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Past Experience (past + experience)
Selected AbstractsRESPONSES OF ECONOMIC SYSTEMS TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: PAST EXPERIENCESAUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 1 2010Jean-Pascal Bassino climate change; economic systems; environment; institutions; markets Current discussions of climate change are overly focused on the science underpinning environmental impact, with little attention to socioeconomic consequences. The economics of environmental change in particular is insufficiently informed by the lessons that past experiences can yield. Drawing on case studies from Europe and Asia, this special issue underlines the importance of historical context, as well as markets, institutions, technology, and the role of international trade in understanding how economic systems have responded to environmental changes. Past economies have responded dynamically to environmental change rather than simply constrained deterministically by the climatic and ecological events that have engulfed them. [source] Food Price Surges: Possible Causes, Past Experience, and Longer Term RelevancePOPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 4 2008Nikos Alexandratos The food price surges of recent years have created much misery and raised once again the Malthusian specter. Increases in the demand for food in the emerging economies, particularly China and India, have frequently been identified as the dominant factor behind a perceived shock on the demand side. Use of crops for biofuels was listed as an additional, though less important, factor. Yet global cereals utilization without biofuels has been growing at slowly decelerating rates, as in the past. It is the addition of biofuels that has resulted in its growing faster than in the past. In parallel, global production had been falling behind utilization for several years, leading to declining stocks. Weather shocks, depreciation of the dollar, and turbulence in the financial markets were added to these fundamentals of the supply,demand balance to generate the price surges. If energy prices remain high and/or rising and pro-biofuel policies remain in place, the diversion of crops to biofuels is likely to continue. This could prevent the current commodity cycle from unfolding in the "normal" way over the short to medium term with prices trending back toward their pre-surge levels. Conclusions are drawn about how these developments should influence the way we assess long-term food and agriculture prospects. [source] A patent analysis of global food and beverage firms: The persistence of innovationAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2002Oscar Alfranca We explore whether current innovation has an enduring effect on future innovative activity in large, global food and beverage (F&B) companies. We analyze a sample of 16,698 patents granted in the United States over the period 1977 to 1994 to 103 F&B firms selected from the world's largest F&B multinationals. We test whether patent time series are trend stationary or difference stationary in order to detect how large the autoregressive parameter is and how enduring the impact of past innovation in these companies is. We conclude that the patent series are not consistent with the random walk model. The null hypothesis of a unit root can be rejected at the 5% level when a constant and a time trend are considered. Both utility and design patent series are stationary around a constant and a time trend. Moreover, there is a permanent component in the patent time series. Thus, global F&B firms show a stable pattern of technological accumulation in which "success breeds success." "Old" innovators are the ones to foster both important changes and new ways of packaging products among F&B multinationals. The effect of past innovation is almost permanent. By contrast, other potential stimuli to technological change have only transitory effects on innovation. Patterns of technological accumulation vary in specific F&B industries. Past experience in design is important in highly processed foods and beverages, but not in agribusinesses and basic foodstuffs. Patterns of technological accumulation are similar in both smaller multinationals/newcomers and large, established multinationals. [EconLit citations : O330, F230, L660] © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Applying modelling experiences from the past to shape crop systems biology: the need to converge crop physiology and functional genomicsNEW PHYTOLOGIST, Issue 3 2008Xinyou Yin Summary Functional genomics has been driven greatly by emerging experimental technologies. Its development as a scientific discipline will be enhanced by systems biology, which generates novel, quantitative hypotheses via modelling. However, in order to better assist crop improvement, the impact of developing functional genomics needs to be assessed at the crop level, given a projected diminishing effect of genetic alteration on phenotypes from the molecule to crop levels. This review illustrates a recently proposed research field, crop systems biology, which is located at the crossroads of crop physiology and functional genomics, and intends to promote communications between the two. Past experiences with modelling whole-crop physiology indicate that the layered structure of biological systems should be taken into account. Moreover, modelling not only plays a role in data synthesis and quantitative prediction, but certainly also in heuristics and system design. These roles of modelling can be applied to crop systems biology to enhance its contribution to our understanding of complex crop phenotypes and subsequently to crop improvement. The success of crop systems biology needs commitments from scientists along the entire knowledge chain of plant biology, from molecule or gene to crop and agro-ecosystem. [source] The World Has Changed,Have Analytical Procedure Practices?CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2010GREG TROMPETER M1; M42 Analytical Procedures (APs) provide a means for auditors to evaluate the "reasonableness" of financial disclosures by comparing a client's reported performance to expectations gained through knowledge of the client based on past experience and developments within the company and its industry. Thus, APs are fundamentally different than other audit tests in taking a broader perspective of an entity's