopting new products, the stronger the greater the number of adopters, are named contrarians. Besides, in the real world new adopters may have second thoughts and change their decisions accordingly. In this contribution we include this possibility by means of repentance, a feature which was absent in previous models. The model of adoption of an innovation has all the ingredients of a previous version, in which the agents decision to adopt depends on the appeal of the novelty, the inertia or resistance to adopt it, and the social interactions with other agents, but now agents can repent and turn back to the old technology. We present analytic calculations and numerical simulations to determine the conditions for the establishment of the new technology. The inclusion of repentance can modify the balance between the global incentive to adopt and the number of contrarians who prevent full adoption, generating a rich landscape of temporal evolution that includes cycles of adoption.

  18. An explanatory model of the organizational factors that explain the adoption of E-business

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Beatriz García-Moreno

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: to describe the factors that facilitate the adoption of e-business in firms. To go in deep on the factors, resources and capabilities that need to be present in those firms seeking to improve their levels of e-business adoption. Design/methodology/approach: analysis of the literature involving the main theories on business administration, and more specifically, on those related to technology innovation (TI and information systems (IS, as applicable to the organizational factors that explain the adoption of e-business. Findings: it identifies three main sources of influence: a first group covers the characteristics of the actual firm, which refer to the organisation’s specific features: firm size, the backing of top management, expected benefit, age, the level of human capital, and international projection. A second group of factors includes technology-related characteristics. The third group contains all those aspects in the environment that may affect the firm’s attitude to e-business. Research limitations/implications: the chosen variables play significant role following a review of the studies on the subject, but not all potential ones have been included. The variables have been chosen in view of the large number of studies that have reported conclusive results. Practical implications: the model presented is designed to enable both scholars in this field and decision-makers in strategic matters to reflect upon those aspects that may drive the adoption of e-business, and thereby help them to make more informed decisions on the matter. Social implications: In highly competitive industries, firms need to keep themselves permanently up to speed with technological advances and strategic innovations Originality/value: it is the first study that considers three different perspectives: the organizational, the technological and the environmental one.

  19. An explanatory model of the organizational factors that explain the adoption of E-business

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    García-Moreno, M.B.; García-Moreno, S.; Nájera-Sánchez, J.J.; Pablos-Heredero, C. de

    2016-07-01

    Purpose: to describe the factors that facilitate the adoption of e-business in firms. To go in deep on the factors, resources and capabilities that need to be present in those firms seeking to improve their levels of e-business adoption. Analysis of the literature involving the main theories on business administration, and more specifically, on those related to technology innovation (TI) and information systems (IS), as applicable to the organizational factors that explain the adoption of e-business. Findings: it identifies three main sources of influence: a first group covers the characteristics of the actual firm, which refer to the organisation’s specific features: firm size, the backing of top management, expected benefit, age, the level of human capital, and international projection. A second group of factors includes technology-related characteristics. The third group contains all those aspects in the environment that may affect the firm’s attitude to e-business. Research limitations/implications: the chosen variables play significant role following a review of the studies on the subject, but not all potential ones have been included. The variables have been chosen in view of the large number of studies that have reported conclusive results. Practical implications: the model presented is designed to enable both scholars in this field and decision-makers in strategic matters to reflect upon those aspects that may drive the adoption of e-business, and thereby help them to make more informed decisions on the matter. Social implications: In highly competitive industries, firms need to keep themselves permanently up to speed with technological advances and strategic innovations Originality/value: it is the first study that considers three different perspectives: the organizational, the technological and the environmental one. (Author)

  20. Adopting Sustainability in the Organization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frandsen, Sanne; Morsing, Mette; Vallentin, Steen

    2013-01-01

    Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between sustainability adoption and internal legitimacy construction. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is designed as a critical inquiry into existing research and practice on sustainability adoption, illustrated by two...... corporate vignettes. Findings – Prior studies tend to assume that awareness raising is a sufficient means to create employee commitment and support for corporate sustainability programs, while empirical observations indicate that managerial disregard of conflicting interpretations of sustainability may...... result in the illegitimacy of such programs. Originality/value – The authors suggest that a loosely coupled approach to sustainability adoption is a productive way to understand internal legitimacy construction, as it appreciates complexity and polyphony....

  1. Sobre la identificación macroscópica de las piezas astilladas: propuesta experimental

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    de la Peña Alonso, Paloma

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Splintered pieces have been linked in different studies with two activities: bipolar flint knapping and the use as an intermediate tool (i.e. wedges for working hard materials (e.g. bone, wood and antler. The aim of this experimental study was to distinguish macroscopically the characteristics of pieces resulting from both processes and moreover, to discern clearly in which circumstances what are considered typologically splintered pieces are produced. The study is concluded with a detailed description of the macro-traces associated with each of the experimental procedures performed and which define the actions that led to typologically characteristic splintered pieces.

    El morfotipo lítico “pieza astillada” (pièces esquillées o splintered pieces ha sido relacionado, por los estudios de Prehistoria, con dos actividades muy distintas: la talla posada sobre yunque –también denominada “talla bipolar”– y el empleo de piezas intermedias –a modo de cuña/cincel– para el trabajo de materias primas duras (hueso, madera y asta. Se presenta una propuesta experimental que busca distinguir macroscópicamente estos dos tipos de actividades y discernir en qué casos se produce o no lo que tipológicamente se considera “pieza astillada”. Se concluye con una descripción detallada de las macrotrazas obtenidas para cada una de las variantes de la experimentación, en la que se especifica qué casos reproducen lo que tipológicamente denominamos “pieza astillada”.

  2. Why Did You Choose This Pet?: Adopters and Pet Selection Preferences in Five Animal Shelters in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Emily; Miller, Katherine; Mohan-Gibbons, Heather; Vela, Carla

    2012-01-01

    Simple Summary This study examined reasons why adopters chose their pet in an animal shelter, what behaviors were first exhibited by the pet to the adopter, what information was important during their selection process, and the relative importance of seeing the animals’ behavior in various contexts. Abstract Responses from an adopter survey (n = 1,491) determined reasons for pet selection, type of information received by the adopter, and the context in which the animal’s behavior was observed. Appearance of the animal, social behavior with adopter, and personality were the top reasons for adoption across species and age groups. Most adopters stated that information about the animal from a staff member or volunteer was more important than information on cage cards, and health and behavior information was particularly important. Adopters found greater importance in interacting with the animal rather than viewing it in its kennel. The results of this study can be used by shelters to create better adoption matches, prioritize shelter resources and staff training, and potentially increase adoptions. Additionally, some simple training techniques are suggested to facilitate adopter-friendly behaviors from sheltered dogs and cats. PMID:26486914

  3. CERTS customer adoption model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rubio, F. Javier; Siddiqui, Afzal S.; Marnay, Chris; Hamachi,Kristina S.

    2000-03-01

    This effort represents a contribution to the wider distributed energy resources (DER) research of the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS, http://certs.lbl.gov) that is intended to attack and, hopefully, resolve the technical barriers to DER adoption, particularly those that are unlikely to be of high priority to individual equipment vendors. The longer term goal of the Berkeley Lab effort is to guide the wider technical research towards the key technical problems by forecasting some likely patterns of DER adoption. In sharp contrast to traditional electricity utility planning, this work takes a customer-centric approach and focuses on DER adoption decision making at, what we currently think of as, the customer level. This study reports on Berkeley Lab's second year effort (completed in Federal fiscal year 2000, FY00) of a project aimed to anticipate patterns of customer adoption of distributed energy resources (DER). Marnay, et al., 2000 describes the earlier FY99 Berkeley Lab work. The results presented herein are not intended to represent definitive economic analyses of possible DER projects by any means. The paucity of data available and the importance of excluded factors, such as environmental implications, are simply too important to make such an analysis possible at this time. Rather, the work presented represents a demonstration of the current model and an indicator of the potential to conduct more relevant studies in the future.

  4. Redefining family relationships following adoption : adoptive parents' perspectives on the changing nature of kinship between adoptees and birth relatives.

    OpenAIRE

    Jones, C.; Hackett, S.

    2012-01-01

    Contemporary child adoption in the UK and USA has been conceptualised as an extended kinship network of adopted children, birth relatives and adopters (Reitz and Watson, 1992; Grotevant and McRoy, 1998). This contrasts sharply with the traditional model of adoption as a form of family substitution. Yet, such a reconceptualisation raises many questions about the meaning of kinship for those involved. This paper draws on data from a series of biographical interviews with twenty-two parents who ...

  5. The intrapersonal conflict particularities of potential adopters.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inga Russu

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses a contemporary issue for the Republic of Moldova concerning psychological implications of the adoption process for prospective adopters. This demand is due to the fact that the majority of couples or people passing through the decision making adoption process are facing a number of conlicting emotions and spiritual states. Thereby, is signiicant to understand the adoption multidimensionality of social and intrapersonal components. Adoptive parents can feel themselves as victims of „the process”. For them, the assessment of living conditions, the assessment of moral and social guarantees, inclusion or exclusion as eligible adoptive parents, represent a procedure part, which generates frustrations and anxieties. Some of them, often suffer from lack of supporting and understanding, as family members point of view, friends and known people. Also, in this context, parents may face some frustrations related to the matching procedure harmonisation with long cogitation process of the child.

  6. THE INTRAPERSONAL CONFLICT PARTICULARITIES OF POTENTIAL ADOPTERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inga RUSSU

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses a contemporary issue for the Republic of Moldova concerning psychological implications of the adoption process for prospective adopters. This demand is due to the fact that the majority of couples or people passing through the decision making adoption process are facing a number of conflicting emotions and spiritual states. Thereby, is significant to understand the adoption multidimensionality of social and intrapersonal components. Adoptive parents can feel themselves as victims of „the process”. For them, the assessment of living conditions, the assessment of moral and social guarantees, inclusion or exclusion as eligible adoptive parents, represent a procedure part, which generates frustrations and anxieties. Some of them, often suffer from lack of supporting and understanding, as family members point of view, friends and known people. Also, in this context, parents may face some frustrations related to the matching procedure harmonisation with long cogitation process of the child.

  7. Same-Sex Adoption as a Welfare Alternative? Conservatism, Neoliberal Values, and Support for Adoption by Same-Sex Couples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Samuel L; Whitehead, Andrew L

    2015-01-01

    Despite conservatives' long-term opposition to gay and lesbian parenting, scholars theorize that a strong commitment to neoliberalism may influence conservative Americans to become more tolerant of same-sex adoption as a way to relieve the government from subsidizing poor families. Drawing on national survey data (2010 Baylor Religion Survey), we test whether holding neoliberal values is associated with greater support for same-sex adoption in general and across political or religious conservatives. We find no support for either theory-emphatically the opposite, in fact. Neoliberal values are negatively associated with support for same-sex adoption for Americans in general and among political and religious conservatives. We find little evidence of a tension among conservatives regarding same-sex adoption as both their neoliberal values and moral beliefs incline them to oppose same-sex adoption along with other same-sex family relationships.

  8. Relationship between age at gonadectomy and health problems in kittens adopted from shelters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porters, N; Polis, I; Moons, C P H; Van de Maele, I; Ducatelle, R; Goethals, K; Duchateau, L; de Rooster, H

    2015-05-30

    Prepubertal gonadectomy (PPG) is promoted as a way of managing overpopulation in cats, but concerns about PPG and potential health issues still exist. The objective of the present study was to evaluate short-term and long-term health problems in cats subjected to PPG in comparison to gonadectomy at traditional age (TAG). In a prospective clinical trial, 800 shelter kittens aged between approximately 8 weeks and 12 weeks were recruited before adoption and randomly assigned to either the PPG group (gonadectomy performed immediately) or the TAG group (gonadectomy delayed until six months to eight months of age). Short-term health issues included mortality between when kittens arrived at the clinic and up to seven days after they returned to the shelter, as well as the occurrence of various other health issues arising in the first month following adoption. Kittens were followed-up until 24 months of age specifically for feline lower urinary tract disease, urethral obstruction (male cats), lameness, fractures and hypersensitivity disorders with dermatological presentation. In the short term, there were no significant differences between health problems in PPG and TAG kittens. Similarly, no significant differences were observed between treatment groups in terms of the type or number of health issues in the long term. In conclusion, there are no health-related contraindications to advocating PPG strategies in shelter cats. Ideally, PPG should be performed at the shelter facility itself as long as excellent infectious disease control and postoperative clinical observation before adoption are guaranteed. British Veterinary Association.

  9. Parental alcohol dependence and the transmission of adolescent behavioral disinhibition: a study of adoptive and non-adoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, Serena M; Keyes, Margaret; Malone, Stephen M; Elkins, Irene; Legrand, Lisa N; Iacono, William G; McGue, Matt

    2009-04-01

    To examine the genetic and environmental influences of parental alcoholism on offspring disinhibited behavior. We compared the effect of parental alcoholism history on offspring in adoptive and non-adoptive families. In families with a history of parental alcohol dependence, we examined the effect of exposure to parental alcoholism symptoms during the life-time of the adolescent. Setting Assessments occurred at the University of Minnesota from 1998 to 2004. Adolescents adopted in infancy were ascertained systematically from records of three private Minnesota adoption agencies; non-adopted adolescents were ascertained from Minnesota birth records. Adolescents and their rearing parents participated in in-person assessments. For adolescents, measures included self- reports of delinquency, deviant peers, substance use, antisocial attitudes and personality. For parents, we conducted DSM-IV clinical assessments of alcohol abuse and dependence. A history of parental alcohol dependence was associated with higher levels of disinhibition only when adolescents were related biologically to their rearing parents. Within families with a history of parental alcoholism, exposure to parental alcohol misuse during the life-time of the adolescent was associated with increased odds of using alcohol in adopted adolescents only. These findings suggest that the association between a history of parental alcohol dependence and adolescent offspring behavioral disinhibition is attributable largely to genetic rather than environmental transmission. We also obtained some evidence for parental alcohol misuse as a shared environmental risk factor in adoptive families.

  10. 'Adoption' by maternal siblings in wild chimpanzees

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hobaiter, Catherine; Schel, Anne Marijke; Langergraber, Kevin; Zuberbühler, Klaus

    2014-01-01

    The adoption of unrelated orphaned infants is something chimpanzees and humans have in common. Providing parental care has fitness implications for both the adopter and orphan, and cases of adoption have thus been cited as evidence for a shared origin of an altruistic behaviour. We provide new data

  11. Post-Adoption Services: Needs of the Family

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Denise

    2005-01-01

    This study, conducted in an agency providing post-adoption services, describes the demographic characteristics of parents and children in post-adoptive families and assesses the differences in perceptions between mothers and fathers, as well as other characteristics of families who adopt children with special needs. (Contains 3 tables.)

  12. The determinants of medical technology adoption in different decisional systems: A systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varabyova, Yauheniya; Blankart, Carl Rudolf; Greer, Ann Lennarson; Schreyögg, Jonas

    2017-03-01

    Studies of determinants of adoption of new medical technology have failed to coalesce into coherent knowledge. A flaw obscuring strong patterns may be a common habit of treating a wide range of health care innovations as a generic technology. We postulate three decisional systems that apply to different medical technologies with distinctive expertise, interest, and authority: medical-individualistic, fiscal-managerial, and strategic-institutional decisional systems. This review aims to examine the determinants of the adoption of medical technologies based on the corresponding decision-making system. We included quantitative and qualitative studies that analyzed factors facilitating or inhibiting the adoption of medical technologies. In total, 65 studies published between 1974 and 2014 met our inclusion criteria. These studies contained 688 occurrences of variables that were used to examine the adoption decisions, and we subsequently condensed these variables to 62 determinants in four main categories: organizational, individual, environmental, and innovation-related. The determinants and their empirical association with adoption were grouped and analyzed by the three decision-making systems. Although we did not identify substantial differences across the decision-making systems in terms of the direction of the determinants' influence on adoption, a clear pattern emerged in terms of the categories of determinants that were targeted in different decision-making systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Healthy Travel for International Adoptions

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2007-10-22

    The number of international adoptions, many from developing countries, has doubled in the last 10 years. This podcast discusses ways adoptive families can protect their own health and the health of their new children.  Created: 10/22/2007 by National Center for the Prevention, Detection and Control of Infectious Diseases (NCPDCID).   Date Released: 10/24/2007.

  14. Stimulating a Sustainable Construction through Holistic BIM Adoption: The Root Causes of Recurring Low BIM Adoption in Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mamter, S.; Abdul-Aziz, AR; Mamat, ME

    2017-06-01

    Fostering the Building Information Modelling (BIM) implementation is one of Malaysia sustainable strategies towards greener construction. Hence, the Eleventh Malaysia plan focuses on transforming construction industry through the increase of technology adoption in order to enhance construction productivity. Therefore, there is a growing and urgent demand to provide BIM competent. However, a significant number of parties are reluctant to develop and invest in BIM due to unsolved root causes. Scholars have identified barriers relating to the infancy stage of BIM adoption in Malaysia. Unfortunately, there is a lack of study to explore deeper the root causes of recurring for the barriers anticipate the low BIM adoption. This paper attempts to delve into the initiatives of BIM stake players in fostering BIM adoption and to determine the root causes of recurring barriers due to low BIM adoption. The study adopted the semi-structured interviews which involved BIM stake players as a sample population. From the findings, authors revealed four root causes of recurring barriers; absence of BIM policy and BIM compulsion, poor holistic readiness, software integration competition strategy, and reluctant in sharing knowledge. The findings espoused here are preliminary and more results are expected to emerge as the research progresses.

  15. Adoptees' contact with birth parents in emerging adulthood: the role of adoption communication and attachment to adoptive parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farr, Rachel H; Grant-Marsney, Holly A; Grotevant, Harold D

    2014-12-01

    As adoptees transition to adulthood, their roles in the family may shift, providing them with opportunities to have increasing autonomy in their decisions about contact and initiating conversations about adoption. Research has often focused more on adoptees as children, yet in emerging adulthood, there are important shifts in the life roles and relationships of adoptees during which adoptive parents continue to be meaningful. This study examined associations among attachment and communication within the adoptive family during adulthood with emerging adult adoptees' experience of birth family contact (frequency of and satisfaction with birth family contact), in a sample of 167 emerging adults with varied contact with birth family (from no contact to frequent contact). Results suggest that perceptions of secure parent-child attachment relationships, as well as sensitive and open communication with adoptive parents about adoption, continue to be important for emerging adult adoptees and lead to greater satisfaction for adoptees with birth parent contact-regardless of whether adoptees actually have birth family contact. In particular, positive family communication about adoption during adulthood was predictive of satisfaction with birth parent contact. Limitations and implications are discussed. © 2014 Family Process Institute.

  16. Highly Adoptable Improvement: A Practical Model and Toolkit to Address Adoptability and Sustainability of Quality Improvement Initiatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Christopher William; Goldmann, Don

    2018-03-01

    Failure to consider the impact of change on health care providers is a barrier to success. Initiatives that increase workload and have low perceived value are less likely to be adopted. A practical model and supporting tools were developed on the basis of existing theories to help quality improvement (QI) programs design more adoptable approaches. Models and theories from the diffusion of innovation and work stress literature were reviewed, and key-informant interviews and site visits were conducted to develop a draft Highly Adoptable Improvement (HAI) Model. A list of candidate factors considered for inclusion in the draft model was presented to an expert panel. A modified Delphi process was used to narrow the list of factors into main themes and refine the model. The resulting model and supporting tools were pilot tested by 16 improvement advisors for face validity and usability. The HAI Model depicts how workload and perceived value influence adoptability of QI initiatives. The supporting tools include an assessment guide and suggested actions that QI programs can use to help design interventions that are likely to be adopted. Improvement advisors reported good face validity and usability and found that the model and the supporting tools helped address key issues related to adoption and reported that they would continue to use them. The HAI Model addresses important issues regarding workload and perceived value of improvement initiatives. Pilot testing suggests that the model and supporting tools are helpful and practical in guiding design and implementation of adoptable and sustainable QI interventions. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Factors associated with adoption of health information technology: a conceptual model based on a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruse, Clemens Scott; DeShazo, Jonathan; Kim, Forest; Fulton, Lawrence

    2014-05-23

    The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) allocated $19.2 billion to incentivize adoption of the electronic health record (EHR). Since 2009, Meaningful Use Criteria have dominated information technology (IT) strategy. Health care organizations have struggled to meet expectations and avoid penalties to reimbursements from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Organizational theories attempt to explain factors that influence organizational change, and many theories address changes in organizational strategy. However, due to the complexities of the health care industry, existing organizational theories fall short of demonstrating association with significant health care IT implementations. There is no organizational theory for health care that identifies, groups, and analyzes both internal and external factors of influence for large health care IT implementations like adoption of the EHR. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify a full-spectrum of both internal organizational and external environmental factors associated with the adoption of health information technology (HIT), specifically the EHR. The result is a conceptual model that is commensurate with the complexity of with the health care sector. We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed (restricted to English), EBSCO Host, and Google Scholar for both empirical studies and theory-based writing from 1993-2013 that demonstrated association between influential factors and three modes of HIT: EHR, electronic medical record (EMR), and computerized provider order entry (CPOE). We also looked at published books on organizational theories. We made notes and noted trends on adoption factors. These factors were grouped as adoption factors associated with various versions of EHR adoption. The resulting conceptual model summarizes the diversity of independent variables (IVs) and dependent variables (DVs) used in articles, editorials, books, as

  18. Processes linked to contact changes in adoptive kinship networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunbar, Nora; van Dulmen, Manfred H M; Ayers-Lopez, Susan; Berge, Jerica M; Christian, Cinda; Gossman, Ginger; Henney, M Susan M; Mendenhall, Tai J; Grotevant, Harold D; McRoy, Ruth G

    2006-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to reveal underlying processes in adoptive kinship networks that experienced increases or decreases in levels of openness during the child's adolescent years. Intensive case study analyses were conducted for 8 adoptive kinship networks (each including an adoptive mother, adoptive father, adopted adolescent, and birth mother), half of whom had experienced an increase in openness from indirect (mediated) to direct (fully disclosed) contact and half of whom had ceased indirect contact between Waves 1 and 2 of a longitudinal study. Adoptive mothers tended to be more involved in contact with the birth mother than were adoptive fathers or adopted adolescents. Members of adoptive kinship networks in which a decrease in level of contact took place had incongruent perspectives about who initiated the stop in contact and why the stop took place. Birth mothers were less satisfied with their degree of contact than were adoptive parents. Adults' satisfaction with contact was related to feelings of control over type and amount of interactions and permeability of family boundaries. In all adoptive kinship networks, responsibility for contact had shifted toward the adopted adolescent regardless of whether the adolescent was aware of this change in responsibility.

  19. Responding to the Needs of the Adopted Child

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gajda, Rebecca

    2004-01-01

    In today's societal landscape, "adoption," the legal process by which a child becomes a full and permanent member of a new family, is becoming commonplace. Even though most people have had a personal experience with adoption in some capacity, those most closely associated with adoption (birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive parents) continue to be…

  20. "We don't know her history, her background": adoptive parents' perspectives on whole genome sequencing results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crouch, Julia; Yu, Joon-Ho; Shankar, Aditi G; Tabor, Holly K

    2015-02-01

    Exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing (ES/WGS) can provide parents with a wide range of genetic information about their children, and adoptive parents may have unique issues to consider regarding possible access to this information. The few papers published on adoption and genetics have focused on targeted genetic testing of children in the pre-adoption context. There are no data on adoptive parents' perspectives about pediatric ES/WGS, including their preferences about different kinds of results, and the potential benefits and risks of receiving results. To explore these issues, we conducted four exploratory focus groups with adoptive parents (N = 26). The majority lacked information about their children's biological family health history and ancestry, and many viewed WGS results as a way to fill in these gaps in knowledge. Some expressed concerns about protecting their children's future privacy and autonomy, but at the same time stated that WGS results could possibly help them be proactive about their children's health. A few parents expressed concerns about the risks of WGS in a pre-adoption context, specifically about decreasing a child's chance of adoption. These results suggest that issues surrounding genetic information in the post-adoption and ES/WGS contexts need to be considered, as well as concerns about risks in the pre-adoption context. A critical challenge for ES/WGS in the context of adoption will be balancing the right to know different kinds of genetic information with the right not to know. Specific guidance for geneticists and genetic counselors may be needed to maximize benefits of WGS while minimizing harms and prohibiting misuse of the information in the adoption process.

  1. Awareness of BIM adoption in Brunei

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Md Motiar

    2017-09-01

    Building Information Modelling (BIM) is getting increased attention day-by-day due to its many benefits, including clash detection, collaboration between contract parties, visualization future structure, optimized schedule and project control, waste control, design documentation, and harmonized facilities management. As such, many countries have already adopted BIM, and many other countries are exploring the potential of adopting it. However, it is still relatively new and unknown to some other countries like Brunei. This study was therefore undertaken to generate and/or gauge the awareness of Brunei construction industry participants, targeting adoption of BIM, through a structured questionnaire survey. Responses from 90 industry participants reveal that Brunei Construction industry is not well aware of BIM, lack the required technical knowledge and application in construction, and cost involvement. They are unsure about the potential benefits and barriers to implementing BIM. However, respondents are hopeful that BIM can bring the required changes in construction, willing to adopt BIM, expects cliental support with initial investment for its adoption, and believe that BIM is the future of construction project information management. On the whole, private sector was seen to be more aware on BIM than public sector. The study outcomes are expected to provide the policy makers a first-hand information on the industry awareness on BIM, which in turn help them for further exploration / examination and to design any action plan and guidelines for BIM adoption.

  2. Striking Features of the New Market Companies Adopting Hedge Accounting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leandro Augusto Toigo

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available This research had as main objective to analyze the corporate and financial governance characteristics that discriminate against groups of companies that adopt hedge accounting in the new market for risk management. In this sense, there was descriptive survey the site of BM&FBOVESPA, conducted through desk review of the financial statements of 31/12/2012, including the explicative notes and management reports, there was also collecting data in reference form and Economatica. The population corresponds as 128 companies of the governance level - new market, and that the reserve sample was random and probabilistic, comprising 88 companies. We used a construct of the CPC 40 that deals with hedge accounting in order to segment the sample companies opting or not hedge accounting. The results of the application of Pearson's correlation and logistic regression with the Hosmer and Lemoshow tests (HLT and Test Omnibus coefficient model (OTMC, have shown that companies with ownership concentration, foreign investors and larger assets are adopting more significantly CPC 40. It follows that Brazilian companies belonging to the new market that adopt the practice of accounting disclosure to demonstrate improvement in risk management of the investments of the shareholders, are large companies with the capital structure composed of foreign investor and representative shareholder wealth.

