Academic literature on the topic 'Life-strategy groups'

Defining appropriate management units to balance productivity and yield of exploited species is fundamental to effective resource management. Anecdotal and tag–recapture information related to morphology, movement behaviour and life-history strategy suggest that separate groups of snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) exist in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. To address the existence of discrete groups, we examined morphology, meristics and otolith chemistry from snapper collected throughout the Hauraki Gulf. We also used tag–recapture information, stable isotope analysis and interpreted functional aspects of morphology and meristics data to understand potential life-history strategy differences. Snapper from rocky reef habitats did not display morphology and meristic features distinct from snapper from soft sediment habitats and differences in otolith chemistry and stable isotope ratios could respectively be explained by a locational influence and predominance of kelp in rocky reef food webs. Conversely, snapper collected from a known spawning area had distinct morphological and meristic features consistent with semi–pelagic sparids and stable isotope analysis also indicated a potentially more pelagic and higher trophic-level diet. Maintenance of population complexity such as this is generally beneficial to fish populations, and can be achieved by revisiting the spatial units used for fishery management.

Substance abuse has been a topic of discussion for healthcare professionals. It involves using harmful or hazardous psychoactive substances that, if administered into one's system, can affect the mental processes. Consumption of these substances leads to societal as well as health problems among its users there by indirectly affecting their families too. These substances mainly include alcohol, tobacco, opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, hallucinogens, prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse.1,2 According to the world drug report 2020 by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), there are about 35 million people who suffer from drug use disorders and require treatment services globally.2 In India, the substance abuse epidemic in the younger generation has increased rapidly. The crucial factors which lead to these problems involve familial, social as well as individual problems. Familial issues may involve childhood maltreatment or familial substance abuse. Similarly, social issues involves deviant peer pressure and association with popular groups in order to prevent from being bullied. Individual factors which might lead to substance abuse includes depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).3 Its prevalence at the national level varies for different substance abuse forms, accompanied by drastic regional variations. Issues regarding treatment access and adherence concerning substance user disorders (SUD) already existed. Due to the current COVID-19 situation, drastic social and economic changes have further worsened the situation. So in this regard, newer strategies have to be brought up in place.4 It has been found that life skills education is one of the most influential activities in school-based substance abuse prevention.

We present a strategy for using longitudinal survey data to identify life history pathways linked with mental health outcomes. The central aim is to begin with richly detailed descriptions of individual lives and, from them, to discern generalizable features of aggregates of multiple lives. Conceptual principles guiding the organization and interpretation of life history information are summarized. Data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) are used to illustrate the specific steps for analyzing life histories of “resilient” women (those with a history of depression who report high levels of current well-being). The steps begin with writing narratives of individual life histories, which are then reviewed for commonalities, and subsequently thinned to more generic descriptions. The process culminates with tests of distinguishability, contrasting the “resilient” with three other mental health groups. Illustrating the constructive tensions between idiographic and nomothetic analyses, our approach documents multiple life pathways to resilience. The methodology also underscores the delicate interplay between activities of the mind and machine in facilitating scientific discovery.

Choosing whether or not to migrate is an important life history decision for many fishes. Here we combine data from physical captures and detections on autonomous passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag antennas to study migration in an endangered fish, the humpback chub (Gila cypha). We develop hidden Markov mark–recapture models with and without antenna detections and find that the model fit without antenna detections misses a large proportion of fish and underestimates migration and survival probabilities. We then assess survival and growth differences associated with life history strategy and migration for different demographic groups (small male, small female, large male, large female). We find large differences in survival according to life history strategy, where residents had much lower overwinter survival than migrants. However, within the migratory life history strategy, survival and growth were similar for active migrants and skipped migrants for all demographic groups. We discuss some common challenges to incorporating detections from autonomous antennas into population models and demonstrate how these data can provide insight about fish movement and life history strategies.

Over the last decade, it has been clearly shown that the same achievements in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects can lead to different life cycle assessments (LCAs). However, the problem of contradictory achievements in LEED and LCA has not yet been resolved. This study aimed to identify and evaluate different strategies for LEED projects using LCAs. Thirty-nine LEED projects with the same characteristics—location and transportation, rating system, rating version, certification level, and space type—were collected and sorted by their energy and atmosphere (EA) category, “optimize energy performance” credit (EAc6) achievement into three equal groups (EALow, EAMedium, and EAHigh, where each group includes 13 LEED projects) to minimize the influence of uncontrolled factors on the LEED project strategy. The author focused on two extreme groups with very different EAc6 credit scores: EALow (13 projects) and EAHigh (13 projects). The groups were compared across LEED categories and credits. Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney and Cliff’s δ test results showed that the EALow and EAHigh groups are associated with high/low achievements in materials-related credits such as “interiors life cycle impact reduction”, “building product disclosure and optimization—material ingredients”, and “low-emitting materials”. As a result, the EALow and EAHigh groups were reclassified into EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh and Energyhigh–MaterialsLow certification strategy groups. In this context, LCAs were used to assess the differences between the two strategies. The results showed that if natural gas was used for operational energy (OE), the EnergyHigh–MaterialsLow strategy showed lower environmental damage compared to the EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh strategy (p = 0.0635); meanwhile, if photovoltaic energy was used for OE, the EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh strategy showed lower environmental damage compared to the EnergyHigh–MaterialsLow strategy (p = 0.0036). The author recommends using the LEED protocol and the LCA method in parallel to better reflect the environmental impact of different certification strategies.

AbstractObjectives: Subjective memory complaints (SMC) in older adults are associated with a decline in everyday functioning and an increased risk for future cognitive decline. This study examines the effect of a memory strategy training compared to a control memory training on memory functioning in daily life. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial with baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up assessments conducted in 60 older adults (50–87 years) with SMC. Participants were randomly assigned to either seven sessions of memory strategy training or seven sessions of control memory training. Both interventions were given in small groups and included psycho-education. Primary outcome measure was memory functioning in daily life. Objective measures of memory performance and self-reported measures of strategy use were included as secondary outcome measures. Results: Participants in each intervention group reported an improvement in personal memory goals (p<.0005), up to 6 months after training. An interaction effect showed that participants following memory strategy training reported a larger improvement in personal memory goals (p=.002). Both intervention groups improved on two memory tests (p<.001 and p<.01). In the memory strategy training group, an increase in strategy use in daily life was the strongest predictor (p<.05) of improvement in subjective memory functioning. Conclusions: Older adults with subjective memory complaints benefit from memory strategy training, especially in their memory functioning in daily life. (JINS, 2018, 24, 1110–1120)

Dagestan is the most multiethnic and multilingual republic within the Russian Federation. From the viewpoint of interethnic relations, Dagestan is a unique research platform: the model of ethnopsychological compatibility of numerous peoples has been implemented here for centuries. It is essential for researchers to understand which factors contribute to and which hinder the establishment of effective interethnic communication in modern Dagestan. This empirical study was conducted in the context of the acculturation theory introduced by the Canadian cross-cultural psychologist John Berry. This article presents the results of researching the impact of perceived security, friendly intercultural contacts, preference for supporting a multicultural ideology, ethnic tolerance, and mutual integration attitude on the psychological well-being of both individual ethnic groups and Dagestani population as a whole. In the course of the study, the authors suggested that the higher the perceived security among ethnic groups in Dagestan, the greater the tendency towards maintaining a multicultural ideology, tolerance, and the preference for an integration strategy, and the lower the preference for a separation strategy (multiculturalism hypothesis). In addition, the authors hypothesized that the higher the intensity of friendly intercultural contacts between representatives of various ethnic groups in Dagestan, the higher their level of tolerance, preference for an integration strategy and the lower their preference for a separation strategy (contact hypothesis). The authors also suggested that the higher the preference for the integration strategy by representatives of various Dagestani ethnic groups, the higher their self-esteem and life satisfaction (integration hypothesis). The sample included Avars, Dargins, Russians and representatives of other ethnic groups: Kumyks, Lezgins, Laks, Tabasarans, Nogais, etc. (total number of respondents N = 438). The data were analyzed both for the total sample and for a sample of specific ethnic groups using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. MIRIPS questionnaire scales were used. The results demonstrated the contribution of perceived security to a preference for a multicultural ideology, tolerance, and mutual integration in the total sample. The results also demonstrated that the intensity of friendly intercultural contacts has no significant effect on tolerance or mutual integration in Dagestan. However, the preference for mutual integration contributes to life satisfaction and self-esteem among the inhabitants of Dagestan, which confirms the integration hypothesis. A separation preference was positively associated with perceived security, life satisfaction and negatively with friendly intercultural contacts among representatives of certain ethnic groups of Dagestan. The results obtained demonstrate the importance of solving the problem of perceived security for building effective intercultural relations in Dagestan. The formation of a national policy in matters of preserving the cultural identity of various ethnic groups must be adequate, since, as the study has shown, separation strategy only leads to life satisfaction, and integration strategy is associated with both life satisfaction and self-esteem of the inhabitants of Dagestan.

