Search

Robust estimates of CO 2 budget, CO 2 exchanged between the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere, are necessary to better understand the role of the terrestrial biosphere in mitigating anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. Over the past decade, this field of research has advanced through understanding of the differences and similarities of two fundamentally different approaches: "top-down" atmospheric inversions and "bottom-up" biosphere models. Since the first studies were undertaken, these approaches have shown an increasing level of agreement, but disagreements in some regions still persist, in part because they do not estimate the same quantity of atmosphere-biosphere CO 2 exchange. Here, we conducted a thorough comparison of CO 2 budgets at multiple scales and from multiple methods to assess the current state of the science in estimating CO 2 budgets. Our set of atmospheric inversions and biosphere models, which were adjusted for a consistent flux definition, showed a high level of agreement for global and hemispheric CO 2 budgets in the 2000s. Regionally, improved agreement in CO 2 budgets was notable for North America and Southeast Asia. However, large gaps between the two methods remained in East Asia and South America. In other regions, Europe, boreal Asia, Africa, South Asia, and Oceania, it was difficult to determine whether those regions act as a net sink or source because of the large spread in estimates from atmospheric inversions. These results highlight two research directions to improve the robustness of CO 2 budgets: (a) to increase representation of processes in biosphere models that could contribute to fill the budget gaps, such as forest regrowth and forest degradation; and (b) to reduce sink-source compensation between regions (dipoles) in atmospheric inversion so that their estimates become more comparable. Advancements on both research areas will increase the level of agreement between the top-down and bottom-up approaches and yield more robust knowledge of regional CO 2 budgets., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In this paper, the effect of latitude on the performance of different solar trackers is examined. The hourly solar radiation data of different locations around Europe and Africa measured on a horizontal surface is collected and utilized. Widely validated Perez anisotropic model is used to predict the diffuse component of the solar radiation on an inclined surface. Different solar trackers namely, Full/dual-axis, East–West (EW), North–South (NS), Inclined East–West (IEW), and Vertical-axis (V) trackers are considered in calculating the available solar potential of the locations. The performance of the solar trackers in terms of the energy gain is ranked according to the area location latitudes. The results show that the tracking performance is highly dependent on the locations, thus changes with the latitude. The percentage variation among the implemented one-axis tracking options relative to dual-axis trackers ranges from 0.42% to 23.4%. Overall, the increase in the energy gain of dual-axis trackers compared to the optimal fixed panel for the locations varies from 17.72% to 31.23%, thus emphasizes the importance of solar trackers. Finally, the study is expected to aid designers in the selection and installation of appropriate solar trackers in the regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine Lower Paleolithic archaeological assemblages that contain bifaces (handaxes) made of elephant bones from Africa, Europe, and the Levant. The aims of this paper are to summarize the available evidence of elephant bone tools manufacturing in the Acheulian, and to analyze patterns of elephant bone tool industry compared to stone tool industries and other taxa bone industries. We will focus on the association between stone and elephant bone bifaces at several Acheulian sites, and will present a new perspective on the connections between bifaces made of the two materials at these sites. Based on the long-term interaction between humans and elephants in Paleolithic times, the human dependence on elephant meat and fat for survival, and many lines of resemblance between elephants and humans, we propose that Lower Paleolithic elephant bone bifaces were not manufactured solely for functional purposes, and suggest that there were some cosmological, cultural and symbolic properties reflected in the production of Acheulian bifaces from elephant bones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previews the Africa-Europe Group for Inter-disciplinary Studies (AEGIS) European Conference on African Studies to be held on June 29-July 3, 2005 in London, England. Estimated number of panel discussions to be held; Call for papers to be presented in the conference; Contact information.

The article focuses on efforts of European Union (EU) and the African countries to solve the issues of maritime security and fisheries, and talks of Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, sustainable exploitation of marine resources, and bilateral fisheries partnership agreements (FPA).

