rationale policy process: Topics by Science.gov

Sample records for rationale policy process

Telework rationale and implementation for people with disabilities: considerations for employer policymaking.

PubMed

Moon, Nathan W; Linden, Maureen A; Bricout, John C; Baker, Paul M A

2014-01-01

Telework has been promoted as a viable workplace accommodation for people with disabilities since the 1990s, when information and communication technologies (ICT) had developed sufficiently to facilitate its widespread adoption. This initial research and accompanying policy recommendations were prescriptive in nature and frequently aimed at employers. This article adds to existing policy models for facilitating successful telework outcomes for people with disabilities. Drawing upon two studies by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Workplace Accommodations, we expound on employee-side considerations in the implementation of telework. Our policy model utilizes established typologies for policy evaluation to develop a process model that considers rationales and implementation factors for telework among people with physical disabilities. Telework may be used as an accommodation for disability, but employee rationales for telework are more complex, involving work-life balance, strategies for pain and fatigue not formally recognized as disability, and expediency in travel and transportation. Implementation of telework as a component of workplace operations is similarly multifaceted, involving non-technology accommodations to realize job restructuring left incomplete by telework. Our model grounds new empirical research in this area. We also renew our call for additional research on effective telework practices for people with disabilities.
Flexible Workplace Policies: Lessons from the Federal Alternative Work Schedules Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liechty, Janet M.; Anderson, Elaine A.

2007-01-01

This case study uses a feminist framework to examine the 7-year process by which the Federal Alternative Work Schedules Act (1978-1985) became law and the reasons for reenergized implementation in the 1990s. We analyze the legislative discourse for rationale in support of and opposition to this policy, connect findings to current flexible work…
Soft Power as a Policy Rationale for International Education in the UK: A Critical Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lomer, Sylvie

2017-01-01

This article presents the results of a textual analysis conducted on policy discourses on international students in the UK between 1999 and 2013. A number of rationales for and against increasing their numbers have been made, which have largely remained consistent over changing political administrations. One key rationale is that international…
Soda Taxes: The Importance of Analysing Policy Processes

PubMed Central

Bodo, Yann Le; Wals, Philippe De

2018-01-01

Sarah A. Roache and Lawrence O. Gostin’s recent editorial comprehensively presents soda taxation rationales from a public health perspective. While we essentially agree that soda taxes are gaining momentum, this commentary expands upon the need for a better understanding of the policy processes underlying their development and implementation. Indeed, the umbrella concept of soda taxation actually covers a diversity of objectives and mechanisms, which may not only condition the feasibility and acceptability of a proposal, but also alter its impact. We briefly highlight some conditions that may have influenced soda tax policy processes and why further theory-driven case studies may be instructive. PMID:29764113
The WHO evidence-informed guideline development process and implications for vitamin and mineral research priorities: symposium rationale and summary.

PubMed

Neufeld, Lynnette M; Jalal, Chowdhury S B; Peña-Rosas, Juan Pablo; Tovey, David; Lutter, Chessa K; Stoltzfus, Rebecca J; Habicht, Jean-Pierre

2013-09-01

The WHO evidence-informed guidelines provide recommendations to Member States and their partners on interventions with vitamins and minerals. Evidence gathered and synthesized through systematic reviews contributes to the development of these guidelines, a process that is dependent on the availability and quality of evidence. Although the guideline development process is stringently governed and supervised to maintain clarity and transparency, the lack of adequacy and specificity of available evidence poses limitations to the formulation of recommendations that can be easily applied for policy and program decision making in diverse contexts. The symposium created a space for dialogue among scientists and public health practitioners to improve the understanding of how evidence fulfills the needs and reflect on mechanisms by which policy and program guidance and priorities for research could be better informed by policy and program needs. Ultimately, programmatic success depends not only on identifying efficacious agents but ensuring effective delivery to those with the potential to respond. To do this, we must understand the rationale for recommending interventions, the biological pathways by which interventions work, delivery systems required to make efficacious interventions work, and other contextual factors that might limit or facilitate successful implementation.
The ethics of policy writing: how should hospitals deal with moral disagreement about controversial medical practices?

PubMed Central

Winkler, E

2005-01-01

Every healthcare organisation (HCO) enacts a multitude of policies, but there has been no discussion as to what procedural and substantive requirements a policy writing process should meet in order to achieve good outcomes and to possess sufficient authority for those who are asked to follow it. Using, as an example, the controversy about patient's refusal of blood transfusions, I argue that a hospital wide policy is preferable to individual decision making, because it ensures autonomy, quality, fairness, and efficiency. Policy writing for morally controversial medical practices needs additional justification compared to policies on standard medical practices and secures legitimate authority for HCO members by meeting five requirements: all parties directed by the policy are represented; the deliberative process encompasses all of the HCO's obligations; the rationales for the policy are made available; there is a mechanism for criticising, and for evaluating the policy. PMID:16199594
Reassessing policy paradigms: A comparison of the global tobacco and alcohol industries.

PubMed

Hawkins, Benjamin; Holden, Chris; Eckhardt, Jappe; Lee, Kelley

2018-01-01

Tobacco is widely considered to be a uniquely harmful product for human health. Since the mid-1990s, the strategies of transnational tobacco corporations to undermine effective tobacco control policy has been extensively documented through internal industry documents. Consequently, the sale, use and marketing of tobacco products are subject to extensive regulation and formal measures to exclude the industry from policy-making have been adopted in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. In contrast to tobacco, alcohol is subject to less stringent forms of regulation, and the alcohol industry continues to play a central role in policy-making in many countries and at the global level. This article examines whether there is a sufficient rationale for such different regulatory approaches, through a comparative analysis of the political economy of the tobacco and alcohol industries including the structure of the industries, and the market and political strategies they pursue. Despite some important differences, the extensive similarities which exist between the tobacco and alcohol industries in terms of market structure and strategy, and political strategy, call into question the rationale for both the relatively weak regulatory approach taken towards alcohol, and the continued participation of alcohol corporations in policy-making processes.
Phenomenological Analysis of Rationale for School Transfer Credit Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melton, Amye M.

2012-01-01

Students face challenges when attempting to transfer college credits; sometimes, the process results in having to retake classes already completed at another institution. A qualitative phenomenological study, grounded in an advocacy/participatory worldview, was used to explore how leaders of higher learning institutions determined reasons academic…
Teaching About War, Peace, Conflict and Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York Friends Group, Inc., New York. Center for War/Peace Studies.

This is a description of the objectives, program activities, and policy of an experimental curriculum development project in the war/peace field. Seven major concepts of content are defined: 1) Identity, 2) Obligation, 3) Change, 4) Power, 5) Conflict, 6) Institutions, 7) Interdependence, 8) Values and the Value Process. Rationale is that…
Problem Seeking. New Directions in Architectural Programming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pena, William M.; Focke, John W.

The rationale, principles, and methods of pre-design architectural programing are explained for those responsible for overall policy decision-making in the area of facility planning. This programing process provides an orderly framework that aids the architect in defining a client's total problem. A general background is given on data collection,…
CERN: A global project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, Rüdiger

2017-07-01

In the most important shift of paradigm of its membership rules in 60 years, CERN in 2010 introduced a policy of “Geographical Enlargement” which for the first time opened the door for membership of non-European States in the Organization. This short article reviews briefly the history of CERN’s membership rules, discusses the rationale behind the new policy, its relationship with the emerging global roadmap of particle physics, and gives a short overview of the status of the enlargement process.
Public policy versus individual rights and responsibility: an economist's perspective.

PubMed

Chaloupka, Frank J

2011-09-01

Interventions to reduce childhood obesity entail ethical considerations. Although a rationale exists for government to intervene in a way that limits individual rights while protecting the public's health, a clear economic rationale also exists. The markets for goods and services that contribute to obesity are characterized by multiple failures that create an economic rationale for government to intervene (eg, consumers' lack of accurate information regarding obesogenic foods and beverages). If effective public policies for reducing obesity and its consequences are to be developed and implemented, individual rights and government interests must be balanced.
CERN: A European laboratory for a global project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, Rüdiger

2015-06-01

In the most important shift of paradigm of its membership rules in 60 years, CERN in 2010 introduced a policy of “Geographical Enlargement” which for the first time opened the door for membership of non-European States in the Organization. This short article reviews briefly the history of CERN's membership rules, discusses the rationale behind the new policy, its relationship with the emerging global roadmap of particle physics, and gives a short overview of the status of the enlargement process.
Peering into peer-review at GigaScience.

PubMed

Edmunds, Scott C

2013-01-24

Fostering and promoting more open and transparent science is one of the goals of GigaScience. One of the ways we have been doing this is by throwing light on the peer-review process and carrying out open peer-review as standard. In this editorial, we provide our rationale for undertaking this policy, give examples of our positive experiences to date, and encourage others to open up the normally opaque publication process.
An Advanced Multiple Alternatives Modeling Formulation for Determining Graduated Fiscal Support Strategies for Operational and Planned Educational Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wholeben, Brent Edward

A rationale is presented for viewing the decision-making process inherent in determining budget reductions for educational programs as most effectively modeled by a graduated funding approach. The major tenets of the graduated budget reduction approach to educational fiscal policy include the development of multiple alternative reduction plans, or…
Peering into peer-review at GigaScience

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Fostering and promoting more open and transparent science is one of the goals of GigaScience. One of the ways we have been doing this is by throwing light on the peer-review process and carrying out open peer-review as standard. In this editorial, we provide our rationale for undertaking this policy, give examples of our positive experiences to date, and encourage others to open up the normally opaque publication process. PMID:23587291
New York State's landmark policies on oversight and compensation for egg donation to stem cell research.

PubMed

Roxland, Beth E

2012-05-01

In 2009, New York became the first US state to implement a policy permitting researchers to use public funds to reimburse women who donate oocytes directly and solely to stem cell research, not only for the woman's out-of-pocket expenses, but also for the time, burden and discomfort associated with the donation process. The debate about the propriety of such compensation was recently renewed with the publication of a stem cell study in which women were provided with compensation for donating their eggs. This article explores the scientific and ethical rationales that led to New York's decision to allow donor compensation. The multifaceted deliberation process and comprehensive policies may serve as a model for other states and countries considering the issue of oocyte donor compensation.
A Collaborative Approach to Designing Graduate Admission Studies: A Model for Influencing Program Planning and Policy. AIR 1999 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delaney, Anne Marie

This paper presents the rationale, research design, analytical approaches, and results of a graduate admission study which examined the motivation and enrollment decision processes of students accepted to a newly redesigned Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program. The study was developed collaboratively by the institution's Office of…
Public financing of IVF: a review of policy rationales.

PubMed

Mladovsky, Philipa; Sorenson, Corinna

2010-06-01

There is great diversity in in vitro fertilization (IVF) funding and reimbursement policies and practice throughout Europe and the rest of the world. While many existing reimbursement and regulatory frameworks address safety and legal concerns, economic factors also assume a central role. However, there are several problems with the evidence that is available on the economics of IVF. This suggests there is a need for more robust cost-effectiveness studies. It also indicates the need for alternative rationales to justify the reimbursement of IVF, which might more fully account for the social, political, ethical, and philosophical considerations embedded in notions of infertility and technology-driven reproductive treatments. The merits and limitations of five alternative rationales are discussed. The review suggests that while no existing single rationale provides a complete framework with which to support funding decisions, taken together they provide guideposts which signal important issues for consideration and highlight where further research, action, and debate are needed.
Zero Tolerance Policy in Schools: Rationale, Consequences, and Alternatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casella, Ronnie

2003-01-01

Discusses theory/policies supporting zero tolerance policy in schools, including rational choice theory in criminology and national crime policies based on deterrence. Potential consequences of zero tolerance policy implementation are described and shown to involve outcomes similar to those identified by researchers studying national crime policy.…

Management Matters. Selection Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pappas, Marjorie L.

2003-01-01

One of the most important policy documents for a school library media center is the selection policy or the collection development policy. A well-developed selection policy provides a rationale for the selection decisions made by the school library media specialist. A selection policy represents the criteria against which a challenged book is…
Assessing the Rationales for Educational Reforms: A Test of the Professional Development, Comprehensive Reform, and Direct Instruction Hypotheses. Policy Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

St. John, Edward P.; Manset, Genevieve; Chung, Choong-Geun; Worthington, Kimberly

Educational reforms are advocated based on rationales that emerge from the research literature. However, evaluation studies seldom examine whether the rationales used to argue for a reform actually hold up when empirical evidence is examined after the reform has been implemented. This paper examines survey data from 3 years of analyses of early…
Losing Thomas & Ella: A Father's Story (A Research Comic).

PubMed

Weaver-Hightower, Marcus B

2017-09-01

"Losing Thomas & Ella" presents a research comic about one father's perinatal loss of twins. The comic recounts Paul's experience of the hospital and the babies' deaths, and it details the complex grieving process afterward, including themes of anger, distance, relationship stress, self-blame, religious challenges, and resignation. A methodological appendix explains the process of constructing the comic and provides a rationale for the use of comics-based research for illness, death, and grief among practitioners, policy makers, and the bereaved.
ICU visiting policies.

PubMed

Youngner, S J; Coulton, C; Welton, R; Juknialis, B; Jackson, D L

1984-07-01

Head nurses from 78 ICUs in 37 northeast Ohio hospitals were interviewed about visiting policies. There was tremendous variation with regard to frequency and length of visits; 25% of these ICUs allowed only 2 visits/day, and 42% restricted visits to under 20 min. Most units rarely or never allowed children under 12 yr old to visit. Traditional rationales for restricted visiting are not supported by studies in the literature, nor are they consistent with current concepts of patients' rights. In an era where high technology and medicine by-the-numbers threaten to dehumanize patients, open visiting is an important part of the humanization process.
Going Upstream: Policy as Sexual Violence Prevention and Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iverson, Susan V.; Issadore, Michelle N.

2018-01-01

Policy can and should be used as a tool of sexual violence prevention and response. In this chapter, we explore the historical, social justice, compliance, and best practice rationales for approaching policy development and revision differently.
The application of system dynamics modelling to environmental health decision-making and policy - a scoping review.

PubMed

Currie, Danielle J; Smith, Carl; Jagals, Paul

2018-03-27

Policy and decision-making processes are routinely challenged by the complex and dynamic nature of environmental health problems. System dynamics modelling has demonstrated considerable value across a number of different fields to help decision-makers understand and predict the dynamic behaviour of complex systems in support the development of effective policy actions. In this scoping review we investigate if, and in what contexts, system dynamics modelling is being used to inform policy or decision-making processes related to environmental health. Four electronic databases and the grey literature were systematically searched to identify studies that intersect the areas environmental health, system dynamics modelling, and decision-making. Studies identified in the initial screening were further screened for their contextual, methodological and application-related relevancy. Studies deemed 'relevant' or 'highly relevant' according to all three criteria were included in this review. Key themes related to the rationale, impact and limitation of using system dynamics in the context of environmental health decision-making and policy were analysed. We identified a limited number of relevant studies (n = 15), two-thirds of which were conducted between 2011 and 2016. The majority of applications occurred in non-health related sectors (n = 9) including transportation, public utilities, water, housing, food, agriculture, and urban and regional planning. Applications were primarily targeted at micro-level (local, community or grassroots) decision-making processes (n = 9), with macro-level (national or international) decision-making to a lesser degree. There was significant heterogeneity in the stated rationales for using system dynamics and the intended impact of the system dynamics model on decision-making processes. A series of user-related, technical and application-related limitations and challenges were identified. None of the reported limitations or challenges appeared unique to the application of system dynamics within the context of environmental health problems, but rather to the use of system dynamics in general. This review reveals that while system dynamics modelling is increasingly being used to inform decision-making related to environmental health, applications are currently limited. Greater application of system dynamics within this context is needed before its benefits and limitations can be fully understood.
Soda Taxes: The Importance of Analysing Policy Processes Comment on "The Untapped Power of Soda Taxes: Incentivising Consumers, Generating Revenue, and Altering Corporate Behaviours".

PubMed

Le Bodo, Yann; De Wals, Philippe

2017-10-21

Sarah A. Roache and Lawrence O. Gostin's recent editorial comprehensively presents soda taxation rationales from a public health perspective. While we essentially agree that soda taxes are gaining momentum, this commentary expands upon the need for a better understanding of the policy processes underlying their development and implementation. Indeed, the umbrella concept of soda taxation actually covers a diversity of objectives and mechanisms, which may not only condition the feasibility and acceptability of a proposal, but also alter its impact. We briefly highlight some conditions that may have influenced soda tax policy processes and why further theory-driven case studies may be instructive. © 2018 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The Case for Consequences for Academic Dishonesty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiviniemi, Marc T.

2015-01-01

This paper discusses the rationale of implementing an "academic dishonesty equals F policy." The author asserts that faculty must take seriously those things which students are expected to take seriously. Integrity--academic, personal, and professional--is worth taking seriously. He goes on to provide three rationales to justify this…
The health-promoting nurse as a health policy career expert and entrepreneur.

PubMed

Whitehead, Dean

2003-11-01

A plethora of literature suggests that many nurses struggle in their attempts to develop a political role that allows them to directly influence and implement health policy activity. Nursing curricula are an integral part of ensuring that nurses are capable of taking on a more active role in initiating and developing health policy processes, through a broadening of the health promotion curriculum that focuses on socio-political approaches to health care provision. Despite this, the available literature suggests that the majority of nursing curricula are yet to fulfil this role. Such a role could be supported by attempts to define and promote a specific career route that develops nurses as health policy experts and entrepreneurs early on in their careers. This article aims to put forward a rationale for developing such a position in nursing education.
Neo-Liberalism and Change in Higher Education Policy: England and Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yokoyama, Keiko

2008-01-01

The study scrutinizes the rationale behind higher education policy change in England and Japan, giving attention to stakeholders' perspective and legitimacy, policy network, and policy sphere. It argues that change in higher education policy in England and Japan towards being more market-oriented in the 1980s (England) and the 1990s (Japan) can…
Guidelines for Development of School Policies Regarding Smoking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Drug Education.

This guide was developed by the New York State Education department to assist schools in the formation, review, or redesign of school smoking policies. Basic considerations and policy rationale are discussed. A description of policy establishment involves: (1) formation of a task force, drawing members from school and community; (2) selection of…
Instruments as Empirical Evidence for the Analysis of Higher Education Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reale, Emanuela; Seeber, Marco

2013-01-01

This paper focuses on policy implementation in Higher Education (HE) analysed through the evolution and transformation of policy instruments related to government funding and evaluation. We investigate how steering and governance tools have been put into action, in order to analyse how original policy rationales and justifications have evolved and…
Workarounds Emerging From Electronic Health Record System Usage: Consequences for Patient Safety, Effectiveness of Care, and Efficiency of Care.

PubMed

Blijleven, Vincent; Koelemeijer, Kitty; Wetzels, Marijntje; Jaspers, Monique

2017-10-05

Health care providers resort to informal temporary practices known as workarounds for handling exceptions to normal workflow unintendedly imposed by electronic health record systems (EHRs). Although workarounds may seem favorable at first sight, they are generally suboptimal and may jeopardize patient safety, effectiveness of care, and efficiency of care. Research into the scope and impact of EHR workarounds on patient care processes is scarce. This paper provides insight into the effects of EHR workarounds on organizational workflows and outcomes of care services by identifying EHR workarounds and determining their rationales, scope, and impact on health care providers' workflows, patient safety, effectiveness of care, and efficiency of care. Knowing the rationale of a workaround provides valuable clues about the source of origin of each workaround and how each workaround could most effectively be resolved. Knowing the scope and impact a workaround has on EHR-related safety, effectiveness, and efficiency provides insight into how to address related concerns. Direct observations and follow-up semistructured interviews with 31 physicians, 13 nurses, and 3 clerks and qualitative bottom-up coding techniques was used to identify, analyze, and classify EHR workarounds. The research was conducted within 3 specialties and settings at a large university hospital. Rationales were associated with work system components (persons, technology and tools, tasks, organization, and physical environment) of the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework to reveal their source of origin as well as to determine the scope and the impact of each EHR workaround from a structure-process-outcome perspective. A total of 15 rationales for EHR workarounds were identified of which 5 were associated with persons, 4 with technology and tools, 4 with the organization, and 2 with the tasks. Three of these 15 rationales for EHR workarounds have not been identified in prior research: data migration policy, enforced data entry, and task interference. EHR workaround rationales associated with different SEIPS work system components demand a different approach to be resolved. Persons-related workarounds may most effectively be resolved through personal training, organization-related workarounds through reviewing organizational policy and regulations, tasks-related workarounds through process redesign, and technology- and tools-related workarounds through EHR redesign efforts. Furthermore, insights gained from knowing a workaround's degree of influence as well as impact on patient safety, effectiveness of care, and efficiency of care can inform design and redesign of EHRs to further align EHR design with work contexts, subsequently leading to better organization and (safe) provision of care. In doing so, a research team in collaboration with all stakeholders could use the SEIPS framework to reflect on the current and potential future configurations of the work system to prevent unfavorable workarounds from occurring and how a redesign of the EHR would impact interactions between the work system components. ©Vincent Blijleven, Kitty Koelemeijer, Marijntje Wetzels, Monique Jaspers. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (http://humanfactors.jmir.org), 05.10.2017.
International Student Recruitment to Universities in England: Discourse, Rationales and Globalisation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolsmann, Chris; Miller, Henry

2008-01-01

The recruitment of international students to universities in England has become a central issue in an era of globalisation for university administrators, senior managers, international offices and heads of schools and faculties. We examine the policy rationales for the recruitment of international students to England. Through the use of in-depth…
Proposals for Standardizing and Improving the Policy of Adding Points on the Entrance Exam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuhong, Deng

2013-01-01

This article reviews policies for adding points on the College Entrance Examination. It analyzes the rationales and specific implementation strategies of various policies for adding points on the entrance exam, as well as their advantages and pitfalls. Based on these observations and analysis, the author also offers policy recommendations on the…
Generalizing across Borders: Policy and the Limits of Educational Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luke, Allan

2011-01-01

This essay is a critique of the scientific and policy rationales for transnational standardization. It analyzes two examples of policy export: early childhood standards in one of North America's oldest Indigenous communities and the ongoing development of international standards for university teaching. It examines calls for American education to…
CTIC Cablebooks. Volume 2: A Guide for Local Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jesuale, Nancy, Ed.; And Others

The second in a two-part series, this volume presents 13 chapters discussing many of the most pressing cable policy issues facing local government, describing alternative policy options, and suggesting regulatory procedures successfully used by decision makers in the United States. Topics covered are (1) "The Rationale for Regulation,"…
Fundamental Fairness in Search of a Legal Rationale in Private College Student Discipline and Expulsions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beach, John A.

1974-01-01

In discussing the present state of the law concerning judicial review of student expulsion and discipline cases at private colleges and universities and the quest for a satisfactory legal rationale for achieving fundamental fairness in those cases, the author argues that there are nonconstitutional doctrines of public policy and contract law not…
Mobility as a Continuum: European Commission Mobility Policies for Schools and Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dvir, Yuval; Yemini, Miri

2017-01-01

This study explores the rationale and aims of European Commission (EC) mobility programmes for schools and higher education systems, namely the Comenius and the European Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (ERASMUS) funding schemes. Our findings indicate that the aims, rationales and means of mobility programmes for the school…
Comparative Logic Modeling for Policy Analysis: The Case of HIV Testing Policy Change at the Department of Veterans Affairs

PubMed Central

Langer, Erika M; Gifford, Allen L; Chan, Kee

2011-01-01

Objective Logic models have been used to evaluate policy programs, plan projects, and allocate resources. Logic Modeling for policy analysis has been used rarely in health services research but can be helpful in evaluating the content and rationale of health policies. Comparative Logic Modeling is used here on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) policy statements from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We created visual representations of proposed HIV screening policy components in order to evaluate their structural logic and research-based justifications. Data Sources and Study Design We performed content analysis of VA and CDC HIV testing policy documents in a retrospective case study. Data Collection Using comparative Logic Modeling, we examined the content and primary sources of policy statements by the VA and CDC. We then quantified evidence-based causal inferences within each statement. Principal Findings VA HIV testing policy structure largely replicated that of the CDC guidelines. Despite similar design choices, chosen research citations did not overlap. The agencies used evidence to emphasize different components of the policies. Conclusion Comparative Logic Modeling can be used by health services researchers and policy analysts more generally to evaluate structural differences in health policies and to analyze research-based rationales used by policy makers. PMID:21689094

Putting Physical Activity on the Policy Agenda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods, Catherine B.; Mutrie, Nanette

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to outline why physical activity policy is important in terms of promoting population based increases in physical activity. The promotion of physical activity through public policy happens globally and nationally, however to be successful it should also happen at state and local levels. We outline the rationale for the…
The Home as the First Academy for Learning: A Rationale for Public Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Jerome M.

1988-01-01

Reviews research on importance of the family environment in child development. Develops the following policy-oriented conclusions: (1) a fiscal policy that emphasizes early childhood in the family context would result in cost savings; (2) collaboration between the family and education specialists is necessary; and (3) provisions to bring parents…
Changing Policy Discourses: Constructing Literacy Inequalities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Mary; Pitt, Kathy

2011-01-01

This paper explores the ways in which policy discourses have constructed rationales for addressing adult literacy over the last 50 years. In particular, we examine how policy positions the literacy learner as citizen within discourses of rights and equity. Taking the case of the UK, we compare two key documents produced at different historical…
Persistent misunderstandings about evidence-based (sorry: informed!) policy-making.

PubMed

Bédard, Pierre-Olivier; Ouimet, Mathieu

2016-01-01

The field of research on knowledge mobilization and evidence-informed policy-making has seen enduring debates related to various fundamental assumptions such as the definition of 'evidence', the relative validity of various research methods, the actual role of evidence to inform policy-making, etc. In many cases, these discussions serve a useful purpose, but they also stem from serious disagreement on methodological and epistemological issues. This essay reviews the rationale for evidence-informed policy-making by examining some of the common claims made about the aims and practices of this perspective on public policy. Supplementing the existing justifications for evidence-based policy making, we argue in favor of a greater inclusion of research evidence in the policy process but in a structured fashion, based on methodological considerations. In this respect, we present an overview of the intricate relation between policy questions and appropriate research designs. By closely examining the relation between research questions and research designs, we claim that the usual points of disagreement are mitigated. For instance, when focusing on the variety of research designs that can answer a range of policy questions, the common critical claim about 'RCT-based policy-making' seems to lose some, if not all of its grip.
Discounting medical malpractice claim reserves for self-insured hospitals.

PubMed

Frese, Richard; Kitchen, Patrick

2011-01-01

The hospital CFO often works with the hospital's actuary and external auditor to calculate the reserves recorded in financial statements. Hospital management, usually the CFO, needs to decide the discount rate that is most appropriate. A formal policy addressing the rationale for discounting and the rationale for selecting the discount rate can be helpful to the CFO, actuary, and external auditor.
Educational Decentralization Policies in Argentina and Brazil: Exploring the New Trends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Derqui, Jorge M. Gorostiaga

2001-01-01

Analyzes educational decentralization trends and policies in Argentina and Brazil during 1990s, includes case studies. Discusses historical background and rationales behind "provinicialization" in Argentina and "municipalization" in Brazil; identifies commonalities, including centralization of curriculum and evaluation…
NASA policy on pricing shuttle launch services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, J. M.

1977-01-01

The paper explains the rationale behind key elements of the pricing policy for STS, the major features of the non-government user policy, and some of the stimulating features of the policy which will open space to a wide range of new users. Attention is given to such major policy features as payment schedule, cost and standard services, the two phase pricing structure, optional services, shared flights, cancellation and postponement, and earnest money.
School District Policies for Response to Death-Related Crises: Fact or Fiction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christenberry, Nola J.; Burns, John L.

Findings of a literature review of school policies and procedures for school-based responses to death-related crises are presented in this paper. A rationale and guidelines for policy development and examples of practices for dealing with death-related incidents--such as suicide, homicide, drug overdose, and accidents--are described. Following an…
Teaching Foreign Policy in the Post-Cold War Era. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graseck, Susan

This ERIC Digest discusses issues relating to teaching about U.S. foreign policy in the changing international environment following the end of the Cold War era and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The document treats: (1) the need and rationale for teaching and learning about current foreign policy issues; (2) main themes in foreign policy…
Understanding farmers' strategic decision-making processes and the implications for biodiversity conservation policy.

PubMed

Farmar-Bowers, Quentin; Lane, Ruth

2009-02-01

The conservation of biodiversity is an important issue world wide and in Australia the maintenance of native biodiversity on farms makes an important contribution to overall conservation objectives. This paper seeks to explain Australian farmers' rationale for maintaining biodiversity on their farms for personal as opposed to business reasons by developing a decision-systems theory from in-depth interviews. This difference has implications for policy development. The decision-systems theory is divided into two main sections. The first section contains five parts. (1) A hierarchy of motivation stories, (2) the concept of suitability and availability of opportunities, (3) a hierarchy of three decision-systems, (4) the concept of personal career paths, (5) the concept of Lenses. The second section contains one part, a policy classification system called 'boxes of influence' that suggests how policy developers can use the information in the first section to develop new biodiversity conservation policy. The paper suggests that decision-systems theory could be used to shed new light on current trends in agriculture and become an important investigative tool for policy development concerning the conservation of biodiversity on farms.
Public engagement in climate change - Disjunctions, tensions and blind spots in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Höppner, C.

2009-11-01

There is much talk about engaging the public in climate change mitigation and adaptation in the UK and elsewhere. Governments rush to demand greater engagement of the public in tackling climate change and delivering sustainable futures. The importance that public engagement has gained as part of the UK climate agenda begs the questions of what is actually behind this call and what are the implications. This paper analyses the rationale for public engagement as enshrined in major policy documents. This rationale is clearly instrumental in that citizens are expected to engage by adopting the 'right attitude', by performing prescribed behaviours, and by consenting to proposed measures. Using recent cases of climate change mitigation and adaptation practice the paper discusses the implications of such an approach to public engagement. The paper concludes that until the manifold disjunctions between climate related policy agendas and their rationales for engagement are explicitly addressed citizen engagement will be serving incumbent interests rather than contributing to socially sustainable and democratic decision-making
From micronutrient recommendations to policy: consumer and stakeholder involvement.

PubMed

Timotijevic, L; Raats, M M; Barnett, J; Brown, K; Shepherd, R; Fernandez, L; Dömölki, L; Ruprich, J; Sonne, A-M; Hermoso, M; Koletzko, B; Frost-Andersen, L; Timmer, A

2010-06-01

To achieve the nutritional goals stipulated by micronutrient recommendations, greater attention must be paid to the behavioural routes to such nutritional outcomes. Coopting stakeholders and consumers into decisions regarding micronutrient recommendations is an important step towards achieving a greater link between micronutrient recommendations and behaviour. This study aims to examine the rationale and processes associated with consumer and stakeholder involvement in setting micronutrient recommendations across Europe. Using the contacts established through the Eurreca network of excellence (commissioned by the European Commission), the research involved in-depth desk research of key documents and communication channels linked to the process of setting micronutrient recommendations across seven countries: the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Stakeholder engagement is recognized by most countries as an important aspect of the process of setting micronutrient recommendations and their translation into policy, although there is notable variation in the extent to which this has been achieved across the seven countries and its effect on final decisions. Stakeholders were not involved at the outset of the process ('framing' of the problem) in any of the countries, and there was no evidence of consumer involvement and open public fora. Some of the key explanatory factors for diversity in the degree of involvement include historical sociopolitical context; the extent to which food and nutrition are key policy agenda; and the relative power of stakeholders in influencing food and nutrition policy.
Integrating research evidence and physical activity policy making-REPOPA project.

PubMed

Aro, Arja R; Bertram, Maja; Hämäläinen, Riitta-Maija; Van De Goor, Ien; Skovgaard, Thomas; Valente, Adriana; Castellani, Tommaso; Chereches, Razvan; Edwards, Nancy

2016-06-01

Evidence shows that regular physical activity is enhanced by supporting environment. Studies are needed to integrate research evidence into health enhancing, cross-sector physical activity (HEPA) policy making. This article presents the rationale, study design, measurement procedures and the initial results of the first phase of six European countries in a five-year research project (2011-2016), REsearch into POlicy to enhance Physical Activity (REPOPA). REPOPA is programmatic research; it consists of linked studies; the first phase studied the use of evidence in 21 policies in implementation to learn more in depth from the policy making process and carried out 86 qualitative stakeholder interviews. The second, ongoing phase builds on the central findings of the first phase in each country; it consists of two sets of interventions: game simulations to study cross-sector collaboration and organizational change processes in the use of evidence and locally tailored interventions to increase knowledge integration. The results of the first two study phases will be tested and validated among policy makers and other stakeholders in the third phase using a Delphi process. Initial results from the first project phase showed the lack of explicit evidence use in HEPA policy making. Facilitators and barriers of the evidence use were the availability of institutional resources and support but also networking between researchers and policy makers. REPOPA will increase understanding use of research evidence in different contexts; develop guidance and tools and establish sustainable structures such as networks and platforms between academics and policy makers across relevant sectors. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Perspectives on Federal Educational Policy: An Informal Colloquium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andringa, Robert; And Others

In an attempt to spotlight issues of federal aid to education (including quantities, destinations, delivery mechanisms, and rationale), and their probable effects, the Institute for Educational Leadership assembled a five-person bipartisan group of policy observers for two spontaneous discussions. This edited transcript of those sessions covers…
Cost-effectiveness analysis of policy instruments for greenhouse gas emission mitigation in the agricultural sector.

PubMed

Bakam, Innocent; Balana, Bedru Babulo; Matthews, Robin

2012-12-15

Market-based policy instruments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are generally considered more appropriate than command and control tools. However, the omission of transaction costs from policy evaluations and decision-making processes may result in inefficiency in public resource allocation and sub-optimal policy choices and outcomes. This paper aims to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of market-based GHG mitigation policy instruments in the agricultural sector by incorporating transaction costs. Assuming that farmers' responses to mitigation policies are economically rationale, an individual-based model is developed to study the relative performances of an emission tax, a nitrogen fertilizer tax, and a carbon trading scheme using farm data from the Scottish farm account survey (FAS) and emissions and transaction cost data from literature metadata survey. Model simulations show that none of the three schemes could be considered the most cost effective in all circumstances. The cost effectiveness depends both on the tax rate and the amount of free permits allocated to farmers. However, the emissions trading scheme appears to outperform both other policies in realistic scenarios. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Strategies for Implementing a Tobacco-Free Campus Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glassman, Tavis J.; Reindl, Diana M.; Whewell, Aubrey T.

2011-01-01

This report examines the rationale for creating a tobacco-free campus to utilize in passing antitobacco policies, and recommendations for overcoming barriers. As with any type of advocacy effort, a variety of impediments exist, including lack of administrative and staff support, absence of student involvement, and sparse resources. A variety of…
Syllabus and Economics: Reasoning with Generation "Why"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burdina, Mariya; Sasser, Sue Lynn

2018-01-01

In this article, the authors propose to enhance the syllabus for economic courses with economic explanations. They argue that providing economic rationale for course policies can increase student interest in the course and at the same time positively affect student attitude toward course policies. The authors describe practical strategies for…
Canada's New Generic Pricing Policy: A Reasoned Approach to a Challenging Problem.

PubMed

Hollis, Aidan; Grootendorst, Paul

2015-08-01

Alberta, quickly followed by other Canadian provinces, has introduced a new pricing model for generic drugs, in which prices are inversely related to the number of generic manufacturers of the drug. This paper examines the rationale for the new policy. Copyright © 2015 Longwoods Publishing.
Dilemmas of American Policy; Crucial Issues in Contemporary Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Samuel DuBois; And Others

This volume contains four papers dealing with key social issues confronting American society; racial conflict; education (especially concerning national policies and goals); rationale for limited war for a nonmilitaristic nation; and the generation gap. Dr. Cook discusses black identity and white response and the problem of inculcating hope where…
Educational Leave in Europe. Policy Paper No. 83-C3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schutze, Hans G.

This paper provides a description of and rationale for paid educational leave policies in Western Europe by examining three basic categories: general leave provisions provided by law, legal provisions for specific groups, and provisions for educational leave in collective bargaining agreements. Five countries presently have general leave…

Reconfiguring Higher Education: The Case of Foundation Degrees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, John P.; Blewitt, John; Moody, Daphne

2005-01-01

Purpose - This paper aims to explore the policy background, educational rationale, developmental stages, and the introduction and piloting of a foundation degree FD. Design/methodology/approach - The approach is a description and discussion. The paper draws together, for the first time, the main policy documents and reviews and relates these to…
Evolution Education in Policy and Practice: An Ethnographic Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, David E.

2012-01-01

Evolution education in the US is conducted unevenly, or in cases is absent. Showing the strength of ethnography as a means of deeper explication in science education, this article explores the interactions of policy and practice in evolution education. Discussing vignettes from a larger ethnographic study, Creationist rationales and practices…
Pursuing Scientific Excellence Globally: Internationalising Research as a Policy Target

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lasthiotakis, Helen; Sigurdson, Kristjan; Sá, Creso M.

2013-01-01

International collaboration is a rapidly growing aspect of university research and a priority of research funding agencies. This article investigates the rationales that underlie Canadian federal research councils' support of international research collaborations. Such support has deep roots in Canadian science and technology policy but has taken…
Statewide Education Databases: Policy Issues. Discussion Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Kenneth H.

This essay reviews current policy issues regarding statewide educational databases. It begins by defining the major characteristics of a database and raising two questions: (1) Is it really necessary to have a statewide educational database? (2) What is the primary rationale for creating one? The limitations of databases in formulating educational…
A practical overview of how to conduct a systematic review.

PubMed

Davis, Dilla

2016-11-16

With an increasing focus on evidence-based practice in health care, it is important that nurses understand the principles underlying systematic reviews. Systematic reviews are used in healthcare to present a comprehensive, policy-neutral, transparent and reproducible synthesis of evidence. This article provides a practical overview of the process of undertaking systematic reviews, explaining the rationale for each stage. It provides guidance on the standard methods applicable to every systematic review: writing and registering a protocol; planning a review; searching and selecting studies; data collection; assessing the risk of bias; and interpreting results.
Preoperative fasting: knowledge and perceptions.

PubMed

Baril, Patrice; Portman, Harriet

2007-10-01

Preoperative patient fasting is an essential element of the patient preparation process, but patients may be fasting for excessive lengths of time. Investigators at one facility used semi-structured interviews to explore the knowledge and beliefs of patients, nurses, and anesthesia care providers regarding the practice of preoperative patient fasting. Findings indicate that some patients had excessive fasting times, and practitioners had erroneous perceptions about patient knowledge regarding the rationale for fasting and compliance with instructions. Clinicians expressed concern about the effects of excessive fasting but were reluctant to relax the policy.
Historical review of sports policy in rural China (1949-2008).

PubMed

Wenyun, Lu; Henry, Ian P

2011-01-01

The rural population in China remains in the majority, and has traditionally played a key role in the development of China. This paper outlines the rhetoric of, and the material changes in the development of rural sports policy in the period since 1949. In effect this represents the largest single programmatic attempt to develop a rural sports policy, and it is one which reflects and contributes to the changing ideology of the state in China. The article explores the historical context of the unfolding of rural sports policy, the rationales provided by state and party leaders and representatives, and the rhetoric employed in supporting such policy direction. The development of policy is described as falling into three periods. From 1949 to 1977 the emphasis was on developing policies to promote labour production and national defence. This was succeeded by a period from 1978 to 2001 in which the major focus was on promoting a culturally positive environment (the construction of a 'spiritual civilization'), while in the period 2002 -08 the concern was with promoting equity and reducing the gap between urban and rural life quality. These developing rationales have sought in a variety of ways to address the major imbalances that exist in Chinese society between urban and rural, Eastern and Western China, and sports policy has thus became a significant tool in China's modernization agenda in the rural context.
Disparate Inclusion of Older Adults in Clinical Trials: Priorities and Opportunities for Policy and Practice Change

PubMed Central

Snipes, Shedra Amy; King, Denae W.; Torres-Vigil, Isabel; Goldberg, Daniel S.; Weinberg, Armin D.

2010-01-01

Older adults are vastly underrepresented in clinical trials in spite of shouldering a disproportionate burden of disease and consumption of prescription drugs and therapies, restricting treatments' generalizability, efficacy, and safety. Eliminating Disparities in Clinical Trials, a national initiative comprising a stakeholder network of researchers, community advocates, policymakers, and federal representatives, undertook a critical analysis of older adults' structural barriers to clinical trial participation. We present practice and policy change recommendations emerging from this process and their rationale, which spanned multiple themes: (1) decision making with cognitively impaired patients; (2) pharmacokinetic differences and physiological age; (3) health literacy, communication, and aging; (4) geriatric training; (5) federal monitoring and accountability; (6) clinical trial costs; and (7) cumulative effects of aging and ethnicity. PMID:20147682
Assessing barriers to health insurance and threats to equity in comparative perspective: The Health Insurance Access Database

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Typologies traditionally used for international comparisons of health systems often conflate many system characteristics. To capture policy changes over time and by service in health systems regulation of public and private insurance, we propose a database containing explicit, standardized indicators of policy instruments. Methods The Health Insurance Access Database (HIAD) will collect policy information for ten OECD countries, over a range of eight health services, from 1990–2010. Policy indicators were selected through a comprehensive literature review which identified policy instruments most likely to constitute barriers to health insurance, thus potentially posing a threat to equity. As data collection is still underway, we present here the theoretical bases and methodology adopted, with a focus on the rationale underpinning the study instruments. Results These harmonized data will allow the capture of policy changes in health systems regulation of public and private insurance over time and by service. The standardization process will permit international comparisons of systems’ performance with regards to health insurance access and equity. Conclusion This research will inform and feed the current debate on the future of health care in developed countries and on the role of the private sector in these changes. PMID:22551599
Bilingual Education in a Developing Pacific Area: Why? Asian Pacific American Education Occasional Papers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Underwood, Robert A.

This paper examines the relationship between politics, economic development, nationalism, and school language policy in the Marianas and Guam. Past and present developments in language policy and various rationales in support of bilingual education programs are reviewed. The author draws from Fishman's "Language and Nationalism" and…
Fresh Start: A Model for Success and Sustainable Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Susan; Kinchington, Francia

2006-01-01

This article examines the rationale and debate of the "Fresh Start" schools policy introduced by the New Labour Government in 1997 as a vehicle for improvement in schools that historically had been classified as "failing". Underpinning the policy is the assumption that Fresh Start can act as a catalytic agent of positive change…
Older Adult Education: A Guide to Research, Programs, and Policies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manheimer, Ronald J.; And Others

This guide highlights certain institutional, research, and policy trends in how educational opportunities for older adults have been evolving--especially during the past 15-20 years. Chapter 1 provides an overview of how older adult education looks today within the context of aging issues and programs. It explores purposes, goals, rationales,…
Guidelines to the Development of Human Resources in Libraries: Rationale, Policies, Programs and Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Library Trends, 1971

1971-01-01

It is apparent that there are many roadblocks preventing the release of the human potential in our libraries. These guidelines take the position that a great deal can be done toward diagnosing and removing these roadblocks by establishing and developing meaningful policies and programs. (49 references) (Author/NH)
Constitutional Requirements for Race-Conscious Policies in K-12 Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvard Civil Rights Project, Cambridge, MA.

Voluntary efforts to promote racial integration in K-12 schools have met strong resistance from the courts in recent years, despite the long history of court involvement in desegregation litigation. Race-conscious policies have invoked both the integration ideals stemming from Brown v. Board of Education and the diversity rationale in higher…
Looking Forward to the Year 2000: Public Policy and Philanthropy. Working Papers, Spring Research Forum (San Francisco, California, March 17-18, 1988).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Independent Sector, Washington, DC.

Forty-six working papers for presentation at a research forum on public policy and philanthropy are presented. Thirteen sections include the following topics: (1) looking forward to the year 2000: public policy and philanthropy (e.g. "Rationales for Tax Exemption," by Harvey P. Dale); (2) shifting boundaries among the sectors (e.g. "The Shifting…
Posthumous Reproduction (PHR) in Israel: Policy Rationales Versus Lay People's Concerns, a Preliminary Study.

PubMed

Hashiloni-Dolev, Yael

2015-12-01

Israeli policy concerning PHR has been decided upon in an expertocratic manner, leaving the voice of the public unheard. Based on 26 semi-structured in-depth interviews with 13 Jewish-Israeli young couples, this preliminary study provides the first empirical data regarding lay attitudes toward PHR in Israel. Findings suggest major dissimilarities between the policy and lay people's wishes and rationales. While policy is built on the "presumed wish" assumption, supposing all men living in a loving relationship wish to have their partner carry their child post-mortem, this was empirically unsupported. However, the findings suggest that many interviewees were willing to defer to their surviving spouse's wishes to have their post-mortem child, sometimes even against their own wish, indicating a support for presumed consent. Respecting the wishes of the dead, a dominant argument in the bioethical discussion in Israel and beyond, was mainly irrelevant to informants, whereas interviewees considered the future child's welfare, a concern overlooked by Israeli policy. Likewise, while posthumous grandparenthood is on the rise in Israel, it clearly contradicts the wishes of the majority of this study's informants. Nonetheless, existing policy is not expected to raise any opposition, due to the extreme liberalism of the participants and their support of reproductive autonomy.
Health in All Policies: From rhetoric to implementation and evaluation - the Finnish experience.

PubMed

Ståhl, Timo

2018-02-01

The principles of the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach are not new. Their international roots can be traced back to 1978 and the Alma-Ata Declaration and the 1986 Ottawa Charter. In Finland, the roots of HiAP go back to 1972 when the Economic Council of Finland, chaired by the Prime Minister, launched the 'Report of the working group exploring the goals of health'. The paper discusses the history, rationale, and implementation of the principles underlying the umbrella concept of HiAP. A rationale for implementing a new concept - HiAP in 2006 during the Finnish European Union presidency - is given. The focus here will be on implementation of HiAP. International material supporting the implementation is introduced and practical examples from Finland presented. The Benchmarking System for Health Promotion Capacity Building is introduced, since it has been used as a primary source of information for monitoring and evaluating HiAP in Finland at the local level. The experience from Finland clearly indicates that HiAP as an approach and as a way of working requires long-term commitment and vision. For working across sectors it is crucial to have data on health and health determinants and analyses of the links between health outcomes, health determinants, and policies across sectors and levels of governance. Intersectoral structures, processes, and tools for the identification of problems and solutions, decisions, and implementation across sectors are prerequisites of HiAP. Legislative backing has proven to be useful, especially in providing continuation and sustainability.
China's one-child policy, a policy without a future. Pitfalls of the “common good” argument and the authoritarian model.

PubMed

Nie, Jing-Bao

2014-07-01

The Chinese Communist Party government has been forcefully promoting its jihua shengyu (planned fertility) program, known as the "one-child policy," for more than three decades. A distinctive authoritarian model of population governance has been developed. A pertinent question to be asked is whether China's one-child policy and the authoritarian model of population governance have a future. The answer must be no; they do not. Although there are many demographic, economic, and social rationales for terminating the one-child policy, the most fundamental reason for opposing its continuation is drawn from ethics. The key ethical rationale offered for the policy is that it promotes the common social good, not only for China and the Chinese people but for the whole human family. The major irony associated with this apparently convincing justification is that, although designed to improve living standards and help relieve poverty and underdevelopment, the one-child policy and the application of the authoritarian model have instead caused massive suffering to Chinese people, especially women, and made them victims of state violence. A lesson from China--one learned at the cost of individual and social suffering on an enormous scale--is that an essential prerequisite for the pursuit of the common good is the creation of adequate constraints on state power.
Protocol: realist synthesis of the impact of unemployment insurance policies on poverty and health.

