Creating restoration landscapes: partnerships in large-scale conservation in the UK

It is increasingly recognized that ecological restoration demands conservation action beyond the borders of existing protected areas. This requires the coordination of land uses and management over a larger area, usually with a range of partners, which presents novel institutional challenges for conservation planners. Interviews were undertaken with managers of a purposive sample of large-scale conservation areas in the UK. Interviews were open-ended and analyzed using standard qualitative methods. Results show a wide variety of organizations are involved in large-scale conservation projects, and that partnerships take time to create and demand resilience in the face of different organizational practices, staff turnover, and short-term funding. Successful partnerships with local communities depend on the establishment of trust and the availability of external funds to support conservation land uses. We conclude that there is no single institutional model for large-scale conservation: success depends on finding institutional strategies that secure long-term conservation outcomes, and ensure that conservation gains are not reversed when funding runs out, private owners change priorities, or land changes hands.

Closing the Gap: Young People's Views on Learning at School

The UK has been criticised for its inequitable education system, as student outcomes are strongly linked to parental socio-economic status. Children and young people experiencing poverty are less likely than their better off peers to leave school with good grades, which can perpetuate disadvantage in later life. The attainment gap between children and young people experiencing poverty and their better off peers in the UK is widening, despite an increasing media and policy focus in this area. Poverty-related educational inequality is a complex area and there is no conclusive evidence in what works to reduce its effects. While there is a plethora of research on the impact of poverty on education, very little of it includes the voice of children and young people and/or the psychological impact of poverty on learning. The importance of hearing the views of children and young people is central to educational psychology, as is social justice and facilitating access to the curriculum for all students. The barriers presented by the experience of poverty to learning are thus vital for educational psychologists to address. This study used qualitative methods to explore the learning journey of Key Stage 3 (age 12-13) young people experiencing poverty in an English coastal borough. Questions from the Little Box of Big Questions 2 were used as a tool in semi-structured interviews, in addition to questions devised by the researcher. Young people discussed aspects of their lives that enabled them to learn at school, and aspects that presented barriers to learning. The research used Positive Psychology, taking a strengths based approach to explore the skills young people thought they brought to education, skills they would like to develop, and how they could be supported in this. The study has highlighted themes that, if addressed, could potentially raise the attainment of children and young people experiencing poverty.

Should I stay or should I go – Factors associated with hospitalization risk among older persons in Sweden

An increasingly older population will most likely lead to greater demands on the health care system, as older age is associated with an increased risk of having acute and chronic conditions. The number of diseases or disabilities is not the only marker of the amount of health care utilized, as persons may seek hospitalization without a disease and/or illness that requires hospital healthcare. Hospitalization may pose a severe risk to older persons, as exposure to the hospital environment may lead to increased risks of iatrogenic disorders, confusion, falls and nosocomial infections, i.e., disorders that may involve unnecessary suffering and lead to serious consequences. Aims: The overall aim of this thesis was to describe and explore individual trajectories of cognitive development in relation to hospitalization and risk factors for hospitalization among older persons living in different accommodations in Sweden and to explore older persons' reasons for being transferred to a hospital. Methods: The study designs were longitudinal, prospective and descriptive, and both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Specifically, latent growth curve modelling was used to assess the association of cognitive development with hospitalization. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyse factors associated with hospitalization risk overtime. In addition, an explorative descriptive design was used to explore how home health care patients experienced and perceived their decision to seek hospital care. Results: The most common reasons for hospitalization were cardiovascular diseases, which caused more than one-quarter of first hospitalizations among the persons living in ordinary housing and nursing home residents (NHRs). The persons who had been hospitalized had a lower mean level of cognitive performance in general cognition, verbal, spatial/fluid, memory and processing speed abilities compared to those who had not been hospitalized. Significantly steeper declines in general cognition, spatial/fluid and processing speed abilities were observed among the persons who had been hospitalized. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the number of diseases, number of drugs used, having experienced a fall and being assessed as malnourished according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment scale were related to an increased hospitalization risk among the NHRs. Among the older persons living in ordinary housing, the risk factors for hospitalization were related to marital status, i.e., unmarried persons and widows/widowers had a decreased hospitalization risk. In addition, among social factors, receipt of support from relatives was related to an increased hospitalization risk, while receipt of support from friends was related to a decreased risk. The number of illnesses was not associated with the hospitalization risk for older persons in any age group or for those of either sex, when controlling for other variables. The older persons who received home health care described different reasons for their decisions to seek hospital care. The underlying theme of the home health care patients’ perceptions of their transfer to a hospital involved trust in hospitals. This trust was shared by the home health care patients, their relatives and the home health care staff, according to the patients. Conclusions: This thesis revealed that middle-aged and older persons who had been hospitalized exhibited a steeper decline in cognition. Specifically, spatial/fluid, processing speed, and general cognitive abilities were affected. The steeper decline in cognition among those who had been hospitalized remained even after controlling for comorbidities. The most common causes of hospitalization among the older persons living in ordinary housing and in nursing homes were cardiovascular diseases, tumours and falls. Not only health-related factors, such as the number of diseases, number of drugs used, and being assessed as malnourished, but also social factors and marital status were related to the hospitalization risk among the older persons living in ordinary housing and in nursing homes. Some risk factors associated with hospitalization differed not only between the men and women but also among the different age groups. The information provided in this thesis could be applied in care settings by professionals who interact with older persons before they decide to seek hospital care. To meet the needs of an older population, health care systems need to offer the proper health care at the most appropriate level, and they need to increase integration and coordination among health care delivered by different care services.

