(1) Background: There is a need for studies on population-level health literacy (HL) to identify the current state of HL within and between countries. We report comparative findings from 10 European ...countries (Austria, Belgium (Fl), Czechia, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Macedonia, Poland, and Slovakia) on adolescents' HL and its associations with gender, family affluence (FAS), and self-rated health (SRH). (2) Methods: Representative data (N = 14,590; age 15) were drawn from the HBSC (Health Behavior in School-Aged Children) study. The associations between HL, gender, FAS, and SRH were examined via path models. (3) Results: The countries exhibited differences in HL means and in the range of scores within countries. Positive associations were found between FAS and HL, and between HL and SRH in each country. Gender was associated with differences in HL in only three countries. HL acted as a mediator between gender and SRH in four countries, and between FAS and SRH in each country. (4) Conclusions: The findings confirm that there are differences in HL levels within and between European countries, and that HL does contribute to differences in SRH. HL should be taken into account when devising evidence-informed policies and interventions to promote the health of adolescents.
Significant progress has been made in the research on variations in HRM across national boundaries, in both the quantity of studies and theoretical advancements since the mid-1980s. The aim of this ...paper is to provide a systematic review of existing literature on cross-country comparative studies of HRM as an important strand of the international HRM field in order to shed new light on dominant key concerns and themes, and emerging syntheses. More specifically, we conducted a systematic review of cross-country comparative HRM studies published in academic journals in the English language in the 15-year period of 2000-2014. Our paper charted the development of cross-country comparative studies of HRM as a sub-field of HRM research. Our analysis of 125 articles from 30 business and management journals shows the countries/regions that have been studied, topics, and research methods used. We also highlight a number of research avenues for further study in this field. Although there are a number of distinct strands to the literature, our study concludes that there is an emerging common ground in underlying concerns and theoretical assumptions both within the field, and with other areas of management inquiry.
An understanding of how modern Open Data Ecosystems (ODEs) work is critical in the context of current trends towards sustainability and smartness, while is seen to be an asset to support urban ...governance and development, in coordinating actions, and fostering civic engagement. This paper aims to establish such understanding by analyzing the contextual patterns, platforms, and components shaping sustainable ODEs by employing platform theory. This study explores and compares characteristics, similarities, differences, and best approaches in 19 cities across 8 countries. In this study we (1) identify 50 patterns that influence and shape sustainable ODEs and their platforms, i.e., Open Data Platform Ecosystems (ODPEs); (2) explore the relationships between platforms and other ODPEs components by developing a respective model, and identifying internal platforms and other components; (3) empirically validate the conceptual findings of five types of ODPEs presented in the literature, redefining them from the conceptual to real-life implementation of the respective components in sample cities; (4) considering the experience gained during the study with respect to the ODPEs and external pressures and environments that shape or influence them, we define 12 recommendations for policy planning and urban governance of more sustainable ODEs.
•Identifies 50 patterns that influence and shape sustainable ODEs in smart cities•Defines the Open Data Platform Ecosystem (ODPE) and its components and relationships•Empirically validates the conceptual findings of five types of smart city ODPEs•Defines 12 recommendations for urban development of more sustainable ODEs
Meritocratic principles have been adopted in China and Vietnam as the main elements of their civil service reform. This study finds that there are considerable parallels in the merit-based policies ...of the two countries, despite the fact that Vietnam's civil service legal reforms are almost five years behind China's. Using policy transfer theory in conjunction with historical institutionalism, this study argues that the institutional, political, and cultural similarities and connections between the two countries are drivers of Vietnam's pragmatic approach to policy transfer from China. This study also highlights the significance of policy transfer and historical institutionalism in comparative public policy study.
Contemporary young students in Asia and in the Nordic region are increasingly learning English outside the classroom by using technology (a.k.a. Informal Digital Learning of English IDLE). This ...comparative study examines to what extent IDLE influences Korean and Swedish students’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC), a critical antecedent affecting actual L2 communication behaviour. After having achieved a cross‐cultural equivalence of the research instrument, Korean (n = 388) and Swedish (n = 144) secondary school students were surveyed. Results of hierarchical regression analyses show that Frequency of IDLE (the total amount of IDLE activities) predicts both cohorts’ L2 WTC, while Receptive IDLE activity (consuming English content) and Productive IDLE activity (producing English content) are predictors for only Koreans’ L2 WTC. Results suggest that Korean and Swedish students tend to more frequently initiate English communication when engaging in IDLE activities. Results also suggest how Receptive and Productive IDLE activities could uniquely facilitate the L2 communication behaviour of Korean EFL learners, who learn English in a linguistically and culturally homogeneous society. Apart from context‐specific pedagogical implications, this study could provide insights for L2 learners worldwide who have been learning language remotely with minimal supervision.
Practitioner notes
What is already known about this topic
Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) has been found to be beneficial in Korean and Swedish EFL students’ communication skills and productive vocabulary knowledge.
Diversity (a combination of form‐ and meaning‐focused activities), not frequency (amount of time) of IDLE activities, is a significant predictor of Korean learners’ scores on a productive vocabulary test. These results stand in contrast to results found in Sweden that reported a positive relationship between frequency of IDLE activities and productive vocabulary test scores.
After having achieved a cross‐cultural equivalence of the questionnaire, this comparative study aims to examine to what extent IDLE influences Korean and Swedish students’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC), which is a critical antecedent affecting actual L2 communication behaviour.
What this paper adds
Frequency of IDLE predicts both cohorts’ L2 WTC.
Receptive (consuming English content) and Productive IDLE activities (producing English content) seem to uniquely facilitate the L2 communication behaviour of Korean EFL learners, who learn English in a linguistically and culturally homogeneous society.