PubMed

Molnar, Agnes; O'Campo, Patricia; Ng, Edwin; Mitchell, Christiane; Muntaner, Carles; Renahy, Emilie; St John, Alexander; Shankardass, Ketan

2015-02-01

Unemployment insurance is an important social protection policy that buffers unemployed workers against poverty and poor health. Most unemployment insurance studies focus on whether increases in unemployment insurance generosity are predictive of poverty and health outcomes. Less work has used theory-driven approaches to understand and explain how and why unemployment insurance works, for whom, and under what circumstances. Given this, we present a realist synthesis protocol that seeks to unpack how contextual influences trigger relevant mechanisms to generate poverty and health outcomes. In this protocol, we conceptualize unemployment insurance as a key social protection policy; provide a supporting rationale on the need for a realist synthesis; and describe our process on identifying context-mechanism-outcome pattern configurations. Six methodological steps are described: initial theory development, search strategy; selection and appraisal of documents; data extraction; analysis and synthesis process; and presentation and dissemination of revised theory. Our forthcoming realist synthesis will be the first to build and test theory on the intended and unintended outcomes of unemployment insurance policies. Anticipated findings will allow policymakers to move beyond 'black box' approaches to consider 'mechanism-based' explanations that explicate the logic on how and why unemployment insurance matters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Designing a strategy to promote safe, innovative off-label use of medications.

PubMed

Ansani, Nicole; Sirio, Carl; Smitherman, Thomas; Fedutes-Henderson, Bethany; Skledar, Susan; Weber, Robert J; Zgheib, Nathalie; Branch, Robert

2006-01-01

Innovative off-label medication use (defined as prescribing with reasonable rationale for use, but insufficient evidence to allay safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness concerns, yet is not clinical research) is common practice and provides challenges to ensuring high-quality health care and patient safety. This article describes a strategy to promote policy and standardization of innovative off-label medication use, ensure oversight of patient safety, and prospectively assess efficacy. A multidisciplinary group developed a policy and process to regulate innovative off-label medication use that standardizes formulary review, maximizes peer expertise input, and minimizes institution liability by evaluating the effectiveness of use, promoting evidence-based practices, and ensuring ethical obligations to patients and society. This strategy has been implemented through institutional staff structure. The review process balances benefits/risks for biologically plausible therapy that lacks rigorous data support. The authors' strategy illustrates collaboration that enables a priori consideration for innovative off-label medication use while providing safety surveillance and outcomes monitoring.

Not Plain Sailing: Malaysia's Language Choice in Policy and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hashim, Azirah

2009-01-01

This paper focusses on language and education issues in Malaysia as they have unfolded in the context of nation building, societal multilingualism and globalization from independence to the present day. The paper first examines the origin and nature of language and medium-of-instruction policies in Malaysia and the rationale for them. Secondly, it…
Subsidies and Levies as Policy Instruments to Encourage Employer-Provided Training. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 80

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muller, Normann; Behringer, Friederike

2012-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the available information concerning selected policy instruments intended to promote employer-provided training, including the stated rationale and objectives, the target groups and operational design as well as a at a summary of the evaluative evidence regarding their operation. The analysis focuses on policy…
ISASS Policy 2016 Update – Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion

PubMed Central

Lorio, Morgan P.

2016-01-01

Rationale The index 2014 ISASS Policy Statement - Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion was generated out of necessity to provide an ICD9-based background and emphasize tools to ensure correct diagnosis. A timely ICD10-based 2016 Update provides a granular threshold selection with improved level of evidence and a more robust, relevant database. PMID:27652197
Early Childhood Education and Care Policy in England under the Coalition Government

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd, Eva

2015-01-01

This paper reviews developments in policy on early childhood education and care--early years--under the Coalition Government in England. Three factors came to define the Coalition's performance and record in this area: ambivalence about the rationales for the two areas of early education and childcare; a disconnect between early years and other…
Change Matters: Critical Essays on Moving Social Justice Research from Theory to Policy. Critical Qualitative Research. Volume 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, S. J., Ed.; Kirkland, David E., Ed.

2010-01-01

"Change Matters," written by leading scholars committed to social justice in English education, provides researchers, university instructors, and preservice and inservice teachers with a framework that pivots social justice toward policy. The chapters in this volume detail rationales about generating social justice theory in what Freire calls "the…
How to Be Good: Behaviour Management Policies in 36 Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shortt, Damien; Cain, Tim; Knapton, Helena; McKenzie, Jill

2017-01-01

Through the analysis of a representative sample of schools' behaviour management policies, we argue that there is a philosophical and tangible tension between the competing views on what ought to be the motivation and rationale for schools to promote good behaviour in England. Our research suggests that typical secondary schools usually opt to…
Participation in health impact assessment: objectives, methods and core values.

PubMed

Wright, John; Parry, Jayne; Mathers, Jonathan

2005-01-01

Health impact assessment (HIA) is a multidisciplinary aid to decision-making that assesses the impact of policy on public health and on health inequalities. Its purpose is to assist decision-makers to maximize health gains and to reduce inequalities. The 1999 Gothenburg Consensus Paper (GCP) provides researchers with a rationale for establishing community participation as a core value of HIA. According to the GCP, participation in HIA empowers people within the decision-making process and redresses the democratic deficit between government and society. Participation in HIA generates a sense that health and decision-making is community-owned, and the personal experiences of citizens become integral to the formulation of policy. However, the participatory and empowering dimensions of HIA may prove difficult to operationalize. In this review of the participation strategies adopted in key applications of HIA in the United Kingdom, we found that HIA's aim of influencing decision-making creates tension between its participatory and knowledge-gathering dimensions. Accordingly, researchers have decreased the participatory dimension of HIA by reducing the importance attached to the community's experience of empowerment, ownership and democracy, while enlarging its knowledge-gathering dimension by giving pre-eminence to "expert" and "research-generated" evidence. Recent applications of HIA offer a serviceable rationale for participation as a means of information gathering and it is no longer tenable to uphold HIA as a means of empowering communities and advancing the aims of participatory democracy.
Participation in health impact assessment: objectives, methods and core values.

PubMed Central

Wright, John; Parry, Jayne; Mathers, Jonathan

2005-01-01

Health impact assessment (HIA) is a multidisciplinary aid to decision-making that assesses the impact of policy on public health and on health inequalities. Its purpose is to assist decision-makers to maximize health gains and to reduce inequalities. The 1999 Gothenburg Consensus Paper (GCP) provides researchers with a rationale for establishing community participation as a core value of HIA. According to the GCP, participation in HIA empowers people within the decision-making process and redresses the democratic deficit between government and society. Participation in HIA generates a sense that health and decision-making is community-owned, and the personal experiences of citizens become integral to the formulation of policy. However, the participatory and empowering dimensions of HIA may prove difficult to operationalize. In this review of the participation strategies adopted in key applications of HIA in the United Kingdom, we found that HIA's aim of influencing decision-making creates tension between its participatory and knowledge-gathering dimensions. Accordingly, researchers have decreased the participatory dimension of HIA by reducing the importance attached to the community's experience of empowerment, ownership and democracy, while enlarging its knowledge-gathering dimension by giving pre-eminence to "expert" and "research-generated" evidence. Recent applications of HIA offer a serviceable rationale for participation as a means of information gathering and it is no longer tenable to uphold HIA as a means of empowering communities and advancing the aims of participatory democracy. PMID:15682250
The politics of ideas in welfare state transformation: Christian Democracy and the reform of family policy in Germany.

PubMed

Fleckenstein, Timo

2011-01-01

The expansion of employment-centered family policies of the Grand Coalition in Germany came with some surprise, as Christian Democrats have traditionally been strongly committed to the male breadwinner model and corresponding family policies. This article investigates why Christian Democrats (though with some inconsistencies) promoted “social-democratic” family policies guided by the adult worker rather than by the male breadwinner model. Illuminating the politics of recent family policy reforms, the electoral rationale for this modernization of family policy, the role of political entrepreneurship, and intraparty political conflicts over the new policy paradigm are discussed.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

This intern report consists of the workshop handbook for the Comprehensive Environmental and Natural Resource Management Planning workshop presented by the Council of Energy Resource Tribes. The workshop objectives were to foster and awareness of integrated resource management rationale; present the fundamental elements of an integrated approach; explain what distinguishes this approach from mainstream strategies; discuss how worldview and philosophy shape action and policy; present ways in which philosophical dexterity promotes effective management; and identify opportunities to engage and participate in integrated management. Resource articles presented at the meeting have been removed for separate processing for inclusion on the datamore » base.« less
Young adults' responses to alternative messages describing a sugar-sweetened beverage price increase.

PubMed

Gollust, Sarah E; Tang, Xuyang; White, James M; French, Simone A; Runge, Carlisle Ford; Rothman, Alexander J

2017-01-01

Many jurisdictions in the USA and globally are considering raising the prices of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) through taxes as a strategy to reduce their consumption. The objective of the present study was to identify whether the rationale provided for an SSB price increase affects young adults' behavioural intentions and attitudes towards SSB. Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of eight SSB price increase rationales. Intentions to purchase SSB and attitudes about the product and policy were measured. A forty-six-item cross-sectional Internet survey. Undergraduate students (n 494) at a large US Midwestern university. Rationale type was significantly associated with differences in participants' purchasing intentions for the full sample (F 7,485=2·53, P=0·014). Presenting the rationale for an SSB price increase as a user fee, an effort to reduce obesity, a strategy to offset health-care costs or to protect children led to lower SSB purchasing intentions compared with a message with no rationale. Rationale type was also significantly associated with differences in perceptions of soda companies (F 7,485=2·10, P=0·043); among low consumers of SSB, messages describing the price increase as a user fee or tax led to more negative perceptions of soda companies. The rationale attached to an SSB price increase could influence consumers. However, these message effects may depend on individuals' level of SSB consumption.
Framing in policy processes: a case study from hospital planning in the National Health Service in England.

PubMed

Jones, Lorelei; Exworthy, Mark

2015-01-01

This paper reports from an ethnographic study of hospital planning in England undertaken between 2006 and 2009. We explored how a policy to centralise hospital services was espoused in national policy documents, how this shifted over time and how it was translated in practice. We found that policy texts defined hospital planning as a clinical issue and framed decisions to close hospitals or hospital departments as based on the evidence and necessary to ensure safety. We interpreted this framing as a rhetorical strategy for implementing organisational change in the context of community resistance to service closure and a concomitant policy emphasising the importance of public and patient involvement in planning. Although the persuasive power of the framing was limited, a more insidious form of power was identified in the way the framing disguised the political nature of the issue by defining it as a clinical problem. We conclude by discussing how the clinical rationale constrains public participation in decisions about the delivery and organisation of healthcare and restricts the extent to which alternative courses of action can be considered. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Integrating utilization-focused evaluation with business process modeling for clinical research improvement.

PubMed

Kagan, Jonathan M; Rosas, Scott; Trochim, William M K

2010-10-01

New discoveries in basic science are creating extraordinary opportunities to design novel biomedical preventions and therapeutics for human disease. But the clinical evaluation of these new interventions is, in many instances, being hindered by a variety of legal, regulatory, policy and operational factors, few of which enhance research quality, the safety of study participants or research ethics. With the goal of helping increase the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical research, we have examined how the integration of utilization-focused evaluation with elements of business process modeling can reveal opportunities for systematic improvements in clinical research. Using data from the NIH global HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks, we analyzed the absolute and relative times required to traverse defined phases associated with specific activities within the clinical protocol lifecycle. Using simple median duration and Kaplan-Meyer survival analysis, we show how such time-based analyses can provide a rationale for the prioritization of research process analysis and re-engineering, as well as a means for statistically assessing the impact of policy modifications, resource utilization, re-engineered processes and best practices. Successfully applied, this approach can help researchers be more efficient in capitalizing on new science to speed the development of improved interventions for human disease.
Implications for Equity and Diversity of Increasing International Student Numbers in European Universities: Policies and Practice in Four National Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haapakoski, Jani; Pashby, Karen

2017-01-01

This paper examines the main rationales for and possible implications of the policy of increasing international student numbers in higher education (HE). Drawing on critical discourse analysis, we map key themes emerging from two sets of data--university strategy documents and interviews with staff--collected at eight universities in four national…
On Cooperation and Competition: A Comparative Analysis of National Policies for Internationalisation of Higher Education in Seven Western European Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luijten-Lub, Anneke; Van der Wende, Marijk; Huisman, Jeroen

2005-01-01

The focus of this article is on a comparison of the national policies for internationalisation in seven Western European countries (Austria, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom). In this comparison, it will be shown that the trend suggested in previous research of increasing economical rationales for…
Emancipation, Marketisation, and Social Protection: The Female Subject within Vocational Training Policy in Canada, 1960-1990

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pullman, Ashley

2015-01-01

This paper examines Canadian federal and cross-provincial higher education policy from 1960 to 1990, a critical time when provisions for vocational and adult training came under the auspices of governmental concern, justified under both an economic rationale and as a way to address persistent forms of inequality. The problematisation of skill…
Setting a minimum age for juvenile justice jurisdiction in California

PubMed Central

Barnert, Elizabeth S.; Abrams, Laura S.; Maxson, Cheryl; Gase, Lauren; Soung, Patricia; Carroll, Paul; Bath, Eraka

2018-01-01

Purpose Despite the existence of minimum age laws for juvenile justice jurisdiction in 18 US states, California has no explicit law that protects children (i.e. youth less than 12 years old) from being processed in the juvenile justice system. In the absence of a minimum age law, California lags behind other states and international practice and standards. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this policy brief, academics across the University of California campuses examine current evidence, theory, and policy related to the minimum age of juvenile justice jurisdiction. Findings Existing evidence suggests that children lack the cognitive maturity to comprehend or benefit from formal juvenile justice processing, and diverting children from the system altogether is likely to be more beneficial for the child and for public safety. Research limitations/implications Based on current evidence and theory, the authors argue that minimum age legislation that protects children from contact with the juvenile justice system and treats them as children in need of services and support, rather than as delinquents or criminals, is an important policy goal for California and for other national and international jurisdictions lacking a minimum age law. Originality/value California has no law specifying a minimum age for juvenile justice jurisdiction, meaning that young children of any age can be processed in the juvenile justice system. This policy brief provides a rationale for a minimum age law in California and other states and jurisdictions without one. Paper type Conceptual paper PMID:28299968
Setting a minimum age for juvenile justice jurisdiction in California.

PubMed

S Barnert, Elizabeth; S Abrams, Laura; Maxson, Cheryl; Gase, Lauren; Soung, Patricia; Carroll, Paul; Bath, Eraka

2017-03-13

Purpose Despite the existence of minimum age laws for juvenile justice jurisdiction in 18 US states, California has no explicit law that protects children (i.e. youth less than 12 years old) from being processed in the juvenile justice system. In the absence of a minimum age law, California lags behind other states and international practice and standards. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this policy brief, academics across the University of California campuses examine current evidence, theory, and policy related to the minimum age of juvenile justice jurisdiction. Findings Existing evidence suggests that children lack the cognitive maturity to comprehend or benefit from formal juvenile justice processing, and diverting children from the system altogether is likely to be more beneficial for the child and for public safety. Research limitations/implications Based on current evidence and theory, the authors argue that minimum age legislation that protects children from contact with the juvenile justice system and treats them as children in need of services and support, rather than as delinquents or criminals, is an important policy goal for California and for other national and international jurisdictions lacking a minimum age law. Originality/value California has no law specifying a minimum age for juvenile justice jurisdiction, meaning that young children of any age can be processed in the juvenile justice system. This policy brief provides a rationale for a minimum age law in California and other states and jurisdictions without one.
Space Transportation systems overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, C. M.

1979-01-01

Planning for the operations phase of the Space Transportation system is reviewed. Attention is given to mission profile (typical), applications, manifesting rationale, the Operational Flight Test manifest, the operations manifest, pricing policy, and potential applications of the STS.
"Must do CPR??": strategies to cope with the new College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario policy on end-of-life care.

PubMed

Hawryluck, Laura; Oczkowski, Simon J W; Handelman, Mark

2016-08-01

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario recently released a new policy, Planning for and Providing Quality End-of-Life Care. The revised policy is more accurate in its consideration of the legal framework in which physicians practice and more reflective of ethical issues that arise in end-of-life (EOL) care. It also recognizes valid instances for not offering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Nevertheless, the policy poses a significant ethical and legal dilemma-i.e., if disputes over EOL care arise, then physicians must provide CPR even when resuscitation would fall outside this medical standard of care. While the policy applies in Ontario, it is likely to influence other physician colleges across Canada as they review their standards of practice. This paper explores the rationale for the mandated CPR, clarifies the policy's impact on the medical standard of care, and discusses strategies to improve EOL care within the policy. These strategies include understanding the help-hurt line, changing the language used when discussing cardiac arrest, clarifying care plans during the perioperative period, engaging the intensive care unit team early in goals-of-care discussions, mentoring hospital staff to improve skills in goals-of-care discussions, avoiding use of the "slow code", and continuing to advocate for quality EOL care and a more responsive legal adjudication process.

Commentary on NTIS Document Costs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Robert J.

1973-01-01

The author believes it would be appropriate to review the current National Technical Information Service (NTIS) pricing policy in terms of its rationale, legality, and the possibility of mitigating or reversing the demonstrated pattern of repeated cost increases. (Author/SJ)
A WET TALE: TOXICITY OF COMPLEX EFFLUENTS

EPA Science Inventory

This course covers standards, regulations, policy, guidance and technical aspects of implementing the whole effluent toxicity program. The curriculum incorporates rationale and information on WET test requirements from USEPA documents, such as the Technical Support Document for W...
The long-term demographic role of community-based family planning in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Phillips, J F; Hossain, M B; Arends-Kuenning, M

1996-01-01

Experimental studies demonstrating the effectiveness of nonclinical distribution of contraceptives are typically conducted in settings where contraceptive use is low and unmet need is extensive. Determining the long-term role of active outreach programs after initial demand is met represents an increasingly important policy issue in Asia, where contraceptive prevalence is high and fixed service points are conveniently available. This article examines the long-term rationale for household family planning in Bangladesh-where growing use of contraceptives, rapid fertility decline, and normative change in reproductive preferences are in progress, bringing into question the rationale for large-scale deployment of paid outreach workers. Longitudinal data are analyzed that record outreach encounters and contraceptive use dynamics in a large rural population. Findings demonstrate that outreach has a continuing impact on program effectiveness, even after a decade of household visitation. The policy implications of this finding are reviewed.
Impact of Advocacy Initiatives on Nurses' Motivation to Sustain Momentum in Public Policy Advocacy.

PubMed

Taylor, Melissa R S

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to elicit insight from the public policy leaders of 2 regional professional nursing organizations on key qualities of their current advocacy initiatives that motivate nurses to sustain momentum in public policy advocacy beyond a single episode. The goal is to inform quality improvement in the development of future advocacy initiatives to increase sustained engagement of nurses. Social cognitive theory was used as the rationale for this qualitative, descriptive study. A purposive convenience sample of executive leadership and board committee members from 2 regional professional nursing organizations were recruited to complete an initial Web-based electronic survey, followed by separate semistructured interview focus groups. One organization was composed primarily of advanced practice registered nurses, and the other group composed of diverse, multispecialty nursing members with varied educational levels. Nine themes emerged, categorized as facilitators or challenges to the positive impact of advocacy initiatives on nurses' motivation. Highlighting and marketing facilitators to the positive impact of advocacy initiatives on nurses' motivation to sustain momentum in public policy advocacy, while designing and testing new initiatives that address the challenges, may increase the number of nurses who sustain engagement in the policy advocacy process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Creating Social Media Policies for Education and Practice

PubMed Central

Barton, Amy J.; Skiba, Diane J.

2012-01-01

The use of social media in society and healthcare has become pervasive. This paper reviews uses of social media within health care and higher education along with its concomitant risks and benefits. Challenges rooted in the blurring of boundaries between personal and professional experiences provide the rationale for policy development. Guidelines to enhance the use of social media to enhance organizational reputation and patient privacy are proposed. PMID:24199039
The Implementation Challenge and the Learning Health System for SCI Initiative.

PubMed

Stucki, Gerold; Bickenbach, Jerome

2017-02-01

The paper introduces the special issue by linking the International Spinal Cord Injury (InSCI) Community Survey study to the Learning Health System for SCI Initiative (LHS-SCI). The LHS-SCI was designed to respond to the implementation challenge of bringing about policy reform in light of the targeted policy recommendations of World Health Organization's International Perspectives on SCI report as well as the call for action of WHO's Global Disability Action Plan. The paper reviews the components of LHS-SCI relevant to internationally comparable information, a theory of change to guide for action, and the tools for evidence-informed policy. The interplay between persons, their health needs, and the societal response to those needs provides the foundation for the organization of the LHS-SCI Initiative. Moreover, as the other articles in this special issue describe in detail, the rationale, conceptualization, and study design of the InSCI study are also informed by the rationale, and mission, of the LHS for SCI Initiative. The LHS-SCI, and the implementation challenge that motivates it, is responsible for the design of the InSCI study and the overall mission of LHS-SCI to continuously improve the lived experience of people living with SCI around the world through an international evidence- and rights-informed research and policy reform effort.
The Struggle for the Soul of Public Health.

PubMed

Wiley, Lindsay F

2016-12-01

Prevention has become a central focus for health care payers, providers, policy makers, and the general public. Given the centrality of prevention to public health science, practice, and law, it would seem that conditions are ripe for the public health law renaissance to expand beyond legal and scientific circles to permeate the general consciousness. Yet, public health law and policy interventions continue to face considerable political and legal opposition. The population perspective-which emphasizes the social determinants of health, collective action to create healthier communities, and communitarian rationales for prioritizing health-is as important to public health problem-solving as the prevention orientation. But it conflicts with the individualistic orientation that dominates American legal, cultural, and social discourse. This article suggests that public health law and policy debates offer important opportunities for public health advocates to reach across silos to promote the population perspective that unites the field. The article explores contrasting explanations for disease, injury, premature death, and health disparities offered by the population perspective and the individualistic orientation; political and cultural barriers that stand in the way of innovative law and policy interventions; and normative tensions between the communitarian population perspective and self-interested rationales for investment in prevention. Copyright © 2016 by Duke University Press.
An official American Thoracic Society/International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation/Society of Critical Care Medicine/Association of Organ and Procurement Organizations/United Network of Organ Sharing Statement: ethical and policy considerations in organ donation after circulatory determination of death.

PubMed

Gries, Cynthia J; White, Douglas B; Truog, Robert D; Dubois, James; Cosio, Carmen C; Dhanani, Sonny; Chan, Kevin M; Corris, Paul; Dark, John; Fulda, Gerald; Glazier, Alexandra K; Higgins, Robert; Love, Robert; Mason, David P; Nakagawa, Thomas A; Shapiro, Ron; Shemie, Sam; Tracy, Mary Fran; Travaline, John M; Valapour, Maryam; West, Lori; Zaas, David; Halpern, Scott D

2013-07-01

Donation after circulatory determination of death (DCDD) has the potential to increase the number of organs available for transplantation. Because consent and management of potential donors must occur before death, DCDD raises unique ethical and policy issues. To develop an ethics and health policy statement on adult and pediatric DCDD relevant to critical care and transplantation stakeholders. A multidisciplinary panel of stakeholders was convened to develop an ethics and health policy statement. The panel consisted of representatives from the American Thoracic Society, Society of Critical Care Medicine, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, and the United Network of Organ Sharing. The panel reviewed the literature, discussed important ethics and health policy considerations, and developed a guiding framework for decision making by stakeholders. A framework to guide ethics and health policy statement was established, which addressed the consent process, pre- and post mortem interventions, the determination of death, provisions of end-of-life care, and pediatric DCDD. The information presented in this Statement is based on the current evidence, experience, and clinical rationale. New clinical research and the development and dissemination of new technologies will eventually necessitate an update of this Statement.
Amenity or necessity? street standards as parking policy.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

This paper explores the rationales underlying the use of minimum street width requirements to mandate street parking. A survey of 97 cities reveals that this mandate is not a technical necessity based on safety concerns or an amenity reflecting marke...
Structure, Citizenship, and Professionalism: Exploring Rationale Development as Part of Graduate Education in Social Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawley, Todd S.; Pifel, A. Robert; Jordan, Adam W.

2012-01-01

This article details an interpretive, qualitative interview study that explored rationales developed by seven social studies graduate students, all experienced teachers, at a large Midwestern university. Interviews revealed three common themes regarding the influence of the rationale development process. The three themes were: providing structure,…
Norms and Cones in the Theory of Quantum Entanglement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Mark Chapin

From 1978 on there have been a series of legislative acts that have placed substantial protectionist burdens on the American taxpayer to provide incentives, credits and mandates for the production and use of ethanol under the rationale of reducing U.S. dependence on foreign sources of oil while purporting to economically benefit the American economy and strengthening American security. While there has been much discussion about the economic benefits of ethanol policy, there is growing literature suggesting that in addition to being neither economically nor environmentally beneficial, ethanol policy may not be achieving its intended goals. Connection between political contributions, policy formation, and the actual outcomes of the enacted policies does not appear to have been addressed. Throughout the course of ethanol policy development the narrow interests of some stakeholders may have been met at the expense of others. Given the very large economic and social costs of ongoing ethanol subsidies and mandates an exploration of such a nexus would be illuminating and valuable. Hence the question of this research will be: Has the ethanol energy policy of the United States, as outlined in legislative actions, requiring subsidies and mandates from taxpayers, been reflective of a deliberative democratic process that after taking into account the input and influence of various competing viewpoints has resulted in a beneficial national policy? Consequently have the policy outcomes of the legislative stakeholders matched the stated intentions of those involved in the deliberative debate that enacted it or, where have those objectives not been met? Research that can increase understanding of how such an important policy may have failed can inform policy deliberation in such diverse areas as agriculture, national security and energy policy while illuminating how and why such public policy was made. Examination of a policy created and continuing which may have failed the most basic cost benefit analysis and does very little to enhance national energy security could demonstrate how a distortion of the legislative process resulted in outcomes that differ markedly from the stated intentions of those who enacted the policy.
The Childhood Obesity Declines Project: Implications for Research and Evaluation Approaches.

PubMed

Young-Hyman, Deborah; Morris, Kathryn; Kettel Khan, Laura; Dawkins-Lyn, Nicola; Dooyema, Carrie; Harris, Carole; Jernigan, Jan; Ottley, Phyllis; Kauh, Tina

2018-03-01

Childhood obesity remains prevalent and is increasing in some disadvantaged populations. Numerous research, policy and community initiatives are undertaken to impact this pandemic. Understudied are natural experiments. The need to learn from these efforts is paramount. Resulting evidence may not be readily available to inform future research, community initiatives, and policy development/implementation. We discuss the implications of using an adaptation of the Systematic Screening and Assessment (SSA) method to evaluate the Childhood Obesity Declines (COBD) project. The project examined successful initiatives, programs and policies in four diverse communities which were concurrent with significant declines in child obesity. In the context of other research designs and evaluation schemas, rationale for use of SSA is presented. Evidence generated by this method is highlighted and guidance suggested for evaluation of future studies of community-based childhood obesity prevention initiatives. Support for the role of stakeholder collaboratives, in particular the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research, as a synergistic vehicle to accelerate research on childhood obesity is discussed. SSA mapped active processes and provided contextual understanding of multi-level/component simultaneous efforts to reduce rates of childhood obesity in community settings. Initiatives, programs and policies were not necessarily coordinated. And although direct attribution of intervention/initiative/policy components could not be made, the what, by who, how, to whom was temporally associated with statistically significant reductions in childhood obesity. SSA provides evidence for context and processes which are not often evaluated in other data analytic methods. SSA provides an additional tool to layer with other evaluation approaches.
Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Requirements in US Schools: Recommendations for Moving Forward.

PubMed

North, Anna L; Niccolai, Linda M

2016-10-01

Safe and effective human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have been available and recommended for adolescents for a decade in the United States, yet vaccination rates remain suboptimal. School entry requirements have increased uptake of other vaccines for adolescents and made coverage more equitable. However, only 3 jurisdictions require HPV vaccine for school. We summarize the current status of HPV vaccine requirements and discuss the rationales for and against these policies. The rationales for requirements include HPV vaccine efficacy and safety, effectiveness of requirements for increasing vaccine uptake and making it more equitable, and use of requirements as "safety nets" and to achieve herd immunity. The rationales against requirements include low parental acceptance of HPV vaccine, the financial burden on educational systems and health departments, and the possibility for alternatives to increase vaccine uptake. Many challenges to HPV vaccine requirements are addressable, and we conclude with recommendations on how to approach these challenges.
Mediterranean studies of cardiovascular disease and hyperglycemia: analytical modeling of population socio-economic transitions (MedCHAMPS)--rationale and methods.

PubMed

Maziak, Wasim; Critchley, Julia; Zaman, Shahaduz; Unwin, Nigel; Capewell, Simon; Bennett, Kathleen; Unal, Belgin; Husseini, Abdullatif; Romdhane, Habiba Ben; Phillimore, Peter

2013-08-01

In response to the escalating epidemic of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the Mediterranean Region (MR), an international collaboration aiming at understanding the burden of CVD and evaluating cost-effective strategies to combat it was recently established. This paper describes the rationale and methods of the project MedCHAMPS to disseminate this successful experience. The framework of MedCHAMPS is exceptional in combining multiple disciplines (e.g. epidemiology, anthropology, economics), countries [Turkey, Syria, occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), Tunisia, UK, Ireland], research methods (situational and policy analysis, quantitative and qualitative studies, statistical modeling), and involving local stakeholders at all levels to assess trends of CVD/diabetes in the society and attributes of the local health care systems to provide optimal policy recommendations to reduce the burden of CVD/diabetes. MedCHAMPS provides policy makers in the MR and beyond needed guidance about the burden of CVD, and best cost-effective ways to combat it. Our approach of building developed-developing countries collaboration also provides a roadmap for other researchers seeking to build research base into CVD epidemiology and prevention in developing countries.
World Health Organization and disease surveillance: Jeopardizing global public health?

PubMed

Blouin Genest, Gabriel

2015-11-01

Health issues now evolve in a global context. Real-time global surveillance, global disease mapping and global risk management characterize what have been termed 'global public health'. It has generated many programmes and policies, notably through the work of the World Health Organization. This globalized form of public health raises, however, some important issues left unchallenged, including its effectiveness, objectivity and legitimacy. The general objective of this article is to underline the impacts of WHO disease surveillance on the practice and theorization of global public health. By using the surveillance structure established by the World Health Organization and reinforced by the 2005 International Health Regulations as a case study, we argue that the policing of 'circulating risks' emerged as a dramatic paradox for global public health policy. This situation severely affects the rationale of health interventions as well as the lives of millions around the world, while travestying the meaning of health, disease and risks. To do so, we use health surveillance data collected by the WHO Disease Outbreak News System in order to map the impacts of global health surveillance on health policy rationale and theory. © The Author(s) 2014.
Problems in counting and paying for multidisciplinary outpatient clinics.

PubMed

Jackson, T; Sevil, P

1997-01-01

Policy-makers have always found it problematic to formulate fair and consistent counting rules for public hospital outpatient activities. In the context of output-based funding, such rules have consequences which can affect patient care. This paper reviews the rationale for organising multidisciplinary clinics and reports on a series of focus groups convened in four Melbourne teaching hospitals to consider funding policy for such clinics. It discusses issues of targeting outpatient services, along with implications for payment policy. It evaluates counting rules in terms of intended and unintended consequences in the context of Victoria's introduction of output-based funding for outpatient services.
Investment incentives and the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: evidence from Zambia.

PubMed

Lencucha, Raphael; Drope, Jeffrey; Labonte, Ronald; Zulu, Richard; Goma, Fastone

2016-07-01

Policy misalignment across different sectors of government serves as one of the pivotal barriers to WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) implementation. This paper examines the logic used by government officials to justify investment incentives to increase tobacco processing and manufacturing in the context of FCTC implementation in Zambia. We conducted qualitative semistructured interviews with key informants from government, civil society and intergovernmental economic organisations (n=23). We supplemented the interview data with an analysis of public documents pertaining to the policy of economic development in Zambia. We found gross misalignments between the policies of the economic sector and efforts to implement the provisions of the FCTC. Our interviews uncovered the rationale used by officials in the economic sector to justify providing economic incentives to bolster tobacco processing and manufacturing in Zambia: (1) tobacco is not consumed by Zambians/tobacco is an export commodity, (2) economic benefits outweigh health costs and (3) tobacco consumption is a personal choice. Much of the struggle Zambia has experienced in implementing the FCTC can be attributed to misalignments between the economic and health sectors. Zambia's development agenda seeks to bolster agricultural processing and manufacturing. Tobacco control proponents must recognise and work within this context in order to foster productive strategies with those working on tobacco supply issues. These findings are broadly applicable to the global context. It is important that the Ministry of Health monitors the tobacco policy of and engages with these sectors to find ways of harmonising FCTC implementation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/
Investment Incentives and the Implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: Evidence from Zambia

PubMed Central

Drope, Jeffrey; Labonte, Ronald; Zulu, Richard; Goma, Fastone

2016-01-01

Purpose Policy misalignment across different sectors of government serves as one of the pivotal barriers to WHO Framework convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) implementation. This paper examines the logic used by government officials to justify providing investment incentives to increase tobacco processing and manufacturing in the context of FCTC implementation in Zambia. Methods We conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with key informants from government, civil society and intergovernmental economic organizations (n=23). We supplemented the interview data with an analysis of public documents pertaining to economic development policy in Zambia. Results We found gross misalignments between the policies of the economic sector and efforts to implement the provisions of the FCTC. Our interviews uncovered the rationale used by officials in the economic sector to justify providing economic incentives to bolster tobacco processing and manufacturing in Zambia: 1) tobacco is not consumed by Zambians/tobacco is an export commodity, 2) economic benefits outweigh health costs, and 3) tobacco consumption is a personal choice. Conclusions Much of the struggle Zambia has experienced implementing the FCTC can be attributed to misalignments between the economic and health sectors. Zambia’s development agenda seeks to bolster agricultural processing and manufacturing. Tobacco control proponents must understand and work within this context of economic development in order to foster productive strategies with those working on tobacco supply issues. These findings are broadly applicable to the global analysis on the barriers and facilitators of FCTC implementation. It is important that the Ministry of Health monitors the tobacco policy of other sectors and engages with these sectors to find ways of harmonizing FCTC implementation across sectors. PMID:26135987
Reference drug programs: effectiveness and policy implications.

PubMed

Schneeweiss, Sebastian

2007-04-01

In the current economic environment, health care systems are constantly struggling to contain rapidly rising costs. Drug costs are targeted by a wide variety of measures. Many jurisdictions have implemented reference drug programs (RDPs) or similar therapeutic substitution programs. This paper summarizes the mechanism and rationale of RDPs and presents evidence of their economic effectiveness and clinical safety. RDPs for pharmaceutical reimbursement are based on the assumption that drugs within specified medication groups are therapeutically equivalent and clinically interchangeable and that a common reimbursement level can thus be established. If the evidence documents that a higher price for a given drug does not buy greater effectiveness or reduced toxicity, then under RDP such extra costs are not covered. RDPs or therapeutic substitutions based on therapeutic equivalence are seen as logical extensions of generic substitution that is based on bioequivalence of drugs. If the goal is to achieve full drug coverage for as many patients as possible in the most efficient manner, then RDPs in combination with prior authorization programs are safer and more effective than simplistic fiscal drug policies, including fixed co-payments, co-insurances, or deductibles. RDPs will reduce spending in the less innovative but largest market, while fully covering all patients. Prior authorization will ensure that patients with a specified indication will benefit from the most innovative therapies with full coverage. In practice, however, not all patients and drugs will fit exactly into one of the two categories. Therefore, a process of medically indicated exemptions that will consider full coverage should accompany an RDP. In the current economic environment, health care systems are constantly struggling to contain rapidly rising costs. Drug costs are targeted by a wide variety of measures. Many jurisdictions have implemented reference drug programs, and others are considering them. This paper summarizes the mechanism and rationale of RDPs, presents evidence of their economic effectiveness and clinical safety, and concludes with some practical implications of implementing RDP policies.
Reference drug programs: Effectiveness and policy implications☆

PubMed Central

Schneeweiss, Sebastian

2010-01-01

In the current economic environment, health care systems are constantly struggling to contain rapidly rising costs. Drug costs are targeted by a wide variety of measures. Many jurisdictions have implemented reference drug programs (RDPs) or similar therapeutic substitution programs. This paper summarizes the mechanism and rationale of RDPs and presents evidence of their economic effectiveness and clinical safety. RDPs for pharmaceutical reimbursement are based on the assumption that drugs within specified medication groups are therapeutically equivalent and clinically interchangeable and that a common reimbursement level can thus be established. If the evidence documents that a higher price for a given drug does not buy greater effectiveness or reduced toxicity, then under RDP such extra costs are not covered. RDPs or therapeutic substitutions based on therapeutic equivalence are seen as logical extensions of generic substitution that is based on bioequivalence of drugs. If the goal is to achieve full drug coverage for as many patients as possible in the most efficient manner, then RDPs in combination with prior authorization programs are safer and more effective than simplistic fiscal drug policies, including fixed co-payments, co-insurances, or deductibles. RDPs will reduce spending in the less innovative but largest market, while fully covering all patients. Prior authorization will ensure that patients with a specified indication will benefit from the most innovative therapies with full coverage. In practice, however, not all patients and drugs will fit exactly into one of the two categories. Therefore, a process of medically indicated exemptions that will consider full coverage should accompany an RDP. In the current economic environment, health care systems are constantly struggling to contain rapidly rising costs. Drug costs are targeted by a wide variety of measures. Many jurisdictions have implemented reference drug programs, and others are considering them. This paper summarizes the mechanism and rationale of RDPs, presents evidence of their economic effectiveness and clinical safety, and concludes with some practical implications of implementing RDP policies. PMID:16777256

Environment, health, and sustainable development: the role of economic instruments and policies.

PubMed Central

Warford, J. J.

1995-01-01

Recent years have seen considerable progress in integrating environmental concerns into the mainstream of development policy and planning. Economic instruments designed explicitly for environmental purposes may help to achieve cost-effective solutions, and generate public revenues. Macroeconomic and sectoral policies may impact heavily upon the environment, and there is much scope for policy reforms that are justified in both economic and environmental terms. Progress in this area has been much more rapid than in the case of health objectives, even though the rationale for environmental improvement is often ultimately related to human health and well-being. It is proposed that lessons from recent experience in the use of economic instruments and policies to achieve environmental objectives are highly relevant for the health sector, which should seek and encourage support for measures that requires consumer and producers of environmentally degrading products to pay for the economic and social costs of the damage resulting from their use. Policy reform at the macroeconomic or sectoral level may yield cost-effective solutions to some health problems, and may even bring about improvements in health status that involve no net cost at all. The countrywide impact of such policies indicate that health agencies, including WHO, should develop the capacity to understand how economic policies and the adjustment process impact upon human health, not only direct through the effect on incomes, but also indirectly, via changes in the natural environment. Ability to conduct rigorous health impact assessment of economic policy reform, which requires a multidisciplinary effort, is a necessary condition if health ministries are to maximize their effectiveness in influencing overall government economic policy. PMID:7614671
Informing Federal Policy on Firearm Restrictions for Veterans with Fiduciaries: Risk Indicators in the Post-Deployment Mental Health Study.

PubMed

Swanson, Jeffrey; Easter, Michele; Brancu, Mira; Fairbank, John A

2018-05-24

This article examines the public safety rationale for a federal policy of prohibiting gun sales to veterans with psychiatric disabilities who are assigned a fiduciary to manage their benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The policy was evaluated using data on 3200 post-deployment veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan war era. Three proxy measures of fiduciary need-based on intellectual disability, drug abuse, or acute psychopathology-were associated in bivariate analysis with interpersonal violence and suicidality. In multivariate analysis, statistical significance remained only for the measure based on acute psychopathology. Implications for reforms to the fiduciary firearm restriction policy are discussed.
Timetabling: A Shared Services Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Regan, Carmel

2012-01-01

This paper identifies common timetabling issues and options as experienced in Australian universities, and develops a rationale to inform management decisions on a suitable system and the associated policies, procedures, management structure and resources at the University of Newcastle, to enable more effective timetabling in line with the needs…
PEACE CORPS, CONGRESSIONAL PRESENTATION, FISCAL YEAR 1967.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace Corps, Washington, DC.

THIS REPORT TO CONGRESS DISCUSSES THE HISTORY, FINANCIAL POLICY, VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS, AND RATIONALE OF THE PEACE CORPS, WITH EMPHASIS ON PLANS TO IMPROVE TRAINING AND EXPAND ITS PROGRAM. PEACE CORPS TEACHING, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, AND HEALTH EDUCATION IN VARIOUS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ARE REVIEWED AND EVALUATED. A PROPOSAL…
Embedding Personal Development Planning into the Social Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slight, Audrey; Bloxham, Sue

2005-01-01

This article addresses a number of the theoretical and practical issues raised by using personal development planning (PDP) to enhance employability. It briefly discusses the background, rationale and evidence for PDP. It also considers the problems associated with policy implementation: the practicalities of embedding personal development…
RATIONALE FOR A NEW GENERATION OF ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS FOR COASTAL WATERS. (R829458C008)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...
RATIONALE FOR A NEW GENERATION OF ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS FOR COASTAL WATERS. (R829458C003)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...
Changing Systems for Children and Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCart, Linda

This document summarizes the results of research on reform of state and national policy affecting families and children. The document begins with a rationale for change, and follows with four chapters that identify barriers stemming from attitudes, system organization, resource limitations, and technical problems. Each chapter suggests strategies…
Worldwide policies on epilepsy and blood donation: a survey among blood services.

PubMed

Kellens, A; De Buck, E; Emonds, M-P; Vandekerckhove, P; Lagae, L

2018-02-01

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by the appearance of seizures. Often, epilepsy patients are temporarily or permanently excluded from blood donation. To gain a better understanding of the policies that are currently applied, we performed a survey among blood services. A cross-sectional, Web-based questionnaire using the online Questback tool was developed and distributed to 46 representatives of blood services worldwide. The questionnaire was composed of nine questions. A total of 27 respondents, representing blood services in 26 countries on five continents, participated in the survey. Current policies range from permanent acceptance over temporary exclusion to permanent exclusion. Rationales for these different policies are diverse. The majority of blood services (59·3%) apply temporary exclusion as their policy, though no consensus exists on the length of time that epilepsy patients have to be medication-free or seizure-free. None of the respondents could provide data about adverse events in epilepsy patients during the blood donation process. The results of this survey indicate a large discrepancy in policies applied worldwide. A lack of scientific evidence could be one of the underlying reasons. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to further research the potential risks for donors and recipients regarding blood donation by people with epilepsy. This can then serve as a base for evidence-based policymaking and lead to safer and more effective blood transfusion programmes. © 2018 International Society of Blood Transfusion.
Integrating natural and social sciences to inspire public confidence in radioactive waste policy case study - Committee on radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Usher, Sam

2007-07-01

Integrating Natural and Social Sciences to Inspire Public Confidence in Radioactive Waste Policy Case Study: Committee on Radioactive Waste Management Implementing effective long-term radioactive waste management policy is challenging, and both UK and international experience is littered with policy and programme failures. Policy must not only be underpinned by sound science and technical rationale, it must also inspire the confidence of the public and other stakeholders. However, in today's modern society, communities will not simply accept the word of scientists for setting policy based purely on technical grounds. This is particularly so in areas where there are significant social andmore » ethical issues, such as radioactive waste disposal. To develop and implement effective policy, governments, waste owners and implementing bodies must develop processes which effectively integrate both complex technical and scientific issues, with equally challenging social and ethical concerns. These integrating processes must marry often intricate technical issues with broad public and stakeholder engagement programmes, in programmes which can expect the highest levels of public scrutiny, and must invariably be delivered within challenging time and budget constraints. This paper considers a model for how such integrating processes can be delivered. The paper reviews, as a case study, how such challenges were overcome by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), which, in July 2006, made recommendations to the UK government for the establishment of a long-term radioactive waste policy. Its recommendations were underpinned by sound science, but also engendered public confidence through undertaking the largest and most significant deliberative public and stakeholder engagement programme on a complex policy issue in the UK. Effective decision-making was enabled through the integration of both proven and bespoke methodologies, including Multi-criteria Decision Analysis and Holistic assessments, coupled with an overarching deliberative approach. How this was managed and delivered to programme demonstrates how important effective integration of different issues, interests and world views can be achieved, and the paper looks forward to how the continued integration of both natural and social sciences is essential if public confidence is to be maintained through implementation stages. This paper will be particularly relevant to governments, waste owners and implementing bodies who are responsible for developing and implementing policy. (author)« less
Simulated Foreign Policy Exchanges. The Rationale Underlying a Theory of Foreign Policy Interaction

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-08-01

way to structure this knowledge into a whole. To learn structure is, in short, to learn how things are re- lated. Jerome Brunner says: "Grasping the...correlational findings. It is indeed unfortunate, however, that while overwhelmed by these fragments of knowledge we still have not discovered a...next section. IMMillMliHIftdMiMM -" ’•- ^-^—-— j-Mirr- "’ ■ "iŕ 11 LEARNING In order to build a simulation which will produce patterns of
Promoting a Culture of Tailoring for Systems Engineering Policy Expectations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blankenship, Van A.

2016-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed an integrated systems engineering approach to promote a culture of tailoring for program and project policy requirements. MSFC's culture encourages and supports tailoring, with an emphasis on risk-based decision making, for enhanced affordability and efficiency. MSFC's policy structure integrates the various Agency requirements into a single, streamlined implementation approach which serves as a "one-stop-shop" for our programs and projects to follow. The engineers gain an enhanced understanding of policy and technical expectations, as well as lesson's learned from MSFC's history of spaceflight and science missions, to enable them to make appropriate, risk-based tailoring recommendations. The tailoring approach utilizes a standard methodology to classify projects into predefined levels using selected mission and programmatic scaling factors related to risk tolerance. Policy requirements are then selectively applied and tailored, with appropriate rationale, and approved by the governing authorities, to support risk-informed decisions to achieve the desired cost and schedule efficiencies. The policy is further augmented by implementation tools and lifecycle planning aids which help promote and support the cultural shift toward more tailoring. The MSFC Customization Tool is an integrated spreadsheet that ties together everything that projects need to understand, navigate, and tailor the policy. It helps them classify their project, understand the intent of the requirements, determine their tailoring approach, and document the necessary governance approvals. It also helps them plan for and conduct technical reviews throughout the lifecycle. Policy tailoring is thus established as a normal part of project execution, with the tools provided to facilitate and enable the tailoring process. MSFC's approach to changing the culture emphasizes risk-based tailoring of policy to achieve increased flexibility, efficiency, and effectiveness in project execution, while maintaining appropriate rigor to ensure mission success.
Policy Issues for Integrating Parenting Interventions and Addiction Treatment for Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanBremen, Jane R.; Chasnoff, Ira J.

