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In terms of European public administration, we can certainly talk about a specific and perhaps unfairly rarely spotlighted topic, which may be mainly behind it. That with regard to employment policy, the Union primarily transfers responsibility and authority to the governments of the member states, the common legislation emerging in this area is also of extreme importance. The objectives of the European employment strategy defined in the field of the common employment policy go back to 1997, which implemented "soft coordination" between the member states through the elaborated follow-up process and financing instruments. The most important objective of Europe 2020 was to improve the number and quality of jobs. Among the goals to be achieved by 2030, the focus is placed on the area of skills and social protection (EU Briefings on employment policy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Despite the signature of the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and subsequent adoption of the principles of effective development co‐operation (EDC) for better health co‐operation, there is a gap in documenting the challenges to implement these commitments at country level. Sudan represents an interesting case study. The country adopted a local health compact in 2014, but for much of the time since the regime had been under sanction. Sudan witnessed a revolution in 2018, followed by a counter‐coup in 2021. Purpose: We aim to explore the evolution of the relationships, perspectives, and compliance of Sudan's health sector partners in terms of the EDC principles of ownership, alignment, and harmonization, while accounting for underlying processes and context changes between 2015 and 2022. Methods and approach: We collected data through two rounds of interviews, in 2015 (16) and 2022 (8), with stakeholders within the Sudan Health Sector Partnership. We used the framework method for data analysis where responses are coded and then sorted into themes. Finding s : Before the 2019 revolution, co‐operation was progressive but restricted, with civil society marginalized and a dominating government. The EDC principles, especially ownership, were misused and misaligned with national priorities driven by donors' interests and conditions. The transition period (post‐revolution) witnessed an influx of partners, characterized by their openness, but unstable leadership and subsequent changes in priorities led to wasted opportunities. Following the coup, donors adopted a no‐contact policy towards the de facto government. The expectation was that civil society organizations would replace the government as the main implementers. Overall, limited co‐ordination capacity and no sustainability measures were present throughout. Policy implications: Much of what was observed was due to the often complicated and difficult context of the governance of Sudan. However, general issues arose, including the government's ability to co‐ordinate policy and implementation; the need for stable, legitimate arrangements; and the need to define the role of civil society and empower civil society organizations. In a complex and volatile context, revisiting partners' commitments through joint compact reviews and transparent EDC progress monitoring is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, environmental responsibility is an important factor that determines the success of a Supply Chain. In this study, we have considered green production in the light of various co-ordinations and contracts. This is a two-echelon Supply chain consisting of one manufacturer who designs and develops a green product and the retailer sells it to the environmentally aware customers and the awareness is converted to actual purchasing behaviour by the retailers marketing strategy and the manufacturer's product design and development which includes technology usage to develop the greenness,packaging and several other factors which were not studied earlier. All these factors are involved in our demand function which is distinct from the existing literature. The model is developed under three contracts, Price-only, green marketing cost sharing and two-part tariff contracts. This is an well-established fact that co-ordination enhances the economic benefits to every tier member of a chain. Our findings also establish that co-ordination and co-operation among members will enhance their environmental sustainability. In this way they can carry out their social responsibilities towards our environment. It is also noticed that as the environmental consciousness of the consumers increases, the cost sharing contract is more profitable for manufacturer than that for retailer whereas the price only contract is profitable for the retailer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this project was to better understand nurse navigators work with children and families who are living with severe autism spectrum disorder to achieve improved health and wellbeing outcomes. Nurse navigators were introduced into the public health sector in Queensland in 2016, with 400 navigators currently working across 16 health services in diverse geographic and demographic settings. Narrative inquiry was used to explore one nurse navigator's journey working with children and families living with severe Autism. The challenges of rigid health systems to adapt to the requirements of children with special needs, particularly in relation to care in the emergency department and where interventional procedures are necessary were apparent. Nurse navigators can effectively co-ordinate the care of an extremely vulnerable patient cohort and provide essential advocacy in a health system that is rigid and lacking the flexibility to deal with individual needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is estimated that by 2030, 24 million people worldwide will develop cancer, and 13 million will die annually, with 75% of deaths in low- and middle-income countries. The management and effective control of care have not been fully achieved due to a lack of material and human resources exacerbated by poor governance and co-ordination of the services. The study aimed to explore barriers to accessing oncology services for effective cancer care in the public health institutions in Limpopo province. The study was conducted in the five district hospitals in Limpopo province. A qualitative exploratory descriptive and contextual approach was used to collect data that employed focus group discussions amongst healthcare professionals in different disciplines. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to sample participants from various sections contributing to oncology care. Five focus group discussions were conducted at the selected hospitals. The data were analysed using the eight steps of Tesch’s method. The findings revealed that Limpopo province has a shortage of high-technology medical equipment, poor coordination, and a lack of oncological and allied expertise. Governments should ensure that patients receive the care required as stated in the constitution to navigate cancer care pathways to improve patient health outcomes, particularly in rural areas where care is fragmented and poorly financed. Recommendations to support oncology patients involve psychosocial work and palliative care of the multidisciplinary teams to be put forward. The identified barriers regarding oncology care may contribute to changing the departments’ outlook and effective functioning by including interdisciplinary oncology teams at all levels of care.

