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Introduction The incidence of obesity has been steadily rising over the last few decades and is having a significant impact upon the health system. In radiography, a particular challenge of imaging obese patients is implementing the as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) principle when determining radiation dose, and technical and patient-care adaptations. This study aimed to better understand the decision-making strategies of experienced radiographers in determining imaging and exposure factor selection in the context of imaging obese patients. Methods This study employed a 'think-aloud,' methodology, and eight experienced diagnostic radiographers working in clinical education were recruited to perform routine AP abdominal X-ray projections on an anthropomorphic phantom. They were asked to simultaneously verbalise emerging thoughts as they considered positioning, exposure selection and image evaluation. This process was repeated with three different phantom sizes, each representing an increased BMI from 'healthy,' to, 'morbidly obese.' Audio recordings were transcribed and interpreted via Bowman's (1997) theory of radiographic judgement and decision-making. Results Analysis of interview transcripts identified 12 key concepts considered by experienced radiographers. Differences in radiographic concepts were considered when imaging phantoms of different sizes was demonstrated. A shift from segmental (e.g. positioning) to more environmental factors (e.g. patient comfort) and an increase in the number of verbal considerations with increasing phantom size were identified. The shift in focus of decision-making stages identified the greater need to consider contextual factors such as patient comfort and repeatability when imaging obese patients. Conclusion Experienced radiographers find imaging obese patients challenging and alter their perception of image quality to accommodate for patient presentation. The findings will help inform future research, practice guidelines and learning resources to provide optimal imaging and care for obese patients, especially for student education.

Many commentators claim Adam Smith failed to realize that no objective standard of value exists. Instead, he adhered to the labor theory of value. Like others, we argue that in the The Wealth of Nations Smith discussed the “early and rude state” in which the labor theory of value made some sense since labor and human circumstances were relatively simple and knowable. However, because the labor theory of value is only sensible in that special case, his description of the theory suggests its own insufficiency. With the emergence of the division of labor, labor heterogeneity and the waning knowability of circumstances render the earlier analysis moot, but that is only implicit in the Wealth of Nations. So why does Smith exposit an analytically weak position? We suggest that Smith thought that his rhetorical use of the labor theory of value would advance his “liberal plan of equality, liberty, and justice.” The labor theory of value served as a rhetorical device to underpin his claims that the movement toward an economic system based on an extensive division of labor was a movement toward a better society without any systemic injustice in labor remuneration.

This editorial discusses the importance of quality improvement and quality assurance in the provision of medical imaging services, by exploring two studies which aim to improve the quality of practice in emergency departments (ED). The quality of work by ED radiographers are continually planned, measured, assessed, and improved to enhance patient care outcomes – from the accurate diagnosis of patients, maintaining the consistency of diagnostic images, and to minimising radiation exposure to patients.

Little is known about why individuals place either a high or a very low value on mitigating risks of disaster‐type events, like floods. This study uses panel data methods to explore the psychological factors affecting probability neglect of flood risk relevant to the zero end‐point of the probability weighting function in Prospect Theory, and willingness‐to‐pay for flood insurance. In particular, we focus on explanatory variables of anticipatory and anticipated emotions, as well as the threshold of concern. Moreover, results obtained under real and hypothetical incentives are compared in an experiment with high experimental outcomes. Based on our findings, we suggest several policy recommendations to overcome individual decision processes, which may hinder flood protection efforts.

Background: Citizenship has been promoted within mental health for several decades however, its application in the field of mental health policy and practice is relatively novel. The voices of people who experience mental health problems (MHPs) are often absent in ongoing discourses about citizenship. Aims: To explore how adults with experience of MHPs and other life disruptions identify potential barriers to citizenship.Method: A community based participatory research approach was adopted with peer researchers. Six focus groups (N = 40) using semi-structured interviews were conducted, consisting of participants who had experience of MHPS and other life disruption(s) within the last 5 years. The focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed in NVIVO using a thematic approach. Results: Three major themes associated with participants lived experiences of barriers to citizenship were identified: ‘stigmatisation (internal & external) creates further divide’; ‘being socially excluded leads to isolation’; and ‘a sense of difference (as perceived by the self and others)’. Conclusions: Those who have experienced major life disruption(s) face multi-level barriers to citizenship. An awareness of such barriers has important implications for mental health research, policy and practice. Citizenship-oriented implementation strategies that aim to address multi-level barriers merit further investigation.

National professional capabilities for Australian Diagnostic Radiography (DR) graduates require computed tomography (CT) scanning competence. Clinical placements have varied success in achiveing CT...

Many commentators claim Adam Smith failed to realize that no objective standard of value exists. Instead, he adhered to the labor theory of value. Like others, we argue that in the The Wealth of Nations Smith discussed the “early and rude state” in which the labor theory of value made some sense since labor and human circumstances were relatively simple and knowable. However, because the labor theory of value is only sensible in that special case, his description of the theory suggests its own insufficiency. With the emergence of the division of labor, labor heterogeneity and the waning know-ability of circumstances render the earlier analysis moot, but that is only implicit in the Wealth of Nations. So why does Smith exposit an analytically weak position? We suggest that Smith thought that his rhetorical use of the labor theory of value would advance his “liberal plan of equality, liberty, and justice.” The labor theory of value served as a rhetorical device to underpin his claims that the movement toward an economic system based on an extensive division of labor was a movement toward a better society without any systemic injustice in labor remuneration.

