“Big in Japan: The Novel” chronicles the struggles of American Kent Richman, has-been gaijin-tarento. The novel alternates between a collage of tabloid articles, letters, YouTube video, excerpts from an unfinished memoir, manga story boards, botched interviews, notes scribbled on napkins, and a third-person narrative. Set primarily in central Japan, “Big in Japan” is at once a satire of celebrity, a study of personality, a romance and a mystery. Kent Richman—John Lennon look-a-like known as RI-CHU-MAN-SAN! and husband to popular model Kumiko Sato—was a regular on the nightly game show The Strange Bonanza, despite having little talent beyond his resemblance to the popular Beatle. Following a foolish affair with a young Quebecois named Monique Martine, Kent and Kumi’s celebrity world is shattered when Monique’s husband, Australian Denis Ozman—an edgy, violent shock comic—seeks his revenge on Kent and, by default, Kumi. The “Ozman Incident,” as it becomes known in the Asian press, escalates Kent and Kumi to new levels of celebrity, but impels them to abandon stardom and Japan for a new beginning on an island in the Gulf of Thailand. In Thailand, Kent and Kumi try to make a new start, but Kumi is unable to forgive Kent for what Ozman did to them and paradise quickly goes sour. In the frenzy of a passing storm, Kumi disappears with a local entrepreneur named Darren. Kent’s search for her leads him to Bangkok and a painful but puzzling discovery. When we first meet Kent, he has returned from Thailand without Kumi, who has vanished. He is unemployed, abandoned by his once adoring public, and penniless, living in a capsule hotel. Kent’s failings are aggravated by a minor drug habit that leads him to often comical, painful, and revealing extremes. At the heart of Kent’s troubles are the unanswered questions about Kumi’s disappearance and his fall from grace. Once a star, he both abhors and misses his former life. What begins as an attempt to exorcise nagging questions becomes an aimless and dangerous plunge into obsession: why did Kumi disappear, where did she go and what will he do now?

The purpose of this study was to investigate educator perceptions of the implementation of Integrated Quality Management Systems (IQMS) in Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges in South Africa. Quality in education is presently put more firmly on the agenda not withstanding the fact that a vast range of literature is available to support the process of improving the quality in education. The department of education has made many attempts to introduce an effective appraisal system in support of quality education only to find that the previous appraisal systems were rejected by the educator force for the mere fact that it was perceived as a form of inspection and supervision rather than for development purposes. This study also focuses on a review of the integrated quality management system (IQMS), of its purpose, guidelines and its subsequent implementation in FET colleges in South Africa in 2004. The primary focus of the discussion is on the processes, the methods, the guiding principles and the pitfalls of the implementation of quality management systems in educational organizations To guide this discussion literature reviews on quality, quality education, quality management and quality management systems were undertaken. The empirical study entailed gleaning information from a structured questionnaire which was distributed to a sample group of lecturers at Sedibeng College for FET in the Gauteng Province. The questions were structured in a manner to gain information about the understanding of the operational principles of quality management, the aims and guiding principles of IQMS, the importance of quality control and the external relationships of the college. The major finding emanating from this study was that there was a need for intensive training in IQMS, thus a management's strategy for ensuring that IQMS is effectively implemented was proposed. The overall recommendation arising from this study includes ensuring that management designs a quality manual to guide the process of quality assurance. / Thesis (M.Ed. (Education Management))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

The purpose of this study was to investigate educator perceptions of the implementation of Integrated Quality Management Systems (IQMS) in Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges in South Africa. Quality in education is presently put more firmly on the agenda not withstanding the fact that a vast range of literature is available to support the process of improving the quality in education. The department of education has made many attempts to introduce an effective appraisal system in support of quality education only to find that the previous appraisal systems were rejected by the educator force for the mere fact that it was perceived as a form of inspection and supervision rather than for development purposes. This study also focuses on a review of the integrated quality management system (IQMS), of its purpose, guidelines and its subsequent implementation in FET colleges in South Africa in 2004. The primary focus of the discussion is on the processes, the methods, the guiding principles and the pitfalls of the implementation of quality management systems in educational organizations To guide this discussion literature reviews on quality, quality education, quality management and quality management systems were undertaken. The empirical study entailed gleaning information from a structured questionnaire which was distributed to a sample group of lecturers at Sedibeng College for FET in the Gauteng Province. The questions were structured in a manner to gain information about the understanding of the operational principles of quality management, the aims and guiding principles of IQMS, the importance of quality control and the external relationships of the college. The major finding emanating from this study was that there was a need for intensive training in IQMS, thus a management's strategy for ensuring that IQMS is effectively implemented was proposed. The overall recommendation arising from this study includes ensuring that management designs a quality manual to guide the process of quality assurance. / Thesis (M.Ed. (Education Management))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

