Economic Support System Research Articles

The Economic Life Cycle and Support Systems in Asia

We describe the complex support systems in Asia and highlight their importance for economic growth and fiscal sustainability. Familial transfers for old age support are significant in many Asian economies, though their extent varies quite widely, and public transfer systems are less significant. This is important because the region has the opportunity to develop sustainable systems less encumbered by obligations made to current and future generations of elderly. Relying on accumulated assets rather than transfers will help the region to create capital-intensive economies that can maintain standards of living.

A modified method of ecological footprint calculation and its application

As economic and ecological support systems become more interdependent, new disciplines are needed to “bridge the gap” between human and nature. “Emergy” created by H.T. Odum is a new method for evaluating natural capital and ecosystem services. The “ecological footprint” created by Wackernagel and Rees has been promoted as a policy and planning tool for sustainability. The aim of this paper is to show a modified form of ecological footprint calculation by combining emergy analysis with conventional ecological footprint form of calculations. Our new method starts from the energy flows of a system in calculating ecological footprint and carrying capacity. Through a study of the energy flows, and using the method of emergy analysis, the energy flows of a system are translated into corresponding biological productive units. To demonstrate the mechanics of this new method, we compared our calculations with that of an original calculation of ecological footprint of a regional case. We select Gansu province in western China, as an example for application of our study. In this case the same conclusions were drawn using both methods: that Gansu province runs an ecological deficit.

Program Evaluation of the Aged Care Early Intervention Management Strategy

In 2001, there were an estimated 2.4 million Australians aged 65 and over, or 12.5% of the total population of 19.4 million. Over the next 50 years is it expected that one quarter of the total population will be aged 65 or over (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2002). In recent years, the priority attached to ageing issues has increased substantially in Australia and in most first world countries at both a national and international level. Concerns over the implications of population ageing have prompted responses to ensure the sustainability of economic, health and social support systems that are directly influenced by the changing age structure of the population. Older Australians are the largest consumers of health care. As a result of the general ageing process, older adults are at risk of developing iatrogenic complications associated with hospital admission. Services that have been implemented overseas and in Australia that aim to provide care for patients in their own environment include hospital in the home (HIH) and, more recently hospital in the nursing home (HINH). The ability to be able to deliver acute care within the Aged Care Facility (ACF) has not previously been evaluated extensively within Australia. Further, it is not known whether the HINH model utilised in a Queensland demonstration contained sufficient components to benefit patient care. Therefore, an evaluation of the structure, processes and outcomes of this model was conducted in order to inform all stakeholders involved and allow for further refinement. Thus, the aims of this research study were to: 1. Determine which factors predict poor outcomes for all older people who present to the ED and are admitted to hospital; 2. Determine whether HINH enrolment was a predictor for better outcomes for ACF residents; 3. Evaluate the structures involved in the HINH program; and 4. Evaluate the processes involved in the HINH program. In addressing these aims three phases of research were undertaken. The first was a precursor to the evaluation. It involved conducting a cohort study that described the clinical characteristics and outcomes of all acutely unwell older adults who presented to an Emergency Department (ED) in south-east Queensland. The second and third phases evaluated the HINH program that was implemented in order to improve the care pathway for ACF residents who presented to hospital. A structure, process and outcomes approach was used to do this. The second phase focussed on evaluating outcomes. A case control study was used to compare outcomes of ACF residents enrolled into the HINH program (cases) with ACF residents who were not enrolled into the program (controls). The third phase of this research evaluated the structures and processes of the HINH program using semi-structured interviews with doctors, nurses and HINH patients. This research has provided the first comprehensive evaluation of a HINH program within Australia utilising a structure, process and outcomes approach. Results from Phase 1 highlighted that negative outcomes occurred for ACF residents as well as the health care organisation when ACF residents presented to the ED and were admitted to hospital. Results from Phase 2 identified that enrolment into the HINH program had a significant positive impact on patient and health care organisation outcomes. Furthermore, by providing hospital care in the ACF, the HINH program, was a cheaper alternative to the standard in-hospital treatment, allowed for more in-hospital bed days to be available and reduced the risk of hospital related complications such as death for patients. Findings from Phase 3 showed that for this HINH program to operate, effective referral and communication strategies were integral. Given the current political climate that is concerned over the implications of population ageing, this evaluation is timely. The HINH program is one innovative model of health care delivery that benefits the economic, health and social support systems for ACF residents and the health care organisation.