Introduction and Objective Imaging obese patients poses a number of challenges for diagnostic radiographers through positioning, radiation exposure, communication and care. Furthermore, the increasing prevalence of obesity in Australian society ensures these imaging challenges are more frequent however little is known about this area. This study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of diagnostic radiographers toward imaging obese patients through a mixed methods study. Methods Ethics approval was granted to interview and survey diagnostic radiographers about their attitudes and perceptions of imaging obese patients. Twelve diagnostic radiographers who are designated clinical educators (DR CEs) took part in a 30–45 min semi-structured interview as well as a 20 min computer-based Weight Implicit Association Test (Weight-IAT) and self-report questionnaire of explicit attitudes. An additional 25 experienced Diagnostic Radiographers who were associate supervisors completed the Weight-IAT/explicit questionnaire only. Results Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that DR CEs adopted an image-focussed or patient-focussed approach to obese patients. Key themes with a negative bias included blame, tolerance and insecurity of skill. Positively associated key themes were empathy and experience in radiography. The sample overall showed a significant negative implicit weight bias (P = 0.016) as measured by the Weight-IAT and there was no evidence of negative explicit attitudes. Conclusion Australian diagnostic radiographers in this study exhibited significant negative implicit weight bias, with interview results highlighting attitudes of blame and frustration towards obese patients. DR CEs were more likely to be focussed on image acquisition rather than patient considerations, with fewer responses related to empathy and equity.

Community based participatory research (CBPR) principles were used to develop a conceptual framework of citizenship for people experiencing mental health problems and/or other life disrupting events in Scotland. This case study illustrates the use of a participatory methodology replicating an approach adopted as part of an international collaboration in understanding citizenship across diverse social and cultural contexts. Reflecting on the approach taken, we argue that it encourages the development of a model of citizenship that is entirely grounded in the perspectives and lived experiences of the participants. We consider the importance of ‘meaningfully’ engaging peer researchers throughout the research process, exploring the methodological issues, challenges and opportunities when working in partnership. The importance of adopting a reflexive approach throughout the research approach is emphasised. We consider how the need for adequate resources, preparatory work, training and research management is key to the success of a CBPR approach with peer researchers. Finally, we suggest making appropriate adaptations to any research methodology when working with diverse populations, particularly the ‘seldom heard’ groups within society, in order to inform health and social policy and practice.

Low-lying densely populated areas can be susceptible to flooding due to extreme river discharges. Insurance may be used to spread flood risk and reduce potential material damages. However, homeowners often purchase insufficient amounts of insurance against natural hazard risks like flooding, which may be due to the way they process probabilities. A common finding from (Cumulative) Prospect Theory is that individuals over-weight low probabilities and under-weight moderate to high probabilities in making decisions under risk. However, very low probabilities typical of flood risks are either significantly over-weighted or neglected altogether. This study aims to examine factors related to flood insurance demand regarding emotions specific to risk, like immediate and anticipated emotions, the threshold level of concern as well as personality traits, like locus of control. In addition, we compare results under real experiment incentives to hypothetical ones with high loss outcomes. Based on data collected from 1041 homeowners in the Netherlands, we find that: an internal locus of control and anticipated regret about potentially uninsured flood losses is related to higher flood insurance demand. The use of the threshold of concern model is related to more probability under-weighting/less probability over-weighting when probabilities of flooding are low. Several policies are suggested to overcome psychological factors related to low demand for flood insurance to improve future flood preparations.

In this chapter, we examine economic themes surrounding the superhero Captain America. When Steve Rogers became a super soldier, his production and consumption opportunities were expanded greatly, and yet the effect on his lifetime realized utility seems ambiguous. We explore the possibility that Captain America became wealthy through the power of compound return on investment during his stay of nearly 70 years under the Arctic ice. The society and economy that he returned to were much different from what he left behind, and these differences are used to illustrate the nature of economic growth and dynamism. We also show how Captain America’s story illustrates the nature of inflation and major themes in the provision of public goods. He may not be the richest superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but through the power of compound interest, he might just be pretty well off.

Faith, Hope and Love: Interfaith Engagement as Practical Theology by Ray Gaston represents a distinctive and welcome contribution to the literature reflecting on the theory and praxis of interfaith...

Anton Wessels sets out his aim at the start of this volume as being that of reading the Bible together as Muslims, Jews and Christians, and this laudable goal informs the structure of the material ...

