This study reports on the application of decision theory to 12 members of a dialysis program through the use of a survey and an interview. This application resulted in the determination of five salient issues which contribute to identifying decision making practices. In addition, this application determined the overall decision method, the participant's perception of the process, and the perceived affects of the crisis on patient care. To determine the decision making methods employed prior to and following the "crisis" date two methods were used, a survey and a follow-up interview. These two methods served to address the following: A. The Decision Making Survey addressed the characteristics of the decision making process. These characteristics were then applied to a participative decision making continuum. B. The Decision Making Interview determined the validity of the survey responses, acted as a second method for determining decision making characteristics, and addressed the secondary issues of this study, i.e., decision alternatives and patient care.

Summary This study deals with Jesus and the outsiders in John 4, with particular focus on John 4:1-42. Methodologically, the study focuses on social identity theory, and asks the question of how Jesus gets the Samaritan woman, who is a member of the outside group, into the insider group. The focus of the study is thus what the behaviour and attitude of the historical and non-conventional Jesus, in the strongly hierarchical social structure of his day, was toward outsiders. John 4:1-42 is often used in works that focus on missional tendencies in the church. This research attempts to place the missionary responsibility of the church on the table in a new light, resulting from the research results. Firstly, the inter-relational connection between identity, ethos and ethics with regard to Jesus’ attitude toward the outsiders in John 4:1-42 is researched. Secondly, the interpretation history of John is described, whereafter the social-scientific approach and the way in which social identity theory can be applied to John 4:1-42, is described. The purpose of the study is to suggest a new missional approach for the church, based on the research results of the study. In John 4:1-42 Jesus did not only repair the relationship between Him as a Jew and the Samaritan woman, but also the broken relationship between the Samaritans and the Jews - two previously conflicting ethnic groups who are now born into the new family of God (John 1:12). In the narrative, the Samaritan woman becomes a μαρτυρούσης (John 4:39). The result of the Samaritan woman’s testimony (John 4:39) becomes a personal testimony that eventually convinces the others of Jesus’ true identity (John 4:39). The woman’s testimony provided the initial impetus for them to come to Jesus, but now they have heard for themselves and have drawn their own conclusion. Many had believed in Jesus on account of the Samaritan woman’s testimony. Many more believed on account of Jesus’ word. Jesus’ harvest among the Samaritans therefore signals the return of a part of the unbelieving world to God as a first sign of the universal scope of Jesus’ saving mission. / Thesis (PhD)-- University of Pretoria 2017. / New Testament Studies / PhD / Unrestricted

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with the highest prevalence in the population and for which we do not have a cure so far. The aim of this thesis was to test the mediator system of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor and nitric oxide in an animal model of sporadic form of Alzheimer's disease (Samaritan Alzheimer's Rat Model; Taconic Pharmaceuticals, USA). Then compare these results with changes in hippocampal cholinergic system and cognitive tests. The Samaritan rat model is based on the unilateral in vivo application of β-amyloid42 and the pro-oxidative substances (ferrous sulfate heptahydrate and L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine). Neurochemical methods included testing of the NR1/NR2A/NR2B subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor and activity of nitric oxide synthases (neuronal, endothelial, inducible) in the cortex, in both cases in the right and left hemisphere separately. Our results show that Samaritan rats exhibited significant changes in expression of NR2A/NR2B subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor and activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase in cortex compared to control rats. The results of glutamatergic system are consistent with changes in activity of cholinergic transporter and cognitive tests (Morris water maze and active allothetic place avoidance)....

The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether or not the Good Samaritan Pain Evaluation Clinic can be considered a success.

In this thesis I develop a theological ethics of migration that is attentive to the contemporary global crisis of human migration. Using the fourfold sense of scripture, with particular attention to allegory, as reclaimed from patristic and medieval exegesis by Henri de Lubac, I investigate four biblical narratives that I will show are paradigmatic of biblical approaches to the treatment of migrants. These narratives include Exodus, the Book of Ruth, and the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. I present an in-depth exegesis of these narratives as vital theological and ethical sources for addressing the contemporary migration crisis. The core claim I advance in this thesis is that migration is theologically significant for Christians because loving aliens is commended throughout scripture and the theme of hospitality to migrants is central to the prophetic witness of the Church to the nations. Refugees and migrants reveal the interconnected nature of the contemporary world, and I argue that the millions of people who are currently on the move from their home nations are not only an urgent humanitarian challenge to the global community, but an ethical and theological litmus test of contemporary global civilization. The existence of so many migrants and refugees in a global civilization divided into bordered nation-states, which is also daily joined by movements of people and goods in planes, ships and trucks, reveals inconsistencies in modern political conceptions of the nation-state and of the rights of citizens. I argue that longstanding theological traditions that speak of Christians as wanderers and aliens provide a valuable source for addressing and repairing these inconsistencies. In Part I, I address the politicization of migration and modern contradictions that arise between migration law and globalization, such as territorial sovereignty and economic liberalism, and I identify vestiges of social contract theories arising before and during the Enlightenment as preventing migration from being addressed in ways that acknowledge basic and profound truths about the interconnected nature of the world. I argue that without addressing these underlying issues, migration will remain an ongoing political and humanitarian problem. In Part II, I engage in biblical exegesis to develop ethical claims for Christians and the Church, and address the underlying issues identified in Part I. I will argue that the exegesis of these biblical narratives reveal that aid, care and rescue of migrants, even to the point of self-sacrifice, present contemporary Christians and others with the opportunity to rediscover the meaning of justice and citizenship on an interconnected planet.