Inteligência coopetitiva setorial: uma proposta de modelo

The business environment context points at the necessity of new forms of management for the sustainable competitiveness of organizations through time. Coopetition is characterized as an alternative in the interaction of different actors, which compete and cooperate simultaneously, in the pursuit of common goals. This dual relation, within a gain-increasing perspective, converts competitors into partners and fosters competitiveness, especially that of organizations within a specific sector. The field of competitive intelligence has, in its turn, assisted organizations, individually, in the systematization of information valuable to decision-making processes, which benefits competitiveness. It follows that it is possible to combine coopetition and competitive intelligence in a systematized process of sectorial intelligence for coopetitive relations. The general aim of this study is, therefore, to put forth a model of sectorial coopetitive intelligence. The methodological outlining of the study is characterized as a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative methods), of an applied nature, of exploratory and descriptive aims. The Coordination of the Strategic Roadmapping Project for the Future of Paraná's Industry is the selected object of investigation. Protocols have been designed to collect primary and secondary data. In the collection of the primary ata, online questionary were sent to the sectors selected for examination. A total of 149 answers to the online questionary were obtained, and interviews were performed with all embers of the technical team of the Coordination, in a total of five interviewees. After the collection, all the data were tabulated, analyzed and validated by means of focal groups with the same five members of the Coordination technical team, and interviews were performed with a representative of each of the four sectors selected, in a total of nine participants in the validation. The results allowed the systematization of a sectorial coopetitive intelligence model called ICoops. This model is characterized by five stages, namely, planning, collection, nalysis, project development, dissemination and evaluation. Each stage is detailed in inputs, activities and outputs. The results suggest that sectorial coopetition is motivated mainly by knowledge sharing, technological development, investment in R&D, innovation, chain integration and resource complementation. The importance of a neutral institution has been recognized as a facilitator and incentive to the approximation of organizations. Among the main difficulties are the financing of the projects, the adhesion of new members, the lack of tools for the analysis of information and the dissemination of the actions.

Prática educativa em educação pré-escolar e no 1º ciclo do ensino básico : o jogo de justiça cognitiva

Relatório de Estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação de Paula Frassinetti para obtenção de grau Mestre em Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino 1º ciclo do Ensino Básico

Fishers’ perception on livelihood strategies, adaptation and mitigation measures to cope with changes in climate variables around Lake Wamala, Uganda

