Should equity in health be target number 1?

Policy measures to reduce socioeconomic health differences (SEHD) must be preceded by an analysis of the possibilities and desirability of a reduction. This paper argues that it is necessary to pursue equality in health, conceived as equal opportunities to achieve health. This principle is justified as part of the principle of maximizing individual freedom of choice, and requires that everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. By means of this principle a distinction can be made between unjust, unavoidable, and acceptable health inequalities. The determinants of SEHD which lead to inequalities considered unjust must be subject to policy. These are living conditions (physical and social environment and health care) and conditions of choice (e.g. the knowledge of an individual about the health risks of a certain behaviour). Even if SEHD are considered inequities, sometimes conflicting interests will make it difficult to propose a health policy to redress these inequities. These are partly the consequence of the intersectoral character of a policy aimed at equality of opportunities to attain health, in which the importance of health has to be weighed against other goals. Moreover the impact of such a policy on the individual free choice has to be critically weighed. Finally in the context of health care policy, conflicts between the principle of equality and maximizing health can be expected

The factor structure, metrical properties, and convergent validity of the third edition (1999) of the Locus of Control Inventory.

The principal objective of the study was to examine the factor structure and metrical properties of the third edition (1999) of the Locus of Control Inventory (LCI). A corollary of the study was to examine the convergent validity of the instrument. After a thorough revision and extension of the scale to 88 items it was applied to a sample of 2091 first-year university students. Particular attention was paid to the shortcomings revealed in a study by de Bruin (2004). An iterative principal factor analysis of the scale was done. The three-factor-structure previously found was substantiated by the analysis. The obtained factors were interpreted as Autonomy, External Control and Internal Control. Highly acceptable reliabilities were obtained. As far as validity is concerned it was found that Internal Control and Autonomy are strongly related to Psychological Wellness and External Control negatively to Stress Management. The implications of the findings are discussed

Spatio-temporal development of vegetation die-off in a submerging coastal marsh

In several places around the world, coastal marsh vegetation is converting to open water through the formation of pools. This is concerning, as vegetation die-off is expected to reduce the marshes\u27 capacity to adapt to sea level rise by vegetation-induced sediment accretion. Quantitative analyses of the spatial and temporal development of marsh vegetation die-off are scarce, although these are needed to understand the bio-geomorphic feedback effects of vegetation die-off on flow, erosion, and sedimentation. In this study, we quantified the spatial and temporal development of marsh vegetation die-off with aerial images from 1938 to 2010 in a submerging coastal marsh along the Blackwater River (Maryland, U.S.A). Our results indicate that die-off begins with conversion of marsh vegetation into bare open water pools that are relatively far (\u3e 75 m) from tidal channels. As vegetation die-off continues, pools expand, and new pools emerge at shorter and shorter distances from channels. Consequently larger pools are found at larger distances from the channels. Our results suggest that the size of the pools and possibly the connection of pools with the tidal channel system have important bio-geomorphic implications and aggravate marsh deterioration. Moreover, we found that the temporal development of vegetation die-off in moderately degraded marshes is similar as the spatial die-off development along a present-day gradient, which indicates that the contemporary die-off gradient might be considered a chronosequence that offers a unique opportunity to study vegetation die-off processes

EC03-702 Precision Agriculture: Applications of Remote Sensing in Site-Specific Management

Precision farming is an emerging agricultural technology that involves managing each crop input on a site-specific basis to reduce waste, increase profits, and maintain the quality of the environment. Remote sensing is a technology that can be used to obtain various spatial layers of information about soil and crop conditions. It allows detection and/or characterization of an object, series of objects, or landscape without having the sensor in physical contact

Different coastal marsh sites reflect similar topographic conditions under which bare patches and vegetation recovery occur

