AN ENCOMPASSING FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATING SIMPLE MONETARY POLICY RULES

In this paper we build an encompassing framework to analyse the stability conditions associated with various policy rules. Taylor and others have argued that model stability requires interest rate policy rules to have an inflation feedback parameter greater than one. In a world where there are nominal rigidities in the short-term evolution of demand this may not be the case. We show that with a combined nominal GDP and inflation targeting rule, this stability condition is overly restrictive. We use stochastic simulations to evaluate various monetary policy rules, and parameterisations, that are nested within a general framework. We do this using the National Institutes Global Econometric Model, NiGEM, which combines a neo-classical structure and rational expectations with institutional detail. Our results show that while one rule may be the most effective at stabilising the EMU aggregates, another may be more effective for individual economies, implying a change in the covariance structure of output and inflation within EMU. We discuss the resulting covariance structure and their implications for decision making within the ECB.

Die Scham - Begleiterin der Geburt : eine Arbeit über die von den Frauen empfundene Scham während der Geburt und ihren Einfluss auf das Geburtserlebnis

Das Gefühl der Scham ist allen Menschen bekannt und wird unter anderem ausgelöst, wenn die Intimsphäre eines Menschen verletzt wird. In der Pflege wurden Studien zur Scham bereits durchgeführt und festgestellt, dass sie mit der Entblössung des Schambereiches und der Verletzung der Intimsphäre auftritt. Da auch die Geburt mit mehreren Eingriffen in die Intimsphäre verbunden ist, kann angenommen werden, dass Scham von gebärenden Frauen empfunden wird. Mit dieser Arbeit werden Situationen und Umstände, in denen Frauen während der Geburt Scham erleben, und den Einfluss der Scham auf das Geburtserlebnis aufgezeigt. Dazu wurden in dieser themengeleiteten Bachelorarbeit Erfahrungsberichte von Frauen aus verschiedenen Blogs und Foren verwendet, sowie qualitative Studien ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit zeigen auf, dass Frauen während der Geburt Scham erleben und diese das Geburtserlebnis negativ färben kann. Häufig wird Scham in Verbindung mit dem Kontrollverlust von Körperausscheidungen, dem Verlust der Selbstbeherrschung oder vollständiger Nacktheit erlebt. Weitere Forschung ist notwendig, um das Erleben von Scham und den Einfluss auf die Geburt zu untersuchen, damit Hebammen und ärztliches Fachpersonal bezüglich dieser Situationen und Umstände sensibilisiert und Lösungsansätze für die praktischen Tätigkeiten geboten werden können

Augmentation du risque cardiovasculaire et de mortalité chez le patient adulte insuffisant rénal chronique: quand et comment traiter l'hyperphosphatémie en traitement conservateur ? : travail de Bachelor

