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Common Perception (common + perception)
Selected AbstractsAuthoritarianism and Islamic Movements in the Middle East: Research and Theory-building in the Twenty-first CenturyINTERNATIONAL STUDIES REVIEW, Issue 1 2009Oded Haklai In the previous decade, many scholars with expertise in the politics of the Middle East pointed to an intellectual gulf between Middle East studies and mainstream international and comparative political studies. Common perceptions that the Middle East experience was too exceptional to be theory-relevant and that area studies work was excessively a-theoretical were said to be responsible for the alleged chasm. If these concerns are taken at face value, a review of research published on authoritarianism and Islamic movements in the first years of the twenty-first century in top academic presses and scholarly journals indicates that a counter trend has emerged. Middle East area experts are increasingly making use of theoretical frameworks produced by non-Middle East specialists. There is, however, variation in how well disciplinary social science analytical tools are applied and in the significance of various works to theory-building. More emphasis on theory-testing and construction (rather than just theory application) as well as cross-regional and cross-cultural comparisons will increase the comparative value of works produced by Middle East area studies specialists and will add to their visibility in the discipline at large. [source] Multiple Well-Shutdown Tests and Site-Scale Flow Simulation in Fractured RocksGROUND WATER, Issue 3 2010Claire R. Tiedeman A new method was developed for conducting aquifer tests in fractured-rock flow systems that have a pump-and-treat (P&T) operation for containing and removing groundwater contaminants. The method involves temporary shutdown of individual pumps in wells of the P&T system. Conducting aquifer tests in this manner has several advantages, including (1) no additional contaminated water is withdrawn, and (2) hydraulic containment of contaminants remains largely intact because pumping continues at most wells. The well-shutdown test method was applied at the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), West Trenton, New Jersey, where a P&T operation is designed to contain and remove trichloroethene and its daughter products in the dipping fractured sedimentary rocks underlying the site. The detailed site-scale subsurface geologic stratigraphy, a three-dimensional MODFLOW model, and inverse methods in UCODE_2005 were used to analyze the shutdown tests. In the model, a deterministic method was used for representing the highly heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity distribution and simulations were conducted using an equivalent porous media method. This approach was very successful for simulating the shutdown tests, contrary to a common perception that flow in fractured rocks must be simulated using a stochastic or discrete fracture representation of heterogeneity. Use of inverse methods to simultaneously calibrate the model to the multiple shutdown tests was integral to the effectiveness of the approach. [source] Movement and change: independent sector domiciliary care providers between 1995 and 1999HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 6 2001Patricia Ware Abstract Promoting the development of a flourishing independent sector alongside good quality public services was a key objective of the community care reforms of the last decade. This paper charts some of the ways the independent domiciliary care sector is changing, as local authorities shift the balance of their provision toward independent sector providers and away from a reliance on in-house services. Two surveys of independent domiciliary care providers were carried out in 1995 and 1999. The aims of the studies were to describe the main features of provider organisations, such as size of business, client group and funding sources; to examine the nature of provider motivations and their past and future plans; to consider how local authorities manage the supply side of social care markets; and to examine the effects on providers of the development of the mixed economy. The first survey in 1995 was conducted in eight local authority areas, which by 1999 had increased to 11 because of the creation of three new unitary authorities. The findings are based on 261 postal surveys together with 111 interviews between the two studies. The research illustrates a domiciliary care market that is still relatively young with many small but growing businesses. There are considerable differences in the split between in-house and independent sector services in individual authorities and a common perception among independent providers that in-house services receive favourable treatment and conditions. Spot or call-off contracts continue to be the most common form of contract although there are moves toward greater levels of guaranteed service and more sophisticated patterns of contracting arrangements. There remains an ongoing need to share information between local authorities and independent providers so that good working relationships can develop with proven and competent providers. [source] New light on ,the commotion time' of 1549: the Oxfordshire rising*HISTORICAL RESEARCH, Issue 218 2009Katherine Halliday In July 1549 the Oxfordshire commons rose in large number, and without gentry support. Somewhere in the region of several hundred armed participants marched from the south-east to the north-west of the county, pillaging parks as they went, until eventually retreating into the town of Chipping Norton. The principal catalyst for the 1549 rising seems, given the rebels' targets and timing, to have been