Due to the prosperity of technology and the medical and pharmaceutical sciences, Taiwan and the developed countries of the world being of the same population structure are both affected by the development trend of their aging and less-children societies, thus causing certain impacts to the retirement system, including such problems as whether the age for the retirees¡¦ choice of monthly pension is set too low, whether the favorable interest rate for the savings of retirement pay and pension should be reduced, and so on. Besides, due to the government¡¦s extended implementation of organizational downsizing and business outsourcing, many civil service employees having already reached the age of 50 are eager to apply for retirement, thus raising the financial pressure of the government. Having reviewed the retirement laws of different countries, the politics and economy of Taiwan, the change of social situation and the resolutions of LegislationYuan, the legal authorities for the retirement of civil service employees (Ministry of Civil Service, Examination Yuan) invited scholars, professionals, different supervisory authorities and the local governments to hold meetings to discuss about this issue for several times, and drafted the Amendment for Retirement Law of Civil Service Employees. On Aug. 4, 2005, the draft was submitted to Examination Yuan for examination. After examination meetings were held for 11 times, the draft was passed in the 171st meeting of the 10th term of office of Examination Yuan. It was then submitted to Legislation Yuan for examination on Feb. 16, 2006. In the revised Main Points of Amendment for Retirement Law of Civil Service Employees, apart from increasing the flexible retirement conditions, deleting the stipulation that an additional pension of 5 base points shall be given for once to any voluntary retiree at the age of 55, and reviewing and revising part of the out-dated stipulations, it is additionally specified that in future, only the civil service employees at the age of above 60 having acquired a seniority of 25 years, and those at the age of above 55 having acquired a seniority of 30 years are allowed to receive monthly retirement pay. This system shall be effective after a transition period of 10 years. Currently, the stipulated index is 75. It is expected that after 11 years with 1 index added per year, the 85-retirement system shall be nationally applicable. In view of this, it is indeed necessary to study the effects of the enormous reform of the retirement system of civil service employees on the differences of their perceptions, attitudes and behaviors, as well as their working morale. The study not only enables us to understand the data processing model of the reform of retirement system, but also can serve as a tool to respond to the opposing opinions in times of implementation in future, and furthermore, provide the government with suggestions for the reform of the system. The study took the civil service employees belonging to Grade I departments of Kaohsiung City Government, totally 1,560 employees as the targets, and sent out 500 questionnaires. As a result, 423 questionnaires were returned, achieving a return rate of 84.6%. After deducting 10 invalid questionnaires from the total, there were 413 valid questionnaires returned, achieving an effective return rate of 82.6%. By means of the questionnaires filled out by the interviewed targets, through different attributes like the properties of work and of individuals, and after the employees are aware of the change of the disturbing variables of retirement system, this research paper investigates the degree of their effects on the working morale of employees. The research results show that: 1. Different facets of the properties of work, including ¡§autonomy of work,¡¨ ¡§diversity of work¡¨ and ¡§importance of work,¡¨ have significant effects on the two facets of working morale, ¡§cohesiveness of group¡¨ and ¡§involvement in work.¡¨ 2. Despite the difference in age, civil service employees do not have differences on these facets of the properties of work, including ¡§autonomy of work,¡¨ ¡§diversity of work¡¨ and ¡§importance of work,¡¨ but have significant differences on them should there be a difference in sex, qualification, marital status, current position of work, seniority, old retirement seniority, supervisor type and health condition. 3. Despite the difference in sex, marital status, current position of work and seniority, civil service employees do not have differences on these facets of the working morale, including ¡§cohesiveness of group¡¨ and ¡§involvement in work,¡¨ but have significant differences on them should there be a difference in sex, qualification, old retirement seniority, supervisor type and health condition. 4. Despite the difference in sex, qualification, marital status, current position of work, civil service employees do not have differences on these facets of the reform of civil service employees retirement system, including ¡§common expectancy of reform,¡¨ ¡§perception of the internal contents of reform,¡¨ ¡§attitude acceptance of reform¡¨ and ¡§career alteration for the reform,¡¨ but have significant differences on them should there be a difference in age, seniority, old retirement seniority, supervisor type and health condition. 5. The facets of the reform of retirement system, including ¡§common expectancy of reform,¡¨ ¡§perception of the internal contents of reform¡¨ and ¡§career alteration for the reform,¡¨ have significant effects on the facet of working morale, ¡§cohesiveness of group.¡¨

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This paper examines the association between individual managers and corporate reporting and operating decisions. To examine this question, I develop a dataset of 241 individual CEOs and CFOs, as well as audit committee chairs, covering the period of 1988 to 2009. Although audit committee chairs are tasked with monitoring insiders and not actually preparing the financial results, research suggests that each of these management groups could exert their individual "styles" on the reporting and operating decisions. Using this dataset, I find that each of these groups significantly influence accounting- and non-accounting-based corporate decisions. Also, I examine whether the influence of these individuals is impacted by characteristics of the corporation's operating environment. Using individual proxies for managerial discretion and job demands, as well as developing index measures for each of these constructs, I find that the influence of these particular managers is not impacted by the amount of discretion they have or their perceived job demands. Last, I find evidence that observable demographic measures explain some of the managers' decisions. These results add to the literature concerning the importance of individual managers to corporate decisions because they suggest that managers besides the CFO can significantly influence reporting and operating decisions, and the influence of these managers extends beyond accrual-based techniques to include real activities management decisions.