performance vis-à-vis its environment. As such, APs have been found to be a cost-effective means to detect misstatements, and many have argued that a number of prior financial frauds would have been detected had auditors employed effective APs. With several dramatic and far-reaching developments over the past decade, the current study examines whether and how APs have changed during this period. In particular, we focus on the impact of significant "enablers" and "drivers" of change such as technological advancements and the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We also compare our findings to an influential study of the practices of APs by Hirst and Koonce (1996) that was conducted over 10 years ago. We interview 36 auditors (11 seniors, 13 managers, and 12 partners) from all of the Big 4 firms using a structured questionnaire. The data reveal some similarities in findings when compared to prior research (e.g., auditors continue to use fairly simple analytical procedures). However, there are a number of significant differences reflecting changes in AP practices. For instance, as a result of technology auditors now rely more extensively on industry and analyst data than previously. Further, auditors report that they develop more precise quantitative expectations and use more non-financial information. They also appear to rely more on lower level audit staff to perform APs, conduct greater inquiry of non-accounting personnel, and are willing to reduce substantive testing to a greater extent as a result of APs conducted in the planning phase. Finally, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has had an impact in greater consideration and knowledge of internal controls, which is seen as the most important factor driving the use and reliance on APs. [source] Physician and emergency medical technicians' knowledge and experience regarding dental traumaDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2006Shaul Lin Abstract,,, The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the knowledge of physicians and emergency medical technicians (EMT) regarding primary treatment for dental trauma and to assess the experience they have in treating dental injuries. The study population consisted of 70 military physicians and EMT during their military service. A questionnaire was distributed relating to demographic data, such as age, gender, position, and type of military service, as well as the following issues: past experience in treating or witnessing dental trauma, former education regarding diagnosis and treatment of dental trauma, assessment of knowledge regarding dental trauma, etc. Of all participants, only 4 (5.9%), all physicians, received education regarding dental trauma. Nevertheless, 42 (61.8%) reported they witnessed such an injury during their military service. Dental injuries were first seen by the EMT in 41.2% of the cases, by the physician in 25%, and by a dentist in only 7.3%. Overall, 58 (85.3%) of the physicians and EMT stated that it was important to educate the primary health care providers regarding diagnosis and treatment of dental trauma. Special emphasis should be given to providing primary caregivers with the relevant education to improve their knowledge and ability of dealing with diagnosis and treatment of dental trauma. [source] Social experience organizes parallel networks in sensory and limbic forebrainDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007Eun-Jin Yang Abstract Successful social behavior can directly influence an individual's reproductive success. Therefore, many organisms readily modify social behavior based on past experience. The neural changes induced by social experience, however, remain to be fully elucidated. We hypothesize that social modulation of neural systems not only occurs at the level of individual nuclei, but also of functional networks, and their relationships with behavior. We used the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis), which displays stereotyped, visually triggered social behaviors particularly suitable for comparisons of multiple functional networks in a social context, to test whether repeated aggressive interactions modify behavior and metabolic activity in limbic,hypothalamic and sensory forebrain regions, assessed by quantitative cytochrome oxidase (a slowly accumulating endogenous metabolic marker) histochemistry. We found that aggressive interactions potentiate aggressive behavior, induce changes in activities of individual nuclei, and organize context-specific functional neural networks. Surprisingly, this experiential effect is not only present in a limbic,hypothalamic network, but also extends to a sensory forebrain network directly relevant to the behavioral expression. Our results suggest that social experience modulates organisms' social behavior via modifying sensory and limbic neural systems in parallel both at the levels of individual regions and networks, potentially biasing perceptual as well as limbic processing. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2007 [source] Do past experience and competitive ability influence foraging strategies of parasitoids under interspecific competition?ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 6 2008CECILE LE LANN Abstract 1.,In solitary parasitoids, several species can exploit the same host patch and competition could potentially be a strong selective agent as only one individual can emerge from a host. In cereal crops, Aphidius rhopalosiphi and A. ervi share the grain aphid Sitobion avenae as host. 2.,The present work studied foraging strategies of both species on patches already exploited by the other species. The study analysed larval competition in multi-parasitised hosts and compared the foraging behaviour of females with and without previous experience. 