The World Health Organization (WHO) found that 6.6 million children under five died in 2012 (WHO 2013). Almost half of all of these child deaths take place in the first month of life, and 75% of all under five deaths occur within the child's first year of life (WHO 2013). The aim of this study is to compare the most influential factors that decrease infant and neonatal mortality in order to find where policy makers, governments, and international organizations need to focus their efforts in order to get all countries on track for Millennium Development Goal 4 to reduce child mortality. Mosley and Chen (1984) suggest that infant mortality should be studied more as a process with multifactorial origins opposed to an acute, single phenomenon. To study the multifaceted nature of infant mortality they suggest grouping select variables into broad categories. This paper uses this model to test the contribution of the following four types of factors: 1) healthcare system 2) social determinants 3) reproductive behavior and 4) national context in order to understand which category impacts infant mortality most significantly. This study utilizes the Demographic and Health Surveys and was estimated using a discrete time hazard model. Results suggest that social determinants reduce infant mortality most significantly over the other three factors and that maternal education is the key to reaching Millennium Development Goal 4. This research suggests that healthcare interventions, although important, are not a substitute for mother's education. The combination of prenatal care and maternal education will ensure the safest first year for a child.

Economia e Gestão Internacional / Master in International Economics and Management / Este trabalho visa acrescentar evidência empírica sobre um fenómeno empresarial em expansão, o Desinvestimento Internacional, e, simultaneamente, estudar os vectores e condicionantes do desinvestimento em subsidiárias sediadas em países diversos, por parte de empresas com actividades internacionais. Partindo do processo decisional de desinvestimento internacional, é criado um modelo de regressão logístico, explicativo do comportamento de desinvestimento internacional com vista a ser utilizado, numa amostra alargada de empresas e possibilitando a análise da importância dos diversos condicionantes (Financeiros, Estratégicos, Ambientais e Actores) sobre a propensão para o desinvestimento das subsidiárias. Com este modelo tornam-se perceptíveis e compreensíveis padrões, justificações e motivações transversais a este fenómeno. Neste trabalho, para além da formulação de um modelo econométrico estatisticamente viável e aplicável neste contexto, é estudada a actividade de desinvestimento internacional do Millennium bcp segundo os parâmetros teóricos do modelo apresentado. Em epítome, e relativamente a este estudo de caso, é concluída a influência e a corroboração das hipóteses previstas no modelo ao nível dos factores financeiros, estratégicos e actores, mas a contradição perante as hipóteses reveladas relativamente à influência ambiental. A nível mais global, é elencado um conjunto de considerações sobre a aplicação do modelo e deduzida a complementaridade e interactividade entre os quatro grupos de factores atendidos.

Religion, many times, is one of the phenomena that is misunderstood and often rejected due to apprehension. There is an expected "norm" within our culture for religion and those that fall outside that "norm" are typically criticized for their beliefs. Within Christianity there are a number of extremist groups that follow millennial doctrines and believe they are living in the end times. These organizations tend to view the government as oppressive, disrespectful, immoral and corrupt. Because of this when an incident occurs with one of these millennial groups and the government steps in to control the situation, the way it responds is critical. This is an examination of three incidents with American radical religious groups and the formal reactions to them by the United States government. The three incidents I will analyze are the incident with the Weaver family at Ruby Ridge, the incident with the Branch Davidians at Waco, Texas, and the incident with the Montana Freemen at Justus Township, and how the government handled each of these interactions. I will evaluate Mark Juergensmeyer's theories and patterns of cosmic war and performance violence, and Catherine Wessinger's categories and guidelines for radical religious groups and how she claims the government and media should interact with them. The criteria I will use for evaluation will be how well their theories help us to understand the beliefs and actions of the group. Too often the government is unable to interact constructively with these groups because they do not understand their beliefs, and thereby provoke further violence. What is needed is a shift in attitude, a realization that the language of the groups is not "Bible Babble". Juergensmeyer and Wessinger have a unique perspective because they have directly interacted with radical religious groups and can provide the government with an insider understanding of the worldview of such religious groups, what it means to them through their eyes. I provide a list of guidelines derived from these two scholars, for the government and media to follow that will aid in constructive interaction with millennial groups and aid in peaceful negotiations in the future.

