Using Theory to Understand the Multiple Determinants of Low Participation in Worksite Health Promotion Programs

Low participation at the employee or worksite level limits the potential public health impact of worksite-based interventions. Ecological models suggest that multiple levels of influence operate to determine participation patterns in worksite health promotion programs. Most investigations into the determinants of low participation study the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and institutional influences on employee participation. Community- and policy-level influences have not received attention, nor has consideration been given to worksite-level participation issues. The purpose of this article is to discuss one macrosocial theoretical perspective—political economy of health—that may guide practitioners and researchers interested in addressing the community- and policy-level determinants of participation in worksite health promotion programs. The authors argue that using theory to investigate the full spectrum of determinants offers a more complete range of intervention and research options for maximizing employee and worksite levels of participation.

Trade relationships between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union

This paper examines the trade relationship between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU). A simultaneous equation regression model is developed and estimated to assist with the analysis. The regression results, using both the two stage least squares (2SLS) and ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation methods, reveal the existence of feedback effects between the two economic integrations. The results also show that during times of slack in oil prices, the GCC income from its investments overseas helped to finance its imports from the EU.

The Winnipeg principles, WTO and sustainable development: Proposed policies for reconciling trade and the environment

There is, a widespread belief that the WTO has made virtually no concessions to environmentalists about their concerns arising from free trade and the process of globalization. There are concerns that these processes may undermine prospects for sustainable development. Following, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the International Institute for Sustainable Development was established to advocate policies to support sustainable development within Canada and globally. In 1994, it proposed the Winnipeg Principles as. a means for reconciling international trade and development so as to: achieve sustainable development (ISD, 1994a,b). These seven principles are outlined in this article and assessed:. Although the International Institute for Sustainable Development had hoped: through these principles to influence the work programme of the Environment and Trade Committee of WTO, it seems to have little effect. Probably if these principles had been seriously considered by WTO, the serious social conflicts which emerged globally at the beginning of this century would have been avoided, and we would be in a better position to understand the complex links between trade, environment and sustainable development and adopt relevant policies. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Promotion of motoneuron survival and branching in rapsyn-deficient mice

Inhibition of programmed cell death of motoneurons during embryonic development requires the presence of their target muscle and coincides with the initial stages of synaptogenesis. To evaluate the role of synapse formation on motoneuron survival during embryonic development, we counted the number of motoneurons in rapsyn-deficient mice. RaDsyn is a 43 kDa protein needed for the formation of postsynaptic specialisations at vertebrate neuromuscular synapses. Here we show that the rapsyn-deficient mice have a significant increase in the number of motoneurons in the brachial lateral motor column during the period of naturally occurring programmed cell death compared to their wild-type littermates. In addition, we observed an increase in intramuscular axonal branching in the rapsyn-deficient diaphragms compared to their wild-type littermates at embryonic day 18.5. These results suggest that deficits in the formation of the postsynaptic specialisation at the neuromuscular synapse, brought about by the absence of rapsyn, are sufficient to induce increases in both axonal branching and the survival of the innervating motoneuron. Moreover, these results support the idea that skeletal muscle activity through effective synaptic transmission and intramuscular axonal branching are major mechanisms that regulate motoneuron survival during development. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Trade and environment: Evidence from China's manufacturing sector

This paper focusing on the Chinese manufacturing sector assesses the environmental impact of trade liberalization in China. The results show that China's experience with the trade liberalization-environment nexus is consistent with international evidence. On one hand, trade liberalization has had various positive effects on the environment. Firstly, it promoted specialization in areas of comparative advantage, which, in general, included industries that contributed less to environmental degradation. Secondly, it allowed China to access and adopt the best international practices in pollution abatement technology. Thirdly, it enabled China to transfer environmental costs to other countries by importing intermediate products whose production contributed to environmental degradation. On the other hand, these positive effects were overwhelmed by a negative scale effect, which was the result of a huge increase in the demand for Chinese exports. The paper concludes that if China is to prevent pollution from reaching a critical threshold, environmental regulations need to be tightened. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Ethephon promotion of crop abscission for unshaken and mechanically shaken macadamia

Promotion of fruit abscission in macadamia, Macadamia integrifolia (Proteaceae), has potential to reduce costs associated with prolonged harvesting of late-abscising cultivars. Effects of ethephon [(2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid] on fruit removal force and crop abscission were monitored at 3 stages of the harvest season on both unshaken and mechanically shaken trees of the late-abscising macadamia cultivar A16. Ethephon application, tree shaking, or a combination of the 2 methods, accelerated crop removal from the tree at all stages during harvest. Early harvest before natural abscission resulted in little or no difference in nut-in-shell and kernel weight, kernel recovery and kernel oil content. Delaying ethephon application or tree shaking until commencement of natural abscission resulted in greater crop removal. Fruit removal force declined naturally towards 1 kgf at this stage, and was further reduced by ethephon application. The most effective approach for harvest acceleration was to reduce fruit removal force, before tree shaking, by spraying trees with ethephon.

Trade spectra of complete partite graphs

The trade spectrum of a graph G is essentially the set of all integers t for which there is a graph H whose edges can be partitioned into t copies of G in two entirely different ways. In this paper we determine the trade spectrum of complete partite graphs, in all but a few cases.

Global trade in GM food and the cartagena protocol on biosafety: Consequences for China

The UN Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety adopted in Montreal, 29 January, 2000 and opened for signature in Nairobi, 15-26 May, 2000 will exert a profound effect on international trade in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their products. In this paper, the potential effects of various articles of the Protocol on international trade in GMOs are analyzed. Based on the present status of imports of GMOs and domestic research and development of biotechnology in China, likely trends in imports of foreign GM food and related products after China accedes to WTO is explored. Also, China's potential countermeasures to control and regulate imports of GMOs in line with implementation of the Protocol are discussed. China, in recent times, has increased its food and agricultural imports substantially from USA and Canada. China imported soybean 10.42 mill. tons in 2000 and about 15 mill tons in 2001, of which majority are from USA where GM soybean accounts for 60%. The plantation of US Monsanto's transgenic Bt cotton was increased to more than 1 million ha in China in 2001. Though China has paid great attention to develop biotechnology, it appears to have little scope to export GMOs and GM products. So China may consider a range of administrative measures to implement the Cartagena Protocol and to regulate its import of GMOs and GM agricultural products. Consequently, the Regulation on Safety of Agri-GMOs was issued on June, 2001 and followed three detailed rules issued in Jan. of 2002, with a priority to limit foreign GMOs importing by safety certification and labeling system. These were outlined taking into account policies adopted in Western countries such as green barriers to international trade.