  3. An Exploration of the Factors Influencing the Adoption of an IS Governance Framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Sharon L.

    2013-01-01

    This research explored IT governance framework adoption, leveraging established IS theories. It applied both the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the technology, organization, environment (TOE) models. The study consisted of developing a model utilizing TOE and TAM, deriving relevant hypotheses. Interviews with a group of practitioners…

  4. Skill mastery inhibits adoption of observed alternative solutions among chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hrubesch, Christine; Preuschoft, Signe; van Schaik, Carel

    2009-03-01

    Geographic variation in socially transmitted skills and signals, similar to human culture, has been well documented for great apes. The rules governing the adoption of novel behaviours, however, are still largely unknown. We conducted an innovation-and-transmission experiment with two groups of chimpanzees living at hopE Primate Sanctuary Gänserndorf, Austria, presenting a board on which food had to be manoeuvred around obstacles to be acquired. Most chimpanzees used sticks to acquire the food, but five adults independently invented a novel technique, rattling, which was subsequently tested by almost all group members. However, individuals who had become proficient with sticks were reluctant to switch to rattling, despite it being more efficient. Similarly, after rattling was prevented, rattle specialists kept trying to rattle and made no attempt to use the stick technique, despite their knowledge about its existence. We conclude that innovators stimulate others to experiment with the solutions they display, but that chimpanzees are nevertheless conservative; mastery of a skill inhibits further exploration, and hence adoption of alternative techniques even if these are more efficient. Consequently, conformity among group members should not be expected in great apes when individuals develop proficiency at different techniques. Conservatism thus joins conformity as a mechanism to bring about cultural uniformity and stability.

  5. Books on Adoption for Young Children: Looking at Language.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schimmel, Nancy; Love, Susan

    1997-01-01

    Books can inform, reassure, and give young children the vocabulary to talk about adoption. This article presents and examines the language used to talk about adoption in eleven current children's books. Discusses surrogacy, adoption, "natural" parents, grief, "chosen-baby" stories, age at adoption, international adoption,…

  6. Who wants to adopt and who wants to be adopted: a sample of American families and sub-Saharan African orphans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balding, Christopher; Feng, Yan; Atashband, Armita

    2015-12-01

    The debate between pro- and anti-international adoption advocates relies heavily on rhetoric and little on data analysis. To better understand the state of orphans and potential adopters in this debate, we utilize the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to study who adopts internationally and the status of orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa. According to NSFG data adopters are church going, highly educated, stable families aware of the challenges faced by international adoption, with high rates of infertility and rates of child abuse half the population average. According to the DHS data, orphans in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from significantly higher deprivation, reduced schooling and increased levels of stunting and underweight reported than their cohort. Using this data, we estimate conservatively that that 1 50 000 orphans from our sample of sub-Saharan African countries died from their 5-year birth cohort. Given the large number of families seeking to adopt and the high number of orphan deaths, it seems counterproductive to restrict international adoptions given the significantly lower risks faced by children in adopted families compared with remaining orphaned. © The Author 2015; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

  7. Willingness to Adopt Biochar in Agriculture: The Producer’s Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka E. Latawiec

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Most research on biochar has focused either on the mechanistic or the biophysical aspects, and there has been relatively little research into the social applicability and acceptance of biochar as a soil enhancer in agriculture. However, whether to adopt biochar in their practice is ultimately the farmers’ decision, and their willingness to do so is crucial. Here, we show the producer’s perspective on adopting biochar, using Polish farmers as a case study. Poland is an interesting case study because biochar has only recently attracted the attention of researchers, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders there. We performed standardized, semi-structured interviews with 161 Polish farmers to evaluate the socioeconomic potential of biochar application in practice. We found that 27% of the respondents claimed to be familiar with biochar. The respondents with a technical, non-agricultural level of education were most familiar with the term ‘biochar’ (36%, followed by the group of respondents with a higher-level agricultural education (31%. It was surprising that among the latter respondents, the majority (69% did not know the term ‘biochar’, either in the context used for this study or in any other context. Twenty percent of the respondents expressed an interest in using biochar, while 43% were not willing to adopt it in their agricultural practice (37% ‘did not know yet’. If a farmer was familiar with the concept of sustainable agriculture, the probability of familiarity with biochar increased by 16% (p < 0.05. In addition, farmers interested in using biochar indicated that sustainable agriculture might improve the financial situation of their farms (52%. The perceived benefits of biochar that drive the willingness to adopt it included improved soil quality and increased income due to increased yields, while the constraints on its adoption were associated mainly with high costs. Our results also point to the necessity of information

  8. Compositeness condition in the renormalization group equation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bando, Masako; Kugo, Taichiro; Maekawa, Nobuhiro; Sasakura, Naoki; Watabiki, Yoshiyuki; Suehiro, Kazuhiko

    1990-01-01

    The problems in imposing compositeness conditions as boundary conditions in renormalization group equations are discussed. It is pointed out that one has to use the renormalization group equation directly in cutoff theory. In some cases, however, it can be approximated by the renormalization group equation in continuum theory if the mass dependent renormalization scheme is adopted. (orig.)

  9. Procedures adopted by orthodontists for space closure and anchorage control

    OpenAIRE

    Monini,André da Costa; Gandini Júnior,Luiz Gonzaga; Santos-Pinto,Ary dos; Maia,Luiz Guilherme Martins; Rodrigues,Willian Caetano

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the procedures adopted by Brazilian orthodontists in the following situations: extraction space closure, anchorage control in case of necessary anchorage for group A and frequency of skeletal anchorage use, especially in the upper jaw. METHOD: A questionnaire was sent to the e-mail address of all dentists registered in the Brazilian Federal Council of Dentistry. RESULTS: The results showed that most Brazilian orthodontists usually perform extra...

  10. Procedures adopted by orthodontists for space closure and anchorage control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monini, André da Costa; Gandini Júnior, Luiz Gonzaga; dos Santos-Pinto, Ary; Maia, Luiz Guilherme Martins; Rodrigues, Willian Caetano

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to identify the procedures adopted by Brazilian orthodontists in the following situations: extraction space closure, anchorage control in case of necessary anchorage for group A and frequency of skeletal anchorage use, especially in the upper jaw. A questionnaire was sent to the e-mail address of all dentists registered in the Brazilian Federal Council of Dentistry. The results showed that most Brazilian orthodontists usually perform extraction space closure by means of sliding mechanics. The use of palatal bar, inclusion of second molars in the archwire and space closure performed in two phases are the most used techniques for anchorage control in the upper jaw. The skeletal anchorage is referenced by 36.5% of specialists as a routine practice for the upper arch anchorage. There is a wide variety of procedures adopted by Brazilian orthodontists for orthodontic space closure and anchorage control.

  11. TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY AND IMPACT EVALUATION DIFFERENTIALS BETWEEN THE ADOPTERS AND NON-ADOPTERS OF NERICA IN THE SIX BASELINE STATES IN NIGERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abiodun Elijah OBAYELU

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The study examined the adoption rate of New Rice for Africa (NERICA, technical efficiency differentials of production of these varieties between adopters and non-adopters and the determinants. It further analysed the impact of adoption of NERICA on area cultivated, output, yield, expenditure and total income of rice farmers in the NERICA baseline states in Nigeria. To achieve the objectives, it employed the descriptive statistics, stochastic production frontier and counterfactual outcomes framework of modern evaluation technique (the Local Average Treatment Effect to analyse 621 rice farmers across the six NERICA baseline states in Nigeria in 2012. The findings show that NERICA adopters were more technically efficient than the non-adopters. In addition, adoption of NERICA was found to significantly increase the areas of land cultivated, output, yield, household expenditure, per capita household expenditure and total income among NERICA adopters by 1.2ha (p < 0.01, 1998.2kg (p< 0.01, 191.2kg/ha (p < 0.1, N13,222.63≈$66.4 (p < 0.05, N2,015.6≈$10.1 (p < 0.05 and N145,098.7 ≈$728.0 (p < 0.01 respectively despite their high level of inefficiency (39 percent by the adopters. The positive impact of NERICA adoption on rice yields, poverty status measured by the per capita household expenditure and total farm income of farmers is a clear indication that NERICA has the potential to increase rice productivity, reduce poverty and food insecurity. NERICA adoption rate will rise if more farmers are aware of the varieties in the study. Farmers who had adopted, and government at all levels should therefore intensify their efforts to encourage others rice farmers possibly through the extension agents on the need to grow NERICA varieties so as to increase rice production level, reduce rice importation and ensure a sustainable rice production.

  12. Awareness, persuasion, and adoption: Enriching the Bass model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colapinto, Cinzia; Sartori, Elena; Tolotti, Marco

    2014-02-01

    In the context of diffusion of innovations, we propose a probabilistic model based on interacting populations connected through new communication channels. The potential adopters are heterogeneous in the connectivity levels and in their taste for innovation. The proposed framework can model the different stages of the adoption dynamics. In particular, the adoption curve is the result of a micro-founded decision process following the awareness phase. Eventually, we recover stylized facts pointed out by the extant literature in the field, such as delayed adoptions and non-monotonic adoption curves.

  13. SOME REMARKS ON THE NEW AMENDMENTS IN THE ADOPTION PROCEDURE REGARDING THE ADOPTION DEFINING TERMS AND SUBSTANTIVE CONDITIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Cetean-Voiculescu

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Adoption is one of the most important measures to protect children in need, namely that category of children who are deprived of parental care, loss due to various reasons. If a child in need can not be maintained or reinstated in his natural family, state authorities must have an alternative measure of protection: guardianship, special protective measures provided by Law no. 272/2004 on the protection and promotion of children's rights (placement, emergency placement or specialized supervision or adoption, regulated by Law no. 273/2004. This paper aims to critically analyze the Adoption of the new rules, with special regard to the definition, principles and conditions for the adoption procedure.

  14. The movement kinematics and learning strategies associated with adopting different foci of attention during both acquisition and anxious performance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gavin Peter Lawrence

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Research suggests that implicit strategies adopted during learning help prevent breakdown of automatic processes and subsequent performance decrements associated with the presence of pressure. According to the Constrained Action Hypothesis, automaticity of movement is promoted when adopting an external focus of attention. The purpose of the current experiment was to investigate if learning with an external focus of attention can enhance performance under subsequent pressure situations through promoting implicit learning and automaticity. Since previous research has generally used outcome measures of performance, the current study adopted measures of movement production. Specifically, we calculated within subject variability in trajectory velocity and distance travelled every 10% of movement time. This detailed kinematic analysis allowed investigation into some of the previously unexplored mechanisms responsible for the benefits of adopting an external focus of attention. Novice participants performed a 2.5m golf putt. Following a pre-test, participants were randomly assigned to one of three focus groups (internal, external, control. Participants then completed 400 acquisition trials over two consecutive days before being subjected to both a low-anxiety and high-anxiety transfer test. Dependent variables included variability, number of successful putts and mean radial error. Results revealed that variability was greater in the internal compared to the external and control groups. Putting performance revealed that all groups increased performance following acquisition. However, only the control group demonstrated a decrement in performance in the high-anxiety transfer test. These findings suggest that adopting an appropriate focus of attention during learning can prevent choking; with an external focus inhibiting the breakdown of automatic processes and an internal focus acting as a self-focus learning strategy and thus desensitizing individuals

  15. Re an Adoption Application (Surrogacy), 11 March 1987.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-01-01

    The Court was asked to make an adoption order in favor of a couple who had paid another woman to bear a child for them using the husband's sperm. The Court made the order, noting that the Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985, which bans commercial surrogacy agencies, negotiations, and advertisements had not been enacted at the time of this arrangement. It also held that the arrangement did not violate the Adoption Act 1958, which prohibits payments or rewards for or in consideration of adoption, because the payment to the surrogate was not made in contemplation of adoption. Moreover, it concluded that even if the payment had been made in contemplation of adoption, the Adoption Act gave the Court the power to authorize the payment retrospectively. full text

  16. Adoption of Improved Potato Varieties in Nepal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samaya Gairhe

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Nepal is one of the top twenty countries where potato contributes substantially for the human diet. Enhancing adoption of improved potato varieties could impact on farmer’s income, household food and nutritional security. As such, using a multistage sampling procedure, a study was conducted to assess the determinants of improved potato varieties adoption in Nepal covering 180 samples in four districts, two in hills and two in Tarai region. The study revealed that; Kavre and Bardiya districts in the hills and Tarai, respectively, were dominated by improved potato varieties adoption. On the other hand, Dhankuta and Jhapa in the hills and Tarai, respectively, were dominated by local potato varieties adoption. The informal seed sources followed by agro-vet and market were the major sources for improved varietal adoption. Farmers’ accesses to training and formal seed sources were important factor determining improved potato varietal adoption. However, households with larger farm size were less likely to allocate more area for improved potato varieties as many of farmers were reluctant to take potato cultivation as agri-business and still follow subsistence farming. Potato R&D programs, therefore, need to strengthen formal seed system to enhance access to quality potato seeds and build producer’s capacity through regular training and exposer visits in order to improve adoption of improved potato varieties in Nepal.

  17. Modeling of customer adoption of distributed energy resources; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marnay, Chris; Chard, Joseph S.; Hamachi, Kristina S.; Lipman, Timothy; Moezzi, Mithra M.; Ouaglal, Boubekeur; Siddiqui, Afzal S.

    2001-01-01

    This report describes work completed for the California Energy Commission (CEC) on the continued development and application of the Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM). This work was performed at Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) between July 2000 and June 2001 under the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS) Distributed Energy Resources Integration (DERI) project. Our research on distributed energy resources (DER) builds on the concept of the microgrid ((mu)Grid), a semiautonomous grouping of electricity-generating sources and end-use sinks that are placed and operated for the benefit of its members. Although a(mu)Grid can operate independent of the macrogrid (the utility power network), the(mu)Grid is usually interconnected, purchasing energy and ancillary services from the macrogrid. Groups of customers can be aggregated into(mu)Grids by pooling their electrical and other loads, and the most cost-effective combination of generation resources for a particular(mu)Grid can be found. In this study, DER-CAM, an economic model of customer DER adoption implemented in the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) optimization software is used, to find the cost-minimizing combination of on-site generation customers (individual businesses and a(mu)Grid) in a specified test year. DER-CAM's objective is to minimize the cost of supplying electricity to a specific customer by optimizing the installation of distributed generation and the self-generation of part or all of its electricity. Currently, the model only considers electrical loads, but combined heat and power (CHP) analysis capability is being developed under the second year of CEC funding. The key accomplishments of this year's work were the acquisition of increasingly accurate data on DER technologies, including the development of methods for forecasting cost reductions for these technologies, and the creation of a credible example

  18. Farm and socio-economic characteristics of smallholder milk producers and their influence on technology adoption in Central Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García, Carlos Galdino Martínez; Dorward, Peter; Rehman, Tahir

    2012-08-01

    In order to identify the factors influencing adoption of technologies promoted by government to small-scale dairy farmers in the highlands of central Mexico, a field survey was conducted. A total of 115 farmers were grouped through cluster analysis (CA) and divided into three wealth status categories (high, medium and low) using wealth ranking. Chi-square analysis was used to examine the association of wealth status with technology adoption. Four groups of farms were differentiated in terms of farms' dimensions, farmers' education, sources of incomes, wealth status, management of herd, monetary support by government and technological availability. Statistical differences (p technologies identified, six of which focused on crop or forage production and 11 of which were related to animal husbandry. Relatives and other farmers played an important role in knowledge diffusion and technology adoption. Although wealth status had a significant association (p technology to farmers, usefulness and productive benefits of innovations together with farmers' knowledge of them, were important. It is concluded that the analysis of the information per group and wealth status was useful to identify suitable crop or forage related and animal husbandry technologies per group and wealth status of farmers. Therefore the characterizations of farmers could provide a useful starting point for the design and delivery of more appropriate and effective extension.

  19. Adopted levels and derived limits for Ra-226 and the decision making processes concerning TENORM releases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paschoa, A.S.

    2002-01-01

    A fraction of a primary dose limit can be, in general, agreed upon as a dose related level to be adopted in decision-making processes. In the case of TENORM releases, fractions of primary dose levels for 226 Ra, 228 Ra, and 210 Po may be of particular importance to establish adopted levels for 226 Ra could be adopted at the highest portion of the natural background variation. Above such level, intervention and remedial action levels could also be adopted. All those levels would be fractions of the primary level, but translated in terms of derived limits expressed in practical units. Derived limits would then be calculated by using environmental models. In such approach 'critical groups' would have to be carefully defined and identified. In addition, the size of a critical group would be chosen to be used in environmental modeling. Site specific environmental models and parameters are desirable, though unavailable, or very difficult to obtain, in most cases. Thus, mathematical models and parameters of more generic nature are often used. A sensitive parametric analysis can make a ranking of the parameters used in a model, allowing one to choose how important each parameter will be for the model output. The paper will point out that when using the adopted levels and derived limits, as suggested above, the uncertainties and importance of the parameters entering an environmental model can make the difference for decision makers to take the right or wrong decision, as far as radiological protection is concerned. (author)

  20. Adoption experiences of women and men and demand for children to adopt by women 18-44 years of age in the United States, 2002.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Jo

    2008-08-01

    This report presents national estimates of the prevalence of adoption for men and women 18-44 years of age, the demand for children to adopt by women, and women's preferences for characteristics of the adopted child. Analysis is based on data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. This survey interviewed a nationally representative sample of women and men 15-44 years of age in their households. Results are weighted to produce national estimates of the characteristics of men and women who have adopted children, lifetime and current demand for adoption by women, and the characteristics of children preferred by women when they are considering adoption. Adoption remains rare in the United States. Among all women aged 18-44 in 2002, only 1.1% had adopted a child and 1.6% were currently seeking to adopt. Women were more likely to be currently seeking to adopt, to have ever sought to adopt, and to have actually adopted a child if they had used infertility services or had impaired fecundity. Older women and women who were in their second or later marriage were also more likely to have adopted a child. Hispanic and non-Hispanic black women were more likely to be currently seeking to adopt compared with non-Hispanic white women. More men than women have adopted children in their lifetimes. Among adopters, 17% of women and 6% of men were never married. Adopting a child has been and remains a relatively rare event in the United States. Adoption is a mechanism by which adults legalize their parental relationship to nonbiological children as well as a means to bring children into families. Studies examining adoption should include men as well as women and persons of all marital statuses.

  1. Åben Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jeldtoft, Nadia

    2007-01-01

    Denne rapport er en systematisk forskningsoversigt over udenlandske erfaringer med adoption i forhold til anbringelse uden for hjemmet, fx familiepleje, institutionsanbringelse og hjemgivelse til de biologiske forældre. Konklusionerne i rapporten er overraskende entydige: Adopterede børn klarer sig...

  2. Adoption som indsats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christoffersen, Mogens; Hammen, Ida; Raft Andersen, Karen

    Denne rapport er en systematisk forskningsoversigt over udenlandske erfaringer med adoption i forhold til anbringelse uden for hjemmet, fx familiepleje, institutionsanbringelse og hjemgivelse til de biologiske forældre. Konklusionerne i rapporten er overraskende entydige: Adopterede børn klarer sig...

  3. A call for the adoption of nuclear utility information standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slone, B.J. III; Richardson, C.E.

    1993-01-01

    In December 1986, the International Organization for Standardization (SO) issued a standard for document representation, ISO 8879, open-quotes Standard Generalized Markup Languageclose quotes (SGML). The standard prescribes a method for defining documents in two parts, one containing text and the other describing its structure without reference to word processing or publishing system software or hardware. It provides a method for open-quotes marking upclose quotes information, a way to place open-quotes tagsclose quotes on pieces of information to define their purpose. The SGML is part of a group of ISO standards titled open-quotes Information Processing-Text and Office Systems.close quotes This group contains the Document Style Specification and Semantics Language, the Standard Document Interchange Format, the Standard Page Description Language, and the fonts standard. The Department of Defense (DoD) has taken a standards initiative to improve the efficiency and reliability of systems by mandating that DoD suppliers comply with specific standards when delivering technical information. The initiative is called the Computer-aided Acquisition and Logistics Support (CALS) and includes a package of standards to address engineering drawings, raster font images, vector illustrations, text, and magnetic tape format. SGML is the CALS standard for documentation representation. Other industries have adopted this standard. Several industry groups, such as the Air Transport Association, American Association of Publishers, and the Telecommunications Industry Forum, are moving ahead vigorously with their own applications of SGML. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has also adopted the ISO standard for production of its documents. Work is under way to develop their own SGML application

  4. Adoption and diffusion of a new imaging technology: a magnetic resonance imaging prospective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hillman, B.J.; Winkler, J.D.; Phelps, C.E.; Aroesty, J.; Williams, A.P.

    1984-01-01

    Adoption of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by individual purchasers and by the health care system will be influenced by many factors. A framework for considering these influences is offered, incorporating them into four major considerations: (1) MRI and its attributes - the technology, its safety and efficacy, and the benefits of acquisition; (2) communication channels - commercial and professional; (3) time for consideration of adoption and experiential testing; and (4) the medical system, including potential acquirers, health planning, and reimbursement. Factors that should most strongly motivate early adoption are the potential of the technology for providing new and useful clinical information and the competitive and economic benefits that early acquirers might enjoy. Important discouragements include the possibility of early obsolescence and that MRI represents an economic risk under diagnostic-related-group reimbursement. The less risky approach for most practices is to delay acquisition of MRI pending further experience with the technology and the changing reimbursement climate

  5. Adopting to Agile Software Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linkevics Gusts

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Agile software development can be made successful, but there is no well-defined way how to achieve this. The problem is that the successful adoption of agile methods and practices is a complex process and this process should be customizable for a particular organization or a team. This research focuses on identification of agile methods and practices. Result of the research is the ranking of agile methods, practices and their usage trends. As some terms of agile software development are interpreted differently in different organizations and teams, terminology used is analyzed. Results of the research can be used as a reference material for those who are planning to adopt agile methods or are looking for the next agile practice to implement. Results will be used for the development of an expert system to support agile adoption.

  6. Adoptees and adoptive families :an exploration of the formation of the legal family, the stigma of adoption, and the decision to search

    OpenAIRE

    Kressierer, Dana Katherine

    1994-01-01

    In this thesis I utilize sociological theories on deviance, published research on adoption, and surveys of 41 adoptees and 15 adoptive parents in order to address four primary questions: 1.What factors have influenced adoption historically, and continue to influence current practices? 2.In what ways does the legal system treat the adoptive family differently than the consanguine family? 3.Is there a stigma associated with adoption? 4.What factors are associat...

  7. Risk of Suicide Attempt in Adopted and Nonadopted Offspring

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keyes, M. A.; Malone, S. M.; Sharma, A.

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: We asked whether adoption status represented a risk of suicide attempt for adopted and nonadopted offspring living in the United States. We also examined whether factors known to be associated with suicidal behavior would mediate the relationship between adoption status and suicide att...... of the risk of suicide attempt in adopted offspring may inform the larger investigation of suicidality in all adolescents and young adults.......OBJECTIVE: We asked whether adoption status represented a risk of suicide attempt for adopted and nonadopted offspring living in the United States. We also examined whether factors known to be associated with suicidal behavior would mediate the relationship between adoption status and suicide...... attempt. METHODS: Participants were drawn from the Sibling Interaction and Behavior Study, which included 692 adopted and 540 nonadopted offspring and was conducted at the University of Minnesota from 1998 to 2008. Adoptees were systematically ascertained from records of 3 large Minnesota adoption...

  8. Innovation Adoption: A Review of Theories and Constructs

    OpenAIRE

    Wisdom, Jennifer P.; Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Horwitz, Sarah M.

    2014-01-01

    Many theoretical frameworks seek to describe the dynamic process of the implementation of innovations. Little is known, however, about factors related to decisions to adopt innovations and how the likelihood of adoption of innovations can be increased. Using a narrative synthesis approach, this paper compared constructs theorized to be related to adoption of innovations proposed in existing theoretical frameworks in order to identify characteristics likely to increase adoption of innovations....

  9. Birth parents who relinquished babies for adoption revisited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pannor, R; Baran, A; Sorosky, A D

    1978-09-01

    The fact that adoption records may be opened by court decree to enable adoptees to have access to identifying information about their birth parents makes it incumbent upon those concerned with adoption practices to study the impact of this on adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents, and professional practice. This paper reports on research addressed to the attitudes and feelings of birth parents years after they relinquished babies for adoption.

  10. Evolution of adoption from Roman law to modern law

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kitanović Tanja

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The work is dedicated to the evolution of adoption practice from ancient Roman law to modern law. Adoption represents ancient social and legal practice which has during time changed manifestations and the causes it served. Adoption in ancient Rome served the interests of pater familias without biological posterity. Adoption practice benefited the continuance of families and the family cult of adopters, whose family lines, with no natural posterity, were threatened to become extinct. After the stagnation in the feudal epoch, adoption was reaffirmed in the bourgeois law. Civil codes in European countries, whose legal systems were built on the foundations of the ancient Roman legal tradition, originally favoured the interests of individuals with no biological children, who were granted to extend their families by adopting, and hence transfer their assets on the obtained heirs. After the wars in the 20th century, which led to a rapid increase in the number of parentless children, the concept of adoption was radically changed, so that since that time the adoption has primarily served the interests of the adopted children and the care for them in the adoptive families. Adoption becomes a form of a social, legal family protection of children without adequate parental care, and that is the most desirable form to provide for children, for the adoptee completely integrates with the adoptive family and takes the right of the born child, where the family environment provides and encourages the optimal mental and physical development of the child.

  11. Adopt, Adapt, Enact or Use?

    OpenAIRE

    Lauterbach , Jens; Mueller , Benjamin

    2014-01-01

    Part 1: IS/IT Implementation and Appropriation; International audience; Information Systems (IS) are omnipresent in today’s organizations. While much research has been performed on adoption, implementation, and use of IS, still many practitioners are faced with IS change endeavors in organizations that equal “death march” projects and fail before or directly after go-live. Research with a positivist stance has thoroughly studied factors that describe individuals’ intentions to adopt or use te...

