Modelling the role of anticipated emotions in blood donor behaviour: A cross-sectional study

For blood transfusion centres, studying anticipated emotions (AEs) related to blood donation is essential, since these variables influence donation decision. For this reason, this work addresses the need to identify the antecedents and consequences of AEs, which will help explain their origin and their role in donation behaviour. Our purpose is to make further progress with the application of the AE framework in a non-profit context, by analysing how AEs are generated and how they influence decision-making. This study aims to design and validate an explanatory model of donation intention, where motivations and attitude towards donation are direct antecedents of AEs, while AEs, motivations and attitude towards donation act as direct antecedents of intention. Moreover, it has been also considered how the type of donor influences the proposed model as a moderating factor. The final sample is comprised of 35,982 active donors, inactive donors and non-donors. Data was obtained through an online questionnaire, with the collaboration of 14 of the 17 Spanish blood transfusion centres, as well as some universities. Results indicate that (1) AEs, motivations and attitude towards donation are direct antecedents of donation intention, (2) motivations and attitude towards donation are direct antecedents of AEs, and (3) donation experience moderates the relationships between motivations, attitude towards donation, AEs, and donation intention. These results indicate several operational implications that will enable blood transfusion centres to better design and target donation promotion campaigns according to type of donor. Furthermore, the results will let centres assess whether placing value on donation motivation and attitude towards donation can bolster positive AEs, diminish negative AEs and have a direct effect on donation intention.     

A formative assessment of gender awareness and ability of staff based on the service programs of the All-China Women's Federation: The case of the “3861 My Home” program

In order to achieve “gender mainstreaming” which is a global strategy to promote the development of women, it has in recent years been a major task for the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) to improve the gender awareness and ability of policy makers and implementers. Thus, researchers should constantly propose and evaluate various possible attempts to improve gender awareness and the ability of individuals. There are few empirical studies on the assessment of gender awareness and the improvement of the ability of staff who have been trained and educated. Research studies focusing on the promotion of gender-sensitive awareness and ability of staff by participating in programs are even rarer.This study presents a specific case, namely the evaluation of promoting social service workers’ gender awareness and ability within the implementation of the “3861 My Home” program. Based on this case, this study examines how to promote gender awareness and ability of social service workers through the implementation of the service program of Women's Federation, and also assesses the quality of the results of this implementation. Moreover, this study also contributes to the literature pertaining to assessing the development of social service workers’ gender awareness and ability. In addition, the study provides an option for enhancing the gender awareness and ability of social service workers in addition to training: The participatory learning or action pertaining to gender awareness and ability based on the Women's Federation programs are able to effectively improve the gender awareness and ability of staff.     

Bridges Together Creates & Shares Monthly Intergenerational Resources

This article discusses the recognized need for training to support intergenerational engagement. Bridges Together is leading the way in doing so amongst a variety of audiences including teachers, program directors in aging, librarians, mentors, grandparents and more. To establish a network for these audiences to learn, share, and connect; Bridges Together has recently launched a Membership Program so that monthly content can be distributed and individuals can be brought together to network. All of our collaboration aids in intergenerational engagement which is becoming a top priority and an approach to problem-solving within communities, schools, corporations, and families around the world.     

From public health and demographic research to decision making: An intervention study in Giza Governorate-Egypt

The purpose of the current study was to develop an empirical model that shows how various contextual data are analyzed, interpreted and presented as evidence-based information for decision making and action taking. A Pre-test-Posttest intervention study was conducted at the National Population Council (NPC)-Giza governorate (GG) where all data were collected from all governmental organizations on an annual basis at the district level (19 districts), which include 28 indicators. Composite indices and indicators (n = 9) had been ranked and presented as a matrix that assigned districts into three situations: Best (green zone), prospective (yellow zone) and critical (red zone). Intervention: Presentation of the “Districts’ Enactment Matrix” (DEM) for the year 2014 in GG –Regional Council for Population (RCP) quarterly meetings, headed by the governor and attended by representatives of all ministries. The feedback and recommendation for action taking by participants were reported by the researchers. Evaluation of the intervention was done by comparing DEM 2014 and DEM 2016. Results: At the governorate level, short-term strategies were used to improve the situation. All the districts in red zone 2014 and two districts in the yellow zone had demonstrated positive changes in their 28 indicators. Conclusion: The DEM model is a simple tool that facilitates communication between researchers and decision-makers that could be applied in different public health and population programs.     

