A quit smoking group. Pilot study

1. While the rate of smoking is extremely high among persons with mental illness, there have been efforts to assist this population to quit. A 10-week smoking cessation program was provided for 10 highly nicotine dependent persons with persistent mental illness. 2. No significant differences were found in psychiatric symptoms or drug side effects prior to and after smoking cessation efforts. Four months later, for the 7 subjects who completed the program, 14% were abstinent, 43% maintained reduced tobacco intake, and 43% had resumed previous smoking patterns. 3. Specific barriers to quitting include a lack of nonsmoking coping skills, long-term identity as a smoker, ready access to tobacco products, nicotine addiction, and limited nonsmoking social support.     

Dengue Disease Risk Mental Models in the City of Dhaka,Bangladesh: Juxtapositions and Gaps Between the Public and Experts

Worldwide, more than 50 million cases of dengue fever are reported every year in at least 124 countries, and it is estimated that approximately 2.5 billion people are at risk for dengue infection. In Bangladesh, the recurrence of dengue has become a growing public health threat. Notably, knowledge and perceptions of dengue disease risk, particularly among the public, are not well understood. Recognizing the importance of assessing risk perception, we adopted a comparative approach to examine a generic methodology to assess diverse sets of beliefs related to dengue disease risk. Our study mapped existing knowledge structures regarding the risk associated with dengue virus, its vector (Aedes mosquitoes), water container use, and human activities in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. “Public mental models” were developed from interviews and focus group discussions with diverse community groups; “expert mental models” were formulated based on open‐ended discussions with experts in the pertinent fields. A comparative assessment of the public's and experts’ knowledge and perception of dengue disease risk has revealed significant gaps in the perception of: (a) disease risk indicators and measurements; (b) disease severity; (c) control of disease spread; and (d) the institutions responsible for intervention. This assessment further identifies misconceptions in public perception regarding: (a) causes of dengue disease; (b) dengue disease symptoms; (c) dengue disease severity; (d) dengue vector ecology; and (e) dengue disease transmission. Based on these results, recommendations are put forward for improving communication of dengue risk and practicing local community engagement and knowledge enhancement in Bangladesh.     

A heterarchical generic discrete manufacturing simulation model and its application in a world class manufacturing environment

Current factory design and evaluation is very primitive. Factory components are designed in many cases independently. Product and process design are not well integrated. An encompassing framework is needed for iterating through a series of total factory designs, searching for optimal performance. In addition, a vehicle is needed for predicting the performance of a proposed advanced manufacturing system, so that engineers may have a sound means for evaluating such proposals. A heterarchical discrete manufacturing SIMNET II simulation model (SIMCELLS) was developed as a comprehensive methodology for designing and evaluating discrete manufacturing systems. SIMCELLS allows manufacturing systems engineers to experiment with alternative system structures and control strategies while seeking that combination of design features that will produce the desired overall system performance. The model in combination with a modernization programme is enabling a firm to successfully manufacture and sell trucks meeting international standards. The SIMNET II model     

Rohingya Ethnic Muslim Minority and the 1982 Citizenship Law in Burma

The Rohingyas have experienced difficulties in obtaining citizenship since the enactment of the 1982 Citizenship Law in Burma. From the beginning of Burmese independence, their separate identity was recognized by the then democratic government of Premier U Nu (1948–1962). Their situation worsened after the military takeover in 1962 leaving then subject to humiliating restrictions and harsh treatment by the State. However, the Burmese 1982 Citizenship Law institutionalized the Rohingyas statelessness.This paper argues that despite all evidence as indigenous people of Arakan, the ethnic Muslim minority Rohingya are arbitrarily deprived of their citizenship. The Burmese are adamant that the Rohingyas are Bengalis regardless of their residency history, and therefore belong in Bangladesh. Their Islamic religion and Indo-Aryan appearance do not conform with the “Burmese citizenship standard”. In this context, Burma/Myanmar citizenship law fails to meet the international standard. Rohingya ancestry related documents prove that the government enacted the new law simply to deny the Rohingya identity.     