  12. Factors in Agile Methods Adoption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samia Abdalhamid

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available There are many factors that can affect the process of adopting Agile methods during software developing. This paper illustrates the critical factors in Agile methods adoption in software organizations. To present the success and failure factors, an exploratory study is carried out among the critical factors of success and failure from existing studies. Dimensions and Factors are introduced utilizing success and failure dimensions. The mind map was used to clarify these factors.

  13. Intercountry Adoption Agencies and the HCIA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    P. Selman (Peter); K.E. Cheney (Kristen)

    2014-01-01

    textabstractThis report discusses concerns raised by participants of Thematic Area 3 (Intercountry Adoption Agencies and the HCIA) of the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy held in August 2014. The aim is to report the views of those participating in this area on the

  14. Attachment states of mind among internationally adoptive and foster parents

    OpenAIRE

    RABY, K. LEE; YARGER, HEATHER A.; LIND, TERESA; FRALEY, R. CHRIS; LEERKES, ESTHER; DOZIER, MARY

    2017-01-01

    The first aim of the current study was to examine the latent structure of attachment states of mind as assessed by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) among three groups of parents of children at risk for insecure attachments: parents who adopted internationally (N = 147), foster parents (N = 300), and parents living in poverty and involved with Child Protective Services (CPS; N = 284). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the state of mind rating scales loaded on two factors reflecting ad...

  15. Barriers and Strategies on Adoption of E-Learning in Tanzanian Higher Learning Institutions: Lessons for Adopters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kisanga, Dalton; Ireson, Gren

    2015-01-01

    Tanzanian Higher learning institutions (HLIs) are faced with challenges of adopting e-learning in education. This study involved experts in e-learning to examine barriers of adopting e-learning and the best strategies to address them. Data were gathered from a series of semi-structured interviews with e-learning experts from two HLIs in Tanzania.…

  16. Autonomous motivation is associated with hearing aid adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridgway, Jason; Hickson, Louise; Lind, Christopher

    2015-07-01

    To use the self-determination theory of motivation to investigate whether different forms of motivation were associated with adults' decisions whether or not to adopt hearing aids. A quantitative approach was used in this cohort study. Participants completed the treatment self-regulation questionnaire (TSRQ), which measured autonomous and controlled motivation for hearing aid adoption. Sociodemographic data and audiometric information were also obtained. Participants were 253 adults who had sought information about their hearing but had not consulted with a hearing professional. Participants were categorized as hearing aid adopters if they had been fitted with hearing aids 4-6 months after completing the TSRQ, and as non-adopters if they had not. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine associations between autonomous and controlled motivation, sociodemographic and audiometric variables, and hearing aid adoption (n = 160). Three factors were significantly associated with increased hearing aid adoption when the influence of other variables was accounted for: autonomous motivation, perceived hearing difficulty, and poorer hearing. Controlled motivation was not found to influence hearing aid adoption. These empirical findings that link autonomous motivation to decisions of hearing help-seekers have implications for the ways practitioners may evaluate motivation and could inform discussions with clients about hearing aid adoption.

  17. Assessing personal disposition of individuals towards technology adoption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irbha Magotra

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The present study has attempted to explore personal disposition of individuals towards technology adoption through the development of an index named as Technology Adoption Index. For developing the index, exploratory factor analysis approach has been employed on the sample of 1201 responses collected from the residents of 12 different cities in India. Accordingly, the results of the index have indicated significant role of seven personal traits, namely, optimism, innovativeness, self-efficacy, risk taking propensity, habit, social influence and psychological resilience while manifesting personal disposition of individuals towards technology adoption, i.e., the technology adoption propensity of the individuals. Further, an attempt has also been made to explore the socio-economic characteristics of the individuals possessing distinct level of personal disposition towards technology adoption. Accordingly, the results have unveiled that the personal disposition of the individuals towards technology adoption increases with enhancement in their income and qualification but decreases with enhancement in their age. As a measurement tool, Technology Adoption Index can be used as ready-recknor by practitioners for the identification of technology adoption propensity of the individuals. This will facilitate organizations in developing and designing new products and services which can be readily accepted by the individuals.

  18. 20 CFR 222.54 - When a legally adopted child is dependent-grandchild or stepgrandchild adopted after entitlement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false When a legally adopted child is dependent-grandchild or stepgrandchild adopted after entitlement. 222.54 Section 222.54 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS Child Support and...

  19. Reconstruing intolerance: abstract thinking reduces conservatives' prejudice against nonnormative groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luguri, Jamie B; Napier, Jaime L; Dovidio, John F

    2012-07-01

    Myrdal (1944) described the "American dilemma" as the conflict between abstract national values ("liberty and justice for all") and more concrete, everyday prejudices. We leveraged construal-level theory to empirically test Myrdal's proposition that construal level (abstract vs. concrete) can influence prejudice. We measured individual differences in construal level (Study 1) and manipulated construal level (Studies 2 and 3); across these three studies, we found that adopting an abstract mind-set heightened conservatives' tolerance for groups that are perceived as deviating from Judeo-Christian values (gay men, lesbians, Muslims, and atheists). Among participants who adopted a concrete mind-set, conservatives were less tolerant of these nonnormative groups than liberals were, but political orientation did not have a reliable effect on tolerance among participants who adopted an abstract mind-set. Attitudes toward racial out-groups and dominant groups (e.g., Whites, Christians) were unaffected by construal level. In Study 3, we found that the effect of abstract thinking on prejudice was mediated by an increase in concerns about fairness.

  20. Adoption of Electronic Personal Health Records in Canada: Perceptions of Stakeholders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Payne-Gagnon, Julie; Breton, Erik; Fortin, Jean-Paul; Khoury, Lara; Dolovich, Lisa; Price, David; Wiljer, David; Bartlett, Gillian; Archer, Norman

    2016-04-06

    Healthcare stakeholders have a great interest in the adoption and use of electronic personal health records (ePHRs) because of the potential benefits associated with them. Little is known, however, about the level of adoption of ePHRs in Canada and there is limited evidence concerning their benefits and implications for the healthcare system. This study aimed to describe the current situation of ePHRs in Canada and explore stakeholder perceptions regarding barriers and facilitators to their adoption. Using a qualitative descriptive study design, we conducted semi-structured phone interviews between October 2013 and February 2014 with 35 individuals from seven Canadian provinces. The participants represented six stakeholder groups (patients, ePHR administrators, healthcare professionals, organizations interested in health technology development, government agencies, and researchers). A detailed summary of each interview was created and thematic analysis was conducted. We observed that there was no consensual definition of ePHR in Canada. Factors that could influence ePHR adoption were related to knowledge (confusion with other electronic medical records [EMRs] and lack of awareness), system design (usability and relevance), user capacities and attitudes (patient health literacy, education and interest, support for professionals), environmental factors (government commitment, targeted populations) and legal and ethical issues (information control and custody, confidentiality, privacy and security). ePHRs are slowly entering the Canadian healthcare landscape but provinces do not seem well-prepared for the implementation of this type of record. Guidance is needed on critical issues regarding ePHRs, such as ePHR definition, data ownership, access to information and interoperability with other electronic health records (EHRs). Better guidance on these issues would provide a greater awareness of ePHRs and inform stakeholders including clinicians, decision-makers, patients

  1. Adoption of Electronic Personal Health Records in Canada: Perceptions of Stakeholders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie-Pierre Gagnon

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Healthcare stakeholders have a great interest in the adoption and use of electronic personal health records (ePHRs because of the potential benefits associated with them. Little is known, however, about the level of adoption of ePHRs in Canada and there is limited evidence concerning their benefits and implications for the healthcare system. This study aimed to describe the current situation of ePHRs in Canada and explore stakeholder perceptions regarding barriers and facilitators to their adoption. Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive study design, we conducted semi-structured phone interviews between October 2013 and February 2014 with 35 individuals from seven Canadian provinces. The participants represented six stakeholder groups (patients, ePHR administrators, healthcare professionals, organizations interested in health technology development, government agencies, and researchers. A detailed summary of each interview was created and thematic analysis was conducted. Results: We observed that there was no consensual definition of ePHR in Canada. Factors that could influence ePHR adoption were related to knowledge (confusion with other electronic medical records [EMRs] and lack of awareness, system design (usability and relevance, user capacities and attitudes (patient health literacy, education and interest, support for professionals, environmental factors (government commitment, targeted populations and legal and ethical issues (information control and custody, confidentiality, privacy and security. Conclusion: ePHRs are slowly entering the Canadian healthcare landscape but provinces do not seem wellprepared for the implementation of this type of record. Guidance is needed on critical issues regarding ePHRs, such as ePHR definition, data ownership, access to information and interoperability with other electronic health records (EHRs. Better guidance on these issues would provide a greater awareness of ePHRs and inform

  2. Adoption of Online Purchasing Methods in Communities and its Socio-Economic Implications in Regional Central Queensland, Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. J. Taylor

    2004-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyses the general trends of online purchasing in Central Queensland (CQ communities during 1999-2002 and identifies the socio-economic factors affecting online purchasing activities. The Online Purchasing Indicator, defined as a combination of percentages of online purchasers and of regular purchasers (>one item/month within a group, is applied to compare these activities between these two groups. The study identifies that four factors, namely ‘personal attributes’, ‘knowledge’, ‘trust’ and ‘need’ may play important roles in online purchasing decisions. The research found that regional economic bleeding associated with low local adoption failing to provide justification for local business to adopt electronic purchasing support has not yet reached significant levels.

  3. Procedures adopted by orthodontists for space closure and anchorage control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    André da Costa Monini

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the procedures adopted by Brazilian orthodontists in the following situations: extraction space closure, anchorage control in case of necessary anchorage for group A and frequency of skeletal anchorage use, especially in the upper jaw. METHOD: A questionnaire was sent to the e-mail address of all dentists registered in the Brazilian Federal Council of Dentistry. RESULTS: The results showed that most Brazilian orthodontists usually perform extraction space closure by means of sliding mechanics. The use of palatal bar, inclusion of second molars in the archwire and space closure performed in two phases are the most used techniques for anchorage control in the upper jaw. The skeletal anchorage is referenced by 36.5% of specialists as a routine practice for the upper jaw anchorage. CONCLUSIONS: There is a wide variety of procedures adopted by Brazilian orthodontists for orthodontic space closure and anchorage control.

  4. Understanding managerial behaviour during initial steps of a clinical information system adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez, Charo; Pozzebon, Marlei

    2011-06-17

    While the study of the information technology (IT) implementation process and its outcomes has received considerable attention, the examination of pre-adoption and pre-implementation stages of configurable IT uptake appear largely under-investigated. This paper explores managerial behaviour during the periods prior the effective implementation of a clinical information system (CIS) by two Canadian university multi-hospital centers. Adopting a structurationist theoretical stance and a case study research design, the processes by which CIS managers' patterns of discourse contribute to the configuration of the new technology in their respective organizational contexts were longitudinally examined over 33 months. Although managers seemed to be aware of the risks and organizational impact of the adoption of a new clinical information system, their decisions and actions over the periods examined appeared rather to be driven by financial constraints and power struggles between different groups involved in the process. Furthermore, they largely emphasized technological aspects of the implementation, with organizational dimensions being put aside. In view of these results, the notion of 'rhetorical ambivalence' is proposed. Results are further discussed in relation to the significance of initial decisions and actions for the subsequent implementation phases of the technology being configured. Theoretical and empirically grounded, the paper contributes to the underdeveloped body of literature on information system pre-implementation processes by revealing the crucial role played by managers during the initial phases of a CIS adoption.

  5. Characterization of Early and Late Adopters of ATM Card in Indian Banking Industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamalpreet Kaur

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The present study deals with affect of adoption pattern of the ATMs by banks on its characteristics. With the exploration of various characteristics of the banks like Size, Profi tability, Efficiency, Cost of Operations, Asset quality and Credit risk, Financing Pattern, Diversifi cation and Age etc.; the study has tried to differentiate between the early and late adopter category of the banks regarding ATM cards. The banks have been categorized into early and late adopters on the basis of their adoption period. For this purpose, 50 scheduled commercial banks consisting of 27 Public Sector Banks and 23 Private Sector Banks have been taken as sample to investigate the various aspects of and early adopter banks in comparison to late adopter banks. The time period of the study is 20 years i.e. from 1991 to 2010. It can be concluded that the initiators and fi rst movers take advantage over the late adopters and laggards. They have found to perform better in terms of various parameters. Overall, the early adopter banks are larger in size, more diversifi ed, having lesser branches, more market share and wide ATM network as compared to late adopter ones. Thus, the empirical results evidently reveal that the both the groups have their own different characteristics. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso

  6. The adoption of health information technology by small and large physician organizations over time: the role of organizational ties and incentives

    OpenAIRE

    McClellan, Sean Ross

    2013-01-01

    Objective: The primary aims of this study were: (1) to describe variation in how physician practices and medical groups have adopted health information technology (HIT) functionalities over time; and (2) to test hypotheses about how external factors facilitated the adoption of HIT functionalities. Because of their potential policy relevance, two factors were closely examined: organizational ties; and incentives for the adoption and use of HIT.Methods: Panel data from three national surveys of...

  7. [Accident-induced lesions of the facial nerve in relation to the extent of pyramidal pneumatization].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kadoori, S; Limberg, C

    1985-12-01

    Perilabyrinthine pneumatisation of the petrous pyramid constitutes a risk factor for the facial nerve in its labyrinthine part in a fracture of the temporal bone because serious splintering of bone is possible. Splinters dislocated into the Fallopian canal may damage the nerve seriously. On the other hand a perineural haematoma can flow out of the canal into the neighbouring cells through dehiscences or through the fractured canal walls and a compression of the nerve may be avoided. The decision to undertake early surgical intervention must take into account the degree of pneumatisation of the pyramid in posttraumatic lesions of the facial nerve. The timing and extent of recovery cannot be predicted.

  8. Moses and Superman Come Home: Counseling Adoptees and Adoptive Families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saiz, Stephen G.

    This paper looks at three parties impacted by adoption: the adoptive parents, the adopted child, and the adoptive family. When working with adoptive parents, counselors should respect the strength of the couple, their commitment to parenthood, and the closeness that may develop from weathering the issue of childlessness. Adoptive parents are…

  9. "Homoaffectivity" in the adoption scene: An anthropological debate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Andrade Coitinho Filho

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyzes the legal treatment given to adoption in the courts of Rio de Janeiro in the context when the adoption requests are done by homosexual couples. The main purpose is to understand, through the analysis of eight legal adoption documents required by homosexuals, in which way the conceptions about family, parenthood and sexualities are produced by the legal practitioners responsible for conducting adoption applications in the period between 2000 untill 2013.

  10. Exploring barriers and opportunities in adopting crowdsourcing based new product development in manufacturing SMEs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Shengfeng; Van der Velde, David; Chatzakis, Emmanouil; McStea, Terry; Smith, Neil

    2016-10-01

    Crowdsourcing is an innovative business practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content or even funds by soliciting contributions from a large group of people (the `Crowd'). The potential benefits of utilizing crowdsourcing in product design are well-documented, but little research exists on what are the barriers and opportunities in adopting crowdsourcing in new product development (NPD) of manufacturing SMEs. In order to answer the above questions, a Proof of Market study is carried out on crowdsourcing-based product design under an Innovate UK funded Smart project, which aims at identifying the needs, challenges and future development opportunities associated with adopting crowdsourcing strategies for NPD. The research findings from this study are reported here and can be used to guide future development of crowdsourcing-based collaborative design methods and tools and provide some practical references for industry to adopt this new and emerging collaborative design method in their business.

  11. Competitive Advantages Through it Innovation Adoption by Smes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Moghavvemi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose—This paper seeks to explain the impact of IT innovation on competitive advantage; the barriers and the benefits companies gain from adopting and using these innovations and propose a model with which it is possible to measure determinants of IT innovation adoption among SMEs. Design/methodology/approach—This paper presents conceptual consideration on the role of SMEs in the Malaysian economy and the effect of government policy in encouraging companies to adopt IT innovation. The proposed research framework will be empirically validated using survey data. This study is an ongoing research, in the existing stage a theoretical argument is developed and methodology is in the process of being tested through regression analysis. Findings—Conclusions are drawn on the status of Malaysian SMEs to adopt IT innovation. We added attitude and self-efficacy to the Innovation Diffusion Theory to suit it to the individual situation. Therefore a novel approach is needed in order to study and understand it. Research limitations/implications—The paper represents work in progress. Practical implications – This paper present the theoretical framework for further study of IT innovation adoption among Malaysia SMEs. Originality/Value—The Information Technology concept is considered a powerful competitive weapon in the modern economy. This study used Innovation Diffusion Theory as the base theory, and added attitude and self efficacy as determinants to measure the individual’s perception toward innovation adoption. Individual self-efficacy and attitude toward innovation adoption shape beliefs and perceptions toward innovation, leading them to adopt or reject an innovation. Adding these factors to Innovation Diffusion Theory will narrow the breadth of the theory and possibilities to frame a single study which allows examination of the individual and technological dimension toward technology adoption. Keywords: IT innovation adoption, competitive

  12. Competitive Advantages Through it Innovation Adoption by Smes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Moghavvemi

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Purpose—This paper seeks to explain the impact of IT innovation on competitive advantage; the barriers and the benefits companies gain from adopting and using these innovations and propose a model with which it is possible to measure determinants of IT innovation adoption among SMEs.Design/methodology/approach—This paper presents conceptual consideration on the role of SMEs in the Malaysian economy and the effect of government policy in encouraging companies to adopt IT innovation. The proposed research framework will be empirically validated using survey data. This study is an ongoing research, in the existing stage a theoretical argument is developed and methodology is in the process of being tested through regression analysis.Findings—Conclusions are drawn on the status of Malaysian SMEs to adopt IT innovation. We added attitude and self-efficacy to the Innovation Diffusion Theory to suit it to the individual situation. Therefore a novel approach is needed in order to study and understand it.Research limitations/implications—The paper represents work in progress.Practical implications – This paper present the theoretical framework for further study of IT innovation adoption among Malaysia SMEs.Originality/Value—The Information Technology concept is considered a powerful competitive weapon in the modern economy. This study used Innovation Diffusion Theory as the base theory, and added attitude and self efficacy as determinants to measure the individual’s perception toward innovation adoption. Individual self-efficacy and attitude toward innovation adoption shape beliefs and perceptions toward innovation, leading them to adopt or reject an innovation. Adding these factors to Innovation Diffusion Theory will narrow the breadth of the theory and possibilities to frame a single study which allows examination of the individual and technological dimension toward technology adoption.Keywords: IT innovation adoption, competitive

  13. Assessing a Faculty Development Program for the Adoption of Brain-Based Learning Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavis, Catherine C.; Williams, Kimberly A.; Fallin, Jana; Barnes, Pamela K.; Fishback, Sarah J.; Thien, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    Kansas State University designed a 20-month faculty development program with the goal of fostering broad, institution-wide adoption of teaching practices that focus on brain-based learning. Components of the program included annual teaching and learning workshops, reading and discussion groups based on content of a book about how the brain learns…

  14. Adoption of telemedicine: from pilot stage to routine delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zanaboni Paolo

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Today there is much debate about why telemedicine has stalled. Teleradiology is the only widespread telemedicine application. Other telemedicine applications appear to be promising candidates for widespread use, but they remain in the early adoption stage. The objective of this debate paper is to achieve a better understanding of the adoption of telemedicine, to assist those trying to move applications from pilot stage to routine delivery. Discussion We have investigated the reasons why telemedicine has stalled by focusing on two, high-level topics: 1 the process of adoption of telemedicine in comparison with other technologies; and 2 the factors involved in the widespread adoption of telemedicine. For each topic, we have formulated hypotheses. First, the advantages for users are the crucial determinant of the speed of adoption of technology in healthcare. Second, the adoption of telemedicine is similar to that of other health technologies and follows an S-shaped logistic growth curve. Third, evidence of cost-effectiveness is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the widespread adoption of telemedicine. Fourth, personal incentives for the health professionals involved in service provision are needed before the widespread adoption of telemedicine will occur. Summary The widespread adoption of telemedicine is a major -- and still underdeveloped -- challenge that needs to be strengthened through new research directions. We have formulated four hypotheses, which are all susceptible to experimental verification. In particular, we believe that data about the adoption of telemedicine should be collected from applications implemented on a large-scale, to test the assumption that the adoption of telemedicine follows an S-shaped growth curve. This will lead to a better understanding of the process, which will in turn accelerate the adoption of new telemedicine applications in future. Research is also required to identify

  15. Adoption of telemedicine: from pilot stage to routine delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Today there is much debate about why telemedicine has stalled. Teleradiology is the only widespread telemedicine application. Other telemedicine applications appear to be promising candidates for widespread use, but they remain in the early adoption stage. The objective of this debate paper is to achieve a better understanding of the adoption of telemedicine, to assist those trying to move applications from pilot stage to routine delivery. Discussion We have investigated the reasons why telemedicine has stalled by focusing on two, high-level topics: 1) the process of adoption of telemedicine in comparison with other technologies; and 2) the factors involved in the widespread adoption of telemedicine. For each topic, we have formulated hypotheses. First, the advantages for users are the crucial determinant of the speed of adoption of technology in healthcare. Second, the adoption of telemedicine is similar to that of other health technologies and follows an S-shaped logistic growth curve. Third, evidence of cost-effectiveness is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the widespread adoption of telemedicine. Fourth, personal incentives for the health professionals involved in service provision are needed before the widespread adoption of telemedicine will occur. Summary The widespread adoption of telemedicine is a major -- and still underdeveloped -- challenge that needs to be strengthened through new research directions. We have formulated four hypotheses, which are all susceptible to experimental verification. In particular, we believe that data about the adoption of telemedicine should be collected from applications implemented on a large-scale, to test the assumption that the adoption of telemedicine follows an S-shaped growth curve. This will lead to a better understanding of the process, which will in turn accelerate the adoption of new telemedicine applications in future. Research is also required to identify suitable financial and

  16. Wrongful Adoption: Law, Policy and Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freundlich, Madelyn; Peterson, Lisa

    The past decade has seen an increase in cases where adoptive parents fail to receive accurate or complete information about a child's physical, emotional, or developmental problems or about the child's birth family and history. In these cases adoptive parents are confronted with extremely expensive medical care or mental health care. This…

  17. Adopted levels and derived limits for Ra-226 and the decision making processes concerning TENORM releases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paschoa, A.S.

    2002-01-01

    A fraction of a primary dose limit can be, in general, agreed upon as a dose related level to be adopted in decision-making processes. In the case of TENORM releases, fractions of primary dose levels for 226 Ra, 228 Ra, and 210 Po may be of particular importance to establish adopted levels and derived limits to guide decision making processes. Thus, for example, a registration level for 226 Ra could be adopted at the highest portion of the natural background variation. Above such level, intervention and remedial action levels could also be adopted. All those levels would be fractions of the primary level, but translated in terms of derived limits expressed in practical units. Derived limits would then be calculated by using environmental models. In such approach 'critical groups' would have to be carefully defined and identified. In addition, the size of a critical group would be chosen to be used in environmental modeling. Site specific environmental models and parameters are desirable, though unavailable, or very difficult to obtain, in most cases. Thus, mathematical models and parameters of more generic nature are often used. A sensitive parametric analysis can make a ranking of the parameters used in a model, allowing one to choose how important each parameter will be for the model output. The paper will point out that when using the adopted levels and derived limits, as suggested above, the uncertainties and importance of the parameters entering an environmental model can make the difference for decision makers to take the right or wrong decision, as far as radiological protection is concerned. (author)

  18. Adopting Internet Banking in Ghana

    OpenAIRE

    G.O. Ofori-Dwumfuo; Betty A. Dankwah

    2013-01-01

    This study looks at the benefits, challenges and barriers in adopting Internet banking at a major bank in Ghana. The development of the Internet is changing the way financial services are provided in Ghana. The Internet banking facility has resulted in new ways of delivering banking services. The research is a case study based on the staffs that has worked with the bank for more than three years. In evaluating benefits, challenges and barriers to the bank in adopting Internet banking, intervi...

  19. 25 CFR 18.301 - May a tribe create and adopt a single heir rule without adopting a tribal probate code?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false May a tribe create and adopt a single heir rule without adopting a tribal probate code? 18.301 Section 18.301 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROBATE TRIBAL PROBATE CODES Approval of Single Heir Rule § 18.301 May a tribe create and adopt a...

  20. Why sub-Saharan Africa lags in electronic health record adoption and possible strategies to increase its adoption in this region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odekunle, Florence Femi; Odekunle, Raphael Oluseun; Shankar, Srinivasan

    2017-01-01

    Poor health information system has been identified as a major challenge in the health-care system in many developing countries including sub-Saharan African countries. Electronic health record (EHR) has been shown as an important tool to improve access to patient information with attendance improved quality of care. However, EHR has not been widely implemented/adopted in sub-Saharan Africa. This study sought to identify factors that affect the adoption of an EHR in sub-Saharan Africa and strategies to improve its adoption in this region. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on three electronic databases: PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar. Articles of interest were those published in English that contained information on factors that limit the adoption of an EHR as well as strategies that improve its adoption in sub-Saharan African countries. The available evidence indicated that there were many factors that hindered the widespread adoption of an EHR in sub-Saharan Africa. These were high costs of procurement and maintenance of the EHR system, lack of financial incentives and priorities, poor electricity supply and internet connectivity, and primary user's limited computer skills. However, strategies such as implementation planning, financial supports, appropriate EHR system selection, training of primary users, and the adoption of the phased implementation process have been identified to facilitate the use of an EHR. Wide adoption of an EHR in sub-Saharan Africa region requires a lot more effort than what is assumed because of the current poor level of technological development, lack of required computer skills, and limited resources.

  1. Investigating personal characteristics on e-banking adoption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Arfaeian

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available During the past few years, there have been increasing interests on doing banking transactions using online services through internet. In this paper, we present an empirical investigation to study the role of personal and social characteristics on acceptance of e-banking adoption. The proposed study designs two questionnaires and distributes them among 384 randomly selected people who use online banking in province of Alborz, Iran. The proposed study examines the effects of five factors including Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to experience, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness on e-banking adoption. Using regression techniques, the study has confirmed that Neuroticism and Agreeableness have negative and meaningful impact on e-banking adoption while Conscientiousness has positive and meaningful relationship with e-banking adoption.

