Social Studies, Grade 3. Teaching Systems II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Elementary Curriculum Development.

The overall social studies recommended program is described in SO 000 675; the nature of this guide, and the emphasis and organization of the units are described in SO 000 679. The three units in this part of the third grade course are: Tropical Rainforest, Mountain Communities, and Grassland Communities involving the typical climatic conditions,…

Communities of Practice for the Development of Adolescent Civic Engagement: An Empirical Study of Their Correlates in Australia and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Homana, Gary A.

2009-01-01

The relationships between a multidimensional model of school community and civic engagement were examined using survey data collected for the 1999 IEA Civic Education Study from large, nationally representative samples of adolescents in Australia and the United States. This study extends previous research by considering the extent to which…

Association of Resident Coverage with Cost, Length of Stay, and Profitability at a Community Hospital

PubMed Central

Shine, Daniel; Beg, Sumbul; Jaeger, Joseph; Pencak, Dorothy; Panush, Richard

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE The effect of care by medical residents on hospital length of stay (LOS), indirect costs, and reimbursement was last examined across a range of illnesses in 1981; the issue has never been examined at a community hospital. We studied resource utilization and reimbursement at a community hospital in relation to the involvement of medical residents. DESIGN This nonrandomized observational study compared patients discharged from a general medicine teaching unit with those discharged from nonteaching general medical/surgical units. SETTING A 620-bed community teaching hospital with a general medicine teaching unit (resident care) and several general medicine nonteaching units (no resident care). PATIENTS All medical discharges between July 1998 and February 1999, excluding those from designated subspecialty and critical care units. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Endpoints included mean LOS in excess of expected LOS, mean cost in excess of expected mean payments, and mean profitability (payments minus total costs). Observed values were obtained from the hospital's database and expected values from a proprietary risk–cost adjustment program. No significant difference in LOS between 917 teaching-unit patients and 697 nonteaching patients was demonstrated. Costs averaged $3,178 (95% confidencence interval (CI) ± $489) less than expected among teaching-unit patients and $4,153 (95% CI ± $422) less than expected among nonteaching-unit patients. Payments were significantly higher per patient on the teaching unit than on the nonteaching units, and as a result mean, profitability was higher: $848 (95% CI ± $307) per hospitalization for teaching-unit patients and $451 (95% CI ± $327) for patients on the nonteaching units. Teaching-unit patients of attendings who rarely admitted to the teaching unit (nonteaching attendings) generated an average profit of $1,299 (95% CI ± $613), while nonteaching patients of nonteaching attendings generated an average profit of $208 (95% CI ± $437). CONCLUSIONS Resident care at our community teaching hospital was associated with significantly higher costs but also with higher payments and greater profitability. PMID:11251744

Fiscal Year 1989 Unit Cost Report for the Public Community Colleges of Illinois.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Community Coll. Board, Springfield.

Fiscal year (FY) 1989 results of the annual unit cost study of the Illinois public community colleges are presented in this report, based on data on course offerings, enrollments, and costs provided by the colleges. After an initial summary overview, data and analyses are presented showing net instructional unit costs for FY 1989 compared with…

Online Workforce Development in Community Colleges: Connection with Community, Institutional, and Governance Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Githens, Rod Patrick; Sauer, Timothy M.; Crawford, Fashaad L.; Cumberland, Denise M.; Wilson, Kristin B.

2014-01-01

This study examined community and institutional factors that influence offering online workforce development programs in community colleges. The study included a random sample of 321 community college in the United States. Findings conclude that colleges operating under statewide governance structures and in states with more highly centralized…

Parental Involvement and Home Environment in Music: Current and Former Students from Selected Community Music Programs in Brazil and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Gail V.; DeFreitas, Aureo; Grego, John

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether individuals' perceptions of parental involvement and home environment in music vary with nationality (Brazil/United States) and time frame (past/current). Past and current students from selected community music programs in the United States and Brazil completed the PI-HEM (Parental Involvement and…

Definition of sampling units begets conclusions in ecology: the case of habitats for plant communities.

PubMed

Mörsdorf, Martin A; Ravolainen, Virve T; Støvern, Leif Einar; Yoccoz, Nigel G; Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg Svala; Bråthen, Kari Anne

2015-01-01

In ecology, expert knowledge on habitat characteristics is often used to define sampling units such as study sites. Ecologists are especially prone to such approaches when prior sampling frames are not accessible. Here we ask to what extent can different approaches to the definition of sampling units influence the conclusions that are drawn from an ecological study? We do this by comparing a formal versus a subjective definition of sampling units within a study design which is based on well-articulated objectives and proper methodology. Both approaches are applied to tundra plant communities in mesic and snowbed habitats. For the formal approach, sampling units were first defined for each habitat in concave terrain of suitable slope using GIS. In the field, these units were only accepted as the targeted habitats if additional criteria for vegetation cover were fulfilled. For the subjective approach, sampling units were defined visually in the field, based on typical plant communities of mesic and snowbed habitats. For each approach, we collected information about plant community characteristics within a total of 11 mesic and seven snowbed units distributed between two herding districts of contrasting reindeer density. Results from the two approaches differed significantly in several plant community characteristics in both mesic and snowbed habitats. Furthermore, differences between the two approaches were not consistent because their magnitude and direction differed both between the two habitats and the two reindeer herding districts. Consequently, we could draw different conclusions on how plant diversity and relative abundance of functional groups are differentiated between the two habitats depending on the approach used. We therefore challenge ecologists to formalize the expert knowledge applied to define sampling units through a set of well-articulated rules, rather than applying it subjectively. We see this as instrumental for progress in ecology as only rules based on expert knowledge are transparent and lead to results reproducible by other ecologists.

Korean-Americans in Los Angeles: Their Concerns and Language Maintenance. Technical Report 01-81.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Kenneth Kong-On; And Others

A preliminary study was conducted by the National Center for Bilingual Education on the Korean community living in the United States. The study focused on Korean Americans residing within the Los Angeles Long Beach area of southern California, one of the largest Korean communities in the United States. This report includes: (1) a history of the…

Play a Part in Crime Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commercial Union Insurance Companies, Boston, MA.

These units of study will help students in grades five through nine understand the effects various crimes have on individuals, families, and communities. They can be used by teachers, police departments, boy and girl scouts, and community groups. The units deal with shoplifting, buying stolen goods, employee theft, and vandalism. Each lesson…

Positive Workplace Dynamics: A Qualitative Exploration of Exceptional Performance in Community College Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stapleton, R. Michael

2013-01-01

This companion dissertation reports the findings of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. In addition, prior ample evidence confirmed that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The…

Leading Professional Learning to Develop Professional Capital: The Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit's Facilitator Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osmond-Johnson, Pamela

2017-01-01

Drawing on data from a mixed methods study of the Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit's (SPDU) Facilitator Community, this paper highlights the potential of teacher-led professional learning in developing professional capital through engagement in teacher leadership. Analysis of survey, interview, and observational data revealed the…

Translation of the Diabetes Prevention Program to Ethnic Communities in the United States.

PubMed

Hall, Daniel L; Lattie, Emily G; McCalla, Judith R; Saab, Patrice G

2016-04-01

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidenced-based lifestyle intervention for type 2 diabetes (T2D), has been translated for use with ethnic minority communities throughout the United States that are disproportionately at-risk for T2D. The present paper sought to critically review ethnic translation studies of the DPP with respect to translation methods utilized, the success of these methods, and alternative or supplemental methodologies for future translation efforts. Manuscripts reviewed were found by searching PubMed and PsycINFO, using the terms: "diabetes prevention program" AND ["translation" or "ethnic"]. Of 89 papers found, only 6 described ethnic translations of the DPP in the United States, and were included in this review. Translations of the DPP to African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Arab American, and American Indian and Native Alaskan communities were identified and reviewed. The most common translation strategies included group-based delivery and use of bilingual study personnel. Generally, these factors appeared to increase acceptability of the intervention within the ethnic communities reviewed, and should be considered in future efforts to implement and translate the DPP to ethnic communities in the United States.

Maximizing the Functional Status of Geriatric Patients in an Acute Community Hospital Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meissner, Paul; And Others

1989-01-01

Compared patients (N=103) admitted to inpatient geriatric care unit focusing on restoration of functional status to control-unit patients (N=75). Found greater improvement in basic functional capabilities of study-unit than control-unit patients. Found mixed picture when length of stay and total charges of study- and control-unit patients were…

Infant Feeding Practices: Perceptions of Native American Mothers and Health Paraprofessionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horodynski, Mildred A; Calcatera, Mary; Carpenter, Amanda

2012-01-01

Objective: To ascertain infant feeding practices and to explore the feasibility of an in-home feeding intervention with Native American Indian (NAI) mothers in six Native American communities in the United States (US). Design: Qualitative focus group study. Setting: Six Native American communities in the Midwest region of the United States.…

Looks Count for Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schumaker-Chadde, Joan; Klipp, Jennifer; Crouch, Andy

2004-01-01

The potential for explosive urban sprawl is what motivated these authors to create a unit on community planning and the visual environment. They thought this unit would be an excellent way to engage students in a real-world issue that was relevant to their lives, while at the same time addressing social studies, language arts, and science content…

Community Prevention Coalition Context and Capacity Assessment: Comparing the United States and Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Louis D.; Chilenski, Sarah M.; Ramos, Rebeca; Gallegos, Nora; Feinberg, Mark E.

2016-01-01

Effective planning for community health partnerships requires understanding how initial readiness--that is, contextual factors and capacity--influences implementation of activities and programs. This study compares the context and capacity of drug and violence prevention coalitions in Mexico to those in the United States. Measures of coalition…

Entrepreneurial Orientation of Community College Workforce Divisions and the Impact of Organizational Structure: A Grounded Theory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiefen, Kathleen M.

2010-01-01

This research focused on how organizational structure of community colleges influenced the entrepreneurial orientation of deans, directors, vice presidents, and vice chancellors of workforce units. Using grounded theory methodology, the researcher identified three emergent theories applicable to both integrated and separate workforce units. These…

Effects of a drawdown on plant communities in a freshwater impoundment at Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howard, Rebecca J.; Allain, Larry

2012-01-01

Disturbance is an important natural process in the creation and maintenance of wetlands. Water depth manipulation and prescribed fire are two types of disturbance commonly used by humans to influence vegetation succession and composition in wetlands with the intention of improving wildlife habitat value. A 6,475-hectare (ha) impoundment was constructed in 1943 on Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Louisiana to create freshwater wetlands as wintering waterfowl habitat. Ten years after construction of the impoundment, called Lacassine pool, was completed, refuge staff began expressing concerns about increasing emergent vegetation cover, organic matter accumulation, and decreasing area of open water within the pool. Because the presence of permanent standing water impedes actions that can address these concerns, a small impoundment within the pool where it was possible to manipulate water depth was created. The 283-ha subimpoundment called Unit D was constructed in 1989. Water was pumped from Unit D in 1990, and the unit was permanently reflooded about 3 years later. Four prescribed fires were applied during the drawdown. A study was initiated in 1990 to investigate the effect of the experimental drawdown on vegetation and soils in Unit D. Four plant community types were described, and cores were collected to measure the depth of the soil organic layer. A second study of Unit D was conducted in 1997, 4 years after the unit was reflooded, by using the same plots and similar sampling methods. This report presents an analysis and synthesis of the data from the two studies and provides an evaluation of the impact of the management techniques applied. We found that plant community characteristics often differed among the four communities and varied with time. Species richness increased in two of the communities, and total aboveground biomass increased in all four during the drawdown. These changes, however, did not persist when Unit D was reflooded; by 1997, species richness and aboveground biomass were equivalent to values before the drawdown. The change in waterfowl food value of the plant communities during the drawdown varied; it did not change in two communities, increased in one, and decreased in one. A consistent pattern noted was that waterfowl food value was higher in communities that contained open water than in those dominated by emergent plants, both soon after the drawdown was initiated in Unit D and 4 years after reflooding. A reduction in depth of the soil organic layer became apparent 20 months after drawdown was initiated, and this reduction persisted in 1997, 4 years after reflooding. A separate 2003 study on soil characteristics in Lacassine pool found that the depth to the clay layer was lower in Unit D than in the rest of the pool. We were not able to establish a cause-and-effect relation between any changes noted and the fact water levels in the unit were drawn down because the initial study in 1990 did not include control plots. Changes in vegetation and soil organic layer depth identified in Unit D may have occurred in the surrounding Lacassine pool habitat as well. Similarly, we were unable to form any conclusions about the effect of the prescribed fire treatments because there was no information on which plots were burned. Because of the known relation between anaerobic soil conditions and reduced decomposition of organic matter, however, it is likely that the drawdown in Unit D resulted in an increased decomposition rate and a reduction in the depth of the soil organic layer.

Studying the incommensurability that unites us: persuasion across discourse communities, persuasion via boundary objects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, G. D.

2003-01-01

In the science studies literature the theoretical construct of boundary objects has been developed to explain how diverse communities clustered around a scientific subject area cooperate to advance that area. Boundary objects are 'scientific objects that inhabit several intersecting social worlds . . . and satisfy the informational requirements of each of them' (Star and Griesemer 393). Star and Griesemer's foundational article showed that these objects can be shared by communities ranging from academic researchers to amateur enthiasts, adminsitrators, philanthropists, and technicians. While each community understands the object differently, there is enough commonality in the understanding of the object tomore » unite these distinct social worlds and facilitate cooperation among them.« less

Effect of a community-based delivery of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy on treatment seeking for malaria at health units in Uganda.

PubMed

Mbonye, A K; Schultz Hansen, K; Bygbjerg, I C; Magnussen, P

2008-05-01

The impact of intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) on malaria in pregnancy is well known. However, in countries where this policy is implemented, poor access and low compliance have been widely reported. Novel approaches are needed to deliver this intervention. To assess whether traditional birth attendants, drug-shop vendors, community reproductive health workers and adolescent peer mobilizers can administer IPTp with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) to pregnant women, reach those at greatest risk of malaria, and increase access and compliance with IPTp. An intervention study compared the delivery of IPTp in the community with routine delivery of IPTp at health units. The primary outcome measures were the proportion of adolescents and primigravidae accessed, and the proportion of women who received two doses of SP. The study also assessed the effect of the intervention on access to malaria treatment, antenatal care, other services and related costs. More women (67.5%) received two doses of SP through the community approach compared with health units (39.9%; P<0.0001). Women who accessed IPTp in the community were at an earlier stage of pregnancy (21.0 weeks of gestation) than women who accessed IPTp at health units (23.1 weeks of gestation; P<0.0001). However, health units were visited by a higher proportion of primigravidae (23.6% vs 20.0%; P<0.04) and adolescents (28.4% vs 25.0%; P<0.03). Generally, women who accessed IPTp at health units made more visits for malaria treatment (2.6 (1.0-4.7) vs 1.8 (1.4-2.2); P<0.03). At recruitment, more women who accessed IPTp at health units sought malaria treatment compared with those who accessed IPTp in the community (56.9% vs 49.2%). However, at delivery, a high proportion of women who accessed IPTp in the community had sought malaria treatment (70.3%), suggesting the possibility that the novel approach had a positive impact on care seeking for malaria. Similarly, utilization of antenatal care, insecticide-treated nets and delivery care by women in the community was high. The total costs per woman receiving two doses of SP for IPTp were 4093 Uganda shillings (US$ 2.3) for women who accessed IPTp at health units, and 4491 Uganda shillings (US$ 2.6) for women who accessed IPTp in the community. The community approach was effective for the delivery of IPTp, although women still accessed and benefited from malaria treatment and other services at health units. However, the costs for accessing malaria treatment and other services are high and could be a limiting factor in mitigating the burden of malaria in Uganda.

When Iron Crumbles: Berlin and the Wall. A Social Studies Unit Recommended for Grades 9-12 and Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Adrian; And Others

This unit, designed for use with high school and community college students, uses primary materials, literature, and interactive lesson plans to present the city of Berlin (Germany) as a case study of some of the 20th century's most significant events. In lesson 1, students take a pre-test, view a video about the Berlin Wall, and discuss the kinds…

Microbial community structures in an integrated two-phase anaerobic bioreactor fed by fruit vegetable wastes and wheat straw.

PubMed

Wang, Chong; Zuo, Jiane; Chen, Xiaojie; Xing, Wei; Xing, Linan; Li, Peng; Lu, Xiangyang; Li, Chao

2014-12-01

The microbial community structures in an integrated two-phase anaerobic reactor (ITPAR) were investigated by 16S rDNA clone library technology. The 75L reactor was designed with a 25L rotating acidogenic unit at the top and a 50L conventional upflow methanogenic unit at the bottom, with a recirculation connected to the two units. The reactor had been operated for 21 stages to co-digest fruit/vegetable wastes and wheat straw, which showed a very good biogas production and decomposition of cellulosic materials. The results showed that many kinds of cellulose and glycan decomposition bacteria related with Bacteroidales, Clostridiales and Syntrophobacterales were dominated in the reactor, with more bacteria community diversities in the acidogenic unit. The methanogens were mostly related with Methanosaeta, Methanosarcina, Methanoculleus, Methanospirillum and Methanobacterium; the predominating genus Methanosaeta, accounting for 40.5%, 54.2%, 73.6% and 78.7% in four samples from top to bottom, indicated a major methanogenesis pathway by acetoclastic methanogenesis in the methanogenic unit. The beta diversity indexes illustrated a more similar distribution of bacterial communities than that of methanogens between acidogenic unit and methanogenic unit. The differentiation of methanogenic community composition in two phases, as well as pH values and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations confirmed the phase separation of the ITPAR. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated that the special designing of ITPAR maintained a sufficient number of methanogens, more diverse communities and stronger syntrophic associations among microorganisms, which made two phase anaerobic digestion of cellulosic materials more efficient. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A Partnership for a Community College in Chile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCrink, Carmen L.; Whitford, Heidi

2017-01-01

This chapter describes the results of case study research on a partnership between a community college in the United States and a university in Chile that attempted to develop the first community college system in Chile.

Shared Perceptions of Online Adjunct Faculty in the United States Who Have a High Sense of Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferencz, Tiffany L. S.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of online adjunct faculty who have a high sense of community within their respective university. Sense of community was generally defined as feelings of connectedness within the university community. The central question that guided this study was: What are…

A Master Plan for Unit Cost Studies Among Community Junior Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Howard D.

The need for higher education programs is being challenged, and unit cost studies may become an integral part of the funding process for junior colleges. This paper describes the major tasks in a cost study and reviews the problems encountered in the unit costing efforts. The main tasks are: (1) identifying units of measurement (the language used…

A View from Within: A Case Study of Chinese Heritage Community Language Schools in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Xueying, Ed.

A collection of essays on Chinese heritage community language schools in the United States addresses these topics: the schools, their curricula, and organization (Theresa Hsu Chao); school administration and management (Chao, Lydia Chen, Edward Chang); academic curriculum (Pay-Fen Serena Wang); non-heritage Chinese learners: practices and…

Youth Acts, Community Impacts: Stories of Youth Engagement with Real Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolman, Joel; Pittman, Karen; Cervone, Barbara; Cushman, Kathleen; Rowley, Lisa; Kinkade, Sheila; Phillips, Jeanie; Duque, Sabrina

2001-01-01

This document offers eight case studies - and a number of short profiles - documenting efforts in the United States and around the world, all connecting the dots between youth action and meaningful community change. The publication begins with reflections on why it is often so hard, especially in the United States, for young people to find the…

Engaging communities and climate change futures with Multi-Scale, Iterative Scenario Building (MISB) in the western United States

Treesearch

Daniel Murphy; Carina Wyborn; Laurie Yung; Daniel R. Williams; Cory Cleveland; Lisa Eby; Solomon Dobrowski; Erin Towler

2016-01-01

Current projections of future climate change foretell potentially transformative ecological changes that threaten communities globally. Using two case studies from the United States Intermountain West, this article highlights the ways in which a better articulation between theory and methods in research design can generate proactive applied tools that enable...

International Education at Community Colleges: Themes, Practices, and Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latiner Raby, Rosalind, Ed.; Valeau, Edward J., Ed.

2016-01-01

This book brings together distinguished scholars, community college practitioners, and emerging leaders to expand upon existing theories, provide reflection on practice, and demonstrate the dynamic nature of community college internationalization. There is a special challenge for United States community colleges to move from selected international…

Prospective Developments in Western Europe and in the Northwest Indian-Ocean Region. A Study of Selected Mid-Term Problems in U.S. Foreign Policy,

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-02-01

Other Countries ... The European Community - Transatlantic Problems II - 57 Probable Areas of Cooperation and Conflict ... Irplications for the United...West European nations launched the movement toward economic and political unification that culminated in the establishment of the European Community . In...the United Kingdom,and Germany -- are analyzed in some detail, as is that for the European Community as an institution. The West European nation in

Outcomes and Costs of Community Health Worker Interventions: A Systematic Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

E7(/(3+21(180%(5 ,QFOXGHDUHDFRGH Sep 2010 Journal article 1980 - Nov 2008 Outcomes and costs of community health worker interventions: a...the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature for studies conducted in the United States and published in English from 1980 through...to Nursing and Allied Health Literature for studies conducted in the United States and published in English from 1980 through November 2008. We dually

The Influence of Financial, Cultural and Social Capital on the Likelihood of Success of Community College Students: A Quantitative Study Utilizing the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002-2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iffland, Aaron R.

2016-01-01

Community colleges are an integral part of the postsecondary education system in the United States. Unfortunately, college completion rates continue to decline. Additionally, median income in the United States is also declining. The idea that each successive generation of students will do better than the previous one is quickly becoming a fantasy.…

Social Capital and Casino Gambling in U.S. Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabor Griswold, Mary; Nichols, Mark W.

2006-01-01

This paper empirically analyzes the impact that the spread of casino gambling has on social capital in communities throughout the United States. Social capital is a networking process that translates into an individual's effectiveness in the community and workplace, and binds communities together. Several recent studies have also demonstrated a…

Leadership Competencies of Community College Senior Student Affairs Officers in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodkin, Daniel Michael

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess community college senior student affairs officers' demographics, educational backgrounds, and leadership development experiences, as related to their mastery of the leadership skills outlined in the American Association of Community Colleges "Competencies for Community College Leaders" (AACC…

Teaching Presidential Elections. A Social Studies/Service Learning Teaching Unit for the Middle Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greco, Lisa M.

This curriculum unit on social studies and service learning was developed during the 1996 Presidential elections. In this unit middle school students not only learn about citizenship and democracy, they also practice civic action through voter registration and community surveying. The unit helps students develop critical thinking skills as they…

Evangelical Protestants and the ACA: An Opening for Community-Based Primary Care?

PubMed

Franz, Berkeley; Skinner, Daniel

2016-07-01

Evangelical Protestants make up the largest religious subgroup in the United States, and previous research has shown that Evangelical churches are disproportionately active in community engagement and efforts toward social change. Although Evangelical Protestant perspectives have been considered with regard to persistent socioeconomic stratification and racial discrimination, less focus has been given to how churches interpret poor health outcomes within the United States. In particular, this research addresses how enduring health disparities are understood within the larger discussion of healthcare reform. Due to the similarity of approaches favored by participants in this study and community-based philosophy, a suggestion is made for future health policy dialogue. Although Evangelical Protestants have been most likely to reject all aspects of the Affordable Care Act, in many ways the findings of this study suggest the potential for successful future health policy collaboration. In particular, community-based primary care might appeal to Evangelicals and health professionals in the ongoing effort to improve population health and the quality of healthcare in the United States.

Critical elements in the development and implementation of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs)

Treesearch

Pamela Jakes; Sam Burns; Antony Cheng; Emily Saeli; Kristen Nelson Rachel Brummel; Stephanie Grayzeck; Victoria Sturtevant; Daniel Williams

2007-01-01

Community wildfire protection plans (CWPPs) are being developed and implemented in communities across the United States. In a series of case studies, researchers found that the process of developing a CWPP can lead to benefits beyond those associated with fuels reduction, including enhancing social networks, developing learning communities, and building community...

United States History: From Community to Society. Unit Four: Revolutionary America. Grade Six. Project Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Project Social Studies Curriculum Center.

Revolution is the theme of this resource unit, which is the fourth in a social studies series designed for sixth grade students. In the first part of the unit, case studies are used to examine 18th century Boston, Williamsburg, and Philadelphia, contrasting them to 17th century Jamestown and Plymouth settlements. Emphasis is upon examining causes…

The role of community acceptance over time for costs of HIV and STI prevention interventions: analysis of the Masaka Intervention Trial, Uganda, 1996-1999.

PubMed

Terris-Prestholt, Fern; Kumaranayake, Lilani; Foster, Susan; Kamali, Anatoli; Kinsman, John; Basajja, Vincent; Nalweyso, Nora; Quigley, Maria; Kengeya-Kayondo, Jane; Whitworth, James

2006-10-01

The objective of this study is to estimate the annual costs of information, education, and communication (IEC), both community- and school-based; strengthened public and private sexually transmitted infections treatment; condom social marketing (CSM); and voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) implemented in Masaka, Uganda, over 4 years, and to explore how unit costs change with varying population use/uptake. Total economic provider's costs and intervention outputs were collected annually to estimate annual unit costs between 1996 and 1999. In early intervention years, uptake of all activities grew dramatically and continued to grow for public STI treatment, CSM, and VCT. Attendance at IEC performances started to drop in year 4. Unit costs dropped rapidly with increasing uptake of and participation in interventions. When implementing long-term community-based interventions, it is important to take into account that it takes time for communities to scale up their participation, since this can lead to large variations in unit costs.

Examining Post-Migration Psycho-Cultural Adjustment Challenges of Foreign-Born Students at Community Colleges in the Northeastern United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anemelu, Charles I.

2012-01-01

The current study is an attempt to examine post-migration psycho-cultural adjustment factors that potentially inhibit foreign-born students' (FBS) adjustment at community colleges (CCs) in the United States. Although much research has been conducted to better understand various aspects of FBSs' adjustment challenges little attention has been paid…

Entrenched Enemies, Tactical Partners, or Steadfast Allies? Exploring the Fault Lines between Teacher Unions and Community Organizing in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shirley, Dennis

2016-01-01

Teachers' unions and community organizing emerged out of shared collective struggles for social justice in the United States in the twentieth century. Beyond broad general aspirations for a better society, however, their interests and tactics have not always been compatible. This interpretive essay revisits three recent case studies of interaction…

Community Intellectual Disability Nurses' Public Health Roles in the United Kingdom: An Exploratory Documentary Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mafuba, Kay; Gates, Bob; Cozens, Maria

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore how public health policy in the United Kingdom was reflected in community intellectual disability nurses' (CIDNs)' job descriptions and person's specifications. The role of CIDNs has evolved due to policy changes. As these roles evolve, job descriptions and person specifications are important in highlighting…

The University Next Door: Developing a Centralized Unit That Strategically Cultivates Community Engagement at an Urban University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holton, Valerie L.; Early, Jennifer L.; Resler, Meghan; Trussell, Audrey; Howard, Catherine

2016-01-01

Using Kotter's model of change as a framework, this case study will describe the structure and efforts of a centralized unit within an urban, research university to deepen and extend the institutionalization of community engagement. The change model will be described along with details about the implemented strategies and practices that fall…

Climate Voices: Bridging Scientist Citizens and Local Communities across the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegner, K.; Ristvey, J. D., Jr.

2016-12-01

Based out of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), the Climate Voices Science Speakers Network (climatevoices.org) has more than 400 participants across the United States that volunteer their time as scientist citizens in their local communities. Climate Voices experts engage in nonpartisan conversations about the local impacts of climate change with groups such as Rotary clubs, collaborate with faith-based groups on climate action initiatives, and disseminate their research findings to K-12 teachers and classrooms through webinars. To support their participants, Climate Voices develops partnerships with networks of community groups, provides trainings on how to engage these communities, and actively seeks community feedback. In this presentation, we will share case studies of science-community collaborations, including meta-analyses of collaborations and lessons learned.

Stop the Presses! Using the Journalism Field as a Case Study to Help Community College Administrators Today

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basham, Matthew J.; Campbell, Dale F.; Garcia, Emmanual

2010-01-01

A focus group consisting of board of trustee members, community college presidents, senior administrators, administrators, and faculty members from community colleges around the United States developed the top six critical issues facing community colleges with respect to instructional planning and services; planning, governance, and finance; and…

Community Health Advisor Programs. An Issue Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Rural Health Association, Kansas City, MO.

Third World countries have used community health advisors (CHAs) for many years to deliver health services, health education, and linkages to isolated and underserved communities. In 1998 the National Community Health Advisor Study estimated there were at least 600 such programs in the United States using about 12,500 CHAs. Program activities and…

Asian Studies Unit One: Asian Man and His Environment, Pilot Program; [And] Asian Studies Unit Two: Cultural Patterns of Asian Man, Field Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chicago Board of Education, IL.

Two units of Asian materials for secondary students comprise this document. The first unit presents a brief history of Asian man and his environment, including geography, climate, ethnic groups, resources, food, and population. Following the historical narrative are community references and various learning experiences and activities which further…

Clinical Trials in Your Community

Cancer.gov

The NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) is a national network of investigators, cancer care providers, academic institutions, and other organizations. NCORP conducts multi-site cancer clinical trials and studies in diverse populations in community-based healthcare systems across the United States and Puerto Rico.

An Investigation of Community Attitudes Toward Blast Noise. General Community Survey, Study Site 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

1 1.1.1 Blast noise and community impact ...P. Holland. ERDC/CERL TR-12-9 1 1 Introduction 1.1 Background 1.1.1 Blast noise and community impact In the United States, the number of...decade, has heightened the potential for noise generated by US military installations to negatively impact surrounding communities. For many years

Prevalence of Violence Toward Community Nurses: A Questionnaire Survey.

PubMed

Gabrovec, Branko

2017-11-01

Violence toward nursing staff occurs frequently, particularly in intensive care units and closed or intensive psychiatric facilities, which have been studied previously. However, violence toward community nurses has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to explore the frequency of violence toward community nurses in Slovenia. More than 56% of study respondents were verbally abused by their patients during the past year. More than 42% of all cases of horizontal violence were directed at community nurses.

Promoting Environmental Justice through Community-Based Participatory Research: The Role of Community and Partnership Capacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minkler, Meredith; Vasquez, Victoria Breckwich; Tajik, Mansoureh; Petersen, Dana

2008-01-01

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) increasingly is being used to study and address environmental justice. This article presents the results of a cross-site case study of four CBPR partnerships in the United States that researched environmental health problems and worked to educate legislators and promote relevant public policy. The…

Leadership Development Institute: A California Community College Multi-College District Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leon, Bianca R.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine a community college district Grow Your Own (GYO) leadership program in the Western United States, the Multi College Leadership Development Institute (MCLDI). The MCLDI was developed in-house for a multi-campus community college district and offered to interested employees at all position levels with the…

Organisational strategies and midwives' readiness to provide care for out of hospital births: an analysis from the birthplace organisational case studies.

PubMed

McCourt, Christine; Rayment, Juliet; Rance, Susanna; Sandall, Jane

2012-10-01

the objective of the Birthplace in England Case Studies was to explore the organisational and professional issues that may impact on the quality and safety of labour and birth care in different birth settings: Home, Freestanding Midwifery Unit, Alongside Midwifery Unit or Obstetric Unit. This analysis examines the factors affecting the readiness of community midwives to provide women with choice of out of hospital birth, using the findings from the Birthplace in England Case Studies. organisational ethnographic case studies, including interviews with professionals, key stakeholders, women and partners, observations of service processes and document review. a maximum variation sample of four maternity services in terms of configuration, region and population characteristics. All were selected from the Birthplace cohort study sample as services scoring 'best' or 'better' performing in the Health Care Commission survey of maternity services (HCC 2008). professionals and stakeholders (n=86), women (64), partners (6), plus 50 observations and 200 service documents. each service experienced challenges in providing an integrated service to support choice of place of birth. Deployment of community midwives was a particular concern. Community midwives and managers expressed lack of confidence in availability to cover home birth care in particular, with the exception of caseload midwifery and a 'hub and spoke' model of care. Community midwives and women's interviews indicated that many lacked home birth experience and confidence. Those in midwifery units expressed higher levels of support and confidence. maternity services need to consider and develop models for provision of a more integrated model of staffing across hospital and community boundaries. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Study of the Relationship between Student Communication Interaction and Sense of Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, Shane

2006-01-01

This study developed a quantitative methodology to ascertain lead indicators of student sense of community whilst undertaking a course of study. Study participants (N = 464) were drawn from students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate Education units within a large Australian metropolitan university. Through juxtaposing student online…

Outcomes achieved by and police and clinician perspectives on a joint police officer and mental health clinician mobile response unit.

PubMed

Lee, Stuart J; Thomas, Phillipa; Doulis, Chantelle; Bowles, Doug; Henderson, Kathryn; Keppich-Arnold, Sandra; Perez, Eva; Stafrace, Simon

2015-12-01

Despite their limited mental health expertise, police are often first to respond to people experiencing a mental health crisis. Often the person in crisis is then transported to hospital for care, instead of receiving more immediate assessment and treatment in the community. The current study conducted an evaluation of an Australian joint police-mental health mobile response unit that aimed to improve the delivery of a community-based crisis response. Activity data were audited to demonstrate utilization and outcomes for referred people. Police officers and mental health clinicians in the catchment area were also surveyed to measure the unit's perceived impact. During the 6-month pilot, 296 contacts involving the unit occurred. Threatened suicide (33%), welfare concerns (22%) and psychotic episodes (18%) were the most common reasons for referral. The responses comprised direct admission to a psychiatric unit for 11% of contacts, transportation to a hospital emergency department for 32% of contacts, and community management for the remainder (57%). Police officers were highly supportive of the model and reported having observed benefits of the unit for consumers and police and improved collaboration between services. The joint police-mental health clinician unit enabled rapid delivery of a multi-skilled crisis response in the community. © 2015 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Pyrosequencing analysis of bacterial diversity in dental unit waterlines.

PubMed

Costa, Damien; Mercier, Anne; Gravouil, Kevin; Lesobre, Jérôme; Delafont, Vincent; Bousseau, Anne; Verdon, Julien; Imbert, Christine

2015-09-15

Some infections cases due to exposure to output water from dental unit waterlines (DUWL) have been reported in the literature. However, this type of healthcare-associated risk has remained unclear and up until now the overall bacterial composition of DUWL has been poorly documented. In this study, 454 high-throughput pyrosequencing was used to investigate the bacterial community in seven dental offices (N = 7) and to identify potential bacterial pathogenic sequences. Dental unit waters (DUW) were collected from the tap water supplying units (Incoming Water; IW) to the output exposure point of the turbine handpiece (Output water; OW) following a stagnation period (OWS), and immediately after the last patient of the sampling day (OWA). A high bacterial diversity was revealed in DUW with 394 operational taxonomic units detected at the genus level. In addition to the inter-unit variability observed, results showed increased total bacterial cell concentration and shifts in bacterial community composition and abundance at the genus level, mainly within the Gamma- and Alpha-Proteobacteria class, as water circulated in the dental unit (DU). Results showed that 96.7%, 96.8% and 97.4% of the total sequences from IW, OWS and OWA respectively were common to the 3 defined water groups, thereby highlighting a common core microbiome. Results also suggested that stagnation and DU maintenance practices were critical to composition of the bacterial community. The presence of potentially pathogenic genera was detected, including Pseudomonas and Legionella spp. Emerging and opportunistic pathogenic genera such as Mycobacterium, Propionibacterium and Stenotrophomonas were likewise recovered in DUW. For the first time, an exhaustive evaluation of the bacterial communities present in DUW was performed taking into account the circulation of water within the DU. This study highlights an ignored diversity of the DUWL bacterial community. Our findings also contribute to a better appreciation of the potential infectious risk associated with dental care and suggest the importance of better managing microbial quality in DUW. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Restructuring Rural Communities. Part 2: Grazing the Ideas, Approaches, and Resources of Selected Countries. University Extension Press Monograph Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Harold R.

This book examines cases of rural community development initiatives in the United States, Canada, and Europe, identified during a study of multicommunity collaboration projects. Section 1 includes 36 community development ideas operating at provincial, regional, and local levels. Included are ideas such as bank community development corporations,…

The European Economic Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schuchart, Kelvin

1986-01-01

Maintains that social studies students need to realize the relationship of the European Economic Community to the United States in order to understand the trade bonds that exist between us. Briefly reviews the history of the Community, outlines its Common Agricultural Policy, and provides situations for classroom role playing. (JDH)

Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy: a community-based delivery system and its effect on parasitemia, anemia and low birth weight in Uganda.

PubMed

Mbonye, Anthony K; Bygbjerg, Ib; Magnussen, Pascal

2008-01-01

The main objective of the study was to assess the impact of a community-based delivery system of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) for malaria in pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) on access, parasitemia, anemia and low birth weight as primary outcome measures. A study was designed to test the community-based delivery system of IPT through traditional birth attendants (TBAs), drug-shop vendors (DSVs), community reproductive health workers (CRHWs) and adolescent peer mobilizers (APMs), and to compare these with IPT at health units in an area of high malaria transmission - Mukono District, Uganda. Two thousand seven hundred and eighty-five pregnant women participated in the study. The majority of the women (92.4%) at the community-based approaches received their first dose of IPT during their second trimester compared to 76.1% at health units (p<0.0001). At both health units and the community-based approaches, IPT increased mean hemoglobin by 6.7% (p<0.0001) for all parities and by 10.2% among primigravidae. IPT reduced the prevalence of severe anemia from 5.7% to 3.1% (p<0.04). The prevalence of parasitemia was reduced from 24.5% to 16.1% (p<0.001), and parasite density reduced significantly (p<0.02) after the first dose and remained stable with the second dose. Overall the proportion of low birth weight was 6.3% (8.3% at health units versus 6.0% at the community-based approaches, p<0.03) highlighting the importance of access and adherence to IPT. This intervention was acceptable to 89.6% of the women at the community-based approaches intending to use IPT in the future, while 48.1% of them had recommended it to other women. The community-based approaches increased access and adherence to IPT with an effect on anemia, severe anemia, parasitemia and low birth weight. However the reduced effect of IPT on parasitemia points to drug resistance with SP and this requires further evaluation; research into the identification of other more efficacious drugs for malaria prevention in pregnancy is also required.

Differences in Student Engagement between Latinos and Other Students at a Mid-Atlantic Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saenz Nisson, Maria Elena

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate levels of engagement as measured by the CCSSE among Latino students attending Washington National Community College (WNCC), a community college on the east coast of the United States. For this longitudinal study, the researcher compared CCSSE data collected in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014 from Latino…

Use of community engagement strategies to increase research participation in practice-based research networks (PBRNs).

PubMed

Spears, William; Tsoh, Janice Y; Potter, Michael B; Weller, Nancy; Brown, Anthony E; Campbell-Voytal, Kimberly; Getrich, Christina M; Sussman, Andrew L; Pascoe, John; Neale, Anne Victoria

2014-01-01

Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are increasingly encouraged to use community engagement approaches. The extent to which PBRNs engage clinic and community partners in strategies to recruit and retain participants from their local communities (specifically racial/ethnic communities) is the focus of this study. The design was a cross-sectional survey of PBRN directors in the United States. Survey respondents indicated whether their research network planned for, implemented, and has capacity for activities that engage clinic and community partners in 7 recommended strategies organized into study phases, called the cycle of trust. The objectives of the national survey were to (1) describe the extent to which PBRNs across the United States routinely implement the strategies recommended for recruiting diverse patient groups and (2) identify factors associated with implementing the recommended strategies. The survey response rate was 63%. Activities that build trust often are used more with clinic partners than with community partners. PBRNs that adopt engagement strategies when working with clinic and community partners have less difficulty in recruiting diverse populations. Multivariate analysis showed that the targeting racial/ethnic communities for study recruitment, Clinical and Translational Science Award affiliation, and planning to use community engagement strategies were independent correlates of PBRN implementation of the recommended strategies. PBRNs that successfully engage racial/ethnic communities as research partners use community engagement strategies. New commitments are needed to support PBRN researchers in developing relationships with the communities in which their patients live. Stable PBRN infrastructure funding that appreciates the value of maintaining community engagement between funded studies is critical to the research enterprise that values translating research findings into generalizable care models for patients in the community. © Copyright 2014 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

The Anatomy of Conflict. Topic #1 in a Series of International Security and Conflict Curricula for Grades 7-12 and Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riddle, Robin; And Others

This four-day unit is designed for use in social studies and/or literature classes at secondary (7-12) and community college levels as a general introduction to conflict on personal, group, and world levels. The unit introduces students to and familiarizes them with the characteristics and mechanisms of conflicts at all levels and with basic…

An exploration of attitudes towards female genital mutilation (FGM) in men and women accessing FGM clinical services in London: a pilot study.

PubMed

Larsson, Martina; Cohen, Pollyanna; Hann, Gayle; Creighton, Sarah M; Hodes, Deborah

2018-03-21

This pilot study researched the attitudes towards and the knowledge of female genital mutilation (FGM) in adult women with FGM and their partners. The participant population consisted of English-speaking women and men over 18 years old attending specialist FGM clinics in two London hospitals. The participants completed a questionnaire on the attitudes and the knowledge of FGM, which were adapted with permission from the United Nations Children's Fund and the United States Agency for International Development household surveys. 54 participants (51 women, 3 men) took part in the surveys. 89% of participants thought that FGM should be stopped (95%CI: 0.81-0.97) and 72% said they knew FGM is illegal in the United Kingdom (UK). 15% reported that FGM caused no danger, or were unaware of any danger to women's health. This study demonstrates the opposition to FGM by participants, but some lack of knowledge regarding the legal and health implications. The exploration of attitudes in diaspora community groups is often cited as key to safeguarding girls from FGM. This is one of the first UK studies of individuals from FGM-practising communities, and we recommend use of the study questionnaires for a multicentre, cross-community study. Impact statement What is already known about this subject? Women and children are affected by female genital mutilation (FGM) globally and in the United Kingdom (UK). The majority of knowledge on practices and the attitudes towards FGM comes from UNICEF and USAID research in Africa and there is scant data on FGM practices in diaspora communities in the UK. What do the results of this study add? This study provides an appropriate questionnaire and protocol for use in community-based national research to improve healthcare for women by collecting up-to-date data on the attitudes towards FGM among the members of FGM-practising communities in the UK. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and further research? The implications of the results of this study are that health professionals need to understand that patients do not always know the law on FGM, even after a consultation. Health and social care professionals are placed in a unique position to work with community members to educate men and women to end FGM.

Community unit performance: factors associated with childhood diarrhea and appropriate treatment in Nyanza Province, Kenya.

PubMed

Kawakatsu, Yoshito; Tanaka, Junichi; Ogawa, Kazuya; Ogendo, Kenneth; Honda, Sumihisa

2017-02-16

The government of Kenya launched its community health strategy in 2006 to improve certain aspects of its community health program. Under the strategy, community units (CUs) were established as level one of the Kenyan health system. A core member at this level is the community health worker (CHW). The objective of this study was to assess the relationship among the performance of the CUs, the prevalence of childhood diarrhea and appropriate treatment for it by controlling individual and community-level factors. The main dataset used in this study was the 2011 Nyanza Province county-based Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). In addition, based on the list of community units in Nyanza Province, Kenya, we identified the area's CUs and their performance. MICS data and data on CUs were merged using sub-location names. There were 17 individual and two community-level independent variables in this study. Bivariate analysis and a multilevel logistic regression were performed. Factors significantly associated with a lower prevalence of diarrhea among children under five were the child's increasing age, middle-aged household heads, children who received more attention, water treatment and rural versus urban area residence, while male children and highly performing CUs were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of diarrhea. In addition, middle wealth index, severity of diarrhea and middle- and high-CU performance were significantly associated with appropriate treatment for childhood diarrhea. Although this study found that children living in areas of high CU performance were more likely to have diarrhea, these areas would have been identified as being more at risk for diarrhea prevalence and other health concerns, prioritized for the establishment of a CU and allocated more resources to improve the performance of CUs. A higher CU performance was significantly associated with the appropriate treatment. It was suggested that CHWs could have a positive effect on the community, as demonstrated and promoted by appropriate health-seeking behavior and treatment for childhood diarrhea.