Intercultural teaching competence: a multi-disciplinary model for instructor reflection

Abstract

This article presents a model for Intercultural Teaching Competence (ITC) that instructors may use as a tool for reflection as they prepare to facilitate learning across cultures. Building on previous research on intercultural competence, culturally relevant teaching, intercultural trainer competencies, and student-centred approaches to teaching, the model identifies concrete facilitation techniques for instructors who would like to further develop their own teaching practice or mentor colleagues in effective teaching across cultures. The model consists of 20 instructor competencies grouped into three categories: foundational skills, facilitation skills, and curriculum development skills for intercultural learning. While intended as a tool to guide instructors in individual and group reflection on inclusive teaching practices, the ITC model may also be used by educational developers to guide feedback during classroom observations or while supporting curriculum internationalisation initiatives. Recommendations for use in faculty learning communities and workshops are included at the end of the article. The ITC model will benefit instructors in a variety of disciplines who teach in diverse and multidisciplinary classrooms, discuss global or social justice issues in their class, and those who seek to include intercultural and Indigenous perspectives in their curriculum.     

Historical land use and soil analysis guiding corridor landscape design

Changing land use from forested environments to agricultural and/or urban spaces dramatically alters soil chemical, physical, and biological properties and thereby influences the survivability of landscape plants installed in these areas. This site analysis was conducted along New Hope Road, in Pickens County, SC, to develop a sustainable landscape design for the greenway corridor to buffer future cuttings of pines and offer a variety of recreational and educational opportunities for the community. Using a “design with nature” framework, an interdisciplinary team collaborated on a thorough observation and analysis of the inherent qualities of the site, historical documents and aerial photographs to describe the land use history of the site. The dominant soil series found on the site were Cecil clay loam, Cecil sandy loam, and Pacolet clay loam. Surface soil chemistry tests were conducted to examine soil and buffer pH; organic carbon and nitrogen contents; nitrate–nitrogen; extractable phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, copper, boron, and sodium; lime requirements and recommendations; cation exchange capacity; acidity; and percent base saturation. Analysis of site history, aerial photographs, and soil testing revealed that a history of intensive agricultural land use and managed forestry on the site has noticeably altered the soil quality. Severe soil erosion and compaction brought about by a combination of anthropogenic and natural causes have left much of the site with infertile soils lacking a true topsoil layer and characterized by low pH. These qualities present numerous challenges when attempting to modify and install vegetation. Based on historical land use, soil analysis, and plant species characteristics, a final landscape design was created that addressed the environmental opportunities, constraints of the site and provided site- and plant-specific fertilizer recommendations for successful establishment and maintenance of this greenway corridor.     

The impact of the Arab Spring on democracy and development in the MENA region

In evaluating the consequences of the Arab Spring 8 years later, this paper not only focuses on the short‐term consequences of the uprisings that swept through a number of countries in the Middle East and North African region but also analyzes the long‐term prospects for democratization and development in the MENA region. The impact of the Arab Spring, despite its promises and the expectations of the rest of the world, has been dismal. While only Tunisia made a successful transition to a democratic polity with a constitution guaranteeing the basic rights of the people, the rest of the Arab Spring countries remain in the grip of the authoritarian rule, and countries such as Syria, Libya, and Yemen have been degenerated into bloody civil wars with dwindling hope of peace and freedom. On economic front, the growth has been tardy, showing little difference with countries that were unaffected by the Arab Spring. Yet, the paper concludes, echoing historian Eric Hobsbawm's view, that revolutionary outcomes need not be judged as failure too quickly as they are likely to be partial success in the long term. The impact may be observed in the area of social opening, newer class alliances, and the emergence of a less rapacious, reformed, hybrid authoritarianism.     

Fiscal austerity and public servant quality

In this article we use a simple model to analyze the forces that determine the size of the public sector and the quality of workers employed in that sector. Workers are heterogeneous, and the public sector chooses an employment strategy which maximizes a utility function U(s, Y) that depends on the share of the labor force employed in public service s and private sector output Y. The government is fully informed about worker productivity. We characterize the behavior of the public sector, and explore the efficiency and employment consequences of imposing fiscal constraint on the government.     

平面设计在互联网主页制作中的应用

IT业的迅猛发展 ,为平面设计思想在网页制作中的贯彻提供了技术保证 ,因为网页设计就是在一定技术条件下支持的平面设计。在网页制作中平面设计思想是信息时代对信息的组织形式提出的客观要求 ,也是人们对高品味文化提出的客观要求 ,网页成了平面设计新的设计空间和舞台 ,成为平面设计新的载体。