1,318 research outputs found
On the dangers of decentralization
No full textThe author highlights some of the dangers of decentralizations. The benefits of decentralization in allocative efficiency are not as obvious as suggested by the standard theory of fiscal federalism. The assumptions of this theory are fragile. These doubtful benefits might carry a cost in production efficiency, but more empirical research is needed on this point. What is not doubtful is that decentralization runs counter to redistribution and stabilization. Decentralization makes redistributive policies, whether interpersonal or interjurisdictional, more difficult, if not impossible. Decentralization also makes macroeconomic stabilization programs more difficult to implement because subnational government fiscal policies can run counter to national policies. Serious drawbacks or potential drawbacks should be considered in designing any decentralization program. The arguments that the author develops make it easier to understand some of the real choices. These choices are not so much whether to decentralize in general but rather what functions to decentralize - in which sectors, and in which regions. Guidelines can be provided on this. Often, the problem is not so much whether a certain service should be provided by a central, regional, or local government, since the service often has to be provided with the intervention of all three levels of government. The real challenge is how to organize the joint production of the service. Decentralization refers simultaneously to a state and to a process. The virtues and dangers of decentralization are often discussed simultaneously for both concepts. This is a dangerous confusion because decentralization is path-dependent. What is desirable in a given country at a certain point in time depends on the present state of decentralization and the speed at which it has been reached. Much more work, particularly empirical work, is needed -- in review of decentralization (or centralization) experiences in general, as well as those encouraged or supported by the World Bank.National Governance,Banks&Banking Reform,Municipal Financial Management,Economic Theory&Research,Pharmaceuticals&Pharmacoeconomics
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Understanding 1968: the case of Brest
No full textThis article examines the dominance of Paris in how May '68 has been portrayed over the years. It will be argued, through a case-study of the revolt in the Breton city of Brest, that the Paris-centred approach is one that belies the true nationwide aspect of May/June 1968. As one of a range of characteristics, the concentration on the Latin Quarter has helped mould what Kristin Ross has described as the 'official history' of 1968. An examination of how the events were played out within different regional contexts would go a long way towards helping overcome the shortcomings of the increasingly narrow portrayal that has come to dominate the stereotypical image of 1968
The impact of psychosocial and ergonomic workplace risk factors on work ability of employees
No full text„Psihosociālo un ergonomisko darba vides riska faktoru ietekme uz nodarbināto darbspējām”. Darba autore: Lāsma Kozlova. Darba zinātniskā vadītāja: Dr. med. Jeļena Reste. Darbs izklāstīts uz 76 lpp., ietver 30 attēlus, 15 tabulas, 10 pielikumus un 46 informatīvos avotus.
Pētījums sastāv no trīs daļām. Pirmajā daļā apkopota un analizēta literatūra par izplatītākajiem psihosociālajiem un ergonomiskajiem riskiem papīra un papīra izstrādājumu ražošanas nozarē nozarē, aplūkota to ietekme uz veselību un darbspējām. Otrajā daļā aprakstītas pētījumā izmantotās metodes, bet trešajā daļā atspoguļoti iegūtie rezultāti un veikta to analīze. Iegūtie rezultāti liecina, ka darbs maiņās un psihoemocionālais saspringums mazina darbspējas uzņēmumā strādājošajiem. Tāpat arī fiziski smaga darba, darba piespiedu pozā sēdus un monotona darba ietekmē mazinās nodarbināto darbspējas. Darbspējas pozitīvi ietekmē regulāras atpūtas pauzes.
Atslēgas vārdi: psihosociālie, ergonomiskie, darbspējas, papīra izstrādājumu ražotne„The impact of psychosocial and ergonomic workplace risk factors on work ability of employees”. Author: Lāsma Kozlova. Scientific leader: Dr. med. Jeļena Reste. Total number of pages 76, including 30 figures, 15 tables, 10 attachments and 46 information sources.
Master`s thesis consists of three parts. The first part summarizes and analyses the information from literature sources on psychosocial and ergonomic risk factors, and their impact on health and work ability for employees in the branch of paper and paper product manufacturing. The second part describes the methods used in the scientific work, and the third part has the summary and analysis of results. The main conclusions are that shift work, mental strain, physically strenuous work, sedentary work and monotonous job tasks reduce work ability of employees. Regular breaks during working time have a positive impact on work ability.
