Multinational lessons from local and regional economic development agencies

This paper discusses the commonalities and differences in local and regional economic development (LRED) across England, Northern Ireland, Australia and the US. The focus is on four themes: the institutional characteristics of the respondents; governance, partners and partnerships; the objectives, regional capacity building and business service activities of responding agencies; and the self-assessment of effectiveness by LRED organisations. Our analysis is based on a survey of LRED agencies in the above-noted countries using a common questionnaire that was slightly adapted for each study area. Using logistic regression, we identify the practices and strategies of local and regional economic development agencies that are associated with higher levels of effectiveness. When all participating nations’ LRED organisations are jointly evaluated, several practices emerge as being positively related to agency performance including being actively involved in industrial estates, labour training and recruitment, marketing the agency’s region to international markets, and promoting industry clusters. Also showing as being positively related to performance are variables identifying whether or not the agency subsidized relocation costs for new businesses, helps local companies access venture capital, engages in education and training programs targeted at youths, and enhances networking opportunities for local business people. Interestingly, we found statistically significant negative relationships between agency effectiveness and engaging in tourism promotion activities, training minority groups, and conducting target industry studies, though this may reflect a correlation between certain activities and problematic economic environments. Though our research methodology of relying on self-assessed performance measures does not allow us to draw sweeping conclusions, we are confident that these findings provide a beginning for identifying a set of best practices that are appropriate for LRED organisations in a multinational setting.

Assessment Systems and Data Management in Colleges of Education: An Examination of Systems and Infrastructure

The College of Education Assessment Infrastructure Survey was developed and administered to 1011 institutions over a twelve-month period ending April 2007. The survey examined the capacity of university-based teacher preparation programs to respond to the growing and increasingly complex data management requirements that accompanies assessment and accountability edicts. The summarized responses of 266 institutions (26%) confirmed that education units have responded to accreditation and accountability mandates though none have relied solely on the institutional-level infrastructure. This has resulted in the implementation of a variety of assessment systems that vary widely in sophistication and cost. Also, the management of these systems is largely a part-time endeavor. Additional and more contextually based studies must be conducted to determine the actual level and type of institutional support, other hidden costs, and the level of return on investment in terms of the effectiveness of these systems and their impact on unit quality outcomes

Jugular Foramen: Anatomic and Computed Tomographic Study

The computed tomographic (eT) appearance of the jugular foramen was examined in detail, and anatomic and CT sections were correlated. The pars nervosa and pars vascularis were identified, and , with intravenous contrast enhancement, a rapid sequence of scans at a gantry angle of +30° to the canthomeatal line demonstrated cranial nerves IX, X, and XI. The osseous margins of the jugular foramen were best shown by CT at planes of sections parallel and positive (0°_30°) to the canthomeatal line . CT can be used to evaluate osseous anatomy and the jugular foramen with precision sufficient to confidently exclude an intracanalicular mass. The computed tomographic (CT) appearance of glomus jugul are tumors has been described [1 -3], but th e normal configuration of the foramen and its contents has not yet been completely analyzed by CT. We undertook a correlative study with head and skull specimens and c lini cal subjects . Materials, Subjects, and Methods In preliminary studi es, we found th at a plane of secti on 30° cephal ad to th e can th omeatal line (CML) just below th e internal auditory canal, was nearly tang ential to th e endocrani al opening of th e jugular foramen ( To determine th e CT appearance of the jugular foramen, we im aged a dry sk ull and some patients at several planes between -15° and +30° to th e CML (figs. 6-8). We also reviewed the appearance of th e j ugular foramen in our co nve ntional poste ri or fossa CT studies, done at -15° w ith respect to the CML Four patients with symptoms of a jugular foram en lesion (pul satil e tinnitu s, cra ni al nerves IX, X, and / or XI deficit , etc.) were placed supine in th e GE CT / T 8800 scanner w ith th eir heads elevated about 30° on a foam pad . CT images were obtained at a p lane +30° to th e CML determined with th e lateral localize r scan. On th e basis of our anatomi c d issec ti ons, thi s plane is perpendi cular to th e intraforamin al co urse of c rani al nerves IX-X I. Fi ve-and 1 .5-mm-ttiick sections we re obtain ed about 5 mm below th e internal auditory ca nal to locate th e jugular foram en. We injec ted 50 ml of 60% iodin ated co ntrast agent manuall y and rapidly in an antecubital ve in via an 18 gauge Angi o-cath need le. CT im ages we re obtain ed at a single level; th e first scan was 5 sec after th e initiati on of th e injection and th en every 10-15 sec until four scans were obt ain ed. Tec hnical fac tors in c lu ded 1 .5 mm collimation, 120 kVp, 9 .6 sec scan tim e, pulse width of 2 msec, and 356 or 409 mAs (figs . 9 and 10). Subsequently , 150 ml of 30% iod in ated co ntrast agent was infused and con ti guous CT scans were obtained through th e region of interest. Results and Discussion The anatomic and radiographic appearance of th e jugul ar foramen has been described in detai

Think outside my box: Staging respectability and responsibility in Ireland's Repeal the 8th Referendum