Fisheries support livelihoods but are threatened by climate variability and change which intensified since the 1970s. This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to determine the extent to which fishers around Lake Wamala in Uganda were copying with perceived changes in climate variables and the impacts on their livelihoods, to generate knowledge to enable the fishers increase resilience and sustain their livelihoods. Fishers were aware of changes in climate manifested by unpredictable seasons, floods and droughts. Fishing was the main livelihood activity. The African catfish had replaced Nile tilapia as the dominant fish species. There was damage and loss of gear, boats, landing sites and lives, and changes in fish catches and sizes, income and fish consumption during the perceived floods and droughts. The fishers adapted to the changes through increasing time on fishing grounds and changing target species and fishing gears but innovative ones diversified to high value crops and livestock which increased their income beyond what was earned from fishing thus acting as an incentive for some of them to quit fishing. Diversification to non-fishery activities as a form of adaptation was enhanced by membership to social groups, weekly fishing days, fishing experience and age of fishers but its benefits were not equally shared among men and women. Mitigation measures included planting trees, mulching gardens and protecting wetlands. Adaptation and mitigation measures were constrained by limited credit, awareness and land. The required interventions included improving access to credit, irrigation facilities and appropriate planting materials and raising awareness. The study showed that the fishers were aware of changes in climatic variables and the impacts on their livelihoods. There were also adaptation and mitigation measures practiced by the fishers which if promoted and their constraints addressed, could increase resilience of fishers to climatic change and sustain their livelihoods.

Interface cena e tecnologia : composições cênicas mediadas

Based on the presupposition that the arts in the West always counted on resources, supports, and devices pertaining to its time context, an reflection is intended regarding the scenic compositions mediated by digital technologies do. Such technologies are inserted in the daily routine, also composing artistic experiments, thus playing a dialogical role with the art/technology intersection. Therefore, the proposal is to investigate what relationships are established in the contemporary theatrical scene from the contagion by digital technologies, aiming at establishing this parallel through a dialogue with the authors discussing the subject, and also based on the group practices having technological resources as a determinant factor in their plays. Furthermore, a reflection should be made on the scene that incorporates or is carried out in intermediatic events, analyzing how digital technologies (re)configure compositional processes of the plays by GAG Phila7, in the city of São Paulo/SP. For such, the dissertation is organized in three sections comprising four moments, to wit: brief overview of the field, contextualization, poetic analysis and synthesis. Qualitative methods are used as the methodological proposal: semi-structure interview, note and document taking (program, website, playing book, disclosure material for advertising text, photographs, and videos). Within the universe of qualitative research, it works with the epistemological perspective of the Gadamer philosophical hermeneutics. The possibilities allowed by the double virtual (Internet/web) generated a type of theater with another material basis and new forms of organization and structure, being possible to perceive that such technological advances and the arts are mutually contaminated, generating a dislocation in the logics of theatrical composition, movement beginning with the artistic vanguards, gradually intensified, thus offering new possibilities of constructions and hybridization of the of the most different possible types. Experiment ―Profanações_superfície de eventos de construção coletiva‖, idealized by Phila7 is inserted in this perspective. Object of the discussion of such research, the experiment works with possible poetics arising from the intersection with the digital technologies, aiming at identifying and problematizing the challenges from the technological evolution and expansion in a scenic context

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia and psychosocial treatment: thematic analysis of stakeholders’ perspectives

Objectives. Recent literature indicates variance in psychosocial treatment preferences for negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Attempts at defining therapeutic aims and outcomes for negative symptoms to date have not included major stakeholder groups. The aim of the present study was to address this gap through qualitative methods. Design. Thematic Analysis was applied to qualitative semi-structured interview data to gather the opinions of people who experience negative symptoms, carers, and healthcare professionals. Participants were recruited from two mental health sites (inpatient/community) to increase generalisability of results. Ten people participated in the research. Methods. Semi-structured interview scripts were designed utilising evidence from the review in Chapter 1 of effective psychosocial intervention components for specific negative symptoms. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse data. Results. A common theme across groups was the need for a personalised approach to intervention for negative symptoms. Other themes indicated different opinions in relation to treatment targets and the need for a sensitive and graded approach to all aspects of therapy. This approach needs to be supported across systemic levels of organisation with specific training needs for staff addressed. Conclusions. There is disparity in treatment preferences for negative symptoms across major stakeholders. The findings suggest an individualised approach to intervention of negative symptoms that is consistent with recovery. Implementation barriers and facilitators were identified and discussed. There remains a need to develop a better understanding of treatment preferences for patients.

Crabbing into an uncertain future: the blue swimming crab fisher in coastal town of Eastern Philippines

This research project sought to find out the socio-economic status of the small-scale fishers of the blue swimming crab (Portunuspelagicus) in Samar, considering the diminishing volume of catch of the species in the recent years. Using a blend of quantitative and qualitative methods, the study employed an interview schedule, focus group discussion (FGD) and observation in collecting data not only from the fishers but also from other sectors directly involved in the blue swimming crab industry.