the common perception that the goods of the county's churches were about to be seized by the commissioners for church goods. Consequently, Oxfordshire's rebels did not head for London , they were not opposing religious reforms per se, but were contesting the Edwardian reforms as they had been imposed within their parishes. [source] Can the introduction of a quality of life tool affect individual professional practice and the quality of care planning in a community mental health team?JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 10 2009N. MURPHY rmn dip he bsc (hons) msc pgchepr Accessible summary ,,Audit should not be restricted to one form of methodology and should embrace mixing methods of data collection. ,,Use of a quality of life tool allows users more of a voice, enhancing the partnership with service providers and presenting an alternate view of risk. ,,Implementation of any change to practice needs to address local level barriers and engage the service providers in the process, therefore, avoiding the common perception of being given more work without negotiation and feelings of alienation. Abstract This practice development paper demonstrates the scope for creativity in mixing audit and methods of investigation. It details the evolution of Quality of Life (QOL) perspectives and relates them to the practice of care planning. The process proved enlightening and affirming to practitioners and engaged them in considering value-based practice (recovery-orientated) from the perspective of the client. It was clear that subtle changes to care planning emerged, and the goal of giving responsibility for self determining issues was addressed. [source] Sero-Discordant Couples in Five African Countries: Implications for Prevention StrategiesPOPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 3 2007Damien De Walque Most analyses of the determinants of HIV infection are performed at the individual level. The recent Demographic and Health Surveys, which include results from HIV tests, allow the study of HIV infection at the level of the cohabiting couple. This article exploits this feature of the data for Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania. The analysis yields two findings about the dynamics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that have important implications for policy. First, at least two-thirds of the infected couples are sero-discordant, that is, only one of the two partners is infected. This implies scope for prevention efforts among infected couples. Second, among 30,40 percent of the infected couples only the woman is infected. This is at odds with levels of self-reported extramarital sex by women and with the common perception that unfaithful men are the main link between high-risk groups and the general population. These findings are confirmed by tests of robustness. These results indicate that extramarital sexual activity among women in union is a substantial source of vulnerability to HIV that should be, as much as male extramarital activity, targeted by prevention efforts. [source] Third generation photovoltaics: Ultra-high conversion efficiency at low costPROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS: RESEARCH & APPLICATIONS, Issue 2 2001Martin A. GreenArticle first published online: 5 APR 200 Since the early days of terrestrial photovoltaics, a common perception has been that ,first generation' silicon wafer-based solar cells eventually would be replaced by a ,second generation' of lower cost thin-film technology, probably also involving a different semiconductor. Historically, cadmium sulphide, amorphous silicon, copper indium diselenide, cadmium telluride and now thin-film polycrystalline silicon have been regarded as key thin-film candidates. Any mature solar cell technology seems likely to evolve to the stage where costs are dominated by those of the constituent materials, be they silicon wafers or glass sheet. It is argued, therefore, that photovoltaics is likely to evolve, in its most mature form, to a ,third generation' of high-efficiency thin-film technology. By high efficiency, what is meant is energy conversion values double or triple the 15,20% range presently targeted, closer to the thermodynamic limit of 93%. Tandem cells are the best known of such high-efficiency approaches, where efficiency can be increased merely by adding more cells of different bandgap to a cell stack, at the expense of increased complexity and spectral sensitivity. However, a range of other more ,paralleled' approaches offer similar efficiency to an infinite stack of tandem cells. These options are reviewed together with possible approaches for practical implementation, likely to become more feasible with the evolution of materials technology over the next two decades. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON INDIGENOUS SOCIOECONOMIC OUTCOMES IN AUSTRALIA, 1971,2001AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 3 2005Jon C. Altman aborigines; Australia; population census; social change; economic change Current debate in Indigenous affairs in Australia often involves the assertion that the last 30 years has been a period of policy failure. This article examines trends across a number of socioeconomic outcomes for Indigenous Australians from the 1967 referendum to the present, using census data. Overall, there has been steady, although not spectacular improvement in outcomes over time. These improvements are especially marked for education, which was coming from an exceptionally low base. This finding is somewhat at odds with the common perception of the ,failure' of Indigenous policy. [source] Long-term surveillance with computed tomography after endovascular aneurysm repair may not be justified,BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 11 2009Mr S. A. Black Background: There is a common perception that a large number of secondary interventions are needed following endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. Methods: Prospective data were collected for a cohort of 417 consecutive elective patients undergoing infrarenal aortic endograft repair between April 2000 and May 2008. The rate of secondary interventions, associated morbidity and need for reintervention following surveillance imaging were analysed. Results: The male : female ratio was 11 : 1, median age 76 (range 40,93) years and median aneurysm diameter 6·1 (5·3,11) cm. