Suchergebnisse

A survey examined theory-driven versus data-driven assessments in a crisis. Respondents were 604 subscribers to International Security who completed a mailed questionnaire. The questionnaire contained alternative versiosn of a hypothetical crisis scenario and elicited assessments of threat, deterrence contingencies, and policy responses. An earlier section of the questionnaire surveyed general beliefs about Soviet-U.S. relations and military strategy, permitting examination of the relationships of respondents' general beliefs to their assessments. Alternative versions of the hypothetical crisis differed in information describing the crisis, permitting examination of the influence of specific data on assessments. Four kinds of information were varied: Soviet motives, the balance of interests, the local conventional military balance, and the nuclear balance. Respondents were substantially more theory-driven than data-driven in assessing the hypothetical crisis. Assessments were particularly associated with beliefs about Soviet motives and the necessity of displaying resolve to deter Soviet aggression.

This e-zine documents the discussions and group work done at the 'Infrastructuring in Participatory Design' workshop, a full-day event that took place at the Participatory Design Conference 2018 in Hasselt and Genk, Belgium. Participants at the workshop came from a broad range of domains (e.g. Design, Science and Technology Studies, Anthropology, Social Sciences, Information Sciences, Architecture), representing interests in infrastructuring from multiple perspectives. The workshop invited the Participatory Design (PD) community to come together, with their cases or projects, questions and topics of interest in order to take stock of empirical insights and conceptual developments around the notions of infrastructure and infrastructuring, and their relevance to the revitalization of the political agenda of PD. Following a hands-on approach, participants – collectively and critically - mapped issues, disentangled assumptions, identified blind spots, and outlined new research opportunities charting the possibilities and limitations of an infrastructuring approach in Participatory Design at large. ; publishedVersion ; Copyright 2019 Andrea Botero, Helena Karasti, Joanna Saad-Sulonen, Hanne Cecilie Geirbo, Karen S. Baker, Elena Parmiggiani, Sanna Marttila. Open Access CC By.

"August 2002." ; Includes bibliographical references (p. 14). ; Mode of access: Internet.

The purpose of this text is to demonstrate the validity of Lippmann's thinkingwhen dealing with some of the most critical issues of the current mediainformation system. The aim is to show how, despite having been writtenalmost 100 years ago2, his ideas on the formation of public opinion allow usto understand where the relationship between democracy and the media - todaysocial networks - is woven so that It is assumed, once and for all, that thenature of these relationships is not based on rationality, but on the perceptiveconductivity of emotions, which a more realistic theory like Lippmann's inaugurateson communication.

IR spectra of entrance and exit channels of methane and radical oxygen reaction are predicted in the ground state energy. Ab initio calculations at perturbation theory (MP2) with Dunning correction- consistent basis set (aug-cc-pVDZ) have been used. The calculations predicted structures, vibrational frequencies and potential energy surface. Three van der Waals minima from three adiabatic potential energy surfaces have been predicted in entrance and exit channels. Vibration frequency of 3209 cm-1 and 3212 cm-1 of C-H stretching in entrance structures are predicted while O-H vibrational frequency is predicted to be at 3673 cm-1 in the other channel. The lowest energy structure in entrance channel has - 0.18 kJ/ mol minimum energy.

n-of-1 studies test hypotheses within individuals based on repeated measurement of variables within the individual over time. Intra-individual effects may differ from those found in between-participant studies. Using examples from a systematic review of n-of-1 studies in health behaviour research, this article provides a state of the art overview of the use of n-of-1 methods, organised according to key methodological considerations related to n-of-1 design and analysis, and describes future challenges and opportunities. A comprehensive search strategy (PROSPERO:CRD42014007258) was used to identify articles published between 2000 and 2016, reporting observational or interventional n-of-1 studies with health behaviour outcomes. Thirty-nine articles were identified which reported on n-of-1 observational designs and a range of n-of-1 interventional designs, including AB, ABA, ABABA, alternating treatments, n-of-1 randomised controlled trial, multiple baseline and changing criterion designs. Behaviours measured included treatment adherence, physical activity, drug/alcohol use, sleep, smoking and eating behaviour. Descriptive, visual or statistical analyses were used. We identify scope and opportunities for using n-of-1 methods to answer key questions in health behaviour research. n-of-1 methods provide the tools needed to help advance theoretical knowledge and personalise/tailor health behaviour interventions to individuals. ; This work was part of the LiveWell programme. LiveWell was supported by the Lifelong Health and Wellbeing initiative (LLHW), under Grant number G0900686. The LLHW initiative is a funding collaboration between the UK Research Councils and Health Departments. The funding partners are: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates, National Institute for Health Research /The Department of Health, The Health and Social Care Research & Development of the Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland), and Wales Office of Research and Development for Health and Social Care, Welsh Assembly Government.

