Nursing Home Care- Nursing Students as Carers discussing and addressing the negatives; a Northern Ireland Perspective

Abstract
The quality of nursing home care for some remains a significant cause of concern. This paper explores and discusses some of the significant critiques and limitations to nursing home care within the UK, particularly and including end of life care. The paper also explores some of the international literature by way of comparison.
Aim
To identify some of the characteristics contributing to the quality of holistic care within nursing homes
Methods
Two short narratives drawn from the experiences of nursing home care within Northern Ireland. The narrators (and co-authors to the paper) are first year student nurses who are also employed (part-time) as carers within nursing homes
Results
The paper identifies evidence of good nursing and care, together with evident quality in end of life care within nursing homes. The paper addresses the context of nursing home care and explores significant characteristics that reflect in the delivery of holistic care to nursing home residents, including the important role of a `culture’ of care, ongoing and specialist training( particularly and including within end of life care) and the important impact in the quality of nursing home leadership.
The paper concludes with some short recommendations to better develop practice within nursing homes

Alcohol-Related Problems in Eastern Europe : A Comparative Perspective

This thesis investigates the association between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in Eastern Europe. The main aim was to estimate to what extent changes in per capita alcohol consumption have an impact on different forms of alcohol-related mortality, and to put the results in an international comparative perspective. The thesis includes four papers; the first two papers use aggregate time-series analysis to assess how changes in per capita consumption affect rates in suicide mortality and fatal non-intentional injuries in several Eastern European countries, respectively. The third paper applies the same methodological approach to analyse the population-level relationship between alcohol and homicide in Russia and the U.S.. The fourth paper employs survey data to assess how the risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems in relation to volume of consumption in the Baltic countries compares to Sweden and Italy. The results of the first three papers suggests: (i) that changes in per capita consumption are significantly related to changes in mortality rates of suicide, non-intentional injuries and homicide in the countries under study; (ii) that the relationship is stronger for men than for women, and (iii) that the relationship tends to be stronger in the countries with more detrimental drinking patterns, e.g. Russia. The results of the fourth paper suggest that the risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems in relation to level of drinking in the Baltic countries is similar to the corresponding risk in Sweden, but considerably stronger than in Italy. In conclusion, the findings support the significance of a public health approach to alcohol-related problems in Eastern Europe, i.e., policy measures directed towards total alcohol consumption. In addition, strategies aimed at reducing the occurrence of binge drinking seem to have great potential for reducing alcohol-related harm and mortality in Eastern European countries.

Les contrats et les droits fondamentaux : perspective franco-québécoise

Réalisé en cotutelle

Providing a Positive Learning Experience for International Students Studying at a UK University: a Literature Review

Much of the current literature relating to international students at university level tends to highlight their experiences from a deficit perspective and in some cases even problematises the experience for the student and university. Other studies tend to focus on recruitment and motivation rather than the lived experiences of the student, thereby providing little assistance to guide the student, academic and host university in their preparation for, and working with, the international student. International students choose to study in the United Kingdom for a variety of positive reasons. However, these factors have the potential to become stressors as the student makes the transition to studying in a foreign country. Rather than viewing these stressors from a negative perspective, this literature review identifies how, with planning, support and understanding, universities can provide and develop a positive experience for all concerned.

Dissimilitudes entre les contenus géométriques du manuel scolaire mathématiques de 8e année en Iran et le test international du TIMSS 2011

Les résultats de la cinquième réalisation de l’étude de TIMSS en 2011 montrent la présence d’un faible rendement des élèves iraniens en mathématiques par rapport à la moyenne internationale. Plusieurs facteurs peuvent être à la source de ce faible rendement : programmes d’études, caractéristiques de l’école, qualité des ressources éducatives fournies à l’école ou accessibles aux élèves hors de l’école, etc. (Mullis et coll., 2009; 2012; Coleman et coll., 1966). Ce mémoire est une tentative d’identifier les points faibles probables du contenu géométrique du manuel scolaire de mathématiques de 8e année de l’Iran, en considérant les exigences de TIMSS 2011. Dans cette perspective, cette recherche se focalise sur trois axes d’analyse : la répartition des contenus géométriques dans le manuel des mathématiques, la manière de présenter les concepts et les niveaux de raisonnement exigés par les problèmes du test et par les activités du manuel. L’analyse des résultats obtenus nous a permis de constater plusieurs divergences. Au niveau de la présence des connaissances géométriques, 9 % des connaissances nécessaires à la résolution des questions de TIMSS 2011 sont absentes du manuel. Quant à la présentation des connaissances, 27 % des connaissances sont présentées implicitement dans les manuels. L’utilisation de la grille d’analyse du niveau de raisonnement exigé par les tâches géométriques (Tanguay, 2000), montre que le manuel manque d’exercices mettant en jeu le développement des expériences mentales (35 %). Selon la théorie de Van Hiele (1959), l’insuffisance d’expériences nécessaires pour le développement de la pensée géométrique aux niveaux visuel, descriptif et analytique influencera la construction des concepts et la réussite dans la résolution des problèmes.