Although the term &ldquo;life strategy&rdquo; was introduced into the scientific circulation relatively recently, it immediately caught attention of psychologists and sociologists. &ldquo;Life strategy&rdquo; is also relevant to culturologists, as it touches upon the historical and social experience of the people, norms, values and ideals, driving motives in people's behavior with consideration of regional specificity. However, there is yet no comprehensive culturological research on the topic. The goal of this article the author&rsquo;s attempt to summarize the existing dedicated to &ldquo;life strategy&rdquo; within the Russian and foreign humanities, as well as draw attention to this problematic. The research leans on the works of thinkers and philosophers of the past, as well as on the materials obtained by modern researchers. The selected chronological framework allows structuring the history of studying this topic, tracing the change of outlook upon it over time, as well as demonstrating the importance of studying the topic of &ldquo;life strategy&rdquo;. The conducted research indicates that initially the study of the concept of &ldquo;life strategy&rdquo; pertained to determination of the meaning of life of the entire civilizations, and only with the course of time, separate individuals became the objects of research. &nbsp;In examination of the topic in question, the researchers dealing with the problems of culturology, first and foremost focus on the historical, ethnic, topographical and time aspects, evolution of life strategy among different ethnic groups, as well as gender component, gradually shifting away from the abstract and generalized analysis.

It is an urgent problem for luxury enterprises to explore the largest group of luxury consumers, formulate a series of feasible marketing strategies, and Capture and capture the attention of the new generation of luxury consumers. In recent years, China's social stability, rapid economic development, China's rich class is increasing, and their age tends to be younger. They are open-minded and pursue the quality of life. The demand for luxury goods is also increasing. Currently, the global luxury market is undergoing fundamental changes. Familiar with the Chinese domestic market, meeting the expectations of Chinese consumers, and continuously enhancing their competitiveness are the only way for luxury brands to enter the Chinese market and win a place. The purpose of this paper is to study the marketing strategy of Chanel luxury products in China, and to provide a theoretical basis for the study of Chinese luxury marketing.

Although water quality improvement is generally the primary objective of treatment wetlands, the creation of habitats is an inevitable outcome of these projects. Macroinvertebrate are often early colonists of new created wetlands, with abundance and diversity approaching high levels within a few years from wetland construction. A deeper knowledge of the biodiversity hosted in these environments is needed to evaluate if newly created ponds are appropriate management tools for biological conservation. The effectiveness of the interventions provided by Parco Pineta di Appiano Gentile e Tradate (a regional park in Lombardy, Italy) in freshwater ecosystem management and restoration has been evaluated, considering a set of natural, artificial and constructed wetlands spread within the park territory. Considering the macroinvertebrate community and analyzing the biodiversity hosted in all the considered wetlands, no significant differences were found between artificial and natural ecosystems. Even the constructed wetlands, which were characterized by low water quality and higher pollutants concentrations, presented a biodiversity level which in some cases exceeded that one present in natural ecosystems. Even though biodiversity was similar between wetland typologies, differences in community compositions have been enlightened. The macroinvertebrate community assemblages seemed to be influenced more by the geographical and hydromorphological variables of the ecosystem rather than the physicochemical water characteristics. In particular, water body area and habitat heterogeneity resulted to be the most important variables that influenced the community composition. Seasonal variations in hydrological conditions and resource availability were the main factors that influenced the macroinvertebrate dispersal, evaluated considering life-strategy groups. Although the considered ponds and wetlands presented different features, they all contributed to the local ecological network even if they were not all equally interconnected together. All the collected information could be useful to design further possible interventions for conservation aims.

O crescimento progressivo no número de idosos nas últimas décadas, resultado da queda das taxas de fecundidade e mortalidade e do conseqüente aumento da expectativa de vida, fez com que se desenvolvesse o interesse pelo estudo do envelhecimento. Na literatura é destacada a relevância científica e social de se investigar as condições que interferem no bem-estar na senescência e os fatores associados à qualidade de vida de idosos, a fim de criar alternativas de intervenção e propor ações e políticas na área da saúde, buscando atender às demandas da população que envelhece. Importantes avanços no campo da saúde têm sido conquistados no Brasil e a Estratégia Saúde da Família surge como meio possível no processo de reorganização da atenção básica em saúde e com grande potencial para tornar concreta a participação da comunidade e à integralidade das ações. Assim este estudo teve por objetivo analisar as percepções dos idosos em relação à sua qualidade de vida, com vistas à integralidade da assistência, após a adesão a Grupos de Promoção de Saúde em funcionamento no Centro de Saúde Escola da Vila Tibério (Ribeirão Preto-SP). A pesquisa foi feita na abordagem qualitativa e a coleta de dados realizada por meio de entrevista semi-estruturada e da observação participante no período de 22 de julho de 2008 a 04 de dezembro de 2008 em três grupos. A análise foi feita através da análise de conteúdo, usando a técnica de análise temática, sendo identificados seis grandes temas: Sentimentos em relação a como é ser idoso no Brasil; Satisfação com a Saúde; Significados de qualidade de vida; Satisfação com a vida; Importância das atividades sociais e de lazer para qualidade de vida; Os Grupos de Promoção de Saúde. A análise dos achados mostra que os idosos entrevistados valorizam sua independência e autonomia na realização de suas atividades e atribuem uma vida saudável a comportamentos adequados em relação aos cuidados com a saúde, alimentação, sono, além de destacarem as atividades de lazer, a participação nos grupos de promoção de saúde e os bons relacionamentos como imprescindíveis para satisfação com a vida, evidenciando que esses idosos ao se envolverem com atividades promotoras de saúde passaram a valorizar e privilegiar fatores positivos acerca de sua saúde. Apontam ainda que as atividades sociais e de lazer, em especial a participação nos grupos de promoção de saúde foram de extrema importância para a qualidade de vida dos idosos e para formação de uma rede social de cuidado que integra a comunidade e os serviços de saúde, já que os idosos passaram a se cuidar mais, se sentirem mais felizes, mais saudáveis e com uma nova rotina de vida após fazerem parte desses grupos. Assim considera-se que este estudo traz questões relevantes acerca do envelhecimento e das novas propostas da saúde para a melhoria da qualidade de vida da população do estudo e da comunidade, necessitando que as falas dos sujeitos sejam consideradas importantes para a criação de novas ações em saúde pautadas nos reais quereres e necessidades do público alvo.
The progressive growth in the number of aged people over the last decades, which resulted from reduced fertility and death rates and the consequent increase in life expectancy, promoted the development of an interest in studying ageing. The literature highlights the scientific and social importance of researching the conditions that affect wellbeing in ageing and the factors associated with the aged peoples quality of life, with a view to creating intervention alternatives and proposing health actions and policies, aiming at meeting the demands of the ageing population. Important advancements in health have been conquered in Brazil and the Family Health Strategy appeared as a possible means in the process of reorganizing primary health care and with the strength to establishing the participation of the community and the comprehensiveness of the actions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of aged individuals regarding their quality of life, with a view to provide service comprehensiveness after joining the Health Promotion Groups in progress at the Vila Tibério Teaching Health Center (Ribeirão Preto SP). The study used a qualitative approach and data collection was performed by means of semi-structured interviews and participant observation in three groups, in the period from July 22 to December 4, 2008. Content analysis was performed using the thematic analysis technique, resulting in six major themes: Feelings about what it is like to be aged in Brazil; Health Satisfaction; Meanings about quality of life; Life satisfaction; The importance of social and leisure activities for quality of life; Health Promotion Groups. The analysis of the findings shows that the interviewed aged individuals value their importance and autonomy in performing their activities and report a healthy life and having adequate behavior concerning their health care, eating and sleeping habits, and also highlight that leisure activities, participating in health promotion groups and good relationships are essential to achieve fulfillment in life. This evidences that these aged individuals, by becoming involved with health promotion activities, started to value and prioritize positive factors about their health. They also reported that social and leisure activities, especially their participation in health promotion groups, were extremely important for their quality of life and for creating a social health care network that integrated the aged people to the community, considering that they started to take better care of themselves and to feel happier and healthier, and have a new life routine after entering these groups. Therefore, this study presents relevant issues regarding ageing and new health proposals to improve the quality of life of the study population and the community. The subjects statements are important and should be taken into consideration when creating new health actions founded on the real desires and needs of the target population.

碩士
國立臺灣科技大學
企業管理系
94
This research aims to study life insurance companies in Taiwan. Many practical researches related to competitive behavior and performance of life insurance companies have provided reasonable results but only few among them probing the same issue across a long-term dynamic operation timespan. The lack of study on this issue may result in misjudgement and incorrect prospective proposal of whole industry strategies and trends of companies variations. Therefore, we adopted analysis method of dynamic strategy modules to make a crossing examination of each strategic group characteristic and performance difference among modules. Meanwhile, we also make vertical analysis of main variations among primary strategies, performance and module components linked with practical operation in order to reveal the key elements of industry strategies to confirm the competitive condition based on understanding strengths of company and its opponents. In addition, we discuss the implementation of bank improvement and question its positive and negative impacts on life insurance companies. The research method comprises the sample of 25 life insurance companies in Taiwan from year 1998 till 2004. We used 9 variables of strategies in the statistic test of Box’M and Hotelling T2 to divide the time session of SSTPs then apply Two-Step Cluster Analysis to classify 25 life insurance companies afterwards, and made confirmation of accuracy and stability of each group in Discriminant Analysis. Finally, we compared the differences of three performance indexes between each group in one-way ANOVA analysis. The research findings express: 1. There is a significant difference of primary strategies among each operational session of life insurance companies. 2. There are different characteristic strategic groups existing in each operational session of life insurance companies. 3. There is a significant difference of performance of strategy groups among each SSTP except the second session of renewing insurance deals.4. There is no significant improvement of whole performance of life insurance companies after the implementation of bank improvement by our government.