We investigate the impact of biogenic emissions on carbon monoxide (CO) and formaldehyde (HCHO) in the Southern Hemisphere (SH), with simulations using two different biogenic emission inventories for isoprene and monoterpenes. Results from four atmospheric chemistry models are compared to continuous long-term ground-based CO and HCHO column measurements at the SH Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) sites, the satellite measurement of tropospheric CO columns from the Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT), and in situ surface CO measurements from across the SH, representing a subset of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Monitoring Division (NOAA GMD) network. Simulated mean model CO using the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (v2.1) computed in the frame work of the Land Community Model (CLM-MEGANv2.1) inventory is in better agreement with both column and surface observations than simulations adopting the emission inventory generated from the LPJ-GUESS dynamical vegetation model framework, which markedly underestimate measured column and surface CO at most sites. Differences in biogenic emissions cause large differences in CO in the source regions which propagate to the remote SH. Significant inter-model differences exist in modelled column and surface CO, and secondary production of CO dominates these inter-model differences, due mainly to differences in the models' oxidation schemes for volatile organic compounds, predominantly isoprene oxidation. While biogenic emissions are a significant factor in modelling SH CO, inter-model differences pose an additional challenge to constrain these emissions. Corresponding comparisons of HCHO columns at two SH mid-latitude sites reveal that all models significantly underestimate the observed values by approximately a factor of 2. There is a much smaller impact on HCHO of the significantly different biogenic emissions in remote regions, compared to the source regions. Decreased biogenic emissions cause decreased CO export to remote regions, which leads to increased OH; this in turn results in increased HCHO production through methane oxidation. In agreement with earlier studies, we corroborate that significant HCHO sources are likely missing in the models in the remote SH.

Obesity is a global health issue with obese patients requiring specialised diagnosis, treatment and care through the health service. The practical and social difficulties associated with medical imaging of obese patients are an increasingly common problem and it is currently unknown how student and qualified radiographers perceive and respond to these challenges. By better understanding challenges presented in providing quality imaging and care of imaging obese patients, education for both qualified and student radiographers can be enhanced. Radiographers are heavily reliant on visual and tactile senses to locate the position of anatomical structures for diagnostic imaging and determine radiation exposure through a delicate consideration of dose, image quality and anatomical attenuation. However, obese patients require modifications to routine radiographic practice in terms of movement/assisted positioning, equipment capabilities to take increased weight or coverage. These patients may also be subject to compromised radiological diagnosis through poor visualisation of structures. In this paper, the professional and educational literature was narratively reviewed to assess gaps in the evidence base related to the skill and care knowledge for obese patients. Literature was sourced relating to discrete radiographic considerations such as the technical factors of imaging obese patients, exposure and the impact of obesity on imaging departments’ service provisions. The recent literature (post-2000 to coincide with the sharp increase in global obesity) on the perceptions of health professionals and student health practitioners has also been explored because there are no specific radiographer studies to report. By understanding the research in similar fields, we may identify what common attitudes qualified and student radiographer's hold and what challenges, technical and care related, can be prepared for.

Americans feel more stressed than ever, but data shows more free time and steadily high rates of happiness.

To highlight the importance of teamwork and intra-team relationships beyond the classroom, in a small study population of undergraduate students of Translation studies, we have attempted to raise awareness of teamwork processes so as to empower learners in managing their interaction and ensure they gain valuable pre-professional experience. Following specific input and the construction of randomized teams, we questioned learners about their previous and current experience of teamwork, their knowledge of team colleagues and the changes their relationships underwent, and prior academic performance versus expectations of current performance and how teamwork might influence this. Our results indicate teamwork substantially improved levels of intimacy, enhanced the quality of the experience, and raised awareness of the benefits of the team per se. However, some learners recognized personal difficulties with teamwork that they were unable to overcome and, in this context, “people problems” became increasingly important. Nonetheless, learners were convinced that teamwork would have a positive influence on their final grades.

Sustainability research that strives to develop solution options to complex problems and involves non-academic partners has received increasing public attention. Given this trend, funding organizations, universities, and collaborating partners from business and government seek evidence for the effectiveness of such research. The article introduces a framework and methodological scheme for capturing the societal effects of participatory sustainability research. The framework was developed through literature review and a workshop with institutional agents. It accounts for both direct and tangible as well as indirect and less tangible effects. Effects include quality products, knowledge gains, increased decision-making capacity, enhanced networks, and transformational changes. Participatory research features linked to these effects include representativeness of participants, adequate level of interaction, and transparent incorporation of stakeholder inputs. The framework is translated into a methodological scheme, which we discuss based on exploratory testing. The testing revealed a number of challenges, including adequately incentivizing participation and dealing with memory distortion. We propose coping strategies such as collaborative participant recruitment, memory consolidation activities, and real-time study design. The article provides a constructive, yet cautionary aid to researchers, professionals, and funding organizations seeking to capture the societal effects of participatory sustainability research.

Online public deliberation on policy and planning issues has great promise as an engaging, affordable and productive public participation method, but it is not a panacea for democratic deliberation or a substitute for face-to-face public engagement. This paper reports on a mix of deliberation tools used by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) to engage residents in online, face-to-face and in-situ deliberations on the long-term future of the Chicago region. MetroQuest is a digital tool for regional planning that served as the primary engine of CMAP's engagement project, contributing new opportunities for individual learning and preference setting that were aggregated into nuanced collective choices. This mix of deliberation approaches resulted in over 20,000 Chicago-area residents engaged, clear public priorities that were reflected in the approved final plan, and advanced a new form of interactive knowledge building and collective priority setting for the field of democratic deliberation. More research is required to develop effective models of engaging the public in a mix of face-to-face and online deliberation.