1994-01-01

This article addresses the rationale for linking addiction treatment programs and parenting education interventions in substance-abusing families. Specific components of a parenting program for women in recovery are detailed, including parenting classes and support groups, mother-child play groups, and family literacy activities. Program…
Schools as Community Hubs: Policy Contexts, Educational Rationales, and Design Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McShane, Ian; Watkins, Jerry; Meredyth, Denise

2012-01-01

There is increasing interest in making more effective use of schools as community hubs, both in Australia and internationally. Investment in shared facilities aims to engage parents and local communities in schooling, encourage civic participation, co-ordinate educational and community services and overcome disadvantages of location or service…
Adversaries, Advocates, or Thoughtful Analysts? Some Lessons from Dance History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Ann

1999-01-01

Argues that the arts demand careful analysis when providing a rationale for the inclusion of the arts in educational programs and policies. Provides information on the content and context of dance opposition and provides examples from dance history of issues that need to be addressed. (CMK)
Sustainability of Higher Education Institutions in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Su, H. Jenny; Chang, Tzu-chau

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide the rationale and context for recent national policy and funded initiatives to support sustainability developments within higher education in Taiwan, including practical and educational aspects. Concrete examples and specific outcomes are reviewed, to produce a profile across the higher education…
Heritage Language Education and the "National Interest"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bale, Jeff

2014-01-01

In this article, Jeff Bale reviews empirical research, policy analysis, and other forms of scholarly commentary on the long-standing rationale of framing language education in service of U.S. geopolitical and economic security. This synthesis directly calls into question the commonsense view that national security and economic competitiveness are…
Deaf-Blind Perspectives, Fall 1993-Spring 1994.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deaf-Blind Perspectives, 1994

1994-01-01

This document consists of the first three issues of a new newsletter concerning people who are deaf-blind. Issues present substantive articles, news on technical assistance in various areas, book reviews, and conference information. The following articles are included: (1) "Rationale for Editorial Policy on Terminology" (John W. Reiman),…
Rural Education in Bangladesh - Problems and Prospects. IIEP Seminar Paper: 23.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haque, M.

As a land of extreme rural poverty and illiteracy, Bangladesh needs to consciously promote, develop, and support local institutions and participatory leadership, involving local people in the planning, development, and implementation of developmental policies. Begun in 1959, the Comilla experiment constitutes the rationale for institutional…
Commercial sexual exploitation of children and the emergence of safe harbor legislation: implications for policy and practice.

PubMed

Shields, Ryan T; Letourneau, Elizabeth J

2015-03-01

Commercial sexual exploitation of children is an enduring social problem that has recently become the focus of numerous legislative initiatives. In particular, recent federal- and state-level legislation have sought to reclassify youth involved in commercial sexual exploitation as victims rather than as offenders. So-called Safe Harbor laws have been developed and centered on decriminalization of "juvenile prostitution." In addition to or instead of decriminalization, Safe Harbor policies also include diversion, law enforcement training, and increased penalties for adults seeking sexual contact with minors. The purpose of this paper is to review the underlying rationale of Safe Harbor laws, examine specific policy responses currently enacted by the states, and consider the effects of policy variations. Directions for future research and policy are addressed.

Population-wide sodium reduction: The bumpy road from evidence to policy

PubMed Central

Appel, Lawrence J; Angell, Sonia Y; Cobb, Laura K; Limper, Heather; Nelson, David E.; Samet, Jonathan M; Brownson, Ross C.

2016-01-01

Elevated blood pressure is a highly prevalent condition that is etiologically related to coronary heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Excess salta (sodium chloride) intake is a major determinant of elevated blood pressure. In this paper we discuss the scientific rationale for population-wide salt reduction, the types and strength of available evidence, policy-making on dietary salt in the United States and other countries, and the role and impact of key stakeholders. We highlight a number of lessons learned, many of which are germane to policy development in other domains. PMID:22626000
The effects of rational and experiential information processing of expert testimony in death penalty cases.

PubMed

Krauss, Daniel A; Lieberman, Joel D; Olson, Jodi

2004-01-01

Past research examining the effects of actuarial and clinical expert testimony on defendants' dangerousness in Texas death penalty sentencing has found that jurors are more influenced by less scientific pure clinical expert testimony and less influenced by more scientific actuarial expert testimony (Krauss & Lee, 2003; Krauss & Sales, 2001). By applying cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST) to juror decision-making, the present study was undertaken in an attempt to offer a theoretical rationale for these findings. Based on past CEST research, 163 mock jurors were either directed into a rational mode or experiential mode of processing. Consistent with CEST and inconsistent with previous research using the same stimulus materials, results demonstrate that jurors in a rational mode of processing more heavily weighted actuarial expert testimony in their dangerousness assessments, while those jurors in the experiential condition were more influenced by clinical expert testimony. The policy implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Helping Callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Who Are at Imminent Risk of Suicide: The Importance of Active Engagement, Active Rescue, and Collaboration Between Crisis and Emergency Services

PubMed Central

Draper, John; Murphy, Gillian; Vega, Eduardo; Covington, David W; McKeon, Richard

2015-01-01

In 2012, the SAMHSA-funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) completed implementation of the first national Policy for Helping Callers at Imminent Risk of Suicide across its network of crisis centers. The policy sought to: (1) provide a clear definition of imminent risk; (2) reflect the state of evidence, field experience, and promising practices related to reducing imminent risk through hotline interventions; and (3) provide a uniform policy and approach that could be applied across crisis center settings. The resulting policy established three essential principles: active engagement, active rescue, and collaboration between crisis and emergency services. A sample of the research and rationale that underpinned the development of this policy is provided here. In addition, policy implementation, challenges and successes, and implications for interventions to help Lifeline callers at imminent risk of suicide are detailed. PMID:25270689
Federal Tax Policy regarding Universities: Endowments and beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vedder, Richard

2008-01-01

The vast bulk of economic activity in the United States is taxed by the federal government. There are exceptions carved out, primarily for charitable operations, including universities. The rationale is that these organizations serve the public good and should not be reduced in magnitude by the deleterious effects of taxes. Universities in…
The Regional Dimension of Education Hubs: Leading and Brokering Geopolitics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jack T.

2015-01-01

Several education hubs have emerged in the last decade in Asia and the Middle East. These ambitious policy initiatives share a common interest in cross-border higher education even though diverse rationales underpin their development. While some claim to be an international education hub, others claim to be a regional education hub or…
The Issue of Teacher Accountability: A South Australian Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naidu, Sham

2011-01-01

In this article, the author critiques the notion of accountability in teachers' work. It serves to place in context the rationale and introduction of accountability mechanisms, such as the performance management policy, as implemented in South Australian public education. Further, it serves to illustrate what MacPherson (1998, p. 4) describes as…
The Response of Vocational Education to the National Energy Crisis. A Special Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Advisory Council on Vocational Education, Washington, DC.

Rationale and recommendations are presented for vocational education's response to the national energy crisis in light of present involvement and future needs. The problem is stated in terms of the need for training programs in the newer energy technologies, including those related to conservation. Federal policies are outlined, specifically the…
The Benefits of Engaging in Research Informed Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Paula

2012-01-01

To be part of small scale classroom research for many practitioners is nothing more than a dream. This account describes how student teachers use such an approach to consider the rationale that underpins the teaching and learning of primary mathematics, and to enable them to question current debates, policies, and practices. The accounts from…
Women, Work and Age: Policy Challenges. Proceedings of the Conference (Lansing, Michigan, April 11-12, 1984).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Institute of Gerontology, Ann Arbor, MI.

Proceedings of a conference on women, work, and age are presented. The introduction by Carol Hollenstead give background on the topic, identifies the conference's goals and objectives, and describes the rationale behind the published proceedings. The keynote address, "Age Discrimination: The Invisible Barriers" (Sandra V. Porter),…
Collaboration, Integration and Change in Children's Services: Critical Issues and Key Ingredients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horwath, Jan; Morrison, Tony

2007-01-01

Background: Government and state policy, irrespective of jurisdiction, increasingly require and indeed specify the nature of collaboration with regard to the delivery of child welfare services for maltreated children. The rationale for collaboration appears obvious in as much as it is aimed at promoting multidisciplinary practice in order to meet…
Education for Parenthood and the Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruger, W. Stanley

School-related programs of the Education For Parenthood Project are described. The purpose of the project is to provide young people with knowledge and skills to enable them to be effective parents. The rationale for such a program is based on the ineffectiveness of current laissez-faire policy in the schools, as reflected by problems of child…
Going Modular--For Better or Worse? AIR 1994 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLachlan, Jeffrey E.; Wood, Vivienne

A modular system for undergraduate programs was implemented in three degree programs at Napier University in Scotland. This paper describes the degree course structure prior to 1992-93 and factors leading to change, including university response to government policy encouraging wider access to higher education. A rationale for modularization is…
Unifying the Algebra for All Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eddy, Colleen M.; Quebec Fuentes, Sarah; Ward, Elizabeth K.; Parker, Yolanda A.; Cooper, Sandi; Jasper, William A.; Mallam, Winifred A.; Sorto, M. Alejandra; Wilkerson, Trena L.

2015-01-01

There exists an increased focus on school mathematics, especially first-year algebra, due to recent efforts for all students to be college and career ready. In addition, there are calls, policies, and legislation advocating for all students to study algebra epitomized by four rationales of the "Algebra for All" movement. In light of this…
Teaching Writing within the Disciplines: A Viable Approach for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leopold, Lisa

2011-01-01

This case study of an adjunct-model English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing course linked to a policy-analysis course describes an effective approach for putting "specificity" into practice in EAP curriculum design. The rationale for interdisciplinary collaboration, the positive learning outcomes from the EAP writing course, the…
Exploring the Literacy Environment: A Case Study from Urban Senegal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shiohata, Mariko

2010-01-01

The low literacy rates in developing countries have been repeatedly problematized as a major constraint to socioeconomic development by education planners and policy makers. In the 1950s and 1960s, the dominant rationale for literacy development was one of promoting economic growth. In more recent years, by contrast, literacy has increasingly come…
Is Contextualised Admission the Answer to the Access Challenge?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mountford-Zimdars, Anna; Moore, Joanne; Graham, Janet

2016-01-01

This article reviews the idea of contextualising applicants to higher education in order to widen access. First, the meaning of contextualised admissions (CAs) is discussed before laying out the rationale for contextualising applicants and the beneficiaries of the policy. The final sections discuss key critiques of CA and conclude by arguing that…
The Reconstruction of Community College Vocational Education: A Vision for Renewing American Democracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harbour, Clifford P.; Wolgemuth, Jennifer R.

2015-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this article is to explain how central points developed in Dewey's 1916 "Democracy and Education" provide the rationale needed to adopt institutional and policy recommendations made by Grubb and Lazerson in their 2004 book, "The Education Gospel: The Economic Power of Schooling". Method: The central…
[Sex and gender equity in research: rationale for the SAGER guidelines and recommended use].

PubMed

Heidari, Shirin; Babor, Thomas F; De Castro, Paola; Tort, Sera; Curno, Mirjam

2018-05-03

Sex and gender differences are often overlooked in research design, study implementation and scientific reporting, as well as in general science communication. This oversight limits the generalizability of research findings and their applicability to clinical practice, in particular for women but also for men. This article describes the rationale for an international set of guidelines to encourage a more systematic approach to the reporting of sex and gender in research across disciplines. A panel of 13 experts representing nine countries developed the guidelines through a series of teleconferences, conference presentations and a 2-day workshop. An internet survey of 716 journal editors, scientists and other members of the international publishing community was conducted as well as a literatura search on sex and gender policies in scientific publishing. The Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines are a comprehensive procedure for reporting of sex and gender information in study design, data analyses, results and interpretation of findings. The SAGER guidelines are designed primarily to guide authors in preparing their manuscripts, but they are also useful for editors, as gatekeepers of science, to integrate assessment of sex and gender into all manuscripts as an integral part of the editorial process. Copyright © 2018 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
The emergence of family medicine in Kyrgyzstan.

PubMed

Hardison, Charles; Fonken, Paul; Chew, Tom; Smith, Barton

2007-10-01

In post-Soviet Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan has emerged as the leader in family medicine reform. This paper examines the factors that have allowed family medicine to become the foundation of primary care and the rationale for retraining specialists in primary care. Critical elements of successful family medicine reform have included national policy, international cooperation, training programs, support structures, and quality measures. The national policy has contributed to an environment that has allowed many international organizations to participate in the process of reforming the health care system. The 9-year training process was a momentous nationwide development task that was supported by various structures, organizations, and events and included the implementation of quality measures. Various reports, studies, and evaluations support the positive impact family medicine has had on patient satisfaction, physician attitude, and scope of practice. Further, one study indicates improved health outcomes in terms of decreased years of potential life lost. The national policy of reform that is in favor of family medicine, and international donor agencies-supported training, produced the following results: a group of family medicine teachers, 98% (2,691) of the country's primary care doctors retrained in family medicine, and there were 372 family medicine resident graduates. To ensure quality, objective structured clinical exams were implemented in all levels of training. It will take many more years to fully establish family medicine in the medical culture of Kyrgyzstan and reap its full benefits, but already it is contributing toward improvements in the quality of patient care.
Cigarette Prices in Military Retail: A Review and Proposal for Advancing Military Health Policy

PubMed Central

Haddock, Christopher K.; Jahnke, Sara A.; Poston, Walker S.C.; Williams, Larry N.

2013-01-01

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States (US) and has been demonstrated to significantly harm the combat readiness of military personnel. Unfortunately, recent research demonstrated that cigarettes are sold at substantial discounts in military retail outlets. In fact, the military is the only retailer which consistently loses money on tobacco. Cheap tobacco prices have been identified by enlisted personnel and Department of Defense health policy experts as promoting a culture of tobacco use in the US Military. This paper provides an analysis of why current military tobacco pricing policy has failed to eliminate cheap tobacco prices as an incentive for use. A rationale for increasing tobacco prices also is presented along with recommendations for improved military tobacco control policy. PMID:23756017

American Society of Clinical Oncology policy for relationships with companies: background and rationale.

PubMed

2013-06-01

The American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO's) new conflict of interest policy reflects a commitment to transparency and independence in the development and presentation of scientific and educational content. ASCO supports thorough and accessible disclosure of financial relationships with companies at institutional and individual levels and calls for rigorous evaluation of content in light of the information disclosed. For abstracts and articles presenting original research, ASCO holds first, last, and corresponding authors to a clear standard of independence. In imposing restrictions, the new policy focuses on the role of these authors rather than of the principal investigator(s) as in the previous policy. ASCO remains actively engaged with the broader scientific community in seeking and implementing efficient, effective approaches to conflict of interest management.
School food research: building the evidence base for policy.

PubMed

Nelson, Michael; Breda, João

2013-06-01

Following an international workshop on developing the evidence base for policy relating to school food held in London, UK, in January 2012, the objectives of the present paper were (i) to outline a rationale for school food research, monitoring and evaluation in relation to policy and (ii) to identify ways forward for future working. The authors analysed presentations, summaries of evidence, and notes from discussions held at the international workshop in London in 2012 to distil common themes and make recommendations for the development of coherent research programmes relating to food and nutrition in schools. International, with an emphasis on middle- and high-income countries. Overviews of existing school food and nutrition programmes from the UK, Hungary, Sweden, the USA, Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico and other countries were presented, along with information on monitoring, evaluation and other research to demonstrate the impact of school feeding on health, attainment, food sourcing, procurement and finances, in the context of interactions between the evidence base and policy decisions. This provided the material which, together with summaries and notes of discussions, was used to develop recommendations for the development and dissemination of robust approaches to sustainable and effective school food and nutrition programmes in middle- and high-income countries, including policy guidelines, standards, cost-effectiveness measures and the terms of political engagement. School food and nutrition can provide a cohesive core for health, education and agricultural improvement provided: (i) policy is appropriately framed and includes robust monitoring and evaluation; and (ii) all stakeholders are adequately engaged in the process. International exchange of information will be used to develop a comprehensive guide to the assessment of the impact of school food and nutrition policy and supporting infrastructure.
Self-rated health appraisal as cultural and identity process: African American elders' health and evaluative rationales.

PubMed

McMullen, Carmit K; Luborsky, Mark R

2006-08-01

We explored self-rated health by using a meaning-centered theoretical foundation. Self-appraisals, such as self-rated health, reflect a cultural process of identity formation, whereby identities are multiple, simultaneously individual and collective, and produced by specific historical formations. Anthropological research in Philadelphia determined (a) how African American elders appraise their health, and (b) how health evaluations reflect cultural and historical experiences within a community. We interviewed and observed 35 adults aged 65 to 80, stratified by gender and self-rated health. We validated theme analysis of focused interview questions against the larger data set of field notes and transcripts. Health appraisal reflected a complex process of adaptation and identity. Criteria for health included: independent functioning, physical condition, control and responsibility for health, and overall feeling. Evaluative rationales that shaped health appraisals were comparisons, restricted possibilities for self-evaluation, and ways of handling adversity. Evaluative rationales mitigated undesirable health identities (including low self-reported health) and provided mechanisms for claiming desired health identities despite adversity. Describing the criteria and evaluative rationales underlying self-appraisals of health extends current understandings of self-rated health and illustrates the sociohistorical context of individual assessments of well-being.
ICT in Schools: What Rationale? A Conceptual Frame for a Technological Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calvani, Antonio

2009-01-01

Why introduce ICT in schools? If we challenge educational reformers and practitioners with such a question, we find a lot of ambiguous answers, depending mainly on the kind of different expectations that ICT raise. To better understand the educational role of ICT, it is important to reveal the underlying assumptions one expects when proposing…
Equality of Opportunity Reconsidered: Values in Education for Tomorrow. Educational Research in Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardinet, Jean; And Others

Some attributes of policies for achieving equality of opportunity are discussed together with their rationales. The significance of inequality and the role of education are brought together to rehearse the crux of the issue and indicate why such importance has been attached to the debates and studies of equality of opportunity. Aspects of the…
The Technology-Related Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities Act: Relevance to Individuals with Learning Disabilities and Their Advocates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Brian R.; Seay, Penny Crews

1998-01-01

Discusses implications of the Technology-Related Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities Act (1988, 1994) for people with learning disabilities. It discusses the rationale for the act; its provisions and goals; and systems change and advocacy activities of state projects concerning policy analysis, funding, interagency collaboration, consumer…
Binational Teacher Development: Teacher Ambassador Exchange Program, New Mexico, USA and Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habermann, Mary Jean

The report describes the rationale for and history of an exchange program for Nuevo Leon (Mexico) and New Mexico bilingual education teachers. The program evolved from the need to help Spanish-speaking students maintain their own language and culture while in the United States. New Mexico's state policy concerning language-minority children and…
Collaborative Learning in the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence: The Challenges of Assessment and Potential of Multi-Touch Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKechan, Sandra; Ellis, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Scottish educational policy advocates the benefits of collaborative learning as a way of developing critical life skills, across the primary curriculum. In this paper, the rationale for collaborative learning, and specifically the Critical Skills (CS) approach, is considered along with an account of the perspectives of primary teachers…
Envisioning Upland Futures: Stakeholder Responses to Scenarios for Europe's Mountain Landscapes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soliva, Reto; Ronningen, Katrina; Bella, Ioanna; Bezak, Peter; Cooper, Tamsin; Flo, Bjorn Egil; Marty, Pascal; Potter, Clive

2008-01-01

In a period of agricultural decline in the uplands of Europe, agriculture is ceasing to provide the primary rationale for the organisation, utilisation and functioning of rural space. Policy reform, market trends and changes to the way citizens and consumers think about the countryside all suggest a need for thinking strategically about the future…
The Geography of School Choice in a City with Growing Inequality: The Case of Vancouver

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Ee-Seul; Lubienski, Christopher; Lee, Jin

2018-01-01

This analysis aims to measure the impact of school choice policy on secondary school students' enrolment patterns within the social geography of Vancouver, an increasingly polarized global city. The rationale for the study is to examine the impact of "education market" reforms on the socio-economic composition of schools in a Canadian…
Informed Choice? The New English Student Funding System and Widening Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adnett, Nick; Tlupova, Diana

2008-01-01

The new English system of student finance seeks to resolve a higher education policy trilemma created by government's desire to switch more of the costs on to students, whilst seeking to promote both increased and widening participation. The rationale for this new funding system is based upon orthodox economic analysis which, the authors argue,…
Sweden's Double Decade for Roma Inclusion: An Examination of Education Policy in Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexiadou, Nafsika; Norberg, Anders

2017-01-01

This article analyzes the Swedish Strategy for Roma Inclusion. Drawing on interviews and documentary materials produced around the Strategy by official sources and Roma organizations, we describe its background, rationale, and evolution, as well as the rifts it has revealed around the issues of minority representation and the framing of inclusion.…
Impacting Policy Discourse? An Analysis of Discourses and Rhetorical Devices Deployed in the Case of the Academies Commission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Becky

2015-01-01

Academisation of the English secondary school system has been extremely rapid and represents significant changes to the governance of the English school system. However, there has been a relative scarcity of attention to the rationales, rhetorics and discourses underpinning the academies programme. Seeking to address this gap, a poststructuralist…
Current Issues in Art and Design Education: Modularization and Course Ethos: The Case of Art and Design Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wayte, Gillian; Wayte, Nick

1990-01-01

Examines why art and design educators resist the modularization of degree-level courses. Identifies key characteristics of art education in England through an ethnographic study. Discusses government policy and rationales for modular and integrated courses. Concludes that the holistic approach to education allows students to expound and develop…
Constitutional Prospects for the Implementation of Funding and Governance Reforms in Latin American Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernasconi, Andres

2007-01-01

The rationale for comprehensive reform of Latin American higher education crystallized in the mid-1990s in policy documents published by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. This "Washington consensus" of the multilateral banks advocated, among other measures, greater reliance on private sources of funding, increased…
"System Leader" Consultancy Development in English Schools: A Long-Term Agenda for a Democratic Future?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Close, Paul

2016-01-01

Within the policy rationale of a "self-improving" school system, there are now several thousand National College designated "system leaders" working as consultants in English schools on aspects of school to school support. So far, there has been no systematic consideration of the long-term development of these consultants in…
Co-operating for Literacy. Report of an International Seminar (Berlin, October 1983).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fordham, Paul, Ed.

Intended for people in government and other agencies who make decisions on policy or on funding for literacy, this short report of an international seminar on literacy summarizes seminar themes. The first topic considered is the rationale for investment in education. The connection between literacy and national development is stressed, and three…
Mobilizing Intercultural Education for Equity and Social Justice. Time to React against the Intolerable: A Proposal from Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aguado-Odina, Teresa; Mata-Benito, Patricia; Gil-Jaurena, Inés

2017-01-01

Education is suffering from the consequences of strengthening neoliberal policies, which impose an education model that serves the interests of the hegemonic economic system. The market rationale is being implemented in schools, moving the interests from equity to efficiency, from equal opportunities to performance. Starting from setting out a…
Quality Indicators for Single-Case Research on Social Skill Interventions for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shin-Yi; Parrila, Rauno

2008-01-01

In this paper, we describe a quality checklist that parents, teachers, clinicians, and policy-makers with basic research skills can use to systematically evaluate the methodological quality of single-case studies on social skill training of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). We provide a rationale for included quality indicators, and…
Design Decisions in Developing Learning Trajectories-Based Assessments in Mathematics: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penuel, William R.; Confrey, Jere; Maloney, Alan; Rupp, André A.

2014-01-01

This article analyzes the design decisions of a team developing diagnostic assessments for a learning trajectory focused on rational number reasoning. The analysis focuses on the design rationale for key decisions about how to develop the cognitive assessments and related validity arguments within a fluid state and national policy context. The…

Choosing Not to Cheat: A Framework to Assess Students' Rationales for Abiding by Academic Integrity Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolb, Kenneth H.; Longest, Kyle C.; Singer, Alexa J.

2015-01-01

Writing intensive first-year seminars are well situated within the curriculum to teach about issues like cheating and plagiarism. Although most research on academic integrity focuses on how--and how much--students cheat, we take a different approach. We assess whether participation in writing intensive first-year seminars produces measurable…
A Children's Defense Budget: An Analysis of the FY 1987 Federal Budget and Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Children's Defense Fund, Washington, DC.

This analysis of the implications for children of the FY 1987 Federal budget begins by criticizing the Reagan administration's policy on poor children and families and recommending needed action. Chapter 1 provides a rationale for investing in children and families. Specific attention is given to costs of child poverty, declining Federal help for…
"Selling smarter, not harder": Life course effects on drug sellers' risk perceptions and management.

PubMed

Fader, Jamie J

2016-10-01

Policies undergirding the American War on Drugs assume that drug offenders respond rationally to adjustments in sanction certainty and severity. Previous studies find that instead of absolute deterrence, or the termination of criminal activity, drug offenders employ restrictive deterrence, or a variety of risk management strategies. Extant research and current drug policy both fail to examine the interaction of risk perception, management techniques, and life course events or circumstances. This dynamic examination of apprehension avoidance strategies relies on in-depth interviews mapping out the careers of 20 drug sellers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It examines their risk perceptions and risk management strategies and techniques, exploring rationales for shifts in offending behavior. Respondents were highly risk-averse but used a narrow definition of sanctions relevant to shaping future offending behavior, typically making small adjustments in sales techniques. Rationales for these shifts included sanctions, personal preference, and life course events or circumstances. Only one attributed lasting desistance from offending to a sanction, although life course events such as parenthood and employment were associated with short-term and planned desistance. The limited relevance of sanctions to offenders' thinking about risk avoidance contextualizes the widespread failure of policies designed to deter drug sales. Findings support a growing conclusion that severity of punishment is a less powerful deterrent than certainty and that adjustments in certainty after arrest are offense-specific. The relationship of life course events - especially employment - to desistance and resumed offending suggest that social policies may be more effective than criminal justice sanctions in reducing drug offending. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Actor interfaces and practices of power in a community health worker programme: a South African study of unintended policy outcomes.

PubMed

Lehmann, Uta; Gilson, Lucy

2013-07-01

This paper makes a contribution to a much-neglected aspect of policy analysis: the practice of power in implementation. Practices of power are at the heart of every policy process, yet are rarely explicitly explored in the health policy literature. This paper provides a detailed study of micro-practices of power by those at the frontline of service delivery in the implementation of a national community health worker policy in one rural South African sub-district. The paper is based on a small-scale qualitative study which collected data through observations, interviews and focus group discussions with health services and facility managers, community health workers and community members. Practices of power were analysed using VeneKlasen and Miller's categorization of multiple dimensions of power, as power over, power with, power to and power within. Furthermore, the concept of 'actor interface analysis' allowed exploration of different actors' experience, interests and their specific location in the landscape of local health system governance. The study revealed that almost all policy actors exercised some form of power, from authoritative power, derived from hierarchy and budget control, to the discretionary power of those working at lower levels to withhold labour or organize in-service training. Each of these practices of power had their rationale in different actors' efforts to make the intervention 'fit' their understandings of local reality. While each had a limited impact on policy outcomes, their cumulative effect produced a significant thinning down of the policy's intent. However, discretionary power was not always used to undermine policy. One manager's use of discretionary power in fact led to a partial reconstruction of the original policy intent. The paper concludes that understanding and being responsive to the complexity of local realities, interests and contexts and the multi-layered practices of power may allow managers to adopt more appropriate management strategies.
Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program: Shaping a Healthy Future for Older Americans.

PubMed

Pincus, Harold Alan; Pike, Kathleen M; Spaeth-Rublee, Brigitta; Elinson, Lynn

2017-09-01

As the size of the elderly population increases, so do the challenges of and barriers to high-quality, affordable health care. The Health and Aging Policy Fellows (HAPF) Program is designed to provide health and aging professionals with the skills and experience to help lead the effort in reducing these barriers and shaping a healthy and productive future for older Americans. Since its inception in 2008, the program has affected not only the fellows who participate, but also the field of health and aging policy. Work needs to be done to sustain this program so that more fellows can participate and sound policies for the elderly population can continue to be shaped and improved. This report describes the HAPF Program, including its background (rationale, description, partners, progress, effect), lessons learned, challenges and solutions, and policy implications. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.
Developing a nursing personnel policy to address body art using an evidence-based model.

PubMed

Dorwart, Shawna D; Kuntz, Sandra W; Armstrong, Myrna L

2010-12-01

An increase in the prevalence of body art as a form of self-expression has motivated health care organizations to develop policies addressing nursing personnel's body art. A systematic review of literature on body art was completed and a telephone survey of 15 hospitals was conducted to query existing policy statements addressing nursing personnel's body art. The literature established no prevalence of body art among nurses or effect of nurses' body art. Of the 13 hospitals (86%) that shared their policy on body art, none provided a rationale or references to support their existing policies. A lack of published evidence identifying the effect of body art among nurses shifts the burden of determining care outcomes to the leadership of individual hospitals. Further research on patients' perception of nursing personnel with visible body art, using an evidence-based model, is recommended. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.
Role for Occupational Therapy in Community Mental Health: Using Policy to Advance Scholarship of Practice.

PubMed

Mahaffey, Lisa; Burson, Kathrine A; Januszewski, Celeste; Pitts, Deborah B; Preissner, Katharine

2015-01-01

Occupational therapists must be aware of professional and policy trends. More importantly, occupational therapists must be involved in efforts to influence policy both for the profession and for the people they serve (Bonder, 1987). Using the state of Illinois as an example, this article reviews the policies and initiatives that impact service decisions for persons with psychiatric disabilities as well as the rationale for including occupational therapy in community mental health service provision. Despite challenges in building a workforce of occupational therapists in the mental health system, this article makes the argument that the current climate of emerging policy and litigation combined with the supporting evidence provides the impetus to strengthen mental health as a primary area of practice. Implications for scholarship of practice related to occupational therapy services in community mental health programs for individuals with psychiatric disability are discussed.
No global consensus: a cross-sectional survey of maternal weight policies

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Growing evidence suggests that maternal prepregnancy weight and gestational weight gain are risk factors for perinatal complications and subsequent maternal and child health. Postpartum weight retention is also associated with adverse birth outcomes and maternal obesity. Clinical guidelines addressing healthy weight before, during, and after pregnancy have been introduced in some countries, but at present a systematic accounting for these policies has not been conducted. The objective of the present study was to conduct a cross-national comparison of maternal weight guidelines. Methods This cross sectional survey administered a questionnaire online to key informants with expertise on the subject of maternal weight to assess the presence and content of preconceptional, pregnancy and postpartum maternal weight guidelines, their rationale and availability. We searched 195 countries, identified potential informants in 80 and received surveys representing 66 countries. We estimated the proportion of countries with guidelines by region, income, and formal or informal policy, and described and compared guideline content, including a rubric to assess presence or absence of 4 guidelines: encourage healthy preconceptional weight, antenatal weighing, encourage appropriate gestational gain, and encourage attainment of healthy postpartum weight. Results Fifty-three countries reported either a formal or informal policy regarding maternal weight. The majority of these policies included guidelines to assess maternal weight at the first prenatal visit (90%), to monitor gestational weight gain during pregnancy (81%), and to provide recommendations to women about healthy gestational weight gain (62%). Guidelines related to preconceptional (42%) and postpartum (13%) weight were less common. Only 8% of countries reported policies that included all 4 fundamental guidelines. Guideline content and rationale varied considerably between countries, and respondents perceived that within their country, policies were not widely known. Conclusions These results suggest that maternal weight is a concern throughout the world. However, we found a lack of international consensus on the content of guidelines. Further research is needed to understand which recommendations or interventions work best with respect to maternal weight in different country settings, and how pregnancy weight policies impact clinical practices and health outcomes for the mother and child. PMID:24884985
An investigation of pre-activity cardiovascular screening procedures in health/fitness facilities--part II: rationale for low adherence with national standards.

PubMed

Springer, Judy B; Eickhoff-Shemek, JoAnn M; Zuberbuehler, Ernest J

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the rationale provided by program directors and general managers of health/fitness facilities for low adherence to nationally accepted standards related to pre-activity cardiovascular screening procedures (PACSPs) for members and clients of personal trainers. Qualitative interviews were conducted with the directors/managers in a Midwest region representing 76 facilities who indicated they did not conduct PACSPs for members and clients of personal trainers. Analysis of the rationale provided revealed 6 major clusters: (1) Purpose or need for screening; (2) time and staffing; (3) barrier to participation; (4) personal responsibility for health and actions; (5) legal issues; and (6) company or franchise policy that categorized the reasons for low adherence to PACSPs. These findings highlight the need to increase awareness of the relevance of PACSPs among health/fitness managers, staff members, and current exercise science students as well as engage those in risk management for informed dialogue for consistent application of the standard of care. Copyright 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The diverging trajectories of cannabis and tobacco policies in the United States: reasons and possible implications.

PubMed

Hall, Wayne; Kozlowski, Lynn T

2018-04-01

To examine briefly the (i) rationales for two policy proposals in the United States to make it mandatory for cigarettes to contain very low levels of nicotine and to legalize cannabis for recreational use by adults; and (ii) possible lessons that participants in each policy debate may learn from each other. We briefly describe the diverging policies towards cannabis and tobacco in the United States, explain and critically analyse their rationales and discuss possible policy lessons. Advocates of cannabis legalization have argued that prohibition has been an ineffective and expensive policy that penalizes ethnic minority users unjustly of a drug that is far less harmful than alcohol. The prohibition of traditional tobacco cigarettes has been advocated as a way to eliminate cigarette smoking. These proposals embody very different attitudes towards the harms of recreational adult drug use. Advocates of nicotine prohibition demand that alternative methods of nicotine delivery must be shown to be completely safe before adults are allowed to use them. Advocates of tobacco prohibition ignore evidence that smokers may not use these products and the likelihood of expanding the illicit tobacco market. Advocates of legalizing and regulating recreational cannabis ignore the need to tax and regulate sales in order to minimize the harms of heavy use. It is not clear that the prohibition of adult use has a useful role to play in the regulation of either cannabis or tobacco. If both products remain legal, the goals of regulating tobacco and cannabis products should be to restrict youth access, promote the use of the least harmful products, provide users with evidence-based information on both absolute and differential product risks of use and use differential taxes and marketing controls to promote ways of using these products that cause the least harm to their users. © 2017 Society for the Study of Addiction.
Markets and childhood obesity policy.

PubMed

Cawley, John

2006-01-01

In examining the childhood obesity epidemic from the perspective of economics, John Cawley looks at both possible causes and possible policy solutions that work through markets. The operation of markets, says Cawley, has contributed to the recent increase in childhood overweight in three main ways. First, the real price of food fell. In particular, energy-dense foods, such as those containing fats and sugars, became relatively cheaper than less energy-dense foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Second, rising wages increased the "opportunity costs" of food preparation for college graduates, encouraging them to spend less time preparing meals. Third, technological changes created incentives to use prepackaged food rather than to prepare foods. Several economic rationales justify government intervention in markets to address these problems. First, because free markets generally under-provide information, the government may intervene to provide consumers with nutrition information they need. Second, because society bears the soaring costs of obesity, the government may intervene to lower the costs to taxpayers. Third, because children are not what economists call "rational consumers"--they cannot evaluate information critically and weigh the future consequences of their actions-the government may step in to help them make better choices. The government can easily disseminate information to consumers directly, but formulating policies to address the other two rationales is more difficult. In the absence of ideal policies to combat obesity, the government must turn to "second-best" policies. For example, it could protect children from advertisements for "junk food." It could implement taxes and subsidies that discourage the consumption of unhealthful foods or encourage physical activity. It could require schools to remove vending machines for soda and candy. From the economic perspective, policymakers should evaluate these options on the basis of cost-effectiveness studies. Researchers, however, have as yet undertaken few such studies of obesity-related policy options. Such analyses, once available, will help policymakers achieve the greatest benefit from a fixed budget.
Small self-contained payload overview. [Space Shuttle Getaway Special project management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, D. S.

1981-01-01

The low-cost Small Self-Contained Payload Program, also known as the Getaway Special, initiated by NASA for providing a stepping stone to larger scientific and manufacturing payloads, is presented. The steps of 'getting on board,' the conditions of use, the reimbursement policy and the procedures, and the flight scheduling mechanism for flying the Getaway Special payload are given. The terms and conditions, and the interfaces between NASA and the users for entering into an agreement with NASA for launch and associated services are described, as are the philosophy and the rationale for establishing the policy and the procedures.
Awareness and perceived fairness of option B+ in Malawi: a population-level perspective

PubMed Central

Yeatman, Sara; Trinitapoli, Jenny

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Policies for rationing antiretroviral therapy (ART) have been subject to on-going ethical debates. Introduced in Malawi in 2011, Option B+ prioritized HIV-positive pregnant women for lifelong ART regardless of the underlying state of their immune system, shifting the logic of allocation away from medical eligibility. Despite the rapid expansion of this policy, we know little about how it has been understood and interpreted by the people it affects. Methods: We assessed awareness and perceived fairness of the prioritization system for ART among a population-based sample of young women (n = 1440) and their partners (n = 574) in southern Malawi. We use a card-sort technique to elicit understandings of who gets ART under Option B+ and who should be prioritized, and we compare perceptions to actual ART policy using sequence analysis and optimal matching. We then use ordered logistic regression to identify the factors associated with policy awareness. Results: In 2015, only 30.7% of women and 21.1% of male partners understood how ART was being distributed. There was widespread confusion around whether otherwise healthy HIV-positive pregnant women could access ART under Option B + . Nonetheless, more young adults thought that the fairest policy should prioritize such women than believed the actual policy did. Women who were older, more educated or had recently engaged with the health system through antenatal care or ART had more accurate understandings of Option B + . Among men, policy awareness was lower, and was patterned only by education. Conclusions: Although most respondents were unaware that Option B+ afforded ART access to healthy-pregnant women, Malawians support the prioritization of pregnant women. Countries adopting Option B+ or other new ART policies such as universal test-and-treat should communicate the policies and their rationales to the public – such transparency would be more consistent with a fair and ethical process and could additionally serve to clarify confusion and enhance retention. PMID:28362070
Awareness and perceived fairness of Option B+ in Malawi: A population-level perspective

PubMed

Yeatman, Sara; Trinitapoli, Jenny

2017-03-08

Policies for rationing antiretroviral therapy (ART) have been subject to on-going ethical debates. Introduced in Malawi in 2011, Option B+ prioritized HIV-positive pregnant women for lifelong ART regardless of the underlying state of their immune system, shifting the logic of allocation away from medical eligibility. Despite the rapid expansion of this policy, we know little about how it has been understood and interpreted by the people it affects. We assessed awareness and perceived fairness of the prioritization system for ART among a population-based sample of young women (n = 1440) and their partners (n = 574) in southern Malawi. We use a card-sort technique to elicit understandings of who gets ART under Option B+ and who should be prioritized, and we compare perceptions to actual ART policy using sequence analysis and optimal matching. We then use ordered logistic regression to identify the factors associated with policy awareness. In 2015, only 30.7% of women and 21.1% of male partners understood how ART was being distributed. There was widespread confusion around whether otherwise healthy HIV-positive pregnant women could access ART under Option B + . Nonetheless, more young adults thought that the fairest policy should prioritize such women than believed the actual policy did. Women who were older, more educated or had recently engaged with the health system through antenatal care or ART had more accurate understandings of Option B + . Among men, policy awareness was lower, and was patterned only by education. Although most respondents were unaware that Option B+ afforded ART access to healthy-pregnant women, Malawians support the prioritization of pregnant women. Countries adopting Option B+ or other new ART policies such as universal test-and-treat should communicate the policies and their rationales to the public - such transparency would be more consistent with a fair and ethical process and could additionally serve to clarify confusion and enhance retention..
Are prices enough? The economics of material demand reduction

PubMed Central

Aidt, Toke; Jia, Lili

2017-01-01

Recent policy proposals to achieve carbon targets have emphasized material demand reduction strategies aimed at achieving material efficiency. We provide a bridge between the way economists and engineers think about efficiency. We use the tools of economics to think about policies directed at material efficiency and to evaluate the role and rationale for such policies. The analysis highlights when prices (or taxes) can be used to induce changes in material use and when taxes may not work. We argue that the role of taxes is limited by concerns about their distributional consequences, by international trade and the lack of international agreement on carbon prices, and by investment failures. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Material demand reduction’. PMID:28461434
Are prices enough? The economics of material demand reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aidt, Toke; Jia, Lili; Low, Hamish

2017-05-01

Recent policy proposals to achieve carbon targets have emphasized material demand reduction strategies aimed at achieving material efficiency. We provide a bridge between the way economists and engineers think about efficiency. We use the tools of economics to think about policies directed at material efficiency and to evaluate the role and rationale for such policies. The analysis highlights when prices (or taxes) can be used to induce changes in material use and when taxes may not work. We argue that the role of taxes is limited by concerns about their distributional consequences, by international trade and the lack of international agreement on carbon prices, and by investment failures. This article is part of the themed issue 'Material demand reduction'.
Developing an evidence-based approach to Public Health Nutrition: translating evidence into policy.

PubMed

Margetts, B; Warm, D; Yngve, A; Sjöström, M

2001-12-01

The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of an evidence-based approach to the development, implementation and evaluation of policies aimed at improving nutrition-related health in the population. Public Health Nutrition was established to realise a population-level approach to the prevention of the major nutrition-related health problems world-wide. The scope is broad and integrates activity from local, national, regional and international levels. The aim is to inform and develop coherent and effective policies that address the key rate-limiting steps critical to improving nutrition-related public health. This paper sets out the rationale for an evidence-based approach to Public Health Nutrition developed under the umbrella of the European Network for Public Health Nutrition.
Regulating payment for home care companionship services: legal authority and public policy.

PubMed

Kapp, Marshall B

2008-01-01

On June 11, 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in the case of Long Island Care at Home Ltd. v. Coke that upheld a federal regulation exempting employees of third-party agencies who provide home-based "companionship services" to disabled persons from the protections of the minimum wage and overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. This article discusses the legal issues argued in the case and the legal rationales for the court's decision. The article then identifies the important public policy questions involving the maintenance of a sufficient, competent home care workforce that were left unanswered by the legal ruling and outlines some of the pragmatic implications of potential responses to these public policy questions.
Summary of Research 1997 Department of Systems Management.

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-01-01

formulation and execution; impacts of budget allocation , reallocation, and reduction; imple- mentation of Defense Resource Management Systems; and the...flexible structure that can be applied to a wide range of resource allocation problems. PUBLICATIONS: Dolk, D., Murphy, M., and Thomas, G...policies, procedures, and rationale in deter- mining recruiting resource allocation decisions. The methodology relies on a review of the literature
New legislation on palliative care and pain in Mexico.

PubMed

Bistre, Sara

2009-01-01

International policy initiatives have called for recognition of pain management and palliative care as basic humans rights. This paper describes the rationale for and realization of major changes in Mexican health law to help assure availability of such services to the citizenry of that nation. The necessity for appropriate symptom control and safeguards against inappropriate initiation or cessation of care are defined.

Neoliberal Governmentality, Schooling and the City: Conceptual and Empirical Notes on and from the Global South

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gulson, Kalervo N.; Fataar, Aslam

2011-01-01

This paper applies ideas that emanate from the Global North, concerning neoliberalism and neoliberal governmentality, to the case of marketisation in South Africa. It also attends to the limits of Northern ideas that are both intellectual undertakings and policy manifestations. In the first part of the paper, we identify how rationales for school…
Language-in-Education Planning: The Use of Emergent Web 2.0 Genres in the South of Italy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sindoni, Maria Grazia

2009-01-01

This paper analyses the rationale for the creation of multimedia texts, in the context of learning English in an economically and socially depressed context. Issues of implementation of macro-level language policies in a local context are particularly stringent when the macro-level approach is rendered impracticable for some reason (e.g. cost,…
Business and Academia: Partners in New England's Economic Renewal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoy, John C., Ed.; Bernstein, Melvin H., Ed.

The relationship of higher education and the health of the economy is examined with emphasis on the rationale for change in some of the attitudes and policies within the New England higher education community that have prevailed during its 1945-1975 period of prosperity and growth, and prior to the 1976-1980 shift to steady state and no-growth…
The Influence of Business and Industry as Drivers for Change in UK Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLernon, Tim

2008-01-01

The rationale underpinning UK higher education (HE) has changed significantly over the last 20 years. Government policy dictates that 50% of 18-30 year-olds should be in HE by the year 2010. Students enter HE almost solely for the exchange value of the qualification and the expectation of enhanced career prospects in business and industry. This…
The Perspective of Six Malaysian Students on Playing Video Games: Beneficial or Detrimental?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baki, Roselan; Yee Leng, Eow; Wan Ali, Wan Zah; Mahmud, Rosnaini; Hamzah, Mohd. Sahandri Gani

2008-01-01

This study provides a glimpse into understanding the potential benefits as well as harm of playing video games from the perspective of six Malaysian secondary school students, aged 16-17 years old. The rationale of the study is to enable parents, educators, administrators and policy makers to develop a sound understanding on the impact of playing…
The development of guidelines for drug and alcohol dependence treatment: affecting policy and practice.

PubMed

Heather, N; Mattick, R P

1994-01-01

The rationale and methodology behind the Australian Quality Assurance Project is described. The Project aimed to develop guidelines for treatment content based on three sources of information: research findings, current practice and expert opinion. The issue of the gap between research and practice is discussed, as well as the role of dissemination in altering clinician behaviour.
Education for Mobile Populations in America: A Rationale for the Office of Migrant Education, U.S. Department of Education. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Association, Washington, DC. Div. of Instruction and Professional Development.

Highlighting the fact that a different concept in delivery is required to provide educational programs and services to mobile populations, this paper describes the special educational needs of mobile students, gives the legislative history that has led to creation of an administrative structure to fulfill those needs, and suggests policies and…
A Different Result of Community Participation in Education: An Indonesian Case Study of Parental Participation in Public Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitriah, Amaliah; Sumintono, Bambang; Subekti, Nanang Bagus; Hassan, Zainudin

2013-01-01

Parental participation in school management is regarded as a good thing according to the rationale that local people know better and are able to be more responsive to their own needs. However, little is understood about the implications of the School Operational Support policy for community participation in education. This study investigated…
An ESD Pathway to Quality Education in the Cyprus Primary Education Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kadji-Beltran, Chrysanthi; Christodoulou, Nicoletta; Zachariou, Aravella; Lindemann-Matthies, Petra; Barker, Susan; Kadis, Costas

2017-01-01

This research is based on the rationale that the well-defined framework of education for sustainable development (ESD), its connection with real life and its specific integration in the educational policies and curricula can help to enhance quality education (QE) in a meaningful and identifiable way. In a first step, the common ground of ESD and…
Review of Namibian legislation and policies pertinent to environmental flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bethune, Shirley; Amakali, Maria; Roberts, Kevin

The rationale for evaluating Namibian environmental flows is essentially that of ensuring ‘the maintenance of ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity’ and the sustainable utilisation of natural resources as promoted in clause 95 of the Namibian Constitution. Recent policy and legislative reforms have created a unique opportunity for Namibia to incorporate environmental sensitivity clauses such as those to ensure adequate environmental flows for river systems. The Second National Development Plan and the National Water Policy White Paper form the basis for the new Water Resources Management Act, promulgated in December 2004. The National Water Policy includes a basic principle headed “Ecosystem values and sustainability” that stresses that the management of water resources needs to harmonise human and environmental requirements, recognising the role of water in supporting the ecosystem. One of the strategies given to ensure environmental and economic sustainability reads: “Ensure that in-stream flows are adequate both in terms of quality and quantity to sustain the ecosystem”. Although the water policy clearly states that: “The legislation will provide for determining an environmental water reserve for freshwater sources before they can be used to supply other demands than domestic and subsistence livestock watering”, there is now no direct mention of environmental flows in the new Water Act. This paper explores to what extent the need for the determination of environmental water needs has been incorporated into Namibian policies, legislation and development plans. It makes recommendations, pertinent to the Namibian situation, of what needs to be done to ensure that environmental water requirements are taken into account in future planning, operation and management of Namibia’s precious water resources.
Using Reliability to Meet Z540.3's 2 percent Rule

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mimbs, Scott M.