Abstract Background Health systems are complex, consisting of multiple interacting structures and actors whose effective coordination is paramount to enhancing health system goals. Health sector coordination is a potential source of inefficiency in the health sector. We examined how the coordination of the health sector affects health system efficiency in Kenya. Methods We conducted a qualitative cross-sectional study, collecting data at the national level and in two purposely selected counties in Kenya. We collected data using in-depth interviews (n = 37) with national and county-level respondents, and document reviews. We analyzed the data using a thematic approach. Results The study found that while formal coordination structures exist in the Kenyan health system, duplication, fragmentation, and misalignment of health system functions and actor actions compromise the coordination of the health sector. These challenges were observed in both vertical (coordination within the ministry of health, within the county departments of health, and between the national ministry of health and the county department of health) and horizontal coordination mechanisms (coordination between the ministry of health or the county department of health and non-state partners, and coordination among county governments). These coordination challenges are likely to impact the efficiency of the Kenyan health system by increasing the transaction costs of health system functions. Inadequate coordination also impairs the implementation of health programmes and hence compromises health system performance. Conclusion The efficiency of the Kenyan health system could be enhanced by strengthening the coordination of the Kenyan health sector. This can be achieved by aligning and harmonizing the intergovernmental and health sector-specific coordination mechanisms, strengthening the implementation of the Kenya health sector coordination framework at the county level, and enhancing donor coordination through common funding arrangements and integrating vertical disease programs with the rest of the health system. The ministry of health and county departments of health should also review internal organizational structures to enhance functional and role clarity of organizational units and staff, respectively. Finally, counties should consider initiating health sector coordination mechanisms between counties to reduce the fragmentation of health system functions across neighboring counties.

It is estimated that by 2030, 24 million people worldwide will develop cancer, and 13 million will die annually, with 75% of deaths in low- and middle-income countries. The management and effective control of care have not been fully achieved due to a lack of material and human resources exacerbated by poor governance and co-ordination of the services. The study aimed to explore barriers to accessing oncology services for effective cancer care in the public health institutions in Limpopo province. The study was conducted in the five district hospitals in Limpopo province. A qualitative exploratory descriptive and contextual approach was used to collect data that employed focus group discussions amongst healthcare professionals in different disciplines. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to sample participants from various sections contributing to oncology care. Five focus group discussions were conducted at the selected hospitals. The data were analysed using the eight steps of Tesch's method. The findings revealed that Limpopo province has a shortage of high-technology medical equipment, poor coordination, and a lack of oncological and allied expertise. Governments should ensure that patients receive the care required as stated in the constitution to navigate cancer care pathways to improve patient health outcomes, particularly in rural areas where care is fragmented and poorly financed. Recommendations to support oncology patients involve psychosocial work and palliative care of the multidisciplinary teams to be put forward. The identified barriers regarding oncology care may contribute to changing the departments' outlook and effective functioning by including interdisciplinary oncology teams at all levels of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa faces the triple burden of malnutrition, high poverty levels, unemployment, and inequality. “Wicked problems” such as these require innovative and transdisciplinary responses, multi-stakeholder coordination and collaboration, managing complex synergies and trade-offs, and achieving sustainable outcomes. Through qualitative content analysis of national and provincial sector-based policies, we explored the interlinkages between the agriculture, environment, and health sectors in South Africa in the context of sustainable food and nutrition security and the extent to which these interlinkages are integrated into policy and planning. A systemic analysis of the review outcomes was performed to identify its main learning outcome, the status quo in the policy process. The nature of feedback loops was identified, and a leverage point was suggested. The review highlighted that policymakers in the agriculture, environment and health sectors are aware of, and have understood, the relationships among the three sectors. They have also made attempts to address these interlinkages through collaboration and coordination. Unfortunately, this has been met with several challenges due to fragmented sector-specific mandates and targets and a lack of resources for integrated solutions. This creates implementation gaps and unintended duplication of activities, leading to poor service delivery. Transitioning to sustainable and healthy food systems will only be possible after these gaps have been closed and implementation optimization has been achieved. Focusing on meta-level problem-framing, functional collaboration through transdisciplinary approaches, and integrated targets are critical to successful policy implementation and progressive realization of national goals related to sustainable food and nutrition security, unemployment, poverty, and inequality.