BOUNCE: A community-based mother–daughter healthy lifestyle intervention for low-income Latino families

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a family-based exploratory community study titled BOUNCE (Behavior Opportunities Uniting Nutrition, Counseling, and Exercise), to increase physical fitness and activity in low-income Latino mothers and daughters. The BOUNCE study consis...

Collaborating with the Community: Lessons from a Rural School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Anne

2012-01-01

This article, based on case study research, highlights how a rural school district in the midwestern United States collaborated with local community organizations to meet the needs of English language learners after the district and community experienced rapid ethnic diversification. In particular, the district EL coordinator spearheaded the…

Transforming prevention systems in the United States and the Netherlands using Communities That Care Promising prevention in the eyes of Josine Junger-Tas

PubMed Central

Steketee, Majone; Oesterle, Sabrina; Jonkman, Harrie; Hawkins, J. David; Haggerty, Kevin P.; Aussems, Claire

2013-01-01

Josine Junger-Tas introduced the Communities That Care (CTC) prevention system to the Netherlands as a promising approach to address the growing youth violence and delinquency. Using data from a randomized trial of CTC in the United States and a quasi-experimental study of CTC in the Netherlands, this article describes the results of a comparison of the implementation of CTC in 12 U.S. communities and 5 Dutch neighborhoods. CTC communities in both countries achieved higher stages of a science-based approach to prevention than control communities, but full implementation of CTC in the Netherlands was hampered by the very small list of prevention programs tested and found effective in the Dutch context. PMID:24465089

Community Prevention Coalition Context and Capacity Assessment: Comparing the United States and Mexico.

PubMed

Brown, Louis D; Chilenski, Sarah M; Ramos, Rebeca; Gallegos, Nora; Feinberg, Mark E

2016-04-01

Effective planning for community health partnerships requires understanding how initial readiness-that is, contextual factors and capacity-influences implementation of activities and programs. This study compares the context and capacity of drug and violence prevention coalitions in Mexico to those in the United States. Measures of coalition context include community problems, community leadership style, and sense of community. Measures of coalition capacity include the existence of collaborative partnerships and coalition champions. The assessment was completed by 195 members of 9 coalitions in Mexico and 139 members of 7 coalitions in the United States. Psychometric analyses indicate the measures have moderate to strong internal consistency, along with good convergent and discriminant validity in both settings. Results indicate that members of Mexican coalitions perceive substantially more serious community problems, especially with respect to education, law enforcement, and access to alcohol and drugs. Compared to respondents in the United States, Mexican respondents perceive sense of community to be weaker and that prevention efforts are not as valued by the population where the coalitions are located. The Mexican coalitions appear to be operating in a substantially more challenging environment for the prevention of violence and substance use. Their ability to manage these challenges will likely play a large role in determining whether they are successful in their prevention efforts. The context and capacity assessment is a valuable tool that coalitions can use in order to identify and address initial barriers to success. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

Investigating 10-Year Trends of Learning Outcomes at Community Colleges. Research Report. ETS RR-13-34

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ou Lydia; Roohr, Katrina Crotts

2013-01-01

Community colleges currently enroll about 44% of the undergraduate students in the United States and are rapidly expanding. It is of critical importance to obtain direct evidence of student learning to see if students receive adequate training at community colleges. This study investigated the 10-year trends of community college students' (n =…

ESTIMATES OF ENDEMIC WATERBORNE ILLNESS FROM COMMUNITY INTERVENTION STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

The nature and magnitude of endemic waterborne disease are not well characterized in the

United States. Epidemiologic studies of various designs can provide an estimate of the

waterborne attributable risk along with other types of information. Community drinking wat...

Evaluating the Community Land Model (CLM4.5) at a coniferous forest site in northwestern United States using flux and carbon-isotope measurements

Treesearch

Henrique F. Duarte; Brett M. Raczka; Daniel M. Ricciuto; John C. Lin; Charles D. Koven; Peter E. Thornton; David R. Bowling; Chun-Ta Lai; Kenneth J. Bible; James R. Ehleringer

2017-01-01

Droughts in the western United States are expected to intensify with climate change. Thus, an adequate representation of ecosystem response to water stress in land models is critical for predicting carbon dynamics. The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Community Land Model (CLM) version 4.5 against observations at an old-growth coniferous forest...

Interdisciplinary Student/Teacher Materials in Energy, the Environment, and the Economy: 5, Community Workers and the Energy They Use, Grade 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloch, Lenore; And Others

This instructional unit for the second grade is intended to stimulate the child's curiosity to know more and to grasp relationships through a blending of ideas about energy with a study of the effect of the use of energy on the livelihood of people in the community. There are four lessons in the unit. The first, Introduction to Energy, deals with…

Distinct cutaneous bacterial assemblages in a sampling of South American Amerindians and US residents.

PubMed

Blaser, Martin J; Dominguez-Bello, Maria G; Contreras, Monica; Magris, Magda; Hidalgo, Glida; Estrada, Isidoro; Gao, Zhan; Clemente, Jose C; Costello, Elizabeth K; Knight, Rob

2013-01-01

The human skin harbors complex bacterial communities. Prior studies showing high inter-individual variation focused on subjects from developed countries. We therefore compared cutaneous bacterial communities of Amerindians in the Venezuelan Amazon with subjects in the United States. Forearm skin specimens were studied from healthy Amerindians in Platanillal village in Amazonas State, and from healthy persons in New York and Colorado. All skin sampling used similar swab/buffer techniques. Multiplexed V2-targeted 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing yielded high quality sequences from 112 samples. The results show 20 phyla, with three (Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria) predominating. US residents and Venezuelan Amerindians had significantly different forearm skin bacterial community compositions, with United States dominated by Propionibacterium. Among the Amerindians, there was a deep split based on bacterial community membership, with 30 and 42 samples, respectively, falling into each of the two groups, not associated with age, gender, or body mass index. One Amerindian group had diversity similar to the United States, but was dominated by Staphylococcus rather than Propionibacterium. The other Amerindian group was significantly more diverse and even than the US or the other Amerindian group, and featured a broad range of Proteobacteria. The results provide evidence that ethnicity, lifestyle and/or geography are associated with the structure of human cutaneous bacterial communities.

Taking a Step to Identify How to Create Professional Learning Communities--Report of a Case Study of a Korean Public High School on How to Create and Sustain a School-Based Teacher Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahn, Joonkil

2017-01-01

This study intends to identify some key factors in creating and sustaining school-based teacher professional learning communities (PLCs) through a case study of a South Korean public high school. To achieve this, the study identified some essential infrastructure, preparation, and necessary social organization for creating PLCs. The ideal unit and…

Comparing Lay Community and Academic Survey Center Interviewers in Conducting Household Interviews in Latino Communities.

PubMed

Chan-Golston, Alec M; Friedlander, Scott; Glik, Deborah C; Prelip, Michael L; Belin, Thomas R; Brookmeyer, Ron; Santos, Robert; Chen, Jie; Ortega, Alexander N

2016-01-01

The employment of professional interviewers from academic survey centers to conduct surveys has been standard practice. Because one goal of community-engaged research is to provide professional skills to community residents, this paper considers whether employing locally trained lay interviewers from within the community may be as effective as employing interviewers from an academic survey center with regard to unit and item nonresponse rates and cost. To study a nutrition-focused intervention, 1035 in-person household interviews were conducted in East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights, 503 of which were completed by lay community interviewers. A chi-square test was used to assess differences in unit nonresponse rates between professional and community interviewers and Welch's t tests were used to assess differences in item nonresponse rates. A cost comparison analysis between the two interviewer groups was also conducted. Interviewers from the academic survey center had lower unit nonresponse rates than the lay community interviewers (16.2% vs. 23.3%; p < 0.01). However, the item nonresponse rates were lower for the community interviewers than the professional interviewers (1.4% vs. 3.3%; p < 0.01). Community interviewers cost approximately $415.38 per survey whereas professional interviewers cost approximately $537.29 per survey. With a lower cost per completed survey and lower item nonresponse rates, lay community interviewers are a viable alternative to professional interviewers for fieldwork in community-based research. Additional research is needed to assess other important aspects of data quality interviewer such as interviewer effects and response error.

Basic Skills for Reflective Inquiry in the Social Studies. Bridges to the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodabaugh, Mary Jane; And Others

The document consists of five social studies units for developing basic inquiry skills at the secondary level. Students read and analyze data through the construction of a table and a graph in Unit I, "Reading Graphs and Charts." Topics include a model of consumer demand, census information, and national budgeting. In Unit II, "Community Change,"…

Cambodians in Hawaii and Their Relation to Employment and Welfare.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riddle, Tom

This study of the unusually high level of labor force participation in the Hawaiian Cambodian community includes descriptions of what Cambodians do in Hawaii, demographic descriptions of the community and household units, a description of the influence of the welfare system on the Cambodian community, and ethnographic descriptions of the lives of…

Social Disorganization Theory and Crime Rates on California Community College Campuses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ravalin, Tamara; Tevis, Tenisha

2017-01-01

Recent media attention concerning the escalation of crime on college campuses has created a sense of urgency to address how crime will impact the largest community college system in the United States, California Community Colleges. Crime can deter academic success and social engagement. This study utilizes social disorganization theory to examine…

Financing Community Services in the United States: Results of a Nationwide Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braddock, David; And Others

1987-01-01

Results of an analysis of state-federal expenditures for community services between Fiscal Years 1977 and 1984 are summarized. Important trends identified include rapid real economic growth in total nationwide community spending, in federal Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded reimbursements, and in funds derived from state-source…

Learning Communities for Students in Developmental English: Impact Studies at Merced College and the Community College of Baltimore County

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weissman, Evan; Cullinan, Dan; Cerna, Oscar; Safran, Stephanie; Richman, Phoebe

2012-01-01

Across the United States, community colleges offer millions of students an open-access, low-cost postsecondary education. However, of the students who enroll in community college hoping to earn a credential or transfer to a four-year institution, only about half achieve their goal within six years. For students who enter college needing…

Technical assistance offered to community health programs through a resource model.

PubMed

Merino, R; Fischer, E; Bosch, S J

1985-01-01

A multidisciplinary unit in the Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, consists of a core group of specialists who plan, develop, and evaluate community health care programs. The primary tools used by the staff of the Services Coordination Unit, epidemiology and behavioral and management sciences, result in improved organization and coordination of health services and community resources. The small unit of specialists functions as a resource group, helping community groups address the complex problems of planning, organization, delivery, and financing of health services. By offering technical assistance rather than day-to-day health care services, the unit has established an education and training program in New York's East Harlem, which surrounds the medical school. Over the last 10 years, that approach has enhanced the administrative and financial viability of existing health programs in East Harlem. Since the unit's establishment, it has collaborated with a broad variety of community groups. More than 20 programs have resulted. The income generated by the unit completely covers the expenses and has done so since 1976; "seed money" was used for startup and the first 3 years of operation. The unit is paid for long-term services and for most consultations.

Consumer access to clozapine in Australia: how does this compare to New Zealand and the United Kingdom?

PubMed

Knowles, Sally-Anne; Mcmillan, Sara S; Wheeler, Amanda J

2016-01-01

Clozapine is an antipsychotic medication used in treatment resistant schizophrenia. However, clozapine is associated with a significant adverse effect profile and extensive monitoring is required to optimise consumer safety. Traditionally, clozapine can only be prescribed by a psychiatrist and dispensed at a hospital or hospital affiliated pharmacy in Australia. These restrictions could result in significant treatment burden for consumers taking clozapine. To identify (1) the different models of supply that exist for people living in the community taking clozapine in Australia and compare to those in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and (2) explore how these supply models may impact on consumer burden from the perspective of professionals involved in the supply of clozapine. Key informants were interviewed (n=8) from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom regarding how consumers, who lived in the community, accessed clozapine. Data were analysed and led to the development of four clozapine supply models. These four models were further validated by an online survey of a wider sample (n=30). Data were analysed thematically and via simple descriptive statistics. Clozapine supply varied depending on location. A secondary care model was utilised in the United Kingdom compared to a community based (primary care) model in New Zealand; Australia utilised a mixture of both secondary and primary care. A key theme from all study participants was that community pharmacy should be utilised to dispense clozapine to consumers living in the community, provided adequate training and safeguards are in place. It was noted that the utilisation of community pharmacies could improve access and flexibility, thereby reducing treatment burden for these consumers. There are predominately two models for supply of clozapine to consumers living in the community in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. One model utilises secondary care facilities and the other community services. Community pharmacy is ideally placed to increase access to clozapine for consumers living in the community, provided appropriate training and support is given to pharmacists providing this professional service.

Constant Communities in Complex Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Tanmoy; Srinivasan, Sriram; Ganguly, Niloy; Bhowmick, Sanjukta; Mukherjee, Animesh

2013-05-01

Identifying community structure is a fundamental problem in network analysis. Most community detection algorithms are based on optimizing a combinatorial parameter, for example modularity. This optimization is generally NP-hard, thus merely changing the vertex order can alter their assignments to the community. However, there has been less study on how vertex ordering influences the results of the community detection algorithms. Here we identify and study the properties of invariant groups of vertices (constant communities) whose assignment to communities are, quite remarkably, not affected by vertex ordering. The percentage of constant communities can vary across different applications and based on empirical results we propose metrics to evaluate these communities. Using constant communities as a pre-processing step, one can significantly reduce the variation of the results. Finally, we present a case study on phoneme network and illustrate that constant communities, quite strikingly, form the core functional units of the larger communities.

Motivating Students to Write: Community Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pettigrew, B. Joye

This paper describes two activities used in a course that implemented the "Foxfire" approach for studying the local community of Rock Hill, South Carolina. The first activity, a unit on the family, encouraged discussion of students' families, presented poems exploring the details of family experience, and provided the opportunity for…

The Regional Accreditation Process at Community Colleges: A Case Study of Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Alissa L.

2013-01-01

This companion dissertation reports the findings of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. In addition, prior ample evidence confirms that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The…

Educating Democratic Citizens in Troubled Times: Qualitative Studies of Current Efforts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bixby, Janet S., Ed.; Pace, Judith L., Ed.

2008-01-01

This book offers a groundbreaking examination of citizenship education programs that serve contemporary youth in schools and communities across the United States. These programs include social studies classes and curricula, school governance, and community-based education efforts. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring the…

Schools Uniting Neighborhoods: The SUN Initiative in Portland, Oregon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iverson, Dianne

2005-01-01

The Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) Community Schools Initiative is a community-driven model that allows each school community to design the programs that fit neighborhood needs, while working toward core goals that stretch across all SUN Community Schools. In this article, the author describes the history of SUN Community Schools and its core…

Review of the nutritional implications of farmers' markets and community gardens: a call for evaluation and research efforts.

PubMed

McCormack, Lacey Arneson; Laska, Melissa Nelson; Larson, Nicole I; Story, Mary

2010-03-01

The development and promotion of farmers' markets and community gardens is growing in popularity as a strategy to increase community-wide fruit and vegetable consumption. Despite large numbers of farmers' markets and community gardens in the United States, as well as widespread enthusiasm for their use as a health promotion tool, little is known about their influence on dietary intake. This review examines the current scientific literature on the implications of farmers' market programs and community gardens on nutrition-related outcomes in adults. Studies published between January 1980 and January 2009 were identified via PubMed and Agricola database searches and by examining reference lists from relevant studies. Studies were included in this review if they took place in the United States and qualitatively or quantitatively examined nutrition-related outcomes, including dietary intake; attitudes and beliefs regarding buying, preparing, or eating fruits and vegetables; and behaviors and perceptions related to obtaining produce from a farmers' market or community garden. Studies focusing on garden-based youth programs were excluded. In total, 16 studies were identified for inclusion in this review. Seven studies focused on the impact of farmers' market nutrition programs for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children participants, five focused on the influence of farmers' market programs for seniors, and four focused on community gardens. Findings from this review reveal that few well-designed research studies (eg, those incorporating control groups) utilizing valid and reliable dietary assessment methods to evaluate the influence of farmers' markets and community gardens on nutrition-related outcomes have been completed. Recommendations for future research on the dietary influences of farmers' markets and community gardens are provided. Copyright 2010 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

United States Air Force Response to Problems of Child Abuse within the Military Community.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-01

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act became national law in the United States. This act authorized a National Center on Child Abuse and...Neglect to compile information, operate a clearinghouse on programs showing promise of success in prevention, identification and treatment of child abuse , publish...Force base to investigate and evaluate suspected child abuse cases. This study focuses on child abuse in the Air Force community rather than in the

The Evolution of the Methods and Rules of War. Topic #3 in a Series of International Security and Conflict Curricula for Grades 7-12 and Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riddle, Robin; And Others

This eight-day unit is designed for use in social studies and science classes at the secondary and community college levels as a general introduction to the technical, organizational, legal, and ethical issues related to war. While this unit is not meant to serve as a complete history of war and warfare, it supplements the discussion of war by…

Community-directed treatment with ivermectin in two Nigerian communities: an analysis of first year start-up processes, costs and consequences.

PubMed

Onwujekwe, Obinna; Chima, Reginald; Shu, Elvis; Okonkwo, Paul

2002-10-01

To determine the start-up processes, costs and consequences of community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) in two onchocerciasis endemic rural towns of Southeast Nigeria; namely Achi and Nike. The other objectives were to discover the community-financing mechanisms, local ivermectin distribution strategies and communities' organisational capacity to handle the programme. Structured questionnaires, informal interviews, observations, discussions with community members at general village assemblies and community outreach lectures were used at different stages of the study. The towns had the organisational capacity to implement the programme. Coverage with ivermectin was between 31-73% in Achi (mean = 58.6%), and 36.6-72% in Nike (mean = 61.95%). The unit financial costs were $0.17 in Nike and $0.13 in Achi, but the unit aggregate cost was $0.37 in Nike and $0.39 in Achi. When research costs were removed, the unit aggregate cost was $0.22 in Achi and $0.20 in Nike. Provider's financial costs and communities' non-financial costs were the biggest contributors to the aggregate cost. The cost would decrease in subsequent years since the research cost and parts of the mobilisation and training costs would not be incurred after the first year. Governments and sponsors of CDTI should find means of continuously strengthening the programme and providing technical support to the communities. As both CDTI and communities are dynamic entities, continuous health education campaigns are needed to keep reminding the people of the benefit of long-term ivermectin distribution, together with the need for community ownership of the programme.

The Violence Prevention Community Meeting: A Multi-Site Study.

PubMed

Lanza, Marilyn; Ridenour, Marilyn; Hendricks, Scott; Rierdan, Jill; Zeiss, Robert; Schmidt, Satu; Lovelace, Jeff; Amandus, Harlan

2016-06-01

The Violence Prevention Community Meeting (VPCM) is a specialized form of community meeting in which avoiding violence and promoting non-violent problem solving and interpersonal civility are focal points. A nationwide study to assess the VPCM as an effective intervention to reduce workplace violence was undertaken. Seven acute locked psychiatric units of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) throughout the United States participated in the study. All patients and all staff on the seven in-patient locked psychiatry units participated in the intervention (VPCM) or as a control (treatment as usual). The study was 21weeks at each site. The three time periods were pre-treatment weeks 1-3, treatment weeks 4-18, and post-treatment weeks 19-21. The VPCM was conducted during the treatment weeks. Overall rates of aggression declined by 0.6% (95% CI: -5.6%, 6.5%; nonsignificant) per week in the intervention hospitals and by 5.1% (95% CI: 0.4%, 9.6%; significant) per week for the control hospitals. Aggression decreased for both the intervention and control hospitals which could be due to enrollment in a research study and thus being more aware of their ability to address workplace violence at their site. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Are federal sustained yield units equitable? A case study of the Grays Harbor unit.

Treesearch

Con H Schallau; Wilbur R. Maki

1986-01-01

The Grays Harbor Federal Sustained Yield Unit (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service) was established in 1949 to enhance the economic stability of the forest products industry and dependent communities in Grays Harbor County, Washington. Provisions of the unit's charter require that all logs harvested from the Quinault Ranger District of the Olympic...

Guidelines For Implementation of Industrial Programs For Proposed Community Colleges in Venezuela.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sada, Pablo Maria

The purpose of this study was to examine selected industrial education departments and programs of the community colleges in the United States, and to draw some beneficial implications for the establishment of the proposed community colleges in Venezuela. The procedure involved a review of the literature, the construction of a questionnaire, and…

Generic Qualitative Study: The Lived Experiences of Adults Learning to Engage Civically in Rural Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bahr, Malissa J.

2017-01-01

America's democracy is dependent on citizens to engage in ways that address public concerns which range from volunteerism to electoral participation to running for elected offices. Each of these activities is necessary for sustaining a thriving democracy and the communities within it. Rural communities throughout the United States are faced with…

Pipelines to Leadership: Aspirations of Executive-Level Community College Leaders to Ascend to the Presidency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waggoner, Reneau

2016-01-01

One of the challenges facing community colleges in the United States is the looming retirements of executive/senior-level leadership, particularly the president, on a wide scale. This study explored the career aspirations of executive-level leaders within the community college using Social Cognitive Career Theory as the conceptual framework.…

Behavior Characteristics Desired in Faculty, by Deans at California Community Colleges: A Delphi Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliott, Alexandria

2016-01-01

Purpose: The community-college system in the United States has evolved tremendously since its beginning in 1901. There have been many changes, but one important aspect of the community college's structure that has continued to remain of utmost importance is the roles and responsibilities of faculty. The faculty has been traditionally hired based…

Community Connections: Supporting Rural Youth with Disabilities Who Are Work-Bound

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahiko, Joy

2017-01-01

Although many public schools in the United States are located in rural areas, the literature on rural youth is extremely limited, and the literature on rural youth with disabilities is practically absent. The purpose of this study was to gather the perspectives of community partners regarding rural school-community partnerships and provide an…

A Study of District Leadership Practices in the Principal Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Danielle G.

2012-01-01

This qualitative study was implemented in an urban, Title I school district in the southern portion of the United States. The problem the study addressed was that the various phenomena pertaining to the implementation of the principal professional learning community (PPLC), as perceived by the 14 participating elementary school principals, had not…

What's Happening with Internationalization at Community Colleges?: Community College Presidents' Perceptions of Internationalization Actions, the Desirability and Feasibility of Internationalization Actions, and the Importance of Internationalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bissonette, Bonita Susan

2017-01-01

Internationalization of higher education is critical for United States' citizens to be globally competent and economically competitive. With nearly 50 percent of U.S. higher education students currently enrolled at community colleges, the topic of internationalization actions at community colleges is an important one. This study examines…

Characterizing the Bacterial Communities in Retail Stores in the United States

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

community or the factors that affect it. To our knowledge, only one study to date has investigated the indoor bacterial microbiome of retail stores...type of store affects the microbial community present, the impact of store type on the bacterial community was investigated by comparing the bacteria...genes analysis (Figure 2). Additionally, Leff and Fierer (2013) observed a high relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae on fruits and vegetables but

FY 1979 Unit Cost Analysis for the Public Community Colleges of Illinois.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Community Coll. Board, Springfield.

A unit cost analysis for fiscal year (FY) 1979 was conducted by the Illinois Community College Board using mid-term enrollment data and uniform accounting information from each of the state's 51 community colleges. Unit costs for instructional areas were determined at three incremental levels: (1) net instructional cost (NIC), which includes…

Research on Livable Community Evaluation Based on GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Zhangcai; Wu, Yang; Jin, Zhanghaonan; Zhang, Xu

2018-01-01

Community is the basic unit of the city. Research on livable community could provide a bottom-up research path for the realization of livable city. Livability is the total factor affecting the quality of community life. In this paper, livable community evaluation indexes are evaluated based on GIS and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. Then the sum-index and sub-index of community livability are both calculated. And community livable evaluation index system is constructed based on the platform of GIS. This study provides theoretical support for the construction and management of livable communities, so as to guide the development and optimization of city.

Microbial Communities as Experimental Units

PubMed Central

DAY, MITCH D.; BECK, DANIEL; FOSTER, JAMES A.

2011-01-01

Artificial ecosystem selection is an experimental technique that treats microbial communities as though they were discrete units by applying selection on community-level properties. Highly diverse microbial communities associated with humans and other organisms can have significant impacts on the health of the host. It is difficult to find correlations between microbial community composition and community-associated diseases, in part because it may be impossible to define a universal and robust species concept for microbes. Microbial communities are composed of potentially thousands of unique populations that evolved in intimate contact, so it is appropriate in many situations to view the community as the unit of analysis. This perspective is supported by recent discoveries using metagenomics and pangenomics. Artificial ecosystem selection experiments can be costly, but they bring the logical rigor of biological model systems to the emerging field of microbial community analysis. PMID:21731083

Female sex work within the rural immigrant Latino community in the southeast United States: an exploratory qualitative community-based participatory research study.

PubMed

Rhodes, Scott D; Tanner, Amanda; Duck, Stacy; Aronson, Robert E; Alonzo, Jorge; Garcia, Manuel; Wilkin, Aimee M; Cashman, Rebecca; Vissman, Aaron T; Miller, Cindy; Kroeger, Karen; Naughton, Michelle J

2012-01-01

Little is known about the structure and context of, and the risks encountered in, sex work in the United States. This community-based participatory research (CBPR) study explored female sex work and the feasibility of conducting a larger study of sex work within the immigrant Latino community in North Carolina. Twelve abbreviated life story interviews were conducted with Latina women who sold sex, other women who sold sex to Latino men, and Latino men who hired sex workers. Content analysis was used to analyze narrative data. Themes emerged to describe the structure of sex work, motivations to sell and hire sex, and the sexual health-related needs of sex workers. Lessons learned included the ease of recruiting sex workers and clients, the need to develop relationships with controllers and bar owners/managers, and the high compensation costs to reimburse sex workers for participation. Study findings suggest that it is possible to identify and recruit sex workers and clients and collect formative data within this highly vulnerable and neglected community; the prevention of HIV and STDs is a priority among sex workers, and the need for a larger study to include non-Latino men who report using Latina sex workers, other community insiders (e.g., bartenders), and service providers for Latina sex workers.

Latinos and political advocacy for cancer control in a United States-Mexico border community.

PubMed

Murray, Kate E; Barbour, Lynda; Morlett, Alejandra; Garcini, Luz

2014-01-01

Health policy interventions provide powerful tools for addressing health disparities. The Latino community is one of the fastest growing communities in the United States yet is largely underrepresented in government and advocacy efforts. This study includes 42 Latino adults (M age = 45 years) who participated in focus group discussions and completed a brief questionnaire assessing their experiences with political health advocacy. Qualitative analyses revealed participants considered cancer a concern for the Latino community, but there was a lack of familiarity with political advocacy and its role in cancer control. Participants identified structural, practical, cultural, and contextual barriers to engaging in political health advocacy. This article presents a summary of the findings that suggest alternative ways to engage Latinos in cancer control advocacy.

Neighborhood characteristics and mental health among African Americans and whites living in a racially integrated urban community.

PubMed

Gary, Tiffany L; Stark, Sarah A; LaVeist, Thomas A

2007-06-01

Aspects of the environment in which one lives are increasingly being recognized as major contributors to health, yet few empirical studies have focused on mental health. Therefore, we sought to determine if neighborhood characteristics were associated with mental health outcomes among 1408 African-American (59.3%) and white (40.7%) adults living in a socio-economically homogeneous, racially integrated, urban community in Baltimore, MD. Among African Americans and whites, the perception of severe problems in the community was associated with higher levels of stress (approximately 1.8 units higher), anxiety (approximately 1.8 units higher), and depression (OR= approximately 2.0) compared to those who perceived no or few problems (all p<0.05). Community cohesion, the perception that people generally work together, was associated with better mental health among whites only. These findings give further insight into the complex environment of inner-city communities.

Community Colleges in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundberg, Richard, Ed.

2002-01-01

This issue discusses the importance of the community college to higher education in the United States. Contained are six articles: (1) "America's Community Colleges: On the Ascent," by Arthur M. Cohen, which places the strengths and challenges of the American community college within a historical context; (2) "Lamps Beside the Golden Door," by…

ADAPTIVE MATCHING IN RANDOMIZED TRIALS AND OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

PubMed Central

van der Laan, Mark J.; Balzer, Laura B.; Petersen, Maya L.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY In many randomized and observational studies the allocation of treatment among a sample of n independent and identically distributed units is a function of the covariates of all sampled units. As a result, the treatment labels among the units are possibly dependent, complicating estimation and posing challenges for statistical inference. For example, cluster randomized trials frequently sample communities from some target population, construct matched pairs of communities from those included in the sample based on some metric of similarity in baseline community characteristics, and then randomly allocate a treatment and a control intervention within each matched pair. In this case, the observed data can neither be represented as the realization of n independent random variables, nor, contrary to current practice, as the realization of n/2 independent random variables (treating the matched pair as the independent sampling unit). In this paper we study estimation of the average causal effect of a treatment under experimental designs in which treatment allocation potentially depends on the pre-intervention covariates of all units included in the sample. We define efficient targeted minimum loss based estimators for this general design, present a theorem that establishes the desired asymptotic normality of these estimators and allows for asymptotically valid statistical inference, and discuss implementation of these estimators. We further investigate the relative asymptotic efficiency of this design compared with a design in which unit-specific treatment assignment depends only on the units’ covariates. Our findings have practical implications for the optimal design and analysis of pair matched cluster randomized trials, as well as for observational studies in which treatment decisions may depend on characteristics of the entire sample. PMID:25097298

Discovering Our Delta: A Learning Guide for Community Research. Teacher Guide [and] Student Community Research Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies.

This teacher guide and student community research guide unit are intended to help students learn to conduct research in their community and to communicate the results of that research to classmates and others. The unit, which can be used in conjunction with a video, helps students learn about community research, oral history, and folklore…

19 CFR 123.15 - Vehicles of foreign origin used between communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico. 123.15 Section 123.15 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND... CANADA AND MEXICO International Traffic § 123.15 Vehicles of foreign origin used between communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico. Vehicles of foreign origin which are used for commercial...

Child Abuse & Neglect in the Mexican American Community. Course Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camacho, Rosie Lee

Consisting of three units, the course model aims to prepare students to address the problem of abuse and/or neglect in the Mexican American community. Unit one focuses on the two major parts of the informal helping system in the Mexican American community, the barrio and the family. Unit two concentrates on the traditional child welfare system and…

19 CFR 123.15 - Vehicles of foreign origin used between communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico. 123.15 Section 123.15 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND... AND MEXICO International Traffic § 123.15 Vehicles of foreign origin used between communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico. Vehicles of foreign origin which are used for commercial purposes...

19 CFR 123.15 - Vehicles of foreign origin used between communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico. 123.15 Section 123.15 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND... AND MEXICO International Traffic § 123.15 Vehicles of foreign origin used between communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico. Vehicles of foreign origin which are used for commercial purposes...

19 CFR 123.15 - Vehicles of foreign origin used between communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico. 123.15 Section 123.15 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND... AND MEXICO International Traffic § 123.15 Vehicles of foreign origin used between communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico. Vehicles of foreign origin which are used for commercial purposes...

19 CFR 123.15 - Vehicles of foreign origin used between communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico. 123.15 Section 123.15 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND... AND MEXICO International Traffic § 123.15 Vehicles of foreign origin used between communities of the United States and Canada or Mexico. Vehicles of foreign origin which are used for commercial purposes...

Characterizing the bacterial communities in retail stores in the United States.

PubMed

Hoisington, A; Maestre, J P; Kinney, K A; Siegel, J A

2016-12-01

The microorganisms present in retail environments have not been studied in detail despite the fact that these environments represent a potentially important location for exposure. In this study, HVAC filter dust samples in 13 US retail stores were collected and analyzed via pyrosequencing to characterize the indoor bacterial communities and to explore potential relationships between these communities and building and environmental parameters. Although retail stores contained a diverse bacterial community of 788 unique genera, over half of the nearly 118K sequences were attributed to the Proteobacteria phylum. Streptophyta, Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter were the most prevalent genera detected. The recovered indoor airborne microbial community was statistically associated with both human oral and skin microbiota, indicating occupants are important contributors, despite a relatively low occupant density per unit volume in retail stores. Bacteria generally associated with outdoor environments were present in the indoor communities with no obvious association with air exchange rate, even when considering relative abundance. No significant association was observed between the indoor bacterial community recovered and store location, store type, or season. However, predictive functional gene profiling showed significant associations between the indoor community and season. The microbiome recovered from multiple samples collected months apart from the same building varied significantly indicating that caution is warranted when trying to characterize the bacterial community with a single sampling event. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Implementing community-based provider participation in research: an empirical study.

PubMed

Teal, Randall; Bergmire, Dawn M; Johnston, Matthew; Weiner, Bryan J

2012-05-08

Since 2003, the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) has sought to restructure the clinical research enterprise in the United States by promoting collaborative research partnerships between academically-based investigators and community-based physicians. By increasing community-based provider participation in research (CBPPR), the NIH seeks to advance the science of discovery by conducting research in clinical settings where most people get their care, and accelerate the translation of research results into everyday clinical practice. Although CBPPR is seen as a promising strategy for promoting the use of evidence-based clinical services in community practice settings, few empirical studies have examined the organizational factors that facilitate or hinder the implementation of CBPPR. The purpose of this study is to explore the organizational start-up and early implementation of CBPPR in community-based practice. We used longitudinal, case study research methods and an organizational model of innovation implementation to theoretically guide our study. Our sample consisted of three community practice settings that recently joined the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) in the United States. Data were gathered through site visits, telephone interviews, and archival documents from January 2008 to May 2011. The organizational model for innovation implementation was useful in identifying and investigating the organizational factors influencing start-up and early implementation of CBPPR in CCOP organizations. In general, the three CCOP organizations varied in the extent to which they achieved consistency in CBPPR over time and across physicians. All three CCOP organizations demonstrated mixed levels of organizational readiness for change. Hospital management support and resource availability were limited across CCOP organizations early on, although they improved in one CCOP organization. As a result of weak IPPs, all three CCOPs created a weak implementation climate. Patient accrual became concentrated over time among those groups of physicians for whom CBPPR exhibited a strong innovation-values fit. Several external factors influenced innovation use, complicating and enriching our intra-organizational model of innovation implementation. Our results contribute to the limited body of research on the implementation of CBPPR. They inform policy discussions about increasing and sustaining community clinician involvement in clinical research and expand on theory about organizational determinants of implementation effectiveness.

Fiscal Year 2000 Unit Cost Report for the Illinois Public Community Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Community Coll. Board, Springfield.

This report shows net instructional unit costs from fiscal year 1995 through fiscal year 2000. The five sections are: (1) Comparison of Fiscal Year 2000 Net Instructional Unit Cost with Previous Years; (2) Net Instructional Unit Cost in Illinois Public Community Colleges Since Fiscal Year 1995; (3) Fiscal Year 2000 Net Instructional Unit Cost,…

24 CFR 91.215 - Strategic plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... organizations, community and faith-based organizations, and public institutions, through which the jurisdiction... CONSOLIDATED SUBMISSIONS FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Local Governments; Contents of... units, rehabilitation of existing units, or acquisition of existing units (including preserving...

Communities respond to predatory lending.

PubMed

Caplan, Mary Ager

2014-04-01

Low-income communities in the United States have faced a history of financial marginalization and exploitation, most evident today in the proliferation of predatory financial services, such as payday lending and check-cashing services. Ameliorating the negative effects of predatory lending has become increasingly important on the agenda of community development efforts and the field of social work. Through the use of case studies, this article describes three specific strategies that communities use to increase financial inclusion and buffer against the deleterious effects of predatory lending: inclusion, community-based alternatives, and community advocacy.

A Community Intervention to Decrease Antibiotics Used for Self-Medication Among Latino Adults

PubMed Central

Mainous, Arch G.; Diaz, Vanessa A.; Carnemolla, Mark

2009-01-01

PURPOSE Recent evidence in Latino communities indicates substantial self-medication with antibiotics obtained without a prescription (WORx). We implemented and evaluated a culturally sensitive educational intervention to decrease antibiotic self-medication. METHODS We conducted a community-based intervention with preintervention and postintervention measures in the intervention community (Charleston, South Carolina) as well as a postintervention measure in a control community (Greenville, South Carolina) 200 miles away. The 9-month culturally sensitive intervention included multiple media sources (pamphlets, radio, newspapers). We evaluated the use of antibiotics WORx in the United States, as well as the likelihood of importing antibiotics, by surveying Latino adults in the intervention (n = 250) and in the control community (n = 250). RESULTS Most adults in the intervention community (69%) and the control community (60%) reported some exposure to messages about the inappropriate use of antibiotics, and 25.9% in the intervention community and 8.6% in the control community reported seeing our patient education pamphlets. A substantial proportion of Latino adults in both the intervention (31%) and control communities (20%) have obtained antibiotics WORx in the United States. In multivariate analyses, exposure to an educational message was not a significant predictor of having acquired antibiotics WORx in the United States in past 12 months. The primary predictor of respondents’ having acquired antibiotics WORx in the United States was whether they had bought antibiotics WORx outside the United States. CONCLUSIONS Novel approaches are needed to decrease the use of antibiotics WORx in Latino communities, as focusing only on education may not be sufficient to change behaviors common in their home countries. PMID:19901311

Teaching about Our World Community: Guidelines and Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoge, John Douglas; Allen, Rodney F.

1991-01-01

Offers guidelines for teaching about foreign countries in elementary school social studies lessons. Explains ways to determine content and goals, build background information, and locate instructional materials/community resources. Suggests activities for beginning, sustaining, and concluding units. Stresses importance of maintaining student…

Droppin' Knowledge: Black Women's Communication and Informal Learning in an Online Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steptoe, Leslye Carynn

2011-01-01

The experiences of black women offer a unique perspective on how life is lived at the juncture of race and gender in the United States. This case study of an online community for black women centers on the site's potentiality as an online learning community as well as a uniquely black woman's space. It also explores interrelated aspects of…

Becoming a Promotora: A Transformative Process for Female Community Health Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Squires, Allison; O'Brien, Matthew J.

2012-01-01

Drawing from role theory, this study sought to explore the effects of assuming a new role on Latina community health workers (CHW) participating in a cervical cancer prevention program in a new Latino immigrant community located on the East Coast of the United States. Through a series of in-depth, Spanish language interviews with the 4…

Agencies, Educators, Communities and Wildfire: Partnerships to Enhance Environmental Education for Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monroe, Martha C.; Ballard, Heidi L.; Oxarart, Annie; Sturtevant, Victoria E.; Jakes, Pamela J.; Evans, Emily R.

2016-01-01

We studied seven programs that engage youth from 10 to 18 years old in wildfire risk reduction in their communities in the United States through in-depth interviews to examine the nature and role of community-school partnerships in resource-focused environmental education. While the programs use a variety of strategies, from Scout badge to summer…

Detection of the Early Warning Signs of Cancer by Community Pharmacists: An Evaluation of Training on Professional Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benfield, William R.; And Others

1977-01-01

In a study of 702 pharmacists in 211 communities, an effort was made to determine the effect of a unit of education on the community pharmacist's ability and/or tendency to detect the early warning signs of cancer when manifested by patrons. The success of such a program is shown. (LBH)

Discovering Perceptions of the Essence of College-Level Writing: Transcendental Phenomenological Inquiry in a Midwestern Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Nathan B.

2016-01-01

The perceptions of six community college faculty members about the qualities of college-level writing were explored in a series of guided interviews conducted at Prairie Community College (a pseudonym) located in the central time zone of the United States. The study examined the perceptions of the six faculty members with regard to important…

Heritage tourism development in rural Russia: A case study in collaborative tourism planning in an international setting

Treesearch

Roy Ramthun; Susan Williams; Vladimir Shalaev; Svetlana Guseva; Irina Polinkova; Sofia Chervakova; Svetlana Ivanova; Anna Pahkmutova; Anastasia Shalaev

2010-01-01

In the United States, advisers from such organizations as universities and extension services often assist rural communities with community planning and development efforts. These outside groups typically facilitate communication and discussion among stakeholders and help to lay out a process by which the community may proceed towards its shared goals. Faculty members...

From Minnesota to Cairo: Student Perceptions of Community-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibrahim, Mona M.; Rosenheim, Marnie R.; Amer, Mona M.; Larson, Haley A.

2016-01-01

This study explored perceptions of community-based learning in a sample of 176 students at a liberal arts college in Cairo, Egypt, and a sample of 176 students at a liberal arts college in the Midwestern United States. Students responded to a 38-item rating scale that assessed gains in several domains as a result of engaging in community-based…

Agencies, educators, communities and wildfire: partnerships to enhance environmental education for youth

Treesearch

Martha C. Monroe; Heidi L. Ballard; Annie Oxarart; Victoria E. Sturtevant; Pamela J. Jakes; Emily R. Evans

2015-01-01

We studied seven programs that engage youth from 10 to 18 years old in wildfire risk reduction in their communities in the United States through in-depth interviews to examine the nature and role of community-school partnerships in resource-focused environmental education. While the programs use a variety of strategies, from Scout badge to summer school, they exhibit...

A Portraiture of Six Hispanic Women's Academic Pursuit in a Community College Setting: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artiaga, Maria D.

2013-01-01

Community colleges in the United States serve as social, cultural, and intellectual hubs that take the role as gatekeepers by committing to opening up the doors of opportunity to the public (Vaughan, 2006). Community colleges prepare their students for the workforce by providing credit or non-credit courses, certifications, or degrees. Depending…

Ecosystems, Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Univ., Berkeley. Science Curriculum Improvement Study.

The Science Curriculum Improvement Study has developed this teacher's guide to "Ecosystems," the sixth part of a six unit life science curriculum sequence. The six basic units, emphasizing organism-environment interactions, are organisms, life cycles, populations, environments, communities, and ecosystems. They make use of scientific and…

Populations, Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Univ., Berkeley. Science Curriculum Improvement Study.

The Science Curriculum Improvement Study has developed this teacher's guide to "Populations," the third part of a six-unit life science curriculum sequence. The six basic units, emphasizing organism-environment interactions, are organisms, life cycles, populations, environments, communities, and ecosystems; and they make use of…

A Mixed Methods Study of Faculty, Staff, and Student Perceptions of Safety at Central Carolina Community College: An Analysis of Gender, Campus Location, and Specific Factors That Influence These Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wicker, Jamie Frances

2017-01-01

This purpose of this mixed methods study was to fill a gap in existing literature related to examining the perceptions of safety for faculty, staff, and students by utilizing data from a single community college in the southeastern United States within a three-county service area. Central Carolina Community College has three campus locations each…

Glacial and Intertidal Ecology: A Study Guide for the Third Grade. Alaska Sea Week Curriculum Series. Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopson, Dan; And Others

Two marine science units comprise this manual for teachers of elementary school students. Unit 1, "Shore Communities," involves mapping exercises and other investigations of the ecology of the intertidal zone. Unit 2, "The Glacier," focuses on glacial geology and the relationship of glaciers to the marine environment. Each unit…

Interdisciplinary Unit on Land Use and Social Action in Pinellas County.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinellas County District School Board, Clearwater, FL.

Interdisciplinary social studies units on land use and social action for eighth and ninth grade students are provided. Although specifically written for students living in Pinellas County, Florida, the units can be adapted easily for teaching about land use in general and/or land use in one's own community. The overall objective is to help…

Choices Between... Community Study Unit, Grade 7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee County School District, Ft. Myers, FL. Dept. of Environmental Education and Instructional Development Services.