2011-01-01

NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) undertook implementation of ANSI/NCSL Z540.3-2006 in October 2008. Early in the implementation, KSC identified that the largest cost driver of Z540.3 implementation is measurement uncertainty analyses for legacy calibration processes. NASA, like other organizations, has a significant inventory of measuring and test equipment (MTE) that have documented calibration procedures without documented measurement uncertainties. This paper provides background information to support the rationale for using high in-tolerance reliability as evidence of compliance to the 2% probability of false acceptance (PFA) quality metric of ANSI/NCSL Z540.3-2006 allowing use of qualifying legacy processes. NASA is adopting this as policy and is recommending NCSL International consider this as a method of compliance to Z540.3. Topics covered include compliance issues, using end-of-period reliability (EOPR) to estimate test point uncertainty, reliability data influences within the PFA model, the validity of EOPR data, and an appendix covering "observed" versus "true" EOPR.
Descriptors for Law-Related Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison.

This guide provides a framework for developing a law-related curriculum in grades K-12. It is presented in nine major sections. Section I discusses the rationale for including law-related education in the curriculum. The rationale is that in order for citizens to make conscious choices, they must understand legal processes, reason through the need…
The Early Diffusion of Smart Meters in the US Electric Power Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strong, Derek Ryan

The impact of new technologies within and across industries is only felt through their widespread diffusion, yet studies of technology diffusion are scarce compared to other aspects of the innovation process. The electric power industry is one industry that is currently undergoing substantial change as a result of both technological and institutional innovations. In this dissertation I examine the economic rationale for the adoption of smart meters by electric power utilities and the relationship between smart meters and the evolving electric power industry. I contribute to empirical research on technology diffusion by studying the early diffusion of smart meters in the US electric power industry. Using a panel dataset and econometric models, I analyze the determinants of both the interfirm and intrafirm diffusion of smart meters in the United States. The empirical findings suggest multiple drivers of smart meter diffusion. Policy and regulatory support have had a significant, positive impact on adoption but have not been the only relevant determinants. The findings also suggest that utility characteristics and some combination of learning, cost reductions, and technology standards have been important determinants affecting smart meter diffusion. I also explore the policy implications resulting from this analysis for enhancing the diffusion of smart meters. The costs and benefits of adopting smart meters have been more uncertain than initially thought, suggesting that some policy support for adoption was premature. The coordination of policies is also necessary to achieve the full benefits of using smart meters.
Improving the Quality of Informed Consent in Clinical Research with Information Technology.

PubMed

Taber, Celia; Warren, Jim; Day, Karen

2016-01-01

The clinical research industry has yet to fully embrace information technology (IT) for informed consent purposes, even though it is used indispensably in our everyday lives and in other areas of clinical research and healthcare. This paper presents findings of a meta-narrative literature review to discuss the potential for IT to improve the quality of clinical research informed consent. The review reveals three main rationales for including IT in research consent. First, in the current context consent documents frequently fail to be effective decision aids for patients, and the lack of patient centricity in the process. Second, social media provides opportunities for patients to consult with a broader community during research consent to seek broader support, and potential to participate in creating a more patient centric process. Third, multimedia tools provide opportunities for improved patient education, engagement and decision making during research consent. IT offers opportunities to achieve more meaningful research consent, but more research is needed to create an evidence base, policies and economic analyses on the return on investment of using IT in the process.
Rationales for expanding minority physician representation in the workforce: a scoping review.

PubMed

Kelly-Blake, Karen; Garrison, Nanibaa' A; Fletcher, Faith E; Ajegba, Brittany; Smith, Nichole; Brafford, Morgann; Bogdan-Lovis, Elizabeth

2018-06-22

The purpose of this study was to conduct a scoping review of the literature and to categorically map a 15-year trajectory of US undergraduate medical education rationales for and approaches to expanding under-represented minority (URM) physician representation in the medical workforce. Further aims were to comparatively examine related justifications and to consider international implications. From 1 June to 31 July 2015, the authors searched the Cochrane Library, ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar for articles published between 2000 and 2015 reporting rationales for and approaches to increasing the numbers of members of URMs in undergraduate medical school. A total of 137 articles were included in the scoping review. Of these, 114 (83%) mentioned workforce diversity and 73 (53%) mentioned concordance. The patient-physician relationship (n = 52, 38%) and service commitment (n = 52, 38%) were the most commonly cited rationales. The most frequently mentioned approaches to increasing minority representation were pipeline programmes (n = 59, 43%), changes in affirmative action laws (n = 32, 23%) and changes in admission policies (n = 29, 21%). This scoping review of the 2000-2015 literature on strategies for and approaches to expanding URM representation in medicine reveals a repetitive, amplifying message of URM physician service commitment to vulnerable populations in medically underserved communities. Such message repetition reinforces policies and practices that might limit the full scope of URM practice, research and leadership opportunities in medicine. Cross-nationally, service commitment and patient-physician concordance benefits admittedly respond to recognised societal need, yet there is an associated risk for instrumentally singling out members of URMs to fulfil that need. The proceedings of a 2001 US Institute of Medicine symposium warned against creating a deterministic expectation that URM physicians provide care to minority populations. Our findings suggest that the expanding emphasis on URM service commitment and patient-physician concordance benefits warrants ongoing scrutiny and, more broadly, represent a cautionary tale of unintended consequences for medical educators globally. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.
Continuity and change in local immigrant policies in times of austerity.

PubMed

Schiller, Maria; Hackett, Sarah

2018-01-01

European cities are increasingly being recognised for the role they play in devising and implementing their own migration, integration and diversity policies. Yet very little is known about the local dimension of immigrant policymaking in crisis contexts. This introductory piece offers a rationale for analysing city-level immigrant policies in times of crisis and the salience of using crisis as a metaphor for the state of things, and outlines key scholarly works, debates, concepts and theories. It provides a range of historical and contemporary examples and considerations, and introduces an empirical city case study that is published as part of this mini-symposium. It argues that a crisis lens leads to a systematic understanding of local-level immigrant policymaking in recent and contemporary Western Europe. The mini-symposium's focus and findings should be relevant to both on-going academic and policy debates.
The Coherence of Vocational Education and Training in Norway and Spain: National Traditions and the Reshaping of VET Governance in Hybrid VET Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Souto-Otero, Manuel; Ure, Odd Bjorn

2012-01-01

Coherence of national education and training systems is increasingly tabled in European policy debates. Leaning on literature about the emergence and consolidation of national education systems, this article explores the rationale for VET reforms in Norway and Spain by scrutinising attempts to strengthen the coherence of their VET systems.…
The End of Modernist Approaches to School Funding Policy in Australia: A New Rationale for Funding with Inclusive Implications for All Australian Schools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furtado, Michael

2005-01-01

The Australian Senate Employment, Workplace Relations and Education References Committee has been asked to examine the principles of Commonwealth Funding for schools, with particular emphasis on how these principles apply in meeting the current future needs of government and non-government schools and whether they ensure efficiency in the…
Policy Implications of a Hierarchy of Values.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drews, Elizabeth M.

The author examines (in some detail) five images of man--man as a bad animal, man as a blank sheet, man as a mixture of good and evil, man as naturally good, and man as able to transcend himself. Relying on the work of those like Abraham Maslow who follow the view of man as transcendent, the author sets forth her rationale for the assumption that…
The Strategic Rationale for Special Operations Forces Employment

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-07

the United States consider " second best strategies"O.- Since American popular opinion is generally against the ... language school 4ar SF soldiers. Some SF officers, varrant officers and noncommissioned officers, and all PSYOP and CA cfficers, study languaes at the vell...of SOF, and examines the effects of American political culture on the national security policy-making apparatus of the nation. The net result is

Minority Business Development and Economic Development Policy in New York. Implications for Black Entrepreneurs and Communities. Report of the Subcommittee on Economic Development. Volume 5, Economic Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York Governor's Advisory Committee for Black Affairs, Albany.

New York State should develop a comprehensive justification for its involvement in minority business development and each State program should be closely associated with that rationale. Minority business development programs are often short-sighted, potentially conflicting, and yield unimpressive results. Development of Economic Development Zones…
Chemical Sensing in Process Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirschfeld, T.; And Others

1984-01-01

Discusses: (1) rationale for chemical sensors in process analysis; (2) existing types of process chemical sensors; (3) sensor limitations, considering lessons of chemometrics; (4) trends in process control sensors; and (5) future prospects. (JN)
Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Participatory Modeling to Elicit Behavioral Drivers in Environmental Dilemmas: the Case of Air Pollution in Talca, Chile.

PubMed

Meinherz, Franziska; Videira, Nuno

2018-04-10

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the exploration of environmental modeling methods based on the elicitation of stakeholders' mental models. This aim is motivated by the necessity to understand the dilemmas and behavioral rationales of individuals for supporting the management of environmental problems. The methodology developed for this paper integrates qualitative and quantitative methods by deploying focus groups for the elicitation of the behavioral rationales of the target population, and grounded theory to code the information gained in the focus groups and to guide the development of a dynamic simulation model. The approach is applied to a case of urban air pollution caused by residential heating with wood in central Chile. The results show how the households' behavior interrelates with the governmental management strategies and provide valuable and novel insights into potential challenges to the implementation of policies to manage the local air pollution problem. The experience further shows that the developed participatory modeling approach allows to overcome some of the issues currently encountered in the elicitation of individuals' behavioral rationales and in the quantification of qualitative information.
Status of hydrology examined by NRC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, Susan

“The central role of water in the evolution and operation of the Earth system provides a rationale for seeing hydrologic science as a geoscience of stature equal to that of the atmospheric ocean, and solid Earth sciences.” This is the theme of the recently released National Research Council's report, Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences.The report was prepared for NRC by the Committee on Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences. Frank Press, chairman of NRC, said the report is “intended to help guide science and educational policy decisions and to provide a scientific framework and educational policy for scientists, educators, and students making career plans.”
Improving government regulations: a guidebook for conservation and renewable energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neese, R. J.; Scheer, R. M.; Marasco, A. L.

1981-04-01

An integrated view of the Office of Conservation and Solar Energy (CS) policy making encompassing both administrative procedures and policy analysis is presented. Chapter One very briefly sketches each step in the development of a significant regulation, noting important requirements and participants. Chapter Two expands upon the Overview, providing the details of the process, the rationale and source of requirements, concurrence procedures, and advice on the timing and synchronization of steps. Chapter Three explains the types of analysis documents that may be required for a program. Regulatory Analyses, Environmental Impact Statements, Urban and Community Impact Analyses, and Regulatory Flexibility Analysesmore » are all discussed. Specific information to be included in the documents and the circumstances under which the documents need to be prepared are explained. Chapter Four is a step-by-step discussion of how to do good analysis. Use of models and data bases is discussed. Policy objectives, alternatives, and decision making are explained. In Chapter five guidance is provided on identifying the public that would most likely be interested in the regulation, involving its constituents in a dialogue with CS, evaluating and handling comments, and engineering the final response. Chapter Six provides direction on planning the evaluation, monitoring the regulation's success once it has been promulgated, and allowing for constructive support or criticism from outside DOE. (MCW)« less
Helping callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline who are at imminent risk of suicide: the importance of active engagement, active rescue, and collaboration between crisis and emergency services.

PubMed

Draper, John; Murphy, Gillian; Vega, Eduardo; Covington, David W; McKeon, Richard

2015-06-01

In 2012, the SAMHSA-funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) completed implementation of the first national Policy for Helping Callers at Imminent Risk of Suicide across its network of crisis centers. The policy sought to: (1) provide a clear definition of imminent risk; (2) reflect the state of evidence, field experience, and promising practices related to reducing imminent risk through hotline interventions; and (3) provide a uniform policy and approach that could be applied across crisis center settings. The resulting policy established three essential principles: active engagement, active rescue, and collaboration between crisis and emergency services. A sample of the research and rationale that underpinned the development of this policy is provided here. In addition, policy implementation, challenges and successes, and implications for interventions to help Lifeline callers at imminent risk of suicide are detailed. © 2014 The Authors. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Suicidology.
Job-Grading System Manual for Nonappropriated Fund Instrumentalities

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-01

rationale for use and forwarded through designated channels to the office of DoD NAF Personnel Policy. E. USE OF OPM POSITION CLASSIFICATION AND JOB...marking, building and control of campfires, and identification of hazardous plants and animals. Schedules day or longer "camp-outs," publicizes the...Merchandisers PS-5 decorate designated areas, including showcases, ledges, and fixtures. Incumbents set up focal displays near entrances to attract cus
Typology of State Types: Persistence and Transition

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-28

is the lack of positive transition among the weakest states. Our findings are derived from a minimalist construct of a refined time series dataset...states based on a „ minimalist ‟ construct of the Country Indicators for Foreign Policy (CIFP) fragile states project and its core structural...begin with the rationale for developing a minimalist construct of a state typology model (STM), similar to the approach taken by Gravingholt, Ziaja
An analysis of the theoretical rationale for using strategic environmental assessment to deliver environmental justice in the light of the Scottish Environmental Assessment Act

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jackson, Tony; Illsley, Barbara

2007-10-15

The different ways in which its territorial jurisdictions have chosen to apply the European Union's (EU's) Directive on strategic environmental assessment (SEA) to their public sector policies, plans and programmes (PPPs) suggest that the United Kingdom (UK) continues to be uncertain about the theoretical rationale for this technique. In order to evaluate the analytical significance of these alternative interpretations, their methodological foundations need to be examined. Baseline-led approaches to SEA which are intended to operationalise sustainability can be shown to place unrealistic expectations on instrumental rationality. Objectives-led policy appraisal makes SEA contingent on whatever particular social construction of sustainable developmentmore » holds sway. These expert-driven approaches contrast with a reflexive interpretation of environmental governance, in which SEA helps to expose the conflictual nature of public actions claiming to deliver sustainability, and offers stakeholders increased opportunities to challenge these. The approach adopted in Scotland, in which SEA forms part of an agenda for environmental justice, is evaluated in the light of this critique. The Scottish Executive's eclectic legislation, which covers all its public sector PPPs, may offer a way of mediating between these competing interpretations of SEA.« less
Promotion and advocacy for improved complementary feeding: can we apply the lessons learned from breastfeeding?

PubMed

Piwoz, Ellen G; Huffman, Sandra L; Quinn, Victoria J

2003-03-01

Although many successes have been achieved in promoting breastfeeding, this has not been the case for complementary feeding. Some successes in promoting complementary feeding at the community level have been documented, but few of these efforts have expanded to a larger scale and become sustained. To discover the reasons for this difference, the key factors for the successful promotion of breastfeeding on a large scale were examined and compared with the efforts made in complementary feeding. These factors include definition and rationale, policy support, funding, advocacy, private-sector involvement, availability and use of monitoring data, integration of research into action, and the existence of a well-articulated series of steps for successful implementation. The lessons learned from the promotion of breastfeeding should be applied to complementary feeding, and the new Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding provides an excellent first step in this process.
Women in HIV cure research: multilevel interventions to improve sex equity in recruitment.

PubMed

Grewe, Mary E; Ma, Yuntong; Gilbertson, Adam; Rennie, Stuart; Tucker, Joseph D

Women are underrepresented in HIV cure research. In this paper we discuss the rationale for including women and propose multilevel strategies to improve sex equity in HIV cure research. The inadequate inclusion of women in HIV cure research is concerning for both scientific and ethical reasons. Biological responses to HIV and HIV treatment, as well as social contexts, differ between men and women, and this may affect the efficacy of curative interventions. Strategies for improving sex equity in HIV cure research include addressing eligibility criteria, adapting recruitment strategies, engaging community members early in the research process, and promoting funder policy changes. We conclude by describing the Gender, Race, and Clinical Experience (GRACE) study, which is one example of how women can be effectively recruited into HIV-related clinical trials. While HIV cure research is currently in the early stages, as it continues to develop it is important to mobilise for adequate inclusion of women.
Chlamydia screening in England: a qualitative study of the narrative behind the policy

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The rationale for the English National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) has been questioned. There has been little analysis, however, of what drove the NCSP’s establishment and how it was implemented. Such analysis will help inform the future development of the NCSP. This study used a qualitative, theory-driven approach to evaluate the rationale for the NCSP’s establishment and implementation. Methods Semi-structured interviews with 14 experts in chlamydia screening were undertaken. The interview data were analysed with policy documents and commentaries from peer-reviewed journals (published 1996–2010) using the Framework approach. Results Two themes drove the NCSP’s establishment and implementation. The first, chlamydia control, was prominently referenced in documents and interviews. The second theme concerned the potential for chlamydia screening to advance wider improvements in sexual health. In particular, screening was expected to promote sexual health services in primary care and encourage discussion of sexual health with young people. While this theme was only indirectly referenced in policy documents, it was cited by interviewees as a strong influence on implementation in the early years. However, by full rollout of the Programme, a focus on screening volume may have limited the NCSP’s capacity to improve broader aspects of sexual health. Conclusions A combination of explicit and implicit drivers underpinned the Programme’s establishment. This combination may explain why there was widespread support for its introduction and why implementation of the NCSP was inconsistent. The potential to improve young people’s sexual health more comprehensively should be made explicit in future planning of the NCSP. PMID:22545922
Rationale and Development of a Security Assurance Index with Application toward the Development of a World Risk Index

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

M. M. Plum; G. A. Beitel, PhD

Assurance categories were previously developed to support the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts in the mitigation of Cyber Control System events. Defined according to the risk of life and economic loss, the minimum range is designated by policy, whereas the maximum limit seems to be constrained only by limits and interdependencies of the event. Use of this life / assets scale has proven to be helpful in managing risk due to the scale's ease of use, communication, and understanding. Suggestions have been made that this scale could be applied to all events of terror, disaster, and calamity of an internationalmore » scale, with equally good results. This paper presents the history of some existing scales of disaster and assurance, the rationale behind the development of the original Security Assurance Index, and our proposed scale of disaster and calamity as a World Risk Index.« less
Data relay system specifications for ERTS image interpretation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daniel, J. F.

1970-01-01

Experiments with the Data Collection System (DCS) of the Earth Resources Technology Satellites (ERTS) have been developed to stress ERTS applications in the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Program. Active pursuit of this policy has resulted in the design of eight specific experiments requiring a total of 98 DCS ground-data platforms. Of these eight experiments, six are intended to make use of DCS data as an aid in image interpretation, while two make use of the capability to relay data from remote locations. Preliminary discussions regarding additional experiments indicate a need for at least 150 DCS platforms within the EROS Program for ERTS experimentation. Results from the experiments will be used to assess the DCS suitability for satellites providing on-line, real-time, data relay capability. The rationale of the total DCS network of ground platforms and the relationship of each experiment to that rationale are discussed.
The fuel market effects of biofuel policies and implications for regulations based on lifecycle emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajagopal, Deepak

2013-06-01

The absence of a globally-consistent and binding commitment to reducing greenhouse emissions provides a rationale for partial policies, such as renewable energy mandates, product emission standards, etc to target lifecycle emissions of the regulated products or services. While appealing in principle, regulation of lifecycle emissions presents several practical challenges. Using biofuels as an illustrative example, we highlight some outstanding issues in the design and implementation of life cycle-based policies and discuss potential remedies. We review the literature on emissions due to price effects in fuel markets, which are akin to emissions due to indirect land use change, but are, unlike the latter, ignored under all current life cycle emissions-based regulations. We distinguish the current approaches to regulating indirect emissions into hard and soft approaches and discuss their implications.
Theory and methods in comparative drug and alcohol policy research: Response to a review of the literature.

PubMed

Burris, Scott

2017-03-01

Comparative drug and alcohol policy analysis (CPA) is alive and well, and the emergence of robust alternatives to strict prohibition provides exciting research opportunities. As a multidisciplinary practice, however, CPA faces several methodological challenges. This commentary builds on a recent review of CPA by Ritter et al. (2016) to argue that the practice is hampered by a hazy definition of policy that leads to confusion in the specification and measurement of the phenomena being studied. This problem is aided and abetted by the all-too-common omission of theory from the conceptualization and presentation of research. Drawing on experience from the field of public health law research, this commentary suggests a distinction between empirical and non-empirical CPA, a simple taxonomic model of CPA policy-making, mapping, implementation and evaluation studies, a narrower definition of and rationale for "policy" research, a clear standard for measuring policy, and an expedient approach (and renewed commitment) to using theory explicitly in a multi-disciplinary practice. Strengthening CPA is crucial for the practice to have the impact on policy that good research can. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Healthy food procurement policies and their impact.

PubMed

Niebylski, Mark L; Lu, Tammy; Campbell, Norm R C; Arcand, Joanne; Schermel, Alyssa; Hua, Diane; Yeates, Karen E; Tobe, Sheldon W; Twohig, Patrick A; L'Abbé, Mary R; Liu, Peter P

2014-03-03

Unhealthy eating is the leading risk for death and disability globally. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for population health interventions. One of the proposed interventions is to ensure healthy foods are available by implementing healthy food procurement policies. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence base assessing the impact of such policies. A comprehensive review was conducted by searching PubMed and Medline for policies that had been implemented and evaluated the impact of food purchases, food consumption, and behaviors towards healthy foods. Thirty-four studies were identified and found to be effective at increasing the availability and purchases of healthy food and decreasing purchases of unhealthy food. Most policies also had other components such as education, price reductions, and health interventions. The multiple gaps in research identified by this review suggest that additional research and ongoing evaluation of food procurement programs is required. Implementation of healthy food procurement policies in schools, worksites, hospitals, care homes, correctional facilities, government institutions, and remote communities increase markers of healthy eating. Prior or simultaneous implementation of ancillary education about healthy eating, and rationale for the policy may be critical success factors and additional research is needed.
Healthy Food Procurement Policies and Their Impact

PubMed Central

Niebylski, Mark L.; Lu, Tammy; Campbell, Norm R. C.; Arcand, Joanne; Schermel, Alyssa; Hua, Diane; Yeates, Karen E.; Tobe, Sheldon W.; Twohig, Patrick A.; L’Abbé, Mary R.; Liu, Peter P.

2014-01-01

Unhealthy eating is the leading risk for death and disability globally. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for population health interventions. One of the proposed interventions is to ensure healthy foods are available by implementing healthy food procurement policies. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence base assessing the impact of such policies. A comprehensive review was conducted by searching PubMed and Medline for policies that had been implemented and evaluated the impact of food purchases, food consumption, and behaviors towards healthy foods. Thirty-four studies were identified and found to be effective at increasing the availability and purchases of healthy food and decreasing purchases of unhealthy food. Most policies also had other components such as education, price reductions, and health interventions. The multiple gaps in research identified by this review suggest that additional research and ongoing evaluation of food procurement programs is required. Implementation of healthy food procurement policies in schools, worksites, hospitals, care homes, correctional facilities, government institutions, and remote communities increase markers of healthy eating. Prior or simultaneous implementation of ancillary education about healthy eating, and rationale for the policy may be critical success factors and additional research is needed. PMID:24595213
Charting the trajectory of domestic violence policy change in the Republic of Ireland since the mid-1990s – a path towards integration?

PubMed Central

Kearns, Noreen; Coen, Liam

2014-01-01

Introduction This paper assesses the policy developments pertaining to the implementation of an integrated approach to domestic violence over the past 15 years. The contextual setting is outlined in terms of the international policy response to the problem of domestic violence based on an ecological perspective. Description of policy and case Periods of core strategic policy and related structural developments are considered illustrating the Irish experience of domestic violence policy-making and service provision. The value of adopting an integrated approach to domestic violence based on the rationale of improving strategic policy formulation, coordinating service provision and facilitating joined-up governance is set out. The core facilitators and challenges associated with such an approach are described. Analysis and conclusion The policy framework and restructured landscape of domestic violence in Ireland has undergone significant change over the past decade and a half. The paper uses a three-dimensional matrix of domestic violence policy development and service integration as a means of addressing horizontal, vertical and resource aspects of collaboration and integration. While the changes have been characterised by significant phases of fluctuation in terms of coordinated action and the situation currently appears promising, however it is too early to judge the outcomes of the most recent reforms. PMID:25337062
Spacecraft computer resource margin management. [of Project Galileo Orbiter in-flight reprogramming task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larman, B. T.

1981-01-01

The conduction of the Project Galileo Orbiter, with 18 microcomputers and the equivalent of 360K 8-bit bytes of memory contained within two major engineering subsystems and eight science instruments, requires that the key onboard computer system resources be managed in a very rigorous manner. Attention is given to the rationale behind the project policy, the development stage, the preliminary design stage, the design/implementation stage, and the optimization or 'scrubbing' stage. The implementation of the policy is discussed, taking into account the development of the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem (AACS) and the Command and Data Subsystem (CDS), the reporting of margin status, and the response to allocation oversubscription.

How to make deposition of images a reality

PubMed Central

Guss, J. Mitchell; McMahon, Brian

2014-01-01

The IUCr Diffraction Data Deposition Working Group is investigating the rationale and policies for routine deposition of diffraction images (and other primary experimental data sets). An information-management framework is described that should inform policy directions, and some of the technical and other issues that need to be addressed in an effort to achieve such a goal are analysed. In the near future, routine data deposition could be encouraged at one of the growing number of institutional repositories that accept data sets or at a generic data-publishing web repository service. To realise all of the potential benefits of depositing diffraction data, specialized archives would be preferable. Funding such an initiative will be challenging. PMID:25286838
Unpacking knowledge translation in participatory research: a micro-level study.

PubMed

Lillehagen, Ida; Heggen, Kristin; Engebretsen, Eivind

2016-10-01

Funding bodies, policy makers, researchers and clinicians are seeking strategies to increase the translation of knowledge between research and practice. Participatory research encompasses a range of approaches for clinicians' involvement in research in the hope of increasing the relevance and usability of research. Our aim was to explore how knowledge is translated and integrated in participants' presentations and negotiations about knowledge. Twelve collaboration meetings were observed, and discussions between researchers and clinicians were recorded. The material was examined using the following analytical terms: knowledge object, knowledge form, knowledge position and knowledge tasks. We identified a recurring rhetorical pattern in translational processes that we call 'relevance testing': a strategy by which the participants attempt to create coherence and identify relevance across different contexts. The limitation of this translational strategy was a tendency to reinforce a 'two-communities' logic: re-establishing the separated worlds and rationales between clinicians and researchers. The 'translational work' that unfolds during discussions remains implicit. It may be that participants are unable to explicitly address and identify the knowledge translation processes because they lack necessary conceptual tools. Our results contribute to increased awareness about translational processes and provide a language through which barriers to translation can be addressed. © The Author(s) 2016.
Integrating Civilian Agencies in Stability Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

Defense for Policy, COL Norman Cotton . At the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Readiness, Mr. Carl Rosengrant. At the U.S. Joint...rationale for pro- viding foreign aid was to help defeat Soviet-style communism by pro- moting economic development and political reforms that would...1990s, the U.S. government’s stated intent for allocating foreign aid was to achieve broad-based and sustainable economic growth, to pro- mote the
Examining the Impact of a Highly Targeted State Administered Merit Aid Program on Brain Drain: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Analysis of Missouri's Bright Flight Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrington, James R.; Muñoz, José; Curs, Bradley R.; Ehlert, Mark

2016-01-01

The adoption of state-funded merit-based aid programs has become increasingly popular among policy-makers, particularly in the southeastern part of the United States. One of the primary rationales of state-funded merit-based aid is to provide scholarships to the best and brightest students as a means to retain high quality human capital in the…
From Soft Power to Economic Diplomacy? A Comparison of the Changing Rationales and Roles of the U. S. and Canadian Federal Governments in International Education. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.2.15

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trilokekar, Roopa Desai

2015-01-01

Through a historical and comparative analysis of international education policy development in Canada and the U.S., this paper will map the similarities and differences in the two countries. It will highlight the contributions and challenges of the government's involvement in international education (IE) in the two federal states and in…
Domestic Determinants and Security Policy-Making in East Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-11-01

the U.S.-Japan alliance cannot be overstated as a foundation stone of Asia’s stability, the bilateral relationship has been sub- jected to heavy stress...financial crisis, are addressed by only a single department or ministry. ■ American neglect and Japanese obsession — With the purpose of the alliance ...requirement for a new rationale, fears weakening of American resolve to remain committed. Security independence by Japan and U.S. abandonment of the alliance
Innovation Related to the Tenure, Succession Pattern and Reference Group Orientation of the Principal. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, James A.; Reynolds, Larry J.

The purposes of this study were to develop a conceptual rationale that might serve as the basis for a model of the change process and to test hypotheses derived from the rationale. It was believed that this approach would make a contribution to a growing body of research which views the school in the broader context of organizational theory. The…
Charting the trajectory of domestic violence policy change in the Republic of Ireland since the mid-1990s - a path towards integration?

PubMed

Kearns, Noreen; Coen, Liam

2014-07-01

This paper assesses the policy developments pertaining to the implementation of an integrated approach to domestic violence over the past 15 years. The contextual setting is outlined in terms of the international policy response to the problem of domestic violence based on an ecological perspective. Periods of core strategic policy and related structural developments are considered illustrating the Irish experience of domestic violence policy-making and service provision. The value of adopting an integrated approach to domestic violence based on the rationale of improving strategic policy formulation, coordinating service provision and facilitating joined-up governance is set out. The core facilitators and challenges associated with such an approach are described. The policy framework and restructured landscape of domestic violence in Ireland has undergone significant change over the past decade and a half. The paper uses a three-dimensional matrix of domestic violence policy development and service integration as a means of addressing horizontal, vertical and resource aspects of collaboration and integration. While the changes have been characterised by significant phases of fluctuation in terms of coordinated action and the situation currently appears promising, however it is too early to judge the outcomes of the most recent reforms.
Biopharmaceutical innovation and industrial developments in South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

PubMed

Hsieh, Chee-Ruey; Löfgren, Hans

2009-05-01

South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are well known as export-oriented developmental states which for decades employed industrial policy to target particular industries for government support. In the past fifteen years, these three countries all identified the biopharmaceutical industry as a strategic sector. This article explores, through economic analysis, the rationale for this decision and the strategies chosen for linking into the global bio-economy with the objective of catching up in biopharmaceuticals. The paper identifies three comparative advantages enjoyed by these countries in the biopharma sector: (1) public investments in basic research; (2) private investments in phase 1 clinical trials; and (3) a potentially significant contract research industry managing latter-stage clinical trials. Governments employ a range of industrial policies, consistent with these comparative advantages, to promote the biopharmaceutical industry, including public investment in biomedical hubs, research funding and research and development (R&D) tax credits. We argue that the most important feature of the biopharmaceutical industry in these countries is the dominant role of the public sector. That these countries have made progress in innovative capabilities is illustrated by input measures such as R&D expenditure as share of gross domestic product, number of patents granted and clinical trials, and volume of foreign direct investment. In contrast, output indicators such as approval of new chemical entities suggest that the process of catching up has only just commenced. Pharmaceutical innovation is at the stage of mainly generating inputs to integrated processes controlled by the globally incumbent firms.
How might acupuncture work? A systematic review of physiologic rationales from clinical trials.

PubMed

Moffet, Howard H

2006-07-07

Scientific interest in acupuncture has led numerous investigators to conduct clinical trials to test the efficacy of acupuncture for various conditions, but the mechanisms underlying acupuncture are poorly understood. The author conducted a PubMed search to obtain a fair sample of acupuncture clinical trials published in English in 2005. Each article was reviewed for a physiologic rationale, as well as study objectives and outcomes, experimental and control interventions, country of origin, funding sources and journal type. Seventy-nine acupuncture clinical trials were identified. Twenty-six studies (33%) offered no physiologic rationale. Fifty-three studies (67%) posited a physiologic basis for acupuncture: 33 (62% of 53) proposed neurochemical mechanisms, 2 (4%) segmental nervous system effects, 6 (11%) autonomic nervous system regulation, 3 (6%) local effects, 5 (9%) effects on brain function and 5 (9%) other effects. No rationale was proposed for stroke; otherwise having a rationale was not associated with objective, positive or negative findings, means of intervention, country of origin, funding source or journal type. The dominant explanation for how acupuncture might work involves neurochemical responses and is not reported to be dependent on treatment objective, specific points, means or method of stimulation. Many acupuncture trials fail to offer a meaningful rationale, but proposing a rationale can help investigators to develop and test a causal hypothesis, choose an appropriate control and rule out placebo effects. Acupuncture may stimulate self-regulatory processes independent of the treatment objective, points, means or methods used; this would account for acupuncture's reported benefits in so many disparate pathologic conditions.
Rationales behind irrationality of decision making in groundwater quality management.

PubMed

Ronen, Daniel; Sorek, Shaul; Gilron, Jack

2012-01-01

This issue paper presents how certain policies regarding management of groundwater quality lead to unexpected and undesirable results, despite being backed by seemingly reasonable assumptions. This happened in part because the so-called reasonable decisions were not based on an integrative and quantitative methodology. The policies surveyed here are: (1) implementation of a program for aquifer restoration to pristine conditions followed, after failure, by leaving it to natural attenuation; (2) the "Forget About The Aquifer" (FATA) approach, while ignoring possible damage that contaminated groundwater can inflict on the other environmental systems; (3) groundwater recharge in municipal areas while neglecting the presence of contaminants in the unsaturated zone and conditions exerted by upper impervious surfaces; (4) the Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) practice considering aquifers to be "filters of infinite capacity"; and (5) focusing on well contamination vs. aquifer contamination to conveniently defer grappling with the problem of the aquifer as a whole. Possible reasons for the failure of these seemingly rational policies are: (1) the characteristic times of processes associated with groundwater that are usually orders of magnitude greater than the residence times of decision makers in their managerial position; (2) proliferation of improperly trained "groundwater experts" or policymakers with sectoral agendas alongside legitimate differences of opinion among groundwater scientists; (3) the neglect of the cyclic nature of natural phenomena; and (4) ignoring future long-term costs because of immediate costs. © 2011, The Author(s). Ground Water © 2011, National Ground Water Association.
Public participation and environmental impact assessment: Purposes, implications, and lessons for public policy making

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Faircheallaigh, Ciaran, E-mail: Ciaran.Ofaircheallaigh@griffith.edu.a

In recent years the need to enhance public participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and the efficacy of alternative mechanisms in achieving this goal, have been central themes in the EIA literature. The benefits of public participation are often taken for granted, and partly for this reason the underlying rationale for greater public participation is sometimes poorly articulated, making it more difficult to determine how to pursue it effectively. The reasons for seeking public participation are also highly diverse and not always mutually consistent. There has been limited analysis of the implications of different forms and degrees of public participationmore » for public decision making based on EIA, and little discussion of how experience with public participation in EIA relates to debates about participation in policy making generally. This paper distinguishes various purposes for public participation in EIA, and discusses their implications for decision making. It then draws on some general models of public participation in policy making to consider how approaches to participation in EIA can be interpreted and valued, and asks what EIA experience reveals about the utility of these models. It argues that the models pay insufficient attention to the interaction that can occur between different forms of public participation; and to the fact that public participation raises issues regarding control over decision making that are not subject to resolution, but must be managed through ongoing processes of negotiation.« less
The public health roots of zoning: in search of active living's legal genealogy.

PubMed

Schilling, Joseph; Linton, Leslie S

2005-02-01

Improvements in the built environment and changes in land-use policy are promising approaches to increasing physical activity among a largely sedentary population. Opportunities for walking and cycling as part of daily life are important to increasing physical activity and improving health. Yet, local zoning codes and related land-use regulations have made it difficult to create vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods with well-connected streets and more compact development-the infrastructure necessary to support healthier rates of walking and cycling for transportation. To better understand the dynamic nature of land-use law and policy, and how policymakers might accomplish zoning reform to encourage more physically active environments, this paper traces the public health roots of zoning through a family tree of land-use legal doctrines. Zoning and public health laws evolved from the same legal ancestors-the common law of public nuisance and the expansion of state police powers, both premised on protection of the public's health. When the U.S. Supreme Court approved zoning in the 1926 case of Ambler Realty v. Village of Euclid, it nominally recognized the health basis of zoning. But it went on to craft a new legal rationale focused more on protection of property rights and residential neighborhoods. Since Euclid, court decisions have given little consideration to the public health roots of zoning. Given an emerging body of research demonstrating the importance of walking-friendly environments and the deference shown by the courts to the passage of zoning laws, the courts are likely to support policymakers as they move to change zoning systems conceived long ago. Legal, historical, and policy rationales support the modernization of zoning and land use policies that allow sensible mixes of land uses. Mixed land uses make walking an attractive alternative to driving and support a more physically active and healthy citizenry.
Screening for EIA in India: enhancing effectiveness through ecological carrying capacity approach.

PubMed

Rajaram, T; Das, Ashutosh

2011-01-01

Developing countries across the world have embraced the policy of high economic growth as a means to reduce poverty. This economic growth largely based on industrial output is fast degrading the ecosystems, jeopardizing their long term sustainability. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has long been recognized as a tool which can help in protecting the ecosystems and aid sustainable development. The Screening guidelines for EIA reflect the level of commitment the nation displays towards tightening its environmental protection system. The paper analyses the screening process for EIA in India and dissects the rationale behind the exclusions and thresholds set in the screening process. The screening process in India is compared with that of the European Union with the aim of understanding the extent of deviations from a screening approach in the context of better economic development. It is found that the Indian system excludes many activities from the purview of screening itself when compared to the EU. The constraints responsible for these exclusions are discussed and the shortcomings of the current command and control system of environmental management in India are also explained. It is suggested that an ecosystem carrying capacity based management system can provide significant inputs to enhance the effectiveness of EIA process from screening to monitoring. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The process for technology transfer in Baltimore

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golden, T. S.

1978-01-01

Ingredients essential for a successful decision process relative to proper technological choices for a large city were determined during four years of experience in the NASA/Baltimore Applications Project. The general approach, rationale, and process of technology transfer are discussed.
Analysis of current laboratory animal science policies and administration in China.

PubMed

Kong, Qi; Qin, Chuan

2009-01-01

Laboratory animal science (LAS) advances scientific understanding of the care and use of animals that play a key role in research supporting the development of biomedicine. LAS has developed quickly in China in recent decades, and this report provides an analysis of the current status of the countrys LAS policies and administration. National and provincial laws, regulations, guidelines, and standards apply to quality control and licensing, quarantine and infectious disease control, breeding and husbandry, transgenic animals, staff qualifications, animal welfare, and imports, exports, and transportation. Regulation and oversight of lab animal use are the responsibility of the national Ministry of Science and Technology, provincial departments of science and technology, and institutional animal care and use committees. We begin with an explanation of the rationale behind this paper and then offer a brief history of policy-related activities and achievements. We then present various policies, discuss their implementation, and hypothesize about future policy developments. With the improvement of policies under an integrated, multitiered administration, the use of high-quality lab animals in Chinese scientific research is increasing and many more papers describing animal experiments performed in China are being published in international journals.
Reimbursement decisions in health policy--extending our understanding of the elements of decision-making.

PubMed

Wirtz, Veronika; Cribb, Alan; Barber, Nick

2005-09-08

Previous theoretical and empirical work on health policy decisions about reimbursement focuses on specific rationales such as effectiveness, economic considerations and equal access for equal needs. As reimbursement decisions take place in a social and political context we propose that the analysis of decision-making should incorporate factors, which go beyond those commonly discussed. As an example we chose three health technologies (sildenafil, rivastigmine and statins) to investigate how decisions about reimbursement of medicines are made in the United Kingdom National Health Service and what factors influence these decisions. From face-to-face, in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 20 regional and national policy makers and stakeholders we identified two dimensions of decision-making, which extend beyond the rationales conventionally cited. The first dimension relates to the role of 'subjectivity' or 'the personal' in the decisions, including personal experiences of the condition and excitement about the novelty or potential benefit of the technology-these factors affect what counts as evidence, or how evidence is interpreted, in practice. The second dimension relates to the social and political function of decision-making and broadens what counts as the relevant ends of decision-making to include such things as maintaining relationships, avoiding organisational burden, generating politically and legally defensible decisions and demonstrating the willingness to care. More importantly, we will argue that these factors should not be treated as contaminants of an otherwise rational decision-making. On the contrary we suggest that they seem relevant, reasonable and also of substantial importance in considering in decision-making. Complementing the analysis of decision-making about reimbursement by incorporating these factors could increase our understanding and potentially improve decision-making.
Descriptions of Space Processing Applications Rocket (SPAR) experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naumann, R. J. (Editor)

1979-01-01

The experiments for all the Space Processing Applications Rocket experiments, including those flown on previous Space Processing flights as well as those under development for future flights are described. The experiment objective, rationale, approach, and results or anticipated results are summarized.
Comprehension of Connected Discourse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosberg, Ludwig; Shima, Fred

A rationale was developed for researching reading comprehension based on information gain. Previous definitions of comprehension which were reviewed included operational vs. nonoperational and skills vs. processes. Comprehension was viewed as an informational processing event which includes a constellation of cognitive and learning processes. Two…
Renovating Charity Hospital or building a new hospital in post-Katrina New Orleans: economic rationale versus political will.

PubMed

Leleu, Hervé; Moises, James; Valdmanis, Vivian Grace

2013-02-01

Since September 2005, Charity Hospital of New Orleans has been closed due to Hurricane Katrina. A debate following the closing arose about whether this public hospital should be renovated or a new medical center affiliated with the Louisiana State University should be built. Using academic literature, government statistics, and popular press reports, we describe the economic implications that support the view that Charity Hospital should have been renovated. We also address why this policy was not pursued by demonstrating the influence politics and individual stakeholders (specifically, Louisiana State University) had on the eventual policy pursued. In this commentary we also note the political identity movement away from public-sector provision of services to private-sector interests.

The role of public health in the prevention of war: rationale and competencies.

PubMed

Wiist, William H; Barker, Kathy; Arya, Neil; Rohde, Jon; Donohoe, Martin; White, Shelley; Lubens, Pauline; Gorman, Geraldine; Hagopian, Amy

2014-06-01

In 2009 the American Public Health Association approved the policy statement, "The Role of Public Health Practitioners, Academics, and Advocates in Relation to Armed Conflict and War." Despite the known health effects of war, the development of competencies to prevent war has received little attention. Public health's ethical principles of practice prioritize addressing the fundamental causes of disease and adverse health outcomes. A working group grew out of the American Public Health Association's Peace Caucus to build upon the 2009 policy by proposing competencies to understand and prevent the political, economic, social, and cultural determinants of war, particularly militarism. The working group recommends that schools of public health and public health organizations incorporate these competencies into professional preparation programs, research, and advocacy.
Modernizing the British National Health Service (NHS) -- some ideological and policy considerations.

PubMed

Bradshaw, Peter L

2003-03-01

The British National Health Service (NHS) is undergoing a seemingly unprecedented reorganization. The present Government is attempting to modernize a system of care that has been relatively unchanged for over 50 years amid a great deal of its own publicity about its achievements. This paper begins by briefly examining the ideological basis of these reforms. It proceeds to interrogate the rationale for current health policy from the perspective of the Government. It then analyses the arguments of the detractors who oppose the form these changes are taking. The paper concludes that modernization of the NHS is mainly cosmetic but its significance concerns the stimulation of a broader and radical debate about the future funding and delivery of health care in Britain.
China’s Currency: Economic Issues and Options for U.S. Trade Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-22

otherwise, the results may represent nothing more than spurious correlation. One rationale is called the “ Balassa - Samuelson ” effect: as countries get richer...the mobility of labor and capital in China may interfere with the Balassa - Samuelson effect.45 Cheung et al. are able to replicate others’ results...overall U.S. trade deficit is unsustainable, and revaluing the yuan would reduce it. This goes beyond an argument that China has fixed the yuan at an
A Summary of Proceedings and Participant Recommendations from a National Workshop on Institutionalizing Progress in Agricultural Extension and Education in Taiwan (Taichung, Taiwan, April 22-24, 1991) = Cejin Wo Guo Nongye Tuiguang Jiaoyu Xin Tizhi Yantaohui Zhuanji. Zhonghua Minguao Bashi Nian Siyue 22 zhi 24.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministry of Education, Taipei (Taiwan).

These proceedings contain four presentations from a workshop at which leaders in agriculture and education contributed suggestions for developing policies and plans for the new Agricultural Extension Education Graduate Institute (AEEGI) in Taiwan. Introductory materials include a list of members of the planning committee, workshop rationale,…
The Schultz curve 25 years later: a research perspective.

PubMed

Fidell, Sanford

2003-12-01

The contemporary technical rationale for assessing effects ("impacts") of transportation noise on communities rests in large part on a purely descriptive dosage-effect relationship of the sort first synthesized by Schultz [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 64, 377-405 (1978)]. Although U.S. federal adoption of an annoyance-based rationale for regulatory policy has made this approach a familiar one, it is only one of several historical perspectives, and not necessarily the most useful for all purposes. Last reviewed by the U.S. Federal Interagency Committee on Noise (FICON) 10 years ago, the accuracy and precision of estimates of the prevalence of a consequential degree of noise-induced annoyance yielded by functions of noise exposure leave much to be desired. This tutorial article traces the development of the dosage-effect relationship on which FICON currently relies, in a wider historical context of efforts to understand and predict community response to transportation noise. It also identifies areas in which advances in genuine understanding might lead to improved means for predicting community response to transportation noise.
Scientism and Scientific Thinking. A Note on Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasparatou, Renia

2017-11-01

The move from respecting science to scientism, i.e., the idealization of science and scientific method, is simple: We go from acknowledging the sciences as fruitful human activities to oversimplifying the ways they work, and accepting a fuzzy belief that Science and Scientific Method, will give us a direct pathway to the true making of the world, all included. The idealization of science is partly the reason why we feel we need to impose the so-called scientific terminologies and methodologies to all aspects of our lives, education too. Under this rationale, educational policies today prioritize science, not only in curriculum design, but also as a method for educational practice. One might expect that, under the scientistic rationale, science education would thrive. Contrariwise, I will argue that scientism disallows science education to give an accurate image of the sciences. More importantly, I suggest that scientism prevents one of science education's most crucial goals: help students think. Many of my arguments will borrow the findings and insights of science education research. In the last part of this paper, I will turn to some of the most influential science education research proposals and comment on their limits. If I am right, and science education today does not satisfy our most important reasons for teaching science, perhaps we should change not just our teaching strategies, but also our scientistic rationale. But that may be a difficult task.
Conservation of design knowledge. [of large complex spaceborne systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sivard, Cecilia; Zweben, Monte; Cannon, David; Lakin, Fred; Leifer, Larry

1989-01-01

This paper presents an approach for acquiring knowledge about a design during the design process. The objective is to increase the efficiency of the lifecycle management of a space-borne system by providing operational models of the system's structure and behavior, as well as the design rationale, to human and automated operators. A design knowledge acquisition system is under development that compares how two alternative design versions meet the system requirements as a means for automatically capturing rationale for design changes.
Influenza vaccination for healthcare workers in the UK: appraisal of systematic reviews and policy options.