碩士
國立臺灣科技大學
營建工程系
102
Proper maintenance and restoration strategy for bridges is an essential issue, for Taiwan is an island with frequent earthquake, typhoon and heavy rain, thus, bridge competent might deteriorate more seriously. Nowadays, the bridge inspections in Taiwan are almost visible (tangible), while the invisible (potential) risks such as earthquake and scour resistant capacity are not taken into account. This paper considers main risk factors as the competent deterioration, scour and earthquake. In order to ensure the safety and extend the life-span for bridges and the government limit budget, this study proposes the novel model, the Group Bridge life cycle Maintenance Strategy Optimization Model. In the model, first, the study uses Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the bridge maintenance probability from the historical data. Second, using the artificial intelligence (AI) ESIM model to estimate risk impact influence cost from the relationship through the input data (DER&;U) and output data (historical maintenance cost). Third, estimate the user cost of the bridges without maintenance. Forth, sum up each risk factor's multiplication of bridge maintenance probability and risk influence cost to obtain the risk cost as E(Cost). Last, the model utilizes (SOS, Symbiotic Organism Search) algorithm to obtain the minimum LCC cost EGT(Cost), and every year the budget limit will be confirmed. As a result, this study can provide the optimal maintenance timing and cost as maintenance strategy for bridge management division.

碩士
淡江大學
保險學系保險經營碩士在職專班
100
Under the rate deregulation and the trend of globalization, the competition of Non-Life Insurance industry is much more severe. The Marketing Strategy and responsiveness of the company are the keys to face the challenge, then make it sustainable. The Financial Holding Groups are involved with the competition and the market vary day by day , so how to utilize the innovative Marketing Strategy and Portfolio is the main focus to enhance the competitive advantage of the Non-Life Insurance industry. Through the flexibility of the Financial Holding Group , the cross-selling and e-commerce platform of the financial insurance of each sub-company , offer the diversified service quality of insurance and improve the efficiency. In the essay , we take several cases to analyze the Marketing Strategy of Non-Life Insurance , then focus how the Non-Life Insurance company should plan on the business chance , with fusion of customer oriented and co-marketing in order to maximize the creation of value-added , so that’s why the Marketing Strategy research does matter. In terms of Non-Life Insurance company , how to reinforce the development of Non-Life Insurance company should be based on the Marketing Strategy Portfolio for capturing the sustainable competitive advantage The financial industry is moving toward the trend of “ the bigger the stronger”. Through the acquisition and integration can result in the scale & achievement of the international noted financial group. In the future , if the Financial Holding Group want to benefit from the effects of economic scale , the acquisition to expand the business scale and lowering the cost of funds through the increasing selling channels are essential. Besides that , the Financial Holding company can ally with the other financial institutes to expand the product lineup and offer the various options of financial commodities , then through the collaboration of other industries can form the stronger branded marketing. Thus the goal which the Financial Holding company achieve should be based on the complete financial service model to enhance the value-added of products & enterprise core competence , further reach the steady growth in business & profitability. After identifying the core competence of the company , the next step should be the integration of human resources , adjustment of the internal culture and the enhancement of quality of service. Based on that , developing the new financial commodities with the effective risk management and new concept can enlarge the growing space and profitability

碩士
淡江大學
教育科技學系碩士在職專班
102
The purpose of the group cooperative learning aims to understand students’ concept learning performance, individual problem-solving ability, and students’ acceptance on concept mapping strategies while applying concept mapping to Life domain.This study adopts ‘quasi-experimental research.’ Based on the current teaching materials, the Control Group (25 in total) is taught by ‘traditional didactic instruction,’ while the Experimental Group (24 in total) is taught by a new way of instruction of ‘cooperative concept mapping in accordance with problem-solving instructional progress.’ During the study, data was accordingly collected by multiple ways: classroom observation, teachers’ reflection journals, document collections, learning questionnaires, student interviews. Tools for study are ‘Life Course Achievement Test,’ ‘Problem-Solving Ability Test,’ and learning questionnaire. The quantitative data analysis is mainly comprised of ‘Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)’ and t-test. The major findings of the study were summarized as follow: 1.Positive and significant influences on performance on achievement of cooperative concept mapping teaching applied to Life curriculum. 2. Cooperative concept mapping teaching in accordance with problem-solving instructional progress can develop students’ problem-solving capability. Further detailed investigation suggested that the Experimental Group got better grades than the Control Group on items of ‘reason identification,’ solution,’ and ‘problem prevention’ on the post-test. And there were significant differences between both two groups. 3.By means of group cooperative learning or group discussion, most students had positive and affirmative responses to these ways of giving lessons. However, they had an annoying feeling on writing and encountered a difficulty in partial mapping.

碩士
國立臺灣科技大學
財務金融研究所
107
In view of the trend of declining net remuneration rates of domestic financial institutions, various financial institutions all want to enhance efficiency through integration. In 2000, the government introduced the "Financial Institutions Merger Act", which aims to increase the merger of financial intermediaries and alleviate the excessive number of financial institutions such as banks, insurance and brokerage firms. In 2001, the “Financial Holding Company Law” was further promoted, allowing the financial control company to provide financial services such as banking, insurance and securities to customers. At the same time, financial institutions are encouraged to lay out overseas markets to enhance their competitiveness. The Financial Holding Company Law was promulgated and implemented in 2001. In 2002, the financial holding companies were established one after another, which led to the integration of banking, securities and insurance finance business. All major banks have actively established insurance companies to expand their insurance business. However, the performance of the bank insurance channel was not conspicuous at first. It only accounted for less than 20% of the new contractual premium income of the whole life insurance market in Taiwan. In 2005, it only exceeded 30%, and in 2008, it captured nearly 50% of the market share. The performance of bank insurance with financial holding company has grown the most. In 2008, the US financial turmoil swept the global financial market, causing foreign insurance companies to withdraw from the Taiwan market with the financial tsunami, accounting standards, and low interest rate international factors. It also created the opportunity and atmosphere for the merger and integration of Taiwan's insurance industry. In the process of pursuing resource integration and economies of scale in M&A activities, what is the thinking point of M&A objectives, industries and merger conditions, and the formation of strategies? This case uses CTBC Financial Holding Company to expand the scale of financial holding company assets and build a second take the profit engine strategy and conduct the insurance company merger and acquisition case as an example to discuss the M&A strategy and object of the financial control. In addition to the analysis of the business development of the financial holding company and bank insurance at that time, the author also analyzed the rationality of the merger and acquisition conditions of the merger and the financial synergy after 3 years of merger and acquisition, and found that the merger was indeed for a successful M&A case. It has created the third place in the domestic financial holding company industry of CTBC Financial Holding Company and its profitability is also in the forefront of the industry.

Like most challenging tasks in life rehearsal helps us to improve our performance, and with the interview, rehearsal is essential. This chapter discusses rehearsal strategies for the interview, considering groups, courses, modelling, and feedback (both from the group and on video). The advantages and disadvantages of interview courses are discussed. The chapter explores the benefit of rehearsal groups, the importance of the correct composition of such groups to be a positive influence, and how to give constructive feedback without undermining confidence. The chapter continues with an explanation of the modelling process as a group rehearsal strategy and thinks about how to apply empathy in the rehearsal group in order to enhance communication during the interview. This chapter includes a useful exercise for an interview rehearsal group to work towards having a panoramic perspective of performance.

This chapter focuses on the European Court’s approach to adjudicating the qualified rights: to privacy and family life, and to the freedoms of expression, conscience, and religion. Facilitated by the progressive development of (i) general principles, (ii) iterative dialogues with domestic apex courts, and (iii) consensus analysis, the Court has engaged in majoritarian activism, a strategy that has enabled it to raise standards of protection, and to overcome rights minimalism. Under the tutelage of the Court, the regime has worked to secure the equal juridical status of formerly marginalized or excluded groups, including through the consolidation of positive state duties of recognition and protection. As important, the trustee courts of Europe now share a common approach to assessing the validity of state measures that would limit a qualified right, requiring officials to justify restrictions under a pressing social need standard, and to ensure their proportionality.

