The elasticity of demand is about occupancy, not prices: building European demand curves based on occupancy elasticity

The peak congestion of the European grid may create significant impacts on system costs because of the need for higher marginal cost generation, higher cost system balancing and increasing grid reinforcement investment. The use of time of use rates, incentives, real time pricing and other programmes, usually defined as Demand Side Management (DSM), could bring about significant reductions in prices, limit carbon emissions from dirty power plants, and improve the integration of renewable sources of energy. Unlike previous studies on elasticity of residential electricity demand under flat tariffs, the aim of this study is not to investigate the known relatively inelastic relationship between demand and prices. Rather, the aim is to assess how occupancy levels vary in different European countries. This reflects the reality of demand loads, which are predominantly determined by the timing of human activities (e.g. travelling to work, taking children to school) rather than prices. To this end, two types of occupancy elasticity are estimated: baseline occupancy elasticity and peak occupancy elasticity. These represent the intrinsic elasticity associated with human activities of single residential end-users in 15 European countries. This study makes use of occupancy time-series data from the Harmonised European Time Use Survey database to build European occupancy curves; identify peak occupancy periods; draw time use demand curves for video and TV watching activity; and estimate national occupancy elasticity levels of single-occupant households. Findings on occupancy elasticities provide an indication of possible DSM strategies based on occupancy levels and not prices.

The type and frequency of interactions that occur between staff and children outside in Early Years Foundation Stage settings during a fixed playtime period when there are tricycles available

This study reports on an investigation into adult and child interactions observed in the outdoor play environment in four Local Authority early years foundation stage settings in England. In this instance the common two features across the settings were the presence of tricycles and a timetabled outdoor play period. In total, across the four schools, there were 204 children. The study aimed to gain an understanding of the nature of the dialogues between staff and children, that is, the types of exchange that occurred when either the child approached an adult or the adult approached a child. The most frequent type of utterance was also analysed. The study concludes that adults in these settings spoke more than children and the greatest type of utterance was that of the adult about domestic matters. When the child initiated the conversation there were more extended child utterances than domestic utterances. This may suggest that children wish to be involved in conversations of depth and meaning and that staff need to become aware of how to develop this conversational language with children.

“Bad talk” made good: language variety in four Caribbean British children���s poets

This article looks at how four British-based poets born in the Caribbean exploit the rich language repertoire available to them in their work for children and young people. Following initial consideration of questions of definition and terminology, poetry collections by James Berry, John Agard, Grace Nichols and Valerie Bloom are discussed, with a focus on the interplay and creative tension between the different varieties of Caribbean creoles (“Bad Talk”) and standard English evident in their work. Variation both between the four poets’ usage and within each individual poet’s work is considered, and a trend over time towards the inclusion of fewer creole-influenced poems is noted. This and other issues, such as the labelling of the four poets’ work as ‘performance poetry’ and the nature of the poets’ contribution to British children���s literature, are considered in the conclusion.

Can Children Distinguish Between Thoughts and Behaviours?

Abstract. The extent to which cognitive behaviour therapy can be used with children is unclear. In meta analyses older children and teenagers seem to derive greater benefit than young children. This may be because the cognitive immaturity of young children means that they cannot manage the cognitive demands of cognitive behaviour therapy. This paper seeks to establish how well children aged 7–8 and aged 10–11 can complete a task requiring them to distinguish between thoughts and behaviours (based on Greenberger & Padesky, 1995). Half of the children were provided with a visual cue and half were not. The effects of age, the visual cue, and verbal IQ on performance were examined. Seventy-two children were randomized to the cue and no-cue condition and individually tested during school time. Both age groups performed well and there was a significant difference between older and younger children, with the older children performing better. Visual cues did not aid performance. Verbal IQ was significantly associated with performance in the younger but not the older children. The implications of these results for the delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy with children and future research are discussed. Keywords: Children, thoughts, behaviours, cognitive, development

"When I go to bed hungry and sleep, I'm not hungry": children and parents' experiences of food insecurity

