Access To Information

Objective: To extract and to validate a brief version of the DISCERN which could identify mental healthrelated websites with good content quality. Method: The present study is based on the analysis of data issued from six previous studies which used DISCERN and a standardized tool for the evaluation of content quality (evidence-based health information) of 388 mental health-related websites.

We read the article by Haut et al. with interest. 1 The authors report on the ability of some patients with epilepsy to predict the occurrence of their seizures. As suggested by the authors, this ability may rely on prodromes or warning and initial symptoms. Preictal dysphoria is a phenomenon well described by patients and their relatives, but the frequency, duration, and clinical features have been only occasionally investigated. The last systematic study specifically dedicated to this subject was published in 1986. 2 It is evident that mood changes preceding the occurrence of seizures represent a neglected area of research in epileptology and neuropsychiatry of epilepsy that, conversely, may have important clinical implications. Research concerning seizure-alerting dogs is also of interest. 3 It is possible that this phenomenon could be interlinked with preictal dysphoria-that dogs' behaviors are influenced by specific mood changes of the owner occurring in the preictal phase. It is now accepted that the end of the seizure is not the end of the problem, 4 but what precedes the seizure can be equally interesting.

Analyzes the current epistemological statute of the right to information, differentiating it from the disciplinary field that dedicates itself to it's study. Considers its inclusion in an analysis matrix that intersect: its object of study, the generations of rights in which the authors classify; their character related or ancillary to the realization of other rights, in part explained by its elaboration in the nineteenth century when it was stated by the right of expression,
against its autonomy gained in the twentieth century, its character or classification as an individual right, diffuse, collective or social; their limitation by the need to respect for private life, his denial or otherwise by lying and secrecy. In conclusion presents a summary table that consolidates the synthesis of the proposals of several authors analyzed.
(Best senior reearch at GT! - Historical and Epistemological Studies on Information Science 2013: 14. National Reserach Meeting of Infomation Science, Florianópolis, outubro 2013)

Telecommunication and more specially mobile phones have the potential to provide solution to the existing information asymmetry in various lagging sectors like Agriculture. India’s agricultural sector suffers from low growth rates and low productivity. Issues in access to information is a week point at every stage of the agrisupply chain. For small farmers base economy like India, access to information can possible enable better incomes and productivity to the farmers. This paper through focus group discussions and in-depth interview with farmers in villages of India, has tried to find answers to the use and impact of mobile and mobile enabled services on agricultural productivity. The answers to these questions are of relevance to develop better policy environment conducive for the small and medium farmers and has implications for mobile operators, for information service providers, and for policy-makers. The results show that although, mobiles can act as catalyst to improving prod...

There are few data on the practice of evidence based medicine in the developing world, nor on the actual sources of evidence that clinicians use in practice. To test the hypothesis that there was variation between and within developing countries in the proposed management of a patient with hospital acquired pneumonia, and that part of the variation can be explained by the sources of evidence used. Questionnaire responses to hypothetical case history. Investigators from 6 centres within the International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) in China, Thailand, India, Egypt, and Kenya. Doctors chosen to represent primary and secondary hospital practice in the regions of the study centres. Investigations and initial treatments which would be ordered for a hypothetical 60-year-old woman who develops pneumonia 5 days after hospital admission, whether local data on antibiotic sensitivities are available and where information would be obtained to guide management. Chest x-ray and sputum gram stain/culture were consistently the most commonly ordered investigations, there being much greater variation in the initial treatment choices with either penicillin, a third-generation cephalosporin or aminoglycoside being the most popular choice. Textbooks were the commonest form of information source, and access to a library, textbooks and journals were statistically significantly associated with appropriate choice of investigations, but not treatment. Access to local antibiotic sensitivities was associated with appropriate initial treatment choice. Improving access to information in the literature and to local data may increase the practice of evidence-based medicine in the developing world.