The first translation of a Baudelaire poem into Chinese, a 1924 version of “A Carcass” by Xu Zhimo, offers an example of creative adaptation in translation: in his version and preface Xu assimilates Baudelaire to the early Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi. This is a strange choice on general grounds, but reflects the translator’s strategy of creating a recognizable identity for the Flowers of Evil, and for modernist poetics generally, within the world of Chinese thought. Furthermore, the content of Baudelaire’s poem, the changes made to it in Xu’s translation, and the relationship Xu devises with the works of Zhuangzi together outline a different theory of translation: not the creation of equivalents, but the chewing, digestion, and assimilation of a previous text, whether native or foreign, as part of the life-process of a literary tradition. Xu’s version of “A Carcass” enacts what Baudelaire’s poem describes, thereby displacing the ground of translational equivalence.

The conclusion draws together the key themes of the book in order to raise the question of the existence of any form of ‘family strategy’ among dynasties like the Howards. The actions of these women suggest that there were sometimes coherent group strategies, most discernibly in efforts to evade life-threatening legal convictions, or, more usually but less obviously, in attempts to augment the family’s fortunes by promoting family and clients. Among the Howards, however, collective strategy was rare. The conclusion also reflects on the role of the women of the dynasty in perpetuating dynastic identity. Families and individuals were themselves responsible for writing and rewriting their own dynastic history, and, therefore, their dynastic identity. Women could be the source of its creation, its subject, and the means by which it was passed on. It also shows that throughout the early modern period, a Howard woman remained a Howard woman no matter how many marriages she experienced.

At STIAS, the ‘Health in Transition’ theme includes a programme to address the epidemic rise in the incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, coronary heart disease and stroke in Africa. The aim is to advance awareness, research capacity and knowledge translation of science related to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) as a means of preventing NCDs in future generations. Application of DOHaD science is a promising avenue for prevention, as this field is identifying how health and nutrition from conception through the first 1 000 days of life can dramatically impact a developing individual’s future life course, and specifically predicate whether or not they are programmed in infancy to develop NCDs in later life. Prevention of NCDs is an essential strategy as, if unchecked, the burden of caring for a growing and ageing population with these diseases threatens to consume entire health budgets, as well as negatively impact the quality of life of millions. Africa in particular needs specific, focussed endeavors to realize the maximal preventive potential of DOHaD science, and a means of generating governmental and public awareness about the links between health in infancy and disease in adult life. This volume summarizes the expertise and experience of a leading group of international scientists led by Abdallah Daar brought together at STIAS as part of the ‘Health in Transition’ programme.

Since 2002, Sunni jihadi groups have been active in Iranian Baluchistan without managing to plunge the region into chaos. This book suggests that a reason for this, besides Tehran’s military responses, has been the quality of Khomeini and Khamenei’s relationship with a network of South-Asia-educated Sunni ulama (mawlawis) originating from the Sarbaz oasis area, in the south of Baluchistan. Educated in the religiously reformist, socially conservative South Asian Deoband School, which puts the madrasa at the centre of social life, the Sarbazi ulama had taken advantage, in Iranian territory, of the eclipse of Baluch tribal might under the Pahlavi monarchy (1925-79). They emerged then as a bulwark against Soviet influence and progressive ideologies, before rallying to Khomeini in 1979. Since the turn of the twenty-first century, they have been playing the role of a rampart against Salafi propaganda and Saudi intrigues. The book shows that, through their alliance with an Iranian Kurdish-born Muslim-Brother movement and through the promotion of a distinct ‘Sunni vote’, they have since the early 2000s contributed towards – and benefitted from – the defence by the Reformist presidents Khatami (1997-2005) and Ruhani (since 2013) of local democracy and of the minorities’ rights. They endeavoured to help, at the same time, preventing the propagation of jihadism and Sunni radicalisation to Iran – at least until the ISIS/Daesh-claimed attacks of June 2017, in Tehran, shed light on the limits of the Islamic Republic’s strategy of reliance on Deobandi ulama and Muslim-Brother preachers in the country’s Sunni-peopled peripheries.

The authors examined in complex the reasons, the typical and special demonstrations of such difficult appearances-phenomena as complicity and collaborationism on the territory of the Reich Commissariat "Ukraina" and the zone of the military Hitler administration in the years of the Second World War in their work; the problem is investigated on the basis of the significant amount of the poorly-known or the unknown for the researchers archival documents of the Ukrainian archives' storehouses, at the historical-philosophical and social-psychological level; grasping the idea of the complex social processes, the authors tried to define the water-parting between the demonstrations of the spontaneous or the organized population's self-activity of the occupied territories, the conscious, the voluntary and the forced collaboration with the occupants, showed the motivation of the behavior's different models at the individual and group (collective) levels. New is the positing and interpreting of the problem as the strategy of people survival on the extreme conditions of war. The authors made the typology of different demonstrations of collaboration and complicity in dependence on the specific conditions, the character of the occupation regime, the mental and the moral-psychological factors, ect. The reply to such sharp and touchy questions as, in the first turn, the survival strategy of the Ukrainian population during the Hitler occupation, the activity of the military-political structures, the characteristic features and peculiarities of the social-economic, cultural and religious life, the character of the international relations, the activity of the Ukrainian social-political institutions at the beginning of war and others, in the authors' opinion, will help in creation of the objective and complete picture of the Second World War.

Abstract Unlike other action lines of the Bologna Process, slow progress has been made towards making the social dimension an implementable policy. The social dimension had to overcome a significant start-up difficulty. It entered the Bologna Process with no clear definition, guidelines or projection of concrete policy measures. In 2015, with the adoption of the Strategy for the Development of the Social Dimension and Lifelong Learning in the EHEA to 2020, participating countries were asked to come up with concrete national plans to address the participation of underrepresented groups in higher education. This paper looks in depth at two country cases that attempted to create the necessary conditions for such strategies, Austria and Romania, and asks what are the successful conditions for building a social dimension and lifelong learning strategy in line with the Bologna requirements? The common point for these countries is that both of them attempted to build a social dimension and life-long learning strategy, however, one of the countries came up with a strategy, yet other national strategies and policies were in contradiction with what the strategy promoted, whereas in the second country no strategy was developed beside the involvement of the main stakeholders. The data for the analysis comes from interviews conducted in November 2017 with stakeholders involved in the formation of these strategies, ranging from student representatives to educational experts, and governmental representatives.

AbstractThis chapter explores the evolution of the Mughal and Portuguese geopolitical strategies that paved the way for the second (1591–1592) and third (1595–1775) Jesuit missions to the Mughal court. This chapter also analyses the reactions of the members of the second mission to Akbar’s religious policies and millenarian positions, as well as the diplomatic activities and proselytising strategies of the third Jesuit mission initiated in 1595. This chapter will be focused on the top-down strategy implemented by Jerónimo Xavier and the popular mission developed by Manoel Pinheiro in Lahore. Special attention is given to the roles played by the missionaries and their converts and patrons in the empire’s social, political and economic life, as well as the capacity of the Jesuit missionaries to reach different social groups.

Abstract Animal dispersers are essential for many non-native plants since they facilitate seed movement and might promote seed germination and seedling establishment, thereby increasing their chances of invasion. This chapter reviews the published literature on seed dispersal of non-native plant species by native and/or non-native animals. The following questions are addressed: (i) Are interactions between non-native plants and their animal dispersers evenly studied worldwide? (ii) Which are the distinctive traits (i.e. geographical origin, life form, dispersal strategy and propagule traits) of non-native plants that are dispersed by animals? (iii) Which are the most studied groups of dispersers of non-native plants around the world? (iv) Does the literature provide evidence for the Invasional Meltdown Hypothesis (non-native plant-non-native disperser facilitation)? (v) What is the role of animal dispersers at different stages of the non-native plant regeneration process? Our dataset of 204 articles indicates that geographical distribution of the studies was highly heterogeneous among continents, with the highest number coming from North America and the lowest from Asia and Central America. Most of the non-native plants involved in dispersal studies were woody species from Asia with fleshy fruits dispersed by endozoochory. More than the half of the animal dispersal agents noted were birds, followed by mammals, ants and reptiles. The dominance of bird-dispersal interactions over other animal groups was consistent across geographical regions. Although most of the studies involved only native dispersers, interactions among non-native species were detected, providing support for the existence of invasional meltdown processes. Of the total number of reviewed articles reporting seed removal, 74% evaluated seed dispersal, but only a few studies included seed germination (35.3%), seedling establishment (5.4%) or seed predation (23.5%). Finally, we discuss some research biases and directions for future studies in the area.

