Embedded wisdom or rooted problems? Aid workers' perspectives on local social and political infrastructure in post‐tsunami Aceh

This paper analyses the role of local social, cultural, and political institutions in post‐disaster reconstruction projects. It contends that such institutions are important considerations within community‐driven reconstruction initiatives, but are often viewed with ambivalence by external aid organisations. This paper draws upon in‐depth qualitative interviews with aid workers involved in the post‐tsunami reconstruction in Aceh, Indonesia, to establish: (i) what roles community institutions were suited to play in the reconstruction; (ii) what were the limitations of community institutions when engaging with external aid agencies; (iii) how did external aid agencies engage with local community institutions; and (iv) how did external aid agencies perceive community institutions.     

WSSD 2002, Latin America and Brazil: Biodiversity and Indigenous People

Latin America comprehends notable variations in terms of natural environment, availability of natural resources, living standards, and demographic patterns. Latin America is a mosaic of cultures, post- and pre-Columbian. The rich variety of life forms discovered and described by chroniclers and traveling naturalists in the Neotropics contributed to the proposal, in mid-XVIIIth century, of a new system of classification and a scientific code of nomenclature for all organisms. Biodiversity was, for many centuries, a source of resources to be exploited in natura. In scientific circles, its inventory became the domain of taxonomists. But modern technology showed how important the miriad of life forms really are as sources of chemical molecules to be engineered as drugs and reassembled as novel manufactured products. We are on the brink of a new agricultural and medical revolution, thanks to the techniques of genetic engineering, which will lead eventually to the elimination of hunger and malnutrition.In this essay, the Brazilian environmental and social heterogeneity will serve as an example to illustrate some key points, which have influenced sustainability policies. The Amazon deforestation and indigenous knowledge (IK), subjects often associated with areas of high biodiversity, are usually the focus of environmental debates. The importance of IK in integrating development, reducing poverty and sustainability are considered together with the intellectual property rights of native populations.In the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) Implementation Plan, a few paragraphs were dedicated to Latin America, because of the pre-existing Action Platform on the Road to Johannesburg 2002, approved in Rio de Janeiro in October 2001. This paper calls attention to the need to draw up specific environmental policies for a region which shows an extremely high cultural and biological diversity, associated with a high availability of forests and water, among other resources.     

中国农民工最新情况调查报告

《国务院关于解决农民工问题的若干意见》实施1年以来，农民工的状况得到有效的改善。特别是工资收入有了明显的提高，月均工资比2004年增加625元，拖欠问题有所缓解，政府给农民工提供的服务有所加强。但是农民工收入低、处境困难等基本问题还没有得到根本改变，尤其是农民工比较强烈的市民化愿望也远远没有实现。所以必须在进一步落实各项解决农民工问题的政策的同时，还需要进行制度创新，加大相关投入，逐步消除农民工市民化的制度障碍和资金困难，从根本上解决农民工问题。     

基于BP神经网络的建筑工人不安全行为预警模型

为减少建筑工人不安全行为,提高企业安全管理水平,采用事故统计分析、文献分析、质性访谈方法获取不安全行为影响因素,从组织、个人、外在环境、设备4个方面建立不安全行为预警指标体系,在此基础上,基于反向传播(BP)神经网络原理,将预警指标作为网络输入,不安全行为无警、轻警、中警、重警4种状态作为网络输出,进而设计编制预警问卷...     

The price of pollution: costs estimates of environmentally related disease in Oregon

The purpose of this study is to estimate the environmentally attributable costs associated with diseases and disabilities in Oregon. We utilised actual Oregon data on disease rates and costs whenever available. If state-specific data were not available, we extrapolated from national estimates. We then used environmentally attributable fractions to estimate the environmentally attributable costs. The estimated environmentally attributable costs are the following: adult and childhood asthma: $29.6M; adult cardiovascular disease: $342.4M; adult and childhood cancer: $130.5M; childhood lead poisoning: $866.2M; birth defects: $3.0M; and childhood neurobehavioural disorders: $185M. Policymakers and researchers in other states are encouraged to apply the methods we have presented here to calculate the environmentally attributable costs associated with diseases and disabilities in their state. Knowing that many of the environmental contributors to disease are often preventable, policymakers are encouraged to make environmental public health a top priority.     