En el Capítulo I se describe la preparación del esqueleto fenantroindolizidínico quiral. La síntesis se apoya en la aminoalilación estereoselectiva de derivados del 2-(fenantren-9-il)acetaldehído, usando reactivos de alilindio y terc-butilsulfinilamida como inductora quiral. Transformaciones quimioselectivas de la correspondiente sulfinamina homoalílica, permitieron la síntesis de los compuestos deseados en sólo tres operaciones sintéticas. Siguiendo este procedimiento, fue posible preparar la (R)-Tiloforina natural. En el Capítulo II se detallan dos metodologías para la síntesis de la 7-Metoxicriptopleurina quiral. Mientras uno de los procedimientos hace uso de una hidroformilación lineal con un catalizador de rodio como etapa clave, el segundo método se apoya en una metátesis de cierre de anillo (RCM). Por otro lado, en este capítulo se describe la preparación de fenantroquinolizidinas quirales con un centro cuaternario en C14a, así como de sus derivados bencilados en C9 a través del reordenamiento de Stevens. Además, se detalla la citotoxicidad frente a diferentes líneas celulares tumorales de las fenantroquinolizidinas preparadas. Por último, en el Capítulo III se presentan dos metodologías alternativas para la síntesis de fenantridinas 6-sustituidas. El primer método emplea persulfato de amonio y carbonato de potasio, permitiendo la adición deshidrogenante de 1,4-dioxano a 2-isocianobiarilos. El segundo método utiliza perbenzoato de terc-butilo y carbonato de potasio, favoreciendo la adición de diversos éteres. Los estudios mecanísticos realizados sugieren que la cascada radicalaria es un ejemplo de sustitución homolítica aromática promovida por una base en medio acuoso (BHAS).

This essay concerns the relationship between humans and animals during the Late Iron Age, 450-1050 AD, in the Nordic region. The archaeological and osteological material studied is animal style ornamentation and inhumation and cremation graves. The essay is based on a human-animal perspective and is inspired by Human-Animal Studies (HAS). This perspective shows how an anthropocentric worldview and human exceptionalism have come to influence the previous research regarding humans and animals. From this perspective, the animal's agency becomes central, which means that the animal acts as its own subject that mutually affects people and each other. Several parallels between the animal style ornamentation and the osteological material are also apparent both within the previous research and within my own analysis. In the previous research, a secondary view of animals abounds, and the focus is on human agency. But in the study's analysis, it becomes clear how the animal's agency is present. In both materials examined, bodies are mixed and assimilated in different and unique ways. The interpretation of the material is that people during the Late Iron Age thought "with both people and animals" and that people wanted to be influenced by animals. There was a world view were all living beings were a transversal unit, a so-called zoe. Both humans and animals were becomings initiated in a process of eternal co-creation.

