People and their waste in an emergency context: The case of Monrovia, Liberia

Liberia has gone through civil crisis for over a decade which has resulted in the destruction of infrastructure and disruption of basic services delivery particularly in Monrovia, the capital city. Most of the 1.3 million people living in Monrovia are without adequate environmental sanitation and waste management services which situation poses a serious health risk to the residents. The current waste management service coverage is less than 20% and disposal is by indiscriminate open dumping. In 2003, there were series of outbreaks of cholera epidemics in the city during which time a total of 26,651 cases were reported with many dying.The waste management plan was initiated as an exit strategy of UNICEF following an intervention response programme to assist the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) whose capacity in this area had been crippled as a result of years of war, through the provision of support in solid waste collection and disposal.The objectives of the plan were to:

(a) Improve waste management services delivery in the city.

(b) Strengthen the ability of the MCC to plan and manage the waste services delivery.

(c) Enhance cooperation of service beneficiaries through comprehensive and effective health education and service promotional campaign.

(d) Enhance revenue generation and community participation through the promotion of private sector and CBOs/NGOs active involvement in the waste management service delivery.

The general methodology adopted for the assignment entailed the following:Desk study and review of existing reports on Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES) in Monrovia and other relevant literature, consultation with stakeholders, site visits and participatory planning which aimed at soliciting the opinions of the various stakeholders involved with the respective components to capture their aspirations and experiences. It also covered collection and analysis of available information and data to facilitate the plan preparation and facilities design.The three-phased strategy (short, medium and long term) covering a period of 10 years (August 2004–December 2014), recommended a combination of technical options for collection based on the pursuit of staged development to allow for the adoption of realistically attainable standards within a framework of continuous and systematic improvements as economic conditions improved and new knowledge gained through practice. The plan sought to blend the capacity within the City Corporation with that of the private sector and NGOs/CBOs to respond to the diverse service demands of the city taking into consideration housing and infrastructural conditions, service costs and cost recovery to ensure sustainability. It also identified sources of financing and allocated financing responsibilities to facilitate effective plan implementation.     

Zimbabwe's AIDS action programme for schools

AIDS education started very early in Zimbabwe and is now compulsory in all schools. This evaluation documents the development of the primary and secondary school AIDS Action Programme from 1991 to 1998. Six programme aspects were evaluated: programme start-up, planning and management, development of syllabi and materials, teacher training, research, monitoring and evaluation, and co-ordination. The Programme drew on resources from within the existing educational system. Due to broad-based consultation and participation, it was supported by Government and partners. Flexible management ensured implementation of mid-course corrections. It was concluded that school AIDS programmes should stress participatory teaching and learning methods and life-skills training. Curriculum writers and teachers needed training and supervision in participatory techniques. Cluster workshops between district and school levels were needed to strengthen the cascade model of teacher training that had been adopted. Systematic research, monitoring and evaluation were essential, including follow-ups to baseline surveys. The Zimbabwean programme was well-designed, relatively inexpensive and replicable.     

非工作时间连通行为对幼儿园教师工作压力的影响：工作-生活冲突的中介和编制身份的调节作用

为探讨非工作时间连通行为与幼儿园教师工作压力的关系及其内在机制,选取浙江省某3市的幼儿园教师244名,使用非工作时间连通行为量表、教师工作压力量表、工作-生活冲突量表进行调查。结果发现：非工作时间连通行为与幼儿园教师工作压力呈显著正相关;工作-生活冲突在非工作时间连通行为与幼儿园教师工作压力间起中介作用;编制身份能够调节非工作时间连通行为与工作压力的关系。基于此,幼儿园管理者应当为幼儿园教师划定工作-生活界限,赋予教师“离线权”;避免身份偏见,合理分配工作任务;明确幼儿园教师职业定位,回归教育本身。     

数字金融对农户气候适应性行为的影响

气候适应性技术采用率低下已成为制约农业可持续发展的重要因素,数字金融可能影响农户的气候适应性行为。基于河南、陕西、山西三省1 384份农户微观调查数据,运用内生转换回归模型构建反事实分析框架,实证分析数字金融使用对农户气候适应性行为的影响效应及其作用机制。研究发现:使用数字金融能显著促进农户气候适应性技术采纳行为,具体表现为在反事实假设下,使用数字金融的农户若未使用其气候适应性技术采纳程度将下降;未使用数字金融的农户如果使用了,其气候适应性技术采纳程度将上升。机制分析表明,数字金融能够提高借贷易得性与信息易得性,进而促进农户采纳气候适应性行为,农户对于金融包容性的认知能够正向增强数字金融对农户气候适应性行为的影响效应。异质性分析表明,数字金融使用对于资本型适应性行为影响的边际效应最大,在反事实假设下也表现为数字金融使用对农户资本型适应性行为提升效果最强;数字金融对农业收入占家庭收入比率较高、接受过培训的农户采纳气候适应性技术促进效应更高。     

