Sustainable Development Appraisal (SDA): A methodological tool for the participatory assessment of sustainability from local to regional planning levels

The term 'sustainable development' is receiving increasing attention in development co-operation and at the global level. However, practical tools which can help local users and multi-disciplinary teams to work together and apply this general concept at the local to regional levels have' emerged only very recently. This paper describes a tool called 'Sustainable Development Appraisal' (SDA), which is based on the principles of sustainable development, and can be applied by small interdisciplinary teams using a transdisciplinary approach, i.e. in participation with local land users and other stakeholders at various levels of intervention. The SDA has been applied in different parts of the globe. It is receiving considerable attention, and may fulfil most requirements contained in the concept of sustainable development, and yet be practically applicable and useful in the local to regional context. Examples from Eritrea and Ethiopia are used in this paper 'to illustrate the practicability of SDA for development planning and implementation.

The utility of rapid participatory appraisal for community assessment, diagnosis, and policy development

The selection of a model to guide the understanding and resolution of community problems is an important issue relating to the foundation of public health practice: assessment, policy development, and assurance. Many assessment models produce a diagnosis of community weaknesses, but fail to promote planning and interventions. Rapid Participatory Appraisal (RPA) is a participatory action research model which regards assessment as the first step in the problem solving process, and claims to achieve assessment and policy development within limited resources of time and money. Literature documenting the fulfillment of these claims, and thereby supporting the utility of the model, is relatively sparse and difficult to obtain. Very few articles discuss the changes resulting from RPA assessments in urban areas, and those that do describe studies conducted outside the U.S.A. ^ This study examines the utility of the RPA model and its underlying theories: systems theory, grounded theory, and principles of participatory change, as illustrated by the case study of a community assessment conducted for the Texas Diabetes Institute (TDI), San Antonio, Texas, and subsequent outcomes. Diabetes has a high prevalence and is a major issue in San Antonio. Faculty and students conducted the assessment by informal collaboration between two nursing and public health assessment courses, providing practical student experiences. The study area was large, and the flexibility of the model tested by its use in contiguous sub-regions, reanalyzing aggregated results for the study area. Official TDI reports, and a mail survey of agency employees, described policy development resulting from community diagnoses revealed by the assessment. ^ The RPA model met the criteria for utility from the perspectives of merit, worth, efficiency, and effectiveness. The RPA model best met the agencies' criteria (merit), met the data needs of TDI in this particular situation (worth), provided valid results within budget, time, and personnel constraints (efficiency), and stimulated policy development by TDI (effectiveness). ^ The RPA model appears to have utility for community assessment, diagnosis, and policy development in circumstances similar to the TDI diabetes study. ^

An Inexpensive Alternative to CS Photoshop & Bridge: Archival Master Image Capture and Batch Derivative Creation in Canon Scan Gear & Adobe Photoshop Elements 7

This presentation was made at the Connecticut State Library Service Center, Willimantic, CT, April 14, 2009. It focused on digital capture workflows for both archival and derivative image creation using accepted current standards. Tools used were inexpensive by choice and focused towards the needs of small to mid-sized cultural heritage institutions who wish to begin digital capture in their own facilities.

Determinants of participation in worksite health risk appraisal (HRA) programs

The purpose of this study was to apply the Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization to examine an existing worksite HRA program to identify and examine the roles of determinants of participation in HRA programs. The program consisted of three activities: questionnaire, physical examination, and group interpretation sessions. All of the 1821 employees were eligible for the program; 523 (29%) participated in at least one activity. Results from bivariate analyses suggest that being female, being white, having fewer dependents, and having higher medical claims for the past year were positively associated with participation. Results of logistic regression suggest that Age, Sex, Race, Marital, Number of Dependents, Job Title, Months with the Company, and a log transformed value of Employee's Total Medical Claims were all significant determinants of participation. Applications of the logistic regression models, other factors that should be investigated in future studies, and the limitations of the study were discussed. ^

Methods of Tree Appraisal: A Review of Their Features and Application Possibilities

Se revisan los métodas de valoración de arbolado

Application of a building cost estimation model to the appraisal of the churches damaged by earthquakes in Lorca (Spain)

The objective of this paper is the development of a building cost estimation model whose purpose is to quickly and precisely evaluate rebuilding costs for historic heritage buildings affected by catastrophic events. Specifically, this study will be applied to the monumental buildings owned by the Catholic Church that were affected by two earthquakes on May 11, 2011 in the town of Lorca. To estimate the initial total replacement cost new, calculation model will be applied which, on the one hand, will use two-dimensional metric exterior parameters and, on the other, three-dimensional interior cubic parameters. Based on the total of the analyzed buildings, and considering damage caused by the seismic event, the final reconstruction cost for the building units ruined by the earthquakes can be estimated. The proposed calculation model can also be applied to other emergency scenarios and situations for the quick estimation of construction costs necessary for rebuilding historic heritage buildings which have been affected by catastrophic events that deteriorate or ruin their structural or constructive configuration.

Randomised controlled trial of the READER method of critical appraisal in general practice

Objective: To evaluate the READER model for critical reading by comparing it with a free appraisal, and to explore what factors influence different components of the model.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bits: Archival Motivation in the Digital Age

Why do people become archivists? Historically (and anecdotally) it was a deep love of musty, old records that drew people to the profession. While there have been many other motivating forces that inspired would-be archivists, it is most often that one hears of people seeking jobs in archives for love of “the stuff,” as evidenced in Kate Thiemer’s blog post, Honest tips for wannabe archivists (2012). As a result of the continually advancing presence of digitized and born digital archival collections, the physical nature of archival “stuff” is changing. While there remains the physical imprint of digital information on floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, hard drives, and old computers; the aspects of these physical artifacts might not evoke the same visceral pull to the profession as musty, raspy, paper-based documents. In light of this shift in physical presentation of information, we are faced with the question: how does love of archival “stuff” translate to work in digital archives? What is and/or will be the pull to become a digital archivist? To answer these questions, we will perform a survey-based study where we will invite archivists who work with both traditional and digital archival material to answer questions related to the aspects of their work that inspired or motivated them to join the profession. What motivates people to become archivists? What aspects of digital archives do or can potentially motivate people to seek out a career as an archivist? What, if any, motivational factors for becoming a traditional archivist are the same as those for becoming a digital archivist? What, if any, motivational factors for becoming a traditional archivist are different from those for becoming a digital archivist? By answering these questions, we hope to expand the archival discussion on what it means to be an archivist in the digital age. What compelling intrinsic, evidential, or informational values are present in digital archival content that will draw professionals to the field? Are there other values inherent in digital content that are currently unexplored? In our poster, we will present our discussion of the topic, our survey design, and results we have at the time of the Institute. Thiemer, K. (2012). Honest tips for wannabe archivists. Archivesnext blog. Retrieved from http://www.archivesnext.com/?p=2849

Clinical practice guidelines for management of parkinson’s disease : a systematic critical appraisal

Trabalho Final do Curso de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 2014