  2. Knowledge and attitudes toward child adoption and fostering among infertile women in northern Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanusi Abubakar

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Infertility is a public health problem in the developing countries. However, the role of child adoption or fostering in the management of infertile couples is underexplored, particularly in northern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study involving the use of a structured interview questionnaire was employed to collect information from clients attending the infertility clinic of Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital (AKTH, Kano. The data were analyzed using MINITAB® 12.21 software. Percentages and means were used to describe categorical and quantitative variables, respectively. The chi-square test was used to assess the significance of associations using a confidence interval of 95%. Results: Majority of the respondents (69.7% were between 25 and 34 years of age, and of Hausa/Fulani ethnic group (79.6%. Knowledge of child adoption was good in 59.2% of the respondents, while the willingness to adopt versus foster was 28.2% and 44.4%, respectively. Conclusion: There is a need to advocate for infertility counseling services, so as to support infertile clients in taking informed decisions regarding child adoption or fostering as viable options for having their own families.

  3. IFRS Adoption and Accounting Quality: A Review

    OpenAIRE

    Duarte, Ana; Saur- Amaral, Irina; Azevedo, Graça

    2015-01-01

    Literature on IFRS adoption by countries concerning high quality, understandable and applicable IFRS in order to be worldwide accepted has generated a pertinent discussion, since the results presented in the literature are not unanimous on the adoption of IFRS and accounting quality. Soderstrom and Sun (2007) analyzed a research published in leading accounting journals selected from 1990’s on the consequences of IFRS adoption and found that the determinants of accounting quality after the ado...

  4. Passing the baton: Mentoring for adoption of active-learning pedagogies by research-active junior faculty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimes, Catherine Leimkuhler; White, Harold B

    2015-01-01

    There are barriers to adoption of research-based teaching methods. Professional development workshops may inform faculty of these methods, but effective adoption often does not follow. In addition, newly-minted research-active faculty are often overwhelmed by the many new responsibilities (grant writing, group management, laboratory setup, teaching) that accompany the position and normally do not have the time to consider novel teaching approaches. This case study documents how over a three-year period, the responsibility for teaching a nontraditional "Introduction to Biochemistry" course in a problem-based learning format was successfully transferred from a senior faculty member nearing retirement (HBW) to a newly-hired research-active assistant professor (CLG). We describe our apprenticeship project involving modeling, scaffolding, fading, and coaching. We suggest that involving faculty in active-learning pedagogy early in their career with mentoring by senior faculty overcomes barriers to adopting these methods. This case describes a specific example from which potentially useful elements can be adopted and adapted wherever biochemistry is taught. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  5. The adoption of children from out-of-home care: The understandings of key decision makers in Victoria, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butlinski, Anna; Rowe, Heather; Goddard, Christopher; Freezer, Nicholas

    2017-10-01

    Adoption is one of a range of options that can provide children in out-of-home care with permanency when they are unable to be reunified with their birth parents. This paper reports on how the adoption of children from out-of-home care is understood by professionals involved in making decisions about the permanent placement of children in out-of-home care in Victoria, Australia, where adoption is rarely used. Data were collected through a single, face-to-face semi-structured interview with 21 professionals; eight child welfare specialists, eight adoption and permanent care specialists and five judicial officers. The adoption of children from out-of-home care was primarily understood as a child-centered practice that can afford children stability and a sense of belonging. Adoption was largely viewed as a voluntary process dependent upon the consent of a child's birth parents. Adoption and permanent care specialists were the only group to refer to the dispensation of parental consent as a means of obtaining an adoption order. Most decision makers understood that contact between children and their birth parents is possible following adoption, but this was not understood by all judicial officers or all child welfare specialists. Children's connection to their cultural heritage was viewed as important to the consideration of adoption for children in out-of-home care. This research provides insight into the foundations upon which decision makers may appraise adoption, within a hierarchy of options, as a potential outcome for children in need of permanency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Re an Adoption Application (Surrogacy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-03-02

    In England, it is illegal under the Adoption Act 1958 to pay or reward anyone in an effort to adopt a child. A family court was asked in this case whether a surrogacy arrangement involving the payment of 5,000 pounds violated the Act. The applicants, a husband and wife, were unable to have children and had entered into an informal arrangement with a woman who agreed to engage in sexual intercourse with the husband and bear a child for the couple in exchange for 10,000 pounds. Because the surrogate wrote a book about her experience from which she made money, and sincerely wanted to help out the childless couple, she accepted only half of her fee. Convinced that the surrogate arrangement was not commercial in nature, the court found no violation of English law, authorized the payment to the mother, and authorized adoption of the child by the father and his wife.

  7. The Value of Successful MBSE Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrott, Edith

    2016-01-01

    The value of successful adoption of Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) practices is hard to quantify. Most engineers and project managers look at the success in terms of cost. But there are other ways to quantify the value of MBSE and the steps necessary to achieve adoption. The Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been doing Model-Based Engineering (design, structural, etc.) for years, but the system engineering side has not. Since 2010, GRC has been moving from documents centric to MBSE/SysML. Project adoption of MBSE has been slow, but is steadily increasing in both MBSE usage and complexity of generated products. Sharing of knowledge of lessons learned in the implementation of MBSE/SysML is key for others who want to be successful. Along with GRC's implementation, NASA is working hard to increase the successful implementation of MBSE across all the other centers by developing guidelines, templates and libraries for projects to utilize. This presentation will provide insight into recent GRC and NASA adoption efforts, lessons learned and best practices.

  8. Identifying PEV early adopters and their needs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, A.

    2009-01-01

    This presentation discussed drivers and incentives for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) as well as the potential impacts on electric utility customers. For many drivers, the adoption of EVs will result in fuel cost savings of $1200 per year. Approximately 73 per cent of Canada's population is concentrated in urban areas. Ninety-five per cent of car trips are less than 30 km in distance. Canada's federal and provincial governments support the adoption of EVs. British Columbia (BC) currently has the most attractive combination of low electricity prices and high fuel costs in North America. Provincial sales tax rebates of up to $2000 are available for EV adopters, while carbon taxes are now being applied to fossil fuel users. New homes in Vancouver are required to provide dedicated charging circuits for EVs. The use of EVs will create new demands for customer service from fuel retailers, developers, fleets and consumer services. BC is expected to have one of the highest EV adoption rates in North America. Unconstrained EV charging is expected to impact the electricity grid by 2015. tabs., figs.

  9. Resource implications of adopting a restrictive neonatal blood ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Resource implications of adopting a restrictive neonatal blood transfusion policy. ... Objective. To determine whether adopting a restrictive BTF policy results in fewer transfusions. Methods. Data were retrospectively collected on all infants who received BTFs in the GSH nursery over a 6-month period following adoption of a ...

  10. Implications of Transnational Adoption Status for Adult Korean Adoptees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langrehr, Kimberly J.; Yoon, Eunju; Hacker, Jason; Caudill, Kathy

    2015-01-01

    This study used a consensual qualitative research method to explore the implications of transnational adoption in the lives of 12 adult Korean adoptees. From the analysis, 6 domains emerged: (a) adoption history and preadoptive memories, (b) meaning of adoption, (c) adoptive family dynamics, (d) racism, (e) identity formation, and (f) counseling…

  11. Factors Influencing Adoption of Cocoa Technologies Disseminated ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Factors Influencing Adoption of Cocoa Technologies Disseminated by Olam Organisation in ... Journal of Agricultural Research and Development ... level, household size, no of farm family assisting on the farm, management system adopted, ...

  12. Progress in electronic medical record adoption in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-01

    To determine the rate of adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) by physicians across Canada, provincial incentives, and perceived benefits of and barriers to EMR adoption. Data on EMR adoption in Canada were collected from CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, the Health Council of Canada, Canada Health Infoway, government websites, regional EMR associations, and health professional association websites. After removal of duplicate articles, 236 documents were found matching the original search. After using the filter Canada, 12 documents remained. Additional documents were obtained from each province's EMR website and from the Canada Health Infoway website. Since 2006, Canadian EMR adoption rates have increased from about 20% of practitioners to an estimated 62% of practitioners in 2013, with substantial regional disparities ranging from roughly 40% of physicians in New Brunswick and Quebec to more than 75% of physicians in Alberta. Provincial incentives vary widely but appear to have only a weak relationship with the rate of adoption. Many adopters use only a fraction of their software's available functions. User-cited benefits to adoption include time savings, improved record keeping, heightened patient safety, and confidence in retrieved data when EMRs are used efficiently. Barriers to adoption include financial and time constraints, lack of knowledgeable support personnel, and lack of interoperability with hospital and pharmacy systems. Canadian physicians remain at the stage of EMR adoption. Progression in EMR use requires experienced, knowledgeable technical support during implementation, and financial support for the transcription of patient data from paper to electronic media. The interoperability of EMR offerings for hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics is the rate-limiting factor in achieving a unified EMR solution for Canada.

  13. How Do Business Interest Groups Respond to Political Challenges?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paster, Thomas

    2018-01-01

    adaptation. The paper illustrates these two response strategies with four episodes of political conflict in the political-economic history of Germany: (i) the adoption of social insurance under Bismarck, (ii) the adoption of unemployment insurance in the 1920s, (iii) the adoption of board...... their interests, using four episodes of political conflict in Germany. The paper elaborates a model of response strategies and their likely impact on political outcomes. The model suggests that business interest groups can respond to political challenges in two ways: by seeking confrontation or by pursuing...

  14. Adopt a Bacterium - an active and collaborative learning experience in microbiology based on social media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piantola, Marco Aurélio Floriano; Moreno, Ana Carolina Ramos; Matielo, Heloísa Alonso; Taschner, Natalia Pasternak; Cavalcante, Rafael Ciro Marques; Khan, Samia; Ferreira, Rita de Cássia Café

    2018-04-24

    The "Adopt a Bacterium" project is based on the use of social network as a tool in Microbiology undergraduate education, improving student learning and encouraging students to participate in collaborative learning. The approach involves active participation of both students and teachers, emphasizing knowledge exchange, based on widely used social media. Students were organized in groups and asked to adopt a specific bacterial genus and, subsequently, submit posts about "adopted genus". The formative assessment is based on posting information on Facebook®, and the summative assessment involves presentation of seminars about the adopted theme. To evaluate the project, students filled out three anonymous and voluntary surveys. Most of the students enjoyed the activities and positively evaluated the experience. A large amount of students declared a change in their attitude towards the way they processed information, especially regarding the use of scientific sources. Finally, we evaluated knowledge retention six months after the end of the course and students were able to recall relevant Microbiology concepts. Our results suggest that the "Adopt a Bacterium" project represents a useful strategy in Microbiology learning and may be applied to other academic fields. Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  15. The Challenges of Adopting International Financial Reporting ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Challenges of Adopting International Financial Reporting System in Nigeria. ... Nigeria is going to adopt International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) ... its challenges and to proffer solutions that would ensure seamless transition in ...

  16. Smallholder adoption and economic impacts of tissue culture ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study was conducted with an objective of determining the correlates of adoption of tissue culture banana technology and its impacts on household incomes in Kenya. The results show that while some households have opted not to adopt tissue culture banana biotechnology, almost all the adopters are growing tissue ...

  17. EHR adoption among doctors who treat the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeager, Valerie A; Menachemi, Nir; Brooks, Robert G

    2010-12-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption among Florida doctors who treat the elderly. This analysis contributes to the EHR adoption literature by determining if doctors who disproportionately treat the elderly differ from their counterparts with respect to the utilization of an important quality-enhancing health information technology application. This study is based on a primary survey of a large, statewide sample of doctors practising in outpatient settings in Florida. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether doctors who treat a high volume of elderly (HVE) patients were different with respect to EHR adoption. Our analyses included responses from 1724 doctors. In multivariate analyses controlling for doctor age, training, computer sophistication, practice size and practice setting, HVE doctors were significantly less likely to adopt EHR. Specifically, compared with their counterparts, HVE doctors were observed to be 26.7% less likely to be utilizing an EHR system (OR=0.733, 95% CI 0.547-0.982). We also found that doctor age is negatively related to EHR adoption, and practice size and doctor computer savvy-ness is positively associated. Despite the fact that EHR adoption has improved in recent years, doctors in Florida who serve the elderly are less likely to adopt EHRs. As long as HVE doctors are adopting EHR systems at slower rates, the elderly patients treated by these doctors will be at a disadvantage with respect to potential benefits offered by this technology. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. Dental practitioners and a digital future: an initial exploration of barriers and incentives to adopting digital technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Zande, M M; Gorter, R C; Wismeijer, D

    2013-12-01

    Digital technologies are proliferating into dental practices. While their technical attributes have often been studied, it remains unclear why some dentists adopt and use these technologies more than others. AIM To explore the incentives for and barriers against accepting and using digital dental technologies. Eleven semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with experts in dentistry, dental technology and dental education in the Netherlands. Dentists' acceptance and use of digital technologies are to varying degrees driven by the perceived advantages over analogue methods, perceived influence on treatment quality, dentists' personal and professional orientation, and social influence from peers and external groups. These effects are complemented by personal and dental-practice characteristics. The findings suggest that there are large differences in motivation to adopt and use digital technologies between early adopters, late adopters and non-adopters, which should be examined in greater detail. We recommend that educators, dentists, and representatives of the dental industry who deal with the diffusion of these technologies take account of dentists' widely different attitudes to digitalisation.

  19. A Conceptual Model of eLearning Adoption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muneer Abbad

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Internet-based learning systems are being used in many universities and firms but their adoption requires a solid understanding of the user acceptance processes. The technology acceptance model (TAM has been used to test the acceptance of various technologies and software within an e-learning context. This research aims to discuss the main factors of a successful e-learning adoption by students. A conceptual research framework of e-learning adoption is proposed based on the TAM model.

  20. Impact of Training and Mentoring Activities Which are Given to The Level of Interest And Capability Industrial Target Group In Adopting SNI ISO 50001

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apriyanti, Dwi; Nugrahanto, Aris Ida; Shrestha, Sanjaya

    2018-02-01

    Energy consumption in the industrial sector in Indonesia is increasing as a result of population and economic growth. The government is aware of this and seeks the answer to improve industrial competitiveness and increase energy security through energy efficiency programs. Some industries have implemented energy efficiency programs as ad-hoc, but have not applied systematically, so the results are not optimal. Through the cooperation of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), there has been training and mentoring activities for industry on Energy Management System (EnMS) based on SNI ISO 50001. Based on the results of identification through survey conducted to 226 industry that has attended the training and 64 industries that have been trained and received assistance, obtained data that 45% of industries have fully adopted EnMS SNI ISO 50001, 17% industry has adopted a part of EnMS SNI ISO 50001 and 38% industry does not adopt EnMS SNI ISO 50001 altogether.

  1. farmer's characteristics and adoption of recommended practices ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Prof. Ekwueme

    80 respondents reveals that fadama farming was dominated by females ... determinants of respondents' adoption of fadama-related technologies, accounting for about 39% of .... of male adoption of improved practices could be related to the.

  2. Minority acculturation and peer rejection: Costs of acculturation misfit with peer-group norms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celeste, Laura; Meeussen, Loes; Verschueren, Karine; Phalet, Karen

    2016-09-01

    How do minority adolescents' personal acculturation preferences and peer norms of acculturation affect their social inclusion in school? Turkish and Moroccan minority adolescents (N = 681) reported their preferences for heritage culture maintenance, mainstream culture adoption, and their experiences of peer rejection as a key indicator of adjustment problems. Additionally, we aggregated peer acculturation norms of maintenance and adoption within ethnically diverse classrooms (N = 230 in 50 Belgian schools), distinguishing between co-ethnic (Turkish or Moroccan classmates only, N = 681) and cross-ethnic norms (also including N = 1,930 other classmates). Cross-ethnic peer-group norms (of adoption and maintenance) and co-ethnic norms (of maintenance, marginally) predicted minority experiences of peer rejection (controlling for ethnic composition). Moreover, misfit of minorities' own acculturation preferences with both cross-ethnic and co-ethnic peer-group norms was harmful. When cross-ethnic norms stressed adoption, 'integrationist' minority youth - who combined culture adoption with maintenance - experienced most peer rejection. Yet, when co-ethnic peers stressed maintenance, 'assimilationist' minority youth experienced most rejection. In conclusion, acculturation misfit with peer-group norms is a risk factor for minority inclusion in ethnically diverse environments. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

  3. Role of value compatibility in IT adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bunker, Deborah; Kautz, Karlheinz; Nguyen, Anne Luu Thanh

    2007-01-01

    Compatibility has been recognised as an important element in the adoption of IT innovations in organisations but as a concept it has been generally limited to technical or functional factors. Compatibility is also significant, however, with regard to value compatibility between the organisation......, and the adopted IT innovation. We propose a framework to determine value compatibility analysing the organisation's and information system's structure, practices and culture, and explore the value compatibility of an organisation with its adopted self-service computer-based information system. A case study......-service acceptance and training issues experienced by the case organisation. These findings add insight into the problems experienced with value compatibility and the adoption of the information systems, and show the potential use of the proposed framework in the detection of such problems.Journal of Information...

  4. Organizational Green IT Adoption: Concept and Evidence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qi Deng

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Green IT has emerged as an important research topic in information systems and in other areas, such as business sustainability management. Some progress has been made in our understandings of green IT in a wide area of research topics, ranging from the green IT definition to the motivation for adopting green IT by organizations. This paper provides a holistic review and explanation of why organizations adopt green IT. Based on an extensive review of extant studies and a broad theoretical foundation, the paper presents a theoretical framework on organizational green IT adoption (OGITA. For researchers, the study provides a comprehensive review of previous green IT adoption studies and a roadmap for future research. For practitioners, the study provides managers and policy makers a systematic analytical framework in guiding their business decisions.

  5. TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF PRODUCTION OF QUALITY PROTEIN MAIZE BETWEEN ADOPTERS AND NON-ADOPTERS, AND THE DETERMINANTS IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abiodun Elijah OBAYELU

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This study determined the technical efficiency (TE of production of Quality Protein Maize (QPM and the effect on the adoption of QPM in Oyo State, Nigeria. QPM is an improved maize variety developed to reduce protein deficiency problems. A total of 100 maize farmers were sampled through a two-stage sampling procedure. Stochastic frontier approach using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE was used to analyse the TE in the production of QPM, while probit regression was used to determine the effect of TE and other socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents on the adoption of QPM. The results revealed a mean TE of 0.89 and 0.78 for adopters and non-adopters of QPM respectively. This implied that adopters of QPM are more technically efficient than the non-adopters. Quantity of seed planted and fertilizer directly and significantly affected the TE of QPM while gross margin of maize farmers and income from other sources (at P<0.05, the level of education of farmers and QPM farm size (P<0.01 have significant and a negative effects on technical inefficiency from the results of the Tobit regression. The age (P<0.05 of the farmer has direct effect on technical inefficiency. In conclusion, TE, level of output, information availability on QPM and early maturity were significant determinants of QPM rather than the gross margin of production. Farmers decide to adopt QPM technology because of the high level of technical efficiency in the production of this variety. Their output from QPM can be increased by 11 percent, while the non-adopters can increase their maize output by 22 percent using the available technology.

  6. The Optimal Timing of Adoption of a Green Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cunha-e-Sa, M.A.; Reis, A.B.

    2007-01-01

    We study the optimal timing of adoption of a cleaner technology and its effects on the rate of growth of an economy in the context of an AK endogenous growth model. We show that the results depend upon the behavior of the marginal utility of environmental quality with respect to consumption. When it is increasing, we derive the capital level at the optimal timing of adoption. We show that this capital threshold is independent of the initial conditions on the stock of capital, implying that capital-poor countries tend to take longer to adopt. Also, country-specific characteristics, as the existence of high barriers to adoption, may lead to different capital thresholds for different countries. If the marginal utility of environmental quality decreases with consumption, a country should never delay adoption; the optimal policy is either to adopt immediately or, if adoption costs are t oo high , to never adopt. The policy implications of these results are discussed in the context of the international debate surrounding the environmental political agenda

  7. 17 CFR 200.67 - Power to adopt rules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Power to adopt rules. 200.67... AND ETHICS; AND INFORMATION AND REQUESTS Canons of Ethics § 200.67 Power to adopt rules. In exercising... by the Congress imposes the obligation upon the members to adopt rules necessary to effectuate the...

  8. Are You Pregnant and Thinking about Adoption?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... agreements can be useful tools in setting common expectations and should be filed before the adoption is ... allow, and some States require, adoptive parents to pay for the birth mother’s counseling (with various time ...

  9. SMEs' E-commerce Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scupola, Ada

    2009-01-01

    Purpose - Proposes providing an insight about factors affecting business-to-business e-commerce adoption and implementation in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), highlighting similarities and differences between Danish and Australian SMEs.    Design/methodology/approach - The research...... conducted in Danish and Australian companies. Findings - The findings both corroborate previous results about significant factors affecting SMEs' b-to-b e-commerce adoption and implementation and provide new, interesting insights. The study also finds many similarities and differences between Denmark...... and Australia.  Research limitations/implications - The main limitation relates to the difficulty of generalization of the findings to a larger population of SMEs.  To overcome this, a statistical survey is planned to be conducted in the future. Practical implications - The results of the empirical research...

  10. Potential miscanthus' adoption in Illinois: Information needs and preferred information channels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Villamil, Maria B. [Department of Human and Community Development, Laboratory for Community and Economic Development, 222 Bevier Hall, 905 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, AW-101 Turner Hall, 1102 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Silvis, Anne Heinze [Department of Human and Community Development, Laboratory for Community and Economic Development, 222 Bevier Hall, 905 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Bollero, German A. [Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, AW-101 Turner Hall, 1102 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

    2008-12-15

    This study examined farmers' information needs and concerns and preferred information channels regarding the introduction of miscanthus in their current production systems in the state of Illinois, USA. Surveys and focus groups targeted farming populations from Northern, Central, and Southern regions of the state to evidence regional differences. A secondary objective was to identify potential adopters of miscanthus and to asses the level of awareness regarding miscanthus and the associated possibility of receiving carbon credits. Factor analysis, multivariate ANOVA, and categorical data analysis were the selected statistical tools. Only two out of 313 respondents knew about the existence of the crop before completing the survey. Thirty percent of the respondents were identified as potential adopters of miscanthus with the highest proportion of potential adopters found among farmers in the Northern Illinois region. There are clear differences among the information needs of farmers in each region in Illinois as well as in the preferred channels. Information campaigns aimed to increase awareness and education regarding the use of miscanthus as an energy crop in Illinois, should specifically address these regional information needs and channel them through preferred media. (author)

  11. Competition of simple and complex adoption on interdependent networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czaplicka, Agnieszka; Toral, Raul; San Miguel, Maxi

    2016-12-01

    We consider the competition of two mechanisms for adoption processes: a so-called complex threshold dynamics and a simple susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model. Separately, these mechanisms lead, respectively, to first-order and continuous transitions between nonadoption and adoption phases. We consider two interconnected layers. While all nodes on the first layer follow the complex adoption process, all nodes on the second layer follow the simple adoption process. Coupling between the two adoption processes occurs as a result of the inclusion of some additional interconnections between layers. We find that the transition points and also the nature of the transitions are modified in the coupled dynamics. In the complex adoption layer, the critical threshold required for extension of adoption increases with interlayer connectivity whereas in the case of an isolated single network it would decrease with average connectivity. In addition, the transition can become continuous depending on the detailed interlayer and intralayer connectivities. In the SIS layer, any interlayer connectivity leads to the extension of the adopter phase. Besides, a new transition appears as a sudden drop of the fraction of adopters in the SIS layer. The main numerical findings are described by a mean-field type analytical approach appropriately developed for the threshold-SIS coupled system.

  12. Influence of Marketing on Consumer's Adoption of E-Banking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MSc. Ganimete Podvorica

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The financial system plays an extraordinary role in developing and enriching the domestic economy. E-banking service as an innovative software product and service for customers was introduced few years ago in the country from variety of national and international banks: ProCredit Bank, Raiffeissen Bank, Teb Bank, NLB Bank etc., enabling consumers to have access to their bank accounts over the internet. Since internet usage grows rapidly in the country even adoption of e-banking is expected to flourish. Behavior of customers toward adoption is explained using different behavioral model. The objective of this study is to analyze the consumer-adoption process toward e-banking. The survey is used in this respect, to find out the way they learn, try, and adopt or reject e-banking service. Furthermore, the hypothesis those females are significantly different from males on adoption of e-banking services, it prevails the null hypothesis that gender doesn’t affect adoption of e-banking services. The study reveals the characteristics of the consumers toward ebanking adoption process, such as differences in individual readiness to try new product; the information searching; advertisement and direct marketing influence; and speed rates of adoption and non adoption among genders.

  13. Applying the Precaution Adoption Process Model to the Acceptance of Mine Safety and Health Technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haas, Emily J

    2018-03-01

    Mineworkers are continually introduced to protective technologies on the job. Yet, their perceptions toward the technologies are often not addressed until they are actively trying to use them, which may halt safe technology adoption and associated work practices. This study explored management and worker perspectives toward three technologies to forecast adoption and behavioral intention on the job. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 21 mineworkers and 19 mine managers to determine the adoption process stage algorithm for workers and managers, including perceived barriers to using new safety and health technologies. Differences between workers and managers were revealed in terms of readiness, perceptions, and initial trust in using technologies. Workers, whether they had or had not used a particular technology, still had negative perceptions toward its use in the initial introduction and integration at their mine site, indicating a lengthy time period needed for full adoption. The key finding from these results is that a carefully considered and extended introduction of technology for workers in Stage 3 (undecided to act) is most important to promote progression to Stage 5 (decided to act) and to avoid Stage 4 (decided not to act). In response, organizational management may need to account for workers' particular stage algorithm, using the Precaution Adoption Process Model, to understand how to tailor messages about protective technologies, administer skill-based trainings and interventions that raise awareness and knowledge, and ultimately encourage safe adoption of associated work practices.