Regard international sur le Centre de Recyclage et d'employabilité de la main d’oeuvre de l'Estrie au travers de trois enquêtes majeures qui ont été menées au Canada et dans six pays de l'OCDE

Le Centre de recyclage et d'employabilité de la main-d’oeuvre de l'Estrie, le C.R.E.M.E. complète dix années d'activités au service des personnes analphabètes qui désirent intégrer ou réintégrer le marché du travail. Au plan régional, les activités ont été mises de l'avant dans la foulée des actions menées par La Maison Alpha en association avec plusieurs entreprises manufacturières qui s'engagèrent alors dans le recrutement et la formation des travailleurs analphabètes. Les Maison Alpha de Sherbrooke et de Magog furent créées en 1981 afin de venir en aide aux personnes analphabètes qui souhaitent apprendre à lire et à écrire. En 1983, les deux organismes ont été fusionnés pour devenir le Collectif d'alphabétisation des travailleurs: La Maison Alpha se spécialise alors dans la formation des travailleurs analphabètes. En avril 1986, l'analyse des données de Statistique Canada et du ministère de la Main-d’oeuvre et de la Sécurité du revenu montre qu'il existe dans le Sherbrooke métropolitain un taux d'analphabétisme fonctionnel élevé. Cette évaluation qui est fondée sur les niveaux de scolarité de la population révèle que plus de vingt-huit mille personnes sont considérées analphabètes dans un rayon de trente kilomètres de la ville de Sherbrooke. L'expérimentation développée par le Centre régional d'alphabétisation, La Maison Alpha, confirme que l'alphabétisation des travailleurs ne suffit pas à régler leurs problèmes d'employabilité. Plusieurs personnes analphabètes désirent recevoir une formation adaptée à leurs besoins qui leur permet d'intégrer ou de réintégrer le marché du travail. Compte tenu des transformations majeures qui sont amenées au niveau de la définition du concept d'alphabétisme et les façons de le mesurer, il s'avère important pour le C.R.E.M.E. de faire le point sur les activités de formation passées et sur celles qu'il entend mettre en oeuvre pour le situer dans la vision moderne de l'alphabétisme. Dans cette perspective, ce travail vise à analyser les programmes de l'organisme et les activités qu'il offre à ses participants. Pour ce faire, les orientations et les activités du C.R.E.M.E. seront mises en rapport avec les principales études qui ont contribué à définir le concept d'alphabétisme et qui ont déterminé les capacités qui sont jugées essentielles à l'individu pour fonctionner dans une société industrialisée.

Building bridges between user and designer: co-creation, immersion and perspective taking

Designing for users rather than with users is still a common practice in technology design and innovation as opposed to taking them on board in the process. Design for inclusion aims to define and understand end-users, their needs, context of use, and, by doing so, ensure that end-users are catered for and included, while the results are geared towards universality of use. We describe the central role of end-user and designer participation, immersion and perspective to build user-driven solutions. These approaches provided a critical understanding of the counterpart role. Designer(s) could understand what the user’s needs were, experience physical impairments, and see from other’s perspective the interaction with the environment. Users could understand challenges of designing for physical impairments, build a sense of ownership with technology and explore it from a creative perspective. The understanding of the peer’s role (user and designer), needs and perspective enhanced user participation and inclusion.

Reuse and integration of specification logics: the hybridisation perspective

Hybridisation is a systematic process along which the characteristic features of hybrid logic, both at the syntactic and the semantic levels, are developed on top of an arbitrary logic framed as an institution. It also captures the construction of first-order encodings of such hybridised institutions into theories in first-order logic. The method was originally developed to build suitable logics for the specification of reconfigurable software systems on top of whatever logic is used to describe local requirements of each system’s configuration. Hybridisation has, however, a broader scope, providing a fresh example of yet another development in combining and reusing logics driven by a problem from Computer Science. This paper offers an overview of this method, proposes some new extensions, namely the introduction of full quantification leading to the specification of dynamic modalities, and exemplifies its potential through a didactical application. It is discussed how hybridisation can be successfully used in a formal specification course in which students progress from equational to hybrid specifications in a uniform setting, integrating paradigms, combining data and behaviour, and dealing appropriately with systems evolution and reconfiguration.

Estratégias e práticas de marketing relacional na Russell Bedford International

O presente relatório propõe-se a retratar a experiência como Assistente de Marketing e Business Development na empresa Russell Bedford International, sediada em Londres, entre Outubro de 2012 e Fevereiro de 2013. O relatório encontra-se dividido em três capítulos: entidade de acolhimento, actividades desenvolvidas e enquadramento teórico. A Russell Bedford International (RBI) é uma rede global de empresas de contabilidade, auditoria, consultoria fiscal e empresarial. A empresa tem representação em mais de 100 países na Europa, América, Médio Oriente, Africa, Índia e Ásia, contando com mais de 90 associados, mais de 20 correspondentes, 600 parceiros, 5000 empregados e 290 escritórios. O presente documento apresenta os principais desafios e estratégias, do ponto de vista do Marketing, que a empresa enfrenta num contexto business-to-business, marcado pela importância das relações e pela internacionalização.