Because of its geographical location, topography, and climate, South Florida has unique water problems. When the rainfall situation is combined with changing land use patterns and increasing population growth rates, the result is often water shortages in some areas and floods in others. This study unit looks at some of the reasons for the present…

Nonpharmaceutical Influenza Mitigation Strategies, US Communities, 1918–1920 Pandemic1

PubMed Central

Stern, Alexandra M.; Navarro, J. Alexander; Michalsen, Joseph R.; Monto, Arnold S.; DiGiovanni, Cleto

2006-01-01

We studied nonpharmaceutical interventions used to mitigate the second, and most deadly, wave of the 1918–1920 influenza pandemic in the United States. We conclude that several small communities implemented potentially successful attempts at preventing the introduction of influenza. PMID:17326953

Community College Library Practices in Developmental Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roselle, Ann

2008-01-01

This qualitative study examines current community college library practices in developmental education. Based on semistructured telephone interviews with 27 librarians across the United States, analysis of the results shows that there are librarians who proactively integrate basic library skills into developmental education and academic success…

Community intellectual disability nurses' public health roles in the United Kingdom: An exploratory documentary analysis.

PubMed

Mafuba, Kay; Gates, Bob; Cozens, Maria

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to explore how public health policy in the United Kingdom was reflected in community intellectual disability nurses' (CIDNs)' job descriptions and person's specifications. The role of CIDNs has evolved due to policy changes. As these roles evolve, job descriptions and person specifications are important in highlighting employer's expectations staff, priorities, and professional values of their employees. This study involved an exploratory documentary analysis of n = 203 CIDNs' job descriptions and person specifications in the context of role theory. The CIDNs' public health roles identified in this study are health education, health protection, health prevention, health surveillance, and health promotion. Key policies themes were intellectual disability health access, public health strategies, policy evaluation/redesign, and public health policy. There is a lack of public health role clarity and inconsistency in role expectations across organizational boundaries in the United Kingdom.

A Longitudinal Examination of the Relationship of Selected Institutional Variables to Community College Foundation Revenue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Van; Justice, Madeline; Scott, Joyce A.

2012-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the annual revenue received by United States public Community College Foundations from 2008-2009 in relation to selected variables associated in the literature with successful foundation performance. This study also collected longitudinal data by replicating and expanding upon a similar study…

A Longitudinal Examination of the Relationship of Selected Institutional Variables to Community College Foundation Revenue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Vandiver L.

2011-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the annual revenue received by United States public community college foundations from 2008-2009 in relation to selected variables associated in the literature with successful foundation performance. This study also attempted to collect longitudinal data by replicating and expanding upon a similar…

New Schools for Older Neighborhoods: Strategies for Building Our Communities' Most Important Assets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kauth, Ann

The case studies in this booklet highlight how five communities, in big cities and small towns, overcame the obstacles inherent in creating good new schools in existing neighborhoods. These studies illustrate the creativity that people across the United States have brought to the task of creating new schools in older neighborhoods. There is…

Students' with Disabilities Experience and Description of Integrating into an Academic Community in Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randolph, Terresa Shavawn

2012-01-01

Using a qualitative design, this study offers an understanding of the lived experience of students with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), learning disability (LD), or traumatic brain injuries (TBI) who are integrating into an academic community within a higher education institution located in the southern United States. Additionally,…

Why Are Studies of Neighborhoods and Communities Central to Education Policy and Reform?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopson, Rodney

2014-01-01

To understand the long shadow of education policy and reform in the United States, especially in the urban core, requires a full and elaborate understanding of the neighborhoods and communities that have transformed in the last 20 or 30 years. Studying classrooms and educational spaces without concomitant understanding of the dynamics and facets…

Evaluation of the Developing Specialist Practitioner Role in the Context of Public Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearson, Pauline; Mead, Paula; Graney, Anne; McRae, Gill; Reed, Jan; Johnson, Kath

A study examined the effectiveness of existing nursing education programs to prepare individuals in the United Kingdom for employment as community specialist practitioners in the context of public health. The study was designed in three strands as follows: (1) a questionnaire-based source of 52 directors and leaders from community specialist…

A Discourse Analysis of Collaboration between Academic and Student Affairs in Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gulley, Needham Yancey

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of collaboration between academic affairs and student affairs units in the community college context from a qualitative perspective. A discourse analysis study was conducted to explore the ways in which collaborative practice was discussed and understood by chief and midlevel academic and…

Recruitment and Retention of Non-Caucasian Faculty in Southern Community Colleges: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Kristina

2017-01-01

The increase in enrollment of African American, Hispanic, and Asian students in community colleges in the Southern parts of the United States of America sparked an interest in researching the hiring of non-Caucasian faculty in similar institutions and regions. This phenomenological study sought to unveil the personal experiences of non-Caucasian…

Being and Becoming in the Space Between: Co-Created Visual Storying through Community-Based Participatory Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koo, Ah Ran

2017-01-01

The main goal of this study was to expand understanding of a Korean-American community's cultural identities through storytelling and artmaking, which was conceptualized as "Visual Storying" in this study. Ethnic minority students in the United States often experience confusion or conflict between American and their heritage cultures.…

Community College Students' Views on Learning Mathematics in Terms of Their Epistemological Beliefs: A "Q" Method Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeler, Denna L.; Montgomery, Diane

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the views of students enrolled at a small United States Midwestern community college toward learning mathematics, and to examine the relationship between student beliefs about mathematic learning and educational experiences with mathematics using "Q" methodology and open-ended response prompts.…

Social inclusion of the people with mental health issues: Compare international results.

PubMed

Santos, Jussara Carvalho Dos; Barros, Sônia; Huxley, Peter John

2018-06-01

Social inclusion of people with mental health issues is an aim of the World Health Organisation. Many countries have adopted that objective, including Brazil and the United Kingdom and both have focused treatment in the community. The aim of this article is to compare international results using the same inclusion instrument. The samples in this study were 225 people with mental health issues in community services in São Paulo, Brazil. Their results are compared to findings from 168 people with similar mental health issues in Hong Kong, China, and from the United Kingdom - a nationally representative sample of 212 people without mental health issues. The instrument used to measure a social inclusion called Social and Communities Opportunities Profile (SCOPE) has been validated for use in the United Kingdom, China and Brazil. The results are that people with mental health issues have worse social inclusion when compared to general population. Between the people with mental health issues, the sample of São Paulo has the lowest social inclusion index but, in relation to access to the Brazilian revised mental health services, that sample has a similarly high inclusion rating to the general population of the United Kingdom. Findings are important to understand mental health in the community context, as well as their adversities and potentialities.

Wellness general of the United States: a creative approach to promote family and community health.

PubMed

Haber, David

2002-10-01

This article offers a creative approach to promote family and community health, beginning with the conversion of the office of Surgeon General of the United States into the Wellness General of the United States. The content ranges from federal initiatives to promote quality health research to individuals and families who will be the beneficiaries at medical clinics and community health programs. The proposal recommends changes to institutions and policies, including junk food taxes, the National Institutes of Health, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, the Healthy People 2010 initiative, the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set, the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee, state health mandates, local health plans, community medical clinics, and community health programs. The goal is to stimulate ideas and actions among policymakers, researchers, practitioners, educators, and students.

Declining urban and community tree cover in the United States

Treesearch

David J. Nowak; Eric J. Greenfield

2018-01-01

Paired aerial photographs were interpreted to assess recent changes (c. 2009–2014) in tree, impervious and other cover types within urban/community and urban land in all 50 United States and the District of Columbia. National results indicate that tree cover in urban/community areas of the United States is on the decline at a rate of about 175,000 acres per year, which...

Data Resources for Community Studies: The United States (Archival Data Resources for the Study of Nonmetropolitan Areas: The United States).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clubb, Jerome M.; Traugott, Michael W.

While the emphasis in much recent research has been essentially on urban concerns, there are very substantial empirical data resources which are available for the study of nonmetropolitan social, political, and economic phenomenon. The sources of computer-readable data relevant to investigation of nonmetropolitan phenomena can be grouped into…

Women's Community Involvement: The Effects of Money, Safety, Parenthood, and Friends. Research-in-Brief.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caiazza, Amy

Decreased civic and political participation is a pressing problem in the United States. Today, Americans are less likely to vote, work for a party or candidate, attend a meeting, or belong to a social or community organization than they were 40 years ago. A study used the Community Indicators Survey, a nationally representative sample of 1,206…

New Rulers in the Ghetto: The Community Development Corporation and Urban Poverty. Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies, Number 28.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berndt, Harry Edward

The activities of the Community Development Corporation (CDC), founded in 1967 to alleviate urban poverty in the United States, are analyzed in this book. The overall strategies used by the CDC, including the acquisition of existing businesses, development of new businesses, investments in physical assets of the community, assistance through loans…

Characterization of coastal urban watershed bacterial communities leads to alternative community-based indicators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, C.H.; Sercu, B.; Van De Werhorst, L.C.

2010-03-01

Microbial communities in aquatic environments are spatially and temporally dynamic due to environmental fluctuations and varied external input sources. A large percentage of the urban watersheds in the United States are affected by fecal pollution, including human pathogens, thus warranting comprehensive monitoring. Using a high-density microarray (PhyloChip), we examined water column bacterial community DNA extracted from two connecting urban watersheds, elucidating variable and stable bacterial subpopulations over a 3-day period and community composition profiles that were distinct to fecal and non-fecal sources. Two approaches were used for indication of fecal influence. The first approach utilized similarity of 503 operational taxonomicmore » units (OTUs) common to all fecal samples analyzed in this study with the watershed samples as an index of fecal pollution. A majority of the 503 OTUs were found in the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. The second approach incorporated relative richness of 4 bacterial classes (Bacilli, Bacteroidetes, Clostridia and a-proteobacteria) found to have the highest variance in fecal and non-fecal samples. The ratio of these 4 classes (BBC:A) from the watershed samples demonstrated a trend where bacterial communities from gut and sewage sources had higher ratios than from sources not impacted by fecal material. This trend was also observed in the 124 bacterial communities from previously published and unpublished sequencing or PhyloChip- analyzed studies. This study provided a detailed characterization of bacterial community variability during dry weather across a 3-day period in two urban watersheds. The comparative analysis of watershed community composition resulted in alternative community-based indicators that could be useful for assessing ecosystem health.« less

Characterization of Coastal Urban Watershed Bacterial Communities Leads to Alternative Community-Based Indicators

PubMed Central

Wu, Cindy H.; Sercu, Bram; Van De Werfhorst, Laurie C.; Wong, Jakk; DeSantis, Todd Z.; Brodie, Eoin L.; Hazen, Terry C.; Holden, Patricia A.; Andersen, Gary L.

2010-01-01

Background Microbial communities in aquatic environments are spatially and temporally dynamic due to environmental fluctuations and varied external input sources. A large percentage of the urban watersheds in the United States are affected by fecal pollution, including human pathogens, thus warranting comprehensive monitoring. Methodology/Principal Findings Using a high-density microarray (PhyloChip), we examined water column bacterial community DNA extracted from two connecting urban watersheds, elucidating variable and stable bacterial subpopulations over a 3-day period and community composition profiles that were distinct to fecal and non-fecal sources. Two approaches were used for indication of fecal influence. The first approach utilized similarity of 503 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) common to all fecal samples analyzed in this study with the watershed samples as an index of fecal pollution. A majority of the 503 OTUs were found in the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. The second approach incorporated relative richness of 4 bacterial classes (Bacilli, Bacteroidetes, Clostridia and α-proteobacteria) found to have the highest variance in fecal and non-fecal samples. The ratio of these 4 classes (BBC∶A) from the watershed samples demonstrated a trend where bacterial communities from gut and sewage sources had higher ratios than from sources not impacted by fecal material. This trend was also observed in the 124 bacterial communities from previously published and unpublished sequencing or PhyloChip- analyzed studies. Conclusions/Significance This study provided a detailed characterization of bacterial community variability during dry weather across a 3-day period in two urban watersheds. The comparative analysis of watershed community composition resulted in alternative community-based indicators that could be useful for assessing ecosystem health. PMID:20585654

Effects of seawater acidification on a coral reef meiofauna community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarmento, V. C.; Souza, T. P.; Esteves, A. M.; Santos, P. J. P.

2015-09-01

Despite the increasing risk that ocean acidification will modify benthic communities, great uncertainty remains about how this impact will affect the lower trophic levels, such as members of the meiofauna. A mesocosm experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of water acidification on a phytal meiofauna community from a coral reef. Community samples collected from the coral reef subtidal zone (Recife de Fora Municipal Marine Park, Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil), using artificial substrate units, were exposed to a control pH (ambient seawater) and to three levels of seawater acidification (pH reductions of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 units below ambient) and collected after 15 and 30 d. After 30 d of exposure, major changes in the structure of the meiofauna community were observed in response to reduced pH. The major meiofauna groups showed divergent responses to acidification. Harpacticoida and Polychaeta densities did not show significant differences due to pH. Nematoda, Ostracoda, Turbellaria, and Tardigrada exhibited their highest densities in low-pH treatments (especially at the pH reduction of 0.6 units, pH 7.5), while harpacticoid nauplii were strongly negatively affected by low pH. This community-based mesocosm study supports previous suggestions that ocean acidification induces important changes in the structure of marine benthic communities. Considering the importance of meiofauna in the food web of coral reef ecosystems, the results presented here demonstrate that the trophic functioning of coral reefs is seriously threatened by ocean acidification.

Community prevention coalition context and capacity assessment: Comparing the United States and Mexico

PubMed Central

Brown, Louis D.; Chilenski, Sarah Meyer; Ramos, Rebeca; Gallegos, Nora; Feinberg, Mark E.

2015-01-01

Effective planning for community health partnerships requires understanding how initial readiness—that is, contextual factors and capacity-- influence implementation of activities and programs. This study compares the context and capacity of drug and violence prevention coalitions in Mexico to those in the United States. Measures of coalition context include community problems, community leadership style, and sense of community. Measures of coalition capacity include the existence of collaborative partnerships and coalition champions. The assessment was completed by 195 members of 9 coalitions in Mexico and 139 members of 7 coalitions in the United States. Psychometric analyses indicate the measures have moderate to strong internal consistency, along with good convergent and discriminant validity in both settings. Results indicate that members of Mexican coalitions perceive substantially more serious community problems, especially with respect to education, law enforcement, and access to alcohol and drugs. Compared to respondents in the U.S., Mexican respondents perceive sense of community to be weaker and that prevention efforts are not as valued by the population where the coalitions are located. The Mexican coalitions appear to be operating in a substantially more challenging environment for the prevention of violence and substance use. Their ability to manage these challenges will likely play a large role in determining whether they are successful in their prevention efforts. The context and capacity assessment is a valuable tool coalitions can use to identify and address initial barriers to success. PMID:26205249

Can They Do That? Learning about Active Citizenship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hooper, Derek; Farrell, Jane; Hedge, Annie; Thorpe, Tony

This book contains the materials required to conduct a seven-unit course in what it means to be an active citizen in the United Kingdom. The units are intended to be used in return to study and access courses and were written to be of immediate practical relevance to providers of further education college- or community-based courses for various…

Pilot Study of Behavioral Treatment in Dementia Care Units.(practice Concepts)(author Abstract)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichtenberg, Peter A.; Kemp-Havican, Julie; MacNeill, Susan E.; Johnson, Amanda Schafer

2005-01-01

Purpose: This article reports on the development and use of behavioral treatment as a well-being intervention for individuals with dementia residing at special care units in a nursing home. Design and Methods: The project took place upon the construction and opening of two new homelike units for dementia care in a rural community-care center.…

Health Occupations Curriculum. Skills and Theory for Practical Nurse. Units 16 and 17.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arizona State Dept. of Education, Phoenix.

Part of a health occupations program, these instructional units consist of materials for use by those who are studying to become practical nurses. Unit 16 deals with basic concepts in the nursing of the aged, in community health, and in the legal responsibilities of the practical nurse. Covered next are nursing care procedures for adults with the…

Fragmentation of Forest Communities in the Eastern United States

EPA Science Inventory

Forest fragmentation threatens the sustainability of forest communities and therefore the beta diversity of forestland in the eastern United States. We combined forest inventory data with land cover data to compare 70 forest communities in terms of the amount and ownership of int...

[Individual, community, regulatory, and systemic approaches to tobacco control interventions].

PubMed

Gorini, Giuseppe

2011-01-01

During the 60s and the 70s strategies for decreasing initiation or quitting have been developed, in order to find those with high success rates. Unfortunately, interventions with an individual approach involved few smokers, so their impact in decreasing smoking prevalence was limited. The socio-ecological model offers a theoretical framework to community interventions for smoking cessation developed during the 80s, in which smoking was considered not only an individual, but also a social problem. In the 80s and the 90s smoking cessation community trials were developed, such as the Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation (COMMIT). Afterwards, policy interventions (price policy; smoking bans in public places; advertising bans; bans of sales to minors) were developed, such as the American Stop Smoking Intervention Study for Cancer Prevention (ASSIST). California has been the first State all over the world to develop a comprehensive Tobacco Control Program in 1988, becoming the place for an ever-conducted natural experiment. All policy interventions in tobacco control have been finally grouped together in the World Health Organization - Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC), the first Public Health Treaty. Study designs have changed, according to the individual, community, or regulatory approaches: the classical randomized controlled trials (RCTs), in which the sampling unit is the individual, have been carried out for the evaluation of smoking cessation treatments, whereas cluster RCTs, in which the sampling unit is the community, have been conducted for evaluating community interventions, such as COMMIT. Finally, quasi-experimental studies (before/after study; prospective cohorts, both with a control group), in which the observational unit is a State, have been used for evaluating tobacco control policies, such as ASSIST and the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project. Although the successes of the last 20 years, tobacco control is at a critical point: in a reductionist approach, we tried to study its parts, but few efforts have been done to consider tobacco control as a complex network that needs an alternative approach to be understood, the systems thinking approach. New attempts of understanding and solving contradictions within tobacco control using a systems thinking approach are presented.

MOBILE-izing Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Care: A Pilot Study Using A Mobile Health Unit in Chicago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stefansson, Lilja S.; Webb, M. Elizabeth; Hebert, Luciana E.; Masinter, Lisa; Gilliam, Melissa L.

2018-01-01

Background: Adolescents experience numerous barriers to obtaining sexual and reproductive health care (SRHC). Mobile Health Units (MHUs) can remove some barriers by traveling to the community. This pilot study developed Mobile SRHC through an iterative process on an existing MHU and evaluated it among adolescents and providers. Methods: Mobile…

We Are the Leaders We've Been Waiting for

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vargas, Arturo

2011-01-01

As the Latino community in the United States grows and matures, the inevitable question continues to be asked: who is the leader of this community of 50 million? "Leadership" in the Latino community has been hotly debated for many years. Many decry the absence of the "great Brown hope," a single leader who can unite the community of 50 million…

Indices of benthic community tolerance in contaminated Great Lakes sediments: Relations with sediment contaminant concentrations, sediment toxicity, and the sediment quality triad

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wildhaber, M.L.; Schmitt, C.J.

1998-01-01

We evaluated the toxic-units model developed by Wildhaber and Schmitt (1996) as a predictor of indices of mean tolerance to pollution (i.e., Lenat, 1993; Hilsenhoff, 1987) and other benthic community indices from Great Lakes sediments containing complex mixtures of environmental contaminants (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls – PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – PAHs, pesticides, chlorinated dioxins, and metals). Sediment toxic units were defined as the ratio of the estimated pore-water concentration of a contaminant to its chronic toxicity as estimated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ambient Water Quality Criteria (AWQC) or other applicable standard. The total hazard of a sediment to aquatic life was assessed by summing toxic units for all contaminants quantified. Among the benthic community metrics evaluated, total toxic units were most closely correlated with Lenat's (1993) and Hilsenhoff's (1987) indices of community tolerance (TL and TH, respectively); toxic units accounted for 42% TL and 53% TH of variability in community tolerance as measured by Ponar grabs. In contrast, taxonomic richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity were not correlated (P > 0.05) with toxic units. Substitution of order- or family-level identifications for lowest possible (mostly genus- or species-) level identifications in the calculation of TL and TH indices weakened the relationships with toxic units. Tolerance values based on order- and family-level identifications of benthos for artificial substrate samples were more strongly correlated with toxic units than tolerance values for benthos from Ponar grabs. The ability of the toxic-units model to predict the other two components (i.e., laboratory-measured sediment toxicity and benthic community composition) of the Sediment Quality Triad (SQT) may obviate the need for the SQT in some situations.

A Study of the Academic Performance of Student Athletes in California's Community Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanter, Martha; Lewis, Merillee

In the California Community Colleges (CCC), students who participate in athletics must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit units during the season of participation and must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0. In 1989, a study was conducted to determine whether there were differences in the educational goal achievement of…

The Fishbowl and the Flies: A Classroom Study of the Relationships between Book Clubs, Talk, Reflection and Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brevig, Laurey

2009-01-01

This teacher research study examines the literary talk and classroom community that emerged during Book Club meetings, fishbowl discussions, and a Retrospective Reflection session which transpired in my fifth grade classroom over the course of two thematic units. Themes of cultural awareness and belonging served to help students flesh out social…

The Muddy-Booted Boys: A Case Study of Working-Class Youth in a Rural Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleiderlein, Marie

2013-01-01

This case study describes the high school experiences of White working-class boys in a rural community in the northeast United States. It examines the identity formation of these youth, key characteristics of those identities, as well as a prominent and significant group identity among them. These youth are typically kinesthetic learners and…

Improving Student Outcomes via Comprehensive Supports: Three-Year Outcomes from CUNY's Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolenovic, Zineta; Linderman, Donna; Karp, Melinda Mechur

2013-01-01

Community colleges are grappling with low rates of degree completion and transfer. The City University of New York's (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) aims to improve graduation rates by providing a range of comprehensive support services to community college students in select majors. Using student-unit record data, we…

The Revised Institution: The Community College Mission at the End of the 20th Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, John S.

This study examines the changed and changing mission of community colleges in the 1990s in the United States and Canada. By narrowing the focus to the geographical area of the Pacific/ Western region, the study seeks to identify the development of international cultural connections consistent with the region and to explain how the globalization…

An Examination of Midwest Community College Presidents' Leadership Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Marvin Jones

2012-01-01

This study examined the leadership styles of community college presidents and chancellors in the Midwestern part of the United States on leadership styles they embraced based on their personal characteristics, age, gender, education and experience in higher education, location, and other prevailing personal characteristics. The three leadership…

Seasonal induced changes in spinach rhizosphere microbial community structure with varying salinity and drought

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Salinity is a common problem under irrigated agriculture, especially in low rainfall and high evaporative demand areas of southwestern United States and other semi-arid regions around the world. However, studies on salinity effects on soil microbial communities are relatively few while the effects o...

Applying the Design Framework to Technology Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curwood, Jen Scott

2013-01-01

Building on contemporary research on teacher professional development, this study examined the practices of a technology-focused learning community at a high school in the United States. Over the course of a school year, classroom teachers and a university-based researcher participated in the learning community to investigate how technology can…

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Remedial Reading Courses at Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lavonier, Nicole

2016-01-01

Limited research is available on the effectiveness of remedial college courses. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of two instructional approaches for developmental reading courses at a community college in the southwestern United States. The instructional approaches were traditional textbook-based instruction and strategic-reading…

Digitally Included: Business-Community Partnerships To Promote the Use of Information and Communication Technologies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2003

This publication describes efforts in the United Kingdom (UK) to develop mutually beneficial, collaborative partnerships between businesses and communities that promote digital inclusion (access to information and communication technologies). Case studies of different kinds of relationships are listed, including UK online centers, schools, events…

Children's Intent Participation in a Pediatric Community of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rindstedt, Camilla; Aronsson, Karin

2012-01-01

This study analyzes informal learning, drawing on video recordings of staff-child interaction in a pediatric unit. It is shown that even very young patients engage in intent community participation, carefully noting fine variations in examination and treatment practices. They orient to everyday routines in successively more complex ways, gradually…

Coping with Vicarious Trauma in the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Lauren E.; Bernal, Darren R.; Schwartz, Billie S.; Whitt, Courtney L.; Christman, Seth T.; Donnelly, Stephanie; Wheatley, Anna; Guillaume, Casta; Nicolas, Guerda; Kish, Jonathan; Kobetz, Erin

2014-01-01

This study documents the vicarious psychological impact of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti on Haitians living in the United States. The role of coping resources--family, religious, and community support--was explored. The results highlight the importance of family and community as coping strategies to manage such trauma.

Language Policy and Practice in the Multilingual Southern African Development Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooko, Theophilus

2009-01-01

This study explores the language policy and practice of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), an African regional economic organisation made up of 14 member states (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia…

Ford, Change, and Community Colleges: An Important Partnership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Donald E.

1987-01-01

Describes two cooperative programs involving the Ford Motor Company and community colleges: the voluntary joint United Auto Workers-Ford Employee Development and Training Program, which serves both dislocated and active workers; and the Ford ASSET (Automotive Student Service Educational Training) Program, a two-year cooperative work study program.…

Using State Student Unit Record Data to Increase Community College Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ewell, Peter; Jenkins, Davis

2008-01-01

This chapter examines lessons learned by states that are using student unit record (SUR) data to improve outcomes for community college students and recommends steps states can take to strengthen their use of SUR databases to benefit students and communities. (Contains 1 exhibit.)

Geographic Factors and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Initiation Among Adolescent Girls in the United States

PubMed Central

Henry, Kevin A.; Stroup, Antoinette M.; Warner, Echo L; Kepka, Deanna

2015-01-01

Background This study is among the first to explore geographic factors that may be associated with HPV vaccine uptake in the United States. Methods Data from the 2011 and 2012 National Immunization Survey-Teen for 20,565 female adolescents aged 13-17 years were analyzed to examine associations of HPV vaccine initiation (receipt of at least one dose) with ZIP code-level geographic factors. Logistic regression including individual and geographic factors was used to estimate the odds of HPV vaccine initiation. Results Approximately 53% of girls initiated the HPV vaccine in both years. Girls in high poverty communities had higher HPV vaccine initiation compared to those in low poverty communities (61.1% vs .52.4%; Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 1.18,95%CI 1.04-1.33). Initiation was higher among girls in communities where the majority of the population was Hispanic (69.0% vs. 49.9%;AOR 1.64, 95%CI 1.43-1.87) or non-Hispanic mixed race (60.4% vs. 49.9%; AOR 1.30, 95%CI 1.17-1.44) compared to majority non-Hispanic white communities. Interactions between individual-level race/ethnicity and community racial–ethnic composition indicated significantly higher odds of initiation among Hispanic girls living in Hispanic communities compared to Hispanic girls living in predominately NHW (AOR 2.23;95%CI 1.87-2.65) or NHB (AOR 1.90; 95%CI 1.20-3.04)communities, respectively Conclusion Initiation rates of HPV vaccination among teen girls were highest in the poorest communities and among Hispanics living in communities where the racial–ethnic composition was predominantly Hispanic or mixed race. Impact Given low HPV vaccination rates in the United States, these results provide important evidence to inform public health interventions to increase HPV vaccination. PMID:26768989

The role of prehealth student volunteers at a student-run free clinic in New York, United States.

PubMed

Shabbir, Syed H; Santos, Maria Teresa M

2015-01-01

The medical student-run Einstein Community Health Outreach Clinic provides free healthcare to the uninsured adult population of New York, the United States. During the summer, prehealth student volunteers are recruited to assist with clinic operations. We designed a survey study to identify the baseline characteristics of the volunteers between June and August of 2013 and 2014 in order to evaluate the influence of working in a medical student-run free clinic on their education, impressions, and career goals. A total of 38 volunteers (response rate, 83%) participated in the study. The volunteers were demographically diverse and interested in primary care specialties and community service. After the Einstein Community Health Outreach program, the volunteers showed an improved understanding of the healthcare process and issues relevant to uninsured patients. They also developed favorable attitudes towards primary care medicine and an increased level of interest in pursuing careers in primary care.

Exploring barriers to organ donation in the African-American communities of California.

PubMed

Law, Debra R; McNiesh, Susan

2012-07-01

There are a disproportionate number of African-Americans on transplant waiting lists across the country. The outcomes of a transplant are greatly improved when the donor and the recipient are from the same ethnic group. Sadly, the demand for cadaver organs in the African-American community exceeds the supply. Researchers in the past have sought to identify barriers to organ and tissue donation. To date, the studies have been conducted in the eastern and southern regions of the United States. This study examines whether the previously identified barriers are applicable in the African-American communities of California. A revised version of the Bone Marrow Donation Intention Tool was administered both in person and online. A t-test was used for analysis. The findings revealed statistically significant agreement/disagreement statements. These statements indicated that the barriers to organ donation from other areas of the United States were not representative of the respondents on the west coast.

Job Satisfaction Among Academic Staff: An International Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lacy, Fiona J.; Sheehan, Barry A.

1997-01-01

A study examined aspects of college faculty's satisfaction with their jobs across eight nations (Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States) and the implications for governance and administration. Results indicate that factors related to work environment (university atmosphere, morale, sense of community,…

A Curriculum Guide in Elementary Social Studies: Man in a Changing Society. Grade Five.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard County Board of Education, Clarksville, MD.

This grade 5 social studies curriculum unit presents a course on Man In A Changing Society. An objective of the instructional program for this level is that the student broaden his perspective of the concept "man" from the family, community, and the state to understand his nation as a changing society. Units for study are: 1) A Nation…

Looking inside and out: the impact of employee and community demographic composition on organizational diversity climate.

PubMed

Pugh, S Douglas; Dietz, Joerg; Brief, Arthur P; Wiley, Jack W

2008-11-01

An organization's diversity climate refers to employees' shared perceptions of the policies and practices that communicate the extent to which fostering diversity and eliminating discrimination is a priority in the organization. The authors propose a salient element of the organizational context, the racial composition of the community where the organization is located, serves an important signaling function that shapes the formation of climate perceptions. In a study of 142 retail bank units in the United States, evidence is found for a relationship between the racial composition of an organization's workforce and diversity climate that is moderated by the racial composition of the community where the organization is located. The results suggest that when few racial minorities live in the community in which an organization is embedded, workforce diversity has an impact on employees' diversity climate perceptions. As racial minority popular share increases, workforce diversity tends to lose this signaling value.

A Longitudinal View of the Liberal Arts Curriculum a Decade after Merger: A Multiple Case Study of Community Colleges in Connecticut, Kentucky, and Louisiana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, Ann; Wilson, Kristin

2015-01-01

This study is an examination of the state of the liberal arts curriculum in community colleges in three geographic regions of the United States. From a constructivist paradigm and using globalization theory as a theoretical framework, this multiple case study examined faculty work life and administrative processes related to curriculum change in…

The U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program: Successes in Tsunami Preparedness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitmore, P.; Wilson, R. I.

2012-12-01

Formed in 1995 by Congressional Action, the National Tsunami Hazards Mitigation Program (NTHMP) provides the framework for tsunami preparedness activities in the United States. The Program consists of the 28 U.S. coastal states, territories, and commonwealths (STCs), as well as three Federal agencies: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Since its inception, the NTHMP has advanced tsunami preparedness in the United States through accomplishments in many areas of tsunami preparedness: - Coordination and funding of tsunami hazard analysis and preparedness activities in STCs; - Development and execution of a coordinated plan to address education and outreach activities (materials, signage, and guides) within its membership; - Lead the effort to assist communities in meeting National Weather Service (NWS) TsunamiReady guidelines through development of evacuation maps and other planning activities; - Determination of tsunami hazard zones in most highly threatened coastal communities throughout the country by detailed tsunami inundation studies; - Development of a benchmarking procedure for numerical tsunami models to ensure models used in the inundation studies meet consistent, NOAA standards; - Creation of a national tsunami exercise framework to test tsunami warning system response; - Funding community tsunami warning dissemination and reception systems such as sirens and NOAA Weather Radios; and, - Providing guidance to NOAA's Tsunami Warning Centers regarding warning dissemination and content. NTHMP activities have advanced the state of preparedness of United States coastal communities, and have helped save lives and property during recent tsunamis. Program successes as well as future plans, including maritime preparedness, are discussed.

A Near-Road Modeling System for Community-Scale Assessments of Traffic-Related AirPollution in the United States

EPA Science Inventory

The Community Line Source (C-LINE) modeling system estimates emissions and dispersion of toxic air pollutants for roadways within the continental United States. It accesses publicly available traffic and meteorological datasets, and is optimized for use on community-sized areas (...

The Rediscovery of Heritage and Community Language Education in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jin Sook; Wright, Wayne E.

2014-01-01

Language and cultural preservation efforts among different communities of language speakers in the United States have received increasing attention as interest in linguistic rights and globalization continues to deepen. In addition to mounting evidence of the cognitive, psychological, and academic benefits of heritage language/community language…

Influence of Peanut Cultivars and Environmental Conditions on the Diversity and Community Composition of Pod Rot Soil Fungi in China.

PubMed

Wang, Mian; Chen, Mingna; Yang, Zhen; Chen, Na; Chi, Xiaoyuan; Pan, Lijuan; Wang, Tong; Yu, Shanlin; Guo, Xingqi

2017-12-01

Peanut yield and quality are seriously affected by pod rot pathogens worldwide, especially in China in recent years. The goals of this study are to analyze the structure of fungal communities of peanut pod rot in soil in three peanut cultivars and the correlation of pod rot with environmental variables using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 46,723 internal transcribed spacer high-quality sequences were obtained and grouped into 1,706 operational taxonomic units at the 97% similarity cut-off level. The coverage, rank abundance, and the Chao 1 and Shannon diversity indices of the operational taxonomic units were analyzed. Members of the phylum Ascomycota were dominant, such as Fusarium , Chaetomium , Alternaria , and Sordariomycetes , followed by Basidiomycota. The results of the heatmap and redundancy analysis revealed significant variation in the composition of the fungal community among the three cultivar samples. The environmental conditions in different peanut cultivars may also influence on the structure of the fungal community. The results of this study suggest that the causal agent of peanut pod rot may be more complex, and cultivars and environmental conditions are both important contributors to the community structure of peanut pod rot fungi.

A People in Two Communities: Puerto Ricans on the Island and in the United States. An Exploration of the Emergence of the Puerto Rican People into Two Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Puerto Rican Coalition, Washington, DC.

This booklet describes the issues and findings of a series of symposia on Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico and in the United States. From 1988 to 1992, six symposia were held, three in the United States and three in Puerto Rico, on topics such as migration, culture and language, community characteristics, strengthening relations between the two…

Implementing community-based provider participation in research: an empirical study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Since 2003, the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) has sought to restructure the clinical research enterprise in the United States by promoting collaborative research partnerships between academically-based investigators and community-based physicians. By increasing community-based provider participation in research (CBPPR), the NIH seeks to advance the science of discovery by conducting research in clinical settings where most people get their care, and accelerate the translation of research results into everyday clinical practice. Although CBPPR is seen as a promising strategy for promoting the use of evidence-based clinical services in community practice settings, few empirical studies have examined the organizational factors that facilitate or hinder the implementation of CBPPR. The purpose of this study is to explore the organizational start-up and early implementation of CBPPR in community-based practice. Methods We used longitudinal, case study research methods and an organizational model of innovation implementation to theoretically guide our study. Our sample consisted of three community practice settings that recently joined the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) in the United States. Data were gathered through site visits, telephone interviews, and archival documents from January 2008 to May 2011. Results The organizational model for innovation implementation was useful in identifying and investigating the organizational factors influencing start-up and early implementation of CBPPR in CCOP organizations. In general, the three CCOP organizations varied in the extent to which they achieved consistency in CBPPR over time and across physicians. All three CCOP organizations demonstrated mixed levels of organizational readiness for change. Hospital management support and resource availability were limited across CCOP organizations early on, although they improved in one CCOP organization. As a result of weak IPPs, all three CCOPs created a weak implementation climate. Patient accrual became concentrated over time among those groups of physicians for whom CBPPR exhibited a strong innovation-values fit. Several external factors influenced innovation use, complicating and enriching our intra-organizational model of innovation implementation. Conclusion Our results contribute to the limited body of research on the implementation of CBPPR. They inform policy discussions about increasing and sustaining community clinician involvement in clinical research and expand on theory about organizational determinants of implementation effectiveness. PMID:22568935

United States History: From Community to Society. Unit Five: National Expansion. Grade Six. Project Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Project Social Studies Curriculum Center.

The purpose of this fifth in a series of resource units intended for use at the sixth grade level is to provide concepts on the internal migration of peoples from the Atlantic Seaboard and immigration of foreigners to the Northwest and New South. Students trace migration patterns, noting that culture and materials objects also move with the people…

Analysis of perception and community participation in forest management at KPHP model unit VII-Hulu Sarolangun, Jambi Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purnomo, B.; Anggoro, S.; Izzati, M.

2017-06-01

The concept of forest management at the site level in the form of forest management units (KPH) implemented by the government in an effort to improve forest governance in Indonesia. Forest management must ensure fairness for all stakeholders, especially indigenous and local communities that have been the most marginalized groups. Local communities have become an important part in the efforts to achieve sustainable forest management. Public perception as one of the stakeholders in forest management need to be analyzed to determine their perspectives on the forest. This study aimed to analyze the perception and the level of community participation in forest management activities in KPHP Model Unit VII-Hulu Sarolangun, as well as examine the relationship between these two variables. Perception variables are divided into three categories: good, moderate and bad, while the participation variable is also divided into three categories: high, medium, and low. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with the key informants and questionnaires to randomly selected respondents. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether there are differences of perception and participation between the two villages and the relationship between perceptions of participation or not. The results showed 90,16 % of people have a good perception and the remaining 9,84% have a moderate perception. In general, community participation is at a low level that is as much as 76,17 % and only 1,55% had a high participation rate. The analysis showed differences in levels of participation between the two villages and there is no relationship between the perception and the level of community participation in forest management. The results of this study can be taken into consideration for KPHP and other stakeholders in forest management policy in the region KPHP.

Reinsurance of health insurance for the informal sector.

PubMed Central

Dror, D. M.

2001-01-01

Deficient financing of health services in low-income countries and the absence of universal insurance coverage leaves most of the informal sector in medical indigence, because people cannot assume the financial consequences of illness. The role of communities in solving this problem has been recognized, and many initiatives are under way. However, community financing is rarely structured as health insurance. Communities that pool risks (or offer insurance) have been described as micro-insurance units. The sources of their financial instability and the options for stabilization are explained. Field data from Uganda and the Philippines, as well as simulated situations, are used to examine the arguments. The article focuses on risk transfer from micro-insurance units to reinsurance. The main insight of the study is that when the financial results of micro-insurance units can be estimated, they can enter reinsurance treaties and be stabilized from the first year. The second insight is that the reinsurance pool may require several years of operation before reaching cost neutrality. PMID:11477971

Discharges to prison from medium secure psychiatric units in England and Wales.

PubMed

Doyle, Michael; Coid, Jeremy; Archer-Power, Laura; Dewa, Lindsay; Hunter-Didrichsen, Alice; Stevenson, Rachel; Wainwright, Verity; Kallis, Costas; Ullrich, Simone; Shaw, Jenny

2014-09-01

Early findings from a national study of discharges from 32 National Health Service medium secure units revealed that nearly twice as many patients than expected were discharged back to prison. To compare the characteristics of those discharged back to prison with those discharged to the community, and consider the implications for ongoing care and risk. Prospective cohort follow-up design. All forensic patients discharged from 32 medium secure units across England and Wales over a 12-month period were identified. Those discharged to prison were compared with those who were discharged to the community. Nearly half of the individuals discharged to prison were diagnosed with a serious mental illness and over a third with schizophrenia. They were a higher risk, more likely to have a personality disorder, more symptomatic and less motivated than those discharged to the community. Findings suggest that alternative models of prison mental healthcare should be considered to reduce risks to the patient and the public. Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Neighbors United for Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westhoff, Wayne W.; Corvin, Jaime; Virella, Irmarie

2009-01-01

Modeled upon the ecclesiastic community group concept of Latin America to unite and strengthen the bond between the Church and neighborhoods, a community-based organization created Vecinos Unidos por la Salud (Neighbors United for Health) to bring health messages into urban Latino neighborhoods. The model is based on five tenants, and incorporates…

Demand-Side Financing--A Focus on Vouchers in Post-Compulsory Education and Training: Discussion Paper and Case Studies. CEDEFOP Dossier.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Anne; Sparkes, Jo; Balabanov, Todor

The use of demand-side financing mechanisms and vouchers for postcompulsory secondary-level education was examined through case studies of funding practices in the following countries: Austria; France; the United Kingdom; the United States; and Wallonia (the French community of Belgium). Different models of voucher use were identified in the…

The Contribution of Marine Organics to the Air Quality of the Western United States

EPA Science Inventory

The contribution of marine organic emissions to the air quality in coastal areas of the western United States is studied using the latest version of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional-scale Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQv4.7) modeling system. Emissions ...

Perspectives on utilization of community based health information systems in Western Kenya.

PubMed

Flora, Otieno Careena; Margaret, Kaseje; Dan, Kaseje

2017-01-01

Health information systems (HIS) are considered fundamental for the efficient delivery of high quality health care. However, a large number of legal and practical constraints influence the design and introduction of such systems. The inability to quantify and analyse situations with credible data and to use data in planning and managing service delivery plagues Africa. Establishing effective information systems and using this data for planning efficient health service delivery is essential to district health systems' performance improvement. Community Health Units in Kenya are central points for community data collection, analysis, dissemination and use. In Kenya, data tend to be collected for reporting purposes and not for decision-making at the point of collection. This paper describes the perspectives of local users on information use in various socio-economic contexts in Kenya. Information for this study was gathered through semi-structured interviews. The interviewees were purposefully selected from various community health units and public health facilities in the study area. The data were organized and analysed manually, grouping them into themes and categories. Information needs of the community included service utilization and health status information. Dialogue was the main way of information utilization in the community. However, health systems and personal challenges impeded proper collection and use of information. The challenges experienced in health information utilization may be overcome by linkages and coordination between the community and the health facilities. The personal challenges can be remedied using a motivational package that includes training of the Community Health Workers.

Reality of working in a community-based, recovery-oriented mental health rehabilitation unit: A pragmatic grounded theory analysis.

PubMed

Parker, Stephen; Dark, Frances; Newman, Ellie; Korman, Nicole; Rasmussen, Zoe; Meurk, Carla

2017-08-01

In the present study, we explored the experiences of staff working at a recovery-oriented, community-based residential mental health rehabilitation unit in Brisbane, Australia, called a 'community care unit' (CCU). A pragmatic approach to grounded theory was taken in the analysis of the transcripts of semistructured interviews with eight staff. Convenience sampling was used, and there was representation of junior and senior staff across nursing, allied health, and non-clinical support roles. Four key themes emerged from the analysis: (i) rehabilitation is different to treatment; (ii) the CCU is a positive transitional space; (iii) they (consumers) have to be ready to engage; and (iv) recovery is central to rehabilitation practice. Staff understandings of recovery in rehabilitation work were complex and included consideration of both personal and clinical recovery concepts. Rehabilitation readiness was considered important to the ability to deliver recovery-oriented care; however, the shared role of staff in maintaining engagement was acknowledged. Threats to recovery-oriented rehabilitation practice included staff burnout and external pressure to accept consumers who are not ready. The reality of working at a community-based recovery-oriented rehabilitation unit is complex. Active vigilance is needed to maintain a focus on recovery and rehabilitation. Leadership needs to focus on reducing burnout and in adapting these services to emergent needs. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Stress in caregivers of elderly patients: the effect of an admission to a rehabilitation unit.