The American Time-Use Survey (ATUS), conducted by the US Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, has been collecting data on how Americans spend their time since 2003, using the method of the daily time diary. In these diaries, survey respondents are asked to recall all of their activities across the previous 24 hours. In 2010, the ATUS began supplementing these simple activity accounts with ratings on five psychological states (sad, tired, stress, pain and happy) from a Social Well-Being (SWB) index designed to capture how these respondents feel as they engage in these daily activities. Thus, this ATUS study basically provides a continuous national monitor of Americans’ everyday subjective quality of life (QOL)—and in “real time” as personally experienced by respondents. Analysis of these 2010-12 ATUS SWB ratings from more than 12,000 Americans aged 15 and older reveal that women score significantly higher than men on all five factors, even though only one of the adjectives (happy) was in the positive direction. Thus, US women described their daily activities as more stressful, tiring, sad and painful, but at the same time also describing their activities as making them feel happier (suggesting that women see their lives as more engaging, intense or energizing). In order to control for this gender difference, a simple scale was derived from two of the items that conveyed basically the same emotional state, namely happy and sad. When these ratings on two items were paired, virtually no gender difference was found; nor were many gender differences found when they rated these feelings on the same activity. However, there were dramatic subjective differences across activities that were largely shared by both men and women, with child play, religious, volunteer and fitness activities rated near the top of enjoyment and with medical, housework and work activities nearer the bottom. These results seem generally consistent with enjoyment ratings in earlier national time-use surveys.

Purpose This is a case study on the opportunities provided by Open Source library systems and the experience of delivering these systems through a shared service. Methodology/approach This chapter derives from desk research, interviews, and direct involvement in the project. The format is a case study, setting out a detailed timeline of events with information that can be applied in other settings. Findings This chapter presents reflections on the value and limitations of collaboration amongst libraries and librarians on an innovative approach to library systems and technologies. It also presents reflections on lessons learned from the processes and detailed discussion of the success factors for shared services and the reasons why such initiatives may not result in the outcomes predicted at the start. Practical implications Libraries and IT services considering Open Source and shared service approaches to provision will find material in this study useful when planning their projects. Social implications The nature of collaboration and collaborative working is studied and observations made about the way that outcomes cannot always be predicted or controlled. In a genuine collaboration, the outcome is determined by the interactions between the partners and is unique to the specifics of that collaboration. Originality/value The case study derives from interviews, written material and direct observation not generally in the public domain, providing a strong insider’s view of the activity.

This article reports data from opinion polls on attitudes toward language policy in the American public over the last decade. The data appear to reflect sustained support for the teaching and learning of foreign languages at all levels and suggest that there is stronger grassroots acknowledgment of the value of languages than is reflected in statements issued by professionals engaged in, and organizations devoted to, the teaching and learning of languages. The data provide a foundation on which to advocate for increased support of foreign language learning as a core component of 21st-century education and citizenship.Key words: advocacy, language policy, public opinionIntroductionAmong the leading campaign issues on which American voters cast their ballots in the 2008 election were the deteriorating economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, income taxes, government spending, and candidate race (CNN, 2008). Although several aspects of foreign language policy were raised tangentially during the 2008 campaign, mainly in connection with immigration, foreign language policy issues were not explicitly raised in the presidential debates, campaign platforms, or political advertising. Then-Senator Barack Obama only mentioned the desirability of learning foreign languages on two occasions, a fact that was further developed only occasionally in the media when passing mention was made of the Senator's knowledge of Indonesian from his residence abroad as a child. Data reported below suggest that voters' attitudes toward foreign language learning and foreign language policies in the United States correlated with voter preferences in the 2008 election and offer some potentially intriguing insights into the attitudes of American citizens toward languages other than English.1Review of LiteratureA number of surveys have examined the relationships between attitudes toward policies to make English the official language of the United States and voters' political affiliation or ideology. For example, based on state-level exit poll and other interview data from California and other border states, Citrin, Reingold, Waters, and Green (1990) described the demographic and political backgrounds of supporters of "official English" policies in their analysis of voting patterns for California Proposition 63 in 1986. Proposition 63 created an amendment to the constitution of the State of California requiring the preservation, protection, and strengthening of English as the official language of the state. In their polling, Citrin et al. found that Republicans in California were more likely to favor Proposition 63 than Democrats by a 27-point margin (p. 545); ethnic background also played a significant role, with Asian and Hispanic voters in California more opposed than Democrats in general. Tatalovich (1995) and Frendreis and Tatalovich (1997) found former President Ronald Reagan voters and less educated voters in five states (Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, and Florida) to be most in favor of official English, while Ricento and Burnaby (1998) found greater support for official English among Republican and non-Hispanic voters in Texas. Barker and Giles (2004) examined social and demographic predictors of support for English-only policies in the Santa Barbara (CA) area and found that exposure to Hispanic media, combined with high degrees of self-identification with Anglophone American communities, predicted support for English-only policies. The general conclusion from these studies, to the extent that it might be drawn, is that non- Hispanic Republican voters in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, and Texas were more likely to favor English-only policies than were Democrats, Asians, and Hispanics in those states. Robinson, Rivers, and Brecht (2006) used data from the 2000 General Social Survey (GSS; Smith, Marsden, Hout, & Kim, 1972-2012) to gain insight into the American public's opinion on policies concerning foreign languages. …

A general societal consensus seems to have emerged that the pace of daily life, at least in the US and other Western countries, is speeding up. However, there seems little empirical evidence to document its presence, let alone its increase. The present article reviews results from two questions on subjective-time pressure that have been asked periodically in US national probability surveys since 1965, and which were repeated in separate 2009 and 2010 surveys. Counter to the popular societal consensus on an increasingly time-pressured society noted above, respondent reports of feelings of being “always rushed” declined by 6–9 points from those reported in 2004. The decline was found both among employed and unemployed respondents, indicating it was not simply a function of higher unemployment. At the same time, feelings of being “very happy” also declined over this period, despite the finding that time-pressured people have consistently reported being less happy. Moreover, more time-pressured people continued to report being less happy in these 2009–2010 surveys, even after controls for marital status, employment and other important predictors of happiness. Somewhat higher correlations with happiness were found for a related subjective-time question on having excess time on one’s hands.