3.,It was found that A. ervi wins larval competition three times more often than A. rhopalosiphi. Both species spent less time on patches exploited by a heterospecific than on unexploited ones. When they foraged on heterospecifically exploited patches, experienced females induced less mortality in aphids than inexperienced ones. 4.,Although A. rhopalosiphi is a specialist on cereal aphids and is the most abundant species due to its early appearance in the season, S. avenae is still a profitable host for A. ervi, because: (i) A. rhopalosiphi leaves patches partially exploited, (ii) A. ervi wins larval competition in three out of four multi-parasitised hosts, and (iii) A. ervi is only slightly deterred by the cornicular secretions of the host and can thus easily parasitise hosts. [source] Perpest model, a case-based reasoning approach to predict ecological risks of pesticidesENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2002Paul J. Van den Brink Abstract The PERPEST model is a model that predicts the ecological risks of pesticides in freshwater ecosystems. This model simultaneously predicts the effects of a particular concentration of a pesticide on various (community) endpoints. In contrast to most effect models, PERPEST is based on empirical data extracted from the literature. This model is based on case-based reasoning, a technique that solves new problems (e.g., what is the effect of pesticide A?) by using past experience (e.g., published microcosm experiments). The database containing the past experience has been constructed by performing a review of freshwater model ecosystem studies. This review assessed the effects on various endpoints (e.g., community metabolism, phytoplankton, and macroinvertebrates) and classified them according to their magnitude and duration. The PERPEST model searches for analogous situations in the database, based on relevant (toxicity) characteristics of the compound. This allows the model to predict effects of pesticides for which no effects on a semifield scale have been published. The PERPEST model results in a prediction showing the probability of classes of effects (no, slight, or clear effects, plus an optional indication of recovery) on the various grouped endpoints. This paper discusses the scientific background of the model as well as its strengths, limitations, and possible applications. [source] The Effects of Social Experience on Aggressive Behavior in the Green Anole Lizard (Anolis carolinensis)ETHOLOGY, Issue 9 2001Eun-Jin Yang To understand how context-specific aggression emerges from past experience, we examined how consecutive aggressive encounters influence aggressive behavior and stress responses of male green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis). Animals were shown a video clip featuring an aggressively displaying conspecific male, which provoked aggressive responding, while control animals viewed a neutral video. After 5 d of interaction with the videos, both the subject and control groups were presented with a live conspecific. As a non-invasive assay of stress responses, we measured changes in body color and eyespot darkness, two features known to be strongly correlated with titers of stress hormones. Our results demonstrate that experience increased aggression in male anoles, but that increases in aggression to a repeated stimulus were transient. Tests with a novel conspecific indicate that the experienced animals remained aggressive when presented with novel stimuli. Although there were differences in the morphological indicators of the stress response between experimental and control groups during video presentations, there were no differences when presented with novel conspecifics. These data indicate that experience-dependent differences were not mediated by differences in the ,stressfulness' of aggressive interaction, as thought to be the case for animals in chronic subordinate/dominant dyads. We suggest that habituation and reinforcement interact to promote aggressive responding and to restrict it to novel individuals. Such context specificity is a hallmark of natural patterns of aggression in territorial species. [source] Tonically active neurons in the primate striatum and their role in the processing of information about motivationally relevant eventsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 11 2002Paul ApicellaArticle first published online: 11 DEC 200 Abstract Analysis of recordings of single neuronal activity in the striatum of monkeys engaged in behavioural tasks has shown that tonically active neurons (TANs) can be distinguished by their distinct spontaneous firing and functional properties. As TANs are assumed to be cholinergic interneurons, the study of their physiological characteristics allows us to gain an insight into the role of a particular type of local-circuit neuron in the processing of information at the striatal level. In monkeys performing various behavioural tasks, the change in the activity of TANs, unlike the diversity of task-related activations exhibited by the phasically active population of striatal neurons, involves a transient depression of the tonic firing related to environmental events of motivational significance. Such events include primary rewards and stimuli that have acquired a reward value during associative learning. These neurons also respond to an aversive air puff, indicating that their responsiveness is not restricted to appetitive conditions. Another striking feature of the TANs is that their responses can be modulated by predictions about stimulus timing. Temporal variations in event occurrence have been found to favour the responses of TANs, whereas the responses are diminished or abolished in the presence of external cues that predict the time at which events will occur. These data suggest that the TANs respond as do detectors of motivationally relevant events, but they also demonstrate that these neurons are influenced by predictive information based on past experience with a given temporal context. TANs represent a unique subset of striatal neurons that might serve a modulatory function, monitoring for temporal relationships between environmental events. [source] Dissociating the past from the present in the activity of place cellsHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 9 2006Livia de Hoz Abstract It has been proposed that declarative memories can be dependent on both an episodic and a semantic memory system. While the semantic system deals with factual information devoid of reference to its acquisition, the episodic system, characterized by mental time travel, deals with the unique past experience in which an event took place. Episodic memory is characteristically hippocampus-dependent. Place cells are recorded from the hippocampus of rodents and their firing reflects many of the key characteristics of episodic memory. For example, they encode information about "what" happens "where," as well as temporal information. However, when these features are expressed during an animal's behavior, the neuronal activity could merely be categorizing the present situation and could therefore reflect semantic memory rather than episodic memory. We propose that mental time travel is the key feature of episodic memory and that it should take a form, in the awake animal, similar to the replay of behavioral patterns of activity that has been observed in hippocampus during sleep. Using tasks designed to evoke episodic memory, one should be able to see memory reactivation of behaviorally relevant sequences of activity in the awake animal while recording from hippocampus and other cortical structures. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Perceived value of corporate donations: an empirical investigationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 4 2008Narissa Gipp There is current recognition that value is the fundamental basis for all marketing activities. The present research provides an empirical examination of perceptions of value within the voluntary sector and specifically donations made by organisations towards the funding of charitable projects. The impact of a number of charity and project-related variables on the formation of value and the corresponding effect of value on satisfaction and behavioural variables are examined. The results support claims that past experience with and information about a charity as well as information about a specific project are significant determinants of value. However, the impact of these constructs is differential between the two components of value (i.e. get/benefits and give/sacrifices). We confirm the significant effect of value on satisfaction and indicate that satisfaction and benefits derived from a donation have a direct impact on behavioural intention. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Consumers' views on generic medicines: A review of the literatureINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 2 2009Mohamed A. A. Hassali Abstract Objectives To review the literature on consumers' knowledge, attitudes and opinions of the use of generic medicines. Method A narrative review of studies conducted from 1970 to 2008 on consumers' perceptions and views towards generic medicines was performed. An extensive literature search was undertaken using indexing services available at the authors' institution library. The following keywords were used for the search: brand, generic, multisource, medications, medicines, drugs, pharmaceuticals and consumers, customers, and patients. Electronic databases searched were Medline, Inside Web, ISI Web of Knowledge, Science Direct, Springer Link, JSTOR, Proquest, Ebsco Host and Google Scholar. These electronic databases were searched for full text papers published in English from 1970 to October 2008. Key findings Twenty studies were identified. Eleven were from the USA, four were from Europe, two were from Canada and one each was from Australia, Brazil and Malaysia. In general, consumers showed mixed reactions towards the use of generic medicines. This was evident from the divergence of views observed by country development level, consumers' socioeconomic characteristics, drug product characteristics, pharmaceutical reimbursement system, policy environment, contact with health care professionals, past experience with medications, and knowledge of the seriousness of a medical condition. Conclusions Patient confidence and knowledge pertaining to generic medicines use have increased over the past four decades, especially in developed countries. Mass educational efforts, financial incentives, and greater communication among patients and health care professionals were seen as major drivers to the uptake of generic medicines among consumers. [source] Utilization of parenting groups and consultation services as parenting support services by Japanese mothers of 18 month old childrenJAPAN JOURNAL OF NURSING SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008Azusa ARIMOTO Abstract Aim:, To clarify the factors related to the utilization of parenting groups and consultation services by mothers with children aged 18 months. Methods:, This was a cross-sectional study using a self-report questionnaire survey at health examinations in five health centers of an urban city in Tokyo, Japan, from July to September 2003. The final study population was comprised of the 371 mothers who provided information on both demographics and the utilization of services. Results:, Of these 371 mothers, 166 participated in parenting groups since the birth of their 18 month old child. Logistic regression analyses indicated the following factors related to such participation: past experience in the use of services provided by the local government, trust in the specific group, and worries about their children. Participation in the parenting groups was not related to child-rearing anxiety or mental health status. The participants indicated that the groups provided friends and child-rearing information and alleviated stress. Worries about children and past experience in the use of public services would enhance the utilization of services. Conclusion:, It is essential for service-providers to offer services specific to the situation or desires of mothers. Mothers might need both consultation services and support groups to reinforce the mother,child relationship, for social support, and to freely discuss worries with both professionals and peers. [source] Investigating factors associated with nurses' attitudes towards perinatal bereavement care: a study in Shandong and Hong KongJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 16 2009Moon Fai Chan Aims., To explore nurses' attitudes towards perinatal bereavement care and to identify factors associated with these attitudes. Background., It is likely that the attitude of nursing staff can influence recovery from a pregnancy loss and that nurses with positive attitudes to bereavement care can help bereaved parents to cope during their grieving period. Design., Survey. Method., Data were collected through a structured questionnaire; 657 nurses were recruited from Obstetrics and Gynaecology units in Hong Kong and Shandong during 2006. Outcome measures included attitudes towards perinatal bereavement care, importance of hospital policy and training support for bereavement care. Results., The majority of nurses in this study had a positive attitude to bereavement care. Results show that only 21·6% (n = 141) of the nurses surveyed had bereavement-related training. In contrast, about 