Applications and Implementation A SEPARABLE PROGRAMMING APPROACH TO EXPECTED COVERAGE: AN APPLICATION TO AMBULANCE LOCATION

The maximum expected covering location problem (MEXCLP) is reformulated using a separable programming approach. The resulting formulation—nonlinear maximum expected covering location problem (NMEXCLP)—guarantees optimality and also solves more quickly than previous heuristic approaches. NMEXCLP allows two important extensions. First, minor formulation changes allow the specification of the minimum number of times each node is to be covered in order to satisfy expected coverage criteria. Second, coverage matrices can be constructed that consider two different types of coverage simultaneously. Both extensions are useful for ambulance location problems and are demonstrated in that setting.     

珠三角不同类型社区的社会组织发展特点比较分析——以中山市为调研个案

社区社会组织在加强社区管理、推进社区自治、培育社区文化、推进社区公益方面日益凸显其独特的优势与功能。但由于各社区的经济发展程度、居民的结构、文化基础等方面的差别,不同类型的社区其社会组织发展的状况、特点以及发展中遇到的困难等也各不一样。文章以中山市为调研个案,对珠三角的不同类型社区社会组织发展状况及存在的问题进行了比较分析。     

Unequal Partners? Local Government Reorganization and the Voluntary Sector

British local government has recently undergone its most far-reaching reorganization for twenty-five years. The impact of this reorganization was considerable within local authorities but it also substantially affected other organizations with which they worked at a local level. This paper explores the perspectives of voluntary sector organizations involved in social care: a set of actors which, prior to reorganization, had been encouraged by central and local government, through notions of partnership and through community care legislation, to undertake more direct roles in service delivery, consultation and strategic planning. During the consultative period prior to reorganization, many voluntary organizations reported that they had been marginal to the process. Reflecting on the process of reorganization itself, many voluntary organization respondents commented that it had been disruptive and provoked considerable anxiety. Post-reorganization, voluntary organizations felt that rebuilding of relationships was necessary and that the promise of partnership had meant little in practice at a time of potential crisis for local.     

Afghan families and health professionals’ access to health information during and after pregnancy

BackgroundHaving a baby in a new country can be challenging, especially if unable to communicate in a preferred language. The aim of this paper is to explore the provision of health information for Afghan women and men during pregnancy, childbirth and the first year after birth in Melbourne, Australia.MethodsCommunity engagement underpinned the study design. Qualitative study with bicultural researchers conducting semi-structured interviews. Interviews and focus groups were also conducted with health professionals.ResultsSixteen Afghan women and 14 Afghan men with a baby aged 4–12 months participated. Thirty four health professionals also participated. Verbal information provided by a health professional with an interpreter was the most common way in which information was exchanged, and was generally viewed favourably by Afghan women and men. Families had limited access to an interpreter during labour and some families reported difficulty accessing an interpreter fluent in their dialect. Availability of translated information was inconsistent and health professionals occasionally used pictures to support explanations. Women and men were unsure of the role of health professionals in providing information about issues other than pregnancy and infant wellbeing.ConclusionBoth individual and health system issues hinder and enable the availability and use of information. Consistent, understandable and ‘actionable’ information is required to meet the needs of diverse families. Health professionals need to be supported with adequate alternatives to written information and access to appropriate interpreters. Inconsistent provision of information is likely to contribute to low health literacy and poor maternal and child health outcomes.     

城市居家老人生活质量研究——以上海为例

本文针对城市居家老人的需要和特点,从评估城市居家老人生活质量的六个维度即经济状况与消费水平、居住条件与家庭设施、躯体健康与心理健康、社会支持、闲暇生活质量、生活满意度方面入手,深入开发了上海市老年人口状况与意愿跟踪调查数据资料,使用分等级加权评分法综合评估了城市居家老人生活质量以及分性别和年龄的老人生活质量。     

城市社区老人心理健康服务现状调查——来自重庆市主城社区的调查数据

以重庆市主城社区老人为调查对象,从老人的基本情况、心理健康状况、心理健康服务需求、心理服务支持系统等方面的调查数据进行详细分析,得出了家庭、邻里同辈群体是老人心理健康的重要支持系统、需要建立完善的城市社区老人心理健康服务体系等结论。     

Evaluation of performance of European cities with the aim to promote quality of life improvements

This paper explores the possibilities presented by DEA to assess quality of life and evaluate the performance of city managers in what concerns the promotion of urban quality of life. Using the data provided by the Urban Audit program, from the European Union, we defined the city profile regarding quality of life for 206 cities. Two approaches are presented: the construction of a composite indicator of quality of life and the assessment of local management performance, contextualised by the GDP per capita to measure the ability of local authorities to promote quality of life given the economic condition of the country. The results identify the cities with urban best practices and present a model of intervention for the cities considered inefficient, based on benchmarking principles.     

理性习惯偏好与居民消费行为

 经济体制改革以来,随着经济的持续快速增长中国城镇居民已经习惯于生活水平不断提高。在这样的环境中,如果一个家庭当年消费的数量和上一年相同,其幸福感就会打折扣;另一方面,消费还具有外部性,如果与他人相比自己的消费水平降低了,消费者的效用也会受到损失。因此,理性消费者的决策目标是保持消费长期稳定增长而不仅仅是消费在各个时期的均匀分配。利用1978-2008年中国26个省（直辖市）的城镇住户调查数据得到的实证分析结果显示：消费者的习惯偏好与制度环境有关。受传统计划体制影响,1990前中国城镇居民的习惯偏好具有明显的“短视”特征。1990-2008年的估计结果则支持了理性习惯形成假设。即内部习惯形成导致了边际消费倾向明显下降,并且消费攀比是理性的。     

城镇居民增收因素及潜力实证研究

 城镇居民人均可支配收入的高低决定着居民生活质量的好坏,是检验政府工作绩效的重要指标和反映全面建设小康社会进程的重要依据。为理清收入分配与经济增长、区域经济特征、就业比重、政策性因素、政府转移支付力度的关系,找准居民增收面临的具体问题,进而挖掘居民增收潜力。本文运用马克威分析软件和EViews软件,采用建立数学模型的分析研究方式,对可支配收入的构成及影响居民增收的因素从定量分析的角度进行实证研究,以便准确掌握居民增收规律,探寻促进城镇居民增收的有效途径。