bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Delphi Method Application in the Analysis of Postgraduate Students' Attitudes on the Environmental Performance Index
Authors: Petrovic Natasa , Petkovic Jasna , Makajic-Nikolic Dragana , Jaksic Maja Levi , Cirovic Marko
Published: September 2016

In the context of growing concern over the global environment and related sustainability issues, the purpose of this research is to stimulate discussion about the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) and its necessary role not only in measuring postgraduate students' attitudes about EPI, and its nine categories underpinned, but also, their important role in the development of appropriate curriculum of programs that are about environmental management and sustainable development as well. Further on, the obtained results of the presented research in the paper broaden the understanding of the opportunities for not only the Republic of Serbia but every country as well, in using the EPI methodology as it has a wide applicability in improving environmental pillars of their future sustainability.
Levering Critical Collaboration
Authors: Crosby Alexandra Lara , Morgan Adam C.
Published: September 2016

This chapter presents an intervention in Design Thinking, a first year interdisciplinary design subject at the University of Technology Sydney. Over two iterations of this subject, researchers reframed the ‘group work' component as critical collaboration, drawing from the momentum in the design professions for more participatory and collaborative processes and the increasing acknowledgement of design as being critical to sustainable human futures. The online self and peer assessment tool SPARKPlus was used to change the way students approached collaboration and then reflected on it following their experiences. In this model, self and peer assessment is used as a leaver to encourage critical thinking about collaboration, rather than as a hammer to enforce participation.
A History of Police Psychology
Authors: Trompetter Philip S.
Published: September 2016

This chapter briefly identifies important societal events and governmental responses that set the stage for the emergence of the specialty of police psychology, provides the names and departments of early practitioners (1963-1990) of police psychology, and explains how the current definition of police psychology was developed, with its four domains and 55 proficiencies. The maturation of the specialty is outlined from its recognition as an American Psychological Association (APA) proficiency, to the creation of an American Board of Police & Public Safety Psychology (ABPPSP) specialty board, and most recently to its recognition as an APA specialty.
A Five-Factor Model Inventory for Use in Screening Police Officer Applicants
Authors: Detrick Paul , Chibnall John T.
Published: September 2016

The Five Factor Model (FFM) is widely accepted as a valid descriptor of normal personality and commonly used as a framework for prediction of job performance. As an inventory that operationalizes the FFM, the NEO PI-R is often utilized in personnel selection. The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training has identified ten dimensions that increasingly serve as a template for the screening of police officer applicants. These screening dimensions are based on the FFM. The NEO PI-R thus appears well suited to serve as an inventory used for screening police officer applicants. A literature review is provided and strengths and weaknesses of the inventory discussed.
Critical Incident Interventions
Authors: Brucia Emily , Cordova Matthew J. , Ruzek Josef I.
Published: September 2016

Police officers are exposed to many critical incidents throughout their careers. This chapter discusses critical incident exposure and psychological sequelae in police officers, police culture, obstacles to mental health care, currently utilized early interventions, existing research for these approaches, alternative evidence-based early interventions, emerging models, and directions for future research. Given the frequency and potential impact of critical incidents, early intervention for exposed police officers is of central importance. One of the most commonly utilized group early interventions, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD), has limited empirical support, such that some departments are being advised against its use. That said, there are important challenges in identifying better, evidence-based alternatives.
First Responder Psychological Recovery Following a Mass Casualty Event
Authors: Garrido Sara , Nicoletti John
Published: September 2016

Mass Casualty Events (MCE) have an extraordinary impact on an entire community. The impact on victims' families, survivors, and community members is often the subject of significant attention; however, rarely does the impact on first responders (law enforcement officers, firefighters, dispatchers, crime scene investigators/photographers, etc.) garner the same coverage. Additionally, agencies can quickly become overwhelmed by the magnitude of the response causing them to overlook the psychological impact of these incidents on their personnel. Serving as specialists in police and public safety psychology, crisis intervention, and trauma recovery, the authors reflect on lessons learned from their response to multiple MCEs, including the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and the 2012 Aurora Century 16 Theater shooting, and offer recommendations to agencies regarding crisis response and trauma recovery.
Employee Assistance Programs
Authors: Axelrod Evan M.
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce and explore counseling and psychological services for law enforcement officers that extend beyond critical incident interventions. In particular, this chapter focuses on Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), including discussion of how such programs have become an essential tool in supporting and sustaining law enforcement officers, their families, the agencies they work for, and the communities they serve. This chapter discusses what an EAP is, the benefits of EAPs, and the return on investment that public safety agencies can expect when utilizing an EAP. Relevant topics such as confidentiality, internal vs. external EAPs, and the need for specialized EAPs for public safety agencies are addressed. Finally, the chapter also explores non-traditional services that can be offered through EAPs to assist public safety agencies in supporting and sustaining their personnel in meeting their mission of serving the public.
Transition to Gainful Employment of High School Students with ASD
Authors: Caywood KayDee , Rousseau Dominique Langford
Published: September 2016