  14. Implementation and adoption of mechanical patient lift equipment in the hospital setting: The importance of organizational and cultural factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoenfisch, Ashley L; Myers, Douglas J; Pompeii, Lisa A; Lipscomb, Hester J

    2011-12-01

    Work focused on understanding implementation and adoption of interventions designed to prevent patient-handling injuries in the hospital setting is lacking in the injury literature and may be more insightful than more traditional evaluation measures. Data from focus groups with health care workers were used to describe barriers and promoters of the adoption of patient lift equipment and a shift to a "minimal-manual lift environment" at two affiliated hospitals. Several factors influencing the adoption of the lift equipment and patient-handling policy were noted: time, knowledge/ability, staffing, patient characteristics, and organizational and cultural aspects of work. The adoption process was complex, and considerable variability by hospital and across units was observed. The use of qualitative data can enhance the understanding of factors that influence implementation and adoption of interventions designed to prevent patient-handling injuries among health care workers. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. FinTech Adoption Across Generations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carlin, Bruce; Olafsson, Arna; Pagel, Michaela

    financial fee payments and penalties, but differs cross-sectionally in the population. After adopting the new technology, Millennials and members of Generation X incur fewer financial fees and penalties, whereas Baby Boomers do not benefit from the technological advance. Millennials and Gen Xers save fees...... by using their credit cards rather than overdrafts to manage short-term liabilities. Moreover, Millennials shift some of their spending to discretionary entertainment, whereas members of Generation X remain more austere. Finally, while men tend to adopt new technology and access information at a higher...

  16. Factors influencing the adoption of sericulture by farmers in Guilan Province, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Afsaneh Merat

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Sericulture and silk production are among the activities that can, along with other agricultural activities, generate income for rural households in a short period of time. The objective of the present study was to identify factors influencing the adoption of sericulture by farmers in Guilan province, Iran. The sericulture farmers of Langarud and Shaft counties (N = 4187, were included in the statistical population of the study. The sample size was determined to be 198, using the least sample size table of Bartlett et al. (2001 and subsequently, the size of the second group, i.e., non-sericulturists, was specified from these regions. The research tool was a questionnaire whose face and content validity was confirmed by a panel of experts. The reliability of the research tool was evaluated by alpha Cronbach estimated α value to be 0.78. The results revealed that sericulture adoption was significantly related to all demographic characteristics except gender including age, number of dependents, education level, and experience in sericulture as well as technical and economic characteristics including the type of cocoonary ownership, profitability of sericulture given its shorter rearing period compared to other agricultural activities, willingness to rehabilitate coronary, and willingness to attend sericulture and other relevant courses. The studied groups differed significantly in terms of the impact of all supportive policies including the provision of loans and facilities for the rehabilitation and construction of coronaries, the insurance of silkworm rearing, the training and promotion of sericulture and relevant activities, free distribution of improved saplings, distribution of high-yielding silkworm eggs, and the guaranteed purchase of cocoons. The results revealed that all supportive policies played an effective role in the adoption of sericulture. However, free distribution of improved saplings, distribution of high-yield silkworm eggs

  17. Mandatory IFRS adoption and executive compensation: Evidence from China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qingchuan Hou

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates how the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS affects the contractual benefits of using accounting information to determine executive compensation in China. After controlling for firm and corporate governance characteristics, we find strong evidence supporting the positive role of mandatory IFRS adoption on the accounting-based performance sensitivity of executive compensation. Subsample analysis suggests that improvements in accounting-based performance sensitivity after IFRS adoption differ across regions with various levels of institutional quality and across firms that are affected to a different extent by the adoption. Additional analysis supports the argument that the positive effects of IFRS adoption on the use of accounting performance in executive compensation are driven by the reduction in accounting conservatism associated with IFRS adoption.

  18. Business model elements impacting cloud computing adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bogataj, Kristina; Pucihar, Andreja; Sudzina, Frantisek

    The paper presents a proposed research framework for identification of business model elements impacting Cloud Computing Adoption. We provide a definition of main Cloud Computing characteristics, discuss previous findings on factors impacting Cloud Computing Adoption, and investigate technology a...

  19. Asthma and allergic rhinitis in adoptees and their adoptive parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, J M; Cadoret, R J; Burns, T L; Troughton, E P

    1998-08-01

    Since the highest risk for the development of atopic disease is in early life, environmental risk factors need to be separated from the genetic component in this high risk period. Adoptees removed at birth and placed in adoptive families present a way to separate environmental and genetic factors at this early susceptible age. An opportunity for a pilot study of asthma and allergic rhinitis in adoptive families was presented when a psychiatrist (RC) was planning a behavioral study of young adult adoptees and their adoptive parents. A detailed questionnaire about allergic rhinitis and asthma was added after the psychiatrists' interview. Placement was not influenced by a history of allergy in adoptive or natural parents. The adoptee and at least one adoptive parent completed questionnaires in 367 families. The adoptees had been removed at birth and placed in the adoptive family within 3 months (83% within 1 month). Compared with adoptive families without asthma or allergic rhinitis, an adoptive mother with asthma or rhinitis, when the adoptive father was not affected, increased the risk for asthma in the adoptee (OR = 3.2, P adoptive mother alone (OR = 3.2, P Adoptive father asthma or allergic rhinitis showed a trend toward increased asthma in the adoptee (OR = 1.9, P adoption by parents with asthma or allergic rhinitis suggests that further well planned adoptee studies should be made.

  20. The rearing environment and risk for drug abuse: a Swedish national high-risk adopted and not adopted co-sibling control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendler, K S; Ohlsson, H; Sundquist, K; Sundquist, J

    2016-05-01

    Although drug abuse (DA) is strongly familial, with important genetic influences, we need to know more about the role of rearing environment in the risk for DA. To address this question, we utilized a high-risk adopted and non-adopted co-sibling control design. High-risk offspring had one or more biological parents registered for DA, alcohol use disorders or criminal behavior. Using Swedish registries, we identified 1161 high-risk full-sibships and 3085 high-risk half-sibships containing at least one member who was adopted-away and one member who was not. Registration for DA was via national criminal, medical and pharmacy registers. In Sweden, adoptive families are screened to provide high-quality rearing environment for adoptees. Controlling for parental age at birth and gender (and, in half-siblings, high-risk status of the other parent), risk for DA was substantially lower in the full- and half-siblings who were adopted v. not adopted [hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals: 0.55 (0.45-0·69) and 0.55 (95% CI 0.48-0.63), respectively]. The protective effect of adoption on risk for DA was significantly stronger in the full- and half-sibling pairs with very high familial liability (two high-risk parents) and significantly weaker when the adoptive family was broken by death or divorce, or contained a high-risk parent. In both full- and half-sibling pairs, we found replicated evidence that rearing environment strongly impacts on risk for DA. High-quality rearing environments can substantively reduce risk for DA in those at high genetic risk.

  1. Looking under the Bonnet: Factors Affecting Student Adoption of E-Learning Systems in Jordan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muneer Mahmood Abbad, David Morris, Carmel de Nahlik

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available The primary questions addressed in this paper are the following: what are the factors that affect students’ adoption of an e-learning system and what are the relationships among these factors?This paper investigates and identifies some of the major factors affecting students’ adoption of an e-learning system in a university in Jordan. E-learning adoption is approached from the information systems acceptance point of view. This suggests that a prior condition for learning effectively using e-learning systems is that students must actually use them. Thus, a greater knowledge of the factors that affect IT adoption and their interrelationships is a pre-cursor to a better understanding of student acceptance of e-learning systems. In turn, this will help and guide those who develop, implement, and deliver e-learning systems.In this study, an extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM was developed to investigate the underlying factors that influence students’ decisions to use an e-learning system. The TAM was populated using data gathered from a survey of 486 undergraduate students using the Moodle based e-learning system at the Arab Open University. The model was estimated using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM. A path model was developed to analyze the relationships between the factors to explain students’ adoption of the e-learning system. Whilst findings support existing literature about prior experience affecting perceptions, they also point to surprising group effects, which may merit future exploration.

  2. Adoption and Sibling Rivalry

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Life Medical Home Family Dynamics Adoption & Foster Care Communication & Discipline Types of Families Media Work & Play Getting ... as deep, loving, and long-lasting as any parent-child relationship. Last Updated 11/21/2015 Source Caring ...

  3. The integrated model of smartphone adoption: hedonic and utilitarian value perceptions of smartphones among Korean college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chun, Heasun; Lee, Hyunjoo; Kim, Daejoong

    2012-09-01

    This study aims to propose an integrated model of smartphone adoption that incorporates social influences (SIs), perceived technicality, as well as hedonic and utilitarian attitudes into the technology acceptance model. The proposed model was empirically evaluated by using survey data collected from 239 Korean college students to investigate their perception and attitudes toward smartphone adoption intention. Our results show that users' attitudes and their adoption intention are highly influenced by SI and positive self-image. This implies that a smartphone is a symbolic product that can signal affiliation and enhance the users' status in a group. The results also indicate that hedonic enjoyment is equally important as utilitarian usefulness in predicting the adoption intention, and the two variables mediate the relationships between SI, positive self-image, perceived technicality, and the intention to use. Consequently, the results reveal that smartphones are convergent media that can be viewed as both task-oriented and entertainment-oriented devices.

  4. Government Intervention in SMEs E-Commerce Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hugger, Ada Scupola

    2005-01-01

    Institutional involvement, and especially the role of government, has historically been determinant in the adoption and diffusion of technological innovations. This study investigates the role of government in the adoption and diffusion of e-commerce in small and medium size enterprises. King et ...

  5. Farmers' Characteristics and Adoption' of Recommended Practices ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Gender, educational and household characteristics of respondents were significant determinants of respondents' adoption of Fadama-related technologies, accounting for about 39% of variability in adoption. High costs of water pumps, lack of agro-chemicals (fertilizers) and inadequate funds were major constraint to ...

  6. Adoption of communication technologies and national culture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hofstede, G.J.

    2001-01-01

    This paper investigates the question what attributes of countries influence the differential speed at which they adopt new communication technologies. On the basis of empirical data, it concludes that besides GNP per capita, cultural variables predict the speed of technology adoption. In particular,

  7. Adoptive T Cell Immunotherapy for Patients with Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLaughlin, Lauren P; Bollard, Catherine M; Keller, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Primary immunodeficiency disorders (PID) are a group of inborn errors of immunity with a broad range of clinical severity but often associated with recurrent and serious infections. While hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can be curative for some forms of PID, chronic and/or refractory viral infections remain a cause of morbidity and mortality both before and after HSCT. Although antiviral pharmacologic agents exist for many viral pathogens, these are associated with significant costs and toxicities and may not be effective for increasingly drug-resistant pathogens. Thus, the emergence of adoptive immunotherapy with virus-specific T lymphocytes (VSTs) is an attractive option for addressing the underlying impaired T cell immunity in many PID patients. VSTs have been utilized for PID patients following HSCT in many prior phase I trials, and may potentially be beneficial before HSCT in patients with chronic viral infections. We review the various methods of generating VSTs, clinical experience using VSTs for PID patients, and current limitations as well as potential ways to broaden the clinical applicability of adoptive immunotherapy for PID patients.

  8. Modeling the effect of social networks on adoption of multifunctional agriculture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manson, Steven M; Jordan, Nicholas R; Nelson, Kristen C; Brummel, Rachel F

    2016-01-01

    Rotational grazing (RG) has attracted much attention as a cornerstone of multifunctional agriculture (MFA) in animal systems, potentially capable of producing a range of goods and services of value to diverse stakeholders in agricultural landscapes and rural communities, as well as broader societal benefits. Despite these benefits, global adoption of MFA has been uneven, with some places seeing active participation, while others have seen limited growth. Recent conceptual models of MFA emphasize the potential for bottom-up processes and linkages among social and environmental systems to promote multifunctionality. Social networks are critical to these explanations but how and why these networks matter is unclear. We investigated fifty-three farms in three states in the United States (New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania) and developed a stylized model of social networks and systemic change in the dairy farming system. We found that social networks are important to RG adoption but their impact is contingent on social and spatial factors. Effects of networks on farmer decision making differ according to whether they comprise weak-tie relationships, which bridge across disparate people and organizations, or strong-tie relationships, which are shared by groups in which members are well known to one another. RG adoption is also dependent on features of the social landscape including the number of dairy households, the probability of neighboring farmers sharing strong ties, and the role of space in how networks are formed. The model replicates features of real-world adoption of RG practices in the Eastern US and illustrates pathways toward greater multifunctionality in the dairy landscape. Such models are likely to be of heuristic value in network-focused strategies for agricultural development.

  9. Adoption of Innovative Information Systems by SMEs: Comparing The Role of Firm’s Enacted Capabilities of Active Adopters and Non-Active Adopters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noor Akma Mohd Salleh

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available The adoption of innovative information systems (IS by small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs across heterogeneous culture, locales, and markets are a critical and an ongoing challenge. Such challenge requires more than just good ideas and extensive resources. It requires organisational capabilities that can be labelled as “enacted capabilities”. This study defines enacted capabilities as the firm’s ability to mobilise and deploy IS-based resources in combination or co-present with other capabilities within SMEs. Consequently, the aim of this study is to make a contribution by empirically examining the enacted capabilities of SMEs in developing countries that may influence the success of innovative IS adoption. In line with this objective, an innovative IS adoption behaviour investigation is conducted particularly as to why some SMEs are able to be enabled for use and utilise innovative IS, while others fail to do so. A survey of 206 of the CEOs/owners from Malaysian SMEs was con-ducted. The innovative IS examined was the government’s electronic procure-ment systems. The findings are consistent with the notion that all SMEs have enacted capabilities. Some SMEs integrate and coordinate them in a different way, depending on the context of each organisation. The findings also indicate that strong enacted capabilities and perceived net benefits affect the SMEs’ ability to perform or assimilate IS related strategic change.

  10. Adoption of Technology and Augmentation of Resources for Teaching-Learning in Higher Education

    OpenAIRE

    P. M. Suresh Kumar

    2017-01-01

    Learner centred education through appropriate methodologies facilitates effective learning as teaching-learning modalities of higher education are considered to be relevant to the learner group. Curriculum delivery and pedagogy should incorporate multitude of learning experiences and innovative learning methodologies through adoption of technology. Plenty of resources external to the curriculum come into use, which offer valuable learning experiences. Augmentation of resources for teaching...

  11. Adoption of Technology and the Socio-Economic Status of Rural ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    economic status of rural women. A comparison of adopters and non-adopters reveals that the adopters are generally more privileged and occupy a higher status because of adoption. In addition, education and awareness are crucial variables in the ...

  12. "School Adopts an Experiment": The Photoluminescence in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and in Tonic Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallitto, A. Agliolo; Agnello, S.; Cannas, M.

    2011-01-01

    We report a laboratory activity, carried out along with high- and secondary-school students, that can be done to increase the interest of the young in scientific studies. Groups of selected students "adopted" experiments at physics research laboratories, under the guidance of university researchers. Subsequently, the students…

  13. Adopting local alcohol policies: a case study of community efforts to regulate malt liquor sales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKee, Patricia A; Nelson, Toben F; Toomey, Traci L; Shimotsu, Scott T; Hannan, Peter J; Jones-Webb, Rhonda J

    2012-01-01

    To learn how the local context may affect a city's ability to regulate alcohol products such as high-alcohol-content malt liquor, a beverage associated with heavy drinking and a spectrum of nuisance crimes in urban areas. An exploratory, qualitative case study comparing cities that adopted policies to restrict malt liquor sales with cities that considered, but did not adopt policies. Nine large U.S. cities in seven states. City legislators and staff, alcohol enforcement personnel, police, neighborhood groups, business associations, alcohol retailers, and industry representatives. Qualitative data were obtained from key informant interviews (n = 56) and media articles (n = 360). The data were coded and categorized. Similarities and differences in major themes among and across Adopted and Considered cities were identified. Cities faced multiple barriers in addressing malt liquor-related problems, including a lack of enforcement tools, alcohol industry opposition, and a lack of public and political will for alcohol control. Compared to cities that did not adopt malt liquor sales restrictions, cities that adopted restrictions appeared to have a stronger public mandate for a policy and were less influenced by alcohol industry opposition and lack of legislative authority for alcohol control. Strategies common to successful policymaking efforts are discussed. Understanding the local context may be a critical step in winning support for local alcohol control policies.

  14. Forced Adoption of IFRS by Czech Non-Listed Companies: An Assessment of Benefits and Costs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Procházka

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with the effects of IFRS adoption by a specific group of companies. It focuses on the so-called forced IFRS adopters, which are such private (non-listed companies that (a are forced to adopt the IFRS (because their parent prepares IFRS consolidated statements and simultaneously (b are not permitted by the regulatory framework of a given jurisdiction to apply the IFRS in their individual financial statements on a  voluntary basis. In particular, benefits and costs connected with the forced IFRS adoption by Czech private companies are assessed. The results, based on a  questionnaire survey among affected companies, confirm the intuitive presumption that accounting treatment of certain items significantly differs between Czech GAAP and IFRS, which requires the use of advanced methods for the conversion of financial statements. Regardless of which conversion method is used, perceptions of both benefits and appropriateness of incurred costs vary across entities. The benefit-to-cost ratio for the two most commonly used conversion methods (spreadsheets and dual accounting software is comparable, as the first method generates fewer benefits for lower costs and the second method is connected with more benefits, but at higher costs. Finally, the survey reveals that actual costs of IFRS adoption are higher than the expected costs regardless of the conversion method applied.

  15. Comparability Effects of Mandatory IFRS Adoption

    OpenAIRE

    Stefano Cascino; Joachim Gassen

    2012-01-01

    The mandatory adoption of IFRS by many countries worldwide fuels the expectation that financial accounting information might become more comparable across countries. This expectation is opposed to an alternative view that stresses the importance of incentives in shaping accounting information. We provide early evidence on this debate by investigating the effects of mandatory IFRS adoption on the comparability of financial accounting information around the world. Using two comparability proxie...

  16. Influences on physicians' adoption of electronic detailing (e-detailing).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkhateeb, Fadi M; Doucette, William R

    2009-01-01

    E-detailing means using digital technology: internet, video conferencing and interactive voice response. There are two types of e-detailing: interactive (virtual) and video. Currently, little is known about what factors influence physicians' adoption of e-detailing. The objectives of this study were to test a model of physicians' adoption of e-detailing and to describe physicians using e-detailing. A mail survey was sent to a random sample of 2000 physicians practicing in Iowa. Binomial logistic regression was used to test the model of influences on physician adoption of e-detailing. On the basis of Rogers' model of adoption, the independent variables included relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, peer influence, attitudes, years in practice, presence of restrictive access to traditional detailing, type of specialty, academic affiliation, type of practice setting and control variables. A total of 671 responses were received giving a response rate of 34.7%. A total of 141 physicians (21.0%) reported using of e-detailing. The overall adoption model for using either type of e-detailing was found to be significant. Relative advantage, peer influence, attitudes, type of specialty, presence of restrictive access and years of practice had significant influences on physician adoption of e-detailing. The model of adoption of innovation is useful to explain physicians' adoption of e-detailing.

  17. Understanding producers' motives for adopting sustainable practices

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trujillo-Barrera, Andres; Pennings, Joost M.E.; Hofenk, Dianne

    2016-01-01

    Understanding the motives and risk attitudes of producers to engage in sustainable practices is important for policy-makers who wish to increase the likelihood of adoption and improve the design of incentives. This article examines the underlying motives of producers to adopt sustainable

  18. Determinants of rainwater harvesting technology (RWHT) adoption ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2014-11-26

    Nov 26, 2014 ... study evaluated the determinants of farmers' decisions to adopt rainwater harvesting technology ... adoption of RWHT in the study area. ... In South Africa, agriculture involves large numbers of ... Study area and data collection ..... study in rainwater harvesting: A 2011 perspective. ... Kluwer Academic.

  19. Timing of adoption of clean technologies by regulated monopolies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Youssef Slim Ben

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We consider a monopoly firm producing a good and, at the same time, polluting and using fossil energy. By incurring an investment cost, this firm can adopt a lower production cost clean technology using renewable energy. We determine the optimal adoption date for the firm in the case where it is not regulated at all and in the case where it is regulated at each period. Interestingly, the regulated firm adopts the clean technology earlier than what is socially optimal, as opposed to the nonregulated firm. The regulator can induce the firm to adopt the clean technology at the socially optimal date by a postpone adoption subsidy. Nevertheless, the regulator may be interested in the earlier adoption of the firm to encourage the diffusion of the use of clean technologies in other industries.

  20. Consumers in New Millennium: Attitudes towards Adoption of New Technologies in Purchasing Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kopaničová Janka

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The use of new technologies has brought many changes into consumer behaviour, especially into purchasing process. The aim of the article is to uncover the attitudes of different generations towards usage of new technologies in purchasing process and determine if the diffusion of innovative purchasing process is significantly different among different generations. The article presents the results of authors´ research of usage of new technologies in purchasing process, as well as attitudes towards it, among different age groups - Generation X, Y, Z and seniors. Results of hybrid research carried out by semi-structured interviews with 551 respondents show, that there are significant generational differences in all three components of attitude towards online purchase, which can be - due to its characteristics- considered the most complex use of new technologies in purchasing process. Results prove that the diffusion of innovation in the purchasing process is significantly influenced by the age group. With age the number of Innovators significantly drops and the percentage of Laggards rises. The ratio of those adopting “early” and “late” significantly changes according to age group as well. Majority of younger respondents are accepting the new technologies into purchasing process early (Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority. Middle-aged consumers accept the innovations proportionally - copying the Roger´s curve. Among seniors, the majority is “late” (Late Majority and Laggards.

  1. Effects of IFRS adoption on tax avoidance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Nogueira Braga

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study investigates the association between mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS adoption and corporate tax avoidance. In this study, tax avoidance is defined as a reduction in the effective corporate income tax rate through tax planning activities, whether these are legal, questionable, or even illegal. Three measures of tax avoidance are used and factors at the country and firm level (that have already been associated with tax avoidance in prior research are controlled. Using samples that range from 9,389 to 15,423 publicly-traded companies from 35 countries, covering 1999 to 2014, it is found that IFRS adoption is associated with higher levels of corporate tax avoidance, even when the level of book-tax conformity required in the countries and the volume of accruals are controlled, both of which are considered potential determinants of this relationship. Furthermore, the results suggest that after IFRS adoption, firms in higher book-tax conformity environments engage more in tax avoidance than firms in lower book-tax conformity environments. It is also identified that engagement in tax avoidance after IFRS adoption derives not only from accruals management, but also from practices that do not involve accruals. The main conclusion is that companies engage more in tax avoidance after mandatory IFRS adoption.

  2. Successful Reach and Adoption of a workplace health promotion RCT targeting a group of high-risk workers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Marie B; Rasmussen, Charlotte D N; Ekner, Dorte

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Cleaners are rarely introduced to workplace health promotion programs. The study's objective was to evaluate the reach and adoption of a workplace randomized controlled trial (RCT) among cleaners in Denmark. METHODS: Cleaning businesses with at least 30 employees, that could offer...... a weekly 1-hour intervention during working hours, were invited to participate. Employees working at least 20 hours/week were invited to answer a screening questionnaire and consent to participate. Analyses determined the differences in health variables between responders and non-responders, consenters...... employees, 78% responded to the screening questionnaire and 49% consented to participate. Consenters and participants differed from non-consenters and non-participants by having higher BMI, more chronic diseases and poorer musculoskeletal health. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that workplace health...

  3. Drivers for precision livestock technology adoption: A study of factors associated with adoption of electronic identification technology by commercial sheep farmers in England and Wales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, Eliana; Hopkins, Thomas; Gurney, Emma; Shortall, Orla; Lovatt, Fiona; Davies, Peers; Williamson, George; Kaler, Jasmeet

    2018-01-01

    The UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe. However, the low profitability of sheep farming sector suggests production efficiency could be improved. Although the use of technologies such as Electronic Identification (EID) tools could allow a better use of flock resources, anecdotal evidence suggests they are not widely used. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of EID technology, and explore drivers and barriers of adoption of related tools among English and Welsh farmers. Farm beliefs and management practices associated with adoption of this technology were investigated. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent, with a response rate of 22%. Among the respondents, 87 had adopted EID tools for recording flock information, 97 intended to adopt it in the future, and 222 neither had adopted it, neither intended to adopt it. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used to identify farmer beliefs and management practices significantly associated with adoption of EID technology. EFA identified three factors expressing farmer's beliefs-external pressure and negative feelings, usefulness and practicality. Our results suggest farmer's beliefs play a significant role in technology uptake. Non-adopters were more likely than adopters to believe that 'government pressurise farmers to adopt technology'. In contrast, adopters were significantly more likely than non-adopters to see EID as practical and useful (p≤0.05). Farmers with higher information technologies literacy and intending to intensify production in the future were significantly more likely to adopt EID technology (p≤0.05). Importantly, flocks managed with EID tools had significantly lower farmer- reported flock lameness levels (p≤0.05). These findings bring insights on the dynamics of adoption of EID tools. Communicating evidence of the positive effects EID tools on flock performance and strengthening farmer's capability in use of technology are likely

  4. Barriers to widespread adoption of electric vehicles: An analysis of consumer attitudes and perceptions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egbue, Ona; Long, Suzanna

    2012-01-01

    Electric Vehicles (EVs) are promoted as a viable near-term vehicle technology to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with conventional vehicles (CVs). In spite of the benefits of EVs, several obstacles need to be overcome before EVs will be widely adopted. A major barrier is that consumers tend to resist new technologies that are considered alien or unproved, thus, policy decisions that consider their critical concerns will have a higher level of success. This research identifies potential socio-technical barriers to consumer adoption of EVs and determines if sustainability issues influence consumer decision to purchase an EV. This study provides valuable insights into preferences and perceptions of technology enthusiasts; individuals highly connected to technology development and better equipped to sort out the many differences between EVs and CVs. This group of individuals will likely be early adopters of EVs only if they perceive them to be superior in performance compared to CVs. These results can guide policymakers in crafting energy and transportation policy. It can also provide guidance to EV engineers' decision in incorporating consumer preference into EV engineering design. - Highlights: ► We sample technology enthusiasts to determine attitudes toward electric vehicles. ► Knowledge and perceptions differ across gender, age, and education groups. ► High degree of uncertainty is associated with electric vehicles. ► Battery range is the biggest concern followed by cost. ► Sustainability has less weight compared to electric vehicle cost and performance.