The Relationship Between Workers’ Safety Culture and Accidents,Near Accidents and Health Problems

One of the dimensions treated as part of a company’s safety culture or climate is workers’ attitudes towards risk and safety. In the present study these personal aspects are defined as workers’ safety culture, which is understood as a way of acting focused on life and taking care of one’s health. A questionnaire on safety culture was filled out by 200 employees of a metallurgical enterprise. Factor analysis was used to determine empirical scales of the questionnaire, whereas variance analysis was used to test hypotheses. The results confirmed the hypotheses that people who experienced accidents, dangerous situations, and—to a lesser extent—health problems had a lower level of safety culture. Nevertheless not all of the scales determined during factor analysis turned out to be significant as far as all kinds of those undesirable situations are concerned. Proposals for future studies are formulated in the conclusion.     

Factors related to presenteeism among employees of the private sector

The objective was to explore the relationship between person-based variables and work-related variables of presenteeism in four different private sector workplaces. Employees (N=413) filled in a questionnaire related to demographic and socio-economic characteristics, social networks, work-related factors, lifestyle factors and state of health. Presenteeism was assessed using the Stanford Presenteeism Scale 6 (SPS-6). The majority of respondents were male (77.2%), and mean age was 34.7±8.1 years. The prevalence of chronic conditions was 15.9%. The mean score for the SPS-6 was 19.9 (SD, 3.3). The female score was higher than the male score on the SPS-6 in this study. Total score was higher among workers who reported working at high speed. SPS-6 score was higher among individuals with a chronic health problem. Understanding of the workplace and personal factors related to presenteeism may support the health and well-being of workers.     

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders,Job Stressors and Gender Responses in Foundry Industry

The main aim of this paper was to identify job stressors, gender responses and association of psychosocial work stressors with prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among foundry workers. The data were obtained with ergonomics checklist using Likert scale. The results of this study showed a high prevalence of MSDs among workers. The male workers were more prone to pain in neck while the female workers were more prone to MSDs in upper back and shoulders. Correlation analysis showed significant relationship of dimensions of work aspects with pain and discomfort. It proved that the work-related MSDs are the results of interaction of multiple stressors associated with work and work environment, and other personal factors. ANOVA indicated that the perception of work aspects as stressors differed significantly between male and female workers.     

Refugee perceptions of the quality of healthcare: findings from a participatory assessment in Ngara, Tanzania

This article describes the findings of a participatory assessment of Burundian and Rwandan refugees' perceptions of the quality of health services in camps in Ngara, Tanzania. Taking a beneficiary-centred approach, it examines a collaborative effort by several agencies to develop a generic field guide to analyse refugees' views of healthcare services. The objective was to gather information that would contribute to significant improvements in the care offered in the camps. Although the primary focus was on healthcare, several broader questions considered other general apprehensions that might influence the way refugees perceive their healthcare. Findings indicated that while refugees in Ngara were generally satisfied with the quality of healthcare provided and healthcare promotion activities, recognition of some key refugee concerns would assist healthcare providers in enhancing services. With increasing need for refugee community participation in evaluating humanitarian assistance, this assessment has relevance both in the context of Ngara and beyond.     

Changes in HIV/AIDS/STI knowledge, attitudes and practices among commercial sex workers and military forces in Port Loko, Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone suffered from 11 years of civil war (1991-2002) resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and mutilations together with massive population displacement. In 2001, ARC International, Sierra Leone conducted a baseline survey of 201 commercial sex workers (CSWs) and 202 military respondents on the knowledge, attitudes and practices surrounding HIV/AIDS and STIs in Port Loko, Sierra Leone. In 2003, a comparable post-intervention survey of 202 CSWs and 205 military respondents was performed. Comparison of baseline and post-intervention results showed that HIV/AIDS knowledge increased among both groups, with those able to name three effective means of avoiding AIDS increasing from 5 per cent to 70 per cent among CSWs, and 11 to 75 per cent among the military. Reported condom use during last sex increased among CSWs from 38 to 68 per cent and among military from 39 to 68 per cent. These results demonstrate that, despite the challenges inherent in a post-conflict country, good-quality AIDS-prevention programmes can be effective.