The following action research study is focused on the effectiveness of the transition to work programs for students with a diagnosis of autism. The research was conducted in a middle-sized school district in Southern California. The study identified graduates from high school who were part of the transition work programs before receiving their certificate of completion or high school diploma. The objective of the study was to establish if the students were employed and to determine the effectiveness of the transition to work program. This qualitative study used surveys and interviews of the graduate students, the students' parents or legal guardians, and the students' previous employers. The researcher obtained information about the effectiveness of the transition work program in relation to the specific training provided by the program in the areas of social skills, knowledge of expectations, sequencing steps of a task and carryout steps until completion, and the ability to ask question when needed.
The Promise and Relevance of Emerging Technologies in the Education of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Begoli Edmon , DeFalco Jeanine , Ogle Cristi
Published: September 2016

This chapter is a survey of the application areas of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies in the education and behavioral therapies for children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This survey includes the most recent successful applications of social skill training through VR and AR for ASD populations. VR and AR technologies are rapidly increasing in popularity and availability due to the improved affordability and availability of high-performance devices. This chapter provides an overview of some of the most recent devices and tools that could be of use for educational and social skill development purposes.
Fourth World Theory and Methods of Inquiry
Authors: Ryser Rudolph Carl , Gilio-Whitaker Dina , Bruce Heidi G.
Published: September 2016

Fourth World Theory (FWT) emerged in the experience of political leaders and scholars seeking to explain the position of non-state nations and peoples in their political and sometimes violent interactions with other non-state nations and with states' governments that pursue dominance and control over territories and peoples inside claimed boundaries. The conceptual framework of FWT is rooted in the dynamic and evolving relationships between people, the land and the cosmos. Authors explain the globally shared Four Directions metaphor as symbolic of the relational connection of human experience with the land and the cosmos; and how this emblematic instrument blends qualitative, quantitative and relational reasoning to apply knowledge systems that have local, regional and global applications. The authors seek to present a tested conceptual framework that permits one to explain social, economic, political, environmental, strategic and cultural phenomena blending indigenous scientific knowledge with conventional sciences.
Learning and Asserting an African Indigenous Health Research Framework
Authors: Pienaar Abel Jacobus
Published: September 2016

The researcher locates the research into the context of the current situation of African Indigenous Health Knowledge Systems enquiry. The study interrogates the use of research frameworks and paradigms that are based on western standards. This research is carried out against the backdrop of past injustices caused by colonization and the western-based education system. However, in this research, the heritage of the African Indigenous Health System that stood the test of time is emphasized. It is noteworthy to mention that the intention of this research is not to negate western research paradigms and methodologies, but to assert an African indigenous health research framework. The researcher makes use of African Indigenous research methodology to collect and analyze the data. Findings are based on the worldview, epistemology and practice in an African indigenous community, hence a framework for African Indigenous Health Knowledge Research is proposed accordingly, which also applies to general African indigenous research.
Language, Participation, and Indigenous Knowledge Systems Research in Mqatsheni, South Africa
Authors: Khupe Constance
Published: September 2016

This chapter is informed by findings from a science education interpretive study carried out in collaboration with an isiZulu-speaking community. Indigenous languages constitute intellectual and cultural resources that are important for local communities and for the society. The author argues for the recognition of indigenous languages as part of the call to decolonize research methodologies. The chapter positions research among indigenous peoples in the context of social justice and human rights, and shows how language fits in the transformation agenda. Drawing from findings from a research study carried out with a community in rural KwaZulu-Natal, the author asserts that the inclusion of indigenous languages in research frameworks contributes to meaningful participation, strengthens collaboration and facilitates the generation of authentic data.
Indigenous Knowledge Intelligence and African Development
Authors: Maune Alexander
Published: September 2016