The generalisation of the Internet and the recent technological developments in embedded systems and wireless networks contribute to the realisation of a vision where access to information is possible at any moment and from anywhere. This is particularly attractive with information that is relevant to a specific geographic location. Applications that rely on locationbased services to provide information to mobile users, or that support interaction with real devices in the user neighbourhood, are called location-dependent applications and enhance the relationship between mobile users and a specific geographic location. However, the design of such applications breaks with the existing paradigms and methodologies as the mobile devices and the wireless communication infrastructures have characteristics that are very different from those of desktop computers and wired communication systems. The Around architecture is an open and extensible framework for location-based services that allows network services to be associated with specific geographic locations. By using this architecture applications can select services that are relevant for specific locations. Within the context of the Around project we have developed a prototype system with multiple locationbased services and an application that accesses these services to provide information related to a town transportation system. This paper reports on the design and development of this location-based application. Its design raised several new issues, going from the computational model to the interface paradigm, which are also discussed in this paper. The developed application is composed of several modules: a set of agents which are autonomous units with the knowledge necessary to select and use location-based services in a specific thematic area (e.g. transportation); an HTML output area based on a browser metaphor; and a location-context module responsible for determining the user context. The results show that an application architecture based on a modular approach turns to be very flexible as it becomes very easy to extend its functionality by simply adding or changing the agents that deal with each location-based service.

As evident in the professional literature (e.g., Fialkoff 1999, the growth of book superstores in North America has been of concern to public libraries. Despite this little research has explored the relationship between libraries and book stores. A British study found that book store customers and public library patrons each tended to prefer their own venue. In an earlier study we reported on observations of customer behaviour in book superstores. This study complements our earlier work, seeking to more fully answer the following research questions: What do people do while they are at public libraries? How much are these behaviours like those that commonly happen in book superstores? How much are they different?

The tourism industry depends on complex value creation chains involving a large number of participants that change frequently and rapidly. In addition, the products of tourism industry are complex and they will perish if they are not sold in time. For these reasons, the ideal tourism information systems require a lot of flexibility of underlying systems. Moreover, they comprise accurate access to any tourism service that provide, and they are usable by corporate and private customers alike. The management and interoperation of semantically diverse tourism information systems are facilitated by Semantic Web technology that provides methods and standards, which allow accurate access to information as well as flexibility to comply with needs of tourism information system users and administrators. This paper considers state-of-the art issues (ontologies, semantic modelling and querying, semantic portals and semantic-based e-markets) concerning the exploitation of the semantic web technologies and applications in tourism information systems.

A longitudinal anthropological study of cotton farming in Warangal District of Andhra Pradesh, India, compares a group of villages before and after adoption of Bt cotton. It distinguishes "field-level" and "farm-level" impacts. During this five-year period yields rose by 18% overall, with greater increases among poor farmers with the least access to information. Insecticide sprayings dropped by 55%, although predation by non-target pests was rising. However shifting from the field to the historically-situated context of the farm recasts insect attacks as a symptom of larger problems in agricultural decision-making. Bt cotton's opponents have failed to recognize real benefits at the field level, while its backers have failed to recognize systemic problems that Bt cotton may exacerbate.

An Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel charged with reviewing the system for overseeing research involving children concluded in 2004 that Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), institutions engaged in research, and study sponsors should "adopt explicit written policies on acceptable and unacceptable types and amounts of payments related to [children's] research participation." 1 We previously reported data on practices and policies in the U.S. regarding payments to children who participate in research and their parents. 2 Here, we report additional results from our study and identify some of the decisions that must be made in developing payment plans and on which payment policies will be expected to offer guidance. We conclude that further conceptual analysis and empirical research are necessary before IRBs, institutions, and sponsors can develop specific rules on numerous aspects of payment. Nevertheless, payment policies that promote the ethical treatment of children in research and their parents can be developed. We propose a structure for such policies.