Challenges for a shared European countryside of uncertain future. Towards a modern community based landscape perspective

This paper addresses current changes in the highly diverse European landscape, and the way these transitions are being treated in policy and landscape management in the fragmented, heterogeneous and dynamic context of today’s Europe. It appears that intersecting driving forces are increasing the complexity of European landscapes and causing polarising developments in agricultural land use, biodiversity conservation and cultural landscape management. On the one hand, multifunctional rural landscapes, especially in peri-urban regions, provide services and functions that serve the citizens in their demand for identity, support their sense of belonging and offer opportunities for recreation and involvement in practical landscape management. On the other hand, industrial agricultural production on increasingly large farms produces food, feed, fibre and energy to serve expanding international markets with rural live ability and accessibility as a minor issue. The intermediate areas of traditionally dominant small and family farms in Europe seem to be gradually declining in profitability. The paper discusses the potential of a governance approach that can cope with the requirement of optimising land-sharing conditions and community-based landscape development, while adapting to global market conditions.

PERSPECTIVE FROM THE OPTICAL SCANNING OF COPYRIGHT

Digitalization is, nowadays, a very important mechanism to help information get where it’s needed, thanks specially to the universality of internet access. However, it carries within the responsibility of making a good use of it, in means of copyright, guarding the existing legislation in Costa Rica and the international agreements in which the country takes part. Legislation allows, under certain premises, the use of digitalization. Nevertheless, it’s necessary to define the parameters in which these premises will be applied, so it’s used correctly.

From the human rights-based approach to an ecological approach on how to achieve successful inclusion in international disability education

The barriers that people with disabilities face around the world are not only inherent to the limitations resulting from the disability itself, but, more importantly, these barriers rest with the societal technologies of exclusion. Using a mixed methodology approach, I conduct a quest to revealing several societal factors that limit full participation of people with disabilities in their communities, which will contribute to understanding and developing a more comprehensive framework for full inclusion of people with disabilities into the society. First, I conduct a multiple regression analysis to seek whether there is a statistical relationship between the national level of development, the level of democratization, and the level of education within a country’s population on one hand, and expressed concern for and preparedness to improve the quality of life for people of disabilities on another hand. The results from the quantitative methodology reveal that people without disabilities are more prepared to take care of people with disabilities when the level of development of the country is higher, when the people have more freedom of expression and hold the government accountable for its actions, and when the level of corruption is under control. However, a greater concern for the well-being of people with disabilities is correlated with a high level of country development, a decreased value of political stability and absence of violence, a decreased level of government effectiveness, and a greater level of law enforcement. None of the dependent variables are significantly correlated with the level of education from a given country. Then, I delve into an interpretive analysis to understand multiple factors that contribute to the construction of attitudes and practices towards people with disabilities. In doing this, I build upon the four main principles outlined by the United Nations as strongly recommended to be embedded in all international programmes: (1) identification of claims of human rights and the corresponding obligations of governments, hence, I assess and analyze disability rights in education, looking at United Nation, United States, and European Union Perspectives Educational Rights Provisions for People with Disabilities (Ch. 3); (2) estimated capacity of individuals to claim their rights and of governments to fulfill their obligations, hence, I look at the people with disabilities as rights-holders and duty-bearers and discuss the importance of investing in special capital in the context of global development (Ch. 4); (3) programmes monitor and evaluate the outcomes and the processes under the auspices of human rights standards, hence, I look at the importance of evaluating the UN World Programme of Action Concerning People with Disabilities from multiple perspectives, as an example of why and how to monitor and evaluate educational human rights outcomes and processes (Ch. 5); and (4) programming should reflect the recommendations of international human rights bodies and mechanisms, hence, I focus on programming that fosters development of the capacity of people with disabilities, that is, planning for an ecology of disabilities and ecoducation for people with disabilities (Ch. 6). Results from both methodologies converge to a certain point, and they further complement each other. One common result for the two methodologies employed is that disability is an evolving concept when viewed in a broader context, which integrates the four spaces that the ecological framework incorporates. Another common result is that factors such as economic, social, legal, political, and natural resources and contexts contribute to the health, education and employment opportunities, and to the overall well-being of people with disabilities. The ecological framework sees all these factors from a meta-systemic perspective, where bi-directional interactions are expected and desired, and also from a human rights point of view, where the inherent value of people is upheld at its highest standard.

An ecosystem of products and systems for ambient intelligence – the AAL4ALL users perspective

Texto completo em atas de encontros científicos internacionais com arbitragem