PubMed

Caradoc-Davies, T H; Dixon, G S

1991-06-12

to study stress in caregivers of elderly dependent persons after admission to a geriatric assessment and rehabilitation unit. in 1986-7 we studied patients admitted to a geriatric assessment and rehabilitation unit in Dunedin to establish the relationship between caregiver stress, their psychological health and social functioning, and patient variables such as physical dependency. of the 64 patients who were admitted from the community and who had a caregiver, 42 were discharged back to the community, and 30 remained there until six weeks. On admission caregiver stress was increased by problems perceived in social function (lack of companionship, excessive responsibilities and financial problems) and decreased when the caregiver had a high sense of psychological wellbeing. It was not associated with high patient dependency or the level of social support. Caregiver stress one week after discharge was lower among those with high emotional support and those with an internal locus of control. If caregiver stress one week after discharge was high there was an increased rate of readmission. rehabilitation should include interventions directed towards the psychological health and social function of the caregiver as well as the physical independence of the patient. Improved financial support and the provision of companionship through community support groups may result in reduced caregiver stress, which should help dependent elderly people to continue to live in the community.

Strengthening partnerships between Black Churches and HIV service providers in the United States.

PubMed

Obong'o, Christopher O; Pichon, Latrice C; Powell, Terrinieka W; Williams, Andrea L

2016-09-01

Across the United States, Black Churches play a significant role among the Black community and are increasingly being used to deliver Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention services. This study sought to investigate HIV service providers' strategies for strengthening partnerships with churches to deliver HIV prevention services. Using a community-based participatory research approach, an HIV coalition and an academic institution formed a partnership to address the study aim. Individual interviews (n = 16) were conducted with providers from medical institutions and HIV social support agencies. A thematic analysis focusing on recommendations for addressing the challenges and benefits of partnership with churches for HIV services was conducted. Participants' interest in and intention to work with churches, as well as their comfort level discussing sexual health-related topics with religious congregations, was high. Four themes emerged to highlight the different perspectives of service providers' recommendations for addressing challenges and strengthening partnerships with churches to deliver HIV services including: (1) carefully selecting churches and HIV services to provide, (2) gaining "buy-in" and support of church leadership, (3) taking advantage of conflict with church doctrine, and (4) choosing appropriate delivery strategies. Study findings demonstrate that although challenges exist, heath service providers in this region of the United States may be interested in addressing HIV among faith communities. Study findings also provide concrete solutions to previously documented barriers to HIV prevention in Black Churches. Such information will benefit researchers and practitioners seeking to expand effective HIV prevention efforts with Black Churches in communities who bear a disproportionate burden of HIV infections.

Beyond Adapting to Climate Change: Embedding Adaptation in Responses to Multiple Threats and Stresses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilbanks, Thomas J; Kates, Dr. Robert W.

2010-01-01

Climate change impacts are already being experienced in every region of the United States and every part of the world most severely in Arctic regions and adaptation is needed now. Although climate change adaptation research is still in its infancy, significant adaptation planning in the United States has already begun in a number of localities. This article seeks to broaden the adaptation effort by integrating it with broader frameworks of hazards research, sustainability science, and community and regional resilience. To extend the range of experience, we draw from ongoing case studies in the Southeastern United States and the environmental historymore » of New Orleans to consider the multiple threats and stresses that all communities and regions experience. Embedding climate adaptation in responses to multiple threats and stresses helps us to understand climate change impacts, themselves often products of multiple stresses, to achieve community acceptance of needed adaptations as co-benefits of addressing multiple threats, and to mainstream the process of climate adaptation through the larger envelope of social relationships, communication channels, and broad-based awareness of needs for risk management that accompany community resilience.« less

Comparison of benthic bacterial community composition in nine streams

Treesearch

Xueqing Gao; Ola A. Olapade; Laura G. Leff

2005-01-01

In this study, the abundance of major bacterial taxa (based on fluorescent in situ hybridization, FISH) and the structure of the bacterial community (based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE) were determined in the benthos of 9 streams in the southeastern and midwestern United States and related to differences in environmental...

Camparison of benthic bacterial community composition in nine streams

Treesearch

Xuqing Gao; Ola A. Olapade; Laura G. Leff

2005-01-01

In this study, the abundance of major bacterial taxa (based on fluorescent in situ hybridization, FISH) and the structure of the bacterial community (based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE) were determined in the benthos of 9 streams in the southeastern and midwestern United States and related to differences in environmental conditions. Taxa examined...

Learning Communities: Beliefs Embedded in Content-Based Rituals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartel, Virginia B.

2005-01-01

This article addresses the underlying beliefs needed by teachers of young children if their learning communities are to be successful and self-sustaining. The relationships of language arts and social studies content to specific academic, social and literary rituals are discussed in the context of classroom examples in the United States. Trust and…

Student Management and Human Intelligence Skills Enhanced through Community Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Stefanie Denise

2012-01-01

Based on years of human intelligence research conducted by Howard Gardner and results from a quantitative research study supporting Gardner's research collected from a sample of 205 faculty within the United States, the researcher examined students that are actively engaged in community service experiences and their approaches to reframing their…

US Urban Teachers' Perspectives of Culturally Competent Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flory, Sara B.; McCaughtry, Nate; Martin, Jeffrey J.; Murphy, Anne; Blum, Barbara; Wisdom, Kimberlydawn

2014-01-01

Health disparities related to food choices, nutrition behaviours and smoking habits in urban communities in the United States signal the importance of health education (HE) in schools, yet educators in urban communities face unique cultural challenges often unaddressed in professional development (PD). The purpose of this study was to use a…

Theory and Practice of Community Development: A Case Study from the United Kingdom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Popple, Keith; Quinney, Anne

2002-01-01

A top-down approach to British community development is rooted in Victorian paternalism, a bottom-up approach in radical action. The case of ACHIEVE (Academic Centre for Health Improvement and Evidence of Effectiveness) shows how the current government's top-down approach is inadequate and potentially exploitive. It emphasizes development and…

Confronting Rapid Change: Exploring the Practices of Educational Leaders in a Rural Boomtown

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHenry-Sorber, Erin; Provinzano, Kathleen

2017-01-01

Hydraulic fracturing has altered the face of rural communities across the United States, creating new demands for educational leaders. This in-depth qualitative study explores how rural educational leaders in a heavily drilled community experience and respond to these challenges with a focus on increased local student transiency, homelessness, and…

Mission-Driven Collaboration between Academic and Student Affairs in Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gulley, Needham Yancey

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of collaboration between academic affairs and student affairs units in the community college context from a basic interpretivist qualitative perspective. The aim was to examine the experiences, influences, and perceptions of mid-level and chief student affairs and academic affairs officers…

In the Service of Self-Determination: Teacher Education, Service-Learning, and Community Reorganizing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Benjamin

2015-01-01

Influenced by Third World Liberation social movements in the United States and abroad, this article applies a serve-the-people concept to service-learning in education. Rooted in pedagogies more traditionally associated with ethnic studies and community organizing, and informed by sociocultural and critical frameworks in education, this article…

Cooperative Learning in a Community College Setting: Developmental Coursework in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivera, Natalie

2013-01-01

This action research study, set in a community college in the southwestern United States, was designed to investigate the effects of implementing cooperative learning strategies in a developmental mathematics course. Introductory algebra was formerly taught in a lecture based format, and as such regularly had a low course completion rate. To…

International Graduate Students: Social Networks and Language Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moglen, Daniel

2017-01-01

The campus climate for international graduate students (IGSs) has been gaining attention in recent years as the number of IGSs in the United States continues to rise. IGSs bring diversity to the campus community and enrich the academic community, but also come to the table with distinct needs, concerns, and experiences. The current study is…

Transnational Computer Use in Urban Latino Immigrant Communities: Implications for Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez, Patricia; Salazar, Malena

2012-01-01

This article examines the ways in which transnational Latino immigrants in urban communities use computer technology. Drawing from a 3-year ethnographic study, it focuses on three second-generation transnational female youth, their families, and members of their respective immigrant networks. Data were collected in both the United States and…

PSI in Community and Two Year Colleges: Potential and Limitations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beyer, Barry K.

A survey of relevant research strongly suggests that the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) offers considerable potential for community college instruction. It has five main features: students move at their own rates of speed, utilize written study guides, demonstrate mastery of each unit before continuing, meet with proctors for periodic…

Profiles of U.S. Community Colleges: A Guide for International Students, 2009-2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association of Community Colleges (NJ1), 2009

2009-01-01

This publication contains information about community colleges, the largest and fastest growing sector of U.S. higher education. Designed especially for students thinking about studying abroad in America, this publication provides information about: (1) College selection, application and visa processes, traveling to the United States, living in…

International Student Guide to U.S. Community Colleges, 2007-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association of Community Colleges (NJ1), 2007

2007-01-01

This guide was produced for prospective students considering studying in the United States. The guide is organized to help students through all stages of the process, including learning about the U.S. higher education system, finding the right college, benefits of attending community college, obtaining a student visa, estimating expenses, living…

A Study of Environmental Health and Safety Programs at Research Colleges and Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Le, Richard N.

2011-01-01

Universities and colleges in the United States are vital communities, teeming with people and vast resources. Because of such factors as class schedules, on-going research, tight academic calendars and highly transient populations, these communities function with diverse operations that need a constant degree of normality for maximum…

Nuclear Nomads: Finding a New Island

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratliffe, Katherine T.

2018-01-01

This qualitative study describes a small community of people in Hawai'i who were affiliated with Enewetak, an atoll exposed to nuclear testing by the United States after World War II. Pattern matching is used to compare their social and educational conditions to those of other involuntary migrant groups across the world. The Enewetak community is…

How biological soil crusts became recognized as a functional unit: a selective history

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lange, Otto L.; Belnap, Jayne

2016-01-01

It is surprising that despite the world-wide distribution and general importance of biological soil crusts (biocrusts), scientific recognition and functional analysis of these communities is a relatively young field of science. In this chapter, we sketch the historical lines that led to the recognition of biocrusts as a community with important ecosystem functions. The idea of biocrusts as a functional ecological community has come from two main scientific branches: botany and soil science. For centuries, botanists have long recognized that multiple organisms colonize the soil surface in the open and often dry areas occurring between vascular plants. Much later, after the initial taxonomic and phyto-sociological descriptions were made, soil scientists and agronomists observed that these surface organisms interacted with soils in ways that changed the soil structure. In the 1970’s, research on these communities as ecological units that played an important functional role in drylands began in earnest, and these studies have continued to this day. Here, we trace the history of these studies from the distant past until 1990, when biocrusts became well-known to scientists and the public.

The Emergence of Community in a Preservice Teacher Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumsion, Jennifer; Patterson, Catherine

2004-01-01

This paper traces the unexpected emergence of community in a recently reconceptualized Teachers as Researchers unit in a preservice teacher education program. Drawing on data collected from 145 of the 292 students who completed the unit, we chronicle and theorize about key events, tensions, and dynamics in the evolution of the community, and…

Fragmentation of forest communities in the eastern United States

Treesearch

Kurt Riitters; John Coulston; James Wickham

2011-01-01

Forest fragmentation threatens the sustainability of forest communities in the eastern United States. Forest communities exhibiting either a low total area or low percentage of intact forest are subject to relatively higher risk of shifts in stand composition towards edge-adapted and invasive species. Such changes in stand composition could result in local extirpation...

1975 United Legislative Program of the Community College Legislative Council.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Board for Community Coll. Education, Olympia.

The Community College Legislative Council was organized in 1971 to provide a means through which a uniform approach to the state legislature and legislation could be achieved by the various organizations representing components of the community college system. For each session of the legislature, the council prepares a United Legislative Program.…

The Collaborative Coordination of Special Interest Groups on the Telemedicine University Network (RUTE) in Brazil.

PubMed

de Lima Verde Brito, Thiago Delevidove; Baptista, Roberto Silva; de Lima Lopes, Paulo Roberto; Haddad, Ana Estela; Messina, Luiz Ary; Torres Pisa, Ivan

2015-01-01

In Brazil the Telemedicine University Network (Rede Universitária de Telemedicina RUTE) is an initiative that among others promotes collaboration between university hospitals, universities, and health professionals through information technology infrastructure and special interest groups (SIGs) support. This paper presents results of analyses on collaboration during implementation and coordination activities of RUTE SIGs. This study is based on descriptive statistics and data visualization previously collected by RUTE national coordination relative to the status in July 2014. The analysis through collaboration graph identified the strongest collaboration RUTE units. The graph also highlights the collaborative relationship of RUTE units in form of communities, the most collaborative with each other in a communion in the same SIGs, and the less the collaborative units in the network. It should be stated that the most active units are also the oldest in the community.

Nutrition-Related Policy and Environmental Strategies to Prevent Obesity in Rural Communities: A Systematic Review of the Literature, 2002–2013

PubMed Central

Leeman, Jennifer; Jilcott Pitts, Stephanie B.; Khan, Laura Kettel; Fleischhacker, Sheila; Evenson, Kelly R.; Schreiner, Michelle; Byker, Carmen; Owens, Clint; McGuirt, Jared; Barnidge, Ellen; Dean, Wesley; Johnson, Donna; Kolodinsky, Jane; Piltch, Emily; Pinard, Courtney; Quinn, Emilee; Whetstone, Lauren; Ammerman, Alice

2015-01-01

Introduction Residents of rural communities in the United States are at higher risk for obesity than their urban and suburban counterparts. Policy and environmental-change strategies supporting healthier dietary intake can prevent obesity and promote health equity. Evidence in support of these strategies is based largely on urban and suburban studies; little is known about use of these strategies in rural communities. The purpose of this review was to synthesize available evidence on the adaptation, implementation, and effectiveness of policy and environmental obesity-prevention strategies in rural settings. Methods The review was guided by a list of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States, commonly known as the “COCOMO” strategies. We searched PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Public Affairs Information Service, and Cochrane databases for articles published from 2002 through 2013 that reported findings from research on nutrition-related policy and environmental strategies in rural communities in the United States and Canada. Two researchers independently abstracted data from each article, and resolved discrepancies by consensus. Results Of the 663 articles retrieved, 33 met inclusion criteria. The interventions most commonly focused on increasing access to more nutritious foods and beverages or decreasing access to less nutritious options. Rural adaptations included accommodating distance to food sources, tailoring to local food cultures, and building community partnerships. Conclusions Findings from this literature review provide guidance on adapting and implementing policy and environmental strategies in rural communities. PMID:25927605

Perceptions of the Willingness of Part-Time Instructors in Community Colleges in the U.S. to Engage in Professional Development Opportunities and the Best Method(s) of Delivering These Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandford, Brian A.; Dainty, Julie D.; Belcher, Gregory G.; Frisbee, Robert L.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of occupational education officers concerning the willingness of part-time instructors in community colleges in the United States to attend professional development opportunities and the best methods and times to deliver these activities. The findings indicate that community colleges should…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health services in the United States: Origins, evolution, and contemporary landscape

PubMed Central

Wilson, Patrick A.; Meyer, Ilan H.

2017-01-01

Background LGBT community organizations in the United States have been providing health services since at least the 1970s. However, available explanations for the origins of LGBT health services do not sufficiently explain why health in particular has been so closely and consistently linked to LGBT activism. Little is also known regarding how LGBT health services may have evolved over time with the growing scientific understanding of LGBT health needs. Methods This study begins with a review of the early intersections of sexuality and health that led to an LGBT health movement in the United States, as well as the evolution of LGBT health services over time. Informed by this, an asset map displaying the location and types of services provided by “LGBT community health centers” today in relation to the population density of LGBT people was explored. An online search of LGBT community health centers was conducted between September–December, 2015. Organizational details, including physical addresses and the services provided, were confirmed via an online database of federally-registered non-profit organizations and organizational websites. The locations and types of services provided were analyzed and presented alongside county-level census data of same-sex households using geographic information system (GIS) software ArcGIS for Desktop. Findings LGBT community health centers are concentrated within urban hubs and coastal states, and are more likely to be present in areas with a high density of same-sex couples. LGBT community health centers do not operate in 13 states. The most common health services provided are wellness programs, HIV/STI services, and counseling services. Conclusions LGBT community health centers have adapted over time to meet the needs of LGBT people. However, significant gaps in service remain in the United States, and LGBT community health centers may require significant transformations going forward in order to continue serving LGBT people. PMID:28692659

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health services in the United States: Origins, evolution, and contemporary landscape.

PubMed

Martos, Alexander J; Wilson, Patrick A; Meyer, Ilan H

2017-01-01

LGBT community organizations in the United States have been providing health services since at least the 1970s. However, available explanations for the origins of LGBT health services do not sufficiently explain why health in particular has been so closely and consistently linked to LGBT activism. Little is also known regarding how LGBT health services may have evolved over time with the growing scientific understanding of LGBT health needs. This study begins with a review of the early intersections of sexuality and health that led to an LGBT health movement in the United States, as well as the evolution of LGBT health services over time. Informed by this, an asset map displaying the location and types of services provided by "LGBT community health centers" today in relation to the population density of LGBT people was explored. An online search of LGBT community health centers was conducted between September-December, 2015. Organizational details, including physical addresses and the services provided, were confirmed via an online database of federally-registered non-profit organizations and organizational websites. The locations and types of services provided were analyzed and presented alongside county-level census data of same-sex households using geographic information system (GIS) software ArcGIS for Desktop. LGBT community health centers are concentrated within urban hubs and coastal states, and are more likely to be present in areas with a high density of same-sex couples. LGBT community health centers do not operate in 13 states. The most common health services provided are wellness programs, HIV/STI services, and counseling services. LGBT community health centers have adapted over time to meet the needs of LGBT people. However, significant gaps in service remain in the United States, and LGBT community health centers may require significant transformations going forward in order to continue serving LGBT people.

Built environment interventions aimed at improving physical activity levels in rural Ontario health units: a descriptive qualitative study.

PubMed

Coghill, Cara-Lee; Valaitis, Ruta K; Eyles, John D

2015-05-03

Few studies to date have explored the relationship between the built environment and physical activity specifically in rural settings. The Ontario Public Health Standards policies mandate that health units in Ontario address the built environment; however, it is unclear how public health practitioners are integrating the built environment into public health interventions aimed at improving physical activity in chronic disease prevention programs. This descriptive qualitative study explored interventions that have or are being implemented which address the built environment specifically related to physical activity in rural Ontario health units, and the impact of these interventions. Data were collected through twelve in-depth semi-structured interviews with rural public health practitioners and managers representing 12 of 13 health units serving rural communities. Key themes were identified using qualitative content analysis. Themes that emerged regarding the types of interventions that health units are employing included: Engagement with policy work at a municipal level; building and working with community partners, committees and coalitions; gathering and providing evidence; developing and implementing programs; and social marketing and awareness raising. Evaluation of interventions to date has been limited. Public health interventions, and their evaluations, are complex. Health units who serve large rural populations in Ontario are engaging in numerous activities to address physical activity levels. There is a need to further evaluate the impact of these interventions on population health.

The training of specialists in Family and Community Health Nursing according to the supervisors of the teaching units.

PubMed

Oltra-Rodríguez, Enrique; Martínez-Riera, José Ramón; Mármol-López, María Isabel; Pastor-Gallardo, Francisco Javier; Gras-Nieto, Elvira; Holgado-Fernández, Ana

To analyze the current situation of the training of specialists in family and community nursing from the perspective of nurses responsible for teaching units. Exploratory analysis using nominal group technique of the contributions made by representatives of 19 multidisciplinary teaching units in family and community care from 11 Spanish autonomous communities. They categorized and weighted those contributions. The emerging categories on the strengths and difficulties encountered related to the tutors, the environment where the training took place, the structure of the teaching unit, the organization of the teaching and the official programme of the speciality, the external supports and the theoretical training. Training in Family and Community Nursing is an opportunity to improve primary health care to train in news and necessary but complex skills. Support is required for training to be effective and the specialty and training should be made known. Tutors are a key part of this process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Consequences of Moral Distress in the Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Henrich, Natalie J; Dodek, Peter M; Gladstone, Emilie; Alden, Lynn; Keenan, Sean P; Reynolds, Steven; Rodney, Patricia

2017-07-01

Moral distress is common among personnel in the intensive care unit, but the consequences of this distress are not well characterized. To examine the consequences of moral distress in personnel in community and tertiary intensive care units in Vancouver, Canada. Data for this study were obtained from focus groups and analysis of transcripts by themes and sub-themes in 2 tertiary care intensive care units and 1 community intensive care unit. According to input from 19 staff nurses (3 focus groups), 4 clinical nurse leaders (1 focus group), 13 physicians (3 focus groups), and 20 other health professionals (3 focus groups), the most commonly reported emotion associated with moral distress was frustration. Negative impact on patient care due to moral distress was reported 26 times, whereas positive impact on patient care was reported 11 times and no impact on patient care was reported 10 times. Having thoughts about quitting working in the ICU was reported 16 times, and having no thoughts about quitting was reported 14 times. In response to moral distress, health care providers experience negative emotional consequences, patient care is perceived to be negatively affected, and nurses and other health care professionals are prone to consider quitting working in the intensive care unit. ©2017 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Characterization of selected biological, chemical, and physical conditions at fixed sites in the Upper Colorado River basin, Colorado, 1995-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Deacon, Jeffrey R.; Mize, Scott V.; Spahr, Norman E.

1999-01-01

Biological community samples were collected at 15 sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCOL) in Colorado as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Sites sampled in two physiographic provinces, the Southern Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateau, represented agriculture, mining, urban and recreation, and mixed land uses and background conditions. Nine measures of water quality, which include information on nutrients, specific conductance (a surrogate for salinity), trace elements in streambed sediment, pesticides in fish tissue, fish communities, and macroinvertebrate richness and composition and stream habitat were used for comparisons among sites within the two physiographic provinces. Sampling sites from three other NAWQA study units?the Rio Grande Valley, the South Platte River Basin, and the Upper Snake River Basin study units?were categorized on the basis of land use and stream size in order to develop a larger data set for comparison to sites in the UCOL. Three categories of land use?forested (includes mining, urban and recreation, and background), agriculture, and mixed?were used for comparison to the UCOL fixed sites. Results indicated that all sites other than the Colorado River below Baker Gulch (a background site) showed some water-quality characteristics to be significantly affected. Results indicated that the concentrations of cadmium and zinc in streambed sediment at mining land-use sites in the Southern Rocky Mountains physiographic province generally were orders of magnitude higher than streambed-sediment concentrations at the background site. Streambed-sediment concentrations at mining land-use sites in the UCOL were greater than the 75th percentile of concentrations from sites in the three other NAWQA study units. Fish communities and habitat conditions were degraded at mining land-use sites compared to the background site. Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) richness and the percentage of EPT were lower at mining land-use sites than at the background site and were less than the 50th percentile of those for sites from the three other NAWQA study units. Nutrient concentrations at urban and recreation sites in the Southern Rocky Mountain physiographic province generally were greater than concentrations at the background site and generally were between the 25th and 90th percentile of concentrations for sites from the three other NAWQA study units. Habitat conditions and fish communities at urban and recreation sites were slightly degraded compared to the background site. EPT richness and the percentage of EPT were lower at urban and recreation sites than at the background site and were between the 25th and 75th percentile of those for sites from the three other NAWQA study units. The percentage of Chironomidae, which may be indicative of pollutant-tolerant organisms, was higher at urban and recreation sites than at the background site. Mixed land-use sites in the Southern Rocky Mountains physiographic province had similar nutrient concentrations and similar cadmium and zinc streambed-sediment concentrations. Fish-community degradation index values were very different among the three mixed land-use sites in the Southern Rocky Mountains physiographic province. Larger percentages of omnivores and anomalies such as lesions and deformities at two mixed land-use sites resulted in higher degradation values of the fish community. Agriculture land-use sites had higher concentrations of nutrients and selenium than the background site in the Colorado Plateau physiographic province. Concentrations of p,p'-DDE in fish tissue at agriculture sites were higher than the 75th percentile of concentrations for sites from the three other NAWQA study units. Fish communities had degradation values near the 75th percentile for agriculture sites. The percentage of EPT was low at agriculture sites when compared to the background site. Two mixed land-use sites in the Colorado Plateau physiographi

Growth, Pathways and Groundwork: Community Music in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Lee

2007-01-01

This article suggests that community music in the United Kingdom emerged as a sub-strand of the community arts movement during the political and cultural changes of the late 1960s and the early 1970s. Through five themes: musicians in residence, music animateur, music collectives and punk rock, definitions, and training, Part 1 of this article…

A Comparison of Agriculture in the United States and the European Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Mark; And Others

It is difficult to compare the United States and European Community (EC) agricultural sectors for several reasons. For one thing, the European community is an economic association of 12 independent nations, each of which has its own national methods of data collection and statistical presentation. The problem of comparing the two sectors is…

MIUS community conceptual design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fulbright, B. E.

1976-01-01

The feasibility, practicality, and applicability of the modular integrated utility systems (MIUS) concept to a satellite new-community development with a population of approximately 100,000 were analyzed. Two MIUS design options, the 29-MIUS-unit (option 1) and the 8-MIUS-unit (option 2) facilities were considered. Each resulted in considerable resource savings when compared to a conventional utility system. Economic analyses indicated that the total cash outlay and operations and maintenance costs for these two options were considerably less than for a conventional system. Computer analyses performed in support of this study provided corroborative data for the study group. An environmental impact assessment was performed to determine whether the MIUS meets or will meet necessary environmental standards. The MIUS can provide improved efficiency in the conservation of natural resources while not adversely affecting the physical environment.

Water-quality parameters and benthic algal communities at selected streams in Minnesota, August 2000 - Study design, methods and data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, K.E.

2002-01-01

This report describes the study design, sampling methods, and summarizes the physical, chemical, and benthic algal data for a component of the multiagency study that was designed to document diurnal water-quality measurements (specific conductance, pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen), benthic algal community composition and chlorophyll-a content, and primary productivity at 12 stream sites on 6 streams in Minnesota during August 2000. Specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentrations and percent dissolved oxygen saturation measurements were made with submersible data recorders at 30 minute intervals for a period of 3-6 days during August 2000. Benthic algae collected from wood and rock substrate were identified and enumerated. Biovolume (volume of algal cells per unit area), density (number of cells per unit area), and chlorophyll-a content from benthic algae were determined. These data can be used as part of the multiagency study to develop an understanding of the relations among nutrient concentrations, algal abundance, algal community composition, and primary production and respiration processes in rivers of differing ecoregions in Minnesota.

A prospective, observational registry of patients with severe sepsis: the Canadian Sepsis Treatment and Response Registry.

PubMed

Martin, Claudio M; Priestap, Fran; Fisher, Harold; Fowler, Robert A; Heyland, Daren K; Keenan, Sean P; Longo, Christopher J; Morrison, Teresa; Bentley, Diane; Antman, Neil

2009-01-01

To determine the location of acquisition, timing, and outcomes associated with severe sepsis in community and teaching hospital critical care units. Prospective, observational study. Twelve Canadian community and teaching hospital critical care units. All patients admitted between March 17, 2003, and November 30, 2004 to the study critical care units with at least a 24-hr length of stay or severe sepsis identified during the first 24 hrs. Daily monitoring for severe sepsis. We recorded data describing characteristics of patients, infections, systemic responses, and organ dysfunction. Severe sepsis occurred in 1238 patients (overall rate, 19.0%; range, 8.2%-35.3%). Hospital mortality was 38.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 35.4-40.8). Median intensive care unit length of stay was 10.3 days (interquartile range: 5.5, 17.9). Variables associated with mortality in multivariable analysis included age (odds ratio [OR] by decade 1.50; 95% CI: 1.36-1.65), acquisition location of severe sepsis (with community as the reference-hospital [OR: 1.69; CI: 1.16-2.46], early intensive care unit [OR: 2.15; CI: 1.42-3.25], late intensive care unit [OR: 2.65; CI: 1.82-3.87]), late intensive care unit (OR: 2.65; CI: 1.82-3.87), any comorbidity (OR: 1.42; CI: 1.04-1.93), chronic renal failure (OR: 2.03; CI: 1.10-3.76), oliguria (OR: 1.34; CI: 1.02-1.76), thrombocytopenia (OR: 2.12; CI: 1.43-3.13), metabolic acidosis (OR: 1.54; CI: 1.13-2.10), Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score (OR: 1.15; CI: 1.09-1.21) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II predicted risk (OR: 3.75; CI: 2.08-6.76). These data confirm that sepsis is common and has high mortality in general intensive care unit populations. Our results can inform healthcare system planning and clinical study designs. Modifiable variables associated with worse outcomes, such as nosocomial infection (hospital acquisition), and metabolic acidosis indicate potential targets for quality improvement initiatives that could decrease mortality and morbidity.

A Community of Practice Approach to Delivering Research Support Services in a Post-92 Higher Education Institution: A Reflective Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coombs, Jenny; Thomas, Mandy; Rush, Nathan; Martin, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

The need for research support in U.K. universities is growing at a fast pace and a number of different professional and academic units within universities are involved in the process. This case study takes place in a post-92 higher education institution and discusses the benefit of utilizing a cross-university Community of Practice (CoP) approach…

Stepping Stones to a Degree: The Impact of Enrollment Pathways and Milestones on Older Community College Student Outcomes. CCRC Brief Number 32

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calcagno, Juan Carlos; Crosta, Peter; Bailey, Thomas; Jenkins, Davis

2006-01-01

This Brief reports on a new study that begins to fill this research gap. Using longitudinal unit record transcript data on a cohort of first-time community college students in Florida, the study sought to determine whether remedial pathways, such as enrolling in a developmental math course, and enrollment milestones, such as completing a certain…

Apprenticeships Make a Comeback in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labi, Aisha

2012-01-01

The close connections between industry and academe, in which students simultaneously train and study, are gaining ground in the United States. Inspired by Germany's model, states are encouraging community colleges and manufacturers to work together on training programs. This offers a possible solution to a problem that continues to vex the United…

Characterizing Twitter Communication--A Case Study of International Engineering Academic Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Stuart

2014-01-01

Engineering academic units might engage with social media for a range of purposes including for general communication with students, staff, alumni, other important stakeholders and the wider community at large; for student recruitment and for marketing and promotion more generally. This paper presents an investigation into the use of Twitter by…

Depression among Latinos in the United States: A Meta-Analytic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menselson, Tamar; Rehkopf, David H.; Kubzansky, Laura D.

2008-01-01

The authors conducted a meta-analytic review to assess the prevalence of major depressive disorder and depressive symptoms among Latinos compared with non-Latino Whites in the United States using community-based data. Random-effects estimates were calculated for 8 studies meeting inclusion criteria that reported lifetime prevalence of major…

Voseo to Tuteo Accommodation among Two Salvadoran Communities in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorenson, Travis Doug

2010-01-01

This study documents and accounts for maintenance and change in dialectal features of Salvadoran Spanish in the United States, especially "voseo", as opposed to "tuteo", terms signifying the use of the second person singular familiar pronouns vos and tu , with their corresponding verb forms. It compares two distinct Salvadoran…

Parents Are Community Workers Too!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mundell, Scott

The field tested instructional unit is designed around the premise that one of the best places for students exploring the "world of work" is in their own homes with their own parents. Activities involving language arts, social studies, listening skills, speaking skills, and art are included. The unit takes approximately 10 hours teaching time and…

Community-Based Review of Research Across Diverse Community Contexts: Key Characteristics, Critical Issues, and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Ford, Angela; Wat, Eric; Brayboy, Missy; Isaacs, Mei-Ling; Park, Alice; Strelnick, Hal; Seifer, Sarena D.

2015-01-01

A growing number of community-based organizations and community–academic partnerships are implementing processes to determine whether and how health research is conducted in their communities. These community-based research review processes (CRPs) can provide individual and community-level ethics protections, enhance the cultural relevance of study designs and competence of researchers, build community and academic research capacity, and shape research agendas that benefit diverse communities. To better understand how they are organized and function, representatives of 9 CRPs from across the United States convened in 2012 for a working meeting. In this article, we articulated and analyzed the models presented, offered guidance to communities that seek to establish a CRP, and made recommendations for future research, practice, and policy. PMID:25973834

Bird Communities and Environmental Correlates in Southern Oregon and Northern California, USA.

PubMed

Stephens, Jaime L; Dinger, Eric C; Alexander, John D; Mohren, Sean R; Ralph, C John; Sarr, Daniel A

2016-01-01

We examined avian community ecology in the Klamath Ecoregion and determined that individual bird species co-exist spatially to form 29 statistically distinguishable bird groups. We identified climate, geography, and vegetation metrics that are correlated with these 29 bird groups at three scales: Klamath Ecoregion, vegetation formation (agriculture, conifer, mixed conifer/hardwood, shrubland), and National Park Service unit. Two climate variables (breeding season mean temperature and temperature range) and one geography variable (elevation) were correlated at all scales, suggesting that for some vegetation formations and park units there is sufficient variation in climate and geography to be an important driver of bird communities, a level of variation we expected only at the broader scale. We found vegetation to be important at all scales, with coarse metrics (environmental site potential and existing vegetation formation) meaningful across all scales and structural vegetation patterns (e.g. succession, disturbance) important only at the scale of vegetation formation or park unit. Additionally, we examined how well six National Park Service units represent bird communities in the broader Klamath Ecoregion. Park units are inclusive of most bird communities with the exception of the oak woodland community; mature conifer forests are well represented, primarily associated with conifer canopy and lacking multi-layered structure. Identifying environmental factors that shape bird communities at three scales within this region is important; such insights can inform local and regional land management decisions necessary to ensure bird conservation in this globally significant region.

Bird Communities and Environmental Correlates in Southern Oregon and Northern California, USA

PubMed Central

Dinger, Eric C.; Alexander, John D.; Mohren, Sean R.; Ralph, C. John; Sarr, Daniel A.

2016-01-01

We examined avian community ecology in the Klamath Ecoregion and determined that individual bird species co-exist spatially to form 29 statistically distinguishable bird groups. We identified climate, geography, and vegetation metrics that are correlated with these 29 bird groups at three scales: Klamath Ecoregion, vegetation formation (agriculture, conifer, mixed conifer/hardwood, shrubland), and National Park Service unit. Two climate variables (breeding season mean temperature and temperature range) and one geography variable (elevation) were correlated at all scales, suggesting that for some vegetation formations and park units there is sufficient variation in climate and geography to be an important driver of bird communities, a level of variation we expected only at the broader scale. We found vegetation to be important at all scales, with coarse metrics (environmental site potential and existing vegetation formation) meaningful across all scales and structural vegetation patterns (e.g. succession, disturbance) important only at the scale of vegetation formation or park unit. Additionally, we examined how well six National Park Service units represent bird communities in the broader Klamath Ecoregion. Park units are inclusive of most bird communities with the exception of the oak woodland community; mature conifer forests are well represented, primarily associated with conifer canopy and lacking multi-layered structure. Identifying environmental factors that shape bird communities at three scales within this region is important; such insights can inform local and regional land management decisions necessary to ensure bird conservation in this globally significant region. PMID:27732625

Health effects of acid aerosols on North American children: air pollution exposures.

PubMed

Spengler, J D; Koutrakis, P; Dockery, D W; Raizenne, M; Speizer, F E

1996-05-01

Air pollution measurements were conducted over a 1-year period in 24 North American communities participating in a respiratory health study. Ozone, particle strong acidity, sulfate, and mass (PM10 and PM2.1) were measured in all communities. In 20 of the communities, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, nitric acid, nitrous acid, and particulate nitrate were measured. The sampler was located centrally in the community whenever possible and samples were collected every other day. Concentrations of particle strong acidity, mass, sulfate, and ozone were highly correlated both in the region of the country defined as a high-sulfur source area and in the downwind transport regions. These regions of the eastern United States and southern Canada experienced the greatest particle strong acidity, sulfate, and particle mass concentrations during the spring and summer months (May-September). The particle strong acidity concentrations were highest in regions close to the high sulfur emission areas of the United States; that is, in the area immediately to the west of the Appalachian Plateau and west of the Allegheny Mountains (western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and West Virginia) up through southern Ontario. The frequency of particle strong acidity events decreased with transport distance from the region of highest sulfur emissions. Low particle strong acidity and sulfates were found at the western and midwestern sites of both the United States and Canada. Substantial concentrations of nitric acid were found in two of the California sites as well as many sites in the northeastern portion of the United States. Sites selected for the epidemiologic study provide a range of annual mean particle strong acidity exposures from below the limit of detection to more than 50 nmol/m3.

Health effects of acid aerosols on North American children: air pollution exposures.

PubMed Central

Spengler, J D; Koutrakis, P; Dockery, D W; Raizenne, M; Speizer, F E

1996-01-01

Air pollution measurements were conducted over a 1-year period in 24 North American communities participating in a respiratory health study. Ozone, particle strong acidity, sulfate, and mass (PM10 and PM2.1) were measured in all communities. In 20 of the communities, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, nitric acid, nitrous acid, and particulate nitrate were measured. The sampler was located centrally in the community whenever possible and samples were collected every other day. Concentrations of particle strong acidity, mass, sulfate, and ozone were highly correlated both in the region of the country defined as a high-sulfur source area and in the downwind transport regions. These regions of the eastern United States and southern Canada experienced the greatest particle strong acidity, sulfate, and particle mass concentrations during the spring and summer months (May-September). The particle strong acidity concentrations were highest in regions close to the high sulfur emission areas of the United States; that is, in the area immediately to the west of the Appalachian Plateau and west of the Allegheny Mountains (western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and West Virginia) up through southern Ontario. The frequency of particle strong acidity events decreased with transport distance from the region of highest sulfur emissions. Low particle strong acidity and sulfates were found at the western and midwestern sites of both the United States and Canada. Substantial concentrations of nitric acid were found in two of the California sites as well as many sites in the northeastern portion of the United States. Sites selected for the epidemiologic study provide a range of annual mean particle strong acidity exposures from below the limit of detection to more than 50 nmol/m3. Images p492-a Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 4. Figure 4. PMID:8743436

Using videovoice methods to enhance community outreach and engagement for the National Children's Study.

PubMed

Warren, Christopher M; Knight, Roger; Holl, Jane L; Gupta, Ruchi S

2014-05-01

The National Children's Study (NCS) is a prospective observational study examining the effects of environmental influences on child health and development in the United States. Videovoice is a health advocacy and promotion methodology wherein participants use participatory videography and interviewing techniques to identify issues of concern, communicate knowledge, and advocate for community health. This study describes a videovoice project, implemented in six Cook County, IL, communities targeted by the NCS for participant recruitment. A 6-week, videovoice training was conducted to train and empower NCS community outreach and engagement personnel. Pre/post evaluations were administered, and participant footage was qualitatively analyzed to identify overarching themes informing future outreach. Participants reported significant increases (p < .05) in videography/photography skills, community outreach/communication abilities, and awareness of important community health issues. Major themes included the following: high community knowledge of local health issues, low community knowledge of the NCS, and identification of barriers to participation. Two promotional videos were created to address these barriers and educate communities about the NCS. A 6-week, videovoice project was effective in training NCS community outreach personnel and enhancing NCS community engagement within six target Cook County, IL, communities via the production of community-engaged NCS promotional videos.

Drinking Water Infrastructure and Environmental Disparities: Evidence and Methodological Considerations

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Potable drinking water is essential to public health; however, few studies have investigated income or racial disparities in water infrastructure or drinking water quality. There were many case reports documenting a lack of piped water or serious water quality problems in low income and minority communities, including tribal lands, Alaskan Native villages, colonias along the United States–Mexico border, and small communities in agricultural areas. Only 3 studies compared the demographic characteristics of communities by the quality of their drinking water, and the results were mixed in these studies. Further assessments were hampered by difficulties linking specific water systems to the sociodemographic characteristics of communities, as well as little information about how well water systems operated and the effectiveness of governmental oversight. PMID:21836110

Drinking water infrastructure and environmental disparities: evidence and methodological considerations.

PubMed

VanDerslice, James

2011-12-01

Potable drinking water is essential to public health; however, few studies have investigated income or racial disparities in water infrastructure or drinking water quality. There were many case reports documenting a lack of piped water or serious water quality problems in low income and minority communities, including tribal lands, Alaskan Native villages, colonias along the United States-Mexico border, and small communities in agricultural areas. Only 3 studies compared the demographic characteristics of communities by the quality of their drinking water, and the results were mixed in these studies. Further assessments were hampered by difficulties linking specific water systems to the sociodemographic characteristics of communities, as well as little information about how well water systems operated and the effectiveness of governmental oversight.

A Case Study: Community Organizing for School Improvement in the South Bronx.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zachary, Eric; Olatoye, Shola

This paper documents how a group of concerned parents and the New Settlement Apartments (NSA), a unique housing development group in New York City that manages 900 units of low to moderate income housing, used community organizing to try to raise academic achievement in their neighborhood elementary school. It discusses why schools in low-income…

A Qualitative Study of a Rural Community College Workforce Development Customized Training Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Rear, Susan

2011-01-01

Across the United States, partnerships have formed between business and industry and rural community college workforce development customize training programs to meet the demands of the 21st century labor market. For many business and industry managers, a partnership has become a necessary means to train the unskilled as well as update skills…

A Neighborhood Notion of Emergent Literacy: One Mixed Methods Inquiry to Inform Community Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Emily Brown; Whittingham, Colleen E.

2017-01-01

Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, this study considered the early literacy and language environments actualized by childcare providers and parents of young children (ages 3-5) living in one large urban community in the United States of America. Both childcare providers and parents responded to questionnaires and participated in…

Plant Communities of Rough Rock.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Linda

A unit of study on plants grown in the Navajo community of Rough Rock, Arizona, is presented in sketches providing the common Navajo name for the plant, a literal English translation, the English name of the plant, and the Latin name. A brief description of each plant includes where the plant grows, how the Navajos use the plant, and the color and…

Taking Root: Arab-American Community Studies, Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hooglund, Eric, Ed.

This book is the second in a series of works that seeks to examine the Arab-American experience. The original 1984 publication, "Taking Root, Bearing Fruit: The Arab-American Experience" featured surveys of 12 communities in all geographic regions of the United States. Such was the response to that report that its creators decided to continue the…

A Comparative Cross-Cultural Examination of Community Art Education Programs in South Korea and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Ryan; Kim, Junghee

2014-01-01

The authors conducted comparative cross-cultural research to examine a select group of the available and more noteworthy art education organizations and their programs after observing significant differences in the community art education programs offered in Tucson, Arizona, and Anyang, South Korea. The study reports several major differences…

Citizens under Suspicion: Responsive Research with Community under Surveillance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ali, Arshad Imitaz

2016-01-01

In the 14 years since the 9/11 events, this nation as a whole, and New York City in particular, has escalated its state-sanctioned surveillance in the lives and activities of Muslims in the United States. This qualitative study examines the ramifications of police infiltration and monitoring of Muslim student and community-based organizations.…

Community Wildfire Protection Planning: The Importance of Framing, Scale, and Building Sustainable Capacity

Treesearch

Daniel R. Williams; Pamela J. Jakes; Sam Burns; Antony S. Cheng; Kristen C. Nelson; Victoria Sturtevant; Rachel F. Brummel; Emily Staychock; Stephanie G. Souter

2012-01-01

Community wildfire protection planning has become an important tool for engaging wildland-urban interface residents and other stakeholders in efforts to address their mutual concerns about wildland fire management, prioritize hazardous fuel reduction projects, and improve forest health. Drawing from 13 case studies from across the United States, this article describes...

Impact of Professional Learning Community Practices on Morale of Urban High School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almanzar, Angel

2014-01-01

This applied dissertation was designed to determine the impact a planned intervention, or participants' engagement in lesson study practices, had on teacher morale and professional learning communities within a public high school located in the Southeastern part of the United States. A review of a yearly teacher survey conducted by the district's…

Youth Political Engagement in Australia and the United States: Student Councils and Volunteer Organizations as Communities of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Homana, Gary A.

2018-01-01

Purpose: Lave and Wenger's Communities of Practice is presented as a conceptual framework for examining extracurricular activities as a part of democratic schools' contribution to students' civic engagement. Data from the IEA Civic Education Study is analyzed to investigate research questions on the association between participation in two civic…

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waivers: A Nationwide Study of the States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rizzolo, Mary C.; Friedman, Carli; Lulinski-Norris, Amie; Braddock, David

2013-01-01

In fiscal year (FY) 2009, the Medicaid program funded over 75% of all publicly funded long-term supports and services (LTSS) for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the United States (Braddock et al., 2011). The majority of spending was attributed to the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver program. In…

Sex Education Targeting African Communities in the United Kingdom: Is It Fit for Purpose?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, E.; Olomo, F.; Corcoran, N.