Migrant health workers fill care gaps in their destination countries, but they also actively engage in improving living conditions for people of their countries of origin through expatriate professional networks. This paper aims to explore the professional links that migrant health workers from sub-Saharan African countries living in five African and European destinations (Botswana, South Africa, Belgium, Austria, and the United Kingdom) have to their countries of origin. Qualitative interviews were conducted with migrant doctors, nurses, and midwives from sub-Saharan Africa (N=66). A qualitative content analysis of the material was performed using the software ATLAS.ti. Almost all migrant health workers have professional ties with their countries of origin supporting health, education, and social structures. They work with non-governmental organizations, universities, or hospitals and travel back and forth between their destination country and country of origin. For a few respondents, professional engagement or even maintaining private contacts in their country of origin is difficult due to the political situation at home. The results show that African migrant health workers are actively engaged in improving living conditions not only for their family members but also for the population in general in their countries of origin. Our respondents are mediators and active networkers in a globalized and transnationally connected world. The research suggests that the governments of these countries of origin could strategically use their migrant health workforce for improving education and population health in sub-Saharan Africa. Destination countries should be reminded of their need to comply with the WHO Global Code of Practice for the international recruitment of health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student learning outcomes assessment examines whether programs cover the material stated in their learning goals, whether students are learning the material, and the impact on student retention, graduation, post-graduation outcomes, and institutional accreditation, with the aim of providing faculty with data that can be used to help programs evolve or improve. While there is a plethora of research regarding effective methods of assessment used in the United States, little has been written regarding cross-national comparisons of assessment methodologies. This paper examines the current state of assessment in several nations and regions, and draws parallels in practices across countries. A literature search using the term "outcomes assessment" yielded 228 articles, of which, only 35 described practices outside the United States. Generally, searches on the terms "outcomes assessment" and "global" tend to return studies of outcomes assessment of teaching about global issues as it is practiced in the United States, rather than results about outcomes assessment practices used in other countries.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remain a major challenge in the 21st century. High-income countries (HICs) populations are ethnically and culturally diverse due to international migration. Evidence suggests that NCDs rates differ between migrants and the host populations in HICs. This paper presents a review of NCDs burden among migrant groups in HICs in Europe, North America and Australia with a major focus on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer and diabetes.Methods: We performed a narrative review consisting of scholarly papers published between 1960 until 2018.Results: CVD risk differs by country of origin, country of destination and duration of residence. For example, stroke is more common in sub-Sahara African and South-Asian migrants, but lower in North African and Chinese migrants. Chinese migrants, however, have a higher risk of haemorrhagic stroke despite the lower rate of overall stroke. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is more common in South-Asian migrants, but less common in sub-Saharan and north African migrants although the lower risk of CHD in these population is waning. Diabetes risk is higher in all migrants and migrants seem to develop diabetes at an earlier age than the host populations. Migrants in general have lower rates of overall cancer morbidity and mortality than the host populations in Europe. However, migrants have a higher infectious disease-related cancers than the host populations in Europe. In North America, the picture is more complex. Data from cross-national comparisons indicate that migration-related lifestyle changes associated with the lifestyle of the host population in the country of settlement may influence NCDs risk among migrants in a very significant way.Conclusion: With exception of diabetes, which is consistently higher in all migrant groups than in the host populations, the burden of NCDs among migrants seems to depend on the migrant group, country of settlement and NCD type. This suggests that more work is needed to disentangle the key migration-related lifestyle changes and contextual factors that may be driving the differential risk of NCDs among migrants in order to assist prevention and clinical management of NCDs in these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: This systematic review and meta‐analysis reports the seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies among nurses. Background: With a growing body of literature reporting the positive serology for SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies among healthcare workers, it remains unclear whether staff at the point of direct patient care are more prone to developing and transmitting the virus. Given nurses make up the majority of the global health workforce, outbreaks among these workers could severely undermine a health system's capability to manage the pandemic. We aimed to summarise and report the seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies among nurses globally. Design: Systematic review and meta‐analyses. Methods: This systematic review was developed, undertaken and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. We