This chapter examines some of the reasons why Indigenous Knowledge Intelligence (IKI) has been marginalised, especially from an Afro-centric point of view and how Africa has lagged behind economically although it is considered to be the cradle of civilization. This chapter provides a broader definition of IKI and development. The chapter also incorporates a case study of the Jewish people and the Talmud as their IKI. The chapter provides insights on how IKI leads to development. The chapter notes that a people which assimilate foreign cultures can no longer hope to continue an independent existence. It argues that African countries are unique and have unique IKI that has been marginalized and rendered useless due to colonialism and cultural imperialism. It is these intelligences that the author thinks need further scientific development to realize economic value. IKI must be the focal point of development.
Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge through Indigenous Languages in Zimbabwe
Authors: Hikwa Lawton , Maisiri Esabel
Published: September 2016

The chapter seeks to demonstrate the need to preserve indigenous knowledge through the preservation of indigenous languages in Zimbabwe. This is premised on linguistic determinism which states that language precedes thought and determines one's worldview. Therefore, by preserving indigenous languages, which in Zimbabwe have continued to be marginalized, the country would be preserving its intangible heritage and maintaining the diversity of its knowledge base. Activities undertaken to preserve indigenous languages are assessed and suggestions put forward on how library and information science professionals could also take part in preserving the knowledge resources. The chapter is based on a literature review.
Hybrid Method for Exploring Efficacy of Indigenous Management of Common Cold through African Therapy
Authors: Mphuthi David , Pienaar Abel Jacobus
Published: September 2016

Medicinal plants have been used by indigenous people for the treatment of different conditions since time immemorial. About 80% of the population in the world uses medicinal plants as the first line of treatment (WHO, 2003). The main aim of this study was to confirm for the western science that the knowledge of indigenous people is also a domain of science. The study was tried to understand the efficacy of indigenous management of influenza using two medicinal plants, namely, wildeals (Artmisia Afra) and wynruit (Ruta Graveolens). Indigenous populations have been managing the ailments, including flu, using medicinal plants. This form of therapy is not taken seriously, despite its widespread use today. The study used the hybrid methodology approach. The findings confirmed that generally the two medicinal plants used by the community to treat common cold are effective.
Pluralistic Tendencies in Healing Abantu Illness in the Contemporary South Africa
Authors: Ngqila Kholekile Hazel
Published: September 2016

Ukuhanjwa illness was used as an example to understanding abantu illnesses. With attributional theory ukuhanjwa illness is attributed to spiritual and social causes rather than biomedical causes, whereby causal link is socially constructed between ukuhanjwa illness and entry into the body by familiars. Issues explored included conceptualisation of ukuhanjwa illness. The focus of the chapter is on the reasons for continued pluralistic tendencies in healing regardless of the expectation by the West that people should be focusing on the use of the fast evolving biomedical healing methods. The ethnographic study took place among the Southern Nguni people of OR Tambo District Municipality (ORTDM) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Data was collected using qualitative and ethnographic research methods amongst a sample group of 50 participants. The sample was composed of traditional healers, mothers of children who have experienced ukuhanjwa illness, elderly people (male and female), biomedical practitioners and nurses.
Indigenous Communication
Authors: Agyepong Adelaide Owusu
Published: September 2016

Communication can be defined as a way of sharing ideas, information, opinions and feelings. This can also be described as a process through which information could be transferred from one entity to the other either verbally through speech or non-verbally through writing or signs. Indigenous communication can therefore be defined as the informal way of transmitting indigenous practices, entertainment, news, persuasion, announcements, and social exchanges of every type. The aim of this chapter is to document selected indigenous practices of the Akan tribe of Ghana. Narratives of the selected indigenous practices were obtained through interviews and participant observation. This study found out that indigenous practices of the Akan tribe of Ghana is gradually being lost through oral transmission of cultural practices between generations. The study therefore recommends the documentation of these indigenous practices to promote access, preservation and dissemination of valuable indigenous information for both present generation and generations to come.
Improving U.S. College Graduation Rates with Quality Online and Blended Degree Completion Programs
Authors: Braverman Lisa
Published: September 2016

The Lumina Foundation estimates the number of American adults possessing some college education, but no degree, to hover at about 47 million. CAEL approximates this number to be about 100 million when including adults without any previous college study. This chapter questions whether there are sufficient degree completion programs available in the U.S. to meet current demand. With the U.S. a dismal 19th in the 2015 OECD rankings of college graduation rates, this chapter makes the case that there is more work for American colleges and universities to do to address the gaping disparity between the number of Americans holding four-year degrees and those needed to provide the innovation required to maintain future American economic vitality. Finally, the chapter reviews the blended classroom approach as a highly effective model for serving the adult degree completion population and describes a successful program that was recently created at Long Island University.
The Relationship between Individual Student Attributes and Online Course Completion
Authors: Elmore Wendy Mays , Young J. Kenneth , Harris Sandra , Mason Diane
Published: September 2016