2012-01-01

This study addresses the issue of the sexual needs of ethnic minority groups in the UK. Using focus group discussions with health service users and third-sector providers, it explores the perception of sex education by Black African communities living in a culturally diverse area in East London, focusing specifically on participants' understanding…

Responses to Islam in the Classroom: A Case of Muslim Girls from Minority Communities of Interpretation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merchant, Natasha Hakimali

2016-01-01

Coinciding with the rise of "Islamophobia" in the United States is a small but growing set of educational scholarship around the curricular impact of and response to Islamophobia. The qualitative case study discussed in this manuscript aims to contribute to this conversation by investigating how Muslim girls from minority communities of…

ARSENIC IN DRINKING WATER: USING SOUND SCIENCE FOR RISK MANAGEMENT AND ASSISTING COMMUNITY DECISION-MAKERS - A MULTI-AGENCY, COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH PROJECT

EPA Science Inventory

Studies have indicated that arsenic concentrations greater than the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) concentration of 10 micrograms per liter (ug/L) occur in numerous aquifers around the United States. One such aquifer is the Cen...

Novel Setting for Addressing Tobacco-Related Disparities: A Survey of Community Welfare Organization Smoking Policies, Practices and Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonevski, B.; O'Brien, J.; Frost, S.; Yiow, L.; Oakes, W.; Barker, D.

2013-01-01

Research in the United States and Australia acknowledges the potential of non-government social and community service organizations (SCSOs) for reaching socially disadvantaged smokers. This study aimed to describe SCSO smoking policies and practices, and attitudes of senior staff towards smoking and cessation. It also investigated factors…

Religiosity, Discrimination, and Community Engagement: Gendered Pathways of Muslim American Emerging Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sirin, Selcuk R.; Katsiaficas, Dalal

2011-01-01

The attacks on September 11, 2001, changed the lives of all Americans. For many immigrant Muslims in the United States this meant dealing with an elevated amount of discrimination. This study investigated how perceived discrimination influenced levels of community engagement among Muslim American emerging adults and whether it varied by gender.…

University Outreach Programs on East Asia: Linkages with School and Community. Wingspread Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oxnam, Robert B.

The Wingspread conference was convened by the National Committee on United States-China Relations, Inc. and the Asia Society to consider how universities and centers for East Asian studies might make knowledge of Asian affairs more available. The intended audiences were secondary schools, the business community, persons interested in world affairs…

Living Memorials: Understanding the Social Meanings of Community-Based Memorials to September 11, 2001

Treesearch

Erika S. Svendsen; Lindsay K. Campbell

2010-01-01

Living memorials are landscaped spaces created by people to memorialize individuals, places, and events. Hundreds of stewardship groups across the United States of America created living memorials in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This study sought to understand how stewards value, use, and talk about their living, community-based memorials....

Learner Characteristics and Writing Performance in a Community College English as a Second Language Course: Some Unexpected Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Olga D.

2015-01-01

This study investigates the relationships between individual learner characteristics and gain in writing performance as measured by a standardized writing assessment in a sample of community college academic English as a Second Language (ESL) students in the United States. The ethnically and linguistically diverse convenience sample included 76…

Examining the Sociolinguistic Context in Schools and Neighborhoods of Pre-Adolescent Latino Students: Implications for Ethnic Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feinauer, Erika; Whiting, Erin F.

2012-01-01

This study examined the sociolinguistic contexts of neighborhoods and schools in two predominantly Latino communities in the United States. We used census data to assess social and ethnic composition and observational data to compare and contrast environmental print, language use, and availability of community services in Spanish in these schools…

Maximizing value and minimizing barriers: Patient-centered community consultation for research in emergency settings.

PubMed

Fordyce, Christopher B; Roe, Matthew T; Dickert, Neal W

2017-02-01

Patients with cardiac arrest and other life-threatening emergencies are unable to provide prospective consent for clinical trials. In the United States and other countries, regulations permit an exception from the requirement for informed consent in emergency settings. However, many potential barriers exist, as evidenced by the scarcity of US trials conducted under exception from the requirement for informed consent. One persistent challenge is the requirement that investigators consult communities prior to study approval. To improve the community consultation process for emergency studies under exception from the requirement for informed consent, we propose that prioritizing engagement of individuals who have experienced the condition under study, or are at high risk for the condition, fulfills regulatory goals and represents the interests of potential enrollees and the community without impeding research. Prioritizing patients engages individuals who are more likely to understand the concerns and experiences of study subjects, to appreciate risks and benefits of the study, and to understand the impact of the disease and intervention on patients' lives than are members of the general public. Similarly, those explicitly at high risk are more likely to identify as potential participants and may impart some level of accountability on the investigator. Finally, the most logical community of relevance is defined by a combination of condition-related experience and living in the area where a study will be conducted; geographic and condition-related communities should not be treated as distinct. In this sense, patients, their family members, and individuals at high risk within the catchment area represent the appropriate "community." Exception from the requirement for informed consent regulations have advanced the goal of improving care for emergency conditions, but common interpretations of the community consultation requirement threaten research in the United States. Focusing on the goals of learning from and demonstrating respect for those most directly affected by a study through engaging people most connected to the condition of interest will make community consultation more valuable, better inform institutional review boards, and increase efficiency.

The Effects of Problem Drinking and Sexual Risk Among Mexican Migrant Workers on Their Community of Origin

PubMed Central

Duke, Michael R.; Gómez Carpinteiro, Francisco J.

2010-01-01

Although the financial remittances sent by male Mexican migrant workers residing in the United States can result in higher standards of living for their families and home communities, out-migration may lead to increased migrant problem drinking and sexual risk behaviors, which may in turn impact these same communities of origin. Based on semi-structured interviewing (n=60) and participant observation in a migrant sending community in central Mexico and a receiving community in the Northeastern United States, this paper explores the effects of out-migration on HIV risk and problem drinking among United States-based migrants from a small agricultural community in the Mexican state of Puebla. We argue that problem drinking and risky sexual behaviors among these migrant workers have had significant consequences for their home community in terms of diminished remittances, the introduction of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and loss of husbands or kinsmen to automobile accidents. Moreover, although rumor and gossip between the two communities serve as a form of social control, they may also contribute to increased problem drinking and sexual risk. PMID:20169008

How Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Unit Director Activities May Affect Provision of Community Outreach Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chuang, Emmeline; Wells, Rebecca; Alexander, Jeffrey; Green, Sherri

2013-01-01

Aims: Community outreach services play an important role in infectious disease prevention and engaging drug users not currently in treatment. However, fewer than half of US substance abuse treatment units provide these services and many have little financial incentive to do so. Unit directors generally have latitude about scope of services,…

SNOWMASS (DPF Community Summer Study)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cronin-Hennessy, et al, Daniel

2013-08-06

The 2013 Community Summer Study, known as Snowmass," brought together nearly 700 physicists to identify the critical research directions for the United States particle physics program. Commissioned by the American Physical Society, this meeting was the culmination of intense work over the past year by more than 1000 physicists that defined the most important questions for this field and identified the most promising opportunities to address them. This Snowmass study report is a key resource for setting priorities in particle physics.

A theory of how rural health services contribute to community sustainability.

PubMed

Farmer, Jane; Prior, Maria; Taylor, Judy

2012-11-01

Study and opinion suggest that health services play a significant role in supporting the social fabric of fragile rural communities. We draw on empirical evidence about the added-value contributions of health services to communities and unite it with theory of capitals to propose a theoretical model depicting how rural health services contribute to community sustainability. While providing an analytical framework, the paper also points to construction of a measurement tool for enabling planners to measure the contributions of diverse sectors to community sustainability and predict or measure the impact of changes to models of service delivery on the future of rural communities. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perspectives on utilization of community based health information systems in Western Kenya

PubMed Central

Flora, Otieno Careena; Margaret, Kaseje; Dan, Kaseje

2017-01-01

Introduction Health information systems (HIS) are considered fundamental for the efficient delivery of high quality health care. However, a large number of legal and practical constraints influence the design and introduction of such systems. The inability to quantify and analyse situations with credible data and to use data in planning and managing service delivery plagues Africa. Establishing effective information systems and using this data for planning efficient health service delivery is essential to district health systems' performance improvement. Community Health Units in Kenya are central points for community data collection, analysis, dissemination and use. In Kenya, data tend to be collected for reporting purposes and not for decision-making at the point of collection. This paper describes the perspectives of local users on information use in various socio-economic contexts in Kenya. Methods Information for this study was gathered through semi-structured interviews. The interviewees were purposefully selected from various community health units and public health facilities in the study area. The data were organized and analysed manually, grouping them into themes and categories. Results Information needs of the community included service utilization and health status information. Dialogue was the main way of information utilization in the community. However, health systems and personal challenges impeded proper collection and use of information. Conclusion The challenges experienced in health information utilization may be overcome by linkages and coordination between the community and the health facilities. The personal challenges can be remedied using a motivational package that includes training of the Community Health Workers. PMID:28904707

28 CFR 0.1 - Organizational units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices. Community Relations Service. Executive Office for Immigration.... INTERPOL—United States National Central Bureau. Office of International Programs. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Office on Violence Against Women. Office of the Federal Detention Trustee...

A focus group study of healthy eating knowledge, practices, and barriers among adult and adolescent immigrants and refugees in the United States.

PubMed

Tiedje, Kristina; Wieland, Mark L; Meiers, Sonja J; Mohamed, Ahmed A; Formea, Christine M; Ridgeway, Jennifer L; Asiedu, Gladys B; Boyum, Ginny; Weis, Jennifer A; Nigon, Julie A; Patten, Christi A; Sia, Irene G

2014-05-16

Immigrants and refugees to the United States exhibit lower dietary quality than the general population, but reasons for this disparity are poorly understood. In this study, we describe the meanings of food, health and wellbeing through the reported dietary preferences, beliefs, and practices of adults and adolescents from four immigrant and refugee communities in the Midwestern United States. Using a community based participatory research approach, we conducted a qualitative research study with 16 audio-recorded focus groups with adults and adolescents who self-identified as Mexican, Somali, Cambodian, and Sudanese. Focus group topics were eating patterns, perceptions of healthy eating in the country of origin and in the U.S., how food decisions are made and who in the family is involved in food preparation and decisions, barriers and facilitators to healthy eating, and gender and generational differences in eating practices. A team of investigators and community research partners analyzed all transcripts in full before reducing data to codes through consensus. Broader themes were created to encompass multiple codes. Results show that participants have similar perspectives about the barriers (personal, environmental, structural) and benefits of healthy eating (e.g., 'junk food is bad'). We identified four themes consistent across all four communities: Ways of Knowing about Healthy Eating ('Meanings;' 'Motivations;' 'Knowledge Sources'), Eating Practices ('Family Practices;' 'Americanized Eating Practices' 'Eating What's Easy'), Barriers ('Taste and Cravings;' 'Easy Access to Junk Food;' 'Role of Family;' Cultural Foods and Traditions;' 'Time;' 'Finances'), and Preferences for Intervention ('Family Counseling;' Community Education;' and 'Healthier Traditional Meals.'). Some generational (adult vs. adolescents) and gender differences were observed. Our study demonstrates how personal, structural, and societal/cultural factors influence meanings of food and dietary practices across immigrant and refugee populations. We conclude that cultural factors are not fixed variables that occur independently from the contexts in which they are embedded.

Travel- and Community-Based Transmission of Multidrug-Resistant Shigella sonnei Lineage among International Orthodox Jewish Communities

PubMed Central

Baker, Kate S.; Dallman, Timothy J.; Behar, Adi; Weill, François-Xavier; Gouali, Malika; Sobel, Jeremy; Fookes, Maria; Valinsky, Lea; Gal-Mor, Ohad; Connor, Thomas R.; Nissan, Israel; Bertrand, Sophie; Parkhill, Julian; Jenkins, Claire; Cohen, Dani

2016-01-01

Shigellae are sensitive indicator species for studying trends in the international transmission of antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Orthodox Jewish communities (OJCs) are a known risk group for shigellosis; Shigella sonnei is cyclically epidemic in OJCs in Israel, and sporadic outbreaks occur in OJCs elsewhere. We generated whole-genome sequences for 437 isolates of S. sonnei from OJCs and non-OJCs collected over 22 years in Europe (the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium), the United States, Canada, and Israel and analyzed these within a known global genomic context. Through phylogenetic and genomic analysis, we showed that strains from outbreaks in OJCs outside of Israel are distinct from strains in the general population and relate to a single multidrug-resistant sublineage of S. sonnei that prevails in Israel. Further Bayesian phylogenetic analysis showed that this strain emerged approximately 30 years ago, demonstrating the speed at which antimicrobial drug–resistant pathogens can spread widely through geographically dispersed, but internationally connected, communities. PMID:27532625

Travel- and Community-Based Transmission of Multidrug-Resistant Shigella sonnei Lineage among International Orthodox Jewish Communities.

PubMed

Baker, Kate S; Dallman, Timothy J; Behar, Adi; Weill, François-Xavier; Gouali, Malika; Sobel, Jeremy; Fookes, Maria; Valinsky, Lea; Gal-Mor, Ohad; Connor, Thomas R; Nissan, Israel; Bertrand, Sophie; Parkhill, Julian; Jenkins, Claire; Cohen, Dani; Thomson, Nicholas R

2016-09-01

Shigellae are sensitive indicator species for studying trends in the international transmission of antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Orthodox Jewish communities (OJCs) are a known risk group for shigellosis; Shigella sonnei is cyclically epidemic in OJCs in Israel, and sporadic outbreaks occur in OJCs elsewhere. We generated whole-genome sequences for 437 isolates of S. sonnei from OJCs and non-OJCs collected over 22 years in Europe (the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium), the United States, Canada, and Israel and analyzed these within a known global genomic context. Through phylogenetic and genomic analysis, we showed that strains from outbreaks in OJCs outside of Israel are distinct from strains in the general population and relate to a single multidrug-resistant sublineage of S. sonnei that prevails in Israel. Further Bayesian phylogenetic analysis showed that this strain emerged approximately 30 years ago, demonstrating the speed at which antimicrobial drug-resistant pathogens can spread widely through geographically dispersed, but internationally connected, communities.

Current Methods in Health Behavior Research Among U.S. Community College Students: A Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Pokhrel, Pallav; Little, Melissa A.; Herzog, Thaddeus A.

2016-01-01

The majority of health behavior research involving college students in the United States has focused on 4-year college students. Two-year or community college students have been less studied, although a significant proportion of U.S. undergraduates, primarily those from disadvantaged socioeconomic and/or racial/ethnic background, are enrolled in community colleges. Thus, there is a need to enhance health behavior and health promotion research among community college students. This study systematically reviewed 42 published, peer-reviewed health behavior studies conducted among U.S. community college students in order to determine the current state of research in the area with regard to behaviors studied, research designs used, recruitment and data collection strategies practiced, rates of student participation, and characteristics of the participants represented. Findings identified the methodological limitations of current research and suggested optimal recruitment and data collection methods suitable for various research needs. Findings are discussed in the context of enhancing health behavior research among U.S. community college students. PMID:24227658

Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Health: Voices and Images of Latina Immigrant Survivors in Southwestern United States

PubMed Central

Moya, Eva M.; Chávez-Baray, Silvia; Martinez, Omar

2014-01-01

Intimate partner violence (IPV), which describes physical and/or sexual assault of a spouse or sexually intimate companion, is a common health care issue across the globe. However, existing health outcomes studies are limited. Additionally, no study to our knowledge has specifically focused on the relationship between IPV and sexual health among Latina immigrants in southwestern United States. Through the use of photovoice methodology and a community-based participatory research approach, we assessed these types of relationships drawing on data gathered from 22 Latina survivors of IPV and 20 community stakeholders in El Paso, Texas. Participants identified two major themes: the different expressions of domestic violence and the need for access to sexual and reproductive health services. Community stakeholders and participants identified practical and achievable recommendations and actions including the development of a promotora training program on IPV and sexual health. This assessment extends beyond HIV and STI risk behaviors and highlights disease prevention within a wellness and health promotion framework. PMID:24787021

Geographic Factors and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Initiation among Adolescent Girls in the United States.

PubMed

Henry, Kevin A; Stroup, Antoinette M; Warner, Echo L; Kepka, Deanna

2016-02-01

This study is among the first to explore geographic factors that may be associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake in the United States. Data from the 2011 and 2012 National Immunization Survey-Teen for 20,565 female adolescents aged 13 to 17 years were analyzed to examine associations of HPV vaccine initiation (receipt of at least one dose) with ZIP code-level geographic factors. Logistic regression including individual and geographic factors was used to estimate the odds of HPV vaccine initiation. Approximately 53% of girls initiated the HPV vaccine in both years. Girls in high poverty communities had higher HPV vaccine initiation compared with those in low poverty communities [61.1% vs. 52.4%; adjusted OR (AOR), 1.18; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.04-1.33]. Initiation was higher among girls in communities where the majority of the population was Hispanic (69.0% vs. 49.9%; AOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.43-1.87) or non-Hispanic mixed race (60.4% vs. 49.9%; AOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.17-1.44) compared with majority non-Hispanic white communities. Interactions between individual-level race/ethnicity and community racial-ethnic composition indicated significantly higher odds of initiation among Hispanic girls living in Hispanic communities compared with Hispanic girls living in predominantly non-Hispanic White (NHW) (AOR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.87-2.65) or non-Hispanic Black (NHB) (AOR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.20-3.04) communities, respectively. Initiation rates of HPV vaccination among teen girls were highest in the poorest communities and among Hispanics living in communities where the racial-ethnic composition was predominantly Hispanic or mixed race. Given low HPV vaccination rates in the United States, these results provide important evidence to inform public health interventions to increase HPV vaccination. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Coping Self-Efficacy in a Community-Based Sample of Women and Men from the United Kingdom: The Impact of Sex and Health Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colodro, H.; Godoy-Izquierdo, D.; Godoy, J.

2010-01-01

This study presents pioneer findings regarding coping self-efficacy obtained with the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) in a community-based sample composed of both women and men (to date, only data obtained in the 1980s from men with HIV and depression exist). The aims of this study were to investigate the psychometric properties of the CSES and…

Indio and Hispano Child: Improving His Self Image.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallegos, Katherine Powers, Ed.

Prepared under a Title IV Civil Rights program grant, this document consists of social studies units for grades 1 and 4, suggestions for a culturally oriented arts program, biographical sketches of cultural models, and brief historical sketches of communities in the area of Los Lunas, New Mexico. The purpose of the units of instruction and related…

Traditional ranching heritage and cultural continuity in the southwestern United States

Treesearch

Carol Raish; Alice M. McSweeney

2008-01-01

This study, conducted among ranchers on the Santa Fe and Carson National Forests in the Southwestern United States, examines the role of ranching in maintaining traditional heritage and cultural continuity. The mainly Hispanic ranching families of northern New Mexico first came into the region in 1598 with Spanish colonization. Many of the villages received community...

Public Sculpture: America's Legacy. America Past and Present. Study Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powe, Faye; Carter, Richard, Ed.

This guide presents public sculpture as an effective instructional tool, with the primary emphasis on works contributing to a sense of national or community identity. Sculptures are introduced according to the chronology of persons or events commemorated. The 10 lessons focus on United States history from the Civil War to the present. Unit 1:…

Development and the Urban and Rural Geography of Mexican Emigration to the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Erin R.; Villarreal, Andres

2011-01-01

Past research on international migration from Mexico to the United States uses geographically-limited data and analyzes emigrant-sending communities in isolation. Theories supported by this research may not explain urban emigration, and this research does not consider connections between rural and urban Mexico. In this study we use national data…

The effects of precipitation and soil type on three invasive annual grasses in the western United States

Treesearch

Sheel Bansal; Jeremy J. James; Roger L. Sheley

2014-01-01

Multiple species of annual grasses are invading sagebrush-steppe communities throughout the western United States. Most research has focused on dominant species such as Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), yet other, less studied annual grasses such as Taeniatherum caput-medusae (medusahead) and Ventenata dubia (ventenata) are spreading rapidly. Future precipitation regimes...

Dementia and Transitioning from Assisted Living to Memory Care Units: Perspectives of Administrators in Three Facility Types

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelsey, Susan G.; Laditka, Sarah B.; Laditka, James N.

2010-01-01

Purpose: This study examines transitioning residents with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder (ADRD) from assisted living facilities (ALFs) to memory care units (MCUs) from the perspective of 3 ALF organizational models: freestanding ALFs, ALFs with MCUs, and ALFs in continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) with MCUs. Design and…

Gut microbiota in MS: possible influence of immunomodulators

PubMed Central

Cantarel, Brandi L.; Waubant, Emmanuelle; Chehoud, Christel; Kuczynski, Justin; DeSantis, Todd Z.; Warrington, Janet; Venkatesan, Arun; Fraser, Claire M.; Mowry, Ellen M.

2015-01-01

Objectives Differences in gut bacteria have been described in several autoimmune disorders. In this exploratory pilot study, we compared gut bacteria in multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls and evaluated the influence of glatiramer acetate and vitamin D treatment on the microbiota. Methods Subjects were otherwise healthy white women with or without relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who were vitamin D insufficient. Multiple sclerosis patients were untreated or were receiving glatiramer acetate. Subjects collected stool at baseline and after 90 days of vitamin D3 (5,000 IU/day) supplementation. The abundance of operational taxonomic units was evaluated by hybridization of 16S rRNA to a DNA microarray. Results While there was overlap of gut bacterial communities, the abundance of some operational taxonomic units, including Faecalibacterium, was lower in multiple sclerosis patients. Glatiramer acetate-treated MS subjects showed differences in community composition compared to untreated subjects, including Bacteroidaceae, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Lactobacillaceae, Clostridium, and Other Clostridiales. Compared to the other groups, untreated multiple sclerosis subjects had an increase in the Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Coprococcus genera after vitamin D supplementation. Conclusions While overall bacterial communities were similar, specific operational taxonomic units differed between healthy and multiple sclerosis subjects. Glatiramer acetate and vitamin D supplementation were associated with differences or changes in the microbiota. This study was exploratory, and larger studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results. PMID:25775034

Gut microbiota in multiple sclerosis: possible influence of immunomodulators.

PubMed

Cantarel, Brandi L; Waubant, Emmanuelle; Chehoud, Christel; Kuczynski, Justin; DeSantis, Todd Z; Warrington, Janet; Venkatesan, Arun; Fraser, Claire M; Mowry, Ellen M

2015-06-01

Differences in gut bacteria have been described in several autoimmune disorders. In this exploratory pilot study, we compared gut bacteria in patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls and evaluated the influence of glatiramer acetate and vitamin D treatment on the microbiota. Subjects were otherwise healthy white women with or without relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who were vitamin D insufficient. Patients with multiple sclerosis were untreated or were receiving glatiramer acetate. Subjects collected stool at baseline and after 90 days of vitamin D3 (5000 IU/d) supplementation. The abundance of operational taxonomic units was evaluated by hybridization of 16S rRNA to a DNA microarray. While there was overlap of gut bacterial communities, the abundance of some operational taxonomic units, including Faecalibacterium, was lower in patients with multiple sclerosis. Glatiramer acetate-treated patients with multiple sclerosis showed differences in community composition compared with untreated subjects, including Bacteroidaceae, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Lactobacillaceae, Clostridium, and other Clostridiales. Compared with the other groups, untreated patients with multiple sclerosis had an increase in the Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Coprococcus genera after vitamin D supplementation. While overall bacterial communities were similar, specific operational taxonomic units differed between healthy controls and patients with multiple sclerosis. Glatiramer acetate and vitamin D supplementation were associated with differences or changes in the microbiota. This study was exploratory, and larger studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.

Satisfaction with Community Services in Northern West Virginia. Bulletin 649, October 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuehn, John P.

Study objectives were to determine the levels of satisfaction with selected community services in an 11-county area of northern West Virginia (3 representative sites) and to compare these levels to those of 12 other selected sites in the non-metropolitan northeastern United States. A total of 2,141 questionnaires was completed, 295 of which came…

Physical, Social, and Perceived Availabilities of Alcohol and Last Month Alcohol Use in Rural and Small Urban Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanley, Linda R.; Henry, Kimberly L.; Swaim, Randall C.

2011-01-01

This study seeks to provide a greater understanding of the factors that determine the perceived availability of alcohol and its role in predicting adolescents' alcohol use. Participants were 151,703 7th-12th grade students (50% female) from a sample of 219 rural communities across the United States, with oversampling for predominantly…

Internationalization Efforts in United States Community Colleges: A Comparative Analysis of Urban, Suburban, and Rural Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harder, Natalie J.

2011-01-01

With community colleges educating up to one-half of all U.S. undergraduates, more focus on internationalization is warranted in order to ensure student competitiveness in today's global labor pool. This ex post facto study of 2006 survey data from the American Council on Education (ACE) found a low level of internationalization occurring at most…

Air-quality bioindication in the greater central valley of California, with epiphytic macrolichen communities.

Treesearch

Sarah Jovan; Bruce McCune

2005-01-01

Air-quality monitoring in the United States is typically focused on urban areas even though the detrimental effects of pollution often extend into surrounding ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to construct a model, based upon epiphytic macrolichen community data, to indicate air-quality and climate in forested areas throughout the greater Central Valley of...

Trauma, Disasters and Recovery

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

the development of these studies and recognized their importance to both the military and civilian communities. In particular, we wish to thank Drs...and combat, are an expected part of life. Understanding individual, unit and community responses to traumas and disasters is critical to our developing ...ended questions and standardized psychosocial and psychiatric instruments to assess the amount of stress felt, support obtained and provided, symptoms

A Question of Community: Quality of Life and Integration in "Small Residential Units" and Other Residential Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lutfiyya, Zana Marie; And Others

This report examines the quality of life for individuals with mental retardation who live in a range of residential service settings in New York, and explores issues related to the provision of housing and appropriate supports. Five settings were studied: (1) an intentional Christian community where three individuals with mental retardation live…

The Educational Development Officer--A New Staff Development Concept in the Community College and Technical Institute.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeod, Neill; Trent, Curtis

The major focus of the study was the development of a clear concise description of job tasks of the "educational development officer," a role model of which had been developed and piloted in North Carolina by a governmental research unit, the Junior and Community College Division of the National Laboratory of Higher Education, located in…

Advancing Evaluation in Community Colleges: A Mixed Methods Case Study of Outcomes-Based Assessment Training in Student Affairs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Tammy L.

2016-01-01

Many student affairs departments struggle to contribute to an institution's evidence base of student learning. In part, this results from student affairs personnel not having adequate training in how to assess learning outside the classroom. This is a particular challenge for small community colleges, in which individual units (e.g., admissions or…

What Should Autism Research Focus Upon? Community Views and Priorities from the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellicano, Elizabeth; Dinsmore, Adam; Charman, Tony

2014-01-01

The rise in the measured prevalence of autism has been accompanied by much new research and research investment internationally. This study sought to establish whether the pattern of current UK autism research funding maps on to the concerns of the autism community. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with autistic adults, family members,…

A Novel Analysis Method for Paired-Sample Microbial Ecology Experiments.

PubMed

Olesen, Scott W; Vora, Suhani; Techtmann, Stephen M; Fortney, Julian L; Bastidas-Oyanedel, Juan R; Rodríguez, Jorge; Hazen, Terry C; Alm, Eric J

2016-01-01

Many microbial ecology experiments use sequencing data to measure a community's response to an experimental treatment. In a common experimental design, two units, one control and one experimental, are sampled before and after the treatment is applied to the experimental unit. The four resulting samples contain information about the dynamics of organisms that respond to the treatment, but there are no analytical methods designed to extract exactly this type of information from this configuration of samples. Here we present an analytical method specifically designed to visualize and generate hypotheses about microbial community dynamics in experiments that have paired samples and few or no replicates. The method is based on the Poisson lognormal distribution, long studied in macroecology, which we found accurately models the abundance distribution of taxa counts from 16S rRNA surveys. To demonstrate the method's validity and potential, we analyzed an experiment that measured the effect of crude oil on ocean microbial communities in microcosm. Our method identified known oil degraders as well as two clades, Maricurvus and Rhodobacteraceae, that responded to amendment with oil but do not include known oil degraders. Our approach is sensitive to organisms that increased in abundance only in the experimental unit but less sensitive to organisms that increased in both control and experimental units, thus mitigating the role of "bottle effects".

Introducing SONS, a tool for operational taxonomic unit-based comparisons of microbial community memberships and structures.

PubMed

Schloss, Patrick D; Handelsman, Jo

2006-10-01

The recent advent of tools enabling statistical inferences to be drawn from comparisons of microbial communities has enabled the focus of microbial ecology to move from characterizing biodiversity to describing the distribution of that biodiversity. Although statistical tools have been developed to compare community structures across a phylogenetic tree, we lack tools to compare the memberships and structures of two communities at a particular operational taxonomic unit (OTU) definition. Furthermore, current tests of community structure do not indicate the similarity of the communities but only report the probability of a statistical hypothesis. Here we present a computer program, SONS, which implements nonparametric estimators for the fraction and richness of OTUs shared between two communities.

Beliefs about hypertension among Nigerian immigrants to the United Kingdom: A qualitative study

PubMed Central

Akinlua, James Tosin; Meakin, Richard; Freemantle, Nick

2017-01-01

Objective The aim of the study was to elicit beliefs about hypertension among Nigerian immigrants in the United Kingdom. Background The distributions of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases are not shared equally across ethnic and economic groups in the United Kingdom. Its burden is more clustered among minority ethnic populations and migrant groups including black African Nigerian migrants. Similar patterns have been reported across Europe, Australia, Canada, Nordic countries and the United States of America. There are about 300 distinct ethnic groups in Nigeria and reliable information about their beliefs about hypertension is not available. Given that the United Kingdom has a large community of Nigerian immigrants from these different ethno-cultural backgrounds, understanding their unique beliefs about hypertension may help promote appropriate care for this population in the United Kingdom and Nigeria. Setting A single Pentecostal church community in West London Participants Twenty-seven Nigerian migrant members of the church entered and completed the study Methods and outcome measure A qualitative interview study was conducted. The interviews were analysed using thematic framework analysis. The outcome measures were emerging themes from the thematic framework analysis. Results Participants expressed beliefs in four major areas related to hypertension: (1) The Meaning of the term hypertension, (2) Perceptions of causation, (3) Effects of hypertension, and (4) Perceptions of treatment. The study revealed a diversity of beliefs about hypertension which incorporated both orthodox and culturally framed ideas. Conclusions This study identified important beliefs among Nigerian migrants about hypertension that can contribute to our understanding of the management of hypertension in this group and suggests the need for further research to determine whether these beliefs may be representative of this group. PMID:28750080

Heat-pump-centered integrated community energy systems: Systems development, Consolidated Natural Gas Service Company

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, N. R.; Donakowski, T. D.; Foster, R. B.; Sala, D. L.; Tison, R. R.; Whaley, T. P.; Yudow, B. D.; Swenson, P. F.

1980-01-01

The heat actuated heat pump centered integrated community energy system (HAHP-ICES) is described. The system utilizes a gas fired, engine-driven, heat pump and commercial buildings, and offers several advantages over the more conventional equipment it is intended to supplant. The general nonsite specific application assumes a hypothetical community of one 59,000 cu ft office building and five 24 unit, low rise apartment buildings located in a region with a climate similar to Chicago. Various sensitivity analyses are performed and through which the performance characteristics of the HAHP are explored. The results provided the selection criteria for the site specific application of the HAHP-ICES concept to a real world community. The site-specific community consists of: 42 town houses; five 120 unit, low rise apartment buildings; five 104 unit high rise apartment buildings; one 124,000 cu ft office building; and a single 135,000 cu ft retail building.

Assessment of Students' Sense of Community in Distance Education Classrooms of U.S. Dental Hygiene Programs.

PubMed

Smilyanski, Irina A; Boyd, Linda D; Perry, Kristeen R; Rothman, Andrew T; Jenkins, Susan

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to examine the association between distance education (DE) and students' sense of classroom community (SCC) in U.S. dental hygiene programs. The concept of SCC is recognized to have an influence on students' educational outcomes. With the goal of increasing diversity among future dental professionals, there comes a need to accommodate students of various backgrounds through the use of DE. The impact of DE on students' SCC has not been studied in previous research. This 2014 cross-sectional survey study looked at a convenience sample of dental hygiene students finishing their first or second clinical year to assess their SCC. Participating programs had both host and satellite campuses and utilized DE for didactic course delivery at the remote sites. To calculate the students' sense of community, Rovai's Classroom Community Scale (CCS) was utilized, and demographic information was collected. Six of the 13 eligible programs agreed to participate; the overall response rate for individual students was 25%. When evaluated on their sense of community, the satellite college-based students scored 26.47 CCS units and 14.51 learning subscale units lower than the host college-based students. These results suggested a negative association between the students' sense of community and their affiliation with satellite campuses when controlled for demographic variables. The findings suggest a negative trend in the SCC for dental hygiene students on remote campuses and utilizing DE for a portion of their curriculum. This trend can potentially decrease students' educational success and satisfaction and should be addressed.

Ukrainians in America: Contributions to America, Relationship to Homeland, Integration into American Life, Retention of Ethnicity in America. Ethnic Heritage in America: Curriculum Materials in Elementary School Social Studies on Greeks, Jews, Lithuanians, and Ukrainians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chicago Consortium for Inter-Ethnic Curriculum Development, IL.

This ethnic heritage unit is about Ukrainians in the United States. The first section presents basic facts, such as a map of Ukraine, map of Eastern Europe, facts about Ukraine, principal dates in Ukrainian history, ten outstanding figures in modern Ukrainian history, milestones of Ukrainian communities in the United States, bibliography about…

Global Lessons In Frugal Innovation To Improve Health Care Delivery In The United States.

PubMed

Bhatti, Yasser; Taylor, Andrea; Harris, Matthew; Wadge, Hester; Escobar, Erin; Prime, Matt; Patel, Hannah; Carter, Alexander W; Parston, Greg; Darzi, Ara W; Udayakumar, Krishna

2017-11-01

In a 2015 global study of low-cost or frugal innovations, we identified five leading innovations that scaled successfully in their original contexts and that may provide insights for scaling such innovations in the United States. We describe common themes among these diverse innovations, critical factors for their translation to the United States to improve the efficiency and quality of health care, and lessons for the implementation and scaling of other innovations. We highlight promising trends in the United States that support adapting these innovations, including growing interest in moving care out of health care facilities and into community and home settings; the growth of alternative payment models and incentives to experiment with new approaches to population health and care delivery; and the increasing use of diverse health professionals, such as community health workers and advanced practice providers. Our findings should inspire policy makers and health care professionals and inform them about the potential for globally sourced frugal innovations to benefit US health care.

A small-area analysis of inequalities in chronic disease prevalence across urban and non-urban communities in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, 2007-2011.

PubMed

Terashima, Mikiko; Rainham, Daniel G C; Levy, Adrian R

2014-05-13

Small-area studies of health inequalities often have an urban focus, and may be limited in their translatability to non-urban settings. Using small-area units representing communities, this study assessed the influence of living in different settlement types (urban, town and rural) on the prevalence of four chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke) and compared the degrees of associations with individual-level and community-level factors among the settlement types. The associations between community-level and individual-level characteristics and prevalence of the chronic diseases were assessed using logistic regression (multilevel and non-multilevel) models. Individual-level data were extracted from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2007-2011). Indices of material deprivation and social isolation and the settlement type classification were created using the Canadian Census. Respondents living in towns were 21% more likely to report one of the diseases than respondents living in urban communities even after accounting for individual-level and community-level characteristics. Having dependent children appeared to have protective effects in towns, especially for males (OR: 0.49 (95% CI 0.27 to 0.90)). Unemployment had a strong association for all types of communities, but being unemployed appeared to be particularly damaging to health of males in urban communities (OR: 2.48 (95% CI 1.43 to 4.30)). The study showed that those living in non-urban settings, particularly towns, experience extra challenges in maintaining health above and beyond the socioeconomic condition and social isolation of the communities, and individual demographic, behavioural and socioeconomic attributes. Our findings also suggest that health inequality studies based on urban-only settings may underestimate the risks by some factors. Ways to devise meaningful small-area units comparable in all settlement types are necessary to help plan effective provision of chronic disease-related health services and programmes on a regional scale. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Career Education Program: Geneva Area City Schools. [Grade 2 Units: Postal Services, Our Homes, Clothing, Community Helpers, and Custodians In Our Lives].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geneva Area City Schools, OH.

Five curriculum units for the second grade level focus on: (1) clothing producers and suppliers, and the clothing industry; (2) postal service workers and the postal system; (3) janitorial workers; (4) workers who build, furnish, and maintain homes and the housing industry; and (5) various community workers. Behavioral unit objectives emphasize…

A systematic review of the unit costs of allied health and community services used by older people in Australia.

PubMed

Farag, Inez; Sherrington, Cathie; Ferreira, Manuela; Howard, Kirsten

2013-02-20

An economic evaluation of interventions for older people requires accurate assessment of costing and consideration of both acute and long-term services. Accurate information on the unit cost of allied health and community services is not readily available in Australia however. This systematic review therefore aims to synthesise information available in the literature on the unit costs of allied health and community services that may be utilised by an older person living in Australia. A comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Google Scholar and Google was undertaken. Specialised economic databases were also reviewed. In addition Australian Government Department websites were inspected. The search identified the cost of specified allied health services including: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics, podiatry, counselling and home nursing. The range of community services included: personal care, meals on wheels, transport costs and domestic services. Where the information was not available, direct contact with service providers was made. The number of eligible studies included in the qualitative synthesis was fourty-nine. Calculated hourly rates for Australian allied health services were adjusted to be in equivalent currency and were as follows as follows: physiotherapy $157.75, occupational therapy $150.77, dietetics $163.11, psychological services $165.77, community nursing $105.76 and podiatry $129.72. Utilisation of the Medicare Benefits Scheduled fee as a broad indicator of the costs of services, may lead to underestimation of the real costs of services and therefore to inaccuracies in economic evaluation.

Impact of Community-Based Approach as Policy Tool: World Health Organization-Designated Safe Communities of Korea and Health Action Zones of the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Kang, Changhyun; Shin, Jihyung; Matthews, Bob

2016-02-01

The aim of this study is to ascertain and identify the effectiveness of area-based initiatives as a policy tool mediated by societal and individual factors in the five World Health Organization (WHO)-designated Safe Communities of Korea and the Health Action Zones of the United Kingdom (UK). The Korean National Hospital discharge in-depth injury survey from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and causes of death statistics by the Statistics Korea were used for all analyses. The trend and changes in injury rate and mortality by external causes were compared among the five WHO-designated Safe Communities in Korea. The injury incident rates decreased at a greater level in the Safe Communities compared with the national average. Similar results were shown for the changes in unintentional injury incident rates. In comparison of changes in mortality rate by external causes between 2005 and 2011, the rate increase in Safe Communities was higher than the national average except for Jeju, where the mortality rate by external causes decreased. When the Healthy Action Zones of the UK and the WHO Safe Communities of Korea were examined, the outcomes were interpreted differently among the compared index, regions, and time periods. Therefore, qualitative outcomes, such as bringing the residents' attention to the safety of the communities and promoting participation and coordination of stakeholders, should also be considered as important impacts of the community-based initiatives.

Community Health Workers in the United States: Challenges in Identifying, Surveying, and Supporting the Workforce.

PubMed

Sabo, Samantha; Allen, Caitlin G; Sutkowi, Katherine; Wennerstrom, Ashley

2017-12-01

Community health workers (CHWs) are members of a growing profession in the United States. Studying this dynamic labor force is challenging, in part because its members have more than 100 different job titles. The demand for timely, accurate information about CHWs is increasing as the profession gains recognition for its ability to improve health outcomes and reduce costs. Although numerous surveys of CHWs have been conducted, the field lacks well-delineated methods for gaining access to this hard-to-identify workforce. We outline methods for surveying CHWs and promising approaches to engage the workforce and other stakeholders in conducting local, state, and national studies. We also highlight successful strategies to overcome challenges in CHW surveys and future directions for surveying the field.

Microbial communities associated with wet flue gas desulfurization systems

PubMed Central

Brown, Bryan P.; Brown, Shannon R.; Senko, John M.

2012-01-01

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems are employed to remove SOx gasses that are produced by the combustion of coal for electric power generation, and consequently limit acid rain associated with these activities. Wet FGDs represent a physicochemically extreme environment due to the high operating temperatures and total dissolved solids (TDS) of fluids in the interior of the FGD units. Despite the potential importance of microbial activities in the performance and operation of FGD systems, the microbial communities associated with them have not been evaluated. Microbial communities associated with distinct process points of FGD systems at several coal-fired electricity generation facilities were evaluated using culture-dependent and -independent approaches. Due to the high solute concentrations and temperatures in the FGD absorber units, culturable halothermophilic/tolerant bacteria were more abundant in samples collected from within the absorber units than in samples collected from the makeup waters that are used to replenish fluids inside the absorber units. Evaluation of bacterial 16S rRNA genes recovered from scale deposits on the walls of absorber units revealed that the microbial communities associated with these deposits are primarily composed of thermophilic bacterial lineages. These findings suggest that unique microbial communities develop in FGD systems in response to physicochemical characteristics of the different process points within the systems. The activities of the thermophilic microbial communities that develop within scale deposits could play a role in the corrosion of steel structures in FGD systems. PMID:23226147

Go-along interviewing with LGBTQ youth in Canada and the United States.

PubMed

Porta, Carolyn M; Corliss, Heather L; Wolowic, Jennifer M; Johnson, Abigail Z; Fogel, Katie Fritz; Gower, Amy L; Saewyc, Elizabeth M; Eisenberg, Marla E

2017-01-01

Go-along interviews, which are interviews conducted whilst being in and moving within participant selected spaces, were conducted with 66 LGBTQ adolescents (14-19 years old) in their self-identified communities to explore perceived community attributes, including safe spaces, resources, and supports; this paper highlights methodological lessons learned. Successful recruitment in two countries and varied community settings required partnership with local LGBTQ supporting agencies, including school-based Gay Straight Alliances. Youth chose to walk, use public transportation, and drive to community locations, identifying numerous formal and informal resources in their communities. Participant reflections highlighted that go-along interviews can be conducted in safe ways that encourage LGBTQ youth to express themselves about communities in which they live, study, work, play, and relax.

Community-Based Dialogue: Engaging Communities of Color in the United States’ Genetics Policy Conversation

PubMed Central

Bonham, Vence L.; Citrin, Toby; Modell, Stephen M.; Franklin, Tené Hamilton; Bleicher, Esther W. B.; Fleck, Leonard M.

2009-01-01

Engaging communities of color in the genetics public policy conversation is important for the translation of genetics research into strategies aimed at improving the health of all. Implementing model public participation and consultation processes can be informed by the Communities of Color Genetics Policy Project, which engaged individuals from African American and Latino communities of diverse socioeconomic levels in the process of “rational democratic deliberation” on ethical and policy issues stretching from genome research to privacy and discrimination concerns to public education. The results of the study included the development of a participatory framework based on a combination of the theory of democratic deliberation and the community-based public health model which we describe as “community-based dialogue.” PMID:19451407

Government in the Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curran, Donald J.; And Others

1985-01-01

This issue begins with information on new economic education curriculum materials and includes a conceptual introduction to the relationship between local government and the economy. Following this, four instructional units are provided. The first unit, called "Communities Need Rules," is intended for preschool and kindergarten children.…

Aviation and the Community - Measuring the Impact on the Local Economy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Aerospace Education, 1975

1975-01-01

Gives a sample of a research questionnaire which might be used in a unit which seeks to determine the impact of airports on communities and can serve as learning objectives for a unit on the importance of the airport. (BR)

Association of Panton Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) genes with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Western Nepal: a matter of concern for community infections (a hospital based prospective study).