A house, not a home? Examining the use of the private rented sector to resolve homelessness in Scotland

Changes to homelessness legislation in post-devolution Scotland have resulted in an expansion of rights for homeless households seeking formal assistance from local authorities. These changes have led to Scotland’s homelessness arrangements being considered among the most progressive in Europe. In recent years, however, the Scottish Government has increasingly promoted homelessness prevention and Housing Options approaches as a means by which homelessness might be avoided or resolved without recourse to statutory rights. As part of that, they have promoted greater use of the private rented sector (PRS) as a key housing option, with the potential to meet the needs of homeless households. The arguments made to support use of the PRS have much in common with arguments for privatisation in other areas of social policy, notably greater choice for the individual promoting better welfare outcomes, and competition among providers encouraging improvements in quality of service provision. Critics have argued that such benefits may not be realised and that, on the contrary, privatisation may lead to exclusion or act to worsen households’ outcomes. This thesis considers the extent to which the PRS has been utilised in Scotland to accommodate homeless households, and the consequences of this for their welfare. The thesis uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. To examine trends in the use of the PRS, it presents quantitative analysis of the data on the operation of the statutory system and Housing Options arrangements, and of data from a survey of local authority homelessness strategy officers. To examine the consequences of this for homeless households, the thesis uses qualitative research involving face-to-face interviews with 35 homeless households across three local authority areas. This research considers the extent to which households’ experiences of homelessness, housing need and the PRS reflect the arguments presented in the literature, and how settled accommodation has impacted on households’ ability to participate fully in society. The research found an increasing but still limited role for the PRS in resolving statutory homelessness in Scotland, with indications that the PRS is being increasingly used as part of the Housing Options approach and as a means of resolving homelessness outside the statutory system. The PRS is being utilised to varying degrees across different local authority areas, and a variety of methods are being used to do so. While local authorities saw clear advantages to making greater use of the sector, a number of significant barriers including affordability, available stock and landlord preferences - made this difficult in practice. Research with previously homeless households in the PRS similarly found broadly positive experiences and views of the sector, particularly with regard to enabling households to access good quality accommodation in desirable areas of their choosing, with many households highlighting improvements relating to social inclusion and participation. Nevertheless, concerns around the security of tenure offered by the sector, repairs, service standards and unequal power relations between landlord and tenant persisted. As such, homeless households frequently expressed their decision to enter the sector in terms of a trade-off between choice and security.

Marketing de relacionamento em um provedor de internet: um estudo comparativo que considera a visão gerencial e a percepção dos clientes

The current paper aims at analyzing customer retention in Internet provider services. For this study, we sought to understand what are the client's expectations regarding the services available and compare them with management perception in relation to the use of those services. Identifying the coherence level between the two points of view, management and client, it is possible to pinpoint how service is assessed in real conditions. Then, from this point on, a new vision can be implemented on available services, and new customer service strategies aiming at best serving to their expectation and need, can be rethought. The exploratory research was utilized. It was based on case study, and quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The quantitative method was done by applying the cluster technique with six variables of control derived from the six main services, whose definition was done through qualitative survey of the internal management team. Then, an structured interview with 443 clients, from a probabilistic sample of 800 costumers. The total number of active clients of the internet provider is of 10.677. Client perception in relation to services varied, if compared with the four services that were under the managerial metric method, this comparison showed a more positive evaluation than the real use of the service. Thus, it was observed that the value of each service available for the client depends on his/her perception of it, regardless of using or not the offered service. As a result, it is possible to understand which services offered by the company under study effectively contribute to a good client-company relationship, and the upkeep of those clients

Attraction, recruitment and retention of high performing sales professionals case study: Lindström

The goal of this thesis is to gain more in-depth understanding of employer branding and offer suggestions on how this knowledge could be utilized in the case company. More in detail, the purpose of this research is to provide tools for improving Lindström’s organizational attractiveness and boosting the recruitment and retention of the segment of high-performing sales professionals. A strategy for reaching this particular segment has not been previously drawn and HR-managers believe strongly that it would be very beneficial for the company’s development and growth. The topic of this research is very current for Lindström, but also contributes on general level as companies are competing against each other in attracting, recruiting and retention of skilled workforce in the times of labor shortage. The research is conducted with qualitative methods and the data collection includes primary data through interviews as well as secondary data in the form of analysis on previous research, websites, recruitment material and discussions with Lindström’s HR department. This research provides a good basis for broader examination on the topic and presents development suggestions for the identified challenges. Based on the key findings Lindström’s HR department was advised to increase firm’s visibility, broaden recruitment channels, provide more hands-on knowledge about the sales positions and investigate their possibilities of developing sales reward systems.