Implications for practice and policy
Informed by these results, L2 policymakers and teachers can design and implement socio‐culturally and contextually appropriate curricula and pedagogical practices to enhance learners’ L2 WTC and, ultimately, L2 communicative competence.
This study also provides insights for L2 learners worldwide who have been learning language remotely, with minimal supervision.
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•Different spectral methods were compared to distinguish different vegetable oils.•The correct classification rate of FTIR based on PLS-DA method was 100%.•FTIR and Vis-NIR were ...betteer than EEMs for the classification of vegetable oils.•SWATLD analysis showed that the content of fluorophores in different brands of vegetable oil are irregular.
Driven by economic benefits like any other foods, vegetable oil has long been plagued by mislabeling and adulteration. Many studies have addressed the field of classification and identification of vegetable oils by various analysis techniques, especially spectral analysis. A comparative study was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), visible near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIR) and excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with chemometrics to distinguish different types of edible vegetable oils. FTIR, Vis-NIR and EEMs datasets of 147 samples of five vegetable oils from different brands were analyzed. Two types of pattern recognition methods, principal component analysis (PCA)/multi-way principal component analysis (M-PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA)/multilinear partial least squares discriminant analysis (N-PLS-DA), were used to resolve these data and distinguish vegetable oil types, respectively. PCA/M-PCA analysis exhibited that three spectral data of five vegetable oils showed a clustering trend. The total correct recognition rate of the training set and prediction set of FTIR spectra of vegetable oil based on PLS-DA method are 100%. The total recognition rate of Vis-NIR based on PLS-DA are 100% and 97.96%. However, the total correct recognition rate of training set and prediction set of EEMs data based on N-PLS-DA method is 69.39% and 75.51%, respectively. The comparative study showed that FTIR and Vis-NIR combined with chemometrics were more suitable for vegetable oil species identification than EEMs technique. The reason may be concluded that almost all chemical components in vegetable oil can produce FTIR and NIR absorption, while only a small amount of fluorophores can produce fluorescence. That is, FTIR and NIR can provide more spectral information than EEMs. Analysis of EEMs data using self-weighted alternating trilinear decomposition (SWATLD) also showed that fluorophores were a few and irregularly distributed in vegetable oils.
•Performance and cost of VFB and IVFB are compared.•The overall electrochemical properties of the two batteries are similar.•The IVFB is of lower energy efficiency but superior self-discharge ...performance.•The capacity of IVFB can be recovered by renew the positive electrolyte.•The IVFB is cost-effective for long duration applications.
The flow battery employing soluble redox couples for instance the all-vanadium ions and iron-vanadium ions, is regarded as a promising technology for large scale energy storage, benefited from its numerous advantages of long cycle life, high energy efficiency and independently tunable power and energy. An open-ended question associated with iron-vanadium and all-vanadium flow battery is which one is more suitable and competitive for large scale energy storage applications. This work attempts to answer this question by means of a comprehensively comparative study with respects to the electrochemical properties, charging-discharging tests, cycling performances and capital cost. The results shown that: i) the overall electrochemical properties of the two batteries are similar because of the limitation of the same negative couple; ii) the iron-vanadium flow battery is of lower energy efficiencies especially at high current densities (9% less at 150 mA cm−2), but superior self-discharge property; iii) the efficiencies of the two batteries are both of outstanding stabilities during long-term running, while the capacity of iron-vanadium flow battery is less stable; iv) The capacity of iron-vanadium flow battery can be recovered by renew the positive electrolyte with acceptable expenses; v) the iron-vanadium flow battery is cost-effective for long duration applications.
Introduction: Nursing PhD program provides essential competency for professional role playing among the graduated according to society’s needs, but there are differences in the provided programs the ...analyzing of which would develop the discipline. This study aimed at comparing the curricula of nursing PhD programs in Bloomberg University and Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-comparative study was carried out based on Bereday’s model in 2018 and compared the components of nursing PhD program curriculum in Iran and Bloomberg University. The data were collected by searching through the internet and described, interpreted, juxtaposed and compared. Results: Although there were similarities, the purpose, the curriculum and the program implementation were different in these two universities. Different contents of the curriculum, educational methods, and the expected role of graduates were considerably different in Bloomberg University. Conclusion: In order to improve the quality of PhD nursing graduates in Iran, it is suggested that the content and method of providing courses be reviewed according to the roles and expectations of graduates and society’s needs. For exploring the weaknesses and strength of the program and providing more information for future planning, it is suggested that the quality of the curriculum be evaluated from the viewpoint of PhD students and faculty members.
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•FTIR, Vis-NIR and EEMs techniques were compared to detect olive oil adulteration.•FTIR/Vis-NIR obtained more information than EEMs in detecting olive oil adulteration.•FTIR/Vis-NIR ...was superior in detecting olive oil adulteration due to its convenience.•EEMs combined with SWATLD-BP-ANN accurately distinguish olive oil adulteration.
Several spectroscopic techniques have been used to detect olive oil adulteration. To evaluate the performance of these spectral techniques on this issue, this work performed a comparative study on identifying adulterated olive oil with different concentrations of soybean oil based on Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), visible-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) and excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with chemometrics. Principal component analysis (PCA)/ multi-way-PCA analysis showed the feasibility of the three spectral methods for the identification of olive oil adulteration. The accuracy of FTIR and Vis-NIR based on partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) for adulterated olive oil was 100%, while the accuracy of EEMs based on unfold-PLS-DA was only 73%. The accuracy of EEMs combined with back-propagation artificial neural network based on self-weighted alternating trilinear decomposition is 100%. In comparison, FTIR and Vis-NIR are superior for the detection of olive oil adulteration due to the convenience of instrument operation and modeling.
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