PubMed

Kliner, Merav; Keenan, Alex; Sinclair, David; Ghebrehewet, Sam; Garner, Paul

2016-09-13

The UK Department of Health recommends annual influenza vaccination for healthcare workers, but uptake remains low. For staff, there is uncertainty about the rationale for vaccination and evidence underpinning the recommendation. To clarify the rationale, and evidence base, for influenza vaccination of healthcare workers from the occupational health, employer and patient safety perspectives. Systematic appraisal of published systematic reviews. The quality of the 11 included reviews was variable; some included exactly the same trials but made conflicting recommendations. 3 reviews assessed vaccine effects in healthcare workers and found 1 trial reporting a vaccine efficacy (VE) of 88%. 6 reviews assessed vaccine effects in healthy adults, and VE was consistent with a median of 62% (95% CI 56 to 67). 2 reviews assessed effects on working days lost in healthcare workers (3 trials), and 3 reported effects in healthy adults (4 trials). The meta-analyses presented by the most recent reviews do not reach standard levels of statistical significance, but may be misleading as individual trials suggest benefit with wide variation in size of effect. The 2013 Cochrane review reported absolute effects close to 0 for laboratory-confirmed influenza, and hospitalisation for patients, but excluded data on clinically suspected influenza and all-cause mortality, which had shown potentially important effects in previous editions. A more recent systematic review reports these effects as a 42% reduction in clinically suspected influenza (95% CI 27 to 54) and a 29% reduction in all-cause mortality (95% CI 15 to 41). The evidence for employer and patient safety benefits of influenza vaccination is not straightforward and has been interpreted differently by different systematic review authors. Future uptake of influenza vaccination among healthcare workers may benefit from a fully transparent guideline process by a panel representing all relevant stakeholders, which clearly communicates the underlying rationale, evidence base and judgements made. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/
Public Policy Panel Discussion: Science Policy in an Era of Political Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubell, M. S.; Bromley, D. A.; Moniz, E.; Weimer, T. R.; Windham, P.

1996-03-01

The end of the Cold War and the accelerated globalization of the American economy are shifting long-held rationales for policies on scientific research and education. For example, Vannevar Bush's paradigm for research and development, considered sacrosanct for almost half a century, has been declared by some analysts to be irrelevant for America of the 1990's. In addition, the demands for change, expressed by voters in the 1992 and 1994 elections, create a new political context within which science policies must be placed. Downsizing of the federal government, begun by the Clinton administration and accelerated dramatically by the 104th Congress, has led to ideological and budgetary debates, some of which remain unresolved. At the same time, the industrial workplace has also undergone dramatic change. Most central research laboratories no longer exist, and the industrial commitment to basic research is but a shadow of what it was two or three decades ago. Industry demands better educated and more highly skilled workers, even as the nature of science education and the role of the federal government in providing that education is being altered. The panel will address these and other issues in scientific research and education that confront federal policy makers.
Ethical Dilemmas in Protecting Susceptible Subpopulations From Environmental Health Risks: Liberty, Utility, Fairness, and Accountability for Reasonableness

PubMed Central

Resnik, David B.; MacDougall, D. Robert; Smith, Elise M.

2018-01-01

Various U.S. laws, such as the Clean Air Act and the Food Quality Protection Act, require additional protections for susceptible subpopulations who face greater environmental health risks. The main ethical rationale for providing these protections is to ensure that environmental health risks are distributed fairly. In this article, we (1) consider how several influential theories of justice deal with issues related to the distribution of environmental health risks; (2) show that these theories often fail to provide specific guidance concerning policy choices; and (3) argue that an approach to public decision making known as accountability for reasonableness can complement theories of justice in establishing acceptable environmental health risks for the general population and susceptible subpopulations. Since accountability for reasonableness focuses on the fairness of the decision-making process, not the outcome, it does not guarantee that susceptible subpopulations will receive a maximum level of protection, regardless of costs or other morally relevant considerations. PMID:29466133
Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species

PubMed Central

Pagad, Shyama; Genovesi, Piero; Carnevali, Lucilla; Schigel, Dmitry; McGeoch, Melodie A.

2018-01-01

Harmonised, representative data on the state of biological invasions remain inadequate at country and global scales, particularly for taxa that affect biodiversity and ecosystems. Information is not readily available in a form suitable for policy and reporting. The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS) provides the first country-wise checklists of introduced (naturalised) and invasive species. GRIIS was conceived to provide a sustainable platform for information delivery to support national governments. We outline the rationale and methods underpinning GRIIS, to facilitate transparent, repeatable analysis and reporting. Twenty country checklists are presented as exemplars; GRIIS Checklists for close to all countries globally will be submitted through the same process shortly. Over 11000 species records are currently in the 20 country exemplars alone, with environmental impact evidence for just over 20% of these. GRIIS provides significant support for countries to identify and prioritise invasive alien species, and establishes national and global baselines. In future this will enable a global system for sustainable monitoring of trends in biological invasions that affect the environment. PMID:29360103
Engaging with Comparative Risk Appraisals: Public Views on Policy Priorities for Environmental Risk Governance.

PubMed

Rocks, Sophie A; Schubert, Iljana; Soane, Emma; Black, Edgar; Muckle, Rachel; Petts, Judith; Prpich, George; Pollard, Simon J

2017-09-01

Communicating the rationale for allocating resources to manage policy priorities and their risks is challenging. Here, we demonstrate that environmental risks have diverse attributes and locales in their effects that may drive disproportionate responses among citizens. When 2,065 survey participants deployed summary information and their own understanding to assess 12 policy-level environmental risks singularly, their assessment differed from a prior expert assessment. However, participants provided rankings similar to those of experts when these same 12 risks were considered as a group, allowing comparison between the different risks. Following this, when individuals were shown the prior expert assessment of this portfolio, they expressed a moderate level of confidence with the combined expert analysis. These are important findings for the comprehension of policy risks that may be subject to augmentation by climate change, their representation alongside other threats within national risk assessments, and interpretations of agency for public risk management by citizens and others. © 2017 The Authors Risk Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Risk Analysis.
Immunization of Health-Care Providers: Necessity and Public Health Policies

PubMed Central

Maltezou, Helena C.; Poland, Gregory A.

2016-01-01

Health-care providers (HCPs) are at increased risk for exposure to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) in the workplace. The rationale for immunization of HCPs relies on the need to protect them and, indirectly, their patients from health-care-associated VPDs. Published evidence indicates significant immunity gaps for VPDs of HCPs globally. Deficits in knowledge and false perceptions about VPDs and vaccines are the most common barriers for vaccine uptake and may also influence communication about vaccines between HCPs and their patients. Most countries have immunization recommendations for HCPs; however, there are no universal policies and significant heterogeneity exists between countries in terms of vaccines, schedules, frame of implementation (recommendation or mandatory), and target categories of HCPs. Mandatory influenza immunization policies for HCPs have been implemented with high vaccine uptake rates. Stronger recommendations for HCP immunization and commitment at the level of the health-care facility are critical in order to achieve high vaccine coverage rates. Given the importance to health, mandatory immunization policies for VPDs that can cause serious morbidity and mortality to vulnerable patients should be considered. PMID:27490580
Global health policies that support the use of banked donor human milk: a human rights issue

PubMed Central

Arnold, Lois DW

2006-01-01

This review examines the role of donor human milk banking in international human rights documents and global health policies. For countries looking to improve child health, promotion, protection and support of donor human milk banks has an important role to play for the most vulnerable of infants and children. This review is based on qualitative triangulation research conducted for a doctoral dissertation. The three methods used in triangulation were 1) writing as a method of inquiry, 2) an integrative research review, and 3) personal experience and knowledge of the topic. Discussion of the international human rights documents and global health policies shows that there is a wealth of documentation to support promotion, protection and support of donor milk banking as an integral part of child health and survival. By utilizing these policy documents, health ministries, professional associations, and donor milk banking associations can find rationales for establishing, increasing or continuing to provide milk banking services in any country, and thereby improve the health of children and future generations of adults. PMID:17164001
Essays on Environmental Economics and Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, W. Reed

A central feature of modern government is its role in designing welfare improving policies to address and correct market failures stemming from externalities and public goods. The rationale for most modern environmental regulations stems from the failure of markets to efficiently allocate goods and services. Yet, as with any policy, distributional effects are important there exist clear winners and losers. Despite the clear theoretical justification for environmental and energy policy, empirical work credibly identifying both the source and consequences of these externalities as well as the distributional effects of existing policies remains in its infancy. My dissertation focuses on the development of empirical methods to investigate the role of environmental and energy policy in addressing market failures as well as exploring the distributional implications of these policies. These questions are important not only as a justification for government intervention into markets but also for understanding how distributional consequences may shape the design and implementation of these policies. My dissertation investigates these questions in the context of programs and policies that are important in their own right. Chapters 1 and 2 of my dissertation explore the economic costs and distributional implications associated with the largest environmental regulatory program in the United States, the Clean Air Act. Chapters 3 and 4 examine the social costs of air pollution in the context of transportation externalities, showing how effective transportation policy has additional co-benefits in the form of environmental policy. My dissertation remains unified in both its subject matter and methodological approach -- using unique sources of data and sound research designs to understand important issues in environmental policy.
Inquiry into terminal decline: five objectives for future study.

PubMed

Gerstorf, Denis; Ram, Nilam

2013-10-01

Notions of terminal decline propose that late-life change is primarily driven by processes closely tied to pathology and mortality rather than chronological age. We use the rationales of longitudinal research as outlined by Baltes and Nesselroade (Baltes, P., & Nesselroade, J. [1979]. History and rationale of longitudinal research. In J. R. Nesselroade & P. Baltes (Eds.), Longitudinal research in the study of behavior and development [pp. 1-39]. San Diego, CA: Academic Press) as a framework for organizing research on terminal decline. In doing so, we note that there are relatively robust descriptions of terminal decline across a variety of different domains, as well as the extent of interindividual differences in the levels of function, rates of change, and timing of terminal decline (research rationales 1 and 2). However, there is much more to learn about the interrelations among change in different domains, the underlying mechanisms of change, and the factors that contribute to interindividual differences in change (research rationales 3-5). Needed are new study designs and analytical models that better address the structural, temporal, and causal interrelations that contribute to and protect against terminal decline.
Immigration Policies and Mental Health Morbidity among Latinos: A State-Level Analysis

PubMed Central

Hatzenbuehler, Mark L.; Prins, Seth; Flake, Morgan; Philbin, Morgan; Frazer, Somjen; Hagen, Daniel; Hirsch, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Rationale Despite abundant state-level policy activity in the U.S. related to immigration, no research has examined the mental health impact of the overall policy climate for Latinos, taking into account both inclusionary and exclusionary legislation. Objective To examine associations between the state-level policy climate related to immigration and mental health outcomes among Latinos. Methods We created a multi-sectoral policy climate index that included 14 policies in four domains (immigration, race/ethnicity, language, and agricultural worker protections). We then examined the relation of this policy climate index to two mental health outcomes (days of poor mental health and psychological distress) among Latinos from 31 states in the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a population-based health survey of non-institutionalized individuals aged 18 years or older. Results Individuals in states with more exclusionary immigration policies had higher rates of poor mental health days than participants in states with less exclusionary policies (RR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.10). The association between state policies and the rate of poor mental health days was significantly higher among Latinos versus non-Latinos (RR for interaction term: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.06). Furthermore, Latinos in states with more exclusionary policies had 1.14 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.25) times the rate of poor mental health days than Latinos in states with less exclusionary policies. Results were robust to individual- and state-level confounders. Sensitivity analyses indicated that results were specific to immigration policies, and not indicators of state political climate or of residential segregation. No relationship was observed between the immigration policy index and psychological distress. Conclusion These results suggest that restrictive immigration policies may be detrimental to the mental health of Latinos in the United States. PMID:28043019
Working for the public health: politics, localism and epistemologies of practice.

PubMed

Phillips, Gemma; Green, Judith

2015-05-01

The recent move of public health back to English local government has reignited debates about the role of a medicalised public health profession. The explicit policy rationale for the move was that local government is the arena in which the social determinants of health can be addressed, and that public health specialists could provide neutral evidence to support action on these. However, if a discourse of 'evidence-based' policy is in principle (if not practice) relatively unproblematic within the health arena, within the more overtly politicised local government space, rather different policy imperatives come to the fore. Responding to calls for research on evidence in practice, this article draws on ethnographic data of local authorities in the first year of the reorganised public health function. Focusing on alcohol policy, we explore how decisions that affect public health are rationalised and enacted through discourses of localism, empiricism and holism. These frame policy outcomes as inevitably plural and contingent: a framing which sits uneasily with normative discourses of evidence-based policy. We argue that locating public health in local government necessitates a refocusing of how evidence for public health is conceptualised, to incorporate multiple, and political, understandings of health and wellbeing. © 2015 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
New developments in children's environmental health in Europe.

PubMed

Tamburlini, Giorgio

2006-09-01

Important developments have taken place in Europe regarding children's environmental health (CEH) over the last few years. In 1999 the Third Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health identified CEH as a priority area and started a process of scientific review and policy development that culminated at the Fourth Ministerial Conference held in Budapest in June 2004 with the adoption of the Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE). The rationale of the CEHAPE is based on a thorough review of the scientific evidence on CEH and on a study that quantified for the first time the burden of disease related to the main environmental exposures of children and adolescents in Europe. The Action Plan suggests actions and policies to achieve the four main priority goals: clean air, safe water, chemical and physical agents, and injuries. Over the same period, the European Commission (EC) has strengthened its focus on environment and health issues, has supported research on CEH, and has developed a proposal for a new EU regulatory framework for chemicals that has clear implications for children and for the reproductive period. The proposed new system, called REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals), currently under examination by the European Parliament, aims at reducing risks to human health and improvement of environmental quality through the better and earlier identification of the properties of chemical substances. The EC also adopted policies and action plans that are very relevant to children, such as the EU European Environment and Health Strategy, referred to as the SCALE initiative (Science, Children, Awareness, Legislation, Evaluation), and the 2004-2010 Environment and Health Action Plan.
The Role of Public Health in the Prevention of War: Rationale and Competencies

PubMed Central

Barker, Kathy; Arya, Neil; Rohde, Jon; Donohoe, Martin; White, Shelley; Lubens, Pauline; Gorman, Geraldine; Hagopian, Amy

2014-01-01

In 2009 the American Public Health Association approved the policy statement, “The Role of Public Health Practitioners, Academics, and Advocates in Relation to Armed Conflict and War.” Despite the known health effects of war, the development of competencies to prevent war has received little attention. Public health’s ethical principles of practice prioritize addressing the fundamental causes of disease and adverse health outcomes. A working group grew out of the American Public Health Association’s Peace Caucus to build upon the 2009 policy by proposing competencies to understand and prevent the political, economic, social, and cultural determinants of war, particularly militarism. The working group recommends that schools of public health and public health organizations incorporate these competencies into professional preparation programs, research, and advocacy. PMID:24825229

The value of price transparency in residential solar photovoltaic markets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Shaughnessy, Eric; Margolis, Robert

Installed prices for residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have declined significantly in recent years. However price dispersion and limited customer access to PV quotes prevents some prospective customers from obtaining low price offers. This study shows that improved customer access to prices - also known as price transparency - is a potential policy lever for further PV price reductions. We use customer search and strategic pricing theory to show that PV installation companies face incentives to offer lower prices in markets with more price transparency. We test this theoretical framework using a unique residential PV quote dataset. Our results showmore » that installers offer lower prices to customers that are expected to receive more quotes. Our study provides a rationale for policies to improve price transparency in residential PV markets.« less
The value of price transparency in residential solar photovoltaic markets

DOE PAGES

O'Shaughnessy, Eric; Margolis, Robert

2018-04-05

Installed prices for residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have declined significantly in recent years. However price dispersion and limited customer access to PV quotes prevents some prospective customers from obtaining low price offers. This study shows that improved customer access to prices - also known as price transparency - is a potential policy lever for further PV price reductions. We use customer search and strategic pricing theory to show that PV installation companies face incentives to offer lower prices in markets with more price transparency. We test this theoretical framework using a unique residential PV quote dataset. Our results showmore » that installers offer lower prices to customers that are expected to receive more quotes. Our study provides a rationale for policies to improve price transparency in residential PV markets.« less
Bikes, helmets, and public health: decision-making when goods collide.

PubMed

Bateman-House, Alison

2014-06-01

How ought public officials address policy choices that entail trade-offs between desirable public health goods? Increasing cycling improves public health both by promoting physical activity and by decreasing vehicle use, thus reducing vehicular emissions. Proponents of bicycle helmets argue that, used properly, they protect individual cyclists; however, there is concern that mandating helmet use may result in a decrease in cycling. In 2012, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg opposed a bicycle helmet mandate, concerned that it would have a negative impact on the city's cycling rate, which he had sought to increase. The mayor did not explain his rationale, leaving constituents unsure why he opposed the proposal. This case study underscores the challenge of creating public policy in the context of competing public health goods.
Creating an innovative youth mental health service in the United Kingdom: The Norfolk Youth Service.

PubMed

Wilson, Jon; Clarke, Tim; Lower, Rebecca; Ugochukwu, Uju; Maxwell, Sarah; Hodgekins, Jo; Wheeler, Karen; Goff, Andy; Mack, Robert; Horne, Rebecca; Fowler, David

2017-08-04

Young people attempting to access mental health services in the United Kingdom often find traditional models of care outdated, rigid, inaccessible and unappealing. Policy recommendations, research and service user opinion suggest that reform is needed to reflect the changing needs of young people. There is significant motivation in the United Kingdom to transform mental health services for young people, and this paper aims to describe the rationale, development and implementation of a novel youth mental health service in the United Kingdom, the Norfolk Youth Service. The Norfolk Youth Service model is described as a service model case study. The service rationale, national and local drivers, principles, aims, model, research priorities and future directions are reported. The Norfolk Youth Service is an innovative example of mental health transformation in the United Kingdom, comprising a pragmatic, assertive and "youth-friendly" service for young people aged 14 to 25 that transcends traditional service boundaries. The service was developed in collaboration with young people and partnership agencies and is based on an engaging and inclusive ethos. The service is a social-recovery oriented, evidence-based and aims to satisfy recent policy guidance. The redesign and transformation of youth mental health services in the United Kingdom is long overdue. The Norfolk Youth Service represents an example of reform that aims to meet the developmental and transitional needs of young people at the same time as remaining youth-oriented. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
What principles should govern the use of managed entry agreements?

PubMed

Klemp, Marianne; Frønsdal, Katrine B; Facey, Karen

2011-01-01

To ensure rapid access to new potentially beneficial health technologies, obtain best value for money, and ensure affordability, healthcare payers are adopting a range of innovative reimbursement approaches that may be called Managed Entry Agreements (MEAs). The Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Policy Forum sought to identify why MEAs might be used, issues associated with implementation and develop principles for their use. A 2-day deliberative workshop discussed key papers, members' experiences, and collectively addressed four policy questions that resulted in this study. MEAs are used to give access to new technologies where traditional reimbursement is deemed inappropriate. Three different forms of MEAs have been identified: management of budget impact, management of uncertainty relating to clinical and/or cost-effectiveness, and management of utilization to optimize performance. The rationale for using these approaches and their advantages and disadvantages differ. However, all forms of MEA should take the form of a formal written agreement among stakeholders, clearly identifying the rationale for the agreement, aspects to be assessed, methods of data collection and review, and the criteria for ending the agreement. MEAs should only be used when HTA identifies issues or concerns about key outcomes and/or costs and/or organizational/budget impacts that are material to a reimbursement decision. They provide patient access and can be useful to manage technology diffusion and optimize use. However, they are administratively complex and may be difficult to negotiate and their effectiveness has yet to be evaluated.
Ballet Doesn't Have to Be Boring: Engaging Students in the Creative Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheff, Helene

2005-01-01

For many years, the author has incorporated creative process into the way she teaches ballet class. The author shares the philosophical, practical, and artistic reasons for the creative process in ballet classes. She also shares the rationale and how this practice developed over time.
A Simplified Program Needs Assessment Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Larry

A rationale, background information, and a discussion of methodology are presented for a needs assessment process intended for pilot implementation at Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC). This process was designed to assess the local need for paraprofessional programs in the Human Services area, i.e., Early Childhood Associate, Mental Health…
Synthesis of Individual Transition Plans: Format and Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

La Mar, Kathleen; Rosenberg, Bill

This document presents a prototype Individual Transition Plan (ITP) process and format for students receiving special education services. Following an overview of the role of transition, a section on the ITP process discusses pre-meeting activities, conducting an ITP meeting, monitoring and evaluating the ITP meeting, and a rationale for the…
A Course on Plasma Processing in Integrated Circuit Fabrication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawin, Herbert H.; Reif, Rafael

1983-01-01

Describes a course, taught jointly by electrical/chemical engineering departments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, designed to teach the fundamental science of plasma processing as well as to give an overview of the present state of industrial processes. Provides rationale for course development, texts used, class composition, and…
Action Research for Developing Social Workers' Research Capacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lunt, Neil; Fouche, Christa

2009-01-01

We reflect on the action research process implemented in assisting the development of a culture of practitioner inquiry amongst social workers in social services agencies, and highlight the overall outcomes of the intervention. The paper outlines the rationale and process for undertaking an action research process with social services…
Input-Based Approaches to Teaching Grammar: A Review of Classroom-Oriented Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Rod

1999-01-01

Examines the theoretical rationales (universal grammar, information-processing theories, skill-learning theories) for input-based grammar teaching and reviews classroom-oriented research (i.e., enriched-input studies, input-processing studies) that has integrated this option. (Author/VWL)
Assessing human rights impacts in corporate development projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salcito, Kendyl, E-mail: kendyl.salcito@unibas.ch; University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel; NomoGaia, 1900 Wazee Street, Suite 303, Denver, CO 80202

Human rights impact assessment (HRIA) is a process for systematically identifying, predicting and responding to the potential impact on human rights of a business operation, capital project, government policy or trade agreement. Traditionally, it has been conducted as a desktop exercise to predict the effects of trade agreements and government policies on individuals and communities. In line with a growing call for multinational corporations to ensure they do not violate human rights in their activities, HRIA is increasingly incorporated into the standard suite of corporate development project impact assessments. In this context, the policy world's non-structured, desk-based approaches to HRIAmore » are insufficient. Although a number of corporations have commissioned and conducted HRIA, no broadly accepted and validated assessment tool is currently available. The lack of standardisation has complicated efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of HRIA as a risk mitigation tool, and has caused confusion in the corporate world regarding company duties. Hence, clarification is needed. The objectives of this paper are (i) to describe an HRIA methodology, (ii) to provide a rationale for its components and design, and (iii) to illustrate implementation of HRIA using the methodology in two selected corporate development projects—a uranium mine in Malawi and a tree farm in Tanzania. We found that as a prognostic tool, HRIA could examine potential positive and negative human rights impacts and provide effective recommendations for mitigation. However, longer-term monitoring revealed that recommendations were unevenly implemented, dependent on market conditions and personnel movements. This instability in the approach to human rights suggests a need for on-going monitoring and surveillance. -- Highlights: • We developed a novel methodology for corporate human rights impact assessment. • We piloted the methodology on two corporate projects—a mine and a plantation. • Human rights impact assessment exposed impacts not foreseen in ESIA. • Corporations adopted the majority of findings, but not necessarily immediately. • Methodological advancements are expected for monitoring processes.« less
Kelston Beverages Pilot Study: Rationale, design and implementation of a community and school based intervention to reduce sugary drink consumption among children and youth.

PubMed

Sundborn, G; Ni Mhurchu, C; Ness, C; Latu, H; Jackson, R

2014-03-01

The Kelston Beverages Study was designed to increase awareness of the sugar content of sugary drinks, the poor health consequences that high intake of these drinks have, and inform on ways to reduce intake of students. The aims of this pilot study were to refine interventions and processes designed to raise awareness of the harms that sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) have on health, and to reduce their consumption among the youth of a small West Auckland suburb. There were three arms to this interventional study, one in schools, another in community organisations (churches, sports clubs and community groups), and the final arm is in the local retail sector. The school arm was the most extensive component and initially involved a survey of children's knowledge and consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) using a brief questionnaire. The study evaluated any SSB policies in schools and for schools that did not have policies, opportunities were scoped to develop and implement them; a canteen AUDIT focussed particularly on beverages was carried out; and finally a student partnered social marketing exercise was undertaken that comprised 2 competitions, one to design a poster, and another to write and perform a rap. Children were re-surveyed at the completion of the intervention (7 months later) to determine change in knowledge and self-reported consumption of SSBs. Both the community organisations and retail arms of this study focussed on raising awareness into the harmful effects of SSBs and establishing healthy beverage policy in the respective organisations. Promising results with regards to acceptability, feasibility, and recruitment as well as valuable learnings with regard to process support the development of a proposal to conduct a cluster randomised trial of the interventions successfully tested in this pilot study.
Making the CMS payment policy for healthcare-associated infections work: organizational factors that matter.

PubMed

Hoff, Timothy; Hartmann, Christine W; Soerensen, Christina; Wroe, Peter; Dutta-Linn, Maya; Lee, Grace

2011-01-01

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are among the most common adverse events in hospitals, and the morbidity and mortality associated with them are significant. In 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented a new financial policy that no longer provides payment to hospitals for services related to certain infections not present on admission and deemed preventable. At present, little is known about how this policy is being implemented in hospital settings. One key goal of the policy is for it to serve as a quality improvement driver within hospitals, providing the rationale and motivation for hospitals to engage in greater infection-related surveillance and prevention activities. This article examines the role organizational factors, such as leadership and culture, play in the effectiveness of the CMS policy as a quality improvement (QI) driver within hospital settings. Between late 2009 and early 2010, interviews were conducted with 36 infection preventionists working at a national sample of 36 hospitals. We found preliminary evidence that hospital executive behavior, a proactive infection control (IC) culture, and clinical staff engagement played a favorable role in enhancing the recognition, acceptance, and significance of the CMS policy as a QI driver within hospitals. We also found several other contextual factors that may impede the degree to which the above factors facilitate links between the CMS policy and hospital QI activities.
Implications for social policy of variability in racial groups.

PubMed

Helms, Janet E

2008-11-01

Social policy and federal and state legislation require the use of single cut scores when tests of cognitive ability, knowledge, or skills (CAKS) are used to make high-stakes assessment decisions, such as whether students or employees may be promoted. Rationales offered for the requirement are that cut scores provide objective standards and are fairer than using subjective criteria, such as racial group membership. It is argued that failure to consider threats to statistical conclusion validity, such as differences in variability between groups, obscures the differential impact of using a common cut score as the basis for highstakes decisions. Analyses of 40 Black and White samples revealed that (a) Whites might be considerably advantaged and Blacks might be considerably disadvantaged by the same cut score and (b) depending on where the cut score is set, decisions based on ratios of numbers of Whites numbers of Blacks might be fairer than use of CAKS test cut scores. Implications for assessment practice and social policy are discussed.
The so-called "Spanish model" - tobacco industry strategies and its impact in Europe and Latin America.

PubMed

Schneider, Nick K; Sebrié, Ernesto M; Fernández, Esteve

2011-12-07

To demonstrate the tobacco industry rationale behind the "Spanish model" on non-smokers' protection in hospitality venues and the impact it had on some European and Latin American countries between 2006 and 2011. Tobacco industry documents research triangulated against news and media reports. As an alternative to the successful implementation of 100% smoke-free policies, several European and Latin American countries introduced partial smoking bans based on the so-called "Spanish model", a legal framework widely advocated by parts of the hospitality industry with striking similarities to "accommodation programmes" promoted by the tobacco industry in the late 1990s. These developments started with the implementation of the Spanish tobacco control law (Ley 28/2005) in 2006 and have increased since then. The Spanish experience demonstrates that partial smoking bans often resemble tobacco industry strategies and are used to spread a failed approach on international level. Researchers, advocates and policy makers should be aware of this ineffective policy.
Why should health be a central argument in climate negotiations? Can a MOOC help to bring the message across?

PubMed

Sauerborn, Rainer

There are four key messages from health for climate negotiations. Two positive ones include (i) health as a motivator for action and policy and (ii) huge health co-benefits to be included in the cost-benefit trade-offs of climate negotiations. Two warning messages: (iii) there are health-based absolute limits of adaptations and (iv) hotter average temperatures will cut work productivity of farmers and other outdoor workers as well as workers in non-air conditioned factories in poor countries. This paper will examine how massive open online courses (MOOCs) have been used in the run-up to this COP to disseminate these four messages to the audience of high-level policy-makers. This required a departure from the classic MOOC format in several ways: duration, focus on decision-making rationale, policy-relevant messages presented in big brush, leaving "traceable accounts" to evidence in two layers of resources provided: essential and "deep dive".
The so-called "Spanish model" - Tobacco industry strategies and its impact in Europe and Latin America

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background To demonstrate the tobacco industry rationale behind the "Spanish model" on non-smokers' protection in hospitality venues and the impact it had on some European and Latin American countries between 2006 and 2011. Methods Tobacco industry documents research triangulated against news and media reports. Results As an alternative to the successful implementation of 100% smoke-free policies, several European and Latin American countries introduced partial smoking bans based on the so-called "Spanish model", a legal framework widely advocated by parts of the hospitality industry with striking similarities to "accommodation programmes" promoted by the tobacco industry in the late 1990s. These developments started with the implementation of the Spanish tobacco control law (Ley 28/2005) in 2006 and have increased since then. Conclusion The Spanish experience demonstrates that partial smoking bans often resemble tobacco industry strategies and are used to spread a failed approach on international level. Researchers, advocates and policy makers should be aware of this ineffective policy. PMID:22151884
Patenting of university and non-university public research organisations in Germany: evidence from patent applications for medical research results.

PubMed

Tinnemann, Peter; Ozbay, Jonas; Saint, Victoria A; Willich, Stefan N

2010-11-18

Patents are one of the most important forms of intellectual property. They grant a time-limited exclusivity on the use of an invention allowing the recuperation of research costs. The use of patents is fiercely debated for medical innovation and especially controversial for publicly funded research, where the patent holder is an institution accountable to public interest. Despite this controversy, for the situation in Germany almost no empirical information exists. The purpose of this study is to examine the amount, types and trends of patent applications for health products submitted by German public research organisations. We conducted a systematic search for patent documents using the publicly accessible database search interface of the German Patent and Trademark Office. We defined keywords and search criteria and developed search patterns for the database request. We retrieved documents with application date between 1988 and 2006 and processed the collected data stepwise to compile the most relevant documents in patent families for further analysis. We developed a rationale and present individual steps of a systematic method to request and process patent data from a publicly accessible database. We retrieved and processed 10194 patent documents. Out of these, we identified 1772 relevant patent families, applied for by 193 different universities and non-university public research organisations. 827 (47%) of these patent families contained granted patents. The number of patent applications submitted by universities and university-affiliated institutions more than tripled since the introduction of legal reforms in 2002, constituting almost half of all patent applications and accounting for most of the post-reform increase. Patenting of most non-university public research organisations remained stable. We search, process and analyse patent applications from publicly accessible databases. Internationally mounting evidence questions the viability of policies to increase commercial exploitation of publicly funded research results. To evaluate the outcome of research policies a transparent evidence base for public debate is needed in Germany.
Patenting of University and Non-University Public Research Organisations in Germany: Evidence from Patent Applications for Medical Research Results

PubMed Central

Tinnemann, Peter; Özbay, Jonas; Saint, Victoria A.; Willich, Stefan N.

2010-01-01

Background Patents are one of the most important forms of intellectual property. They grant a time-limited exclusivity on the use of an invention allowing the recuperation of research costs. The use of patents is fiercely debated for medical innovation and especially controversial for publicly funded research, where the patent holder is an institution accountable to public interest. Despite this controversy, for the situation in Germany almost no empirical information exists. The purpose of this study is to examine the amount, types and trends of patent applications for health products submitted by German public research organisations. Methods/Principal Findings We conducted a systematic search for patent documents using the publicly accessible database search interface of the German Patent and Trademark Office. We defined keywords and search criteria and developed search patterns for the database request. We retrieved documents with application date between 1988 and 2006 and processed the collected data stepwise to compile the most relevant documents in patent families for further analysis. We developed a rationale and present individual steps of a systematic method to request and process patent data from a publicly accessible database. We retrieved and processed 10194 patent documents. Out of these, we identified 1772 relevant patent families, applied for by 193 different universities and non-university public research organisations. 827 (47%) of these patent families contained granted patents. The number of patent applications submitted by universities and university-affiliated institutions more than tripled since the introduction of legal reforms in 2002, constituting almost half of all patent applications and accounting for most of the post-reform increase. Patenting of most non-university public research organisations remained stable. Conclusions We search, process and analyse patent applications from publicly accessible databases. Internationally mounting evidence questions the viability of policies to increase commercial exploitation of publicly funded research results. To evaluate the outcome of research policies a transparent evidence base for public debate is needed in Germany. PMID:21124982

Computer Simulation of Developmental Processes and Toxicities (SOT)

EPA Science Inventory

Rationale: Recent progress in systems toxicology and synthetic biology have paved the way to new thinking about in vitro/in silico modeling of developmental processes and toxicities, both for embryological and reproductive impacts. Novel in vitro platforms such as 3D organotypic ...
Effects of Role and Assignment Rationale on Attitudes Formed During Peer Tutoring

PubMed Central

Bierman, Karen Linn; Furman, Wyndol

2012-01-01

This study examined the role of contextual factors, such as assignment rationale, on the attitudinal effects of peer tutoring. Fourth-grade children engaged in brief tutoring experiences as either a tutor or tutee. Subjects received four rationales for being selected as tutor or tutee: (a) a competence rationale, (b) a physical characteristic rationale, (c) a chance rationale, or (d) no rationale. As predicted, tutors had more positive attitudes than tutees when they had been given a competence or physical characteristic rationale but not when the tutors were provided a chance rationale or no rationale. Additionally, the tutors’ and tutees’ attitudes were enhanced when no rationale was provided. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for a role-theory analysis of tutoring and their implications for applied programs. PMID:23946549
Effects of Role and Assignment Rationale on Attitudes Formed During Peer Tutoring.

PubMed

Bierman, Karen Linn; Furman, Wyndol

1981-02-01

This study examined the role of contextual factors, such as assignment rationale, on the attitudinal effects of peer tutoring. Fourth-grade children engaged in brief tutoring experiences as either a tutor or tutee. Subjects received four rationales for being selected as tutor or tutee: (a) a competence rationale, (b) a physical characteristic rationale, (c) a chance rationale, or (d) no rationale. As predicted, tutors had more positive attitudes than tutees when they had been given a competence or physical characteristic rationale but not when the tutors were provided a chance rationale or no rationale. Additionally, the tutors' and tutees' attitudes were enhanced when no rationale was provided. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for a role-theory analysis of tutoring and their implications for applied programs.
Tobacco Pricing in Military Stores: Views of Military Policy Leaders

PubMed Central

Jahnke, Sara A.; Poston, Walker S.C.; Malone, Ruth E.; Haddock, Christopher K.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Higher tobacco taxes reduce tobacco use. On military installations, cigarettes and other tobacco products are sold tax-free, keeping prices artificially low. Pricing regulations in the military specify that tobacco should be within 5% of the local most competitive price, but prices still average almost 13% lower than those at local Walmarts. Methods: To gain insight into policy leaders’ ideas and positions on military tobacco pricing, we interviewed members of the Department of Defense (DoD) Addictive Substances Misuse Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on Tobacco about tobacco pricing policies (n = 12). Results: Participants frequently lacked specific knowledge of details of military pricing policy, and the impact higher prices might have on military tobacco use. Most participants thought tobacco should not be sold at military stores, but many also felt that this policy change was unlikely due to tobacco industry pressure, and DoD reliance on tobacco profits to support Morale, Welfare, and Recreation funds. Conclusions: Achieving a tobacco-free military will require changing pricing policy, but this study suggests that for effective implementation, military leadership must also understand and articulate more clearly the rationale for doing so. Implications: Previous work has found that adherence to military tobacco pricing policy is inconsistent at best. This study suggests that lack of knowledge about the policy and conflicting pressures resulting from the funding stream tobacco sales represent extend to high level military policy leaders. Without clearer information and direction, these leaders are unlikely to be able to establish and implement better tobacco pricing policy. PMID:27146639
The taxation of unhealthy energy-dense foods (EDFs) and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs): An overview of patterns observed in the policy content and policy context of 13 case studies.

PubMed

Hagenaars, Luc Louis; Jeurissen, Patrick Paulus Theodoor; Klazinga, Niek Sieds

2017-08-01

Taxation of energy-dense foods (EDFs) and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is increasingly of interest as a novel public health and fiscal policy instrument. However academic interest in policy determinants has remained limited. We address this paucity by comparing the policy content and policy context of EDF/SSB taxes witnessed in 13 case studies, of which we assume the tax is sufficiently high to induce behavioural change. The observational and non-randomized studies published on our case studies seem to indicate that the EDF/SSB taxes under investigation generally had the desired effects on prices and consumption of targeted products. The revenue collection of EDF/SSB taxes is minimal yet significant. Administrative practicalities in tax levying are important, possibly explaining why a drift towards solely taxing SSBs can be noted, as these can be demarcated more easily, with levies seemingly increasing in more recent case studies. Despite the growing body of evidence suggesting that EDF/SSB taxes have the potential to improve health, fiscal needs more often seem to lay their policy foundation rather than public health advocacy. A remarkable amount of conservative/liberal governments have adopted these taxes, although in many cases revenues are earmarked for benefits compensating regressive income effects. Governments voice diverse policy rationales, ranging from explicitly describing the tax as a public health instrument, to solely explicating revenue raising. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Definition and documentation of engineering processes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McDonald, G.W.

1997-11-01

This tutorial is an extract of a two-day workshop developed under the auspices of the Quality Engineering Department at Sandia National Laboratories. The presentation starts with basic definitions and addresses why processes should be defined and documented. It covers three primary topics: (1) process considerations and rationale, (2) approach to defining and documenting engineering processes, and (3) an IDEFO model of the process for defining engineering processes.
New knowledge network evaluation method for design rationale management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Shikai; Zhan, Hongfei; Liu, Jihong; Wang, Kuan; Jiang, Hao; Zhou, Jingtao

2015-01-01

Current design rationale (DR) systems have not demonstrated the value of the approach in practice since little attention is put to the evaluation method of DR knowledge. To systematize knowledge management process for future computer-aided DR applications, a prerequisite is to provide the measure for the DR knowledge. In this paper, a new knowledge network evaluation method for DR management is presented. The method characterizes the DR knowledge value from four perspectives, namely, the design rationale structure scale, association knowledge and reasoning ability, degree of design justification support and degree of knowledge representation conciseness. The DR knowledge comprehensive value is also measured by the proposed method. To validate the proposed method, different style of DR knowledge network and the performance of the proposed measure are discussed. The evaluation method has been applied in two realistic design cases and compared with the structural measures. The research proposes the DR knowledge evaluation method which can provide object metric and selection basis for the DR knowledge reuse during the product design process. In addition, the method is proved to be more effective guidance and support for the application and management of DR knowledge.
Designing a Web Site to Share Information with Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Englund, Lillian White

2009-01-01

This article discusses the development and use of an on-line portfolio process. It presents a background rationale for the need and effectiveness of a communication tool that supports the use of the portfolio process throughout the education of a child with identified disabilities. The process for developing the individualized Web page is…
Orienting the Work-Based Curriculum Towards Work Process Knowledge: A Rationale and a German Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boreham, Nick

2004-01-01

The term 'work process knowledge' refers to the knowledge needed for working in flexible and innovative business environments, including those in which information and communication technologies have been introduced to integrate previously separated production functions. It involves a systems-level understanding of the work process in the…
Attitudes and beliefs about secondhand smoke and smoke-free policies in four countries: findings from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey.

PubMed

Hyland, Andrew; Higbee, Cheryl; Borland, Ron; Travers, Mark; Hastings, Gerard; Fong, Geoffrey T; Cummings, K Michael

2009-06-01

This paper describes the varying levels of smoking policies in nationally representative samples of smokers in four countries and examines how these policies are associated with changes in attitudes and beliefs about secondhand smoke over time. We report data on 5,788 respondents to Wave 1 of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey who were employed at the time of the survey. A cohort of these respondents was followed up with two additional survey waves approximately 12 months apart. Respondents' attitudes and beliefs about secondhand smoke as well as self-reported policies in their workplace and in bars and restaurants in their community were assessed at all waves. The level of comprehensive smoke-free policies in workplaces, restaurants, and bars increased over the study period for all countries combined and was highest in Canada (30%) and lowest in the United Kingdom (0%) in 2004. In both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, stronger secondhand smoke policies were associated with more favorable attitudes and support for comprehensive regulations. The associations were the strongest for smokers who reported comprehensive policies in restaurants, bars, and their workplace for all three survey waves. Comprehensive smoke-free policies are increasing over time, and stronger policies and the public education opportunities surrounding their passage are associated with more favorable attitudes toward secondhand smoke regulations. The implication for policy makers is that, although the initial debate over smoke-free policies may be tumultuous, once people understand the rationale for implementing smoke-free policies and experience their benefits, public support increases even among smokers, and compliance with smoke-free regulations increases over time.
How organizations can enhance the quality of life of their clients and assess their results: the concept of QOL enhancement.

PubMed

Reinders, Hans S; Schalock, Robert L

2014-07-01

This article presents the framework of a dynamic approach to quality of life (QOL) enhancement based on the conceptualization and measurement of individual-referenced quality of life. Sections of the article summarize the premises of QOL enhancement, provide the rationale for a dynamic approach to QOL enhancement, discuss six components of QOL enhancement, and discuss the parameters of an emerging theory of quality of life and the contributions such a theory would make to service delivery, policy development, and QOL-related research.
The complexities in conceptualizing neurodiversity. Comment on ;Implications of the idea of neurodiversity for understanding the origins of developmental disorders; by Nobuo Masataka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Yvette R.

2017-03-01

The Masataka review article [1] provides an in-depth analysis of neurodiversity with specific attention given to children and adults on the Autism Spectrum Disorder continuum (ASD). In this review, Masataka chronicles the history of the neurodiversity movement, with a specific focus on the rationale for the movement, discusses the relevant research examining the perceptual, social and cognitive differences between neurotypical and neuroatypical children and adults and concludes the review with implications and suggestions for interventions and social policy.
Instrument Selection for Randomized Controlled Trials Why This and Not That?

PubMed Central

Records, Kathie; Keller, Colleen; Ainsworth, Barbara; Permana, Paska

2011-01-01

A fundamental linchpin for obtaining rigorous findings in quantitative research involves the selection of survey instruments. Psychometric recommendations are available for the processes for scale development and testing and guidance for selection of established scales. These processes are necessary to address the validity link between the phenomena under investigation, the empirical measures and, ultimately, the theoretical ties between these and the world views of the participants. Detailed information is most often provided about study design and protocols, but far less frequently is a detailed theoretical explanation provided for why specific instruments are chosen. Guidance to inform choices is often difficult to find when scales are needed for specific cultural, ethnic, or racial groups. This paper details the rationale underlying instrument selection for measurement of the major processes (intervention, mediator and moderator variables, outcome variables) in an ongoing study of postpartum Latinas, Madres para la Salud [Mothers for Health]. The rationale underpinning our choices includes a discussion of alternatives, when appropriate. These exemplars may provide direction for other intervention researchers who are working with specific cultural, racial, or ethnic groups or for other investigators who are seeking to select the ‘best’ instrument. Thoughtful consideration of measurement and articulation of the rationale underlying our choices facilitates the maintenance of rigor within the study design and improves our ability to assess study outcomes. PMID:21986392
48 CFR 30.602 - Materiality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... REQUIREMENTS COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS ADMINISTRATION CAS Administration 30.602 Materiality. (a) In determining... and conclude the cost impact process; (2) Document the rationale for the determination; and (3) In the...
How to make deposition of images a reality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guss, J. Mitchell, E-mail: mitchell.guss@sydney.edu.au; McMahon, Brian; School of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006

2014-10-01

An analysis is performed of the technical and financial challenges to be overcome if deposition of primary experimental data is to become routine. The IUCr Diffraction Data Deposition Working Group is investigating the rationale and policies for routine deposition of diffraction images (and other primary experimental data sets). An information-management framework is described that should inform policy directions, and some of the technical and other issues that need to be addressed in an effort to achieve such a goal are analysed. In the near future, routine data deposition could be encouraged at one of the growing number of institutional repositoriesmore » that accept data sets or at a generic data-publishing web repository service. To realise all of the potential benefits of depositing diffraction data, specialized archives would be preferable. Funding such an initiative will be challenging.« less
External costs of risky health behaviors associated with leading actual causes of death in the U.S.: a review of the evidence and implications for future research.

PubMed

Zohrabian, Armineh; Philipson, Tomas J

2010-06-01

This paper reviews the evidence on external costs of risky behaviors in the U.S. and provides a framework for estimating them. External costs arise when a person does not bear all the costs of his or her behavior. They provide one of the strongest rationales for government interventions. Although the earlier estimates of external costs no longer have policy relevance, they demonstrated that the existence of external costs was an empirical question. We recommend that the estimates of external costs be updated as insurance structures, environments, and knowledge about these behaviors change. The general aspects of external costs may apply to countries other than the U.S. after taking into account differences in institutional, policy and epidemiological characteristics.
Nonprofit conversion: theory, evidence, and state policy options.

PubMed Central

Marsteller, J A; Bovbjerg, R R; Nichols, L M

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To describe the contributions of nonprofit hospitals and health plans to healthcare markets and to analyze state policy options with regard to the conversion of nonprofits to for-profit status. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Secondary national and state data from a variety of sources, 1980-present. STUDY DESIGN: Policy analysis. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Development of a conceptual economic framework; analysis of empirical, legal, and theoretical literature; and review of statutes, rules, and court decisions. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Three main rationales support special status for nonprofits, especially hospitals: charity care, other community benefits, and consumer protection. The main social rationale for for-profits is their incentives for better efficiency. There are reasons to expect that nonprofit and for-profit goals differ; however, measured differences in community hospital cost, prices, and quality between nonprofit and for-profit hospitals are undetectable or inconclusive. Nonprofit hospitals do provide more uncompensated care than for-profit hospitals. Similarities between nonprofit and for-profit hospitals may exist because nonprofits may set norms that for-profits follow to some degree. States have substantial power and discretion in overseeing nonprofit conversions. Some have regularized oversight through new legislation that constrains, but does not eliminate, state officials' discretion. These statutes may be deferential to converting entities and their buyers or may be very restrictive of them. CONCLUSIONS: Overseeing the appropriate disposition of nonprofit assets in individual conversions is extremely important. States should also monitor local market conditions through community benefits assessments and other data collection, however, to accurately assess (and possibly redress) what is lost or gained from conversion. Local market conditions are likely more important in determining hospital behavior than ownership form. Potentially, a mix of for-profit and nonprofit hospitals in a given market may improve market performance due to constraints the two ownership types may exercise over one another. If nonprofits disappear, the states may need to maintain quality and access norms through regulation. Images Figure 1 PMID:9865231
Standard Setting as Psychometric Due Process: Going a Little Further Down an Uncertain Road.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cizek, Gregory J.