A common theme that you may be noticing in this book revolves around the concept of confidentiality. In a computer security context, confidentiality is the notion that sensitive data is accessible by only those users who have been approved or authorized for access to that data. For many organizations, and indeed for many malfeasants, data confidentiality is the most significant

Background: Despite the increases in health promotion and educational programs on HIV and AIDS, lack of information and communication on HIV and AIDS for the visually impaired persons continues. The underlying factors that create the information and communication gaps have not been fully explored in Zambia. It is therefore important that, this situational analysis on HIV and AIDS information dissemination to persons with visual impairments at Kang'onga Production Centre in Ndola was conducted. The study commenced in December 2014 to May 2015. Methods: A qualitative case study design was employed. The study used two focus group discussions with males and females. Each group comprised twelve participants. Eight in-depth interviews involving the visually impaired persons and five key informants working with visually impaired persons were conducted. Data was analysed thematically using NVIVO 8 software. Ethical clearance was sought from Excellency in Research Ethics and Science. Reference Number 2014-May-030. Results: It was established that most visually impaired people lacked knowledge on the cause, transmission and treatment of HIV and AIDS resulting in misconceptions. It was revealed that health promoters and people working with the visually impaired did not have specific HIV and AIDS information programs in Zambia. Further, it was discovered that the media, information education communication and health education were channels through which the visually impaired accessed HIV and AIDS information. Discrimination, stigma, lack of employment opportunities, funding and poverty were among the many challenges identified which the visually impaired persons faced in accessing HIV and AIDS information. Integration of the visually impaired in HIV and AIDS programs would increase funding for economic empowerment and health promotions in order to improve communication on HIV and AIDS information. The study showed that, the visually impaired persons in Zambia are not catered for in the dissemination of HIV and AIDS information. Available information is not user-friendly because it is in unreadable formats thereby increasing the potential for misinformation and limitations to their access. This calls for innovations in the communication on HIV and AIDS information health promotion to the target groups.

A review of research on deaf students in higher education reveals a significant body of knowledge about the barriers these students face in gaining access to information in the classroom. Much less is known about the potential solutions to these problems. In addition, there is a dearth of research on the effectiveness of such support services as interpreting, note taking, real-time captioning, and tutoring, particularly with regard to their impact on academic achievement. This article summarizes relevant research and suggests directions for educational researchers interested in enhancing academic success and the retention of deaf students in higher education programs.

Abstract. Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) is a process of software development, a method of licensing and a philosophy. Although FLOSS plays a significant role in several market areas, the impact in the health care arena is still limited. FLOSS is promoted as one of the most effective means for overcoming fragmentation in the health care sector and providing a basis for more efficient, timely and cost effective health care provision. The 2008 European Federation for Medical Informatics (EFMI) Special Topic Conference (STC) explored a range of current and future issues related to FLOSS in healthcare (FLOSS-HC). In particular, there was a focus on health records, ubiquitous computing, knowledge sharing, and current and future applications. Discussions resulted in a list of main barriers and challenges for use of FLOSS-HC. Based on the outputs of this event, the 2004 Open Steps events and subsequent workshops at OSEHC2009 and Med-e-Tel 2009, a four-step strategy has been pr...

Cloud computing enables a transparent access to information technology (IT) services such that the users do not need to know the location and characteristics of the relevant resources. While IT resource virtualization and service abstraction have been widely investigated, data transport within the cloud and its efficient control have not received much attention in the technical literature. In fact, connectivity is, itself, a service that contributes to the overall performance of the cloud. This paper introduces a novel classification of the Network as a Service (NaaS) such that it can be orchestrated with other cloud services. Then, it proposes a network virtualization platform (NVP) as the mediation layer able to provide NaaS to cloud computing by exploiting the functionality provided by control plane (CP)-enabled networks. In particular, the proposed NVP maps the end-point addresses and perceived Quality of Service parameters of a NaaS requests in the parameters characterizing the connectivity as viewed by transport networks using the information obtained from the CP at the boundary of the network. The NVP uses these parameters to fulfill connectivity requests to the CP. Finally, this paper presents a complete design from both the software implementation and network signaling perspective of two use cases in which NaaS is involved as stand-alone facility for the connectivity service provisioning or is combined with other cloud services for a storage service provisioning.