<p> <p>Syftet med detta projekt är att göra en marknadsundersökning av dimensioneringsprogram för byggnadskonstruktörer och att ge en rekommendation till Byggteknik AB för val av programvara. Metoden är att först genomföra en marknadsundersökning, sedan utvärdera lämpliga program och sist ge en rekommendation. Utvärderingen och rekommendationen ska grundas på användarvändlighet, pris, support, uppdateringar, långsiktig ägare, landsstandarder och utbildningsbehov. Resultatet från användandet gav stora differenser, med över 50% större maximalt moment i StruSoft FEM- Design och över dubbelt så stor nedböjning i Robot Millennium.</p><p> </p><p>Jämförelsen mellan programmen visar att Robot Millennium har en bättre användarvänlighet och lägre pris. Dock har StruSoft FEM- Design svensk support, automatiska uppdateringar och hanterar svensk landsstandard. Båda programmen är likvärdiga gällande långsiktig ägare och utbildningsbehov. Programmen är således relativt likvärdiga men rekommendationen till Byggteknik AB blir StruSoft FEM- Design, främst för att Robot Millennium inte hanterar svensk landsstandard och inte tillhandahåller en ordentlig svensk support. Det är dock viktigt att framhålla att de två personer som genomfört detta projekt har mycket liten erfarenhet från dimensioneringsprogram varför risken för felaktigt handhavande finns.</p></p> / <p> <p>The purpose of this project is to do a market research of analysis software for building design and to recommend a specific software for Byggteknik AB. The methodology of this project is to first implement a market research, then evaluate suitable software and finally give a recommendation. The evaluation and the recommendation will be based on application handiness, price, customer support, software updates,  sustainable ownership, country code and education requirements. The results showed a great difference with over 50% larger maximum moments in StruSoft FEM-Design and more then twice the deflection in Robot Millennium.</p><p> </p><p>The comparison between the two software applications shows that Robot Millennium has a more developed application handiness and a lower price then FEM-Design. FEM-Design on the other hand has a Swedish costumer support, automatic updates and handles the Swedish country code BKR. Both software applications are equal concerning sustainable ownership and education requirements. Even though the two software applications are quit similar to each other this recommendation for Byggteknik AB will be StruSoft FEM-Design. Mostly because Robot Millennium doesn’t handle Swedish country code and has no proper Swedish customer support. It is important however, to accentuate the lack of experience in analysis software among the two people who carried out this project, hence the accuracy of the results may be questionable.</p></p>

Syftet med detta projekt är att göra en marknadsundersökning av dimensioneringsprogram för byggnadskonstruktörer och att ge en rekommendation till Byggteknik AB för val av programvara. Metoden är att först genomföra en marknadsundersökning, sedan utvärdera lämpliga program och sist ge en rekommendation. Utvärderingen och rekommendationen ska grundas på användarvändlighet, pris, support, uppdateringar, långsiktig ägare, landsstandarder och utbildningsbehov. Resultatet från användandet gav stora differenser, med över 50% större maximalt moment i StruSoft FEM- Design och över dubbelt så stor nedböjning i Robot Millennium.   Jämförelsen mellan programmen visar att Robot Millennium har en bättre användarvänlighet och lägre pris. Dock har StruSoft FEM- Design svensk support, automatiska uppdateringar och hanterar svensk landsstandard. Båda programmen är likvärdiga gällande långsiktig ägare och utbildningsbehov. Programmen är således relativt likvärdiga men rekommendationen till Byggteknik AB blir StruSoft FEM- Design, främst för att Robot Millennium inte hanterar svensk landsstandard och inte tillhandahåller en ordentlig svensk support. Det är dock viktigt att framhålla att de två personer som genomfört detta projekt har mycket liten erfarenhet från dimensioneringsprogram varför risken för felaktigt handhavande finns. / The purpose of this project is to do a market research of analysis software for building design and to recommend a specific software for Byggteknik AB. The methodology of this project is to first implement a market research, then evaluate suitable software and finally give a recommendation. The evaluation and the recommendation will be based on application handiness, price, customer support, software updates,  sustainable ownership, country code and education requirements. The results showed a great difference with over 50% larger maximum moments in StruSoft FEM-Design and more then twice the deflection in Robot Millennium.   The comparison between the two software applications shows that Robot Millennium has a more developed application handiness and a lower price then FEM-Design. FEM-Design on the other hand has a Swedish costumer support, automatic updates and handles the Swedish country code BKR. Both software applications are equal concerning sustainable ownership and education requirements. Even though the two software applications are quit similar to each other this recommendation for Byggteknik AB will be StruSoft FEM-Design. Mostly because Robot Millennium doesn’t handle Swedish country code and has no proper Swedish customer support. It is important however, to accentuate the lack of experience in analysis software among the two people who carried out this project, hence the accuracy of the results may be questionable.

