Contribution Of Programs Research Articles

Twenty Years of Interdisciplinary Studies: the "MEZA" Program's Contributions to Society, Ecology, and the Education of Postgraduate Students

Management of arid ecosystems (MEZA by its Spanish acronym) is a Master of Science program that started in 1990 when very few interdisciplinary programs in environmental management existed in the world. Graduates and current students recognize the importance of a group of pioneers in multidisciplinary practice who have translated the scientific findings and insights of a diverse scholarly community into practical applications within the city in which the University of Baja California, El Sauzal campus, is located and its surrounding arid and coastal rural areas. Students and teachers have produced 20 ecosystem management plans, which have trained the students in practical teamwork. Most of these plans addressed an inquiry by a local community or government decision maker, which is considered to be the key origin of a project. In this paper, the MEZA program that the teachers designed is briefly described, and a series of projects are given as examples of their work. Two projects are more thoroughly explained because all of the coauthors (2009 and 2010 students) participated in these projects and believe that it is a valuable experience to share with others.

Distributive Effects of Israel's Pension System

This paper examines several aspects of Israel's restructured retirement benefits system, focusing on distributive effects. We characterize 10 stylized representative prototypes of Israeli households, reflecting common demographic, wage and employment profiles. These prototypes are used to examine the joint effects of tax benefits for pensions and the public Old Age Allowances program's contributions and disbursements on the lifetime income distribution, net replacement rates at retirement and lifetime consumption smoothing. We find that the system is neutral in terms of its effect on lifetime income distribution, except for the top income decile which gains somewhat less than the others. We also find that pension savings result in a net loss for many low-income households, unsmooth their consumption and lead to too high post-retirement net replacement rates. Furthermore, evidence from a unique dataset point to rational and active behavior of most households with respect to these incentives. These findings suggest that the parameters of the retirement-age benefits system should be adjusted following the introduction of mandatory pensions.

Endangered species, threatened fisheries: Science to the rescue! Evaluating the Congressionally designated Steller Sea Lion Research Program

Abstract Between 2001 and 2004, the US Congress designated over $120 million for research on the western population of Steller sea lions. This paper evaluates the science program, summarizing its context and motivation, the amount and distribution of funds, and how the recipients allocated funding to research activities. It considers factors affecting the science program's contribution to solving the problem that spurred Congress to act. While the program failed to achieve its immediate goals for a variety of reasons, it did provide long-term benefits for science and ecosystem management in the North Pacific.

Contemporary Marketing Practices research program: a review of the first decade

Purpose – The objective of the Contemporary Marketing Practices (CMP) research program is to develop an understanding of how firms relate to their markets in a manner that integrates both traditional and more modern views of marketing, and incorporates an understanding of both the antecedents and consequences of different practices. This paper aims to review its first decade.Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a theoretical approach. It reviews the history of CMP research and its outcomes. The assessment concludes with a discussion of the program's contribution to marketing knowledge and some issues and challenges for future research.Findings – Now a decade old, the CMP research program has undertaken research in over 15 countries. The study finds that it has made a unique contribution to marketing knowledge by bridging the gap between theory and practice.Originality/value – By adopting a multi‐paradigm philosophy and a multi‐method approach, a broad perspective has been achieved that integrate...

Achievements in forest tree genetic improvement in Australia and New Zealand 10: Pinus radiata in New Zealand