UK policy targeting regional economic disparities has been characterised by frequent reversals and announcements, with multiple, uncoordinated public bodies, departments and levels of government responsible for delivery. Prior 'place-blind' national policies have given way recently to 'place-based' approaches, with a convergence between industrial and spatial policies. Yet a consequence of inconsistency and poor co-ordination is that the UK policy framework lacks adequate feedback mechanisms from local outcomes to the national policy process; there is a failure to learn. More effective policies to address spatial inequalities require institutional reform embedding evaluation and learning mechanisms into subsequent policy analysis and implementation. Other advanced economies offer institutional examples that could be feasibly implemented in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health systems are complex, consisting of multiple interacting structures and actors whose effective coordination is paramount to enhancing health system goals. Health sector coordination is a potential source of inefficiency in the health sector. We examined how the coordination of the health sector affects health system efficiency in Kenya. Methods: We conducted a qualitative cross-sectional study, collecting data at the national level and in two purposely selected counties in Kenya. We collected data using in-depth interviews (n = 37) with national and county-level respondents, and document reviews. We analyzed the data using a thematic approach. Results: The study found that while formal coordination structures exist in the Kenyan health system, duplication, fragmentation, and misalignment of health system functions and actor actions compromise the coordination of the health sector. These challenges were observed in both vertical (coordination within the ministry of health, within the county departments of health, and between the national ministry of health and the county department of health) and horizontal coordination mechanisms (coordination between the ministry of health or the county department of health and non-state partners, and coordination among county governments). These coordination challenges are likely to impact the efficiency of the Kenyan health system by increasing the transaction costs of health system functions. Inadequate coordination also impairs the implementation of health programmes and hence compromises health system performance. Conclusion: The efficiency of the Kenyan health system could be enhanced by strengthening the coordination of the Kenyan health sector. This can be achieved by aligning and harmonizing the intergovernmental and health sector-specific coordination mechanisms, strengthening the implementation of the Kenya health sector coordination framework at the county level, and enhancing donor coordination through common funding arrangements and integrating vertical disease programs with the rest of the health system. The ministry of health and county departments of health should also review internal organizational structures to enhance functional and role clarity of organizational units and staff, respectively. Finally, counties should consider initiating health sector coordination mechanisms between counties to reduce the fragmentation of health system functions across neighboring counties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research is to evaluate the psychomotor skills of kabaddi and kho-kho players in the district of Chhattisgarh. Thirty players from Kabaddi and another thirty from Kabaddi were chosen on purpose for the selected study. Ages of participants were from 18 to 22. The gathered data was calculated using the T-test. The results of this investigation confirmed the obvious differences between kabaddi and khokho players. The following variables were determined to be significant at the 0.05 level. Conclusions have been made, and the study's findings on speed indicate that participants have significant difference in this area. Players with a Kabaddi: Mean score of 7.67 outperformed those with a kho-kho score :6.09 in every way. The end outcome is agility. The study's findings on agility indicate that participants differed significantly in this area. The Kabaddi Mean players (21.20) outperformed the kho-kho Mean (10.64) players. The study's findings indicate that there were substantial differences among players when it came to balance. Players with a Kabaddi Mean of 28.74 outperformed those with a Kho-kho Mean of 10.71. The study's findings indicate that players differed significantly in terms of flexibility. Players with a Kabaddi Mean of 20.16 outperformed those with a kho-kho Mean of 15.66. The study's findings regarding eye-hand coordination indicate that there were substantial differences between players in this area. Kho-kho Mean (21.02) players weren't as good as Kabaddi Mean (22.71) players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Co-ordination assessment plays a pivotal role in evaluating motor function, particularly in adolescents, where impairments can have significant implications for daily activities and overall well-being. By providing standardised benchmarks, the reference value may have a potential effect to identify the optimal co-ordination among ideally developing young adolescents. Aim: To establish normative reference values for the Heel on Shin Test (HST) among healthy young adolescents aged 12-19 years. Materials and Methods: Weighing machine (healthgenie®), Anthropometer, Measuring tape, Stopwatch, other stationary items. The sample size for this test was 110 according to the formula: N=[(1.96*0.13) / (0.025)]2 =110. The anthropometric measurement was then taken for the selected participants. The selected participants were asked to be in supine lying position to perform “heel on shin test”, with eyes open and close for each side simultaneously with both limbs right limb following the left limb. They were instructed to place the heel of one foot onto the knee of the other leg and then slide the heel down the shin from the knee to the ankle and back up to the knee respectively. Results: The mean±SD, GM for HTS_R_EO was (2.39±0.17,2.39), HTS_R_EC was (2.36±0.16,2.35) and for left side mean±SD, GM is HTS_L_EO was (2.44±0.19,2.41), HTS_L_EC was (2.42±0.18,2.41) respectively. Conclusion: The normative values for the HST in adolescents provide crucial benchmarks for assessing motor function. These findings aid in identifying co-ordination impairments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Most transaction cost economic frameworks, commonly used to examine and explain the co‐ordination of agricultural transactions, use a linear approach for a single product transaction. This ignores the concurrence of multiple transactions by smallholder farmers in developing countries. Purpose: This study aims to understand co‐ordination among multiple product transactions by smallholder farmers and to identify ways to remove impediments to market participation. It develops an adapted transaction cost framework, considering contract types and forms of market participation as building blocks for co‐ordination structures. The framework was applied to explain co‐ordination structures between smallholders and buyers of cotton and cereals in southern Mali. Methods and approach: To make the framework operational, we did the following: (1) selected transaction characteristics; (2) elaborated benchmarks to describe the intensity of transactions; (3) identified co‐ordination structures; and (4) scored the intensity of transactions. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Findings The majority of farmers grew cotton and sold it to a parastatal company, the sole buyer, that also supported the provision of inputs. Inputs were used to grow not only cotton, but also cereals. Most farmers sold cereals on spot markets to collectors and traders. Using different structures allowed smallholders to obtain inputs and services, to pursue different income sources over the year, and to balance flexibility and security. Policy implications: Collective organizations of smallholder farmers should be supported to improve their financial and managerial capacities to allow them to co‐ordinate better with buyers and input suppliers. Institutional innovations to better balance risks for smallholders and buyers deserve consideration. These innovations include crop insurance, long‐term credit, and warehouse receipts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article is dedicated to the analysis of the problem of expediency of allocating conjunctionless phrases as an independent type of co-ordinate constructions. The main approaches to the consideration of conjunctionless units at the syntactic level of language are outlined. The specifics of the expression of the asyndetic connection in the plane of the phrase compared to the sentence are considered. The main means of connection between the components of a co- ordinate conjuntionless phrase – intonation and the order of constituents are described. Co-ordinate conjunctionless phrases include those that correlate with co-ordinate conjunctional phrases, the components of which are connected with co-ordinating conjunctions «і», «й», «та» or opposite «a». It is found out that at the formal-grammatical level, such asyndetic and syndetic syntaxemes are synonymous, but semantically differ in expressiveness. In addition, extended (polycomponent) and narrowed (two-component) series with homogeneous and heterogeneous constituents are typical for conjunctionless phrases, which in most cases tend to interchange positions. A distinctive feature of the extended series is that the last component can be connected with cumulative conjunction, thus imposing a shade of limitation of the series. Therefore, the set of such specific features represents the highest level of independence and equality between words, which form a co-ordinate conjunctionless phrase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: There is a wide‐ranging consensus that co‐ordination in development policy is needed for aid effectiveness. However, our research reveals a number of surprising and significant gaps in existing scholarship. Development co‐ordination in Palestine has not been researched and the phenomenon of aid co‐ordination as "shielding" against domestic contestation remains underexamined. Purpose: This article aims to provide a better understanding of the "risk shielding" dynamic in European development co‐ordination through four case studies. It envisages theoretical insights on the "shield effect" and specifically: (a) how cracks may entail co‐ordination collapse; and (b) which conditions influence the continuation of such donor co‐ordination schemes. Approach and methods: The pragmatic and inductive research strategy is based on 74 expert interviews in Jerusalem and Ramallah in 2017 and 2019, which are triangulated with primary sources, existing evaluations, verification meetings and secondary literature. We examine four cases that vary in terms of successfulness. Coincidental variation between and within the cases allows us to infer theoretical insights. Findings: While donor co‐ordination in Palestine has often been pursued in order to shield against contestation, an opposite dynamic can also emerge whereby one donor succumbs to pressures and thereby contaminates the entire donor group. Our article provides an empirically grounded theorization of co‐ordination schemes' sustainability by identifying: (a) a five‐stage script of how domestic contestation may erode the shield; and (b) three conditions for sustainable co‐ordination. Finally, we make suggestions for further research, for instance from a politicization perspective. Policy implications: Before engaging in far‐reaching co‐ordination schemes, donors should consider the possible impact of domestic contestation within fellow donors and the creation of additional protective belts through international organizations. While donor consortia seem to be useful shields against attacks, they may put a heavy burden on all donors involved. Donors that are confident about domestic support should therefore consider going it alone. While Palestine constitutes a unique context, we expect that domestic contestation of aid will grow and hence that the "shielding" purpose will become increasingly relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience embraces preparation for crises, disasters, calamities and their management to mitigate losses and costs. National resilience is benefited by constructive federalism between our federal entities, states, and territories, supported and enabled by a strong defence and industry capability suite. A co-ordinated and structured response, with appropriate and ideally common command-and-control structures and mechanisms, can assist to mitigate crises and enhance the trust and faith the community has in our emergency-response capabilities at their time of need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationalism has long been regarded as an important goal of any national conflict of laws system. The three main branches of the subject – jurisdiction, choice of law and recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments – should be developed in a manner sympathetic to the needs of international trade and interaction and allow for recognition of foreign interests. In exceptional cases, however, local public policy should also be available to protect private rights. Internationalism is a major theme in the recent book, The Conflict of Laws in New Zealand. This article assesses the state of internationalism in New Zealand conflict of laws and the contribution of the book to the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mono- and dinuclear ruthenium(II) complexes were synthesised. • Coordination sphere of the complexes controlled by the dicarboxamide ligands. • The ruthenium(II) complexes were active in transfer hydrogenation of ketones. • Catalytic activities influenced by the identity of the ligand backbone and co-ligands. • Monohydride inner-sphere mechanistic route was proposed. Reactions of ligand N,N -(1,4-phenylene)-dipicolinamide (H 2 L1), with [Ru(PPh 3) 3 (CO)HCl] produced the dinuclear complex [Ru 2 (H 2 L1)(PPh 3) 4 (CO) 2 H 2 ]2+[2Cl−]− (Ru1). On the other hand, treatments of ligand N,N -(1,2-phenylene)-dipicolinamide (H 2 L2) , with two and one molar equivalents of [Ru(PPh 3) 3 (CO)HCl] afforded the dinuclear and mononuclear complexes [ Ru 2 (H L2)(PPh 3) 3 (CO) 3 HCl 2 ] (Ru2) and [Ru(HL2)(PPh 3) 2 (CO)H] (Ru3) respectively. The identities and structures of complexes Ru1-Ru3 were established using NMR, FT-IR spectroscopic techniques, mass spectrometry, and elemental analyses. The complexes Ru1-Ru3 displayed high catalytic activities in the transfer hydrogenation of a wide range of ketones. The hydride complex Ru1 was the most active, while the dinuclear complex Ru2 was more active than the analogous mononuclear complex Ru3. 