Social media are considered ideal means to promote inclusive political participation by “reaching citizens where they are” in scalable and cost-effective ways. However, with all the excitement about the new virtual public sphere, little attention is given to the technical mediation itself – the affordances of e-deliberation platforms and the kind of interactions they support. In response, this paper aims to thicken the account of the interrelated political and technological contexts of e-deliberation. Using recent Facebook deliberations on sustainable transportation in Vancouver as our example, we argue that different rationales for public participation in policymaking animate different approaches to discourse, which, in turn, inform and are affected by different design and use strategies for e-deliberation platforms. Our argument suggests that the design affordances of e-deliberation represent opportunities to promote or curtail certain visions of a political culture of sustainability.

A dual acceptance criterion in terms of the sample mean and an extremum (minimum or maximum) has been used in many inspection procedures in diverse industries. An approximation is given in Vangel (Technometrics, 2002, pp. 242–248) for the joint distribution of the sample mean and an extremum when the population is normally distributed. In this paper we obtain a simple expression that depends on the distribution of the sample mean and the truncated sample mean. This expression allows us to evaluate the joint distribution exactly, in two cases, or approximately, in more general cases, making the dual acceptance criterion easier to calculate in practice. We present a saddlepoint approximation for the joint tail probability, with the application to the dual acceptance criterion under the assumption of normality.

A major concern about new technologies like IT is how much they might displace time on media and other daily activities. Three highly-publicized early studies of the initial impact of IT indicated it was reducing time on both social life and mass media use. However, data from a number of high-quality national surveys since then—from the Pew Center, the General Social Survey (GSS), the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA) and the American Time Use Survey (ATUS)—have not replicated these results, in some cases finding increased social life and media use (especially reading) among IT users. The present article examines data from two separate national surveys (the GSS 2002 and the SPPA 2008), Even though the two studies asked different IT questions and examined different arts activities over different periods of Internet diffusion, progressively higher arts participation was found among Internet users, before and after education and other predictors of arts activity were controlled. The SPPA data also show that users and heavier IT users were also more active in a variety of other free time activities like attending movies, volunteering and sports. IT use here then becomes a away of extending or enhancing live attendance rather than displacing it. However, the results also raise questions about whether these correlations result from a “response set” of respondents overestimating their activity participation.

The field of Participatory Integrated Assessment (PIA) is still very young, having evolved from the broader field of Integrated Assessment (IA) in the mid to late 1990s. Like IA, PIA is a problem-based field, with a focus on interdisciplinary research. Fundamental to PIA, however, is the assertion that the quality of decisions is improved by the direct involvement of stakeholders in the assessment process—particularly when those decisions pertain to complex, intractable problems. Climate change presents just such a problem, and it is in the domains of climate change and related sustainability issues where PIA has seen its broadest application. Previous reviews have focused primarily on the mechanisms of participation in PIAs. The purpose of this review is to take a broader look at the field of PIA, focusing on components and cross-cutting themes that appear to be defining the conduct of PIA exercises. The review first looks at common components of PIA, including methods (future scenarios and models), participation (mechanisms of participation, representation, and stages of involvement), and outcomes (policy outcomes and process outcomes). The review then turns to an examination of cross-cutting themes in the field of PIA. These themes include the tension between qualitative and quantitative information, the role of interactivity in PIA, the importance of institutions and institutional change, and navigating the space defined by choice, uncertainty, and constraints. As governments at all levels move toward response options for climate change, PIA is increasingly becoming an approach for providing meaningful participation in the selection of those

Coronary angioplasties can be performed with either single-plane or biplane imaging techniques. The aim of this study was to determine whether biplane imaging, in comparison to single-plane imaging, reduces radiation dose and contrast load and shortens procedural time during (i) primary and elective coronary angioplasty procedures, (ii) angioplasty to the main vascular territories and (iii) procedures performed by operators with various levels of experience. This prospective observational study included a total of 504 primary and elective single-vessel coronary angioplasty procedures utilising either biplane or single-plane imaging. Radiographic and clinical parameters were collected from clinical reports and examination protocols. Radiation dose was measured by a dose-area-product (DAP) meter intrinsic to the angiography system. Our results showed that biplane imaging delivered a significantly greater radiation dose (181.4+/-121.0 Gycm(2)) than single-plane imaging (133.6+/-92.8 Gycm(2), p