Key words: psychosocial, ergonomic, work ability, paper mil
The Lyα and Continuum Origins Survey. I. Survey Description and Lyα Imaging
No full textLe Reste, Alexandra et al.-- Full list of authors: Le Reste, Alexandra; Scarlata, Claudia; Hayes, Matthew J.; Melinder, Jens; Saldana-Lopez, Alberto; Smith, Aaron; Runnholm, Axel; Lin, Yu-Heng; Amorín, Ricardo O.; Atek, Hakim; Borthakur, Sanchayeeta; Carr, Cody A.; Fleming, Brian; Flury, Sophia R.; Giavalisco, Mauro; Henry, Alaina; Jaskot, Anne E.; Ji, Zhiyuan; Jung, Intae; Leclercq, Floriane; Marques-Chaves, Rui; McCandliss, Stephan R.; Oey, M. S.; Östlin, Göran; Ravindranath, Swara; Schaerer, Daniel; Thuan, Trinh X.; Xu, XinfengUnderstanding the mechanisms driving the escape of ionizing or Lyman continuum (LyC) emission from the interstellar medium of galaxies is necessary to constrain the evolution of reionization and the sources responsible for it. While progress has been made in identifying the global galaxy properties linked to the ionizing escape fraction fescLyC , little is currently known about how spatially resolved galaxy properties impact it. We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging data obtained in the Lyα and Continuum Origins Survey (LaCOS). LaCOS consists of HST imaging covering rest-frame optical and UV bands for a subsample of 42 galaxies in the Low redshift Lyman Continuum Survey, including 22 LyC emitters ( fescLyC=0.01-0.49 ). Here, we describe the sample, observations, and data reduction, and investigate connections between global and sub-kiloparsec Lyα emission and fescLyC . We confirm the correlation between fescLyC and EWLyα, and the anticorrelation with r50, when using values obtained via global photometry. We also find correlations previously found with spectroscopy with global photometric LLyα, fescLyα , ΣSFR, and fescLyC , but with a smaller degree of correlations ( ∣Δτ∣¯∼0.1 ). We find correlations are strongest between Lyα observables (LLyα, EWLyα) and fescLyC when measured in a small aperture around the brightest UV source in each galaxy. We interpret these results as evidence that LyC photons escaping on the line of sight are contributed by a small number of UV-bright compact regions in most galaxies in LaCOS. © 2025. The Author(s).This research is based on observations made with the NASA/ESA HST obtained from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5–26555. These observations are from HST GO programs 17069, 14131, and 11107. A.L.R. acknowledges support from HST GO-17069. M.J.H. is supported by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) and is a fellow of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. A.S.L. acknowledges support from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. S.B. acknowledges support from NSF grant 2408050. F.L. acknowledges funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. C3UBES-101107619.Peer reviewe
Thermographic evaluation of individual protective equipment ergonomics
No full textThe current dataset represents the results of thermographic evaluation during wearing face masks and respirators of different types. The temperature of the face before and after 20 minutes long wearing of airway individual protective equipment was measured by medical digital infrared thermograph ICI ETI 7320 Pro under controlled environmental conditions. Every pixel of thermogram indicates certain temperature shown with different colours (temperature/colour scale is shown on the right side of every termogram). Study methodology and protocol (in Latvian) are added as well. Additionally, student's scientific work "Face Masks and Respirators in Medicine - Safety, Comfort, and Adverse Health Effects" developed during the study period is shown.Part of the files are in Latvian, nevertheless measurements are readable and noted in English.
