Community Development in Mozambique: Evaluating Impact Assessment Methodologies

This paper is an analysis of an impact assessment conducted by University of Arkansas students and finalized by Abby Davidson during the 2014 Community Development in Mozambique study abroad program. The assessment was based on a developmental poultry organization in the Nampula region. In order to evaluation the assessment several theories of impact assessment were utilized. Construction of a proper counterfactual, the mitigation of selection bias, appropriateness of impact indicators, and validity were all used to consider the methodologies employed in the aforementioned assessment. Based on these criteria it was found that The Impact of poultry in Northern Mozambique failed to adhere to several base principles. A true counterfactual was not created to provide a base comparison of the effects of poultry. Also no method as employed to minimize selection bias, and validity could have been improved. The one element that the assessment did adhere to was the selection of two proper impact indicators, employment and income. Due to these shortcomings, three recommendations were rendered. The first recommendation is for a control group to be constructed that includes comparable individuals representing what life would have been like if participants had not entered program intervention. The second recommendation is to employ a simple random sample when administering surveys in order to reduce selection bias by region. Finally, triangulation is recommended to improve validity and give the assessment more robust results. With these three recommendations future assessments of the New Horizons poultry organization will have increased accuracy and will give the business a better understanding of the effects it is having on the region

Stratospheric measurements of continuous absorption near 2400 cm^-1

Solar occultation spectra obtained with a balloon-borne interferometer have been used to study continuous absorption by N2 and CO2 near 2400 cm^-1 in the lower stratosphere. Synthetic continuum transmittances, calculated from published coefficients for far-wing absorption by CO2 lines and for pressure-induced absorption by the fundamental band of N2, are in fair agreement with the observed stratospheric values. The continuum close to the ν3 R-branch band head of CO2 is sensitive to the CO2 far-wing line shape. Therefore, given highly accurate knowledge of the N2 continuum from laboratory data, high-resolution stratospheric spectra provide a sensitive means for in situ testing of various air-broadened CO2 line shapes at low temperatures

On the interaction of morphology and syntax

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Linguistics and Philosophy, 1980.MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND HUMANITIES.Vita.Bibliography: leaves 218-223.by Ann Kathleen Farmer.Ph.D

Science teachers in northern Scotland : their perceptions of opportunities for effective professional learning

This research investigates the perceptions of a group of secondary science teachers (26) from six schools in a remote part of northern Scotland of the opportunities afforded to them for effective professional learning. Focus groups of science teachers were conducted, and the findings identified a number of key areas they perceived as effective professional learning, including the availability of a wide range of opportunities for professional learning from a number of providers, the professional learning in their own schools and collaboration with colleagues. However, they also identified a number of key barriers including their remote location from the Central Belt of Scotland, which they perceived to be the key source of effective professional learning in Scotland. They also identified lack of time, workload and initiative overload as key barriers. Finally, implications for further research are explored

Patron-driven acquisition: the experience of three university libraries

This article looks at the implementation of patron-driven acquisition (PDA) of e-books across three institutions, including the University of Northampton. It explores the reasons why PDA was introduced, which models were adopted, problems encountered and the effectiveness of the service

The DiGEM trial protocol--a randomised controlled trial to determine the effect on glycaemic control of different strategies of blood glucose self-monitoring in people with type 2 diabetes [ISRCTN47464659].

BACKGROUND: We do not yet know how to use blood glucose self-monitoring (BGSM) most effectively in the self-management of type 2 diabetes treated with oral medication. Training in monitoring may be most effective in improving glycaemic control and well being when results are linked to behavioural change. METHODS/DESIGN: DiGEM is a three arm randomised parallel group trial set in UK general practices. A total of 450 patients with type 2 diabetes managed with lifestyle or oral glucose lowering medication are included. The trial compares effectiveness of three strategies for monitoring glycaemic control over 12 months (1) a control group with three monthly HbA1c measurements; interpreted with nurse-practitioner; (2) A self-testing of blood glucose group; interpreted with nurse- practitioner to inform adjustment of medication in addition to 1; (3) A self-monitoring of blood glucose group with personal use of results to interpret results in relation to lifestyle changes in addition to 1 and 2. The trial has an 80% power at a 5% level of significance to detect a difference in change in the primary outcome, HbA1c of 0.5% between groups, allowing for an attrition rate of 10%. Secondary outcome measures include health service costs, well-being, and the intervention effect in sub-groups defined by duration of diabetes, current management, health status at baseline and co-morbidity. A mediation analysis will explore the extent to which changes in beliefs about self-management of diabetes between experimental groups leads to changes in outcomes in accordance with the Common Sense Model of illness. The study is open and has recruited more than half the target sample. The trial is expected to report in 2007. DISCUSSION: The DiGEM intervention and trial design address weaknesses of previous research by use of a sample size with power to detect a clinically significant change in HbA1c, recruitment from a well-characterised primary care population, definition of feasible monitoring and behaviour change strategies based on psychological theory and evidence, and measures along the hypothesised causal path from cognitions to behaviours and disease and well being related outcomes. The trial will provide evidence to support, focus or discourage use of specific BGSM strategies.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

Global impacts of energy demand on the freshwater resources of nations

The growing geographic disconnect between consumption of goods, the extraction and processing of resources, and the environmental impacts associated with production activities makes it crucial to factor global trade into sustainability assessments. Using an empirically validated environmentally extended global trade model, we examine the relationship between two key resources underpinning economies and human well-being—energy and freshwater. A comparison of three energy sectors (petroleum, gas, and electricity) reveals that freshwater consumption associated with gas and electricity production is largely confined within the territorial boundaries where demand originates. This finding contrasts with petroleum, which exhibits a varying ratio of territorial to international freshwater consumption, depending on the origin of demand. For example, although the United States and China have similar demand associated with the petroleum sector, international freshwater consumption is three times higher for the former than the latter. Based on mapping patterns of freshwater consumption associated with energy sectors at subnational scales, our analysis also reveals concordance between pressure on freshwater resources associated with energy production and freshwater scarcity in a number of river basins globally. These energy-driven pressures on freshwater resources in areas distant from the origin of energy demand complicate the design of policy to ensure security of fresh water and energy supply. Although much of the debate around energy is focused on greenhouse gas emissions, our findings highlight the need to consider the full range of consequences of energy production when designing policy