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the relationship between green building design and workplace design practice, and to examine the role of organizational culture in shaping design and operation decisions with consequence for user experience.Design/methodology/approachA literature review and introduction of key concepts establish the foundation for the research and provide a context for interpreting results. Empirical findings are presented from a pre‐ and post‐occupancy evaluation of a company's move to a new headquarters building designed both to shift organizational culture and to meet environmental objectives.FindingsThe paper demonstrates that, while there are potentially significant gains to be made from integrating green building with workplace design strategies from the outset, there are many other factors beyond the quality of the space, which may play a role in shaping user experience. Links are drawn between improved occupant comfort, health and productivity in the new headquarters building, and organizational culture and contextual factors accompanying the move. The findings raise a number of important questions and considerations for organizational and workplace research, and post‐occupancy evaluation of buildings.Research limitations/implicationsThe research and findings focus on the experience and context of one company's move to a new headquarters building and cannot be extrapolated. Given the mainstreaming and merging of green building design with workplace design practice, more research and studies are needed to advance this important line of inquiry.Originality/valueThe paper brings together the two agendas of workplace design and green building design, which have until very recently progressed along separate paths.

Analysis of early time-diary studies suggests that television has had more impact on daily time than any other household technology in the past century. In the United States, viewing time has steadily increased from roughly ten weekly hours in the 1960s to sixteen hours today, encompassing almost half of all “free time” reported in the diaries. A prominent recent TV casualty has been time spent reading the newspaper, providing further support for the functional equivalence argument. This article shows that, so far at least, viewing time seems little affected by the Internet and other recent new technologies. Studies of the public’s satisfaction with various activities suggest that viewers find TV to be more enjoyable in the doing rather than in general, even though it may not be particularly challenging or demanding of concentration. Viewing time is also shown to be significantly related to long-term personal unhappiness.

The Princeton team has generated a great body of diverse evidence on the meaning of daily life, putting it at the center of new measures of the quality of life (QOL) in a society. In their comparison of QOL in France and America, they have taken a bold and controversial step in cross-national research, one in which many scholars would argue that we still haven't been able to make sense of subjective indicators within a single country. However, they strengthen their research by using multiple measures, and cross-checking their results with earlier national surveys, to show that rather much the same findings hold in both countries (for women anyway). Unfortunately, they did not include men in these comparisons, but most QOL studies do not find large gender differences on these types of questions. Their historical integration of affective responses with time-diary activity for 1965 2005 in Fig. 2 is similarly impressive as a measure of how much the daily lives of men and women are improving (or not in this case). In this way, it reinforces most QOL analyses indicating little improvement over a 40-year period in which there has been significant gains in people's economic well-being (Robinson & Land 2008). However, there are two concerns about their research I would like to highlight. First, as Tom Juster's response above brought out, the research approach is not new and second and more importantly, it's not clear that dismissing the general measures in favor of diary ratings is justified, even in the face of their several studies comparing the two. The main evidence to the contrary comes from time-diary studies that cover the com plete spectrum of daily activity. Table 1 below reviews these earlier data from diary studies done 20-30 years ago, both national probability surveys that first examined how people rated their day's activities. It first needs to be noted that the two studies employed different methodologies for rating daily activity. The first 1975 University of Michigan study on the right, done by Juster and Stafford, asked respondents to rate how much they generally enjoyed the spe cific activities on the right side of Table 1 ("Work", Sleep", etc.). The second 1985 University of Maryland study took the Princeton team approach, as shown on the left side of Table 1. It used the same 0-10 enjoyment scale as in the Michigan study, but

Research on people’s use of time is dramatically expanding its importance in informing both the social sciences and public policy making. More quantitative longitudinal diary research is being done in more countries by collecting and analyzing more national data, including a massive new US government time-diary survey that has attracted attention from a wide variety of academic disciplines. Enlightenment from these critical advances is amply illustrated in this issue. Moreover, much new research is making it easier to interpret diary data in hours and minutes in quality-of-life (QOL) terms. Just in the first part of this issue, the reader will find

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the adoption of a time‐based activity‐based costing (ABC) information system in resource planning (ABP) in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of England and Wales, a public service organisation in the United Kingdom, for the period of 2000‐2005. The aims of the study are to provide a technical review of the ABP application and to explore roles of the ABP system in achieving a “fairer” internal resource allocation and an improved understanding of business processes.Design/methodology/approachThe CPS's experience of adopting an ABP system is explained through the use of a case study involving interviews, observations, work shadowing and archival data over a period of six years, 2000‐2005. The longitudinal nature of the study has enabled the researchers to align the outcome of ABP adoption with concurrent organisational changes.FindingsThe study reveals that the growing understanding of the intrinsic links between business processes and the ABP information and its rationale, which remains unchanged throughout various phases of organisational changes, has promoted a sense of stability amongst CPS staff members.Practical implicationsThis study provides an in‐depth understanding of the practical use of ABP and its evolving roles in the face of the changing organisational environment.Originality/valueThis research discusses the prerequisite of the ABP system, a time‐based ABC system, and the evolving roles of ABP from a cost‐effective planning tool to a stability mechanism in face of constant organisational changes. This experience is invaluable to companies and practitioners seeking to implement a cost‐effective planning tool.

Little attention in the quality-of-life literature has been paid to data on the daily activity patterns of happy and less happy people. Using ratings-scale information from time-diary studies, this article examines the hypothesis that people who describe themselves as happier engage in certain activities more than those who describe themselves as less happy. Based on 34 years of data collected by the General Social Survey (GSS) on social activities and media usage, it is found that people who are happy report being more active in most social activities, in religion and in newspaper reading. On the other hand, happier people report less time watching television, a relation that holds after control for education, marital status and other predictors of happiness. The need to replicate these findings using panel data is highlighted.