Information technology has changed the professional environment of scientific and technical translators, who must work with new formats and channels of information. To meet these new challenges, translation teachers must place special emphasis on the importance of the non-textual information evolving around multimedia texts and adopt a more dynamic approach towards audiovisual translation (A VT). In this paper, we argue for the inclusion of graphic information as a new focus for A VT, and present the results of a research project aimed at designing teaching materials for audiovisual, scientific and technical translation. These materials highlight the potential benefits of audiovisual resources for all users in the acquisition of subject field knowledge and terminology and the constraints imposed on translation by visual and acoustic material.

Many people believe that information that is stored in long-term memory is permanent, citing examples of "retrieval techniques" that are alleged to uncover previously forgotten information. Such techniques include hypnosis, psychoanalytic procedures, methods for eliciting spontaneous and other conscious recoveries, and-perhaps most important-the electrical stimulation of the brain reported by Wilder Penfield and his associates. In this article we first evaluate • the evidence and conclude that, contrary to apparent popular belief, the evidence in no way confirms the view that all memories are permanent and thus potentially recoverable. We then describe some failures that resulted from attempts to elicit retrieval of previously stored information and conjecture what circumstances might cause information stored in memory to be irrevocably destroyed.

The right to freedom of expression and information is guaranteed by Article (10) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) in all 47 member states of the Council of Europe. The jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECrtHR) applying Article (10) is to be considered an authoritative international standard regarding the protection of this human right, including the right to express, impart and receive opinions and information without interference by public authorities. The Court's case law has manifestly helped to create an added value for the effective protection of freedom of expression, journalistic freedom, freedom of the media, the right to receive information and public debate in the Convention's member states. However, some recent restrictive trends in the Court's approach have raised serious concerns regarding the (future) level of protection of freedom of speech and press freedom in Europe. This article focuses on the most important characteristics of the right to freedom of expression and information under the European human rights system and discusses some challenges for the future.

We examine the performance of 160 pharmaceutical acquisitions from 1994 to 2001 and find evidence that on average acquirers realize significant positive returns. These returns are positively correlated with prior acquirer access to information about the research and development activities at target firms and a superior negotiating position. A unique Desperation Index is employed to determine the current status of a firm's internal productivity. We find that firms experiencing declines in internal productivity or which are more desperate are more likely to engage in an outsourcing-type acquisition in an effort to replenish their research pipelines. r 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. JEL classification: G34; D82

A markedly intense rain fell on southeastern Mexico during the period of 29 October–1 November 2007. As a result, the state of Tabasco recorded the gravest flood in the last 50 years. A reconstruction of the event is presented, including the identification of the factors that aggravated the sequels, and a discussion of the actions that were carried out to evaluate the flooding. The phenomenon consisted of a succession of rains in the region, including 3 days of continuous rain with over 403 mm d−1. The operation of a system of dams, the saturation of the soil, and runoff times below 16 h were the factors that generated the catastrophe, in synergy with the meteorological phenomenon. The analysis presented here will aid in understanding the development of the phenomenon in an integral way, and in establishing the minimum procedures to be followed to evaluate similar events in other regions where, as in Mexico, one does not have timely access to information. In the case of this disaster, for example, different versions of the causes of the flood continued to circulate 6 months after it took place, some lacking technical bases and some access-restricted. However, the information generated provided the academic community and state officials with a reference on which to evaluate the event. This analysis also makes a contribution by placing emphasis on the need to establish non-structural mitigation measures such as future urban growth and regulation plans and future early warning systems against flooding, monitoring the variables that were analysed and generating products useful to the decision-makers involved in civil protection systems and in carrying out preventive measures to mitigate the effects of extreme events.