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Contexte L'importance des stratégies nationales d'amélioration de la qualité est de plus en plus reconnue par les décideurs politiques des systèmes de santé et par les organisations internationales telles que l'OMS, l'OCDE et la Banque mondiale. À la suite de leur questionnement sur la manière de gérer l'amélioration systémique de la qualité, certains pays de l'OCDE, comme l'Allemagne, le Royaume-Uni, la France, le Canada, etc. ont stratégiquement adopté la stratégie systémique appelée « agence d'appui à l'amélioration de la qualité des soins et des services de santé ». Elle repose notamment sur des approches centrées sur le patient/usager et sur la collaboration des parties prenantes et encourage, entre autres, l'amélioration de la qualité à tous les niveaux de changement dans une juridiction : individuel, équipe, organisationnel et systémique, en assurant la cohérence de toutes les autres stratégies de la qualité. Cette thèse vise à examiner comment les stratégies nationales ont été façonnées dans certaines juridictions dans le monde et ensuite, en sélectionnant différentes juridictions ayant implanté une telle stratégie, elle en étudie deux cas en profondeur. Méthodes Dans un premier temps, une étude comparative en ligne des pratiques internationales de 13 juridictions de différentes régions du monde, sélectionnées selon un choix raisonné, a été réalisée. Cette étude s’est basée sur les sept principales fonctions de gestion de la qualité des soins et des services de santé dans une juridiction, proposées après avoir mobilisé plusieurs cadres dont le cadre d’action de l’OMS, et sur les indicateurs de qualité des soins, mis à disposition par l'OCDE sur son site Internet. Ensuite, deux agences de deux juridictions différentes, classées dans chacun des deux modèles proposés dans la première phase de la recherche, ont été sélectionnées afin de les étudier de manière approfondie en mobilisant un modèle d'analyse systémique. Il s'agit de la Haute autorité de santé (HAS) en France et de l'Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux (INESSS) au Québec. Avec une approche déductive, dans le cadre d'une analyse d'implantation du type 2 et d’une approche inductive dans le cadre du type 3, plusieurs sources de données : une recherche documentaire approfondie, des entretiens semi-structurés, un groupe de discussion, et une observation ont été utilisées de manière itérative pour réaliser ce travail. Toutes les données ont été traitées et analysées de manière confidentielle à l'aide du logiciel QDA Miner 6.0.2 et validées par chaque agence étudiée. Résultats Les résultats du premier article ont révélé que les pays faisant partie du modèle 1 de notre taxonomie se classaient mieux pour la qualité des soins de santé avec, par exemple, 100 % (en Suède) à 21 % (en Allemagne) des principales fonctions de gestion de la qualité assurées par le "ministère de la Santé" et la plupart des fonctions modérément, voire pas du tout, concentrées dans une seule organisation. Parmi les deux agences contrastées étudiées, les résultats montrent que la HAS a un éventail d'activités plus large et que l'INESSS est plus concentré sur l’évaluation des médicaments, technologies et modes d’intervention en santé. Les résultats du second article ont, en effet, montré que ces deux agences d’appui à l’amélioration de la qualité disposent d'une autonomie relative et que chacune a eu un impact sur l'amélioration de la qualité des soins et des services dans les milieux de pratique de sa juridiction. Enfin, les résultats du troisième article ont fait ressortir deux grands groupes de facteurs contextuels : ceux liés au contexte interne des agences et ceux liés à leur environnement externe pouvant influencer les effets perçus de cette stratégie. Conclusion Cette recherche empirique internationale sur les stratégies systémiques d'amélioration de la qualité est l'une des premières. Elle vient enrichir la compréhension des différentes stratégies systémiques dans les juridictions et produit des connaissances aussi bien pour la pratique que pour la recherche. Nos conclusions peuvent être utilisées, non seulement, pour optimiser cette stratégie dans les juridictions que nous avons étudiées (France et Québec), mais aussi dans d'autres juridictions qui les ont également implantées. En outre, elles peuvent être utiles et inspirantes, à la fois, pour des pays développés, émergents et en développement qui n'ont pas encore implanté ce type de stratégie systémique. / Background The importance of national quality improvement strategies is increasingly recognized by policymakers in health systems and by international organizations such as the WHO, the OECD, and the World Bank. Following their questioning of how to manage the systemic quality improvement, some OECD countries, such as Germany, England, France, and Canada, etc. have strategically adopted the systemic strategy referred as the “Quality Improvement Support Agency for Health Care and Services (QISA)”. It is based on patient/user-centered approaches and stakeholder collaboration and promotes, among other things, quality improvement at all levels of change within a jurisdiction: individual, team, organizational and systemic by ensuring consistency across all quality strategies. This thesis aims to examine how national strategies have been shaped in some jurisdictions around the world and then, by selecting different jurisdictions that have implemented such a strategy, it studies two cases in depth. Methods First, an online comparative study of international practices in 13 jurisdictions in different regions of the world, selected according to a reasoned choice, was conducted. The study was based on the seven key health care and services quality management functions in a jurisdiction, proposed after mobilizing several frameworks, including the WHO's framework for action, and on the quality-of-care indicators made available by the OECD on its website. Next, two QISAs from different jurisdictions, classified in each of the two models proposed in the first phase of the research, were selected for in depth study with the mobilization of a systemic analysis model. These were the Haute autorité de santé (HAS) in France and the Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux (INESSS) in Québec. Using a deductive approach in a type 2 implementation analysis and an inductive approach in the context of type 3, several sources of data: an extensive documentary research, semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and an observation were used in an iterative manner to complete this work. All data were processed and confidentially analyzed using QDA Miner 6.0.2 software. Finally, in a historical approach, a narrative was produced for each of the QISAs studied and validated by each studied. Results The results of the first article revealed that countries that are part of model 1 of our taxonomy ranked better for quality of care with, for example, 100% (in Sweden) to 21% (in Germany) of the key health care and services quality management functions performed by the "Ministry of Health" and most of the functions moderately, or not at all, concentrated in a single organization. Of the two contrasting QISAs studied, the results showed that the HAS has a broader range of activities and the INESSS is more focused on the assessment of drugs, technologies, and health interventions. The results of the second article showed that both have relative autonomy, and that each had an impact on improving the quality of care and services in the practice settings in its jurisdiction. Finally, the results of the third article highlight two main groups of contextual factors: those related to the internal context of the QISAs and those related to their external environment that can influence the perceived effects of this systemic strategy. Conclusion This international empirical research on systemic quality improvement strategies is one of the first. It adds to the understanding of different systemic strategies across jurisdictions and generates knowledge for both practice and research. Our conclusions can be used to optimize this strategy in the jurisdictions we studied (France and Québec), but also in other jurisdictions that have implemented them. Moreover, they can be useful and inspiring for developed, emerging, and developing countries that have not yet implemented this type of systemic strategy.