Effect of grout properties on the pull-out load capacity of fully grouted rock bolt

This paper represents the result of a project conducted with developing a safe, practical and economical support system for engineering workings. In rock engineering, untensioned, fully cement-grouted rock bolts have been used for many years. However, there is only limited information about the action and the pull-out load capacity of rock bolts, and the relationship between bolt–grout or grout–rock and the influence of the grout properties on the pull-out load capacity of a rock bolt. The effect of grout properties on the ultimate bolt load capacity in a pull-out test has been investigated in order to evaluate the support effect of rock bolts. Approximately 80 laboratory rock bolt pull-out tests in basalt blocks have been carried out in order to explain and develop the relations between the grouting materials and untensioned, fully grouted rock bolts. The effects of the mechanical properties of grouting materials on the pull-out load capacity of a fully grouted bolt have been qualified and a number of empirical formulae have been developed for the calculating of the pull-out load capacity of the fully cement-grouted bolts on the basis of the shear strength, the uniaxial compressive strength of the grouting material, the bolt length, the bolt diameter, the bonding area and the curing time of the grouting material.

Social Security is not for Babies: Trends and Policies Affecting Older Women in the United States

In the first year of the new century, over a million American women officially entered the ranks of “the elderly” by reaching their 65th birthday (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1999). What can they expect of government policy? To what extent will the nation's economic support systems respond to their needs? And what about their daughters' and their babies'? This article considers two broad social trends that determine public policy responses to the needs of the elderly: shifting fertility patterns and labor force participation of women. The implications of these trends for income security in old age are considered, followed by recommendations for new approaches to family policy in the United States. The article closes by suggesting that in the 21st century Social Security should be for babies.

Domentia care: Domiciliary carers nursine care needs settings of relatives

The aim of this qualitative research was to invite home carers to share their perceptions of the quality of nursing care they witnessed their relative with dementia receive, when he or she was admitted to an acute care setting for an acute illness episode or other health related concern. Twenty participants were recruited through the local Alzheimer's Support Groups and newspapers. Biographical data were collected relating to the carer's and relative's age, gender, nature of relationship, date of Alzheimer's diagnosis, period of domiciliary care, and existing psychosocial and economic support systems. Each carer was interviewed for about one hour, to allow sufficient time for recollection of memories of hospitalisations within the previous 12 months. The semistructured interviews were audiotaped for verbatim transcription. Computer-assisted thematic analysis identified themes and sub-themes regarding aspects of nursing care that home carers witnessed with which they were pleased and not pleased. Based on the home carers' accounts recommendations were made for nurses relating to improving the care of people with dementia in acute care settings.

Discrimination and Indigenous Identity in Chicago's Native Community

Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation James V. Fenelon; Discrimination and Indigenous Identity in Chicago's Native Community. American Indian Culture and Research Journal 1 January 1998; 22 (4): 273–303. doi: https://doi.org/10.17953/aicr.22.4.l3rj167160ug0188 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest Search

Transition into widowhood: a life-course perspective on the household position of Icelandic widows at the beginning of the twentieth century