This study was designed to investigate the existence of a relationship between scores on the Individual Attributes subscales of the SmarterMeasure™ online learning readiness indicator and successful course completion in a first semester, undergraduate, online history, psychology, sociology, or English course. Archival data consisting of 433 records of student scores on the Individual Attributes subscale of the SmarterMeasure™ was used in this non-experimental, explanatory correlational research design. Controlling for the effect of course content and instructor, data were analyzed using partial correlation analysis. Results of the study suggested negligible to extremely weak, positive relationships between the individual subscales and passing grades in the designated courses. Although weak relationships were demonstrated in this study, community college administrators should strategically implement a best practices approach that utilizes an online readiness assessment within all online courses, to be completed within the first two weeks of the semester.
Exploration of Faculty's Perceptions on Technology Change
Authors: Outlaw Veronica , Rice Margaret L. , Wright Vivian H.
Published: September 2016

This chapter conveys the results of an original research study conducted in 2013-2014 to analyze the perceptions of faculty during a learning management system transition (frequent technology change or adoption). The purpose of the study is to determine if faculty perceptions of adopting new technology have an effect on their stress levels; thereby, affecting faculty preparedness. The literature indicates that higher Technological Self-Efficacy (TSE) should result in lower stress levels. Data analysis reveals faculty who indicated having moderate proficiency of TSE (45%) and possessing moderate stress levels (45%); having somewhat proficiency of TSE (27%) and possessing minor stress levels (32%); and having extreme proficiency of TSE (20%), yet possessing serious stress levels (14%). While these findings differ from other current literature findings, the literature does support the notion that higher stress levels have implications on faculty perceptions, behaviors, and preparedness (Iqbal & Kokash, 2011).
The Information Paradox
Authors: Shahtahmasebi Said
Published: September 2016

This paper is based on a 2008 chapter (Shahtahmasebi, 2008) exploring the availability of information for public health policy purposes which argued its ineffectiveness to add insight and inform the process of policy development. Processes are dynamic by nature which politicians and professionals often neglect in addressing public health issues. The Chapter argued that whilst information is a major currency within health systems a lack of understanding of what constitutes information has disguised available data as small change. Since 2008, against a backdrop of reorganisations, restructuring, buzzwords, and coupled with the rapid advancement in technology the issues remain the same but are somewhat more complicated due to the feedback effect of dynamic processes. For example, a curious persistence of various governments with electronic health records has done nothing to address the gap in “information” or incompatibility in the information systems developed and managed by various care agencies. Furthermore, changing information to “intelligence” (e.g. Public Health Intelligence Units) or “observatories” to carry out similar tasks of reporting health outcomes using the same routine data will not solve the problem. This paper proposes a re-evaluation of the author's focus on informatics and suggests a move away from a technological “solution” based approach to a human behaviour-led approach that utilises the full potential of technologies to address important issues. To this end, this paper proposes a conceptual model to improve access, over and above clinical data, to health data.
Health Policy Implementation and Its Barriers
Authors: Eneanya Augustine Nduka
Published: September 2016

The chapter describes policy implementation components of a health system in United States of America and explains how they affect health outcomes (service delivery). It argues that implemented policies affect various components of a health system in terms of service delivery, workforce, information, financing, medical products, technologies, leadership and governance. Using health system as framework of analysis, the paper explains that the outcome of health policy implementation determines the availability, quality and equitability of program service delivery. The chapter goes on to argue that policy implementation barriers, such as demand-and supply-side barriers, market, insufficient resources, cultural barriers, imperfect communication, information, education, coordination, leadership and governance affect the poor and vulnerable groups in developed and developing countries from benefitting from public spending on public health policies and programs.
On Piloting Web-Based Rabies Surveillance System for Humans and Animals
Authors: Kipanyula Maulilio J. , Sanga Camilius Aloyce , Geofrey Anna M. , Fue Kadeghe G.
Published: September 2016

Rabies is a neurodegerative viral zoonotic disease that affects all warm blooded animals. It is estimated that about 99% of human rabies cases are caused by dog bites. High prevalence of rabies has been reported in different parts of Tanzania. The disease has continued to cause public health threat to the communities due to weak passive and active surveillance systems. The data piloted in this study was based on the information gathered from Kilosa district. The geo information collected was used to develop a geospatial based system that can easily show the hotspots of rabies. The use of WEB GIS is likely to strengthen disease surveillance in Kilosa and other Districts of Tanzania. This approach offers a model for sharing both human and animal diseases surveillance information. Adoption of this approach is likely to increase awareness and timely response to rabies incidences.
Extending Care Outside of the Hospital Walls
Authors: Khuntia Jiban , Tanniru Mohan , Zervos John
Published: September 2016