searched the electronic medical literature databases: MEDLINE; CINAHL; and EMBASE for studies reporting the seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies among nursing staff. Studies that reported nursing specific data were included in this review. Study quality was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for studies reporting prevalence data. Studies were stratified according to the World Health Organisation region classifications, and results were presented using forest plots and summary prevalence and variance was estimated using a random effects model. Results: Our electronic search identified 1687 potential studies, of which 1148 were screened for eligibility after duplicates were removed, and 51 of the studies were included in our meta‐analysis. The overall seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies among nurses was estimated to be 8.1% (95% CI 6.9%–9.4%) among the 60,571 participants included in the studies. Seropositivity was highest in the African region (48.2%, 95% CI 39.2%–57.3%), followed by the European region (10.3%, 95% CI 8.0%–12.5%), the Region of the Americas (8.4%, 95% CI 6.0%–10.7%), the South‐East Asia region (3.0%, 95% CI 0.00%–6.5%) and the Western Pacific region (0.5%, 95% CI 0.0%–1.0%). Pooled estimates were unable to be calculated in the Eastern Mediterranean region due to insufficient studies. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies among nurses is comparable to other healthcare workers, and possibly similar to the general population. Early adoption and adherence to personal protective equipment and social distancing measures could explain these similarities, meaning the majority of staff contracted the virus through community transmission and not in a healthcare setting. Relevance to clinical practice: Fear and uncertainty have been features of this pandemic, including among nurses. This meta‐analysis should provide some comfort to nurses that risks are similar to community exposure when adequate PPE is available and there is an adherence to infection control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore caregiver and family quality of life in families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To better understand the experience of caregivers and families of children with ASD, a family systems perspective using constructs from a psychosocial adjustment model of disability (i.e., role impact as the independent variable and relationship satisfaction and mastery as mediator variables) was studied to explain caregiver and family quality of life. Method: Hayes' PROCESS macro was used to determine the variance of caregiver and family quality of life accounted for by the predictor variables. Results: The results indicated that the models explained 52.3% of the variance in caregiver quality of life and 44.4% of the variance in family quality of life. Conclusions: The findings of this study expand the current literature on caregivers of children with ASD, and the important variables to consider related to caregiver quality of life and family quality of life. Implications for rehabilitation research (e.g., increased need for a focus on family variables across research agendas) and practice (e.g., increase need for family-oriented interventions) are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the present paper is to describe a web-based consensus-finding procedure, resulting in an agreement among the group of participants representing global stakeholders regarding the interdisciplinary topic in a university master's seminar on "Global Studies". The result of the collectively elaborated solution pertains to the forward-looking and jointly agreed topic of migration policies. Design/methodology/approach: The core part of the web-based negotiation game "Surfing Global Change" utilised here is a controversial group discussion. A subsequent step creates an agreement among discussants. The group of participants, in this case co-authors of this paper, developed a final agreement on possible future political adaptations and guidelines to improve current standards in the global management of refugee and migration issues. Findings: The findings offer several political possibilities for European and African states including structural recommendations as well as cooperative development policies. Social implications: The result is a catalogue of tentative recommendations to improve international policies relating to current migration problems, here focused on migration between Africa and Europe. Originality/value: Considering the creativity of the entire procedural structure combined with an ordered scientific methodology, the outcome could promise an interdisciplinary result. Effects of group dynamics, cooperation, scientific research and diplomacy are integrated into consensus building.

A notable evolution in the internationalization of higher education in the last decade has been the increasing emphasis on regional level collaboration and reform initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to examine the process of regionalization through the lens of a conceptual model and to demonstrate how different Tuning initiatives serve as useful instruments in the application of the model, and the ultimate realization of higher education regionalization. The evolving nature and meaning of region and regionalization are explored in the first section of the paper. This leads to an analysis and conceptual mapping of the many terms used to describe the phenomenon. The proposed model is based on three distinct but complementary approaches; Functional, Organizational and Political Approaches (FOPA). The three approaches are inter-related. The model is generic in concept and purpose so that it can apply to the evolving process of higher education regionalization in different parts of the world. The article examines how the initiatives and implications of the Tuning process are directly related to the model and consequently make important contributions to the regionalization of higher education in all regions of the world.