Evidence demonstrates food insecurity has a detrimental impact on a range of outcomes for children, but little research has been conducted in the UK, and children have rarely been asked to describe their experiences directly. We examined the experiences of food insecure families living in South London. Our mixed-methods approach comprised a survey of parents (n = 72) and one-to-one semi-structured interviews with children aged 5-11 years (n = 19). The majority of parents (86%) described their food security during the preceding year as very low. Most reported they had often or sometimes had insufficient food, and almost all had worried about running out of food. Two thirds of parents had gone hungry. Most parents reported they had been unable to afford a nutritionally balanced diet for their children, and just under half reported that their children had gone hungry. Four themes emerged from the interviews with children: sources of food; security of food, nutritional quality of food, and experiences of hunger. Children's descriptions of insufficient food being available indicate that parents are not always able to shield them from the impact of food insecurity. The lack of school-meals and after-school clubs serving food made weekends particularly problematic for some children. A notable consequence of food insecurity appears to be reliance on low-cost takeaway food, likely to be nutritionally poor.

Working at night and work ability among nursing personnel: when precarious employment makes the difference

To test the association between night work and work ability, and verify whether the type of contractual employment has any influence over this association. Permanent workers (N = 642) and workers with precarious jobs (temporary contract or outsourced; N = 552) were interviewed and filled out questionnaires concerning work hours and work ability index. They were classified into: never worked at night, ex-night workers, currently working up to five nights, and currently working at least six nights/2-week span. After adjusting for socio-demography and work variables, current night work was significantly associated with inadequate WAI (vs. day work with no experience in night work) only for precarious workers (OR 2.00, CI 1.01-3.95 and OR 1.85, CI 1.09-3.13 for those working up to five nights and those working at least six nights in 2 weeks, respectively). Unequal opportunities at work and little experience in night work among precarious workers may explain their higher susceptibility to night work.

The attractiveness of the work is affected when production of handcrafted log houses moves indoors

Viewed from a historical perspective, a shift has occurred within the forestry and wood sector towards indoor work. In Sweden, the production of handcrafted log houses has now also begun to move indoors. With a point of departure in development processes within the log house sector involving working indoors, education, work attractiveness, between 2001-2005, the aim of this study was to compare indoor work with outdoor work, based on log house builders' experience of working on handcrafted log houses. Methods used in the interactive development project involving apprentices, experienced log house builders and researchers, were participation with continuous documentation of experiences and opinions; questions; interviews; and measurement of the work environment. The Attractive Work Model has been used in order to analyse perceptions and values. The changes, 15 out of 22 areas, were perceived both negatively and positively. Therefore, it can not be said that working on traditional, handcrafted log houses becomes more attractive if it is moved indoors. The majority wanted to work both outdoors and indoors, while most of the others only wanted to work outdoors. The results indicate that there is scope for developing more attractive work indoors by utilising experiences from log house builders and closely related activities such as the forestry and wood sector. Changes made within one area of work attractiveness affect other areas. Further research is needed both with regard to comparisons between indoor and outdoor work and regarding the interaction between the areas that are identified in the Attractive Work Model.

Corporal Punishment : A study about attitudes and opinions to corporal punishment and the connection to children���s rights in South Africa and Sweden

Corporal punishment is a worldwide problem. The purpose withthis thesis is to promote a constructive discussion about the problem andconnect this to children���s rights. This gives the possibility to start adiscussion about suggestions and measures to reduce the problem. Thetheory is that corporal punishment is used as a disciplinary method tochange behavior. Children���s rights is regulated by conventions and nationallaws. The method is to conduct an analysis with interpretations andcommentaries of the research materials from South Africa and Sweden.The conclusion is that those who are positive to corporal punishment thinksit is an efficient working method, and it is about children���s safety. Thosewho are negative have experienced that alternative methods works. Asuggestion is to involve children in the work with children���s rights andeducate them in human and children���s rights with focus on obligations andresponsibility.