AbstractThe chapter is focused on collaborative processes through which the functions and spatial hierarchies of public or public use areas are redefined. The field of action is: on the one hand the urban metabolism, interpreted as a study of the life cycle of the city, including wastescapes; on the other, collaborative processes, aimed at defining the uses of tailored, place-based, and collective services. In this sense, the research moves from the analysis of places born for public use, but abandoned over time or never actually completed; disused places waiting to reenter the urban metabolism. Among those, there are also Italian “planning standards,” publicly designed in compliance with the quantities defined by law, and often partially used or not properly managed. The proposal of new uses and services for these contexts is based on criteria of flexibility, not fixed once and for all, not predetermined in time, but in progress in order to overcome the limits of the implementation of policies and programs of the past. These integrated processes can activate a dialogue between public institutions, privates, local associations and citizens’ groups. The research also intends to cross-reference the issue of spatial inequalities in access to spaces and services, with the evolution of the public actor from provider to service enabler, in a wider redefinition of welfare and welfare spaces concept, as an effect of global economic and financial crisis. The question needs non-sectoral responses, which take into account environmental, social, spatial issues. Welfare can no longer be provided as a self-sufficiency device: contextual services, for everyone, can be realized by recapitalizing wastescapes, co-creating “planning standards” through the recovery of degraded local contexts, collectively investing in the use and care of public, and open services. The paper will focus on: (a) the case of the former NATO area in Naples (in Bagnoli neighborhood) which is the subject of a Plan for urban renewal, adopted by the Municipality of Naples in 2020. The area, owned by a public company whose purpose is the assistance of children in the disadvantaged segment (Fondazione Campania Welfare), has been redesigned as a public facility on a metropolitan scale, within a public consultation process between the ownership, the Municipality of Naples and several local stakeholders (third sector organizations, citizens, cultural associations, etc.). As an effect of this collaborative process, the reuse of the area started before the adoption of the Plan; (b) the case of Horizon2020 research REPAiR in which the issue of circular economy applied to the recovery of wastescapes for public purposes has been investigated in living labs, working on waste perception and awareness as key factors for regenerating wastelands. The co-creation process partly resumed a strategy foreseen in 2013 by the Campania Region in the Plan of waste prevention, for the implementation of Integrated Centres for the reuse of durable goods, originally excluded by the Regional Waste Law.

AbstractPort and city authorities all over Europe and beyond are striving with finding solutions able to combine sustainability with economic growth. Several global urgencies in fact, such as climate change, energy transition, the exponential changes in the scale of ports and ships and last but not least the economic and health shock related to the coronavirus pandemic, are challenging the spaces where ports physically meet their cities, generating processes of caesura within the urban patterns with consequent impacts on the quality of life. In port cities, infrastructures and energy flows overlap with city flows and patterns that change with different rhythms and temporalities. This discrepancy creates abandonment and marginality between port and city. This today is no longer sustainable. New approaches and solutions that look at integration and circularity rather than separation are necessary.Circularity has been widely discussed in the literature. However, the concept still remains very controversial, especially when it comes to port cities where new definitions are needed in particular to better understand the spatial dimension of circularity. The Rotterdam therefore case study stands exemplary. Here, the concept of the circular economy refers mostly to the theme of obsolete industrial buildings and marginal that are reinserted again within the urban metabolism. The case of Rotterdam points out that the competition of the port today goes through the quality of its relationship spaces and the ability of the different actors involved in the planning process to hold together economic growth and environmental sustainability. The areas along the river are in fact the most fascinating places in the city and today they are ready for a different use. In order for the city to become an attractive place to live it is necessary to build new, innovative and sustainable spatial visions. This will lead to scenarios of sustainable coexistence between port and city. Therefore, these two agendas (sustainable port and city attractiveness) came together in the area known as Makers district (M4H) which, together with RDM campus, represents the Rotterdam testing ground for innovation.Therefore, this chapter, by arguing that ports will play a crucial role in the transition towards more circularity investigates how to make it happen and how to transform the challenges of the port into opportunities for a territorial regeneration towards new forms of integration. In order to answer the question, the case of Rotterdam is presented to analyse a model of urban regeneration where different planning agencies—mainly port authority, municipality, universities and private parties—work together at different scales to define a sustainable coexistence of interests. The research, which draws data on existing literature and policy documents analysis, firstly introduces the spatial and governance structures of the city of Rotterdam as part of a bigger metropolitan region. Secondly, it analyses the case of “Stadshavens strategy” as an emblematic example to overcome conflicts and path dependencies at the intersection of land and water. Finally, it concludes by highlighting some limitations and path dependencies that could make the transition to new forms of the circular economy very difficult in the future.

Leadership decapitation, which refers to the arrest or killing of a group’s leadership, has become a key tool in current counterterrorism strategies This chapter presents an overview of the debate about leadership decapitation against terrorist organizations. Much of the optimism regarding the efficacy of decapitation as a counterterrorism strategy stems from the belief that terrorist groups depend upon the charisma of leaders for their cohesion. In order to understand whether decapitation works, this chapter presents three questions that will be answered in the book: (1) Under what conditions does leadership decapitation result in the decline of a terrorist organization? (2) Does leadership decapitation lengthen or shorten a group’s life span? (3) In cases where decapitation does not result in a group’s collapse, to what extent does it weaken a group and hinder its capacity to carry out attacks?

Abstract This chapter points out how social class shapes representations of Caribbean culture in schools. In London and New York, Black Caribbean students drew on distinctiveness as a cultural strategy for pursuing power by distancing themselves from a more stigmatized group to escape the culture trap. However, Caribbean youth in New York often emphasized a different kind of distinctiveness than their counterparts in London. In New York, where Caribbean identities are deemed an asset, some Caribbean students defended claims of collective distinctiveness as an exercise in ethnic pride. In London, where Caribbean culture is misrepresented as a liability, some Caribbean students reject negative appraisals of their cultural identities through claims of individual distinctiveness. This chapter suggests that for Black Caribbean youth in London and New York, the groups they most consistently sought to distance themselves from were low-income Black people. This reveals the secret life of class in representations of culture.

Although pertussis can cause morbidity and mortality across all age groups, infants are at greatest risk for severe disease, especially during the first months of life. Despite the implementation of effective vaccination programmes, pertussis remains a significant global health problem and protecting those at highest risk is a priority. Numerous public health strategies, including cocooning, maternal vaccination during pregnancy, targeted vaccination of healthcare personnel, and post-exposure antibiotic prophylaxis, have been used to control the burden of pertussis with varying degrees of success. While maternal immunization during pregnancy has been demonstrated to be highly effective at preventing disease among infants during the first months of life, no single strategy alone is sufficient to control pertussis across age groups. In the setting of a resurgence in disease, a combination of approaches is needed to minimize the burden of disease, especially among those at highest risk for severe morbidity and mortality.

This chapter explains the practice of ceding control of one area of life to gain control of another. Despite the misunderstanding behind the concept, deference is part of a very common life strategy among suppressed groups such as women and the working class. For example, formal deference to men was culturally forced on women of all classes. The chapter clarifies that social hierarchy and the accompanying status system do not go hand in hand with control. It notes how most middle-class professionals accept certain levels and kinds of subordination and trade-offs of control, but the process of professionalization tended to blur these trade-offs.

Today’s working life can be understood in terms of grandiose ideas, illusion tricks, and zero-sum games. These three concepts provide a rather different perspective than conventional understandings of working life phenomena suggested by signifiers such as leadership, visions, strategy, change, entrepreneurship, innovations, and human resource management. Chapters 6–9 deal with four key themes in current organizations and working conditions. The first theme, addressed in this chapter, is ideas about major, drastic changes. People refer to the demise of bureaucracy and mass production, a transition to new forms of production and work organizations characterized by flexibility, dynamism, networks, knowledge intensive work, flat organizations, and so on. This is worth investigating, which is what this chapter aims to do. The second theme, which is tackled in Chapter 7, is concerned with the way in which organizations try to create legitimacy in relation to the predominant norms and ideas through formal structures signalling ‘the right practice’, without necessarily affecting the latter to any appreciable degree—in other words, an illusion trick. The idea is that organizations are increasingly devoting their time and energy to developing shop-window arrangements—designed to satisfy various groups interested in what is going on in a given organization, but without deeper insights into its workings. The third theme, covered in Chapter 8, discusses how various occupational groups are trying to advance their positions and gain status as professionals (experts) in line with ideas about the increased importance of knowledge and expertise. They try to get a hearing for their claims for a unique and superior ‘competence’ that entitles them a higher status and monopoly of a given sector of the labour market. People who are not formally qualified are kept at bay. Advancing positions through professionalization is not always so simple, however, since other groups have the same ambition. This involves, for example, personnel specialists, marketers, and nurses. The fourth theme is leadership, or rather ‘leadership’, which is discussed in Chapter 9.

Abstract Changing worn tools is a major concern in planning operations on machining systems. Strategies for replacing tools range from changing each tool as it reaches its projected tool life, to changing all tools when the tool with the shortest life on the machining system is expended. Intermediate strategies involve changing tools in groups. Each of these strategies has two cost components associated with it: (1) the cost of lost production due to machine tool stoppage, and (2) the cost of unused tool life. The best tool grouping strategy minimizes the combined cost of lost production. In this paper we present an approach for finding good tool grouping strategies from inputs that include the tool utilization for a given machining application, and the tooling and machining system costs. A genetic algorithm is used as the underlying optimization paradigm for finding the minimum cost strategy. An example is presented for a part produced on a machining center.