This paper compares the daily solar irradiation available at surface estimated by the MERRA (Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications) re-analysis of the NASA and the ERA-Interim re-analysis of the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) against qualified ground measurements made in stations located in Europe, Africa and Atlantic Ocean. Using the clearness index, also known as atmospheric transmissivity or transmittance, this study evidences that the re-analyses often predict clear sky conditions while actual conditions are cloudy. The opposite is also true though less pronounced: actual clear sky conditions are predicted as cloudy. This overestimation of occurrence of clear sky conditions leads to an overestimation of the irradiation and clearness index by MERRA. The overall overestimation is less pronounced for ERA-Interim because the overestimation observed in clear sky conditions is counter-balanced by underestimation in cloudy conditions. The squared correlation coefficient for clearness index ranges between 0.38 and 0.53, showing that a very large part of the variability in irradiation is not captured by the re-analyses. Within an irradiation homogeneous area, the variability of the bias, root mean square error and correlation coefficient are surprisingly large. MERRA and ERA-Interim should only be used in solar energy with proper understanding of the limitations and uncertainties. In regions where clouds are rare, e.g. North Africa, MERRA or ERA-Interim may be used to provide a gross estimate of monthly or yearly irradiation. Satellite-derived data sets offer less uncertainty and should be preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi. and Schinus molle L. are perennial woody plants belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, widely distributed in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa, and they are broadly used for many applications such as in traditional medicine as an antipyretic, analgesic, depurative, and in the treatment of diseases of the urogenital system as well as culinary and ornamental species. Our work aims to study and compare the chemical composition and the antioxidant and insecticidal activity of the essential oils of the leaves and fruits of the two species of the genus Schinus. The essential oils were characterized by a very spicy aromatic odor, and by the abundance of hydrocarbon monoterpenes in the leaves and fruits of Schinus molle (49.70% and 42.65%), unlike the EOs of the fruits of Schinus terebinthifolius which have a high content in hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes (40.57%). Usually, these oils have shown relatively low antioxidant activity was expressed in IC50; especially, the essential oil of the fruits of S. terebinthifolius revealed a concentration of 3.292 ± 2.82 mg/mL. The evaluation of the insecticidal activity gave good results in the method of exposure of adults of Sitophilus oryzae to EOs by contact; thus, the fruits of Schinus molle are more active against this species of beetle than the other essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies in different science fields have examined the various aspects of educational interventions designed to facilitate learning outcomes in students with dyslexia. The aim of this study was to present an overview of empirical research related to interventions aimed at primary school students with dyslexia. Mapping was conducted to identify studies on this topic published from 2015 to 2019 and included in the Scopus database. The descriptive data from 57 studies were analyzed to present a classification scheme of research design, type of educational intervention, implementation of technology in educational interventions, and aim of the intervention. The results indicated an increasing trend in the last 5 years in the publication of papers in researched areas related to educational interventions for students with dyslexia, with uneven representation among countries. The analyzed empirical studies were mostly analytic, using different designs, with a slightly higher prevalence of (quasi) experimental versus descriptive designs. As expected, the goal of most educational interventions was directed toward the development of (pre)reading skills, with a wider prevalence of structured language-based programs, followed by software specialized to support learning, whereas adaptations of instructional materials and innovative information and communication technology (ICT) were less used. Mapping indicated the frequent use of ICT in all educational interventions, and more evidence is needed for complex rigorous experimental designs and interventions related to teaching in the classroom, as well as interventions aimed at facilitating the self-regulation of students with dyslexia.

Calls continue for the decolonisation of higher education (HE). Based on internationalisation debates, a research team from Africa, Europe and Latin America reviewed published decolonisation voices. Using bibliometric analysis and a conceptual review of abstracts, the authors examined the drivers framing decolonisation in HE and identified the voices in those debates which involved the historically oppressed and those wishing to elicit change in these debates. The paper recognises the importance for decolonisation in education as the tensions explored by the authors often intersect through HE into other domains of the political, social, economic and culturally important areas for replication and change in society.

Purpose: In education concerning environmental issues, there are two predominant currents in the world, environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD). ESD is the formal commitment and therefore promoted by the United Nations, to ensure that countries achieve sustainable development. In contrast, EE was the first educational trend with an environmental protection approach. The purpose of this systematic review that seeks to show whether the migration from EE to ESD is being effective and welcomed by researchers and especially by universities is presented. With the above, a global panorama can be provided, where the regions that choose each model can be identified. In the same sense, it was sought to determine which of the two currents is more accepted within engineering education. Design/methodology/approach: The review followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyzes parameters for systematic reviews. In total, 198 papers indexed in Scopus, Science Direct, ERIC and Scielo were analyzed. With the results, the advancement of ESD and the state of the EE by regions in the world were identified. Findings: It was possible to categorize the geographical regions that host either of the two EE or ESD currents. It is important to note that ESD has gained more strength from the decade of ESD proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. For its part, EE has greater historical roots in some regions of the planet. In turn, there is evidence of a limited number of publications on the design and revision of study plans in engineering. Originality/value: Through this systematic literature review, the regions of the world that are clinging to EE and those that have taken the path of ESD could be distinguished. Moreover, specific cases in engineering where ESD has been involved were noted.

This paper examines the native/nonnative debate from an angle that is often disregarded: the challenges and difficulties faced by native English-speaking teachers who live and work abroad for an extended period of time. We argue that while they often stand a better chance in job application procedures, preferential treatment is secured by political and economic considerations rather than professional ones. Our survey data indicate that despite the seemingly advantageous position native expats enjoy, many of them face discrimination and marginalization in their work context and beyond in terms of their professional status and remuneration. We believe that our knowledge of the native/nonnative debate would be deepened if both groups were given equal attention and representation in research. A comparative analysis of the problems encountered and injustices suffered by both natives and nonnatives is hoped to contribute to remedying the present situation.