89·8% (n = 300) believed they needed to be equipped with relevant knowledge, skills and understanding in the care and support of bereaved parents and more than 88·5% (n = 592) would share their experiences with their colleagues and seek support when feeling under stress. A regression model showed that age, past experience in handling grieving parents, recent ranking and nurses' perceived attitudes to hospital policy and training provided for bereavement care were the factors associated with nurses' attitudes to perinatal bereavement care. Conclusions., Nurses in both cities emphasised their need for increased knowledge and experience, improved communication skills and greater support from team members and the hospital for perinatal bereavement care. Relevance to clinical practice., These findings may be used by nursing educators to educate their students on issues related to delivery of sensitive bereavement care in perinatal settings and to enhance nursing school curricula. [source] Survival of intimate partner violence as experienced by womenJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 3 2005Aune Flinck MNSc Aims and objectives., The study set out to describe women's experiences of intimate partner violence, the consequences of such violence, the help they received and women's experiences of their survival. Background., Social and health professionals do not have sufficient ability to identify and help families who suffer from intimate partner violence. Methods for identifying and treating partner violence not have been developed adequately. Method., The study was conducted in Finland by loosely formulated open-ended interviews with seven battered women. The data were analysed by inductive qualitative content analysis. Findings., Women had past experience of maltreatment and a distressing climate at their parental home. Women experienced both themselves and their spouse as having weak identities; their ideals, patterns of marriage and sexuality were different. Violence occurred in situations of disagreement. Women tried to strike a balance between independence and dependence in the relationship. The different forms of couple violence were interlinked. The women sought help when their health and social relationships got worse. An awareness of the problem, taking action, counselling and social relationships helped them survive. Religiousness was a factor that involved commitment to the couple relationship, made religious demands on women and promoted the recovery of integrity. Conclusions., Intimate partner violence was associated with the family model, childhood experience of maltreatment, the partners' weak identity and conflicts between individualism and familism. Social and healthcare professionals need competence in early intervention and skills to discuss moral principles, sexuality, and violence in a way that is free of prejudice and condemning attitudes. Spiritual approaches in the context of interventions should be taken into consideration. Relevance to clinical practice., In a clinical context, nurses should be aware of the symptoms of violence, and they should have skills in dealing with intimate moral and spiritual issues. [source] Images of self and others as computer users: the role of gender and experienceJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 5 2006E. M. Mercier Abstract Gender differences in the pursuit of technology careers are a current issue of concern. We report on two studies that use surveys, drawings and interviews to examine sixth- and eighth-grade students' perceptions of knowledgeable computer users and their self-perception as a computer-type person. In Study 1, participants were asked to generate representations of computer users in pictures or words. The results indicate that the majority of representations were of male users and they frequently wore glasses. Students of both genders were more likely to draw males. Eighth-grade students' representations included more stereotypical features than those of sixth-grade students. In Study 2, students were asked whether they believed that there was such a thing as a computer-type person and whether they perceived themselves to be one. Eighty per cent of students rejected this characterization. They differed from students who accepted it in their levels of past experience, their confidence, and the probability that they shared their knowledge with others. The results of both studies suggest that while there is a male image of computer science in general, it is not overly negative and students' self-perception is not governed by their own gender as much as by other variables. [source] Crisis Management in France: Trends, Shifts and PerspectivesJOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2002Patrick Lagadec The object of this article is to give an idea of crisis management in France. I will look at two principal axes: firstly, a simplified outline of the system as it has evolved over the years and with regard to the major changes it is undergoing today; secondly, an overview of the efforts recently made by the most progressive actors in the field. Traditionally, all analyses of this type have concentrated on the French exception, that is, a centralised country answering to a strong state, largely influenced by past references, doctrines, hierarchical rules, and technical dispositions. Although this image is still very accurate in many respects, France has been progressively losing its ,classicism'. This has come about as a result, first and foremost, of the growing number of crises which contradict the logic of long,standing references. Uncertainties, multiplicity of actors, masses of information, major surprises, cross,over events and abrupt changes are but some of the elements which are increasingly difficult to absorb within pre,established historical models. With the profusion of new actors and networks of people unaware of former royal or Napoleonic regulations, the cards are largely being dealt between the public and the private, the central and the local, the national and the international, and so on. Transformation is continuously occurring by the accumulation of new laws (e.g. decentralisation) or specific adjustments (e.g. critical infrastructures). International markets and new information technologies also play a key role in this transformation. But perhaps the most powerful motor for change are crises. More often than not, crises lead to a loss of