  5. Imminent adopters of electronic health records in ambulatory care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rainu Kaushal

    2009-03-01

    Conclusions Imminent adopters of EHRs differed from users and non-users. Financial considerations appear to play a major role in adoption decisions. Knowledge of these differences may assist policymakers and healthcare leaders as they work to increase EHR adoption rates.

  6. Facilitators & Barriers to the Adoption of Ergonomic Solutions in Construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dale, Ann Marie; Jaegers, Lisa; Welch, Laura; Barnidge, Ellen; Weaver, Nancy; Evanoff, Bradley A.

    2017-01-01

    Background Rates of musculoskeletal disorders in construction remain high. Few studies have described barriers and facilitators to the use of available ergonomic solutions. This paper describes these barriers and facilitators and their relationship to the level of adoption. Methods Three analysts rated 16 proposed ergonomic solutions from a participatory ergonomics study and assessed the level of adoption, six adoption characteristics, and identified the category of adoption from a theoretical model. Results Twelve solutions were always or intermittently used and were rated positively for characteristics of relative advantage, compatibility with existing work processes, and trialability. Locus of control (worker vs. contractor) was not related to adoption. Simple solutions faced fewer barriers to adoption than those rated as complex. Conclusions Specific adoption characteristics can help predict the use of new ergonomic solutions in construction. Adoption of complex solutions must involve multiple stakeholders, more time, and shifts in culture or work systems. PMID:28195660

  7. Unusual presentation of cactus spines in the flank of an elderly man: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Freeman Scott

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Splinters and spines of plant matter are common foreign bodies in skin wounds of the extremities, and often present embedded in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue. Vegetative foreign bodies are highly inflammatory and, if not completely removed, can cause infection, toxic reactions, or granuloma formation. Older patients are at increased risk for infection from untreated plant foreign bodies. The most common error in plant splinter and spine management is failure to detect their presence. Case presentation Here we report a case of cactus spines in an 84-year-old Caucasian man presenting on the right flank as multiple, red papules with spiny extensions. This presentation was unusual both in location and the spinous character of the lesions, and only after punch biopsy analysis was a diagnosis of cactus matter spines made. Conclusions Our patient presented with an unusual case of cactus spines that required histopathology for identification. Skin lesions with neglected foreign bodies are a common cause of malpractice claims. If not removed, foreign bodies of the skin, particularly in elderly individuals, can result in inflammatory and infectious sequela. This report underscores the importance of thoroughly evaluating penetrating skin lesions for the presence of foreign bodies, such as splinters and spines.

  8. Information Technology Adoption, Corporate Governance and Bank Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umi Muawanah

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Many academicians and practitioners have been acknowledging that information technology (IT adoption could improve company performance. However, previous research indicates contradictory evidence. These inconsistencies can be attributed to variations among the studies in choosing proxy for IT adoption and due to contingent on other factors. This research aims at analyzing the influence of a contingent factor that is corporate governance (CG concerning the effectiveness of IT adoption in influencing company performance measured by change in return on assets. Two proxies are used for IT adoption: company expenses on IT and the level of the organization managing IT. Data is collected and analyzed from annual reports of all banks listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2011 to 2013. Multiple linear regression models are employed. This research shows that corporate governance practice could improve the effectiveness of IT adoption in improving company performance. This research implies that better CG practices in providing direction and monitoring on IT can lead to better company performance.

  9. Trendy solutions: Why do states adopt Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chandler, Jess [Georgia Institute of Technology, 685 Cherry Street, Atlanta, GA 30332-0345 (United States)], E-mail: jess.chandler@gatech.edu

    2009-08-15

    Thirty-four states had adopted Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards (SEPS) or similar goals by the end of 2008, with 14 adoptions since 2006. There appears to be something trendy about SEPS and states may adopt SEPS when internal variables would indicate otherwise. This analysis extends the current discussion of SEPS adoption beyond internal variables, relying on innovation and diffusion theory. Logistic regression with SEPS adoption as the dependent variable is used to test internal determinants and diffusion measures for the years 1997-2008. Of the internal determinants variables, affluence and government ideology were found to be positive and significant. The results show that regional and neighbor diffusion variables are significant in SEPS adoption decisions-even when accounting for ideological distance from previous adopters.

  10. Trendy solutions. Why do states adopt Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chandler, Jess [Georgia Institute of Technology, 685 Cherry Street, Atlanta, GA 30332-0345 (United States)

    2009-08-15

    Thirty-four states had adopted Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards (SEPS) or similar goals by the end of 2008, with 14 adoptions since 2006. There appears to be something trendy about SEPS and states may adopt SEPS when internal variables would indicate otherwise. This analysis extends the current discussion of SEPS adoption beyond internal variables, relying on innovation and diffusion theory. Logistic regression with SEPS adoption as the dependent variable is used to test internal determinants and diffusion measures for the years 1997-2008. Of the internal determinants variables, affluence and government ideology were found to be positive and significant. The results show that regional and neighbor diffusion variables are significant in SEPS adoption decisions - even when accounting for ideological distance from previous adopters. (author)

  11. Trendy solutions: Why do states adopt Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chandler, Jess

    2009-01-01

    Thirty-four states had adopted Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards (SEPS) or similar goals by the end of 2008, with 14 adoptions since 2006. There appears to be something trendy about SEPS and states may adopt SEPS when internal variables would indicate otherwise. This analysis extends the current discussion of SEPS adoption beyond internal variables, relying on innovation and diffusion theory. Logistic regression with SEPS adoption as the dependent variable is used to test internal determinants and diffusion measures for the years 1997-2008. Of the internal determinants variables, affluence and government ideology were found to be positive and significant. The results show that regional and neighbor diffusion variables are significant in SEPS adoption decisions-even when accounting for ideological distance from previous adopters.

  12. Smartphone adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petrovcikova, Katarina; Sudzina, Frantisek

    2017-01-01

    Smartphones are used by majority of Western population, and they are mobile phones of choice also in the rest of the world. The Theory of Consumption Values (TCV) is a marketing theory that explains purchase behavior of consumer goods and services. The framework consists of functional, social......, epistemic, hedonic, and conditional values; the latter being functional and/or social values present only in a specific situation. TCV is used in mobile device adoption literature disproportionably more often than in other fields. But virtually all TCV studies focused on smartphones are qualitative. The aim...

  13. Adoptive Family Adjustment and Its Relation to Perceived Family Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Betty; Kelly, Mary Margaret; Towner-Thyrum, Elizabeth

    1999-01-01

    Interviewed adopted college students regarding perceptions of adoptive family life. Found that overall satisfaction with adoptive status and family life was the strongest predictor of perceived general family environment. Perception of adoptive parents' communication styles predicted different aspects of family environment. Acknowledgment of life…

  14. A maturity model for blockchain adoption

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Huaiqing; Chen, Kun; Xu, Dongming

    2016-01-01

    Background: The rapid development of the blockchain technology and its various applications has rendered it important to understand the guidelines for adopting it. Methods: The comparative analysis method is used to analyze different dimensions of the maturity model, which is mainly based on the commonly used capability maturity model. Results: The blockchain maturity model and its adoption process have been discussed and presented. Conclusions: This study serves as a guide to institutions to...

  15. FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOPTION DECISIONS OF MAIZE FARMERS IN NIGERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olusegun Ayodeji Fadare

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The needs to develop improved varieties of maize have been in the heart of various researchers and institutions in Nigeria because of its strategic role in tackling food insecurity and poverty. Despite substantial efforts to improve maize varieties, the level of adoption of improved maize varieties (IMV in Nigeria in still very low. Although previous adoption studies have indicated a number of socioeconomic and institutional/organizational variables as important factors influencing adoption of improved maize (crop varieties in the country, whether these factors are the main issues of concern, and whether the inclusion of regional/agro-ecological variables in adoption model are also important in explaining what could drive farmers’ adoption behaviour requires investigation. This study therefore examined factors influencing adoption of IMV among farmers in Nigeria using a selected portion of the Nigeria Living Standard Measurement Survey data collected by the National Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank for 2010/2011 cropping season with descriptive statistics and probit model as tools for data analysis. The results suggest, in line with some previous studies, that farm size, education level of farmers and access to extension services would significantly influence adoption of IMV. The results also indicate that farmers across the entire agro-ecological regions of country share some negative sentiments regarding adoption of IMV. Renewed emphasis on interventions that would enable farmers gain more access to farmland, and promote formal education and extension service are advocated. An attempt to incorporate variables that capture farmers’ perception/experience on agroclimatic/ ecologically related concerns in adoption study could aid better understand of what drives farmers’ adoption decisions across the country especially in the light of the emerging climate change issues and its implication on food production.

  16. Learning for supplying as a motive to be the early adopter of a new energy technology: A study on the adoption of stationary fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, A.Y.-J.; Liu, R.-H.

    2008-01-01

    By early adopting a new technology, firms may attempt to improve their production efficiency and become further involved in the supply chain of the technology. These two different advantages derived from learning a new technology are identified as motives for adopting the technology. When learning for supplying (LFS) (becoming involved in the supply chain of the new technology) highlighted in this paper is significant enough, potential adopters may still be willing to adopt the new technology, even though learning for using (LFU) (increasing current production efficiency) is not significant. This paper identifies LFS as a motive for early adopters of the new technology. Firms may adopt a new technology for the purpose of learning how to become the suppliers of the relevant parts, materials, or equipment for the new technology. By investigating the adoption decision of a new energy technology (namely, phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC)), our arguments are supported by both observation of early adopters' attributes and a survey of Taiwanese firms' willingness to adopt new technology

  17. Critical Factors for Personal Cloud Storage Adoption in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianya Wang

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: In order to explain and predict the adoption of personal cloud storage, this study explores the critical factors involved in the adoption of personal cloud storage and empirically validates their relationships to a user's intentions. Design/methodology/approach: Based on technology acceptance model (TAM, network externality, trust, and an interview survey, this study proposes a personal cloud storage adoption model. We conducted an empirical analysis by structural equation modeling based on survey data obtained with a questionnaire. Findings: Among the adoption factors we identified, network externality has the salient influence on a user's adoption intention, followed by perceived usefulness, individual innovation, perceived trust, perceived ease of use, and subjective norms. Cloud storage characteristics are the most important indirect factors, followed by awareness to personal cloud storage and perceived risk. However, although perceived risk is regarded as an important factor by other cloud computing researchers, we found that it has no significant influence. Also, subjective norms have no significant influence on perceived usefulness. This indicates that users are rational when they choose whether to adopt personal cloud storage. Research limitations: This study ignores time and cost factors that might affect a user's intention to adopt personal cloud storage. Practical implications: Our findings might be helpful in designing and developing personal cloud storage products, and helpful to regulators crafting policies. Originality/value: This study is one of the first research efforts that discuss Chinese users' personal cloud storage adoption, which should help to further the understanding of personal cloud adoption behavior among Chinese users.

  18. ADOPTION OF IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY IN ETHIOPIA By

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Etsub [ ETSUB

    forms often used are the probit (the standard cumulative distribution function) and ... are techniques for estimating the probability of an event (such as adoption) that can .... credit, availability of labour, etc., are expected to influence the adoption behaviour ..... and have the opportunity to adjust productive resources over time.

  19. Adoptive Parents' Attitudes Toward Open Birth Records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geissinger, Shirley

    1984-01-01

    Investigated adoptive parents' (N=42) attitudes toward the open birth record issues using a mail survey. Analysis indicated that parental fear was the most important variable. Most supported a measure allowing adult adoptees access to birth records, provided such access was agreeable to birth and adoptive parents. (JAC)

  20. Covering Adoption: General Depictions in Broadcast News

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kline, Susan L.; Karel, Amanda I.; Chatterjee, Karishma

    2006-01-01

    Using theories of stigma (Goffman, 1963) and media frames (Iyengar, 1991), 292 news stories pertaining to adoption that appeared on major broadcast networks between 2001 and 2004 were analyzed. Media coverage of adoptees contained more problematic than positive depictions. Although birth parents were not always depicted, adoptive parent and…

  1. Social media adoption in local health departments nationwide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Jenine K; Mueller, Nancy L; Snider, Doneisha

    2013-09-01

    We examined whether characteristics of local health departments (LHD) and their geographic region were associated with using Facebook and Twitter. We also examined the number of tweets per month for Twitter accounts as an indicator of social media use by LHDs. In 2012, we searched for Facebook and Twitter accounts for 2565 LHDs nationwide, and collected adoption date and number of connections for each account. Number of tweets sent indicated LHD use of social media. LHDs were classified as innovators, early adopters, or nonadopters. Characteristics of LHDs were compared across adoption categories, and we examined geographic characteristics, connections, and use. Twenty-four percent of LHDs had Facebook, 8% had Twitter, and 7% had both. LHDs serving larger populations were more likely to be innovators, tweeted more often, and had more social media connections. Frequency of tweeting was not associated with adoption category. There were differences in adoption across geographic regions, with western states more likely to be innovators. Innovation was also higher in states where the state health department adopted social media. Social media has the potential to aid LHDs in disseminating information across the public health system. More evidence is needed to develop best practices for this emerging tool.

  2. Longitudinal analyses of adoptive parents' expectations and depressive symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foli, Karen J; Lim, Eunjung; South, Susan C

    2017-12-01

    Grounded in a theoretical model specific to adoptive parents, we examined the relationship between parental expectations and depressive symptoms across time. Assessments of 129 adoptive parents of 64 children were performed at three time points before and after placement of an adopted child with the family: 4-6 weeks pre-placement and 4-6 weeks and 5-6 months post-placement. Expectations were assessed in four dimensions: expectations of self as parents, of the child, of family and friends, and of society. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. Associations between parental expectations and depressive symptoms were analyzed, and longitudinal multilevel modeling was conducted to explore influences on expectations over time. Parental expectations changed from pre- to post-placement. With the exception of expectations of self as parent, adoptive parents' pre-adoption expectations were affirmed in the post-adoption time periods. In each expectation dimension, higher affirmation of expectations was correlated with decreased depressive symptoms before and after placement of a child. While parental expectations are not unique to adoptive parents, the essence and characteristics of certain expectations are unique to these parents. When working with adoptive parents, nurses who care for families should assess expectations both pre- and post-placement with awareness of their relationship to depressive symptoms. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. The Effect of Family Communication Patterns on Adopted Adolescent Adjustment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rueter, Martha A.; Koerner, Ascan F.

    2008-01-01

    Adoption and family communication both affect adolescent adjustment. We proposed that adoption status and family communication interact such that adopted adolescents in families with certain communication patterns are at greater risk for adjustment problems. We tested this hypothesis using a community-based sample of 384 adoptive and 208…

  4. Language and memory abilities of internationally adopted children from China: evidence for early age effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delcenserie, Audrey; Genesee, Fred

    2014-11-01

    The goal of the present study was to examine if internationally adopted (IA) children from China (M = 10;8) adopted by French-speaking families exhibit lags in verbal memory in addition to lags in verbal abilities documented in previous studies (Gauthier & Genesee, 2011). Tests assessing verbal and non-verbal memory, language, non-verbal cognitive ability, and socio-emotional development were administered to thirty adoptees. Their results were compared to those of thirty non-adopted monolingual French-speaking children matched on age, gender, and socioeconomic status. The IA children scored significantly lower than the controls on language, verbal short-term memory, verbal working memory, and verbal long-term memory. No group differences were found on non-verbal memory, non-verbal cognitive ability, and socio-emotional development, suggesting language-specific difficulties. Despite extended exposure to French, adoptees may experience language difficulties due to limitations in verbal memory, possibly as a result of their delayed exposure to that language and/or attrition of the birth language.

  5. The Quiet Migration Redux: International Adoption, Race, and Difference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leinaweaver, Jessaca B

    2014-01-01

    Demographers frame international adoption primarily as an unusual kind of migration. This insight offers anthropologists new ways to think about kinship. Drawing on demographic scholarship and anthropological kinship and migration studies, this article develops a new and hybrid approach to international adoption as a complex social process that is both migratory and productive of kinship. Viewing international adoption as a form of migration reveals how the stated "push factors" and actual "pull factors" of international adoption do not align perfectly. Using an anthropological life course perspective, the article then explores how the experiences of these "migrants" and those close to them, over time, are better understood as racialization than solely the product of migration. Looking at adoptees' lives through a migration lens reveals some of the persistent discomforts that prevent open conversations about racial difference and minority status in an adoptive context, that is, one where children have been caused to migrate, recruited into families. This article draws on data from ethnographic fieldwork with Spanish parents who have adopted Peruvian children to argue that international adoption is a unique form of immigration that produces a minority category within a majority population.

  6. Embryo donation parents' attitudes towards donors: comparison with adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacCallum, Fiona

    2009-03-01

    Embryo donation produces a family structure where neither rearing parent is genetically related to the child, as in adoption. It is not known how embryo donation parents view the donors compared with how adoptive parents view the birth parents. 21 couples with an embryo donation child aged 2-5 years were compared with 28 couples with an adopted child. Parents were administered a semi-structured interview, assessing knowledge of the donors/birth parents, frequency of thoughts and discussions about the donors/birth parents and disclosure of the donor conception/adoption to the child. Comparisons were made between mothers and fathers to examine gender differences. Embryo donation parents generally knew only the donors' physical characteristics, and thought about and talked about the donors less frequently than adoptive parents thought about and talked about the birth parents. Embryo donation fathers tended to think about the donors less often than did mothers. Disclosure of the child's origins in embryo donation families was far less common than in adoptive families (P parents' views on the donors differ from adoptive parents' views on the birth parents, with donors having little significance in family life once treatment is successful.

  7. Why, when, and how fast innovations are adopted

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonçalves, S.; Laguna, M. F.; Iglesias, J. R.

    2012-06-01

    When the full stock of a new product is quickly sold in a few days or weeks, one has the impression that new technologies develop and conquer the market in a very easy way. This may be true for some new technologies, for example the cell phone, but not for others, like the blue-ray. Novelty, usefulness, advertising, price, and fashion are the driving forces behind the adoption of a new product. But, what are the key factors that lead to adopt a new technology? In this paper we propose and investigate a simple model for the adoption of an innovation which depends mainly on three elements: the appeal of the novelty, the inertia or resistance to adopt it, and the interaction with other agents. Social interactions are taken into account in two ways: by imitation and by differentiation, i.e., some agents will be inclined to adopt an innovation if many people do the same, but other will act in the opposite direction, trying to differentiate from the "herd". We determine the conditions for a successful implantation of the new technology, by considering the strength of advertising and the effect of social interactions. We find a balance between the advertising and the number of anti-herding agents that may block the adoption of a new product. We also compare the effect of social interactions, when agents take into account the behavior of the whole society or just a part of it. In a nutshell, the present model reproduces qualitatively the available data on adoption of innovation.

  8. Determinants of internet poker adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philander, Kahlil S; Abarbanel, B Lillian

    2014-09-01

    In nearly all jurisdictions, adoption of a new form of gambling has been a controversial and contentious subject. Online gambling has been no different, though there are many aspects that affect online gambling that do not appear in the brick and mortar environment. This study seeks to identify whether demographic, economic, political, technological, and/or sociological determinants contribute to online poker gambling adoption. A theoretical discussion of these categories' importance to online poker is provided and exploratory empirical analysis is used to examine their potential validity. The analysis revealed support for all of the proposed categories of variables thought to be predictive of online gambling legality.

  9. Model Adoption Exchange Payment System: Executive Summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambrosino, Robert J.

    This executive summary provides a brief description of the Model Adoption Exchange Payment System (MAEPS), a unique payment system aimed at improving the delivery of adoption exchange services throughout the United States. Following a brief introductory overview, MAEPS is described in terms of (1) its six components (registration, listing,…

  10. Explaining e-business adoption - Innovation & entrepreneurship in Dutch SMEs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Veen, M.

    2005-01-01

    Explaining e-business adoptionThis dissertation deals with the explanation of e-business adoption in Dutch small and medium sized enterprises. The adoption of e-business plays an important part in making existing business more efficient and effective. Moreover, it is a tool for business development

  11. Determinants of adoption and productivity of improved rice varieties ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study employed adoption index, logit model and stochastic frontier model to assess the adoption status, its determinants and impact on farmers' productivity respectively. The results show that farmers have responded appreciably to intervention programme that promote the use of improved rice varieties with an adoption ...

  12. analysis of adoption of agro-biotechnological innovations in pig

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Adinya photo

    farmers on adoption of new technologies in pig production has positive influence on output of improved ... number of factors among which include non-adoption of ... I. B. Adinya, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Cross River University of Technology ... Theoretical framework on adoption behaviour of pig.

  13. Factors leading to inflation targeting : The impact of adoption

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Samarina, Anna; Sturm, Jan-Egbert

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines how the analysis of inflation targeting (IT) adoption is affected by allowing for a structural change after adoption, using panel probit models for 60 countries over the period 1985-2008. Our findings suggest that there is a structural change after IT adoption. Including the

  14. Using focus groups and social marketing to strengthen promotion of group prenatal care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vonderheid, Susan C; Carrie, S Klima; Norr, Kathleen F; Grady, Mary Alice; Westdahl, Claire M

    2013-01-01

    Centering Pregnancy, an innovative group model of prenatal care, shows promise to reduce persistent adverse maternal-infant outcomes and contain costs. Because this innovation requires systemwide change, clinics reported needing support enrolling women into groups and obtaining organizational buy-in. This study used the 3-step social marketing communication strategy to help clinic staff identify key customers and customer-specific barriers to adopting or supporting Centering Pregnancy. They developed targeted information to reduce barriers and built skills in communicating with different customers through role-playing. Findings provide practical information for others to use this communication strategy to improve implementation of Centering Pregnancy.

  15. Drivers for precision livestock technology adoption: A study of factors associated with adoption of electronic identification technology by commercial sheep farmers in England and Wales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopkins, Thomas; Gurney, Emma; Shortall, Orla; Lovatt, Fiona; Davies, Peers; Williamson, George; Kaler, Jasmeet

    2018-01-01

    The UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe. However, the low profitability of sheep farming sector suggests production efficiency could be improved. Although the use of technologies such as Electronic Identification (EID) tools could allow a better use of flock resources, anecdotal evidence suggests they are not widely used. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of EID technology, and explore drivers and barriers of adoption of related tools among English and Welsh farmers. Farm beliefs and management practices associated with adoption of this technology were investigated. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent, with a response rate of 22%. Among the respondents, 87 had adopted EID tools for recording flock information, 97 intended to adopt it in the future, and 222 neither had adopted it, neither intended to adopt it. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used to identify farmer beliefs and management practices significantly associated with adoption of EID technology. EFA identified three factors expressing farmer’s beliefs–external pressure and negative feelings, usefulness and practicality. Our results suggest farmer’s beliefs play a significant role in technology uptake. Non-adopters were more likely than adopters to believe that ‘government pressurise farmers to adopt technology’. In contrast, adopters were significantly more likely than non-adopters to see EID as practical and useful (p≤0.05). Farmers with higher information technologies literacy and intending to intensify production in the future were significantly more likely to adopt EID technology (p≤0.05). Importantly, flocks managed with EID tools had significantly lower farmer- reported flock lameness levels (p≤0.05). These findings bring insights on the dynamics of adoption of EID tools. Communicating evidence of the positive effects EID tools on flock performance and strengthening farmer’s capability in use of

  16. Effectiveness of online simulation training: Measuring faculty knowledge, perceptions, and intention to adopt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sujeong; Park, Chang; O'Rourke, Jennifer

    2017-04-01

    Best practice standards of simulation recommend standardized simulation training for nursing faculty. Online training may offer an effective and more widely available alternative to in-person training. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study evaluated the effectiveness of an online simulation training program, examining faculty's foundational knowledge of simulation as well as perceptions and intention to adopt. One-group pretest-posttest design. A large school of nursing with a main campus and five regional campuses in the Midwestern United States. Convenience sample of 52 faculty participants. Knowledge of foundational simulation principles was measured by pre/post-training module quizzes. Perceptions and the intention to adopt simulation were measured using the Faculty Attitudes and Intent to Use Related to the Human Patient Simulator questionnaire. There was a significant improvement in faculty knowledge after training and observable improvements in attitudes. Attitudes significantly influenced the intention to adopt simulation (B=2.54, p<0.001). Online simulation training provides an effective alternative for training large numbers of nursing faculty who seek to implement best practice of standards within their institutions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Advancing Consumer Adoption of Blockchain Applications

    OpenAIRE

    Witherspoon, Zane

    2017-01-01

    Blockchain technology as a whole is experiencing a dramatic rise in adoption, in no small part due to the developer-friendly Ethereum network. While the number of smart-contract powered distributed applications (Dapps) continues to rise, they face many of the same challenges all new technologies face as they are introduced to a market. By modeling the consumer adoption of blockchain technology and analyzing scholarly literature on supply-side factors affecting the diffusion of technology, we ...

  18. Adoption, nation, migration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Müller, Anders Riel

    2013-01-01

    Som transnationalt adopteret vokser man ofte op med en fortælling om, at man er født i et fattigt land. Og at ens første forældre var fattige eller oplevede så store problemer, at de ikke så andre muligheder end at afgive en til adoption. Det er en historie, man bliver fortalt igen og igen. Og so...

  19. The reach and adoption of a coach-led exercise training programme in community football.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finch, Caroline F; Diamantopoulou, Kathy; Twomey, Dara M; Doyle, Tim L A; Lloyd, David G; Young, Warren; Elliott, Bruce C

    2014-04-01

    To determine the reach and adoption of a coach-led exercise training programme for lower limb injury prevention. Secondary analysis of data from a group-clustered randomised controlled trial. A periodised exercise training warm-up programme was delivered to players during training sessions over an 8-week preseason (weeks 1-8) and 18-week playing season. 1564 community Australian football players. Reach, measured weekly, was the number of players who attended training sessions. Adoption was the number of attending players who completed the programme in full, partially or not at all. Reasons for partial or non-participation were recorded. In week 1, 599 players entered the programme; 55% attended 1 training session and 45% attended > 1 session. By week 12, 1540 players were recruited but training attendance (reach) decreased to <50%. When players attended training, the majority adopted the full programme-ranging from 96% (week 1) to above 80% until week 20. The most common reasons for low adoption were players being injured, too sore, being late for training or choosing their own warm-up. The training programme's reach was highest preseason and halved at the playing season's end. However, when players attended training sessions, their adoption was high and remained close to 70% by season end. For sports injury prevention programmes to be fully effective across a season, attention also needs to be given to (1) encouraging players to attend formal training sessions and (2) considering the possibility of some form of programme delivery outside of formal training.