There has been much discussion recently that better healthcare systems lead to increased service access and utilisation. However, there are still concerns raised among the refugee and immigrant communities about barriers to access and utilisation of primary healthcare services in the UK. This study aimed to explore with refugee and immigrant community health champions (CHCs) their perceptions about such barriers based on feedback in their own discussions with fellow refugees, asylum-seekers and immigrants in the West Midlands, UK. A total of 42 refugees and immigrants were recruited. Qualitative design-focused group discussions were conducted among purposively selected participants. These discussions were conducted between May and September 2019, and data were analysed using thematic analysis. The barriers to service access and utilisation are categorised into four themes: (i) knowledge about health issues that most affected refugees and immigrants; (ii) community indications of factors that obstructed service access; (iii) challenges in identifying local teams involved in service provision; and (iv) accurate knowledge about the different teams and their roles in facilitating access. This study higlighted that the levels of service access and utilisation would depend on the competence and effectiveness of the health system. Urgency and seriousness of individuals' healthcare needs were the factors that were perceived to strongly influence refugees and immigrants to seek and utilise local services. We identified a number of potential barriers and challenges to service access and utilisation that should be overcome if primary healthcare service is to be planned and delivered effectively, efficiently and equitably in the West Midlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the neonatal intensive care unit, immigrant parents may experience even greater anxiety than other parents, particularly if they and the nurses do not share a common language. Aim: To explore the complex issues of trust and the nurse–mother relationship in neonatal intensive care units when they do not share a common language. Design and methods: This study has a qualitative design. Individual semi-structured in-depth interviews and two focus group interviews were conducted with eight immigrant mothers and eight neonatal intensive care unit nurses, respectively. Data analysis was based on Braun and Clarke's thematic analytic method. Ethical considerations: Approval was obtained from the hospital's Scientific Committee and the Data Protection Officer. Interviewees were informed in their native language about confidentiality and they signed an informed consent form. Results: Trust was a focus for mothers and nurses alike. The mothers held that they were satisfied that their infants received the very best care. They seemed to find the nurses' care and compassion unexpected and said they felt empowered by learning how to care for their infant. The nurses discussed the mother's vulnerability, dependency on their actions, attitudes and behaviour. Discussion: Lack of a common language created a challenge. Both parties depended on non-verbal communication and eye contact. The nurses found that being compassionate, competent and knowledgeable were important trust-building factors. The mothers were relieved to find that they were welcome, could feel safe and their infants were well cared for. Conclusion: The parents of an infant admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit have no choice but to trust the treatment and care their infant receives. Maternal vulnerability challenges the nurse's awareness of the asymmetric distribution of power and ability to establish a trusting relationship with the mother. This is particularly important when mother and nurse do not share a verbal language. The nurses worked purposefully to gain trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A shift to higher temperatures has left the Mediterranean Europe and Northern Africa (MENA) region more vulnerable to drought and land degradation. We used MODIS LAI (leaf area index) and GPP (gross primary production) deficits, the differences between actual and historical-maximum values, to describe vegetation structural and functional changes and consequential landcover change in response to changing climate conditions during 2001–2019 in the area (20° W–45° E, 20° N–45° N). We found that 1) the vegetation responses varied significantly among eight landcover types with the decreasing importance: forests, savannas, a mosaic of cropland and natural vegetation (CNV), croplands, permanent wetlands, urban land, grasslands, and shrublands, each with distinctive yet overlapping signatures over the ranges of the climate conditions considered. 2) Forests, occupying the coolest and wettest niche, showed the strongest response to severe drought with a lag of 1–3 years and a legacy effect for 10 years. Shrubs, occupying the hottest and driest niche, were the most resilient under a hotter and drier climate. 3) The total areas of savannas and CNV increased by 394,994 and 404,592 km2, respectively, while that of forests decreased by 33,091 km2. Shrublands extended by 287,134 km2 while grasslands and croplands retreated by 490,644 and 225,263 km2. The area of wetlands increased by 49,192 km2, and that of urban land increased by 39,570 km2. A total of 57,649 km2 of barren land became vegetated over the years. Along with higher temperature and more extended period of drought, MENA has evolved towards a shrubbier landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the globalization of Business Schools and present different strategies, issues and perspectives on how and why business schools are going global. The paper explores various models for globalization, contrasts and integrates them, and then presents an approach to globalization that is within the reach of these smaller and less endowed schools. Design/methodology/approach: This paper reviews relevant literature and an analysis of exchange programs amongst the world's leading business schools. Different aspects of the globalization of management education are discussed including internationalizing the curriculum, globalizing research agendas, and the impact of globalized competition. Findings: A framework has been developed that can be employed by business schools--especially in emerging economies--to internationalize themselves through their education and research programs. Recommendations are made for how business schools with limited resources can meet the challenge of offering the internationally-oriented education experience increasingly demanded by employers and students alike. Research limitations/implications: Limitations to this paper result from the use of "Financial Times" top 100 ranked business schools. Aside from weaknesses inherent the rankings methodology, the choice of these business schools excluded hundreds of high quality business schools around the world--many of which are internationally recognized for quality. Furthermore, the methodology of the scanning of web sites of schools for types of collaboration agreements across borders might not give the full picture of agreements betweens schools. Originality/value: Although a considerable amount has been written about the globalization imperative facing business schools (with many illustrations of what could be considered best practice), there is a significant lack of information when it comes to the articulation of strategies and implementation challenges facing smaller and less well endowed business schools that want to globalize. (Contains 19 notes, 1 table and 3 figures.)