Six of the southwest and western nuclear plants have formed an alliance to jointly apply and share in new technologies to increase plant reliability. Life cycle management (LCM) is an EPRI developed process to evaluate and select the best long-term maintenance strategies for important plant systems, structures and component groups. Both, technical and economic assessments are made to arrive at a strategy that provides the highest reliability at the least cost. Among those SSCs chosen for LCM are the Station Transformers, the Main Generator, Turbine Controls, Underground Piping and the Circulating Water System (CWS). The application of the LCM process to the STARS plants is demonstrated for the CWS. The process steps from information gathering, establishing component maintenance and performance history, failure rates and current maintenance practices to aging and technical obsolescence assessment are reviewed. Information sources for generic failure rates, best industry practices, PM and PdM technologies, aging/degradation and performance trending are discussed. Lastly, methods for the modeling and analysis of the economic parameters are presented. The results of the CWS LCM plans for four of the STARS plants are compared and conclusions are summarized.

Purpose: Breast cancer patients are at increased risk of developing comorbidities such as lymphedema, sarcopenia, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease after breast cancer treatment. These complications contribute to a decrease in quality of life, cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength. Regular and long-term physical activity is an effective non-pharmacological strategy that can improve physical, psychological and social outcomes. The aim of our research was to evaluate the effect of various modes of an exercise intervention on physical performance, body composition, depression and autonomic nervous system in breast cancer survivors. Methods: 16 women after surgery with hormonal treatment enter the research. Thirteen of them completed the controlled, quasi-experimental study (54 ± 9 yrs, 164cm ± 6cm, 72 ± 12kg) and were divided into 3 groups according to their place of living: trained under supervision (n=5) (SUPERV), trained at home without supervision by videos (n=7) (HOME) and with no prescribed physical activity (n=4) (CON). Exercise intervention lasted 3 months and comprised of 60 min training units 3 × week (aerobic with resistant exercise in a 2 : 1 mode combined with regular weekly yoga and breathing exercises). The exercise intensity was set individually at 65–75% of HRR based on spiroergometry and was continuously controlled by heart rate monitors. The same principles applied to the HOME group, which, in addition to heart rate monitors, recorded frequency, length, HRmax, HRavg, and Borg scale of intensity perception. VO2max, BMI, fat mass, depression level (Beck’s depression inventory) and the power of the autonomic nervous system (total power and sympatho-vagal balance) were analyzed. For data evaluation we used descriptive statistics and Cohens d effect size. Results: 3 women dropped out of research because of medical reason. In all groups VO2max values increased. The largest increase in VO2max values was in SUPERV group by 36%, in HOME group by 20% and in CON group by 2%. Body weight decreased for groups SUPERV (˗1.2 kg) and CON (-0.1kg), for HOME group there was an increase (+0.2 kg). Body mass index decreased for SUPERV group (-0.4), for HOME and CON it increased (both +0.1). Total power decreased in SUPERV (-0.6) and HOME group (-0.2), in CON has not changed. The same results were achieved by the sympatho-vagal balance, only the CON group increased. Values from Beck’s depression inventory decreased for all groups, most for CON group. Conclusion: A 3-months of supervised and controlled exercise had a significant effect on physical fitness and body composition in comparison with non-supervised home-based physical intervention. Our results indicate that it is strongly advisable to apply a supervised exercise program to induce positive physiological changes in breast cancer survivors as part of aftercare.

There is a growing recognition of the importance in using online communities of practice (CoPs) in the field of adult learning and education. How do adults learn is a key question to answer in the context of long life learning. But how can learning be enhanced in the context of a community of practice? This is the question I aimed to answer through the ethnographic research I have been conducted on adult learners, professionals in architecture field. The general hypothesis I have formulated is that social software offers facilities that support the process of learning within communities of practice. The focus of the paper is to follow two main concepts: communities of practice and social software (especially virtual worlds as Second Life). My work proposes a theoretical framework based on social learning theory (E. Wenger) and distributed cognition approach (Hutchins) to develop a learning architecture that was implemented in the context of a community of practice in Second Life virtual world. Thus, the research objective is to explain how and to what extend social software can enhance learning in a community of practice, by analyzing the effects of virtual worlds on the engagement, imagination and alignment. The context of the study can be characterized by a small online community of practice, where core members already know each other and work together in the real life. The research I propose can be defined by two parts: secondary data and literature analysis and empirical study. Based on Wenger?s (2002) understanding of the communities of practice, I designed the architecture of learning based on engagement, imagination and alignment, the three main process that support the objectives of a community of practice, according to Wenger (2002): learning, meaning making, participation, and engaging. To conduct empirical research virtual worlds (Second Life) were selected to support the community of practice. Secondly, a wiki and a blog were used to support and facilitate communication. The secondary data and literature analysis argues that social software and CoPs share several important characteristics, which makes it interesting to deeply approach this relation. Besides this theoretical approach of the research, I have been conducted an empirical study, based on a qualitative research strategy (bulletin boards focus groups, in-depth interviews, netnographies (Kozinets, 2010), focus groups and case study research methods were used to conduct the research). This study aimed to refine the secondary analysis mentioned earlier, which explains the facilities created by Second Life to support the engagement, imagination, and alignment. Furthermore, these insights were summarized in a conceptual framework, which was the main topic in a focus group interview with a group of experts on the subject (adult learning, communities of practice, educational sciences, and social software). The participants of the focus group validated the conceptual framework, but they also underlined various interesting implications of using Second Life in adult learning. Important results were revealed after conducting this research. In the first way, the research proves that virtual worlds can be applied within small communities of practice. Secondly, this study shows that the usage of social software does offer facilities that support the engagement, imagination, and alignment. Thirdly, this study shows that every single social software example o&#64256;ers its unique contribution to the implementation of the architecture of learning, which results in a optimal combination of three services.

Many commercial nuclear power facilities have been in operation well over 20 years, and many facilities have been or will have their original 40 year operating license renewed for an additional 20 years. The anticipated stresses to plant equipment and the longer service life increase the challenge to maintain reliable equipment performance. Establishing equipment maintenance programs that are effective and compliant with applicable regulations is critical to avoid unplanned equipment unavailability and the potential costs of lost generation. An equipment reliability (ER) strategy for commercial nuclear power plant equipment is described that considers the programmatic recommendations of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations ([1], [2]), Electric Power Research Institute ([3], [4], [5], [6]), Nuclear Energy Institute standard nuclear business model [7], Nuclear Regulatory Commission ([8], [9], [10], [11]), and industry societies and working groups, such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers ([12], [13]). All ER strategies must properly implement mandatory requirements and commitments ([14], [15], [16]). Additionally, ER strategies should also consider the appropriate manufacturer/vendor recommendations, industry and plant personnel operating experience feedback, equipment operating and maintenance history information, etc. As a result, the ER strategy includes reviewing multiple information sources to inform the decisions to either include or exclude the specific maintenance activities that impact reliability. Ultimately the maintenance program is tailored for each equipment application and implements the necessary maintenance activities while avoiding the cost of performing unnecessary maintenance activities.

There was a hope that digital transformation, in improving public service provision and delivery, and in promoting inclusion – with due regard to the needs of vulnerable populations – is instrumental in mitigating the effects of exclusion and improving people’s livelihoods (UN e-Government Survey 2012). Also, the rise of social media with their more inclusive tendencies and lower technical skill requirements was expected to open new horizons for the inclusion of vulnerable groups. Whereas these hopes have partly become true, we are also witnessing that vulnerable groups are facing new type of risks such as digital harassment, hate speech, disinformation/misinformation attacks and other risks which hinder those groups from fully benefitting from digital transformation.While traditional digital divide reasons (lack of access and skills) remain important, motivational reasons have increased in importance over time. Effective interventions aimed at tacklingdigital exclusion need to take into consideration national contexts, individual experience etc. What worked a decade ago in a particular country might not work currently in a different or even the same country (Helsper, E.J. and Reisdorf, B.C. 2016). The aim of research paper is to shed a light on the digital vulnerability, and to understand (a) which are the groups and activities where digital transformation (increase of digital awareness, skills, resources) could bring about the biggest change in the quality of life, and empowerment? (b) What are the main actors in this field? (c) What are the practical implications to rise their capacity and empower them?Our research collects and analyses data from Ukraine and Georgia. The democratic development of these two countries has been relatively similar. Both countries have also placed emphasis on digital development. However, the state of democracy is fragile in both countries, there are many inequalities and a great threat to security, especially in Ukraine. This makes the vulnerable groups even more vulnerable digitally and the risks mentioned above might have real dramatic consequences.Even though we are looking more closely at these two countries, there is a threat to democracy and societies everywhere, so this focus is universal.The research will make use of primary as well as of secondary data. The primary data will be collected using semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders. The secondary data will be collected from public sources (strategy and policy documents etc.)In our study the digitally vulnerable groups (DVG) are those whose digital engagement in political decision-making and e-services is hindered by their lack of awareness of digital issues, access to technological benefits, and / or digital literacy and skills. Irrespective of the causes (e.g. demographic, socioeconomic and/or health status, living conditions or social position, etc.), these barriers prevent the people from reaping the benefits of digital transformation and as such, have a negative impact on their rights, interests, and everyday life. The primary research shows that the priority target groups are similar in both countries – these are (a) children and young people; and (b) elderly people. Evidently those both groups have completely different needs, barriers, and enablers for benefitting from digital agenda. The research is part of a project DRIVE, the results will be used for preparing recommendations for action, train civil society organisations and public authorities to work on these recommendations and turn two of the recommendations into a pilot project to be implemented during the project.

