Darbo tikslas. Ištirti specializuotų odontologinių paslaugų plėtros galimybes Tauragės rajone. Tyrimo uždaviniai. Įvertinti Tauragės rajono gyventojų nuomonę apie specializuotų odontologinių paslaugų poreikį bei bendrosios praktikos gydytojų odontologų požiūrį į specializuotų odontologinų paslaugų plėtros galimybes Tauragės rajone; suformuluoti specializuotų odontologinių paslaugų plėtros Tauragės rajone rekomendacijas. / The opportunities for development of specialized dental care services in Tauragė district is a novel and practice-oriented issue. The necessity for management of such services is an integral part of public health management. Collaboration in health care system for favorable development of opportunities is a key task for policy-makers, health professionals, and patients themselves. In order to define patients' and dentists' needs, attitudes, and perspectives it is relevant to substantiate the opportunities for development of dental care services both scientifically and practically. Aim of the study: to assess the opportunities for development of specialized dental care services in Tauragė district. Objectives: to evaluate Tauragė district residents' views on the need for specialized dental care services; to evaluate general practice dentists' views on opportunities for development of specialized dental care services in Tauragė district; to formulate the recommendations for the development of specialized dental care services in Tauragė district. Methods. The questionnaire-based study was a survey of 290 residents of Tauragė district who visited a dentist in Tauragė district during the study period. The data analysis was quantitative using statistical data processing software "SPSS 17.0 for Windows". The indicators were described by means (for continuous variables) and percentages (for dichotomous variables). Statistical hypotheses were tested using chi square test, Spearman... [to full text]

Indien är en tillväxtmarknad med många möjligheter; det är en plats för nytänkande och frugala innovationer. Frugala innovationer är ett fenomen som Indien är välkänt för. I grunden uppstår frugala innovationer genom sparsamhet i processen för att ta fram effektiva lösningar. Kunskapen om frugala innovationer och dess förhållningssätt kopplat till svenska energiföretag som är inom branschen för förnybara energikällor är dock begränsad. Därför är innovationsmyndigheten Vinnova och Energimyndigheten intresserade av att se om det finns potential för ett antal svenska energiteknikföretag att lyckas etablera sig på Indiens marknad för förnybara energikällor, där effektivitet och sparsamhet är viktigt. Undersökningen har skett genom en kvalitativ forskningsmetod i form av intervjuer med de företag som har varit tillgängliga och även med en expert med kunskap om den Indiska marknaden. Teorier har främst hämtats ifrån tryckt litteratur och vetenskapliga artiklar. Under studiens gång arbetade författarna fram en modell som kan användas för att bedöma ett företags förmåga att etablera sig på en främmande marknad. I modellen ingår ett antal viktiga aspekter inom områden som ekonomi, innovation, marknad och tillväxt. Forskningen har kommit fram till slutsatser om samtliga undersökta företags potential att lyckas i Indien. I studien fann författarna att om man ska ha potential att lyckas på den Indiska marknaden, ska man bland annat ha en aktuell och effektiv produkt, stark ekonomi, konkurrenskraftighet samt marknadsmöjligheter. / India is an emerging market with many opportunities; it's a place for rethinking and frugal innovations. Frugal innovation is a phenomenon that India is well known for. Frugal innovations arise by thrift in the process of developing effective solutions. Knowledge about the frugal innovations and its approach linked to Swedish energy companies that is in the business of renewable energy is limited. Therefore, the innovation agency Vinnova and the Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten) are interested to see if there is potential for a number of Swedish energy companies to establish in the Indian market for renewable energy, where efficiency and economy are important. The survey was done by a qualitative research in the form of interviews with the companies that have been available and also an expert with knowledge of the Indian market. Theories were mainly collected from printed literature and scientific articles. During the study, the authors came up with a model that can be used to estimate a company's ability to establish itself in a foreign market. The model includes a number of important aspects, such as financial aspects, innovation, market and growth. The research has come to conclusions about all the studied companies potential to succeed in India. In the study, the authors found that if you're going to have the potential to succeed in the Indian market, you should have an up-to-date and effective product, strong economy, competitiveness and market opportunities.