Data set created as a result of project VPP-COVID-2020/1-000
The presence of violence at work of health care personnel and their work ability
No full textProportion of health care workers of those who believe that the work in progress threatens their health and safety is higher than the average in other sectors. Workers in health care facilities are especially exposed to violence in the workplace [1]. The aim of the study was the evaluation of the presence of violence at work and determination of its effect on the working ability of health care sector workers. The study included the survey of 132 emergency department employees (doctors, physician assistants, nurses) from Kurzeme Region hospitals (Latvia). Questionnaire of violence in the workplace of the health care sector workers and the work ability index assessment questionnaire were used for the data collection. It was found that medical staff of health care establishments experience mostly verbal abuse (97%), less from physical attacks (36%), and intimidation/bullying (30%). The study found that medical personnel are aware of the changes implemented in the workplace (29%), there has been no change (33%), while the impact of changes implemented by medical staff at the workplace has not been experienced (47%). For personnel who have suffered from violence in the workplace, working capacity is generally lower than for the personnel that has not experienced violence in the workplace
La terre évaporée, le jardin en reste(s)
No full textBased on several major texts of the classical period, mainly "Le jardin de plaisir" by A. Mollet and "La théorie et la pratique du jardinage" by Dezallier d'Argenville, the author analyzes several practices that we would find archaic today but which demonstrate the singular, almost physical relationship between the gardener and the soil. These practices and rituals make use of taste and smell and have been ignored since the mid- 18th century. The suppression of these practices raises questions about the role of gardening or gardens as a liberal art that can be included among the fine arts.A travers la lecture de quelques grands textes de l'époque classique {Le jardin de plaisir d'A. Mollet et La théorie et la pratique du jardinage de Dezallier d'Argenville essentiellement) l'auteur analyse certaines pratiques que l'on qualifiera d'archaïque et qui témoignent d'un rapport singulier et, pour ainsi dire, physique du jardinier à la terre, pratiques ou rituels qui mettent en œuvre l'exercice de sens (le goût, l'odorat) qui seront passés sous silence à partir du milieu du XVIIIe siècle. Le refoulement de ces pratiques posent le problème de la place du jardinage ou de l'art des jardins en tant qu'art libéral pouvant être accueili dans les systèmes des beaux-arts.Mantion Jean-Rémy. La terre évaporée, le jardin en reste(s). In: Journal d'agriculture traditionnelle et de botanique appliquée, 37ᵉ année, bulletin n°1,1995. pp. 17-30
Why does Simenon, the creator of Maigret, remain a timeless author?
No full textQuelques réflexions au sujet du succès mondial, qui ne se dément pas, rencontré par les romans de Simenon
Pain Among Latvian Workers: General Prevalence vs. Registered Occupational Diseases
No full textThe problem of painful and disabling work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is increasing in many employment sectors of Latvia. Official statistics may underestimate the proportion of affected employees, causing delays in preventive interventions, ineffective rehabilitation, and a reduction of the workforce. This study investigated the prevalence of painful health conditions among Latvian workers by analyzing survey data and comparing these to official statistics on registered occupational diseases (ODs). A total of 2,446 workers participated in the state-level “Work conditions and risks in Latvia, 2017–2018” survey that included questions about pain lasting longer than 3 days during the previous year. The frequency of subjective reports on the presence, severity, and location of pain and related behaviors was assessed in relation to sex, age, education, and job position. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulation with the chi-squared test as well as multinomial logistic regression were applied to the data. Overall, 27.7% of respondents (n = 678) reported experiencing pain, predominantly in the lower back (14.3%) and mostly moderate (47.1%) or severe (45.1%). Only one-fifth of respondents (20.5%) took sick leave from work and one-third (29.0%) did not take action to alleviate their pain. Participants aged 55–74 years had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) for pain in at least one body region—including hands and legs—than those aged 18–24 years. Women had significantly higher odds of headache (OR = 2.55) and neck pain (OR = 1.85) than men. Respondents with a primary or elementary education level had higher odds of pain in at least one body region (OR = 1.60) and in the lower back (OR = 1.86), while those with secondary education had higher odds of pain in hands (OR = 1.51) than employees with higher education. Unskilled workers had significantly higher odds of pain in hands (OR = 2.42) and legs (OR = 2.12) than directors. Official data revealed a dramatic increase in the proportion of MSDs and related disabilities in the last decade, reaching 75.5% of all first registered ODs in 2019. These results demonstrate a high prevalence of painful conditions among Latvian employees; urgent attention to diagnostics, treatment, and prevention is needed to ensure the musculoskeletal health and productivity of this population
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