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 1·7 per cent (seven of 417). Secondary interventions were performed in 31 patients (7·4 per cent), of which six (1·4 per cent) were detected by surveillance. Endoleaks requiring reintervention occurred in 12 patients (2·9 per cent; ten type I and two type III endoleaks). Limb ischaemia secondary to graft occlusion occurred in 17 patients (4·1 per cent); extra-anatomical bypass was needed in 15 patients (3·6 per cent) and the remaining two had an amputation. Graft explantation following late infection was required in two patients (0·5 per cent). Conclusion: Endoluminal repair of infrarenal aortic aneurysms can be performed with a low reintervention rate. The value of prolonged surveillance seems limited and current surveillance protocols may require revision. Copyright © 2009 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Trade, market size, and industrial structure: revisiting the home-market effectCANADIAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2005Zhihao Yu It is shown that, in general, market size matters for industrial structure even when both the homogeneous and the differentiated goods face transport costs. The home-market effect for production structure can arise, disappear, or even reverse in sign. The analysis shall change a common perception about de-industrialization of (small) economies and may also have important implications for the empirical research strategies in this area. JEL classification: F12, L1 Commerce international, taille du marché, et structure industrielle : un autre coup d',il à l'effet du marché intérieur., Ce mémoire montre que les problèmes entourant «l'effet de marché intérieur» sont plus complexes qu'on l'avait cru. On montre que, en général, la taille du marché est un élément important pour la structure industrielle même si les biens homogènes et les biens différenciés font face à des coûts de transport significatifs. L'effet de marché intérieur sur la structure de production peut se matérialiser, disparaître ou même changer de signe. L'analyse va changer les perspectives quant à la «désindustrialisation» des (petites)économies, et cela peut avoir des conséquences importantes pour la recherche de stratégies de recherche empirique dans ce domaine. [source] Can sensitization to aeroallergens disappear over time in children with allergic disease?ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 9 2010KD Jacobs Abstract Background:, Remittance of aeroallergen sensitization has been shown in population-based studies, but there is a common perception that sensitization to aeroallergens rarely if ever disappears in children with allergic disease. Methods:, We retrospectively reviewed all specific IgE tests carried out in children aged 0,18 years at our hospital laboratory over a 14-year period. Of 3115 children sensitized to one or more aeroallergens, 244 (7.8%) were retested after a mean (SD) period of 45 (28) months at their physician's discretion. Results:, Disappearance of sensitization to individual aeroallergens did occur, with remittance rates ranging from 3.1% for house dust mite to 17.5% for cat. However, complete remittance of aeroallergen sensitization was found in only one subject. In up to 35% of cases, remittance of sensitization was offset by the appearance of one or more new aeroallergen sensitizations. Remittance was only observed in children sensitized to multiple allergens (with a median of 3 aeroallergen sensitizations), and their median degree of sensitization was low (median 2.1 kU/L). Conclusion: Aeroallergen sensitization can disappear in children with allergic disease, but only in polysensitized individuals. Complete remittance of sensitization to aeroallergens is rare in symptomatic children. [source] Hold the Line: An Examination of Line vs.HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2001Staff Differences Despite common perceptions about the differences between line and staff personnel, few studies have provided answers as to which group is more effective. This study explores in detail key differences in managerial strengths between 46 line managers and 52 staff professionals in one of the fastest growing, highly service-oriented retail organizations in the United States. Using behavioral data from a developmental multirater feedback effort, results suggest that staff personnel were more modest and accurate in their self-assessments, while line managers were more service-oriented but significantly weaker at relationships, openness to new ideas, demonstrating respect, and adaptability to change. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Alternative community states maintained by fire in the Klamath Mountains, USAJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Dennis C. Odion Summary 1.,The earliest examples of alternative community states in the literature appear to be descriptions of natural vegetation said to both depend on and promote fire. Nonetheless, alternative community states determined by fire have rarely been documented at landscape scales and in natural vegetation. This is because spatial autocorrelation may confound analyses, experimental manipulations are difficult and a long-term perspective is needed to demonstrate that alternative community states can persist for multiple generations. 