In healthcare settings knowledge exchange among important stakeholders such as doctors, family and patients, and other care providers is a critical imperative. However, such a community modelled approach is missing, limited in scope or its business value not well understood. In this study, the authors illustrate the value potential and subsequent development of a business model for knowledge exchange within the healthcare delivery model outside a hospital setting. Specifically, they illustrate how Synchronous Video Consultation with social media features, in a staged approach, can support knowledge exchange among a network of community health care professionals who address global health disparities and sustain this exchange through resource generation. The authors discuss the contributions and implications of the proposed framework towards value creation in a collaborative setting in general and suggest opportunities for future research.
Successful Integration of Knowledge for Innovation
Authors: Magalhaes J. L. , Cartaxo R. , Antunes Adelaide M. S.
Published: September 2016

The challenges of the new century have put emerging countries center stage in the global economy. Public health is a priority for governments the world over and Brazil is one of them. Policies prioritizing essential medications like Ministry of Health Directive 1284 indicate existing trends and potential opportunities for investments in the Brazilian pharmaceuticals production chain. This chapter gives an overview of Product Development Partnerships in Brazil as part of a government incentive policy for the Brazilian pharmaceutical sector. The authors propose a methodology to prioritize the best choice among the 87 products listed as strategic by the Brazilian MoH. The proposed methodology indicates 11 products with high potential for production in Brazil and opportunities for the country's private sector.
Environmental Cost Studies and Their Application in Environmental Protection Planning for Electricity Production
Authors: Tomšić Željko
Published: September 2016

Different approaches may be used for estimating environmental costs of electricity generation, and the way they are applied may vary from situation to situation. The extent to which environmental costs should be considered as external costs (i.e. not borne directly by electricity producers) depends partly on the environmental protection policy of the country and on the control instruments that are implemented. Damage costs can be assessed by two approaches: “top-down” (which relies on aggregated data) and “bottom-up” (requires the use of site-specific data). This chapter describes external costs of electricity and impact pathway method for their calculation. This method links burdens to the environment caused by power generation chains with physical impacts they cause and assigns monetary values to those impacts. Calculated external costs can be applied in various environmental policy case studies. Two such applications are illustrated: cost-benefit analysis of imposing stricter NOx emission standard and inclusion of external costs in power system expansion planning.
Culture of Learning Cities
Authors: Dotson Ebbin , Hibbler Dan K. , Scott Leodis
Published: September 2016

This chapter contributes a conceptual framework for addressing the health of communities through the synergy of leisure, public health, and continuing education systems at a localized city level. The culture learning cities offers a broader setting and case for implementing solutions that increase the overall health of communities. Key built environments within learning cities, such as parks, can serve as nontraditional continuing education structures, where people can learn and share their differences and experiences that continually improve qualities of the individual, community, and society.
Hunting HIV-Positive Women in Greece as Parasites
Authors: Anastasia Pitsou
Published: September 2016

In this chapter, the authors discuss public policies of stigmatization and fascitization. In Greece, HIV-positive women have been imprisoned while their personal data have been published in newspapers and the social media aiming to inform citizens and to protect public health.
Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education
Authors: Stoner Lee , Perry Lane , Wadsworth Daniel , Gleason Mikell , Tarrant Michael A. , Page Rachel , Stoner Krystina R.
Published: September 2016

Despite growing public awareness, health systems are struggling under the escalating burden of non-communicable diseases. Arguably, one must place themselves within the broader/global context to begin to truly understand the health implications of personal choices. Fostering a ‘global citizen' perspective among graduates has become an integral part of the Higher Education (HE) discourse; this discourse can and should be extended to include global health. A global citizen is someone who is aware of global issues, socially responsible, and civically engaged. From this perspective, personal health is not solely an individual, self-serving act. Rather, the consequences of lifestyle choices and behaviours have far-reaching implications. This chapter details: (a) the development of an international global health course designed to foster global citizenship; (b) the research-led pedagogy; (c) the methods of student evaluation; and (d) the importance of such a course within the broader context of HE.
The Role of Average Health Status
Authors: Panayotov Jordan
Published: September 2016