No description available.

No description available.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Child malnutrition contributes to more than 33% of child deaths and is directly related to the productivity and success of the adult population. To combat these stark figures, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals set out to halve levels of malnutrition by 2015. While recent U.N. reports indicate that many countries are on track to reach the MDGs, there may be sub-populations within these countries that do not fair as well. The purpose of this study is to provide a comparative analysis of the nutritional status of children younger than five years of age in the Dominican Republic and the Dominican Batey sub-population. This comparison will be based on stunting levels, reportedly the best indicator of child malnutrition, as it indicates sustained levels of nutritional deficiency. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the 2007 Dominican Republic Standard and Special Demographic Health Surveys involving 11,149 Dominican children and 919 children from Dominican Bateyes, respectively, were used. Version 20 of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to conduct descriptive statistics, analysis of variance tests, and independent samples T-test using selected socio-demographic variables. RESULTS: A significant difference in height-for-age (stunting) was identified between Bateyes (M= -83.52, SD =134.783) and the general population (M = -51.88, SD = 134.576; t (10,032) = -6.301, p = .00, two-tailed). Study findings indicate that overall, children under five years of age who reside in Dominican Bateyes are more malnourished than their Dominican counterparts (15.9% in Bateyes as opposed to 10.8% in the general population). Furthermore, Batey children are .34 times more moderately stunted, and one time more severely stunted, than children who reside in other areas of the Dominican Republic. CONCLUSION: While the Dominican Republic is on track to meet MDG Goal 1, a significant portion of the population does not fair as well. The substantial underlying differences that exist between the Dominican the Batey sub-population have led to higher rates of stunting and require further analysis. The findings of this study should guide the design of appropriate interventions aimed at reduction of malnutrition within Batey communities. KEY WORDS: stunting, malnutrition, children, Dominican Republic, Batey, Millennium Development Goals

Inspired by the precedence of eradicating worldwide poverty and the unresolved discussion how to solve this problem, this paper attempts to illustrate how microfinance by the Grameen Bank can alleviate poverty beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). These goals are arguably limited by the use of poverty lines and may not reflect the true level of poverty beyond quantifications. Microfinance has become a top choice for bottom-up poverty alleviation despite mixed effects over past decades. In this regard, this study seeks to explore how microfinance as a bottom-up approach to development can widen and enhance social opportunities beyond quantifications and the MDG for poor people. Guided by an explorative case study design qualitative interviews with Grameen Bank staff and borrowers were conducted in rural villages in the divisions of Tangail and Manikganj in the surrounding areas of Dhaka. Three primary stakeholders were identified for further empirical enquiry: (1) poor people and households, (2) children and students, and (3) extremely poor people or beggars. The research revealed that microfinance can alleviate poverty and enhance economic as well as social opportunities for poor people to a certain extent. In terms of economic opportunity enhancement microfinance can lead to stimulation of business sectors and village economy, increased purchasing power and general access to financial services otherwise inaccessible for poor people. With regards to social opportunities, microfinance may lead to increased choice to pursue what one desires, women empowerment, instrumental value, change in living conditions, decreased availability of household workers, increased opportunities for beggars and access to healthcare. However, the level of effectiveness of poverty intervention and opportunity enhancement varies among the groups of people explored: (1) poor people and households and (2) children and students can enhance their opportunities relatively more effectively compared to (3) extremely poor people or beggars.

Thesis (Honors)--College of William and Mary, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-107). Also available via the World Wide Web.