Summary Pinus radiata is the subject of much the largest and longest-running tree breeding program in New Zealand. Very intensive plus-tree selection began in the early 1950s, the first seed orchard planting was in 1958, and the first orchard seed was collected in 1968. By 1985 seed orchards could meet the national planting needs, which helped prompt an innovative seed certification scheme. Selection began in local, ‘land-race’ stands. That proved appropriate, but better knowledge led to research on material from the species’ entire natural range and then to further seed importations from natural stands, mainly for future genetic resources. Initial plus-tree selection largely addressed poor tree form in the central North Island. This led to selecting a ‘short-internode’ (‘multinodal’) branching ideotype, with great improvements in general tree form and substantial gains in growth rate. A distinctive portfolio of several breeds, representing different breeding goals, has since been developed for the diverse planting sites and the various end products. By contrast, the original regionalisation of seed orchards proved largely unjustified. Despite early research indicating good heritabilities, wood properties have figured significantly in breeding goals only since growers substantially reduced harvest ages, but they are now intensively researched. The breeding program was greatly expanded from 1968 to meet the needs of multi-generation breeding. This was one of the program's contributions to developing breeding strategy as a discipline, various of which were reflected in the 1986 Development Plan. Industry uptake of tree breeding has since posed challenges in maintaining genetic variability for a secure, long-term underpinning of the program. Special genetic-gain trials were first planted in 1978, to demonstrate and quantify genetic improvement, and to help update forest out-turn predictions. The gains achieved in tree form helped induce New South Wales State to affiliate with the New Zealand program, following significant earlier contributions of breeding material to Australian breeding programs. Improved technologies for seed orchards and vegetative propagation have facilitated development of the breed portfolio and more specific customisation of seedlots. Becoming able to deliver genetic gain through controlled pollination has allowed changes in the structure of the breeding population. Further changes are resulting from an increasing capability to reconstruct pedigrees after open pollination. Developments towards full clonal forestry have faced obstacles, but offer greater genetic gains and a more precise customisation, and clonal forestry is now being vigorously commercialised. Having a single, large Forest Service until 1987 undoubtedly favoured the development of a very strong tree improvement program. Since then, continuing institutional changes, which are reviewed, have posed numerous challenges.

Longitudinal Evaluation of a Preparation Program for Mandatory Military Service

This multivariate longitudinal study explored the relative contribution of 12th-grade students' (a) participation in a preparation program for mandatory military service, (b) feelings of adjustment at high school, and (c) perceptions of school climate to their evaluation of the program's impact on them, as well as to their later adjustment to military service. The sample included 247 male and female 12th graders, divided into an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group participated in a 10-meeting preparation program focusing on the enhancement of empowerment feelings regarding entrance into military service. We conducted measurements at three points in time: (a) before exposure to the preparation program, (b) after exposure to the preparation program, and (c) 6–12 months after military enlistment. Research findings supported the notion that the preparation program had a short-term impact on students' feelings of preparedness for military service. Activities in which students were directly exposed to military life or to Army representatives gained more positive evaluations. But some of the activities conducted by school staff were also positively related to the overall evaluation of the program's contribution to preparedness. However, in the long run, students' later military adjustment was not related to participation in the preparation program but rather to their pre-intervention attitudes toward military enlistment as well as their preliminary general feeling of adjustment. Altogether, study findings indicate that the preparation program had a positive impact mainly for those students who manage well in high school before enlistment. Hence, it is suggested that efforts to foster school-to-Army transition should unfold in a three-step process: (a) preliminary screening for maladaptive behavior, (b) pre-enlistment preparation, and (c) post-enlistment support to all recruits.

Nursing and public health in Europe – a new continuous education programme

The aim of this paper is to describe the development of a new education programme in public health for nurses in the European Union (EU). The project, 'Development of a Continuous Professional Education Programme for Nurses in Public Health', is described together with its background and aim, which is to contribute to the development of new competencies of nurses in nursing and public health. For the development of these competencies, the framework for the programme's guidelines is organized around core modules common for all EU countries and elective modules, based on national health needs and policies proposed by each country. An example of the implementation of the programme from Sweden, where the programme has already been offered, is also presented. In addition to the educational programme itself, the opportunities for networking for nurses and teachers from different countries resulting from this effort are discussed. Finally, the evolving nature of public health in nursing is presented in relation to the roles that nurses/midwives already perform in various countries and situations, in order to point out the potential of this programme's contribution to the promotion of health of all European citizens.