Bakgrund: Att förlora ett barn är en stor sorg som uttrycks på olika sätt hos olika individer. Sorgen drabbar inte bara familjen utan även vårdpersonal som upplever att det får svårigheter att identifiera föräldrars behov och stödja dem i deras sorgeprocess. Därför är det viktigt att få reda på hur föräldrar upplever vårdpersonalens stöd efter att deras barn dött. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturöversikten var att beskriva föräldrars upplevelser av vårdpersonals stöd efter att deras barn dött. Metod: Studierna berör föräldrars upplevelser av vårdpersonals stöd efter att deras barn dött och valdes från databasen CINAHL complete och genom två manuella sökningar. Litteraturöversikten har utgått från Fribergs metod och presenterar resultat från tio vetenskapliga engelskspråkiga artiklar. Resultat: Resultatet innefattar tre huvudteman: Behovet av samtal och information, Behovet av kontinuitet och en god relation och Behovet av uppföljning och engagemang. Diskussion: Metoddiskussionen beskriver litteraturöversiktens styrkor och svagheter och vad som kan ha påverkat både utformningen och tillvägagångssättet. I litteraturöversiktens resultat diskuteras hur föräldrar vars barn dött på sjukhus upplevde vårdpersonalens stöd efter beskedet om barnets diagnos, vad som är viktigt vid dödsögonblicket samt efter det att barnet dött och hur uppföljning påverkar föräldrar. I resultatet diskuteras även vad föräldrar önskar av vårdpersonalen i de olika faserna. Resultatet diskuteras även utifrån Travelbees omvårdnadsteori med fokus på begreppet människa. / Background: Losing a child is a great sadness that is expressed in different ways by different individuals. Grief affects not only the family but also health professionals who describe difficulties identifying parents' needs for support. Therefore, it is important to explore how parents perceive the health care professionals support after their child died. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to describe the parents' perceptions of support from health care professionals after the death of their child. Method: The studies concern parental perceptions of health professionals’ support after their child died and was selected from the database CINAHL complete and through two manual searches. The literature review was based on Friberg’s method and presents results from ten English scientific research articles. Results: The result includes three main themes: The need for conversation and information, The need of continuity and a good relationship and The need of follow up and commitment. Discussion: Method discussion describes the literature reviews strengths and weaknesses and what may have influenced both the design and approach. The literature reviews results discusses how parents whose children died in hospitals experienced health care professionals support after information about the child's diagnosis, what is important at the moment of death and after the child died and how follow-up affects parents. The result also discusses what parents want from health care professionals in the different phases. The results are also discussed based on Travelbees nursing theory with focus on the concept of man.

Every thousand years or so, when the Mississippi River's sediment load lengthened and blocked the River’s route to the Gulf of Mexico, the mother stream changed course completely, finding a shorter route to the sea. Then, it built a new delta, thus spreading the gift of land creation along a wide coastline and creating the bayou region of Louisiana. However, this ancient, natural process was gradually halted by the arrival of man who settled across the River's natural floodplain (delta) and constructed levees and other structures to control the great Mississippi River. Since the 1930s, the Mississippi River Delta Basin and the coast of Louisiana have been literally losing ground. The decline of this environment is now affecting, and will continue to affect, our nation's economy, infrastructure, culture, and safety. Moreover, efforts to fix this problem are not working. My research and this thesis will address the issue of how plans without action have appeased Louisianans while the nation looses vital wetlands daily.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-15T20:30:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DanielSP_DISSERT.pdf: 1561196 bytes, checksum: b284038c0016d3ae3285d101b795f237 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-07-25 / Néctar; entomofauna; Merremia aegyptia / O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de investigar se os diferentes horários de coleta de néctar em áreas apícolas influenciam no volume, concentração de açúcar e açúcar total produzido por suas flores, no momento da antese, bem como verificar possíveis alterações nas características do néctar ao longo do tempo e discutir as conseqüências no potencial apícola das áreas de jitirana-branca (Merremia aegyptia). E ainda, a relação entre esta produção de atrativos florais e o comportamento dos polinizadores potenciais, dentre estes a Apis mellifera L. (abelha africanizada), e os requerimentos de polinização da jitirana branca. A pesquisa foi realizada em uma área de preservação de Caatinga, no Campus da FATEC Sertão Central, Quixeramobim-Ceará. Foi constatado que: A jitirana branca é uma cornucópia; sua densidade floral por m² foi em média 33,7 flores; apresentou ampla gama de visitantes florais (hymenopteros, coleópteros, hemípteros, dípteros, e pássaros); seu volume de néctar variou de acordo com o horário de coleta e não há reposição de néctar na flor após as 11:00 horas (A.M.); e a polinização mais eficiente corresponde a autopolinização.