31P NMR spectroscopic analyses of the reaction intermediates was used to propose a monohydride pathway in the transfer hydrogenation reactions involving dissociation of one PPh 3 ligand. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with chronic widespread pain (CWP) are often unfit for work and go through lengthy treatment. In Denmark, this includes contacts with the job center in their municipality, their general practitioner (GP) and one or more hospital units. Little is known about how coordination around patients with CWP functions and is perceived by professionals. Therefore, our aim is to explore how GPs, social workers from municipality job centers and hospital staff experience interprofessional coordination for patients with CWP. Interviews with 7 GPs, 12 social workers, and 10 hospital staff were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The participants experienced challenges with coordination, primarily in the relations between social workers and GPs. There was an over-reliance on written communication in situations where the actors had divergent agendas, opposing professional roles and conflicting approaches to time. GPs tended to lengthen the time spans for treating patients, while social workers tried to shorten them so that patients could get back to work. Applying the theory of relational coordination (RC), the findings correspond to a low level of RC, indicating a need for shared accountability, and strengthened interpersonal communication between professionals. Abbreviations: CWP: Chronic widespread pain; GPs: General practitioners; RC: Relational coordination; IPA: Interpretative phenomenological analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socio-economically, South Africa is a grossly unequal country. For the indigent there is a clear need for legal aid services to enable meaningful access to the legal system as a mechanism to promote greater social justice. This article proposes mechanisms to meet two aims: to promote high-level free legal service provision through much improved coordination between legal service providers; and to inculcate a co-operative and integrated approach to legal aid services for satisfactory standards of legal aid provision. This research has a qualitative focus in contrast to almost all research on legal aid in South Africa, which has concentrated on the expansion of legal aid services quantitatively- ie in terms of increasing the number of clients being assisted. If legal aid service provision is not of an adequate standard, it puts into serious question the value of the service delivery. A high quality and co-ordinated legal aid network is well positioned to act as a conduit for the realisation of legal rights and entitlements for a better standard of living for all. This article proposes various means for a more cohesive legal aid system in South Africa as well as the advantages which such cohesion would inevitably have for both legal service providers and those whom they serve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operational planning is an activity carried out by all manufacturing and logistical companies. Its co-ordination with supply chain partners aims at synchronising resources utilisation in order to minimise inefficiencies, such as unnecessary inventory holding, or in order to improve revenue through better resource utilisation. It is a rather complex process as partners have different objectives and information asymmetry is part of any effort to find good co-ordination solutions. Furthermore, because supply chains evolve in a dynamic and uncertain environment, once a co-ordination of operations plans is achieved, input data, such as forecasts or resources’ status, can change and affect on hand plans. These dynamic changes not only require updating the plan that is directly affected by the changes, but it also requires the adjustment of all plans that are part of the same co-ordination solution (Stadtler, H. 2009. A framework for collaborative planning and state-of-the-art.OR Spectrum, 31 (1), 5–30). Therefore, the development of a practical co-ordination approach should be capable of dealing with these dynamic changes. This paper proposes a dynamic mutual adjustment search heuristic, which can be used to co-ordinate the operations plans of two independent supply chain partners, linked by material and non-strategic information flows. Computational analysis shows that the proposed approach produces a win-win strategy in the context of two supply chain partners, and improves the results of upstream planning in each planning cycle, and also improves the fairness of revenue sharing when compared to optimal centralised planning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new dynamic model for co-ordinated scheduling of interlinked processes in a supply chain under a process modernisation is presented. Such a problem is vital in many of the supply chain management domains. This problem is represented as a special case of the scheduling problem with dynamically distributed jobs. The peculiarity of the proposed approach is the dynamic interpretation of scheduling based on a natural dynamic decomposition of the problem and its solution with the help of a modified form of continuous maximum principle blended with combinatorial optimisation. The special properties of the developed model allow using methods of discrete optimisation for the schedule calculation. Optimality and sufficiency conditions as well as structural properties of the model are investigated. Advantages and limitations of the proposed approach are discussed. With the developed approach, an explicit inclusion of a process modernisation in the SC co-ordinated decisions for a wide ranges of possible applications as well as a dynamic model and a tractable algorithm for optimal discrete time scheduling on the basis of continuous maximum principle have been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background and Aims The dynamics of plant architecture is a central aspect of plant and crop models. Most models assume that whole shoot development is orchestrated by the leaf appearance rate, which follows a thermal time schedule. However, leaf appearance actually results from leaf extension and taking it as an input hampers our ability to understand shoot construction. The objective of the present study was to assess a modelling framework for grasses, in which the emergence of leaves and other organs is explicitly calculated as a result of their extension. Methods The approach builds on a previous model, which uses a set of rules co-ordinating the timing of development within