“There is no carnival without samba”: Revealing barriers hampering biodiversity-based R&D and eco-design in Brazil

Considering the unique relevance of Brazilian biodiversity, this research aims to investigate the main barriers to biodiversity-based R & D and eco-design development in a leading national company which has been commended for its innovation and sustainability. The methodology for this research was based on on-location visits, in-depth interviews, and consensus building among R & D, sustainability, and quality managers. A multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach was adopted through interpretive structural modelling (ISM), a method that assists decision makers to transform complex models with unclear data into structural models. Some of the most influential barriers to biodiversity-based eco-design initiatives are “lack of legal incentive”, “not enough demand from the market”, and “not enough available knowledge/scientific data.” The most relevant barrier was “no legal incentive” from government. Consequently, managers should concentrate their efforts in tackling those barriers that may affect other barriers known as ‘key barriers’. Government should work decisively toward promoting a framework of legal incentives for bio-based eco-design; otherwise, metaphorically, “there is not carnival without the samba singer who pushes the rhythm”. The results given here reveal the barriers for bio-based eco-design in a Brazilian leading company, and this is the first work combining ISM to barriers to biodiversity R & D and eco-design

Age, retirement and health as factors in volunteering in later life

Volunteering in later life attracts attention because its benefits older volunteers, voluntary associations, and society. Unfortunately, researchers and practitioners struggle with the complexity of predicting who volunteers. The authors ask whether a rough identification of older volunteers solely based on age is possible. The authors answer this question by means of structural equation modeling, analyzing international survey data. The findings show that the direct effect of age on the time older people spend volunteering is negligible. Moreover, the age patterns in volunteering created by retirement and declining health are weak. Those findings make age an unsuitable indicator for volunteering in later life. The authors recommend that voluntary organizations and policy makers use personal characteristics, such as health status, when defining their target groups for programs that encourage volunteering. In addition, researchers should not use an age group when referring to the third age, meaning the active and productive part of old age

Cultural differences in postnatal quality of life among German-speaking women - a prospective survey in two countries.

Assessment of quality of life after childbirth is an important health-outcome measurement for new mothers and is of special interest in midwifery. The Mother-Generated Index (MGI) is a validated instrument to assess postnatal quality of life. The tool has not been applied for making a cross-cultural comparison before. This study investigated (a) responses to the MGI in German-speaking women in Germany and Switzerland; and (b) associations between MGI scores on the one hand and maternity and midwifery care on the other

Transcendental-Phenomenological Proof and Descriptive Metaphysics

Following P.F. Strawson's reading of Kant, the majority of the literature on transcendental arguments seeks to divorce such arguments from their original Kantian context. This thesis is concerned with Mark Sacks's recent defence of transcendental arguments, which takes a different approach. A critique is given of Sacks's work and extensions and modifications of his approach are recommended. It is proposed that certain difficulties encountered by Kant's transcendentally-ideal approach can be overcome with Hegelian solutions

Knowledge translation on dementia: a cluster randomized trial to compare a blended learning approach with a "classical" advanced training in GP quality circles

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Thus far important findings regarding the dementia syndrome have been implemented into patients' medical care only inadequately. A professional training accounting for both, general practitioners' (GP) needs and learning preferences as well as care-relevant aspects could be a major step towards improving medical care. In the WIDA-study, entitled "Knowledge translation on dementia in general practice" two different training concepts are developed, implemented and evaluated. Both concepts are building on an evidence-based, GP-related dementia guideline and communicate the guideline's essential insights.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Both development and implementation emphasize a procedure that is well-accepted in practice and, thus, can achieve a high degree of external validity. This is particularly guaranteed through the preparation of training material and the fact that general practitioners' quality circles (QC) are addressed. The evaluation of the two training concepts is carried out by comparing two groups of GPs to which several quality circles have been randomly assigned. The primary outcome is the GPs' knowledge gain. Secondary outcomes are designed to indicate the training's potential effects on the GPs' practical actions. In the first training concept (study arm A) GPs participate in a structured case discussion prepared for by internet-based learning material ("blended-learning" approach). The second training concept (study arm B) relies on frontal medical training in the form of a slide presentation and follow-up discussion ("classical" approach).</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This paper presents the outline of a cluster-randomized trial which has been peer reviewed and support by a national funding organization – Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) – and is approved by an ethics commission. The data collection has started in August 2006 and the results will be published independently of the study's outcome.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials [ISRCTN36550981]</p