PubMed

Bhatta, Dharm R; Cavaco, Lina M; Nath, Gopal; Kumar, Kush; Gaur, Abhishek; Gokhale, Shishir; Bhatta, Dwij R

2016-05-15

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major human pathogen associated with nosocomial and community infections. Panton Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is considered one of the important virulence factors of S. aureus responsible for destruction of white blood cells, necrosis and apoptosis and as a marker of community acquired MRSA. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of PVL genes among MRSA isolates and to check the reliability of PVL as marker of community acquired MRSA isolates from Western Nepal. A total of 400 strains of S. aureus were collected from clinical specimens and various units (Operation Theater, Intensive Care Units) of the hospital and 139 of these had been confirmed as MRSA by previous study. Multiplex PCR was used to detect mecA and PVL genes. Clinical data as well as antimicrobial susceptibility data was analyzed and compared among PVL positive and negative MRSA isolates. Out of 139 MRSA isolates, 79 (56.8 %) were PVL positive. The majority of the community acquired MRSA (90.4 %) were PVL positive (Positive predictive value: 94.9 % and negative predictive value: 86.6 %), while PVL was detected only in 4 (7.1 %) hospital associated MRSA strains. None of the MRSA isolates from hospital environment was found positive for the PVL genes. The majority of the PVL positive strains (75.5 %) were isolated from pus samples. Antibiotic resistance among PVL negative MRSA isolates was found higher as compared to PVL positive MRSA. Our study showed high prevalence of PVL among community acquired MRSA isolates. Absence of PVL among MRSA isolates from hospital environment indicates its poor association with hospital acquired MRSA and therefore, PVL may be used a marker for community acquired MRSA. This is first study from Nepal, to test PVL among MRSA isolates from hospital environment.

SB 1440 (2010): The Effect of Transfer Degrees on Time to Degree Conferral, Unit Accumulation, and Transfer Attainment for California Community College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Maria

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Student Transfer Reform Act of 2010 (SB1440) on student success. For the purpose of this study, student success metrics were identified as time to degree conferral, unit accumulation, and transfer attainment. Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) were systematized as a result of the Student…

Female reproductive strategies, paternity and community structure in wild West African chimpanzees.

PubMed

Gagneux; Boesch; Woodruff

1999-01-01

Although the variability and complexity of chimpanzee behaviour frustrates generalization, it is widely believed that social evolution in this species occurs in the context of the recognizable social group or community. We used a combination of field observations and noninvasive genotyping to study the genetic structure of a habituated community of 55 wild chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus, in the Taï Forest, Côte d'Ivoire. Pedigree relationships in that community show that female mate choice strategies are more variable than previously supposed and that the observed social groups are not the exclusive reproductive units. Genetic evidence based on nuclear microsatellite markers and behavioural obser-vations reveal that females in the Taï forest actively seek mating partners outside their social unit; noncommunity males accounted for half the paternities over 5 years. This female mating strategy increases male gene flow between communities despite male philopatry, and negates the predicted higher relatedness among community males. Kin selection seems unlikely to explain the frequent cooperation and sharing observed among group males in this population. Similarly, inbreeding avoidance is probably not the sole cause of permanent adolescent female dispersal as a combination of extragroup mating and avoidance of incest with home group males would allow females to avoid inbreeding without the hazards associated with immigration into a new community. Extragroup mating as part of chimpanzee females' reproductive strategy may allow them to choose from a wider variety and number of males, without losing the resources and support provided by their male social group partners. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Implementation of the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Role in a Community Hospital's Labor, Delivery, and Level 1 Postpartum Unit.

PubMed

Follett, Tara; Calderon-Crossman, Sara; Clarke, Denise; Ergezinger, Marcia; Evanochko, Christene; Johnson, Krystal; Mercy, Natalie; Taylor, Barbara

2017-04-01

A level 1 community hospital with a labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum (LDRP) unit delivering over 2800 babies per year was operating without dedicated neonatal resuscitation and stabilization support. With lack of funding and space to provide an onsite level 2 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a position was created to provide neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) coverage to support the LDRP unit. The article describes the innovative solution of having an NNP team rotate from a regional neonatal intensive care program to a busy community LDRP unit. The presence of the NNP supported the development and integration of the advanced practice nursing role with interdisciplinary team members in both the LDRP and the emergency department. The NNP was able to provide expertise, leadership, and mentorship for neonatal resuscitation and stabilization as well as education and consultation on neonatal care. In addition to the services provided by the NNP for infant's requiring acute care, the NNP provided transitional support for those infants who remained with their mothers in the LDRP unit. Furthermore, time required by the neonatal transport team to stabilize babies before transport to the NICU was decreased with NNP presence. The divergence from practice of the traditional NNP clinical role in the NICU setting to more of a consultant and nursing leader has proven to be a valued role at the community hospital. A solid economic analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the NNP role in this community hospital is warranted.

Using Geospatial Research Methods to Examine Resource Accessibility and Availability as it Relates to Community Participation of Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses.

PubMed

Townley, Greg; Brusilovskiy, Eugene; Snethen, Gretchen; Salzer, Mark S

2018-03-01

Greater community participation among individuals with serious mental illnesses is associated with better psychosocial and health outcomes. Typically, studies examining community participation have utilized self-report measures and been conducted in limited settings. The introduction of methodological advances to examining community participation of individuals with serious mental illnesses has the potential to advance the science of community mental health research and invigorate the work of community psychologists in this area. This study employed an innovative geospatial approach to examine the relationship between community participation and resource accessibility (i.e., proximity) and availability (i.e., concentration) among 294 individuals utilizing community mental health services throughout the United States. Findings suggest small but significant associations between community participation and the accessibility and availability of resources needed for participation. Furthermore, findings demonstrate the importance of car access for individuals residing in both urban and non-urban settings. The methods and results presented in this study have implications for community mental health research and services and provide an illustration of ways that geospatial methodologies can be used to investigate environmental factors that impact community inclusion and participation of individuals with serious mental illnesses. © Society for Community Research and Action 2017.

Unit costs for house spraying and bednet impregnation with residual insecticides in Colombia: a management tool for the control of vector-borne disease.

PubMed

Kroeger, A; Ayala, C; Medina Lara, A

2002-06-01

A study of unit costs and cost components of two malaria-control strategies (house spraying and bednet impregnation with residual insecticides) was undertaken in 11 malaria-endemic states (departamentos) of Colombia, using data provided by control staff on self-administered questionnaires. The accuracy of the data was verified by personal visits, telephone conversations and complementary information from 10 other states. Allthe financial-cost components of the malaria-control operations carried out in the previous 6 months and the results of the control operations themselves (including the numbers of houses sprayed and numbers of bednets impregnated/day) were recorded. The information was stratified according to whether the target communities were 'near' or 'far away' from an operational base, the far-away communities being those that needed overnight stays by the control staff. The main variables analysed were unit costs/house treated, and annual cost/person protected. The results show that house spraying was generally more expensive for the health services than bednet impregnation. This is particularly the case in 'nearby' communities, where most of those at-risk live. In such communities, spraying one house was 7.2 times more expensive than impregnating one bednet. Even if only those sleeping under an impregnated net were assumed to be protected, the unit costs/person protected in a 'nearby' community were twice as high for house spraying than for bednet impregnation. In 'nearby' communities, where technicians could return to the operational base each evening, insecticides made up 80% of the total spraying costs and 42% of the costs of bednet impregnation. In 'far-away' communities, however, salaries and 'per diems' were the most important cost components, representing, respectively, 23% and 22% of the costs of spraying, and 34% plus 27% of the costs of impregnation. Insecticide wastage and non-use of discounts on insecticide prices (available through the national Ministry of Health) increased the overall costs considerably. The multiple uses of these cost calculations for district health managers are presented.

Pyrosequencing assessment of rhizosphere fungal communities from a soybean field.

PubMed

Sugiyama, Akifumi; Ueda, Yoshikatsu; Takase, Hisabumi; Yazaki, Kazufumi

2014-10-01

Soil fungal communities play essential roles in soil ecosystems, affecting plant growth and health. Rhizosphere bacterial communities have been shown to undergo dynamic changes during plant growth. This study utilized 454 pyrosequencing to analyze rhizosphere fungal communities during soybean growth. Members of the Ascomycota and Basiodiomycota dominated in all soils. There were no statistically significant changes at the phylum level among growth stages or between bulk and rhizosphere soils. In contrast, the relative abundance of small numbers of operational taxonomic units, 4 during growth and 28 between bulk and rhizosphere soils, differed significantly. Clustering analysis revealed that rhizosphere fungal communities were different from bulk fungal communities during growth stages of soybeans. Taken together, these results suggest that in contrast to rhizosphere bacterial communities, most constituents of rhizosphere fungal communities remained stable during soybean growth.

"Where Will I Work When I Grow Up?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slobodzian, Jean

1984-01-01

Hearing impaired 7- and 8-year-olds participated in a social studies unit on the community that incorporated techniques of brainstorming, categorizing jobs, interviewing parents, and goal-setting. (CL)

Minority participation in a school-based randomized clinical trial of tooth decay prevention in the United States.

PubMed

Nelson, Suchitra; Milgrom, Peter

2012-01-01

To describe the strategies-based on the social triad concept of a partnership of researchers, school personnel and community-employed to recruit low-income, minority parent/caregivers of kindergarten children into a school-based tooth decay prevention trial in the United States. The study site was an urban school district with five elementary schools. Recruitment was carried out once each year for three years. Recruitment involved strategies at the school district, school, classroom, and student-parent level. A coalition of researchers, school personnel and community individuals was established for communication and recruitment. Outreach workers from the community were hired to promote, recruit, and disseminate oral health information. Study promotion included both print materials (logos, flyers, pictorial story boards) and presentations at school and community events. The School District Superintendent and administrators approved the study, and all five school principals and kindergarten teachers participated. All children within the classrooms were eligible: the overall participation rate of was 86% (580/672). Community outreach workers actively facilitated the recruitment and participants were recruited at open house for parent-teacher meeting (37% of all participants), sending letters and consent forms home (31%), at a prearranged convenient time during drop off and pick up of the child at their respective schools (30%), curriculum nights and health fairs (2%). Utilizing the social triad concept led to success in planning and carrying out the recruitment of predominantly minority school children with high participation rates. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Minority Participation in a School-Based Randomized Clinical Trial of Tooth Decay Prevention in the United States

PubMed Central

Milgrom, Peter

2011-01-01

Purpose To describe the strategies--based on the social triad concept of a partnership of researchers, school personnel and community-- employed to recruit low-income, minority parent/caregivers of kindergarten children into a school-based tooth decay prevention trial in the United States. Methods The study site was an urban school district with five elementary schools. Recruitment was carried out once each year for three years. Recruitment involved strategies at the school district, school, classroom, and student-parent level. A coalition of researchers, school personnel and community individuals was established for communication and recruitment. Outreach workers from the community were hired to promote, recruit, and disseminate oral health information. Study promotion included both print materials (logos, flyers, pictorial story boards) and presentations at school and community events. Results The School District Superintendent and administrators approved the study, and all five school principals and kindergarten teachers participated. All children within the classrooms were eligible: the overall participation rate of was 86% (580/672). Community outreach workers actively facilitated the recruitment and participants were recruited at open house for parent-teacher meeting (37% of all participants), sending letters and consent forms home (31%), at a prearranged convenient time during drop off and pick up of the child at their respective schools (30%), curriculum nights and health fairs (2%). Conclusion Utilizing the social triad concept led to success in planning and carrying out the recruitment of predominantly minority school children with high participation rates. PMID:21986390

Changes in coral microbial communities in response to a natural pH gradient.

PubMed

Meron, Dalit; Rodolfo-Metalpa, Riccardo; Cunning, Ross; Baker, Andrew C; Fine, Maoz; Banin, Ehud

2012-09-01

Surface seawater pH is currently 0.1 units lower than pre-industrial values and is projected to decrease by up to 0.4 units by the end of the century. This acidification has the potential to cause significant perturbations to the physiology of ocean organisms, particularly those such as corals that build their skeletons/shells from calcium carbonate. Reduced ocean pH could also have an impact on the coral microbial community, and thus may affect coral physiology and health. Most of the studies to date have examined the impact of ocean acidification on corals and/or associated microbiota under controlled laboratory conditions. Here we report the first study that examines the changes in coral microbial communities in response to a natural pH gradient (mean pH(T) 7.3-8.1) caused by volcanic CO(2) vents off Ischia, Gulf of Naples, Italy. Two Mediterranean coral species, Balanophyllia europaea and Cladocora caespitosa, were examined. The microbial community diversity and the physiological parameters of the endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) were monitored. We found that pH did not have a significant impact on the composition of associated microbial communities in both coral species. In contrast to some earlier studies, we found that corals present at the lower pH sites exhibited only minor physiological changes and no microbial pathogens were detected. Together, these results provide new insights into the impact of ocean acidification on the coral holobiont.

A Comparison of Beliefs and Disbeliefs and Reference Category Characteristics as Directive Factors of Social Action in Five Cultures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeder, William W.; And Others

In order to illustrate the cross-culture applicability of Reeder's Theory of Beliefs, Disbeliefs, and Social Action and its usefulness in predicting and explaining social actions, studies conducted in communities in India, Sudan, Lebanon, northeastern United States, and western United States are examined. Using this theory, beliefs and disbeliefs…

"You're Trying Hard, but It's Still Going to Die": Indigenous Youth and Language Tensions in Peru and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumida Huaman, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

This article discusses emerging research on youth and Indigenous languages. Based on a comparative and international Indigenous education study in Peru and the United States, the intersection between Indigenous community spaces, schools, and languages is examined. Given global trends of Indigenous language loss, comparative research provides the…

The Development and Status of Earth Science Education: A Comparison of Three Case Studies: Israel, England and Wales and the United States of America. Part II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orion, Nir; King, Chris; Krockover, Gerald H.; Adams, Paul E.

1999-01-01

Explores the development and status of earth-science education in the United States. Compares the U.S. case with those of Israel, England, and Wales. Discusses the need to share common concerns and visions between cultures and communities. Contains 45 references. (Author/WRM)

Meeting a Binational Research Challenge: Substance Abuse among Transnational Mexican Farmworkers in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Victor

2007-01-01

To help in understanding the manner in which community, individual, and other factors in the United States and Mexico contribute to drug use among transnational migrants, this paper introduces a binational social ecology model of substance abuse in this population. We draw on our 2 NIH-funded ethnographic studies--1 on problem drinking and the…

Boise Basin Experimental Forest (Idaho)

Treesearch

Russell T. Graham; Theresa B. Jain

2004-01-01

The Boise Basin Experimental Forest was established in 1933 to study ponderosa pine. It consists of 3,537 ha with elevations ranging from 1,200 to 3,630 m. Boise Basin is divided into three units surrounding Idaho City in southern Idaho. Idaho City was a booming mining town in the 1870s and the surrounding forests supplied material to the community. Two units were...

Community Solutions for Solid Waste Pollution, Level 6. Teacher Guide. Operation Waste Watch.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virginia State Dept. of Waste Management, Richmond. Div. of Litter & Recycling.

Operation Waste Watch is a series of seven sequential learning units which addresses the subject of litter control and solid waste management. Each unit may be used in a variety of ways, depending on the needs and schedules of individual schools, and may be incorporated into various social studies, science, language arts, health, mathematics, and…

A Descriptive Comparison of Some Governance Characteristics in Selected Higher Education Institutions, U.S. and U.K.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Reilly, Robert C.

A study was conducted to examine current concepts and procedures of community college governance in the United States and the United Kingdom. Agendas and minutes of board meetings were analyzed and interviews were conducted with administrators and board members at four institutions, one rural and one urban from each country. The participating…

An Assessment of Community College Staff Development Needs in the Northeastern United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammons, James O.; Wallace, Terry H. Smith

This monograph reports the results of a study conducted to make a comprehensive assessment of the inservice training needs of public and private two-year colleges in the northeastern United States and Ohio. A questionnaire was sent to the chief executive officer of 294 two-year colleges to gather information on degree of need for specific areas of…

Pre-treatment analysis of woody vegetation composition and structure on the hardwood ecosystem experiment research units

Treesearch

Michael R. Saunders; Justin E. Arseneault

2013-01-01

In long-term, large-scale forest management studies, documentation of pre-treatment differences among and variability within experimental units is critical for drawing the proper inferences from imposed treatments. We compared pre-treatment overstory and large shrub communities (diameters at breast height >1.5 cm) for the 9 research cores with the Hardwood Ecosystem...

How Other Countries Use Deprivation Indices-And Why The United States Desperately Needs One.

PubMed

Phillips, Robert L; Liaw, Winston; Crampton, Peter; Exeter, Daniel J; Bazemore, Andrew; Vickery, Katherine Diaz; Petterson, Stephen; Carrozza, Mark

2016-11-01

Integrating public health and medicine to address social determinants of health is essential to achieving the Triple Aim of lower costs, improved care, and population health. There is intense interest in the United States in using social determinants of health to direct clinical and community health interventions, and to adjust quality measures and payments. The United Kingdom and New Zealand use data representing aspects of material and social deprivation from their censuses or from administrative data sets to construct indices designed to measure socioeconomic variation across communities, assess community needs, inform research, adjust clinical funding, allocate community resources, and determine policy impact. Indices provide these countries with comparable data and serve as a universal language and tool set to define organizing principles for population health. In this article we examine how these countries develop, validate, and operationalize their indices; explore their use in policy; and propose the development of a similar deprivation index for the United States. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Beta-diversity of ectoparasites at two spatial scales: nested hierarchy, geography and habitat type.

PubMed

Warburton, Elizabeth M; van der Mescht, Luther; Stanko, Michal; Vinarski, Maxim V; Korallo-Vinarskaya, Natalia P; Khokhlova, Irina S; Krasnov, Boris R

2017-06-01

Beta-diversity of biological communities can be decomposed into (a) dissimilarity of communities among units of finer scale within units of broader scale and (b) dissimilarity of communities among units of broader scale. We investigated compositional, phylogenetic/taxonomic and functional beta-diversity of compound communities of fleas and gamasid mites parasitic on small Palearctic mammals in a nested hierarchy at two spatial scales: (a) continental scale (across the Palearctic) and (b) regional scale (across sites within Slovakia). At each scale, we analyzed beta-diversity among smaller units within larger units and among larger units with partitioning based on either geography or ecology. We asked (a) whether compositional, phylogenetic/taxonomic and functional dissimilarities of flea and mite assemblages are scale dependent; (b) how geographical (partitioning of sites according to geographic position) or ecological (partitioning of sites according to habitat type) characteristics affect phylogenetic/taxonomic and functional components of dissimilarity of ectoparasite assemblages and (c) whether assemblages of fleas and gamasid mites differ in their degree of dissimilarity, all else being equal. We found that compositional, phylogenetic/taxonomic, or functional beta-diversity was greater on a continental rather than a regional scale. Compositional and phylogenetic/taxonomic components of beta-diversity were greater among larger units than among smaller units within larger units, whereas functional beta-diversity did not exhibit any consistent trend regarding site partitioning. Geographic partitioning resulted in higher values of beta-diversity of ectoparasites than ecological partitioning. Compositional and phylogenetic components of beta-diversity were higher in fleas than mites but the opposite was true for functional beta-diversity in some, but not all, traits.

Economic and environmental benefits of community-scale cordwood hydronic heaters in Alaska—three case studies

Treesearch

David L. Nicholls; Allen M. Brackley; Daniel J. Parrent

2015-01-01

Over the past decade, the use of wood for thermal energy in Alaska has grown significantly. Since 2000, nearly 30 new thermal wood-energy installations in Alaska have been established. Cordwood units, burning primarily firewood and other forms of roundwood, have played an integral part in this success and are well suited to many rural communities in Alaska. In this...

Type and Degree of Co-Occurrence of the Educational Communication in a Community of Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutiérrez-Santiuste, Elba; Gallego-Arrufat, María-Jesús

2017-01-01

The study analyzes the type and quantity of co-occurrence of social, cognitive, and teaching presence in a Community of Inquiry (CoI). Content analysis of the virtual educational communication shows units of analysis that must be assigned to more than one category. By crossing the categories of the CoI model, we observe that Social Presence is…

Creating New Educational Communities. Ninety-fourth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Part I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakes, Jeannie, Ed.; Quartz, Karen Hunter, Ed.

1995-01-01

The work reported on in this yearbook collection represent the work of educators committed to the concept that genuine reform takes place in settings where students and teachers work together to create new educational communities. Reports on ongoing projects in several parts of the United States are included in the following chapters: (1)…

An Impact Evaluation of a Rural Southern Illinois Community Health Education Geriatric Care Staff-Training Program. [Revised].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westbrook, Heloise Demoin; Sarvela, Paul D.

The increasing numbers of elderly persons in the United States has resulted in the need for community programs which enable the elderly to remain in their homes. It appears that home health care is one method of providing needed basic assistance to the rural elderly population in a cost-efficient manner. This study was conducted to examine the…

Fires of differing intensities rapidly select distinct soil fungal communities in a Northwest US ponderosa pine forest ecosystem

Treesearch

C. Reazin; S. Morris; Jane Smith; A.D. Cowan; A. Jumpponen

2016-01-01

Environmental change and long-term fire management in the western United States have created conditions that facilitate high-intensity burn areas in forested systems. Such burns may have dramatic effects on the soil microbial communities. In this study, we utilized experimental infrastructure in the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest in Oregon, where ten pairs of sites...

Citizenship Status and Language Education Policy in an Emerging Latino Community in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangual Figueroa, Ariana

2013-01-01

This article draws on a 23 month ethnographic study of an emerging--newly established and rapidly growing--Latino community in the New Latino Diaspora of the U.S. in order to examine how educators and parents interpret language education policy (LEP). It analyzes how an English as a Second Language director and one undocumented Mexican mother…

Strategic Studies Quarterly. Winter 2015

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-19

and policy that nurtured it and Amer- ica to greatness. While 600 million people watched Apollo 11 landing on the moon, only 11,000 watched...Business,” Washington Post, 11 February 2013. 64. James R. Clapper, Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community , state- ment for the...aerospace community united for the “first offset strategy” of integrating nuclear warheads on bombs and missiles, which enabled Pres. Dwight

A First Grade Chinese Student's Self-Efficacy Beliefs about Learning English in American Classrooms and a Chinese Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Chuang

2007-01-01

Through a single case study and from the interpretive paradigm, the author described a first-grade student?s self-efficacy beliefs about learning English in various English language learning tasks and across school-based and home-based contexts. The student came from China and had been living in a Chinese community in the United States for one…

Active-Reserve Force Cost Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

structure to be maintained for a given level of expenditure. We have developed this methodology and set of associated computer-based tools to...rotational, and deployed units or systems • Attain acceptable steady state operational or presence levels , as measured by the number of units a...at the community level . By community, we mean the set of units of a given type: mission, platform, or capability. We do this because AC-RC force-mix

PACE. A Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship. Part III: Being an Entrepreneur. Unit G: Community Relations. Research and Development Series No. 194 C-7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. National Center for Research in Vocational Education.

This three-part curriculum for entrepreneurship education is primarily for postsecondary level, including four-year colleges and adult education, but it can be adapted for special groups of vocational teacher education. The emphasis of the eight instructional units in Part III is operating a business. Unit G focuses on community relations. It…

Current Demographics and Roles of Florida Community Health Workers: Implications for Future Recruitment and Training.

PubMed

Tucker, Carolyn M; Smith, Tasia M; Hogan, Maggie L; Banzhaf, Marion; Molina, Nanette; Rodríguez, Brendaly

2018-06-01

The high prevalence of health disparity diseases (e.g., obesity, Type 2 diabetes) among underserved populations in the United States suggests the need for increased resources to prevent these diseases and to improve health care access and quality in underserved communities. Community health workers are valuable resources and facilitators of health care access and quality treatment. The purpose of the present study is to provide descriptive information about community health workers in Florida and to provide recommendations for improved training and expansion of community health workers' roles in research and intervention. The study participants were 396 adults (85.1% Female, 75.5% Community health workers) who completed the 2015 Florida Community Health Workers Census. Participants were recruited by the Health Council of South Florida through emails and phone calls to members of the Florida Community Health Worker Coalition and various organizations. It was found that several groups disproportionately affected by health disparities were underrepresented among the community health workers who participated in the census and among the communities served by these community health workers. Actions are needed to improve and increase the recruitment and training of community health workers in Florida.

Co-creation of market expansion in point-of-care testing in the United States: Industry leadership perspectives on the community pharmacy segment.

PubMed

Hohmeier, Kenneth C; McDonough, Sharon L K; Wang, Junling

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is a specialty of laboratory medicine that occurs at the bedside or near the patient when receiving health services. Despite its established clinical utility and consumer demand in the community pharmacy, the implementation of POCT within this setting has remained modest for a variety of reasons. One possible solution to this problem is the concept of co-creation - the partnership between consumer and manufacturer in the development of value for a service or device. Using the theoretical underpinning of co-creation, this study aimed to investigate perceptions of point-of-care-testing (POCT) industry leadership on the community pharmacy market in the United States to uncover reasons for limited implementation within community pharmacies. Participants were recruited for this study through the use of snowball sampling. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants via telephone. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and entered into a qualitative analysis software program to summarize the data. Five key themes were uncovered: gaps in understanding, areas of positive impact, barriers to implementation, facilitators of implementation, and community pharmacy - a potential major player. Through uncovering gaps in perceptions, it may be possible to leverage the U.S. pharmacy industry's size, potential for scalability, and ease of patient access to further patient care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mesoscopic Community Structure of Financial Markets Revealed by Price and Sign Fluctuations.

PubMed

Almog, Assaf; Besamusca, Ferry; MacMahon, Mel; Garlaschelli, Diego

2015-01-01

The mesoscopic organization of complex systems, from financial markets to the brain, is an intermediate between the microscopic dynamics of individual units (stocks or neurons, in the mentioned cases), and the macroscopic dynamics of the system as a whole. The organization is determined by "communities" of units whose dynamics, represented by time series of activity, is more strongly correlated internally than with the rest of the system. Recent studies have shown that the binary projections of various financial and neural time series exhibit nontrivial dynamical features that resemble those of the original data. This implies that a significant piece of information is encoded into the binary projection (i.e. the sign) of such increments. Here, we explore whether the binary signatures of multiple time series can replicate the same complex community organization of the financial market, as the original weighted time series. We adopt a method that has been specifically designed to detect communities from cross-correlation matrices of time series data. Our analysis shows that the simpler binary representation leads to a community structure that is almost identical with that obtained using the full weighted representation. These results confirm that binary projections of financial time series contain significant structural information.

A conceptual framework for the study of social capital in new destination immigrant communities.

PubMed

Bernosky de Flores, Catherine H

2010-07-01

Mexican immigration to the United States is an intragenerational phenomenon. Young adult Mexicans leave their families of origin in search of employment opportunities that pull them to new destination communities. A conceptual framework that defines and relates the concepts of human capital, personal networks, social capital, and resources is introduced. The influence of social capital on the capacity of immigrants to access resources is described. The framework informed the design of a study to examine the approaches used by Mexican immigrant women to access resources for healthy childbearing in the absence of traditional family support systems in a new destination community.

Improvement of antibiotic therapy and ICU survival in severe non-pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia: a matched case-control study.

PubMed

Gattarello, Simone; Lagunes, Leonel; Vidaur, Loreto; Solé-Violán, Jordi; Zaragoza, Rafael; Vallés, Jordi; Torres, Antoni; Sierra, Rafael; Sebastian, Rosa; Rello, Jordi

2015-09-10

We aimed to compare intensive care unit mortality due to non-pneumococcal severe community-acquired pneumonia between the periods 2000-2002 and 2008-2014, and the impact of the improvement in antibiotic strategies on outcomes. This was a matched case-control study enrolling 144 patients with non-pneumococcal severe pneumonia: 72 patients from the 2000-2002 database (CAPUCI I group) were paired with 72 from the 2008-2014 period (CAPUCI II group), matched by the following variables: microorganism, shock at admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, immunocompromise, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and age over 65 years. The most frequent microorganism was methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (22.1%) followed by Legionella pneumophila and Haemophilus influenzae (each 20.7%); prevalence of shock was 59.7%, while 73.6% of patients needed invasive mechanical ventilation. Intensive care unit mortality was significantly lower in the CAPUCI II group (34.7% versus 16.7%; odds ratio (OR) 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64-0.95; p = 0.02). Appropriate therapy according to microorganism was 91.5% in CAPUCI I and 92.7% in CAPUCI II, while combined therapy and early antibiotic treatment were significantly higher in CAPUCI II (76.4 versus 90.3% and 37.5 versus 63.9%; p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, combined antibiotic therapy (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.74) and early antibiotic treatment (OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.02-0.22) were independently associated with decreased intensive care unit mortality. In non-pneumococcal severe community-acquired pneumonia , early antibiotic administration and use of combined antibiotic therapy were both associated with increased intensive care unit survival during the study period.

A systematic approach to community resilience that reduces the federal fiscal exposure to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stwertka, C.; Albert, M. R.; White, K. D.

2016-12-01

Despite widely available information about the adverse impacts of climate change to the public, including both private sector and federal fiscal exposure, there remain opportunities to effectively translate this knowledge into action. Further delay of climate preparedness and resilience actions imposes a growing toll on American communities and the United States fiscal budget. We hypothesize that a set of four criteria must be met before a community can translate climate disturbances into preparedness action. We examine four case studies to review these proposed criteria, we discuss the critical success factors that can build community resilience, and we define an operational strategy that could support community resilience while reducing the federal fiscal exposure to climate change. This operational strategy defines a community response system that integrates social science research, builds on the strengths of different sectors, values existing resources, and reduces the planning-to-action time. Our next steps are to apply this solution in the field, and to study the dynamics of community engagement and the circular economy.

Dementia Special Care Units in Residential Care Communities: United States, 2010

MedlinePlus

... of selection) of 81%. More details about sampling design and data collection are available elsewhere ( 4 ). Differences between communities with ... AJ, Harris-Kojetin LD, Sengupta M, et al. Design and operation of the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities. National Center for Health ...

Community Resource Curriculum Development: Grades 3-4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentley, Michael L.; And Others

This manual was developed by the Community Resource Curriculum Development Project (CRCDP), a cooperative project to develop multi-disciplinary, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural science/social sciences teaching units based upon the Illinois State Goals for Learning. This manual contains seven teaching units that include several experience-based…

The future of pharmacy practice research - Perspectives of academics and practitioners from Australia, NZ, United Kingdom, Canada and USA.

PubMed

Babar, Zaheer-Ud-Din; Scahill, Shane; Nagaria, Raveena Amee; Curley, Louise E

2018-01-11

Healthcare is under significant pressure with the explosion of long term conditions, shift in worldwide demographics and is evolving through advances in technology. Aligned with this is the changing role of pharmacy from the traditional dispenser of medicines to having (in addition) a more advanced clinical role. This study aimed to understand what the pharmacy practice research agenda might look like from the viewpoint of pharmacy academics and practitioners across five high-income countries. Qualitative methods were used, and thirty one-hour interviews were undertaken with practitioners and academics from five economically advanced countries. These nations have comparable socio-economic status but differing health systems and include; Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States of America. Six key informants were chosen from each country, three academics and three community pharmacists. A general inductive analysis was undertaken to analyse the most common and recurring themes. These themes of research were based around current community pharmacy practice issues and the enablers to changing the profession. Specific areas pharmacy practice could be more involved with included long term health conditions. Some community pharmacists also believed that research into the impact of professional standards and policy change would be beneficial. The findings of this research suggest that current pharmacy practice research methods are sufficient, but need to be used more effectively. Participants identified a wide range of issues within community pharmacy practice. Academics largely focused on how research can be utilised in the community and how to implement findings to ensure sustainability of pharmacy practice research. Issues that community pharmacists would like to research are related to the current practice model, such as allocating time to provide patient-focused services in addition to managing a business. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biomass-C specific temperature responses of microbial C transformations reveal consistency regardless of microbial community structure across diverse timescales of inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, K.; Buckeridge, K. M.; Ziegler, S. E.; Edwards, K. A.; Bagchi, S.; Billings, S. A.

2016-12-01

The responses of heterotrophic microbial process rates to temperature in soils are often investigated in the short-term (hours to months), making it difficult to predict longer-term temperature responses. Here, we integrate the temperature sensitivity obtained from the Arrhenius model with the concepts of microbial resistance, resilience, and susceptibility to assess temporal dynamics of microbial temperature responses. We collected soils along a boreal forest climate gradient (long-term effect), and quantified exo-enzyme activities and CO2 respiration at 5, 15, and 25°C for 84 days (relatively short-term effect). Microbial process rates were examined at two levels (per g microbial biomass-C; and per g dry soil) along with community structure, to characterize driving mechanisms for temporal patterns (e.g., size of biomass, physiological plasticity, community composition). Although temperature sensitivity of exo-enzyme activities on a per g dry soil basis showed both resistance and resilience depending on the types of exo-enzyme, biomass -C-specific responses always exhibited resistance regardless of distinct community composition. Temperature sensitivity of CO2 respiration was constant across time and different communities at both units. This study advances our knowledge in two ways. First, resistant temperature sensitivity of exo-enzymes and respiration at biomass-C specific level across distinct communities and diverse timescales indicates a common relationship between microbial physiology and temperature at a fundamental level, a useful feature allowing microbial process models to be reasonably simplified. Second, different temporal responses of exo-enzymes depending on the unit selected provide a cautionary tale for those projecting future microbial behaviors, because interpretation of ecosystem process rates may vary with the unit of observation.

Building Capacity in the Sikh Asian Indian Community to Lead Participatory Oral Health Projects.

PubMed

Kavathe, Rucha; Islam, Nadia; Zanowiak, Jennifer; Wyatt, Laura; Singh, Hardayal; Northridge, Mary E

2018-01-01

Lack of access to oral health care is a significant burden for disadvantaged populations, yet rarely draws the attention of policymakers or community leaders. To understand how UNITED SIKHS identified oral health care as a priority need through its involvement in community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiatives and local data collection, thereby building its capacity to lead participatory oral health projects. The foundation for the partnership between UNITED SIKHS and the New York University (NYU) Prevention Research Center (PRC) was the joint implementation of a CBPR project to prevent diabetes in the Sikh Asian Indian community. Project partners also included a community coalition composed of religious leaders, health providers, members of the media, and dental students and faculty at the NYU College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry). A community needs and resources assessment survey was jointly developed and conducted in 2010 to better understand health needs in the Sikh community. Fewer than one-half of the Sikh participants (43.0%) reported ever receiving a check-up or screening by a dentist, and of those who did, only one-half (50.0%) reported that it occurred in the past 12 months. Upon clinical assessment, more than one-half of Sikh adults (58.2%) had untreated dental decay. The collection and analysis of local data motivated UNITED SIKHS to develop new priorities based upon the findings. UNITED SIKHS applied for and received external funding to lead a CBPR project that developed, implemented, evaluated, and disseminated a culturally tailored oral health and healthy living curriculum for the Sikh Asian Indian community.

Building Capacity in the Sikh Asian Indian Community to Lead Participatory Oral Health Projects

PubMed Central

Kavathe, Rucha; Islam, Nadia; Zanowiak, Jennifer; Wyatt, Laura; Singh, Hardayal; Northridge, Mary E.

2018-01-01

Background Lack of access to oral health care is a significant burden for disadvantaged populations, yet rarely draws the attention of policymakers or community leaders. Objectives To understand how UNITED SIKHS identified oral health care as a priority need through its involvement in community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiatives and local data collection, thereby building its capacity to lead participatory oral health projects. Methods The foundation for the partnership between UNITED SIKHS and the New York University (NYU) Prevention Research Center (PRC) was the joint implementation of a CBPR project to prevent diabetes in the Sikh Asian Indian community. Project partners also included a community coalition composed of religious leaders, health providers, members of the media, and dental students and faculty at the NYU College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry). A community needs and resources assessment survey was jointly developed and conducted in 2010 to better understand health needs in the Sikh community. Results Fewer than one-half of the Sikh participants (43.0%) reported ever receiving a check-up or screening by a dentist, and of those who did, only one-half (50.0%) reported that it occurred in the past 12 months. Upon clinical assessment, more than one-half of Sikh adults (58.2%) had untreated dental decay. The collection and analysis of local data motivated UNITED SIKHS to develop new priorities based upon the findings. Conclusions UNITED SIKHS applied for and received external funding to lead a CBPR project that developed, implemented, evaluated, and disseminated a culturally tailored oral health and healthy living curriculum for the Sikh Asian Indian community. PMID:29606688

Small rural maternity units without caesarean delivery capabilities: is it safe and sustainable in the eyes of health professionals in Tasmania?

PubMed

Hoang, Ha; Le, Quynh; Kilpatrick, Sue

2012-01-01

In Australia, over 50% of small rural maternity units have been closed in the past two decades. Workforce shortages, safety and quality concerns and cost considerations are the three interrelated reasons that have led to these closures. Women and families face many challenges when these critical services are absent from their local communities. In an effort to continue to provide maternity services in rural areas, small maternity units without caesarean delivery capabilities have been established in a few rural communities in Tasmania. However, they have divided the opinions of Tasmanian health professionals. This article is part of a larger study which focused on maternity services for rural women and reports the views of the health professionals on this model of care. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with 20 maternity health providers across Tasmania to explore their experiences and views on the model of offering small rural maternity units without obstetric services. The data were analysed in NVivo v9 (www.qsrinternational.com) using grounded theory. Three main themes are grounded from interview data: (1) women's difficulties in rural areas; (2) women's expectations; and (3) maternity units without caesarean delivery capabilities. The results reveal that low-intervention style birthing services in rural areas could reduce women's difficulties that include access issues, disruption, anxiety and travel related issues, and address women's expectations in term of access to local services. However, this model is less likely to meet women's safety expectations, especially in emergency situations. The findings of this study offer insights for policy-makers and state government with regard to the future planning of this model of care. It is recommended that safety and sustainability issues should be considered when this model of care is to be implemented in other rural communities.

Improving Citizenship Education: Secondary Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Edwin L., Ed.

Designed to enrich secondary level social studies education, this manual provides teaching strategies and units on local, state, and federal government; global education; law and individual rights; and citizenship skills. Teaching strategies include case studies, using community resources, using the newspaper, quantitative inquiry, simulation…

Faith communities and their assets for health promotion: the views from health professionals and faith leaders in Dundee, in Scotland.

PubMed

Fagan, Donna M; Kiger, Alice; van Teijlingen, Edwin

2012-06-01

Within the European Union, as well as in Canada and the United States (US), health promoters employ a number of strategies to encourage community-based health improvements. This involves the creation of innovative health promotion partnerships to support and enable people to choose and engage in healthy living practices. Compared to the US, in other Western countries, such as the United Kingdom, faith communities have largely been ignored in health promotion partnerships. This study established existing evidence about health promotion in faith communities in Scotland by examining the perceptions and attitudes concerning health promotion among faith leaders and health promotion professionals. We conducted 33 semi-structured interviews with health promotion professionals (n = 9) and representatives of Christian and non-Christian faith communities (n = 24). The majority of participants expressed an interest in the concept of health promotion in a faith community and could readily envision its application in their area of work. Both groups identified multiple physical assets, as well as social supports within faith communities that could be directed towards healthy living activities. Faith groups and church organisations may constitute potential partners and new settings to increase community capacity for health promotion. Further research and funding for demonstration projects may be particularly helpful to provide evidence of the strengths and limitations of faith-based health promotion in Scotland, which in turn could inform health promotion practice and policy.

Healing the victim, the young offender, and the community via restorative justice: an international perspective.

PubMed

Goren, S

2001-03-01

The 1990s saw the enactment of much "get tough with young offenders" legislation in the United States. At the same, problems with our present punishment and treatment model, in which many youngsters cycle repeatedly through the justice and mental health systems, raised interest in restorative justice, a community-based alternative model emphasizing a balanced, negotiated approach to the needs of victims, offenders, and the community. After summarizing the philosophical bases underlying both models, this article describes the practice of restorative justice in New Zealand, where it was pioneered. Restorative justice has special relevance for Maori community in New Zealand and minority communities in the United States, where youth are consistently overrepresented in the courts, detention centers, and jails, and in which the juvenile justice system is seen as hostile and biased. Outcome data from New Zealand and early outcome research from the United States suggest that the restorative model, in which offenses are understood as a breakdown in social bonds, offers a hopeful alternative for offending youngsters, their families, and their communities.

Developing an agenda for research about policies to improve access to healthy foods in rural communities: a concept mapping study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Policies that improve access to healthy, affordable foods may improve population health and reduce health disparities. In the United States most food access policy research focuses on urban communities even though residents of rural communities face disproportionately higher risk for nutrition-related chronic diseases compared to residents of urban communities. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify the factors associated with access to healthy, affordable food in rural communities in the United States; and (2) prioritize a meaningful and feasible rural food policy research agenda. Methods This study was conducted by the Rural Food Access Workgroup (RFAWG), a workgroup facilitated by the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network. A national sample of academic and non-academic researchers, public health and cooperative extension practitioners, and other experts who focus on rural food access and economic development was invited to complete a concept mapping process that included brainstorming the factors that are associated with rural food access, sorting and organizing the factors into similar domains, and rating the importance of policies and research to address these factors. As a last step, RFAWG members convened to interpret the data and establish research recommendations. Results Seventy-five participants in the brainstorming exercise represented the following sectors: non-extension research (n = 27), non-extension program administration (n = 18), “other” (n = 14), policy advocacy (n = 10), and cooperative extension service (n = 6). The brainstorming exercise generated 90 distinct statements about factors associated with rural food access in the United States; these were sorted into 5 clusters. Go Zones were established for the factors that were rated highly as both a priority policy target and a priority for research. The highest ranked policy and research priorities include strategies designed to build economic viability in rural communities, improve access to federal food and nutrition assistance programs, improve food retail systems, and increase the personal food production capacity of rural residents. Respondents also prioritized the development of valid and reliable research methodologies to measure variables associated with rural food access. Conclusions This collaborative, trans-disciplinary, participatory process, created a map to guide and prioritize research about polices to improve healthy, affordable food access in rural communities. PMID:24919425

Developing an agenda for research about policies to improve access to healthy foods in rural communities: a concept mapping study.

PubMed

Johnson, Donna B; Quinn, Emilee; Sitaker, Marilyn; Ammerman, Alice; Byker, Carmen; Dean, Wesley; Fleischhacker, Sheila; Kolodinsky, Jane; Pinard, Courtney; Pitts, Stephanie B Jilcott; Sharkey, Joseph

2014-06-12

Policies that improve access to healthy, affordable foods may improve population health and reduce health disparities. In the United States most food access policy research focuses on urban communities even though residents of rural communities face disproportionately higher risk for nutrition-related chronic diseases compared to residents of urban communities. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify the factors associated with access to healthy, affordable food in rural communities in the United States; and (2) prioritize a meaningful and feasible rural food policy research agenda. This study was conducted by the Rural Food Access Workgroup (RFAWG), a workgroup facilitated by the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network. A national sample of academic and non-academic researchers, public health and cooperative extension practitioners, and other experts who focus on rural food access and economic development was invited to complete a concept mapping process that included brainstorming the factors that are associated with rural food access, sorting and organizing the factors into similar domains, and rating the importance of policies and research to address these factors. As a last step, RFAWG members convened to interpret the data and establish research recommendations. Seventy-five participants in the brainstorming exercise represented the following sectors: non-extension research (n = 27), non-extension program administration (n = 18), "other" (n = 14), policy advocacy (n = 10), and cooperative extension service (n = 6). The brainstorming exercise generated 90 distinct statements about factors associated with rural food access in the United States; these were sorted into 5 clusters. Go Zones were established for the factors that were rated highly as both a priority policy target and a priority for research. The highest ranked policy and research priorities include strategies designed to build economic viability in rural communities, improve access to federal food and nutrition assistance programs, improve food retail systems, and increase the personal food production capacity of rural residents. Respondents also prioritized the development of valid and reliable research methodologies to measure variables associated with rural food access. This collaborative, trans-disciplinary, participatory process, created a map to guide and prioritize research about polices to improve healthy, affordable food access in rural communities.