At the retail level, 25% of sellable food is wasted, and perishable foods account for 72% of food waste in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the food waste reduction strategies used by supermarket perishable food department managers, which are covered under the Good Samaritan Food Donation Acts (state and federal). The participant population was comprised of 17 managers who are responsible for perishable foods departments (bakery, deli, meat, dairy, and produce) at local, regional, and national supermarkets in Midland, Michigan. Goal systems theory served as the conceptual framework lens for which the findings of this study are viewed. Data collected centered around long interviews and publicly available company documents. Interviews and field notes, including member checking, were transcribed and analyzed using NVivo software. Using methodological triangulation of these data sources, 3 themes emerged from the data analysis: the knowledge level of participants relative to the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, factors that influence food waste and management strategy, and existing food waste reduction strategies. Most front-line managers are not aware of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. Factors that influence food waste include sell-by dates, personal bias, and food handling regulations. Existing food waste reduction strategies include donations, price reductions, stock rotation, and in-store repurposing. Positive social change may result from the results of this study if food waste can be further reduced or more food redirected to the needy. The study findings may be useful to supermarket managers as they consider the protection at the state and federal levels that the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act offers.

Thesis (MDiv (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The post-Apartheid South African community is still recognized by dualisms between white and black, rich and poor, public and private, men and women. In this study specific focus has been placed on John 4 which tells the story about the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman with the aim to create a lens through which we can address and breach modern dualism. The focus of the study is the symbolic use of water in the text where it is literary-theologically broken up in order for John to use Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman, to firstly indicate and secondly expose gender, social, political and cultural boundaries in the Ancient-Near East.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T19:20:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Celia Marilda Smarjassi.pdf: 1997291 bytes, checksum: e511fb4008394bf18803b71d7d80429b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-11-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation presents a study on the Parable of the Good Samaritan with Paul Ricoeur s philosophical reflections as its theoretical reference. The methodology adopted in order to pursue the investigation relied upon a theoretical and empirically exploratory research, using interviews as means of investigation. The study has been divided in five chapters. The first two chapters are devoted to the presentation of Paul Ricoeur s intellectual profile and his philosophical and biblical hermeneutic theories, the latest applied to the parable genre. Once the presentation of both the author and his theories is completed, there is an analysis of the parable through a five sided approach. First, there is an exegetical analysis. Then, there is an attempt at interpreting the narrative from the author s biblical hermeneutics point of view. Subsequently, it is the philosophical reading of the narrative as proposed by the author in his essay on the socius and the neighbor that is brought into light. Exteriorizing the popular meaning of the parable and the nature of the concept of neighbor that Christians have elaborated in present times within a specific group of subjects represents the fourth side of the proposed approach to the study of the parable. Through the subjects views one may conclude that Ricoeur s critical interpretation presents the researcher with valuable tools, once it leads to re-thinking all solutions or comprehensions about one s neighbor, in a way that is not strictly restricted to a naïve interpretation of the narrative but that leans towards a more solid scientific construction. Finally the fifth side of the proposed approach to the study of the parable refers to a reflection on the matter of evil, as it is presented in the narrative. At this moment, the study s aim is to establish the clear relation between the essay on the socius and the neighbor , in which the author presents a radically philosophical reading of the narrative, and his reflections on evil and its ontological and practical tendencies as traced in his work Evil: A Challenge to Philosophy and Theology. At this point of the investigation Ricoeur s thoughts on his small ethics are presented. Therefore, it can be concluded that both reflections, on evil and on small ethics, are relevant to the comprehension of said parable and to the neighbor-socius dialectics / Este trabalho apresenta um estudo da Parábola do Bom Samaritano tomando a reflexão filosófica de Paul Ricoeur como referencial teórico. A metodologia adotada para a execução da investigação contou com uma pesquisa teórica e empírica exploratória, utilizando a entrevista como instrumento de investigação. O estudo desenvolve-se em cinco capítulos. Os dois primeiros capítulos da tese são consagrados à apresentação do perfil intelectual de Paul Ricoeur e de sua teoria hermenêutica filosófica e bíblica, sendo esta última aplicada ao gênero parábola. Feita a apresentação do autor e de sua teoria, segue-se uma análise da parábola em estudo a partir de cinco abordagens. Primeiro, efetua-se uma análise exegética. Em seguida, procede-se um trabalho de interpretação da narrativa a partir da hermenêutica bíblica do autor. Posteriormente, resgata-se a leitura filosófica que o autor faz da narrativa no ensaio sobre o socius e o próximo . Exteriorizar o sentido popular da parábola em uma amostra específica e a natureza do conceito de próximo que o homem cristão tem elaborado na atualidade representa a quarta abordagem do estudo sobre a parábola. Com a amostragem sobre a leitura popular, conclui-se que a interpretação crítica de Ricoeur oferece pistas valiosas no sentido de se instigar a repensar todas as saídas e ou compreensões sobre o próximo de modo que não se restrinja a uma interpretação ingênua da narrativa, mas a uma construção cientificamente mais sólida. Finalmente, a quinta abordagem de estudo sobre a parábola refere-se a uma reflexão sobre a questão do mal presente na narrativa. Neste momento, busca-se explicitar a relação entre o ensaio o socius e o próximo em que o autor faz uma leitura radicalmente filosófica da narrativa e a sua reflexão sobre o mal com seu encaminhamento ontológico e prático traçado na obra O mal. Um desafio à Filosofia e à Teologia. Nesse ponto da investigação, é introduzido o pensamento de Ricoeur sobre sua pequena ética. Concluiu-se, portanto, que a reflexão sobre o mal e sobre a pequena ética é relevante para a compreensão desta parábola e para a dialética próximo-socius