Incentives toward conservation of argali Ovis ammon: a case study of trophy hunting in western China

We investigated management of wildlife, habitat and the hunting programme in Aksai County, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China, during 1997–2000. Argali Ovis ammon is the focal species both for conservation and hunting. The hunting programme is intended to produce incentives to conserve wildlife and habitat. Poaching, a serious concern throughout western China, has been reduced in recent years in Aksai. Wildlife population trends are unknown because standardized surveys were begun only in 2000. Threats to argali in Aksai include livestock grazing, placer gold mining, and development of a dam, reservoir and aqueduct. The number of hunters participating in the programme (c. 3 per year) could provide considerable funding (c. $60,000 per year), but the allocation of these funds within China has provided too little for conservation at the local level, thus undermining the intended incentive system. Because local wildlife protection officials have been denied both funding and authority to deal with threats to the wildlife, the programme's contribution to conservation has been minor. We recommend that hunters pay fees directly to county-level staff, thus increasing the proportion of funds retained at county-level, and that this added income is used to obtain wildlife grazing rights on important seasonal habitats for argali. These changes would promote local wildlife conservation without the need for additional external funding.

Acceptance of the 1999 Jean Hamburger Award

Thank you, Dr. Ichikawa and thanks to the membership and Executive Committee of ISN for honoring me as a co-recipient of the Jean Hamburger Award for 1999. In doing so you of course honor all those who have worked with me, now more than two hundred talented young men and women whose efforts and successes have brought distinction to themselves and to the school of nephrology that has grown up around me, initially in San Francisco and for the past 23 years, in Boston. Rather than use my allotted three minutes to single out and recognize my mentors, trainees, coworkers, and family, as I have had the pleasure of doing many times previously, I would instead like to speak to this ISN audience about our collective responsibility for advancing medicine in general, and nephrology in particular, in regions of the world where medical manpower, expertise, and financial resources are still sub-optimal. Wherever John Dirks and I travel, as co-chairs of COMGAN, ISN's Commission on Global Advancement of Nephrology, we are presented with the same recurring problems, namely inadequate medical and nursing manpower, a knowledge base often two to three decades behind that present here today, outdated or inoperable technical resources, and limited drug availability, to name a few. COMGAN's courses and workshops, site visits and senior scholar exchanges, together with ISN's substantial fellowship program and initial attempts at sister center linkages, have proven to be an excellent start, but much, much more is needed. Today, patients in rural areas throughout the world are unaware of their hypertension or maturity onset diabetes, and therefore go untreated, resulting too often in clinical presentation in end-stage renal failure with renal replacement therapy still an unaffordable and therefore uncommon option. In addition, epidemic forms of post-streptococcal and other post-infectious glomerulonephritides, malarial and other causes of membranous nephropathy, as well as IgA, Hepatitis C and HIV nephropathy contribute to hundred of thousands of undiagnosed and untreated cases progressing to renal failure. My point then is simple: whereas ISN has already taken bold and unique steps in addressing many of these global shortcomings, far more is needed. Each of you, coming largely from well-developed programs in advanced countries, must consider ways in which your expertise, together with your institution's resources, can help to bridge the wide gap between haves and have-nots in nephrology, and to encourage your colleagues in other areas of medicine and surgery to do likewise in their particular specialty or subspecialty. After all, isn't this what an International Society should be all about—information and resource transfer from those with more to those with less. I would especially urge you to transfer books, periodicals and what you consider to be outmoded dialysis equipment, office equipment including personal computers and fax machines, and any surplus laboratory gear you can spare. To those in need, nothing is outmoded! Finally, as roving ISN ambassadors, please help by actively soliciting financial and material contributions to ISN from publishers, pharmaceutical companies, dialysis and other equipment and supply manufacturers. Simply direct names of potential corporate donors to members of the ISN Executive or to Dr. Dirks or me. In closing, let me again express my deep appreciation to ISN for its generous recognition of my program's contributions to nephrology and for the opportunity to personally serve the Society in several capacities over the past three decades.