and between phytomers. We first assessed rule validity for four experimental datasets, including different cultivars, planting densities and environments, and accordingly revised the equations driving the extension of the upper leaves and of internodes. We then fitted model parameters for each dataset and evaluated the ability to simulate the measured phenotypes across time. Finally, we carried out a sensitivity analysis to identify the parameters that had the greatest impact and to investigate model behaviour. Key Results The modified version of the model simulated correctly the contrasting maize phenotypes. Co-ordination rules accounted for the observations in all studied cultivars. Factors with major impact on model output included extension rates, the time of tassel initiation and initial conditions. A large diversity of phenotypes could be simulated. Conclusions This work provides direct experimental evidence for co-ordination rules and illustrates the capacity of the model to represent contrasting phenotypes. These rules play an important role in patterning shoot architecture and some of them need to be assessed further, considering contrasting growth conditions. To make the model more predictive, several parameters could be considered in the future as internal variables driven by plant status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: This article analyses the lessons learned through the lived experience of the 2011–2015 Trilateral Project of Technical Support to the Programs of Nutrition and Food Security (PSAL), a collaboration between US and Brazilian organizations working together in Mozambique with local partners. The PSAL project tested and adapted vegetable crop production, post‐harvest and processing practices and technologies; developed field infrastructure for research, extension and processing; trained scores of Mozambican researchers, interns, interviewers and extension technicians; and collected, organized and made systematic socioeconomic information publicly available. Purpose: Trilateral co‐operation (TC) is an innovative model of development assistance involving collaboration by a traditional donor, a pivotal country and a host country. There is little documentation on how it works in practice. In this article, key questions were explored regarding three aspects of suggested best practices for TC: collaboration and co‐ordination; ownership and synergies; adaptive governance. Approach and Methods: The project sought to experiment with and learn about practical mechanisms and strategies for effective implementation of TC, and to document benefits, challenges and lessons learned during the process. Drawing on dozens of interviews, anonymous individual surveys of project participants and discussions at the beginning and the end of the project, this article explores the principal challenges and gains from working in TC from the perspective of dozens of project participants. Findings: Project participants reported that they improved many aspects of their technical capacity, and benefited from multidisciplinary learning through participation in TC, strengthening Mozambique's institutional capacity to improve vegetable production. Policy implications and Conclusions: The article concludes with recommendations for future TC projects: invest in communications and collaboration based on interdisciplinary trilateral teams; involve all levels of organizations as well as all participating actors in the whole value chain; address limitations, priorities and incentives in local institutions; and adopt innovative and adaptive governance strategies and mechanisms to address the evolution of complex trilateral interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global healthcare landscape has changed dramatically and rapidly in 2020. This has had an impact upon paediatricians and in particular respiratory paediatricians. The effects in Europe, with its mature healthcare system, have been far faster and greater than most authorities anticipated. Within six weeks of COVID-19 being declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation [WHO] in China, Europe had become the new epicentre of disease. A pandemic was finally declared by the WHO on March 11th 2020. Continued international travel combined with the slow response of some political leaders and a variable focus on economic rather than health consequences resulted in varying containment strategies in response to the threat of the initial wave of the pandemic. It is likely that this variation has contributed to widely differing outcomes across Europe. Common to all countries was the stark lack of preparations and initial poor co-ordination of responses between levels of government to this unforeseen but not unheralded global health crisis. In this article we highlight the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on an experimental investigation of the emergence of Spontaneous Order, the idea that societies can co-ordinate, without government intervention, on a form of society that is good for its citizens, as described by Adam Smith. Our experimental design is based on a production game with a convex input provision possibility frontier, where subjects have to choose a point on this frontier. We start with a simple society consisting of just two people, two inputs, one final good and in which the production process exhibits returns to specialisation. We then study more complex societies by increasing the size of the society (groups of 6 and 9 subjects) and the number of inputs (6 and 9 inputs respectively), as well as the combinations of inputs that each subject can provide. This form of production can be characterised as a cooperative game, where the Nash equilibrium predicts that the optimal outcome is achieved when each member of this society specialises in the provision of a single input. Based on this framework, we investigate whether Spontaneous Order can emerge, without it being imposed by the government. We find strong evidence in favour of the emergence of Spontaneous Order, with communication being an important factor. Using text classification algorithms (Multinomial Naive Bayes) we quantitatively analyse the available chat data and we provide insight into the kind of communication that fosters specialisation in the absence of external involvement. We note that, while communication has been shown to foster coordination in other contexts (for example, in public goods games, market entry games and competitive coordination games) this contribution is in the context of a production game where specialisation is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acquiring good serving skills is prerequisite for placement of special need students undergoing vocational training in hospitality and catering department in vocational school. Many studies have been done on balance and coordination on Down's syndrome and Autistic children, but there are no studies done so far on serving skills in these special need students. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of occupational therapy (OT) program incorporating rehabilitation balance and coordination training exercises in improving serving skills of special need children in catering and hospitality department, as effective serving skills was the prerequisites for securing a placement for internship in the hospitality industry. Study Design: A prospective one-arm interventional study was chosen for the research. Methods: A total of 15 students with special needs in the age group of 17-23 years who were to be graduated and had to secure internships were assessed. The study was conducted from June 2018 to March 2019. All students were assessed on Static Balance Test, Standing on Right Leg Scale (SORL) and Standing on Left Leg Scale (SOLL), and Hand to Wall Toss Test (HTWTT) for coordination. They were also assessed by the teachers' feedback form of serving skills which were recorded pre and post rehabilitation training. After the baseline scores were recorded, Phase 1 exercises of balance and coordination were given separately on stable surface for 12 weeks; first follow-up scores were recorded. Then, Phase 2 exercises started after 12 weeks which included combination of balance and coordination given on unstable surface and after 24 weeks the second follow readings were recorded. Results: An OT intervention exercises in the combination of balance and coordination was given to students on unstable surface to improve the serving skills of the students. At the end of 12 weeks post-exercises training it showed that SORL improved significantly (P < 0.001), 95% confidence interval (8.79-24.70). The SOLL also improved significantly (P < 0.009), 95% CI (7.59-24.14). Even the HTWTT improved significantly (P < 0.001), 95% CI (12.63-18.83); therefore, the training was significantly helpful in improving balance/coordination at the end of 12 weeks. At 24 weeks also post exercises training the SORL improved significantly (P < 0.009), 95% CI (13.34-33.06). The SOLL also improved significantly (P < 0.001), 95% CI (11.10-30.90). Similarly, HTWTT also improved significantly (P < 0.001), 95% CI (15.96-22.44). Therefore, the training was significantly helpful in improving balance/coordination at the end of 24 weeks. Teachers' feedback questionnaire showed significant improvement (P < 0.000), 95% CI (18.81-22.93). Conclusion: This study shows that OT intervention exercises in the combination of balance and coordination exercise given on unstable surface improve the serving skills of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant respiration is an important contributor to the proposed positive global carbon‐cycle feedback to climate change. However, as a major component, leaf mitochondrial ('dark') respiration (Rd) differs among species adapted to contrasting environments and is known to acclimate to sustained changes in temperature. No accepted theory explains these phenomena or predicts its magnitude. Here we propose that the acclimation of Rd follows an optimal behaviour related to the need to maintain long‐term average photosynthetic capacity (Vcmax) so that available environmental resources can be most efficiently used for photosynthesis. To test this hypothesis, we extend photosynthetic co‐ordination theory to predict the acclimation of Rd to growth temperature via a link to Vcmax, and compare predictions to a global set of measurements from 112 sites spanning all terrestrial biomes. This extended co‐ordination theory predicts that field‐measured Rd and Vcmax accessed at growth temperature (Rd,tg and Vcmax,tg) should increase by 3.7% and 5.5% per degree increase in growth temperature. These acclimated responses to growth temperature are less steep than the corresponding instantaneous responses, which increase 8.1% and 9.9% per degree of measurement temperature for Rd and Vcmax respectively. Data‐fitted responses proof indistinguishable from the values predicted by our theory, and smaller than the instantaneous responses. Theory and data are also shown to agree that the basal rates of both Rd and Vcmax assessed at 25°C (Rd,25 and Vcmax,25) decline by ~4.4% per degree increase in growth temperature. These results provide a parsimonious general theory for Rd acclimation to temperature that is simpler—and potentially more reliable—than the plant functional type‐based leaf respiration schemes currently employed in most ecosystem and land‐surface models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the system of application of European Union coordination regulations on the payment of family allowances. It focuses on comparing selected controlable family benefits, namely parental allowance, to compare the duration of parental leave in the EU Member States between 2010 and 2016 with respect to the Slovak Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the co-ordination of order quantities amongst the players in a four-level supply chain with a centralised decision process. The first level of the supply chain consists of multiple buyers, the second level of a vendor (manufacturer), the third level consists of multiple tier-1 suppliers, and the fourth level consists of multiple tier-2 suppliers. Each supplier supplies one or more items that are components of the product produced by the manufacturer. The model developed in this paper guarantees that the local costs for the players either remain the same as before co-ordination, or decrease as a result of co-ordination. A mathematical model is developed, with numerical examples presented and results discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switching costs and network effects bind customers to vendors if products are incompatible, locking customers or even markets in to early choices. Lock-in hinders customers from changing suppliers in response to (predictable or unpredictable) changes in efficiency, and gives vendors lucrative ex post market power—over the same buyer in the case of switching costs (or brand loyalty), or over others with network effects.Firms compete ex ante for this ex post power, using penetration pricing, introductory offers, and price wars. Such “competition for the market" or “life-cycle competition" can adequately replace ordinary compatible competition, and can even be fiercer than compatible competition by weakening differentiation. More often, however, incompatible competition not only involves direct efficiency losses but also softens competition and magnifies incumbency advantages. With network effects, established firms have little incentive to offer better deals when buyers’ and complementors’ expectations hinge on non-efficiency factors (especially history such as past market shares), and although competition between incompatible networks is initially unstable and sensitive to competitive offers and random events, it later “tips" to monopoly, after which entry is hard, often even too hard given incompatibility. And while switching costs can encourage small-scale entry, they discourage sellers from raiding one another’s existing customers, and so also discourage more aggressive entry.Because of these competitive effects, even inefficient incompatible competition is often more profitable than compatible competition, especially for dominant firms with installed-base or expectational advantages. Thus firms probably seek incompatibility too often. We therefore favor thoughtfully pro-compatibility public policy.