Economic, social and environmental policies, programs and projects have impact on health. Health in All Policies (HiAP) aims to improve population health by taking into account these impacts. HiAP needs appropriate tools for assessing impacts on population health. When making choices between policy options, decision-makers rely on predictions from Health Impact Assessment. Currently there is no gold standard for establishing and assessing validity of predictions. This paper distinguishes between two levels of causal pathways regarding health impacts – specific and conditional, and proposes the Average Health Status – Health Inequalities Matrix as gold standard. The Matrix facilitates making the right choices at any level and local context, thus is useful for researchers, policy-makers and practitioners for designing, analysing and evaluating all kinds of policies. By allowing quick, reliable and inexpensive appraisal of different policy options the matrix makes feasible taking into account the impacts on population health and paves the way for institutionalizing of HiAP.
Organizational Leadership and Health Care Reform
Authors: Ruffin T. Ray , Hawkins Joyce Marie , Lee D. Israel
Published: September 2016

Policies, health, and government regulations affect various Health Care organizations and their members. One such policy, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, attempts to improve the performance of health care systems through the use of technology, such as Electronic Health Records (Bluementhal, 2010). The most critical task of leadership is to establish a mindset at the top of the organization and function to infuse a culture of excellence throughout the organization (Bentkover, 2012). Health organizations can only progress if their members share a set of values and are single-mindedly committed to achieving openly defined objectives (Bentkover, 2012). This chapter investigates organizational leadership in relation to health care reforms to include trends in health care leadership, Stratified Systems Theory (SST), Systems Thinking, and regulators perspectives. The chapter will consist of the following sections: background; issues controversies, and problems; solutions and recommendation; future research directions; and conclusion.
When the System Fails
Authors: Ford Jacqueline Y.
Published: September 2016

Guided by the lens of psychodynamic theory, Ford (2015) investigated the challenges faced by adoptive families of traumatized children. Fifteen families were randomly selected to participate in this study from a group of 30 parents who adopted traumatized children in Arizona. Thematic categories were drawn and summarized. Textual descriptions evolved from the thematic groups acknowledging their experiences and how these lived experiences guided their decision to adopt a traumatized child. Verification techniques, data mining, journaling, clustering, brainstorming, and peer reviews were used to ensure the quality of data. Emergent themes emphasized the need for adoption-focused training specific to traumatized children. Ford's (2015) study revealed that these adoptive families desired to be equipped with specialized therapeutic training before and after their adoptions.
The Idea of Human Rights in Conditions of Hospital Treatment
Authors: Sygit Bogusław , Wąsik Damian
Published: September 2016

The aim of this chapter is describing of the influence of universal human rights and civil liberties on the formation of standards for hospital care. The authors present definition of the right to life and the right to health. Moreover in the section it is discussed modern standards of hospital treatment under the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality. The authors discuss in detail about selected examples realization of human rights in the treatment of hospital and forms of their violation. During the presentation of these issues, the authors analyze a provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and use a number of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights issued in matters concerning human rights abuses in the course of treatment and hospitalization.
What Drives the Adoption of Social Media Applications by the Public Sector?
Authors: Ma Liang
Published: September 2016

Social media applications (SMAs) have been increasingly used by the public sector to interactively communicate with citizens, businesses, and other stakeholders, but we know little about what drives their adoption and usage. In this paper the author hypothesizes that SMA adoption is jointly shaped by top management characteristics, organizational attributes, and interorganizational and environmental factors. Drawing on a national survey of the U.S. local health departments (LHDs), his empirical findings suggest that the age and career background of top executives, organizational size, jurisdictional coverage, quality improvement initiatives, contracting-out experience, and emergency presence are key predictors of SMA adoption. The author also finds that the adoption and number of SMAs are affected by two different groups of antecedents. The results contribute to our understanding of SMA adoption and generate meaningful policy implications for LHDs and other public sectors.
Towards European Modern Societies with Health Systems That Are Able to Add More Years to Life, But Also to Add More Life to Years
Authors: Lorena Androutsou , Foulvia Androutsou
Published: September 2016

The political context in Europe is changing including health. Among the priorities in seeking to influence the future of healthcare is a renewed attachment to health for all, health in all policies and a better coordination between social and health policy. Health issues are by definition international, and Europe has a duty to extend solidarity to the wider world population, in strategy and in delivery. Ensuring equitable access to high-quality healthcare constitutes a key challenge for health systems throughout Europe. The chapter will emphasise the importance of European public health policies. The chapter will offer a real opportunity to address public health areas and values such as right to access to healthcare into the detailed mechanisms of European policy. The chapter will form a tool for health leaders, to enrich their knowledge in the public health spectrum from a European perspective, to support, promote and improve healthcare access at a national level.
The States as Generators of Incremental Change in American Health Care Policy
Authors: Peters Robert A. , Cruz Minerva
Published: September 2016