Universal access to information for health professionals is a prerequisite for meeting the Millennium Development Goals and achieving Health for All. However, despite the promises of the information revolution, and some successful initiatives, there is little if any evidence that the majority of health professionals in the developing world are any better informed than they were 10 years ago. Lack of access to information remains a major barrier to knowledge-based health care in developing countries. The development of reliable, relevant, usable information can be represented as a system that requires cooperation among a wide range of professionals including health-care providers, policy makers, researchers, publishers, information professionals, indexers, and systematic reviewers. The system is not working because it is poorly understood, unmanaged, and under-resourced. This Public Health article proposes that WHO takes the lead in championing the goal of "Universal access to e...

We examine the drivers of diffusion of information through organizations and the effects on performance. In particular, we ask: What predicts the likelihood of an individual becoming aware of a strategic piece of information, or becoming aware of it sooner? Do different types of information exhibit different diffusion patterns, and do different characteristics of social structure, relationships and individuals in turn affect access to different kinds of information? Does better access to information predict an individual's ability to complete projects or generate revenue? We hypothesize that the dual effects of content and structure jointly predict the diffusion path of information, and ultimately performance. To test our hypotheses, we characterize the social network of a medium sized executive recruiting firm using accounting data on project co-work relationships and ten months of email traffic observed over two five month periods. We identify two distinct types of information diffusing over this network -'event news' and 'discussion topics' -by their usage characteristics, and observe several thousand diffusion processes of each type of information from their original first use to their varied recipients over time. We then test the effects of network structure and functional and demographic characteristics of dyadic relationships on the likelihood of receiving each type of information and receiving it more quickly. Our results demonstrate that the diffusion of news, characterized by a spike in communication and rapid, pervasive diffusion through the organization, is influenced by demographic and network factors but not by functional relationships (e.g. prior co-work, authority) or the strength of ties. In contrast, diffusion of discussion topics, which exhibit more shallow diffusion characterized by 'back-and-forth' conversation, is heavily influenced by functional relationships and the strength of ties, as well as demographic and network factors. Discussion topics are more likely to diffuse vertically up and down the organizational hierarchy, across relationships with a prior working history, and across stronger ties, while news is more likely to diffuse laterally as well as vertically, and without regard to the strength or function of relationships. Furthermore, we find that access to information strongly predicts the number of projects completed by each individual and the amount of revenue that person generates. The effects are economically significant, with each additional "word seen" correlated with about $70 of additional revenue generated. Our findings highlight the importance of simultaneous considerations of structure and content in information diffusion studies and provide some of the first evidence on the economic importance of information diffusion in networks.

Censorship is a centuries-old issue for the United States. The importance of intellectual freedom and the freedom of speech is particularly evident in libraries, organizations dedicated to the access and spread of information. Issues regarding censorship and intellectual freedom have even reached the US Supreme Court. The following essay serves as a history of censorship in the United States, particularly in its libraries, and how the same issues of censorship have now transitioned into the digital age.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can reduce poverty by improving poor people's access to education, health, government and financial services. ICT can also help small farmers and artisans by connecting them to markets. It is clear that in rural India -as well as in much of the developing world-realization of this potential is not guaranteed. This paper outlines a simple model to explain why a digital divide may exist between rich and poor. Low-cost access to information infrastructure is a necessary prerequisite for the successful use of ICT by the poor, but it is not sufficient. The implementation of ICT projects needs to be performed by organizations and individuals who have the appropriate incentives to work with marginalized groups. Furthermore, grassroots intermediaries and the involvement of the community are identified as the key factors that foster local ownership and the availability of content and services that respond to the most pressing needs of the poor.

Electronic government, or e-government, increases the convenience and accessibility of government services and information to citizens. Despite the benefits of e-government -increased government accountability to citizens, greater public access to information, and a more efficient, cost-effective government -the success and acceptance of egovernment initiatives, such as online voting and license renewal, are contingent upon citizens' willingness to adopt this innovation.

This paper provides a summary of data about requests, complaints and appeals published by central reporting bodies in eight countries. It examines available data from the most recent year of aggregated data—ranging between 2011 and 2013. It assessed these statistics for Brazil, India, Jordan, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, The United Kingdom, and the United States. Through this assessment it provides trends in how countries are collecting and publishing these data and finds that practices are far from standardized and data are often unavailable or incomplete.