Abstract Assuring integrity of offshore well Conductor is one of the challenges in the aged giant offshore fields operating with 1500+ wells. Such fields should have a robust and efficient integrity management system for inspection and assessment of well conductors through the well life cycle. Offshore well Conductors form the secondary load-bearing element in a well, primary being the surface casing. A practical approach in assessing the structural integrity of the well conductor is proposed in this paper. Wells were classifying into five subgroups; optimized Inspection and Integrity Assessment methods used to establish the structural integrity of conductors; which were evaluated and validated by a 3rd part consultant. The assessment results indicate how over-conservative assumptions in engineering assessment may mislead operators to categorize wells into higher risk. Assessment was performed utilizing various modeling software. Reliability based approach was adopted to accommodate uncertainties in data utilizing appropriate engineering judgement to tackle data gaps. Average thickness measured at discrete elevations was compared with the calculated minimum required thickness (MRT) to assess the structural integrity status of conductors. This approach helped in the decision making and planning for risk mitigation repairs. The results of optimized inspection techniques and structural assessment methodology lead to establishment of clear pattern for critical well conductors and applied to the groups to decide on maintenance strategy. The conductor wall thickness data measured from automated thickness measurement technique is matching with the measured data from manual thickness measurements. The average wall thickness at each elevation, obtained from the raw automated thickness measurement technique data to be used for assessment of the conductor. After building good confidence in the mode of failure the results indicated that manual thickness measurement technique is sufficient to assess the structural integrity of the conductors. The consultant has performed parametric studies to validate the Minimum Required Thickness (MRT) for the most onerous well in the group; by modelling the boundary conditions of conductor span between the guides, the critical water depth, well depth etc. Sensitivity studies were performed considering the environmental loading due to wind, wave, current; vortex induced vibrations, cement height behind the pipes etc. From the new findings the integrity status of the current wells risk ranking will be reviewed and if the average measured thickness is greater than the MRT then a repair program is no more required. The resource utilization was optimized based on the final outcome of the exercise. A procedure based optimized inspection techniques and structural integrity assessments to the group the well conductors resulted in the revision of risk ranking of wells, efficient maintenance planning and achieve high-cost optimization for its life extension. The outcome of the consultancy study will also substantiate our current method of conductor assessment and decision for repair based on risk-based approach. Based on the learnings this paper will be focusing on utilizing optimal inspection and assessment approach.

Proteins not only determine the essential life activities of living organisms and the nutritional value of food products, but also are promising raw materials for designing functional materials, including in the fields of food science, environmental science, and nanomaterials. In the last decade, self-assembly of food proteins, particularly fibrillization, has attracted significant interest, as the assembled nanostructures are characterized by abundant b-sheet structures, large aspect ratio, and diverse surface functional groups. These features offer the possibility to overcome existing technological bottlenecks, and the rational utilization can yield high-performance materials. This talk will focus on two examples: protein gels and plastics. In the first example, a quantitative relationship was established between the microstructure of protein nanofibrils and the macroscopic mechanical properties of the resulting gels. This was successfully used to build protein gels with mechanical properties comparable to those of artificial meat. In the second example, protein-based plastics with high mechanical property and reduced hygroscopicity are developed by combining protein copolymerization and self-assembly. This provides a potential strategy for developing sustainable food packaging materials.

A point cloud of reference points forms the programmable basis of a new method of urban and architectural modeling. Points in space from the smallest identifiable units that are informed to communicate with each other to form complex data structures. The data are visualized as spatial voxels [3d pixels] as to represent spaces and volumes that maintain their mutual relationships under varying circumstances. The subsequent steps in the development from point cloud to the multimodal urban strategy are driven by variable local and global parameters. Step by step new and more detailed actors are introduced in the serious design game. Values feeding the voxel units may be fixed, variables based on experience, or randomly generated. The target value may be fixed or kept open. Using lines or curves and groups of points from the original large along the X, Y and Z-axes organized crystalline set of points are selected to form the shape of actual working space. The concept of radical multimodality at the level of the smallest grain requires that at each stage in the design game individual units are addressed as to adopt a unique function during a unique amount of time. Each unit may be a home, a workplace, a workshop, a shop, a lounge area, a school, a garden or just an empty voxel anytime and anywhere in the selected working space. The concept of multimodality [MANIC, K Oosterhuis, 2018] is taken to its extreme as to stimulate the development of diversity over time and in its spatial arrangement. The programmable framework for urban multimodality acknowledges the rise and shine of the new international citizen, who travels the world, lives nowhere and everywhere, inhabits places and spaces for ultrashort, shorter or longer periods of time, lives her/his life as a new nomad [New Babylon, Constant Nieuwenhuys, 1958]. The new nomad lives on her/his own or in groups of like-minded people, effectuated by setting preferences and choices being made via the ubiquitous multimodality app, which organizes the unfolding of her / his life. In the serious design game nomadic life is facilitated by real time activation of a complex set of programmable monads. Playing and further developing the design journey was executed in 4 workshop sessions with different professional stakeholders, architects, engineers, entrepreneurs and project developers.

Abstract As manufacturers are becoming responsible for their products when they reach the end of their operational lives, the dismantling of products has emerged as one of the serious part of this exercise. In situations involving integrated design principles, certain assembly procedures or joining techniques can make it very difficult to disassemble a product and to separate materials into non-contaminated groups. The strategy is to begin including design for disassembly guidelines in the current product design processes. Design for Disassembly (DFD) is a design philosophy that requires consideration to be given for a product or a part, even after it is in service. The inclusion of procedures for design for disassembly, recyclability and re-manufacture will save resources by prolonging the useful life of product. The paper initially examines the current state of the art in the area of Design for Disassembly and looks at the existing methodologies that are applicable to product design. A new methodology based on a combination of charts based on damage rating, tool rating, re-use rating and access-area rating is proposed. The methodology is compared with the existing methods and evaluated for various situations in aerospace industry.

The learning and developmental losses from pre-primary program closures due to COVID-19 may be unprecedented. These disruptions early in life, when the brain is more sensitive to environmental changes, can be long-lasting. Although there is evidence about the effects of school closures on older children, there is currently no evidence on such losses for children in their early years. This paper is among the first to quantify the actual impact of pandemic-related closures on child development, in this case for a sample of young children in Chile, where school and childcare closures lasted for about a year. We use a unique dataset collected face-to-face in December 2020, which includes child development indicators for general development, language development, social-emotional development, and executive function. We are able to use a first difference strategy because Chile has a history of collecting longitudinal data on children as part of their national social policies monitoring strategy. This allows us to construct a valid comparison group from the 2017 longitudinal data. We find adverse impacts on children in 2020 compared to children interviewed in 2017 in most development areas. In particular, nine months after the start of the pandemic, we find a loss in language development of 0.25 SDs. This is equivalent to the impact on a childs language development of having a mother with approximately five years less education. Timely policies are needed to mitigate these enormous losses.