Det handlar om anknytning : En kvalitativ studie om socialsekreterares resonemang om anknytningens betydelse för en gynnsam utveckling

The aim of this study was to receive a rapt understanding of how child-welfare officer’s reasons about the meaning of attachment theory, from the child´s best, in placements of a child. The aim was also to examine the possibilities child-welfare officer´s feel they have to work with the child´s best and attachment in focus. The study has a qualitative approach and the empirical material is collected thru semi-structured interviews. The theoretical framework used is attachment theory, the child´s best and street-level bureaucracy. The result of the study shows that child-welfare officers have equivalent knowledge, experiences and thoughts about the meaning of attachment theory for a favorable development in foster children. The study concludes is that more knowledge about attachment theory is necessary and child-welfare officers demands methods to better assess attachment patterns in children. The child-welfare officers express frustration when they talk about matters in the "grey area" and situations where different perspectives clashes and the child´s best end up in the background.

Skolsköterskors uppfattning av samspelet mellan psykisk hälsa och fysisk aktivitet utifrån deras arbete med högstadieelever : En empirisk kvalitativ intervjustudie med fenomenografisk ansats

Bakgrund: Många barn uppvisar symtom på psykisk ohälsa, samtidigt visar studier att barn får en alltmer stillasittande fritid. Exakt hur den fysiska aktiviteten påverkar den psykiska hälsan är oklart då det är en komplex fråga. I sitt arbete erhåller skolsköterskor nära relationer med barn och de får på så vis en inblick i hur den psykiska samt fysiska hälsan ser ut. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att belysa hur samspelet mellan psykisk hälsa och fysisk aktivitet uppfattas av skolsköterskor utifrån deras erfarenhet i elevhälsan bland högstadieelever. Metod: En empirisk kvalitativ intervjustudie med fenomenografisk ansats. Undersökningsgruppen bestod av åtta stycken skolsköterskor i Karlstads kommun som arbetar med elever på högstadiet. Huvudresultat: Skolsköterskorna hade en gemensam erfarenhet av att många barn har en dålig psykisk hälsa och att detta främst observeras bland flickor. De delade även uppfattningen av att den fysiska aktiviteten minskar bland barn. Något som framkom av skolsköterskornas berättelser var att kraven inom idrotten uppfattas av många barn som allt för höga. Konklusion: Många barn upplever allt för höga krav inom idrotten vilket kan leda till psykisk ohälsa hos vissa barn och framförallt bland flickor. För att få barn att öka sin fysiska aktivitet är det viktigt att se över synsättet inom idrotten så att det blir den roliga, sociala och avslappnande aktivitet den är tänkt att vara.

Pedagogisk dokumentation i förskolan : En intervjustudie om några förskollärares uppfattningar om begreppet pedagogisk dokumentation och dess innebörd

I dagens förskoleverksamhet är det i regel ett måste att dokumentera lärandeprocesser för att kunna uppfylla samtliga mål i utbildningsplaner och bistå med god utbildningskvalitet. Pedagogisk dokumentation – som grundades av Reggio Emilia – är ett utvärderingsverktyg som skall observera barnets lärandeprocesser samt förskollärarnas förhållningssätt. I vardagliga situationer i förskoleverksamheten har pedagogisk dokumentation många fördelar som kan kartlägga och ge bra förutsättningar genom att skapa förståelse för hur barn lär sig och utvecklas bäst. Syftet med denna studie var att genomföra en litteraturstudie i kombination med kvalitativa intervjuer som utgick ifrån följande frågeställningar: Hur definierar förskollärare begreppet dokumentation respektive pedagogisk dokumentation? Hur beskriver förskollärare arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation? Och hur menar förskollärare att arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation utvecklar verksamheten? Intervjuerna transkriberades och kategoriserades sedan kring hur förskollärarna använder pedagogisk dokumentation, hur synen på pedagogisk dokumentation ser ut samt vilka olika arbetssätt som används. Vid färdigställande av resultatet framgick det att tre av fyra respondenter upplevde pedagogisk dokumentation som något positivt och modernt. En respondent av fyra fann inte pedagogisk dokumentation som ett bra hjälpmedel för utvärdering, då verktyget kan vara oetiskt på så sätt att det kan användas som ett bedömningsverktyg på det enskilda barnet. Diskussionsavsnittet kopplar samman tidigare forskning med förskollärarnas svar kring hur de ser på pedagogisk dokumentation, hur de beskriver arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation och hur arbetssättet kan utveckla verksamheten.