Introduction: L’insuffisance rénale chronique (IRC) est une pathologie complexe entraînant de nombreuses complication métaboliques, dont l’hyperphosphatémie.Le risque cardiovasculaire (CV) et de mortalité est indirectement proportionnel au débit de filtration glomérulaire et directement proportionnel à la phosphatémie. Les recommandations données par les sociétés savantes pour traiter l’hyperphosphatémie sont peu concrètes et hétérogènes. En l’absence de consensus des guidelines, les diététiciens(nes) manquent d’indications claires pour optimiser la prise en charge nutritionnelle de l’hyperphosphatémie chez les patients adultes avec IRC en traitement conservateur, population choisie pour notre travail de Bachelor. But: Notre première question de recherche (QdR n°1) vise à établir à partir de quel seuil de phosphatémie le risque CV et/ou de mortalité augmente, pour déterminer à partir de quand une intervention nutritionnelle se révèle nécessaire. Notre deuxième question de recherche (QdR n°2) vise à mettre en lumière les priorités de la prise en charge nutritionnelle concernant le P selon les guidelines et les études publiées après les derniers guidelines, qui datent de 2010. Méthode: Afin de répondre à la QdR n°1, nous avons effectué une revue systématique sur plusieurs bases de données à partir de janvier 2011 jusqu’à mai 2017. Ensuite, une revue narrative comprenant une analyse des guides de recommandations et des études récentes (2013-2017) nous a permis de répondre à la QdR n°2. Résultats: Notre revue systématique inclut dix études, dont sept de cohorte et trois transversales. Neuf études ont trouvé une association significative entre un seuil de phosphatémie situé entre 1.20 et 1.62 mmol/l (3.72-5.01 mg/dl) et l’augmentation du risque CV et/ou de mortalité chez les patients avec IRC en traitement conservateur. D’après notre revue narrative, les priorités de la prise en cahrge de l’hyperphosphatémie selon les guidelines sont: la restriction des apports alimentaires en phosphore (P) et l’utilisation de chélateurs de P. Les études récentes relèvent néanmoins que l’association en apports en P et phosphatémie demeure hypothétique et que l’efficacité des chélateurs n’a pas été prouvé chez la population IRC en traitement conservateur. De plus, la biodisponibilité du P serait plus importante que la quantité consommée. Conclusion: Lorsque la phosphatémie se situe à la limite supérieure des normes de laboratoire (≤ 1.45 mmol/l), une intervention nutritionnelle concernant le P serait déjà nécessaire. Toutefois, les priorités de cette intervention restent controversées. Des essais contrôlés randomisés sont nécessaires pour déterminer l’impact réel des apports alimentaires en P sur la phosphatémie et pour évaluer le bénéfice réel des interventions visant à diminuer la phosphatémie sur le risque CV et/ou de mortalité chez notre population d’intérêt

Implementing Service Learning in Pre-service Teacher Coursework

Service learning remains a topic of interest in higher education. It has become more prevalent in teacher preparation programs with the intent of providing the opportunity for pre-service teachers to become engaged with individuals who have different life experiences than their own. Lessons can be learned through a review of the literature and the examination of existing models of service learning, including an honest discussion of the advantages and potential barriers for all stakeholders

The injury epidemiology of cyclists based on a road trauma registry

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bicycle use has increased in some of France's major cities, mainly as a means of transport. Bicycle crashes need to be studied, preferably by type of cycling. Here we conduct a descriptive analysis.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>A road trauma registry has been in use in France since 1996, in a large county around Lyon (the Rhône, population 1.6 million). It covers outpatients, inpatients and fatalities. All injuries are coded using the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). Proxies were used to identify three types of cycling: learning = children (0-10 years old); sports cycling = teenagers and adults injured outside towns; cycling as means of transport = teenagers and adults injured in towns. The study is based on 13,684 cyclist casualties (1996-2008).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The percentage of cyclists injured in a collision with a motor vehicle was 8% among children, 17% among teenagers and adults injured outside towns, and 31% among those injured in towns. The percentage of serious casualties (MAIS 3+) was 4.5% among children, 10.9% among adults injured outside towns and 7.2% among those injured in towns. Collisions with motor-vehicles lead to more internal injuries than bicycle-only crashes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The description indicates that cyclist type is associated with different crash and injury patterns. In particular, cyclists injured in towns (where cycling is increasing) are generally less severely injured than those injured outside towns for both types of crash (bicycle-only crashes and collisions with a motor vehicle). This is probably due to lower speeds in towns, for both cyclists and motor vehicles.</p

Public understanding of plant biology: Voices from the bottom of the garden

Many household gardeners accumulate considerable knowledge of plant biology through a range of informal learning sources. This knowledge seldom relates to school biology and is driven by interest, keen motivation and what is termed here ‘vital relevance’. A small opportunity sample of 12 gardeners (6 M, 6 F) is interviewed in terms of their knowledge of plant biology and their motives for learning. They are largely self-educated, their knowledge is quite specific though piecemeal and their motivation has a strong affective dimension

Defining neurotrauma in administrative data using the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision

Abstract Background It is essential to use a definition that is precise and accurate for the surveillance of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and spinal cord injuries (SCI). This paper reviews the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) definitions used internationally to inform the definition for neurotrauma surveillance using administrative data in Ontario, Canada. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, Medline and the grey literature were searched for keywords "spinal cord injuries" or "brain injuries" and "international classification of diseases". All papers and reports that used an ICD-10 definition were included. To determine the ICD-10 codes for inclusion consensus across papers and additional evidence were sought to look at the correlation between the condition and brain or spinal injuries. Results Twenty-four articles and reports were identified; 15 unique definitions for TBI and 7 for SCI were found. The definitions recommended for use in Ontario by this paper are F07.2, S02.0, S02.1, S02.3, S02.7, S02.8, S02.9, S06, S07.1, T90.2, and T90.5 for traumatic brain injuries and S14.0, S14.1, S24.0, S24.1, S34.1, S34.0, S34.3, T06.0, T06.1 and T91.3 for spinal cord injuries. Conclusions Internationally, inconsistent definitions are used to define brain and spinal cord injuries. An abstraction study of data would be an asset in understanding the effects of inclusion and exclusion of codes in the definition. This paper offers a definition of neurotrauma for surveillance in Ontario, but the definition could be applied to other countries that have mandated administrative data collection

Coaching as a support function for potential entrepreneurs

Background: There is a longstanding debate on whether the practice of coaching support is useful for entrepreneurs who lack the skills and assistance needed to make a success of their businesses. Aim: To gain a better understanding of the benefits derived from coaching support, this study explores the debate on whether coaching is useful as a support function for entrepreneurs. Setting: Entrepreneurs who participated in a support intervention programme to assist them with the development or growth of their business. Methods: This study employed a qualitative research design and used 12 semi-structured, face-to-face interviews that were conducted with entrepreneurs from the Pretoria region, who received support intervention for business purposes between August and October 2015. Results: The study found that confusion still exists around the concepts of coaching and mentoring. Furthermore, it was found that both mentoring and coaching are useful as a support function for entrepreneurs, as evidenced through the benefits derived from the intervention. These benefits mainly include the development of skills, particularly of 21st-century skills, new perspectives, enhanced communication, increased self-awareness and learning, and were facilitated by learning. Conclusion: Both mentoring and coaching can benefit potential entrepreneurs; however, each form contributes different benefits. Coaching contributes to the self-development of entrepreneurs, whilst mentoring assists in the development of managerial functions needed to successfully start and grow a business. It is clear that these different forms of support intervention aid in developing different skills, and therefore, entrepreneurs should articulate their required needs before engaging support

Incorporating Genomics and Bioinformatics across the Life Sciences Curriculum

Undergraduate life sciences education needs an overhaul, as clearly described in the National Research Council of the National Academies’ publication BIO 2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists. Among BIO 2010’s top recommendations is the need to involve students in working with real data and tools that reflect the nature of life sciences research in the 21st century [1]. Education research studies support the importance of utilizing primary literature, designing and implementing experiments, and analyzing results in the context of a bona fide scientific question [1–12] in cultivating the analytical skills necessary to become a scientist. Incorporating these basic scientific methodologies in undergraduate education leads to increased undergraduate and post-graduate retention in the sciences [13–16]. Toward this end, many undergraduate teaching organizations offer training and suggestions for faculty to update and improve their teaching approaches to help students learn as scientists, through design and discovery (e.g., Council of Undergraduate Research [www.cur.org] and Project Kaleidoscope [ www.pkal.org])

A systematic review of studies measuring health-related quality of life of general injury populations

Background. It is important to obtain greater insight into health-related quality of life (HRQL) of injury patients in order to document people's pathways to recovery and to quantify the impact of injury on population health over time. We performed a systematic review of studies measuring HRQL in general injury populations with a generic health state measure to summarize existing knowledge. Methods. Injury studies (1995-2009) were identified with main inclusion criteri