faith in yet unquestioned references, with regard to legitimacy, credibility and responsibility. France offers a highly contrasted scene as a country still resisting inevitable change. Although there is growing disorder, new opportunities are arising. Wishing to take a dynamic approach to these questions rather than a descriptive one, I have sought to distinguish the main themes and their interactions. I will particularly look at: problems raised by new crises in complex societies; the means necessary for ensuring progress (Boin; Lagadec 2000); resistance to these measures; and, finally, some of the most promising initiatives. The vocation of the European Crisis Management Academy is to share past experience as well as questions and answers in an area of great instability and critical stakes. [source] University of life or academia?JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 6 2008A review of community matrons/case managers continuing professional development; accessing a post-graduate programme without meeting the current academic entry criteria Aims, To inform managers and gatekeepers of the pre-requisites for staff engaging in post-graduate level study. To acknowledge the support students in new roles require in clinical practice and continuing professional development (CPD). Background, A post - graduate course for case managers/community matrons was developed as a rapid response to government policy. As a result, candidates entered this programme with non-traditional requirements. However, this did not appear to hinder their success. Evaluation, Student entry data and their achievements on completion were collected and compared with another post-graduate course that did require standard entry academic requirements. Final results were analysed and a narrative obtained from students and mentors. Key issues, Gatekeepers should recognize the importance of past experience and motivation of candidates in relation to CPD and also the student's insight and self-awareness when accessing courses. Conclusion, Candidates accessing post-graduate courses can achieve learning outcomes at an advanced level when given the right support and are capable of undertaking the role of case manager/community matron . Implications for nursing management, The article is relevant in light of the current financial constraints for Trusts to ration the funding of CPD. Choosing the right person to attend the right course often depends on the manager's discretion and not necessarily the candidates' ability or motivation. It highlights the importance of not only recognizing the candidates' academic level but also their motivation to study, and with careful selection candidates should be allowed the opportunity to access higher levels of CPD. Fitness to practice is also an important aspect to consider on completion of a course and this can be achieved with the mapping of competencies in relation to the post holder's specific job. [source] Demographic Issues in Longevity Risk AnalysisJOURNAL OF RISK AND INSURANCE, Issue 4 2006Eric Stallard Fundamental to the modeling of longevity risk is the specification of the assumptions used in demographic forecasting models that are designed to project past experience into future years, with or without modifications based on expert opinion about influential factors not represented in the historical data. Stochastic forecasts are required to explicitly quantify the uncertainty of forecasted cohort survival functions, including uncertainty due to process variance, parameter errors, and model misspecification errors. Current applications typically ignore the latter two sources although the potential impact of model misspecification errors is substantial. Such errors arise from a lack of understanding of the nature and causes of historical changes in longevity and the implications of these factors for the future. This article reviews the literature on the nature and causes of historical changes in longevity and recent efforts at deterministic and stochastic forecasting based on these data. The review reveals that plausible alternative sets of forecasting assumptions have been derived from the same sets of historical data, implying that further methodological development will be needed to integrate the various assumptions into a single coherent forecasting model. Illustrative calculations based on existing forecasts indicate that the ranges of uncertainty for older cohorts' survival functions will be at a manageable level. Uncertainty ranges for younger cohorts will be larger and the need for greater precision will likely motivate further model development. [source] The telling or the tale?JOURNAL OF SOCIOLINGUISTICS, Issue 2 2000Narratives, gender in adolescent friendship networks The paper analyses the narratives told between adolescent friends, recorded in single-sex friendship groups with a fieldworker. It confirms the importance of narratives in the construction of friendship and, specifically, in the interpretation of past experience according to peer group norms. The link between the self and others is different in the narratives told by the male friends and the female friends. The boys establish a sense of group identity through the joint activity of ,telling', whilst for the girls the links are between individual selves, constructed through their tales. Key figures in the friendship groups take the lead in demonstrating how events are interpreted. The same speaker uses styles that could be labelled ,competitive' and styles that could be labelled ,cooperative', depending on the interactional context. [source] How and why do college students use Wikipedia?JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 11 2009Sook Lim The purposes of this study were to explore college students' perceptions, uses of, and motivations for using Wikipedia, and to understand their information behavior concerning Wikipedia based on social cognitive theory (SCT). A Web survey was used to collect data in the spring of 2008. The study sample consisted of students from an introductory undergraduate course at a large public university in the midwestern United States. A total of 134 students participated in the study, resulting in a 32.8% response rate. The major findings of the study include the following: Approximately one-third of the students reported using Wikipedia for academic purposes. The students tended to use Wikipedia for quickly checking facts and finding