Nous avons analysé la place des veuves âgées de 50 ans et plus dans les ménages ainsi que leurs occupations socio-professionnelles à partir du recensement islandais de 1901. Nous avons également utilisé les données longitudinales pour examiner la relation pouvant exister entre position dans le ménage (et migration) et temps ecoulé depuis le début du veuvage. Pour la plupart des Islandaises nées à la fin du XIXe siècle, perdre son mari signifiait moindres ressources. Cependant les moyens de subsistance comme la structure des ménages sont très différents selon que l'on considère zones urbaines ou zones rurales. Le pourcentage des veuves chefs de ménage était plus grand en ville qu'à la campagne: en général les veuves quittaient la campagne pour établir leur ménage en ville. La croissance urbaine donnait en effet aux femmes plus de possibilités de subvenir à leurs besoins. La taille moyenne et la composition des ménages de veuves urbaines ne varient pratiquement pas selon leur âge. Au contraire, la taille moyenne des ménages ruraux tenus par des veuves diminue rapidement à mesure qu'elles vieillissent – ce qui reflète leur appauvrissement. Nous montrons que la proportion de veuves vivant chez leurs enfants mariés est similaire à la ville et à la campagne. Cependant un pourcentage supérieur de veuves chefs de ménages urbains vivaient de ressources fournies par leurs enfants, établis séparément: l'environnement urbain favorisait la naissance ou le maintien de réseaux d'assistance de voisinage constitués par parents et amis.

Welfare vs “Cyberfare”

Abstract Due to the continual reliance on an outdated paradigm, current welfare reform proposals fail to adequately address the fundamental problems behind the welfare system itself. Obstacles to welfare reform abound, yet are not insurmountable with a redefinition of the federal role and a new overall way of thinking. Through the reexamination of current and past policies and existing cultural mores, the welfare system could, be recreated to rely on a new paradigm: cyberfare. Cyberfare is an economic and social support system which addresses the issues associated with an information/technology age, global economy, and the changing role of families and social institutions. Although the incorporation of cyberfare and the reforming of the welfare system is not without its challenges, it is vital to solving the poverty problem in American society.

Technical and economic design support system in construction within the context of concurrent engineering

The authors demonstrate the usefulness of concurrent engineering techniques and at the same time highlight some of the difficulties encountered in creating knowledge bases and using electronic data interchange.

Towards a computer-aided economic planning support system

The purposes of this paper are (i) to outline a conceptual framework of a computer-based DSS directed to support the development planning process, and (ii) to present the main features and structure of a model-based management system designed to assist in formulating and testing medium-term economic plans. The system has proven to be useful for organizing, systemizing and supporting the development planning process. While the economic planning support system ( PSS), described in this paper, has been applied to the Kuwait economy, it was initially established with the aim of creating a generally applicable computer-based system which can be applied to other national economies.

116 An intelligent economic decision support system IEDSS for development strategic design

116 An intelligent economic decision support system IEDSS for development strategic design

Forensic treatment in the United States: A survey of selected forensic hospitals: Introduction

A recent directory of facilities providing treatment for mentally disordered offenders in the United States listed 189 different agencies that provide services to adult and/or juvenile offenders (Directory of Programs and Facilities, 1986). When one considers that these 189 agencies are distributed across 50 different states, plus the federal system, it is easy to understand that describing “forensic treatment” in the United States is no easy task. Virtually all of the agencies providing treatment to forensic patients are publicly operated hospitals, clinics, or detention facilities of one type or another, Thus, potentially different laws, organizational structures, economic support systems, theoretical preferences, administrative policies, and attitudes toward “forensic patients” may be encountered each time one of the political boundaries is crossed. Forensic programs may vary on the most fundamental of issues, including what range of services will be provided (e.g., pre-trial evaluations versus mental health treatment) or the legal identification of prescribed treatment populations (e.g., eligible treatment groups). Some states, such as Michigan, Virginia, and Alabama provide extensive pre-trial evaluation services for the state’s courts, devoting facilities and staff resources for defendants to be examined regarding competency to stand trial, mental state at the time of offense (insanity defense evaluations), pre-sentencing assessments, and so forth. Other states, such as Florida, make no provisions for such services through the public mental health departments and all pre-trial evaluations are conducted by private mental health practitioners. Some states, including Massachusetts and Florida, identify special offender groups as target treatment populations (e.g., mentally disordered sex offenders), while such legal classifications are nonexistent in many other states’ statutes. In some states, mental health services are provided to offender populations by more than one state agency, including a mental health department or a department of corrections; in other states, convicted offenders may receive treatment services either by transfer to the Department of Mental Health or by mental health department staff who physically reside in satellite units located on the grounds of correctional institutions. Since the highly publicized case of John Hinckley, who attempted to assassi-

