Determinants of Consumer Purchase Decisions of Health Insurance in Kerala

This research work was to study the level of awareness of consumers about health insurance concept and market, consumer perceptions about health insurance providers, schemes and various factors that influence buying decision of health insurance. There is need to bring entire age group – high risk and low risk under health insurance cover. Widening the cover of health insurance calls for indepth understanding of consumer thinking and extensive marketing efforts based on that. Hence the study of consumer perceptions and the impact of different contributing factors on consumer purchase decision assume significance to the marketer. Understanding the consumer thinking on health insurance will also be of relevance to governmental/non governmental agencies, as affordable health care to all is a policy objective of the government and new schemes are being launched in this area.

Primary teachers as readers

In the context of the continued pressure and politicisation of the teaching of reading in England, the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) sought to ascertain patterns in primary teachers' reading, both personally and professionally. The project, undertaken in 11 Local Authorities in England, explored 1200 primary teachers' personal reading habits and preferences, investigated their knowledge of children's literature, and documented their reported use of texts in the classroom through a questionnaire. In addition, it sought to establish the extent of the teachers' involvement with and use of local area/school library services. This paper reports on the findings with reference to the teachers' personal reading, the frequency of this reading and the sources they use to select their reading material. It also considers the teachers' favourite childhood texts and the books they identified as highly significant to them, as well as their perceptions of the importance of literature. Connections are made to the data gathered about their knowledge of children's literature, and how primary teachers decide which literature to work with in the classroom.

The water balance of northern Africa during the mid-Holocene: an evaluation of the 6ka BP PMIP simulations

Runoff fields over northern Africa (10–25°N, 20°W–30°E) derived from 17 atmospheric general circulation models driven by identical 6 ka BP orbital forcing, sea surface temperatures, and CO2 concentration have been analyzed using a hydrological routing scheme (HYDRA) to simulate changes in lake area. The AGCM-simulated runoff produced six-fold differences in simulated lake area between models, although even the largest simulated changes considerably underestimate the observed changes in lake area during the mid-Holocene. The inter-model differences in simulated lake area are largely due to differences in simulated runoff (the squared correlation coefficient, R2, is 0.84). Most of these differences can be attributed to differences in the simulated precipitation (R2=0.83). The higher correlation between runoff and simulated lake area (R2=0.92) implies that simulated differences in evaporation have a contributory effect. When runoff is calculated using an offline land-surface scheme (BIOME3), the correlation between runoff and simulated lake area is (R2=0.94). Finally, the spatial distribution of simulated precipitation can exert an important control on the overall response.

Interview with Regina Varnadore

In her June 26, 2013 interview with Martha Manning, Regina Varnadore details her time at Winthrop from 1986-1989 as an Elementary Education major. In particular, Varnadore describes the process of earning a degree in Elementary Education. Varnadore discusses her experience student teaching and her career as a teacher. Varnadore mentions her opinions on education in Rock Hill and employees in the school district. Provided is information on Varandore’s family, the story of Varnadore earning her Master’s degree, and her future in the teaching profession. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

Por que picharam a escola?

Esta dissertação discute a reaçao dos professores de uma escola pública de 1o Grau, situada num município de periferia da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, a uma proposta de trabalho democrática, suas possibilidades e limitações. O texto descreve o projeto como um todo, que envolvia 4 unidades escolares e sua implantação. No capítulo seguinte há o detalhamento de como era e como ficou a escola de 1o grau. A seguir vem a análise da composição de professores da escola de 1o grau, a partir de aspectos considera dos relevantes; número de professores, sua movimentação e distribuição por tempo de escola, município, formação acadêmica e turno. O último capítulo traz as categorias formuladas "Outros" e "Próprios" - de acordo com a possibilidade que os professores encontram em si mesmos de interferirem e de terminarem os rumos do processo educacional. Os perfis de cada uma das categorias foram construídos com os depoimentos das 48 entrevistas realizadas em 1989. Estão organizados por temas que se revelaram importantes no decorrer do desenvolvimento da análise: impressão, professor, disciplina, aluno, reunião, direção, educação. A conclusão sistematiza a análise que foi sendo traçada ao longo da dissertação: a predominância de "outros" sobre "próprios" resulta numa escola que delega às autoridades constituídas seu poder de decisão.

Relações entre teorias da história e ensino de história: a compreensão de professores

This thesis has as an objective to think over the teachers` understanding of the school History of the Fundamental Teaching regarding the existent relations between the history theories and the teaching of the school History, as well as to think over how these teachers see the influence that their teaching practice gets from the history theories. The work is based on the postulates of the qualitative research and on the characteristics of the ethnography of the school practice. The main procedures of data gathering were the documental analysis, the semi-structured interviews, the field diary and the observations of classes. The scientific perspective of the multiple references is an important source in this research. The participants of this work are two teachers of the school district of Natal who work in the field of the school History in two schools on the North Side of the city. The accomplished analysis point to significant indications that didn't occur continuous and regular teaching situations in the initial and continuing education of these teachers that clearly showed the relations between the history theories and the teaching of the school History. They also suggest that their understanding about the influence that their teaching practice gets from the history theories, is not still explicit. We understand that the relations between the history theories and the teaching of the school History are important for the initial and continuing education of these teachers who belong in this knowledge field, even when these relations are not explicitly pointed by the teachers, because they will always influence the teaching practice that the teachers of the school History build

Cyanobacteria from coastal lagoons in southern Brazil: non-heterocytous filamentous organisms

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Cyanobacteria from coastal lagoons of Southern Brazil: coccoid organisms

Considering the great ecological importance of the cyanobacteria and the need for more detailed information about these organisms in Brazilian waters, this paper provides taxonomic information about the unicellular cyanobacteria flora in lagoon systems along the coastal plains of Rio Grande do Sul State. Sampling was performed in different freshwater bodies along the eastern (Casamento Lake area) and western (near the city of Tapes) banks of the Patos Lagoon (30º40' S-30º10' S and 50º30' W-51º30' W). The samples were collected once in the rainy season and once in the dry season (from May 2003 to December 2003) using a plankton net (25 µm mesh) in pelagic and littoral zones, and by squeezing the submerged parts of aquatic macrophytes. Thirty one species belonging to the families Synechoccocaceae (7 taxa), Merismopediaceae (12 taxa), Chamaesiphonaceae (1 taxon), Microcystaceae (4) and Chroococcaceae (7 taxa) were identified. Among these species, five are reported for the first time in Rio Grande do Sul State: Chamaesiphon amethystinus (Rostafinski) Lemmermann, Chroococcus minimus (Keissler) Lemmermann, Coelomoron pusillum (Van Goor) Komárek, Coelosphaerium kuetzingeanum Naegeli, and Cyanodictyon tubiforme Cronberg.

The importance of excretion by Chironomus larvae on the internal loads of nitrogen and phosphorus in a small eutrophic urban reservoir

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)