PDMA success measurement project: Recommended measures for product development success and failure

Success is not just elusive; it is also multifaceted and difficult to measure. A firm can assess the success or failure of a development project in any (or all) of many terms, including customer satisfaction, financial return and technical advantage. To complicate matters, success may be measured not only at the level of the individual project, but also at the program level. With so many variables to consider and so many stakeholders involved, managers face a difficult challenge just deciding which measures are useful for measuring product development success. Recognizing that no single measure suffices for gauging the success of every product development project, Abbie Griffin and Albert L. Page hypothesize that the most appropriate set of measures for assessing project-level success depends on the project strategy. For example, the objectives (and thus, the success criteria) for a new product that creates an entirely new market will differ from those of a project that extends an existing product line. Similarly, they hypothesize that the appropriate measures of a product development program's overall success depend on the firm's innovation strategy. For example, a firm that values being first to market will measure success in different terms from those used by a firm that focuses on maintaining a secure market niche. To test these hypotheses, product development professionals were presented with six project strategy scenarios and four business strategy scenarios. For each project strategy scenario, participants were asked to select the four most useful measures of project success. For each business strategy scenario, participants were asked to choose the set of four measures that would provide the most useful overall assessment of product development success. The responses strongly support the idea that the most appropriate measures of project-level and program-level success depend on the firm's project strategy and business strategy, respectively. For example, customer satisfaction and customer acceptance were among the most useful customer-based measures of success for several project strategies, but market share was cited as the most useful customer-based measure for projects involving new-to-the-company products or line extensions. At the program level, firms with a business strategy that places little emphasis on innovation need to focus on measuring the efficiency of their product development program, while innovative firms need to assess the program's contribution to company growth.

PDMA Success Measurement Project: Recommended Measures for Product Development Success and Failure

Success is not just elusive; it is also multifaceted and difficult to measure. A firm can assess the success or failure of a development project in any (or all) of many terms, including customer satisfaction, financial return, and technical advantage. To complicate matters, success may be measured not only at the level of the individual project, but also at the program level. With so many variables to consider and so many stakeholders involved, managers face a difficult challenge just deciding which measures are useful for measuring product development success.Recognizing that no single measure suffices for gauging the success of every product development project, Abbie Griffin and Albert L. Page hypothesize that the most appropriate set of measures for assessing project‐level success depends on the project strategy. For example, the objectives (and thus, the success criteria) for a new product that creates an entirely new market will differ from those of a project that extends an existing product line. Similarly, they hypothesize that the appropriate measures of a product development program's overall success depend on the firm's innovation strategy. For example, a firm that values being first to market will measure success in different terms from those used by a firm that focuses on maintaining a secure market niche.To test these hypotheses, product development professionals were presented with six project strategy scenarios and four business strategy scenarios. For each project strategy scenario, participants were asked to select the four most useful measures of project success. For each business strategy scenario, participants were asked to choose the set of four measures that would provide the most useful overall assessment of product development success.The responses strongly support the idea that the most appropriate measures of project‐level and program‐level success depend on the firm's project strategy and business strategy, respectively. For example, customer satisfaction and customer acceptance were among the most useful customer‐based measures of success for several project strategies, but market share was cited as the most useful customer‐based measure for projects involving new‐to‐the‐company products or line extensions. At the program level, firms with a business strategy that places little emphasis on innovation need to focus on measuring the efficiency of their product development program, while innovative firms need to assess the program's contribution to company growth.

What can aid do for social development?

An aid program's potential contribution to social development is greatly increased if those designing and administering it are conscious and informed about the social context in which aid is provided. Such knowledge can affect decisions about what kind of aid should be offered and to what purpose, while increasing awareness of both the opportunities for aid and its limitations. The Overseas Development Administration's (ODA) understanding of social development has become a key component of the objectives and activities of the British government's aid program. The author considers social development goals and ODA's objectives, the social development approach, social development and ODA policy, basic questions asked when undertaking a social impact analysis of a proposed aid activity, participation planning, and current issues for aid agencies.