  20. Stepwise innovation adoption : a neglected concept in innovation research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huizingh, K.R.E.; Brand, M.J.

    2009-01-01

    Most innovation researchers tend to consider innovation adoption as a binary process, implying that companies have either adopted an innovation or not. In this paper we focus on e-commerce as an innovation that can be adopted stepwise. We distinguish between two levels of e-commerce, basic and

  1. Adoption research, practice, and societal trends: Ten years of progress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiley, Mary O'Leary

    2017-12-01

    Adoption involves the legal transfer of parental rights and responsibilities from a child's birth parents to adults who will raise the child (Reitz & Watson, 1992). Research related to adoption has expanded over the past 10 years and has incorporated more focus on implications for practice and public policy. This expansion has reflected increased awareness of the lived experience of adopted individuals, in addition to that of adoptive families and birth or first parents and families, collectively known as the adoption kinship network (Grotevant & McRoy, 1998). Trends discussed included research and social trends or movements (2007-2017) since the publication of the final article in a series of articles in the psychological literature related to adoption in The Counseling Psychologist (Baden & Wiley, 2007; Lee, 2003; O'Brien & Zamostny, 2003; Wiley & Baden, 2005; Zamostny, O'Brien, Baden, & Wiley, 2003; Zamostny, Wiley, O'Brien, Lee, & Baden, 2003). This article summarizes the social trends and research related to adoption over the last 10 years, including longitudinal and meta-analytic studies, increased research and conceptualization of ethnic and racial identity development, research on microaggressions, and research on diverse adoptive families, including those with gay and lesbian parents. Social trends included increased knowledge related to Internet accessibility, genetic information, continued focus on openness, and viewing adoption through a more critical lens. Implications are discussed for the development of programs that enhance competence of mental health professionals and adoption professionals in adoption-competent practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. A group signature scheme based on quantum teleportation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen Xiaojun; Tian Yuan; Ji Liping; Niu Xiamu

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we present a group signature scheme using quantum teleportation. Different from classical group signature and current quantum signature schemes, which could only deliver either group signature or unconditional security, our scheme guarantees both by adopting quantum key preparation, quantum encryption algorithm and quantum teleportation. Security analysis proved that our scheme has the characteristics of group signature, non-counterfeit, non-disavowal, blindness and traceability. Our quantum group signature scheme has a foreseeable application in the e-payment system, e-government, e-business, etc.

  3. A group signature scheme based on quantum teleportation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wen Xiaojun; Tian Yuan; Ji Liping; Niu Xiamu, E-mail: wxjun36@gmail.co [Information Countermeasure Technique Research Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

    2010-05-01

    In this paper, we present a group signature scheme using quantum teleportation. Different from classical group signature and current quantum signature schemes, which could only deliver either group signature or unconditional security, our scheme guarantees both by adopting quantum key preparation, quantum encryption algorithm and quantum teleportation. Security analysis proved that our scheme has the characteristics of group signature, non-counterfeit, non-disavowal, blindness and traceability. Our quantum group signature scheme has a foreseeable application in the e-payment system, e-government, e-business, etc.

  4. In what ways are countries which have already adopted IFRS for SMEs different

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hana Bohušová

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Small and medium sized companies have an important position in the economy, mainly in the area of employment. SMEs are crucial to most developed and developing economies. SMEs are a heterogeneous group, possessing different size, sector, or location. Their activities on the international markets are limited by a great deal of obstacles in comparison to large enterprises. Different national financial reporting and tax systems can be considered as the most important obstacles (European Commission, 2003. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB published an International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS designed for use by small and medium-sized entities on July, the 9th 2009. The IFRS for SME is designed to meet the financial reporting needs of entities that (a do not have public accountability and (b publish general purpose financial statements for external users. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the current approach to the IFRS for SME adoption and implementation over the world, and to analyze the problems connected with harmonization of financial reporting legislation used by SMEs all over the world. In the paper are identified common characteristic of countries which have already the IFRS for SME adopted. The statistical methods were used for comparison of countries which have already the IFRS for SMEs adopted with those which have not adopted it yet. The level of economic development of the particular country and other characteristics were used for comparison.

  5. Forecasting the adoption of residential ductless heat pumps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hlavinka, Alexander N.; Mjelde, James W.; Dharmasena, Senarath; Holland, Christine

    2016-01-01

    Energy-efficient technologies have the potential to provide savings to households and utilities, but consumers do not always adopt these innovations over traditional technologies. The ductless heat pump (DHP) is one such technology designed to increase energy efficiency and comfort in space conditioning. DHP adoption by single-family residences in the Pacific Northwest of the United States is investigated by quantifying the effects of utility-provided rebates and expenditures on activities such as advertising and installer training on the number of installations and forecasting installations through 2018. The number of installations is elastic with respect to net installation costs and inelastic with respect to expenditures. Given the proposed rebate budgets, doubling the current rebate is necessary to maximize installations through 2018. - Highlights: • The ductless heat pump (DHP) is an energy-efficient form of space conditioning. • Rebate and marketing programs designed to increase adoptions of DHPs are examined. • Residential adoption of DHPs is sensitive to rebates and tax credits. • Advertising and training have a smaller effect on adoption than rebates.

  6. Adopting small-scale production of electricity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tengvard, Maria; Palm, Jenny (Linkoeping Univ., Dept. of Technology and Social Change, Linkoeping (Sweden)). e-mail: maria.tengvard@liu.se

    2009-07-01

    In Sweden in 2008, a 'new' concept for small-scale electricity production attracted massive media attention. This was mainly due to the efforts of Swedish company Egen El, which is marketing small-scale photovoltaics (PVs) and wind turbines to households, both homeowners and tenants. Their main selling point is simplicity: their products are so easy to install that everyone can do it. Autumn 2008 also saw IKEA announce that within three years it would market solar panels. How, then, do households perceive these products? Why would households choose to buy them? How do households think about producing their own electricity? Analysis of material based on in-depth interviews with members of 20 households reveals that environmental concerns supply the main motive for adopting PVs or micro wind power generation. In some cases, the adopting households have an extensively ecological lifestyle and such adoption represents a way to take action in the energy area. For some, this investment is symbolic: a way of displaying environmental consciousness or setting an example to others. For still others, the adoption is a protest against 'the system' with its large dominant actors or is a way to become self-sufficient. These microgeneration installations are rejected mainly on economic grounds; other motives are respect for neighbours and difficulties finding a place to install a wind turbine.

  7. Emerging Trends in Fostering and Child Adoption Practices among ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The paper examines emerging trends in child fostering and adoption practices among the Igbo in time perspective. It discusses traditional practices that served as alternatives to child adoption in the pre-colonial period, child adoption practice which is one of the legacies of British colonial administration and the various ...

  8. Steam Generator Owners Group PWR secondary water chemistry guidelines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Welty, C.S. Jr.; Green, S.J.

    1985-01-01

    In 1981 the Steam Generator Owners Group (SGOG), a group of domestic and foreign pressurized water reactor (PWR) owners, developed and issued the PWR secondary water chemistry guidelines. The guidelines were prepared in response to the growing recognition that a majority of the problems causing reduced steam generator reliability (e.g., denting, wasteage, pitting, etc.) were related to secondary (steam) side water purity. The guidelines were subsequently issued as an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) report. In 1984 they were revised to reflect industry experience in adopting the original issuance and to incorporate new information on causes of corrosion damage. The guidelines have been endorsed and their adoption recommended by the SGOG

  9. Cloud Computing Adoption in Organisations: Review of Empirical Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Haslinda

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study reviews literature on cloud computing adoption in organisations to identify its influential factors and its operationalisation in prior literature. We classify the factors that influence the cloud computing adoption using the three contexts suggested by the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE framework, namely, technology, organisation, and environment. The finding suggests that the influences of these factors vary across studies and most of the studies have operationalised cloud computing adoption using intention to adopt cloud computing or binary variable, rather than the actual use of the technology.

  10. Adoption of rainwater harvesting technologies by farmers in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Adoption of rainwater harvesting technologies by farmers in Tanzania with particular reference to the Western, Pare Lowlands. ... in time) about adoption rather than depending on single season static data. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  11. Open Adoption Placement by Birth Mothers in Their Twenties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clutter, Lynn B

    The purpose of this study was to summarize birth mothers' descriptions of unplanned pregnancy experienced in their twenties and how open adoption influenced their lives. Naturalistic inquiry was used with purposive sampling from one agency and telephone interviews of women who experienced unplanned pregnancy in their twenties and relinquishment through open adoption. Recorded, transcribed, and deidentified interviews were analyzed for qualitative themes. Fifteen participants judiciously weighed the open adoption decision. Over half parented other children prior to placement. Most knew they could not have parented this child due to life stressors. Placement was a hard decision, but ongoing contact with birth child and adoptive family was valued. Open adoption processes made them stronger by being happy that their child experienced family life with greater opportunities than birth mothers could offer at the time. Summarized themes used the acronym COMMITTED: C-care deeply about what is best for the child, O-ongoing open adoption: good and hard, M-meeting together regularly, M-moving on in personal growth, accomplishments, and milestones, I-independence from previous stressors or crises, T-transitions, T-therapeutic support, E-emotions, D-depression giving way to deepened strength and personal direction. Open adoption is reinforced as a positive resolution of unintended pregnancy for birth mothers in their twenties.

  12. Economic Motives for Adopting LGBT-Related Workplace Policies

    OpenAIRE

    Sears, Brad; Mallory, Christy; Hunter, Nan

    2011-01-01

    The past decade has seen a large increase in the number of corporations adopting LGBT-related workplace policies.  This study evaluates the economic impact of non-discrimination and benefits policies by analyzing the extent to which economic reasons motivate corporations to adopt such policies.  This study reviews statements issued when adopting such policies by the top 50 Fortune 500 companies and the top 50 federal government contractors.  Overall, we find that almost all of top 50 Fortune ...

  13. Patterns and Predictors of Adoption Openness and Contact: 14 Years Postadoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crea, Thomas M.; Barth, Richard P.

    2009-01-01

    Increased attention is being paid to open adoption arrangements between birth parents and adopted children and families. This study examines openness and contact among 469 adoptions at 14 years postadoption from the fourth wave of the California Long-Range Adoption Study (CLAS) and 378 adoptions matched across all waves. The proportion of families…

  14. Observing relationships in Finnish adoptive families: Oulu Family Rating Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tienari, Pekka; Wynne, Lyman C; Sorri, Anneli; Lahti, Ilpo; Moring, Juha; Nieminen, Pentti; Joukamaa, Matti; Naarala, Mikko; Seitamaa, Markku; Wahlberg, Karl-Erik; Miettunen, Jouko

    2005-01-01

    Adoption studies were intended to separate genetic from environmental "causal" factors. In earlier adoption studies, psychiatric diagnostic labels for the adoptive parents were used as a proxy for the multiple dimensions of the family rearing environment. In the Finnish Adoption Study, research design provided the opportunity to study directly the adoptive family rearing environment. For this purpose 33 sub-scales were selected creating what we call Oulu Family Rating Scale (OPAS, Oulun PerheArviointiSkaala). In this paper, the manual for scoring of these sub-scales is presented.

  15. Essays in technology adoption and corporate finance

    OpenAIRE

    Patel, Pratish

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation consists of three chapters that concern technology adoption and corporate finance. The first chapter analyzes the optimal investment strategy of two firms confronted with the option to adopt a new technology. The second chapter analyzes the link between debt maturity and term spread. The third chapter analyzes the role of debt financing on skyscraper heights.

  16. Summary of: dental practitioners and a digital future: an initial exploration of barriers and incentives to adopting digital technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Addy, Liam

    2013-12-01

    Digital technologies are proliferating into dental practices. While their technical attributes have often been studied, it remains unclear why some dentists adopt and use these technologies more than others. AIM To explore the incentives for and barriers against accepting and using digital dental technologies. Eleven semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with experts in dentistry, dental technology and dental education in the Netherlands. Dentists' acceptance and use of digital technologies are to varying degrees driven by the perceived advantages over analogue methods, perceived influence on treatment quality, dentists' personal and professional orientation, and social influence from peers and external groups. These effects are complemented by personal and dental-practice characteristics. The findings suggest that there are large differences in motivation to adopt and use digital technologies between early adopters, late adopters and non-adopters, which should be examined in greater detail. We recommend that educators, dentists, and representatives of the dental industry who deal with the diffusion of these technologies take account of dentists' widely different attitudes to digitalisation.

  17. Exploring the adoption of Schwartz Center Rounds as an organisational innovation to improve staff well-being in England, 2009-2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert, Glenn; Philippou, Julia; Leamy, Mary; Reynolds, Ellie; Ross, Shilpa; Bennett, Laura; Taylor, Cath; Shuldham, Caroline; Maben, Jill

    2017-01-05

    Schwartz Center Rounds ('Rounds') are a multidisciplinary forum in which healthcare staff within an organisation discuss the psychological, emotional and social challenges associated with their work in a confidential and safe environment. Implemented in over 375 North American organisations, since 2009, they have been increasingly adopted in England. This study aimed to establish how many and what types of organisations have adopted Rounds in England, and to explore why they did so. Public healthcare organisations in England. Secondary data analysis was used to map and profile all 116 public healthcare organisations that had adopted Rounds in England by July 2015. Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 45 Round coordinators within adopting organisations. The rate of adoption increased after a major national report in 2013. Rounds were typically adopted in order to improve staff well-being. Adopting organisations scored better on staff engagement than non-adopters; among adopting organisations, those performing better on patient experience were more likely to adopt earlier. Most adoption decision-making processes were straightforward. A confluence of factors-a generally favourable set of innovation attributes (including low cost), advocacy from opinion leaders in different professional networks, active dissemination by change agents and a felt need to be seen to be addressing staff well-being-initially led to Rounds being seen as 'an idea whose time had come'. More recent adoption patterns have been shaped by the timing of charitable and other agency funding in specific geographical areas and sectors, as well as several forms of 'mimetic pressure'. The innate attributes of Rounds, favourable circumstances and the cumulative impact of a sequence of distinct informal and formal social processes have shaped the pattern of their adoption in England. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a

  18. Market effects on electronic health record adoption by physicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdolrasulnia, Maziar; Menachemi, Nir; Shewchuk, Richard M; Ginter, Peter M; Duncan, W Jack; Brooks, Robert G

    2008-01-01

    Despite the advantages of electronic health record (EHR) systems, the adoption of these systems has been slow among community-based physicians. Current studies have examined organizational and personal barriers to adoption; however, the influence of market characteristics has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of market characteristics on EHR adoption by physicians. Generalized hierarchal linear modeling was used to analyze EHR survey data from Florida which were combined with data from the Area Resource File and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. The main outcome variable was self-reported use of EHR by physicians. A total of 2,926 physicians from practice sizes of 20 or less were included in the sample. Twenty-one percent (n = 613) indicated that they personally and routinely use an EHR system in their practice. Physicians located in counties with higher physician concentration were found to be more likely to adopt EHRs. For every one-unit increase in nonfederal physicians per 10,000 in the county, there was a 2.0% increase in likelihood of EHR adoption by physicians (odds ratio = 1.02, confidence interval = 1.00-1.03). Health maintenance organization penetration rate and poverty level were not found to be significantly related to EHR adoption. However, practice size, years in practice, Medicare payer mix, and measures of technology readiness were found to independently influence physician adoption. Market factors play an important role in the diffusion of EHRs in small medical practices. Policy makers interested in furthering the adoption of EHRs must consider strategies that would enhance the confidence of users as well as provide financial support in areas with the highest concentration of small medical practices and Medicare beneficiaries. Health care leaders should be cognizant of the market forces that enable or constrain the adoption of EHR among their practices and those of their competitors.

  19. Plaadid / Margus Kiis

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Kiis, Margus

    2004-01-01

    Uutest heliplaatidest Julio Iglesias "Divorcio", Offspring "Splinter", Bela Fleck and The Flecktones "Littel Worlds", Hacienda "This Very Moment", No Doubt "The Singles 1992-2003", helim-Mari Arderi Trio "Hetk Vaikust"

  20. Adoption of One Health in Thailand's National strategic plan for emerging infectious diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sommanustweechai, Angkana; Iamsirithaworn, Sopon; Patcharanarumol, Walaiporn; Kalpravidh, Wantanee; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj

    2017-02-01

    This study illustrates how Thailand adopted the One Health concept. Massive socio-economic and health consequences of emerging infectious diseases, especially Avian Influenza in 2004, led to recognition of the importance of and need for One Health. Based on collaboration and consultative meetings between the national actors and international development partners, Thailand adopted One Health to drive more effective containment of Emerging Infectious Diseases. This concept gained support from the non-governmental and civil society organizations through processes of the National Health Assembly. In 2012, a Cabinet resolution endorsed a National Strategic Plan for Emerging Infectious Diseases (2013-2016), in which One Health appeared as a core principle. Collaboration among multi-disciplinary groups of professionals, particularly epidemiologists trained in Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETP), including FETP, FETP-veterinarian, and FETP-wildlife veterinarians, promoted implementation of One Health.

  1. Evaluation of Romblon State University’s Adopt-a-Reviewee Project for Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sherryll M. Fetalvero

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available This study is part of a bigger evaluation research about the Adopt-a-Reviewee Project for Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination (ADOPT of the College of Business and Accountancy of Romblon State University. The project was assessed using Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP evaluation model. This paper however, focuses only on CIPP’s product evaluation component which is essential in making decisions as to the continuation or abortion of the project. A mixed method research was employed in gathering information from 16 beneficiaries and their respective families using two parallel forms of validated evaluation questionnaire complemented with interviews. These data were triangulated in a focus group composed of beneficiaries, benefactors, administrative officials, college dean and accounting teachers. To determine the effect of ADOPT on RSU’s passing performance in the CPA Licensure Examination (CPALE, a series of comparative tests was done. Results reveal that ADOPT is an effective intervention in improving RSU’s performance in CPALE as well as the socio- economic condition and well-being of the beneficiaries and their families. Workable measures are advanced in order to sustain the project despite challenges in fund sourcing and generation.

  2. "Teaching Case": ComprehensiveCare and the Re-Adoption of an Electronic Health Records System: Preparing for a Successful Adoption after a Failed Attempt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomillion, David L.

    2017-01-01

    After a prior failed adoption, ComprehensiveCare plans for a second attempt in adopting Electronic Health Records. The owner-physicians on the board of directors have replaced the administrator due in part to the missteps of the prior adoption. William Shoemaker, the new administrator, must grapple with several important decisions to provide the…

  3. The early growth and development study: a prospective adoption design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leve, Leslie D; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Ge, Xiaojia; Scaramella, Laura V; Conger, Rand D; Reid, John B; Shaw, Daniel S; Reiss, David

    2007-02-01

    The Early Growth and Development Study is a prospective adoption study of birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted children (N=359 triads) that was initiated in 2003. The primary study aims are to examine how family processes mediate or moderate the expression of genetic influences in order to aid in the identification of specific family processes that could serve as malleable targets for intervention. Participants in the study are recruited through adoption agencies located throughout the United States, following the birth of a child. Assessments occur at 6-month intervals until the child reaches 3 years of age. Data collection includes the following primary constructs: infant and toddler temperament, social behavior, and health; birth and adoptive parent personality characteristics, psychopathology, competence, stress, and substance use; adoptive parenting and marital relations; and prenatal exposure to drugs and maternal stress. Preliminary analyses suggest the representativeness of the sample and minimal confounding effects of current trends in adoption practices, including openness and selective placement. Future plans are described.

  4. Evaluation of a novel dog adoption program in two US communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan-Gibbons, Heather; Weiss, Emily; Garrison, Laurie; Allison, Meg

    2014-01-01

    Millions of dogs enter animal welfare organizations every year and only a fraction of them are adopted. Despite the most recent American Pet Products Association (APPA) data that nearly half the US population owns a dog, only 20% acquired their dog from an animal welfare organization. Studies show that people consider adopting from an animal shelter more often than they actually do, which indicates a potential market increase if programs can make shelter dogs more visible to adopters. This research focused on a novel adoption program where shelter dogs were transferred into foster homes who were tasked with finding an adopter. Shelter dogs were placed in the path of potential adopters and bypassed the need for the adopter to go to the shelter. The results show that this novel program was effective in a variety of ways including getting dogs adopted. Although length of stay was significantly longer for dogs in the program, the dogs were in a home environment, not taking up kennel space in the shelter. The program also had a lower rate of returns than dogs adopted at the shelter. The foster program tapped adopters in different geographical segments of the community than the dogs adopted from the shelter. By bringing shelter dogs to where adopters spend their time (ex: restaurants, parks, hair salons), the program potentially captured a segment of the population who might have obtained their dog from other sources besides the shelter (such as breeders or pet stores). This novel approach can be an effective method for adoption, has many benefits for shelters, and can tap into a new adopter market by engaging their community in a new way.

  5. Evaluation of a Novel Dog Adoption Program in Two US Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan-Gibbons, Heather; Weiss, Emily; Garrison, Laurie; Allison, Meg

    2014-01-01

    Millions of dogs enter animal welfare organizations every year and only a fraction of them are adopted. Despite the most recent American Pet Products Association (APPA) data that nearly half the US population owns a dog, only 20% acquired their dog from an animal welfare organization. Studies show that people consider adopting from an animal shelter more often than they actually do, which indicates a potential market increase if programs can make shelter dogs more visible to adopters. This research focused on a novel adoption program where shelter dogs were transferred into foster homes who were tasked with finding an adopter. Shelter dogs were placed in the path of potential adopters and bypassed the need for the adopter to go to the shelter. The results show that this novel program was effective in a variety of ways including getting dogs adopted. Although length of stay was significantly longer for dogs in the program, the dogs were in a home environment, not taking up kennel space in the shelter. The program also had a lower rate of returns than dogs adopted at the shelter. The foster program tapped adopters in different geographical segments of the community than the dogs adopted from the shelter. By bringing shelter dogs to where adopters spend their time (ex: restaurants, parks, hair salons), the program potentially captured a segment of the population who might have obtained their dog from other sources besides the shelter (such as breeders or pet stores). This novel approach can be an effective method for adoption, has many benefits for shelters, and can tap into a new adopter market by engaging their community in a new way. PMID:24663804

  6. Evaluation of a novel dog adoption program in two US communities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heather Mohan-Gibbons

    Full Text Available Millions of dogs enter animal welfare organizations every year and only a fraction of them are adopted. Despite the most recent American Pet Products Association (APPA data that nearly half the US population owns a dog, only 20% acquired their dog from an animal welfare organization. Studies show that people consider adopting from an animal shelter more often than they actually do, which indicates a potential market increase if programs can make shelter dogs more visible to adopters. This research focused on a novel adoption program where shelter dogs were transferred into foster homes who were tasked with finding an adopter. Shelter dogs were placed in the path of potential adopters and bypassed the need for the adopter to go to the shelter. The results show that this novel program was effective in a variety of ways including getting dogs adopted. Although length of stay was significantly longer for dogs in the program, the dogs were in a home environment, not taking up kennel space in the shelter. The program also had a lower rate of returns than dogs adopted at the shelter. The foster program tapped adopters in different geographical segments of the community than the dogs adopted from the shelter. By bringing shelter dogs to where adopters spend their time (ex: restaurants, parks, hair salons, the program potentially captured a segment of the population who might have obtained their dog from other sources besides the shelter (such as breeders or pet stores. This novel approach can be an effective method for adoption, has many benefits for shelters, and can tap into a new adopter market by engaging their community in a new way.

  7. Gender differences in adoption of recommended improved cassava ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Gender differences in adoption of recommended improved cassava production ... (39%) are involved in full time farm employment and the incidence of single parenthood ... The females on the other hand recorded higher adoption rates of the ...

  8. Factors influencing the adoption of smartphones by undergraduate ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Factors influencing the adoption of smartphones by undergraduate students at ... ha ve thus far c oncentrated on the adoption of mobile technologies especially ... who may also want to explore the implementation of mobile learning systems, ...

  9. Competing explanations for adopting energy innovations for new office buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vermeulen, Walter J.V.; Hovens, Jeroen

    2006-01-01

    An integrative model to explain potential adopters' decisions to adopt energy innovations was adapted and applied in the field of new office building construction. We tested the relative effects of competing theoretical explanations (derived from economics, innovation science and policy science) on the decision to adopt. The research covered 35 projects representing 9% of the total volume of new office construction in the Netherlands between 2000 and mid-2002. Two levels of explanations for adopting innovations were derived: (a) the potential adopter's weighed assessments of the innovations and his or her nature of decision making and (b) explanation of those first-level variables. Using multiple regression techniques, we determined the relative influence on innovation-adoption of variables covering economy and technology, government intervention, company characteristics, and influences from market and society. The decision to adopt 'mature' innovations, in contrast to 'young' innovations, is based more on routine procedures than project-specific considerations. Policies need to take this difference into consideration. We also show evidence that in promoting adoption of E-innovations for new office buildings the Dutch system of applying Energy Performance Standards and subsidies proofs to be effective

  10. Oxidative dissolution of ADOPT compared to standard UO2 fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nilsson, Kristina; Roth, Olivia; Jonsson, Mats

    2017-01-01

    In this work we have studied oxidative dissolution of pure UO 2 and ADOPT (UO 2 doped with Al and Cr) pellets using H 2 O 2 and gammaradiolysis to induce the process. There is a small but significant difference in the oxidative dissolution rate of UO 2 and ADOPT pellets, respectively. However, the difference in oxidative dissolution yield is insignificant. Leaching experiments were also performed on in-reactor irradiated ADOPT and UO 2 pellets under oxidizing conditions. The results indicate that the U(VI) release is slightly slower from the ADOPT pellet compared to the UO 2. This could be attributed to differences in exposed surface area. However, fission products with low UO 2 solubility display a higher relative release from ADOPT fuel compared to standard UO 2 -fuel. This is attributed to a lower matrix solubility imposed by the dopants in ADOPT fuel. The release of Cs is higher from UO 2 which is attributed to the larger grain size of ADOPT. - Highlights: •Oxidative dissolution of ADOPT fuel is compared to standard UO 2 fuel. •Only marginal differences are observed. •The main difference observed is in the relative release rate of fission products. •Differences are claimed to be attributed to a lower matrix solubility imposed by the dopants in ADOPT fuel.