Being a bridge : Swedish antenatal care midwives’ encounters with Somali-born women and questions of violence; a qualitative study

Background: Violence against women is associated with serious health problems, including adverse maternal and child health. Antenatal care (ANC) midwives are increasingly expected to implement the routine of identifying exposure to violence. An increase of Somali born refugee women in Sweden, their reported adverse childbearing health and possible links to violence pose a challenge to the Swedish maternity health care system. Thus, the aim was to explore ways ANC midwives in Sweden work with Somali born women and the questions of exposure to violence. Methods: Qualitative individual interviews with 17 midwives working with Somali-born women in nine ANC clinics in Sweden were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The midwives strived to focus on the individual woman beyond ethnicity and cultural differences. In relation to the Somali born women, they navigated between different definitions of violence, ways of handling adversities in life and social contexts, guided by experience based knowledge and collegial support. Seldom was ongoing violence encountered. The Somali-born women’s’ strengths and contentment were highlighted, however, language skills were considered central for a Somali-born woman’s access to rights and support in the Swedish society. Shared language, trustful relationships, patience, and networking were important aspects in the work with violence among Somali-born women. Conclusion: Focus on the individual woman and skills in inter-cultural communication increases possibilities of overcoming social distances. This enhances midwives’ ability to identify Somali born woman’s resources and needs regarding violence disclosure and support. Although routine use of professional interpretation is implemented, it might not fully provide nuances and social safety needed for violence disclosure. Thus, patience and trusting relationships are fundamental in work with violence among Somali born women. In collaboration with social networks and other health care and social work professions, the midwife can be a bridge and contribute to increased awareness of rights and support for Somali-born women in a new society.

A percepção do professor acerca do seu trabalho com crianças portadoras de autismo e síndrome de down : um estudo comparativo

The aim of the present study was to investigate the teacher’s perception about working both with individuals with autism and with Down’s syndrome. A semi-structured interview was performed with 10 teachers, in two special schools, in the interior of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Each one of these interviews was compound of a range of questions, dealing with topics such as teacher’s identification, etiologic notions about the syndrome, intellectual development and clinical characteristics of the children, ways of educational intervention and finally the difficulties and feelings of the teachers concerning their work in this area and also their educational strategies. The analysis of the obtained material revealed that there are similarities and differences in the way in which the teachers perceive their students with the Down’s syndrome or Autism. One fundamental aspect which was identified related to the circumstances that led the teacher to work with these children, which were not always founded on choice. One of the concerns, which mostly differentiated the teacher’s discourse, was in relation to pleasure when working with these children. This appears more clearly regarding the students with Down’s syndrome, indicating a feeling of well-being and satisfaction of the teacher, due to the social reciprocity and communication in the relationship with the children. On the other hand, stereotyped ideas; worries with behaviors that are not specific to the anxiety and lack of self-confidence were aspects which characterized the teacher’s perception about autism. This picture might have influenced their management strategies. For example, in order to alleviate their conflicts and anxieties the teachers used strategies to maintain the students systematically busy to attempt to “control” the autism. However, the practice of “sheltering” by means of flexible work and encouragement of the autonomy based on the exercise of choice were also identified in some of the teachers. Another aspect that deserves attention is in the relation to the beliefs about the etiology of autism, specifically those concerning the mother-child bond. A simplistic view of this issue was identified, which was understood as a direct relationship of “cause and effect” rather as a reciprocal process, where each element of the dyad contributes to its quality. Finally, the results of this paper point to a complexity but not impossibility of the educational process of the so-called “special” student. However, attention should be paid to the need of founding the educational practice on knowledge, thus avoiding the emergency of distorted ideas and subsequently practices incoherent with the individual’s development.