A língua não é apenas um meio através do qual o ser humano expressa seu pensamento. Também não é apenas um código virtual já pronto e disponível fora do contexto de formação. Qualquer uma dessas compreensões desconsidera, a seu próprio modo, os falantes e situações de uso como determinantes dos fatos e regras da língua. A língua é essencialmente dialógica e deve ser compreendida enquanto forma ou processo de inter-ação, no qual os usuários interagem enquanto sujeitos sociais. Ela não é trabalho de um indivíduo, mas trabalho social e histórico seu e dos outros. E é para os outros e com os outros que ela se constitui. Por isso, se afirma que as interações ocorrem no interior de um enorme contexto social, histórico e ideológico e, nesses limites, a linguagem sofre interferências. Essa concepção exige uma leitura diferenciada do texto bíblico, ou seja, uma abordagem que alcance o aspecto histórico, social e dialógico do texto. Dessa maneira, o que se propõe é a leitura bíblica por meio do método sociológico, a leitura dos quatro lados. Esse método parte do pressuposto de que existem quatro lados ou aspectos que são determinantes na vida social de um povo. É uma metodologia orientada para uma leitura simplificada, com fins didáticos, que apresenta a totalidade do dinamismo social em quatro grandes aspectos ou dimensões da realidade social, a saber: econômico, social, político e ideológico. Fundamentado na concepção dialógica do texto, na teoria dos gêneros, no aspecto histórico-cultural com dados obtidos através de uma análise exegética e, especialmente, no aspecto sociológico da parábola do bom samaritano, este trabalho realiza uma leitura sociológica do texto de Lucas 10.2537 para alcançar o propósito da parábola do Bom Samaritano. Com essa leitura se identificaram várias vozes sociais que permeiam o texto e, também, uma proposta peculiar de modelo cristão que procura o sujeito do amor cristão em vez de se preocupar com o objeto e o limite dessa compaixão. / Language is not only a means through which human beings express their thought. It also is not simply a virtual code ready and available outside of the formation context. Any one of these comprehensions, each in its own way, does not consider the speakers and the situations of use as determiners of the facts and rules of the language. Language is essentially dialogic and should be understood as a form or process of inter-action, in which the users interact as social subjects. It is not the work of one individual, but the social and historical work of that individual and of others. And it is constituted for the others and with the others. That is why it is affirmed that the interactions occur within an enormous social, historical and ideological context and, in these limits, language suffers interferences. This concept demands a differentiated reading of the biblical text, that is, an approach which takes in the historical, social and dialogic aspect of the text. Thus, what is being proposed is a biblical reading through the sociological method, a reading from the four sides. This method is based on the presupposition that there exist four sides or aspects which determine the social life of a people. It is a methodology orientated toward a simplified reading with didactic goals, which presents the totality of the social dynamism in four great aspects or dimensions of the social reality, that is: economic, social, political and ideological. Based on the dialogic concept of the text, on the theory of genres, on the historical-cultural aspect with data obtained from an exegetical analysis and, especially, on the sociological aspect of the parable of the Good Samaritan, this paper carries out a sociological reading of the text of Luke 10:25-37 to reach the goal of the parable of the Good Samaritan. With this reading various social voices were identified which permeate the text as was also identified a peculiar proposal of a Christian model which seeks the protagonist of the Christian love instead of being concerned with the object and the limit of this compassion.