Benefits adults experience through participation in continuing higher education

A cross-sectional study of McGill management certificate students investigated the benefits adults experience through continuing education. Four groups totalling 1,234 students were surveyed: entrants, graduates, alumni, and a group who had voluntarily withdrawn. Analysis of benefits anticipated by entrants provided a framework of six categores of benefits: career development, fulfilling external requirements, personal development, networking, gaining knowledge and personal fulfilment. The benefits reported by graduates match the goals of entrants, but the relative importance of the various benefits appears to change during the program. For entrants, career development ranks first as the primary motivation, while more of the graduates focus on personal development, and personal fulfilment. Both entrants and graduates emphasize the importance of gaining knowledge. The results were interpreted in terms of the empowerment provided by continuing education. Interesting differences by various student characteristics were explored. Although equally satisfied with the program's contribution to career development, women report slower advancement than men. Further differences by gender are that women expenence more personal development and personal fulfilment. While there are no significant differences by age, students with no pnor university education report higher gains in several areas. Knowledge gained, however, is highly valued regardless of prior education. It is those with several years of work experence and those who are most certain of their goals who report acquiring more knowledge than others. These findings have implications for admissions policy, program delivery and design, and support services.

The National Endowment for the Humanities and the United States Newspaper Program

The origin of the U.S. Newspaper Program and the involvement with it by the National Endowment for the Humanities are reviewed. Activities of the Endowment's Office of Preservation are described along with the U.S. Newspaper Program's contributions as a model for future cooperative preservation programs.

Developing a Productive Nursing Research Program in a Clinical Institution

Many nursing administrators are faced with the challenge of developing productive nursing research programs. This article describes a systematic process that develops a framework that can be used to establish a nursing research program in a clinical institution. With this process, each newly developed phase of the program is integrated into the program's framework and is consistent with the previously developed elements. This article discusses specific ways to maximize the program's productivity, credibility, and scientific contribution by focusing time and resources on research and estimating potential studies' viability.

How to Tap NASA Developed Technology

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space program's contribution to technology and the transfer of its achievements to industrial and consumer products is unprecedented. The process of transferring new technology suffers, however, partly because managers tend to ignore new technological markets unless new products solve their specific problems and partly because managers may not know the technology is available. NASA's Technology Utilization Branch has learned to initiate transfer, using a network of centers to dispense information on applications. NASA also has a large software library and computer programs, as well as teams to make person-to-person contacts. Examples of successful transfers have affected energy sources, building contruction, health, and safety. (DCK)

Towards community self-help in higher education

Abstract The development of a peer counselling programme by students at the University of Birmingham and by counsellors in training at the nearby University of Aston is described. The growth and development of the programme in terms of content, structure and rationale over the past two years are outlined, as are the results and implications of the development of new communication channels that it has facilitated on campus. The project's emphasis has shifted from providing services for others to concern for self development, and the implications both of this and of the programme's contribution to community development within the campus are discussed.

Towards community self-help in higher education

Abstract The development of a peer counselling programme by students at the University of Birmingham and by counsellors in training at the nearby University of Aston is described. The growth and development of the programme in terms of content, structure and rationale over the past two years are outlined, as are the results and implications of the development of new communication channels that it has facilitated on campus. The project's emphasis has shifted from providing services for others to concern for self development, and the implications both of this and of the programme's contribution to community development within the campus are discussed.

THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE'S NATIONAL COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CENTER IN THE SANITARIAN'S PROGRAM

The National Communicable Disease Center is the Public Health Service agency for the control of all infectious and certain other preventable diseases. The Center functions through organizational elements called programs—Epidemiology, Laboratory Improvement, Training, Tuberculosis, and Venereal Diseases. There is no program at the Center that does not affect the professional sanitarian as a member of the public health team.The Center's services in the field of epidemiology, in consultation, in laboratory aids to diagnoses, and in practical procedures affect directly the sanitarian's own program. The publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, reports epidemics caused by organisms disseminated by food, milk and water. This information should be invaluable to the sanitarian.The Training Program has the more significant effect on the sanitarian's effort to control infectious diseases. It provides not only training in the field of sanitation but provides services that state resources cannot afford, among which is help in developing and improving state training programs by producing training aids and the stimulation to use them.The Center's training program's contribution to the sanitarian consisted of twenty-three course subject areas directly connected to disease control by methods involving the alteration of environmental factors. In these courses, attended by 2,213 persons, 42% were engaged. directly in the sanitary sciences. Of the 24,000 total enrollment in 1966, 66% of the persons were from local and state health departments.