In the present context of South African education many learners may be denied access to the modern world, and from developing as empowered individuals for a world of uncertainty, due to inadequate schooling. The learners’ poor results in national and international studies and dysfunctional schools, for example, are clear evidence of inadequate schooling. If we are to improve schooling, and hence, the quality of teaching and learning in South African schools, we need to address the quality of teacher education that student teachers receive as part of their professional development. These improvements in schooling will depend on how student teachers are professionally developed, not to teach, but to facilitate learning. It is on this basis that I explore how student teachers construct and use phronesis to enhance their professional development. Within this question I explore the student teachers’ baseline phronesis when they enter the programme and how the student teachers utilise the contribution of the mentor teacher and the specialisation programme to construct and use phronesis to enhance their professional development. An interpretive, mixed methods, case study participatory action research methodology was used to explore these research questions. The participants in this study were three Postgraduate Certificate in Education Life Sciences student teachers, the specialisation lecturer, mentor teacher and the researcher. The context of this study was in the setting of a radical, innovative teacher education programme at the University of Pretoria, which focused strongly on the construction and use of phronesis. A variety of data collection instruments, including visual data, personal profile questionnaires and document analysis were used to collect the data. Ethical and research rigour issues were attended to and implemented. The findings are presented in four case study participatory action research cycles, each having a particular context and purpose. The descriptive data from each of these cycles was analysed to develop responses for the research questions. The finding in response to research question one indicated that the student teachers’ beliefs, emotions, desire and vision for the type of facilitator that they wanted to be influenced their perception of a facilitator of learning. Furthermore, their awareness of the challenges and constraints that ‘teachers’ experienced when teaching in particular contexts did not deter them from becoming facilitators of learning. The mentor teachers’ contributions were: direct with regard to providing support in designing learning tasks, resources and assessment feedback. Indirect contributions were in terms of the student teachers developing the need to generate ideas for effective practice and to change their beliefs about the role of a facilitator of learning, and the impact of this role on the learners’ work ethic and relationships. The contributions of the specialisation programme were in terms of challenging and changing student teachers’ beliefs about the role of a facilitator of learning and the development of learning practice in authentic contexts. The student teachers constructed and used their phronesis to enhance their professional development. Incorporated in each student teacher’s practice theory are their personal and professional transformations on their journey to becoming facilitators of learning. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

In this thesis, some issues about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been addressed by concentrating on the stochastic modelling of the dynamics of the viruses. The aim of this thesis is to determine parameters such as the mean number of free HIV, infectious free HIV and non-infectious free HIV which are essential in determining incubation period of the virus, the disease progression of an infected individual and the efficacy of the treatment used. This thesis comprises of six chapters. The first two chapters are introductory to the viruses and reasons why HIV-1 is given priority over HIV-2 are given. The pathogenesis of the virus is addressed. This is because knowledge of the pathogenesis and strains of the virus has become essential in the study of HIV in vivo dynamics which is still paving ways into extensive research of the ways to contain the disease better. In chapter three the distribution functions of the HIV incubation period and seroconversion time are determined via stochastic models by building on previous work of Lui et al. (1988) and Medley et al. (1988). Also AIDS incidence projection was done using the Backcalculation method. Chapter four deals with the formulation of stochastic model of the dynamics of HIV in an infected individual. Two stochastic models are proposed and analysed for the dynamics of the viral load in a HIV infected person and the multiplication process of the virions inside an infected T4 cell. Also a numerical illustration of the stochastic models derived is given. In chapter five, the T4 cell count which is considered one of the markers of disease progression in HIV infected individual is examined. WHO has recently advocated that countries encourage HIV infected individuals to commence antiretroviral treatments once their T4 cell count is 350 cells per ml of blood. This is because when the T4 cell count is low, the T4 cells are unable to mount an effective immune response against antigens (and any such foreign matters in the body) and consequently, the individual becomes susceptible to opportunistic infections and lymphomas. We developed a stochastic catastrophe model to obtain the mean, variance and covariance of the uninfected, infected and lysed T4 cells; also the amount of toxin produced in a HIV infected person from the time of infection to the present time is derived. A numerical illustration of the correlation structure between uninfected and infected T4 cells, and infected and lysed T4 cells is portrayed. Antiretrioviral treatments were introduced while we await a cure. Treatment with single drug failed due to the fact that HIV evolved rapidly because of its high replication rate. Thus drug resistance to single therapeutic treatment in HIV infected individuals has promoted research into combined treatments. In chapter six a stochastic model under combined therapeutic treatment is derived. Mean numbers of free HIV, infectious free HIV and non-infectious free HIV are obtained. Variance and co-variance structures of our parameters were obtained unlike in previous work of Perelson et al. (1996), Tan and Xiang (1999). / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Statistics / unrestricted