Early childhood education is the basis upon which all levels of education are anchored. The main purpose of this study was to assess co-ordination as a management strategy and its effects on efficacies in the administration of finances in public ECDE centers in Uasin-Gishu County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The sample size was based on Krejcie and Morgan formula. Schools were stratified to their quotas. Furthermore, 224 ECDE teachers, 55 headteachers, 55 SMC chairpersons, 1 QASO, 1 County chief education officer and 1 County auditor were sampled using stratified, simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Data was collected using interviews and questionnaires. The instruments were piloted in Nandi County and Cronbach Alpha coefficient was used to test the reliability of the instruments. Data was analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient analysis. This study found out that Infrastructural development funds for ECDE schools in the county were mainly from the County government and parents. In addition, the study found a significant correlation between coordination strategies and financial management efficacies. The study recommends that there is need for ECDE management committee to: plan for resources early enough before spending to curb waste. It is hoped that the findings will be of great significance to policy makers on understanding the best strategies which if implemented will promote efficacies in the administration of ECDE funds.

The article presents some essential characteristics of collaboration between the school counselling service and individuals or institutions in the community. The role of school counselling in Slovenia is not limited merely to counselling and providing direct assistance to students with learning and their personal development. Rather, it includes the encouragement of all participants in the educational process to create adequate learning environments. The role, however, should also be understood in broader terms as organizational and content collaboration with external environments, institutions and individuals in the community. The authors begin by proposing some starting points for collaboration between the school counselling service and the local community and, in the second part of the article, they move on to the findings of their empirical research study, conducted on a representative sample of school counsellors working in Slovenian primary schools. The results prove the need for collaboration between the school counselling service and different institutions or individuals in the community. The authors primarily focus on examining the obstacles and drawbacks to the collaboration, while they simultaneously highlight examples of good practice that enable constructive collaboration, without which schools and school-based counselling would not be able to contribute to educational processes. The described examples demonstrate that collaboration between schools/school counsellors and institutions/individuals in the community is crucial to solving the problems that students and their families face.

Abstract Background In 2011, the UK physical activity guidelines were updated to include recommendations for muscle strengthening and balance & coordination (at least two sessions of relevant activities per week). However, monitoring and policy efforts remain focussed on aerobic activity. This study aimed to assess differences by gender and age in the a) prevalence of muscle strengthening and balance & co-ordination guidelines, and b) participation in guideline-specific activities. Methods The sample for the muscle strengthening analyses was 10,488 adult (16–64 years) and 3857 older adult (≥65 years) 2012–2014 Scottish Health Survey respondents. The balance & co-ordination analyses used only the older adult responses. Differences by gender and (where possible) age in guideline prevalence and activity participation were assessed using logistic regression and t-tests. Results Thirty-one percent of men and 24 % of women met the muscle strengthening guideline, approximately half that of published figures for aerobic physical activity. Nineteen percent of older men and 12 % of older women met the balance & co-ordination guidelines. The oldest age groups were less likely to meet both guidelines compared to the youngest age groups. Differences by gender were only evident for muscle strengthening: more men met the guidelines than women in all age groups, with the largest difference amongst 16–24 year olds (55 % men compared with 40 % women). Participation in relevant activities differed by gender for both guidelines. ‘Workout at gym’ was the most popular activity to improve muscle strength for men (18 % participated), while swimming was for women (15 % participated). Golf was the most popular activity to improve balance & co-ordination for older men (11 % participated) and aerobics was for older women (6 % participated). Participation decreased in most muscle strengthening activities for both men and women. One exception was golf, where participation levels were as high amongst older men as in younger age groups, although overall levels were low (3 % of all men). Conclusions Physical activity policy should aim to increase prevalence of these ‘forgotten’ guidelines, particularly amongst young women (for muscle strengthening) and older age groups (both guidelines). Gender and age participation differences should be considered when designing population-level interventions.

The Swat valley in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province was affected by a protracted conflict and super flood between 2007 and 2010. This article explores local perceptions of the Swat response, which presented complex challenges for rehabilitation and livelihood recovery of affected communities. This study examines local perceptions of how non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) and government response addressed livelihood revival needs, considers questions relating to the nature and dynamics of the conflict and floods and reflects on the issues and lessons of post‐disaster relief and development. The qualitative case study was conducted between September 2010 and February 2011. Primary data were collected in 11 villages and localities from beneficiaries and non‐beneficiaries, government representatives, community leaders and programme officials involved in livelihood interventions. This article identifies the shortcomings associated with the targeted response, as well as the types of response offered in the form of beneficiary selection and elite co‐opting of aid. The response was affected by a lack of relief, recovery and development programme co‐ordination, weak institutional support and non‐prioritization of local needs. The article recommends that for effective development policy and practice, local ownership of response and recovery programmes needs to be promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2011 Durban Adaptation Charter for Local Governments calls on local governments, worldwide, to institutionalise climate response, with the aim of minimising the impacts of climate change on local livelihoods and vulnerable communities. This paper, through the use of case studies, in-depth interviews and document review, assesses how three non-metropolitan municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, a district municipality, and two local municipalities under its jurisdiction, are responding to this call. The results suggest that while the municipalities have adopted measures to institutionalise climate responses, the responses are relatively new and implementation is slow, complex and fraught with limitations and competing demands. Furthermore, there appears to be a lack of co-ordination of responses between the two levels of government, which has the potential to lead to duplication. Given the multi-scalar nature of climate change, emphasis on co-ordination and the inclusion of all municipal departments in the development and implementation of responses is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]