background information. They had positive past experiences with Wikipedia; however, interestingly, their perceptions of its information quality were not correspondingly high. The level of their confidence in evaluating Wikipedia's information quality was, at most, moderate. Respondents' past experience with Wikipedia, their positive emotional state, their disposition to believe information in Wikipedia, and information utility were positively related to their outcome expectations of Wikipedia. However, among the factors affecting outcome expectations, only information utility and respondents' positive emotions toward Wikipedia were related to their use of it. Further, when all of the independent variables, including the mediator, outcome expectations, were considered, only the variable information utility was related to Wikipedia use, which may imply a limited applicability of SCT to understanding Wikipedia use. However, more empirical evidence is needed to determine the applicability of this theory to Wikipedia use. Finally, this study supports the knowledge value of Wikipedia (Fallis, 2008), despite students' cautious attitudes toward Wikipedia. The study suggests that educators and librarians need to provide better guidelines for using Wikipedia, rather than prohibiting Wikipedia use altogether. [source] Vaccination as a Therapeutic Approach to Alzheimer's DiseaseMOUNT SINAI JOURNAL OF MEDICINE: A JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2010Thomas Wisniewski MD Abstract Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia worldwide. Alzheimer's disease is a member of a broad range of neurodegenerative diseases characterized pathologically by the conformational change of a normal protein into a pathological conformer with a high ,-sheet content that renders it neurotoxic. In the case of Alzheimer's disease, the normal soluble amyloid , peptide is converted into oligomeric/fibrillar amyloid ,. The oligomeric forms of amyloid , have been hypothesized to be the most toxic, whereas fibrillar amyloid , becomes deposited as amyloid plaques and congophilic angiopathy, which both serve as neuropathological markers of the disease. In addition, the accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau as soluble toxic oligomers and as neurofibrillary tangles is a critical part of the pathology. Numerous therapeutic interventions are under investigation to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease. Among the most exciting and advanced of these approaches is vaccination. Immunomodulation is being tried for a range of neurodegenerative disorders, with great success being reported in most model animal trials; however, the much more limited human data have shown more modest clinical success so far, with encephalitis occurring in a minority of patients treated with active immunization. The immunomodulatory approaches for neurodegenerative diseases involve targeting a self-protein, albeit in an abnormal conformation; hence, effective enhanced clearance of the disease-associated conformer has to be balanced with the potential risk of stimulating excessive toxic inflammation within the central nervous system. The design of future immunomodulatory approaches that are more focused is dependent on addressing a number of questions, including when is the best time to start immunization, what are the most appropriate targets for vaccination, and is amyloid central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease or is it critical to target tau-related pathology also. In this review, we discuss the past experience with vaccination for Alzheimer's disease and the development of possible future strategies that target both amyloid ,,related and tau-related pathologies. Mt Sinai J Med 77:17&–31, 2010. © 2010 Mount Sinai School of Medicine [source] Training subspecialty nurses in developing countries: Methods, outcome, and costPEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 2 2003Judith A. Wilimas MD Abstract Background As infections are controlled in developing countries, other pediatric subspeciality programs such as oncology become increasingly important. A major impediment to the development of such programs is a lack of trained nurses. Therefore, education of pediatric subspecialty nurses becomes a priority. Procedure We describe three models we have used for education of pediatric oncology nurses: a short series of classes or lectures with additional training of key nurses, an expanded 12 week series of classes at centers combining didactic and clinical instruction and a regional residential school offering regular 12 week courses in theory and clinical practice. Results Cost analysis showed that the cost per nurse trained was, respectively, $3,700; $4,350; and $5,500. Early effectiveness indicators show that retention rates are high, home institutions are satisfied, and nurses trained shared their knowledge with other nurses and improved nursing practices. Conclusions Programs to teach subspecialty nursing in developing countries are effective and can improve medical care. Such programs should be based on past experience and evaluated as to cost and effectiveness. Med Pediatr Oncol 2003;41:136,140. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The influence of past behavior on behavioral intent: An information-processing explanationPSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 12 2008Blair Kidwell Despite considerable research on the impact of past behavior on decision making over the past two decades, little is yet known about how past experience moderates decision theoretic factors within models of behavioral intent. This research explores the implications of past behavior within the theory of planned behavior (TPB), and how it influences key decision-making variables. A theoretical model of how past behavior can induce deliberative versus heuristic processing of information is developed and tested. Consumer implications of the impact of past behavior on behavioral intentions are discussed, highlighting the importance of addressing one's experience when making a decision. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] The greying of resource communities in northern British Columbia: implications for health care delivery in already-underserviced communitiesTHE CANADIAN GEOGRAPHER/LE GEOGRAPHE CANADIEN, Issue 1 2005Neil Hanlon The delivery of ,rural' health care services has long confronted the geographic problems of distance, low user densities, low-order facilities and caregiver shortages. As a result, rural and remote communities across Canada have struggled with health care delivery. For rural and remote communities in resource hinterlands, population ageing driven by industrial restructuring presents a significant departure from past experience. Drawing on examples from northern British Columbia (BC), this paper examines this context of ageing in rural and remote locations with the purpose of highlighting impending challenges for health care service provision. In the first part of this paper, we provide a demographic overview of population change and ageing in northern BC. In the second part, we present data on the availability of services throughout the region to support seniors who age-in-place. Population ageing, in areas that have never dealt with this issue before, highlights not only important servicing questions but also important policy questions about how to provide for needs that the policy and community context are not presently equipped to meet. Ce n'est pas d'hier que la prestation de services de soins de santé en milieu «rural» doit composer avec les problèmes géographiques liés aux distances, à la faible densité d'usagers, aux établissements de bas ordre et à la pénurie de personnel soignant. C'est pourquoi, pour les collectivités rurales et éloignées du Canada, la prestation de soins de santé constitue un problème de longue date. Pour ces collectivités rurales et éloignées de l'arrière-pays industriel, le vieillissement de la population découlant de la restructuration industrielle représente une dérogation notable à l'ordre normal des choses. En s'appuyant sur des exemples du Nord de la Colombie-Britannique, le présent article examine le contexte du vieillissement en milieu rural et éloigné afin de faire ressortir les défis imminents à la prestation de services de soins de santé. La première partie de l'article présente un aperçu démographique du changement et du vieillissement de la population dans le Nord de la Colombie-Britannique. La seconde partie présente des données sur la disponibilité, dans la région, de services de soutien aux personnes âgées qui «vieillissent sur place». Pour les régions qui ne s'y sont pas encore attardées, le vieillissement de la population soulève non seulement d'importantes questions ayant trait à la prestation de services, mais aussi des questions de politiques visant la réponse à des besoins auxquels le contexte communautaire et le cadre de politique actuels ne répondent pas. [source] Reservoir resettlement in China: past experience and the Three Gorges DamTHE GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2001Li Heming This paper reviews involuntary resettlement resulting from dam-building, which has been ignored relative to the dominant focus of migration research in China, rural to urban migration. Reservoir resettlement in China has a long history, often of misery and hardship for those displaced. Relocatees affected by the Three Gorges Project (1994,2009) on the Yangtze River face a similar situation. In China priority has been given to building the dam to provide electricity, flood control and navigation. Less attention has been paid to the problems of the people affected by the reservoir inundation. The rural population forced to relocate and rural-urban migrants in general have been discriminated against by national policies. [source] Summative Assessment in Medicine: The Promise of Simulation for High-stakes EvaluationACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2008John R. Boulet PhD Abstract Throughout their careers, physicians are exposed to a wide array of assessments, including those aimed at evaluating knowledge, clinical skills, and clinical decision-making. While many of these assessments are used as part of formative evaluation activities, others are employed to establish competence and, as a byproduct, to promote patient safety. In the past 10 years, simulations have been successfully incorporated in a number of high-stakes physician certification and licensure exams. In developing these simulation-based assessments, testing organizations were able to promote novel test administration protocols, build enhanced assessment rubrics, advance sophisticated scoring and equating algorithms, and promote innovative standard-setting methods. Moreover, numerous studies have been conducted to identify potential threats to the validity of test score interpretations. As simulation technology expands and new simulators are invented, this groundbreaking work can serve as a basis for organizations to build or expand their summative assessment activities. Although there will continue to be logistical and psychometric problems, many of which will be specialty- or simulator-specific, past experience with performance-based assessments suggests that most challenges can be addressed through focused research. Simulation, whether it involves standardized patients (SPs), computerized case management scenarios, part-task trainers, electromechanical mannequins, or a combination of these methods, holds great promise for high-stakes assessment. [source] Determinants of environmental management systems standards implementation: evidence from Greek industryBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 6 2002Assistant Professor George E. Halkos This paper employs logistic regression analysis to test a model that predicts the implementation or non-implementation of Environmental Management Systems Standards (EMSSs) by considering various factors as explanatory variables. The dependent variable is dichotomous: industrial firms either implementing or not implementing EMSSs. From past experience we identify 15 major variables contributing to implementation of EMSSs. A sample of 259 respondents (84 implementing and 175 not) is used to estimate the parameters of the logistic regression model employing maximum likelihood. The results show an overall significant model with four of the 15 variables significant. The significance of management perception of environmental issues on their decision to implement EMSS was confirmed with regards to their perception on win,win possibilities. Pressure on companies to improve their environmental performance does not result in higher uptake of the standards. Company image and size are important factors in its decision to implement EMSS. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||