This thesis examines the capital structure choice of Australian firms with an emphasis on the impact of market timing and liquidity considering 1438 available firms for the period, 1997 to 2005. The relationship between capital structure and its determinants is the main focus of this thesis, with four empirical analyses. These analyses are all conducted within the Baker and Wurgler (2002) and Hovakimian (2006) models with both pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) and fixed effect panel analysis. The theory of market timing introduced by Baker and Wurgler (2002) has received considerable attention in recent years. Baker and Wurgler (2002) contend that past market timing has a long lasting impact on capital structure and thus, capital structure is the cumulative outcome of the past attempts at equity market timing. This thesis examines the Baker and Wurgler (2002) argument in an Australian context. It is found that the variation in leverage was explained by the market-to-book ratio and the effect of market-to-book ratio was explained by equity issues as market timing theory implies. However, the results are sensitive to data sample choice with variation in the strength of the negative relationship observed between external finance weighted average market-to-book and leverage. This suggests that while market timing appears to affect capital structure choice, it does not support the hypothesis that past market timing decisions have a long lasting impact on Australian firm capital structure. Hovakimian ( 2006) questions the Baker and Wurgler (2002) conclusion about firm behaviour and finds evidence that past market-to-book ratio has a significant impact on current financing decisions because it contains information about growth opportunities, not captured by the current market-to-book ratio. This thesis also examines the Hovakimian (2006) argument and finds evidence to support the argument of Hovakimian (2006) that, growth opportunities provide a reasonable explanation for the past market-to-book ratio effect for Australian firms. Analysis also focuses on broad industry differences. And it is found that there are significant differences between mining and non-mining firm in the determinants of capital structure. Finally, the impact of liquidity on Australian capital structure choice is analysed within the context of the Baker and Wurgler (2002) and Hovakimian (2006) models. It is found that liquidity is important to a firm's leverage choice. There is evidence that liquid firms tend to have lower leverage. Further, while liquidity has little effect on the sensitivity of leverage to market-to-book for Baker and Wurgler (2002) filtered data, a liquidity effect is evident in a broader set of four standard deviation filtered data. It is also found that greater liquidity is associated with less sensitivity of leverage to cash flows and that the asset tangibility relation with leverage is also sensitive to liquidity. Finally, there is evidence that more liquid firms are more sensitive in their tendency to revert to some long run leverage value.

This research study presents an investigation of interpreter trainees acquiring New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as a second language (L2) outside their formal classroom learning. This study was motivated firstly by a concern that a considerable reduction in learner and lecturer contact hours within an NZSL interpreting programme would compromise graduate NZSL competency, necessitating a compensatory approach predominantly in the context of the Deaf community. Secondly, the study attempts to address a marked gap in research related to L2 sign language learning from a socio-cultural perspective. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in a bilingual context (NZSL and English) in order to gain the ‘inside’ perspectives of six NZSL learners who had just completed a two-year Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting. The interviews sought to uncover the informal NZSL language learning opportunities used by the participants, especially within the social context of the Deaf community, and the individual learner strategies utilised by ‘good learners’ of NZSL. Interview data were transcribed and were analysed by employing qualitative methods. Coding of the data revealed a number of categories which were subsequently examined for salient themes relating to the research questions. The main findings of the study revolved around the significance of L2 learner access to social and material resources, especially within the Deaf socio-cultural context. Of particular significance was the enhancement of learner motivation and confidence as was the frequency and depth of interaction with Deaf people and degree of mediated NZSL learning from NZSL mentors. Of key importance were the social relationships and networks developed with L1 users, which facilitated access to an array of NZSL learning opportunities. Material language learning resources, such as NZSL video samples and equipment were also useful, when interaction with Deaf people was not possible due to heavy study demands, especially in the second year of the programme. Learner involvement in the Deaf community, particularly within Deaf social networks, resulted in significantly improved linguistic, pragmatic and socio-cultural competency. The findings of the study raise two main implications. Firstly, the study highlights the need for NZSL interpreting curriculum enrichment and the resourcing of the programme to foster learner autonomy. Secondly, to date there has been little research on adult L2 sign language learning outside the classroom context and the study may stimulate further studies of the acquisition of sign language as a second language. The study may also be of benefit to autonomous L2 sign language learners and stakeholders in sign language interpreting education around the world.

Thesis (M.A.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-125). Also available via the Internet.

The aim of the present study are: to explore and examine the current greek private organizations that offer medical tourism services and asses the potentiality of growth of the greek medical tourism sector. / Σκοπός της εργασίας είναι να εξετάσει και να εξερευνήσει τους υπάρχοντες ιδιωτικούς οργανισμούς που προσφέρουν υπηρεσίες ιατρικού τουρισμού και να εξακριβώσει την πιθανότητα ανάπτυξης του τομέα ιατρικού τουρισμού στην Ελλάδα.