Propostas de gestão participativa para o desenvolvimento sustentável dos recursos naturais e biodiversidade de Santa Maria

Os Açores reúnem nove ilhas com singularidades peculiares em termos paisagísticos, arquitetónicos e riqueza dos seus recursos naturais. Este panorama levanta contudo grandes desafios de sustentabilidade, de entre eles a reorientação de estratégias, atendendo à especificidade da região (segundo os objetivos à escala nacional em sede da Estratégia Nacional Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ENDS)). No caso da Ilha de Santa Maria (SMA), pequena ilha em que as estratégias tendem a ser ignoradas, a participação da população e dos dirigentes locais é minorada por interesses económicos desvinculados do desenvolvimento sustentável (DS). Para inverter esta situação é necessário conhecer para preservar, proteger para conservar, planificar e orientar os comportamentos e atitudes visando a sustentabilidade dos recursos naturais (RN) da ilha. Aplicando uma metodologia que conjugou os métodos quantitativos e qualitativos, com uma componente prática, utilizando um método de amostragem não casual dirigida, não probabilística com um método de amostragem por clusters, agrupado em grupos (workshop, séniores e jovens), pretendeu-se descrever os conhecimentos, as práticas e as perceções sobre a gestão dos RN’s, DS e instrumentos de gestão territorial (IGT’s). Os resultados mostram que os conhecimentos, práticas e perceções dos diferentes grupos são insuficientes no que respeita ao conhecimento dos conceitos e dimensões do DS (independentemente das idades ou habilitações literárias), verificando-se contudo melhorias, por vezes significativas, após as ações de sensibilização e educação. É imperativo continuar o esforço de valorização dos RN’s, envolvendo a população nas estratégias de conservação, objetivando uma proposta orientadora e participada numa visão para sustentabilidade da Ilha (SMA). Recomenda-se uma proposta de modelo de Estratégia DS dos recursos naturais e biodiversidade para SMA e diversas propostas de ações para colocar em prática essa estratégia como desenvolvimentos futuros.

Jiao Tong: A Grounded Theory of Chinese International Students' Transition to American Tertiary Education

University students are more globally mobile than ever before, increasingly receiving education outside of their home countries. One significant student exchange pattern is between China and the United States; Chinese students are the largest population of international students in the U.S. (Institute of International Education, 2014). Differences between Chinese and American culture in turn influence higher education praxis in both countries, and students are enculturated into the expectations and practices of their home countries. This implies significant changes for students who must navigate cultural differences, academic expectations, and social norms during the process of transition to a system of higher education outside their home country. Despite the trends in students’ global mobility and implications for international students’ transitions, scholarship about international students does not examine students’ experiences with the transition process to a new country and system of higher education. Related models were developed with American organizations and individuals, making it unlikely that they would be culturally transferable to Chinese international students’ transitions. This study used qualitative methods to deepen the understanding of Chinese international students’ transition processes. Grounded theory methods were used to invite the narratives of 18 Chinese international students at a large public American university, analyze the data, and build a theory that reflects Chinese international students’ experiences transitioning to American university life. Findings of the study show that Chinese international students experience a complex process of transition to study in the United States. Students’ pre-departure experiences, including previous exposure to American culture, family expectations, and language preparation, informed their transition. Upon arrival, students navigate resource seeking to fulfill their practical, emotional, social, intellectual, and ideological needs. As students experienced various positive and discouraging events, they developed responses to the pivotal moments. These behaviors formed patterns in which students sought familiarity or challenge subsequent to certain events. The findings and resulting theory provide a framework through which to better understand the experiences of Chinese international students in the context of American higher education.

Estudo comparativo da ecologia alimentar de Pagrus pagrus L. (1758), Lithognatus mormyrus L. (1758) e Ciplodus sargus L. (1758) (Pisces, Sparidae) da costa algarvia

Dissertação de mest. em Estudos Marinhos e costeiros, Unidade de Ciências e Tecnologias dos Recursos Aquáticos, Univ. do Algarve, 1998