Reduced Prevalence of Obesity in 14 Disadvantaged Black Communities in the United States: A Successful 4-Year Place-Based Participatory Intervention

PubMed Central

Liao, Youlian; Siegel, Paul Z.; Garraza, Lucas G.; Xu, Ye; Yin, Shaoman; Scardaville, Melissa; Gebreselassie, Tesfayi; Stephens, Robert L.

2016-01-01

Objectives To assess the impact of a large-scale place-based intervention on obesity prevalence in Black communities. Methods The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health across the United States (REACH US) project was conducted in 14 predominantly Black communities in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. We measured trends from 2009 to 2012 in the prevalence of obesity. We used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to compare these trends with trends among non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks in the United States and in the 10 states where REACH communities were located, and with a propensity score–matched national sample of non-Hispanic Blacks. Results The age-standardized prevalence of obesity decreased in REACH US communities (P = .045), but not in the comparison populations (P = .435 to P = .996). The relative change was −5.3% in REACH US communities versus +2.4% in propensity score–matched controls (P value for the difference = .031). The net effect on the reduction of obesity prevalence was about 1 percentage point per year for REACH. Conclusions Obesity prevalence was reduced in 14 disadvantaged Black communities that participated in the REACH project. PMID:27310344

Reduced Prevalence of Obesity in 14 Disadvantaged Black Communities in the United States: A Successful 4-Year Place-Based Participatory Intervention.

PubMed

Liao, Youlian; Siegel, Paul Z; Garraza, Lucas G; Xu, Ye; Yin, Shaoman; Scardaville, Melissa; Gebreselassie, Tesfayi; Stephens, Robert L

2016-08-01

To assess the impact of a large-scale place-based intervention on obesity prevalence in Black communities. The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health across the United States (REACH US) project was conducted in 14 predominantly Black communities in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. We measured trends from 2009 to 2012 in the prevalence of obesity. We used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to compare these trends with trends among non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks in the United States and in the 10 states where REACH communities were located, and with a propensity score-matched national sample of non-Hispanic Blacks. The age-standardized prevalence of obesity decreased in REACH US communities (P = .045), but not in the comparison populations (P = .435 to P = .996). The relative change was -5.3% in REACH US communities versus +2.4% in propensity score-matched controls (P value for the difference = .031). The net effect on the reduction of obesity prevalence was about 1 percentage point per year for REACH. Obesity prevalence was reduced in 14 disadvantaged Black communities that participated in the REACH project.

Business in the Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Toole, Dennis M.; And Others

1983-01-01

Beginning with a theme article supplying teacher background material on the role of business in the community, this issue focuses on the profit motive, competition, and the use of resources. Four instructional units on this topic are included for young children. The pre-kindergarten unit, "Pancake Producers," has children observe workers cooking…

Guidelines for Adult Basic Education Volunteers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leppert, Alice M.

This booklet contains suggestions for creating an effective, "custom-made" local unit of volunteers, using the educational and social action resources of the community for volunteer training. The suggestions are tailored to fit the flexible mode of operation of Church Women United in a wide variety of communities. The statements related…

Community outreach: rural mobile health unit.

PubMed

Alexy, B B; Elnitsky, C A

1996-12-01

With the increased emphasis on cost containment, hospital administrators are investigating community outreach projects to remain economically viable. The authors describe the planning and implementation of a mobile health unit for rural elderly residents. This project represents an alternative model of healthcare delivery in a rural area with limited resources and healthcare providers.

Fungal endophyte communities reflect environmental structuring across a Hawaiian landscape

PubMed Central

Zimmerman, Naupaka B.; Vitousek, Peter M.

2012-01-01

We surveyed endophytic fungal communities in leaves of a single tree species (Metrosideros polymorpha) across wide environmental gradients (500–5,500 mm of rain/y; 10–22 °C mean annual temperature) spanning short geographic distances on Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawai’i. Using barcoded amplicon pyrosequencing at 13 sites (10 trees/site; 10 leaves/tree), we found very high levels of diversity within sites (a mean of 551 ± 134 taxonomic units per site). However, among-site diversity contributed even more than did within-site diversity to the overall richness of more than 4,200 taxonomic units observed in M. polymorpha, and this among-site variation in endophyte community composition correlated strongly with temperature and rainfall. These results are consistent with suggestions that foliar endophytic fungi are hyperdiverse. They further suggest that microbial diversity may be even greater than has been assumed and that broad-scale environmental controls such as temperature and rainfall can structure eukaryotic microbial diversity. Appropriately constrained study systems across strong environmental gradients present a useful means to understand the environmental factors that structure the diversity of microbial communities. PMID:22837398

Go-along interviewing with LGBTQ youth in Canada and the United States

PubMed Central

Porta, Carolyn M.; Corliss, Heather L.; Wolowic, Jennifer M.; Johnson, Abigail Z.; Fogel, Katie Fritz; Gower, Amy L.; Saewyc, Elizabeth M.; Eisenberg, Marla E.

2017-01-01

Go-along interviews, which are interviews conducted whilst being in and moving within participant selected spaces, were conducted with 66 LGBTQ adolescents (14-19 years old) in their self-identified communities to explore perceived community attributes, including safe spaces, resources, and supports; this paper highlights methodological lessons learned. Successful recruitment in two countries and varied community settings required partnership with local LGBTQ supporting agencies, including school-based Gay Straight Alliances. Youth chose to walk, use public transportation, and drive to community locations, identifying numerous formal and informal resources in their communities. Participant reflections highlighted that go-along interviews can be conducted in safe ways that encourage LGBTQ youth to express themselves about communities in which they live, study, work, play, and relax. PMID:28943992

Community meetings on a military inpatient psychiatric unit: a question of balance.

PubMed

Lange, C L; Bradley, J C

2001-01-01

Community meetings are a mainstay of any inpatient psychiatric unit. Although they differ in frequency, attendance, leadership, and size, they all maintain a similar purpose of acculturating the members to the values of the ward and encouraging responsible behavior and effective communication. The military inpatient psychiatric unit is no different, although it does have several unique factors that affect the management of the community meeting. Specifically, these factors are the inherent military rank structure, which often conflicts with the rank of staff and other patients, the incorporation of a civilian population into a military culture, and a greater focus on patient transitions from military to civilian society. We describe and discuss the common variables of community meetings, elucidate how the military aspects affect the meeting, and offer potential suggestions for the management of this unique large dynamic group.

Find a Free Clinic

MedlinePlus

... Medical Rx's A Community Clinic, Inc. 344 Market St Sunbury , PA 17801-3404 United States Pennsylvania United ... Mission Of Mercy ( Mobile Clinics) 103 W. Middle St Gettysburg , PA 17325 United States Pennsylvania United States ...

Campus Community Collaborations: Examples and Resources for Community Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pickeral, Terry, Ed.; Peters, Karen, Ed.

Describing collaborative activities between community colleges and the communities they serve, this sourcebook provides 15 essays by practitioners at colleges across the United States. Following introductory materials and the essay, "The Roots of Campus-Community Collaboration" (Terry Pickeral), the following essays are presented detailing…

Indigenous community health and climate change: integrating biophysical and social science indicators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donatuto, Jamie; Grossman, Eric E.; Konovsky, John; Grossman, Sarah; Campbell, Larry W.

2014-01-01

This article describes a pilot study evaluating the sensitivity of Indigenous community health to climate change impacts on Salish Sea shorelines (Washington State, United States and British Columbia, Canada). Current climate change assessments omit key community health concerns, which are vital to successful adaptation plans, particularly for Indigenous communities. Descriptive scaling techniques, employed in facilitated workshops with two Indigenous communities, tested the efficacy of ranking six key indicators of community health in relation to projected impacts to shellfish habitat and shoreline archaeological sites stemming from changes in the biophysical environment. Findings demonstrate that: when shellfish habitat and archaeological resources are impacted, so is Indigenous community health; not all community health indicators are equally impacted; and, the community health indicators of highest concern are not necessarily the same indicators most likely to be impacted. Based on the findings and feedback from community participants, exploratory trials were successful; Indigenous-specific health indicators may be useful to Indigenous communities who are assessing climate change sensitivities and creating adaptation plans.

Detection of stable community structures within gut microbiota co-occurrence networks from different human populations.

PubMed

Jackson, Matthew A; Bonder, Marc Jan; Kuncheva, Zhana; Zierer, Jonas; Fu, Jingyuan; Kurilshikov, Alexander; Wijmenga, Cisca; Zhernakova, Alexandra; Bell, Jordana T; Spector, Tim D; Steves, Claire J

2018-01-01

Microbes in the gut microbiome form sub-communities based on shared niche specialisations and specific interactions between individual taxa. The inter-microbial relationships that define these communities can be inferred from the co-occurrence of taxa across multiple samples. Here, we present an approach to identify comparable communities within different gut microbiota co-occurrence networks, and demonstrate its use by comparing the gut microbiota community structures of three geographically diverse populations. We combine gut microbiota profiles from 2,764 British, 1,023 Dutch, and 639 Israeli individuals, derive co-occurrence networks between their operational taxonomic units, and detect comparable communities within them. Comparing populations we find that community structure is significantly more similar between datasets than expected by chance. Mapping communities across the datasets, we also show that communities can have similar associations to host phenotypes in different populations. This study shows that the community structure within the gut microbiota is stable across populations, and describes a novel approach that facilitates comparative community-centric microbiome analyses.

Binge drinking and perceived ethnic discrimination among Hispanics/Latinos: Results from the Hispanic community health study/study of Latinos sociocultural ancillary study.

PubMed

Ornelas, India J; Lapham, Gwen T; Salgado, Hugo; Williams, Emily C; Gotman, Nathan; Womack, Veronica; Davis, Sonia; Penedo, Frank; Smoller, Sylvia; Gallo, Linda C

2016-01-01

The study assessed whether overall perceived ethnic discrimination and four unique discrimination types were associated with binge drinking in participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos who also completed the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study (n = 5,313). In unadjusted analyses that were weighted for sampling strategy and design, each unit increase in discrimination type was associated with a 12-63% increase in odds of binge drinking; however, after adjusting for important demographic variables including age, sex, heritage group, language, and duration of U.S. residence, there was no longer an association between discrimination and binge drinking. Further research still needs to identify the salient factors that contribute to increased risk for binge drinking among Hispanics/Latinos.

INFLUENCE OF THE CIVIC COMMUNITY RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENT ON FAMILY POVERTY: A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

PubMed Central

Myers, Candice A.

2016-01-01

This study integrates research in the civic community tradition and structuralist and individualist perspectives on poverty to assess the relationship between religious-based civic community structures and family poverty in the United States. Using multilevel analyses of 2006–2008 American Community Survey, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, and 2000 Religious Congregations and Membership Survey data, results demonstrate that the presence of Mainline Protestant and Catholics adherents within communities – measured as the percentage of a community’s population comprised of Mainline Protestant and Catholic adherents – is significantly and negatively associated with family poverty risks, net of other family and community factors. That is, in communities with a greater presence of Mainline Protestants and Catholics, there were also lower risks of families being in poverty. These findings suggest the importance of the ecology of religion within communities in understanding poverty outcomes for families. PMID:28580372

Report to Congress : nonmilitary helicopter urban noise study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-12-31

In response to public concerns about nonmilitary helicopter noise impact on densely populated : communities, the United States Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation to investigate : and develop recommendations on reducing helicopter noise...

Law and Order: Conflict and Dissent in the Primary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, V. Phillips

1971-01-01

Participation in decision making, role playing, inquiry into community current events, and study of law and order in urban units facilitate learning concepts of law, order, conflict, and dissent. (VW)

Criminality Among Rural Stimulant Users in the United States

PubMed Central

Leukefeld, Carl; Staton-Tindall, Michele; Duvall, Jamieson; Garrity, Thomas; Stoops, William; Falck, Russel; Wang, Jichuan; Carlson, Robert; Sexton, Rocky; Wright, Patricia; Booth, Brenda

2009-01-01

Despite the increase in media attention on “meth cooking” in rural areas of the United States, little is known about rural stimulant use, particularly the criminality associated with stimulant use. Data were collected from community stimulant users in rural Ohio, Arkansas, and Kentucky (N=709). Findings from three logistic regression models indicate that younger stimulant users (x =32.55, SD = 10.35), those with more convictions, and those who used crack frequently were significantly more likely to have been arrested for committing a substance-related crime, a property crime, or another crime in the 6-months before entering the study. Implications include the need for longitudinal studies to further understand rural stimulant use as well as increasing community and corrections-based drug abuse prevention and treatment interventions for stimulant users who live in rural areas. PMID:21686091

Criminality Among Rural Stimulant Users in the United States.

PubMed

Oser, Carrie; Leukefeld, Carl; Staton-Tindall, Michele; Duvall, Jamieson; Garrity, Thomas; Stoops, William; Falck, Russel; Wang, Jichuan; Carlson, Robert; Sexton, Rocky; Wright, Patricia; Booth, Brenda

2011-07-01

Despite the increase in media attention on "meth cooking" in rural areas of the United States, little is known about rural stimulant use, particularly the criminality associated with stimulant use. Data were collected from community stimulant users in rural Ohio, Arkansas, and Kentucky (N=709). Findings from three logistic regression models indicate that younger stimulant users (x =32.55, SD = 10.35), those with more convictions, and those who used crack frequently were significantly more likely to have been arrested for committing a substance-related crime, a property crime, or another crime in the 6-months before entering the study. Implications include the need for longitudinal studies to further understand rural stimulant use as well as increasing community and corrections-based drug abuse prevention and treatment interventions for stimulant users who live in rural areas.

Building Community Bonds, Bridges, and Linkages to Promote the Career Readiness of High School Students in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez-Gantes, Victor M.; Keighobadi, Sasha; Fletcher, Edward C., Jr.

2018-01-01

The career readiness of high school students has been a longstanding issue that has received renewed attention in recent years. To document an approach to promoting career readiness in the United States, we conducted an exploratory case study of a distinguished information technology career academy. Using the premises of capital building as a…

Course-Taking Patterns of Latino ESL Students: Mobility and Mainstreaming in Urban Community Colleges in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Razfar, Aria; Simon, Jenny

2011-01-01

In most Western countries where English is the medium of instruction, there is a substantial gap in student success between immigrant English as a second language (ESL) students and non-ESL students. In the United States, this situation has been observed in particular with Latino ESL students. This article describes a longitudinal study of two…

The Support of the Sciences and Humanities in West Germany and the United States. German Studies Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Indiana Univ., Bloomington. Inst. of German Studies.

The document contains the texts of three presentations from a conference on financial support of the sciences and humanities in West Germany and the United States. The first paper explains financial support of the sciences and the humanities in West Germany. Awards and uses of funds are primarily determined by the scholarly community, which also…

Physical Therapist Practice in the Intensive Care Unit: Results of a National Survey

PubMed Central

Ridgeway, Kyle; Nordon-Craft, Amy; Moss, Parker; Schenkman, Margaret; Moss, Marc

2015-01-01

Background Early rehabilitation improves outcomes, and increased use of physical therapist services in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been recommended. Little is known about the implementation of early rehabilitation programs or physical therapists' preparation and perceptions of care in the United States. Objective A national survey was conducted to determine the current status of physical therapist practice in the ICU. Design This study used a cross-sectional, observational design. Methods Self-report surveys were mailed to members of the Acute Care Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. Questions addressed staffing, training, barriers, and protocols, and case scenarios were used to determine perceptions about providing rehabilitation. Results The response rate was 29% (667/2,320). Staffing, defined as the number of physical therapists per 100 ICU beds, was highest in community hospitals (academic: median=5.4 [range=3.6–9.2]; community: median=6.7 [range=4.4–10.0]) and in the western United States (median=7.5 [range=4.2–12.9]). Twelve percent of physical therapists reported no training. Barriers to providing ICU rehabilitation included insufficient staffing and training, departmental prioritization policies, and inadequate consultation criteria. Responses to case scenarios demonstrated differences in the likelihood of consultation and physical therapists' prescribed frequency and intensity of care based on medical interventions rather than characteristics of patients. Physical therapists in academic hospitals were more likely to be involved in the care of patients in each scenario and were more likely to perform higher-intensity mobilization. Limitations Members of the Acute Care Section of the American Physical Therapy Association may not represent most practicing physical therapists, and the 29% return rate may have contributed to response bias. Conclusions Although staffing was higher in community hospitals, therapists in academic and community hospitals cited insufficient staffing as the most common barrier to providing rehabilitation in the ICU. Implementing strategies to overcome barriers identified in this study may improve the delivery of ICU rehabilitation services. PMID:26045604

The STAR Grants Contribution to the SOAS Campaign

EPA Science Inventory

The Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) is a community-led field campaign that was part of the Southeast Atmosphere Study (SAS). As one of the largest field studies in decades to characterize air quality in the Southeastern United States, SAS is a collaborative project invo...

Impact of Community-Based Approach as Policy Tool: World Health Organization-Designated Safe Communities of Korea and Health Action Zones of the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Kang, Changhyun; Shin, Jihyung; Matthews, Bob

2015-01-01

Objectives The aim of this study is to ascertain and identify the effectiveness of area-based initiatives as a policy tool mediated by societal and individual factors in the five World Health Organization (WHO)-designated Safe Communities of Korea and the Health Action Zones of the United Kingdom (UK). Methods The Korean National Hospital discharge in-depth injury survey from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and causes of death statistics by the Statistics Korea were used for all analyses. The trend and changes in injury rate and mortality by external causes were compared among the five WHO-designated Safe Communities in Korea. Results The injury incident rates decreased at a greater level in the Safe Communities compared with the national average. Similar results were shown for the changes in unintentional injury incident rates. In comparison of changes in mortality rate by external causes between 2005 and 2011, the rate increase in Safe Communities was higher than the national average except for Jeju, where the mortality rate by external causes decreased. Conclusion When the Healthy Action Zones of the UK and the WHO Safe Communities of Korea were examined, the outcomes were interpreted differently among the compared index, regions, and time periods. Therefore, qualitative outcomes, such as bringing the residents' attention to the safety of the communities and promoting participation and coordination of stakeholders, should also be considered as important impacts of the community-based initiatives. PMID:26981341

A novel analysis method for paired-sample microbial ecology experiments

DOE PAGES

Olesen, Scott W.; Vora, Suhani; Techtmann, Stephen M.; ...

2016-05-06

Many microbial ecology experiments use sequencing data to measure a community s response to an experimental treatment. In a common experimental design, two units, one control and one experimental, are sampled before and after the treatment is applied to the experimental unit. The four resulting samples contain information about the dynamics of organisms that respond to the treatment, but there are no analytical methods designed to extract exactly this type of information from this configuration of samples. Here we present an analytical method specifically designed to visualize and generate hypotheses about microbial community dynamics in experiments that have paired samplesmore » and few or no replicates. The method is based on the Poisson lognormal distribution, long studied in macroecology, which we found accurately models the abundance distribution of taxa counts from 16S rRNA surveys. To demonstrate the method s validity and potential, we analyzed an experiment that measured the effect of crude oil on ocean microbial communities in microcosm. Our method identified known oil degraders as well as two clades, Maricurvus and Rhodobacteraceae, that responded to amendment with oil but do not include known oil degraders. Furthermore, our approach is sensitive to organisms that increased in abundance only in the experimental unit but less sensitive to organisms that increased in both control and experimental units, thus mitigating the role of bottle effects .« less

A novel analysis method for paired-sample microbial ecology experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olesen, Scott W.; Vora, Suhani; Techtmann, Stephen M.

Many microbial ecology experiments use sequencing data to measure a community s response to an experimental treatment. In a common experimental design, two units, one control and one experimental, are sampled before and after the treatment is applied to the experimental unit. The four resulting samples contain information about the dynamics of organisms that respond to the treatment, but there are no analytical methods designed to extract exactly this type of information from this configuration of samples. Here we present an analytical method specifically designed to visualize and generate hypotheses about microbial community dynamics in experiments that have paired samplesmore » and few or no replicates. The method is based on the Poisson lognormal distribution, long studied in macroecology, which we found accurately models the abundance distribution of taxa counts from 16S rRNA surveys. To demonstrate the method s validity and potential, we analyzed an experiment that measured the effect of crude oil on ocean microbial communities in microcosm. Our method identified known oil degraders as well as two clades, Maricurvus and Rhodobacteraceae, that responded to amendment with oil but do not include known oil degraders. Furthermore, our approach is sensitive to organisms that increased in abundance only in the experimental unit but less sensitive to organisms that increased in both control and experimental units, thus mitigating the role of bottle effects .« less

Socioeconomic determinants of health: community marginalisation and the diffusion of disease and disorder in the United States.

PubMed Central

Wallace, R.; Wallace, D.

1997-01-01

This article describes the cascading diffusion of "inner city problems" of disease and disorder in the United States--from the huge marginalised inner city communities of the largest municipalities, first along national travel routes to smaller cities, and then from central cities into surrounding more affluent suburbs-following the pattern of the daily journey to work. Public policies and economic practices which increase marginalisation act to damage the "weak ties" of the community social networks which bind central city neighbourhoods into functioning units. Spreading disease and disorder can be interpreted as indices of the resulting social disintegration, which is driven by policy. This "failure of containment" in the United States should serve as a warning for cities in Europe against reducing the municipal and other services that they provide to "unpopular" subpopulations. PMID:9158474

Uncertain Recovery: Access and Funding Issues in Public Higher Education. Findings from the 2010 Survey of the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katsinas, Stephen G.; Friedel, Janice N.

2010-01-01

There are growing pressures for community colleges and regional universities to accommodate the rise in student enrollment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate access and funding issues across public higher education institutions in the United States. Responses to a survey, conducted by the Education Policy Center at the University of…

Peer Mentoring Communities of Practice for Early and Mid-Career Faculty: Broad Benefits from a Research-Oriented Female Peer Mentoring Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rees, Amanda; Shaw, Kimberly

2014-01-01

In light of recent interest in the limitations of early and mid-career mentoring (Driscoll et al 2009; Trowers 2011), this case study of a women's scholarly activity and goal setting Community of Practice (CoP) indicates that such groups can offer extensive peer mentoring at one teaching-oriented state university in the United States. Using a…

Cooperative Education at LaGuardia Community College: An Assessment and Description of the Initiation of an Innovative Curriculum. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soper Associates, Berne, NY.

La Guardia College (New York) is the only community college in the United States requiring its entire student body to participate in a work-experience program regardless of curriculum choice. This study, conducted by a team of selected consultants, is an assessment of the program based on onsite visits, interviews, and an array of reports and…

Social science constructs in ecosystem assessments: revisiting community capacity and community resiliency.

Treesearch

Ellen M. Donoghue; Victoria E. Sturtevant

2007-01-01

This article explores the development of sociological constructs in community assessment components of large-scale ecosystem assessments. We compare the conceptual and operational development of the constructs of community capacity and community resiliency used in three community assessments in the western United States: the Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team...

Systematic Review of Community-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Studies

PubMed Central

Segal, Jodi; Wu, Yang; Wilson, Renee; Wang, Youfa

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: This study systematically reviewed community-based childhood obesity prevention programs in the United States and high-income countries. METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, PsychInfo, CINAHL, clinicaltrials.gov, and the Cochrane Library for relevant English-language studies. Studies were eligible if the intervention was primarily implemented in the community setting; had at least 1 year of follow-up after baseline; and compared results from an intervention to a comparison group. Two independent reviewers conducted title scans and abstract reviews and reviewed the full articles to assess eligibility. Each article received a double review for data abstraction. The second reviewer confirmed the first reviewer’s data abstraction for completeness and accuracy. RESULTS: Nine community-based studies were included; 5 randomized controlled trials and 4 non–randomized controlled trials. One study was conducted only in the community setting, 3 were conducted in the community and school setting, and 5 were conducted in the community setting in combination with at least 1 other setting such as the home. Desirable changes in BMI or BMI z-score were found in 4 of the 9 studies. Two studies reported significant improvements in behavioral outcomes (1 in physical activity and 1 in vegetable intake). CONCLUSIONS: The strength of evidence is moderate that a combined diet and physical activity intervention conducted in the community with a school component is more effective at preventing obesity or overweight. More research and consistent methods are needed to understand the comparative effectiveness of childhood obesity prevention programs in the community setting. PMID:23753099

An index of ecological integrity for the Mississippi alluvial plain ecoregion: index development and relations to selected landscape variables

USGS Publications Warehouse

Justus, B.G.

2003-01-01

Macroinvertebrate community, fish community, water-quality, and habitat data collected from 36 sites in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain Ecoregion during 1996-98 by the U.S. Geological Survey were considered for a multimetric test of ecological integrity. Test metrics were correlated to site scores of a Detrended Correspondence Analysis of the fish community (the biological community that was the most statistically significant for indicating ecological conditions in the ecoregion) and six metrics--four fish metrics, one chemical metric (total ammonia plus organic nitrogen) and one physical metric (turbidity)--having the highest correlations were selected for the index. Index results indicate that sites in the northern half of the study unit (in Arkansas and Missouri) were less degraded than sites in the southern half of the study unit (in Louisiana and Mississippi). Of 148 landscape variables evaluated, the percentage of Holocene deposits and cotton insecticide rates had the highest correlations to index of ecological integrity results. sites having the highest (best) index scores had the lowest percentages of Holocene deposits and the lowest cotton insecticide use rates, indicating that factors relating to the amount of Holocene deposits and cotton insecticide use rates partially explain differences in ecological conditions throughout the Mississippi Alluvial Plain Ecoregion.

Assessing Methanogenic Archaeal Community in Full Scale Anaerobic Sludge Digester Systems in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

PubMed Central

Khan, Munawwar A.; Patel, Poojabahen G.; Ganesh, Arpitha G.; Rais, Naushad; Faheem, Sultan M.; Khan, Shams T.

2018-01-01

Introduction: Anaerobic digestion for methane production comprises of an exceptionally diverse microbial consortium, a profound understanding about which is still constrained. In this study, the methanogenic archaeal communities in three full-scale anaerobic digesters of a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant were analyzed by Fluorescence in situ hybridization and quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) technique. Methods & Materials: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed to detect and quantify the methanogenic Archaea in the sludge samples whereas qPCR was carried out to support the FISH analysis. Multiple probes targeting domain archaea, different orders and families of Archaea were used for the studies. Results and Discussion: In general, the aceticlastic organisms (Methanosarcinaceae & Methanosaetaceae) were more abundant than the hydrogenotrophic organisms (Methanobacteriales, Methanomicrobiales, Methanobacteriaceae & Methanococcales). Both FISH and qPCR indicated that family Methanosaetaceae was the most abundant suggesting that aceticlastic methanogenesis is probably the dominant methane production pathway in these digesters. Conclusion: Future work involving high-throughput sequencing methods and correlating archaeal communities with the main operational parameters of anaerobic digesters will help to obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of the methanogenic archaeal community in wastewater treatment plants in United Arab Emirates (UAE) which in turn would lead to improved performance of anaerobic sludge digesters. PMID:29785219

Cumulative Causation, Market Transition, and Emigration from China

PubMed Central

Liang, Zai; Chunyu, Miao David; Zhuang, Guotu; Ye, Wenzhen

2009-01-01

In this paper, we report findings from a recent survey of international migration from China's Fujian province to the United States. We take advantage of the ethnosurvey approach as used in the Mexican Migration Project. Surveys were done in migrant-sending communities in China as well as in destination communities of New York City. We derive hypotheses from two strands of recent studies-the international migration literature and the market transition debate. Our results are in general consistent with hypotheses derived from cumulative causation of migration. However, because of the geographical location of China as compared to Mexico, there are some differences between the two countries in terms of particular migration patterns to the United States. As expected, at the community level, migration prevalence ratio (measuring migration networks) increases the propensity of migration for other members in the community. In contrast, having a household member migrated previously does not increase the propensity of migration of other household members until debt for previous migration is paid off. Our research clearly demonstrates the value of bringing the case of China into the comparative study of international migration. With respect to market transition theory, we find that political power continues to be an important factor in the order of social stratification in the coastal Fujian province. PMID:19569396

Exploring community health through the Sustainable Livelihoods framework.

PubMed

Barnidge, Ellen K; Baker, Elizabeth A; Motton, Freda; Fitzgerald, Teresa; Rose, Frank

2011-02-01

Health disparities are a major concern in the United States. Research suggests that inequitable distribution of money, power, and resources shape the circumstances for daily life and create and exacerbate health disparities. In rural communities, inequitable distribution of these structural factors seems to limit employment opportunities. The Sustainable Livelihoods framework, an economic development model, provides a conceptual framework to understand how distribution of these social, economic, and political structural factors affect employment opportunities and community health in rural America. This study uses photo-elicitation interviews, a qualitative, participatory method, to understand community members' perceptions of how distribution of structural factors through creation and maintenance of institutional practices and policies influence employment opportunities and, ultimately, community health for African Americans living in rural Missouri.

Preparing and Developing Community College International Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raby, Rosalind Latiner; Valeau, Edward J.

2016-01-01

Leadership training for future senior United States (US) community college leaders is an ongoing focus of US community college education. Leadership training is also a focus of US university international educators. Community college literature has assumed that full-time positions at community colleges devoted to overseeing and implementing…

A focus group study of healthy eating knowledge, practices, and barriers among adult and adolescent immigrants and refugees in the United States

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Immigrants and refugees to the United States exhibit lower dietary quality than the general population, but reasons for this disparity are poorly understood. In this study, we describe the meanings of food, health and wellbeing through the reported dietary preferences, beliefs, and practices of adults and adolescents from four immigrant and refugee communities in the Midwestern United States. Methods Using a community based participatory research approach, we conducted a qualitative research study with 16 audio-recorded focus groups with adults and adolescents who self-identified as Mexican, Somali, Cambodian, and Sudanese. Focus group topics were eating patterns, perceptions of healthy eating in the country of origin and in the U.S., how food decisions are made and who in the family is involved in food preparation and decisions, barriers and facilitators to healthy eating, and gender and generational differences in eating practices. A team of investigators and community research partners analyzed all transcripts in full before reducing data to codes through consensus. Broader themes were created to encompass multiple codes. Results Results show that participants have similar perspectives about the barriers (personal, environmental, structural) and benefits of healthy eating (e.g., ‘junk food is bad’). We identified four themes consistent across all four communities: Ways of Knowing about Healthy Eating (‘Meanings;’ ‘Motivations;’ ‘Knowledge Sources’), Eating Practices (‘Family Practices;’ ‘Americanized Eating Practices’ ‘Eating What’s Easy’), Barriers (‘Taste and Cravings;’ ‘Easy Access to Junk Food;’ ‘Role of Family;’ Cultural Foods and Traditions;’ ‘Time;’ ‘Finances’), and Preferences for Intervention (‘Family Counseling;’ Community Education;’ and ‘Healthier Traditional Meals.’). Some generational (adult vs. adolescents) and gender differences were observed. Conclusions Our study demonstrates how personal, structural, and societal/cultural factors influence meanings of food and dietary practices across immigrant and refugee populations. We conclude that cultural factors are not fixed variables that occur independently from the contexts in which they are embedded. PMID:24886062

Analysis of hospital community benefit expenditures' alignment with community health needs: evidence from a national investigation of tax-exempt hospitals.

PubMed

Singh, Simone R; Young, Gary J; Daniel Lee, Shoou-Yih; Song, Paula H; Alexander, Jeffrey A

2015-05-01

We investigated whether federally tax-exempt hospitals consider community health needs when deciding how much and what types of community benefits to provide. Using 2009 data from hospital tax filings to the Internal Revenue Service and the 2010 County Health Rankings, we employed both univariate and multivariate analyses to examine the relationship between community health needs and the types and levels of hospitals' community benefit expenditures. The study sample included 1522 private, tax-exempt hospitals throughout the United States. We found some patterns between community health needs and hospitals' expenditures on community benefits. Hospitals located in communities with greater health needs spent more as a percentage of their operating budgets on benefits directly related to patient care. By contrast, spending on community health improvement initiatives was unrelated to community health needs. Important opportunities exist for tax-exempt hospitals to improve the alignment between their community benefit activities and the health needs of the community they serve. The Affordable Care Act requirement that hospitals conduct periodic community health needs assessments may be a first step in this direction.

Cyanobacteria dominance influences resource use efficiency and community turnover in phytoplankton and zooplankton communities.

PubMed

Filstrup, Christopher T; Hillebrand, Helmut; Heathcote, Adam J; Harpole, W Stanley; Downing, John A

2014-04-01

Freshwater biodiversity loss potentially disrupts ecosystem services related to water quality and may negatively impact ecosystem functioning and temporal community turnover. We analysed a data set containing phytoplankton and zooplankton community data from 131 lakes through 9 years in an agricultural region to test predictions that plankton communities with low biodiversity are less efficient in their use of limiting resources and display greater community turnover (measured as community dissimilarity). Phytoplankton resource use efficiency (RUE = biomass per unit resource) was negatively related to phytoplankton evenness (measured as Pielou's evenness), whereas zooplankton RUE was positively related to phytoplankton evenness. Phytoplankton and zooplankton RUE were high and low, respectively, when Cyanobacteria, especially Microcystis sp., dominated. Phytoplankton communities displayed slower community turnover rates when dominated by few genera. Our findings, which counter findings of many terrestrial studies, suggest that Cyanobacteria dominance may play important roles in ecosystem functioning and community turnover in nutrient-enriched lakes. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Engaging, Recruiting, and Retaining Black Men Who Have Sex With Men in Research Studies: Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Staffing—Lessons Learned From HPTN 061, the BROTHERS Study

PubMed Central

Magnus, Manya; Franks, Julie; Griffith, Sam; Arnold, Michael P.; Goodman, Krista; Wheeler, Darrell P.

2014-01-01

Context HIV/AIDS in the United States continues to primarily impact men who have sex with men (MSM), with disproportionately high rates among black MSM. Objective The purpose of this study was to identify factors that may influence engagement and retention of black MSM in HIV research. Design and Participants This was a qualitative evaluation of study implementation within a multisite, prospective, observational study (HIV Prevention Trials Network 061, BROTHERS) that enrolled 1553 black MSM in 6 cities throughout the United States. Data collection for this evaluation included a written, structured survey collected from each of the sites describing site characteristics including staff and organizational structure, reviews of site standard operating procedures, and work plans; semistructured key informant interviews were conducted with site coordinators to characterize staffing, site-level factors facilitating or impeding effective community engagement, study recruitment, and retention. Data from completed surveys and site standard operating procedures were collated, and notes from key informant interviews were thematically coded for content by 2 independent reviewers. Results Several key themes emerged from the data, including the importance of inclusion of members of the community being studied as staff, institutional hiring practices that support inclusive staffing, cultivating a supportive working environment for study implementation, and ongoing relationships between research institutions and community. Conclusions This study underscores the importance of staffing in implementing research with black MSM. Investigators should consider how staffing and organizational structures affect implementation during study design and when preparing to initiate study activities. Ongoing monitoring of community engagement can inform and improve methods for engagement and ensure cultural relevance while removing barriers for participation. PMID:24406940

Engaging, recruiting, and retaining black men who have sex with men in research studies: don't underestimate the importance of staffing--lessons learned from HPTN 061, the BROTHERS study.

PubMed

Magnus, Manya; Franks, Julie; Griffith, Sam; Arnold, Michael P; Goodman, Krista; Wheeler, Darrell P

2014-01-01

HIV/AIDS in the United States continues to primarily impact men who have sex with men (MSM), with disproportionately high rates among black MSM. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that may influence engagement and retention of black MSM in HIV research. This was a qualitative evaluation of study implementation within a multisite, prospective, observational study (HIV Prevention Trials Network 061, BROTHERS) that enrolled 1553 black MSM in 6 cities throughout the United States. Data collection for this evaluation included a written, structured survey collected from each of the sites describing site characteristics including staff and organizational structure, reviews of site standard operating procedures, and work plans; semistructured key informant interviews were conducted with site coordinators to characterize staffing, site-level factors facilitating or impeding effective community engagement, study recruitment, and retention. Data from completed surveys and site standard operating procedures were collated, and notes from key informant interviews were thematically coded for content by 2 independent reviewers. Several key themes emerged from the data, including the importance of inclusion of members of the community being studied as staff, institutional hiring practices that support inclusive staffing, cultivating a supportive working environment for study implementation, and ongoing relationships between research institutions and community. This study underscores the importance of staffing in implementing research with black MSM. Investigators should consider how staffing and organizational structures affect implementation during study design and when preparing to initiate study activities. Ongoing monitoring of community engagement can inform and improve methods for engagement and ensure cultural relevance while removing barriers for participation.

Nectar-living yeasts of a tropical host plant community: diversity and effects on community-wide floral nectar traits

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

We characterize the diversity of nectar-living yeasts of a tropical host plant community at different hierarchical sampling levels, measure the associations between yeasts and nectariferous plants, and measure the effect of yeasts on nectar traits. Using a series of hierarchically nested sampling units, we extracted nectar from an assemblage of host plants that were representative of the diversity of life forms, flower shapes, and pollinator types in the tropical area of Yucatan, Mexico. Yeasts were isolated from single nectar samples; their DNA was identified, the yeast cell density was estimated, and the sugar composition and concentration of nectar were quantified using HPLC. In contrast to previous studies from temperate regions, the diversity of nectar-living yeasts in the plant community was characterized by a relatively high number of equally common species with low dominance. Analyses predict highly diverse nectar yeast communities in a relatively narrow range of tropical vegetation, suggesting that the diversity of yeasts will increase as the number of sampling units increases at the level of the species, genera, and botanical families of the hosts. Significant associations between specific yeast species and host plants were also detected; the interaction between yeasts and host plants impacted the effect of yeast cell density on nectar sugars. This study provides an overall picture of the diversity of nectar-living yeasts in tropical host plants and suggests that the key factor that affects the community-wide patterns of nectar traits is not nectar chemistry, but rather the type of yeasts interacting with host plants. PMID:28717591

Patient engagement: four case studies that highlight the potential for improved health outcomes and reduced costs.

PubMed

Laurance, Jeremy; Henderson, Sarah; Howitt, Peter J; Matar, Mariam; Al Kuwari, Hanan; Edgman-Levitan, Susan; Darzi, Ara

2014-09-01

The energy of patients and members of the public worldwide who care about improving health is a huge, but still largely unrecognized and untapped, resource. The aim of patient engagement is to shift the clinical paradigm from determining "what is the matter?" to discovering "what matters to you?" This article presents four case studies from around the world that highlight the proven and potential abilities of increased patient engagement to improve health outcomes and reduce costs, while extending the reach of treatment and diagnostic programs into the community. The cases are an online mental health community in the United Kingdom, a genetic screening program in the United Arab Emirates, a World Health Organization checklist for new mothers, and a hospital-based patient engagement initiative in the United States. Evidence from these and similar endeavors suggests that closer collaboration on the part of patients, families, health care providers, health care systems, and policy makers at multiple levels could help diverse nations provide more effective and population-appropriate health care with fewer resources. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

North Korean Protective Mine Warfare: An Analysis of the Naval Minefields at Wonsan, Chinnampo and Hungnam during the Korean War

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

the United States Navy and the general military history community as well. As a result, studies involving mine warfare have been neglected. In...that particular campaign. The Navy, lulled into a sense of complacency, has neglected mine warfare studies . Naval Intelligence has made little attempt...Farragut famously ignored the mineline there to destroy the Confederate fleet nearby. While extensive mining also occurred during World War One , the United

Training Civic Bridge Builders: Outcomes of Community Leadership Development Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keating, Kari Hall

2011-01-01

As rural communities experience rapid economic, demographic, and political change, program interventions that focus on the development of community leadership capacity could be valuable. Community leadership development programs have been deployed in rural U.S. communities for the past 30 years by university extension units, chambers of commerce,…

CTS United States experiments. A progress report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robbins, W. H.; Donoughe, P. L.

1976-01-01

The results are presented of the United States experiments activity to date. Wide segments of the population are involved in the Experiments Program including the scientific community, other government agencies, industry, and the education and health entities. The experiments are associated with both technological objectives and the demonstration of new community and social services via satellite.

Toward Family and Community: Mental Retardation Services in Massachusetts, New England, and the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braddock, David; Hemp, Richard

1997-01-01

Current trends in mental retardation services in Massachusetts were investigated using the New England region, the state of Michigan, and the United States as comparative frames of reference. Massachusetts' movement toward reducing reliance on state institutions, reallocating funding, and developing community services and family support is…

International Student-Athlete Adjustment Experience at Community Colleges in the Midwest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabourin, Jennifer J.

2017-01-01

Each academic year, the number of international students attending colleges and universities in the United States increases. Of the nearly 1 million international students coming to the United States for education, just under 10% enroll at community colleges; international student-athletes are among that total. In addition to the cultural and…

Quality Assurance in In-House Continuing Training. Case Studies from Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Severing, Eckart; Stahl, Thomas

Nine European Community Member States (Belgium, Germany, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, and United Kingdom) conducted national studies that involved case studies of quality assurance in continuing education. Analysis of findings indicated that many firms regarded continuing training as a central instrument for achieving…

Parallel changes of taxonomic interaction networks in lacustrine bacterial communities induced by a polymetallic perturbation

PubMed Central

Laplante, Karine; Sébastien, Boutin; Derome, Nicolas

2013-01-01

Heavy metals released by anthropogenic activities such as mining trigger profound changes to bacterial communities. In this study we used 16S SSU rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to characterize the impact of a polymetallic perturbation and other environmental parameters on taxonomic networks within five lacustrine bacterial communities from sites located near Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada. The results showed that community equilibrium was disturbed in terms of both diversity and structure. Moreover, heavy metals, especially cadmium combined with water acidity, induced parallel changes among sites via the selection of resistant OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Unit) and taxonomic dominance perturbations favoring the Alphaproteobacteria. Furthermore, under a similar selective pressure, covariation trends between phyla revealed conservation and parallelism within interphylum interactions. Our study sheds light on the importance of analyzing communities not only from a phylogenetic perspective but also including a quantitative approach to provide significant insights into the evolutionary forces that shape the dynamic of the taxonomic interaction networks in bacterial communities. PMID:23789031

Health work: portrait of community workers in the Northeast region of Brazil.

PubMed

Simas, Paloma Ribeiro Pires; Pinto, Isabela Cardoso de Matos

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to characterize the profile of community health workers in northeastern Brazil and aspects related to the management of their work. This is a cross-sectional study, which included 535 community agents who were distributed in 107 primary health units in northeastern Brazil. The data were extracted from eight blocks of questions related to the community agents' perceptions about social-demographic, economic and political factors; their contracts and remuneration; their evaluation as workers; their working conditions and their training. The results indicate that the majority of community agents in the northeast region were hired by direct administration. The main form of hiring community agents was by public exam, followed by public selection. Direct administration is the main form of hiring; however, new modalities, such as the public and private law foundations, social organizations, and inter-municipal consortiums are alternatives that have been adopted by managers which can produce a number of weaknesses due to flexible labor relations.

Diversity and distribution of fungal communities in the marine sediments of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (High Arctic)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tao; Fei Wang, Neng; Qin Zhang, Yu; Yu Liu, Hong; Yan Yu, Li

2015-10-01

This study assessed the diversity and distribution of fungal communities in eight marine sediments of Kongsfjorden (Svalbard, High Arctic) using 454 pyrosequencing with fungal-specific primers targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal rRNA gene. Sedimentary fungal communities showed high diversity with 42,219 reads belonging to 113 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Of these OTUs, 62 belonged to the Ascomycota, 26 to Basidiomycota, 2 to Chytridiomycota, 1 to Zygomycota, 1 to Glomeromycota, and 21 to unknown fungi. The major known orders included Hypocreales and Saccharomycetales. The common fungal genera were Pichia, Fusarium, Alternaria, and Malassezia. Interestingly, most fungi occurring in these Arctic sediments may originate from the terrestrial habitats and different basins in Kongsfjorden (i.e., inner basin, central basin, and outer basin) harbor different sedimentary fungal communities. These results suggest the existence of diverse fungal communities in the Arctic marine sediments, which may serve as a useful community model for further ecological and evolutionary study of fungi in the Arctic.