Studiens syfte är att belysa hur några pedagoger ser på utomhusmiljön. Studien utgår ifrån följande frågeställningar: Vilka möjligheter kan pedagogerna se i att använda sig utav utomhusmiljön i verksamheten? Vilka begränsningar kan pedagogerna se i att använda sig utav utomhusmiljön i verksamheten? Vilka argument finns för att gå ut och när går man ut?Studien är genomförd med ljudinspelade besöksintervjuer för att nå ett så tillförlitligt och trovärdigt resultat som möjligt. I studien ingår fem förskollärare på fyra olika förskolor. Urvalet är med hänsyn till såväl intresset från respondenter som tidsaspekten att tre av förskolorna ligger i samma kommun för att minimera restiden.Det som synliggjorts i resultatet är att samtliga intervjuade pedagoger ser stora möjligheter, men även begränsningar, i användandet av utomhusmiljön. En möjlighet som nämns är pedagogernas möjlighet att erbjuda barnen lärtillfälle i såväl naturen som på förskolegården. En begränsning som samtliga pedagoger nämner är ekonomin och tiden i verksamheten, då verksamheten är beroende av pengar för införskaffandet av artefakter och tiden för att underhålla och genomföra alla idéer som finns för konstruktionen och användning av utomhusmiljön. Pedagogerna belyser barnens hälsovinst som argument för varför de går ut, men även hur förskolans traditioner och dess inrutade arbetssätt gör att de går ut vid vissa klockslag.

abstract: ABSTRACT This study details the pilot of a collaborative peer-coaching model as a form of job embedded professional development, to guide teacher collaboration and planning based on benchmark assessments. The collaborative peer-coaching framework used (including reflection and collaboration about student data, and classroom instruction) was informed by the five propositions outlined by the National Board of Professional Teacher Standards (NBPTS). This intervention included teacher training, discussion (pre and post instruction), collaboration about student benchmark data, and classroom observations with further data collected through surveys and interviews. Using a mixed methods approach to data collection and analysis, I focused on how participants engaged in a collaborative peer-coaching model to guide their instruction based on the use of student data they collected from common benchmark assessments. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Administration and Supervision 2011

Inspired by the way nature cycles waste in an ecosystem, the circular economy was developed as an alternative to the linear take-make-dispose model and designed to decouple economic growth from resource use. After developing a framework for what it means to be a business pursuing circularity, this thesis examines six different companies to explore the tension between the strategies and business models in theory and what business are implementing in practice today. This exploration continues with an in-depth analysis of the circular success of IKEA, finding that the gains from the circular economy for a large corporation are found within their own operations. With the company’s scale, IKEA is able to act as a transfer hub of technology and best practices, ultimately allowing the company to make a global impact.

A tese trabalha com uma questão ainda pouco explorada ou explorada de forma pouco satisfatória pelas ciências sociais brasileiras: a relação dos movimentos sociais com a política institucional. Afirmamos que há, na tradição brasileira dos estudos sobre os movimentos sociais, uma tendência a compreender os movimentos sociais a partir da sua relação de oposição ao estado e, mais amplamente, à política institucional. O argumento central deste trabalho, que procuramos sustentar a partir de uma narrativa histórica sobre um movimento social específico no cenário político brasileiro, o movimento negro, é a de que o conflito dos movimentos sociais com o estado não significa ausência de relação entre eles. No caso do movimento negro, demostramos que há uma tendência a institucionalização de suas demandas através do trânsito institucional de militantes entre esferas estatais e esferas do próprio movimento, mediada por partidos políticos. A institucionalização do movimento inicia na década de 1980 com as transformações na estrutura de oportunidades políticas causadas pela democratização do país e intensifica-se nos anos 1990, quando militantes negros passam a ocupar posições no governo federal que lhes permitem pautar, na agenda política brasileira, demandas históricas do movimento negro. A tese, portanto, contribui na ampliação do debate acerca das relações entre os movimentos sociais e a institucionalidade, ampliando as possibilidades de interpretação de uma forma de relação que, ao que tudo indica, demonstra sinais de intensificação. / The thesis works with an even slightly explored or exploited so unsatisfactory in Brazilian social sciences: the relationship of social movements to institutional policy. We affirm that there is, in the tradition of Brazilian studies on the social movements, a tendency to understand the social movements from its oppositional relation to the state and, more broadly, to institutional policy. The central argument of this thesis, which we seek support from a historical narrative about a social movement in specific political scene, the black movement, is that the conflict of social movements with the state does not mean no relationship between them. In the case of the black movement, we demonstrate that there is a tendency to institutionalize their demands through the institutional transits of militants between state sectors and spheres of the movement itself, mediated by political parties. The institutionalization of the movement started in the 1980s with the changes in the structure of political opportunities caused by the democratization of the country and intensified in the 1990s when black militants are taking up positions in the federal government that allow them to be guided in the Brazilian political agenda historical demands of the black movement. The thesis therefore contributes in expanding the debate.the relationship between social movements and institutions, expanding the possibilities of interpreting a form of relationship that, to all appearances, shows signs of intensifying.