The Best and Worst Times of Life: Narratives and Assessments of Subjective Well-Being by Anamnestic Comparative Self Assessment (ACSA) in the Eastern Cape,South Africa

The Anamnestic Comparative Self Assessment (ACSA) measure of subjective well-being (SWB) aims to reduce the problems of cultural bias and relativity to external standards by allowing people to define the endpoints or ‘anchors’ of the measurement scale. In medical terminology anamnestic denotes ‘based on memory’. The ACSA uses subjects’ memories of the best and worst periods in their lives to define the anchors of the scale. They then assess their current quality of life relative to these personal anchors. The South African pilot study tested the match between self-assessment of SWB with ACSA and the conventional single-item measures of life satisfaction and happiness used in the South African Quality of Life Trends Study and analysed the narratives of the best and worst times of life. The quota sample of 46 consisted of 26 residents of Makana district in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, and 20 patients undergoing treatment in the local TB hospital. Mean SWB ratings with all three measures of life satisfaction, happiness and ACSA were between 5 and 6 on a 0–10-point scale. Ratings on all three scales were positively correlated. However, on ACSA the TB patients rated their current SWB 1.84 points lower than the community respondents, suggesting a greater sensitivity of this measure. It was observed that the starting points of the life stories produced by respondents to define the anchor periods for ACSA were related to their current assessment of SWB. A typology was developed that combined the starting point of the life stories with current SWB. The majority of community respondents matched the ‘Achiever’ type who scored positively on ACSA (i.e., above the mid-point of the scale) and whose life stories started with the worst period of their lives and proceeded to the best period. The TB patients were the only respondents to represent the ‘Survivor’ type whose morale had recovered after misfortune in life. ‘Survivors’ started their narratives with the best period in their lives, then moved to the worst (often health-related) one, and gave positive ACSA ratings. Based on the qualitative analysis of narratives, it is concluded that ACSA is a sensitive measurement instrument and therefore particularly useful for monitoring the effects of treatments and social interventions in longitudinal studies. However, further research is required to verify its cross-cultural validity.

Challenge of multi-level governance in developing countries and possible GIS applications

Of the three most prominent issues in governance discourse—the horizontal coordination of markets, government hierarchies and networks, global governance and multi-level governance—this paper argues that the last, developing and sustaining structures of multi-level governance, constitutes the most profound governance challenge for most developing countries.The paper identifies the major forces promoting change in favor of multi-level governance in developing countries. Using the growing literature and comparative national experiences (illustrated with the examples of India, the Philippines, Colombia and Nigeria), it highlights the key achievements of democratic decentralization as well as its nagging problems in these countries. Finally, the paper demonstrates the significance of these developments for democracy and development in these countries and shows some of the ways by which external partners—especially experts associated with the Geographic Information Systems for Developing Countries can assist and possibly benefit from this process.     

GPS接收机P(Y)直捕方法研究

GPS接收机P(Y)直捕算法是基于存储的滑动相关搜索,并利用FFT将时频二维联合搜索变成时域一维搜索。同时,考虑位同步点已知的条件,接收资源池只需存储一段接收序列,缩短了捕获时间且利于硬件实现。仿真结果表明,多普勒频移为±5kHz时,所带来的峰值衰减为2dB左右,本地信号与接收信号对齐时出现明显的相关峰,很好地实现了捕获功能;提出了用重叠分段补零FFT操作实现并行相关,成倍降低了捕获时间;提出了利用位同步信息,避免了码极性翻转可能引起的信噪比损耗;针对码相位漂移,提出了优化捕获策略,可在短时间内完成重捕。     

论科学管理的生产力属性

生产力先进性的依据在于具有高效率、高效益、复合效应和可持续发展等基本属性。由于科学管理在现代生产力系统中是必不可少的重要构件,具有不可替代的五大功用,它事实上决定和促成了现代生产力四大先进特性的存在,因此笔者认为科学管理就是先进的生产力。     

《汉语大字典》书证疏误举例

《汉语大字典》在义项的书证方面存在一些疏误,内容涉及书证欠妥、书证有误、引文失误、一例两用等问题。     

从张爱玲的音乐与色彩描写论其苍凉艺术

“苍凉”是张爱玲小说创作的主体风格。张爱玲以她对音乐与色彩的独特理解和完美运用，使其成为一种意象，是表现人物心理、暗示情节以及揭示人物命运、感悟人生、反映社会的重要手段，从而更深刻地表达了她的“苍凉美学”。     

浅析高校普通话水平测试工作的科学化管理

高校普通话水平测试（PSC）工作的科学化管理能够保证测试质量、完成高水平测试工作，同时可以营造良好的学校语言文字氛围和推广及普及普通话。针对目前高校在PSC管理方面存在的问题，本文提出了制定健全的管理制度、实现普通话测试管理的科学化与信息化、积极探索现代化的普通话测试手段、加强对普通话测试员队伍的综合管理以及普通话测试的检查督导工作等措施。通过这几方面的措施确保PSC工作走向制度化、规范化、科学化。     

农村居民看病难、看病贵原因实证分析

利用扩展的线性支出系统模型(ELES),采用最小二乘法估计计算了我国农村居民的短期医疗服务需求价格弹性。研究结果表明:农村居民的短期医疗服务需求价格缺乏弹性。由于农村居民的短期医疗服务需求价格缺乏弹性,加上我国目前医疗体制存在的以药养医和医疗机构的逐利行为以及医疗市场缺乏有效的监管等问题,导致农村居民看病难、看病贵。解决这个问题,需要国家增加对卫生领域的投入,降低农民看病时自费的比例,增强卫生市场的竞争性,适当使医疗卫生资源向农村地区倾斜,并逐渐把医疗机构办成非盈利机构。     

美国资本主义经济发展中的契约自由与合同法

合同法是美国法律体系中最重要的柱石之一 ,契约自由是美国资本主义社会的一个重要标志。但美国合同法走过的历史道路也许不能简单地概括为从意愿论的胜利到合同的死亡。 2 0世纪的美国合同法面临重重挑战 :立法入侵、行政机构权力的扩大、大公司的发展、经济的复杂化和不确定性、社会各阶层对公平的要求。为了应对这些挑战 ,美国合同法进行了重大调整。这些调整最重要的目标就是使合同法具有适应社会经济变化的更大的灵活性和更高的公平标准。     

生态文明建设与先进生产力发展

生态文明是人类发展的必由之路。建设生态文明是实施科学发展的必然要求，而生态文明建设对生产力发展提出了新的先进性要求。在生态文明语境中，先进性不但体现了高水平，还代表着正确的发展方向。生产力发展必须顺应生态文明进步趋势，才能保有全面的先进性。