Has Embase replaced MEDLINE since coverage expansion?

PubMed

Lam, Michael Thomas; De Longhi, Christina; Turnbull, Joseph; Lam, Helen Rose; Besa, Reena

2018-04-01

The research tested the authors' hypothesis that more researchers from the academic medicine community in the United States and Canada with institutional access to Embase had started using Embase to replace MEDLINE since Embase was expanded in 2010 to cover all MEDLINE records. We contacted libraries of 140 and 17 medical schools in the United States and Canada, respectively, to confirm their subscriptions to Embase 5 years before and 5 years after 2010. We searched the names of institutions with confirmed Embase access in Ovid MEDLINE and Embase to retrieve works authored by affiliates of those institutions. We then examined 100 randomly selected records from each of the 5 years before and 5 years after the Embase coverage expansion in 2010. We hypothesized that studies that used Embase but not MEDLINE would increase due to the Embase coverage expansion. The number of studies that used Embase but not MEDLINE did not change between the pre-2010 and post-2010 periods. Our hypothesis was refuted. Studies that used Embase but not MEDLINE did not increase post-2010. Our results suggest the academic medicine community in the United States and Canada that had access did not use Embase to replace MEDLINE, despite the Embase coverage expansion.

The Role of Institutional Factors on On-Campus Reported Rape Prevalence.

PubMed

Stotzer, Rebecca L; MacCartney, Danielle

2016-10-01

Sexual assault is a serious concern on college and university campuses across the United States. However, the institutional factors that may make campuses more or less prone to rape are poorly understood. This study utilizes routine activities theory (RAT) to examine campus-related factors across 524 four-year campuses in the United States to determine what features of a campus community are most closely associated with increased reports of sexual assault. Results suggest that the type of athletic program, the number of students who live on campus, and the institution's alcohol policy were all found to be related to reported sexual assaults. Implications for understanding campus communities and prevention of sexual assaults are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Overcoming Exclusion through Adult Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nash, Ian; Walshe, John

Strategies for overcoming exclusion through adult learning were identified through case studies of 19 initiatives in the following countries: Belgium; Mexico; the Netherlands; Norway; Portugal; and the United Kingdom. The study programs involved a diverse array of formal, nonformal, and informal public sector, community, and enterprise-based…

Race, ethnicity and disasters in the United States: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Fothergill, A; Maestas, E G; Darlington, J D

1999-06-01

In this paper we synthesise past disaster research that addresses issues of race and ethnicity in the United States. Using an eight-stage typology to organise the findings, this literature review presents the results from a wide range of studies. The synthesis shows how various racial and ethnic groups perceive natural hazard risks and respond to warnings, how groups may be differentially affected, both physically and psychologically, and how disaster effects vary by race and ethnicity during the periods of emergency response, recovery and reconstruction. We show that studies have important findings, many illustrating that racial and ethnic communities in the US are more vulnerable to natural disasters, due to factors such as language, housing patterns, building construction, community isolation and cultural insensitivities. By presenting these studies together, we are able to witness patterns of racial and ethnic inequalities that may be more difficult to see or interpret in individual studies that take place in one specific time and place. We conclude the review with policy and research recommendations.

Increasing community capacity to reduce tobacco-related health disparities in African American communities.

PubMed

Jones, Pamela R; Waters, Catherine M; Oka, Roberta K; McGhee, Eva M

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the processes and interactions that African American tobacco control organizations use to engage African American communities in tobacco control efforts. The study used grounded theory methods to interpret participant's perspectives on tobacco control. The study sample consisted of African American tobacco control program directors from African American tobacco control organizations throughout the United States. Data collection involved 1 interview per participant using a semistructured interview at a location selected by the participant. Each interview lasted approximately 30-90 min. The results showed that organizations used specific strategies to involve African Americans in tobacco control. The tobacco control organizations built community capacity using 3 processes: developing relationships and partnerships, raising awareness, and creating collective power. Contextual, cultural processes, and historical references used by African American tobacco control organizations provide insight into how to engage African American communities in tobacco control efforts and achieve tobacco-related health parity. Public health professionals and nurses should be aware of these and other strategies that may increase the involvement of African American communities in tobacco control. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cross-sector analysis of socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and urban/rural disparities in food policy enactment in the United States.

PubMed

Taber, Daniel R; Chriqui, Jamie F; Quinn, Christopher M; Rimkus, Leah M; Chaloupka, Frank J

2016-11-01

We examined racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and urban/rural disparities in food policy enactment across different sectors, as well as retail food access, throughout the United States. Policy and retail food store data were obtained from 443 communities as part of the Bridging the Gap Community Obesity Measures Project. Our results indicated that median household income was inversely associated with healthier retail food zoning policies in Hispanic communities, where competitive food policies for schools were also healthier and mean fruit/vegetable access in stores was higher. In contrast, income was positively associated with healthier retail food zoning in rural communities, where competitive food policies were weaker. Black communities had low scores across all policy domains. Overall, Hispanic communities had the strongest food policies across sectors. Barriers to policy adoption in both rural and Black communities must be explored further. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Views on Researcher-Community Engagement in Autism Research in the United Kingdom: A Mixed-Methods Study

PubMed Central

Pellicano, Elizabeth; Dinsmore, Adam; Charman, Tony

2014-01-01

There has been a substantial increase in research activity on autism during the past decade. Research into effective ways of responding to the immediate needs of autistic people is, however, less advanced, as are efforts at translating basic science research into service provision. Involving community members in research is one potential way of reducing this gap. This study therefore investigated the views of community involvement in autism research both from the perspectives of autism researchers and of community members, including autistic adults, family members and practitioners. Results from a large-scale questionnaire study (n = 1,516) showed that researchers perceive themselves to be engaged with the autism community but that community members, most notably autistic people and their families, did not share this view. Focus groups/interviews with 72 participants further identified the potential benefits and remaining challenges to involvement in research, especially regarding the distinct perspectives of different stakeholders. Researchers were skeptical about the possibilities of dramatically increasing community engagement, while community members themselves spoke about the challenges to fully understanding and influencing the research process. We suggest that the lack of a shared approach to community engagement in UK autism research represents a key roadblock to translational endeavors. PMID:25303222

Onchocerciasis control in Nigeria: will households be able to afford community-directed treatment with ivermectin?

PubMed

Onwujekwe, O; Shu, E; Onwuameze, O; Ndum, C; Okonkwo, P

2001-12-21

To determine the level of affordability of community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) to households living in two onchocerciasis endemic Nigerian communities namely Toro in the north and Nike in the south. The proportion of the cost of treating people with ivermectin will deplete in average monthly/projected annual household expenditure on food and health care, and on average monthly and projected annual household income were respectively calculated and used to determine the level of affordability of CDTI. Questionnaires administered to heads of households or their representatives were used to collect information on the household expenditures and income. The suggested unit CDTI cost of $0.20 was used. However, as a test of sensitivity, we also used the unit cost of $0.056 which some community based distributors are charging per treatment. Using $0.20 as the unit treatment cost, this will consume less than 0.05% of average annual household income in both communities. It will equally deplete 0.05% of combined annual household expenditures on food and health care in both communities. However, using $0.056 as the unit treatment cost, then 0.02% of average annual household expenditure on health care, 0.01% average annual expenditure on combined health care and food, and 0.01% of average annual household income will be depleted. The households living in both communities may be able to afford CDTI schemes. However, the final decision on levels of affordability lies with the households. They will decide whether they can afford to trade-off some household income for ivermectin distribution.

Review and analysis of community traffic safety programs. Volume 2, Appendices

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-01-01

A Community Traffic Safety Program (CTSP) is an established unit in the community, sustained over time, that has public and private input and participation to an action plan to solve one or more of the community's traffic safety problems. Currently, ...

Family Support and Community Economic Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lalley, Jacqueline, Ed.

1997-01-01

This report of the Family Resource Coalition of America examines the interrelationship of sustainable community economic strategies and sustainable family units. The introductory section of the report consists of one article, "Integrating Community Development and Family Support." The second section, "Community Building: A Movement…

"Education Makes You Have More Say in the Way Your Life Goes": Indian Women and Arranged Marriages in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhopal, Kalwant

2011-01-01

This paper explores Indian women's views on arranged marriages in the United Kingdom. It is based on research carried out with 32 Indian women studying at a university in the South East of England, UK. The article draws on Wenger's social theory of learning to explore how Indian women's participation in communities of practice in higher education…

Occurrence and diversity of both bacterial and fungal communities in dental unit waterlines subjected to disinfectants.

PubMed

Costa, Damien; Mercier, Anne; Gravouil, Kevin; Lesobre, Jérôme; Verdon, Julien; Imbert, Christine

2016-10-01

Chemical disinfectants are widely advocated to reduce the microbial contamination in dental unit waterlines (DUWL). However, until now their efficacy has been poorly examined after long-term application. In this study, through quantitative PCR and high-throughput sequencing, both bacterial and fungal communities were profiled from 8- to 12-year-old DUWL treated with disinfectants commonly used by European dentists. Water was collected from the tap water supplying units to the output exposure point of the turbine handpiece following a stagnation period and dental care activity. Results showed that (i) the unit itself is the principal source of microbial contamination and (ii) water stagnation, DU maintenance practices and quality of water supplying DU appeared as parameters driving the water quality. Despite disinfecting treatment combined to flushing process, the microbial contamination remained relevant in the studied output water, in association with a high bacterial and fungal diversity. The occurrence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms in these treated DUWL demonstrated a potential infectious risk for both patients and dental staff. A disinfectant shock before a prolonged stagnation period could limit the microbial proliferation inside DUWL. Necessity to proceed to regular water quality control of DUWL was highlighted. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Algal and Invertebrate Community Composition along Agricultural Gradients: A Comparative Study from Two Regions of the Eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Calhoun, Daniel L.; Gregory, M. Brian; Weyers, Holly S.

2008-01-01

Benthic algal and invertebrate communities in two Coastal Plain regions of the Eastern United States?the Delmarva Peninsula (27 sites) and Georgia Upper Coastal Plain (29 sites)?were assessed to determine if aspects of agricultural land use and nutrient conditions (dissolved and whole-water nitrogen and phosphorus) could be linked to biological community compositions. Extensive effort was made to compile land-use data describing the basin and riparian conditions at multiple scales to determine if scale played a role in these relations. Large differences in nutrient condition were found between the two study areas, wherein on average, the Delmarva sites had three times the total phosphorus and total nitrogen as did the sites in the Georgia Upper Coastal Plain. A statistical approach was undertaken that included multivariate correlations between Bray-Curtis similarity matrices of the biological communities and Euclidean similarity matrices of instream nutrients and land-use categories. Invertebrate assemblage composition was most associated with land use near the sampled reach, and algal diatom assemblage composition was most associated with land use farther from the streams and into the watersheds. Link tree analyses were conducted to isolate portions of nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordinations of community compositions that could be explained by break points in abiotic datasets. Invertebrate communities were better defined by factors such as agricultural land use near streams and geographic position. Algal communities were better defined by agricultural land use at the basin scale and instream nutrient chemistry. Algal autecological indices were more correlated with gradients of nutrient condition than were typically employed invertebrate metrics and may hold more promise in indicating nutrient impairment in these regions. Nutrient conditions in the respective study areas are compared to draft nutrient criteria established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Substantial reductions in some nutrients would be required to meet proposed reference conditions on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Vegetation map for the Hakalau Forest Unit of the Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex on the island of Hawai‘i

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobi, James D.

2017-01-01

This vegetation map was produced to serve as an updated habitat base for management of natural resources of the Hakalau Forest Unit (HFU) of the Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Refuge) on the island of Hawai‘i. The map is based on a vegetation map originally produced as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Hawai‘i Forest Bird Survey to depict the distribution, structure, and composition of plant communities on the island of Hawai‘i as they existed in 1977. The current map has been updated to represent current conditions of plant communities in the HFU, based on WorldView 2 imagery taken in 2012 and very-high-resolution imagery collected by Pictometry International from 2010 to 2014. Thirty-one detailed plant communities are identified on this map, and fourteen of these units are found within the boundaries of HFU. Additionally, the mapped units can be displayed as five tree canopy cover units, three moisture zones units, eight dominant tree species units, and four habitat status units by choosing the various fields to group the units from the map attribute table. This updated map will provide a foundation for the refinement and tracking of management actions on the Refuge for the near future, particularly as the habitats in this area are subject to projected climate change.

Informal Community Support for Parents of Pre-School Children: A Comparative Study Investigating the Subjective Experience of Parents Attending Community-Based Toddler Groups in Different Socio-Economic Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen, Alex; Anderson, Babs

2017-01-01

Within the United Kingdom, the importance of the appropriate parenting of children in their early years has received significant political support. However, it has been found that positive outcomes for young children, in terms of their present experience and future life chances, are often significantly weakened by the impact of poverty. A…

The Effectiveness of a Cohort Model as a Predictor of Grade Point Average and Graduation Status of Pre-Health Sciences Students in a Public Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandon, Elvis Nash

2017-01-01

There is a college completion crisis in the United States. In today's competitive job market, health sciences students cannot afford to fail in their educational attainment. The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in the cohort model is a predictor of the success of public community college pre-health sciences students.…

Closing Doors of Opportunity? Trends in Enrollment, College Costs, and Direct Grant Aid at Community Colleges in the United States, 2000-2001 to 2005-2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennamer, Michael A.; Katsinas, Stephen G.; Hardy, David E.; Roessler, Billy

2010-01-01

This study had two major purposes. The first purpose was to compare federal, state, and institutional direct grant aid, unmet needs, and headcount in 2000-2001 and 2005-2006. The second was to assess if any changes found related to the presence or absence of two key factors identified by experts as important to understanding the community college…

Strategic Plan for the Academic Component of the Army National Guard Distance Learning Demonstration.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-07-01

II - Directed study on Distance Learning Technologies - Action Memorandum. a reserve unit where they perform the same job as they did as full-time...a virtual learning community and provide a classroom without walls. The harnessing of appropriate technology to meet the training needs offers...its force through training, the Distance Learning capabilities also becomes part of community resources that advance the education of local residents

The Fire Next Time? a Critical Discussion of the National Curriculum Framework for RE and the Policy Recommendations in the "Review of Religious Education in England"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chater, Mark

2014-01-01

The Religious Education Council's (REC) 2013 "Review of Religious Education in England" consists of a National Curriculum Framework for RE (NCFRE) designed to unite the RE community around a shared programme of study for pupils aged 4-14, and a set of six policy recommendations for the consideration of the RE community and government in…

Provision of healthy toilet for low income community based on community empowerment in Kelurahan Kebonsari, Surabaya City, towards Indonesia open defecation free (ODF) in 2019

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soedjono, Eddy Setiadi; Fitriani, Nurina; Yuniarto, Adhi; Wijaya, I. Made Wahyu

2017-11-01

One of the causes of open defecation (OD) is low awareness of local community towards open defecation free behavior. This community does not have a healthy toilet and usually defecate in the river. This poor environment is coupled with poverty and small footprint. Therefore, the tr.iggering methods should be modified by including the finance concept in form of stimulant funds to accelerate ODF targets by using appropriate technology for land limitations. The construction of healthy toilet in Kelurahan Kebonsari, Jambangan sub-district, was conducted in RW2 which consisted of RT 6 (4 units) and RT 7 (1 unit) and 2 units in RT 2 of RW 3. Construction was initiated with focus group discussion and indepth interview to locate the proper location to be triggered. Healthy toilet construction was conducted in cooperation among self-help community, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), and the community itself. Every month the users had to pay the toilet construction (capacity of 0.75 m3) of IDR 100,000 for 10 months. Therefore, with this healthy toilet construction, KelurahanKebonsari becomes one of ODF village in Surabaya City.

Community Detection for Correlation Matrices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacMahon, Mel; Garlaschelli, Diego

2015-04-01

A challenging problem in the study of complex systems is that of resolving, without prior information, the emergent, mesoscopic organization determined by groups of units whose dynamical activity is more strongly correlated internally than with the rest of the system. The existing techniques to filter correlations are not explicitly oriented towards identifying such modules and can suffer from an unavoidable information loss. A promising alternative is that of employing community detection techniques developed in network theory. Unfortunately, this approach has focused predominantly on replacing network data with correlation matrices, a procedure that we show to be intrinsically biased because of its inconsistency with the null hypotheses underlying the existing algorithms. Here, we introduce, via a consistent redefinition of null models based on random matrix theory, the appropriate correlation-based counterparts of the most popular community detection techniques. Our methods can filter out both unit-specific noise and system-wide dependencies, and the resulting communities are internally correlated and mutually anticorrelated. We also implement multiresolution and multifrequency approaches revealing hierarchically nested subcommunities with "hard" cores and "soft" peripheries. We apply our techniques to several financial time series and identify mesoscopic groups of stocks which are irreducible to a standard, sectorial taxonomy; detect "soft stocks" that alternate between communities; and discuss implications for portfolio optimization and risk management.

Effects of urban development on stream ecosystems in nine metropolitan study areas across the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coles, James F.; McMahon, Gerard; Bell, Amanda H.; Brown, Larry R.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Scudder Eikenberry, Barbara C.; Woodside, Michael D.; Cuffney, Thomas F.; Bryant, Wade L.; Cappiella, Karen; Fraley-McNeal, Lisa; Stack, William P.

2012-01-01

Which urban-related stressors are most closely linked to biological community degradation, and how can multiple stressors be managed to protect stream health as a watershed becomes increasingly urbanized?

Concrete performance using low-degradation aggregates.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

The durability of Portland cement concrete (PCC) has long been identified as a concern by transportation communities around the United States. In this study, the long-term performance of two batches of concrete incorporating either low-degradation (L...

Of the Community, by the Community, and for the Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambler, Marjane

2001-01-01

States that tribal colleges are not Ivory Towers standing above and beyond their communities. American Indians have higher rates of poverty, unemployment, sickness, mortality than others in the United States. Tribal colleges must provide health services, childcare and other community services as well as education to meet the needs of their…

Community Arts: (Re) Contextualizing the Narrative of Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlemmer, Ross H.

2017-01-01

Education in the United States is often characterized by testing and standardized outcomes, and bears little relevance to the culture and the community that surrounds both students and teachers. Conversely, community arts connect the philosophies of art and education to the larger spheres of culture and community. The community thus becomes an…

Toward the Early Recognition of Psychosis Among Spanish-Speaking Adults on both Sides of the US-Mexico Border

PubMed Central

Casas, Rachel Nichole; Gonzales, Edlin; Aldana-Aragón, Eréndira; Lara-Muñoz, María del Carmen; Kopelowicz, Alex; Andrews, Laura; López, Steven Regeser

2015-01-01

Lack of knowledge about psychosis, a condition oftentimes associated with serious mental illness, may contribute to disparities in mental health service use. Psychoeducational interventions aimed at improving psychosis literacy have attracted significant attention recently, but few have focused on the growing numbers of ethnic and linguistic minorities in countries with large immigrant populations, such as the United States. This paper reports on two studies designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a DVD version of La CLAve, a psychoeducational program that aims to increase psychosis literacy among Spanish-speaking Latinos. Study 1 is a randomized control study to test directly the efficacy of a DVD version of La CLAve for Spanish-speakers across a range of educational backgrounds. Fifty-seven medical students and 68 community residents from Mexico were randomly assigned to view either La CLAve or a psychoeducational program of similar length regarding caregiving. Study 2 employed a single-subjects design to evaluate the effectiveness of the DVD presentation when administered by a community mental health educator. Ninety-three Spanish-speakers from San Diego, California completed assessments both before and after receiving the DVD training. Results from these two studies indicate that the DVD version of La CLAve is capable of producing a range of psychosis literacy gains for Spanish-speakers in both the United States and Mexico, even when administered by a community worker. Thus, it has potential for widespread dissemination and use among underserved communities of Spanish-speaking Latinos and for minimizing disparities in mental health service use, particularly as it relates to insufficient knowledge of psychosis. PMID:25383998

Social Embeddedness and Late-Life Parenthood: Community Activity, Close Ties, and Support Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wenger, G. Clare; Dykstra, Pearl A.; Melkas, Tuula; Knipscheer, Kees C. P. M.

2007-01-01

This article focuses on the ways in which patterns of marriage and fertility shape older people's involvement in community groups and their support networks. The data are from Australia, Finland, Germany, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Findings show that childless older adults, regardless of…

Relationships Between Centralization/Decentralization and Organizational Effectiveness in Urban Multi-Unit Community College Systems. A Summary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, John A.; Rossmeier, Joseph G.

In January 1972, 3,320 faculty members and administrators at 12 urban multicampus community college districts were asked to indicate their perceptions of the distribution of decision-making authority and influence among six organizational levels (the board of trustees, the district administration, the unit administration, deans, department…

Field of Bachelor's Degree in the United States: 2009. American Community Survey Reports. ACS-18

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siebens, Julie; Ryan, Camille L.

2012-01-01

This report provides information on fields of bachelor's degrees in the United States using data from the 2009 American Community Survey (ACS). It includes estimates of fields of bachelor's degree by demographic characteristics including age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, nativity, and educational attainment. This report also looks at geographic and…

U.S. Community Colleges Participating in Asia Student Recruitment Fairs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association of Community Colleges (NJ1), 2006

2006-01-01

Each year more than 572,500 international students enroll in more than 3,300 colleges and universities in the United States. Currently, about 84,000 of these students attend community colleges. Why do so many international students choose to pursue higher education in the United States? First, U.S. colleges and universities welcome and value…

Songbird Community Variation Among Five Levels of Overstory Retention in Northern Alabama

Treesearch

Adrian A. Lesak; Yong Wang; Callie Jo Schweitzer

2004-01-01

We compared songbird communities among varying degrees of overstory tree retention in the oak-hickory forest of the southern Mid-Cumberland Plateau region. Three 20-ha complete block replicates of 5 experimental treatments (15 treatment units, 4 ha per unit) were used. The five treatments were operational shelterwood stands with target overstory retention levels of...

From Snuggling and Snogging to Sampling and Scratching: Girls' Nonparticipation in Community-Based Music Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Sarah; Cohen, Bruce M. Z.

2008-01-01

This article focuses on gendered youth music practices in community-based organizations (CBOs) in Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Drawing on interviews and observational fieldwork from the Playing for Life research project, the authors highlight the absence of young women from many activities, especially in the area…

Community Needs Assessment for Office Administration and Technology Program: Health Unit Coordinator.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pezzoli, Jean A.; Johnson, Nancy; Lum, Kuuipo

In order to determine the potential employment demand and skills needed for health unit coordinators and other clerical workers in the medical field, Maui Community College (MCC) in Hawaii conducted a survey of 120 local health care providers in the spring semester of 1998. Forty respondents provided MCC with the following details: (1) 92 percent…

Wildfire evacuation and its alternatives: perspectives from four United States' communities

Treesearch

Sarah McCaffrey; Alan Rhodes; Melanie Stidham

2015-01-01

Recent years have seen growing interest within the United States fire management community in exploring alternatives to the standard approach of evacuating entire populations that are threatened by a wildfire. There has been particular interest in what can be learned from the Australian approach, whereby residents choose whether or not to evacuate under the '...

What should autism research focus upon? Community views and priorities from the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Dinsmore, Adam; Charman, Tony

2014-01-01

The rise in the measured prevalence of autism has been accompanied by much new research and research investment internationally. This study sought to establish whether the pattern of current UK autism research funding maps on to the concerns of the autism community. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with autistic adults, family members, practitioners and researchers to identify their priorities for research. We also captured the views of a large number of stakeholders via an online survey. There was a clear disparity between the United Kingdom’s pattern of funding for autism research and the priorities articulated by the majority of participants. There was general consensus that future priorities for autism research should lie in those areas that make a difference to people’s day-to-day lives. There needs to be greater involvement of the autism community both in priority setting and in research more broadly to ensure that resources reach where they are most needed and can make the most impact. PMID:24789871

The exclusion-inclusion spectrum in state and community response to sex offenders in Anglo-American and European jurisdictions.

PubMed

Petrunik, Michael; Deutschmann, Linda

2008-10-01

Continental European and Anglo-American jurisdictions differ with regard to criminal justice and community responses to sex offenders on an exclusion-inclusion spectrum ranging from community protection measures on one end to therapeutic programs in the middle and restorative justice measures on the other end. In the United States, populist pressure has resulted in a community protection approach exemplified by sex offender registration, community notification, and civil commitment of violent sexual predators. Although the United Kingdom and Canada have followed, albeit more cautiously, the American trend to adopt exclusionist community protection measures, these countries have significant community-based restorative justice initiatives, such as Circles of Support and Accountability. Although sex offender crises have recently occurred in continental Europe, a long-standing tradition of the medicalization of deviance, along with the existence of social structural buffers against the influence of victim-driven populist penal movements, has thus far limited the spread of formal community protection responses.

An ecological study of the locations of schools and child pedestrian injury collisions.

PubMed

LaScala, Elizabeth A; Gruenewald, Paul J; Johnson, Fred W

2004-07-01

Geographic studies of the incidence and prevalence of child pedestrian injury collisions in different community environments have been primarily descriptive and idiosyncratic, reflecting one or another likely determinant of the places where these injuries occur. The current study maintains that multiple determinants of child pedestrian injury collisions must be considered in evaluating the unique contributions of any one community feature to injury rates. These features include local characteristics of populations, such as rates of unemployment, and places, such as locations of schools. Schools are one stable geographic feature associated with regular, often concentrated periods of complex and congested traffic patterns. The objective of the present study was to examine annual rates of child pedestrian injury in four California communities with a focus on the unique contribution of schools to injury risk. We predicted that annual numbers of child pedestrian injury collisions (both in-school and summer combined) would be greater in communities with higher youth population densities, more unemployment, fewer high-income households, and higher traffic flow. It was hypothesized that youth population density and its interaction with the number of schools in a given area would be related to greater rates of child pedestrian collisions during in-school months. An ecological approach was taken that divided the four communities into 102 geographic units with an average of 6321 people residing in each unit. Archival data on traffic flow, number of child pedestrian injury collisions and locations of schools were obtained from state agencies. Individual-level data were obtained from a general population survey conducted in the communities. The results showed that annual numbers of injuries were greater in areas with higher youth population densities, more unemployment, fewer high-income households, and greater traffic flow. Annual numbers of injuries during in-school months were greater in areas containing middle schools and greater population densities of youth.

Baseline assessment of fish communities, benthic macroinvertebrate communities, and stream habitat and land use, Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas, 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moring, J. Bruce

2003-01-01

The Big Thicket National Preserve comprises 39,300 hectares in the form of nine preserve units connected by four stream corridor units (with two more corridor units proposed) distributed over the lower Neches and Trinity River Basins of southeastern Texas. Fish and benthic macroinvertebrate data were collected at 15 stream sites (reaches) in the preserve during 1999–2001 for a baseline assessment and a comparison of communities among stream reaches. The fish communities in the preserve were dominated by minnows (family Cyprinidae) and sunfishes (family Centrarchidae). Reaches with smaller channel sizes generally had higher fish species richness than the larger reaches in the Neches River and Pine Island Bayou units of the preserve. Fish communities in geographically adjacent reaches were most similar in overall community structure. The blue sucker, listed by the State as a threatened species, was collected in only one reach—a Neches River reach a few miles downstream from the Steinhagen Lake Dam. Riffle beetles (family Elmidae) and midges (family Chironomidae) dominated the aquatic insect communities at the 14 reaches sampled for aquatic insects in the preserve. The Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) Index, an index sensitive to water-quality degradation, was smallest at the Little Pine Island Bayou near Beaumont reach that is in a State 303(d)-listed stream segment on Little Pine Island Bayou. Trophic structure of the aquatic insect communities is consistent with the river continuum concept with shredder and scraper insect taxa more abundant in reaches with smaller stream channels and filter feeders more abundant in reaches with larger channels. Aquatic insect community metrics were not significantly correlated to any of the stream-habitat or land-use explanatory variables. The percentage of 1990s urban land use in the drainage areas upstream from 12 bioassessment reaches were negatively correlated to the reach structure index, which indicates less stable habitat for aquatic biota.

Soil pH Errors Propagation from Measurements to Spatial Predictions - Cost Benefit Analysis and Risk Assessment Implications for Practitioners and Modelers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owens, P. R.; Libohova, Z.; Seybold, C. A.; Wills, S. A.; Peaslee, S.; Beaudette, D.; Lindbo, D. L.

2017-12-01

The measurement errors and spatial prediction uncertainties of soil properties in the modeling community are usually assessed against measured values when available. However, of equal importance is the assessment of errors and uncertainty impacts on cost benefit analysis and risk assessments. Soil pH was selected as one of the most commonly measured soil properties used for liming recommendations. The objective of this study was to assess the error size from different sources and their implications with respect to management decisions. Error sources include measurement methods, laboratory sources, pedotransfer functions, database transections, spatial aggregations, etc. Several databases of measured and predicted soil pH were used for this study including the United States National Cooperative Soil Survey Characterization Database (NCSS-SCDB), the US Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database. The distribution of errors among different sources from measurement methods to spatial aggregation showed a wide range of values. The greatest RMSE of 0.79 pH units was from spatial aggregation (SSURGO vs Kriging), while the measurement methods had the lowest RMSE of 0.06 pH units. Assuming the order of data acquisition based on the transaction distance i.e. from measurement method to spatial aggregation the RMSE increased from 0.06 to 0.8 pH units suggesting an "error propagation". This has major implications for practitioners and modeling community. Most soil liming rate recommendations are based on 0.1 pH unit increments, while the desired soil pH level increments are based on 0.4 to 0.5 pH units. Thus, even when the measured and desired target soil pH are the same most guidelines recommend 1 ton ha-1 lime, which translates in 111 ha-1 that the farmer has to factor in the cost-benefit analysis. However, this analysis need to be based on uncertainty predictions (0.5-1.0 pH units) rather than measurement errors (0.1 pH units) which would translate in 555-1,111 investment that need to be assessed against the risk. The modeling community can benefit from such analysis, however, error size and spatial distribution for global and regional predictions need to be assessed against the variability of other drivers and impact on management decisions.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolinger, Mark

With varying success, the United States and Europe have followed a more or less parallel path of policies to support wind development over the past twenty years. Feed-in laws and tax incentives first popularized in California in the early 1980s and greatly expanded upon in Europe during the 1990s are gradually giving way to market-based support mechanisms such as renewable portfolio standards, which are being implemented in one form or another in ten US states and at least three European nations. At the same time, electricity markets are being liberalized in both the US and Europe, and many electricity consumersmore » are being given the choice to support the development of renewable energy through higher tariffs, both in traditionally regulated and newly competitive markets. One notable area in which wind development in Europe and United States has not evolved in common, however, is with respect to the level of community ownership of wind turbines or clusters. While community ownership of wind projects is unheard of in the United States, in Europe, local wind cooperatives or other participatory business schemes have been responsible for a large share of total wind development. In Denmark, for example, approximately 80% of all wind turbines are either individually or cooperatively owned, and a similar pattern holds in Germany, the world leader in installed wind capacity. Sweden also has a strong wind cooperative base, and the UK has recently made forays into community wind ownership. Why is it that wind development has evolved this way in Europe, but not in the United States? What incremental effect have community-owned wind schemes had on European wind development? Have community-owned wind schemes driven development in Europe, or are they merely a vehicle through which the fundamental driving institutions have been channeled? Is there value to having community wind ownership in the US? Is there reason to believe that such schemes would succeed in the US? If so, which model seems most appropriate, and what barriers--legal, regulatory, tax, market, or investment--stand in the way of implementing such a scheme? These are the questions this report seeks to address. The report begins with a discussion of the relative advantages and disadvantages of community wind ownership, as opposed to the large commercially-owned projects that have so far dominated US wind development. Next, four detailed case studies relate community-owned wind experience in Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, focusing primarily on the different participatory models employed in each country. The report then categorizes the various models into three main groupings--community-led, developer-led, and investment funds--and draws general conclusions about the success of each category in Europe, and the conditions that dictate the effective use of one approach over another. Finally, the focus shifts to the US, where the report discusses the domestic barriers facing each model category, and identifies the category offering the most value with the fewest barriers to implementation. The report concludes with a high-level introduction to potential applications for community wind ownership within the United States.« less

School and community relations in North America: Creative tensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loughran, E.; Reed, H. B.

1980-09-01

School and community relations in North America reflect creative tensions between the conserving forces of schooling and the changing forces of community. During crisis periods community development needs may modify the school's focus on individual learner growth, but generally schools use the community to extend and enrich the traditional modes. School and community interactions are chiefly characterized by such settings as community schools, community education, adult education, home and school (PTA) associations, work-study programs, curriculum-community resource programs. Recent social forces are creating heightened tensions: cultural pluralism, reduced resources, Third World influences, international conflicts, personal alienation, population concerns, energy problems, community power issues. These forces are gradually shifting school and community concepts towards ones of education and community. Education goes well beyond schooling, including all agencies having an organized influence on community development: libraries, voluntary groups, unions, business, human service agencies, government units, as well as schools. This shift requires research to develop nonformal concepts and practices, along with formal pedagogy, to increase the positive impacts of educational networks on community, as well as individual, development. These new directions have not yet significantly modified the traditional meaning of school and community relations.

Ecological Networks and Community Attachment and Support Among Recently Resettled Refugees.

PubMed

Soller, Brian; Goodkind, Jessica R; Greene, R Neil; Browning, Christopher R; Shantzek, Cece

2018-03-25

Interventions aimed at enhancing mental health are increasingly centered around promoting community attachment and support. However, few have examined and tested the specific ecological factors that give rise to these key community processes. Drawing from insights from the ecological network perspective, we tested whether spatial and social overlap in routine activity settings (e.g., work, school, childcare) with fellow ethnic community members is associated with individuals' attachment to their ethnic communities and access to social resources embedded in their communities. Data on routine activity locations drawn from the Refugee Well-Being Project (based in a city in the Southwestern United States) were used to reconstruct the ecological networks of recently resettled refugee communities, which were two-mode networks that comprise individuals and their routine activity locations. Results indicated that respondents' community attachment and support increased with their ecological network extensity-which taps the extent to which respondents share routine activity locations with other community members. Our study highlights a key ecological process that potentially enhances individuals' ethnic community attachment that extends beyond residential neighborhoods. © Society for Community Research and Action 2018.

Patients’ perception of pharmaceutical services available in a community pharmacy among patients living in a rural area of the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Objective: Patients’ opinion about prevalence of pharmaceutical services available in a community pharmacy among patients living in a rural area of the United Kingdom. The secondary objective was to identify appropriate action(s) to enhance patients’ awareness of pharmaceutical services in rural areas. Methods: A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was distributed to patients visiting a community pharmacy in Eye, Suffolk, United Kingdom between July and August, 2015. The main inclusion criterion was living in a rural area. Comparisons were performed using chi-square tests and logistic regression. Results: The study included 103 respondents: 70 women (69.0%) and 33 men (32.0%), aged 16–85 years. Most respondents declared the primary tasks of a community pharmacy were dispensing medicines (86.4% of respondents) and repeat dispensing (72.8% of respondents). Additionally, 23.3% of respondents treated minor ailments at the pharmacy, including bacterial/viral infections, minor injuries, stomach problems, and allergies. The Medicines Use Review service was the only advanced service used in this pharmacy (12.6% of respondents), primarily by men. Younger patients were more familiar with the term of pharmaceutical care (p<0.05; OR=0.33). Conclusions: Only a few pharmaceutical services are utilized by people living in rural areas in the UK, namely prescription dispensing, repeat dispensing, and sale of medications that support self-care for minor ailments. We found an overall poor awareness of the expanded variety of pharmaceutical services encouraged by the community pharmacy contract introduced in the UK in 2005. Therefore, politicians, pharmacists, and pharmacy experts should actively promote these advanced pharmaceutical services in rural areas. PMID:27785163

Data Bases in Vocational Education and Training. The European Scene.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Berlin (West Germany).

This study of public access databases in vocational education and training was conducted in the European Economic Community (EEC). Principal sources for the study were a survey sent to practitioners in eight countries; country studies on France, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom; and field work involving visits to Belgium, the Netherlands,…

Creating community life among immigrant survivors of torture and their allies.

PubMed

Bothne, Nancy; Keys, Christopher B

2016-01-01

This qualitative study describes how immigrant survivors of torture in the United States built relationships among each other to form a psychological sense of community. Eight men and seven women from 11 different countries were recruited through a torture treatment center and a survivor-led advocacy and support coalition. This qualitative study explored how participants described their experiences of community life. An advisory group that included torture survivors, torture treatment practitioners, abolition advocates and academic experts guided the study. Data was analyzed using inductive and phenomenological theories. The construct of psychological sense of community articulated by McMillan and Chavis1 provided the conceptual framework for the evaluation of how a psychological sense of community was developed. Torture survivors with their allies formed community boundaries based on a deep understanding of the impact of torture. The safety afforded through the community boundaries was reinforced by shared condemnation of torture in all circumstances. Within the security of the community's boundaries, members shared their experiences to enable their own and others' recovery from torture. As community members exchanged advice and support, survivors met one another's needs, providing physical and emotional relief from the effects of their torture. As individuals and a community, they influenced each other's identities as survivors rather than victims. Advocating for those who remained vulnerable to torture was important to their identification as survivors. Through these exchanges, community members influenced one another and developed trusting relationships and emotional bonds. This study illuminates how community life enabled survivors to contribute to, and benefit from, each other's journeys.

From Voice to Choice: African American Youth Examine Childhood Obesity in Rural North Carolina.

PubMed

Balvanz, Peter; Dodgen, Leilani; Quinn, Jeff; Holloway, Tameiya; Hudspeth, Sandra; Eng, Eugenia

2016-01-01

Childhood obesity continues to be a prominent health concern in the United States. Certain demographics of youth have a higher prevalence of obesity, including those living in rural settings, and African American females. Multiple determinants contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic, yet few studies have partnered with youth to investigate community-level determinants and solutions. This study involved youth to assess contextual determinants of childhood obesity in a community, create an action plan for the community, and report findings and actions pursued in partnership with a community-based organization (CBO) and a university. Seven African American female high school students were recruited to investigate factors that contribute to childhood obesity using photovoice, a methodology used in community-based participatory research (CBPR). Through photography and guided discussion, youth partners found a lack of access to healthy food and lack of safe recreation as primary contributors to obesity within their community. Social support from friends was believed to help prevent obesity. In response to findings, two projects were envisioned and implemented in the community, a walkability assessment and an intergenerational community garden. Throughout this study, youth proved to be reliable partners in research, provided unique perspectives while examining local factors perceived to contribute to childhood obesity, and offered thoughtful solutions.

Willingness to pay for community-based ivermectin distribution: a study of three onchocerciasis-endemic communities in Nigeria.

PubMed

Onwujekwe, O E; Shu, E N; Nwagbo, D; Akpala, C O; Okonkwo, P O

1998-10-01

To determine the willingness to pay (WTP) for local ivermectin distribution in a community financing framework. Contingent valuation in three communities in Nigeria, using randomly selected household heads. WTP was elicited using a bidding game, and for collecting information on the households' socio-economic status, level of knowledge, priority ranking and perception of risk of contracting the disease, structured questionnaires were used. Ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression analysis was used to analyse factors associated with WTP. Between 92.1% and 93.3 % of respondents were willing to pay amounts ranging from 5 Naira (US$ 0.06) to 100 Naira (US$ 1.25) (median: 20 Naira, US$ 0.25) in the three communities, more than three times the modelled unit direct cost of distributing ivermectin by the communities themselves. Occupation of the respondent, marital status, average monthly expenditure on health care, manifestations of onchocerciasis, the type of savings scheme embarked on by the respondent, age-group, level of education and type of property were statistically significant (P < 0.05) variables affecting WTP. This study shows that there is WTP for local ivermectin distribution in the three study communities, and that it should be assessed before instituting community-directed treatment with ivermectin.

Linking the community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plants: a story of interdependence?

PubMed Central

Horn, Sebastian; Hempel, Stefan; Verbruggen, Erik; Rillig, Matthias C; Caruso, Tancredi

2017-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are crucial to plants and vice versa, but little is known about the factors linking the community structure of the two groups. We investigated the association between AMF and the plant community structure in the nearest neighborhood of Festuca brevipila in a semiarid grassland with steep environmental gradients, using high-throughput sequencing of the Glomeromycotina (former Glomeromycota). We focused on the Passenger, Driver and Habitat hypotheses: (i) plant communities drive AMF (passenger); (ii) AMF communities drive the plants (driver); (iii) the environment shapes both communities causing covariation. The null hypothesis is that the two assemblages are independent and this study offers a spatially explicit novel test of it in the field at multiple, small scales. The AMF community consisted of 71 operational taxonomic units, the plant community of 47 species. Spatial distance and spatial variation in the environment were the main determinants of the AMF community. The structure of the plant community around the focal plant was a poor predictor of AMF communities, also in terms of phylogenetic community structure. Some evidence supports the passenger hypothesis, but the relative roles of the factors structuring the two groups clearly differed, leading to an apparent decoupling of the two assemblages at the relatively small scale of this study. Community phylogenetic structure in AMF suggests an important role of within-assemblage interactions. PMID:28244977

Linking the community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plants: a story of interdependence?

PubMed

Horn, Sebastian; Hempel, Stefan; Verbruggen, Erik; Rillig, Matthias C; Caruso, Tancredi

2017-06-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are crucial to plants and vice versa, but little is known about the factors linking the community structure of the two groups. We investigated the association between AMF and the plant community structure in the nearest neighborhood of Festuca brevipila in a semiarid grassland with steep environmental gradients, using high-throughput sequencing of the Glomeromycotina (former Glomeromycota). We focused on the Passenger, Driver and Habitat hypotheses: (i) plant communities drive AMF (passenger); (ii) AMF communities drive the plants (driver); (iii) the environment shapes both communities causing covariation. The null hypothesis is that the two assemblages are independent and this study offers a spatially explicit novel test of it in the field at multiple, small scales. The AMF community consisted of 71 operational taxonomic units, the plant community of 47 species. Spatial distance and spatial variation in the environment were the main determinants of the AMF community. The structure of the plant community around the focal plant was a poor predictor of AMF communities, also in terms of phylogenetic community structure. Some evidence supports the passenger hypothesis, but the relative roles of the factors structuring the two groups clearly differed, leading to an apparent decoupling of the two assemblages at the relatively small scale of this study. Community phylogenetic structure in AMF suggests an important role of within-assemblage interactions.

Bystander Attitudes to Prevent Sexual Assault: A Study of College Students in the United States, Japan, India, Vietnam, and China.

PubMed

Kamimura, Akiko; Trinh, Ha Ngoc; Nguyen, Hanh; Yamawaki, Niwako; Bhattacharya, Haimanti; Mo, Wenjing; Birkholz, Ryan; Makomenaw, Angie; Olson, Lenora M

2016-01-01

College women are at a high risk of sexual assault. Although programs that aim to change bystander behaviors have been shown to be potentially effective in preventing sexual assault on campuses in the United States, little is known about bystander behaviors outside of the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore and compare factors affecting bystander behaviors regarding sexual assault intervention and prevention among undergraduate students in the United States, Japan, India, Vietnam, and China. A total of 1,136 students participated in a self-reported survey. Results demonstrate substantial variations across countries. Bystander behaviors are associated with multilevel factors, including gender, knowledge of individuals who have experienced a sexual assault, and knowledge about campus or community organizations.