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-06-30T17:35:14Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Iranildo Sales (Versão Digital).pdf: 1813842 bytes, checksum: af158c2f2a91b8f5a05d726a608b2d24 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-30T17:35:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Iranildo Sales (Versão Digital).pdf: 1813842 bytes, checksum: af158c2f2a91b8f5a05d726a608b2d24 (MD5) Previous issue date: 9-12-09 / No decorrer do século XX e no início século XXI, as políticas de assistencialismo sempre foram motivos de polêmica, de um lado a população a favor das mesmas e do outro uma parcela da sociedade contrária ao movimento. Atualmente, o cenário político do país está, estrategicamente, ligado às políticas de apoio social, tais como, o Programa Ciência sem Fronteiras, o Programa Bolsa Família e há muita discussão sobre a eficácia real desses programas. A Teoria dos Jogos, com o Dilema do Samaritano, introduzido por James Buchanan (1975), vem analisando procedimentos de doação ao redor do mundo, mas ainda não se encontram análises nessa perspectiva no Brasil. Os procedimentos elaborados por Buchanan ajudam a determinar os reais interesses e, por consequência, os possíveis comportamentos dos envolvidos no jogo, com o intuito de promover a melhor proposta social. Portanto, o objetivo geral do trabalho foi a identificação do Dilema do Samaritano aplicado ao contexto do Brasil com a análise das preferencias, intenções, alterações nas utilidades e estratégias dos principais agentes envolvidos no Programa Ciências sem Fronteiras em cenários distintos, levando em consideração os comportamentos e os resultados envolvidos em cada interação. Para tal, foram realizadas entrevistas com os principais impactados pelo jogo. Além dessa análise, foi também possível determinar o impacto do programa sobre a empregabilidade dos participantes. Foram comparados os resultados dos participantes do Programa Ciência sem Fronteira (denominados de estrato de tratamento) com os resultados de um grupo de indivíduos elegíveis que não participaram do Programa (estrato de controle). Para a verificação da similaridade desses grupos foi utilizado o pareamento por escore de propensão, com o intuito de minimizar o viés de seleção dos grupos escolhidos. Os resultados dos questionários mostraram que o Programa traz benefícios no que tange ao aumento da empregabilidade e apresentaram as tendências comportamentais dos agentes envolvidos no jogo, além de comprovar a existência do Dilema do Samaritano no país, demostrando a possível consecução do jogo e como isso pode impactar na implantação do Programa Ciência sem Fronteiras. / During the twentieth and early twenty-first century, welfare policies have always been grounds for controversy, on the one hand the population in favor of them and the other a part of the movement against the company. Nowadays, the political landscape of the country is strategically linked to social support policies, such as the Science Without Borders Program, Bolsa Familia Program and there is much discussion about the real effectiveness of these programs. The Game Theory, with the Samaritan's Dilemma, introduced by James Buchanan (1975), has been analyzing donation procedures around the world, but there are still analyzes this perspective in Brazil. The procedures developed by Buchanan help to determine the real interests and, consequently, the possible behaviors of those involved in the game, in order to promote better social proposal. Therefore, the overall objective was to identify the Samaritan’s Dilemma applied to Brazil the context of the analysis of preferences, intentions, changes in utilities and strategies of players involved in Science Without Borders Program in different scenarios, taking into account the behaviors and the results involved in each iteration. To this end, interviews were conducted with mainly impacted the game. In addition to this analysis, it was also possible to determine the program's impact on the employability of participants. They compared the results of the participants of the Science Without Borders Program (called stratum of treatment) with the results of a group of eligible individuals who did not participate in the Program (the controlling layer). To verify the similarity of these groups we used the pairing by propensity score, in order to minimize selection bias of the chosen groups. The results of the questionnaires showed that the program delivers benefits with respect to increased employability and presented the behavioral tendencies of the agents involved in the game, besides proving the existence of the Samaritan's Dilemma in the country, showing the possible achievement of the game and how it can impact the implementation of the Science Without Borders Program.