The ethical beliefs and behaviours of Victorian fitness professionals

A survey based on those employed by Petitpas, Brewer, Rivera, and Van Raalte (1994), Pope, Tabachnick, and Keith-Spiegel (1987), Tabachnick, Keith-Spiegel, and Pope (1991), and Pope and Vetter (1992) was used to investigate the ethical beliefs and behaviours of Victorian fitness professionals. Although there is evidence that Victorian fitness professionals are knowledgeable about some general ethical principles, the results of this study suggest that there is some lack of consensus among Victorian fitness professionals about the ethical appropriateness of a number of complex issues relating to business practices, confidentiality, dual relationships, and personal and professional boundaries. The findings suggest there is a need to improve the professional and ethical education of fitness professionals and to develop comprehensive ethical principles and a code of conduct that is relevant to the individuals working in the Australian fitness profession

Who do ICDS and PDS Exclude and What Can be Done to Change This?

This article looks at the specifics of who the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the Public Distribution System (PDS) exclude and what can be done to change this. It discusses three different types of exclusion: official exclusion, typically from committing too few resources; implementation flaws; and flawed policy. The article argues that persistence with a poverty cutoff simply perpetuates exclusion. However, the progressive impact of improved judiciability of exclusion due to implementation flaws while making a case for tightening the system cannot be overstated. The article suggests three ways forward: (1) make rights desirable to encourage people to make claims and make ICDS and PDS more universal; (2) ensure that potential innovations such as biometrics, coupons and cash transfers empower the poor, not just the bureaucrats; and (3) empower citizens to fix the ICDS and PDS which will in turn help fix the overall food system

Efficacy of an insecticide paint against malaria vectors and nuisance in West Africa - Part 2: Field evaluation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Widespread resistance of the main malaria vector <it>Anopheles gambiae </it>to pyrethroids reported in many African countries and operational drawbacks to current IRS methods suggest the convenience of exploring new products and approaches for vector control. Insecticide paint Inesfly 5A IGR™, containing two organophosphates (OPs), chlorpyrifos and diazinon, and one insect growth regulator (IGR), pyriproxyfen, was tested in Benin, West Africa, for 12 months.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Field trials were conducted in six experimental huts that were randomly allocated to one or two layers of insecticide at 1 Kg/6 m²or control. Evaluations included: (i) early mosquito collection, (ii) mosquito release experiments, (iii) residual efficacy tests and (iv) distance tests. Early mosquito collections were performed on local populations of pyrethroid-resistant <it>An. gambiae </it>and <it>Culex quinquefasciatus</it>. As per WHOPES phase II procedures, four entomological criteria were evaluated: deterrence, excito-repellence, blood-feeding inhibition and mortality. Mosquito release experiments were done using local malaria-free <it>An. gambiae </it>females reared at the CREC insectarium. Residual efficacy tests and distance tests were performed using reference susceptible strains of <it>An. gambiae </it>and <it>Cx. quinquefasciatus</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Six months after treatment, mortality rates were still 90-100% against pyrethroid-resistant mosquito populations in experimental huts. At nine months, mortality rates in huts treated with two layers was still about 90-93% against <it>An. gambiae </it>and 55% against <it>Cx. quinquefasciatus</it>. Malaria-free local mosquito release experiments yielded a 90% blood-feeding inhibition in the absence of a physical barrier. A long-term residual efficacy of 12 months was observed by WHO-bioassays in huts treated with two layers (60-80%). Mortality after an overnight exposition at distances of 1 meter was 96-100% for up to 12 months.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The encouraging results obtained on the insecticide paint Inesfly 5A IGR™ in terms of mortality, be it in direct contact or at a distance, and its new operational approach could constitute an additional option in malaria control efforts in areas of pyrethroid resistance. Phase III studies will be performed to assess the product's epidemiological impact and sociological acceptance.</p

Public Sector Reform and Governance for Adaptation: Implications of New Public Management for Adaptive Capacity in Mexico and Norway

Although many governments are assuming the responsibility of initiating adaptation policy in relation to climate change, the compatibility of “governance-for-adaptation” with the current paradigms of public administration has generally been overlooked. Over the last several decades, countries around the globe have embraced variants of the philosophy of administration broadly called “New Public Management” (NPM) in an effort to improve administrative efficiencies and the provision of public services. Using evidence from a case study of reforms in the building sector in Norway, and a case study of water and flood risk management in central Mexico, we analyze the implications of the adoption of the tenets of NPM for adaptive capacity. Our cases illustrate that some of the key attributes associated with governance for adaptation—namely, technical and financial capacities; institutional memory, learning and knowledge; and participation and accountability—have been eroded by NPM reforms. Despite improvements in specific operational tasks of the public sector in each case, we show that the success of NPM reforms presumes the existence of core elements of governance that have often been found lacking, including solid institutional frameworks and accountability. Our analysis illustrates the importance of considering both longer-term adaptive capacities and short-term efficiency goals in public sector administration reform