Exploratory Analysis of Factors Associated with Participation in Self-Directed and Traditional Marriage and Relationship Education

Although self-directed marriage and relationship education (MRE) has the potential to reach a larger or different audience than traditional MRE, little has been done to examine the characteristics of self-directed MRE participants. This study examined whether various individual, couple, family, and sociocultural context variables predicted participation in both self-directed and traditional MRE programs. A series of logistic regressions were conducted on a cross-sectional data set. Different factors predicted participation for each intervention. For self-directed programs, factors predictive of involvement included older age, religiosity, higher education, being more self-regulated, having a neurotic partner, more open relationship boundaries, a history of divorce, more relationship problems, and more family-of-origin problems. A wider range of factors predicted participation in traditional programs. Some factors increasing odds for participation in one intervention decreased odds in the other. Implications for MRE are discussed. This study provides evidence that some higher risk couples may choose self-directed MRE over more traditional programs.     

Protecting Older Americans: A History of Federal Action on Elder Abuse,Neglect, and Exploitation

ABSTRACT

Congressional hearings on elder abuse began over a quarter century ago. However, federal legislative and departmental activity for addressing the problem has been slow and lacks coordination and comprehensiveness. In addition, federal funding to combat elder abuse represents only a small percentage of that spent on such other abused populations as children and women. The barriers and challenges to addressing elder abuse are identified along with existing programs at the federal level. The article concludes with a discussion of state and local initiatives which show promise for effectively preventing or treating this problem.     

随机网络瓶颈容量扩张相关机会规划模型

文章研究的问题为,在不确定环境中,怎样去增加网络中一组边的容量到一个指定的容量,以至于网络瓶颈扩张的费用不超过给定的总费用上限的概率尽可能的大.本文假定每一条边的单位扩张费用Wi是一个随机的变量,它服从一定的概率分布.带有随机单位扩张费用W的网络瓶颈容量扩张问题可以根据一些规则,列出它的相关机会规划模型的通用表达式.随后,本文将网络瓶颈容量算法、随机模拟方法和遗传算法合成在一起,设计出该问题的混合智能通用算法.最后,给出数值算例.     

Evaluation of the Integrated Services Pilot Program from Western Australia

Independent evaluation of refugee-focused programs in developed nations is increasingly a mandatory requirement of funding bodies and government agencies. This paper presents an evaluation of the Integrated Services Centre (ISC) Pilot Project that was conducted in Australia in 2007 and early 2008. The purpose of the ISC program was to provide integrated support to humanitarian refugees in settlement, physical health, mental health and employment. The Pilot Project was based in two primary schools in Perth, Western Australia. The evaluation utilized a flexible qualitative ‘engaged’ methodology and included interviews, focus groups and telephone interviews with the key stakeholders, project staff and a small number of refugee families. The strength of the qualitative methodology (including data that is narrative rich) is that it highlights issues as perceived by each stakeholder and provides insights into the daily work by ISC staff that helped to uncover unintended outcomes. Despite the fact that the ISC evaluation was supposed to be a ‘before and after’ design, the researchers acknowledge a common weakness in many evaluations (including the ISC) that when baseline data is required, evaluators are recruited after the project has begun. This issue is discussed in the paper. It is critical that independent evaluators are able to begin collecting baseline data as soon as programs are launched, if not before.     

Labor Supply by Farm Operators Under “Decoupled” Farm Program Payments

As part of 1996 legislation, the U.S. began paying farmers production flexibility contract payments designed to be somewhat decoupled from current production decisions. In the labor-leisure model, decoupled payments would be expected to only have a wealth effect, but coupled payments would be expected to have both a substitution and a wealth effect. In this paper, the impacts of the decoupled payments and other government payments on both farm and off-farm labor allocations for farm operators are considered using data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). Results indicate that government payments tend to increase the hours operators work on their farm and decrease the hours they work off the farm. This is true whether the payments come from programs which tie payments to current year production, or not.JEL Classification: D13, J22, Q12, Q22The authors are agricultural economists with the Economic Research Service (USDA). The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.     

少数民族预科人才培养模式研究与实践

为加快少数民族地区人才培养,我国一些高校开展了少数民族预科教育。作为国家的一项民族政策,少数民族预科教育应提高人才培养质量,为民族地区的教育和经济发展做出更大的贡献。本文章结合本校民族预科教育的特点和预科学生的实际情况,对少数民族预科人才培养模式谈自己的几点见解。