Shifting Spatialities of Power: The Case of Australasian Aviation

This paper explores how different modalities, spatialities and scales of power operate in a geopolitical context. By tracing the dynamic and shifting economic geographies of state and firm power in the events leading up to the collapse of a major Australian firm, Ansett Airlines, it reveals the difference that place and position make to the creation and use of power. The paper stresses agents’ relational positioning, their ‘places’ in multiple networks of association and the ways in which their past actions and visions of the future condition their strategic options. The paper contextualises the workings of power and explores how power relationships are re-configured in specific contested events. It concludes that power cannot be separated from the spatial and temporal dimensions of actual contexts, from actor’s positions in contexts, or from their strategic objective

Giving TESOL change a chance: supporting key players in the curriculum change process

The language of ‘western’ planned and managed TESOL curriculum change aid projects of the 1980–1990s continues to have a strong influence on the terms in which the objectives of 21st century, nationally planned TESOL curriculum change projects are expressed. It is apparently assumed that teachers worldwide will be able to make the cultural and professional adjustments necessary to enable such objectives to be achieved. Many 20th century TESOL aid projects achieved their stated objectives only partially, if at all. The same remains true of much nationally planned and managed TESOL curriculum change today. One important reason for such limited success, is change planners’ failure to adequately consider what support classroom teachers will need, when, and for how long, if they are to be helped to make the above adjustments. This paper does not intend to make value judgements regarding the beliefs about teaching and learning underlying any particular culture, or the classroom behaviours that these give rise to. It represents a pragmatic attempt to present some questions that those responsible for planning TESOL curriculum change might ask, before finally deciding on the objectives of such change in their own contexts. Answers to these questions can, it is suggested, help provide information about how key players (classroom teachers) are likely to experience the implementation of objectives. Based on this information, planners can try to establish systems that will support teachers during the critical first few years of the change process, so making it more likely that the process will ultimately begin to achieve its hoped-for outcomes

Monitoring and analysis of vital signs of a patient through a multi-agent application system

In the medical environment, the clinical study of the most basic vital signs of a patient represents the simplest and most effective way to detect and monitor health problems. There are many diseases that can be diagnosed and controlled through regular monitoring of these medical data. The purpose of this study is to develop a monitoring and tracking system for the various vital signs of a patient. In particular, this work focuses on the design of a multi-agent architecture composed of virtual organizations with capabilities to integrate different medical sensors on an open, low-cost hardware platform. This system integrates hardware and software elements needed for the routine measurement of vital signs, performed by the patient or caregiver without having to go to a medical center

ICT-facilitated accountability and engagement in health systems: a review of Making All Voices Count mHealth for accountability projects

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) and mHealth innovations hold great potential to improve health systems and health outcomes while at the same time enhancing citizen engagement and accountability. Yet there has been little assessment of the impact of mHealth innovations on the ground. This paper reviews the experiences of seven mHealth initiatives funded by the Making All Voices Count programme. It discusses the accountability model adopted by each project, and the challenges they faced. The report concludes that there are limits to what technology can deliver in terms of augmenting citizen voice and enhancing accountability, particularly in the absence of other offline activities such as engaging citizens in meaningful ways and building good relationships with key government actors and departments. The initiatives discussed include: OurHealth, eThekwini WACs and Thuthuzela Voices (all in South Africa), Mobile Mapping for Women’s Health (Tanzania), Text2Speak (Nigeria), SMS Gateway (Indonesia), and Citizen Journalism for Quality Governance of Universal Health Insurance Scheme (also Indonesia).DFIDUSAIDSidaOmidyar Networ

Medication Complications in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

The need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy is a marker of disease severity for which multiple medications are required. The therapy causes physiologic changes that impact drug pharmacokinetics. These changes can lead to exposure-driven decreases in efficacy or increased incidence of side effects. The pharmacokinetic changes are drug specific and largely undefined for most drugs. We review available drug dosing data and provide guidance for use in the ECMO patient population