2.,We hypothesized that alternative community states occur in a largely forested landscape in the Klamath Mountains, north-western California, USA, where shrub-dominated sclerophyllous vegetation establishes after fire that is lethal to forests. Forests redevelop if succession is not arrested by fire. Our hypothesis would require that sclerophyll and forest vegetation states each be maintained by different self-reinforcing relationships with fire. 3.,To test this hypothesis, we examined pyrogenicity of forest and sclerophyll vegetation as a function of time since the previous fire, accounting for spatial autocorrelation. Fire exclusion served as a de facto experimental treatment. Areas where fire had proceeded to occur served as controls. 4.,Our findings are consistent with the occurrence of alternative community states established and maintained by different self-reinforcing feedbacks with fire. Sclerophyll vegetation was more pyrogenic, especially where time-since-fire (TSF) was relatively short, a favourable relationship for this fire-dependent vegetation. Forests were much less pyrogenic, especially where TSF was long, favouring their maintenance. Fire exclusion therefore has led to afforestation and rapid retreat of fire-dependent vegetation. 5.,Synthesis: We have documented how different self-reinforcing combustion properties of forest and sclerophyll vegetation can naturally produce alternative states coexisting side-by-side in the same environment. Such fire-mediated alternative states may be underappreciated, in part, because they are difficult to demonstrate definitively. In addition, the dynamics they exhibit contrast with common perceptions that fire hazard increases deterministically with TSF in forests and shrublands. Addressing the impacts of fire exclusion will probably require a management shift to better allow fire to perform its ecological role in shaping landscape diversity and maintaining fire-dependent biota. [source] Strategies and students: beginning teachers' early encounters with national policyLITERACY, Issue 2 2006Andrey Rosowsky Abstract The 1-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education Secondary English method course at the University of Sheffield's School of Education has, since 2001, asked its students to write an essay of around 4000 words on their initial understanding and experience of the National Strategies promoted by the United Kingdom's Department for Education and Skills. The essay expects a critical, reflective and analytical piece of writing that records the student teacher's developing views on the place, role and value of the National Strategies in the classroom. Using grounded theory and content analysis techniques, this small-scale study of the 2005 cohort identifies common perceptions regarding the National Strategies among student teachers of English and seeks to categorise these to account for their developing identities as future English teachers. Drawing on Twiselton's identification of teacher types, Task Manager, Curriculum Deliverer and Concept/Skill Builder, and Shulman's classification of knowledges necessary for teaching, this article will argue that the National Strategies and their respective Frameworks, while successful in moving teachers on from the role of ,Task Managers', runs the risk of locking teachers into being ,Curriculum Deliverers', and not developing the pedagogical content knowledge necessary for teaching English expertly. [source] Foreign direct investment: facts and perceptions about CanadaTHE CANADIAN GEOGRAPHER/LE GEOGRAPHE CANADIEN, Issue 2 2000BILL BURGESS Recently improved data on foreign direct economic control and foreign direct investment (FDI) are used to evaluate common perceptions of the degree of Canadian dependency. Including financial corporations in measures of foreign control yields rates of foreign control that are lower than those traditionally cited. Foreign and U.S. control in Canada declined in recent decades and only minor changes are evident since ,free' trade went into effect. Contrary to what is often assumed, Canada's rate of inward FDI is lower than in some advanced capitalist countries and its outward rate of FDI is higher than most G7 countries. The concentration of Canadian direct investment in the U.S. is similar to that many West European countries in the rest of Western Europe. The findings indicate that Canada is a ,core', not ,dependent' capitalist country. De récemment données améliorées sur le contrôle direct des avoirs économiques et sur les investissements directs étrangers sont utilisées pour évaluer les perceptions du contrôle économique et le degré de la dépendance économique canadienne. Sont aussi analysées, les institutions financières en termes de leur contrôle domestique et étranger. II appert que le contrôle étranger est moins important que l'on croit. Les contrôles étrangers et états-unien de l'économie canadienne sont en déclin aux cours des dernières années. L'influence du libre échange ne semble pas être significatif. Certes, le taux interne d'investissements directs étrangers est moindre que pour d'autres économies capitalistes avancées, mais le taux externe d'investissements directs étrangers est plus important que pour la plupart des économies du Groupe des Sept. La concentration des investissements directs canadiens aux États-Unis est similaire aux concentrations de plusieurs économies de l'Europe de l'ouest au sein de l'Europe. Les analyses tendent à indiquer que le Canada est une économic capitaliste ,centrale' et non ,périphérique'. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||