Background Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death worldwide.(1) It is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia (12,741 cases diagnosed in 2018) and the leading cause of cancer death.(2) The number of years of potential life lost to lung cancer in Australia is estimated to be 58,450, similar to that of colorectal and breast cancer combined.(3) While tobacco control strategies are most effective for disease prevention in the general population, early detection via low dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening in high-risk populations is a viable option for detecting asymptomatic disease in current (13%) and former (24%) Australian smokers.(4) The purpose of this Evidence Check review is to identify and analyse existing and emerging evidence for LDCT lung cancer screening in high-risk individuals to guide future program and policy planning. Evidence Check questions This review aimed to address the following questions: 1. What is the evidence for the effectiveness of lung cancer screening for higher-risk individuals? 2. What is the evidence of potential harms from lung cancer screening for higher-risk individuals? 3. What are the main components of recent major lung cancer screening programs or trials? 4. What is the cost-effectiveness of lung cancer screening programs (include studies of cost–utility)? Summary of methods The authors searched the peer-reviewed literature across three databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Embase) for existing systematic reviews and original studies published between 1 January 2009 and 8 August 2019. Fifteen systematic reviews (of which 8 were contemporary) and 64 original publications met the inclusion criteria set across the four questions. Key findings Question 1: What is the evidence for the effectiveness of lung cancer screening for higher-risk individuals? There is sufficient evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of combined (pooled) data from screening trials (of high-risk individuals) to indicate that LDCT examination is clinically effective in reducing lung cancer mortality. In 2011, the landmark National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLST, a large-scale randomised controlled trial [RCT] conducted in the US) reported a 20% (95% CI 6.8% – 26.7%; P=0.004) relative reduction in mortality among long-term heavy smokers over three rounds of annual screening. High-risk eligibility criteria was defined as people aged 55–74 years with a smoking history of ≥30 pack-years (years in which a smoker has consumed 20-plus cigarettes each day) and, for former smokers, ≥30 pack-years and have quit within the past 15 years.(5) All-cause mortality was reduced by 6.7% (95% CI, 1.2% – 13.6%; P=0.02). Initial data from the second landmark RCT, the NEderlands-Leuvens Longkanker Screenings ONderzoek (known as the NELSON trial), have found an even greater reduction of 26% (95% CI, 9% – 41%) in lung cancer mortality, with full trial results yet to be published.(6, 7) Pooled analyses, including several smaller-scale European LDCT screening trials insufficiently powered in their own right, collectively demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in lung cancer mortality (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.73–0.91).(8) Despite the reduction in all-cause mortality found in the NLST, pooled analyses of seven trials found no statistically significant difference in all-cause mortality (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.90–1.00).(8) However, cancer-specific mortality is currently the most relevant outcome in cancer screening trials. These seven trials demonstrated a significantly greater proportion of early stage cancers in LDCT groups compared with controls (RR 2.08, 95% CI 1.43–3.03). Thus, when considering results across mortality outcomes and early stage cancers diagnosed, LDCT screening is considered to be clinically effective. Question 2: What is the evidence of potential harms from lung cancer screening for higher-risk individuals? The harms of LDCT lung cancer screening include false positive tests and the consequences of unnecessary invasive follow-up procedures for conditions that are eventually diagnosed as benign. While LDCT screening leads to an increased frequency of invasive procedures, it does not result in greater mortality soon after an invasive procedure (in trial settings when compared with the control arm).(8) Overdiagnosis, exposure to radiation, psychological distress and an impact on quality of life are other known harms. Systematic review evidence indicates the benefits of LDCT screening are likely to outweigh the harms. The potential harms are likely to be reduced as refinements are made to LDCT screening protocols through: i) the application of risk predication models (e.g. the PLCOm2012), which enable a more accurate selection of the high-risk population through the use of specific criteria (beyond age and smoking history); ii) the use of nodule management algorithms (e.g. Lung-RADS, PanCan), which assist in the diagnostic evaluation of screen-detected nodules and cancers (e.g. more precise volumetric assessment of nodules); and, iii) more judicious selection of patients for invasive procedures. Recent evidence suggests a positive LDCT result may transiently increase psychological distress but does not have long-term adverse effects on psychological distress or health-related quality of life (HRQoL). With regards to smoking cessation, there is no evidence to suggest screening participation invokes a false sense of assurance in smokers, nor a reduction in motivation to quit. The NELSON and Danish trials found no difference in smoking cessation rates between LDCT screening and control groups. Higher net cessation rates, compared with general population, suggest those who participate in screening trials may already be motivated to quit. Question 3: What are the main components of recent major lung cancer screening programs or trials? There are no systematic reviews that capture the main components of recent major lung cancer screening trials and programs. We extracted evidence from original studies and clinical guidance documents and organised this into key groups to form a concise set of components for potential implementation of a national lung cancer screening program in Australia: 1. Identifying the high-risk population: recruitment, eligibility, selection and referral 2. Educating the public, people at high risk and healthcare providers; this includes creating awareness of lung cancer, the benefits and harms of LDCT screening, and shared decision-making 3. Components necessary for health services to deliver a screening program: a. Planning phase: e.g. human resources to coordinate the program, electronic data systems that integrate medical records information and link to an established national registry b. Implementation phase: e.g. human and technological resources required to conduct LDCT examinations, interpretation of reports and communication of results to participants c. Monitoring and evaluation phase: e.g. monitoring outcomes across patients, radiological reporting, compliance with established standards and a quality assurance program 4. Data reporting and research, e.g. audit and feedback to multidisciplinary teams, reporting outcomes to enhance international research into LDCT screening 5. Incorporation of smoking cessation interventions, e.g. specific programs designed for LDCT screening or referral to existing community or hospital-based services that deliver cessation interventions. Most original studies are single-institution evaluations that contain descriptive data about the processes required to establish and implement a high-risk population-based screening program. Across all studies there is a consistent message as to the challenges and complexities of establishing LDCT screening programs to attract people at high risk who will receive the greatest benefits from participation. With regards to smoking cessation, evidence from one systematic review indicates the optimal strategy for incorporating smoking cessation interventions into a LDCT screening program is unclear. There is widespread agreement that LDCT screening attendance presents a ‘teachable moment’ for cessation advice, especially among those people who receive a positive scan result. Smoking cessation is an area of significant research investment; for instance, eight US-based clinical trials are now underway that aim to address how best to design and deliver cessation programs within large-scale LDCT screening programs.(9) Question 4: What is the cost-effectiveness of lung cancer screening programs (include studies of cost–utility)? Assessing the value or cost-effectiveness of LDCT screening involves a complex interplay of factors including data on effectiveness and costs, and institutional context. A key input is data about the effectiveness of potential and current screening programs with respect to case detection, and the likely outcomes of treating those cases sooner (in the presence of LDCT screening) as opposed to later (in the absence of LDCT screening). Evidence about the cost-effectiveness of LDCT screening programs has been summarised in two systematic reviews. We identified a further 13 studies—five modelling studies, one discrete choice experiment and seven articles—that used a variety of methods to assess cost-effectiveness. Three modelling studies indicated LDCT screening was cost-effective in the settings of the US and Europe. Two studies—one from Australia and one from New Zealand—reported LDCT screening would not be cost-effective using NLST-like protocols. We anticipate that, following the full publication of the NELSON trial, cost-effectiveness studies will likely be updated with new data that reduce uncertainty about factors that influence modelling outcomes, including the findings of indeterminate nodules. Gaps in the evidence There is a large and accessible body of evidence as to the effectiveness (Q1) and harms (Q2) of LDCT screening for lung cancer. Nevertheless, there are significant gaps in the evidence about the program components that are required to implement an effective LDCT screening program (Q3). Questions about LDCT screening acceptability and feasibility were not explicitly included in the scope. However, as the evidence is based primarily on US programs and UK pilot studies, the relevance to the local setting requires careful consideration. The Queensland Lung Cancer Screening Study provides feasibility data about clinical aspects of LDCT screening but little about program design. The International Lung Screening Trial is still in the recruitment phase and findings are not yet available for inclusion in this Evidence Check. The Australian Population Based Screening Framework was developed to “inform decision-makers on the key issues to be considered when assessing potential screening programs in Australia”.(10) As the Framework is specific to population-based, rather than high-risk, screening programs, there is a lack of clarity about transferability of criteria. However, the Framework criteria do stipulate that a screening program must be acceptable to “important subgroups such as target participants who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from disadvantaged groups and people with a disability”.(10) An extensive search of the literature highlighted that there is very little information about the acceptability of LDCT screening to these population groups in Australia. Yet they are part of the high-risk population.(10) There are also considerable gaps in the evidence about the cost-effectiveness of LDCT screening in different settings, including Australia. The evidence base in this area is rapidly evolving and is likely to include new data from the NELSON trial and incorporate data about the costs of targeted- and immuno-therapies as these treatments become more widely available in Australia.

Moths constitute a major group of pest insects in agriculture. Pheromone blends are utilised by a variety of moth species to attract conspecific mates, which is under circadian control by the neurohormone, PBAN (pheromone-biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide). Our working hypothesis was that, since the emission of sex-pheromone is necessary to attract a mate, then failure to produce and emit pheromone is a potential strategy for manipulating adult moth behavior. The project aimed at identifying, characterising and determining the sequence of specific receptors responsible for the interaction with pheromonotropic neuropeptide/s using two related moth species: Helicoverpa armigera and H. lea as model insects. We established specific binding to a membrane protein estimated at 50 kDa in mature adult females using a photoaffinity-biotin probe for PBAN. We showed that JH is required for the up-regulation of this putative receptor protein. In vitro studies established that the binding initiates a cascade of second messengers including channel opening for calcium ions and intracellular cAMP production. Pharmacological studies (using sodium fluoride) established that the receptor is coupled to a G-protein, that is, the pheromone-biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide receptor (PBAN-R) belongs to the family of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)'s. We showed that PBAN-like peptides are present in Drosophila melanogaster based on bioassay and immunocytochemical data. Using the annotated genome of D. melanogaster to search for a GPCR, we found that some were similar to neuromedin U- receptors of vertebrates, which contain a similar C-terminal ending as PBAN. We established that neuromedin U does indeed induce pheromone biosynthesis and cAMP production. Using a PCR based cloning strategy and mRNA isolated from pheromone glands of H. zea, we successfully identified a gene encoding a GPCR from pheromone glands. The full-length PBAN-R was subsequently cloned and expressed in Sf9 insect cells and was shown to mobilize calcium in response to PBAN in a dose-dependent manner. The successful progress in the identification of a gene, encoding a GPCR for the neurohormone, PBAN, provides a basis for the design of a novel battery of compounds that will specifically antagonize pheromone production. Furthermore, since PBAN belongs to a family of insect neuropeptides with more than one function in different life stages, this rationale may be extended to other physiological key-regulatory processes in different insects.