欠发达地区政府行为公共性弱化探析

公共性是政府的根本属性,它决定了政府必须将公共利益作为政府行为的首要原则,确保公共利益得到切实维护和实现。然而,由于各种主客观原因,目前欠发达地区政府行为表现出了利益化、法外化、低效化的不良特征,导致政府行为公共性弱化。本文讨论了欠发达地区政府行为公共性弱化的现实原因,并提出了规避欠发达地区政府行为公共性弱化的路径选择。     

新媒体语境下大学生体育行为的现状、特征及其提升路径

新媒体迅速发展增加了体育信息传播的途径和范围。为探究新媒体语境下信息时代的体育传播对大学生体育行为的影响,本文对重庆市4所高校的大学生参与体育活动形式、获取传媒信息的渠道以及体育行为需求等情况进行调查,通过文献资料整理、问卷调查、数理统计等研究方法,对新媒体语境下信息传播对重庆市大学生体育理念和行为、特征等问题进行研究,为大学生形成科学合理的锻炼方式、养成良好的体育行为等提供参考,为新媒体信息在新时代高校体育工作的应用提供理论依据。     

风险投资公司激励约束机制的博弈分析

目的/意义受托管理机构的寻租行为会导致政府创业投资引导基金的投资运作偏离预定的政策性目标,完善对受托管理机构的激励监督机制, 防范道德风险的发生,对于确保引导基金投资运作的合规性具有重要意义。设计/方法引入监督成本和惩罚函数,并将其植入Holmstrom-Milgrom线性契约激励模型,构建了一个针对受托管理机构寻租行为的激励监督模型。结论/发现最优激励水平和监督力度一方面受政府与引导基金自身特点的影响,包括政府的监督成本、惩罚力度和引导基金所处市场环境的不确定性,另一方面也与受托管理机构的履约成本、寻租成本和风险偏好有关。政府应在综合考虑这些参数的影响的基础上制定激励监督策略。进一步地分析发现,单独采用激励或监督策略并不能取得最优的治理效果,只有将两种策略结合起来才能更有效地减少寻租行为,降低委托代理成本,实现政府收益的最大化。     

Preschoolers' Attachment to Mother and Risk for Adjustment Problems in Kindergarten: Can Teachers Make a Difference?

Based on attachment theory, two aims were addressed. Firstly, we tested whether close teacher–child relationships may buffer children who are less securely attached to their mothers against negative outcomes, such as aggressive behavior. Secondly, our study evaluated whether teacher sensitivity may protect less securely attached children against forming less close relationships with their teachers. In a sample of 127 children, mother–child attachment was observed in preschool. In kindergarten, teacher sensitivity was observed, and teacher–child closeness and child aggressive behavior were rated by the teacher. Results of multilevel hierarchical regression analyses first showed that with high teacher–child closeness, less securely attached children are no longer at risk for more aggressive behavior. Secondly, it was found that with high teacher sensitivity, less securely attached children are no longer at risk for developing less close relationships with their teachers.     

Predictors of Antisocial and Prosocial Behavior in an Adolescent Sports Context

This study examined antisocial and prosocial behavior of N = 439 adolescent athletes between 14 and 17 years of age (67 teams). Multi‐level analyses showed that team membership explained 20 and 13 percent of the variance in antisocial and prosocial behavior in the sports context, respectively. The team effects suggest that aggregating antisocial or prosocial adolescents within teams may partially explain differences in antisocial and prosocial behavior among athletes in the sports context. A trend was found toward a relation between higher levels of moral reasoning within teams, and less antisocial behavior in the sports context. Favorable moral atmosphere was positively associated with more prosocial behavior in the sports context. Finally, supportive coach–athlete relationships were associated with both less antisocial and more prosocial behavior in the sports context.     

Emotion Knowledge, Social Competence, and Behavior Problems in Childhood and Adolescence: A Meta-analytic Review

The present meta-analytic review examined the magnitude of the relation between discrete emotion knowledge and three of its most commonly studied correlates in childhood and adolescence: social competence, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems. Emotion knowledge demonstrated small to medium-sized relations with each correlate. Moderators of effect size were also examined and included multiple sample and methodological characteristics. Using random effects models, significant moderators of effect size for relations between emotion knowledge and externalizing problems included sample recruitment, sample age, and the source of externalizing problems ratings. Moderators of effect size were not found for emotion knowledge and social competence, and the effect sizes across samples for emotion knowledge and internalizing problems were homogeneous. Results highlight the relatively consistent yet modest relations between emotion knowledge and its correlates. Implications for applied research and new directions for research on emotion knowledge using innovative methods are discussed.