Social and economic support systems for the elderly in Asia: An introduction

This is an introduction to a special issue on aspects of demographic aging in Asia. It provides "an overview of the issues related to the rapid increase in the number of elderly in some Asian countries. It describes how the articles contained in this special issue...demonstrate that the familial system of support for the elderly has persisted despite major social and economic change. It also briefly highlights the findings of the country studies."

Client satisfaction with developmental disabilities services

Data from a representative sample of 312 developmentally disabled clients of Florida's Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services are analyzed to discover the characteristics of the clients and to determine the extent to which the clients are satisfied with various services, reasons for any dissatisfaction that exists, and the factors which are related to satisfaction with services. Clients are least likely to be satisfied with the caregiver support services and the vocational and rehabilitative services they receive. Across all categories, reasons most often given for dissatisfaction with services are inappropriateness and insufficient amount. The factors most strongly related to client satisfaction with services are age, living arrangements, and number of services received. Adolescents are less likely than persons at other ages to be satisfied with the services they receive, persons living in a family setting are less likely than persons in nonfamily settings to be satisfied with services, and the greater the number of services received the lower the likelihood of client satisfaction. Combined with information showing that most of the clients have multiple disabilities, these data suggest that the service delivery system does a better job of delivering some services than others. A “slot” oriented program such as that in Florida may pay insufficient attention to the existence of multiple needs among persons who are developmentally disabled and to providing services to the networks which form the client's economic and social support system.

The criminality of female narcotics addicts: A causal modeling approach

A longitudinal model was developed relating early deviance, narcotics use, and three types of income-generating crime (property crime, drug dealing, and prostitution) among female narcotics addicts during the first 2 years of the addiction career. The model was tested by a confirmatory structural equation analysis. Early deviance predicted subsequent property crime involvement. Stability across time was demonstrated for narcotics use, property crime, and drug dealing. Strong contemporaneous relationships among these constructs were found. These findings partially replicate patterns found in previous studies for male addicts. In contrast to male addicts, a positive, instead of negative, contemporaneous relationship was found between property crime and drug dealing activities. Between constructs, cross-lag effects were generally small and only that between property crime and later narcotics use was significant. Finally, prostitution was failed to be incorporated in the model. Further research is needed to elucidate the diverse economic support systems among women which may affect the drug-crime relationship.

The Economical Support System for Studying the Vinaya as Found in the Gedatsu Shonin kairitsu kogyo gansho

The Economical Support System for Studying the Vinaya as Found in the Gedatsu Shonin kairitsu kogyo gansho

Economical laboratory support system for influenza virus surveillance.

When increases in influenzalike illnesses were first detected during the 1984 to 1985 and 1985 to 1986 influenza seasons, throat swab specimens were mailed by physicians across the United States to one hospital laboratory, and each specimen was inoculated into a single tube of cell culture. Of 165 specimens, 52 (32%) were positive for influenza A or B virus within 3 days of receipt when tested by fluorescence microscopy, permitting positive results to be received by the physicians within 1 week on the average. Approximate direct cost was $16 per specimen.

Towards Support System for Elementary Technological Unit Design

The framework of the support system for elementary technologi-cal unit (ETU)design is presented. The ETU is a part of chemical installation which works on the base of one reactor. The problem of working out the concept of the ETU is discussed. The artificial intelligence production system and the branch and bound method as a base of system's algorithm were chosen. The system will be hierarchical and composed of: structure generator (which works on higher level on generality) and process unit evaluation module. The first one says “what is to be done”, the second one “how it can be done”. The alternate work of those parts is shown. Two-dimensional quality coefficient energy/investementa coming down from cost engineering was chosen. The simple example as well as working with the system are also discussed. The use of the system as a part of economic decision support system is proposed.

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