The concept of due process provides an analogy for the process of standard setting that emphasizes many of the procedural and substantive elements of the process over technical and statistical concerns. Surely such concerns can and should continue to be addressed. However, a sound rationale for standard setting does not rest on this foundation.…
Are bans on kidney sales unjustifiably paternalistic?

PubMed

Malmqvist, Erik

2014-03-01

This paper challenges the view that bans on kidney sales are unjustifiably paternalistic, that is, that they unduly deny people the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies in order to protect them from harm. I argue that not even principled anti-paternalists need to reject such bans. This is because their rationale is not hard paternalism, which anti-paternalists repudiate, but soft paternalism, which they in principle accept. More precisely, I suggest that their rationale is what Franklin Miller and Alan Wertheimer call 'group soft paternalism'. Group soft paternalistic policies restrict the freedom of autonomous individuals, not for their own good (hard paternalism), but as an unavoidable consequence of seeking to protect other, non-autonomous individuals from harms that they have not voluntarily chosen (soft paternalism). Group soft paternalism supports prohibiting kidney sales on three conditions: (1) that such sales are potentially harmful to vendors, (2) that many vendors would suffer impaired autonomy, and (3) that distinguishing between autonomous and non-autonomous vendors and interfering only with the latter is unfeasible. I provide reasons for thinking that these conditions will often hold. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The "BIOmarkers associated with Sarcopenia and PHysical frailty in EldeRly pErsons" (BIOSPHERE) study: Rationale, design and methods.

PubMed

Calvani, Riccardo; Picca, Anna; Marini, Federico; Biancolillo, Alessandra; Cesari, Matteo; Pesce, Vito; Lezza, Angela Maria Serena; Bossola, Maurizio; Leeuwenburgh, Christiaan; Bernabei, Roberto; Landi, Francesco; Marzetti, Emanuele

2018-05-10

Sarcopenia, the progressive and generalised loss of muscle mass and strength/function, is a major health issue in older adults given its high prevalence and burdensome clinical implications. Over the years, this condition has been endorsed as a marker for discriminating biological from chronological age. However, the absence of a unified operational definition has hampered its full appreciation by healthcare providers, researchers and policy-makers. In addition to this unsolved debate, the complexity of musculoskeletal ageing represents a major challenge to the identification of clinically meaningful biomarkers. Here, we illustrate the advantages of biomarker discovery procedures in muscle ageing based on multivariate methodologies as an alternative approach to traditional single-marker strategies. The rationale, design and methods of the "BIOmarkers associated with Sarcopenia and PHysical frailty in EldeRly pErsons" (BIOSPHERE) study are described as an application of a multi-marker strategy for the development of biomarkers for the newly operationalised Physical Frailty & Sarcopenia condition. Copyright © 2018 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Similar and yet so different: cash-for-care in six European countries' long-term care policies.

PubMed

Da Roit, Barbara; Le Bihan, Blanche

2010-09-01

In response to increasing care needs, the reform or development of long-term care (LTC) systems has become a prominent policy issue in all European countries. Cash-for-care schemes-allowances instead of services provided to dependents-represent a key policy aimed at ensuring choice, fostering family care, developing care markets, and containing costs. A detailed analysis of policy documents and regulations, together with a systematic review of existing studies, was used to investigate the differences among six European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden). The rationale and evolution of their various cash-for-care schemes within the framework of their LTC systems also were explored. While most of the literature present cash-for-care schemes as a common trend in the reforms that began in the 1990s and often treat them separately from the overarching LTC policies, this article argues that the policy context, timing, and specific regulation of the new schemes have created different visions of care and care work that in turn have given rise to distinct LTC configurations. A new typology of long-term care configurations is proposed based on the inclusiveness of the system, the role of cash-for-care schemes and their specific regulations, as well as the views of informal care and the care work that they require. © 2010 Milbank Memorial Fund. Published by Wiley Periodicals Inc.
Similar and Yet So Different: Cash-for-Care in Six European Countries’ Long-Term Care Policies

PubMed Central

Da Roit, Barbara; Le Bihan, Blanche

2010-01-01

Context: In response to increasing care needs, the reform or development of long-term care (LTC) systems has become a prominent policy issue in all European countries. Cash-for-care schemes—allowances instead of services provided to dependents—represent a key policy aimed at ensuring choice, fostering family care, developing care markets, and containing costs. Methods: A detailed analysis of policy documents and regulations, together with a systematic review of existing studies, was used to investigate the differences among six European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden). The rationale and evolution of their various cash-for-care schemes within the framework of their LTC systems also were explored. Findings: While most of the literature present cash-for-care schemes as a common trend in the reforms that began in the 1990s and often treat them separately from the overarching LTC policies, this article argues that the policy context, timing, and specific regulation of the new schemes have created different visions of care and care work that in turn have given rise to distinct LTC configurations. Conclusions: A new typology of long-term care configurations is proposed based on the inclusiveness of the system, the role of cash-for-care schemes and their specific regulations, as well as the views of informal care and the care work that they require. PMID:20860573
Practicing Engineering While Building with Blocks: Identifying Engineering Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagiati, Aikaterini; Evangelou, Demetra

2016-01-01

Children's free play naturally enhances skills of observation, communication, experimentation, as well as development of rationale and construction skills. These domains, while synthesised, can lead to the development of certain process models regarding the way constructions could be designed, built and improved. The Design Process model…
ADP--A Must in the Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Majernik, John A.

1974-01-01

The rationale for including automated data processing (ADP) in secondary schools is given. ADP instruction: prepares students for data processing employment and for advanced ADP study, aids all students preparing for business careers, aids students in choosing a career, provides consumer information, and adds realism to other classroom…
Resegregation: A Second Generation School Desegregation Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC. Educational Equity Group. Desegregation Studies Div.

The emphases of this paper are identification of system mechanisms and processes employed to achieve and enhance racial resegregation in education, placing an understanding of these mechanisms and processes within the context of the national desegregation efforts, presentation of the rationale for the National Institute of Education including…
Framing the Consequences of Childhood Obesity to Increase Public Support for Obesity Prevention Policy

PubMed Central

Niederdeppe, Jeff; Barry, Colleen L.

2013-01-01

Objectives. We examined the effects of messages describing consequences of childhood obesity on public attitudes about obesity prevention policy. Methods. We collected data from 2 nationally representative Internet-based surveys. First, respondents (n = 444) evaluated the strength of 11 messages about obesity’s consequences as reasons for government action. Second, we randomly assigned respondents (n = 2494) to a control group or to treatment groups shown messages about obesity consequences. We compared groups’ attitudes toward obesity prevention, stratified by political ideology. Results. Respondents perceived a message about the health consequences of childhood obesity as the strongest rationale for government action; messages about military readiness, bullying, and health care costs were rated particularly strong by conservatives, moderates, and liberals, respectively. A message identifying the consequences of obesity on military readiness increased conservatives’ perceptions of seriousness, endorsement of responsibility beyond the individual, and policy support, compared with a control condition. Conclusions. The public considers several consequences of childhood obesity as strong justification for obesity prevention policy. Activating new or unexpected values in framing a health message could raise the health issue’s salience for particular subgroups of the public. PMID:24028237
A proposed non-consequentialist policy for the ethical distribution of scarce vaccination in the face of an influenza pandemic.

PubMed

McLachlan, Hugh V

2012-05-01

The current UK policy for the distribution of scarce vaccination in an influenza pandemic is ethically dubious. It is based on the planned outcome of the maximum health benefit in terms of the saving of lives and the reduction of illness. To that end, the population is classified in terms of particular priority groups. An alternative policy with a non-consequentialist rationale is proposed in the present work. The state should give the vaccination, in the first instance, to those who are at risk of catching the pandemic flu in the line of their duties of public employment. Thereafter, if there is not sufficient vaccine to give all citizens equally an effective dose, the state should give all citizens an equal chance of receiving an effective dose. This would be the just thing to do because the state has a duty to treat each and all of its citizens impartially and they have a corresponding right to such impartial treatment. Although this article specifically refers to the UK, it is considered that the suggested alternative policy would be applicable generally. The duty to act justly is not merely a local one.
Challenges and Opportunities for the implementation of interventions to prevent and control CVD in low resource settings in Argentina

PubMed Central

Rubinstein, Adolfo; Irazola, Vilma E.; Poggio, Rosana; Gulayin, Pablo; Nejamis, Analía; Beratarrechea, Andrea

2015-01-01

In Argentina, Cardiovascular diseases are estimated to cause about 100,000 deaths and more than 250,000 coronary heart disease and stroke events annually, at a cost of more than one billion international dollars. Despite progress in the implementation of several programs to combat non-communicable diseases in Argentina over the last years, most health resources are still dedicated to infectious disease and maternal and child health. The Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy, an independent academic institution affiliated to the University of Buenos Aires medical school, runs CESCAS (South American Centre of Excellence in Cardiovascular Health), a center devoted to epidemiological, implementation and policy research. At CESCAS there are three ongoing randomized clinical trials focused on implementation science: 1) A Mobile health intervention to prevent progression of pre-hypertension in poor urban settings in Argentina, Guatemala and Peru; 2) A Comprehensive Approach for Hypertension Prevention and Control in low-resource settings in Argentina; and 3) An Educational Approach to Improve Physician Effectiveness in the Detection, Treatment and Control for patients with Hypercholesterolemia and high Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk in low-resource settings in Argentina. All these studies involve the design and implementation of complex interventions to change behaviors of providers and patients. The rationale of each of the three studies, the design of the interventions and the evaluation of processes and outcomes are described in this article together with the barriers and enabling factors associated with implementation research studies. There is a strong need in Argentina and the region at large to build the health research capacity and infrastructure necessary to undertake implementation studies to translate evidence from research findings into improvements in health policy and practice to address CVD and their risk factors. PMID:25754563
Measuring subjective well-being for policy purposes: The example of well-being indicators in the WHO "Health 2020" framework.

PubMed

Vik, Mari Hagtvedt; Carlquist, Erik

2018-03-01

This article discusses the rationale for measuring national well-being, and examines the use of subjectively oriented well-being measures in the context of public policy. Recent years have witnessed growing attention towards the concept and measurement of well-being, both within academic disciplines, intergovernmental organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as in many governments across Europe, including the Nordic countries. Economic indicators have commonly been regarded as proxies of societal progress of nations, but indicators of well-being have increasingly been applied in order to complement or replace these measures. Well-being indicators of the WHO "Health 2020" framework are critically examined with particular attention given to the subjective aspects of well-being. Literature discussing the rationale for subjective indicators is reviewed. As a background, central theoretical and measurement perspectives on well-being are outlined, including hedonic, eudaimonic and objective list approaches. The WHO refers to well-being in definitions of health and mental health, but has primarily reported on disease. The "Health 2020" framework marked a shift in this concern. One of the main targets of "Health 2020" concerns well-being, involving six core indicators. Only one indicator refers to well-being as subjective experience. Literature supports more extensive use of subjective indicators in combination with objective measures. Although consensus on definitions and instruments is lacking, subjective and objective measures of national well-being may jointly contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of societal progress, as well as a broader conception of health. Further research is required, particularly with regard to eudaimonic indicators.
Global mineral resource assessment: porphyry copper assessment of Mexico: Chapter A in Global mineral resource assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Robinson, Gilpin R.; Ludington, Steve; Gray, Floyd; Drenth, Benjamin J.; Cendejas-Cruz, Francisco; Espinosa, Enrique; Pérez-Segura, Efrén; Valencia-Moreno, Martín; Rodríguez-Castañeda, José Luis; Vásquez-Mendoza, Rigobert; Zürcher, Lukas

2010-01-01

This report includes a brief overview of porphyry copper deposits in Mexico, a description of the assessment process used, a summary of results, and appendixes. Appendixes A through K contain summary information for each tract, as follows: location, the geologic feature assessed, the rationale for tract delineation, tables and descriptions of known deposits and significant prospects, exploration history, model selection, rationale for the estimates, assessment results, and references. The accompanying digital map files (shapefiles) provide permissive tract outlines, assessment results, and data for deposits and prospects in a GIS format (appendix L).
Health technology adoption and the politics of governance in the UK.

PubMed

Milewa, Timothy

2006-12-01

The manner in which clinical and cost-effectiveness data are used to inform decisions about the funding and availability of drugs, therapies and medical devices is inherently politicised within collectively financed systems of health care. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was established by the British government in 1999 to reach evidence-based decisions on whether selected health technologies should be made available by the National Health Service in England and Wales. But NICE is also required to involve a broad range of interested parties in the decision-making process, provide detailed rationales for its rulings and defend appeals from aggrieved parties. Debates about the emergence of "deliberative" forms of policy governance--based upon participation by a broad range of stakeholders rather than reliance on scientific, bureaucratic or political expertise alone--are thus particularly apposite. This article draws on a study of decision-making within NICE by focusing upon the tenor and orientation of deliberation about the adoption of health technologies. Does such deliberation take place upon a level playing field for different interests? Or do implicit parameters and understandings in the deliberative process tend to privilege some interests by structuring debate and attendant outcomes? Findings suggest that deliberative assumptions and parameters pertaining to fluid and contestable ideas of transparent reasoning and domain competence both reflect and shape relationships of influence and marginality among participants. Broader analytical implications centre on a distinction between "deliberative democracy" and "democratic deliberation". The extent to which this distinction is acknowledged and addressed in policy and practise will have marked implications for the substantive nature of attempts to broaden involvement in decision-making within public sector bodies such as NICE.
Rationale, design, and methods for process evaluation in the Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration project

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The cross-site process evaluation plan for the Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (CORD) project is described here. The CORD project comprises 3 unique demonstration projects designed to integrate multi-level, multi-setting health care and public health interventions over a 4-year funding peri...
Visual Literacy/Process Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karolides, Nicholas J., Ed.

1984-01-01

The articles in this journal issue provide a rationale and methods for enhancing students' critical awareness of visual media and for a process approach to composition instruction. The titles of the articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Reel English: Film Study in the High Schools" (James Griswold); (2) "Introducing History Media"…
Leadership Development as a Dialogic Process: The Rationale and Concept of an International Leadership Institute

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kedian, Jeremy; Giles, David; Morrison, Michele; Fletcher, Murray

2016-01-01

Rapidly changing educational contexts demand deft leadership responses. In this fluid environment, it is imperative that leadership learning models sound educational praxis. Such praxis necessitates the inclusion of participant voices within relational and dialogic processes that enable authentic, creative and collaborative thinking. This paper…
A Design Rationale Capture Using REMAP/MM

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-06-01

company-wide down-sizing, the power company has determined that an automated service order processing system is the most economical solution. This new...service order processing system for a large power company can easily be 37 led. A system of this complexity would typically require three to five years
AN ANALYSIS OF THE BEHAVIORAL PROCESSES INVOLVED IN SELF-INSTRUCTION WITH TEACHING MACHINES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HOLLAND, JAMES G.; SKINNER, B.F.

THIS COLLECTION OF PAPERS CONSTITUTES THE FINAL REPORT OF A PROJECT DEVOTED TO AN ANALYSIS OF THE BEHAVIORAL PROCESSES UNDERLYING PROGRAMED INSTRUCTION. THE PAPERS ARE GROUPED UNDER THREE HEADINGS--(1) "PROGRAMING RESEARCH," (2) "BASIC SKILLS--RATIONALE AND PROCEDURE," AND (3) "BASIC SKILLS--SPECIFIC SKILLS." THE…
Documenting the Engineering Design Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollers, Brent

2017-01-01

Documentation of ideas and the engineering design process is a critical, daily component of a professional engineer's job. While patent protection is often cited as the primary rationale for documentation, it can also benefit the engineer, the team, company, and stakeholders through creating a more rigorously designed and purposeful solution.…
Tools for Achieving TQE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latta, Raymond F.; Downey, Carolyn J.

This book presents a wide array of sophisticated problem-solving tools and shows how to use them in a humanizing way that involves all stakeholders in the process. Chapter 1 develops the rationale for educational stakeholders to consider quality tools. Chapter 2 highlights three quality group-process tools--brainstorming, the nominal group…
Functional Analytic Psychotherapy for Interpersonal Process Groups: A Behavioral Application

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoekstra, Renee

2008-01-01

This paper is an adaptation of Kohlenberg and Tsai's work, Functional Analytical Psychotherapy (1991), or FAP, to group psychotherapy. This author applied a behavioral rationale for interpersonal process groups by illustrating key points with a hypothetical client. Suggestions are also provided for starting groups, identifying goals, educating…
A methodology for fostering commercialization of electric and hybrid vehicle propulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thollot, P. A.; Musial, N. T.

1980-01-01

The rationale behind, and a proposed approach for, application of government assistance to accelerate the process of moving a new electric vehicle propulsion system product from technological readiness to profitable marketplace acceptance and utilization are described. Emphasis is on strategy, applicable incentives, and an implementation process.

Tobacco Pricing in Military Stores: Views of Military Policy Leaders.

PubMed

Smith, Elizabeth A; Jahnke, Sara A; Poston, Walker S C; Malone, Ruth E; Haddock, Christopher K

2016-10-01

Higher tobacco taxes reduce tobacco use. On military installations, cigarettes and other tobacco products are sold tax-free, keeping prices artificially low. Pricing regulations in the military specify that tobacco should be within 5% of the local most competitive price, but prices still average almost 13% lower than those at local Walmarts. To gain insight into policy leaders' ideas and positions on military tobacco pricing, we interviewed members of the Department of Defense (DoD) Addictive Substances Misuse Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on Tobacco about tobacco pricing policies (n = 12). Participants frequently lacked specific knowledge of details of military pricing policy, and the impact higher prices might have on military tobacco use. Most participants thought tobacco should not be sold at military stores, but many also felt that this policy change was unlikely due to tobacco industry pressure, and DoD reliance on tobacco profits to support Morale, Welfare, and Recreation funds. Achieving a tobacco-free military will require changing pricing policy, but this study suggests that for effective implementation, military leadership must also understand and articulate more clearly the rationale for doing so. Previous work has found that adherence to military tobacco pricing policy is inconsistent at best. This study suggests that lack of knowledge about the policy and conflicting pressures resulting from the funding stream tobacco sales represent extend to high level military policy leaders. Without clearer information and direction, these leaders are unlikely to be able to establish and implement better tobacco pricing policy. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Development of Food Acceptance Patterns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birch, Leann L.

1990-01-01

Provides a rationale for the significance of the study of early feeding and delineates major issues that require investigation. Includes a list of acquisition processes implicated in the development of food acceptance patterns. (RH)
Dynamic simulation modelling of policy responses to reduce alcohol-related harms: rationale and procedure for a participatory approach.

PubMed

Atkinson, Jo-An; O'Donnell, Eloise; Wiggers, John; McDonnell, Geoff; Mitchell, Jo; Freebairn, Louise; Indig, Devon; Rychetnik, Lucie

2017-02-15

Development of effective policy responses to address complex public health problems can be challenged by a lack of clarity about the interaction of risk factors driving the problem, differing views of stakeholders on the most appropriate and effective intervention approaches, a lack of evidence to support commonly implemented and acceptable intervention approaches, and a lack of acceptance of effective interventions. Consequently, political considerations, community advocacy and industry lobbying can contribute to a hotly contested debate about the most appropriate course of action; this can hinder consensus and give rise to policy resistance. The problem of alcohol misuse and its associated harms in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, provides a relevant example of such challenges. Dynamic simulation modelling is increasingly being valued by the health sector as a robust tool to support decision making to address complex problems. It allows policy makers to ask 'what-if' questions and test the potential impacts of different policy scenarios over time, before solutions are implemented in the real world. Participatory approaches to modelling enable researchers, policy makers, program planners, practitioners and consumer representatives to collaborate with expert modellers to ensure that models are transparent, incorporate diverse evidence and perspectives, are better aligned to the decision-support needs of policy makers, and can facilitate consensus building for action. This paper outlines a procedure for embedding stakeholder engagement and consensus building in the development of dynamic simulation models that can guide the development of effective, coordinated and acceptable policy responses to complex public health problems, such as alcohol-related harms in NSW.
Research influence on antimalarial drug policy change in Tanzania: case study of replacing chloroquine with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine as the first-line drug

PubMed Central

Mubyazi, Godfrey M; Gonzalez-Block, Miguel A

2005-01-01

Introduction Research is an essential tool in facing the challenges of scaling up interventions and improving access to services. As in many other countries, the translation of research evidence into drug policy action in Tanzania is often constrained by poor communication between researchers and policy decision-makers, individual perceptions or attitudes towards the drug and hesitation by some policy decision-makers to approve change when they anticipate possible undesirable repercussions should the policy change as proposed. Internationally, literature on the role of researchers on national antimalarial drug policy change is limited. Objectives To describe the (a) role of researchers in producing evidence that influenced the Tanzanian government replace chloroquine (CQ) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) as the first-line drug and the challenges faced in convincing policy-makers, general practitioners, pharmaceutical industry and the general public on the need for change (b) challenges ahead before a new drug combination treatment policy is introduced in Tanzania. Methods In-depth interviews were held with national-level policy-makers, malaria control programme managers, pharmaceutical officers, general medical practitioners, medical research library and publications officers, university academicians, heads of medical research institutions and district and regional medical officers. Additional data were obtained through a review of malaria drug policy documents and participant observations were also done. Results In year 2001, the Tanzanian Government officially changed its malaria treatment policy guidelines whereby CQ – the first-line drug for a long time was replaced with SP. This policy decision was supported by research evidence indicating parasite resistance to CQ and clinical CQ treatment failure rates to have reached intolerable levels as compared to SP and amodiaquine (AQ). Research also indicated that since SP was also facing rising resistance trend, the need for a more effective drug was indispensable but for an interim 5–10 year period it was justifiable to recommend SP that was relatively more cost-effective than CQ and AQ. The government launched the policy change considering that studies (ethically approved by the Ministry of Health) on therapeutic efficacy and cost-effectiveness of artemisinin drug combination therapies were underway. Nevertheless, the process of communicating research results and recommendations to policy-making authorities involved critical debates between policy makers and researchers, among the researchers themselves and between the researchers and general practitioners, the speculative media reports on SP side-effects and reservations by the general public concerning the rationale for policy change, when to change, and to which drug of choice. Conclusion Changing national drug policy will remain a sensitive issue that cannot be done overnight. However, to ensure that research findings are recognised and the recommendations emanating from such findings are effectively utilized, a systematic involvement of all the key stakeholders (including policy-makers, drug manufacturers, media, practitioners and the general public) at all stages of research is crucial. It also matters how and when research information is communicated to the stakeholders. Professional organizations such as the East African Network on Malaria Treatment have potential to bring together malaria researchers, policy-makers and other stakeholders in the research-to-drug policy change interface. PMID:16242017
Adopting public values and climate change adaptation strategies in urban forest management: A review and analysis of the relevant literature.

PubMed

Ordóñez Barona, Camilo

2015-12-01

Urban trees are a dominant natural element in cities; they provide important ecosystem services to urban citizens and help urban areas adapt to climate change. Many rationales have been proposed to provide a purpose for urban forest management, some of which have been ineffective in addressing important ecological and social management themes. Among these rationales we find a values-based perspective, which sees management as a process where the desires of urban dwellers are met. Another perspective is climate change adaptation, which sees management as a process where urban forest vulnerability to climate change is reduced and resilience enhanced. Both these rationales have the advantage of complementing, enhancing, and broadening urban forest management objectives. A critical analysis of the literature on public values related to urban forests and climate change adaptation in the context of urban forests is undertaken to discuss what it means to adopt these two issues in urban forest management. The analysis suggests that by seeing urban forest management as a process by which public values are satisfied and urban-forest vulnerabilities to climate change are reduced, we can place issues such as naturalization, adaptive management, and engaging people in management at the centre of urban forest management. Focusing urban forest management on these issues may help ensure the success of programs focused on planting more trees and increasing citizen participation in urban forest management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Determining dangerousness in sexually violent predator evaluations: cognitive-experiential self-theory and juror judgments of expert testimony.

PubMed

Lieberman, Joel D; Krauss, Daniel A; Kyger, Mariel; Lehoux, Maribeth

2007-01-01

Past research examining the effects of expert testimony on the future dangerousness of a defendant in death penalty sentencing found that jurors are more influenced by less scientific clinical expert testimony and tend to devalue scientific actuarial testimony. This study was designed to determine whether these findings extend to civil commitment trials for sexual offenders and to test a theoretical rationale for this effect. In addition, we investigated the influence of a recently developed innovation in risk assessment procedures, Guided Professional Judgment (GPJ) instruments. Consistent with a cognitive-experiential self-theory based explanation, mock jurors motivated to process information in an experiential condition were more influenced by clinical testimony, while mock jurors in a rational mode were more influenced by actuarial testimony. Participants responded to clinical and GPJ testimony in a similar manner. However, participants' gender exerted important interactive effects on dangerousness decisions, with male jurors showing the predicted effect while females did not. The policy implications of these findings are discussed. 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Rents From the Essential Health Benefits Mandate of Health Insurance Reform.

PubMed

Mendoza, Roger Lee

2015-01-01

The essential health benefits mandate constitutes one of the most controversial health care reforms introduced under the U.S. Affordable Care Act of 2010. It bears important theoretical and practical implications for health care risk and insurance management. These essential health benefits are examined in this study from a rent-seeking perspective, particularly in terms of three interrelated questions: Is there an economic rationale for standardized, minimum health care coverage? How is the scope of essential health services and treatments determined? What are the attendant and incidental costs and benefits of such determination/s? Rents offer ample incentives to business interests to expend considerable resources for health care marketing, particularly when policy processes are open to contestation. Welfare losses inevitably arise from these incentives. We rely on five case studies to illustrate why and how rents are created, assigned, extracted, and dissipated in equilibrium. We also demonstrate why rents depend on persuasive marketing and the bargained decisions of regulators and rentiers, as conditioned by the Tullock paradox. Insights on the intertwining issues of consumer choice, health care marketing, and insurance reform are offered by way of conclusion.
Computer-based physician order entry: the state of the art.

PubMed Central

Sittig, D F; Stead, W W

1994-01-01

Direct computer-based physician order entry has been the subject of debate for over 20 years. Many sites have implemented systems successfully. Others have failed outright or flirted with disaster, incurring substantial delays, cost overruns, and threatened work actions. The rationale for physician order entry includes process improvement, support of cost-conscious decision making, clinical decision support, and optimization of physicians' time. Barriers to physician order entry result from the changes required in practice patterns, roles within the care team, teaching patterns, and institutional policies. Key ingredients for successful implementation include: the system must be fast and easy to use, the user interface must behave consistently in all situations, the institution must have broad and committed involvement and direction by clinicians prior to implementation, the top leadership of the organization must be committed to the project, and a group of problem solvers and users must meet regularly to work out procedural issues. This article reviews the peer-reviewed scientific literature to present the current state of the art of computer-based physician order entry. PMID:7719793
Investigating the Extent to Which Patients Should Control Access to Patient Records for Research: A Deliberative Process Using Citizens’ Juries

PubMed Central

Bozentko, Kyle; Clement, Sarah; Hunn, Amanda; Hassan, Lamiece; Norris, Ruth; Oswald, Malcolm; Peek, Niels

2018-01-01

Background The secondary use of health data for research raises complex questions of privacy and governance. Such questions are ill-suited to opinion polling where citizens must choose quickly between multiple-choice answers based on little information. Objective The aim of this project was to extend knowledge about what control informed citizens would seek over the use of health records for research after participating in a deliberative process using citizens’ juries. Methods Two 3-day citizens’ juries, of 17 citizens each, were convened to reflect UK national demographics from 355 eligible applicants. Each jury addressed the mission “To what extent should patients control access to patient records for secondary use?” Jurors heard from and questioned 5 expert witnesses (chosen either to inform the jury, or to argue for and against the secondary use of data), interspersed with structured opportunities to deliberate among themselves, including discussion and role-play. Jurors voted on a series of questions associated with the jury mission, giving their rationale. Individual views were polled using questionnaires at the beginning and at end of the process. Results At the end of the process, 33 out of 34 jurors voted in support of the secondary use of data for research, with 24 wanting individuals to be able to opt out, 6 favoring opt in, and 3 voting that all records should be available without any consent process. When considering who should get access to data, both juries had very similar rationales. Both thought that public benefit was a key justification for access. Jury 1 was more strongly supportive of sharing patient records for public benefit, whereas jury 2 was more cautious and sought to give patients more control. Many jurors changed their opinion about who should get access to health records: 17 people became more willing to support wider information sharing of health data for public benefit, whereas 2 moved toward more patient control over patient records. Conclusions The findings highlight that, when informed of both risks and opportunities associated with data sharing, citizens believe an individual’s right to privacy should not prevent research that can benefit the general public. The juries also concluded that patients should be notified of any such scheme and have the right to opt out if they so choose. Many jurors changed their minds about this complex policy question when they became more informed. Many, but not all, jurors became less skeptical about health data sharing, as they became better informed of its benefits and risks. PMID:29592847
Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: overview and implications for policy makers.

PubMed

Haines, Andy; McMichael, Anthony J; Smith, Kirk R; Roberts, Ian; Woodcock, James; Markandya, Anil; Armstrong, Ben G; Campbell-Lendrum, Diarmid; Dangour, Alan D; Davies, Michael; Bruce, Nigel; Tonne, Cathryn; Barrett, Mark; Wilkinson, Paul

2009-12-19

This Series has examined the health implications of policies aimed at tackling climate change. Assessments of mitigation strategies in four domains-household energy, transport, food and agriculture, and electricity generation-suggest an important message: that actions to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions often, although not always, entail net benefits for health. In some cases, the potential benefits seem to be substantial. This evidence provides an additional and immediate rationale for reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions beyond that of climate change mitigation alone. Climate change is an increasing and evolving threat to the health of populations worldwide. At the same time, major public health burdens remain in many regions. Climate change therefore adds further urgency to the task of addressing international health priorities, such as the UN Millennium Development Goals. Recognition that mitigation strategies can have substantial benefits for both health and climate protection offers the possibility of policy choices that are potentially both more cost effective and socially attractive than are those that address these priorities independently. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Conference on Corporate Interference with Science and Health: fracking, food and wireless: genesis, rationale, and results.

PubMed

Kopald, Deborah E

2013-01-01

A number of serious environmental health hazards created by under-regulated/unregulated industries have morphed into public health crises around the world. The Conference on Corporate Interference with Science and Health (the Conference) was held to examine this trend in three economically significant industries: fracking, food, and wireless. The Conference provided an overview of the structures of these three industries and the history of standard-setting therein, identified the sources of environmental exposures created by these industries, and surveyed the health consequences of these exposures and the policies that have resulted in them. It then examined corporate influence on the setting of these policies and the production of scientific studies and interpretation of their results. The Conference also analyzed the general influence of corporations on the political system and the relationship of this conflict of interest to the aforementioned topics. The concluding discussion focused on what solutions could be implemented to improve public health, including what institutional changes are necessary to promote public awareness and change policy.
IEC planning: eight state-of-the-art principles.

PubMed

Middleton, J

1983-12-01

Considerable experience and research has been accumulated in the last 20 years on the ways in which information/education/communication (IEC) programs can be effectively designed, implemented, and evaluated. Possibly more effort has focused on population and family planning IEC than on any other sectoral program of development communication. Several principles have emerged which, taken together, define the state of the art in the field. These principles provide a framework of experience which can guide the development of comprehensive IEC programs. They include: policy and resource assessment; audience analysis; strategy design; message research and pretesting; participation and feedback; management; evaluation; and collaboration. The nature of the national policy base for population and family planning programs will determine the goals and approaches of the IEC program. Strong policies of limitation on popultion growth lead to equally strong and pervasive IEC efforts designed to directly affect contraceptive behavior. Assessment of existing policy is an essential aspect of the design of an effective IEC program. Policies establish the rationale and boundaries for action. Population and family planning programs are concerned with some of the most intimate human behavior. Consequently, structured and sensitive audience analysis has become an integral part of the design of IEC programs. The design of communication strategy requires clearly stated objectives. Principles of human learning are used to structure information appropriately. Message research and pretesting have become integral components of the strategy design process. Small scale research on specific objectives is necessary to establish the basis for message design. Audience participation and feedback in remaining phases of program development and implementation are important. The management of an IEC program requires a specific combination of planning, flexibility, and creativity. Evaluation of program effects--identification of the degree of change toward stated objectives -- is critical to long term assessment of the underlying strategy and the identification both of needed corrections and new directions for the future. Collaboration with and involvement of stakeholders in the design and implementation of a national IEC program significantly raises the probability that support will be forthcoming. Taken together these 8 principles can become the basic building blocks of an effective population/family planning IEC program.
Convergence of decision rules for value-based pricing of new innovative drugs.

PubMed

Gandjour, Afschin

2015-04-01

Given the high costs of innovative new drugs, most European countries have introduced policies for price control, in particular value-based pricing (VBP) and international reference pricing. The purpose of this study is to describe how profit-maximizing manufacturers would optimally adjust their launch sequence to these policies and how VBP countries may best respond. To decide about the launching sequence, a manufacturer must consider a tradeoff between price and sales volume in any given country as well as the effect of price in a VBP country on the price in international reference pricing countries. Based on the manufacturer's rationale, it is best for VBP countries in Europe to implicitly collude in the long term and set cost-effectiveness thresholds at the level of the lowest acceptable VBP country. This way, international reference pricing countries would also converge towards the lowest acceptable threshold in Europe.
Vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing: Payment policy review for clinicians and payers.

PubMed

Fife, Terry D; Satya-Murti, Saty; Burkard, Robert F; Carey, John P

2018-04-01

A recent American Academy of Neurology Evidence-Based Practice Guideline on vestibular myogenic evoked potential (VEMP) testing has described superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS) and evaluated the merits of VEMP in its diagnosis. SCDS is an uncommon but now well-recognized cause of dizziness and auditory symptoms. This article familiarizes health care providers with this syndrome and the utility and shortcomings of VEMP as a diagnostic test and also explores payment policies for VEMP. In carefully selected patients with documented history compatible with the SCDS, both high-resolution temporal bone CT scan and VEMP are valuable aids for diagnosis. Payers might be unfamiliar with both this syndrome and VEMP testing. It is important to raise awareness of VEMP and its possible indications and the rationale for coverage of VEMP testing. Payers may not be readily receptive to VEMP coverage if this test is used in an undifferentiated manner for all common vestibular and auditory symptoms.
Assessing the Public’s Views in Research Ethics Controversies: Deliberative Democracy and Bioethics as Natural Allies

PubMed Central

Kim, Scott Y. H.; Wall, Ian F.; Stanczyk, Aimee; Vries, Raymond De

2010-01-01

In a Liberal Democracy, Policy Decisions regarding ethical controversies, including those in research ethics, should incorporate the opinions of its citizens. Eliciting informed and well-considered ethical opinions can be challenging. The issues may not be widely familiar and they may involve complex scientific, legal, historical, and ethical dimensions. Traditional surveys risk eliciting superficial and uninformed opinions that may be of dubious quality for policy formation. We argue that the theory and practice of deliberative democracy (DD) is especially useful in overcoming such inadequacies. We explain DD theory and practice, discuss the rationale for using DD methods in research ethics, and illustrate in depth the use of a DD method for a long-standing research ethics controversy involving research based on surrogate consent. The potential pitfalls of DD and the means of minimizing them as well as future research directions are also discussed. PMID:19919315
Assessing the public's views in research ethics controversies: deliberative democracy and bioethics as natural allies.

PubMed

Kim, Scott Y H; Wall, Ian F; Stanczyk, Aimee; De Vries, Raymond

2009-12-01

In a liberal democracy, policy decisions regarding ethical controversies, including those in research ethics, should incorporate the opinions of its citizens. Eliciting informed and well-considered ethical opinions can be challenging. The issues may not be widely familiar and they may involve complex scientific, legal, historical, and ethical dimensions. Traditional surveys risk eliciting superficial and uninformed opinions that may be of dubious quality for policy formation. We argue that the theory and practice of deliberative democracy (DD) is especially useful in overcoming such inadequacies. We explain DD theory and practice, discuss the rationale for using DD methods in research ethics, and illustrate in depth the use of a DD method for a longstanding research ethics controversy involving research based on surrogate consent. The potential pitfalls of DD and the means of minimizing them as well as future research directions are also discussed.
Child Health Research Funding and Policy: Imperatives and Investments for a Healthier World

PubMed Central

Hay, William W.; Gitterman, Daniel P.; Williams, David A.; Dover, George J.; Sectish, Theodore C.; Schleiss, Mark R.

2011-01-01

Although pediatric research enjoyed significant benefits during the National Institutes of Health (NIH) doubling era, the proportion of the NIH budget devoted to the pediatric-research portfolio has declined overall. In light of this declining support for pediatric biomedical research, the Federation of Pediatric Organizations held a topic symposium at the 2009 Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting as a forum for discussion of the past and future states of funding, the rationale for directing public funds toward the understanding of child health and disease, and new programs and paradigms for promoting child health research. This report of the symposium is intended to disseminate more broadly the information presented and conclusions discussed to encourage those in the child health research community to exert influence with policy makers to increase the allocation of national funding for this underfunded area. PMID:20457684
Food taxation and pricing strategies to "thin out" the obesity epidemic.

PubMed

Kim, Daniel; Kawachi, Ichiro

2006-05-01

This article highlights characteristics of two related yet distinct economic approaches to addressing the current obesity epidemic in the United States: the general taxation of soft drinks, snack foods, and/or fast foods, and the application of pricing incentives/disincentives on foods sold in schools and worksites. The article specifically focuses on the: (1) rationale for, (2) potential barriers and limitations to, and (3) possible unintended consequences of implementing these policy interventions at the state level. Novel empirical evidence showing strong positive associations between the presence of state-level taxation on soft drinks or snack foods between 1991 and 1998 and relative changes in obesity prevalence over the same time period is further presented. The article concludes by summarizing the similarities and dissimilarities of the two approaches, and by emphasizing some of the gaps and priorities regarding these strategies that should be addressed in future research and policies to best effect obesity prevention.
To Report or Not to Report: Exploring Healthy Volunteers' Rationales for Disclosing Adverse Events in Phase I Drug Trials.

PubMed

McManus, Lisa; Fisher, Jill A

2018-04-25

Phase I trials test the safety and tolerability of investigational drugs and often use healthy volunteers as research participants. Adverse events (AEs) are collected in part through participants' self-reports of any symptoms they experience during the trial. In some cases, experiencing AEs can result in trial participation being terminated. Because of the economic incentives underlying their motivation to participate, there is concern that healthy volunteers routinely fail to report AEs and, thereby, jeopardize the validity of the trial results. We interviewed 131 U.S. healthy volunteers about their experiences with AEs, including their rationales for reporting or failing to report symptoms. We found that participants have three primary rationales for their AE reporting behavior: economic, health-oriented, and data integrity. Participants often make decisions about whether to report AEs on a case-by-case basis evaluating what effects reporting or not reporting might have on the compensation they receive from the trial, the risk to their health, and the results of the particular clinical trial. Participants' interpretations of clinic policies, staff behaviors, and personal or vicarious experiences with reporting AEs also shape reporting decisions. Our findings demonstrate that participants' reporting behavior is more complex than previous portraits of healthy volunteers have suggested. Rather than finding participants who were so focused on the financial compensation that they were willing to subvert trial results, our study indicates that participants are willing in most cases to forgo their full compensation if they believe not reporting their symptoms jeopardizes their own safety or the validity of the research.
Liability for wrongful terminations: are hospitals at risk?

PubMed

Hames, D S

1991-01-01

This article examines the extent to which the three principal exceptions to the common-law doctrine of employment-at-will--namely the public policy, implied contract, and good faith and fair dealing exceptions--have been recognized in hospital termination cases. State supreme court and appellate court cases are analyzed to illustrate the type of conduct that precipitated wrongful termination claims against hospitals during the 1980s, how the courts disposed of these claims, and the rationale underlying their decisions. Suggestions, based on these and related cases, for avoiding or at least minimizing liability for wrongfully terminating hospital employees, are presented.

Biosensors for marine applications. We all need the sea, but does the sea need biosensors?

PubMed

Kröger, Silke; Law, Robin J

2005-04-15

The aim of the paper is to explain the rationale behind marine biosensor applications, give an overview of measurement strategies currently employed, summarise some of the relevant available biosensor technology as well as instrumentation requirements for marine sensors and attempt a forward look at what the future might hold in terms of needs and developments. Application areas considered are eutrophication, organism detection, food safety, pollutants, trace metals and ecotoxicology. The drivers for many of these studies are discussed and the policy environment for current and future measurements is outlined.
Arms control movements and the media: From the Cold War to the nuclear freeze

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rojecki, A.

1993-12-31

The dissertation examines news coverage of the two most recent arms control movements: The test ban (1957-1963) and the nuclear freeze (1981-1984). Four questions guide the research: (1) To what extent do the news media maintain a space for oppositional politics that is independent of elite influence? (2) DOes the existence and characters of the space matter to policy outcomes? (3) Has the character of voices permitted into this space changed over time? (4) Are there differences between the more elite-oriented media and those aiming for mass audiences? The study begins by tracing the formation of arms control policy inmore » the three presidential administrations that span the two movements. Finally, it examines the news frames used to depict movement messages and participants. The study found that space provided to movement politics varied both with administration policy formation and editorial policy. Because news coverage followed the contours of elite policy, the movements succeeded only in placing their issues on the policy agenda but not in achieving their desired goals. There were significant differences in the types of voiced permitted into the news across the two movements. Moral authority to participate in and influence arms control policy debates was virtually unquestioned during the cold war, but by the 1980s, the media were more likely to defer to expert opinion, despite its underlying partisan interest. The most significant difference in news treatment was between the elite press and television news: The simplicity of the television report was more likely to elicit core issues. But neither the press, the opposition party in Congress, nor the movement used these to challenge the rationale of administration policy or to explore the ethical implications of the influence of defense industry PACs on policy-making.« less
How To Optimize Organizational Effectiveness through Leadership: The Case for a Process-Based Organization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rieley, James B.

This paper presents the issues relating to, the rationale, and the methodology for the implementation of a process-based organizational structure. Following an overview of leadership theory and traditional organizational structure, a model of the circular organization is presented. In the circular organization, the leader occupies a middle, rather…
Peer Collaboration: Improving Teaching through Comprehensive Peer Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Shelley L.

2014-01-01

This article includes a brief rationale and review of the literature on peer review of teaching (PRT). Based on that literature review, it offers a proposal for an optimal formative review process that results in a teaching portfolio that would reflect a faculty member's efforts and successes in a critically reflective PRT process, and contributes…
Faculty Member Engagement in Canadian University Internationalization: A Consideration of Understanding, Motivations and Rationales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friesen, Rhonda

2013-01-01

Faculty members are key agents in the institutional internationalization process within Canadian higher education. In the growing volumes of literature on internationalization, however, few authors consider how faculty members perceive their role in this process. In this study I take a phenomenological research approach to explore the…
Case Study: Developing Graduate Engineers at Kentz Engineers & Constructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Donnell, Hugh; Karallis, Takis; Sandelands, Eric; Cassin, James; O'Neill, Donal

2008-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to outline the approach and process in place within Kentz Engineers & Constructors to develop graduate engineers on an international basis. Design/methodology/approach: The approach adopted is that of a case study which describes activities and processes within the organization and the rationale behind them,…
The Composing Process: A Critical Review of Some Recent Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crismore, Avon

Six of the 10 existing research studies that attempt to characterize the composing process by examining certain components and behaviors are critically reviewed in this paper. For each study, the aims and data gathering and sampling procedures are described, and the findings, interpretations, design, and rationale of the research are critically…
The Rationale for Experiential/Participatory Learning. Working Papers in Early Childhood Development 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torkington, Kate

Experiential learning has been defined as the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of the experience of the learner who is at the center of the learning process. Modern experiential learning theory begins with John Dewey and his "Experience and Education" (1938). Coleman (1976) describes traditional learning as…
Global Biology Research Program: Program plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Biological processes which play a dominant role in these cycles which transform and transfer much of this material throughout the biosphere are examined. A greater understanding of planetary biological processes as revealed by the interaction of the biota and the environment. The rationale, scope, research strategy, and research priorities of the global biology is presented.
COMPARATIVE POTENCY METHOD FOR CANCER RISK ASSESSMENT: CLARIFICATION OF THE RATIONALE, THEORETICAL BASIS, AND APPLICATION TO DIESEL PARTICULATE EMISSIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The rapid increase in new combustion technologies and new fuels for automobiles, residential and industrial heating, and other energy-related processes poses a particularly unique problem for both the scientific assessment of risk and the regulatory decision-making process that m...
Audience and Witnessing: Research into Dramatherapy using Vignettes and aMSN Messenger

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Phil

2008-01-01

This article describes the process of research undertaken to examine therapists' responses to the concept of the core processes of change in dramatherapy. The research uses a combination of vignette description and analysis using aMSN messenger. The article describes the theoretical underpinning and rationale to the approach, and the…
The Execution and Evaluation of an Integrated Business Common Core Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pharr, Steven W.; Morris, John S.; Stover, Dana; Byers, C. Randall; Reyes, Mario G.

1998-01-01

Describes the rationale, process, and organization of an integrated, cross-disciplinary undergraduate program known as the Integrated Business Common Core (IBC) at the University of Idaho. Indicates that IBC's goal is to provide students with an understanding of key business issues, with emphasis on processes. (2 tables and 11 references) (JDI)
Self-Rated Health Appraisal as Cultural and Identity Process: African American Elders' Health and Evaluative Rationales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMullen, Carmit K.; Luborsky, Mark R.

2006-01-01

Purpose: We explored self-rated health by using a meaning-centered theoretical foundation. Self-appraisals, such as self-rated health, reflect a cultural process of identity formation, whereby identities are multiple, simultaneously individual and collective, and produced by specific historical formations. Anthropological research in Philadelphia…
Regulatory responses to over-the-counter codeine analgesic misuse in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Tobin, Claire L; Dobbin, Malcolm; McAvoy, Brian

2013-10-01

Analysis of the policy response by Australia's National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee (NDPSC) and comparison with recommendations by expert advisory committees in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Analysis of public policy documents of relevant regulatory authorities was conducted. Data were extracted regarding changes to over-the-counter (OTC) codeine analgesic scheduling, indications, maximum unit dose, maximum daily dose, maximum pack size, warning labels, consumer medicine information and advertising. Where available, public submissions and other issues considered by the committees and rationale for their recommendations were recorded and thematically analysed. Expert advisory committees in Australia, NZ and the UK defined the policy problem of OTC codeine misuse and harm as small relative to total use and responded by restricting availability. Pharmacist supervision was required at the point-of-sale and pack sizes were reduced to short-term use. Comparison with recommendations by expert advisory committees in NZ and the UK suggests the NDPSC's actions in response to OTC codeine misuse were appropriate given the available evidence of misuse and harm, but highlights opportunities to utilise additional regulatory levers. Framing policy problems as matters of public health in the context of limited evidence may support decision makers to implement cautionary incremental policy change. © 2013 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2013 Public Health Association of Australia.
Addressing the policy cacophony does not require more evidence: an argument for reframing obesity as caloric overconsumption.

