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Valuable Lessons (valuable + lesson)
Selected AbstractsThe Height of (Architectural) Seduction: Reading the "Changes" through Stalin's Palace in Warsaw, PolandJOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION, Issue 4 2001Magdalena J. Zaborowska Joseph Stalin's Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland, is a representative architectural structure, whose diverse and divergent readings and interpretations elicit larger historic and cultural contexts of pre- and post-1989 developments in Eastern Europe and the West. The Palace's unique ability to encode and compel changing constructions of individual and collective narratives of Polish identity provides a valuable lesson on the relationships between architecture, literature, history, and politics. Structures like the Palace carry ideological and political messages inscribed onto them by their designers and builders and serve as repositories of the changing desires and fantasies of their individual spectators or readers. [source] The Marine Stewardship Council: A multi-stakeholder approach to sustainable fishingCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2004Alexia Cummins Established by WWF and Unilever in 1997, the Marine Stewardship Council is an example of a successful NGO,business partnership, independent since 1999. At a time when awareness of the general public on environmental issues and particularly overfishing is increasing, it offers an eco-labelling programme designed to reward sustainable and well managed fisheries with a visible environmental endorsement. The MSC is the only international fisheries organization working to provide a market-based incentive, encouraging consumers to make the best environmental choice in seafood, by setting a standard against which independent accredited certification bodies assess fisheries. It devotes time and attention to bringing a broad spectrum of stakeholders to the table, maintaining dialogue with all sectors. As more fisheries engage in the certification process, valuable lessons have been learnt on the importance of stakeholder input. Market leading supermarkets recognize that consumers expect retailers to make responsible purchasing decisions as part of their corporate social responsibility. As a key part of this they have become supporters of the MSC, enabling it to achieve the market exposure it requires to highlight the issue of overfishing and the need to ensure the sustainability of fish stocks around the world. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Uncovering Local Perspectives on Humanitarian Assistance and Its OutcomesDISASTERS, Issue 2 2000Oliver Bakewell This paper draws on a study of Angolan refugees in Zambia to suggest ways that the perspectives and interests of the local population can be included in the assessment of relief interventions. Taking an actor-oriented approach, the paper suggests stepping back from the categorisation of the situation as an emergency and particular groups of people as the beneficiaries. Such categories are imposed from outside and may not reflect local people's outlook on the situation. In the case of Angolans in Zambia, the category of refugees had dissolved in the border villages to the extent that it was practically impossible to distinguish between refugees and hosts. This was in contrast to the official settlements where people were marked out as refugees and the label was maintained and reproduced over many years. Investigating outcomes in the border villagers in terms of refugees and the refugee problem would have been futile. The paper calls for evaluations of humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies to look beyond the ,beneficiaries' and to investigate the wider context of ,normality'. Neglecting the life and world of local people will make it impossible to understand the process by which external interventions are mediated at the local level to give particular outcomes, and valuable lessons which could help alleviate suffering will be lost. [source] Health systems in East Asia: what can developing countries learn from Japan and the Asian Tigers?HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 5 2007Adam Wagstaff Abstract The health systems of Japan and the Asian Tigers (Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan), and the recent reforms to them, provide many potentially valuable lessons to East Asia's developing countries. All five systems have managed to keep a check on health spending despite their different approaches to financing and delivery. These differences are reflected in the progressivity of health finance, but the precise degree of progressivity of individual sources and the extent to which households are vulnerable to catastrophic health payments depend on the design features of the system , the height of any ceilings on social insurance contributions, the fraction of health spending covered by the benefit package, the extent to which the poor face reduced copayments, whether there are caps on copayments, and so on. On the delivery side, too, Japan and the Tigers offer some interesting lessons. Singapore's experience with corporatizing public hospitals , rapid cost and price inflation, a race for the best technology, and so on , illustrates the difficulties of corporatization. Korea's experience with a narrow benefit package illustrates the danger of providers shifting demand from insured services with regulated prices to uninsured services with unregulated prices. Japan, in its approach to rate setting for insured services, has managed to combine careful cost control with fine-tuning of profit margins on different types of care. Experiences with DRGs in Korea and Taiwan point to cost-savings but also to possible knock-on effects on service volume and total health spending. Korea and Taiwan both offer important lessons for the separation of prescribing and dispensing, including the risks of compensation costs outweighing the cost savings caused by more ,rational' prescribing, and cost-savings never being realized because of other concessions to providers, such as allowing them to have onsite pharmacists. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] New school in liver development: Lessons from zebrafish,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Jaime Chu There is significant overlap in the genes and pathways that control liver development and those that regulate liver regeneration, hepatic progenitor cell expansion, response to injury, and cancer. Additionally, defects in liver development may underlie some congenital and perinatal liver diseases. Thus, studying hepatogenesis is important for understanding not only how the liver forms, but also how it functions. Elegant work in mice has uncovered a host of transcription factors and signaling molecules that govern the early steps of hepatic specification; however, the inherent difficulty of studying embryogenesis in utero has driven developmental biologists to seek new systems. The rapidly developing vertebrate zebrafish is a favorite model for embryology. The power of forward genetic screens combined with live real-time imaging of development in transparent zebrafish embryos has highlighted conserved processes essential for hepatogenesis and has uncovered some exciting new players. This review presents the advantages of zebrafish for studying liver development, underscoring how studies in zebrafish and mice complement each other. In addition to their value for studying development, zebrafish models of hepatic and biliary diseases are expanding, and using these small, inexpensive embryos for drug screening has become de rigueur. Zebrafish provide a shared platform for developmental biology and translational research, offering innovative methods for studying liver development and disease. The story of hepatogenesis has something for everyone. It involves transcriptional regulation, cell-cell interaction, signaling pathways, control of cell proliferation and apoptosis, plus morphogenic processes that sculpt vasculature, parenchymal cells, and mesenchyme to form the multifaceted liver. Decades of research on liver development in mice and other vertebrates offer valuable lessons in how the multipotent endoderm is programmed to form a functional liver. Of equal importance are insights that have illuminated the mechanisms by which hepatic progenitors are activated in a damaged liver, how the adult liver regenerates, and, possibly, the basis for engineering liver cells in vitro for cell transplantation to sustain patients with liver failure. Moreover, processes that are key to liver development are often co-opted during pathogenesis. Therefore, reviewing hepatogenesis is informative for both basic and translational researchers. In this review, we bring to light the many advantages offered by the tropical freshwater vertebrate zebrafish (Danio rerio) in studying hepatogenesis. By comparing zebrafish and mice, we highlight how work in each system complements the other and emphasize novel paradigms that have been uncovered using zebrafish. Finally, we highlight exciting efforts using zebrafish to model hepatobiliary diseases. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.) [source] Creative marketing and the art organisation: what can the artist offer?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 2 2002Ian Fillis The poem ,My Paintings', written in a deliberate, uncorrected dyslexic style offers an insight into the mind of a present day avant garde bad boy of British art, Billy Childish. Constantly challenging the art establishment through public demonstrations of distaste against the annual Turner Prize,[Button, V. (1999) ,The Turner Prize', Tate Gallery Publishing, London.] Childish and his cohorts launched an alternative, Stuck-ist, art manifesto,[Alberge, D. (1999) ,Rebels Get Stuck into the Brit Artists', The Times, Thursday 26th August, p. 7.] in the belief that it would assist in a shift in public perception of what good art is, as well as influence the creative practice of those artists concerned with more traditional, authentic forms of art. Childish's ex-girlfriend Tracey Emin, however, has had other ideas. She has revelled in mass media exposure and now dismisses the concept of traditional painting as a valid art from.[Brown, N. (1998) ,Tracey Emin', Art Data, UK.] These are two examples of contrasting creative, artistic behaviour. Their creativity has resulted in varying levels of commercial success. By examining the role that creativity plays in determining how the idea for a creative product is first identified, through to its commercial exploitation, there are valuable lessons contained in such a process for both profit-oriented and nonprofit art organisations alike. Instead of constantly fighting the conflicting philosophies of art for art's sake versus art for business sake, following the market and consumer demand, there is a much more effective method for establishing longer-term success, which mirrors the creative practice of the artist. The existing literature on arts marketing is examined. A critique of the usefulness of current thinking is presented, with the recommendation that the formal models of marketing offered in arts marketing literatures can only ever hope to offer general advice on marketing. What is called for is a much more in-depth analysis of how creative entrepreneurial marketers as artists can offer alternative visualisations of more appropriate models of marketing for the industry. This in turn should result in the stimulation of creative research methodologies that can inform both theory and practice within arts marketing in particular, and the wider remit of marketing in general. The use of the metaphor and the examination of published biographies of creative individuals are used to construct a manifesto of marketing artistry. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications [source] Engineered Migration and the Use of Refugees as Political Weapons: A Case Study of the 1994 Cuban Balseros CrisisINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 4 2002Kelly M. Greenhill This paper presents a case study of the August 1994 Cuban balseros crisis, during which more than 35,000 fled the island and headed toward Florida in the span of a few weeks. It argues that Castro launched the crisis in an attempt to manipulate US fears of another Mariel, and in order to compel a shift in US policy, both on immigration and on a wider variety of issues. The paper further contends that from Castro's perspective, this exercise in coercion proved a qualified success , his third such successful use of the Cuban people as an asymmetric political weapon against the US. In addition, the paper argues that Castro's success was predicated on his ability to internationalize his own domestic crisis and transform it into an American domestic political and foreign policy crisis. Finally, it offers a novel explanation of how, why, and under what conditions, states and/or non,state actors may attempt to use refugees as coercive political weapons. Although dwarfed in size by the larger 1980 Mariel boatlift, the 1994 crisis is important for several reasons. First, despite its brevity, it had far reaching consequences for US,Cuban relations. Without warning or preamble, it catalyzed a shift in US policy vis,à,vis Cuban immigration that represented a radical departure from what it had been for the previous three decades. Second, it influenced US domestic politics on the national level, by expanding the scope and salience of the issue, and mobilizing not only Floridians, but also the larger public concerned about illegal immigration. Third, the crisis illustrated the potential potency of engineered migration as an asymmetric weapon of the weak. Finally, the brief, but significant, interactions of international and domestic actors in this case warrant examination because, although the 1994 crisis was limited, in its dynamics it resembles myriad other international refugee crises, large and small. Thus the case offers valuable lessons that may aid in dealing with future (real or threatened) crises. [source] Four Darwinian themes on the origin, evolution and preservation of island lifeJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2010Mark V. Lomolino Abstract Charles Darwin's observations and insights continue to inspire nearly all scientists who are captivated by both the marvels and the perils of island life. Here I feature four themes inspired by Darwin's singular insights: themes that may continue to provide valuable lessons for understanding the ecological and evolutionary development of insular biotas, and for conserving the natural character and evolutionary potential of all species restricted to isolated ecosystems (natural or anthropogenic). [source] Splitting a large software repository for easing future software evolution,an industrial experience report,JOURNAL OF SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND EVOLUTION: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE, Issue 2 2009Marco Glorie Abstract Philips Medical Systems produces medical diagnostic imaging products, such as magnetic resonance, X-ray and computed tomography systems. The software of these devices is complex, has been evolving for several decades and is currently a multi-MLOC monolithic software repository. In this paper we report on splitting a single software repository into multiple smaller repositories so that these can be developed independently, easing the software's evolution. For splitting the single software repository, we set up two experiments that involve well-known analysis techniques, namely formal concept analysis and clustering. Because of the sheer size of the monolithic software repository, we also propose to use a ,leveled approach', which implies that the analysis technique is applied in several iterations, whereby in some iterations only part of the application is subjected to the analysis technique. Unfortunately, both analysis techniques failed to produce an acceptable partitioning of the monolithic software repository, even if they are combined with our newly proposed leveled approach. We provide a number of valuable lessons learned, which might prevent others from falling into the same pitfalls. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Northern Ireland Civil Service: Characteristics and Trends Since 1970PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 1 2002Paul Carmichael "This is a damned funny country. There's one crowd singing ,Wrap the Green Flag Round Me' and another crowd sings ,Rule Britannia' and there's a lot of bloody civil servants up there in Stormont drawing twenty pounds a week and laughing at the lot of us."Comment made in 1939 to Patrick Shea, cited in Shea 1981, p. 205. This paper offers a summary of research on the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) that has been undertaken as part of an ESRC-supported project examining the changing nature of civil services throughout the British Isles. Not since Gladden's seminal work in 1967 have studies of the British Civil Services offered sufficient coverage of the long-existing variations within the UK. The weaknesses in coverage are particularly visible with respect to the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS), which is accorded either footnote status in most work or even ignored altogether. A compelling case for closing the gap in the literature is underscored by the political devolution that was introduced after 1998. Far from being the unitary state associated with the Westminster model, the UK exhibits the features of a differentiated polity in which figure the contradictory impulses of centralization and fragmentation. In illustrating ,parity with particularity', the civil service arrangements obtaining within the Province of Northern Ireland clearly exemplify the differentiation with the UK. Moreover, with devolved fora now established for both Scotland and Wales, with associated pressure for more distinctive and even separate civil arrangements in each, Northern Ireland's experience offers valuable lessons on how the UK civil service may develop in Scotland and Wales. [source] Lillian Borrone: Weaving a Web to Revitalize Port Commerce in New York and New JerseyPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 1 2008Hindy Lauer Schachter In 1988, when Lillian Borrone became the director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's Port Commerce Department, she was the first woman in the world to head a major port. During her 12-year tenure, she revitalized the port's cargo trade. She spearheaded the recovery of a faltering entity through vision, astute marketing, and an inclusive, participatory management style. Her achievements contain valuable lessons for all managers who want to revitalize agency operations. Her career path also serves as a key information source for how women can advance in the male-dominated transportation field. [source] Lessons Learned: Obtaining Value from Federal Asset SalesPUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE, Issue 1 2003Thomas H. Stanton If the government decides to sell assets, how can it obtain full value? Four case studies provide valuable lessons: (1) sale of the Elk Hills oil field by the U.S. Department of Energy, (2) sales of loans and property by the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) after the savings and loan debacle, (3) loan asset sales by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and (4) excess property sales by the Defense Reutilization and Management Service (DRMS). The federal government should create an office to assist agencies that seek to develop effective asset sales programs. [source] Lessons from primary succession for restoration of severely damaged habitatsAPPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 1 2009Lawrence R. Walker Abstract Questions: How can studies of primary plant succession increase the effectiveness of restoration activities? Can restoration methods be improved to contribute to our understanding of succession? Results: Successional studies benefit restoration in six areas: site amelioration, development of community structure, nutrient dynamics, species life history traits, species interactions, and modeling of transitions and trajectories. Primary succession provides valuable lessons for understanding temporal dynamics through direct, long-term observations on severely disturbed habitats. These lessons assist restoration efforts on infertile or even toxic substrates. Restoration that uses scientific protocols (e.g., control treatments and peer-reviewed publications) can offer insights into successional processes. Conclusions: A century of studying successional dynamics has provided modern restoration activities with many useful lessons that are not being fully utilized. [source] Designing the Gastronomic QuarterARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Issue 3 2005Susan Parham Abstract Throughout the world, urban gastronomic quarters, centred on fresh-food markets, have been pulled back from the brink of extinction. Susan Parham explains how movements like Slow Food and Slow Cities in Italy, and the international demand for organic produce, have started to challenge the global food network of production and consumption. The growing revitalisation of urban quarters around produce markets not only serves customers seeking fresh produce, food products and lively cafés and restaurants, but also offers valuable lessons in urban design. [source] BOOSTING STRATEGY WITH AN ONLINE COMMUNITYBUSINESS STRATEGY REVIEW, Issue 1 2010Lynda Gratton A programme that merged online communities with strategic development and implementation at Nokia has provided valuable lessons about the new ways employees are able to engage and interact. Lynda Gratton and Joel Casse tell how "deep involvement" evolved into the "Booster Programme". [source] Jacobus Sylvius (1478,1555): Physician, teacher, and anatomistCLINICAL ANATOMY, Issue 8 2007R. Shane Tubbs Abstract Jacques Dubois (1478,1555), better known by his Latin cognomen Jacobus Sylvius was one of the great anatomists and teachers of the Renaissance period. His legacy today, however, is marred by his feud with pupil Andreas Vesalius. The story of Sylvius's life provides the modern clinical anatomist with valuable lessons regarding the nature of orthodoxy, conflict, and the evolving nature of "truth." Clin. Anat. 20:868,870, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||