  11. Market factors and electronic medical record adoption in medical practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menachemi, Nir; Mazurenko, Olena; Kazley, Abby Swanson; Diana, Mark L; Ford, Eric W

    2012-01-01

    Previous studies identified individual or practice factors that influence practice-based physicians' electronic medical record (EMR) adoption. Less is known about the market factors that influence physicians' EMR adoption. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between environmental market characteristics and physicians' EMR adoption. The Health Tracking Physician Survey 2008 and Area Resource File (2008) were combined and analyzed. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between three dimensions of the market environment (munificence, dynamism, and complexity) and EMR adoption controlling for several physician and practice characteristics. In a nationally representative sample of 4,720 physicians, measures of market dynamism including increases in unemployment, odds ratio (OR) = 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.91, 0.99], or poverty rates, OR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.89, 0.96], were negatively associated with EMR adoption. Health maintenance organization penetration, OR = 3.01, 95% CI [1.49, 6.05], another measure of dynamism, was positively associated with EMR adoption. Physicians practicing in areas with a malpractice crisis, OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.71, 0.94], representing environmental complexity, had lower EMR adoption rates. Understanding how market factors relate to practice-based physicians' EMR adoption can assist policymakers to better target limited resources as they work to realize the national goal of universal EMR adoption and meaningful use.

  12. Innovation information seeking and innovation adoption: Facilities and plant managers' energy outlook comparing linear to nonlinear models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobsen, Joseph J.

    One focal point of concern, policy and a new research will involve identifying individual and organizational facilitative and obstructive factors within the context of energy innovation diffusion in the U.S. This interdisciplinary intersection of people, technology and change is one of serious consequence and has broad implications that span national security, energy infrastructure, the economy, organizational change, education and the environment. This study investigates facilities and plant managers' energy innovation information seeking and energy adoption evolution. The participants are managers who consume more electrical energy than all other groups in the world and are among the top users of natural gas and oil in the United States. The research calls upon the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Diffusion of Innovations and nonlinear dynamics in a study of adoption patterns for 13 energy-related innovations. Cusp catastrophe models and power laws were compared to linear multiple regression to examine and characterize data. Findings reveal that innovation adoption and information seeking differences are slight between private and public sector facilities and plant managers and that the group as a whole may resist change. Of the 13 innovations, some exhibit very strong cusp catastrophe distributions while support for multiple linear regression and the power law were found.

  13. Adaptive Behavior in Adopted Children: Predictors from Early Risk, Collaboration in Relationships within the Adoptive Kinship Network, and Openness Arrangements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D.; Ross, Nicole M.; Marchel, Mary Ann; McRoy, Ruth G.

    1999-01-01

    Examined links between early risk and problematic developmental outcomes in adopted children during middle childhood. Found no direct relation between prenatal, perinatal, or preplacement risk factors and problematic socioemotional adjustment. With 12 high-risk children, proactive cooperation among the child's adoptive and birth family members on…

  14. Differences in public and private sector adoption of telemedicine: Indian case study for sectoral adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sood, Sanjay P; Negash, Solomon; Mbarika, Victor W A; Kifle, Mengistu; Prakash, Nupur

    2007-01-01

    Telemedicine is the use of communication networks to exchange medical information for providing healthcare services and medical education from one site to another. The application of telemedicine is more promising in economically developing countries with agrarian societies. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) identifies three healthcare services: clinical medical services, health and medical education, and consumer health information. However, it is not clear how these services can be adopted by different sectors: public and private. This paper looks at four Indian case studies, two each in public and private sectors to understand two research questions: Are there differences in telemedicine adoption between public and private hospitals. If there are differences: What are the differences in telemedicine adoption between public and private sectors? Authors have used the extant literature in telemedicine and healthcare to frame theoretical background, describe the research setting, present the case studies, and provide discussion and conclusions about their findings. Authors believe that as India continues to develop its telemedicine infrastructures, especially with continued government support through subsidies to private telemedicine initiatives, its upward trend in healthcare will continue. This is expected to put India on the path to increase its life expectancy rates, especially for it rural community which constitute over 70% of its populace.

  15. Technology adoption in nonrenewable resource management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cunha-e-Sa, Maria A.; Balcao Reis, Ana; Roseta-Palma, Catarina

    2009-01-01

    Technological change has played an important role in models of nonrenewable resource management, since its presence mitigates the depletion effect on extraction costs over time. We formalize the problem of a competitive nonrenewable resource extracting firm faced with the possibility of technology adoption. Based on a quadratic extraction cost function, our results show that the expected net benefits from adoption increase both with the size of the resource stock and with prices. A boundary that separates the region where expected net benefits are positive from the one where they are negative is derived. (author)

  16. Green House Adoption and Nursing Home Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afendulis, Christopher C; Caudry, Daryl J; O'Malley, A James; Kemper, Peter; Grabowski, David C

    2016-02-01

    To evaluate the impact of the Green House (GH) model on nursing home resident-level quality of care measures. Resident-level minimum data set (MDS) assessments merged with Medicare inpatient claims for the period 2005 through 2010. Using a difference-in-differences framework, we compared changes in care quality and outcomes in 15 nursing homes that adopted the GH model relative to changes over the same time period in 223 matched nursing homes that had not adopted the GH model. For individuals residing in GH homes, adoption of the model lowered readmissions and several MDS measures of poor quality, including bedfast residents, catheter use, and pressure ulcers, but these results were not present across the entire GH organization, suggesting possible offsetting effects for residents of non-GH "legacy" units within the GH organization. GH adoption led to improvement in rehospitalizations and certain nursing home quality measures for individuals residing in a GH home. The absence of evidence of a decline in other clinical quality measures in GH nursing homes should reassure anyone concerned that GH might have sacrificed clinical quality for improved quality of life. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  17. Understanding the Perception of Very Small Software Companies towards the Adoption of Process Standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basri, Shuib; O'Connor, Rory V.

    This paper is concerned with understanding the issues that affect the adoption of software process standards by Very Small Entities (VSEs), their needs from process standards and their willingness to engage with the new ISO/IEC 29110 standard in particular. In order to achieve this goal, a series of industry data collection studies were undertaken with a collection of VSEs. A twin track approach of a qualitative data collection (interviews and focus groups) and quantitative data collection (questionnaire) were undertaken. Data analysis was being completed separately and the final results were merged, using the coding mechanisms of grounded theory. This paper serves as a roadmap for both researchers wishing to understand the issues of process standards adoption by very small companies and also for the software process standards community.

  18. Privacy Attitudes among Early Adopters of Emerging Health Technologies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cynthia Cheung

    Full Text Available Advances in health technology such as genome sequencing and wearable sensors now allow for the collection of highly granular personal health data from individuals. It is unclear how people think about privacy in the context of these emerging health technologies. An open question is whether early adopters of these advances conceptualize privacy in different ways than non-early adopters.This study sought to understand privacy attitudes of early adopters of emerging health technologies.Transcripts from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with early adopters of genome sequencing and health devices and apps were analyzed with a focus on participant attitudes and perceptions of privacy. Themes were extracted using inductive content analysis.Although interviewees were willing to share personal data to support scientific advancements, they still expressed concerns, as well as uncertainty about who has access to their data, and for what purpose. In short, they were not dismissive of privacy risks. Key privacy-related findings are organized into four themes as follows: first, personal data privacy; second, control over personal information; third, concerns about discrimination; and fourth, contributing personal data to science.Early adopters of emerging health technologies appear to have more complex and nuanced conceptions of privacy than might be expected based on their adoption of personal health technologies and participation in open science. Early adopters also voiced uncertainty about the privacy implications of their decisions to use new technologies and share their data for research. Though not representative of the general public, studies of early adopters can provide important insights into evolving attitudes toward privacy in the context of emerging health technologies and personal health data research.

  19. Privacy Attitudes among Early Adopters of Emerging Health Technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Cynthia; Bietz, Matthew J; Patrick, Kevin; Bloss, Cinnamon S

    2016-01-01

    Advances in health technology such as genome sequencing and wearable sensors now allow for the collection of highly granular personal health data from individuals. It is unclear how people think about privacy in the context of these emerging health technologies. An open question is whether early adopters of these advances conceptualize privacy in different ways than non-early adopters. This study sought to understand privacy attitudes of early adopters of emerging health technologies. Transcripts from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with early adopters of genome sequencing and health devices and apps were analyzed with a focus on participant attitudes and perceptions of privacy. Themes were extracted using inductive content analysis. Although interviewees were willing to share personal data to support scientific advancements, they still expressed concerns, as well as uncertainty about who has access to their data, and for what purpose. In short, they were not dismissive of privacy risks. Key privacy-related findings are organized into four themes as follows: first, personal data privacy; second, control over personal information; third, concerns about discrimination; and fourth, contributing personal data to science. Early adopters of emerging health technologies appear to have more complex and nuanced conceptions of privacy than might be expected based on their adoption of personal health technologies and participation in open science. Early adopters also voiced uncertainty about the privacy implications of their decisions to use new technologies and share their data for research. Though not representative of the general public, studies of early adopters can provide important insights into evolving attitudes toward privacy in the context of emerging health technologies and personal health data research.

  20. Determinants of technology adoption in the retail trade industry – the case of SMEs in Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isidoro Romero

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyzes the determinants of small and medium-sized enterprises’ technology adoption in the retail trade industry. From the theoretical perspective, two types of influential factors are differentiated in this respect: the personal characteristics of the manager/business owner and the business’s organizational characteristics. The empirical analysis is based on a survey of 268 small and medium-sized enterprises in the Spanish retail trade sector. A logistic regression specification is used as an econometric method. The results indicate that both the acquisition of new technical and electronic equipment and the obtaining of new software are affected by the two types of determinants previously pointed out. The manager/business owner’s entrepreneurial motivation and educational background have significant influences on technology adoption in this type of companies. Furthermore, being part of a business group, carrying out training activities for the employees and inter-firm cooperation also positively influence technology adoption in the retail trade industry.

  1. Size-appropriate radiation doses in pediatric body CT: a study of regional community adoption in the United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hopkins, Katharine L.; Vajtai, Petra L.; Pettersson, David R.; Spinning, Kristopher; Beckett, Brooke R.; Koudelka, Caroline W.; Bardo, Dianna M.E.

    2013-01-01

    During the last decade, there has been a movement in the United States toward utilizing size-appropriate radiation doses for pediatric body CT, with smaller doses given to smaller patients. This study assesses community adoption of size-appropriate pediatric CT techniques. Size-specific dose estimates (SSDE) in pediatric body scans are compared between community facilities and a university children's hospital that tailors CT protocols to patient size as advocated by Image Gently. We compared 164 pediatric body scans done at community facilities (group X) with 466 children's hospital scans. Children's hospital scans were divided into two groups: A, 250 performed with established pediatric weight-based protocols and filtered back projection; B, 216 performed with addition of iterative reconstruction technique and a 60% reduction in volume CT dose index (CTDI vol ). SSDE was calculated and differences among groups were compared by regression analysis. Mean SSDE was 1.6 and 3.9 times higher in group X than in groups A and B and 2.5 times higher for group A than group B. A model adjusting for confounders confirmed significant differences between group pairs. Regional community hospitals and imaging centers have not universally adopted child-sized pediatric CT practices. More education and accountability may be necessary to achieve widespread implementation. Since even lower radiation doses are possible with iterative reconstruction technique than with filtered back projection alone, further exploration of the former is encouraged. (orig.)

  2. Size-appropriate radiation doses in pediatric body CT: a study of regional community adoption in the United States

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hopkins, Katharine L.; Vajtai, Petra L. [Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, DC7R, Portland, OR (United States); Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Pediatrics, Portland, OR (United States); Pettersson, David R.; Spinning, Kristopher; Beckett, Brooke R. [Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, DC7R, Portland, OR (United States); Koudelka, Caroline W. [Oregon Health and Science University, Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Portland, OR (United States); Bardo, Dianna M.E. [Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, DC7R, Portland, OR (United States); Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Portland, OR (United States)

    2013-09-15

    During the last decade, there has been a movement in the United States toward utilizing size-appropriate radiation doses for pediatric body CT, with smaller doses given to smaller patients. This study assesses community adoption of size-appropriate pediatric CT techniques. Size-specific dose estimates (SSDE) in pediatric body scans are compared between community facilities and a university children's hospital that tailors CT protocols to patient size as advocated by Image Gently. We compared 164 pediatric body scans done at community facilities (group X) with 466 children's hospital scans. Children's hospital scans were divided into two groups: A, 250 performed with established pediatric weight-based protocols and filtered back projection; B, 216 performed with addition of iterative reconstruction technique and a 60% reduction in volume CT dose index (CTDI{sub vol}). SSDE was calculated and differences among groups were compared by regression analysis. Mean SSDE was 1.6 and 3.9 times higher in group X than in groups A and B and 2.5 times higher for group A than group B. A model adjusting for confounders confirmed significant differences between group pairs. Regional community hospitals and imaging centers have not universally adopted child-sized pediatric CT practices. More education and accountability may be necessary to achieve widespread implementation. Since even lower radiation doses are possible with iterative reconstruction technique than with filtered back projection alone, further exploration of the former is encouraged. (orig.)

  3. Knowledge and adoption of solar home systems in rural Nicaragua

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rebane, Kaja L.; Barham, Bradford L.

    2011-01-01

    Solar home systems (SHSs) are a promising electrification option for many households in the developing world. In most countries SHSs are at an early stage of dissemination, and thus face a hurdle common to many emerging alternative energy technologies: many people do not know enough about them to decide whether to adopt one or not. This study uses survey data collected in Nicaragua to investigate characteristics that predict the knowledge and adoption of SHSs among the rural population. First, a series of probit models is used to model the determinants of four measures of SHS knowledge. Next, a biprobit model with sample selection is employed to investigate the factors that predict SHS adoption, conditional on having sufficient knowledge to make an adoption decision. Comparison of the biprobit formulation to a standard probit model of adoption affirms its value. This study identifies multiple determinants of SHS knowledge and adoption, offers several practical recommendations to project planners, and provides an analytical framework for future work in this policy-relevant area. - Research highlights: → Solar home systems (SHSs) are a promising rural electrification option in the developing world. → As with many emerging renewable energy technologies, lack of knowledge may limit SHS adoption. → We use probit models to investigate the determinants of SHS knowledge in rural Nicaragua. → We also employ a biprobit model linking the determinants of knowledge and adoption. → We find that in analyzing SHS adoption, accounting for sample selection based on knowledge is key.

  4. Exploring private consumers’ willingness to adopt Smart Grid technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toft, Madeleine Broman; Thøgersen, John

    2015-01-01

    it involves behavioural changes. There is a need to get more insight into who are willing to adopt SGT and why. This study draws on innovation adoption theory as a framework for understanding consumer adoption of this new technology. We explore whether consumers who have already adopted other types of new......The goal of radically increasing the proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources puts the current electrical grid under pressure and one of the solutions is to turn the grid into a ‘Smart Grid’. One of the key elements of the Smart Grid is that electricity consumers make some...... of their consumption available as flexible capacity to balance the grid. Consumers’ flexible capacity is only available to the grid if the consumers adopt Smart Grid technology (SGT) that establishes the link between the electric system and the consumer. This technology is new to private consumers and using...

  5. Problem behaviors of children adopted from the former Soviet Union.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGuinness, Teena M; Pallansch, Leona

    2007-01-01

    Although current meta-analyses of problem behavior of internationally adopted children exist, few children adopted from the former Soviet Union have been included in these reports. A significant concern is that 13 children adopted from the former Soviet Union have died at the hands of their American adoptive parents since 1996. A cohort of 105 children adopted from the former Soviet Union has been assessed at two points in time by telephone and postal surveys to measure the impact of risk and protective factors on problem behavior. Pre-adoptive risk factors have declined in importance (except for birth weight) and protective factors (operationalized as aspects of family environment) have increased in influence over time. Problem behavior scores declined slightly at Time 2, despite the children having entered adolescence. Families play a significant role in the behavior of children adopted from the former Soviet Union. Nurses should counsel families to shape the child's environment during the transition from orphanage to homes in the United States, especially for children who are low birth weight.

  6. Predictors of Relationship Dissolution in Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Abbie E.; Garcia, Randi

    2015-01-01

    Little work has examined relationship dissolution or divorce in adoptive parents or same-sex parent couples. The current study examined predictors of relationship dissolution across the first 5 years of parenthood among a sample of heterosexual, lesbian, and gay male adoptive couples. Of the 190 couples in the study, 15 (7.9%) dissolved their relationships during the first 5 years of adoptive parenthood. Specifically, 7 of 57 lesbian couples (12.3%), 1 of 49 gay male couples (2.0%), and 7 of 84 heterosexual couples (8.3%) dissolved their unions. Results of our logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of relationship dissolution were significantly higher for (a) couples who adopted a non-infant (i.e., older) child); (b) participants who reported feeling less prepared for the adoption, three months post-adoptive placement; and (c) couples in which both partners reported very low, or very high, pre-adoption levels of relationship maintenance behaviors. Findings have implications for adoption professionals seeking to support same-sex and heterosexual prospective adopters, as well as societal debates and policy regarding same-sex relationships and parenting. PMID:26053348

  7. Some Considerations on the Adoption Registration in the Civil Registry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriela LUPŞAN

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Filiation is, in a broad sense, an identity element, dependent or not on the biological relationships, that represents, in some situations, either a condition for the existence of a right (e.g. the right to inheritance or for example to conclude a legal act (e.g. marriage. The proof of filiation is the birth certificate drawn up in civil registry or on the material basis of birth, or on the basis of the adoption judgment. In this paper, we aimed at analyzing the final part of the adoption procedure, the subsequent stage for becoming final the adoption judgment, which sets face to face the adopting person or family and the administrative authority, obliged to execute the judge's decision, i.e. to create a filiation relation between the adopted on the one hand and the adoptive parent or parents.

  8. Active Drivers of Adoption of Internet Banking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pankaj Yadav

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Application of internet by banking sector in India has changed the definition of banking completely. The management of different banks has been making concrete efforts to facilitate the acceptance of i-banking by bringing out its benefits to the customers. This paper identifies the active factors that influence customers intention regarding use of internet banking in Himachal Pradesh  Data was collected from a sample of 120 respondents through a well structured questionnaire. The data was collected from Government employees of Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh by asking close ended questions regarding their attitude towards i-banking and their future intention about its use . For analysing and interpreting data in the present study, basic statistical tools, chi-square test (test of independence and logistical regression analysis was used with the help of SPSS 16.0 version. Out of seven factors i.e., perceived risk, perceived usefulness,  perceived quality of service, Perceived cost, Perceived ease of use, trust and awareness, three significant factors i.e., perceived risk, perceived usefulness  and perceived quality of service have been identified that actively influence future adoption intention to adopt internet banking . Further the study exhibited that perceived usefulness and perceived quality of service positively influence the intention to adopt i-banking while perceived risk negatively affect the future adoption intention of i-banking. This  model has the overall predictability of classifying 76.7 % cases correctly and exhibited that 87.2 % customers are classified for adopting i-banking service whereas 57.1 % customers for not having intention to use it in future

  9. Social Skills in Children Adopted from Socially-Emotionally Depriving Institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Julian, Megan M; McCall, Robert B

    This study assessed social skills in post-institutionalized (PI) children with respect to age-at-adoption, age-at-assessment, and gender. Parent ratings of social skills (Social Skills Rating System) and behavior problems (Child Behavior Checklist) were obtained for 214 children and 127 adolescents who were adopted from socially-emotionally depriving Russian institutions. Results showed that children adopted before 18 months of age have better social skills than those adopted after this age; those assessed in childhood demonstrate better social skills than those assessed in adolescence. PI females, especially later-adopted adolescents, have particularly poor social skills. Children with poor social skills tend to have higher rates of behavior problems.

  10. Readiness to adopt a performance measurement system for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Readiness to adopt a performance measurement system for substance abuse treatment: Findings from the Service Quality Measures initiative. ... system, findings show that the likelihood of adoption can be further increased through improved provider awareness and enhanced leadership support for this health innovation.

  11. The adoption of crowdsourcing platforms in South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Chuene, D

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available that are sometimes too mundane for employees. A lot of organisations in different countries have adopted and embraced this phenomenon with gusto. South Africa being the African continent’s most developed economy is also embracing crowdsourcing. However, the adoption...

  12. Preventive Measures Adopted by Nigerian Farmers for the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study investigated the adoption of environmental hazards preventive measures among cocoa farmers in Nigeria. It specifically identified and evaluated the preventive measures adopted by the farmers against environmental hazards associated with cocoa farming. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting ...

  13. Intercountry Adoption: A Comparison between France and England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenfield, Joanna

    1995-01-01

    Examined the intercountry adoption experiences of 100 French and 100 English families, comparing policy in each country. Found a lack of effective and sensitive management of the introductory meetings between prospective parents and adoptive children, and of adequate birth records information. (HTH)

  14. THE ROLE OF PHILOSOPHICAL MINDSET IN EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION ADOPTION

    OpenAIRE

    Ahmad Talebian; Shahram Salavati

    2016-01-01

    The adoption of innovation is a cultural and managerial challenge for the modern educational systems. In the educational systems, managers/principals play significant roles to a successful innovation adoption. This paper evaluates the relation between philosophical mindset (comprehensiveness, introspection and flexibility) and motivation of educational innovation adoption. Through a survey, the data were gathered from 213 secondary school principals. Testing of hypotheses, using Spearman corr...

  15. Social Skills in Children Adopted from Socially-Emotionally Depriving Institutions

    OpenAIRE

    Julian, Megan M.; McCall, Robert B.

    2015-01-01

    This study assessed social skills in post-institutionalized (PI) children with respect to age-at-adoption, age-at-assessment, and gender. Parent ratings of social skills (Social Skills Rating System) and behavior problems (Child Behavior Checklist) were obtained for 214 children and 127 adolescents who were adopted from socially-emotionally depriving Russian institutions. Results showed that children adopted before 18 months of age have better social skills than those adopted after this age; ...

  16. What Constitutes Adoption of the Web: A Methodological Problem in Assessing Adoption of the World Wide Web for Electronic Commerce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Marilyn Domas; Abels, Eileen G.; Gordon-Murnane, Laura

    1998-01-01

    Reports on methodological developments in a project to assess the adoption of the Web by publishers of business information for electronic commerce. Describes the approach used on a sample of 20 business publishers to identify five clusters of publishers ranging from traditionalist to innovator. Distinguishes between adopters and nonadopters of…

  17. Toward an agent-based patient-physician model for the adoption of continuous glucose monitoring technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verella, J Tipan; Patek, Stephen D

    2009-03-01

    Health care is a major component of the U.S. economy, and tremendous research and development efforts are directed toward new technologies in this arena. Unfortunately few tools exist for predicting outcomes associated with new medical products, including whether new technologies will find widespread use within the target population. Questions of technology adoption are rife within the diabetes technology community, and we particularly consider the long-term prognosis for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology. We present an approach to the design and analysis of an agent model that describes the process of CGM adoption among patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), their physicians, and related stakeholders. We particularly focus on patient-physician interactions, with patients discovering CGM technology through word-of-mouth communication and through advertising, applying pressure to their physicians in the context of CGM device adoption, and physicians, concerned about liability, looking to peers for a general level of acceptance of the technology before recommending CGM to their patients. Repeated simulation trials of the agent-based model show that the adoption process reflects the heterogeneity of the adopting community. We also find that the effect of the interaction between patients and physicians is agents. Each physician, say colored by the nature of the environment as defined by the model parameters. We find that, by being able to represent the diverse perspectives of different types of stakeholders, agent-based models can offer useful insights into the adoption process. Models of this sort may eventually prove to be useful in helping physicians, other health care providers, patient advocacy groups, third party payers, and device manufacturers understand the impact of their decisions about new technologies. (c) 2009 Diabetes Technology Society.

  18. Crossing the Technology Adoption Chasm: Implications for DoD

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Coughlan, Peter; Dew, Nicholas; Gates, William

    2008-01-01

    .... To better understand DOD's technology adoption challenges, we review the technology diffusion literature to identify factors associated with successful and unsuccessful technology adoption processes...

  19. Technology adoption subsidies. An experiment with managers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aalbers, Rob; Van der Heijden, Eline; Potters, Jan; Van Soest, Daan; Vollebergh, Herman

    2009-01-01

    We evaluate the impact of technology adoption subsidies on investment behavior in an individual choice experiment. In a laboratory setting professional managers are confronted with an intertemporal decision problem in which they have to decide whether or not to search for, and possibly adopt, a new technology. Technologies differ in the per-period benefits they yield, and their purchase price increases with the per-period benefits provided. We introduce a subsidy on the more expensive technologies (that also yield larger per-period benefits), and find that the subsidy scheme induces agents to search for and adopt these more expensive technologies even though the subsidy itself is too small to render these technologies profitable. We speculate that the result is driven by the positive connotation (affect) that the concept 'subsidy' invokes. (author)

  20. Technology adoption subsidies. An experiment with managers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aalbers, Rob [Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, P.O. Box 80510, 2508 GM The Hague (Netherlands); Van der Heijden, Eline; Potters, Jan [CentER and Department of Economics, Tilburg University, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg (Netherlands); Van Soest, Daan [Department of Spatial Economics/IVM, VU University, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam (Netherlands); Vollebergh, Herman [Tinbergen Institute, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, P.O. Box 303, 3720 AH Bilthoven (Netherlands)

    2009-05-15

    We evaluate the impact of technology adoption subsidies on investment behavior in an individual choice experiment. In a laboratory setting professional managers are confronted with an intertemporal decision problem in which they have to decide whether or not to search for, and possibly adopt, a new technology. Technologies differ in the per-period benefits they yield, and their purchase price increases with the per-period benefits provided. We introduce a subsidy on the more expensive technologies (that also yield larger per-period benefits), and find that the subsidy scheme induces agents to search for and adopt these more expensive technologies even though the subsidy itself is too small to render these technologies profitable. We speculate that the result is driven by the positive connotation (affect) that the concept 'subsidy' invokes. (author)