PubMed

Shelley, Jacob J

2012-11-30

Numerous policies have been proposed to address the public health problem of obesity, resulting in a policy cacophony. The noise of so many policy options renders it difficult for policymakers to determine which policies warrant implementation. This has resulted in calls for more and better evidence to support obesity policy. However, it is not clear that evidence is the solution. This paper argues that to address the policy cacophony it is necessary to rethink the problem of obesity, and more specifically, how the problem of obesity is framed. This paper argues that the frame "obesity" be replaced by the frame "caloric overconsumption", concluding that the frame caloric overconsumption can overcome the obesity policy cacophony. Frames are important because they influence public policy. Understood as packages that define issues, frames influence how best to approach a problem. Consequently, debates over public policy are considered battles over framing, with small shifts in how an issue is framed resulting in significant changes to the policy environment. This paper presents a rationale for reframing the problem of obesity as caloric overconsumption. The frame "obesity" contributes to the policy cacophony by including policies aimed at both energy output and energy input. However, research increasingly demonstrates that energy input is the primary cause of obesity, and that increases in energy input are largely attributable to the food environment. By focusing on policies that aim to prevent increases in energy input, the frame caloric overconsumption will reduce the noise of the obesity policy cacophony. While the proposed frame will face some challenges, particularly industry opposition, policies aimed at preventing caloric overconsumption have a clearer focus, and can be more politically palatable if caloric overconsumption is seen as an involuntary risk resulting from the food environment. The paper concludes that policymakers will be able to make better sense of the obesity policy cacophony if the problem of obesity is reframed as caloric overconsumption. By focusing on a specific cause of obesity, energy input, the frame caloric overconsumption allows policymakers to focus on the most promising obesity prevention policies.
Environmental Studies Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, David R.

1986-01-01

Presents a model of an environmental studies course that reflects a spaceship earth philosophy. Includes a rationale and a listing of concepts and processes for this action oriented program. Suggests several interdisciplinary experiences that emphasize problem-solving and decision-making skills. (ML)
A Theoretical Rationale for Cross-Cultural Family Counseling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arciniega, Miguel; Newlon, Betty J.

1981-01-01

Proposes seven Adlerian axioms of behavior for the cross-cultural pluralistic counselor working with minority families. Defines cross-cultural family counseling and urges counselors to understand minority cultures and the acculturation process. Discusses counseling techniques. (JAC)
Ethnocentrism is an unacceptable rationale for health care policy: a critique of transplant tourism position statements.

PubMed

Evans, R W

2008-06-01

Medical tourism has emerged as a global health care phenomenon, valued at $60 billion worldwide in 2006. Transplant tourism, unlike other more benign forms of medical tourism, has become a flashpoint within the transplant community, underscoring the uneasy relationships among science, religion, politics, ethics and international health care policies concerning the commercialization of transplantation. Numerous professional associations have drafted or issued position statements condemning transplant tourism. Often the criticism is misdirected. The real issue concerns both the source and circumstances surrounding the procurement of donor organs, including commercialization. Unfortunately, many of the position statements circulated to date represent an ethnocentric and decidedly western view of transplantation. As such, the merits of culturally insensitive policy statements issued by otherwise well-intended transplant professionals, and the organizations they represent, must be evaluated within the broader context of foreign relations and diplomacy, as well as cultural and ethical relativity. Having done so, many persons may find themselves reluctant to endorse statements that have produced a misleading social desirability bias, which, to a great extent, has impeded more thoughtful and inclusive deliberations on the issues. Therefore, instead of taking an official position on policy matters concerning the commercial aspects of transplantation, international professional associations should offer culturally respectful guidance.
Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Allocation Policy: A Proposal to Optimize Appropriate Utilization of Scarce Resources.

PubMed

Formica, R N; Aeder, M; Boyle, G; Kucheryavaya, A; Stewart, D; Hirose, R; Mulligan, D

2016-03-01

The introduction of the Mayo End-Stage Liver Disease score into the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) deceased donor liver allocation policy in 2002 has led to a significant increase in the number of simultaneous liver-kidney transplants in the United States. Despite multiple attempts, clinical science has not been able to reliably predict which liver candidates with renal insufficiency will recover renal function or need a concurrent kidney transplant. The problem facing the transplant community is that currently there are almost no medical criteria for candidacy for simultaneous liver-kidney allocation in the United States, and this lack of standardized rules and medical eligibility criteria for kidney allocation with a liver is counter to OPTN's Final Rule. Moreover, almost 50% of simultaneous liver-kidney organs come from a donor with a kidney donor profile index of ≤0.35. The kidneys from these donors could otherwise be allocated to pediatric recipients, young adults or prior organ donors. This paper presents the new OPTN and United Network of Organ Sharing simultaneous liver-kidney allocation policy, provides the supporting evidence and explains the rationale on which the policy was based. © Copyright 2015 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.
The Living Donor Lost Wages Trial: Study Rationale and Protocol.

PubMed

Rodrigue, James R; Fleishman, Aaron; Carroll, Michaela; Evenson, Amy R; Pavlakis, Martha; Mandelbrot, Didier A; Baliga, Prabhakar; Howard, David H; Schold, Jesse D

2018-03-01

This paper describes the background, rationale, and design of an NIH-funded, single-center study to test the impact of offering reimbursement for donor lost wages incurred during the post-nephrectomy recovery period on the live donor kidney transplant (LDKT) rate in newly evaluated kidney transplant candidates, to examine whether offering reimbursement for donor lost wages reduces racial disparity in LDKT rates, and to determine whether higher reimbursement amounts lead to higher LDKT rates. LDKT is the optimal treatment for renal failure. However, living kidney donation has declined in the past decade, particularly among men, younger adults, blacks, and low-income adults. There is evidence that donation-related costs may deter both transplant candidates and potential donors from considering LDKT. Lost wages is a major source of financial loss for some living donors and, unlike travel and lodging expenses, is not reimbursed by financial assistance programs. The study addresses the transplant community's call to reduce the financial burden of living donation and examine its impact on LDKT rates. Findings have the potential to influence policy, clinical practice, LDKT access, and income-related and racial disparities in LDKT and living donation.

Re-Thinking Dewey's Democracy: Shifting from a Process of Participation to an Institution of Association

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Lynda

2016-01-01

Dewey's definition of democracy from "Democracy and Education" (1916) is analysed and rethought through a path exploring a shift from a conception of participation as a process to one of association as an institution. Contributions to this pathway among others come from political philosophy and educational philosophy. The rationale for…
Evaluating public participation in Chinese EIA. An integrated Public Participation Index and its application to the case of the New Beijing Airport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brombal, Daniele; Moriggi, Angela; Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice

In recent years, China's government authorities have devoted increasing attention to the role of public participation processes in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The capacity of these processes to influence decision-making remains widely debated. This paper aims at appraising the institutional rationale informing the implementation of public participation in China's EIA, benchmarking it against three conceptualisations: (1) Normative, based on objectives of empowerment and democratisation; (2) Substantive, where participation is pursued mainly to improve quality of decisions; (3) Instrumental, seeking participation as an instrument to legitimise decision-making processes. The appraisal is carried out by means of a new integrated index (Publicmore » Participation Index, PPI), which is applied to a case study representative of latest advancements in EIA public participation practices in China, namely the “New Beijing Airport Project”. Located 46 km south of downtown Beijing, the project was approved in 2014 and it is currently under construction. Results of the PPI application to this case study indicate that, despite progress made in recent years, the implementation of public participation in Chinese EIA still largely responds to an instrumental rationale, with limited capacity for the public to affect decisions. - Highlights: • In recent years China has strengthened EIA public participation (PP) legislation. • Despite progress, implementation of PP remains informed by an instrumental rationale. • A large gap exists between principles enunciated in regulations and implementation. • The Public Participation Index can be used to monitor China's EIA PP development.« less
Implications for alcohol minimum unit pricing advocacy: What can we learn for public health from UK newsprint coverage of key claim-makers in the policy debate?

PubMed Central

Hilton, Shona; Wood, Karen; Patterson, Chris; Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal

2014-01-01

On May 24th 2012, Scotland passed the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) Bill. Minimum unit pricing (MUP) is an intervention that raises the price of the cheapest alcohol to reduce alcohol consumption and related harms. There is a growing literature on industry's influence in policymaking and media representations of policies, but relatively little about frames used by key claim-makers in the public MUP policy debate. This study elucidates the dynamic interplay between key claim-makers to identify lessons for policy advocacy in the media in the UK and internationally. Content analysis was conducted on 262 articles from seven UK and three Scottish national newspapers between 1st May 2011 and 31st May 2012, retrieved from electronic databases. Advocates' and critics' constructions of the alcohol problem and MUP were examined. Advocates depicted the problem as primarily driven by cheap alcohol and marketing, while critics' constructions focused on youth binge drinkers and dependent drinkers. Advocates justified support by citing the intervention's targeted design, but critics denounced the policy as illegal, likely to encourage illicit trade, unsupported by evidence and likely to be ineffective, while harming the responsible majority, low-income consumers and businesses. Critics' arguments were consistent over time, and single statements often encompassed multiple rationales. This study presents advocates with several important lessons for promoting policies in the media. Firstly, it may be useful to shift focus away from young binge drinkers and heavy drinkers, towards population-level over-consumption. Secondly, advocates might focus on presenting the policy as part of a wider package of alcohol policies. Thirdly, emphasis on the success of recent public health policies could help portray the UK and Scotland as world leaders in tackling culturally embedded health and social problems through policy; highlighting past successes when presenting future policies may be a valuable tactic both within the UK and internationally. PMID:24565153
Implications for alcohol minimum unit pricing advocacy: what can we learn for public health from UK newsprint coverage of key claim-makers in the policy debate?

PubMed

Hilton, Shona; Wood, Karen; Patterson, Chris; Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal

2014-02-01

On May 24th 2012, Scotland passed the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) Bill. Minimum unit pricing (MUP) is an intervention that raises the price of the cheapest alcohol to reduce alcohol consumption and related harms. There is a growing literature on industry's influence in policymaking and media representations of policies, but relatively little about frames used by key claim-makers in the public MUP policy debate. This study elucidates the dynamic interplay between key claim-makers to identify lessons for policy advocacy in the media in the UK and internationally. Content analysis was conducted on 262 articles from seven UK and three Scottish national newspapers between 1st May 2011 and 31st May 2012, retrieved from electronic databases. Advocates' and critics' constructions of the alcohol problem and MUP were examined. Advocates depicted the problem as primarily driven by cheap alcohol and marketing, while critics' constructions focused on youth binge drinkers and dependent drinkers. Advocates justified support by citing the intervention's targeted design, but critics denounced the policy as illegal, likely to encourage illicit trade, unsupported by evidence and likely to be ineffective, while harming the responsible majority, low-income consumers and businesses. Critics' arguments were consistent over time, and single statements often encompassed multiple rationales. This study presents advocates with several important lessons for promoting policies in the media. Firstly, it may be useful to shift focus away from young binge drinkers and heavy drinkers, towards population-level over-consumption. Secondly, advocates might focus on presenting the policy as part of a wider package of alcohol policies. Thirdly, emphasis on the success of recent public health policies could help portray the UK and Scotland as world leaders in tackling culturally embedded health and social problems through policy; highlighting past successes when presenting future policies may be a valuable tactic both within the UK and internationally. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Workshop rationale

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billingsley, F. C.

1982-01-01

The problems involved in processing remotely sensed data are defined within the contex of the total information system structure. The correlation of various data sets through georeferencing and cataloging is emphasized along with geometric rectification. The sources and types of possible geometric errors are outlined.
Library Services to University Branch Campuses: The Ohio State Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, C. James; And Others

1970-01-01

The Ohio State University Main Library acquires and processes books, on a cost-supported contract basis, for each of four regional campus undergraduate libraries. The article describes requirements, rationale, and procedures, and diagrams procedural flow. (Author/NH)
Anticipating Reader Response: Why I Chose "The Tempest" for English Literature Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Dan C.

1985-01-01

Argues in favor of a reader-response approach to the process of selecting the literary works students read in introductory or survey courses. Offers a rationale for using "The Tempest" in such a course. (FL)
An observational study showed that explaining randomization using gambling-related metaphors and computer-agency descriptions impeded randomized clinical trial recruitment.

PubMed

Jepson, Marcus; Elliott, Daisy; Conefrey, Carmel; Wade, Julia; Rooshenas, Leila; Wilson, Caroline; Beard, David; Blazeby, Jane M; Birtle, Alison; Halliday, Alison; Stein, Rob; Donovan, Jenny L

2018-07-01

To explore how the concept of randomization is described by clinicians and understood by patients in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and how it contributes to patient understanding and recruitment. Qualitative analysis of 73 audio recordings of recruitment consultations from five, multicenter, UK-based RCTs with identified or anticipated recruitment difficulties. One in 10 appointments did not include any mention of randomization. Most included a description of the method or process of allocation. Descriptions often made reference to gambling-related metaphors or similes, or referred to allocation by a computer. Where reference was made to a computer, some patients assumed that they would receive the treatment that was "best for them". Descriptions of the rationale for randomization were rarely present and often only came about as a consequence of patients questioning the reason for a random allocation. The methods and processes of randomization were usually described by recruiters, but often without clarity, which could lead to patient misunderstanding. The rationale for randomization was rarely mentioned. Recruiters should avoid problematic gambling metaphors and illusions of agency in their explanations and instead focus on clearer descriptions of the rationale and method of randomization to ensure patients are better informed about randomization and RCT participation. Copyright © 2018 University of Bristol. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Ethical Dilemmas in Office Practice: Physician Response and Rationale

PubMed Central

Secundy, Marian Gray

1985-01-01

A survey of black and white family physicians in the District of Columbia is described. The survey provides insight into decision-making processes and the ability to recognize ethical dilemmas in medical practice. Comments were elicited to hypothetical case vignettes typical of ethical conflict in office practice. Findings note physician ability to recognize ethical dilemmas in day-to-day aspects of medical practice. Methods of decision making and rationale for decisions made, however, appear to be inconsistent, nonuniversal, and individualistic without evidence of specific models or criteria. No significant differences were noted between black and white physicians. The need in physician training for clarification and development of criteria is evident. PMID:4078929
Competition, regulation, and energy efficiency options in the electricity sector: Opportunities and challenges in developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phadke, Amol Anant

This dissertation explores issues related to competition in and regulation of electricity sectors in developing countries on the backdrop of fundamental reforms in their electricity sectors. In most cases, electricity sector reforms promoted privatization based on the rationale that it will lower prices and improve quality. In Chapter 2, I analyze this rationale by examining the stated capital cost of independent (private) power producer's (IPPs) power projects in eight developing countries and find that the stated capital cost of projects selected via competitive bidding is on an average about 40% to 60% lower than that of the projects selected via negotiations, which, I argue, represents the extent to which the costs of negotiated projects are overstated. My results indicate that the policy of promoting private sector without an adequate focus on improving competition or regulation has not worked in most cases in terms of getting competitively priced private sector projects. Given the importance of facilitating effective competition or regulation, In Chapter 3, I examine the challenges and opportunities of establishing a competitive wholesale electricity market in a developing country context. I model a potential wholesale electricity market in Maharashtra (MH) state, India and find that it would be robustly competitive even in a situation of up-to five percent of supply shortage, when opportunities for demand response are combined with policies such as divestiture and requiring long-term contracts. My results indicate that with appropriate policies, some developing countries could establish competitive wholesale electricity markets. In Chapter 4, I focus on the demand side and analyze the cost effectiveness of improving end-use efficiency in an electricity sector with subsidized tariffs and electricity shortages and show that they offer the least expensive way of reducing shortages in Maharashtra State, India. In Chapter 5, I examine the costs of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the Indian power sector and find that the costs are higher than those in the US because of mark-ups in the Indian gas based power projects. Overall, this dissertation shows the importance of facilitating effective competition and regulation and pursuing end-use efficiency improvements in electricity sectors of developing countries.
Conscientious objection to deceased organ donation by healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Shaw, David; Gardiner, Dale; Lewis, Penney; Jansen, Nichon; Wind, Tineke; Samuel, Undine; Georgieva, Denie; Ploeg, Rutger; Broderick, Andrew

2018-02-01

In this article, we analyse the potential benefits and disadvantages of permitting healthcare professionals to invoke conscientious objection to deceased organ donation. There is some evidence that permitting doctors and nurses to register objections can ultimately lead to attitudinal change and acceptance of organ donation. However, while there may be grounds for conscientious objection in other cases such as abortion and euthanasia, the life-saving nature of donation and transplantation renders objection in this context more difficult to justify. In general, dialogue between healthcare professionals is a more appropriate solution, and any objections must be justified with a strong rationale in hospitals where such policies are put in place.
Healthcare payment incentives: a comparative analysis of reforms in Taiwan, South Korea and China.

PubMed

Eggleston, Karen; Hsieh, Chee-Ruey

2004-01-01

Payment incentives to both consumers and providers have significant consequences for the equity and efficiency of a healthcare system, and have recently come to the fore in health policy reforms. This review first discusses the economic rationale for the apparent international convergence toward payment systems with mixed demand- and supply-side cost sharing. The recent payment reforms undertaken in Taiwan, South Korea and China are then summarised. Available evidence clearly indicates that payment incentives matter, and, in particular, that supply-side cost sharing can improve efficiency without undermining equity. Further study and monitoring of health service quality and risk selection is warranted.
United States Foreign Policy RE: The Third World - The Economic Dimension.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-05-06

system is strong and resilient.඙ Although as a banker one might assume these reasons rather parochial he caveats his rationale with the statement that...8217. - (~~~~ ~~ 0.-1 9,,("C CQi C~a ~ lvt. Vlce Piorc ted t nea earcc~ ’es and 12 )’ g u zira rI~ ,E) InJ.a S 0p Y N td e (p ii1 3 APPENDIX 1V JNVFS~hNT r~C~’LPWfIC...Central African Empire NMauritius Zambia Chad Nexico Zimbabwe Chile N.Ongol ia Colombia Norocco Comoro Islands Nozambique Conga Nepal Costa Rica
Comparing Political Experiences (CPE).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillespie, Judith A.; Patrick, John J.

The rationale, goals, curriculum components, instructional strategies, and curriculum development process of a two-semester, secondary-level political science course, "Comparing Political Experiences," are described in this paper. Developed as part of the High School Political Science Curriculum Project at Indiana University, the major…
The Development of Talent through Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Tassel-Baska, Joyce

1995-01-01

An integrated curriculum model (ICM) is applied to the talent development process. Discussion focuses on a rationale for such a model, model features, applications in two federally funded curriculum projects, and relationship of the ICM to curriculum reform variables and implementation considerations. (DB)
The Role of Problem-Based Learning in the Enhancement of Allied Health Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tavakol, Kamran; Reicherter, E. Anne

2003-01-01

Analyzes the literature on problem-based learning (PBL) and explains its rationale, process, and current outcomes research. Cites examples of PBL in medical education and its application to allied health education. (Contains 49 references.) (JOW)
Faculty Performance Management System: The Faculty Development/Evaluation System at Beaufort Technical College, 1986-1987. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobias, Earole; And Others

Designed for faculty members at Beaufort Technical College (BTC) in South Carolina, this handbook describes the college's faculty evaluation process and procedures. The first sections of the handbook explain the rationale and method for the faculty evaluation process, state the purposes and objectives of the system, and offer a model which breaks…
Field methods and data processing techniques associated with mapped inventory plots

Treesearch

William A. Bechtold; Stanley J. Zarnoch

1999-01-01

The U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) and Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) programs utilize a fixed-area mapped-plot design as the national standard for extensive forest inventories. The mapped-plot design is explained, as well as the rationale for its selection as the national standard. Ratio-of-means estimators am presented as a method to process data from...
Educational Process Navigator as Means of Creation of Individual Educational Path of a Student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khuziakhmetov, Anvar N.; Sytina, Nadezhda S.

2016-01-01

Rationale of the problem stated in the article is caused by search for new alternative models for individual educational paths of students in the continuous multi-level education system on the basis of the navigators of the educational process, being a visual matrix of individual educational space. The purpose of the article is to develop the…
The development of the 1999 management plan for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (Australia)

Treesearch

Nicholas Sawyer

2000-01-01

This paper describes the multi-stage public consultation process and other aspects of the development by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service of the second (1999) management plan for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (Australia). It describes the background to, and rationale for, the process used in developing the plan; it details the consultation...

Procedure M - A framework for stratified area estimation. [in multispectral scanner data processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kauth, R. J.; Cicone, R. C.; Malila, W. A.

1980-01-01

This paper describes Procedure M, a systematic approach to processing multispectral scanner data for classification and acreage estimation. A general discussion of the rationale and development of the procedure is given in the context of large-area agricultural applications. Specific examples are given in the form of test results on acreage estimation of spring small grains.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gordon, K.

The paper discusses the following: What will the future electric industry look like; The industry as it has been until recently; The critical factors of price and cost; The movement to allow customer choice in the states; The role of the federal government; Elements of the process, rationales, implications and new requirements. The paper then describes what the restructured market will look like and the transition process to that end.
State-Space Modeling of Dynamic Psychological Processes via the Kalman Smoother Algorithm: Rationale, Finite Sample Properties, and Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Hairong; Ferrer, Emilio

2009-01-01

This article presents a state-space modeling (SSM) technique for fitting process factor analysis models directly to raw data. The Kalman smoother via the expectation-maximization algorithm to obtain maximum likelihood parameter estimates is used. To examine the finite sample properties of the estimates in SSM when common factors are involved, a…
Rationales for Commonly "Challenged" Taught Books.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shugert, Diane P., Ed.; And Others

1983-01-01

Intended for teachers, this focused journal issue contains separate rationales for teaching books that have been challenged as appropriate instructional materials. Following a discussion of the purpose for rationales and suggestions for using them, the journal presents rationales for teaching the following books: "To Kill a Mockingbird,""The Diary…
Barriers to Career Flexibility in Academic Medicine: A Qualitative Analysis of Reasons for the Underutilization of Family-Friendly Policies, and Implications for Institutional Change and Department Chair Leadership.

PubMed

Shauman, Kimberlee; Howell, Lydia P; Paterniti, Debora A; Beckett, Laurel A; Villablanca, Amparo C

2018-02-01

Academic medical and biomedical professionals need workplace flexibility to manage the demands of work and family roles and meet their commitments to both, but often fail to use the very programs and benefits that provide flexibility. This study investigated the reasons for faculty underutilization of work-life programs. As part of a National Institutes of Health-funded study, in 2010 the authors investigated attitudes of clinical and/or research biomedical faculty at the University of California, Davis, toward work-life policies, and the rationale behind their individual decisions regarding use of flexibility policies. The analysis used verbatim responses from 213 of 472 faculty (448 unstructured comments) to a series of open-ended survey questions. Questions elicited faculty members' self-reports of policy use, attitudes, and evaluations of the policies, and their perceptions of barriers that limited full benefit utilization. Data were coded and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Faculty described how their utilization of workplace flexibility benefits was inhibited by organizational influences: the absence of reliable information about program eligibility and benefits, workplace norms and cultures that stigmatized program participation, influence of uninformed/unsupportive department heads, and concerns about how participation might burden coworkers, damage collegial relationships, or adversely affect workflow and grant funding. Understanding underuse of work-life programs is essential to maximize employee productivity and satisfaction, minimize turnover, and provide equal opportunities for career advancement to all faculty. The findings are discussed in relation to specific policy recommendations, implications for institutional change, and department chair leadership.
Differentiation and concordance in smallholder land use strategies in southern Mexico's conservation frontier.

PubMed

Roy Chowdhury, Rinku

2010-03-30

Forest cover transitions in the developing tropics are conditioned by agricultural change. The expansion, intensification, and diversification of agricultural land uses are tied to regional economic/environmental regimes and decisions of local farming households. Land change science and agrarian systems research share an interest in the drivers of household strategies, land use impacts, and typologies of those land uses/drivers. This study derives a typology of farming households in southern Mexico based on emergent patterns in their land use combinations and analyzes their household and policy drivers. The results reveal broadly diversified household land use portfolios as well as three emergent clusters of farmstead production orientation: (i) extensive subsistence-oriented conservationists, (ii), dual extensive-intensive farmers, and (iii) nonextensive diversified land users. Household membership in these clusters is uneven and strongly related to tenancy, land endowments, wage labor, and policy subsidies. Although most households are following a nonextensive agricultural strategy incorporating off-farm incomes, the likelihood of a regional forest transition remains debatable because of the disproportionate deforestation impacts of the less common strategies. Conservation development policies in the region need to accommodate diverse smallholder farming rationales, increase off-farm opportunities, and target sustainable development with the assistance of community conservation leaders.
The Heath government and British defence policy in Southeast Asia at the end of empire (1970-71).

PubMed

Andrea, Benvenuti

2009-01-01

This article examines the rationale behind the Heath government's 1970 decision to negotiate a Five Power Defence agreement with Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia and to maintain a small British military contingent in Southeast Asia as a part of this new politico-military framework. It argues that while its overriding foreign policy concern was to end Britain's problematic relationship with the European Economic Community and to make membership of this grouping the cornerstone of its foreign policy, the Heath government was careful not to cast Britain's post-imperial future in purely European terms. The successful negotiation of the Five Power Defence Arrangements in 1970-71 was instrumental in achieving this by ensuring that London would maintain close links with key Commonwealth partners in the Asian region. In what was not only an attempt to neutralize potential domestic opposition to Britain's entry into the EEC, but also a lingering reluctance to do away with the rhetoric of Britain as a leading power with extra-European interests, Heath was eager to show that by making a contribution to the stability of Southeast Asia, Britain still had a role to play outside Europe.
Exploring ecological, emotional and social levers of self-rated health for urban gardeners and non-gardeners: A path analysis

PubMed Central

Schmiege, S; Hale, JW; Buchenau, M.; Sancar, F.

2015-01-01

Rationale The social, emotional, and mental health benefits associated with gardening have been well documented. However, the processes underlying the relationship between garden participation and improvements in health status have not been sufficiently studied. Methods Using population-based survey data (n = 469 urban residents), objective street environment data, and area-level measures, this research used a path analytic framework to examine several theoretically based constructs as mediators between gardening history and self-reported health. Results The results showed that garden participation influenced health status indirectly through social involvement with one’s community, perceived aesthetic appeal of the neighborhood, and perceived collective efficacy. Gardeners, compared to non-gardeners, reported higher ratings of neighborhood aesthetics and more involvement in social activities, whereas aesthetics and involvement were associated with higher ratings of collective efficacy and neighborhood attachment. Collective efficacy, but not neighborhood attachment, predicted self-rated health. Gardening also directly influenced improved fruit and vegetable intake. The physical and social qualities of garden participation may therefore stimulate a range of interpersonal and social responses that are supportive of positive ratings of health. Conclusion This research suggests that community planners and health professionals should aim to strengthen the social and aesthetic relationships while designing environments and policies as a way to ignite intermediate processes that may lead to improved health status. PMID:26372933
Knowledge Discovery in Databases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, M. Jay

1999-01-01

Knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) revolves around the investigation and creation of knowledge, processes, algorithms, and mechanisms for retrieving knowledge from data collections. The article is an introductory overview of KDD. The rationale and environment of its development and applications are discussed. Issues related to database design…
Metaphor and Knowing: Analysis, Synthesis, Rationale.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rico, Gabriele Lusser

Evidence is presented to indicate that human knowing involves both a propositional mode stressing discourse, sequence, and logic and an appositional mode characterized by metaphoric constructs, holistic relationships, and the capacity to process many variables simultaneously. Separate sections discuss our culture's heavy emphasis on propositional…
Constructing a Theory- and Evidence-Based Treatment Rationale for Complex eHealth Interventions: Development of an Online Alcohol Intervention Using an Intervention Mapping Approach.

PubMed

Brendryen, Håvar; Johansen, Ayna; Nesvåg, Sverre; Kok, Gerjo; Duckert, Fanny

2013-01-23

Due to limited reporting of intervention rationale, little is known about what distinguishes a good intervention from a poor one. To support improved design, there is a need for comprehensive reports on novel and complex theory-based interventions. Specifically, the emerging trend of just-in-time tailoring of content in response to change in target behavior or emotional state is promising. The objective of this study was to give a systematic and comprehensive description of the treatment rationale of an online alcohol intervention called Balance. We used the intervention mapping protocol to describe the treatment rationale of Balance. The intervention targets at-risk drinking, and it is delivered by email, mobile phone text messaging, and tailored interactive webpages combining text, pictures, and prerecorded audio. The rationale of the current treatment was derived from a self-regulation perspective, and the overarching idea was to support continued self-regulation throughout the behavior change process. Maintaining the change efforts over time and coping adaptively during critical moments (eg, immediately before and after a lapse) are key factors to successful behavior change. Important elements of the treatment rationale to achieving these elements were: (1) emotion regulation as an inoculation strategy against self-regulation failure, (2) avoiding lapses by adaptive coping, and (3) avoiding relapse by resuming the change efforts after a lapse. Two distinct and complementary delivery strategies were used, including a day-to-day tunnel approach in combination with just-in-time therapy. The tunnel strategy was in accordance with the need for continuous self-regulation and it functions as a platform from which just-in-time therapy was launched. Just-in-time therapy was used to support coping during critical moments, and started when the client reports either low self-efficacy or that they were drinking above target levels. The descriptions of the treatment rationale for Balance, the alcohol intervention reported herein, provides an intervention blueprint that will aid in interpreting the results from future program evaluations. It will ease comparisons of program rationales across interventions, and may assist intervention development. By putting just-in-time therapy within a complete theoretical and practical context, including the tunnel delivery strategy and the self-regulation perspective, we have contributed to an understanding of how multiple delivery strategies in eHealth interventions can be combined. Additionally, this is a call for action to improve the reporting practices within eHealth research. Possible ways to achieve such improvement include using a systematic and structured approach, and for intervention reports to be published after peer-review and separately from evaluation reports.
Constructing a Theory- and Evidence-Based Treatment Rationale for Complex eHealth Interventions: Development of an Online Alcohol Intervention Using an Intervention Mapping Approach

PubMed Central

Johansen, Ayna; Nesvåg, Sverre; Kok, Gerjo; Duckert, Fanny

2013-01-01

Background Due to limited reporting of intervention rationale, little is known about what distinguishes a good intervention from a poor one. To support improved design, there is a need for comprehensive reports on novel and complex theory-based interventions. Specifically, the emerging trend of just-in-time tailoring of content in response to change in target behavior or emotional state is promising. Objective The objective of this study was to give a systematic and comprehensive description of the treatment rationale of an online alcohol intervention called Balance. Methods We used the intervention mapping protocol to describe the treatment rationale of Balance. The intervention targets at-risk drinking, and it is delivered by email, mobile phone text messaging, and tailored interactive webpages combining text, pictures, and prerecorded audio. Results The rationale of the current treatment was derived from a self-regulation perspective, and the overarching idea was to support continued self-regulation throughout the behavior change process. Maintaining the change efforts over time and coping adaptively during critical moments (eg, immediately before and after a lapse) are key factors to successful behavior change. Important elements of the treatment rationale to achieving these elements were: (1) emotion regulation as an inoculation strategy against self-regulation failure, (2) avoiding lapses by adaptive coping, and (3) avoiding relapse by resuming the change efforts after a lapse. Two distinct and complementary delivery strategies were used, including a day-to-day tunnel approach in combination with just-in-time therapy. The tunnel strategy was in accordance with the need for continuous self-regulation and it functions as a platform from which just-in-time therapy was launched. Just-in-time therapy was used to support coping during critical moments, and started when the client reports either low self-efficacy or that they were drinking above target levels. Conclusions The descriptions of the treatment rationale for Balance, the alcohol intervention reported herein, provides an intervention blueprint that will aid in interpreting the results from future program evaluations. It will ease comparisons of program rationales across interventions, and may assist intervention development. By putting just-in-time therapy within a complete theoretical and practical context, including the tunnel delivery strategy and the self-regulation perspective, we have contributed to an understanding of how multiple delivery strategies in eHealth interventions can be combined. Additionally, this is a call for action to improve the reporting practices within eHealth research. Possible ways to achieve such improvement include using a systematic and structured approach, and for intervention reports to be published after peer-review and separately from evaluation reports. PMID:23612478
Teaching Economics to Young Adolescents: A Research-Based Rationale.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, James E.

This booklet presents a research-based rationale for teaching economics at the middle/junior high school level in the United States. Chapter 1, "Introduction," describes the project in which the rationale was developed and outlines the remainder of the document. Chapter 2, "Elements of a Rationale for Middle School Economic Education," presents…
Space life sciences strategic plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicogossian, Arnauld E.

1992-05-01

Over the last three decades the Life Sciences Program has significantly contributed to NASA's manned and unmanned exploration of space, while acquiring new knowledge in the fields of space biology and medicine. The national and international events which have led to the development and revision of NASA strategy will significantly affect the future of life sciences programs both in scope and pace. This document serves as the basis for synthesizing the options to be pursued during the next decade, based on the decisions, evolution, and guiding principles of the National Space Policy. The strategies detailed in this document are fully supportive of the Life Sciences Advisory Subcommittee's 'A Rationale for the Life Sciences,' and the recent Aerospace Medicine Advisory Committee report entitled 'Strategic Considerations for Support of Humans in Space and Moon/Mars Exploration Missions.' Information contained within this document is intended for internal NASA planning and is subject to policy decisions and direction, and to budgets allocated to NASA's Life Sciences Program.
Sector-specific issues and reporting methodologies supporting the General Guidelines for the voluntary reporting of greenhouse gases under Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Volume 2: Part 4, Transportation sector; Part 5, Forestry sector; Part 6, Agricultural sector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This volume, the second of two such volumes, contains sector-specific guidance in support of the General Guidelines for the voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration. This voluntary reporting program was authorized by Congress in Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The General Guidelines, bound separately from this volume, provide the overall rationale for the program, discuss in general how to analyze emissions and emission reduction/carbon sequestration projects, and address programmatic issues such as minimum reporting requirements, time parameters, international projects, confidentiality, and certification. Together, the General Guidelines and the guidance in these supporting documentsmore » will provide concepts and approaches needed to prepare the reporting forms. This second volume of sector-specific guidance covers the transportation sector, the forestry sector, and the agricultural sector.« less
Untapped potential: perspectives on the employment of people with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Lysaght, Rosemary; Ouellette-Kuntz, Hélène; Lin, Cheng-Jung

2012-01-01

While individuals with intellectual disabilities can make valuable contributions in community workplaces, they typically experience low rates of paid employment. The goal of this article is to explore the reasons for the limited involvement of this population in competitive employment, provide a rationale for including individuals with intellectual disabilities as employees, and propose policy, structural and attitudinal changes that would be necessary to include them more meaningfully in the workforce. The authors conducted a review of the literature relevant to the key theoretical concepts of disability, employment, organizational management and inclusion. The analysis reveals a number of theoretical, philosophical, legal and business arguments for and against the inclusion of workers with intellectual disabilities as employees, and suggests system level changes needed to mitigate challenges to recruiting, hiring and retaining these workers. Changes to the employment situation for workers with intellectual disabilities will require major shifts in government policy, workplace practices and vocational preparation of youth with intellectual disabilities. Continued research is necessary to identify best practices.
Medicare’s Payment Strategy For End-Stage Renal Disease Now Embraces Bundled Payment And Pay-For-Performance To Cut Costs

PubMed Central

Swaminathan, Shailender; Mor, Vincent; Mehrotra, Rajnish; Trivedi, Amal

2013-01-01

Since 1973 Medicare has provided health insurance coverage to all people who have been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure. In this article we trace the history of payment policies in Medicare’s dialysis program from 1973 to 2011, while also providing some insight into the rationale for changes made over time. Initially, Medicare adopted a fee-for-service payment policy for dialysis care, using the same reimbursement standards employed in the broader Medicare program. However, driven by rapid spending growth in this population, the dialysis program has implemented innovative payment reforms, such as prospective bundled payments and pay-for-performance incentives. It is uncertain whether these strategies can stem the increase in the total cost of dialysis to Medicare, or whether they can do so without adversely affecting the quality of care. Future research on the intended and unintended consequences of payment reform will be critical. PMID:22949455
US Household Food Shopping Patterns: Dynamic Shifts since 2000 and Socioeconomic Predictors

PubMed Central

Stern, Dalia; Robinson, Whitney R; Ng, Shu Wen; Gordon-Larsen, Penny; Popkin, Barry M

2016-01-01

Under the assumption that differential food access might underlie nutritional disparities, programs and policies have focused on the need to build supermarkets in underserved areas, in an effort to improve dietary quality. However, there is limited evidence about which types of stores different income and race-ethnic households use. We used cross-sectional cluster analysis to derive shopping patterns from US households’ volume food purchases (Nielsen Homescan) by store from 2000–2012. Multinomial logistic regression identified household SES characteristics that were associated with shopping patterns in 2012. We found three shopping patterns: primary-grocery, primary-mass-merchandise, and combination cluster. In 2012, we found no income/race-ethnic differences for grocery cluster membership. However, low-income non-Hispanic blacks (vs. non-Hispanic whites) had a significantly lower probability of belonging to the mass-merchandise cluster. These varied shopping patterns must be considered in future policy initiatives. Further, it is important to continue studying the complex rationale for people’s food shopping patterns. PMID:26526241
Test Pricing and Reimbursement in Genomic Medicine: Towards a General Strategy.

PubMed

Vozikis, Athanassios; Cooper, David N; Mitropoulou, Christina; Kambouris, Manousos E; Brand, Angela; Dolzan, Vita; Fortina, Paolo; Innocenti, Federico; Lee, Ming Ta Michael; Leyens, Lada; Macek, Milan; Al-Mulla, Fahd; Prainsack, Barbara; Squassina, Alessio; Taruscio, Domenica; van Schaik, Ron H; Vayena, Effy; Williams, Marc S; Patrinos, George P

2016-01-01

This paper aims to provide an overview of the rationale and basic principles guiding the governance of genomic testing services, to clarify their objectives, and allocate and define responsibilities among stakeholders in a health-care system, with a special focus on the EU countries. Particular attention is paid to issues pertaining to pricing and reimbursement policies, the availability of essential genomic tests which differs between various countries owing to differences in disease prevalence and public health relevance, the prescribing and use of genomic testing services according to existing or new guidelines, budgetary and fiscal control, the balance between price and access to innovative testing, monitoring and evaluation for cost-effectiveness and safety, and the development of research capacity. We conclude that addressing the specific items put forward in this article will help to create a robust policy in relation to pricing and reimbursement in genomic medicine. This will contribute to an effective and sustainable health-care system and will prove beneficial to the economy at large. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Space life sciences strategic plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicogossian, Arnauld E.

1992-01-01

Over the last three decades the Life Sciences Program has significantly contributed to NASA's manned and unmanned exploration of space, while acquiring new knowledge in the fields of space biology and medicine. The national and international events which have led to the development and revision of NASA strategy will significantly affect the future of life sciences programs both in scope and pace. This document serves as the basis for synthesizing the options to be pursued during the next decade, based on the decisions, evolution, and guiding principles of the National Space Policy. The strategies detailed in this document are fully supportive of the Life Sciences Advisory Subcommittee's 'A Rationale for the Life Sciences,' and the recent Aerospace Medicine Advisory Committee report entitled 'Strategic Considerations for Support of Humans in Space and Moon/Mars Exploration Missions.' Information contained within this document is intended for internal NASA planning and is subject to policy decisions and direction, and to budgets allocated to NASA's Life Sciences Program.

A critique of national solidarity in transnational organ sharing in Europe

PubMed Central

Tretyakov, Konstantin

2018-01-01

Abstract In this article, I critically examine the principle of national solidarity in organ sharing across national borders. More specifically, I analyse the policy foundations of solidarity in the transnational allocation of organs and its implementation in the system of national balance points adopted in Europe. I argue that the system of national balance points is based on statist collectivism and therefore is oriented more toward collective, rather than individual welfare. The same collective welfare rationale is also evident from leading policy statements about self-sufficiency in organ donation that seem to assume that cross-border organ sharing can be wrong if collective welfare is violated. This collectivist system of organ sharing can produce unjust results to individual candidates for organ transplantation. I propose several measures to reform the existing solidarity-based framework for the procurement and allocation of organs in order to balance the collective and the individual welfare of the donors and recipients of organs. I also discuss the implications of adopting that proposal. PMID:29707215
The economics of race and eugenic sterilization in North Carolina: 1958-1968.

PubMed

Price, Gregory N; Darity, William A

2010-07-01

Theoretical justifications for state-sanctioned sterilization of individuals provided by Irving Fisher rationalized its racialization on grounds that certain non-white racial groups, particularly blacks due to their dysgenic biological and behavioral traits, retarded economic growth and should be bred out of existence. Fisher's rationale suggests that national or state level eugenic policies that sterilized the so-called biological and genetically unfit could have been racist in both design and effect by disproportionately targeting black Americans. We empirically explore this with data on eugenic sterilizations in the State of North Carolina between 1958 and 1968. Count data parameter estimates from a cross-county population allocation model of sterilization reveal that the probability of non-institutional and total sterilizations increased with a county's black population share-an effect not found for any other racial group in the population. Our results suggest that in North Carolina, eugenic sterilization policies were racially biased and genocidal. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A critique of national solidarity in transnational organ sharing in Europe.

PubMed

Tretyakov, Konstantin

2018-05-01

In this article, I critically examine the principle of national solidarity in organ sharing across national borders. More specifically, I analyse the policy foundations of solidarity in the transnational allocation of organs and its implementation in the system of national balance points adopted in Europe. I argue that the system of national balance points is based on statist collectivism and therefore is oriented more toward collective, rather than individual welfare. The same collective welfare rationale is also evident from leading policy statements about self-sufficiency in organ donation that seem to assume that cross-border organ sharing can be wrong if collective welfare is violated. This collectivist system of organ sharing can produce unjust results to individual candidates for organ transplantation. I propose several measures to reform the existing solidarity-based framework for the procurement and allocation of organs in order to balance the collective and the individual welfare of the donors and recipients of organs. I also discuss the implications of adopting that proposal.
The credibility of exposure therapy: Does the theoretical rationale matter?

PubMed

Arch, Joanna J; Twohig, Michael P; Deacon, Brett J; Landy, Lauren N; Bluett, Ellen J

2015-09-01

Little is understood about how the public perceives exposure-based therapy (ET) for treating anxiety and trauma-related disorders or how ET rationales affect treatment credibility. Distinct approaches to framing ET are practiced, including those emphasized in traditional cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and the more recent inhibitory learning model. However, their relative effect on ET's credibility remains unknown. A final sample of 964 U.S. adults provided baseline views of ET. Participants rated ET treatment credibility following a simple ET definition (pre-rationale) and following randomization to rationale modules addressing ET goals, fear, and cognitive strategies from distinct theoretical perspectives (post-rationale). Baseline ET views, symptoms, and sociodemographic characteristics were examined as putative moderators and predictors. At baseline, the majority had never heard of ET. From pre- to post-rationale, ET treatment credibility significantly increased but the rationales' theoretical perspective had little impact. More negative baseline ET views, specific ethnic/racial minority group status, and lower education moderated or predicted greater increases in treatment credibility following the rationale. ET remains relatively unknown as a treatment for anxiety or trauma, supporting the need for direct-to-consumer marketing. Diverse theory-driven rationales similarly increased ET credibility, particularly among those less likely to use ET. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Assessing notions of denormalization and renormalization of smoking in light of e-cigarette regulation.

PubMed

Sæbø, Gunnar; Scheffels, Janne

2017-11-01

The rationale for 'denormalization' of smoking in tobacco policies has been challenged by the emergence of e-cigarettes and the need to regulate e-cigarette use and promotion. Our aim is to assess the research status on e-cigarettes' contribution to 'renormalization' of smoking and to clarify how renormalization of smoking can be appraised at the conceptual and empirical level. Combining conceptual analysis and narrative review, the paper brings out three dimensions of denormalization/renormalization of smoking ('unacceptability/acceptability'; 'invisibility/visibility'; 'phasing out behaviour/maintaining behaviour') and an inherent duality of the e-cigarette as a smoking-like device and a smoking alternative. These analytical dimensions are applied qualitatively to consider the literature identified by searching the Web of Science database for 'e-cigarettes AND renormalization' (and variants thereof). Theoretically, normative changes in smoking acceptability, increased visibility of e-cigarettes and use, and observations of actual use (prevalence, dual use, gateway) can all be applied to illustrate processes of renormalization. However, only acceptability measures and user measures can be said to be empirical tests of renormalization effects. Visibility measures are only based on logical assumptions of a possible renormalization; they are not in themselves indicative of any "real" renormalization effects and can just as well be understood as possible consequences of normalization of e-cigarettes. Just as a downward trend in smoking prevalence is the litmus test of whether denormalization policy works, stagnating or rising smoking prevalence should be the main empirical indicator of renormalization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Creating space for relationships.

PubMed

Maataoui, Susan L; Hardwick, Jodi S; Lundquist, Tessa S

2017-08-01

Sexuality is a key component of personality and behavior, encompassing basic human needs for touch, intimacy, love, affection, and sexual behavior. The design of long-term care facilities makes it almost impossible for a resident to be sexually intimate, to share romantic moments, or to have a meal in a private setting. This case study describes the rationale and process used to establish a private guestroom called the Family Room at Patriots Place, the specialized dementia unit in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Maine Healthcare System Community Living Center (CLC). As part of an overall commitment to culture change at VA Maine, the Family Room addresses needs for privacy and sexual intimacy as expressed by residents and their partners. Supporting the dignity and independence of individuals with dementia provided the basis for the policies established to support this project. Despite potential challenges, (e.g., staff acceptance, nursing coverage, facility space needs) residents, partners, and health care staff at VA Maine have expressed positive support for the Family Room. This resource is a way to accommodate the ongoing needs for privacy, intimacy, relational continuity, and sexual expression of long-term care residents with dementia and to support their autonomy and dignity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).
AHRQ series paper 2: principles for developing guidance: AHRQ and the effective health-care program.

PubMed

Helfand, Mark; Balshem, Howard

2010-05-01

This article describes some of the fundamental principles that have been developed to guide the work of producing comparative effectiveness reviews (CERs). We briefly describe the role stakeholders play in providing important insights that inform the evidence-gathering process, and discuss the critical role of analytic frameworks in illuminating the relationship between surrogate measures and health outcomes, providing an understanding of the context in which clinical decisions are made and the uncertainties that underlie clinical controversies. We describe the Effective Health Care program conceptual model for considering different types of evidence that emphasizes minimizing the risk of bias, but places high-quality, highly applicable evidence about effectiveness at the top of the hierarchy. Finally, we briefly describe areas of future methodological research. CERs have become a foundation for decision-making in clinical practice and health policy. To be useful, CERs must approach the evidence from a patient-centered perspective; explore the clinical logic underlying the rationale for a service; cast a broad net with respect to types of evidence, placing a high value on effectiveness and applicability, in addition to internal validity; and, present benefits and harms for treatments and tests in a consistent way.
Not so sweet refrain: sugar-sweetened beverage taxes, industry opposition and harnessing the lessons learned from tobacco control legal challenges.