The literature defines the role of interest groups and administration officials in the evolution of health care policy but does not acknowledge the impact of Congressional casework or the initial Social Security (OASI) eligibility criteria. There is, as a result, an inadequate appreciation for (1) the extent to which the initial development of federal policy was a function of Congressional delegations pursuing initiatives that would increase the flow of federal dollars their states could use to expand health services or (2) the way in which the regional cleavages created OASI eligibility criteria combined with the South's control of Congressional leadership positions to yield an expansion of health care for indigent people while intentionally delaying the creation of Medicare. This chapter addresses these gaps and provides a more complete picture of the way in which the incremental, unplanned evolution of federal health care policy was the product of using federal resources to diminish the states' fiscal needs and the south's capacity to temporarily control the health care agenda.
Evaluating Characteristics Adherence Level to Design Framework for Pervasive Projects
Authors: Khalfi Mohammed Fethi , Benslimane Sidi Mohamed
Published: September 2016

The proliferation of wireless communications and mobile computing is producing a revolutionary change in information society. Ubiquitous Computing is a recent paradigm whose objective is to support users in accomplishing their tasks, accessing information, or communicating with other users anytime, anywhere. In this paper, the authors present novel characteristics of pervasive projects; they display different levels of adherence to the ubiquity characteristics. They suppose this can be considered an important step towards to provide the core elements of an architecture for intelligent environment. This framework can be used to support the characterization of ubiquitous projects according to their ubiquity adherence level from different application domains (smart house, pervasive healthcare, U-learning and urban space).
An Unordered ACM MODEL Optimizing the Risk on RTOS
Authors: Pradhan Padma
Published: September 2016

In the recent computing age, there are is frequent change of climate on business, resources and technology to co-op with the sophisticated society in around the globe. At the same time increasing the uncertainty, un order, un safe and un setup due to hacker and down time of communication system is a great obstacle on one's day to day business. The author's objective is to resolve these uncertainty problems to develop the un order ACM to optimize the resources and technology and maximize the business, quality of services for all the time and every time which is applicable to pervasive and ubiquitous technology. The relation, function, operation and services is the vital role for all aspect of multiples business and technologies in around the cloud services. Meanwhile, it will be more accountable for performance, fault tolerance, throughput, bench marking and risk optimization on any web services for all the time. One has to make more simplification, normalization, unification by applying un order ACM mechanism based on distributed object oriented system on multi-dimensional work culture.
A Context-Aware Mobility Indoor Positioning System
Authors: Ferry Eugene , O'Raw John , Curran Kevin
Published: September 2016

The need for location based services has dramatically increased within the past few years, especially with the popularity and capability of mobile device such as smart phones and tablets. The limitation of GPS for indoor positioning has seen an increase of indoor positioning based on Wireless Local Area Network 802.11. The authors demonstrate here a real world application of determining one's location with the Cisco Context-Aware Mobility which provides a Real Time Location System solution based on Wi-Fi. They detail their implementation of an Android application which communicates with the Cisco Context-Aware Mobility system to visually display the location of the mobile device. The application was tested in a production environment and limitations in the production environment along with the diagnostic capabilities of the Context-Aware Mobility were identified. The authors found that to obtain optimal accuracy, a device must be detected by four or more Access points so a recommended distribution for an indoor positioning system built on the Cisco context-aware mobility framework is for an Access Point to be placed every 12 – 20 linear meters.
A Comparative Study of Improved Teaching Learning Based Optimization Technique on Economic Load Dispatch Problem with Generator Constraints
Authors: Banerjee Sumit , Chanda Chandan , Maity Deblina
Published: September 2016

This article presents a novel improved teaching learning based optimization (I-TLBO) technique to solve economic load dispatch (ELD) problem of the thermal plant without considering transmission losses. The proposed methodology can take care of ELD problems considering practical nonlinearities such as ramp rate limit, prohibited operating zone and valve point loading. The objective of economic load dispatch is to determine the optimal power generation of the units to meet the load demand, such that the overall cost of generation is minimized, while satisfying different operational constraints. I-TLBO is a recently developed evolutionary algorithm based on two basic concepts of education namely teaching phase and learning phase. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm has been verified on test system with equality and inequality constraints. Compared with the other existing techniques demonstrates the superiority of the proposed algorithm.
Analysing of Harmonics Affecting the Energy Quality in Opium Alkaloids Plant's Power System
Authors: Oğuz Yüksel , Şahin Mustafa , Güven Yılmaz , Tuğcu Hatice Zeliha
Published: September 2016