This article argues that the targeting of certain narratives of womanhood, those deemed ‘respectable’ and ‘responsible’, operated as a key performative and affective strategy during the Irish 2018 Referendum on the 8th Amendment of the Irish Constitution. When the Referendum to ‘repeal the 8th’ amendment was announced, both pro-choice and pro-life campaigns affiliated themselves with idealised imagery, narratives and performative strategies that focused on outdated patriarchal heterosexual constructions of ‘good’ women, i.e., respectable and responsible women, with the intention of convincing middle-ground voters. Pro-life and pro-choice campaigns in Ireland are deeply oppositional; that both sides identify the performativity of respectability and responsibility as the most influential narrative to convince the electorate signals that the conception of embodied womanhood and the traditional heterosexual family remains inextricably linked with idealised nationhood, entrenched with ideological, affective, political, cultural, and personal power. ‘Think Outside My Box’ is a call to cut ties that intersect with the foundational myth of modern Irish nationhood, and, female embodiment and representation in the twenty-first century

Home Matters: Adolescents Drink More Sugar Sweetened Beverages When They Are Available at Home

Objective: Sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has increased by 300% in the past three decades and the largest source of both added sugar and calories in the diets of US adolescents. It has been argued that the increased intake of SSBs has contributed to the rising prevalence of obesity. The availability and accessibility of foods/drinks in multiple levels of an adolescent’s environment can influence one’s choices and impact consumption. The aim of this study is to examine the association between adolescent self-report of the availability of SSBs in their home and SSB consumption and whether neighborhood and school SSB availability modifies the association between availability of SSBs in the home and adolescent SSB consumption. Methods: The Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health and Eating (FLASHE) was used to conduct a cross sectional analysis of 1,484 parent-adolescent dyads. Each dyad completed four online surveys about dietary and activity health behaviors. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between the measures of SSB availability in the home and teen SSB consumption behaviors. The potential moderators, school SSB availability and neighborhood SSB availability, were tested separately using stratified ordinal logistic regression analyses. Results: The greater frequency of availability of SSB’s in the home had a positive association with teen SSB consumption. This association remained present despite the availability of SSB’s in other locations. There was no moderation effect present in either school SSB availability and neighborhood SSB availability. Conclusion: Understanding the impact of the availability of SSB’s in multiple environments on consumption is important for obesity prevention efforts. This study found that parents can be important factors in reducing adolescent SSB consumption by influencing the home environment. Despite the availability of SSB’s in other environments, the home remains important for impacting consumption. Also Presented at the 2018 Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting

Entrances and exits: changing perceptions of primary teaching as a career for men

Original article can be found at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713640830~db=all Copyright Informa / Taylor and Francis. DOI: 10.1080/03004430802352087The number of men in teaching has always been small, particularly in early childhood, but those that do come into teaching usually do so for the same reasons as women, namely enjoyment of working with children, of wanting to teach and wanting to make a difference to children's lives. However, in two separate studies, the authors have shown that on beginning teacher training in 1998, and at the point of leaving the profession in 2005, men and women tend to emphasise different concerns. This article will explore those differences and seek possible explanations for how men's views of teaching might be changing over time.Peer reviewe

Flight performance of actively foraging honey bees is reduced by a common pathogen

Sudden and severe declines in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony health in the US and Europe have been attributed, in part, to emergent microbial pathogens, however, the mechanisms behind the impact are unclear. Using roundabout flight mills, we measured the flight distance and duration of actively foraging, healthy‐looking honey bees sampled from standard colonies, before quantifying the level of infection by Nosema ceranae and Deformed Wing Virus complex (DWV) for each bee. Neither the presence nor the quantity of N. ceranae were at low, natural levels of infection had any effect on flight distance or duration, but presence of DWV reduced flight distance by two thirds and duration by one half. Quantity of DWV was shown to have a significant, but weakly positive relation with flight distance and duration, however, the low amount of variation that was accounted for suggests further investigation by dose‐response assays is required. We conclude that widespread, naturally occurring levels of infection by DWV weaken the flight ability of honey bees and high levels of within‐colony prevalence are likely to reduce efficiency and increase the cost of resource acquisition. Predictions of implications of pathogens on colony health and function should take account of sublethal effects on flight performance

Racial/ethnic representation in lifestyle weight loss intervention studies in the United States: A systematic review

Obesity remains a persistent public health and health disparity concern in the United States. Eliminating health disparities, particularly among racial/ethnic minority groups, is a major health priority in the US. The primary aim of this review was to evaluate representation of racial/ethnic sub-group members in behavioral weight loss interventions conducted among adults in the United States. The secondary aims were to assess recruitment and study design approaches to include racial/ethnic groups and the extent of racial/ethnic sub-group analyses conducted in these studies. PubMed, PsycInfo, Medline, and CINAHL were searched for behavioral weight loss intervention trials conducted in 2009-2015 using keywords: weight, loss, overweight, obese, intervention and trial. Most of the 94 studies included a majority of White participants compared to any other racial/ethnic group. Across the included studies, 58.9% of participants were White, 18.2% were African American, 8.7% were Hispanic/Latino, 5.0% were Asian and 1.0% were Native Americans. An additional 8.2% were categorized as Other . Nine of the 94 studies exclusively included minority samples. Lack of adequate representation of racial and ethnic minority populations in behavioral trials limits the generalizability and potential public health impact of these interventions to groups that might most benefit from weight loss. Given racial/ethnic disparities in obesity rates and the burden of obesity and obesity-related diseases among minority groups in the United States, greater inclusion in weight loss intervention studies is warranted