The paper reports the first results of a comparative research on Pentecostalism that involves scholars in Europe, Asia, Africa, South and North America. The author focuses on the characters which, in his opinion, are responsible of the success of this religion in various parts of the world: the internal differentiation that allows Pentecostal churches to intercept different tastes of the public, the doctrinal and liturgical innovations, the role of music in the liturgy, as a factor of seduction, identity and loyalty. The author than raises the issue why in Latin American and in Europe Pentecostalism is spreading especially among the popular and impoverished classes and concludes that its development is linked to the opening of the religious market that has enabled these churches to catch that part of the religious demand that for various reasons, the traditional churches were predisposed to accept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Listy Cukrovarnicke a Reparske is the property of VUC Praha a.s. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines the implementation of high-performance work systems (HPWSs) in 217 subsidiaries of American-based multinational enterprises operating in 14 countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Specifically, this paper explores the effect of host-country institutional factors on the extent of HPWS implementation in subsidiaries, and focuses on "strong agency" influences and dominance effects. The proposed model was more successful in explaining the effect of HPWSs on rank-and-file employees than on managers. Of particular interest is the strong positive association between host-country economic growth and HPWS implementation, which suggests a possible cyclical sensitivity of subsidiaries regarding human resource management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several regions of the world have developed capability in providing services on climate information for risk management, but there are still gaps in service delivery due to inadequate information regarding the needs within the regions. This paper highlights the role of Regional Climate Outlook Forums, assesses the needs for some regions and extracts examples of how regional associations could benefit through the provision of better climate services. Problems are given for Africa, South-East Asia, South America, the Pacific and Europe. Different geographical climate features lead to different climate phenomena and in turn determine the type of climate delivery needs for risk management. Short discussions of regional socio-economic factors that shape the needs for climate information provide further context for the unique character of delivery services. Recommendations and future plans follow this assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We carried out bibliographic searches in PubMed and Embase.com for the period from 1996 to 2008 with the aim of reviewing the scientific literature on the relationship between various sources of indoor air pollution and the respiratory health of children under the age of five. Those studies that included adjusted correlation measurements for the most important confounding variables and which had an adequate population size were considered to be more relevant. The results concerning the relationship between gas energy sources and children's respiratory health were heterogeneous. Indoor air pollution from biomass combustion in the poorest countries was found to be an important risk factor for lower respiratory tract infections. Solvents involved in redecorating, DYI work, painting, and so forth, were found to be related to an increased risk for general respiratory problems. The distribution of papers depending on the pollution source showed a clear relationship with life-style and the level of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African migration to Europe is commonly seen as a tidal wave of desperate people fleeing poverty and warfare at home trying to enter the elusive European el Dorado. Typical 'solutions' proposed by politicians include increasing border controls or boosting African 'stay-at-home' development. However, such apocalyptic views are based on fundamentally flawed assumptions about the (limited) magnitude, historicity, nature and causes of this migration. Dominant discourses obscure the fact that African migration to Europe and Libya is fuelled by a structural demand for cheap migrant labour in informal sectors. This explains why restrictive immigration policies have invariably failed to stop migration and have had various perverse effects. African development is also unlikely to curb migration as it will enable and inspire more people to migrate. Despite lip service being paid to 'combating illegal migration' for political and diplomatic reasons, neither European nor African states have much genuine interest in stopping migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to World Travel and Tourism Council estimates, travel and tourism should account for approximately 10.4 percent of global gross domestic product and create nearly 231 million jobs worldwide during 2007. This paper presents an analysis of the performance of the global lodging industry during the year 2007. As such, important lodging industry trends worldwide, including those in North America, mainland Europe, United Kingdom, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific regions, are better understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of VertigO is the property of La Revue Electronique en Sciences de l'Environnement VertigO and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Analyses of data from recent demographic surveys reveal that fertility has declined quite significantly in many countries, and most demographers and population analysts agree that a large part of this decline may be