Citizen feedback in a fragile setting: social accountability interventions in the primary healthcare sector in Sierra Leone

Fragile and conflict‐affected states are frequently characterised by their inability to fulfil three core governance functions: provision of security, effective delivery of basic public goods and services, and managing political participation and accountability. This article explores the utility of social accountability interventions in fragile environments. Successful social accountability interventions can lead to joint examinations of public service standards by service‐users and providers, resulting in collaborative improvement efforts. The few available studies of such interventions implemented in fragile or conflict‐affected states show reasons for optimism as well as challenges. This article advocates the continued use of social accountability methods in fragile settings and provides examples of social accountability interventions in the health sector in Sierra Leone. The study suggests that social accountability can improve interaction between citizens and public service providers. Successful social accountability interventions can also lead to better quality and more accessible public services, which, in turn, can enhance state legitimacy.     

Transformational and transactional leadership and innovative behavior: The moderating role of psychological empowerment

Innovative behavior is increasingly important for organizations' survival. Transformational leadership, in contrast to transactional leadership, has been argued to be particularly effective in engendering follower innovative behavior. However, empirical evidence for this relationship is scarce and inconsistent. Addressing this issue, we propose that follower psychological empowerment moderates the relationship of transformational and transactional leadership with follower innovative behavior. In a field study with 230 employees of a government agency in the Netherlands combining multisource ratings, we show that transformational leadership is positively related to innovative behavior only when psychological empowerment is high, whereas transactional leadership has a negative relationship with innovative behavior only under these conditions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Individual differences in reactions towards color in simulated healthcare environments: The role of stimulus screening ability

The notion that the physical healthcare environment can affect our mood and behavior is well established. Despite this, individual differences in sensitivity to environmental stimuli have not received much attention. With the current research showing the importance of individual differences in sensitivity towards color, these may explain the contradictory effects found in color research. Two experiments focused on differences in environmental sensitivity, measured with stimulus screening ability. In both experiments, participants were presented with a scenario describing hospitalization with appendicitis and were exposed to a photo of a hospital room. The experiments tested the effects of environmental coloring of the hospital room (green and orange, both contrasted with white as a control condition), and the moderating role of stimulus screening ability (high-screeners vs. low-screeners) on stress (study 1) and arousal (study 2), and cognitive appraisals of the room (study 2). Stress-reducing effects of green and arousal-inducing effects of orange were both more pronounced for people scoring low on stimulus screening ability than for those who are able to effectively screen out complexity in the environment (high-screeners).     

Nutritional risk factors for older refugees

This study describes risk factors for poor nutrition among older Rwandan refugees. The most important areas of nutritional risk for older refugees are: physical ability and mobility; income and access to land; access to appropriate food rations; meeting basic needs such as water, fuel, shelter; equal access to essential services (food distribution, health services, mills, feeding programmes); and psycho-social trauma. Women and older elderly (> 70 years) are significantly more often in disadvantaged positions, such as having poor socio-economic status, poor health, poor mobility, lower food intake, diminished social status, respect and social network. Older refugees are at higher risk than younger refugees and at higher risk than older people in stable situations. They should remain in good nutritional and general health for their own well-being and that of their dependants. In addition to an adequate diet, a support network seems to be an important preventive aspect.     

Isotopic fractionation between seawater and the shell of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scrobicularia plana</Emphasis> (Bivalvia) and its application for age validation

This study analyzed the isotopic profiles of four aragonitic shells of Scrobicularia plana in conjunction with measured seawater temperatures and salinities. Comparison of δ¹⁸O_SHELL with expected values revealed fractionation of δ¹⁸O in near equilibrium with the ambient environment. Growth cessation occurred between November and March. Carbonate deposition stopped when temperatures were <12°C. Analysis of δ¹³C_SHELL values suggested that carbon in the shell does not reflect the DIC in ambient water, likely due to the incorporation of metabolic carbon. An ontogenetic trend of increasing δ¹³C values over time was observed, likely related to changes in metabolic activity. Annual growth patterns were inferred from δ¹⁸O_SHELL profiles and compared with internal and external growth lines. Estimations of age based on external lines were unreliable, resulting in overestimation of age and underestimation of growth rates, likely due to the disturbance lines being wrongly identified as annual. Analysis of internal lines may lead to over- or underestimation of age and was more reliable in recent portions of the shell.     

Towards a framework to assess,compare and develop monitoring and evaluation of climate change adaptation in Europe

Adaptation is increasingly recognised as essential when dealing with the adverse impacts of climate change on societies, economies and the environment. However, there is insufficient information about the effectiveness of adaption policies, measures and actions. For this reason, the establishment of monitoring programmes is considered to be necessary. Such programmes can contribute to knowledge, learning and data to support adaptation governance. In the European Union (EU), member states are encouraged to develop National Adaptation Strategies (NASs). The NASs developed so far vary widely because of differing views, approaches and policies. A number of member states have progressed to monitoring and evaluating the implementation of their NAS. It is possible to identify key elements in these monitoring programmes that can inform the wider policy learning process. In this paper, four generic building blocks for creating a monitoring and evaluation programme are proposed: (1) definition of the system of interest, (2) selection of a set of indicators, (3) identification of the organisations responsible for monitoring and (4) definition of monitoring and evaluation procedures. The monitoring programmes for NAS in three member states—Finland, the UK and Germany—were analysed to show how these elements have been used in practice, taking into account their specific contexts. It is asserted that the provision of a common framework incorporating these elements will help other member states and organisations within them in setting up and improving their adaptation monitoring programmes.     

用槐叶苹象甲对塞内加尔河水面的槐叶苹进行有效生物控制

1999年,在毛里塔尼亚和塞内加尔的塞内加尔三角洲下部,槐叶苹(Salvinia moesta)的侵入对当地居民的社会经济状况以及湿地生物多样性构成严重的威胁.分别于2000年5月在塞内加尔和毛里塔尼亚及2001年4月在塞内加尔的河面引进槐叶苹象甲(Cyteobagous salviniae),最终实现了对槐叶苹的有效生物控制.2001年10月,象甲起到的作用已非常明显.植物的颜色由绿色变为深褐色或黑色,槐叶苹最终沉入水底.2001年11～12月对槐叶苹象甲扩散的监控证实了生物控制结果的真实性.至2002年4月已有结论,塞内加尔河畔槐叶苹不再成为问题.     

Effective biological control of Salvinia molesta in the Senegal River by means of the weevil Cyrtobagous salviniae

The invasion of Salvinia molesta in the Lower Senegal River Delta in Mauritania and Senegal in 1999 posed a serious threat to the socioeconomic conditions of the local people as well as to wetland biodiversity. Eventually, an effective biological control of S. molesta was obtained by means of the weevil Cyrtobagous salviniae, which was introduced in the river in Senegal and Mauritania in May 2000 and in Senegal in April 2001. In October 2001, it became apparent that the weevils were doing a magnificent job. The color of the plants was turning from green to dark-brown or black, and subsequently the plants started to sink to the bottom. Detailed monitoring of the dispersal of C. salviniae in November-December 2001 confirmed the visual observations of the outcome of biological control. In April 2002, it could be concluded that S. molesta was no longer a problem in the Senegal River.