Abstract: Th main aim of the article is to present the conclusions of a series of studies performed over a period of twelve years, dedicated to the tourism of Deaf people who are users of sign language. Th synthesis of the research results (including, amongst others, a comparative analysis of the demand for tourism of Deaf people [n=292] and hearing people [n=1780] ) became the basis for the development of a “system of action stimulating the growth of tourism for Deaf people”. Such action requires a consistent long-term process on numerous levels which will lead to an increase an accessible tourism for sign language users in the future. Th proposed system of action includes elements of “external support” and “internal action” which are necessary for the
development of an “accessible tourism subsystem”. Th fist of these elements includes proposals for action directed at providing “equal opportunities” through the realisation of principles from
the “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” (PwD), amongst others. Th second element on the same level in the “hierarchy” of the internal action subsystem, focuses on encouraging deaf people to improve their own life situation, to make their expectations in regards
to the available tourism opportunities known and to participate in their creation (according to the assumptions of universal design). Both subsystems create the basis for the development of an additional, central “accessible tourism subsystem” for deaf people, the essence of which should be the appropriately structured transfer of tourism information.

Effectivement, en s'intéressant de manière macroscopique (anthropologisme et technologisme), à la dynamique conceptuelle de l'information dans une situation d'interaction homme-machine, cette étude suppose la nécessité de concevoir des outils de recherche d'information qui conservent la cohérence de la nature de cette information selon les capacités et ressources humaines souvent limitées. L'hypothèse de cette cohérence repose sur un système d'émergence conceptuelle pour fiabiliser la sémantique, une architecture multiagents pour améliorer l'aspect adaptatif du système et une interface homme-machine orientée représentation des connaissances pour faciliter l'appropriation de l'outil par l'utilisateur.

This paper presents findings from an initial analysis of new non-tariff trade cost estimates and their determinants, based on a bilateral database of comprehensive trade cost maintained by ESCAP. Results of the non-tariff policy-related trade costs modeling exercise strongly suggest that improving port efficiency (liner shipping connectivity) and access to information and communication technology facilities is essential to reducing trade costs.

This note critically revisits the decision of the case, and particularly the normative content of section 50 of PAIA, and argues for the incorrectness of the decision of the court. In doing so, this note relies on earlier jurisprudence on the interpretation and application of the section 50 provision of PAIA.

Statistical process control (SPC) is widely used in process industries to monitor variations in process attributes. Typically, automatic devices capture a multitude of measurements on process and product characteristics every few seconds. Operators and engineers commonly monitor only a small subset of these. Multivariate SPC has been proposed to fully utilize the available data, however, interpretation of multivariate information is often too complex for most line operators. This paper describes the design and implementation of a real-time multivariate process control system that features a graphical user interface (GUI) and provides useful information for both line operators and engineers. The information system described in this paper should provide large-scale manufacturers with better access to information for identifying opportunities in continuing to improve processes performance and business competitiveness.

Governments around the world are actively promoting citizens electronic access to their health data as one of a number of ways to respond to the challenges of health care delivery in the 21st century. While numerous approaches have been utilized it is evident from cross-country comparisons that there are different conceptualizations of: both the expected and desired roles for citizens in the management of their own health; the benefits that will be delivered by citizen access and how these benefits should be measured and benchmarked over-time. This paper presents comparative analyses of the methods by which citizens are provided with access to their own health data across 11 countries. The paper aims to stimulate debate on electronic citizen access to health data and the challenges of measuring benefit as well as reflection on capacity of different citizens to engage with e-health.