The quality of energy has been defined to control harmonics caused by non-linear loads and international standards were brought to overcome the harmonic related problems. In determining the power quality, parameters like current-voltage harmonic, transient, flicker, current and voltage imbalance between phases, K factor are examined according to these international standards. The biggest disadvantage of harmonics is that they do not affect the power quality over an individual network but also affect the entire energy system primarily neighbouring facilities. Therefore, the energy system of Opium Alkaloids Plant was examined by using measurements information of current and voltage harmonics affecting the energy quality. And, it has been determined that the harmonics have a negative impact on energy quality. According to these findings, it has been proposed to install a well-designed filter for elimination of harmonics. Besides, it has been emphasised that new hardwares and devices should be chosen to support this harmonic filtering system in the future.
Grey Wolf Optimization to Solve Load Frequency Control of an Interconnected Power System
Authors: Guha Dipayan , Roy Provas Kumar , Banerjee Subrata
Published: September 2016

In this article, a novel optimization algorithm called grey wolf optimization (GWO) with the theory of quasi-oppositional based learning (Q-OBL) is proposed for the first time to solve load frequency control (LFC) problem. An equal two-area thermal power system equipped with classical PID-controller is considered for this study. The power system network is modeled with governor dead band and time delay nonlinearities to get better insight of LFC system. 1% load perturbation in area-1 is considered to appraise the dynamic behavior of concerned power system. Integral time absolute error and least average error based fitness functions are defined for fine tuning of PID-controller gains employing the proposed method. An extensive comparative analysis is performed to establish the superiority of proposed algorithm over other recently published algorithms. Finally, sensitivity analysis is performed to show the robustness of the designed controller with system uncertainties.
Applications Driven Information Systems
Authors: Lavassani Kayvan Miri , Movahedi Bahar
Published: September 2016

Advancements in organizational information systems and developments in business environments have brought important changes to the contemporary management practices and business models. Organizations have evolved beyond their specific and general environments towards business ecosystems. This study investigates the evolutions of organizational information systems and business environments in the contexts of business ecosystem. Based on an evolutionary study of organizational information systems and business ecosystem an ontological model is proposed for adoption of new technologies in the real world designs with particular attention to the application of technology. The authors call for further empirical and conceptual research in understanding and exploring the role of business ecosystems in organizational operations and industrial ecosystems.
Investigating Relationships Between Supply Chain Capabilities, Competitive Advantage, and Business Performance
Authors: Chiadamrong Navee , Tham Tran Thi
Published: September 2016

Growing in the competitive environment, organizations need to find ways to improve their performance even better by ensuring that all key drivers are being developed and utilized effectively. Thai and Vietnamese food industries are rapidly growing sectors. This study investigates the relationships between supply chain capabilities and competitive advantages towards business performance, and compares the above mentioned relationships between Thai and Vietnamese food industries. The data were gathered from conducted surveys with the food manufacturing companies in both countries, and tested by Structural Equation Modeling. The empirical results show that supply chain capabilities play an important role in business improvement in both countries. While, supply chain integration is considered as a critical factor for the Vietnamese food industry, human resource management is much regarded as important for the Thai food industry. These findings help companies in each country decide the best strategy for differentiating themselves in their business environment.
HIPAA Security and Privacy Rules Auditing in Extreme Programming Environments
Authors: Alsaadi Mahmood , Qasaimeh Malik , Tedmori Sara , Almakadmeh Khaled
Published: September 2016

Healthcare business is responsible of keeping patient data safe and secure by following the rules of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, (HIPAA). Agile software organizations that deal with healthcare software system face a number of challenges to demonstrate that their process activities conform to the rules of HIPAA. Such organizations must establish a software process life cycle and develop procedures, tools, and methodologies that can manage the HIPAA requirements during the different stages of system development, and also must provide evidences of HIPAA conformity. This paper proposes an auditing model for HIPAA security and privacy rules in XP environments. The design of the proposed model is based on an evaluation theory which takes as its input the work of Lopez ATAM, and the standards of common criteria (CC) concepts. The proposed auditing model has been assessed based on four case studies. The auditing result shows that the proposed model is capable of capturing the auditing evidences in most of the selected case studies.