There is a lack of awareness and openness surrounding ethical debate in Diagnostic Radiography literature and culture, perpetuated in part by the historical growth of the technical realm of radiography, radiology and medicine. Hence, the impact of Australian radiographers' current level of professional autonomy, combined with the influence of medical dominance and radiographers' ethical commitment was undocumented. This study investigated the role, importance and attitudes of Australian radiographers towards ethics through a qualitative study following a grounded theory approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 Australian. A conceptual framework mapping the causal conditions affecting the ethical commitment was developed. This study argues that a number of internal and external variables weave an intricate fabric of poor identity, subservience and negative workplace culture. Australian radiographers, whist attempting to set a standard of ethical commitment, are hindered by difficulties of medical dominance, relatively poor professional autonomy and difficulty in accepting responsibility. The presence of private radiology enterprise and the association between patient referral and money has eroded the radiographer-patient relationship and introduced the potential for unethical practice in the radiographer-radiologist-referring practitioner relationship.

Diagnostic coronary angiography requires radiographic contrast media that can cause complications such as contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). Biplane imaging in diagnostic coronary angiography has been assumed to be beneficial to the patient in reducing total radiographic contrast dosage and examination time, yet there are no definitive studies to support this widely held assumption. A retrospective study was conducted to determine if biplane imaging substantially reduces contrast load, procedural time and screening time in routine diagnostic coronary angiography. Radiographic records of 1156 patients were collected over a period of two years from a major Sydney metropolitan hospital. Patients who underwent a routine diagnostic coronary angiogram and left ventriculogram (LU) were selected on predetermined criteria. The mean total contrast volume showed a small but significant reduction with biplane versus single-plane imaging (117.5 mL versus 124.3 mL, P 0.024). Similarly, a small but significant prolongation in screening time was found with biplane compared to single-plane imaging (4.8 min versus 4.2 min, P

Aim: To investigate the perceptions of radiographers in the Greater Sydney metropolitan area concerning the performance of intravenous contrast media injections by radiographers. Methods: 90 radiographers (corresponds to a 40.9% return) from five randomly selected private radiology practices and five randomly selected public hospitals within the Greater Sydney metropolitan area were surveyed. The survey was structured such that each section of the survey related to a specific objective of the study. This study focuses on training, departmental workflow and medicolegal issues. Results: Radiographers from private practices were more in favour of performing intravenous contrast media administration, although the majority of the radiographers surveyed felt that it should be performed as part of their normal duties. They felt that it would greatly aid department workflow and patient throughput. However, there were concerns about the medicolegal implications of this added responsibility. Conclusions: Most respondents were in favour of radiographers performing contrast media injections. Standardised and accredited training, including education on the medicolegal coverage available to them, may be needed to allay their concerns and adequately prepare them to take on this extended role. (author abstract)

The quality of life (QOL) or positive subjective benefits of the time people spent engaging in particular daily activities is often not obvious, although social observers seem to concur that increases in daily activities like child care, volunteering, and other potentially altruistic behaviors (as well as overall free time) represent improvements in a person's or society's QOL. In contrast, increases in time spent on routine housework, repair activities, and TV viewing are seen as less desirable. Nonetheless, it is helpful to have empirical support for many of these assumptions, and this is directly provided by the subjective time measures reviewed here.

With President George W. Bush's unprecedented call in January 2006 to expand the foreign language capacity of the United States, it has become clear that languages other than English (LOE) are of great interest to public policy in the United States. Yet the language capacity of the United States remains poorly documented. The 2000 General Social Survey (GSS) included new questions concerning the languages spoken by 1,398 respondents. Although about one quarter (26%) of respondents to this GSS sample claimed they could speak another language, only 10% overall said they could speak it very well. Those respondents who speak a foreign language were typically aged 25–44, graduate school educated, self-identified as being of a race other than White, and living in large metropolitan cities and on the coasts. Spanish (50%), French (15%), and German (9%) were the most common languages spoken by the survey respondents. Whereas 67% of respondents who learned the language at home as a child said they could speak it very well, only 10% of those who learned it in school or elsewhere did speak it very well. As expected, LOE speakers gave significantly more responses revealing support of LOE and policies favorable to immigration, with LOE-home speakers being more positive about these issues than LOE speakers who learned the language at school. These findings can help to inform national policy debates concerning how best to address the language needs of the United States.

Frustration is almost universally accepted as the emotional outcome of a negative computing experience. Despite the wide use of the term, however, it has not been rigorously conceptualized as a factor in the study of the human–computer interface. This project sets out to explicate frustration as a pre-emotional state generated by the user’s appraisal of the interface as an impediment to goal attainment, and looks at how user characteristics, such as self-efficacy, relate to it. This project employed episode report methodology to capture data from 144 computer users’ reports of actual frustrating events as they took place. Diaries taken as users worked at their everyday tasks yield detailed data about the problems they encountered and included information about session length and an estimate of the time lost due to the experiences. Outcomes were measured as either situational or dispositional factors. Situational factors, having to do with specific events, predicted incident frustration. However, disposition variables, especially user self-efficacy, were much stronger, predicting incident and session frustration, and post-session mood. One surprising outcome was the failure of demographic variables as predictors of frustration.