The spread of knowledge sources available in various formats and financial constraints has made it difficult for libraries to satisfy their users’ needs. However, the problems of information explosion, ever changing users’ needs, shrinking library budgets and currency devaluations can be overcome, to some extent, through resource sharing. Library professionals need to explore options to extend users’ access to information sources by forming partnerships with other local libraries having similar collections.These collaborative arrangements enable patrons to access resources otherwise out of their reach. This requires each participating institution to contribute in the network of their extended libraries’ family and do not operate in isolation. It is widely acknowledged that no library, no matter how large and well-funded it is, can be self-sufficient in meeting its users’ demands. Hence, libraries in Pakistan need to develop cooperative plans to meet the challenges posed by rapid growth and diversity of knowledge sources, increased users’ demands and expectations, decreased budgets, hiking prices of books, journals and databases are the major reasons for cooperation amongst libraries. This paper intends to suggest some possible ways for libraries in Lahore to get the benefits of RS.

This research aimed to explore the actual situation of information accessibility for university students with visual impairment at higher academic institutions of Lahore, Pakistan. This research adopted a qualitative research design using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to investigate the proposed phenomenon. The participants were recruited with purposive sampling from higher academic institutions for data collection. Face to face interview of 15 visually impaired students was conducted using an interview guide. The participants were debriefed for data authentication and verification at the end. Each interview was transcribed and analyzed carefully using IPA. The results indicated that these students utilized interpersonal relationships as the primary source of their academic information. The other available facilities for information access included the internet, disability resources center (if available at the institution), and the university library. The major barr...

A baseline survey in the 4 blocks of North 24 Parganas was proposed to understand the state of violence on women in the extreme fringes of the state. These 4 blocks of Sandeshkhali 1&2, Minakhan and Hingalganj, are near Kolkata but are still remote in terms of facilities and service providers.  Most of the islands in sundarban are now self-sufficient in terms of essential service providers likeschools and hospitals. However the one thing needed to uphold the virtues of a civilized society whichonly recognize power, Police Stations are rare. Many of the women interviewed are from familieswhose male members are either part- time agricultural labour and migratory labour for constructions inKolkata or other big cities in India, that include Delhi, Mumbai. The women themselves, many of themare rag-pickers and work as domestic help in the city and its suburbs. This report will help not only us to develop a customized proposal to address the shortcomings of the region but will also help other like minded organizations to comprehend the extent of violence and understand the various impediments faced by the women of this nearly remote landscape(Sunderbans).

The communication of information in clinical settings is fraught with problems despite avowed common aims of practitioners and patients. Some reasons for the problematic nature of clinical communication are incongruent frames of reference about what information ought to be shared, sociolinguistic differences and social distance between practitioners and patients. Communication between doctors and nurses is also problematic, largely due to differences in ideology between the professions about what ought to be communicated to patients about their illness and who is ratified to give such information.

In this paper, we contribute to the understanding of women's labor force behavior in developing societies through a household-level analysis of young, single women in Sri Lanka. We argue that in the context of saturated and imperfect labor markets of Asian societies such as Sri Lanka, it is important to: (a) differentiate between labor force participation and employment, (b) consider familial and cultural factors in addition to the standard determinants of labor supply and demand, and (c) examine the labor force activity of the current generation of single women. In Sri Lanka, where unemployment among young women is widespread, our results strongly support the strategy of differentiating between labor force participation and employment. That the determinants of these components of the employment process function in different ways is best illustrated by our findings regarding the effects of education: higher education levels lead to greater labor force participation, but highly educated women are also more likely to be unemployed than to be employed. In addition, our findings show that the labor market behavior of young women is shaped by familial expectations and resources in terms of the protected role of young daughters in the household, cultural differences in the acceptability of young women working across ethnic groups, the necessity for women to work across social classes, and classbased advantages in access to information and channels that facilitate job acquisition. 0 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

The patterns and formats of information provision by newspapers and television news programmes are examined, with a case study of two incidents from the Gulf War. A content analysis is carried out, with a novel scheme of groups and categories to interpret and display information transfer patterns. The results are sat in the context of a survey of the nature of news, and the influence of the media by which it is presented. A clear distinction between television and newspaper information content and format is found, and explained in terms of an underlying Information structure. Consequences for public access to information are briefly considered. © 1997