Advancements in medicine, policy, and societal attitudes have improved life expectancy, socialization, and participation for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). However, inconsistent or a lack of services may drive healthcare utilization toward expensive emergency care services. This can negatively impact health outcomes and disrupt physical therapy treatment plans, limiting their effectiveness and further placing individuals with IDD at risk for crisis episodes. Because of its subjective nature, quantifying crisis is challenging using current definitions. Rehabilitation professionals are often active members of the care team for individuals with IDD, however no evidence currently exists regarding how the profession can positively impact crisis intervention. Because these clinicians often develop long-term relationships with patients and work with them on a consistent basis, they are well-positioned to recognize early signs of crisis and make timely referrals to the appropriate health and social service providers but currently lack resources to guide in this decision-making. A better understanding of characteristics of this population related to crisis is needed in order to develop accessible and useful screening tools and to improve clinical reasoning. The purpose of this dissertation was to identify pertinent risk factors related to crisis for individuals with IDD using a novel, objective crisis definition. Using a mixed methods approach, a revised definition of crisis was developed through surveying of expert clinicians and healthcare administrators at a specialty care clinic for individuals with IDD. The addition of four crisis-related events were included in the definition: (1) unplanned hospital utilization; (2) involvement with the criminal justice system; (3) abuse/victimization; (4) unplanned change in living environment. Using retrospective chart review, these four crisis-related events were further analyzed and validated by comparing their occurrence in patients who did (N=41) and did not (N=144) receive formal crisis intervention services at the clinic between January 1, 2014 and March 1, 2019. The risk for unplanned hospital utilization was 3.4 times higher for crisis patients. The risk for involvement with the police or criminal justice system was 13.86 times higher for crisis patients. The risk for abuse and/or victimization was 6.21 times higher for crisis patients. The risk for unplanned change(s) in living environment was 12.7 times higher for crisis patients. Overall, 90% of crisis patients experienced at least one of the four crisis-related events during the study period, compared to 54.2% of non-crisis patients. Five additional risk factors were identified that increased crisis risk: hypothyroidism, bipolar disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, personality disorder, and have multiple psychiatric disorders. No statistically significant differences were found between crisis and non-crisis patients for intellectual disability severity level, mobility status, communication status, neurodevelopmental diagnosis, age, race/ethnicity, or living environment. To the best of our knowledge, the identification of hypothyroidism as a potential crisis risk factor was a novel discovery not previously reported in the literature. The findings of this dissertation have multiple implications for clinical practice and add to the body of knowledge regarding crisis experiences for individuals with IDD. First and foremost, over a fifth of our study sample (22%) utilized formal crisis management services during the study period. This suggests that crisis episodes are common in the IDD population. As the majority of individuals with IDD are community-dwelling and life expectancy continues to increase, the likelihood of physical therapists encountering adults with IDD in clinical practice will subsequently increase. However, physical therapists and physical therapy students routinely report feeling unconfident and uncomfortable treating individuals with disabilities, including individuals with IDD. There is a need, then, to improve clinician confidence and skills to ensure that individuals with IDD receive optimal care, especially into adulthood. The findings of these studies provide foundational knowledge and point toward trends in crisis experiences that can help guide physical therapists and other rehabilitation clinicians.

Limited literature exists regarding best engagement practices of mental health service providers in encouraging the homeless individuals to participate in clinical mental health services in New York City. New York City has a population of more than 8.5 million, and in 2017 more than 129,803 homeless individuals slept in shelters. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to gain more insight and knowledge about the best engagement practices and experiences of mental health service providers in encouraging homeless individuals to participate in clinical mental health services. The conceptual framework used to guide this study comes from Kearsley and Shneiderman's engagement theory. The study employed a phenomenological method, utilizing a nonprobability sample design with a purposeful and criterion sample with 12 mental health service providers to reach saturation and to yield insights and in-depth understandings for the questions under research. Data were analyzed and coded to identify categories and themes. Findings from this research highlighted 3 themes based on participant responses: (a) building rapport, (b) medical and mental health, and (c) resistance to change. This study provides insight and understanding of the phenomenon of homelessness and provides information on engaging the homeless and how the participants encouraged homeless individuals to participate in clinical services.

付記する学位プログラム名: 霊長類学・ワイルドライフサイエンス・リーディング大学院 / 京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第23052号 / 理博第4729号 / 新制||理||1678(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科生物科学専攻 / (主査)教授 平田 聡, 教授 幸島 司郎, 教授 伊谷 原一 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

No abstract / Dissertation MCom--University of Pretoria, 2013. / hb2014 / Taxation / unrestricted

No description available.