Tillage practices, crop rotations, and government regulations all play a part in whole profitability. Mixed integer programming models can evaluate all alternatives simultaneously. This article provides a profitability example modeled to reflect the actual farm program acreage, farm program payment yields, baseline acreage, crop mix, soils, and equipment investment. Results reveal land rental as the most profitable operation until farm size reaches a minimum of 1100 acres. The model selected reduced tillage for crop mixes beyond 1200 acres.

Policy makers, parents, and the public are concerned with perceived declines in parents’ time with children. Data from two national surveys (N = 1,159 and N = 821) used in this study show that nearly half of parents report feeling too little time with children. Work hours are strongly related to these feelings, even controlling for time spent with children, and explain why fathers more than mothers feel time strain. For fathers, those whose youngest child is an adolescent feel more strain than similarly situated mothers. Controlling for work hours, single parents are not more likely than married parents to feel that they spend insufficient time with children.

Unsustainable tendencies in the co-evolution of human and natural systems have stimulated a search for new approaches to understanding complex problems of environment and development. Recently, attention has been drawn to the emergence of a new “sustainability science”, and core questions and research strategies have been proposed. A key challenge of sustainability is to examine the range of plausible future pathways of combined social and environmental systems under conditions of uncertainty, surprise, human choice and complexity. This requires charting new scientific territory and expanding the current global change research agenda. Scenario analysis—including new participatory and problem-oriented approaches—provides a powerful tool for integrating knowledge, scanning the future in an organized way and internalizing human choice into sustainability science.

Motivation: In gene discovery projects based on EST sequencing, effective post-sequencing identification methods are important in determining tissue sources of ESTs within pooled cDNA libraries. In the past, such identification efforts have been characterized by higher than necessary failure rates due to the presence of errors within the subsequence containing the oligo tag intended to define the tissue source for each EST. Results: A large-scale EST-based gene discovery program at The University of Iowa has led to the creation of a unique software method named UITagCreator usable in the creation of large sets of synthetic tissue identification tags. The identification tags provide error detection and correction capability and, in conjunction with automated annotation software, result in a substantial improvement in the accurate identification of the tissue source in the presence of sequencing and base-calling errors. These identification rates are favorable, relative to past paradigms. Availability: The UITagCreator source code and installation instructions, along with detection software usable in concert with created tag sets, is freely available at http://genome.uiowa.edu/pubsoft/software.html Contact: tomc@eng.uiowa.edu * To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Recent cultural expectations about fathers' involvement in childrearing may have changed more rapidly than fathers' behaviors, creating discrepancies between parenting ideals and realities that can generate tensions in family life. In this study, a 1999 national probability sample of 234 married parents, both mothers and fathers expressed strongly egalitarian ideals that fathers should be equally involved in child-rearing across five nurturant domains—discipline, emotional support, play, monitoring, and care-giving—as well as in financial support. In contrast, mothers perceived much less father involvement in actual parenting than fathers perceived—especially in disciplining and providing emotional support for their children. Ideal–actual discrepancies were related to well-being: if fathers were seen as less than ideally involved in nurturant parenting, parents reported more stress and fathers who perceived greater than ideal father involvement in financial support were more likely to say the division of household labor was unfair to the mother. Ideal–actual gaps differed for mothers and fathers and were sometimes differentially related to well-being. For example, less than ideal father involvement in disciplining children was associated with mothers' higher stress levels, and the discrepancy in expectations about father involvement in play and monitoring children was correlated with mothers' increased feelings of unfairness in the household division of labor. On the other hand, fathers who felt an ideal–actual gap in disciplining children almost always felt overly involved in discipline and were less likely to report that the division of labor in the household was unfair to their spouses.

Games for Change are digital games that purport to change people’s opinions, attitudes, or behaviors around specific issues. While thousands of games have been created, there is little evidence that such games do persuade or contribute to behavior change. To address this problem, address the research question: How do elements of the different models of persuasion and behavior change manifest within Games for Change? We identify and focus on three models: Information Deficit, Procedural Rhetoric, and a new model called Emergent Dialogue. To answer this question, we had to determine what “clues” there were in games that we could use to identify each model of persuasion. Using a collaborative version of a Close Reading methodology we analyzed ten Games for Change about sustainability. Based on our results we propose six categories of design markers. Each marker can be used to identify or implement specific design elements associated with a particular model of persuasion. In this chapter, we describe our methodology, present six categories of design markers, and describe the specific strategies for each marker associated with each of the three models of persuasion. We illustrate each model and its design markers through canonical examples including a new game called Youtopia that we have created to encode the Emergent Dialogue model into a digital game. We conclude with proposed guidelines for game design of Games for Change.

People react to Edward Snowden and his national security disclosures in radically different ways. Security hawks want his head and call him a traitor; privacy advocates think him a whistleblower and a national hero. This essay examines those positions and finds that there is a fundamental disconnect between them, which influences and prohibits an important national conversation concerning the scope of the NSA’s work, the laws under which it operates, and privacy rights of United States citizens. This essay concludes that the privacy advocates have the stronger interests, and that it is wildly inconsistent for the government to simultaneously seek Snowden’s prosecution at the same time it engages in substantive national-security legal reforms.