Trajetórias profissionais de executivas aos postos de alto escalão: fatores-chave, barreiras, inibidores de ascensão e estratégias de enfrentamento

Esta pesquisa buscou compreender as trajetórias profissionais de executivas aos postos de alto escalão, os fatores-chave, as barreiras e os inibidores de ascensão por elas enfrentados em seus percursos, bem como as estratégias de enfrentamento empregadas. Para tanto, efetuou-se um estudo de campo eminentemente qualitativo, cuja estratégia de pesquisa baseou-se no método de estudo de casos múltiplos, cuja unidade de análise centrou-se no nível individual, a saber, na exploração das experiências profissionais e de vida de executivas que alcançaram postos de alto escalão. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas em profundidade com 18 profissionais que atuam, ou atuaram, no board de organizações nacionais e multinacionais localizadas na cidade de Rio de Janeiro. A pesquisa revelou que o trabalho se constitui como fonte de identidade central para essas mulheres, e que suas trajetórias profissionais, apesar de únicas, apresentavam um padrão comum: essas executivas empreenderam trajetórias diagonais, devolvidas ao longo de várias organizações diferentes, o que poderia ser indicativo de como lidaram com a segregação vertical ao longo de seu desenvolvimento profissional. Chegar ao board de grandes organizações é empreendimento desafiador para homens e mulheres, a trajetória é afuniladora para ambos e, portanto, os que chegam lá – sejam homens ou mulheres – compartilham mais características comuns entre si, ou seja, o habitus do alto executivo, do que com o gênero ao qual pertencem. A pesquisa também revelou que os determinantes familiares, em especial a maternidade, somente foram apontados como barreiras de ascensão profissional pelas executivas sem filhos. Para as executivas com filhos, a maternidade foi encarada como um momento natural de suas vidas, que requereu algumas concessões, porém cujos possíveis conflitos foram equacionados de forma a que essa dimensão de suas vidas se equilibrasse com a esfera do trabalho que, para todas, se constitui em importante fonte de identidade.

Autoeficácia, características sociodemográficas e capacitação profissional: um estudo com servidores de uma Universidade Federal

Self-efficacy, the construct developed by Albert Bandura in 1977 and widely studied around the world, means the individual's belief in his own capacity to successfully perform a certain activity. This study aims to determine the degree of association between sociodemographic characteristics and professional training to the levels of Self-Efficacy at Work (SEW) of the Administrative Assistants in a federal university. This is a descriptive research submitted to and approved by the Ethics Committee of UFRN. The method of data analysis, in quantitative nature, was accomplished with the aid of the statistical programs R and Minitab. The instrument used in research was a sociodemographic data questionnaire, variables of professional training and the General Perception of Self-efficacy Scale (GPSES), applied to the sample by 289 Assistants in Administration. Statistical techniques for data analysis were descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, reliability test (Cronbach's alpha), and test of significance (Pearson). Results show a sociodemographic profile of Assistants in Administration of UFRN with well-distributed characteristics, with 48.4% men and 51.6% female; 59.9% of them were aged over 40 years, married (49.3%), color or race white (58%) and Catholics (67.8%); families are composed of up to four people (75.8%) with children (59.4%) of all age groups; the occupation of the mothers of these professionals is mostly housewives (51.6%) with high school education up to parents (72%) and mothers (75.8%). Assistants in Administration have high levels of professional training, most of them composed two groups of servers: the former, recently hired public servants (30.7%) and another with long service (59%), the majority enter young in career and it stays until retirement, 72.4% of these professionals have training above the minimum requirement for the job. The analysis of SEW levels shows medium to high levels for 72% of assistants in administration; low SEWclassified people have shown a high average of 2.7, considered close to the overall mean presented in other studies, which is 2.9. The cluster analysis has allowed us to say that the characteristics of the three groups (Low, Medium and High SEW) are similar and can be found in the three levels of SEW representatives with all the characteristics investigated. The results indicate no association between the sociodemographic variables and professional training to the levels of self-efficacy at work of Assistants in Administration of UFRN, except for the variable color or race. However, due to the small number of people who declared themselves in color or black race (4% of the sample), this result can be interpreted as mere coincidence or the black people addressed in this study have provided a sense of efficacy higher than white and brown ones. The study has corroborated other studies and highlighted the subjectivity of the self-efficacy construct. They are needed more researches, especially with public servants for the continuity and expansion of studies on the subject, making it possible to compare and confirm the results