PubMed

George, Anita

2018-05-21

As a growing number of countries implement, or announce plans to introduce, a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax, this paper explores the public health rationale for such a tax and provides an overview of the international normative and policy instruments supporting the introduction of fiscal measures on sugary drinks. After examining parallels between the legal arguments raised by the food and beverage industry in opposition to SSB taxes and those raised by the tobacco industry in response to tobacco control measures, this paper draws four key lessons that will assist countries to design effective and robust SSB tax measures and counter food and beverage industry opposition: regulatory distinctions in tax coverage should be based on bona fide, evidence-based reasoning; evidence-based measures need to be tailored to a country's public health objectives as part of a comprehensive strategy to address unhealthy diet consumption; procedural requirements and due process should be observed in the drafting and implementation of the measure; and regulatory space exists within domestic constitutions, laws and international trade and investment agreements recognising the sovereign right of states to regulate in the interests of public health.
The twenty-first century challenges to sexuality and religion.

PubMed

Turner, Yolanda; Stayton, William

2014-04-01

Clergy and religious leaders are facing a wide variety of sexual needs and concerns within their faith communities. Conflicts over sexual issues are growing across the entire spectrum of religious denominations, and clerics remain ill prepared to deal with them. As religious communities work to remain influential in public policy debates, clergy and the institutions that train them need to be properly prepared for twenty-first century challenges that impact sexuality and religion. Clergy are often the first point of contact for sexual problems and concerns of their faith community members-complex issues centered on morals, spirituality, and ethics. Yet, there still exists a significant lack of sexual curricula in the programs that are educating our future religious leaders. The resulting paucity of knowledge leaves these leaders unprepared to address the needs and concerns of their congregants. However, with accurate, relevant human sexuality curricula integrated into theological formation programs, future leaders will be equipped to competently serve their constituencies. This paper provides a rationale for the need for such training, an overview of the faith- and theology-based history of a pilot training project, and a description of how the Christian faith and the social sciences intersect in a training pilot project's impetus and process.
Lifelong education for older adults in Malta: Current trends and future visions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Formosa, Marvin

2012-04-01

With European demographic developments causing a decline of the available workforce in the foreseeable future and the unsustainability of dominant pay-as-you-go pension systems (where contributions from the current workforce sustain pensioners), governments need to come up with strategies to deal with this upcoming challenge and to adjust their policies. Based on a study carried out between September 2009 and May 2010, this article evaluates the policies guiding late-life education in Malta, as well as the local plethora of learning opportunities for older adult education, and participation rates. The Maltese government is committed to supporting the inclusion of older persons (aged 60+) in lifelong education policies and programmes, to the extent that local studies have uncovered a recent rise in the overall participation of older adults in formal, non-formal and informal areas of learning. While the present and future prospects for late-life education in Malta seem promising, a critical scrutiny of present ideologies and trends finds the field to be no more than seductive rhetoric. Though the coordination of late-life education in Malta does result in various social benefits to older learners and Maltese society in general, it also occurs within five intersecting lines of inequality - namely an economic rationale, elitism, gender bias, the urban-rural divide and third ageism. This article ends by proposing policy recommendations for the future of late-life education.
Natural Resource Information System, design analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The computer-based system stores, processes, and displays map data relating to natural resources. The system was designed on the basis of requirements established in a user survey and an analysis of decision flow. The design analysis effort is described, and the rationale behind major design decisions, including map processing, cell vs. polygon, choice of classification systems, mapping accuracy, system hardware, and software language is summarized.
Project Canada West. The Factors Affecting the Structural Growth of a City.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Western Curriculum Project on Canada Studies, Edmonton (Alberta).

This project examined the development of the physical structure of a city in preparation for the designing of a unit of study on Urbanization for grades five through twelve. The rationale is focused on the effect physical structure has on the processes and functions of urban life. Recognizing the need for a method or process to examine city forms,…
Generating evidence to narrow the treatment gap for mental disorders in sub-Saharan Africa: rationale, overview and methods of AFFIRM.

PubMed

Lund, C; Alem, A; Schneider, M; Hanlon, C; Ahrens, J; Bandawe, C; Bass, J; Bhana, A; Burns, J; Chibanda, D; Cowan, F; Davies, T; Dewey, M; Fekadu, A; Freeman, M; Honikman, S; Joska, J; Kagee, A; Mayston, R; Medhin, G; Musisi, S; Myer, L; Ntulo, T; Nyatsanza, M; Ofori-Atta, A; Petersen, I; Phakathi, S; Prince, M; Shibre, T; Stein, D J; Swartz, L; Thornicroft, G; Tomlinson, M; Wissow, L; Susser, E

2015-06-01

There is limited evidence on the acceptability, feasibility and cost-effectiveness of task-sharing interventions to narrow the treatment gap for mental disorders in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this article is to describe the rationale, aims and methods of the Africa Focus on Intervention Research for Mental health (AFFIRM) collaborative research hub. AFFIRM is investigating strategies for narrowing the treatment gap for mental disorders in sub-Saharan Africa in four areas. First, it is assessing the feasibility, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of task-sharing interventions by conducting randomised controlled trials in Ethiopia and South Africa. The AFFIRM Task-sharing for the Care of Severe mental disorders (TaSCS) trial in Ethiopia aims to determine the acceptability, affordability, effectiveness and sustainability of mental health care for people with severe mental disorder delivered by trained and supervised non-specialist, primary health care workers compared with an existing psychiatric nurse-led service. The AFFIRM trial in South Africa aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of a task-sharing counselling intervention for maternal depression, delivered by non-specialist community health workers, and to examine factors influencing the implementation of the intervention and future scale up. Second, AFFIRM is building individual and institutional capacity for intervention research in sub-Saharan Africa by providing fellowship and mentorship programmes for candidates in Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Each year five Fellowships are awarded (one to each country) to attend the MPhil in Public Mental Health, a joint postgraduate programme at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University. AFFIRM also offers short courses in intervention research, and supports PhD students attached to the trials in Ethiopia and South Africa. Third, AFFIRM is collaborating with other regional National Institute of Mental Health funded hubs in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, by designing and executing shared research projects related to task-sharing and narrowing the treatment gap. Finally, it is establishing a network of collaboration between researchers, non-governmental organisations and government agencies that facilitates the translation of research knowledge into policy and practice. This article describes the developmental process of this multi-site approach, and provides a narrative of challenges and opportunities that have arisen during the early phases. Crucial to the long-term sustainability of this work is the nurturing and sustaining of partnerships between African mental health researchers, policy makers, practitioners and international collaborators.
Effects of Providing a Rationale for Learning a Lesson on Students' Motivation and Learning in Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Tae Seob

2010-01-01

This study examined whether providing a rationale for learning a particular lesson influences students' motivation and learning in online learning environments. A mixed-method design was used to investigate the effects of two types of rationales (former student vs. instructor rationales) presented in an online introductory educational psychology…
Why Do Higher Education Institutions Internationalize? An Investigation of the Multilevel Determinants of Internationalization Rationales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seeber, Marco; Cattaneo, Mattia; Huisman, Jeroen; Paleari, Stefano

2016-01-01

In recent decades internationalization has risen to prominence in higher education institutions (HEIs). Scholars have identified several rationales for internationalization. There is however a lack of conceptual understanding and empirical evidence for which rationale(s) for internationalization are chosen by a given HEI and why. The goal of this…
How to Develop a Better Guidance Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, William W.

Designed for school board members, superintendents, administrators, counselors, and teachers, the paper outlines steps toward the systematic development of a guidance program. Following a rationale and introduction, the paper recommends a specific process for program development: (1) the identification of student needs through formal needs…
Towards a Pedagogy of Inspirational Parables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pio, Edwina; Haigh, Neil

2007-01-01

Purpose: This paper seeks to present a rationale for a learning and assessment activity involving students in the construction of inspirational parables for diversity management within a university business studies programme. The paper reviews processes from teacher and student perspectives, describes initial outcomes and foreshadows further…
Intermediality: Bridge to Critical Media Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pailliotet, Ann Watts; Semali, Ladislaus; Rodenberg, Rita K.; Giles, Jackie K.; Macaul, Sherry L.

2000-01-01

Defines "intermediality" as the ability to critically read and write with and across varied symbol systems. Relates it to critical media literacy. Offers rationales for teaching critical media literacy in general, and intermedial instruction in particular. Identifies seven guiding intermedial elements: theory, texts, processes, contexts,…
Developing Local Lifelong Guidance Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watts, A. G.; Hawthorn, Ruth; Hoffbrand, Jill; Jackson, Heather; Spurling, Andrea

1997-01-01

Outlines the background, rationale, methodology, and outcomes of developing local lifelong guidance strategies in four geographic areas. Analyzes the main components of the strategies developed and addresses a number of issues relating to the process of strategy development. Explores implications for parallel work in other localities. (RJM)
Art and drama: partners in therapy.

PubMed

Irwin, E C; Rubin, J A; Shapiro, M I

1975-01-01

An art-drama therapy group for latency-age boys made possible the exploration of personal symbols and intense fantasies which resulted in a therapeutically powerful and productive experience. This paper describes the background, rationale, and dynamic process of this group. Multimodal expressive arts therapy is supported.

Rationale, design and respondent characteristics of the 2013-2014 New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYC HANES 2013-2014).

PubMed

Thorpe, Lorna E; Greene, Carolyn; Freeman, Amy; Snell, Elisabeth; Rodriguez-Lopez, Jesica S; Frankel, Martin; Punsalang, Amado; Chernov, Claudia; Lurie, Elizabeth; Friedman, Mark; Koppaka, Ram; Perlman, Sharon E

2015-01-01

Capacity to monitor non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at state or local levels is limited. Emerging approaches include using biomeasures and electronic health record (EHR) data. In 2004, New York City (NYC) performed a population-based health study on adult residents using biomeasures (NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Study, or NYC HANES), modeled after NHANES. A second NYC HANES was launched in 2013 to examine change over time, evaluate municipal policies, and validate a proposed EHR-based surveillance system. We describe the rationale and methods of NYC HANES 2013-2014. NYC HANES was a population-based, cross-sectional survey of NYC adults using three-stage cluster sampling. Between August 2013 and June 2014, selected participants completed a health interview and physical exam (blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference). Fasting biomeasures included diabetes, lipid profiles, kidney function, environmental biomarkers, and select infectious diseases. Of the 3065 households approached, 2742 were eligible and 1827 were successfully screened (67%). A total of 1524 of eligible participants completed the survey (54%), for an overall response rate of 36%. Completing a second NYC HANES a decade after the first study affords an opportunity to understand changes in prevalence, awareness and control of NCDs and evaluate municipal efforts to manage them.
A Delphi-Based Framework for systems architecting of in-orbit exploration infrastructure for human exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aliakbargolkar, Alessandro; Crawley, Edward F.

2014-01-01

The current debate in the U.S. Human Spaceflight Program focuses on the development of the next generation of man-rated heavy lift launch vehicles. While launch vehicle systems are of critical importance for future exploration, a comprehensive analysis of the entire exploration infrastructure is required to avoid costly pitfalls at early stages of the design process. This paper addresses this need by presenting a Delphi-Based Systems Architecting Framework for integrated architectural analysis of future in-orbit infrastructure for human space exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit. The paper is structured in two parts. The first part consists of an expert elicitation study to identify objectives for the in-space transportation infrastructure. The study was conducted between November 2011 and January 2012 with 15 senior experts involved in human spaceflight in the United States and Europe. The elicitation study included the formation of three expert panels representing exploration, science, and policy stakeholders engaged in a 3-round Delphi study. The rationale behind the Delphi approach, as imported from social science research, is discussed. Finally, a novel version of the Delphi method is presented and applied to technical decision-making and systems architecting in the context of human space exploration. The second part of the paper describes a tradespace exploration study of in-orbit infrastructure coupled with a requirements definition exercise informed by expert elicitation. The uncertainties associated with technical requirements and stakeholder goals are explicitly considered in the analysis. The outcome of the expert elicitation process portrays an integrated view of perceived stakeholder needs within the human spaceflight community. Needs are subsequently converted into requirements and coupled to the system architectures of interest to analyze the correlation between exploration, science, and policy goals. Pareto analysis is used to identify architectures of interest for further consideration by decision-makers. The paper closes with a summary of insights and develops a strategy for evolutionary development of the exploration infrastructure of the incoming decades. The most important result produced by this analysis is the identification of a critical irreducible ambiguity undermining value delivery for the in-space transportation infrastructure of the next three decades: destination choice. Consensus on destination is far from being reached by the community at large, with particular reference to exploration and policy stakeholders. The realization of this ambiguity is a call for NASA to promote an open forum on this topic, and to develop a strong case for policy makers to incentivize investments in the human spaceflight industry in the next decades.
Client cognitive responses to counselor paradoxical and nonparadoxical directives.

PubMed

Lee, D Y; Rossiter, B; Martin, J; Uhlemann, M R

1990-09-01

Client cognitive responses to counselor paradoxical and nonparadoxical directives were examined. It was predicted (a) that clients who received paradoxical symptom prescriptions would display a greater negativity toward the counselor and counseling than those who received nonparadoxical directives; and (b) that clients who received no rationale for the paradoxical directives would display a greater negativity than those who received a rationale. Thirty clients who had reported performance anxiety received one 45-minute counseling interview. Ten clients received paradoxical directives with a rationale, 10 received paradoxical directives with no rationale, and 10 received nonparadoxical directives. Results showed no significant differences in either client in-session negativity or out-of-session implementation of directives between the paradoxical and nonparadoxical conditions and between the rationale and no rationale paradoxical conditions. Possible implications of the findings are discussed.
Video in the Evaluation Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelletier, Raymond J.

The rationale and methodology for using videotape recordings to test foreign language listening comprehension are discussed. First, the advantages of using video in teaching and testing listening comprehension are examined and the specific listening skills to be developed at the beginning level are outlined. Issues in the selection of video…
Plant Study Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brynildson, Inga

Appropriate for secondary school botany instruction, this study guide focuses on the important roles of plants in human lives. Following a rationale for learning the basic skills of a botanist, separate sections discuss the process sunlight undergoes during photosynthesis, the flow of energy in the food chain, alternative plant lifestyles, plant…
Space Station Planetology Experiments (SSPEX)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, R. (Editor); Williams, R. J. (Editor)

1986-01-01

A meeting of 50 planetary scientists considered the uses of the Space Station to support experiments in their various disciplines. Abstracts (28) present concepts for impact and aeolian processes, particle formation and interaction, and other planetary science experiments. Summaries of the rationale, hardware concepts, accomodations, and recommendations are included.
40 CFR 63.2520 - What reports must I submit and when?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Miscellaneous Organic Chemical... from streams that contain energetics and organic peroxides, and rationale for why meeting the emission... lb/yr, the total uncontrolled organic HAP emissions from the batch process vents in an MCPU will be...
Social Information Processing Analysis (SIPA): Coding Ongoing Human Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, B. Aubrey; And Others

1979-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a new analytical system to be used in communication research. Unlike many existing systems devised ad hoc, this research tool, a system for interaction analysis, is embedded in a conceptual rationale based on modern systems theory. (Author)
A Rationale for Developmental Testing and Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arner, Robert S.

Man's phylogenetic development has resulted in a potential for environmental interaction in a symbolic and conceptual manner. There are ontogenetic requirements to develop such potential. The process by which man learns is sequential and involves perceptual-motor-cognitive abilities. There is an optimum respectivity period at each developmental…
Development Communication in Action: Building Understanding and Creating Participation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moemeka, Andrew A.

Addressing the use of communication (interpersonal, folk, traditional, group, organizational, and mass media) in the development process, this book discusses some of the conceptual and theoretical basis for integrating communication effectively into development plans and execution. It also examines the rationale and practical necessity for such…
Introduction to the Ninth Edition

PubMed Central

Akl, Elie A.; Crowther, Mark; Schünemann, Holger J.; Gutterman, David D.; Zelman Lewis, Sandra

2012-01-01

The Antithrombotic Therapy and Prevention of Thrombosis, 9th ed: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines differs substantially from the prior versions both in process and in content. In this introduction, we describe some of the differences and the rationale for the changes. PMID:22315255
Applying Constructivism to Improve Public Relations for Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marek, Michael

2005-01-01

Educators are often hesitant to use techniques of public relations and marketing communication to attempt to alter undesirable understandings of the rationale and processes of education held by external constituencies. This paper shows that contemporary practice in public relations and marketing communication can be conceptualized as an…
Convenience store visits by US adolescents: Rationale for healthier retail environments

PubMed Central

Sanders-Jackson, Ashley; Parikh, Nina M.; Schleicher, Nina C.; Fortmann, Stephen P.; Henriksen, Lisa

2015-01-01

Given interest in the public health impact of convenience stores, it is surprising that so little is known about the popularity of these destinations for youth. We surveyed 2,772 adolescents (age 13–16) from a nationally representative web panel of US households. Nearly half (47.5%) of adolescents reported visiting convenience stores at least weekly. Significant risk factors for frequent visits were age, being African American, living in rural areas and in areas with higher levels of neighborhood deprivation. With approximately 4.1 million US adolescents visiting convenience stores at least weekly, new policies and other interventions are needed to promote a healthier retail environment for youth. PMID:25955537
Convenience store visits by US adolescents: Rationale for healthier retail environments.

PubMed

Sanders-Jackson, Ashley; Parikh, Nina M; Schleicher, Nina C; Fortmann, Stephen P; Henriksen, Lisa

2015-07-01

Given interest in the public health impact of convenience stores, it is surprising that so little is known about the popularity of these destinations for youth. We surveyed 2772 adolescents (age 13-16) from a nationally representative web panel of US households. Nearly half (47.5%) of adolescents reported visiting convenience stores at least weekly. Significant risk factors for frequent visits were age, being African-American, living in rural areas and in areas with higher levels of neighborhood deprivation. With approximately 4.1 million US adolescents visiting convenience stores at least weekly, new policies and other interventions are needed to promote a healthier retail environment for youth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Food security and sustainable intensification.

PubMed

Godfray, H Charles J; Garnett, Tara

2014-04-05

The coming decades are likely to see increasing pressures on the global food system, both on the demand side from increasing population and per capita consumption, and on the supply side from greater competition for inputs and from climate change. This paper argues that the magnitude of the challenge is such that action is needed throughout the food system, on moderating demand, reducing waste, improving governance and producing more food. It discusses in detail the last component, arguing that more food should be produced using sustainable intensification (SI) strategies, and explores the rationale behind, and meaning of, this term. It also investigates how SI may interact with other food policy agendas, in particular, land use and biodiversity, animal welfare and human nutrition.
Conscientious objection to deceased organ donation by healthcare professionals

PubMed Central

Gardiner, Dale; Jansen, Nichon; Wind, Tineke; Samuel, Undine; Georgieva, Denie; Ploeg, Rutger; Broderick, Andrew

2017-01-01

In this article, we analyse the potential benefits and disadvantages of permitting healthcare professionals to invoke conscientious objection to deceased organ donation. There is some evidence that permitting doctors and nurses to register objections can ultimately lead to attitudinal change and acceptance of organ donation. However, while there may be grounds for conscientious objection in other cases such as abortion and euthanasia, the life-saving nature of donation and transplantation renders objection in this context more difficult to justify. In general, dialogue between healthcare professionals is a more appropriate solution, and any objections must be justified with a strong rationale in hospitals where such policies are put in place. PMID:29456600
Premium Rebates and the Quiet Consensus on Market Reform for Medicare

PubMed Central

Feldman, Roger; Dowd, Bryan E.; Coulam, Robert; Nichols, Len; Mutti, Anne

2001-01-01

Premium rebates allow beneficiaries who choose more efficient Medicare options to receive cash rebates, rather than extra benefits. That simple idea has been controversial. Without fanfare, however, premium rebates have become a key area of agreement in the debate on Medicare reform. Moreover, in legislation in late 2000, it became official policy: Medicare+Choice (M+C) plans will be allowed to offer rebates beginning in 2003. This article explores the economic rationale for premium rebates, provides a historical perspective on the rebate debate, discusses some of the implementation issues that need to be addressed before 2003, and reviews the implications of premium rebates for current legislative proposals for Medicare reform. PMID:12500336
Primary care pediatrics and public health: meeting the needs of today's children.

PubMed

Kuo, Alice A; Etzel, Ruth A; Chilton, Lance A; Watson, Camille; Gorski, Peter A

2012-12-01

The proportion of children suffering from chronic illnesses--such as asthma and obesity, which have significant environmental components--is increasing. Chronic disease states previously seen only in adulthood are emerging during childhood, and health inequalities by social class are increasing. Advocacy to ensure environmental health and to protect from the biological embedding of toxic stress has become a fundamental part of pediatrics. We have presented the rationale for addressing environmental and social determinants of children's health, the epidemiology of issues facing children's health, recent innovations in pediatric medical education that have incorporated public health principles, and policy opportunities that have arisen with the passage of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
[Technological education: why it is not relevant to the health field].

PubMed

Kruse, Maria Henriqueta Luce; Santana, Maria Natividade Gomes da Silva Teixeira

2002-01-01

This study discusses the National Curriculum Policies for professional education in technology, and its implementation in the health field, more especifically in the nursing field. The matter is approached from three different topics: 1) the contextualization of technological education, 2) the legal rationale, 3) the creation of human resources for SUS (Public Health system). As a conclusion, the study points out that the nursing professional would have his/her work even more fragmented than it already is. According to the study, this kind of education does not meet the needs of assistance in the present days, considering the complexity of problems related to it, the advancement of knowledge, and population growth.
Interns overestimate the effectiveness of their hand-off communication.

PubMed

Chang, Vivian Y; Arora, Vineet M; Lev-Ari, Shiri; D'Arcy, Michael; Keysar, Boaz

2010-03-01

Theories from the psychology of communication may be applicable in understanding why hand-off communication is inherently problematic. The purpose of this study was to assess whether postcall pediatric interns can correctly estimate the patient care information and rationale received by on-call interns during hand-off communication. Pediatric interns at the University of Chicago were interviewed about the hand-off. Postcall interns were asked to predict what on-call interns would report as the important pieces of information communicated during the hand-off about each patient, with accompanying rationale. Postcall interns also guessed on-call interns' rating of how well the hand-offs went. Then, on-call interns were asked to list the most important pieces of information for each patient that postcall interns communicated during the hand-off, with accompanying rationale. On-call interns also rated how well the hand-offs went. Interns had access to written hand-offs during the interviews. We conducted 52 interviews, which constituted 59% of eligible interviews. Seventy-two patients were discussed. The most important piece of information about a patient was not successfully communicated 60% of the time, despite the postcall intern's believing that it was communicated. Postcall and on-call interns did not agree on the rationales provided for 60% of items. In addition, an item was more likely to be effectively communicated when it was a to-do item (65%) or an item related to anticipatory guidance (69%) compared with a knowledge item (38%). Despite the lack of agreement on content and rationale of information communicated during hand-offs, peer ratings of hand-off quality were high. Pediatric interns overestimated the effectiveness of their hand-off communication. Theories from communication psychology suggest that miscommunication is caused by egocentric thought processes and a tendency for the speaker to overestimate the receiver's understanding. This study demonstrates that systematic causes of miscommunication may play a role in hand-off quality.

Improving care for people with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee: how has national policy for osteoarthritis been translated into service models in Australia?

PubMed

Brand, Caroline; Hunter, David; Hinman, Rana; March, Lyn; Osborne, Richard; Bennell, Kim

2011-05-01

There is strong rationale for improving care for people with chronic conditions, including osteoarthritis (OA). Successful implementation of healthcare reform requires new concepts and directions that are strongly supported by policy, new models of care (service redesign) and changes in day-to-day practice (healthcare provider and patient practice). In this paper we discuss the extent to which policy about management of OA of the hip and knee has been translated into new service models in Australia. A structured search of government and other key health websites in Australia was performed to identify policy, funding initiatives and new services models for managing OA of the hip and knee. This search was supported by a literature review. Musculoskeletal conditions were designated a National Health Priority in Australia in 2002. Under the Better Arthritis and Osteoporosis Care initiative, Australia has developed a national policy for OA care and national evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for management of OA of the hip and knee. Only two well-described examples of new chronic disease management service models, the Osteoarthritis Clinical Pathway (OACP) model and the Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee Service (OAHKS) were identified. Primarily focused within acute care public hospital settings, these have been shown to be feasible and acceptable but have limited data on clinical impact and cost-effectiveness. While policy is extant, implementation has not been systematic and comprehensive. Clinicians have evidence-based recommendations for OA management but are poorly supported by service models to deliver these effectively and efficiently. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases © 2011 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Clinical Styles and Practice Policies: Influence on Communication with Patients Regarding Worrisome Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Data.

PubMed

Hildebran, Christi; Leichtling, Gillian; Irvine, Jessica M; Cohen, Deborah J; Hallvik, Sara E; Deyo, Richard A

2016-11-01

Clinician communication with patients regarding worrisome findings in Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) may influence patient responses and subsequent care. The authors studied the range of approaches clinicians report when communicating with patients in this situation and how practice policies and procedures may influence this communication. Qualitative interviews of clinician PDMP users. Oregon registrants in the state's PDMP. Thirty-three clinicians practicing in pain management, emergency medicine, primary care, psychiatry, dentistry, and surgery. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews via telephone with clinicians who routinely used the PDMP. A multidisciplinary team used a grounded theory approach to identify ways clinicians reported using information from the PDMP when communicating with patients, and policies that influenced that communication. Clinicians reported using a range of approaches for communicating about PDMP results, from openly sharing, to questioning patients without disclosing access to the PDMP, to avoiding the conversation. Clinicians also reported practice policies and procedures that influenced communication with their patients about prescribing and ongoing care, including policies that normalized use of the PDMP with all patients and those that facilitated difficult conversations by providing a rationale not to prescribe in certain circumstances. Clinicians' self-reported approaches to sharing PDMP findings and communicating prescribing decisions with patients vary and may be facilitated by appropriate practice policies. Such communication may have implications for patient engagement and alliance building. More research is needed to identify best practices and potential guidelines for effectively communicating about PDMP findings, as this may enhance health outcomes. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
The Atom - The Final Link in the Division Process or the First Building Block? Pre-Instructional Conceptions about the Structure of Substances.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfundt, Helga

The hypothesis as to the atomic structure of any given substance is introduced in many physics and chemistry textbooks by conveying the idea of repetitive division of a given amount of substance, for example, by grinding, dissolving, or evaporating. The rationale for this approach is the assumption of students inferring that this process of…
Job Skills Education Program. Design Specifications

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-03-01

training approach is supplied in part by research based on the depth-of- processing paradigm ( Craik & Lockhart , 1972; Craik & Tulving, 1975), which...discussion here develops a rationale for the approach, which is consistent with research on incidental learning ( Craik & Lockhart , 1972; Craik & Tulving, 1975...this meeting, a plan evolved to integrate available RCA results and contract products into the - JSEP design. 0 During the Task 1 in- process review, the
Identifying the Help Givers in a Community of Learners: Using Peer Reporting and Social Network Analysis as Strategies for Participant Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rook, Michael M.

2018-01-01

The author presents a three-step process for selecting participants for any study of a social phenomenon that occurs between people in locations and at times that are difficult to observe. The process is described with illustrative examples from a previous study of help giving in a community of learners. This paper includes a rationale for…
On the rationale for hysteresis in economic decisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rios, Luis A.; Rachinskii, Dmitrii; Cross, Rod

2017-02-01

In the social sciences there are plausible reasons to postulate that hysteresis effects are important. The available evidence, however, is predominantly at the macro level. In this paper we review the evidence regarding hysteresis in the neural processes underlying human behavior. We argue that there is a need for experimental and neuroimaging studies to fill the gap in knowledge about hysteresis processes at the micro level in the social sciences.
Rationale and Roadmap for Moon Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foing, B. H.; ILEWG Team

We discuss the different rationale for Moon exploration. This starts with areas of scientific investigations: clues on the formation and evolution of rocky planets, accretion and bombardment in the inner solar system, comparative planetology processes (tectonic, volcanic, impact cratering, volatile delivery), records astrobiology, survival of organics; past, present and future life. The rationale includes also the advancement of instrumentation: Remote sensing miniaturised instruments; Surface geophysical and geochemistry package; Instrument deployment and robotic arm, nano-rover, sampling, drilling; Sample finder and collector. There are technologies in robotic and human exploration that are a drive for the creativity and economical competitivity of our industries: Mecha-electronics-sensors; Tele control, telepresence, virtual reality; Regional mobility rover; Autonomy and Navigation; Artificially intelligent robots, Complex systems, Man-Machine interface and performances. Moon-Mars Exploration can inspire solutions to global Earth sustained development: In-Situ Utilisation of resources; Establishment of permanent robotic infrastructures, Environmental protection aspects; Life sciences laboratories; Support to human exploration. We also report on the IAA Cosmic Study on Next Steps In Exploring Deep Space, and ongoing IAA Cosmic Studies, ILEWG/IMEWG ongoing activities, and we finally discuss possible roadmaps for robotic and human exploration, starting with the Moon-Mars missions for the coming decade, and building effectively on joint technology developments.
Documenting the rationale and psychometric characteristics of patient reported outcomes for labeling and promotional claims: the PRO Evidence Dossier.

PubMed

Revicki, Dennis A; Gnanasakthy, Ari; Weinfurt, Kevin

2007-05-01

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMEA) are willing to consider including information on patient reported outcomes (PROs) in product labeling and advertising. Pharmaceutical industry researchers must provide sufficient evidence supporting PRO benefit before an approval may be granted. This report describes the purpose and content of a PRO Evidence Dossier, which consists of important information supporting PRO claims. The dossier should be completed by pharmaceutical industry or other researchers to document the planning of the PRO assessment strategy, psychometric evidence, desired target labeling statements, and the clinical trial evidence of PRO benefits. The systematic reporting and documentation of information on the rationale for including PROs, rationale for the selection of specific PRO instruments, evidence on the psychometric qualities of the PRO measures, and guidelines for interpreting PRO findings will facilitate achieving a PRO labeling or promotional claim. Combining all the relevant information into a single document will facilitate the review and evaluation process for clinical and regulatory reviewers. The PRO Evidence Dossier may also be helpful to industry and academic researchers in identifying further information that will need to be developed to support the clinical development program and the PRO endpoints.
A simple analytical model for signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) process.

PubMed

Barskiy, Danila A; Pravdivtsev, Andrey N; Ivanov, Konstantin L; Kovtunov, Kirill V; Koptyug, Igor V

2016-01-07

We demonstrate an analytical model for the description of the signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) process. The model relies on a combined analysis of chemical kinetics and the evolution of the nuclear spin system during the hyperpolarization process. The presented model for the first time provides rationale for deciding which system parameters (i.e. J-couplings, relaxation rates, reaction rate constants) have to be optimized in order to achieve higher signal enhancement for a substrate of interest in SABRE experiments.
Rationale for Spiritually Oriented Cognitive Processing Therapy for Moral Injury in Active Duty Military and Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

PubMed

Koenig, Harold G; Boucher, Nathan A; Oliver, Rev John P; Youssef, Nagy; Mooney, Scott R; Currier, Joseph M; Pearce, Michelle

2017-02-01

Wartime experiences have long been known to cause ethical conflict, guilt, self-condemnation, difficulty forgiving, loss of trust, lack of meaning and purpose, and spiritual struggles. "Moral injury" (MI) (also sometimes called "inner conflict") is the term used to capture this emotional, cognitive, and behavioral state. In this article, we provide rationale for developing and testing Spiritually Oriented Cognitive Processing Therapy, a version of standard cognitive processing therapy for the treatment of MI in active duty and veteran service members (SMs) with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms who are spiritual or religious (S/R). Many SMs have S/R beliefs that could increase vulnerability to MI. Because the injury is to deeply held moral standards and ethical values and often adversely affects spiritual beliefs and worldview, we believe that those who are S/R will respond more favorably to a therapy that directly targets this injury from a spiritually oriented perspective. An evidence-based treatment for MI in posttraumatic stress disorder that not only respects but also utilizes SMs' spiritual beliefs/behaviors may open the door to treatment for many S/R military personnel.
[Research ethics: the case with the tule (kuna), Urabbá, Colombia].

PubMed

Alcaraz, Gloria; Correa, Adriana

2006-03-01

An ethical analysis was performed during the development of a research project titled "Culture, nourishment and malaria in the Kuna aboriginals of Urabá, Colombia." This project had 2 objectives; (1) to investigate the prevalence of malaria and its relationship with hypovitaminosis A and nutritional status, and (2) to understand the community's conceptions and practices towards malaria. The current paper summarizes reflections concerning the application of ethical principles and moral values during the course of the malaria research project. Two intercultural relationships were clearly defined: the culture of the Tule (Kuna) Indians, with a traditional medical system, and the culture of the research group, focused on the biomedical model. The rationale and the discussion proposed during the writing of the project proposal was presented as well as the dilemmas that developed during the project within the communities. These problems required rapid decision-making in situations for which the scientists had not been adequately prepared. A need was indicated for application of ethical principles to permeate the analysis throughout the research process in a horizontal manner, such that the human dignity of the participants and the ethnicity of the community are preserved above the purposes of the project. In the research process, mediation between the ethics of conviction and the ethics of consequences must take precedence, with both outcomes tied to an informed consent in place during the process. The establishment of national and local research ethics committees was indicated as necessary to preserve the lifestyle and culture of the ethnic groups. These values were seen as endangered given the trading pressures and health policies in a globalized world.
Technology assessment and the drug use process.

PubMed

Solomon, D K; Gourley, D R; Brown, J R; Gourley, G A; Humma, L M

1999-02-01

This activity is designed for pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare team members, payers for health services, and healthcare executives. Upon completion of this activity, the participant should be able to: 1. Describe the rationale behind, the development of, and the advantages arising from the formulary process, and discuss the health professionals involved in the creation of formularies. 2. Describe the impact of new drug development and technology on the drug use process. 3. Discuss the functions of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee. 4. Describe the impact of consumers on the drug use process.
Addressing overuse of health services in health systems: a critical interpretive synthesis.

PubMed

Ellen, Moriah E; Wilson, Michael G; Vélez, Marcela; Shach, Ruth; Lavis, John N; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Moat, Kaelan A

2018-06-15

Health systems are increasingly focusing on the issue of 'overuse' of health services and how to address it. We developed a framework focused on (1) the rationale and context for health systems prioritising addressing overuse, (2) elements of a comprehensive process and approach to reduce overuse and (3) implementation considerations for addressing overuse. We conducted a critical interpretive synthesis informed by a stakeholder-engagement process. The synthesis identified relevant empirical and non-empirical articles about system-level overuse. Two reviewers independently screened records, assessed for inclusion and conceptually mapped included articles. From these, we selected a purposive sample, created structured summaries of key findings and thematically synthesised the results. Our search identified 3545 references, from which we included 251. Most articles (76%; n = 192) were published within 5 years of conducting the review and addressed processes for addressing overuse (63%; n = 158) or political and health system context (60%; n = 151). Besides negative outcomes at the patient, system and global level, there were various contextual factors to addressing service overuse that seem to be key issue drivers. Processes for addressing overuse can be grouped into three elements comprising a comprehensive approach, including (1) approaches to identify overused health services, (2) stakeholder- or patient-led approaches and (3) government-led initiatives. Key implementation considerations include the need to develop 'buy in' from stakeholders and citizens. Health systems want to ensure the use of high-value services to keep citizens healthy and avoid harm. Our synthesis can be used by policy-makers, stakeholders and researchers to understand how the issue has been prioritised, what approaches have been used to address it and implementation considerations. PROSPERO CRD42014013204 .
Rationale and Consequences of Reclassifying Obesity as an Addictive Disorder: Neurobiology, Food Environment and Social Policy Perspectives

PubMed Central

Allen, Patricia; Batra, Payal; Geiger, Brenda M.; Wommack, Tara; Gilhooly, Cheryl; Pothos, Emmanuel N.

2012-01-01

The rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity is a priority for investigators from across numerous disciplines, including biology, nutritional science, and public health and policy. In this paper, we systematically examine the premise that common dietary obesity is an addictive disorder, based on the criteria for addiction described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, version IV, and consider the consequences of such a reclassification of obesity for public policy. Specifically, we discuss evidence from both human and animal studies investigating the effects of various types and amounts of food and the food environment in obese individuals. Neurobiological studies have shown that the hedonic brain pathways activated by palatable food overlap considerably with those activated by drugs of abuse and suffer significant deficits after chronic exposure to high-energy diets. Furthermore, food as a stimulus can induce the sensitization, compulsion and relapse patterns observed in individuals who are addicted to illicit drugs. The current food environment encourages these addictive-like behaviors where increased exposure through advertisements, proximity and increased portion sizes are routine. Taking lessons from the tobacco experience, it is clear that reclassifying common dietary obesity as an addictive disorder would necessitate policy changes (e.g., regulatory efforts, economic strategies, and educational approaches). These policies could be instrumental in addressing the obesity epidemic, by encouraging the food industry and the political leadership to collaborate with the scientific and medical community in establishing new and more effective therapeutic approaches. PMID:22583861
Rationale and consequences of reclassifying obesity as an addictive disorder: neurobiology, food environment and social policy perspectives.

PubMed

Allen, Patricia J; Batra, Payal; Geiger, Brenda M; Wommack, Tara; Gilhooly, Cheryl; Pothos, Emmanuel N

2012-08-20

The rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity is a priority for investigators from across numerous disciplines, including biology, nutritional science, and public health and policy. In this paper, we systematically examine the premise that common dietary obesity is an addictive disorder, based on the criteria for addiction described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, version IV, and consider the consequences of such a reclassification of obesity for public policy. Specifically, we discuss evidence from both human and animal studies investigating the effects of various types and amounts of food and the food environment in obese individuals. Neurobiological studies have shown that the hedonic brain pathways activated by palatable food overlap considerably with those activated by drugs of abuse and suffer significant deficits after chronic exposure to high-energy diets. Furthermore, food as a stimulus can induce the sensitization, compulsion and relapse patterns observed in individuals who are addicted to illicit drugs. The current food environment encourages these addictive-like behaviors where increased exposure through advertisements, proximity and increased portion sizes are routine. Taking lessons from the tobacco experience, it is clear that reclassifying common dietary obesity as an addictive disorder would necessitate policy changes (e.g., regulatory efforts, economic strategies, and educational approaches). These policies could be instrumental in addressing the obesity epidemic, by encouraging the food industry and the political leadership to collaborate with the scientific and medical community in establishing new and more effective therapeutic approaches. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Biology Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1646.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Academic Programs.

This curriculum guide, developed to establish statewide curriculum standards for the Louisiana Competency-based Education Program, contains the minimum competencies and process skills that should be included in a biology course. It consists of: (1) a rationale for an effective science program; (2) a list and description of four major goals of…
Physics Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1661.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Academic Programs.

This curriculum guide, developed to establish statewide curriculum standards for the Louisiana Competency-based Education Program, contains the minimum competencies and process skills that should be included in a physics course. It consists of: (1) a rationale for an effective science program; (2) a list and description of four major goals of…
Guide for Multicultural Education: Content and Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Bureau of Intergroup Relations.

This guide explores the rationale for multicultural education at the elementary and secondary levels, its needs and goals, the school setting it requires, and the necessary processes of instructional planning and staff preparation. The basic aim of a multicultural instructional program is to help students to accept themselves and other persons as…
Teacher Education and Spaceship Earth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raack, Marilyn; Bixler, James

The analogy of "Spaceship Earth" is used to suggest the necessary elements of a teacher education program that is future-oriented and that can be effective in changing and maintaining desired attitudes and behavior, particularly in relation to dealing with significant global issues and processes. Rationales are provided for a global education…
Employee Empowerment in Manufacturing: A Study of Organisations in the UK.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Psoinos, Anna; Smithson, Steve

2002-01-01

Employee empowerment in the United Kingdom manufacturing industry (through total quality management, delayering, and business process reengineering) was examined in a survey of 103 companies. Success factors included a solid business rationale, organizational culture, and staff decision making power. Culture was also the most influential…

Life Science Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1614.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Academic Programs.

This curriculum guide, developed to establish statewide curriculum standards for the Louisiana Competency-based Education Program, contains the minimum competencies and process skills that should be included in a life science course. It consists of: (1) a rationale for an effective science program; (2) a list and description of four major goals of…
Probing the Natural World, Volume 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkman, Ernest

These materials represent the first third of a coordinated science program for grades seven through nine. The materials have been prepared according to the following Intermediate Science Curriculum Study rationale: (1) science at the junior-high-school level should serve a general education function, and (2) both processes and concepts should be…
Incorporating Trauma-Informed Care into School-Based Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Sandra L.; Ashley, Olivia Silber; White, LeBretia; Axelson, Sarah; Clark, Marc; Burrus, Barri

2017-01-01

Background: This article provides an overview of the rationale and process for incorporating trauma-informed approaches into US school-based programs, using school-based adolescent pregnancy prevention programs as an example. Methods: Research literature is reviewed on the prevalence and outcomes of childhood trauma, including the links between…
Suicide Prevention with Diverse College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shadick, Richard; Akhter, Sarah

2014-01-01

Because of a dearth of experience in preventing suicide in diverse student populations, Pace University developed a multicultural suicide prevention kit. This article details the process used to develop the kit. The rationale for approaching suicide prevention in a culturally competent manner is presented, and methods used to gain culture-specific…
Montage: Improvising in the Land of Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Windle, Sheila; Sefton, Terry

2011-01-01

This paper and its appended multi-media production describe the rationale and process of creating and presenting a "digitally saturated" (Lankshear & Knobel, 2003), multi-layered, synchronous "montage" (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003) of educational Action Research findings. The authors contend that this type of presentation, arising from the fusion of…
The Intent and Processes of a Professional Learning Initiative Seeking to Foster Discussion around Innovative Approaches to Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Peter; Holmes, Marilyn; Ingram, Naomi; Linsell, Chris; Livy, Sharyn; McCormack, Melody

2016-01-01

The following outlines the rationale and structure of a professional learning initiative that seeks to explore teachers' ways of engaging students more actively in building mathematical connections for themselves. An example of one of the suggested experiences is presented.
The Decentralisation Debate: Thinking about Power

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkhout, Susara J.

2005-01-01

Comparing the dynamics of centralisation/decentralisation in Belgium and South Africa has the advantage of revealing discrepancies between the public or official rationale for the (re) distribution of power and the probable or eventual effect of this (re)distribution on educational processes and learning outcomes. It can be seen that local…
A Practical Rationale for Classroom Assessment: The SWOT Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaurin, Sidney E.; Bell, Beulah; Smith, Curtis

2009-01-01

The classroom assessment process can have encouraging results when it begins with "early assessment" that addresses student learning, as well as the social and emotional needs of student(s) in the classroom. This paper presents a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis for classroom assessment. It will review literature…
Embedding Sustainable Development at Cambridge University Engineering Department

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenner, Richard A.; Ainger, Charles M.; Cruickshank, Heather J.; Guthrie, Peter M.

2005-01-01

Purpose--The paper seeks to examine the latest stage in a process of change aimed at introducing concepts of sustainable development into the activities of the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University, UK. Design/methodology/approach--The rationale behind defining the skills which future engineers require is discussed and vehicles for…
Exposure to concentrated coarse air pollution particles causes mild cardiopulmonary effects in young healthy adults

EPA Science Inventory

Rationale: There is ample epidemiological and toxicological evidence that exposure to fme air pollution particles (PM2.5), which are primarily derived from combustion processes, can result in increased mortality and morbidity. There is less certainty as to the contribution of coa...
Consumer Decision Making in a Global Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lusby, Linda A.

This document examines the underlying rationale for the development of a global approach in consumer studies. The concept of consumer ethics is discussed and the consumer decision-making process is placed within an ecosystem perspective of the marketplace. The model developed introduces educators, marketers, and consumers to a more global…
Academic Learning Revisited: Curriculum Innovation in an Australian University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dovey, Ken; Green, Jenny; McQueen, Meryl

2001-01-01

Explores University of Technology, Sydney's process to transform its program in management of third sector organizations because of the profound social change caused by globalization. Analyzes the nature of the crisis, offers a rationale for the strategic action taken, and evaluates the first-phase implementation, including the politics of…
Mainstreaming: Our Current Knowledge Base.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Percy, Ed.

The nine author contributed chapters are intended to provide a basic introduction to the rationale and processes of mainstreaming handicapped children. The first paper, "The Whys and Hows of Mainstreaming" by T. Tice, provides a philosophical examination of the basic principles of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and…
Design and Implementation of Therapist Online Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Aaron O.; Lee, Geoff; Ess, Brian

2015-01-01

The following paper describes the rationale for creating an online therapy program of cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, for students at the University of Florida who are struggling with stress and anxiety. In addition, the paper discusses the unique challenges of the instructional design process of creating psychoeducational materials through…
Marketing and Distributive Education Curriculum Planning Guide. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, E. Edward; And Others

This curriculum guide for marketing and distributive education programs in Illinois consists of two sections. In the first section, the rationale for the curriculum is presented, along with the process used to develop it. This presentation is followed by a discussion on articulation in education, especially between high school and postsecondary…
Chemistry Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1660.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Academic Programs.

This curriculum guide, developed to establish statewide curriculum standards for the Louisiana Competency-based Education Program, contains the minimum competencies and process skills that should be included in a chemistry course. It consists of: (1) a rationale for an effective science program; (2) a list and description of four major goals of…
DIAGNOSIS AND APPRAISAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS. PRENTICE-HALL FOUNDATIONS OF SPEECH PATHOLOGY SERIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DARLEY, FREDERIC L.

THIS TEXT GIVES THE STUDENT AN OUTLINE OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY WHICH UNDERLIE EVALUATIVE WORK IN SPEECH DISORDERS. RATIONALE AND ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES ARE GIVEN FOR EXAMINATION OF THE BASIC COMMUNICATION PROCESSES OF SYMBOLIZATION, RESPIRATION, PHONATION, ARTICULATION-RESONANCE, PROSODY, ASSOCIATED SENSORY AND PERCEPTUAL…
Toward Validation of the Genius Discipline-Specific Literacy Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Edwin S.; Wills, Stephen; Deshler, Donald D.

2011-01-01

An analysis of the rationale and theoretical foundations of the Genius Discipline-specific Literacy Model and its use of SMARTvisuals to cue information-processing skills and strategies and focus attention on essential informational elements in high-frequency topics in history and the English language arts are presented. Quantitative data…
Flexibility in Macro-Scripts for Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dillenbourg, P.; Tchounikine, P.

2007-01-01

In the field of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), scripts are designed to support collaboration among distant learners or co-present learners whose interactions are (at least partially) mediated by a computer. The rationale of scripts is to structure collaborative learning processes in order to trigger group interactions that may…
The Effects of Marijuana on Human Cognition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearl, Joseph H.

Investigating the effects of marijuana on human psychological functioning, this study differs from previous research in two ways: 1) it is concerned with relatively complex cognitive processes; 2) it has a theoretical rationale. The general hypothesis of the study states that marijuana will impair its user's ability to form and use abstract…

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