Given international interest in evidence-informed early education policy, we sought to interpret what is often a confusing literature on the performance of early childhood education programs. We explore whether they represent a good return on investment and the factors affecting their transferability. A systematic review was conducted to identify all cost–benefit (C-B) studies of center-based programs enrolling disadvantaged children prior to age 5 compared with a matched group. From a search across all pertinent databases in 2013, 13 economic evaluations relating to six distinct programs were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Of the six programs, half were reported as producing a substantial net benefit (benefits considerably greater than cost) representing a good investment, while for the other half, costs were greater than benefits. We explore possible reasons for the considerable divergence in economic outcomes. The primary driver was the divergent effectiveness of the programs reported in the original outcome studies, and to a lesser extent the scope of benefits included in the economic evaluation and period of follow-up. The context in which programs were delivered and program intensity differed markedly. The two oldest (1960s and 1970s) small randomized control trials of high intensity produced far better outcomes and return on investment than more recent large-scale service delivery. This collection of C-B studies challenges the expectation of good returns on investment from the rollout of early childhood programs. A checklist is provided to assist policy makers with the interpretation of C-B studies.

<p class="Default">Critical race theory (CRT) is a body of work that seeks to understand and change the re­lationship between race, racism, and power. While relatively new to the health sciences, CRT is increasingly used as a conceptual framework to examine the role of racism in health inequalities. In this commentary, I outline ways in which CRT can also be used to enhance public health educa­tion, methodology, and practice.</p><p class="Default"><em>Ethn Dis</em><strong>. </strong>2018;28(Suppl 1): 267-270; doi:10.18865/ed.28.S1.267.</p>

We show in two natural experiments that default rules in Medicare Part D have large, persistent effects on enrollment and drug utilization of low-income beneficiaries. The implications of this phenomenon for welfare and optimal policy depend on the sensitivity of passivity to the value of the default option. Using random assignment to default options, we show that beneficiary passivity is extremely insensitive, even when enrolling in the default option would result in substantial drug consumption losses. A third natural experiment suggests that variation in active choice is driven by random transitory shocks rather than the inherent attentiveness of some beneficiaries. (JEL D91, I13, I18, I38, L65)

The paper provides a comparison of the various techniques for investigation of radionuclide speciation in soils based on fractionation of radionuclides bonded with different soil components. The dates on speciation of environmentally signifшcant technogenic and natural radionuclides in soils contaminated from testing of nuclear weapons, accidents or incidents at radiation dangerous objects, mining and mineral products processing are presented. The review looks at inf uence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the forms of the radionuclide compounds like the radionuclide and soil properties, type of radioactive fallout and the time elapsed af er fallout on soil. It has been demonstrated that experimental details of radionuclide speciation provide the basis for estimates and projections their mobility in soils, availability for plants and development of recommendations on reducing their penetration into food chains.

The emerging economies are the centrepieces in the sustainable consumption and production of palm oil (SCP). With the collaborative efforts of the European Union and some non-governmental organisations, producers are kept in the spotlight, and scrutiny has begun to sweep down the supply chain. Palm oil environmental liabilities are extended to the consuming countries and criticism of emerging economies is evident in the context of weak institutions and inadequate attention from interest groups. China, one of the major consumers of palm oil, encompasses almost every potential environmental performance issue at the end of the palm oil supply chain. Sherri Torjman's six-step approach has been used to parse the constraints and contributions of institutional coercive, mimetic and normative drivers to the three goals of the economic, social and environmental performance of palm oil SCP. This paper investigates the relevant institutions in China and compares in detail the content of SCP-related elements in these institutions through desktop research. An institutional theoretical perspective is provided to take a more comprehensive look at the SCP challenges facing the palm oil supply chain in China whereby this paper aims to shed light on the linkages between the challenges and institutional drivers.