Relevance and irrelevance, it is argued, is constitutive to our access to “information objects” on three interconnected levels: (1) access to the information object itself, (2) the information gained from it, (3) the use of that information. Relevance selectively shapes our experience and action, but the “irrelevance” of what is left out is not simply the opposite or absence of relevance. The complex relation between relevance and irrelevance expresses itself in different shades of knowledge and ignorance, and in a fuzzy border between information we do not want to access and information we cannot access. This implies both chances and risks for communication as a process of producing and exchanging information objects. In a second step, previous research on relevance and irrelevance is sketched with respect to different traditions and approaches: (1) Alfred Schutz and Aron Gurwitsch; (2) Paul Grice, Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson; (3) library and information science; (4) signs and language; and (5) epistemology and logic. Finally, the role of the word “relevance”, which is not found in all languages, is briefly considered after distinguishing the explicit reflection of relevance from the constitutive role of relevance, which often remains implicit.

Objectives: Patient care rounds are a key mechanism by which healthcare providers communicate and make patient care decisions in the ICU but no synthesis of best practices for rounds currently exists. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the evidence for facilitators and barriers to patient care rounds in the ICU. Data Sources: Search of Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PubMed, and the Cochrane library through September 21, 2012. Study Selection: Original, peer-reviewed research studies (no methodological restrictions) were selected, which described current practices, facilitators, or barriers to healthcare provider rounding in the ICU. Data Extraction: Two authors with methodological and content expertise independently abstracted data using a prespecified abstraction tool. Data Synthesis: The literature search identified 7,373 citations. Reviews of abstracts led to the retrieval of 136 full text articles for assessment; 43 articles in three languages (English, German, Spanish) were selected for review. Of these, 13 were ethnographic studies and 15 uncontrolled before-after studies. Six studies used control groups, including one cross-over randomized, one time-series, three cohort, and one controlled beforeafter study. A total of 13 facilitators and 9 barriers to patient care rounds were identified through a narrative and meta-synthesis of included studies. Identified facilitators suggest that the quality of rounds is improved when conducted by a multidisciplinary group of providers, with explicitly defined roles, using a standardized structure and goal-oriented approach that includes a best practices checklist. Barriers to quality patient care rounds include poor information retrieval and documentation, interruptions, long rounding times, and allied healthcare provider perceptions of not being valued by rounding physicians. Conclusions: Although the evidence base for best practices of patient care rounds in the ICU is limited, several practical and low-risk practices can be considered for implementation. E ffective communication between healthcare providers is essential for high-quality patient care (1). The Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) in the United States reported that communication failures are an important source of medical error and contribute up to 85% of sentinel events in hospitals (2). Conversely, effective communication decreases medical errors and improves short-term patient outcomes (3-5). Effective communication is especially important in complex healthcare settings such as the ICU, where critically ill patients receive multiple tests and treatments daily and have limited physiological reserve to tolerate error (6, 7).

In the past two decades, governments from around the world have adopted access-to-information laws at a rate unlike any other time in history. This reform in government information policy parallels a global movement of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, which have pressed countries to advance the norm of transparency. Competition in the global economy has also provided a strong incentive for governments to show openness, as business leaders and donor nations contend that access-to-information is critical for efficient markets. Given the growing interaction between governments and transnational firms, and the global emphasis on access-to-information, this cross-national study examines the relationship between business executives' perceptions of transparency in government policymaking, and several indicators suggested in the literature as means to advance the flow of information about government. The study found countries that respondents ranked as ‘most transparent’ had significantly higher levels of access-to-information laws, telecommunication infrastructure, E-Government, free press, and higher income levels, than countries with low transparency levels. Our regression findings indicate that telecommunications infrastructure and free press influenced the perceptions of government transparency in a positive and significant way. The evidence indicates that democracy did not contribute toward the perceptions of transparency. The findings also suggest that nations aiming for openness by adopting access-to-information laws and engaging in E-Government may signal to businesses that their governments are aware of the international norm of transparency—though these conditions are not necessarily sufficient to advance the perceptions of government transparency.