The presence of bare patches within otherwise vegetated coastal marshes is sometimes considered to be a symptom of marsh dieback and the subsequent loss of important ecosystem services. Here we studied the topographical conditions determining the presence and revegetation of bare patches in three marsh sites with contrasting tidal range, sediment supply, and plant species: the Scheldt estuary (the Netherlands), Venice lagoon (Italy), and Blackwater marshes (Maryland, USA). Based on GIS (geographic information system) analyses of aerial photos and lidar imagery of high resolution (≤2×2 m pixels), we analyzed the topographic conditions under which bare patches occur, including their surface elevation, size, distance from channels, and whether they are connected or not to channels. Our results demonstrate that, for the different marsh sites, bare patches can be connected or unconnected to the channel network and that there is a positive relationship between the width of the connecting channels and the size of the bare patches, in each of the three marsh sites. Further, pixels located in bare patches connected to channels occur most frequently at the lowest elevations and farthest distance from the channels. Pixels in bare patches disconnected from channels occur most frequently at intermediate elevations and distances from channels, and vegetated marshes dominate at highest elevations and shortest distances from channels. In line with previous studies, revegetation in bare patches is observed in only one site with the highest tidal range and highest sediment availability, and it preferentially occurs from the edges of small unconnected bare patches at intermediate elevations and intermediate distances from channels. Although our study is only for three different marsh sites with large variations in local conditions, such as tidal range, sediment availability, and plant species, it suggests that similar topographic conditions determine the occurrence of bare patches. Such insights may inform decision makers on coastal marsh management on where to focus monitoring of early signatures of marsh degradation

Fast Data Sharing within a distributed multithreaded control framework for robot teams

In this paper a data sharing framework for multithreaded, distributed control programs is described that is realized in C++ by means of only a few, powerful classes and templates. Fast data exchange of entire data structures is supported using sockets as communication medium. Access methods are provided that preserve data consistency and synchronize the data exchange. The framework has been successfully used to build a distributed robot soccer control system running on as many computers as needed

New Insights in the Quality-Satisfaction Link : Identifying Asymmetric and Dynamic Effects

This study explores the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. Building on existing literature, the link is proposed to be asymmetric in nature. Drawing on customer delight theory and opponent-process theory, we also study the dynamics of the relationship and develop an integrative perspective. Results are obtained by applying dummy variable regression and time-based cohort analysis in two different e-service settings. The findings show that functional-utilitarian quality attributes (efficiency, fulfillment, system availability, and privacy) display habituation effects over time, so that they tend to lose their capability to delight customers. In contrast, hedonistic attributes (website design, enjoyment, and image) seem to be increasingly enjoyed after initial experience with an e-service and develop customer delight capabilities in a later relationship stage. These insights are vital for e-service managers as they help to improve the efficiency of quality investments on the Internet

Exploring Cross Channel Dissynergies in Multichannel Systems

In this paper, the authors propose that in a multichannel environment, evaluative conflicts (dissynergies) between service channels exist. Building on status quo bias theory, they develop a model which relates offline channel satisfaction to perceptions about a new self-service channel. Data were collected from 639 customers of a German bank currently using offline investment banking. Results of structural equation modeling show that offline channel satisfaction reduces the perceived usefulness and enhances the perceived risk of the online channel. These inhibiting effects represent a status quo bias. The two perceptions fully mediate between offline channel satisfaction and intention to use the new self-service channel. Trust in the bank shows both adoption-enhancing effects and an adoption-inhibiting effect. Finally, the negative relationship between offline channel satisfaction and perceived usefulness is significantly stronger for men, for older people, and for less experienced Internet users. This study has both theoretical and managerial relevance as it helps to understand consumer behavior in multichannel environments and provides implications for the design of multichannel service strategies

Coastal Marsh Degradation Into Ponds Induces Irreversible Elevation Loss Relative to Sea Level in a Microtidal System

Coastal marshes and their valuable ecosystem services are feared to be lost by sea level rise, yet the mechanisms of marsh degradation into ponds and potential recovery are poorly understood. We quantified and analyzed elevations of marsh surfaces and pond bottoms along a marsh loss gradient (Blackwater River, Maryland, USA). Our analyses show that ponds deepen with increasing tidal channel width connecting the ponds to the river, indicating a new feedback mechanism where channels lead to enhanced tidal export of pond bottom material. Pond elevations also decrease with increasing pond size, consistent with previous work identifying a positive feedback between wind wave erosion and pond size. These two positive feedbacks, combined with bimodal elevation distributions and sharp topographic boundaries between interior ponds and the marsh platform, indicate alternative elevation states and imply that marsh loss by pond formation is nearly irreversible once pond deepening exceeds a critical level