attributed to an increase in the use of contraception among couples of reproductive age. There is a direct linkage between the use of contraception and fertility decline, and this paper attempts to uncover the correlates of the use of contraception, and hence of fertility decline, by analyzing national level data from 93 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, Near East and North Africa, Asia and Pacific, Latin America and Caribbean, and East Europe and Central Asian Republics. The data were taken from Population Reports (vol. 27(2), July 1999:24-27), and from the 1997 World Population Data Sheet. The main variable of interest is the percentage of couples using contraception which has been collapsed into three groups of countries: group 1 (low rates of use), group 2 (medium rates of use), and group 3 (high rates of use). The technique called canonical discriminant analysis has been used to identify those variables that discriminate among the groups most. The analysis shows that the total fertility rate is the most influential variable in discriminating among the groups of countries with low (group 1), medium (group 2), and high (group 3) rates of the use of contraception, followed by the percentage of children under 15 years of age, human development index, urban population, population growth rate, gross national product, and child mortality, in that order. Policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safeguards and measures to prevent child trafficking mentioned in the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption have proven insufficient in curbing the so-called irregular adoptions. An analysis of how Spanish central authorities and intermediary agencies managed the flow of adoption dossiers between 2003 and 2013 presents their inability to react swiftly to the imbalance between adoption demand and supply. The 2015 reforms in the Spanish law introduced measures to bring demand in line with real needs. However, imaginaries that portray adopters and children from the Global South as victims of meaningless bureaucracy continue to hold true even today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, there were 3,335 football players from four continents from around the world formed a study universe in which the causes of athlete aggression. Also, the factors affecting athlete aggression were investigated with different variables. It has been observed that the levels of aggression of footballers are different according to the positions they play. As the number of matches that players participate in increases, aggression levels increase among the important results. A correlation was found between the ages of the footballers and their levels of aggression, but it was concluded that athletes born in December were more aggressive. Those born in January and those born in winter have shown minimal levels of aggression compared to other footballers. It has been interpreted as having higher levels of aggression, with football players born in December and winter receiving more penalties than other participants. In the continents where football players were born, the highest number of athlete aggression was observed in the participating football players from the continent of Europe, while the aggression of athletes born in the continent of Africa and Asia was found to be lower. Taking into account the data obtained from the research, it was concluded that the athlete's position, age, month, and season of birth and continent of birth are factors affecting athlete aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of flooding events. Although rainfall is highly correlated with mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) in humans, less research focuses on understanding the impact of flooding events on disease incidence. This lack of research presents a significant gap in climate change–driven disease forecasting. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a scoping review to assess the strength of evidence regarding the potential relationship between flooding and MBD and to determine knowledge gaps. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched through 31 December 2020 and supplemented with review of citations in relevant publications. Studies on rainfall were included only if the operationalization allowed for distinction of unusually heavy rainfall events. Data were abstracted by disease (dengue, malaria, or other) and stratified by post-event timing of disease assessment. Studies that conducted statistical testing were summarized in detail. RESULTS: From 3,008 initial results, we included 131 relevant studies (dengue 푛= 45, malaria 푛= 61, other MBD 푛= 49). Dengue studies indicated short-term (<1 month) decreases and subsequent (1-4 month) increases in incidence. Malaria studies indicated post-event incidence increases, but the results were mixed, and the temporal pattern was less clear. Statistical evidence was limited for other MBD, though findings suggest that human outbreaks of Murray Valley encephalitis, Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus, Rift Valley fever, and Japanese encephalitis may follow flooding. DISCUSSION: Flooding is generally associated with increased incidence of MBD, potentially following a brief decrease in incidence for some diseases. Methodological inconsistencies significantly limit direct comparison and generalizability of study results. Regions with established MBD and weather surveillance should be leveraged to conduct multisite research to a) standardize the quantification of relevant flooding, b) study nonlinear relationships between rainfall and disease, c) report outcomes at multiple lag periods, and d) investigate interacting factors that modify the likelihood and severity of outbreaks across different settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, West Africa emerged as a major transit hub for Latin American Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) transporting cocaine to Western Europe. Since that time, there has been cause for hope and despair. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and an array of international donors have made great strides in acknowledging the growing problem of drug trafficking and have implemented practical measures to stem this flow. All the while, the fears of many observers have been confirmed as the insidious effects of the drug trade have begun to take effect in many West African states. Consumption is on the rise and narco-corruption now undermines the rule of law and legitimate economic growth necessary for development and stability. One of the most alarming trends that place Africa and Africans on the radar of policy makers, law enforcement, and researchers alike is the number of new fronts on which the illicit drug trade is growing. Its geographic expansion beyond the relatively confined region of West Africa is now endangering East and Southern Africa. The arrival of new drugs to the region--heroin and Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS, commonly referred to as synthetic drugs)--has been accompanied by the discovery of local manufacturing facilities to process them. Lastly, the growing level of involvement by Africans--who initially served as facilitators but now appear to be taking a more proactive role--raises concerns that a new generation of African DTOs is rising in the ranks. This paper examines how each of these trends are contributing to the twenty-first century expansion of the drug trade in Africa and summarizes some of the impacts they are having on the states and their populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the link between European public opinion and economic assistance policy to Africa. Degree of the centralization of decision-making; Structure of humanitarian emergency aid; Role of the mass media in relation to decision-making on humanitarian assistance.

Ophrydium versatile (Müller 1786) Ehrenberg 1830 - a symbiotic ciliate that forms gelatinous colonies - is widely distributed in temperate lakes in Europe and America, but has not previously been recorded from rivers. In this paper we report the first record of O. versatile in an African river, based on an identity confirmed by molecular taxonomic identification. The limnological conditions within the Lephalala River during the sampling period were characterised as oligotrophic with low DOC concentrations, similar to the conditions observed in temperate northern hemisphere lakes where these organisms have been recorded previously. The majority of O. versatile colonies occurred in areas where thin orange-coloured films containing high concentrations of iron (> 60% Fe) covered the substrate and bedrock of the river; this may be related to the abundant picophytoplankton that were associated with these films and oligotrophic conditions. The planktonic diatom Gomphonema venusta Passy was dominant in the water column throughout the study period and acted as an environmental indicator of low electrical conductivity (EC) conditions in the habitat where O. versatile colonies were recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The theme of love has long been neglected in studies on African myths. The often-heard explanation is that African myths and folktales do not tell stories about love because they primarily express social interests and obligations while love – intended as both emotional imperative and biological drive – is an individual need and feeling. This latter definition relies on a very specific understanding of ‘love’: the Romantic love of 19th century European novels. This paper argues that when love means attraction, affection, passion, and necessity, it turns up as liaisons dangereuses in many African narratives. Love becomes a driving force that generates gender constructions by reinforcing the unity of the couple or by fuelling the struggle between partners. In the case of Kabyle narratives (Algeria), 1 [1] Kabylia is a mountainous area in the north-west of Algeria. Linguistically and culturally it is a rather homogeneous area: Kabyles are Muslim and speak Taqbaylit, one of the several local forms of Tamazight, the Berber language, spoken in Algeria, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Niger, and Tunisia. In Algeria approximately 20–25 percent of the population speaks Berber, while the majority of the population speaks Arabic, the official language. Islam was adopted in North Africa starting from the latter half of the seventh century. conceptualisations of love as well as the relationships between myths and folktales are explored by analyzing formula tales 2 [2] The genre usually translated into English as ‘folktale’ or ‘legend’ and in French as conte, conte merveilleux, or légende takes in Berber different names depending on the local language, for example tamacahuţ in Kabylia (Algeria) and tanfus in the Rif (Morocco). The presence of formulas of beginning and ending is characteristic, for example the expression macahu! (‘a story!’) which gives the name to this type of tale in Kabylia. I therefore use the denomination ‘formula tales’ (, pp. 104–118). and the only known collection of Kabyle Berber myths: those collected by Leo Frobenius, ethnologist and historian of religion, at the beginning of the 20th century and published in the first volume of his Volksmärchen der Kabylen in 1921. The discussion of the relationship between Kabyle myths and folktales touches upon a well-known interpretative problem in the study of religion: the articulation of myth and ritual with history as communities respond to sweeping social, political, and religious changes, such as the coming of Islam, colonization, decolonization, and globalization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]